Author - Ripper71

Plex Media System (Tech)

2016/02/25

Hearing of Plex at various electronic trade shows, I was curious how it might work for me, especially as a video game reviewer and a disabled individual. Being able to start playing personal media or sharing photos with fellow GamingShogun staff from bed when my body had finally failed out on me was something I was really hoping to find a way to simplify. Plex seems like it just might be the answer to those problems.

Features:

Enjoy your videos, movies, TV shows, music and photos anytime, anywhere. – Run Plex Media Server on your Windows, Mac or Linux computer and stream to your iOS, Android, Windows Phone or Windows device. Have multiple TVs in your house? No problem, Plex also works on Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox, PlayStation^®, NVIDIA^® SHIELD™, and many late-model smart TVs. Plex is even available on most network-attached storage devices.
Make your media beautiful – Plex gives you one simple interface to organize all of your media: your movie and TV collection, your music library, and all of your photos and home videos. Plex enriches your media library by adding descriptions, plot summaries, posters, and album covers. Enjoy your media on every TV in the house or on any mobile device on the go.
Plex keeps track of your media – Recently added content is presented front and center so you can instantly see what’s new. Plex also knows which movies and shows you’re watching, so you can easily pick up where you left off or play the next episode.
Manage what’s being watched on Plex – Control the media that your friends and family can access, both in and out of the home. Plex Home allows you to create customized, managed accounts, and restrict content those users can access. Restrict based on content ratings, or share specific items. Buy one Plex Pass for your home and share benefits like free apps.
High quality SSL certificates for all media servers – We’ve teamed up with DigiCert to provide high quality SSL certificates for your media servers, at no cost to you. Your media server will be able to securely communicate with your devices with top-grade encryption, it’s like having your own secret service escort protecting your data end-to-end, preventing hacks, attacks, and snooping.
Your music’s new home – Music on Plex is accessible everywhere and beautifully presented. With support for nearly all audio formats, all of your music gets airtime. Once setup, you can hear (and even watch!) your music anywhere, on anything, and even share access to your music libraries with your friends. Recent improvements include Vevo music videos and Gracenote functionality that improves the metadata of your music library.
Watch Video
Playlists, for endless entertainment – Create customized music or video playlists to fit any occasion, based on mood, genre, collection, and more. You can even import existing iTunes playlists, ratings, track counts, and other details! Playlists are currently available on most platforms, but we’re working hard to bring them to all as quickly as possible.
Automatically upload your photos – Now, photos from your phone or tablet can be wirelessly synced to Plex automatically thanks to Camera Upload. It’s a new Plex Pass feature that makes sharing special snaps with family and friends easy, lets you stream photos to different screens, and allows you to free up space on your mobile device.
Watch Video
Your big screen’s best friend – Plex liberates you from single-screen viewing. With Plex Companion, you can fling great content from your phone to your TV. Keep watching that movie on your tablet when you head to bed. Pause an episode when the phone rings, skip a track you’ve heard too many times or just find out more about what you’re watching with the world’s best remote control.
Movie trailers, interviews, and other extras – Automatically get access to high quality online trailers and extras for the movies you have in your Plex library. Also, our new Cinema Trailers feature lets you start off your movie with a few trailers for movies from your library or from new and upcoming releases. Don’t worry, if you already have extras in your library, Plex will make those look great as well.
Share your media with friends and family – Effortlessly share media among friends, so you can all discover and enjoy even more content together. Exchange precious memories with distant family members by sharing your vacation photos and home videos. Now, you can also see what your friends are streaming from your collection as everyone gets their own view into your library.
Your media is reachable, even when you’re not – Cruising at 30,000 feet, sailing across the Atlantic, or just taking the subway to work – even when you’re offline, Mobile Sync has you covered. Simply tell Plex what you want to take with you on your phone or tablet and we’ll take care of the rest, keeping your content up to date and presenting it with the same beautiful interface. Mobile Sync is available exclusively to our Plex Pass subscribers.
Stream directly from the cloud – Cloud Sync automatically optimizes the media you choose and uploads it to places like Dropbox, Google Drive, Bitcasa and Box. It’s like having a media server that’s always on. Cloud Sync is available exclusively to our Plex Pass subscribers.
Access your favorite online content – Plex Channels provide access to numerous sources of online content, like TED Talks, Vimeo, Revision 3, and more. No matter what your interests are, you’ll be able to find something great to watch or recommend to your friends, all presented in Plex’s gorgeous interface.
Save it now, watch it later – Easily save online videos from your favorite sites to watch later, even on the big screen. Or share the experience by recommending videos to a friend.
World class DLNA support built right in – Plex makes your media beautiful on thousands of DLNA certified devices like the PS3, Xbox 360, and WDTV Live devices without the need to install dedicated apps. Harness the power of the most sophisticated DLNA server available to effortlessly stream nearly any format to your device, right out of the box.

Hands On:
I wanted to cut down the list of features above but each thing I read seemed like something else that our readers might want to know. The Plex service has definitely have been designed to cover many possible aspects of user needs that each one I looked at had to be mentioned.

