The Smart Home Show
Join hosts Adam Justice and Richard Gunther as they explore the smart home universe. The Smart Home Show features interviews with smart home leaders, analysis of the latest smart home news and the occasional Q and A and product review. All smart home, all the time.
Episodes
Episode 236 - Technology.FM Fireside Chat 2025
It’s that time of year when we get together with the other Technology.FM folks to discuss what’s happened in the smart home this year and what may happen in the smart home next year. Thanks for sticking with us!
Episode 235 - Automate Your Yard Work with Robot Mowers
This summer, we're taking the smart home outside. This is the first in a series of outdoor smart home episodes where we'll focus on technology that can make the exterior of your smart home as smart as the interior.YouTuber and Podcaster Brandon Doyle joins Richard and Adam in this episode to survey the landscape of smart outdoor maintenance devices. And the timing is perfect, as Brandon has recent
Episode 234 - Taming the Wi-Fi in Your Smart Home
Adam and Richard are diving deep into Wi-Fi, so you can make the best of the spectrum in your home for your smart, connected devices.
Episode 233 - CES 2025
Adam and Richard are at CES this year, talking about the products, categories, and themes that are catching their attention at the show. They also discuss this show's value to companies, small businesses, and entrepreneurs.
Technology.FM Fireside Chat 2024
It time for the 10th annual technology.fm year-end wrap-up. This year, Adam and I join the guys from the HomeTech Podcast to share our thoughts on the year and weigh in with predictions for 2025.If you want a Mill of your own, you can get $200 off using Richard's referral link.Have questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 231 - What’s So Great About Home Assistant?
Paulus Schoutsen, the founder and creator of Home Assistant, dives deep into home automation software with Adam and Richard. They discuss what moves Home Assistant is making in the DIY and pro spaces, and why it's receiving a surge of interest from a more general audience.Have questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 230 - Richard’s Smart Home 2024 Update
Adam checks in with Richard about his smart home acquisitions from the past year, including new lighting solutions from Inovelli and Legrand, a smart outlet from Leviton, and the Nest Learning Thermostat v4.They also discuss the Mill Food Recycler, which turns food scraps into something resembling coffee grounds. Those grounds can then be composted, used as fertilizer, or shipped back to Mill to b
Episode 229 - AI in the Smart Home
Adam and Richard talk about the state of AI in the smart home, including fridges with computer vision and how Josh.ai is trying to fix voice-controlled home automation. Then, they talk about Apple's AI-related announcements at WWDC, including a huge tie-up with OpenAI ... but when, exactly, will we see this tech on all our devices?Also on today's episode: Why Apple is playing catch up with its vir
Episode 228 - Food Tech and the Smart Kitchen with Mike Wolf
Mike Wolf returns! The original host of the Smart Home Show, now running The Spoon and the Smart Kitchen Summit, is back to talk with Adam and Richard about the latest and greatest food tech. That extends from robots in restaurants to home composting solutions like The Mill.The trio also talks about how advances in AI may change our cooking and eating habits, and whether emerging technologies will
Episode 227 - Is Kaleidescape Really the "Ultimate Movie Platform?"
