Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.       April is distracted driving awareness month.  Across the country, distracted drivers cause nearly 400 thousand injuries and 35 hundred deaths a year.   Look around and you’ll see the blame doesn’t lie just with teen drivers.    Dan Glaser,  a driver distraction investigator at GM …where they studied 35 hundred drivers to analyze what’s going on…tells us…

“Texting increases crash risk by a factor of six.  This might surprise you.  Reaching around in the vehicle to try to grab for something where your eyes are really low and you’re not looking forward… that can increase your crash risk by nine times.”

Glaser says we tend to be better drivers…when we have children in the back seat…due to our protective instincts.   He suggests trying to have that mindset…whenever we get behind the wheel.

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

New studies again show how brain training app, used even once in a while, can help cognitive abilities. Posit Science brainHQ CEO Henry Mahncke chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.      With earth day approaching there are all kinds of products on the market making claims of being greener.   One of the more interesting ones we’ve seen are some very lightweight and stylish looking shoes…I’d actually call them sneakers…from a brand called Zebra Oasis.   The soles are recycled CO2 foaming…while the upper is Hemp Flynit.    There are no dyes, are fully machine washable and are very comfortable.   But the real green factor here….is that they come apart for recycling.   Just pull a thread under the insole.    Why do this?   Zebra Oasis says in 2021 the world produced 22 billion pairs of shoes…with many, many old shoes ending up in landfills.     Find more info at www.zebraoasis.com.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.     Nat Geo Kids strikes again with a fun new book for kids.  This time…the focus is history and the middle ages.   Michael Burgan is the author of Weird But True Know it All Middle Ages…and some of the weird stories include animals being put on trial…

“And then the one that I really enjoy is there was a Danish king named Harold ..he unified the Danes…kind of unified the Danish nation.  He was known for having a tooth that was diseased and so it was kind of blueish ,black.  And he got the nickname of Harold Bluetooth.”

And centuries later the wireless technology aimed at unifying devices…was named after him.   Thus Bluetooth was born.   There’s much more to have fun with in Weird But True Know it All Middle Ages from National Geographic Kids.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.      When it comes to smart home gear, Lutron has been a pioneer with light switches and more.   If you are a bit of a do it yourselfer with light switches…we’ve been impressed with the latest Caseta Diva Smart Dimmer and Caseta Claro Smart Switch.   As the name implies, the Diva has dimming capabilities while the Claro is simply on and off.   Both work with the Lutron app and can use smart speaker voice controls as well.   Product Manager Adam Mack ..

“This system lets you connect from a variety of ways to control your lights both through apps and other controls but also using time clocks like schedules or your GPS on your phone so that your lights turn on every time you pull into the driveway.”

And Lutron…we have found…is reliable.   Find more info at www.casetawireless.com.

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

Techstination… Your destination for gadgets and gear.  I’m Fred Fishkin.    It’s outdoor season once again andwhether you are on the road or in the yard BlendJet makes it easy to whip up anything from a smoothie to a great coffee.   I have been using it daily and typically charge it up every couple of weeks through the USB C port.    While the blenders ship with a 16 ounce jar, you can add a 20 ounce or 32 ounce jar for family sized concoctions.   There is a whole BlendJet community out there coming up with recipes….and the company also says an every growing variety of JetPacks.  What else sets BlendJet apart?  Founder Ryan Pamplin..

“I don’t think you get this level of talent within other organizations that are in our category.  I don’t think you have that level of passion and excitement.”

It shows.  And Pamplin says stay tuned…there are more innovations to come.   Find more at www.blendjet.com.