Techstination

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.  I’m Fred Fishkin.    It’s a toaster that you won’t be hiding on the kitchen counter.   The Revolution R180 Connect Plus Smart Toaster….has a beautiful touch screen that can display time, date and weather or act as a digital photo frame.   And when you want to toast…select from dozens of bread options and select the precise doneness you want from images.  And it is fast.  CEO Tom Klaff says it is called InstaGlo Technology..“Well it starts with better heat.  Our tag line really is better heat makes a better appliance, which makes better food.”    We’re really impressed….the toast is perfect every time.  Butt the technology, as you might expect, doesn’t come cheap.  The R180 Connect Plus Smart Toaster sells for about 450 dollars at RevCook.com.You can find us at Techstination.com.   I’m Fred Fishkin.

The plug-in or balcony solar movement is growing in the U.S. with some help from non-profit Bright Saver. How can you join in and save money on your electric bill? Bright Saver co-founder Rupert Mayer chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.  I’m Fred Fishkin.    Are you ready for a personal EVTOL?   That an electric vertical take off and landing vehicle…in other words…a flying car.   Doroni Aerospace has designed the H1-X…which it is taking pre-orders for now.   It hopes to begin deliveries in 2028.   It is a two seater that can be charged with an EV charger.   CEO Doron Merdinger  saysit is designed to be easy and safe…and when it comes to range..“About a hundred miles.  Bear in mind these are direct miles.  In terms of speed, it’s about 120 maximum miles per hour.  Probably cruising about 90 to 100, cruising.”You will need a light sport aircraft certification to fly and about 400 thousand dollars.  Learn more at Doroni.ioYou can find us at Techstination.com.   I’m Fred Fishkin.

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundcation is urging state and federal officials to address climate fueled disasters. How? RWJ Foundation Chief Science Officer, Dr. Alonzo Plough, chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Help for those people caring for others with dementia. A digital therapy platform and app developed by researchers at the University of East Anglia has been effective according to a new study. Lead Researcher Dr. Naoko Kishita chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Just in time for summer travel season, Anker’s eufy brand is out with the SmartTrack Card E40. It is a credit card shaped tracker…that you can carry easily in your wallet. One of the great features…becoming a bit more common now…is that it works with both Apple Find My and Google Find. Also…it charges up wirelessly with any Qi compatible charger. A charge will typically last about five months. Another feature to appreciate is the 80dB alarm. It can help you find that wallet…even if it is at the bottom of a pocketbook. The SmartTrack Card E40 can also alert you on your phone…if you accidentally leave your wallet behind. The price…about 35 dollars but we’ve seen a 5 dollar off coupon for it at eufy.com.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. The summer months , statistically are the deadliest months for young drivers. State Farm’s Jon Wey the numbers are frightening…overall….but..“We also know that summertime night time driving is particularly risky, Fred. The fatal crash rate at night for teens is three times as high as that for adult drivers. Think about that. And another couple scary stats, almost 45 percent of all crash deaths among teenagers occur between 9pm and 6am, so nighttime driving and almost half, a full 50 percent, occur on Friday, Saturday or Sundays.”And believe it or not…some recent stats show 56 percent of young vehicle fatality victims were not wearing seatbelts. Start there when it comes to taking action…and Wey says lead by example when it comes to texting behind the wheel.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Can digital brain games determine your career suitability? A study conducted at the University of Minnesota for the armed services found that they can. How? Brain HQ was created by Posit Science, where CEO Henry Mahncke had a chat with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. You probably know about IMDB and how it lets you look up movies and TV shows and the people in them. Well, now there is GeneratedDB…a database designed for AI creators and the generated AI characters. Generated Group CEO Tanya Porquez…“There are so many creators out there and so many people are getting into this video AI video space. But so many are just doing it on their own, they’re using different social media platforms to be their distribution channel. But you know the way the algorithms work is that it is here today and gone tomorrow. So it’s a good idea to have a unified destination where creators can actually come and they can create their own online profiles.”Even profiles for the AI characters they’ve created. You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

