Perhaps you've upgraded to the most cutting edge smart phone and expect your car to sync seamlessly with it, but you're falling behind in the high-tech world of home upgrades. Your house, including your front door, deserves to run as smoothly as your computers and other devices. Try a few of these fun front door upgrades on for size

Photo Snapping Peepholes

Tired of opening your door to greet a stranger that may not have your best interests in mind? Install a peephole that snaps a photo of anyone who rings your doorbell or knocks for entrance. Many devices forward the picture right to your smart phone, while others display the shot on your home phone or a dedicated display screen next to the entrance way.

These devices don't just improve your security by preventing you from opening the door to a burglar pretending to deliver food. If someone accesses your home while you're on vacation or asleep at home, the peephole can record their face to help the police in finding the criminal. Keeping a record of the people who visit your door or come into the home could pay off in ways you can't imagine now.

Automatic Front Door Lights

Tired of spending half an hour trying to find your keys at the bottom of an overstuffed tote bag because it's too dark? Instead of strapping a headlamp to your forehead, brighten up by mounting lights above and next to the front door. Look for helpful extra features like:

• Timers and sensors that switch the lights on at dusk or when motion indicates your arrival at home
• Built-in solar panels that recharge the batteries and reduce installation steps
• Angled covers or shades that direct light right at the door knob

Key Free Locks

You can also skip the key fumbling step of getting home by eliminating the need for metal keys altogether. With three distinct types of high-tech locks available for the home consumer, you'll need to choose between fingerprint sensors, keypads, and smart phone models or units that combine multiple access types.

Locks equipped with fingerprint sensors, also known as biometric locks, sound like the safest possible option for your front door. You can program family members into the system and let people come and go without making dozens of key copies. However, these devices almost always feature backup manual locks that fail basic picking tests since the main focus is on the security of the sensor.

Numeric code-based locks have been around for decades now, but the newest models resist wireless cracking efforts and sport sleek touchscreens instead of rubbery number keys. Of course, dedicated intruders can try guessing your code and anyone who watches you enter the numbers could get in without permission. If you do stick with this type of lock, pick a model with back-lit keys so you can see the numbers on the darkest nights.

Finally, don't overlook the option of using your smart phone to unlock your front door as you walk up. These systems work surprisingly well -- as long as you don't lose your phone. The locks and phones exchange randomized codes to prevent people without your phone from getting into the house. You can also offer one-time access to cleaning crews and repair technicians with the press of a button.

Door Sensor Alarms

You don't have to go too high-tech to upgrade your front door's security. The basic magnetic sensor alarms that have been available since the late 1970s still work amazingly well today since they send out a loud warning noise when the door opens and separates the two halves of the equipment. Newer and fancier models send warnings to your smart phone and security system provider immediately as well.

Of course, none of these devices can work very well on a damaged or worn out old door. Invest in a new high security front door if you're concerned that a fancy lock might encourage someone to simply kick the door down instead. For help selecting your door and any security options, work with an experienced door installation company like Rusco Industries.