Techstination

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. We have long been fans of gear that make getting outdoors…whether the yard or a campsite…more fun. Anker has designed a battery, the Solix C800 Plus, with some unique features for those environments. It is a 768 watt hour power station with a variety of outlets…ten in all…that can be recharged in as little as an hour. Impressive…but about those campsite features…Anker’s Emeline Bonnefoy says..

“It also has a light. It has an extendable stick and then lights on top of that.”

And if you are in the market for an ice free portable cooler, Anker’s EverFrost line is smart and versatile and even stylish. Lots of innovation here too with a slide out built in powerpack, interior LED lights and a flip up work tray that converts into a handle. Find more at www.anker.com.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Tesla is making moves that may make cars like the Model Y and Model 3 more attractive as family cars. A software update is bringing new features such as Night Curfew to the vehicles, allowing parents to enforce the times when teens in the household are allowed to drive. A pin code would be needed to alter the settings. And the update also will allow parental monitoring of driving habits…and allow the setting of maximum speed and acceleration capabilities. In addition…parents are also able to prevent features like collision warnings and automatic emergency braking from being turned off. Vehicle accidents are a leading cause of death of 15 to 24 year olds…and are responsible for hundreds of thousands of injuries. Perhaps the new tech can make a difference.

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

TickTalk 5 is the latest smart phone watch for kids featuring secure video chatting, location tracking, parental controls and more. Creative and strategic marketing manager Eddie Washington chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.        A new, nationwide survey conducted by the state of Michigan found 71 percent of Americans believe that sustainable tech investments pay off.  And 86 percent are in favor of more business incentives to ensure that the new technologies are manufactured in the U.S.   Hillary Doe is Michigan’s Chief Growth Officer…

“I think again that shows this recognition broadly and if you’re at 87 percent it has to be sort of cross regional and partisan and every other kind of line.  It’s really critical that the U.S. be competitive globally in these areas and that broadly that kind of benefit, economic opportunity and innovation, is shared among Americans.”

Find more on the survey at www.michiganbusiness.org.  And you can always watch our full interviews online.

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

The company that pioneered robotic floor cleaning three decades ago is back with a new flagship: the iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max Robot+. So how is it different? Dir. of Product Management Warren Fernandez chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.        The folks at Owl Labs are at it again…with the Meeting Owl 4+.      And it now features better video and audio quality and an improved interface.    Meeting Owl is being used by a wide range of people and companies…..to turn any room into a 360 degree conference room….with technology that automatically focuses on the speaker.     Very smart.   And now 4K Ultra HD.   CEO Frank Weishaupt..  

“It also has an upgraded attention system.  The attention system is essentially what drives the experience and determines who is speaking and how to present the speakers on what we call the stage which splits as many as three times.”

It can deliver a great stand alone experience or can work in conjunction with other gear from OwlLabs.com  You can find us at Techstination.com.   I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Consumers have a variety of choices when it comes to Bluetooth glasses or sunglasses. I’ve been spending some time with Lucyd’s smart glasses outfitted with prescription lenses. Customers can opt for those or off the shelf sunglasses. There are a variety of styles available…including new Eddie Bauer designs…and while the arms may be a little thicker than usual, the capabilities aren’t all that obvious. You can take calls, access voice commands, even AI. And music listening is surprisingly good. I’ve been pretty amazed by that. CEO Harrison Gross…

“There’s two speakers in each temple as well as a battery, a Bluetooth chip and a microphone. So the speakers are about an inch away from your ear.”

The downside is people near you will be able to faintly hear as well. Find more at Lucyd.co.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Innovation in straws? Blendjet, the portable blender pioneer, is out with new accessories including straws….that pair well with the company’s Orbiter drinking lid. So what could be innovative about straws? Co-founder Ryan Pamplin…

“These are straws that feel like plastic. They’ve got really fun messages on them like when life gets tough, just suck it up. And when you open these up, they are like plastic. Like hard. But what’s amazing about this is unlike your typical plastic straws, these things are full biodegradable. So within, literally hours after you start using it, it starts to decompose.”

They are individually wrapped, made from food quality ingredients and a package of 30 is under ten dollars.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Ventapak is the name of a clever gadget …a curved mesh brace….that is designed to make just about any backpack more comfortable. It is a big help…providing air flow between your back and the pack….and can even assist with better weight distribution. Founder Mark Dingle says, like so many inventions… it was born out of his own need when he was biking to work in New York City…

“I really just loved riding my bike and it was just a great experience. The only thing that was a major detractor was how hot and sweaty my back felt as I was riding, then getting to work and having just a wet, really soaking we shirt.”

He started tinkering around and as a result we have the Ventapak. You can find it on Amazon for about 46 dollars…and learn more at www.ventapak.com.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Ford is expanding the fun for Bronco SUV owners. It will be opening up its fifth Bronco Off-Roadeo location near Knoxville, Tennessee in October. The idea is to give customers and enthusiasts hands on instruction in off road driving skills. Bronco consumer strategy manager Kelsey Gerken…

“What it entails is a full day of off road instruction using one of our vehicles at one of our now five locations that span nationwide. So we’re in places… New Hampshire, Texas, Moab, Utah, Nevada, which is close to Las Vegas, and our newest location that’s just been announced is in Tennessee.”

The program is free for Bronco owners. For non owners..there are half day adventures that can be purchased.

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