Guest Blogger: 3 Innovative Technologies that will Improve your Home

Guest Blogger #331, Entry #902, January 17, 2012

We are constantly seeing the introduction of new products and technologies that change the way we interact with the world around us. The past year alone saw the growth of tablet computers, the introduction of more efficient electric cars, new medical advancements for sports injuries, high blood pressure, and cancer treatment, and a host of other innovations. While new technologies – especially consumer-targeted ones – are regularly used inside the confines of the home, rarely do they dynamically change the way our houses run and the way we interact with them.

But there are many technologies out there that can accomplish just that. Most of them, to be sure, are highly expensive, “system-wide” programs that require the installation of cameras and sensors, the removal of wall and even large appliances, and probably the services of a few residential painters when it is all said and done. If you’ve ever seen Smart House, the 1999 Disney film, you’ve probably got a pretty solid conceptualization in mind.

For those of us without family fortunes, however, there are still more economical ways of using technology to make your home a better place. Here are a few examples:

Look at these home technologies to improve your way of life

Image via: Pinterest

Security

A full-blown security system with closed-circuit cameras may be slightly out of your budget (not to mention slightly excessive), but these days it is not at all costly to access your alarm and home lighting system electronically. This means that you can turn lights on and off from your iPad while hundreds of miles away, therefore insuring that your home appears lively and far from deserted.

Control your home security from your smart phone

Utilities

Several companies have developed a “smart thermostat” that looks like a sophisticated Apple product and can regulate your home temperature in a way that maximizes efficiencies and reduces your costs. These thermostats can sense movement in the home and can learn lifestyle habits of its occupants, traits both of which insure that the temperature can be closely regulated without sacrificing your level of comfort.

The Nest thermostat – smart technology that ‘knows’ your lifestyle

Go Green

There are several technologies out there – the above mentioned thermostat included – that can help make your home a more environmentally-friendly place. Of these, one of the best options out there is solar panels and solar roofing materials. Solar panels can be installed on your roof and they can store energy for later use or to be sold back to your municipality. By turning your roof into a power generator, then, you can live a greener lifestyle and possibly recoup your costs in the process (in addition to reducing utilities costs you can get some hefty tax breaks for your efforts). A solar roof can also be incorporated into a more unique exterior design.

These are just a few of the growing list of technologies and products that can be beneficial to your home and to your residence within it. Someday we will possibly all live in intelligent houses that can monitor everything going on within their walls. Until that day, however, these options are as close as we’re going to get.

For more home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.