Adam has been testing the Kaleidescape home theater movie platform, and on our last episode, he interviewed the company's director of technical marketing, Andre Floyd. Today, Richard interviews Adam about what he's learned from using the so-called "ultimate movie platform," who should definitely use it, and who might want to think twice before investing in it. They discuss ease of setup, movie sel
Episode 226 - Interview with Kaleidescape’s Andre Floyd
Adam sits down with Andre Floyd, director of technical marketing at the "ultimate movie platform" Kaleidescape, to talk about his experience testing their hardware in his home theater, and what makes Kaleidescape different from other digital media solutions. It's an in-depth conversation about movies, smart home integrations, and how to get the most out of your at-home movie collection. On the nex
Episode 225 - Technology.FM Fireside Chat 2023
Richard Gunther from the Smart Home Show is joined by TJ Huddleston, Seth Johnson, and Gavin Campbell from The HomeTech Podcast for Technology.FM's annual fireside chat! They reflect on 2023's developments in the smart home space — both the good and the bad — and share what they're looking forward to in 2024.Have questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 224 - Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals on Smart Home Products
Adam and Richard run down the smart home deals that caught their attention ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2023. That includes discounts on home entertainment products like Sonos, security solutions for the home and office, and one of Adam's favorite things, the Eight Sleep Pod Cover (use his referral link for $300 off).They also share some important tips for getting the best deal, and not
Episode 223 - Richard’s Smart Home 2023 Update
While Adam has been working on his home theater, what smart home projects has Richard been up to? Today on the Smart Home Show, he talks about all of them, including security lighting, smart dimmer sensors, smart blinds, an awful touchless faucet, an expanded Sonos collection, outdoor light bars, and mesh routers. Adam and Richard also talk about Richard's frustration with Matter, the disappointin
Episode 222 - Amazon and Google's Fall Events
Adam and Richard are joined by The Verge's smart home reviewer, Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, to discuss Amazon's recent fall hardware event, which focused on new and updated products for the connected home. That includes a redesigned Echo Show 8 that can become a digital photo frame (for a price); a smart home controller called the Echo Hub; and a new automatic lighting feature for Echo speakers.The t
Episode 221 - CEDIA 2023
Adam and Richard share their reflections on & highlights from the 2023 CEDIA Expo in Denver, including some amazing smart drapes from Lutron, two very unusual TVs from LG, a dynamic new Android-powered media remote, and a high-end streaming media box that’s affordable for home theater cinephiles. They also tackle a listener's suggestion for getting Dolby Atmos audio on an Apple TV, and Richard
Episode 220 - Let’s Build a Home Theater, Part 5 (Finale)
After six months and five podcast episodes, Adam’s home theater project is finally done! Today, he recounts to Richard what he learned in the final stages of the process, including: Why you should probably get professional movers for your chairs; why one of the last steps may fill your house with hours of weird sounds; and why he decided to equip the room with an Apple TV, an Nvidia Shield, and a
Episode 219 - Let’s Build a Home Theater, Part 4
TJ Huddleston from the HomeTech Podcast and Richard Gunther join Adam Justice at his home in Illinois to talk about the progress being made on Adam's nearly completed home theater, and the setbacks that have kept it from being totally completed. Those include getting the walls and ceiling painted, a missing part that required Adam and TJ to take a field trip to an electronics mecca, and a screen s
Episode 218 - Let’s Build a Home Theater, Part 3
Adam and Richard are joined once again by their panel of experts — TJ Huddleston and Seth Johnson from the HomeTech Podcast, and Cinemaworks owner Owen Maddock — to discuss all the progress that has been made on Adam's home theater construction project, which is currently running about two weeks behind. Adam explains how they could have avoided the setback, how his plans for the projector and scre
Episode 217 - Let’s Build a Home Theater, Part 2
Adam and Richard are re-joined by our panel of home theater experts — TJ Huddleston and Seth Johnson from the HomeTech Podcast, and Cinemaworks owner Owen Maddock — with some updates on Adam's home theater project. This time: What screen, projector, and speakers are right for Adam, and what should he do to get the most out of his budget? How should everything be laid out? And is HDR overrated? Plu
Episode 216 - Let’s Build a Home Theater, Part 1
Adam and Richard are joined by three expert guests — TJ Huddleston and Seth Johnson from the HomeTech Podcast, and Cinemaworks owner Owen Maddock — to help Adam design and build the home theater of his dreams. The project begins with some fundamental questions: What should the space look like? Who’s going to use it? How do you soundproof a theater? And how do you get the most out of your budget? P
