Stewart Wolpin

Posted on 14 May 2024 by Stewart Wolpin

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CTA Centennial

Posted on 13 May 2024 by Stewart Wolpin

April 16, 2024, was the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CTA (Consumer Technology Association), which started as the RMA (Radio Manufacturers Association). This is a series of essays I have written for TWICE exploring and celebrating CTA’s and the consumer technology industry’s first century of invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

These essays have been assembled from varying technology historical research and writings I have done over the course of 20-plus years, including from an annually updated industry history for CTA’s now-defunct Digital America, 20-plus years of CTA Hall of Fame inductee biographies, and numerous tech history articles for a variety of publications over the years.

Part 1 (1924-1929): Founding

Herbert H. Frost: CTA’s ‘George Washington’

Part 2 (1930-1945): David Sarnoff

Part 3 (1946-1960): The TV Age

Part 4 (1961-1974): The Sixties

Interlude: Jack Wayman, Our Industry’s Indispensable Exec

Part 5a (1975-1985): A Decade of Disruption – Home Video Revolution

Part 5b (1975-1985): A Decade Of Disruption – Personal Audio Revolution

Part 5c (1975-1985): A Decade of Disruption – Personal Computing

Part 5d (1975-1985): A Decade of Disruption – 1984 ‘Phones It In’

Part 5e (1975-1985): A Decade of Disruption – 1984: Hollywood Loses The Battle Against Home Video – But Wins The War

Part 6a (1985-2000): Platform Wars – Recording Media

Part 6b (1985-2000): Platform Wars – Video Games

Part 6c (1985-2000): Platform Wars – Airways (Part 1)

Part 6c (1985-2000): Platform Wars – Airways (Part 2)

Part 6d (1985-2000): Platform Wars – Compression

Part 6e (1985-2000): Platform Wars – Digital Photography

Part 6f (1985-2000): Platform Wars – DVD

Part 6g (1985-2000): Platform Wars – HDTV (Part 1)

Part 6g (1985-2000): Platform Wars – HDTV (Part 2)

Posted in Tech History, TWICE | Tagged ABC, Admiral, Akio Morita, Apple, audio cassette, Beta, cassette, CBS, CEA, CEMA, CES, compact disc, Consumer Electronics Show, CTA, David Sarnoff, DynaTAC, Edwin Howard Armstrong, EIA, Engelbart, Fairchild, Gary Shapiro, GPS, Herbert Frost, hi-fi, IBM, Intel, Jack Wayman, JVC, LG, Masaru Ibuka, Matshusita, microchip, Microsoft, Mother of all Demos, Motorola, mouse, NBC, NTSC, Panasonic, Philo Farnsworth, phonograph, radio, Radio Manufacturers Association, RCA, RMA, Samsung, solid state, Sony, television, transistor, TV, VCR, VHS, video cassette, Zenith | Leave a comment

Happy 100th Birthday, Consumer Technology Business

Posted on 4 December 2020 by Stewart Wolpin

Celebrating the 100th birthday of the consumer technology industry with the story behind how and why our business came to be and of those responsible for creating it, in five parts:

Part 1: The Wireless Age

Part 2: A National Priority

Part 3: A Pittsburgh Radio Sensation

Part 4: The Birth of a Business

Part 5: “When The Public Is Ready For Mass Demand”

Posted in Tech History, TWICE | Tagged 1920, Consumer electronics, consumer technology, Consumer Technology Association, CTA, history, KDKA, Pittsburgh, radio, RCA, tech history, Westinghouse, WIRELESS | Leave a comment

How the Consumer Technology Industry Was Born

Posted on 1 December 2020 by Stewart Wolpin

What we now call the consumer technology industry was born November 30, 1920, when the first consumer electronics product, the two-piece RA-DA, the first commercially produced radio designed for the mass market, rolled off the Westinghouse assembly line in East Pittsburgh. After a two-year period of hectic technological, business and legislative/regulatory developments following the end of World War I, the Westinghouse RA-DA and the entire radio industry emerged, becoming the dominant consumer technology product for three decades. On the centennial of our industry, let’s take a look at the events of 1919-1920 that cleared the way for the future.

Part 1: The Day Radio Died

Part 2: How the Consumer Technology Industry Was Almost Never Born

Part 3: How President Wilson Shaped the Airways

Part 4: Happy 100th Birthday To The Consumer Technology Industry

Posted in Tech History | Tagged Alexanderson Alternator, consumer technology, Consumer Technology Association, GE, General Electric, Owen D. Young, radio, RCA, tech history, technology retailer, U.S. Navy, Westinghouse | Leave a comment

Ubilite’s Smaller, Lighter Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Chips Lengthen Wearable Battery Life

Posted on 7 November 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

Re-engineered from the bottom up, Ubilite’s combination Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chips to be previewed at CES 2026 are smaller, lighter, with better heat dissipation, and operate on BLE-like low power than current commodity Wi-Fi solutions for wearable devices.

Read the rest of this report here at TWICE.com.

