HomeTech.fm

On this week's show: Apple finally throws a real “Welcome Home” punch with HomeView, a new Apple TV 4K, and even ADT on install duty, Ring ditches the backup key for a hand-crank smart lock, Amazon rolls out a new Alexa tablet lineup, Aqara is now selling in Canadian Tire, Zooz joins Jasco, plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• Anthropic Says Theoretical 'AI Botnets' Could One Day Target the Smart Home
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Aqara Makes Canadian Retail Debut with Canadian Tire
  • Ring Unveils Hand-Rechargeable Smart Lock and New 4K Cameras
  • Amazon is phasing out Fire Tablets because they weren’t ‘giving customers what they were asking for’
  • Amazon announces new lineup of Alexa Tablets
  • Introducing UniFi Network 11 | Our Most Impactful Release Yet
  • Tesla’s Automations Feature Is Ready for Launch, Hidden Behind a Flag - Not a Tesla App
  • A New Chapter for Zooz!
  • Jasco Acquires Zooz to Accelerate Growth of Smart Home Division
  • Everything Apple launched at its ‘Welcome Home’ event
  • Apple Unveils HomeView Smart Display With Siri AI, Starting at $429 in Canada | iPhone in Canada
  • Apple’s Fabled Smart Home Collection is Here, Here’s What Integrators Need to Know
  • Apple HomeView
  • LG Video Doorbell Wired – Essence Graphite
  • ADT to Offer In-Home Installation of Apple's New HomeView and More
  • The new Apple TV 4K has built-in microphones so you can talk to Siri AI
• DeFlock - Flock Camera Tracking
• LEDVANCE joins Works with Home Assistant
• From the unRAID community on Reddit: Unraid OS 7.3.3 Stable is now available
• 2026 Self-Host User Survey: Open for Submissions

On this week's show: Apple’s smart home plans keep leaking from every direction, with LG-branded locks, doorbells, thermostats, and cameras rumored alongside Apple selling Aqara’s new thermostat; Google Home gets better at hearing you over the chaos; Amazon quietly takes away Alexa aux voice control; UniFi Protect 7.3 squeezes more history out of your storage; Inovelli’s roadmap starts moving again; Home Assistant renames Cloud to Link because, well, “cloud” has baggage; a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• Apple and LG team up on new smart home gear, starting with a lock, doorbell, and thermostat
• Apple’s Smart Home Push Could Include Doorbell, Thermostat and Cameras | iPhone in Canada
• Apple now sells Aqara’s new Adaptive Temperature thermostat and more accessories
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Google Home speakers can now hear you better
  • Alexa can’t control the aux input on Amazon Echo speakers anymore
  • Introducing Protect 7.3
  • Inovelli 2026: Q3 Update!
  • Z-Wave 800 Series Button Controller + Dimmer Switch | Project Walt
  • Home Assistant renames Home Assistant Cloud to Link
  • Big Tech ruined the cloud, so we’re renaming ours
  • A Code of Conduct for AI in the Home
• Emporia Vue 3 Home Energy Monitor
• RoomSync for Home Assistant App - App Store

On this week's show: Schneider Electric wants Shelly, Apple’s smart home hub may finally be real, Amazon refreshes the Fire TV Stick 4K, Disney raises streaming prices because apparently doubling profits wasn’t enough, ULTRALOQ rolls out new Matter and Aliro-ready locks, Home Assistant’s latest beta overhauls maps, and the local-control crowd keeps cooking with June oven and Roborock cloud-escape projects. We also hit some custom-install gear from Crestron and NextLevel, a weird little Pro-Ject streaming amp, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• Shelly Group Has Entered Into an Investment Agreement With Schneider Electric on the intended Voluntary Public Takeover supported by the founders | Shelly Group
• Report: Anthropic Lost $42 Billion in 2025, Will Spend $518 Billion in Coming Years
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Apple's smart home hub could arrive next month - Engadget
  • Amazon unveils a thinner and faster Fire TV Stick 4K, plus a new remote - Engadget
  • Disney+ and Hulu raise prices by up to 13 percent after doubling profits
  • ULTRALOQ Launches New Smart Lock Collection Including ULTRALOQ Bolt Mission, Bolt Pro and Latch 5 Pro
  • Wireless Box E – Pro-Ject Audio Systems
  • NextLevel Acoustics Mantelbar Integrates Fireplace Audio
  • Crestron Home OS 4.12 Adds Multiview for Multiple Video Sources
  • Anker's new eufy S4 video doorbell sees everything with 360-degree AI tracking
  • The June oven could live on
  • From the selfhosted community on Reddit: Self-host your own Roborock cloud without rooting or hardware modification
  • Technical Writeup - Roborock Local Server
• Home Assistant 2026.10 Beta: You are here 📍
• Tesla, Home Assistant, ESPHome and Smarter Automation with Gavin Campbell – HGG690
• Droplet: Smart Home Water Sensor

