We say goodbye to Honda Bob, and you can download his book at podfeet.com/hondabob. We’ve got a CES interview with Ring talking about their smart lighting and doorbells for people in apartments. Caleb brings us a review of Emmet, a plugin for web developers that makes writing HTML code easier and more efficient. We talk to Vispero about their assistive technologies, and then to SureCall about a cell signal booster for the car that could be a huge help for truckers, motor home drivers, and people who live in remote areas. We hear about MPowerd’s solar-powered lights that are helping the planet. We end with the last CES interview, which is with WHILL who have made a wheel chair that could help people in places like airports find their way around by themselves.
Hi, this is Allison Sheridan of the NosillaCast Apple Podcast, hosted at Podfeet.com, a technology geek podcast with an EVER so slight Apple bias. Today is Sunday, March 3, 2019, and this is show number 721.
Chit Chat Across the Pond
This week on Chit Chat Across the Pond Lite, Dave Hamilton of the Mac Geek Gab and The Mac Observer joins us to talk routers, and mesh routers in particular. He explains the difference between a range extender with a traditional router vs. a modern mesh router system. He explains why some IoT devices demand a dedicated 2.4GHz network (or at least they used to). He explains what the marketing numbers mean on routers, like AC2600 and in fact he “does the math”. We talk about the importance of the number of antennas, band steering and beam forming.
He explains SU-MIMO vs MU-MIMO and why we can’t have it but why mesh gives us many of the same advantages. He explains Quality of Service and why you might want to turn it on. Finally he gives us his short list of good mesh router manufacturers, while answering the question everyone is asking, whether it’s of concern that Amazon recently purchased Eero.
It was a fascinating discussion where I learned a lot, and in fact I listened to it again after the recording and learned a few things I missed the first time through.
Because this is the Podfeet Podcasts, this episode can be found in the Lite version of Chit Chat Across the Pond, or you can listen right at www.podfeet.com/…
This week will be the last of the CES interviews, which bums me out because it means I have to get back to work creating content for you! I want to thank Steve again for all of the work he’s done creating the videos and extracting the audio for the podcast. I hope you’ve enjoyed his work as much as I have.
We’ve also got a review by Caleb Fong about a cool programming tool called Emmet.
Before we can get to the interviews and Emmet, though, I have some sad news.
Blog Posts
NosillaCastaway Honda Bob Has Left the Building
Since I posted the article about Bob, I’ve heard from England, Ireland, Australia, Belgium, Germany and New Zealand along with many people in the US. He really did make an impression on the world. Do go check out his book podfeet.com/hondabob, it’s really amazing.
Let’s take a deep breath and jump into a CES interview.
CES 2019: Ring Door View Cam & Smart Lighting
We’ve really enjoyed all of our Ring devices, and I think it’s cool that they’re expanding into devices that people with apartments can enjoy too.
We’ve really got our Home Automation working well now. While in San Diego at Lindsay’s house, we got an alert on our phones that our August lock had been locked. Steve opened the Wyze app to look at the video from our Wyze Cam Pan in the living room. The Wyze Cam not only showed him the room, he could also hear our Ring Alarm setting itself with its distinctive “bom bom bom bom” sound. Hows that for a full circle of IoT?
Let’s listen to Caleb Fong now about Emmet.
Emmet to Quickly Create HTML Elements by Caleb Fong
I love that people are introducing us to more and more geeky tools for programming. This looks really fun. Thanks Caleb!
CES 2019: Vispero Assistive Technologies
Support the Show
If you enjoy and get value the content you get here on the Podfeet Podcasts, from the NosillaCast, Chit Chat Across the Pond Lite or Programming By Stealth, I’d like you to consider becoming a patron of the shows. With a small donation each week through Patreon, you can help fund the costs of making the podcast and help us keep producing the shows. Head on over to podfeet.com/patreon and see if this method of supporting the show works for you.
This next interview should really catch the attention of truckers and people who love to travel in motor homes and people who simply live in remote areas.
CES 2019: SureCall Mobile Cell Signal Boosters
CES 2019: MPowerd Portable Solar-Powered Lights
John gave us one of the Luci Lights and it’s really delightful. The way they blow up with a translucent container allows them to provide a nice diffuse light for all kinds of needs. I’ve started keeping it on top of my DVD cabinet so I can easily grab it and get lots of light so I can find the DVD I need. Being solar powered makes it a no-guilt lighting solution.
And now for our last interview at CES 2019.
CES 2019: WHILL Powered Wheelchairs
That’s going to wind this up for this week. Don’t forget to send in your Dumb Questions, comments and suggestions by emailing me at [email protected], follow me on twitter @podfeet. Remember, everything good starts with podfeet.com/. podfeet.com/patreon, podfeet.com/facebook, podfeet.com/slack, podfeet.com/chat, podfeet.com/amazon! And if you want to join in the fun of the live show, head on over to podfeet.com/live on Sunday nights at 5pm Pacific Time and join the friendly and enthusiastic NosillaCastaways. Thanks for listening, and stay subscribed.