This is a subscriber-only article.

For a limited time, join Entrepreneur+ and save 50% during our Cyber Monday sale. Use code SAVE50.

Join Now

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

The Next Generation of Home Automation Smart homes have come a long way -- how much can you automate to make your life easier?

By Michael Frederiksen

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Remember Rosie from the Jetsons? She was the XB-500 model robotic maid helping Mr. and Mrs. Jetson keep their house clean on mainstream TV in the 60's and later the 80's.

Rosie was a fictional state-of-the-art robot for her time, giving people a glimpse into what home automation could look like in the future. Rosie is now sentimentally vintage, and while we still don't have automated robot butlers a la Rosie, we are able to control and automate just about any mechanical feature in our homes using a smartphone or smartwatch.

So much has happened in home automation in a short period of time, but if you are still not using any of this technology in your own home, maybe it's because you think the learning curve is too steep, you're worried about security or you don't understand what all the fuss is about.

Editor's Pick

Related Topics

Business Plans

She Wrote An 'Escape Plan' to Quit Her Job and Move to an Island. Now She's There Generating Nearly $300,000 A Year

"My detailed, step-by-step plan on how I would quit my job and move to a Caribbean island."

Business Plans

How You Can Use the 80/20 Rule to Unlock Success and Maximize Your Impact

Our success is determined by where we focus our efforts.

Thought Leaders

6 Tips From a Clean Beauty Entrepreneur

Sarah Biggers went from a newbie in the natural beauty space to a pro in just a few years. Here are six things she wishes she'd known at the beginning.

Business News

Google Is Mass Deleting Accounts This Week — Here's How To Make Sure Yours Is Safe

The company is reportedly removing inactive accounts on December 1.

Science & Technology

Police Issue Warning About iPhone's 'NameDrop' Feature

How to safely manage the iPhone's latest feature and understand how the technology works.