The Diversion

As you've probably noticed, we've been fleshing things out a bit more around here lately.  When HotHardware first started out, about 10 years ago (good lord time flies), we were primarily what I would call a "push" site or magazine of sorts.  We had a basic content engine that evolved over the years from static HTML to a fully dynamic, database-driven approach that was all the rage back then.  If you didn't provide reader the ability to search easily on your articles, you were limiting your site, in terms of the duration that a reader might spend viewing your hard work and diligent efforts in journalism .  This made sense of course.  It wasn't rocket science but it also meant you needed a solid database engineer on your team (at least back then) and perhaps even some additional server resources at your disposal too.  No sweat, we invested in you, our faithful readers, back then and of course buffed up our appearance a bit along the way as well.  We even added a forum so you could chat it up a bit.  Heck, it was only at the expense of a little beer money at the time -- so it was all good.

Time marches on and things change.  Someone had the notion of something called Web 2.0 where the reader actually gets the opportunity to contribute to the content.  Are you nuts?  They're animals!  Actually, wait... They're also smart, creative, passionate animals and we even like many of them (OK, we admit it, we love you).  Hmm...  We might be on to something here.  So we invested again.  Now, not only can you talk amongst yourselves in the forum but you can also contribute to our "content" (I hate that word; so sterile.).  Again, it was all good.  After all, our goal was to give you a home here; a place where you could kick-back, relax, kill some time and learn a little something along the way maybe too.  So let's run down the list:  fully dynamic, searchable database of articles and news - check, a forum community to foster conversation - got it, ability for the readers to interact with and comment on all content - it's in there.

Then, since way back in the late 90s we had all of these Datacom startups installing Terabit routers at every major ISP and Telco they could, we discovered we had some bandwidth to spare that we just didn't know what to do with (those poor bastards at Lucent never made a dime on it either).  And some smart, young Silicon Valley punk (just a hunch, I could be wrong) said, "I got it! Video!".  Yeah, yeah, sure, sure kid.  Video -- why would you bother watching video on the net?  Hey wait, that's a pretty good idea too and we can give the audience a way to participate as well.  We'll make them all stars! 

And so we invested in video and hope you like it as an augmentation to our traditional written content.  Now then, as Chief Cook and Bottle Washer around here, I'm also tasked with attempting to set the creative vision of HH moving forward.  We've got great forum software (with tagging, ooooh!), a comments system for your to throw your two cents into any article, and now we've got video (would you like to send us your video too?)  So where do we go from here folks?

I'll offer a little hint that we'll be expanding our product coverage in the months ahead and will include things that are bit more "gadgety" in nature.  What else would you like?  What functionality are we missing here at HotHardware that you would find useful?  What other products and topics would you like covered?

Sound off here and let us know -- but be gentle.  We've been on the net now for about a decade.  We've seen it all but we're getting on in our years and you young bucks, with your fancy ideas, could still blow our minds.

Social media and social networking is definitely a booming market these days and it stands to reason with a growing Internet audience and the explosion of new web-based services for the readership community.  There are virtually thousands of different sites you can dive into but of course, as with anything, some are better than others and still others aren't even worth your bandwidth.  Whether you digg, stumble, reddit, propeller, mixx, or flickr, it seems there's nothing quite like the buzz (pun intended) of the collective voice of folks from all walks of life, especially when there's a great web site engine empowering people.

As you've probably noticed, we've also been building out the HH infrastructure here, with both new content sections and new conversational features that allow you to contribute and socialize here as well.  And of course we have our standard assortment of RSS feeds and email blasts that allow you to get your HH on the fly and rolled up neat for easy digestion.  And of course, we're all about spreading the HH love around to other places as well, so we're now Twittering and on Facebook too!

  
HotHardware's Tweets (left) and The HH Facebook Page (right)

So if you're a Facebook voyeur or twitter addict, you now can get your HH double shot of technology kick-it-up juice via these two great networking sites.  Either that or just come here, early and often.  We promise you a heapin' helping of tech gadget love, all day, every day -- even if you're the anti-social type.

