Richard L. Stevens

Richard Stevens is a lover of all things tech and has a particular soft spot for home entertainment and mobile technologies. When not catching up on the latest industry trends and spending time with family, Stevens is crushing the competition (humbly speaking) in Fantasy Football and desperately trying to clear out his DVR—so many shows, so little time.

Latest Articles

Grant Your Holiday Guests Wi-Fi Access

3 years ago

Dad, can we get a dog?” and “Rich, what’s your Wi-Fi password?” are questions I always pretend I didn’t hear when first asked. I’ve gotten good at changing the topic or pretending to be deep in thought when presented with a question I have no intention of answering. I even have a go-to “deep in thought” expression; staring at the ceiling, hand under chin, one eyebrow raised—it’s awfully…

Wi-Fi Accessories

Whole Home Wi-Fi

Google Buying Guide

3 years ago

Remember when Google was associated only with how you navigated the Web? It wasn’t too long ago that the software giant decided to enter the hardware game, catching the attention of nearly everyone. When the king of search makes a move, heads turn. Google’s hardware release was modest for a company of its size, releasing a slow drip of Internet-connected devices over the past few years. While…

Virtual Assistant

Mesh Networking

Home Automation

Home Theater Receiver Buying Guide

4 years ago

When choosing a home theater receiver, there are several factors to consider. After all, this device will serve as the controller and centerpiece of your stereo or multi-channel system. While there are plenty of options available, it's important that your new receiver matches your needs and is compatible with your source components, whether they be smartphones, streaming devices, Blu-ray players…

Home Theater Accessories

Home Theater Systems

Big Game

How to Find the Perfect Universal Remote Control

4 years ago

As stubborn as it can be, winter always ends. For a while there it seems as if the cold weather isn’t quite ready to bid its farewell, but literally like clockwork, along comes spring and, with it, our desire to tidy things up a bit. As we let more sunlight into homes and bask in the delight of warmer weather, it’s only natural that we look around and begin to visualize a neater and more…

Home Theater Accessories

Big Game

A Bigger Big Game: 7 Projectors for less than $1500

4 years ago

As the Big Game nears, it's OK to admit you've been looking at a new TV. It's completely natural; sporting events look great in HD, especially freshly purchased HD, and if you're having friends and family over, your TV will be the center of attention—it and maybe the buffalo wings. The fact of the matter is, it's easy to justify a new TV purchase this time of year because newly released models…

Projector & Accessories

Big Game

How to Buy a Streaming Device

4 years ago

Content streaming is no longer an up-and-coming technology. I can say confidently that streaming is in full swing and, thankfully, it’s here to stay. While we expect to see greater bandwidth and even more audio and video content in the future, the Internet has become a major medium for watching movies, exploring new TV shows, and listening to our favorite music. These days,…

Live Streaming

Big Game

CES 2018: LG's New Consumer Tech Lineup

4 years ago

LG delivered the goods at CES, showcasing everything from TVs to robotic lawnmowers. Our first stop was a tour through the company's massive A/V cave. LG's "cave" consisted of a wall of matrixed OLED TVs, literally immersing all who walked through in a high-definition experience. Seeing that many TVs work together was quite a sight—caves tend to be dark—and LG's OLED TVs are certainly up to the…

OLED TVs

TVs

Home Theater Systems

CES 2018: The Seagate and LaCie Experience

4 years ago

It's safe to say that hard drives aren't the most exciting thing happening at CES. For the most part, these devices work behind the scenes, and we often give little thought to the processes that make data storage possible. When it comes to Seagate and LaCie, seeing is believing. When entering the Seagate and LaCie suite at CES, you're greeted by several interactive user experience stations that…

Hard Drives

Storage Solutions

Gaming

CES 2018: Sony's Keynote Address

4 years ago

At CES 2018, consumer electronics giant Sony showcased a full suite of its new and current tech in front of a packed house in the Tech East Convention Center. When President and CEO Kazuo Hirai walked out, all eyes were glued to the stage as he talked about Sony's notable innovations over the years and CES's important role in showcasing that technology. He also took the time to reaffirm Sony's…

DSLR Cameras

TVs

Headphones

Choosing the Right Video Doorbell for Your Smart Home

4 years ago

You’ve just seen a commercial showing a homeowner having a friendly exchange with their package delivery person via camera while they’re not at home, or another commercial showing a homeowner scaring away would-be burglars by shouting something witty into their smartphone’s microphone, sending the culprits scurrying into the night. You think to yourself, “That would be awesome—I need that, I can…

Surveillance & Accessories

Blah to Awe: 7 Accessories that Elevate the Home Theater Experience

4 years ago

When you hear the term “home theater accessory,” it’s natural to think of the usual suspects: universal remote controls, high-speed HDMI cables, maybe an advanced surge protector or articulating wall mount. Those accessory options are perfectly fine and, depending on your setup, that item may just be what your gear needs to take its performance to new dimensions. After all, that’s what we’re…

Our Top TV Picks of 2017

4 years ago

One of my favorite things about this time of year is “best of” lists. You can find them for nearly every product category, ranging from smartphones, computers, headphones, and of course, one of my personal favorites—televisions. Not only do I enjoy manufacturers receiving the accolades they deserve, but I also have a fondness for looking back at some of the year’s best tech. In my line of work, I…

TVs

Field Test with LG E7P Series OLED TVs: Get off the Fence

5 years ago

In my humble opinion, there have been three things keeping OLED TVs from reaching the maximum fandom they deserve in the consumer space—price, a sales pitch, and availability. For starters, OLED TVs are expensive. While it’s easy to argue that premium performance demands a premium price tag, an argument I’ve made more than once, you need the right sales pitch to convince customers to shell out…

TVs

Big Game

In the Field with Google Home and Wifi

5 years ago

I’ll be the first to admit that I was a bit late to the smart-home party. Having purchased my first Echo just a few months ago, I purposely watched this technology develop from the sidelines. Not because I didn’t have faith in its long-term viability, but because I knew that once I dipped my toe in the…

Home Automation

Wi-Fi