Shawn Oliver
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
Slowly but surely, cloud and dense computing environments are becoming more and more popular. With services such as Apple's MobileMe and Google's own application suite living on the web, it's not hard to see why these tactics are becoming more pervasive. And wouldn't you know it--AMD is chomping at the bit to make sure it gets in on the bandwagon...
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Lenovo's W700ds proved that having multiple screens on a notebook wasn't completely infeasible, though the lackluster response to it simultaneously proved that there's not too much pent-up demand out there for such a device. Sure, it's a novel concept, but the incredible expense and the added weight puts most...
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If you haven't generated a UMPC/MID/Tablet PC of your own by now, you've probably missed the boat. In an effort to catch the last vessel out, Sharp has this week introduced a new portable PC that isn't likely to sell well based on figures from prior attempts, but it's certainly a compelling device. The so-called mini...
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As the legendary Bob Dylan would attest, the times are a changin' in the music industry. In fact, they've already changed. Ever since the original Napster took the Internet by storm back in 1999, physical record sales have been slipping while music consumption has been growing. The RIAA has put up a vicious fight over...
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Let's face it--Apple's App Store is big business. Really big. And if you paid any attention to the fact that Apple saw its 1.5 billionth (yes, with a "B") app downloaded back in July, you'd know that things still weren't even close to slowing down. But have you ever stopped to think about just how much cash is being...
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Digital photo frames have definitely fallen off the map. Just a few years back, these were the hottest gifts out there; today, they're mostly an afterthought. The reason? Frst off, we don't think people actually use these things nearly as much as they think they will when eying one in the store. Secondly, they've hardly evolved since debuting....
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Own a personal navigation device? Use the GPS on your phone? If you're reading this now, the answer is probably "yes." If you're an avid navigation user, you probably understand the benefits quite well. Rather than having to write down directions to facilities, you simply find the address, plug it in and follow the kind lady on the other end....
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There's no doubt that software and technology advancements have made all of our lives easier, but sometimes things go a bit further than giving us more options for shopping and easier ways to stay connected to high school classmates. Take IBM, for example. The iconic tech giant has just released a software protocol that not only cuts down...
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The Internet could be described as something of a youthful beast. But even still, the very first domain name to be purchased and registered brings a tear to the eye of anyone that remembers when the Internet was only accessible via a 14.4k modem and an ISP that charged by the minute. Believe it or not, it wasn't...
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If you had any doubts that the TV Everywhere initiative was picking up steam, here's some proof that the service is really gaining traction. With Comcast and Time Warner Cable already latching on, the newest pay-TV operator to join in is Verizon. The company, which sells television programming over its fiber-based FiOS TV offering, has this...
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Thinking of upgrading your Mac to 'Snow Leopard?' At just $29 to upgrade from OS X 10.5, the answer to that is probably "yes" if you own an Apple machine. Generally speaking, early reviews have shown that the operating system is a worthy upgrade, and while it's certainly nothing revolutionary, it does offer up enough...
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Iomega recently introduced its 4-Bay StorCenter Pro ix4-200r NAS for those into rack-mounted gear, but what if you're more into the traditional style? If so, there's the new StorCenter ix4-200d NAS, a high performance four-drive desktop NAS designed more for consumers and small business owners than corporations and IT departments. The black...
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We've always heard that something's "on" when it hits the mainstream, so we guess it's about time we finally confessed that Internet TV has emerged from the closet. For the longest while, Hulu, Boxee and the like dominated the underground Web TV content scene, but it wasn't too long ago that major cable companies like Comcast and Time Warner...
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It's still a little funny to think that Sirius and XM Radio are now one, and honestly, it's funny to think the company is still hanging around. After being recently bailed out by Liberty Media and getting an iPhone app into the approval queue, the company is taking things one step further by introducing its SkyDock mounting system. Essentially,...
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One could say the pico projector boom is over, and now we're seeing a slow trickle of second-gen devices from companies that bothered to stick with the niche. Without a doubt, these expensive, tiny devices never really took off in the mainstream market, but ViewSonic is hoping to catch some eyes with two new ones in...
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When a company spells "Extreme" as "Xtreme," it generally means that whatever product has said label is underwhelming and over-hyped. Not so with Runco's latest, which deserve every bit of "Xtremeness" given to them. The new VX-33i and VX-33d projectors are less like AV toys and more like investments, with prices so high that you'll probably...
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Generally speaking, webcams aren't all that interesting in and of themselves. In fact, most notebooks ship with some sort of lackluster webcam built right in, and considering that video calling still hasn't gone mainstream, most folks sort of ignore the thing. Microsoft has developed quite a few nice ones for those really into keeping that...
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Corsair, a company famous for keeping cutting-edge RAM popular amongst performance junkies, has just issued its newest DIMMs. After introducing us all to its new DDR3 modules for Lynnfield CPUs, the outfit has today introduced new 8GB and 12GB solutions for those with a 64-bit operating system and a nagging desire to...
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Already launched on Verizon Wireless and Alltel, Sprint has become the next to official trumpet the release of RIM's BlackBerry Tour. We already knew the company was planning to put its own stamp on the highly-acclaimed smartphone, and just like that, the Tour 9630 has become a family member with Palm's Pre and the like. Boasting a 3G radio,...
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Wikipedia. What would you ever do without it? It really makes you wonder how difficult homework is these days given that nearly every subject on the planet is covered in one form or another on the know-it-all website. Of course, that "easy homework" is really only easy if the information that one finds is accurate...
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Ever wanted to stay in a Hard Rock Hotel? Holding off just got a touch more difficult. Starting this week, guests who visit one of the company's many hotel locations will receive a complimentary playlist of tunes to accompany their stay, giving them a piece of Hard Rock to take back to the real world once the joy ride...
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News flash: Blu-ray adoption on PCs is still awfully sluggish. And we're talking about years after the format was introduced, and over a year since it trampled HD DVD to become the lone supported next-gen high-def video format. Why? The answer is pretty simple, really. Cost and necessity. A new research report from iSuppli digs into the reasoning...
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