It is merely a matter of applying an agreed-upon set of rules (for instance, that any thing is equal to itself, or that if something is true for all members of a set of objects, it is true forany one specific object) to a set of agreed-upon structures, such as sets of objects.
For starters, check out UltraTech's Ever Dry -- a miraculous nanocoating that can make practically anyobject impervious to water, oil, dirt and even wet concrete.
Having our cars (or any purchased object) tethered to the manufacturer via the internet can have some obvious benefits both for the purchaser (convenience and safety) and for the manufacturer (product improvement).