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NOVEMBER 2009

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ISSUE #07

NOVEMBER 2009

FEATURES 10 22 Blogging 101 We explain and explore the world of blogs and bloggers

Internet tripping It’s never been easier to plan a holiday. How to use the Internet as an amazing travelling tool

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What is a processor?

Inside Intel

Excel excellence Exceedingly easy tips to get the most from Excel

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Seventh time’s the charm A step-by-step guide on how to go about upgrading to Windows 7

Make a difference today Go green - choosing a more efficient PC and recycling your old one can make a important difference

Life should be less complicated.

Introducing Windows®7, the operating system that’s designed to make your PC less complicated and the things you do every day easier.

Communicating and sharing is simpler than ever with Windows®7. It includes Windows Live Essentials that makes e-mail, instant messaging and editing photos and videos easy and fun.

Windows®7 is available at Incredible Connection.

<ouU 3& simpliÀed www.simplifymylife.co.za

REGULARS S 04 06 08 68 70 72

Editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Letter News Trouble-free Technobabble Tamsin the Tech Tannie Competition Disconnect

REV VIEWS 34 40 42 44 48 50 53 56 58 60

Top 5 PCs Perippherals Printters Cellpphones Hom me media Sounnd Accessories Softw ware Bookks

GAM MING

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

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

Revieews

SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@connect.co.za ADVERTISING Dorothy Haggard dorothy@connect.co.za CONTACT Hypertext Media Communications (011) 783-7886 info@hypertext.co.za

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

ed’s note

TIME FOR CHANGE

C

WANT TO TALK TO THE CONNECT TEAM? E-mail your feedback to tiana@connect.co.za Fax your letter to 011- 7837886 Post your letter, addressed “Connect Magazine”, to 39 6th Avenue, Highlands North, 2192

an you believe it? This is the seventh issue of Connect, the only IT magazine that speaks your language. That’s right, seven incredible issues of simple technology, workshops, reviews and great gaming. Half a year of helpful tips and tricks and this issue is packed with even more handy advice.

Welcome to November, the month before the festive season begins so we’re going to help you plan a brilliant break. Who needs a travel agent when you can book your flights, find the perfect place to stay and research restaurants online? From 14-day weather forecasts to maps for directions and more, Connect will show you the way.

Never mind the upcoming holiday season, the next big thing you need to keep your eyes open for is Windows 7. Launched in late October, Windows 7 is Microsoft’s latest operating system that is, by all accounts, a rather large improvement over Windows Vista. We know a lot of our readers are interested in upgrading to Windows 7, and we have put together a simple step-by-step guide on how to go about it while still retaining all the documents, e-mails and program settings from your old computer.

From old to new and from journals to the blog – in our dear (virtual) diary feature this issue, we capture a term and a concept that has sneaked its way into everyday use. Welcome to the world of blogs and bloggers and no, it’s not as complicated as you initially thought. No matter your interest, there is already someone out there capturing his or her experience in that exact field online. It’s a great way to keep updated with like-minded folk but also see the photos and videos that accompany it. In the November mag, we’ll not only teach you how to begin a blog, we’ll go into

blogging 101 //BY JOHANN BARNARD

Migrating to Windows 7 //BY DEON DU PLESSIS

S a wit P wo ch to less rk ing bo g is -in to th o a pro ten a W bo v siv ne in ut ide e w do u s p o w pg a st roc pera s ra e e XP d p ss tin in an g -by . Co g sy d to -s nn st W W te e e in in p g ct’ m do d u s is w ow ide De qu s s V 7 on on ite is , fr h d ta o o u . m w

MADE EASY because it really is

Blogging is a term that has come into everyday use over the past decade or so, yet there’s still a vague air of mystery and confusion that surrounds it. Read more as Connect explains and explore the world of blogs and bloggers.

I

n exactly the same way you may have a personal journal in which you record your thoughts, experiences, goals and dreams, the blog plays the same role – although of course an audience of literally millions can view your scribblings.

So why do it, is probably the first question that comes to mine. And its a crucial one to answer because a blog can easily become one of those tasks that you mean to complete, but inevitably never get to. Commitment is a vital ingredient for a successful, although that has to be balanced with enjoyment in blogging.

And of course it becomes all the more exciting when you find thousands of people following your writing.

BUT WHAT WOULD I WRITE ABOUT

That’s the beauty of blogging – you can write about anything that grabs your fancy. Success inevitably 10 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

W

indows 7 launched in late October, and there are probably many people interested in grabbing a copy to take advantage of all the improvements and changes that have made Windows 7 far superior to its forebear, Windows Vista. Just as likely, there are people out there wondering how easy the migration process is going to be, which is where we come in. Up front, we unequivocally endorse the idea that whoever you are, you should seriously consider upgrading to Windows 7, even if you’re a happy Windows XP user – the operating system is really that stable, functional and pretty. Before we get to the actual install process, however, a few things need to be made clear: the migration to Windows 7 can be an intimidating task. It’s not a matter of inserting the Windows 7 DVD and clicking Upgrade and having all your settings, application installations and documents automatically transferred with no further interaction from you.

demands that your subject is of general interest, but specialist markets and topics can be equally popular.

There are many blogs on photography, for example, on which pros share their techniques and secrets. By the same token, there are probably very few blogs dedicated to the act of watching paint dry.

Its also unlikely you’ll be an overnight success, unless you already have a public profile, so building an online profile and following will take patience and perseverance.

Browse around the Internet for blogs to get a feel of what other bloggers are doing, how they’re doing it and what you like or dislike about it.

Some, you will find, are pure commentary or opinion, others are educational or informational, while others can be irreverent and random.

Find your niche, and your style and experiment with techniques until you find something that appeals to you, especially a rhythm and regularity to your posts.

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4 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

18 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

Tiana Cline

holiday planning online //BY TIANA CLINE

A blog – short for weblog – is nothing more than ann online journal.

Blogging

some of the best local blogs and talk about miniblogging – Twitter!

It’s often easy to be confused by the Internet with so much happening out there, but what about those pesky PC programs we use and enjoy but often find overwhelming? Excel, part of the Microsoft Office suite, is riddled with formulas. Never mind all those little boxes that kind make your head dizzy, the more you learn to use it, the more you’ll discover how little you know! In part two of our Office extravaganza of tips and tricks, we look at Excel and how you can use it as an extremely powerful tool. Using Excel for all it’s worth promises to make the world of difference to your life, even if you aren’t an accountant.

Another way to make a difference is to go green – another technology trend but one certainly worth knowing. Sure, we all want the newest gadgets but what happens to our leftovers when we upgrade?

Choosing a more efficient computer, phone or printer and recycling your old one can make a small, but important difference to the environment. How? Connect gives you the low-down.

In the reviews section this month we feature some new gadgets as well as new versions of more established products. The new iPod Nano is among our Top 5 products, and it really is a fantastic new addition to the iPod family – it features a video camera, voice recorder and even has an integrated speaker. The Nano is not the best-selling MP3 player of all time for no reason, and this new 5th-generation version is sure to keep it that way.

That’s it from our side; we hope you enjoy the magazine, and we wish you all the best in the run-up to the year’s busiest period of mad gadget-buying.

Complications arise from the operating system you’re upgrading from (i.e. whether it’s XP or Vista, 32- or 64-bit, etc.) and the hardware and drivers you’re using. These factors determine your experience with the upgrade process; we highly recommend you prepare for potential complications by having another computer with Internet access nearby when you attempt the upgrade so that you can search for help online should the need arise.

We’re not saying this to bash anyone; rather we want to present an honest reflection of what users can expect when they decide that even Windows XP is a little behind the times and needs a modern replacement.

HANDY THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT THE MIGRATION: Download and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor Beta from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/ windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx) to determine whether your system can run Windows 7.

The rule of thumb here is that if you’re running Windows Vista, your PC should be ready for Windows 7, but if you’re unsure this tool will give you a definitive answer. If you’re a Windows XP user, you can use the Easy Transfer tool on the Windows 7 DVD to backup your data (documents, videos, music, application settings, bookmarks, e-mail, etc.) for easy transfer to your new Windows 7 installation. You can backup your data to an external hard drive, a network drive or a USB flash drive (basically anywhere that will accept your data). If you buy Microsoft’s Easy Transfer USB cable, you can even transfer your data directly to another computer.

Migrating from Windows XP using the Easy Transfer tool does not automatically transfer your installed applications to Windows 7. You will need to reinstall all your applications when Windows 7’s installation has completed and only then import your old data.

You cannot upgrade from a 32-bit operating system to a 64-bit operating system (and vice versa) due to the way each is programmed. Doing that requires a fresh installation on a formatted hard drive (once you’ve backed up all your data, of course), and there’s no way around it. It is possible to upgrade from Windows Vista without the need to use Easy Transfer, but only if you’re upgrading in the following way: • Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium • Windows Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional • Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 19

green IT //BY ALASTAIR OTTER

internet

tripping

REVIEWS, RANTS AND RAVES

LOST?

For the directionally unequipped and GPS-unable, the Internet is a great place to help you find your way.

• www.maps.google.com Google Maps is an international map service that you view in

It’s never been easier to plan a holiday!

Thanks to the Internet, going away can be organised from behind the comforts of your computer.

G

oing away? There’s nothing better than being fully prepared for a break, so why not use the Internet to get ready. From finding the perfect place to stay to booking your flights online, to knowing exactly what weather to expect and researching the right restaurants, you’ll find that the re Internet can be an amazing travelling tool.

In SUNNY SKIES AHEAD S

Need to know if your supposed beach holiday is N going to drowned out by rain? There are a number of g international and local websites that provide 3, 5 and in 77-day forecasts…

• www.weathersa.co.za is an intense site that offers detailed explanations on everything from the climate to aviation services.

• www.weather.co.za is perfect if you’re looking for details on the day – simple.

• www.weather.24.com is a great site. For detailed planning, you can click for a 15-day expanded forecast, fire danger, tide reports, the chance of rain, as well as airport delays at either Oliver Tambo or Cape Town International airport.

• Both www.iolweather.co.za and www.southafricanweather. co.za will give you 7-day forecasts, the first site covering UV index, humidity and wind speed.

• Travelling overseas? Go to www.worldweather.org - this website covers every continent, country and capital.

22 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

your web browser. Use Google Maps to view basic or custom maps and local business information, including business locations, contact information, and driving directions.

Click and drag maps to view adjacent sections immediately. View satellite images of your desired location that you can zoom and pan.

• There are a number of local websites that offer maps you can click and drag, and pinpoint a location such as maps.yellowpages.co.za, www.streetmaps.co.za, www.c2a.co.za and www.easymap.co.za.

FLY ME TO THE MOON

Jetting off to an international, or local, location may not be as simple as it used to be (liquids, visas, baggage allowances!), but it’s definitely easier to do online. Local airlines such as Mango, Kulula and 1Time make it easy to get around and there are many websites on which to book tickets. If you’re interested in fee comparison, choosing

a GPS d device If you already l d have h i like a TomTom, you should look into its online software package called HOME for user maps and creative customisation. How can this help plan your trip? If you only draw at one brand of ATM machines, for example, you can make this a point of interest so when looking at the map, you’ll see markers on-screen – the same for petrol stations and other needto-know locations. And when you come back, share your map so other TomTom owners who go away and see what you’ve mapped out!

NEED TO KNOW > Another GPS idea is to download an audio book onto your TomTom to listen to on the road. You’ll be able to catch up on your favourite author and really use your travel time productively!

your seat, knowing your baggage allowance, the food and entertainment on-board or flight arrival and departure times, the Internet is the way to gather this information in one place.

• www.saflights.co.za and bestflights.co.za not only lets users compare and book domestic and international flights, you can evaluate and book a car or accommodation!

It’s always a good idea to visit the websites of local airlines to see if there are any special offers and discounts. Here are the sites you need to know: Mango > www.flymango.co.za Kulula > www.kulula.com 1time > www.1time.aero South African Airways > www.flysaa.com Airlink > www.saairlink.co.za

No matter if you’re heading abroad or living local, local the best way to really find out about a hotel or restaurant is to read customer opinions. The official website of the place you’re researching may give you all the details and some professional pictures, but there are other (unbiased) ways read up on what other people thought when they stayed at a place, flew an airline or ordered something off a menu.

A great site is TripAdvisor.com – this is the world’s largest travel community where anyone can access real information, advice, and opinions from millions of travelers. It’s the easiest way to plan and take your perfect trip. TripAdvisor is a place you can go for insights and tips by reading about other’s experiences, knowing their real opinions and seeing photos they took.

There is a wealth of other information here – search Cape Town, for example, and you’ll uncover links to a travel guide, things to do, photos, videos, flights and other tourism tips.

Background information like recommended reading, the different neighbourhoods as well as health and safety tips are also a click away.

If someone else has been there, you’re guaranteed to find more than enough information on the place and Trip Advisor covers anything and everything you can think of!

You, too, can make a difference

CLICK HERE > www.gotravel24.com has local blogs, competitions, guides, travel specials and hotel reviews. It may not be as comprehensive as Trip Advisor, but there’s a lot of fun features and worthwhile visiting.

A new iPod, a new cellphone, a bigger monitor. We’ve all hankered after the biggest and best electronic goods, but how many of us have thought about the effect that technology has on the environment?

An aeroplane engine or a power station may do more damage to the environment, but choosing a more efficient PC and recycling your old one can make a small, but important difference.

If you’re planning a trip within South Africa, there’s a good chance you’ll need to rent a car. If it’s not something you’ve already sorted out after booking a hotel room or finding the right flight, there are a number of great sites such as www.avis.co.za or www.europcar.co.za.

TOP TIP > If you’re renting a car for less than a week, go with a major rental company. For rentals of a week or longer, you may get better rates from local auto dealers. But remember to shop for the best deal…

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 23

28 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 29

This is

HUGE!

Lightweight and compact the Verbatim micro USB drive packs a lot of punch! Weighing in at a tiny 1.2g, and only 2.35mm thick, it is small in size but not in capacity!

Simply drag and drop your folders and files. For your peace of mind the Micro USB includes password protection software and is enhanced for Windows® Readyboost TM. Available in capacities from 2GB – 8GB, it is versatile and easy to use.

The Micro USB Drive has a Verbatim 2 Year Limited Warranty.

www.verbatim-europe.com

news wss

Don’t chuck it! Recycle!

Kindle goes International

This is the message from Nokia’s Care division when the question of what to do with old phones arises. Research performed by the handset maker indicates that South Africans fall mostly into the “throw it away” and “keep it” categories, with only a tiny percentage (just 3% of us) indicating any desire to recycle old phones.

This is most probably due to a lack of awareness of Nokia’s recycling programme. The company has more than 5 000 Care Points in 85 countries, with 35 of them are located in our own back yard. The problem, up to now, has simply been a lack of awareness.

If you’re wondering what’s in if for you, for now it’s the warm fuzzy feelings associated with “doing the right thing”. There are no incentive programmes yet in place to encourage people to hand in their old phones.

The Nokia Care programme forms part of a much

AVG now at SA retail

6 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

bigger “going green” philosophy. The Finnish handset maker is taking such measures as using recyclable materials as much as possible in their product packaging to achieve the goal. Phone packaging has also been reduced in size, a move that saved over 100 000 tons of paper when first introduced in 2007.

Since 2005, Nokia has put a lot of effort into completely removing substances like PVC from the construction of its phones. Current efforts are concentrating on the total removal of Brominated and Chlorinated compounds, as well as Antimony Trioxide from the manufacturing process.

For a list of locations ready to accept your old phones for recycling, visit http://www.nokia.com/werecycle and select South Africa and your region. Any handset is eligible for recycling, and not only Nokia phones.

AVG is a name synonymous with free anti-virus software thanks to the company’s competent antivirus product. For the first time in South Africa, store shelves are going to be stocked with boxed versions of the company’s two most popular products, namely AVG 9.0 and AVG Internet Security 9.0.

The reason for the move, according to AVG’s Vice President, Peter Baxter, is to bring greater awareness to the South African consumer of AVG’s product offerings. He adds that AVG is looking to expand into the sub-Saharan Africa market, and as such the company is pursuing “multiple routes to market”, making the retail segment of great importance.

As of early October, one-year, single-user boxed versions of AVG 9.0 and AVG Internet Security 9.0 have been available through Incredible Connection stores.

Version 9.0 brings performance improvements, as well as a variety of refinements that make the software competitive against big vendors like Symantec, Kaspersky, McAfee and BitDefender.

The concept of reading a book on an electronic device instead of buying it in paper form from a corner bookshop is easily a decade old.

But, the various hoops consumers needed to jump through in order to buy their reading material in electronic form and then find a device capable of allowing them to comfortably read that material, halted the phenomenon from truly catching on.

Then came the Kindle – an e-book reader from the worldwide leader in electronic retail, Amazon.com – which allowed users to easily buy their reading material electronically and automatically download it over a ubiquitous and free wireless link, to a device purpose-built for book reading The only problem, however, was that Kindle was designed to work exclusively in the US – you could only buy e-books on Amazon’s e-book store if you had an American credit card and furthermore, only make use of the free wireless link (called EVDO) if you were in a US coverage area.

But the company has seen the light and launched an international version of the device that’s in every way the same as the original Kindle models, except of course for using 3G cellular networks that cover most of the world, South Africa included.

At first glance, the Kindle is a great device – slim, light, sleek and most importantly, far more convenient than carrying a couple of hundred or thousand books around with you in physical form.

It draws on the best the e-book reader market has to offer – an easy on the eye e-ink screen that resembles the look of black type on paper, the ability to resize fonts to the user’s preference, storage for a plethora of books and other content. Importantly, battery life is claimed at months, without the need to recharge.

It’s also a capable audio player, making it useful for listening to podcasts and background music while reading, and comes with a backlight that makes reading in the dark a pleasure.

Amazon has now begun accepting credit cards from the world over on its Kindle store, so buyers of the Kindle in South Africa will gain access to their reading materials as easily as owners of the device have in the U.S. The books also seem a little cheaper in electronic format, so there’s yet another incentive to go the e-book route.

While details of exactly how the connectivity element will work in South Africa are still sketchy, right now the assumption in the market is that the cost of the 3G bandwidth required to download a piece of content will be included in the price of the content.

This is great news, since it means users will pay one price for a book or piece of content and have it instantly delivered over the local cellular networks.

The international version of the Kindle costs $279 and will begin shipping October 19th.

techno jargon // BY DEON DU PLESSIS

TROUBLE-FREE

Technobabble 8 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

This month, Deon du Plessis delves deeper into some of the concepts you will come across in the reviews pages, as well as a few unrelated definitions thrown in for good measure.

AMOLED Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode. This is an ultra thin, ultra-bright display technology that requires no use of a backlight, leading to lower power consumption yet very bright screens. It’s mostly used in mobile phone displays but work is progressing towards integration into big screen TV designs.

DPI Dots Per Inch. This is the description of how many printed dots can be squeezed into an area that is one inch by one inch big. When you see it in reviews, it is a reference to the resolution a printer or scanner is capable of reproducing, and the higher the number, the sharper the device’s image quality.

COMPOSITE VIDEO This is the format a TV’s video signal takes. In cabling terms it is generally represented by a yellow RCA plug that fits the composite output port (itself lined with yellow plastic) of various electronic devices. It is one of the three cables that comprises an RCA cable that links the video and audio outputs of DVD players with video and audio inputs of TVs. COMPONENT VIDEO A method of transmitting video signal that breaks the signal down into three individual colours, red, blue and green. Component cables which carry the signal are identified by red, blue and green plugs on either end. While component cables can carry high definition video signals, these are experiencing some competition from the more popular HDMI format, which also carries audio signal and is therefore neater and more convenient.

INFRARED LASER DIODE Laser mice use infrared laser diodes to illuminate the surface the mouse is resting on. The sensor then tracks the illuminated surface in order to tell the computer where the mouse is being pushed to, and how hard. The introduction of this technology in 2004 allowed for more accurate tracking which resulted in far smoother mouse movement than optical mice had been offering up to that point.

FIREWIRE Firewire, also know by its more technical term IEEE 1394, is a data transmission standard used to transfer large amounts of data very quickly between external devices and a computer. It is commonly used in digital audio and video recording equipment, but is also used in other devices like portable hard drives. Its transmission speed is much higher than that of USB, and it allows for the simultaneous connection of up to 63 devices. Current commercial Firewire standards are Firewire 400 and Firewire 800, with even faster versions in development.

FPS This stands for both Frames Per Second and First Person Shooter. The first definition is a measure of the speed and smoothness of gaming graphics as well as movies, and the higher the number before the FPS, the smoother the animation or movie is. 30FPS is a good tally for any modern game (higher is even better, though), and 24FPS is the standard in movies. The second definition is descriptive of shooting games that are played from a first-person perspective; when you see a gun protruding from the bottom of the screen, you’re playing an FPS.

S/PDIF This is an audio interface that carries compressed digital audio signals from DVD and CD players to high-end home theatre systems that support standards like Dolby Digital and DTS Surround Sound. This enables the surround sound effect that fools a listener into believing sounds are coming from all around them. S/PDIF stands for the Sony/Philips Digital InterFace as both companies were involved in its development.

