Brandon Hill
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
Apple showed Microsoft some love this past September when it announced the iPad Pro. “Yeah, these guys know productivity,” explained Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller during Apple’s Fall keynote before handing the stage over to Microsoft Office Corporate VP Kirk Koenigsbauer. Koenigsbauer waxed poetic about the...
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If you’re one of the many that is not a fan of Lexus’ spindle grille (lovingly called the Predator grille in enthusiast circles), you likely won’t be too impressed with the new LC 500. The LC 500 is the production version of the LF-LC concept car that debuted four years ago at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Amazingly...
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While companies like Apple are actually reducing the battery capacity across the board for its flagship smartphones (and in the process, maintaining the status quo with respects to battery life), we’re happy to see that other manufactures are willing to give customers more when it comes to runtimes.
One such...
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You knew this day was coming; Microsoft has been warning about the impending doom for some of its legacy software for quite some time. But now that we’ve reached January 12th, 2016, it’s time to say goodbye to Internet Explorer 8, 9 and 10 in addition to the Windows 8 operating system.
Actually, let us clarify that...
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We got a great hands-on look at the HTC Vive last week at CES and were wowed by the immersive demos (some of which didn’t play so nicely with our own Marco Chiappetta). After informing us last month that shipments of the consumer version of the Vive would be delayed until April, HTC CEO Cher Wang revealed that...
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If you’ve had your eye on AMD’s Radeon R9 Nano for the past few months, but were hesitant to push the button due to the card’s lofty price tag, we’ve got some excellent news for you this morning. The R9 Nano debuted in September at $649, but AMD’s official price cut brings the pricing closer to reality at $499.
The...
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“If you build it, they will come.” Buick has been trying to shake its deeply engrained image that it sells vehicles for people with one foot in the grave — look no further than the company’s “That’s a Buick” ads that have been running quite frequently for the past year. Buick’s newest concept car shows a new design...
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We saw plenty of interesting tech last week at CES, so we’d be remiss if we left out some of the cool wares that we saw from our friends at CyberPowerPC. For those not in the know, Syber Gaming is a spinoff of CyberPower and it is looking to make its mark on the gaming PC market. If you’ve seen Paul’s review of the...
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"I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced. I fear something terrible has happened.” Yes, something truly terrible has happened; famed Valve veteran Marc Laidlaw has left Valve after an incredible 18 years with the company.
If Laidlaw’s...
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Still on a euphoric high after its successful powered landing of a Falcon 9 rocket last month, SpaceX is looking to achieve the feat again. However, instead of attempting a relatively “easy” landing on solid ground, SpaceX is once again aiming for the fences and will attempt another landing on a floating barge at...
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Just before Christmas, Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela seemingly confirmed the existence of a new mid-range smartphone: the Lumia 650. Capossela was asked by Microsoft watchers Mary Jo Foley and Paul Thurrott when the [until this point] unannounced product would be released. Instead of avoiding the...
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We had a chance to visit Gigabyte this week at CES, and as always, the company had plenty to showcase for our eager eyes. On tap were new Skylake BRIX mini-PCs, new WINDFORCE graphics cards, a new gaming laptop and a familiar 34-inch curved AIO machine.
First up, however, is Gigabyte’s refreshed BRIX mini-PCs which...
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In case you didn’t already know, there’s a clear distinction between Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 when it comes to product support from Microsoft. Windows 8 was released to consumers on October 26th, 2012, while Windows 8.1’s wide release took place on October 17th, 2013. But since Microsoft see Windows 8.1 as a service...
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If you’re a fan of Intel’s NUC series of mini PCs, the chip giant is back at it again with a refresh built on its Skylake processor platform. The big news of course comes under the hood in the form of two ultrabook-class processors: the dual-core U-Series Core i3-6100U and Core i5-6260U.
The Core i3-6100U comes...
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T-Mobile is coming under fire from all sides for its Binge On streaming initiative. Binge On, which is on by default, reduces the quality of streaming services to 480p in order to lessen the strain on T-Mobile’s wireless network. In return, customers are afforded unlimited streaming without tapping into their monthly...
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We can’t say that we didn’t see this one coming. BlackBerry has been circling the drain for quite some time, and its Blackberry 10 (BB10) operating system — which was supposed to be its savior in the face of immense pressure from iOS and Android — has proven to be anything but. That became even more clear when...
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In early December, we got a clear look at a completely naked Chevrolet Bolt EV. The vehicle was shown driving around out and and about with no camouflage, much to our amazement. Although the production version of the Bolt differs quite a bit from the concept that bowed at the Detroit Auto Show last year, two things...
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As we closed out 2015, we brought you news that T-Mobile was willing to give Windows 10 Mobile a chance even though Microsoft didn’t extend an olive branch by offering it the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL flagships. Unfortunately for those hoping that T-Mobile would bring a flagship-class Windows 10 Mobile smartphone to...
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The wait is almost over for those eager to get their hands on the Oculus Rift virtual reality (VR) headset. Pre-orders for the consumer version of the Oculus Rift opened this morning at 11am EST, and the price of entry is $599.
Included with every Oculus Rift is an Xbox One wireless controller, a microphone and...
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In the popular ultrabook category, being thin and light is a surefire way to garner attention from consumers. Samsung is taking thin and light to the extreme with its 2016-model Notebook 9 Series. The Notebook 9 Series is available in both 13.3-inch and 15-inch varieties, and both use a magnesium alloy chassis to...
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It seems as though Volkswagen would do just about anything to take the public’s mind off its diesel emissions scandal. VW’s popular TDI has taken a huge hit in the United States as a result, and the company is looking to electric vehicles as the future of its “green” push. That change in direction is made readily...
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It looks like there’s some big news to discuss with regards to Samsung’s Gear S2 Classic smartwatch. First and foremost, Samsung is adding two more finishes to complement the existing black metal finish: Platinum and Rose Gold.
These finishes will be platings on top of the existing stainless steel housing, which...
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