http://www.connectmag.co.za/issues/ct_16_august_10 by Brett Haggard

August 2010

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ÂŠ 2010 Blizzard Entertainment, Inc. All rights reserved. Wings of Liberty is a trademark, and StarCraft, Blizzard Entertainment and Blizzard are trademarks or registered trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment, Inc., in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks referenced herein are the properties of their respective owners.

www.connect.co.za

VOL02 Issue #04

FEATURES 10

august 2010

Graphically Speaking Graphics cards: what they are, who needs them and what to look for when shopping for one.

Safari in a Snap Why not try this clean, clutter-free and powerful browser?

Device Drivers and You No need to grapple with your hardware devices

File it Right We make it simple for you to manage your PCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s filing system

Put Magic in Your Pics Manipulate your images easily using free and fantastic software

Safe Gaming for Children How playing video games can be good for your kids

REGULARS 04 06 08 68 70 72

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

REVIEWS 34 42 43 44 45 46 48 50 51 52 54 60

Top 5 Tablet PC Projector Graphics Card Peripherals Printers GPS Digital Photo Frame Notebook MP3 Player Sound Books

GAMING 62

PUBLISHER Brett Haggard brett@connect.co.za EDITOR Tiana Cline tiana@connect.co.za

TECHNOLOGY Deon du Plessis EDITOR deon@connect.co.za JUNIOR WRITER Tamaryn Watkins tamaryn@connect.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Tamsin Mackay, Adam Oxford, Johann Barnard ART DIRECTOR Jason Palmer jason@connect.co.za

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SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@connect.co.za ADVERTISING Dorothy Haggard dorothy@connect.co.za Contact Hypertext Media Communications (011) 023-8001 info@hypertext.co.za

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4 | connect | August 2010

ver wondered what is inside that collection of electrical and mechanical devices that you call a computer? Open one up and you’ll see what intitially appears like a jumble of wires, metal, plastic, card slots… it’s all quite confusing. Will you ever need to know what each part does? Probably not, but there really are a few bits and bobs in that box (or what the tech specialiasts call the ‘chassis’) that can alter your experience as a computer user. One of these is a graphics card and those who rely on a home PC for everything from work to gaming, might have discovered that a new one makes all the difference. What you might not know, is that a graphics card is probably the most expensive upgrade your computer will ever see. After all, graphics cards are an absolute necessity because they’re the piece of hardware that basically translates your games’ 3D data into the images you see on-screen. And while some home computers have dedicated graphics cards, others don’t, which is why in this issue of Connect we’re talking about purchasing one. We look at what they are, who would need one and if out shopping for one, what to look for. Be sure to read page 10 for more graphics card advice. Also, do you know your .doc from your .docx? And if you’re saving an image, does it make a difference if you choose a .bmp or a .jpeg… and if you are, is there a difference between .jpeg and .jpg and .j-peg? File extensions can be funny things, so turn to page 20 and learn what they are and what they do. Another bit of computer confusion we’re clearing up is all about device drivers. If you are using a Windows computer and you’ve ever had to install

a hardware driver, you will know how challenging it can be sometimes (especially if it’s a reinstallation and you’ve lost the original CD). What are drivers really and why do we need them? And more importantly, where to get them from and what to do with them? If you’re dying to know the details, they’re all on page 18. From drivers to details, putting magic into your photos can be as simple as finding the right photo editing program. There are quite a few reputable options on the Internet, free for download, that provide all the touch-up tools you need. Red eye? Fixed. Blurriness? Sharpened. Need to crop out a finger? Easy. On page 26, we’re taking a look at some of the most popular (and free) photo editing software for both Windows and Mac that allow you to do basic through to heavy editing of your photos. Now that your pics are fixed, it’s time to take a break. For those who own a video game console and are worried about their children becoming lazy and antisocial, we’ve come up with a guide to safe gaming. With a little know-how, video games can be the perfect thing to play, no matter your age. Find out on page 28. And if you’re already obsessed with gaming, you’ll definitely want to subscribe to Connect this month for a chance to win an exclusive StarCraft II bundle. If there is anything you need to know about technogy, Connect is the magazine to read. If this is your first copy, welcome - we’re about to make your life a little easier. Keep on reading, Tiana Cline EDITOR

Personal, Portable, Protected • Available in 2GB - 32GB capacities. • Simply plug into any USB port and drag and drop your folders and files. • Verbatim 2 Year Limited Warranty

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Firefox 4 is coming... If you’re a fan of the foxy Internet browser, you’ll be pleased to know the newest version, Firefox 4, is on it’s way. What to expect? Besides the sleeker interface that makes it easier to use, the tabs have been relocated to the top for more efficient and intuitive browsing. Other features include an add-ons manager, WebM and HD video and better privacy protection. What’s more, is that when Firefox 4 is finally ready for download you’ll be able to finally synchronize your settings, passwords, bookmarks, history, open tabs and other customisations across multiple devices so you can take Firefox with you wherever you go.

First look at Nintendo’s 3DS

These include:

At the E3 Expo, Nintendo gave the world the first look at a portable system that lets people view games in 3D, without the need for special glasses. The Nintendo 3DS comes with a 3.53inch top screen and a 3.02-inch bottom touch screen. It has three cameras – one inner and two outer – to deliver the 3D effect and take 3D pictures. It includes a motion sensor, a gyro sensor and even a Slide Pad that allows 360-degree analogue input. There is already a large range of games and applications for Nintendo 3DS, some which reinvent the industry’s most beloved franchises.

> Kid Icarus: Uprising, the long-awaited franchise follow-up to the NES classic. > Mario Kart, which shows off the potential of driving and tossing bananas in 3D. > nintendogs + cats, a new version of the best-selling nintendogs franchise that lets players interact even more with their virtual puppies – and kittens! > PilotWings Resort, a flying simulation that lets players soar above Wuhu Island. > Animal Crossing, a new instalment of the charming community-building franchise. > StarFox 64 3D, a game that demonstrates the true distance and depth of outer space using Nintendo’s well-known franchise. > Steel Diver, a new submarine-navigation game from Nintendo. > Paper Mario, which brings paper-based 2D environments to life.

Want to preview the upgraded browser before it launches? www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/beta/ and click “download”.

Appetizing apps Love to cook? This month Connect recommends two top apps for foodies. > Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List Available free for both the iPhone and iPad, the Epicurious Recipes & Shopping List app is the first truly smart cookbook. This next-generation kitchen companion enables food lovers to search for great recipes from leading magazines, cookbooks, and chefs. With a massive 28,000 recipes, this gastronomic app really has thousands of great recipes to search through as well as the ability to create convenient shopping lists for easy access at the shops. Want more? You can search drink recipes too! First, save all your favourites, and then in the kitchen, turn your phone on its side to see convenient step-by-step instructions while you cook. Price: Why not, it’s free!

6 | connect | August 2010

> How to Cook Everything Based on Mark Bittman’s bestselling cookbook, the iPhone app has 2,000 recipes and recipe variations; 400 how-to illustrations; hundreds of menu ideas; and Mark Bittman’s straightforward cooking advice for simple good food. The easy-to-use search allows filtering for specific dishes: vegetarian, make-ahead, key ingredient, and more. Want to find all the pasta recipes that you can make ahead of time? Only takes a few seconds. Browse not only recipes but also all of the reference materials in the book. Need to know how to poach an egg? No problem. Make Tandoori Chicken? It’s all right there. A really nice touch is the built-in, customisable timers throughout the steps, so when you need a timer, it’s right there. No more burnt snacks. If you need some cooking inspiration, you’ve now got it! The app contains menu and recipe suggestions for those days when you need a little help deciding what to make: a featured seasonal recipe; lists of Bittman’s Picks; most popular recipes; quick dinner ideas; and many more menu ideas throughout. Price: Well worth the $4.99

StarCraft II takes to the skies… Blizzard Entertainment and Korean Air unveiled the first StarCraft II airplane to approximately 400 industry partners and press during the StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty launch press event at the Korean Air hangar located at Gonghangdong, Kangseo-gu, Seoul. A character image of Jim Raynor, a terran hero from StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty, will be wrapped on two of Korean Air’s planes using special films and paint. The two wrapped airplanes -- a B747400 and a B737-900 -- will fly domestic routes in Korea as well as international routes in the U.S. and European regions for six months. StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty was released on July 27 across the globe.

techno jargon // by Deon du Plessis

Welcome to another edition of Tech Jargon, the part of the magazine devoted to (hopefully) demystifying tech terms and putting them in everyday language.

8 | connect | August 2010

Pico The word itself denotes a metric value of “one billionth”. It is derived from the Italian “piccolo”, which means “small”. In a Connect context, “pico” means very small technology, and it is part of the name of the tiny projector reviewed on page 35. It’s really just a smart way of saying “look how tiny our technology is”. DLP This stands for Digital Light Processing, and is a projection technology developed by American company Texas Instruments that involves using millions of tiny mirrors that move to let in or block out light in order to create an image. It has several advantages over its primary rival, LCD technology including no need for dust filters, superior image quality, lower power consumption and size. Aspect Ratio You’ll see this word over and over again in Connect – it means the mathematical relationship between the horizontal and vertical dimensions of any given screen. In more simple terms, it means how wide your screen is in relation to its height; the higher the aspect ratio, the wider your screen. High definition movies have a 16:9 aspect ratio, and a regular non-HD TV has a 4:3 screen. Tripod As the name suggests, a tripod is a three-legged mechanical contraption. Tripods are typically used to provide camera equipment with a solid, shake-free foundation for smooth photography and video.

ANSI Lumens This is the measure of the intensity of light as perceived by the human eye, and it has been standardised by the American National Standards Institute (the US version of our SABS). Hence, ANSI Lumens. Throw distance This is typically used to describe how far a projector needs to be from the surface it is projecting onto in order to project the best possible image. A long throw distance, for example, means the room needs to be rather large before the projected image looks its best. When shopping for a projector, always be sure to check the minimum and maximum throw distance values. Trackpad This is the word used for the pad-like device on all modern notebooks that you slide your finger along in order to make the mouse cursor move. They typically use body heat to track the movement of your finger. The word ‘touchpad’ can also be used. Optical Drive Any storage device that uses a laser to read information off a surface or disc can be called an optical drive. In Connect, optical drives are CD, DVD or Blu-ray drives because of the fact that all of them use lasers to read information off and write to reflective discs. Dongle This odd-sounding word means any small device that plugs into a computer’s USB port that adds extra hardware capabilities. In Connect, dongles are always wireless devices that provide capabilities like Bluetooth connectivity, wireless networking or wireless receiving for mice and keyboards. Magnetic Shielding When a device or cable is magnetically shielded, electromagnetic fields are being prevented from entering that device or cable because it has been encased with some kind of conductive material. The conductive material, when in the presence of an electromagnetic field, induces an electrical current which then flows away from the space it encases, thereby providing shielding. Docking Station A docking station is a device a notebook computer plugs in to that has all external connections hooked up to it. Examples are USB keyboards and mice, power, network cables and screen ports. It’s useful to own one, as it

makes packing your notebook up that much easier as all you need to do is disconnect it from the docking station as opposed to disconnecting it from all the individual devices that are plugged in. Tablet PC Tablet PCs are, ideally, very thin and light computers with slightly reduced computing power when compared to notebooks. They have touch-sensitive screens for the easy input of commands; they are typically used in situations that require a high degree of mobility. Eco Mode Any device that has an Eco mode can run in a reduced capacity in order to conserve power. In this way, power consumption is lowered at the expense of some performance features. A projector, for example, will dim its lamp in Eco Mode – while this extends its lamp life, it does produce a projected image that is not as bright or clear as in full power mode. Longevity In tech terms, a device’s longevity is the time it takes for it to either become obsolete, or for you, the consumer, to become bored with its features. Keystone correction When a projector rests at an angle, it still throws out an image as if it is still flat which results in a projected image that is not square (or rectangular if it’s widescreen). Keystone correction is an adjustment applied to the image to make it rectangular or square again. DirectX DirectX is a collection of standardised “application programming interfaces”, or APIs, that make it easy for programmers to create 3D content for graphics cards. By standardising the APIs, any code written for DirectX can be run on any DirectX-compatible graphics card. Each new version of DirectX brings new capabilities to games that use it, which results in prettier, more lifelike graphics with each successive generation. TDP (Thermal Design Power) TDP is the technical term for the amount of power a cooling system needs to dissipate, and is measured in watts. This figure is the amount of heat a computer’s fan needs to handle without allowing the temperature to exceed the chip’s rated maximum temperature, which is itself determined by the manufacturer.

www.connect.co.za | 9

buying guide //by Deon Du Plessis

: e c i v d a g n i Buy

graphically speaking Graphics cards are essential to play 3D games, and are perhaps the most expensive upgrade your computer will ever see. This month, Connect delves deeper into what they are, who needs them and what to look for when shopping for one.

10 | connect | August 2010

s their name suggests, Graphics cards are add-on cards that speed up the pace at which your computer can display 3D visuals. Additionally, they smooth jagged edges and they help make your game controls more responsive. And make no bones about it – these add-ons are strictly for gamers, and as such are a luxury purchase. But, once you’ve seen what they can do for your gaming enjoyment, it may be tough to resist the urge to buy one. Before you do, there are a few things you need to know about them. We’ll start with how they work, and work our way up to who makes them, and which ones offer you the best performance and value for your money.

The basics The basic idea behind a graphics card, also called a “3D accelerator”, is to speed up your computer’s ability to process graphical data. Without a 3D accelerator, your CPU would have to do the heavy lifting, and since CPUs are generally very busy controlling every aspect of the rest of your system, the end results would not be wonderful. The solution is an add-on circuit board (card) that is dedicated to handling all graphics-related tasks. It comes with its own processor, aptly called a “Graphics Processing Unit” or GPU, and it is this piece of hardware that crunches the numbers necessary to power 3D graphics. Basic graphics cards consist of a GPU, several hundred megabytes of video memory and a fan to keep the GPU cool. Video memory works just like the RAM in your computer – it is used to store the large amounts of graphical data needed to display the gorgeous visuals of modern games. More video memory is not necessarily an advantage, however – most modern games play adequately on cards with only 512MB of video memory.

Getting advanced More expensive graphics cards combine two GPUs onto a single card, and come with a lot more video memory – some cards have up to 2GB. While these deliver incredible performance, they add a level of complexity to their operation as a result of having to manage two GPUs that would probably intimidate the average user. As such, they are only really recommended for hardcore gamers and enthusiasts.

Two is better than one Another way to boost your gaming performance is to install two graphics cards into the same PC. This requires a motherboard with two graphics card slots (known as PCI-Express slots), which of course adds cost to your system as these motherboards are quite specialised, but the end result is blazingly-fast gaming graphics. With two cards, you can crank the details of your games to max and run at super-high resolutions and still have everything run smoothly. Smooth graphics, high levels of detail and the absence of jagged lines is the ultimate goal of any decent gaming system. Single cards that feature two GPUs function in much the same way as two individual cards linked together do, which means the trickiness of managing them properly is the same and therefore also only recommended for the hardcore gaming crowd. Dual-card technology is available from both ATI and nVidia, but they work completely differently to one another. ATI’s tech is called “CrossFireX”, and nVidia’s is called SLI which is an abbreviation for “Scalable Link Interface”.

nVidia Geforce with SLI technology

The measurements When talking about gaming and decent graphics, you will often hear gamers refer to “frames per second”, or “fps”. High frames per second means your graphics card is updating your screen very quickly, and what you see as a result is animation that is very, very smooth. Low frames per second leads to animation that looks very jerky and more like a slideshow than a moving image. This can impact on the performance of your mouse cursor too, which is referred to as “mouse lag” - the movements of your mouse not translating immediately to on-screen movement. It is frustrating to play this way. A good “fps” score is 30, and “excellent” is anything greater than 60; anything below 30fps and you’re starting to edge towards the “less-than-ideal” range. 16-29 fps is only “okay”, while a frame rate of 15 fps and below will have you tearing your hair out. The aim of a graphics card upgrade is to raise your games’ performance to that magical 30fps+ range where games feel quick and responsive.

Power Struggle Dual-card performance does come at a cost, however. For the more expensive and powerful cards, you will need a very capable power supply to keep your cards humming along. Some individual cards can require as much as a 700W power supply, but for the most part you can get away with a ‘mere’ 550W power supply unit (also called a PSU) if you’re running a single card. Multiple graphics cards in a PC can increase power demands over the 1000W mark.

www.connect.co.za | 11

buying guide

The models The two main players There are only two graphics card makers that produce consumer-level cards worth buying – and those companies are ATI (now owned by AMD) and nVidia. ATI tends to offer more performance for your money, whereas nVidia is the current performance king. Both companies share their designs with their hardware partners, and each partner then takes the card design and stamps its own personality on them in the way of brand stickers and proprietary fan designs. Rest assured, though: same-model GPUs from companies like Gigabyte or Sapphire will perform very similarly – there is no real reason not to simply buy the card that best suits your budget.

ATI HD Radeon 5000 Series ATI’s current range is called the HD Radeon 5000-series. These are insanely powerful cards, and well worth your money. The higher up the range you go, the more expensive the cards become. ATI Radeon HD 5970 > The best ATI has to offer. Fast, but pricy

ATI Radeon HD 5870 > Fast card, high-end price

get Connected All modern graphics cards connect to monitors using what is called a DVI cable. This fits into the rectangular-shaped plug on the back of the cards but it only carries video signal, however. Newer cards have at least one HDMI port on the back as well, which outputs both sound and video making them useful for connecting your PC up to an HDTV. If you’re shopping for a graphics card to go into a Media Centre PC, make sure you get one with an HDMI port.

Who really needs a dedicated graphics card? Anyone interested in gaming, be it casual or otherwise, should own a 3D accelerator card. Even some casual games need 3D acceleration, and while an onboard graphics card (often referred to as embedded) can handle this task with moderate success, a dedicated card (often referred to as discrete) will produce far better results – even a low-end graphics card will produce smoother 3D graphics than an onboard card will.

What else can they do? Modern graphics cards can also be used to accelerate video playback and improve the sharpness and colours of videos and photos. Before proper 3D acceleration, the CPU was in charge of movie playback, but as high definition movie files have become popular, the power needed to play them back has increased. Offloading video playback duties to the graphics card keeps your HD movies playing smoothly, and frees your CPU to do other tasks. Notebook gaming If you’d like to game on your laptop, the latest generation of mobile graphics accelerators are surprisingly capable of delivering not only a playable experience, but one full of detail, too. If you’re notebook shopping, do yourself a favour and seriously consider any notebook that has an ATI Mobility Radeon HD5670 or above.

12 | connect | August 2010

Our advice: Both the ATI Radeon HD5850 and nVidia GeForce 465GTX offer brilliant value for money, and will ensure that your computer will be playing games at high resolutions and at full detail for at least the next two years. The best single-card configuration from each manufacturer is ATI’s Radeon HD5970 and nVidia’s GeForce GTX480 respectively. While these are excellent purchases, they are not strictly necessary for casual gaming, and we advise you to spend the money you’ll save by buying the HD5850 or 465GTX on a big screen instead. Lastly, before you buy, make sure that your PC’s power supply can handle the additional load a new graphics card will place on your system; speak to a tech-savvy friend or an Incredible Connection technician if you are unclear about this.

