Latest in Hardware Tips

New and emerging technology has always been associated with the younger generations. Older people tend to be set in their ways, leaving those under a certain age to discover gadgets and gizmos as they arrive on the scene. Younger people learn more quickly, and that goes for technology in the same way it goes for everything else. However, how young is too young for kids to be exposed to technology?
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As more content becomes available online, the need for a traditional television subscription may not be enough anymore to justify the costs. If you’re already subscribed to services like Netflix or Hulu Plus, now may be the time to make the switch. You will still need a computer or system that can access all of that content for you — more commonly, it’s called a media streamer or a home theatre PC. We got a Roku 3 to review and give away to a lucky reader, so let’s see whether it lives up to the hype!
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Would you believe that many computers and smartphones can run cooler and consume less power? A trick exists, called undervolting, which can increase your CPU's efficiency with few drawbacks. If performed right, devices generally produce less heat while exhibiting improved battery performance. The process can require a great deal of patience and confidence as the potential for disaster exists.
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You might think Apple’s relatively small laptop selection would make choosing a model easy. For some people, that’s true, but for others the tight range of options and prices makes for a difficult choice. A consumer with $1,200 could end up looking at both versions of the Air and the 13-inch Pro. I think all of the MacBooks are a good choice, but the reasons why are various. I’ll help you sort through the clutter and decide which MacBook is for you.
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The Oculus Rift has finally arrived, and is making heads turn (literally) all over the gaming community. No longer are we confined to to peering through a flat window into the gaming worlds we love so much; with the Rift, we can teleport right into it. While it may not be the holy grail of virtual reality yet, it's off to a bloody incredible start. Read on to find out what the Oculus Rift is exactly, and to win yourself a free Development Kit.
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Seeing kids using cutting-edge technology is certainly a relatively recent development. But I guess it isn't a surprising one. After all, the technology exists, parents own it and (over)use it, and so kids are likely to want to follow suit prematurely. Should this be something we embrace? Or should kids be encouraged to leave technology alone until they're old enough to fully embrace it?
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You've got your trusty USB flash drive plugged into your computer, and you go to copy some files to it. Then you get this - "The disk is write protected. Remove the write protection or use another disk." Then you say, "Whaaaaaa....?!?!" How did this happen? This is your USB stick, you should be able to read, write and do whatever you want with it! Deep breath and stay calm. It is just an error message.
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I just got back from a tour of California's beautiful Sonoma County, internationally known for its extraordinary wines and verdant, rolling hills. Unfortunately, with a deadline looming and no laptop available, the task of composing an article fell to my trusty smartphone, a suite of productivity software and a handful of peripheral devices. So, I hereby present some of the best equipment for working out of your smartphone.
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Electronics make up a significant portion of your household energy costs. Computers, printers, and WiFi routers alone account for around 25% of your electricity bill. While electronics are becoming more efficient, their increased use offsets the gains. At the same time energy prices are rising. There are a number of things you can do to control your energy bill and none of them cost you any money.
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The Kindle Paperwhite is Amazon's current flagship reader, and one that we've been wanting to review and give away for quite some time. If you already own a Kindle or a different eReader, you may be wondering if it's worth your while to upgrade to the new Kindle Paperwhite. This is what we're here to find out for you. And as always, one lucky reader will get the chance to win a shiny new Kindle Paperwhite worth $119!
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Over the past couple of years I have traveled a lot and took my work with me wherever I went. I worked from the most ridiculous and beautiful places all over North America and Europe. My office was wherever I set up my computer. And for a while my desktop felt like home. And then I broke my laptop screen. Disaster! What do you do when you depend on your laptop; to look up information, submit work, and meet deadlines?
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After the CEO of BlackBerry, Thorsten Heins, questioned how long a shelf-life tablets have to look forward to, we decided to seek your opinions on the matter. After a week of discussions related to the topic I sat down to pore over the results only to discover Bill Gates, the Chairman and co-founder of Microsoft, had stumbled into the discussion. In other words even Microsoft thinks that tablets are here to stay, but do the MakeUseOf readership agree?
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Whenever I travel, I always make sure that I have some way of charging my iPhone and iPad on the go. Looking for a wall socket to charge up whilst remaining there for the entire duration is not an option in my book. Recently, I've been using the HyperJuice Plug 15,600 mAh external battery pack, and even though it isn't a battery case per se, I've found that it suits me perfectly for longer trips. Let's take a look at it. And yes, we're giving it away to one of you!
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At one point, our computers had a central processing unit (CPU) with a single core. These days, most CPUs you'll come across are dual core, quad core, or even octo core. We'll explain exactly what a core is, whether a quad-core CPU is twice as fast as a dual-core CPU, and how this all impacts your real-world computer usage. Knowing the difference will help you make smart decisions when purchasing new hardware.
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We've reviewed some exciting iPhone cases in the past, but lately none seem to excite us. Recently though, premium leather iPhone case maker, Vaja, released a new folio-style case called Nuova Pelle for the iPhone 5. Most Vaja cases are made of high-quality leather and look quite beautiful, but a folio-style case? I had my doubts. So naturally, I had to review it! And of course, we'll be giving it away to a lucky reader.
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