http://www.connectmag.co.za/issues/ct_08_dec_09

DECEMBER 2009

ONLY FOR SALE AT INCREDIBLE CONNECTION

MAD ABOUT

SNOW LEOPARD

MUSIC

Mac’s New Big Cat

Play Using Your PC

THE MIGHTY POINT & CLICK 101

Top Tips & Simple Shortcuts

TURBO BOOSTING OUTLOOK

MOUSE

GAME Buy the ON! Best Console

Shop R14.95 incl. VAT

AROUND THE

Clock INE ONLFT GI G N GIVI

TOP REVIEWS MONITORS LAPTOPS CAMERAS PRINTERS SOFTWARE CELLPHONES GAMES

www.connect.co.za

ISSUE #08

FEATURES 10 The Mighty Mouse We take you through the maze of features and functions to help you choose right. Click here.

14 The Big Mac Cat Snow Leopard has some awesome new features - this is why you should upgrade.

18 Choosing a Console PC or PS3? Xbox 360 or PSP? It’s time to play!

24 Turbo Boosting Outlook Tips Tips and tricks to becoming an e-mail whizz

26 eMoney Avoid the holiday rush. Shop online safely

30 New Year Resolution Play an instrument using your PC

DECEMBER 2009

REGULARS 04 06 08 76 78 80

Editor’s Letter News Trouble-free Technobabble Tamsin the Tech Tannie Competition Disconnect

REVIEWS 36 44 45 48 52 54 56 62 68

Top 5 Printers Peripherals Cellphones GPS Accessories Sound Software Books

GAMING 70

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

27 Reviews

TECHNOLOGY Deon du Plessis EDITOR deon@connect.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Tamsin Mackay, Tamaryn Watkins, Adam Oxford ART DIRECTION Infiltrate Media www.infiltratemedia.co.za

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

TIS’ THE SEASON

H

ow many people do you know who would happily be able to go on holiday without any technology? No cellphone? No Internet? No GPS? I don’t think so. If you’re flying, you’ll more than likely need an iPod, a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, a mini-portable DVD player, a watch that keeps different time zones and predicts the weather… and your notebook, of course. Driving down to the coast, if that’s where you’re heading, also means you’re packing a GPS, a PSP or Nintendo DS, an external hard drive so you have all your media as well as somewhere to store the snaphappy moments if you run out of space on your memory card. The camera, the 3G card, the portable mouse and keyboard set – in the age of technology, your bag has never been fuller!

From going away to gift giving and New Year resolutions, the December issue of Connect has it all. Want to shop online but unsure of how to go about it safely? Then our feature avoiding the holiday rush by buying over the Internet is for you.

4 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

If the end of the year means taking on something new (or giving something up), it really is never too late to learn how to play a musical instrument. Using your computer, there is a lot of amazing software available that covers most instruments (from piano to violin) and if you already own the apparatus, you’re in for a treat.

(And if your instrument of choice is a Guitar Hero Les Paul, we cover it too!)

From finger-strumming fun to gaming, there are so many choices out there and it can be difficult deciding what to buy. From the PS3 to the PSP, it all depends on what you are looking for be it a Blu-ray player, something portable, a console that doubles up as a home media centre, or something you can use to get fit and have fun at the same time. Our technology editor, Deon du Plessis, helps you pick what to play. Once you’ve decided, be sure to check out our gaming section we have some great game options, no matter the console you choose.

This month, we’re also looking at mice. There are so many different mouse options that buying point and click perfection is a major undertaking, so be sure to read our buying guide for tips and advice.

Other than that, Tamsin the Tech Tannie is at it again, answering all your IT woes and we once again end off with Disconnect, Adam’s everyday interaction with technology.

Here’s to an awesome 2009 – we hope you enjoy our bumper December issue, and keep your eyes peeled for Connect in the New Year.

Here’s to an even more Connected 2010.

Tiana Cline

CONTRIBUTOR

TAMARYN WATKINS Mother to a gorgeous blue-eyed boy, Tamaryn is originally from Durban, and is now living in Johannesburg with her boyfriend. She studied a Bachelor of Law and a Masters Degree in Public Law. She loves all things geek and shiny, is a dedicated Blackberry fan, a Twitter addict and is creative and artistic. She is a serious bibliophile, a logophile and a lover of spicy foods.

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

news Where technology and fashion meet

A new take on movie games Like so many others out there, there is a good chance you’re using your PlayStation 3 console to play Blu-ray movies. In fact, the PS3 is (to date) the cheapest and most reliable device that is cabable of playing this high-resolution media format. But what about the games? Sony is being smart and taking advantage of this by including game demos with their upcoming Blu-rayy movie releases,, the first beingg District 9.

Cellphone banking trumps Internet banking The mobile revolution is upon us judging by the results of a recent survey that showed that more South Africans bank on their cellphones than they do on the Internet.

The Mobility 2009 study released by market research organisation World Wide Worx shows

6 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

This sci-fi thriller, which is set in Joburg, already comes with some notable extras like a digital copy of the film for PC, PSP, Mac and iPod as well as an interactive map of Johannesburg for a deeper look at the film’s lekker location. In addition to all of this (and more), the Blu-ray movie will contain a playable demo of one of the most anticipated PlayStation exclusive game g of 2010 - God of War III!

that th 28% of the population use their cellphones for banking, while 16% ce use us Internet banking services. The banking services most used include ba balance enquiries and notifications of ba transactions, with 75% of cellphone tra bankers using these features. By ba contrast, almost 50% of the cellphone co banking users view statements, 35% ba transfer between accounts, and 28% pay tra accounts on their cellphones. acc Other O non-banking transactions are also popular, with 61% buying airtime, 24% po buy prepaid electricity and 21% make general prepa purchases like movie tickets and flowers.

“Our research resea shows that South Africans are becoming comfortable with cellphone banking, but com precisely half of general banking customers are still nervous of it, citing trust as their major concern,” says Arthur Goldstuck, MD of World Wide Worx.

“However, this concern must be seen in the light of 34% also saying the issue is not knowing how to use the service.”

There’s no doubt that mobile services are the way of the future. So, learn how to use these technologies safely and in a way that enhances your lifestyle.

What does one do with 24,000 full-color, super-thin LEDs, 4,000 Swarovski crystals, and enough iPod batteries to keep everything glowing for about an hour? You make a haute couture! Named the Galaxy Dress and designed by Francesca Rosella and Ryan Genz of CuteCircuit, its being called the the “the largest wearable display in the world.”

Beyond the LEDs themselves, the Galaxy Dress is crafted in a way that should make the pickiest seamstresses proud.

To diffuse the LED light, the dress has four layers of silk chiffon and a pleated silk organza crinoline skirt. The extra-thin electronics allows the dress to follow the body shape closely like with normal fabric.

Instead of having one large and heavy battery, the dress is designed to run on many tiny iPod batteries hiding in the crinoline – with the batteries, the Galaxy Dress wearer can walk around–all lit up–for anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour.

The areas without LEDs are decorated with more than 4000 hand-applied Swarovski crystals that range from clear crystal to bright pink. “The dress looks good even when it is switched off,” say the designers.

Where is this techno-creation now? It went straight from the fittings model to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

Google Maps goes Seffrican Google Maps for South African users has been improved immeasurably with the introduction of localised services that are starting to match those available in the US and Europe.

By going to maps.google.co.za (and not the .com address), you are presented with an opening page showing a map of South Africa, which is stuffed with tons of local information. Type in “pizza Johannesburg” and pick your favourite or closest pizza joint in the results list that appears, or by clicking on their locations now showing on the map of Johannesburg. Zooming

down to street level – although not yet the Google Street View that shows 360-degree images of your location – now also shows the street number, so you no longer have to five blocks before realising your destination is in the opposite direction.

Another great feature is My Maps that allows you to save placemarks, lines, shapes, text, photos or videos that you can share with family and friends. Google Maps for Mobile is also available as a free download that provides the same types of services while you’re on the go.

techno jargon // BY DEON DU PLESSIS

TROUBLE-FREE

Techno Babble 8 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

Deon du Plessis delves deeper into some of the buzzwords you’ll find in this month’s magazine.

HSPA/HSDPA/HSUPA- HSPA means High Speed Packet Access, and is a method of transmitting data wirelessly, called a protocol. HSDPA and HSUPA are data transmission standards within the HSPA protocol family, and refer to Downlink (download) and Uplink (upload) speeds respectively. The maximum theoretical download speed of the HSPA family of protocols is 14mbits per second, although in practice it fluctuates depending on network conditions and your physical location.

TRACKPAD- A trackpad is the touch-sensitive area on a notebook computer where a finger is used to control the mouse cursor. Trackpads are usually heatsensitive, and know where your finger is position on its surface by the body heat it picks up from the finger. In the past, more than one finger at a time on a trackpad has confused the device’s electronics.

MULTI-TOUCH- Apple invented a technique involving the ability to do things on a Macbook and an iPhone by using more than one finger at a time on the trackpad (Macbook) and touch-sensitive screen (iPhone).

Now, people can perform a pinching motion using two fingers on a Macbook’s trackpad to zoom in and out of photographs, swipe two fingers across the trackpad to move forward or backward in a browser, and much more.

Apple has trademarked the term Multi-Touch.

IPS- IPS means (in this instance) “in-plane switching”. It is a technique invented by Hitachi in the 1990s to improve the viewing angle of an LCD monitor. If you’ve ever looked at an LCD screen from an extreme angle and noticed that it appears dimmer and the colours all washed out, you will have experienced what is referred to as a screen having a “poor viewing angle”. Having a “good viewing angle” is an indication of a high-quality LCD screen.

BLU-RAY- When High Definition movies first started out, the two formats competing for widespread adoption were HD-DVD (backed by Microsoft and Toshiba) and Blu-ray (backed by Sony). Blu-ray won the “format war” in the end, and as of February 2008, no HD-DVD drives or discs have been manufactured.

Blu-ray movies are very clear and sharp thanks to a high resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and Blu-ray discs can store up to 50GB of data. In addition to very clear visuals that look amazing on HD televisions, Blu-ray discs contain audio data that allows for multi-speaker sound output when using the appropriate home cinema hardware, such as amplifiers and speakers that support Dolby Digital surround sound output.

NUNCHUK- A Nunchuk is both a Japanese weapon consisting of two sticks joined by a short chain or rope, as well as Nintendo’s chosen name for the second part of the

motion-sensitive controller for the Wii. This piece contains a small joystick and two buttons used for controlling the movement of on-screen characters, whereas the Wii Remote itself is more often used for tasks like aiming or moving a cursor around.

application, hold the phone up to a speaker or to just put it somewhere where it can record a sample of the playing music. It then communicates with a server on the Internet, compares its recorded sample to a massive library of music, and then returns the song, artist and album to your phone.

SPLIT-SCREEN MULTIPLAYERThis is a technique that allows more than one person to play a game on a single computer or gaming console. It is typically used in racing games, splitting the screen in two so that two gamers can race against one another in the same competition.

GEO-TAGGING- GPS technology is everywhere these days, even in digital cameras. Geo-tagging is the ability to put a digital stamp on your pictures that give the GPS co-ordinates of the exact spot it was taken; this is useful to give additional background info to your shots.

STANDARD DEFINITION- What you see on a regular TV is referred to as “Standard Definition”. It means a low-resolution image, with limited sound outputs (usually stereo only). South African standard definition TV is broadcast in stereo at a resolution of 704 x 576 pixels, with an aspect ratio of 4:3.

PICTBRIDGE- This is a standard, created by the Camera & Imaging Products Association that allows digital cameras to print directly to a printer using a USB cable.

This does not require the intervention of a computer; many printers today have LCD screens that enable basic editing of camera-bound photographs before printing. Its formal name is “Standard of Camera & Imaging Products Association CIPA DC-001 — 2003 Digital Solutions for Imaging Devices”.

HP TOUCHSMART- Any HP product with the Touchsmart brand attached to it denotes that it makes use of HP’s touch-sensitive screen technology. It applies to tablet PCs, printers and desktop PCs. BACKUP- Many people have experienced the concept of “backups” as “that thing you need to have done before your computer fell over and destroyed all your data”. What it is, is the act of moving important files off your computer and on to some other form of storage, like CD, DVD, external hard drives or even a location on your network allocated to backups. The best backup solution is one that runs automatically, when you are not using your computer.

DOCKING STATION- When a device like an iPod connects to, say, an alarm clock via a port that fits the iPod perfectly, that is called docking. The alarm clock is essentially a station where the iPod can be docked, allowing the two to talk to one another.

TRACKID- Sony Ericsson was one of the first companies to bring the ability to record a snippet of music and use that to identify it to mobile phones. It is integrated into all Sony Ericsson phones, and requires you to select the

WINDOWS LIVE- Microsoft offers a suite of basic applications, for free, that provide functionality like word processing, photo sharing, online storage, as well as instant messaging. These are all separate downloads and do not come standard with Windows. Head over to home. live.com for more info or to download the applications.

STYLUS- A stylus is a small, pen-shaped object which is used to press on-screen buttons on some touch-screen phones. They are handy when those buttons are too small for the average finger to accurately press, and they are always housed inside the phone’s body for easy storage.

TEXT-TO-SPEECH- When a program reads your typed text back to you, this is referred to as “textto-speech”. It is very clever programming that recognises words, converts them to sounds and plays them over your speakers. The computer-generated voices that read your text out sound more human now than they have ever sounded before, which is sometimes a little eerie, but still very cool.

NTSC- NTSC is an analogue TV broadcasting standard used primarily in the USA; since South Africa uses the PAL standard, audio/visual devices (like Xboxes, DVD players etc.) purchased in the US will not work with local TVs. CAD- Computer Aided Drawing programs are used in all kinds of technical design environments, from architecture to electronics to vehicles. It greatly simplifies incredibly technical and complicated design processes, and makes extensive use of high-power computer components to perform the necessary calculations needed in so many design areas.

TABBED BROWSING- When you have multiple web pages open in the a single web browser window, all neatly arranged at the top of the screen, this is called tabbed browsing (since each instance of the browser is open in a new tab, rather than a whole new window).

Arranging open browser windows this way has changed the need to manually switch between screens, a boon to web-surfers everywhere.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 9

peripherals //BY DEON DU PLESSIS

The

Mighty

MOUSE If you’ve ever been staring at the mouse shelf at your local store, a bit confused as to which mouse will work best for you, you’re in the right place. Connect’s Deon du Plessis is about to lead you through the maze of features and functions to help you make the right choice when your current mouse inevitably gives up the ghost.

WIRED/WIRELESS – CABLE FREEDOM VS GUARANTEED PERFORMANCE

PROS & CONS Wireless

An important consideration in the “which mouse?” debate is whether to go wired or wireless. The disadvantage of a wired mouse is that it comes with a cord that can clutter up your desk, whereas a wireless mouse can potentially run out of battery power at the worst possible time. Wired mice are the easier solution, and it’s a personal preference as to whether you’re willing to put up with cable clutter or not.

10 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

Another important difference is that wired mice offer guaranteed, consistent performance whereas their wireless counterparts are subject to the occasional lag as the wireless signal fluctuates, and performance degrades with distance from their receivers. Admittedly, this is improving as the technology matures, but for guaranteed performance there is still no beating a wired USB mouse.

Pros: No cable to clutter your desk, has longer range than wired mice Cons: Needs power, a wireless signal is vulnerable to interference Wired Pros: Performance is guaranteed and not subject to wireless signal quality Cons: Cables are messy; mouse is tethered to your computer

DIFFERENT STROKES

Mice don’t all work in the same way, either. Recent developments in the field of mice like Microsoft’s Blue Track and Logitech’s Darkfield tracking technologies mean cutting-edge mice can now be used on surfaces that laser and optical mice cannot, like granite and glass.

The basic premise of optical and laser mice is they use light beams to highlight irregularities in the surface they’re resting on, resulting in an image that the on-board “Digital Signal Processor” (DSP) can then capture. As the mouse moves, the DSP compares these images to one another to determine the direction and speed the mouse is moving at.

Optical mice use a beam of light to do this, but it’s rather inaccurate. Laser mice offer better accuracy, but they produce rather fuzzy images for the DSP to decipher even under ideal circumstances. Fuzzy images mean fewer details for the DSP to pick up; this means that reflective and clear surfaces (and, oddly enough, carpet) that offer even fewer irregularities, present a tracking and accuracy challenge to laser and optical mice.

Microsoft’s Blue Track and Logitech’s Darkfield technologies offer serious improvements over these through the way each technology “sees” the surface the mouse is resting on.

Blue Track, in essence, captures a much clearer image of the surface the mouse is on, resulting in more irregularities that can be used to generate tracking data. Logitech’s Darkfield technology captures high-contrast images at microscopic levels, which makes irregularities on any surface look like bright stars set against a dark night sky.

What this translates to for you is simple: mice equipped with Blue Track and Darkfield technology, such as Microsoft’s Explorer Mouse and Logitech’s Anywhere Mouse MX, will work on just about any surface you may want to work on, from clear glass to high-gloss vinyl, to a carpeted floor. Laser mice – last year’s standard – are still feasible, but you won’t be using them everywhere.

Pros & Cons Darkfield and Blue Track-equipped mice Pros: They work accurately on virtually any surface, giving users greater flexibility in terms of where they choose to use their notebook computers.

Cons: For the moment, mice using these technologies are more expensive than their laser-equipped counterparts. Expect prices to drop as time goes by.

CONNECT RECOMMENDS: Cheap Mouse: Microsoft Optical Wheel Mouse While it only has two buttons and a scroll wheel, the quality of Microsoft’s Optical Wheel Mouse is better than any other entry-level mouse, it’s delightfully responsive and it just works.

Best of the Best: Logitech Performance Mouse MX Amazing aesthetics, incredible ergonomics, foolproof functionality and wicked wireless responsiveness puts the Performance Mouse MX at the top of the list of “Best Mice Ever”.

CHEAP VS EXPENSIVE – WHAT DO YOU GET FOR YOUR Y CASH?

South Africans are very practical, and often it’s the cheapest option that makes the strongest argument for purchase. Unfortunately, the adage that “you get what you pay for” applies well here – cheap mice work erratically and they’re sometimes constructed of awful plastic that cracks and chips easily. Anyone who’s bought a thirty-buck mouse probably has a horror story of just how bad the experience was. On the bright side, they do the job they were designed for and are generally quite simple in their functionality, which is all a mouse needs to be.

More expensive mice from reputable companies like Microsoft and Logitech are recommended for extended everyday use. They offer clever designs that fit your hand, are made of durable plastic that can withstand the occasional drop to the floor, come with all the bells and whistles and will offer years of service.

Really expensive mice offer the best build quality, the best smoothness, sensitivity and plenty of features like multi-directional scrolling and multiple buttons (more on these later). While expensive mice are excellent performers, the extra features aren’t essential for most buyers.

Pros & Cons Cheap (R50 – R150) Pros: Very affordable Cons: Short-term use, inferior build quality, potentially unreliable performance

Mid-range (R101 – R400) Pros: Solid build and good ergonomics, good everyday performance and balanced features Cons: Mid-term lifespan, price

Expensive (R401 – R1500) Pros: Long-term use, excellent build quality, high performance in gaming and everyday tasks Cons: Can be very expensive; not all features are essential

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 11

peripherals //BY DEON DU PLESSIS

PROS & CONS High DPI ratings Pros: High-DPI mice are extremely sensitive and don’t require large hand movements to move smoothly and quickly across the screen.

Cons: It can be difficult to get used to fast-moving mouse cursors; mice with high DPI ratings are quite pricey and not everyone absolutely needs an extremely sensitive mouse.

PUSHING THE LIMITS

A mouse’s DPI (dots per inch) rating translates into the distance you need to push the mouse to achieve a certain amount of movement of your on-screen cursor.

A low DPI of 200, for example, means that within a square inch, the mouse only “sees” 200 dots. So, when it’s pushed an inch, the mouse cursor’s position is modified only 200 times, resulting in slow movement.

In wrist terms, low-DPI mice require big movements to push the cursor significant distances.

An 800-DPI mouse, then, will push your mouse cursor over four times the distance a 200 DPI mouse will when it’s moved the same physical distance.

Today’s ultra-fast 2000 DPI (and above) mice offer

BUTTONS & SCROLL WHEELS

Some mice offer more than just two buttons and a scroll wheel. The advantage of this is that these can often be customised to functions of your choice; the disadvantage is this means it’s possible to accidentally bump them at inopportune moments. Look for multi-button mice only if you feel the need to open your My Documents folder (or a similar command) with a single mouse-button push.

Scroll wheels offer either up/down scrolling, or four-way scrolling (i.e. side to side, too). Four-way scrolling offers more versatility, as in you can use your finger to scroll left to right on documents or images that are too wide for your screen. You won’t feel particularly limited without it, however, as the average up/down scroll wheel is more than adequate for everyday use.

PROS & CONS Multiple buttons Pros: Functions can be attached to a single press of a button.

Cons: It’s possible and very easy to hit the wrong button at the wrong time.

Multidirectional scroll wheels Pros: Left-right scrolling using the mouse becomes possible.

Cons: It’s not something required regularly with general mouse use.

12 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

ridiculous sensitivity, sending cursors careening across the screen with barely a bump.

Why would you want something like that? Game players are the most likely people to find a high-DPI mouse attractive, as small, precise hand movements are translated into big on-screen movements. These are handy in fast-paced first-person shooter games and for moving a cursor quickly across a widescreen LCD monitor.

Top-end mice even offer the ability to switch between various DPI settings with the press of a button, which is useful for increased accuracy in the middle of a fire fight.

ERGONOMICS THE ART OF FEELING GOOD

Virtually all mice today, even when they’re of the thirty-buck variety, are to some extent ergonomically designed.

This means they fit the contours of the average hand quite nicely, leading to comfortable use even after hours at your desk. About the only design-related concern anyone should have with a modern mouse, is left-handedness – a lot of mice are specifically designed for righthanded people, and only a few work both ways.