ATI Radeon HD 5850 > Best value for money fast, but well-priced

ATI Radeon HD 5830 > For gamers on a budget

ATI Radeon HD 5770 > Affordable performance graphics

CMY

ATI Radeon HD 5750 > Solid performance, great price

ATI Radeon HD 5670 > Offers entry-level gaming graphics, nice ’n cheap

nVidia GeForce 400 Series nVidia GeForce GTX 480 > Top-of-the-line, price to match nVidia GeForce GTX 470 > High-performance card, high price nVidia GeForce GTX 465 > Excellent performance, comparable to the ATI Radeon HD5850

web navagation //by Tamaryn Watkins

Safari

in a snap

om More bang fr r your Browse 14 | connect | August 2010

If you’re looking for a clean, clutter-free, lightweight (yet powerful) web browser, there’s a strong chance that Safari will tick all the right boxes for you. Safari 5 is Apple’s most recent and it’s perfect for everyone from the power-user to the newbie, both Mac and PC.

he next time your current browser hangs, crashes or opens a million pop-ups, you might want to think about installing Safari. Or when you’re annoyed by a mess of adverts all competing for your attention. Not only does it render web pages well, it displays only the content you want to see.

How to Download Safari It’s as simple as going to http://apple.com/safari and clicking the big, bold download button, and selecting your operating system (i.e.: Windows/Mac OS X). Now that you’ve installed Safari, you need to know what it does and what you can do with it. To take the hassle out of becoming accustomed to a new browser, Connect has compiled an assortment of quick tips and trick.

Super shortcuts! Your life is not complete without knowing these Safari shortcuts: CMD/CTRL+Z > Re-opens the last tab you were viewing, if you accidentally close it. Alternative: you choose “Undo Close Tab” from the Edit menu. CMD/CTRL+click link > Opens link in a new tab. ALT+click link > Downloads file behind a link. CMD/CTRL+R > Reloads the page. CMD/CTRL+A > Selects all text/pictures on the page CMD/CTRL/SHIFT+I > Opens a new e-mail message window with a link to the site you are reading, so you can share with a friend. CMD/CTRL+ALT+2 > Opens your browsing History.

Surf your way around Safari QUICK TIP: You can force the status bar to appear from the View option on the menu bar (located at the top of the Preferences menu). Or you could hit the ALT key.

An efficiently elegant browser, Safari retains the element of familiarity by keeping navigation buttons on top - here you’ll notice Back and Forward buttons, a location bar, a search box, current page menu, and the preferences menu. Tabs are kept below the navigation bar and the status bar is hidden by default. You might be willing to forgive this if there was another way to view a link’s URL address before clicking it.

CMD/CRTL+D > Adds the page to your bookmarks. CMD/CRTL+B > Shows all of your saved bookmarks. CMD/CTRL+ALT+F > Opens Google search, quickly.

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web navagation

Stay well-read with Safari Thanks to your own personal built-in RSS reader, you can glance over the latest news, information, and content posted by an assortment of sites in one simple-to-read, searchable article list served up by Safari. Incidentally, it’s the first browser to feature its own self-contained RSS reader, making it possible to browse the entire web without using a second application. A feature you’ll certainly appreciate from Safari Reader is that distracting, blinking adverts are instantly banished from your view. Tired of articles that are spread out over a number of pages? Safari Reader is about read-ability and will solve all of those problems.

Browse better with Safari Safari is an intuitive browser, and likes to get to know you, as a user and. A little function called Top Sites automatically identifies your favourite sites and displays them on a preview wall for you to choose from. As you browse, Safari identifies the websites you’re most interested in, so as you explore the web and discover new websites, your top sites will change to match your expanding tastes. Tabbed browsing is the most convenient method of browsing several websites at the same time without cluttering your desktop and it allows you to toggle between tabbed multiple websites in a single window. To open a new tab, just click the New Tab button in the title bar. There’s a whole lot of brains powering Safari too – it checks your spelling and grammar for you, and gives you alternatives to misspelled words. There’s also Auto-Complete, that uses your browsing history to anticipate your destination when you start typing a URL into the address bar. There’s AutoFill, for online forms, so you don’t have to repeatedly enter your name, telephone or address. Safari also makes it a lot easier to find sites you’ve visited in the past. You know, those sites that you can’t quite remember, but desperately need to find? Since Safari stores all the text of every page you visit, Safari can instantly find these sites again even if you supply it with only the sketchiest search terms. It makes your life even easier by showing you every site it’s found, in Cover Flow – allowing you to flip through previews of these sites, until you find the page you’re looking for. Much easier than trying to narrow it down from an ugly and static list of complicated URLs. 16 | connect | August 2010

Quick Tips for Safari Reader

Top Safari Plug-Ins: SafariStand Adds a thumbnail sidebar and a bookmarks shelf that lets you save your browsing sessions and resume them, at a click of a button. (http://hetima.com/ safari/stand-e.html)

> To access a reader-friendly version of any page, simply click the Reader icon in the Smart Address Field, and the article (every page of it) will instantly appear in a continuous, clutter-free view. > To grab the RSS feed of any website, Safari identifies websites that offer an RSS feed by displaying an RSS icon in the address field, click it and the feed will be displayed in the browser window. > To bookmark any feed, on the RSS page, you need to click the Add Bookmark button or drag the icon from the address field into your bookmarks bar.

Saft The Swiss Army knife of Safari plugins comes packed with too many features to list. Our favourites include: crash prevention, one-page PDF export, look up in Dictionary and reload all tabs. (http:// haoli.dnsalias.com/Saft/index. html) TabExposé Brings the power of Exposé to Safari. Shows the contents of all tabs with one click, allowing you to toggle quickly between a multitude of tabs. (http://www.cocoamug.com/ tabexpose/ ) Xmarks A seamless solution for syncing bookmarks across multiple computers and browsers, including the ability to view them online, from anywhere. (http://xmarks.com/)

Plug into Perfection The feature that sets Safari on the same level Firefox and Chrome as a browser is the ability to download and utilise plug-ins and extensions, to expand the browser’s capabilities. How to Enable Extensions Check “Show Develop menu” under the Advanced tab in the Safari Preferences. Then find the Develop menu in the menu bar and choose “Enable Extensions.” Now you can download extensions and double-click on them to install them in Safari.

The best processor for the job When choosing a personal computer should value for money, versatility or performance drive your processor choice? We take a closer look at what’s available and decipher some of the mystery…

avigating the modern personal computing landscape without an intimate knowledge of how computers work and which components serve your specific needs can be a challenge to say the least. After all, there’s so much to consider when buying a computer and things change so rapidly that a great choice today could be outdated in a couple of months’ time. Thankfully, the one thing that hasn’t changed since the invention of the personal computer is the significant role the central processing unit or CPU plays in the overall performance level, versatility and usefulness of a computer. The CPU is the engine room of every computer and nothing gets done without its involvement or consent. As such, the modern CPU must allow users to perform some of the most demanding tasks in a flash, while intelligently managing variables such as heat generation and power consumption. And of course, all of this needs to be presented in a package that’s cost effective enough to meet the needs of most users. Nothing epitomizes the drive for all of these goals as perfectly as Intel’s Core family of processors, which deliver on a number of different prices points and needs in the market through models designed specifically for value for money, flexibility and the ultimate in smart performance.

Core i3 – Value for money

Core i5 – Turbo-boost

Tackling value for money, Intel’s Core i3 processor makes the most of new developments in Intel’s laboratories to combine cutting edge, dual-core CPU technology with a graphics-processing unit. The result is an assembly with two cores and a single graphics core that is a veritable jack-ofall-trades. Intel’s processors allow for workloads to be split between these two logic cores, while at the same time having ready access to a graphics core that can efficiently work its way through highdefinition video and 3D graphics. Throw in the ability for the processor to literally shut-off parts of its electronics that aren’t being used to conserve power and if needs be, divert that power to areas of the processor that could really use it and you’ve got a piece of technology that can handle some extreme demands and use minimal power doing so. This feature is known as ‘Turbo-Mode’. Intel’s Core i3 processor is the champion in the value for money stakes. It’s therefore perfect for powering a home computer, enjoying media such as video and audio and some light gaming.

Dual processer cores and an embedded graphics core can take you some of the way towards high performance consumer-computing, but not all the way there. That’s the reason the Core i5 processor doubles the number of logic cores to four and requires users to make use of a discrete, or separate – and therefore more powerful – graphics processing solution. And by taking graphics out of the equation, the processor can get down to business dispatching with complex computing tasks in half the time most competitive options would. Like the rest of the members of Intel’s Core family, the Core i5 can also shut entire portions of itself off, giving users a one, or two-core experience when power consumption is of massive importance, or ramping up the amount of power flowing to one or another processor core in order to quickly accomplish tasks that are only compatible with single or dual-core processors. As a bonus, the system will also dedicate and carve up resource according to what it’s being required to do. This means, one core could be dedicated to e-mail, while a second is dedicated to web browsing and the remaining two, to photo retouching. The result is a powerhouse of performance that’s perfect for gamers, since they have four cores of powerful processing behind them and the ability to select the discrete graphics card that most appeals to their needs.

Core i7 – Legendary performance Showing us the top of the pile when it comes to performance, Intel has thrown everything and the kitchen sink at its Core i7 processor so that the most demanding graphic designers, CAD/CAM experts, power-users and gamers have something that meets their needs. Available in four and six core models, the Core i7 builds on top of the Core i5’s performance level by adding one major feature to the mix, namely hyperthreading or in more simple terms, the ability for each physical processor to act as two, handling two separate streams of instructions simultaneously, where others are only able to handle one. In essence, this means a four-core i7 behaves like an eight-core processor and a six-core i7 behaves like a 12-core processor. Intel’s Core i7 is at the pinnacle of consumergrade performance and is right now, the leader in the market. It’s no surprise that it’s the CPU of choice for the industry’s finest.

This column supported by Intel Corporation In the interests of you making a more informed computer buying decisions. For more information visit:

http://www.intel.com/?en_ZA_01

device drivers //by Deon Du Plessis

Device drivers & you! o y t a h W

18 | connect | August 2010

! w o n k o u need t If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve ever installed a hardware device on your Windows computer, chances are good youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had to grapple with drivers in order to get it to work. This month we look at exactly what drivers are, why they are necessary, where to get them from and what to do with them.

DIY

driver is, in a very basic sense, the software that tells your computer how to use a piece of hardware. That software is created by a programmer, and inside the “code” of the driver are the instructions on how to make use of the hardware’s features, which is presented in a manner the host operating system can understand. In this way, your hardware is able to talk to your operating system, and vice-versa. Managing drivers presented far more of a challenge before Windows 98 came along; Microsoft launched the Windows Update service alongside Windows 98, which provided access to - among other things driver updates via the Internet. Keeping a driver updated is an essential part of ensuring your device’s compatibility with the latest software; sometimes drivers are also updated with additional functionality and optimisations that help your hardware perform even better. Windows 98 users with an Internet connection could connect to Windows Update and allow Microsoft to scan their computer and automatically update any out-of-date hardware drivers. The version of Windows Update in operation today does the same thing, and it is designed to work seamlessly with Windows XP, Vista and 7. This, in conjunction with the fact that all three of these operating systems have an extensive built-in device driver database, means that it will be very seldom that you will have to locate and install driver software yourself.

That being said, Windows Update does not have drivers for every single piece of hardware ever made, and thus on occasion you will need to locate and install the latest drivers for your hardware yourself. Here’s how to do it: > Look on your hardware (or the box it came in) for its exact make and model > Open a Web browser and navigate to the website of your device’s manufacturer. > Look for a “Support” link; once found, click it. > Search the support page that comes up for a category called “Drivers”. Click it. > Look for your device’s exact model number; click on it. > Download the driver files found on that page; the default location they will be saved to is your Downloads folder. > Open a Windows Explorer window (press the Windows Key and E), navigate to your Downloads folder and locate the drivers you’ve just downloaded. > Extract them if they are saved as .ZIP files; Windows can do this automatically. > Double-click on the resulting file to start the installation process; if more than one file has been extracted, look for one called ‘Setup”. > Follow the on-screen prompts, restart your computer if necessary.

Why do you need to do this? Sometimes driver updates address problems – also known as ‘bugs’ - that were to be found in the original driver; this, along with performance and compatibility improvements are the most common reasons for manufacturers to update their driver software. So, while Windows 7 has done its best to make it easy to install new hardware, you may be called upon to lend it a helping hand. Luckily, it’s easier to do this than you may have thought before, thanks to this handy guide.

www.connect.co.za | 19

file extensions //by Tamaryn Watkins

20 | connect | August 2010

F ile it right! The FYI on . . . s n o i s n e file ext file extension is the suffix you’ll see at the end of a filename, and it’s this little assortment of letters that tell you, and your computer, what kind of file it is and what program should be used to open it. We’ve taken a look at some of the most important file extensions and created a simple explanatory guide for you, to help you identify, locate, and execute any file.

Files Aplenty If you had a look on your computer, you’d probably notice that you have lots of different types of files stored on your hard drive – text documents, photos, e-mails, and music. These are all different types of files, so it would make sense that they have different types of file extensions, too.

What are file extensions and what do they do? Connect is here to make it easier to manage your personal computer’s filing system.

Text heavy files Text file formats like RTFs and TXTs are useful for purely textual documents, so you might want to use these files for note-taking or dictation, while Microsoft Word documents can contain pictures, graphs and other media with formatting and layout changes, making it perfect for assignments and business documents. Common document file extensions:

.doc

.docx

.msg

Word Document Open with: Microsoft Word

Word Open XML Document Open with: Microsoft Word 2007 or later

Outlook Mail Message Open with: Microsoft Outlook

.rtf

.txt

.wpd

Rich Text Format Plain Text File File Open with: NotePad/ Open with: Microsoft WordPad or TextEdit NotePad or TextEdit

WordPerfect Document Open with: WordPerfect

Question: I was e-mailed a document (.docx) the other day, and I tried to open it, but it won’t open with my Microsoft Word 2003. What should I do? Answer: You need to download the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for Word, Excel, and PowerPoint File Formats. The Compatibility Pack works with Microsoft Office 2000, Office XP, or Office 2003, allowing you to you open, edit, and save files using the file formats in newer versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. All you need to do is go to the Microsoft Website and search for “Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack” and follow the download instructions.

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file extensions

Picture Perfect Files Image formats are usually separated into two broad categories - lossy and lossless compression formats. Lossless image formats preserve the image exactly how it was originally saved, and usually these are your PNG, BMP, GIF, and TIFF files. Common image file extensions:

.bmp

Bitmap Image Open with: Microsoft Paint or iPhoto

.gif

Graphical Interchange Format Open with: MS Picture & Fax Viewer or iPhoto

.jpg

JPEG Image Open with: Picture & Fax Viewer or iPhoto

.png

.tiff

Portable Network Graphic Open with: Picture & Fax Viewer or iPhoto Tagged Image File Open with: Picture & Fax Viewer or iPhoto

How to change the file format of any image: • Locate your image file and open it with the appropriate program. • Select File| Save As and at the bottom of the dialogue box, you should see a dropdown menu with options for File Formats. • Choose which type of file you’d like to save it as, and select Save.

22 | connect | August 2010

What are the differences between these file formats? > PNG files support a wider range of formats from 8 bits per pixel to 24 bits per pixel. Useful for: its flexibility and compression efficiency so can be e-mailed, archived or uploaded to the Internet. > BMP files are larger as they’re not compressed. Useful for: not much. > GIF formats support only 256 colours (8 bits per pixel) including transparency, as well as animation. Useful for: uploading pictures to websites and for e-mailing, as the file sizes are so small. > JPEG (also JPG) compresses your image by discarding details that are typically too insignificant for the human eye to detect. Useful for: compressing images that have lots of complexity in them with similar colours throughout > TIFF formats support a wide range of pixel formats with zero compression for lossless editing. Useful for: photo-editing and high-resolution photographs. Lossy images are compressed and some detail from the original gets lost in the process, and a prime example of this type of file is a JPEG. Lossy compression formats are generally used for photographs and so these file types are not suited for drawings, illustrations or text, as the process used to compress these files means that not all of the file information is encoded, so when it is opened as an image, it’s not an exact representation of the original image. The advantages of lossy compression is a reduction in file size, so you’ll be using this format for e-mailing pictures, or uploading images on the Internet. Lossless compression formats are suited for illustrations, drawings, text and other media, as lossless compression encodes all the information from the original, so when the image is decompressed, it will be an exact representation of the original. As there is no loss of information, file sizes will remain rather large, so you’ll probably be using these file formats for high-resolution printquality photographs or designs.

Question::I have a lot of photos that I’d like to e-mail to someone, but I don’t want the e-mail size to be too big, what should I do? Answer::you need to compress the files into a folder and send them so they can be unzipped on the other side. How to compress files in Windows: 1. Right click the file or folder to be compressed and scroll down to Send To and then Compressed (zipped) Folder. 2. Upload the compressed file as an attachment to your email. How to unzip the compressed files from the folder : You’ll need to use the Extraction Wizard: 1. Double-click the compressed folder to open it. The Extract all files command appears in the Folder Tasks list. 2. Click Extract all files to start the Extraction Wizard, and then click Next to start the extraction process. 3. When you are prompted to select a location to put the extracted files, select a location, and then click Next. By default, Show extracted files is selected. 4. Click Finish to view the extracted files.

