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TABLET SHOWDOWN ST E T R E P U S
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Everything the audiophile needs to improve their digital listening experience. ISSUE 2 | APRIL 2014 | HTXT.CO.ZA
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Contents ISSUE #02
NEED TO KNOW: NEWS
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THE 2ND ISSUE OF TECH MADE EASY!
H
ard to believe that we’re already on our second issue of htxt.africa’s Tech Made Easy. Let’s start by thanking you all for the amazing feedback we got over the course of March. Not only were there hundreds of entries into our 3D printer competition (and you can still enter this, on page 32) but we’ve also had loads of emails and feedback at forum.htxt.co.za congratulating us on a job well done. It’s really quite humbling, and makes us all the more committed to even better coverage of local and international tech. So what have we got for you this month? A huge grouptest of the very best tablets money can buy? A comparison of the best starter lenses for DSLR novices? Or maybe a set of beginners’ guides to subjects like mobile phone photography, mastering YouTube, and keeping the kids safe on the internet? How about all that and much, much more? That’s what we’ve got for you this issue. And if you head over to our website at htxt.co.za you’ll get almost the same amount of great stuff in this one magazine every single Operator’s sub-R500 Steppa is firs day. See you there! t of its kind.
MTN launches supercheap smartphone
M
obile operator MTN has launched South Africa’s first Android-powered smartphone that’s available on pre-pay for less than R500. It certainly an African first, and may even a world one: as far as we know, there’s no other smartphone in this class PUBLISHER: Brett Haggard – brett@htxt.co.za available for less than $50 anywhere. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Adam Oxford – adam@htxt.co.za That makes it quite a milestone in MANAGING EDITOR: Tiana Cline - tiana@htxt.co.za putting high-tech handsets within the HARDWARE: David Greenway – david@htxt.co.za reach of everyone. Which is awesome. GAMES: Deon du Plessis – deon@htxt.co.zaThe phone itself isn’t, of course, hugely WRITER: Lungelo Shezi – lungelo@htxt.co.za powerful. It’s based on a Qualcomm reference design, so it has a 1GHz single SENIOR DESIGNER: Quinton Hoffmann – quinton@htxt.co.za core Snapdragon processor, a 3.5in ch DESIGNER: Jessica Hurwitz – jess@htxt.co.za screen and a mere 2MP camera on board. More limiting is the fact that there’s ADVERTISING: Dorothy Haggard – dorothy@hypertext.co.za only 512MB of memory and 1GB of storag Sengezo Jubane – sengezo@hypertext.co.za e on-board. The screen is a decent enough multitouch affair, which takes up most
Adam Oxford Editor-in-Chief htxt.africa
It’s a milestone which puts hightech handsets within the reach of everyone…
32
of the front of the device. There’s no physical keyboard. It also runs a positively ancient versio n of Google’s Android OS, Gingerbre ad. Still, that does still mean it’s able to access BlackBerry Messenger, which is hugel y
important for South Africa. Sadly, MTN has confir med that there ’s no plans to upgrade the Steppa to a more recent version of Android, although local hackers are investigating the possib ility of unlocking the phone and flashing a custom firmware. There’s an FM radio though, along with a microSD port for upgrading the storag e. What you don’t get, however, is a fast HSPA radio for high speed internet access – you’ll have to settle for plain old 3G. All in all, though, it’s a heck of a phone for the price. Not even Nokia can come close with its Asha range of semismartphones, which start at about R799 and don’t have access to half the numb er of apps and services the Steppa has. Like the sound of this super budget smartphone? See our full review at
29
WHAT IS THAT ‘Bit.ly’ STUFF ALL ABOUT?
htxt.africa’s Tech Made Easy is Bit.ly shortens web addresses, produced by: Hypertext Media, 102 on 11th, making easierCAU to paste them CLIMATE CHA NGEitWILL SE MORE Highlands North, 2192, Johannesburg STORM DAM AGE into character-limited services IN SA More news at Two scientists from Contact Us: like Twitter or Facebook. They Wits have ed a paper Email: info@hypertext.co.za also serve aspublish shortcuts to which web says that South Africa may be at pages with long Type go to htxt.co.za Tel: (011) 023-8001/4 increasaddresses. ed risk of tropica l storm damag the Bit.ly URL seen e. in the exerpt Fax: 08654 83304 All content is licensed under a Creative 6 | TECH MADE EASY | MARCH 2014 Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 3.0 Unported Licence. For other uses, please contact info@htxt.co.za
2 | TECH MADE EASY | MARCH 2014
I am a cy 6kR for clpictured one intoBit.ly your/Nww browser, forming over Madagasexample, and you’ll go directly car
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FACEBOOK BUYS WHATSAPP FOR R200BN Facebook has just dived into its war chest again to make another big purchase, this time it’s buying the popular messaging service WhatsApp. Bit.ly/1nPD8wj
Typ e into this c you ode r bro web wse r
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www.htxt.co.za April 2014 Need to know
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The news you have to have hear about
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Anatomy of phone phishing Beware of online scammers News round-up New online archive tells the story of UK’s anti-apartheid movement Awarenet taking free online courses to rural schools in SA Apple’s CarPlay brings iOS to the road Jozi is more selfie obsessed than Cape Town Standard Bank re-launches its tablet apps A South African first: Homegrown movie gets locally-made game tie-in Developer makes goat game demo as a joke, gamers love it Russia could be the setting for the next Assassin’s Creed game Elite: Dangerous Previewed 2014 is the year of the space opera
The best reviews
Hardware, games, mobile, more…
44
16 24 24 26
Which tablet computer should I buy? We help you decide between Android, Windows and more DJ Zinhle Rocka Headphones Rocka’s new pair for the queen of the decks Avantree Qi Compatible Mobile Wireless Charger Because cables are silly Thief All that glitters is not gold
29 31
The LEGO Movie Videogame Another block-busting beauty from TellTale Mobile games What you can play on your smartphone?
Photos made easy Special section for serious snappers
35 39 44
Photo news What’s new in cameras this month? Super Superzooms Which lens gets the go? How to take better pictures with your phone Because we’re all now pros with our pocket devices
How to...
The ultimate guides to making tech work
47 49 50
Create a YouTube Playlist Save your favourite videos in one easy place Pocket Productivity 5 apps to make you smarter Safe surfing smarts for your kids Top tips from Google to keep your family online
The stuff at the back Rounding off the new mag nicely
53 54 56
Infographic Who should I vote for? Subscribe Get htxt.africa’s Tech Made Easy delivered to your door. This month in numbers... SA tech in stats
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 3
MediaShare Wireless Portable wireless streaming for your tablet or smartphone
STORE, STREAM & SHARE...Anywhere! Tablets and smartphones are often limited by their built-in storage capacity and their ability to access content saved elsewhere. With the MediaShare Wireless, you can access and enjoy your files without wires or an internet connection. STREAM • Connect up to 5 devices to the MediaShare and share video, music, photos and data. USB/SD CONNECTION • Built-in USB port and SD Memory slot allows easy access to content from a USB drive, portable hard drive or SD memory card*. WIRELESS BRIDGE • Upload and download content wirelessly to and from your tablet or smartphone. RECHARGING FOR SMARTPHONES • The integrated 3000mAh battery can be used as a powerpack for your smartphone.
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Mitsubishi Chemical holdings Group
NEED TO KNOW: NEWS
WHAT IS PHISHING? Pronounced like fishing, phishing is a term used to describe scamming users by sending e-mails or creating web pages that are designed to collect an individual’s online bank, credit card, or other login information. Because these e-mails and web pages look like legitimate companies users trust them and enter their personal information.
Anatomy of phone phishing How one South African lost R7 800 to an online scam.
“I
received a phone call on my landline, from a lady saying she is from Microsoft and she wanted to inform me that my laptop had been invaded. She said they wanted to sort it out and then she got a man on the line who asked me a couple of questions and he then went into my computer.” Tom Bakker is just one of an unknown many number of people who’ve lost substantial sums of money to online fraudsters. Specifically, he’s a victim of a scam which is so endemic it caused Microsoft to issue a very public warning about its use back in February. In purpose, it’s nothing more than the age-old snake oil scam. Conmen dressed up as doctors who promise you riches and health, but whose medicine is worse than the disease it purports to cure. In practice, it’s relies on people’s general ignorance about how technology works. On 3rd February, says Bakker, he received a call on his landline telephone from a woman he’d never met. She claimed she was calling from Microsoft and was calling to inform him that his laptop had been compromised and all his personal details had been lifted by online hackers. “She didn’t explain how my laptop had been invaded but said they wanted to sort it out and then she got a man on the line.” explained Bakker. “He said he worked for a company called Global IT and asked me
More news at go to htxt.co.za
“For the most part, giving over your credit card details to an unsolicited caller is enough to allow for someone to make withdrawals on your account…” a couple of questions including my log in details and then went into my computer.” The man from Global IT proceeded to ask Bakker’s for his bank account and credit card details, then told Bakker it would cost just R400 to cover his laptop for a lifetime’s virus-free guarantee. After Bakker paid up, the helpdesk operator used a remote desktop (RDP) feature to log into Bakker’s machine over the internet and take control of the computer, purportedly in order to disinfect the desktop of malware. “Another guy came along and wreaked havoc on my laptop and when they were finished, my laptop looked normal with Microsoft icons and Microsoft security systems. I fell for it.” Two days later, large sums of money began vanishing from Bakker’s account. At
FREE ANDROID CAMERA APP CAN STEAL R500/MONTH FROM YOU CVN is a free night vision camera app that creates over saturated bad images of dark rooms, while also charging users up to €36 a month.
Bit.ly/1oI1fgM
first, there was a withdrawal of R4 000. Then there was an attempt to take out an additional R4 000 and a further R3 800 in separate transaction. As the withdrawal notices came in, Baker realised something was wrong. “I contacted my bank to do an investigation,” he says, “R3 800 was already pending for withdrawal but my bank had already blocked the other R4 000.” Bakker ruefully admits that he fell too easily for the scam and that he hadn’t heard of it before it happened to him. “These guys had American accents... I wouldn’t have fallen for it but because they were American, I took them seriously. I was just stupid enough to fall for everything.” For the most part, giving over your credit card details to an unsolicited caller is enough to allow for someone to make withdrawals on your account - as appears to have happened to Bakker. But while logged into his machine, the callers also removed his security programs and installed their own malware designed to capture things like bank login details and other online passwords - all of which will be likely added to lists that are bought and sold amongst criminals. As for Bakker, he’s still struggling to get his money back. “I am now waiting to see if my bank can retrieve the money that is pending,” he says, “In the meantime I’ve changed my email address and my cheque card.”
