The Technical Difficulties Podcast

Ever wondered who actually breaks robot mowers before you buy one? This week we sit down with Scott Grahams, one of the most active independent robotic mower beta testers in the industry, with hands-on time across Yarbo, EcoFlow, The Goat, Toro's prototype, and more. We get into: - How Scott went from a lawn care business owner to an unpaid robot beta tester - The real difference between RTK,...

What happens when the smart home meets the backyard? In this episode, Pete, Brandon, and Vince sit down with Dustin Green, Weber's Head Grill Master, and Marc Mariny, Director of Product Management at Weber, for a wide-ranging conversation about outdoor cooking, connected grills, and the future of backyard tech. We cover everything from gas vs. charcoal vs. pellet grills, to the smart feature...

What's it really like to test every smart home product on the market — when your job literally never turns off? We sat down with Jennifer Pattison Tuohy, Senior Reviewer at The Verge, for a candid, wide-ranging conversation about living on the bleeding edge of smart home tech. From the robot mower debate ("this season, maybe"), to humanoids at CES that literally fell on her, to why...

Robot mowers have been around for years — but bad reviews, boundary wire headaches, and yards that just didn't cooperate held most people back. That's changing fast. This week we sit down with Todd from Worx to dig into their latest robot mower platform, Vision Cloud, and find out whether the technology has finally caught up to the promise. We get into how Vision Cloud works (no boundary...

What if your TV could automatically answer a video call from your daughter — no buttons, no tech confusion, no missed connections? This week we sit down with Costin Tuculescu, CEO of Onscreen Joy / Joy Living, the company that debuted their AI companion "Joy" at CES 2025 and is quietly building one of the most interesting products in the aging-in-place space. We get into how COVID sparke...

Did you know your Nest or Ecobee might actually be dumbing down your  mini-split — and costing you money? This week Pete, Brandon, and Vince  sit down with Victoria Garcia Massimo, Director of Sales & Business  Development at Airzone, to uncover the missing link between modern  inverter HVAC systems and your smart home. Airzone doesn't make the heat pump — they make it smart. Through  rel...

Pete, Brandon, and Vince welcome Josh Wallet from Josh's Smart Home YouTube channel for a deep dive into what a fully realized, family-friendly smart home actually looks like in practice — including the wins, the fails, and everything in between. Josh shares the story behind his channel, including the five-year wait just to get approval to start it due to his day job's outside employment...

Recorded live at CES 2026, Pete, Vince, and Brandon sit down in person with Ryan from the This Smart House YouTube channel for a wide-ranging conversation covering the smart home landscape, the realities of being a part-time creator, robot mowers going completely rogue, and whether AI is coming for all of our jobs. Ryan shares what he's been up to over the past year — including a new role as...

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 ecosy...

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...

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 throu...

Support the show and get the best deals on Zooz smart home products: 👉 https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY Season 5 is HERE — and we're kicking it off in-person! Pete, Brandon and Vince are back from CES 2026 with their honest takes on everything they saw on the show floor. In this episode we cover: 🤖 Robot lawn mowers that FINALLY trim the edges (Yarbo, Navimow, E...

Support our Podcast and find the best deal on Zooz smart home Products: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY Pete's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYSmartHomeGuy1 Brandon's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonDoyleMN Vince's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYwithVinny TJ Huddleston has installed half-million-dollar smart homes, lived in 40,000+ s...

Support our Podcast and find the best deal on Zooz smart home Products: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY Pete's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYSmartHomeGuy1 Brandon's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonDoyleMN Vince's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYwithVinny In this episode of Technical Difficulties, we sit down with Richard Gunther — l...

Todays Guest:  @TheStockPot-AU   Support our Podcast and find the best deal on Zooz smart home Products: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY Pete's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYSmartHomeGuy1 Brandon's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonDoyleMN Vince's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYwithVinny Today we’re joined by Dillan from The Stockpot...

Todays Guest:  @SteveDOES   Support our Podcast and find the best deal on Zooz smart home Products: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY Pete's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYSmartHomeGuy1 Brandon's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonDoyleMN Vince's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYwithVinny Join Pete, Brandon, and Vince as we sit down with S...

Todays Guest:  @SmartHomeSolver   Support our Podcast and find the best deal on Zooz smart home Products: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY Pete's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYSmartHomeGuy1 Brandon's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonDoyleMN Vince's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYwithVinny Join Pete, Brandon, and Vinny as we grill Ree...

We’re talking everything robot lawnmowers with robot mower expert Matt Granos from Midwest Turf Tech. Discover how robot mowers work, their pros and cons, and whether they’re worth the investment in this deep dive featuring the experts at Midwest Turf Tech. Whether you’re a homeowner, landscaper, or turf professional, you’ll learn: How robotic mower systems (boundary wires, GPS, sensors) operate C...

Season 4, Episode 4 — The Technical Difficulty Smart Home Podcast Todays Guest: Aaron from  @MakeItWorkTech   Support our Podcast and find the best deal on Zooz smart home Products: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_... Pete's Channel:    / @diysmarthomeguy1   Brandon's Channel:    / @brandondoylemn   Vince's Channel:    / @diywithvinny   Today we dive into one of the MOST relata...

Todays Guest:  @LifeHackster   Support our Podcast and find the best deal on Zooz smart home Products: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY Pete's Channel:    / @diysmarthomeguy1   Brandon's Channel:    / @brandondoylemn   Vince's Channel:    / @diywithvinny   Pete and Vinny welcome Lifehackster, a popular YouTuber known for his reviews of smart home devices...

Todays Guest: @ModernDayTech Support our Podcast and find the best deal on Zooz smart home Products: https://www.thesmartesthouse.com?sca_ref=6284708.sXoXFTZinuqY Pete's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYSmartHomeGuy1 Brandon's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@BrandonDoyleMN Vince's Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@DIYwithVinny In this engaging conversation, the hosts welcome b...

Agnes from Zooz shares insights into the quirky world of butt darts, the evolution of her company from a home automation hobby to a leading brand in smart home technology, and the innovative products they are developing. The discussion covers the challenges and successes in product development, the importance of community engagement, and the future trends in the smart home market, particularly the...

Guests:  @Appmyhome   Mark and Valerie Valerie and Mark from At My Home share their journey into tech reviews and the evolution of their YouTube channel. They discuss the challenges of living in a smart home filled with various devices, their philosophy on product reviews, and the importance of maintaining a balance to avoid burnout. The conversation also touches on funny smart home fails and the...

Guest  @AutomatedHouse   Jimmy Hawkins Jimmy Hawkins shares his journey into the world of smart home technology, detailing his experiences with various devices, content creation on platforms like TikTok, and the challenges of automation. He discusses the evolution of his smart home setup, the impact of AI, and the balance between content creation and a full-time job. The discussion also touches on...

Today's Guest: ‪@simonsayshomeassistant‬ In this engaging conversation, Simon discusses his passion for home automation, the challenges and joys of content creation, and the evolution of voice control technology. He shares insights on balancing his full-time job with his YouTube channel, the importance of community engagement, and his experiences in China exploring smart home products. The di...