The Eufy Security brand from Anker Innovations has an impressive deal on the new LocalSecure bundle. Full home security without a subscription. What's included? Eufy Security Global PR Lead Janet Jin chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. While work continues on Project Purple roller coaster…towering over the skyline at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, NJ, the them park is innovating with a new concept…an area called Shoreline Pier at The Boardwalk. There’s the food..“So down at Riptide Seafood, we have the fried shrimp and the clam strips and then you get three different Po Boys. A flounder Po Boy, a shrimp Po Boy or the New Orleans beel Po Boy.”Park Executive Chef Jeremy Hacker. About the concept, Park President Mike Fehnel says..“It is a glimpse into the future for Six Flags Great Adventure. When guests visit the Shoreline Pier, they’re going to discover more than just the rides, they’re going to see this cohesive, themed area, where entertainment, food and beverage and all the ambiance comes together.”At a time when many theme parks have struggled, the innovation is more important than ever.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. To celebrate America’s 250th, Ford has brought an exhibit to Union Station in Washington DC titled Driving America Forward. Of course there are cars…but there’s much more to the story of how the automaker has contributed to the fabric of the country over the years. Ford Archives and Heritage Brand Manager Ted Ryan…“Entertainment, the movie Mustangs, the Explorer that’s in Jurassic Park. We’re covering a lot of those with artifacts rather than with vehicles. The other thing we’ve talked about, we have an innovation case. Ford developed Ford Charcoal which later became Kingsford when we sold it to them. We helped put a man on the moon by building Mission Control. Did you know that the radio beams used to guide planes in the 20s was a Ford design.”There’s lots more. And you can check out the FordHeritageVault.com site for more fun.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Candice Bryant is the creator behind an app called Cello…designed to help all of us become more fluent with AI. Bryant is a veteran of the CIA, where she spent about two decades, and of Google. Cello is free and offers up daily coaching on making the most of AI tools..“So sometimes the prompts are there to help you think more critically. Sometimes they’re there for productivity. For example a lot of AI tools right now have calendar integrations and so I might have a prompt that says hack your calendar to make sure you have blocked off time for your commute. Because the AI now can read your calendar and edit your calendar for you. And so that’s just a quick way to get a head start on your week.”The app, again, is free for iOS and Android. Learn more at Celloai.app.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

It is just getting started, but the Pixi Garden app for iOS brings AI and augmented reality....and fun... to messaging. How it started and where is it going? Founder and CEO Mark Drummond, who spent years with NASA and Apple, chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. He is the co-author of Sizing Up the Universe and Welcome to the Universe in 3D, a Princeton professor and as an astronomer and astrophotographer, has infectious enthusiasm. And while Bob Vanderbei has taken astounding deep space images wheeling out telescopes and computer gear onto his driveway in New Jersey, these days he is relying frequently on a SeeStar S30 Pro..“The whole technology is so modern, advanced, so easy. You just take this thing out, you set it down, and just push the on button. You go inside, you open up the app on your iPad, and then it suggests which things to take pictures of.”Or search for whatever you’d like. And the SeeStar S30Pro is priced at under 700 dollars. Bob has a great gallery online too. (https://vanderbei.princeton.edu/images/SeeStar/index.html) Find more info at US.SeeStar.com.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

In the search for perfect toast, Revolution Cooking delivers using lots of tech and innovation. But it comes at a price, of course. The story behind the R180 Connect Plus Smart Toaster in this Techstination interview with CEO Tom Klaff.

AI powered video creation simplified. That is the focus of the Pictory Platform. How? Co-founder and CEO Vikram Chalana chats with Techstiniaton's Fred Fishkin.

Doroni is taking a different approach to the coming new generation of vertical take-off and landing vehicles. What is the promise of the H1X personal flying car? We had lots of questions and CEO Doron Merdinger has the answers in this Techstination interview.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Astronomy and astrophotography are being transformed these days by smart telescopes that make it all much easier for everyday enthusiasts. And ZWO’s SeeStar line is winning many fans not only for making it all easier…but more affordable too. The SeeStar S30 Pro is all of that….and also so compact that it is easy to take along anywhere. A far cry, says the company’s Sherry Lu, from what was needed not so long ago…“I started when I was in high school. So I totally understand the point of how complicated it could be.”The S30 Pro really does make it simple and the images, even of deep space objects, can be amazing. And it isn’t just for newcomers. More on that in my next report.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.  I’m Fred Fishkin.     What is hot this summer when it comes to search trends?   Google trends expert Jennifer Jones says no surprise…there have been a lot of searches related to soccer.   The Netflix series East of Eden is getting lots of attention.   And when it comes to cooking and flavors…hold on…“The top one that we’re seeing is black sesame.  It has reached the highest search interest of all time right now.   Everything from black sesame ice cream, to desserts, to breads.  Folks are putting black sesame seeds in everything.  And Spam hot dogs.  That’s right, not just a regular hot dog, Spam hot dog is currently being searched more than ever before.”It is a real thing…and no…the hot dogs don’t come in a can.  For more..head to trends.google.com.You can find us at Techstination.com.   I’m Fred Fishkin.

