Episode 179 - CEDIA, Apple, and Nest. Oh my!

On this week's episode of HomeTech: We welcome Seth back after his battle with Hurricane Irma. We're happy to report that he, his family, and his home all came through the storm unharmed. We're also happy to report that this is a jam-packed episode, complete with our thoughts on three recent, major events: CEDIA, Apple, and Nest. Don't miss it! 

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Show Notes

• Smart Home Lessons from Hurricane Irma
• Pics of the Week
• iHummingbird Interview
• Amazon to Put CEDIA-Certified Smart Home Installers on the Map - CE Pro
• Control4 Adds If/Then Engine to Home Automation, Lets End Users Tweak System - CE Pro
• The Aweful Sonos Booth at CEDIA
• Control4, Pakedge Launch Most Ambitious Network-Certification Program Yet - CE Pro
• CEDIA 2017 Best New Product Winners, Honors Alex Capecelatro as Young Professional of the Year - Technology Integrator - 1 of 8
• Lutron Unveils New Wireless Control, Thermostat, Lighting Fixtures, Exposed Shades - CE Pro
• Inside Lutron CEDIA 2017 Booth: RA2 Select Is ‘Total Gamechanger’ - CE Pro
• Apple unveils iPhone X with all-new design, OLED Super Retina Display, Face ID | 9to5Mac
• Apple TV 4K starts at $179, order from September 15 | 9to5Mac
• Apple TV's 4K movie pricing is exactly what the 4K world needs
• The new Apple TV 4K will be a much more powerful streaming box than its predecessor - The Verge
• Siri Remote for Apple TV updated with new Menu button and price | 9to5Mac
• Everything Apple Announced: iPhone X, iPhone 8, Face ID, Animoji, Apple Watch, Apple TV | WIRED
• Nest announces ‘Secure’ alarm system, ‘Hello’ video doorbell, & Nest Cam IQ Outdoor (still no HomeKit) | 9to5Mac
• Google Assistant is coming to Nest Cam IQ | TechCrunch
• Inside the Second Coming of Nest | WIRED
• Nest debuts Nest Secure home system and has a Thread router called Nest Connect | Stacey on IoT

Episode 178 - Hurricane CEDIA Update

This week a quick CEDIA update from Jason since Seth is still battling power and internet outages in the wake of Hurricane Irma. We'll be back soon with a CEDIA wrap up and commentary on the Apple Event as well as the week's news in HomeTech. 

Episode 177 - HomeTech's CEDIA 2017 Preview Special

On this week's episode of HomeTech: Jason provides a glimpse at OneVision's new ebook "The Insider's Guide to Remote Systems Management" — a free, comprehensive, and fully manufacturer-approved analysis of the RSM space including comparisons of BakPak, Domotz, Ihiji, and OvrC Pro. 

Plus... our annual CEDIA preview! Seth and Jason predict the biggest and most important themes you can expect to see emerge from San Diego including analysis of many new product announcements that have come out leading up to the show. This episode is not to be missed! 

Also, don't forget!  This year, we're hosting our first-even "Home Tech Happy Hour". Come join us at The Field - Authentic Irish Pub & Restaurant 🍀 on Thursday, September 7 at 5PM! Drop in for a quick toast before you head out to the evening's big events! Learn more here.

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

Show Notes

• Comparing Control4 BakPak, Domotz, Ihiji and SnapAV OvrC Pro - CE Pro
• Ihiji ProVue: A Re-Invisioned Remote Monitoring and Support Application For Technology Professionals | Technology Management for Integrators of AV, Automation, Security, and IoT
• Domotz Announces Powered By Domotz Partner Program
• Lifetime Licensing Now Available for Domotz Pro
• Domotz Introduces Partner Marketplace
• Questions about Google and Nest? Ask Away! - CE Pro
• Nest’s Thermostat E has a new design, a cheaper price, and almost all the same features - The Verge
• Nest promises “big announcement” at September 20th event - The Verge
• Sonos Speakers Gain Far-field Mics For Voice Control | Zatz Not Funny!
• Sonos Speaker Gains Far-field Mics For Voice Control | Zatz Not Funny!
• Josh.ai Micro Is Complete Voice-Controlled Home Automation Hub for Every Room - CE Pro
• Valet Amplifiers by Origin Acoustics
• Amazon registered these 28 domains for Multi-room Echo audio launch - Domain Name Wire | Domain Name News & Views
• Amazon Echo devices now support multi-room audio playback | AFTVnews
• Bang and Olufsen "Eclipse" OLED sweats the details on its moving TV

