Cloud computing and mobile chip giants aim to master the Internet of things by crunching data from fitness gear, smart TVs, cars and more.
The term “Internet of things” is a bit like “Web 2.0” was a decade ago—a buzzword for some big change in the Internet that no one can clearly describe. But as the Supreme Court once said of pornography, you know it when you see it. On a fundamental level, the IoT is about collecting data from everything—fitness bands, smoke alarms, weather sensors, cars, oil wells, even TVs and cellphones—and analyzing it to provide insights for people, companies, or marketers.