If you haven't already heard the phrase "Internet of Things" bandied about online or offline, brace yourself. Defined by Gartner as "the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment," the Internet of Things or the "IoT" brings uniquely identifiable objects into context online.
Initially popularized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Auto-ID Center, the IoT goes beyond the basic computing devices (computers, laptops, tablets, smartphones, etc.) to include everyday devices like refrigerators, thermostats, and parking meters. Those devices' numbers will r...