HomeKit Insider Apple Home Hub Swivel Base, Netamto Thermostat, & Sony Cedes the TV Space
Jan 26, 2026
Eric from Modern Day Tech, a YouTuber who reviews smart-home gear and platform integrations. They talk about the pain of remote smart-home installs and why in-person help often wins. They debate a motorized swivel Home Hub and its uses for cameras and FaceTime. They react to Sony handing TV production to TCL and cover Netatmo’s return to thermostats and Matter support.
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Installation Took Way Longer Than Expected
- Andrew walked a relative through installing Aqara G100 cameras and expected a 10-minute job but it took over an hour due to account and admin confusion.
- The experience showed how seemingly simple smart-home installs still stump nontechnical users.
Use Live Video Or In-Person Help
- Use FaceTime or a live video session when guiding nontechnical people through smart-home setup to see what they see.
- Bring the device in-person if remote help can't resolve unexpected account or admin issues.
Apple Home Hub Debate And Third-Party Pressure
- Apple is actively developing a tabletop Home Hub and analysts disagree on exact features and timing, including a possible swivel base.
- Third parties already ship hub-like panels, reducing Apple's first-mover urgency and raising expectations.