Audio files Common audio file extensions:

.mp3

.mpa

.wav

MP3 Audio File Open with: WMP or WinAmp or QuickTime

MPEG-2 Audio File Open with: WMP or iTunes

WAVE Audio File Open with: WMP or iTunes

.aif

.iff

.wma

Audio Interchange File Format Open with: Windows Media Player or iTunes

Interchange File Format Open with: WMP or iTunes

Windows Media Audio File Open with: WMP or QuickTime

These are the types of audio file types you should be familiar with if you are planning to download music off the Internet or even copy a CD. WAV files are a common file format and they’re defined as lossless, meaning that files are large and complete and nothing has been lost. MP3 files are compressed WAV files and they’re useful for creating and storing playlists on iPods and the like. WMA files are the equivalent of the MP3 format for Windows Media Player and Microsoft claims that the WMA files are compressed three times more than MP3s, but that they still retain their original sound quality.

advertorial

Lexmark SmartSolutions

exmark has introduced a number of new printers that are equipped with touch-sensitive LCD screens, namely the Pro905, Pro901, Pro805 and S605. These screens are used as each device’s primary interface, and each printer can also be connected directly to the Internet via Wi-Fi and/ or network cable. This allows Lexmark to get creative and expand each printer’s capabilities through the implementation of what the company calls “SmartSolutions”. SmartSolutions are a collection of “apps” for your printer; they can be created by linking several manual steps together into a single shortcut, or they can be downloaded from the SmartSolutions website and provide new features like RSS feeds, news updates and more. Once your printer is registered with your SmartSolutions account (a mandatory part of the setup process), you can create new SmartSolutions online and have them sync quickly and easily with your printer. To properly highlight the benefits of SmartSolutions, consider this scenario: Every month, or week, you fax your timesheet to

your HR department. The timesheet is stored as a file on your network; all you have to do is create a SmartSolution that prints that specific file, and in future all you’ll need to do is keep that file updated, and simply hit the “Print Timesheet” SmartSolution icon on your printer and you’re done. The steps necessary to scan a document to a .PDF file can likewise be shortened to a single button. These - and many other functions can be represented by a corresponding SmartSolution, which effectively reduces the number of steps needed for you to perform everyday printing, scanning or faxing tasks. SmartSolutions are not only useful for simplifying tasks, they can also help you resupply. For instance, it is possible to download a SmartSolution that will not only tell you which retailers near your current location stock Lexmark ink cartridges, but it will also provide you with contact details, directions and a map! If it’s news you’re interested in, another SmartSolution will bring the BBC News website to your touchscreen – handy for checking the headlines while you’re at the printer! Through SmartSolutions, Lexmark can add additional functionality, which in turn brings you even more value while also extending the life of your printer. Head on over to http://smartsolutions.lexmark.com to learn more, or to www.lexmark.co.za for more information on Lexmark’s Pro905, Pro901, Pro805 and S605 SmartSolutions-enabled printers.

photo editing software //by Johann Barnard

Put magic in your pics Digital cameras have introduced versatility and convenience to photography that have traditionally been the preserve of professional photographers and large studios. A lot of this power lay in their ability to manipulate images with high-end software, but even those capabilities are now available to your average camera owner.

24 | connect | August 2010

n this feature we take a look at some of the most popular, free photo editing software for both Windows and Mac platforms that allow you to do basic through to heavy editing of your photos. These products are offered free of charge as they are built on open source software, meaning no licence fees need to be paid. Developers sometimes try cash in by inserting advertisements into the application window, but this is not always the case.

Picasa A Google product, Picasa offers a combination of a photo editing application and online storage and sharing capabilities. Googleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s platform agnostic philosophy means it is available for both Windows and Mac environments. You are able to do basic adjustments such as cropping, red-eye reduction, lighting and exposure and apply special effects from a list of preset functions. Ideal for > Beginner to enthusiast photographers OS > Windows and Mac Where > picasa.google.com www.connect.co.za | 25

photo editing software

Gimp Gimp is one of the most powerful free photo editors around and offers features and functionality on a par with the industry leader Adobe Photoshop. The user interface is a little cluttered and confusing, but investing time in learning how to access and use the various tools and features will provide you with all the editing power you need: From basics like cropping and red-eye correction to using multiple layers, advanced filters, and GIF animation. Ideal for > More serious photographers who want to the power to manually edit ala-Photoshop OS > Windows and Mac (using X11, an adapter to run open source software on Macs) Where > www.gimp.org

ImageForge Offering a few more functions and features than Microsoftâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s built-in Paint application, ImageForge allows you to do basic image editing, as well as importing images from scanners and digital cameras, applying special effects filters, and creating photo albums and slideshows. There is also a paid-for version available (ImageForge PRO), although some of the other applications listed here will provide those features as part of their fully-free versions. Ideal for > Beginners OS > Windows Where > www.cursorarts.com/ca_imw_d.html

26 | connect | August 2010

PhotoScape This is a Windows-only application that introduces many powerful features in a simple and easy interface. While it offers top-end functionality like batch processing, a RAW converter, screen capture tool, colour picker, and more, these are all presented in an intuitive interface that simplifies many common photo editing tasks. Ideal for > Enthusiasts and hobbyists OS > Windows Where > www.photoscape.org

The Mac factor Serif PhotoPlus SE This free, but limited version of the photoediting software PhotoPlus SE features an export optimiser, editable text, layer effects, layer masks, a red-eye removal tool, special effects, versatile brushes, and photo enhancement tools. To gain access to the full-feature version, you will have to buy this from the programme developers, but you will be able to do pretty much what you need with the functions and features in this lite version. Ideal for > Enthusiasts and hobbyists OS > Windows Where > www.freeserifsoftware.com/software/ photoplus/

If you are a Mac user and are dismayed at the relatively few free choices above, rest at ease. Native applications provided with Mac OS X such as iPhoto and even Preview provide you with all the functionality and features you will need to do basic to fairly advanced editing.

There are numerous online editing tools available on the Internet that provide you with all the features you need, but without having to download any software to do so. This advantage is countered by the fact that all your actions and settings are webbased, meaning you may struggle for fast and efficient editing if your Internet connection is on the slow side.

Picnik

Paint.NET Another Windows-only application, Paint.NET is designed for the casual to new photo editor without skimping on features. Features such as layers, painting and drawing tools, special effects, unlimited undo history, and levels adjustments make this a useful and powerful tool that allows you to edit and manipulate your photos to produce professionallooking images. Ideal for > Beginners and enthusiasts OS > Windows Where > www.paint.net

Online editing software

iPhoto Not only manages and stores your images for sharing across multiple platforms, but also allows you to do basic, but also specific image editing. Output your images to a web gallery or even a photo book â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all from within this one application.

This is a highly-rated free, online photo editor that lets you crop, resize, and rotate digital photos quickly and easily. As it is an online-only application, it will run on all Windows, Mac, and Linux systems. Picnik allows you to quickly and easily apply special effects in a fun, simple manner. As this was recently bought by Google, expect to see more features added or for it to be incorporated into existing Google products or platforms. Ideal for > Enthusiasts and hobbyists OS > Windows, Mac and Linux Where > www.picnik.com

Phixr Offering basic photo editing functions, this online editor is perfect if you want to quickly and easily make basic changes to your photos. Resize, recolour, remove red eye and save your photo into a number of different formats for use as you please. Ideal for > Enthusiasts and hobbyists OS > Windows, Mac and Linux Where > www.phixr.com

FotoFlexer Preview Highly underrated and allows you to open just about any image file (even native Photoshop files), resize them and adjust colours and exposure, and save them into a wide range of image formats.

This is a powerful, yet fun-filled online photo editor that allow you to stretch your creativity through applying basic edits, while sprucing up your images with special effects and add-ons. Integration with social networking services such as Facebook, flickr, MySpace and Picasa web albums brings a whole new era of convenience. Ideal for > Enthusiasts and hobbyists OS > Windows, Mac and Linux Where > http://fotoflexer.com

www.connect.co.za | 27

video game advice //by tiana cline

Give your child a video game console and he will turn into a lazy, coach potatoâ&#x20AC;Ś right? But is it really true that video games are so addictive that they can make your children unmotivated, aggressive and dysfunctional? Connect takes a look at the research.

28 | connect | August 2010

espite the perception in the market about video games doing more bad than good for you and your children, new research is showing that, providing they’re monitored correctly, video games can be an intellectually stimulating source of recreation that can be enjoyed with family and friends. As with all forms of media, it’s important to keep in mind that video games are age restricted for a reason. Like other forms of entertainment such as movies and music, it is the parent’s responsibility to find out what their children are playing and to help them make sensible buying decisions.

The Back of the Box It’s easy to pick the right game if you know how. PEGI (Pan-European Game Information) is an agerating system established to help parents across the world make sensible decisions when buying computer games. The PEGI labels appear on front and back of the packaging indicating one of the following age levels: 3, 7, 12, 16 and 18. This can be used as reliable indication of the game content.

www.connect.co.za | 29

video game advice This is what each means: PEGI 3: The content of games given this rating is considered suitable for all age groups. Any violence is in a comical context, like in Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry cartoons. In PEGI rated-3 games, the characters on the screen cannot be associated with real life characters, they should be totally fantasy. The game will also not contain any sounds or pictures that are likely to scare or frighten young children. No bad language should be heard and there should be no scenes containing nudity or any reference to sexual activity. Buy Shrek, Tiger Woods PGA Tour, Super Mario Galaxy 2, 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa PEGI 7: Any games that would normally be rated at 3 but contains some possibly frightening scenes or sounds are in this category. Some scenes of partial nudity may be permitted, but never in a sexual context. Buy The Sims 3, Transformers: War for Cybertron, Blur

Time to Play

Below are some more game-friendly facts based on global gaming research:

Should you limit your children when playing video games? Like any recreational activity, there should be a healthy balance. Most parents recommend less than two hours a day, some even limiting gaming to the weekend and school holidays. It also depends on the type of video game – is your child playing Wii Sports or Guitar Hero with his friends? Is he sitting and concentrating on solving puzzles like in the Professor Layton or Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training? Did you know that games like Wii Play or PlayStation Move, encourage movement and can be considered a healthy form of active exercise?

Did you know? > A recent study by Flinders University in Australia has proven that playing video games before bed does not negatively effect sleep patterns – the study conducted found that playing a game at night does not influence either REM sleep or SWS in the subsequent sleep period. > Both online and mobile gaming is growing - new statistics show that a third of the UK population now considers itself gamers. > Parkinson’s patients can improve their balance by using Wii Fit. And according to researchers at the Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging at the University of California, the Wii can assist people with symptoms of subsyndromal depression (SSD).

30 | connect | August 2010

> US scientists have found that regular players of shoot-em-ups, such as Half-Life and Medal of Honour, have better visual skills than the rest of the population. > The Mind Research Network in Albuquerque, New Mexico, found that Tetris players developed a thicker cortex than those who didn’t play. > Action games could improve your vision and help cure “lazy eye”. The secret to this genre is the complexity of the task — you have pay attention to many different moving objects, use your memory to recall what weapons you have or the way into your enemy’s lair, and use your eyes and hands to aim and shoot, all at the same time.

PEGI 12: Video games that show violence of a slightly more graphic nature towards fantasy characters (or non graphic violence towards humanlooking characters) would fall into the PEGI 12 category. Any bad language in this category must be mild and fall short of sexual expletives. Buy Supreme Commander 2, Super Street Fighter 12 PEGI 16: This rating is applied when the portrayal of violence (or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life. From games rated 16, you can expect extreme bad language, the concept of the use of drugs and the depiction of criminal activities. Buy Lost Planet 2, Skate 3, Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands PEGI 18: This mature classification is applied when the level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence or includes elements of specific types of violence. Gross violence is the most difficult to define but it can be generally classified as the depictions of violence that would make the gamer feel a sense of disgust – clearly not appropriate for children! Buy Singularity, Alpha Protocol, Red Dead Redemption

What a great nation we are!

REVIEWS

ith the World Cup done and dusted, it is time to once again focus on work. I am an intensely proud South African that we pulled off such a prestigious competition as well as we did; it was an experience that won’t soon be forgotten! Well done Spain, and well done Mzansi! Now that you can once again focus on work, we have a great range of products that will help you get back in touch with a different kind of goal. This month, we review notebooks, projectors and comfortable keyboards (and more!) that will make your return to work that much more comfortable and productive. Here’s to continued momentum on the national pride front, and to a return to work proper. Until next month, cheers! Deon

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Dell Studio 1749 Notebook Optoma Pico PK301 Projector Packard Bell ‘Valentino Rossi’ Netbook Sony Vaio J Touchscreen All-in-One PC Microsoft Arc Keyboard Archos 9 Tablet PC Acer P1203 3D-ready Projector Asus GeForce GTX460 Graphics Card Logitech Bluetooth Mouse M555B Olympus T100 Digital Camera TomTom GO750 Live GPS Garmin GTM 25 Samsung 1000P Photo Frame HP Pavilion DV7 Notebook Sansui MP4 Player Bose SoundDock 10 Philips DC315 Docking Station Skull Candy Headphones Beats by Dr. Dre Studio Headphones Belkin TuneFM FM Transmitter for iPod Books

Copyright © 2010 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec, the Symantec Logo, Norton and Norton 360 are trademarks or registered trademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affi liates in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and Internet Explorer are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. | *Based on Symantec internal data comparing features of competitors all in one security solutions.

product reviews // by Deon Du PLessis

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

32 | connect | August 2010

CS-

NERESW ION V

Give a hacker a hand to steal your identity? Allow

Deny

Every click matters. Fake emails cost consumers more than £85 billion in 2009 1. Norton™ 360 offers the industry’s most comprehensive*, all-in-one protection against digital dangers. It helps guard against online threats, automatically backs up important files, and keeps the PC running at optimal performance. Get more information at www.norton.com 1

http://ww.ferris.com/?p=322011

**Based on Symantec internal data comparing features of competitors all in one security solutions.

CS-00153-IN.indd 1

26/02/2010 12:57:16

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product reviews

products

HP Pavilion dv74065 Notebook

For an extra R2 000, this notebook from HP comes with 6GB of memory, a Core i7 CPU and a Terabyte hard drive.

Dell Studio 1749 17” Notebook NEED TO KNOW • Powerful notebook with a 17” LED-backlit screen • Powered by Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit • Features a full keyboard, complete with number pad R11 999.95

Sony Vaio VPC-F117 Notebook

This top-of-the-range notebook boasts excellent hardware and a gorgeous, Full HD screen. It also comes with Windows 7 Professional and a writeable Blu-ray drive.

perfect companions

Logitech N100 Cooling Pad Prop your notebook up at a more pleasing/comfortable/ convenient angle using Logitech’s solid N100 Cooling Pad, whilst ensuring proper airflow and cooling at the same time.

34 | connect | August 2010

Dell’s Studio 1749 has the kind of hardware that makes it easy to recommend. While price plays a very big part in the buying decisions of the average South African consumer, often going for the cheaper options leads only to irritation and frustration with worse-than-expected performance. For a device that you’re going to use every day, it’s imperative that you get something really, really good. We are pleased to say that this is exactly what the Dell Studio 1749 offers. Sure, it’s a little more expensive than the average notebook, but for the cash you’re getting a Core i5 processor (fast), 4GB of system RAM (great for overall Windows performance and stellar multi-tasking abilities), a really big 500GB hard drive (fill that up in a month, we dare you), a full keyboard and a tray-less DVD drive like those you see on an Apple Macbook. That’s a lot of cool features, and that is just for starters. The screen is huge for a notebook at 17”, so it’s great for watching movies on, and it can display hi-definition 720p content. It’s also LEDbacklit, which saves on battery power while delivering bright colours with excellent contrast, not to mention that it makes for an extremely thin notebook lid thanks to the compact nature of LED technology. The large screen gives the added benefit of providing enough room for a full keyboard that delivers a desktop-like experience. Keys provide very good feedback, and typing is comfortable as the keys do not feel spongy at all. Multimedia controls are included too for easy access to play/pause/ media folders etc. The 1749’s graphics are powered by ATI ‘s fast Radeon Mobility HD5650 graphics card, suitable even for recent games with the details cranked. 1GB of dedicated video memory comes standard. The 1749 has a great deal of ports to make use of, too, from FireWire (very fast USB-like connection) to multiple USB ports, HDMI-out for HDTV hook-ups, VGA output for projectors and monitors, and even an 8-in-1 card

reader. You’re really not going to be unhappy with the choice on offer in the ports department. Running the show is Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, which is the best operating system for the average South African office worker. If you’re looking for corporate-level networking features, though, you may want to consider an upgrade to Windows 7 Professional, as that includes features like domain-joining and remote desktop support. There is no slider to turn the wireless networking on and off; this has moved to a keyboard key. While it is still accessible, a dedicated on-the-side switch is just that much more convenient. Wireless N, the best of the wireless protocols, is standard on the 1749, giving you the best wireless networking range available. There is also a fast Gigabit Ethernet port for wired networks. Dell’s Studio 1749 is a fantastic product with just the right balance of performance and features that we’re very happy to recommend it to anyone in the market for a new and powerful notebook. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit • Memory: 4GB DDR3 • Storage: 500GB 7200RPM Hard Drive • Keyboard: Full, with number pad plus multimedia keys • Ports: HDMI out, USB, FireWire, VGA • Networking: IEEE 802.11n (Wireless N), Gigabit Ethernet • Graphics: ATI Radeon Mobility HD5650 Pros

Cons

• LED-backlit HD screen is big and gorgeous • Full keyboard is a boon to number-pad fans • Excellent hardware powers a smooth Windows experience

• No dedicated wireless networking switch on the side anymore • Windows 7 Home Premium not well-suited to corporate network environment

Overall rating

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product reviews

Optoma PK301 Pico Projector Need TO KNOW • DLP projector with LED lighting • Very small form factor • Powered by mains or battery R4 999.95

Optoma’s Pico PK301 projector is the latest in a line of smallsized projectors to hit the market. It is intended to be ultra-portable, easy to set up and use, and in this the PK301 succeeds. It has a few extra tricks up its sleeve too, which serve to make it all the more attractive. It is the DLP (Digital Light Processing) technology at the projector’s heart that allows the PK301 its diminutive stature; in addition to this, Optoma has opted for an LED lamp for light. LED technology, as you know, is power-efficient and produces very bright light; this gives the PK301 a very long lamp life of around 20 000 hours, and enables it to operate for over an hour using its built-in battery. Where the PK301 really excels is in its role as an ultra-portable and mobile business projector. It has a built-in battery that can keep the projector powered for over an hour without needing a mains connection which makes it very useful for impromptu meetings, and its virtually non-existent setup means you’ll be up and running at only a few minutes’ notice. The addition of an SD card reader is also a nice touch, as you can run presentations directly from it without needing a PC. With the widescreen aspect ratio swiftly becoming the norm across desktop and notebook PCs, it was only a matter of time before projectors followed suit, and this is what the PK301 has done. It not only supports widescreen resolutions, but its native resolution is 854 x 480 which is – you guessed it – widescreen. It’s not all rose, though: the tripod that raises the projector’s angle of projection is situated off-centre, which makes it rather wobbly so you’ll probably want to put something underneath it for stability. There are only two major compromises made in the creation of such a tiny, compact projector, and the first is brightness. The PK301 is rated at 50 ANSI Lumens, a far cry from the 2000+ ANSI Lumens you’ll see in

full-sized projectors. What this means for you is that you’ll need to close the curtains and darken the room in order to see the projected image clearly. Under these conditions, however, the projected image is sharp, and colours are rich and vibrant. The second major compromise in the PK301’s tiny design is its throw distance – the space required to project a decent-sized image clearly. It is a lot further than other projectors (even other “Pico” projectors), which means you will have to position it far away from your viewing surface if you want a very big image. This isn’t a deal-breaker of a problem, though – it’s only an issue if the room you wish to use is rather cramped and small. Overall, the PK301 Pico projector is a very impressive piece of engineering. Its low cost coupled with its tiny stature, mains-free operation and long lamp life will undoubtedly appeal to people that travel a lot for work and who attend lots of meetings. It’s not a home cinema projector by any means, but what it aims to do, it does well. NOTEWORTHY SPECS

products

Acer emachines V700 Projector

This full-sized projector can project at full HD resolutions, making it ideal for movie-watching and console gaming. Oh, and maybe business presentations too.

