On this week's show: Apollo joins the Works with Home Assistant program, YoLink releases a new local hub, eero launches their Wi-Fi 7 router lineup, UniFi announces new 10 Gigabit Cloud Gateways, several new smart home products hit, Tado raises eyebrows with app subscription tests, Amazon unveils their long awaited, AI-powered Alexa+, a pick of the week, TJ's honest review of the Aqara G5 Pro, project updates, and so much more!

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Show Notes

• HomeTech Headlines
  • Apollo joins the Works With Home Assistant Program - Home Assistant
  • YoLink Releases Local Hub
  • Introducing eero 7 and eero Pro 7: Our Wi-Fi 7 family just got bigger. – The Download
  • Introducing All-New 10 Gigabit UniFi Cloud Gateways
  • This smart video lock unlocks with a wave of your hand
  • Ring’s new security camera supports 2K video out of the box | The Verge
  • Eve adds a Matter over Thread dimmer switch. | The Verge
  • Leviton Decora Evolve Smart Dimmer Module
  • Tado told users it would start charging for its app | The Verge
  • Introducing Alexa+, the next generation of Alexa
  • Amazon Unveils AI-Powered Alexa+
  • Amazon unveils AI-powered Alexa+, not available in Canada yet
• Pick of the Week
  • Montreal's Snow Dump
  • Snow removal - Wikipedia
• The Night Of (TV Mini Series 2016) ⭐ 8.4 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
• Severance (TV Series 2022– ) ⭐ 8.7 | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
• Silo (TV Series 2023– ) ⭐ 8.1 | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
• Open Sound Control - Wikipedia
• Aquatel D110 Wireless Tank Fluid Monitor Driver for Control4
• Camera Hub G5 Pro - Aqara
• Bed Presence for ESPHome — Elevated Sensors

On this week’s show: Josh AI announces their Winter Event, prices are going up in response to tariffs, Netflix scrambles to prevent their app from being what customers want, Aqara releases new switches in the US, and perhaps a new PoE camera, plus our pick of the week project updates, and so much more!

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Show Notes

• Florida red tide map shows harmful algal bloom forecast
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Josh AI Winter Event
  • Acer is the first to raise laptop prices because of Trump
  • Netflix says its brief Apple TV app integration was a mistake
  • Have Apple and Netflix finally made an Apple TV deal? – Six Colors
  • Aqara's New Matter/Thread Switches Arrive in the US
  • Aqara G5 Pro's also for sale? Pick of the Week
  • Ordering a Vacuum Robot from Temu
• HomeTech.Social
• Camera G5 PTZ - Ubiquiti Store
• GitHub - dermotduffy/advanced-camera-card: A comprehensive camera card for Home Assistant
• RATGDO
• Recommended settings for using Sonos with Ethernet networks
• LED Strip Lights T1 - Aqara

On this week's show: Unifi drops their new SuperLink IoT gateway, Sonos makes headlines with executive changes and weird canceled products, we discuss the future of smart appliances, answer some letters from the mailbag, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

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Show Notes

• HomeTech Headlines
  • Unifi Introduces SuperLink!
  • Sonos’ chief marketing officer has left the company
  • Sonos explored creating a MagSafe speaker for iPhones
  • Smart appliances should come with an expiration date
• Pick of the Week
  • Weird Estate (@[email protected])
  • Zillow Gone Wild 🏡 on Instagram
• Bed Presence for ESPHome — Elevated Sensors

On this week's show: Sonos has ambitious goals for the streaming space, Amazon is teasing a February mystery product event, Apollo Automation is shipping their Temp-1 sensor for Home Assistant users, a pick of the week, project updates, Gavin drops a bombshell about is new NVR system, and so much more!