Episode 215 - The Best of CES 2023
They couldn't make it to Las Vegas in person this year, but Adam and Richard followed all the smart home news from CES 2023 closely. In this episode, they share the announcements that most piqued their interest, including new products from Nanoleaf, GE, Ring, and more. They also turn their attention to some non-CES announcements from the likes of Apple, Insteon, and Eve; answer a listener question
Episode 214 - Technology.FM Fireside Chat 2022
Adam, Richard, and the other hosts of Technology.fm podcasts gather for their annual fireside chat, to review the biggest stories of the year.Have questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 213 - A Few of Our Favorite Smart Home Things
As the year comes to a close, Adam and Richard share their top product picks in various smart home categories. They also discuss this year's very long Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales and how to convince someone that smart locks are safe.Here's a full list of every favorite thing discussed on this episode:LightingNaonleaf LinesNanoleaf Essentials LightstripLighting ControlLutron Diva Dimmer for Cas
Episode 212 - Renting a Smart Home: What Tenants and Property Managers Need to Know
Adam and Richard talk about how to get into the smart home if you rent an apartment or condo — or if you own a rental property. In the first half of the show, they talk about the lighting, locks, kitchen gadgets and more that can make your life as a renter happier without violating your lease. And in the second half of they show, they explain what property owners need to know before tricking out t
Episode 211 - Smart Home Fundamentals
Inspired by a listener's question, Adam and Richard go back to basics in this episode and explain some fundamental concepts about smart home technology. Including: What is a smart home? What's a platform? What's a standard? What's the difference between a "warm" light and a "soft" one? And how does a smart device know how to do anything?Previously...- Insteon Goes Dark & Cloud vs. Local https:
Episode 210 - Dreaming of a Perfect Smart Home
Adam and Richard brainstorm what their dream smart homes would look like, if money were no object but technology advanced in a realistic way. They discuss the ideal state of voice assistants, lighting, window treatments, security systems, A/V equipment, home robotics, and more. Also: Should you AirTag your baby? (No.)Have questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 209 - Moving a Smart Home, Part 2
Adam and Richard continue their discussion of Richard's recent move to a new home. Richard explains the first devices he chose to set up, why he intentionally dragged his feet on some devices, and the mistakes he made with his existing Ring and Hue accounts. He also shares some advice for installing Zigby devices that may save you a huge amount of time, and a hack he discovered for making Sonos sp
Episode 208 - Insteon Goes Dark & Cloud vs. Local
Smartlabs, the company behind smarthome.com and Insteon smart home products, has shuttered operations. On today's show, Adam and Richard discuss how that sudden shutdown has impacted both manufacturers and consumers, and the trade-offs of communicating locally vs. over a proprietary cloud.Have questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 207 - Moving a Smart Home, Part 1
Adam and Richard are back to discuss Richard's move to a new state, which required him to also decide which of his more than 100 connected devices would make the move, and which would be left behind. He talks about how he decided what would make the cut, and explains the settings that needed to be adjusted or turned off in both sets of devices, because "it's not as simple as unplug and go." Plus:
Episode 206 - Technology FM Fireside Chat with Seth Johnson
Adam and Richard catch up with Seth Johnson for the 2021 Technology.FM Fireside chatHave questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 205 - Matter Is Starting To Get Real, featuring Jennifer Pattison Tuohy from The Verge
Adam, Richard, and The Verge's Smart Home reviewer Jennifer Pattison Tuohy talk about the next-gen smart home standard Matter, previously known as Project CHIP. They explain what it is, why there's some cause for optimism that this will be the one standard to rule them all - and also who's currently missing, and what important questions have not been answered yet. They also talk about Athom's rein
Episode 204 - A deep dive into the Basement Guardian Halo, the smarter sump pump
Adam and Richard are joined by Tom Flippin from Wayne Water Systems to talk about the Basement Guardian Halo, which Wayne developed with Adam's company ConnectSense. The Halo is a smarter sump pump - a device many homeowners don't see or think about until it fails catastrophically. The trio discusses what a sump pump does, how Wayne and ConnectSense thought about the ways hooking one up to the sma
Episode 203 - Adam's Year of Smart Home Projects
Last month was Richard's annual recap, and now it's Adam's turn to talk about the smart home projects he has taken on over the past year, including the Sonos Roam, new lights and cameras from Ring, an amazing 3D printer, the Harmony Elite remote, and more of Apple's HomePod Minis. Adam also talks about his "list of shame," gadgets he has purchased and projects he has meant to start that have so fa
