Daniel A. Begun
Daniel A. Begun
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
In marketing-speak, I am a Mac and a PC. My primary computer is an iMac and my laptop is a MacBook Pro. But I also have several Windows rigs as well, running everything from Windows XP to Vista and Windows 7--with some systems set up with multi-boot support with different operating systems loaded onto separate partitions. I also have Windows...
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Israeli-based CTERA Networks is adding its new CTERA CloudPlug and CTERA C200 products to the growing list of devices that let you easily convert external hard drives into network-attached storage (NAS) devices and make them remotely accessible. Unlike other devices that perform similar functionality, such as the Pogoplug and the Seagate FreeAgent...
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Today VMware announced the latest release of its virtualization application for the Mac, VMware Fusion 3. VMware Fusion allows Windows and Windows apps to be installed and run on Macs. While the release of the third official version of Fusion--with its "more than 50 new features"--might seemingly be meaningful to only...
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While most of us will have to wait until October 22 to get our hands on the official retail release of Windows 7, it turns out that there are a at least two ways that you can legitimately get an official retail copy of Windows 7 a bit earlier than that. One way is to host an official Microsoft-sanctioned Windows 7 House Party--in which case...
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Two days ago, HP let loose with a blitzkrieg of new products, including new laptops, netbooks, and even a new all-in-one desktop PC. The company, however, didn't use up all of its ammunition, as it waited two more days--until today--to launch its final salvo of new product announcements for the fall. And considering that today's product announcement...
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Seagate has licensed CloudEngines' easy-to-use Pogoplug network-attached storage (NAS) technology, and has integrated it into the new FreeAgent DockStar network adapter. With a FreeAgent DockStar, you can easily turn any Seagate FreeAgent Go portable hard drive (not included) into a network-attached storage device.The...
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Today HP announced the details about a bevy of new products that are either available starting now or will be very soon. HP's fall product lineup consists of no less than four new laptops, two new netbooks, a new all-in-one desktop, two new business-class desktops, seven new displays, and two new additions to its...
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Back in April, I had to the chance to review a pair of 7-inch, USB-powered, LCDs, meant to be used as secondary displays. Both displays were Nanovision Mimo Monitors and used DisplayLink technology. They were similar in design and function, with the primary difference being that one of them included touch-screen support. Ultimately, I liked...
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With the growing popularity of inexpensive netbooks and nettop PCs, the Linux operating system (often installed on the lowest-priced budget units) is reaching a wider audience--although nowhere close to giving Windows or the Mac OS a run for their money (albeit Mac OS X is based on a Unix kernel). Some pundits even argue that the Linux OS...
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If you frequent HotHardware, then you are probably well aware that we tend to include a fair number of photos, screenshots, and other relevant art elements in all of our product reviews. We go to great pains to dive deep into the technical details of the products in the text of the reviews, but we also understand the importance of including...
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With the growing popularity of cloud-based storage solutions, such as the Amazon S3 and Nirvanix services, many businesses--both large and small--are eschewing traditional onsite file servers, and instead opting for offsite, third-party storage solutions. But the ongoing cost of maintaining cloud-based storage as well as the often unproven...
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Regardless of their size or industry, most businesses depend on ready and secure access to their data. To a business, "secure" means that its data is protected from hardware or software failures and is safe from prying eyes. But small and even some medium-sized businesses often can't afford to maintain a data center, let alone a dedicated...
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Yesterday, my home phone rang and it was a number I didn't recognize (the Caller ID said "Jacksonville, FL"). I often don't answer the home phone if a non-descript Caller ID appears or if I don't know the number. I work at home and have a separate work line (I always answer the work line--that call could be my next freelance...
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For many, just the thought of setting up and using a network attached storage (NAS) device makes their eyes cross and their pulses increase. While even the technophobic recognize the benefits of having a network-based repository of files for sharing and backup, the concept can still seem daunting to some. The reality is that NAS devices have...
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The more well-known industry trade shows, like CES, Computex, and E3, are not necessarily the only venues where technology journalists can get a gander at the latest-and-greatest offerings from a bevy of tech companies. Pepcom is a Florida-based company that holds mini tech trade-shows for the media throughout the year, and its most-recent...
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The more well-known industry trade shows, like CES, Computex, and E3, are not necessarily the only venues where technology journalists can get a gander at the latest-and-greatest offerings from a bevy of tech companies. Pepcom is a Florida-based company that holds mini tech trade-shows for the media throughout the year, and its most-recent...
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Synopsis: The Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 is an all-in-one desktop with plenty of features and bells-and-whistles to keep all but the most jaded of users happy. Perhaps taking a page out of Apple's book, Lenovo put a lot of effort into the look and feel of the A600, with its black-colored chassis, borderless 21.5-inch 1920x1080 TFT display, curved...
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Not that CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) really needs any additional hype, but the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) wants to make sure that even with CES half a year away, that the media and analysts never forget that their technology extravaganza is on the horizon. The CEA sponsored a mini tradeshow in New York City this last week,...
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The popularity of video-sharing sites, such as YouTube and Viddler, coupled with the integration of video-capturing technologies into common consumer electronics devices, such as cell phones and digital cameras, has turned virtually everyone into budding videographers and documentary filmmakers. But perhaps the biggest push toward putting...
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Windows Home Server is quite possibly one of Microsoft's most unheralded operating systems. Many speak longingly of Windows XP, jokingly of Windows ME, disappointedly of Windows Vista, and hopefully of Windows 7. But seldom discussed is the little-known and little-used operating system designed to be installed on a home server and act as a...
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The old adage, "looks can be deceiving," applies very well to the Western Digital My Book World Edition network-attached storage (NAS) device. With its small and simplistic physical design, housed in white plastic, and featuring only a set of white LED status lights on its front, this NAS device belies the power, features, and depth of configuration...
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As instantaneous as the Web can be, most search engines--Google included--suffer from a bit of a time lag. The search engines can only link to pages and sites that the search engines have scraped with their Web crawlers or spiders and other indexing tools. This means that the latest entries on the quick-changing-content sites like Twitter...
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