PROS & CONS Pros: Ergonomic mouse design means in-hand comfort even after hours of use.

Cons: Not all mice can be used by left- and right-handed people. If you’re left-handed, always check first to see if the mouse you want works both ways.

From watching sports and movies to playing games and browsing the web, the LG M94A TV monitor delivers the ultimate entertainment experience in one stylish package. Enjoy unrivalled sound quality from the integrated invisible speaker system and marvel at the breathtakingly clear images of the Full HD monitor. The LG M94A’s glossy black frame was designed to add an element of sophistication to any room. You can also connect Blu-ray players, game consoles, wireless Internet, MP3 players and more with the built-in HDMI to access a world of entertainment possibilities. Available in 23” and 27”.

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BRINGING TWO WORLDS TOGETHER.

operating systems //BY BRETT HAGGARD

I Despite it being more of an update to its predecessors than a completely new operating system, Mac OS 10.6, also known as Snow Leopard, has some compelling features that make upgrading a necessity for Mac mavens.

f you ever stopped to think that your operating system needed some freshening up, this was the year for that. PC users using Windows Vista were finally blessed with a long overdue release of Windows 7 and the Apple faithful have received a worthwhile update in the form of Mac OS 10.6 Snow Leopard.

But, unlike the full-blown operating system PC users have received with Windows 7, Snow Leopard is more of an enhancement pack than anything else. If you’re a Mac user, there’s a good chance you’re not going to notice all that much of a difference when it comes to the user interface.

Where you’re going to see a difference, however, is in graphics performance, the speed of very demanding applications, the system’s overall stability and in the addition of a couple of features Apple has retrofitted under the hood to make the Apple computing experience that much more slick.

64-BIT ARCHITECTURE

Mac OS X is renowned for its simplicity, its reliability, and its ease of use. So when it came to designing Snow Leopard, Apple engineers had a single goal: to make a great thing even better. They searched for areas to refine, further simplify, and speed up – from

THEBIG

MAC CAT

14 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

little things like ejecting external drives to big things like installing the OS. The biggest enhancement with this release of Mac OS –Snow Leopard’s new 64-bit architecture – is where users are likely to see the majority of the performance enhancements.

The addition of a 64-bit architecture doesn’t mean the operating system is divided into 64 different parts though – it means that there’s double the amount of registry space for applications to take advantage of on the processing and memory fronts.

In a nutshell, it means that applications have the ability to address much larger amounts of memory than before and should the tendency take them, run extremely long instructions in a single processor cycle instead of splitting it into two, like it had to in Leopard.

It’s important to note though, that the difference won’t be noticeable across the board – 32-bit applications will run at the same speed as they did on Leopard, whereas 64-bit applications should be about twice the speed.

To experience the difference this makes, Apple has revamped all the applications that ship with OS out of the box, to make use of the additional memory capacities and other enhancements.

When it comes to third-party applications,

you should see performance improvements, but these depend largely on whether the vendor that makes that software has taken advantage of the 64-bit architecture.

SAME LOOK, NEWER FEEL

Another of the major reasons Snow Leopard is a much more agreeable beast than Leopard is its substantial graphics revamp.

Now, before you start looking for changes in the looks, the changes have more to do with what’s happening under the hood than what you see. All this really means is that the road to better-looking applications and a radical change in look and feel may well have been paved already – Apple is just holding the interface new-look back until a future edition of Mac OS X. DOCK EXPOSE, STACKIER STACKS AND BETTER PREVIEWS

While Snow Leopard looks largely identical to Leopard, Apple did include a couple of gems to play with in the eye-candy department.

Some of the most noticeable changes lie in the dock’s behaviour: how stacks of files can be used and files previewed.

PERFECTING PERFORMANCE If you want to know exactly what Snow Leopard does faster, here are some recent performanceboosting stats: > 30% faster in launch of QuickTime Player > 20% faster in opening PDF files in Preview > 32% faster in file compression (zipping a file for e-mailing as an attachment); > 21% faster in Time Machine backup (From start to 1GB mark); > Up to 80% faster in Time Machine backup (complete); > 37% faster in installation; > 27% faster shutdown time; and > 54% in opening large JPGs in Preview.

operating systems

Lighter than Leopard Snow Leopard takes up less than half the disk space of the previous version, freeing about 7GB – that’s enough for about 1,750 more songs or a few thousand more photos.

It works because doesn’t install things you don’t need, like for example, printer drivers. The new OS only installs drivers for the printers you’ve used in the past or ones it can see on your network – instead of burdening your system with a driver for every printer ever created.

Speedy install Installation during all of our tests took no more than 45 minutes to conclude, didn’t require you to reboot off the installation DVD and worked perfectly as an upgrade.

Cheap, cheap…

Snow Leopard is the most inexpensive operating system upgrade from Apple ever. At R330 it’s a third, if not even less than its predecessors.

Wake me up before you go go With Snow Leopard, your Mac wakes from sleep up to twice as quickly when you have screen locking enabled.

And shutting down is up to 80 percent faster, saving precious moments when you’re trying to head home or to the airport.

Intel inside Snow Leopard is designed for Intel-equipped Macs and as such, you’ll need a Core 2 Duo or similar processor to install it.

That’s also the reason ‘Rosetta’ – Apple’s technology for allowing applications that were written for the Power PC processor, to run on an Intel processor – isn’t installed by default with the new operating system.

Those users making use of really old applications (circa 2000) will need to install this as a separate option, after the upgrade.

TIP: Make sure you have the icon view enabled in finder and you’ll notice that your media files become embedded with a ‘play’ button, allowing you to play them in place – without hitting the spacebar.

First up, Apple has linked Exposé (that great feature that allows you to see all open application windows, switch between them quickly and view your information more creatively) to the Dock.

That means by holding the mouse or trackpad button down on any application icon on the Dock, you gain access to an application-specific Exposé effect.

There’s also a neat little context menu available on the Dock now. You simply right-click the application’s Dock icon and gain the ability to perform basic tasks in that application, or even force it to quit.

The enhancements to Stack-organised folders are just as subtle. If you’re a fan of Stacks (that interesting way of viewing data stored within folders on the Dock), make sure you’re using the Grid view and benefit from scrollability.

Stacks organised in Grids now also allow you to click through to other folders, substantially streamlining the process of, for example, launching applications from a folder on the Dock.

Last up, Snow Leopard now has live file previews, which allows you to watch a video, play an MP3 file without having to use the spacebar to launch Quickview.

QUICKER QUICKTIME

Something that should get most media-addicts hopping is the substantial rewrite of QuickTime (now called QuickTime X). The video and audio player is now quicker, more responsive and bundled with a ton of architectural enhancements.

One enhancement worth mentioning is the ‘dark mode’ for video and audio playback. In this mode, the classic application-window that surrounds media playback disappears and you end up with a clean,

16 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

uncluttered interface with controls that fade out when they’re not needed. And large thumbnail images make navigating chaptered movies simpler than before. Another change is the ability to record directly from your iSight webcam or the screen.

This allows you to either easily record video messages for friends and family, or create mini-tutorials to help them solve a problem or work through a complex procedure within an application like Photoshop. That file can then easily be shared, via e-mail, for example.

This feature is absolutely great once you get into it, since QuickTime X even features some basic editing functionality with ‘Trim’, which as the name suggest allows you to easily slice a file down to size. You can also choose an export format from the ‘Save As’ menu item, allowing you to customise the quality settings for iPhone/iPod or even an Apple TV. SUPPORT FOR EXCHANGE

We’ve saved the best for last. The R330 you can expect to pay for the upgrade to Snow Leopard is more than covered by the fact that the holy trinity of information management, namely Mail, iCal and Address Book now fully supports Microsoft Exchange.

While this won’t make an iota of difference to home users, it makes a huge difference to anyone using a Mac inside a business where mostly everyone else runs Windows.

Exchange and Windows network support are the two issues that have been holding back corporate users from switching to Mac for many years now. If the stability and usability of Mail, iCal and Address Book on Exchange proves to hold true for a couple more months, Microsoft could be in for some healthy competition.

ON NLY Y

ONLY

R2499 Xbox 360 connects you to Movies, Music, Games and Friends.

LEGO Batman : The Videogame: Software © 2009 TT Games Publishing Ltd. LEGO, the LEGO logo and the Miniígure are trademarks of the LEGO Group. © 2009 The LEGO Group. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. BATMAN and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © DC Comics. WBIE LOGO, WB SHIELD: ™ & © Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. PURE: PURE from Disney Interactive Studios. © Disney. ©2009 Microsoft corporation. All rights reserved. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

gaming //BY DEON DU PLESSIS

A console is a fantastically cheap way to get involved with gaming.

Takes a look at the three major consoles worth blowing your 13th cheque on this holiday season.

FIND THE RIGHT

GAMING CONSOLE B FOR YOU

18 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

etween Sony’s powerful PlayStation 3, Microsoft’s versatile Xbox 360 and Nintendo’s truly revolutionary Wii, it can be difficult to decide which one is best-suited to your needs. Sure, they all represent a very cheap way to get your game on (relative to the cost of a powerful PC, that is), but which one does what best?

SONY PLAYSTATION 3 Let’s start with the PS3. It’s powerful, it produces gorgeous graphics and can be used as a media centre that plays movies and music. It’s the most expensive of all three, however, and its games, on average, are more expensive than the other two. Why then, would you want to get one?

The answer’s easy – it’s very, very slick and can do lots of things.

Sony’s powerhouse console not only plays games and Blu-ray movies (you know, those incredibly clear, silky-smooth movies that look simply fantastic on a big HD TV screen?), but it’s a media centre too.

It’s also able to play movie and music files that are stored on its hard drive (popular formats are supported) and it up-scales DVDs (makes them look better than a regular DVD player can). It even streams movies and music to Sony’s handheld games console, the PlayStation Portable when both are connected to a wireless home network.

Finally, its online component – the PlayStation Network or PSN – is completely free to use. The PSN offers game demos and movie downloads and the chance to chat with friends and find online matches to play in. You can also buy games directly from Sony’s online store.

If you’re a dedicated gamer or you want an affordable Blu-ray player, or both, the PS3 is for you. It offers an excellent gaming experience and it’s one of the cheapest Blu-ray players on the market. Throw in free access to the PSN network, and you have a pretty compelling argument to put a PS3 underneath your Christmas tree this year.

Buy a PS3 If: >You’re loaded >You love Sony >You need a Blu-ray player >You prefer more mature games SONY PLAYSTATION 3 Price: From R3 799 Networking: Wireless/wired Storage Space: 120GB, or 250GB depending on model Multimedia: Blu-ray, DVD, Audio CD, popular video and audio file formats Online: Free PlayStation Network access Controller: Dual Shock 3: wireless, motion-sensitive, vibrates Graphics: Superb HD graphics at resolutions up to 1920 x 1080 Top Exclusive games: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, Metal Gear Solid IV, Killzone 2 and LittleBigPlanet Appeal: It’s a cheap Blu-ray movie player, a top-notch games console and a media centre. Awesome!

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gaming

MICROSOFT XBOX 360 The Xbox 360 is the South African games console of choice if sales numbers are anything to go by. It offers a combination of great value, beautiful graphics and a games library that grows with every passing day.

One of the 360’s main selling points is its integration with the Xbox Live service, its online component. This is where each Xbox owner can get entertainment industry news, download demos and game movies, and hang out with friends. To play Xbox games with others using the service, however, requires an annual subscription of around $50 (approx. R400). This is the Xbox 360’s only major flaw; at least as far as South African Xbox gamers are concerned.

Graphically the Xbox has, until recently, produced better visuals than the PS3 by a tiny margin.

Luckily next-gen graphics are so awesome that this tiny difference is hardly noticeable, meaning there is no compelling graphicsrelated reason to choose one over the other.

While it doesn’t play Blu-ray high-definition movies, the Xbox 360 still functions as a DVD player and can play music and movie files too.

The sheer number of games available for the 360 is a very good reason to give your money to Microsoft. Exclusive titles like the Gears of War and Halo series and the upcoming Alan Wake provide further argument for an Xbox purchase. To date, there are 117 games that will only play on an Xbox 360, many of them blockbuster, must-play titles.

The Xbox 360 is aimed at casual and hardcore gamers, offering games that cater to both. It’s affordable, versatile, produces excellent graphics and can double as a media centre. If you consider yourself an average gamer, then the 360 is for you.

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Buy an Xbox 360 if: >You’re on a budget >You’re a Halo fan >You want access to lots of games >You don’t mind paying to play multiplayer

MICROSOFT XBOX 360 Price: From R2 499 Networking: Integrated wired LAN port, wireless functionality available only through an extra purchase of Microsoft’s “Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter’ Storage Space: 256MB (Xbox Arcade), 120GB (Xbox Elite), 250GB (Xbox Elite) Multimedia: DVDs and music CDs, popular video and audio file formats Online: Xbox Live. Free to browse, annual subscription fee to play multiplayer games Controller: No motion sensitivity, but it’s wireless and bigger and more comfortable than a PS3 controller Graphics: Full High Definition graphics at 1920 x 1080 Top Exclusive Games: The Gears of War series, Halo 3, Alan Wake, Viva Piñata Appeal: Good pricing and a wide range of games make the 360 the console choice for the everyman.

Buy a Wii if: >You love playing games socially >You don’t mind some exercise with your games >You want to experience true “next-gen” gaming >You love Nintendo and its quirky, but cool approach to games

NINTENDO WII

NINTENDO WII

Nintendo’s truly revolutionary console, the Wii, is the only console of the three here that can truly lay claim to the “next-generation” title that all so eagerly desire.

This is because of its amazing motion-sensitive controller, the use of which has been integrated into all its games. This has resulted in the emergence of truly different, creative games that are more fun and engaging than many games on either of the other two consoles.

Imagine moving your body to guide your on-screen avatar around levels and mimicking the motion of using a real-life bow to fire arrows at enemies. You’ll wave the remote around like it’s a real sword as you lunge, parry and feint your way through games with sword-toting heroes, and have an absolute blast doing it.

Wii Sports Resort is one of Nintendo’s latest games, incorporating all manner of simulated sports that require the player to mimic real-life motions in order to play. Shoot arrows on the archery range, ride a jet ski, play basketball, table tennis, golf and more, all by using the Wii Remote. The amount of fun on offer here cannot be over-emphasised.

Families looking for fun ways to spend time together will love the Wii, as it draws players of all ages in, and its fun, cutesy graphics have universal appeal. Sure, the Wii’s graphics aren’t cutting-edge and games on the other two consoles look far better, but the pure fun factor simply can’t be beaten.

If you’re a social gamer and you like exercise, or if you just want to try a console whose games offer you something you’ve never experienced before, definitely consider a Wii.

Price: R2 499 and up Networking: Built-in Wi-Fi adapter, supports wired connections with an add-on Storage space: 512MB of built-in NAND memory; supports SD cards Multimedia: None Online: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (multiplayer), Wii Shop Channel, WiiConnect24, all free to use Controller: Motion-sensitive Wii Remote that responds to a player’s movements; Nunchuk Graphics: Standard definition only Top Exclusive games: Wii Sports Resort, Wii Fit Plus, Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and The Legend of Zelda Appeal: Wii games are physically involving, loads of fun, and highly enjoyable with friends and family alike.

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INKJET OR LASER – HP HAS THE RIGHT TECHNOLOGY

C

hoice is king when it comes to printing solutions, and when it comes to colour, HP has your needs met from every angle with its LaserJet and Inkjet printing technologies. Your printing needs are as unique as you are, and HP has outdone itself to satisfy your desire for colour.

CATCHING THE RAINBOW – BUY THE RIGHT PRINTER TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS If you’re looking to buy a new printer, and are unsure whether you need an InkJet or a LaserJet, consider the following factors.

1. The need for colour

HIGH PERFORMANCE HP LASERJET TECHNOLOGY Laser printers offer crisp text, faster print speeds and the capacity to handle high-volume printing and more cost effective per-page printing costs. These characteristics are encompassed in the HP LaserJet range of printers that combine next-generation HP ColorSphere toner with HP Image REt technology to produce vibrant, sizzling colour results.

HP ColorSphere toner means more uniformity in particle size, size distribution and shape than previous HP colour toner, which means the colours are combined in precise ratios to create colors, delivering a 22% wider range of colour than previous colour toners.

HP Image REt is a proprietary technology that provides 2 400 dots per inch (dpi) colour laser class quality through a multi-level printing process that controls colour combination, mixing up to four colours within a single dot and by varying the amount of toner in specified areas. This technology, when combined with the printer’s engine resolution, creates millions of smooth colours, sharp images and resolute text.

All this is done without changing driver settings or reducing print speed, quality or memory.

Consider what you’re printing, and what you expect from your printer.

You’ll know you need InkJet if your printing and other documentation needs are compound, and you’d like to be able to do things like printing, scanning, copying and faxing (both in colour and black and white). In this case your needs will best be filled by a all-in-one printer, like the HP OfficeJet Pro. In the event that you’re all about printing photographs and other high-quality design documents, the HP PhotoSmart Inkjet Printer is what you need.

You’ll know you need LaserJet, on the other hand, if you’re looking to achieve professional results and cost and space savings.

Black and white or colour is rendered beautifully, whether you’re looking to print, scan, copy and, with the HP Colour LaserJet CM1312nfi multi-unction printer is perfect for your needs.

Alternatively, if you’re looking to achieve great printing results inhouse with photo-quality images and vibrant colour, the HP Colour LaserJet CP1515n will most probably exceed your expectations.

2. It’s a numbers game Print volume should be one of the chief concerns when looking at printers. You may not realise how many pages you print, but it’s probably more than you think. Print 100 pages a day, and it quickly adds up to 3 000 pages a month. If you’re printing large volumes, look for printers that have high volume input trays, additional tray

HIGH QUALITY HP INKJET TECHNOLOGY When it comes to printing high-quality colour and true-to-life photographs, nothing beats HP InkJet excellence. HP Thermal Inkjet technology means that HP inks produce an entire colour spectrum. With innovation and evolution, HP has quickly taken inkjet printing from a few hundred thousand colours with four-ink systems to 72.9 million colour combinations with the new eight-ink systems.

options and automatic document feeders. If you’re looking to print double-sided, large volume documents, you’ll need a printer that’s capable of duplex printing.

HP Colour LaserJet printers generally have a monthly duty cycle of around 30 000 pages, printing between 8 and 12 pages a minute, while the HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Wireless has a 15 000 monthly duty cycle and prints between 15 and 19 pages a minute.

The HP PhotoSmart Plus All-In-One Printer is recommended for lower volume, occasional home printing.

HP Colour LaserJet CM1312nfi MFP RRP: R5 659.00 • Multi-function printer: (colour) printing, copying, scanning; (black and white) printing, scanning, copying, faxing.

• NextGen HP ColorSphere toner and HP ImageREt • Print quality: 600 x 600 dpi – (colour) best ; (black) normal • Print speed: (black) up to 12 ppm; (colour) up to 8 ppm • Duty cycle: (monthly, A4) up to 30 000 pages

• Manual duplex print, 150-sheet paper input tray, 50-sheet automatic document feeder, maximum output capacity up to 125 sheets • Standard Printer languages: HP PCL 6, Postscript level 3 • Network ready: built-in 10/100 wired Ethernet connectivity

3. Quality is dictated by resolution If you plan to use a printer for desktop publishing or graphic design, you need to purchase a printer with PostScript Level 3 capability. This is a format designed by Adobe for professional printing, and having it enables your printer to properly print PostScript fonts. A printer with PCL (printer control language) level 5 or higher is also recommended. The HP Colour LaserJet CM1312nfi MFP and HP Colour LaserJet CP1515n have more than enough of both. Both these printers also have a 600 x 600 dpi print resolution, which when combined with HP ImageREt technology, gives a far superior print result.

HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Wireless has the greatest print resolution due to

HP Colour LaserJet CP1515n RRP: R2 519.00

its InkJet technology, and with 4800 x 1200 optimised dpi printing on HP Advanced Photo Paper and 1200 x 1200 input dpi, your colour will be as exceptional as the print quality. Print your perfect holiday snaps using the HP PhotoSmart Plus All-In-One Printer that has photo enhancement features that eliminate printing errors and produce high-quality documents as well.

4. Consider the logistics A number of computers sharing a central printer requires that printer to

• Functions: printing colour and black and white in a variety of sizes: A4, A5, A6 B5 • NextGen HP ColorSphere toner and HP ImageREt 3600 • Print quality: 600 x 600 dpi – (colour) best ; (black) normal • Print speed: (black) up to 12 ppm; (colour) up to 8 ppm

• Duty cycle: (monthly, A4) up to 30 000 pages • Manual duplex print, 2 paper trays, 250-sheet input tray • Standard Printer languages: HP PCL 6, Postscript level 3 • Connectivity: Hi-speed USB 2.0, 10/100Base-TX with RJ45 connector

be network-ready. The HP Colour LaserJet CM1312nfi MFP has built-in wired Ethernet connectivity, meaning wireless access and convenience. HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Wireless is also network-ready, with the added option to connect via USB , Ethernet, PictBridge, and fax.

5. Consider the budgetary implications A colour laser printer is often initially more expensive than an inkjet, but your total cost of ownership (how much your printer costs you for as long as you own it) will often be substantially lower, because colour laser printers use toner instead of ink cartridges and yield a much higher print output. So if your needs are high volume, laser may be a better option for you.

However, when it comes to inkjet, the HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Wireless will offer you surprisingly low cost-per-page figures. Made even more budget-friendly with the additional offering of extra-large print cartridges.

With a variety of print quality and ink settings to choose from (draft, normal and best) the lifespan of your printer cartridges is in direct relation to your printing needs.

