In the near future, upon hearing the words "Lights on", a table lamp or overhead light will turn on by the sound of one’s voice. And although George Jetson’s futuristic touch-button home isn’t currently on the market, the concept is not far away.  

Sears has partnered with Sun Microsystems Inc., among other companies, to develop an Internet-connected home. Utilizing Sears’ appliances and Sun’s Java and Jini technologies, the advanced home will combine home systems and components through the Internet to make home activities function more effectively and efficiently. This is only one example of the trend toward home automation through integration.

Sunbeam Corporation recently displayed its prototype computer-integrated household of the future affectionately named Thalia Thinking which links other "intelligent" appliances. Thalia monitors aspects of every household member’s life from daily appointments to blood pressure.

The system reminds you to fill the coffee maker, too much pressure on the weighing scale prompts Talia to suggest low-fat recipes downloaded off the Internet, and the blood pressure monitor emails your doctor if necessary.

While we are talking about technology, you might enjoy these tech-based comments:

Published: January 26, 2000

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Kathy Lamancusa is a trend strategis, professional speaker and author who tracks the forces that impact our lives. Over 1.6 million copies of Kathy's books are in print, and she has appeared on numerous television and radio shows including Oprah! She is a public speaker who can offer organizations entertaining and enlightening peeks into what is coming and what is shaping change so that they can better reach their own customer bases.