How does technology and Internet turn a house into 'smart'?

According to Forbes magazine, the iPhone itself started the smart home trend (Smart Home). Along with the popularity of smartphones and tablets, smart home trends are becoming more popular . Even, one day people will control the smart house with gestures and voices.

>>>What is a Smart Home (Smart Home)?

In the 2000s, while building a "smart home" for themselves in Lake Tahoe, California, Tony Fadell, one of the creators of iPods, sought to buy a thermostat, but he Not impressed with the limited features and technology of the device.

So, in 2010, Fadell teamed up with a former Apple colleague Matt Roger and worked out a "smart" thermostat . A year later, Nest Labs - their company - introduced a thermostat with an iPod-like user interface, integrated WiFi connectivity and software that can adjust settings based on usage needs. The price of the product is US $ 249.

"We use smartphone technology and . put it on your wall , " Rogers said.

Today, the Nest Learning Thermostat thermostat is sold at about 5,000 stores, from interior designers such as Home Depot and Lowe's to Apple stores. This device helps reduce about 20% of energy consumption, meaning that every US household can save 170 USD / year on average.

Now, the company is introducing carbon monoxide and smoke warning devices that know how to connect to WiFi and interact with homeowners through applications on smartphones. The device called Nest Protect , will control where and when the threat comes from, if it is a false alarm, it will turn off immediately with a wave of a hand.

"It was the iPhone that started this revolution. Now people are used to holding smartphones in their hands and controlling their entire lives from there," explains Rogers. "But the houses are still not" smart "to that extent, and Nest has realized the opportunity."

However, Nest is not the only company. Automation technology for homes has been around for decades, but is considered a luxury technology and applies only to "rich people". This industry is underdeveloped. This may be due to complex, difficult to use and expensive technology systems that require professional installation and maintenance costs.

However, when smartphones and tablets become more and more popular, smart home technology becomes easier to use, and more affordable. According to ABI Research, the home automation technology industry is expected to reach $ 14.1 billion in global revenue by 2018, mostly in the US. This revenue increased by 11.5% compared to 2012.

ABI Research predicts that all sub-markets of this industry will grow at a double-digit rate by 2018, especially led by the automation subscriber technology market. Telecommunications companies and security firms will be companies that provide subscription services with home automation technology. Expected consumption of home automation equipment will grow from 1.9 million devices / year to 19 million devices / year. ABI also predicts that the main market of automation technology, including cheaper products and low-cost installation services, will increase by 60%, reaching more than 6.4 million devices.

"Home automation equipment is not a new market," said Adarsh ​​Krishnan, senior analyst at ABI Research. "But public awareness of home automation technology is still quite new, mostly coming from the idea of ​​security companies and more recently cable and telecommunications companies."

In the US, this market is really exciting. Companies like Comcast Corp, Time Warner, DirecTV, Verizon, AT&T, Best Buy and Staples all have home automation products. Manufacturers and security companies also participated in the game, including General Electric, ADT Corp, Honeywell International, Ingersoll Rand, United Technologies Corp. and Tyco International. In addition, retailers like Walmart are increasingly selling more automation devices on store shelves.

Mike Harris, chief executive of Zonoff, which provides software that connects home automation products, says households can buy these devices for $ 150.

More and more companies, such as August and Kwikset, sell automatic door locks through smartphones that cost between $ 150 and $ 300.This "smart lock" system can be used together, or will replace the traditional lock, allowing users without the key to use bluetooth technology and be able to customize, control the output, into the house.

Through software platforms like Zonoff's, all other home automation devices can be used together. For example, the system may send a message informing parents that they have returned home. Dining room products can be integrated with automatic decoding devices to reduce light bulbs and close window blinds when the TV is turned on during the day.

Home theater system is also operated according to smart home model. In the US, vendors have distributed service packages such as Prima Cinema worth $ 35,000, and users can even watch new movies on the day the movie premieres. Movies are automatically loaded and accessed via fingerprint scanning technology.

Even "non-smart" TV models will be applied smart technology. For example, TVs can be "dropped" from the ceiling, or "crawled" from under the bed so users can view them on the carpet. Another option is to hide the TV behind mirrors and walls, meaning the TV is completely hidden until the touch screen is activated.

Another growing trend is the digital kitchen. In this digital kitchen, automation equipment is installed on the kitchen table and under the kitchen cabinet, usually this position is tiled. These smart walls can become security cameras, displaying pictures or children's works, or being used to search Internet recipes, all of which work through finger presses. hand.

In addition, thanks to Siri of Apple, the next trend will penetrate the smart home is the interactive voice control. At that time, the home automation technology system will be controlled by voice.

However, each automated system with indoor WiFi connection creates risks in security and privacy. According to the report of Forbes technology journalist Kashmir Hill, the bad guys can easily hack into strangers' homes through automated systems."When we put everything in the house connected to the Internet, we also have the same security risks as with any connected device: they can be hacked," Hill noted.

Companies are trying to overcome that threat, apply strong password protection and in some cases revoke old products. VIA International says that cloud-based software is also being developed that will allow suppliers to control the technology inside the customer's home while at the same time watching out for intruders.