Sunday, 26 October 2014

Smart Homes That Make Sci-Fi Reality

By Jennifer Rosen


The more useful a type of technology proves to be, the more attention is devoted to further developing it. One such technology that is enjoying a golden age is smart home tech. What was just science fiction in the movies of decades past is quickly becoming reality. Many types of home technology are made with the purpose of automating everyday tasks and making life easier for the homeowner. For example, there are lighting systems available that automatically make adjustments to the lighting level during different times of day and the number of occupants in the room. This article will discuss a few of the recent trends in home technology.

Smart Glass: People value their privacy. Nobody wants their neighbors looking through their windows. In an older home, this would require you to draw the blinds or close the curtains. Homes that have smart windows can be shielded with the flip of a switch. In order to transform into a tinted window, an electrical current passes through the window which polarizes the glass. This polarization allows for both privacy and light regulation. This process can be automated even farther with sensors that change the tint depending on the time of day and the number of people in the room.

Smart Kitchen: Cooking is one thing that many people seem to have less and less time for these days. So it makes sense that the kitchen would be a good area to focus smart technology on. One very exciting advancement is a regulated oven. In the morning, you can place a meal inside the oven, ready to be cooked. The oven will keep it refrigerated until the designated time for it to begin cooking. You could have a hot meal waiting for you as soon as you get home.

Another chore that many people find overly tedious is laundry. Smarter technology helps out in this regard as well. Many new washing machines include a steam feature. Hot steam cleans and sanitizes much more effectively than liquid water. Newer dryers also include a steam function which can reduce wrinkles, and by extension reduce time spent ironing.

Smart Entertainment: The TV room has probably seen the most benefit from the focus on smart home technology. Many TVs now have built-in internet and video-streaming technology, and devices like Apple TV and Chromecast are available to make it easier than ever to stream content from the internet in your living room. Connectivity is another big focus. With the aforementioned devices, you can stream or mirror content from your phone or tablet onto the TV. And the new Playstation TV allows you to stream content from a PS4. With that, for instance, you can play PS4 games in your bedroom while the machine itself sits in the living room.




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