Cedia's Tech Council Podcast

First in a series: What’s the history of the term? Is it a two-way street: Can we really bring commercial tech into the home and can we make commercial spaces “homier”? How are these worlds different? How are they similar? What do you need to know before you set foot in a restaurant or a doctor’s office? CEDIA’s Steve Rissi and CE Pro’s Jason Knott (who’s bringing a ton of research to the party) give us the skinny. (Also: Look for classes addressing this topic at CEDIA Expo.) https://www.cepro.com/ https://cediaexpo.com/  

With a debate about whether or not broadband is “infrastructure” looming in the U.S. and a new report just out (from the NSC, no less) on “weaponized AI,” where does the CEDIA industry stand when it comes to the impact of tech policy? How does the U.S. stack up to the rest of the world? How will we address energy tech, social media concerns, and cybersecurity, and how does that impact the globe – who’s winning? Industry expert (and former Expo keynote speaker) John Penney weighs in.

What changes has the pandemic brought to employee/employer relationships, rules, and regs? What do “sick days” look like now? What procedures will become permanent in the realm of health and safety for both technicians and clients? How do you navigate the various mask mandates? And how do you navigate the controversies surrounding vaccines? Courtney Berg of the firm Courtside HR weighs in. Note: Berg’s firm offers discounts on services to CEDIA members: link2hr.com https://www.courtsidehr.com/

A chat with Elizabeth Parks, president of the research firm Parks Associates, regarding trends in connected home adoption, energy management, the changing face of content delivery, and quite a bit more. For a complimentary VIP PASS to Parks’ events for CEDIA Podcast listeners, go to: http://www.parksassociates.com/2021-events https://parksassociates.com/

This one turned into an incredibly freewheeling – and deep – discussion: Installation Magazine has been working on a new market report that aims to look at how AV technology (and which types of technology) is having an enabling impact across a range of vertical markets. The publication mentioned areas such as AI, IoT, XR, and so on. We brought in some folks from the CEDIA Tech Council to weigh in – and the conversation rapidly expanded into a cliché-smashing, insightful, and even inspiring session. Guests include Peter Aylett (HTE), Christiaan Beukes (Sphere Custom), and Rich Green (Rich Green Design).

Yep, we’re busy planning already! Emerald’s Jason McGraw joins us to talk about the themes and health and safety precautions you’ll see at this year’s CEDIA Expo – and we have some local folks on to tell you about the great food, sights, and sports to be found in Indianapolis. Find a complete list of everything we mention on this episode (and more) HERE.

CEDIA is publishing a new study entitled “CEDIA Market Research Insights – Australia 2020/2021”. As the report states: “Never before has the Australian professional smart home industry been studied, broken down and assessed. This report seeks to identify the type of person and company installing smart home technologies, how they operate, and how optimistic they are about the future of this industry.” CEDIA’s Regional Development Consultant Paul Skelton (Australia and New Zealand) has the details.

CEDIA’s Senior Vice President of Education and Training Samantha Ventura, Instructional Designer Cara Chimento, and Technical Trainer Chaz deVerdier bring us up to date on the hybrid courses they’re developing, a blend of online and in-person teaching. Here’s what you need to know when you sign up for CEDIA’s evolving educational offerings. cedia.net/education  

It’s a busy year for state legislatures. What are the trends when it comes to new taxes or regs as states try to continue to navigate the pandemic and mitigate damage? What impact does the federal stimulus package have on all of this? Morgan Scarboro (Manager, Tax Policy and Economist) from MultiState fills us in. https://www.multistate.us/

The KNX Standard provides a unique platform to integrators to provide a modular and scalable solution that works in all types of buildings. We’ll learn more about KNX with Team Leader of the Marketing Departament Casto Canavate of the KNX Association and Phil Juneau (CCO) of Automated Technology Company LLC. ALSO: Sign up for CEDIA’s KNX in the Home Conference on March 17: https://cedia.net/education-events/knx-in-the-home-conference. www.atcjomo.com www.knx.org

CEDIA has been part of the rISE Spotlight series for Integrated Systems Europe, hosting “virtual watercooler” chats. Here you’ll get info on using VR as a sales tool and practical advice on WFH tech. https://www.jooced.co.uk/

We speak with Bryte CEO and C-Founder Ely Tsern about the Bryte “smart” bed, the importance of restorative sleep, how the bed was developed and how it can integrate into larger projects. Bryte is a CEDIA Propel affinity partner. https://www.bryte.com/ https://cedia.net/propel

Everything you ever wanted to know about speaker directivity, on- and off-axis response, power handling, certifications (THX), and much more with Perlisten Audio’s Dan Roemer, Control4’s Shawn Nageli, and HTE’s Peter Aylett. https://www.control4.com/ https://www.hte.design/ https://www.perlistenaudio.com/  

We speak with Charles Pearce and Theo Rigden regarding the technology that’s gone into the Immersive Gym, its development from concept to execution, and installation. It’s more than fitness, by the way: The tech here opens up all manner of virtual entertainment experiences, too. Immersive Gym is a CEDIA Propel affinity partner (find more info about what that means at the link below). https://www.immersivegymco.com/ https://cedia.net/propel

We talk to Simon Fulstow from the UK firm SONA about the integration project called “The I’s Have It,” which won Best Integrated Home, Level III (EMEA), Best Integrated Home (Global); and trophies for Best Lighting, Best Dressed Racks, Best Documentation, and Life Lived Best at Home in the EMEA region. (The home was also a finalist in the Technology Meets Design category.) https://sona.technology/

CEDIA’s Director of Government Affairs Darren Reaman fills us in on the work he’s been doing, tracking bills and regulations that could affect your business as part of the low-voltage, custom residential integration industry. https://cedia.net/membership/get-involved/government-affairs  

Ed and Walt are joined by CEDIA’s Ian Bryant and David Meyer, along with Michael Heiss (MHeiss Consulting) for a recap of the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) – usually held in Las Vegas, it’ a virtual event this year. https://michaelheiss.com/ www.cedia.net  

How is the 2021 CES virtual show going to work, exactly? What are the expected highlights and trends? Walt, Ed, and Michael Heiss have a preview. www.cedia.net https://michaelheiss.com/  

Jason Knott from CEPro joins Ed and Walt to give his perspective on the trends that emerged in 2020, and what we might expect to see in 2021. https://www.cepro.com/

Happy holidays! It’s the second of our two-part series, in which we’ll replay clips from the ten most popular podcasts of 2020. Part Two takes us from numbers five through one. We cover video calibration, coping with business disruptions, and a hilarious segment on 5G with YouTube’s “ElectroBOOM” guy, Mehdi Sadaghdar.