Smart things and Bluetooth
Some objects are not computers, yet they can be linked to a network. A lamp that you switch on with a phone, a watch that counts your steps, a doorbell that tells you who is at the door: this is the Internet of Things. The objects use Wi-Fi to talk to the internet, so you can control them from far away. Bluetooth is another wireless link, but it works only over a short distance, like whispering to a friend beside you. Wi-Fi is like talking across the room. Bluetooth links a phone to wireless headphones or to a small speaker in the same room. Both need care: only a grown-up should set up devices at home, and nobody should accept a link from a stranger.
| Wi-Fi | Bluetooth | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance | a room or a whole house | a few steps, one room |
| Used for | linking to the internet | headphones, small speakers |
| Example | a lamp you switch from a phone | a phone and wireless headphones |
Smart or not? List ten things in your home or classroom. Sort them into two groups on paper: ‘can be linked to the internet’ and ‘cannot’. Then pick one from the first group and write what you could control from far away and who must set it up (a grown-up). Draw it.