• Native resolution: 854 x 480 • Inputs: Mini-HDMI, Universal I/O, Mini-USB, SD Cards • Outputs: 3.5mm audio jack (to connect external speakers) • Brightness: 50 ANSI Lumens • Contrast: 1000: 1 • Weight: 250g Pros

Cons

• Very tiny build, slips easily into bags • Widescreen native resolution • Very easy to set up and use

• Darkened rooms are a must • Lots of space needed for bigscreen projection • Tripod stand is off-centre

Overall rating

Acer K10 Travel Projector

This tiny projector was one of the first ultra-compact models to hit the market, and it’s still a great buy today.

www.connect.co.za | 35

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Packard Bell Gateway VR46 Valentino Rossi Netbook NEED TO KNOW

Sony VAIO VPCEA16FG/P

A 2.4GHz Intel Core i5 processor with 4GB of DD3 memory and an ATI HD5650 Mobility Radeon graphics card means this is one hard worker.

Iomega eGo External Hard Disk

Cost-effective and goodlooking, this device gives you more space. Even though the VR46 comes with 320GB of memory, there’s no such thing as too much storage.

LG Super Multi CD/DVD Writer

This portable, functional little device gives you the ability to read and write CDs and DVDs, whilst on the move.

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• Bold, racy design • Impressive battery life • Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium • Built-in webcam R6 999.95

Ever surfed channels and passed through a channel where there are lots of motorcycles racing around a track? It’s a bit like Formula 1, but only for motorcycles and it’s called the Moto Grand Prix. If you’re a fan of this sport, then you’ll know what the number 46 means. It’s the number Valentino Rossi has had on his bike since its debut many years ago. Nine times world champion, Rossi is now lending his name and number to a slick, racy netbook made by Packard Bell named the VR46. This netbook is designed by Aldo Dorudi, the same person who designed Rossi’s helmet. The bright, brazen design is coupled with high-tech features and delivers up to eight hours of battery life in a single charge, making it the perfect netbook to keep up with your fast-paced lifestyle. If you could take a look under the hood of this bad boy, you’d see an Intel Dual Core SU4100 processor with a speed of 1.2GHz. Usually a netbook of this size would have an Intel Atom processor (which can be as slow as molasses) but the VR46 features a Dual Core processor that’s usually only seen on a full power notebook – meaning this netbook is all about performance. Furthermore, it’s beefed up with 3GB of RAM and has masses of storage space with a 320GB hard drive, all of which make this netbook snappy, spacious and smart. When you open it up, you’ll probably admire the brilliance that is the 11.6-inch Diamond View display screen with 1366 × 768 pixels of viewing real estate that’s powered by an Intel integrated graphics card and an Intel GS45 Express chipset. Its 16:9 aspect ratio makes for perfect HD-movie viewing, and Dolby Sound Room audio technology means that this little netbook delivers some pretty big sound. It wouldn’t be a netbook without a having an impressive number of connectivity options. You can choose between 802.11b/g/n wireless, Ethernet connectivity and built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1, so you can access the web wherever and whenever you are. Hooking up to an existing Wi-Fi network is painless, thanks to the easy-to-use Windows operating system. Speaking of which, this netbook comes with Windows 7 Home Premium, which is user-friendly, quick and responsive and simple to use. As far as actually using this netbook goes – you’ll love the full-sized keyboard (minus a keypad, though) as all keys are large, well spaced and raised above the chassis’ surface. The trackpad is comfortable to use as well, with two separate buttons (if you’re not a fan of the multi-gesture trackpad)

make short work of all the clicking, double-clicking and back-clicking you might want to do. In terms of hooking up and plugging in, there’re three USB ports, a VGA port, a 5-in-one memory card reader and an HDMI-out port that lets you hook up to your television or an external monitor. All of which means that your new netbook will fit easily and seamlessly into any environment you need it to. That Intel processor isn’t only just for thinking power – it’s also ultra-low voltage, which means only good things for battery life. Packard Bell claims as much as eight hours of mobile use, which translates in all likelihood to the four-to-five hour range. Still, this is excellent for a netbook and will mean that you won’t be chained to the mains whenever you’re using it. The real cherry on top of this sweet deal is the excellent software package included. Microsoft Works provides basic home office tools, Norton Internet Security protects you and your data when online and Adobe Photoshop Elements delivers hassle-free, easy-to-use photo editing. While the VR46 is marketed as a netbook, we have a hard time calling it as such; it seems a bit insulting because of its impressive specs. Performance doubles that of most netbooks on the market and frequent office use and basic multimedia tasks run speedily, with only complex multi-tasking noticeably slowing the machine down. So if you’re looking for fast-paced, brainy and brawny netbook to fit into your hectic lifestyle, the Valentino Rossi VR46 will definitely go the extra mile. It will be top-speed all the way. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Intel Dual Core SU1400 1.2GHz processor • 3GB RAM, 320GB HDD • 11.6-inch screen @ 1366 x 768 • Windows 7 Home Premium edition • WiFi b/g/n • HDMI • 5-in-1 card reader Pros

Cons

• More thinking power than you’d expect from a machine this size • Excellent software package means excellent value for money • Battery life is impressive, which makes for ultra-mobility

• No optical drive • Style may not appeal to everyone’s taste

Overall rating

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Sony Vaio J Touchscreen All-in-one PC NEED TO KNOW Acer EZ5600 AIO PC

Acer’s AIO PC has a slightly less powerful processor but more storage space and a 23” touchscreen.

Packard Bell One Two 23”

This AIO PC has a quad-core Intel processor, a dedicated graphics card and a 1TB hard drive. It also has a 23” touchscreen.

perfect companions

Microsoft Wireless 5000 desktop If you don’t like Sony’s keyboard and mouse set, you can always pick up this stylish wireless package from Microsoft.

38 | connect | August 2010

• Neat and compact all-in-one PC • LED-backlit 1080p touchscreen • Made to Sony’s usual exacting, high-quality standards R14 999.95

Sony excels at creating products that look very 21st-century, and the Vaio J AIO is no exception. Sleek lines and a clean, high-tech look go a long way to inspiring a desire to own, and that’s even before the machine is turned on. Once it powers up and you see the clarity of the LED-backlit screen and notice just how fast it boots into Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit, you may find your hand halfway to retrieving your wallet before you’re even conscious of doing it. The primary appeal of the Vaio J AIO PC is certainly its looks, and these are complimented nicely by the fact that the overall design is incredibly compact. It will certainly save on desk space and add a touch of class to any computer room/study/bedroom. The Vaio J also avoids cable clutter by making use of a wireless keyboard and mouse set, which can be neatly stowed away beneath the screen when not in use. The keyboard’s keys and layout resemble that of Sony’s excellent notebook keys, and it is comfortable and easy to type on as a result. This wouldn’t be a Sony PC without full HD support; to this end, the Vaio J AIO PC has a stunning 21.6” screen that supports Full HD’s 1080p resolution so you can watch high definition movie files on it in all their glory. Sony is well-known for its amazing-quality screens, and this LED-backlit beauty is another fine example – colours are intense and bright, and graphics are smooth and fast. The built-in speakers provide solid audio with enough of a kick for a single viewer, although for multiple viewers and a better cinematic experience, an external speaker set is highly recommended. There is no Blu-ray player or discrete graphics card with this particular version of the Vaio J AIO PC. HD video files that have been created from Blu-ray movies, on the other hand, will play just fine, it just would have been nice and convenient to have access to a Blu-ray drive; the included optical drive reads and writes DVDs, which is a small consolation. The onboard graphics card is good for 2D content, but won’t give you a great gaming experience. Running the show behind the scenes are an Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB of system RAM. A generous 500GB hard drive provides plenty of storage capacity, and Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit is the operating system of choice. Also hidden in the very compact body are wireless

networking capabilities, multiple USB ports and even a FireWire port. Arguably the star of the show is the PC’s touchscreen. Windows 7 Home Premium has a lot of touch-friendly features that makes using it navigating with your finger a real pleasure – icons are bigger, multi-touch gestures are supported, you can scroll by flicking your finger on the screen and right click using one finger on your selected object and another to tap the screen. It really does add another dimension to your Windows experience, and it works flawlessly on Sony’s Vaio J AIO PC. This version of Sony’s Vaio J AIO PC is packed with value. It looks amazing, its Windows performance is excellent and it’s got a touchscreen that is fun to use while also being really cool and impressive. The absence of a Blu-ray drive and a decent graphics card are really the only gripes we have about this otherwise-excellent home PC. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Processor: Intel Core i5-520M • Operating system: Windows Home Premium 64-bit • Memory: 4GB DDR3, expandable to 8GB • Storage: 500GB 7200RPM • Optical Drive: DVD+R/-R/+RW • Graphics: nVidia GeForce 310M • Video Memory: 512MB • Display: Touch-sensitive 21.5”Widescreen @ 1920 x 1080 with integrated 1.4MP webcam • Networking: IEEE 802.11b/g/n, Gigabit Ethernet • Other Connectivity: Bluetooth • Audio: Intel HD Audio • Ports: 4x USB 2.0 • Peripherals: Wireless keyboard & mouse • Software bundle includes: Entertainment, security, productivity

Pros

Cons

• Responsive multi-touch touchscreen • Full HD resolution and LEDbacklighting • Fast hardware makes Windows 7 Home Premium very responsive • High-tech, stylish looks

• No Blu-ray drive included • Onboard graphics not suited to gaming

Overall rating

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Microsoft Arc Mouse

Microsoft Arc Keyboard NEED TO KNOW • 2.4GHz wireless keyboard • Clean lines and eye-catching form • Customisable keys • Requires two AAA batteries R599.95

Like Microsoft’s Arc Mouse, the Arc Keyboard is remarkable in its design. About the size and weight of a thick magazine, it blends seamlessly into its surroundings and gains a subtle stylishness from its curved, elegantly-arched body. The exterior is coated with glossy black plastic and, aside from the keys themselves, the Arc’s clean lines aren’t interrupted by any stickers or brash logos. Even the Microsoft emblem is barely visible in a shade of grey that’s almost as dark as the rest of the unit. Just like the Arc Mouse, this keyboard’s small wireless dongle neatly slots away into a magnetic slot on the keyboard’s underside, making the entire affair fuss-free and graceful. While most people might be under the impression that one keyboard is as good as another, and thus any old keyboard should suffice, times have changed. People don’t just sit in front of a desk and use their computers anymore. Many people have their PCs connected to their televisions for home theatre use or hidden inconspicuously within some furniture. Some people might even have a setup in their bathroom, depending how fond they are of that room. Anything goes these days and peripherals to match these changing user trends need to keep with the times and provide accessories that are functional in - and complementary to - a variety of environments. The Microsoft Arc Keyboard is designed with this principle in mind – marrying both form and function to deliver a keyboard that’s extremely lightweight and portable. This, above all makes it possible for users to move it from room to room, depending on where they need to be. Additionally, it’s a perfect fit for lap use, if necessary – giving a wobble-free experience, unlike so many conventional flat-style keyboards. Portability of course, means that the keyboard has to be small, and naturally it’s not possible to have a functional keyboard this small and this light without cutting down on space – and a few keys. That’s exactly what Microsoft has done - the Function keys only go up to F6, although you can get up to F12 with the CTRL key. Despite the

absence of these keys, the Arc Keybaord includes mute, volume up and volume down keys. The most important (and obvious) question is: how does it type? The short answer is: Pretty well, for the most part. The main keys move with a pleasing amount of travel and comfortable feedback. The only complaint we had with relation to typing style is that the sensitivity on the space bar seems to be too low, meaning we either typedlikethis or trained our thumbs to thump down harder on the spacebar than on any other keyboard we’ve had to use before. As for the reduction in available keys, key (or lack thereof) that’s likely to take you the longest to adjust to is the arrow arrangement. Quite innovatively, Microsoft has replaced the four up/down/left/right arrow keys with a single key that you’re supposed to press in the direction that you want the cursor to move. While it’s a sensible workaround, in practice it can be rather frustrating if you are accustomed to using the arrow keys for doing things like highlighting text. Likewise, the slope of the Arc Keyboard takes some getting used to, and if you’re a touch-typist you might find you have to look down to orient your hands on the keyboard. This is especially true if you need to type something important (like your online banking password), having to often resort to two-finger typing, which can be a bit painful. Let’s face it; you’re not going to be making this as your everyday, highusage keyboard. The Microsoft Arc Keyboard will, however, make a very practical, attractive and portable alternative keyboard, perfect for anywhere athome occasional use.

For many notebook nomads, the bog-standard integrated trackpad just doesn’t cut it. The Arc Mouse wirelessly communicates at 2.4 GHZ with a 30-foot wireless range, plus it folds in half for easy packing.

Flexible USB keyboard

If you’re looking for a travel keyboard, look no further. This keyboard rolls up and stores away easily and is completely spill-proof and portable.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Keyboard dimensions: 12.2” x 6.06” • Wireless connectivity: 2.4Ghz • Power source: 2 AAA batteries Pros

Cons

• Effortless plug-and-play usability • Suitable for gaming, once you get used to the rocker-style arrow pad • Magnetically-stowed receiver, which means it won’t get lost

• No caps-lock indicator, no Menu key • No media controls except volume • No number pad

Overall rating

Microsoft Wireless Presenter Mouse 8000

A powerful slide presenter, media remote and presentation pointer that fits comfortably into the palm of your hand, and needs no extra dongle thanks to Bluetooth.

www.connect.co.za | 39

Superior tracking for superior mice The mouse has long been a companion to the personal computer. In recent years, the popularity of mobile computing has paired the humble mouse with millions of notebook and netbook computers worldwide. This has led to a rise in the number of surfaces mice have been required to operate on.

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o meet this need, mouse technology moved from using balls that moved rollers to optical and laser sensing technologies. Each jump meant an increase in mouse sensitivity and improvements in ‘trackability’ on certain surfaces, but even laser sensors, the most accurate sensor technology up to now, could not track properly on clear or reflective surfaces such as glass and granite. Optical and laser sensors use surface imperfections to determine in which direction, and how fast a mouse is being pushed. Shiny and opaque surfaces such as glass reduce the amount of detail that laser and optical sensors “see”, which leads to erratic tracking results.

High-contrast imperfection sensing Enter Logitech’s Darkfield laser tracking technology, the result of over three years of research into new methods for detecting greater detail in surface imperfections using two laser sensors. “Dark field microscopy” is a scientific process of capturing a high-contrast image of a surface and bombarding it with light which then highlights in great detail any imperfections on that surface. The resulting image looks like a star-filled night sky with each “star”

representing a scratch, bump, dust mote or other imperfection, which is very easy for a laser sensor to track. By transplanting this technology into the humble mouse, Logitech has been able to create mice which can accurately track on virtually any surface, even glass. As long as there are imperfections on the surface itself, be they tiny dust motes or microscopic scratches, mice using Logitech’s Darkfield tracking technology have no problems accurately tracking, even on reflective surfaces like glass, granite and polished wood. With Darkfield technology powering Logitech’s latest line of high-quality mice, the world is truly everyone’s mousepad. Logitech Performance Mouse MX Logitech has updated the design of yesteryear’s excellent MX Revolution Mouse with their new Performance Mouse MX. The Performance Mouse MX is outfitted with Darkfield sensing technology for accurate tracking, even on glass. Its ergonomic design easily fits the hands of right-handed mousers everywhere, and its scroll wheel is capable of the same free-scrolling technique that made the MX Revolution famous. The improvements don’t stop there, either – the Performance Mouse MX is rechargeable, but does not use a charging station. Logitech has changed the design to allow recharging using a Mini-USB port and cable, which means you no longer need to wait until recharging is finished – you can now use the mouse while it charges. Throw in a tiny USB dongle that takes up minimal space, and you have a mouse truly worthy of the Logitech name. Logitech Anywhere Mouse MX The Anywhere Mouse MX is the newest wireless notebook mouse from Logitech, and it has been designed to travel. Its sturdy design means it can survive the knocks that inevitably accompany travel excursions, and the Darkfield technology that powers it means you can use it on all surfaces you’re likely to encounter. It is compact and ergonomically designed to fit hands comfortably, and its tiny USB receiver is so small that it is quite possible to install it and never need to remove it again. No more losing dongles! So take Logitech’s Anywhere Mouse MX with you and feel free to use it… well… anywhere!

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Archos 9 Tablet PC Apple iPad

While it is not yet available in South Africa, Apple’s iPad is the definitive tablet computer. It’s incredibly fast, the touch screen is amazing, and its battery lasts a whopping 9 hours of real-world usage.

Archos 5

The Archos 5 is a smaller mobile Internet device that runs Google’s Android operating system. Its touchscreen is also resistive but more responsive than the Archos 9.

perfect companions

Verbatim Executive 500GB USB Hard Drive 60GB is a lot of storage, but that will fill up quickly if you enjoy HD content. Consider adding a 500GB USB hard drive to store even more.

42 | connect | August 2010

NEED TO KNOW • Tablet PC form factor, netbook specs • Touch-sensitive interface • Small and thin build • Great for watching videos and surfing the web R6 999.95 (Megastores & Online only)

Archos has just released its Archos 9 Tablet PC, a thin and light, touch-driven personal computer that isbest-suited to light tasks like websurfing, e-mailing, communicating over the Internet and watching movies or listening to music. The Archos 9 can do all these and more, yet there are a few quirks to its design that keeps it from being the definitive tablet PC. Let’s first start with the good. The Archos 9 is a very attractive and stylish device – it’s thin, flat and has an 8.9” resistive LED-backlit touch screen. It’s powered by Intel’s Z515 Atom processor, comes with a 1GB of RAM and has a 60GB hard drive. Graphics are handled by Intel’s Poulsbo US15W graphics processing unit, and while this isn’t good for 3D games, it’s excellent for 2D visuals and HD movie playback. So the Archos 9 sounds like a very nifty device so far. Unfortunately, it’s not as much fun to use as it is to describe – the touch screen is resistive, and thus requires strong presses before it responds properly. Since this is the main method of interacting with the device, its less-than-stellar implementation is a bit curious. The decision to use Windows 7 Starter Edition is a similarly curious choice, as it lacks the touch-friendly features of Home Premium. The single gigabyte of RAM also doesn’t help Windows 7 perform well either, resulting in applications taking a long time to load. The processor is pretty fast, however, so once your applications have loaded they do at least perform as you’d expect them to. The rated battery life is five hours which is pretty good, but as always it is prudent to expect less than that if you plan on using features that use a lot of battery, like the Archos 9’s built-in Wireless-N network capability. Video playback, something the Archos 9 will probably do a lot of also uses the processor, which in turn eats up power. All of this means battery life is heavily dependent on what you do with it and honestly, five hours seems a little ambitious. If you want to connect the Archos up to a TV, you’ll need to purchase an additional docking station that provides the necessary HDMI and VGA output ports. This, along with the fact that the Archos 9 only has a single

USB port and no built-in card reader, puts a bit of a damper on its out-thebox versatility. These gripes aside, the Archos 9 is still a useful device. Web surfing, talking on Skype or Windows Live Messenger using the built-in webcam, listening to music and watching videos are all tasks that it can handle with ease. If you don’t expect much more from it, and are content to wrestle somewhat with the interface, it’s a good purchase. It’s a solid effort from Archos, but it falls short of successfully challenging the iPad’s looks and performance. Noteworthy SPECS • Processor: Intel ATOM Z515 1.2 GHz • Display: 8.9” LED backlight, 1024x600 pixels • Touchscreen: Resistive • Video Chipset: Intel Poulsbo US15W • Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Starter Edition • RAM: 1GB onboard (DDR2 SDRAM 400) • Storage: 60GB (1.8”) • Communication: Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g , Bluetooth 2.0 • Audio: Realtek ALC269, built-in microphone • Ports: 1x USB 2.0 port, 3.5mm audio output • Mouse Navigation: Optical finger navigation system (trackpoint) • Power: Internal removable Lithium Polymer battery • Battery Life: Approximately 5 hours • Miscellaneous: Integrated 1.3MP webcam, built-in leg stand (2 positions) • Package includes: Archos 9, removable battery, stylus, AC adapter with power cord, user guide, legal and safety notice • Dimensions: 256 x 134 x 17 mm • Weight: 800g Pros

Cons

• Screen is big and colours are vibrant thanks to LED backlighting • Intel GPU makes for smooth HD video playback • Fast Z-series Atom processor

• Resistive touchscreen can be unresponsive • 1GB of RAM hampers performance • Outputting to a TV or monitor requires additional dock

Overall rating

products

Acer eMachines V700 HD Projector

A mid-range, high contrast digital light processing technology projector that allows you to connect to your Blu-ray player or your DSTV HD PVR.

