Home Automation, Where to Begin?

Home automation is, at its simplest, any technology that offers remote or automatic control of household appliances such as lights, electronics, and home security systems. According to Detroit News article Making plans for a hi-tech home is exciting; options are unlimited the choices are unlimited and the challenge lies in figuring out where to start.

Almost everyone is interested in security, the article says, and that is perhaps the most logical (and practical) place to start. For modest homes, a package might start with a simple front door intercom. From there, you could add a security camera to the intercom system and a link to a telephone line.

No need to stop there if the bug gets you.  Home automation isn't just about security. "...the process is advancing: lamps that turn on automatically when someone arrives in the room; speakers playing music that follows a person from room-to-room; portable touch pads that control everything from the television, to the room temperature, to the lights, which brighten or dim to fit the occasion or to match the light outdoors. Draperies or shades that not only open and close with a remote, but are programmed to automatically go up and down based on the time of day. "

While these types of features may be pricey now, as with everything, the price will come down over time, and we'll start seeing home automation in all the new homes coming on the market.

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