-Imagine the future where everything in your home from the lighting to the drapes to the theater system is all automated and controlled by the tablet in your hand.
Home automation is a big trend that's getting less expensive everyday.
The simple Nest Thermostat brings energy savings and remote control to an entire house.
Companies like Philips and Lutron offer remote
controllable lighting that can integrate with heating, cooling and security, and there are even reports that Apple and Google are getting into home automation, maybe in a big way.
But all-in-one options are coming along slowly.
One new choice is XFINITY Home and for disclosure, Comcast is currently a sponsor of our show.
Your have things like you're able to control your thermostat.
You can set it for a certain temperature.
You can turn it off and on remotely using your iPad, iPhone or any Android device.
You can also do things like, you know, control the lights in your home.
You can plug these bit of wireless adapters and any-- actually, any kind of device.
So, you can use crock pots, curling irons.
I mean, there are lots of uses, people get really creative.
-The system also integrates security so you can set cameras and sensors throughout your house and keep an eye on things like your garage or your front door.
-This door right now, for instance, has a sensor that will tell you as soon as the door is opened, the alarm would trigger.
That's just a
regular door sensor.
-The XFINITY System is a little pricey.
It's a few thousand dollars for installation.
You pay for individual hardware add-ons and the alarm and monitoring fees are $30 to $50 a month plus you have to have Comcast broadband internet service.
Can you say bundle?
But in a world where price really is no object, consider a whole other type of home automation like the kind that hides TVs and your mirrors.
-Wow.
I don't wanna lose any mirror [unk] but I really
want a TV in my walk-in closet.
-You can have both.
We're here to say yes.
-Technology has a way.
-Yes.
-Engineered environment develops tech systems for people who want their tech to be integrated, motorized and totally invisible inside the design of their houses.
-Amazing.
So I can just put a TV in like any old piece of furniture?
-Yes.
Yeah.
-You're such a matter of fact wizard.
-Here is the ability to bring up your Apple TV through a
wall.
-A wall of Rolexes.
Look at that.
Are they real?
-No.
Not one of them is real.
-Good.
Okay, good.
Oh, I love that iPad wall.
-Wherever we can put an iPad in the wall, we will put an iPad in the wall.
-But look at, you brought a blackboard here.
-This is a concept by studio backer which is taking a toaster and your espresso machine as well as a lot of your utensils that you use for cooking and it motorizes it directly into the
kitchen.
-Wow.
-So, if you wanna maintain views and you don't wanna have a wall full of cabinetry, you don't have to compromise.
-And our kitchens will also have multi panel touch-enabled screens everywhere.
Obviously.
-So, the browser enables us to bring up a browser window, do any web surfing that you wanna do, as well as share it among the different video panels.
-Okay.
-So, if you're cooking with somebody on the other side of the kitchen and something interesting happens over here, you can send it out to the other side.
-I can just shoot it over there like Minority Report.
-Look at that.
-You can catch it over on this side, send it back to you, we could play an elaborate game of pong.
-Yes.
-Home automation is still new.
It's still harder, more expensive and more difficult than it needs to be, but it is getting closer and I and my Rolexes will be waiting.
