Some wags have talked for a long time about the &''internet of things.&'' Now that&'s being replaced by the &''intelligence of things,&'' as evidenced by the latest web-connected gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show.

A case in point is Withings&8216' smart blood-pressure monitor. The device is made for iOS devices (iPhones, iPods and iPads). You wrap the monitor around your arm and connect it via wire to your iPhone. The free app records you heart rate and blood pressure and then transmits your measurements to your online health book. You can look at the pattern of your readings graphically over a period of time. Then you can compare them with recommended World Health Organization readings. The device is accurate to plus or minus 5 percent on pulse and plus or minus 2 percent on blood pressure.

The whole point of such devices is that they can use the internet to take a dumb device and turn it into a smart one. If you add sensors, the internet, and data analysis to an ordinary device, you get something that is worth a product upgrade, says Sean Dubravac, an analyst at the Consumer Electronics Association. The device operates on four triple A batteries. Price and availability will be available later. Check out our video demo with Withings&' Eric, who was a little nervous doing the test.

Next Story: WowWee&'s Cinemin Slice projector cashes in on iPad popularity (video) Previous Story: Motion-control startup Omek is bringing gesture controls to the PC (video)

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Tags: CES, CES 2011, Consumer Electronics Show, gadgets

Companies: WiThings

Tags: CES, CES 2011, Consumer Electronics Show, gadgets

Companies: WiThings

Dean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.

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