MHZ This stands for megahertz. The Hertz component refers to the frequency of any given event, measured in cycles per second, and ‘mega’ here means one million. Therefore, one megahertz is the cycle of an event that happens one million times per second.

TRANSITION (VIDEO) This is a technique for changing scenes in a movie that is smoother than a straight cut from scene to scene. Fading to black and wiping are common transition techniques.

Imagine a windscreen with soap on it: as the soap is wiped away the scene beyond the car window becomes visible. Apply that to a video scene, and you have a wipe transition.

BLUE TRACK (MICROSOFT) Blue Track is Microsoft’s proprietary image sensing technology that allows a new generation of Microsoft mice to track on more surfaces than ever before. Glass is not one of them, however, possibly due to the relatively small number of customers interested in mousing on glass.

DARKFIELD (LOGITECH) Mice based on Logitech’s Darkfield technology are able to track on clear surfaces like glass and mirrors thanks to Logitech’s image sensor innovations. Darkfield mice require far fewer imperfections on the surfaces they rest on to accurately track mouse movement.

USB 3.0 USB 3.0 is the next version of the popular USB (Universal Serial Bus) standard, and can support speeds of up to 4.8Gbits/s, with average transfer rates of around 3.2Gbits/s (0.2Gbits/s faster than entry-level SATA II hard drives) commonly achievable. Support for USB 3.0 has yet to receive widespread implementation by hardware manufacturers, but with any luck by the time 2011 rolls around it will be commonplace on a wide variety of devices.

TERABYTE One thousand megabytes of storage space. In hard drive terms, the terabyte is in 2009 what the gigabyte was fifteen years ago, offering a gargantuan amount of storage space for ever-increasing media demands. In terms of Rands per gigabyte, the retail price of less than R2 per gig is excellent and looking to drop even further in the next year.

LAG This is the measure of the time between an action being taken and its effects being seen. In computer terms, lag is often used to describe network and Internet performance (or lack thereof), and in mouse terms it refers to the movement of a cursor that seems not to respond immediately to mouse movements.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 9

blogging 101 //BY JOHANN BARNARD

Blogging MADE EASY because it really is

Blogging is a term that has come into everyday use over the past decade or so, yet there’s still a vague air of mystery and confusion that surrounds it. Read more as Connect explains and explore the world of blogs and bloggers.

I

n exactly the same way you may have a personal journal in which you record your thoughts, experiences, goals and dreams, the blog plays the same role – although of course an audience of literally millions can view your scribblings.

So why do it, is probably the first question that comes to mine. And its a crucial one to answer because a blog can easily become one of those tasks that you mean to complete, but inevitably never get to. Commitment is a vital ingredient for a successful, although that has to be balanced with enjoyment in blogging.

And of course it becomes all the more exciting when you find thousands of people following your writing.

BUT WHAT WOULD I WRITE ABOUT

That’s the beauty of blogging – you can write about anything that grabs your fancy. Success inevitably 10 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

demands that your subject is of general interest, but specialist markets and topics can be equally popular.

There are many blogs on photography, for example, on which pros share their techniques and secrets. By the same token, there are probably very few blogs dedicated to the act of watching paint dry.

Its also unlikely you’ll be an overnight success, unless you already have a public profile, so building an online profile and following will take patience and perseverance.

Browse around the Internet for blogs to get a feel of what other bloggers are doing, how they’re doing it and what you like or dislike about it.

Some, you will find, are pure commentary or opinion, others are educational or informational, while others can be irreverent and random.

Find your niche, and your style and experiment with techniques until you find something that appeals to you, especially a rhythm and regularity to your posts.

A blog – short for weblog – is nothing more than ann online journal.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA ECT. CT T CO. CO OZ ZA A | 1111

blogging 101

Popular South African blogs To set yourself up for your entry into blogging, have a look at some of the more popular blogs – as judged by the 2009 SA Blog Awards: • http://www.2oceansvibe.com is a Cape Town-based blog is all about celebrating life, as can be judged by its motto of ‘Work is a sideline, live the holiday’.

Funny, irreverent, and topical, reading 2 Oceans Vibe is like talking to your best mate.

• http://sarocks.co.za celebrates all that is South African, whether good or bad, but mostly good. Covering everything from the bizarre to conventional issues such as culture, music and sport, you can read about all that is good about being South African.

• Http://mushypeasontoast. blogspot.com is an example of how a blog can become so much more. So much more, in fact, that journalist Laurian Clemence has managed to publish a book comprised of her blog posts. Be warned, however, that subject matter and language usage is not for the sqeamish – or under-18s.

Embrace multimedia With fantastic gadgets like Apple’s new iPod Nano featuring video-capturing capabilities, not to mention many cellphones, sharing video clips is easier than ever.

YouTube is the hands-down winner in this category and offers the ability to share everything from the inane to hilarious. Sign up for an account, upload your clips and prepare for your walk down the red carpet.

OK, SO WHERE DO I START?

As with so many online services, the act of blogging is simplicity itself.

Firstly, its free – or generally free, unless you use premium services – so, that is the first bonus. There are a number of leading blog hosts – who we discuss in detail below – while your Internet Service Provider most probably offers this as a standard service.

The process for most blog sites is generally the same, although the settings on each service will differ slightly.

The first thing to do is to sign up to a service and reserve your blog name. Your username is usually assigned as your blog web address to keep things simple. Once this is done, which is quick and painless, you can start tinkering with the basic blog shell you have been given.

Elements you will be able to change or adjust are the theme or design of the page, features such as links to other pages or blogs, and add tools and plug-ins. This offers a way to add special features to your blog to differentiate it or to make it more interactive.

A common feature is the ability to have people ‘follow’ your blog, in which case they will be notified automatically when you post new entries or make changes to your blog. You can also run polls on certain of the services to add to the level of interaction with people who read your blog.

Most blog services allow you to add photos, audio and video, so your blog is restricted only to the limits of your imagination.

WORDPRESS.COM

Wordpress.com is one of the most popular blogging engines – and an engine is what it is because it offers a quick and easy way to blog, but with truly impressive power in the back end if you need it.

One of its strengths is the wide and varied range of outstanding themes that have been developed for it. These are generally free, although some of the more sophisticated ones need to be paid for.

Additionally, if you are a power user, WordPress offers a paid-for blogging services at www. wordpress.org that enables more functionality, customisation and the option to host this at a web address of your choice. This option has become increasingly popular with companies that need a web site that offers choice, affordability and ease of use.

Keep at it 24/7 Microblogging is the new kid on the block in the blogging world and does as it says: share your thoughts, advice, experiences and interesting facts in 140 characters. That’s even shorter than a standard SMS, so you better be brief.

Twitter is all the rage, apparently, and offers a quick convenient way to communicate and share information within an open

circle of ‘followers’. Similar to Facebook friends, you follow people while they and others follow you.

While some very arbitrary exchanges do happen, you can gain great value from Twitter by following the right people or services that focus on a subject in which you are interested.

The one downfall to Twitter currently is that many people sign up, but only a small percentage continue to use it.

BLOGGER.COM

Google users will be familiar with this great, easy-touse service that integrates seamlessly with your Google profile. Another popular service, Blogspot, has been incorporated into Blogger.com.

One of the features quite prominently promoted by the service is integration with Google’s AdSense online advertising engine, which could be a powerful link to make money from your missives.

Integration with other Google services is also quite simple, with one feature being the ability to add your Blogger posts to an existing domain (such as a company’s) so that this appears as the blog part of a web site.

WINDOWS LIVE

The Windows Live service is another good all-round service that meets the needs of your everyday blogger.

The service is accessed through the Windows Live Spaces portal that supports multimedia and interactivity, while a range of themes add a suitable level of customisation.

A neat offering is the online photo archive to which you can post up to 1000 photos per month.

You can also set who can view your pages, so it becomes more of a personal space you can share only with family and friends.

12 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

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intel processors //BY BRETT HAGGARD

T

he microprocessor, or processor as it’s often called, is one of the most significant inventions in the history of… well, ever.

Apart from giving us access to computing power that allows us to do things we thought were impossible ten and almost certainly twenty years ago, the microprocessor is at the heart of so many everyday things.

From simple devices like traffic lights, microwave ovens and most of the appliances we have in our homes today, right through to more complex devices like our mobile phones, television sets, personal video recorders and more – most of the things we surround ourselves with wouldn’t exist, at least in the useful incarnation we find them in today, if it wasn’t for the invention of the microprocessor.

But we’re not here to take a closer look at how microprocessors contribute to the greatness of all of those devices (although the premise is rather similar); no, the purpose of this article is to give you some insight into the things that count when it comes to choosing the microprocessor that’s right for you.

First however, a short history lesson…

CHIPS

AHOY! In our constant quest to bring you advice and insight that helps you make better buying decisions we take a closer look at microprocessors, why they matter and what you should keep your eye out for the next time you’re shopping for a new desktop or laptop computer.

14 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

While it’s still one of the most hotly debated topics in the technology industry, Intel is cited as the first company to build a microprocessor (called the 4004) between 1970 and 1971 – and sold units for thousands of US dollars apiece.

These early processors were the brains behind the high-performance calculators of the day and were 4-bit in nature, meaning they could only address four bits of data per operation.

4-bits is not a lot of space to work with, meaning that complex calculations with large numbers needed to be broken down into a host of separate operations, slowing things down. The market realized that by increasing the number of bits a processor could handle at a time, half the number of operations would need to take place and things could speed up substantially.

So, Intel moved swiftly on to 8-bit processors in 1972 with the release of its 8008 and two years later the 8080 processor.

By the 80s the company was producing the first x86 processors with 16-bit designs, like the 8086, 80186 and 80286, and in 1985 moved onto 32-bit with the 80386, which some people will simply remember as the 386.

Since the entire family was backwards-compatible, Intel had secured itself a unique selling point in the market and was well on its way to success.

The company then decided to license some of its early designs to third parties in the market (such as AMD and Cyrix), keeping the newer designs for itself however, so it could lead the way with innovative, new solutions.

Intel was on a winning streak and the underlying physics it took to design ever-faster processors was treating it well. The company found that by building more complex processors (with more transistors) it was able to deliver additional functionality and by pushing more power through these processors (by upping voltage), it could push performance up substantially.

This was the era of the 486 and Pentium (or 586) processors – arguably one of the most interesting and exciting times to be involved in technology.

At this time in the market only one thing mattered – how many Megahertz (MHz, also referred to as “clock speed”) was a processor rated for. And the higher the number of MHz, the better.

You can’t argue with nature (because you’ll lose), and when semiconductor companies Intel and AMD began pushing the limits of what the laws of nature (physics) would allow them to do with the materials they were constructing their microprocessors out of, they noticed that certain materials behaved differently at high voltages and temperatures.

As the two chip makers reached the physical limits of what they could put their processors through, it became clear that a redesign was required, and one which could produce more performance without raising voltages or temperatures above a certain threshold.

And this is where the game became about more than the number of MHz. MOVING TO 64-BIT

For the longest time, the market needed little more than 32-bit processors to get the job done adequately.

Because of the laws of mathematics, 32-bit systems are limited to recognising 4 Gigabytes (GB) of memory and can only make use of 3GB of memory. But more demanding tasks and ever-growing application sizes meant that systems needed access to more memory (RAM) than in previous years, so the move to 64-bit was inevitable.

The two dominant vendors in the market took different routes to solving this problem.

AMD – the underdog – beat its competitor to the punch by releasing a 64-bit processor first.

The processor was able to address more than 4GB of memory and could chew its way through both 64-bit and 32-bit instructions – an important design trait since the vast majority of the applications available in the market were still based on 32-bit programming code.

Intel left its processors on 32-bit architectures, but through a technology it called EM64T (extended memory 64-bit technology), it made it so that these processors could address more memory than in previous years, but was still 32-bit in terms of capabilities.

Soon after that however, Intel made the migration across to 64-bit processors and this is where things have stayed for about seven years now, at least as far as word length is concerned.

OVERCOMING THE BARRIERS

The move to 64-bit was a large part of what has enabled AMD and Intel to move performance levels ever-higher.

Remember, clock speeds couldn’t continue heading upwards like in previous years, since the materials used in the manufacture of processors became unstable and unpredictable under high power and temperature loads.

So both vendors started thinking out of the box.

AMD increased processors’ cache size and introduced a second bank of cache memory, and also began embedding more of the componentry found on a system’s motherboard into the processor natively.

Both of these measures allowed for performance gains to be made, without significantly increasing the number of megahertz (the “clock speed”) they operate at.

Intel lagged behind somewhat, taking much longer than AMD to increase its cache memory, move controllers and other logic chips into their processors, but did pip AMD to the post when it came to multi-core designs.

Thoroughly confused? Well, stick it out - I’m going to explain the changes and more importantly, how those changes impact today’s processors so you can make a better buying decision.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 15

intel processors

CACHE MEMORY, INTEGRATED MEMORY CONTROLLERS AND MORE

With a halt placed on clock speed, most of today’s processors gain additional performance from ‘tweaks’ like increased cache memory, additional cache memory over what was used in the past and the integration of components such as memory and other controllers into the processor package.

Some of the biggest gains in performance have resulted from additional caching. In a nutshell, cache memory is a smaller, faster bank of memory located close to the processor that the processor can make use of to store often-used instructions and data.

Logically by moving this memory to a place that’s closer to the processor, making it faster and getting the sweet spot in terms of the size of this memory just right, the processor manufacturers have been able to boost the overall speed with which a processor collects its workload, works through it and provides answers to the operating system or application.

The same goes for the bits and bobs that control things such as the transfer of data from a hard disk, to the system’s main memory (RAM), to its cache, to the processor and back again.

Intel and AMD have both taken the memory controllers in their systems into the processor package – the logic behind this being that the processor has better control over this process and that reducing the distance data has to travel around the processor, memory and other components results in performance gains.

Right now, the trend in the market is for this practice to continue – it’s plausible that in years to come entire computer systems with disparate parts as we know them today will fade away and instead be replaced by processors designed in a ‘system on a chip’ fashion.

The next major focus area is for AMD and Intel to integrate graphics and other multimedia componentry into their respective processor packages.

THE MORE CORES, THE BETTER

Today it’s virtually impossible for a new desktop or notebook to have a single core processor (except of course netbooks that make use of Intel’s single-core Atom processor) – and there’s good reason for that.

When Intel and AMD started knocking their noses up against the clock speed barrier (processors couldn’t get faster than a certain number of GHz before they became unpredictable), the next logical step was to put more than one processor into a processor package, essentially doubling the processing power of the system.

It would have been foolhardy for these vendors to integrate two of everything into the mix however, since two logic units (the parts of the processor that do the actual processing of data) didn’t need separate memory controllers, cache memory and power supplies in order to function efficiently.

So today’s modern multi-core processors contain more than one logic core (two, three, four and in some cases six or eight), but share the other resources in the chip package.

The logic used by Intel and AMD was both good and bad – special programming techniques are required in order for a system to ‘thread’ its code, i.e. for a single processor (such as a dual core processor) to carry out more than one task simultaneously.

16 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

Largely, programmers are able to do this with minimal additional cores (such as two, three or four), but the process gets pretty hairy when shooting too much above that level.

That doesn’t mean multi-core processors are a waste however – modern operating system have the ability to dish out work to the processor cores much more effectively than in previous years.

And since hardly anyone uses a single application at a time (we’re often downloading data, while playing some music and typing up an e-mail) the operating system would place some of those applications on one core, and some on another, in essence balancing the load in the computer.

Windows Vista was fairly effective at this, whereas Windows 7 is much more accomplished. The problem is, this was still not getting us to a place where we made proper use of the resources we had at our disposal.

This is why there’s such a massive focus on developers building multi-threaded applications today.

THREADING

Multi-threading applications can make use of however many processor cores a system supports. If an application is able to do this, a four-core processor (such as Intel’s Core 2 Quad) will crunch through its workload far more quickly than a two core would.

Multi-core gave us the ability to split the various smaller applications our systems might be required to deal with, up between multiple different logic units. It didn’t however cater for applications that require massive resources in order to run – highend gaming for example.

So in essence, what’s required is for high-end processors with many cores to be matched with single applications that have massive demand on system resources, but can make use of all four of the cores in the system simultaneously.

As this phenomenon evolves, we will see processors with technologies such as Intel’s HyperThreading, which allows each of

So we know that Core i7 processors have eight cores right – four physical cores and through the use of HyperThreading an additional four cores?

Well, the first major change is that there’s now a version without HyperThreading, giving users access to the four physical cores, but no virtual ones. The name Intel has given to this, quite cleverly, is Core i5.

The rest of the original Nehalem goodness is still there, such as the fast memory, lowered power consumption and the ability for the processor to preemptively boost its performance by overclocking itself (a feature aptly called Turbo) if the heat it’s generating is below a safe threshold.

Intel has taken HyperThreading out and dramatically dropped the price on these units.

Expect Core i5-based desktop systems to be at least a third cheaper – which is great value for money.

the four cores within its Core i7 processor to process two threads of code simultaneously, becoming commonplace.

That is of course providing that the applications are written to take advantage of that.

WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN?

So, when buying a computer today you want to make doubly sure that the features you’re going to need from your computer are provided for by the hardware – of which the processor is the single biggest contributor.

And remember, clock speed (the number of GHz) is no longer the most important variable to consider.

Look at what you plan to do with your computer – if you’re an average user, chances are a dual core computer will serve you just adequately.

If you’re a gamer, however, look higher up the food chain at a quad core, and possibly something from Intel’s Core i7 family, since these processors have the ability to switch unused cores off in the system and divert all of the power (and clock speed) to a single core, if the game you’re running doesn’t thread effectively.

The same goes for creative professionals – the Core i7 family (or Nehalem – the name it’s often known by) offers great performance, but it really only comes into its own in workloads that are threaded, i.e. applications that can spread their load across more than one processor and deliver an overall better performance level.

With the Core i7 family making its debut on mobile computers relatively shortly, the same will be true for notebook users. Average users should be comfortable on a dual core system, whereas gamers and real power users will want to opt for a Core i7 system.

Oh, and you might see something called Core i5 making the rounds over the next couple of months. Choose this if you want a four-core Core i7 without the HyperThreading – particularly useful if the dual core doesn’t quite meet your needs, but the Core i7 with eight cores (four physical and four virtual) is possibly a little excessive.

NEWS FROM ACROSS THE POND Intel’s developer forum – an ‘uber-techie’ conference for people that understand all of this higher-grade stuff – took place last month in San Fransciso. So we flew across the pond to get you the lowdown on what Intel has coming down the line.

The main announcements, namely the Core i5 processor, an adaptation of the orginal Core i7 for mobile computers and a new family of processors with built-in graphic cores, called ‘the Dales’ (Clarkdale and Arrandale), caught our eye.

MOBILE NEHALEM POKES ITS HEAD OUT The real gem-announcement of the conference was however that Core i7 is coming to mobile – bringing workstation class performance to mobile executives.

Nehalem for mobile is an interesting beast – since shoehorning the raw processing power offered by Core i7 into a system that’s often dependent on a battery for power is challenging.

That’s why the first major difference one will note when using a mobile Nehalem is that the base clock speed is substantially

lower than what it is in a desktop system – around 2GHz to be exact (the desktop Core i7 processors start at 2.6GHz).

These processors really shine when Turbo mode is enabled however – since they’re able to clock themselves up to 3.2GHz if there’s enough headroom from a heat and power consumption perspective.

This makes for great battery life, since the processor only upscales its clock speed when needed – returning to a low-power consumption straight afterwards.

THE DALES The third major point of interest was the announcement of Clarkdale (desktop) and Arrandale (mobile), which are two-core HyperThreading-enabled Core i7s that contains an embedded graphics-processing unit (GPU) in the processor package.

While Intel has never been known for producing the best embedded graphics solutions, these new platforms are a vast improvement over what it was able to deliver in previous years.

Because ‘the Dales’ supports Turbo, the ability for a system to proactively overclock itself if the power consumption and thermal limitations of a system haven’t been exceeded is exploited to the full.

Intel now has the ability to divert power to the processor if it needs more performance, or divert power to the graphics unit if more performance is required there – all while keeping to a very low power envelope.

This means, in processing-intensive tasks, the system will push more power to the CPU portion of the package in order to cope with system load and similarly, when higher graphics performance is needed by the system, it can divert power to the GPU – improving performance on that front.

Expect to see this range in media centre PCs and other small form factors over the coming months.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 17

Here’s the 2c tour…

CORE I5

Windows 7 //BY DEON DU PLESSIS

18 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

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indows 7 launched in late October, and there are probably many people interested in grabbing a copy to take advantage of all the improvements and changes that have made Windows 7 far superior to its forebear, Windows Vista. Just as likely, there are people out there wondering how easy the migration process is going to be, which is where we come in. Up front, we unequivocally endorse the idea that whoever you are, you should seriously consider upgrading to Windows 7, even if you’re a happy Windows XP user – the operating system is really that stable, functional and pretty. Before we get to the actual install process, however, a few things need to be made clear: the migration to Windows 7 can be an intimidating task. It’s not a matter of inserting the Windows 7 DVD and clicking Upgrade and having all your settings, application installations and documents automatically transferred with no further interaction from you.

