News Archive

You can't swing a dead cat these days without hitting a research team claiming to have discovered a new technology or ability that will miraculously enhance battery capabilities as soon as a few quick problems are patched up or some niggling cost factors get fixed. The majority of these announcements splash down and vanish, never to be heard...

Google's Android OS has received its fair share of flack over the past couple of years for its security issues, but sometimes, it's not the company or its OS at fault: It's the third-party developers. Proof of that can be seen from the results of a recent study conducted by the same firm, Codenomicon, that discovered the major "Heartbleed"...

You have to admire T-Mobile's candid passion in the wireless space. It comes straight from the top, as T-Mobile CEO John Legere is one of the more outspoken bigwigs in the industry, a fact that's evidenced in the company's latest announcement. Rather than simply roll out a new wireless plan, Legere took time to literally laugh at the competition...

Welcome back! It’s time to kick off a new week with a fresh installment of HOT deals, straight from our friends at LogicBuy. On tap for you all today, we have deals on a Lenovo Z50 Core i7-based laptop with 500GB hybrid drive, an HP ENVY 700-215xt Core i7-based desktop system, a 50" LG 50LN5400 1080p 120Hz LED HDTV, and a whole lot more....

I've been a fan of the Tomb Raider series ever since the original title launched for the Sony PlayStation in late 1996, and for the most part, there's never been a main title released that made me feel skeptical. That's not to say that the series hasn't had its share of less-than-great titles, but at least they looked and felt like Tomb Raider....

Big trouble in China? We're not sure, though reports are surfacing that Chinese government officials have been making unannounced visits to Microsoft's offices in China. Microsoft is keeping mum on the visits, and so is China's State Administration for Industry & Commerce, which Chinese media reports had made visits to Microsoft offices...

Under the hood, the Galaxy Tab S boasts of all of the high-end features you’d expect from Samsung’s latest flagship including an Exynos 5 Octa core processor, Android KitKat 4.4, 3GB of RAM, 16GB or 32GB of storage, and a microSD slot that supports up to 128GB. You’ll also find a front-facing 2.1 megapixel camera that supports...

We aren't exactly living in a Jetsons-esque world where we're all floating about on personal hovercraft, but we're getting there. From UAVs to Tesla electric cars to this, a new 3-wheel roadster that is unlike anything else crisscrossing highways today. The new Polaris Slingshot is a funky new personal vehicle that's designed to act like a...

Where PC cooling is concerned, you can't get much more standard than copper - it's simply everywhere. Even if you're using an OEM box, chances are it at least has a copper base, and while it might not have many or any fins, your notebook will have a large copper heatpipe. So if copper is that effective, why not create a heatsink with a massive...

If you don't want to get caught with a dead smartphone, it's a wise idea to carry along either a spare battery (provided your handset sports a removable battery) or a portable charger. However, if you have neither and you happen to be surrounded by 800 potatoes and apples, all you'll need is a copper wire and galvanized nails to be back in...

Samsung's unspoken philosophy of "Go big or go home" has never been more evident than with the Galaxy Tab Q that just broke cover on the company's Chinese language portal. Officially, Samsung is calling this thing a tablet, and with a 7-inch high-definition 720p (1280x720) display, we wouldn't argue the claim. However, you can slide the Galaxy...

Speculation is sure to follow Samsung's confirmation that it's postponing the launch of a high-end handset running its own home brewed Tizen operating system in Russia. Officially, the reason for the delay is because the platform requires a bit more work, though we can't help but wonder if the recent pressure from Google has anything to do...

For those of you rocking HTC's One M8 Developer Edition smartphone, be on the lookout for an Android 4.4.3 KitKit upgrade containing the company's custom Sense 6 User Interface (UI). After being teased in a Twitter post midway through July, HTC more recently tweeted an update confirming that the ROM has begun rolling out over the air (OTA)....

Good news, gamers! Electronic Arts has decided to donate The Sims 2 Ultimate Collection to anyone and everyone in need of a game to play. That's right -- the title is completely free, provided you claim your copy by July 31, 2014 at 10AM PDT. After that, the freebie promotion disappears, though it probably won't be the last time EA does something...

While this one's a little off the beaten path of the stories we typically cover, we wanted to give our readers who might own an older Nissan vehicle a heads up about an expanded recall related to complaints about defective air bags. Nissan widened its net of recalled vehicles to include an additional 226,000 automobiles, which brings the total...

Google Maps’ Street View has helped completely change how we’re able to see the world. Indeed, Street View makes navigation far easier than ever before, but it also allows us to see into places from the comfort of our own homes. For instance, there’s the “Skyfall” island in Japan, the Grand Canyon, and more, and...

