Techstination

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.        Americans are poised for a summer of travel according to a new Harris survey conducted for T-Mobile.   It finds 80 percent are planning to travel as much or more than last summer….and 40 percent of travelers are planning to work remotely while away.    T-Mobile’s Steve Carlson says about a third of those surveyed are planning to travel outside of the U.S….

“What we found is when they land it’s now that they want that same kind of connectivity they have when they’re traveling domestically.   They get off the plane, they want that service.  And when you’re travelling internationally that used to mean swapping out SIM cards and you’re constantly updating your plan to make sure you aren’t going to get hit with these roaming charges.”

T-Mobile has made all of that easy and affordable with data included in a wide range of countries around the world.    

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.      At the University of Waterloo, robotics researcher Ali Ayub and his team have been making headlines.   They are aiming to teach robots to remember where we put things.   The idea is to initially assist people with dementia or other cognitive disabilities….but eventually we could all benefit.   Dr. Ayub says they are teaching robots to recognize objects along with locations..

“Users could search through that memory using search for a particular object that they might be interested in.  So, for example, a cell phone and the robot could then actually provide the user with information, for example, that the cell phone was seen in this particular area, on this day and at this time.”

The hope is to begin trials involving people in real world scenarios within the next year.   Stay tuned.   I know…I want one too.

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

Why? The Human Body from Nat Geo Kids arrives for summer science fun. From why we don't have fur to will I be able to teleport, the team at Nat Geo Kids tackles questions for kids (and grown-ups) in a fun and entertaining title. Associate editor Christina Sauer chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.        The latest search trends from Google are out and during the month of May there was much ado about King Charles, the Met Gala, the NBA playoffs and recipes for Cinco de Mayo.   And in the science category…  Google’s Jennifer Jones says searches for the meaning of dreams were trending…

“Folks were headed to find out what does it mean when ..the first hit was… you dream about someone…what does it mean when you dream about someone.  Followed by what does it mean when you dream about snakes.  No thank you.  And then what does it mean when you dream about your teeth falling out, when you dream about your ex, or if you dream about being pregnant.”

We have the full interview online as always.  And there is more at www.trends.google.com.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.       The Voyager Free 60 plus UC earbuds from Poly may look like your run of the mill earbuds….but they offer some great capabilities when it comes to conferencing and working from anywhere.   They feature active noise cancellation, lots of customization and Windsmart technology.   And when paired with Poly’s touchscreen case…that can control the earbuds.. they really shine. Product marketing manager Roger Ogborne..

“One thing we’re showing on the case here is the ability to come on and off mute.   So I can do that directly from the charge case.   What I want to be able to do is come off mute really quickly so from the touchscreen charge case I can just do that by touching the case.  You can also, from the touchscreen, you can do things like adjusting the ANC.  If you’re listening to music you can pause, play music.”

Poly, part of HP now, has done a first rate job with the Voyager Free 60 Plus…and it’s reflected in the price tag of about 330 dollars.

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

At the University of Waterloo, robotics researcher Ali Ayub and his team are teaching a robot to remember where things are put. The vision is to assist those with cognitive disabilities and eventually all of us. Dr. Ayub chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.        Solstice is the name of a company that is in what is known as the community solar business.    They are helping consumers, businesses and localities to benefit from solar energy by bringing them together with  solar farms.   Solstice co-founder and CEO Steph Speirs..

“About four out of five Americans can’t do rooftop solar because they’re a condo owner or a renter and they don’t own the rooftop.  So they can’t put a system on it.  Or their rooftop is disqualified for structural reasons.”

And then there can be issues with the up front costs.  Community solar typically requires no investment and provides those who subscribe with  a substantial discount on their electricity bills.   Availability varies from state to state…but it is growing.   Find more on this company at www.solstice.us. 

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