Shawn Oliver
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
And the fines just keep on coming. Shortly after Intel was dealt a staggering $1.45 billion fine for alleged antitrust practices against the likes of AMD, Microsoft is now facing a slightly less painful $200 million payment to software ware i4i Ltd. This week, a Texas federal jury ordered Microsoft to pay the aforementioned Canadian outfit...
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Remember the Jack PC? Hello, competition! It's pretty amazing, really -- the device pictured here is a full fledged headless PC, capable of handling pretty much every basic task that even a modern day netbook could. Designed and sold by Marvell, the Plug Computer (or the SheevePlug, officially) is a self-contained computer that simply plugs...
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Only days after Sony introduced a trio of new entry-level Alpha DSLR camera, Pentax has delivered one of its own -- though, this one is definitely not low-end. Aimed to take on the likes of Nikon's D300 and Canon's 50D, the Pentax K-7 features a 14.6MP CMOS sensor and is the first Pentax DSLR to shoot HD video.The mid-range device is fully...
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We already knew that Intel was pushing Moblin mighty hard, but now the evidence of its fondness is just overwhelming. In a new deck of slides released this week, Intel has detailed Pine Trail and Moblin, hailed as its next generation platform for netbooks and nettops. Intel also made known that Moblin version 2 Beta was now available for download.Speaking...
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After a brief hiatus to take care of some pressing notebook matters, MSI is back on the motherboard train. If you'll recall, the company introduced its first desktop-centric Instant-On operating system back at CeBIT, and now it's getting official with the first motherboards to ship with it included. The new AM3 790FX and 790GX mainboards are...
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We know what you're thinking: "Sheesh -- another new SSD that I likely can't afford?" And we're here to say: "Well, sort of." Today, Kingston Technology is indeed offering up two new solid state drives, but not in the fashion you're used to. Rather than announcing the drives alone, the company is introducing its SSDNow M Series Bundles, which...
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Microsoft may not be the first vendor you think of when looking for a new webcam, but sure enough, the company has just introduced a new one. The LifeCam VX-2000 is the newest member of the growing LifeCam family, and priced at under $30, it's apt to fit most budgets. It transmits VGA video and possesses a built-in microphone, and apparently...
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Ah, the BlackJack. Samsung's long-standing smartphone family has grown another, but the newest member has dropped the "Black" and stuck strictly with "Jack." Launching today exclusively on AT&T in the US, the Jack features Windows Mobile 6.1, 3G connectivity, a sleek keyboard and support for instant messaging and access to multiple e-mail...
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Record label done you wrong? Not a problem if you're Danger Mouse. In a rather bizarre story, the famed music maker and producer (who is one-half of the group Gnarls Barkley) has decided to release a blank CD as his next album. Yes, a blank CD. If you'll recall, group System Of A Down released an album a few years back entitled 'Steal This...
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Two sound cards in a week -- could it be true? Believe it or not, yes. Just days after Asus introduced its Audiophile Xonar DS 7.1 7.1, the company has unveiled its Xonar HDAV1.3 Slim Sound Card. Described as the planet's first HDMI 1.3 audio card with true Blu-ray audio playback designed to fit HTPCs of all sizes, the card can actually bitstream...
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At long last, we can wonder no longer. After waiting months and months, Palm and Sprint have finally come to an agreement on when the company's forthcoming flagship product will launch: June 6th. Originally announced this past January at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the much-hyped Pre was slated to hit Sprint sometime during...
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One could say it was just a matter of time, but it seems as if Dell is following in the footsteps (in principle, at least) of the likes of OLPC (with its XO) and Intel (with its Classmate PC). Today, the company responsible for the gorgeous Studio XPS line and the heralded Inspiron family has introduced a different breed of notebook, the Latitude...
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Believe it or not, Windows 7 is about to take the computing world by storm. If all goes to plan, we'll see Microsoft's latest (and hopefully greatest) OS on store shelves by the time 2009 draws to a close, but it remains to be seen who all will be jumping to upgrade. According to Darrel Ward, director of product management for Dell's business...
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We know what you're thinking. You're thinking that this is just another netbook by yet another manufacturer trying to ride the wave of popularity -- and at a glance, we'd say you're right. Upon further investigation, however, you'll find that OCZ Technology's Neutrino is actually a horse of a different color, so to speak. Design-wise, it's...
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Seriously folks, we couldn't make this stuff up if we tried. In fact, this is the stuff that pure comedic gold is made of. Duke Nukem Forever, which is arguably the most highly hyped game to never emerge in official fashion, was thought to extinguished forever when 3D Realms (its developer) went under earlier this month. Weeks later, the game...
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Can the world really handle yet another SSD manufacturer? We'll soon be finding out, as TDK Corporation has just developed a solid state drive line of its own. The SDG2A series -- a range of Serial ATA II-compatible SDDs with a maximum memory capacity of 64GB -- has just burst onto the scene, proving that the company really is capable of pushing...
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We've had every reason to believe that these were real, but finally we're seeing Sony itself pull the trigger on an official confirmation. Starting the week off in style, the company is introducing not one, not two, but three new Alpha models in its burgeoning DSLR range. Aimed primarily at first- and second-time DSLR buyers, the DSLR-A380,...
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Freecom's ToughDrive Sport External HDD, which was unveiled just a few months back, already had our attention, but now the company's aiming even higher by introducing a new product with a "world's first" label attached. The all new Mobile Drive XS is the world's smallest 3.5" external hard drive, and it sits well beside the Mobile Drive XXS,...
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Can you handle another Wii-related peripheral in your house? With so many plastic guitars, drumsets, Wiimote cases, Wii Zapper holsters, fishing accessories, etc., we're beginning to wonder if there's any end to the madness in sight. Of course, the peripheral industry is a thriving one, and Nintendo's choice to add motion sensitivity to its...
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Back in April of 2008, Toshiba proclaimed that the notebook's future was in flash and SSD. Looks like it's making good on its own prophecy, doesn't it? Just months after announcing a half-terabyte sized solid state drive for 2009, the company has just unveiled its first (and the world's first, so it claims) notebook with a 512GB SSD within....
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With Intel getting hit with that massive $1.45 billion fine this past week, it's got the whole technology industry thinking about the ins and outs of antitrust. Granted, we fully expect that Dell has had this here deal cooking for some time now, but the timing of this introduction is almost poetic. For the longest while, Dell has offered processors...
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Sans Digital definitely isn't a household name in the NAS / external storage industry, but the outfit's latest devices are definitely sharp. So sharp, in fact, that we could see them giving the latest from LaCie a run for the design dollars. This week, the company expanded its TowerRAID series by adding mini-SAS interfaces. The TowerRAID TR4X...
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