Let’s start with professional usage. I can have my Editor-in-Chief on my friends list and upload pictures and video from various events quickly and smoothly so that he can start choosing, editing, and watermarking them while I am still collecting them in the field. If I stumble on some news I want to pass along to him I can just send a quick upload while in the Plex app and he can see the press release that caught my eye or video I thought would make a story. There are other ways to do this but the real way to think of Plex is as a complex of media, pulling multiple applications and other media sources and putting them in one neat customizable interface. Time really can be of the essence in news and the faster it can be past along the better.

This also is important when I am doing my own writing. If I have found a bunch of media while running around with my phone and it comes time to write and all I have to do is log into Plex and all my different available galleries are right there at my fingertips and well as interviews for quotes I can cook through a story far faster than if I have to take the separate time to download or upload to the storage cloud the media I want to use. There has been more than a few times I have done a search for just the right trailer while on a monorail or something on my way home to write, found exactly what I wanted and when I got home had to open up a program and repeat the search. With Plex on my mobile devices I can have it all set up and ready to lay down in the article when I hit the computer.

During certain times of the year I also do quite a bit of traveling, part of it is flying, other times it is just through cell dead zones. With the most minor bit of planning through Plex I can make sure I have access to the media I want while off the grid. Trust me in rural parts of Nevada you really wish there was a cell tower hidden in the tumbleweeds, luckily Plex can help with music and videos so you won’t have to just listen to the sound of the engine and your own breathing.

The last part was a crossover of business and personal use that leads nicely into how I can use Plex when I am not on the road or even able to get out of bed or off the couch. Being disabled can be disheartening to say the least, not just because of feeling unproductive but sometimes the simplest things going to the living room to watch television is too much. On those days I often would just watch my phone because of the ease of interfacing. At the foot of my bed though is a television with an Xbox One and a PS4 hooked up to it. So if I wake up and can’t lift my head enough to watch television I can start by first watching a program or video on my phone then fire up one of my consoles and pick up on the same program on the TV even if the video was just on my phone such as a digital copy. Normally I would have to track down the the DVD, put it in the console or hope that it was on one of the streaming services we subscribe to and find the location. I can literally use the Plex app and fling video from my phone up onto the TV and go back to watching.

A much lighter use of the system is apparent in that one moment when you find a funny video on your phone and the whole family decides to circle around the device’s tiny screen and watch. Once again, with a smart TV and the Plex app, you can fling the video right onto the TV and let everyone watch it on a nice big format. Plex even adjusts the quality so it doesn’t look grainy.

Last Call For Now:
Plex is the perfect way to centralize all your media into one complex for business and personal use and ease. Whether it is watching videos and listening to personal music or sharing files with friends and coworkers Plex puts in all into one place with it’s own driving system. I have no doubt I will find new ways to put Plex to use every time I open the application.

[easyreview title=”Plex Media System Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

World of Tanks PS4 Edition Review

2016/02/10

Ripper71

News, PlayStation 4 News, PlayStation 4 Review, Reviews

I became a big fan of World of Tanks back in its original PC beta days. Most players who play it these days wouldn’t recognize the game from back then since it has had a constant evolution rather than relying solely on player loyalty. One of the biggest game developments was its going from PC to console platforms – a move which not everyone has wanted to make (this is okay, as the PC version of the game still gets plenty of updates and has a huge player base). So let’s take a look at some of the most recent additions to World of Tanks gameplay on the newly-released PlayStation 4 version of the game.

The basic game controls on the PC platform haven’t changed since they were first implemented, same for the console versions. This means that players who are used to one particular platform like the PC will always be able to jump into a PC game and play. First it was individual sections of the tanks which by the time it hit consoles had become modules so that instead of just upgrading the barrel of the tank you might upgrade the barrel and the tracks. Crews were added along the way which initially just added to the performance of the tank, then added to specific sections of the tank such as “repairs” then specific skill sets in that section. These latest evolutions in crew usage takes them from being a useful but mostly forgotten aspect of the game where now the crew choices can really effect your gameplay.

Tanks are added too, starting with the most common that were on the battlefields then less common tanks followed by famous tanks such as Fury. My personal favorite might be obvious but if I could afford to own the Ripper on every account I would be one happy, happy tanker. Each system also starts with just a couple of the country’s tank trees and adds to them little by little. Usually the first you will see is the Americans and Germans since their tank clashes have definitely gone down in infamy.

Each tanks class (light, medium, heavy, tank destroyer and artillery) have had their gameplay tweaked slightly over the years to maintain fairness and though their are very popular premium tanks that can give you a bit of an edge, a well practiced tanker can still easily come out on top of a player trying to just buy a win. With the exception of the Ripper most of my favorite tanks are earned anyways rather than purchased. There are vanity additions you can make to your favorite tanks too, temporary ones cost in-game currency while permanent ones cost RL money. I tend to spend my RL money on garage slots because I like all my tanks lined up and ready to play with their daily exp bonuses waiting to be earned. That being said I have been known to buy the jack o’lantern emblem for my tanks, anyone who knows me will not be the least bit surprised.

