The Gawker

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The Gawker
The 2024 Trasher Awards
Michael Antonoff  |  Oct 26, 2024  | 
Dubious achievements are flooding the consumer electronics and broadcast industries. In our second annual Trasher Awards, we single out the most noteworthy companies and products. So, in the spirit of informative condemnation, our 2024 Trashers go to...
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The Gawker
Apple Vision Pro: Facing the Future
Michael Antonoff  |  Jul 08, 2024  | 
We don’t often get a chance to peer into tomorrow, but spending half an hour for a free demo of Vision Pro at an Apple store is one of those opportunities not to be missed. My first encounter with the virtual reality headset that Apple refers to as “a spatial computer” was a jaw-dropping experience that had me reaching for my wallet — almost.
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The Gawker
Spreadsheets, Spreadsheets Everywhere
Michael Antonoff  |  May 15, 2024  | 
One takeaway from CES 2024 is that we’re going to need a longer measuring tape. Most top out at 96 inches or less, meaning they’ll fall short when measuring the diagonal on a gigantic TV set…. But wait. Pythagoras to the rescue! Just measure the screen’s horizontal (a) and vertical (b) dimensions, apply the formula (a2 + b2 = c2) we learned in geometry class, and calculate the longer number — the diagonal (c). No need to upgrade your measuring tape!
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The Gawker
The F-Word Reconsidered
Michael Antonoff  |  Feb 19, 2024  | 
When a spokesperson for NextGenTV, the broadcasting standard also known as ATSC 3.0, appeared at a recent tech expo, he used the F-word frequently. “Free is a very powerful term,” he exclaimed...
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The Gawker
The 2023 Trasher Awards
Michael Antonoff  |  Dec 21, 2023  | 
As the year rolls to an end, awards season is upon us. But this time we’ve decided to single out the least-deserving — those companies, apps, and individuals who let us down in 2023.
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The Stress of a New TV
Michael Antonoff  |  Nov 28, 2023  | 
In switching from a 7-year-old 55-inch LCD to a new 65-inch OLED TV, I’ve been awestruck by the transformation in picture quality. Yet, the upgrade has not been pain free.
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The Gawker
I’m Going to Miss DVD.com When it Closes its Doors
Michael Antonoff  |  Aug 21, 2023  | 
The announcement by Netflix that it would stop mailing out DVDs changed my behavior. I now regularly race to a street mailbox before its 9 a.m. pickup to return a disc I received the previous day. The sooner the company gets it back, the quicker it will send out the next title in my ever-expanding queue.
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