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Show Notes

• Government to Use Its AI for Nuclear Weapon Security
• How to watch Super Bowl 2025: Chiefs vs. Eagles on Sunday, February 9
• HomeTech Headlines
  • After a bruising year, Sonos readies its next big thing: a streaming box
  • Amazon announces February product event
  • Apollo Automation Releases Temp-1 Sensor
  • Home: On #159 - Pre-gaming CES with Jimmy Hawkins
  • BioLite Outdoor & Off-Grid Charging, Cooking & Lighting
• Pick of the Week: Using an Aqara Window Contact Sensor to Detect Toilet Flushes
• HA 2025.2 Released - Major updates to backups
• Bed Presence for ESPHome — Elevated Sensors
• UniFi Camera Security - Ubiquiti

On this week's show: Elevate your smart living experience with groundbreaking HomeTech news and information! We unpack Unifi's game-changing AI Key for next-gen automation and Xiaomi's Matter-enabled Smart LED Bulb that redefines ambient intelligence. Discover Logitech's revolutionary peel-and-stick radar sensors for invisible space optimization and Apple's Thread radio breakthrough transforming iPhone connectivity. We analyze market-shifting tariff impacts on TSMC's chip dominance and insights from Acquired Podcast's deep dive. The CSA/Thread/Wi-Fi Alliance dream team reveals their blueprint to supercharge Matter's potential. Plus: marvel at a handcrafted pick of the week, explore ComfyUI's AI-powered creative suite, unlock pro audio control with our featured Sonos menu bar app (while the Ecobee API window closes for newcomers), project updates, and more!

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Show Notes

• HomeTech Headlines
  • Unifi AI Key
  • New Xiaomi Smart LED Bulb with Matter support appears
  • Logitech’s peel-and-stick radar sensors could let companies invisibly monitor their offices
  • Here’s another use for that Thread radio in your iPhone.
  • Trump to impose 25% to 100% tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, impacting TSMC
  • TSMC (Remastered) | Acquired Podcast
  • How the CSA, Thread Group, and Wi-Fi Alliance plan to fix Matter | The Verge
• Pick of the Week
  • This is my wood case for a home assistant touch display, the cover is made from an old t-shirt and the wood is machined from oak
• ComfyUI | Generate video, images, audio with AI
• Ecobee API No Longer available to new users
• Menu Bar Controller for Sonos - Mac App
• TJ's Bluesky HomeTech Feed

On this week's show: Netflix raises prices (again), Snap One and AVA settle, new products come out of Lightapalooza, Smartwings introduces PoE powered shades, SmartThings launches ambient sensing, Zigbee has a new trick, a mailbag question about soil sensors, a pick of the week, project updates and more!

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Show Notes

• E-Wand – Current Luxury
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Netflix Had a Great Year. Now Pay Up. - Vulture
  • After Year-and-a-Half Fight, All Claims are Dismissed in Snap One vs AVA - Strata-gee.com
  • Lightapalooza 2025: Snap One Previews Lux by Control4 - Residential Systems
  • Lightapalooza 2025: DMF Lighting Introduces PhaseX Solution and Artafex Linear - Residential Systems
  • Smartwings Introduce First Ever PoE Matter Smart Shades
  • Samsung bringing ambient sensing to SmartThings - The Verge
  • Here’s the tech that could turn millions of Zigbee light bulbs into motion sensors with a single update - The Verge
  • New Philips Hue Automation for smart home devices now live - NotebookCheck.net News
• Mailbox
  • WH51 Wireless Soil Moisture Sensor Max 8 Channels Soil Humidity Tester
  • WH51L Wired Soil Moisture Sensor
  • Soil Moisture Sensor, Vantage Pro2™ and EnviroMonitor® - SKU 6440Default Title
• Pick of the Week
  • Next Level Truck Nuts
• Unraid Releases Updates to address Security Concerns
• GitHub - clusterzx/paperless-ai: An automated document analyzer for Paperless-ngx using OpenAI API, Ollama and all OpenAI API compatible Services to automatically analyze and tag your documents.
• Outemu Yellow Jade Silent Switch 5Pin HP Tactile Custom Mechanical Keyboard Mute MX Switch Like Holy Panda lubricated for Gaming
• 110PCS Switch Springs Gold-plated Two-stage for Diy Cherry mx Mechanical Keyboard 35g/45g/60g/62g/67g/78g/80g/150g Spring
• Elevation Lab TimeCapsule AirTag 10-Year Battery Case - Over 14x More Capacity Than CR2032 | IP69 Waterproof, Uses AA Batteries, Patented
• Wireless HDMI Transmitter and Receiver 4K, 2.4G/5G Plug & Play Portable Wireless HDMI Extender Kit for Streaming Video and Audio to Monitor from Laptop/PC/TV Box/Projector
• DVDO Wireless HDMI Extenders

On this week's show: Patrick Spence is out at Sonos and we may have written a song about it... Needless to say this episode is best heard on a Sonos. What's more, we have an amazing pick of the week, tons of holiday project updates, and so much more!