Episode 202 - Richard's Year of Smart Home Projects
Adam and Richard talk about all the smart home projects Richard has taken on over the past year, including several attempts to install a decorative flickering light, outdoor lighting, motion sensor switches, and outfitting his new vacation rental home. Then, Richard talks about the products he's been testing recently, including smart roller shades, the Abode Iota security system, and the Philips S
Episode 201 - Smart Home News From Apple's WWDC 2021
Adam and Richard talk about the numerous Smart Home-adjacent announcements Apple made at WWDC21, including updates to Siri, the Home app, and HomeKit Secure Video. They also discuss the "homeOS" rumors, Apple's participation in the device standard Matter (previously known as Project CHIP), and the announcements Apple didn't make that they're disappointed are still missing. Plus: A listener questio
Episode 200 - Apple's Spring Loaded Event and Smart Home History with Mike Wolf
To celebrate The Smart Home Show's 200th episode, Adam and Richard welcome back the Show's creator and original host, Mike Wolf. The trio discusses Apple's announcements from its Spring Loaded event last week, including the rainbow-colored M1 iMacs and the new 4K Apple TV. Then, they reflect on how much the smart home space has changed since Wolf started this podcast in 2014, and they predict how
Episode 199 - Talking Video Doorbells with Dan Seifert
This week Adam & Richard welcome back Dan Seifert from The Verge to talk all about the Video Doorbells! They discuss some of the high-end models as well as what they would like to see in this category in the future.Have questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 198 - The Future of the Smart Home w/ Rob Martens
This week Adam & Richard are joined by Rob Martens from Allegion, they catch up on what Allegion is up to in the Smart Home space as well as talk about the future of the smart home and what's holding us back from realizing its full potential. Have questions or feedback for us? Send it to feedback@smarthome.fm.
Episode 197 - The Reports of Wink's Death are Greatly Exaggerated
Adam & Richard talk about Wink's recent issues as well as their troubled past and give some suggestions of what listeners might want to use to replace it. via Knit
Episode 196 - Not Live from CES 2021
Adam & Richard catch up to talk about virtual CES 2021 and what the trends were that surrounded this years show. via Knit
Episode 195 - Tech FM 2020 Fireside Chat w/ Seth Johnson & Jason Griffing
On this 2020 edition of the Holiday Fireside chat Adam & Richard are joined again by two special guests, Seth Johnson & Jason Griffing hosts of the HomeTech Podcast. Everyone shares their unique perspectives on the biggest stores in Smart Home this year as well as sharing their predictions for what 2021 holds. via Knit
Episode 194 - Catching Up on the Smart Kitchen with Mike Wolf
Adam & Richard catch up with our old friend Mike Wolf to talk about all things Smart Kitchen and what has been going on in that space. via Knit
Episode 193 - There's No Place like HomePod Mini
Adam & Richard talk about the newly announced HomePod Mini as well as discuss what they did to prep their homes for vacation. via Knit
Episode 192 - High flying new products from ConnectSense & Amazon
Adam & Richard talk about two new ConnectSense products that were recently released as well as about all the new products announced by Amazon, Ring and Eero via Knit
Episode 191 - The State of Z-Wave with Mitch Klein
Adam & Richard are joined by Executive Director of the Z-Wave alliance Mitch Klein to talk about the state of Z-Wave and where it is headed via Knit
Episode 190 - Testing the Homebridge Waters Ft. Eric Welander
Adam & Richard are joined by Youtuber Eric Welander to discuss Homebridge and HOOBS via Knit
Episode 189 - What's New in Adam's Smart Home
Adam & Richard revisit what smart home technology Adam uses in his own home and what's changed since we talked about this last via Knit
Episode 188 - What's New in Richard's Smart Home
Adam & Richard revisit what smart home technology Richard uses in his own home and what's changed since they talked about this last year. via Knit
Episode 187 - Google's Virtual Smart Home Summit
Adam & Richard talk about Google's recent virtual Smart Home summit via Knit
Episode 186 - Apple's Home Play
Looking back at Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference, we have a clear draft winner! Apple introduced some nice HomeKit enhancements, including new features for lighting, cameras, and Apple TV devices. via Knit
Episode 185 - WWDC 2020 HomeKit Draft
Adam & Richard participate in their third annual competition predicting what will take place next week at WWDC. Each draft HomeKit and related technologies and discuss what they think will be announced at WWDC 2020. See SmartHome.FM for show notes and the full list of picks. via Knit
Episode 184 - A Deep Dive into Digital Assistants in the Smart Home
Adam & Richard dive deep into the three major smart home digital assistant platforms and talk about their capabilities, intricacies, technologies, and differences. via Knit
Episode 183 - It's been a year...
