Bits vs. Electrons Looking Ahead I am excited by the possibilities as we move to devices with web-based interfaces using JSON bundles. It is becoming increasingly easy to define direct relationships between devices so that a light switch (AKA controller) can turn on a light without having points of failure in the path. I am writing about my experience to show that there is a market for devices with open interfaces. These can drive the future just as the gamers created today's market for high-performance computing that has given us today is rich interfaces on our portable computing devices (AKAsmartphones). In my previous column, I wrote about the Public Packet Infrastructure,h which complements the commoditization of devices that enables us to deploy devices that do not just interconnect in h our homes-they can be deployed anywhere in the world. The term " Internet of Things " does not do justice to the new possibilities. In the 1970s, some of us jumped ship from large computers to discover what was possible with personal computers, and we changed the world. Today, we have an even more exciting opportunity. We are no longer limited to what we can do on a computer screen. The physical world is now programmable. We are at the very earliest stages of exploration. Strap in for the ride. [Online]. Available: https://rmf.vc/IEEEPPI Bob Frankston is best known for writing VisiCalc- the first electronic spreadsheet. While with Microsoft, he was instrumental in enabling home networking. Today, he is addressing the issues associated with coming to terms with a world being transformed by software. Contact him at ieeecemagazine@bob.ma. IEEE Access Section for Consumer Technology Society (Open Access) 10 IEEE Consumer Electronics Magazinehttps://rmf.vc/IEEEPPI http://ieeeaccess.ieee.org