Shawn Oliver
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
If you're looking for a new PC case, and you tend to prefer things with a flair for the dramatic, your PC case maker is Lian Li. Shortly after announcing its PC-Q07 Mini-ITX Chassis, the company has just revealed its newest HTPC enclosure. The PC-V351 HTPC Chassis is an all aluminum box with dual front mounted 120mm fans along with a rear...
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One could argue that the past 12 to 18 months have been all about netbooks, but all-in-one PCs sure are making a comeback here lately. Following up on efforts from Lenovo, MSI, Dell, Averatec and countless others is BenQ, who has just unveiled its stylish nScreen i91. As you'd expect, this is the company's very first all-in-one PC, and clearly...
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Solid state drives just keep getting bigger, better, faster and more abundant, and for tech enthusiasts who have been watching those sky-high prices remain above their budgets for far too long, that's a good thing to hear. Silicon Power has stepped up today to introduce a spacious 256GB 2.5-inch SATA II SSD, which doubles up on its previously-largest...
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You won't find liquid cooling here, but Shuttle's latest barebones kit is still mighty impressive. The small form factor (SFF) box has the potential to be just as powerful (if not more so) than many full sized towers, thanks mostly to the high-performance Intel X58 Express chipset with ICH10R Southbridge. Those looking for a potent LAN party...
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IBuyPower just began offering up Dragon-based gaming machines earlier this month, but now it's announcing three new machines for those with tighter budgets. The newest desktops in the Gamer series will all be made available exclusively through NewEgg.com, and none of them will break the $1000 barrier. Starting things off is the Gamer Power...
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Blink twice, and chances are you've missed something in the whirlwind world of graphics. For instance, ZOTAC's Mini-ITX GeForce 8200-ITX WiFi was just pushed out around three months ago. Today, the same company is announcing that its GeForce 9300-ITX WiFi board is shipping to retailers and distributors worldwide. So much for staying on the...
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32GB SDHC cards have been around for some while, but A-DATA's promising the fastest of the fast with its new 32GB Turbo SDHC Class 6 Memory Card. This here card tops out at the high-end of what's regulated by the 2.0 specification of SDHC, and it provides plenty of speed and agility for handling high definition video captures and quick burst...
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NVIDIA and Intel have always had an interesting relationship, consisting of a dash of mutual respect and a whole lot of under-the-collar disdain. And with situations such as these, it's easy to understand why. NVIDIA today has come forward with a response to a recent Intel court filing in which Intel alleges that the "four-year-old chipset...
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Obviously, MSI's latest AM3 Gaming Series Motherboards are completely ready to handle AMD's Phenom II processors, but what about those of you still limping by with one of the company's AM2+ mobos? In an announcement that will undoubtedly make your day, MSI has made absolutely clear that its AMD AM2+ series of motherboards will indeed support...
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Just a week ago, Intel made waves by talking up its forthcoming 32 nanometer Westmere family of processors, and now ARM is vying for a little bit of that 32nm attention with an all new Cortex. The company has just announced the world's very first ARM processor produced on 32nm High-K Metal Gate (HKMG) process technology, and it will be showing...
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The big news from ASUS during this year's Mobile World Congress was undoubtedly its partnership with Garmin on two Nuvifones. But hidden from the spotlight was this gem -- news of a forthcoming Eee PC that would handle Windows 7 and feature integrated WiMAX. The company is scheduled to actually demonstrate a pair of 3.5G, Win7-based netbooks...
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Talk about cutting it close. Just as many pundits were expecting the recently united Sirius XM to file for bankruptcy today as it stared down a huge loan payment, John Malone's Liberty Media has swooped in to save the day. The company, which just so happens to be the parent of DirecTV, has signed a last minute agreement that will prevent the...
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When Sony's VAIO P was unveiled here in America, many lamented the fact that it's onboard mobile broadband chip was locked to Verizon Wireless. Over at Mobile World Congress, Sony has announced plans to remedy that, though -- oddly enough -- it never mentions if these problem-solving machines will ship to the USA. Sony Electronics and Qualcomm...
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A good deal of SSD innovation has gone down at International Solid State Circuits Conference, but for those looking to slap a solid state drive into their machine right about now, BiTMICRO has you covered. Announced at the West 2009 event in San Diego, California, the company has achieved its first customer shipment of its E-Disk Altima ATA-133...
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Although a Mobile Internet Device isn't technically a cellphone, we'll let Intel and LG slide with its MID-related announcement at Mobile World Congress. The two have come together to jointly announce a future MID -- which we were sort of expecting -- based on Intel's next-generation MID hardware platform, codenamed "Moorestown." In...
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Samsung already showcased its goods at Mobile World Congress 2009; now, it's HTC's turn. The company that delivered the Touch Pro and Touch Diamond has introduced successors to both of the aforementioned phones, and while neither of the new ones are drastic improvements, it's the little things that count. Both models seek to "balance function,...
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Mobile World Congress is on in full force over in Barcelona, and Samsung is enjoying the spotlight. Outside of its solar powered cellphone and the eight megapixel Memoir that was launched earlier this month, the company has introduced three more newcomers: the Ultra Touch (S8300), OMNIA HD (i8910) and BEAT DJ (M7600). All three phones proudly...
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We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Lenovo's IdeaPad Y530, which we found to be solid, though not without its annoyances. For those looking for something just a pinch different (and by "different," we mean "bigger and more powerful"), there's the IdeaPad Y650, which has long been announced but just recently available for ordering....
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Here it is, the box you've always wanted. The one with a NAS and a built-in CP ripper, all tightly integrated into a single, convenient box. Okay, so maybe there won't be a huge market for this, but it's still pretty unique in the wide world of "me-too" network-attached storage devices. Designed by mCubed, the RipNAS is described as the world's...
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You know those products that you never think you need until you try? Here's yet another one for the list. Cypress Semiconductor has improved upon something that the vast majority of us probably take for granted, as we simply assume that our phone is just "doing the best that it can," and that "it'll be done soon enough." Rather than continuing...
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At the back end of last month, we heard a juicy rumor that seemed, well, perfectly good enough to be true. Sure enough, the whispers of a water-cooled GTX 295 have led to a real, honest-to-goodness product, though it's not being produced by either of the vendors we expected. Instead, it's being delivered by GPU mainstay BFG Technologies.The...
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Lian Li is traditionally know for deploying big, beastly cages with lofty price tags and enough room for at least two whole computer setups. Clearly, the company is coming back in touch with its softer side, as the latest chassis to flow from its doors is one designed specifically with space savings in mind.The PC-Q07 Mini-ITX box is ready-made...
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