Lifesperience

Lifesperience is now Raycommend, which can be found here:    Ray Commend   8bitdo, the creators of the Nes30 and other clone gamepads , have recently released a firmware updates that allow them to directly link to Hyperkin's Retron 5 system wirelessly via bluetooth.  If you have a Nes30 pad, then simply update your firmware by following the directions via this link , and start playing!! You can see the official Retron 5 controller default to Player 2, while the Nes30 is Player 1. Due to the Retron 5 gamepad having more buttons than the Nes30, mapping isn't absolutely perfect, but works well enough with the NES, SNES, Sega Master System (with adapter), Gameboy, and Gameboy advance systems.  The Genesis mapping is missing buttons " ^ " and " > " which would correspond to "C" and "Z" buttons on the official six button Sega Genesis controller.  Fortunately, there are options to remap gamepad buttons via the Retron 5's set...

Google Nexus 5 next to Nokia Lumia 822 Many years ago, my first "smartphone" was a Windows Mobile device named the HTC Titan. Many will recognize it by its Sprint name, the "HTC Mogul", and for its time, it was a great device compared to what was out there.  Sure, Windows Mobile 6.1 on that hardware wasn't the fastest for its time, but it was pretty close to what Android offers today.  You could customize it with different launchers, app stores, browsers, tons of apps, roms, etc.  The biggest issue was that the OS wasn't particularly finger friendly since it was made for stylus use, but as Windows Mobile got updated, Microsoft was able to remedy that, and HTC made it even better with their "Sense" skin. Then Microsoft killed Windows Mobile long before Windows Phone was ready.  To add fuel to the fire, the new Windows Phone 7 would be similar to the iPhone of the time. A highly locked down system with Microsoft in charge, little to no expandab...

As of August 9th, the libretto blog, which Retroarch is based on, posted some interesting news regarding the direction that the project.   Lead developer, Squarepusher  has announced that following the next release of the popular emulation platform,(slated to be version 1.1) the project will be streamlined to create what amounts to an open source operating system for many different types of architectures.  The ultimate goal will be to create "Retroboxes" that will allow one to play not just emulators, but original software on everything from low end arm architecture, to high end Intel rigs. The developer has expressed his frustration with dealing with closed sourced consoles and operating systems, and the performance hits from Android, as well as Linux.  The blog post also discusses his feelings on "open" consoles like OUYA and the upcoming Steam boxes in a direct, earnest way that makes a lot of sense.  Also mentioned are kickstarter and indiegogo campaign...

On the Surface, (Ha! get it?)  the Surface Pro 2 seems like it is a great compromise in regards to the sum of its parts.  At 10.6 inches, you get a good amount of laptop with some tablet mixed in.  Just shy of a month ago, I took a trip to the Microsoft store, excited to buy the Surface Pro 2.  It was to replace my aging Acer Aspire 1810TZ, which all things considered, is still not a terrible laptop.  So why did I end up with the Dell Venue 8 Pro instead?  Read on to find out. First, let us compare the basic differences.  The most obvious is the price difference.  The Dell Venue Pro 8 is $299 for the 64GB version while the Surface Pro with the same amount of storage is $899.  The Dell tops out at 64GB, while the Surface Pro 2 tops out at 512GB.  The problem is that high capacity version costs a ridiculous $1,799.99 without a keyboard. Maybe I am picky, but honestly, even 512GB on a computer is anemic in this day and age. ...

Android Apps integrate into the Modern Start screen. Those of you that follow my blog are aware that I recently purchased a Dell Venue Pro 8 ( reviewed here ) and am pretty happy with the performance and usability for the price.  In that review, I compared it to the Google Nexus 7 , another one of my favorite devices.  For those of you who are not that familiar with the various ecosystems, when it comes to touch apps, Microsoft is a distant third place behind Apple and Google.   While the Microsoft store has been slowly getting more apps geared towards touch devices, there are still many notable apps missing such as HBO GO, or Showtime Anytime, Temple Run, Instagram, etc.  Some times there are third party replacements, and some times there are not.  The good news is that you may not have to wait to use your favorite app on Windows 8.x.  There is a program by the name of Bluestacks  that will allow you to run Android apps in Windows as close t...

The front and back of the Dell Venue 8 Pro As a fan of technology in general, I have always dreamed of the day where convergence would allow me to have the greatest flexibility in a portable and sleek package.  My current options, which are the Galaxy Note 2 and the Nexus 5 are great, but too small to do any actual work while my ultraportable Acer Aspire 1810TZ is too big to fit in my pocket when going out.   My Nexus 7 2013 is an incredibly great piece of technology with very few trade off's and is my usual partner in crime when I venture out into the real world.  Its 7 inch screen and slim/sleek design easily fit into the back pocket of my jeans or an inside jacket pocket.   Dell Venue 8 Pro side by Side with the Nexus 7 2013 They are very close in overall thickness. Needless to say, I am always on the look out for something more.  With the recent update to the intel atom processors, the processors have actually become useful with a surpr...