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
Owning a MacBook Air just got a little more affordable thanks to Apple's latest refresh, which also feature faster Haswell processors to boot. Each model is $100 less expensive than before, with cost of entry into the MacBook Air club starting at $899. That gets you the 11-inch model with an Intel Core i5 dual-core...
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After completing its acquisition of Nokia's Devices and Services business (mobile unit, basically) on Friday, Microsoft wasted no time in putting its stamp on the company brand by releasing an advertisement today that focuses on color. Color, you say? That's right -- though it's not as simple as that. It's a bit of an artsy ad that highlights...
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Microsoft is scrambling to fix a security flaw in its Internet Explorer (IE) browser that could allow a hacker to remotely execute malicious code if users visit an infected website. Unfortunately, the security bug is present on just about every version of IE, and if you're a Windows XP user, be advised that no...
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Comcast is highly motivated to complete a $45 billion deal to acquire Time Warner Cable. So much, in fact, that Comcast has come to a separate agreement with Charter Communications to get rid of 3.9 million of subscribers, which is contingent on the TWC merger taking place. It's Comcast's hope that divesting itself of...
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Samsung has started mass producing what it claims is the industry's first high-performance, 3-bit NAND-based solid state drive (SSD) -- PM853T -- for servers and data centers. According to Samsung, the new SSD option will make it easier for data centers to manage workloads related to social networking, web browsing...
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Lenovo's Australian portal had an oopsy-daisy moment over the weekend when it inadvertently posted a full listing for its as-yet unannounced ThinkPad 10 tablet. The listing has since been pulled offline, though with the cat out of the bag, Lenovo is at least willing to concede that the ThinkPad 10 is "coming soon," as...
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Oh Verizon Wireless, must you be so nosy? It's one thing for the government to spy on our every movement under the guise of great justice and all that jazz, but in attempt to fatten shareholder's wallets, Verizon is "enhancing" its Relevant Mobile Advertising program by spying on its customers and selling their usage...
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Good news for iPhone 5 users who have been struggling with a finicky sleep/wake button. Apple has acknowledged the issue and set up a special website where you can request a free repair. According to Apple, the issue affects a small percentage of iPhone 5 models in which the sleep/wake mechanism may stop working...
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Maybe Microsoft gave GameStop a scare when it briefly flirted with ditching optical discs in favor of streaming games from the cloud for its Xbox One console or tying game discs to specific systems, either of which would have a put a serious dent in the company's used games business. Or perhaps GameStop realizes...
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It's a great time to be an aspiring game developer. There are some big time resources available, such as access to Unreal Engine on a subscription basis for $19 per month, which was just recently announced at the 2014 Game Developers Conference (GDC). If you weren't enticed to subscribe before, perhaps the UE 4.1...
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To misquote a famous grammatically incorrect phrase, "All your Internet is belong to Google." Eventually, anyway. Word on the web is that Google is thinking about deploying Wi-Fi networks in cities where its Google Fiber high-speed Internet service already exists, which would be a double-win for such areas. According...
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Facebook wants to be the No. 1 source for breaking news stories, and with over 1 billion members playing on the world's largest social playground, it's certainly feasible. What's lacking are resources journalists (or would-be journalists), but that's changing with the roll out of FB Newswire, which Mark Zuckerberg and the gang say will make...
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Life is a funny thing. What seems important one day and consumes all of our time and energy eventually fades into another chapter of our past. Sometimes it takes a major event to put these moments and decisions into perspective, and so it happened that way for Vic Gundotra, the driving force behind Google+, who today...
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Psst, hey you -- can you keep a secret? If so, you're ahead of tablet accessory makers and Amazon, both of which may have just confirmed the existence (and impending release) of Microsoft's rumored Surface Mini device. There's a listing on Amazon with an ultra-thin Smart Cover Case for the Microsoft Surface Mini...
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As Twitter looks to become a viable platform for mobile advertisers much like Facebook, there have been a series of changes to the service leading up to that goal, both behind the scenes and on the surface. Today's update falls into the latter category -- the recently introduced web profile experience is rolling out to all users worldwide...
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Continuing with its stellar performance, Apple posted financial results for its fiscal 2014 second quarter ended March 29, 2014, during which time it generated $45.6 billion in revenue for a net profit of $10.2 billion, or $11.62 per diluted share. These numbers are up from $43.6 billion in revenue and a net profit of...
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Microsoft could take a few lessons from BOXX in how to poke fun at the competition in a tactful yet hilarious manner. BOXX, which builds high-end workstations and rendering systems for a variety of applications -- film and television, visual effects, game development, simulation, government and defense, and the list goes on -- decided to compare...
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Gamespy's multiplayer servers are getting unplugged and going dark on May 31, and as the deadline approaches, game publishers are scrambling to find new homes. For 2K, the solution is simple -- send its more popular games over to Steamworks. That includes the first Borderlands titles and several Civilization games...
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Facebook isn't afraid to make a splash, hence the decision back in February of this year to scoop up WhatsApp for $19 billion in cash and stock options. It remains Facebook's largest transaction to date, though it could prove a brilliant move in the long run, especially as WhatsApp keeps attracting more users. As of...
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For those of you patiently waiting on Apple to deliver a phablet-sized version of the iPhone, get comfortable, it doesn't look like a release is imminent. Instead, the latest rumors suggest Apple is having some difficulties finding a thin-sized battery that's powerful enough to drive a 5.5-inch display for a...
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A couple of disclaimers are necessary before moving on. First, each one of us at HotHardware loves our parents. We could go on and on with reasons why, just understand that despite the embedded videos you're about to watch, we have nothing against moms and dads -- we just don't always want to watch movies and TV shows with them. Secondly,...
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Lytro tried to flip photography on its head a few years ago with the introduction of its original light-field camera. Sporting a funky design reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, the rectangular-shaped tube-like camera excelled at capturing the entire light field around an image, thereby allowing photographers to refocus...
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