Acer P1203 3D-ready projector NEED TO KNOW • Ideal for business or educational presentations • Low energy consumption in Eco Mode • Up to 4 000 hours of lamp life • Variety of inputs with built-in speakers R7 999.95

Using projectors can be painful – they’re difficult to set up, you need a separate set of speakers and usually there are not enough inputs for everything you want to plug in. You might have avoided buying one up until now for these reasons, but chances are you’ve avoided such a purchase, thinking it too expensive. The Acer P1203 delivers affordability, longevity, ease of use and more connectivity options than you can imagine, plus it delivers a whole new dimension of breathtaking visuals to your presentation and viewable content by being 3D-ready. What does 3D-ready mean? It’s simple: if you have a Blu-ray player, you can hook it up to the P1203 and experience a fully immersive 3D experience, with the right glasses and 3D content, of course. Setting up the device is very easy – plug it into the wall, connect the cable from your video source up and you’re done. Acer’s ‘empowering’ key offers direct access to the menu where you’ll be able to customise your power, viewing and timer settings. Want to view something in wideformat, without fiddling with settings? Acer SmartFormat technology facilitates projection of wide-format content automatically. You’ll be able to reach a wider audience using this projector as it also offers closed captioning, so dialogue and non-speech audio is displayed as text, which helps hearing-impaired individuals feel more included in the presentation. What’s more, it doesn’t really matter where you project the display as the P1203 makes use of some seriously savvy technology - the wall-colour compensation feature enables the projector to display colors accurately even when the image is projected on a coloured wall. With 1.07 billion colours, a native display resolution of 1024 x 768, with support for the 16:9 aspect ratio and a projection distance of 11.9 metres, as well as a variety of projection modes, no matter where you use this projector you’ll see the bigger, brighter picture. The P1023 makes use of an automatic Keystone Correction feature that automatically eliminates any vertical distortion caused by the projector

projecting at an angle. There’s also a gravity sensor to instantly detect when the projector is ceiling-mounted, which then rotates the projected images 180° to ensure the correct orientation, meaning less hassle for you. When we said this projector is easy to set up, it is in fact due in large part to the dead-simple installation menu. Signal input from a notebook is no longer required, so mounting the P1203 on the ceiling is fast and convenient. In terms of plugging items in, there’s an Analog RGB/Component Video, a Composite Video (RCA), a S-Video, an HDMI and a PC audio port, which makes for a lot of flexibility. When it comes to output, there’s an Analog RGB and a PC Audio output. There’s also the handy remote control that lets you oversee proceedings from anywhere in the room. The best part about this device? Once you’ve plugged and played, you can unplug and pack away, immediately, without having to wait for the projector to cool down and perform a complicated power-down process. This is made possible by Acer Instant Pack technology that lets you safely unplug the power cord right after the projector is turned off, so you can pack up and leave, without hassle. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • DLP display technology • Projection distance: 11.9m • 2 x digital zoom • Brightness: 3 100 ANSI Lumens, 2 480 ANSI Lumens (Eco) • Native resolution: 1 024 x 768 • Other supported resolutions: 1 600 x 1 200, 1 920 x 1 080 • Contrast Ratio: 3 700:1 • Speaker: Internal, 2W

Pros

Cons

• Compatible with Mac and PC • Easy and simple to set up and use, with loads of connectivity options • Can project onto just about any wall, even if it’s painted with colour

• Seems a bit heavy to take along everywhere • Built-in speakers are mono, not stereo • Can be a bit noisy, unless in Eco Mode

Overall rating

Philips 2GB 662 Digital Voice Recorder

There’s nothing more useful for practicing your presentation style, than a digital voice recorder. It allows you to record your vocal presentation for critique at a later stage.

perfect companions

Iomega eGo 3.5” 1TB external hard disk Need more storage for your 3D viewing content or presentation files? Iomega provides a simple and affordable solution for all your storage needs and gives simplicity with its plug and play USB interface.

www.connect.co.za | 43

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ATI Radeon HD5850

This fast card from ATI costs around the same as the GTX460 and performs similarly, although the GTX460 edges it out on some tests.

perfect companions

Crysis Crysis is one of the most demanding and also the most beautiful games ever created; it looks simply amazing on a performance card like the GTX460 and will make you happy you upgraded.

Microsoft Habu Gaming Mouse Great-looking games demand great-looking peripherals. Microsoft teamed with gaming peripheral-maker Razor to bring you this awesomelooking mouse.

44 | connect | August 2010

Asus GeForce GTX460 Graphics Card NEED TO KNOW • Mid-range graphics card • Makes 3D games play very smoothly • Future-proof purchase R2 499.95

If you’re into gaming, whether casual or otherwise, owning a good graphics card is an absolute essentiality. nVidia’s latest card, the GeForce GTX460, offers the best value in the realms of price, performance and power consumption, and is ideal for anyone interested in upgrading their computer’s graphics capabilities. It’s also future-proof in that it supports the latest graphics technology, namely Microsoft’s DirectX11, which means your computer will be able to smoothly play the most cutting-edge games for at least the next two years. The company behind the graphics card, nVidia (Asus is a manufacturer, not a graphics card technology developer) has done very well with the GTX460 by making it competitive with ATI’s graphics cards that are priced at the same level. The audience the card is being targeted at is people with 22” and 24” widescreen monitors, who run their games at a resolution of 1680 x 1050, as it is here that the card performs at its best. It’s hard to describe the benefits of this card without going deeply into the technical specs, but we’ll try: thanks to the extensive tweaking that nVidia has done to the card’s inner workings, the GTX460 performs even better than its closest sibling, the GTX465. Despite the 465’s fastersounding name, the GTX460 actually outperforms it by a significant margin; our advice is if you see a GTX465, rather hold off buying it and go for the GTX460 – it’s a better purchase in the long run. Where a card like this makes a big difference is in the appearance and speed of your games. The most commonly-used technique for smoothing the jagged edges of graphics is called “Anti-aliasing”, or “AA”, and in the past its implementation has placed strain on graphics cards. Not so with the GTX460 – you can select AA in your games knowing that performance will not be negatively impacted, and jagged edges at high resolutions will be a thing of the past.

The GTX460 also uses less power than previous-generation nVidia cards. High-performance graphics cards can use as much as 300W of power on their own, but thankfully the GTX460 has a maximum power consumption rating of half that – 150W. This means you don’t need a ridiculouslyexpensive 700W power supply in your PC, and you can get away with using a 450W power supply instead. It also means you can put in more hard drives, DVD drives and other accessories like network cards in your PC without worrying that the overall power draw will be too much for your power supply. With its high performance and low power consumption, the GeForce GTX460 offers a lot of value for your money. It’s an excellent choice for a computer upgrade that will noticeably boost the look, feel and performance of your games, and one which we highly recommend. Just be sure your power supply can handle it before you buy. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Chipset manufacturer: nVidia • Core Clock: 675MHz • Shader Clock: 1350MHz • Stream Processors: 336 Processor Cores • Memory Clock: 900MHz • Memory Interface: 256-bit • Memory Size & Type: 1GB GDDR5 • Memory Bandwidth: 115.2GB/s Pros

Cons

• Excellent gaming performance for 22” and 24” monitors • Low power consumption for a performance card • Future-proof investment

• Ultra-high resolution gaming strains the card a bit • Still somewhat of a luxury purchase

Overall rating

products

Logitech Bluetooth Mouse M555B NEED TO KNOW • Bluetooth wireless technology • Hyper-fast scrolling • Smart sleep mode feature • Smooth and responsive cursor control R599.95

It’s a fact that it’s nearly impossible to make a mouse that will appeal to everybody. And this is how it should be, since we all have different sized hands, need different features and use our mice for a variety of tasks. The Logitech Bluetooth M555b mouse offers some of the most important mousey-features, in one tiny device: a cable-free connection, solid performance, extreme portability and above all, convenience. It’s designed for notebooks and netbooks that have built-in Bluetooth wireless and as such there’s no USB receiver to fuss with or worry about misplacing. This is great, if you’re as absent-minded with carry-along peripherals as some people we know. The mouse’s cable-free design also adds an element of convenience that we’re definitely not complaining about - having a mouse that uses built-in Bluetooth without the need for a receiver means that it frees up one of the USB ports on your notebook, giving you more room to be plugging other gadgets in. In terms of build and size, it’s a little smaller than the desktop breed of mice, but feels solid enough in your hand, without skating or wobbling across the table. It has a curvy-rectangle shape that should prove comfortable for both left- and right-handed mousers. And instead of sidemounted or thumb-friendly buttons, this mouse has one extra button on top, that sits neatly just behind the scroll wheel. Its default function is to act as an application switcher that pops up a view of your desktop with preview screens or windows for toggling between your active programs – very handy if you’re a compulsive multitasker. Of course, you can reprogram the button to do anything you feel is more useful. The laser sensor works smoothly on a wide variety of surfaces (with the conventional exceptions of glass and mirrors) and the 1,000 dpi resolution lets your mouse zip around and navigate your desktop given only a couple of inches of maneuvering room. This mouse is built for speed and allows you to cruise through web pages using hyper-fast scrolling that is virtually frictionless and with minimal lag. You’ll love this functionality if you’re a speed-reader as it lets you fly through long documents to get to the parts you want. Or you could switch to click-to-click mode for more control with lists, slides, or photos. In case you were hesitant about this mouse, wondering if you’d miss

the Back and Forward buttons on your current mouse, you’ll be relieved to know that Logitech’s SetPoint software driver lets you assign those functions to a left and right tilt of the scroll wheel. You’ll be able to then use a slight nudge to scroll horizontally in your spreadsheet or retrace your steps in your browser. Lateral moves aren’t the scroll wheel’s only specialty: Clicking the wheel toggles between two scrolling modes, a normal mode with clicks for more precise control and of course, the fast, freewheeling mode in which the wheel, once pushed, keeps spinning until it runs down or reaches the far end of a long document, or until you apply the brakes by tapping the wheel. Switching between modes is seamless, too, without the clunk or click we’re used to from older mice. The laser tracking gives you smooth and responsive cursor control, even on surfaces that usually cause problems for most optical mice, including polished or wood-grain tables. Battery life for this mouse has been rated at 10-11 weeks before needing replacement batteries. There’s also a low-battery (dual-colour LED) indicator that eliminates surprises, and makes sure you’re alerted before the battery is dead, which should prevent any hassles. Just to make your battery last even longer there’s a smart sleep mode feature which kicks in if you forget to use the on/off switch. If you’re looking for a mouse that’s extremely reliable with plug-andplay simplicity, you’ll be very chuffed with this purchase. Guaranteed to help you fly through your web-browsing and intended to make your life easier, this little mouse ticks all the right boxes in terms of convenience, usability and sheer usefulness. System Requirements

Logitech Premium Notebook Headset

A convenient set comprising headphones and a microphone, allowing you to listen to music and take part in voice chats - giving you all the functionality you need when you’re mobile as it folds up into a plastic travel case.

NetGear Wi-Fi Dongle

Put that free USB port to good use and enable wireless networking on your notebook, using this convenient, compact device.

• Windows XP, Vista, or 7 • Bluetooth connectivity • MAC OS X (10.3.9 or above) • Two AAA batteries (included)

Pros

Cons

• No need for a USB dongle frees up an extra USB port on your notebook • Hyper-scrolling is an extremely useful time-saving feature • Works well on just about any surface

• Battery cover is a bit finicky to remove, and feels very flimsy • Glossy plastic surface attracts fingerprints and scratches easily • No Darkfield tech for mousing on mirrors/glass

Overall rating

Microsoft Arc Keyboard

This keyboard is extremely lightweight, wireless and portable, making it possible for you to move this keyboard from room to room, depending on where you need to be.

www.connect.co.za | 45

product reviews

perfect companions

Olympus T100 Digital Camera NEED TO KNOW

SanDisk Ultra II SDHC Cards Fortunately, SD cards are very affordable these days. As always, we recommend you buy as much storage as your budget will allow.

LowePro Rezo 15 Camera Bag This popular camera bag has been designed to carry most of today’s compact digital cameras. Definitely a plus for travelling.

products

Nikon CoolPix L22 Digital Camera + Bag

For R200 less, you can go for a Nikon 12MP camera that comes standard with a bag and a slightly larger LCD screen.

46 | connect | August 2010

• 12MP point-and-shoot camera • 21 pre-set scene modes • 2.4” LCD screen R1 199.95

The new Olympus T100 digital camera is an excellent choice for first-time photographers, and even better for young people looking for a compact point and shoot digital camera to take along on fun excursions. It’s inexpensive, shoots 12MP images; and while it may be a no-frills budget camera, it still takes far better pictures than the average cell phone camera. It also boasts good optics, making a notable difference to the overall quality of your shots. Olympus has an excellent and well-deserved reputation for the quality of its cameras’ internal electronics, and the T100 is further evidence of this. The 12MP sensor takes great-quality high-resolution photographs as well as VGA movies. And as is the norm these days, there are several pre-set scene modes to choose from depending on what you’re capturing. You could also let the camera choose which one to use if you’re unsure. With so few buttons on its exterior, the T100 does force you to make use of its built-in menu system to set your shot options. And although the menu system itself is nicely organised, switching between shooting modes is cumbersome. This is forgivable for an entry-level camera, but more experienced photo-takers may find the need to tackle a cumbersome menu a little annoying. The T100 comes standard with a Lithium-ion rechargeable battery, which is both a blessing and a curse – it’s a blessing because replacing AA batteries can get expensive over time, and a curse because the camera will need to be charged for a few hours before you can start to use it. Charging can only take place with the battery inside the camera, which means it needs to be hooked up to the mains while the batteries charge. There is no spare battery in the box either, making planning for those inevitable times when the battery dies and you’re far from the nearest power outlet, impossible. Something else we weren’t wild about was the body of the camera – it is constructed of plastic for the most part and is rather lightweight as a result, something that doesn’t inspire too much confidence in the device’s durability. It does come in a range of bright colours, though. The T100 is small and able to slip easily into a bag. It’s a tad thick, though, making pocket-transport difficult if you aren’t wearing something

rather baggy. It has a 3x optical zoom and 4x digital zoom, standard for cameras in this price range, and a nice 2.4” LCD screen to preview your shots and view them on afterwards. The T100 uses SDHC cards to store your photographs on, but there is no SDHC card in the box meaning you’ll have to buy one separately. While this is not the end of the world (these cards are cheap as chips today), a bundled card would have been a nice touch. And when choosing a brand of card, we recommend SanDisk’s Ultra II range because of its fast read and write speed. Olympus has done a fine job bringing a decent-quality camera to market at a great price. If you have teenagers looking for a solid digital camera to take to friends’ houses or on excursions, it’s a great buy – it’s cheap, takes good photographs and travels well. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Camera Flash: Built-in flash • Flash Modes: Fill-in mode, auto mode, flash OFF mode, red-eye reduction • Video Capture: AVI - 640 x 480 - 30 fps ¦ AVI - 320 x 240 - 30 fps • Still Image Format: JPEG • Digital Video Format: AVI, MJPEG • Image Stabiliser: Electronic • Light Sensitivity: ISO 100, ISO 800, ISO 400, ISO 200, ISO 1600, ISO auto • Total Pixels: 12 000 000 (12MP) • Face Detection: Yes • Cables Included: USB, A/V • Included Accessories: Hand Strap • Battery Life: Approx. 190 Shots • Zoom: 3x Optical, 4x Digital • Weight: 122.4g without memory card or battery • Screen: 2.4” LCD

Pros

Cons

• 12MP camera for a very attractive price • Great optics • Variety of shooting modes • Rechargeable battery • Shoots VGA movies too

• No included SDHC card • Camera body is rather lightweight • Battery charging method makes it hard to plan for trips

Overall rating

product reviews

products

TomTom Go 750 Live Need to know • TomTom’s flagship GPS; • Big bright screen; • Maps for Southern Africa and Europe; and • Integrated live services for traffic, weather etc. R2999.00

TomTom One

Bringing all of the goodness of TomTom’s non-live portfolio to a very portable GPS, this is the unit for buyers on a budget that want the most bang for their buck.

Garmin Nüvi 1300T

Garmin’s alternative in this field, this bundle consists of one Nüvi 1300, a GTM 25 traffic receiver, the latest device firmware and 12-month traffic subscription.