“GENERATOR” IS MOST POPULAR SHOPPING SEARCH AT BIDORBUY Lucked out from load shedding? Local online auction house and store Bidorbuy has reported a marked increase in the number of searches for generators. Bit.ly/1iuHdED
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 5
NEED TO KNOW: NEWS
Awarenet taking free online courses to rural schools in SA
C
an South Africa harness the wealth of knowledge and highly polished teaching tools that are available for free to anyone with an internet connection and a laptop to improve the quality of education in rural schools? That’s what educational NPO awarenet is hoping to find out. It’s just added classes from the Khan Academy‘s KALite, a project which takes content from Khan Academy and makes it available offline, to its repertoire of tools that it supplies to schools in the area. A year or so ago, you couldn’t move on the internet for stories about massively open online courses (MOOCs) and how they were going to revolutionise education. Major universities from all over the world designed courses specifically to be taught online, replacing traditional teachers with well-crafted videos, presentations and student-to-student support forums. While the media has moved on a bit, however, MOOCs remain strong. Coursera courses are now available on an iPhone, Codecademy continues to add new programming languages to its web-based classes and Khan Academy reckons it gets around 10 million students a month looking at its online programs. KALite is an open source, offline tool which gives schools that lack internet access the ability to use Khan Academy’s courses on local computers. Developed by Learning Equality, as well as hosting videos and other learning materials, it allows students and teachers to share feedback and quizzes easily. awarenet, which is run by the Village Scribe Association (VSA), is a program designed to bring digital tools to underprivileged schools in order to improve education. It works in several ways, through online course materials and creating a social network for teachers and students to share over, and by encouraging the schools it supports to get involved in other events – like the current science festival in Grahamstown. VSA also sets up partnerships between underprivileged schools in South Africa with better-off ones in Europe. Dr Anna Wertlen, one of the founders of awarenet, says that the Khan Academy tools should make the awarenet program more attractive for potential funders so that they can expand their work into more rural schools.
More stories at go to htxt.co.za
6 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
Standard Bank re-launches its tablet apps
S
tandard Bank recently held an event in Johannesburg where the group re-launched its banking application with a new tablet app for iOS and Android. The new app was built with heavy input from its customers to help them “do banking at any time” without having to go into branches. The tablet app is being released for iPads and Android tablets with display sizes larger than 7-inches. The new banking applications will allow for a customisable homescreen that will let users change around and rename all of the tiles to keep the information that is most relevant to them exactly where they want it. New features include the ability to see both on-shore and off-shore investments that customers of the bank have as well as some new personal finance management features that allows for, what Standard Bank is calling, “impulse saving” which allows for a new savings account to be opened with one click to help invest excess funds. Standard bank will also be offering free WiFi in branches to allow its customers to bank using the app from within the branches for free.
GOOGLE NOW IS AVAILABLE FOR YOUR DESKTOP BROWSER Google Now takes its cue from your calendar, your Gmail and from information you supply it with to keep track of the important things in your life. Bit.ly/1eO5h6c
THE DVD STORE ISN’T DEAD, IT JUST NEEDS TO CHANGE Barry Hilton is a big fan of the DVD rental model “It’s a very good and cost-effective way to entertain your family and not everyone has DStv. Bit.ly/1eO5KVT
NEED TO KNOW: NEWS
New online archive tells the story of UK’s anti-apartheid movement
T
he involvement of organisations, movements, artists, students and ordinary citizens in the UK in the fall of apartheid became heightened and more recognised around the 80s, but did you know that these anti-apartheid campaigns began as far back as the 60s? A new website, called AAMArchives, that tells the stories of the anti-apartheid movement in the UK has just been launched, offering a library of archives containing videos, photos and articles. AAMArchives aims to educate and bring to light historical facts and recounts
of the movement between 1959 to 1994 as part of its education project that includes a pop-up exhibition and learning resources. You can watch and listen to interviews with leaders and former activists who were involved in the movement, read up on the various groups and organisations that were set up and view a timeline of the campaigns over the decades. There are also a number of videos including footage of the famous Mandela Concert held at Wembley Stadium in 1988 in celebration of Mandela’s 70th birthday.
Apple’s CarPlay brings iOS to the road
G
et ready to see iOS in new cars some time in the next few months now that Apple has entered the vehicular entertainment world with CarPlay. The feature that was first announced at Apple’s WWDC conference last year, with the promise that it would appear in cars before the end of 2014. True to its word, the first CarPlay equipped models from some of the manufacturers that have signed on with Apple made their debuts this week at the Geneva Motor Show. Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo all showed off some form of CarPlay integration on their stands which coincided with Apple putting the official CarPlay page live on its website. CarPlay is scheduled to be a part of an upcoming iOS 7 update and will only be available to iPhone users who
THE NSA HAS BEEN SPYING ON HUAWEI FOR YEARS The NSA attempted to create the same type of ‘back door’ into Huawei’s products that it had used to ban the sales of the Chinese built products. Bit.ly/1ryx0gA
have an iPhone 5 or newer and for the moment only works through a physical connection via Thunderbolt cable. The features touted include a Siri button that will be integrated into the steering wheel of the cars which will allow for dictation of messages and search queries to Apple’s online virtual assistant. Third-party app makers like Stitcher and Spotify have ensured that their applications are already CarPlay ready which gives them each an icon on the CarPlay display inside of the car. South Africans hoping to buy a new car with CarPlay integration might be facing a bit of a wait before we’ll see it with only 13 countries slated for the initial release and, as with everything Apple makes, South Africa is not one of those lucky enough to be included in the first wave of the release.
Jozi is more selfie obsessed than Cape Town
I
t’s official. Johannesburg contains more mildly narcissistic Instagram users per capita than Cape Town. This shocking news is courtesy of TIME who conducted two separate five-day investigations into which city was the ‘selfiest city’ in the world. The winner was Makati City in the Philippines, and while there are five South African cities that made it into the 459-citylong list, none of them even managed to break into the top 300. To make up the list TIME looks at any city with more than a quarter of a million residents that had posted at least 25 selfies and looked for any matching pictures within eight kms to make up the list. Over 400 000 qualifying images were captured over the ten days on Instagram which had to have both the #selfie hashtag as well as having the location data open for anyone to see. This of course means that anyone who didn’t tag their selfies or who would rather post selfies from a private location would have been left out of the survey. The amount of selfies per city was then divided by the population of the city to work out the SPC (selfies per capita).
The Winners
Makati City and Pasig, Philippines 258 selfie-takers per 100,000 people Manhattan, N.Y. 202 selfie-takers per 100,000 people Miami, Fla. 155 selfie-takers per 100,000 people
South Africa
Johannesburg 7 selfie-takers per 100,000 people Cape Town 6 selfie-takers per 100,000 people
SAMSUNG OPENS DIGITAL VILLAGE IN COSMO CITY
EXPLORE NASA’S 650 BILLION PIXEL MOON MAP
Residents will get education and healthcare services through renewable and environmentally sustainable solutions. Bit.ly/1ee6kJ8
The moon map is made up of 10 581 separate high-res pictures taken over a period of four years by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. Bit.ly/1m5DShu
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 7
NEED TO KNOW: GAMES
Developer makes goat game demo as a joke, gamers love it
A
A South African first: Homegrown movie gets locally-made game tie-in
H
ere’s something that’s never happened before: a locally-made movie is getting a locally-made tie-in game. The movie, Khumba, is an animated flick that released in October last year. It’s about a stripe-deficient zebra who has to brave the dangers of the Karoo to earn the rest of his stripes and save his herd from a drought. It was made by Triggerfish Animation Studios who has teamed up with an Indie developer based in Cape Town called SIJO Studios to produce a game based on the movie. Khumba: The Game is a “3D platform adventure” for Android and iOS that takes players through 15 levels inspired by various locations in the movie. The challenge is to collect water droplets along the way while avoiding environmental obstacles, enemies and defeating level-ending bosses. It’s out on Android, iOS and the Samsung App Store and will cost you less than R20.
German company is busy pumping out everything from Street Sweeping Simulator to Car Mechanic Simulator, and last year a tongue-in-cheek game about performing surgery in a moving ambulance hit Steam, to much acclaim and popularity. Now, things are getting even stranger: a Goat Simulator has been spotted in the wild. Originally a tech demo put together by the studio behind the Sanctum series of games (Coffee Stain Studios), Goat Simulator is a computer sim where players get to control - you guessed it - a goat. It’s hilarious and it’s made using the popular Unreal 3 Engine - it even has a brutal bucket headshot, and the goat protagonist climbing ladders as well as a hillarious trailor inspired by Dead Island. Want more? Goat Simulator is now download via Steam for about R110.
Russia could be the setting for the next Assassin’s Creed game
T
here have been numerous hints about the location of the next Assassin’s Creed game from a variety of sources. IGN has reported that Jade Raymond, one of Ubisoft Toronto’s top people said that the next AC game won’t take place in feudal Japan, but that it would take place in her “favourite historical era”. Assassin’s Creed Initiates, the Ubisoft-founded, community-oriented online place “for all things Assassin’s Creed” recently tweeted cryptic information last week that gave legs to the rumour that AC5 could be set in Russia. Decoding the first string of characters simply requires conversion from
Hex to text, the second string is clearly a GPS co-ordinate in Russia. But it’s not just Russia in the running for possible setting for AC5: a possibly-fake press release that mentioned the Industrial Revolution and Victorian-era London as a setting was also spotted on Tumblr by quick-witted internet denizens. Other interesting rumours include the possibility of Ubisoft releasing two AC-themed games this year, one for the PS4 and Xbox One, and another for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, as hinted at by Ubisoft Sofia producer Momchil Valentinov Gindyanov in an interview with Examiner.com in December 2013.
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NEED TO KNOW: GAMES
Elite: D Previe
The latest patch for David Braben’s ambitious spacesim is now live.
T
he Alpha 3 patch for Elite: Dangerous is now available, adding systems, space stations and jumps to David Braben’s ambitious space-sim that has thus far only showcased the game’s combat mechanics in separate instances to the game’s Kickstarter backers. Alpha 3 adds some much-needed stitching together of the game’s scenarios by making those instances physical locations in space that can be jumped to, rather than simply individual levels accessed from the main menu. Jumping lacks fancy graphical effects, but ships still visibly warm up and their exhaust vents open before jumping, illustrating the heat mechanic so important to the game. In true Elite style, the new space stations are nothing short of spectacular, except this time they’re high-polygon models with superb detailing. They’re absolutely huge, too, and players can fly their ships inside the stations without any sort of loading screen separating them from outside space. To interact, players must find their allocated landing bay and then land their ships themselves - no automatic hand-holding here.
