I found this very interesting article on Smart houses on eHow.com. It talks about different aspects of a smart house. “The idea of automated houses has been around for many years. As time has gone on, technology has begun to catch up with science fiction. Today's smart houses include programmable appliances, light fixtures and security systems that can call the police for the homeowner. Smoke and carbon monoxide alarms can not only notify a homeowner of a fire or gas leak, but can pinpoint the source as well. Voice-recognition software even allows a homeowner to control the entire house with verbal commands.” read full article : http://www.ehow.com/about_5032033_found-smart-house.html