Standard home security systems that alert you and the police when someone's broken into your home haven't changed much in the last couple of decades, and they have their limitations if you're concerned about more than simple burglary. If you're away for long periods of time, or have a vacation home that's unoccupied during parts of the year, how do you "look in" to be sure everything's okay while you're gone without hiring a human being to do the job?

A new, comprehensive (and affordable) home monitoring system is due to be released by Portus in April of this year, a system designed to enable you to monitor your home remotely from your cell phone or computer. It also has the added capability of allowing you to monitor and control energy consumption in your home while you're away.

With Portus, you receive real-time information about your home from the system's security sensors and cameras, and any intrusions are reported to you via SMS, email or voicemail. The cameras record unauthorized entries for later inspection. The system is useful even when you're in your home, as you can use it as a substitute for a separate baby monitor or to see who's approaching the house from outside.

On the energy side, Portus enables you to turn off all power as you leave, so that you don't have to check each light or appliance separately, and to control lighting remotely (for instance, you can turn on certain lights at night to ward off intruders).

The pricing starts at $250 for a starter kit, with monthly monitoring service priced at $15. The system will be available directly from Portus, which is running a live demonstration at CES this week (at the Z-Wave Alliance booth #20419 in South Hall 1).