This post was originally published on our SAY Media sister site, Remodelista. We're republishing it with permission.

We've all been there. You want to push a piece of furniture or a countertop appliance close to the wall and a protruding plug stands in the way. And let's not even talk about the wall-mounted flat-screen TV that require unsightly cords and plugs but needs to sit flush against the wall. Here's a simple solution: recessed outlets. 

Above: Notice the absence of cords connecting to the flat screen TV In a Brooklyn loft. Recessed outlets sit invisibly behind flush mount screens, keeping plugs and cords out of sight (for more guidance, see 7 Secrets for Living with a Flat Screen TV, Cord Control Edition). Photograph by Ragnar Ómarsso via Skona Hem. 

Above: You can push a dresser up to the wall and still use the plug that is tucked behind by sinking a standard two socket outlet into the wall. The Leviton Recessed Duplex Outlet is available in white, black, ivory and almond; $7.53 at Amazon. 

Above: To be filed under "great practical ideas," the simple Leviton Recessed Single Outlet with Clock Hanger includes a hook for mounting clocks and other objects (like a piece of art with a picture light that needs power); $6.80 at Amazon.

Above: Hiding outlets behind small appliances not only eliminates an eyesore but also helps gain counter space as the appliances can be pushed directly against the wall. The Arlington Recessed Electrical Outlet Mounting Box accommodates two-, four- and six-plug receptacles (sold separately) and has a paintable coverplate for even more camouflage; prices start at $15.24 at Amazon.

Above: The Leviton Recessed Dual-Gang Duplex Receptacle with Six QuickPort Openings works well for wall-mounted flat screen TVs, wall units and computer monitors. It manages multiple cords in a single location with connection points for AC power, audio, video, data and phone; $20.95 at Kyle Designs.

Above: The Datacomm Recessed Media Plate with Duplex Receptacle features a super-low-profile design that fits behind the thinnest mounts and  TVs; $20.45 at Amazon. 

Another solution for eliminating electric socket eyesores in the kitchen? Flush pop-up outlets. 

Just as consumer technology invades the enterprise, business-class technology is becoming available in the home market. A great example of this counter-trend - call it "the enterprization of the consumer" instead of the consumerization of the enterprise - is Skydog, from Palo Alto-based PowerCloud Systems.

Skydog is a dual-band Wi-Fi router that also incorporates patented cloud-based intelligence to enable homeowners to optimize their network resources and manage bandwidth remotely from their smartphones. The idea is to make it relatively simple for parents to limit their children's Web usage by time of day, total amount of time, site, site type, device and activity. With the Skydog router and the company's HTML5-based data service app, users can monitor and manage their home network via iPad, iPhone and Android. They can also get personalized alerts about current usage or problems via text message. 

Skydog: The Router For Parents?

These opportunities for parents to take control of the home network could be Skydog's "killer app." If a parent is alerted via text that a child is streaming video after bedtime, for example, the Mom or Dad can temporarily remove the offend device from the network. If a user has multiple Skydog boxes set up, one at home and one in the home of their in-laws, say, both can be managed through the same account. No more hours on the phone helping out remote family members.

Not interested? That's not too surprising. Few people pay much attention to their home networks these days, except when it goes down. That said, in my brief demo of Skydog - both the hardware router and the data service - one thing quickly became clear: When home networking data across all devices is exposed in an intuitive, visual format, network management and troubleshooting can become empowering.

Still not sold?

Skydog claims to allow busy parents to see and control home Internet usage, even when they are at work or otherwise out of the house. Parents can be alerted, for example, if a guest attempts to access the network. They can optimize network bandwidth so that a Skype call from the home office always takes precedence over a child's YouTube habit. Children can easily be allotted special network access and usage privileges for the weekend or holidays. 

Why Skydog Chose Kickstarter

I asked PowerCloud Systems founder and CEO and founder Jeff Abramowitz  why a company with experience in the enterprise networking world - and located in the heart of venture capital country - would choose the Kickstarter route? "The sales channel (for networking hardware like Skydog) is dominated by incumbents," Abramowitz explained. "In addition, the Kickstarter campaign gives us buy-in with our target audience and allows us to work directly with those who want this solution." 