Once you’ve assessed your need for quality, colour, speed and volume in relation to your budget, you’ll see that there’s an HP printer more than perfectly suited to your requirements.

HP OfficeJet Pro 8500 Wireless RRP: R3 799.00 • Functions: print, copy, scan, fax • HP Thermal Inkjet Print Technology • Print quality: 4800 x 1200 optimised dpi, 1200 x 1200 input dpi – (colour) best; 1200 x 1200 dpi (black) best • Print speed: (black, normal, A4) up to 19 ppm; (colour, normal A4) up to 19 ppm • Duty cycle: (monthly, A4) up to 15 000 pages • Automatic duplex print, 250-sheet input tray, 50-sheet ADF, optional 250-sheet additional paper tray.

• Standard Printer languages: HP PCL 3 GUI (graphics user interface) • Network ready: USB 2.0, Ethernet, PictBridge, RJ-11 fax, Wireless 802.11 b/g (standard or optional) • HP PhotoSmart Plus All-In-One Printer • Functions: print, copy, scan • Print, copy and scan directly from convenient touchscreen • Wireless

outlook made easy //BY BRETT HAGGARD ARD

OUTLOOK TURBO-BOOSTING OUTLOOK TIPS

Become an e-mail whizz using these great time-saving outlook tricks

M

icrosoft Outlook is the centre of many PC users’ universe, giving them quick and convenient access to their three most important areas of information: e-mail, contacts and calendar. But few Outlook users realise just how powerful tool they have at their disposal and how in a couple of easy steps, they can get their e-mail to sort itself, make backups and archives of old e-mail or how they can set it up to place their RSS feeds at their fingertips.

Follow our easy guidelines below and you’ll be well on your way to mastering your inbox.

THE NEED FOR SPEED

On a relatively new computer that fits the system requirements of Outlook, information access is quick and responsive – but what if you could make it even faster?

Short and sweet MS Office Outlook keyboard shortcuts

Switch to Mail > CTRL+1 Switch to Calendar > CTRL+2 Switch to Contacts > CTRL+3 Switch to Tasks > CTRL+4 Switch to Notes > CTRL+5 Switch to next message (with message open)> CTRL+PERIOD Switch to previous message (with message open) > CTRL+COMMA Go to the Search box > F3 or CTRL+E

TIP: Head over to http://support.microsoft.com/kb/968774/, download the file and run it when you have about 45 minutes to an hour to spare.

The results will benefit the whole Office suite from a stability and performance perspective, but you’ll see a massive difference in the speed with which you can navigate your inbox and other information in Outlook, thanks to a more optimised PST file format.

While you trade some disk space off to get this better performance, the benefits are well worth the larger file size.

TIP: Another clever tactic is to keep your PST files smaller, by archiving old information in separate PST files – say on an annual or six-monthly basis.

Select File | Data File Management from the menu in Outlook. Then click Add and choose Office Outlook Personal Folders File (.pst) and OK.

24 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

Choose an easy to recognise description for the fifile le like ‘2008 – Outlook archive’ and click OK. Next, give it a similarly easy to recognise filename and again, click OK. If you want to, you can choose to protect the file with a password if you’re worried about sensitive information. Just don’t lose or forget the password, since there’s no coming back from that.

Lastly, click Close.

Now that you’ve created a second PST file, it’s time to move the old data across to it. You can either drag and drop entire folders to the new PST file (appearing under Mail Folders) or drag individual items across to the new PST file.

To archive all mail items for a specific date range, Select File | Archive from the menu in Outlook, check the box next to Archive this folder and all subfolders, highlight the folder you’d like to archive the mail from and specify the date range you want to archive under the Archive items older than: __ dialog. Now, use the Browse button to select the archive PST file you already created and click OK. After you have archived all items, you can either keep that PST file loaded in Outlook, or close it to improve performance even more. Do this by rightclicking your new archive PST under Mail Folders and selecting Close from the menu.

To open it again, select File | Open | Outlook Data File... from the menu in Outlook, select the archive you want to open and click Open. If you set a password for the file it will ask for it before opening the file.

TIP: Now that you’ve made your live PST file a little leaner, it’s time to compact it so you can gain back some space.

Select File | Data File Management from the menu in Outlook, highlight your live (or archived) PST file, click Settings and Compact Now.

FEELING F E FO FONT FR FRIENDLY? Disp the Format menu Display > AALT+O Display the Font dialogue Disp box > CTRL+SHIFT+P Switch case (with text Swi selected) > SHIFT+F3 sele Format letters as small Form capitals > CTRL+SHIFT+K cap Make letters bold Mak > CCTRL+B Add bullets > CCTRL+SHIFT+L Make letters italic Mak > CCTRL+I Increase indent > CTRL+T Decrease indent > CTRL+SHIFT+T Left align > CTRL+L Center > CTRL+E Underline > CTRL+U Cut > CTRL+X or SHIFT+DELETE Copy > CTRL+C or CTRL+INSERT Paste > CTRL+V or SHIFT+INSERT Insert a hyperlink > CTRL+K Left align a paragraph > CTRL+L Right align a paragraph > CTRL+R

GET MORE ORGANISED

An organised set of e-mail folders make finding information without searching a cinch. The downside is however that it takes discipline and commitment from the user. Or does it?

TIP: Did you know that Outlook has filters built into it that can easily sort e-mail by subject or sender and automatically file them away in folders?

Outlook calls them rules…

Start with a message that displays the characteristics of other mails you want to filter i.e. it’s from a certain person, it has a certain subject line or comes from a certain person.

Right-click the message and select Create Rule from the menu that comes up. Make sure you either tick the box next to From {Sender} or tick the box next to Subject line is. Now tick the box next to Move the item to folder: and click on Select Folder.

Now highlight the desired target folder (create one using the button if you don’t have one yet) and click OK. Lastly, click OK again.

From here on, any e-mails that meet those criteria will be filtered away into the specified folders. To move all existing messages in your inbox that meet those criteria check Run this rule now on messages already in the current folder before you exit the rule creation window.

TIP: Another challenge users often face is how they go about finding a specific e-mail or e-mail related to an original e-mail really easily.

Outlook has a feature for you, if this sounds like an issue you’ve faced from time to time.

Start with an e-mail you’d like to find related message to and make sure it’s open in a window of its own. Now, select Tools | Instant Search | Related Messages from the menu and click OK. Depending on your system’s hardware performance, this can take some time, but sooner or later, you’ll see a search window with all the related messages that Outlook could find.

E-MAIL EVERYONE AT ONCE

Remove paragraph formatting > CTRL+Q

When it comes to sending messages to multiple people, like your overseas family, it often means searching through your address book for the 10 or 20

e-mail addresses they need. Wouldn’t it be easier to click a single address and have all of those people’s e-mail addresses automatically selected? The answer is distribution lists…

To set up a mailing list in Outlook, select File | New | Distribution List from the menu and type in a new name for your list, like ‘Family Members’ or ‘Colleagues’. Now click on the Select Members button to add names already in your address book or Add New button to add addresses that aren’t yet in your address book. Lastly, click Save and Close.

Sending to this list is now as simple as starting to compose a new e-mail and instead of selecting a name from the address book, selecting your distribution list, just like you would a friend’s e-mail address.

TIP: Don’t forget to blind copy yourself in the e-mail (put your name in the BCC field). This will of course mean that you get a copy of the mail, but it will allow you to double check that it sent correctly.

WHERE’S MY DATA?

While Outlook is a great e-mail, contact and calendaring tool, it squirrels your data away in an obscure location like a paranoid secret agent. That’s fine most of the time, but what happens when you want to back your data file up?

Click on File | Data File Management from the menu in Outlook and select your main data file (typically named Personal Folders). Now, click Open Folder.

Back the contents of that folder up onto a memory stick or CD, label it clearly and keep it in a safe place in case of disaster striking.

If you’re using Outlook 2002 the process is a little less simple.

Right-click on Outlook Today either in the Outlook bar or in the folder list and select Properties from the pop-up menu. Next, click on Advanced and take note of the path listed under Path.

Select the path (excluding the file name – i.e. leave the outlook.pst part at the end of the path unselected) and press CTRL-C on your keyboard or right-click and select Copy for the context menu.

Now select Run from the Start menu, Ctrl-V or right-click Paste the path in the space provided and hit Enter. A folder should open containing your Outlook PST files – back them up for safekeeping.

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eMoney //BY JOHANN BARNARD

AVOID THE HOLIDAY RUSH:

shop onli 26 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

Security tips Online security doesn’t require an IT degree, only common sense. In the same way that you wouldn’t give strangers your ATM card and PIN, it makes sense to not give people access to your credit card or online accounts.

Padlock

T

Gift shopping, for some, is an adventure filled with jostling crowds and nonstop Christmas carols while others prefer filling their yuletide stockings from the comfort of the lounge or study.Connect explores the quick, simple and safe ways you can do your online shopping.

line!

he good news for the modern-day shopaholic is that online shopping is now not only widely accessible, but also significantly safer than even a few years ago. Retailers have had to adapt to the reality that the online market is not only strong and growing, but represents the way future generations will prefer to shop.

The question therefore is: what’s the best way to do online shopping?

Contrary to the common concerns about using your credit card, this remains the primary way you will either buy directly or buy currency on online payment services.

While technology and security systems have evolved to the point that it’s perfectly acceptable to use your credit card for online purchases, it always wise to take simple measures to protect your money.

FANTASTIC PLASTIC

Warping that, oh so appealing, piece of plastic in your purse or wallet by racking up the purchases is as easy to do online as it is in-store.

You don’t need special clearance or permissions to buy online using your credit card: it’s as simple as providing your card number, cardholder name and the verification code on the back of your card.

Many local sites accept credit cards, which also sets buyers’ minds at ease as there is the added sense of security because of a better chance of fixing an error, whether intentional or not.

Popping in your credit card details on an international shopping site is as simple, although some may have restrictions on whether they accept international orders and payment, while others may be limited by their affiliation to either Visa or Mastercard, for example.

Most mainstream and high profile sites, however,

Any site that accepts payments, or on which you expect to be transacting securely, will have to be verified by one of the Internet security verification providers.

Keep an eye out for a small grey or gold padlock in your browser’s window – usually in one of the bottom corners, while the web address should also now read ‘https://’ to indicate a secure site.

Double-clicking on the padlock will bring up the security certificate in case you doubt the authenticity of the site. This certificate will show you whether it is verified, who issued the certificate and when it expires. When transacting, be sure that the padlock has turned to a gold colour to indicate that the site security is active.

Security software This may sound obvious, yet people continue to ignore the advice to secure your computer from attacks and viruses by installing a reputable anti-virus and malware suite. Some viruses are designed to capture your keystrokes, enabling criminals to lift your banking login details.

Similarly, be sure to change your passwords – depending on your level of paranoia, this could be monthly, although every six months is a good benchmark.

Trust nobody As your bank will have told you repeatedly, they or their agents will never ask you for your login details. So, if you get a suspicious-looking email, SMS or phone call check with your bank to verify its authenticity.

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eMoney

Who to use?

PAYPAL PayPal is the undisputed king of online payment systems and should be your first point of departure if you intend shopping internationally – especially if you use online auction services such as eBay.

are totally geared to accepting any and every conceivable form of payment.

Another option used by some of the smaller online stores that do not hold merchant accounts or do no offer online payment services directly is that of thirdparty payment providers. These service providers act as a link between the store and the bank or credit provider, greatly increasing access to smaller and probably niche stores.

Most credit card providers offer insurance against online fraud – a either as a standard service or upon request. Check with your institution, it makes sense to protect yourself in all possible ways when shopping online.

CLICKANDBUY ClickandBuy.com is another payment service that is widely affiliated and allows you to safely and easily buy off international services such as Skype and iTunes, and many, many more.

MONEYBOOKERS This is another service, which is more well-known outside of the United States, that allows you to make transfers and pay for goods. The one difference being that it has a strong slant on money transfers – particularly between individuals, so is a great way to send money to your loved ones abroad.

South African online payment services are starting to come of age. And although there are some veteran services out there like eBucks, many of these tend to be specific to your personal bank rather than an open service. The one downside to these services, generally, is that not all retailers are affiliated to all of the services, so you may find that limiting.

DIGITAL MONEY

The other popular, and safe way, to buy online is via online payment services such as PayPal. Services such as this offer a way to ‘deposit ‘ money into your online account, which is then used to do all your online purchases. The advantage of this system is that you can buy from a wide range of sites, and only expose your credit card details to one source, your trusted payment service.

The disadvantage is that not all sites accept all the payment service providers, so make sure you sign up with a well known, reputable service – or a number of them to cover all your bases.

While these pay services are the primary payment method on international sites, South African sites still largely accept only payment directly by credit card or electronic fund transfers.

Many international retailers now offer a local version of their sites, in which case they often accept eWallet payments. PayPal, for example, is the preferred payment method on the South African version of global auction and shopping site eBay. The speed and ease of use offered by these payment services most definitely enhance the online shopping experience as you know you can do so without having to worry about your credit card details being exposed to little-known or far-flung retailers.

Naturally you still have to practise sensible security around your payment service login and password, but that applies to any online activity.

eBUCKS Although eBucks is more of a reward system for First National Bank customers, it is still a good example of a local online payment system. Use the bank’s services, shop at affiliated retailers and you are rewarded with electronic cash that you can again spend at the same network of retailers.

Sweet deal!

MOWALŸ Standard Bank’s cellphone-based electronic wallet, Mowalÿ allows customers to use and transfer MiMoney credits – the bank’s electronic cash system. The system is not restricted to Standard Bank customers, and can be used by simply creating a Mowalÿ account and transferring money from your personal bank account.

MTN MOBILEMONEY Mobile money is seen as the next big wave – certainly in other parts of the continent where access to conventional banking services is severely hampered. MTN’s MobileMoney platform allows users to load money, transfer it to a merchant, make online purchases or transfer it to practically anyone, even if they don’t have a cellphone.

28 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

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www.phatcat.co.za

new year's resolution //BY TIANA CLINE

A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT 30 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

MULTIMEDIA FOR MINI-MAESTROS

If you’re a parent keen on getting your child interested in an instrument, Groovy Music is an award-winning series of music programs aimed at kids under the age of 12. The software is divided into three themed packages aimed at different age groups; the older your child, the more complex the musical ideas that are explored. Everything is presented using colourful, engaging graphics to keep your child interested.

The best part is you don’t need any musical knowledge to get the most from the programs – each software package comes with plenty of clear, well-written materials. You’ll see your kids take what they’ve learned in Explore Mode and make impressive-sounding compositions by dragging and arranging rhythms, bass lines, chords and more in fun soundscapes.

MEET PAM THE PIANO AND GARY THE GUITAR

It’s never too late to become a musical maestro. With a little dedication, amazing software packages and the Internet, it’s never been easier…

I

t’s the end of the year and this usually means it’s the time to take on new things and New Year resolutions. Next year I’ll stop smoking, go to gym and learn how to play the piano… but why not? If you already own the instrument, but don’t have time to find a teacher, you’ll be pleasantly surprised how many multimedia programs and Internet websites there are that can help you accomplish this goal.

JUST PRESS PLAY

With so many musical software packages, the most effective and most established is Sibelius. Developed in 1993 and named after the Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, the company has released a large variety of music, including special versions of Sibelius for kids as well as extra sound libraries. It depends on what you’re looking for.

Those interested in a whole ensemble of instruments will enjoy Sibelius Orchestra. This is a unique interactive encyclopaedia of instruments, bands and orchestras that includes complete information on every orchestral and band instrument, with full details of their characteristics, how to write for them, and hundreds of high-quality recordings.

Research has proven that children who play an instrument do better in school, make friends more easily, are more creative, learn self-discipline and gain self-confidence. In the eMedia multimedia series, a cute animated character leads kids through lessons taught by experts like Kevin Garry (for the guitar) and professional violinist Sabina Skalar.

Covering the basics such as tuning your guitar, holding your violin and learning chords, your child will eventually move onto reading music, playing songs, and much more.

With MIDI tracks, the speed of the music can be adjusted so that the learning can be done at the individual’s pace. Special features like an automatic tuner, metronome, chord dictionary and digital recorder are all included in the pack. The eMedia series is the perfect way to introduce children (and maybe even an adult or two) to playing guitar, piano, violin and electric guitar.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 31

new year's resolution

For a more in-depth look at music theory, Musition is an all-inclusive package for all ages and abilities with interactive teaching that makes es learning music theory fun and easy. Wish you had ad a good ear for music? With 41 topics, Auralia is the he most comprehensive ear-training package!

WATCH AND LEARN

YouTube, the online video sharing website, is a great opportunity for free music lessons. Stream the video of your choice and you’ll have the comforts of a music teacher in your home, no matter the instrument.

If you create an account on YouTube, you can subscribe to certain channels such as WebPianoTeacher (Andrew Furmanczyk’s YouTube Music Academy) or PianoLounge (Shawn Cheek Easy Piano Lessons Whiteboard Technique) to learn the basics. This is a great way of finding out which method works for you.

Unless you go to a music store and purchase a book, sheet music can be hard to come by. www.8notes.com offers free sheet music, riffs and lessons, no matter your instrument. Looking for Bach’s Bist du Del Mir for the euphonium? This is where you’ll find it as well as other pieces of (mostly) classical composition.

If all else fails, you can also use the Internet to find a music teacher. Try www.samusicteacher.org.za the official South African society of music teachers, an institution that has been around since 1918.

On this website, you can search for a teacher in your area.

32 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

T

he genre of social gaming, also called music or rhythm gaming, has taken playing a musical instrument to a new level. Video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band provide an easy way to enjoy the fun aspect of playing a musical instrument without having to read music. It may provide instant gratification and a cheering audience, but it isn’t always easy. Games such as these come with specially designed peripherals (guitars, drums and a microphone) that plug into your game console.

HOW IT ALL WORKS GUITAR: By pressing down on fret buttons on a specially designed guitar controller, for example, gamers-turnedmusicians can form notes and chords to be played by strumming in time on a “strum bar” representing the strings of an electric guitar. These notes and chords are represented onscreen by scrolling note markers. Using button combinations, sustains and the whammy bar, you’ll be able to experience the essence of what it’s like to actually play some of the best songs of all time without knowing much more than how to keep a beat.

DRUMS: The most realistic drum experience you can have without playing real drums. Both the Rock Band and Guitar Hero drum sets feature three drum pads, two raised cymbals and a bass kick pedal. They combine velocitysensitive drum heads with soft rubber construction to deliver the authentic ‘bounce back’ of a real drum set, and they are easier to set up, move, break down and store.

BE SURE TO CHECK OUT: • Guitar Hero 5 • Guitar Hero: Metallica • Guitar Hero: Aerosmith • Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock • The Beatles: Rock Band • Rock Band 2

PRODUCT REVIEWS // BY DEON DU PLESSIS

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

W

ith the holiday season upon us, many of us are searching for the perfect gifts for our loved ones. This month, Connect aims to make that search a little easier; we have reviews of all manner of goodies that will make lovely gifts for friends and family alike.

Of particular interest are the three major gaming consoles, all bundled up especially for the holiday season with games or movies, all at very good prices. If you’ve been putting off getting one, now is a great time to reconsider. All three are in this month’s Top Five, for good reason.

All that remains is to wish all our readers a very happy holiday. Here at Connect, we’re looking forward to a very interesting New Year, not least because of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. From a technology perspective, we are expecting to see some really exciting products hit local shelves in the next 12 months, and we aim to be in the thick of it all, bringing you the details in terms that don’t overwhelm.

Stay safe, drive carefully, and may the break be the rest everyone deserves.

See you next year!

Cheers , Deon

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

34 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

REVIEW EWS WS 36 38 40 41 42 44 45 46 48 49 50 52 53 54 56 57 58 60 62 63 64 65 66 67

Sony Ericsson Yari Apple iMac PS3 Bundle Xbox Bundle Wii Bundle HP Photosmart A646 Magic Mouse Verb Ve rbat atim im EExe xecu cutitive ve 5500 00GB GB Por orta tabl blee Ha Hard rd DDririve ve Blac Bl ackb kber erry ry CCur urve ve 8852 5200 Sony Ericsson C903 HTC Touch 2 Navigon 3300 Max TomT To mTom om XXXL XL Exspect PS3 and Xbox 360 charger cables Logi Lo gite tech ch SS31 315i 5i iiPo Podd Sp Spea eake keer Sy Syst stem em Sandisk SANSA Clip 4GB AudioVox D1788 Portable DVD Player Punch! h! HHome & Landscape d Designer i Pinnacle Studio 14 HD Ultim mate Collection AVG Gaming Protection Encyclopaedia Britannica 2010 201 Hallmark Card Studio Deluxe Eurotalk Zulu Book Reviews

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RELATED

PRODUCTS

SONY ERICSSON SATIO

As well as being a really cool phone, the Satio can also interface with a PlayStation 3 across a home network or even the Internet. Stream your favourite media from your PS3 right to your phone!

The Yari also offers location-based services like Google Maps and a GPS program called WisePilot.

Sony Ericsson Yari PERFECT COMPANIONS

NEED TO KNOW • Plays motion-based games • Excellent multimedia player • 5MP camera is brilliant • Slide phone R3 999.95

microSD card Drum roll…….

A microSD card! Who would have guessed? But yes, a really large microSD card would be perfect for storing music, photos and videos on your Yari.

Sony Ericsson MH907 Motion-Activated Headphones Answer calls and pause music by simply removing one ear bud with these innovative, world-first headphones that respond to your movements.

SONY Ericsson has brought out a new slide phone called the Yari. Silly names seem to be the company’s tactic as the Yari is sister to the Satio and Aino phones announced earlier this year, but luckily the silliness stops at the name. This is an amazing phone that would still be awesome even if it was called the Ecky-ecky-ecky-ecky-patang-zoom-boing-Olé-Biscuitbarrel.

