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According to Jupiter’s study, the viral adaptation of fixed and mobile broadband connectivity has opened doors we only imagined a few years back. Connected TVs, automated security and conveniences systems, and a vast array of other profitable niches in this space, all these have created a sort of business vacuum. As the author of the report Nitin Bhas puts it, this “land grab” for players trying to carve out a piece of the ecosystem, will probably end up with just a few players at the top of the food chain home tech wise.

Apple, Google and Microsoft are all in leverage positions, given their expertise and reach in the overall niche. While the full reports from Juniper are priced exclusively out of news report range, it is the trend and the potential that really matter for this story. Super smart home systems are already fairly abundant. A product we covered for Black Friday, Nest, is a real mover and shaker where ideas meet practical need for smarter home services and hardware. Nest basically chops your energy bills into bits by learning like a sort of Hal 9000 from Space Odyssey and then thermostatically optimizing comfort/economy.

As suggested, all any of the three big tech names has to do is buy a system like Nest (or make their own) and BINGO! There’s your market leader. Watch the Voice of America video below to get in the mood.

And the list of “smart” things for the home is pretty endless. I know from personal experience, such things as iPad operated shelves, even smart clothes and other electronic wizardry are in the works already. I am testing a WIMM watch that does everything but sing to me, my partner Mihaela, speaking with famous fashion designer Olivier Lapidus about Hotel Felicien’s design, he was incorporating smart-device activated doors and shelves throughout the penthouse there. As you will soon see, everything from Apple TV to an artificially intelligent toaster are possible, and now too.

Finally, ComputerWorld reported the other day on AT&T and Cisco announcing their an all-digital, wireless home monitoring service. This pretty much accomplishes the greater portion of what we have discussed here. Homeowners using this system will be able to control many sensitive functions via their  Android, iOS and Windows OS devices. The so-called Digital Life platform (below) will be open source as well. This will allow the vast number of app developers out there to create ever more appealing and useful applications for the system.

Below are some of the specifications of this controller from Cisco:

The Digital Life controller wirelessly manages an array of connected devices throughout the home by integrating AT&T software with Cisco Z-Wave communications radios. Connected devices include:

• Cameras
• Windows/door sensors
• Smoke, carbon monoxide, motion and glass break sensors
• Door locks
• Thermostats
• Moisture detection and water shut-off
• Appliance and lighting controls
• With a network-based approach, it is easy to customize and scale to meet specific customer needs such as remote video monitoring, alarm management and home automation.

As I said earlier, the smart home is already here. Deciding whether or not to enter the niche is really a forgone conclusion much like the decision to enter the online and mobile space. You are here reading this, no? Already the line has formed to mine for gold in this industry. Let us know your thoughts.

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Our mothers happened to be gone at that exact moment. I don’t remember where they were, but we were able to go retrieve the gun, unzip the gun case, remove the rifle, and head out into the woods to do some hunting without anyone noticing what we were doing. We had nothing in particular in mind. Indeed we did not even know exactly how to fire this weapon, and we did not even know if it was actually loaded or not. We headed up into the nearby woods, rifle in hand.

We spent a couple of hours up in the woods, but actually did not fire the gun at all. Thank goodness it never occurred to either one of us to pretend to shoot at each other, and as luck would have it, we did not get hurt. At least not with the gun. But when we headed home, walking calmly along with the rifle in hand, we spotted my mother coming toward us, waving her arms frantically.

We were almost home when my mother found us, after a frantic, hour long search. She and my friends mother had returned home to find the empty gun case lying on the bedroom floor, right where we had left it. They knew we were out with the rifle, but had no idea where we’d gone. By the time my mother found us, she was relieved to see that we were OK. We had no idea what all the fuss was about, as we were too young to even grasp the gravity of the situation.

My mother’s relief at finding us alive and uninjured quickly turned into righteous anger. When we got home, she grabbed a belt, took me to my room, and gave me a lesson in gun control that I never forgot. She tanned my hide, and I mean good…shouting the whole time about how dangerous guns are and how close we came to getting ourselves or someone else killed. As it turned out, I came closer to getting killed by my mother than I did with that gun. LOL

I always had a healthy respect for guns from that time on. About sixteen years after the rifle incident, I used a gun to save myself from a rapist who had broken into my house. I heard him coming and was waiting on him, gun in hand, when he tippy-toed into my bedroom, thinking I was asleep. I got the drop on him, pointed that gun right at his face, said a few choice words, and backed him out the door at gunpoint. He never came back, though I did spend a few sleepless nights wondering if he would. That was a moment I would not wish on anyone, but I knew that he was coming for me, and I was very thankful that I had the ability to defend myself close at hand. It may have saved my life, and it certainly saved me from being raped.

I’ve been thinking about these issues a lot, in the wake of recent events, and it seems to me that homeowners can take a much more active role in controlling access to their guns as a way to avoid many of the accidental shootings that occur each year, and help deter some of the deliberate shooters, such as the Sandy Hook shooter, who apparently had easy access to his mother’s guns.

I’d like to see builders offer an option for a locked, and perhaps hidden gun safe, built into the wall of the master bedroom of a new home. An ordinary heavy gun safe such as the kind that they sell at sporting goods stores is relatively inexpensive and virtually impossible to break into.

My neighbor’s parents had ignored their son’s hunting rifle, which they knew he had left under his bed. They gave no thought to the idea that some of the kids might decide to check it out. If that gun had been stored more securely, we would not have even known it was in the house. I keep thinking, “if only the Sandy Hook shooters’ mom had not assumed it was OK to leave weapons accessible to a son whom she already thought was dangerous enough to hide the kitchen knives and such in her car”.

