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
Target on Thursday confirmed reports that hackers gained access to credit and debit card data during the holiday shopping season. According to Target, around 40 million payment card accounts may have been impacted between November 27 and December 15, 2013. That time frame falls right in the midst of the some of the...
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There are a couple of interesting things happening in the land of display technology these days. One is the push for Ultra High Definition (UHD) 4K TVs and content, which might be happening quicker than you think. The other is the uprising of curved displays, something which we've seen on smartphones and, in this...
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After reading the title, you might be thinking, "OMG why does HotHardware hate tablets?!?!" Don't get us wrong, we think tablets are great for what they're designed to do, but when it comes to servicing and/or upgrading parts on your own, they don't hold a candle next to a traditional PC. Teardown after teardown...
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Have you ever wondered what your dog is trying to say when he gives you a funny look? A unique Indiegogo campaign for "No More Woof" seeks to solve that problem by translating your dog's thought patterns into English so you know exactly what Fido is thinking. The way it goes about this is by using Electroencephalogram...
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The web is a jungle filled with potential danger at every turn, and if you plan to surf through it with Safari, well, that's certainly your prerogative. However, be aware that it's not the safest vehicle for navigating cyberspace, and we're not talking about just the dated version that's available for Windows, either...
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We won't make fun of you if you decide to don a tinfoil hat, not anymore. A few years ago you might have looked pretty silly wearing one and been the butt of jokes, but these days privacy is no laughing matter, even if companies and our own government treat it like a joke. There's the whole NSA/PRISM thing, but did...
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The search for a new Chief Operating Officer (CEO) to replace outgoing chief Steve Ballmer at Microsoft continues in earnest, though there won't be a new person in charge in time for New Year's day. Board member John W. Thompson revealed in a blog post that Microsoft is hoping to pin down a final candidate by the...
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So you've decided to stick with your Xbox 360 console rather than make the jump to Microsoft's recently released Xbox One or Sony's PlayStation 4, is that it? There's no shame in that, and some would say it's even fiscally responsible. Of course, that begs the question of what else you could spend your saved money on...
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It's a wireless world we live in these days, and unless you reside in an isolated area far removed from civilization and devoid of electronic gadgets, you can't walk from the bedroom to the bathroom without bonking into a barrage of wireless signals. Should we be concerned? So far so good -- we haven't mutated as a...
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One thing we've seen from Google's hardware partners is a precipitous drop in the average price of an Android tablet, but one thing we didn't expect to see is a $38 slate. Yet that's exactly what Datawind plans to deliver to the U.S. market. Datawind probably isn't a name you're familiar with -- based in London, the...
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Freeloading iOS users found a virtual sweet treat in 2013 as millions rushed to play Candy Crush Saga, the most downloaded free title on both the iPhone and iPad this past year, according to Apple. Whether or not you've played the game, you've probably heard of it before, especially if you have a Facebook account...
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The holiday shopping season is zooming right on by, and if you celebrate Christmas, time is quickly running out to order goods and have them arrive on time. Planning to plop an iPad Air under the Christmas tree for little Billy this year? Time has run out if you want to get it engraved, but for a non-engraved tablet...
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Here's a PSA to PlayStation 3 parents -- keep your gamer children hydrated and fed, and force them to get a bit of exercise and sleep every once in awhile. This will be super important advice come December 18 (this Wednesday) because that's when the highly addictive indie building game known as Minecraft will land on the PS3. Owen Hill from...
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Amazon's newly formed original film and TV production arm, Amazon Studios, is wasting no time making a name for itself by announcing plans to shoot all 2014 full original series content, including comedies and dramas, in 4K Ultra HD. A year from now it might be easy to downplay such an announcement, but as it...
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Samsung kicked off the work week by announcing another Galaxy smartphone slated for a 2014 release, though it's not a device for mobile phone enthusiasts. Instead, the Galaxy Core Advance is designed to extend the "Galaxy experience" to a wider audience by targeting the entry-level market with a mix of modern and...
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For some unlucky users, Yahoo's email service has been down for nearly a week. The problem first began at 10:27 PM PT last Monday, and since that time, Yahoo's team of engineers have been working feverishly to fully restore service. Things are taking longer than expected because the issue is "much more complex than it seemed at first," Yahoo...
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Microsoft is keeping the good times rolling with its "12 Days of Deals" promotion by offering up a 12-month Xbox Music Pass for $49.90 while supplies last (5,000 subscriptions are earmarked for the reduced rate). That's half off its normal selling price of $99.90, which drops the monthly breakdown from around $8.33 to...
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Google is now the proud owner of Boston Dynamics, an engineering company that specializes in building dynamic robots and software for human simulation. You may have seen some of Boston Dynamics' creations already, especially if you've spent any amount of time browsing YouTube videos -- a 2 minute demonstration of the...
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At long last, Valve's SteamOS is now available to download, albeit in beta form. This is a major step in what Valve hopes will be an evolutionary step in PC gaming, as it tries to displace (or at least co-exist) with traditional consoles in the living room. The other major goal with SteamOS is to break the dependency...
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Starting sometime next year, Amazon envisions household items shipping straight form its Pantry to yours. The online vendor's Pantry service will allow Amazon Prime members to buy consumer packaged goods in a specifically sized box with a maximum limit, a move that would put the company in direct competition with bulk...
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Instant messaging in some form or another has been around since the dawn of man and woman (slight exaggeration), though don't tell that to Instagram, which yesterday held a major press event to unveil Instagram Direct, its own take on sending messages to friends. While Instagram was super excited to add a feature...
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It appears Google and LG may have slightly altered the hardware design of the Nexus 5 smartphone to make it a bit more sturdier and better overall. Differences in design were discovered when an XDA Forum member sent his Nexus 5 in for replacement due to several defects in his existing one, including "noisy buttons," a...
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