http://www.connectmag.co.za/issues/ct_03_july_09 by Brett Haggard

JULY 2009

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ISSUE #03

FEATURES 12

JULY 2009

What Kind of Shutterbug are you? With so many cameras on the market, how do you choose the right one?

16 A Window of Opportunity A new version of Windows is coming

22 Free. Online. Reliable In part 3 of our Google series, we look at Google Docs, a webbased application that lets you create documents, spreadsheets and presentations for free

24 Top Tips for New Mac Users From PC pros to Mac woes, it can be a tough change. We help you with all the Apple answers. Easy.

26 Take your PSP Online Step-by-step advice for the handheld videogame console

28 Have a Need for Speed? The ins and outs of having an Internet connection

30 Create your own Movies How to download, edit and share your captured moments

REGULARS Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter News Trouble-free Technobabble

Tamsin the Tech Tannie Competition Disconnect

04 06 10 68 70 72

REVIEWS Top 5 Laptops Peripherals Cameras Storage Home Media Accessories

Software

36 42 38 48 52 58 60 63

GAMING Reviews

PUBLISHER Brett Haggard brett@connect.co.za EDITOR Tiana Alswang tiana@connect.co.za CONTRIBUTING Johann Barnard EDITOR johann@connect.co.za

TECHNOLOGY Deon du Plessis EDITOR deon@connect.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Peter Dawoud, Robin Katz Tamsin Mackay, Adam Oxford Craig Ritchie ART DIRECTION Infiltrate Media www.infiltratemedia.co.za

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Connect is a joint venture between Hypertext Media Communications and Incredible Connection

ed’s note

CHANGE

IS EASY!

t’s easy to become obsessed with a technology brand. Look at the phones the people close to you use and you’ll probably have heard someone utter the words, “I’ll only use a Nokia” or “I’m never upgrading because this is what I am used to”. Yet, it’s only a matter of time before we have to face change. From laptops to cellphones, speakers to peripherals, technology is really a forever growing and changing industry. (And the space between having something new and it being obsolete is getting smaller and smaller.) Even if you stick to one make of phone or audio player or keyboard, it’s incredibly easy to become stuck between what you know and trying something new. The move from a PC to an Apple Mac is a big change and also one that is close to home. I clearly remember the first time I was faced with a MacBook. It looked great, but I had absolutely no idea where everything was. Even being technically proficient able didn’t help – when typing, I couldn’t find the delete button. I installed a program, but had no clue how to remove it. Even figuring out how much memory I had left became a challenge. I turned to the Internet, only to discover I wasn’t alone. There were hundreds of thousands of other Mac newbies bewildered by the new technology in front of them asking the same questions. What is a dashboard? How do you search? What is a DMG file? This is where the third issue of Connect, the technology magazine that speaks your language, comes into play. We’re not only describing to you the ins and outs of an operating system, we’re giving you a simple guide if you’re a new Mac user. 4 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

CONTRIBUTORS

But also in this issue, we look at Windows 7, the operating system upgrade and what that will mean to you. We’re also helping you select the right digital camera because at the end of the day, we’re all professional shutterbugs at heart. What’s more is that we’ll help you take the precious moment you’ve captured – even if you used your cellphone – and turn it into something more professional. On the Internet side of things, the July issue of Connect will introduce you to Google Documents (in part three of our exciting Google Series) and also simplify the whole question around connection speed – how good is your Internet connection? Is it fast enough? Could it be faster? From reviews you can use, to up-andcoming gaming news, every page of the magazine brings you helpful and easy-to-read workshops, articles, buying advice and the answers to the technology questions you’ve always struggled with. If anything, we’re here to make change uncomplicated. Before you know it, you’ll brand-savvy and a technology top dog. Tiana Alswang EDITOR

ADAM OXFORD Adam Oxford has been writing about technology for more than ten years. He currently works for a variety of magazines and websites on a freelance basis, including PC Format, PC Gamer and Stuff. This month, he’s been waving laptops above his head trying to get a decent mobile net connection from the middle of rural Zambia. Amazingly, it worked.

PETER DAWOUD Peter Dawoud has had his head in technology since a very young age. A PC lover by nature, he spent countless nights building rigs and gaming with mates. He has worked for a few local magazines on a freelance basis and is currently trying to figure out how to stop playing on his PS3. Luckily, he still hasn’t managed it.

news Tweets from Space Twitterers (i.e. people addicted to 140 character messages offered by twitter.com) are everywhere… even in space. And May saw the first tweet being delivered from outside the confines of Earth’s atmosphere. It came from astro_mike (http:// twitter.com/astro_mike), aka astronaut Mike Massimino, at 4:33 pm on May 12 and read: “From orbit: Launch was awesome!! I am feeling great, working hard, & enjoying the magnificent views, the adventure of a lifetime has begun!” There are plenty of space-related Twitter accounts however. These include the Space Shuttle Atlantis account (http://twitter.com/SSAtlantis) and of course, there’s a Hubble account, too (http://twitter.com/ IamHubble).

Consider Vista SP2 before going the whole hog with Windows 7 Windows Vista Service Pack 2 is now available for download and includes new support for recording Blu-ray discs straight from the Vista OS, updated support for Bluetooth v2.1, and bug fixes that address slow shutdowns and what is commonly termed, ‘mysterious crashes’. It can be downloaded directly from the Microsoft web site (a 348MB file, so be warned) or it will be automatically delivered to your Vista system via Windows Update within the next couple of weeks, says Microsoft. In order to make use of SP2, a computer must already have Vista SP1 installed . Additional updates addressed by SP2 include: a fix for the Wi-Fi issues Vista SP1 experiences when awaking from sleep mode; improved performance of the Vista desktop sidebar gadget; overall Vista system performance issues; a boost in power management efficiency by 10%; support for the exFAT file system; and the repair of nearly 700 other nagging Vista bugs and security updates.

6 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Macs head to education space Local Apple importer, The Core Group has concluded the pilot phase of its three-year iSchool Africa iGnite programme, which aims to bring Apple hardware, software and complementary products to schools and students in South Africa, to further their learning experiences and add to in-classroom excitement. “Time and again we find that if you give children from different socio-economic milieus access to the same technology early in their school careers, their academic results tend to converge, giving children from disadvantaged backgrounds a better shot at a good career and improved life prospects,” says Core Group executive director RJ van Spaandonk. Van Spaandonk was furthermore extremely critical of vendors recommending netbooks and other inexpensive, low-power and functionality computing solutions to the education market, since these do little to teach children about technology and often perpetuates their economic disadvantage. “Simply because you would rob them of the opportunity to learn to use state-of-the-art technology in their most formative years, something that is hard to catch up from later in life,” he says. iSchoolAfrica iGnite is a three-year programme of assisted technology implementation under which schools are grouped into clusters of five, with four clusters making up a regional sector. Each school is given a mobile classroom unit, which consists of 10 MacBook White laptop computers, preloaded with the iLife video, audio, still image and web site creation suite; one MacBook for the teacher, and another for the resident facilitator. Other hardware in the mobile classroom unit includes 10 portable USB video cameras, a projector, a wireless router, and a heavy-duty case for use in the transport of equipment between classrooms and storage. This allows a school to provide IT literacy and expose technology to a minimum of 350 students per week, bringing the same benefits to a total of 1 750 students per week in a cluster. While Core’s proposed programme is still in its pilot phase, it claims to have good interest from the relevant education departments in South Africa and should be well on track to roll out the programme on a mass scale in the coming months.

SA youth want to MXit MXit, the global mobile social network and instant messaging phenomenon, just upped its street cred by topping both Google and Facebook as the social network and website that South African teens use most frequently. The Sunday Times Generation Next Survey, conducted by HDI Youth Marketeers, polled 5 300 young urban South Africans between the ages of 8 and 22. For the third year in the history of the awards, MXit has topped the poll in the Coolest Website and Social Network category. MXit’s edgy slogan “Join the evolution” came second place in the Coolest Brand Slogan category, after Nike’s “Just do it”. “We are so pleased with these accolades and would really like to thank our users. Our philosophy has always been squarely centred on making the mobile social networking experience a really valuable and fun one for our users, and these awards show us that this is working,” says Herman Heunis, CEO and founder of MXit.

Technology-addicts ‘use’ in the bedroom More than a quarter of 329 London workers surveyed by Credant Technologies recently admitted they routinely take their mobile computing device, whether it’s a phone or a notebook to bed to do work. And not surprisingly, 57% of those people’s bedmates found it “a very annoying habit.” More than half of those who take their technology to bed use it for at least two to six hours every week. And 8% of the respondents also confessed to spending more time on their mobile devices during the evening than talking to their partners. In its list of five tips that included warnings to use wireless network encryption and strong passwords, especially when uploading and downloading sensitive corporate information, the last tip was: “Finally, use your bedroom for what it’s designed for. And if you’re not feeling sleepy, your laptop is the last thing you should be turning on!”

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Africans scoop awards at Intel International Science Fair The Intel Foundation has announced the top winners of the world’s largest pre-college science fair, the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in Reno Nevada last month. South African contestants Arno de Beer and Jason Dixon’s project of treating and controlling ticks and other parasites found mainly on wild game scooped an award for the best team project. Other winners from the emerging world include Gogo Mayokun Oluwagbenga from Nigeria and Abuaysha Mouth Nabeel from South Arabia who both won awards for their projects in the Behavioural and Social Sciences category. The Grand Award winners walk away with scholarships and prizes for their groundbreaking work. Intel awards included 18 “Best of Category” winners who each received a $5 000 Intel scholarship and a new laptop powered by the Intel Core2 Duo processor. Intel also awards a $1 000 grant to the winner’s school and the Intel ISEF-affiliated fair they represent.

Connected South Africans like to shop online A new survey by MasterCard Worldwide has revealed that 80% of South African Internet users are shopping online. “CDs, DVDs and VCDs” emerged as the most sought-after item category, with 58% of online shoppers saying they frequently shopped for these items online. “Airline tickets” and “books and arts” emerged as the next most popular items, with 45% of online shoppers saying they had frequently shopped for these items in the three months prior to when the survey was conducted. “Although Internet penetration in South Africa remains relatively low, over threequarters of those who do regularly access the Internet have recently made at least one online purchase,” says Anthony West, general manager, MasterCard Africa. “In fact, exactly 50% of those surveyed indicated that online shopping was one of the main reasons that they used the Internet.” According to a recent report by South African research company World Wide Worx – entitled Internet Access in SA – South Africa’s Internet population grew to more than 4.6-million last year. This figure is set to expand as much in the next five years as it did in the past 15. “With broadband adoption and available bandwidth rapidly increasingly in South Africa, online shopping is poised to become even more popular, especially as consumers experience its convenience and ease,” continued West. “And as businesses look to

grow their online retail presence, they need to be aware of the preferences and concerns that drive these online shoppers.” The survey found that the majority of online purchases were premeditated, with 88% of South Africa’s online shoppers admitting that they planned their shopping in advance and conducted research on their potential purchases. This was supported by the low occurrence of impulse purchases. When asked how often they “had experienced making a purchase impulsively”, 65% of South Africa’s online shoppers said “hardly ever” or “never”. The survey also illustrated that South Africans found security and reputation to be as important, if not more important, as value for money when deciding whether to make an online purchase. This was shown by the fact that 85% said it was “extremely important” that a website offered secure payment facilities, and 61% said a website’s reputation was “extremely important”. In addition, 62% of online shoppers indicated that value for money was an “extremely important” factor in deciding to make an online purchase.

South African pirates pay fines of R3,4-million Software pirates coughed up more than R3,4-million in fines during the past year, says the Business Software Alliance (BSA) – a group formed by the local and international software vendors with presences in South Africa to combat fraud and piracy. The R3,4-million haul, says the BSA, was as a result of a recent ‘reporting’ campaign it ran, comprising radio and print advertising campaign that offered R100 000 to individuals who reported software piracy. The BSA received more than 800 leads in January and February across the

Europe, Middle East and Africa region – an 8% increase compared to the same period last year. “Our goal with our upcoming e-mail campaign of a similar nature is to give organisations the opportunity to take control and effectively manage their software assets. We are aiming to support organisations that would like help in their licensing needs, rather than waiting for BSA’s legal team to come knocking on their doors,” says Alastair de Wet, chairman of the BSA SA committee. Publically being caught using unlicensed software can result in reputational damage for companies, potentially affecting clients and contracts, as well as risking legal action, adds the BSA.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 9

techno jargon // BY DEON DU PLESSISS

A jargon-busting glossary to understand IT speak

Trouble-free Technobabble

10 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

PIXEL Screens are made up of millions of tiny dots; each of these dots is called a pixel. Pixels can change colour as needed to create the illusion of static and moving images.

MEGAPIXEL One million pixels. The greater the number of megapixels, the higher the level of detail present in an image (in theory). This doesn’t always work out to be so, however, as some devices with high megapixel ratings do not necessarily take more detailed images than those with a lower rating. An 8 megapixel camera phone, for example, will never take better images than an 8 megapixel compact camera.

RESOLUTION The number of pixels measured across the top of an image multiplied by the number of pixels up the side of the image.

DPI Dots per inch. This refers to the number of dots that can fit into a one-inch by one-inch space. Printers and scanners usually have this rating, and the higher the number of dots per inch, the more detailed the image that is produced or captured is.

RAM Random Access Memory. This is what is referred to as “memory” in a computer, and is very different from the storage capacity of a hard drive, with which it sometimes confused. It stores and moves around information critical to your computer’s operation faster than a hard drive, but all the information it contains is lost when the computer is turned off.

FIREWIRE Firewire is a connection type very similar in function to USB, but it performs at around double the speed of USB. Devices that process a lot of raw data, typically those involved with audio and video data storage use Firewire ports due to its superior speed.

BLUETOOTH Bluetooth is a wireless communication protocol that lets electronic devices, most commonly cellular telephones and notebook computers, talk to one another without the need for a physical network. Bluetooth connectivity requires two devices to authorise each other to communicate, allowing for various functions like pairing with a hands-free headset, other phones and notebook computers for file transfers.

EXCHANGE SERVER A Microsoft Exchange server is a PC dedicated to processing e-mail messages. It is designed to handle hundreds of thousands of mail messages each day, and has functionality like spam filters, and anti-virus protection built-in. These are generally found in large organisations. The e-mails you receive in your personal accounts, for instance, are probably delivered by Exchange servers.

DYNAMIC VS STATIC CONTRAST A static contrast ratio is the comparison of the blackest part of an image with the whitest part, so a 1000:1 rating means the lightest part is a thousand times brighter than the darkest. A Dynamic Contrast ratio makes the same comparison, but over time. A monitor or screen capable of Dynamic Contrast is able to darken dark areas and light bright areas more realistically than screens that only do static contrast.

LED LED stands for Light-Emitting Diodes, which are tiny electrical components that emit light as electric current passes through them. LED lights use very little power, and the technology is now advanced enough that they can be used to save power in the devices they inhabit.

GPS SYSTEM The Global Positioning Satellite system. This is a network of satellites that orbit the earth and are used to determine the physical location of people and things that use the devices that interface with them.

OPTICAL DRIVE Another way of referring to DVD or CDROM drives; the name is derived from the fact that these use light (lasers) to read the data embedded on the disks.

CENTRINO 2 PLATFORM This is the name of currentgeneration notebook technology built by Intel. It consists of the chipset that takes care of communication between different parts of the notebook, the CPU (brain) of the notebook, and a specific wireless networking adapter.

DEDICATED VIDEO MEMORY This is memory located on a motherboard or a video card that is only used for processing graphical information. When no dedicated memory is present, video cards (usually those that come built in to your motherboard) need to use system RAM, which reduces the amount available to programmes that in turn may slow them down.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 11

choosing a camera //BY JOHANNN BA B BARNARD ARN AR RNA NAR ARD RD

A, B, OR C WHAT KIND OF SHUTTERBUG ARE YOU? Thanks to digital technology, photography is now more than a hobby – its something you do instinctively and constantly. But with so many cameras on the market, how do you choose the right one?

12 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

inding the camera that is ‘right’ for you is the first question you need to answer, because its easy to fall into the ‘bigger is better’ way of thinking. Yes, bigger could be better, but not if you’re hiking up Kilimanjaro or want something you can whip out your handbag when your little darling is being at his cutest. After reading this article, we hope you will have learnt enough to inform your decision, although it is almost a universal truth that it’s impossible to resist the urge to buy bigger when you hold one in your hands.

AHHHH CUTE! IF you’re of the ‘Ah Cute!’ brigade who’s ever-ready with the camera to capture those special moments, then the compact digital camera is for you. As the name implies, it’s physically small, with few protruding parts and you literally just ‘point and shoot’. Designs obviously differ, but once your heart is taken in by the aesthetics of the camera – some prefer super-slim while others sacrifice size for added features – the next obvious question is megapixels (MP). And, actually, this is NOT that important: most compact cameras range from 8MP up to 12MP, exactly the same as many entry-level SLR cameras. Basically, more megapixels mean you’re capturing a greater level

of detail, thereby allowing you to make larger prints. Now, ask yourself: how many photos have you printed larger than A4? Because, generally-speaking, a photo taken on a 6MP camera can be printed quite comfortably up to 20cm x 30cm. We say ‘generally speaking’ because a factor that is actually far more important is the quality of the lens. This wisdom dates back to the origins of photography and is no less true today. For that reason, sticking with respected brand names such as Nikon, Canon, Pentax and Olympus is always a good bet. Newer names in the camera market such as Sony,

The compact, or point and shoot, camera is your general: ‘Smile! Great, got it’ kind of camera. No hassle, no fuss, no photo awards. PROS: • Compact, easy to carry • Simple to use and understand • Gets the job done

CONS: • Lens quality a huge determinant of photo quality • Limited manual setting features • Zoom function/capability

for example, have partnered with respected lens maker Zeiss, so it’s not to say that newer brands are inferior. If in doubt, ask to compare different brands that you fancy to see which camera gives you the sharpest detail. Measure the results by zooming in to 100% on the photo on the LCD screen and see which is sharpest. The types of features on most compact cameras are also pretty standard, with certain brands offering ‘face recognition’, ‘stability control’ and all kinds of fancy tricks. At the very least, you want a camera that has an auto mode, a selection of ‘modes’ that are automatic settings for portraits, landscapes, sporty shots and so on, and obviously a flash. When buying the camera, be sure to check how easy it is to access these different shooting modes. On some cameras its simply a dial, which is great, while on others you get lost in the menus trying to change your settings. Once you’ve found a camera that takes your fancy, you can now look at the zoom factor. Because having a great zoom doesn’t compensate for

having a 3MP, no-name brand with a plastic lens. Zoom is a selling point though, and it’s often used in advertising to lure buyers by claiming a ridiculous amount of zoom – which would be digital zoom. Don’t be fooled by large digital-zoom numbers as you are always sacrificing quality, which will lead more to frustration and disillusionment than photographic awards. A good optical zoom rate, however, is a completely different story as this zoom is a physical function of the lens and not a digital enhancement. The disappointing news is that even with the best combination of these types of zoom, you’re unlikely to shoot your favourite Bulls player in full flight at Loftus, nor get that prize-winning shot of an endangered animal – also in full flight. For that, you need to consider an SLR – a Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera, but more of that later. Price is obviously a determining factor, but with top brand names selling from R1 500, these little beauties are within the reach of practically anyone and will happily record your memories for you.