More news at go to htxt.co.za
10 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
MOZILLA KILLS FIREFOX FOR WINDOWS 8 METRO Mozilla will kill off the Firefox browser for Windows 8’s tiled interface because it was seeing less than 1000 people a day the app. Bit.ly/Nqj8EW
GALAXY S4 POWERED LEGO ROBOT SMASHES RUBIK’S CUBE WORLD RECORD A pair of English engineers have managed to create the Rubik’s Cube solving, world recordbreaking, Cubestormer 3 robot out of LEGO Mindstorm sets. Bit.ly/1iY7NKS
NEWS
: Dangerous viewed In true Elite style, the new space stations are nothing short of spectacular, except this time they’re high-polygon models with superb detailing.
Trading is still yet to be implemented, but Alpha 3 lets players sell any cargo they pick up from destroyed AI ships, and use the cash to upgrade their ships. Why is all this important? Because it means Elite: Dangerous is one major step closer to being released (current estimate: later this year), a momentous event in the lives of anyone who played the first two Elite games way back in the 80s and 90s. Technology has finally reached a point where the game’s creator can flex his creative muscles and make the game he’d always envisioned, unfettered by technological limitations, and David Braben with access to modern graphics and processor technologies is like giving Leonardo da Vinci access to MIT.
SPACE OPERAS 2014 is looking to be a brilliant year for fans of games set in space, that let them explore, fight, mine, and amass a virtual fortune while constantly discovering new and interesting things.
STAR CITIZEN Star Citizen goes against everything “suits” know about gaming today. It’s a PC-exclusive, simulationheavy, complex and incredibly challenging openworld sci-fi game where you play as a pilot in a vast universe full of mystery. Trading, fighting, piracy, law-enforcement, everything is open to you however you want to play is how you can play. You can play together with others in a persistent online world, or you can go it alone in a single-player portion of the game. If you have enjoyed any space simulator in the made in the last 20 years, you’re going to love Star Citizen.
EVE: VALKYRIE EVE’s developer is working hard on another game set in the EVE universe called EVE: Valkyrie, and it’s a dog-fighting sim where you step into the boots of a fighter pilot and take on other pilots - also real people - in a test of flying skill. What sets Valkyrie apart is that it’s going to be the very first Oculus Rift game. That’s right, Valkyrie is going to support the world’s latest Virtual Reality headset, and really, really immerse you in its jets’ cockpits like no other game before it. Well that’s the hope, anyway.
Afraid yet? In space, no one can hear you scream!
MAN RAISES OVER $42,000 FOR HIS BEAR GAME
NEW UPDATE BRINGS WELCOME CHANGES TO THE PS VITA
Play in FPB (First Person Bear) and do bear-like things which include exploring, eating fish and plants, Bit.ly/1gp0Xvk
Manage memory card content like game data and saved games without jumping through hoops. Bit.ly/1fi8g3F
ENTROPY If you like the idea of a space-based dogfighting game where you play against millions of other gamers, Entropy might be to your liking. It’s currently out on Steam’s Early Access programme, so it’s not quite finished yet, but it’s in a playable state and it’s looking pretty good. It’s another take on the fly, fight, mine, trade theme and while it still has a way to go before it’s properly fleshed out, right now it’s a pretty decent space dogfighting sim that relies more on player skill than it does on their ship or how much money they’ve amassed in-game. Bit.ly/QeNPPu
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 11
must-have music gadgets Love audio? Here are some items to enhance your listening experience and then some. TOOKS DRYFIT HEADBAND Sure, you could pull a normal beanie over your existing headphones, but you won’t be as comfortable as you could be in a Tooks headphone headband. For a stylish audio accessory that’s perfect for the upcoming colder months, these soft headbands look as good as they sound. Made from wool and acrylic, they come with neat little pockets in the lining to keep the speaker buds safe. And if you’re not in the mood for music, the headband also doubles up as an elegant earmuff because the headphones are removable. Available in black, navy, grey, brown, and pink.
R899 Bit.ly/1gtgXHq
SOUND ASLEEP PILLOW Want to catch up on your podcasts and sleep at the same time? Meet the pillow with an embedded speaker and a 3.5mm jack that will enable you to plug in everything from your smartphone to your TV into it. The sunken speaker system means it can be heard, but not felt which means it’s perfect for listening to audio books, learning a foreign language or even watching TV in bed without disturbing your partner.
ISHOWER Now you can take your shower singalong to the next level with this waterproof device. The iShower connects via Bluetooth to the music apps on your phone or tablet, it also can pair with five different users which means the whole family can enjoy bathroom karaoke.
R2599.95 Bit.ly/1gxQrRH
R250 Bit.ly/1hr65fD
PUMA PRO PERFORMACE SPORT HEADPHONES When all your dinner party guests are saying no to a glass of vino because they have to get up for a run in the morning, you know their number one music accessory is a quality pair of headphones. We choose Puma’s Pro Performance sporty-looking earbuds. With adjustable ear hooks and an inline mic, they come out top for the track.
R599.95 Bit.ly/1gxQrRH
12 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
GRIFFIN COILED AUX CABLE When music radio is all talk and no tunes, one way to get your playlist into your car or home stereo is with a cable. This colourful and curly option from Griffin is simple but necessary. Available in fluorescent blue, yellow, orange and pink, this AUX cable stretches up to 1.8m in length.
R199.95 Bit.ly/1gEswMV
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TABLET SUPERTEST
WHICH…
Tablet computer
UY? SHOULD YOU B Just like a laptop or mobile phone, there’s a lot to consider when buying a tablet. Android? Windows? Apple? Let us help you make the right choice.
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he year was 2010, Mzansi was feverishly gearing up for the FIFA World Cup being hosted in the middle of the year and the iPad was launched. That’s right, the iPad has only been around for a shade over 4 years this year and yet Apple’s iconic entry into the larger display format has changed the way that we define personal computers. Today there is a seemingly limitless array of tablets to choose from however there are just seven are good enough to make it into our supertest and, of course, only one winner. Amazon’s Kindle brand will be better known to most readers for its ereaders, but the ecommerce giant’s Kindle Fire HD tablet will square off against Sony’s premium Xperia Tablet Z. ASUS builds two of the competitors in our supertest with the Windows 8 powered ASUS T100 convertible offering a vastly different proposition to the Google commissioned Nexus 7 Android tablet. Apple latest duo on the tablet front, the larger iPad Air and the Retina display equipped iPad Mini, are both in contention but must face off against the impressive, albeit relatively new entrant into the market, Lenovo’s 8-inch Yoga Tablet.
16 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
TABLET SUPERTEST
APPLE IPAD AIR Apple’s iPad has undoubtedly always been one of the sexiest tablets but the iPad Air has taken it to the next level. The Air is the iPad that Apple has always wanted to produce but until now has lacked the technology to get everything perfect. At less than 500 grams the new iPad Mini mimicking design allows the Air to shed 28% of the weight and 20% of the thickness that the model it replaces was forced to tote around. Powering the iPad Air is the latest generation A7 processor from Apple
THE BENCHMARK IN TABLETS REFINED
which ensures that everything runs smoothly no matter the task. The same gorgeous Retina display we know and love from the last two generations of iPad returns along with the now famous ten hour iPad battery life that has been such a large part of what makes iPads such fantastic tablets.
DETAILS Design
9
Performance
10
Value for Money
8
Overall
9
From R5 999 The new processor and smaler specs make the Air a lighter, faster tablet.
APPLE IPAD MINI WITH RETINA DISPLAY MINI IN NAME, NOT IN FEATURES The original iPad Mini was a fantastic tablet, but its users had overwhelmingly requested one upgrade for the diminutive tablet from Apple, a Retina display. Thus was born the new iPad Mini with Retina display, an infinitely better version of the full size iPad for those with single handed usage tendencies. The Retina display equipped iPad Mini manages to squeeze the same phenomenal 2048 x 1536 resolution of the iPad Air into a smaller 7.9 inch display. The iPad Mini also shares the same Apple made A7 processor as well as all of the other internal bits and bobs with its bigger brother as well, so
the only way to choose between them now is your size preference.
DETAILS Design
9
Performance
10
Value for Money
8
Overall
9
From R4 999 All the better to see you with. Bit.ly/1pT4PXR
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TABLET SUPERTEST
AMAZON KINDLE FIRE HD 8.9
THE MOVIE WATCHER’S TABLET DELIGHT The 8.9-inch Kindle Fire HD is geared specifically to consuming video content and the gorgeous full HD IPS display does a fantastic job of showing off your movies. However, without a doubt it’s the Dolby Digital Plus enhanced stereo speakers that make the movie watching experience just that extra bit better. Unfortunately Amazon’s on-demand Instant Video isn’t available outside of the US which means that you’ll have to load videos onto it manually to watch. It’s not all about video though with a free app every day from Amazon’s curated Android App store as an added benefit for choosing the Kindle. Add that to Amazon’s
massive collection of books that form the backbone of the Kindle service and the Fire HD becomes a real contender.
DETAILS Design
7
Performance
6
Value for Money
8
Overall
7
From R3 499 For literature lovers who also like their Android apps.
ASUS T100
THE EDUCATION POWERHOUSE ASUS has a history of making some of the best convertible tablets in the business and the T100 is no exception. While the 10.1-inch display can’t match the sheer number of pixels of the iPads, its display is still fantastic, even outdoors, with fantastic colours and great responsiveness. The ASUS T100 runs the full version of Windows 8.1 and, with the included keyboard dock, transforms into a full laptop that can easily meet the needs of the average university lecture or meeting. Best of all the ASUS T100 comes bundles with a free version of Microsoft Office Home and Student worth R1 000.
DETAILS Design
6
Performance
7
Value for Money
9
Overall
7
From R5 999 Convert your tablet into a laptop and then back again!
