The holidays are in the air today on The Tech Ranch. “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson, Rockin’ Dave Blair and “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh are in the studio to discuss gift giving this Christmas season! Every year, the Guru of Geek shares his Christmas wish list to listeners on what he feels are the the best gadgets and techie gifts. This year, he is sharing his letter he wrote to Santa. Enjoy!

Dear Santa, 

I’ve been a good Guru this year!: I’ve worked super hard all year long. I think I’ve been kind and I’ve helped around the house. I even did the dishes once! This year for Christmas, I would like the following gifts

 

Nintendo Super NES Classic – This is a gaming system that mirrors the old Nintendo system I had in the 90s. It comes with a pair of replica controllers so I can play against Rockin’ Dave or The Tech Geezer. It has an HDMI support for crisp digital output so it will hook to my T.V. Plus, you get 21 vintage Super NES games, including the never-before-released Star Fox 2. So that means I can play Donkey Kong and the original Mario Brothers game for days! Just visit Casinospil.net for more details. If you want to enjoy an exciting game while earning money, click here this casino game online at www.wizardslots.com

 

Philips Hue Starter Kit -The Philips Hue system is the perfect gift for me so I can continue adding to my smart home. The lights come in a variety of color and brightness that I can control. It’s easy to install and I can control the lights from my phone! If I get these cool lights for Christmas, I will make sure they are on for you next year! That way you can see my house easier!

 

Amazon Echo – If I had this gift, I could do so much with it! Turn my lights on and off, check the temperature in my house (even when I’m gone) and I could listen to Christmas music all the time! Plus, when the grand kids come over we can play games and have a fun family night!

 

Google Daydream – The coolest Google gift EVER!! Santa, you know I love virtual reality! This gift would let me to play for hours and hours! And, it’s pretty cool looking too! I’ll be the envy of all the kids, I mean grown-ups, in the neighborhood!

 

Garmin Speak – I know you can see what I’m doing, so you already know I have a new vehicle. BUT, I think this would be cool to have anyways! I use my GPS on my phone all the time while I’m driving and this would help me get to my destination safer! I wouldn’t have to look at my phone at all! Plus, I can stream my music so I wouldn’t be messing with radio. Remember?!? Safety first!

 

Nintendo Switch – Just because I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Nintendo everything, this would be awesome. I know I already have one, but wouldn’t it be cool to have another one in my house! Oh, and when the grand kids come over, they could all play! Please Santa!?! It’s a full-fledged TV game console that’s also a fully portable device with a gorgeous 6.2-inch screen and detachable controllers that su...

On this episode of The Tech Ranch, Dave Blair and Jim Walsh are in the studio while the “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson is out on business travel once again. In an interesting turn of events, today’s call-in guest is none other than the “Guru of Geek” himself. Yes, Dave and Jim decide to switch things up a bit and have the host of The Tech Ranch call-in to discuss the latest development in driverless vehicles. But first, let’s turn our focus on what it means to live in a smart city.

What is a Smart City?

In the digital age the definition of “smart” means to operate by automation. We have smart phones, smart televisions with the best channel variety with a iptv subscription, smart appliances, smart watches and smart vehicles and even smart bulbs such as the

" rel="noopener noreferrer">Philips Hue Bulbs. All of these every day objects operate off of data we provide. Data collection is essential for the success of a product. It plays the biggest roll in deciding what features run more efficiently versus those that don’t. But satellite and media did not go obsolete, they are effective in digital marketing till today, check out KefMedia – co-op tour for more information. It doesn’t come as a surprise that city governments are moving forward into the digital age by incorporating technology into the daily operations of how a city functions. City officials everywhere are setting goals to make their cities smarter.

