‘Smart homes’ for the observant

A very modern smart-home system is helping one Orthodox Jewish family observe some very old traditions, said Cecilie Rohwedder in The Wall Street Journal. Orthodox Judaism bans handling lighting or electronics on religious holidays and Shabbat, so Jay and Lauren Hofstatter of Boca Raton, Fla., have adapted their smart-home technology. For instance, every Friday night, “all televisions automatically shut down, ground-floor lights come on, and bedroom lights switch off,” except for bathroom lights and a reading lamp that goes out at midnight. An Australian company developed software for the Hofstatters’ house that automatically syncs its features to the schedule of Jewish religious observances; the firm “also offers a version for Muslim homeowners who want to program their homes to notify them of the call to prayer five times a day.”