HotHardware Blogs
By now, regular readers of my blog should know that I have an unhealthy obsession with input devices. I constantly experiment with different mice and keyboards in an effort to find the “perfect desktop”, at least for my tastes. Over the years, my quest has led to me to two conclusions: 1) I prefer wired laser mice, with high-resolution...
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While trying out the VueZone iPhone app, I consider the ethics of having my two-and-a-half year-old daughter under surveillance. By Daniel A. BegunA number of months ago I was watching one of the final episodes of 24. (I was never really much of a 24 fan, but I started watching it during the final season because Battlestar Galactica babe,...
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When it comes to notebook hard drives you almost can't get enough of two things, capacity and speed. Though SSDs (Solid State Drives) definitely address the speed issue, they only exacerbate the capacity issue (at least currently). Not to mention, the higher you go up in capacity with SSDs, into the...
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In an attempt to squelch my insatiable--and sometimes unhealthy--need to experiment with all kinds of keyboards and other input devices, I recently acquired three more 'boards for the collection, the latest Das Keyboard Pro Silent, the Microsoft Sidewinder X4, and the unique Phantom Lapboard. Although they all technically do the...
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Aside from a powerful graphics card and large monitor, one of the best ways to increase the realism and immersiveness of PC games is with a high-quality, multi-channel speaker setup. Hearing sounds that seemingly wiz by your head and being able to pick up on subtle tones coming from different directions, can transform a ho-hum gaming session...
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I am a total keyboard snob; there's no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Over the last few years, I've personally tested virtually every possible keyboard type--and every key switch type--and am convinced there is no better option than a mechanical keyswitch keyboard if you spend any significant amount of time in front of a computer....
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Although USB 3.0 is a relatively new technology that is not yet natively supported by any of the core logic chipsets currently on the market, a number of motherboards from major players like Gigabyte, Asus, and MSI (among others) sport an NEC-built USB 3.0 controller that supports the feature. The main advantage of incorporating such a controller...
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By Daniel A. Begun Those who know me well enough, know that I’m not much of a phone person--which is to say I don’t like to talk on the phone much… I’m more of a talk-to-you-in-person, eye-to-eye, kind of guy. But then again, as my wife likes to point out, I’m not much of a talker to begin with... She says I’m...
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At a recent tradeshow, while I was walking by the BitDefender booth, a BitDefender representative literally shoved a copy of BitDefender Internet Security 2010 into my hands. Never one to say no to free software, I was grateful and actually stopped to talk cybersecurity for a bit--I guess I felt I had to earn that...
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Back in February, I met with some very smart folks from a San Diego-based company called Avaak. They were demonstrating a wireless camera system meant for remote video monitoring. What impressed me the most about the technology behind the wireless camera system is that it used a mesh network, which is based on...
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In marketing-speak, I am a Mac and a PC. My primary computer is an iMac and my laptop is a MacBook Pro. But I also have several Windows rigs as well, running everything from Windows XP to Vista and Windows 7--with some systems set up with multi-boot support with different operating systems loaded onto separate partitions. I also have Windows...
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Back in April, I had to the chance to review a pair of 7-inch, USB-powered, LCDs, meant to be used as secondary displays. Both displays were Nanovision Mimo Monitors and used DisplayLink technology. They were similar in design and function, with the primary difference being that one of them included touch-screen support. Ultimately, I liked...
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If you frequent HotHardware, then you are probably well aware that we tend to include a fair number of photos, screenshots, and other relevant art elements in all of our product reviews. We go to great pains to dive deep into the technical details of the products in the text of the reviews, but we also understand the importance of including...
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I am happy to report, that since the initial publishing of my "Mechanical Key Switch Keyboards Demystified" post, a number of the more obscure 'boards I mentioned in the piece have been made available right here in the good ol' U.S. of A, eliminating the need to import products like the Filco Majestouch, HHKB Pro, or...
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Regular readers of my blog know that I've got a somewhat unhealthy obsession with input devices; more specifically keyboards. I've spent the better part of the last few months experimenting with some of the most expensive mechanical key-switch keyboards currently in production. So, when Gigabyte offered up an affordable multimedia...
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The vast majority of notebook docking stations have traditionally been nothing more than port replicators or breakout docks that give users the ability to quickly connect their portable computers to desktop-bound accessories, like keyboards, mice, and monitors. Sure, there have been some hybrid docking stations that have allowed for increased...
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Yesterday, my home phone rang and it was a number I didn't recognize (the Caller ID said "Jacksonville, FL"). I often don't answer the home phone if a non-descript Caller ID appears or if I don't know the number. I work at home and have a separate work line (I always answer the work line--that call could be my next freelance...
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There was a time, back in the day, when it became obvious to me that computers and technology in general would be a passion of mine. A friend of mine was working as a technician in a local repair depot that was located in the same building I was working in and occasionally I'd go back to his bench area to...
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Chances are good that you know at least one person who seems to know more than your average Joe about what makes computers tick. This person might work in IT or be an engineer in a related field, or maybe they are just self-proclaimed subject experts. Since you are reading HotHardware, chances are excepionally good that YOU are that guy/gal,...
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I have been intrigued by all things electronic since a very young age. Even before I started grade school, I can remember taking apart my brothers' AFX cars to see how they worked, and modding the electrical contacts on the underside of the cars, in the trigger throttles, and on the track to make the cars go faster. I would pull apart...
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Dan Snyder is a technical PR manager specializing in high end client products like Core i7 Extreme Edition and Intel SSDs. Dan began his career with Intel in an engineering role at one of the company’s largest fabrication and assembly factories in Arizona. In 1994, he moved into a Technical Marketing position in...
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After a weekends worth of running around the Baseball Fields and yard work, what do we do around here to unwind? Why of course, you get your geek on and kick back with a few benchmark runs. Behold... A Beautiful Mess... PCIe X4 Slot1 - FusionIO 80GB SSD Card, PCIe X16 Slot2 - Areca 1280ML PCIe SAS RAID...
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