On this week's show: your smart TV is probably spying on you, so we talk through what to turn off and why “just don’t connect it” keeps sounding smarter; Matter 1.6.1 finally locks in Groupcast to help grouped devices act like a group; a local Sofabaton integration gives Home Assistant users more remote-control fun; Crestron and Hubitat get a pro-friendly upgrade; D-Tools says the CI market is growing and also very much not growing, depending on who you ask; plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• LinkedIn CringeBot 3000
• Free LinkedIn Post Generator (AI-Powered) | Postiv AI
• HomeTech Headlines
  • There are ways to protect yourself from your spying TV
  • Sofabaton X: local Home Assistant integration for the X1, X1S and X2
  • Crestron-Hubitat Integration Driver Gets a Major v2 Upgrade
  • D-Tools 2026 Midyear Report Finds Widening Performance Gap in CI Channel
  • Matter 1.6.1 finalizes Groupcast and adds chime sound controls
• Home Gadget Geeks  - The Average Guy Network
• GitHub - loryanstrant/HA-CustomComponentMonitor: Reports on whether you are using your Home Assistant custom components

On this week's show: CEDIA says the crowds showed up, Apple unveiled a foldable iPhone, LG is pushing back on smart TV spying claims, Google wants outside AI agents in your home, Aqara and IKEA both have new Matter-friendly hardware, SimpliSafe would like a human guard at your doorbell, plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• HomeTech Headlines
  • CEDIA Expo 2026 By the Numbers - Residential Systems
  • Heard at CEDIA Expo 2026: The Future Is Experiences, Not Products - Residential Systems
  • LG strongly denies TV spying claims, says tracking and snooping concerns 'not true' - online investigation claims 216,000,000 TVs spy and record audio
  • Apple event 2026 recap: iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 Pro, and more
  • reddit.com/r/iphone/comments/1whl55w/the_biggest_disappointment_with_the_duo
  • Aqara Announces the Availability of The Spatial Multi-Sensor FP400, Offering Advanced Spatial Intelligence for Smart Homes
  • IKEA DUBBELKISEL Brings Matter Over Thread to Cabinet Lighting
  • Apple wants $60 a month to unlock AI summaries on five cameras
  • Google Home is unlocking the agentic smart home — which is great, right?
  • This doorbell camera lets a human security guard watch your front door
• CAST-1 Audio Casting
• Deco Gear 49" Curved 5K Display | DQHD 120Hz Ultrawide Monitor
• Yoolax Motorized Blinds with Remote, Smart Blinds for Windows, Custom Size
• How long until local AI pays for itself? — Sunk Cost
  • My Results: You’re underwater for 19.7 years. — Sunk Cost

On this week's show: TiVo decides skipping commercials should cost something, LG TVs face some very ugly privacy claims, Home Assistant 2026.9 brings a big Modbus cleanup, UniFi tries a friendlier whole-home Wi-Fi pitch, and Sonos rolls out Beam Ultra, Ace Ultra, and a whole new Sonos 27 software story. We also hit new gear from both CEDIA and IFA, a full mailbag of feedback for Gavin, project updates, and so much more!

