Smart Homes  

There are many other smart home systems out there. Here are a couple of things that a homeowner can do to make their home a more intelligent living space.

Many people want their home to have advanced technology built into it. It is interesting to them. Today, the Apple iPhone has become a popular communication and entertainment device. Many software application developers have made programs that can control a home's environment. Some of the popular applications include the Apple HomeKit. The Apple HomeKit lets users with proper hardware change the way lights, door locks, and security systems are behaving.

There are many other smart home systems out there. Here are a couple of things that a homeowner can do to make their home a more intelligent living space.

1. Add Off Grid Power System

There are many good off the grid power systems that a homeowner can buy. The big ones that are popular right now include solar panels and wind turbines. Solar panels allow the homeowner to recharge their home's electrical system using energy from sunlight. There are many companies that currently sell solar panel power systems for a home. Wind turbines are often less expensive for the power output they give compared to solar panels. A wind turbine power system is useful if you live in a location where there is less sunlight.

2. Consider A Security System

Adding a security system can make sure that your valuables and privacy are protected. Security systems sometimes have automatic phone connections with the local police department, particularly if the secured facility is larger. Home based security systems are often designed to scare crooks away with lights and sirens. If your home is particularly fancy, having a security system might be a good buy. Security systems can be expensive, so a smaller homeowner might need to be careful before investing in protecting something that crooks are not interested in bothering. Home alarm systems, usually come with the package.

3. Buy A Safe

Having a safe at home can let you store some of your assets at home where they can be easily accessed. In the event of an emergency, it is not nice to have to wait in lines until banks and stores open. There are many different types of safes, some of them are quite elaborate. Even buying a moderate safe can give you the security that you need for your valuables.

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4. LED Lights

Although they used to be very expensive, technological advances are making LED lights less out of reach for the average person. LED lights last much longer than normal incandescent bulbs. They repay their electricity cost over their long life cycle. Going shopping at your local home supplies store should give more information about what types of LED's they are carrying. Expect to pay about $2 per bulb on a good sale.

5. Blender

A blender lets you prepare delicious fruit smoothies without having to go to your local juice store. If the blender is strong enough, it can also prepare frozen banana ice cream. Blenders make healthy food preparation a little bit easier. Sometimes it is hard to get enough fruits and vegetables if you eat them whole. Blenders make the process of getting enough fruits and vegetables a lot easier.

A smart home is a home that keeps its inhabitants safe and ready for the modern age. The more processes that can be done at home, the fewer trips outside for resupplying need to be done. If the home has its own power supply, the utility bill becomes obsolete. A smart home is not always cheap, but it often pays the owner back in the long run.

By  Jamison Hutton	Embed
Jamison Hutton is a car enthusiast and small business consultant. He's a freelance journalist and loves writing about peoples small business dreams. He lives in Houston, Texas with his wife and son.

Smart House Tech  

Want to bring your house into the twenty-first century? Here are a few quick tricks to update your home and make it smarter.

“Smart” technology is something that is transforming the world. Before smart phones, most people had to surf the Internet inside their own homes. Today, most people connect to websites on their phone from any place they wish. What may surprise you is that smart tech can also transform your own home. Below are some tips you can use to make your own smart house.

1. Update Your Security System

One of the things that can be improved by modern technology is the security system of a home. For example, many security cameras can now automatically send security footage to the cloud via a Wi-Fi connection. What this means is that a person can view the footage remotely from a laptop computer or a smartphone. This can allow the homeowner to keep an eye on things even when away from home.

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2. Take Advantage of Fiber Optic Cables

Fiber optic cables are an amazing advancement of technology. They allow digital information to be transferred through plastic or glass wires at a speed much faster than previous technologies. It can be used to transfer nearly any kind of digital information including phone calls, internet, television signals and more. If you want the ability to transfer digital information over long distances on your property at intense speed without signal loss consider investing in some fiber optic cables from a company like Cablewholesale.com.

3. Add Video to Your Door Bell

While it was once the thing of science fiction, you can now obtain video of the person pressing your door bell. Systems that allow this are now available. Whenever a person at you front door presses the doorbell, a video link is established that can be fed to a monitor. This way, you know who is at the door. Think of it like caller ID for your front door. The system can allow you to chat with the person through the camera feed if you wish. If you aren’t home, you can review the video later to see who visited while you were gone.