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Show Notes

• Protect AI Port - Ubiquiti Store
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Sonos CEO Patrick Spence steps down after disastrous app launch - The Verge
  • Sonos’ interim CEO hits all the right notes in first letter to employees - The Verge
  • Sonos continues to clean house with departure of chief commercial officer - The Verge
• Pick of the Week
  • TV too... Big?
  • Memphis Grizzlies' billionaire owner Robert Pera angers neighbors by turning home on super-wealthy Miami island into basketball arena with jumbotron blazing 24 hours-a-day
• Expanding Smart Home Automation Capabilities | Apollo Automation
• Emporia Vue 3 Home Energy Monitor
• HA Podcast - Automating the pool pump started Gavin’s smart home journey
• Chowmain Software - Control4 Home Assistant Driver
• Lamps | PureEdge Lighting
• Falling Iguana Checker - NOW WITH AI!

🎵 The Ballad of Patrick Spence 🎵

(Verse 1)
In the land of speakers, Sonos reigned supreme,
With Patrick Spence steering the dream.
But one dark day, a bug came through,
A brand-new app, and the users booed.

(Chorus)
Oh Patrick Spence, the board said, “No!”
“We can’t let this broken app steal the show!”
While the world hit delete, and frustration was met,
TJ laughed loud, for he’d won the bet.

(Verse 2)
The app was meant to be sleek and smart,
A symphony crafted from the tech world’s heart.
But crashes, glitches, the UX was dire,
And soon enough, Patrick faced the fire.

(Chorus)
Oh Patrick Spence, the board said, “No!”
“We can’t let this broken app steal the show!”
While the users complained, and investors upset,
TJ cashed in on his clever bet.

(Bridge)
The lessons we learn, oh, they come at a cost,
In the world of tech, one glitch and you're lost.
Now Sonos must rise from this painful fall,
To reclaim the trust of music lovers all.

(Chorus)
Oh Patrick Spence, the board said, “No!”
“We can’t let this broken app steal the show!”
As the dust settles down, we won’t forget,
The day TJ stood proud, winning his bet.

(Outro)
Now the speakers still play, the music rolls on,
But Patrick Spence’s era is gone.
The moral is clear, don’t gamble too much,
And always beta test before you touch.

🎵 The End 🎵

On this week's show we take a look at all of the news coming out of CES 2025. AI, Robots, TVs, Matter, Speakers, IoT, and so much more! We also take time for a few mailbag items and find a pick of the week that Gavin can't wait to get his hands on.

Fan of the show? Want to support our efforts? Please consider becoming a Patron!

Show Notes

• HomeTech Headlines
  • AI at CES
    • Google will use more mics and Gemini AI to get you to talk to your TV
    • Samsung’s smart fridges will use AI to suggest groceries to buy on Instacart
    • Samsung Unveils Vision AI and New Innovations at CES 2025
    • EcoFlow Announces AI-Powered OASIS Energy Management Systems
  • Matter at CES
    • Matter speakers are coming to stream music and tell you when the wash is done
    • Google Home hubs can now work locally thanks to Matter
    • Apple, Google, and Samsung will accept Matter certification of smart home products
    • I found the first Matter smart fridge
  • Lights at CES
    • Lifx made its first smart lamp
    • GE Cync’s new smart switches look better and work with Matter
    • Lutron Debuts HomeKit-Compatible Caséta Smart Shades
    • Govee Announces New Gaming Pixel Light, Mini Panel Lights and More at CES 2025
  • Locks at CES
    • Schlage just unveiled its new Schlage Sense Pro Smart Deadbolt, supporting Matter-over-Thread and Ultra Wideband
    • Lockly’s latest smart lock is a digital peephole
    • This $700 door handle has an entire security suite built in
    • Tapo’s palm-scanning door lock promises a full year of battery life
    • Oh yeah, that’s a smart dog door with custom RGB lighting
  • Lawn Stuff at CES
    • The IrriSense Smart Irrigation Sprinkler will automatically adjust its watering schedule based on the weather and soil conditions.
    • Anker to launch its first Eufy robotic lawnmower in spring 2025
  • Energy at CES
    • Ecobee launches an even cheaper smart thermostat
    • Honeywell Home’s first Matter thermostat costs just $80
    • Bluetti has two new flagship energy storage kits for the home and beyond
  • Robots at CES
    • iRobot’s founder is working on a new kind of home robot
    • This robovac has a self-cleaning mop that extends outward for more reach
    • The innovative Multitasking Household Robot K20 Plus Pro is a modular robot vacuum that can also clean, purify, monitor, and cool your home.
    • Roborock’s Saros Z70 features a robotic arm that can clean up as it vacuums your floors.
    • Segway at CES: a powerful pair of e-bikes, a 50mph scooter, and a robot mower
    • Narwal’s latest mopping robovac keeps corners clean
    • Eureka’s new robot vac can tackle wet messes
    • Eufy’s new robovac transforms into a handheld vacuum
    • Samsung claims its Ballie AI robot will actually be released this year
    • ElliQ’s companion robot is now a much more useful tool for caregivers of the elderly.
  • TVa at CES
    • Samsung announces The Frame Pro: could this be the perfect TV?
    • LG and Samsung are adding Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant to their TVs
    • TiVo-powered TVs are coming to the US
    • LG’s microwave has a 27-inch display that’ll be perfect for ads
  • IoT at CES
    • Aqara Reveals New Switches, Sensors, a New Doorbell, and More at CES
    • With the Shelly Wall Display X2, you don’t need a smartphone to control smart home devices.
    • SwitchBot’s new video doorbell comes with an in-home display
    • Ring is upgrading its outdoor cameras with 2K resolution (even if you already own them)
    • Ring is making a smart smoke alarm
• Pick of the Week
  • This tiny robot cat will blow on your coffee to cool it off

For this year’s Fireside Chat, Adam Justice, Richard Gunther, TJ Huddleston, Gavin Campbell, and Seth Johnson sit down to chat about news and events that happened in 2024 and predictions for next year.

Fan of the show? Want to support our efforts? Please consider becoming a Patron!

Show Notes

• Top Stories of 2024
  • Sonos’ latest app update fixes just a fraction of its problems
  • Sonos Says Sorry For App Update Issues
  • Home Assistant - 2024.12: Scene you in 2025! 🎄
  • Matter 1.4 Enables More Capable Smart Homes
• Favorite Products
  • ESP32 - Wikipedia
  • Mill Food Recycler - Referral Link for Richard
  • Litter-Robot 4
  • MSR-2 mmWave Multisensor For Home Assistant | Apollo Automation
  • Smart Touchscreen Family Calendar and Organizer | Skylight Calendar
• 2024 Retrospective
  • Harmony Remote Manufacturing, Service and Support Update
  • SwitchBot Universal Remote | Simplify & Consolidate Infrared Devices – SwitchBot US
  • The Skip 1s Universal Remote Control - Flirc
  • Nest Learning Thermostat (4th gen)
  • Resideo Completes Acquisition of Snap One
  • Sonos Ace: Wireless Over Ear Headphones with Noise Cancellation

On this week's show: The smart home tech landscape continues to evolve with exciting new product launches and integrations. Inovelli introduces its Blue Switch with a humidity sensor for pre-order, while Shelly unveils a new Z-wave Door/Window sensor. Homey expands its capabilities with advanced energy management features and a new dongle and dashboards for European markets. Tomorrow Fridge brings innovation to kitchen tech, Samsung deepens its YouTube Music integration, a Pick of the Week, project updates, and so much more!

Fan of the show? Want to support our efforts? Please consider becoming a Patron!

Show Notes

Apollo H-1 Annual Holiday Ornament

• HomeTech Headlines
  • Inovelli Blue Switch w Humidity Pre-Order
  • New Shelly Door/Window Sensor
  • Tomorrow Fridge
  • Homey adds new energy management features and a dongle
  • P1 Monitor Demystified - EVALAN
  • [Getting Title at 58:53](http://Samsung's Music Sync is getting a deeper integration with YouTube Music)
  • Twinkly Music Dongle
• Pick of the Week: Robot on the run!