Shawn Oliver
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
When Palm first unveiled its new Pre at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this year, one question that was on everyone's mind received a very murky answer. We were assured that a GSM version of the smartphone was in the works, but no one knew when or where it would appear. In fact, it wasn't even clear then when exactly the CDMA Pre...
Read more...
Many argued that Sony's VAIO P was really the company's first true netbook, but Sony insisted otherwise. Now, however, the company has issued a machine that we can all agree is a bona fide netbook: the VAIO W.As has become customary for Sony, it has taken a design and tweaked it slightly for higher-end consumers. Make no mistake -- this is...
Read more...
Ever since this so-called "recession" thingy got the media all hot and bothered a few months back, we'd been hearing that more and more individuals were finding ways to stay entertained at home. Now, we finally know what they've been doing at the domicile: gaming.A new research report published this week by the Nielsen Company shows a sharp...
Read more...
For years now, data centers have been consuming more energy than companies would care to admit. Thankfully, the "green push" has convinced a number of higher-profile firms to re-evaluate their power plans and establish new methods of energizing their servers. IBM is a huge proponent of energy efficient server farms, and it seems as if Yahoo!...
Read more...
Here's a company we haven't heard from in what feels like ages: Albatron. Said outfit has just announced its newest mainboard, the K3780E. As with most motherboards, this one also possesses a not-exactly-memorable name, and while the full press release reads more like broken English than anything else, here's what we've made out. The board...
Read more...
While Garmin's definitely most famous for its nuvi line of in-car navigation devices, the company has lately begun to branch out somewhat. It makes sense, really--with so many factory cars arriving with NAV built in, Garmin better start looking elsewhere for a steady stream of revenue. To that end, the company is teaming up with automotive...
Read more...
Usually it's GPS doing the monitoring and tracking for the so-called "Big Brother," but lately Bluetooth has been lending a hand as well. The pervasive short-range communications protocol is found on nearly every mobile telephone available today, making it perfect for tracking thousands upon thousands of concert goers.In fact, around 80,000...
Read more...
Batteries seem to be a growing topic of discussion here at HotHardare. From netbooks with increasingly large cells to debates over the legitimacy of notebook battery life figures, it's safe to say that longevity away from the plug is an important matter for true PC enthusiasts. To that end, we couldn't help but take notice when we came across...
Read more...
eMachines may not be a mainstay in the home PC market yet, but it's been a solid contender for years now. As the company's quality and design prowess has improved, it has finally come around to dishing out rigs that are quite appealing. For instance, have a look at the three newest desktops, all of which are respectable rigs for handling basic...
Read more...
Make no mistake, NVIDIA chips have certainly had some trouble within Apple machines. From odd pixelation problems to weird whirring, NVIDIA's graphics processors have been front-and-center in terms of scrutiny within Apple's MacBook lineup. Apple has generally been able to nix any issues by pushing out firmware updates and such, but to say...
Read more...
It's not often that we cover the remarkably extravagant, but this one was just too absurd to pass up. The MNEMOSYNE USB key, which was crafted by SolidAlliance, holds just 16GB of data and does absolutely nothing that any other USB flash drive does. The difference? Design and price. You see, this meticulously engineered device is probably...
Read more...
MSI shocked the ultraportable world when it unveiled the stylish X-Slim X340 and X320 earlier this year, and now the company is pushing its sweet, sexy new line even further with the introduction of the X400. This "thin-'n-light" notebook is based on Intel's CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) platform, and the whole chassis never exceeds one...
Read more...
We already heard that Asus would be following Microsoft's plans in regard to Windows 7 upgrades, and now MSI is making sure that prospective buyers fully understand that they will as well. From purchases of MSI machines starting back on June 26th, owners will be offered the change to snag the Windows 7 upgrade for only a "small processing...
Read more...
Putting off those college applications to the last possible minute? Can't get motivated to further your education? Well, have a look at what's offered over at ACU. Years after Duke University began handing out iPods to incoming freshmen, Abilene Christian University in Texas has one-upped the aforesaid institution by distributing the new iPhone...
Read more...
A vast majority of iPhone applications may end up abandoned, but we know of at least one app that a Los Angeles-based band simply can't do without: FourTrack. As the iPhone continues to push the envelope of what's possible on a smartphone, the band--which goes by 'The 88'--has managed to record an entire track using Apple's smartphone. It's...
Read more...
LaCie--a mainstay in the storage industry--has just broken all sorts of boundaries with its latest lineup. Hailed as the company's "biggest storage solutions" yet, these 2U 19" rack-mounted DAS, NAS, iSCSI, or FC SAN devices will far exceed the needs of most consumers. Indeed, LaCie's aiming these squarely at the business and enterprise sectors,...
Read more...
We're still anxiously awaiting that Android-based netbook from BenQ, but until then, we've got yet another netbook in the company's expanding Joybook line. Sporting a classic, all-black case, the Joybook Lite U102 boasts a larger-than-usual trackpad that we're certainly falling for, an undisclosed Intel Atom processor, a 10.1" UltraVivid WSVGA...
Read more...
Think of it as the computer company that just...won't...die. After being lambasted by Apple from day one, dealing with more threats and lawsuits in a year that most of us will hear of in a lifetime and eventually filing for bankruptcy, the infamous Mac clone maker known only as Psystar is back. Shortly before most of America hits the pause...
Read more...
Remember the satellite phone? You know, those oftentimes huge cellphones that are seen occasionally in sci-fi flicks and every other episode of 24? Believe it or not, there's still quite the market for those things, despite the surge in network expansion from mobile operators across the globe.To serve said niche, TerreStar Corporation has...
Read more...
A chink in the iPhone's armor? Say it ain't so! During a presentation at the SyScan conference in Singapore, security researcher Charlie Miller made clear that there was a significant vulnerability in the iPhone's SMS system, a flaw that could "allow an attacker to remotely install and run unsigned software code with root access to the phone."Of...
Read more...
For decades now, roaming charges have ate at the nerves of travelers. If there's one thing that has always been classified as a "rip-off," it's cellphone roaming charges, particularly international charges. No matter which carrier you have at home, you can rest assured that you'll be healthily gouged while talking, texting or surfing while...
Read more...
iBuyPower has a thing for pushing out high-end gaming rigs, and its newest desktop is "extreme" exemplified. The Paladin XLC, which stands for Extreme Liquid Cooling," features a Coolermaster HAF 932 tower (which is truly monstrous), Intel's Core i7-975 processor and three NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 GPUs in a triple-SLI configuration.The super-cooled...
Read more...
