Opinion: The Internet of stuff – when modern conveniences become inconvenient

The incident at Amazon Web Services mostly affected the eastern US, but it knocked out a surprising amount of services people have come to take for granted or rely on. — Reuters

When Amazon cloud computing network services were interrupted this week, the Internet of things was in trouble. Doorbells and security systems, refrigerators and robot vacuum cleaners stop working. Package deliveries were interrupted. Multiple websites and streaming services were affected. Voice assistant Alexa wasn't talking and automated Christmas lights failed to come on.

The incident at Amazon Web Services mostly affected the eastern US, but it knocked out a surprising amount of services people have come to take for granted or rely on. The Associated Press had trouble reporting news, some people couldn't make airline reservations and others couldn't get into Walt Disney Co's parks — even some pet feeders wouldn't work.