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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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Adults Becoming Even More Important Toy Buyers

‘Kidults’ no longer a trend but a major consumer category, with ‘playful adults’ buying higher-priced toys who helped sustain industry during the pandemic.

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

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SmartTechCheck Podcast: MWC 2023, EU and iMessage, TVs this spring, Supreme Court and Section 230

On this SmartTechCheck Podcast, I join host Mark Vena and tech journalists Rob Pegararo and John Quain to talk up MWC 2023, the recent Supreme Court oral arguments on Section 230, the EU’s pressure on Apple to open up iMessage on non-Apple platforms, and what we can expect from new TVs this spring.

Watch this latest episode, #71, here on YouTube.

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The Sony CRE-E10 Are the Best OTC Hearing Aids for Music Streaming

Sony’s rechargeable bud-styled CRE-E10 ($1,299.99) and its sibling “invisible” CRE-C10 ($999) starkly illustrate the choice faced by first-generation over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid buyers. The tiny C10 are intended for those who want to improve their everyday, all-day hearing for conversation and TV viewing without anyone realizing they might be wearing a hearing aid. The larger, more visible E10 is designed for hearing-impaired iPhone owners (since audio streaming does not work with Android phones) who want hearing aids that double as Bluetooth-compatible earbuds for music listening and conducting hands-free phone calls.

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

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Sony 2023 Bravia TVs Add Modes For Movie Watching And PS5 Game Play

With its new 2023 Bravia TVs, Sony has added a Custom Mode and Perfect for PS5 modes to make film-watching and video game-playing experiences to be as true to their creators’ imagining as possible.

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

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SmartTechCheck Podcast: New HomePods ChatGPT, Biden admin “ban” on Apple Watch, Intel Unison

On this SmartTechCheck Podcast, I join host Mark Vena and tech journalist Dwight Silverman as we opine on the new Apple HomePods, the Biden Administration seemingly approving of a “ban” of Apple Watch, ChatGPT madness, and whether Intel’s Unison app rises to the occasion.

Watch this episode here on YouTube.

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The Hows And Whys Of Offering Consumer Finance Options

Sometimes a consumer’s eyes – and needs – are bigger than their budget. Why, how, and should consumer technology retailers offer their customers affordable financing options, and what are the potential pitfalls?

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

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SmartTechCheck Podcast: Smartphone Commoditization, ChatGPT, Bard, Washington vs. Tech 

I join host SmartTechCheckMark Vena and tech journalist Rob Pegoraro to discuss the of the smartphone market, tech industry battles with the Federal government, the rise of ChatCPT and Bard, and how the big tech companies are trying to reduce their dependency on China.

What this SmartTechCheck podcast here on YouTube.

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Top 3 Selling Tips For Home Theater Tech

How do successful retailers convert an everyday TV owner into a customer for a full big screen, multi-speaker home theater system? Hint: Only one of the top three home theater sales pitches has anything to do with technology, picture, or sound quality.

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

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My CES 2023 Coverage

Here is some of my CES coverage for both the official CES Show Daily and for Techlicious.com.

CES 2023: Nasdaq Chief Friedman Advocates for Tech-Driven 21st Century Economy

CES 2023: Samsung Stresses Sustainability, Smarter Home, Security

TCL 2023 TVs Will Have Higher Contrast and More Gaming Features

Techlicious Top Picks of CES 2023 Awards

HP Hearing Pro Leads New Class of Bluetooth OTC Hearing Aids

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Top 10 Things to Know About the Matter Smart Home Standard

You likely fall into one of three types of smart home gadget shopper: One, you’re frustrated by the uncooperative bunch of smart home gadgets you’ve already bought that falsely promised compatibility with either Amazon’s Alexa, Google Assistant, or Apple HomeKit, or with each other. Two, you’ve abstained altogether from the whole smart home thing fearing the “smart” gadgets would be more trouble than they were worth. Or three, or you couldn’t choose between one of the three proprietary smart home ecosystems and are waiting it out to see who is left standing.

Your smart home frustrations and fears might all be alleviated by the new Matter smart home standard.

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

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