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 armor seems only sensible. Therefore, if you’re going to encase your iPhone’s exterior artistry, said case ought to do more than just protect.

Fortunately, there is a plethora of cases for the iPhone X models that provide both artistic form and protection-plus function.

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

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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 variety of these upgrades have on the industry?

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

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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, you expect to get a raft of advanced features that take advantage of this upgrade. That’s the promise of the new Schlage Encode Smart Lock. We’d hoped for more.

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

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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 – including the upcoming Apple Card – their still shiny chip-reading terminals might not be able to accept.

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

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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, action scenes, thrilling climax and consequences, one complaint was constant and continuing: because the battle action took place during Westeros’ pre-dawn hours, with an added magical obscuring blizzard, it was often difficult, if not impossible, to tell what was going on.

Read the rest of this report at DTC Reports here.

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Review: Yale Assure Lock SL and August Connect Collusion

Posted on 23 April 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

The Yale Assure Lock SL Connected by August is, essentially, everything you want from a smart lock. You can unlock the door with a PIN code on its touchscreen, through a single tap or with a simple voice command with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple’s Siri. You even get up to 250 guests codes — ideal for large families, friends, people who work in a home, or spaces used for Airbnb. A confusing set-up, however, adds a wrinkle. Our experience, hopefully, will help you bypass those issues since this is a smart lock worth considering.

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

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Shattering Myths Blocking Inner City Youth from High-Tech Careers

Posted on 23 April 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

“We need to break the monopoly on college and university degrees being the only pathway to high tech jobs,” Todd Thibodeaux, president and CEO of CompTIA asserted. “How can we create a system that’s going to allow people to quickly acquire the skills they need to get jobs in the job market?”

Read the entire version of this report at the Creating IT Futures’ web site here.

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Apple AirPods 2 Review: Is it worth upgrading or not?

Posted on 12 April 2019 by Stewart Wolpin
Apple’s new AirPods 2 (left) and the original AirPods (right).

Do you own Apple’s wildly popular AirPods true wireless Bluetooth buds? If you do, you are now on the horns of an upgrade dilemma: do you step-up to the company’s second generation AirPods 2 ($199)?

At first glance, Apple’s AirPods augmentations are impressive: voice-activated Siri, Qi wireless charging, longer battery life, clearer calls, and faster iPhone-to-AirPods switching when a call comes in all point to a definitive “Sure!” switch decision. 

Not so fast, however. Your upgrade decision from the first generation to the second generation AirPods actually hinges on what you’re listening to through these devices.

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

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True Wireless Earbuds: AirPods and Alternatives

Posted on 10 April 2019 by Stewart Wolpin

You may be excused if you thought that Apple’s AirPods are the first and only so-called “true wireless” earphones—completely cordless in-ear “buds” that connect both with each other and to your smartphone via Bluetooth—since their distinctive white sticks seem to be protruding from hipster ears everywhere. 

Fortunately, if you’re not an iPhone owner, or a fan of the AirPods’ distinctive look or not-necessarily one-size-fits-all fit, there is a growing number of other “true wireless” earbud choices. And in contrast with Apple’s one-for-all approach, most AirPod alternatives address specific use cases, style preferences, and budgets.

Read more of this review wrap at Sound & Vision here.

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