Episode 566 - Peculiar Projects

On this week’s show: iRobot comes back from bankruptcy with a tiny Roomba Mini that won’t launch in the US, Homey adds Python support to open the app floodgates, Sonos launches a new portable Play speaker and a mic-free Era 100 SL while also admitting its Apple TV rival is dead, IKEA pushes a Dirigera update to fix Matter pairing, and Zooz gets Z-Wave Long Range sensors certified for Alarm.com. All of this, 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

Show Notes

• iRobot’s Roomba Mini can clean where its larger robovacs can’t reach - The Verge
• Introducing the Python Apps SDK – News | Homey - homey.app
• Sonos Launches ‘Play’ Speaker and Era 100 SL: Here’s Canadian Pricing | iPhone in Canada
• Sonos CEO Confirms Apple TV Competitor Is Dead: Why ‘Pinewood’ Never Launched | iPhone in Canada
• Ikea Dirigera firmware update targets Matter onboarding and pairing issues - Matter Alpha
• 🎉 Alarm.com Certifications - What's New - zoozcommunity
• Pick of the Week: Can Home Assistant Run Doom?

Episode 565 - Shark Sees Stains

On this week’s show: Sonos accidentally leaks the Play, and UniFi drops a WiFi 7 U7 Mesh with big range claims. Aqara adds Samsung Home Key as Aliro finally becomes real, Shark’s $1,300 robot hunts stains with UV, and Samsung promises to ask Texans before watching what they watch. Meta smart glasses get creepier (and detectable), BGR says hubs are dead (sure), Home Assistant spring cleaning begins, robotic mowers get their own pet-aware gate, plus 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

• Anthropic refuses Pentagon’s new terms, standing firm on lethal autonomous weapons and mass surveillance - The Verge
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Portable Sonos Play speaker leaks on Canadian Best Buy - The Verge
  • Buy New - Navimow MowGate Smart Automatic Gate for Robotic Lawn Mowers - The Green Team
  • Introducing U7 Mesh - blog.ui.com
  • Aqara’s U400 now supports Samsung’s Home Key. - The Verge
  • The smart lock standard that could replace your keys is finally here - The Verge
  • Shark’s latest robot vacuum hunts stains with UV light - The Verge
  • Samsung TVs to stop collecting Texans’ data without express consent - BleepingComputer
  • Dear Meta Smart Glasses Wearers: You're Being Watched, Too - Gizmodo
  • GitHub - yjeanrenaud/yj_nearbyglasses at selfh.st - GitHub
  • Someone made an app to detect nearby smart glasses - MobileSyrup
• Mailbag
  • Why There's Simply No Need For A Smart Home Hub Anymore - BGR - BGR
• 2026.3: A clean sweep - Home Assistant
• Apollo Automation Expands Works With Home Assistant Certification: BTN - Apollo Automation

Episode 564 - E-Ink Everything

On this week’s show: Google Home lets you delete its pre-made routines, Sonos shows profit but not growth, IKEA’s leaked Matter light driver, Heiman joins Works with Home Assistant with Thread-based safety sensors, a pick of the week, project updates, AI updates, and so much more!

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

Show Notes

• I Donut Believe - Presenting Third Party Results - I Donut Believe
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Google Home now lets you delete pre-made routines, improves clip downloads on web - 9to5Google
  • Sonos Q1/2026 Shows Little Progress; CEO Gives Clues to His Turnaround Plan - Strata-gee.com
  • IKEA’s latest Matter-compatible smart home gadget has been leaked – here's all you need to know - T3
• Pick of the Week
  • GitHub - ugomeda/home-assistant-epaper-remote: An e-ink remote for Home-Assistant built with FastEPD - GitHub
  • How I built Timeframe, our family e-paper dashboard - hawksley.org
• Heiman joins Works with Home Assistant - Home Assistant
• The Open Home Foundation merch store is here! - Blog - Home Assistant Community - Home Assistant Community

Episode 563 - Auto-Man

On this week’s show: Ring’s Super Bowl ad fallout keeps getting worse as Search Party, Flock, Axon, and leaked emails raise bigger surveillance questions, Fire TV gets its biggest UI update ever, Eufy promises five-year motion sensors, and Third Reality drops new Zigbee gear. Ubiquiti goes industrial with a new Cloud Gateway, Shelly leaves garage doors wide open (literally), and OpenAI picks up the founder of OpenClaw. All of this, 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

• After Search Party backlash, Ring is still avoiding the bigger questions - The Verge
• Definitely Only for Dogs: Ring's Superbowl Commercial (Parody)
• Ring’s Flock breakup doesn’t fix its real problem - The Verge
• Ring cancels its partnership with Flock Safety after surveillance backlash - The Verge
• Ring’s AI-powered Search Party won’t stop at finding lost dogs, leaked email shows - The Verge
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Fire TV's biggest update ever is here. - amazon.com
  • Eufy reveals new smart home motion sensors with incredible battery life - The Ambient
  • Smart Water Leak Sensor WL2 - thirdreality.com
  • Smart Button ZB2
  • Cloud Gateway Industrial - Ubiquiti Store United States - Ubiquiti Store United States
  • Smart Home Flaw Lets Hackers Open Your Garage Door - TROYPOINT
• Pic of the Week: Frisbee or Ubiquity?
• OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger is joining OpenAI - The Verge

Episode 562 - Goodbye HomeKit, Hello OpenClaw

On this week's show: Ring’s Super Bowl ad creeps everyone out with AI dog-finding (and maybe people-tracking) technology, TI drops $7.5 billion on Silicon Labs in a bold smart home chip move, Apple kills the old HomeKit just in time for Valentine's 2026, and SwitchBot dreams big with AI agents and RTSP cameras in a mystery lunchbox-shaped hub. Plus: 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

• Ring Super Bowl commercial: Why 2026 ad is receiving backlash from fans over creepy concept - Yahoo News
• Amazon Ring’s Super Bowl ad sparks backlash amid fears of mass surveillance - The Verge
• HomeTech Headlines
  • A US chipmaker is buying this IOT company for $7.5 billion. - The Verge
  • Apple is killing the old HomeKit Tuesday - The Verge
  • SwitchBot AI Hub will soon run OpenClaw - Matter Alpha
  • FBI releases recovered footage from Nancy Guthrie’s Nest cam - The Verge
• Pick of the Week: I built a theater in a toilet. - Youtube
• Solar Sheds, Smart Gardens, and a Reality Check from CES 2026 with TJ Huddleston – HGG670
• Yardian Pro Smart Sprinkler Controller (12-Zone) – Easy DIY Install, Apple HomeKit, Ethernet & Wi-Fi, Manual Buttons, Weather-Based Scheduling
• Flair hvacOS Solutions | Optimize Temperature, Comfort, and Airflow