/ct_31_nov_11 by Brett Haggard

November 2011

is really

great!

rewind

Opening New Windows

History of the Apple iPod

g igatin Invest tough tech

crash

boom bang!

FREE APPS Must-have Mobile, Mac & Microsoft downloads

Hello

Is your Tube arter? getting sm

R14.95 incl. VAT

l u f r e wond

s s e l wi r e

outer r t h ig r e h t Buy

Top

Reviews Printers LAPTOPS CAMERAS Tablets SOFTWARE cellphones GAMES

S o ny r e c o m me nd s Wi ndows ® 7.

Balanced Mobility Power in Mot ion . VAI O S Series

All models use Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-bit and come with a 3 year collect-repair-return warranty

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• Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-bit • Intel® Core™ i5-2520M Processor 2.50 GHz with Turbo Boost • 4GB Ram / 750GB HDD • AMD Radeon™ HD 6470M 512MB Graphics • 13.3" HD Display with LED Backlight

• Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-bit • Intel® Core™ i7-2620M Processor 2.70 GHz with Turbo Boost • 4GB Ram / 640GB HDD • AMD Radeon™ HD 6470M 512MB Graphics• • 13.3" HD Display with LED Backlight

• Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-bit • Intel® Core™ i7-2640M Processor 2.80 GHz with Turbo Boost • 4GB Ram / 640GB HDD • AMD Radeon™ HD 6470M 1GB Graphics • 15.5" Full HD Display (1920 x 1080), LED Backlight

• Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-bit • Intel® Core™ i7-2620M Processor 2.70 GHz with Turbo Boost • 8GB Ram / 256GB SSD • AMD Radeon™ HD 6630M 1GB Graphics • 13.3" HD Display with LED Backlight

SRP: R10 999

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VPC-SA28 • Genuine Windows® 7 Professional 64-bit • Intel® Core™ i7-2620M Processor 2.70 GHz with Turbo Boost • 8GB Ram / 256GB SSD • AMD Radeon™ HD 6630M 1GB Graphics • 13.3" HD Display with LED Backlight • EMBEDDED 3G • Blu Ray Reader, DVD Reader & Writer SRP: R25 999

www.sony.co.za/vaio

www.connectmag.co.za

issue #31

FEATURES

A Guide to Wireless There’s more to going cable free than you would think

Versatile Visuals LED, LCD, Plasma and now Smart TV?

November 2011

Touch Tech Make ‘em and break ‘em – how long will your laptop last?

The Evolution of the Apple iPod Portable music players weren’t always so simple

8 is Great Microsoft’s latest operating system explored

What is Wi-Di? Intel’s impressive cable-free technology

Must-Have Free Apps Our must-download list for Mac, Microsoft and Mobile

22 26

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 50 52 58 59 60

First Look Top 5 Projectors Cameras Security Software Accessories

GAMING 62

Reviews

®S

The new, stylish and easy-to-use BlackBerry® Curve™ 9360 smartphone.

Stylish QWERTY design that’s lightweight and ultra-slim Real-time social messaging with the enhanced BBM™ including BBM-connected apps Advanced BlackBerry ® 7 Operating System with Liquid Graphics™ Increased power to browse quickly and smoothly Upload in a click with plenty storage for all your pictures, music and videos

BlackBerry®7 OS

blackberry.co.za/curve-9360

© 2011 Research In Motion Limited. All rights reserved. BlackBerry®, RIM®, Research In Motion® and related trademarks, names and logos are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

10397 IDEA ENGINEE

Sleek And Sociable.

ed’s note

e m i t that ear! of y

Editor’s photo by Dan Elkabir / www.lightscapespdd.com

Subscribe now and you could win a Fujifilm FinePix HS20 EXR Camera. See Pg70 for details.

hopping centres are already sporting sparkly holiday decor, the shelves are slowly filling up with stocking-stuffing specials and, most importantly, there’s an influx of new, must-have tech. November is here and that means lots of great games and even more gadgets to try and test. Tablets, smartphones, projectors, printers, more tablets – there’s a lot going on in this issue of Connect! We’re looking at Windows 8 (pg 24), free apps for Microsoft, Mac and your mobile (pg 28), and Intel’s new media managing technology (pg 26). Thanks to advances in tech, “wireless everything” is swiftly becoming an option. The easiest place to start is in the home, with a wireless network; for a quick look at Wi-F’s fundamentals, check out the feature on page 10. We also delve into Wi-Di, Intel’s new “wireless display” technology, on page 26. It will blow your mind! Far from being an “idiot box”, today’s TVs are cleverer than ever. But what is a Smart TV and why would you choose this over other HD TV options? Christo van Gemert looks at this and more, so turn to page 14 for the simple solution to media magic. Hot product reviews this month include two smartphones – the Motorola Atrix and Nokia’s N9 – as well as Skullcandy RocNation Aviator headphones. We also have a gaming firstperson shooter showdown between Battlefield 3 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (pg 62). Best of all, you can win an amazing Fujifilm FinePix HS20 worth R6 000! Connect is the only technology magazine that speaks your language – enjoy the read! Tiana Cline Editor