18 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
Multiple HD Streaming Powerline adapters auto-connect and stream to multiple HD smart TVs throughout your home
Smart TV
Floor 2
Powerline 500
Smar t TV
Scan for video
TPL-406E2K Powerline 500 AV Nano Adapter Kit • Includes two TPL-406E adapters • 500 Mbps networking from an electrical outlet • Auto connect out of box
Floor 1
TABLET SUPERTEST
LENOVO YOGA TABLET 8-INCH SURPRISINGLY FANTASTIC
With the Lenovo Yoga Tablet you get something that no other tablet can offer, epic battery life, up to 16 hours in fact. It all stems from the massive 6000 mAh cylindrical battery that runs along the one side of the Lenovo Yoga Tablet. Apart from giving you incredible battery life it lets you comfortably hold the tablet in one hand like you would hold a folded over magazine which is far better for long periods of time with a book. Also built into the cylinder is a kickstand that can be rolled out when you want to watch a movie or prop the tablet up at the perfect angle to type on. Unfortunately the hardware inside the Yoga Tablet lets it down a bit with performance that can lag every now and then.
DETAILS Design
9
Performance
6
Value for Money
7
Overall
7
From R3 699 Flexible, innovative and fun. Bit.ly/1csRelf
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TABLET SUPERTEST
GOOGLE NEXUS 7 (2013) PURE ANDROID AT ITS BEST
The Google Nexus 7 is the tablet version of Android in its purest form. The tablet is built by ASUS which would explain the Nexus’ great build quality and the fantastic display that have been hallmarks of other ASUS tablets. The slim design makes it perfect for one handed use in either portrait or in landscape orientation when watching videos. The 7-inch display is crisp and clear making for fantastic video watching and reading experience and the rest of the hardware ensures that it handles everything with the least amount of fuss possible. If there is one area that we feel lets down the Nexus 7 it’s the erratic
battery life, which can be incredibly short when playing games, but brilliant when browsing the net or watching
DETAILS Design
8
Performance
8
Value for Money
8
Overall
8
From R5 049 Powerful, portable and made for what matters to you.
SONY XPERIA TABLET Z WATCHING MOVIES IN THE POOL WITHOUT A CARE
Besides being waterproof and dustproof the Sony Xperia Tablet Z is also thinner and lighter than almost any other tablet on the market. With its big, bright full HD display dominating the front and a soft touch plastic back, it’s a tablet designed to be a pleasure to hold. Because it weighs less than half a kilogram the Xperia Tablet Z is the perfect companion for reading books, browsing your favourite websites and watching videos. It’s the combination of the lightweight design and the ruggedisation that makes the Xperia Tablet Z the perfect companion to take everywhere with you without feeling like you’re lugging around a fragile brick.
DETAILS Design
9
Performance
9
Value for Money
7
Overall
9
From R9 000 A premium tablet with a vivid HD display. Bit.ly/1g0miWW
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TABLET SUPERTEST
THE WINNER: IPAD MINI WITH RETINA
R’S EDITOIC E CHO
With the Sony Xperia Tablet Z’s replacement already announced, the competition came down to a fight between the two Apple iPads. Apple’s latest generation of tablets are an immense force to be reckoned with. Both tablets offer the same set of features and internal components with the only difference being a choice in size. Our overall winner is the iPad Mini with Retina display because we prefer the compact tablet form to the bigger version. However, if you want a larger tablet then we would be just as happy to recommend the full-sized iPad Air.
SPECS-TACULAR Amazon Kindle Fire HD 8.9
Apple iPad Air
Apple iPad Mini with Retina Display
ASUS T100
Lenovo Yoga Tablet 8-inch
8.9-inch IPS LCD
9.7-inch IPS LCD
7.9-inch IPS LCD
10.1-inch IPS LCD
8-inch IPS LCD
7-inch IPS LCD
10-inch LED
1920X1200
2048X1536
2048X1536
1366X768
1280X800
1920X1200
1920X1200
254ppi
264ppi
326ppi
155ppi
189ppi
323ppi
224ppi
Dual core 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4470
Dual core, Apple A7
Dual core, Apple A7
Quad core 1.33GHz Intel Bay Trail
Quad core 1.2GHz MediaTek MT8125
Quad core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Pro
Quad core 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600
1GB
1GB
1GB
2GB
1GB
2GB
2GB
Storage
16/32GB
16/32/64GB
16/32/64GB
32/64GB (microSD card up to 64GB)
16/32GB (microSD card up to 64GB)
16/32GB
16GB (microSD card up to 64GB)
Camera
N/A
5MP
5MP
1.2MP Front facing only
5MP
5MP
8.1MP
LTE
N/A
Yes (Cellular models)
Yes (Cellular models)
N/A
No
Yes (Cellular models)
Yes
WiFi
Dual-band 802.11n
Dual-band 802.11n
Dual-band 802.11n
802.11n
802.11n
Dual-band 802.11n
Dual-band 802.11n
Bluetooth 3.0
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth 4.0
Bluetooth 4.0
Battery
6000mAh
8827mAh
6471mAh
8060mAh
6000mAh
3950mAh
6000mAh
OS
Fire OS 3.0
iOS 7
iOS 7
Windows 8.1
Android 4.2
Android 4.4
Android 4.3 (planned update to 4.4)
545g
469g (478g Celullar model)
331g (341g Celullar model)
544g (544g for the keyboard dock)
401g
290g (299g LTE model)
495g
Display Display resolution Pixel density
Processor
RAM
Bluetooth
Weight
22 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
Nexus 7 (2013)
Sony Xperia Tablet Z
REVIEWS
DETAILS
for these reviews
• Where to buy: Look & Listen • Output: 3.5 mm, goldplated stereo audio jack R 349.00
DJ Zinhle Rocka Headphones
D
J Zinhle is not new to the South African music scene, in fact, she is one of the most popular DJs in the country and has been dubbed “The Queen of the decks”. This talented young “She J” (a term she coined for female DJs) teamed up with a brand new South African headphone and earphone brand called Rocka, to create the DJ Zinhle high performance headphones. Rocka has four other ranges of headphones and earphones under well-known musicians Danny K, Khuli Chana, Mi Casa and DJ Tira.
The DJ Zinhle headphones were created to combine a fresh look with quality sound to rival other headphones in the market. First things first, the DJ Zinhle headphones come in a plastic box and inside it, all you’ll find are the headphones themselves. No manual, no extra cords and no carry bag. The rubber cord is attached to both earcups and doesn’t have any control buttons on it, nor does it detach. Wherever the DJ Zinhle headphones lack, the sound quality makes up for. The bass is punchy, quality isn’t compromised by increasing
Reducing eye strain
the volume and the noise cancellation is great, which gets a solid thumbs up from us as that’s one feature we definitely look for in headphones.
C
ables are rubbish. They get tangled, lost and broken as often as they perform the function for which they were designed in my house. But the alternatives are often expensive or just not as good. The Avantree Qi Compatible Mobile Wireless Charger is a funky little hockey-puck wireless charger that plugs into any micro-USB port and has rubberised rings that stop it sliding around the desk and hold your phone in place. It’s simple, cheap and charges the phone just as quickly as plugging the USB cable directly into the bottom 24 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
of the handset – which is surprising considering the wireless transfer isn’t quite as efficient. The charger itself would be as at home on a car dash or bedside table as it is on a desk, and there’s even a helpful beep to let you know when the charging circuits are aligned. The only downside is that there’s a blue LED on the side which lights up when power is flowing – which isn’t ideal for overnight charging next to your bed. Frankly, the set-up is impossible not to love, especially if you’ve been waiting for exactly this for years. For the first time wireless charging is
Gunnar’s yellow-tinted glasses are optimised for looking at things that are closer to your face, such as a phone or a computer screen. Bit.ly/1cILSVK
SCORES Design
4
Comfort
8
Performance
7
Value
8
Overall
7
DETAILS
Avantree Qi Compatible Mobile Wireless Charger
Head to…
Logitech G430 gaming headset The G430 has no buttons on the outside of the headset and a very long cord with inline controls for muting the mic. Bit.ly/1dHL9Cc
Potent Portability
• Where to buy? Loot.co.za • Power distance: 8mm • Working frequency: 100200 KHZ R341.00
A good external hard drive needs three things: lots of space, plenty of speed and solid build quality. Western Digital’s My Passport Slim offers all three. Bit.ly/1iqQ0HR
good for something other than your toothbrush. Full marks all round.
SCORES Design
10
Usability
8
Performance
9
Value
9
Overall
10
LG G Pro Lite The G Pro Lite is aimed directly at the youth market with LG hoping to win favour with students hankering for something fantastic for their money. Bit.ly/1lNTcSp
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Display: 1.3-inch, 720X1280 resolution Triluminous IPS LCD (342ppi) • Processor: 2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) • Memory: 2GB of RAM • Storage: 16GB (Expandable with microSD card up to 64GB) • Camera: 20.7-megapixel rear, 1.2-megapixel front • Networking: LTE, 3G, Bluetooth 4.0 LE, 802.11ac wireless • Other: IP58 certified – dust proof and water-resistant over 1 meter and 30 minutes Price: R9 000
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
As the name suggests, it’s almost identical to the flagship Xperia Z1 in everything but size.
I
f you’ve seen any of Sony’s Xperia Z branded phones in the last year then the Z1 Compact will be instantly recognisable to you. The water and dust proof rating of past Z series handsets finds its way into the Z1 Compact as well as the familiar hardware composition of the Z1 proper. All of the wireless bells and whistles including Bluetooth 4.0, super-fast 802.11ac WiFi and LTE radios make the cut with the same fantastic 20.7 megapixel camera that we loved on the Xperia Z1 making a comeback. One of the only changes to the formula of the Xperia Z1 is the drop from full HD to 720p in the display department. However because of the shrink in screen size as well, from 5-inches to 4.3-inches, the pixel density only drops from 441 to 342 pixels per inch (ppi). Powering the whole show is a 2300mAh battery which is not removable because of the waterproofing. The Xperia Z1 Compact runs the same version of Android as the recently upgraded Xperia Z1 and Z Ultra, that being the 4.3 variety of Android Jelly Bean. While we would love to see a Google Play edition of an Xperia handset with the pure unadulterated Android experience the current customisations don’t do the Z1 Compact any harm. The Xperia Z1 Compact doesn’t quite have the same display chops in terms of size, resolution
and pixel density as the bigger Xperia Z1. Who said that small phones have to have small cameras? Not Sony, that’s for sure. The 20.7 megapixel camera is lifted straight out of the full sized Xperia Z1 and it’s every bit as great as the last time we got to play with it. Using the same fancy oversampling techniques that take the full size image and use the extra data to build a better picture, the 8 megapixel photos that the Xperia Z1 Compact pushes out are fantastic. The same two-stage shutter button, (which activates the autofocus and the light meter) along with the bevy of camera options and manual settings return for power users looking for a more granular control over the photos that they take with the Z1. The Xperia Z1 Compact was just as good in bright-lit conditions as the Xperia Z1 but also suffered the same issue as the rest of the 20.7MP sensor equipped Sony smartphones with some exposure difficulty close up and in low light. The 2300mAh battery is great inside the Xperia Z1 Compact. We got an average amount of battery life from a few days of mixed use of the Xperia Z1 Compact with most days coming in at around 10 hours or so. Like many smartphones today it suffers from the plethora of available apps and services which tend to eat into smartphone
battery life over the course of a day, however once you simmer down on those you can easily stretch out the durability of the Xperia Z1 Compact’s power plant to last you all through the day. As the name suggests, this is no ‘Mini’ version of the flagship Xperia Z1, rather, the Z1 Compact distils all of the highend features of the full sized smartphone experience into a more small-hand-friendly design that no other manufacturer has managed to do. For those who are looking for the latest specs and a fantastic camera in an easily pocket-able and palm-able frame, there can be no doubt that Sony’s Xperia Z1 Compact wins our vote.
