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Politics and sports go hand-in-hand as two of the most controversial conversation topics at any family gathering. Both have the power to drag otherwise tight-knit families down the rabbit hole of heated – and sometimes personal – debate. If that sounds familiar to you, I’ll let you take solace in the fact that you don’t spend your Thanksgivings going back and forth between Columbus and Ann Arbor – I promise it can’t get much more heated than that.  The difference between politics and sports is that the latter is designed to create winners and losers while the former just makes everyone feel like they’ve lost.  Bit of a pessimistic outlook right? It is, but it doesn’t have to be that way. In today’s day and age where identity politics run so rampant, it’s easy to forget that the whole point of the government is to solve challenges for the country. So yeah, all that to say we’re getting into politics in this article. But, don’t worry, I think retailers from Kansas to California will all

*The tower fan makes automatic fan speed adjustments based on room temperature. *The multi-angle air inlet ensures small air inlet resistance and the wide-angle air supply provides uniform output. *The Levoit 36-Inch Tower Fan is available on Levoit.com and Amazon for $69.99. Levoit launched its newest innovation this week: the Levoit 36-Inch Tower Fan. The tower fan is designed to be temperature-responsive and uncompromising in its ability to quickly and quietly bring wind to every part of the home. This is Levoit’s first-ever tower fan, featuring high wind speed performance, low noise level, removable and washable back grille and impeller for easy cleaning, 90-degree oscillation, and remote control with storage. Embodying high performance technology and style, the Levoit 36-Inch Tower Fan offers a powerful motor, multi-functional design, easy-to-use technology, and innovative features, such as: Temperature Responsive: Using a built-in sensor, the tower fan makes automatic fan speed

Tomorrow, Exertis Alamo, a North American AV distributor, will be taking over Santa Clara on the next stop to its 2023 E4 Experience show. The show is set to feature displays of the hottest new products from over 45 exhibitors from across the consumer tech sector including LG, Sony, Samsung, Sennheiser, Panasonic, and Epson America. The California event will also feature first-time exhibitors Xilica and MicroTouch. Last month’s E4 Experience event in Dallas drew over 500 attendees.   Listen to our recent podcast with Sam Taylor and Dan Smith, the incoming and outgoing executive vice president and COOs of Exertis Almo. In other news, the California-based manufacturer Cleer Audio has announced that it will add a new black finish to its ALPHA wireless noise-canceling headphone, which was given a 2022 CES Innovations Honoree Award. The Alpha headphone features adaptive active noise canceling technology and spatial audio with Dirac Virtuo immersive sound. Regarding the new color addition, C

Exactly one hour before the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show officially began, I found myself as the lone journalist in a private suite at the Bellagio, receiving a presentation from Rayman Cheng, CEO of Nakamichi USA, of their 21-Channel Wireless Surround Soundbar System.   According to Cheng, the company is driven by a three-pronged goal to deliver: An authentic three-dimensional home cinema experience that offers seamless integration in any room environment and can be set up in less than 15 minutes. While I can’t attest to the installation aspect, I can confirm that the suite was an untreated and acoustically challenging room, with high ceilings, lots of glass, and other hard surfaces for sound to bounce. And yet the immersion was amazing.  First, let’s look at the soundbar. At 58.1 inches wide, 4.4 inches tall and 7.6 inches deep, its physical girth made it seem more like a soundbase. In fact, the chassis was so big that Nakamichi had to outsource an automotive manufacturer to bend t

Nissan recently announced its plans to streamline the assembly of parts that propel its vehicles, using the same core components across different models and modularized powertrains that include multiple components in a single unit. The strategy is set to reduce the cost of the company’s EVs and hybrid models as well as the use of expensive raw materials, reinforcing Nissan’s shift to electrification. A new approach to powertrains In what Nissan is calling its “X-in-1” development strategy, the company plans to apply the same powertrain components, such as electric motors and inverters, across various models as well as modularizing multiple core components into single units. Through this method, Nissan has developed a 3-in-1 powertrain prototype intended for use in its electric vehicles, which modularizes the motor, inverter, and reducer. A 5-in-1 prototype, which additionally modularizes the generator and increaser, is planned for incorporation into its hybrid vehicles. According to th

*Designed for vlogging and wide establishing shots but also landscapes, interior photography, and city streets. *Power zoom function provides smooth, consistent optical zoom that’s fully customizable with varying speeds, which can be engaged with camera buttons, zoom ring, or used remotely. *The NIKKOR Z DX 12-28mm f/3.5-5.6 PZ VR will be available in May 2023 for a suggested retail price of $359.95. Nikon Inc. announced this week its latest camera lens aimed at content creators and vloggers—the NIKKOR Z DX. This lightweight lens is the widest NIKKOR Z DX-format lens and sports a power zoom (PZ) feature designed to capture sharp and immersive content. “Nikon is committed to equipping content creators with the tools they need to make videos and photos that look great, and we are very excited about this latest addition to our growing system of creator-centric cameras and lenses,” said Jay Vannatter, Executive Vice President, Nikon Inc.  The lens utilizes a power zoom with a linear drive,

LG has unveiled a new brand identity that will focus on the value of its “Life’s Good” slogan. The goal of the new brand identity is to create a more dynamic and youthful look to reach younger consumers, including those from Generation Z. According to LG, the Life’s Good slogan “encompasses the message of how the company enables its customers to enjoy a quality life and indulge in precious moments” via its products and services. The brand revamp includes an updated visual identity, which the company hopes will boost interaction with customers.   In other news, ViewSonic has announced the release of a new lineup of monitors. The OMNI VX28 series was designed for consumers who require a high-performance display for both work and gaming and comes equipped with a ton of cool features. These include VESA-certified anti-tearing and anti-blur technologies, a blue light filter and flicker-free tech. The monitors come in a range of sizes from 24-inch to 27-inch and have a refresh rate of up to

As our climate changes around us due in part to manufacturing processes using toxic or non-biodegradable materials like plastic, more CE companies are giving sustainability a chance and reducing their environmental impact. For example,   Harman International   (parent company of major tech brands including JBL) is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2040 and 100% renewable energy for its global manufacturing by 2025.   This is an important dynamic for the industry since the personal audio market (headphones and portable speakers) has been blowing up year after year, and despite a very slight dip in 2022, it is widely predicted to return to growth over the next several years. And all those products—and their packaging—will eventually wind up in landfills to the detriment of our environment.   Companies are responding by getting creative, incorporating solar charging and shifting towards using more eco-friendly materials like bioplastics and bamboo as well as recycled components and packagin

LG has announced the pricing and availability of its 2023 lineup of soundbars. This year’s lineup features two new products – the   SC9 and SE6 . Both of the new soundbars models boast triple level spatial sound and a triple artificial intelligence sound optimizer, which analyzes audio content and automatically applies the most appropriate settings. Additionally, the   soundbars   feature VRR to reduce screen tearing, and ALLM to eliminate lag while also permitting up to 4K and 120Hz pass-through. The SC9 and SE6 cost $999 and $450, respectively.   In other news, Cody Browne has been named the new vice president of marketing at Howard’s. Joining the premier independent appliance retailer’s leadership team, Browne will be responsible for managing the marketing process from research and planning to execution and analysis. With years of experience leading international brands, including Starbucks and Adidas, Browne was most recently director of growth & performance marketing at VIZIO.