He also noted that a Kickstarter campaign, allows early adopters to provide valuable user feedback - and not only to the company itself. Skydog has also set up online forums so users can share best practices. 

If Skydog's Kickstarter campaign fails, what then?

It's at least possible that the company's patented cloud-based algorithms, which deliver network information to its users, can be embedded in other company's devices. "We are keeping our options open as it relates to licensing software, and we will learn more about the users and prospective partners interest in this area through the Kickstarter campaign," said Vivek Pathela, PowerCloud's VP of Marketing. 

Image courtesy of Skydog.

The hyper-connected smart home of the future promises to change the way we live. More efficient energy usage, Internet-connected appliances that communicate with one another and cloud-enhanced home security are just some of the conveniences we'll enjoy.

It's going to be amazing. It will also open up major questions about privacy.

We're already catching a glimpse of our futuristic living quarters with products like the Nest, the WiFi-connected smart thermostat with an Apple-esque sleekness. Each year, the Consumer Electronics Show introduces us a handful of new connected appliances and household items, each one bringing us closer to the so-called "Internet of things" we keep hearing about. Everybody from giant Internet service providers to scrappy startups are getting in on the smart home game, building products that will make our homes more efficient, secure and livable. Before long, Jetsons-style robots will be feeding our pets. 

If you think digital privacy is a contentious issue now, just wait. 

Government Requests For Personal Data On The Rise

Consider this: In the last few years, Internet service providers and mobile carriers have seen a huge spike in government requests for data about customers. AT&T alone receives 700 such requests per day, according to The New York Times. They're not alone. Carriers and ISPs collectively receive thousands of requests for customer data per day from local law enforcement, federal agencies and courts. In many cases, they're willingly handing it over. In very few are they actually telling us about it.  

This uptick in government data requests corresponds with the rapid rise of smartphones and other connected gadgets among the general population. Naturally, as these devices proliferate, they are inevitably being used by some consumers to do bad things. But as we've seen, the technology has evolved more quickly than our society's rules about privacy — such as those enshrined in the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution — can possibly be crafted.

Why does it matter what companies like Verizon and Comcast do with their customers' information? Because those very same firms are now selling smart home products that will allow them to collect more data about our lives than ever before. 

"The information that's available in a smart home can be really extraordinarily detailed," says Rebecca Jeschke, media relations director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.  

Analyzing a household's power usage alone can reveal details about a family's schedule and habits and may even one day hint at what different appliances might be used for. 

"The technology is such that it won't be too long before you can look at somebody's power usage be able to know when they opened the fridge or how much food was in it," says Jeschke. "And that's without a wired fridge. That's just the power."

Your Smart Home Will Be a Trove Of Data

Every time we connect another one of our household appliances to the Internet, we're going to be generating another set of data about our lives and storing it some company's servers. That data can be incredibly useful to us, but it creates yet another digital trail of personal details that could become vulnerable to court subpoenas, law enforcement requests (with or without a warrant) or hackers. 

Okay, so maybe you don't care if somebody else knows what's in your WiFi-connected refrigerator. But what about your bedroom? 

Comcast is one of the many companies making a move toward the connected home. The cable giant offers a product called XFinity Home that offers the latest in home automation technology: smart energy management, remote-controlled door locks and in-home video surveillance. All of these features and more are conveniently accessible from smartphones, tablets and a Web-based portal. 

Having remote, mobile access to our homes in this way presents enormous advantages. But it also raises a red flag when it comes to privacy, says Abdullahi Arabo, a research fellow at the University of Oxford who wrote a paper examining the privacy implications of smart home technology. 

"In reality, our smart devices hold more information than our brains," says Arabo. "This makes them a good target for hackers, malware and unauthorized users."