• HomeTech Headlines
  • Apple announces September iPhone launch event
  • TiVo Plans to End Free Automatic Commercial Skipping in November, Tests Paid Premium Replacement Service | Cord Cutters News
  • LG smart TVs caught logging audio with screen off and snooping on local devices
  • Homey expands beyond the app with the Portal touchscreen and rotary controller
  • JBL takes on Sonos with new multi-room Cove speakers
  • Shelly launches first smart camera at a budget price without any subscriptions
  • Sonos Launches Beam Ultra and Ace Ultra Pre-Orders in Canada | iPhone in Canada
  • How Sonos rebooted itself
  • Sonos 27: Why Your System Keeps Getting Better
  • Introducing UniFi Travel Router Long-Range
  • Introducing Whole-Home WiFi by UniFi
  • ProStudio by Josh.ai Raises the Bar for Custom Home Control, Integration, & Installation at CEDIA Expo 2026
  • AVA OS 3.0 Adds Over 100 New Features to Systems
  • Audio Pad Series | Architectural Audio Integrated into Faceplates | Magna Audio
  • CEDIA Announces Winners of 2026 Smart Home Awards Americas
  • Govee expands its smart lighting lineup at IFA 2026 with dual-zone outdoor lights, a simulated skylight, and new COB strips
  • Aqara expands its global smart lighting range with Thread and Zigbee support at IFA 2026
  • These new robot lawn mowers trim your edges
  • Roborock expands beyond the living room with automated pool cleaners and LiDAR mowers at IFA 2026
  • iRobot unveils the Roomba Duo
• Feedback
  • ICO – The Smart Pool Monitor
  • Smart Pool Water Analyzer | Make Pool Care Effortless - iopool
  • Droplet: Smart Home Water Sensor
  • Tailwind iQ3 Smart Automatic Garage Door Controller
  • ESPHome Tesla BLE
• “How Many Gavins” Calculator
• 2026.9: There's room on this bus
• E-Wand™ Single Unit – Current Luxury

On this week's show: CEDIA’s first-timer list hints at where custom integration is heading next, Sonos teases a new soundbar, Control4 gets new Google Home and Google TV integrations, Wyze builds privacy right into a $40 indoor cam, Amazon raises prices on Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle gear while also handing some Fire TV users Alexa Plus for free, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• Are These First-Time CEDIA Expo Exhibitors the Next Big Thing in Custom Integration?
• Sonos Teases New Soundbar Ahead of September Hardware Reveal | iPhone in Canada
• Chowmainsoft Introduces Google Home and Google TV Integrations for Control4
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Recessed Entry Sensor - Ubiquiti Store
  • Mova’s latest robot vacuum solves the kitchen stool problem
  • Wi-Fi 8 is the first wireless upgrade in years that isn’t chasing speed, and home networks need it
  • The lens in Wyze’s new $40 indoor camera retracts for privacy
  • Hackers Compromised 14,500+ Dahua Devices Using Credential Attacks, Auth Bypasses, and P2P
  • FCC officially decides gigabit speeds are too good for you
  • Amazon just hiked the prices for Echo, Fire TV, and Kindle products by up to 60 percent
  • Fire TV users are getting an Alexa Plus update – for free
  • Aqara expands H1 Matter lighting lineup with new downlights and spotlights
  • From the homeautomation community on Reddit: I reverse engineered the Litter Robot 4 to control it 100% locally via Home Assistant. Custom firmware and install guide in description!
• From the homeautomation community on Reddit: I reverse-engineered local Ecobee control and put it on PyPI (no cloud, no dev key, no Home Assistant)
• From the homeassistant community on Reddit: Samsung Family Hub Reborn: Turning a Fridge Touchscreen into a Home Assistant Dashboard 🏠🥳
• Video: I Finally Sorted Out My Box of Mystery USB Cables
• Treedix USB Cable Tester 2.4" Screen for eMarker PD3.0/3.1 Resistor
• Korg nanoKONTROL2 Slim-Line USB Control Surface, Black
• Photon | Bring your agents to iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, and beyond
• Hot Dog Stand – The Game

