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Gadget guru builds high-tech haven

Gizmos abound in one man's digital domain

Scott Jones' mansion may look traditional on the outside, but inside is a gadget geek's paradise.

CARMEL, Indiana (CNN) -- In this gadget guru's house, fireplaces ignite and drapes close on demand, televisions appear as if by magic and the ceilings play music.

Scott Jones' home is 27,000 square feet of both showcase and laboratory for the technologies he develops. He's his own lab rat.

Touch-screen panels throughout the house run lights, security, heat and cooling systems, and video and audio libraries. Speakers are embedded in the walls and ceilings behind the plaster.

"I wanted great sound quality throughout the house but I did not want to have ugly speakers," Jones said.

CNN NewsPass VIDEO A 27,000-square-foot house near Indianapolis is a showcase and laboratory for technology. CNN's Jeff Flock takes a home tour. (September 2) Play video

Even waking up in the morning is a high-tech venture. His alarm clock neither beeps nor buzzes; instead, music begins to play, curtains open on sunshine and lights switch on. And in the bathroom, the shower starts flowing.

Jones is the head of Escient Technologies, a company that develops in-home systems that merge Internet power with electronic appliances and devices. His patented voicemail technology is used by the majority of telephone companies throughout the world.

While Jones is traveling, he can check in on his abode via the Internet. As part of the security system, cameras are trained on every room of the house and every entrance. He can go on the Web and with a few clicks, zoom in on parts of the house or unlock doors from half a world away.

Why does Jones need a home that includes a movie theater that seats 20 and wine cellar accessible only by fingerprint scan?

According to Jones, "I like to build things and change the world."