There really isn’t a whole lot of difference between gameplay on the Xbox One and PS4 versions, so if you only have one of the two consoles don’t worry about it, you are still in great shape. The difference between the PC and the console versions is pretty massive, but both are designed to be intuitive for gameplay of their respective systems. If you have played games such as Battlefield 4 on the consoles the controls are pretty much the same, if you have played any game with tanks or mechs on the PC then you will naturally slip into World of Tanks. The real key is in PC play you get used to targeting a certain way especially when sniping seems far less accurate in the console version. The key is to use features designed into the console version to try to make targeting smoother. Get pointed toward your enemy, do a system lock-on then zoom. You’ll lose the system lock but you will be now approximately where you want to be zoomed into on the enemy. Now it is a matter of fine tuning your aim and firing. I found that once you get used to using this style of play it is actually faster than the PC version. If you are going from console to PC not having this trick work for you will throw you off at first but once you get used to the zoom and tighter targeting system you will fall in love with this system’s version too. Targeting has been THE major complaint of PC players trying to play the console versions and since they hate to listen to someone else’s advice they have allowed me to easily pwn them in the game which I can’t complain about too much…

The second most common complaint is that there aren’t as many tanks on the console versionm which is true – but, they will be added over time just like they were with the PC, with longer tech trees and more nations added. Eventually, I will be pawing again at the screen for my Ripper tank to be in my vehicle garage.

The crux of this review is that the game has been ever evolving in a positive way on all its platforms so, while the PS4 version is latest version, all other versions are being updated at about the same time so they will all be on an even playing field. Because of the fact that the Wargaming dev team knew exactly what the system specs will be the next-generation consoles, World of Tanks got a beautiful upgrade in graphics which is very noticeable in the sway of tall grass, butterflies fluttering between flowers, and the explosive and fiery wreckage of tanks. As a result, the PS4/Xbox One versions of the game have slightly surpassed the other versions with me, and it only takes a couple of moments of watching your environment while sniping or in ambush to truly appreciate the details put into the game.

Last Shot:

World of Tanks is an extremely fun and entertaining game, no matter which platform you play it on. Each system has its strength and play characteristics which makes it fun to have on all of them instead of just one. With the arrival of World of Tanks for the PS4 came some additional play aspects that feel like a natural evolution and truly enhance the gameplay even more. As time passes, more tanks will no doubt be added from more countries and hopefully the “Ripper” tank will make its appearance and I will have yet another system to pine over it on…

[easyreview title=”World of Tanks PS4 Edition Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Ditto Wearable Tech For Smartphones Review

2016/02/06

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

There are a lot of different kinds of devices that classify as “wearable tech” these days. After all, it is one of the top growing fields in consumer electronics with just about every niche considered. The one area that generally has a short coming though is affordability. While I would love to get a watch on which I could hit a button and have it order my favorite burrito from my favorite Mexican food place, I can’t even afford the band on that particular device. Luckily there are a few options finally coming along that fit the price point of those who spent almost every last dime on the phone and warranty and one of those is the Ditto.

Features:

– Notifications for Incoming Calls – You’ll feel it vibrate when someone you’ve chosen as important is trying to reach you.
– Notifications for Incoming Texts – You’ll feel it vibrate when someone you’ve chosen as important is trying to text you.
– Notifications for Incoming Emails – You’ll feel it vibrate when someone you’ve chosen as important has sent you an email.
– Notifications for When You Leave Your Phone Behind – Ditto has a built-in wireless tether. When you’re about to leave your phone behind, Ditto will vibrate to warn you!
– Silent Alarm – Ditto makes a great silent wake-up alarm. – Wear it on your wrist and don’t disturb your partner. Or use it as an alarm for important events, reminders or as a timer.
– Notifications for Third Party Apps – Use a third party chat service? Want to stay on top of your social media notifications? You can customize Ditto to alert you about notifications on a number of popular apps including WhatsApp, Hangouts, Facebook and Snapchat.

Hands On:

Most people can live without a favorite food ordering button but when it comes to not waking their bed companion with their alarm when they have to get up in the morning, they might wish to have a way to get around the loud noises. It is nice to know what time it is without looking at your phone but if you are in a dark theater the people around you might prefer if you set silent vibrating alarms that don’t light up during pivotal moments in a movie. The movie scenario also works for pretty much ever aspect of what this wearable can do, silent with no lights, just a couple quick vibrations. If you leave the theater with that phone having fallen out of your pocket or set it down at a counter after paying for something it will let you know when you are 50 feet away so you have a chance to get it before someone else does.

Then there are the main functions you want it for, you can have your phone put away in a pocket or purse and still know when you have an incoming call, text or email and even if they are people you would put on your favorites list. It even works with third party apps.

It doesn’t require charging, it runs for months off of one watch battery and is even waterproof so you can go swimming without worrying about missing and important call. It is a simple clip on so it can clip onto bra straps to be kept from view or under clothing even. Some packaging includes a little velcro band that it can clip on to look more like a standard wearable but the band isn’t necessary. Probably one of the best features is it has a standard retail price of $40 so it comes in nicely under the $50 and might even be able to be found on sale in some locations cheaper.

My only wish would be if you could program the number of vibrations for each contact, that way you could know exactly who it was and thereby judge the importance of the call/text/email.

Last Buzz:

The Ditto is a great piece of tech that gives you the essential features of a wearable without the price tag. It is also very low key which is great for both leisure and professional situations enabling you to know what is going on with your communications without making it obvious. It’s a must for those who can’t afford the higher tag priced gadgets but would probably be a good choice for anyone in a professional field.

[easyreview title=”Ditto Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

MyCharge HubPlus Review

2016/02/06

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

In press circles and at entertainment events, when you have an item that saves the day it can gain an almost mythical status. One of these such items was “Big Red”, also known as the MyCharge Hub 6000 mAh portable charger. Friends would show up at events having forgotten a backup charger and figured they were out of luck. Out came the charge with two different types of built-in charging cables (allowing the power pack to charge two devices simultaneously). If the MyCharge power pack’s reserves get low, it could be plugged into the wall with minimal fuss thanks to its design. At this last CES, someone broke into my car and, among my numerous electronics for the event that they stole, was Big Red. It was honestly the thing I missed the most. But maybe it’s time had simply come because now I have “Silver”, Big Red’s smaller cousin that packs in even more features! Enter: The MyCharge HubPlus!

Features:

Power Horse: 45 hours of power
Cables Included: integrated Apple® Lightning™ cable and integrated micro-USB cable
Smart-sense: ensures complete device compatibility
Hyper-charge: ultra-fast charging of your devices; up to 65% faster than competitors
Power-stay: maintains battery power for up to 1 year
Max-power: maximum power transfer from powerbank to device
High-density battery: the smallest and lightest powerbank
Safe-cell: provides the highest level of battery safety
Rapid-recharge: powerbank recharges up to 50% faster than competitors
Pass Through Charging: will charge the powerbank and connected device simultaneously

Hands On:

The MyCharge HubPlus 6000 mAh Portable Charger has the same built in cables as its predecessor, but with little tabs to make them easier to pull out. It also features the same amount of charging energy and even has pass-through charging. MyCharge’s HubPlus also features Smart-sense to ensure device comparability (does it only need 1.1 amp or 2.1?), as well as a 30% smaller overall volume. Additionally, devices can charge up to 65% faster, and the MyCharge HubPlus even charges up its own reserver 50% faster than before! In my household, we only had one debate about charging batteries and that was whether or not we needed “Big Red” or if we could get away with a smaller one. Now that the MyCharge HubPlus has come along, we don’t need to debate, it is just our go-to battery now for press events and entertainment outings.

Last Charge:

This may seem like a bit of a short review but that is because the numbers speak for themselves and I only needed to take the MyCharge HubPlus out a couple times to know it was an amazing portable charger that would replace everything else in our inventory. There was a big hole left by the theft of Big Red, but its next of kin was more than capable of charging the space!

[easyreview title=”MyCharge 6000 mAh Portable Charger Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Silent Pocket XL Sleeve (Tech)

2016/02/05

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

If you live in the middle of nowhere where you can’t get cell coverage you may not take shielding too serious. It is much more than that though and we most of us take way too much comfort in the protection of a patch of denim on our jeans to protect our life held in portable form. Silent Pocket understands all too well dangers that we don’t take serious enough and provide us with a level of protection we should be regularly employing.

Features:

Smooth, supple Genuine Napa leather that is made to withstand years of daily use
High tension thread / drill lining
Diamond pattern shielding made exclusively for Silent Pocket
Shields up to 100 decibels (db); best on the market
Water resistant
Interlocking magnetic RF seal; easy to use without straps or velcro
Shields against EMR radiation
Blocks GPS tracking

Hands On:

Many of us just throw our credit cards in our pockets, or perhaps in a flimsy wallet, and out we go into the world. The funny thing is we give the tools to stealing our identity to others constantly, everyday, without any thought of it. We strangely give complete trust to the individual working the fast food window or the electronics department of the local store as we hand them our plastic.

We don’t learn to be more cautious even hearing about the stories of identity theft because we are very much an “it will happen to someone else” culture, we really can’t help ourselves as we move through it looking for convenience and ease over safety. Think of the last time you set your debit card down and couldn’t remember where it was, you were out shopping, so many possibilities… did you use it to buy lunch? Did you use it since the *insert coffee shop name* drive-thru? Did you pay cash for that trinket at the mall? The whole time you are thinking about it your gut is tightening because you know if it isn’t at one of these islands of possible safety it might be on the ground, maybe maybe being charged on at this very moment.

Or the other one is “hmm where is my phone?” especially now in these days of electronic debit and credit cards on our phones or swipe and pay. It is the same as above except you are thinking when was the last time I used it? Did it lock? Is my lock screen obvious? Will they guess a finger swipe of a “Z” (people if this is your lock or a “7” PLEASE change it!) and I don’t lock my picture section and there was that one night I was flirting and sending pics to OH MY GAWD! Oh and at these kind of moments you probably aren’t even thinking about how all of your emails have been compromised and anyone who have a business relationship with is about to get a penis enlargement email from you, I’m sure they will thank you later.

Speaking of business let’s say it was a business phone you are toting around with NDA information on it. Maybe even worse it is a business tablet with all of your company’s plans for the next two years, predictions, actions, models… and you leave it on the monorail or shuttle bus on the way back from a convention.