Of course, this has been the case for quite some time, but in the age of the smart home, a stolen or hacked phone isn't just a repository of personal information: it's a remote control for your entire house. If you've signed up for the remote surveillance service, it also contains live video feeds from every room in the house. 

In-Home Video Surveillance: Fair Game For Authorities? 

The video monitoring feature alone raises some serious questions about privacy, hackers aside. These videos are living on Comcast's servers. If the police suspect me of being a drug lord and they ask Comcast for access for a live video feed into my house, will they comply? Would the police need a warrant? 

As is often the case with digital privacy issues, there's no clear legal precedent to draw from. Courts and legislative bodies tend to move considerably more slowly than the pace of technological innovation, so we end up with awkward grey areas like this. 

Comcast did not respond to multiple requests for information about XFinity Home's privacy protections. In general, the company's privacy policy acknowledges that "it is possible that we may be required to provide information about you to a court or law enforcement agency… [only] if we are legally required to do so." 

Not Exactly Digital Privacy Champions 

Historically, Comcast isn't known to be transparent about such requests. In the EFF's "Who Has Your Back?" digital privacy scorecard, Comcast earned only one of four stars. While the company has been known to stand up for user privacy in the courts, it lost points for not being transparent about government data requests. 

It's not just XFinity Home that offers this type of smart home service. Verizon has its own offering and its privacy record is even worse, according to the EFF's most recent report. AT&T, another telco with a less-than-stellar privacy record, is also getting into the home automation business. It's worth noting that these are the same companies fielding thousands of government data requests every day, many of which are granted. 

"The big question you need to ask when you look at these kinds of services is, If I can get access to this information, who else can?" says Jeschke. "If a report is being generated for me or if I have access to a live feed, who else has access to it?"

It's admittedly still very early in this game. There haven't been any known cases of smart home customers alleging privacy intrusions via their Internet-connected home surveillance systems, for instance. But as the technology becomes more widely adopted, expect to hear more about the privacy implications.  Indeed, there's already been some controversy in Northern California over the use of smart energy meters and the personal information they can transmit. 

"I can see some really bad outcomes from this kind of wired world," says Jeschke.  The most obvious one, she says, is that third parties like law enforcement, courts and marketers can get access to more private information about consumers.  "Another bad outcome is that we don't get these cool things, because of privacy concerns."

Lead photo via Flickr user Brett VA

Every time the Apple iWatch rumor comes around, I can't help but get excited. It's not just the Dick Tracy childhood nostalgia that so many of us seem to share, although that's certainly part of it. I hope Apple is really building an iOS-integrated smart watch not just because it's futuristic, but because I want to tinker with my phone less. And I hope the iWatch is just the beginning helping me do that. 

Apple's rumored foray into wearable computing fits nicely into the popular narrative suggesting that's where the future lies. We appear poised to start moving beyond gadgets and toward a world in which operating systems and voice-controlled artificial intelligence are woven into our homes, cars and lives. 

Why A Smartwatch Makes Sense

Wearable, connected devices are a natural next-step in that evolution. As Nick Bilton points out, a smart watch will be a much easier sell for everyday consumers than the cyborg-esque augmented reality glasses Google will soon be hawking. Apple has patents and plans for head-mounted displays too, but a watch is a much more natural place to start with wearables targeted to a mass market. 

With our smart watches, we'll be able to get important notifications, send and receive messages and return basic information from search engines without pulling a small electronic brick from our pockets and hiding our faces behind them. It's why early reviews of the Pebble smartwatch say it "changes the entire dynamic of being connected." 

The Pebble is a good start, but its interface is grayscale and low-res and its iOS integration remains very limited. I'm counting on Apple to produce a far more polished, better-integrated wristwatch, complete with curved glass and its usual atttention to visual detail. 

Smart, Connected Objects Galore

While they're at it, I hope the Apple iWatch team is looking into how to bake iOS into any number of other non-smartphone, non-tablet devices. They're already working with car manufacturers to tighten dashboard and steering wheel integrations. That's wise considering that soon every new car will be Internet-connected.  And of course there's the longstanding speculation about a voice-controlled smart HDTV. Apple should push forward with cars and TVs, but it should take iOS much further than that. 

