The internet of things: convenience at a price

In the first of our series on the IoT we take a look at connected devices that are available today, the privacy and security issues of using them - and how Britain can play a key part in its future

Chores are boring. Get home from work, let the dog out, put dinner on, start a load of laundry and write a list for your next grocery order. What if rather than doing housework when you get home, you could do it on your commute - or better yet, not at all?

That's the promise of the internet of things: hand your commute over to a smart car, let your pet out via his web-connected dog door, open up an app to pre-heat the oven and start the laundry, and click to approve the shopping list your smart fridge automatically generated.