At BRAVAS, we believe that without the right technology, you can not build a truly beautiful and luxurious home. Yet, when we talk to many builders and homeowners and suggest this, they turn and run the other way. For many people “smart home” is an oxymoron like “act naturally” or “open secret.” For some, their experience with technology in their home is that it gets in the way of their day-to-day living. The promise, they say, is never paid off by the reality.

So why do so many people believe technology is more of a hindrance than a help, and how can you get the benefits without the pitfalls?

In a recent edition of the BRAVAS Luxury Living podcast, we talked to Bryce Nordstrand from Access Networks about upgrading our home networks. While there was a lot of good conversation about Wi-Fi 6 and wired vs wireless and technology trends, one issue caught many people’s attention. How do you keep up with all the changes in technology? Bryce had a great insight.

So, you are watching a YouTube video, and it’s just brilliant. Everyone in the house should see something – but rather than just all gather around your iPad, is there a better way? The answer is, of course, yes, but only for some. If your TV is enabled for Airplay2 (meaning it’s probably not much more than a year old), you can stream from your Apple device straight to the TV. If it is older than that, you may need an Apple TV – but that’s for another blog. Older versions of AirPlay may be supported on some devices, but you need AirPlay2 for the whole experience.

And just like that, human-centric lighting went mainstream. If that means nothing to you, let me catch you up.

Human-centric lighting is artificial light modified to behave more like natural light. Because our bodies have adapted to operate under natural light, this technology is expected to improve sleep quality, mood and productivity, while also reducing risk of heart attack, lowering blood pressure and more. Companies like Ketra and USAI have been on the forefront of creating the technologies allowing light to automatically track the color of the sun throughout the day.

It’s frustrating for sure. You’ve taken all the steps to get the fastest connection possible; you purchased the 1GB plan from your service provider, got the latest Wi-Fi system installed, and have the latest phone model in your hands. You gleefully open your speed test app only to see 450Mbps instead of the 1GB you’ve been striving for. It may seem like a travesty to only get half of what was advertised, but the fact is you will never see 1GB speed on your phone (for now), and the difference between a 450Mbps and 1GB to a single device is absolutely nothing in the real world.

We spoke with the experts in this field, Access Networks, who know through a combination of math, physics and properly engineered Wi-Fi standards-based safeguards that the achievable connection for most mobile devices in real-world situations is typically 30-40% of the negotiated connection rate. In this blog, we’ll discuss how we got to those numbers, limiting factors, and what key performance indicators to use when sizing up a home network.

When we discuss the lockdown, one of the things we all end talking about is what watched on TV? Depending on when you spoke, it went from Tiger King to Hollywood to Filthy Money (with a little Unorthodox thrown in for those who can take subtitles). The interesting thing about those conversations is this: While we all were amazed by the image quality of our TV, many said they couldn't always hear the dialog.

The two biggest complaints are that the actors didn't seem to be speaking clearly or that all the music and effects drown out their words. Why, people ask, doesn't someone fix this before the program is broadcast? Surely with all the money they spend, they could take the time to make sure we understand what people are saying. While some of this may be to our advancing age, don't blame yourself too much.

There are several other reasons and most of them may be your TV’s fault. In this blog we are going to look at some of things you can do to get the words as clear as the pictures.

When Cole Porter wrote “It’s Too Darn Hot” for Kiss Me Kate, he wasn’t thinking about the long Texas evenings for those with westerly facing rooms. Even those of us with windows that do not face south can feel the effects of the summer sun on our rooms and air-conditioning bills. Rather than just crank the A/C another few degrees, let’s consider how a well-automated home can combine multiple approaches to cooling down and keeping the air flowing.

A dedicated cinema may seem like an inefficient use of space to some and they would rather make it into a multi-purpose media room; but to others it’s the crown jewel of their home. A place suited to make events that create lasting memories, from a genuine movie night in with the family, to watching the big game on a big screen with the best of friends. It’s a place that truly changes the experience, a place that allows you to suspend reality for those two hours and immerse yourself in the film the way the director intended.

However, without proper planning, design, and execution, a cinema room could be disastrous to a home, disrupting the audio throughout the structure. Today we’ll go over general points and tips in creating a great cinema room. There is a lot that goes into a great cinema, so this article will be split into two parts.

In the third and final installment of our blog series covering the effects of lighting on our health and quality of life we will be covering the changing world of lighting technology.

For better or worse, most new homes now feature LED lighting. The efficiency of LED fixtures is well documented, but many have never been happy with details such as color, quality, and dimming performance. Modern LED fixtures now have the ability to more closely match traditional incandescent lighting in all of those categories, along with one really special trick.

Balance of sound and silence can impact health and influence emotions. Prolonged excessive exposure to a deficient sound environment causes a range of problems, including stress, poor concentration, productivity loss, communication difficulties, and fatigue. When designing a home, consideration needs to be given to whether you are trying to stop sound getting into a room to keep it quiet, like a bedroom, or trying to stop sound getting out of a room, like a home theater.