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Seen At 11: A Look Inside The New 'Smart Home'

NEW YORK(CBSNewYork) -- It's no secret that many people are attached to their smartphones to the point that they almost can't live without them.

Now, technology has enabled smartphones to direct the way that people live.

Security, lighting, TV, music, and more can be monitored and controlled by smartphones.

"We got about five or six televisions hooked up to the system and 90 percent of the house's lighting is connected through the system," Brad Thurman explained.

Thurman said that the system is simple to operate with his smart home options.

"So, now you're looking at my six cameras, some outside, some inside, and if we hit this one it shows us we're gonna go to the den camera and watch my wife watching TV," Thurman explained.

Thurman told CBS 2's Kristine Johnson, that he can see who is at the front door or if the paper has been delivered, he can even check the weather before he goes to pick it up.

The system was installed by Panos Anassis. He wires homes in a manner that makes light switches and remote controls obsolete.

"The concept is for us to be able to take all of those elements and bring them together and control them from what we call a single interface," Anassis explained.

With the same device a user can turn lights on and off and change the channel on a TV, but the wireless lifestyle comes at a price.

"Automation systems start between six and ten thousand dollars and can go up to one hundred thousand depending on what you want to control and how big the home is," Anassis said.

Thurman said that there are some concerns that come with using smart home technology.

"The biggest issue I think is when we lose electric, which happens around here a little bit, because of the trees and stuff but other than that it's a seamless system. It really is," Thurman said.

Losing an internet connection could also pose problems, if that happens then smart home owners will actually have to get up and turn the lights off with a switch like the rest of us.

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