On this week's show: the Open Home Foundation puts Community Day 2026 on the calendar, Apollo makes ESPHome a little less breadboard-y, Petlibro reminds everyone why cloud-dependent pet gear is a terrible way to miss dinner, and Whisker proves AI still can’t always tell one cat from another. We also hit Brilliant’s new managed-service subscription, Comcast turning routers into motion sensors with a privacy asterisk, Aqara pushing Matter camera controls forward, Sonos news, plus CEDIA-bound gear from DreamWall and DoorBird, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• Community Day 2026: Save the date! – Open Home Foundation
• ESPHome Starter Kit is shipping!
• Universal Paperclips (Game)
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Cats and dogs are missing meals after a popular smart feeder went down
  • Whisker’s AI-powered litter robot thinks my cats swapped bodies
  • Brilliant Launches Subscription Service for Managed Smart Home Automation
  • DreamWall to Debut New Generation of Outdoor CooLED MicroLED Video Wall Solutions at CEDIA Expo 2026
  • DoorBird Launches the New D22x Series - Residential Systems
  • Comcast adds motion sensing to millions of its newer routers, with a privacy catch | TechCrunch
  • Sonos gets ready to launch new Ace Ultra headphones
  • Sonos Adds Live Activities Support on iPhone
  • Aqara enables PTZ camera control through Matter on the G350
• SEED - SEED Early Access | A brand new world, ready to be populated
• Whats Up, Reynoldsburg?

On this week's show: CEDIA Expo 2026 is almost here with hundreds of product debuts on deck, GE talks up US-made chips in connected laundry, Home Assistant finds a new way to boss around Apple devices, Google Home on iOS may be turning lights on just for fun, Alexa+ lands in Australia, Sonos learns some Lutron tricks, OpenAI’s hockey-puck AI speaker rumor rolls on, ESPHome gets a much friendlier desktop app, plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more.

• Oberlin, Ohio
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Hundreds of New Products Anticipated to Debut at CEDIA Expo 2026
  • GE Appliances doubles down on US-made chips.
  • iOS 27 Flips the Script: Home Assistant Can Now Control Your Apple Devices
  • Dolby Vision 2 is officially available on select Hisense TVs - Engadget
  • A Google Home bug is randomly turning on smart lights
  • Amazon's Alexa+ Assistant Launches in Early Access in Australia
  • “Hey Sonos, open the shades.”
  • OpenAI speaker to be hockey puck-sized and cost over US$300: report
  • Simplify your ESPHome setup with the new desktop app
• WiiM Bar | Display-First Dolby Atmos Soundbar
• Badgers : animated music video : MrWeebl

On this week's show: the FCC’s robot ban turns out to include future robot vacuums and mowers, which may make the next robovac harder to buy without making it much safer; Roku decides budget streamers are a premium experience now; Apple’s smart home hub and Siri refresh are reportedly getting closer; Sonos is teasing some kind of AI move for September; UniFi adds a Thread border router and beefs up Protect; plus new gear from Zooz, Aqara, Xiaomi, Homey, SmartThings, and Home Assistant, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• HomeTech Headlines
  • The US is banning foreign robots
  • The US government just banned Roombas
  • Robot vacuums are included in US robot ban
  • The ban on robot vacuums won’t make them safer. But it may make your next one worse
  • The US Just Banned New Chinese Robot Vacuums and Mowers: Canada Could Be Next | iPhone in Canada
  • Roku raises streaming stick prices by up to 60 percent
  • Zooz 800 Series Z-Wave Long Range Motion Dimmer ZEN12 800LR
  • Xiaomi’s smart washing machines are finally going global
  • Sonos Is Reportedly Planning Something Big for AI in September
  • Apple’s long-awaited smart home Siri AI refresh is achingly close to reality
  • Apple Could Start New Smart Home Push as Early as October
  • Ubiquiti’s new SuperLink Gateway HA brings professional Thread hardware to UniFi
  • UniFi Gets Its Own Thread Border Router
  • Introducing UniFi Protect 7.2
  • Homey is a rare smart home platform that is Matter 1.5 certified
  • SmartThings quietly brings Matter 1.6 to beta hub firmware
  • Finally: Aqara launches dual-protocol Matter and Thread smart plugs in the UK and EU
• Home Assistant 2026.8 beta adds Matter doorbell events and simpler setup
• FireAvert joins Works with Home Assistant
• Building the device database together: Public preview now live – Open Home Foundation
• GitHub - GuiPoM/ha-sentinel: HA Sentinel — proactive health monitoring for Home Assistant integrations and apps
• ESPHome Starter Kit
• Maslow4 Large Format CNC