Dawn of the Internet appliance

Internet technologies have fundamentally changed the way machines can gather, store and share information. Devices can now transmit important information and instructions via the Internet. Now the standardization of Internet protocols and competition among Internet service providers (ISPs) have driven down the price of Internet connectivity, so vendors are beginning to incorporate it into a wide range of devices. Developers can now put Internet connectivity into a variety of devices, including factory machinery, VCRs and hand-held appliances. In addition, low-cost communications technologies, such as wireless, promise to let users connect these devices inexpensively to intranets. Moreover, because Web browsers are so common, developers can provide sophisticated low-cost interfaces by supporting Web servers in their products. It is easy for developers to create such applications because they are so familiar with Internet tools.