All these things would strike terror into you and yet holding in your hands or carrying case you feel all that data is secure, like phone cloning isn’t a giant criminal empire, like being in the proximity of you without the proper protection can keep that information safe. The person standing next to you may hack your phone without you ever handing it over to them, sometimes you even help them along by accessing the device right in front of them giving them a chance to note your password or swerve. The most terrifying thing is the person doesn’t even have to be right next to you to hack your device, major tech security companies have shown that many cell phone applications have far more access than they need to do their job and some of that access allows them to see everything from your personal information to, and this is no exaggeration because I saw it last your live at NAB, hacking your phone’s camera anytime they want… ew.

Well before you relocate your whole family or company to the nearest cave and/or spider hole there are very simple and downright elegant solutions to these worries. My personal epiphany of concern was probably born out of the phone hacking demonstration I saw, I honestly figured why would anyone hack my life? Kind of the same reason I guess someone broke into my car during CES, to see what might be there of value, on the surface maybe it doesn’t look like much but I may (and did) have a bunch of electronics in the trunk.

If you are a business professional protection of your business devices really shouldn’t be an option it should be a requirement. As I said the solutions can be as elegant and presentable as you are yourself when you head out for the day.

It was all this that had us reaching out to Silent Pocket, one of the industry’s most understanding companies that protection should not come at a cost of presentation. The first protections I tested like this years ago where plastic bags, now Silent Pocket has fine Napa leather beautifully stained with quality seam work. The XL Sleeve has two sleeves, one that has a simple slide in function and another that has internal wiring system that helps it snap shut after you open it, helping keep smaller items from accidentally sliding out or signal leakage. The simple in function sleeve allows for cell phone reception to come through so that you can place your phone in there and not expose your electronics to RFID / NFC access such as smart keys, credit cards, passports, and other RF enabled electronic devices. The other sleeve will not even let cell phone reception through and even block you off from GPS. That sleeve is what is known as going “off the grid.”

Going “off the grid” has gotten a lot of slack as a personal solution over the years and has become almost entirely associated with conspiracy enthusiasts and spy movies. There are many more simple reasons you might want to do this starting with reasons as mundane as you tend to use your phone right up until the moment of that important meeting. You don’t want to have your phone vibrating or even worse ringing while you are in the middle of important personal or business affairs. Toss your phone into the sleeve and it is not going to ring or vibrate and if there is a break in discussions you can pull it out and it instantly connects again without having turned it off or changed any features. Make sure there are no emergencies, send out a message or two and back into the sleeve it goes. Being made of Napa leather using it might even get you a compliment or two.

If you are having sensitive discussions in a high finance or very NDA meeting you don’t have to worry about having any hack breaking through your phone and hearing any details. If you are a boss at a meeting ask for all cell phones and put them in the sleeve for the duration of a meeting and the employees know that you aren’t messing with their phones but at the same time the distraction of the phones is completely eliminated. And of course if you don’t want to be reached or have someone use a “where is your phone” app to track where you are tossing it in the bag when you don’t want to use it takes you right off the grid on your terms. Since my wife and I have one of those programs this was really easy to test and prove.

On the health side there is still a lot of research being done to just how much damage the radiation given off by cell phones effects us and the Silent Pocket blocks the questionably harmful radiation to make it worry free. There are so many things out there to hurt us, this is an easy way to remove one of those possibilities.

Last Call On The Grid:

Silent Pocket XL Sleeve provides personal and professional protection of your important electronics in a professional looking design. How much access your electronics have to the world and the world to your electronics is in your hands literally. The protection is high security completely “off the grid” levels down to still being able to receive and send calls, just data blocked and radiation blocked. This is the level of protection everybody should be at and few are done with elegance, as well as being an excellent way to keep our sensitive items protected and organized.

[easyreview title=”Silent Pocket XL Sleeve Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

The Walking Dead Daryl with Chopper Building Toy Set Review

2016/01/26

Ripper71

Geek News, Misc Review, News, Reviews

When I was younger, I used to do puzzles and play with Lego blocks for hours on end. The only limitation to them seemed to be my imagination. As I grew older, I got shamed out of Legos (I could have been a professional! That exists now!) and the subject matter of the harder puzzles were often the most boring such as an all blue sky or a field of wheat. Nowadays though thanks to McFarlane Toys there is a whole bunch of building sets that combine puzzling and building blocks. Recently I got the pleasure of playing with The Walking Dead Daryl With Chopper Building Set.

Hands On:
There are 154 pieces to this set which is actually one of the more simple of the sets and affordable. 44 pieces of it are weeds so there is some optional parts that can be added depending on how weedy you want it. Honestly the weeds were the only part of the set that felt a bit monotonous, it felt like I was putting in hair plugs on a bald man. Strange analogy I know but seem to fit so well.

The base consists of asphalt and dirt stuck building block style to a base pieces. These were pretty easily put together and quickly as was the guard railing. Putting Daryl and the zombie together took seconds.

Probably the most challenging part to put together was Daryl’s chopper which starts in so many pieces even Daryl might have thought to just go looking for another bike, but that is the challenge for the builder and by far the most fulfilling part of the build. You take your time and go little part by part starting with an empty frame and bare rims. When you finish it placing Daryl on it’s back is a pleasure and will have you looking for someplace to display it.

I found the single walker and Daryl to be a bit lonely though and picked up some of the individual mystery packs of characters to try to fill the weeds with walkers and a couple humans. Luckily the they are all set to the same scale so you can add individual mini figures to different sets without worry about matching.

