Category Archives: Auto

Atmel Showcases IoT and Innovative Car Products to CES



Atmel logoAtmel is a Silicon Valley company that specializes in semiconductors, specifically microcontroller, touch, wireless, security and automotive products. Atmel brought many of its new concepts to CES 2015.

Marlo talks to Atmel Senior Vice President  and General Manager of  Automotive, Aerospace and Memory Business Units Rob Valiton about the company and what they were showcasing at the show.

-The “Powered by Atmel” zone showcased the company’s core products including semiconductors and microcontrollers. This zone gave convention goers a chance to see how Atmel’s products are being used by its customers.

-The smart living/IoT zone was all about connected devices.

-The automotive zone showed off Atmel’s offerings for the car, including its AvantCar system. AvantCar features a curved touchscreen that  give drivers and passengers individual access to apps.

-Atmel’s maker zone demonstrated ways to use Atmel’s products within your own designs.

As consumers we often forget that great companies out there provide many of the internal components that allow incredible innovation by the OEM’s

Interview by Marlo Anderson from The Tech Ranch.


TPN Picks Awards



Each year the TPN team picks 10 companies that our team feels are deserving of a TPN pick. The awards are for what we feel is cool at CES and excites us the most. This years 10 picks are exceptional.


CES 2015 – Preshow Commentary



Todd Cochrane the host of the Geek News Central Podcast a 10 year veteran of CES discusses how the team coverage is going to shape up this year.


YellowJacket unveils a shocking new phone case



yellowjacketIt’s the sad nature of today’s world that brings many people to feel a need to carry protection, such as mace and tasers. Now YellowJacket is aiming to make protection a bit easier to carry along when you are out and about.

This one comes in the form of a rather average looking smartphone case. The difference is two tiny metal prongs protruding from the top which emit an electrical charge when the button is pushed. It’s a two-part case, with an inner one for normal use and protection of your phone, but the outer case can be added when heading out the door.

It is current available for iPhone 4 and 5 only, but a version for the Samsung Galaxy S5 will available soon. The case retails for $149.99. It is officially called the StunGun Case, and you can find more by visiting YellowJacket.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network

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Ford Electric Concept Car



Ford LogoTodd takes a look at Ford’s C-Max Solar Energi concept car, which amongst other things, features a solar panel roof that uses a special light concentrator lens similar to a magnifying glass to improve the efficiency of the photovoltaic cells. Ford reckons that a day’s worth of sunshine is enough to charge the hybrid’s battery, which is good for 21 electric-only miles.

This is good news for the environment as it would reduce yearly carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions from the average US car by as much as four metric tons – the equivalent of what a American house produces in four months. This probably assumes a perfect sunshine record and maximum electric mileage each day, but, hey, every little bit helps.

Review by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network.

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Mobio shows off its car mounts



mobioDon Baine, also known as “The Gadget Professor” stopped by the Mobio booth during CES to check out what the company is offering this year.

The mobile accessory maker is showing off its range magnetic mounts for smartphones. These work both in the car and in the office. The products make ifor convenient mounting of your device, as it just sticks — no need to fiddle with adjustable holders, as many of the traditional car mounts have. All of the gadgets shown off in the video below are available now at Mobio, with prices varying depending on the product you choose.

Interview by Don Baine, the Gadget Professor

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Panovise displays its camera mounts at CES



<img class=”alignleft size-full wp-image-47475″ alt=”panavise” src=”https://geeknewscentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/panavise.png” width=”228″ height=”71″ />Panovise makes mounts for may devices, including smartphones. Todd stopped by the booth to take a look at the mounting systems for portable cameras, such as the GoPro.

The systems are very advanced. You begin with the stand, such as suction-cup mount, and then add the various attachments for whatever device you are going to be using with it. The kit is called the Action Grip, and you can expect to pay somewhere in the $40 range for the starter set. You can find out more by watching the video below, and you can also visit <a href=”http://www.panavise.com/” target=”_blank”>Panavise</a> on the web.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of <a href=”https://geeknewscentral.com/”>Geek News Central</a> for the <a href=”https://tpn.tv/”>TechPodcast Network</a>

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Panovise displays its camera mounts at CES



panavisePanovise makes mounts for may devices, including smartphones. Todd stopped by the booth to take a look at the mounting systems for portable cameras, such as the GoPro.

The systems are very advanced. You begin with the stand, such as suction-cup mount, and then add the various attachments for whatever device you are going to be using with it. The kit is called the Action Grip, and you can expect to pay somewhere in the $40 range for the starter set. You can find out more by watching the video below, and you can also visit Panavise on the web.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network

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Striker shows off some cool products for all sorts of uses



striker logoStriker Hand Tools Company is a unique corporation in today’s technology world. It makes a variety of items for various different purposes, including your home and car. Recently we got them to show off some of the coolest items.

Starting with the Simple Sucker, which is perhaps the simplest phone mount you will ever find. It is a simple rubber stand with suction cups at both ends to stick to a surface, such as a car windshield, while the other end holds your phone, making for an easy GPS mount.

Striker also showed off the Flex-it Light, a unique flashlight-type system that can be utilized during home repairs or while camping. It can be bent and manipulated into all sorts of shapes to light your way in most any direction. It has two rare-earth magnets so it can stick to metal surfaces — such as working on a breaker box when the power is off. Striker also shows off several other models of lights, but you will need to watch the video below to get the full details and demos.

Interview by Todd Cochrane of Geek News Central for the TechPodcast Network

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