Complications arise from the operating system you’re upgrading from (i.e. whether it’s XP or Vista, 32- or 64-bit, etc.) and the hardware and drivers you’re using. These factors determine your experience with the upgrade process; we highly recommend you prepare for potential complications by having another computer with Internet access nearby when you attempt the upgrade so that you can search for help online should the need arise.

We’re not saying this to bash anyone; rather we want to present an honest reflection of what users can expect when they decide that even Windows XP is a little behind the times and needs a modern replacement.

HANDY THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT THE MIGRATION: Download and run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor Beta from Microsoft (http://www.microsoft.com/ windows/windows-7/get/upgrade-advisor.aspx) to determine whether your system can run Windows 7.

The rule of thumb here is that if you’re running Windows Vista, your PC should be ready for Windows 7, but if you’re unsure this tool will give you a definitive answer. If you’re a Windows XP user, you can use the Easy Transfer tool on the Windows 7 DVD to backup your data (documents, videos, music, application settings, bookmarks, e-mail, etc.) for easy transfer to your new Windows 7 installation. You can backup your data to an external hard drive, a network drive or a USB flash drive (basically anywhere that will accept your data). If you buy Microsoft’s Easy Transfer USB cable, you can even transfer your data directly to another computer.

Migrating from Windows XP using the Easy Transfer tool does not automatically transfer your installed applications to Windows 7. You will need to reinstall all your applications when Windows 7’s installation has completed and only then import your old data.

You cannot upgrade from a 32-bit operating system to a 64-bit operating system (and vice versa) due to the way each is programmed. Doing that requires a fresh installation on a formatted hard drive (once you’ve backed up all your data, of course), and there’s no way around it. It is possible to upgrade from Windows Vista without the need to use Easy Transfer, but only if you’re upgrading in the following way: • Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium • Windows Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional • Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 19

Windows 7

Upgrades to versions of Windows 7 that differ from their Windows Vista counterparts are not possible; for that users will need to do a clean install. A move from Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional, for example, requires a migration process very much like the one from Windows XP to Windows 7.

Each Windows 7 DVD contains all versions of the operating system. This enables customers to upgrade to any version of Windows 7 by going through a relatively simple telephonic upgrade/ unlocking process. If you started off with Windows 7 Home Premium, for example, and you fancy an upgrade to Windows 7 Professional, it is possible. The upgrade is not free, however.

MIGRATING FROM WINDOWS XP TO WINDOWS 7 The first step in any major upgrade is to do an extensive backup of your data. Recommended areas to focus on include your My Documents folder, My Videos, My Pictures etc, as well as your e-mail data files for all user accounts. Windows tends to hide things like program settings (browser bookmarks, program 20 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

preferences etc.) which is why it is a good idea to use the Easy Transfer tool included on the Windows 7 DVD to backup everything. It also automates the process, leaving you to only select what you’d like to backup.

UPGRADING FROM VISTA TO 7 This is extremely easy. Going from Vista to the equivalent version of Windows 7 requires little more than inserting the Windows 7 DVD into your DVD drive and choosing Upgrade from the window that automatically opens when the drive closes. If your system qualifies for the upgrade, the automated process kicks off and there is little you need to do apart from clicking through the initial prompts. If you’re informed that the upgrade cannot proceed for whatever reason, you will need to follow the migration instructions given earlier in this article.

And that’s all there is to it, really. Well done on your migration to Windows 7! Now it’s time to sit back and soak up the greatness that is Microsoft’s latest (and possibly even greatest) operating system since Windows XP.

WINDOWS EASY TRANSFER

1 Welcome to Windows Easy Transfer

2 Select how you’d like to transfer your files

3 Which computer is this?

STEP 1: BACKING UP

Insert the Windows 7 DVD into your Windows XP computer. Navigate to the Support/Tools/migwiz folder and double click migwiz.exe. This launches Easy Transfer, and all you need to do is follow the prompts to choose what you’d like to have backed up to your external hard drive/USB Flash Drive. You can even choose to passwordprotect your data file; just be sure to remember it as you will need it to restore your data.

STEP 2: INSTALLING WINDOWS 7

Once you’ve backed up absolutely everything you think you want to keep, it’s time for the actual migration process to begin. This involves the formatting of the hard drive used for your operating system, a process that deletes absolutely everything and leaves nothing but an empty drive. Hence the importance of being 100% certain you’ve got a backup of your data files.

The trickiest part of this entire process is ensuring that you can boot up using your DVD drive. If your PC has not been

4 “May”?

5 Be sure to have a REALLY big external drive...

6 Lock it down

set up to do this, we highly recommend you enlist the aid of a friend to help you set it up as it involves digging through your BIOS for the appropriate setting. Once it’s done, make sure the Windows 7 DVD is in the DVD drive, reboot and hit any key to boot from the drive when prompted to do so.

Microsoft has done some amazing work on the Windows 7 installation process. By following the clearly-written, easily-understood prompts, virtually anyone can install the operating system without much help. The only thing to remember here is which hard drive you wish to use for Windows 7. Select it, choose “Format” from the available options, and follow the rest of the on-screen prompts until you’re looking at your Windows 7 desktop for the first time.

Pretty, isn’t it?

STEP 3: REINSTALLING YOUR APPLICATIONS

This is a laborious task, but unfortunately when migrating and not upgrading, there is no way around it. Enjoy!

STEP 4: IMPORTING YOUR DATA INTO WINDOWS 7

You’re going to need to repeat the steps from Step 1 to get back into the Easy Transfer tool, and once it’s loaded, you need to choose “This is my new computer” to begin the process that will import all your data and application settings into your new Windows 7 installation. Browse to the location your data was saved to (be sure your external hard drive/Flash Drive is plugged in), choose the file and click Start. This will take a while, depending on the amount of data to be restored.

STEP 5: ENJOY YOUR NEW WINDOWS 7 INSTALLATION WITH ALL YOUR DATA INTACT

That’s it, you’re done! All you need to do now is bask in the glory of how stupendously clever you have just been, and reflect on the fact that this was, in fact, not as complicated as you might have imagined a few hours ago.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 21

holiday planning online //BY TIANA CLINE

internet

tripping It’s never been easier to plan a holiday!

Thanks to the Internet, going away can be organised from behind the comforts of your computer.

G

oing away? There’s nothing better than being fully prepared for a break, so why not use the Internet to get ready. From finding the perfect place to stay to booking your flights online, to knowing exactly what weather to expect and researching the right restaurants, you’ll find that the r Internet can be an amazing travelling tool.

In SUNNY SKIES AHEAD S

N Need to know if your supposed beach holiday is going to drowned out by rain? There are a number of g international and local websites that provide 3, 5 and in 77-day forecasts…

• www.weathersa.co.za is an intense site that offers detailed explanations on everything from the climate to aviation services.

• www.weather.co.za is perfect if you’re looking for details on the day – simple.

• www.weather.24.com is a great site. For detailed planning, you can click for a 15-day expanded forecast, fire danger, tide reports, the chance of rain, as well as airport delays at either Oliver Tambo or Cape Town International airport.

• Both www.iolweather.co.za and www.southafricanweather. co.za will give you 7-day forecasts, the first site covering UV index, humidity and wind speed.

• Travelling overseas? Go to www.worldweather.org - this website covers every continent, country and capital.

22 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

REVIEWS, RANTS AND RAVES

LOST?

For the directionally unequipped and GPS-unable, the Internet is a great place to help you find your way.

• www.maps.google.com Google Maps is an international map service that you view in your web browser. Use Google Maps to view basic or custom maps and local business information, including business locations, contact information, and driving directions.

Click and drag maps to view adjacent sections immediately. View satellite images of your desired location that you can zoom and pan.

• There are a number of local websites that offer maps you can click and drag, and pinpoint a location such as maps.yellowpages.co.za, www.streetmaps.co.za, www.c2a.co.za and www.easymap.co.za.

FLY ME TO THE MOON

Jetting off to an international, or local, location may not be as simple as it used to be (liquids, visas, baggage allowances!), but it’s definitely easier to do online. Local airlines such as Mango, Kulula and 1Time make it easy to get around and there are many websites on which to book tickets. If you’re interested in fee comparison, choosing

a GPS d device If you already l d have h i like a TomTom, you should look into its online software package called HOME for user maps and creative customisation. How can this help plan your trip? If you only draw at one brand of ATM machines, for example, you can make this a point of interest so when looking at the map, you’ll see markers on-screen – the same for petrol stations and other needto-know locations. And when you come back, share your map so other TomTom owners who go away and see what you’ve mapped out!

NEED TO KNOW > Another GPS idea is to download an audio book onto your TomTom to listen to on the road. You’ll be able to catch up on your favourite author and really use your travel time productively!

your seat, knowing your baggage allowance, the food and entertainment on-board or flight arrival and departure times, the Internet is the way to gather this information in one place.

• www.saflights.co.za and bestflights.co.za not only lets users compare and book domestic and international flights, you can evaluate and book a car or accommodation!

It’s always a good idea to visit the websites of local airlines to see if there are any special offers and discounts. Here are the sites you need to know: Mango > www.flymango.co.za Kulula > www.kulula.com 1time > www.1time.aero South African Airways > www.flysaa.com Airlink > www.saairlink.co.za

No matter if you’re heading abroad or living local, local the best way to really find out about a hotel or restaurant is to read customer opinions. The official website of the place you’re researching may give you all the details and some professional pictures, but there are other (unbiased) ways read up on what other people thought when they stayed at a place, flew an airline or ordered something off a menu.

A great site is TripAdvisor.com – this is the world’s largest travel community where anyone can access real information, advice, and opinions from millions of travelers. It’s the easiest way to plan and take your perfect trip. TripAdvisor is a place you can go for insights and tips by reading about other’s experiences, knowing their real opinions and seeing photos they took.

There is a wealth of other information here – search Cape Town, for example, and you’ll uncover links to a travel guide, things to do, photos, videos, flights and other tourism tips.

Background information like recommended reading, the different neighbourhoods as well as health and safety tips are also a click away.

If someone else has been there, you’re guaranteed to find more than enough information on the place and Trip Advisor covers anything and everything you can think of!

CLICK HERE > www.gotravel24.com has local blogs, competitions, guides, travel specials and hotel reviews. It may not be as comprehensive as Trip Advisor, but there’s a lot of fun features and worthwhile visiting.

If you’re planning a trip within South Africa, there’s a good chance you’ll need to rent a car. If it’s not something you’ve already sorted out after booking a hotel room or finding the right flight, there are a number of great sites such as www.avis.co.za or www.europcar.co.za.

TOP TIP > If you’re renting a car for less than a week, go with a major rental company. For rentals of a week or longer, you may get better rates from local auto dealers. But remember to shop for the best deal…

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 23

THE FOUNDATION OF THE

BUSINESS T

he laser printer is the cornerstone of business printing. If you’re looking to buy a new printer and are leaning towards a laser printer there are a few key areas that need to be borne in mind.

One of the key criteria is the kind of documents you’re going to be printing. If you need a printer that’s going to churn out page after page of text, day in and day out then the monochrome laser is the best product you will ever buy.

HP has an ironcast reputation in this business. The reliability of the HP LaserJet range is nothing less than legendary. Where lesser products wear out after a few years there are LaserJets in service today that have been loyally serving their organisations for more than a decade.

The introduction of colour to the laser printer has opened the door for businesses, large and small, to leverage the benefits of colour into their business-printing environment.

For companies that need to print presentations, or send lots of correspondence to their partners, the impact that colour plays on the effectiveness of communication can’t be underestimated.

The strong business focus of the HP LaserJet range means customers don’t just get a printer that will deliver years of service, they can also take advantage of the years of experience that HP has in ensuring that its printers are easy to set up and use.

The network options offered by the Colour LaserJet range means everyone in the office can share the same printer.

Not only does this cut down on the cost of printing, but also makes managing the printers in a company much easier.

If everyone is sharing a single printer then there is only one driver for everyone, and if something goes wrong it makes fixing the problem a whole lot simpler.

Whether you’re a home office or a department of a larger organisation, the laser printer offers a cost-effective solution and printers that are both fast and quiet.

PRINTING FOR EVERYONE The inkjet printer is almost solely responsible for bringing high-quality printing into the homes of every computer user.

While some people invested in laser printers, most home users in the early days of the PC revolution had a daisywheel printer at home. This meant that printing was only in black and white and printing anything was time consuming and extremely noisy.

The modern inkjet printer, as typified by HP’s DeskJet range gives all consumers a cost-effective and quiet way of printing documents at home.

The low cost of inkjet printers provides them with some unique benefits. The technology is perfect for consumers that need to have a printer at home for school projects or

HP LaserJet P1005 • 14 pages per minute in black and white • First page out in under 9 seconds • Standard input capacity of 150-sheets

HP Photosmart D7200 • 34 pages per minute in black and white • 33 pages per minute in colour • 6 ink cartridges • 8.9cm touch screen

for occasionally printing out documents. By using the right cartridge technology for the job it’s possible to keep the cost of ink down to an absolute minimum.

Many of the HP range of inkjet printers, including the all-in-one’s, DeskJets and Photosmart printers come with WiFi connectivity, allowing a whole family to share a single printer. Not only does this make it easier for the designated family tech support to keep everything up and running, it also enables parents to keep tabs on who’s printing what and how much.

The Photosmart range, while offering the ability to do everyday printing, delivers commercial quality prints in the comfort of your own home. The most important thing to remember in getting high-quality prints is making sure you use the right paper.

HP offers a range of photo papers, including HP Advanced Photo Paper, HP Advanced Soft-gloss Photo Paper and HP Premium Photo Paper, among others. These papers enable users to make sure the quality of the printouts are realistic representations of what was in front of the camera when the picture was taken.

The use of the right paper, combined with the inks that HP has developed specifically for photo printing produce images that not only look fantastic today, but that will also stand the test of time.

HP Deskjet D5500 • 28 pages per minute in black and white • 21 pages per minute in colour • Wireless connectivity • Intuitive control panel

HP Color LaserJet 4700 • 30 pages per minute in black and white • 30 pages per minute in colour • Up to four optional 500-sheet paper trays

excel excellence //BY TAMSIN MACKAY

E EXCEL Exceedingly easy tips to get the most from it

Microsoft Office Excel 2007 is one of the most useful programmes you can imagine and yet it has a terrible reputation thanks to its intimidating layout. However, once you get the hang of it, Excel is an extremely powerful tool that can make the world of difference to your life and Connect is about to show y you how.

26 | CONNECT | OCTOBER 2009

xcel 2007 puts a maths genius at your fingertips. You can use it to create and format spreadsheets, charts and tables that will calculate your sums and produce stunning graphics. It’s a very flexible program and is great for newcomers thanks to the shiny new Microsoft Office Fluent interface and easyto-use tools.

CREATING A SIMPLE SPREADSHEET WITH FORMULAE

Let’s say you’re busy building a stocklist for your new company and you need to create a spreadsheet.

To set up a basic quote spreadsheet from scratch, enter the following headings into the top cells A-D: Item, Unit Cost, Quantity and Cost. Now enter the information that will remain the same each time you use this spreadsheet. In column A put the material you use and put the corresponding prices of each into column B. To make sure that the prices appear as money, highlight column B by selecting the B at the top and then, above Number on the Fluent interface, click Currency. It is marked with coins and a note.

In the Quantity column (C), enter the quantity then select cell D2 and enter the formula =B2*C2 and press Enter. Excel will now work out the value for you and you can adjust this column to reflect currency as well.

Now you’ll want this formula to appear in every cell below. Fortunately this is easy to do! Just move the mouse pointer to the bottom-right of the cell D2 and click and drag over the cells you want the formula to

go into. Once you release the mouse button they will copy across.

In column A add labels for Total, Budget and Difference then highlight the cell in column D opposite Total and click on Autosum. You’ll see this icon on the top right of your Excel document above Editing. Then click and drag over the cells in column D and press Enter to add them up.

You’ve just created your first spreadsheet using a formula!

LOOKS ARE IMPORTANT

Spreadsheets have never been big on looks and often difficult to read. Excel has introduced plenty of extras, however, that will breathe life into your spreadsheet.

The Styles system, for example, lets you apply styles to parts of your spreadsheet, such as tables and charts, and themes to entire spreadsheets for quick colour and design tweaks. To add a style just click and drag your mouse over the cells that you want to brighten up or emphasise and then select the Design tab at the top.

Under Quick Styles in the Table Styles section, roll your mouse over the various options and your spreadsheet will automatically preview them until you select the one you like.

To add a theme, just go to Page Layout, Themes and hover your mouse over the different ones until you find one you want.

You can also convert your numbers into graphs, pie charts, bars and 3D designs for easy viewing. When you present your information it will be far better received if you include visual representations of your figures.

Let’s say you’re about to buy a new phone, start out by drawing up a list of the top ten phones you want to buy, then get prices from your nearest shop.

To compare prices, list the prices from different stores, each one in a new column. Drag your mouse around the table to include all the information, then go to the Insert tab and choose a chart design. A completely plotted graph will now show you exactly which shops sell which phones for the best prices.

If you want, you can even use these charts in other Office applications: just right-click on the chart and select Copy, then paste it into a new document

– say a Word document –and usee the Paste Options command to link the he two together. Now any changes you make in Excel will automatically reflect in your Word document too.

FORMULAS ARE FUN

Excel’s sole purpose of existence is to handle all the complex number ber crunching for you, so don’t get too oo caught up on your mathematical inadequacies,, just let it do the work.

First, some basic rules. Formulas as in Excel always start with the = sign, followed byy the cell references/ addresses. To add these quickly just ust click on the cell with your data to automatically add dd it to your formula. formula The mathematical signs used in Excel are: Subtract (-) Addition (+) Division (/) Multiplication (*) To create a basic formula that adds two cells together, put a number into cell A1, another into cell A2 and then in cell A3 write, = A1 + A2. This will now add up the numbers for you.

When you’re creating a formula you need to remember that Excel has to follow an order of operations so it knows how to do what you want.

Excel works in the following order: brackets, exponents, division, multiplication, addition and finally subtraction.

So now, if you wanted to create a formula to work out a budget, just enter the formula =[cell containing the budget]-[cell containing the total]. The formulas that you can use in Excel for budgets, spreadsheets, graphs and all other forms of calculation and number crunching are freely available across the Internet.

Microsoft includes plenty of them on its site (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel/ HP052001271033.aspx) along with hints and tips on how to create your own.

Now you know the basics, and they are so very basic, go out and have fun with Excel. It will change forever the way you see numbers.

EXCEL ANNO: Office Button > This gives you access to the various file functions including New, Save As and Open.

Ribbon > The Fluent interface is the main design change in the 2007 Office release that groups similar tools together on the Ribbon, making it easier to navigate.

Formula Bar > This displays the contents of the highlighted cell, and if this includes a formula you’ll see it detailed here.

Name Box > This is where the information about the chosen cell, and the name you’ve given it, will appear.

Active Cell > Whenever you select a cell it becomes active, this is where the information or formula you are typing will appear.

Row Number > The cell reference or cell address used in Excel formulas is what’s used to identify the location of a cell and consists of the column letter and row number that intersect at the cell’s location.

Sheet Tab > Right-click on the sheet tab to rename it for your purposes i.e. January or Inventory.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 27

green IT //BY ALASTAIR OTTER

You, too, can make a difference

28 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

A new iPod, a new cellphone, a bigger monitor. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve all hankered after the biggest and best electronic goods, but how many of us have thought about the effect that technology has on the environment?

An aeroplane engine or a power station may do more damage to the environment, but choosing a more efficient PC and recycling your old one can make a small, but important difference.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 29

green IT a Nokia brand. Tania Steenkamp of Nokia says the company has 35 collection points around the country and will accept any old mobile phones, which are then shipped to European recyclers for dismantling and responsible recycling.

CONSERVING POWER

T

echnology presents mind-boggling opportunities that allow us to do things today that are beyond our wildest imagination. The cost, however, lies in the materials and chemicals they are made of, in tandem with the ease and regulatity with which we discard electronic and electrical goods.

Two years ago you would have had to go to the ends of the Earth to recycle an old PC, which is why most people dumped them at the nearest municipal dump. Today, it’s a lot easier and there are tons of options available for responsibly recycling old PCs, phones and printer cartridges.

Incredible Connection, for example, recently launched its Enviro Connection programme to collect old printer cartridges and toners, and now has collection points at its stores throughout the country.

If you buy a new cartridge you’ll get a small discount on that for bringing in your old one. And even if you don’t buy a new cartridge you can still drop off your old ones. “The discount is just our way of saying thank you for recycling,” says Incredible Connection’s Marc Penn (title?). The spent cartridges and toners are collected, sorted and then handed back to their individual manufacturers for recycling.

Similarly, mobile phone maker Nokia has a national recycling programme, even if your old phone is not

The other good news is that environmental awareness is at an all time high and almost all electronics makers are taking steps to make their products more environmentally friendly. To do this, processor makers such as Intel are producing chips that are not only faster than ever, but use less power than before. PC and cellphone makers are also building their machines out of recyclable materials and using low-power LED screens in monitors that use between 30% and 50% less power than old bulky CRT (cathode ray tube) monitors.

