This post is presented by Toyota Prius. Since the first hybrid-electric Prius rolled onto US driveways 14 years ago, Toyota’s led the way to greener transportation. In the 11 years since ReadWrite launched on the Web, we’ve been tracking the technologies that led the way to the Internet-connected world today. We’re joining together to share these advances with you.
In the past decade, we’ve seen dramatic advances in technology—Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LTE, cloud computing, smartphones—as well as the applications that make use of them. We now live with the reality that you can view, create, and share information whenever and wherever you want.
The biggest change in that time has been the transformation of the Internet from something you log onto from a computer to something we expect to be a component of every daily experience, from the moment we wake to our daily commute to shopping and entertainment.
Kevin Ashton, the executive director of the Auto-ID Center, coined the term “the Internet of Things” to describe this growing interconnection. While ReadWrite was one of the first sites to talk about the Internet of Things, we now prefer to describe this phenomenon more simply: It’s the Web in the world.
How did the Web go from a window on our computer screen to a ubiquitous network of devices and services? We’ve compiled a list of key developments along the way.
2004
Radio frequency ID or RFID tags had been on the market for a few years before Walmart and the Department of Defense put their weight behind this technology for tracking objects. Now seen as a critical piece of the Internet of Things technology, RFID tags have shrunk down to nearly microscopic size and negligible cost, greatly expanding their use.
GoPro sells its first camera. While webcams had been available for years, those were meant to sit on top of a computer monitor. This rugged device allowed people to mount it in homes, offices and on their heads. They’re a staple for cars driving in Russia, where they’re used for evidence in traffic incidents. And if you’ve never seen video from one attached to a motorcycle helmet or the back of a dog, you’re missing out.
2005
Doug Cutting and Mike Cafarella create Hadoop. Bypassing the standard, structured approach to database software, this open source project fueled its success with a new way to handle Big Data from various sources. Without it, we wouldn’t be able to do anything with all the data generated by connected devices.
Arduino launches, putting the Internet of Things in reach of the DIY crowd. It sparked garage-bound inventors’ creativity, allowing them to connect sensors and controllers to everyday objects in cars, homes and offices.
2007
GPS shrinks down. Though the satellite-location service had been around for decades, it took an advance in chip technology to put it in smartphones. Companies like Broadcom helped shrink the radio chip to sizes that allowed them to be installed in smartphones, automobile dashboards and other handheld devices. Subsequent upgrades refined the location data that apps could obtain from the signal. Without it, your Internet-enabled device would have a hard time giving you driving directions.
Nike+ iPod shows the potential of wearable devices. This early wearable device presages the growth of fitness trackers, smart clothing, and other gadgets that help wire our body into the Web.
2008
Apple launches the App Store. Before this marketplace existed, buying a mobile application was a fruitless struggle for consumers. By giving developers an avenue for distributing their wares, Apple and its imitators made it easy to deliver an app. That, in turn, let us turn smartphones into remote controls for the Internet of Things.
2010
Tony Fadell, the father of the iPad, founds Nest Labs. Who knew that a thermostat could be sexy and geeky at the same time? By saving energy and sparing people headaches, Nest became the poster child for the connected home. No wonder Google bought it for $3.2 billion.
2011
Apple introduces the iPhone 4S. While little noted at the time, this model was the first Apple smartphone to include Bluetooth Low Energy, a key technology for connecting devices together. Google followed in a subsequent release of its Android operating system, paving the way for ubiquitous support of Bluetooth.
IPv6—the latest version of the Internet Protocol—launches. The Internet Engineering Task Force created IPv6 to accommodate the explosion of things connected to the Internet. The new protocol uses a 128-bit address, allowing for 340 undecillion addresses. That meant that more than your computer and your phone could be online—so could your watch, your thermostat, and your car.
2012
Raspberry Pi goes on sale. These tiny, all-in-one computers, now selling for $35, have sold more than 2.5 million units. Hobbyists and developers are using them to create all sorts of awesome projects, from Christmas lights to digital picture frames.
2014
Apple unveils HealthKit and HomeKit, two software libraries for building apps that connect with devices on our bodies and in our homes. While HealthKit had a troubled debut, it promises to get even more interesting when Apple introduces its Watch wearable in 2015, making it a wrist-based hub for all kinds of devices around us.
Reflecting On The Future
Devices and technologies released today are leading the way for even more advances. The decades to come promise to be just as inventive. Did we miss a development that you view as key? ReadWrite and Toyota Prius invite you to add to the timeline in the comments.
Lead image via Shutterstock