4. Purchase a Steam Powered Dryer

Traditional dryers dry your clothing slowly by using a tumbler that draws out the moisture from clothes. However, a more high tech dryer that uses steam power is now available. Not only can it dry clothes quicker, it can also do so with far less wrinkles and smells that a traditional dryer can.

Technology has progressed a lot in recent years. Home features that once were only seen on the Jetsons are now available to any homeowner who wants to invest a little money and a little time to create a smart home.

By Lizzie Weakley

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Security  

The future of home security systems is here, and it includes increased automation, convenience and savings for users.

Home security systems have gone well beyond the simple cameras and keypads of the past. With the advent of the smart home, security systems are becoming increasingly sophisticated. The smart home places a large emphasis on security, and this has increased the investment into new home security systems. The future of home security systems is here, and it includes increased automation, convenience and savings for customers.

Everything is Mobile

In 2014, home security systems started to take advantage of the increased mobility of customers. Many security systems can now be controlled completely by a smart phone. Using a cell phone or other wireless connection, it's possible to arm the system, check on any movement in the home, and even adjust the air or adjust the lighting of the home. These kinds of enhancements make it more difficult for thieves to know when people are truly away from the house. According to NorthStar alarm reviews, companies will continue to enhance and refine these systems in the future, and eventually systems will include the ability to record crimes in progress, speak directly to intruders, and control all functions from a single command center in the palm of your hand.

Security Drones

Drones are becoming increasingly affordable and popular in the mainstream. One of the limitations of a home security system involves the way that cameras are set up. A fixed camera can only see what is directly in front of it. Even cameras that respond to movement are limited. As technology improves, home owners can expect to see the rise of drones that can be used to give a bird's eye view of the property and rotate to get angles that cameras would miss. These live drones can monitor your property and make you aware if someone has entered your home or is attempting to enter your home. This prevents the possibility of walking in on a home invasion in progress. Drones can even be used to snap pictures of license plates, get a better look at criminals, and protect residents from harm.

Cloud Computing

People are aware of personal assistants like Siri on the iPhone, or Cortana on the Windows phone.

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These assistants work by using trillions of bits of data in the cloud and can work more intelligently and efficiently to communicate and answer questions. You'll notice that without an Internet connection these personal assistants won't function because the amount of data these software programs require would far exceed the device capabilities of the phone. Security systems in the future will make use of cloud-based data to alert customers of high-risk times of year,

Security systems in the future will make use of cloud-based data to alert customers of high-risk times of year, inform users when there is a robbery in progress nearby.

inform users when there is a robbery in progress nearby, and generally make the home safer by giving the owner a heads-up on dangerous situations. Security systems will also be able to detect a crime in progress and alert the authorities when needed.

Protecting the Car and Home

Soon, security systems will be integrated with your car's security system. Companies are working to provide options to link these two alarm systems so you can use one mobile app to control all of your security programs. The car alarm system can be disabled, turned off, or activated remotely. This can also be a useful feature when you're trying to find your car in a sea of cars within a parking lot.

When someone breaks into your home, it's best to have a security system you can control and take with you. As security systems begin to include certain artificial intelligence-based features, the security system will be able to identify unusual activity around your house. This can help to alert homeowners about anything that could pose a threat to their family.

By Brooke Chaplan

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Author Bio - 33rd Square contributor Brooke Chaplan is recent graduate of New Mexico University where she studied journalism. She loves to hike, bike, run and explore around her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She also enjoys blogging about health, fitness, fashion and many other topics.

 Gadgets  

Smart home technology is increasingly finding its way into our lives. Check out some of the revolutionary products that are available now.

Appliances once carried out their function with basic, boring precision. They were turned on, set to work, and left until a task was completed. Revolutionary new devices are adding extra dimensions of exciting convenience to these age-old appliances, features never before imagined. Let's take a look through a window to a future that's rapidly finding its way into the home right now.

Take a look through a window to a future that's rapidly finding its way into the home right now

Smart Air Conditioner

The latest air conditioners focus on efficiency in order to promote an environment that's controlled while keeping energy bills low. With this new technology there are air conditioners that can do a wide variety of things that you never thought about. For example, smart circuitry analyzes hot spots and cool zones in the house, linking with thermostats via a Bluetooth or WiFi connection. That same digital link provides a smartphone access to the air conditioning. Imagine turning the heating up while at the office and accessing additional menus that show graphic reports of energy consumption, highlighting energy-hungry rooms whilst away from home.

