In this week's catch-up show, Ian and Gary dive into the latest in smart home tech, music production, and the evolving world of electric vehicles. Ian shares the impressive survival story of his Samsung Galaxy S24 after an unexpected dip in the pool and previews his brand-new 80s Italian Disco-inspired track, "Midnight Riviera."

Gary showcases a versatile new ESP32 dev board with a high-quality touchscreen—a budget-friendly potential game-changer for Home Assistant enthusiasts. We also tackle the growing issue of EV charger vandalism in the UK, discuss the shift back to sporty electric hatchbacks like the Cupra Raval, and look ahead to the future of hydrogen power at Le Mans.

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Coming up in this week's catch-up show.
• 01:00 – Tech Survival: Ian's Samsung S24 vs. the swimming pool.
• 03:45 – Smart Home: The $28 ESP32 touchscreen board & Home Assistant integration.
• 08:05 – Using the ESP32 board as a Surface Dial equivalent.
• 10:25 – DIY Smart Home: Building custom "announcement clocks" and Bluetooth proxying.
• 11:40 – AI-powered delivery alerts and visual bedtime countdowns for kids.
• 13:00 – Exploring passive smart home sensors using ultrasonics.
• 14:05 – Troubleshooting Thread-based sensors and Matter updates.
• 16:50 – Reviewing the Dreo misting fans for summer cooling.
• 19:10 – Music Feature: Ian's new track "Midnight Riviera" and 80s Italian Disco vibes.
• 21:10 – Synth Tutorials: Korg Wave State, OP-six, and recreating classic 80s sounds.
• 22:50 – Upcoming projects: Recreating the sounds of John Carpenter and Tangerine Dream.
• 24:30 – EV News: Dealing with cable theft and vandalism at charging hubs.
• 25:25 – Planning a Nordic EV road trip and managing long journeys with children.
• 26:55 – The rise of micro-EVs and the return of the electric hatchback.
• 28:50 – A look at the sporty Cupra Raval and Hyundai Ioniq 3.
• 31:00 – Electric Racing: The speed of Formula E and hydrogen power at Le Mans.
• 33:35 – Wrap up and where to find Ian and Gary's latest content.