Home Automation on a Budget: 5 Affordable Ways to Remotely Control Your Home

It wasn’t that long ago, when someone wanted to change the channel on his or her television it required getting off the couch. Without remotes, TV-watchers had to walk over to their TV set and turn a knob or press a button to channel surf. Now, just a generation or two later, young people find this practice unfathomable, children are in disbelief and the next generation is finding ways to take even the fanciest of luxuries to the next level.

Making Your House Smart

According to the co-founder of Ube (a startup company that has plans that exceed the smart car, smart phone and smart-TV world), it’s time to bring the Internet to life inside the connected home. Glen Burchers told VentureBeat that his company plans to bring a centralized, cloud-based brain and central control system to homeowners that requires no professional custom installation.

“Your automobile already knows to unlock itself when you approach, turn the wipers on when it’s raining and stop you from skidding when you brake incorrectly,” Burchers told VentureBeat.

“With this technology, your house will be as smart or smarter.”

Future of Automation

So with basic TV remote controls sinking into the past and complete home automation inching toward the future, what smart technologies – besides the well-known automated controls of lights, window shades, thermostats, music players and garage doors – are already being utilized in homes across America? Alarm systems, appliances, pet feeders, sprinklers and more.

Many homeowners are using their mini iPads as universal remotes, smart phones as a way to monitor their Columbus home security systems and digital tablets to access apps that can do everything from lock your front door to turn the AC on before you get home.

“We control home electronics that connect to the Internet,” Burchers told VentureBeat. “This includes your smart TV, set top box, media player, thermostat and even garage-door opener all from within one free app. We manage this control intuitively with a gesture interface.”

Helpful Conveniences

According to Philly.com, retired Air Force master sergeant Rance Bell knows the benefits of home automation. As he recovered from a recent foot surgery, bedridden Bell enjoyed the ability of setting a security alarm after visitors left without leaving his bed. With an upgrade, he could’ve even remotely locked or unlocked the door behind them. But security isn’t where his home automation stops.

“If I’m at work and I want the house to be 72 degrees when I arrive home, I call up the app on my smartphone, adjust the heat up to 72, and it is nice and toasty when I arrive home,” Bell told Philly.com.

Homeowners are securing their stuff, protecting their families, feeding their dogs, watering their lawns and all-around enjoying the ease of remote home automation. With so many technologies budding into our future, the sluggish economy – especially the real estate market – may be on the road to recovery if home automation continues in popularity and industry growth.

So, what in your home needs an upgrade?

This article was submitted by Maury Singer, a child-of-the-60s Maury just went back to school in the hopes to learn to at least send an email … and ended up a huge fan of Linux/Unix programs.