LG, Samsung, TCL Intro Dual Screen and Folding Phones

Posted on 6 September 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

Are we about to enter a new double-sized smartphone era? In the last couple of days, LG, Samsung and even TCL unveiled either dual screen or large foldable phones.

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

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GfK: Overall Consumer Tech Business Will Be Flat Or Down In 2019

Posted on 6 September 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

Political uncertainty, trade wars and regional economic worries are shaking consumer confidence, and TV prices continue a precipitous decline. These and other factors will combine to produce an overall slightly down year in overall consumer technology sales, according to market research company GfK.

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

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IFA 2019: Top 11 smart home gadgets from Berlin

Posted on 6 September 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

IFA’s annual event in Berlin is where Europe goes to find the smartest of devices for the coming year. Walking the show, we found brands are focused on wireless — both in terms of connections and power. 

Since our visit to IFA in 2018, we now see that the kitchen and laundry room are clearly woven into the smart home, with new digital devices packed with AI that will help us clean, cook and connect.

Read about the top products here at GearBrain.com.

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TCL Enters Mobile Market With High-End/Low-Priced PLEX

Posted on 5 September 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

TCL will enter the mobile phone business with its first phone, the high-featured but low-priced PLEX. The phone is due to go on sale in Asia and Europe in October for just €329, and according to a TCL spokesperson, the PLEX will appear in the U.S. sometime during the first half of next year.

Read this entire news report here at TWICE.com.

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Amazon Bows FireTV-Enabled Soundbar, 2d Gen Cube, 65-inch 4K TV

Posted on 5 September 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

Amazon continues to expand its lineup of Fire TV-enabled devices with three new offerings, all of which are available for pre-sale immediately with availability later this fall: the Nebula Fire TV soundbar, a second-generation Fire TV Cube and a 65-inch Fire TV 4K TV from Toshiba.

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

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Review: Hands on with SimpliSafe DIY home security system

Posted on 3 September 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

The simplest home security system is one that is professionally installed, where you choose a PIN code once the pros are done drilling and wiring, and pay your monthly monitoring fees. But a professionally installed system is expensive, which is where a system such as SimpliSafe comes in.

Rear the rest of this review here at GearBrain.com.

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THX and Mixhalo Deliver Better Sound at Live Concerts

Posted on 21 August 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

No one goes to a big-name concert in an arena or stadium to listen to music. We go to experience the music. We accept this concert listening versus experiential listening trade-off because we know our seats won’t be exactly front-and-center, that it’s taking place in an acoustically-challenged venue that won’t remind anyone of Carnegie Hall, and that the venue will be equipped with sound systems more concerned with pounding out thunderous, ear-splitting volume to reach the outermost seats than delivering a truly satisfying music experience. But THX and an upstart start-up called Mixhalo want to make concert going less of a listening v. experience trade-off by showcasing the actual musical aspect of a live show.

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

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Omnichannel Retail Philosophy: Best Way to Battle Showrooming

Posted on 8 August 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

The primary doom factor for giant nationwide chains, local mom-and-pops and every type of retailer in-between has been the explosion of online retailing. Unfortunately, the future of brick & mortar isn’t getting sunnier due to the continuing expansion of e-commerce. Not that evidentiary statistics are necessary, but Big Commerce reports that 67 percent of millennials and 56 percent of Gen Xers prefer to shop online rather than in-store.

For brick & mortar consumer electronics retailers, the showrooming phenomena just adds insult to injury.

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

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CTA Expands Diversity and Inclusion at CES and Via Venture Fund Investments

Posted on 19 July 2019 by Stewart Wolpin
(From left to right):Shelley Zalis, CEO, The Female Quotient; Karen Chupka, EVP, CES; Jean Foster, SVP, Marketing and Communications, CTA; Tiffany Moore, SVP, Political and Industry Affairs, CTA Consumer Technology Association (CTA)

CTA today announced a series of initiatives to expand the diversity and inclusion at CES and in the consumer technology industry at large, including its first investments in venture companies led by and supporting firms led by women and people of color, as well as new inclusive initiatives at CES. CTA is hoping to reverse a disturbing trend; according to a report from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the tech industry employs a smaller share of African-Americans, Hispanics and women than the rest of the private sector.

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

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Flashback 1979: Sony’s Iconic Walkman Is Born

Posted on 1 July 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

Forty years ago today Sony introduced a portable cassette player that would forever change the way the world experienced music on-the-go. That player, of course, is the iconic Walkman.

Read the rest of this history story here at Sound & Vision.

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