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

On this week's show: OpenAI may be building a screen-free AI home companion, Nice is skipping CEDIA 2026 and insisting everything is fine, the 2026 TV Shootout crowns both Samsung and Sony, Philips Hue might stick a camera on your TV, and a TP-Link Kasa camera vulnerability report is a rough reminder to patch your gear. We also chat about a touchscreen Zigbee switch from Zemismart, an open-source robot vacuum project, Matter Server 9.1.0, the Only Fan Controller update, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• HomeTech Headlines
  • OpenAI Reportedly Developing Screen-Free AI Companion for Smart Home
  • Nice Announces It Has Pulled Out of CEDIA Expo 2026
  • The 2026 Kings of TV Are Crowned at Value Electronics TV Shootout - Residential Systems
  • Zemismart Launches Zigbee Touchscreen Light Switch With Power Monitoring
  • Philips Hue’s latest camera might be for your TV.
  • IoT-Vulnerability-Research-Public/TP-Link_Kasa_EC71/Kasa_EC71.md at main · BadChemical/IoT-Vulnerability-Research-Public
• Matter Server 9.1.0 Released
• xcancel.com/ThirdRealityInc
• Only Fan Controller v1.2.1
• Jimothy

On this week's show: Apple wants smarter Home cameras, but only if you spring for the 2TB iCloud plan, IKEA quietly makes Matter less annoying, and Matter cameras from Tapo, Aqara, EZVIZ, and friends are finally becoming a real category. We also get into Josh.ai adding DMX and DALI for the fancy-lighting crowd, Sonos trimming some of the people you’d think it should keep, a coax-powered floodlight for those Wi-Fi dead zones, Ecowitt’s Kickstarter water tester, new Home Assistant-friendly gear from IoTorero and Third Reality, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• The story behind Erling Haaland and his taxidermy raccoon: ‘Lock the doors, let’s make this special’
• HomeTech Headlines
  • THIRDREALITY Smart Wall Outlet, Dual Independent Control for 2 Sockets, Individual Power Monitoring, Zigbee Repeater, Compatible with Home Assistant & SmartThings, ETL Certified
  • WQT01: Smart Water Quality Tester
  • Channel Master’s Pro Floodlight uses coax to bring smart lighting to your garden’s dead zones
  • Apple Intelligence in Apple Home will require the $10-a-month iCloud Plus plan.
  • Sonos Sacks Top Designers Behind its Premium Speakers | iPhone in Canada
  • Josh.ai Now Offers Native DMX & DALI Support - Residential Systems
  • IKEA updates DIRIGERA hub with Matter 1.4.2 support and improved network stability
  • Tapo, Aqara, Ulticam, and EZVIZ: All the Matter-certified cameras
  • IoTorero joins Works with Home Assistant
• Hermes Agent — The Agent That Grows With You
• IrriSense 2 | 4-in-1 Smart Sprinkler & Irrigation System | Aiper
• Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 16K – Best 3D Printer for Beginners & Pros
• PrismML — Announcing Bonsai 27B: The First 27B-Class Model to Run on a Phone

On this week's show: Apple makes Apple Home hubs a lot pricier, Samsung puts a $5 toll booth in front of the SmartThings API, and Matter itself keeps inching toward “maybe this really will work.” We also hit a THIRDREALITY timer clock, an interesting universal remote hub, Level’s rough week, Netflix’s new profile email rule, project updates, a pick of the week, and so much more!

• Building an Apple Home just got pricier: New hardware hikes affect key Matter hubs
• Home Tech Headlines
  • New - THIRDREALITY Smart Timer Light TL2,Digital Clock,60GHz mmWave Radar,RGB Light,Light Sensor,Simple Setup,Countdown Timer,Matter Enabled,2.4GHz WiFi only,Compatible with Alexa, Apple Home,Google Home
  • DREO Brings Matter Connectivity to TurboPoly™ Fan 765S, Furthering its Open Ecosystem Commitment
  • OpenInfrared Point: Universal Remote Hub
  • Introducing UniFi Network 10.5
  • Hackers target UniFi as critical exploits surface
  • Crestron Launches Configure Pro Platform for Crestron Home OS
  • Josh.ai Showcases AI-Powered Home Control with New Experiential Video
  • Hunter Douglas Alta Window Fashions Motorized Shades Now Compatible with PowerView Automation
  • Samsung will soon start charging to access its smart home API
  • A New Enhanced SmartThings API Experience  - SmartThings Blog
  • Netflix now requires every user profile to be tied to unique email address
  • Smart lock maker Level has been gutted and its founders are out
  • Matter Just Underwent a Major Stress Test for Supporting Large-Scale Deployments
  • Home Assistant upgrades to Matter 1.5.1 with a better codebase
  • The Matter upgrade you’ve been waiting for
  • Inside the room where the smart home industry is still betting on Matter
• Droplet the #1 Smart Home Water Sensor - Hydrific, part of LIXIL