Latest in Hardware Tips

In a previous 'We Ask You' column discussing the future of tablets I began the piece by saying, "The tablet is a form factor that we can safely say is here to stay." At the time I believed it, and I still do to a certain extent. However, technology has a habit of advancing quickly, and things can change on a whim. Who really thought the iPad would usher in a time when tablets were the thing to buy?
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Like many creative pursuits photography is something absolutely anybody can do, but only a select few will ever excel at. To truly amaze and astound people with your photographs you need to possess the right equipment (or ingenious hacks), the right mindset, the right subjects (including children and pets), and an innate ability to know what works and what doesn't. You also need to utilize the knowledge of those already well-versed in photography.
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Is your laptop old, slow, and has the hardware never been upgraded? Working on a slow computer can be a real drag. Before you buy a completely new one, however, you should consider ways to give your old friend a new life.Upgrading the RAM is pretty easy and can make a major difference! While not every part of a laptop is easily accessible, the RAM is often super-easy to exchange. Read on to see exactly how.
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As you may have already figured from my Zoku Duo Quick Pop Maker review in the midst of Gaming Month, I'm not really much of a gamer. Not since 1995, anyway. But the show must go on, and even a gaming-ignorant like me likes playing some games. I was all set on writing an in-depth review on Temple Run 2, when I found something even cooler. The Sifteo Cubes. One lucky reader will win this $130 set of Sifteo Cubes, and will never be bored again! Read on to find out how you can win and to enter the giveaway.
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Never buy a smartphone from a carrier—ever. Most consumers don't know that they can purchase their phones from retailers and pay less than if they did from the carrier. The key word that you're looking for is unlocked. The six phones presented in this article provide excellent value, with prices starting at $120 and going as high as $650.
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The SupaBoy is a $80 handheld version of Nintendo's console made by a company called Hyperkin. For any classic game collector, the ability to play their games on the go is an incredible proposition, and the SupaBoy delivers that and more. So should you buy one? Read on to find out! Oh, and did I mention that we are giving one away to a lucky reader as part of Gaming Month?
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Malware is usually very specific in what it does to your PC, whether that's displaying ads, taking over your browser homepage and search bar, or nagging you to pay for some fake anti-virus. Hijacking however is potentially far more devastating, giving the hacker backdoor remote access to your entire PC. This is the holy grail for most hackers, so it's important to understand how it can occur and what you can do to protect yourself.
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Most laptops, and some desktops, ship with internal speakers. These are often adequate, but only just, and they’re certainly not a good choice for anyone who wants to enjoy media or music. Most computers still need a pair of external speakers to sound their best. Fortunately, speaker prices have dropped like a rock over the last decade. Just $100 will buy you a sound-system easily capable of handling a living room or home office.
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Good PC ownership is a lot like good car ownership. You do more than just use it, you learn something about how it works. You don't need to be a PC technician or a mechanic, but you should be able to identify certain signs of trouble so you can get your rig in for maintenance. Unfortunately, checking out your PC for failing hardware isn't quite as hands-on and easy to do as checking your car for worn tires or dirty oil.
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Back in the 1980s and 1990s, home computers didn’t rely on dedicated monitors to display operating systems, applications and games. In those days, things were far simpler. Instead of paying extra for a monitor, the majority of home computer and console owners were happy to use their televisions. It might seem odd now, but 30 years ago people thought little of ignoring TV programs to play video games.
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I love projectors; I have fond memories of nights spent in front of the projector with all my housemates, as we snuggled under the kotatsu (a Japanese heated table thing) and settled in to watch the latest episode of Heroes. Anything done on a big screen is better - movies and gaming become a surreal experience - even compared to a 50-inch TV screen. Today, I'm taking an in-depth look at a mid-range projector, the Optoma GT750, designed especially for gaming; and we'll be giving this one away to one lucky reader.
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Photography is an art form and pastime anyone can participate in. You can buy a cheap disposable camera, point it at random things, and be a photographer of sorts. But to be a really good photographer, one whose photographs demand to be studied for more than a few seconds, takes skill, determination, an eye for detail, and the right equipment. Though on that last point there are some ingenious camera hacks that don't cost the Earth.
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As an avid gamer, I’m surprised by the correlation between GPS-like features in modern video games and the proliferation of GPS technology in mundane life. When I was a kid, paper maps and cartography were still common; if you got lost, you suffered through it and found your way to your destination. Nowadays, we’ve got the wonders of GPS to guide us there and back again. What is GPS? How does it work?
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Haptics is the technology of touch. In the context of a virtual environment, it would mean being able to touch and feel something that literally isn't there, but that's certainly not its only use. From gaming and virtual reality to 3D modelling and making computers more accessible - virtual surgery, driving simulators, swinging a virtual sword, the texture of paper or moleskin on a touchscreen display - this is haptic technology at its most amazing, and the implications are far reaching.
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Gadgets come in all shapes and sizes, and boast a variety of different purposes. Whether they're designed to help you accomplish certain tasks or chores, or provide entertainment for you and your loved ones, gadgets are an essential part of the lives of most people. Since starting to write about gadgets and technological innovations, I've seen as many bad ideas as good.
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