Episode 82 - Mastering Multiple Markets with Lutron's David Weinstein

A proliferation of entry-level and DIY smart home products has integrators and manufacturers alike grappling for ways to maintain market share. Providing down-market solutions without cannibalizing existing business is, after all, a very difficult balancing act. The good news for those trying to crack the code is that it can be done. For proof look no further than Lutron. 

If you've listened to our show at all over the last year you'll know that we've been keeping a close eye on the news coming out of Coopersburg. To that end we were very excited to sit down this week with David Weinstein, Lutron's VP of Residential Sales, and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to lighting control. While we did spend a portion of the show discussing various technical aspects of lighting, the bulk of our focus was on Lutron's apparent mastery of multiple market strategies. Focusing on various aspects of their main lighting lines (Caseta, RadioRa2, and Homeworks QS), we discuss what it takes to establish and maintain relevance in numerous segments of the rapidly evolving smart home market.  

As always we hope you enjoy the show! If you'd like to support our efforts to bring you more episodes like this one you could leave us a review on iTunes, or consider becoming a patron of HomeTech by visiting our Patreon page. 

Talk to you next week! Be sure to tune in! It will be our last episode prior to CEDIA and we look forward to sharing what we are expecting (and hoping) to see at this year's EXPO. 

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Episode 81 - The Internet of Eggs

Think of this week's episode as a delicious breakfast scramble. Ok, it may not be quite as satisfying as a hot plate of hash-browned potatoes adorned with a couple of fried eggs and covered in melty cheese. The best that we can offer is our own tasty trifecta of HomeTech business ramblings, new product news, and general smart home mayhem.

A few highlights from this week's show include a kitchen gadget you didn't know you needed, a high-profile bankruptcy, a less high-profile IPO, speculation on new Roku hardware, and an internet enabled 'thing' that goes bump in the night. As always we hope you enjoy the show! If you'd like to support our efforts to bring you more episodes like this one you could leave us a review on iTunes, or consider becoming a patron of HomeTech by visiting our Patreon page. 

We will talk to you next week! Be sure to tune as we'll be joined by Lutron's VP of Residential sales David Weinstein for what promises to be a lively conversation!

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Episode 80 - The Update Extravaganza

This week's HomeTech show is chalk-full of updates. We start out with some follow-up points on the not-so-rosy outlook for the KNX Association as they gear up to make a push into the US market. Following that conversation we discuss a number of recent updates on Crestron's Pyng, no doubt aiming to bring the platform back into the spotlight for CEDIA 2015. Speaking of Crestron, and of CEDIA, we also give a quick nod to Vincent Bruno, the former Crestron exec who was recently named CEO of the trade organization. 

Zooming out from the CEDIA channel, we close the show with a quick conversation about iOS 9, rumors of forthcoming products and features from Sonos, and a conversation about Amazon's new 4K FireTV, which quickly morphed into a conversation about the conspicuous absence of 4K on the new AppleTV. Go figure. 

We hope you enjoy the show. Be sure to stay tuned as we count down towards CEDIA EXPO, only a few short weeks away! As always we remind you that if you enjoy the show please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes! We'd also love for you to consider becoming a patron of the show, more info on that here. We'll see you next week.

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Episode 79 - Everything But HomeKit

Home technology fans anxious to see HomeKit in the spotlight at Apple's recent 'Hey Siri' event were once again let down. While we could easily rant about the continual lack of movement on Apple's smart home initiative, who wants to kick a dead horse? We decided instead to focus this week's show on what Apple did unveil, and there was plenty. 

We discuss each of Apple's new product releases, and their implications, or lack thereof, on the home technology market. We take particular aim at the new AppleTV, a product that was long overdue for an update. The updated set top box is certainly an improvement over its predecessor, but it's not all roses (ahem... 4k anyone?).

While mostly focused on Apple, this episode is also rounded out with news from Lutron (yes, Lutron again!). We also discuss the recent push by KNX, a long-established European home automation protocol, to penetrate the US market. (We want to hear from our listeners overseas on this particular story. Tune in for more info and don't hesitate to let us know your thoughts). 

As always we hope you enjoy the show. If you find HomeTech to be a valuable resource please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes! We'd also love you to consider becoming a patron of the show, more info on that here. We'll see you next week.

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Episode 78 - Empowering Creators with Peter Hoddie of Kinoma

This week's episode of HomeTech features a guest well-known within engineering and technology circles, Peter Hoddie. Having once served as Chief Quicktime Architect at Apple, Peter boasts a very impressive resume. Peter currently serves as VP of Kinoma, a division within the giant semi-conductor company Marvell. Back in 2002 he co-founded Kinoma, producing a virtual software platform widely deployed by companies like Palm, Sony, and Sling Media. While Kinoma has since been acquired, in many ways they continue to proudly demonstrate their startup roots. 

Peter joins us to discuss the recently crowd-funded project dubbed Kinoma Create. Create is a platform aimed at removing the low-level drudgery experienced by developers who work at the intersection of software and hardware. By drastically speeding up and simplifying the prototyping process, Kinoma's goal is to promote innovation in a variety of vertical markets, of which the smart home is no doubt a prime target. The company is also highly driven to see the adoption of Create amongst students, promoting tech-education through experimentation. 

Sure to be especially popular with the tinkerers and DIY-enthusiasts in our audience, this conversation provides a glimpse at the type of product which could inspire innovation in the smart home for a whole new generation of Creators. 

As always we hope you enjoy the show! For more episodes be sure to subscribe on iTunes or TuneIn, and don't forget to leave us a rating while you're at it! If you have any suggestions, comments, or just want to say hi, do so on Twitter, or using our feedback form. We look forward to sharing our thoughts on the upcoming Apple Event with you next week so be sure to tune in!

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