What is Physical Web?

As we know, iBeacon will always need an app. iBeacon simply broadcasts a set of identifiers : UUID, Major and Minor.

Now to do something interactive when this broadcast being detected, like a message, coupon etc., we need an app.

Now with IoT knocking at the door, The number of smart objects is going to explode, both in our homes and in public spaces. Much like the web, there is going to be a long tail of interactivity for smart objects. But the overhead of installing an app for each one just doesn't scale. We need a system that lets you walk up and use a device with just a tap

Hence comes, Physical Web. It is an early-stage experimental project, started by Google.The Physical Web is an effort to extend the core superpower of the web - the URL - to everyday physical objects. The Physical Web isn't about replacing native apps: it's about enabling interaction when native apps just aren't practical.

Physical Web involves creating an open ecosystem where Physical Web devices can broadcast URLs in the area around them. It is a web that extends to physical devices.

Suppose you are standing at a bus stop and wondering the schedule of buses operating from that bus stop. At present, the option is to do a search from mobile and you will have plenty of urls,apps that may or may not tell the current/exact schedule of that bus stop. With Physical Web in place, you will get the schedule from the physical beacon placed at that bus stop itself. The beacon will be broadcasting a url containing information about the schedule. What that means is , Google initiates a scheme where we will use the IoT through a browsing and ranking mechanism on mobile devices, much like searching the web today. How exciting is that!

Physical web developer community suggests a wide range of use-cases.

Once any smart device can have a web address, the entire overhead of an app seems a bit backward. The Physical Web approach unlocks tiny use cases that would never be practical:

• A cat collar would let you call to find the owner

• A bus tells you it's next stop

• Parking meters can pay in the cloud using the phone's internet connection

• Any store, no matter how small, can offer an online experience when you walk in

• A ZipCar broadcasts a signup page, allowing you to immediately drive away

• Industrial equipment can offer diagnostics

Internet of Things and Data Dilemma

The coming billions of Internet of Things devices will simply generate too
much data to be analysed in traditional ways. Instead of the usual one-to-one predefined IP legacy topology, only a publish/subscribe model allows the big data servers to be selective and adaptive in the choice of data to operate upon, and is thus smarter over time.

Even more importantly, the big data analyzers will not even know what data streams
would be useful until they discover the data. Information neighborhoods created through
data stream affinities will present opportunities for selecting and combining small data
flows from many different kinds of end devices, not all of which are even part of a specific application. 

This allows IoT applications to become smarter and smarter over time, as evermore end devices are installed. Whatever initial purpose these end devices
serve, they may also unexpectedly and unpredictably benefit other applications that
discover their data outputs and find them useful.
When initially installed, specific appliances, sensors, and actuators may serve a
particular application. But over time, new end devices may be deployed by the same or
other organizations. Data streams from these new devices may also be recognized by
“affinities” of place, time, or correlation to be incorporated into the original application’s information “neighbourhood.”

Steps to Success on the Internet of Things

The Internet of Things is a subject of much attention nowadays. It is a technology trend which produces trillions of data through connecting multiple devices and sensors with the cloud and business intelligence tools. The Internet of Things (IoT) is thus causing a large number and distinct types of products to emit colossal amount of data at a phenomenal rate.

The following list will help demystify exactly what you need to leverage IoT to transform your business.

1.  Build a connected system Before you decide on your IoT strategy, you must first think through the entire process. Determine how modifying a product, creating something new, or switching up an internal business process will change the user or customer experience.
    
2. Create a connected object This step involves choosing the right hardware for the job. You will need to find a development board that meets the form factor and computation requirements your job demands.
3. Build the IoT infrastructure Choose a cloud infrastructure that will connect your intelligent objects to the Internet. Consider how you will store data, whether you will have an API, as well as your security standards.
4. Create applications In the world of IoT, users typically care most about the connected device applications, built on cloud app platforms such as Force.com and Heroku, that allow them to view information. In addition, these apps can give your business insights into your customers and recurring revenue opportunities.
5. Tie into business systems In the IoT, you have the option of connecting applications that manage business systems, such as accounting and HR, to real-time data from products used by customers.
6. Drive business transformation Analytics and automation allow you to break down all the data your connected devices produce into categories that are relevant to your business. These can include reporting, filtering, exploring, acting, and predicting.
7. Maintain, service, and support Take the time to think through what you will need to ensure that your IoT solutions not only run for the foreseeable future, but can also be repaired with little effort. Consider items such as accessibility over time and how often upgrades will be needed.
   Reference: http://blogs.salesforce.com/company/2014/07/success-on-the-internet-of-things.html

What is Internet of Things ?

The Internet of Things (IoT) is the interconnection of uniquely identifiable embedded computing devices within the existing Internet infrastructure.

Ok, Now explain that!

The architecture of the original Internet was created long before communicating with
billions of very simple devices such as sensors and appliances was ever envisioned.
The coming explosion of these much simpler devices creates tremendous challenges
for the current networking paradigm in terms of the number of devices, unprecedented
demands for low-cost connectivity, and impossibility of managing far-flung and diverse
equipment. Although these challenges are becoming evident now, they will pose a
greater, more severe problem as this revolution accelerates. 

More and more devices are being embedded with sensors and have the ability to communicate. This enables a network of devices that can identify themselves, collect data and also communicate with each other. The 'Internet of Things' is the next radical transformation in the communication era where gadgets talk to each other without any need of human intervention.

Think of a microwave sending an alert to mobile phone or a wearable band once the food is cooked. 

In Healthcare, devices like thermometers, heart rate monitors can take reading and automatically send data to a smart phone or even to a server. The smart phone or server can do some analysis on respective historical data and alerts the user if any parameters are beyond prescribed limits.

A wide variety of end devices will be connected to the Internet of Things

More to come...