How the Internet of Things connects our world: Let us count the ways…
The Internet’s phenomenal growth has brought not only faster and broader access but also new cultural revolution—history of internet memes, online collaboration, and the emerging challenge of internet addiction. It has transformed education, business, entertainment, and communication, influencing modern society in ways few technologies ever have.
The year was 2011. Marc Andreessen, a venture capitalist declared that “software is eating the world,”! Now, it’s really becoming clearer that he was right, after more than a decade. We’re deep in the age of the Internet of Things (IoT), where everything from your fridge to your city streetlight might be online. How cool is that, really?
But as we live in this hyper-connected world, all this convenience also opens the door to massive privacy risks, data manipulation, and even subtle restrictions. Turns out, the tech that connects us can also quietly control us. Well, there’s no need to fear, instead, the key is to understand it, question it, and shape it into something that truly empowers!
What exactly is the Internet of Things?
The Internet of Things, or IoT, refers to physical gadgets that quietly talk to each other via the internet. Coined by computer scientist Kevin Ashton in 1999, the term has aged surprisingly well. It’s about anything with a sensor and a unique ID. From your fridge to your fitness tracker, these smart devices talk to each other (and to us) in real time, making life more connected than ever.
Smart devices, which are all part of the Internet of Things (IoT), use wireless technology to follow your commands and sometimes act autonomously. Smart thermostats cool your home before you arrive, and security systems monitor on autopilot, making daily life smoother and more hands-free.
The IoT on your wrist
Smartwatches like Fitbits and Apple Watches are classic IoT wearables. They sync with your phone to share data and connect to the internet to track your GPS, health stats, and more, keeping you connected and informed right from your wrist.
Life-saving IoT
Personal medical devices like pacemakers are increasingly part of the IoT world. These smart, remote-monitoring gadgets track vital signs and can alert doctors to potential health issues early, enabling timely interventions and improving patient care.
How IoT drives self-driving cars
Self-driving cars are IoT in motion. Packed with sensors, they share real-time data online to map surroundings, stream camera feeds, and react to traffic signals without human hands on the wheel.
Just how massive is the IoT
The IoT is huge and growing fast: Forbes reports that the number of IoT devices has more than doubled in recent years, from 10.3 billion in 2018 to 25 billion in 2025. IoT Analytics forecasts that the number of connected devices will reach 40 billion by 2030.
Everyday IoT: more than you realize
Wonder how IoT could reach billions? Just count the devices you use daily: smartwatch, fitness tracker, doorbell camera, garage opener… And don’t forget smart meters quietly tracking your electricity, gas, and water use behind the scenes.
The IoT takeover in business
In business, IoT is everywhere, from security cameras and connected vehicle fleets to supply chain tracking and workplace safety. It powers remote monitoring, smart energy grids, predictive maintenance, and even environmental management, transforming how companies operate daily.
Reference: What is the Internet of Things, and is it eating the world?
Dell Technologies Chief Operating Officer Jeff Clarke said the company is focused on mitigating the looming memory shortage, which he sees impacting its product pricing across the board. This includes reworking product configurations, product availability, and “adjust mix” in the coming quarters.
“We’re going to do everything we can to minimize the impact, but the fact is, the cost basis is going up across all products,” Clarke said. “No one more unique than others. Everything uses a CPU, has DRAM, and has storage in it.” He added: “We’re in a very unique time. It’s unprecedented. We have not seen costs move at the rate that we’ve seen. And by the way, it’s not unique to DRAM, it’s NAND.”
Clarke said as AI token growth accelerates, customers around the world are demanding more computational memory, while server consolidation is driving denser configurations with more DRAM, and the company is in the midst of a PC refresh that also relies on the availability of memory from suppliers.
Beginning in December 2025, Dell Pro and Pro Max laptops and desktops with 32GB of RAM will become $130 to $230 more expensive. Computers with 128GB, Dell’s highest offering, will see prices rise anywhere from $520 to $765 per device. Notebooks ordered with 1TB of internal SSD storage will become $55 to $135 more expensive.
Other price increases include monitors, a curious increase as monitors and displays do not contain RAM or NAND flash memory. Regardless, the Dell Pro 55 Plus 4K monitor is set to rise from $1,349 to $1,499 once the other price increases take effect. GPU prices in the commercial realm will also rise with the tide. Dell laptops with the Nvidia RTX Pro 500 Blackwell GPU 6GB will increase by $66, while stepping up to a 24GB Blackwell GPU will cost $530 more.