INTERMEDIATE, NOT INFERIOR

This baby produces clear, great quality photos with the minimum of fuss. A little bulkier than the compact, but worth its weight in megapixels! PROS: • Same ease of use as a compact • Better optical zoom capabilities • Better optics

CONS: • Not as sophisticated as an SLR • Bulkier than a compact • Fewer available accessories

IN between the easy-to-use compacts and feature-rich SLRs is a range of cameras that offer the best of both worlds. These intermediate cameras have the ease-of-use of compacts, but pack more punch in both megapixels and features found in entry-level SLR cameras. The one obvious difference is the larger lens and body size as the optics (the lens) on these cameras are of much higher quality than compact cameras. The lens also features a manual focus ability and the zoom capabilities are generally greater and of better quality as well. With the use of conventional, although not removable lenses on these cameras, you can now control the exposure to a far greater degree. In addition to the auto and various

preset exposure modes, these cameras generally have full manual and also aperture and shutter priority shooting modes, which are vital if you want to start enjoying the full potential of your digital camera. The sensors on these cameras are also bigger, ranging from around 8MP up to 12MP and beyond. You will find this space populated mostly by recognised brand names from the days of film photography, which can only be a good thing. All in all, these cameras offer decent value for money at around R4 000 up to R6 500 for something that adds a little extra to the experience.

In between the easy-touse compacts and featurerich SLRs is a range of cameras that offer the best of both worlds. WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 13

choosing a camera

OH, SO THAT’S WHAT THAT IS ... MEGAPIXELS: This is the measure of the camera’s resolution. Higher numbers mean better quality photos and that bigger sized photos can be printed without losing quality. Most 6 megapixel cameras, for example, should be able to produce decent quality prints of 20cm x 30cm. EXPOSURE: All digital cameras feature a fully automatic mode that adjusts the settings to produce a reasonably-well exposed photo, meaning it is neither too dark or too light. Most cameras have either a manual setting mode or special modes such as Portrait, Sport, Landscape, or Night Mode that prioritise the settings to give you the best chance of getting a decent photo in those different conditions.

HEY, BIG DADDY!

You can’t blame your equipment once you step up to this league. A seemingly endless range of lenses to choose from, plus accessories that will beg to empty your purse before you can say ‘Click!’. PROS: • Greater and better quality range of lenses • Enhanced features and control • Accessories … and accessories

CONS: • Higher price point • Bulkier • More advanced controls

14 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

THE Digital single lens reflex (SLR) camera is the Big Daddy’O in digital photography terms. These bulky, pro-looking babies can be equipped with lenses as long as the most legendary fishing story and can shoot at 3 framesper-second … man, they’re appealing! Once you enter the realm of the digital SLR, however, be sure to cancel access to credit on your mortgage because there are so many extra accessories, lenses and gizmos available to add extra dimensions to your photography. Despite the dominance of Nikon and Canon, there are actually very minor differences in overall features and capabilities of the entry-level units. Complete exposure and focusing control: automatic, fully manual or a combination of both – the choice is yours. The megapixel race appears to

have levelled out at between 10MP and 12MP, with some models edging up to 14MP. The quality difference is negligible, and will again be influenced far more by the lens quality than sensor size. The one big advantage that SLRs have is the ability to change lenses. The ideal situation is to own one wide-angle lens of 12mm or less (zoom possibly), an intermediate zoom of around 18-55mm and then longer zoom lenses from around 70-300mm. The design of these cameras generally allow for quick and easy access to the most important functions, with many more settings available through the menu system. Learning to enhance the full potential of these powerful cameras takes some time and lots of trial and error, but those are the joys of photography that keep you coming back.

WHITE BALANCE: Like with exposure, all cameras will adjust the White Balance according the conditions under which the photo is taken when in Auto White Balance mode. Similarly, most cameras have settings for different lighting conditions such as Incandescent, Fluorescent, Flash and so on. If photos are shot with the incorrect White Balance setting, skin tones will be off-colour. DIGITAL ZOOM: This is the poor cousin of Optical Zoom, and is often touted by point-and-shoot camera makers beyond its true worth. Digital Zoom uses artificial, digital, technology to provide the ability to zoom in on a subject. Quality is compromised, so don’t let a high Digital Zoom factor influence your buying decision. OPTICAL ZOOM: This is the real McCoy, which you will identify by the lens of the camera extending out or withdrawing into the body. The Optical Zoom uses the physical attributes of the lens to bring the subject closer, and therefore produces a much better quality result than Digital Zoom. LCD SCREEN: The size and quality of the LCD screen on the back of the camera is important as you want to be able to easily and quickly view photos. There’s nothing worse than squinting at a small, dark screen to see whether you’ve got the shot you wanted, especially if they’re lively little children.

windows 7 //BY DEON DU PLESSIS

A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

OPENS Microsoft is due to release its latest operating system, Windows 7, with the market already abuzz with speculation about improvements over Windows Vista and XP. Connectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reviews editor breaks it down for you by delving into the most important components that make Windows 7 the next big thing g for PC.

16 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

WHAT IS AN OPERATING SYSTEM?

n a word, Windows 7 is beauty – technically and visually. We’ve been using the various beta and “release candidate” versions since early this year as a part of Microsoft’s testing process and we can certainly say that the Redmond-based software giant appears to have got things “just right”. In anticipation of its release in the next six months or so, we thought it appropriate to give you a sneak peek at what you can look forward to, and highlight the improvements on previous versions of Windows.

Who can say ‘Speedy Gonzalez’? Microsoft has poured a great deal of work into improving the performance of Windows 7, and has made great strides in creating the kind of operating system that boots up fast, responds quickly to your clicks and is a pleasure to navigate. The greatest improvement is in speed, with Windows 7 running faster than Windows Vista on the same hardware. Our only hope is that this already good performance is refined even further as we head towards the official release date. What this means for you is that you won’t need to go out and buy all-new (and expensive) hardware to run Windows 7 if you’re already using Windows Vista. Microsoft’s operating systems have long been dogged by the need to constantly upgrade hardware to run them at decent speeds. With Windows 7, Microsoft looks set to break that pattern.

Networking redefined Networking computers has always been a rather complex task, leading many inexperienced users to give up in frustration after butting heads with such arcane terms as subnet mask, default gateway, workgroup and domain. Even when connected to the network, sharing resources has been tricky thanks to a rights management system that, to a new user, may appear to be rather intimidating and complex. This has been fully addressed in Windows 7, with home networking and sharing now controlled

This is the software that allows your hardware to communicate with you and the applications you run. Think of the operating system as a translator and computer hardware as people in a foreign country. The translator knows both languages, so can tell the foreigners what you are saying and vice versa. In the same way, an operating system interprets your commands and translates those into terms your hardware understands. All popular operating systems like Windows and Mac OSX are designed to be as easy to use as possible. This is done through presenting icons, buttons, and menus for you to click on that tell the computer what to do. This is called the “graphical user interface”, or GUI (pronounced “gooey”).

Deon’s fantasies… Looks-wise, Microsoft has been playing second fiddle for years to the Macintosh’s visually slick operating system (at least that is what Mac fans say); Windows Vista was the company’s first stab at meeting the style challenge laid down by Apple, and Windows 7 is the second. While Windows 7 still lacks that certain something on the presentation side when directly compared to Mac OSX, it could be argued that Microsoft’s prioritised accessibility and compatibility over looks.

through the new “Homegroup” feature. This allows you to quickly and easily set up sharing among computers on your home network. Creating the network is as easy as connecting your computer to a router, which should automatically hand out network addresses without any user intervention. Once connected, you will be asked to specify the kind of network (home/work/public). When you’ve selected Home Network, other computers on that same Home Network will be able to join what is termed the “Homegroup”.

In order for them to connect to the network, they will require a network key, which is a code generated by Windows 7 during the initial setup process of the first Homegroup PC. You can now easily share resources like printers, folders and files by using the right-click menu in Windows Explorer, which has a very useful “Share with” option that gives users the choice to grant Read or Read/Write access to other Homegroup members. This process has been greatly simplified , making it easy for just about anyone to start and manage their own home network.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 17

windows 7

SQUARING UP WINDOWS 7 HOME PREMIUM Target Market: Mainstream retail market Key features: Aero Glass, Aero Background, Windows Touch (support for touch-sensitive screens and gesture-based interactions), Encrypting File System, Home Group creation, Media Centre, DVD playback and authoring, premium games and Mobility Centre.

Getting accustomed to the new layout was a painless process and it’s proven to be an intuitive way to handle open applications and documents and is a great improvement over previous approaches. The extra “style” factor doesn’t hurt, either - we can almost hear Microsoft’s programmers saying “Take that, Apple!”

At a glance Windows Explorer has also received a bit of an overhaul, with ease of navigation and search enhanced.

More than skin deep Windows 7’s user interface is very similar to Windows Vista, with the streamlined look and 3D-accelerated touches like window transparency and smooth window transitions still present. One noticeable change, however, is that the familiar task bar at the bottom edge of any Windows PC’s screen has been given a bit of an overhaul. Tasks are still grouped together by default, but now when you hover your mouse over each application icon it tiles previews of every window that application has opened. In Internet Explorer, for example, hovering the mouse over the program’s icon will preview as many open tabs and windows as the task bar has room for.

WINDOWS 7 PROFESSIONAL Target Market: Mainstream retail market SMBs? Not? Key features: Everything included in Windows 7 Home Premium plus Domain join, Remote Desktop host, location aware printing, Presentation Mode, Offline Folders, and advanced backup

For example, the most commonly-accessed areas of your computer are now displayed on the left side of the screen. Documents, pictures, videos and music are now classified as “Libraries” to make accessing your assorted media that much easier. Favourites are very cleverly grouped at the top of the screen for easy access. Your drives are all accessible from here, as is your network. The newest addition is the Homegroup icon, which will take you to a screen displaying all the shared resources on your home network. The key point here is that Windows Explorer has been tweaked to give you more information and to give you quicker and easier access to that information. Microsoft appears to have been aiming for fewer clicks to do familiar tasks, and in that they have largely succeeded.

Take your pick

This feature has made a noticeable difference in keeping the task bar from becoming cluttered, while still granting easy access to the myriad windows that get opened in the course of a typical session.. 18 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

NEWSFLASH! If you buy certain PCs equipped with Windows Vista between 26 June 2009 and the launch of Windows 7, you will qualify for an automatic (and free) upgrade to Windows 7 when it launches. Enquire in-store at your local Incredible Connection for details.

Despite the criticism Microsoft received for producing so many different versions of Windows Vista, they have stuck with the same formula for Windows 7, ensuring there’s an operating system for absolutely everyone. Thus, Windows 7 will be available in Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate version, with each one slightly different from the next in line.

Buy Now. Get an upgrade. Buy a qualifying suite of Windows Vista® (Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate) starting 26 June 2009 and get an upgrade to Windows 7 when available*. Available only through Incredible Connection stores countrywide. For more details, ask a store sales assistant.

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windows 7 RITE OF PASSAGE Any application goes through Alpha and Beta testing during its development phase before it’s considered even remotely ready for market. A program in Alpha status is feature-complete and ready for bug testing, a Beta version is the Alpha code with changes made to address any issues that emerged in Alpha testing. The “release candidate” is the first version that the development company is evaluating for possible commercial release. At the time of going to press, Windows 7 had reached “Release Candidate 2” status, which is quite possibly the final version that will appear on store shelves when it launches later this year.

PLEASE, SIR, MAY I HAVE SOME MORE? The upgrade process, both from Windows Vista as well as from one version of Windows 7 to another, has been completely streamlined. While the process is slower than installing Windows 7 onto a “clean” PC from scratch, upgrading from Vista will automatically migrate your programs, settings and data across to your new Windows 7 installation and without a hitch. XP users will need to take additional steps, such as backing up their data before doing a completely new install of Windows 7. Fortunately, tools are provided to make the process as smooth as possible. If done properly, XP users won’t lose any of their valuable data in the upgrade.

20 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Microsoft has promised that each version up the hierarchy will always contain all features of the previous version. Using Microsoft’s electronic Windows Anytime Upgrade feature, you can opt to upgrade to any version of Windows 7 higher than your existing installation. The good news is you won’t need a new set of DVDs to do such an upgrade as all required files will already be on your hard drive. This process to unlock the additional functionality is both quick and simple. Don’t let all these different options put you off, though. The versions most people will be interested in are Windows 7 Home Premium - best for the average household that does a bit of everything - and Windows 7 Professional, which is suitable for small business users, IT professionals and enthusiasts (nerds). Home Premium will be the preferred operating system packaged with home computers from retail outlets, and Professional will be packaged with business desktop PCs and notebooks.

Plug ‘n Play 2.0 An astonishing amount of effort has been put into ensuring that very few additional drivers are needed to get your Windows 7 computer running properly. A driver is a piece of software that tells the operating system how to interact with any given device, from a motherboard to a portable music player. This was nothing more than a dream in previous versions of Windows, which had rather limited “out of the box” support for such devices. With Windows 7, however, this dream is a reality. Windows 7 will ship with native support for thousands of devices, which doesn’t necessarily mean your cell phone will immediately work with it but your motherboard, sound card, network card and

others should work without needing to install any new drivers. Microsoft has also changed the way drivers work in Windows 7, which will avoid the problems experienced by early Vista users whose drivers almost battled each other for survival , causing all kinds of conflicts. Thanks to tweaks and changes, drivers from third party vendors should behave themselves and cause far fewer headaches than before.

Conclusion There is a great deal more to Windows 7 than we’ve been able to cover here, and have therefore been restricted to highlighting the features that are most important to the average computer user. In summary, these are some of the main reasons you should keep an eye out for Microsoft’s next operating system: • Excellent performance on current and older hardware • Streamlined interface • Simple networking for home users • Easy upgrade options from within Windows 7 as well as Vista and XP • Good driver support All that is mentioned in this article is based on our own experiences with the release candidates, as well as various official press releases. As veteran nerds, we are mightily impressed with Windows 7, and believe it is shaping up to challenge Windows XP as the operating system of choice for computer users who cherish functionality, speed and ease of use, and a worthy successor to Windows Vista.

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To log a call or get a quote call us now on: 0860 011 700

google docs //BY TIANA ALSWANG

FREE. ONLINE. RELIABLE.

There are many reasons that Google, the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of Search is forever making headlines. They simply get it. And Google Docs is but one of many cool things they do right.

22 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

TOP TIPS • Take all your existing documents, spreadsheets and presentations online by simply exporting them to your Google Docs account and easily edit and share them online. • Looking for some inspiration? Browse the template gallery at http://docs.google. com/templates to get ideas for CVs, calendars, budgets, business cards, scrapbooks, letters and more.

ollowing on from two previous articles in Connect on how to use Google’s search features more effectively and getting the most out of iGoogle, we now explore Google Docs – the web-based application that lets you create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online. All for free!

Let’s all say it together: ‘Collaboration’

shows who made changes, and when, on the spreadsheets or documents. Viewing a presentation together is also a breeze, as anyone joined in a presentation can automatically follow along with the presenter. If you’re looking for an easier way to share documents without having to attach them to an e-mail (and then worry about size, corrupted files and security), Google Docs is the answer as well as a great way to ensure you stay in control.

• Using keyboard shortcuts can help you save time when using Google Docs. Try some of these below (if using a Mac, Ctrl is the Apple key): Undo - Ctrl + Z Redo - Ctrl + Y Cut - Ctrl + X Copy - Ctrl + C Paste - Ctrl + V Print - Ctrl + P Bulleted list - Ctrl + Shift + L Insert comment - Ctrl + M Insert slide - Ctrl + M • It’s a great idea to join the Google Docs Help Group to ask questions when you get stuck and learn more about how others are using Google Docs: http://groups. google.com/group/GoogleDocs

The invisible life-buoy

Making the mental shift to working on programmes that aren’t installed on your computer, nor (perish the thought!) saved on your computer can be difficult for those of us used to working in Microsoft Office. But that’s exactly what Google Docs does, and more. What makes Google Docs really special is that you can share, open and edit documents simultaneously with other users. In other words, multiple people can view and make changes at the same time; an on-screen chat window

If you’re looking for an easier way to share documents without having to attach them to an e-mail (and then worry about size, corrupted files and security), Google Docs is the answer as well as a great way to ensure you stay in control.

Working online with Google Docs means your documents are kept on Google’s infrastructure and not on your hard-drive. No need to worry about losing any information either as the document is auto-saved continuously as you work. You’ll never have to worry again about your computer crashing and losing all your valuable spreadsheets, especially if they’re organised in folders.

Websites in a flash

Creating a website is now within reach of anyone, even if you don’t know the first thing about HTML. Within a remarkably short time you can create an entire website and only allow access to certain people, making this a great way to share files within an office environment. To get started using Google Docs, you’ll first need to sign up for a free, Google e-mail address. Visit www. docs.google.com for more information.

NO NET? WORK OFFLINE Google, being a generally unselfish company, has had the foresight to let you also work on all you documents in your browser when you aren’t connected to the Internet. When you’re offline, your edits are stored on your own computer until you re-connect, at which point your changes are synchronised with Google Docs’ servers and made available to collaborators. To be able to do this, though, you have to install Google Gears, a small browser extension that adds offline functionality directly to the browser. TIP: To find the latest version, from the Tools menu, click Google Gears Settings. Look at the bottom of the window for this text: ‘Google Gears version....’

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 23

mac 101 //BY TIANA ALSWANG

From a PC pro to Mac vide woes, we pro the l al you with le p p easy A answers.

TOP TIPS

FOR NEW MAC USERS 24 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing more frustrating than finally managing to stop drooling over your new MacBook Pro and not being able to find the delete button, or how to install programmes or simply trying to figure out what the dashboard is all about.

5 FUN SHORTCUTS SPACEBAR: Take a quick look at the contents of files in Finder without actually opening them by hitting the Spacebar

Docks, dashboards and widgets?

The Dock is the bar of icons that sits at the bottom (or side) of your screen. This is the key to quickly and easily opening your most commonly used applications. You can drag your favourite applications into the Dock so that they’re always within reach, and just as easily remove applications by clicking and dragging them out of the Dock. The Mac Dashboard is another useful way to access common tasks such as calendars, calculators and the weather. F12 is the magic key that controls the Dashboard that brings up fun and functional mini applications called widgets give access to common tasks without having to load the full programme . To view all the available widgets, click the open (+) button in the lower-left corner of the screen when Dashboard is activated.

Help! I’ve lost what I was working on…

How do I eject a disc?

This is always a little disturbing at first, because unlike a CD-tray on a PC that opens at the push of a button, this is done via the user interface on a Mac. Click and drag the disc icon on the desktop (F11 minimises windows to show the desktop) onto the rubbish bin icon in the Dock, which will then change into an eject symbol. QUICK TIP: This is also the way to safely remove a memory stick. When you first plug in the device, it will appear as an icon in the Finder. Drag this icon towards the bin on the end of the dock.

What is a DMG file?

DMG files, also known as disk images, are a way to encrypt and compress large files or folders for easy sharing between computers. To mount the disk image to your system, simply double click the icon, after which it will appear in the finder under Devices as it is essentially a virtual disc or drive.

