Tag: automation

The “Internet of Things” isn’t a new term — in fact, it was first coined by Kevin Ashton back in 1999 — but it’s one that is starting to be used much more frequently. It’s an idea whose time has come. More objects now include the ability to connect to other devices using the Internet, and that trend shows no signs of slowing up. The Nest home thermostat, for example, connects to your home Wi-Fi network and can be controlled over the Web. Projects like the Lockitron also use Wi-Fi and enable you to unlock your front door from another continent. We’re even starting to see refrigerators with Internet connectivity.

But as our household objects become more connected, a hodgepodge of smartphone apps and Web-based controls won’t do. We’ll need a customizable, easy-to-use back-end for our “Internet of things” that lets us automate them and connect them to the online services we already use. Thankfully, one such service already exists, and it’s called IFTTT — If This, Then That.