John Sciacca

Having a new house built might be one of the most stressful endeavors you can go through. Practically every time you turn around, someone is there needing an answer to something - or waiting to deliver bad news. In fact, many people who go through the construction process swear to never do it again.

Audio Design Associates might be unfamiliar to Sound & Vision readers, but this 30-year-old, New York-based company has a well-earned reputation as a top player in the custom market. In fact, it pioneered bidirectional control in 1989. And ADA's president, Albert Langella, is the first-ever recipient of CEDIA's Lifetime Achievement Award.

Giving consumer electronics as gifts used to be easy. You picked out what you wanted, wrapped it up, and were off the hook for another year. If you took the time to look at the package, you might have noticed the micro-sized print advising "*Batteries Not Included" and decided whether or not to toss in a pack of AAs for good measure.

Despite technological advances in every area, most homes are still limited to just two pieces of automation: garage-door opener and remote control. And while it's unfathomable to think of manually cranking a car's windows or locking its doors, people remain content to walk around their homes turning lights on and off - just like Thomas Edison did.