Spotlight (the magnifying glass on the top right of the screen when you hit the Apple key and space bar) is a great way to find anything from files, emails and media to applications. Type the name of what you’re looking for and you’ll be presented with a list of matching entries that open at a single mouse-click. Applications, web pages, folders, documents and emails, it’s all there in one convenient list!

HELP: Uninstalling an application on a Mac is as simple as opening up the Applications folder and dragging the icon into the bin!

DID YOU KNOW? Spotlight can also be used as a dictionary or calculator. Type a word you don’t understand for a quick definition or a formula (e.g.: 10*11+15) for a mathematical solution.

FAST FACT: Your Mac has hundreds of preinstalled peripherals drivers, so in most cases, simply connect your camera, printer or hard drive and you’re good to go!

ZOOM DESKTOP: Your eyes failing you? Use CTRL + 2-finger scroll up on trackpad to zoom in on the screen and CTRL + 2-finger scroll down to zoom out. Using a mouse, hold down CTRL + left-click.

F9: Want to find an open document or application in a flash? Hit F9 to activate Exposé for all your open windows to appear onscreen. Click the window you want, and Exposé makes this your active screen or application.

F11: This activates the desktop by hiding all open windows. Hit F11 again to return to your previous window. ON A WEB PAGE: SPACEBAR: Scroll to the next section down on a webpage SPACEBAR + SHIFT: Scroll to the next section up on webpage.

I’m used to working in Word, does it run on a Mac?

Yes! The entire Microsoft Office suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc) is available for Mac and is also compatible with PC.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 25

handheld gaming //BY DEON DU PL PLESSIS LES LE SSIS SS S

TAKE YOUR PSP ONLINE

IN 6 EASY

STEPS

If you’ve been wondering how to connect your PSP to the Internet, then look no further. We offer step-by-step advice on how to configure your PSP to browse the Internet through a wireless router.

Connecting your PSP to the Internet

Step 1: From your PSP’s Home menu, select ‘Settings’ and then ‘Network’.

You will need: • A PSP • A wireless router configured with wireless security • Security passcode for your router

Step 2: Select ‘Infrastructure Mode’ (‘Ad-hoc’ mode is used to connect two PSPs), and then choose ‘New Connection’.

Step 3: Giv Give your connection a name. We recommend naming it after the location of the network you’re na connecting to and then scan for available networks. co SSelect e yours when it comes up. You will be asked to choose a security type. If you are unsure what this is, ch aask sk the person who operates the router. Note: Also bbee sure to get the security passcode for the network. Next, enter the passcode. Ne

26 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Connecting your Nintendo DS to the Internet You will need: • Nintendo DS • Wi-Fi-supported Nintendo DS game • Wireless router with Internet access

DO YOU HAVE A DS?

GET ONLINE NOW ... Step 1:

Step 4:

Use the game’s options menu to navigate to the ‘Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Settings’.

Select an available network slot.

Select a network. Blue padlock indicate that a network is unsecured and does not require a password. Red padlocks indicate protected networks that require a key, and grey padlocks indicate that the network is running security that the DS cannot work with.

Step 3:

Step 5:

Select ‘Search for an Access Point’.

If your network requires a key, get that from the network’s operator and enter it when prompted.

Step 2:

That’s it! You’re online, and ready to play!

Step 4: Select ‘Easy’ for the address setup, which will automatically supply your PSP with an IP address on the network.

Step 5: Save your settings and test the connection. You should see a screen that looks like this if everything is in order:

Step 6: Now, from the Home screen, navigate to your Browser icon and select it. If your router is connected to the Internet, your PSP will use the connection you’ve just set up, and you should see the following: Congratulations! You can now browse the Internet using your PSP! Use it for general surfing, firmware updates and even for remote controlling your Playstation 3.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 27

speed test //BY JOHANN BARNARD

SATISFYING YOUR

NEED FOR

SPEED

So, you’ve got an Internet connection, but how good is it? Is it fast enough? Can it be faster? And what is ‘fast enough’?

28 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

ith such a wide array of service providers and connection types to choose from, we felt it was time to discuss the ups and downs of Internet connection speeds and what you should look for. Let’s be clear at the start that this is not a comparison between the different technologies or service providers, but simply a guide to help you understand your Internet connection and determine whether you could or should be getting better speeds.

Connection types The different connection types each have their pros and cons, with the faster, cable-based services being quicker, but immobile whereas wireless technologies offer that convenience but at generally slower speeds. We discussed these different connection technologies in the May edition of Connect, so if you would like to order a back-copy, contact the editor Tiana Alswang at tiana@connect.co.za. ADSL, for example, has been one of the most popular ways of connecting as it makes use of existing Telkom infrastructure, and is comparatively fast at between 384kbps and 4Mbps, depending on which package you choose. The cell phone networks, however, have introduced HSDPA services that can cary data at up to 7Mbps, with the added advantage of mobility. Again the speed offered is dependent on the package selected, and obviously whether full HSPDA service is available

in that location. 3G speeds are in the region of 384kbps. The other wireless option is that from iBurst that it advertises at up to 1Mbps in areas of good coverage, while Neotel’s offering which is partly mobile can be up to around 3Mbps. All the operators are currently installing new technologies and services that should see these speeds increase over time, although sadly South Africa still lags behind the rest of the world. The fastest DSL connection speeds, by the way, are in Japan in Korea with 100Mbps, followed by Germany and Denmark at half that speed. The fastest speeds in the UK are around 24Mbps and in the USA are 20Mbps.

Understanding line speeds All of these figures relating to connection speed can be a bit misleading as a 1Mbps connection, for example, does not mean that you are able to upload and download information at the rate of 1MB of data in 1 second. Internet connection speeds are dealt into download speeds and upload speeds, and it’s not uncommon to find that your actual speed varies from the speed advertised by your service provider. This is particularly true of the wireless and mobile connections as the signal strength in your location is a very important factor, as well as how many other users in your area are accessing the Internet. The quality of your land line (Telkom) can also adversely affect your connection. What you will always find is that the download

WHERE TO TEST THE SPEED OF YOUR INTERNET CONNECTION GENERIC SPEED TEST SITES: http://www.speedtest.net/ - this is by far the best of the lot http://www.auditmypc.com/internet-speed-test.asp http://www.auditmypc.com/broadband-speed-test.asp http://www.broadband-expert.co.uk/broadband/speedtest/index.php IBURST: http://www.iburst.co.za/default.aspx?link=account_speedtest SENTECH: http://www-old.sentech.co.za/speedtest/display_speed.php TELKOM: http://www.telkom.co.za/athome/products/dsl/speed.html

speed to enjoy a decent-quality video chat. If you don’t quite make this mark, it’s possible you’ll be able to get passable use out of your connection, but don’t get too upset if the video is a bit jumpy or the voice quality is a bit shaky.

High-end users

speed is substantially faster than your upload speed. The simple reason for this is that you are likely to be receiving far more information than you will be sending, and so the emphasis is placed on incoming data to make your Internet experience that much quicker and less frustrating. There is no ideal download speed as this will always be determined by the type of connection and the particular package you have chosen. Obviously faster is better, but what your needs will always depend on how you use the Internet. If, for example, you do a bit of surfing and email then slower connections will meet your needs, even if it does mean you have to go make a cup of coffee while a large photo or email attachment is downloading. For the more intensive users, and those who often download music, presentations and documents, and especially embedded or streaming video, you will need to choose as fast a connection as you can lay your hands on. This is also true if you wish to fully appreciate the wonder of the Internet as it is becoming increasingly media-rich, with audio and video files being commonplace. The frustration of waiting 30 or more minutes for a couple of minutes of video or one song to download is just not worth it. Other applications such as Skype, Google Maps and Google Earth are also fascinating tools for which you will require at least a 384kbps connection. In fact, Skype recommends this as the minimum connection

As with any field, there are always people who need the very best, or in this case, the fastest connection in order to satisfy their specialist needs. In the field of Internet connectivity, gamers fill this space with glee. Aside from needing as fast a connection as possible, the most important factor is the latency of the line – which means the time it takes to send and receive a signal back from the remote computer. Interestingly, latency is not improved or degraded by the bandwidth you have, so a 384kbps line should have the same latency as a 4Mbps line. A fixed line connection, however, will give you far lower latency than a wireless connection mode. Other areas in which lower latency could improve the level of the service being used includes Internet telephony services such as Skype, and if you happen to log into your work server from home or a remote location.

You can only manage what you measure Having explained what Internet connection speeds are and why you need them, you must be asking – so how do I check what my speed is? Most Internet service providers offer some kind of connection speed test. It is always interesting to see whether your connection matches the speeds that have been advertised, and so there is some room for scepticism regarding proprietary tests hosted by an ISP. The process is really simple, only requiring you to click on a ‘Test Speed’ button, after which the programme takes over. The tests generally show your upload and download speeds, with certain of them also indicating the ‘ping’ speed – a measure of latency – in which case you want to see a lower number, not a higher number as with the connection speeds.

JARGON BUSTER BANDWIDTH: This is the amount of data that can be transferred over a connection at any one time. A higher number means that more information can be transferred at any one time. In South Africa, speeds vary from 384kbps up to 7.2Mbps. KBPS AND MBPS These terms are abbreviations for kilobits (1 000) and megabits per second (1 million), and are used to show the rate at which broadband data is transferred between computers. ADSL This stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, which is the technology that has been developed for enabling broadband connections using existing telephone networks. HSDPA This is High-Speed Downlink Packet Access, which has superseded 3G mobile data technology and offers increased data transfer speeds and capacity of up to 7.2Mbps download and up to 348Kbps upload speeds. PING Ping is used to test whether a computer or network is connected to the Internet, which it does by sending a packet of data and measuring the response time. STREAMING MEDIA Unlike downloading a video or audio file and then playing it back later, streaming media plays when a web page downloads and plays the clip in your browser.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 29

video editing //BY ROBIN KATZ

CREATE

YOUR OWN MOVIES IN

4 EASY

STEPS

30 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Owning a digital video camera is pretty pointless unless you’re able to take your raw footage and create a movie that you have edited and crafted to share with your family and friends. Connect’s resident video expert takes you through the basics of downloading, editing and sharing your video in four easy steps.

START ROLLING! G! Suggested video editing applications WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER

MAGIX

SONY

PINNACLE STUDIOO

IMOVIE 09 Connection types IEEE1394/FIREWIRE/ILINK EWIRE/ILINK

MEMORY ORY CARD

USB

FINAL CUT EXPRESS

Step 1: Transfer the footage from your camera to your computer MOST applications will allow to you choose the source of the video. Traditionally, video cameras used to connect via FireWire cables (also called IEEE1394 cables or iLink), but modern cameras now shoot to hard drives or memory cards. • Select your source • Select your destination. • Some packages allow you to choose manually which video to import, which is really useful if you’ve shot to tape and only want to use certain parts of the tape. You can even control the video camera from the software for functions such as Rewind, Fast Forward, Pause, Stop, etc.

Most software packages will break the imported video into clips for easy manipulation once importing is complete.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 31

video editing Step 2: Edit your movie THE most common metaphor used in video editing suites is the timeline, with clips selected and dragged onto the timeline. Some applications let you choose how much of a clip to drag, while others drag the entire clip which then allows you to remove parts of the clip from the timeline. Here you can see that two clips have been added to the timeline. Depending on the editing application you are using, you should be able to add themes, text (titles and credits) or overlays, music and even narration. The two clips in our example are separated by a transition that sets how you transform from one clip the the next. By using a theme, you would be able to add transitions and text styles automatically. Experiment with the themes in your editing application to find a look that is most suited to your movie. You can also preview your movie in the edit phase before moving on to step 3.

Step 3: Make/Publish/Share Movie VARIOUS options are available when it comes to the final stage of your movie editing process. These are again dependent on the software suite you’re using. In this example, we are creating the movie for uploading directly to popular video-sharing site www.youtube.com The software automatically converts and uploads the file to YouTube, after which it gives you a URL (web address) such as this http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ArtbYqJKfc from which to share with friends and family. If you aren’t uploading to a service such as YouTube, bear the following in mind: • Choose your output method, which will differ according to which application you’re using and to the intended use of the video. • It is important to note the higher quality resolutions will take a lot more space on your drive and a longer time to make. This is CPU and hard disk dependent, with a fast hard drive based on SATA II technology with a speed of at least 7200RPM and high-end processor are a must for HD Video.

32 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Congratulations you are now on your way to becoming the next Steven Spielberg! Remember to make the video in a format that is appropriate for the output device, and it is probably best to stick to the defaults for file outputs until you more are comfortable with the process.

PRODUCT REVIEWS // BY DEON DU PLESSIS

BACK TO

SCHOOL

REVIEWS

elcome to our third issue! This month, the cool factor of the assorted gadgetry we got to play with dropped a little (too many bags, I think), but it was offset by a seriously awesome Sony Vaio laptop and some rather interesting software. I got to rescue some old cassette tapes that’ve been lying around my house gathering dust for years, and for the first time ever, I took some educational kids’ software for a spin. I might not be a kid anymore, but I sure enjoyed myself! That was probably because the JumpStart series has a very long history and a highly professional production team with a lot of experience. It was so well put together and brought such a fun element to learning that by the end of it I decided that should I ever have kids, the JumpStart series would be my first choice for them. Check out the review on page 64, and then go buy it. I’m pretty sure you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy the issue. I look forward to reviewing more gadgets in the next month. Cheers, Deon

While we make every effort to ensure pricing is accurate before we go to print, sometimes through circumstances we have no control over, the prices in Connect may differ from those you’ll see on store shelves. In all cases, shelf pricing takes precedence.

34 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Top 5 Laptops Peripherals Cameras Storage Home media Accessories Software

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Nokia E75 NEED TO KNOW • Tailored to business use • Slide-out QWERTY keyboard • 3.2MP camera with flash R5 999.95

THE E75 is the latest in Nokia’s range of cell phones catering to business users and is packed with new features that will appeal to the mobile executive. Accessibility and connectivity are the two key words with the E75 supporting both Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Notes email on-the-go and its slide-out QWERTY keyboard for quickly and easily typing. The screen is bright and filled with many business-centric applications to help with the day-today tasks required of a busy executive. The feeling one gets when using the E75 is that it is definitely aimed at users who don’t like to wait – the interface is as nippy as we’ve seen. This is offset by functions that are hidden beneath sometimes illogical menu choices, which proved to be a little annoying. Finding the File Manager under Office applications when so many other phones include it under the Control Panel or main menu, for instance, was particularly annoying. There is also no dedicated ‘Back’ button, but since the phone’s two main selection buttons are often labelled Back or Exit, you can get used to it. Still, enough other phones have useful, dedicated Back buttons that its absence on the E75 raised our eyebrows. There are dedicated Home, Calendar and Messaging (e-mail) buttons, though, which are assumed to be the phone’s most common functions. The e-mail function is one of the high points and is both powerful and intuitive to use. You can set it up to connect to an Exchange server and Lotus Notes (common e-mail server types popular with big corporates), and it can even accommodate popular web-based e-mail services like Gmail and Hotmail. Setting these up couldn’t be simpler: all you need to do is supply your e-mail account name and password, and the phone does the rest. Some tweaking is required to make the phone synchronise when you want it to and with what (mails of a certain size, just the header of all mails or a specific number of mails etc), but once this is done once, it doesn’t have to be done again. A lot of care has gone into the slide-out keyboard to ensure users can make the most of the phone’s messaging systems (e-mail and SMS). Keys are wide and easily pressed, which is good for accuracy; the only downside is your fingers will need to cover a rather wide area when typing, putting people with large hands at a bit of an advantage. The phone’s 3.2MP camera didn’t impress, barely even qualifying as entrylevel. The images it takes only look good on the phone’s screen, appearing very grainy and blurred on a computer screen and is thus no substitute for a proper, dedicated camera. It does have a flash that produces comparatively well-lit indoor pictures, but expect to use this only when you don’t have a dedicated camera on hand. Lastly, the phone is a little on the heavy side. This is both good and bad, as the weight gives the phone heft and the feel of a quality product, but you will definitely notice that it’s in your pocket - which some may not enjoy. The sliding mechanism is one of the only real quality oversights in the E75’s design as it makes the two halves of the phone feel as if they aren’t securely connected when open. The other flaw is the keys on the numeric keypad on 36 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

PRODUCTS SAMSUNG PIXON M8800

the top of the phone that feel a bit on the squashed side, meaning people with thick fingers may struggle to use them effectively. There are a great many additional features, like 3G/GPRS and Wireless LAN capabilities, memory card support for extra storage, dedicated office applications like a handy converter (time, mass, currency, distance etc) and even a PDF reader. Other standard applications like a music and video player are also present. Emphasising how the E75 is trying to be many things to many people, it even comes with a GPS application, which we found easy to use and very detailed. The E75 tries very hard to focus on business users while still providing the kind of features that all cellphone enthusiasts can make use of, and in this it largely succeeds. But a very rich feature set is offset by a few navigation niggles and a camera that didn’t impress, making the E75 a phone worth recommending with only a few reservations. Oh, and incidentally call quality is loud and clear. Funny how that’s the last consideration with phones these days… NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • •

3.2MP camera with flash Supports SD Cards up to 16GB Screen resolution: 320 x 240 Colours: 16 million Weight: 139g Connectivity: 3G/GPRS/Bluetooth/Wi-Fi PROS

CONS

• Responsive interface • Excellent e-mail client • Supports all major connectivity types • Business-focused features

• Slide mechanism too loose • Numeric keypad feels cramped • Interface layout feels clumsy • Grainy camera

OVERALL RATING

This is Samsung’s latest camera phone, and it sports a touchscreen interface and an 8MP camera that takes decent, if not fantastic photos. It is perhaps Samsung’s greatest camera phone yet.

HTC DREAM

HTC has developed a very smooth and responsive touch-screen phone that supports a wide variety of functions; it also has a very solid and well-spaced QWERTY keyboard, and is as close to an iPhone-killer as we’ve seen. It’s not quite there, though. NOKIA N95

This may not be Nokia’s latest phone, but it comes chock-full of features and a responsive interface. It can do anything you need if you’re a business person or a regular Joe, and was one of the first phones kitted out with a 5MP camera.

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Long shot: DVI extension cable Some monitors need to be placed further away from your PC than others. Use a handy DVI extension cable to extend its range.

Samsung T260 26” LCD Monitor NEED TO KNOW • Good screen for gaming and day-to-day use • Supports multiple inputs • Touch of Colour design R4999.95

SAMSUNG’S 26-inch, Touch of Colour beauty that we mentioned briefly last month has been with us for review for a while now, and we’ve come to know each other fairly well. For starters, we know that first impressions are very positive with the T260: it’s beautifully styled with just enough red infused into the black bezel (the plastic that surrounds the LCD panel) to add that subtle element of style; importantly, it can handle regular VGA, DVI as well as HDMI inputs for viewing high-definition content from HD players. This definitely scores it some good points, and is a very good choice for the average person looking to hook it up to their PC for wide-screen gaming or to gain plenty of extra space when using multiple applications. These features also qualify the T260 as a good complement to any modern gaming system that supports HDMI out (which both the Xbox 360 and the Playstation 3 can handle). Its largest supported screen resolution is a whopping 1920 x 1200 which is even higher than HD movies demand. The T260 doesn’t have any built-in speakers, but it does have an audio port that can accommodate any sound system with a regular 3.5mm audio jack (the most common connection type for consumer-focused speakers and headphones). If you’re noticing a certain “right down the middle” approach here in terms of its features, you’d be correct. The T260 is a very capable, mid-level monitor designed to accommodate as many kinds of users as possible by catering to the mainstream with a broad set of features. This is not to say that it isn’t worth your consideration, however – we have gamed and worked on the T260 for long enough to know for sure that we’d gladly shell out R5 000 for this monitor for its looks, very nippy (5ms) response time and its attractive (but not perfect) colour reproduction.