Get, it, “killer”? “Shamu”? Fine, never mind moving on: A rumor has emerged that Motorola may be developing a handset called “Shamu”, a 5.9-inch smartphone that could be a new Nexus device. Android Police says it sources further indicate that the device will have a fingerprint sensor and may be released...

While the Xbox-versus-PS4 push and pull endures, Microsoft is doing one thing that helps keep its customers happy and may bring in a few more: Constantly rolling out updates. The company has had an update each month since February, and Xbox Chief Phil Spencer tweeted that they’ll continue at least through October. “We've worked...

Lyft announced that its was pushing into Brooklyn and Queens, places where its chief competition, Uber, already has a foothold, and it now has the green light to launch in all five boroughs after coming to agreements with the state and with local entities. That’s a huge deal for the rideshare service, of course, but there are caveats....

Driverless, autonomous car technology is quickly proliferating as multiple companies have stated publicly that they’re planning to roll them out within the next several years. Other companies such as Intel are working hard on technology to go in autonomous cars, too. But it’s not just American and European companies diving in--China’s...

It’s sometimes easy to forget how far camera quality on smartphones has come in a relatively short time; just like point-and-shoot digital cameras did, mobile cameras pumped up the megapixels and then started enjoyed higher-quality optics and manual exposure controls, as well. Samsung’s latest flagship handheld, the Galaxy S5,...

Verizon Wireless has a message for data hogs subscribed to its unlimited 4G LTE service, and to paraphrase, it goes something like this: 'Slow your roll, or we'll slow it for you.' To be more specific, starting in October of this year, Verizon will begin throttling the data connections of users who fall within the top 5 percent of data users...

Apple found itself a willing dance partner in Beats, the audio company it agreed to acquire for $3 billion back in May, its biggest acquisition ever. That may have put a giant target on Beats' back, as it now founds itself being sued by Bose Corp. for allegedly infringing on the company's noise-cancelling technology patents. "We are committed...

What better way to usher in the summer season than to give away an absolutely awesome gaming rig, designed to keep you inside, fragging away when you need a break from those long, hot summer days?! HotHardware has teamed up with our friends at EVGA, Kingston, Thermaltake, and Intel to offer you all the chance to win a powerful gaming...

It’s almost time to close out another weeks, but not before we dish out a healthy serving of HOT deals, direct from our friends at LogicBuy. On the menu today we have deals on a Dell Inspiron 17R Core i5-based notebook, a Lenovo K450e Core i7-based desktop system, a Gigabyte Aivia Osmium Cherry Red-based mechanical gaming keyboard, and...

For as impactful as Google has been on the world in a positive manner, it takes its fair share of flack. From privacy concerns to revamping its search algorithms, plenty of people aren't the fondest of Google. Over in the European Union, privacy officials have continued to slam Google regarding its "takedown" program. Essentially, Google has...

Tesla’s proposed “gigafactory”, a massive production facility that would make batteries for the company’s electric cars, is looking for a state to call home, and you can count California among those campaigning hard to be chosen. According to USA Today, the California state legislature is working on a bill to speed...

A man named Duff Watson nearly got himself and his two young sons (ages 6 and 9) thrown off of a Southwest Airlines flight out of Denver over an angry Tweet. He was upset that the gate agent wouldn’t let his kids board early with him even though he had priority status and posted on Twitter, “RUDEST AGENT IN DENVER. KIMBERLY S....

Amazon turned the tablet market upside down with its low cost Kindle Fire family, and now it will try to do the same thing in the smartphone sector with its recently launched Fire Phone. While that plays out, the Fire Phone has already received the teardown treatment, and lucky for Amazon, passing the test with flying colors isn't a prerequisite...

Google’s acquisition of Twitch, the increasingly popular video game broadcaster, is complete. The deal was first announced back in May, and Google has signed the all-cash offer of a billion dollars. Suddenly, the YouTube juggernaut is even more powerful and expansive. According to VentureBeat’s sources familiar with the matter,...

It seems like a century has passed since Facebook's IPO and subsequent stock performance came under scrutiny. Turns out all Facebook needed was to post a stellar earnings report, as it did earlier this week, and investors would be frothing at the mouth to own a chunk of the world's most popular social playground. In the aftermath of Facebook's...

Well this is surprising (and in a totally good way) -- Comixology, the cloud-based digital comic book distributor founded in 2007 and acquired by Amazon this past April, is now allowing customers to backup  comics stripped of Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection. DRM-free backups are available to save in PDF or CBZ format. "We're...

When Microsoft announced the Xbox One, one of its headline features was the creation of new TV and video content. Headlining this new endeavor was a custom Halo-themed television show directed by Ridley Scott. Microsoft didn't reveal much additional information and the news itself was generally swept under the rug in the wash of controversy...