Six Flags Great Adventure officially opens Shoreline Pier and drops more hints on what is coming. Techstination's Fred Fishkin covers.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. New affordable security cams from Anker’s Eufy brand have arrived. The C31 is a wired camera selling for under sixty dollars. Being wired means you don’t need to worry about charging…and it can easily be moved …even for use as a baby cam. The eufyCam C37 is a wireless model that has 360 degree pan and tilt. Public Relations Lead Janet Jin…“So this is a solar powered outdoor security camera . It captures 2K sharp resolution video, so that helps you see important details. It can pan and tilt to monitor larger areas.”The price… 99.99…and that solar panel is removable for mounting away from the camera to better capture solar energy. Learn more at Eufy.com.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

To help celebrate America's 250th, Ford is bringing an exhibit titled Driving America Forward to Union Station in Washington DC. There are cars, of course, and also some surprises. Ford Archives and Heritage Brand Manager Ted Ryan chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. There is more innovation at Anker’s Eufy Security brand. In this episode…the new FamiLock E40. What is unique here are all the options you have to unlock the smart, attractive deadbolt system. It has a fingerprint reader, a keypad, a physical key….and drumroll….facial recognition..“It has a 2K resolution camera as well as a doorbell. This device really helps you if you’re carrying multiple bags of groceries or if you’re a very busy parent and you’re dealing with children when you’re trying to get home, it’s very easy because you can simply put your face very close up to the smart lock and simply smile and then your door will unlock.”Public Relations Lead Janet Jin who adds you probably don’t have to smile…but why not. It is initially exclusive to Home Depot.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

How easy is it for anyone to get started with ZWO's Seestar S30 Pro telescope? Techstination's Fred Fishkin pays a visit for a hands-on with the company's Sherry Lu and astrophotographer, author and professor Bob Vanderbei!

How many senses do we have? Quite a few more than you think. Best selling author Richard Louv returns with Noticing: Intimate Encounters With the Natural World. And it is a book worth noticing! Richard chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Soccer, jorts and Spam hot dogs. Really? Those are among the hot search trends on Google. How about black sesame everything? And there's that new East of Eden series coming to Netflix. More? Google's Jennifer Jones chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. The latest cooling vests and jackets from Gobi Heat range from the simple evaporative cooling Strata vests… to designs like the AeroVent Cooling Shell….featuring dual fans…and the Canyon Cooling Vests that circulate cold water. All three work well in our testing…but are best in different situations. You can keep the fans in the AeroVent going for hours on a charge and even carry a spare battery. But the Canyon delivers the most cold…using an ice pack and circulating cold water that also requires a battery. We like the approach by CEO and Founder Jaye Genung…“So we’re really seeking to find a solution to specific problems that specific people have, rather than just saying this is the one size fits all.”And the company, at GobiHeat.com, is serious about quality too.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Summer fun can be shattered in an instant. For young drivers, they are the 100 deadliest days. Some surprising stats and solutions for parents in this Techstination interview with State Farm's Jon Wey.

