PLUGHITZ Live Presents (Video)

Our theory of "innovation comes from things that suck" was proven once again with the StoreHitch by Terry Nehring. This product is designed to help you store the pieces of a hitch for a camper. The pieces are large, difficult to manage and often dirty from being outside and attached to moving vehicles. Because of this, storage can be difficult. This device gives you a secure mount for the vehicle which holds the pieces and locks them into place, guaranteeing they don't fall off or get stolen.

The idea for the product, which seems simple in hindsight, came about because Terry tore up the floor of his brand new camper while trying to store the hitch elements. After that, he set out to solve that problem forever, which he did. Recently, due to a change in his life, he decided it was finally time to bring it to market. After searching for other similar products and finding none, he patented the design and is working to bring it to stores soon.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

A popular expression around our studio is "innovation comes from things that suck." As an example of this theory in practice we have John Hobbs of Athletes Performance Gear, who has created a dual-purpose water bottle for runners and walkers called iHydroRun. The bottle holds enough water for a normal run, but is shaped to double as a runner's weight.

This double usage gives you the ability to run with weights without the need to carry an extra bottle or pouch of water. Holding the water in your hands as you run helps improve balance and strength, the same as any other weight, but also has the added benefit of getting a little lighter as your workout progresses.

Worried about the bottles being too light? John has thought of that, too, and will offer add-on weights that snap onto the bottom to add more resistance when you need it. The weights are even stackable, meaning you can add multiple together to get just the weight you want. The bottles will be available soon through direct sales channels.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Music is a big part of all of our lives - you can't do almost anything without being exposed to some sort of music. From movies and television to elevator rides, music is used to improve the experience. How much do we know about our music, though? For many of us the answer is very little.

The New Music Conflagration know this fact and is here to help teach the how and, maybe more importantly, the why of music. As a concert pianist Elizabeth Baker works with the non-profit to help expose people to music of all kinds. As a demonstration of this, she brought with her a Theremin, which may have a Sci-Fi sound, but is becoming a popular instrument.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Our newest host, Daniele Mendez, joined the PLuGHTz Live broadcast team because of her participation in the FIRST Tech Challenge, a middle and high school robotics competition. Joshua Francis, a fellow member of her team, Team Duct Tape, joined us to discuss his experiences with the program.

Having spent several years on the team, he has found a focused passion in engineering which he plans to pursue in college. Daniele also discovered through her time on the team that she has a passion for software engineering, which she will be pursuing in college. The two discuss their favorite parts of the program, as well as their various roles on their team, and which they enjoy best.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

Jon Adair, a member of the board of Tampa Hackerspace, came to speak with us about the improvements they have made in the year since we last spoke. The group has grown in numbers as well as in complexity. Recently receiving a gift of several large, expensive tools, the group is always looking for people who know how to use them that can help teach others.

Membership in the group is reasonable for those who are really interested in building things but don't want to own their own large tools, or have the space to store them. For $50 per month you get unlimited, 24-hour access to the facility and tools (after certification, of course), as well as the ability to collaborate with other members.

Collaboration is one of the best parts of these makerspaces. You might have an idea, but are not sure how to implement it, and a fellow member can lend guidance. Or, you might have a very clear idea, but another member might have experience on the path you are on and can help prevent wasted time.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

On the isle next to our studio, robots (including FIRST teams) were battling their way to dominance, while outside another competition was taking place: Electrathon of Tampa Bay. As Fredi Beck explained, this competition, like FIRST, is designed to encourage kids and adults to learn the skills required for building electronics. Unlike FIRST, however, the competition is not game-based. Instead, this competition is based on the efficiency of the machine built.

The Electrathon is a battery-powered car "race," but not focused on the vehicle that makes it around the track the fastest. Instead, it is about the vehicle that runs the longest on the track. This requires a lot of consideration on the design of the machine. Light-weight is definitely better than heavy, and less pressure on the motors can also provide extended battery performance.

As our electronics become more powerful, making them power-efficient is becoming even more important. Large companies like Samsung are incapable of making their flagship smartphone last longer on a charge than some of their far smaller competitors. This competition might just help us fix that issue.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

One of the great things about Gulf Coast MakerCon is the wide variety of makers showing off their passions. Starting off our show this year was Bethany (Anakhet) Blascoe from Gyspy's Weavings, who makes chainmail items. She wore several of her jewelry designs on-air with us, showing off the complexity and beauty of this work.

Beginning her work in the Renaissance Fair community as a child, she has moved on from making actual armor to focusing on making more modern-usable items. She has improved her craft by attending workshops on other types of weaving, including crochet, which turns out to have a lot in common with chainmail.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

First introduced at Gulf Coast MakerCon 2014, our friend Jason Rawley of Fireblade Comics came by to show off some of the really cool prop replicas and inspired works he has produced in the past year. Many of his props are focused on the Ghostbusters universe, as he is part of a group of people who travel around and visit children, etc. as the Ghostbusters.

However, Jason creates props from other universes as well. He often will start with an existing base, such as a Nerf weapon, and make adjustments and modifications, and then paint to transform the piece into something completely different. One of the interesting things we learned this year is that after MakerCon last year, he took home printers that the battle robots had destroyed and showed us a piece he made using elements from one of the printers.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

We were fortunate to have our good friend Laird Popkin on the show once again. Laird works with the organization E-nabling The Future, which provides 3D printed prosthetic hands and arms to people in need. This is accomplished through a system which pairs those who need the prosthetic with those with 3D printers who are capable of producing it.

Currently the organization has provided over 5,000 printed prosthetics that they know of. All of the technology used, including the 3D models, instructions for assembly, etc. are provided for free to the world, which means there very well could be thousands of these limbs in the world.

The group focuses their efforts on children, as the price of a child's prosthetic can be more than a standard car, but will be grown out of within months. This makes helping these kids difficult through regular medical devices. With the use of this technology, however, the prosthetic costs only about a tank of gas, which is far more manageable.

Scott is a developer who has worked on projects of varying sizes, including all of the PLUGHITZ Corporation properties. He is also known in the gaming world for his time supporting the rhythm game community, through DDRLover and hosting tournaments throughout the Tampa Bay Area. Currently, when he is not working on software projects or hosting F5 Live: Refreshing Technology, Scott can often be found returning to his high school days working with the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), mentoring teams and helping with ROBOTICON Tampa Bay. He has also helped found a student software learning group, the ASCII Warriors, currently housed at AMRoC Fab Lab.

Daniele is a student at Florida Polytechnic University who is studying Computer Science with a concentration in Cyber Security. In High School, she was introduced to the science and technology world through the Foundation for Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST), a robotics foundation where students of varying ages can compete through tasks that their robots perform. With help from mentors she met through FIRST, she became interested in programming and developing. Today, Daniele is a special events host for F5 Live: Refreshing Technology and PLuGHiTz Live Special Events and a co-host for both The New Product Launchpad and FIRST Looks.

One of the most interesting companies that visits our studio every year is Ion Audio. The company always has unique audio and DJ equipment. This year is no exception, as the company brought some unique products to show.

First we have a 50 watt PA speaker, named Block Party Live, is the upgraded version of the Party Rocker Live. Both units have a light on the top that can project a light show, making it a truly unique product. The Block Party also offers a battery for true wireless DJing.

Next is a product less for DJs and more for the adventurous music lover. The Sound Shine is a hybrid wireless speaker and light bulb. It screws into a standard lamp socket and streams music through Bluetooth. It can be used as a solo, mono speaker, or can be paired with another unit for stereo sound. They will be available soon for $69 each, or $129 for a pair.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the Tech Podcast Network.

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