Adam & Richard revisit some of the subjects discussed over the last year of hosting The Smart Home Show. Additionally, they discuss how COVID-19 may affect the smart home industry. via Knit
Episode 182 - Switches vs Bulbs
Adam & Richard talk about Smart Switches vs Bulbs, the different types of each and scenarios where you want to use each. Additionally they discuss how they use these in their own homes and what they typically recommend to others. via Knit
Episode 181 - Smart Home Project Inspiration
Adam & Richard talk about ideas for improving your smart home while spending a little extra time at home. They also discuss some of the smart home projects they are planning on taking on in the coming weeks. via Knit
Episode 180 - Hubs and Bridges
Adam & Richard discuss Hubs and bridges, the difference between the two and how they are used in the smart home space. Additionally they debate the pros and cons of using bridges and hubs. via Knit
Episode 179 - State of HomeKit Roundtable
Adam and Richard join Dan Vincent and Jake Pugh from Icon Garden plus Zac Hall from 9to5Mac for a roundtable discussion on the state of HomeKit. via Knit
Episode 178 - Product Lifecycles & End of Life
Adam & Richard welcome special guest Josh Clark to discuss smart home product end of life and the saga going on lately with Sonos via Knit
Episode 177 - CES 2020
Adam & Richard talk live from the show floor at CES 2020 about some of their favorite things that they saw at the show as well as some of the trends seen at CES this year. via Knit
Episode 176 - Technology.FM's 2019 Fireside Chat
Adam & Richard join the hosts of Hometech.FM for the fifth annual Technology.FM Fireside Chat. What were the most important stories of 2019, and what are they all most looking forward to in 2020? via Knit
Episode 175 - Designing and Launching the In-Wall Outlet
Adam & Richard discuss ConnectSense's new Smart In-Wall Outlet, digging into the origins of the product and its features as well as discussing the process of launching a smart home product via Knit
Episode 174 - Troubleshooting the Smart Home
Adam & Richard discuss common Smart Home issues and how to troubleshoot them as well as tips and tricks for keeping your smart home working optimally. via Knit
Episode 173 - Smart Home Device Pricing
Adam & Richard discuss smart home device pricing including a discussion on new low cost hardware providers as well as a deep discussion on what makes up the cost of a smart home device. via Knit
Episode 172 - Amazon Fall Extravaganza w/ Special Guest Dan Seifert
Adam & Richard welcome special guest Dan Seifert from the Verge to talk all about Amazons fall event and all the new hardware and services announced. via Knit
Episode 171 - CEDIA
Adam & Richard discuss CEDIA 2019 and an exciting new technology with interesting uses in the smart home. via Knit
Episode 170 - DIY vs Professional Smart Home
Adam & Richard discuss the professional and DIY markets for smart home products. via Knit
Episode 169 - Google Smart Home Summit
Adam & Richard are joined by special guest Steve Sanders to talk about Adam & Steves recent visit to Mountain View for the Google Smart Home Summit. via Knit
Episode 168 - What devices are in Adam's Smart Home?
Adam & Richard discuss what devices Adam has currently in his smart home that he uses in his every day life. via Knit
Episode 167 - What devices are in Richard's Smart Home?
