Netgear CEO: 'Mother of All Applications' Is Home Control

Netgear launched the its ReadyNAS Ultra on Thursday night, but the company's traditional business has been built on Wi-Fi, the ubiquitous wireless network standard that's the anchor of Netgear's consumer routers. Wi-Fi, meanwhile, has been built into everything from the Boxee Box to the Erector Spykee Robot.

The problem -

The problem - and opportunity - are companies like Comcast, Verizon, and other ISPs, which have proved to be both partners and roadblocks. Lo said that selling a VOIP solution against an ISP like Comcast, which can merely bundle service for $20 or so more, was infeasible.

"But they've already exhausted video, the Internet, voice," Lo said. "But they need to increase [the money customers spend]. The next thing is security systems."

According to Lo, the current generation of security systems are "dumb," where the sensors merely detect a breakin, but without additional information. "They make a phone call to your house, to see who picks up - you or the thief. Come on!" Lo said.