Bringing the Smarts to Refrigerators

It may seem that there's not much more that can be done to improve the familiar fridge, but this is an appliance that is constantly being re-invented.

This is great news to frugal energy spenders as older models are right up at the top with air conditioning when it comes to high utility bills. New refrigerators add powerful functionality features, a touchscreen to check the inventory inside, WiFi connectivity to organize food consumption and family eating habits. Downloadable Apps connect to stored shopping lists to prevent forgetting a bottle of milk on the way home and can even show you the best deals at the local market. Computer processing power enables a user to schedule extra ice for a weekend party or to store recipes.

The Technologically Superior Washer and Dryer

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Starting a cycle of washing when electricity is cheaper, using tiny amounts of water to get the same super-clean results, a new line of washer dryers is emerging. They save energy, communicate with other appliances through a Bluetooth or WiFi module, and contact the manufacturer through the internet to report error codes and let them know if any extreme issues arise.

Cleaning clothes involves a simple input from the washer or a couple of touches of a innovative smartphone App to get the process underway. Just as with most other examples of smart tech, the appliance can send notifications and email alerts as reminders, delivering the data outside the home for the convenient option of remote control. These innovations can cut down on time spent washing clothes and help you focus on other things.

These appliances, and others that can be found at Atlas Appliances, will be certain to help your busy life seem a little bit simpler. With technology rushing to provide answers to our mobile existence, we have the means to control our appliances from outside the confines of the home, or to bestow them with limited intelligence, a state of programming where kitchen appliances and home electronics react to countless network inputs.

By Meghan Belnap

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 Smart Houses  

As exponential technological growth continues, we are increasingly seeing changes to our homes.  In this article, guest writer Lauren Johnson looks at some of the elements of the 'smart home.'

Y
ou and your family just arrived at the luxurious hotel suite that you booked for your family vacation, but something's bothering you and you just can't figure it out. As your wife excitedly points out the fantastic view, you realize what's wrong: you completely forgot to engage your security system before traveling 500 miles away. Instead of panicking and calling your nearest neighbor, however, you just laugh to yourself. With your smartphone, your security system is just a few seconds away from being completely engaged.

What is a "Smart House"?

Much like a "smart television," a smart house features a variety of applications and automation that can control. Huffington Post even suggests that the technology be used on something as mundane as a toothbrush and toothpaste. Until recently, the dream of a smart house was mostly distant because of technological issues. There was not a cohesive network through which these individual applications could interact. As an example, a cooling system needed to be managed and installed separately from a security system. Cloud technology, however, may very well pave a path to a truly unified smart house system.

Image Source: http://www.wisesupport.net/products/home-automation-systems/

Security Advantages of a Smart House

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The first smart house designs were focused heavily on the security aspects of a home. A smart house can be remotely locked and unlocked. Some of these homes even have proximity sensors that can open garage doors as the homeowner nears. Smart houses can have surveillance systems which are accessible remotely and they can even feature a certain amount of automation, such as the ability to lock and unlock pet doors on a schedule. As noted by SecurityCompanies.com, however, a security system can also do much more than just secure a home. It can also control temperatures and lighting within a home based on the presence of the owner.

Smart Appliances

As noted in Engadget, there is also a push by many appliance manufacturers to get smart features put into appliances, with the overall goal being to create a single, centralized network. Refrigerators could automatically order products when inventory is running low and an oven could potentially display recipes or send you an alert once something is done. Electronic pantries could even alert you to sales on products that you tend to buy often.

Centralization is the Sticking Point

The technology is there for a truly automated home, but it hasn't advanced further because of the need for separate applications and technology for each individual device. Homeowners need to check one application for their security system, another for their heating system, another for their television's recording feature and finally another to check on their refrigerator. This is why many manufacturers are fighting to create a single line of products that can link all possible home automation features, and it is very likely that this type of centralization will be achieved within the next few years.

By Lauren Johnson

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Author Bio - Lauren is a homemaker who volunteers for the Susan G. Komen Foundation. She hopes her efforts will help her loved ones do everything they can to prevent breast cancer.