While recycling is key, it is just as important to make the best possible use of what you have. Which means choosing PCs and electronics that are built with the environment in mind. Newer PCs, for example, are now built mostly with more efficient processors and batteries, which means less charging time and lower power consumption. Intel’s newest processors use just a fraction of the power of older processors, with its smallest Atom processor consuming less than 2 watts of power.

Re-using components is also an important step towards greener computing. Earlier this year all of the major cellphone makers took a big step forward by agreeing to work towards a single universal charger, which will mean that a single charger can be used to charge any make of cellphone. This means there will be fewer chargers in circulation and fewer will need to be manufactured.

GO GO GREEN! PC and mobile phone makers may be doing their bit to make IT more environmentally friendly, but you can also make a difference. Make small changes in your habits today!

1 > Switch off your PC when you’re not using it.

2 > Computer monitors are one of the largest consumers of power. Turn down the screen brightness just a little to save power and extend battery life.

3 > Print on both sides of a sheet of paper. Most modern printers offer the option of double-sided printing.

4 > Unplug your cellphone charger when it’s not being used. A charger plugged into a wall socket, even if it is not charging a phone, draws a small amount of power that is wasted.

5 > Recycle all electronic goods, batteries, ink cartridges and even compact fluorescent light bulbs, which contain small amount of mercury.

WHERE TO RECYCLE

For the average home or small office user there is a growing list of recycling points at which you can deposit unwanted goods.

PRINTER CARTRIDGES AND TONER: These can be deposited at collection points at Incredible Connection outlets around the country.

The service is free, and if you buy a new printer toner or cartridge you will be given a small discount on your cartridge replacement.

MOBILE PHONES: All old mobile phones can be deposited for recycling at one of Nokia’s 35 national collection points. The service is free and all makes of phone are accepted. A list of Nokia collection points can be found at http://www.nokia.com/recycle GENERAL E-WASTE: Many of the municipal dumps around the country have a dedicated e-waste collection point. Electronic waste is collected and distributed to local companies for dismantling and recycling. A list of collection points can be found at http://www. ewasa.org/ewaste/collectionpoints COMPUTERS, PERIPHERALS: In Gauteng, a few Makro stores have an e-waste hub that collects old PCs, printers and peripherals for recycling.

30 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

WHAT IS E-WASTE? e-Waste, or electronic waste, is the name given to old and discarded PCs, fax machines and televisions. And with today’s computer processors being so capable, and so affordable, even washing machines and toasters have processors built in that also classifies them electronic waste when they are thrown away. The problem with e-waste is that the components contain poisonous materials such as Mercury, Arsenic and Cadmium which are released when they are dismantled and soak into the ground if they aren’t recycled properly.

Ever wish your world of entertainment could keep up with you? LG’s new stylishly efficient GP08 lite drive grants you the freedom you need. It’s the perfect companion to notebooks and it is even Mac compatible. Both easy to use and extremely portable, it can burn DVDs and CDs without having to carry around an AC adaptor or having to purchase any additional software. And with its wide range compatibility you can match your lifestyle perfectly.

LG SUPERMULTI SLIM DRIVE GPO8 LITE

www.lge.co.za Customer care 0800 LG LG LG Mon - Sat 08:00 - 17:00

1156132B/E

THE PERFECT FINISH TO THE PERFECT NOTEBOOK.

PRODUCT REVIEWS // BY DEON DU PLESSIS

ALMOST OVER

W

ow, what a month! The holiday season is almost upon us and the year that still feels so fresh is less than 60 days away from being over!

Perhaps time has flown by so quickly this month because of all the awesome hardware I’ve been playing with. Samsung was kind enough to send over two of their newest phones, and while I wasn’t nuts about the Jet, I was positively ecstatic about the S7350 (reviewed on page 37). If you’re in the market for an upgrade, I would highly recommend that at the very least you check it out at your nearest cellular store.

I also had the privilege of playing with the new iPod Nano, and I have to say that Apple has once again created a thing of beauty and functionality which nobody can touch.

The only product that can beat an iPod, it seems, is next year’s model.

We’ve covered quite a diverse variety of products this month, and we trust you’ll get valuable insight into what’s worth buying right now and what you might want to suggest as a gift for xmas. As always, any and all feedback is welcome.

I hope you enjoy the issue, and we’ll talk again in December.

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.

32 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

REVIEWS 34 40 42 43 44 45 46 48 50 51 52 53 54 56 57 58 59 60

Top 5 AVG Internet Security 9.0 Verbatim Nano Mouse Samsung SyncMaster P2350GG HP Photosmart Premium Samsung SCX-4300 Canon PIXMA MX320 Samsung Jet Iomega Prestige 1TB Hard Drive Iomega Screenplay TV Link Microsoft Lifecam Sho Show Bose Bo se SSou ound ndDo Dockk PPortabl ble Audi Au diov ovox DDPF ov PF708 08 PowerMon onkey eXplorer Sony Vaio VGP GP-PRTZ1 Magi Ma gixx Vi Vide deoo Ea Eassy sy The South African Encyclopae En ediia Books

TOP

5

PRODUCT REVIEWS

RELATED

PRODUCTS

ACER ASPIRE 6935-644G32MN

For slightly less you can pick up Acer’s Aspire 6935 with a 2.0GHz processor, nVidia 9300M graphics running Windows Vista.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Logitech Nano V550 This tiny cordless notebook mouse is a great alternative to using the trackpad, and it uses a tiny receiver that snaps into its body for easy storage.

Targus Leather Notebook Bag Nothing says class and style quite like leather; encase your Vaio in this beautiful, sturdy notebook bag from Targus.

Sony Vaio VGN-SR56 NEED TO KNOW • Aimed at business users • Powerful hardware • Sleek design R14 999.95

SONY’S Vaio range of notebook computers has a very solid reputation, which is built upon considerably with the company’s latest efforts to impress. The new Vaio VGN-SR56 notebook is an impressive piece of engineering that business users with high expectations would do well to investigate.

Just looking at this notebook is enough to convince a prospective buyer that there is something special on offer, but the proof comes when the SR56 is picked up and handled. It’s lightweight, solidly built and is only a little bit thicker than the most modern ultra-thin laptops. This is because the chassis needs to contain all the powerful components which a slimmer form factor simply can not support.

How powerful, you might ask? The SR56 is driven by a Core 2 Duo P8700 processor running at 2.53GHz which is among the most powerful CPUs to ever grace a notebook’s insides. While it “only” has two cores, the advanced Core 2 architecture and the speed at which each core runs will ensure that you won’t even notice. The SR56 tears through applications with ease, which makes multitasking easy to maintain without impacting heavily on system performance.

The SR56 also runs Windows 7 Professional 64-bit, the operating system Microsoft intends for business users. 64-bit means users can run more applications, faster, which will certainly make the 4GB of system RAM that the DR56 ships with come in handy.

Sony has opted for ATI’s excellent Radeon HD4570 mobile graphics processor that has 512MB of dedicated video memory; you can play even the most recent games on this notebook at medium to high settings. This is a surprise for a laptop aimed at business users, but Sony possibly believes in the old “all work and no play” adage. Kudos, Sony!

A number of applications ship with the SR56, and the most useful among these is probably the 60-day trial version of Microsoft Office 2007.

For media enthusiasts, the inclusion of Adobe Elements 7 is likely to cause

34 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

some excitement too. This is because the SR56’s 13.3” LED-backlit screen is amazing, able to compete with even Apple’s mighty MacBook screen in terms of overall brightness and image quality. It’s also quite resistant to glare, and a true pleasure to work on regardless of what’s on-screen.

Rounding out the SR56’s very impressive feature list is wired and wireless networking support, a fast 320GB 7200rpm hard drive and a DVD drive with both reading and writing capabilities. The hard drive could be bigger, if we’re wanting to nitpick, but it’s nothing that can’t be upgraded later so no real issue at all. Something that can be improved is the SR56’s trackpad. It doesn’t feel as smooth as it should, leading to fingers that don’t glide over its surface. Again, it’s a minor flaw but one which needs to be mentioned.

The Vaio is to Windows notebooks what MacBooks are to Macs; each is built to high standards, boasts thoroughly capable hardware and operates like a dream. This latest version, the Vaio VGN-SR56, is no exception, and well worth the asking price.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • • • •

Processor: Core 2 Duo P8700 @ 2.53GHz Memory: 4GB DDR2-800 RAM Storage: 320GB 7200rpm Hard Drive Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit Display: 13.3” TFT Screen @ 1280 x 800 Back lighting: LED Battery life: Approximately 3 hours Networking: Wired (100mb) and wireless (802.11b/g/n) USB: 2 x hi-speed USB 2.0

PROS

CONS

• Powerful processor • Plenty of RAM • Solid, attractive build • Beautiful screen • Lots of extras

• Hard drive could be bigger • Fingers don’t glide smoothly over trackpad • It’s not cheap

OVERALL RATING

Record You Do you carry a song inside?

Music that's just dying to get out? A well designed recording tool should help you take that music as far as you like, when you feel like it. Propellerhead Softwareâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Record is that tool. With one-click audio recording and a straightforward interface, Record was designed with musicians in mind. Because capturing an idea should be easy. Turning it into great music should be inspiring. This is recording done right.

www.recordyou.com

TOP

5

PRODUCT REVIEWS

RELATED

PRODUCTS

Nuance Speak & See Suite NEED TO KNOW • Helps people see, read and type on their PCs • Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Preferred included • Headset with microphone in the box R3249.95 DRAGON NATURALLY SPEAKING 10 STANDARD

This is the basic voicerecognition package from Nuance. Control your PC and dictate documents with ease, just don’t forget the training!

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Logitech Clearchat Pro For long chat or dictation sessions, Logitech’s Clearchat Pro will keep your ears comfy and your audio crystal clear.

NUANCE Software’s Speak & See Suite has been designed to help people who struggle to use their computers to more easily see, read and type. Speak & See’s typing assistance is powered by the excellent Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Preferred speech recognition program, an application that lets you control a PC through voice commands. It also ships with a collection of tools that does the rest: users can enlarge sections of the screen for easier viewing, have text read aloud and even adjust the screen’s colour and contrast for more comfortable reading.

For people with seeing disabilities, dyslexia or who don’t use English as their first language, this kind of aid is just the ticket.

The Speak & See application is nothing short of incredible, and so simple to use: just highlight the text you wish to hear read aloud, and a Britishaccented male voice reads it out clearly. Single words that are highlighted are spoken aloud, and if you don’t move your mouse, the definition of the word will also appear.

Impressively for a non-human voice, inflections are used as one might when reading aloud. There are multiple voices to choose from, too, and the clearest and most natural-sounding one of them all was Microsoft Anna.

The next tool, Lightning Express, opens a small toolbar that lets users magnify portions of the screen, activate a high-contrast mode to combat glare and change the colour of the mouse cursor. It’s also easy to use and requires no real training to grasp. We can definitely see this coming in handy for people with eyesight problems.

Screenruler is the last tool; this opens another small toolbar that controls a ruler bar. Users can select the ruler’s width, whether there are colours above and below it (this ensures the contents of the ruler’s viewing area are highlighted) and its magnification level. It can be used to read documents line by line, useful for people who lose their place in text-heavy documents.

The main component of the suite is Dragon Naturally Speaking 10 Preferred.

36 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

Training is required for the application to get used to your way of speaking; it’s actually an ongoing process that requires corrections when Dragon gets it wrong. Once you’re hitting the ‘90% accuracy and above’ level (which should take only a few weeks of regular use), you’ll be able to control your PC’s basic functions, dictate documents and make text corrections using only your voice.

For slow typists or people who think better when vocalising their thoughts, Dragon will prove an invaluable tool when putting thoughts to paper. The Preferred version has several new features lacking in Standard: the ability to create data files that contain your corrections, a text-to-speech engine (as used in the Speak & See portion of this suite), Microsoft Excel support and it can make use of digital recorders.

Speak & See also has a basic single-speaker headset with a boom microphone; it’s a wee bit uncomfortable so you may want to consider buying something nicer, especially for longer sessions.

Nuance’s Speak & See Suite is an excellent application that can and will help people interact with their PCs. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • • • •

Intel/AMD 1GHz CPU or later 512MB RAM (1GB for Windows Vista) Sound Card with 16-bit recording abilities 2GB Hard Drive Space Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 DVD Drive Headset (included) PROS

CONS

• Excellent voice-recognition engine • Amazing text-to-speech engine • Useful visual and aural tools • Included headset

• Headset is a bit uncomfortable • Training is an absolute must

OVERALL RATING

TOP

PRODUCT REVIEWS

5

Samsung UltraSlide S7350 NEED TO KNOW • Slide design • Brushed aluminium finish • 5MP Camera R2 899.95

THE Ultra S S7350 is one of the latest entries in Samsung’s Ultra range of phones. Aimed squarely at the mid-range market, the S7350 boasts the kind of features seen in high-end models only a few years ago: a 5MP camera, high-quality 30fps video with basic editing capabilities, an accelerometer for movement-activated functions and even DivX and Xvid movie file playback. That’s a pleasant and surprising list of features for a phone aimed at the middle of the market.

High-end features aside, the S7350 is actually a very nice phone to use on a daily basis. It has a pleasantly large 2.6” colour screen and uses the menu system Samsung has been using for well over a year now, making menu options easy to read, navigate and understand. It’s not touchsensitive, however, and therefore offers more conventional navigation.

The S7350 is certainly a looker, however. Its brushed-aluminium looks lend an air of sophistication to the device, and the silky-smooth sliding mechanism is an engineering feat other manufacturers would do well to duplicate. It’s so well done, there is no wobble at all when the phone is open and no fear that it may break with rough treatment.

The only detraction from the S7350’s aesthetics is the plastic backing; glancing at the phone it is easy to overlook, but when it’s in your hand you will certainly notice that the back of the phone is plastic. And not the expensive kind, either.

Using it every day is definitely a pleasure, though, so don’t worry too much about its plastic quality. Calls are loud and clear, and there is a very useful and intelligently-placed volume rocker on the phone’s right side that lets you adjust call and music volume without digging through menus.

Managing your SMSes is also easy, and typing on the 12-key keypad is as intuitive as ever.

We were also quite impressed with Samsung’s implementation of the phone’s accelerometer, the device that senses how the phone is being held. Incredibly responsive, there was seldom any significant wait before it rotated the screen’s contents to suit its new orientation. Tilting the

phone to make photos scroll past was also responsive, although they did move somewhat sluggishly. This is more to do with the phone’s graphical capabilities than the accelerometer, though.

Still images and videos are both done really well on the S7350. While it’s impossible to get away from grainy images in low-light situations, under optimal conditions the S7350 takes pictures you’d be happy to upload to the Web or send to friends. Similarly, while you won’t be shooting your next documentary on it, the phone’s video quality is more than good enough for the odd YouTube upload.

There are also many hidden functions that only dedicated exploration will uncover, which the average person won’t really need, but which are fun to have. These include a song identification service (hold your phone up to the music and have the band and track title identified), an FM radio, voice recorder and even DivX movie file playback.

If you’re a fan of slide phones, it comes highly recommended. Even if you’re not, it’s still a strong contender for your cash thanks to a long list of features and ease of use that’s simple to grow accustomed to.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • •

5MP camera with AutoFocus 2.6” 16M colour WQVGA Screen HSDPA 7.2mbps GPS/Geo Tagging DivX video playback Quad Band (850/900/1800/1900) MicroSD support

PROS

CONS

• Excellent feature list • Brilliantly smooth sliding mechanism • Quality camera for a phone • Micro USB charging • Easy interface

• The plastic back cover feels cheap • Photo sliding is not smooth

OVERALL RATING

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Kodak Easyshare P820 8” Photo Frame You don’t need a bajillion megapixel camera to take photos good enough to show off on a photo frame.

This 8-incher from Kodak is ideal for holding and displaying all the snaps you’ll be taking with the S7350’s 5MP camera.

MicroSD Card We’re possibly getting a bit boring, but it’s undeniable that a perfect companion to a phone that supports MicroSD cards is a nice, high-capacity MicroSD card.

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TOP

5

PRODUCT REVIEWS

Battery life on the HD2000 is particularly good, with a single charge offering over 100 minutes of operation and close on 400 minutes in standby.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Sanyo Xacti Dual HD2000 Camcorder NEED TO KNOW

16GB Sandisk Ultra II SDHC Memory Card Given how storage-hungry HD video can be, we recommend users of the Xacti HD2000 pick up one of these high speed, high capacity SDHC cards which will store ample video as well as over 4000 photos at the HD2000’s highest resolution.

Kodak EasyShare M1020 One of the best digital photo frames we’ve seen, the Easyshare M1020 from Kodak offers excellent photo display as well as top quality video playback at 800x480 in a 16:9 aspect ratio.

• Video and stills combo camera • Full HD video • Excellent quality R8 999.95

MANY digital video cameras offer the ability to take still photos as one of their features, but tests and past experience have time and time again proven these to be almost universally grainy and leagues behind dedicated digital stills devices. This may well all change now with Sanyo’s Xacti Dual HD2000, a true multipurpose video and stills camera.

Thanks to an excellent lens with true 10x optical zoom, the HD2000’s image quality is simply outstanding, producing some of the best results we’ve seen in a combination device. Colours are rich, the zoom lens is very high quality, and the included image stabilisation technology does an excellent job of avoiding blurred or soft images as a result of shaky hands. HD video is shot at 1080p at a full 60 frames per second, producing smooth imagery that can rival some of the more expensive cameras on the market. With a host of shooting options and mode settings on offer, the HD2000 also allows users to capture great images in a range of shooting environments, with low light conditions being the only really weak area.

Audio quality from the built-in microphone is very satisfying, and there is of course the option to use an external microphone if you so choose.

One thing users should note is that the HD2000 comes with a 2.5mm microphone jack, so an adaptor may be required if you only own 3.5mm compatible microphones. The camera also has a selection of Audio/Video output options, including S-Video and Composite Video, but we would recommend going the HDMI route for those who are serious about high quality images.

The HD2000 is a breeze to operate, with an intuitive and simple menu system that users will be familiar with in no time. The pistol grip design is also very comfortable in hand, with the menu and control buttons easy to

38 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

access despite its compact design. It should be noted that the HD2000 does not have any included memory, instead requiring an additional purchase in the way of an SD or SDHC memory card. The HD2000 can support cards as big as 32 gigabytes, and we’d recommend at least something close to this given how large high definition videos can be. As a guide, a 16GB memory card would provide just under an hour and a half of maximum quality video recording.

In summary, the HD2000 is an impressive piece of kit with low light shooting being the only real drawback of the device, made worse by the fact that the camera’s flash does not double as a light when shooting videos. Having this option would have made the camera all the better, but we nevertheless still consider the HD2000 one of the best combination video and stills devices we have ever seen. It is pricey, sure, but this is an excellent camera indeed and we highly recommend it.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • •

1080p HD video recording 8 megapixel photos 10x optical zoom lens Face locking software Slow motion recording Image stabilising 3 inch LCD display PROS

CONS

• High quality video and stills • Extensive feature set • Great battery life • Good variety of shooting modes

• No video light • Expensive • No included memory • Low light can yield poor results

OVERALL RATING

TOP

PRODUCT REVIEWS

iPod Nano 5th-Gen 8GB/16GB NEED TO KNOW • Includes new features • Bigger screen than the 4G Nano • Same form factor as 4G • 16GB and 8GB versions 16GB – R2 499.95 8GB – R1 799.95

THE fifth-generation iPod Nano from Apple is a notable upgrade to the previous generation. It boasts a brand-new VGA video camera, a larger 2.2-inch screen and FM radio for the first time in the Nano’s history.

It still only comes with a choice of 8 or 16 gigabytes of storage space, a slight disappointment considering the advances in technology and dropping memory prices. Even so, it’s still justifiably the world’s best-selling MP3 player.

This is thanks in part to Apple’s excellent interface, controlled by the iconic scroll wheel. By moving your finger over the wheel in either direction users can scroll through the various on-screen options, with the middle button serving as Select.

The other half of the reason for the iPod’s popularity is made up of its build quality (excellent, bordering on “amazing”) and its audio quality (same). By packing ease of use and brilliant sound quality into such a tiny package, Apple has given people that like to take their music and videos with them the perfect way to do it.

Throw in new features like the solid video camera, integrated FM radio and its larger, clearer screen, and you have plenty of reason to ditch your old 4th-gen Nano. The VGA camera is particularly impressive considering it has been integrated into the Nano’s design without affecting its size or thickness. While colours in our sample videos appeared a teensy bit washed out, we found the camera to record sharp enough videos for everyday use, highly impressive for a camera of such tiny proportions.

It’s just a pity the camera is situated awkwardly and we found our fingers occasionally and unintentionally entering the shot. A little practice is all it takes to sort this out, but it is annoying nonetheless.

The FM radio is simply superb. Plug in your headphones (used as the aerial), select your station’s frequency and off you go. Sound quality is excellent and the station’s name is even displayed on the Nano’s screen, plus

you can even pause live radio and let it cache in the background, handy for skipping annoying ads.

The screen itself is similarly impressive. Bright and crystal clear, it’s just about perfect. The extra .2 inches of space results in a resolution of 240 x 376; this doesn’t quite qualify it as a 16:9 screen, so expect widescreen videos to still require some letterboxing to fit properly.