The idea of a smart city is to create more efficient infrastructure, quality of life, a cleaner and sustainable environment, public safety, and power management all through the use of technology. Smart cities are can be created and monitored through the use of sensors. Sensors can provide city planners data that will help with the quality of life in cities by improving services, such as the use of a simple traffic light. Smart cities a will offer better planning for land use, especially for those cities that need improvements to downtown areas or areas that have a lot of congestion. The Smart Cities Council is working with cities throughout the world to begin implementation for smart cities. Bill Gates recently invested $80 million into plans for a smart city in Arizona. The idea to build a digital city falls into to the thinking of the Microsoft guru. It’s going to be exciting to visit the city when it’s running and fully operational.

Where’s the Driver?

We mentioned earlier the Guru of Geek is on business travel. What we didn’t mention is this business trip just happened to coincide with the first day a self-driving bus would be on the road in downtown Las Vegas. And, we also didn’t mention he just so happened to be on the very street the shuttle was loading passengers! If you haven’t guessed by now, the Guru jumped on board. It was like a kid in a candy store. Except, it was a blue bus, with vinyl seats, driving itself.

After a test run in January, the autonomous shuttle made by the French Company NAVYA, began it’s first day of operation.  Unfortunately, the shuttle was in a fender-bender.

On this episode of The Tech Ranch, the “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson and “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh have a jammed packed show in store for listeners. This is a show filled with hints, tidbits and tips on survival during the upcoming winter months. Sure, it’s technically still Fall, but in the northern part of the U.S., winter is quickly setting in. So grab some hot chocolate, a cozy blanket and sit back and let’s get started.

Everyone who has traveled during the winter months knows the importance of packing a winter survival kit in our vehicles. Winter survival kits mean surviving a winter storm while stranded on the side of the road. Amazon sells winter survival kits from AAA for around $48. You can also make your own kit with items you may already have around your home. Don’t forget to include a few technology items in that emergency kit. The Guru of Geek suggests the following items should be considered when assembling any winter survival kit:

An old cell phone: Don’t throw away that old cell phone. Instead, put it in your winter survival kit. All cell phones can make a 911 call whether or not they are activated. Just remember to fully charge the battery before storing and check occasionally to ensure it is charged. Sometimes cold can drain a battery.

A backup battery pack: Battery packs are used to charged devices without using an electrical outlet. Having one of these handy will ensure you are able to charge your devices if you become stranded on the side of the road. The cost for a battery pack is inexpensive and range in price from $15 to $130 depending on the type you purchase.

Extra charging cables: Throw a few charging cables in with your extra phone. Make sure the charging cables are usable and working properly by testing them before hand. The charging cables should be compatible with the battery pack and with any device you are going to charge.

Your current smart device loaded with Apps: Pre-install Apps on your smart device before hitting the road. There are several Apps available to help determine weather and road conditions during winter travel. Here are a few the Guru of Geek suggests:

Dark Sky App

Predicts snowfall in specific regions. The app is pretty specific in predicting exact times of weather pattern changes.

Road Trip Planner

Accuweather.com helps you plan your road trip ahead of time, providing weather projections and updates on weather. The App uses Google Maps  to help guide you from start to finish while your one the road. The weather map changes locations easily to allow you view upcoming weather patterns.

First Aid App

The American Red Cross has a fantastic App that provides “How-To” instructions on treating medical emergencies. This app is useful for those who need to know how to treat an injury quickly if immediate medical facilities are unavailable.

Radar Cast App

This App is intended for Apple users, but it works well, provides a high-def radar image and tracks storms fairly accurate.

Winter storms can be frustrating for anyone,

The “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson is back in the studio with “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh. It’s been about 3 weeks since the Guru was on the air, so he decided to plan an exciting show for this episode. Michelle Lucas, Founder and President of Higher Orbits, is here to talk about reaching for the stars through science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Special guests Nick “The Sheriff” Ressler and “Snoop Doug” Philp are also in the studio for the annual Halloween scare episode.

