Technology is everywhere, especially in your home. 

Many people just have basic technology in their homes - perhaps a home security system, programmable thermostat, or exterior lights on a timer. 

There are many other home automation technologies available to make your home smart and your life easier, with either a DIY installation or installed by a professional. 

Most smart home systems run off of an iPhone or comparable device.

photo courtesy of Mark Moz flickr.com/photos/106574022@N04/11449016436Lighting
If you are away from your home, you can turn on your exterior lights before you arrive. 

You can also turn off lights that you may have accidentally left on when leaving the house. 

Window Treatments
If you are watching a movie and want certain window coverings to close and make the room darker, all you have to do is touch a button. 

When you wake in the morning, you can set a time for your curtains to open and let in the morning sunlight.

Thermostats
While you are away at work or on vacation, you can set your thermostat so your air conditioner or heater are not heating or cooling your home while nobody is home. 

You can press a button to start your air conditioner or heater when you are on your way home to have a perfect temperature when you arrive.

Door Locks
If you forgot to lock your door when you left the house or don't remember if you locked the door, simply press a button to ensure everything is locked and secure.

Security
Take your basic security to the next level by installing security cameras that can be monitored by your phone and get text messages when doors are unlocked.

Water Shut Off
There are smart home automation systems that automatically shut off water valves if they sense a water leak.

Most Anything Electrical
Anything that is plugged into a wall outlet can be automated with a smart home system. 

You can have music play at a certain time, coffee to start brewing, or the television to turn on to a certain channel. 

Smart home systems are very popular in home theaters to automate different electronic devices. 

Whatever you can dream up can probably be accomplished.

Others
There are so many other things that you can use smart home systems on, such as your mailbox to alert when you receive mail, motion alarms when someone enters your driveway, landscape irrigation, sensors to tell you when you are running low on milk, and pool and spa heating.