We've put up a new poll up on the front page regarding Windows Vista uptake amongst HotHardware's readership, just because it seems to be a lively discussion in our news with lots of strong opinions flying about.  So take the poll and let us know your vote but let's expand a little bit on the topic here as well, shall we?  What is it with Microsoft that gets folks so riled up?  Perhaps it's just the fact that a company could get so big that they can control such a large portion of the market and the product offering in that market as a result?  Or maybe folks are just passionate about their technology and therefore lots of debates crop up organically.

Whatever the reason, as of late there are few topics in the technology industry that conjur up the kind of buzz and banter than Microsoft's loved-to-be-hated desktop OS, Windows Vista.  Obviously there are some wide-spread hardware and software/application level issues that end users have reported.  And of course the enterprise has also shunned the new desktop OS for the most part as well but isn't this the general rule of thumb with any new operating system?  Were your company IT departments and system admins quick to roll out Windows XP when it first hit the market?  Was your first installation and experience with Windows XP clean and bug free?

I'd offer that new OS adoption in the enterprise is always a long, drawn out, conservative process at best, which doesn't always even equate to a full adoption.  So I don't think this is anything new.  However, the outcry in the end user space certainly seems a bit louder than I recall, versus Microsoft's previous releases.  Regardless, we use Vista installations here at HotHardware, both as workstation operating systems and of course in our hardware test-beds.  Some of us are more fond of Vista than others.  I personally have my good days and bad days with it but overall it has been a relatively pain-free experience for me.  What are your thoughts?  Sound off here and in our poll...

In the mean time, I'm off to find out what's going on with my SSD testing and some of the write performance inconsistencies I'm seeing.  Maybe I should just blame it on Vista.  That would be easy enough I guess.

Today was a day of days; the last day of our vacation and simply perfect.  Yesterday we were graced with the presence of none other than Marco and his lovely wife, Adrienne.  The weather was exceptional and so we took to the high seas for a little cruising, fishing and soaking up just a few stray UVs.  Alright then, a bit of perspective is in order I guess.  I'm the son of a commercial Lobster Fisherman and was fortunate enough to spend the better part of my boyhood on the water. So when folks say they want to go fishing with you, it's sort of like an invitation to show somebody around your old stomping grounds.  What fun!  And of course, since technically we work together as well, the whole day of revelry and debauchery becomes one big instant write-off!  I'm going to get misty here I think...

You know, for a city boy, ol' BW handles himself pretty well on the water too.  And his lady-friend, well she caught the most fish.  So that about tells you how the Chiappettas roll.  I do have one small quip... When you're a native "Capey", you're use to seeing tourist folks strapping on the obligatory lobster bib when sitting down for a seafood feast, just so they don't get "messy".  Boy, that's not lobster juice squirtin' at ya.  That's what we call cologne down here!

OK, OK, I had to slap on the bib with El' Wopo because, you know, I'm a good wingman like that.  Can't let a brother look like a tourist-goober all alone.  That just ain't right, so there you go.  Dual tourist bibs rockin' it at Clancy's Fish 'n Chips.  And folks, that was one ex-lobster when Marco got done with it.  Here's to summer and a little decompression.

Cheers!
Dave

There's nothing quite like a little downtime by the ocean, at least as far as this Cape Cod boy is concerned.  We've recently revamped the HotHardware blogs section and our developer, Andrey, was gracious enough to enable it almost immediately.  What a fitting opportunity to post in here, while "out of the office", notebook in hand and a libation in the other.  The place we've rented for the week is a complete sanctuary.  It's on a little spot of Cape Code known as "The Fingers", on Bass River.  Each finger is a water inlet, a passage way for boats and docks, sort of like a little Venice but there are no through-ways and all fingers are quiet, dead end inlets with homes lining up and down them.   One word, beauteous...

View From The Master Room

View From The Patio and Dock

You can't see it here but the deck and patio area is just sublime.  The owners have a big, gas-powered aluminum steaming pot out here too; just what the doctor ordered for a Lobster and Steamers feast that is capable of almost completely recharging the batteries.  We have a small 20' bow rider boat that is just perfect for down here and it's tied off at our own private slip.  A little fishing, a little tubing, cheese and cracker cruise.  Ahh this is the life.  I wonder what the commoners are doing today?  Oh right, they rented a house down on the Cape for the week.  It's real nice.  ;-)