From what I’ve heard in news reports, her younger kids already had an emergency plan to avoid their older brother’s tantrums. You’d think it would have crossed her mind to keep those guns securely locked up, even if the kids had been practice shooting with her. The failure to store those guns securely, and control access to them helped facilitate one of the worst school shootings in history. The bottom line is that for gun owners, gun control begins in the home. Home owners who own guns, have a responsibility to insure that those guns are under their control at all times.

Fortunately, there are a number of options for doing this. There are even wireless monitoring devices that can send you an email when your gun safe or case has been opened. It is possible in some cases to add your gun safe to your home security system and have it monitored to trigger an alert anytime someone attempts to access your guns.

Guns are also a high demand item for burglars. Having your guns securely under your control, locked away and monitored by security can deter robbers from targeting your home in an attempt to steal your weapons. That is probably a more likely scenario for the average gun owner. There are also gun locks that can prevent guns from firing. And if you have kids, using this kind of protection should be mandatory. Kids won’t need a background check to find a gun lying under the bed. That kind of law won’t do much good by itself. Home owners who own guns must take the lead in securing and keeping their own guns under control. Gun owners with children should make sure that they convey to their children the danger that is involved, and instill a healthy respect for guns at an early age.

Here is a forum thread from shotgunworld.com that refers to several companies that can provide gun control and storage options for home owners.

Donna S. Robinson is a real estate investor, author, and entrepreneur located in Atlanta, GA. Follow her on twitter at donnaconsults, and facebook.com/realtybizconsulting.

Protect your home! © andrewshka – Fotolia.com

Now that you’ve achieved your goal of homeownership you join the ranks of other homeowners who must consider how to protect what they’ve worked so hard to acquire – to keep their homes secure.

Purchasing a home security system from vendors such as Security Choice or others is a great option, however there are a number of things you can do to make your home just a little safer:

1.  Mind Your Rubbish

Sometimes it helps to “think like a thief” when looking at ways to protect your home. For example, to an ordinary person, the massive cardboard box your flat screen came in may be just an ordinary box to the ordinary person, but to a thief it’s a flashing neon light screaming “come get me!” Rather than just set it on the curb, break it down and stuff it into a bag first. Be discreet – don’t advertise what is already in your home.

2.  Entryways

Do you have a wood door? Consider a slab-type door instead. They are relatively inexpensive and the sturdy protection they offer in comparison to an old wood door is priceless.

3.  Exterior lighting

Few things keep thieves away like lights. Check with your local hardware store and you’ll discover a large selection of outdoor lighting. Styles range from electric to solar powered, and include options such as motion detection or timer settings. Even if you’re not the most handy homeowner, with the right tools these lights are easy to install.

If any would-be intruder decides it’s time to declare open season on your home, he’ll think twice when he sees the lights.

Even if you choose to contact a security company like Security Choice, these tips will be an added security measure that will help your security system to be that much more effective. There’s nothing more appealing to the criminal mind than an easy target. Make sure your home doesn’t become one!

Make sure your home is secured. Image by wvhomes

The majority of people coming through your house will likely be legitimate attendees – either potential buyers or nosy neighbours. Unfortunately, there will always be a criminal element in society and there are people who view real estate open houses as an opportunity for criminal activity. One area where home sellers can be vulnerable is identity theft.

Here are some ways you can protect yourself:

1. Put Your Mail Away – How many of us leave mail, especially bills, out in plain view on a hall table or in a kitchen cupboard? If you are hosting an open house, these items should be out of sight and, ideally, under lock and key. Identity thieves can get a lot of personal information about you with just a few utility bills.
2. Computer Security – Some criminals attend open houses with the goal of trying to get sensitive data from computers. In a matter of seconds, these individuals can gain access to your computer through a variety of means, including hardware keyloggers. Ideally, computers should be removed during an open house, but given that so many people work from home that may seem impractical. At the very least, turn computers off, unplug them and cover them up. All of these steps will make it more difficult for people to quickly access the personal information you have stored on your computer.
3. Pack Up Your Personal Items – It’s currently tax season in Canada and I recently showed a house in which the seller had left her tax return paperwork on her kitchen table. Not good! Think further, though, and even consider removing items that reveal personal details, such as college diplomas. With your name and graduation details, the identity thief already has small details that can be used to gather additional information.

When it comes to open house security, common sense is emphasized and it’s important to discuss these issues with your real estate agent. Find out how he or she screens visitors (some agents request identification and formal sign-ins for anyone coming into an open house,) and make sure that security is on your agent’s mind – as well as yours.

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Kelly Caldwell is a Canadian real estate agent living and working in Guelph, Ontario.

The infographic below from AllState’s Community pages reflects perhaps the most complete safe harbor for your family in times of emergency. The safe room is not always something the average head of family considers, but maybe it should be? Check out this cool infographic and the logic therein.

Created by Allstate Extreme Conditions

Copy & Paste The Code Below

<br /> <a href="http://community.allstate.com/community/allstate_blog/blog/2011/12/07/be-safe-and-secure-in-your-home"><br /> <img src="http://i.imgur.com/1bOUg.jpg"><br /> </a><br /> <br /> <small>Created by Allstate <a href="http://www.allstate.com/catastrophe/main.aspx">Extreme Conditions</a></small><br />

This neat deconstruct shows off some features of a typical safe room that we bet you never thought of. Let us know your opinion on this, and perhaps we can come up with experts to answer your questions. At this point, we are not quite sure exactly what incentive insurers offer when safe rooms are present, but this seems like one of the best economical incentives. We will ask several to find out more.

Bunker image courtesy © Windowseat – Fotolia.com