Is Home VR Doomed?

Posted on 25 June 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Few mass market tech failures have been as remarkable as at-home 3DTV. While 3D still has a life in theaters, no TV maker bothers to hawk (or, in many cases, include) the feature anymore.

Why? Dependence on glasses for home entertainment was soundly rejected. It’s basically the same story for Virtual Reality (VR) in the home, although wearing VR headgear is a lot more uncomfortable than wearing 3D TV glasses.

Could this same no-glasses-at-home aversion keep the nascent home VR market from taking off?

Continue reading the rest of this post here.

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D-Link 8000LH Mini HD Camera Review

Posted on 25 May 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Saving some cents makes sense in most shopping cases. But protecting life and property isn’t a place to budget. Which brings us to D-Link’s DCS-8000LH Mini HD WiFi Camera, available as a single unit for just $59.99 or as a two-pack for $119.99. You can literally buy three of these small cylindrical cameras for the same price as a single Logitech Circle 2 Wi-Fi camera.

The question is: are three 8000LH’s worth a single Circle 2? It depends on how much you value your home’s security.

Read the rest of this review on GearBrain here.

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AV1: Curb Your Enthusiasm

Posted on 21 May 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Like Chewbacca cosplayers drooling in anticipation over any Star Wars Episode IX detail droplet, attendees at the recent Streaming Video East confab were all atwitter over the potential of the recently minted AV1 video codec proffered by the Alliance for Open Media (AOM).

It is the very earliest days for the new codec, and streaming giants—such as AOM founding member Netflix—are hoping to add AV1 to its codec toolbox as soon as it’s feasible.

So why all the AV1 enthusiasm? In short, AV1 is designed to produce higher-quality, high-resolution video efficiently and without royalty payments to AOM. At least that’s the short answer. As usual, the devil is in the details.

Continue reading this post here.

Posted in Apple, cell/smartphones, Digital Technology Consulting, TV/4K/UHD | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

6 Best Google Assistant Speakers

Posted on 16 May 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

A review roundup of the 6 best Google Assistant speakers.

Read the rest of this roundup on Techlicious here.

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The 4K Video Codec War: What You Need To Know

Posted on 14 May 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

We’re all familiar with format wars — VHS v. Beta, Blu-ray v. HD-DVD, even the 19th century’s AC v. DC war of the currents. What you may not be familiar with is the current 4K video compression format war between HEVC (High-Efficient Video Coding, aka H.265), Google’s VP9, and a new and potentially disruptive entrant, AV1 from the Alliance for Open Media(AOM).

The question is, is this format war too inside-baseball for most CE retailers and vendors to worry about?

Continue reading this post here.

Posted in Apple, cell/smartphones, TV/4K/UHD, TWICE | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

JBL Link 500: This Speaker Should Be Played Loud

Posted on 9 May 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Just before the seminal rockumentary The Last Waltz begins to unspool, you are famously advised that “This film should be played loud!” This is wise guidance you should follow when playing the JBL Link 500 Google Assistant speaker ($399.95).

Read the rest of this review here.

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Beyond AirPods, ‘True’ Wireless Headphones Developing Into Lucrative Market

Posted on 7 May 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Anyone traversing sidewalks, trains, buses and running paths have noticed the white sticks sticking out of the ears of a growing number of people. Apple’s completely wireless AirPods — a type of completely wire-free earbuds that wirelessly connect via Bluetooth not only to a smartphone or music player but to each other — are ever-present, a new cultural must-have.

Yes, Apple dominates this new “true” wireless category, also referred to as “hearables” to differentiate them from more traditional behind-the-neck wireless Bluetooth earphones. According to The NPD Group, Apple accounts for 86 percent of the dollar volume in this nascent headphone sub-category category.

But Apple’s early dominance of the true wireless market doesn’t mean other manufacturers — and non-Apple retailers — can’t or won’t get involved.

Read the rest of this post here.

Posted in Apple, cell/smartphones, headphones, music players/speakers, TWICE | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Next Best TV Under $1,000?

Posted on 4 May 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

In January, we named the 55-inch 6 Series TCL TV, the 55P607 (the 2017 model), the best value for a TV under $1,000, and now TCL has upgraded its 6 Series for 2018. Better yet, the company is selling its new 2018 model Series 6 TVs for the same price as last year’s models – $649 for 55-inch 55R617 and $999 for the 65-inch 65R617.

Read the rest of this post here.

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Harman/Kardon Allure: Alluring Sound, Short on Features

Posted on 2 May 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Let’s get right to the point: The Harman/Kardon Allure 360-degree Amazon Alexa-enabled speaker ($249.95) is alluring, both aesthetically and aurally. It’s got an unusual Star Trekprop-like smoky opaque plastic topped design with an interior tube that lights up when sound emanates from its speakers, and it’s equipped with a circular array of speakers that delivers 360-degree sound with plenty of volume and bass.

Read the rest of this review on GearBrain here.

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Appliances Are Getting Smarter — But Is Anyone Buying Them?

Posted on 24 April 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Suddenly, it seems, the major appliance market is alive and well.

After several years of slow or flat growth, major appliance sales are projected to rise from 3 to 7 percent this year to an estimated 549 million units and 10 percent in revenue to $216 billion, with a 2 to 6 percent jump to a potential total of 570 million units in 2019, according to GfK.

Continue reading this post here.

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