The Internet already dominates every aspect of our work and social life. So what’s next for the Internet?

互聯網已占據我們工作與社交生活的方方面面。那么，接下來的互聯網還會發生什么呢？

You may have already heard about the so-called “Internet of Things”。 It has received a lot of hyperecently with several tech-oriented media outlets hailing 2014 as the year of the Internet of Things.

你可能對所謂的“物聯網”已早有耳聞。近來，物聯網被炒得火熱，一些科技媒體更是高調宣稱2014年將是“物聯網之年”。

The Internet connects us to our devices, enabling us to upload data. In the Internet of Things, however, data is transferred over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. It’s communication between two devices, or machine-to-machine （M2M） communication.

互聯網使我們與設備連接進而能夠上傳數據。但在物聯網中，數據無需通過人人或人機交互便可通過網絡傳輸。物聯網是兩臺設備間也就是機對機通信。

The concept has evolved from the convergence of wireless technology and micro-electromechanicalsystems. A thing, in the Internet of Things, can be a person with a heart monitor implant or a runner wearing a device that measures the distance and heart rate. It can also be a car that has built-in sensors to alert the driver when the tire pressure is low.

物聯網這一概念由無線技術和微機電系統相互融合發展而來。物聯網中的“物”可以是使用植入心臟監測器的人，也可以是佩戴測量距離與心率設備的跑步者。它還可以是裝有內置傳感器的汽車，一旦胎壓不足，傳感器就會向駕駛員發出警報。

Here is a simple explanation offered by The Atlantic: “Companies can put chips in inanimate objects — cars, thermostats, refrigerators, light bulbs — that allow those objects to be connected to the Internet and controlled remotely.” Products built with M2M communication features are often referred to as being “smart”。

而《大西洋報》則給出了一個較為簡單的解釋：“公司把芯片置入汽車、恒溫器、冰箱或燈泡這樣的無生命物體中，使這些物體與互聯網相連，從而實現遠程操控。”具備有機對機通信特性的產品常常被稱為“智能”產品。

At the beginning of the Internet age, we had to use a mouse to navigate a website when we interacted with our devices. But the Internet of Things replaces these Internet-related actions. Our smartphones already have the ability to gather information without our awareness. The next step is to make our smartphones even smarter by having them remote-control our air conditioners, lighting systems, or home security without us giving any commands.

互聯網時代初期，人機互動時，我們必須使用鼠標來瀏覽網站。而物聯網則取代了這些互聯網的相關操作。我們的智能手機已具有自動收集信息的功能。下一步就是讓我們的智能手機變得更智能，不給任何指令，便可以通過它們來遠程控制空調、照明以及住宅安保系統。

In fact, such technology is already a reality. We already have smart lightbulbs and smart fridges. But until recently, explains an article on Quartz.com, connecting a device to the Internet of Things was expensive and difficult. Smart thermostats, lighting systems and appliances from manufacturers like Samsung and GE communicated through wireless standards that required installing specialized wireless hubs.

事實上，這樣的科技已經變成了現實。我們已經發明出智能燈泡和智能冰箱。但前不久，美國財經網站Quartz在一篇文章中指出，設備與物聯網的連接成本高且難度大。像三星和通用電氣等制造商生產出來的智能恒溫器、照明系統及家電都需要通過無線標準來實現連接，而這就需要安裝專門的無線網。

In 2014 we will see a breakthrough of the Internet of Things, says the Quartz article. That’s because in the past year or so, tech companies have created inexpensive, power-efficient chips that enable pretty much anything to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi, or to a mobile phone via a standard called Bluetooth Low Energy.

Quartz在該篇文章中表示，2014年將會是物聯網突破性的一年。這是因為在過去一年中，科技公司研發出了便宜又節能的芯片，幾乎任何物體都可以通過無線局域網與互聯網連接，或者通過所謂“低功耗藍牙”標準與手機相連。

Giant technology corporations are looking to cash in on this next big thing. The marketing language about the Internet of Things reflects their desire to dominate it. Cisco calls it the Internet of Everything, while at GE it’s the Industrial Internet. Other companies call it the Internet of Customers or the Internet of Nouns.

科技巨頭們正躍躍欲試，希望在物聯網這個明日之星身上大賺一筆。這些公司在宣傳物聯網時所使用的營銷語言就反映出他們搶占該市場的欲望。思科公司把物聯網稱為“萬物互聯”，通用電氣則稱之為“工業互聯網”。另外一些公司則稱它為“客聯網”或“名詞互聯網”。

Whatever it’s called, you’ll be hearing a lot about the Internet of Things in 2014.

不管稱謂如何，2014年你將不斷聽到有關物聯網的話題。