Smart phones. Smart televisions. And now smart houses? Your home is most likely your greatest investment. When you are there, you want it to be comfortable and efficient. When you are not there, you want it to be safe and protected. As with many areas in modern-day life, technology has made meaningful strides in all of those areas. The concept of home theaters is certainly not new. Hard wiring speakers and surround sound into home has been around for a considerable amount of time. However, well equipped media rooms are now more of an art by taking into consideration the aesthetics of how to make an 82" LED television blend into a well decorated family space. Professionals can set up a home to bring music, tv and internet to any and all rooms, even with remote access. Multi-zone and whole home audio systems which can also be controlled by a remote are becoming more common all the time. In terms of energy management, technology can assist with lighting, heat, air conditioning controls and more. For example, pre-selected schedules can be programmed for your lights to turn off and on, providing both peace of mind and energy cost savings. Thermostats now can have sensors in different rooms throughout a house versus heating the whole home based on one location. They can adapt to your specific heat requirements and even shut off when you leave the home. Most models can assist with energy saving tips and can use remote access. Security and surveillance tech products can monitor activity on entry doors and windows, safes, certain drawers, etc. Nest Hello is one example of a doorbell video camera, so you can see who is knocking when you are home or if a package has been delivered if you are not. This can also give further security for when children are at home and parents are away. Furthermore, security cameras are much improved including being waterproof, having improved night vision and the ability to upload directly to the cloud. It is not just intruders that can cause trouble with a home. How about installing a leak detection system that can sense when there are water leaks and not only alert you but also turn off the water main as needed? Nest Protect is a smoke and carbon monoxide detection system that sends alerts to mobile devices with details on what has been detected and where in the home. Senior citizens can certainly benefit from smart technology, and they may even be able to stay in their homes independently for longer. Voice activation can be used to turn off lights or adjust thermostats. Those who may be wary of the thought of learning something new might be more apt to try products that are controlled through Alexa, Siri, Google Assistant, etc. Integrations between smart systems are also in development. How about an oven that connects with a smoke detector? If your imagination can come up with a "what if" question, it is most likely possible that the product is already under consideration, in the R&D stage, or coming soon to a website near you.