The Home of the Future
We look at the technology that will come in the next-generation of family homes
BE BIG BROTHER
Like home automation installations, CCTV systems used to be playthings for the rich and paranoid. Now, even the cash-strapped paranoid can keep an eye on their home 24 hours a day, from anywhere in the world. CCTV is old hat; it’s all IP cameras now. Because these cameras sit on a network, all you need in order to see what they see is a web browser.
Companies like Axis have been selling IP cameras for some time now, but more recently, far greater focus has been put on home installations. Not only does that mean that the prices have dropped to a level that consumers can afford, but also that the cameras themselves are far easier to install, setup and use.
Panasonic’s latest line of IP cameras take no more than a few minutes to configure, and with some simple port forwarding on your home router, you’ll be able to see what’s going on in your home from anywhere. Not only can you view the cameras remotely, but you can also control them, so if you want to pan around a room, or get a sweeping view of your garden, the controls are all there.
Panasonic’s IP phone can view and control up to 20 IP cameras, letting users keep an eye on their homes from the office
Most IP cameras can be set to start recording only when they detect motion, which will save you capturing hours of nothing happening. They record to a memory card resident in the camera itself, to a storage device or computer on your home network or, for ultimate security, to a remote storage device. The latter is the best option since it means that, if you do get burgled, the thieves can’t steal the device that recorded the break in.
Since all you need is a web browser to see what your IP cameras are seeing, you can just as easily use a smartphone or – if you’re feeling indulgent – an Apple iPad. But if you’re looking for the ultimate gadget to complement your array of cameras around your home, look no further than the Panasonic KX-NT400 phone. This telephone features a colour touch-screen that can be used to display the feeds from any of the cameras around your house. And if you’re feeling particularly lazy, you can even use it to open the front door – once you’ve checked who’s knocking of course.