While the FCC has come under fire for its stance on net neutrality of late, it has also been on the offense against ISPs. For example, the agency has stated that it will look into the bad service finger-pointing between Netflix and Verizon in hopes of adjudicating the dispute and discerning the underlying problems, and it’s also giving...

AT&T has some great news for Nokia Lumia 1520 handset owners. Effectively immediately, you can download and install the Windows Phone 8.1 software update for your phone and start enjoying Cortana, a personal virtual assistant. Unlike the virtual assistants on other platforms, Cortana is the only one that can set reminders by people, as...

Welcome back to the latest installment of HOT deals, courtesy of our friends at LogicBuy. On tap for you all today we have deals on a 256GB PNY Turbo USB 3.0 Flash Drive, a Lenovo W870 Bluetooth Headset, a Dell M115HD Mobile Projector, and a whole lot more. Full details with links and pricing for all of the deals are available below... 256GB...

Has it been a year already? Time flies when you're streaming fun, and apparently Google's low cost Chromecast dongle is celebrating its first birthday. As parents are apt to do about their little ones, Google used the occasion to brag about its streaming stick by pointing out that people have hit the cast button more than 400 million times....

Today we're evaluating NEC's new MultiSync EA244UHD, a 24-inch 4K Ultra HD monitor. As part of NEC's EA series, this monitor is intended for high-end desktop users as opposed to professional graphics users, though there are features of the EA244UHD that may tempt potential customers who fall into the latter category. Things that separate this...

A company called littleBits has taken the hobby DIY kit to a whole new level with its Internet of Things-friendly cloudBit and Cloud Starter Bundle that allow you to add connected intelligence to any number of otherwise “dumb” items. The $59 cloudBit is designed to work without any need for wires or soldering, and it’s technically...

Take a wild guess which technology company now has a higher market capitalization than the mighty Oracle? Facebook, as it turns out. In the latest turn in what has been a wild ride (in both directions) since going public, Facebook's stock has surged on solid earnings to a record high. Now, the world's dominant social network is worth $76.74...

This past April, Apple surprised us with an announcement that the general public would soon be able to access OS X betas. The reason for the surprise is the simple fact that Apple's forever been a conservative company, careful about what winds up in its customer's hands. So to give them not only beta software, but a beta of the actual OS,...

When smart TVs first started to mingle with their regular flat screen counterparts, they were comparatively expensive with sometimes poorly implemented smart capabilities that were either buggy or slow (or both). And now? It's actually more difficult to find a non-smart TV, and you're not likely to save much, either. That now being the case,...

Until now, Vuzix and its M100 Smart Glasses have been little more than an intriguing potential competitor to Google Glass, but Lenovo has stepped up to back the smart glasses in a co-branding deal as part of Lenovo’s NBD (New Business Development) brand. Lenovo will do the heavy lifting on the marketing side, selling the specs in China...

Have you fed and loved on your pets today? It's a valid question, especially for people who use Facebook. A new survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that the average American spends around 40 minutes per day flipping through his or her Facebook feed. That doesn't sound obscene, especially when compared to television, of which Americans...

Silicon Valley is suddenly awakened to the fact that workplace diversity is a thing, one in which technology firms as a whole are somewhat lacking. Several companies have vowed to do a better job at building a diverse workplace, including Twitter, the latest firm to come forward with statistics in an industry that typically keeps such data...

This week, Broadcom announced that it would exit the LTE modem market and shut down its LTE research division. The move comes less than a year after Broadcom bought Renesas' (formerly known as NEC) LTE modem -- and that purchase was supposed to give Broadcom a leg up in modem design after its own in-house LTE product had failed to ship. With...

Welcome to the latest installment of HOT deals, courtesy of our friends at LogicBuy. On the menu today, we have deals on an HP Chromebox with wireless keyboard + mouse, plus a 22xi 21.5" IPS display, the Lenovo Y40 14" Core i7-based gaming laptop, a Dell KM714 wireless keyboard mouse combo, and a whole lot more. Full details with links and...

A lot of people have never been able to understand the logic behind Microsoft's Windows RT, with many urging the company to kill it off so that it can focus on more important products, like the mainline Windows. Well, this is probably not going to come as a huge surprise, especially in light of mass layoffs announced last week, but Microsoft...

Imagine watching Monday Night Football on a 105-inch television. Not into football? Then go ahead and substitute your favorite sport, TV show, or movie. Now wipe the drool from your chin before it drips onto your keyboard -- it's unsightly and a bit unsanitary. It's also still a pipe dream for all the but wealthiest, though if you've positioned...

Disputes with ISPs over the quality of streaming traffic hasn't slowed Netflix down when it comes to adding subscribers. According to the company's most recent financial report, Netflix is now home to over 50 million total members for its streaming service, three-quarters of which are located in the United States. That figure that also includes...