Women Hindering the Smart Home?

I was reading an article over on MSNBC (Smart Homes Go Mass Market) and wondered if we'll ever live in a "Smart Home." This "house of the future" could send you a text message if you left the lights on and allow you to shut if off with a push of a keyboard button—while you're sipping coffee at work. You might even set the house temperature, adjust the lighting, or even program your fridge to email you a grocery list before you get home. It may sound far-fetched, but some of this functionality could easily be built into new homes for as little as $8,000 using wireless technology.

Home builders are really interested in adding similar digital features to new homes, hoping they appeal to a new generation of tech-savvy home buyers. Cheaper technology and a competitive market are two deciding factors, but so is ease of use. Although technology has drastically improved over the years; builders are worried that "housewives aren't going to be happy if they have to reboot their houses." The wife acceptance factor (WAF) was heavily considered during a recent digital home conference where a group of mass-market home builders gathered.

According to MSNBC columnist Michael Rogers:

"Until now, smart homes have been a predominately male preoccupation, motivated by geekdom or conspicuous consumption. But if smart homes are going to catch on among soccer moms, they’ll have to be more than just intelligent: they’ll also need to make home sweet home just a little bit sweeter."

I'm a bit puzzled by this. Are they implying that women don't want to deal with everyday tech issues, but men do? I wondered how many "Soccer Moms" were actually asked for their opinion during this conference. Any built-in digital feature should be easy-to-use for both men and women alike. I can't speak for all women here, but I would love to be able to check in on my house while I'm stuck at the office. Technology isn't perfect, but it has made my life a little bit easier and certainly more enjoyable. I've been tempted to smash my computer at times, but I would rather put up with a few seconds of frustration because something isn't working rather than hand-write this article or send telegrams instead of emails. I believe women can (and will continue to) adapt to technology at the same pace as men. Sex shouldn't even be an issue here. What's your take?