Smart home security soars at Consumer Electronics Show

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2016: It's the year of the smart home at the Consumer Electronic Show. From big companies to start ups, it seems like everyone has presented the next step in home security.

"They're growing into not just being about safety, but communication. People are using cameras to check in on things, but they're actually using them to connect with the people and things that matter the most," said Jefferson Lyman of Vivint Smart Home.

It makes sense; everyone wants to make sure their house is safe, but the technology presented this year goes beyond home alarms that contact law enforcement.

"You can do more than just protect your house with an alarm. You can actually open and close your door locks. You can actually turn on and off your thermostat, whether you're away from home or in the back bedroom," Nortek Security’s Rob Halligan explained.

There's outdoor face recognition that can text you when it spots cars, or animals, or humans outside your door, and there's even interactive doorbells where you can not only see who’s at your door, but also let them in…right from your phone.

Vivint Smart Home reps say their system isn't only good for preventing robberies and home invasions, but it can also save you from getting packages stolen from your front porch.

"You can pull up over your smart phone and say, 'hey, can you leave that over in my garage?', [and then] without leaving the app, [you can] open your garage door, close it, and you don't have to worry about someone stealing that later because it’s already in a secure place,"  said Lyman.

The options are many when it comes to smart home technology, and with everyone racing to make their systems the most user friendly, you have the power to protect and control your home right in the palm of your hand.