Lifesperience

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...

Android's Chrome Web Browser in "Immersive Mode" on my Nexus 7. Since their introduction in Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich", on screen buttons are a dividing point among many Android enthusiasts.   The pro's usually mean less bezel on your device, less hardware that could go bad, and button standardization.   The con is a very simple one.  It eats into your available screen space, making your screen seem smaller than it really is, and getting in the way of your content. Android's Chrome Web Browser in normal view on my Nexus 7. In reading and web browsing, they really do take up a lot of screen space, especially when you add things like tabs, the status bar, etc.  With the release of Android 4.4 "Kit Kat", Google attempted to remedy this issue with the release of "Immersive Mode" for Android.  What this mode does is hide all elements from your screen, EXCEPT for your content.  This means a lot more room to read, game, w...

For all of you Plants vs Zombies fans who also happen to be fans of Windows tablets, the wait is over!  Trolls VS Zombies is a high quality clone of that game, and just as fun!  The game hit the Windows store recently, and is a free with the option for in app purchases. The game plays similarly to Plants vs Zombies 2.  In the place of the plants, you have the "lovable" trolls who are defending themselves from the greedy Vikings that want to steal their gold.  The game starts simply enough with slingshot trolls that are nearly identical to the pea shooting plants from PvZ, building up to mining trolls who dig up moonstones, (similar to the sunflower bringing sunshine in PvZ) and so on.  The game has 70 levels, and there are plenty of trolls to collect in the main game with various abilities to protect you from the equally varied Vikings. In app purchases consist of magic powers, moonstones, as well as certain trolls.  For those of you who don't mind i...

A few months ago, I purchased the Dell Venue Pro 8 hoping that under certain circumstances, it could take the place of both my Nexus 7 and my Acer ultraportable laptop.  For those of you who have yet to read my overview and comparison between the Venue Pro 8 and Nexus 7, it can be found here . Without a doubt, many of you are curious about the  Fintie case and how well it works with the Dell Venue Pro 8. The first thing to double check is that you have the correct version of the Fintie blade X1 that is specifically designed for the Dell Venue 8 Pro Windows 8.1 tablet as Fintie claims that it is NOT compatible with Venue 8 (not PRO) Android Tablet.  The case is made of a very thin PU "leather" cover with a soft, microfiber-lined interior and a plastic case to provide full protection for your tablet. The magnetically detachable ultra-slim 7mm and light weight bluetooth keyboard integrates seamlessly with your Dell Venue 8 Pro Windows 8.1 tablet and other Bluetooth...

Lifesperience is now Raycommend, which can be found here:    Ray Commend   Like the headline says, Square Enix finally updated Final Fantasy 3 with Cloud Saves, as well as support for many physical controllers.  After booting up the updated game on my Nexus 5, I was greeted with the new and very blue cloud save icon on the top right of my screen. In case that you missed it, the cloud save icon is on the top right of the screen. I started a new game and played just enough to defeat the first boss of the game, and once in the overworld, I saved my file and tested the cloud save system.  Afterwards, I quit my game, and logged onto my Nexus 7. The cloud save menu is simple but functional Once the game booted up on my Nexus 7, I once again pressed the Cloud Save icon and was able to continue from my save file.   The interesting thing about this system is that it does not use Google Play games.  It will instead upload to your Google drive ...

Finally, a battle between Goku and Superman that Goku can actually win. The creativity that pops up on the internet from time to time never ceases to amaze me as I "tune in" to the Epic Rap battles of History channel on Youtube.  The thought of two guys making battle rap videos on Youtube based on historical figures would have been comical to me if someone had mentioned it to me just a few short years ago.  Snoop Lion battles a surprisingly hardcore Santa Claus as the historical Moses Yet, both Nicepeter and EpicLloyd have done just that, and have created a bona fide internet phenomenon.  With 3 "seasons" of ERB under their belt, the duo don't seem to have any intention about slowing down any time soon.  As a matter of fact, as of this writing, their last video (the ending to season 3) was their most ambitious.  A 4 on 4 battle between the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the actual historical Artists that they are based on.  The turtle costum...