Welcome to Our Smart Home Technology Blog

Have you started planning for the holidays yet? We all feel the added time pressure involved in buying gifts for everyone on our lists, booking our flights, preparing food to take to potlucks and the various demands of the season.

When you’re traveling and relaxing with family, we don’t want you to waste a moment worrying about your Dallas, TX, home’s safety. Curious to find out how a comprehensive home security system steps in and mitigates risks while you’re away? Keep reading!

SEE ALSO: 3 Benefits You Can Expect From a Professional Smart Home Installation

Risk #1 - Porch Piracy

FedEx says that, according to a recent industry study, 75% of Americans are concerned about porch piracy today. During the holidays, we have even more reason to worry, as millions of us order online. Many of your packages will arrive sometime when you’re far away, sitting on your stoop for days.

The integrated boardroom AV system in your Dallas, TX business should function efficiently and deliver the results you want. Whether you’re using multiple systems simultaneously or you’re operating individual controls, you need a user interface that’s simple to navigate and user-friendly. With the latest update to its Mercury software, Crestron aims to streamline its already-simple user interface with more intuitive navigation features. Plus, new updates also include integration with Microsoft Teams. To learn more, keep reading.

SEE ALSO: 5 Must-Have Technologies for Your Boardroom Automation System

Mercury UI Updates

The latest updates are intended to make it easier for users to find what they need. More information is available on the home screen, including room schedule, status, and availability. With a glance, users will know precisely how and when the room is being used.

Other updates include integration with AirMedia 2.0 for more straightforward wireless presentations, which simplifies presentations on your boardroom AV system. The software automatically detects the user's browser for instant wireless sharing.

The firmware comes pre-loaded onto all current Crestron Mercury products and is available as an automatic update on existing systems.

We’re pretty sure you can recall some conference room blunders that you’ve witnessed, or maybe even something that happened to you. Maybe you fumbled with the AV controls well into your presentation time or asked your client to repeat the words you missed during a particularly high-stakes meeting. Of course, the common scenarios we talk about in this blog are uncomfortable, providing adequate reasons to fix the culprit. We only wished that the problem ended there.

In a business setting, too many communication breakdowns, AV issues or scheduling problems don’t just mar your reputation: They could also cause you to lose out on valuable business partnerships. We’ll talk today about how thorough conference room design mitigates a host of mishaps, so keep reading!

SEE ALSO: 3 Ways Interactive Whiteboards Boost Employee Engagement

You Feel Extra Pre-Presentation Frustration

Many of us have endured an anxious moment right before a presentation. Coupled with the expected nerves, perhaps you didn’t get enough time to prepare, which compounds your stress.

The pressure increases if you don’t know your way around the AV equipment. Imagine you’re already late and fumbling with switches just to turn your screen on and finally start speaking. Instead, you could press one button from your Crestron control pad and let automation organize your meeting for you. We can’t arrange a perfect PowerPoint, but we can set the scene for your presentation success.

Whether you’re building a new home or renovating, we’re sure you’ve seen the deluge of DIY products that keep popping up everywhere. Maybe you’ve investigated some of these big-box products yourself and weighed the pros and cons of going it alone versus enlisting expert help. We suggest leaving those packaged “solutions” on the shelf.

Instead, we at DeVance Electronic Lifestyle highly recommend a pro smart home automation installation for several reasons, three of which we’ll cover today. Curious to see why? We’ll reveal more in this article.

SEE ALSO: Interior Design Trends for the Smart Home

Everything’s Customized

Before we start your installation project, we sit down with you and discuss any individual preferences you might have. That conversation feels open ended and leads us to dozens of possibilities informing everything from your design preferences to your family’s control needs.