Contributors

Dan Daley is a widely published journalist covering the professional audio industry, with articles in every major journal in the industry globally, including Billboard, Mix, Resolution, and Sound on Sound. He also has written for a wide range of publications, including the London Daily Telegraph, Fast Company, The Wine Spectator, History Channel Magazine, and AARP The Magazine. Daley is the author of several books, including Nashville’s Unwritten Rules: Inside the Business of Country Music (Overlook Press, New York). On p. 42 he writes that the studio in the home is becoming analogous to what the home office has turned into postpandemic.

Angel Piontek is senior marketing manager at PointCentral, a subsidiary of Alarm.com that provides short and long-term residential property managers with an automation platform that monitors and controls smart home technology across all properties in their inventory. She is a 19-year veteran in the residential real estate industry and has extensive smart home expertise. On p. 54 she shares how automation technology can reduce operational costs and provide greater efficiencies for property managers.

Michael Heiss is a former product and marketing executive at Harman International, who was responsible for many breakthrough audio and video products. He also was a promotion manager at NBC and was key to the development of hotel in-room movies and created the first nationwide movie rental service for Beta and VHS cassettes. Heiss served two terms on the CEDIA Board and led their Technology Council. He is also a CEDIA Fellow, recipient of CEDIA’s Lifetime Achievement Award, a member of the TV Academy, the Society of Broadcast Engineers, and is a Life Member of both IEEE and SMPTE. On p. 20, Heiss reports Apple’s new HomePod Gen. 2 and on p. 32 he explores the many reasons why manufacturers are now updating their AV receiver offerings.

Jay Basen is retired from his 40-year career in professional software development, but he still keeps his tech skills sharp with special projects and product reviews. During his career, the Silver Certified Crestron programmer specialized in the design, development, and installation of automation, building management, and energy management systems for residential and commercial buildings. On p. 14, he shares how the Bond Sidekick keypad can bridge smart home control to overlooked household appliances.

Henry Clifford founded Richmond, VA-based Livewire in 2001 to meet the growing demand for technologically integrated homes and businesses. In January 2018, he co-founded Parasol, a remote service support company, and has served on the CEDIA Board of Directors. His most recent venture was the recent launch of IntegrateU, a professional on-boarding service for the custom integration industry. On p. 58, he adds the Sonos Sub Mini to his list of “subwoofer conquests.”