SCORES Design
9
Performance
10
Battery Life
9
Value for Money
6
Display
8
Interface
8
Overall
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REVIEWS
DETAILS
Thief
Play lock-picking, building-hopping master thief Garrett.
T
hief is a reboot of a beloved series that got its start back in the 90s. While this new game tries very hard to recapture everything that made Thief I and II great, it ultimately fails because of its hodgepodge design, throwaway story and its gloomy, empty world. Thief I and II are cult classics, and for good reason. Despite outdated visuals, their brilliant stealth gameplay, amazing sound design and dark atmospheres will draw you in and turn you into a sneaking, pilfering lover of shadows. They’ll also show you that to make a really good stealth game, you need great level design that allows you to move around in creative ways, a good story and a realistic and convincing sound system that accurately models how things sound in real life. Unfortunately for the new Thief, it doesn’t have any of these things. Much of the world is dull, dark and lifeless, and even its better-looking environments - of which there are a few - are let down by buggy sound and a railroaded, linear design that seriously limits Garrett’s freedom of movement. That linearity is partly thanks to the way the world has been set up. Thief takes place in a gloomy, depressing Victorian-
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era city that’s divided into sections, with a central hub that gives way to the city’s various districts. Tragically, despite the city’s appearance of being a world you can totally clamber all over, you just can’t go where you want. Instead of creating that freedom, Eidos Montreal took a leaf from Tomb Raider’s book by painting many climbable surfaces with a swatch of white to help guide the player along the right path. The game’s positional audio cues are just terrible, often struggling to convey exactly where sounds were coming from. As for the story, it’s as dull and empty as the world itself, and we just couldn’t bring myself to care about its characters or the narrative path we were taken on. We also enjoyed the fact that there were side-quests to do, doled out by Garrett’s old friend, Basso. There are 26 of these “jobs” in the game world, scattered in and around the levels, most presenting no more than a few minutes’ worth of distraction from the main quest. As for Thief ’s PS4-specific enhancements, we liked aiming Garret’s bow by moving the DualShock controller around, and thought that the controller, which lights up in white to reflect if Garrett was standing in light and blue for darkness, was a great touch.
NEW LOOKS, OLD PROBLEMS: FABLE ANNIVERSARY REVIEWED Just like the first Halo got a makeover in 2011, so too has the first Fable game been re-done with a new lick of paint and some remastered audio. Bit.ly/1iDulw1
• Game: Thief by Eidos Montreal, published by Square Enix • Platform: PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One • The Good: Occasional awe-inspiring levels, good stealth mechanics, difficulty options. • The Bad: Bugs, poor sound and level design, limited movement, nonsensical story, unsatisfying ending, terrible map. R499 (PC), R699 (PS3, Xbox 360), R799 (PS4)
That said, when pickpocketing people of The City, you really will feel like a Master Thief. The problem is, the rest of the time you end up feeling like an animal in a cage, always looking for a way out but finding only more and more restrictions. We really wanted this reboot to be amazing, an stealthy experience on par with the Thief games of yore, and to its credit, the potential to be exactly that shone through in certain places, scenes and levels. Which is what makes this new Thief ’s slightly unpolished and disjointed overall feel all the more disappointing.
SCORES Graphics
8
Gameplay
7
Story
4
Sound
4
Longevity
7
Overall
6
STEAM TAGS LETS GAMERS CATEGORISE CONTENT, BOTH BRILLIANTLY AND BADLY Valve Software rolled out a new beta version of its Steam client that allows the gaming community to add tags to content on the store, so that others can find things they enjoy. Bit.ly/1iDz7JY
26 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
Lego
Lego Movie A4 Poster.indd 1
2014/03/06 8:21 AM
There’s no substitute.
FUJIFILM’s acclaimed X-Series technology once again places you, the photographer, in the leading role, letting you capture any photographic moment exactly as you intended. The central themes of the X-series are simplicity and elegance. The camera is a precision instrument, but one that’s combined with a functional beauty. Now, this fusion has resulted in the new fagship of the X-series, the X-T1, and, like every model that’s come before it, you’ll fnd the joy of photography is hard-wired into its DNA, electrifying your instincts as a photographer, daring you to stretch your imagination and capture perfect images every time you shoot.
Freeze the moment in time - with X-T1, it ’s like a refex.
REVIEWS
R’S EDITOIC E CHO
DETAILS
The LEGO Movie Videogame
Another block-busting brilliant title from TellTale Games.
D
ismissing this game as just another terrible movie-game tie-in is a big mistake. If you’ve played any of the other LEGO games, you’ll see that this one doesn’t stray from the formula, but that’s not a bad thing since it works so well. The biggest difference in TLM:TV is that everything you see is made out of LEGO bricks, from the ground to the scenery, which is what the movie did.
100
95
75
25
The game is made up of various interconnected “worlds” from the movie, each one acting as a hub for all of the story missions that take place in and around the area. Story missions reflect events or settings from the movie, essentially letting you play through the movie’s scenes but in new and expanded ways.
Each level is connected to the next by a clip taken directly from the movie, which is a reward in itself since it’s so funny and the visuals so spectacular. Just don’t expect to understand what’s going on if you haven’t seen the movie - it really is required viewing if you want the game to make sense. But what really makes TLM:TV a brilliant buy is that you can play the entire game with a friend if you have two controllers via the game’s split-screen local co-op mode. It’s a great way to play with your kids, or for kids to play together with their friends. Levels have been cleared you can go back and replay them with any of the new characters you’ve unlocked. That’s often necessary as reaching all secret areas and collecting all collectables isn’t possible with the characters you’re forced to finish the story with the first time around; fortunately, the levels don’t take very long to finish and are fun to play again anyway. TLM:TV isn’t particularly challenging since this is a game for the young ‘uns after all, but it sure is fun running through levels, jumping over obstacles, beating up bad guys and solving puzzles. Puzzles come thick and fast, and are solved by using your characters’ various abilities or building new things out of the piles of LEGO created by smashing other things. Building new stuff out of old stuff makes more sense in this game than previous LEGO games thanks to the idea of “Master Builders” introduced by the movie.
• Game: The LEGO Movie: The Videogame by Telltale Games, published by Warner Bros. Studios • Platforms: PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U • The Good: Expands on the movie’s sets, twoplayer mode, fun, funny, inventive puzzles, LEGO, replayability. • The Bad: Very easy, plot doesn’t make much sense without seeing the movie first. From R499.00
Occasionally, you’ll need to solve a minipuzzle by indicating which piece is missing from the thing you need to build to proceed, and the longer you take the fewer LEGO studs you earn. Having lots of LEGO studs is needed to buy the characters you unlock, and they’re all pretty expensive, so you’ll want to collect as many as you can. We loved our time with The LEGO Movie: The Videogame and wholeheartedly recommend it to fans of LEGO games, LEGO in general and specifically anyone who enjoyed The LEGO Movie. It’s fun, it’s inventive, it’s not too difficult and it looks incredible on the PS4 (the platform we reviewed it on). The LEGO Movie: The Videogame is definitely a great way to spend your gaming cash if you loved the movie, and even more so if you’re a fan of LEGO games in general as this is definitely one of the best.
SCORES Graphics
9
Gameplay
8
Story
8
Sound
8
Longevity
9
Overall
9
5
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REVIEWS
Five New Android Games Here are five new additions to the Google Play Store worth checking out.
THREES! Threes! is described as “a tiny puzzle that grows on you”. The genius of the game is that it’s very simple in concept, but very hard to master in your first few goes. Basically, you must drag numbered tiles left and right until you make a three, or a multiple of three, and then match those tiles with other tiles with the same number on them, and you must do it before the screen fills with tiles you can’t do anything with. It’s incredibly easy to pick up, but it’s deceptively challenging. R21.60
FRONTLINE COMMANDO 2 If you adore cover-based shooters, you’ll love Frontline Commando 2. It’s a fairly simple military-themed game that has you shooting at enemies, dodging between the scenery and using lots of guns. The game’s high-res graphics show off just how far mobile gaming visuals have come. Free with in-app purchases ROYAL REVOLT 2 RR2 casts you as the monarch of your own little kingdom, and you must attack other monarchs to steal their money so you can upgrade your buildings and buy new towers to defend your land from other monarchs doing the same thing. It’s an action RPG with tower defense game elements, and it’s clear the developers have put a lot of effort into making it look fantastic. The only drawback is that (free) progress is very slow, with the gems needed to get ahead. If you don’t mind spending a few bucks to get ahead, RR2 can be a lot of fun. Free, with in-app purchases
TOP GEAR: RACE THE STIG While this isn’t the slickest game you’ll ever play, it’s fun for a few minutes here and there. It’s like Temple Run, except you’re in a one of the cars from Top Gear and you’re racing against The Stig. You must avoid obstacles, collect coins and power-ups and jump over and duck under the occasional barrier by swiping in the appropriate direction. Free
BLOOD ‘N GUNS Top-down twin-stick shooters are usually the domain of console games, but Blood ‘n Guns successfully brings the formula to mobile. It’s not a thinking man’s shooter - you’re given a gun, and told to shoot waves of zombies that are intent on chowing down on your grey matter, and that’s about it. There are a bunch of weapons to use that unlock as you play, and occasionally new weapons and power-ups drop to help you along the way. The free version is the full game, it just shows ads every now and then, and the only in-app purchase removes them completely. Free. (Single in-app purchase removes ads)
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COMPETITION
WIN!
YOUR VERY OWN 3D PRINTER! Join the tech revolution with your very own South African designed RepRap Morgan 3D printer.
