Why have we yet to be enchanted by the internet of things?

If customers are to embrace the new era of connectivity, devices must be imbued with a touch of magic, says MIT researcher

One of the leading thinkers in the new computing sector known as the internet of things (IoT) can't help but look at all the flashy, expensive, feature-packed gadgets on the market today - things like Google Glass or the Apple Watch - and keep coming away with the same thought: too many device makers keep getting it wrong.

Given the nature of his chosen field, serial entrepreneur David Rose - who's also a researcher with the MIT Media Lab, where he's taught for six years - might be expected to want the next generation of connected devices to pick up where smartphones leave off. Indeed, that seems to be the nature of the race to figure out what the next dominant computing platform looks like, whether it's Facebook snatching up Oculus or Microsoft working to bring its HoloLens to fruition.