When friends or family come to stay, even for a night, your home suddenly has to work a little harder. More people use your network, your TVs, your smart speakers, your lighting controls, and yes, your Wi-Fi password. That increased activity can expose the cracks in older or poorly performing home technology.
Depending on where you live, the fall and winter months often mean more time spent indoors. As you migrate inside, take a moment to really look around. Peer past the usual bright kitchen and cozy family room. Explore the areas that tend to fade into the shadows: the guest bedroom you’ve dreamed of converting into a home office, the garage gym that could use a little motivation, the wine nook beneath the staircase, or even the walk-in closet that never feels quite finished.
Few things are more frustrating than unreliable Wi-Fi. One moment everything works perfectly; the next, your video call freezes, your music stops mid-song, or your movie starts buffering right at the best part. It’s not just inconvenient; it can disrupt family movie night, derail a work presentation, or make your smart home feel not-so-smart after all.
When people think about smart home technology, their minds often go to entertainment systems or security solutions. Yet one of the most impactful upgrades for everyday living is often overlooked: motorized shading. More than just a design accent, motorized shades bring convenience, comfort, energy efficiency, and security into perfect harmony, transforming how your home feels and functions.
When you sit down with Peter Cook, founder of Automation Design and Entertainment (AD&E), you quickly realize you’re not just talking to a tech entrepreneur — you’re hearing the story of a man whose life and work are deeply rooted in curiosity, community, and connection.
For most of its existence, CEDIA Expo has been all about the shiny boxes: the amazing AV, control interfaces, and innovation that dominate the show floor. But this year, more than any other, the conversations went deeper. Beyond the latest products and technologies, what really generated buzz was the business of systems integration, particularly the many facets of service.