Posted in cell/smartphones, ear/headphones, music players/speakers, TWICE | Tagged BLE, Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy, Ubilite, Wi-Fi, WiFi | Leave a comment

xMEMS Seeks To Solve Size, Weight, Cooling Problems For Wearable Tech

Posted on 16 October 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

New Sycamore and Cypress micro nearfield speakers in varying configurations, along with new µCooling micro thermal cooling architecture, can make portable, mobile, and wearable devices smaller, lighter, cooler, and more comfortable.

Read the rest of this report here at TWICE.com.

Posted in cell/smartphones, ear/headphones, music players/speakers, smartphones, TWICE | Tagged Cypress, micro speakers, near field speakers, smart glasses, Sycamore, wearables, xMEMS | Leave a comment

E-Waste Day 2025: How To Responsibly Dispose – Or Even Profit From – Old Gear

Posted on 14 October 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

Some tips on how to data sanitize and sustainably retire, destroy, or even recoup the value of aging or outdated corporate devices.

Read this report here at TWICE.com.

Posted in Android, Apple, cell/smartphones, smartphones, TWICE | Tagged Blancco, Compudopt, critical raw materials, CRMs, e-waste, Environmental Social Governance, ESG, iSigma, ITAD, NAID, R2, Responsible Recycling, SERI, Sustainable Electronics Recycling International | Leave a comment

Reviewed: AirPods Pro 3 Are Still Flawed as Hearing Aids

Posted on 13 October 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

Apple asserts it has improved the hearing aid functionality in its new AirPods Pro 3 earbuds ($249) over the Pro 2. That’s true – just not by much. And the Pro 3’s marginal hearing aid improvements are mostly logistical and ergonomic: longer battery life, a new, surer fit design, and a wider variety of different-sized silicone ear tips. Aurally, the Pro 3 adds minor improvements in its transparency mode for hearing your own voice and in overall sound amplification and clarity.

Read the rest of this review here at Techlicious.com.

Posted in Apple, cell/smartphones, ear/headphones, OTC Hearing Aids, smartphones, Techlicious | Tagged AirPods, AirPods Pro 3, Apple, OTC hearing aid | Leave a comment

JBL Showcases Personal, Portable & Party BT Speakers

Posted on 29 September 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

Fall speaker offerings include the small Grip, the medium-sized BoomBox 4, the large PartyBox 720, and a flagship soundbar/subwoofer combo featuring detachable wireless rear speakers.

Read this report here at TWICE.com.

Posted in music players/speakers | Tagged Bluetooth speakers, boombox, Grip, JBL, PartyBox, soundbar, surround sound | Leave a comment

Opinion: Are Smart Glasses The Next Disruption Tech?

Posted on 22 September 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

Mark Zuckerberg is betting billions that they will be, while Rokid introduces AI smart glasses that address many smart glasses functions and privacy pain points.

Read the rest of this screed here at TWICE.com.

Posted in Android, Apple, cell/smartphones, ear/headphones, music players/speakers, smartphones, TWICE | Tagged Amazon Echo, Google Glass, LensCrafters, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Ray-Ban, Rokid, smart glasses, Sunglasses Hut | Leave a comment

Power, Cleaning, Security, Sound & iPhone 17 Gear For Fall From A To Z

Posted on 19 September 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

Anker and Zagg launch a slew of new products due to hit retail this fall. Amongst Anker’s intros is its Eufy stair-climbing robot vacuum cleaner accessory; Zagg’s standout is a fool-proof iPhone 17 screen protector applicator.

Read the rest of this roundup here at TWICE.com.

Posted in Android, Apple, cell/smartphones, ear/headphones, home office, smart home, smartphones, TWICE | Tagged AirPod Max, Anker, Apple Watch, Bluetooth keyboard, Eufy, F1, home security, iPad, iPhone, Mars Walker, Mophie, portable home theater, Rainier, Santa Cruz, screen protector, Sedona, SoundCore, Speedport, Zagg | Leave a comment

Rokid’s New Smart Glasses Promise Accessibility Breakthroughs

Posted on 16 September 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

Mark Zuckerberg is the principal proselytizer who predicts that smart glasses are poised to replace smartphones as our key personal communication and computing tool within the next decade or so. Wishful thinking IMHO, but current early generation smart glasses do provide tangible benefits for the vision and hearing impaired.

Read the rest of this report here at Techlicious.com.

Posted in Android, Apple, cell/smartphones, ear/headphones, music players/speakers, Techlicious | Tagged Amazon Echo, Garmin Health, Google Maps, hearing impaired, Kickstarter, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Ray-Ban, Rokid, smart glasses, vision impaired, Vital | Leave a comment

The 9 Best Refrigerators to Keep Your Food Fresh and Organized

Posted on 15 September 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

We gathered the latest picks from popular brands like Samsung, Maytag, and more.

Read this report here at Popular Mechanics.

Posted in Popular Mechanics, smart home | Tagged 4-door, counter depth, freezer, French door, GE, General Electric, Hisense, ice maker, LG, Maytag, refrigerators, Samsung, side by side, standard depth, water dispenser | Leave a comment

Apple’s New iPhone Air Is So Thin It Feels Unreal

Posted on 10 September 2025 by Stewart Wolpin

If you think your iPhone is too fat, Apple has just unveiled the skinny iPhone Air, measuring a silly 5.64mm – less than a quarter inch – thin, but still boasting a 6.5-inch display.