Just as technology has aimed at making every moment of our lives easier, so too has the technology industry aimed in recent years to make life at home more enjoyable, more convenient and, well, filled with tech.

From home automation to centralized media, there are now gadgets available to put a technological twist on life in nearly every room of the house. It’s entirely up to the whim — and wallet — of the home owner to what degree they want to take their home into the technological era.

Whole-house automation
Home automation hasn’t quite made it to the “Jetsons” stage — yet. But it’s well on its way. Crude forms of automation have been in existence for decades, but the arrival of X-10 technology in the last decade was the first major boom of consumer-friendly home automation.

With a simple system of transmitters and receivers, home owners could turn on a living room lamp or kitchen coffee pot from their bedroom, or across town — all without adding new wiring to their existing home.

Now, in addition to X-10, do-it-yourselfers with a few hours for some household tech tweaks can look at Insteon systems that combine radio-based and power-line-based controls. Web sites such as Smarthome.com not only offer the components needed for these jobs — increasingly available at local outlets and big-box stores — but also extensive information on how to set up systems for nearly any household need.

Uses run the gamut from a simple on/off function accessed with wall switches to touch-screen setups that will dim the lights; turn on the TV, DVD player and home theater system; and close automated curtains with the push of a button. A pre-programmed command can recognize that you’re about to get home and turn on appropriate lighting to guide your way.

Systems can control lighting, telephones, security systems, irrigation systems, home theater and nearly any gadget that functions with the application of power from an outlet. Some systems even allow all rooms in a home to access central entertainment servers, piping the user’s choice of music from a central library to whatever room they occupy at that moment.

Technology cleans house — literally
Robotics hasn’t quite reached the level of a full-fledged human-like robot to vacuum the carpet for you, but the people at iRobot have led the way with an oversized hockey puck of a robot that will do just that.

The Roomba has become increasingly popular as home owners become more and more familiar with the technology and as prices have come down — sub-$200 now. With sensors and gate devices, the Roomba can be programmed to clean your carpets of debris on a regular basis, slipping under sofas and around baseboards before heading back to its charging station, to make sure all you have to do is lift your feet as it comes by.

Along the same lines, Robomow will let you put your feet up on the deck while the battery-powered mower takes a turn around your yard, trimming the grass and staying within your pre-defined limits to avoid attacking trees, hardscaping and the neighbor’s cat. And, yes, it returns itself to its charger, allowing you to program it and sit back and watch — or not.

Roomba also has a hard-surface cleaning cousin now, with the introduction of the Scooba this past year. Like its carpet-cleaning counterpart, Scooba will independently take itself around your prescribed areas, washing and drying your hard floor surfaces without you having to pick up mop or broom.

And speaking of unpleasant cleaning duties, early-generation “cat toilets” have come a step further with the Cat Genie, which uses special granules and disinfectant cleaners to flush things away after your cat visits the litter box. Just hook it up to a water source and a drain or toilet, and you may never have to clean Fluffy’s litter box again.

Finally, household tech solutions would not be complete in this day of environmental awareness and concerns over electrical use without a solar-powered air conditioner. The SolCool is a hybrid model that can function off standard current or solar power, while saving enough energy to provide a backup should the power go out during the dog days of summer.

It comes in “installed” varieties and a wheeled portable unit, along with options for a built-in power outlet to provide supplementary power for other devices should the power go out.

Media gets centralized
The home media center has come into the mainstream as well in recent years, with wireless networking enhancing the function of centralized media storage to supply music, photos and video to computers and televisions throughout the home.

Early media centers were simply a designated computer with network access from computers and TVs. Windows Media Center PCs took advantage of this concept with software specialized for just such use.

The Slingbox took the concept in another direction, allowing TV viewers to control their cable and satellite boxes, and their digital video recorders, from distant locations, whether in another room or from across the Internet. They could set up new recordings or watch live or recorded programming.

The latest entry is Apple TV, which adds access to iTunes content in classic, steamlined Apple design style, as well as access to other media stored on a networked computer.

TV goes high-def
Though a federal mandate for the cessation of standard-definition over-the-air broadcasts won’t go into effect until 2009, the move is already on for many consumers to get their first (or next) high-definition TV.

Buyers need to be aware of one key thing when they take the leap to HDTV at this point: not every HD-compatible television includes the requisite tuner to process high-definition signals, whether over-the-air or via their cable or satellite box. Indicators such as “HD-Ready” are supposed to tell the consumer whether their potential purchase includes a built-in tuner, but they often end up confused between “HD compatible,” “HD ready” and HDTV.

The bottom line for these purchases is to find out whether the television includes a tuner to understand over-the-air HD signals (through an antenna). If not, a simple $20 to $50 box can make that work.

A similar outlay of cash will allow users of standard-def TVs to continue to receive over-the-air signals once the mandated 2009 shut-off for standard-def broadcast is here. Congress has even mandated funding to help citizens buy up to two such boxes so they don’t have to upgrade their televisions at all.

Most cable and satellite providers already offer HD boxes to bring their high-def signals into HDTVs. Some satellite systems also require a dish upgrade to receive the select channels that are already broadcasting in HDTV, but those generally come at minimal cost or free with the purchase or rental of an HD-based receiver.

Beyond the compatibility issues, consumers are faced with the decision between plasma-, LCD-, and projection-based HDTVs.

Plasma has generally been considered to provide brighter, more vibrant images, but they have largely been plagued with concerns over higher prices and the potential for burn-in, where the display retains a ghost image of images that are displayed for a length of time. That may be improving in newer models, though the jury is still out.

LCD TV’s are essentially the same as some newer computer monitors. They are unlikely to have any problem with burn-in, but the range of viewing angle is less and colors tend to be less vibrant. Price is also lower than plasma.

Generally, projection-based TVs are considered most appropriate for full media-room settings, where there is room for rear-screen projection equipment behind the screen-front or where a front projector can be installed. Images may be washed out compared to plasma or LCD, due to the projection element. Price is usually between that of LCD and plasma, with large screens being the primary focus of this sector of HDTV.

Consumers should look for the type of television that best meets their intended use, aiming for larger screen sizes only in rooms where there is a good bit of distance between viewer and screen, and adopting smaller sizes for close-quarters viewing, such as in bedrooms. Likewise, the more limited viewing angle of LCD TVs makes it most appropriate where the programming will be viewed from the front, rather than by many people ranging around a room.

They should also remember what kind of signal they’ll be putting into that TV. If there is no over-the-air reception of HD signals in their area — most stations in the Coastal Point’s coverage area are not broadcasting in HD yet or have weak signals in this area — and they don’t subscribe to HD content through a satellite or cable provider, they won’t be seeing much improvement in the quality of their TV viewing.

Other HD content is now available on DVD, but the battle between the competing HD-DVD and Blue-Ray technologies has not yet yielded a clear winner, mirroring the early days of the VHS and Betamax competition. Right now, Blue-Ray DVDs are vastly outselling HD-DVDs, but Wal-Mart recently announced plans to heavily push HD-DVD players at lower prices, putting the contest back up in the air.

Some manufacturers have hedged their bets with machines that will play both formats, but consumers who aren’t itching to take the leap into HD DVD may want to wait things out a bit longer, lest they end up with the latest take on the now-defunct Beta tape machine.

Kitchen tech heats up
Cool kitchen gadgets are no longer limited to coffee pots with timers and micro-wave convection ovens.

New ovens now feature not only cooking but refrigeration, allowing you to go about your business outside the house while that casserole sits safely chilled — right up until it needs to start cooking to be piping hot and ready when you walk back through the door. TMIO is offering the new “refrigerated oven” along with a non-refrigerated cousin — both of which also feature Internet connections.

That’s right, you can now turn your oven on, off, down or up — or from refrigerator to cooking — from work, or from the road, thanks to cell phone connectivity. Running late? Give your oven a call. Dial back the heat, put the oven into warming mode or keep things chilled until it’s really time to get cooking.

While the Internet-connected refrigerator hasn’t really taken off as was expected at its debut, the concept remains available and promising for future development. Taking the refrigerator-computer panel combination into the future, there is still the ability to scan in purchased products, track their use and get notice that it’s time to go to the grocery store again.

New technology being investigated by researchers even places a video camera inside your fridge to remind you what’s in there without opening the door and letting the cold air out. (Mom? They were listening when you kept telling the kids to close the refrigerator door.) An image from the camera is projected onto the front of the refrigerator so you can make a selection or plan dinner without even touching the handle.

At the sink, new faucets and adapters tell you whether the water is hot or cold through the use of lighting — red for hot, blue for cold, naturally. No more scalded hands or testing the tap to see if the water is finally hot.

Water purification continues to be a hot trend — particularly where well water is still the only option. Under-sink options put the technology of reverse osmosis below the counter and within the range of the do-it-yourselfer. The units provide the ultimate in purification, by turning the water from liquid to gas and collecting the water vapor back as purified water.

Oh, but how to monitor the barbecue when you’re in the kitchen making potato salad? Don’t want that steak to get overcooked or the salmon to get dried out. The remote barbecue thermometer and timer comes to the rescue, sending you a beep to the remote monitor when you hit the perfect temperature and making sure you don’t forget the burgers while you slice the tomatoes from the comfort of your kitchen counter.

And that watched pot can stir itself with the battery-operated Stir Chef. The gadget solves the dilemma of how to prepare things that need frequent or constant stirring without having to stand over the pot or neglect food on other stove-top burners while you do it. It simply rests across the top of your pot and provides constant stirring with paddles but no hands.

On the impractical side, the Anti-Griddle does just what it says, but may take some creativity to find use for the home cook. Instead of heating up your food, the Anti-Griddle freezes it instantly. The main applications are to freeze sauces and purees instantly, or to create semi-frozen concoctions that are soft in the middle but frozen on the outside. (Chocolate-covered strawberries, anyone?)

Tech cleans up in the bath
Retiring from the kitchen after a frosty dessert, the bathroom can provide a haven for the tech-savvy. No longer is the whirlpool bath the height of bath tech, however. That bath would be nothing without a few more gadgets to take it over the top.

You don’t have to leave the TV in the living room — or even in the kitchen, thanks to under-counter models. A relaxing bath with a background of a movie is easily in reach these days.

Secret that LCD TV behind a glass panel that will protect it from water damage. Combine it with a waterproof remote that can dive under the bubbles and not lose its powers to change channels at 10 paces. Or, take advantage of new mirror technology to stick the TV behind the bathroom mirror, where you can watch the morning news while you shave or brush your teeth. That new technology also extends to truly fog-free mirrors, too.

Body showers are becoming a strong trend, as a wide variety of manufacturers offer everything from an add-on module for adding a line of sprayers to your existing shower head to adjustable spray heads that can be installed overhead and on every wall of your shower. Some come with LED lighting or waterfall features, making the range of shower options nearly as luxurious as that bath.

On the low-tech end, showers become a lot roomier with one of the new curved shower curtain rods. You get a little more elbow room without expanding your bathroom and while still keeping the bathroom floor dry.

For some reason the Japanese have become the leaders in toilet tech, along with a lot of cutting-edge technology in general. The latest crop of devices will not only seat you in comfort but analyze urine samples, check your blood pressure and measure your body fat.

For those less brave with their bodily functions, there are now lighted toilets, as well as add-on devices that show the way when taking an evening stroll. Others automatically raise and lower the seat (ladies, rejoice!) and flush when you’ve left the room. And many offer heating options so that sitting on a chilly potty is a thing of the past.

Less high-tech options now aim at environmental consciousness, offering a low-power flush so you can save water while keeping a maximum-power option for when it’s needed.

Those watching their weight — and who isn’t these days — can now take advantage of a wide array of body-fat measuring scales. Simply set your height and gender, step on board, and discover whether that extra 2 pounds is really made of cheesecake or if your workout regime is paying off in muscle mass.

Relax — there’s bedroom tech, too
Technology has finally begun to enter the bedroom as well, with high-tech mattress materials and new bed types designed to make every night’s rest a good one.

Beyond the pillow-top bed and egg-crate foam topper, the Tempurpedic mattress takes its technology from NASA to give the non-astronaut a restful sleep. Meanwhile, the Sleep Number Bed allows snoozers to dial in their preferred firmness and even comfortably share a bed with someone who would rather sleep on a board or in a big bowl of Jello.

Sound conditioners have almost become ubiquitous, with everything from plain “white noise” to nature sounds available at less than $100 to help drive out the noises that disturb good sleep. Brookstone’s Tranquil Moments series of devices now steps forward to add scientifically based sounds conducive to Alpha, Delta and Theta brain waves — aiming to let you relax, sleep and renew more easily than a whirring modern brain can do on its own.

And for those aiming to wake up in natural serenity can now choose from a variety of light-based alarm clocks that gradually brighten from full dark to full sunlight — making use of the body’s natural inclination to follow the rhythms of the sun in its sleep cycles.

No more jarring talk-radio first thing in the morning. Even those rising before the sun can have the light peek from behind their eyelids as a gentle reminder to rise and shine. They can also follow the diminishing light to sleep at any time of day or night.

From the living room to the bath, bedroom and kitchen, technology today is aiming to take comfort and convenience to every part of our lives. Whether your aim is to ensure your burgers don’t get burned or that you can watch TV while taking a luxurious shower, the options are limited virtually only by your desires. Even better – the sky is the limit for the future, as home technology continues to evolve and integrate at a rapid pace that could one day make your home a close approximation of the Jetsons’.