For example, I'd love an inexpensive, lower-power tablet - perhaps with one of those flexible displays everyone's so excited about - that  I can hang on my kitchen wall to conveniently display my calendar, a Photo Stream, to-do items from Reminders and a simple notepad. All of it should be synced online with my other, more multi-functional devices. Perhaps it will one day talk to my connected, grocery-aware refrigerator. 

In other rooms, we could have interfaces geared toward context-relevant tasks. Again, all of it will be synced via iCloud with a version of Siri that has evolved into something like Nuance's cross-device voice-control project called Wintermute (but even better). Sure, we'll likely still have one or two central, more powerful computers, but they will be supplemented by various gadgets, appliances and connected surfaces throughout the home, office and wherever.  

Of course, when I say Apple, I really mean Apple, Google, Microsoft and whoever else wants to push these things along. Apple seems best positioned to polish futuristic concepts with a shine that will entice even techno-phobes, whereas Google could push the envelope with some truly geeky, innovative concoctions. 

Beyond The Smartphone

Tablets and (especially) smartphones have begun to change so much about our day-to-day lives, but their form factors often make for a somewhat awkward integration into our worlds. At home, we carry a tablet from room to room, its purpose changing each time we cross a new doorway. Everywhere else, we have to kepp pulling the tiny computers out of our pockets to complete all kinds of tasks. Quite often, we're just checking for the notifications our brains have been conditioned to expect, tuning out our physically present friends and family in the process.

A lot of us are looking forward to connected this future that relies less on the kinds of gadgets we lust after today, but is nonetheless more connected than ever - the network is just woven into our lives more seamlessly. Projects like Google Glass and iWatch promised to be some of the first and most important steps toward that. Hopefully we won't look too goofy in our cyborg goggles or talking to our wrists. 

Nest is doing very well. The company that makes the eponymous smart thermostat just closed on an $80 million round of funding, according to GigaOm. It's now shipping 40,000 to 50,000 thermostats every month, which is apparently enough to win the confidence of Google Ventures and Venrock. 

Call it the iPod of smart home technology. And not just because the Nest was literally conceived by the man who led the iPod team at Apple for several years. Like the iPod, the Nest thermostat is a disruptive technology planting itself into the lives of everyday, non-techie consumers, where it will slowly sprout into something much bigger. With the iPod, Apple popularized the digital music players among the masses and paved the way for a series of other, even more important devices. The Nest is about to do the same thing. 

For those who aren't familiar with it, the Nest is an Internet-connected thermostat that purports to learn its owners habits and configure the house's cooling and heating patterns more intelligently. The result is a more energy efficient home and, as the company proudly proclaims, lower utility bills. It's not the first smart energy management product to hit the market, but it is among the sleekiest and easiest for everyday consumers to understand and use. Sound familiar? 

Home automation. Wi-Fi-connected appliances. The Internet of things. These tech industry buzz concepts can get the crowd going at conferences like Le Web and the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but ask your mother or a random colleague what they think about them. Normal people don't even know what this stuff is. But soon they will. 

Plenty of startups, cable companies and telcos are gearing up for the smart home revolution, prepping their own remote lighting control, video security and energy automation features. Communications companies from Comcast to Verizon have begun offering these services as an add-on to customers' existing cable and phone bills. 

As cool as smart thermostats, security cams and remote controlled door locks are, they're only the beginning. The list of Wi-Fi connected household appliances keeps growing. An Internet-capable toaster or washing machine might seem silly, but the super-connected homes of the future will be much more energy efficient, easier to manage and secure. Soon we'll move onto automated cat feeders and plant watering systems - and from there we'll graduate to Jetsons-style domestic robots.

If any one product is poised to popularize smart home tech, it's the Nest. Its clean design, easy installation and availability from big retailers give it a prime position from which to plant a ticking, hyper-futuristic time bomb.