Adam & Richard discuss what devices Richard has currently in his smart home that he uses in his every day life. via Knit
Episode 166 - Outdoor Smart Home
Adam & Richard discuss what's going on in the outdoors with smart home products for irrigation and lighting.Links:https://homekittalk.co/join/ via Knit
Episode 165 - Who's Winning in the Smart Home
Adam & Richard Discuss Point players vs Ecosystem plays as well as who is winning in the Smart Home.Show Links::https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_Rockers via Knit
Episode 164 - What's new with HomeKit w/ Special Guest Rene Ritchie - WWDC 2019
Adam Justice and Richard Gunther are joined by special guest Rene Ritchie from iMore to discuss all the HomeKit related announcements at WWDC 2019.Topics include:-HomeKit Secure Video-Privacy & Security-HomeKit Enabled Routers-HomeKit & Catalyst/Marzipan-Automation Improvements, HomeKit + Shortcuts-Automating HomePod/AirPlay 2Show Links:CNet HomeKit WWDC 2019 Coveragehttps://www.cnet.com/n
Episode 163 - There is No Place like HomeKit - Past and Future
<P>Adam Justice and Richard Gunther prepare for Apple's annual World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) with a review of the history and current state of HomeKit. How has it evolved over the five years (five years!) since it was first introduced, where can it stand to improve, and how do Adam and Richard think Apple will enhance it this year? Will we see state-of-the-art improvements to Siri?
Episode 162 - All Things Google
-Google Home Hubhttps://store.google.com/us/product/google_nest_hub?hl=en-US-Nest Hub Maxhttps://store.google.com/us/product/google_nest_hub_max?hl=en-US-New Branding Google Nest-New Device Google Nest Hub Max-Added Built in Nest Cam-Gesture Recognition-Bigger display-Person recognition-Better Speakers - Sub built in-$229-State of where things are at with Google Assistant in the Smart Home Space t
Episode 161 - Convergence of Smart Home and Smart Kitchen
* Where are we seeing cross-over? * Samsung SmartThings * Echo devices * Dash replenishment services* What are the use cases/value propositions?* Is this ready for prime time? * Seems like early days * Can the tech survive (aka "don't brick my fridge")* What would this look like ideally?Wake of defunct services and devices* Recent shutdowns/pivots * Lowe's / Lowe's Smart Home powered by b8ta * Cor
Does Your Future Smart Home Include A Rosie-Like Robot?
If you've paid any attention to home robotics over the past decade, you've probably noticed one thing: all home robots are basically single function devices that vacuum our rugs or roll around on the floor.But Misty Robotics' Tim Enwall hopes to change that. You may remember Tim from his days as CEO of Revolv, the company behind the super hub that included seven radios. After spending a couple y
Your Face Is Your Key: Exploring Facial Recognition Technology with TrueFace's Shaun Moore
Back in 2014, Shaun Moore and his cofounder started selling a consumer video doorbell called Chui with facial recognition and detection technology. Eventually they realized the future of the company was not in doorbells, but in developing robust facial recognition/detection technology that could be applied to a variety of scenarios.Shaun talks about those early days, the competitive video doorbel
WWDC 2017 Smart Home Wrap-Up: What We Learned About HomePod, HomeKit & More
I caught up by phone with Adam Justice from WWDC to talk about what we learned this week about Apple's smart home efforts. We talk about:-Updates to HomeKit, including software authentication, NFC pairing, new event triggers-The overall showing of HomeKit and how this is the most important WWDC for HomeKit since it was launched in 2014-What happened with Siri-The HomePod: We talk about Apple's ne
The WWDC 2017 Prediction Show (Smart Home Edition)
Apple's big developer conference is just three days away, and so it's time to make some predictions. Mike gets together with his old friend Adam Justice from Connectsense to discuss what we can expect this coming Monday from Apple on the smart home front. Topics discussed include:-Whether Apple will release a Siri speaker -Possible features of a Siri speaker, such as camera, touchscreen, HomeKit c
