Episode 580 - Gemini in the House

On this week's show: Hue brings wired wall modules to Europe and keeps pushing Matter, Schlage’s UWB smart lock finally gets a date and a price, Amazon rolls Alexa+ into Brazil, Google launches a new Gemini-powered speaker while retiring a couple of old Nest favorites, Sonos keeps trying to fix the app it broke, Matter 1.6 tries to make Matter less Matter-y, and a report says your smart TV apps may be doing more networking than streaming. Plus a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!
• Energy minister plans 'nuclear renaissance' with up to 10 reactors built by 2040 (cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-nuclear-strategy-…)
• HomeTech Headlines• Valve prices the Steam Machine at $1,049 (theverge.com/news/837022/valve-steam-machine-p…)
• Europe - Hue’s wired wall modules bring non-smart lights into its ecosystem (theverge.com/tech/952953/phillips-hue-wired-wa…)
• Schlage’s UWB-enabled smart lock launches this month (theverge.com/tech/950564/schlage-sense-pro-uwb…)
• Alexa+ Launches in Early Access in Brazil (thurrott.com/a-i/337617/alexa-launches-in-earl…)
• Google Has Discontinued its Nest Audio and Nest Mini Speakers (thurrott.com/smart-tech/337578/google-has-disc…)
• Google's Gemini-Powered Home Speaker Launches on June 25 for $99.99 (thurrott.com/smart-tech/337510/googles-gemini-…)
• Google’s first smart speaker in six years arrives next week (theverge.com/tech/951147/google-home-speaker-g…)
• Google Home Speaker Canada: Price, Release Date, and AI Features (iphoneincanada.ca/2026/06/17/google-unveils-al…)
• Sonos Updating App With New Volume Controls and Navigation | iPhone in Canada (iphoneincanada.ca/2026/06/17/sonos-updating-ap…)
• Signify Enhances Philips Hue Matter Support Through Collaboration with Silicon Labs (news.silabs.com/2026-06-23-Signify-Enhances-Ph…)
• Instead of new devices, Matter 1.6 focuses on making Matter less of a headache (matteralpha.com/explainer/matter-1-6-whats-new…)
• Matter 1.6 Brings NFC Setup, Joint Fabric, and Smarter Thermostats (iclarified.com/101222/matter-16-brings-nfc-set…)
• Nearly Half of LG Smart TV Apps Contain Residential Proxy SDKs (spur.us/blog/smart-tv-apps-residential-proxy-s…)

• How Roomba started a robot revolution (theverge.com/podcast/953275/roomba-robot-vacuu…)
• GoveeLife Smart Nugget Ice Maker Pro, 60lbs Daily, 6-Minute First Ice, 40dB Ultra-Quiet with AI NoiseGuard, App & Voice Control, Self-Clean, 3.5lbs Basket & Dual Water Tanks, for Home Kitchen, Party (amzn.to/4oLnB7H)