The Yari is a compact slide phone with an incredible 2.4” screen that is typically Sony Ericsson (crystal clear, bright and very attractive). The interface is also typical of the company’s previous efforts, as it’s responsive, intelligently laid out and easy to navigate. For people who like their phones to just work and who don’t need every bell and whistle that mobiles are packed with these days, the Yari is a fantastic choice.

They keypad is also wonderfully pressable as the keys aren’t too close together and they have a really pleasant feel to them thanks to a rubberlike covering. Calls are crystal clear, and the built-in microphone is sensitive enough that when the speakerphone function is activated, the phone can be left on the car seat next to you and your caller will still hear you clearly.

The phone also comes with 60MB of onboard memory for music, photos and videos, which means that you should probably grab a big microSD expansion card so you won’t run out of space. You’ll definitely want the extra memory – the Yari boasts a generous 5MP camera that takes hi-res photos that standalone cameras of a few years ago would be jealous of, but their file size is rather large.

As a bonus, it looks really good too, but the goodness doesn’t stop there – the Yari is also jam-packed with a large selection of games, some of which require the player to use body movements to play. This is like a young man meeting the girl of his dreams, discovering that her dad owns

36 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

a brewery and that her last boyfriend died of exhaustion – the Yari is that much of a jackpot.While some of the games are a little gimmicky (the fitness game “watches” you squat and twist and cavort), there are some winners – Fifa 10 (soccer), Loco Roco (a fun and very unique platform game identical to the original PSP version) and Nitro Street Racers (arcade racing). This is definitely an entertainment phone, an assertion backed up by an excellent music player that surpasses Sony Ericsson’s already-high standards. The only detractor to its appeal is the absence of a 3.5mm headphone jack.

If you’re not sure yet that we absolutely loved this phone, let us say it straight out – the Yari is brilliant. It might not have Wi-Fi connectivity, but it has just about every other feature worth wanting on a non-touchscreen phone. If you’re in the market for a new phone this holiday season, we’re hard pressed to find a reason why you shouldn’t go for a Yari if you’re a regular user and you don’t need all the complexities of a pricier business phone.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Screen: 262,144 colour TFT QVGA @ 240x320 pixels • Memory: microSD support, 60MB onboard • Networks: - GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS/HSUPA 850/900/1900/2100 • Dimensions: 100.0 x 48.0 x 15.7 mm • Weight: 115.0g

PROS

CONS

• Beautiful screen & slide mechanism • Lots of well-executed entertainment options • Easy to use navigation system • Brilliant call and photo quality

• No Wi-Fi connectivity • Some games are gimmicky • No 3.5mm headphone jack

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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PRODUCT REVIEWS

Finally iMacs get an SD card reader slot built right in, and the cheers of photographers and videographers can be heard far and wide. The card reader adds security and flexibility to importing photos from digital cameras or videos from HD camcorders.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Apple iMac NEED TO KNOW • Bigger, brighter, higher resolution displays • Fastest iMacs ever running Core 2 Duo, i5 and i7 Intel processors • Generously provisioned with RAM and hard drive space • Bluetooth wireless keyboard and multi-touch Magic Mouse 21.5-inch From R13 999.95 27-inch From R19 999.95

Mac OSX Snow Leopard Operating System Snow Leopard is Apple’s allnew flexible 64-bit operating system that’s smaller, faster, lighter and more secure than ever before.

iLife 09 This suite of creative applications (iPhoto, iMovie, iWeb, iDVD, GarageBand) allows you to play with your photos, make home movies, web sites, DVDs and music.

It’s all easy to use, even for a novice.

THE new Apple iMacs are here and they are unbelievably stunning.

Starting with the displays, let’s get the numbers out of the way first. There are 21.5-inch and 27-inch variants, both with 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio screens, bright, even LED backlighting, and a huge 178-degree viewing angle. This is thanks to a display technology called in-plane-switching (IPS) that produces great views from almost any seat.

The display is housed in brand new aluminum and glass bodywork, with the back of the enclosure forged from a single piece of aluminum, while the display is edge-to-edge glass.

Resolutions are the biggest numbers ever for iMac, a generous 1920x1080 for the 21.5-inch and a staggering 2560x1440 for the 27-inch version. More pixels means a better picture, and a 1000:1 contrast ratio gives you more flamboyant colours and blacker blacks.

All that in a widescreen display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, means it’s the same as an HD TV. Driving these cinematic displays are graphics adapters that are equal to the task. Basic in the 21.5-inch model is an NVIDIA GeForce 9400M adapter, with an ATI Radeon HD 4670 as an option in the upgraded model. The 27-incher starts with this adapter, and ends with Radeon HD 4850 in the top-end model.

Impressive specs indeed, but how do they rate? Simply spectacular. The advertising hyperbole from Apple, “Everything looks stunning” is effortlessly rendered fact by these displays.

Looking inside the engine room, it’s clear that these are the fastest iMacs ever, with Intel processors starting at the 3.06GHz Core 2 Duo, stepping up through the 3.33GHz Core 2 Duo and the 2.66GHz quad-core Core

38 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

i5 in the top-of-the-range 27-inch model. There is, however, an option available in this model, to use the 2.8GHz quad-core Core i7, for a little extra kick. Memory is generously stocked with 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM (expandable to 16GB) across the range, and 7200rpm SATA hard drive space ranges from 500GB as a starter, to a full terabyte. That’s some serious storage.

All models get a slot-loading 8x SuperDrive with double-layer support.

Last, but not least, the iMacs have enough ports, connectors and inputs to make your head spin: built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, built-in iSight video camera, Gigabit Ethernet port, four USB 2.0 ports, a FireWire 800 port, and at last (on iMac), an SD card slot. Naturally, there are built-in stereo speakers and a microphone. Quite an impressive list.

All of this power is delivered with typical Apple panache, in graceful enclosures on a clean desktop uncluttered by excess cables, thanks to the Bluetooth wireless aluminum keyboard and new multi-touch Magic Mouse (see page 45) that are standard on all models.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • •

LED-backlit glossy widescreen with IPS technology Four USB 2.0 ports SD card slot Wireless keyboard and Magic Mouse PROS

CONS

• Gorgeous display and faster than ever, with more memory • Ports for everything and more • Reduces desktop clutter and cuts out cables (only one cable: power) • 27-inch model can be attached to a wall mount or articulating arm

• Some might miss the extra numeric keypad on the keyboard • Difficult to upgrade by hand, except for adding RAM • Screen glare can be annoying and screen is easily smudged

OVERALL RATING

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Uncharted 2: Among Thieves This beautiful-looking action-adventure will thrill you with its fast-paced storyline, likeable characters and stunning locations.

Graphics are superb and the story is engaging; Among Thieves is a must-play!

Sony PlayStation 3 bundle NEED TO KNOW • XBox 360 Elite entertainment bundle • Includes Lego Batman and FuelPure • 120GB Hard Drive • Headset in pack Price: ?????R3 199.95

Dual Shock 3 Controller What’s a game without a friend to play it with you?

Grab another controller and spread the joy that is PS3 gaming!

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 The sequel to 2007’s smash-hit game, Modern Warfare 2 puts players in the boots of Sergeant Gary “Roach” Sanderson, member of an elite fighting unit, for more anti-terrorist battles and frenetic first-person shooter action.

GETTING into gaming couldn’t be any easier thanks to all the bundles on offer this holiday season. This one, from Microsoft, includes the excellent XBox 360 Elite console and all the trimmings you’ll need to get involved. Not only does it ship with a 120GB hard drive for all your games, movies and music, but also includes a headset for talking to friends online and two great games that are fun for the whole family. Well maybe not Mom, but certainly everyone else.

For only R700 more than an entry-level XBox 360, you get a black Elite console, a 120GB hard drive (which on its own will cost you over R1500), a gaming headset valued at around R150, and two games. Lego Batman and Pure usually cost around R900 together, so this means you’re getting an additional R2 550 worth of value from this bundle. For a family or a gamer on a budget, this is fantastic news.

Even better, both games are very family-friendly, meaning they can be played on Christmas morning without any worries that they contain inappropriate content. Lego Batman is a side-scrolling platform game with fun puzzles aplenty and very cute graphics, using Lego people and Lego blocks as the foundation of the game’s look. Pure is an arcade racing game full of jumps and stunts, where you can trick your ATV out and go wild.

You might want to purchase an additional controller, too, as that lets more than one person play at a time on a single screen. Lego Batman offers multiplayer support, and there is nothing quite like playing through the levels co-operatively to build family camaraderie. Pure only features online multiplayer against up to 16 other players (so no plit-screen action); this can only be achieved by accessing XBox Live, the console’s online component. While theoretically not available to South Africans, there are various workarounds that will allow local players to make use of the service. Check out the May issue of Connect for more details. In addition, multiplayer gaming over XBox Live

40 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

requires XBox Live Gold membership, which costs around $50 (approx. R400) per year. While not a huge amount of money, in comparison to the PlayStation Network – which costs nothing and is officially available to local PS3 gamers – it’s quite expensive. The XBox 360 is a brilliant games console, putting out graphics that look amazing on High Definition TVs and to truly appreciate this, a big TV is necessary. A normal TV will also work, but of course graphics won’t be as sharp. Unfortunately, it’s not as good a multimedia player as the PS3, since it doesn’t support Blu-ray discs. It will still stream movies, music and photos from a Windows-equipped PC over your home network, however, as long as they are in a file format that the XBox 360 supports. Networking is supported by an addon wireless adapter (not included), or by a wired LAN port that comes standard.

In all, the XBox 360 is an excellent, affordable gaming platform for families or gamers on a budget. This particular bundle represents fantastic value considering the individual prices of the included additions; for the price you’re paying, you’re getting a great deal.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • •

Bluetooth: Supports up to 7 Bluetooth 2.0 controllers Networking: 1 x Gigabit Ethernet port, wireless IEEE 802.11b/g USB: 6 x USB 2.0 Ports Display: Full HD support (1080p) Output: HDMI Storage: 250GB SATA-II Optical drive: Blu-ray

PROS

CONS

• Next-gen gaming console • Plays Blu-ray movies too • Media centre capabilities • Big 250GB hard drive • 2 x Blu-ray movies included • PSN integration

• Requires HDTV to gain full benefit • No 2nd controller in bundle • Pricier than the competition

OVERALL RATING

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PRODUCT REVIEWS

5

PERFECT COMPANIONS

XBox 360 Controller You’ll definitely want an extra controller as you learn just how many XBox games have multiplayer support, and how much fun it is to play with friends.

Microsoft XBox 360 Elite Bundle NEED TO KNOW • XBox 360 Elite console bundle • Includes Lego Batman and Pure • 120GB Hard Drive • Headset in pack R3 199.95

GETTING into gaming couldn’t be any easier thanks to all the bundles on offer this holiday season. This one, from Microsoft, includes the excellent XBox 360 Elite console and all the trimmings you’ll need to get involved. Not only does it ship with a 120GB hard drive for all your games, movies and music, but also includes a headset for talking to friends online and two great games that are fun for the whole family.

Well maybe not Mom, but certainly everyone else.

For only R700 more than an entry-level XBox 360, you get a black Elite console, a 120GB hard drive (which on its own will cost you over R1500), a gaming headset valued at around R150, and two games. Lego Batman and Pure usually cost around R900 together, so this means you’re getting an additional R2 550 worth of value from this bundle. For a family or a gamer on a budget, this is fantastic news.

Even better, both games are very family-friendly, meaning they can be played on Christmas morning without any worries that they contain inappropriate content. Lego Batman is a side-scrolling platform game with fun puzzles aplenty and very cute graphics, using Lego people and Lego blocks as the foundation of the game’s look. Pure is an arcade racing game full of jumps and stunts, with tons of tracks.

You might want to purchase an additional controller, too, as that lets more than one person play at a time on a single screen. Lego Batman offers multiplayer support, and there is nothing quite like playing through the levels co-operatively to build family camaraderie.

Pure only features online multiplayer against up to 16 other players; this can only be achieved by accessing XBox Live, the console’s online component. While theoretically not available to South Africans, there are various workarounds that will allow local players to make use of the service. Check out the May issue of Connect for more details. In

addition, multiplayer gaming over XBox Live requires XBox Live Gold membership, which costs around $50 (approx. R400) per year. While not a huge amount of money, in comparison to the PlayStation Network – which costs nothing and is officially available to local PS3 gamers – it’s quite expensive. The XBox 360 is a brilliant games console, putting out graphics that look amazing on High Definition TVs and to truly appreciate this, a big TV is necessary. A normal TV will also work, but of course graphics won’t be as sharp.

Unfortunately, it’s not as good a multimedia player as the PS3, since it doesn’t support Blu-ray discs. It will still stream movies, music and photos from a Windows-equipped PC over your home network, however, as long as they are in a file format that the XBox 360 supports.

Networking is supported by an add-on wireless adapter (not included), or by a wired LAN port that comes standard.

In all, the XBox 360 is an excellent, affordable gaming platform for families or gamers on a budget. This particular bundle represents fantastic value considering the individual prices of the included additions; for the price you’re paying, you’re getting a great deal.

Wireless Networking Adapter Wires are so three years ago.

Pick up a wireless adapter to hook your 360 up to your home network without tripping over any cables.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • •

Networking: Wired 100mbit Ethernet port USB: 3 x USB 2.0 Ports Output: HDMI port, Component Display: Full HD (1080p) Storage: 120GB Optical Drive: DVD-ROM PROS

CONS

• Comes with family-friendly games • Included extras worth over R2k • Streams media from a Windows PC • Produces excellent graphics

• Cannot play Blu-ray discs • XBox Live requires an annual fee • Only one controller is included

OVERALL RATING

HDMI cable Hook your 360 up to your HD TV with an HDMI cable, which transports video and audio signal over the same cable and reduce the cable clutter behind your TV.

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PERFECT COMPANIONS

Wii Remote and Nunchuk Playing alone is fun, but it’s even better when you see your opponent looking just as silly as you feel. Double the controllers, double the fun!

Wii Sports Pack Bundle NEED TO KNOW • Wii console with remote • Wii Sports included • Motion-sensitive controller • Fun, active gaming for all R2 499.95

Exspect 15-in-1 Wii Accessories Pack Swinging the Wii Remote around to serve, putt or bat is all well and good, but it’s even better when it feels like an actual racket/golf club/ baseball bat.

Wii Fit Plus This is a game that will help you get fit and strengthen key muscle groups. Use your body’s balance to play fun minigames, and exercise without noticing that you’re actually working quite hard!

NINTENDO’S Wii console is simply amazing. While it doesn’t do high-definition graphics or have any significant multimedia features and its games have an overall look that nobody will be going crazy over, it does do something else that its competitors simply can’t: it plays games that require movement to control. This means players move their arms around, jump, run on the spot, and mimic the movements of whichever sport they are playing in order to make things happen on-screen.

As you might imagine, this is a ton of fun to do, especially with friends.

Playing games on a Nintendo Wii is the perfect party activity that will have you and your friends laughing at each other and having such a great time you won’t notice that the Wii’s graphics are a little bit outdated.

The Wii ships with the console itself, a Wii Remote, Nunchuk and Wii Sports, a collection of five sports games that will have you and your friends playing competitively against one another. Tennis, bowling, baseball, boxing and golf are included; once players have created their own avatar, or “Mii” as Nintendo calls them, they can play against each other. Tennis involves moving racket-wielding Miis around the court, and swinging the Wii Remote like it’s a tennis racket to serve, return and backhand balls at other players.

Bowling requires the swinging of the Wii remote like you would swing your arm while bowling, golf is played by pretending to swing a golf club, baseball players can pitch and bat as they would in real life. Boxing is one of the most rewarding (and tiring) of the activities in Wii Sports, as players are required to hold their remote-clutching fists up and punch the air like a prize fighter as they strive to knock their opponents out.

The innovation here is the total physical involvement of the player; Nintendo has challenged game developers to create truly different games that take advantage of the new control system, and the result is pure, unadulterated fun, especially in groups. The Wii doesn’t, on the other hand,

42 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

function as a media centre at all; it’s even unable to play DVD movies.

It also doesn’t have the kind of slick online support that the other two consoles do (it does support online multiplayer gaming, socialising and game downloads, though), but this is quite acceptable given the kind of fun it offers.

For family gamers and people who like gaming in a group (i.e. not online, in person), the Wii is a marvellous invention. It’s affordable, ships with a fun collection of sports games that will undoubtedly get the heart pumping, and boasts a catalogue of motion-intensive games that will have gamers happily thrashing about in front of their TVs. The only downfall of the Wii Sports Pack is that it only includes a single Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller, so you’ll need to buy extras to play with more than one person. On the bright side, it’s really affordable and doesn’t require a High Definition TV to enjoy it. For family gamers or people who like to entertain, the Wii is a sure-fire hit.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Networking: Built-in Wi-Fi adapter, supports wired connections with an add-on.

• Storage space: 512MB of built-in NAND memory; supports SD cards.

• Multimedia: None.

• Online: Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (multiplayer), Wii Shop Channel, WiiConnect24, all free to use.

• Controller: Motion-sensitive Wii Remote that responds to a player’s movements; Nunchuk.

• Graphics: Standard definition only.

PROS

CONS

• Truly fun and involving gameplay • Motion-control adds new facets to gaming • Very affordable • Wii Sports Pack included

• No media centre functionality • Standard-definition graphics • Only one Wii Remote and Nunchuk in pack

OVERALL RATING

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

PRODUCT REVIEWS PERFECT COMPANIONS

HP Advanced Photo Paper Available in matte and glossy finish. Photos are at their very best when printed using this paper.

HP Photosmart A646 Printer NEED TO KNOW • Multiple printing choices • Print without a PC, very portable • Basic editing, creative elements and special effects • Easy to use, step-by-step instructions R1 999.95

HP 110 Tri-Colour Ink Cartridge If you print lots of photos, you’ll need to grab a few Tri-Color ink cartridges to keep you going.

HP Photosmart Printer Carry Case If you move around a lot with your printer, there is no better way to transport it than with this very handy carry case from HP.

THE first thing you’ll notice about this printer is its dark, sleek features.

The swirling design on the front of the device brings to mind a word not usually associated with printers: ‘pretty’. It folds up compactly, is easily transportable, and is reminiscent of a small, shiny boom box.

This printer makes it simple to view, edit and personalise pictures without using a PC. Printing photos directly from a USB flash drive or memory card couldn’t be simpler, while PictBridge technology allows you to print directly from your camera as well. If you do decide to print from your computer, however, this printer is easy to install on your PC or Mac. It was when trying to print from a Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone that we hit a snag. The printer didn’t “find” the phone, the phone had to “find” the printer. When it did so, we were asked for a numeric passkey.

This situation is not covered in any of the printer documentation, and so we had to resort to Google. A quick search revealed the passkey to be ‘0000’. Once entered, it was easy to send pictures to the printer from the phone. The only drawback to printing from your phone is that creative elements cannot be added to photos nor can they be edited in any way, except if your phone has internal photo editing functionality.

The TouchSmart control panel on the printer has a menu that is easy to navigate, and an extra-large TouchSmart screen means you can view and personalise your photos easily. Add captions, borders, drawings and artistic design elements to enhance your pictures using the touch keyboard and writing stylus. You can crop, brighten and touch up your photos – with more than 300 creative elements and 30 different special effects to choose from to create album pages for scrapbooks, greeting cards, photo stickers and panorama prints. Instant Photo Fix automatically optimises photos for printing and cuts out the need to transfer images to your computer for editing. You can also view all photos on a memory card

44 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

as a slide show, on the extra large screen, just about anywhere in your home. You can pause the slide show at any time by touching the screen and print the currently displayed picture for instant sharing, while the slideshow resumes.

It is recommended that you use HP Advanced Photo Paper for all your printing: This paper is easy to load, and you can select and adjust print quality, arrange photos in different layouts and in a variety of borderless print sizes, including 13-x15cm, 13x18cm and panorama.

Photos dry instantly thanks to HP’s innovative inks, inkjet and the result is a bright photo, with a slight bias toward the blue on the colour spectrum. Prints lack sharp detail and are slightly over-saturated, but are ideal for home printing and quick sharing.

Overall, this smart, compact photo printer performed well, produced prints of a quality suitable for personal home use, and is definitely worth it if convenience, simplicity and portability are important to you.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 3.45” Touchscreen with TouchSmart Panel • Print sizes: 4x6”, 4x8” photo card, 4x12” panorama, 5x7” • Connectivity: 1 USB, 1 PictBridge, 4 Memory card slots, built-in Bluetooth • Windows 7 ready PROS

CONS

• Environmentally-conscious: printer made up of 32 percent recycled plastic, and energy-saving features • Truly portable and easy to pack away/unpack

• Print not entirely smudge-proof, but to be expected when printing with a thermal inkjet printer • Not compatible with iPhone • Print quality lacks sharpness and is biased toward blue • Needs to be plugged in to external power supply module, so not entirely mobile

OVERALL RATING

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Apple Magic Mouse NEED TO KNOW • Wireless Bluetooth laser mouse • Buttonless design • Multi-Touch and gestures support R999.95

THERE’S no disputing Apple’s lead in the industrial design sector and the company seems to push the envelope on marrying form with function with every new product release.

Completely wireless, thanks to Bluetooth and capable of working on more surfaces thanks to a laser-tracking engine, the new Magic Mouse is no exception to the ‘Apple only releases awesome products’ rule.

Not only does it look phenomenal – encased in a single contoured, seamless top shell – but it incorporates a set of features that have previously only been available on its notebook trackpads.

While other companies are still fiddling around with button placement and laser design, the Magic Mouse’s most outstanding feature is the absence of any visible buttons. Instead, the entire outer shell is a button, and it picks up on finger placement and gestures made with the fingers, just like Apple’s notebook trackpads do to perform different functions.

