This is Issue #68 of the Smart Homes School weekly newsletter, free smart home news for professionals and enthusiasts, every Wednesday. Subscribe here to get it in your inbox first.
Two weeks after Apple’s HomeView, Amazon has had its turn, and the cheapest device in the new line-up turns out to be the most interesting one for installers. Closer to home, supermarkets here in Ireland were caught up in this week’s fridge cyberattack, which is a good reminder that every connected box on a network is a security job.
Amazon’s Five New Alexa Devices Turn the Echo Dot Into a Hub
Amazon launched five Alexa devices on 28 October: a redesigned Echo Show 16, a new Echo Dot, Echo Studio with Home Camera, the Echo Time bedside clock and the Alexa Photo Frame. Four ship now in the US, while the Echo Show 16 is on preorder from $499.99.
The one to watch is the $99.99 Echo Dot. It now has a built-in smart home hub (The Ambient reports Zigbee and a Thread border router) plus an eero Wi-Fi extender that adds up to 1,000 square feet of coverage. UK and Irish pricing and availability have not been confirmed yet.
Why It Matters
- A $99.99 Dot that doubles as a Zigbee hub and Thread border router is now the cheapest way into an Alexa system. Expect clients to ask whether they still need a separate hub.
- The eero extender adds coverage to an existing eero network, so check what router the client has before promising better Wi-Fi.
- Cameras are moving into speakers and displays, with Echo Studio with Home Camera and night vision on the Echo Show 16. Agree placement and privacy settings with clients before anything goes into a bedroom or living room.
Source: Amazon, new Alexa devices 2026
UK Insurer Launches Cover for Humanoid Robots in the Home
Tokio Marine HCC International and Adrian Flux have launched what they call the UK’s first household insurance policy for domestic humanoid robots. It covers theft of and damage to the robot, damage it causes to the home, personal liability, and emergency recovery or safe shutdown after a malfunction.
Why It Matters
- The insurers expect domestic robots in UK homes from 2027, so installers will be asked to network, secure and document them.
- A policy that pays for safe disablement assumes someone can isolate the robot quickly. Remote shutdown and network segmentation belong in the install spec.
Source: Robotics & Automation News
Hackers Hit Supermarket Fridges Across Europe, Including Ireland
A cyberattack on 2 November pushed fridge and freezer temperatures up at dozens of European supermarkets, from ICA and Coop in Sweden to Delhaize and Colruyt in Belgium, and 13 stores were affected in Ireland. It follows a similar attack in France in October, and Reuters reports some affected units used Danfoss temperature controls.
Why It Matters
- SentinelOne’s Tom Hegel told Reuters that an attacker who logs into an exposed control panel leaves almost nothing behind. The same goes for a home heating controller or camera recorder left open to the internet.
- On every job, ask what is reachable from outside, who holds the passwords and who applies firmware updates. Then put the answers in writing.
Source: Reuters
Tesla Powerwall 3 Can Now Tell Your Heat Pump When to Boost
Tesla’s new Heat Pump Optimization lets a Powerwall 3 or 3P signal an SG-Ready heat pump to heat water harder when there is surplus solar or cheap grid power. It is Europe only, needs physical wiring by a Tesla-certified installer, and uses the SG-Ready relay standard rather than a cloud link.
Why It Matters
- Electrek’s maths: a 300-litre tank heated an extra 30°C stores about 10.5 kWh of heat for roughly 3.5 kWh of electricity. The hot water tank is a cheap battery most clients already own.
- SG-Ready is a wire, not an app. Check the heat pump has the contacts at survey stage, before you quote a solar and battery package.
Source: Electrek
Worth Reading This Week
- Apple’s $1,000 home robot, reportedly due in 2027: The Information reports Apple’s roaming home robot, code-named J595 and possibly called HomeView Ultra, could launch at $1,000 or more in 2027, with delays possibly pushing it to 2028. Early features are FaceTime and switching lights on when someone walks into a room.
- Meta has built a household humanoid prototype: Meta has reportedly built a humanoid prototype called Max to help with chores, with a second version in the works. A research project for now, but another big platform company wants a robot inside the home.
- HomeView could double as a security camera: Code strings in HomeView’s software point to a HomeKit Secure Video camera mode with motion detection and recording. If it ships, a $299 kitchen display becomes one more camera to plan into a client’s privacy settings.
- A big Google Home update for Matter, speakers and Nest cameras: More specific Matter controls for blinds, garage doors and gates, better energy data, Gemini reliability fixes, Nest camera Wi-Fi improvements and security patches. Worth a quick check on any Google install you look after.
- Nordic’s nRF71: Wi-Fi, Thread and edge AI on one chip: Announced on 3 November, combining Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE, Thread and on-device AI, with standby power Nordic says is up to 20 times lower. The silicon behind the next wave of battery-powered Wi-Fi sensors and cameras.
- Why open standards and local AI matter for pro installs: ISE’s Mike Blackman on how Matter, local AI hubs and edge processing are closing the gap between DIY gear and professional installs. Useful when explaining to clients why you favour local control.
- Octopus Energy teams up with CATL and Ampace on home batteries: Octopus has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ampace, alongside CATL, to develop next-generation smart home batteries. Energy suppliers designing their own hardware will shape what installers get asked to fit.
- Jetson Home adds a heat pump water heater and EV charger: Jetson Water and Jetson Charge join the Jetson Air heating and cooling system. One more sign that climate brands want to own the whole energy setup in a home.
- CEDIA’s Smart Home Day puts integrators beside architects: Webinars alongside RIBA and NKBA, plus a free toolkit of social graphics and a press release template. The theme is getting integrators involved earlier in the design process.
- Apple HomeView vs Echo Hub vs Nest Hub: With the new Echo Dot muddying the hub question, this side-by-side compares price, screen, camera, Thread border router, Matter, Zigbee and wall mounting across the three main smart displays.
New in the Program: Interactive Module: Zigbee End to End
With Amazon putting a Zigbee hub inside a $99 Echo Dot, more of your clients will end up with Zigbee devices whether they planned to or not. The interactive Zigbee End to End module sits in Module 12 (Implementing Smart Hubs) and takes you through Zigbee from start to finish, so you can plan, set up and support these networks with confidence. See what’s inside the program.
About Smart Homes School Weekly
Smart Homes School Weekly is a free newsletter for smart home professionals and enthusiasts, written by Gerard O’Driscoll in Ireland and sent every Wednesday. Subscribe here.