It’s that time of the week again. Friday’s here, work is over and the Playback is looking at all the news throughout this week to get you caught up on the biggest stories hitting the AV and smart home industries.
This week: Springs Window Fashions moved deeper into motorized shading with its purchase of PowerShades. TP‑Link now faces the looming possibility of a U.S. ban despite its efforts to reassure regulators. And Steve Fredlund is set to deliver a keynote at Total Tech Summit.
As always, I would like to welcome you to the week in Playback. Now without further ado, let’s see what you might have missed.
TP-Link on the Brink
The U.S. government is still considering a ban on TP‑Link routers despite the company’s efforts to assert independence and assuage concerns regarding security vulnerabilities.
Federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Commerce, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Department of Defense, reportedly concluded that only a ban would sufficiently address the risk posed by TP‑Link products, citing concerns over the company’s Chinese origins.
The potential ban carries major implications across the U.S., as TP‑Link reportedly captured up to 65% of the U.S. router market by 2025 and is used by more than 300 ISPs.
Springs Window Fashions Buys PowerShades
Springs Window Fashions, a longtime custom window‑treatment manufacturer, acquired substantially all assets of Wideband Labs, LLC (d/b/a PowerShades), a Missouri‑based motorized‑shades and automation‑technology provider. Financial terms were not disclosed.
PowerShades will continue to operate as a separate business unit, headquartered in Joplin, MO, under its existing leadership team.
In speaking on the matter, Springs intends to leverage PowerShades’ automation‑ and channel‑specialist capabilities to expand its offerings for residential and commercial customers and deepen its presence in the custom‑integration market.
Steve Fredlund Coming to Total Tech Summit
Steve Fredlund, an award‑winning speaker and best‑selling author of Do the Unright Thing: Memoir of a People Pleaser, will deliver the opening keynote at Total Tech Summit 2025 in Orlando.
The event, tailored to integrators in both the custom‑residential and commercial‑AV segments, aims to inspire attendees by challenging conventional thinking, unlocking leadership potential and re‑imagining business growth in the evolving smart‑home/AV landscape.
29 Cybersecurity Attacks: Report Outlines Smart Home Threats
A joint report by Bitdefender and NETGEAR found that the average connected household—which now supports about 22 IoT devices—is subject to roughly 29 cyber‑attacks each day, based on analysis of 6.1 million households and 13.6 billion IoT attacks.
The findings underscore how residential networks are becoming primary targets for cyber‑criminals, not simply periphery systems, and highlight the rising role of professional integrators in securing these ecosystems.
CE Pro Now Taking Responses for 2026 State of the Industry Report
CE Pro is calling on integrators to weigh in on the state of the industry with its annual survey. Your insights help shape the data and trends that drive coverage, inform product development and highlight the challenges and opportunities facing the custom-residential and commercial integration markets.
Whether you’re tackling smart-home automation, shading, networking or cybersecurity, taking a few minutes to share your experiences ensures your perspective is included in the industry’s most comprehensive report.
The Week in Playback
If you’re interested in learning more about any of the stories mentioned in this week’s Playback, a link our full coverage will be provided below. Thanks again for stopping by folks. We hope to see you next time.
- The U.S. Government Might Ban TP-Link Routers
- Springs Window Fashions Buys PowerShades to Bolster Smart-Home Automation Push
- Award-Winning Speaker Steve Fredlund to Deliver Inspirational Keynote at Total Tech Summit
- Report: Average Smart Home Faces 29 Cybersecurity Attacks Daily, Integrators on Front Line
- 2026 CE Pro State of the Industry Study
