Techstination

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. It is tax season again….guess I didn’t need to tell you that. The folks at H&R Block are again providing a range of options for assistance…in person and online. The company’s Tax Institute VP Andy Phillips says just about everyone can and should e-file…

“Whether you use an H&R Block DIY product or work with one of our tax professionals, all those offer the ability to e-file. It’s more secure. It’s quicker to get your return processed and your refund released to you from the IRS. If you do a state refund from your state as well.”

Many can qualify to use H&R Block online for free. More info? The site is HRBlock.com. There are lots of changes this year…especially for those receiving 1099 forms…so a little help can go a long way.

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

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Tombot is a company that is building more tech infused robotic pets designed to assist people with Alzheimer’s and more. Co-founder and CEO Tom Stevens tells us that the pets have a variety of sensors for touch, voice and motors for realistic movement…although these aren’t designed for walking, at least not yet…

“So our mission became to develop a better emotional attachment object but also be available at a price that most seniors can afford. We studied with over 700 seniors with dementia and of the many things that we learned, by far the most important, we around realism.”

There are other robotic pets on the market, such as those from JoyForAll with less tech and lower pricing. Learn more at www.tombot.com.

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

From the commercials, to Kendrick Lamar at half-time, to the Philadelphia Eagles... what were the trending searches during the Super Bowl. Google trends expert Smirti Sinha chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. When it comes to search trends… lots of folks are doing searches for things or topics that bring back memories. Google trends expert Charity Mhende..

“Yes, we’ve seen a lot of interest in the last year or two around nostalgic topics. I remember last year people were searching for Tamagotchis and different things like that. This year, we’ve seen people looking for nostalgic music. So, iconic songs of the 2000s was a breakout search this past month and a personal favorite of mine, Destiny’s Child, was the top trending band.”

And that was even before the big Grammy award wins for Beyonce’. And of course, leading up to the Super Bowl…there were trending searches for the Eagles and Chiefs…and recipes for popular foods for those Super Bowl parties….which we hope you’re recovering from.

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

Weekly wrap up of past week's Techstination reports in podcast form created by Google's Notebook LM.

Nomad is out with a versatile Universal Cable for Apple Watch designed for convenience everywhere. The design and capabilities? CEO and co-founder Noah Dentzel chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Some tech help for Heart Month….from Apple Fitness Plus trainers Sam Sanchez and Jamie-Ray Hartshorne. It isn’t always easy to stay motivated when it comes to fitness, especially in the dead of winter, but Apple Fitness+ aims to make it fun with a wide range of workouts online for all levels. Says Hartshorne..

“We have 12 different workout types and meditations, so so much to choose from and all you need is an iPhone.” “And Fred I know for myself and a lot of people, music is a huge motivator and at Fitness+ we have got you with some incredible music.”

Anyone can try Apple Fitness+ free for thirty days or get 90 days free with a new Apple device. The Apple Watch or Apple TV + are big parts of the fitness ecosystem too. Find more, of course, at Apple.com.

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

Mmmhmm is an app that can transform video calls or presentations with surprising ease. How? CEO and tech veteran Phil Libin chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Counterforce Health is a new start up using (safely) DeepSeek AI to help people with health insurance claim denials. How does it work? Co-founder Neal Shah, who also created the ground breaking CareYaya service revolutionizing caregiving, chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Changing lives is what British Columbia based Human in Motion is all about. The company has built its first XO Motion exoskeletons, for rehab use at first, to help people who have been confined to wheel chairs, live upright. Co-founder and CEO Siamak Arzanpour says it has been a complex challenge. This is, in essence, a wearable robot…

“It is not just building a robot. The robot has a human side, the robot has to self balance. The robot needs to enable the users to do all the complex maneuvers that able bodied people can do. And motions need to be human-like.”

We also spoke with the company’s Director of Lived Experience, Chloe Angus, about the needs and how the technology is changing her life. We encourage you to watch the full interview….and visit HumanInMotion.com.

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