Ray Willington
Opinions and content posted by HotHardware contributors are their own.
Recent posts
Extra security is always nice, isn't it? Particularly in a world where cyber attacks are becoming all the more common. These days, it feels like every major cloud service provider is either offering a two-factor authentication protocol, or planning to. Following the likes of Google and Apple, Microsoft is now rolling...
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In a way, it's a wonder that Dropbox is still an independent company. But as long as it is, it might as well bulk up on partnerships. Western Digital is the latest friend, with WD SmartWare Pro launching with Dropbox integration. It's a new software tool that enables users to back up files to any USB external HDD or...
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Guess what? No sooner than Google announced that Glass Explorer Edition headsets were in production, it appears that select users have received a set. And this offers up the first glimpse into a world dominated by wearable technology. The $1500 package includes the Glass headset, a micro-USB cable + charger, a pouch...
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Facebook Home has been out and about for select Android phones since April 12th, and while the whole Home experience is not likely to ever arrive on iOS due to the restrictions of the OS, Facebook is doing its best to bring as much of Home as it can to iPhone and iPad. The new iOS app update, which is being pushed today for iPad, iPod touch...
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While the e-reader market isn't exactly exploding in the way smartphones are, there are still plenty to go around -- and plenty of demand to be filled. Kobo seems to be doing just fine keeping up with Amazon's Kindle line and B&N's Nook range, and today it's introducing a limited-run unit to please those looking for something a bit more...
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Guess what? Google Glass is about to get very, very real. Since being introduced last year, Glass has seen a steady climb in recognizability. From the tech-savvy to the mainstream, wearable computing is slipping into just about every pore possible these days. Couple that with talk over smartwatches from Apple and...
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Whatever is old, is suddenly new again. There's a reason people say that history truly does repeat itself, and here's another example of that happening. Years back, tablets were introduced with various versions of Windows on them. For a variety of reasons (battery life, weight, mobility, terrible touch panels, etc.), those never took off....
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Ah, things used to be so simple. Back in the day, beating the NES version of Super Mario Brothers could almost be done in one's sleep. Wait, what? As it turns out, the game that stumped far too many children in the days of yesteryear is painfully easy to beat. The trick, however, is to not be human. Obviously, humans pay attention to certain...
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If there's one thing that'll always get people riled up, it's change. Maybe it's a different season, a different color, or a different coach. If it's changing, you'll get opinions thrown your way that you never even asked for. That's certainly been the case with Windows 8, as Microsoft has changed quite a lot about its desktop OS, and in turn...
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Are netbooks still around? After being here, there, and everywhere during the period between 2008 and 2010, the mini-notebooks seemed to die off in shockingly quick fashion. While the concept of a low-cost, highly mobile machine was interesting in a world where tablets and high-powered smartphones were just novelties, a lot has changed. People...
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Rockmelt. Ever heard of it? If you were paying attention a couple of years ago, that name may sound familiar, but otherwise -- the answer is likely "no." The company stormed onto the scene with an attempt to launch a Web browser that focused first on social. And it promptly went nowhere. Now, the company is updating...
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3D HDTVs never really went anywhere, and most folks outside of the marketing world would probably tell you that they aren't surprised. But the next major leap in television technology may be on the verge of hitting the mainstream: 4K. While 4K projectors have been around for years and have already infiltrated many cinemas, few consumer-level...
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While the first "Facebook phone" is HTC's First, those with select Android devices already can now take advantage of most of the same features. For Facebook loyalists and power users who own an HTC One X, One X+, One, Samsung Galaxy S III, S 4, or Note II -- you can now find the updated Facebook Home application in...
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It's not too often you hear of a ZTE-built phone destined for American shores, but that's what is happening with the introduction of the ZTE Director. The smartphone will be hitting U.S. Cellular soon, running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and boasting a 1GHz processor, 3.5" touch panel, 4GB of built-in storage, an...
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Sad times ahead for Wii users who aren't planning on upgrading to a Wii U. While the Wii managed to gain Amazon Instant Video streaming capabilities after the Wii U was announced, it now looks as if things are sliding downhill from here on out. As consoles (and software / hardware of any description, really) begins to age, OEMs traditionally...
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What do you get when you mesh LinkedIn and Pulse? InPulse? Perhaps, but it looks as if this is a real question now that LinkedIn has snapped up Pulse for a cool $90 million. That's right -- the job location board has acquired a news reading service. It may seem like an odd marriage at first, but it's just one (major)...
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Twitter started as a social network. Now, it's both a communication tool and a news delivery service. But what will it evolve into? As the company strives to pick up revenues, the sky seems to be the limit. This week, Twitter acquired a unique company with a unique name: We Are Hunted. In a nutshell, We Are Hunted was...
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Let it be known: big is not only in, but "huge" is in as well. With the Galaxy Note 8.0 shipping soon in America, and the Galaxy Note II already selling in the millions globally, Samsung has recognized that there's a massive market for massive phones. Today, the company is introducing two new smartphones, and the...
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Think that Nest has the whole Wi-Fi thermostat market on lockdown? Think again. Honeywell, a mainstay in the thermostat arena, has been pumping out Wi-Fi versions for a little while now, and the company's latest version is quite impressive. The new Wi-Fi Smart Thermostat is a connected unit that allows homeowners to...
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Google Glass has become quite the hot topic, even in the mainstream. In a way, this is the device that could usher in the mainstream wave of wearable computing, and a lot is riding on the quality and usability of the Exporer Edition. If you'll recall, Google gave I/O 2012 attendees the ability to sign up for a pre-order of the first edition...
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Looking to stay connected regardless of your destination? It's a tough thing to accomplish, particularly when that destination is overseas. Boingo has become a pretty popular name when it comes to global hotspots, and AT&T has been doing a fine job of expanding its Wi-Fi hotspots as well. Now, the two companies are putting their heads...
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If you know much of anything about AT&T, you'd know that Texas is a pretty important state for the company. Austin, in particular, is a stronghold for AT&T, and it just so happened to be invaded by Google this week. You see, Google Fiber is expanding into Austin from Kansas City, but it looks like Google won't be alone down in Texas....
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