Reaching for the Stars

When Michelle Lucas was a little girl she was fascinated with science. Her childhood dream to work in the space field was made a reality as an adult when she had the privilege of working at NASA. Michelle spent over 10 years working at the Johnson Space Center as an International Space Station Flight Controller and Astronaut Instructor for Daily Operations. Her work has allowed her to work along side some of the world’s most amazing instructors and flight controllers while preparing over 250 astronauts for space travel. She has also worked with people at the Russian Space Agency (RSA), Japanese Space Agency JAXA and the European Space Agency. Today, Michelle runs her own company called Higher Orbits.

Higher Orbits is a nonprofit consulting company that encourages students to launch careers in STEM/STEAM. Partnered with the management company that works with retired astronauts, Uniphi Space Agency, the collaborating company’s teach students teamwork, communication and leadership skills to take them to the next phase in their scientific career choice. Higher Orbits created a program called Go For Launch! aimed at high school school-aged students that uses Space Exploration as a platform to encourage the use of STEM/STEAM. Michelle explains this 3 day program is presented by individuals who have worked in the space field from astronauts to engineers. Students are allowed to work with an actual astronaut during this 3 day program. A part from participating in a once and a lifetime experience, students receive one-on-one insight from professionals who have worked in the field of science. One of the activities that takes place during Go For Launch! is participating in a team exercise that allows students to define and design a space experiment. Michelle says that this is especially exciting for students who participate because the group that presents the best experiment will have the opportunity to have their experiment launched into space at the International Space Station. Listen in for a more detailed conversation about Michelle Lucas and Higher Orbits.

BOO!

Every Halloween season, the “Guru of Geek” visits the most current frightening technology scares in tech world. Today, Nick “The Sheriff” Ressler and “Snoop Doug” Philp are on board to discuss a few of the most common, yet terrifying things that are happening with technology.

Equifax Security Breach – Frightening news keeps popping up with the Equifax breach.

It’s week #2 since the “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson has been out of the studio. Once again, Dave Blair has agreed to hold down the mic on this episode of The Tech Ranch. Today, Dave welcomes Ron Ness in the studio to discuss the oil industry in North Dakota.

Ron Ness has been involved in the oil industry for several years. First, serving as President of the North Dakota Retail and Petroleum Marketers Association and currently serving as President of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. The knowledge that Mr. Ness has for the oil industry in North Dakota has helped bring the most modern technology into the state, making North Dakota competitive with other oil producing states, such as Texas.

Historically, the oil industry has been active in North Dakota since the 1920s. After years of studying the land in western North Dakota, oil was finally “hit” in the 1950s on a wheat farm near Dickinson. Up until that time, geologists in North Dakota were certain there was oil available for drilling. Ron Ness explains that 360 million years ago, North Dakota was a shallow sea bed, with temperatures like those similar to present day Costa Rico. Over a period of millions of years, Mr. Ness says that the results of natural evolution has provided today’s present day oil boom in the state, also known as the Bakken. 

Oil investment in the state has increased over the years. Mr. Ness explains through the years, technology has played the most important roll in how oil is drilled in the state. State-of-the-art advancements are found throughout the Bakken. From the early beginnings of using vertical drilling to today’s hydraulic fracturing  (fracking) methods, oil drilling has evolved. Safer more efficient drilling methods have allowed the export of oil quicker and more efficiently. Mr. Ness says North Dakota is currently having a quiet period for oil production. This means that there are still wells being drilled, the activity of the oil field isn’t as robust as it was a few years ago. However, Mr. Ness says times like this allow the state to examine technology to bring into the oil business and apply those methods through evaluation of what works and what doesn’t. In the end, the best way to provide a safer environment is to study the products and methods available to the oil industry. Quiet times allow the state to focus on improvements to the industry, in turn making production more efficient and environmentally safe.

If you would like the “Guru of Geek” to do a product review for you and have it featured on The Tech Ranch, let us know! Leave us a comment on this episode or call 701-204-6674 for more information.

Also, there are several ways on how does marketing automation work, check those details by visiting our site.

Join the “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson and “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh every week for a new episode of the Tech Ranch.

