Techstination

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. It’s that time of year when thoughts turn to back to school. Sorry kids. And Apple is letting families know that if a new iPhone is on that tech shopping list…they make it easy to switch from an older iPhone….and they have an app to assist with moving over from an Android device as well. Why do that? Product Manager Julia Deluliis says many do it for improved security and privacy…

“So if you’re having a conversation over iMessage, let’s say you’re trying to coordinate everyone’s schedules or you’re talking to a long distance relative over Facetime, your conversations are end to end encrypted. In the passwords app you can safety and securely store sensitive passwords. That’s end to end encrypted as well.”

And the Safari browser offers more privacy too. There are carrier deals for new devices and trade in offers too.

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

Ford is marking the 60th anniversary of the Bronco with a Heritage Edition. The storied history? Ford Heritage Brand Manager Ted Ryan chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. The use of AI on many campuses today is creating mistrust, anxiety and a myriad of issues for all concerned. A team at the University of Pittsburgh is looking into the issues…and lead researcher Dr. Elise Silva says schools may not have clear guidelines…and then what about enforcement?

“I think that that’s a huge question. We even asked students.. if you were making the rules, if you were making the policies, what would you do? And they were just as lost as I think a lot of policy makers are.”

Some schools, like Pitt, are actually looking into creating their own AI tools so they can be more easily monitored. And of course, AI can have great benefits in education..and in the working world students are being prepared for. Easy answers, sorry. We’ll likely need some help on this, from AI.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. As many college students prepare to return to school in the coming weeks, we’re taking a look at some research into the impact of AI on campus. At the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Elise Silva is director of policy research at the university’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security. And she says professors have concerns…

“And then there’s a lot of kind of interesting wariness among students themselves when they’re looking around at their classmates and thinking…well I wonder if my peers are using AI and is that going to benefit them. Am I getting left behind if I don’t? But sometimes those policies aren’t even clear, right?.”

Can a blanket ban on AI use on campus work…when the biggest software companies in the world are building it into their tools? The issues are complicated. More in our next report.

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

An app to help manage family healthcare? Mom of four Kallie Branciforte, whose followers know her as That Practical Mom, says the updated CVS Health app can make life easier. How? Kallie chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.        Students and AI.  We have a mini series for you.  At the University of Pittsburgh, researchers have been looking into AI on campus and its impact.  Dr. Elise Silva is director of policy research at the university’s Institute for Cyber Law, Policy and Security..

“Students are differently interacting with their instructors.   Meaning they are kind of worried about being caught using it.  But they’re also worried about instructors thinking that they are using it when they’re not actually using it.  We also know that instructors are more wary of students.  So there’s like a distrust going both ways there.  Student to teacher, teacher to student.”

And, Dr. Silva says, many students aren’t trusting their peers when it comes to AI use. What to do?  More in our next report.

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

What should you know about using T-Satellite service from T-Mobile and Starlink? T-Mobile Consumer Group Marketing VP Alice Williams chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Samsung has unveiled a new round of smart phones along with new smart watches. The latest Unpacked event focused on foldables… the Galaxy Z Fold 7, Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE. The flagship Z Fold 7 is remarkably thin…and features a 200 megapixel main camera. New AI capabilities are front and center here too. But you will have to unfold your wallet pretty wide to buy one. Unlocked on Amazon…the price comes in at about two thousand dollars. Meanwhile…the Z Flip 7 starts at about eleven hundred dollars….and the FE model is about two hundred less. The headliner on the watch front is the Galaxy Watch 8….which is slimmer and brighter and is priced at about 350 dollars. As always…check for discounted deals from carriers.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. It’s a new book with a pretty provocative title.. Insured to Death: How Health Insurance Screws Over Americans- And How We Take it Back. Author Neal Shah is the founds of CareYaya and co-founder of Counterforce Health…which uses AI to help people appeal health insurance claim denials. It is fast…and free for individuals. On the What’s Next, Living Longer Better Smarter podcast…Shah said the technology can help to level the playing field…

“I share examples like this throughout the book of how AI is employed by insurers. How doctors are reviewing some of these, if they are reviewing them, for on average 1.2 seconds.”

The book outlines many examples and how families can fight back…using technology. The tools for that are at CounterforceHealth.org.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. If you are one of the many who rely on the impressive line of security cameras from Anker’s Eufy brand, you’ll want to check out the new Smart Display E10 that can give you a live feed of up to four cameras at a time on the eight inch screen. It also can log events and give you daily reports. We’re impressed and beyond the typical security…there are lots of use cases for keeping an eye on babies, kids and seniors. Eufy’s Brett White…

“It has the flexibility to either be mounted up on your wall, almost like a traditional security touchscreen key pad or you can actually take it down off of the wall and set it down next to your nightstand, your coffee table.”

It can sit in a cradle…but has a built in battery as well to let you bring it into another room as needed or into the yard. You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.