Last Look:
My guess is that once you get your hands on The Walking Dead Daryl With Chopper Building Set you will want to start building other more complicated ones such as the Governor’s Den or the Prison sets (oh how I want these!) and before you know it you will have a whole bunch of builds that you can customize by mixing and matching. I have always had McFarlane toys on my wish lists and I expect that to continue for years to come.

[easyreview title=”TWD Daryl With Chopper Building Set Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”4″ ]

GoGroove BassPULSE Wireless Speakers Review (Tech)

2016/01/26

Ripper71

News, Peripheral Review, Peripherals News, Reviews

My wife and I recently moved Nevada and there are still a lot of boxes left to unpack including whichever one held my speakers. Luckily GoGroove came along at just the right time with their flagship product the BassPULSE Wireless Speakers so that now I’m not too concerned if we ever find the moving box labeled “computer speakers”.

Features:

Just Groove – Your audio will never be the same with the newest in BassPULSE technology. Never worry about AUX cords again as you experience the freedom of Bluetooth. Simply pair your device with the BassPULSE wireless and you’re free to roam, enjoying your music with your device in hand from up to 33 feet away. The only thing left to worry about is what to play next
Find Your PULSE – Featuring a 40mm main driver and 101mm woofer, the BassPULSE Wireless is built to bump, and a 40-watt peak leaves nothing to the imagination. Bluetooth 2.1+EDR technology with the A2DP profile makes your music sound better than ever, and the optional AUX port lets you have your music just how you like it.
More Power To You – The BassPULSE Wireless is powered by an AC plug, which lets you kiss dead batteries goodbye and keep the music alive. Pair with your favorite amp for even more advanced sound.

Hands On:
First things first one of the things I noticed was missing from their “Features” section on their website is that these speakers look bad ass. This is not a technically important aspect to the speakers and their sexiness can actually be lowered for an office environment but really aesthetic looking speaker systems don’t come along that often, most of them are just clunky black or silver boxes. In the case of the BassPULSE there is a transparent jagged design on the speaker casings and the front of the subwoofer that can be lit with LED lighting at the puss of a button to give them a futuristic almost Tron feel to them. This doesn’t impact performance at all but let’s face it the first thing people will notice is how awesome they look before the quality of the output.

The output can be done in two separate ways which makes this speaker system more diverse than most are. They can be paired with anything that has Bluetooth technology so that they can be set up wireless wherever you want which is great for going from the PC workstation to the consoles or on to a party. So if you want to listen to some poolside jams but don’t want to risk them getting water damaged you can pair them with your phone and listen to your tunes controlling them with your phone poolside while your speakers are a safe distance away.

they can also be connected wired through an AUX cable. This is great if you have devices such as your laptop computer that aren’t Bluetooth enabled. In that case the speakers are just plug n’ play getting you up and using them immediately. If you are like me and have a light-up keyboard, light-up mouse and a light-up computer case then the light-up speakers are a perfect match and handy for late night gaming sessions.

One of my favorite aspects of the connectivity is that you can have the Bluetooth paired to your phone and the computer plugged in via AUX port at the same time. So I could be playing a game and get tired of the sounds in it and choose some music on my phone and push a single button and switch modes computer to phone. The alternate is true also, I can be playing a FPS loaded with explosions and gunfire and if a call comes in I can push a button to switch over to Bluetooth and take the call through the BassPULSE speakers.

You can have twenty ways of connecting it and it won’t matter if you can’t get the sound quality you want. So I tested it for days playing different video games from MMORPG to FPS always getting great results and excellent directional sound, clean with no distortion. After that I played every kind of music I could think of, especially bass heavy music to test the subwoofer but also classical and classic to test clarity. At one point I even ran some bass testing tracks to test the almost sub audible levels of bass all with the speakers performing outstandingly.

Last Listen:
GoGroove BassPULSE Wireless Speaker System is one of the most versatile and solid performing speaker systems on the market with an excellent price point. They do it with an exceptionally aesthetic design as well leaving little more to ask for.

[easyreview title=”GoGroove BassPULSE Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

CES 2016 Photo Gallery

2016/01/19

Ripper71

CES, News, Screenshots / Photos

The press releases have happened, hands have been shaken, products have been showcased, and the press has tried to capture what they can of the information tsunami that was CES 2016. The event is second only to the European show IFA in size and attendance and that is arguable because of how just how much of CES takes place off of official show floor in suites, trailers, and tents. It is so large that it is easy to miss thousands of things while trying to see others. So here is what I managed to see on my running around town making sure to try to see some of my friends who make it out for the event while at the same time seeing the technology of tomorrow from giants such as LG and Panasonic – a glimpse into our future lives… if we can afford it.

Drones, VR headsets, OLED displays, Ultra HD TVs and yet I still got to stop by booths with phone cases and notice trends such as smart cars, larger cupped headphones, and Google Cardboard based headsets. Smart homes have settled heavily in the kitchen with refrigerators and ovens more widely being showcased by larger companies doing things smaller companies did years ago. It’s like a sea of circuses with people like Noel Lee, “The Head Monster” at Monster, spinning on his Segway while spherical video rooms whirl with excitement.

