"We are moving from a world in which physical products are separate to one in which they are connected.  Computers were just the beginning.  Appliances and engines now send alerts when they need to be serviced.  Cameras upload their photos automatically.  Vending machines trigger their own restocking.  Crops feed and water themselves. This shift has many monikers:  'The Internet of Things' and 'The Internet of Everything' are two of the most popular. But the history of the Internet suggests that this is just the beginning.  The real change will happen when products aren’t just connected, but social."