The only issues we encountered were to do with its viewing angles, a plastic casing and stand that feel a teensy bit on the flimsy side, and colour reproduction that would not pass the scrutiny of a professional photo editor or graphic designer. Viewing angles were particularly troublesome. Mounting the T260 at the perfect eye-level minimises this, but it can be annoying, particularly when some games, like Guitar Hero, require standing. A screen’s viewing angle rating relates the angles beyond which the onscreen image becomes distorted, with colours looking like a photo negative and the entire screen appearing darker than it really is. The T260’s performane in this regard is not that bad, though: once you’ve found that sweet spot where the view of the screen is just right, it does shine, and anyone looking to use it for gaming or as a screen for productivity, web surfing and general everyday use will be more than happy with their purchase.

Wax on... LCD screen cleaner LCD screens are notorious for attracting fingerprints. Don’t believe us? Look closely under direct sunlight, you’ll see tons of dust flecks that accumulate naturally. Use an LCD screen cleaner kit to keep your monitor fleck-free.

PRODUCTS DUCTS

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • •

Contrast ratio: 20 000:1 (Dynamic), 1000:1 (Static) Maximum resolution: 1920 x 1200 Inputs: VGA, DVI, HDMI Outputs: 3.5mm Audio Response Time: 5ms Viewing angles Horizontal/Vertical: 170º/160º (official)

PROS

CONS

• It’s really big • HDMI input support • Very attractive looks

• Viewing angles are not great • Plastic casing and stand are a little flimsy • Colour reproduction not up to professional standards

OVERALL RATING

XBOX 360

Microsoft’s console is giving the PS3 a run for its money as the console of choice for millions of budget-minded gamers. A fantastic game line-up means it’s definitely not left out in the cold when it comes to choice.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 37

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Heads up:

17” Apple MacBook Pro NEED TO KNOW • Apple’s finest piece of mobile hardware yet • Aluminium unibody design • Crammed with new technology • 17” screen • 6½ hours of battery life R34000.00

APPLE’S range of notebooks is something to behold. Loaded to the hilt with the best components money can buy, ergonomically designed to make life a pleasure for users and carved from a solid block of aluminium, the MacBook Pro range represents the pinnacle of notebook design. And with the arrival of the new 17” MacBook Pro, it’s clear that Apple’s lead in the market is showing no evidence of slowing down. The 17” is nothing short of an amazing notebook. While it’s undoubtedly a little heavy at times (2.5kg to be exact) the sheer brilliance of the notebook’s design, its high performance and reliability, as well as its six and a half hours of battery life, sure do make up for it. As the name of this notebook suggests, its party-piece is a 17” superbright, super-crisp 1920 x 1200 LED-backlit display that gives even the most demanding of users more than enough screen real estate. The screen is driven behind the scenes, by an NVidia GeForce 9400M or 9600M GT graphics processor with 512MB GDDR3 memory, making it more than capable of tackling anything thrown at it, including some of the newer games available today, albeit on a low to medium-detail setting. When it comes to more serious tasks and workloads, the machine’s 2.66GHz processor and 4GB of DDR3 memory take care of business perfectly. In testing we couldn’t find anything, besides heavy 3D rendering that was capable of stressing the 17” MacBook Pro out – it’s a real beast. Rounding the notebook’s key features out are a 320GB hard disk, a DVD writer/rewriter and an express-card slot – extremely useful for those that want to add an external SATA interface to the well-equipped three USB and one FireWire 800 interfaces already present on the 17” MacBook Pro; 38 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

or install a 3G card instead of carrying around one of the dongles that have become so popular of late. While we were massively impressed by how polished and well-rounded a package the 17” MacBook Pro is, we have some gripes that Apple should attend to before it in our opinion can take the undisputed lead in notebook design. These include the fact that external monitor support requires the separate purchase of a mini-DVI converter and that replacing a faulty battery entails workshop time, where technicians need to disassemble the machine and replace the faulty components. Why Apple couldn’t have just used a standard DVI or VGA port for connecting their notebook range to an external monitor (like everyone else in the market) or designed its batteries for easy swap out is beyond us. That said however, there’s nothing else about this machine, besides its price, that we could find awry. And since Apple computers now run Windows perfectly, incompatibility isn’t even an excuse any longer. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • •

Griffin Elevator The only downside of using a notebook is the risk of neckstrain. Get yourself a Griffin Elevator and place your notebook at the right height on your desk.

Rat pack: Apple Wireless MightyMouse Even though the 17” MacBook pro has a multitouch trackpad, nothing comes close to using a mouse. Apple’s ‘mouse with the mostest’ is now available in wireless.

2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor 4GB DDR3 Memory NVidia GeForce 9400/9600 graphics 320GB hard disk 17” LED-backlit screen (super crisp and bright) PROS

CONS

• Powerful and feature rich • Best looking notebook money can buy • 17” screen means massive real-estate • 6½ hours of battery means completely untethered workdays

• Too expensive for most • A little on the heavy side • 17” form factor, anything but portable

OVERALL RATING

Word up: Microsoft Office for Mac 2008 The killer app for Mac OS X, Microsoft’s Office for Mac Edition gives you access to your Exchange server with Entourage and the ability to work in documents with Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred Create Email, Documents and Spreadsheets – All by Voice Never mind fussing with a mouse or Keyboard: Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 lets you talk to your PC to take care of all kinds of business. Dictate directly into Word and Excel; whisk off e-mail messages; create calendar entries; run searches on Google, Wikipedia, YouTube, and other sites; hop around your desktop from application to application; and search for files containing the keywords you utter. Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 gives PC users the power to create documents,, rep ports and emails three times faster than most peopl pe

User benefits

type – all with up to 99% accuracy.

Get your work done faster – Most people speak more than 120 words per minute but type less than 40 words a minute. That means you can create documents and email messages more than three times faster using Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 Preferred. The software never makes a spelling mistake and it actually gets smarter the more it’s used.

• Surf the Web by voice or dictate and edit in Microsoft Word and Excel, Corel WordPerfect and most other Windows-based applications. • New Dragon Voice Shortcuts reduce common multi-click tasks to simple voice commands.

Get started inminutes – DragonNaturallySpeaking installs quickly and requires no special script reading. New on-screen help and tutorials help you become an expert user in no time – dictate letters and emails instantly! A comfortable, high-quality headset is included.

• Create custom commands to insert blocks of text or bitmaps – such as name, title and signature – with a single voice command. • Fo Form rmat at a and nd d del elet ete e te text xt ffas aste terr th than an e eve verr wi with th Qui Quick ck V Voi oice ce F For orma matt ttin ing g. • Work with a Bluetooth microphone if preferred and even dictate into a digital

Dragon NaturallySpeaking 10 is available in the following Editions:- Standard 10 SKU: 67069 - Preferred 10 SKU: 67071 - Preferred 10 Mobile SKU: 67072 - Preferred 10 Wireless SKU: 67070 - Professional 10 SKU: 68346 (SO)* * Special Order or from Incredible Connection Online Store

recorder when away from the PC.

Features include: • NEW User interface; • NEW Quick voice formatting; • NE NEW W Dr Drag agon on voi voice ce ssho hort rtcu cuts ts ffor or w web eb sea searc rch; h; and and • NEW Dragon voice shortcuts for desktop search

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PDF Converter 5

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PDF Converter is the world’s most accurate and best sellin sel lingg meth method od for tturni rning ng existi e isting ng PDF files in into to formatted documents, forms and spreadsheets – complete with text, columns, tables and graphics.

It was created specifically to address the wasteful, inefficient process of dealing with information trapped on paper and locked in digital files. Amazing 99%+ character accuracy turns paper and PDF files into electronic files you can edit, search and archive in the format of your choice. Automate all of your document conver con versio sionn with with ea easysy-toto-use use,, oneone-cli click ck wor workfl kflow tec techno hnolog logy.y. Plus, encrypted and password-protected PDF output ensures that security and compliance are never an issue. The 3DC 3DC tech technol nology ogy in OmniP OmniPage age 17 le lets ts you to ac accur curate ately ly recogniise ttextt from piictures t captured t d with ith your di digititall camera, or mobile phone. So now you can capture text on the mo move ve. Yo Youu can can eve evenn conv convert ert do docum cument entss to to Audi Audioo file file an andd listen on your iPod® or other digital music player. * OmniPage 17 is also available in the Professional Edition.

Precise conversion technology allows you to access the information trapped within PDF files, without the hassle of cutting and pasting. There is no easier way to access text, charts and even graphics from within PDF files. Save time andmoney by turning your PDF and XPS files into fully formatted, editable Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Corel WordPerfect and Rich Text Format For mat do docum cument entss with with PDF PDF Conv Convert erter er. Nuance also offers the following in the PDF Produc Pro ductiv tivity ity So Softw ftware are::- PDF CREATE 5 SKU: 65896 - PDF PDF CON CONVER VERTER TER 5 PRO SKU: 65 65897 897

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PRODUCTS PORTA CASE CAMERA BAG

The Porta Case range has just the bag you need to store your video cameras and their assorted peripherals, inexpensively.

Canon Legria FS200 Camcorder bundled with a 16GB SD card NEED TO KNOW • Includes a 16GB SD card • Light-weight and comfortable • Excellent zoom lens for its size R3999.95

IF you haven’t yet caught the camcorder bug, then beware of the new Canon Legria FS200 – its stylish and compact looks are enough to get you hooked. The FS200 is so small (less than 6cm wide and high, and 12cm long) it’s phenomenal that digital camcorders can deliver such great quality. And at around 230 grams, it’s perfect for for lengthy filming sessions, yet substantial enough to feel solid in the hand. The padded strap also fits very comfortably over the hands, and with the REC button well situated for thumb operation, getting started with this device is a cinch. The lens offers a staggering 41x Advanced Zoom, delivering awesome quality for a camcorder of this size. Nestled right beneath the lens is the stereo microphone that produced very respectable results. For those wanting to use a buffered or directional microphone, this can be accommodated via the standard microphone jack. Completing the front of the device is the camera’s small light, which was disappointing. Making up for the lack of a decent night-light, however, is the fact that day-time picture quality is superb, so if night use is not a priority, this little gripe shouldn’t make too much difference. The Legria FS200 also offers the impressive and incredibly handy Pre REC mode, which is constantly recording three seconds of video even before the REC button is pressed. As a result, you never miss a crucial moment and are able to enjoy having a wider range of footage for your home videos. While we’re on the matter of editing, this camcorder is bundled with the 40 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

PIXELA software suite, with all the cables required for viewing on a computer or TV supplied. As such, you have the option of connecting either via USB cable or simply popping the camera’s SD or SDHC card directly into their computer or DVD player, if it has a multimedia card slot. The 2.7-inch flip-out LCD screen offers bright and crisp images, and – as is standard these days – can be fully rotated and viewed from a number of angles. We did have a couple of gripes with the interface and menu system not being as intuitive as we would‘ve liked, but this is a minor issue and with a bit of practice the settings and menus become easy to navigate. Some may be disappointed that the Legria FS200 doesn’t have any internal memory, and may find that the upgraded FS21 and FS22 models (sporting 16GB and 32GB internal memory respectively) are worth a look. Nevertheless, we still feel that this is a great choice, and given that the FS200 comes bundled with a 16GB SD card, there might be very little reason to choose the higher-end models at all. Highly recommended.

SD CARD

Take along another SD card for those moments when you run out of storage space. Sometimes, even 16GB isn’t enough.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 41x Advanced Zoom • Dolby Digital 2 channel audio • Pre REC mode

MAGIX MOVIE EDIT PRO 15

PROS

CONS

• Great video quality • Video editing suite included • Very comfortable, padded strap

• No internal memory • Interface could be more user-friendly • Built-in light lacks power

OVERALL RATING

No video camera is truly complete until you own a video editing suite that can help you put together the best moments captured on film to a soundtrack, complete with fades, wipes and captions.

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Rescue your Vinyl & Tapes! NEED TO KNOW • Salvage your old music • Clean up vinyl and cassette audio • Burn projects to audio CDs and DVDs • Edit audio files and output in modern formats R1599.95

MANY of our older readers are going to love this product: a software application that converts old audio cassettes and vinyl records into digital format. Haul out those golden oldies and you’ll soon be partying like its 1969. The Audio Cleaning Lab 15 Deluxe application that ships with the package means you can remove sound-distorting phenomena like hissing and background noise from the the original recordings that inevitably creeps in to such old-fashioned media. And the application manages to do so admirably. The package comes complete with all the cables you need to connect your old tape and record player to your PC via the microphone as well as a high-quality pre-amp that hooks into your record player/take deck and then into your PC; from here, you fire up Audio Cleaning Lab, click record and hit play on your cassette deck or turntable. You can either record each song individually and save each as a separate file, or record entire albums and then cut the resulting file up into the individual tracks; we recommend the first option as it will end up being less time-consuming. It is then time to clean up the sound tracks in the application by using the audio tools provided. A very useful introductory movie plays the first time you load the software, so there’s no need to panic about never having done something like this or never having used the application before. In truth, it does take a bit of practice to get to use the software meaningfully. Once we had the file captured, we then applied various electronic filters to the file using the audio tools at our disposal and managed to reduce, but not completely eliminate the slight hiss in the background. While the sound quality was improved, it can’t compare to modern digital recordings, which we ascribe more to the nature of cassettes than a deficiency on the part of the software. The package also includes some basic editing, like cutting parts of the audio stream, fading in and out, volume adjustments and normalisation. So, there are a quite a few different ways to tweak your project to your heart’s desire.

PRODUCTS

Once your project is completed to your satisfaction, you can burn it to CD or simply leave it in digital format for use in your music collection. Audio Cleaning Lab has built-in audio CD and DVD burning features, as well as the ability to encode each song with surround-sound capabilities, meaning you can produce songs for use on your home entertainment system that makes use of all your speakers. Audio Cleaning Lab isn’t a professional audio editing solution, and some interface quirks and adjustments that sometimes seem to have no effect often hamper the programme’s efforts to rise above the crowd. Quality control is also lacking, with spelling mistakes and such like detracting from it appearing a polished, professional audio-editing suite. For home use, though, and the ability to rediscover some of your old favourites, it’s absolutely perfect.

MAGIX MOVIE EDIT PRO 15

Put together your own movie clips, and finish the final cut off with an animated DVD menu all of its own.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • • •

1 GHz processor, or higher 512 MB RAM 500 MB free hard drive space Graphics card: Min. resolution 1024 x 768 with 16-bit high-colour 16-bit sound card CD-ROM drive (Writeable CDROM or DVD/RW for burning capabilities) PROS

CONS

• Cleans up noisy audio • Easily converts tapes and records to digital format • All necessary cables are included

• Not a professional toolset • Spelling errors in menus • Some adjustments have no effect

OVERALL RATING

MAGIX SOUNDPOOL DVD COLLECTION

If you’d like to play around with more sound samples in your copy of Audio Cleaning Lab 15 Deluxe, pick up this 6GB collection of sound samples.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 41

PRODUCT REVIEWS

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Sony Vaio VGN-CS36GJ Bimbo Baggins: NEED TO KNOW • Lightweight notebook • Powerful hardware • Eye-catching looks R12 999.95

SONY has pulled out all the stops to grab attention with this entertainment notebook by putting on a good show in the looks department. More importantly, the CS36’s hardware packs a serious punch, and 4GB of system RAM plus a cutting-edge Intel Core 2 Duo CPU built on the ultra-efficient Centrino 2 platform are more than powerful enough to keep Windows Vista Home Premium happy. Having a 64-bit operating system means the CS36 can take full advantage of the generous RAM, which 32-bit operating systems can’t. But it is the finishes, the small details that will sell you on this notebook. It may be powerful, but with every manufacturer offering much the same in terms of hardware, your buying decision will probably come down to the notebook’s raw appeal. And once you’ve seen this notebook in person, we’re confident you will agree: the CS36 has plenty. Its keyboard, for instance, borrows heavily from the design of Apple’s MacBook range. It has very slim keys that are widely separated for easy typing, the tactile feedback when you press them is unmistakeable and very pleasant and all keys are laid out intelligently for maximum accuracy. About the only detractor to an otherwise superb keyboard is the lack of a numeric keypad, but those seem to be the sole domain of much larger notebooks so we can hardly fault Sony for omitting one here. Being billed as an “entertainment notebook”, it comes as no surprise that the CS36 has a number of media buttons at the top of the keyboard. The key feature here is that the buttons are touch-sensitive with the light underneath them flashing when they are touched. There is also a Capture button that automatically activates the built-in web camera, and an AV MODE button that launches the included Sony software to help you manage your media. Rounding out the hardware is a powerful mobile graphics card from nVIDIA, the GeForce 9300M GS that comes with 256MB of dedicated video memory. While not able to play cutting-edge games at their highest quality, the graphics card is more than capable of displaying your HD movies smoothly and rendering games playable on low to medium 42 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

settings, which is all you really need for when you’re gaming on the go. Doing so will consume battery power, though, so be warned. The only omission Sony has made is to leave out a Blu-ray optical drive, but perhaps that is a good thing as that would push the price up considerably. The overall size and weight of the 14.1” CS36 is impressively compact. When we lifted it out of its packaging, it felt as if the battery was missing, but it was indeed installed and ready to go. Fully loaded, the CS36 weighs a paltry 2.6kg due to the lightweight three-cell bundled battery; the downside to this is that it will last only two hours on a full charge, while a long-life battery will add another two hours, but it will add weight. The only other criticisms we have of the CS36 is of the somewhat flimsy feel of its casing, particularly the underside portion, and the tendency of the piano black finish to attract fingerprints. We really like the Sony Vaio VGN CS36 notebook, despite its flaws. It’s lightweight, powerful, looks beautiful and is compact enough that travelling with it is a pleasure. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • • • •

System RAM: 4GB, upgradeable to 8GB Hard Drive: 320GB CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz Operating System: Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Optical Drive: DVD/RW USB 2.0 Ports: 3 Wireless LAN: IEEE 802.11b/g/draft-n SD Card Support: SD/SDHC Native resolution: 1280 x 800 PROS

CONS

• Exceptionally good-looking notebook • Lightweight and powerful • Plays games and handles productivity well • Gorgeous, comfortable keyboard

• 2 hour battery life on default battery • Underside of the case feels flimsy • Black retains fingerprints • No Blu-ray Drive

OVERALL RATING

Built Bags Cover your Vaio in a snugfitting Built bag; keep it protected AND look good while you’re doing it. After all, with looks like these would you want to haul your CS36 out of some ugly backpack thing?

