My home is smarter than yours, but I can’t take too much credit. Its all thanks to the creative innovation built into the Qolsys IQ Panel and the interactive services powered by Alarm.com. The panel speaks Z-Wave, Wi-Fi, Zigbee, Cellular, Security, and Bluetooth, which is just about every language you need to automate an intelligently-outfitted home.
On my front door I have a Yale touchscreen deadbolt, on my back door a Kwikset push-button deadbolt. When my son comes home from school he can open the door without a key. My wife can go jogging without leaving her keys in the bushes or finding a place in her spandex to uncomfortably secure them, and on more than one occasion I have unlocked my door from the driveway so I can carry a sleeping child inside without fumbling with keys in the cold.
I have also set up elaborate rules using my Alarm.com web portal. Because our smartphones have GPS, they know where we are at all times. When they detect that we have traveled outside a specified distance from our home they send a signal to our door locks saying “if you’re not already locked, do so now.” The thought of leaving a door unlocked is virtually impossible, and when combined with the sensor placed on the top of my door I can know that door’s status. If I left a door open, I get a text message, a convenience that not only keeps our energy bills manageable but helps us ensure our children aren’t wandering the streets like Oliver Twist.