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Collection by Luke Hopping

Brewing Coffee From Bed, and Other Reasons Americans Want Smart Homes

Smart tech has leapt off the pages of science fiction, wowed early adopters, and, according to a recent study, is on the verge of cracking the mainstream. Porch and Lowe's 2014 Smart Home Survey gauged 2,000 homeowners' attitudes toward the rapidly proliferating Internet of Things, and their responses suggest it may not be long before the first plugged-in home arrives on your block.

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New pine and spruce wood from the Pyrenees (both recyclable and PEFC certified) were selected for the façade of the 1,000-square-foot prefab. Smart blinds cover the windows, rigged to open and close depending on the weather forecast.
New pine and spruce wood from the Pyrenees (both recyclable and PEFC certified) were selected for the façade of the 1,000-square-foot prefab. Smart blinds cover the windows, rigged to open and close depending on the weather forecast.
"Having a camera in your home is a sensitive thing," says Adam Sager, Canary's co-founder and CEO. "This doesn't look like a camera—it looks like a beautiful object."
"Having a camera in your home is a sensitive thing," says Adam Sager, Canary's co-founder and CEO. "This doesn't look like a camera—it looks like a beautiful object."
UC Davis has been leading the way in net-zero construction and energy research for years. Recognizing that homes and cars are responsible for just shy of half of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, the project is a foray into how automobiles can factor into the efficiency equation. "UC Davis and the Davis community have launched some of the most innovative housing models in the country, from cooperative housing to solar villages to zero-net-energy at the neighborhood scale," says Bob Segar, UC Davis Assistant Vice Chancellor, Campus Planning and Community Resources. "The next entry is the Honda Smart Home—it's showing how the electric car can be managed as your house's biggest appliance." The house features a 9.5kW solar array, which produces direct current. The charger was adapted to accept power directly from the panels without any conversion loss.
UC Davis has been leading the way in net-zero construction and energy research for years. Recognizing that homes and cars are responsible for just shy of half of carbon dioxide emissions in the United States, the project is a foray into how automobiles can factor into the efficiency equation. "UC Davis and the Davis community have launched some of the most innovative housing models in the country, from cooperative housing to solar villages to zero-net-energy at the neighborhood scale," says Bob Segar, UC Davis Assistant Vice Chancellor, Campus Planning and Community Resources. "The next entry is the Honda Smart Home—it's showing how the electric car can be managed as your house's biggest appliance." The house features a 9.5kW solar array, which produces direct current. The charger was adapted to accept power directly from the panels without any conversion loss.
Why consider the August over competitors like Lockitron or Goji? Yves Behar, the man behind the Jawbone Jambox speaker and the Jawbone UP, designed the August. The result is something that looks like the future, but is subtle enough not to distract from a door’s wood grain.
Why consider the August over competitors like Lockitron or Goji? Yves Behar, the man behind the Jawbone Jambox speaker and the Jawbone UP, designed the August. The result is something that looks like the future, but is subtle enough not to distract from a door’s wood grain.
A skylight emphasizes the division of the upper level into master's and children's wings, and draws natural light deep into the core of the ground-floor kitchen and dining area.
A skylight emphasizes the division of the upper level into master's and children's wings, and draws natural light deep into the core of the ground-floor kitchen and dining area.
Seventy percent of smartphone and tablet owners say they'd like to control something in their house remotely from bed, such thermostats, lights, or coffee makers (an appliance 27 percent named specifically).
Seventy percent of smartphone and tablet owners say they'd like to control something in their house remotely from bed, such thermostats, lights, or coffee makers (an appliance 27 percent named specifically).
“A Sonos home audio setup can be as simple or elaborate as the user chooses. A separate box controls up to 32 different sound zones within the home. They can play different music, or sections can be grouped together when necessary.”
“A Sonos home audio setup can be as simple or elaborate as the user chooses. A separate box controls up to 32 different sound zones within the home. They can play different music, or sections can be grouped together when necessary.”
The Welcome HD smart camera by Netatmo uses advanced face-recognition technology to send an alert to a user's smartphone when it detects an unfamiliar (and perhaps unwelcome) visitor.
The Welcome HD smart camera by Netatmo uses advanced face-recognition technology to send an alert to a user's smartphone when it detects an unfamiliar (and perhaps unwelcome) visitor.