Is an Apple Smarthome in the future?

Is Apple looking at moving into Smart Home technology? It sure looks like it.

A new patent has just been granted to Apple that will automatically control many of our common home devices. This new system will collect data from your iPhone, iPad or RFID badges to determine what in your home (or office) to match your needs.

The system would work similar to the geo-fencing currently used with Apple to send reminders; however instead of sending reminders when you in the fenced vicinity it would perform prearranged actions.

It sounds like something from Star Trek, but the idea is that the technology would know when you were coming home or returning to your office, and it would prepare itself to make you comfortable. When you were within a few minutes of arrival the climate controls would adjust themselves to your prearranged temperature, your computer would boot and maybe the coffee would even start.

The proposed system would be a lot more complex than those currently in use, in that it would be continually gathering information on your location and activities so it could accurately predict your arrival at your final destination. The data would be analyzed and stored so that the computer system can more accurately predict your actions in the future. Wouldn’t it be nice, after a long commute, if the lights turned on as you walked in to an office that is the perfect temperature, and were greeted by the smell of fresh brewed coffee? Then you could walk to your desk and sit at your already booted computer system and instantly get to work?

It looks like Apple wants to take smart homes a step further and give us what Star Trek only promises. Maybe we will soon see and Apple Smart Home.

Originally posted 2013-11-05 23:45:34.