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The Technical Difficulties Podcast

The Technical Difficulties Podcast

By: DIY Smart Home Guys - Pete Borchers Brandon Doyle Vincent Hylla
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A podcast all about the latest trends, devices and topics related to smart homes and home automation.

© 2026 The Technical Difficulties Podcast
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Episodes
  • Eufy Walks Us Through Their New 2026 Smart Home Tech | S5E4
    Mar 7 2026

    In this episode of the Technical Difficulties Smart Home Podcast, we sit down with Brett White from Eufy at CES to talk about the future of smart home technology.

    Eufy has become one of the biggest names in smart home security and automation, with products ranging from AI-powered security cameras to robot vacuums and home monitoring systems. In this conversation, we explore what makes Eufy’s ecosystem different, how artificial intelligence is shaping the next generation of smart home devices, and what new innovations may be coming soon.

    We also discuss the broader smart home landscape, including device ecosystems, privacy considerations, and how companies are approaching automation in modern homes.

    If you’re interested in smart home tech, security cameras, robotics, or the future of AI in the home, this episode is packed with insights from the show floor at CES.

    Support the show and get the best deals on Zooz smart home products:
    👉 https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY

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    47 mins
  • Is This New Smart Home Tech Too Good To Be True? | S5E3
    Feb 27 2026

    What if your smart home devices never needed batteries — ever? In this episode recorded LIVE at CES 2026, Pete, Brandon, and Vince sit down with Danielle Hicks, VP of Marketing at WePower Technologies/GEMNS to learn how their energy harvesting technology is about to change the smart home game.

    GEMNS converts tiny movements — a button push, a switch flip, a lock turn — into enough energy to power a wireless signal. No batteries. No wiring. No maintenance. And it lasts forever.

    We cover how the tech actually works, their battery-free Z-Wave leak detector (the first device certified under the new Z-Wave Long Range 2025b protocol), what it costs, and where this could go — from smart home sensors to industrial applications to aging in place.

    Is it real or science fiction? We were skeptical too. Then she explained it.

    Learn more about GEMNS: https://gemns.com

    Support the show and get the best deals on Zooz smart home products:
    👉 https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY

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    23 mins
  • Ex-Firefighters Built This Smart Home Fire Device | S5E2
    Feb 20 2026

    What if your smoke alarm could turn off your stove before a fire even started? That's exactly what Pete Thorp and Larson Webb built with Fire Avert — a smart home device born out of Pete's years as a full-time firefighter responding to the same preventable kitchen fires every single shift. In this episode, they break down how the product works for both electric and gas stoves, walk through its Z-Wave and LoRa connectivity, and share real-world data from a 5,000-unit apartment rollout that saw kitchen fires drop from 18 per year to just 2.

    We also dig into their Shark Tank appearance, the AI-powered system they're building to predict which apartments are most likely to have a fire, and some genuinely wild firefighter stories along the way. If you're serious about smart home fire safety — or you just want to hear two firefighter-turned-entrepreneurs talk shop — this one's for you.

    Fire Avert is available at firevert.com, Amazon, and Lowes.com. Zooz ZEN55 Smoke & CO Detector Bridge mentioned in this episode can be found at thesmartesthouse.com.

    Support the show and get the best deals on Zooz smart home products:
    👉 https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY

    🎥 Check Out Our Channels

    Pete: https://www.youtube.com/@UCrd5f8FlkYrZYcfgosM7IAQ

    Brandon: https://www.youtube.com/@UCpZYk1Lmqna3TKUnGIq1FIg

    Vince: https://www.youtube.com/@UCU_ZANWReE8h0nL0GXPcH1A🎙️

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    44 mins
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