Home automation has been one of the biggest topics of discussion since the early 90s. Naturally, that discussion was amplified and revisited as we made strides in technology. Enter 2014, and you'll see a thrilling landscape littered with tech hither and yon. Of course, with such a rich environment, the issue of home automation has been revisited. And revisited it has been! This year's consumer electronics show (CES 2014) was littered with smart appliances, and some of them weren't ashamed to include compatibility with current home automation systems.
This year, one particular company has attracted the attention of the Consumer Electronics Association's TechHome Division, receiving the 2014 Mark of Excellence Award for Human Interface Product of the Year. This company's name is Leviton, and the product in question is the OmniTouch 7, a touchscreen interface that has no reservations in boasting its Mercedes-like quality. With this little screen, you can control your home's security, entertainment, and energy consumption.
Greg Rhoades, director of marketing at Leviton's security and automation business, said, “The user-friendly Leviton OmniTouch 7 offers a variety of intuitive and customizable features allowing users to specialize the devices to their specific automation and control preferences. We are honored that the device was recognized and stood out among its competitors in this impressive category.”
Home automation products couldn't have come at a better time. Right now, we're experiencing a whole plethora of innovation in other sectors of the economy, including the automotive, computing, and mobile device industries. The projected affordability of electric vehicles will probably boost the level of innovation at the home automation level to include garage and vehicle functions. Imagine being able to check the status of and control certain aspects of your vehicle right from an OmniTouch screen. This kind of thing may just be a reality in the near future!
Edited by
Blaise McNamee 
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