T
ech fads come and go, but if there’s one buzzword that’s going to hang around for a long time, it’s 3D printing. Crafting your own designs in a 3D modelling program and watching a 3D printer slowly construct them layer-by-layer from a piece of plastic string is mesmerising. And the potential is limitless too: 3D printers can make
things that wouldn’t be possible any other way - beautiful artworks, interlinking jewelery, more. Better yet, if you’re in an inventing frame of mind, you can make parts to fix existing equipment or even design your own product prototypes to try out before looking for funding for mass production.
WHO IS OPEN HARDWARE? To give away this printer we’ve teamed up with the lovely folk at Open Hardware (www.openhardware.co.za). Open Hardware is one of just a few stores in South Africa which sells 3D printers, parts and spares, and it also offers other hobbiest and enthusiast electronics like DIY quadcopters, OpenBeam kits, laser cutting services and the like. Open Hardware is more than just a shop. It grew out of the prolific hardware hacking community in Gauteng and specifically Centurion’s House4Hack (www.house4hack.co.za). The company isn’t just on a mission to sell revolutionary technology like 3D printers, but to support and grow the community of people who passionately believe in the advantages of low cost, open source designs for software and hardware in the country.
YOUR PRINTE BEING MADER
RTS HED, PAWILL IS IN F N ER WHE R PRINT OF YOU IN THE DARK! GLOW 32 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
COMPETITION
The printer we’re giving away is known as a RepRap Morgan. RepRap, which stands for Self-Replicating Rapid Prototyper is a project to develop and publish designs for low cost 3D printers that anyone can design and build. RepRap Morgan is the internationally acclaimed variant of RepRap that was created by South African engineer Quentin Harley, which is both cheaper and easier to build than pre-existing designs. It also looks a lot cooler.
NOT FOR THE FAINT HEARTED! Before you enter this competition, you must understand that the printer you are hoping to win has been built by us, in our office, using another printer which we made. This is being supplied to you with no instructions, no support and no guarantee that it will work perfectly beyond the first print. 3D printers operate at high temperatures and move at fast speeds. They can be dangerous. They need constant care and attention and if it breaks, you’ll have to fix it yourself. Every time you move the printer or replace the tape on the heated bed, for example, you’ll need to recalibrate it. Successfully owning a 3D printer means being willing to learn about how they work. By owning a 3D printer, though, you’ll become part of a exclusive club of curious people who want to change the world. Not only have they contributed hundreds of pages of design and operation manuals for RepRap-style 3D printers, they’re welcoming of newcomers and extraordinarily helpful - if you’re prepared to join.
FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSES ONLY. YOUR REPRAP MORGAN WILL BE A DIFFERENT COLOUR.
WHAT IS REPRAP MORGAN?
CHECK OUT WWW.HTXT.CO .ZA/REPRAPCO MPO FOR UPDATES & WWW.HTXT.CO .ZA/WINAREPRA P TO ENTER!
HOW TO ENTER
What you really want to know is how to enter this competition, isn’t it? Over the next two months, we’re going to be taking you through the steps required to build a RepRap Morgan using parts we’ve made on our office RepRap machine. By the end of April, we’ll have a complete build finished and be ready to send it out to a lucky winner. Check out www.htxt.co.za/reprapcompo for weekly updates. All you need to do is fill in the form below and answer this simple question:
What does RepRap stand for?
FAX
Answer:
Send this form to
+27(0) 86519 2845
ONLIINE
Name:
You can also enter at
Address:
www.htxt.co.za/winareprap Postal code:
Email:
Telephone:
Do you want to receive the htxt.africa newsletter? yes
no
Terms & Conditions: 1) This competition is only open to persons who are resident in South Africa. We cannot ship the prize overseas. 2) No cash equivalents are available, and the prize is not transferable. 3) Employees, agents and their families of Hypertext Media and Open Hardware are not eligible to enter. 4) Multiple entries per household will not be allowed. 5) The judges decision is final. 6) The closing date for the competition is 30th April 2014, and the winner will be notified by email or SMS within two weeks. 7) If we are unable to contact the winner within seven days of decision, a new winner will be declared. 8) The prize is supplied without instructions, support or a guarantee. We will do our best to help, but this is a hobbiest’s kit not a commercial grade product. 9) By entering, you agree to be bound by these terms and conditions. 10) Hypertext Media, Openhardware and the respecitive directors, members, partners, employees, agents, consultants, suppliers, contractors and sponsors assume no liability whatsoever for any direct or indirect loss or damage arising from an entrant’s participation in this competition or for any loss or damage, howsoever arising, from entry or use of the prize.
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PHOTOGRAPHY Heewon, Grade 1, Coutrai Primary School, Paarl, South Africa, 2013: By Russel Bruns
Human nature at its best: By Tara Mette
SA students hit Sony Photo Awards shortlist D
espite the return of load shedding and the endless clouds in the sky spoiling the view, there is one bright ray of light shining through in South Africa’s photographic community. For the very first time in the Sony World Photography Awards’ seven-year history, two finalists in a single category are coming from the same country. That category happens to be for students, and that country happens to be South Africa. It is no small feat, considering entries came from 230 educational institutions across the globe. Entrants were asked to submit a single image to the brief of “Tomorrow’s News”. The judges selected ten top finalists in the Student Category and included Russell Bruns from Rhodes University and Tara Mette from the Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography. While they’re waiting on tenterhooks to find out who’s going to win the overall prize, we managed to spend a little time with Russell and Tara to find out what it’s been like. Tell us a bit about your photography and what inspires you? Tara: I enjoy “documenting” people and capturing their emotions. I love discovering people through my camera,
exposing their strengths and their weaknesses; depicting their daily struggle or their strong inner core. Reality and truth are my core beliefs and this is what I aim to portray in my photographs. I want to share the bare truth and tell the whole story in my images. Russell: I am originally from Paarl but have been based in Grahamstown for the last 7 years. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Art in 2011 and I am currently in the second year of my Masters at Rhodes University. Theoretically my interests lie in how staged photography has been used to create discourse. My thesis entitled: Deconstructing the Constructed Image: From the Pictorial to Post-apartheid Photography will in turn help inform my practical work; which is currently a photographic interrogation of repressed privilege within a South African context. How did you hear about the World Photography awards? Tara: Our lecturer Mark at the Stellenbosch Academy informed us about the competition and asked our class if we where interested in competing. Russell: A friend of mine made the finals three years ago, and said it was a great experience!
How does it feel to be nominated? Tara: There are so many words I could use to explain how it feels but no word would do it justice. It is overwhelming. Russell: I am incredibly grateful for any platform to showcase my work. What are your future aspirations? Tara: I would love to pursue a career in documentary photography, where my photographs could change a person’s outlook on life. Russell: Ideally I would like an academic/freelance career in the future. What excites you about photography today? Tara: It fascinated me that in photography you can create something that the human eye will not be able to capture. The angle, composition and lighting can turn something as ordinary as a pepper into something extra-ordinary. Russell: I have always been excited about photography’s ability to create critical debate. The ten finalists have been sent a second brief, to submit a series of images under the title of “Self-portraits”. The body of work is to be produced on the Sony Alpha 7, a full frame mirrorless camera which each of the finalists have won. WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 35
s ’ o r p o t n i
s r u e t a m s Turning a d n a r b c i h p a gr o t o h p r o j a m stockist of
Tel: 011 880 2885 Fax: 086 685 8132 KAMERAZ - Shop L12, the Rosebank Mews 173 Oxford Road, Rosebank
Web: www.kameraz.co.za Mail: kameraz@netactive.co.za Find us on facebook: http://goo.gl/3Xitw
PHOTOGRAPHY
No show Nikon
N
ikon has announced a new range-topping camera in their mirrorless 1-series line-up. The Nikon 1 V3 sports a new 18MP 1-inch type sensor that has an onchip phase detection autofocus system covering nearly the entire sensor. The new Expeed 4A image processor allows the camera to shoot at 20fps with continuous autofocus and 60fps in single
AF. There is also WiFi, video capture at 1080/60p and the 3-inch LCD screen is touch-enabled and tilts. What is missing this time round is a built in viewfinder Nikon opting rather to offer an optional viewfinder instead. In some respects, the Nikon 1 V3 ticks all the right boxes against the competition, but the sensor size remains small when compared to the next smallest mirrorless
camera sensor – Olympus and Panasonic’s Micro Four Thirds system. They can be forgiven for this, however, when you see the speed this smaller sensor offers and the compact camera body and lenses it makes provisions for as well. And while this may be the most appealing of Nikon’s mirrorless cameras to date, the V3 won’t be making its way to South African shores anytime soon.
Sheryl Sandberg’s mission to de-objectify stock photos
S
heryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, has an organisation called Lean In that recently teamed up with Getty Images to change the stereotypes and often one-dimensional images of women and girls presented in stock photos. Getty Images has added a new stock gallery consisting of 2 500 photos that seek to depict diversity in race and physical appearances and change perceptions about the roles women play in society. “The stock imagery around women is embarrassing,” contributing editor at Lean In, Jessica Bennett, said in a statement. “You can’t be what you can’t see, so if women and girls are not seeing images of powerful women and girls who are leaders, then they may not aspire to become that.” Getty Images will be donating a portion of the proceeds from collection downloads to the Lean In organisation and it’s offering photography grants for editorial work that reflects “reflects positive images of women and girls in their communities”. What we love about these photos is that one can actually relate to them because they depict real women and girls in real everyday settings.
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 37
SUPERTEST
SUPER
Superzooms
Want to save yourself from forever switching lenses on your DSLR? By an unconventionally large focal length lens, a superzoom!
W
hile there is an argument to be made in buying short range, faster aperture zoom lenses or a bunch of fixed (prime) lenses to maintain
the best image quality you can, when you are travelling or just need to pack small and light, you cannot replace the convenience of a superzoom lens for you DSLR.
We test the three biggest lenses in this category from Nikon, Sigma and Tamron.
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 39
SUPERTEST
NIKON AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-300MM F/3.5-5.6G ED VR A NIKON LENS WITH THE BIGGEST ZOOM RANGE AND A PREMIUM PRICE POINT TO GO WITH IT.
B
eginning with the most expensive of the three lenses on test, Nikon’s own 18-300mm which also holds the crown currently for the biggest zoom range in this class of lenses. HANDLING Being a Nikon lens at a premium price point, the 18-300mm is everything you expect from, well a Nikon lens. Turning the zoom is a smooth and positive experience. There is also no zoom creep (where the lens zooms out on it’s own due to the weight of the front of the lens) that is impressive considering the lens’ size and weight compared to the competition.