Broadcast Date October 23,  2017  Episode 290

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On this episode of The Tech Ranch, Dave Blair fills in as host for the “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson, alongside “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh, who is at the control panel making sure everything is running smoothly behind the scenes.  In-studio guest  Dr. Terry Pilling, Associate Professor of Engineering, University of Mary, Bismarck, shares his knowledge with listeners about math and science, focusing specifically on engineering. Even though Marlo is enjoying a family cruise vacation, he is definitely missing out on another fantastic show.

Engineers Are Under Rated

Dr. Terry Pilling has lived in the Mandan, North Dakota, for a few years. Originally from Canada, he eventually moved to western North Dakota while CEO for a wind power company. Today, he is an Associate Professor of Engineering at the University of Mary in Bismarck. His professional resume is astounding, it left Dave and Jim in utter amazement. Dr. Pilling completed his:

* Undergraduate Degree in Engineering and Physics, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

* Masters Degree in Nuclear and Particle Physics, Saskatchewan Accelerator Laboratory, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

* PhD in Theoretical High-Energy Physics & String Theory from North Dakota State University, Fargo

His Post Doctoral work includes:

* Joint Institute of Nuclear Research, Russia

* Joint Astronomy Center, Hawaii

Did we mention Dr. Pilling is also a Professor? At any rate, these days, Dr. Pilling can be found on the University of Mary campus teaching and helping the university build a state-of-the-art engineering program. Blue prints have been completed by Metal Building Contractors and construction will begin soon on a new engineering building that will be complete with classrooms, laboratories and testing facilities. Projected completion of the new facility is 2018. Even though the university currently has a bachelor program in engineering, Dr. Pilling says the new facility and program is approaching the field of engineering unlike any other program the department knows right now. Classroom learning will be combined directly into lab classes so students can use application during lecture. One particular aspect of the new program Dr. Pilling is looking forward to is the new website that will be available to students. Within the website, there will be several connections to firms that are looking for individuals to test and create projects. Dr. Pilling stresses a modern curriculum will produce the best engineers possible.

Dr. Pilling is optimistic about the future of the engineering department at the University of Mary. He stresses that students who are interested in math and science should consider pursuing a degree in engineering. He also is aware that many students find math and science to be “boring.” Dr. Pilling believes that the minds of students can be changed if  more passion is put into teaching the subjects. If the teacher is engaged, the student is more likely to be engaged too. Though computer skills are essential in this day and age, Dr. Pilling has a philosophy that computer knowledge is almost an automatic learning skill for students and classrooms should spend less time teaching about computers and more time teaching how a computer works.

On this episode of The Tech Ranch, “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson and “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh welcome Janelle Hartford, START Bismarck, CoSchedule, to the studio to discuss the importance of consistency in blogging and social media. Later in the show, listen to Marlo and Janelle as they go over popular software they find helpful during the transition of their busy day.  But first, what’s up with Szechuan?

Jokes on McDonald’s 

This past April, the popular show Rick and Morty featured an episode that mentioned Szechuan sauce McDonald’s served in the 1980s. At the time, McDonald’s featured the condiment as part of the release of the Disney movie Mulan. It was taken off the condiment menu shortly after the release of the movie.  McDonald’s thought they would have a bit of fun with the episode and roll out a brief distribution of the infamous sauce. Unfortunately, McDonald’s didn’t realize the following Rick and Morty had in the world, because people were lined up at every drive thru hoping to get a piece of history with their nuggets. Imagine the disappointment “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh felt as he placed his order with the hopes of reliving an 80’s vibe, only to be disappointed that it wasn’t available. Talk about backfire on a joke by McDonald’s having to disappoint so many customers!

Automated Strategy

Business owner’s, large and small, have a common goal–reach as many customers and clients as possible. Figuring out the most efficient way to do that can be a challenge. Luckily, Janelle Hartford has a solution to some of your questions and concerns. Janelle is the HR Coordinator for CoSchedule, which is a program that uses social media strategy that helps you automate your use of social media. She also is a member of START Bismarck, a grassroots organization in North Dakota that fosters a startup culture by promoting startup activities, organizing key events, embracing creativity and encouraging risk taking within our community.

