The US National Security Agency is looking into ways to explore and exploit the "internet of things" - everyday devices and objects equipped with network connectivity and share data - to collect foreign intelligence.

"We're looking at it sort of theoretically from a research point of view right now," said NSA Deputy Director Richard Ledgett at a recent conference on military technology at Washington's Newseum. 

People might love the idea of being able to set their thermostats, check the fridge, or fire up the coffee maker on the kitchen counter with a command issued from the car on the way home.  The NSA is talking about tapping not only these gadgets, but also internet-connected biomedical devices such as pacemakers.

"In the future, intelligence services might use the (internet of things) for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking, and targeting for recruitment, or to gain access to networks or user credentials," said US Director of National Intelligence James Clapper.