On this week's show: the FCC’s robot ban turns out to include future robot vacuums and mowers, which may make the next robovac harder to buy without making it much safer; Roku decides budget streamers are a premium experience now; Apple’s smart home hub and Siri refresh are reportedly getting closer; Sonos is teasing some kind of AI move for September; UniFi adds a Thread border router and beefs up Protect; plus new gear from Zooz, Aqara, Xiaomi, Homey, SmartThings, and Home Assistant, a pick of the week, project updates, and so much more!

• HomeTech Headlines
  • The US is banning foreign robots
  • The US government just banned Roombas
  • Robot vacuums are included in US robot ban
  • The ban on robot vacuums won’t make them safer. But it may make your next one worse
  • The US Just Banned New Chinese Robot Vacuums and Mowers: Canada Could Be Next | iPhone in Canada
  • Roku raises streaming stick prices by up to 60 percent
  • Zooz 800 Series Z-Wave Long Range Motion Dimmer ZEN12 800LR
  • Xiaomi’s smart washing machines are finally going global
  • Sonos Is Reportedly Planning Something Big for AI in September
  • Apple’s long-awaited smart home Siri AI refresh is achingly close to reality
  • Apple Could Start New Smart Home Push as Early as October
  • Ubiquiti’s new SuperLink Gateway HA brings professional Thread hardware to UniFi
  • UniFi Gets Its Own Thread Border Router
  • Introducing UniFi Protect 7.2
  • Homey is a rare smart home platform that is Matter 1.5 certified
  • SmartThings quietly brings Matter 1.6 to beta hub firmware
  • Finally: Aqara launches dual-protocol Matter and Thread smart plugs in the UK and EU
• Home Assistant 2026.8 beta adds Matter doorbell events and simpler setup
• FireAvert joins Works with Home Assistant
• Building the device database together: Public preview now live – Open Home Foundation
• GitHub - GuiPoM/ha-sentinel: HA Sentinel — proactive health monitoring for Home Assistant integrations and apps
• ESPHome Starter Kit
• Maslow4 Large Format CNC