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

REVIEWS Deon du Plessis EDITOR deon@connectmag.co.za TECHNOLOGY Christo van Gemert EDITOR christo@connectmag.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Tamsin Mackay Adam Oxford ART DIRECTOR Jason Palmer jason@connectmag.co.za

SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@connectmag.co.za ADVERTISING Dorothy Haggard dorothy@connectmag.co.za Contact Hypertext Media Communications (011) 023-8001/4 info@hypertext.co.za FAX 08654 83304

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

in the news...

Speedier iPhone inbound In addition to the iOS5 update, Apple also revised its popular iPhone. Named the iPhone 4S, the biggest new addition is a feature called Personal Assistant. This is one of the smartest voice recognition systems in the world, and understands simple commands such as, “What is the weather like today?”, which will have it search local weather conditions and show them to you. Personal Assistant can also be used to compose e-mails or text messages, and add entries to your calendar. All in all, this makes it the smartest iPhone yet. > Mobile operators have given no date for the introduction of the iPhone 4S, but we expect it by early next year…

iUpgrade If you’re the proud owner of one of Apple’s many devices running iOS (basically, anything with a touchscreen), you’ll want to make sure you’ve upgraded to the latest version of the Operating System, version 5. A multitude of new features and enhancements await users, including a new notification, new functions for the camera, and new multi-touch gestures on the iPad 2. One of the other great

additions is iCloud functionality: users will get a free e-mail address ending in @me.com, 5GB of online storage, and synchronisation across all their Apple gadgets. Devices that support the free upgrade to iOS5 include the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPad, iPad 2 and the iPod Touch. > To get the update, simply synchronise your device with iTunes, on your computer, or pop into your nearest Apple retailer for assistance.

TomTop Gear Petrolheads, listen up. Navigation experts TomTom have partnered up with BBC’s popular Top Gear to bring a Jeremy Clarkson-voiced TomTom GPS to the market. The motoringthemed GPS also has a Stig mode that’ll render it silent, just like the show’s tame racing driver. Other features include Top Gear-selected points of interest, Top Gear car icons and additional graphics from the hit show. The Go Live! Top Gear edition also has TomTom’s fantastic HD Traffic, helping you get to your appointments at the race track on time, every time. > It’s available in stores right now, for R1 999.95.

6 | connect | November 2011

App of the Month: Easy K53 (iOS, Android) Easy K53 helps you prepare for the K53 Learner’s Licence test and pass it, the first time! This app takes a results-based approach to learning, letting you identify where your weaknesses are so you can focus on becoming fully familiar with the material that might catch you out during the test. Easy K53 lets you: > Test your knowledge of the K53 syllabus with real-time feedback in Practice Mode. > Take a simulated test that mimics the actual K53 Learner’s Licence test and then view a detailed breakdown of your results so that you can identify which parts of the syllabus you need to practise again. Rating: 4 Stars

18V

techno jargon // by christo van gemert

8 | connect | November 2011

Android

With so much jargon being produced by the technology industry, it can be hard to keep up. Here are just a few common terms you’re likely to encounter.

Google’s mobile operating system competes with Apple’s iOS. Until recently there were two separate versions for tablets and phones, but the latest release – version 4, also codenamed Ice Cream Sandwich – is a unified version for both types of devices. When it comes to issuing new versions of Android, Google will release its standard version – with no additional tweaks – and it is up to the device manufacturers to apply their magic touches, before releasing a tailored version for their phones and tablets. With a bit of technical know-how it is possible to install a standard version of Android on your phone or tablet, but you will forego special features the manufacturer may have included.

Music formats

Frequency response

Digital music can be stored in a number of formats, with two distinct categories: lossy compression and lossless compression. As the name suggests, a lossy compression will lose data – usually the audio you cannot hear over computer speakers – in exchange for a smaller file size. Smaller file sizes means more music per megabyte. Lossless music formats manage to squeeze the music files a bit, for smaller overall size, but no data is lost. The original audio quality remains intact. Lossy music compression includes: MP3, AAC, OGG and WMA. Lossless music formats are less widely supported, but file formats include: FLAC, APE and ALAC.

