Is the HP Envy x360 compatible with a stylus? (UPDATE)

A good 2-in-1 but...

If you're checking out this post... you're either a regular around here (what's up?!), you're into tech-related postings, or... you're an owner (or potential owner) trying to get a definitive answer as to what in the heck is compatible with the HP Envy x360... as far as a stylus is concerned. I shared in that frustration as the owner of one, so I wanted to dig in to try and find information to shed light on potential solutions for both you and me.

If you have yet to get your hands on one of these 2-in-1 laptops, don't make the quick decision to jump into the purchase of just buying one.

You don't want to end up being one of the people frustrated over the fact that you can't find a compatible pen because HP wasn't specific enough about what's compatible or not... or even if there is any compatibility at all. For example, HP ENVY x360 ABC-Fiction-491Brizzam-Brack might be compatible but HP ENVY x360 ABC-Fiction-492Brizzam-Bracket might not be.

It may not seem like a big deal (to some), but making a purchase under the impression that a stylus is compatible... because you saw a suggestion only to find out that it's not... can be highly annoying (trust me).

The annoyance would probably be higher for active artists who may have purchased a 2-in-1 under the assumption that it may allow for an on-screen drawing experience... beyond that of digital finger painting or the requirement of an attachable drawing tablet. Compatibility must always be spelled out on a product page so that you aren't left scratching your head out of confusion. Since the update (of the 2017 post), HP has removed the stylus options from the suggestions below the products.

So will this thing work with a digital stylus or not?

Answer: Yes (some are compatible)... and I'll show you which ones are (as of 2020).

HP ENVY x360 - 15z-ds100 is compatible with the HP Pen + the HP Tilt Pen.



Compatible products should be showcased under specific products (the products are made by HP so they'd know what is compatible with what), that's the duh of the day that HP has yet to catch on to.

Could you imagine buying a game for a console and having no idea what console generation it was made for? Sure it might show that it's for PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo... but what specific console? Is it available on multiple or just one specific system? Would that be helpful to you or would it just prove to be a frustrating situation?

Under the HP Pen compatibility area, it reads the following:

"HP devices support Windows Ink and Microsoft pen protocol. Available on select HP Spectre, HP ENVY, and HP Pavilion laptop models. See www.hp.com for full list of product features."

Does that mean anything to you? That doesn't give you the full list of actual (factual) laptops the pen is compatible with. You have to dig to figure it out... and that's wrong. Why can't they just show on the freaking page(s) that this HP ENVY x360 Blah Blah Blah is compatible with HP Stylus Blah Blah Blah? Those specifics go along way... so let's get specific for more models... shall we?

Other HP ENVY x360 laptops that are compatible with the HP Pen are:

HP ENVY x360 - 13z-ay000 touch

HP ENVY x360 - 15z-ee000 touch

HP ENVY x360 15t Touch Convertible PC

HP ENVY x360 - 15t-ed000 touch

HP ENVY x360 - 15t touch Best Value (this is also compatible with the HP Tilt Pen)

You might see some HP ENVY x360 Laptops that showcase pens in the image beside... but I'm not listing all of them here because I couldn't find the specific pen that's compatible with those laptops. By the way, since this update... select HP Envy x360 laptops actually include a stylus... which is something that should have always happened. I don't know if the same applies to the ones you buy from resellers but... I can confirm that you're able to do so on HP's site.

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EVENTure Time: Ring of Elysium $60,000 Amazon Cup!!!

Next-gen battle royale reaches milestone during Amazon Cup

Aurora Studio is thrilled to announce that Ring of Elysium has surpassed 7 million downloads according to SteamSpy. The next-gen battle royale found success during its time in Early Access and fully released recently in June. Having first featured a dynamic weather system for players to contend with along with the familiar mechanics of battle royales, Ring of Elysium has since continued to present players with fresh new mechanics with each newly added game mode. The most recent game mode Ashen Eye has players not only facing off against one another but an ever depleting supply of oxygen and features no zone shrinking but intense combat in an ever-moving safe zone.

Ring of Elysium is also proving to be an esports contender with the recent team up with Amazon GameOn for the Amazon Cup. Currently underway, the Amazon Cup features a hefty $60,000 prize pool and is open to players in NA and EU. As revealed in a recent announcement, players entering the Amazon Cup will also have a chance to play against Shroud and Forsen who were announced as wild card team captains for their regions. The Amazon Cup open qualifiers recently began and feature weekly tournaments for both NA and EU players to battle it out for their spot in the Regional Championships, players can sign up to compete from now until the final qualifying week which takes place on August 6.

