Author Archives: Stewart Wolpin

About Stewart Wolpin

I have been writing about consumer electronics for four decades, including news, reviews, analysis and history for a wide variety of consumer, niche and trade outlets. For the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), I annually update the industry's history and write the official biographies of the CTA Hall of Fame inductees. Aside from writing about consumer technology for a variety of consumer, tech and trade publications, I write a blog and do market research for Digital Technology Consulting. In the non-tech world, I have written "Bums No More: The Championship Season of the 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers" and "The Rules of Neighborhood Poker According to Hoyle." Check out my work at www.stewartwolpin.com.

Should You Care About Facebook’s Libra Cryptocurrency?

Posted on 20 June 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

What is cryptocurrency and, by extension, Facebook’s proposed Libra cryptocurrency, announced earlier this week? And should you care? The whole idea of cryptocurrencies is a bit alien, just like once upon a time credit cards and paper money were. But cryptocurrency … Continue reading →

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New Viable Video Codecs on the Way? Maybe

Posted on 19 June 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

Dissatisfaction with video codec royalty rates, lack of licensor transparency and complicated licensing terms have been perpetual complaints of many commercial video content purveyors. Not surprisingly, some would like to see a shake-up in the current system of how intellectual … Continue reading →

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Will 8K Dampen 4K TV Sales?

Posted on 18 June 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

“This industry loves to eat its young” is an observation often attributed to Dave Workman, president and CEO of the ProSource buying group. With TV makers and retailers yearning for higher margin 8K TVs, could slim margin 4K sets be … Continue reading →

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25 Years Ago Today: DirecTV Is Born

Posted on 17 June 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

On a sweltering Friday morning, June 17, 1994, Lemoyne Martin strode past a queue of around 150 other potential buyers and a phalanx of media at Cowboy Maloney’s 1-55 North store. He handed over nearly $1,000 to tuxedo-clad salesman, Ty … Continue reading →

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14 Incredibly Useful Double-Duty iPhone Cases

Posted on 12 June 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

Considering how exquisitely Apple’s signature device is designed, slapping on a case over an iPhone seems an aesthetic misdemeanor. On the other hand, considering how much you pay for an iPhone, protecting your elegant steel-and-glass investment in rubber or plastic … Continue reading →

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How Will Apple OS Upgrades Impact Industry?

Posted on 4 June 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

As usual for its annual June World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple dumped a massive number of function and feature upgrades for its collection of operating systems for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch and Apple TV. But what impact with this … Continue reading →

Posted in Apple, cell/smartphones, ear/headphones, music players/speakers, smart home, VR/AR | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Review: Schlage Encode Smart Deadbolt with built-in Wi-Fi is a solid no-frills option

Posted on 3 June 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

A new generation of smart locks that has built-in Wi-Fi for remote operation —instead of forcing you to buy an add-on module — is a positive step forward for consumer convenience. Yet when you buy a lock that includes Wi-Fi, … Continue reading →

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Solving The Mobile Payments/POS Dilemma

Posted on 30 May 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

Apple Pay. Samsung Pay. Google Pay. Walmart Pay. Alipay. WhatsApp Pay. Retailers still recovering from the trauma of updating to mandated EMV chip-reading POS terminals are now being pestered to accept an increasing number of mobile and contactless payment systems … Continue reading →

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Sleep Number Uses Sleep Data to Automatically Adjust Your Bed

Posted on 21 May 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

Sleep Number has combined its 360 adjustable smart bed with its SleepIQ sleep tracking app to create a new kind of automated sleeping experience. Read the rest of this news report at Techlicious.com.

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‘Game of Thrones’ Exposes HDR, Video Compression Issues

Posted on 7 May 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

“The night is dark and full of terrors” was never truer than in the Game of Thrones installment Season 8, Episode 3, “The Long Night” (aka “The Battle of Winterfell”). While viewers rapturously recapped and reviewed the episode’s heroes and villains, … Continue reading →

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