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
Apple catches a lot of flak for keeping its ecosystem so locked down and, at times, unnecessarily restrictive in functionality, but one thing that works in the company's favor is that nearly all iOS users are on the same page, so to speak. Users don't get to choose between tons of different hardware devices like they do in Android's world,...
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We maintain that people are inherently good, but you know what they say about a few bad apples. This being the holiday season, you have to wary of the world's miscreants looking to prey on your goodwill and generosity, such as that guy walking around the parking lot claiming he's out of gas and asking to 'borrow' $20...
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Google is getting a bit predictable in the sense that when it releases a product or service, you can expect it will have potential but lack certain features to be rolled out over time. Google Play Music is no exception, though it is another blueprint of how Google goes about releasing a product or service. It took...
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The suits on Wall Street took notice of rumors that Electronic Arts had put a freeze on DICE from working on future projects such as Star Wars: Battlefront and a new Mirror's Edge title due to ongoing problems with Battlefield 4. EA shares dipped more than 8 percent as reports of halted production pranced through...
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Considered by some industry analysts to be the front runner to replace Steve Ballmer as Microsoft's next Chief Executive Officer, Alan Mulally, the man in charge of Ford, might now be out of the running. As far as the automobile maker's director Edsel Ford II is concerned, Mulally is staying with his current company...
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Throw your controller across the room in a fit of rage, if you must. Hell, punch a pillow, kick a nearby door, or question the virtual referee's eyesight. At no point, however, are you to curse within earshot of the Kinect or PlayStation Camera while playing NBA 2K14, because if you do, there's a good chance you'll be...
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Bitcoin, the virtual currency that's exploding in popularity on the web, isn't finding many fans among Chinese government officials, Just the opposite, really. China's central bank issued a warning to financial institutions that trading Bitcoins is risky business, and not long after, the country's government put in...
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AT&T just made it a lot more attractive for users to join Ma Bell after paying full price for a smartphone or otherwise looking to avoid a contract plan. How so? The wireless carrier's new Mobile Share Value plans provides new and existing customers with a no-contract option, which can also apply to customers who...
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Keeping the smart TV movement alive, Marvell today announced its ARMADA 1500 Plus (88DE3108) System-on-Chip (SoC) platform designed for smart video products based on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. The Full HD media processor is intended for retail OEM TV and box suppliers looking to differentiate themselves from what's...
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We know what you're thinking -- the Internet needs another streaming music service like, well, the Internet needs another streaming music service. It's certainly a crowded field -- Spotify, Pandora, Rhapsody, Google Play All Access Music, Rdio, Slacker, and the list goes on -- but that isn't stopping Beats Music from...
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There are certain things that, once experienced, you can never go back to the way things were. Mobile phones, 30-inch monitors (and/or dual-monitors), and solid state drives all fall into this category. There's also a less obvious submission, one that sits right beneath your fingertips -- the keyboard. Not just any...
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The concept of Facebook is pretty great. At its best, Facebook is a fantastic tool for staying in touch with friends and family scattered all over the world, as well as reacquainting yourself with high school buddies and college cohorts. This is the beauty of Facebook as its most basic, and as you peel away layers...
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There are many things you could build with 11,396 Lego pieces, but for Xiaosheng Li, a 23-year-old freelance writer for Chinese websites and an avid NVIDIA fan, there was only one thing on his mind. He wanted to build a replica GeForce GTX 690 graphics card, so in July he created a digital mockup using Lego modeling...
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GameStop had predicted that the impending launch of Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4 consoles would represent the biggest console launches in history, and so far the numbers have backed that up. Both companies raced to over 1 million unit sales in the first 24 hours, and at Walmart and Target, the Xbox...
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By now you've likely already heard that actor Paul Walker perished in a car accident over the holiday weekend. On the off chance this is the first you're hearing about it, a quick recap is that Walker went on a joyride with his friend and financial adviser, Roger Rodas, while attending a charity event for Walker's...
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When Apple introduced the iPad Air, the company made a big deal about the tablet having a custom 64-bit System-on-Chip (SoC) inside. It's the same 64-bit part found in the iPhone 5 and the latest iPad mini. If you own any of those devices and are into benchmarking, you'll be happy to know that Futuremark's 3DMark...
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In our review of the iPad Air, we were a little torn on how to feel. On one hand, it's the fastest, thinnest, lightest, and best version of the iPad to date. At the same time, we didn't feel it was a revolutionary jump over the previous model, which left us a little underwhelmed. Be that as it may, holiday shoppers...
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Nintendo may not be selling as many Wii U consoles as it anticipated, but in the handheld market, the company's 3DS line is doing very well. Since that's where the money trail leads, Nintendo has decided to launch a brand new, limited edition 3DS XL console for the holiday shopping season. The limited edition handheld...
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Tired of your smartphone dragging around your wireless carrier's shackles and chains? Unfortunately, Google made the unpopular decision to remove the CyanogenMod installer from its Google Play store on the basis that the app is in violation of its developer terms and "encourages users to void their warranty," but it...
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HTC has begun rolling out the Android 4.4 KitKat software for owners of the HTC One Unlocked and HTC One Developer Edition handsets over the holiday weekend, and in the process has started to make good on a previous promise to equip every HTC One device in the U.S. with Google's latest and greatest version of Android...
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One of the more affordable smartwatch options out there is from Pebble. Unlike Samsung's Galaxy Gear, which sells for $299 outright, you can snag yourself a Pebble smartwatch for $150, or even less. Pebble is offering a $20 discount on its website, a sale that it decided to extend beyond Black Friday, bringing the...
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Ladies and gentlemen, the next generation console wars has begun. Like the game Risk, there are multiple factions: Nintendo with its Wii U console, Sony and its PlayStation 4, and Microsoft with its Xbox One system. Up to date, the Wii U has struggled to reach the kind of sales Nintendo was hoping, while both the Xbox...
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