by Steve Hoffenberg, with Chris Rommel, April 2016
When connectivity and smart functionality added to a product reduce its lifespan compared to a similar non-connected, non-smart product, that's the Internet of Prematurely Obsolescent Things. Premature obsolescence is not the same as planned obsolescence (when products are designed with the deliberate intent of shortening or limiting their lifespans). Premature obsolescence is usually an inadvertent side effect of technological progress, but product makers can take steps to reduce its impact.