GeneratedDB is an IMDB style platform for crediting AI creators and characters. The people behind it? Founders Tanya Porquez and Artur Balabanskyy chat with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Fun apparel to keep you cooler this summer. The folks at Gobi Heat are best knownf or things like vests, hats and gloves to keep you warm when it is freezing out there. But they are innovating when it comes to keeping you cool too. Founder and CEO Jaye Genung…“So we have evaporative cooling, we have ice water circulated cooling and then we also have fan cooling, basically moving the air around you to get better air flow. And that really comes from studying the environment. Not only the climate environment, but the environment that people are maybe working in.”Do they really work on those hot days? We’ll tell you more about that in my next report.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Pila Energy begins delivery of innovative mesh home backup batteries. How do they work? The advantages? CEO and Founder Cole Ashman chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Buy new? Buy used? Maybe an EV? Car shoppers face lots of decisions. GM's CarBravo platform has info that can help and offer some peace of mind. Senior Manager John Fitzpatrick chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. The 2026 Longevity Economy Outlook has some pretty big surprises. The research team at AARP, lead by Dr. Ani Harutyunyan, found that adults 50 and over generated 43 percent of U.S. GDP…or 12.5 trilliion dollars in 2024. And speaking on the What’s Next Longevity Deal Talk podcast, she said tech spending in that age group is rising faster than any other major category..“Which means there is more demand than we anticipated. We also found that the second largest fastest growing category is transportation services.”Like Uber, Lyft, Waymo and more. You can listen to the full podcast, which I co-host at MaryFurlong.com/podcasts. For the full report, checkout aarp.org/longevityeconomy.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. A dashcam that can detect animals, pedestrians or cyclists in fog, rain or complete darkness? The Pilot 2 from Vantrue can do that using an exterior mounted thermal camera. I’ve been impressed and even fascinated by what the thermal camera sees with detection that reaches more than three hundred feet. Equally impressive is the dedicated six and a quarter inch display that shows those images along with a forward facing 2K camera, a cabin camera and a 2K rear facing camera. The touchscreen also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Safety alerts offer forward collision warnings. The 860 dollar list price …is on the high end…but on the Vantrue.com site there is a presale for just under 600 dollars.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. The reMarkable Paper Pure is the latest digital notebook from the innovative Norwegian company. It is designed to turn your handwriting into organized digital notes simplifying tasks of all types. With a battery life of up to three weeks and lightweight design, it is perfect for home and office. It has a 10.3 inch black and white display. The Paper Pure replaces the ReMarkable 2 in the company’s lineup. It supports the same digital pens as the remarkable Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move. The price comes in at 399 dollars and you will likely opt for the remarkable Connect service which runs four dollars a month of 39 dollars a year. It gives you access from your computer or smartphone and stores your notes in the cloud. More info? The site is remarkable.com.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.      Back up power for home or a camp site from your EV?    Only a select few models offer that kind of capability….but a company called Roam Energy has created a PowerBridge line of products that allow most Teslas and a number of other EVs to output power through the charging port.  The PowerBridge Standard can deliver 35 hundred watts  while the PowerBridge Pro can handle up to 75 hundred watts.   It also has a 240 volt single phase connector…typically for use outside of the U.S..   We are impressed with the build quality and carry along ease and having that kind of battery back up available in an emergency for refrigeration and more can bring some peace of mind.  Founder Lydia Li says safety has been proven by experience in Asia and now the U.S…“Over 20 thousand units have been sold to Tesla owners. ”Li tells us a third generation product is being developed that will include a split phase 240 volt outlet.    You can find us at Techstination.com.   I’m Fred Fishkin

She is a veteran of the CIA and Google. And now Candice Bryant has created an app called Cello to help with AI fluency. It is free and aimed at everyone from students and parents to corporate execs. How and why? Candice chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Those barcodes you see on all types of packaging…are on their way out. GS1 US the standards organization behind the barcodes….has developed a new standard which will be pushed out more widely next year. It uses QR codes….that can deliver much more information to consumers and retailers. Senior VP Melanie Nuce Hilton..“Every product has a story and that story is best told through the consumer’s ability to interact with the product either at checkout or through their smartphone. Food waste is an important issue that we’re trying to tackle as an industry and we’d love to be able to reduce food waste. So a QR codes on a product, such as this carton of eggs right here, it contains information about the expiration.”The QR code can deliver information about nutrition and allergies…or even link to recipes. You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Some worthwhile screen time for kids this summer. Apple is offering free summer camp sessions at Apple Stores for fun and creativity. And you don't need to own an iPad. Details? Apples Jahmyra Austin chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred FishkinStanford University spinout Adaptyx Biosciences has developed a wearable device that will measure hormones continuously,  beginning with cortisol.   Co-founder and CEO Vijit Sabnis..says cortisol levels are a critical indicator…“There’s a field called circadian health or circadian biology that talks about how our body is on a daily rhythm.  And cortisol is the signaling molecule that starts that on a daily basis and when it is off, when it is not regulated appropriately, our entire health can suffer over time.”Clinical trials are underway…“But the technology is real.   We have measured our device in over 70 patients, more than 400 hours of testing which is supporting our pathway into an FDA submission.There is more info at Adaptyx.bio.   You can find us at Techstination.com.   I’m Fred Fishkin.

