Additional Information   Tech: The power of the 'Internet of
Things'  This concept, whereby billions of everyday objects
might 'talk' to each other, raises a host of possibilities for
brands and marketers  Share this article  Consider smart meters.
EDF Energy is trialling a meter that monitors your electricity
use minute by minute and sets a price based on demand. If you
use off-peak power, you save money.  In the future, such meters
might negotiate with your tumble dryer, telling it to slow down
when there's a surge in demand elsewhere. You would pay less,
and there would be less of a need for so many expensive power
stations to be built.  Or consider car insurance: Aviva is
running a small-scale pilot scheme where it places a black box
in a consumers' car and monitors their mileage and driving
patterns. Drive carefully on low-risk roads, and your premium
will go down.  These are early examples of applications of
what's being called the Internet of Things. When communication
chips were expensive and network