Episode 245 - "Member of Excellence" with CEDIA's Giles Sutton

On this episode of HomeTech: We are joined by Giles Sutton, CEDIA’s SVP of Industry Engagement. We discuss the organization’s new “Member of Excellence” program, their sharpened focus on increasing awareness within the design and building communities, new efforts in workforce development, observations from ISE 2019, and much more!

That plus the latest home tech headlines including: Why Amazon acquired Eero. Details on Samsung’s new 2019 QLED lineup. Do we finally have a date for Apple’s new streaming service? Arlo pulls its new Ultra model from the shelves after a slew of performance problems. Crestron and Savant show off their new 2-way Apple TV integrations. Control4 expands its international presence. And more…

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Show Notes

• Pre-Show
  • Flo Water Monitor
  • The Sense Home Energy Monitor
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Samsung Launches 2019 4K, 8K QLED Line
  • Apple's streaming video service might finally arrive in April
  • Arlo Pulls the 4K Arlo Ultra From Shelves to Address Early User Feedback | Digital Trends
  • Savant Shows Home Automation OSD through Apple TV
  • Crestron ISE 2019 News: Launch of Crestron Home OS 3; Demos of Apple Integration - Technology Integrator
  • Amazon to Acquire eero to Help Customers Better Connect Smart Home Devices | Amazon.com, Inc. - Press Room
  • Why Amazon buying Eero feels so disappointing
• Interview
  • CEDIA Member of Excellence
• Pic of the Week
  • "This is next level genius" - Omar Kassim on Twitter
  • AMADAS

Episode 244 - Why Control4 Acquired NEEO

On this episode of HomeTech: We discuss Control4’s recent acquisition of NEEO including what’s in it for both companies, the end of the road for the DIY product, and what else the future may hold.

That plus the latest headlines including: Nest, Justin Bieber, and the case for unique passwords. UltraViolet’s inevitable demise is upon us. Aereo got sued out of existence but Locast won’t let that deter them. JoshAI’s sleek new multizone control arrives. Roku in talks to add AirPlay 2 support. And much more…

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

Show Notes

• HomeTech Headlines
  • Nest reminds owners to secure their cameras after creepy scares
  • UltraViolet due to shut down at the end of July
  • UltraViolet Faces Its Inevitable Death. Now What? | The Digital Media Zone
  • Locast, a Free App Streaming Network TV, Would Love to Get Sued
  • Hulu will soon show users ads when videos are paused
  • Roku in Talks With Apple About AirPlay 2 Support
  • Apple TV finally gets X-Ray support for Amazon Prime Video
  • FuboTV becomes the second live TV service to integrate with Apple’s TV app
  • Josh.ai’s First Voice Control for Multisource, Multizone A/V Finally Arrives
  • Why Control4 Bought Neeo; EOL Clarity on DIY Remote Control
  • Control4 Acquires NEEO Remote Control
• Pick of the Week
  • LG Waterfall Display at ISE

Episode 243 - The Patriot Bowl

On this episode of HomeTech: Kick off your Super Bowl weekend us as we cover the latest headlines in the smart home including: Sonos lowers prices and announces new accessories. More news surfaces about AT&T’s forthcoming streaming service. DirecTV Now drops 267,000 subscribers as promotional pricing ends. Roku enables premium subscriptions through it’s Roku Channel. Samsung’s new 8K chip and the end of ugly bezels. Crestron rebrands Pyng technology to “Crestron Home”. A peek inside OneVision’s service model. And much more!

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

Show Notes

• Super Bowl Live Stream: How to Watch the Football Game Online for Free
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Sonos now works with YouTube Music
  • Sonos Lowers Prices and Announces Accessories
  • AT&T’s forthcoming streaming service so far sounds a lot like Hulu
  • DirecTV Now loses 267,000 subscribers as AT&T clears out promo pricing
  • Roku’s à la carte premium subscriptions arrive today, but without HBO
  • Reelgood's Universal Streaming Guide Is Coming to Millions of Smart TVs | Digital Trends
  • Vizio begins SmartCast 3.0 TV beta testing with AirPlay 2 and HomeKit support
  • HomeKit Weekly: Previewing TV support in the Home app on iOS 12.2
  • Samsung's New 8K Display Chip Could Shrink Bezel Sizes to Nothing | Digital Trends
  • Goodbye Pyng, Hello Crestron Home OS 3: ‘Dramatic Redesign’ at ISE 2019
  • A Day in the Life of a Remote Service Team
• Pic of the Week
  • iRobot's Terra Robot Mower is the official 'Roomba for lawns'

Episode 242 - Streaming's Golden Age?

On this episode of HomeTech: Seth and Jason sit down to discuss the latest home tech headlines including: Abode adds HomeKit to its new hub. Atlona gets acquired by Panduit. YouTube TV now available nationwide. Walmart pulls the plug on its rumored streaming service. Hulu drops the price on its base streaming service but raises the price of its live offering. And does Netflix’s latest price increase herald the end of streaming’s golden age? Or just the beginning?

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

Show Notes

• HomeTech Headlines
  • Abode will add HomeKit to its new smart home hub
  • Atlona Acquired by Panduit, with A/V and IT Convergence in Mind
  • Comcast shrinks video subscriber losses down to 29K in Q4
  • YouTube TV finally goes nationwide almost two years after launch
  • Walmart Abandons Its Plans For a Streaming Netflix Killer | Digital Trends
  • Viacom acquires Pluto TV streaming service for $340 million
  • Hulu drops to just $5.99 per month after Netflix’s price hikes
  • As Netflix Raises Prices, Streaming’s Golden Age Is Ending | Digital Trends
  • Why Netflix Raising its Prices is a Good Thing
• Pic of the Week
  • r/homeautomation - My Smart Home. Still a work in progress.

Episode 241 - Meet ConnectSense with Adam Justice

On this episode of HomeTech: We are joined by Adam Justice, CEO and Founder of ConnectSense. We discuss the company’s new Smart Outlet 2, as well as how ConnectSense helps other product manufacturers and OEMs implement their own connected solutions. Adam also shares his perspectives on developing products for all of the major DIY platforms (Alexa, HomeKit, and Google), as well as some of his takeaways from CES 2019.

That, plus the latest home tech headlines including: how to turn any speaker into an Alexa speaker, a new partnership between Sonos and IKEA, NBC to launch a new streaming service, a truly novel approach to privacy in the connected home, and much more…

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

Show Notes

• This is the first truly great Amazon Alexa and Google Home hack
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Turn any speaker into an Alexa smart speaker for only $19.99
  • Sweet sound of SYMFONISK - IKEA Today
  • LG sale slashes OLED TV prices by up to $1,000
  • NBC finally jumps in the streaming wars — announces a new service to compete with Netflix and others
  • Amazon's Updated Base Model Fire TV Stick Now Comes With Alexa Remote | Digital Trends
  • Do Ring Employees Have Access to Customer Surveillance Feeds?
  • For Owners of Amazon’s Ring Security Cameras, Strangers May Have Been Watching Too
• Interview: Adam Justice of ConnectSense
  • ConnectSense
• Pic of the Week
  • Security Camera Caught Man Licking Doorbell for Three Hours