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From Telegraph.co.uk dated 14 July 2007
"Technology will soon make a penthouse lifestyle available to everyone, says Camilla Chafer
When Bill Gates spoke about his vision of "wired homes" at the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year, he conjured an image of smart homes as the homes of the future.
Vista, the latest Windows operating system, epitomises Gates's ambitions: it can be used to power a so-called "media centre" PC, usually placed in the living area, on which people can surf the net, create a music jukebox that will play a list of tunes, and digitally edit, organise and share photographs. Apple, too, sees the computer as the central technology underpinning the "home hub": its Apple TV is capable of streaming music and video to high-definition TV sets.But the idea that all this stuff is "toys for the boys" is increasingly old-fashioned - as is the notion that only the super-rich can afford such high-tech wizardry. In fact, smart homes could be of enormous use to any family, allowing them to control their heating, lighting, security systems and every aspect of their homes from a digital hub, or even remotely via the internet. Soon, such smart technology could become almost as standard in new homes as washing machines are in our current homes.
As Microsoft and Apple have made clear, the PC is in a strong position to be at the centre of such smart homes, with its ability to co-ordinate digital content in the entertainment field. John Turner, head of multimedia networking at internet technology firm Computerlinks, predicts that home PCs will be reinvented as multimedia control systems capable of catering to any of their users' audio-visual requirements. "With its ability to provide living-room access to digital content via a simple remote control, the PC media centre is well positioned to be an affordable hub for the home, using networking skills to deliver what were previously 'millionaire playground' facilities such as multi-room audio, central video libraries, surveillance, intelligent lighting and heating control," he says.
"With a stable home network, it is now possible to offer highly innovative systems that control lighting, heating and even security via internet-based control systems. The results are compelling to home users and, as they become more affordable, are gaining broader market appeal."
The homes of the future could therefore have as standard the kind of technology that still seems somewhat futuristic to us today. HellermannTyton is a company that makes smart products designed specifically for the building trade, meaning that smart technology can be incorporated into new homes as they are being constructed."There will of course always be a small number of consumers who believe smart homes are for technically minded people or even gadget-crazy geeks," admits Graeme Wagg, their product manager. "They may also see smart-home technology as a gimmick. But the fact is that the evolution of smart-home technology and the knowledge base of the consumer will unconsciously educate both the house builder and the homebuyer. The development and continued progression of smart-home devices and technology will find their way into more and more properties."
Hugh Whalley, the manager of the smart homes division of Siemens, agrees that the market will dictate the wider spread of smart-home technology. "These types of homes appeal to all customer groups," he says. "We install structured cabling systems - the core of smart homes - throughout the home, with bolt-ons that can be adjusted to the occupants' lifestyles.
"Young professionals might choose to have distributed audio, while a family may want control over their economic output, simulated security and zone temperature controls. We even enable older people or the disabled to stay in their homes by providing broadband services that help cater for their needs, or providing speech-activated controls."
As smart-home technology grows increasingly commonplace, Whalley suggests that consumers will become - and are becoming - less afraid of technological advances. "There's a demand for technology now, along with high expectations, from a generation who don't have an issue with either the type or use of technology.
"We recently did a development of 700 apartments in Gateshead where structured cabling was offered in the sales suite in the same way that the purchaser would be offered kitchen upgrades or new tiles.
"Also, as it becomes more commonplace, we'll see prices fall. As it is, installing structured cabling in a three-bed detached house now costs only £12,000 to £15,000, and once it's in, it can continue to be upgraded."
"In 10 years from now, it is quite conceivable that a huge majority of new-build properties will have aspects of smart-home technology implemented," says Wagg. "The number of systems and the features from one build to another are quite likely to differ. Builders and developers are unlikely to standardise which smart-home systems are installed, as continued advances in smart-home products will bring more features and benefits, and better, competing solutions."
In other words, far from being toys for the boys, smart-home technology could help to make all our lives easier. Lifestyles have become increasingly frenetic as we race between home, work, the kids and - if we're really lucky - the last vestiges of a social life. Smart homes seek to make that life easier, allowing us to control a number of tasks simultaneously.
If you're away on holiday, some systems will let you dial in remotely from anywhere in the world, using a single panel to orchestrate when the curtains open or the lights dim. And wouldn't it be nice if, at the end of a tough day, you could set the bath to fill itself at a precise time and make sure your favourite tune is playing as you walk through the front door?
Full article at
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/connected/main.jhtml?xml=/connected/2007/07/14/dlhub14.xml
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