Paul Lilly
Paul is a seasoned geek who was first seduced into the world of computers and technology by the Commodore 64, and through the years he’s courted a number of OSes and platforms from DOS on up to the latest version of Windows. Having joined the HotHardware team in 2011, Paul is now a mainstay of the site covering the news beat and reviews, and resident wiseguy who keeps the mood light. He’s also an experienced freelance technology writer whose work has appeared in a number of online and print publications.
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
Ouya yesterday began shipping its $100 Android console to early backers of the project that took Kickstarter by storm, blowing past the initial $950,000 goal and raising nearly $8.6 million by the time it was all said and done. Everyone else has to wait until June 4, which is when it will be on store shelves, real and...
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If the world came to end tomorrow because of a nuclear war, all that would remain are cockroaches and Facebook phone rumors. Lighting up more speculation on the latter, Facebook has started inviting members of the press to an event at its headquarters on April 4. It's headlined, "Come See Our New Home On Android." That doesn't necessarily...
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We hardly need a study to tell us that mobile users are addicted to Facebook, but lest there be any doubt, a survey by International Data Corporation (IDC) puts the issue to rest. The survey, which was commissioned by Facebook, focuses on how smartphones and social keep us engaged, and there are some interesting findings. One in particular...
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Don't look now, but in the near future, it's possible we'll see a smaller size Windows 8 tablet designed to compete with Apple's iPad mini and all those 7-inch slates, like the Nexus 7 (Google) and Kindle Fire HD (Amazon). Maybe Microsoft will take the reins and build a smaller Surface. As Kevin Garnett famously said...
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Have you ever dropped a smartphone and had the rear cover pop off when it hit the ground? Well, that's not something you'll have to worry about with the HTC One, a durable handset that's incredibly hard to crack open even if you're specifically trying to do so. The wonderfully sadistic tech surgeons at iFixIt put the HTC One on its operating...
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You'd have to live in the middle of the earth not to notice the trend towards thinner mobile devices, and even that's not a guarantee you'd miss it. Ultrabooks, ultrathins, tablets, and hybrid PCs are all sporting slimmer designs that emphasize portability, and while there are tangible benefits to building thinner...
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One social site that doesn't receive nearly as much recognition as it perhaps deserves is Tumblr. Facebook, Google+, and Twitter dominate the headlines at times, while Tumblr quietly grows its userbase and post count to new heights. The latest milestone Tumblr crossed is that of 100 million blogs, up 100 percent from April of last year. Tumblr...
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Text happy teens aren't the only ones putting themselves and others at risk by sending and receiving electronic messages while driving. Adults do it too, and surprisingly, the more experienced and supposedly wiser demographic is the worst offender. Hard to believe, isn't it? Well, believe it, says USA Today, which commissioned a study by AT&T....
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One of the ways Facebook generates revenue is by dipping into the pocketbooks of social game developers. Not only is it lucrative, but it's a surging business, with the number of gamers willing to pay to play having risen 24 percent compared to a year ago, the social networking site claims. In an emailed statement to Bloomberg, Facebook revealed...
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BlackBerry surprised Wall Street on Thursday by reporting a profit for its most recent quarter, posting a net gain of $94 million on revenue of $2.7 billion. Compare that to the previous quarter, during which time the company formerly known as Research In Motion (RIM) lost $18 million. Indeed, a name change now seems entirely appropriate....
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The sultan of search (Google, who else?) wants the Institute of Electronics Inc. (IEEE) to implement a variable-speed Ethernet standard that would make it more efficient to transfer data between data centers and ultimately cut costs. It's a move IEEE has so far been reluctant to take on. Ron Johnson, a director of...
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If you're of the opinion that it's better to show up late than the never, then kudos to the Windows Phone platform for finally getting Temple Run, an endless running game that falls into the "Just one more time..." category. Before you know it, you've wasted half the day trying to unlock characters, special powers, and knock out various objectives....
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PopCap Games, a division of Electronic Arts, confirmed on Wednesday that a sequel to its hugely popular (and highly addicting) Plants vs. Zombies tower defense game is in the works and slated to launch in "early summer." Details are sparse, with the only thing PopCap Games willing to divulge at this point is the...
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Walmart hopes to put the hurt on Amazon by taking a page from its online rival and using in-store lockers to holder items ordered on the Internet. In doing so, customers will be able to get their hands on their purchased goods much faster than waiting for delivery. The mega chain said it will put lockers in about a...
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Corsair today announced the release of a free software driver update that infuses its Vengeance 2000 Gaming Headset with Dolby Headphone 2.0 and Dolby Pro Logic IIx support, improving both surround sound quality and game capability. In other words, a stellar headset just got better, a statement we're qualified to...
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Apple has filed paperwork seeking a new trial against Samsung claiming patent violations on 14 products for which a U.S. judge saw fit to overturn a jury patent-infringement award earlier this month. It's the next logical step for Apple in what's been a long, drawn out legal process that initially saw the Cupertino company awarded $1.05 billion...
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Amazon just greenlit an original TV series pilot based on the 2009 cult-comedy Zombieland, which is one of 13 pilots that will be made into full-season productions for its Prime Instant Video service. If that doesn't excite you, then you've obviously never seen Zombieland, or you're one of the infected and dead inside. Sadly, there's no cure...
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T-Mobile's web team posted new pricing plans on the wireless carrier's website today, including an unlimited talk, text, and data plan that runs $70 per month. Even better, the plan doesn't require a two-year service agreement; there's no annual contract to sign, so subscribers are free to leave whenever they wish...
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Hulu, which is on the verge of posting record first-quarter revenue and subscriber additions, is reportedly reaching out to buyers to see if there's any interest in an acquisition. As the story goes, Hulu's board hasn't decided if a buyout is in the company's best interest, but it's certainly an option that's on the...
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If the only thing preventing you from purchasing an Ultrabook is the price, we have good news. On the manufacturing side, it's in everyone's best interest to push the Ultrabook form factor, including Intel, which will attempt to get Ultrabooks into more homes by driving down and/or maintaining the cost of entry as new...
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Best Buy management now has the support of its founder, Richard Schulze, who's returning to the electronics chain as chairman emeritus after he left the Board last year amid a scandal and then tried to buy out the company. He's already named two former colleagues, Brad Anderson, who previously served as Chief...
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Kingston Technology might be known for its iconic blue heatspreaders, but that doesn't mean the company is afraid to dive deeper into its boxy of crayons. Apparently its customers have been requesting a black line of memory, and Kingston answered the call by introducing all-new black printed circuit boards (PCBs) on...
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