48 | connect | August 2010

As explained in detail with our review of the Garmin GTM 25, traditional PND vendors have been feeling the pinch with cellular handset providers and online services such as Google Maps offering navigation and mapping for free. The one thing these competitors haven’t been able to do is bring live services into the mix – and that’s mainly because those services cost them money to deliver. TomTom, as a vendor that doesn’t give its mapping, voice navigation and other services away for nothing, is therefore in a much better position to bring live services to bear on its user base. And the results of its endeavours with the Go 750 Live are fantastic. At a first glance, the G0 750 seems much like any other PND from TomTom. It’s solidly manufactured, aesthetically pleasing, has a large, bright and responsive touch screen and a user interface that’s logically laid out and simply to get around. Turn on the traffic feature – called HD Traffic on account of its accuracy and currency – and very little changes. That is to say you hardly notice it’s there until that first time it becomes pretty much indispensible. The 750 continues doing everything as well as what it did before, but with traffic information that’s beamed to it every three minutes, as a driver you now have vital insight into what’s going on out on the road – and more importantly, what could hamper their timely arrival at their destination. While it goes without saying that the 750 Live uses traffic info as one of the possible criteria when calculating a route, if you do decide to deviate from the route it’s chosen for you for some reason, it gives you a head-up as to what lies in that direction from a traffic perspective. TomTom has also built an intuitive way of representing delays along your route of travel, giving users a vertical timeline between your current

position and destination, complete with labels that show where delays lie and on average, how long they will be. This feature is invaluable, since it allows you to plan deviation or alternatives (by clicking the ‘find alternative’ button on-screen) well in advance and more importantly, allows you to see what the traffic situation down one or another road is before driving straight into a different gridlocked street. Apart from the traffic service, which is subscription based and delivered in partnership with Tracker for R499 (free for the first year), the 750 also makes use of a number of uniquely TomTom features to differentiate itself. These include IQ Routes, which chooses a different route depending on historic traffic patterns at different times of the day, Safety Alerts which notifies you of speed traps and camera locations and lastly, Google’s local search which lets you draw on the full power and up-to-datedness of Google for finding various points of interest. Truly the best PND available today, it’s a steal at its price-tag. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 4.3” Wide Touchscreen • Includes detailed maps of South Africa • Google search, Live Traffic, weather service, QuickGPSFix • TomTom MapShare technology • One year Live services included • Bluetooth for hands-free calling

Pros

Cons

• High quality, premium PND device; • Large, responsive touch screen; • Built-in TomTom HD Traffic; and • Other TomTom Live services make it shine.

• Large screen means it can obscure driver’s view; and • HD Traffic service reduces device’s natural battery life.

Overall rating

Garmin GTM 25 Traffic Receiver NEED TO KNOW • Traffic add-on for Garmin Nüvi navigation devices • Comes with 1 year subscription to traffic service; • Compatible with virtually any Garmin Nüvi; and • Doubles as a car charger R899

With the local public transport system in need of some serious attention, South Africa’s roads are filled with cars and their associated issues, such as traffic, gridlock and overall frustration. So, when GPS and personal navigation devices burst onto the scenes a couple of years back they were an immediate success. Realising they were missing a trick a couple of years ago, the cellphone manufacturers began offering GPS radios and navigation applications as a part of their smartphone packages. And then the market literally exploded. On one front, Nokia makes a full-blown voice-navigation application available to all users of compatible Nokia phones. And this offering, called OviMaps, even gives users the ability to download maps and navigation features for any country in the world – free of charge. Likewise, Google Maps is available completely free of charge and gives any user, on virtually any handset access to mapping and navigation functionality, albeit with far less detail and lacking in the vital voice navigation feature that so many users need. Lastly, there’s the fact that some handset providers - like Samsung bundle their handsets with third party navigation tools, such as Garmin’s Garmap making them look, feel and behave just like a Garmin GPS would. While there’s no doubt that all of these free services are beginning to put a dent in the traditional Personal Navigation Device (PND)’s value proposition, there are some value-adds – like traffic awareness services – being brought to market to keep these devices well out in front. An excellent example of this is Garmin’s GTM 25 traffic receiver, a device that resembles a car charging accessory for a Garmin Nüvi PND, but incorporates an additional antenna cable for receiving live traffic updates. Garmin has partnered with Altech Netstar Traffic (ANT) to bring this service to market and the privilege of receiving updates on traffic congestion every three minutes costs R299, paid in advance each year. Thankfully the GTM 25 comes bundled with a one-year subscription, which means users are ready to go the moment they installed the device.

On that note, installation is as simple as ensuring the Garmin device you’re planning on using it with has the latest firmware and maps (available from garmap.co.za), registering and activating the GTM 25 with garmap (by visiting www.garmap.co.za/traffic and following the instructions) and then lastly connecting the PND and the GTM 25 together. Some users might need to position the antenna for optimal reception by sticking the provided clear plastic suction cups in a vertical line along the inside of their front windscreen and using these to hold the antenna in place. In our tests, this made virtually no difference. If everything is fitted correctly and the PND is receiving power from the GTM 25’s car charger attachment, a traffic icon should appear on the PND’s real-time map. When this is clicked, users will immediately gain access to traffic information in and around their location, as well as the expected delay this will cause in you reaching your destination. If the delay will lead to you being unusually late for your engagement, choose to instruct the nuvi to calculate an alternative route to avoid the congestion and chances are you’ll be on time.

products

Garmin Nüvi 1410

A perfect complement to the GTM 25, the Nüvi 1410 has a big screen, slim form factor and even doubles as a Bluetooth car kit for your phone.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • GTM 25 receiver acts as an in-vehicle power charger • Displays current traffic levels • Alerts you to local traffic tie-ups • Powered by a cigarette lighter adapter • Mini-B USB Connector • FM Tuner band 88 to 108 • Weight 76.5g Pros

Cons

• Works with most Garmin Nüvi PNDs; • Cost effective add-on for GPS minded folks; • Comes with a free 1 year subscription; and • Annual subscription cost effective at R299/year.

• GTM 25 must be plugged in to work, making it less portable than competitors; • Competitive offerings give more than simply traffic service; • Uses RDS for communications, so depends on strength of RDS signal.

Overall rating

TomTom Go 750 Live

Simply crammed with features, the 750 Live also delivers traffic live information through a GSM modem, gives you a weather report and with Google local search, allows you to find landmarks with ease.

www.connect.co.za | 49

product reviews

products

Samsung SPF-87H digital photo frame

Relive your memories in crystal clear, high-resolution – this digital photo frame has loads of display options and a shuffle capability that makes for a unique experience every time you turn it on. Includes 1GB of built-in memory.

Samsung ES27 digital camera

Samsung never fails to impress with their compact digital camera offerings, and the ES27 is no exception. Capture gorgeous blur-free shots no matter where you are.

Nikon CoolPix L22 digital camera

If you’re all about making memories and taking happy snaps, you’ll be more than pleased with this offering from Nikon as they’ve designed this camera with you in mind.

50 | connect | August 2010

Samsung 1000P Digital Photo Frame NEED TO KNOW • Stores up to 6 000 photos with 2GB memory • Use it to play music off a Bluetooth device • Automatically optimises and resizes your snaps • Support for SD, SDHC cards and USB R1 499.95

How many times have you promised yourself that you’d print out all your holiday snaps and frame them to spread throughout the house, to bear testament to crazy family holidays, birthdays and special occasions? If you’re anything like us, you probably have a hard drive (or two) filled with photographs that have never seen the light of day. It’s expensive printing photos these days, and sizing them correctly for optimal print is a hassle. So it doesn’t get done, and your pics stay hidden. Until now. Samsung has cleverly thought of a solution to the hassle that is printing your photos for display purposes. The Samsung 1000P Digital Photo Frame displays all your photographs on its 10”, 1024 x 600 display surface. With a contrast ratio of 500:1, your pictures will be brightly displayed. Instead of having dozens of mismatched, dated frames scattered around your house, use this large frame to create a focal point in a room of your choosing. You can add more photos, or just recycle the old ones and keep your memories alive. This photo frame comes with a generous 2GB of built-in memory to allow you to store about 6 000 pictures. Samsung digital photo frames have an optimised resolution of 800 x 480, which sounds like it might be problematic if your uploaded image is 1200 x 1600, right? Wrong. No hassles. With the Samsung Auto Resizing feature, your photos are automatically re-sized so that you can save more pictures without losing vital image quality. If you were one of those people who think that a digital photo frame just shows a flickering slideshow of all your photos, you’d be wrong. The Samsung 1000P offers a fully interactive and completely customisable user experience. Samsung’s Emotional User Interface allows for easy, comfortable interaction with the photo frame allowing you to customise the display and create media-rich albums so you can make the most of

every memory. You can even spice things up by adding some music, by simply hooking up any Bluetooth music phone or device, and playing your personal soundtrack through the built-in stereo speakers. If you prefer privacy while enjoying your tunes, the Samsung Bluetooth headset lets you listen without wires, wherever you are in the room. Of course, this Bluetooth functionality also means you can pair up any mobile phone and download pictures taken with the mobile camera, to share instantly with guests and loved ones. Just in case that wasn’t enough, integrated wireless networking conveniently lets you upload and download photos and video, using your own Wi-Fi network. This digital photo frame has yet another handy feature we think it is important to mention – the fact that it can be hooked up as companion screen for your PC. Perfect for adding a little extra functionality to your computing experience, perhaps something like a digital calendar or clock – or even to display some of the content/text you’re working with. So if you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-use digital photo frame that will fit stylishly into your home and show off special people, events or anything else you care to photograph, then you’ll definitely need one of these. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Supports: JPEG, BMP, MP3, M-JPEG, MPEG1/4 • Bluetooth 2.0 + EDR connectivity • 2 USB ports • AC power adaptor and cable included • Supports SD, SDHC cards and USB storage

Pros

Cons

• Automatic resizing functionality is an absolute dream • Hooking up to Bluetooth devices is quick and easy • Nice screen size, display is excellent

• There’s no option for this frame to be battery powered • Stereo speakers can’t be too loud, without sounding tinny, which is to be expected because of their small size.

Overall rating

products

HP Pavilion dv63068 Notebook

This notebook has a smaller screen than the DV7 and a 640GB hard drive. If your storage needs are modest, you might want to consider this model instead.

HP Pavilion dv7-4065 Entertainment Notebook NEED TO KNOW • Core i7-based notebook • Huge amount of system RAM • One Terabyte hard drive for storage • Incredible power for the price R13 999.95

The kind of power on offer from HP’s new dv7-4065 Entertainment Notebook is simply amazing for the price you’re being asked to pay. The only thing it is missing is a Blu-ray drive; apart from that omission, the dv7-4065 is a powerhouse of a notebook, and will enable you to literally do anything you can do with a powerful desktop PC, including high-end gaming. HP has kitted this notebook out with 6GB of RAM, an Intel Core i7-720m processor (the fastest of all mobile processors) and a huge Terabyte hard drive. That is far more than most people will ever need, and is in fact so good that even power users that run demanding applications like photo editors, desktop publishing suites and video editors will be very happy with the dv7. For anyone looking for a responsive Windows 7 PC that can play DVDs, HD movie files and even games, the dv7-4065 is a brilliant buy. ATI’s excellent (and popular) Mobility Radeon HD5650 dedicated graphics card ensures that games look good and run smoothly, which is surprising as mobile graphics cards are not known for great gaming performance. In conjunction with the machine’s 6GB of system RAM and blazingly-fast Core i7 processor, the HD5650 card absolutely flies, even more so than most previous-gen 4000-series ATI desktop graphics cards. The looks of the machine are quite nice, too. The dv7 is slim and silver, with a gorgeous 17” LED-backlit screen. The feel of the notebook is sturdy and there is plenty of polished metal to add some pleasing heft and a generous touch of style, helped along by the large chassis needed to accommodate the screen. Note, this is not a notebook that travels well since it is rather bulky and it will weigh you down on long trips; on the other hand, it offers so much power that the extra burden is worth it. The dv7 doesn’t skimp on other features, either. 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi is

built in, as is Bluetooth connectivity, and there are plenty of USB ports for plugging in peripherals. The dv7 also features an HDMI port in case you want to hook it up to your HDTV, VGA-out for projectors and monitors, an integrated webcam and a writeable DVD drive. In short, it’s equipped for just about any conceivable use. This notebook is not only an excellent piece of engineering, it performs beautifully too. The best argument for its purchase, however, is its price – R14k is very attractive considering the power on offer. If you’re in the market for a new notebook, and you want something that will play as hard as it works, look no further than HP’s excellent new Pavilion dv7-4065. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Processor: Intel Core i7-720m • Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit • Memory: 6GB DDR3 • Storage: 1TB 7200RPM • Screen: 17” LED-backlit @ 1920 x 1080 • Graphics: ATI Mobility Radeon HD5650 with 1GB video memory • Optical Drive: Lightscribe Super Multi DVD writer • Connectivity: IEEE 802.11b/g/n, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth • Ports: 3 x USB 2.0, VGA-out, HDMI-out • Other: Fingerprint reader

Pros

Cons

• Brilliant specifications for the price • Smooth Windows/gaming/moviewatching performance • Build quality and looks are up to HP’s usual high standard • 17” LED screen is a joy to watch movies on

• All that power means your battery won’t last long • No Blu-ray drive mars an otherwise-excellent multimedia laptop • Weight means it will weigh you down on trips

Overall rating

Sony Vaio VPC-F117 Notebook

If you prefer the looks of Sony’s notebooks and don’t mind paying the price premium they attract, the Vaio VPC-F117 notebook might be more your cup of tea. Sure, it’s almost R20k, but you also get a writeable Blu-ray drive for the cash.

perfect companions

Logitech Bluetooth Mouse M555B Dongles are so 2009. This wireless mouse from Logitech connects directly using Bluetooth, so you’ll never have to remember a dongle again.

www.connect.co.za | 51

product reviews

products

Sansui MP4 Player Bose SoundDock 10

NEED TO KNOW

The perfect docking station for any audio device, the SoundDock delivers amazing, crisp sound and fits perfectly into any room or any lifestyle.

• 1.8” colour LCD • Plays audio, video and JPEG files • Integrated FM radio • Available in 2GB, 4GB, 8GB sizes (2GB) R499.95, (4GB) R599.95, (8GB) R799.95

Sony Wearable Walkman Player

This distinctively-different MP3 player fits around your head so you can move around without the constraint of headphone wires.

Bose Triport inear headphones

Nothing makes your tunes sound better than in-ear headphones that shut out external noise.

52 | connect | August 2010

iPods are great, if you’re prepared to shell out a large sum of cash. Which might seem a bit silly, seeing as all they’re supposed to do is allow you to listen to music, stream radio, watch video clips and view photographs. The Sansui MP4 media player can do all of these things, at a fraction of the price – making it a much easier purchase to justify. It looks great and the slim build with black, glossy finish and metallic silver scroll wheel contrasts beautifully and provides a focal point for navigation through the device. There’s also a matching silver rocker button on the side of the device that grants access to volume control. The 1.8” colour LCD display really pops, and detail is so crisp and clear, it’s easy to forget that it’s smaller than two inches. It’s easy to get going with this device, as well. Using USB 2.0 technology, it’s a simple matter of treating this device like any other USB storage unit you might have – create your playlists of music, photos and videos and simply plug the device into your computer to sync and transfer all content, quickly and effortlessly. To do this you might want to use something like Windows Media Player or iTunes – both work equally well with this device. The Sansui MP4 player utilises ID3 tag support for song information, so you’ll be able to access song names, album names and artist information, which allows you better playlist control. Small, slim and compact, this is a device that’s perfect for taking your music wherever you go – to the gym, out for a run, to the office, or even lying on the couch indulging in some audio therapy. In terms of sharing, it’s great for using to show off your holiday snaps, share your home video clips with your friends, or catch up on your series viewing while you wait for your appointment to arrive. You can listen to e-books or load it up with podcasts – the uses really are endless. It’s durable, yet lightweight and is totally able to withstand the bumps and knocks that come with every day use, which is perfect as you’ll probably find excuses to use this device every single day. It has an

impressive storage capacity, and the 2GB unit is capable of holding up to 6 hours of video or 500 songs – which is enough content to keep you entertained for significant periods of time. If you need more than 2GB of storage, the Sansui MP4 player is also available in 4GB and 8GB variants for a nominal increase in price. Noteworthy specs • Integrated flash memory • USB 2.0 technology • Supports a variety of music and video files as well as JPEG • FM radio

Pros

Cons

• Affordable and durable yet compact enough for travel • Screen clarity and colour is amazing for such a small device • Support for a variety of content makes this device multifunctional

• Attracts fingerprints too easily • Screen could have been a little bigger, there’s enough space for it

Overall rating

Creating a comfort zone for computing Antivirus

Highest protection against known & unknown viruses. Unique chatting protection with encryption

R299.95

(70841) (70842) (73668)

3 User R349.95 5 User R 499.95

Internet Security **

18 levels of protection for Child, Teenager, Adult & Timer Firewall hides Computer from Hackers World class antispam protection

R399.95

(70843)

3 User R449.95 5 User R549.95

(70844) (73699)

Total Security ***

Backing-up of critical data Tune-up PC for maximised performance

R499.95 3 User R599.95

(70846)

NB Price includes Free Technical Service ** Features of Antivirus included ***Features of Antivirus + Internet Security included

R599.95

R699.95

Imagine Software

Serif PhotoPlus X3

Serif DrawPlus X3

Serif PagePlus X4

Serif WebPlus X4

Build, Remodel, Interior or Landscape.

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product reviews

products

Belkin Tunecast II

Your car is just about one of the only places you might not want to use your docking station for your iPod or mp3 player. The Belkin Tunecast allows you to play your iPod or MP3 player through any FM receiver (like your radio) in your car.

Bose SoundDock 10 docking station NEED TO KNOW • Waveguide speaker technology • Auxiliary input means you can play any mobile audio device • Compatible with all iPhones and most iPod models • Optional dock for stereo Bluetooth music phone R7 999.95 (Megastores only)

Sandisk Clip 4GB Silver

This handy little device plays MP3, WMA & audio book file formats and has a voice recorder with a built-in microphone. Listen to e-books and music for as long as you like with a 15 hour rechargeable internal battery.

Monster Beats Studio by Dr. Dre Headphones

This headset makes use of amazing isolation technology that actively eliminates external noise, so you experience all the rich details of your favorite tracks that you never normally hear, creating a fully immersive audio experience.

54 | connect | August 2010

The SoundDock 10 from Bose is one of those rare iPod/iPhone-docking stations that actually made a tangible impression on us and which was difficult to give back. The SoundDock 10 system delivers performance so powerful and lifelike, we could easily picture it becoming the main music system in our homes. It’s safe to say that buying a Bose product is buying sound quality, no matter what the size of the system. The SoundDock 10 is not the smallest package (at nearly 8kg) and while it can be moved around, we’d suggest you be prepared to find a good spot for it and leave it there. Wherever you might decide to place it – in your spacious lounge, cluttered kitchen or bedroom – it will sound fantastic. Its metallic silver finish also looks fantastic, and the black panel that stretches across the lower third of the unit’s body adds a brilliant touch of class. The dock itself protrudes from below the curved speaker panel. Clean minimalism is what this unit is all about, and you’ll see more of that at the back of the system, too. Looking there, all you’ll find is a power adapter connection, a 3.5mm auxillary input to connect non-Apple players, as well as a composite video-out, which is there to let you hook the system up to an external display. If you want to use an iPhone with the system, it is certified as Works with iPhone. This means that you won’t need to put the phone in Airplane Mode to avoid interference, whenever a call or text message is about to come through. A highly likeable feature on the SoundDock is the Bluetooth adaptor that allows you to slide the iPod dock out, and play any mobile music device (a non-Apple cell phone, for example) that has Bluetooth connectivity. There’s also a mini-USB connector labeled ‘updates’, which is the futureproof feature of this system. It is this feature that will make it possible for Bose to add support for additional devices at a later date, meaning that your

SoundDock 10 won’t become obsolete for a long, long time. At first you might be a little hesitant, after looking at the price tag. But consider this: Although this system might cost nearly as much as some mid-level entertainment systems, there are people out there - like our parents - who have no idea how to use multiple remotes, hook up different wires to create your own audio arrangement at home. These people also probably aren’t even interested in doing so, but they’ve embraced the digital revolution by buying and using iPods and the like. We’re firmly of the opinion that it is these people who are perfect for this system - people that just want superior, big sound from their iPod/iPhone without the fuss of managing a multiple-component sound system. The intensely rich sound that the SoundDock 10 delivers is made possible by advanced waveguide speaker technology, which works to create full-bodied sound, particularly in the lower registers, for more genuinesounding bass and percussion instruments. No matter what the volume, our music was detailed, crisp and completely enthralling. If you don’t believe us, we’d recommend test-driving one, but be sure to have your wallet where it’s easily accessible, as you won’t want to leave the store without buying your own Bose SoundDock 10. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • External AC power adaptor • Compatible with most iPods • 3.5mm input • Charge while playing

Pros

Cons

• Sound is incredible, even when volume is low • Listening angle is adjustable, depending on where you are in the room • Comes with a handy remote control

• 3.5mm aux input would have been better placed on the front • Using a Bluetooth device impacts on audio quality

Overall rating

products

Philips DC315 Docking Entertainment System NEED TO KNOW • Alarm clock/iPod dock combo • Wake to your tunes or an alarm beep • Big orange numbers tell the time R999.95

The Philips DC315 Entertainment System is a pleasant-looking iPod docking station that can wake you up with music or an alarm tone. It’s quite a large unit, but this is only a problem if your nightstand is small or crowded, and the device makes up for this bulk with its incredibly solid iPod docking station that keeps any mounted iPod or iPhone firmly in place. It also has a bright orange display, with large text that displays the time and the status of the docking station (i.e. which device you have it hooked up to). The display has three different brightness settings, and the brightest of these is thankfully not so intense as to illuminate your bedroom at night and keep you awake. Philips manages to walk the line here, as the lowest setting is still clearly visible during the day, so kudos to them. The audio quality of the unit is pretty good for the price; while it shouldn’t be used to power a house party, it’s more than good enough to get you out of bed in the mornings. Waking up to your iPod or iPhone tunes is a nice touch, but if you prefer an alarm beeper, you’ll be happy to know that the DC315 has a beeper that starts off at low volume and slowly gets louder, great for people that appreciate not being startled awake. Operating the DC315 when you’re half-asleep and searching for the Snooze button is a bit tricky – all of the device’s buttons are located down the left side, making it awkward to find the right one in the dark, and first thing in the morning. All it takes to grow accustomed to the layout is time, patience and practice, but some people may find the learning curve a bit steep for an alarm clock. The DC315’s iPod or iPhone docking station is one of the product’s highlights – instead of a flimsy dock that causes the iPod to lean when pressed, Philips has provided one with a solid backing that has absolutely no give when the mounted iPod or iPhone is operated. The end result is the ability to touch your docked iPod/iPhone to change tracks without worrying

Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus

Logitech’s range of digital radios with alarm clocks and iPod charging facilities are also worth a closer look.

that you’re doing damage to the dock itself. Your iPod or iPhone will also charge while it is docked. If you don’t own an iPod or iPhone, the DC315 also comes with a 3.5mm standard audio jack that can be used to plug in any music device that also has one. This adds some flexibility to the design, and makes the DC315 a great option for an office radio. The modern looks and clean lines will fit in virtually anywhere, and the power of the audio is just right for a small to medium-sized room. The DC315 is a very solid alarm clock/iPod docking station. The button placement may take some getting used to, but for the price you’re getting a docking station and alarm clock with good audio as well as an iPod/ iPhone charger.

perfect companions

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Sound output power (RMS): 2x4W • Tuner bands: FM • Station Presets: 20 • Antenna: FM Antenna • Auto digital tuning: Yes • iPhone Compatibility: iPhone, iPhone 3G • iPod Compatibility: iPod Touch, iPod Touch 2G, iPod Classic, iPod Nano 1G/2G/3G/4G, iPod 5G • Alarms: 24 hour alarm reset, Dual alarm time, Buzzer Alarm, Radio Alarm, Repeat alarm (snooze), Sleep timer

Pros

Cons

• Great sound quality for the price • Docked iPods/iPhones charge • Solid backing for iPods/iPhones

• Button placement down the side is odd • Unit is fairly big and bulky • Orange numbers are not for everyone

Overall rating

iPod Classic The original, and some say still the best of Apple’s portable media players. 160GB of storage gives you a lot of music and movies!

Sansa Clip MP3 Player The Clip is a nicely-priced portable music player that will easily connect to the DC315 using the 3.5mm audio interface.

www.connect.co.za | 55

product reviews

products

iPhone 3GS

The iPhone is the king of touch phones and with access to a host of applications, a slick interface and lightning fast 3G connectivity, this phone lives up to the Apple hype.

Skullcandy Ink’d Earphones NEED TO KNOW • In-ear ‘phones for mobile media players • Comes with three different-sized silicone tips • Adorned with edgy skull design • 1.3m cable R219.95

Apple iPod Shuffle 4GB

The world’s smallest music player will fit easily into your pocket and seamlessly into your life – providing you with the perfect soundtrack at every turn.

Logitech Clearchat Comfort

If you’re looking for a headset for your notebook, you’ll be pleased to know that this set delivers comfort, convenience and perfect clarity, all in one eye-pleasing package.

56 | connect | August 2010

If you’re looking for a replacement or an upgrade to the standard earphones that came with your iPhone, Skullcandy’s Ink’d set should prove to be an affordable, quality improvement on what you’re used to. The set is designed to be ergonomically slick, but the flashy design runs the risk of being a bit out-there for some. You’ll either love or hate these edgy earphones that feature earpieces adorned with skulls. In terms of appearance, there are black, silver, and chrome varieties (each a nice match for some part of the iPhone’s body) and the 1.3m cable is bright silver in a transparent plastic coating. Just from the description above you should be able to tell, this piece of technology is all about style. A particular sort of style – alternative, edgy and slightly off-centre, made apparent by the unconventional design and the plethora of skull motifs. It’s the kind of product that will appeal to style-conscious iPhone owners and teenage rebels alike. When it comes to slipping these into your ears, Skullcandy includes three different-sized silicone eartips. We highly recommend trying each one out to see which enhances the quality of your iPod audio the best, as we discovered that going with the biggest set, despite our earholes being more in the “medium-sized” range, produced the best sound quality. When you’ve made your choice, you’ll discover that correctly-chosen silicon tips create a proper seal, making it obvious that there’s nothing neutral about audio presentation here. The emphasis is definitely on deep, thumping bass, bringing the low end of songs into the foreground, while still producing respectable midrange and treble detail that makes the Ink’d earphones perfect for listening to doef-doef clubtype music while still being great for classical tunes.

True audiophiles – people for whom the absolute-best audio quality is still a hair away from not being good enough – will probably not be satisfied with these earphones’ sound quality, but honestly, for the price you’re paying the sound is more than acceptable. Casual listeners should notice that the bass boost lets you hear low notes that you might have missed when using other earphones, and that the overall audio clarity is actually pretty darn good. In short, with this purchase you’ll get a high quality product at a fair price. If you’re looking for a headset for your iPhon, we can honestly say Skullcandy’s Ink’d earphone set has lived up to what we’ve come to expect from Skullcandy products, and we would thus not hesitate to recommend these to anyone looking for an upgrade to the bogstandard iPhone headphones. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Speaker diameter: 11mm • Magnet type: NdFeB • Frequency response: 20-20K Hz • Impedance: 16 ohms • Cable Type: TPE, nylon braided • Cable Length: 1.3m • Audio Jack: Straight 3.5mm gold-plated

Pros

Cons

• Cable is nice and long, so you can leave your iPhone in your pocket/ handbag • Variety of silicone eartips means most earholes are catered for • Great audio quality brings out audio detail other earphones might miss

• 3.5mm audio jack is not L-shaped, which might strain it over time • No carry-case is includes • Does not eliminate the hiss present in some music players

Overall rating

products

Lady Gaga HeartBeats headphones

Monster Beats Studio by Dr. Dre NEED TO KNOW • Precise studio-quality audio clarity • Isolation technology cuts external noise • Also doubles as a headset for the iPhone • Comfortable design for extended studio sessions R3 999.95 (Megastores & Online only)

It takes months and months of painstaking attention to detail in the studio to record an album. Artists and producers work hard perfecting their sound, only to have people listen to it using normal headphones. Most headphones can’t handle the bass, the detail and the audio dynamics of well-produced music, and as such they don’t give the listener the full experience. These Studio Beats headphones - conceptualised and designed by Dr. Dre - allow people to hear what the artists hear, and listen to the music the way it should be heard. The Beats Studio headphones combine innovative design with highly specialised construction to deliver a new realm of audio accuracy and clarity. Making use of extra-large speaker drivers and a high-powered digital amplifier, these headphones will allow you to experience an unprecedented amalgamation of super rich bass, crisp undistorted highs, and intensely clear vocals. If you thought you’d heard amazing sound before, you’ll change your mind once you’ve given this headset a try. The most common reason for listening to music using headphones is to cut out background noise. For instance, in the Connect offices, we all listen to our own music on headphones, so we can concentrate without external distraction. Unfortunately most of the detail in your music will get lost if you’re in a noisy environment – ringing phones, people talking – it all distracts from the listening experience. But what most people don’t realise that the best listening experience isn’t just about what you hear, but also what you don’t. This headset makes use of amazing isolation technology that actively eliminates external noise, so you experience all the rich details of your favorite tracks that you never normally hear, creating a fully-immersive audio experience. These headphones are also all about being so comfortable on your ears that you’ll barely feel them. The Beats Studio headphones feature a closed-air full-size design and they’re lightweight and have plenty of padding. The design is multi-purpose – intended to be comfortable, to cancel out external noise, and to be perfectly mobile. Mobility comes courtesy of a nifty carry case and the fact that the headphones fold up into a conveniently compact package.

If the promise of an intense audio experience isn’t enough to have you picking up your car keys and wallet and heading for the nearest Incredible Connection store, then maybe the fact that these are multi-purpose headphones will be sufficient. Got an iPhone, iPod or other music phone? The Beats Studio headphones also double as a headset for your mobile device; not only can you listen to music that you’ve got on your phone, but you can use the headset to make and receive calls, too. These headphones are perfect for staying in touch, without missing a beat. For this, you’ll find that the additional Monster iSoniTalk iPhone headphone cable with built-in answer button and microphone, exceptionally useful as it can utilise the Apple click system to control your playlist - one click pause/play, two clicks skip to next song, triple click return to beginning or previous song, hold the button for voice control. If you click the “B” on the right ear cup it mutes your music, until you’re ready to return to it. There’s also a separate cable provided for other mobile devices. Regardless of whether you consider yourself an audiophile or not, these headphones will more than satisfy every auditory craving and requirement you might have. It hits all the right notes, blends form with (multi)function perfectly and provides an individual listening experience second to none.

These ‘phones are the perfect accessory for the discerning hipster looking for a good pair of headphones that match performance with aesthetics.

Philips SHC 2000 Wireless headphones

This product allows you to watch TV or listen to music wirelessly without disturbing those around you.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Weight: 260 grams, 270 grams with batteries • Frequency response: 20Hz to 20kHz • Maximum output: 115dB • Headphone cable length: 1.3m • Requires 2 AA batteries

Pros

Cons

• Bass reproduction is amazing, if you’re a hip hop/R&B fan you will love these • Being able to use them as a handsfree headset for calls is extremely useful • They’re entirely portable and durable and fold away neatly

• Glossy finish attracts fingerprints • No smart sleep function, if you forget to turn them off, you waste batteries

Overall rating

Logitech Pure-Fi Express Plus iPod Docking Station

Get up to ten hours of playback time with surprisingly good sound quality delivered by a speaker system that combines 5.1 cm active and 7.6 cm pressure drivers for surprisingly deep bass and rich, full sound.

www.connect.co.za | 57

product reviews

products

Bose SoundDock II

This handy docking station charges your iPod or iPhone while its loud, high-quality speakers play your personallyselected playlist.

perfect companions

Belkin TuneFM for iPod NEED TO KNOW • Listen to your iPod on your FM radio • Broadcasts on any free radio frequency • Easy plug and play operation R799.95

iPod Classic 160GB 160GB of storage is a lot of songs! Take 40 000 of your favourite tunes on the road with you, and never hear a song repeated unless you choose it twice.

Griffin Powerjolt SE Charge your iPod while you drive with this handy charger kit from Griffin.

Listening to your iPod in your car is very cool. You get to take your music with you wherever you go, and you also get to pick and choose what songs you hear without having to rely on a radio station. Doing this is not easy for everyone, as many modern cars still do not come standard with a cable that hooks your iPod up to your car’s stereo system. The solution is a tiny device that plugs into your iPod and broadcasts your music on a free radio frequency, which can then be picked up by your car’s radio and played through your speakers. Belkin’s TuneFM is one such device, and it’s a snap to use – quite literally. All you have to do is snap it into your iPod’s USB cable slot, hook it up to your car’s power system using the included car charger, select a free radio frequency and hit play. Voila, your car now has audio courtesy of your iPod, and you don’t have to go to the trouble of installing an expensive auxiliary cable. FM transmitting technology is not perfect, though, and you will need to keep your iPod rather close to your radio’s antenna to ensure consistent volume and the clearest possible radio signal. You will also, from time to time, need to fine-tune the frequency you are broadcasting on, as it is possible to get interference as you drive from place to place since the radio signal strength fluctuates from area to area. The frequency on which you get the clearest audio on the highway, for instance, may not be ideal for a built-up area like a city centre or the suburbs. The TuneFM device can broadcast to frequencies occupied by radio stations, but it works best if you choose a completely clear frequency, i.e. one on which all you hear is static. Doing so lessens the chance that the

signal of the station over which you are broadcasting suddenly picks up and drowns your music out, and also ensures the highest-possible audio quality. Under ideal circumstances, the TuneFM lets you broadcast your music at near-CD quality, which is perfect for a road trip. This particular TuneFM does not come with its own car charger kit, but it’s highly advisable to pick one up, as it will ensure that your iPod’s battery won’t die on you enroute to your destination. Ultimately, an auxiliary cable connecting your iPod to your car radio is the best solution offering the most consistent audio quality, but if your car does not have one, putting one in can be very expensive. An FM transmitter like the TuneFM is therefore your best and cheapest cable-free solution; while it may not be perfect, it’s a good compromise. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • 2 programmable preset buttons • Channel up/down • High-contrast backlit display • PRO setting optimises audio and boosts volume

Pros

Cons

• Wirelessly connects your iPod to your car radio • No radio station is better than your own tunes • Broadcasts at near-CD quality

• Radio frequency clarity fluctuates as you travel • iPod must stay close to the radio for optimal connection quality • Some tweaking required to get playback quality just right

Overall rating

58 | connect | August 2010

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book reviews

Teach Yourself Visually Windows 7

NEED TO KNOW • By Paul McFedries • 352 Pages

Veteran writer Paul McFedries takes readers on a visual journey through Windows 7 in this book. People who prefer to learn visually will find a lot to like here, as not only does McFedries go into considerable detail about the new features of Windows 7, but he does it with the accompaniment of full-colour screenshots so that the reader knows exactly what he is referring to. Everything a beginner needs to know about Windows 7 is covered in this book; McFedries takes readers on a tour of Windows 7’s interface, new features, provides insight on how to perform both simple and more complicated tasks like navigating your computer’s hard drives to scheduling regular backups, download images from a digital camera and more. McFedries reduces complex sections into bite-sized chunks for optimal learning, making this a fantastic book for visual people and readers with a very short attention span but who still want to learn something new.

How to do everything with your Web 2.0 Blog

NEED TO KNOW • By Todd Stauffer • 460 Pages

Todd Stauffner’s book comes highly recommended if you’re new to the world of blogging and you’re trying to decide which blog site to go with. The book covers the intricacies of blogging platforms WordPress, Blogger, TypePad and Expression Engine, and informs the reader of the features of each in a non-nonsense fashion that is arguably a bit more helpful than the average tongue-incheek self-help book. Stauffner covers each platform in impressive and relevant detail, which will help you decide which one to choose. You’ll find, for example, that Expression Engine is packed with features, but it’s actually quite technical and complicated to use. WordPress, on the other hand, offers simple blogging features that let you focus on your writing rather than the intricacies of web design. 60 | connect | August 2010

This book will prove to be an invaluable tool for new bloggers and old hands alike. It is jam-packed with information that covers a wide variety of bloggingrelated topics, including other blogging techniques like photoblogs, podcasting and audioblogging, and Stauffner’s style is informative and engaging.

Word 2010 Simplified

NEED TO KNOW • By Elaine J. Marmel • 256 Pages

If you’re looking for a long-winded explanation of everything Word 2010 does, you have the wrong book. This one prefers to get right to the point, and uses excellent artwork and screenshots to get its point across which is how to use Word 2010 quickly and efficiently, and how to understand new features like Microsoft’s Backstage view. This is more a book for people new to Word, as its explanations cover the absolute basics like formatting text, inserting objects and editing documents as well as the more complex features like WordArt and Backstage View. Word veterans will probably know much of the information in the book already and its use will therefore be somewhat limited, but it never hurts to brush up on your skills. Author Marmel really gets to the point quickly in this book, and she has crafted a valuable reference tool for first-time Word users. It’s nicely laid out, there are tons of images and her straightforward style is clear and concise.

You’ve got the Software... Now get the book to ‘Master’ the Software!

Excel 2010 Simplified

NEED TO KNOW • By Paul McFedries • 256 Pages

Microsoft’s new Office release has prompted a flurry of books aimed at helping Office veterans and new users alike get to grips with the updated suite’s features. This one delves into the new and revised features of Excel 2010 in an easy to follow, illustration-intensive manner, and thanks to a plethora of tutorials, tips and helpful information, author Paul McFedries simplifies much of Excel 2010’s features into a book that feels less like a tutorial and more like an interactive guide. He covers Excel basics, formatting workbooks, how to add data to enhance your spreadsheets as well as how to communicate results using charts and PivotTables along with a great deal more. The information is conveyed in a very concise, easy-to-understand manner, and the great number of step-by-step tutorials will have you attacking your spreadsheets with renewed vigour and confidence. If you’re new to Excel 2010, or even an old hand, this book will bring you up to speed on Excel 2010’s new features and revised interface quickly and easily.