The use of social media is an effective way to boost sales and drive traffic to your business. Using CoSchedule presents an opportunity to business owners to reach more customers, customize their customer base and allow the software to preschedule activities through their social media. This allows marketing teams and business owners to focus on other things. CoSchedule also keeps track of important stats to pin-point changes that need to be made, get to know their target audiences better, and help business owners learn about their customer base.  Janelle stresses that consistency is the most important key to the success of a business, especially when using social media along with 970 Marketing Agency to make our business soar. Consistency helps business owners relate to their target audience better by focusing on things that work and attract attention versus distributing re...

The “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson, “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh and special guest Mike Wilkinson, Blue Hawk Audio and Video, discuss audio changes in the industry, and how the systems from https://holoplot.com/ have improved the audio sound by 100%. Also, in the wake of the horrific Las Vegas shooting, The Guru of Geek provides some helpful information to listeners about how to let family and friends know you are OK in an instance of an emergency.

Blue Hawk Audio and Video

Mike Wilkinson, owner of Blue Hawk Audio and Video, set a goal to provide the very best, high-grade audio and video equipment to the people of North Dakota. Starting out in a 15 x 15 space to currently owning and operating two stores in the Dickinson and Bismarck malls, Blue Hawk Audio and Video has grown. Since 2004, Mike has traveled every where, except outer space, to acquire the best products available for retail sale at one of his two stores in North Dakota. Mike sells everything from earbuds to home automation systems, including security surveillance systems. If there is a market for it, Mike is available to provide a personalized service of finding what the needs of his customers are.

The Great Debate

Vinyl vs. Digital

The “Guru of Geek” and “Tech Geezer” are reminded of how life was years ago (without disclosing their age). Some days Marlo can be found reminiscing about Old Blue Eyes (that’s Frank Sinatra for you younger folk). Marlo has always like music that was uncut and raw. Jim can easily be found listening to early Rolling Stones tunes on his old turntable. Alas, when life was simple and music was a warm recording of the artist with that hint of crackle in the background. Fast forward to 2017, the age of digital everything. According to Mike, his preference is digital recordings because they provide a higher resolution of clarity with the depth and range to make the output of sound better.

If you have never heard a record playing on a turntable, you should visit Blue Hawk Audio and Video and listen for yourself. The difference between vinyl sound and digital sound is an experience between an artist and a performer. Artist’s capture the sound and performer’s manipulate the sound. If you like the high tech sound with all the fanfare, then digital is your desire. If you like the earthiness and originality of the sound, vinyl is the way to go. No one is sure why vinyl disappeared, but it’s back to remind us that some things are better as they age.

Wireless vs. Wired

Mike knows a lot about sound systems, equipment and gadgets that help stream the best quality sound. If he had to choose, he would probably choose to go wired. Why? Because a wired system can be customized according to the location, i.e., your family room. Wireless systems often are spread out over an area and are ran on a specific signal. If that signal is weak, so is your sound. Interference in the WiFi connection can cause problems through wireless connections; whereas wired always delivers exactly what you are looking expecting.

Streaming

The “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson and “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh play host to 2 special guests this week on the Tech Ranch. Bismarck Mayor Mike Seminary joins the duo early in the show to discuss the DisruptWell Summit. Later, John Nagel, CyberNet Securities, gives his take on the Equifax data breach.

Hacked: Your Financial Data Is At Risk

Everyone knows if you want to make a purchase and use your credit, your financial information and credit history is provided by one of three credit reporting agencies–Equifax, Experion or TransUnion. These three companies hold the secret to your success, or at least your purchasing success. In early September, consumers learned that Equifax had a hugely embarrassing data breach…on your private information. Your social security number, your financial information, your address, your credit card information. EVERYTHING! In the events leading up to the breach, Equifax managed to keep things hush hush within their organization. Here is an extremely disturbing timetable of events:

* March 2017 – Equifax experiences a data breach.