The accelerometer that debuted in the 4th-gen Nano is still here, powering functions like orienting the screen according to how you’re holding the player and changing tracks when shaken. The 4G pedometer is also still here, recording steps and telling you how many calories you’ve just burned just for fun.

In keeping with Apple’s tradition of excellence, the audio quality of this new Nano is brilliant. It’s also still tied into Apple’s iTunes application that manages your songs for you. If you’re a new user it will take time to grow accustomed to how it works, but experienced users won’t have any problems.

Once again, Apple has created a superb multimedia player that justifies the company’s stellar reputation. If you want to own a portable media player with tons of features and extras and your budget is in the R2k range, do yourself a favour and pick up a 5th-gen Nano, you won’t be disappointed.

5

Apple has included a set of their regular earphones; this is good because their sound reproduction is solid, but bad because some people notice them to be a bit uncomfortable after extended use. We highly recommend you pair this Nano with your most comfortable set of headphones – you’ll be getting a lot of use out of them and you’ll want to stay comfy.

RELATED

PRODUCTS

LOGITECH PURE-FI EXPRESS PLUS

Charge your iPod or iPhone with this excellent docking station/alarm clock/radio combo. You can even wake up to your favourite tunes.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • •

Display: 2.2-inch TFT display @ 240x376 Capacities: 8GB and 16GB Battery life: Up to 24 hours (music), up to 5 hours (video) Video: H.264, 640x480 up to 30fps

PROS

CONS

• Superb audio and video quality • Records videos too • Beautiful, stylish design • FM Radio • Easy to use

• Limited to 16GB of storage • Video colours are a tiny bit washed out • Camera placement attracts fingers

BOSE TRIPORT INEAR EARPHONES

If you’re going to be listening to your iPod for hours on end, earphones like these that contour to the inside of your ears are your best bet for comfortable listening.

OVERALL RATING

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

If you’d rather continue using the free version of AVG’s antivirus component, all you need to do is wait a bit: version 9 of the free version will become available once the retail version has had its time in the limelight.

RELATED

PRODUCTS If you’re curious about this package and would like to try before you buy, download a 30-day trial version from http://www.avg.com/wwen/download-trial.

AVG 9.0 Internet Security NEED TO KNOW

NORTON INTERNET SECURITY 2010

Arguably one of the best security suites on the market today, NIS2010 offers all the speed, effectiveness and functionality required for comprehensive and unintrusive PC protection

KASPERSKY INTERNET SECURITY 2010

Slightly cheaper than NIS2010, Kaspersky’s latest offering brings the Russian company’s passionate expertise to security-conscious web surfers everywhere.

• Expanded suite of anti-malware tools from AVG • Faster scanning than previous versions • Previously web-only • New identity protection R399.95 (1 user, 1 year) R549.95 (3 user, 1 year) R799.95 (5 user, 1 year)

AS you may have read in our News section, popular free antivirus vendor AVG has brought out two new commercial offerings which are appearing on local store shelves. These new packages, AVG Antivirus 9.0 and AVG Internet Security 9.0, introduce new features not seen in previous versions (8.5) of the company’s online software, such as Identity Protection and a less intrusive “gaming mode”.

AVG’s user-base is largely made up of users of the company’s free antivirus package; the question, then, is why should these people upgrade to the paid-for version? The short answer is that both AVG Antivirus 9 and AVG Internet Security 9 offer new features, faster scanning and a better virus detection rate than both the free antivirus and AVG’s older, paid-for packages. They also use less memory.

AVG’s Internet Security 9 package offers all the features of Antivirus 9.0 (antivirus, e-mail scanning, link scanning and file monitoring), as well as a firewall, an anti-spam module, Parental Controls and Identity Protection.

During the installation, the program requests that potentially conflicting applications (i.e. other security packages) be uninstalled. It’s a fairly straightforward process, however, and one which won’t intimidate newcomers. Once installed, the program requests that an “Optimised Scan” be run, which scans the computer for applications on AVG’s “Trusted Database”; this takes between 10 and 15 minutes. Trusted applications are not scanned again unless they are changed in any way which reduces the overall scan time. For the first weeks after install, AVG Internet Security continually creates new firewall rules as each trusted application accesses the Internet, and requests the user’s input when a non-trusted program tries.

To make use of the included identity protection, the installation of AVG’s

40 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

‘browsing safety’ toolbar is necessary. The toolbar itself is useful in that it ensures the pages you surf are legitimate and affords fast access to a search provider; if you’re a Google user, you will be disappointed that it’s not one of the selectable search providers in the list, however.

The under-the-hood refinements to this new AVG product have led to a decent security program. Scan times, however, are not impressively fast when compared to other security products, although they are still faster than AVG’s previous versions (both free and paid-for). If you’re a fan of AVG’s free antivirus solution, the speed upgrade will definitely be noticeable.

New and old users alike will appreciate the polished interface: it’s simple to navigate, and requires only double clicking on each category to bring up additional settings. Users can install the program and forget about it, or tweak it to their hearts’ content.

AVG Internet Security offers good protection from the vast majority of Web threats, and does a great job of informing you of the security status of the sites you visit. Its interface is easy to navigate, it has plenty of options for those that like to tweak their settings, and its impact on system performance is hardly noticeable, if at all. This is another solid effort from AVG, and worth the price for its speed and feature improvements over previous and free versions.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • •

1.2GHz AMD/Intel CPU and above 300MB Hard Drive Space 512MB RAM Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7

PROS

CONS

• Faster than previous AVG offerings • Multiple-user retail boxes • Comprehensive protection

• Scanning speed could be faster • Toolbar search does not support Google

OVERALL RATING

PRODUCT REVIEWS

RELATED

PRODUCTS

Verbatim Colour Nano Wireless Notebook Mouse NEED TO KNOW • Small laser mouse for laptop use • Sleep mode when inactive • Works without wires • Tiny USB dongle R249.95

LOGITECH V550 NANO MOUSE

This high-quality wireless notebook mouse also comes with a clip that can be used to attach the mouse to your notebook’s lid for easy transport. It’s pricy, though.

MICROSOFT NOTEBOOK OPTICAL MOUSE 4000

This is Microsoft’s wireless laser mouse designed for use with laptops and includes 4-way scrolling and four customisable buttons, but its USB dongle is rather large.

ACCESSORIES and peripherals appear to be a new focus for US-based Verbatim, best known for its quality storage products. And one of the first new Verbatim products to cross our desk was the Wireless Nano Optical Notebook Mouse. It’s a very compact, colourful mouse whose primary appeal lies in its colourful plastic coating, small form factor for easy travelling and its tiny USB receiver.

The Nano uses the 2.4GHz wireless spectrum to communicate with the USB dongle, which is very reliable and produces lag-free results, i.e. there is no waiting between your mouse movements and the cursor moving on the screen. This flaw has plagued wireless mice in the past, and we’re glad to see the problem has not shown itself here.

The laser sensor that determines cursor movement is also very sensitive (a good thing), and we experienced silky smooth tracking on most surfaces.

The Nano still battles with materials that traditionally challenge mice like glass or any overly shiny surface, but that’s to be expected. It is only mice outfitted with Microsoft’s new Blue Track technology or that use Logitech’s new “Dark Field” tracking technique that work on such surfaces.

Verbatim’s Nano has been ergonomically designed to fit your hand snugly, and it caters to both right and left-handed people. All that is needed is a setting change that switches right and left-button functionality, which can be done with the accompanying software or from within the Windows control panel.

The Nano is available in red, green, purple, yellow, pink, blue, and graphite. Being nerds from way back, we were rather partial to the graphite mouse since it’s a more traditional computer hardware colour, but the other colours will no doubt appeal to people who think traditional is boring. After all , there’s nothing quite like a splash of colour to brighten a workstation.

After the surprise of Verbatim’s entry into the peripheral market wore off and we got down to using the mouse, we discovered that the quality of

42 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

Verbatim’s other products has carried through to its new range. The feel of the Nano is very pleasant, the wireless functionality works like a charm, and the fact that the wireless dongle can be clipped into the underside of the mouse when in transit is a nice touch.

We should point out that the mouse is quite sensitive, leading to extremely fast cursor movement which may take some time to get used to. There is no way to adjust the DPI (dots per inch) sensitivity, either, which is a bit of a letdown. The included software doesn’t include many configuration options either and so doesn’t really add much value.

The other omission is a sideways-scrolling scroll wheel. This is a budget mouse, so it’s understandable that Verbatim would leave that out, but it still would have been nice as it’s a very handy feature to have.

Since the Nano is intended for use with notebook and netbook computers, it is safe to say that it does this very well. If you’re in the market for a colourful, compact, comfortable mouse that works wirelessly and doesn’t cost the earth, we recommend you check out this offering from Verbatim.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Nano Receiver: Small enough to plug in once and leave connected.

• Wireless: 2.4GHz reliability and performance.

• Nano Slot: Store the Nano receiver inside the mouse when you need to move • Comfort Grip: Smooth, rubberized grip designed for comfort and control.

• Package includes: Mouse, Nano receiver, Software CD, 2 x AAA Batteries, Quick Start Guide

PROS

CONS

• Comes in a variety of colours • Small and comfortable • Good price

• No way to adjust DPI • No sideways scroll wheel • Included software could be better

OVERALL RATING

RELATED

PRODUCTS

Samsung SyncMaster P2250 NEED TO KNOW • 21.5” widescreen LCD • High quality screen • Great for gaming R2 499.95

LCD monitors have come down incredibly in price in recent years.

Formerly a luxury unattainable by all but the super rich (or the most dedicated of nerds), these flat screen wonders are now so affordable that they have replaced CRT screens almost entirely. Samsung has long been a manufacturer at the fore of the global shift to LCD, and it is our pleasure to review their 21.5” SyncMaster P2250 - and what a pleasure it has been.

First off, we really like the overall aesthetic design of the P2250. It is very much in line with the majority of Samsung’s SyncMaster LCDs, but with a few notable extras. For a start, there is a clear plastic bezel surrounding the entire screen, which is itself a sleek, black, almost minimalist affair with only a modest Samsung logo emblazoned at the bottom. As such, the P2250 will truly look at home in a professional environment, on any gamer’s desk, or even mounted to a wall.

This monitor also stands out from its peers in that while it is 21.5” wide, it has the same resolution as many 23 or even 24 inch models, resulting in absolutely outstanding image quality. At 1920x1080, this monitor is of course capable of full HD movie resolutions as well as excellent high-res gaming provided you have a powerful enough graphics card. Image quality, as could be expected, is simply outstanding. The 2ms response time and 50 000:1 dynamic contrast ratios mean there is no ghosting (shadowy, trailing images during moments of high action) and no blurriness whatsoever, with colours rich, bright and vibrant. Games look simply amazing, from the eerie grey and brown landscapes of Fallout 3 to the beautifully detailed cars and environments in Need for Speed: Shift.

We should also mention the row of touch sensitive buttons along the bottom right of the display, which add to the monitor’s great design. They

If you prefer to mount your monitor to a wall or use a third-party stand, the rear of the P2350G is equipped with a sturdy VESA standard 75mm screw attachment.

are unobtrusive, making for a better appearance on the whole, as well as very responsive for complete functional satisfaction. The touch controls are sensitive and the on-screen-display is very easy to use with extensive options allowing customisation of almost every aspect of the display, right down to the brightness of the LED lights of the touch sensitive buttons. This allows you to customise your display however you see fit if you’re not happy with the default factory settings.

All in all, Samsung’s P2250 is an outstanding monitor and at an excellent price, too. The only downside we could find (and we really had to look for one) was that it does not have native support for HDCP (a piracy prevention measure for high definition content), which means that digitally protected content such as Blu-Ray discs might not display properly or at all. So, that will be an issue if you plan on hooking the screen up to a Playstation 3, but if that’s not the case, what are you waiting for? Go pick one up now!

SAMSUNG SYNCMASTER T260HD

If you want more desktop real estate, consider the T260HD’s massive 25.5” display. It offers 1920x1200 resolution, 20000:1 contrast ratio and 5ms response time – plus it doubles as a fully-functional HD TV!

PERFECT COMPANIONS

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • •

21.5” wide 1920x1080 native resolution 2ms response time 50 000:1 dynamic contrast ratio 16.7 million colours VGA and DVI input 75mm VESA mount compatible

PROS

CONS

• Perfectly sharp images • Excellent colours • Great design

• No HDCP support

OVERALL RATING

Need for Speed: Shift If you love racing, own a powerful enough graphics card and want a title that can truly show off just how good high-resolution gaming can look, then the recently-released Need for Speed: Shift is definitely the way to go.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

RELATED

PRODUCTS

HP Photosmart Premium C309h All in One NEED TO KNOW • Web-connected photo printer • Brilliant quality photo prints • LCD touchscreen R3 249.95

LEXMARK X9575 PRO

This is one of Lexmark’s mid-range multifunction inkjet printers for small offices. Fax, scan copy and print with confidence.

HP LASERJET NF1312NFII

A 30 000 page duty cycle and robust colour printing, scanning faxing and copying functionality make this a high-volume office workhorse.

HP’S new Photosmart Premium is a printer with a difference: not only does it print, scan and copy, it can also connect to the Web and print photos directly from places like HP’s Snapfish photo-sharing website.

Once you’ve got it set up on your internet-connected wireless network (an easy process thanks to the handy touch screen), you’ll have access to Snapfish. All that is needed is to log in to Snapfish directly from the LCD screen (once you’ve signed up from a PC, of course) and you can browse all the images you’ve uploaded to the Web. Basic editing features are available on the printer itself like red-eye reduction and cropping, so you won’t even need a PC to print or lightly edit your pictures.

The rest of the printer is fairly standard – it scans, prints, faxes and copies, has a multimedia card reader for direct printing from memory cards and USB sticks, and is accessible over wired and wireless networks. Photo quality is excellent, as can be expected from a Photosmart product, and it can churn out photos and documents at a very decent rate. Due to the expense of the inks used, however, we recommend if you’re looking for a document printer to investigate other options and keep the Photosmart Premium for photo printing.

Copying using this printer isn’t fantastic since there is no document feeder for multiple-page copies, but individual copies are easy enough and the process is quick. Scanning can be done to e-mail, a USB drive or memory card and even to your computer in .PDF format and the quality is excellent.

The Photosmart uses five separate ink cartridges, which are all available in an “XL” extra-capacity size which contains 2.5 times more ink than the regular cartridges do. If you print a lot of photos we recommend you buy XL cartridges rather as they offer more value in the long term.

44 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

One frustration with this printer was the install time of its software.

A modern computer with plenty of RAM and a fast processor should not have to endure a half-hour long install process, and for the life of us we could not figure out why it took so long. Especially considering all that was installed was an HP Printer Monitor, a Solution Centre and a help file.

The other issue we encountered was the size of the LCD touchscreen – it seems to be rather miniscule on first impressions at only 8.9cm. It’s responsive, though, so the complaint isn’t too serious, it just feels a little cramped.

This is an excellent photo printer with very useful, internet-connected touchscreen functionality. Photo quality is brilliant and speed is good enough that you won’t be standing by the printer with a tapping foot waiting for your prints. We therefore highly recommend you check out the HP Photosmart Premium 309g-m All in One if you’re looking for a competent, fast home photo printer.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 8.9cm LCD touchscreen • A4 and smaller scanning • USB, Ethernet, PictBridge (memory cards), wireless 802.11b/g and Bluetooth • Automatic duplex printing • 2500 printed page duty cycle, 1250 pages copied (A4) • Up to 33ppm (draft), 12ppm (normal) and 2.5ppm (best) PROS

CONS

• Excellent photo printing quality • Responsive LCD touchscreen • Fast printing considering the quality • Plenty of media source options

• Installation takes a long time • LCD screen is a wee bit small

OVERALL RATING

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Samsung SCX-4300 NEED TO KNOW • Monochrome laser printer • Prints, scans and copies • Compatible with Windows and Mac OS R899.95

WITH such a focus on shop-quality DIY photo printing by so many manufacturers, it’s refreshing to see that Samsung is still aware of SOHO (small-office, home office) users looking for a high-quality and well-priced monochrome all-in-one printer. And the SCX-4300 fits the bill perfectly.

Despite being able to print, copy and scan to and from a variety of media, the front panel boasts just eight control buttons and an easy-to-read LCD display, with all functions easily accessible. The SCX-4300 is eqiupped with a 250-sheet paper feeding tray, which is a very decent size for a printer in this class. There is also a convenient feed tray for envelopes, stickers, and so on, but this is only single feed, so if you need to print these in bulk, this probably isn’t the printer for you.

In terms of speed, Samsung states that the SCX-4300 can go as high as 18 pages per minute (ppm), but tests showed closer to the 14ppm mark.

This is a small discrepancy and 14ppm is still a very respectable speed.

The printer has a maximum resolution of 600dpi, which is fine for a monochrome laser. Print quality is virtually flawless on normal text, although there was a noticeable drop in quality when printing photographs or pictures.

The conventional drum and toner cartridge should be good for around 2000 pages, which is a fairly standard number although we were impressed that a relatively low-cost printer offers such toner longevity. Turning to its other functions, we weren’t entirely happy with the scanning tray cover, as

it only opens wide enough to scan or copy single pages or very thin books.

Considering, however, that the SCX-4300 is aimed at small businesses, this might not be such a drawback. Scanning and copying speeds are very impressive, coming in at a little over 10 seconds for a black and white A4 photocopy, and just a little more than that for a standard colour photo.

In conclusion, Samsung’s SCX-4300 is a feature-rich all-in-one solution for those whose work doesn’t require colour printing, and need a built-in faxing facility.

It comes at a great price and its ease of use (both on the printer itself as well as the accompanying software) coupled with its sleek, glossy design will see it right at home in any office or home-office environment. Practical, affordable, and highly recommended.

Samsung MLT-D109 Toner Cartridge The SCX-4300 comes with a half-capacity toner that can print around 1000 pages as standard, meaning you may just pick up a full-capacity replacement with your initial purchase.

RELATED

PRODUCTS

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • •

Print and copy resolution of up to 600x600 dpi Prints up to 18 A4 pages per minute Scanning resolution of up to 600 x 2400dpi 250-sheet feed tray USB 2.0 or Ethernet connection PROS

CONS

• Great value • Low running costs • Impressive print speed and quality • Easy controls

• Single-feed special media tray • Scanning tray has some limitations • No fax • No wireless connection

OVERALL RATING

HP OFFICEJET J3680

Functionally similar to the SCX-4300, this all-inone from Hewlett Packard trades laser for inkjet printing, and can do so in colour too. It also offers fax capabilities and can be used as a phone, but buyers should note that long-term running costs will be higher if your office requires bulk printing.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Budget-conscious consumers should be note that inkjet printers, on the whole, have higher longterm running costs than their laser counterparts, with replacement ink cartridges often considerably more expensive than laser toner.

RELATED

PRODUCTS

Canon PIXMA MX320 NEED TO KNOW HP OFFICEJET 6500

Coming in slightly more expensive than the MX320, this all-in-one competitor from Hewlett Packard offers more features, higher print and scan quality, and wireless networking support. A very good alternative if the budget can be stretched.

LEXMARK X4650

An excellent budget choice for those who need a printer, scanner and copier but can do without a fax.

Print results are very good, speeds are faster than the MX320’s, and the Lexmark X4650 has built in wireless network support as well.

• Entry-level multifunction printer • Designed for home office • Works with both Windows and Mac OS X R1 199.95

CANON’S PIXMA range seems to have a printer for every niche in the market, and as we show in this review, the multifunction MX320, while at the lower end of the scale, is nevertheless a decent printer, fax, scanner and copier combo for a small home office environment.

Print speeds come in at around 8 pages per minute for a full page of black text, which is not a bad speed for a printer in this class. This figure is of course considerably lower than many of the MX320’s competitor’s speeds, but we found this very acceptable for the target market. Colour printing is slower, as is the norm, at between 3 and 4 pages per minute depending on the ratio of black to colour in the page. Print quality is just fine at the higher settings, but this of course slows down the page per minute rate quite a bit.

Text is on the whole sharp except at draft quality, which is poor even by draft standards. Photo print quality is average for a PIXMA printer, which translates to ‘very good’ for a printer in this class, with natural skin tones and decent colours. What is more, PictBridge support means that the MX320 can print directly from a compatible digital camera.

The MX320’s scanner is nothing outstanding, with average results on the whole, and pale or slightly drab results a little too often. Document scanning is a little better, with decent Optical Character Recognition software bundled with the device. Still, we couldn’t help but feel that a device that can offer colour copying functionality would benefit from a sharper scanner. Another gripe we had was with the control scheme. It’s 2009 now and printer manufacturers have had years in which to refine and simplify their user interfaces, which is why we were a little taken aback by the MX320’s. Canon has done an about turn away from the trend towards

46 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

minimalism and straightforward controls by giving the MX320 one of the busiest front panels we’ve seen in a new printer. It’s not unmanageably confusing, but definitely could be easier.

Connectivity options are also considerably lacking in the MX320, with USB being the only way to hook this printer up to a computer. With so many printers these days having LAN ports as well as even including support for wireless networks, we couldn’t help but feel that this is yet another area where the MX320 lags behind the competition.