Available at selected Incredible Connection stores

INTERSOFT www.intersoft.co.za

game reviews //By Tiana cline

Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 R399.95 Tiger Woods 10 was an unbelievable golf game for the Wii and one that really showed off the preciseness and usability of Nintendo’s Wii MotionPlus peripheral. What could be better than teeing off on the green in beautiful weather on some of the best courses in the world? Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 is finally here and the new title takes all of the best parts of last year’s game and adds some extra features to make it an even better buy. Never mind the more realistic swing mechanics or the tighter controls, Tiger 11 offers a whole host of new attractions that make it an absolute must, especially if you didn’t pick up Tiger 10. Featuring all the official PGA courses, you can now take part in the USA vs. Europe Ryder Cup Challenge on The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales. Dating back to 1969, this prestigious tournament involves various match play competitions between players selected from two teams of twelve. And what would golf be without the commentary? Tiger 11 has two people on board, Scott Van Pelt and Kelly Tilghman to be precise, which (when added to the sounds of the crowd and the environment) keep the gameplay lively and interactive. On Wii, Tiger 11 once again uses the Wii MotionPlus, so you can expect a whole lot of accuracy from your swings. In fact, this peripheral is so precise, it even takes into account the subtle wrist motions you make before and after a swing. And yes, you can miss the ball entirely! To take advantage of this exactness, Electronic Arts have introduced an entirely new first-person vantage point called True View, giving you complete freedom of movement over the club while looking down at the ball before you swing. With True View, you can actually see where your club is in relation to the ball, really adding a realistic touch to the gameplay. Before you get into the game, you can also customise your golfer giving him, or her, different attributes and outfits to make the experience your own. What you can expect from Tiger 11 is plenty single and multiplayer modes to enjoy as well as a few mini games. Online, you can also play against three players simultaneously and download daily and weekly tournaments as well as instant driving challenges. Need a break from the bunkers? Jump into a round of mini golf (there 36 holes and 4 unique courses) or go online with your friends to experience the fun of disc golf. If you’re a golfing fan and a gamer, it simply doesn’t get much better than this. There is plenty on offer to really make the upgrade worth it. From the Ryder Cup Challenge to improved swing mechanics on the Wii, amazing online play and putt-putt, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 packs a lot into one game. No matter your handicap, or console for that matter, it’s time to get onto the green.

62 | connect | August 2010

NEED TO KNOW • Wii MotionPlus Enhanced • True View • Mini Golf • Online Gameplay • Tailor Your Game

Get into the

swing of thin g s!

>>Coming soon<<

FIFA 11 Another year, another FIFA game! In FIFA 11, EA have created Personality+ to reinvent player authenticity â&#x20AC;&#x201C; on and off the ball. This all-new feature sees individual abilities reflected in game, enabling clear differentiation for every player!

>>Look out for<<

NBA 2K 11 Calling all Michal Jordan wannabes! From the most elite NBA athletes and superstars, NBA 2K11 ups all of its features from gameplay to AI, visuals, audio and online to deliver the best basketball videogame experience to date. www.connect.co.za | 63

game reviews

Mafia II

NEED TO KNOW • Action-packed gameplay • Epic gangster story • Immersive world and period

Coming >>soon<<

So you want to be a gangster? Since the first Mafia game (The City of Lost Heaven) came out in 2002, a lot of gamers have been waiting for a sequel. Welcome to the 40s and Mafia II, an open-world game with an atmosphere as enticing as its characters. It’s a dark and an unforgiving environment that is typical of America during that time period. Spanning about 10 years, as time moves on, the city changes. The cars, the fashion, the music and, most importantly, the weapons. Meet Vito, an Italian immigrant’s son trying to escape poverty. From being a petty criminal, Vito and his best mate Joe descend

Singularity

NEED TO KNOW into a seedy life of organised crime, proving themselves to the mafia. 2K have carefully recreated every detail of the game from the fast-paced car chases to the fierce hand-to-hand combat, really making an authentic, Hollywood-style gangster experience. Even the soundtrack is perfect. Avoid the cops, drive around Empire Bay and you’ll soon fall in love with the magic of the mob. Soon, money and respect will be yours… but what price are you willing to pay? R699.95

True Crime: Hong Kong You’re undercover detective Wei Shen, about to infiltrate one of Hong Kong’s most dangerous crime rings. Using martial arts combat, explosive gunfights, action driving, and free-running chases, Shen must do whatever it takes to stop this criminal underworld.

Transformers: War For Cybertron

NEED TO KNOW • Convert from robot to vehicle at the push of a button • Play through each campaign, as Autobots or Decepticons • Create your own Transformer

64 | connect | August 2010

Even though there have been many video games based the Hasbro series of Transformer toys, most of them haven’t been great. War for Cybertron has two unique campaigns: the Autobots are heroically trying to save their home planet while the Decepticons have an unstoppable need to control the universe. The game is set millions of years before Generation 1, right in the middle of a civil war between the two Transformer sides. Megatron discovers a new way to conquer Cybertron – a dark source of power. Using the Unreal engine, the game is slick and has a lot of variety. The Transformer design is similar to the movies and has a modern look and feel. The actual gameplay is third-person action. What’s nice is that you can transform at any time - necessary during the epic battles. The multiplayer modes only enhance the longevity of the game, and you’ll find yourself coming back to replay the campaigns! If you’re a big fan of everything-

Transformers and have a lot of unanswered questions, the game fills in all the gaps, like how Optimus met Bumblebee and so on. Wars for Cybertron is definitely one of the best movie-licensed games ever made and stands its own as both a shooter and Transformer title. R599.95

>>consider this<< Iron Man 2 Suit up and take to the skies! In the game version of the comic book (and movie), you get to battle exclusive enemies, like the classic villain Crimson Dynamo, and save the world from destruction. All in a day’s work for Tony Stark.

>>coming soon<< Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions An action-packed adventure set in four dramatically different universes from legendary Spider-Man lore, each with a distinct SpiderMan armed with unique skills and strengths.

• Action-intensive firstperson shooter • What-if time-bending storyline provides cool gameplay dynamics • Built using the Unreal 3 engine

If an old-school first person shooter with a cool, time-bending storyline sounds like your idea of a good time, look no further than Singularity. It’s a fun, action-packed time-travelling shooter with a great graphics, tons of action and awesome timemanipulating superpowers. The story is set in an alternate-history what-if timeline in which the Russians have invented a device that can manipulate time. You, the pro-US protagonist, get a hold of it and have to use it to travel into the past and future to stop the Russians from becoming the 21st century’s dominant superpower. Enemies include soldiers, zombies, mutants and huge “boss” creatures that challenge your shooting skills and brain, and taking them all out by slowing time, aging enemies to dust instantaneously or just pumping them full of lead the old fashioned way is great fun. Built on the excellent Unreal Engine 3, the visuals are spectacular and very smooth, and the special time-power effects are very impressive and effective. It’s not the deepest game offering the most complex gameplay, but it is the one thing a game absolutely has to be, and that is a blast to play. R599.95

>>COMING SOON<< Dead Rising 2 An open world game with a different theme, this zombie-bloodbath takes place in glitzy Fortune City. Chuck Greene, the new protagonist, must use everything around him and stop a zombie apocalypse.

game reviews

NEED TO KNOW • Work as a team • Play 4 of your favourite Shrek characters • Buy new skills and upgrades

E3 2010 Preview

If you can’t get enough of Shrek, Donkey, Puss, Fiona and all the other DreamWorks characters, there is no doubt you need to pick up a copy of Shrek Forever After: The Game. As a tie-in with the movie, you follow Shrek’s midlife crisis that plonks the green ogre into some weird alternate reality that he now needs to fix. How? By invoking true love’s kiss, of course. There are four playable characters in the game and if you use the multiplayer mode, you can work as a team. The co-op mode is fun with lots of hidden mini-game puzzles. Because the game is family-friendly, none of these are too tough and if you do hit a blank, you can always buy a hint from the Three Blind Mice.

When it comes to gameplay, there’s an action element to the game where you battle ‘baddies’ and each character has a unique move: Shrek wrestles, Fiona (who is now a warrior queen) has a sword, Puss has blades and those super-sad eyes and Donkey has a mean back-kick using his hooves. Even though the game doesn’t use Pixar graphics or the actor’s voices from the movie, it is colourful, friendly and filled with all the places you know like Shrek’s Swamp, the Dragon Keep and Rumpelstiltskin Palace. Forever After is a charming game will definitely delight a younger audience. R499.95

Get >>This<<

Shrek Forever After: The Game

LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4 Now you can enjoy the magic of Harry Potter in a uniquely LEGO way. Playing as Harry, Ron and Hermione, attend lessons, cast spells, mix potions, fly on broomsticks and complete tasks at Hogwarts.

Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit Experience the thrill of the chase and the rush of the escape in NFS: Hot Pursuit as you play through full careers as both a cop and a racer, solo or connected. The high speed busts and heart-stopping getaways are all connected – this network not only connects friends for epic head-to head pursuits and races, but also enables you to compare performances and stats, thereby setting the stage for the ultimate in social competition.

Professor Layton And The Unwound Future Crazy about puzzles? Layton is back. This time, he receives a letter from the future – London is in absolute chaos and it’s up to you to solve puzzles to uncover clues that help you eventually solve the mystery. With over 165 brain benders, Professor Layton and The Unwound Future will have all DS detectives back in the game.

The Last Guardian Games that come out of Sony’s Japan studio are always a little quirky. The Last Guardian is a PS3 exclusive game, and what the developers are describing as a combination of Ico and Shadow of the Colossus. In the game, a young boy and a bizarre, gigantic beast form a deep bond as they attempt to manoeuvre their way through an unfriendly world.

Disney Epic Mickey Mickey Mouse stumbles upon a sorcerer’s world where forgotten Disney characters live. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is one of the first residents and as time passes, he becomes bitter as Mickey’s popularity grows. By accident, Mickey destroys this world and now he has to face with the mess he created. It will take bravery, other Disney characters and your paintbrush (using the Wii Remote you can wield magical paint and thinner to re-shape, draw and edit the world around you) to become an Epic hero. Disney Epic Mickey is an action, role-playing and platforming game all in one. We can’t wait!

LittleBigPlanet 2 Putting the powers of creation firmly into gamers’ hands LittleBigPlanet was a unique platforming experience. More than 40 new story levels across six themes, LBP2 lets Sackboy to explore intricate levels that are influenced by history. Customisation is still key with the creation tools that are even better to make completely new games across multiple genres.

Kirby’s Epic Yarn Although Kirby first appeared in 1992 on the GameBoy, Epic Yarn is his first console appearance since The Crystal Shards on the Nintendo 64! The games look is new and exciting, based on animated yarn and a world of texture. This creative approach is woven directly into the gameplay and allows the ever-morphing Kirby to take on a variety of forms. It’s a one-of-a-kind Wii platformer that will make you (and a friend) want to play through till the end, pulling on stray threads to reveal hidden areas and collecting gems scattered throughout the environment.

66 | connect | August 2010

tech tannie

Dispensing Medicinal doses of whisky and wisdom, Tech Tannie bravely struggles through the last cold months to give out the best advice she can

issue of the month: Q:

I’ve had my laptop for a while now and the battery has become utterly awful. It used to last for several hours and now it only lasts for a few. Is there anything I can do to try and fix this problem? Powered Down Dirk in Poffadder

If you have questions, gripes or just seek some solace, e-mail Tamsin, our friendly tech tannie at techtannie@connect.co.za 68 | connect | August 2010

Well, my friend, this is a very common problem and one that has made many of us get more than a little annoyed. Depending on the type of laptop you have, you might be able to buy a replacement battery, as it looks like yours is losing its charm. However, if you have a rare, obscure or outdated model then finding a replacement battery will be harder than finding a pothole free road in Jo’burg. Your first port of call is your nearest computer service desk (Incredible has a good one – ed). They can check your battery and see if it’s holding a charge or if something has gone more tragically wrong. If it’s the latter then you will have to find a replacement, run your laptop off the mains for eternity, or get a new laptop. You may also have to consider paying extra for one to be shipped over from the US or UK. It will cost you, though, so really look into whether it will be worth it or if you shouldn’t just fork out for a new machine. Many of the newer models now offer easy battery replacements and some even give you a spare as part of the start-up kit so try and think of it as an investment. However, if you do go out and nab a new laptop there are a couple of things you can do to help extend the life of your battery from the get go. Make sure that your batteries are fully discharged before you recharge them (if possible), charge them at room temperature, and try to run your unit off the battery at least once a month to allow the battery to discharge.

I want to start a blog but I don’t even know where to start, or what have the technical terms people throw about even mean. Do I need to know all this stuff to get started? Blogger-wannabe Bryan in Wakkerstroom

I love this question. Love it! Lekker soos ‘n krekker, neh? Blogging can be the most fun you can have online. Seriously. It’s a great way to express yourself and create some lasting memories, and even make new friends across the world. To start with you really don’t need to be hugely technical or know any fancy terms. Google’s Blogger is really quick and simple to use and won’t take you very long to start. Most of the functionality is self evident and Google has tons of tutorials to talk you through the various stages of creating a blog post. Another great tool is Wordpress. Now this particular blogging service is for the more adventurous. It offers you a superb tool for customising and creating an awesome free blog, but you have to spend quite a bit of time learning about how everything works and what each thing does before you can start making any changes. You get great tools like widgets and SEO (search engine optimisation) content packs and more, but you also get several hours of hard slogging through technical documents to learn about everything works properly. Personally, I think that Wordpress is worth all the initial pain. That learning curve might be steep, but you will get so much extra know-how that will stand you in good stead as you develop your blog. Perhaps, if you are not too keen on such an intense start, you should start out on Blogger and then move across to Wordpress once you are more confident. When you start writing your blog don’t feel disheartened by how small and lonely it looks at first. Keep on plugging away with daily and/or weekly posts and soon it will be packed full of all your lovely thoughts. Don’t get too upset by nasty comments from random humans and, equally, don’t expect the comments to come flooding in at first. Building a successful blog takes time, patience and love.

My kids are starting to use the Internet more and more, is there a way I can monitor what they’re doing and make sure that they aren’t messing about on inappropriate sites? Paranoid Parent in Potchefstroom

Oooh, now this is a lekker one. Most of the big guns – Microsoft, Apple and Ubuntu – have actually got parental control options included in their operating systems and these controls can be cleverly customised to help you look after your kids. Online safety is definitely one of the hot topics in the parenting world and you’ll never know who your children are chatting to, where they are going, and what they are doing without some kinds of control. The Microsoft Windows range has parental controls built in. Windows

Vista and XP have slightly more indepth controls than 7, though. With these you can set the machine to log them out after a certain period of time, programme which sites they are allowed to visit, and monitor who they chat to. It offers you all sorts of stuff and its very easy to use. The same goes for Mac OS. You can use the Mac’s system to decide what applications and services they can use, what privileges they have and the content they can view online. You can also control who they speak to via iChat and Mail. Using Ubuntu to achieve this is slightly more complex and would need a complete walkthrough, so drop me a line if that’s the system you’re using and you need some help. Although, if you’ve gone down that road then it’s likely you know how to fiddle around in the bowels of code already. www.connect.co.za | 69

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StarCraft II continues the epic saga of the Protoss, Terran, and Zerg. These three distinct and powerful races will clash once again in the fast-paced real-time strategy sequel to the legendary original, StarCraft. Legions of veteran, upgraded, and brandnew unit types will do battle across the galaxy, as each faction struggles for survival. Featuring a unique singleplayer campaign that picks up where StarCraft: Brood War left off, StarCraft II will present a cast of new heroes and familiar faces in an edgy sci-fi story filled with adventure and intrigue. In addition, Blizzard will again offer unparalleled online play through Battle.net, the company’s worldrenowned gaming service, with several enhancements and new features to make StarCraft II the ultimate competitive real-time strategy game.

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Bring in any old technology and we will either re-furbish and donate it to those in need or we will ensure that the items are disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner with Enviro Connection and Desco. Enjoy discounts off your purchase of a new printer cartridge or toner when you bring in your empty ones. (Terms & conditions apply)

disconnect //By adam oxford

The what-net?

The botnet!

nce upon a time, I remember, security meant having an alarm fitted and a quick response team at the end of a panic button. Nowadays, of course, the greatest danger to mankind comes not from the threat of mere physical violence, but via the broadband pipe to your house. At its other end there’s a legion of malware writers waiting to take control of your computer, bank account and first born, assimilating them all into a terrible zombie army whose sole purpose is to duplicate itself until it owns the entire Internet. Flippancy aside, it pays to be careful on the net. You don’t even have to download a dodgy email attachment anymore in order to infect you computer with a virus-like program. ‘Drive by’ websites, which take advantage of flaws in an Internet browser to attack your PC, are common enough, and thanks to vulnerabilities in some common blogging platforms there are thousands of personal and commercial websites out there that have been coopted by clever coders into the ‘botnet’. The what-net?, I hear you ask. The botnet, of course. It’s made up of millions upon millions of compromised machines that nefarious ne’er-do-wells use without their owner’s permission in order to sell processor cycles they don’t own for an outstanding profit. Up to $400 per thousand PCs, analysts reckon. Most of them are used to send out spam emails, many of which carry virus-laden payloads, thus perpetuating the cycle of infection. So some kind of Internet security is essential. We all need a virtual night watchman who monitors traffic in and out of your PC and stops the bad bits of data getting through. The question, which I often ask, to paraphrase the Roman poet Juvenal by way of a popular comic book and recent movie, is who watches the Internet watchmen? I don’t mind that security suite software inevitably slows a PC down. With all the scanning and updating at every boot-up it’s bound to take a little longer each time as the virus database grows and the number of files on your hard drive increases. That’s just the price you pay for automated protection, and is easily tolerated compared to the potential alternative - that someone will grab your credit card details next time you buy something from an online shop. No, the thing that bugs me is the splash screen. It’s almost impossible to buy a PC without a trial version of an Internet security suite 72 | connect | August 2010

pre-installed. If you don’t want to pay for it right away, perhaps because you want to try out the competition or you only want certain features switched on, it’s even harder to avoid being begged for money by the security app every time you move your mouse. Targeted advertising, the marketing folk call it - serving up an ad for exactly what you need when you need it. The problem is that you aren’t the one who decides when you ‘need’ an ad flashed in your face. Personally, I think some of these ‘nag’ screens which pop up with upgrade offers for security software border on extortion. If a couple appeared on my screen one morning quoting Monty Python I wouldn’t be surprised. Virus scan one: ”Nice hard drive this, squire. Be a terrible shame if something were to happen to it.” Virus scan two: “Yer, ‘cause hard drives burn, don’t they boss?” Virus scan one: “We can make sure not a single incendiary email gets through to your disc for 50 bob a week...” You get the idea. Frankly I’m tired of my PC being turned into an advertising platform against my will. If someone walked into my house and began covering other appliances in logos and suggesting I need to pay money to someone else to use them, I’d have them arrested. Some of the security software is so intrusive that I’m sure many people simply uninstall it and do without. Which, of course, means that their machines are at greater risk of being turned against us, and we’re even more reliant on the security firms for protection. The problem, of course, is that security and malware are complicated subjects which few people understand properly, so most of us are absolutely at the mercy of the experts. We have no choice but to use their products. But do they have to gloat?

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