Podcast
HomeTech.fm
Hosted by Gavin Campbell, TJ Huddleston, & Seth Johnson · EN
The HomeTech Podcast features news, opinions, insights, and advice on all things Smart Home | Co-Hosted by Home Automation Pros Gavin Campbell, TJ Huddleston, & Seth Johnson
30episodes
Episodes
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Episode 574 - Backdoors, Bots, and Baby Monitors
May 15Tap to summarizeOn this week’s show: Ubiquiti doubles down with a new UniFi NVR and a major Protect 7.1 update, Unraid ditches the USB stick (finally) with internal boot, and smart vacuums are getting weirder, Blink goes 2K on a budget, Yarbo promises to close its mower’s backdoor, the FBI is resetting routers, and over a million cameras were alarmingly open to hackers. 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 NotesHomeTech HeadlinesNetwork Video Recorder G2 Pro - Ubiquiti Store United States - store.ui.comWelcome to Protect 7.1 - blog.ui.comEufy’s New Robovac Combines Matter and a Built-in Fragrance Module - homekitnews.comThese new Roombas are smaller and cheaper | The Verge - theverge.comBlink bumps its budget buzzer to 2K | The Verge - theverge.comThe FBI may have reset your wireless router; if so, you should replace it - 9to5mac.comA million baby monitors and security cameras were easily viewable by hackers | The Verge - theverge.comYarbo says it will remove the intentional backdoor from its robot lawn mower | The Verge - theverge.comUnraid | Unraid 7.3.0 Stable Now Available - unraid.net
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Episode 573 - Slothbot
May 9Tap to summarizeOn this week's show: TJ gets ready to head to Canada, Apple pays for promising too much from Siri, ULTRALOQ goes tap-to-unlock with Aliro, and Homebridge 2.0 finally speaks Matter. The Roomba creator builds a furry robot friend, Matter.JS Server gets smarter debugging, BEGA lights up Home Assistant, and the new HA beta tunes into sub‑GHz RF. 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 NotesApple Will Pay $250 Million for Overhyping Siri. Canadian Users Get to Watch | iPhone in Canada - iphoneincanada.caHomeTech HeadlinesULTRALOQ achieves Aliro certification for Latch and Bolt locks | Matter Alpha - matteralpha.comHomebridge 2.0 is here, and it speaks Matter | The Verge - theverge.comGoogle's Gemini-powered Home speaker is MIA - mobilesyrup.comIntroducing Dream Machine Beast - blog.ui.comBose takes a swing at Sonos with its new home speakers | The Verge - theverge.comSonoff Unveils NSPanel Pro Gen2 with Matter, dual relays, HA Support - homekitnews.comThe creator of Roomba is back with a furry robot companion | The Verge - theverge.comMatter.JS Server now offers ultimate tool to troubleshoot Matter and Thread | Matter Alpha - matteralpha.comBEGA joins Works with Home Assistant - Home Assistant - home-assistant.io2026.5 Beta: We're on the same frequency now 📡 - Home Assistant - rc.home-assistant.io
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Episode 572 - The Self-Care Chair
May 2Tap to summarizeOn this week's show: Walmart’s Vizio TVs can’t stream without an account, La‑Z‑Boy gets loud with Klipsch‑powered furniture, and Govee keeps lighting up everything from ceilings to patios, one fixture at a time. Home Assistant hikes the price of Green, eero gets a government seal of approval, ubisys joins the club, and Unraid teams up with 45HomeLab for a monster NAS. Plus ap 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 NotesU.S. government recognizes eero as a trusted and secure provider of routers – The Download - blog.eero.comHome Assistant Green price hiked, here’s why | Matter Alpha - matteralpha.comHomeTech HeadlinesAlexa+ is Now Available in Early Access in Spain - thurrott.comThe New Site Manager - Now Official - blog.ui.comTP-Link Announces Forthcoming Matter downlight with Dual Light Sources - homekitnews.comGovee expands premium smart home fixtures with the Ceiling Light Ultra | Matter Alpha - matteralpha.comGovee’s new colorful outdoor lights are its first with solar power | The Verge - theverge.comNewly purchased Vizio TVs now require Walmart accounts to use smart features - Ars Technica - arstechnica.comLa-Z-Boy’s recliners and sofas are getting built-in Klipsch speakers | The Verge - theverge.comPick of the WeekRelease RoomRelay v1.0.4 · guicn555/RoomRelay · GitHub - github.comubisys joins Works with Home Assistant - Blog - Home Assistant Community - community.home-assistant.ioYou asked us to tell you first. The X15 is here. - dua63.r.a.d.sendibm1.comUnraid | Meet the X15 | 45Homelab >< Unraid Partnership Signature Series - unraid.netYou can now visualize your smart home network with Thread Group's new Network Diagnostics app [UPDATED] | Matter Alpha - matteralpha.com
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Episode 571 - SkeetVac
