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.

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 … Continue reading →

Posted in Apple, cell/smartphones, TV/4K/UHD/8K, 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 … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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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 … Continue reading →

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Sharp Now Shipping 8K TVs Overseas

Posted on 23 April 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

After years of teasing at varying trade shows, Sharp has finally begun shipping the world’s first commercially available 8K monitor, the 70-inch, 7,680 by 4,320 Aquos LV-70X500E (€11,199). Continue reading this post here.

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Consumers Ponying Up For Cutting-Edge Tech

Posted on 23 April 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Thanks to more informed and more demanding consumers willing to pay more to get what they want, CE sales revenue rose 3.2 percent to $967 billion in 2017, and is projected to rise another 3.9 percent to $1.014 trillion this … Continue reading →

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6 Best Alexa-Enabled Speakers (Beyond the Amazon Echo)

Posted on 17 April 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

A review roundup of the 6 best Amazon Alexa-enabled speakers on Techlicious, which you can read here.

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‘Ready Player One’: Good Movie, Bad VR Future-casting

Posted on 16 April 2018 by Stewart Wolpin

Far be it from me to find fault with filmmaker-great Steven Spielberg or with author Ernest Cline. But as effective and entertaining as Ready Player One is, its depiction of what VR will be like 25 years hence is, conceptually, ridiculous. Continue … Continue reading →

Posted in Apple, cell/smartphones, Digital Tech Consulting, ear/headphones, VR/AR | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment