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Build a loadsheddingbeating light that comes on when the power trips!
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REVIEWED! STASIS
South Africa’s first Kickstarted adventure game is out, and it’s ace! ISSUE 20 | OCTOBER 2015 | HTXT.CO.ZA
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Contents
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ISSUE #20
October 2015
Need To kNow: News
A GOOD MONTH
W
elcome to another issue of your favourite SA tech mag, Tech Made Easy! Since our last issue, I’ve actually watched a fair amount of ShowMax shows, mostly on my phone and tablet, and I must say things appear to have improved. The quality and stuttering issues I saw just after launch are a lot less noticeable now, and the service is doing a great job of justifying its R99 subscription fee. Nicely done, ShowMax! And as for this issue, well, we’ve got some great gear lined up for review. I spent a lot of time with a TV I was very sorry to see go (page 20-21), a monitor that I’d definitely consider spending my own money on (page 17), and playing a locallydeveloped (and Kickstarted) game that was finally released a short while back (Stasis, page 22). In all, a good month. We also have a review of the latest “Rugby World Cup” game, but as it turns out, the developers shouldn’t have bothered – it’s terrible. Read Charlie’s review on page 23 for the deets. Right at the back of the mag you’ll see we’re asking you for your input on our Gear of the Year issue, which we’re putting out next month. Instead of it being somewhat one-sided as it was last year, we’re giving you a selection of gadgets and obile opera MTN has as tor well. goodies to vote on so we can include your opinions
MTN launches supercheap smartphone 15
Operator’s sub-r500 Steppa is firs
M
launched
South Africa’s first Find it on page 38. Android-powered smartphone And that’s it from me! Enjoy thethat’s issue. 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: Nick Cowen - nick@htxt.co.za putting high-tech handsets within the DEPUTY EDITOR: Deon du Plessis – deon@htxt.co.za reach of everyone. Which is awesome. TECH & NEWS: Charlie Fripp – charlie@htxt.co.za The phone itself isn’t, of course, hugel y STARTUPS & STUFF: Lungelo Shezi – lungelo@htxt.co.za powerful. It’s based on a Qualcomm MAKERS CONTRIBUTORS: Brendyn Lotzrefere - brendyn@htxt.co.za, nce design, so it has a 1GHz single Clinton Matos - clinton@htxt.co.za core Snapdragon processor, a 3.5in ch SENIOR DESIGNER: Quinton Hoffmann –screen quinton@htxt.co.za and a mere 2MP camera on board. More limiting is the fact that there’s only ADVERTISING: Dorothy Haggard – dorothy@hypertext.co.za 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
t of its kind.
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
24 12
It’s a milestone which puts hightech handsets within the reach of everyone…
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
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htxt.africa’s Tech Made Easy is At the bottom of almost every produced by: Hypertext Media, 102 on 11th, article in Tech Easy Climate Cha nge willMade Cause more Highlands North, 2192, Johannesburg storm dam agesee you’ll one of these strange in sa More news at Contact Us: sts from short codes.Two It’sscienti a Bit.ly adress Wits have published a paper which says Email: info@hypertext.co.za shortening link, which means that that South Africa may be at when you type it into web go to htxt.co.za Tel: (011) 023-8001/4 increas ed riskyour of tropical storm damag browser it will take e. you to a longer Fax: 08654 83304 Our content is licensed under a Creative 6 | tech made easy | March 2014 Commons Attribution-NonCommercialShareAlike 4.0 International Licence. Other rights may apply for non-original materials.
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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! WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 1
Contents ISSUE #20
Need to know
6 5 6 8
20
10
25bn connected devices by 2020 As gadgets multiply, they’re also getting smarter Maker News New IoT Starter Kit from Microsoft and Adafruit IoT Roadshow coming to SA Tech News Round-up 100% free Wifi access in Braam New app helps to keep journalists safe Crowd-funded laser razor means no more cuts BRCK creates a “classroom-in-abox” for rural areas Games News New Humble Bundle Monthly offer SA’s videogames market is worth R2.6bn
Games and gadgets galore
14 17 18 20
October 2015
22
Game Reviews STASIS Rugby World Cup 2015 Satellite Reign Forza Motorsport 6 Mobile Games
29
How to Build your own loadsheddingbeating emergency light
The important stuff in SA tech
The Best Reviews 12
www.htxt.co.za
Gigabyte P55K-V4 Gaming Laptop A budget lappy that tries its best to please everyone LG G4 Beat Smartphone It’s a lot like the G4, only cheaper and slightly less awesome ASUS Designo MX27AQ PC Monitor Such a pretty screen! Armaggeddon Alien Craft IV G17 A pricy mouse for gamers LG 65-inch Super Ultra HD TV A brilliant TV that’ll future-proof your viewing
Going Mobile Mobile-focused reading
34 36
Fixed vs. Mobile Connectivity Which internet access method is best for you? MVNOs vs. The Big Networks Because postpaid isn’t always cheaper
The stuff at the back
The fun bits, right where you can easily find them
38
40
Gear of the Year Reader’s Choice This year, we’re giving you the chance to vote on your favourite gear Month in stats The numbers that made the month what it was
38 WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 3
Get to your nearest Incredible Connection Store today
LOGITECH X100 MOBILE WIRELESS SPEAKER Crystal clear sound. Pump up the volume and enjoy!
LOGITECH X300 MOBILE WIRELESS STEREO SPEAKER A powerful wireless speaker designed for performance
LOGITECH MULTIMEDIA SPEAKERS Z213 Full bass, compact design
LOGITECH WIRELESS TOUCH KEYBOARD K400 Wireless control of your laptop.Bluetooth technology
LOGITECH WIRELESS PRESENTER R400 The convenient controls of this wireless presenter will help you make your point.
LOGITECH MX MASTER WIRELESS MOUSE Optimized for Windows and Mac
EXTREME 3D PRO JOYSTICK With advanced controls and a twist-handle rudder, this joystick stays stable and precise through a acrobatic dogfight or a long-range strike.
F310 GAMEPAD Designed for the PC gamer looking for an advanced console-style controller.
G105 GAMING KEYBOARD When control is critical.
NEED TO KNOW: NEWS
The rise of the intelligent machines
Here’s a glimpse of a future where 25 billion devices are connected.
A
in the future devices should allow you to ccording to Gartner’s Brian Burke, continue working on the plane, which will by the year 2020 planet Earth will have around 25 billion devices on it also have a screen and keyboard for that that generate information. Those devices exact purpose. “It will be a much more contextual world. won’t just include the usual suspects like There will be changes in application design, mobile phones, laptops and wearables, and apps will be customised for the devices but also connected cars, appliances and secondary devices as well. that are around you,” he said, calling it the “Smart teller machines, connectivity on “ambient user experience”. But with devices and machines looking planes and all kinds of things that will be to hand you off to the nearest and best connected all fall into this category. There will be an explosion of devices,” Burke said. possible solution, they will also need to learn your behaviour. The key question for device manufacturers will be how people interact In the not-so-distant future, machines will do exactly that. Today, using an with them, and the typical idea of mobility algorithm called Deep Face, Facebook will change. Burke predicts that the devices scans and detects faces in your images. If it that will surround you will change and recognises any, those are flagged for tagging. adapt, and the resulting mix will work in concert with the apps you use. Deep Face learned how to do this on its To be successful, Burke said that own, and machines will only get smarter as time goes by. machines must be able to integrate all According to Burke, the smarter the devices that you use – regardless of if machines get, the more implications there they are borrowed or owned – so that you are for people. Machines will be able to can seamlessly move from one device to another without interruption. scan large crowds of people to search for As an example, if you are busy with a anyone who seems nervous or out of place piece of work on your laptop at an airport, – and call the police automatically. This
is already possible, he says, but only on a small scale. Virtual personal assistants will eventually migrate to a post-app world. Apple’s Siri and Microsoft’s Cortana can do things for you today, but you still need to tell them to perform those tasks. These tasks, according to Gartner will be done on your behalf in the future, without you needing to say anything. “It will become almost Star Trek-like, as machines learn and eventually become able to order things for you,” Burke said. In the post-app future, those same actions will happen automatically, without your intervention, because machines will have learned the way you operate and will be smart enough to anticipate your needs. People sometimes say that humans alive today were born too late to explore the earth, and too soon to explore space. But at least they’re around to see the start of the rise of intelligent machines; let’s just hope those responsible for their creation take note of warnings from the world’s foremost thinkers in their rush to implement. Bit.ly/1O4giRG WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 5
NEED TO KNOW: NEWS
Adafruit and Microsoft partner up for this IoT starter kit
L
ast month Microsoft announced that it was releasing its own developer environment for Windows 10 and the internet of things (IoT). In a follow up to this, the company announced a new partnership with Adafruit which will see the pair producing starter kits for inventors looking to use the Windows 10 IoT (Internet of Things) Core platform. The starter kit features a Raspberry Pi 2 and an SD card preloaded with Windows 10 IoT Core so that developers and hackers are able to start playing around with the platform as soon as possible. For those that prefer a kit without the Raspberry Pi 2, Adafruit will also offer a kit without it. Along with the Raspberry Pi 2 and an SD card, Adafruit and Microsoft have included a host of extras to get you started, including a miniature Wifi module, an Adafruit BMP280 temperature and humidity sensor as well as a TCS34725 RGB colour sensor. The announcement of the partnership with Adafruit was made on the Windows Blog by Steve Teixeira, the director of program management for the Internet of Things at Microsoft, who also addressed growing concerns around the security of the internet of things. “We are committed to delivering a highly secure platform for you to build IoT applications upon, and we’re going to continue that commitment in upcoming releases. We summarise our IoT security goal as bringing Windows’ enterprise-grade security to IoT devices, and you’ll soon see Secure Boot and Bitlocker encryption available,” he said. Bit.ly/1LZXCTc
IDC Internet of Things Roadshow is coming to SA
A
s the maker movement and the Internet of Things (IoT) grows, so does involvement and interest from large companies. The International Data Corporation (IDC), which specialises in – you guessed it – data in various technologyfocused industries, is organising the event. IDC is bringing the event to our country and continent in February 2016 at the Radission Blu hotel in Johannesburg. The Roadshow is intended assess the progress of IoT in our country, continent and the rest of the world. While the Roadshows is still several months away, and the speakers have not yet been announced, we were told that the keynotes will come from South African companies involved in IoT, whose speakers will discuss their challenges and innovations within the platform. The only announced sponsor at the moment is Samsung, who has made inroads into IoT with its ARTIK development platform. Mark Walker, the associate vice president at IDC for Sub-Saharan Africa spoke about a global survey concerning IoT. “IoT deployments are still in their early stages, with only onethird of planned endpoints already connected […] The next 18 months represent a critical window”, he said. Finally, delegates from South Africa’s government, transportation, manufacturing, healthcare, oil and gas, banking, energy, retail, mining, and automotive sectors will apparently be represented at the event. Big Data and data processing and analytics are also said to be on the agenda for discussion. Bit.ly/1Rm4p9P
6 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
NEED TO KNOW: NEWS
City of Joburg announces 100% free Wifi access in Braam
I
f you happen to be in Braamfontein, you can now make use of free WiFi courtesy of the City of Joburg after it switched on the Braamfontein Wireless Mesh project in late September. The Braamfontein Wireless Mesh project is part of the metro’s Smart City initiative, which aims to have 1 000 free WiFi hotspots set up across the Joburg by the end of this year, allowing citizens to connect to the free service from their mobiles, laptops and PCs. The city didn’t indicate exactly how many free WiFi hotspots are active, but did say that anyone who uses the service has a free allocation of 300MB that they can use per day. This is 50MB more than the City of Tshwane’s Free WiFi Project offers. “We see this is as very transformative initiative that will turbo-charge Joburg’s digital economy. We have set ourselves an ambitious target to get this going but it is really just the beginning, amazing things are coming and the Smart City is here, this is our vision for a world-class African City”, Parks Tau, executive mayor of the City of Joburg, said in a statement. The city also seems to be aiming at developing the Smart City WiFi project into something that will mirror the Tshwane project, with voice, video, data features to be added in the near future. Bit.ly/1PSVqvG
New REPORTA security app helps keep journalists safe
T
he International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) has brought out an app called REPORTA that puts a journalist’s security protocols within quick and easy reach. The free app basically ensures a reporter is able to confirm their location and status, let key contacts know if their or their colleagues’ safety is at risk and even send an SOS message at the touch of a button. Journalists can use the app to create notifications with photos, audio files or videos that can be sent to preconfigured contacts quickly when things get hairy. The app is available for Android and iOS phones, in six languages: English, French,
More stories at go to htxt.co.za 8 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
Spanish, Hebrew, Arabic and Turkish. The official release says the past three years have been “widely reported as the deadliest period on record” for journalists, as more than ever have died on duty while reporting on corruption, conflicts, illegal activities and other sensitive topics. The IWMF also said female journalists have suffered particularly, with two thirds of them having “experienced intimidation, threats or abuse as a result of their work”. You don’t absolutely have to be a journalist to download and use REPORTA, either; it’s for anyone who has similar security-related needs.
Bit.ly/1Vv3qES
AFRICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY FUND HITS R2.7BN TARGET The Nairobi-based African Renewable Energy Fund has hit its fundraising target of $200 million (R2.7 billion), which it plans to use for grid-tied renewables. Bit.ly/1Vv61i7
TOWNSHIP ENTREPRENEURS GIVEN A CHANCE TO SHINE The Gauteng provincial government announced the first Township Entrepreneurship Awards where finalists stand a chance to win a share of R1m in investment funds. Bit.ly/1VsUGo6
NEED TO KNOW: NEWS
BRCK Education creates a “classroom in a box” for rural areas
B
Never cut yourself shaving again with this crowd-funded laser razor
RCK Education has created the BRCK Kio Kit, a portable kit made up of up of 40 rugged Kio tablets, a BRCK+PI microserver and wireless charging functionality, and everything is neatly packaged in a hardened, waterproof, lockable case for added security. “The Kio Kit is designed as a simple, elegant ‘digital classroom in a box’ solution which requires minimal training or technical knowledge to set up and use. It connects any school within range of a mobile phone tower to the internet, as well as provides locally-hosted content to the Kio tablets within each kit,” the company explained in a statement. The Kio tablet has been designed to be as low-cost as possible, while rugged enough to withstand knocks from younger learners. It comes shipped with locally-cached videos and web-based content, and has an operating time of around eight hours – just as long as a regular school day. Material for the learners installed on the tablets comes from international education house Pearsons, while four Kenyan suppliers have also contributed content. The full Kio Kit sells for $5 000 )around R70 000), and a single Kio tablets retails for just $99 (R1 400). Pre-orders are now open on the BRCK Education website, with actual units planned to be shipped in January next year. Bit.ly/1P9ttln
T
wo incredibly smart inventors, Morgan Gustavsson MBBS and Paul Binun, have started a Kickstarter to fund a high-tech razor designed to take the pain out of shaving entirely, because it uses a laser and not a blade to cut human body hair. The project kicked off on the 21st of September, and within two days had exceeded its modest goal of just $160 000. It crossed the million-dollar mark shortly thereafter, and with 16 days still to go, had amassed over $2.7 million. If you’re hoping to get in on the action on the cheap, you’re too late: the early bird specials are gone, and if you want one you’re looking at a minimum contribution of $189. That’s more than two grand in South African terms. The reason you should want one? With the Skarp Lazer Razor, the laser on its business end fires every time it comes into contact with hair, severing it, and because the head doesn’t have a blade, there’s no scraping involved and absolutely zero risk of cuts or irritation. The Skarp Lazer Razor uses the inventors’ discovery that the presence of a specific “chromophore” in all human hair, regardless of the owner’s race, gender or age, allows it to be cut when hit by a specific light wavelength. And that, right there, is why we love technology so much. Thanks to the ingenuity of these two inventors, we will one day be able to shave our faces with lasers. Bit.ly/1WBXDzI
BLOODHOUND’S SA LAND SPEED RECORD ATTEMPT HAS A DATE Speed lovers, here’s a date to save: 16 October, 2016. That’s the day the Bloodhound Supersonic Car will attempt to break the world land speed record. Bit.ly/1FRJGJX
R2.6M WORTH OF TABLETS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS STOLEN Thieves got away with over 1600 tablets intended for public and private schools when they robbed a key IT supplier in late September. Bit.ly/1FRJGJX
THE FIRST IPHONE 6S IN SA SOLD FOR JUST UNDER R18 000 With the iPhone 6s nowhere to be found on local store shelves, an enterprising South African imported one and sold it for almost R18k on Bidorbuy. Bit.ly/1N3mtqy
WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 9
NEED TO KNOW: GAMES
Get monthly games, donate to charity
T
he Humble Bundle website may look like any other digital videogame reseller, but it’s not: when you buy any of its weekly game bundles, you also get the chance to donate to various charities. The site now also offers a monthly subscription service that gets you a selection of “highly curated” games every month for a set price. Subscribe, pay the fee and when the time comes several games will be added to your Humble Bundle account, ready to be redeemed on Steam. It’s only offered on PC right now, and the service will cost $12 (R167 or thereabouts) per month with 5% automatically going to whichever charity
the bundle supports at the time. The site started off by bundling games together and offering them for cheap. You can pay anything you want for the bundle – with a minimum payment of a single US dollar – and choose how to split your payment between the game’s publisher, the developer or whichever charity is being supported. The games on offer haven’t been announced yet, but we believe it will follow the same format as Loot Crate (or the local version Geek Crate), where you pay and the products received are a surprise. Joining before the 6th of November will net you the first bundle (when available) as well as a copy of Legend of Grimrock 2 as soon as you join. Bit.ly/1OdL9gf
SA’s videogames market is worth R2.6bn
A
ccording to PwC’s Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2015-2019, the videogame market as a whole in South Africa was worth R2.6 billion last year. That is an increase of R1 billion from five years ago, and is expected to continue growing to R3.6 billion in 2019. In the US, the videogame market brings in more cash annually than the films released by Hollywood, and in South Africa the picture isn’t much different.
