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The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in
which to integrate technology. Why? Because your
family probably spends more time there than in any
other room in the house. And, even if they don't stop
here, they at least pass by the kitchen several times
a day as they enter and leave the house. What's
more, it's a comfortable place where people like to
entertain, read the news, and surf the Internet. For
each and every activity you might perform in the
kitchen, there's a piece of technology that can
dramatically enhance the experience.

Entertainment
In the early '80s people began bringing small TV
sets into kitchens‚ and cable jacks soon joined the
staid electrical outlets found on the slice of wall
between the counter and the cabinets. While a
regular TV works well in a kitchen, it eats up plenty
of valuable counter space. Enter the flat and under-
cabinet TV models of the late '90s. A flat-screen
TV, or a monitor that hangs from the underside of a
cabinet, takes up hardly any room and requires no
special modifications to the construction of a
kitchen, except for mounting a cable jack nearby
(we suggest installing an outlet that houses two
cable jacks, a data/computer jack and a telephone
jack). A screen that's too tall to fit underneath a
cabinet can be integrated into a kitchen too, by
placing it on a wall mount or having your builder
construct the appropriate-sized bay into the kitchen
wall.
Compliment the TV with speakers planted into the
ceiling. Place them in any location where you might
need to hear the TV or music: near the table, the
sink, the stove and the workstation, for example.
Click here for T.V.'s and accessories

Computers
Speaking of workstations -- now that the computer
has become such a helpful tool in the kitchen
(dispensing recipes, storing the family schedule,
emailing a note to Grandma), remember to plan a
space for a monitor, as well as a printer, scanner
and any other peripherals you think you might use
there. (By wiring your home with a computer
networking system, you can store all the
peripherals in another room or closet.) Be sure to
plant plenty of phone and data jacks, as well as
electrical outlets, near the workstation.

Doubt you'll ever sit down long enough to need a
dedicated workspace? Then consider a portable
Web tablet in lieu of a traditional computer. This
small device, usually designed for Internet access
only, can plug into any data jack in the kitchen.

Big Appliances
You've probably heard about the
smart refrigerator that prints out a
grocery list based on the contents of
its insides. Although they may not be
intelligent enough yet to do just that,
refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers
and other appliances that connect to
the Internet are a reality today. Even
if you can't envision a day when your
stove would need to download a
recipe, at least have your home
systems installation firm mount a data
jack on the wall behind every big
appliance. It'll ensure that your
kitchen is always cutting-edge.

5 THINGS TO CONSIDER FOR YOUR KITCHEN
Remodeling your kitchen? Here are 5 things that would make even The Jetson's jealous.

1. Internet appliances designed specifically for the kitchen
2. Linking the kitchen to your whole-house system
3. A TV with access to video as well as security cameras
4. Distributed audio for the avid cook
5. Internet access for quick news reports and recipe help