Liam sets up HomeAssistant: "Wait I already have a Smarthome?!"

Wi-Fi Bulbs, Security Risks & Network Isolation – Smart Home Tips

Smart homes are supposed to make life easier… but most people screw it up right from the start. In this episode, Liam and Akseli break down the most common (and expensive) mistakes people make when building their first private smart home — including Liam’s own painful beginner errors. Topics Covered: • Why Wi-Fi bulbs are usually a terrible idea • Zigbee vs Wi-Fi vs Matter – which one should you actually use? • The massive security risks of cheap AliExpress devices • Why you must isolate your smart home network • Cloud dependency, firmware updates & devices becoming paperweights • Starting too big, buying the wrong protocols, and more If you're planning to set up Home Assistant or just getting into smart homes, this episode will save you time, money, and headaches. Timestamps: 00:00 - Intro & Liam’s Confession 00:48 - Worst first mistake most people make 02:08 - Kalex/Tuya bulbs & early automations 03:45 - Dangers of cheap AliExpress smart devices 06:20 - Zigbee vs Wi-Fi vs Z-Wave vs Matter 09:55 - Why you need a separate smart home network 13:49 - Home Assistant doesn’t automatically mean private 15:46 - Biggest security mistake in smart homes 21:42 - Smart order to buy devices 23:28 - Golden rule: If it needs internet, don’t buy it 31:31 - Should you remove all physical light switches? Like & subscribe if you're building your own digital homestead! #SmartHome #HomeAssistant #Zigbee #Privacy #SelfHosting #HomeAutomation #IoT Join the homestead rebellion: Twitter: @NewHomesteaders Website: https://the-new-homesteaders.com/ [https://the-new-homesteaders.com/] Drop your most unfiltered thoughts below — Akseli & Liam read every comment.

Stop Farming for Zuckerberg: Escape Digital Sharecropping

Is your digital life just another crop for Zuckerberg's profit farm? Akseli and Liam slice into the age-old analogy of sharecropping to reveal how social media turns us into unpaid laborers feeding AI giants—without even noticing. Spoiler: Facebook isn’t just making you a product, it’s farming your data, family photos, and attention, all while Zuckerberg’s pulling the profit like a royal landowner of the digital age. So, what's the real cost for you and your digital sovereignty? In this episode, we break down the surprisingly old analogy of digital sharecropping from 2006, connecting the dots between traditional landlord-tenant relationships and modern platforms—think Facebook, TikTok, and Google. You'll discover why your social media posts are a form of labor that elevates CEOs, not users, and how open-source tools like Mastodon and Nextcloud could turn the tables in this digital land grab. We explore the moral implications of choosing open source over proprietary ecosystems, and why digital homesteading might be the true way to reclaim personal sovereignty. Tired of the AI feeding frenzy and feeling like a farmhand in your own virtual life? Join us as we discuss how decentralization, federation, and a little DIY tech savvy can make you the landlord. ⏰ Timestamps ⏰ 00:00 - Welcome & wild opener: are you a digital sharecropper? 02:17 - The sharecropping analogy: from 2006 to today 04:27 - Digital homesteading ideas: Mastodon, Nextcloud, and federated clouds 07:44 - Open source vs proprietary ecosystems: moral or practical choice? 10:18 - Simple steps to stop being a digital sharecropper this week 13:10 - The future of fair and decentralized social media models 15:11 - Why community matters and the death of local trust 18:41 - How AI, regulation, and law might shape the sandbox of tomorrow 22:34 - Can social media ever be fair? Breaking down the broken model 27:58 - Hope for engineering solutions: open source projects and grassroots innovation 33:19 - Final thoughts: if most people don’t care, does it matter? 36:36 - The importance of collective action and how to shrug off learned helplessness Join the homestead rebellion: Twitter: @NewHomesteaders Website: https://the-new-homesteaders.com/ [https://the-new-homesteaders.com/] Drop your most unfiltered thoughts below — Akseli & Liam read every comment.

