Episode 517 - Smart Home Regrets

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

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Episode 516 - Barney as a Theater

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 (@weirdestate@eigenmagic.net)
  • Zillow Gone Wild 🏡 on Instagram
• Bed Presence for ESPHome — Elevated Sensors

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Episode 515 - Gavin Quits Blue Iris

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!

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

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

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Episode 514 - Elevate Your Podcast!

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

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Episode 513 - Approving the Bots

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!

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

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

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