Designer: Great idea! Let's discuss kitchen appliances. I have already ordered a smart pot which can be controlled via your Smartphone. You will be able to set it from anywhere, receive reminders, change the cooking temperature, use the timer and check the status of your dish.

Fig. 4. Smart Pot

Homeowner: Sounds good. I will be able to come home to a perfectly cooked meal.

Designer: Have you also heard of a smart refrigerator?

Homeowner: Yes, I have. But it costs a fortune. I don't think I can afford it.

Designer: You've asked me to make some changes in the electrical system. Can we discuss it next week?

Homeowner: Sure.

Exercise 21. Read about 7 state-of-the-art technologies for your home. Imagine you have $700. What would you buy? Why? Discuss it in small groups.

$37On Amazon

Smart Thermostat

Its best feature is to make sure all the rooms of your house are heated or cooled properly. A small wireless sensor is placed in the room that stays chilly, and the thermostat will keep the heat on until it senses that the room has warmed up enough.

$230

$199n Amazon

Video Monitor

Your home will get an extra pair of eyes: the device makes continuous video monitoring, letting you see what may be happening, for example, in your living room.

$99 Amazon

$200

Garage Door Opener

This garage door opener lets you tap your device's screen to open or close your garage from anywhere. Soon, the company plans to add GPS capabilities so it can sense when you're near your driveway to open and close the garage door automatically.

$100

Smart Air Conditioner

When you come home to what has become a sauna, you turn on your AC at its lowest temperature and highest speed – but this is the most inefficient and expensive way to cool your home. Instead, via your Smartphone, turn on this smart AC to a lower

$250

temperature and fan speed to gradually cool the rooms before you get home.

Smart Home Lock

A touch of your finger unlocks or locks this normal-looking front door lock. You can monitor ins and outs remotely and receive activity alerts via the Smartphone.

$200

$299On Amazon

Water Monitor

By the time you discover a water leak in your home, it’s going to cost a fortune to get it fixed. This monitor helps you find those leaks before they get serious. Attach its sensors to sinks and toilets,

$170

and if a drop of water falls, you will be notified immediately.

$999On Sleep Number

Smart Bed

The Bed monitors how you sleep all through the night by tracking breathing, heart rate and movement. With that data, it will give you advice on how to improve your sleep quality.

$680

Text D

Exercise 22. Read the title of the text and the introduction in italics.

What is the purpose of the text?

A. To compare an ordinary house and an Intelligent Home.

B. To describe the devices that are present in intelligent buildings.

C. To analyze the design of a particular Smart House.

Where is the text from?

A. The handbook for designers.

B. Newspaper.

C. Advertisement.

Now read the whole text and see if you were right.

Intelligent houses

The activity that converts an ordinary building into an intelligent building is the integration of electronic sensors, robotic effectors, and control intelligence into the network so that the building can respond more effectively to changing interior requirements and external conditions.