GamingShogun.com walked the great show spaces and small meeting cubicles to try to bring you a visual glimpse of the “Electronic Disneyland” that is opened long enough to wear anyone down and yet never long enough to see everything you want. Just make sure you hit Stern Pinball every year. In the middle of madness, a game of pinball with the same beautiful physics from your childhood still intact will help maintain perspective when walking through the future. This year, they brought back the classic “Whoa Nellie”, a very historical machine with a mischievous subject matter. For now though, remember if you ever hit the show stay hydrated, take vitamins and get your flu shots, though this is a worldly show with worldly ailments as well.

Here is our CES 2016 Photo Gallery

Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 9 Wireless Headset Review

2015/12/28

Ripper71

News, Reviews, Tech News, Tech Review

When I find a headset I like I tend to wear it into the ground. The funny part about writing for GamingShogun.com is I get to try out so many headsets so that I now rotate between them most of the time. Ever so often, one comes along that slows my rotation to a crawl or even a standstill because I just like everything about it so much. The latest headset to do that to me is the Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. ⁹ Wireless headset.

Hands On:
There are a lot of tech specs to list about this headset which will sound like techno voodoo to the layperson’s ears: AM3D’s Zirene Surround Sound, Hyper-fast, Ultra-clean aptX Low Latency Digital Wireless, Soundchip’s Digital Active Noise Cancellation (D-ANC), binaural monitoring activation, Dynamic Source Switching through on-ear switching, and rechargeable, Li-ion battery all with a snappy carrying case. Unless you’re a tech head, that probably made your eyes glaze over a bit. Don’t worry, setup is so easy it just has a bunch of pictures without words and I can tell you what that all will mean to your everyday performance.

First off let’s breakdown what this headset is compatible with: everything Bluetooth as well as most PCs and consoles and devices without Bluetooth. If your PC doesn’t have Bluetooth you will probably have problems using the in game mic and the Xbox One may require an adapter but this headset even works with smart tvs which can be pretty darn handy when watching/gaming in bed with someone sleeping next to you.

So let’s break down the features. AM3D’s Zirene Surround Sound means that is not just true theater quality, it is military grade. This sound setup was designed for F/A-18 fighter pilots to be able to determine enemy targets by the direction of the sound. So instead of hearing the music in your head like you are used to it actually creates a sound landscape that mimics natural environmental hearing. So if the game’s sound is up to snuff then you can actually tell the direction footsteps are or gun shots are coming from as if you were actually in the battlefield. The opportunities for horror gaming alone is substantial, you can hear the creaks and scratching nails, maniacal giggling coming not just from behind you but over your left shoulder… you see the possibilities. If a movie or song is done in true surround sound you will hear the sounds in the area around you instead of in different parts of your head. It’s like you are sitting in the middle of it instead of simply witnessing it.

The Hyper-fast, Ultra-clean aptX Low Latency Digital Wireless audio is a long phrase for no lag or lip sync sound issues. Your voice and sound will match up properly so if you are streaming you won’t looked like a badly dubbed foreign film and you won’t hear a bunch of gunshots after you have been mowed down in game. It’s designed to have a wireless distance of about 33 ft. which seemed conservative upon testing as long as you maintained line of sight though with wall interference became about right (how often do you get 33 ft. from a game and not cross a wall?). If you are taking your game to the spectator level or have a game that relies heavily on sounds to cue you in to dangers this is paramount.

Soundchip’s Digital Active Noise Cancellation (D-ANC) is a fancy system that works with the ear cups to block out everything that isn’t your music, movie game or whatever you are trying to listen to. Whether it is a long bus ride, a tournament or just trying to play your games in a noisy household you can concentrate on what you want to hear.

Along those lines, the binaural monitoring activation does the same thing for your listeners or teammates. Did your family decide to have a blow out fight right in the middle of your raid? Don’t worry there are two mics in your headset, one to pick up your voice and one to figure out the other noises around you and cancel them out. If you are broadcasting or recording at an event this will recognize your mic and block out the thunderous murmur of large convention crowds (if you have never experienced such a thing be grateful though I imagine most of our faithful readers know the sound). If I were walking through a large convention such as CES and waiting for a call I would probably where these listening to music and when my call comes through I can pick it up with the touch of a button on the headset, no wires, and have a good chance that the caller would actually hear me clearly despite the noise. If I am at home and playing a game and see a call has come in on my phone I can hit a button on the headset, again no wires needed and answer the call thanks to the Dynamic Source Switching system on the ear section of the headset.

Now it would be a legitimate concern that all these extra bells and whistles would eat away at the power supply but that is where the last feature mentioned above comes into play, the Li-ion battery. Even with all the techno voodoo we are still looking at about a 20 hour battery life! If you are going more than 20 hours in a row you are running into other problems like fatigue and blood clots. That means it’s time to take a break when the headset decides to.

Last Words:
Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 9 is one of those ultimate headsets that is reaching into the future while you are still getting your head around you daily tech. Wireless, Bluetooth and across the board system compatibility makes it the perfect headset for around the house and on the go. It even looks bad ass. It retails for $159.99 and is available now at Mad Catz official online store.