Bag Dad: Tucano Bags If you’re not a fan of Built, consider a true designer bag from Tucano. Stylish Italian designs will complement the sleek sexiness of your Vaio perfectly, and you’ll haul it around with pride.

Numbers up: Targus USB Keypad No keypad got you down? No worries, pick up an add-on USB keypad from Targus, and lament its absence no more!

PRODUCT REVIEWS

RTX DualPhone 3088 for Skype NEED TO KNOW • No PC needed for Skype • Wireless handset • Can make landline calls R1 599.95

USING your computer to talk to people overseas through various IM (instant messaging) clients that also support voice calls has become the norm for many South Africans. The big attraction, of course, is not having to pay anyone but your Internet Service Provider, and call quality that is clearer than anything our local telecommunications providers can offer. The only catch has been that you’ve needed to sit at your PC to make use of this mostly-free functionality, huddled over your desk wearing a microphoneequipped headset or something similar. For many, this is a bit of a nerdy way to make use of PC-to-PC calls, and thus the practise has not experienced widespread adoption locally. Skype is one of the most popular IM clients available today, and the past few years have seen a growing number of Skype-friendly devices hit the market, but most have been USB-based and have therefore still needed a PC to work. Enter the RTX DualPhone 3088, a wireless phone handset that connects directly to your broadband router via an available Ethernet port; it gets assigned its own network address, and once you’ve entered your Skype username and password, it will ring when a Skype call comes in even if your PC isn’t on. Think of it as a landline phone that uses Skype as the service provider. For PC-to-PC calls between yourself and your Skype contacts, this is a brilliant solution. Call quality is exceptionally clear and best of all you’re only paying for your own bandwidth usage rather than a per-call or per-minute rate. This works wonders if the people you know are all Skype users; you can also use the DualPhone as a regular handset for your landline (and hence the “dual”in its name), but the option also exists to call land lines through Skype. This involves using Skype’s premium (i.e. paid-for) services, which don’t always work as smoothly as using a local landline due to service interruptions or poor internet performance. 44 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

PRODUCTS The basic idea is you sign up for “Skype Credit”, which is then used when you make landline calls. Skype offers 400 minutes of free local landline calls (tailored specifically for the South African market) for $14.95, which at the time of going to print was approximately R121. Since that works out to 30c per minute, you might not want to go that route, but this is a flat rate and is not dependent on the time of your call or whether the call is local or national. The DualPhone handset has a speakerphone for hands-free operation, so you’re not stuck holding it up to your ear. And while its keys are a little tough to press, the screen is a good size and clearly displays the familiar Skype interface. It feels a little lightweight, though, so it’s not the highest-quality product in the world, but its audio quality is more than good enough to make up for that. Skype is an excellent (and free) piece of communication software, and now you can use it without a PC thanks to this smart little device. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • • •

Talk time: more than 10 hours Standby time: Up to 100 hours Range: 50m indoors, 300m outdoors Colour display with graphical user interface High-quality speaker phone Backlit display 10 polyphonic ring tones Headset jack

PROS

CONS

• Receive Skype calls without your PC • PC-to-PC calls are free • Doubles as a regular phone

• Build quality is not great • Keys feel a bit stiff • Skype landline rates a bit high

OVERALL RATING

LOGITECH CLEARCHAT COMFORT USB HEADSET

If you’re happy being tethered to your PC during Skype calls, the Clearchat Comfort headset has a comfortable design to help prevent sore ears after hour-long conversations.

MICROSOFT LIFECAM VX2000

See and hear your chat partner with Microsoft’s quality VX2000 webcam.

Microsoft Arc Mouse

PRODUCTS

NEED TO KNOW • Very travel friendly Cordless USB connection Truly innovative design R899.95

FOR a company that regularly takes flak for poor design decisions in their flagship software products, Microsoft seems to exhibit none of the same faults when it comes to designing excellent mice. The ‘hook’ for the Arc Mouse is that it offers the comfort and feel of a desktop mouse with the portability one would want from a laptop mouse. This is thanks to its unique folding design which sees the Arc Mouse reduce down to 60% of its full size. It’s a unique, eye-catching piece of technology that definitely stands out from the crowd. Furthermore, this little cordless beauty sports Microsoft’s usual excellent optical sensor for precise movement on a number of surfaces. The attention to detail is again evident in this device’s optimum use of space, with the tiny USB transceiver snapping into place inside a magnetic cradle underneath the mouse. The cradle is then fully secured when the mouse is folded closed, meaning you’ll never be fumbling around in your laptop bag trying to find the thumbnail-sized transceiver. But moving parts and little USB dongle hideaways would be no good if this mouse didn’t function adequately as an input device. Thankfully, then, mouse movement is very smooth given how the arcing design leaves so little area in contact with the surface, making this very comfortable to use. The standard buttons work just as would be expected for the usual left- and right-clicking, and its ribbed scroll wheel allows for accurate line-by-line scrolling. Of course, some might prefer the feel of smoother spinning scroll wheels over the Arc Mouse’s ratchet-like bit by bit scrolling, but this is really little more than a matter of personal preference and, hey, the scroll wheel is not really what this input device is all about anyway. Perhaps the biggest and most immediately noticeable drawback is that the side button is a little awkward to get to grips with, given its small size and that fact that it is located very close to the front of the mouse. As a result, one would have to hold the mouse irregularly so as to compensate, or move their hand entirely, which of course is far from ideal. This is obviously not an outright deal-breaker for everyone, as most people don’t use side buttons anyway. We must stress, though, that for those users

LOGITECH MX518 LASER MOUSE

who have become accustomed to having programmable side buttons, and especially those for whom quickly clicking ‘forward’ and ‘back’ on their mouse itself has become a standard part of their web browsing, the Arc Mouse will probably disappoint. So, on the whole we were impressed by the innovation Microsoft has shown with the Arc Mouse. It gets so much right with its sturdy build quality, smooth movement, accurate optical sensor and its very unique look and feel. As we’ve mentioned, the only area which could be significantly improved is the side button – and who knows, maybe Microsoft will sort that out with an Arc Mouse 2.0. But until then, we’re happy enough with what we’ve got here. Definitely worth checking out for those looking for a portable, reliable and innovative mouse.

The MX518 has been many a demanding user’s choice for years; its sturdy build, highly responsive performance and comfortable ergonomic design have earned it a place on many a desk. Perhaps yours too, some day?

LOGITECH MX REVOLUTION

The MX Revolution’s claim to fame comes from its unique scroll wheel and supremely comfortable design.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Folds to almost half normal size • Wireless mouse • Optical sensor

PROS

CONS

MICROSOFT RAZER KEYBOARD

• Great in both form and function • Very small snap-in transceiver • Batteries are included

• Side button very poorly designed • Double the price of entry-level cordless mice

Microsoft has collaborated with renowned peripheral designer Razer to create a backlit keyboard suited to gamers that game in the dark.

OVERALL RATING

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 45

PRODUCT REVIEWS

PRODUCTS

Kaspersky Mobile Security 8.0 NEED TO KNOW • Protects smartphones against viruses • Helps prevent spam SMSes • Remote lockdown features R299.95

WE’RE all quite accustomed to advanced security on our computers, but how secure is your cell phone? What happens to all your data – contacts, possibly passwords and other sensitive data? PC security firm Kaspersky has the answers to these questions with its Kaspersky Mobile Security (KMS) that is designed for smartphones – which today often store and provide access to confidential company data Version 8.0 of the software is specifically targeted at smart phones running the Symbian or Windows Mobile operating systems, and has a whole host of features that deserve a place in the latest 007 movie. Naturally, it still contains the more pedestrian functions like virus protection and anti-spam capabilities. Some of the new features include being abe to stop a thief from accessing information and even tracking the location of the phone using GPS technology, which is made possible through combining four key functions: SMS blocking, cleaning, watching and finding. Once you’ve set it all up (you will need to create a password that only you know), SMS blocking lets you remotely block your phone by sending your password via SMS to your phone so nobody can use it, while SMS cleaning actually clears all data off the phone when the correct SMS is received. The powerful SMS Find feature helps you find your phone – send the SMS and once your phone establishes a GPS connection, the exact Google Maps co-ordinates are sent to a predetermined e-mail address. From there you should be able to tell whether your phone has actually been stolen or simply misplaced. Handy, that. 46 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Lastly, SMS Watch makes sure that if your SIM card is removed, the phone is automatically blocked and therefore useless to a thief. On top of these superb features, KMS can also maintain a list of allowed and blocked numbers, prevent certain numbers from being dialled or answered and even block SMS messages based on keywords that you specify. This all translates into a top-notch security product that surprisingly does not affect the performance and speed of your phone. Throughout testing, the test phone (the Nokia E75 reviewed on page 36) performed as fast with KMS installed as it did without, making Kaspersky Mobile Security the kind of software we highly recommend. It does what it says it does; it’s easy to use with very detailed help files pointing you in the right direction should you need it; and the advanced futuristic James Bond-esque blocking, deleting, encrypting and finding features are just the kind of security features modern smartphone users need in order to sleep easy.

KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2009

Secure up to three PCs for a whole year with Kaspersky’s comprehensive protection suite that helps protect you against viruses, identity theft, spyware attacks and more.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • •

Symbian OS 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 Series 60 Microsoft Windows Mobile 5.0, 6.0, 6.1 Internet Connectivity from your phone SMS functionality PROS

CONS

• Find or block your phone via SMS • Maintains phone performance • Comprehensive phone security

• Security features could be used against you. Protect that password! • Potential Big Brother applications

OVERALL RATING

Nokia E75 The E75 we review on page 36 is the perfect Symbian phone for this security software. It’s such a winner that you’ll definitely want to lock it down.

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Fuji FinePix J25 NEED TO KNOW • Great value for money • Very slim design • Easy to use R1 899.95

EXCLUSIVE to Incredible Connection, the Fuji FinePix J25 is a beautiful, slick little camera with a minimalist exterior that belies the impressive technology lying under the hood. The 3x optical zoom lens (the equivalent of 35.5-106.5mm), 15 different pre-programmed scene modes that cover the full gamut of shooting conditions, automatic image stabilisation and, of course, the 10 megapixel image sensor all work together to produce excellent results. We were very happy with this camera from the outset, with a comfortable feel in the hand and a solid exterior giving the impression that it is a durable little camera despite being so small and lightweight. The 3-inch (7.62cm) LCD display is perfect both for composing and viewing your photographs, and the rich, high-resolution TFT screen delivers accurate and vibrant colours as well as an easy to operate menu interface. An interesting feature not found on other compact digital cameras is internal memory, in case your memory card overflows. It’s rather puzzling then that this is only 20MB, which will hold no more than a handful of images on a 10MP camera. The only real negative, and a fairly severe one, is that the dedicated, rechargeable battery is only good for about165 photos. This may be fine for a brief night out, but you’ll be recharging the battery more than with other models. All in all, though, this is a brilliant little camera, and its numerous features, sturdy design and high image quality make it a great choice, especially considering the price. Highly recommended. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 10 Megapixels • Fujinon 3x optical zoom • ISO setting up to 1600

Nikon CoolPix S225 NEED TO KNOW • Very small • Lightweight, yet solid • Appealing silver design R2 599.95

PROS • Slick, attractive design • Comfortable and ergonomic interface • Very small and lightweight

PROS

CONS

• Great image quality • 15 handy pre-programmed scene modes • Great LCD clarity

• Battery life is very limiting • No HD video capture • Your family will all fight over who gets to use it

• Disappointing focus in low light • Image quality not up to Nikon’s usual standard • Expensive considering poor lens

OVERALL RATING

48 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

OVERALL RATING

IF size is the most important thing you’re looking for in a digital camera, then look no further than this cool little (actually tiny) number. At less than 2cm thick and barely 9cm wide, it’s difficult to beat the Coolpix S225 for stylish casual photography. Slip it into your pocket or handbag with the confidence that its solid aluminium body will be tough and durable despite weighing little more than a slab of chocolate. The zoom control has been cleverly integrated around the shutter button and is nice and easy to control, which is in keeping with the camera’s comfortable feel and ease of use. The layout of the back is as you might expect – slick design and handy buttons with flash, delete, self timer and other mode settings all just a click away, while the bright, sharp LCD display dominates the remainder of the rear face. The CoolPix S225 also offers decent 640x480 resolution video recording at a smooth 30 frames per second, with up to 25 minutes recording time per recording. Unfortunately, despite boasting 10 megapixels, the image quality was a little lower than expected, especially considering what we’ve seen from Nikon in the past. A number of photos were not as sharp as we would have liked, and wider angle shots suffered from noticeable barrelling around the edges. Those issues aside, this is still a very good device that has size, weight and quality in its favour more than price. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 10 megapixel image sensor • 3x optical zoom, 4x digital zoom • 640x480 resolution video recording

Pentax Optio E70L NEED TO KNOW • Entry-level device • Easy point-and-shoot camera • Requires an SD/SDHC card R1 499.95

WITH the E70L, Pentax has essentially brought out a ‘lite’ version of its older Optio E70 model. Despite being slightly scaled-down and touted as a budget digital camera, the E70L nevertheless offers a 10.1 megapixel image sensor, a 3x optical zoom and VGA video recording. “But that’s not all”, as they say. The Optio E70L just keeps on impressing with its incredible host of features: face recognition with smile detection, a very good selection of exposure modes, fast and accurate focusing, as well as a bright and satisfying 2.4-inch LCD display. Photographic results are excellent thanks to the very well constructed, high quality lens; colours are rich and vibrant, and images are as sharp as you like – meaning the E70L delivers on all fronts. All in all, that’s some serious hardware and performance for only R1 500. Considering that it also offers excellent image stabilisation to combat camera shake, a maximum resolution of 3648x2736 pixels and a very impressive 80-6400 ISO range, the E70L is also one to consider for more serious photographers looking for a cheap and simple pointand-shoot backup camera. Potential buyers should note that this camera only has 11MB of internal memory and buying an SD or SDHC card is essential – thus upping the price if you don’t already have a memory card. Still, we have to stress just how perfectly this camera would suit newcomers to the world of digital photography, and we reckon you’d be hard pressed to find an equal performer for the price. A very good budget-class camera.

Canon PowerShot SX200 IS NEED TO KNOW • Outstanding lens for both zoomed and wide-angle shots • Higher-end compact digital camera • Small, yet sturdy body R4 399.95

THIS great-looking little camera from Canon is a real winner; its packed with useful features, produces quality images and competes with the best thanks to its 12.1 megapixels resolution and true 12x optical zoom lens. The SX200 IS matches versatility with top quality in its impressive zoom lens that effectively covers a zoom range of 28 to 336mm and its 1280x760 resolution HD video at 30 frames per second. Other notable features include image stabilisation, a very decent ISO range of 80 to 1600 and full manual control. Image quality is excellent with rich and accurate colours, perfect sharpness in good light, and a quick and accurate auto focus. Other good news is that there is minimal shutter lag (the time between pressing the button and the camera actually taking a photo – a frustrating problem on some digital cameras). The flash was very capable, with another very neat feature being the ability to connect the optional slave flash to provide extra lighting options. In order to fit so much into such a small device, Canon have compromised on the battery life, giving you less than 300 photographs per two-hour charge. While this is fine for casual photographers, it may require more selective shooting by the more active users out there. The SX200 IS follows Canon’s proud history of producing top quality cameras and justifies its price in the upper band for a compact digital camera. On the whole, though, this is an excellent choice for those who can afford to pay a bit more for all the outstanding features. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 12.1 megapixel image sensor • 12x optical zoom • 1280x760 resolution HD video

PROS

NOTEWORTHY SPECS

• Excellent photo quality • Supports RAW and TIFF image formats • Multitude of great features and functions • Comprehensive software suite included

• 10.1 megapixel • 3x optical zoom • 640x480 VGA video recording

CONS • Pricier than the average compact digital camera • Battery life could be better

PROS

CONS

• Great price • Impressive variety of features • Outstanding as a beginner camera

• 11MB of internal memory is not nearly enough • HD video recording would have added a lot of value

OVERALL RATING

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 49

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Olympus X-40 Black NEED TO KNOW • Simple point-and-shoot camera • Good option for beginners • High res photos for low cost R1 499.95

Nikon CoolPix S630 NEED TO KNOW • Impressive features and specs • Great zoom for such a small camera • Very comfortable design R4 999.95

PROS • Excellent lens • Very comfortable to hold • Handy controls and great menu system CONS • Only supports JPEG image format • Photos occasionally show soft edges • Possibly too pricey for some OVERALL RATING

THE first thing that strikes you about the CoolPix S630 is its outstanding lens. Given its small body, the 7x optical zoom (equivalent to 37-260mm) provides easily one of the best zoom ranges we’ve seen in a compact digital camera. The photo quality is very good, although not without a few minor issues – some shots we viewed at full size, while sharp and crisp in the centre, looked a little soft around the edges. Still, this is only going to be a real problem when working with very large prints, and the quality is perfect for regular viewing on a computer screen, uploading to Facebook or printing out standard-sized photos, The colours were accurate and detail fine enough on the vast majority of images. We were impressed by the camera’s specialised shot modes, with two features in particular standing out: The ‘Smile’ mode fires the shutter as soon as it detects that the person you are photographing is actually smiling; and the ‘Blink’ mode immediately takes a second photo if it detects the person was blinking. Another impressive design feature is the perfectly-placed indentation on the rear for your right thumb. This makes a big difference to the overall feel of the camers and is definitely something we’d like to see more often. With so many other great features, we were surprised that Nikon has limited the camera to 640x480 VGA video capture when so many competitor models in the same price bracket now offer full HD video recording. This is definitely something to consider if it’s important that your digital camera doubles as a camcorder, but if not, the CoolPix S630 is well worth a look. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 12 megapixels • 7x optical zoom • ISO up to 1600

EXCLUSIVE to Incredible Connection, the Fuji FinePix J25 is a beautiful, slick little camera with a minimalist exterior that belies the impressive technology lying under the hood. The 3x optical zoom lens (the equivalent of 35.5-106.5mm), 15 different pre-programmed scene modes that cover the full gamut of shooting conditions, automatic image stabilisation and, of course, the 10 megapixel image sensor all work together to produce excellent results. We were very happy with this camera from the outset, with a comfortable feel in the hand and a solid exterior giving the impression that it is a durable little camera despite being so small and lightweight. The 3-inch (7.62cm) LCD display is perfect both for composing and viewing your photographs, and the rich, high-resolution TFT screen delivers accurate and vibrant colours as well as an easy to operate menu interface. An interesting feature not found on other compact digital cameras is internal memory, in case your memory card overflows. It’s rather puzzling then that this is only 20MB, which will hold no more than a handful of images on a 10MP camera. The only real negative, and a fairly severe one, is that the dedicated, rechargeable battery is only good for about165 photos. This may be fine for a brief night out, but you’ll be recharging the battery more than with other models. All in all, though, this is a brilliant little camera, and its numerous features, sturdy design and high image quality make it a great choice, especially considering the price. Highly recommended.. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 10 Megapixels • Fujinon 3x optical zoom • ISO setting up to 1600 PROS

CONS

• Great image quality • 15 handy pre-programmed scene modes • Great LCD clarity

• Battery life is very limiting • No HD video capture • Your family will all fight over who gets to use it

OVERALL RATING

50 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

29373 SYMANTEC 09 Aurora adREV2P indd 1

4/20/09 12:05:01 PM

PRODUCT REVIEWS IEWS

eSATA basically stands for “external SATA”. SATA is the hard drive interface you’ll find on your motherboard that is responsible for communication between the drive and the rest of your PC. eSATA is a special port that lets external hard drives communicate with your computer just as fast as ones connected directly to the motherboard.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Hubbly: Targus 4-Port Hub (ACH65EU) With so many USB devices around, it pays to have a four-port USB hub on hand to make sure you always have somewhere to plug them in.

Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB NEED TO KNOW • External drive for file storage and transport • Backup software included • High-capacity hard drive • Stores millions of files R2 999.95

THE digital age has brought about a growing need for more and bigger storage systems to accommodate the ever-increasing size and volume of files of all types. This growth has been met admirably by the storage industry developing devices that can hold more than 1 000GB of information. Even more impressively, that number is, even now, still growing. Seagate’s latest FreeAgent Desk external hard drive can hold 1.5 terabytes (TB) of information, which is only 500GB shy of the biggest capacity drive that is commercially available. It is best used as an external hard drive for your home or business, as its massive capacity makes it an excellent choice to backup your data and as general storage for large media files. Seagate has included its own management software that enables you to perform backups automatically; all you need to do is specify what gets backed up and when, and the drive does the rest as long as it’s plugged in and the computer is turned on. The Seagate Manager also comes with an encryption component that lets you encrypt sensitive files that won’t open unless you enter the correct password. The last feature is a sync function that synchronises file sets across computers; if you maintain two computers, for example, you can ensure both have the exact same files as on your FreeAgent hard drive. The Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1.5TB drive is not without its share of flaws. For starters, the plastic casing feels very flimsy and the overall size of the case is close to double the size of the hard drive inside it, which makes it look rather bulky. We don’t recommend moving it around too much, then – just set it up and leave it where it is. On the positive side, it can stand on its side thanks to a very handy plastic base, so it won’t take up too much horizontal space on your desk. It is also very quiet during operation, and has lights to indicate when it is in use. 52 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

It’s relatively quick at copying files, but of course this is limited by its USB connection – USB is not the fastest method of file transfer, and unfortunately for the FreeAgent Desk, it doesn’t come with faster options like eSATA or Firewire. A 2.35GB copy took 101 seconds on our test system yielding an average transfer speed of 23MB/s – not terrible, but not wonderful either. We’re not sold on this external drive, really. The casing feels cheap, performance is middle of the road, and the only thing it really has going for it is its tremendous capacity. None of these flaws are a total deal-breaker, though, as it’s still one of the largest capacity drives available, which most will rightly value far above aesthetic and casing-quality issues.

Hubbub: Targus Hub (ACH81EU) Not only does this USB hub support up to seven devices, it also has pass-through headphone and microphone jacks so you no longer have to reach behind your computer to plug them in.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • •

Connectivity: USB 2.0 Dimensions: 175.0 mm x 33.7 mm x 172 mm Weight: 1.0kg Capacity: 1.5 Terabytes (1 572 864 megabytes) Colours: Silver, Black

PROS

CONS

• Simply massive storage capacity • Included backup, encryption and sync software

• Plastic case feels flimsy • No eSATA or Firewire ports • Performance is middle of the road

OVERALL RATING

Stick it: Verbatim 16GB Memory Stick Interested in ultra portable storage that needs no cables? Then check out this high-capacity 16GB memory stick from Verbatim that’ll fit your pocket in more ways than one.

PRODUCTS

Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB NEED TO KNOW • It’s a portable 500GB hard drive • Uses USB to connect • Includes the Seagate Manager utility • Backs up music, movies, documents and more R2 099.95

THE FreeAgent Go 500GB is a compact portable hard drive. Its casing comes in assorted colours including silver, which unfortunately feels very similar to the plastic encasing the FreeAgent Desk product. Luckily, being a physically smaller hard drive, the smaller area gives the cover a slightly more firm feeling, making it better able to endure the rigours of being carried around. The transfer speed a 2.35GB file to the Go was 101 seconds, both in the Dock (sold separately) and when connected only using its included USB cable; this is definitely due to the speed restriction of the USB protocol, which cannot perform fast enough to give even laptop hard drives any challenge to keep up. On the other hand, needing only a single USB cable for power and a connection to a PC is a definite plus in the Go’s favour. For most people, the look and feel of the Seagate FreeAgent Go 500GB portable hard drive should prove to be rather appealing, even if not of the highest quality construction. Its performance, while also only middle

of the road like its bigger brother, the FreeAgent Desk, won’t put anyone off as the drive is still more than capable of storing and transporting any files you care to throw at it. Seagate Manager is also included, giving the Go the same backup, encrypt and sync functionality of its sibling. There is a lot of value here, and thus we give the FreeAgent Go 500GB portable hard drive a hardy 3.5 star rating.

IOMEGA SCREENPLAY HD

Play music and movies directly over your home entertainment system with the Screenplay HD 500GB; it acts as a storage and backup unit, too!

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • •

Connectivity: USB 2.0 Weight: 160g Dimensions: 80mm x 130mm x 12.5mm Compatible with Windows and Mac OS X Capacity: 500GB

PROS

CONS

• Backup, encrypt, sync • Small and portable • As fast as the FreeAgent Desk

• Plastic casing feels flimsy

OVERALL RATING

VERBATIM BLANK DVD SPINDLE PACK

For ultra cheap backup media, consider getting yourself some blank DVDs. They hold 4.7GB of data, and they are very affordable and easy to store.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Griffin iTrip Auto Universal Plus

Griffin AirCurve

NEED TO KNOW • FM transmitter and car charger in one • Compatible with any device using standard headphone jack R499.95

FOR those not familiar with the iTrip idea, this little accessory is basically an FM transmitter that connects to an MP3 player so you can listen to your MP3 collection through your car radio. Simply select a frequency (or use the SmartScan feature to find an unused one), tune your car’s radio to that ‘station’ and hey, you can now enjoy the full experience through the car’s sound system. Safe, easy and very useful indeed. Until now, iTrips and competing FM transmitters were device specific, meaning you had to buy one designed specially for your iPod, iPod Nano, Zune, iRiver, or whichever device you have. iTrip has overcome these proprietary hassles, however, by making the FM transmitter interface with your device through a regular 3.5mm headphone jack – and we’re really surprised it’s taken this long to develop a feature as simple as this. The fact that it has a built-in USB port that can charge a host of players and portable devices is another awesome feature of this impressive accessory: you can now charge your cellphone while playing music, for example, or even recharge one MP3 player while listening to music played off another. The iTrip Auto Universal Plus (clearly, the minimalist design of iTrip’s hardware is not reflected in their naming decisions) is an excellent piece of kit that provides an all-in-one solution for playing MP3s in your car, and we give it our highest recommendation.

NEED TO KNOW

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Golden Delicious: iPod nano 4G With a fourth-generation iPod nano, you have up to 16GB of storage for your music. Plus, it’s small and compact enough that it ‘ll be easy to stow while it’s hooked up to the iTrip Auto Universal Plus.

• Wireless, portable speaker system • No need for external power • 100% green design • Slick, see-through Perspex look R399.95

THE move to green computing and power savings is everywhere and capitalising on that trend and a bit of ‘gimmicky-cool’ Griffin’s AirCurve for the iPhone uses smart acoustics and cutting edge design to deliver a speaker that’s completely friendly to the environment. Built on the principals used to develop the amplification cone that ‘specials-callers’ used to amplify their voices back in the day, the Aircurve bounces sound around its innards and in doing so, boosts the sound coming out of the bottom of an iPhone by up to 10 decibels. At the same time, it has a slot into which a dock cable can be inserted, so you can place it neatly on your bedside table for charging at night (and enjoy some music while you do so) or pop it on your desk and use it as a docking station for easy-synchronisation. While it’s not the most exciting product in terms of features, it’s an excellent and portable way of turning your iPhone into a media hub. Now, if Griffin could design a version of this device that accommodates the iPhone in portrait mode, it will be perfect for watching movies while away from home. NOTEWORTHY SPECS

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • SmartScan frequency detector • USB charger • Fits standard car lighters

Clip your earhole:

PROS

CONS

• Standard headphone jack means it’s fully universal • Great FM frequency range • Standard USB charging

• Doesn’t drive your car for you • I don’t own one

OVERALL RATING

54 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Sandisk Clip 4GB Silver Sandisk may not have mastered the art of the slick interface, but its Clip music player is more than good enough to carry your music around for you. Plug this sucker into your iTrip and bring the noise!

• • • •

Construction: Durable polycarbonate Power requirements: None Connectors: None. Fits charge/sync cable. Amplification: Adds approximately 10 extra dbs

PROS

CONS

• Completely portable design • Attractive looking desktop accessory • Amplifies iPhone speaker by 10 decibels

• Somewhat of a gimmick • Limited in its ability to amplify

OVERALL RATING

PERFECT COMPANIONS X Rated:

Exspect DS Lite and XBOX360 Accessories NEED TO KNOW • Accessories for XBOX360, DS Lite • Stand for 360, games and media remote • 15 accessories for DS R349.95 and R249.95 respectively

EXSPECT is a UK company that specialises in accessories for all kinds of popular electronic gadgetry, with its “15-in-One” DS Lite pack and XBOX360 Starter Pack coming under scrutiny this month. The XBOX360 accessories are targeted at new 360 owners who are looking to stow their console, games and media remote (if they have one) in one easy to access location. The DS Lite accessories are made up of 15 highly useful objects that will make the life of DS owners just that much easier. The concept of the XBOX360 Starter Pack is simple enough, and Exspect has designed a robust and attractive stand for the 360 that has three components: the central stand that holds your console in place, a threegame base that lets you stand three game boxes up in it, and a second three-game base that can also hold an XBOX360 Media Remote. The separate components mean you can arrange them as you’d like, but they also clip together to form a single stand that had us thinking it resembled an XBOX360 shrine of sorts. The unit’s build quality is very good and the plastic feels sturdy enough to withstand the stresses and strains of being moved around. All in all, this is a good product to pick up if you’d like to store your console and favourite games somewhere other than “next to the TV”. The DS Lite 15-in-1 Accessory Pack is packed with high-quality accessories that any Nintendo DS Lite owner is sure to find useful. The biggest component is a hard carry case that will protect your DS from any bumps it may endure during transport, with a spare set of headphones, two clear screen-protectors to keep your screen scratchfree and a soft cleaning cloth. Many people apparently lose the stylus that comes with the DS, and Exspect has thoughtfully provided an extra three stylii just in case you get into the habit of losing them. The nicest and most thoughtful accessory is a charger for your DS that can

be plugged into a car’s cigarette lighter for long trips that place heavy demands on the DS’ battery. The most unique accessories are the two game cartridge holders that each hold up to six DS games; since DS game cartridges are so small and the cases are so compact, this will certainly help keeping your six most favourite games close at hand at all times. A USB charger cable has also been included, along with the final item – a sock for your DS for those times that the case may feel a little too bulky for your pocket. These two products show that Exspect has put a great deal of thought into coming up with the kinds of accessories people of the digital age might need for their electronic toys, and the quality of the items coupled with their obvious usefulness will no doubt draw in potential purchasers. Here at Connect, we actually had a minor office battle over who gets what DS accessory; yes, we were that impressed by the items in the DS accessory pack that we had to scuffle for ownership rights! The XBOX and DS accessories are quality products that benefit from the tremendous thought and insight that has gone into making a good accessory, and we feel they’ll please owners of these devices who are wise enough to give them a try.

XBOX360 Console Cheaper than a PS3, but supported by more games and awesome 360-only exclusive titles like Gears of War, the console is packed full of value. 20 million XBOX Live users can’t be wrong!

Point ‘n click: XBOX360 Media Remote Use your XBOX to play movies and music, and control it all from the comfort of your armchair with Microsoft’s excellent-quality Media Remote.

REQUIREMENTS • • • •

1x Nintendo DS Lite 1x XBOX360 Console 6 x XBOX360 Games 1 x XBOX360 Media Remote

Handful:

PROS

CONS

• Thoughtful • Great quality • Useful

• None!

OVERALL RATING

Nintendo DS Lite For handheld gaming that is innovative and fun, there is no choice other than Nintendo’s touch-sensitive DS Lite with its two screens and large library of exciting, fun and pleasantly “different” games.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Speck MacBook covers NEED TO KNOW • Designed for 13” MacBook • High-quality rubber casing • Good assortment of colours R799.95

Tucano Work Out Range

WITH its SeeThru and SeeThru Satin range of MacBook covers, Speck has produced an excellent product that does a great job of protecting this expensive piece of hardware, while also throwing very attractive, translucent colours into the mix. The SeeThru covers fit flawlessly around the MacBook with perfect spaces and openings for all ports, plugs and so on. Made from a hard polycarbonate plastic with a soft-touch rubberized exterior coating the cover has a silky feel with good non-slip traction. Speck have achieved great synergy between the soft touch and the underlying plastic that is solid enough to prevent nicks, scratches and bumps from harming the little 13-inch wonders from Apple. In fact, with all this talk of rubber protection, we couldn’t help but think that a SeeThru cover is essentially a well designed and high-quality colourful condom for your MacBook… At R799.95 for some brightly coloured protective rubber, however, it feels a little pricey for what you’re getting, and as such will probably only be suitable for those whose MacBooks tend to take considerably more abuse than their delicate outer shells can handle. All in all, a good, reliable product to which we would award a perfect 5-stars if the cost were slightly reduced.

NEED TO KNOW • Available for both PC and Apple notebooks • Durable, very high quality design • More than just another bagk From R699.95

IThas become increasingly essential to keep our portable computers well protected in a world where your office can be at home, in a coffee shop, at the airport or even in the harshest of outdoor environments. To meet this demand Tucano, an Italian producer of specialist computer and camera bags, has released its Work Out range of sturdy, yet stylish notebook cases that are available for both 13- and 17-inch PC and Apple laptop computers. Made of a durable water-resistant nylon fabric and available in a variety of colours, all bags in the Work Out line are kitted with shock absorbing inner compartments, strong shoulder straps with easy-to-operate snap-hooks, and handles that can be stored away in pouches on either side. This means the Work Out bags can be slung over the shoulder or carried like a brief-case. They also sport flat external pockets that are perfect for business cards, stationery and other small accessories. Tucano has once more upped the standard in the world of laptop bags and carry-cases by incorporating not only their trademark eye for style, but also genuine functionality that leaves us well and truly impressed. The first-rate materials, well-designed interior and all-round great build quality stand testament to Tucano’s almost 25 years in the industry. We give the Work Out range the highest of recommendations for those looking for a great laptop bag that will keep their computers snug, safe and secure – and looking good all the while. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Water resistant • High-quality nylon fabric • Foldaway handles

56 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

PROS • Laptops fit very snugly • First-rate materials used throughout • Functional and fashionable

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Easy to put on or remove • Fully vented for heat distribution • Allows access to all ports

CONS • Limited in terms of carrying extras • The price, while justified, might be too much for some • Would be good to see 15” and 19” cases OVERALL RATING

PROS

CONS

• Easy installation and removal • Design fits the MacBook perfectly • Excellent-quality materials

• Pricey for what it is

OVERALL RATING

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Vaiow! Sony Vaio Protect your Vaio’s renowned sexy looks with a Built cover. Smaller than most, Vaio notebooks pack a lot of power into a small space and are well worth protecting while on the go.

Built Laptop cover range NEED TO KNOW • Assortment of designs and colours • New take on form and function • It’s a wetsuit for your laptop From R349.95

IT seems as though laptops and netbooks are becoming as common as cell-phones and, as a result, there is a growing selection of accessories to to accompany and protect our little digital companions. One particularly innovative offering is that of New York-based accessory maker Built, which has risen to prominence in the last while. Its unique feature is that its entire range of cases, bags and sleeves are made from neoprene – the same material used for wetsuits – being very flexible, stain resistant and machine-washable. Neoprene is also very lightweight, which makes it ideal for easy carrying and its soft, rubberlike texture will cushion your laptop from all but the hardest of knocks. It’s an innovative application of a decades-old material in a contemporary function – and it works really well. With its wide array of designs, the creative folk at Built have ensured that there is a colour and style to suit all tastes – from a modest black or grey to wacky multi-coloured polka dots and rainbow flowers. A lot of thought has gone into the overal design of the bags and are as feature-rich or minimalist as you could want. From the Portfolio range with their removable shoulder straps, retractable carry handles and pockets for accessories, through to the simple zip-up-and-go laptop sleeves that fit so snugly there isn’t even space for a standardsized mouse. People with more traditional tastes needn’t worry, Built also has a selection of standard laptop cases with zip-up compartments for a mouse, AC adaptor and so on. Built does seem to favour the smaller, more compact laptops, however, with most bags and cases designed for a maximum width of

15.4 inches. Only the larger of the backpacks and laptop sleeves can hold a 17-inch machine, although this is the maximum size accommodated. Finally, and this is more of an observation than a criticism, we get the feeling that Built’s range of products are better suited to students and younger professionals, as many of the designs and colour schemes would look very out of place in the average corporate environment. Admittedly, all models are availble a standard black option, but it’s the striking designs and bright colours that really make the Built bags so desirable. They are well worth a look if you are interested in a funkier stepup alternative that will definitely stand out in a crowd.