This almost-clairvoyant feature hinges on a technology Apple calls Multi-Touch. This was first brought to market with the release of Apple’s iPhone, refined with the release of the iPod Touch and made ubiquitous with the trackpads built into all of the company’s new notebook models.

Similar to these devices, the Multi-Touch area covers the top surface of the mouse. That means for a single (left) click, you simply press down with one finger, anywhere on the mouse’s surface. For right clicks, make sure two fingers are on the mouse when you press down with your rightmost finger.

For scrolling, you either drag a single finger in the direction you want to scroll, or drag two fingers down the top surface of the mouse, as you would with an Apple notebook trackpad.

For zooming in and out of items on the screen, simply press and hold the Control-key on the keyboard, while sliding a single finger (or two fingers, if that suits you better) up or down the top surface of the mouse.

Saving the best for last, the Magic Mouse allows you to make a ‘Swipe’ gesture from left to right, or right to left to advance through pages in your web browser (like forward and back buttons) or browse photos in a photo editing application such as iPhoto.

The design of the mouse also makes it perfect for left-handed users, since it doesn’t have any curves that make it predisposed to use by a left- or right-handed user.

That same ‘safe’ route Apple has taken with the design of this mouse might well be a reason it won’t be a favourite with everyone. While for the most part, the Connect team found it to be a rather indispensable part of their lives – especially for the desktop-bound users among us – two of our reviewers found that the mouse rode a little too low for their liking, preferring pointing devices with a higher arch, that make their presence felt in hand. The gamers among us also felt that while the Magic Mouse uses laser-tracking technology that’s up to scratch, it doesn’t compete with some of the more advanced technologies from the likes of Microsoft or Logitech, with their Blue Track and Darkfield tracking technologies. These allow mice to accurately track on reflective and clear surfaces like glass and granite, something the Magic Mouse’s laser sensor battles with.

The team also felt that the mouse took some getting used to, but once it had become part of their daily lives, they were loathe to part with it.

At R999.95 it’s not a cheap device, but not the most expensive peripheral we’ve seen by a long margin. It’s also worth noting that it comes standard as part of the new iMac, reviewed on page 38 of this issue.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • •

Left- and right-click using Multi-Touch For left- and right-handers Scroll using single-finger swipes Zoom using scroll motion and the Control key Use two-finger swipes for Forward and Back

PROS

CONS

• Multi-Touch technology means no visible buttons • Wireless thanks for Bluetooth • Feels great in hand • Ambidextrous thanks to neutral design

• Expensive for some • Tracking speed not ideal for gamers • Only available in ‘Apple white’

OVERALL RATING

Apple Wireless Keyboard The other half of the wireless desktop experience from Apple, this keyboard is super portable, encased in aluminium and very comfortable to type on thanks to its ‘chiclet-style’ keys.

13” Apple Macbook Pro A perfect (albeit excessive) accompaniment to this super-hot mouse, Apple’s Macbook Pro is a portable powerhouse that’s designed to become the centre of your digital lifestyle.

D-Link DBT-120 Bluetooth dongle Want the mouse, but have no Bluetooth? Grab yourself a D-Link DBT-120 dongle and insert into an available USB port. Voila, instant Bluetooth!

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 45

PRODUCT REVIEWS RELATED

PRODUCTS

SEAGATE FREEAGENT GO 500GB

If you prefer your hard drives from Seagate, the FreeAgent Go 500GB product will offer similar performance to the Executive drive; it ships with its own backup software, too.

Verbatim Executive Portable Hard Drive 500GB NEED TO KNOW

VERBATIM 32GB MEMORY STICK

Memory stick capacities are increasing while prices are dropping; if you want a more compact solution and you’re willing to compromise on space, a pocket-sized 32GB drive is for you.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Targus USB Hub If you’re running out of USB ports on your PC, a USB hub will solve the problem. The Targus hub range includes models that can accommodate anything from four to seven additional USB devices.

• Portable 500GB Hard Drive • Backup program included • Synchronises data between computers • Rubberised exterior • USB 2.0 Connection R1 499.95

ON the surface of it, the basics of the Verbatim Executive 2.5” portable hard drive make it easy to recommend – it’s stylish, feels pleasant in your hand, and it just works: plug it in, copy your files and off you go. Delving deeper, the bundled software changes it from a “nice to have” to a “have to have”, especially if you move around a lot.

First, the basics: the drive has a 500GB capacity, it’s small because it’s essentially a notebook hard drive made portable, and it is housed in a very slick, rounded case that has a fine coat of rubber on it for a very refined feel. It’s black, and has blue lights on either side near the top of the device, that indicate the presence of power. It connects using a mini USB connector, and comes with a USB cable that is about two feet long.

The drive ships with three applications – Nero BackItUp 4, USB TurboSpeed and VerbatimSync. We started out with TurboSpeed, a small program that is intended to speed up data transfers over a USB connection. After a brief installation, an icon appeared on the system tray, and the program was ready to go. Unfortunately it seemed pretty pointless, as we experienced no speed increases as a result; in all fairness, the term “Up to 25% Faster” includes 0%, so Verbatim’s PR spin is still accurate.

VerbatimSync, a small utility that synchronises data between PCs, lets you back up any of your data – including e-mails – and use it on another computer, without leaving a trace of your presence. This means you can access your e-mail on any computer without having to set up a new e-mail application on it, compose and edit your own documents, and even use your own Internet bookmarks.

Think of the Verbatim Executive drive as a way to transport your data

46 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

and use any PC as if it was your personal machine, without the need to set up anything else on the host computer. When you get back to your PC, any changes are automatically synchronised with your original data.

Nero BackItUp 4 Essentials, on the other hand, is an application that allows you to set backup times and contents. Once set up, as long as the drive is connected, the backups will run automatically; restoring data after a critical failure is also easy to do, making BackItUp Essentials a very useful tool.

The only point of caution around the included software is that it runs on Windows only, so if you’re a Mac user, all you’ll get for your cash is a portable drive. All manuals are included on the drive in the popular PDF format, but Adobe Reader, the program needed to view them, is not part of the package. It’s a Google search and a free download away, though, so this isn’t a big problem.

This is one of the nicest portable hard drives we’ve reviewed. Its rubberised exterior gives it a very professional look and feel, its size is compact and appealing, and it even comes with its own carry case for extra protection against scratches and bumps. While it’s not perfect, the Executive Portable Hard Drive 500GB is still an excellent buy.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • •

Capacity: 500GB Connectivity: USB 2.0 Transfer speed: Up to 45MB/s USB Cable: 60cm PROS

CONS

• Rubberised exterior feels and looks great • Very useful utilities included • Compact size perfect for travelling • 500GB is a lot of storage

• TurboSpeed does not boost transfer speed noticeably • Software is Windows-only • No included PDF reader

OVERALL RATING

PRODUCT REVIEWS RELATED

PRODUCTS

BLACKBERRY CURVE 8900

The 8520’s larger, more functional sibling boasts more features, more memory, a higher resolution camera and a built-in GPS. Other than that, the same goodness we’ve grown to expect over the past couple of years.

Blackberry Curve 8520 NEED TO KNOW

IPHONE 3GS

Another big contender for the smart-phone crown, what the iPhone lacks in not supporting BIS, it gains by having a super-slick graphical, touch sensitive user interface – and more applications than you can point a stick at.

COMING SOON: BLACKBERRY BOLD 9700

This showstopper due for release during the course of next year is designed to pick up where the original Bold left off – bringing 3G connectivity, the new optical trackpad and a thinner chassis (that we’re not really supposed to talk about yet)…

• Cheapest Blackberry yet • Great e-mail and web browsing • EDGE connectivity • Small, light and attractive R2 899.95

OVER the past couple of years, Blackberry has become well known for being the best way for mobile executives to keep their e-mail under control while out on the road. With the arrival of the Curve 8520, Blackberry has become the best way for everyone to keep their e-mail under control.

Small, light, aesthetically pleasing and available for R2900 cash, the Curve 8520 is Blackberry’s value-for-money champion – that price is so attractive, it could get a number of people with existing contracts onto a Blackberry as a second device. You’d be forgiven for thinking that the 8520’s ridiculously low price tag means the company skimped on features when it designed this device – in fact that was our first impression when we played with it. Scratch the surface, however, and you’ll find it’s a very competent voice phone, bundled into a very capable, albeit EDGE-based data phone.

While the EDGE connectivity on the unit suggests it’s not the perfect Internet device, you’ll in all likelihood never need to tether your Blackberry to a notebook or desktop to get meaningful value from its data connectivity – the phone itself is a leader when it comes to mobile e-mail, mobile web browsing and the plethora of applications to keep you in the loop on Facebook, Twitter, MSN and other social networks. And all of these features perform perfectly on the handset’s built-in EDGE connection.

Throw a fairly competent 2 Megapixel digital camera and a crisp, clear 320x240 screen into the mix and you’ve got a great mobile multimedia device in your pocket too. Blackberry’s Media Player is very competent for both video and audio content and with a bundled hands-free kit that fits into a standard 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, the 8520 could end up replacing an old mobile media device that’s been due for an upgrade for a while, such as an iPod or Creative Zen. While the on-board memory (256MB) won’t be enough to make it an effective media device replacement, the 8520 has support for MicroSD memory cards. That makes

48 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

adding an extra 4GB of storage space for audio or video, both a quick and inexpensive process. Selected models also sell with a free 1GB memory card to get you started. The 8520 also hails the arrival of one innovation we haven’t seen from Blackberry in previous models, namely an optical trackpad that replaces the conventional trackball many of its devices had before. Personally, we think it’s a massive improvement. Overall, we were highly impressed with the Curve 8520 and hugely surprised when after a week of using it, someone mentioned the price tag to us.

It’s quite honestly worth a lot more than the R2900 being charged and with Vodacom offering the device free with a 24-month Weekender contract (R150), which includes the monthly subscription to Blackberry Internet Services (R60) – giving you unlimited e-mail and web access from the device – it’s almost too good to be true.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • • • •

EDGE connectivity 802.11b/g support 256MB memory Expandable Micro SD slot 2MP camera 320x240 pixel colour screen Full QWERTY keyboard 3.5mm stereo mini jack Bluetooth 2.0

PROS

CONS

• Cheapest way to get onto Blackberry Internet Services • Thin, light, functional • Easy-to-use keyboard • Great media support • Available on attractive cellular deals

• Lacks a GPS • EDGE connectivity limiting for some

OVERALL RATING

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Sony Ericsson C903 NEED TO KNOW • A slick, scratch-resistant surface • Small, but rich in features • A 5MP Cyber-shot camera with dual LED flash, geo-tagging, face and smile detection • FM radio with RDS and enhanced TrackID, YouTube client R4 549.95

LONG gone are the days where you always seem to miss capturing that special moment because you don’t have your camera on hand. Today’s mobile phones have it all with the in-built cameras being so much more than an added extra. And if you’re specifically looking for a phone with a great camera to capture those on-the-go memories in the making, Sony Ericsson’s C903 might do the trick. With its slick-looking exterior, familiar design and unique camera mechanism, the C903 has been designed with the communicator-come-photographer in mind.

Known best for its Walkman collection of stylish music phones, Sony Ericsson is fast becoming a top camera phone. This could be due to its inclusion of a Sony Cyber-shot camera, which means you’re investing in a state-of-the-art lens with the promise of crisp picture quality.

The C903 has a nicely sized 5MP lens with digital zoom, an LED flash, auto focus and some unique Sony Ericsson technical advantages that promise to make your pictures even better.

BestPic, for example, gives you seven chances to capture the precise moment you want. As well as your shot, your Cyber-shot phone takes three images as you press the button, and another three afterwards – that way you get to keep the pictures you want and delete the rest. Smile Shutter is another great picture mode if you’re taking photographs of people. Here, the camera waits until your subject smiles and automatically snaps the picture.

For those into social media, your photos can be geo-tagged (so others can see the exact GPS co-ordinates of where they were taken) and you can also use the camera to take video that can be uploaded easily to a blog.

Besides the camera, the C903 is a fully featured phone that also has web capabilities – like e-mail using the 3G high-speed Internet connection – and an accelerometer. Another plus is the added location services: the phone is pre-loaded with the Wayfinder Navigator application that incorporates turn-by-turn navigation instructions and unlimited access to an online travel planning tool and downloadable maps. The C903 is also a good option if you’re the type of person who likes to store a lot media on their phone, be it photos, music, podcasts and more. This mobile device

uses a Memory Stick Micro that can be easily swapped out if you need more space. And although the C903 is not branded as a Walkman phone, its sound quality and media playing abilities have not been forgotten.

A new nice touch is the Conversations feature in messaging – you’ll still have access to your message in box, but you can also view text messages as conversations. Similar to how messages are kept on an iPhone, your contacts are listed by name and all the messages between you and that person can be scrolled through in one screen.

Overall, the C903 is a decent phone and those who know Sony Ericsson will find it as intuitive and responsive as ever. If you’re a keen mobile photographer, the added camera options, over and above the fact that it is a great phone, make the C903 a snap-happy Sony Ericsson worth considering.

Sony Ericsson C905 A much bulkier option, the C905 has built-in Wi-Fi, which could make it a better option for someone more reliant on the Internet and all its frills.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • • • • • •

Size: 97 x 49 x 16mm Display: 2.4” LCD Weight: 96g Battery: 10 hours talktime, 400 hours standby Internet: Access NetFront™ Web Browser, RSS and Web feeds Camera: 5MP, 2592 x 1944 pixels, autofocus, LED flash Radio: Stereo FM radio with RDS Java: MP3/AAC/MP4 player, TrackID music recognition, editor/blogging, YouTube application, TV-out PROS

CONS

• Slick design • Awesome camera features • Fun and functional media player • Built-in GPS

• Camera not great in low-light • Slow to start up • No document viewer • M2 card slot under the battery cover

VH300 Bluetooth Handsfree Sony Ericsson’s VH300 is a stylish and subtle clip-on bluetooth headset. With a movable microphone and handy volume control, the VH300 discretely pops into your ear with its wired earpiece sitting around your neck – you won’t even know its there!

OVERALL RATING

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 49

PRODUCT REVIEWS

The Touch 2 has a very useful zoom bar above the buttons at the bottom for browsing the Web and zooming in to pages to increase visibility.

No Windows Mobile phone is complete without built-in access to mobile versions of popular Microsoft applications like PowerPoint, Word and Excel. The Touch 2 has these, and other useful programs like Adobe’s Acrobat that provides support for PDF documents.

RELATED

PRODUCTS

HTC Touch 2 NEED TO KNOW • Touch-sensitive business phone • Runs Windows Mobile 6.5 • Packed with useful applications • Great build quality R4 929.95

HTC HERO

The Hero is HTC’s latest and greatest Google Android phone, powered by Google’s mobile operating system.

SAMSUNG OMNIA

The OMNIA runs version 6.1 of Windows Mobile, and is also touch-sensitive.

IF you’ve been reading Connect for the past few months, you’ll know that we’ve been a little harsh on touchscreen phones that aren’t the iPhone. That’s about to change, as we’ve had the pleasure of reviewing HTC’s new Touch 2 phone, the first touchscreen phone that hasn’t annoyed us with selective responsiveness to our touches.

Another surprise awaits as we reveal that Windows Mobile 6.5, the phone’s operating system, is far more responsive and stable than previous releases and not at all difficult to navigate.

Windows Mobile has received rather harsh criticism in the past for its slow performance, un-fun interface and its inclusion of far too many applications. The only continuation of this trend is the sheer number of applications included with the Touch 2 – once the Start button is pressed, application and settings icons similar to those seen on a Windows desktop PC appear, and with nine icons visible at once, it takes four scrolls downwards to get to the end of the list.

Thankfully, with its powerful 528MHz processor, the Touch 2 easily copes with so many applications. Browsing the web is quick and responsive when you’re in an area with good 3G/HSDPA coverage, and Facebooking and watching YouTube videos is not only possible, but quick too.

As with Windows for PCs, there is a great deal of integration with Microsoft’s Live services; if you have a Windows Live profile, you can get access to Live Messenger for ‘Instant Messaging’ wherever you are. You can also synchronise your phone with your Hotmail or MSN mail account (and others), install Bing (Microsoft’s attempt at a Google-killing search engine) and many other Microsoft services and applications.

If you’re a happy Windows user, you’ll love the Touch 2. If you’re not, you’ll no doubt focus on the odd response quirk (which happens, admittedly) and blame Bill Gates for all the evil in the world. Pointed exploration of the Touch 2 will go a long way towards changing this perception; in our experience, it’s a really good Windows Mobile phone.

The use of the included stylus is highly recommended when sending SMSes, as the full-size on-screen QWERTY keyboard has small keys to accommodate the fairly skinny 2.4” LCD screen. The Touch 2 does its best to help the typing

50 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

process by suggesting words as you begin typing, which is indeed helpful once you get used to it. This may take a day or two. The Touch 2’s casing is very sturdy, with understated but attractive finishes consisting of silver and black trim.

Home, Back and Start all have their own buttons at the bottom of the phone along with Answer and Hang Up keys, and there is a volume rocker switch on the side. The only real issue with the Touch 2 that we encountered was the camera implementation. It has a 3.2MP image sensor, but taking pictures requires the pressing of an on-screen button rather than a physical button on the phone’s top edge. This often resulted in blurry photos due to the phone moving as the screen was pressed. When kept properly still while snapping pictures, the Touch 2’s photo quality is good, but not phenomenal.

Overall, this is a very impressive phone and a brilliant effort by HTC. Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system might not be to everyone’s liking, but it’s at least responsive and nicely presented here. As a business phone for a power user with many mobile needs, the Touch 2 is an excellent choice.

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

Processor: Qualcomm® MSM7225™, 528 MHz Operating System: Windows Mobile 6.5 Professional Memory ROM: 512 MB RAM: 256 MB Expansion Slot: microSD Screen: 2.8” QVGA TFT-LCD touch-sensitive screen Network: HSPA/WCDMA (up to 384 kbps up-link and 7.2 Mbps down-link speeds), GSM/GPRS/EDGE Quad-band Audio Output: 3.5mm Jack Connectivity: Mini-USB for charging and connecting to a PC, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Dimensions: (LxWxT) 104 X 55 X 12.9 mm Weight: 110g PROS

CONS

• Responsive touch screen • Windows Mobile 6.5 is smooth and fast • Integration with Windows Live services • Tons of included applications

• Windows Mobile not perfect yet • On-screen camera shutter button • Is a bit power-hungry when using Wi-Fi

OVERALL RATING

PRODUCT REVIEWS

RELATED

PRODUCTS

Navigon 3300 Max NEED TO KNOW • 4.3” touchscreen • Text-to-speech directions • Multi-destination trip planning • Real-time spoken traffic updates • 3 months free safety camera updates Price: R1 599.95

TOMTOM ONE

This tiny device is TomTom’s entry-level GPS unit, offering basic navigation with touch screen functionality.

1GB MICROSD CARD

While 1GB of internal storage space is useful, it’s only half as useful as 2GB.

MUCH of the stress of commuting is reduced with this easy-to-use and responsive satellite navigation device from market newcomer, Navigon.

Keep your eyes on the road with text-to-speech technology that provides spoken directions and street names. The MyRoutes routing is brilliant, it calculates very quickly, slightly quicker than competing devices, and gives you three options as to which route you take and leaves the route selection in your hands. The decision is made even easier by the fact that you’re given figures for estimated driving times for each route. This device monitors your driving data and recommends a route based on driving habits, speed limits, time of day and day of week. It’s the first intelligent satnav device to learn from individual driving habits. As can be expected, you can search for a location by entering text or the GPS co-ordinates. You can also sync this GPS device with your PC and all your contacts’ addresses will be saved on the device, for your convenience.

The Take Me Home function ensures that wherever you find yourself, you can find your way back home. This feature is enhanced by the PIN protection that prevents anyone else from accessing your data, and, for example, finding your home address. Another neat feature is the ability to input changes to road layout or restrictions like a new speed bump or traffic circle via the Navigon MyReport that lets you report these changes. Once your report has been checked and verified, the details will be released in later map updates.

You can choose between 2D and 3D views and the screen also has Day/ Night modes. The device automatically adapts to lighting conditions, too, so that your eyes are never overwhelmed by the screen’s brightness. Reduce traffic

52 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

headaches with features like ‘Reality View’ and ‘Exit and Lane Assistant Pro’ to ensure that you never miss a turn-off again. The exclusive Exit Guide feature does the guesswork for you, and tells you what restaurants, petrol stations and rest areas are at upcoming exits. The DirectHelpSM service is handy in a crisis by providing contact details for local emergency service providers.

Clickable Points of Interest and a multiple-destination trip planner makes this well suited to calculate family holiday travel logistics.

The SmartSpeller feature makes the entry and search process so much easier, helping you find where you want to go, with less clicks. It also features a Speed Assistant that alerts you when you’re exceeding the speed limit – luckily, this can be disabled. The usual Latest Map Guarantee promises are made and backed up by a free map upgrade within the first 30 days of activating your unit.

The Navigon 3300 Max comes with the standard fare of regional map materials, car charger, car holder and a USB cable.

As a competitor to already-established brands, its solid feature list and low price mean the Navigon 330 Max it’s certainly worth a closer look.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS: • • • •

4.3” Touchscreen display Full postal code search Over 2 million points of interest 1 GB internal memory, MicroSD expansion PROS

CONS

• Can clip onto an air vent, avoiding windscreen obstructions • Intuitive and learns from your driving habits

• Uncomfortable hand fit, even though screen is so small

OVERALL RATING

RELATED

PRODUCTS

TomTom XXL Portable GPS Navigator NEED TO KNOW • Includes new features • Now boasts 5” touchscreen • Slick, striking looks • Includes 3D graphics and text to speech R2 499.95

PEOPLE who’ve refrained from buying a GPS navigator usually complain about the devices being difficult to use and their ‘ridiculously small’ screens. The TomTom XXL portable GPS navigator, however, now gives those people a reason to buy one.

This device is made for bigger hands with its 5-inch full colour touchscreen, thereby earning its XXL label. TomTom’s products are developed with an emphasis on innovation, quality, user-friendliness, safety and value. With its new user menu and sensible interface with optimised icons, it really is completely hassle-free to use.

This navigation device will provide you with turn-by-turn voice-guided directions, including street names, to anywhere in Southern Africa.

You can switch on and go, right out the box.

QuickGPSFix is an enhancement that improves positioning and route calculation. A 3D graphics display helps get you where you need to go and text-to-speech voice prompts announce actual road names at turns, so you’ll hear “turn left on Empire Road” instead of “take the next left”. With options to download and change the voice to characters such as Ozzy Osbourne (complete with swearing), Darth Vader and Arnold Schwarzenegger, you are sure to have an entertaining traffic experience.

The impressive 2GB onboard storage is where you’ll be storing these voice files and other add-ons.

In addition to full maps of Southern Africa covering Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Malawi, and Zambia, the XXL devices are equipped with TomTom MapShare technology that allows users to instantly modify points of interest, speed limits, street names, routes and directions

on their device, which can then be made available to other users of the system. This is just the ticket for when streets and suburbs are undergoing constant name-changes.

The TomTom Help Me! Menu allows users to easily find local emergency services and hospitals when in distress. This device might actually save your life. Weighing in at little more than 200 grams this gadget is truly compact.

The Fold and Go EasyPort mount folds flat against the device, greatly enhancing its portability. With plenty of points of interest, you’ll always find a restaurant, hotel, petrol station and anything else you might need along your chosen routes. Update your device and remain up to speed with TomTom HOME, the free desktop application.

This GPS scores extra bonus points with us as the graphics are excellent, the audio is clear and maps are constantly being updated to reflect realworld changes. When it comes to satnav devices, TomTom XXL proves that bigger is indeed better.

3D graphics display 5” touchscreen, two button menu Safety camera alerts Text-to-speech

PROS

CONS

• Truly portable and compact • Customisable: modify own points of interest etc • 3D graphics and larger screen make it easier to keep eyes on the road • Compatible with Windows and Mac

• Power cord plugs in the bottom making top-of-dash usage nearly impossible.

• Can’t plan itinerary using PC software, must be done on the device.

OVERALL RATING

EASY PORT MOUNT KIT

For greater positioning flexibility and superior suction, grab an Easy Port Mount Kit.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • •

CARRY CASE

Protect your XXL from scratches and bumps while it’s not attached to your car’s windscreen with a handy TomTom carry case.

USB HOME CHARGER

When you’re not on the road, the best way to charge your TomTom XXL is with a home charger kit.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 53

PRODUCT REVIEWS RELATED

PRODUCTS

MICROSOFT’S OFFICIAL XBOX 360 PLAY AND CHARGE KIT

If you’d prefer to go the “Genuine Advantage” route, Microsoft also offers an official play and charge kit specifically designed to complement your XBox (and their pocket). Not surprisingly, it’ll cost you more than the Exspect version while doing the exact same thing.

The cord is quite long, though.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Exspect Play and Charge Kits for PS3 and XBox 360 Xbox 360 Console Wanting an XBox is something many are guilty of; check out our review on page 41 of the awesome XBox 360 console for even more reasons to indulge your desires.

PlayStation 3 Undoubtedly a top-tier product, the PS3 does it all – plays Blu-ray discs, connects wirelessly to your home network, plays amazing games and serves as a media centre hub. Awesome.

NEED TO KNOW • Charge your controller and play at the same time • No loss of gaming time • Comes with rechargeable battery XBox 360 Black Play and Charge Kit – R199.99 Playstation 3 USB Charging Cable – R199.95

THE Exspect XBox Black Play and Charge Kit and USB Charging Cable for Playstation 3 are the perfect accessories for those who consider themselves serious gamers. Wireless controls are convenient, and make your gaming much more comfortable, but when it comes to them running out of power, they are pretty useless.

Tired of wasting valuable gaming time shopping for batteries? Don’t waste another second, simply plug your controllers into your console using these handy accessories and continue playing.

The Playstation 3 USB Charging Cable boasts an extra-long 3-metre cable, ensuring that you don’t have to leave the comfort of your couch to recharge.

It is black and blends in with the console’s stylish black design. You can also leave the console on and continue charging the controls while you’re off doing other things.

The Xbox 360 Play and Charge kit includes a charger cable and rechargeable battery pack that fits perfectly into your XBox 360’s battery slot. Both of these are black so they match the Elite console and controllers, although if you’ve bought the cheaper, white Arcade console, you’re going to have to get used to a

54 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

zebra-like look to your controller. The trade-off here is a less expensive charging solution, as the Exspect version is far less pricy than Microsoft’s official play and charge kit. Many might agree that a black and white controller is a small price to pay for the discount.

The XBox 360 charger cable isn’t as long as that for the PS3, though, and this does cramp your style a bit. It doesn’t have to be a problem if you think ahead and begin the charging process before your existing battery dies, but as many gamers know, remembering to do that ahead of time can be a bit hit-and-miss.

Luckily, changing battery packs on the XBox 360 controller is a snap, and you’ll be up and running again in no time. It just would have been nice not to worry about the length of the charger cable and play and charge without sitting really close to the TV screen.

PROS

CONS

• More charging options • Longer cable for PS3 • Less gaming time lost • Matches PS3 and XBox Elite colour schemes

• If you’re playing more than one player at a time, you need to buy two of each product • XBox 360 charger kit is only available in black • XBox 360 charger cable is a bit short

OVERALL RATING

PRODUCT REVIEWS

RELATED

PRODUCTS

GRIFFIN POWERJOLT BLACK 6130

Take your iPod on the road and listen to music while keeping your iPod fully charged. This product includes a detachable, high quality 48” USB to Dock Connector cable that can be used for normal synchronising and docking operations with your PC.

GRIFFIN ITRIP AUTO-6135

Include a sound track to your road trip with this device.

Griffin-exclusive SmartScan automatically finds the clearest frequencies wherever you are, making setup and operation as easy as two button presses (one for your iTrip, and one for your radio).

PERFECT COMPANIONS

iPod Classic 80GB We do harp on about the iPod a bit, but it really is the best music player money can buy.

Anything else is just that tiny bit behind the iPod’s greatness.

Logitech s315i iPod Speaker System NEED TO KNOW • Built-in rechargeable battery • Up to 20 hours of playback • Compatibility with a wide range of iPhone and iPod models • Custom-tuned twin 2.5” speakers R1 599.95

THIS is a product developed to solve an all-too-common problem – forgetting to recharge your iPod or iPhone, and still wanting to listen to music.

Because you don’t always have time to recharge at home, and may consider it inconvenient to carry your charger cable with you, the Rechargeable Speaker S315i gives you a full day’s worth of music on a single charge and can recharge your iPod or iPhone when docked in the speakers. The device will recharge your iPod or iPhone, even when running on battery power.

It’s designed to work with both Dock Connecting iPods and iPhones and has an auxiliary line-input for use with other MP3 players. The system comes with a wall power adapter, and runs for 10 hours in standard Power mode, with a 20hour run time in Efficient Power mode. With its slim design and durable metal grills, the S315i is easy to pack into your backpack, briefcase or car. This device runs on AC or battery power, so you really can take it anywhere and it’s perfect for picnics, parties and small offices.

The back of the S315i houses all controls and features. Two volume buttons – “up” curved out and “down” dented in for blind control – are housed on the right side, while a power switch sits just above the kickstand. The switch has three settings: off, on, and power-save. When the unit is in power-save mode, it offers up to 20 hours of playback off the battery, whereas standard mode will provide about 10 hours. A single LED beneath the front speaker grille indicates battery level.

Docking an iPod or an iPhone encased in a cover proved somewhat problematic, and we found it was best to remove the protective casing before docking. True convenience would have been achieved with the addition of

56 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

a remote control to the package. As it is, you have to adjust volume on the controls on the back of device, and control and browse your music through your iPhone or iPod. The custom-tuned 2.5” twin speakers accurately reproduce your music, the way it’s meant to be heard, with enhanced bass for deep, rich lows. However, power-saving mode is slightly problematic in that it noticeably decreases audio quality. When we switched the unit into this mode during testing, music sounded thin and weak. On the other hand the speakers sound quite good when running off of wall power or when in standard battery mode and it can get quite loud.

Loud is good when you need to wake up. Place the Rechargeable Speaker on your nightstand, and set your alarm on your iPhone or iPod so you can wake up to music and start your day off with the perfect song.

The Rechargeable Speaker is ideal for when you want to share your music, wherever you are and charge your MP3 player at the same time.

NOTEWORTHY FEATURES • Supports iPhone and all iPod models with its dock connector • Uses the Apple Universal Dock specification • Supports other portable music players via 3.5 mm auxiliary input

PROS

CONS

• Versatility and portability: for home, office or mobile use • Charge your iPod while still listening to music • Compatible with a wide range of iPhones and iPods

• Doesn’t come with a remote control or carry case • Power-saving mode compromises audio quality somewhat

OVERALL RATING

SanDisk SANSA Clip 4GB MP3 Player

RELATED

PRODUCTS NEED TO KNOW • Holds up to 1 000 songs • Up to 15 hours of play time • Built-in FM radio and voice recorder R699.95

THE SanDisk SANSA Clip MP3 Player offers proof that there’s an alternative to the Apple iPod Nano when it comes to MP3 players. At more than half the price of an iPod Nano, it is a music player for the everyman. It’s also small enough to clip onto your jeans or your shirt, demonstrating that dynamite truly does come in small packages.

Its sleek exterior hides 4GB of internal flash memory, something SanDisk is well known for. Flash memory is a bonus when exercising, as it can handle shocks and bumps, unlike music players that use a hard drive for storage. Despite being constructed entirely out of plastic, this device actually looks very good. The main housing is glossy and scratch-resistant with a metallic finish and SanDisk’s signature blue, luminous ring.

It’s lightweight and easy to forget that you’ve clipped it on your person, making it a convenient companion for the gym, jogging, and any other type of exercise. The belt-clip accessory is on the back of the device, and can be removed if necessary, which is a nice touch. The Clip is also available in pink and blue.

SanDisk utilises a four-line OLED display that looks simply superb and is incredibly bright and thus easy to read at virtually any angle. The OLED displays blue coloured text and equally bright blue LED rings around the multi-directional pad, and the keypad buttons are also illuminated blue so you can see the buttons at night. The sound quality is excellent, with tight bass, perfect mids and awesome highs, straight out the box without having to change any settings. In fact, the presets, like dance and rock, actually detract from sound quality, and the ‘normal’ setting is without question the best.

Switching on the Clip is as easy as holding the power button in the on position for two seconds and navigation with the left, right, up and down buttons is simple and intuitive. The screen is searchable and the interface is relatively easy to use, with a slight learning curve that is sorted after a few hours. Switching between menus is quick and effortless and performance is excellent. The Clip has four main menus: Music, FM Radio, Voice and Settings. The Music menu allows you to browse audio files by genre, artist,

playlists, etc. The Settings menu allows you to change, among other things, the equaliser, sleep settings, backlight brightness and languages. The Clip also doubles as an FM radio and can perform voice recording; these two very useful features have only just become part of the iPod Nano’s list of tricks whereas the Clip has been doing them for a while. One of our favourite things about the Clip is the fact that when connected to the computer, it reads as a typical storage device. This means you’re able to drag and drop music easily into the Clip without having to be forced into using a program like iTunes. If you like that sort of thing, though, programs like WinAmp and Windows Media Player 11 will let you manage your Clip in a similar way.

This MP3 player is nearly perfect in every aspect – affordable, it has plenty of memory, the interface is simple, it has ample battery life and its sound quality is awesome, all packed into a small and convenient shell.

It’s made even sweeter by the fact that you don’t have to jump through unnecessary software hoops just to get music onto your device. If you’re after big sound at a small price, the affordable SANSA Clip will deliver both with ease.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • • • •

Min req: Windows® XP SP2 or Vista® Operating System Measures only 2.2 x 1.4 x 0.7 inches Built-in FM radio with 40 preset channels CODECS - Plays your MP3, WMA, secure WMA, Audible and (now – with a firmware upgrade) FLAC and OGG formats.

• 4GB of space: that’s up to 1 000 songs!

PROS

CONS

• No need to use iTunes • Good sound on default settings • Incredibly compact: size of a matchbox • Clips anywhere: perfect for when you’re on the move

• Sound presets not the greatest • No date/time function • Does not play video at all • USB cable not very long

OVERALL RATING

IPOD NANO

While costing quite a bit more than the Clip, Apple’s iPod Nano is a truly superb multimedia device. Available in 8GB and 16GB versions, the Nano plays both audio and video files and fits easily into pockets thanks to a very slim design.

IPOD SHUFFLE

This tiny device only plays music as it has no screen, but sound quality is excellent, and a computerised voice tells you which track you’re playing.

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 57

PRODUCT REVIEWS

RELATED

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AudioVox D1788 Portable DVD Player IPOD TOUCH

If carrying DVDs around adds more bulk to your luggage than you like, consider an iPod Touch; all you need to do before leaving is remember to load it up with videos, movies and music.

PERFECT COMPANIONS Plantronics Audio 450 Earphones These ear buds mean that you can block out all external noise and listen to the audio content without disturbing others around you.

NEED TO KNOW • 7” wide screen with 16:9 aspect ratio • 3 hour battery life • Dolby Digital, DTS, Q-Surround Sound • Plays DVD, SVCD, VCD, CD and MP3 R1 199.95

WITH the festive season upon us, and with lots of time to be spent in the car travelling to and from holiday destinations, a portable DVD player is the perfect solution to the ‘are we there yet?’ blues. This model is compact and slim, making it the perfect road trip companion.

It reads all region DVDs, so you don’t have to worry about regional restrictions when ordering DVDs online or renting movies from the video store. It sports a 7-inch widescreen display that’s large enough for two people to enjoy sitting comfortably side by side, and delivers a surprisingly clear picture with good resolution and accurate colour reproduction. The screen also has an antiglare coating so it can be watched outside, even in bright sunlight.

Audio is available by way of the integrated stereo speakers, or the dual headphone jacks so two people can watch movies or listen to music without disturbing others sitting around them. The sound through the device itself is crisp and contains full sound contour, with superb bass response.

With a battery life of three hours, there’s enough time to watch an entire movie before needing to recharge, which can be done via the cigarette lighter or the standard AC/DC plug. The Audiovox uses a set of long-life batteries as its portable power supply and can be recharged safely regardless of whether the battery is fully or only partially spent. It does, however, need to be fully charged the first time around.

The remote control features all the functions you’d expect from your home DVD remote control, while the DVD player itself is simple enough to operate: once you’ve powered it up, insert your disc, close it and press play.

It’s so simple, even the kids can use it without adult supervision.

With built-in parental guidance, you can easily select which age restrictions are permissible, and the DVD player does the rest, leaving you assured that your children aren’t watching anything they’re not supposed to.

This device can be plugged into a TV or another monitor, to enjoy better sound, or a bigger picture.

Over all, the Audiovox Portable DVD player makes for handy escapism.

There’s nothing quite like being able to watch a movie whenever you like, wherever you choose, even outdoors.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS: • • • •

Supported formats DVD/CD/MP3 NTSC colour system 7” inch screen Audio output: 2 x 0.4 W

PROS

CONS

• Full-featured credit card sized remote control age-restricted viewing • Two headphone sets, so two people can watch and listen

• Cigarette lighter adapter means only one player can charge at a time in the car • Smaller than a laptop, but still bigger than a conventional portable player

OVERALL RATING

58 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

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PRODUCT REVIEWS PERFECT COMPANIONS

Corel Paint Shop Pro X2 To edit and add your own custom textures (and more), Paint Shop Pro is an inexpensive but highly polished image editing package that will let you perform basic to intermediate editing tasks with ease.

Punch!

Home & Landscape Design Suite NEED TO KNOW • 2D and 3D design and views • Large furniture and fixture library • Custom 3D object design and automatic roof generator • Landscape design software included R999.95

Samsung SyncMaster 2370XL LCD Monitor When designing anything, it is very useful having a large screen to do it on. Samsung’s amazing 23” XL2370 LCD monitor adds extra screen space as well as vibrant colours and sharp visuals.

Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX Even if you work on glass, Logitech’s incredible Darkfield technology embedded in the beautifully-designed Anywhere Mouse MX will let you design with ease, accuracy and comfort.

A great deal of new features, enhanced performance and compatibility with previous versions of this design suite makes this software worthy of the NexGen™ technology label. Intended for everyone from the beginner DIY fan to professional home builders and architects, this software strikes the delicate balance between ease of use and specialised design features.

The unique interface is coupled with easily-accessible design templates, an impressive library of 3D objects and a wide range of tools to give you a complete solution for all your home-planning needs.

The tutorials are plentiful, helpful and worth the time they take. The software contains more than 100 minutes of video to help you be productive right out of the box. There’s even one tutorial that claims that you’ll be able to build a house in just 59 seconds. Sounds worth trying, right? The interface is easy to use, with common-sense tabbing. Rooms are easily built with dragand-drop solutions. LogiCursor™ is a smart cursor that helps you quickly snap and align objects and walls. The SmartRooms™ feature is intelligent room recognition that gives you total automation that changes everything else when you change the size or shape of your design. It even automatically generates and modifies the roof, as you progress through your design.

Once you have your basic floor plan, it’s incredibly easy to modify and decorate by adding wall textures, floorings, furnishings and flipping through the incredible variety of interior design colour patterns. See every shade of paint in every kind of lighting condition and avoid bad colour choices you’ll be stuck with for years to come.

Photo-Realistic Cabinets, Doors, and Outdoor items make your design more beautifully 3D than you can imagine. If you don’t like the stock images, feel free to create your own. The Custom Workshop Pro comes with professional Computer Aided Drawing (CAD) capabilities; bring real muscle to customisation and replication. Google 3D support, giving you access to millions of 3D images, means you’ll be spoiled for choice. Complete design

60 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

freedom and ease of use make this product a must-have if you’re looking into home renovation, or building your dream home. When it comes to planning your garden, the software features nine powerful garden and landscape design software tools including PhotoView and the sortable PlantFinder database with more than 2 000 landscape plants. Upload a photo of your own home, add landscaping or a deck, and then view it from any angle with realistic, 3D perspective. It also features placing a scanned photo of doors, windows, pets, and children into the garden. Ultimate Deck helps to design multi-level or multi-story decks with 3D photo-realistic deck design features.

The software has an option to choose a basic shape or create one from the ground up. Once you’ve made all your selections, you can watch the program create a beautiful 3D rendering of your deck concept. Combine real-world photos with your own landscape, deck and garden designs to create a truly realistic image of your future outdoor living space.

The Estimator helps you calculate and assess your building plans, and gives you an estimate of how long each phase in the project should take and how much building materials you’ll require. This software takes a lot of stress out of designing and building your own house.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • •

Windows XP or Windows Vista 256 MB RAM 5.25 GB of hard disk space DVD-ROM Drive Two-button mouse minimum, three-button wheel mouse preferable.

PROS

CONS

• Many built-in tools • Building Green: green features include eco-friendly tips & ideas that save energy and money • Prints electrical and plumbing blueprints

• A little complicated for beginners, but plenty of tutorials and help offered

OVERALL RATING

advertorial

LAPTOPS ARE A CHRISTMAS GIFT THAT WILL KEEP ON GIVING….

Change your life by changing your PC

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hristmas is a time to relax and indulge in a few treats.

And even though slim is not how most of us usually feel at Christmas time, this year things should look a little different - at least as far as laptops are concerned.

The must-have Christmas gift this year is any of a new range of sleek, ultra-thin laptops powered by Ultra Low Voltage (ULV) Intel® Core™ processors. Slim, light and fast, these dimunitive beauties are the perfect travel partner.

Most ultra-thin laptops are less than two and a half centimetres thick and weigh as little as one kilogram. But that doesn’t mean they trim back on multimedia performance - whether you’re listening to music, watching video or viewing photos, or doing all three at the same time, an ultra-thin laptop can handle the load.

INTEL PROCESSOR RATING SYSTEM EXPLAINED Desktop Notebook 1 Star 1 Star Value and reliability Value and reliability 2 Star 2 Star Dependable and proven

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Apart from being super slim, these machines are also energy-efficient - not only do you save on power consumption you also keep some money in your pocket this season with power savings and you can also expect great battery life.

If your laptop has built-in Intel® My WiFi Technology you will be able to connect your other (Wi-Fi certified) digital devices – from cameras to MP3 players to mobile phones to transfer photos, music and other files wirelessly.

So here’s one New Year’s resolution that won’t mean giving anything up – lose some weight from your laptop bag.

Resolution 1: Get tools to match your aspirations Changing your life by changing your PC might on the surface seem a bit far-fetched.

But, think of the computer you’ve got at home – most of today’s users have a desktop or laptop that’s two to three years old. And three years is a long time in computing terms – especially if you consider how quickly technology progresses and applications evolve.

By making a New Year’s resolution to buy a more modern computer, you can make the best use of a wide range of new Internet-based services and applications that will help you introduce positive changes into your life.

Resolution 2: Open the treasure chest The Internet is a treasure trove of all things resolutional.

For example, if you want to get your finances on track you can start with online banking, check an array of comparative financial product web sites, discover the best broadband deals, source striking travel deals, trade in your car, sell your unwanted vinyl, buy and sell shares, track real-time gold prices, put your house up for sale, offer your services to a wide audience and more.

And never mind changing your job, you can even start your own online business.

The possibilities are limitless and with an ultra-thin laptop powered by Intel technology you can count on having all of the computing power you need without breaking the bank… or your back.

About Intel: Intel, the world leader in silicon innovation, develops technologies, products and initiatives to continually advance how people work and live. Additional information about Intel is available at www.intel.com/pressroom and http://blogs.intel.com.

