Apps for Your Appliances: The Continuing Vision of Home Automation
This interesting panel discussion talks about the idea of consumer electronic appliances being able to connect to the cloud. What I found interesting about this discussion is that this idea isn’t 100% new, but in fact is the latest chapter in the ongoing evolution of an idea of a “smart house” which has been an old dream of the computer industry. A good example of this was the AT&T commercials from 1993 which had the theme “You Will” — take a look at the commercial at the one minute mark where your voice opens up doors:
Of course the idea of home automation is much older — here’s a 60s take from the cartoon The Jetsons: