By the end of 2015, 20 million US households will have a smart home device. But while brands keep releasing tech, many people remain underwhelmed. Philips now hopes to make smart home lighting simple with its wireless dimming kit, but can it spark interest in the modern, connected home?

As you leave for work, you yell “lock” and “camera on” to keep the house secure, before telling your vacuum to clean the bedroom carpet while you're out. It's not a sci-fi film - the technology is available now. But do we really want our homes to be controlled by technology?

Californian start-up Roost is harnessing the power of the smart battery to help people easily buy into the smart home market. Instead of purchasing costly new devices, Roost offers an easy and inexpensive way for people to upgrade products people already own, starting with smoke detectors.

A new wave of technological advancements is making it easier than ever to plug into a techno-utopian automated lifestyle, as people increasingly expect to exchange minimum input for maximum output.