Shawn Oliver
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
It may not be here as soon as we'd like it (you know, like yesterday), but Intel's Core i5 platform is definitely on the way. If you needed just one more modicum of proof, have a look at the latest blast from Kingston. Today, one of the mainstays in the memory industry announced that a pair of its 1333MHz DDR3 offerings have already been validated...
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These may not be the second-coming of the XPERIA smartphone, but an 8.1MP cellphone isn't anything to scoff at. Sony Ericsson has just produced two new phones for AT&T's network, and the first of the two is the 905a Cyber-shot, which packs a mighty sweet camera, detection, autofocus, xenon flash and GPS tagging, not to mention 3G data...
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It's hard to think "netbook" without thinking "Eee PC," so it's understandable why so many SSD upgrade solutions are tailor made for Asus' heralded netbook line. Just a half-year after Super Talent introduced a slew of SSD upgrades for the company's S101, Active Media Products has pushed out a line of its own to beef up a wider range of Eee...
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You know that Apple store down at your local mall? In a few months, it may be sharing a zip code with your local Microsoft store. In all goes to plan, the software giant responsible for Windows and Office will launch an assault on Apple and other consumer electronics companies by erecting a number of retail outlets designed specifically to...
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Here lately, Verbatim has issued more optical media solutions than external hard drives, but the company's still all about storage. That's evidenced today with the introduction of its SureFire line of portable HDDs, all of which include FireWire 800 and USB 2.0 sockets. Each of the drives are classically and simply styled, doing without flash...
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Can you say "unprecedented growth?" We had to pick our jaws up off of the floor just 1.5 months ago when Apple announced that it had surpassed one billion downloads in its heralded (and oft copied) App Store, and now--just days after this very store celebrated its first birthday--the California-based company is dusting off the party hats once...
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Believe it or not, the machine you see pictured here really is an eMachines. It wasn't that long ago that eMachines was a name synonymous with lackluster, but no more; the company is refreshing its brand and producing far more stylish machines than before, with its latest all-in-one PC looking nearly as good as Apple's iconic iMac. Boasting...
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Got a hankering to get your mod on? Not afraid to turn little machines into big hits? NVIDIA, in conjunction with CPU Magazine and Modders-Inc, has announced its second major contest in just a week, this time promising 15 minutes of fame and a new "dream" rig to the person with the best ION design. Slated to be the second coming of the integrated...
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If Asus doesn't make a machine you like (or are at least fond of in some way), you aren't looking hard enough. As the company famous for putting the netbook (and thus, the Eee PC) on the map continues to broaden its horizons in the notebook market, it's taking a breather from shipping new "Seashell" machines to introduce a horse of a...
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YouTube took off like a rocket when it was introduced to the world a few years back, and with that adoption came the adoption of small, pocket-sized camcorders that could capture YouTube-sized clips for easy uploading. Up until now, there have only been a handful of options for those looking to grab a miniature camcorder: Flip Video's family,...
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When you mention "OLED" and "portable media player" in the same sentence, one of two devices probably come to mind. Sony's OLED Walkman, or more recently, Microsoft's forthcoming Zune HD. But really, there's a media player that's been touting an OLED panel longer than either of those two, and it goes by the name S9. Cowon's quiet yet powerful...
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The steady stream of new MSI laptops seems to have stopped momentarily...just long enough for the company to push out an all new GPU, anyway. Today, the Taiwan-based company--which has a hand in all sorts of consumer electronics--is announcing its DR4890 Cyclone series graphics card, which packs 800 stream processors, 1GB of GDDR5 memory,...
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Whatever you can do, I can do better. That's the saying that Samsung and Blockbuster have evidently taken to heart, as the tandem has joined up to match Sony and Netflix's streaming announcement with one of their own. The Blockbuster movie services are slated to go live this fall, the same time in which Sony BRAVIA TVs will be able to stream...
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Tomato, to-mah-to. Netbook, Mini-Note. Despite the fact that DisplaySearch refers to the well-known netbook as a Mini-Note, we still catch the research outfit's drift: shipments of these mini notebooks are expected to surge this year.With the economy forcing consumers to take a closer look at just how much they spend on their next mobile PC,...
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While the rest of the world moves to court Android, Nokia seems pretty content with Symbian. As the handset maker looks to up its market share in the North American segment, it has today introduced a new "smartphone" on AT&T that pushes the boundaries of what a "smartphone" really is.Sure, the Surge has a pull-out QWERTY keyboard, a Web...
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As the economy here in America creeps back into gear, the online gaming industry is reaping the benefits. According to a new survey, video game addicts who aren't already turning their attention to the tube (or even a subset of those who are) are looking to low-cost online games to pass the time.Industry tracker ComScore found that around...
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Packard Bell never has been a major name in the gaming PC arena, but the company is refusing to sit idly by while companies such as Alienware, IBuyPower, Maingear, etc. pump out gaming machine after gaming machine. This week, the outfit has introduced the latest in its small but growing line of gamer-centric rigs, the ixtreme.The highly customizable...
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It may not be the first portable HD Radio player announced (that honor would arguably go to Microsoft's not-yet-available Zune HD), but it certainly is the first portable HD Radio player that you can purchase. Starting today, gym rats and portable music lovers alike can finally get their taste of HD Radio on the go with the Insignia NS-HD01....
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For anyone who has paid close attention to the movie market this year, you'll know that 3D is being shoved down our throats faster that we can decide whether or not we even like the taste. While 3D has been around for decades now, only recently has Hollywood (and in turn, everyone else) decided that 3D is the next big money maker. Most major...
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Dig Star Wars? Need a new case for your next gaming rig? Hold your horses, 'cause In Win looks to have just the thing. Announced this week, the X-Fighter ATX mid-tower chassis is said to be inspired by some of the greatest vessels ever to grace the big screen, namely crafts from the heralded Star Wars series. You'll notice a foursome of triangular...
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Without a doubt, Google's Chrome OS has sent shockwaves through the entire software industry. Even companies that are just somewhat related to the netbook/browser/open source fields are taking notice, and you can bet the biggest player (that'd be Microsoft) is watching every tiny footstep as the proposed operating system inches closer to reality.No...
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Hot on the heels of the 14" EX460 gaming notebook from MSI comes the classically styled CR400, a toned-down version of a typical MSI laptop that aims more for the "all-business" crowd that the LAN party attendee. In fact, the CR400 is the first in the company's new "Classic" series, which is comprised of the 14" CR400, 16" CR600 and 17.3"...
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