Most cell phone carriers can’t remember what life was like before portable communicators were within arm’s reach. Perhaps someday we won’t be able to imagine feeling safe in or away from home without some of today’s newest high-tech gadgets recently featured in Realtor magazine. For now, some homeowners may consider these widgets as necessities they never knew they needed:
- If the sight of sprinklers running when it’s pouring outside raises the hair on your neck, a weather-sensitive sprinkler system will help you avoid wasting water, as well. Cyber-Rain’s system shuts the sprinkler system down on rainy days, decreases watering on humid and cold days and increases it on hot, dry days. The result is lower water bills, increased water conservation and an attractive lawn. One controller costs $295 and covers up to 1,000 square feet.
- Turn off up to five lights in a home with just one touch of the finger – and nearly $750.
- Homeowners can keep a robotic eye on their home while they’re gone with Spygee, an 18-inch, battery-operated robot controlled by the homeowner via Web site, available from Meccano. This robot snaps photos and records video viewable on the Web site, and it also has a surveillance mode that sends an alarm and e-mails a photo if anything that shouldn’t comes into its line of sight. Cost: about $300.
- Remote-controlled shades? Yep! With the click of a button, homeowners can raise or lower one or a group of shades from up to 100 feet away through a combination of radio and infrared frequencies. The cost of the PowerRise system from Hunter Douglas depends on the shade and system.
For a more complete list of the newest high-tech tools for the home, their cost and how to purchase them, visit http://www.realtor.org/rmomag.NSF/pages/hightechhomesjan08?OpenDocument.
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