More stories at go to htxt.co.za
10 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
When speaking of the video games market in SA, PwC includes all forms of videogaming – PC, console, casual and of course social. It might not come as a surprise, but it’s predicted that the biggest driver of revenue in South Africa will stem from social/casual gaming – which went from being worth R608 million in 2010 to R1.3 billion in 2014 – and is projected to shoot up to R1.9 billion by 2019.
STUDY SUGGESTS GAMES DON’T WARN PLAYERS ABOUT TOBACCO PRODUCTS Some university boffins overseas don’t think enough is being done to warn gamers about the tobacco products depicted in games. Bit.ly/1PUyzA1
South Africa is also one of only nine territories globally where social/casual gaming will overtake traditional videogame revenues by 2015. The traditional game market (consoles and PCs) will account for R1.6 billion in revenue by 2019, but only 23% of console revenues will be driven by digital platforms including online or microtransactions by 2019. Bit.ly/1hh39HX
HOW TO 100% METAL GEAR SOLID Still playing Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain? Of course you are, it’s huge! Here’s what you need to do to earn that elusive “100% Completion” stat. Bit.ly/1KXcLQN
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Processor: i7-5700 HQ @2.70GHz • RAM: 8GB @ DDR3L-1600 • Storage: 1TB HDD 7200RPM • Display: 15.6-inch FullHD @ 1 920 x 1 080 • Ports: HDMI, D-sub (VGA), headphone, microphone, Gigabit Ethernet, 4 x USB 3.0, SD Card • Operating System: Windows 8.1/Windows 10 ready • Weight: 2.4Kg R18 499
Gigabyte P55 Gaming Notebook
Students looking for a gaming/work laptop, pay attention.
T
he Gigabyte P55 is wrapped in a matte black plastic with orange accents flanking the keyboard but which are still visible when the lid is closed. It looks intimidatingly beautiful in its low profile stance. Gigabyte bills it as a budget notebook for students looking for something to do their work on, but also play the occasional game on, and in that, it succeeds. It’s the kind of laptop that gets the job done without being particularly flashy about it, but it also has its share of flaws. While the fundamentals are good – it boasts a powerful Core i7 Broadwell processor, a Full HD screen and a terabyte drive for your data - it falls down a bit in key areas like Gigabyte’s choice of graphics hardware. The GTX 965 found here is a competent chip, but it will have you gaming at around the 30fps mark in most games, with more recent AAA titles giving it a bit more of a challenge. So it’ll do for the most part, but it won’t wow anyone. The rest of the laptop has a few highlights, with a particularly competent keyboard. The keys travel just 2.2mm but the termination of a keystroke is solid. Typing is a pleasure, although if you plan on gaming using the keyboard you’re
12 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
going to have to prepare yourself for the heat emanating from the components, which get unbearably hot. We weren’t wild about the feel of touchpad’s buttons, but the touchpad itself is nice and responsive. This is a moot point, though, because Gigabyte throws in a wired mouse which you’re better off using instead of the touchpad. Ports-wise, you are given VGA and HDMI outputs, a Gigabit Ethernet port and four USB 3.0 ports, as well as an optical drive and the usual 3.5mm audio jacks for headphones/speakers and a mic. There’s even an SD card slot. The P55’s speakers, however, are just awful. We found that cranking the sound up to 100% resulted in distortion, and it doesn’t help that the speakers are rather quiet as well. You’re better off plugging in a decent set of headphones or external speakers rather. Unfortunately the components of the P55 are all soldered on to the board, meaning that if the 8GB of DDR3L RAM in the notebook is not enough for your needs in the future, you’re stuck with it. When you set the P55 to low power mode you can push the battery to last close to four hours, but if you’re watching a Full HD movie battery life will drop down to
around two and a half hours. And gaming on battery isn’t recommended at all, as the laptop throttles its components so heavily to keep battery use low that games are nigh on unplayable without direct power. The P55 is billed as a budget gaming notebook, and it performs like one. At R18 499, that’s easy to overlook. Ultimately, it’s an admirable effort from Gigabyte that could easily suit the needs of a student looking for a laptop that can get work done while also handling the odd game. So long as you don’t expect bleedingedge performance or to spend much time gaming on battery, and you’ll be plenty happy with it.
SCORES Build Quality
7
Screen
8
Productivity performance
7
Gaming performance
7
Value for money
7
Overall
7
REVIEWS
LG G4 Beat
A somewhat smart smartphone fighting for survival in the mid-range
T
he modern-day act of sharing photos online has had a lot of help thanks to the millions of cameraequipped smartphones that seemingly everyone and his dog totes around these days. But not every phone’s camera is capable of taking a great shot, so the images that end up online are not all razor-sharp masterpieces. South Korean manufacturer LG has attempted to address this of late, by including DSLR-like camera options in its latest line of smartphones. This was first seen in the LG G4, whose camera we really liked and, unsurprisingly, LG didn’t stop there. The launch of the LG G4 Beat (herein referred to as Beat or the Beat), sees the return of these DSLR-like camera features, and a design that could almost fool you into thinking the Beat is actually the company’s premium flagship phone. As such, the question on the mind of
14 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
every LG phone fan is likely how the Beat differs from the G4, and if that lower price tag means unpleasant compromises. Read on, then, we’re about to find out.
DESIGN
With the exception of a minute difference in screen size, the G4 Beat’s design is almost identical to that of the flagship G4. All physical buttons are once again at the back of the phone just below the camera, it has the same curve, and the phone also sports a removable cover that gives you access to the battery. The camera itself is set quite high up on the phone, and if you aren’t careful it’s quite easy to capture fingers instead of the full landscape/latte/meal you intended to snap. The Beat’s curve is minimal, and the phone fits nicely into pockets. LG has opted for a removable battery design instead of the unibody design favoured by some manufacturers, and
thus the G4 Beat has cover you can open. We should point out that getting it off is quite tough, and we were worried about breaking one of the clips that lock the rear cover in place.
MORE POWER TO YOU
Using the phone every day for tweeting, texting, calling, taking photos and just browsing the web gave us a fantastic two days’ worth of continuous battery life. It also only took around an hour and a half to charge the 2 300mAh Li-ion battery to full capacity. Powering this all is Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 615 platform, a mid-range chipset that tries to balance performance with efficient operation. The CPU and RAM do well when handling a few processes but once we were running music, a game and a few other apps in the background we noticed the phone lagging. Running the AnTuTu Benchmark
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Display: 5.2-inch IPS LCD screen @ 1 080 x 1 920 • Operating System: Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) • System Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 • CPU: ARM Cortex-A53 octo-core 1.5GHz, • RAM: 1.5GB • Storage: 8GB (expandable with microSD up to 32GB) • Front camera: 5.0 MP • Back camera: 8.0 MP with Laser Auto Focus • Battery: 2 300mAh Li-ion Battery R3 899
showed us that although the Beat’s overall performance isn’t terrible, it is beaten by the much older LG G3.
BARELY ANY BLOATWARE
The Beat uses Android OS version 5.1.1 (Lollipop) and with the exception of LG Smartworld and the Google suite of apps, there is very little bloatware, presumably because of the annoyingly-tiny storage capacity of just 8GB. Sies. Once you’ve accounted for the OS and pre-installed applications, you’re left with just under 2GB of usable storage. You can of course expand this by up to 32GB with a microSD card, but it’s galling nonetheless. After looking at all of this and comparing the G4 to the Beat, you get the sense that LG cut everything by half when developing this phone.
NO TOUCHY
The Beat has a 5.2-inch IPS LCD display with a maximum resolution of 1 080×1 920. This HD resolution, coupled with a pixelsper-inch count of 423 means the Beat’s screen looks fantastic. Its response to touches, however, is not as great. We experienced a delay when executing some tasks, and in rare cases we had to re-execute a command because it hadn’t registered with the touchscreen. This becomes especially noticeable in games.
QUESTIONABLE CAMERA
At the rear of the phone is an 8MP camera that gives you the same amount of manual control over your shots as the G4 did, but just with a slightly less-advanced camera sensor. Those looking to mimic professional grade photos will no doubt be overjoyed by the Beat’s ability to adjust aperture, manual focus and white balance to really capture great shots. This is both the best feature and the biggest problem with this camera: it assumes that everybody understands how to balance colour temperatures or adjust the aperture to get a good looking photo. The camera app automates the process for you somewhat, but since you aren’t able to tweak those settings without switching to full manual mode, you’re stuck with either learning what the best ISO is or taking mediocre photos. LG has added the ability to take photos when you say a word like “cheese” or “smile”, but we found that there were times it didn’t work. Moving to the front, you get a 5MP camera with a feature called Gesture Interval Shot. The premise is that you open and close your hand in quick succession to snap a selfie; we found it only works some of the time, which resulted in us frantically waving at the phone while trying to take a not-so-secret selfie.
HALF A G4
While features like the detailed camera controls are nice to have, and you can certainly capture some decent shots if you get everything just right, we can’t shake the feeling that we are getting half of the LG G4, for slightly more than half that phone’s asking price. There are also many smartphones that don’t make as many sacrifices. The Innjoo One, for instance, costs R2 600 and scores just 2 000 fewer AnTuTu points, has a 13MP rear camera and 16GB of built-in storage. So while the Beat is a solid phone with some great features, a few questionable design decisions leave it being a bit too expensive for what it offers. Bit.ly/1KP64DY
SCORES Design
7
Hardware
6
Display
7
Camera
6
Battery Life
8
Overall
7 WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 15
Turning amateurs into pro’s
stockist of major photographic brands
Tel: 011 880 2885 Fax: 086 685 8132 KAMERAZ - Shop L12, Rosebank Mews 173 Oxford Road, Rosebank
Web: www.kameraz.co.za Mail: info@kameraz.co.za Find us on facebook: http://goo.gl/3XitwWW
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Panel Size: Widescreen 27-inch, 16:9 • Panel: AH-IPS, 60Hz • True Resolution : 2 560x1 440 • Pixel Pitch : 0.233mm • Brightness(Max) : 300 cd/㎡ • Viewing Angle:178°/178° • Response Time: 5ms (Grey to Grey) • Inputs: 2 x HDMI, 1 x HDMI/MHL, 1 x DisplayPort • Outputs: 3.5mm audio • Speakers: 3W x 2 with ASUS SonicMaster/Bang & Olufsen ICEpower tech R11 999
ASUS Designo MX27AQ PC Monitor
Beautiful design meets prosumer-level features in this almost-4Kbut-not-quite PC monitor.
A
SUS appears to have thrown everything it had at this monitor but a high-performance 4K panel, as it has absolutely everything else a discerning buyer looking for a generalpurpose monitor could want. Pretty brushed metal design that makes it look like it belongs in an art museum? Check. Edge-to-edge screen with a teeny tiny bezel? Check. Advanced AH-IPS screen technology that produces lifelike colours and a picture you can see from just about every comfortable angle? You betcha. Multiple inputs so you can hook it up to your PC, Xbox, PlayStation and laptop all at the same time? Oh yes. Attractive and adjustable stand that lets you angle the monitor slightly for convenient viewing? Naturally. Heck, it even has built-in speakers that use ASUS’s proprietary SonicMaster audio tech and speaker hardware from Bang & Olufsen in case you don’t already own speakers or you don’t want the screen to share desk space with the monitor. Having built-in speakers is not as common as you might think in modern screens, so it’s a really nice touch. Pity the sound they produce isn’t amazing – volume is lacking and sounds on the high and low ends of the spectrum don’t always come out, but
speaker-less audio support at least present. Literally the only thing that’s missing that would otherwise make this the perfect monitor for general use is 4K. Instead, the MX27AQ has a resolution of 2560 x 1440, also known as WQHD, or “widescreen quad HD” as it effectively offers four times the 1280x720 resolution of 720p. Sadly, 720p is still referred to as “HD” in this day and age when it’s anything but “high” definition, but what can you do. On paper this less-than-4K resolution seems like a bit of a disaster, but since the screen is “only” 27 inches from corner to corner, 2560 x 1440 is still far sharper than 1 080p is at the same size since there are more pixels per inch. That means you won’t see any pixels when your desktop is set to that resolution unless you sit less than a foot from the screen. Gamers impressed with the MX27AQ’s looks may also be a bit disappointed that it “only” sports a 60Hz panel and a 5ms grey-to-grey response time; while these factors produce moving images that are adequate for general use, gamers often look for screens that can refresh faster than 60 times a second and which can shift colours at speeds closer to 2ms. This means the monitor is aimed at a
prosumer who likes great design and who dabbles in a bit of everything from moviewatching to net-surfing to work, but for whom gaming is not a core focus. Lastly, while we loved our time with the MS27AQ , we couldn’t help but feel that it’s rather pricy for what you’re getting. Yes, it looks amazing and the design may have won awards overseas, but you could literally buy a 40-inch 4K Smart TV that gives you more screen and sharper visuals, also at 60Hz, for less money. Still, if it’s a brilliant PC monitor you’re after, this one will certainly do a great job.
Bit.ly/1HqGJ0J
SCORES Sharpness
9
Colour
10
Viewing Angles
10
Design
9
Value for Money
3
Overall
8 WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 17
REVIEWS
DETAILS • 8200CPI Avago 9800 laser engine • 8-level adjustment on-the-fly CPI • 3-level polling rate adjustable on-the-fly •11 buttons •180 turn in 1 click macro • 8-level weight management (total additional weight 32g) • 1.8m cord • Independently adjustable X-Y axis CPI • Customisable sensitivity, acceleration and double-click speed • 1.8m cord R1 049
Armaggeddon Alien Craft IV G17 Plenty of buttons but a dearth of quality leave us a bit cold.
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rmageddon’s ridiculously-named Alien Craft IV G17 mouse is packed with many buttons and features, some of which are truly inspired while others are more limited in their use. It’s worth noting even the underside of the G17 is packed with features. Unfortunately, they’re of the “more limited” variety, starting with four “feet” which hamper movement somewhat since their surfaces are quite rough. We initially thought this roughness was due to the newness of the mouse, but after a few weeks movement was still rough even on a high-end mousepad. The G17’s laser sensor is rated at 8 200 CPI. While this does sound high, it just wasn’t sensitive enough for us, even in boring office work, so you will be disappointed if you want to be precise with your headshots. The G17 also has a removable hatch granting access to a weight compartment, which can accommodate up to eight weights. Packing them in will increase the G17’s mass by four grams each, for a total additional weight of 32 grams. This right-hand only mouse is quite large and shaped very nicely, with two
18 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
thumb buttons as well as another two that are activated by a sliding function. The two sliding buttons are a nice inclusion, but they’re unfortunately not placed well enough to be easily accessible, and you’ll need to move your entire hand in order to use them. At the top you’ll find a strip of black which is a different material to the rest of the mouse. It’s not exactly rubber but it’s softer than the plastic. The two main buttons are nothing special, but between them you’ll find a scroll wheel that is; while notched ever so slightly, it’s as smooth as butter and scrolling with it is a real pleasure. The two other top buttons are for modes (profiles) and CDP (sensitivity). Tapping the mode button cycles profiles, which will also affect the lights on the right side. The CPI button is the most impressive, though: touching it will let you change sensitivity on the fly using the scroll wheel. Once you’re happy, you can hit any button on the mouse and that sensitivity setting will be saved. We really liked this feature, but were disappointed to find that the setting was sometimes reset and we’d have to change it after a reboot or restart.
You can use the bundled software to do some fine-tuning with the sensitivity, change what the buttons do and set up macros, and turn the lighting on or off, as well as set it to pulsate. The software does its job, but there’s nothing exciting or special here. Since there is 512 KB of on-board memory here, we suggest you download the software, make the changes you want, and then delete it. At R1 049 the G17 is priced at the high end and, while it does have some great tricks and features, it’s missing that little extra bit of a quality feel to make this an unqualified recommendation.
Bit.ly/1iEg08j
SCORES Hardware
8
Software
5
Features
8
Value for money
4
Overall
6
REVIEWS
LG 65-inch Super Ultra It’s big, it’s a bit expensive but trust us, you’ll fall in love with it anyway.
I
f there’s one thing you can count on to make you happy - or at least, to help you forget about reality for a while which is basically the same thing - it’s TV. Modern-day sets keep getting better and cheaper with every new generation, too. LG’s 65-inch behemoth is one such TV; despite being huge and packed with “smart” features, it’s not as expensive as 4K/Ultra HD TVs were a year ago. And it’s not “just” 4K: this is a Super Ultra HD TV, which means it has a 4K panel that’s better at displaying life-like colours than last year’s “non-super” TVs did. 4K, in case you need a refresher, is a display technology that packs four times the number of pixels onto a TV screen than 1080p did. The net result is much better clarity and far more detail in any given scene; even 1080p content like Blu-ray movies and downloaded videos benefit from 4K as 4K TVs usually include a feature called “1080p upscaling” which works to make regular 1080p content look a little sharper with some 20 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
clever computations that happen in the background. We were only too happy to review this TV when it came in, but setting it up was quite a mission as it turned out to be deceptively heavy. Sure, it’s all thin and sexy-looking like a modern TV should be, but the curved metal base it stands in weighs a lot – for better stability, obviously – and the screen itself is certainly no lightweight either. Getting the TV to slide onto the two protruding metal bits that stuck up from the base was the hardest part of the setup. You will definitely need at least one other strong friend to get it done. Once set up, we were pleasantly surprised by the TV’s excellent little remote control, as it turned out to be motion-sensitive, giving us a floating mouse-like pointer with which to navigate the TV’s on-screen menu. This particular TV comes with WebOS 2.0, LG’s TV operating system that gives it all of its smarts, including access to a selection
of apps that include YouTube and even ShowMax. Yes, all you need to enjoy ShowMax’s thousands of hours of video content on this TV is your username and password, but unfortunately not even the TV’s 1080p upscaling will make it look good – while watching on a small screen is the best way to watch ShowMax shows, the service’s quality doesn’t scale quite as well on bigger screens like this one. To access all of the 950T’s smart features, though, you’ll need a home network connected to the internet. Happily, the TV supports both wired and wireless network connections and setup is ridiculously easy. We made extensive use of the YouTube app during our lunch breaks while the TV was here (fail videos ftw), but perhaps the best part of having it was we got to see YouTube’s many 4K videos playing as they are meant to be seen – on a 4K screen. And boy, is that quality exceptional. It’s so good, you’ll start to notice just how
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Panel: 65-inch LED • Screen Technology: Super Ultra High Definition @ 3840 x 2160, 60P • Inputs: 3 x HDMI, 1 x HDMI/MHL, 2 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB 3.0 • Operating System: WebOS 2.0 • Networking: WiFi, Ethernet R39 999
ra HD TV (65UF950T) comparatively grainy and blurry even 1080p videos are. Of course, to watch 4K videos on this TV means you will need a decent internet connection and a generous data allowance. Our office’s uncapped Telkom LTE-A connection coped fine, but we were averaging transfer speeds of around 55Mbps and we weren’t worried about using too much data so that’s to be expected. If you’re on a much slower connection, you’ll have to wait while 4K videos buffer so that’s something to keep in mind. When it comes to hooking things up to the 950T, it has four HDMI ports so you can easily have a decoder, games console, computer and media player all hooked up at the same time. One of the HDMI ports supports the MHL standard, which lets smartphones and tablets that also support it output their screens to the TV with a special MHL cable. Or you could, you know, just Miracast your phone’s screen to the TV or use the LG TV SmartShare app to do it wirelessly instead.
Just above those are three USB ports (two USB 2.0/one USB 3.0) where you can insert flash drives and portable hard drives stuffed with movies. Impressively, the 950T played all of the most popular video file formats with its own native player without so much as a complaint, so you can potentially chuck out your old media players and simply stock up on USB storage instead. So while this TV performs very well and we fell in love with it while it was here, we did discover a caveat: it makes anything less than proper 1080p HD look very rubbish indeed. Watching anything that wasn’t HD was just awful, with every blemish and instance of poor compression showing up even worse than they do on a smaller screen. That’s the problem with raising standards – anything less just can’t compare, to the point where you will likely not want to watch anything in standard definition ever again. This TV will spoil you with what HD content should look like, which is quite a blow as there isn’t exactly a lot of native 4K content around these days.
So should you buy one? Our answer is yes, because this is a really good – and future-proof - TV for the price. Sure, it costs R39 999 and that’s still a lot of money for the average South African, but the tech and quality on offer fully justifies it. Bit.ly/1KP64DY
SCORES Image Quality
9
Interface
9
Inputs
10
Ease of Use
10
Setup
7
Overall
9 WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 21
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Developer: The Brotherhood • Platforms: PC only via Steam • The Good: Memorable story • The bad: Not for the faint-hearted or weak of stomach R350
Stasis
This Kickstarted South African-made adventure will make your skin crawl as much as it’ll make you think.
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tasis is a game you won’t soon forget. Not only is it the production of just two South Africans, brothers Christopher and Nicolas Bischoff, but it’s one of the most atmospheric, soul-sucking and thought-provoking adventure games you’ll ever play. It’s also the first South African-made game that raised its funding through the Kickstarter crowd-funding platform. Stasis is set in a bleak and distant future, and casts you as John Marachek, a man who is awoken from stasis – a sleep-like state required for space travel - only to find himself aboard the Groomlake, a bloodsoaked and seemingly abandoned space ship/research vessel. He had been on his way to a holiday destination with his wife and child, but clearly they didn’t get there. He wakes up alone, disoriented and in serious pain… and then things get worse. He is soon contacted by a mysterious woman who attempts to guide him through the Groomlake, ostensibly to help him find his wife and child. But the ship he’s on is a nightmarish place, mostly devoid of life but full of evidence – blood stains, human remains and destruction - of some awful event that happened not too long ago, and he must navigate its terrors in his dazed, disoriented state in order to find what he’s looking for.
22 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
Death lurks around every corner for John, because Stasis takes a lot of inspiration from the old point & click adventure games of the 90s that enjoyed punishing players with unexpected death. Deaths are pretty graphic, too, thanks to the detailed game engine Stasis is built on, and if you have a weak stomach you should consider playing something a little more tame instead. The developers also made all of the game’s deaths easter eggs/Steam achievements, and even packed in a few suicides too. Suicides are only triggered if players click certain objects on John multiple times, though, so you won’t see them all unless you specifically go after them. Thematically, however, once you reach a certain point in the game you will completely understand why someone in John’s position would consider offing himself; the game’s story is really that acutely distressing. Puzzles abound as well, although we were only too happy to see that these had a more modern feel to them, and avoided the old “retrieve the cat hair to use as a fake moustache so you look like the picture in the passport you stole, on which you drew the moustache” tropes. As such, puzzles in Stasis are mostly logical; when they start to feel difficult it’s usually
because you simply hadn’t picked up the appropriate object yet. The graphics, voice acting and music in Stasis are just superb, putting its production values right up there with any studio-built game you care to name. The animation is a little janky at times, but really, that’s forgiveable considering the two-man team and limited budget it was built on. By the end of the six-hour story, you’ll be emotionally spent. Stasis is more horrifying than scary, and the ending will stay with you long after the credits roll. In all, it’s a brilliant production by a clearlytalented developer and a must-play if you like horror, point & click adventure games and great writing.
SCORES Graphics
9
Audio
10
Puzzles
8
Writing
9
Story
9
Overall
9
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Platforms: Xbox 360/One, PS4/4, PC • Developer: HB Studios • The Good: The DVD doubles as a drinks coaster • The Bad: Gameplay. Graphics. Price. R799 (consoles), R599 (PC)
Rugby World Cup 2015 Touch, pause… don’t engage. Truly, a worse rugby game there has not been.
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hat HB Studios should have done with its time instead of developing this game was to sit on its hands and look the other way, because to say that Rugby World Cup 2015 is a mess would be a bit of an understatement. It looks terrible, controls worse, and leaves you feeling like perhaps you should have simply burned your money, because that would have been more fun. Depending on your difficulty setting, the ball will pop out at the back of the scrum and it will then just sit there until you once again press the corresponding button. Once the scrum half retrieves the ball, the gameplay will pause, allowing you time to decide which way you want to pass or if you want to run/kick. Passing is a simple button press, but if you want a bit more control there is a combination you can press and hold to manually select your direction. The action couldn’t have been animated any worse, either, as it looks like the ball carrier is having a muscle spasm before he slips the ball in a particular direction. The only aspect of Rugby World Cup 2015 that remotely makes you feel as if you’re on the field is when it comes time to take a penalty kick. The camera moves to
a close-up third-person view, and you have to adjust your aiming depending on the distance and wind speed. With that said, the strength bar to kick is a simple up-anddown affair. Like the rest of the controls, it gets the job done but it’s dull, leaving you feeling like you’re just going through the motions instead of actually playing. The gameplay itself is pretty awful as well, as all that’s needed to score a try is to find a gap. If there is even the slightest of gaps between opposing players, chances are that your man can squeeze past his opponent and run all the way to the try line – no matter how far away he starts out. It might sounds true-to-life, but on this scale it’s just ridiculous. Opponents also seem rather reluctant to tackle the ball carrier, as they would rather opt to surround him with as many players as possible before taking a leap. Every now and then you’ll find one player on the opposing team that wakes up slightly and runs after you, but deliberately running in a zig-zag pattern for a bit is all that’s needed to shake them off and score a try. In short, make all the jokes you want about the intelligence of real-life rugby players, the AI opponents in RWC 2015 take the cake in the stupid department. But by far Rugby World Cup 2015’s
most egregious transgression is the fact that half the teams aren’t licensed, and thus can’t give you real team and player names or real-world stadiums when competing in the game’s main mode. That’s an unforgivable sin for a game called Rugby World Cup 2015, which clearly banks on the competition’s name to sell copies. The whole package is just so bad, we don’t recommend picking it up even if all you want to see is if it’s really that awful. It is. Just trust us on this. As a result, we find it very hard to recommend Rugby World Cup 2015 to anyone – even ardent rugby fans. Bit.ly/1KUmElD
SCORES Gameplay
3
Graphics
3
Controls
4
Realism
0
Replayability
3
Overall
3 WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 23
REVIEWS
DETAILS Platforms: PC Only via Steam Developer: 5 Lives The Good: Looks good, tactical options The Bad: Lifeless city, no real story R415
Satellite Reign
This rough gem isn’t your father’s Syndicate, but it definitely has its moments.
