Join us as Paul Riley, an engineer with a background in rocket fuel systems, shares his journey into smart home automation. Discover how he leverages Home Assistant to tackle practical "little things" like a demisting mirror and even automate his boat. Paul also discusses his passion for ESPHome, exploring local AI applications, and fostering the next generation of tinkerers in electronics.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha194

Chapters

00:00:14 Guest Introduction: Paul

00:01:39 Paul's Background in Electronics

00:06:05 Career Highlights

00:08:41 Home Automation and Rockets

00:13:57 Current Work and Tech Advancements

00:18:35 Paul's Personal Home Automation Projects

00:27:21 Introduction to Smart Gadgets

00:28:32 Home Automation Innovations

00:31:00 Gadget Enthusiast's Collection

00:39:00 AI in Daily Life

00:41:33 AI and Automation

00:47:36 Smart Home Automations

00:52:05 Challenges of Automation on a Boat

00:53:15 Voltage Converter Setup

00:53:46 Pros and Cons of Thermostats

00:55:41 Voice Control Devices

00:57:05 Cloud Systems and Security

00:59:06 Getting Started: Electronics & Home Assistant

Support the Podcast

Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon

This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

Zooz

If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

So for the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com

Hosts

Phil Hawthorne

Website

Smart Home Products

Twitter: @philhawthorne

Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

Buy Phil a Coffee

Rohan Karamandi

Website

Smart Home Products

Twitter: @rohank9

Buy Rohan a Coffee

We sit down with Mark Watt from Mark Watt Tech — the high-fiving hero of Home Assistant tutorials — to chat all things smart home, AI, and turning 3D printing into a side hustle.

We dive into how AI is reshaping home automation, the evolution of the Home Assistant project, and Mark’s creative journey from software tinkerer to YouTuber… to running a 3D printing business with his wife! Whether you're deep into ESPHome or just wondering why your Tuya plug still needs the internet, there's something here for every smart home enthusiast.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha193

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:13 Meet our Guest - Mark Watt Tech

00:01:43 Creator Calls

00:02:41 Getting Started with YouTube

00:06:02 Home Automation Journey

00:08:18 Home Assistant and Technology

00:11:02 Opinions on Matter

00:17:24 Favorite Home Automation Setups

00:26:50 Piracy and Services

00:28:18 Voice Models and Annoyance

00:29:20 Self-hosting AI

00:30:32 Voice Automation Challenges

00:35:52 YouTube Channel and Personal Projects

00:40:22 Home Automation Advice

00:43:15 Innovative Home Automation Hacks

00:45:21 Creating Content on YouTube

00:47:00 Music Assistant and Voice Assistants

00:51:50 Upcoming Plans and Projects

00:53:38 Introduction and Jealousy

00:53:52 Smart Home Creation

00:54:09 YouTube Break and 3D Printing

00:54:17 3D Printing Business

00:54:44 New YouTube Channel Plans

00:55:11 Waiting for New Printer

00:55:34 Video Content Ideation

00:57:01 Security and AI in Video Feeds

00:58:02 OpenAI Image Processing

00:58:53 YAML Integration Plans

00:59:31 Conclusion and Thanks

Support the Podcast

Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon

This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

Zooz

If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

So for the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com

Hosts

Phil Hawthorne

Website

Smart Home Products

Twitter: @philhawthorne

Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

Buy Phil a Coffee

Rohan Karamandi

Website

Smart Home Products

Twitter: @rohank9

Buy Rohan a Coffee

Home Assistant 2025.7 is here, with a much-requested feature, the ability for Voice PE to ask you questions. Rohan and Phil discuss the possibilities and break down some other new features that have been packed into this release

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha192

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:08 Home Assistant Voice Chapter 10

00:04:25 Community Feedback

00:05:56 Smoke Detector Options

00:11:21 Home Assistant 2025.7 Updates

00:21:29 Integration Subentities

00:25:35 UI Improvements and Features

00:29:01 Home Assistant Configuration

00:30:20 AI and OpenAI Discussions

00:32:08 API Integrations and Experiments

00:34:08 Samsung and Smart Home Integrations

00:38:24 New Integrations and Features

00:41:03 Breaking Changes

00:42:03 Plex Media Server Discussion

00:46:33 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes

Support the Podcast

Get early-access to episodes and an ad-free feed by supporting our Patreon.

Support Rohan and Phil on Patreon

This episode was made possible thanks to our sponsors

Home Assistant Cloud by Nabu Casa

Easily connect to Google and Amazon voice assistants for a small monthly fee that also supports the Home Assistant project. Configuration is via the User Interface so no fiddling with router settings, dynamic DNS, or YAML.

Zooz

If you're looking to upgrade your smart home - you can’t go past Zooz! Zooz offers a range of affordable and innovative devices, including water leak sensors, water valve controllers, smart plugs and scene controllers.

So for the best prices on all Zooz products, head over to thesmartesthouse.com

Hosts

Phil Hawthorne

Website

Smart Home Products

Twitter: @philhawthorne

Bluesky: @philhawthorne.com

Buy Phil a Coffee

Rohan Karamandi

Website

Smart Home Products

Twitter: @rohank9

Buy Rohan a Coffee