Episode 94 - The HomeTech CES2016 Wrap-Up

At 170,000+ attendees, CES 2016 was truly a massive show. Trying to key in on significant themes through all the noise is daunting. Thankfully we finished digging out from under a veritable heap of news stories and press releases just in time to bring you this (massive) wrap-up special. Might want to consider listening at 2x speed here, tons of ground to cover! 

Of course we couldn't kick off our wrap-up without diving first into the smart home at CES. We dissect the various strategies of the big players, including Amazon's nearly ubiquitous presence (not bad for a company that didn't even come to the show).

Like any self-respecting CES special we also include a comprehensive TV roundup, giving our take on the competing strategies of companies like Samsung, Sony, Panasonic, and LG. 

Be sure to tune in 'till the end as we wrap-up with something very special: the inaugural "HomeTech CES Awards". Join us for some fun as we round up the best stories from CES, and a few of the worst for good measure. 

As always we hope you enjoy the show! If you'd like to support our efforts to bring you more episodes like this one please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes! It helps tremendously. You could also consider becoming a patron of HomeTech by visiting our Patreon page. 

Thanks for listening! Talk to you next week! 

Show Notes

HomeTech CES 2016 Awards

Most Significant Product or Story

Coolest Product

Most Innovative Product

Most Intriguing / Ambitious

Worst Of CES

Episode 93 - Watching Fridge Gnomes Work

Production and recording schedules being what they are, this week we bring you just a small taste of what we've seen so far out of CES2016. The good news is that it didn't take long for the extravagant nature of the show to reveal itself. I mean, why wouldn't you need a 21.5" touchscreen on your refrigerator?

The so-called "Family Hub", announced by Samsung, is replete with cameras on the interior (viewable from an app of course). Maybe the tech press will finally stop speculating about the glorious day when, finally, our 'fridge can let us know when we're out of milk. 

Far from the only story we cover this week, this episode also features other announcements out of Samsung, analysis of LG's late-to-the-party smart home strategy, and some pretty impressive new hardware from Dish. We hope you enjoy!

Thanks as always for listening! If you like what you hear please take a moment to leave us a review on iTunes. Be sure to tune in next week for a deeper dive into CES, including the first ever installment of the "HomeTech CES Awards"!  

Episode 92 - CEDIA's Got Swagger

With the Holidays in full swing, and tech companies nose-down prepping for the Consumer Electronics Show, news on the home technology front was a bit sparse this week. No matter! We're still bringing you a pertinent, if slightly abbreviated, episode.

We start off with a brief chat about CES, making a few predictions about the madness about to descend on Las Vegas. Our conversation rounds out with a discussion about Control4's new consumer finance offering, and analysis of CEDIA's recent "State of the Association" webinar. 

We want to take a quick moment to thank you for a great 2016! It's been a pleasure to share our thoughts with you all year, and we appreciate your listenership tremendously! 

We'll talk to you next week (err... year)!

Show Notes

Episode 91 - The Technology.fm Holiday Fireside Chat

There is no better time than the Holidays to gather with close friends and reflect on the fact that another 12 months have come and gone (already?!). To that end we are excited to present to you a very special episode: The very first "Technology.fm Holiday Fireside Chat". 

Two long-time friends of the HomeTech podcast, Mike Wolf of the Smart Home Show, and Richard Gunther of Home:On, join us around the proverbial hearth for a lively and engaging conversation about the state of the connected home as 2015 draws to an end. So grab a glass of egg nog, put another log on the fire, and join us as we dissect this year's most relevant smart home stories, and make a few predictions about what 2016 has in store. 

As always we hope you enjoy the show! If you find the HomeTech podcast valuable please consider supporting our efforts by leaving us a review on iTunes, or by becoming a patron of HomeTech by visiting our Patreon page. 

Seth and I will be taking next week of to enjoy the Holiday with our families. We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas! Talk soon!
~JG

Episode 90 - Innovation, or Something Like It

After taking a week off to galavant around Germany, Seth returned just in time for us to bring you this week's show. Battling through a serious case of jet-lag, and nostalgia for the land of beer and brats, Seth joined me to discuss a number of stories about smart home innovation, or at least something resembling it. 

A key story in this week's show is highly relevant to anyone with a vested interest in the evolution of home-technology-as-a-trade. A large integration firm in my neck of the woods (Denver, CO) has launched a new venture called HAUS (Home Automation University). It's an ambitious undertaking, and no doubt a novel approach, but will it succeed? At least half of the HomeTech team is bearish. Tune in for the full run down, then let us know what you think.  

We round out the episode with conversations about Amazon's (speculative) interest in gesture control, what NEEO is doing right when it comes to old-fashioned infrared, some patent grabbing by Apple, and a highly anticipated update from Sonos. 

As always we thank you for tuning in! If you find our show valuable please consider supporting our efforts by leaving us a review on iTunes, or by becoming a patron of HomeTech by visiting our Patreon page. 

We'll talk to you next week!
JG