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atellite Reign is set a rain-slicked, neon-encrusted cyberpunk dystopia in which corporations rule, poverty is rife and the streets are essentially a combat zone in which kill-or-be-killed is the order of the day. Players join one of the corporations as a kind of squad overseer, and then use a team of cybernetically-enhanced soldiers to accomplish a set of goals laid out on a map. That, in essence, was the narrative and gaming premise for the Syndicate games it draws inspiration from, and Satellite Reign recreates it faithfully. Unlike the Syndicate games, in which the Agents under the player’s command were pretty similar in their abilities, Satellite Reign’s troops are all from different classes with an array of varying abilities that can be levelled up. The levelling system has a two-pronged effect on how Satellite Reign plays out. First off, players are encouraged to use their individual squad members to accomplish certain tasks and this, in turn, complements different styles of play. For example, if you want to take the stealthy approach, it’s worth having your Infiltrator lead from the front, since they can use cloaking abilities and ziplines to
24 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
sneak past guards. Soldiers are for the more direct approach – since they can manipulate cameras, turrets and entrances and they are more heavily armoured than their compatriots. Agents must be micro-managed, making sure they’re exactly where they need to be, accomplishing tasks they’re best suited to. Run-and-gunning in this game, therefore, will only get the player so far. The game’s visuals recall the moody ambience of films like Blade Runner, The Matrix and Cyber City OEDO 808. Rain spatters down from permanently overcast skies, smearing the pavements in a sheen that reflects the neon lights and giant digital billboards that surround the player’s trench-coated cyber warriors. It’s an environment one could spend hours exploring, soaking up its dystopian beauty and cyber-noir atmosphere. That being said, the developers have wisely included fast-transport beacons that allow players to have their squad navigate the open-world metropolis quickly. Sadly, there isn’t really much to do in the city, aside from ride ziplines, breach buildings and ride in some elevators, and there aren’t any pedestrian NPCs to interact with or open world mini-games to play,
so the sense of it being a living breathing world is somewhat lost. Combat is also a little disappointing. There’s just none of the weight or heft to any of the squad’s attacks to really make them feel like they’re dishing out copious amounts of damage. And beyond bringing down the rival corporation that the player’s four operatives are dropped into, there’s not a lot going on in the game’s sorely-lacking narrative. In a way, Satellite Reign’s shortcomings mirror the problems facing the world it inhabits; everything doesn’t always work to the best advantage of those in its environment, even if everything about that world looks achingly cool.
Bit.ly/1Kzk0AB
SCORES Presentation
9
Mechanics
8
Story
7
Depth
8
Overall
8
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Platform: Xbox One Exclusive • Developer: Turn 10 Studios • The Good: Brilliant racing, amazing visuals • The Bad: Very difficult R899
Forza Motorsport 6 The prettiest Forza yet will make you work for every win.
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orza Motorsport 6 plays like most other Forza games: it’s as close to driving hyper-expensive supercars as most of us will ever get, and the hardcore racing simulation it’s known for is present and accounted for. But there are a few new additions to number six that’ll please newcomers and old racers alike. This time, tracks feature variable weather and the option to race at night, which affect how you need to tackle each race. Sadly, though weather isn’t actually dynamic; that means if a race starts off dry and sunny, there’s no chance clouds will come over and you’ll finish the race in the rain. It feels like a missed opportunity. When it rains, though, puddles form and add a new hazard – that of aquaplaning if you hit the water at the wrong angle, or too fast. Both features are welcome additions that keep the racing feeling fresh. Like every other entry in the series, Forza 6 provides drivers with an incredibly huge selection of cars to tool around in – over 450 cars in total, twice the amount offered in Forza 5. And the graphics… just wow! Cars and tracks are rendered using a physicallybased materials system, which allows for light to be reflected and refracted
differently according to the material it hits, making everything look hyper-realistic. As in previous games, players can tinker with gear ratios, experiment with downforce or see how close they can come to the magical power-to-weight ratio that will rocket their car further and faster, with tangible results coming from clever mechanical adjustments. Or, you can just ignore all of that and use the new “mod packs”: virtual packs of cards unlocked through regular play or bought with in-game currency that allow players to tweak and augment their vehicles automatically. Forza 6 is not an easy game to beat. The general rule is if there’s a car in front of you, you’re going to have to work very hard to overtake it, and is thus so hard that even competent drivers will find a challenge on the ‘Inexperienced’ difficulty. As in 5, Forza 6 makes use of Drivatars – AI players based on your friends who drive the same way they do, based on what the game learns about their abilities. When you are offline, your own Drivatar will be inserted into other people’s games as an AI opponent, and can also net you some in-game cash if it races well enough. Forza 6 has a whopping 26 tracks, up from the 17 of 5. Forza 4’s
Hockenheimring and Sonoma are included, as well as a redesigned Rio de Janeiro track from the original game. Brand new tracks include Brands Hatch, Circuit of the Americas, Daytona, Lime Rock Park, Monza and Watkins Glen. This is definitely one of the best entries in Microsoft’s flagship racing franchise and a huge step up from its predecessors. However, its difficulty makes it a tough entry-point for series newbies who will undoubtedly have to work a bit harder at the game before the rewards start rolling in and things feel a little more familiar.
Bit.ly/1MNyvUU
SCORES Graphics
9
Gameplay
9
Car Selection
9
New Features
8
Longevity
9
Overall
9 WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 25
REVIEWS
DETAILS • Developer: Kabam • Platforms: Android and iOS • The Good: Cunning levels • The bad: Loading times, lag Free, with in-app purchases
Star Wars: Uprising A surprisingly addictive mobile action RPG that’s more fun than it is pay to win
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on’t let the fact that this is a free mobile game confuse you: this is a great MMO-ARPG set in the Star Wars universe that’s more Diablo than Dungeon Hunters 4. Following the death of Emperor Palpatine in Return of the Jedi, Uprising takes place as the news of the Sith’s death hasn’t yet spread. Gameplay will be familiar with anyone who has played Diablo - while not as deep, the combat is still satisfying and there’s only a few irritating aspects of the touch-only input. Searching out loot and
DETAILS • Developer: Square Enix • Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone • The Good: Cunning levels • The bad: A bit easy R69.99 with in-app purchases
upgrading your gear is plenty rewarding, and we got more than a few hours out of it without feeling the grind common in freemium games. If you’re a Star Wars buff you’ll find simple joy in the setting and characters, and hunting to complete an iconic armour set will keep you going (we’re desperately trying to the full Storm Trooper look, because everyone knows the Empire is just better). A solid recommendation all around, but expect some lag and long loading times.
SCORES Graphics
8
Addictiveness
8
Star Warsiness
10
Lag & Loading times
6
Overall
8
Lara Croft GO Goodbye action, hello tactics: this time around, Lara raids tombs one move at a time.
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s more of the big gaming publishers turn to mobile platforms, the challenge most of them face involves porting Triple-A franchises without alienating fans. One of the industry’s success stories is Square Enix whose Montreal studio garnered critical acclaim with Hitman GO. The game re-imagined the IO’s stealth series as a turn-based board game on iOS, Android and Windows devices. The success of Hitman GO has prompted Square Enix Montreal to adapt another of the publisher’s iconic game series for smart devices. This time, Tomb Raider is the recipient of a platform port and the result is, if anything, even better than Hitman GO. Lara Croft GO takes a couple of pointers from Montreal’s last outing; players guide Lara along pre-set pathways, the action is all turn-based, and every level is a cunningly-devised puzzle.
On her travels through the various maps, Lara will face giant lizards, snakes, treacherous rock faces and the odd bottomless pit. The key to success here is based on trial and error as the player guides Lara past hostile creatures and unstable terrain to reach the end of each level. The overall difficulty isn’t too taxing, but that’s the only (minor) disappointment in this otherwise swoonworthy game.
SCORES Graphics
9
Sound
9
Variety
7
Puzzle complexity
5
Overall
8 WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 27
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Build a loadsheddingbeating light Need a light that comes on when loadshedding hits? Here’s how to make one that comes on all by itself when the power fails.
A
lthough loadshedding has been quite rare since May this year, it never hurts to be prepared for the probability of the lights going out. You could go off-grid, or construct your own solar-powered UPS, but these can become quite expensive.