When dealing with speakers one of the important statistics to look at is frequency response. This determines which frequencies a speaker is capable of reproducing. Certain speakers are specially designed for specific frequency ranges. For instance, subwoofers will only reproduce low frequencies, usually between 20Hz and 200Hz. Tweeters, on the other hand, are designed for high frequencies, between 2000Hz and 20 000Hz (or 20 kilohertz, kHz). When looking for speakers that reproduce excellent base, a lower number is better.

GPS Image sensor This is “film” for digital cameras: a photosensitive microchip that captures images when exposed to light. The image sensor is what gets a megapixel rating, where one megapixel is one million pixels. Aside from its pixel rating, an image sensor has many other qualities that determine how good it is at its job. ISO is the overall sensitivity to light. The sensor format determines its dimensions and aspect ratio – popular formats include 35mm, APS-C and 4:3rds.

iOS In short, this stands for “i Operating System”, the mobile operating system for Apple’s iDevices: the iPad, iPod touch and iPhone. It is loosely based on the desktop operating system for Apple computers, Mac OS X, and relies heavily on the iTunes App Store for third-party applications. The latest release of iOS is version 5, which includes 200 new features, the biggest of which is iCloud integration. This allows users to store data and back up their device content to online servers, when connected to a wi-fi data network.

The acronym for Global Positioning System, sometimes used to refer to a personal navigation device. The global positioning system comprises a network of 13 satellites (as of 2011) that orbit the planet. The network is run and funded by the US government, and certain restrictions apply to civilian receivers. Using relative positioning data, a set of satellites can help a receiving device determine its exact longitude, latitude and altitude. GPS satellites can also be used to determine time. Competing satellite networks include Russia’s GLONASS, Europe’s Galileo (to launch in 2014), China’s Beidou and COMPASS, India’s IRNSS and Japan’s QZSS.

www.connectmag.co.za | 9

buying advice //by Deon Du Plessis

wireless

A guide to...

There is a lot more to wireless technology than just a lack of cables. Connect digs a little deeper to clarify what makes for a fast, secure and wide-ranging wireless network by looking at some of the terms shoppers will come across in their quest for wirelessness.

10 | connect | November 2011

e live in a world that is quickly moving toward a completely wireless future. Even today, wireless technology is found almost everywhere, and as its popularity grows, consumers need to know more about it in order to adopt it into their own lives. The rise of wireless networking, in particular, is more relevant than other wireless technologies because it’s necessary to provide Internet access and network functionality to devices like cellphones and notebooks. It’s not just businesses that need this technology, either – modern families want it to connect their devices together for convenient sharing, not to mention surfing the Internet from anywhere in the home. The question is what to buy that will allow that, which is what we’re going to answer in this article.

What is needed? Generally speaking, the only piece of hardware anyone needs to create a wireless network in their home or office is a router. There are several categories of router, however, not all of which include a wireless component. Routers fit into the following categories:

Router This only offers wired connectivity, so all devices need to connect to it using cables. It does not provide Internet connectivity. Modem Router This kind of router includes an ADSL modem (a connection to the Internet that uses a phone line to connect to an Internet Service Provider) and several wired network ports that distribute the Internet signal over cables to desktop and notebook computers. Did you know? Routers are called routers because they use sophisticated techniques to “route” bits of digital information (called “packets”) from one computer to another. Wireless Modem Router This router is the most common type available from shops. It connects to the Internet using ADSL and distributes the signal over both wireless and wired connections. 3G/HSDPA Modem Router While the description does not specifically mention wireless technology, this kind of router provides high-speed Internet access using 3G technology and distributes that signal over wireless and wired connections. It requires a SIM card from a cellular provider in order to work.

Internet Access Options ADSL ADSL stands for Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line, and it allows Internet access from buildings that have land-based telephone lines installed. Speeds available locally include 384kbps, 1 024kbps and 4 096kbps, and in some areas it’s even possible to get “up to 10240mbps”. Users need to pay for the landline rental, access to the ADSL circuit and however much monthly data they think they will need, which varies by service provider. 3G 3G stands for “third generation”, and it refers to the 3rd version of cellular technology used in cellular networks. It offers faster access speeds than previous generations, and is able to cover a wider area and support more connections per cell tower than before. HSDPA High Speed Downlink Packet Access, or HSDPA, is an enhanced 3rd-generation cellular connectivity technology (sometimes referred to as 3.5G). It offers speeds of up to 14mbps. HSPA+ is currently the most advanced of the High Speed Packet Access family of technologies, boasting a maximum download speed of 84mbps. The higher that mbps figure, the faster information will download from the Internet to a computer.