Unlock the front door with your face? The FamiLock E40 from Anker's Eufy Security does that in more. And there are new wired and solar powered EufyCam solutions. Details? Eufy Security PR Lead Janet Jin chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. A wearable continuous monitor for cortisol and more is on the way. Stanford University spinout Adaptyx Biosciences is in the process of commercializing a wearable device that will measure hormones. Co-founder and CEO Vijit Sabnis..“This is a brand new technology that allows us to measure lots and lots of other different molecules continuously. And we’re starting first with the stress hormone cortisol.”Why?“Cortisol is a really, really critical and fundamental molecule that affects every major organ system in the body. It controls your metabolism. It impacts your sleep. When it is dysregulated, when we’re under a lot of stress chronically, when those levels get too high, it can drive diabetes, hypertension.”More on the significance in my next report.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Want a really cool dad? Gobi Heat's line of cooling vests and apparel make for no sweat on Father's Day. And they can keep Moms and kids comfy too. How? Founder and CEO Jaye Genung talks about the products, tech and innovations with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. A new AI tool from Microsoft called Scout was unveiled at the company’s Build conference. Microsoft is saying it is its first Autopilot agent….integrated across the range of Microsoft 365 apps. It is designed to stay active in the background and take actions without needing to be prompted to help you get work done. With its own identity, think of it as a digital worker, Scout is powered by OpenClaw open source technology and Microsoft says it will be contributing back to the open source community. Meanwhile, Copilot is shifting from a chat assistant to AI Agent that can execute tasks. In other words…Copilot isn’t just answering questions anymore..it’s being designed to do work on your behalf.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Hitster Music Bingo is selling by the millions creating intergenerational game night fun. And there's a tech twist. Ready to play? Jumbo Group U.S. Marketing Manager Natasha Coppin chats with Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. The folks at Oura are at it again….with a newly redesigned Oura Ring 5. I’ve been impressed for years by previous generations of the ring…which provides sleep and health data without the discomfort and charging challenges of wrist worn devices. The Oura Ring 5 is 40 percent smaller than the Ring 4 and boasts battery life of a week. It is made from lightweight non-allergenic titanium and is available in new colors. Pricing starts at 399 dollars with membership priced at 5.99 a month or 69.99 a year. The impressive Oura app is offering some new health insights as well. Health Radar is an expansion of Symptom Radar..which can tip you off when something’s not right even before you feel sick. You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear.   I’m Fred Fishkin.        Why is it that a song can instantly change your mood and bring back vivid memories.   Princeton Professor Music Elizabeth Margulis says studies have shown music can do things that seeing images, tasting foods or scents typically can’t.   And scientifical experiments have shown people hearing the same song…with no connection to each other.. have nearly identical daydreams..while listening…“We can bring people in, one at a time, different parts of the country, play them a song they’ve never heard before and they’ll give us incredible concrete imagery.  Like I pictured a cowboy out on a front stoop looking out over a ghost town as a tumbleweed blew through.”Magulis is the author of a fun and fascinating new book…on my recommendation list… Transported -The Everyday Magic of Musical Daydreams.You can find us at Techstination.com.   I’m Fred Fishkin.

A new era of QR codes on all types of packaging is coming soon. GS1 US the standards organization behind it and existing bar codes, says there will be many benefits for consumers. Such as? Senior VP of Customer Success Melanie Nuce Hilton chats wtih Techstination's Fred Fishkin.

Techstination, your destination for gadgets and gear. I’m Fred Fishkin. Music, day dreaming and the impact of songs. Princeton University Professor of Music Elizabeth Margulis, director of the Music Cognition Lab, is the author of a new book titled Transported- The Everyday Magic of Musical Daydreams. She says music can bring memories back to life in ways images, food or scents typically don’t..“If you look at the kinds of memories people describe, music tends to elicit memories that are really sensorially rich, full of detail and immersiveness. So It tends to really bring you back to the specific sights, senses, you know whole experience that you had when you first experienced something.”But why is that? What is special about music? Some of the science here is pretty spooky. More on that in my next report.You can find us at Techstination.com. I’m Fred Fishkin.