Futuristic Amenities: “Keeping Up With the Jetsons

No more keeping up with the Joneses.

When it comes to your home these days, it’s all about keeping up with the Jetsons!

Originally aired all the way back in 1962 and set in 2062, The Jetsons was a cartoon depicting a bright and fascinating future for consumer technology, the kind of thing you’d only seen at Disney’s Tomorrow land.Fast forward to today, and some of that technology has already become a reality … Smart-home technologies, many of which were portrayed in the popular television show, are now rapidly becoming the way of the future for American homeowners.

Now, in 2015, we are actually closer to 2062 than we are to 1962. And over the last half-century, the American home has made some incredible leaps and bounds in terms of its technological sophistication … which begs the question; how are we doing so far at "keeping up with the Jetsons?"

Let’s find out…

The Jetsons had a household robot we have the Amazon Echo and iRobot Roomba.

We may not have an all-in-one robot maid like Rosie, who can talk, cook, clean and look after the kids for us, but today’s options come surprisingly close …

The Amazon Echo is a technology that is almost like Siri for your home. The Internet-connected virtual assistant can do practically anything you ask for. Using a voice-activated ask-and-answer system, the Echo can play music, search the web, organize to-do lists and set alarms all from wherever you’re seated inside your home. For $199, all you need to do is ask and the Amazon Echo will handle anything you need. Where the Jetsons enjoyed a robotic maid to keep the house spic n’ span, you can have a similar automated cleaner for your own home … The iRobot Roomba is an automatic vacuum cleaner that will clean any surface in your home. The only effort you need to put into it is switching the on and off buttons. The Roomba will eliminate all the dirt and dust from your home with no work required on your part. We can probably expect our own Rosies in the near future, but for now, these two technologies go a long way to make our everyday lives that much more efficient. Home safety that even outsmarts Jetsons-like technology

The future is knocking, and you no longer have to answer the door.

Even George Jetson would be amazed by the latest trend in home locks. Forget about making copies of a spare key or grudgingly having to get off the couch to answer the door. The Goji Smart Lock gives you total control of who can access your home right from your mobile device. Your house guests will have to look their best, because the lock will take pictures from outside your door and send them directly to your phone. One of its most practical features is you can give advanced access to anyone you wish, and no keys are necessary. So, when your dog walker or mother-in-law comes to visit three times a day, you can grant access key-free. Instead, simply set the day and time to allow them access. For $278, you can say goodbye to searching for your keys and hello to your smart home. With the Goji Smart Lock, the only key you’ll need is for your car. Too bad those don’t fly yet… the Jetsons still have that over us …

Just like the Jetsons’, your home can regulate its own temperature too.

The Jetsons’ never had to push the buttons on a thermostat to alter the temperature of their home. Instead, it was automatically adjusted to a comfortable temperature. And lucky for us, we have similar products on the market that can help you enjoy the same level of convenience and comfort in your home The Nest is the next generation thermostat that personalizes its features for each home. Its advanced technology adjusts depending on the temperature outside, as well as whether you are in the home or not.

This way, it avoids heating or cooling an unoccupied home. The best part is the fact that this saves you up to 20% on your heating and cooling bills, while also conserving energy. Want to connect to your thermostat from outside the home? The Nest has its own mobile app that allows users to control their home temperature systems from anywhere. Although it has a moderately hefty price tag of $249, the long-term benefits it can offer mean that you’ll be saving green by making your home a little greener.

Is fast food in the home getting a whole lot faster?

Jane Jetson had it easy when it came to preparing dinner for her family. No cooking or cleaning necessary. Just push a button and *poof* the family could have any meal they wanted, and as they finished, the mess magically disappeared.

While today’s technology may not be as advanced as the Jetsons’, we are definitely taking a step in the right direction. The LG Smart ThinQ refrigerators have a built-in touch screen that makes managing your food that much easier. The fridge will tell you when you’re running low on things like milk—even setting off an alarm to let you know the expiration dates of your food are approaching. Forget the days of accidentally leaving your handwritten shopping list at home, this fridge will automatically generate a shopping list and connect right to your phone. Since you can’t just push a button to make your meal like Jane, you need inspiration for making unique meals. So the Smart Fridge will also display recipes from The Food Channel based on what is already in your fridge. An LG Smart ThinkQ refrigerator is definitely a recipe for simple and accessible home cooking.

So… are we actually keeping up with the Jetsons?

It’s safe to say the Jetsons still have the upper hand when it comes to Home Automation—but not by much. And even though it still takes some work to install a Nest thermostat or a Smart Fridge, we’re clearly one big step closer to Jetson-like home living. It’s an exciting time for home technology, as our homes become more advanced and environmentally friendly with the help of savvy home gadgets. In just 50 years there has been a surge in home technology that we never thought was imaginable. We will just have to wait and see what the next 50 years has in store for our homes. Although living in the future can come with a serious pricetag, adding these space-age smart amenities to your home can help you experience a whole new world of comfort and relaxation …

Author Bio:

Based in Miami, FL, Houses.com provides the world's largest online marketplace for homes and real estate. Showcasing over 4 million listings for sale, rent & vacation in over 70 countries, Houses.com is dedicated to helping buyers and sellers turn their House into a new Home.