In conclusion, the PIXMA MX320 is a decent enough multifunction printer that would suit a small home office environment provided your work does not require bulk colour printing, and that its weak areas will not affect your productivity. If you’re simply looking to get a quality machine at a budget price and don’t mind investing a little time into learning the controls, you could do a lot worse.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • •

Prints at 8ppm in black Prints at 4ppm in colour Print resolution 4800x1200 Optical scan resolution 1200x2400 30-sheet paper feed tray USB port

PROS

CONS

• Good photo printing • Print directly from a digital camera • Excellent value

• Not the fastest device • Controls sometimes confusing • Scanner is a weak point

OVERALL RATING

PRODUCT REVIEWS

RELATED

Samsung is fond of its “Widget” box, a bar that sits at the left side of its phones’ Home screens that contains shortcuts to common functions. Unfortunately, this time around, some widgets (Facebook, YouTube, Bluetooth) are more useless than useful – press a widget icon and it just moves itself to the Home screen instead of activating the intended function. Why, Samsung, why?

PRODUCTS

On the very positive side, users do get 24 months’ worth of a Garmaps Mapping subscription for free with their purchase, as well as a handy car-mount kit for hands-free car navigation purposes.

SAMSUNG PIXON M8800

This camera phone from Samsung has a much more responsive touch screen, takes 8MP photos and has a ton of multimedia functions.

IPHONE 3GS

We realise we are harping on this point, but it’s undeniable that the best touch screen phone in the history of mankind is the iPhone.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Samsung ES55 Black This budget snapper boasts a resolution of 10MP and will easily outperform most any cellphone’s integrated camera.

Samsung S8003 Jet NEED TO KNOW • Uses a new 800MHz processor • Touch sensitive screen • Beautiful 3.1” AMOLED screen • Plays DivX movies R5 999.95

SAMSUNG’S new Jet phone is intended to compete with Apple’s iPhone in terms of its presentation, performance and functionality. The Jet’s ads even claim it’s “faster than a smartphone” thanks to its leading-edge 800MHz processor, and highlights some of its more interesting features like the “Fake call” functionality that simulates a call to get people out of awkward social situations.

This is all well and good, but the phone itself is far from an iPhone-killer due to some interface and responsiveness quirks that will be sure to have most people gnashing their teeth in frustration (like we did).

The touchscreen and Samsung’s ‘Touchwiz 2.0’ user interface is particularly annoying: pressing the View icon when SMSes arrive is meant to take you to the message, but often, that simply did nothing despite the phone beeping to indicate it had received our input. Even careful presses didn’t help, which just added to the irritation, and it wasn’t an isolated occurrence either.

Luckily, the Jet isn’t a terrible phone overall; in fact, it has a large list of features that make it mighty appealing, but it is by no means in the same league as Apple’s iPhone. Since Samsung’s screen technology is universally excellent, it’s no surprise that the Jet boasts a gorgeous 3.1” AMOLED (see Tech Jargon) screen that puts out stunning colours and excellent contrast levels that make for compelling viewing. Better yet, the phone supports DivX movies and 2GB of internal storage (with MicroSD expansion possible), so watching clips on it is a real pleasure.

The Korean company has also included a 3.5mm headphone jack, a feature we feel should be on all phones everywhere, and outputs Dolby 5.1 Surround sound that produces simply superb music and movie audio.

Strangely, little emphasis has been placed on these features as they are easily among the best the Jet has to offer.

The phone’s case, while small, pocket-friendly and very comfortable in the hand, is built of cheap-feeling plastic. Considering that the Jet is meant to be a budget competitor to far more expensive phones, this isn’t a train smash. The built-in 5MP camera is quite capable, and connectivity options

48 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

are extensive (3G, HSDPA, GPRS, Bluetooth and even Wi-Fi). The Jet has you covered in all situations a mobile phone comes in handy, and thanks to the low-power AMOLED screen, battery life is a respectable 1.5 days even with heavy use. The included PC Studio 3.1 software that lets you manage the phone from your PC has been overhauled; the interface is slick, user-friendly and offers handy functionality like converting dragged-and-dropped files to phone-friendly formats on the fly.

On the downside, the overall responsiveness of the phone doesn’t seem indicative of the beefy 800MHz processor that powers the Jet. The interface sometimes lags (pauses while you wait for your selected option to activate) a bit, which it really shouldn’t with so much power.

Overall the Jet is a solid and respectable effort from Samsung; as a package, everything just works and all the features you’ll need are available. It’s not as slick and impressive as an iPhone, though, but it’s also not a R10k purchase.

Oh, yes – its call quality and ease of messaging are about par for a Samsung phone, which is somewhere between “good” and “excellent”.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • • • • • •

Screen: 3.1” AMOLED Resolution: 480 x 800 Weight: 110g Connectivity: 3G/HSDPA/GPRS/EDGE/Wi-Fi/Bluetooth/MicroUSB Camera: 5MP with autofocus, LED flash Video: 720x480 @ 30fps CPU: Qualcomm MSM6246 800MHz Messaging: E-mail/SMS/MMS/IM/Push e-mail FM Radio: Yes Video playback: DivX/Xvid Battery: 1100 Lithium-Ion 100mAH PROS

CONS

• Stunning AMOLED screen • Excellent media options • Overhauled PC Studio is useful • Excellent feature list including GPS

• 800MHz processor doesn’t show itself much • Interface responsiveness is quirky • Plastic build feels cheap

OVERALL RATING

IOMEGA® SCREENPLAYTM PRO HD MULTIMEDIA DRIVE It’s showtime!

Enjoy a high-definition theatre experience with the new Iomega® ScreenPlayTM Pro HD Multimedia Drive USB 2.0/ AV/Ethernet, available in 500GB and 1TB. This multimedia player connects to your home network to store & access your videos, music and photo collections. Record video from a camera, cable box, or VCR with a one-touch record button. The ScreenPlay Pro Multimedia Drive supports native HD and is compatible with the latest media formats such as MP3, AC3 (Dolby® Digital Encoding), WAV, WMA, MPEG-1, MPEG-2 (AVI/VOB), MPEG-4 (AVI/DiVX 3.11, 4.x, 5.x, 6.x/XViD) and JPEG, plus supports USB WIFI adapter for wireless access (adapter sold separately). EMC® Retrospect® and MozyHomeTM Online backup software (2GB free) available via free download.

Iomega ® offers a suite of multimedia players to let you enjoy your media collections.

ScreenPlayTM TV Link Multimedia Adapter

www.iomega.com

ScreenPlayTM HD Multimedia Player USB/AV

© 2009 Iomega Corporation. All rights reserved. Iomega, ScreenPlay and the stylized “i” logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Iomega Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Certain other product names, brand names and company names maybe trademarks or designations of their respective owners. For information on iomega’s current product requirements and supprot policies, please visit www.iomega.com. Product in photos may vary slightly from product in package. Product capacities are specified in gigabytes (GB), where 1GB = 1,000,000,000 Bytes.

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IOMEGA EGO PORTABLE 500GB

If you prefer your external hard drives to be entirely mobile, check out Iomega’s eGo range of 2.5” mobile hard drives that use USB for both power and connectivity.

Iomega Prestige 1TB Hard Drive NEED TO KNOW • 1000GB of storage • Sturdy, stainless steel casing • USB connectivity Price: R1 899.95

VERBATIM STORE ‘N GO 8GB

It’s a compromise between portability and size, but it’s tough to beat having access to 8GB of storage in your pocket.

IOMEGA SCREENPLAY HD

The Screenplay HD combines 500GB of storage and a media player into a single, networkaccessible device.

IOMEGA has brought out another removable hard drive, this time boasting a whopping 1000GB of storage (better known as a Terabyte).

This is an enormous amount of space, allowing you to store an impressive number of songs, movies, TV episodes or whatever else is currently cluttering your hard drive. At an average of 700MB per movie, 4MB per song and 350MB per TV episode, that is an amazing 1428 movies, 250 000 songs and 2857 TV shows. In anyone’s books, that’s a LOT of media.

Not only is this a high-capacity drive, but it’s also housed in a very sturdy stainless steel cage with a brushed metal finish to it; this is a twofold benefit that covers looks (it’s hot) and temperature (it stays very cool). It connects to your PC using a hi-speed USB connection, and is powered by an additional power pack that requires electricity from a wall socket.

Using it couldn’t really be any simpler: plug it in, connect it to your PC and start using it. If you’re a Mac user you’ll need to format it, but this is a quick process, so it’s no major obstacle for most. The default file system is NTFS (NT File System, named as such for its first appearance in a Microsoft operating system, namely Windows NT), which can accommodate files that are bigger than 4GB in size.

Iomega has included EMC’s Retrospect backup software, which is useful for scheduling data backups to be used as a disaster recovery tool – you’re able to back up your operating system’s files, settings and even device drivers with the software for use in the event of catastrophic data failure.

To make the most of this drive’s storage space, we highly recommend you set up sharing rights on the drive so that every computer on your home

50 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

network has access to the drive. That way multiple computers from across the network can copy files to and from the drive, just be sure the computer it’s connected to is always on.

Our only real gripe with the Prestige drive is that it uses USB 2.0 to connect to your computer. USB 2.0 is a good standard; however for the amount of data the Prestige is capable of storing we imagine a much-faster Firewire 400 or 800 connection would have been a far more practical inclusion. As such, transfers to and from the drive will not be the fastest you’ve ever seen. The only reason we bring this up is because the unit’s price implies this is a top-end product, but the exclusion of a Firewire connection says otherwise. Apart from that, this is a solid product from Iomega, and ideal for anyone looking to expand their storage capacity without the need to open their computer cases to perform the upgrade.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • •

Interface: USB 2.0 Capacity: 1TB (1 000GB) File System: NTFS (Default) Weight: 0.976kg Rotation Speed: 7200RPM USB 2.0 Transfer Speed: 480mbits/s

PROS

CONS

• Massive amount of storage • Appealing stainless steel drive cage • Backup facility courtesy of EMC

• No Firewire ports

OVERALL RATING

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Iomega Multimedia Screenplay TV Link NEED TO KNOW • Media player minus storage • Uses common TV connections • Compact media player solution R999.95

IOMEGA has a rather large number of media players that ship with hard drives of a predetermined size, and by all accounts, these are rather popular with consumers. The company has also realised that some people only lack the media player component since they already own drives full of content. To cater for this market, Iomega has brought out a small, compact media playing device that is completely drive-free, called the Multimedia Screenplay Link.

It’s housed in a metal box slightly smaller than an old-fashioned cassette tape with a brushed aluminium outer shell, and requires power, a connection to your TV and a USB data source for content. It accepts USB hard drives formatted with two popular Windows file systems, namely NTFS and FAT32, and supports a variety of common codecs that are required to play digitally-encoded movies.

The Screenplay TV Link can connect to your TV via a composite connection, component cables, an HDMI cable and even a SCART port (although that last one is largely irrelevant in SA). This gives users a great deal of flexibility in terms of their setup; astute readers will know that HDMI is by far the best output method as it supports HD screens and hi-fidelity audio.

The device can even recognise and play the raw data on a regular DVD. If you copy the contents of a DVD to your storage device and hook it up, it will play through the TV Link. Upscaling (performing digital trickery to improve image quality) DVDs to 720p is offered when viewing content using the HDMI output, which worked rather well, with upscaled DVDs looking better than non-upscaled DVD content.

It is also possible to display JPEG photographs using the TV Link; all you need to do is navigate to your photo folder on your storage device, select the image you want and it shows on the screen. If you have a few photos, they will display themselves in a slideshow in the order they are arranged on your storage device. Music playback is also possible through the TV Link.

The most common file formats (MP3, WMA, WAV and OGG) are supported, meaning they can be played easily over a powerful home entertainment system. This makes for easy and convenient entertainment options.

The menu is easily navigated using the included remote control. Even if users aren’t familiar with computers, the menus are arranged in such a way that it’s pretty difficult to go wrong or be overwhelmed with options.

More advanced users with high-definition movies saved as .MKV files will be disappointed, however, as the Screenplay TV Link doesn’t support the format. There are no firmware updates available to address the problem, either, but hope springs eternal that Iomega or EMC will release a future update that enables .MKV support.

For a portable media solution, the Screenplay TV Link is a good buy. Its small size means you can take it with you when you travel, and the HDMI output means you can watch your USB movies on your big screen HDTV. It’s not perfect, however, and if you’re a fan of the .MKV file format, you might want to consider an alternative media player.

IOMEGA SCREENPLAY HD

This is a media player with a built-in 500GB hard drive and a network port. It’s a more versatile, all-in-one solution suited to a static home entertainment setup.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Movie Format Support: MPEG-1, MPEG-2, AVI, VOB, MPEG-4, AVI, DivX 3.11, 4.x, 5.x, XviD • Music file format support: AC3, MP3, OGG, WAV, WMA • Photo format support: JPEG • Outputs: HDMI, Composite, Component, SCART (with adapter, sold separately) • Power Supply: External (mains) • USB 2.0 Ports: 1 • Weight: 99.9g PROS

CONS

• Nice compact size • Uses USB storage for media • HDMI output for big TVs • DVD upscaling via HDMI

• No .MKV file support • No S/PDIF audio output

OVERALL RATING

HDMI Cable There is no HDMI cable included in the TV Link’s packaging, so you might want to consider picking one up before heading home.

Sandisk Cruzer Contour 8GB USB Flash Drive 8GB is enough to store eleven DivX movies, 2 000 music files or 16 000 JPEG images.

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LOGITECH QUICKCAM PRO FOR NOTEBOOKS

This great webcam boasts a Carl Zeiss lens, 2MP autofocus lens and HD video capture. Together with an excellent integrated microphone and its intelligent face tracking software, this robust and well designed device is a worthy competitor to the LifeCam Show.

LOGITECH QUICKCAM E2500

A no frills, no-nonsense budget alternative, the E2500 maxes out at 640x480, but still yields great results at this resolution. Its low price belies the picture quality and the clarity of the built-in microphone, and it can easily be attached to both laptop or desktop monitors thanks to its versatile base.

Microsoft LifeCam Show NEED TO KNOW • Easy to use • Multiple attachment options • Software integrates with Windows LIVE R1 299.95

WEBCAMS. They really have changed the world of communication, haven’t they? Yet despite growing more common, they are still a relatively new technology, with each new model bringing advances that are more incremental than miraculous. True to form, Microsoft has released a great webcam that, while not a revolutionary leap into the future, is definitely a great step along the way.

Small and lightweight, yet with a lot crammed into its compact design, the LifeCam Show brings a host of features to the table – some essential, many just plain fun – and most importantly it’s got it where it counts.

Thanks to a high-quality lens and some great new technology under the hood, the LifeCam Show produces excellent video quality despite its tiny size. Pictures are sharp and in focus even in in low light conditions, audio quality is as good as we could hope for, and the ease with which the webcam integrated into Windows was very pleasing.

We also really liked the Lifecam Show’s included stand for the simple reason that this can be positioned just next to the video window of whoever you are talking to. The obvious result is that you will be looking them in the eye, as opposed to the seemingly ‘gazing off into the distance’ impression that having a webcam positioned at the top or below the monitor so often creates.

In addition, if you’re a laptop or netbook user, the LifeCam Show has a small attachment that sticks onto the top cover of your laptop, as well as the more traditional clip option for using it at the top of the screen. Thanks to a magnet on the back of the webcam, it clips perfectly into place without any forcing or fiddling. Microsoft has really done well in thinking about the requirements of the end user in this regard, which is great to see. On top of the slick design, ease of use and the great picture quality, the LifeCam Show

52 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

comes bundled with some user-friendly software that was a lot of fun to use. A number of facial tweaking options can be selected to, say, double the size of your mouth, superimpose a wig or a hat on top of your head, and change the shape of your eyes.

With advanced facial tracking software, the changes are rendered in real time and in 3D, and are very impressive, not to mention very funny.

Sure, these probably won’t be used for business video conferencing, but for moms or dads away on business, it’s a great way to add some laughs when Skyping the kids back home.

Indeed, the LifeCam Show may prove the perfect webcam option for mobile users because its small size yet excellent results make it an excellent choice for those constantly on the go. Coupled with the included stand, it’s an excellent piece of kit for desktop users as well, and we highly recommend you give this compact yet very capable device a look. It’s not the cheapest webcam out there, but it’s definitely an excellent, high quality webcam.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • •

2.0 Megapixel Sensor Wide angle lens Autofocus 5x digital zoom Noise Cancelling Microphone Up to 800x600 video resolution Up to 1600x1200 photo resolution PROS

CONS

• Very good picture quality • Good autofocus • Very handy stand • Fun software

• Doesn’t work with Macs • Pricier than some similar models

OVERALL RATING

The Bose SoundDock Portable has a 3.5mm auxilary input jack compatible with any suitable sound source, meaning it can be hooked up to just about any MP3 player if the iPod is not your thing.

Another cool feature is that the Bose SoundDock Portable will charge your iPhone or iPod whenever it is docked.

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Bose SoundDock Portable NEED TO KNOW • Designed for iPod • Great aesthetics • Excellent quality docking station R5 999.95

MORE and more households are seeing all-in-one integrated entertainment systems centred around a widescreen TV or a media centre PC. The hi-fis of old have given way to MP3 players connected to our entertainment systems or, as in the case of the Bose SoundDock Portable, a dedicated MP3 player docking station and speaker combination.

The first thing that will strike you about this unit is its very stylish and attractive appearance. A smooth metallic finish, slightly rounded front and minimalist exterior all combine to create easily amongst the most aesthetically pleasing docking stations on the market today. The iPod port itself is hidden in a rotating dock at the bottom of the kit, easily and smoothly popping open with a single press, and then folding away to retain the SoundDock Portable’s slick look when not in use.

The audio quality is very pleasing, with excellent detail and a solid low-reaching bass that was very satisfying. Indeed, the Bose Sound Dock Portable produces full, rich sound across a wide range of musical genres, with great results on the whole, especially given the size of the speakers.

The volume controls are located on the right side of the system and require just the lightest brush of the fingers thanks to the very efficient touch-sensitive technology. That’s really it in terms of controls on the actual unit itself, although the system is supplied with a a great little remote control which, on top of standard power and iPod controls, sports two playlist switching buttons. This is a simple feature that goes a long way to adding value to the overall package.

The kit also includes a rechargeable battery pack that can provide power for more than 12 hours at medium volume, with the manufacturers

estimating around 3 hours of play time at full volume with heavy bass.

We really can’t stress enough just how suave and good looking the Bose SoundDock Portable is, and it will perfectly complement, if not improve, the décor in your home. But, while it is a very attractive and functionally outstanding docking station with excellent sound quality to boot, we can’t help but feel that you’re paying a little extra for the Bose name itself.

After all, there are considerably cheaper competitor products that produce comparable results while also offering more features.

What’s more, weighing a full 2.3kg, this might not be quite as portable as Bose’s marketing guys might have us believe, but thanks to a specially designed carry bag (sold separately) you won’t have to lug this thing around by hand if you so choose. Even with these minor issues taken into consideration, we still conclude that this is an excellent product and highly recommend it for those wanting to give their iPod a special home.

LOGITECH PUREFI ANYWHERE 2

A considerably more affordable alternative that still boasts outstanding sound quality, the Pure-Fi Anywhere 2 is a great docking station in its own right, even if it isn’t quite as slick and stylish as Bose’s offering.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • •

Size: 17.5cm x 30.7cm x 10.3cm Rechargeable lithium-ion battery Built-in carry handle Rotating iPod docking station Apple certified and compatible with all iPhones and most iPods 3.5mm auxiliary input jack

PROS

CONS

• Looks and sounds wonderful • Impressive battery life • Very handy remote control

• Maybe a little heavy to be truly portable • Very expensive

OVERALL RATING

iPod or iPhone The Bose SoundDock Portable was specially designed for Apple’s marketdominating MP3 player, and given the extra functionality afforded by the remote, you’ll be doing yourself a disservice using this docking station without one.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

The DPF708’s handy remote control allows you to easily control the device from anywhere in the room.

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Audiovox DPF708 AUDIOVOX DPF908

A slightly larger model, the DPF908 comes in at 9 inches (about 23cm) and has a resolution of 640x220. Like its little brother, it also sports three interchangeable frames as well as a clock, calendar and sleep timer.

KODAK EASYSHARE M1020

This luxury 10-inch (25cm) digital photo frame boasts an amazingly high quality screen, great video playback, a touch sensitive control mechanism and impressive software for managing photos, choosing slideshows and more.

NEED TO KNOW • Digital photo frame • Decent built-in memory • Widescreen aspect ratio R799.95

THERE are a number of factors to take into consideration when buying a digital photo frame, and key among these are the quality of the screen, the onboard storage, and display and connectivity options.

Measuring just under 18cm (measured diagonally), the DPF708 is great for a bedside table or office desk and is even wall-mountable. In addition to displaying photos, it also sports scheduling software including a calculator and a clock, as well as a handy sleep mode to stop displaying the image after lights out. The DPF708 even has the ability to play MP3’s, but this felt more like a gimmicky extra than a feature that genuinely added value to the device. We feel that given the speaker quality and where these frames are likely to be located, an FM radio would have made more sense. The DPF708 also comes with three black, white and wood grain interchangeable frames, meaning it will suit a number of décor styles.

Photo quality is naturally the most important consideration, and this is unfortunately where the DPF708 stumbles. It has a resolution of 480x234 pixels, but an aspect ratio of 16:9, which translates into unwanted cropping on either side of the photo. This is not the end of the world, but the real annoyance comes from the fact that you may well have to resize and manually crop all your images to 480x234 resolution to get the best results.

If this is a major issue, consider getting the DPF708’s bigger brothers, the DPF808 and the DPF1000, which have a native aspect ration of 4:3.

One plus is that the DPF708 comes with 128MB of internal memory. Now, this might not sound like much, but as it’s enough to hold between 20 and 40 photos (depending on resolution), this should be more than enough to

cycle through an assortment of shots using the device’s slideshow feature. Of course, it does offer SD, XD, CF MMC and MS memory card support, as well as a USB port if the built-in memory is not enough.

Unfortunately, the DPF708 lags behind some of its competitors in the area of connectivity options. Specifically, it lacks one thing that is becoming increasingly prevalent in many homes: wireless support. While not a crippling disadvantage, it still comes across as an oversight on the part of the designers as we can’t help but feel that a few years from now, wireless connectivity will be ubiquitous in every digital appliance we own.

With this in mind, we must conclude that if you want to future-proof your equipment, the DPF708 may not be the way to go. If, however, you just want a very well-priced digital frame and can’t be bothered whether or not it has wireless support, you could do far worse than this.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • •

16:9 Aspect Ratio 480x234 pixels Supports SD, XD, CF, MMC & MS Memory Cards 128MB Internal Memory Sleep Timer Mode AC powered PROS

CONS

• Excellent price • Scaling technology avoids distortion • Very simple to use • Wall mountable

• Average image quality • No wireless support • MP3 playing is a little gimmicky

OVERALL RATING

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PowerMonkey eXplorer NEED TO KNOW • Solar powered, USB and wall charger • Perfect for travellers • Truly innovative R599.95

A holiday in Bali Its robust design sees the PowerMonkey eXplorer right at home right on the beach, and it’s splashproof (although not fully waterproof) as well.

Any handheld device The compatibility of the PowerMonkey eXplorer is simply astounding. Phones, PDAs, cameras, MP3 players, PSPs and Nintendo DS are among its many supported devices. Take your pick, plug it in, and charge away.

AS is par for the course for hardware reviewers, we end up seeing a lot of very similar items month in and month out. It’s refreshing, then, when a truly unique item lands on our desk and we get to pick it apart and tell you all about it.

In brief, the PowerMonkey eXplorer is a portable charger for an unbelievably wide range of devices. The charger’s battery pack itself can be powered by a wall socket, USB connection or by the included solar panel, meaning you’ll almost never be without a way to charge your electronics.

It comes with connections for all major cell phone brands, mini-USB, standard USB, a connector that works with a Sony PSP and most digital cameras, as well as a specially-designed iPod connector, and if that’s not enough, the device can also charge a Nintendo DS or Gameboy Advance SP. What’s more, its AC adaptor (for charging through a wall socket) comes with interchangeable heads that will work in more than 150 countries worldwide. Everything also comes in a handy carry pouch, and the battery pack comes ready charged to 60% capacity so that you can use it from the get-go.

Although we’re singing its praises in a big way, the PowerMonkey eXplorer isn’t without a couple of shortcomings. First, the cord that connects the solar charger to the battery pack is surprisingly short – just a few centimetres in fact – which means that unless you can find something to cover it with, the battery pack will be directly exposed to the sun for the duration of its charge. You might want to cover it up with something, even just a cloth or a t-shirt, as prolonged exposure to sunlight can damage LCD

56 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

screens and of course that kind of extended heat build-up is never good for electronics of any kind. Next up is that the solar panel can take literally days to fully charge if you’re experiencing a cloudy spell, so don’t imagine that a couple hours in the sun will have your PowerMonkey eXplorer ready to power up your PSP again. It charges perfectly – it’s just that it takes time.

Also note that while it works with a fair number of digital cameras, it doesn’t always recharge the camera’s own battery, but acts instead as an external source of power. We advise potential buyers to bring their digital camera in with them to test before purchasing.

Other than these few points, however, we were blown away by the versatility and ease of use and highly recommend this kit for travellers or anyone on the move with a lot of portable devices. It’s a great power solution at a very reasonable price.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • •

4.5V – 5.5V output voltage 700mA max output current 2200mAh battery capacity Water resistant Battery pack weight: 83g Solar charger weight: 82g Complete kit (all connectors etc) weighs 553g PROS

CONS

• Staggering compatibility • Solid and robust design • Ultra portable

• Solar charging can take ages • Short cables • Won’t charge all digital cameras

OVERALL RATING

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Sony VAIO VGP-PRTZ1 NEED TO KNOW • Laptop port replicator • Designed for Sony VAIO TZ series laptops R2 499.95

THE trade-off for laptop portability is often keyboard size and connectivity options, and having a docking station or port replicator is a great way to bridge the gap between the mobility of a laptop with the stability and permanence of a desktop system. The VGP-PRTZ1 is Sony’s proprietary port replicator for their TZ series of notebooks, and offers a great way of comfortably working on your Sony VAIO laptop when not on the move.

While not as extensive as some full-featured docking stations we’ve seen, Sony’s VAIO VGP-PRTZ1 offers the convenience of allowing you to have all your peripheral devices permanently plugged in. This means that at the office, or at home, your laptop effectively doubles as a desktop computer with all the benefits of one: large, comfortable keyboards can be used along with an external (or wireless) mouse of your choosing, up to 3 high-speed USB devices can be connected at any one time, and the VGA port allows one to view the display on a full sized monitor. The included Ethernet connection port means that your laptop will be connected to your home or office’s wired network whenever it is docked.

While having 3 USB ports is certainly useful, we are of the opinion that 4 should be a minimum. Consider that if you choose to use an external keyboard and mouse, which is pretty standard with docking stations, you’re immediately left with only 1 USB port. If your office does not have a networked printer, then that last port is likely going to be dedicated to printing, leaving you somewhat inconvenienced if you want to plug in, say, an external hard drive, Blu-Ray burner, or USB-heated slippers (yes, really). We urge potential buyers to bear in mind the somewhat limited USB

connectivity of this docking station, and consider picking up a USB hub if more than three peripheral devices will be needed.

Another thing we feel potential users should note is that the VGP-PRTZ1 does not come with its own power cable, and they may want to pick one up with their initial purchase to avoid any later frustrations.

In summation, three USB ports, one VGA connection and an Ethernet port make up the extent of the VGP-PRTZ1’s feature set. As such, this port replicator lacks some of the features of other docking stations (DVI output as well as audio input and output ports come to mind) and may leave one ultimately feeling a little limited in terms of expandability options. That said, if you’re simply after a straightforward and simple “plug in and work, pick up and go” solution for your Sony VAIO, the VGP-PRTZ1 could be the perfect choice. What is more, its slick, dark exterior and smooth design will see it well at home in professional environments, making it a great choice for business users. Definitely worth considering.

Sony VAIO TZ Series AC Adapter An extra power supply permanently plugged in at the home or office will save the effort of having to connect AC Adaptor each time users move between working locations.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 3x USB 2,0 ports • Gigabit Ethernet port • VGA output

PROS

CONS

• Simple to plug in or release laptop • Professional look and feel

• More USB ports would have been better • No included power supply

OVERALL RATING

Targus Atmosphere laptop case This padded case, made from soft yet sturdy material, will help protect your VAIO while also offering plenty of pockets for documents and accessories.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Magix Video Easy NEED TO KNOW Sony DCR-SX40 Video Camera This affordable little camcorder from Sony is all you’ll need to take good quality videos that can be uploaded to YouTube once you’ve polished them a little with Video Easy.

Samsung Pixon M8800 Thanks to its built-in 8MP camera, you’ll never be more than arm’s length away from a camera that’s more than capable of capturing everyday scenes in high detail

• Simple-to-use video editing software • Designed for beginners • Import movies from various sources R299.95

MAGIC Video Easy has been designed from the ground up to be a simple way to import and edit movies, and thanks to some hard work from the folks at Magix, that has been achieved. This is an elegant, frill-free application that will definitely help people new to video-editing produce desirable results with minimal training.

It is by no means a full-featured video-editing application, however, so if you’re looking to produce professional-looking videos, you’ll be a lot better off with something like Adobe Director. If, on the other hand, you just want a way to add captions to videos you’ve taken with your cell phone, create fun transitions between clips, burn the resultant movie file to DVD or upload it directly to YouTube, Magix Video Easy has you covered.

The makers have included a basic tutorial video that walks new users through what Video Easy has to offer, and the concepts you’ll be using to create your own projects are clearly demonstrated for easy understanding.

Video Easy supports movies of various formats (including High Definition AVCHD movies), as well as importing photographs into your projects; it can even pull video from sources like video cameras and webcams. This means you can finally put together that montage of holiday snaps you’ve been wanting to, or surprise your significant other with a romantic montage of all of your favourite pictures, set to your favourite tunes.

Video Easy is not difficult to work with; a lot of work was spent refining the interface into something the average computer user would have no difficulty relating to. The program even comes with a wizard that does the basics for you once you’ve selected the clips or images you’d like to use in your project.

Perhaps best of all is Video Easy’s many “Movie Finishing” options. This is a fancy way of asking you what you’d like to do with your project, and options include burning directly to DVD (the resultant DVD is then playable

58 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

on any regular DVD player), uploading directly to YouTube, straight to your Magix Online Album (registration is required) or simply saving the file to your hard drive.

Archive options exist, too, which back up all files involved in the creation of your project, along with the final movie, to either your hard drive or a DVD. For users with basic needs, Video Easy is definitely one of the more accessible packages out there. While it won’t let you be James Cameron, it will certainly give you access to the kind of basic features that will spruce up your movies and photo collections.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • • • •

Windows XP/Vista/7 1GHz CPU AMD/Intel CPU or higher 512MB RAM 400MB Hard Drive Space DVD Drive Graphics at 1024 x 768 (minimum) Sound Card

HD MOVIE EDITING REQUIREMENTS: • Dual-core Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz with Hyperthreading • 1GB RAM (2GB recommended) • DirectX 9.0c compatible graphics card with 128MB VRAM

PROS

CONS

• Easy-to-use interface • Support for a good variety of video formats • Direct uploads to YouTube • Great price

• Not an extensive array of features • Advanced users are not catered for

OVERALL RATING

RELATED

PRODUCTS

ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA 2009 ULTIMATE EDITION

Britannica is an established encyclopaedia brand that has transitioned brilliantly to the digital age with up to date multimedia content and a solid user interface.

The South African Encyclopaedia NEED TO KNOW • South African-focused digital encyclopaedia • Searchable database of information • Powered by Fast Folio • Aimed at SA learners R299.95

PROFESSIONALLY-produced digital encyclopaedias (Encyclopaedia Britannica, World Book, Encarta, etc.) are stuffed full of images, videos, illustrations and sound clips to keep the subject matter engaging and interesting. For the most part, they are also presented in an appealing, easy-to-use fashion that keeps readers coming back for more.

The creators of The South African Encyclopaedia obviously never used any of those as a reference when putting this package together. The interface users are presented with after installation and activation by SMS is utterly horrible, looking like a throwback to programs designed for Windows 98. It’s also not very user-friendly, and has more in common with a database administration front-end than it does a commercial educational software package.

The South African Encyclopaedia is presented to users as a rather drab database that can be browsed and searched. Topics are listed down the left side with lots of open white space on the right for displaying the information contained in each. A search box at the top of the screen can be used to find keywords relating to whatever you’re searching for, and double clicking on any of those results loads the related page into the right pane.

Detracting from the overall presentation, ’there are no sound clips, images are scarce and rather low-res, and there are no movies included .Browsing through the SAE is like looking through a book, just with better search options. This may have been done intentionally to accommodate a wider range of computer configurations, thereby giving a wider audience the opportunity to explore the encyclopaedia.

Despite these negatives, the South African Encyclopaedia is packed full of information on South Africa, from the country’s history to its

geographical, economic and political landscapes and even information on our sporting achievements of the past 100 years. If you’re diligent, you can unearth a great deal of detail that you probably didn’t know about our beloved country. The information is very current and well-written, covering events up to the middle of 2009. SAE is also available in Afrikaans.

While South Africa is undoubtedly the focus of the package, it also contains information on non-South African topics, making it useful for school projects that need access to more general information. Global warming, continental drift, world politics, philosophy, World War I and II, literary theory… are all subjects that yielded results when entered into the search box.

Despite its lacklustre presentation and utilitarian interface, it can’t be argued that the information is neither there, nor in volume. If users are willing to look past the clumsy exterior, the package has the potential be a very useful reference tool for school-goers, particularly if they’ve never had access to anything resembling an encyclopaedia before.

BRITANNICA DISCOVERY SERIES

Britannica has also released several stand-alone reference packages that cover topics in detail that range from the human body to the Earth to the Solar System and beyond.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • •

Pentium III Processor @ 500MHz or higher Windows 2000/XP 256MB RAM 400MB Hard Drive Space CDROM Drive

PROS

CONS

• Extensive information for those willing to seek it • Focused on South Africa • Plenty of general information too • Also available in Afrikaans

• Awful circa-1998 interface • Lack of multimedia content • Low-resolution images

OVERALL RATING

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 59

book reviews

WINDOWS 7 PLAIN & SIMPLE

NEED TO KNOW

EXCEL 2007 FOR DUMMIES

• By Jerry Joyce and Marianne Moon • 400 Pages

NEED TO KNOW

THE release of Windows 7 in late October has inevitably led to a rise in the demand for books that help deconstruct and demystify the new operating system’s new features. The Plain & Simple book series, well-known for its easily-accessible, no-nonsense approach to educating readers without bludgeoning them with technical language, rises admirably to the challenge of conveying everything new users of Windows 7 will need to know about Microsoft’s newest operating system. Windows 7: Plain & Simple is not intended to be read from cover to cover; rather, the book is split into sections that cover each of Windows 7’s functionalities.

Readers can simply browse to the category relevant to their interest using the handy index, open the book to that page and go from there. Non-nonsense step by step instructions are to be found throughout the book that provide useful

WINDOWS 7 FOR DUMMIES

NEED TO KNOW • By Andy Rathbone • 432 Pages

THE Dummies series of books has proven popular with people interested in getting advice on how to use their computers without being spoken down to. Despite the title, the Dummies series manages to do this extremely well, and 60 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

• By Greg Harvey • 408 pages

directions on tasks, complete with full-colour illustrations; this immediately puts readers at ease that their actions will not lead to catastrophic results.

The book covers everything people can do with Windows 7, from burning CDs and DVDs to adjusting hardware and software settings via the Control Panel. For people new to Windows 7, especially if their last operating system was Windows XP, this is an excellent resource for getting to grips with all the changes the new OS introduces.

the authors have turned delivering straight-talking computer advice without making the reader feel like a fool into an art.

Andy Rathbone’s Windows 7 for Dummies is another great example of the Dummies series’ success. Rathbone has included all the relevant information users new to Windows 7 will find useful, and it is all laid out in a very accessible manner. Pick a subject, look it up, follow the instructions, close book, move on. While the information presented does incorporate some rather technical bits, Rathbone is also sure to warn readers far in advance that his article is about to get technical, and readers have the choice to read further or scoot around the techie bits. As he mentions in the “How to read this book” section, Windows 7 for Dummies is all about finding relevant articles, reading them, learning and moving on. All articles are not required reading, and the book serves more as a reference tool than a hand-holding tutorial on everything Windows. As such, this book is best-suited to people looking to make good use of Windows 7 rather than those interested in learning it inside and out.

MICROSOFT’S Excel has always been a very handy program for working out budgets, putting together contact or address lists, and even small single-table databases that don’t quite require the functionality of Microsoft Office’s dedicated database application, Access. Yet working with spreadsheets is not exactly instinctive human knowledge, and the extensive and versatile Excel 2007 definitely requires a guidebook, instructional video or hands on tutelage.

While most Dummies books offer a ‘from the ground up’ beginners guide, this particular title would serve better as a tool helping users of an older version of Excel bridge the gap to Microsoft’s 2007 release, as the absolute basics of Excel itself are not looked at in much depth. Later chapters offer comprehensive and detailed guides to performing advanced functions and tasks, such as creating pivot tables, charts and macros, all presented in the Dummies books’ trademark clear and easy to follow layout.

This is a very decent book but it does assume some knowledge and experience on the part of the reader. That’s not to say that there’s anything wrong with the book, it’s just that it’s not quite as for dummies as the title might suggest. As such, it is a great choice for those with a bit of basic Excel knowledge that want to become masters of Excel 2007, but absolute beginners may need a bit more of a grounding than this book can provide.

COMPUTERS FOR SENIORS FOR DUMMIES

NEED TO KNOW • By Nancy C. Muir • 408 pages

IT may well be a truism that the extent of a person’s technophobia is, on the whole, directly proportionate to their age. While today’s kids can update their Facebook status, send an email and download new MP3s all at the same time as easily as (and probably more willingly than) they brush their teeth, their grandparents might not even know what it means to double-click a mouse. Now, this book from author Nancy C. Muir provides the perfect means for twenty-first century seniors to overcome their digital woes and make a fashionably late entrance to the world of computing.

Muir, who has written over 40 instructional titles that include Using the Internet Safely for Seniors for Dummies, Windows Vista Just the Steps for Dummies and the PCs Just the Steps for Dummies, has once again produced a great title that holds the reader’s hand without being patronizing. After a basic introduction regarding choosing and setting up the right computer, she then dedicates over 100 pages to familiarising the reader with the Windows Vista environment. These chapters cover everything from basic tasks such as using the Start menu, switching between tasks and resizing windows through to writing CDs and DVDs, using printers and scanners, as well as using one’s computer to send faxes.

Computers for Seniors for Dummies is clearly written, presented in easy to follow logical steps complete with numerous illustrations and images demonstrating the tasks at hand, and we highly recommend this book either for interested seniors or as a perfect gift from the younger generation to bring their elders up to speed.

game reviews //BY TIANA CLINE AND PETER DAWOUD

NEED TO KNOW • A massive, heavy metal open-world • Devastate with your guitar!

• Command savage armies in hand-tohand combat • Command blooddrenched action from above • Slay your friends and foes online • The ultimate heavy metal soundtrack ever assembled in a game

62 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

WINNING WARFARE… Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is one of the top-selling games of all time, having sold more than 13 million units since its release in November 2007. It’s also one of the most highly praised titles ever, having won Best Game awards on Playstation 3, Xbox 360 and PC, as well as numerous Game of the Year titles.

FREE GIFT! F Hardcore fans shouldd keep ke a lookout for the limitedd ‘Prestige’ edition release elease of Modern Warfare 2, which includes cludes a fully functional set of night vision goggles!

Pre-order only on the website.

>>CONSIDER THIS<<

R699.95 HAVING demonstrated their skills at crafting flawless first-person shooters through the incredible Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward look set to do it all over again with Modern Warfare 2, the sixth game in what is arguably the most popular first-person shooter series ever.

A direct sequel to the 2007 smash hit, Modern Warfare 2 picks up several years after British SAS commando ‘Soap’ McTavish thwarted Imran Zakhaev’s plot to take over Russia and unleash a nuclear arsenal on his Western enemies. Now, his successor Vladimir Makarov has assumed control of Zakhaev’s Russian Ultranationalist faction, using the former leader’s death to rally support behind his cause. It’s up to you, stepping into the shoes of Sergeant Gary “Roach” Sanderson, to save the day – and the world – yet again. From what we’ve seen thus far, Modern Warfare 2 has all the makings of another blockbuster action title, with a single player campaign in the region of 10 hours and two specially-designed multiplayer modes that may well see this title surpass the success of its predecessor. On top of the improved online multiplayer mode, which boasts an expanded experience points and reward system. plus predator missile or helicopter gunship strikes for particularly impressive kill streaks, Modern Warfare 2 will also offer an entirely new co-operative mode called Special Ops. These missions will

see two players work together in a ‘supporting role’ of sorts, completing objectives in areas visited in the single player game, but not directly involved in the main storyline. The game also boasts Infinity Ward’s new IW 4.0 game engine, which is being hailed as a major leap forward even from the impressive graphics engine of the first Modern Warfare. The underlying technology has been revamped too, with improved artificial intelligence being one of the biggest drawcards. Thanks to the game’s dynamic AI, gone are infinitely spawning enemies who travel along set or predictable paths. Rather, they will now react to the player and various in-game events in a much more realistic and less foreseeable way, meaning that playing through a level a second time might result in them behaving completely differently. Infinity Ward has gone all out on the audio front as well, with multiple Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer, whose soundtrack work includes Gladiator, Pirates of the Caribbean, Black Hawk Down and The Dark Knight, taking the helm for Modern Warfare 2’s musical score. The developers have also employed a talented array of voice actors to bring their characters to life, including experienced video game voice-over artist Keith David (Mass Effect, Final Fantasy, Halo 2 and 3) and rapper 50 Cent among the cast. We wouldn’t be surprised to see Modern Warfare 2 go on to be the best-selling title of the year!

