Everyone wants a worry-free home where things run like clockwork and adjustments can be made at the push of a button. As smart-home technologies advance, intuitive systems are becoming available that can increase your feeling of safety and security whether you’re snug in your bed, at the office, or on an extended vacation.
Crestron, one of the leading control systems for home technology, has security setups available that allow you to program your home to “Away” (when you’re out for the day, sets motion sensors), “Vacation” (gone for several days, sets lights to go on at times that mimic the pattern of your normal lifestyle), or “Extended” mode (gone for weeks or more, shuts off heater, turns off water supply to prevent pipes from freezing). These can be accessed from anywhere via a Web interface, and security cameras producing high-quality images can be monitored online. “You can also call your home from your car, and tell it to go into ‘Arrival’ mode,” says Frank De Pew, president of Chesapeake Smart Homes, a smart-home company that implements these technologiaes. You basically have a conversation with your home and tell it what you need it to do, and it’s done.
Another company that has great whole-house products available that combine security, climate control, audio-visual technologies, and more, is Lifeware by Exceptional Innovations, says Dave Neumaier, marketing director of The Home Entertainment Company. A sleek interface allows you to access and control cameras, lighting, audio, and more from anywhere you have Web access.
The dots are being connected – homes are now able to function efficiently almost as living things. “Instead of having the areas of the house function as several diverse environments, the whole building is able to work harmoniously,” De Pew says. So relax. Your home can be protected. Sometimes, out of sight truly does mean out of mind. ws
