Posted August 11, 2009 by

Smart Homes - when will we all live like the Jetsons??

Turn on your iPhone and see who is at the door? Change your home security options on the road? Turn down the thermostat when on vacation or at work? Entertainment options in the home that store and manage digital media is commonplace(DirecTV, Tivo, DVR, Apple TV, etc.) . We can download movies from the Internet on a television and play our favorite songs stored on our computers to listen on a stereo system around the house. Moving beyond entertainment, and exploring future options, companies like Microsoft built a concept home with a countertop screen in the kitchen that can suggest recipes based on the ingredients in the refrigerator. CES Award winning iControl Networks has taken a leap forward in home control to partner with home security companies, Internet service providers and telco firms to capture the next generation of home protection and connectivity for their clients to offer to the consumer, the end users. The iControl hub plugs into the home network to connect wirelessly to security panels, IP cameras, sensors and Z-wave devices – lighting, door locks, thermostats for advanced functionality by adding broadband and cellular communications to central monitoring systems. The IControl's software is designed to act as a control panel for a smart home that can be accessed through the Web, either using a PC or a smart phone. That changes a security system from something that alerts home owners when someone tries to break in to a system that puts people in control to stay connected to their home and family. To provide these services, the telcos, security companies and Internet services providers are eager to provide new applications to add to their revenue stream.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RTu8f9CrvI]

The Smartest Home in the world?

Bill Gates allegedly spent somewhere around 100 million implementing smart-home tech features into his swanky homestead in Washington State just over 2 years ago. The system in Gates' home tracks every person in the house. Lights turn on and off as you traverse across the palace and enter different rooms. Temperatures will automatically adjust and security systems will automatically turn on and off. The system gets "smarter" as it learns specific "users" preferences while in the home.

Will the comforts enjoyed by the famous cartoon "The Jetsons" soon become mainstream in homes around the world?

• Categories:
• bill gates,
• jetsons,
• microsoft,
• smart homes