There’s a gold rush underway to connect our devices to the web. For many, the devices are the keys to the kingdom — either riches in the form of selling data or from creating a widely used platform for services or applications. Yet what is becoming increasingly clear is that these models reflect a divide between cultures when it comes to the internet of things. This idea that as we connect devices and sensors, they will combine into some super-intelligent whole that can help save electric costs, make manufacturing more efficient, and even predict our traffic is the underlying promise that many people are hoping for. But as I discuss the consumer efforts around the internet of things, I’m struck by the culture clash between old-line physical goods and those manufactured by startups.