Episode 176 - "The Year of HDR Confusion" with PixelGen's Jack MacDougall

On this week's episode of HomeTech: We are joined Jack MacDougall, President of Pixelgen, for a deep dive into today's ultra-confusing video landscape. From resolutions and bit rates, to color spaces and dynamic ranges, it's enough to make your head spin. Jack brings to the show a unique combination of deep expertise and an ability to make these concepts relatable. While our conversation covers numerous facets of video technology, a good portion of our chat focuses on dissecting today's competing HDR standards. With Jack providing the key information you should know in this brewing standards war, this is a show you won't want to miss.

That plus... Is a smart speaker from Sonos in the offing? Also, the latest on their Alexa software integration. Is a down market thermostat coming soon from Nest? New products from August rumored as well. Back-to-back CEDIA keynotes from Amazon. Eero meeting home tech pros in the middle. And much more...

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

Show Notes

• Found a new way to mount my Echo Dot
• LockState - Nate Schneider Reaction
• Sonos hints at smart speaker in privacy policy update - The Verge
• Sonos says users must accept new privacy policy or devices may "cease to function" | ZDNet
• Sonos Alexa Skill Poised To Drop | Zatz Not Funny!
• Nest Heads Down Market This Fall | Zatz Not Funny!
• August Preps Two New Smartlocks & Doorbell Refresh | Zatz Not Funny!
• They're Back - Amazon to Present a CEDIA 2017 Keynote - Strata-gee.com
• Eero Cozies Up to Channel with PoE and Remote Network Management - CE Pro
• Interview: Jack MacDougall - Pixelgen

Episode 175 - The "Projects Project" with Nathaniel Gori

On this week's super-sized episode of HomeTech: In another installment of the "Projects Project", we welcome Nathaniel Gori to the show to discuss his unique smart home install. Figuring out a technology plan in a 100-year old home presented Nathaniel with more than his share of challenges. But, with good planning, thorough research, a bit of elbow grease, he was able to install a system that fits his needs and leaves room for expansion. Perhaps most importantly, his system also meets the requisite WAF. Tune in to hear all about Nathaniel's project. If you're interested in having your home technology project featured on the show, head on over to home.fm/projects and let us know about it!

That plus... Heading to CEDIA? We discuss some can't miss events — HomeTech's Happy Hour and OneVision's Service Workshops. A botched firmware update bricks a line of smart locks. Did Z-Wave's site just leak info on a new controller from Control4, the CA-1? Ikea poised for smart home domination. Pay TV providers register their largest subscribers losses ever! And much, much more...

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

Show Notes

• Projects Project
• OneVision Workshops at CEDIA
• HomeTech Happy Hour CEDIA 2017
• Ouch! Bad OTA update bricks some smartlocks.
• FAKE OUT! - Ikea still on track to make its smart bulbs compatible with Google Home, Alexa, and HomeKit in the fall - The Verge
• Ikea's Home Smart Line Could Shake Up the Smart Home Industry | WIRED
• Z-Wave Product Catalog
• Cable and satellite companies registered their worst subscriber losses ever — Quartz
• Seeso postmortem: Stop treating OTT like linear TV, analyst says | FierceCable
• Hulu Live adds 12 more CBS stations, up to 115 | FierceCable
• Walmart’s Vudu video streaming service is coming to Apple TV on August 22nd - The Verge
• Smart Home DB - The Smart Home Database