Portia´s perfect pad: Superhigh-tech: It may be too high-tech for some tastes, but an IEEE-member husband-and-wife team waits eagerly to move into this state-of-the-art Dallas showplace

A description is given of a high-tech home in which the various electronic technologies form an integrated environment. The home, which is near Dallas and is called FutureHome, has 13 computers, 16 telephones, more than 20 televisions, and a host of video and audio components, all linked with more than eight miles of wire. The security system, which is linked to the home control computer system, uses a perimeter-detection system, pressure-sensitive mats, and motion sensors to detect intruders. The various steps that were taken in designing FutureHome to combat radio-frequency interference are recounted. All the IBM computers in the house are linked through a local area network. Because of the publicity that the house has received, the owners are aware that computer hackers will attempt to `break´ the house. The steps that have been taken to prevent this are described.