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Meet Linux's Little Brother Zephyr, a Tiny Open Source IoT RTOS (linuxgizmos.com)
DeviceGuru writes: The Linux Foundation has launched the Zephyr Project, to foster an open source, small footprint, modular, scalable, connected, real-time OS for IoT devices. The Zephyr Project's RTOS implements both a small footpoint microkernel and an even tinier nanokernel, and is the result of Wind River contributing its Rocket RTOS kernel to the Zephyr Project. (Wind's Rocket RTOS will now become a downstream commercial distribution based on Zephyr sources.) To get a sense of Zephyr's benefit, its nanokernel is said to be able to run in as little as 10KB of RAM on 32-bit microcontrollers, whereas a minimalistic Linux implementation like uClinux needs upwards of 200KB. The Linux Foundation hopes to see cross-project collaboration between the Zephyr and Linux communities. Technical details are at the Zephyr site.
I guess the definition for IoT devices is something that is "a device not primarily used for computation that can be controlled/accessed through the Internet". For example a washing machine, a watch, a fridge, heat controllers, windows (the physical ones that you can open), smart meters.
IoT then also refers to a time where these would become extremely commonplace, in the sense that many types of devices are connected to the internet in everyones home/work/public areas.
NB: The message above might reflect my opinion right now, but not necessarily tomorrow or next year.
What makes a device an IoT device?
If it floats on a cloud, runs off the willpower of app developers and is a security and privacy nightmare. Then it's IoT.
-SR