WOLFENSTEIN The latest title from FPS stalwarts id Software and Raven Software once again sees Agent B.J Blazkowicz setting out on a Nazi blasting romp, this time with more than a little supernatural magickery thrown in for good measure. A great choice for those who want more sci-fi and occult than straight up warfare, with an especially rich singleplayer campaign that will keep trigger-happy gamers hooked throughout.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 63

game reviews

GUITAR HERO 5

NEED TO KNOW

GET >>THIS<<

LAST year’s Guitar Hero World Tour saw the Guitar Hero franchise take a huge leap forward by introducing vocal- and drum-based gameplay to its already awardwinning guitars-only game. This year, the experience has been refined even further, offering wannabe rock stars something familiar, but even more exciting. Welcome Guitar Hero 5 to the stage, surely one of the best titles in the music-mad franchise. Offering around 85 tracks from more than 80 Artists, GH5 is a huge game. What will you be playing? Try Nirvana’s Smells like Teen Spirit, 3 Doors Down’s DJ Hero (Available in December) The turntable controller will immerse you in DJ culture as you learn DJ techniques like scratching, cross-fading and sampling using 93 unique, neverbefore-released mixes.

Kryptonite and Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash. These and more make this one of the best set lists yet. What’s even better is that you no longer need to progress in your career to unlock the tracks – they’re all available in all game modes from the start! The biggest gameplay change is the introduction of Party Play, a system that allows players, using any instrument, to easily jump into any song without having to navigate through the menu systems. This makes the whole experience feel far more pick-up-and-play than ever before.

If you’re new to the rhythm-music genre, nothing else will make you feel like an instant super star than completing a song with that much-desired 5-star rating. And the crowd goes wild! R699.95

CONSIDER >>THIS<<

• The most accessible and authentic band experience • Great for veteran music gamers as well as first-time players • The best variety and biggest rock songs • Classic rock anthems • Customise your band with any combination of instruments • Innovative and easy-to-use gameplay modes

Band Hero Like pop? Rock your way to superstardom with Band Hero and enjoy chart-topping hits from Taylor Swift, No Doubt, Lily Allen, The AllAmerican Rejects and Jackson 5.

SINCE the official launch of PS3 in 2006, there have been a number of great, exclusive titles, with Nathan Drake’s first adventure, Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune has been hailed as one of the best. It was an instant hit for its mix of Tomb Raider-like adventuring and Gears of War action.

Fans of the first wanted a sequel and the developers, Naughty Dog, finally answered their call. But, is this new next-gen adventure worth the price? Among Thieves continues a few years after the events of Drake’s Fortune, with Nathan now hunting UNCHARTED 2: for the remains of Marco Polo’s fabled lost AMONG THIEVES fleet. Rather than the tropical setting of the previous title, Among Thieves has Nathan NEED TO KNOW visiting varied and exotic locations – from • Dramatic in-game events lush, green swamps and dense urban • Full character interaction environments, all the way to the ice and • An open design that snow of the Himalayas. Among Thieves allows you to be aggressive or stealthy• is a rich, engrossing story that will keep Varied and exotic locations you thinking till the end. It is as epic as the • Engage in combat from any position – first and, luckily this time, when you’ve even while climbing and hanging. dusted the single player, there is a satisfying • High-quality cinematic presentation of multiplayer experience to keep you playing. scenes, characters and dialogue As games go, you’ll be hard pressed to find a more polished game on any platform.

64 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

Among Thieves is brilliant in both its looks and sound. It’s an enjoyable, action-packed experience you won’t forget anytime soon.

If you own a PS3, you owe it to yourself to discover the real truth behind the lost fleet of Marco Polo and the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala.

R699.95

>>COMING SOON<<

Just Cause 2 An adrenalin-fuelled, free-roaming action-adventure set in the island paradise of Panau. Playing as agent Rico Rodriguez, explore more than 1000km² of tropical beaches, snow-capped mountains, arid desert and dense jungle. Attempt to eliminate your former boss and mentor who has gone rogue with agency money and secrets.

BATMAN: ARKHAM ASYLUM

NEED TO KNOW • An original story by Paul Dini, Batman author and five-time Emmy Award winner • Confront The Joker, Harley Quinn and other Gotham City villains • Take control of The Joker in eight Challenge Maps • Brutal melee brawls.

• Solving intricate puzzles using cutting-edge forensic tools including x-ray scanning, fingerprint scans…

• Explore every inch of Arkham Asylum

TRUTH be told, there hasn’t really been a good Batman game. Sure, the LEGO series had a go and it was cute, but no one has really managed to capture the gritty Bat world or the majesty of the Dark Knight… until now. Rocksteady’s game, Batman: Arkham Asylum is the perfect combination of action, stealth and storytelling. The plot starts with Batman foiling the Joker’s plans to take over Gotham City.

Taking him back to Arkham Asylum, Batman senses something is wrong – the Joker gave up so easily?

He was right. The Joker takes over the entire Arkham Island, the inmates of Arkham have been set free, and it’s up to Batman to bring order to the chaos and take back the Asylum. As you play, Batman gains access to more equipment allowing him to travel to other parts of the Island. Tactical situations also mean Batman must use everything at his disposal, including his famous Batorang and Batclaw, to complete puzzles.

Every part of the 12-15 hour game is polished from the fluid fights to the sharp stealth sequences. Batman: Arkham Asylum is being called (by critics and fans) the best-licensed game ever made, and the most enthralling adventure. If you choose one game for the upcoming holiday season, this should be it.

R699.95

DID YOU KNOW? Bob Kane created Batman in 1939. Unlike many superheroes, Batman has no superpowers and instead relies on his own scientific knowledge, detective skills and athletic prowess.

Call hands-free and tell them you’re early!

The TomTom GO 630 GPS is not only getting you there easily but also has bluetooth® for convenient hands-free calling. ō Latest map of Southern Africa pre-installed (9 countries) ō Free weekly map updates with unique Map Share™ technology ō 4.3” widescreen and much more For more information go to tomtom.co.za

The TomTom GO 630 and other TomTom navigation devices are now available at

game reviews

HALO 3: ODST

PRO EVOLUTION SOCCER 2010

NEED TO KNOW

NEED TO KNOW

• All-new campaign content • A new hero • Expanded multiplayer collection • Ever-growing community options

>>DID YOU KNOW?<< Master Chief, Halo’s protagonist from the first three games, is considered one of the most recognisable characters to date. He is the first videogame character to be immortalised in Madame Tussauds’ 250-year history.

the way, you’ll fight the familiar Covenant forces, but with a few surprises thrown in for good measure. There are also new weapons to play with to differentiate ODST from other Halo shooters, but there is also enough familiarity to keep fans happy. ODST’s long-term appeal lies in its multiplayer portion. It ships with the original Halo 3 multiplayer on a separate disk, but it also includes several new maps and new weapons specific to the ODST campaign. It’s a blast to play online and connected via System Link with friends, and is the reason you’ll still be playing in six months’ time. R699.95

>>CONSIDER THIS<<

is far more realistic. UEFA is back and this means you can take part in the new UEFA Europa League, as well as the worldfamous UEFA Champions league for the first time. The inclusion of 80 national teams and five fully-licensed leagues give gamers a chance to play with almost all their favourite soccer stars. All of this, and superb online functionality marks PES 2010 as a landmark achievement for the franchise. Sport fanatics and casual footie fans alike will play this title for a long time.

R699.95 (PS3)

Halo Wars

Command the armies of the UNSC warship “Spirit of Fire”, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. It’s a new, strategic take on the legendary world of Halo!

RISEN

NEED TO KNOW • An epic role-playing game • Set on a volcanic Mediterranean island • Innovative and intuitive user controls • A fully simulated game world with authentic characters 66 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

LAST year was a bit of an off-season for the Pro Evolution franchise. FIFA 09 was undoubtedly a better game, offering players more teams, more cups and far better online functionality. This year, however, Konami has come back strong by making a realistic game that promises one of the best soccer experiences to date. A big part of this is the new animation system – the reaction of the individual players on field can be, at times, mind-blowing. The improvement to the AI has resulted in much sharper referees, as well as better goal keeping. The new interplay between midfield players and defenders also means the gameplay

GET >>THIS<<

HALO: ODST is an Xbox 360-exclusive first-person shooter very similar to Halo 3.

This time, players take on the role of an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper instead of the iconic Master Chief of the previous Halo games, exploring a story arc hinted at in Halo 2, but which was not expanded upon. Until now, that is. You and your squad have been dispatched to defend New Mombasa against the continued invasion

by Covenant forces, an alien alliance hell-bent on destroying humanity. The dropship deployment goes horribly wrong, however, and you end up separated from your squad, and you spend the single player portion of the game trying to find out what happened. Along

• Multiple cups • Downloadable content• Amazing visuals – when you play as Messi, it will be like Messi is playing • Intelligent defensive and offensive schemes • More modes, as well as the UEFA Champions League • Create and manage your team for a longer period of time

FIFA 10

Sport-lovers will also appreciate the updates in EA’s soccer sim – these include an improved animation system for increased responsiveness, an updated collision system, overhauled goalkeepers, a new shooting system and improved teammate support.

ROLE-PLAYING games (RPG) are an interesting genre.

For a lot of gamers, they can be too involved. Others find the reward in the details, so if you happen to fall into the latter group, Risen may be the title you’ve been looking for. This single-player fantasy role-playing game is set in the fictitious volcanic island of Faranga. This tropicalthemed island is your stomping ground as you hack, slash and loot your way through ancient catacombs, dense jungles and deadly dungeons. Ship-wrecked after a storm off the coast of the island, the player is tasked with discovering why mysterious temple ruins have suddenly risen from the ground. The epic plot will keep you playing even though it may not be the most

exciting at times. That said, the quests (smaller missions) in Risen is where fun can be found as you continually strive to level up, collecting loot as you make your way through the game. Both casual and hardcore gamers will appreciate the intuitive control system in what can only be described an as old-fashioned RPG. But why change a winning formula? All in all, Risen offers players an elegant gameplay experience, with lovely visuals and plenty to do that should keep you engrossed for a long time. It may not be the best RPG, but it does the job.

R349.95 (PC)

T

o meet this need, mouse technology moved from using balls that moved rollers to optical and laser sensing technologies. Each jump meant an increase in mouse sensitivity and improvements in ‘trackability’ on certain surfaces, but even laser sensors, the most accurate sensor technology up to now, could not track properly on clear or reflective surfaces such as glass and granite.

Optical and laser sensors use surface imperfections to determine in which direction, and how fast a mouse is being pushed. Shiny and opaque surfaces such as glass reduce the amount of detail that laser and optical sensors “see”, which leads to erratic tracking results.

Logitech’s Darkfield: SUPERIOR TRACKING FOR SUPERIOR MICE The mouse has long been a companion to the personal computer. In recent years, the popularity of mobile computing has paired the humble mouse with millions of notebook and netbook computers worldwide. This has led to a rise in the number of surfaces mice have been required to operate on.

HIGH-CONTRAST IMPERFECTION SENSING Enter Logitech’s Darkfield laser tracking technology, the result of over three years of research into new methods for detecting greater detail in surface imperfections using two laser sensors. “Dark field microscopy” is a scientific process of capturing a high-contrast image of a surface and bombarding it with light which then highlights in great detail any imperfections on that surface. The resulting image looks like a star-filled night sky with each “star” representing a scratch, bump, dust mote or other imperfection, which is very easy for a laser sensor to track.

By transplanting this technology into the humble mouse, Logitech has been able to create mice which can accurately track on virtually any surface, even glass. As long as there are imperfections on the surface itself, be they tiny dust motes or microscopic scratches, mice using Logitech’s Darkfield tracking technology have no problems accurately tracking, even on reflective surfaces like glass, granite and polished wood.

With Darkfield technology powering Logitech’s latest line of high-quality mice, the world is truly everyone’s mousepad.

LOGITECH PERFORMANCE MOUSE MX Logitech has updated the design of yesteryear’s excellent MX Revolution Mouse with their new Performance Mouse MX. The Performance Mouse MX is outfitted with Darkfield sensing technology for accurate tracking, even on glass. Its ergonomic design easily fits the hands of right-handed mousers everywhere, and its scroll wheel is capable of the same free-scrolling technique that made the MX Revolution famous.

The improvements don’t stop there, either – the Performance Mouse MX is rechargeable, but does not use a charging station. Logitech has changed the design to allow recharging using a Mini-USB port and cable, which means you no longer need to wait until recharging is finished – you can now use the mouse while it charges.

Throw in a tiny USB dongle that takes up minimal space, and you have a mouse truly worthy of the Logitech name.

LOGITECH ANYWHERE MOUSE MX The Anywhere Mouse MX is the newest wireless notebook mouse from Logitech, and it has been designed to travel. Its sturdy design means it can survive the knocks that inevitably accompany travel excursions, and the Darkfield technology that powers it means you can use it on all surfaces you’re likely to encounter. It is compact and ergonomically designed to fit hands comfortably, and its tiny USB receiver is so small that it is quite possible to install it and never need to remove it again. No more losing dongles!

So take Logitech’s Anywhere Mouse MX with you and feel free to use it… well… anywhere!

tech tannie

Just like the sun coming out from behind the clouds, your technology chnology te problems are problems solved in an instant..

If you have questions, gripes or just seek some solace, e-mail Tamsin, our friendly tech tannie at techtannie@ connect.co.za

68 | CONNECT | NOVEMBER 2009

issue of the month: Q:

My mouse has stopped working!

How can I use my computer without it? I’m using the Windows 7 operating system.

Flummoxed Francois

A:

Ah, a question that warms the cockles of what goes for a heart in this droid body of mine. There are very few people who know that their keyboards can perform most of the functions of a mouse. As soon as those handy little okes were invented, people stopped using the keyboard as effectively and soon that knowledge became the province of the deeply geeky and techno-cool. Let’s first see if we can fix your mouse for you, assuming you’ve checked that it’s plugged in, of course. Hit the Windows key on your keyboard – this is the second key from the left on the bottom row of your keyboard. This will open up the Start menu. Use the arrow keys to navigate up the menu and across to the Control Panel then hit Enter. Once inside the Control Panel, use the arrow keys to navigate until the Hardware and Sound icon is highlighted then press Enter. Press the Tab key

once, then use the arrow keys to highlight the Mouse icon under Devices and Printers, press Enter and, using the arrow keys again, move across to the Hardware tab in the dialog box. Using the Tab key, move to Properties so you can check the mouse driver. If this is the problem you can easily navigate the box using either Tab or Arrow keys to install a new driver. If the driver isn’t the problem use the Windows key to open the Start menu and try restarting your PC and double-checking your connections. If the mouse still isn’t working it may have moved on from this mortal coil.

However, once you see how easy it is to navigate using your keyboard you’ll probably get addicted. So, to cheer you up, here are some extra shortcuts to make your life even easier: F1 displays the help file for your current program Alt+ the letterr on the menu will activate that menu, for example if you’re working in any version of Word pressing Alt+F will open the File menu The Windows Key+D will take you to your desktop Windows Key+E will open Windows Explorer/Computer Alt+Tab will switch between the programs you have running at the moment .

Q:

Everybody I know says that WiFi is the best and that I should invest in the wireless office, the thing is I don’t understand how it works and I’m reluctant to ask and show my ignorance.

Wireless Wendy in Windhoek

A:

You are not alone in this predicament my friend. Wireless is a lekker ding but, liewe hemel it’s a pain in the koeksister if you don’t know what the hell is going on. It’s funny, nobody wants to admit that they haven’t got a clue on how it all comes together. So here’s how it works....

A wireless network uses radio waves just like

Q:

Help! I’ve deleted a whole bunch of files and photographs by accident and I really need them back. What can I do?

Where did they go Wally, Warmbaths

A:

There’s nothing worse than that sinking feeling you get when you click delete and realise you’ve just removed your entire life. You can stop crying and hitting your PC now. There is actually a cure. While not 100 percent foolproof, data recovery software will recover most deleted files in a jiff y.

Well, not really, as it takes a while for the software to scan your system, but it takes less time than explaining why you’ve deleted all your tax information to the customer services desk at the tax office...

your TV, radio and cell phone, but at a far higher frequency so that it can carry more data. Your PC’s wireless adapter translates information into a radio signal and sends it off using an antenna, then your wireless router gets this signal, decodes it and sends it off to the Internet using your Ethernet connection. An Ethernet connection is the “hard copy” of the Internet, the one you know and love – a moerse cable that Telkom charges you a kingdom for. The whole process then works in reverse to get information back to you. Voila. The wonders of wireless explained. You can use several different gizmos to connect wirelessly to one router, as long as they have the necessary wireless adaptors. Just don’t get too many people trying to use too much bandwidth at the same time or your connection may die and you’ll get a ton of interference. It’s also a really, really good idea to make sure you keep your network secure.

Otherwise any old hack can sit on your network and suck up your bandwidth. It’s not a technology whizz’s game anymore.

Q:

When I booted up my PC this morning everything started perfectly but there’s nothing appearing on my monitor. It’s definitely plugged in, the light is on, and my computer is connected to it. I’ve tried restarting and although my computer seems to be working perfectly, I’m still not getting anything.

Backpacker in Bloemfontein

A:

Eish, this could be one of those dreaded hardware failure moments that happens from time to time and your video card may well have given up the ghost. Let’s see what we can figure out. You haven’t told me much about your situation, but what you’ve given me is that your system is powering up and that your monitor is on. First thing is to check your monitor calibration controls and make sure they are set in the middle of the range, that none of them are blanked out. If they’re fine, restart your PC and listen carefully.

If you hear any beeps then you need to open up your chassis (turn off the power first) and check that your RAM and adapters are properly seated, they may have come loose. Also check that your video cable is secure and that the pins are not damaged or bent. If they are, then you it’s likely you’ve found the problem and you’ll need to repair or replace your cable. If you’re still not getting an image on your monitor after double-checking all your hardware is connected and plugged in properly, then it’s time to test your monitor on another PC. Still no image? Your monitor is the issue and needs to be sent off for repairs, however, if it works then it may mean that your video card has died and needs to be replaced.

Before you rush off to buy a new video card, take your PC in to your nearest PC repair shop, because while it may be your video card it could also be your motherboard, an adaptor or any other number of tiny issues that a pro will catch in an instant.

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THE PERSONAL ORGANISER S I D

W

ith their e-mail clients, databases, calendars, personal information managers and a vast catalogue of ‘cloud’based online tools for keeping track of things, computers are a vital tool for organising the lives of busy 21st Century professionals.

Let me rephrase that. With their e-mail clients, databases, calendars, etc, computers are a vital tool for organising the lives of /some/ busy 21st Century professionals. Even among the technically literate, there are those whose genetic make-up predisposes them to be so ridiculously unstructured, that the only way to actually get anything productive done is to outsource your timekeeping to India.

Far from turning the chaos of a paper-strewn desk and dog-eared, but unused, diary into an masterful model of modern efficiency, digitising the problems of these people only makes them worse.

I know, because I’m one of them.

Let me explain. Back in the early 90s, both my elder sister and I bought PCs based on Intel’s best-known processor, the Pentium. One of the first things my sister did was to take a course on database building and to itemise almost everything in her house. Thousands of books were catalogued according to title, author and genre; hundreds of VHS tapes with movies recorded off the TV were made searchable thanks to a digital repository; she even scanned in all her household accounts and went paperless long before e-mail billing became the norm.

I believe that somewhere there’s even a Microsoft Access file that contains details of her vast collection of worry eggs from around the world, although I’ve never seen it.

A decade and a half on, and these digital records are still scrupulously maintained. Over time she’s become even better at record keeping. I was, and am, in awe.

Because, I tried to be like her. I really did.

But where transferring every detail of her life into binary form has made her even more organised than she was before, and kept all essential knowledge within reach of a simple search string, for me, computers have only added to the uncertainty.

I started with the best of intentions. I followed my sister’s example step by step, creating forms to be filled with useful information and entering the first few relevant details... but I’m too easily distracted, too interested in the next big thing. No sooner do I get used to working with a particular set of files or an application, I’ll find another one that is newer and more exciting.

I gave up long ago any dream of being able to keep track of the books I own. These, however, are the superficial casualties of my gnat-like attention span.

Far, far worse are the dozens of note taking applications or methods I’ve used to keep track of ideas for features or books and then abandoned. Important documents and pictures are kept in obsolete file formats I’ll never be able to open again. This useless information, to which I’m emotionally attached, is copied from hard drive to hard drive whenever I upgrade my PC or, worse, bunged in a drawer on a succession of plastic disks that will never be read.

When I sit at my desk in the morning I have to open at least three different programs just to know what I’m supposed to be doing that day.

The confusion is demotivating – there’s no point in the future that I will ever be able to unify these archives of past and present data into something even remotely useable. As a result, my desk is still covered in sticky notes and there’s a box full of old notebooks under my chair.

At least I never used iTunes, so the music library I have is generally accessible from whichever media player I’m currently attached to (it’s Songbird at the moment, by the same people who make Firefox, since you ask).

In the end, though, it was Gmail that saved me.

Nearly every email – except for the ones with really big attachments – from the last five years is still saved on its distant servers, and searching them provides me with the best tool for finding out what (or who) I know about any given subject.

I’ll never be as organised as my sister, but at least with these tools, I don’t have to be.

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