Smart Homes For Dummies

Now revised and updated-the plain-English, 21st-century guide to smart home technology Smart Homes For Dummies is an across-the-board overview for consumers who want to take a low-tech house and turn it into the home of the future-with all their electronic devices talking to each other and made accessible throughout the house. It covers the five major components of a wired home: home entertainment systems, phone networks, wired (and wireless) computer connections, security systems, and home automation and control systems. Readers will discover what's possible and attainable in their homes to make life more comfortable and enjoyable for the entire family.Danny Briere (Mansfield, CT) and Pat Hurley (San Diego, CA) are telecom and wireless industry consultants and the authors of nine books, including Wireless Home Networking For Dummies (0-471-74940-0), HDTV For Dummies (0-470-09673-X), and Home Theater For Dummies (0-471-78325-0).

Danny Briere founded TeleChoice, Inc., a telecommunications consulting company, in 1985 and now serves as CEO of the company. Widely known throughout the telecommunications and networking industry, Danny has written more than one thousand articles about telecommunications topics and has authored or edited ten books, including Internet Telephony For Dummies, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies (now in its second edition), Wireless Hacks and Mods for Dummies, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 PC For Dummies, and Home Theater For Dummies. He is frequently quoted by leading publications on telecommunications and technology topics and can often be seen on major TV networks, providing analysis on the latest communications news and breakthroughs. Danny splits his time between Mansfield Center, Connecticut, and his island home on Great Diamond Island, Maine, with his wife and four children.

Pat Hurley is Director of Research with TeleChoice, Inc., and specializes in emerging telecommunications and digital home technologies, particularly in all the latest consumer electronics, access gear, and home technologies, including wireless LANs, DSL, cable modems, satellite services, and homenetworking services. Pat frequently consults with the leading telecommunications carriers, equipment vendors, consumer goods manufacturers, and other players in the telecommunications and consumer electronics industries. Pat is the coauthor of Internet Telephony For Dummies, Smart Homes For Dummies, Wireless Home Networking For Dummies, Wireless Hacks and Mods for Dummies, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2004 PC For Dummies, and Home Theater For Dummies. He lives in San Diego, California, with his wife, a fiery red-headed toddler named Annabel, and two smelly dogs.