[easyreview title=”Mad Catz F.R.E.Q. 9 Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]

Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro X Gaming Mouse Review

2015/12/23

Ripper71

News, Peripheral Review, Peripherals News, Reviews

Mad Catz has long been one of the leaders in customization when it comes to gaming mice. At one point, their R.A.T. line even held the world record for the most customizable mouse thanks to the insane amount of configuration adjustments possible. Some adjustments were practically crucial to a gamer’s play while others were just there to make the mouse look cool, not that there is anything wrong with that. Now with the introduction of the Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro X they have added to the customization once more but streamlined other aspects to make every adjustment and innovation directly impact gameplay. The result is what is most likely the best FPS designed mouse ever.

Features:

Your Choice of 3 Hot-Swappable Sensor Units with
Built-In Memory
Magnesium Alloy Chassis is Quick, Light, and Ultra-Tough
Completely Reinvented Optical Scroll Wheel System
Analog scroll wheel Pivot/Strafe and Adjustable Tension
Pro Slide Technology with Teflon and Ceramic Feet
Assign 90 Programmable Commands to ANY Game
Full Suite of Components for Any Gaming Situation

Hands On:
It has been a dream of mine to get hands on with a R.A.T. since the series was started, mainly because I am a rabid gamer but also I am a puzzle geek and the R.A.T. 7 was the ultimate gaming puzzle holding the Guinness Book of World Record’s record for “Most Customizable Mouse” with 1,344 configurations. To me, this was mind boggling tech and I wondered which out of those amazing configurations would be the one to suit me. My luck and finances never allowed me to get ahold of one (I might still one day) but that’s fine since I finally did get my hands on a couple of R.A.T. series mice and by far the most outstanding the the R.A.T. Pro X.

Customization for the sake of customization is cool but it is far better to be have that customization streamlined to key advantages while adding some new ones is a much better prospect. the R.A.T. Pro X still has plenty of adjustable parts but everyone is one that a gamer would argue to be majorly important. The skids on the bottom are changeable to mimimize surface drag dependent on the surface (one is made of ceramic the other is made of Teflon), the palm rest is adjustable to change the mouse’s length or comfort profile, and there are different palm rests, thumb rests and pinky rests that can be easily switched out.

The real keys in adjustment come in the scroll wheel and the main sensor. Besides having three different interchangeable scroll wheels to such your fancy or play style the wheel itself is a marvel of customization. The wheel has it’s own optical sensor enabling it to read the surface independently of the rest of the mouse giving it unique precision and sensitivity. The wheel is reading the surface independently! This enables a brand new ability that is elegant in it’s simplicity yet a huge game changer in the FPS genre: scroll wheel strafing. Imagine you are behind cover, pinned down and you hear a clip change out. Instead of stepping out or relying on other buttons to hopefully provide a lean out you simply slide your finger up onto the scroll wheel and lean it the direction you want and BAM! you pop your enemy while still in cover then smoothly lean back. The speed, ease and simplicity of this move makes it possible to perform it with amazing grace under fire. If you are a hardcore FPS this alone is worth the price of the mouse and combined with the interchangeable wheels and precision reading it’s a no brainer.

The innovations with the mouse don’t stop there. In an attempt to “future proof” the mouse the design allows for interchangeable primary reading sensors on the mouse. You can literally turn it over, pop off the magnetic skids and pull the sensor off and change it out with three module unit choices: Phillips Laser (8200), Pixart Laser (8200) and PixArt Optical (5000). The Phillips module coming with high configurisation for tech heads allowing them to make surface calibrations, rotational angle adjustment, sensor dampening, and lift-off height adjustments. Not being a particularly strong tech head I learned what most of that means from Star Trek and trust me it is impressive.

If you aren’t a huge tech head and just want a laser mouse with a dependent consistency then the PixArt Laser 8200 is the one you will want to use. You will still get angle snapping that allows you to draw a straight line in imaged editing (this feature can also be disabled) and adjustable lift-off height to match your play style but otherwise all of your variables are set and will perform the same time and again allowing you reliable game play.

Finely if you are an old school gamer or addicted to MOBA play then the optic for you is the PixArt Optical 5000 dpi. You get the rotational angle adjustment of the Philips module and the angle snapping feature of the PixArt Laser 8200 but all in an old school optical reading system. All three provide a true dpi for precision use so as to 100% accuracy without firmware tricks or interpolation.

And if you like to have your gameplay programmed through your mouse there 10 programmable buttons with nine profile modes enabling you to have 90 key programs! that will give any other programmable mouse on the market a run for it’s money.

The result is a mouse that will work optimally in any field you want to use it in with the customization you would most desire in a long term use device. The specs on this mouse actually inspire me to become more tech oriented and had me downloading some of the latest FPS games to try out the other two modules and boy is that game a blast with this mouse! Mad Catz has already announced plans to come out with more modules in the future to add to the mouse as needs arise which is how they intend to “future proof” this bad boy.

Last Strafe:

Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro X Gaming Mouse will be the new standard that all other mice are held up to. With it’s “future proofing” and versatility combining with steamlined customization and scroll wheel innovations you may never have to purchase a new mouse again. That’s a bold statement.

[easyreview title=”Mad Catz R.A.T. Pro X Gaming Mouse Review Score” cat1title=”Overall Score (out of 5)” cat1detail=”” cat1rating=”5″ ]