Not long ago, the television dictated the living room. It sat on a bulky stand or inside a media cabinet, surrounded by cable boxes, DVD players, and game consoles. Furniture was arranged in rows or tight semicircles, all oriented toward a single focal point: the screen. Watching TV was often a scheduled activity, tied to broadcast times and shared viewing habits. Streaming didn't just disrupt that model; it quietly dismantled it. Today, the television is no longer anchored by hardware, nor is it constrained by time.

The Home Depot Inc. is opening its loyalty offering for home improvement professionals to third-party perks. Home Depot initially launched Pro Extra rewards program in 2012 and revamped it with new membership tiers and benefits in 2023. The offering is designed for industry professionals, a customer group the retailer refers to as "Pros."

It's time to vote for the winners of the 2026 TWICE VIP awards!As the only award voted on exclusively by consumer tech retailers and distributors, winning a TWICE VIP Award demonstrates your device has what it takes to resonate with consumers and succeed on the shelves. TWICE VIP Awards are voted on by retailers and distributors, with winners announced in the TWICE September print issue, online, and in TWICE the SmartBrief newsletter. Online Voting begins today, June 30, and finishes July 10 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Portable air conditioners are one of those categories where consumers typically accept compromise -- noise, uneven cooling, and energy inefficiency are often part of the deal. The new ZAFRO Dual-Hose Inverter Portable Air Conditioner takes a clear step toward changing that expectation, focusing less on raw specification claims and more on how the product actually performs in everyday living spaces.

New research from Omdia shows that the global smartphone market is undergoing a structural shift as rising component costs and geopolitical uncertainty push leading manufacturers to move away from low-cost, high-volume strategies and prioritize premium, high-value portfolios.