Well the author is right in the he is addressing problems with the establishment of one of the most complex networks we have ever constructed. However, he commits the notorious flaw of linear thinkers (i.e. everyone who does not train themselves to realize that all ICT is evolving exponentially; not just one or two particular devices). He imagines a world where manufacturers in an IoT world operate as manufacturers have throughout the Industrial Age. Selection will ensure that's not the case (i.e., the companies that make sure his software concerns are not concerns will dominate the market and those that do not will be the next Blockbuster).

Also, he should take his own advice as he offered solutions to the problems he raised towards the end of the article (he just left out the mechanisms to realize his solutions). But if our smart appliances need to be able to be cheap enough to be replaceable due to advances and upgrades in software, what could possibly make that a reality? Oh, 3D printers. Global Brain manufacturing will not be industrial in nature, it will be Global Brain in nature. You can't project Industrial Age system processes into the future and say "see! I'm not a Luddite I'm just pointing out problems and convincing you to be content with our inefficient and scarce status quo".

And in response to mk, no one will force your fridge to talk to send you notifications. You'll have the option to turn all of that off just like you can turn off Social Media email notifications. But what you will like from smart appliances - and what the author of this article failed to mention - is the fact that IoT is going to massively reduce wasted energy as we'll be able to efficiently regulate what needs to be running and when.

And the old argument about viruses being a problem for software of smart devices is a tired and boring argument, as the same argument was used to argue that the internet would fail.