“It’s a personal thing, what technology means to people,” says Ron Patrick, president of Smart Home Systems in Calgary. “Somebody will have a security hot button and be able to sleep better at night thanks to their security system, while somebody else won’t even lock their doors but will want to crank their A/V system until the cows come home.”

Kevin Birkholz, president of Birkholz Homes in Edmonton, reports that it is fairly standard to wire a new home for sound in at least six rooms (great room, dining room, kitchen, master bedroom, recreation area and exercise room), and that satellite radio and TV as well as recessed wall spaces for LCD and plasma TVs have become common features in clients' custom-designed homes.

The multi-room audio experience may now be fed through a central hub, where all stereo equipment is hidden in one location but accessible via keypads.

Adrian Terek, head of builder sales with Smart Space in Calgary, relates that the top request from his customers is wiring. “They've chosen to buy a home now ... but they don’t want to pay the price three or four years down the road where they don't have the wiring in place. So, the majority of our customers are spending, actually, a significant amount of money on wiring to make sure that they have almost unlimited options in the future.”

In home theatre, think movies, TV shows, songs and even YouTube videos, on-demand through Apple TV, a device that sits by your television and gives the ability to download all of the above through iTunes, right on your TV screen.
And these days, it is all about the “i”... iPod, iTouch and iPhone, specifically. As Patrick confirms, “The world is iPod crazy.”

All three are figuring prominently into the home, with the iPhone able to do—well, anything. Not quite, but each device can be deposited in specially-placed docks around the house to play music right there, and the iTouch and iPhone can both be used as remote controls to control lights, thermostat and other functions within the automated home.

Terek says that the iPhone is “a breakthrough in how people will be interacting with their home. It’s only a short period of time before people will be able to control their whole home with their iPhone.”

Home automation for the average homeowner today can mean any combination of light, heat, audio, video or security, controlled both through touchpads in the home as well as remotely via the Internet, cell phone or car computer.

The system which Birkholz finds himself installing in his homes most often (he estimates 25 per cent of new Birkholz homes incorporate the feature) is a low-voltage automated lighting system. This system features pre-set light levels which automatically adjust to present levels of natural light. For instance, during the day when the sun is bright, if the homeowner turns on the kitchen lights, they may adjust automatically to 50 per cent of their full level. As the day progresses and natural light lessens, light from the interior fixtures will increase. Levels can be adjusted from within or outside of the home.

Similarly one-upping the digital, pre-set thermostat is the heating system that automatically heats or cools based on pre-set limits and which can be controlled online.

Security, meanwhile, may come from cameras strategically placed around the home. Front and back entrances are an obvious choice, and Birkholz points out that many parents find the option attractive as it allows them to keep an eye on the kids in the backyard while working in the kitchen or elsewhere in the house for a few mintues.

These automated home systems are now being integrated with the computers in our cars, giving users the ability to access directions sent via e-mail from a dashboard touchscreen; share music files between home and vehicle; or adjust the heat or light in the home while commuting, for instance, overriding pre-set temperatures in order to turn up the heat when headed home early. OnStar can also send updates directly to the car-owner's e-mail, such as oil change reminders and other reports.

All these options can make everyday living easier and more pleasant, and also lend a hand with entertaining–creating the perfect ambient glow for a dinner party, lighting the fireplace on the way home from a first date, or supplying music throughout the home.
The kitchen, of course, is considered the heart of the home and a crucial part of any entertaining. Technology is lending a hand here as well. The biggest buzz in the appliance world is induction stovetop technology. An induction stovetop looks the same as an electric cooktop, but functions very differently. Rather than generating heat as soon as it is turned on, like an electric cooktop, the induction effect works through magnetic current, only producing heat when the circuit is completed by cookware containing iron. When activated, the pot becomes part of the circuit and heats up very quickly.

Especially helpful are built-in capabilities such as a sensor that turns off the heat if a pot boils dry, the ability to safely place a piece of paper towel between the pot and the burner to allow for easy clean-up, and gentle simmering temperatures which ensure your food will never cook to the bottom of the pot.

“What you're going to find is that (an induction cooktop) is very efficient,” says Aaron Vine, luxury appliance specialist at Jerome's Appliance Gallery in Calgary. “Gas is about 60 per cent efficient. In an induction cooktop, because the energy is going straight to the pot, it is about 90 per cent efficient.”

Other components of the hyper-modern kitchen include the below-the-counter, drawer-style microwave, built-in countertop steamer, and refrigerator from Sub-Zero which keeps temperatures and humidity constant at all times, keeping food fresh much longer.
None of these technologies are standard fare across the board in new homes just yet. Some developers are making certain options standard in all homes within their communities, though Carma is one of these, with both high-speed and structured wiring in all their homes (allowing for easy rearranging of phone, TV and Internet connections) and Carma-Connect, a highly-integrated community website provided in each of their communities.

“Carma has decided that technology is fundamental within people’s lives,” says Jody Lindstrom, Carma-Connect co-ordinator for Canada. “We recognize that need for technology and that it is a way to differentiate ourselves within the marketplace.” Through Carma-

Connect, residents can keep up with events register for classes, check out local businesses, connect with neighbours, and more.
What will tomorrow bring? Only time will tell. NL