Community Magazine November 2008

44 Community Magazine resident’s normal routine, and applications that read an occupant’s vital signs and are monitored by an off-site nurse. As the cost of assisted living continues to soar, living alone is becoming an increas- ingly popular option for many and auto- mation systems are helping to ensure the viability of such an arrangement by offering security and peace of mind. Computers Don’t Make Mistakes Automated communication technology helps family members keep in touch with- out ever having to make a phone call. Security systems can be programmed to send a text message whenever the disarm- ing code is entered. So, for example, when young Joey and David come home from school and let themselves in by typing the security code, the system immediately texts Mom and Dad to let them know the kids have arrived. The system can even email a snapshot photo from the outside camera so that parents can see if Joey forgot to bring home his book bag again today. While the security system may not be able to remind Joey about his books, at least his parents won’t worry that he also forgot to call when he got home, because the house remem- bered to do it for him. The reliability factor represents the cru- cial benefit of an automated household’s ability to overcome the distinctly human trait of forgetfulness. Once a person pro- grams a “night mode” into his control panel, instructing the system what to do and when, he never has to remember again what needs to be done before turning in for the night. At the predetermined time – which can be programmed differently each day –the tech- nology does the all the chores for him. “Shabbat Mode” For observant Jews, home automation can prove especially useful, particularly with regard to Shabbat and holidays. Orthodox Jews have been using “Shabbat clocks” on lights for many years, but this neces- sitated running around to all the switches in the house right before candle lighting. More recently, we were introduced to the “Shabbat oven” which turns itself off auto- matically after Shabbat or the holiday has started so that the food can be served hot. Again, setting the oven was yet one more thing to remember to do during the frenzied pre-Shabbat rush. Home automation simplifies matters because it allows combining all the lights and appliances into a single control panel, and programming them all in advance. Rather than waiting until Friday, and instead of running from room to room, you can sim- ply program the control panel at any point during the week to turn lights on or off, and to shut the oven, at the desired times. Another automated Shabbat feature, which HomeTech has installed in many Jewish homes, helps homeowners avoid the problem of motion sensors. Halachah forbids activating lights even indirectly on Shabbat, and it is therefore forbidden to walk on Shabbat in front of a sensor that flashes a light upon detecting motion. In many homes, disabling or covering motion detec- tors is included in the last-minute Friday afternoon “to do” list. But HomeTech can program sensors to automatically turn before Shabbat every Friday, and reactivate themselves after Shabbat ends on Saturday night. Limited Only by the Imagination Homeowners with an affinity for the bizarre and the believe-it-or-not might be interested in some of the more outlandish automated features that are available. Don’t know what to wear in the morning? AMX has a feature whereby one receives an instant weather report by pressing a button on the central control panel. Or, if you hap- pen to be flying somewhere that day, type in the zip code of your destination and find out the weather reports for that city. If you pre- fer listening to the weather over your morn- ing coffee, then instead of going through the trouble of turning on the radio, use Melitta’s Smart Mill & Brew coffeemaker, which gives a live weather report from MSN while brewing your cup o’ Joe. The fun doesn’t end there. How about an automated fan for kitty litter boxes? One pet owner describes a system he installed that, upon detecting motion inside the box (which can be assumed to indicate the cat’s entry), waits five minutes and then activates the fan for fifteen minutes. The fan is also automatically activated for five minutes every hour to ensure an odor-free envi- ronment for the cat and the home’s other occupants. But perhaps most outrageous of all is the Everingham Rotating House by Dynalite. As its name suggests, this is a house that rotates – a full 360 degrees. It can be set to rotate gradually over the course of the day to follow the sun’s progression, or rotated at will so that the desired vistas show up in the windows of choice. But worshippers beware: this could cause considerable con- fusion when determining which direction to face when praying the amidah from home. (And you might have to get rid of that mag- nificent “ Mizrah ” sign you purchased in Meah Shearim.) In the end of course, it is convenience and economy, rather than just being “cool,” that makes automation products so popular. Once reserved for the high-end sector and tech-savvy do-it-yourselfers, these systems have become affordable and user friendly for even mainstreamers and the techno- logically ignorant. In fact, Ilya Billig of Lagotek Home Automation predicts that “within ten years, home automation will be a standard feature in every new home, and a significant amount of existing homes will have it, too.” Indeed, the future has arrived – perhaps a lot quicker than we thought.