Techstination

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Squad Mobility, based in the Netherlands, is a step closer to bringing solar powered small vehicles to market. The company’s Solar City Car has been selected as the key platform to receive EU funding for a Horizon Europe project that aims to provide affordable and accessible mobility solutions. Squad Mobility CEO Robert Hoevers…says the batteries are swappable as well in these low speed vehicles that are being designed for ride sharing mobility..

“Because the solar charging is automatic and charging the fleet with electric vehicles is one of the highest operational costs of shared mobility, part of this is done automatically depending on where you live and the season of course. So you shave off a lot of the cost of the charging.”

Pricing will start at about 68 hundred dollars.

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

Smart instruments for creatives. That's what Artiphon has delivered with the Orba 2 and Chorda. The story behind the innovations? Chief Product and Marketing Officer Adam McHeffey chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. The Summer Olympics of 2024 are in the books….and the games kept lots of folks busy online. Google Trends Expert Jocelyn Runice says of course many were searching for more info on the big names like Simone Biles, LeBron James, Coco Gauff and tried to learn more about some sports like rugby, skateboarding and surfing. But then there were trends like the viral searches for Norwegian swimmer Henrik Christiansen…who became known as the chocolate muffin man….

“There’s a swimmer from Norway who is posting on his social media channels about the chocolate muffins in the Olympic village. So we have also seen a jump in Olympics chocolate muffin recipe as well.”

Gold, silver, bronze…and chocolate. Find more at www.google.com/trends.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.    There’s more competition in the fridge on the go space.    The Wolfbox Car Fridge is available in three sizes…up to a big 58 quarts…and it has some impressive features.      There are dual compartments with independent temperature controls.   Both can be coolers or freezers …or pick one side as a freezer and one as a fridge.   The temperatures can be set as low as negative 8.    The cooling is fast….getting down to freezing from 86 degrees…in less than thirty minutes.   It features AC and DC power cords.   Unlike models from Anker’s EverFrost line which have built in batteries or GoSun…with external batteries..there’s no battery option here.   That said, the Car Fridge from Wolfbox is sturdy, with wheels on one side and a flip on handle on the other, and can make all the difference at campsites and more.   

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

Here come Mustang and Bronco branded e-bikes from Ford...starting at about four thousand dollars. Details on the rides in this Techstination interview with Ford senior manager of global licensing Tyler Hill.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.     Dueling forecasts on consumer tech spending in the U.S..    The Consumer Technology Association says AI and gaming are likely to push that spending up by a modest 1 percent this year.    The new AI powered laptops and a boost in gaming services are helping there according to the CTA.   Meanwhile…Circana, a company that advises on the complexity of human behavior, is now forecasting a two percent decline in U.S. consumer tech sales this year.    It says while unemployment remains low and real wage growth has been positive, high credit card debt and mortgage interest rates are straining consumer finances.    But there are areas of optimism there too…including consumer interest in those new AI PCs.     We’ll be talking more about those coming up.

Robin Knows is the name of an app from Triptych that aims to help those over 50 with tech issues and help prevent scams. How? CEO Chris Johnston chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your desination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.      Small batteries for some peace of mind.    The Wolfbox MegaVolt24 Jump Starter is a smart all in one device to have in whatever vehicle you own.   It packs four thousand amps of peak current, is IP64 waterproof, has a three mode flash light built in, a digital display indicating the charge and the USB C PD 65 Watt port can power phones, laptops, you name it.   Find more at www.wolfbox.com.    For a more pocket sized device charging solution, one of the most versatile we’ve seen is the 10 thousand milliamp hour Mighty Boost from Limitless.   Included is a 3 in 1 USB cable for charging USB C, USB Mini or Lightning port devices.    The site for more is www.limitlessinnovations.com.

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

Techstination, Your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.   You’ve got lots of choices these days when it comes to smart security cameras.    The Reolink Argus 4 Pro distinguishes itself with a 180 degree field of view and sharp image quality.    That is great if you have a large area to monitor.  It features 4K resolution and ColorX night vision as well.   It ships with a solar panel that keeps the battery charged continuously and can be mounted away from the camera if necessary.   There’s a MicroSD card slot for built in storage.  That means no monthly fees.  There is also an option to add a Reolink hub for storage.  As for how well it plays with others…the camera does not support Apple HomeKit or Matter…but will work with Google Home or Amazon Alexa.       For more head to www.reolink.com.

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

What's trending with Olympic searches online? Some are predictable and some surprising, like the Chocolate Muffin Man. Google trends expert Jocelyn Runice chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.