Techstination

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. It is newly renovated and welcoming back more innovators. The Ford Engineering Laboratory in Dearborn, Michigan is marking its 100th anniversary. Senior Collections Archivist Ciera Casteel says the lab was the birthplace of much of the history of automobiles and driving in America…with Henry Ford sitting right over there..

“We have some of his original furniture that was in the office and so we’ve kind of been able to stage it so it looks like somebody is still working there. And Edsel Ford has an office right next door with some original furniture as well. Some great products were produced in this building. Some of the products that have really helped Ford make a name for itself throughout the years.”

Such as the 1928 Model A. It was also where the first Hybrid Ford Escape was engineered two decades ago. There’s more history at www.fordheritagevault.com.

You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Gigafact is using AI in the Parser AI tool to combat misinformation. How does the non-partisan fact checking work? Co-founder Robyn Sundlee chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. There’s a lot of competition…very good competition….in the home security camera business these days. The latest from Reolink, maker of some good, reliable cameras, is the Altas PT Ultra…featuring ColorX Night Vision, pan and tilt, automatic tracking and the ability to record 4K continuously. It sets up easily through the Reolink app. It is battery operated….and Reolink claims it can record for more than 8 days of 12 hour continuous recording. Most people would probably opt for using motion triggered recording. And I would suggest it is worthwhile to add a solar panel. The images are stored on local SD cards or on a Reolink Home Hub. Find more info at www.reolink.com.

You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

GM systems engineer Mike Fry knows first hand about the dangers of cycling on the road. He was hit by a vehicle last year. And he has worked on new tech in the Chevy Traverse designed to make cycling safer. Fry chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. BioLite is taking a fresh and smart approach to providing emergency power in the home with a system called Backup by BioLite…now up on Kickstarter. It is a self installed energy system that can go, for instance, alongside or on top of a refrigerator…to keep it and other kitchen equipment running for up to 60 hours during a power outage. VP of Product Management Ryan Gist ..

“Importantly it does not require any permitting or professional contracting or electrician. We like to say you can go from box to backup in 30 minutes or less. It’s a lithium iron phosphate energy storage system that’s got multiple layers of safety built in.”

And between the Kickstarter discounts and government incentives…can be a very affordable solution. Find more info at BioLiteEnergy.com.

You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

When a pharmacist in sub-Saharan Africa saw what the lack of refrigeration meant for the many, he took action. Ayoola Dominic created Koolbocks, an innovative solar powered solution...and made it affordable. How? Dominic chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. They have been working on building carbon fiber batteries for years and now researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden say a new breakthrough could lead to commercialization in the near future. Professor Leif Asp says carbon fiber will bring lighter weight batteries and greater efficiency to electric vehicles and more…and can because of the strength…be used as part of the vehicle structure as well…

“You actually have batteries and you need to have additional batteries to get reasonable range because of the weight of the car and the batteries. By replacing the monofunctional battery and the monofunctional structural component you can actually reduce the amount of material and the mass in the car significantly.”

Professor Asp says the technology is attracting a lot of interest.

You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. The Capsule Air is a new projector from Anker’s Nebula brand….designed for fun. It is a 720p projector featuring Google TV…not the highest resolution… but it can go anywhere…and runs up to 2 hours on a charge. It has flexible mounting options….including an add on Capsule Power Bank Tripod…gives you extended playtime..that buyers can get bundled for free if they hurry. You will need a dark setting….but all of the fun and apps are ready to go. Apps on Google Play including officially licensed Netflix…

“You can use it on your floor, your ceiling. Project it in some different spaces.”

Anker’s Adam Weissman. The Nebula Capsule Air is priced under four hundred dollars. Find more at www.seenebula.com.

You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

PingCares has developed a smart, cell connected watch designed for older adult safety. And the focus is on affordability for the 89 dollar device and the service. Details? Founder Sean Liu chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin