Apple Making Smart Home a Reality

White it is true that Apple is turning the iPhone into a high-tech remote control for your home appliances and gadgets, rumor has it that the idea of home automation was first thought of by Microsoft in their concept video from circa 1999.

The video shows several technologies integrated together to create the perfect picture of how a smart home should be. In the video, An eye scanner or a voice-activated security system that allows you to open the door or leave a message, a panel that allows you to group devices and appliances at home and create a scene that allows each device to do as you want them to in response to a particular scene. In other words, you can set the mood for your home. It also shows other features such as the ability to place calls for you using a home network, a scanner that allows you to automatically add items to your shopping list, and a trash bin equipped with high-tech sensors that will identify the items throw into the bin and create a reminder on your home computer that you may need to add these items to your list as well.

Many of these technologies have already come to pass. While a lot of commodity manufacturers have invented smart home appliances, the integration has not been completed, not yet anyway. With Apple launching a new home automation software that allows iOS devices, the iPhone in control of your devices at home, this may soon become reality. While it is true that the concept has been out in the market, but not one single platform or application allows all these devices to be connected all together. Apples's HomeKit may be the first of its kind. As Apple Senior VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, has put it, they are working with the world leaders of home innovation in the hope of bridging the compatibility gap that has been keeping this from becoming real.

Although it is not clear yet as to what developers will do with Apple's HomeKit as specific details on how it works aren't known yet. And certainly there is no shortage of these kinds of products in the market today. But this technology hopefully can alleviate the trouble of having to use several applications that you need to use just to make smart home automation products work.