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Directory of select residential
real estate firms
Smart homes
In
its finest form, smart technology lets you control your
life from one keypad: Turn lights and appliances on
and off, change heating and cooling temperatures, check
the outdoor temperature, and even post sunrise and sunset
times. Closed circuit monitoring enables you to keep
an eye on your home, your kids, the nanny-whatever-from
remote locations. Did you leave the iron on? Take a
quick glance at the monitor. Is anyone watching the
kids in the swimming pool? Take a gander.
Unfortunately,
a college degree is no guarantee you'll understand how
it works. If you're like Ozzy Osbourne, you might find
yourself trying to answer the television remote, proving
once again that "smart" technology is often
smarter than the user. You may not be ready to smarten
up, but at least learn the terminology, because technology
is getting smarter every day.
Closed
Circuit Monitoring: Allows you to monitor your home
from remote locations as well as inside the home.
HDTV:
High definition television provides crystal-clear images.
HDTV monitors range in price from $1,000 to $12,000.
Then you'll need a receiver ($500-1,000) and an antenna
or dish ($69-$500).
Total
Recall: This monitoring system remembers the choices
you make, such as favorite TV shows, and informs you
of similar fare. Trouble is, not all networks broadcast
in high definition yet, so you might want to wait. According
to the National Cable and Telecommunications Association,
about 6 to 7 million of 69 million cable subscribers
now have access to HDTV.
Home
Networking: Like all other wire applications, installation
during construction is the easiest and most cost effective.
However, the new Windows XP operating system supports
the ability to share movies, photographs with devices
such as pocket PCs and digital audio receivers without
having to run new cables. XP can connect your home Windows
PCs in five minutes. Hooking up appliances and entertainment
gear might take a half-day.
ISDN:
Integrated Services Digital Network offers faster networking
than dial-up.
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