Techstination

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. It isn’t often when you see two great companies that in some ways compete with each other…collaborate to benefit consumers. Nomad…which makes a great range of phone accessories and charging gear…including the impressive new magnetic Base and Stand chargers..has teamed up with Peak Design. They are integrating Nomad Rugged iPhone 14 cases with the Peak Design SlimLink mounting system. Nomad’s Chuck Melber..

“So Peak introduced SlimLink, which is a mechanical locking system on the back of the phone case that doesn’t interfere with MagSafe, but enhances it.. just by giving you that extra mechanical lock that lets you know your device is really, really securely attached to whatever you’re mounting it to. So integrating it into our cases just kind of kinds of takes our rugged case to a whole new level of ruggedness to whatever you’re mounting it to.”

And Peak has a range of mounts for the car, bikes, a mini tripod and more.

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

Generative AI is increasing the urgency for digital transformation in the corporate world and consumers are seeing the results. How? F5 Distinguished Engineer Lori MacVittie chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Reliable and smart. That’s what we like when it comes to innovation and the Power Share system from Worx checks off both of those boxes. We’ve used a variety of power tools, lawn and garden equipment, one of my favorites year round is the Leafjet cordless leaf blower and the MakerX line of craft and hobby tools…and having a common rechargeable, quality battery platform is convenient and smart for both consumers and Worx. And now there is even a battery powered cooler and fans for outdoor comfort and fun. What has surprised me most of all, are the additions of new Power Share eBikes and eScooters through a partnership with Aventon. No doubt, there is more to come. Find more at www.worx.com.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. We love innovations that can really make a difference and Ome Smart Stove Knobs are in that category. They are rechargeable motorized knobs…easily installed replacing the existing ones on gas or electric stoves…and can be controlled through the Ome app and even automatically turn off a burner after a set period of time. CEO Akshita Iyer..

“I started this company because I had a personal experience in my own home with my mom. She left the stove on one too many times and started a kitchen fire.”

We are impressed by the innovation and ease of installation. The smart knobs can be controlled by voice through Alexa as well. The price is about 150 dollars for one or five hundred dollars for a four pack. Learn more and check on compatibility at www.omekitchen.com.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. AdventureGenie is the name of an AI powered travel planner designed for RVers and campers. It is out with a new feature called GenieWishes that can build stop by stop itineraries based on the kinds of things you like. CEO Scott Lengel..a former tech exec at Microsoft…tells us..

“So after you come into our environment we’re going to ask you some questions. Do you prefer to do X or Y? Do you need to have a pool for instance or is that just a nice to have. So we’ll ask some questions and you’ll share with us whatever you want.”

There are also campsite reviews and reservations…smart routing and more. It is designed to be sort of a one stop shop. Learn more at www.adventuregenie.com.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Almanac 2024 from Nat Geo Kids has arrived in time to keep kids curious over the summer. It is targeted to eight to twelve year olds and there is something fun and interesting on just about every page. But don’t be fooled by the age recommendation..

“Anyone can learn from this book. It is chock full of information related to not only the upcoming year but some of the most fun, exciting, new science coming out. We fill it with 12 different chapters…everything from science and space exploration to what our explorers are doing in the field, to some of the history questions you have, to what’s happening in our world next year.”

Nat Geo Kids Associate Editor Christina Sauer. For the kids, Almanac 2024 has riddles, jokes and quizzes too.

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

LifeSaver Wayfarer isn't just a portable water filter, it purifies as well. What does that mean? Technical and operations director Joe Lovegrove chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Some summer time innovation that we love. There are lots of choices out there today for home pizza ovens. The Pi Pizza Oven from Solo Stove is a worthwhile investment…that can work with either wood or propane. Solo Stove also makes a Fire Pit Pizza Oven if you have one of the company’s popular firepits. Heat It is an insect bite solution that uses heat to quickly relieve itching and pain. It works with a smart phone app.. there are versions for USB C and Lightning… and slips onto your keyring for portability. And the two words you should know…it works. Heat It sells for about forty dollars. And for fun in the yard, the Bird Buddy smart camera birdfeeder can provide hours of entertainment and even learning. It snaps photos and videos and even identifies the birds…or even squirrels that visit.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Would you want to own a car that would simply stop most accidents from happening? What about having that kind of car for your children? At Princeton University, the faculty chair of autonomous vehicle engineering, Alain Kornhauser, my co-host on the Smart Driving Cars podcast…says many vehicles today are equipped with enough technology or could be equipped with enough technology, to simply not permit excessive speeding, tailgating and other forms of reckless driving and could prevent the vast majority of collisions…along with the associated deaths, injuries and costs. The question to ponder is….is that something we want as a society? The technology is ready and waiting. The many who have suffered injuries or lost loved ones…would likely say yes. What about you? What about regulators and carmakers?

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