Register

I agree with the Privacy Policy

USA Today

New technologies make for smarter homes,

February 05, 2002

USA Today IBM recently aired a television commercial that featured a repairman arriving at a house unannounced. A futuristic refrigerator with smart technology did a self-diagnostic test, uncovered a problem, and called a repairman.

The commercial wasn't a huge hit with consumers, said Kurt Scherf, an analyst with Parks Associates, a Dallas firm that follows emerging home technology.

"That might make a lot of sense in restaurants and warehouses," he said. "But for a home, how often do refrigerators fail?"

And Scherf said he believes that it's only a matter of time before hackers break into smart home systems. Imagine a hacker turning the lights, heat and the microwave in a house on and off at will — kind of like a poltergeist, he suggested.

From the article "New technologies make for smarter homes," by Greg Wright.

Previously In The News

Filling your home with music, wirelessly

Consumer interest in higher-tech home music systems is on the rise, as are innovations in wireless technology and higher-resolution digital music files. "There's a convergence of technology that ma...

New game systems push technology envelope

Interest in the new game consoles is rivaling that of tablets on holiday wish lists. About 18% of homes with broadband Internet connections plan to buy a tablet this holiday season, compared with 1...

Sony PlayStation 4 has Black Friday advantage

Headed into the heart of the holiday shopping season, Sony appears to have a lead with its PlayStation 4 on more wish lists than Microsoft's Xbox One. That finding parallels a similar one recen...

Future of Net TV looks brighter with CBS, HBO on board

Already more than half (55%) of U.S. homes with broadband Internet connectivity subscribe to a Net TV service such as Netflix, according to research firm Parks Associates. And pay-TV subscribers ar...

‹
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
›