Phil and Rohan chat with Thomas about his journey building an accessible smart home with Home Assistant. From experimenting with bulbs and voice assistants to creating cutting-edge automations like occupancy sensors and even a ChatGPT-powered smart mirror, Thomas shares how he tailors his setup to support his lifestyle and family.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha202

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:08 Introduction of Thomas

00:01:22 Thomas' Journey into Smart Homes

00:02:51 Experiments with Smart Devices

00:07:17 Setting Up a Smart Home

00:14:07 Challenges of Automation

00:18:02 Focus on Accessibility

00:19:53 Innovative Projects for Visual Impairment

00:26:23 Smart Home Challenges and Solutions

00:30:47 Guest's Technical Background

00:31:09 Managing Home Assistant

00:32:30 Voice Assistants at Home

00:34:32 Voice Assistant Preferences

00:35:26 Accessibility Interface

00:36:20 Apple Products Integration

00:39:01 Automation Challenges and Planning

00:41:40 Security and Smart Locks

00:49:05 Pets and Automation

00:52:21 Language and Voice Recognition

00:54:18 OpenAI Integration

00:57:44 Favorite Automations

01:02:19 Closing Remarks

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

Join us for a fascinating conversation with Tsvi Mostovicz, the visionary behind Home Assistant's Jewish calendar component, which he developed to enable crucial Sabbath-compliant automations. Discover his pragmatic approach to smart home harmony, seamlessly integrating Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Wi-Fi devices for everything from privacy-focused voice control to automated synagogue lighting.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha201

Special thanks to today's guest Tsvi

Tsvi's Github: https://github.com/tsvi

Tsvi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsvim

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:03 Tsvi's Journey into Home Automation

00:02:32 Challenges and Evolution of Home Automation Systems

00:10:00 Building Home Assistant Integrations

00:16:27 Home Automation for Religious Practices

00:18:43 Maintenance and Future of Integrations

00:26:14 Favorite Home Automations and Troubleshooting

00:32:53 Forward Simulation Concept

00:35:20 Automation Interfaces and Challenges

00:36:03 Dashboard Management

00:38:10 Hot Water System Integration

00:40:40 Smart Home Cameras and AI

00:44:18 Future Plans for Smart Home

00:50:39 Community and Impact

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 has launched their own Z-wave radio. 2025.9 lands with a new experimental home screen. Meanwhile Rohan and Phil discuss LLM Vision and some of its use cases

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha200

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:14 Home Assistant Connect ZWA2

00:03:01 Z-Wave Network Challenges and Migration

00:16:45 Rainbird Integration and Irrigation Setup

00:23:25 New Features in Home Assistant 2025.9

00:30:13 Introduction to Smart Home Automation

00:33:17 Husqvarna Automower Features

00:35:54 Reolink Doorbell Updates

00:38:00 PlayStation and Unify Integrations

00:39:11 Tesla and Other Cars Integration

00:41:21 Weather and Bayesian Sensors

00:44:10 AI Vision and Home Automation

00:51:40 New Integrations: Seco, Sleep as Android

00:53:56 Breaking and Backward Incompatible Changes

00:55:26 Hacs Components: Person Location

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

Curious about Shelly? COO Doug Roberson explains their local control philosophy, versatile products, and commitment to empowering your Home Assistant experience

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha199

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:54 Intro to Doug from Shelly

00:03:04 Shelly's Product Offerings

00:03:41 Privacy and Local Control

00:08:56 Shelly's Certification and Community

00:14:32 Automation and Use Cases

00:25:46 Applications in Professional Spaces

00:27:25 Introduction to Network Failover with Devices

00:28:48 Exploring Shelly's Core Features and Automation

00:32:14 Real-Life Home Automation Experiences

00:33:35 Advanced Energy Management Strategies

00:39:03 Innovative Use Cases for Shelly Products

00:40:50 Getting into Smart Home Technology

00:42:36 New Irrigation Solutions and ShelleyX

00:50:50 Business and Education Initiatives

00:54:25 Classroom Training on Shelly Products

00:55:50 Introduction to North American Wiring

00:56:38 Training and Meetups

00:58:52 Product Wishlist

01:05:47 Irrigation and Automation

01:07:14 Community Feedback

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

Join us as we talk with Scott, a licensed Electrician with a deep IT background who's been bouncing between code and conduit for years. Discover how this empty-nester crafts ingenious automations, from power monitoring with custom solutions to integrating nine pinball machines

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha198

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:53 Guest Introduction: Scott the Sparky

