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  1. Smart Home Technologies

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    Times are a changing and with it, so is technology. Now we have solutions to almost everything (Note – we are not talking medical conditions here!), whether at work or at home. With more and more couples leading busy working lives, running a home smoothly can sometimes become a little dicey. Once you have left home in the early morning rush, there is always that niggling doubt creeping in whether you switched off the coffeemaker or switched on the security system…

    However, with the advent of ‘smart homes’ (or ‘domotics’ as it’s also known), you don’t have cause to worry too much. A glance through your phone or tablet should be sufficient to put your mind at rest. This is because all technologically-smart devices and appliances that use electricity can be connected to your home Wi-Fi network and used to communicate with one another and you, at a tap from your smartphone.

    Home automation is the latest trend in new technology-supported homes where appliances like washers/dryers, ovens, fridges, freezers, etc, as well as lighting, heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, home entertainment and home security can all be controlled remotely at your command. The best example of full home automation is probably Bill Gates home where lights come on as you enter a room and fade out as you leave the room. Where your favorite music or TV program follows you to wherever you are in the home…

    You now have smart fridges and freezers that send your phone a message when you are running low on certain groceries or there are meat thermostats that send you a message when dinner is ready in the oven… And this is aside from the automated coffeemakers and rice cookers that come with timers…..sounds too good to be true, right!
    Home security is also going places in smart homes with cameras being able to track your home’s exteriors even in pitch darkness and motion sensors getting so sophisticated that they can differentiate between burglars and pets moving around your home. Modern home security systems are also equipped to send you messages on your smartphone when there is a problem at home.

    And it’s really cool when the garage doors and door locks operate automatically as their sensors become aware of your approaching smartphone! No hassles of getting in and out of the car to open and close doors…
    These products are still not too high on the priority list of most traditional-minded Indians however, but we are getting there slowly; they are available in electronics and home improvement stores or online. However, before investing in them, do make sure that they are compatible with other devices for maximal benefits.

  2. Benefits and Disadvantages of Living in the City

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    God made every human different, with their own set of likes and dislikes that are unique to each one of them. And when it comes to choosing between dwelling in the cities or the suburbs, opinions are always divided on which one is better; the city-dwellers would never kowtow to living in the suburbs and vice versa as country-living is as different from living in the city as white is from black!

    Many would argue that living in the city is better as you have access to numerous facilities which would otherwise be hard to avail of if living in the suburbs or rural areas. For example, the best hospitals and medical facilities are only available in the cities, so to access these facilities, you will need to travel to the city if you aren’t living there. This can prove to be inconvenient as changing base when sick is tough aside from being expensive. But then there is the flip side of the coin too that people who live away from cities don’t usually get the numerous kind of diseases that city-dwellers are prone to. There are more cases of stress and pollution-related diseases here than in the rural areas, with cardiac diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity and asthma ruling the roost.

    The fruits and vegetables available in the cities are also more prone to being contaminated with preservatives, thus creating avenues for allergies, toxicity and cancers. But then, no pain, no gain, is what the diehard city-dwellers would say. After all, it’s only in the city that you can have numerous job opportunities that aren’t available in the rural areas. Living in the city also exposes you to a multi-cultural, multi-racial society that opens your mind to the world. You get to learn about the newest developments and access the latest technologies as well as have easy access to internet and mobile connections.

    Living in the city also means that you get to avail of better educational facilities with most premier schools and colleges being located in and around the city. Though cities are famous for traffic congestions, snarls and air pollution, the other benefits like easy availability of products from all around the country as well as varied kinds of entertainments, seem to favor city living more than living in the suburbs and rural areas.

    However, for those who love the peace and quiet and the sound of chirping birds outside their bedroom windows early in the morning, enjoying fresh pollution-free air and water or being on a friendly first name basis with the people living in their street, then maybe the suburban life is more suitable for some!

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