Copyright © 2009, Intel Corporation. All rights reserved. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Core are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. *Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

PRODUCT REVIEWS RELATED

PRODUCTS

SONY VEGAS MOVIE STUDIO PLATINUM

If you’d be more comfortable sticking with Sony, give Vegas Movie Studio Platinum a try.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Pinnacle Studio 14 HD Ultimate Collection NEED TO KNOW • Import, edit and export your movies • Consumer-focused interface • Exports to HD formats • Professional results R1 599.95

Seagate FreeAgent Desk 1TB When you’re editing video, there is no such thing as too much hard disk space. Pick up a large 1TB drive when you start running out.

Memory Upgrade Editing is a resource-intensive process, and the more memory (RAM) you have, the better. Luckily, RAM is cheap these days and picking up an extra 2 gigabytes won’t set you back much at all, but your performance boost will be noticeable.

PINNACLE Studio 14 Ultimate Collection is Pinnacle’s latest attempt to deliver a feature-rich movie editing suite aimed at home users. In this, the company has largely succeeded, as Pinnacle Studio 14 improves on the previous version while retaining its core strengths. Now, videos can be output in High Definition format or even directly to YouTube. Video can be imported directly from many different sources and professional-looking moving titles can be added to video clips, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

Users of previous versions will immediately notice that version 14’s interface is far easier to work with. It’s intuitively laid out, with helpful popup hints appearing when the cursor is hovered over any of the many buttons.

Putting a basic movie clip together is as simple as importing it, dragging it onto the time line at the bottom of the screen, adding your animated title track and music, and hitting Play.

Keeping track of all the elements you’d like to use in a project has been made easier by the “Project bin”. Drag whichever movies, music files or photos that you’d like to use onto the Project Bin icon, and they’ll be available for selection regardless of where they are saved on your hard drive. Think of it as a single location for all your project files: instead of navigating all over your hard drive to find them, they are kept in one window for easy selection.

The many and varied transitions – effects that let video clips transition into each other by way of wipes, fades, cuts and pushes etc – that are included make for entertaining video creation as well as professional-looking final products. There are 74 of these in Pinnacle Studio 14 Ultimate Collection, providing a large selection to experiment with.

New to this edition is the excellent animated text title feature called “Motion Titler” that can be used to introduce people, poke fun at silly actions or credit the video’s creator and participants – there’s no real limit on their creative application, and users are invited to go wild. These are similarly as

62 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

easy to include by selecting, dragging and entering customised text, and the end results look really good. There are 32 different ways to animate your chosen text, offering excellent variety.

If you’re not a Pinnacle Studio veteran, there are a large number of online tutorials to help you become familiar with the program. Pinnacle’s website hosts these, and they are also available on YouTube if you’re willing to go searching. These videos are easy to understand, clearly narrated and enormously useful if the interface seems a little intimidating on first impression.

Pinnacle Studio 14 HD Ultimate Collection has a lot going for it, not least of all its ability to produce full 1080p widescreen HD videos. It contains a lot of elements that will need practice and a great deal of video research to fully grasp and use properly, but these tools are freely available to anyone willing to invest the time to learn more.

With sufficient knowledge and practice, it’s possible to create videos with professional effects, transitions and animated titles. We therefore recommend Pinnacle Studio 14 Ultimate Collection to all budding videographers.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • • •

Windows XP SP3/Vista SP2/7 1.8GHz CPU or higher (2.4GHz recommended) 1GB RAM (2GB for HD video), 2GB recommended DirectX 9 or 10 graphics card with 64MB RAM or more 3.6GB Hard Drive Space DVD-ROM drive PROS

CONS

• New, intuitive interface layout • Plenty of support available from Pinnacle • Output in HD, to YouTube and more • Supports widescreen video authoring

• Video tutorials recommended for new users

OVERALL RATING

PERFECT COMPANIONS

AVG Gaming Protection NEED TO KNOW • Monitors system processes • Uses clever tricks to detect harmful code • Operates quietly in the background • Does not impact on your gaming R179.95

AVG has released a standalone “gaming protection” package that works with any existing security software to give gamers an extra layer of security while they play. With the rise of black market trading of items from hijacked accounts for popular games like World of Warcraft and The Lord of the Rings Online, it’s becoming imperative for gamers to do everything they can to protect their account details. Also, many gamers are tempted to stop their security software from running while they play, too, for the performance boost this sometimes offers.

For this reason, hackers have been known to create software that invades computers silently, quietly activates when certain programs are run, collects login details for popular games and reports those back to the creator. Hackers can then log in to the game and steal the unlucky player’s items and gold by sending them to other accounts, which are sold in the real world on auction sites, for real money. Hence the ‘black market’ interest in doing this.

To prevent this from happening, AVG’s Gaming Protection software runs unobtrusively in the background, monitoring what are known as “system processes”. These are files that run whenever Windows and general applications are loaded, and it’s by monitoring these that harmful software can be quickly detected. AVG Gaming Protection watches for strange files that should not be loading, and when it detects anything unusual, immediately shuts the offending file down before any damage can be done.

Traditional security software scans for viruses by matching code hidden deep within the computer’s inner workings with what are known as ‘virus signatures’; this is a rather resource-intensive process that can slow a PC down when active. The technique employed by AVG Gaming Protection is known as “behavioural analysis”, instead catching malware when it causes a PC to ‘behave’ in an unusual or undocumented way.

Now, before you get excited, this is in no way a replacement for a full security suite. All it really is, is an additional tool that actively monitors

active system processes for strange behaviour, shutting them down when they are sufficiently suspicious. This will prevent harmful code executing while you play a game, and it will also run silently in the background, doing its job without bothering you with annoying notifications. For players that shut their security software down while they play, this is a fantastic way to ensure peace of mind.

Our time with the software was very pleasant; AVG Gaming Protection ran without bothering us at all while we gamed, and some poking around its simple interface revealed that it really had scanned all processes and given them a rating. Since the program reports back to an AVG server via the Internet to confirm or reject a file’s harmful status, no updates are strictly necessary, but it does at least have a button to click to confirm that you are indeed running the latest version.

We were quite impressed, overall. AVG Gaming Protection is truly a “fire and forget” security tool that is capable of keeping gamers safe that shut off their main security packages safe while they play. If you don’t do much gaming, this package isn’t really for you unless you are gung-ho on security, but for gamers who have had experience with bothersome security software that does not leave them alone while they game, it’s definitely a must-have. Best of all, it’s less than two hundred bucks. That’s a pretty good price for peace of mind.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • •

Windows XP/Vista/7 600MHz processor or better (1GHz for Vista) 512MB RAM (1GB recommended) 50MB Hard Drive Space

PROS

CONS

• Operates silently in the background • Stops harmful processes from running • Does not bother with prompts • Great for gamers

• It only monitors processes • Not a full-blown security suite • Some security packages already perform behavioural analy

OVERALL RATING

World of Warcraft Join the World of Warcraft and find out for yourself what all the fuss is about.

Virtually unlimited roleplaying awaits you in this massive online world.

Lord of the Rings Online Fans of JRR Tolkien’s fantasy world have the opportunity to explore Middle-earth with this game, and play as any of the book’s races and participate in events that surround the main story.

The Orange Box Play award-winning games Half-Life 2, Portal and Team Fortress 2, all included in this amazing pack. Frag friends online in Team Fortress 2 without worry as Gaming Protection works in the background to keep you safe.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS RELATED

PRODUCTS

WIKIPEDIA.ORG

Digital encyclopedias have experienced stiff competition from their online counterparts. Wikipedia, a community-built online knowledge repository, is chief among these.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Encyclopedia Britannica 2010 Ultimate Home Edition NEED TO KNOW • A-Z quick search feature • Perfect companion for serious research • New, uncluttered intuitive interface • Six months free access to Britannica Online R499.95

Iomega External DVD-RW Drive No DVD drive? This easy-toinstall USB-based external rewriteable DVD drive will solve the problem. Its ultraslim design looks great, and it just works. What more do you need?

Windows 7 Home Premium Windows 7 is the perfect companion to any computer system. It’s better looking than XP and faster than Vista, and will run beautifully on most modern computers.

WITH Microsoft Encarta having kicked the bucket, and Wikipedia proving to be fallible, Encyclopedia Britannica 2010 Ultimate Home Edition may well have become the ultimate icon in reference.

Britannica is packed to the seams with knowledge, facts and interesting information, with some of our favourites being Britannica Biographies (Great Minds, Heroes, Villains and Leaders), Classical Music (consisting of 500 audio files, arranged by composer) and a new Workspace for Project Management that makes it easier to track your tasks and keep all your information in one virtual space. Another neat feature is the PersonalBrain – a mind-mapping tool that allows you to capture your thought processes visually, make notes and order your thoughts as you work.

The Atlas boasts nearly 1800 maps linked to articles and 287 World Data profiles of individual countries and territories, while companions that we’ve come to trust, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary and Thesaurus, are enough to satisfy the needs of any wordsmith or scholar.

The Britannica also includes classic articles from previous editions, 12 yearbooks consisting of 11200 articles and an Interactive Timeline with more than 4000 indexed timeline entries. The web-based GeoAnalyzer is a feature that has been greatly improved and compares national statistical data and generates charts and graphs.

A Research Organiser, as well as a Knowledge Navigator (called The Brain or BrainStorm), make it easier to find what you need in a directory that contains more than 166000 reviewed links to online content. In its latest form, Britannica is more user-friendly than before, featuring an A-Z search function, monthly updates, and six months’ free access to Britannica Online, which boasts a further 1 million additional articles and related media.

The Ultimate Edition uses an interface that is far less cluttered and much more intuitive than before. Enter a few letters of a search query into the search box, and you’re already being offered various options and results.

Search results can be saved on Virtual Notecards, and whole articles can

64 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

be pasted into the Workspace. Another improvement is the introduction of tabbed browsing, whereas previously each article could only be viewed in a separate window, making it difficult and tedious to switch between articles and windows. Articles are displayed in full, unlike previous editions that split them up into four or more pages and requiring lots of clicking. This makes searching within the article text, reading and printing much simpler.

Britannica’s Update Centre creates dozens of monthly updates, and new articles are made available online, while you can receive notifications to any articles you’re interested in. Unfortunately, the updates cannot be integrated into the vast encyclopedia or downloaded to your computer. Furthermore, you’re only notified of updates to content you’ve selected, not of entirely new content. You can only be made aware of all the new updates by scanning the Update Centre’s index page.

The Britannica is the equivalent of a university library, on your desktop.

It sports three encyclopedias in one, as it also carries the Student and Elementary versions of this product and contains a Homework Helpdesk, interactive games, activities and maths and science tutorials.

Well-researched, comprehensive and reliable with 84-107000 articles (depending on the version) there’s something for the school learner, university student and curious adult alike and provides learning fun, for every member of the family.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • Windows XP, Vista or 7 • Requires DVD-ROM • Hard Drive Space: 1.96GB (4.5GB for full installation)

PROS

CONS

• More credible than Wikipedia • 6 months free access to Britannica Online • More text than any other print or digital encyclopedia • Enhanced non-textual content

• Performance is sluggish, even on a fast computer • Monthly updates cannot be incorporated into encyclopedia • Atlas maps are small and of fixed size, sometimes difficult to view

OVERALL RATING

RELATED

PRODUCTS

Hallmark Card Studio Delux NEED TO KNOW • Create personalised cards in 3 easy steps • 9000+ Hallmark cards and projects for all occasions • Digital photo editor and exclusive Hallmark fonts R449.95

CELEBRATING the special moments in life has always involved a Hallmark greeting card. Birthdays, graduations, pregnancies, new jobs and anniversaries have long been marked by the sending of a paper card, a handwritten message inside packed with Hallmark’s heartwarming sentiment.

The introduction of a DIY option through this program adds convenience to celebration, by making it possible to create your own Hallmark greeting cards, custom calendars, photo frames, stationery, invitations, scrapbooks, certificates and much, much more.

Hallmark Card Studio offers a vast variety of styles, designs, and sentiments, all of which can be used “as is”, or mixed and matched to create unique customised cards. A huge selection of pre-made cards is available for all kinds of occasions – you’ll find birthday, holiday, or simply “any day” cards. Designs range from cutesy and conventional to contemporary. You will appreciate the massive variety of professionally-written text that can be mixed and matched and tweaked to suit your needs. Text messages can be as simple or sentimental as you please, or even unique.

Hallmark Card Studio makes building greeting cards simple even for computer novices. The top of every screen offers you relevant instructions; this instruction area is out of your way, but still accessible.

You can send personalised e-cards to friends and family all over the world. Choose from pre-recorded sounds, or add your own sound clips for even more of a personal touch. Easily add your own photos and enhance them using the built-in digital photo editor. Tweak fonts and colours and insert clipart and other beautiful design elements. You can even create your own personalised signature and message alongside the Hallmark logo on the back of the card. You can easily preview and save your files, with the card opening in movie format that cause the pages to flip as you view

them, bringing your added features to life. If you choose to e-mail any of your files, they’re sent as a media player file and are easy for the recipient to view. Although most of the cards are suitable for all ages, there is a range of options for children, while adult-oriented content can be found behind the Kid Lock feature that allows parents to control what their children see in the program.

The Event Planner allows you to stay organised and utilises address books, mailing lists and date notification. This planner can be tied in with the program’s calendars and label-making options, making it easy to produce personalised products. Reminders can be activated that not only help you remember dates, but also allow for enough time to create these great cards, buy gifts or whatever else is needed.

The benefits of this software are numerous. Convenience is key, in that you don’t have to browse card stores for suitable cards, you don’t have to worry about shops being closed or sold out, and you can do all your designing and printing from the comfort of your home. All the features contained in this product, combined with the Events Planner and reminders ensure you never again need to make up an excuse for missing an important milestone or occasion.

GREETING CARD FACTORY DELUXE

If you love creating greeting cards at home on your computer, but you’re not a fan of Hallmark, here is another package to consider when looking for card creation software.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS: • Operating System: Win XP/Vista/7 • Space: 65MB hard drive space • Optical Device: CD-ROM drive

PROS

CONS

• Easy to use (both for sender and recipient) • Convenient: everything you need comes with the software • Easy to personalise

• Buying a pre-made card from a shop is still easier • Requires a printer

OVERALL RATING

Canon PIXMA IP4500 Print great-looking photos, cards and clipart with one of Canon’s finest photo printers.

Show your friends and family how much you love them by sending shop-quality, but home-made cards.

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PRODUCT REVIEWS RELATED

PRODUCTS

EUROTALK FRENCH/GERMAN/ ITALIAN ETC.

If you’re interested in other languages, EuroTalk has an extensive range of language learning software for you to choose from.

PERFECT COMPANIONS

Eurotalk Zulu NEED TO KNOW • Learn Zulu using your PC • Uses images and sound to create word associations • Interactive lessons • Beginner to Intermediate R299.95

Samsung XL2370 Screen This widescreen LCD monitor can support way higher resolutions than the 1024 x 768 required by Eurotalk Zulu, while also displaying outstanding colours.

Logitech ClearChat Stereo headset Listen and learn in comfort and privacy with Logitech’s excellent ClearChat Stereo headset and its highly sensitive boom microphone.

EUROTALK’S series of language learning software packages have been designed from the ground up to make learning a new language as easy as possible. This month we opted for the Zulu package to see just how well EuroTalk could teach a local language.

We weren’t disappointed, at least with the actual language content.

EuroTalk has put together a very solid two-disc educational program that takes users through the very basics of Zulu, and follows up with intermediate lessons on the second disc that will have non-Zulu speakers conversing with ease. All that’s required is a relatively small time investment, after which the Zulu words will quite easily flow.

EuroTalk manages this feat with very simple teaching techniques that combine visual cues consisting of English words and pictures and spoken and written Zulu words. The entry-level part of the package, Talk Now! very clearly demonstrates the spelling and pronunciation of Zulu words, while learners are later challenged to remember each by means of interactive games that require the matching of written English words with their Zulu counterparts. Each game has an easy and a difficult level, providing a fun challenge.

The learner accumulates points with the successful completion of these exercises; these are an indication of the overall level of proficiency with the language and progress through the course. There are nine categories to choose from, covering everything from common words to food names and countries, with each category consisting of the same four exercises – word practice, speaking practice (this requires a microphone), an easy and a hard game, plus the ability to print out cards with pictures and their associated Zulu words – presumably for offline revision or sticking on your bathroom wall.

While this is all structured very well, it became very apparent after installation that EuroTalk was a wee bit lazy when this package was put together. Essentially, they have used the design of their other language programs for this one, replacing only the spoken portion with Zulu sound

66 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

bites while leaving in the European language assistants. So, when you hear that “amaqanda” is the Zulu word for “eggs”, you are presented with videos of your two European assistants mouthing along with it, but saying something quite obviously not Zulu. This is rather off-putting, and it would have been really nice to see videos of actual Zulu speakers saying each word.

The second disc contains far more advanced Zulu lessons and challenges, and the voice-over is entirely in Zulu. Again, EuroTalk has used the design of previous packages with only minimal changes to accommodate the new Zulu theme, but if you can get past that small flaw, the second disc offers a great deal of conversational practice to really get you up to speed with Zulu dialogue. English help is available at every step along the way, so you’ll never feel lost or with no idea of what is expected of you.

Overall, the Zulu that this software teaches is very useful, and covers a wide variety of topics that will let you converse comfortably with Zulu speakers once you’ve put in enough time with it. It’s unfortunate that the presentation is lacking in terms of specifically South African content, but this is a relatively minor flaw considering the wealth of educational value the program contains.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • • • • •

Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7 MacIntosh OS X 10.3.9 or higher 1024 x 768 Colour Screen CDROM or DVD drive Microphone (recommended) PROS

CONS

• Excellent structuring for easy learning • Wide variety of words to learn • Basic and intermediate lessons

• Very little local flavour in presentation • European learning assistants • Almost too similar to other TalkNow! products

OVERALL RATING

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book reviews

MAC OS X SNOW LEOPARD FOR DUMMIES

NEED TO KNOW • By Bob LeVitus • 456 Pages

APPLE released the latest version of its operating system for MacIntosh desktops and notebooks a few months back, which prompted the release of several books to address its new features and nuances. New users would do well to grab a copy of Bob LeVitus’ Dummies book on the subject, as it goes into the operating system in some depth, all the while maintaining a casual but engaging tone that doesn’t speak down to the reader. The book covers all imaginable topics on Snow Leopard, enabling readers to familiarise themselves with its interface or delve deeper into features like Finder, the Mac’s search and organise function. There are even useful chapters on troubleshooting and how to install or re-install Snow Leopard (but only if you absolutely have to). Readers will learn how to access the Internet, store and manage their music and more. LeVitus injects humour into his writing, and chances are readers will find themselves chuckling along with him at the idiosyncrasies of the human-computer relationship, while learning more about it at the same time.

GOLF’S SHORT GAME FOR DUMMIES

NEED TO KNOW • By Michael Patrick Shiels and Michael Kernicki • 288 Pages

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UNDERSTANDING CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR FOR DUMMIES

NEED TO KNOW • By Laura Lake • 384 Pages

New Mac users will get a great deal of helpful, fun tips from the book, without feeling overwhelmed by information or bogged down in technicalities. Mac OS X Snow Leopard for Dummies will undoubtedly make using an already userfriendly operating system even easier to use.

IF you have a golfer in your life who is more enthusiastic about golfing than talented, you might want to consider getting this book as a Christmas gift. Written by two guys who are rather enamoured with the sport, Golf’s Short Game for Dummies is a lighthearted and entertaining read that gives golfing hopefuls insight into ways to improve their short game. Since putting, chipping and bunker shots are more critical to your overall score than powerful drives down the fairway, improvements here will go further towards improving your score than any other technique refinements would. Shiels and Kernicki include a lot of tips, hints and tricks for the reader as well as a number of exercises that can be put into practice that are intended to do just that – improve your short game. The tips are solid, workable and easy to put into practice, but of course they won’t turn readers into Tiger Woods without some serious commitment. While it doesn’t contain earth-shattering insights, Golf’s Short Game for Dummies will provide enthusiasts with down to earth advice, interesting tips and a few new ways to approach the short game.

MARKETERS and curious consumers alike will find a lot to interest them in Laura Lake’s dissection of consumer behaviour. Her 384page book looks quite closely at what makes a consumer tick, in order for marketers to gain useful insight into how consumers’ minds work, all the better to sell them things.

Interested consumers will want to know what marketers think they are thinking, in order to be better-prepared to translate marketing-speak into real-world information and separate half-truths from lies.

After a brief introduction to the concept of consumer behaviour, Lake gets into considerable detail on topics like how social and cultural influences determine purchases and the mind of the individual consumer.

She then uses that foundation to outline how marketers should define their marketing strategies, and where to focus.

Lake also provides hints and tips on how to deliver improved customer satisfaction, something many businesses tend to overlook in their pursuit of the almighty profit.

Marketers would do well to study this section in particular, as it translates into a win-win for both parties.

This is an interesting read, and all information is conveyed in the conversational, easy to read style that is typical of the Dummies series.

ITALIAN FOR DUMMIES AUDIO SET

NEED TO KNOW • By Teresa Picarazzi, Ph.D • 3 x 60-minute Audio CDs • 96 Pages

THIS complete set of language learning material is aimed at people interested in learning basic Italian, and who like the pacing and format of the Dummies series. There are three 60-minute audio CDs that are accompanied by a 96-page companion booklet that contains all of the lessons that appear on the CDs. Each CD consists of tracks that are three to four minutes in length, and which introduce the contents of each track for easy identification and skipping, if necessary. The audio can be listened to while following along with the companion guide; some people find it easier to learn by seeing the words that are being spoken while others fare better with audio-only.