KEY FEATURES • Max Aperture: f/3.5-5.6 • Minimum focusing distance: 45cm (@300mm) • Focal Length: 18-300mm R16 500
IMAGE QUALITY The Achilles heal of superzoom lenses in the past has been their image quality, offering a barely satisfactory solution across the board or good performance on one side of the zoom range and really unimpressive performance on the other end. Nikon have achieved something rather impressive with this lens. It has the most consistent image quality across the entire range than the other lenses. At the price point one would expect good performance. Performance is better than the kit lenses frequently bundled with cameras.
SIGMA 18-250MM F3.5-6.3 DC MACRO OS HSM DOES THE COMPANY WITH THE MOST LENSES MANAGE TO KEEP THEIR QUALITY IN CONTROL?
T
oday Sigma makes more lenses than anyone else. What makes this accomplishment more incredible is that all lenses come out of a single factory when most of the camera brands scatter their production across several production plants. It helps keep their quality control up.
40 | TECH MADE EASY | MARCH 2014
PERFORMANCE As you would expect from a lens of this price, autofocus is fast and the VR (Vibration Reduction) or image stabilisation system works extremely well. The slightly faster aperture of f/5.6 also helps. Of course this is great if you shoot Nikon. Canon users will need to look to the other two options from Sigma and Tamron since Canon has not seen the need to change or improve upon their first and only 18200mm lens.
SCORES Handling
8
Image Quality
8
Performance
10
Value
6
Overall
8
A very competant superzoom lens that is weighed down by its cost and price.
SUPERTEST
TAMRON 18-270MM F/3.5-6.3 DI II VC PZD FOR QUICK FOCUS AND IMAGE STABILISATION, TAMRON’S SUPERZOOM STANDS OUT FROM THE REST.
KEY FEATURES • Min Aperture: f/22 • Max Aperture: f/40 • Minimum focusing distance: 0.49m R5 000
T
amron are historically the company to push the boundaries of superzoom lenses and their latest offering pushes the envelope beyond that of their closest rival, Sigma. HANDLING The Tamron 18-270mm is amazingly compact – it’s not much bigger than the 1855mm kit lens that would come with many a
DSLR. The build quality is not on par with the Nikon 18-300mm but it is again, better than most kit lenses. Zooming is smooth and there is no zoom creep. Best of all, the compact size and lightweight design make this a great travel lens. IMAGE QUALITY As they have done in the past, Tamron have raised the bar on what a lens of this nature
TOP TIP: UV FILTERS It is worthwhile putting a UV or Protection filter on the front of your lenses. If it gets scratched its much cheaper than replacing the actual lens itself. Keep in mind though that your lens is only as good as the filter you put on it. Buy a high quality, multicoated filter for the best results.
HANDLING Not to be outdone on size, but falling a little bit shorter on the actual zoom’s reach, is the Sigma 18-250mm. The lens is well made and competes with the Tamron on size and weight. While it doesn’t suffer from zoom creep where the front of the lens drops slides out when carrying it, the lens did suffer from the reverse where it started to slide back in when shooting all the way out at 250mm and pointing the camera up a bit. The zoom ring also turns in the opposite direction of the Nikon and Tamron making for a more familiar user experience if you are a Canon shooter.
performer. We couldn’t help noticing what looked like a more pleasing image just viewing a scene through the lens via the cameras viewfinder but the test results showed a similar performance to the Tamron overall. The added closer focusing distance offered by the Sigma for macro photography is a plus point for consideration. PERFORMANCE If you use Sigma lenses now then you will be happy with this lens. Focus is quick and the image stabilisation works well. It is on par again with the Tamron which means it doesn’t quite match the refinement of the Nikon.
IMAGE QUALITY The Sigma 18-250mm is also a good TOP TIP: HOLD IT STEADY Despite the lightweight nature of the Sigma and Tamron lenses, they pack a punch in terms of magnification and will accentuate any camera shake. Cradle the bottom of the camera and lens in your left hand while holding the camera in the right. Tuck your elbows into your side and gently squeeze the shutter button for best results.
can produce in terms of image quality. It is not quite on par with the Nikon in some areas but if we were asked whether the average consumer would tell the difference in real world shooting situations, we would venture to say it is unlikely. Even if your noticed a difference we are not sure it would be enough to justify the big price difference. PERFORMANCE The Tamron lens focuses quickly and the image stabilisation through their VC (Vibration Control) system is good. It lacks the kind of refinement the Nikon has but that doesn’t impact its performance in our view. It’s a great all-rounder.
SCORES Handling
10
Image Quality
8
Performance
8
Value
10
Overall
10
Thanks to its range and versatility, Tamron is tops for travel and value.
KEY FEATURES • Max Aperture: f/3.5 - f/6.3 • Min aperture: f/22 • Minimum focusing distance: 35cm • Focal Length: 18-250mm R5 000
SCORES Handling
8
Image Quality
8
Performance
8
Value
8
Overall
8
Good sharpness and performance, with a lengthy zoom.
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 41
SUPERTEST
CONCLUSION If you go back to the early days of digital photography your choices in the superzoom category of lenses would have been limited to a single offering from Tamron and Sigma. Today there are some alternatives from the top camera brands themselves but only Nikon have really opted to give consumers some variety. Nikon offers the 18-140mm, the more portable 18-200mm and the 18-300mm reviewed here. So if you want the quality build of the Nikon lens, don’t need the 300mm over something a little smaller then their 18-200mm is a great choice. Canon users have less variety within their own brand. There is a single 18-200mm that was launched a few years back and while good for it’s day, it faces stiff competition from the Sigma and Tamron offerings here.
Value for money and all other points considered and our pick – but only by a fraction – is the Tamron. If you are more prone to roughing things up and you shoot on Nikon then we feel that the 18-300mm VR just manages to justify its price, but for most the Sigma and Tamron will meet their needs. It comes down to whether you want the extra reach of the Tamron or the closer focusing of the Sigma.
FOCUS TESTS NIKON
EDITOR’S CHOICE
HOW CAN YOU ACCURATELY JUDGE AUTOFOCUS PERFORMANCE? WE PUT THREE SUPERZOOMS THROUGH THEIR PACES.
TAMRON
SIGMA
18mm
18mm
18mm
50mm
50mm
50mm
200mm
200mm
200mm
300mm
270mm
250mm
42 | TECH MADE EASY | MARCH 2014
a
available at leading retail outlets
HOW TO: PHOTOS
How to t pictures T
rying to sell small, cheap, point-and-shoot cameras in an era where even the most basic smartphone can take reasonable shots and top-end handsets are up to professional photographer’s standards, what chance is there for the humble compact? (After all, the most popular pictures in the world now are – apparently – selfies.) Some would argue that phones are fiddly, slow and you’ll always get a better shot with a ‘proper’ photographic instrument. But if you want to prove them wrong, here’s a few tips and tricks for mastering the art of pocket phone photography. BATTERY LIFE If you are an avid phone photographer you will need to make battery conservation a conscious choice. Turn off unnecessary background syncing of applications and Bluetooth. You may want to go as far as switching on ‘flight mode’ for long photographic excursions. You could also consider buying an external battery cover (Mophie make some great options). GET CLOSER Most smartphones are equipped with a slightly wide-angle lens. To get the most out of a scene it is best to get close to your subject and fill the frame up. This will help prevent unnecessary cropping. Getting closer can also cause the background to blur out a little.
44 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
HOW TO: PHOTOS
o take better es with your phone DON’T USE THE FLASH While Apple’s amber flash on the iPhone 5s has tried to tackle the ice blue case that most smart phones share, the reality remains that a flash so close to your lens is not going to produce good shadows. The results will look harsh and cold from an LED flash so when possible, turn the flash off. KEEP THINGS LIT Not to contradict the last point but almost all smartphone cameras still feature imaging sensors that are really small and give very grainy pictures in low light so it is best to shoot in well-lit environments. It’s also important to note that autofocus will take longer than usual in darker conditions due to the lack of contrast. EXPOSURE COMPENSATION
Each smartphone has its own camera application. Check to see if your phone’s camera app has an ‘Exposure Compensation” option, often displayed with a “-/+” symbol. You will be amazed at how much an image is improved simply by making a photograph lighter or darker. For example, if you shoot a sunset while making the image darker, the colours will be much richer. WHITE BALANCE
There is a simple way to enhance the colour of certain scenes. Most cameras try to make all forms of light appear white when using Auto white balance mode. That means sunsets or candle light will look less warm and orange. Try setting the white balance to Daylight mode to retain a scenes more natural colours. CAMERA APPS Some smartphone’s native camera apps may be limited by their ability to adjust key photographic settings like exposure compensation or white balance mentioned above. If this is the case, try downloading other camera applications such as Camera+ for iPhone or Camera ZOOM FX for Android BACKUP THOSE PHOTOS Since you are most likely to capture life’s precious moments with your smartphone, we would highly recommend getting your camera roll backed up. There is nothing worse then losing those memories if your phone is stolen or breaks. The easiest way to do so is with the Dropbox app and it’s ‘Camera Upload’ feature. SHARING IS CARING Take time to share some of the images you create. Instagram is one place with a great community of smartphone snappers, it can also be a source of inspiration as well. Another great photographic service with accompanying phone apps is Flickr. (It is also a good service to back up your photographs to with a terabyte of free space per user.) Lastly Google+ has become a home for many photographers on the web, so why not give that a try?
Awesome guides at
go to htxt.co.za
3 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR ANDROID BATTERY LAST ALL DAY Battery life has become the limiting factor in our brave, new world of multi-sensor, multi-core smartphones. Here are some top Android tips. Bit.ly/1ej8YAM
HOW TO FIND FREE WIFI IN CAPE TOWN If load shedding and slow internet speeds are getting you down, it’s good to know where to head in the Mother City when you need to go online. You can search using the drop-down list of places. Bit.ly/1cYzK2v
5 WAYS YOU CAN BETTER SECURE YOUR DATA Unless you have been living with no technological connection, privacy is no longer about secrecy, it is about whether you can control how your data is used and by whom? Bit.ly/1g0bhEW
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 45
TRIPODS • GIMBALS • BALL HEADS All use standard “Arca” style lens / camera plates
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Ball Head Double Action with Friction Control
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Create a YouTube Playlist Is your favourites list getting a little long? Here’s how to assemble all your YouTube videos into one, easy place.
