In the first part of our exploration about the evolution of smart homes, we consider how to control and command your smart homes
Nineteen seventy-five was a momentous year. The Vietnam War ended. Margaret Thatcher became leader of UK's Conservative Party. The first summer blockbuster film, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, was released. Queen’s epic Bohemian Rhapsody reached number 1 on the music charts.
And in the tiny town of Glenrothes in Scotland, Pico Electronics invented the X10 protocol. X what? Pico Who?
Believe it or not, this relatively innocuous codename has a significant impact that rivals the earth-shattering headlines from 1975. As a programming and technology protocol that allows separate electric devices in a home to talk to one another via electrical wires, X10 pioneered remote control and created the first home network.
Perhaps it might seem trite now but being able to control all the lights and devices in a house through a button-based console —delightfully wood-panelled in that '70s way—was mind-blowing.
It was the genesis of smart homes.
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Today, X10 devices can communicate with each other in less than a second. In fact, X10 is still used as an inexpensive and ubiquitous tech. Advances in innovation have upgraded most of our smart communication to radio waves. What has changed is presence. X10, in its original iteration, required that to be physical—someone somewhere must push an actual button.
X10’s descendants that form the modern smart home have removed that need. In 2022, through the magic of radio waves and satellite communication, you could be a thousand miles away in a lush tropical Maldivian resort and still be able to feed the cats, water the plants, or even unlock the front door to let neighbour Lily borrow some sugar.
Much of that can even be scheduled in advance—reliable WiFi connection can be a challenge in a lush tropical Maldivian resort—so the house can clean itself or generate solar energy automatically while you scuba dive or enjoy a cliffside massage as waves crash steeply below.
Yes, contemporary smart homes have evolved to a point where you can go on vacation or a business trip, and still be confident that everything at home is functioning. No more trepidation as you open the front door after a month of being away. Knowledge is power, and smart homes give you that power.