HotHardware author page for Paul Lilly

Sony PlayStation Network Finally Accepts PayPal in the U.S.

by Paul Lilly - Mon, Jan 21, 2013

Hey U.S. gamers, would you like a side of PayPal with your PlayStation Network (PSN)? You can have it, now that Sony is extending the same courtesy to PSN subscribers living in North America as was already available to those who reside in Europe. It's more of an end-around process to use... Read more...

Poor Grammar Makes For More Secure Passwords

by Paul Lilly - Mon, Jan 21, 2013

There are some basic rules to follow when selecting a password. For example, while we're sure your significant other is a fine person, using their name as your password is a terrible idea. Same goes for your son's birthday. The object is to select a series of characters and symbols that's nigh... Read more...

Apple’s Counter-Attack, New iPhones Rumored to Be Arriving in June

by Paul Lilly - Mon, Jan 21, 2013

If we might be allowed to exaggerate for a moment, Apple finds itself in dire straits these days. Here are the facts: Apple's stock is only worth $500 per share, the company's slice of the smartphone pie in the U.S. is just 18.5 percent... Read more...

Vendetta Online Comes to Kickstarter for Expansion to the iPad

by Paul Lilly - Sun, Jan 20, 2013

We're only a few weeks into the New Year and there's already an exciting gaming project in Kickstarter. It's Vendetta Online, an existing twich-based, sci-fi themed MMORPG that's available on a number of platforms. In fact, two years ago... Read more...

Microsoft’s Surface Pro to Set the Standard for Windows 8 Tablets, Coming in Weeks

by Paul Lilly - Sun, Jan 20, 2013

Acer might have been on to something when it warned Microsoft that competing in the hardware space is no easy task. Undeterred, Microsoft entered the battlefield with its Surface RT tablet, an ARM-based slate running a gimped version of... Read more...

Pandora Played 13 Billion Hours of Music in 2012

by Paul Lilly - Sat, Jan 19, 2013

One of the oldest written songs in history is the Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal. It's inscribed on a clay tablet and dates back to 1400 BC. Unfortunately, you can't build a radio station around the 3,400-year-old song on Pandora, but there are plenty of alternatives. In fact, music lovers listened to... Read more...

Instagram: We Have 90 Million Active Users

by Paul Lilly - Sat, Jan 19, 2013

There was a massive public uproar on the Internet a month ago when Instagram tried changing its Terms of Service (ToS) agreement so that it could sell your pictures for profit. Following the backlash, Instagram tried to say it was a big misunderstanding over standard legalese, and then vowed... Read more...

343 Industries to Pull the Plug on Halo 2 PC Servers in February

by Paul Lilly - Fri, Jan 18, 2013

In what's sure to bring tears to tens of people, Halo 2's PC multiplayer servers are permanently going dark next month. 343 Industries made the decision to pull the plug when it noticed that usage was consistently peaking at around just 20... Read more...

Here's What We Know About Samsung's Upcoming Galaxy Note 8.0

by Paul Lilly - Fri, Jan 18, 2013

Now that the Consumer Electronics Show is over and done with, it's time to start looking forward to Mobile World Congress (MWC), the mobile industry's largest exhibition. It will be there that Samsung unveils its Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet... Read more...

Apple's Hiring Writers to Humanize Siri Voice Assistant

by Paul Lilly - Fri, Jan 18, 2013

Apple's Siri voice assistant software for iOS devices is an evolving persona, one that creates the illusion of having a real-life secretary at your beck and call. She's able to find restaurants, set reminders, jot down notes, and plenty more, and occasionally gets sassy. It's all very... Read more...

Samsung Offering Android Jelly Bean Update For Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 2

by Paul Lilly - Fri, Jan 18, 2013

Samsung has a treat for Galaxy Note 10.1 and Galaxy Tab 2 owners heading into the weekend. It's Jelly Bean (Android 4.1), now available for both devices as an over-the-air (OTA) update or as a manual download/install through the mobile... Read more...

Corsair Goes Big with Hydro Series H110 and H90 Liquid Coolers

by Paul Lilly - Thu, Jan 17, 2013

The Consumer Electronics Show is over, but the product announcements keep rolling in. Among them is Corsair's introduction of a pair of big and burly Hydro Series liquid CPU coolers, the dual-fan H110 and single-fan H90, both with spacious... Read more...

Ex-Apple CEO: Apple Needs to Adapt, Sell a Cheaper iPhone

by Paul Lilly - Thu, Jan 17, 2013

John Sculley, an American businessman who once served as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Apple, has some advice for his former employer. The way Sculley sees it, Apple needs to "dramatically rethink" things and forge ahead with a low-cost iPhone model for emerging markets. "Apple needs to... Read more...

Best Buy Reaping Benefit of Amazon's Sales Tax

by Paul Lilly - Thu, Jan 17, 2013

For years, brick-and-mortar retailers have been crowing about the unfair advantage Amazon has in the retail space in territories where it doesn't have to collect sales tax, and now that the playing field is starting to level, their sales are going up. Best Buy, for example, noted that holiday... Read more...

AT&T Still Itching for a Telecom Acquisition

by Paul Lilly - Thu, Jan 17, 2013

Stop us if you've heard this one before: AT&T is looking to merge with a telecom...what's that, you have heard this one? Well this time it's different. AT&T isn't looking to make another run at T-Mobile, the U.S. subsidiary of Deutsche Telekom, and presumably the wireless carrier... Read more...

LG Makes a Case for Uber Expensive Ultra HD TVs

by Paul Lilly - Thu, Jan 17, 2013

Boy, it must be nice to live like a 1 percenter (speaking about the wealthy, not the outlaw motorcycle club), but even the filthy rich practice prudence every once in awhile. And when it comes to LG Electronics' ginormous 84-inch Ultra HD 4K television, I can share with you 22,000 reasons why... Read more...