The words that are taught are sufficient to give the listener a good basic understanding of Italian words, grammar and tenses. Asking for directions is also covered, as are other basic questions like what the time is, and what day of the week it is.

This package will provide a solid foundation for further Italian learning, but it doesn’t impart the kind of language skills necessary to survive a tourist trip to Italy without help. As a place to begin, though, it is a good buy.

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game reviews //BY TIANA CLINE

NEED TO KNOW • A classic Nintendo 2D platformer • Co-operative multiplayer fun • New items and power-ups

70 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

DID YOU KNOW? Mario first appeared in the 1981 arcade game Donkey Kong as a carpenter named “Jumpman”, more commonly called “Mr. Video Game” in Japan. During localisation of the game for American audiences, Nintendo’s warehouse landlord Mario Segali confronted Nintendo’s Minoru Arakawa, demanding back rent. After a heated argument the Nintendo employees opted to name the character in the game Mario after him.

>>COMING SOON<<

NEW SUPER MARIO BROS. Wii R599.95 MARIO is almost certainly the most famous of all the video game characters. Since his inception in 1981 by legendary game designer Shigeru Miyamoto, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games, which means there’s a good chance you’ve come across the red-suited plumber at some point. Although Mario has appeared in many different types of video games, his best-known outing has to be 2D adventuring. Also known as platform gaming, this is how Mario made his mark.

The first Mario platformer on the Wii, this game follows the traditional “Princess Peach is kidnapped by Bowser” storyline. It all begins when Mario, Luigi, Blue Toad, and Yellow Toad are celebrating Princess Peach’s birthday in her castle and a large cake is reeled in. All of a sudden, Bowser Jr. and the Koopalings pop out and throw the cake on top of Peach, trapping her. The cake is loaded onto Bowser’s airship and takes off, with the Mario brothers and the Toads following suit. Just another day in the Mushroom Kingdom.

While it may all sound familiar, this is the first game in the Mario main series since Mario Bros. to feature simultaneous multiplayer gameplay, It’s also first side-scrolling Mario platformer since Super Mario World on the SNES! Playing as Mario, Luigi or either one of the Toads you can enjoy the game solo and perfect your performance or let your friends and family grab their Wii Remotes and join in the mayhem.

New Super Mario Bros. Wii offers a mix of co-operative and competitive

play. You can work together to rescue Princess Peach, or use your skills to battle out for the best ranking. The fun really comes into play when you realise you can be nice and co-operate by saving your friends from danger… or you can sneakily get rid of the competition by tossing them straight into it! At the end of each stage (during simultaneous multiplayer mode) you’ll be ranked based on your score, the coins collected and the number of enemies you’ve defeated.

Although the game follows the style of New Super Mario Bros. for Nintendo DS, there are new twists that utilise the unique features of Wii. The motion control capabilities of Wii have been cleverly implemented to enhance the gameplay at certain stages. For example, the player can angle a seesaw like platform by tilting the Wii Remote, to reach secret areas or angle the beam of a lamp to see the way in the dark.

There are also new, fun features like a propeller suit, which, by shaking the Wii Remote, allows your character to fly and hover – great for reaching secret areas. You can also use your suit to help your fellow players, for instance if another player picks you up, you can both fly together. There is a new penguin suit too, which enables you to throw ice balls at your enemy, jump onto your stomach and slide with incredible speed across icy sections of a stage. Players can even ride different Yoshis through the crazy and imaginative levels, using their tongues to swallow enemies or your fellow players!

SUPER MARIO GALAXY 2 The interstellar adventure continues with the second Super Mario game set way out amongst the stars of the cosmos. Expect this game to be more challenging than the first, but packed with exciting new features and faraway galaxies.

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game reviews DRAGON AGE: ORIGINS

NEED TO KNOW

CONSIDER >>THIS<<

IT’S another epic, role-playing adventure from Bioware, the brains behind Baldur’s Gate and Mass Effect. If you’re prepared to sacrifice 150 or so hours of your life, Dragon Age: Origins delivers a fusion of the best elements of existing fantasy works with stunning visuals, emotionally-driven narrative, heart-pounding combat, powerful magic abilities and credible digital actors. The story is as awesome as expected - players take the role of a Grey Warden, one of the last of an ancient order of guardians - but you’ll also be blown away by the character customisation and in-game options.

There are three races: human, elf and dwarf and within this Fallout 3 Take in the sights and sounds of the vast Capital Wasteland! See the great monuments of the United States lying in post-apocalyptic ruin. You make the choices that define yourself and change the world around you. Check out Fallout 3 for truly epic gameplay.

ASSASSIN’S CREED II

NEED TO KNOW • Play Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young Italian noble • An open-ended world • Become a master assassin.

• Experience Italy in the 15th century • Perform missions when you want and how you want

72 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

three classes – warrior, mage or rogue. Each race has two different backgrounds, which changes how the world treats you and each class has four specialisations that will grant them special abilities. Be warned – the race and background will drastically alter the gameplay, changing the world around you from interaction options (and know, your actions have consequences) to other key features in the game. The game looks best on PC but is more action-driven, and slightly easier, on console. While the PC version gives players a new angle, console owners will still find plenty to do and it will take you weeks, if not months, to see it all and then you’ll want to replay as a different character or class. R699.95

ALSO >>CONSIDER<<

• Epic party-based combat • Powerful magic • Deep customisation • Your story, your way • Tim Curry’s voice as the villainous Arl Rendon Howe

World of Warcraft There’s a reason so many people across the globe are addicted to World of Warcraft. In 10 years, over 11.5 million plays have virtually lived, battled and quested on the plains of Azeroth. Excitingly, the next instalment, Cataclysm, is in the making…

AN epic story of family, vengeance and conspiracy set in the pristine, yet brutal, backdrop of Renaissance Italy, Assassin’s Creed II picks up where the first game left off. Meet Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, a young Italian noble who will learn the ways of the assassins after his family was betrayed and he looks to seek retribution. But this isn’t the whole story; if you played the first game you’ll already know that it’s actually a modern-day tale where a character relives the memories of his ancestor through a machine called the Animus. Like the first game, the setting is absolutely exquisite, rendered to the finest detail. But unlike the first game, AS II’s open-ended world has more varied and exciting missions as well as the ability to swim. Although blending in with the crowd may be easier, working with in-game characters is a more intricate process and one that can provide ample rewards but can also lead to surprising consequences. And like any action-packed sequel, there are new weapons and skills to perfect – you can

also learn to disarm your enemies and then use their weapons against them.

All steps to becoming a master assassin!

R799.95

>>CONSIDER THIS<< Prototype Feel the power of being the Prototype. You are Alex Mercer – a genetically mutated man without memory, armed with amazing shape-shifting abilities, hunting to discover what created him and determined to make those responsible pay.

JAMES CAMERON’S AVATAR: THE GAME

NEED TO KNOW • Immerse yourself in James Cameron’s vision • Engage in a massive conflict between two worlds • Develop your character and acquire new skills • Huge environments • 16 stages with lots of side quests

JAMES Cameron’s Avatar: The Game is the official game based on the highly anticipated film of the same name. Yep – the man behind Terminator, Aliens and Titanic is now working with the French (Ubisoft that is) to make what looks to be the graphic spectacle of 2009! While Avatar: The Game is based on the Canadian director’s movie, its plot differs: you’re an ex-Marine stuck on Pandora, a hostile alien planet that’s beautiful yet deadly. You’re also an Avatar – a human mind in an alien body torn between two worlds. You’re not only in a desperate fight for your own survival but also for that of the indigenous people, the Na’vi. The game not only looks great with photorealistic 3D imagery, it is also rich in character, detail, conflict and cultural depth. From flying choppers to traversing lush tropical forests on foot, it really is a great title for next-gen consoles that will make the sci-fi inspired environments look even better. The gameplay is as expected – lots of running and shooting.

What makes Avatar really exciting are the large environments (you’ll need a teleporter), the many side quests and a complete (role-playing light) system for levelling up and unlocking new things.

While many “movie games’ can be disappointing, Avatar’s exciting alien environments give it the best chance to stand out from the crowd. R699.95

>>COMING SOON<< The Saboteur Pandemic’s ultimate open-world action/ adventure. Fight, climb, and race your way through a uniquely stylised version of Nazioccupied France, and hunt down your sworn enemies who have taken everything from you.

>>COMING SOON<< SAW Based on the movie series, SAW is a third-person perspective, survival horror game. If you can defeat and survive Jigsaw’s brutal traps, you may discover the truth behind what drives this twisted serial killer.

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Logitech Unified Technology MANY PERIPHERALS, ONE NANO RECEIVER.

L

ogitech’s latest innovation takes the form of a single Unifying Nano Receiver, a tiny USB dongle that can receive wireless signals for up to six supported Logitech peripherals.

These amazing unified receivers come standard with Logitech’s latest generation of excellent mice and keyboards. Their tiny size means they can be installed into a single USB port and then forgotten, and are perfect for travelling without any danger of damaging the USB port through knocks and bumps.

For business users with laptops, Logitech’s new Unifying Nano Receivers cut down on the need for multiple USB dongles for multiple devices. Instead, a single Nano Receiver can interface with a keyboard and mouse set at home and the office, without any need to remove it and install another.

While not backwards-compatible with other Logitech peripherals, the Unifying Nano Receiver will be compatible with Logitech products going forward.

Products that currently support this unifying technology are the Anywhere Mouse MX, the Performance Mouse MX, the K340 wireless keyboard and Logitech’s MK605 Notebook Kit. Thanks to this fantastic innovation, you will no longer need to carry multiple USB dongles with you to connect your wireless devices to your computer. Install the Unifying Nano Receiver, connect your devices, and forget about it. It’s that simple.

game reviews Available with balance board @R1 299.95

WII FIT PLUS

GRAN TURISMO

NEED TO KNOW

NEED TO KNOW

• 15 new balance games • Choose 20-, 30- or 40-minute workouts based on how much time you have • Customise your workout routine • Six new strength training and yoga activities to mix and match

>>COMING SOON<< EA SPORTS Active: More Workouts

More Workouts is about new challenges and variety. Featuring over 35 new exercises, you can create unlimited combinations of customisable exercise routines that target the upper and lower body, as well as cardio.

God of War One of the most unforgettable and enjoyable games for the PS2, God of War was packed with plot twists puzzles, and action aplenty. Kratos, the antihero, is out to get Ares and this journey of revenge will see him killing loads of enemies as he traverses the landscape – the gameplay is diverse and the environments are stunning. From immersive cinematics to (what was then) a unique levelling up system, God of War is mythology mastered and more…

74 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

training and aerobic exercising, this title adds much more in terms of exercise as well as new minigames to enjoy. If you’ve decided to give up your gym contract for Wii Fit Plus, then you’ll be pleased with the addition of a calorie counter and customisable workouts. And on the cute side, you can also use your balance board to weigh your pet! If you already own a balance board, then this update is a must-buy.

For those new to Wii Fit, we suggest opting for number two as all the balance games, modes and routines are included. R249.95

>>CONSIDER THIS<< Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Training

Never mind your body, it’s time to give your brain a workout! This game is everything you need to keep your grey matter sharp, focused and young. Use your DS to do daily mental activities like math sums and reading out loud.

Heavenly Sword Nariko may be beautiful, but she is also a deadly fighter.

Heavenly Sword, one of the first PS3 titles, was a combat-spectacle where the weapon of choice transformed into three distinct weapons, each with its own accompanying fighting stance. With cutscenes that make the game feel more like a movie (in addition to brilliant voice acting), Heavenly Sword is nothing short of breathtaking.

SELLING over 52 million copies across the globe, Gran Turismo is a racing series with a lot of history. Appearing for the first time on Sony’s portable format, Gran Turismo does not lose any of its appeal on the small screen. Fans of the franchise will be happy to race again as all the superb driving mechanics are there. What’s more is that the sheer extent of content crammed by the developers onto one little UMD disc is astounding – you’re looking at licensed cars from all the top manufacturers, known international race tracks and some game modes really suited to the portable format.

The graphics are also fantastic with different driving views – combined with the smooth gameplay, this is one of the best racers

GET >>THIS<<

IT’S time to get off the couch and back onto the balance board. Those who have a Nintendo Wii console will already know how exhausting a simple game of tennis can be!

But never mind Wii Sports, it was Wii Fit that made gamers balance like a yoga guru, really strengthening their core muscles. So if you’re looking for more fun and fitness combined, Nintendo’s second title aimed at gym-goers – Wii Fit Plus – is now out and it promises to make all exercise addicts feel the burn.

More of an enhancement and less of a sequel, Wii Fit Plus adds all sorts of heart-racing activities to the mix. Besides yoga, strength

• More than 800 vehicle models • 30 tracks including famous world circuits • Progress and acquire cars in Challenge Mode • More than 100 events • Explore different tracks and circuits in Arcade Mode • Race online in Ad Hoc Mode against up to 3 other players on the format to date. Choosing between single player and challenges, you’ll be able to quickly jump into the gameplay. What you will notice is that there is no career mode which means you won’t be working your way up the podium, instead you’ll have to opt for drifting and time trials. Sharing and trading cars is another fun option, especially considering there are 800 to play around with. If cars are your thing, you’ll be impressed with what Gran Turismo has to offer. It may not be innovative, but it works well and you’ll easily spend hours earning credit and buying cars – it’s PSP petrolhead heaven! R349.95

F1 2009

Featuring Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel and all the official F1 drivers, teams and circuits, F1 2009 delivers an authentic and accessible recreation of the current season including the stunning Singapore night race and Abu Dhabi’s Yas Marina.

Daxter Daxter is centred around the world of the lovable orange otter made popular in the Jak and Daxter franchise. The story unfolds as Daxter searches for Jak – by taking on a job as a pest exterminator, he can collect clues and bugs!

The gameplay is old-school platforming at its best in a colourful and fun setting, perfect for the PSP platform!

Killzone Liberation Liberation is unique to the PSP and the Killzone series. The battle against the Helghast still rages on and you’re on a mission to undertake a covert operation to save hostages captured by Metra. Featuring an intelligent third person camera system, Liberation has a unique graphical style and third-person camera that shows off the pure grit and realism of the landscape. Expect 16 levels of action-packed gameplay.

FROM

R199 RECO

MME

NDED

RETA

IL PR

ICE

START YOUR COLLECTION NOW! Š2009 Microsoft corporation. All rights reserved. Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE and the Xbox logos are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies.

All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.

tech tannie

Tech Tannie: Feeding you rooibos & ruminations faster than you can skin a meerkat IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, GRIPES OR JUST SEEK SOME SOLACE, E-MAIL TAMSIN, OUR FRIENDLY TECH TANNIE AT: TECHTANNIE@ CONNECT.CO.ZA

76 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

issue of the month: Q:

Hey Tannie, I’ve got a question for you. I recently bought myself an iPhone, but I honestly have no idea how to sync it up with my PC. In fact, I don’t even know what people are talking about when they say “sync”.

Disconnected Dennis, Dullstroom

A:

Ah. Now that is a lekker question!

How often have I seen the look of terror in people’s eyes when somebody eyeballs their fancy schmancy iPhone and says “Oooh does that sync with your [insert cool thing here]?”. Some of us were born with technical knowledge imprinted on our enormous brains (me) and some people are normal and don’t really think that the world will end if they don’t sync something. And fast. To start with, syncing a device is pretty much the same as the old spy movie adage “let’s synchronise our watches”. It’s just setting up everything so they all work at the same time, together. That said, you can sync your iPhone with your PC, but you will have to, unfortunately, also download and install

iTunes first. This is easily done by going to www.apple.com/ itunes and downloading the latest version. Once you’ve done that, connect your iPhone to your PC using the USB cable, this should have come with the phone, and iTunes will open automatically.

On the left side of the iTunes screen click on Devices, and then on iPhone. Now you’ll be given the options to choose what bits and pieces you want your iPhone to sync, like your Calendar or photos or Contacts.

The choice is yours. After you’ve done that, all you need to do is click Apply in the bottom-right corner of the screen and your computer will happily sync away. When you do this for the first time you’ll be asked if you want to do certain things with your information like merge it, replace old data and so on. Once that’s been done you’ll be able to sync in the future without having to run the gauntlet of questions and choices.

May I also add that I’m impressed with your choice of phone, most tasty.

Q:

I am using Windows Vista. A while ago I needed to close an unstable situation and did the Ctrl-Alt-Del feature to go to my Task Manager to close it down. I clicked on something – cannot tell you what – and now each time I do the Ctrl-Alt-Del and try to go back to the normal opening screen I get the one without any menus. The only way I can close it is to use Alt F4. Please help me restore my Task Manager to its normal glory.

Waxing Lyrical Lynette, Eastern Cape

A:

Oh, I so completely get that level of frustration!

If any of my menus, screens or managers do one thing that’s out of the ordinary I’ll spend hours trying to get it to work properly. I just can’t focus until it’s right, and your issue (while amazingly easy to solve) is a pain in the koeksister. Yes, I say easy to solve, but only if you know exactly what to do. Microsoft, I believe, take perverse pleasure in watching their users go bald from hair tearing and bashing into walls. They actually did this on purpose and call it “tiny footprint mode”. Ok, so what I want you to do is to open Task Manager and then move your mouse to the space between where it says CPU Usage History (for example) and the image itself.

There is a border running along the outside of the image and you can double-click anywhere within this border to bring your tabs and menus right back to you.

Q:

I have an LG DVD-ROM. It plays DVD’s perfectly well, but the moment I put in an audio CD in, it won’t play or read the CD. When I click on the particular drive it gives me a message saying “There is no disc in the drive please load a disc”. It is very frustrating for me. Can you help me to fix the problem?

Grateful for Help Godfrey, Jeffrey’s Bay

A:

This is a kak issue, but unfortunately you haven’t really given me a lot of information to go on. Is the audio CD blank and you’re planning to burn music onto it, or is it an audio CD you’ve made elsewhere that you’re trying to listen to? If it’s either of these options then there’s a good bet that either the CD itself is either scratched or a dud.

I’ve had plenty of discus throwing practice thanks to dud CDs bought in bulk. This can also be the case with music CDs bought proper – as in retail quality – if your DVD-ROM is hypersensitive and they’ve burnt the music onto poor quality CDs. Immensely frustrating, but sadly true in these times. We can now have a moment’s silence for commercialism and how it crushed good quality.

However, there may be another issue at stake here, so before you give up in despair I would recommend you go to LG’s website and check to see if they have a firmware upgrade that you can download and install.

The issue may be something that they’ve recognised and already fixed for you. If you’ve bought this recently and are still sitting within your warranty

period (usually about three months) then it’s probably well worth the effort to take it back in to the store you bought it from and get them to either test it on the spot, swap it or send it in for repairs. Good luck!

WWW.CONNECT.CO.ZA | 77

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WANTED:

A GOOD CHAUFFEUR. I’M SICK OF BAD DRIVERS.

T

he only smell that wafts from the box of a new game is that of recently moulded plastic, but there’s still something about opening up its DVD case that’s a little like starting a good book. The manual, at least, has that fresh print feel.

It’s all about the anticipation of pleasure. You’ve put aside an evening to indulge yourself. Then there’s the almost religious ritual of removing the shiny virgin disc from its sleeve and slipping it into the drive. Waiting for the autoplay dialogue to pop up evokes, in some of us at least, a warm fuzzy feeling because we know there’s an evening of adventuring in a new world about to start.

Here’s a tip, while you wait for the installation process to complete, go boil the kettle or crack open a bottle of your favourite poison. It’s all part of your reward for making the time and the money to enjoy a new game.

Only, things are never that easy on the PC, are they? Where else could such a tantalising build up be followed by watching the screen go blank. Or seeing the intro movie start and then the menu fail to appear.

There’s nothing quite as anti-climactic as a box in the middle of the screen that reads ‘Fatal exception error’.

Games developers, you see, can’t resist trying to make their programs so clever that they are more advanced than your PC. The backroom boffins who design 3D engines love making their code do things that, let’s face it, Windows was never designed to do. That’s why every major game release is quickly followed by a software update from the hardware manufacturers and an evening of your precious time spent trying to make the damn thing run. It’s all very clever, I’m sure, and I’ve nothing against experimentation

with technology. Indeed, I positively encourage it – bring on the hydrogen cars or jet packs. But I do feel that if a game is going to require a 100MB update to your operating system just to get past the menu screen, then it should ship with that update on the disc.

After all, there are billions of potential players who live outside of Japan, home to the fastest average broadband speeds in the world.

Many of us are lucky if we can download a full patch in a week, never mind in one night.

And you’ve got to find the fix for your problem first. There are people out there who still think a ‘driver’ is someone who waits outside the bank with the motor running. I envy them their ignorance, as I trawl through bile-filled forums on games developers’ sites, trying to find a link to something that might fix my game. It makes me want to buy an Xbox, or, in my darkest moments, a PlayStation 3.

Except that you can’t get the kind of grown-up games we like on those platforms. They don’t do strategy, or intelligence, or massively multiplayer dragon slaying in the same way. So we persevere, watching download bar after download bar work inexorably across the display in the hope that when it reaches the end, all our problems will be solved.

There are several ways to handle it, of course. Either you can entertain yourself with the ‘guess how many patches you’re going to have to download today’ game; or you can scream, Cnut-like, at the tide of 1s and 0s streaming from foreign servers to your PC. Personally, I like to prepare for the eventuality and have something on hand to distract myself while I’m waiting for the updates to arrive. Opening a new game may well be like starting a good book, but so is a good book.

80 | CONNECT | DECEMBER 2009

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www.blackberry.com/za/appworld BlackBerry App Worldâ&#x201E;˘ in South Africa initially offers a broad range of free applications, with paid for applications becoming available for South African users at a later date. Š2009 Research In Motion Limited. All rights reserved. BlackBerry ÂŽ, RIMÂŽ, Research In MotionÂŽ, SureTypeÂŽ, SurePressâ&#x201E;˘ and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. E&OE.

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