Following the five-week qualifiers, the regional finals will take place on August 10 in Europe and August 11 in North America. Players will go head to head for their slice of the $30,000 prize pool available for each respective region. The top players in each region will be awarded $15,000 with second place teams receiving $10,000 and third place teams being awarded $5,000. The 4th - 20th place teams will also not be walking away empty-handed as they’ll receive $200 of in-game currency.

For more information on the Amazon Cup or to register to compete visit the official site here.

Brought to you by the... Baby Fu Clothing Co!

Baseball'n #3: 2 - 0?

It's real in the field... and the competition is bringing it. Two games in, are we going to pull come out 2 - 0 or will we take our first L?

Luis is a bit annoyed about his character stats... so I will see how we can change that. Mine suck too, but substitutes might be made in the next game.

Game on... affordably!

Senran Kagura - Peach Beach Splash

Summer is here... and it's time to dial up the sexiness with a splash! - Blu

SENRAN KAGURA PEACH BEACH SPLASH "NO SHIRT, NO SHOES, ALL SERVICE!" SENRAN KAGURA Peach Beach Splash will launch on the PlayStation®4 computer entertainment system this summer with a "No Shirt, No Shoes, All Service" limited edition at retail! This special release will be available at select stores for MSRP $69.99 and will be the only retail version available at launch, while the game will also be released digitally on the PlayStation®Store. In SENRAN KAGURA Peach Beach Splash, when players are in single- player mode, they will choose a team of five from the more than 30 girls available, outfit them with customizable weapons and abilities, and then lead them into lighthearted water gun battles in a variety of combat arenas. Players can also go online to join their friends and take on opposing teams in 5-on-5 team battles as well as survival matches. Attribute cards add another layer of strategy to the water gun war, with over 800 unique cards that grant improved weapons, unique skills, and summonable pets. Players can equip any combination of six skill cards and three pet cards per match for a combo their opponents will never see coming. Come on in; the water's great!

I don't know what they can really bring to the table that we can't play in the previous games. - Luis D. Lucha

The experience from the different stories of each installment... make the games worth buying, if you're interested in the story (or you want to experience updates of the game play). - Blu

Its still going so someone's buying them. - Luis D. Lucha

Senran Kagura is a pretty good franchise, but... I hope to see more growth in the game play that actually shows social interactions in real time between the characters that allow me to really feel like i'm part of the world.

I'm still on the Tomb Raider transformation, because it's one of the best ways to explain how i'd like to see games transform. Senran Kagura does not have to be Tomb Raider, but the depth even in it's wackiness in school, the battlefield and where ever else... would be cool. - Blu

I'd be afraid to ask how they'd use PSVR for a Senran Kagura game, but it would probably be one of their top sellers. - Luis D. Lucha

Shenmue 3... will it succeed? IDK, but...

There are questions surrounding Shenmue 3 and will it be interesting or relevant enough to succeed, but... I think it will work out. There is enough variety out right now gaining enough appreciation in gaming to the point that... I feel Shenmue 3 will be just fine. Also, you can argue about the QTEs (aka Quick Time Events) if you'd like, but... think about it... it's not something that went away with Shenmue, there are more recent games like "Rise of the Tomb Raider" that have them.

Even if i'm a big fan of Shenmue, I can still take a realistic look at the franchise. I don't see the third installment being a game that will feel out dated, but it's not being served up to be outdated... it will merely bring what's known and appreciated in the franchise. Going back to the variety though, I do give credit to indie developers for maintaining the variety in gaming. Shenmue isn't just a left field gaming trying to grab the interest of gamer's with an abstract title either, it's a new installment to a sleeper hit that met unfair circumstances. So for what it's worth, I hope that the lack of restrictions allow it to fly... so much so that it makes Shenmue 1 & 2 worthy of remakes.

Some of you may think... WTF?!, but if we can have some sort of cool incorporation of Shenmue 1 & 2 that gets the audience up to speed... then i'd be cool with the game being released a bit later than the release date. I feel left out in the cold after finishing the 1st installment, so to play part 3... there would be a void if the gap isn't bridged. It would still be more satisfying (for me) to start over with 1 and working my way to part 3 with my stats intact, because I can't transfer my data from my Sega Dreamcast to PC... which is a major sigh. 

Anyway check out the developer reports below and... game on!

Brought to you by the... Baby Fu Clothing Company!

Calling all Space Captains... its time... for Dreadnought!

Greeting Captains... this is the Intergalactic Super Gamer speaking.

Before making way to your ships, I just want to prepare the New captains among you.

Men, Women, Adult Children and plus size renegade Polar Bears Babies(!)... choose your vessels wisely for battle. You will have access to more than 50 playable ships, spread across five distinct classes to build your fleets for departure to the Rings of Saturn and the Red Sands.

