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Popular Trends in Home Technology

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Author: Brett Griffin

Article source: http://voipinfonews.com/. Used with author's permission.

As a former home automation installer and a former manufactures rep, I haveobserved many trends. The following items are certainly the hotest trends this yearin home technology.

VoIP (pronounced Voice over IP) refers to making telephone calls usingyour high-speed internet connection. This technology is gaining ground very fast,as new users are discovering it is 50-75% cheaper the comparable standardtelephone service and congress is standing behind the technology for now, notaxes or legislation to mess it up - yet... The a catch? Several more variables inlosing your dial tone: Power outages, internet downtime, and equipment failuresare just a few problems you may encounter using VoIP. Also, If you are droppingthe standard phone line, and you have a security system you will need a cellular orradio back up for safety reasons.

Retrofit home theaters. With the cost of movie tickets approaching $10, itmakes it quite expensive for families to enjoy movies and snacks at the theater.There are new techniques and processes to install a home theater in your existinghome. Many of the processes are for noise reduction, so you don't have harmonicvibrations in the home, or annoy your neighbors. Living in a townhouse, row house,or other multiplex homes, you can now "pump up the volume" with botheringothers!

Security Cameras. Many cities now require visual verification prior todispatching emergency services. Approximately 9 out of 10 alarms are false.Cameras in the home can quickly verify that the alarm is actually triggered by aburglary. In addition, many new parents are now installing cameras to check in ontheir children while they are away to ensure safety.

Home Offices. Today more and more people telecommute. The reasonsmay very— but the fact is home offices are now becoming a necessity for manyhomeowners. Proper planning can provide you with all the technology you need ineither a new home or a remodel. If you are ready to start thinking about yourcustom workspace, keep the following in mind: your personal work style; essentialservices such as Internet & telephone; and office needs such as printing, wirelessnetworks, file storage and audio distribution.

Lighting Controls. Reliable lighting control used to be reserved for thewealthy. The rest of us were reduced to live without lighting control or theunreliable X-10 technology. In the last few years two new technologies arose. UPB(Universal power line bus) and RF (Z-Wave). These new products have provided uswith more selection, more reliability, and the best part—they cost about the sameas the major branded X-10 products.

Energy Savings. Recent energy cost have us all looking for ways toreduce the utilities budget in the home. Home Automation is stepping up to theplate. Home automation can manage the thermostat (typically the largest load inthe home) based on actual occupancy rather than when you think you will be home.Lighting is the second largest load, home automation will turn off the extra lightswhen they are not needed. Using motion sensing, occupancy sensing, and othertypes of lighting controls, home automation can shut the lights off behind you!

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Brett Griffin is co-founder of Architechtronics, Inc. He has 12 years of experience inthe technology industry and strives to help builders, dealers, and homeowners "getto know home automation & technology." Visit http://www.architechtronics.com for moreinformation.