Compact: Compaq Presario Check out what’s got Cameron so excited and pick up a Compaq Presario notebook. Protect all that functionality with a snugfitting Built cover.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Made from neoprene • Range from 10” to 17” • Patent-pending hourglass shape PROS

CONS

• Neoprene is both lightweight and shock-absorbing • Loads of colours to choose from • All tastes are catered for

• May not look ‘professional’ enough for some • Designs are more oriented towards smaller laptops

OVERALL RATING

Aspirational: Acer Aspire 4930G You know this little 14.1” laptop aspires to being held snugly in a Built case. Don’t deny this multimedia-ready beauty its desires.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

JumpStart Kindergarten Advanced NEED TO KNOW • High quality educational software • Presented through top-notch animation • For kids age 4-6 • Teaches the fundamentals R199.95

PARENTS looking to purchase a software package that is fun, easy to use and packed with valuable educational information that can be easily absorbed should seriously consider JumpStart Kindergarten Advanced. Kindergarten Advanced lets kids between the ages of four and six practice all kinds of skills in a series of mini-games, and lays everything out in an incredibly accessible manner with friendly cartoon graphics, an assortment of “JumpStart All-Stars” that can help with tricky games, and instructions that are entirely spoken. It’s the kind of software you can load, and leave your kids to it – it’s really that user-friendly. The premise is you need to help build a buggy for a race happening in “JumpStart Ville”, and this is done by earning rewards through the completion of mini games that are designed to build various skills. Once enough rewards have been earned, players can select “boosters” for their buggy for use in the “big race”. There are five boosters and fifty rewards that need to be earned before players can compete in races in five different arenas, which is a very clever way of keeping kids motivated to complete the activities needed to earn the necessary rewards. Each of the “All Stars” represents a type of activity; inside the Kindergarten classroom Eleanor the Elephant talks players through a variety of reading and comprehension tasks, Pierre the bear helps youngsters identify different types of music and Kisha the Koala lets kids paint various pictures and then print out the resulting art. Out in the back yard, Frankie the dog helps players sound out words, CJ the frog and Edison the fly help kids identify patterns and show off interesting facts about nature and Hopa-Lot the rabbit does addition and subtraction with the help of the Fizz Pop Tree (yes, really). To an adult, the games may seem rather repetitive, but kids will eat them up and ask for more. The games are all very good at conveying what needs to be done, and they never punish the child for not getting it right the first time. Three levels of difficulty are available to ensure the game keeps pace with players’ abilities, and a very useful assessment tool establishes at the outset what skill level players should be comfortable at. 58 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

Through repetition and subtle positive reinforcement, kids are sure to pick up a few skills that will help them at school. The game looks and sounds like a professionally-produced kids’TV show; the voices used are friendly but not condescending, instructions are given clearly and slowly and the animation is top-notch. And what’s better, the above is only the first CD of FOUR that come in the Jumpstart Kindergarten Advanced box. The other three CDs cover an introduction to animals, a pet simulator that lets players take care of virtual pets and an Arts & Crafts CD that helps to bring out the artist within by encouraging players to create comic strips and cards. Each CD is as accessible and user friendly as the first, and the sheer number of activities available in the package as a whole make JumpStart a value-packed educational package that will help kids not only learn basic skills that will help them at school, but it will also fine-tune their motor skills and get them familiar with using a PC. Its professional presentation, ease of use, quality of content and high level of accessibility make JumpStart Kindergarten Advanced the educational package of choice for parents of preschool-age kids looking to give their kids a jump start at mastering the basic concepts that will help prepare them for their school curriculum. Ignore the fact that it is an American product, the information it conveys is useful to kids of all Western nationalities. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • • •

Windows 2000/XP/Vista Pentium II 266 MHz (Pentium II 300 MHz or faster for XP) 64 MB RAM (128 MB RAM for XP) CD-ROM drive 16-bit colour Windows-compatible sound card

PROS

CONS

• Friendly presentation, excellent voice-acting • Activities have huge educational value • Four CDs packed with engaging and informative activities

• There are none. This is a fantastic, value-packed product.

OVERALL RATING

PRODUCTS

JUMPSTART PRESCHOOL ADVANCED

Help your child get ready for school with these funfilled preschool games!

SCHOOLIGANS

For older children, try Schooligans for a down to earth, no nonsense approach to learning and the development of thinking skills.

BIG BOET GRADE 0-1

This South African product brings you educational software with a unique local flavour.

Schooligans 1 (Age 5-7) NEED TO KNOW • Aimed at 5-7 year olds • Mini-games in various categories • Teaches core skills • No-nonsense approach to learning R269.95

SCHOOLIGANS is an educational software package that aims to help 5- to 7-year old kids hone what they learn at school, and it takes a decidedly less flashy approach to interactive computer-based learning than the JumpStart series. Part of the appeal of modern educational software is to motivate chidren to want to learn; and frankly, having rather static, only slightly interactive lessons does nothing to dispel the notion that learning is a little bland. It is also surprising that the ability to track progress and earn gold, silver or bronze trophies for completing exercises seems more an afterthought rather than a key design principle. The no-nonsense approach makes sense, of course, because the point of school IS to learn and not to mess around all day laughing along with cute cartoon characters and having fun, but in all honesty Schooligans could try a little harder in the presentation department. That aside, the actual meat of the package is decidedly, well, meaty. A level of proficiency (from one to four) is selected once a profile has been created, and all problems are adjusted to meet that skill level, although there is no assessment process to determine the optimal skill level to begin at. The chosen level determines which of the program’s myriad exercises are available to play. A Demo mode restricts access to all features and provides only a small taste of what’s inside the full product before the package is unlocked by using a painless SMS system. You may object, however, to the programme maker wanting your cell number.

Once a level has been selected, players can choose from several categories of mini-games designed to build aptitude in six disciplines, each with several subcategories: phonics (the sounding out of letters and words), spelling, reading skills, grammar, maths and thinking. In spelling, various mini games help master the spelling and typing of basic words; the reading category presents exercises designed to help kids identify the look of certain words; grammar outlines basic grammar rules and lets players practice identifying them; and maths consists of very basic addition and subtraction exercises. The thinking category is perhaps the most notable of all these, as it promotes creative thinking through problem-solving that uses all the skills built up in the exercises. As good as the content is once you get to grips with it, the game presents it all rather flatly, and instead of a character giving instructions, a disembodied female voice with an Australian accent tells players what to do. There is a “training ship” for the tougher mini-games like maths that outlines what is expected of players, so at least it doesn’t take the “sink or swim” approach to teaching. Overall, while the puzzles and mini-games are certainly going to help children between 5 and 7 sharpen their minds, keeping them motivated to play might prove to be the title’s downfall. Choosing to spend time with your children while they play might be the solution, but in all honesty you shouldn’t need to if the software is properly designed – kids should be begging you to LET them play, as may be the case with the JumpStart titles rather than this one. Even though this title is aimed at older kids, we feel that JumpStart Kindergarten Advanced offers far more value, even for kids of this age group. It has its place, of course, especially for parents interested in a more structured learning experience, but ignoring this one and heading right over to the JumpStart series will be a far wiser choice in the long run.

PRODUCTS

JUMPSTART FIRST GRADE

Skyrocket your children’s potential by letting them play with an educational game that is as much fun as it is useful thanks to attention to detail in all aspects, from presentation and the exercises, to the overall fun factor.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • •

VISTA, XP, 2003, 2000, Me, NT, 98 Pentium III 666 MHz (minimum) 256 MB RAM; 640x480 (16 bit colour) Quad Speed CD-ROM; Sound Card 350 MB of available disc space.

PROS

CONS

• Exercises are very useful • Programme installs easily and quickly • Lots of variety

• Presentation is flat and bland • Provides no real motivation to stick with the programme • Unlocking process requires registration

OVERALL RATING

ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA DISCOVERY SERIES

Embark on interesting, interactive adventures through some of life’s most fascinating landscapes, from the intricacies of the human body to phenomena like the weather and even to the outer reaches of space.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 59

PRODUCT REVIEWS

The software also includes an iPod add-on that allows you to learn on the go. By interfacing with iTunes, you can sync up more than 100 common German words and listen to while you travel. It’s a little arbitrary as we were expecting to be able to capture more words, but it’s still an interesting addition that helps complete the package and give the marketing folks something to talk about.

Eurotalk Talk Now! German NEED TO KNOW • Accessible German language toolkit • Smart and professional interface • Use image and sound associations to learn German • Practice what you learn through mini-games • Test your pronunciation R449.95

LAST month we had a look at Transparent Language Learn German Now!, and while it offered a great deal of content, it wasn’t presented in a way that impressed us and made us eager to learn. This month, we got hold of Eurotalk’s Talk Now! German package, and we must say, it’s a superb product. The basic structure of the software is very clever: you’re given words and encouraged to pronounce them yourself after hearing them (you will need a microphone for this). You are then tested on what you’ve learned in one easy and one hard “game” per category that involves identifying the spoken words. Spoken words are accompanied by amateurish yet very clear drawings of the concept being conveyed, allowing you to further associate the correct concept with what you’re hearing. It basically creates a number of ways for people to relate to the words being spoken, as some learn easier with visual cues while others learn better by hearing. There are nine categories that cover the basics of the language. If you’re planning a trip to Germany, going through all nine categories will provide a very solid foundation on which to build a very pleasant holiday. Common words and phrases associated with shopping, food, asking for directions and general German like “please” and “thank you” are all covered. The “goal” of the software is to accumulate 1800 points earned by completing exercises within each category. This serves as a tracker of your progress; the closer to 1800 you are, the closer you are to German proficiency. Each of the nine exercises is worth 100 points, with the balance accumulated by completing the mini-games that make use of all the language elements you’ve learned. It’s a surprisingly effective technique, and the learning process is fun, the interface is simple, yet elegant and professionally polished, and the information contained in the software is more than sufficient to start you on your way towards mastering the language. 60 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

PRODUCTS

Installing and running the software is simplicity itself as most of the data is read off the CD. This is both a good and a bad thing – good from a storage space perspective, but bad because the CD needs to keep spinning while you’re using the software, and for whatever reason it spins up and spins down very often; this pauses the software while the CD catches up, which is a little annoying. There is also a second CD, called Talk More, that contains more video footage than the first CD. It features similar phrases, although these are presented using rather static footage of German people talking (think William Smith teaching Maths on TV); there are also recording exercises here so you can test your pronunciation. It’s not as compelling as the first CD, but it has its uses as a supplemental source of even more German words, phrases and pronunciation. All in all this is a valuable resource for anyone looking to build their German proficiency, and time spent with Eurotalk Talk Now! German is sure to impart knowledge of the kind of words and phrases that will make international travel that much smoother. It’s laid out simply, learning is fun and easy, and the handy record and playback function will make sure you won’t insult the locals by saying “sprekken see Eengleesh?” like a typical tourist.

TRANSPARENT LANGUAGE LEARN GERMAN NOW!

Looking as if it was designed in the nineties, it is a little diffcult to get to grips with this language package. While it is still packed with useful, practical information and exercises, it’s let down by amateurish layout and design.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • •

Operating System: Windows 2000/XP/Vista RAM: 256MB Hard Drive Space: 25MB Optical Drive: CDROM Other: Also works with Mac OS X 10.3.9 or higher BERLITZ LANGUAGES PROS

CONS

• Easily relatable format • Common words and phrases covered • Exercise scores help track progress • Bonus 2nd CD of even more German

• Videos on the 2nd CD feel like an afterthought

OVERALL RATING

Berlitz has been leading the charge in language learning software for the past 15 or so years, and all that experience and feedback and has resulted in a focused, relevant and useful language learning tool.

Give your kids an unfair advantage with the

range. range ge. JUMP START ADVANCED PRESCHOOL

Jump Start Advanced Preschool is the complete Get Ready for school program. It delivers more fun and enriching learning activities than ever in this 4-CD set. Kids learn over 50 skills in phonics, counting, music, art, languages and more. Prepare your child for Preschool and beyond.

THE JUMP START ADVANCED KINDERGARTEN

The Jump Start Advanced Kindergarten 4-CD set helps children practice and build essential Kindergarten skills. Engaging activities address over 50 skills from math and reading to music and art. New pet Playground lets kids adopt a virtual pet that they can play with, groom and train. Prepare your child for Kindergaten and beyond. WITH JUMP START ADVANCED 1ST GRADE

With Jump Start Advanced 1st Gradeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s systematic approach to early learning, your child will learn important reading skills including vowel sounds, blends, word order and comprehension. Seven skill-building activities introduce more than 1500 vocabulary words. Six sign-and-learn songs make learning fun!

THE JUMP START ADVANCED 2ND GRADE

The Jump Start Advanced 2nd Grade 4-CD set takes children on a worldwide adventure teaching them critical skills through engaging, interactive learning activities while auto-leveling helps children learn at the pace that suits them. They will develop a full range of language arts, math, science, music and art skills. Kids can even adopt, groom and train virtual pet in the new Pet playground. JUMP START ADVANCED 3RD GRADE

Jump Start Advanced 3rd Grade is a fun 4-CD set of games and activities which teach your child while having them solve a fun mystery. Multiple learning activities have children understanding everything from reading and spelling to arithmetic. Topics covered include grammer and spelling, math operations, astronomy, life and earth science, history, geography, art history and critical thinking. JUMP START ADVANCED 4TH-6TH GRADE

Jump Start Advanced 4th-6th Grade School Essentials makes learning fun. By combining skills correlated to state standerds with exciting game play, your child will be both educated and engaged. Warning! This could lead to improved test scores!

game reviews //BY TIANA ALSWANG

BioShock 2

XXX

DJ Hero

God of War III XXXX

Katamari Forever

to play… Games we can’t wait Super Mario Galaxy 2

E3, the world’s biggest gaming convention, recently wrapped up its annual fourday showcase in Los Angeles. Aside from the thousands of journalists, game developers and video game fans, Steven Spielberg, Tony Hawk and Eminem also visited the expo to announce new games. In Connect’s special games preview section this issue, we’ve picked out a few exciting games and announcements from E3 that you can look forward to playing in the not-so-distant future. 62 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

required. The camera tracks full body GOD of War III (only for the PS3) is movement in 3D, while responding to the final instalment of Sony’s multicommands, directions and even a shift million-unit selling God of War trilogy. of emotion in voice. God of War III single-player game Nintendo’s Wii Fit Plus brings 15 of role allows players to take on the new balance games and six new the ex-Spartan warrior, Kratos, as he strength training and yoga activities scales the heights of Mt. Olympus and – you can also now input the amount the dark depths of Hell to seek revenge. of time you want to spend on your Another trilogy final, Ratchet & Clank workouts or select an area for personal Future: A Crack in Time brings back the improvement, and Wii Fit Plus will intergalactic duo as they attempt to suggest a number of personalised reunite and save the universe. activities. Because you can mix and Sony also announced Media Go, a match which strength and yoga free application that makes it easier to activities you’d prefer daily, routines manage digital content on the PSP such become seamless, making it easier to as games, photos, videos and music maintain workout routines. using your PC. LittleBigPlanet, the DJ Hero is a highly anticipated g comin unique PS3 platformer, is also new social music game from the to PSP, as is Gran Turismo and SOCOM: makers of Guitar Hero. Not only does U.S. Navy SEALs: Fireteam Bravo 3. it offer a diverse collection of music Uncharted 2: Among Thieves is (like hip-hop, R&B, pop, rock and the story of Nathan Drake, a fortune electronica), the game has more hunter with a shady reputation and than 100 individual songs that have an even shadier past. Those who been transformed into more than 80 enjoyed the first game will definitely exclusive, original mixes by superstar be keen on the new Indiana JonesDJs and comes with an innovative esque story where Drakes searches turntable controller! for the truth behind the lost fleet Other exciting game sequels to dary of Marco Polo and the legen look forward to are Assassin’s Creed 2, Himalayan valley, Shambhala. Left 4 Dead 2, BioShock 2, Gears of Microsoft introduced Project Natal War 2, Dark Corners, Mafia 2, Lost for the XBOX360, a whole new way to Planet 2 and Super Mario Galaxy 2. play games, in which no controller is

>> DID YOU KNOW? << • E3 is the biggest gaming event in the world • E3 2009 was the 15th instalment of the Electronic Entertainment Expo • E3 takes place at the Los Angeles Convention Centre in the Unted States • This year, more than 41 000 people attended the event… an increase of 820% on the 2008 conference • Attendees from 78 countries viewed hundreds of new products from 216 exhibitors

>> FUN FACTS << • 42% of homes in America have a video game console • Adult gamers have been playing for 12 years on average • The average game player is 35-years old • Almost half of all games sold are rated 3+ for Everyone • 43% of online game players are female • 63% of parents who have children under 18 with a gaming console in the home believe games are a positive part of their children’s lives

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 63

game reviews //BY TIANA ALSWANG AND PETER DAWOUD

EA SPORTS GRAND SLAM TENNIS • Perform real-life tennis strokes • Start playing at any Grand Slam venue as a tennis great or make your own player • Conquer challenges to accumulate skills for your created player • The only video game licensed to feature Wimbledon • Connect with other players online for new opponents and challenges

THERE have been some big moments in tennis history of late. Roger Federer recently won the French Open, an amazing feat considering he has now won every Grand Slam tennis tournament, something not done since Andre Agassi. Also, EA recently launched their first tennis title, which also happens to be the first tennis game to include Wimbledon. Because the racket-mad game has been specifically designed for the Nintendo Wii console, you’ll feel as if you have a racket in the palm of your hand as you play real forehand and backhand shots.

HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE

NEED TO KNOW • Relive the action of the movie, from the Hogwarts Express to the dramatic revelation of the Half-Blood Prince • Feel the thrill of Quidditch • Defeat the Dark Forces • Perfect your potion-mixing skills • Explore Hogwarts at night and see new magical places like The Burrow, and the Horcrux cave

64 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

When playing singles or doubles, against a friend or the AI, you see the brilliance of each shot – precise to the point. You can also plug in a nunchuk to control the movement of your player… All four of the Grand Slam tournament stadiums (home to the most important tennis events of the year) look great and it’s hard not to chuckle at the cartoon versions of tennis greats like Nadal, Sharapova, Sampras and McEnroe. Different surface types, like Roland Garros’s clay court, affect the gameplay while each tennis champion’s personal strengths and weaknesses are also reflected. It doesn’t matter if you know nothing or everything about the sport, EA’s Grand Slam Tennis is mostly about multiplayer fun on the Wii that’s backed by simple, pick-up-and-play controls. Ace! R499.95

COMING >>SOON<<

NEED TO KNOW

HOT SHOTS TENNIS PSP Over-the-top visuals and onthe-go action with exotic court locations and fun-filled game modes promise the wackiest tennis experience yet on the PSP!

THE official game of the movie, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince gives gamers who also happen to be fans of the J. K. Rowling books and movies, a chance to step into the shoes of the wizard-in-training. In the Wii version, the game begins with you needing to master your broomstick by turning the Wii controller with simple wrist movements as you soar through the sky. After all, you are Harry and you’ll be the one leading the Gryffindor Quidditch team to victory. Atmospheric music and the voice talent of the actors add to the exciting atmosphere of the gameplay. In the movie, Dumbledore is preparing Harry for a final battle with his arch nemesis. But before you can even think of conquering Voldemort, you’ll have to perfect your potion-mixing skills. This is a fun mini-game that involves selecting the right ingredient, pouring, shaking the pot (to boil) and getting your mixture to the perfect colour. Dark Forces duels involve learning different moves that will help you defeat enemies as you progress. Even on the Nintendo Wii, the game looks great. From moving staircases, talking paintings to a helpful navigational ghost (yes, it’s Nearly Headless Nick!) – there is so much to explore, you’ll definitely get lost! Those who didn’t get into the books will more than likely find hours of fun gameplay in this title. R499.95

COMING >>SOON<<

LEGO Harry Potter Years 1-4 (Wii, DS, PSP) We can’t wait to experience a unique magical and adventurous Harry Potter…in LEGO! Playing as Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, the upcoming game promises all the fun of Hogwarts as you cast spells, mix potions, fly on broomsticks, and earn house points…

TIGER WOODS PGA TOUR 10

NEED TO KNOW • Wii MotionPlus integration • Play the Prestigious U.S. Open at Bethpage Black •Real-time weather now affects gameplay by providing current conditions at actual courses • Broadcast-style Presentation • Relive key moments in tournament history with an all-new character progression mode

IT’S a sunny day on the green and you’re about to tee off with Tiger Woods - what could be better? If you’re looking for a great golf video game, EA’s newest version of Tiger Woods has definitely stepped up its game. Aside from the Nintendo Wii version supporting the MotionPlus controller, which means you’ll get to mimic a near-perfect swing, you get to play the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black. The ability to be more precise also adds another dimension to putting by helping you maintain complete control of your backswing and followthrough to ensure an accurate putt. With so many exciting courses on offer and real-time weather to play in, Tiger Woods 10 is everything you’d expect from a golf simulation, and more. The ability to customise your golfer is a unique experience, with every single detail down to the eyelashes, eyebrow shape and even amount of lipgloss all open to your interpretation. More important traits like body build, skills and even personality – you can customise your reaction to scoring yet another double bogey. How cool is that? In the tournament challenge, the commentary (courtesy of ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt and the Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman) remains fresh and if you get good enough, you could consider getting on the leaderboard in an online tournament. R499.95

COMING >>SOON<<

GET >>THIS<<

Forza Motorsport 3

Motor Storm: Pacific Drift

Turn 10’s acclaimed racer is set to return for another lap later this year as it pushes the boundaries yet again with stunning cars and customisable everything.