COMPONENTS REQUIRED
To build our working prototype we used the following kit: • Intel Edison • Intel Edison Arduino Breakout board • 2 x Micro USB to USB cables • 4 x Jumper Cables • 1 x 220 Ohm resistor • 1 x LED • 1 x breadboard
This got us thinking; could we build something simple quickly that would automatically give us light when the lights go out? Building a light is simple enough, but how would we get it to switch on by itself ? In a “Eureka!” moment, we realised that in the 21st century many people have a Wifi
connection that they almost never power down, and the router switching off could serve as the perfect event to switch a light on when the power goes down thanks to the Wifi module on the Edison. Genius, right? We think so.
LET’S BUILD A BASIC CIRCUIT
6. Finally take a jumper and plug one end into hole 10J, and the other end into a header in the positive channel of the bread board. We used one in line with the rest of our circuit. 7. Take one jumper cable and plug it into the first header in the negative channel that we plugged the resistor into earlier. Take the second jumper cable and plug one end into the positive channel that the other end of the LED is connected to.
First we’re going to need to build the circuit that will become the light. 1. With the breadboard positioned with the numbers and letters at the top, take the resistor and plug one end into the second female header on the negative pole on the left side of the bread board. Then plug the other end of the resistor a little bit further down. It doesn’t matter how far down you go, we’re just creating resistance so that our LED doesn’t pop because of a surge. 2. Take one of the jumpers and insert it into the input immediately following the header that you plugged the second end of the resistor into. 3. Take the second end of the jumper that was plugged into the hole next to the resistor and plug it into the header numbered 10D. 4. Take your LED and plug the negative (this is the shorter leg of the LED) end into the header labelled 10E. 5. Take the positive (this is the longer leg of the LED) and plug it into the header marked 10F.
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Build a loadshedding-beating light 8. Next take the jumper coming from the negative channel and plug it into Digital Pin 8 header on the Arduino breakout board. The jumper from the positive channel will plug into the Digital ground (GND) pin. 9. The circuit is complete, and to test that everything is working we suggest using the Blink test; just remember to edit the pin in the test from 13 to 8.
LET’S WRITE SOME CODE
Edison is fully Arduino compatible. So we’re going to use the Arduino IDE for this project because it has access to all the C++ libraries we need and the coding is really quite simple. 1. Before we begin, we need to tell the Edison which library it should be referencing our commands from. We’ll be using the native Wifi library in the Edison as well as the SPI library. 2. Next, declare what elements will be used in the code. To start off we’ll declare the Wifi status. Since we don’t know if the Wifi will be switched on or off when the sketch runs, set the Wifi status to Idle. 3. Seeing as we’re building a Wifi detecting light and we’ll need to give the Edison access to the Wifi network, we input our Wifi network’s name in the SSID and the password in the Pass field. 4. Setup is quite simple. We’ll set the serial mode to 9600 bits per second and set the LED pin to an output. This will make sure that when we tell the pin to write it will switch on and not, for example try and draw power from the LED. 5. We start off the loop code by telling the Edison to try connecting to the Wifi network. If the Edison is able to connect to the Wifi network the code will write LOW to the LED meaning that it will be switched off. When a Wifi connection is not possible the code will write HIGH to the LED, switching it on. 6. Once you’ve done this Verify your code to make sure the syntax and commands are correct. 7. Once the code has been verified you should get a “Done Compiling” message and a summary of the size of your sketch. 8. Finally, click upload and your code should start being deployed to the Edison. Once that is done you should get a “Transfer Complete” message. Wait a few seconds for the Edison to run the code, and that’s
it, your Loadshedding Light is ready for use.
Bit.ly/1VCadlw
CODE: #include <Wifi.h> #include <SPI.h> int status = WL_IDLE_STATUS; // Set the Wifi radio’s status int led1 = 8; // Set the pin the LED is plugged into in our case its pin 8 char ssid[] = “YourWifiSSID”; // your network SSID (name) char pass[] = “YourPassword”; // your network password void setup() { Serial.begin(9600); pinMode(8, OUTPUT); } void loop() { status = Wifi.begin(ssid, pass); if (status != WL_ DISCONNECTED) digitalWrite(8, HIGH); delay (100); status = Wifi.begin(ssid, pass); if (status = WL_CONNECTED) digitalWrite (8, LOW); delay (100); }
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Mobile vs. Fixed Internet Which internet connection will win your wallet?
W
ith so many internet connectivity options available today, confusion can reign supreme when trying to decide which internet connection is right for you. Fortunately, the TME team is here to give you the lowdown on what you can expect, and help you decide how you should be connecting to the world wide web.
MAYBE MOBILE?
Going for a mobile internet connection like those provided by our big cellular providers is ideal when you travel a lot, or you don’t have access to the infrastructure needed for a fixed connection. This option is for people who need to connect to the internet wherever they are using mobile tech like smartphones, tablets and laptops. A mobile connection requires a SIM card that plugs into a smartphone, tablet, MiFi and even some laptops. Once you’ve chosen your data plan, all you need to do is plug the SIM card into whatever device is 34 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
convenient for you and off you go. You should, however, be aware that mobile data is a lot more expensive per gigabyte when compared to fixed options like ADSL and fibre. How much is “a lot more”, you ask? Well, you can pay anything from R58 per gigabyte of mobile data, whereas a gigabyte of ADSL data can cost as little as R7. In other words going mobile is convenient, but expensive compared to a fixed-line option. And when it comes to the sort of download speeds you’ll get, your mobile connection’s performance will ultimately be determined by the technology your chosen network supports (LTE, 3G), the physical layout of wherever you are as well as your distance from the nearest base station, so your results will most certainly vary. Bad weather, too, can affect it. When everything is working as it should, mobile internet speeds are crazy-fast. LTE is capable of operating at 150Mbps – fast enough to download a 1.5GB file in just
one minute and forty seconds – while ADSL and 3G connections are far slower. The problem is that’s a theoretical speed, and real-world speeds are typically much lower owing to the aforementioned performance-affecting conditions.
MAXIMUM CONVENIENCE We recommend: Get a MiFi (a mobile WiFi device) that lets a number of WiFi-enabled devices connect to it and use any mobile data you have loaded on the SIM card that sits inside.
WHY WIRED?
At present there are two “fixed-line” internet options in South Africa: ADSL that uses your landline telephone, and fibre options that don’t. For ADSL, you must have a phone line
HOW TO…
SERVICE PROVIDERS Telkom (DSL, 3G/4G LTE, Fibre) – www.telkom.co.za Afrihost (DSL, 3G/4G LTE) – www.afrihost.com MWEB (DSL 3G/4G LTE, Fibre) – www.mweb.co.za Neotel (4G LTE, Fibre) – www.neotel.co.za Axxess (DSL, 3G/4G) – www.axxess.co.za
from Telkom first. Once it’s installed, it’s a matter of calling an internet service provider (ISP) and arranging for ADSL to be activated on the line. Then, you must arrange for an ADSL data package and a router configured with your account details. ISPs offer capped and uncapped packages that vary in how fast they are and how much you can download. Uncapped is an allyou-can-eat service allowing uninterrupted browsing, though downloading too much will result in the service provider limiting your speed. Capped packages offer a set amount of gigabytes to use each month, but your speed is guaranteed while it lasts. Pricing for uncapped packages is based on how fast your line is; an uncapped 2Mbps data package, for instance, starts at around R199 (Telkom). The pricing for a capped account is based on the number of gigabytes you want and starts at R80 for 5GB and can go as high as R600 for 50GB. The more you buy, the lower your per-gigabyte cost, making high-capacity capped ADSL accounts quite attractive for heavy users. Fibre, on the other hand, uses a light signal transmitted along a fibre-optic cable to send and receive data; because of this, the download speed of a fibre line is fantastically fast. The down side is that fibre is expensive compared to ADSL, and requires special equipment. At present 50GB of fibre data at a speed of 10Mbps costs around R650, while 500GB at 100Mbps will set you back in the region of R2 400. Fibre to the home is slowly being rolled out to select suburbs right now, so if you want this connectivity you will need to find out if your area is covered which you
can do on the websites of ISPs that provide fibre access, like Vox Telecoms, MWEB and Telkom.
BANG FOR YOUR BUCK We recommend: A 4Mbps ADSL line (R275) and 60GB of capped data from Axxess (R123). That’ll cost you R398 a month (plus the cost of the phone line itself) and delivers great value for your money as well as consistent speeds and a decent amount of data.
LTE ADVANCED
The latest mobile internet option we’ve encountered is an uncapped LTE-A connection from Telkom, which we have here at our offices. It consists of a router connected to an antenna that gives us download speeds of around 55Mbps, which we all connect to over WiFi. We’ve tested it for gaming, and discovered that it’s quick enough to even play fast-paced FPSes like Battlefield 4. It’s a blend of mobile and fixed, and gives us the speed of a mobile network while not really allowing us to easily move around with it. That’s not bad at all for R599 a month.
