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Happy 100th Birthday, Consumer Technology Business

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”

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How the Consumer Technology Industry Was Born

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

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Cross-Industry Insights: 8 Lessons CPG CIOs Can Learn from Other Industries

Companies and industries traditionally find it easier to maintain a “this is the way we’ve always done it” attitude until forced to painfully pivot to new methods and new models.

But in the wake of the pandemic and its aftershocks, consumer goods companies see that “business as usual” is no longer a sustainable model. As a result, CPG CIOs must look beyond the confines of the industry to discover tech and data strategies and innovations that have propelled other sectors forward.

Read the rest of this report here at Consumer Goods Technology.

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CTA To Start Centennial Celebration At CES 2024

As is its wont, the U.S. Congress determined it would levy a new 10% tax on the production of an exceptionally popular new tech device. And, unsurprisingly, the companies producing said new tech devices were unhappy with the prospect of the government laying a hefty levy on an already expensive product, potentially stifling sales as a result.

So, on Saturday night, April 19, 1924, six Chicago radio manufacturers got together at dinner and decided to form the Radio Manufacturers’ Association – RMA. Within three weeks, RMA lobbying killed the fed’s radio tax, and one of the country’s largest and most effective trade organizations – now known as the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) – was born.

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

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Reviewed: Elehear Alpha Pro – Affordable Multi-Function Hearing Aids

The new Elehear Alpha Pro OTC ($999, now heavily discounted to $499) hearing aids capably amplify and clear up otherwise muddy sounds, especially voices, for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. With its Bluetooth music streaming and hands-free calling capabilities, the Alpha Pros provide a cheaper (if slightly less precise) alternative to the similarly styled and featured Sennheiser All Day Clear, my current pick for the best hearing-first multi-function OTC hearing aid.

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

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Review: Sennheiser All-Day Clear – High-Quality Sound with a Catch

Sennheiser’s All-Day Clear over-the-counter (OTC) self-fitting hearing aids ($1,399), developed with Swiss hearing aid maker Sonova, present a conundrum. They have the potential to be the best OTC hearing aids that can also serve as Bluetooth headphones, producing excellent sound quality untuned out of the box. However, the All-Day Clear can’t reach their full potential without you paying to visit a Hearing Care Professional (HCP) to tune them for you.

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

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SmartTechCheck Podcast: AI @ Adobe MAX event, smart grids, and Elon Musk

I join fellow tech journos John Quain, Rob Pegoraro, and host Mark Vena to take on Elon Musk’s feud with writers on Twitter/X, the AI-related announcements at Adobe MAX, and smart grids.

Watch this podcast here on YouTube.

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Report: Consumers Willing To Pay More For Higher Quality Ear/Headphones

Here’s good news for consumer tech retailers: your customers actually want to spend more money on true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds and headphones.

According to a survey conducted by Qualcomm of 7,000 consumers in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, China, India, Japan, and South Korea, this past summer, Price sank to the second highest purchase consideration for TWS gear. The survey found that consumers are more willing to pay more for “all-day” comfort, premium sound including spatial audio, and longer battery life than last year.

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

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AI Beginning To Infiltrate Increasingly Adult-Oriented Toy Market

“Toys aren’t just for kids” is now more than just a tired truism within the toy industry. With an aging population combined with more advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, the so-called “kidult” and “elder toy” markets are slowly gaining prominence and importance both behind the product design and marketing scenes as well as on toy and consumer technology product shelves.

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

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Tested: Can Regular Bluetooth Earbuds Be Used as Hearing Aids?

During this first year that over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aids became available, four major types of solutions for those with mild to moderate hearing loss have emerged:

  • Self-fitting hearing aids: In- or over-the-ear models certified by the FDA as Class II medical devices meant to mimic and replace prescription hearing aids from an audiologist
  • Self-fitting Bluetooth hearing aids: Standard Bluetooth buds that double as OTC hearing aids certified by the FDA as Class II medical devices
  • Non-self-fitting in- or over-the-ear models certified by the FDA as Class II medical devices: These OTC hearing aids can’t be customized for a wearer’s specific hearing loss but provide situational presets and other technologies to improve and boost hearing
  • Personal Sound Amplification Devices (PSAD): Non-FDA certified devices that simply and indiscriminately make all ambient sound louder

However, a potential fifth class of “hearing aid” has recently emerged – standard Bluetooth earbuds that amplify ambient sounds, not just let sound through.

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

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SmartTechCheck Podcast iPhone Pro 15 overheating, Amazon anti-trust suit, and more

John Quain and I join host Mark Vena as we tackle iPhone Pro 15 overheating reports, the anti-trust action against Amazon, “oversharing” of data with smart home devices, and Microsoft Copilot arriving in Windows 11.

Watch this episode here on YouTube.

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11 Colleges and Universities To Tap for Next-Gen CPG Talent

When CPG companies seek to hire new top marketing and technology talent, the most desired attribute is often experience. But the high number of senior executives opting for retirement during the Great Resignation means more lower-level executives moving up the ranks. 

As a result, the influx of suddenly now-open lower-level positions could lead to employers turning to new grads to fill those open positions.

Read the rest of this report here at Consumer Goods Technology.

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