In this catch-up episode of the Ian Dixon podcast, Gary joins the show to discuss his recent trip to the Everything Electric exhibition. We dive into the latest in EV technology, including test drives of the MG4 Urban and a look at the massive BYD and Tesla ecosystem packages.

Beyond cars, we explore Gary's latest smart home gadgets, like the GeekMagic TV Ultra—a tiny, customizable display for home automation alerts—and his experience with local AI agents in Home Assistant. Ian also shares insights on his new OneOdio Studio Pro wireless headphones for lag-free music production and his deep dive into deconstructing classic Roland D-50 sounds.

Topics covered in this episode:

• EV News: Insights from Everything Electric, test driving the MG4 Urban, and Tesla's new solar/battery packages.
• Smart Home Tech: A hands-on look at the GeekMagic TV Ultra and automating with local AI agents in Home Assistant.
• Music Production: Reviewing ultra-low latency wireless headphones and recreating D-50 factory presets on the Korg WaveState and Multi/Poly.
• Upcoming Events: Details on the upcoming SynthFest in Sheffield.

• 00:00 - Intro: Catching up on gadgets, EV news, and music tech.
• 00:46 - Gary's experience at the Everything Electric exhibition.
• 01:32 - Smart home tech at the EV show: Tuki light switches and energy management.
• 03:33 - New battery tech: First look at sodium batteries.
• 03:57 - "Robots Live" and Robert Llewellyn's commentary.
• 04:50 - EV Highlights: BYD, Geely (Volvo/Polestar), and the X2 city car.
• 06:10 - Test driving the MG4 Urban and impressions of modern EV interfaces.
• 07:44 - Why the show moved outdoors and the value of physical events.
• 09:18 - Tesla's new all-in-one solar, battery, and car packages.
• 09:55 - The booming secondhand EV market.
• 12:13 - The importance of hands-on showrooms for tech and music gear.
• 14:50 - Recreating the "flagship" experience: From the D-50 to modern synths.
• 16:13 - Gadget Reveal: The GeekMagic TV Ultra tiny display.
• 17:25 - Using tiny displays for smart home indicators and notifications.
• 19:53 - Headphones: OneOdio Studio Pro wireless with ultra-low latency.
• 21:45 - The importance of zero latency for sound design and mixing.
• 23:40 - Music production: Deconstructing Roland D-50 sounds for the WaveState.
• 25:29 - Rotating camera views and info screens on tiny displays.
• 27:12 - The future of local AI agents in home automation.
• 28:22 - Remote access and AI voices in Home Assistant.
• 29:58 - Comparing Alexa Plus to standard smart home voice control.
• 33:50 - Automation vs. AI Learning: Lights that "know" your routine.
• 34:32 - The struggle with managing thousands of devices in the Alexa app.
• 36:44 - Where to find Gary and Ian's upcoming sound packs.

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