Episode 586 - Distracted by Paperclips

On this week's show: the Open Home Foundation puts Community Day 2026 on the calendar, Apollo makes ESPHome a little less breadboard-y, Petlibro reminds everyone why cloud-dependent pet gear is a terrible way to miss dinner, and Whisker proves AI still can’t always tell one cat from another. We also hit Brilliant’s new managed-service subscription, Comcast turning routers into motion sensors with a privacy asterisk, Aqara pushing Matter camera controls forward, Sonos news, plus CEDIA-bound gear from DreamWall and DoorBird, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• Community Day 2026: Save the date! – Open Home Foundation
• ESPHome Starter Kit is shipping!
• Universal Paperclips (Game)
• HomeTech Headlines
  • Cats and dogs are missing meals after a popular smart feeder went down
  • Whisker’s AI-powered litter robot thinks my cats swapped bodies
  • Brilliant Launches Subscription Service for Managed Smart Home Automation
  • DreamWall to Debut New Generation of Outdoor CooLED MicroLED Video Wall Solutions at CEDIA Expo 2026
  • DoorBird Launches the New D22x Series - Residential Systems
  • Comcast adds motion sensing to millions of its newer routers, with a privacy catch | TechCrunch
  • Sonos gets ready to launch new Ace Ultra headphones
  • Sonos Adds Live Activities Support on iPhone
  • Aqara enables PTZ camera control through Matter on the G350
• SEED - SEED Early Access | A brand new world, ready to be populated
• Whats Up, Reynoldsburg?