00:01:08 Scott's Home Automation Journey

00:04:25 Challenges with DIY and PLCs

00:07:35 Home Automation Concerns and Sustainability

00:22:35 Scott's Water Management and Fire Protection Plans

00:29:48 Introduction to LoRa and Challenges

00:30:42 Powering Devices & Solar Solutions

00:31:26 Communication Projects: MeshTastic

00:31:41 Bushfire Resilience and Backup Solutions

00:32:16 Exploring LoRa Applications

00:32:41 Solar Solutions for ESP32

00:35:15 Z-Wave and Zigbee Discussion

00:37:16 Advantages of Z-Wave Over ZigBee

00:45:43 Power Monitoring Solutions

00:46:43 Smart Home Automation with Shelly

00:48:14 Challenges with Exporting Solar

00:53:30 Animal Automation & Security

00:57:44 Introduction to AI in Home Automation

00:58:07 Automating Fox Detection

00:59:37 The Role of Cameras and Reolink Integration

01:01:09 Exploring Advanced Automation Scenarios

01:07:32 AI in Home Automation: Prospects and Concerns

01:11:35 Challenges and Opportunities in AI and Automation

01:15:17 Simplifying Home Automation for Life

01:18:47 Community and Innovation in Home Automation

01:20:17 Fun with Pinball Machines and Automation

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

Phil and Rohan sit down with Jürgen, co-founder of Nuki - a smart lock provider from Europe who has just joined the Works with Home Assistant program. Jürgen shares insights into Nuki's vision, emphasizing their commitment to user-friendly solutions that integrate seamlessly with Home Assistant.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha197

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:02:04 Professional vs. DIY Automation

00:03:19 Home Automation Tools

00:04:42 Automation in TJ's Home

00:06:52 Role of Home Assistant

00:17:10 Podcasting Experience

00:24:16 E-Waste and Gadgets

00:24:52 Innovative Devices

00:26:15 Enthusiast Discussion

00:27:42 Smart Locks & Security

00:28:25 Zigbee vs. Z-Wave

00:32:48 Smart Home Tech Future

00:42:28 Managing Automation

00:46:41 Automation Introduction

00:47:10 Sonos Integration

00:49:30 Video & HDMI Setup

00:52:52 Media Consumption

00:53:59 Smart Home Automations

00:54:10 Gardening Automation

01:04:24 Garden Lighting

01:10:05 Smart Home Tech Introduction

01:10:15 Implementing Home Tech

01:10:29 Design & User Experience

01:10:45 Flexibility & Control

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 AI Tasks can now help you name and tag your automations, meanwhile the cloud strikes again thanks to Belkin and FutureHome

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha196

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:38 Episode Overview and Topics

00:01:21 Belkin Wemo Disruption

00:06:00 FutureHome Bankruptcy

00:07:59 Home Assistant Isometric Animated Picture Card

00:10:54 Viewer Feedback and Streaming Issues

00:21:37 AI Integration in Home Assistant

00:29:10 Introduction to LLM Vision

00:29:22 LLM Vision Features

00:31:38 Voice Processing Improvements

00:32:53 UI Changes in 2025.8

00:33:29 Matter Support Updates

00:34:22 PiHole API and Data Breach

00:37:53 Home Assistant Integrations

00:43:04 WiFi Presence Detection

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

Phil and Rohan sit down with Jürgen, co-founder of Nuki - a smart lock provider from Europe who has just joined the Works with Home Assistant program. Jürgen shares insights into Nuki's vision, emphasizing their commitment to user-friendly solutions that integrate seamlessly with Home Assistant.

Watch the full episode on YouTube

https://hasspodcast.io/ha195

Chapters

00:00:00 Introduction

00:01:00 Jürgen's Background and Nuki’s Vision

00:02:06 The Inception of Nuki and Product Development

00:04:31 Kickstarter Success and Market Entry

00:05:11 Product Differences between Europe and US

00:06:40 Product Evolution and New Features

00:12:29 Software and Firmware Updates

00:16:29 Integration with Home Assistant

00:20:30 Matter and Thread Implementation

00:23:43 Parallel API Use and Customer Choice

00:27:48 Entering the US Market

00:28:19 Product Design Considerations

00:29:10 Tariffs and Manufacturing Challenges

00:30:20 Security and Privacy Concerns

00:36:21 First Steps in Smart Home Development

00:37:44 Design and Hardware Integration

00:41:38 Sounds of Nuki

00:45:24 Collaboration with Home Assistant

00:52:20 Future Prospects for Smart Locks

00:55:46 Introduction of NFC and Ultra-Wideband Lockdown

00:56:18 Exploration of Biometric Technology

00:58:04 Challenges with Current Access Technologies

00:58:44 User Experience and Feature Preferences

00:59:53 Discussion on Simplifying Smart Locks

01:01:39 Nuki Product Overview and Availability

01:03:27 Home Assistant and Collaboration

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

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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