Apr 17Tap to summarizeOn this week's show: Alexa+ learns Italian while Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick gets slimmer and smarter, Netgear dodges a router ban, Ecovacs blasts stains with cleaning jets, and Aqara quietly launches a new Matter sensor. Ubiquiti unveils EAV switching for pro AVs, Apollo celebrates open source with a new ESPHome starter kit, and BLUETTI wants to keep your fridge alive through any storm. All 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!HomeTech HeadlinesNetgear Wins FCC Conditional Approval on Its Consumer Routers, Exempting Them From Ban - Strata-gee.com - strata-gee.comAlexa+ Launches in Early Access in Italy - thurrott.comToronto could get Canada's first 'virtual gated community' using controversial tech - mobilesyrup.comBLUETTI FridgePower Review: Silent Backup That Saves Your Fridge | iPhone in Canada - iphoneincanada.caAmazon's New Fire TV Stick HD is 30% Slimmer and Supports Alexa+ - thurrott.comEcovacs’ new robovac spots and pretreats dried stains using powerful jets | The Verge - theverge.comNew Aqara FP310 sensor brings 24GHz radar and Matter support to China - Matter AlphaIntroducing EAV Switching - blog.ui.comPick of the WeekIllumibot - House of Glass - TikTokState of the Open Home 2026 Was Incredible and We Announced the ESPHom – Apollo Automation - apolloautomation.comBirdbuddy : HomeBirdfy Smart Bird Feeder Camera | AI Bird Watching & IdentificationTJs Bird Friend
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Episode 570 - The Gift and the Curse
Apr 11Tap to summarizeOn this week's show: Google finally lets Workspace users into the Google Home party, Aqara keeps busy with new hubs, thermostats, and sensors, Samsung trims the price tag on its 2026 Frame TVs, Hisense adds a smaller CanvasTV that still wants to be art, LG shows off a mighty new MAGNIT Micro LED system, and Sony teases some serious RGB tech. There’s also a peek at the Home Assistant roadmap, project updates, and so much more!Fan of the show? Want to support our efforts? Please consider becoming a Patron!Show NotesHomeTech HeadlinesGoogle Home App Now Supports Google Workspace Accounts - thurrott.comAqura Hub w200Aqara W200 Thermostat Release VideoAqara Multi-State Sensor P100Samsung announces 2026 Frame TVs and the Pro costs less than last year’sHisense Adds 50-Inch Model to Its CanvasTV Lineup - Residential SystemsLG Introduces New MAGNIT Micro LED TV - Residential SystemsSony Introduces True RGB Technology for Its TelevisionsHome Assistant RoadmapTJ's Trench
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Episode 569 - Ring Goes 4K, Home Assistant Goes '95
Apr 3Tap to summarizeOn this week's show: Ring launches 4K video doorbells and a whole developer portal while Ubiquiti sends AI to the edge with a new series UniFi G6 cameras. Reolink shines bright with its solar floodlight cam, Nuki taps into Apple Home Key, and DEWENWILS dives into Matter with a smart pool pump timer. Matter 1.5.1 gets better camera streaming, Heatit joins Works with Home Assistant, and backup encryption gets a serious upgrade. 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 NotesArtemis 2 live updates: launch time, pre-flight checks - thestar.comHomeTech HeadlinesRing finally brings 4K video to its battery-powered doorbell camera | The Verge - theverge.comRing Developer - developer.amazon.comIntroducing G6 Edge Series - blog.ui.comReolink’s first solar-powered floodlight camera offers wire-free home security | The Verge - theverge.comNuki adds Apple Home Key to its smart lock | The Verge - theverge.comDEWENWILS launches the world's first Matter-compatible smart pool pump timer | Matter Alpha - matteralpha.comThe latest Matter update improves camera streaming | The Verge - theverge.comPick of the Week: GitHub - piitaya/ha95: Home Assistant 95 · GitHub - github.com2026.4 Beta: Infrared never left the chat - Home Assistant - rc.home-assistant.ioMusic Assistant 2.8: Let's get this party started! - Music Assistant - music-assistant.ioHeatit joins Works with Home Assistant - Home Assistant - home-assistant.ioWe now make the best Zigbee and Z-Wave repeaters and open whole-home audio - nabucasa.mailcoach.appModernizing encryption of Home Assistant backups - Home Assistant - home-assistant.ioHAGHSGL.iNet GL-BE3600 (Slate 7) Portable Travel Router, Pocket Dual-Band Wi-Fi 7, 2.5G Router, Portable VPN Routers WiFi for Travel, Public Computer Routers, Business Trip, Mobile/RV/Cruise/PlaneAnker Nano Power Strip, Desk Clamp with 1500J Surge Protector, 5ft Extension Cord, 70W Max Gaming Desk Accessories, 6 AC, 2 USB A, 2 USB C, Home Office Essentials, Fit 0.6~1.8'' Tabletop Edge
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Episode 568 - Smart Home, Dumb Ads
Mar 28Tap to summarizeOn this week's show: Josh.ai takes smart homes to a whole new level of language learning, Amazon’s Alexa+ crosses the pond with a serious accent, Telus launches an all-Canadian AI butler, and Hisense decides you need ads with your HDMI inputs. The FCC bans foreign-made routers (so, almost all of them), and Brava joins the long list of smart gadgets that got cooked by their own cloud. All this, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!
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Episode 567 - Wago Matters
Mar 21Tap to summarizeOn this week’s show: UniFi drops Protect 7.0 with customizable dashboards, smarter event review, local AI image search, and a $4,999 Enterprise NVR Core to store all that footage—plus a $39 Relay and a whole lot of 25G. WAGO says Matter is finally electrician-friendly, while Ikea proves Matter still means “it depends.” Aqara launches the first Matter-certified camera, a new PoE doorbell with HomeKit Secure Video, and we check in on a Navimow mower integration for Home Assistant. A pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!
Transcribe →Episode 566 - Peculiar Projects
Mar 13Tap to summarizeOn 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
Transcribe →Episode 565 - Shark Sees Stains
Mar 7Tap to summarizeOn 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!
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