The sequel to the wildly popular PS3 launch title, Pacific Drift offers manic off-road racing with more spills than ever before.

© 2009 Electronic Arts Inc. EA, EA SPORTS, and the EA SPORTS logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Electronic Arts Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. All Rights Reserved. Grand Slam is a registered Trademark jointly owned by Australian Open, US Open, French Open and Wimbledon. Roland-Garros French Open is registered trademark of the French Tennis Federation. Used by permission. The USTA and the US Open Ball and Flame design are registered trademarks of the United States Tennis Association. The Tennis Australia logo and the Australian Open logo are registered trademarks of Tennis Australia Ltd and must not be reproduced or otherwise used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of Tennis Australia Ltd. Approved by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Wimbledon. All sponsored products and company names, brand names and logos are the property of their respective owners. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. The mark ‘TIGERWOODS’ and the TW Logo are trademarks of ETW Corp. and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of ETW Corp. The name, likeness and other attributes of Tiger Woods reproduced on this product are trademarks, copyrighted designs and/or other forms of intellectual property that are the exclusive property of ETW Corp. or Tiger Woods and may not be used, in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of ETW Corp. or Tiger Woods. PGA TOUR, PGA TOUR and Swinging Golfer design are trademarks of PGA TOUR, INC. and used by permission. All other sponsored products, company names, brand names, trademarks and logos are the property of their respective owners.

gaming reviews CONSIDER >>THIS<<

INFAMOUS

NEED TO KNOW • Be a hero and attempt to save Empire City and its people • Battle against powerful villains • Feel what it’s like to discover, grow and use a wide range of super powers • Choose to save or destroy Empire City; use your power for good or evil

OPEN-world games seem to be the “in” thing of late. Not a month goes by without a new game being announced that promises an open world for players to do as they wish. As you can imagine, most times, the final product falls far from the promises of grandeur made, but sometimes, a real gem is found. InFamous is one of those gems. You fill the boots of Cole, a once ordinary man thrust into an extraordinary situation. After what appears to be a terrorist attack on Empire City, Cole

wakes to find himself in the middle of the blast epicentre. As he makes his way through the ruins, he discovers the explosion has left him with the ability to control electricity. The game now places the burden on the player to use Cole’s newfound superpowers to save the city as a noble superhero or dominate it as an evil villain. The game is littered with these good vs evil moral decisions, and although they tend to be rather black or white in nature, each new situation asks probing questions of the player as the story unravels to an explosive finale. InFamous is one of those games that grips you and never lets go. It’s paced beautifully and the action is as epic as any superhero game should be. The bland visuals and odd glitch do nothing to hamper this otherwise outstanding game. R699.95

Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots An epic tale of an old man who fights to save the world from a nuclear terror. One of the best pieces of gaming software ever produced. Make sure you have enough popcorn for the long cutscenes.

COMING >>SOON<<

Splinter Cell Conviction A highly anticipated sequel, Sam Fisher investigates his daughter’s death only to discover he’s been betrayed by his former agency and finds himself in a race against time to prevent a deadly terrorist plot.

PROTOTYPE

NEED TO KNOW • An open-world game set in New York City • You play Alex Mercer, a man with shapeshifting powers • Become an exact replica and steal the skills or powers of anyone who crosses your path

The godfather of sandbox games returned with the grittiest, most realistic title in the series to date. Get ready to invest a lot of time in this outstanding masterpiece!

66 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

GET >>THIS<<

Grand Theft Auto IV

however, have a dark side – a regular walking slaughterhouse and not someone you really want to meet in a dark alley. Sometimes you just have to stop and stare in wonderment as he effortlessly rips through enemies, jumps off exploding cars in midair, runs up the sides of skyscrapers or shoots through the air. The action on offer here is incredible and the level of destruction matches up to that expected of a Hulk game. As experiences go, you’ll be hard pressed to find a game as visceral and explosive as Prototype. From start to finish, it’s a ride you’ll hate yourself for enjoying so much. R699.95

NEED TO KNOW • Select the demigod that will lead your minions into battle • A strategy/action game that combines tactical skill with role-playing depth • Wage earth-shattering battles across a series of massive arenas • Battle multiplayer in an online world

TO call Demigod a traditional real-time strategy (RTS) game would be a bit of a stretch, but yet you can’t really call it a role-playing game (RPG) either. It’s a fine mix of teamwork, level advancement and strategy all wrapped nicely into one great big action game. Demigod has you playing as one of eight demigods, who battle it out in one of eight arenas to advance one step closer to becoming a true god. Although the back story laid down in the intro sequence of the game suggests a dollop of rich history and epic storytelling, it’s rather disappointing to find that Demigod has no single-player section to allow players to enjoy this hinted greatness. It’s also therefore rather disappointing that there isn’t more game here. For fans of games like DOta (the wildly popular mod for Warcraft 3 called Defence of the Ancients) its depth and attention to detail is staggering, but yet for newcomers to the scene, it’s all a bit jarring. There’s no tutorial to walk you into the game dynamic or a guide through your first siege, so the experience will always boil down to a hit or miss situation. And although what’s here is impressive, one can’t help but look up and see a cloud of concern hovering above Demigod. It’s great at doing what it does; it’s just not very welcoming to anyone from the outside. If you knew what RTS, RPG and DOta were without reading within the brackets, then this game is pretty much your cup of tea. Just hope you have lots of friends who think the same or you better have a lot of bandwidth to kill. R349.95

Borderlands

StarCraft 2

The best in first-person action mixed with player customisation and vehicular combat. Borderlands has a groundbreaking content generation system, in other words, hundreds and thousands of different weapons… wow!

The sequel to Blizzard’s epic RTS game – Koreans are still playing the original game more than ten years after its launch; we expect the same for the sequel.

COMING >>SOON<<

>GET THIS<

THE story follows Alex Mercer, a former employee of GENTEK bioresearch firm. And as with most bio-research firm-related plots, an inevitable incident blasts New York City into turmoil and it’s up to our hero to save the day. In this case, our hero has a spot of amnesia, but more importantly, he has the ability to shape shift and evolve. Now, you may think shape shifting isn’t as cool as being invincible or shooting electricity out of your hands, and in most cases you would be right, but it’s surprising how useful shifting into a fallen enemy can be. Alex also managed to develop an uncanny ability to absorb memories and it’s this ability that pushes the story forward as he pieces back together the last three weeks of his life. He does,

DEMIGOD

MARIO PARTY DS

• Everything you love about Mario Party, in the palm of your hand • Play as one of 8 characters such as Mario, Luigi, Peach and Wario • 70+ minigames and five themed game boards

MARIO Party is the sort of game you’ll either love or want to put down immediately. The gameplay is made up of loads of mini-games – perfect for the Nindendo DS handheld. There are four modes to choose from (Story, Party, Minigame and Puzzle), as well as multiplayer functionality. In the Story Mode, you’ll begin by picking one of the eight characters to choose from. The introduction is quite cute: it’s a nice night in the Mushroom Kingdom until Mario sees some strange crystals. Bowser later invites everyone to his house for a party – it’s meant to be an apology, but he uses his evil powers to trap and miniaturise everyone who must now go on a quest to restore the Sky Crystals. The actual setup is a boardgame and you’ll have to use a dice block to move your player. There are also different boards such Wiggler’s Garden, Toadette’s Music Room and Bowser’s Pinball Machine. Of course, there are squares on each board that hold back finishing too quickly as well as mini-games to keep the gameplay fun. Camera Shy involves characters taking photos of others and Short Fuse is about blowing on a fuse of a bomb in hopes of being the last player to survive. As a DS game, we found Mario Party 8 to be colourful, fun and easy to enjoy. R549.95

CONSIDER >>THIS<<

Boogie SuperStar (Wii) Design a character, sing your favourite pop hit, show off your dance moves and compete against friends – if you have what it takes to be a star, this game is a ridiculous amount of fun.

COMING >>SOON<<

New Super Mario Bros. Wii We can’t wait for the first simultaneous multiplayer Super Mario Bros. game. Navigate the side-scrolling worlds alone or invite up to three friends to experience the Mario magic.

NEED TO KNOW • A third-person, open-world action shooter • Tear through the fully destructible environment • Take the role of an insurgent fighter with the newly re-established Red Faction movement • Battle for liberation from the oppressive Earth Defense Force • Set on Mars, 50 years after the events of the original Red Faction

RED Faction was the first game to really break the rules when it came to the game world. It presented players with a truly destructible word. Gone were the days of invincible walls and doors. If you could shoot it, you could most probably shoot right through it. Now, many years later Red Faction: Guerrilla has arrived and just like its older brother, it promises the world. This time round, players fill the shoes of mineworker Alec Mason, working in a mining settlement on Mars for a tyrannical company - the EDF. As the story kicks off, Alec’s brother is killed by the EDF for disobeying an order and Alec, in a fit of passion, returns the favour, resulting in him being flagged as part of Red Faction, an underground resistance group bent on overthrowing the EDF.

CONSIDER >>THIS<<

NEED TO KNOW

RED FACTION: GUERRILLA

Street Fighter IV

Ashes Cricket 2009

With 25 characters (including the original 12 street fighters), a blend of 2D and 3D graphics, and a new focus-attack system, Street Fighter has returned with a vengeance. Now on PC, it’s the perfect fighting title and an excellent addition to the Street Fighter series. Price: R349.95

Don your (virtual) whites for the most authentic Ashes experience possible. If you love cricket, you’ll be impressed with all the official players, kit and equipment from this addition to npower’s Ashes Series. Price: R349.95

The action for when you need to take cover or shoot feels familiar to the point that it could make the overall experience a bit too recognisable. It’s a formulaic game where nothing really stands out… other than the global destruction. Guerrilla is a good game, but lacks a spark to make it great compared to similar titles. Its action and destruction-natured gameplay feels great, but by the time you get half way through, you’ll start to notice the shady plot line and lacklustre characters you fight for. Luckily, it has a competent multiplayer component to break up the periods of heartache in the single-player campaign. R699.95

Gears of War 2 One of the best games on the XBOX360, this testosterone-driven rollercoaster ride has one of the best multiplayer experiences available on any platform.

Brain Exercise with Dr. Kawashima

According to Dr. Kawashima, keeping your brain fit is just as important as eating right and exercise. The PC version of the brain trainer has 36 games to work out each brain part separately! Price: R299.95

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 67

tech tannie

Netbook mysteries, musical maladies and inky issues fixed fast If you have questions, gripes or just seek some solace, e-mail Tamsin, our friendly tech tannie at techtannie@ connect.co.za Putting the T into Tech, the M into Melktert and the P into Pah, this month is all about letters…

68 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

issue of the month: Q:

I need to change the ink in my printer. I saw this ad on TV where you can use a syringe to fill the cartridges. New cartridges are really expensive, I don’t know what to do! Cartidge-crazy Conrad, Cape Town

Aaaah, at last a question to test my brilliance. You, sir, are a balm to my technical soul. This is what it’s all about, getting your hands dirty and your pits smelly wrestling with the meat and bones of technology. I mean, filling your ink cartridges with syringes may not be manufacturer approved but it’s a great way to save money, right? Wrong. You can probably find a thousand guides on how to stab those innocent little plastic doofers with sharp, pointy syringes using that exciting new technology called Google (you may have heard of it) but this is not a wise idea. The clue lies in my fifth sentence – not manufacturer approved. It means that while

you may be successful in creating a cartridge that accepts your brutality without question you will also lose your warranty. So if you get anything wrong, you’ll end up spending even more money to fix the problem – this could even result in your buying an entirely new printer and that, my friend, does not come cheap. Now, I’m not criticising your burning desire to take the matter into your own hands, quite the opposite in fact, such zeal and enthusiasm is a wonderful thing. I just think you should perhaps channel this desire into something which won’t stain your hands, destroy your tiles/carpets and get your wife off the death penalty for a “crime of passion under temporary insanity”. Why not clean the dust out of your PC chassis so it runs like a champ (see how in the next issue) or defrag your hard drive instead. Those are nice, warranty assured activities that will keep your technology running smoothly and save you money in the long term just as effectively.

Left: MacBook Air (ultraportable) Right: EEEPC 1000 HE (netbook)

What’s the difference between a netbook and an ultra-portable? Surely they’re exactly the same thing? John is going mobile, Cape Town

Ah, now that is a good question. Makes me literally jiggle with joy. You have raised an excellent point as both of these categories for defining laptops ultimately refer to small, light and functional laptops that you can take with you wherever you go. The difference is between a cheetah and a lion. A cheetah is faster but doesn’t have a lot of stamina, like a netbook, but a lion is strong, has lots of stamina and will eat anything you give it – like an ultra-portable. A netbook offers you pretty much the basics of computing. It will have an operating system, a small amount of storage space and Wi-Fi (and some games and so on) whereas an ultraportable is a powerful piece of technology that has lots of storage space, processing power and applications. You can see a lot

How can I access the Internet using my phone? I’ve seen people do it, I just don’t know how! Shakeel must surf, Durban

Surely, Shakeel, the only surfing you Durban okes do is in the sea? Or is it that you must lie on the beach while sending lekker naughty sms’ to your honey? Right so I assume you actually have a cell phone there and not your nice little landline with a touchpad and no screen? If you’re holding a landline in your hand, put it down slowly and walk away in shame. Seriously. Ok so your cell uses its built-in GPRS/EDGE/3G to access the wireless internet with what is known as a Wireless Application Protocal (WAP). This was created by Nokia, Motorola, Ericsson and Phone.com as a universal standard in 1997 and since then over 350 companies have

of the difference in the price. A netbook will amble around in the extremely affordable category but an ultra-portable will cost you some serious dosh. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Netbooks have a wonderful thing known as a Solid State Drive (SSD) which means that it can take some bangs and knocks (like when you’re driving down the M1 and have to swerve to avoid that BMW that appeared out of nowhere) without compromising your data. They also boot up at rocket speeds, are enormously fun to play around with and customise and have decent battery lives. Ultra-portables are powerful enough to play games, process large documents and photographs, store impressive amounts of data and have all the bells and whistles you’d get with your bog standard desktop PC. Many of them also include fabulous features like fingerprint or facial recognition so nobody can log in and check out what you’ve been surfing on the internet…

joined them in what is now called the WAP Forum (www.wapforum.com). You can only see those sites that have been optimised for WAP - these are sometimes called mobisites and are basically just simplified versions of traditional websites. The wireless internet can only take so much information in one sitting so if you tried to access a traditional website you would wait for a very, very long time for the information to be transmitted. Unless you have 3G or HSDPA cell phone, at which point you can access mobisites and traditional sites without breaking a sweat. Now we’ve established that you have these features you’re probably gagging to know how to finally get surfing. Thing is, you will now have to do some homework into what your service provider (Vodacom, MTN, C-Cell) offers you and what you are expected to pay for the privilege. Have fun, and no naughty stuff you hear…

I’m bored of my iTunes library and my friend mentioned Internet radio? What is this? La la Lisa, Vereeniging

Ok so I’m assuming you know what the internet and a radio are right? Otherwise this reply is going to be moerse long… Internet radio has many names so you may have heard to it referred to as net radio, streaming radio, e-radio and even web radio. It’s a pretty awesome application, especially if you’re desperate for a song to drown out the incessant yabbering of the oke sitting opposite you at work. There are tons and tons of internet radio stations out there so the hardest part is going to be choosing which one you like. My personal favourites are The Pirate Radio Network (http:// pirateradionetwork.com), Last. fm (www.last.fm), realRadio, ShoutCast Radio (www.shoutcast. com) and BlueBeat.com. Last.fm has to be one of the best as you can add in all the music types you like and the station will then create an entire playlist of new bands and music that match your tastes. It’s a great way to find new music, but be careful at work as it uses a lot of bandwidth…

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 69

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THE TROUBLE WITH TRAVELS

here are two things I love about my job. The main thing, of course, is that I get to see all the latest technology first. Almost as important, though, is that I get to travel around a lot. Whether it’s an overnight stay before a big press conference or a week pounding the floor at a big trade show, I’m one of those people who still sees the romantic charm in planes, trains and cheap hotel rooms. Despite the combined efforts of the travel industry to dehumanise the whole experience, it’s never lost the appeal for me. Naturally, being something of a gadget buff, I carry a large amount of electronic equipment wherever I go. Since the

72 | CONNECT | JULY 2009

introduction of the marvelously miniature Eee PC, though, the only real imposition on my baggage allowance is a digital SLR camera. As someone who likes to travel light - until the age of 23 I pretty much lived out of a backpack - I know I’d be better off with a credit card-sized point and clicker, or better yet just use my phone. But frankly I just don’t see the point in restricting myself in this way. After all, no matter how compact the components get, packing remains a logistical nightmare. It’s not the devices themselves: I can squeeze everything I need into an overnight bag. It’s all the associated stuff you have to carry with them. There’s never a time I can’t travel without at least three different power supplies - phone, camera and laptop - and often I’ll be burdened with four or five. Add in modem cables, ethernet cables, spare batteries, twopin adaptors, three-pin adaptors, kettle leads, figure of eight flexes, external hard drives, blank DVDs, Flash cards, a pair of headphones and a spare mouse for luck, and all this redundant paraphernalia I’ve had to lug everywhere from Los Angeles to the middle of the bush has worn a groove in my right shoulder that I’ll still have when I’m 80. Half of it never gets used, but that’s not the point. I need a Sherpa just to carry my cables. And then a boy scout to untangle the spaghetti-like mess they’ve got themselves into when I unpack. It doesn’t have to be this way. Why, in the two decades since the birth of the laptop, has no-one standardised charging voltages and cable connectors for consumer electronics? Why can’t there be a one-cable-fitsall solution for topping up my batteries on the go? It’s ridiculous. The technology exists for a simple, universal power supply that can charge all devices - in fact, there are several companies that can target exactly the right amount of electricity and current flow to any gadget /without wires/. Wireless energy is so good, in fact, that it’s safer and more efficient than a traditional transformer. It’s not much more expensive either, but no-one uses it because ... to be honest, I have no idea why no-one uses it. Probably because it’s just not the way things are done. It wouldn’t just be travel that’s made easier if all the various manufacturers could agree on one unified power standard wireless or otherwise. Imagine how much easier it would be to set up and move a PC around at home if there was just one interchangable cable to go with it. Then there’s troubleshooting dead kit. The power supply for one of my laptops died last week. It is now useless until I spend R600 on a new charger, even though I have five others of various antiquity in my office that are almost, but not quite, identical. I know the day will come when I can pack my case, throw in one power supply on top of my clothes, and set off for the airport. The only question is when, and will the depressing and exhausting job of carting all this clutter with me have finally killed off my passion for travel?

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r Anothem first from! Vodaco

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