A D J OU R N / Te c h n o l o g y

Dream Features

From the practical to the outrageously opulent, here are intelligent fixtures you wish you had.

Lavish Loos In Japan, where luxury toiletry is a national passion, the SATIS integrated toilet by INAX transforms Natures call into a spa-like escape. Sensors activate soothing music and soft LED lights as the lid opens automatically to uncover an illuminated interior with a heated seat. The magnificent thrones fully automated functions, which include deodorising, flushing, and lid closure, ensure you are well taken care of.

WISER Home Control Sys tem ( top) and iHome S y s t e m s iPa d C o n t r o l s (LEF T)

Home, Smart Home

Its not quite The Jetsons but automated homes are the rising trend in todays highly connected society. By GOH JUNYI

Now, I walk into the apartment, sit down and switch on everything including lights and the entertainment system, with just my iPad.
Jacobus Dwihartanto, businessman
To him, convenience is the key: I dont like too many remote controls on the table because I always forget which remote links to which device. I also find it a hassle to get up to switch on or off lights. Now, I walk into the apartment, sit down and switch on everything including lights and the entertainment system, with just my iPad. Telecommunication sales executive Ang Yeow Chong agrees. He recounted an incident where he and his wife, Clara Ng, couldnt remember if they had switched off the lights after leaving their Jalan Lengkok Sembawang apartment. The couple rushed back to check. Climbing three flights of stairs to look into every room took Ng 15 minutes, and by the time she returned into the car, she was sweaty and frustrated. After that incident, she fully supported the decision to convert our house into a smart home, Ang laughs. Now, everything can be controlled at the doorstep via the iPad. At the end of the day, a smart home is really a house that knows what to do, when you need it.

ore than 50 years ago, The Jetsons showed us what living in an ultramodern era would be like. Albeit no sign of transportation tubes that can shoot us from our room straight into the car, life is made easier today with sophisticated contraptions and capricious inventions right at home. Flat screen TV sets for surfing the Internet? Robot maids to sweep after you? Controlling temperature and lighting at a click of a button? Check, check and check! Derrick Lau, director of Lifespace and Distribution, Schneider Electric Singapore, feels that there is a gradual but growing trend in adopting smart home technologies in Singapore. As more and more Singaporeans realise the impact that their homes energy consumption has both on their wallet and the environment, they begin to see the benefits smart homes can bring.

Having dimmable lights on at a maximum of 70 percent will save a good amount of energy as compared to a normal lamp, and homeowners can keep consumption habits in check with an energy monitoring tool on a touch screen, shares Karim Saada, managing director of iHome Systems. Both companies offer intelligent home solutions that allow customers to monitor energy use and save hundreds of dollars every year. Tablets and smart phones also control home systems such as security, interior climate and lighting, making a smart home the ultimate in convenience. Indonesian businessman Jacobus Dwihartanto has been living in a smart apartment at Grange Infinite since last December. Inspired by the movie The Game Plan, where Dwayne The Rock Johnson plays a star quarterback living in an intelligent bachelor pad, he worked with iHome Systems to upgrade his own abode with state-of-the-art technology.

Private Screening Need some privacy? SONTE Film, the first ever Wi-Fi enabled digital shade, comes with a free smart phone app that allows you to instantly turn windows from clear to opaque. Designed to replace bulky curtains, the film is completely customisable to fit all glass surfaces. To install, simply cut the film to required size and the electrostatic cling adhesive back will do the rest.

Dim Wits Stop second guessing yourself with the Argus Occupancy Sensors, which automatically dim lighting to a minimum when there is natural light, or completely turn them off when theres no one in the room. Saving the hassle of looking for a switch, these are excellent for areas with irregularuse patterns, such as bathroom and study, where one might forget to switch off the lights after use. September 2013/august woman/261

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