You Should Trust NO ONE With Your Data in 2026 | Zero Knowledge Explained

Why You Should Trust NO ONE With Your Data in 2026 | Zero Knowledge & Zero Trust Explained In this episode of The New Homesteaders, Liam and Akseli break down Zero-Knowledge architecture — the only real way to protect your privacy when big tech and governments are harvesting everything. From WhatsApp backups and Google reading your old emails to mandatory facial recognition cameras in new cars, this episode shows why “Trust us” is never enough. ### Key Topics: • What Zero-Knowledge really means • Dangers of cloud services, metadata & AI training on your data • Open source vs proprietary software • How to actually secure your files on Google Drive • Why your next car will spy on you ### Timestamps: 00:07 - Welcome & Episode Overview 00:33 - Introducing Zero Knowledge 01:00 - Why OneDrive, Gmail & WhatsApp are NOT private 01:48 - The Bull & Fish Market Analogy 04:24 - Why we need to escape multinational dependency 05:20 - OSINT, metadata & your exposed private life 07:01 - The problem with “Trust Us” policies 09:04 - Open Source vs Proprietary Software 10:12 - WhatsApp cloud backup disaster & fake E2EE claims 13:40 - Google Gemini reading ALL your emails (Class Action Lawsuit) 17:10 - How to use Google Drive with Zero Knowledge (Cryptomator + VeraCrypt) 19:29 - BitLocker & Microsoft holding your encryption keys 23:05 - 2026 mandatory car cameras & facial recognition 30:03 - This affects your whole family 32:20 - Final thoughts ### Resources & Important Links: • Google Gemini Email Scanning Lawsuit (Thele v. Google, Nov 2025): https://www.classaction.org/media/thele-v-google-complaint_2.pdf [https://www.classaction.org/media/thele-v-google-complaint_2.pdf] • Microsoft Services Agreement (OneDrive, Outlook, BitLocker): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement [https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/servicesagreement] • EU Mandatory Car Interior Cameras & Surveillance Law (Regulation 2019/2144): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R2144 [https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32019R2144] ### Recommended Privacy Tools: - Signal (private messaging with disappearing messages) - Cryptomator (encrypt files before uploading to any cloud) - VeraCrypt (open-source full disk encryption) If you’re tired of being the product, start taking back control today. 👍 Like | Subscribe | Turn on notifications Also available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts. #ZeroKnowledge #Privacy #DataSecurity #ZeroTrust #Encryption #OpenSource #CyberSecurity #DigitalPrivacy #Cryptomator #VeraCrypt #Signal #BigTech #Homesteading New episodes weekly — practical talk for reclaiming independence in the modern world.

How Data Brokers Secretly Influence Your Life and Change Whole Populations

In this episode of The New Homesteaders, Akseli and Liam dive into the hidden world of data brokers and how your personal information is being bought and sold. Discover the impact on your insurance, privacy, and even your daily life. It's a wake-up call for anyone seeking digital independence in a world where 'free' is just a myth.Join the conversation and rethink what “privacy” truly means in the digital age. Join the homestead rebellion: X/Twitter: @NewHomesteaders Website: https://the-new-homesteaders.com/ [https://the-new-homesteaders.com/] Drop [https://the-new-homesteaders.com/Drop] your thoughts below — Akseli & Liam read every comment.

From Graphene OS Blocks to Thread Border Router Wins

In this episode of The New Homesteaders, we continue our painful but rewarding journey into building a privacy-focused smart home. After battling Matter devices in the last episode, we tackle our first Thread device — the Aqara W100 Climate Sensor — along with firmware flashing, Zigbee/Thread multi-pan issues, and a stubborn Thread Border Router.Expect lots of troubleshooting, Graphene OS drama (again), hardware flow control fixes, hidden settings, and plenty of "why won't this just work?!" moments. We also unbox the Cudy WR3000 OpenWRT-friendly router and the SONOFF Zigbee & Thread Dongle as we work toward replacing our spying TP-Link Deco mesh.Despite the chaos, we finally get a working temperature & humidity sensor — small wins matter!Products Used in This Episode: * Aqara Smart Climate Sensor W100 (Temperature & Humidity + Matter/Thread) → https://amzn.eu/d/09YA4LUc [https://amzn.eu/d/09YA4LUc] * Cudy WR3000 AX3000 Wi-Fi 6 Mesh Router (OpenWRT supported) → https://amzn.eu/d/00DXppdj [https://amzn.eu/d/00DXppdj] * SONOFF Zigbee 3.0 & Thread Dongle Lite (EFR32MG21) → https://amzn.eu/d/0cYlCROz [https://amzn.eu/d/0cYlCROz] If you're into self-hosted tech, Home Assistant, Proxmox, privacy, or building a smart home without Big Tech spying on you, this series is for you.Keywords: Home Assistant, Matter, Thread, Zigbee, Aqara W100, SONOFF Dongle, Cudy WR3000, OpenWRT, Graphene OS, Proxmox, smart home privacy, homelab, Thread Border Router