Home Gadget Geeks

Hosted by Jim Collison

Episodes

Language

EN-US

About the show

On Home Gadget Geeks we cover all your favorite tech gadgets that find their way into your home. News, reviews, product updates and conversation, all for the Average Tech guy! Host Jim Collison and his super line up of hosts are LIVE each week on Thursday nights, 8pmC/9E at http://theAverageGuy.tv

Listen to episodes

60 recent

1 hr 21 min

Phil Hawthorne on Smarter Home Assistant Automations, ESPHome, E-Ink and AI – HGG686

Phil Hawthorne joins Jim Collison for HGG686 to talk Home Assistant automations, Blueprints, ESPHome, Bluetooth proxies, e-ink dashboards and AI-assisted smart home control. They dig into how Home Assistant is moving from individual entities toward devices, areas, labels and more flexible automation patterns. Phil also shares thoughts on the Open Home Foundation, Works with Home Assistant, Assist and using separate AI roles safely. Full show notes are at https://theAverageGuy.tv/hgg686

1 hr 23 min

T.J. Huddleston on Smart Gardens, Solar-Powered Sheds and Home Assistant AI – HGG685

T.J. Huddleston from HomeTech.fm joins me to talk about replacing a traditional lawn with a pollinator garden, building a smarter irrigation system, powering a shed with solar and using Hermes to make Home Assistant easier to manage.Full show notes at https://theAverageGuy.tv/hgg685

1 hr 23 min

Christian Johnson on Passkeys, Self-Hosted Bitwarden and Guardrails for AI Agents – HGG684

Password managers are becoming credential managers as passkeys begin replacing traditional usernames, passwords and authentication codes.Christian Johnson joins me to talk through what that transition means, whether self-hosting Bitwarden provides a meaningful advantage and where Vaultwarden fits for Docker and homelab users.We also look at a larger experiment Christian is working on through Maple Grove Partners: managed container hosting for people who want useful applications without maintaining every server, certificate, backup and update themselves.Full show notes at https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg684

57 min

LEPRO Lights Revisited, DIY Storm Guard and Safer AI Agents – HGG683

I revisit the LEPRO permanent outdoor lights after nearly six months of real-world use, including the removable wood-shim mounting method, seasonal lighting scenes and the outdoor smart-plug schedule. I also walk through several OpenClaw projects, including the Home Assistant Storm Guard I built for my EcoFlow and BLUETTI batteries and an Amazon Affiliate Manager designed to help me work through years of aging links on TheAverageGuy.tv. Catch the full show notes at https://theAverageGuy.tv/hgg683

1 hr 28 min

Ring 4K Cameras, ECOVACS GOAT A3000 LiDAR Pro, Nespresso Pop+ and HoverAir X1 PROMAX with Erin Lawrence – HGG682

Erin Lawrence joins me for Home Gadget Geeks 682 to talk Ring 4K cameras, the ECOVACS GOAT A3000 LiDAR Pro robot lawnmower, Nespresso Pop+, HoverAir X1 PROMAX, AI workflow lessons, smart home gear and upcoming creator tools. Full show notes and links are available at: https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg682

1 hr 13 min

AI at Work, Fiber at Home and Mountain E-Bikes with Mike Wieger – HGG681

Full show notes, audio, and video at: https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg681What happens when AI leaves the demo stage and starts showing up in real work, real home labs, and the gear that keeps a household connected? This week, Mike Wieger returns to Home Gadget Geeks for a practical conversation that moves from AI in a regulated M&A workplace to OpenClaw at home, new symmetrical fiber, mountain e-bikes, and the growing MeshCore/Meshtastic community around Omaha and Lincoln.

1 hr 27 min

OpenClaw vs Hermes: AI Agents for Home Assistant with Gavin Campbell - HGG680

Full show notes, transcriptions available on request, audio and video at https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg680Jim Collison is joined by Gavin Campbell for Home Gadget Geeks 680 to compare OpenClaw and Hermes as AI agents for Home Assistant, with practical discussion around local versus cloud LLMs, privacy, token costs, Mattermost, Docker, Unraid, and the hardware choices that matter in a real home lab.

1 hr 14 min

AI in Managed Services, RingConn Health Tracking and Smarter Cable Management – HGG679

Full show notes, audio, and video at: https://theaverageguy.tv/hgg679Jim Collison and Marv Bee discuss AI in managed services, including virtual agents, automation, memory across conversations, and where human experience still matters. They also cover soundbar buying advice, RingConn health and sleep tracking, USB-C cable testers, surge protectors, and practical power gear for everyday tech setups.This episode blends future-facing AI discussion with hands-on gadget experience in a way that fits the Home Gadget Geeks audience especially well. Thanks for listening!

1 hr 25 min

Tech, BBQ, and the Blackstone Lifestyle with Mark Robson - HGG678

Full show notes, transcriptions (available on request), audio and video at http://theAverageGuy.tv/hgg678What happens when technology troubleshooting meets backyard cooking, meal planning, and a growing obsession with grills? This week, Mark Robson returns to Home Gadget Geeks for a relaxed conversation that blends home tech, networking stories, pellet grills, Blackstone cooking, pizza ovens, and the routines that make outdoor cooking such an addictive hobby. From fixing a broken cable that disrupted a mesh network to experimenting with dry brining, reverse searing, and maple syrup in savory dishes, this episode covers the overlap between gadgets, workflow, and food culture. If you enjoy cooking, grilling, home labs, or simply building better systems around hobbies, this episode delivers practical ideas and entertaining stories. Thanks for listening!

1 hr 22 min

AI That Thinks: Dewain Robinson on Agents, Copilot, and What’s Next - HGG677

Full show notes, transcriptions (available on request), audio and video at http://theAverageGuy.tv/hgg677What happens when AI stops being just a chatbot and starts to reason, plan, and actually do useful work? This week, Dewain Robinson joins me for a conversation on Copilot Studio, AI agents, reasoning models, vibe coding, and the future of software development. We go beyond the usual AI hype and into the practical side, how these tools are already changing workflows, helping with real tasks, and forcing all of us to rethink what productive work looks like. From Microsoft’s internal shift after ChatGPT to real-world examples like managing email, building demo data, handling calendars, and guiding software creation, this one is packed with insight. Thanks for listening!

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