D
id you know that in 2013, YouTube views in South Africa increased by over 90%? And according to a recent report, 70% of users see YouTube as the first place to go when looking for online content with 68% of SA using YouTube for educational purposes. Stats aside, the user interface of the world’s largest online video community keeps changing which can complicate even the simplest of tasks. Making a YouTube playlist, for example, isn’t as straightforward as it used to be. Why create a customised YouTube playlist? It’s a great way to keep content you’d like to see again in one place. For example, short fitness videos, your child’s favourite nursery rhymes, music videos, recipes and more.
HERE’S HOW:
1
Find a video which you would want to add to a YouTube playlist.
2
The Playlists link at the top of the channel refers to the author’s playlists. Unless you are looking to watch a number of videos from the same author one after the other, this is not where you are going to go.
BLOOMUA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM
HOW TO…
3
Once you’ve clicked on the video, there are five links at the bottom. Click on ‘Add to’ to bring up the personalised playlist option.
6
The next time you’d like to bring up your favourite videos, it will be under the Playlists menu in the main YouTube menu on the left.
4
Sign into your Google account using your gmail address, the same email you would use for Google Docs, Google Drive and the Google Play Store.
5
Give the YouTube playlist a name and decide if you’d like other YouTube users to see your playlist, or if you would prefer it to remain private.
7
If you’d like to permanently skip the short ads which pop up before each video starts, consider installing Chrome’s AdBlock. It’s available for free via the Chrome Web Store and once activated, will remove any unwanted advertising content from your playlist.
*STATS COURTESY OF GOOGLE SOUTH AFRICA
FREE TECH SUPPORT! htxt africa GOT A PROBLEM - POST A QUESTION AT BIT.LY/1EUDVB3 AND YOU CAN ASK OUR STAFF OR READERS TO HELP. WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 47
HOW TO…
Pocket Productivity 5 apps to make you smarter The best apps are the ones that make your life easier in some way.
EVERNOTE Evernote makes taking notes and keeping them synchronised across all of your devices as easy as hitting Save. You can type out your notes, record voice clips, save your favourite web pages and more using the app, and once they’re saved and your device has access to the internet, they’re all uploaded online where they are synchronised with every other device you use that also runs Evernote the next time they log in. Evernote is basically cloud storage for useful snippets of information, all curated by you. Free – Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows
SWIFTKEY The default Android keyboard is actually quite good, but even so this one is better. SwiftKey’s keyboard layout, shortcuts and ability to predict what you’re typing is just superb, and only a few days of using it is all that’s needed to improve your on-the-go typing skills. The latest version has introduced SwiftKey Cloud, an online service that stores all of the words you’ve entered into your phone’s dictionary so that you don’t have to re-enter them when you use SwiftKey on a new phone. R53.99 – Android-only WUNDERLIST – TO-DO & TASK LIST Wunderlist lets you set and manage tasks in a super-organised fashion. Its interface is very minimalistic, but that just makes it easy to add, remove and edit tasks in mere seconds. It’s also fantastic for people who subscribe to the GTD (Getting Things Done) methodology, which basically says that tasks are made up of many tiny mini-tasks, and that getting things done is a matter of simply tackling those mini-tasks in order. Best of all, it’s free. Free – Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows
DROPBOX This cloud-based service is, essentially, a hard drive that stores data that’s only accessible via the internet. It’s brilliant for synchronising files across all of your devices since every major platform supports it, and you can do things like ensuring your important work documents are available anywhere there is an internet connection. Free users get 5GB of storage to do with what they like, but there are paid options that give you much more space for a nominal annual subscription fee. Free – Android, iOS, Windows Phone, Windows
IF THIS, THEN THAT The genius of If This, Then That (IFTTT), is that it lets you set up your own automated tasks using a whole lot of popular internet applications, and all you need to access it is a browser and internet access. If, for example, you’d like to save every picture that’s tagged with your details on Facebook to DropBox automatically, you can totally do it with IFTTT. Or if you want to upload an image of where you are via Instagram whenever you check in somewhere with FourSquare, IFTTT will let you do it, and it requires nothing more than being set up once and activated on the IFTTT.com website. The possibilities are staggering. Free – Via a web browser
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HOW TO…
The Google Guide to safer surfing for your kids From PCs to tablets and smartphones, the internet is everywhere make sure your children are browsing the web safely and securely with these easy tips. 1. KEEP COMPUTERS IN A CENTRAL PLACE This will make it easier to keep an eye on your children’s activities. 2. KNOW WHERE YOUR CHILDREN GO ONLINE. If you have young children, you might use the internet with them. For older children you could talk about what kinds of sites they like to visit and what isn’t appropriate for your family. You can also check where your kids have been by looking at the history in your browser menu. Another option is to use search tools like Google Safe Search, which filters search results and removes potentially explicit material. Google Safe Search can easily be made a homepage on your browser.
3. USE PRIVACY SETTINGS AND SHARING CONTROLS. Many sites that feature user-generated content, including YouTube, Blogger and social networking sites, have sharing controls that put users in charge of who sees personal blogs, photos, videos,
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50 | TECH MADE EASY | APRIL 2014
and profiles. Using sharing controls is particularly important when you or your children share personal information such as names, addresses, or phone numbers, on public sites. Teach your children to respect the privacy of friends and family by not identifying people by name in public profiles and pictures.
8. VIEW ALL CONTENT CRITICALLY Just because you see it online, there’s no guarantee it’s true. Children should learn how to distinguish reliable sources from unreliable ones, and how to verify information they find online. Make sure kids understand that cutting and pasting content directly from a website may be plagiarism.
4. PROTECT PASSWORDS Remind your children not to give out their passwords. Make sure they make a habit of unclicking “remember me” settings on public computers such as those at school or in the library.
9. TEACH INTERNET SAFETY It’s impossible to monitor your child’s online activity all the time. As they get older, they need to know how to use the internet safely and responsibly when they’re on their own.
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CM
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CMY
5. STRANGER DANGER Teach your children not to arrange in-person meetings with people they “meet” online, and not to share personal information with online strangers because people may not be who they claim to be.
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6. HELP PREVENT VIRUSES Use antivirus software and update it regularly. Make sure your children avoid downloading from file-sharing websites and don’t accept files or open email attachments from unknown people. 7. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO COMMUNICATE RESPONSIBLY Take the following as a good rule of thumb: if you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t text it, email it, instant message it, or post it as a comment on someone’s page.
THE INFOGRAPHIC GUIDE TO ERASING YOURSELF FROM THE INTERNET A guide to deleting your Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts to destroying the search engine results for your name. Bit.ly/OTKzZ9
For more info and advice visit http:// www.google.co.za/goodtoknow/, your one stop safety source.
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Who should you
HOW TO…
VOTE FOR?
For the first time since 1994, the ANC is under serious pressure on most fronts. How do you choose between the main contendors? The one thing you’ll want to know is what they promise on the internet and digital policy front.
ICT in education:
EFF
ANC
The ANC aims to connect all schools, public health and other government facilities through broadband by 2020, and give substantial and superfast broadband capacity by 2020 to at least 90% of all communities.
DA
The EFF promises to use existing capacity to provide high speed and quality broadband to all schools and institutions of higher learning. It also promises to build a specified technology institute whose primary focus will be technological innovation.
Nothing mentioned on this topic.
Broadband and WiFi:
ANC
The ANC promises to support and develop free WiFi areas in cities, towns and rural areas. It also plans to expand broadband access throughout the country and substantially reduce the cost of communication.
EFF
Nothing mentioned on this topic.
ICT in entrepreneurship:
ANC
The ANC promises to stimulate the local electronics sector and emerging entrepreneurs as part of its efforts to support the manufacturing industry.
DA
The DA will give operating licences to additional fixed-line operators to encourage competition in the ICT sector, bring down prices and improve service delivery. It also promises to establish a new regulatory framework for the ICT sector to ensure that the internet becomes accessible to all.
EFF
The differences:
ANC
The ANC has a section on energy while opposition parties either mention it briefly, or don’t have any plans at all. Here’s a list of the ANC’s plans:
Nothing mentioned on this topic.
DA
The DA mentions quite a few plans regarding this, they are: • To establish a research alliance venture fund to provide grants to researchers to turn their work into marketable products. • Allocate national grant and bursary funding to encourage research in priority areas. • Establish a web-based portal where innovators and designers can access information on the types of support available for research and development (R&D) in various areas, the funding cycles for financial support, application processes and opportunities for research partnerships. • Provide tax incentives for private investment in R&D and support towards the cost of patenting, exempt R&D inputs from import duties and allow for the accelerated depreciation of equipment used in R&D. • Strengthen the capacity of the Technology Innovation Agency to provide support for the development and commercialisation of knowledge-based services and products. • Establish techno-parks, industrial zones or city rejuvenation projects as innovation sites.
• To ensure that there is domestic security of supply of coal to existing and future power stations. • Both traditional and green energy will be expanded to ensure a platform for growth and social inclusion, including the use of nuclear power for energy generation in a safe and environmentally sustainable manner. • Additional energy will be generated through the completion of large power stations. • Solar and wind power will feed into the electricity grid to increase capacity and promote environmental sustainability. • Further hydro-electric energy will be secured domestically and regionally for the national grid. • 1.3 million homes will be installed with solar water heaters, bringing the total to 1.75 million houses, covering more than 7 million South Africans.
EFF Nothing mentioned on this topic.
DA
The DA promises to encourage Independent Power Production through an overhaul of the institutional framework governing the electricity sector to facilitate competition and drive efficiencies.
Other promises:
EFF
Interestingly, the EFF promises to support and subsidise technological innovation which will lead to the development and manufacturing of a South African car, computer, tablet, phone and other means of world class technological innovations.
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 53
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STATS
SA tech
The numbers that sum up the state of the nation
in stats
Mozilla has killed off Firefox for Windows 8’s Modern UI. It only had 1 000 users per day
IDC says the number of tablets sold in South Africa increased by 107% last year, while desktop PCs fell 25%
Bit.ly/Nqj8EW
13.798 billion years
Length of time since the Big Bang. New scientific evidence provides the first proof that Big Bang is more than just a theory.
Bit.ly/1mfwSkZ
8GB
size of the hard drive in the new low cost iPhone 5c
The cost of an Office 463 subscription has risen by 20% in a year
R96 547.5 amount that an educational foundation is trying to raise to teach girls about tech
Bit.ly/1egyvdF
Bit.ly/NqQxz4
Post-Apocalypse PlayStation thriller The Last of Us has sold 6m copies since launch Bit.ly/Oyp9jH
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