Situated in space 60k kilometers above Saturn's largest moon, you will find a battleground that will test your skills as you maneuver around the colossal orbital ring that dominates it's center. Narrow gaps within the superstructure allow ships to cross from one side to the other, but... you must be wary of what dangers lurk on the other side.

The open beta of Dreadnought is available now for Windows PC & in closed beta for the PS4. Like in other free-to-play games... you have the option to buy items. In this case you can purchase specialized Hero Ships, experience boosts (which I hope doesn't promote pay to win) and cosmetic add-ons for your vessels.

Focus on mastering your vessels and actually utilizing team work to succeed (teamwork makes the dream work). Knowing what you can do for your team with the ship you possess... just may tip the battle in your favor if you're going in as a team with that mentality. You will find yourself in close-quarters combat, taking on enemies from long-range and even acting as strategic support. So use those unique specializations of weapons, modules, coatings and decals to open up a meteor sized can of you know... what.

One thing i'd suggest for this game that may add another level of awesome in the future, is to add in FPS ground based battles.

Well... that's all from me, ships don't fly themselves. You're dismissed... game on!

Solo Rival... reviewed!

Before I jump into the specifics of the review, I just want to give a shout out to Matt from Solo's brand communications team for taking the time to reach out. Instead of simply sending a backpack to SDGT, he wanted to find out what my needs were... when it comes to a backpack. From there... he decided the best fit for me is the Solo Rival you see below, so I just wanted to put that out there.

I knew the backpack was coming, but I can't lie... I was excited when it arrived. So join me via the visuals you see here as I open this thing up.

Now that we've got the packaging out of the way... let's jump in.

What you see here is one of Solo’s newest backpacks called the Solo Rival (specifically the ACV700 model).

They have a new Solo Everyday Max backpack… but this one is more in line with what I need.

Feels... sexy. :p

It looks and feels like it was designed with premium quality in mind. The polyester body feels great… along with the cooling air mesh you see lining the inner shoulder straps and back padding… and it even has a reflective strip for visibility. So you should be seen if you have to set out on foot, bike, horseback or whatever else requiring a driver to see you strutting your stuff down the road. A little something extra to protect yourself as you protect your tech.

The Solo Rival has 6 compartments… which includes a fully padded one that can fit up to 17.3" laptops and two hard shell pockets for side storage. These side pockets are a nice size... I can literally slide a game controller into them with no oomph behind it. I have other backpacks but i'd have to put the controller(s) in the main compartment with my laptop and headphones. Considering the fact that I absolutely hate when things scrub up against my laptop... the space this backpack has is a plus.

The Solo Rival is good for work or play, whether that be locally, a work convention or even a game event. I put this backpack to use recently when my wife gave birth (new dad in the house!). I tossed a few days of clothing inside, my laptop, game controller, Bluetooth headphones, documents, snacks... and was ready to go with room to spare.

I wasn't going to bring a wired gaming headset because I needed to be ready for action often, but a fold-able gaming headset would be able to fit into one of the two side pockets with no problem.

For tablet owners... you have a sleeve built into one of the compartments for an extra layer of safety, as well as a compartment for stationary (I'm sure fellow artists can appreciate this). While I could say that's something of a basic i'd expect, it's not in all backpacks... so its appreciated. Another nifty little feature is the headphone port that allows you to run your wired headphones to your phone in the designated pocket of the backpack. I don't care to hold my phone all the time so this works especially when I have wired headphones on deck.

As you see by these images... you can fit quite a bit of stuff in this bag, which is perfect for game events like E3 that have a lot of great freebies and buys so you aren't stuck holding bags in your hands.

Two of my favorite features when it comes to the backpack are the top compartment... which reminds me of a standard pocket on my pants and the chest strap. These may seem like little things, but when i'm traveling, things like that top compartment would come in handy for change and other things I need to quickly access without having to do a full unzip. Also at the airport when I need to empty my pockets, that compartment is in a great place to store items so I can just flow. 

When it comes to the chest strap... I really enjoy having these options on backpacks because it makes a world of difference in balancing it out while on your back. Some of you may have carried book bags at school and had to deal with the sagging that required you to constantly pull the bag back up... or you had to hold it in that place in order to maintain comfort. I didn't like it then and I don't like it now, so I appreciate it when chest straps are available.



Two more things you may like about this backpack are it's warranty... and the price.

This bad boy comes with a 5 year warranty. Yeah... Solo's not playing around. I've seen a 1 year warranty on some, while others have none (that cost more)... so I thought this was pretty awesome.

Speaking of cost, the Solo Rival retails for $79.99 and goes the extra mile in comparison to others I've come across at this price point. So you're getting a pretty good deal regarding quality, comfort and usability.