* Mid-May 2017 – The beginning of an estimated 143 million people’s financial data was being hacked through Equifax’s own system.

* July 2017 – Equifax discovers the data breach.

* September 2017 – Equifax announces the data breach to the public.

The biggest question is finding out who was impacted. The “Guru of Geek” invited John Nagel, CyberNet Securities, to the show to discuss the Equifax catastrophe. John gives several tips on how to find out if you were effected and what you can do to hopefully stop your personal information from being used for future credit damage. Here are a few brief tips for consumers:

* Find out if you were impacted by calling Equifax.

* Freeze your accounts.

* Activate charge account alerts for notification of purchases.

* File taxes early.

* Freeze your credit.

DisruptWell Summit 2017

The “Guru of Geek” and Bismarck Mayor Mike Seminary agree that technology is disrupting our lives. However, neither of them feel it’s necessarily a negative thing. The desire to make adjustments that follow technological changes have made them both very successful in the transition. Both are always looking for ways to engage in discussions about the impacts technology has had on our communities. It was this curiosity that brought about the idea to hold a summit in Bismarck to allow people to meet and discuss the impact technology has in our work environments. The DisruptWell Summit is a first...

Nothing is ever predictable on The Tech Ranch, especially where the conversation may lead between the “Guru of Geek” Marlo Anderson and “Tech Geezer” Jim Walsh. This episode of The Tech Ranch is a reflection of how tech talk is identical to technology today–constantly changing. But before we get started, a congratulatory shout out is in order to North Dakota Native and the new Miss America, Cara Mund! Salesforce is a good provider of Software technology that will be used as an automated marketing device.

Rambling Words

Natural disasters are a part of what is going on in today’s news headlines. Hurricanes, tornado’s, wild fires, you name it. As we watch the news and see the devastation caused by the Mother Nature, we are reminded on how far technology has come in notifying society about preparation of a possible natural disaster. Most people follow local warnings about weather and other emergency situations. Many of us have apps on our smart devices that indicate if a storm in brewing, what we should do as precautionary measures and how to best handle an emergency situation. Here are a few tips to better prepare yourself and your family in the case of an emergency:

* Find a dependable source as your go-to guide in any emergency situation. Local weather apps and activating the emergency notification on your smart device will keep you safe.

* Use your local emergency system as a warning guide.

* Have an emergency evacuation plan set in place.

* Investigate any warning thoroughly to ensure the warning is real and legit.

* Always use common sense in any emergency situation.

Natural disasters not only brings out the worse part of Mother Nature, they also bring out the best in people. We are a society that likes to help those who have been impacted by unforeseen forces of nature. Sadly, it’s also a great opportunity for scams to occur. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish who is legit and who is out to look for ways to take advantage of people with kind hearts who are willing to help. Here are a few tips to help decide where you should send those donations:

* Research the company asking for help before making a donation.

* Check with your local organizations. Many rally together to send a large donation.

* Ask your church or pastor if they have any suggestions on where to send donations. Many of these organizations have collection for donations already in place.

* Donate to the places you are familiar with.

* Give your time if you are able.

Recap, Reinvent, Release

Remember when the only means of transportation was by horse and buggy? If you are old enough to remember thank you for listening in! Obviously, we know travel by horse and buggy was invented long before any of us were born. However, some of us are still “young” enough to remember our first family car. Since then, transportation has evolved and grown at great speeds. Self-driving cars are becoming more and more popular, and with that, changes in rules and regulations are needed.

In September of this year, the US House of Representatives unanimously approved changes to establish autonomous vehicle rules and regulations. These changes include reinventing and centralizing federal guidelines for all autonomous vehicles on the road to follow the same guidelines as those vehicles that have a driver. The legislation also allows for the release of a specific amount of autonomous vehicles to be released this year,