Within a year, IP (internet protocol) addresses are expected to run out. Each IP address is like a unique phone number assigned to whatever device you're using to connect to the internet. Without a valid IP address you won't be able to connect to the outside world, so they're important. But now that our computers, mobile devices, cars and even our refrigerators have Web access, we're running out of sequences to pass around.
The current IPv4 system only allows for some four billion IP addresses, a number that seemed cushy some 30 years ago. Now, The Sydney Morning Herald reports we have some 340 days before our address allotment dries up. (There's even a semi-official counter online to mark the IP depletion.) Think Y2K, but with fewer canned goods....