One thing I don't like about this backpack though... is the neck area. While it's not horrible, Solo made great design decisions that should've also included areas on the straps that contour around the neck for increased comfort. It's not a deal breaker at all (many backpacks are lack this)... but who knows, maybe that will be ushered into a newer model of the Solo Rival.



Design: 4
Quality: 5
Comfort:4
Price: 5

Usability: 5 

I rate the Solo Rival a 4.5 out of 5. So if you want to get your hands (or should I say your "back"?) on this backpack, it should work out quite well for you and your needs.

Thank you so much for checking out this review... and for more info on the Solo Rival backpack, go to: http://solo.net/active-17-3-backpack/

Soundwave is now available in... Transformers: Forged to Fight!

Today, Kabam released another Transformer into the battle. Soundwave is his name, Transformers: Forged to Fight is the game... and since he's all about loyalty to Megatron's cause... you know he's a Decepticon.

Soundwave is a Communications Officer... who aims to please Megatron as often as possible. His special ability... the Sonic Shield, is probably something you'd want to look out for. Not only does it protect Soundwave of incoming attacks, but it has the chance of reflecting those on-coming range attacked... sending them right back at cha.

The kicker: Reflected attacks will deal 140% their original damage... so, yeah... watch out.

If you aren't familiar with this game, its presented as an AAA 3D HD action-fighting RPG... for mobile. You're able to build your own teams utilizing Autobots & Deceptions from animated shows, films, comic books, etc. So if you're a Transformers fan or simply want to try out the game... check it out on GooglePlay or the AppStore.

Fun fact: I met a Voice Actor for Optimus Prime once (I believe it was Peter Cullen, but it could've been Frank Welker... because I remember something about Scooby-Doo).

Brought to you by the... Baby Fu Clothing Company & Customyze!

Windows 10 Subpar edition?

This one is for the PC gamers and Windows PC users open to reading criticism about Microsoft, so take a seat fan boys and girls! - Yang

Some of you might read the title of this post and believe i'm going to lay in a nice chunk of negativity on the Windows 10 S. You'd be right(!), but... it's not all bad, so keep on reading.

I have a laptop running on Windows 10, but it's not a Surface Laptop... or at least a laptop that allows for digital pens to be used. That's one of the things I admire about the Surface... minus the screen size (I prefer a bigger screen). I say that to say that if it had a bigger screen I probably would've went with a Surface if the price was right... but if I were to get a new lappy this year... it probably wouldn't be running Windows 10 S. I'll explain what I mean by... probably.

If the price is right on a laptop running Windows 10 S with... the right specs and features that... interest me, I'd probably bite with the aim of getting the Windows 10 Pro. My reason to buy wouldn't include a lot of the crap Microsoft mentioned about the Windows 10 S... because that stuff exists in the Windows 10 OS running on my system now.

"Every Windows 10 PC includes built-in enterprise grade security with Windows Defender." - Microsoft

I'd advise not to buy under the assumption that Windows 10 S is somehow more secure. Buy knowing that it's going to be LIMITED to apps available in the Windows App Store and get the pro if you don't want what (kinda) feels like the... second coming of the Surface RT.

A plus of Windows 10 S succeeding is the increase in apps... which should increase the number of quality ones. Should as in... it better, and I see the most affordable ones assisting in that department (which may take on Chromebooks), but... try to avoid paying a lot if you plan on sticking with this version. That would be a waste in my opinion.

A really cheap option with some pretty good specs is probably the only thing that would get me to bite, and it wouldn't be a stretch to go Pro(... aka unlock the gate of what it should be in the first place). I really look down on the more expensive Windows 10 S devices though... because all laptops that pass a certain price point should be Pro. I'm talking $300 and up (maybe even $400 minimum... to be nice).

Unlike Chrome OS... Microsoft's OS didn't have those closed doors (aka Windows App Store only) that they're requiring additional money to bypass now. Hardware companies are the ones that hold the power... they just aren't wielding it on this front, to merely fight for what's right.

• $189 Windows 10 S laptop that gets the job done for emails, surfing the web and other basic tasks... cool (add another $100 to $150 if I can use a digital pen).

• $999 - $2199 for an official Windows 10 S Surface laptop that Microsoft doesn't even have the decency to upgrade to Pro (even at that price point)? Hell... to the capital N-O! I can get better for less... that allows me to use Chrome browser, Steam, Origin, uPlay, etc.

So don't take away from this that i'm hating on Microsoft. Take away from this... things to look out for, especially if you were under the impression that the Windows 10 S was the latest and greatest OS from Microsoft.

This post is especially important for the gamer's out there expecting to just pick up and go with an existing game library on something other than purchases from the Windows App Store (via Windows 10 S).

Now that you know (if you didn't know already)... game on!

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