TechMobility Topics

My past experiences with the Jeep Wrangler have ranged from frustrating to unexpectedly expensive, so I approached the 2026 model ready to be disappointed. Instead, I found a more comfortable and livable Wrangler that retains the features that define its purpose-built personality: removable doors and roof panels, a fold-down windshield, and mechanical four-wheel-drive engagement.

For this episode of TechMobility Topics, I explain what surprised me, what still annoys me, and whether the Wrangler’s improved on-road behavior makes it easier to live with every day. It remains a specialized SUV with meaningful compromises—but for the right driver, those compromises may be exactly what makes it appealing.

For years, sedans and wagons lost ground to pickups, trucks, and crossover SUVs. Now, high fuel prices, buyer fatigue with oversized vehicles, and a new generation of electric models could be giving traditional cars another chance.

In this episode of TechMobility Topics, I examine why sedans and wagons may be poised for a comeback—and how electrification could make their efficiency, lower profile, and everyday practicality attractive again. Volvo’s consideration of a midsize electric sedan and wagon for U.S. showrooms in 2028 may be more than a product decision. It could signal a broader industry rethink of what American drivers will want next.

Manual transmissions now account for roughly 1% of the new-vehicle market, signaling that the stick shift is nearing the end of the road. Automatics are faster and more efficient; electric vehicles do not need conventional multi-speed transmissions, and fewer drivers are interested in learning how to operate a clutch.

During this episode of TechMobility Topics, I offer a personal, gearhead goodbye to the manual transmission and reflect on what its disappearance says about the future of driving. The change represents technological progress, but it may also mark the loss of driver involvement, mechanical understanding, and a direct connection between people and their machines.

Reported ICE plans to acquire electric-shock gloves introduce a controversial new form of close-range force. Unlike a conventional conducted-energy weapon used from a distance, electrified gloves could deliver a shock during direct physical contact—potentially making it harder to determine when force was used, how long it was applied, and whether its use was justified.

For this episode of TechMobility Topics, I examine the medical risks, training requirements, and accountability questions surrounding this emerging public safety technology. Before electric-shock gloves enter the field, agencies must establish clear use-of-force standards, reliable activation records, and independent oversight.

China is turning to large-scale battery storage banks to manage the enormous and fluctuating electricity demands created by its rapidly expanding data center industry. By storing power when supply is plentiful and releasing it when demand surges, these systems can reduce pressure on the electrical grid, improve reliability and make better use of renewable energy.

In this episode of TechMobility Topics, I examine how China is pairing data center growth with grid-scale energy storage—and why the United States should pay attention. As American communities confront rising electricity demand, costly grid upgrades and growing concerns about reliability, large battery banks could become essential infrastructure for supporting AI without leaving utilities and ratepayers dangerously exposed.

Frontier AI has been built around a costly assumption: better performance requires bigger models, enormous computing resources and premium token prices. But emerging Chinese open-weight models such as Kimi K3 could challenge that equation by delivering competitive, “good enough” performance at dramatically lower costs.

In this episode of TechMobility Topics, I examine how cheaper open-weight AI could reshape developer choices, undermine established pricing models, and force U.S. technology companies and investors to reconsider their strategies. If AI usage costs collapse faster than expected, the consequences could reach far beyond software—weakening the business case for ever-larger data centers and raising a critical question: Is America investing billions in infrastructure for an AI economy that is already changing?

The artificial intelligence boom requires enormous data centers—but who should pay for the water, electricity, and infrastructure they consume? In this episode of TechMobility Topics, Ken Chester examines the growing policy fight over data center taxes and the financial risks facing the small towns recruited to host these massive facilities.

Supporters promise investment, construction, and economic growth. Communities, however, worry about strained water supplies, rising power demand, higher costs for ratepayers, and tax incentives that may outlast the benefits. There is also a looming question that few development deals address: What happens when rapidly evolving AI technology leaves today’s enormous data centers outdated, underused, or abandoned sooner than expected?

What if the next generation of wearable technology could draw power from moisture—and disable itself when someone tries to tamper with it? In this episode of TechMobility Topics, Ken Chester explores a stretchable, moisture-powered battery designed for wearable electronics and Internet of Things devices.

Its flexible design could support health sensors, smart clothing, and connected devices that must bend and move with the human body. A proposed tamper-triggered “kill switch” adds another layer of innovation by shutting the battery down when damaged or manipulated. But that capability also raises important questions about reliability, cybersecurity, personal safety, and who ultimately controls the connected technology we wear.

When is a Toyota not really a Toyota? In this episode of TechMobility Topics, Ken Chester reviews the 2026 Toyota GR Supra Coupe and examines how its shared engineering with the BMW Z4 shapes its performance, personality, and value.

The discussion covers the Supra’s turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, the differences between the manual and automatic transmissions, and the everyday considerations that matter once the excitement fades—including tire sizing, outward visibility, cabin space, and overall practicality. For sports-car shoppers deciding whether the 2026 GR Supra is a genuine dream car, a compelling performance bargain, or an expensive niche toy, this real-world assessment looks beyond the badge and acceleration figures.

Waymo is expanding its robotaxi operations across 15 U.S. cities and growing its autonomous fleet from hundreds to thousands of vehicles. In this episode of TechMobility Topics, Ken Chester examines why rapid expansion is bringing the self-driving industry’s biggest challenge into sharper focus: unpredictable real-world “edge cases.”

Construction zones, fireworks, power outages, and traffic disruptions surrounding major events can confuse autonomous vehicles—and sometimes leave them stranded in the street. Waymo’s growth demonstrates how far driverless technology has advanced, but its future depends on whether robotaxis can safely navigate the rare, chaotic situations that human drivers encounter every day. Scaling autonomous driving ultimately means learning to scale the unexpected.