SO WHICH ONE?
The best advice we can give is to first consider what your internet connection will be used for; if you’re a lightweight user that shops online, emails, Tweets and Facebooks every so often you should be fine with a 3G or 4G connection.
If you occupy the middle ground and want speed and wirelessness but you don’t necessarily need to be mobile, Telkom’s LTE-A is a fantastic choice. Cheap, too, plus it’ll let you stream movies from services like ShowMax and Vidi. Heavy users who stream movies and videos online and who upload and download large files should rather consider ADSL or fibre, as both offer a much lower cost per gigabyte than mobile does.
KNOW YOUR USAGE Before signing up for any sort of data deal it’s best to get an idea of how much you require. We suggest monitoring your daily data usage over a week or so; from there you can calculate just how much data you might use in a month and thus the kind of package you need.
SPEED Most service providers offer a “best effort” service which means that the service you receive may not reach the exact speed you paid for; this difference is usually quite small but if it looks like it’s far below what you’re paying for, contact your service provider.
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HOW TO…
MVNOs vs. The Big Networks Could a virtual operator be your next cellular provider?
T
ariffic is a South African service that helps people save money on their cell phone bills by analysing the local cellular market, and using sophisticated software to match specific cellular users with the cheapest plans and bundles that suit their needs. For the third quarter of 2015, Tariffic found that Mobile Virtual Network Operators, or MVNOs, are offering consumers cheaper packages than those from the networks on whom they piggyback their services. Here are the five users Tariffic uses as reference:
SUSANNE
A public relations worker who uses a lot of minutes and data. Spend: R2 100pm.
CHRIS
Works in financial services, uses a BlackBerry to make minimal calls, but varies his monthly data use. Spend: R1 200pm.
TSHEPO
Attends a prestigious Joburg high school, can’t be separated from his top-of-the-range iPhone. Low call use, high data use. Spend: R1 100pm.
HOWARD
A post-grad varsity student who is now paying for his own contract, with average usage patterns. Spend: Around R800pm. 36 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
MALEEK
A varsity student with a tablet; relies on his SIM card for internet access for research, work, occasional sports catchup. Spend: Around R500pm.
ME&YOU MOBILE PERFORMS WELL FOR YOU & ME
me&you mobile’s R300 unlimited voice offering performed particularly well for Susanne, saving her over 50% compared to the other MVNO’s. It must be noted that according to the me&you website this package is only available for the first 1 500 subscribers. me&you mobile also offers competitive call rates as low as 39c/min on their high-end packages. Their 5 GB bundle is much cheaper than offerings from other operators which is apparent in the recommendations for Tshepo. Even though me&you mobile don’t offer data contracts, their voice contracts with data bundles performed very well for data user, Maleek.
FNB’S INNOVATION FAILS TO EXCITE
Even though FNB Connect can be cheaper than the network service providers, they have proved to be more expensive than the competing MVNO offers for 4 out of the 5 users Tariffic modeled. One of the main reasons is due to FNB Connect’s very high Out of Bundle call rate of R1.50/min. FNB Connect’s data offerings are very well priced, with their 5GB data contract named
the Tariffic Pick for Maleek.
VIRGIN MOBILE - STILL IN THE GAME
Virgin Mobile offers affordable 12-month and month-to-month packages and are the top recommendation for Howard and second for Chris and Tshepo. Virgin Mobile’s selection of data contracts is very limited, and with a high out of bundle rate, the overall package for data user, Maleek, performed very poorly.
HELLO, MR PRICE MOBILE (MRP MOBILE) – ARE YOU THERE?
The standard call rates on mrp mobile vary from R1.79/min to 79c/min depending on whether you take a SIM-only or a handset deal. mrp mobile don’t offer large data bundles which disadvantaged Maleek’s recommendations.
OPERATORS BEWARE – THE MVNO’S ARE HERE!
In 4 out of the 5 cases that Tariffic explored, the MVNOs performed better than the best network performer, making them very affordable. Note: the packages Tariffic surveyed do not come with any phones, and so if it’s a phone you’re after, the networks could still offer cheaper deals. Bit.ly/1Km1J7u
COMPETITION
GEAR OF THE THIS YEAR, WE’D LOVE TO HEAR ALL ABOUT THE KIT THAT BLEW YOUR HAIR BACK IN 2015!
A
s it’s October, it’s almost the time of year when we get to pick our favourite gear of the previous 12 months. But this year we want to make things a little more inclusive by asking you, our loyal readers, for your opinions. To do that, we’ve put together this list of products and categories for you to vote on; the campaign will take place online, and to enter all you need to do is fire up your browser and point it towards htxt.africa/ goty2015, and fill in the form we’ve prepared for this express purpose. There is a bit of a catch, however: at the
end of the form, you’ll find a quick Reader Survey where we’ve asked you to enter some basic information about yourself so that we can get to know our readers a little better. The trick is you need to fill that last section out, otherwise your vote won’t count. But that’s not all; we will choose a single winner at random from all of the entries we receive, and that person will get a really awesome prize: a gorgeous Super Ultra High Definition TV from our friends at LG. That’s a pretty decent incentive if we do say so ourselves. Think of it as a bit of a quid pro quo type deal, in which you scratch
our back, and stand a chance to win a TV that will enhance your viewing until some new standard takes over from Ultra High Definition sometime in the 2020s. Sound good? Below you’ll find the list of products we’ve shortlisted for your consideration. When you load up the web form, you’ll notice that some categories have an Other option, where you’ll have the chance to enter your favourite product from that category if it’s not listed. Good luck!
LAPTOPS Dell Studio XPS 13 Apple MacBook Air 13-inch Acer Aspire Switch 10 Lenovo Thinkpad T450S Gigabyte Aorus X7 Pro Alienware 17 MSI GT80
SMARTPHONES Apple iPhone 6 Sony Xperia Z4 Compact Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ LG G4 HTC One M9 Innjoo One 3G
38 | TECH MADE EASY | OCTOBER 2015
NETWORKS Cell C MTN Vodacom Telkom Mobile me&you FNB Connect Mrp mobile Virgin Mobile
COMPETITION
E YEAR 2015 CAMERAS
Nikon D3300 Sony Alpha A5100 Panasonic Lumix TZ70 Canon EOS 7D II Olympus OM-D E-M10
WEARABLES Razer Nabu X Jawbone Up2 Apple Watch Fitbit Charge Sony Smartwatch2 Pebble Time Steel
TABLETS Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet Apple iPad Air 2 Samsung Galaxy Tab S 10.5” Surface Pro 3 Lenovo A7600 10.1-inch
ACCESSORIES
GAMES Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain Dying Light Batman: Arkham Knight The Witcher 3 Bloodborne Pillars of Eternity
TO ENTER
Razer Mamba Tournament Edition Gaming Mouse Mionix Propus Mouse Pad Thrustmaster T300 RS Steering Wheel Corsair H2100 Wireless Headset Xbox Elite Controller
POINT YOUR BROWSER AT HTXT.CO.ZA/GOTY2015 TO ENTER
!
In exchange for a few personal details, we’re encouraging you to vote on your favourite kit of 2015. You stand a chance to win a lovely SUHD TV from LG! All you need to do is fill out the form at the official voting page, and you’re in the running! The closing date for votes is the 15th of November, 2015. See the entry form for the Ts & Cs.
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STATS
SA tech
The numbers that sum up the best of the month
in stats
A brand-new PC monitor from Philips boasts a total pixel count of 8 294 400, has a 176° viewing angle and a very impressive 40 inches of screen real estate. Bit.ly/1N1tbNY
4 days after the iPhone 6S went on sale in the US, one appeared on local ecommerce site Bidorbuy for R17 999. It sold to someone from Amanzimtoti in KZN just 2 days later, who now owns a 128GB Rose Gold iPhone 6S. Bit.ly/1N3mtqy
If you think the world is crowded with tech now, just wait – Gartner says that by 2020, there will be over 25 000 000 000 connected devices on planet Earth. Bit.ly/1O4giRG Every day, people from around the world upload over 80 000 000 photos to Instagram. The 5-year-old photo-sharing service now also has over 400 000 000 active daily users.
Bit.ly/1O9Bzv4 Enjoy this free copy of htxt.africa’s Tech Made Easy? There’s loads more stories like these, plus in-depth features and news published daily at our website www.htxt.co.za.
Edward Snowden joined Twitter, and just 16 hours later he had attracted 896 000 followers. Should the 32-year-old be caught some day, he’s facing up to 30 years in prison. Bit.ly/1LlI11l South Africa’s average LTE speed of 8Mbps ranks 10th from the bottom of the list of countries that use the technology. New Zealand is top with an average of 36Mbps. Bit.ly/1N3ouD2
NEXT MONTH
And if you want even more, keep your eyes peeled for issue 21 from 1 November in all good technology retailers.