AIEEE! What does IEEE802.11b/g/n mean? There is a complicated, real-world story behind that long, technical-sounding term, but we won’t bore you with it. All you need to know is that it refers to the wireless networking technology used by the router, and that the router can be set up so that all devices that support b, g or n wireless networking standards can use it. These letters represent improvements in the technology, so b is the first and slowest of the lot, g is slightly faster, and n is the best. IEEE802.11n routers also cover the widest areas, support the fastest transfer speeds and are less prone to interference from objects between the router and the connected computers because of its superior design. Basically, if you have a big home or a medium-sized office and wish to create a wireless network that lets devices connect to it from anywhere in the building, you should use an IEEE802.11n router.

Wired vs. wireless networks A connection to a router that uses a cable is much faster than even the fastest wireless connection, so why should anyone go wireless? The answer is convenience. It’s far easier to set up a wireless network than it is to physically install the cabling needed to connect desktop and notebook computers to the network. Wireless connectivity also means gadgets that support Wi-Fi (like smartphones) can easily connect, and users can move around the coverage area with their gadgets while still remaining joined to the network. Wired has its advantages A wired connection to a router offers serious speed and reliability benefits over wireless. Top-end consumer-grade routers today have Gigabit Ethernet ports, which support transfer speeds of up to 1 000mbps, or 125MB/s. Wired connections are also less likely to fail or be affected by external factors like the size of a room or the objects in that room, like a wireless signal is. For some, that makes the inconvenience of installing cables worth the trouble.

www.connectmag.co.za | 11

buying advice WPS: Wireless network setup made easy Setting up a wireless network doesn’t have to be a major technical undertaking. WPS, or Wireless Protected Setup, was developed specifically to be the easiest possible way for ordinary consumers to set up their wireless network. WPS requires both the router and the connecting device to support it, and it greatly simplifies joining and securing a wireless network. Simply press the WPS button on the router and then enter the PIN number (usually printed on the router somewhere) into the device as it attempts to connect, and voilà, an instant, secure wireless connection will be created. The biggest problem with WPS is that it is only easy to use if all de vices connecting to the wireless router support it. WPS randomly generates the information needed to join the network every time a new device connects, which makes manually connecting a rather complicated process.

But is wireless secure? Forget what you may have seen in the movies – if secured properly, it’s nearly impossible to join a wireless network as an unauthorised guest. This is thanks to advancements in wireless security protocols that use world-class encryption to ensure that only authorised users can connect. WEP WEP was one of the first wireless security standards, and it stood for Wired Equivalent Privacy, suggesting that using WEP was as secure as using a cable to connect to the router. It wasn’t, and it was quickly replaced by WPA and WPA2. WEP’s design had so many easily-exploitable flaws that today most network administrators will laugh if WEP is suggested as a way to secure their wireless networks. The bottom line here is that you shouldn’t use WEP when setting up your wireless network security – WPA and WPA2 are much more secure options. WPA/WPA2 WPA stands for Wireless Protected Access and it was developed to address several shortcomings in WEP’s initial design. WPA2 is the successor to WPA, and offers the highest degree of consumer-grade wireless security available today. Once you’ve secured your network with WPA2, its advanced encryption will ensure that all data sent wirelessly by the router and its connected devices is not intercepted by hackers.

12 | connect | November 2011

We recommend With all of this information at your fingertips, you’re ready to decide on which router is best for you. We highly recommend one that supports IEEE802.11b/g/n because of the range and speed it is capable of, WPA and WPA2 security because of their effectiveness, and Gigabit Ethernet ports for the speed and the flexibility they provide in terms of connection options.

back to basics //by christo van gemert

versatile

visua s

14 | connect | November 2011

It feels like only yesterday that we were told to turn in our fat CRT televisions to get HD TVs. Then it was about LCD vs plasma, and now we have 3D LED HD TVs. Let’s decipher this alphabet soup and hand out some advice on what your next TV should be...

Acronyms Anonymous HD TV High-definition television: any tuner-equipped television set capable of displaying content at high-definition resolutions. HDMI High-definition Multimedia Interface: the all-in-one digital connector used to link your HD devices; carries both audio and video. LCD Liquid Crystal Display: this is the primary type of glass display technology used in almost all electronics today. LED Light Emitting Diode: it’s a type of light bulb, usually small, used to provide backlighting for LCD TVs.

f you’re in the market for a TV right now, you’ll have almost no choice but to get an HD TV. What’s inside that TV depends on your budget, but chances are it’ll be an LCD of some sort. Plasma displays are still available, but the number of high-end sets is dwindling. If you were to get a high-end HD TV, it’ll be an LCD screen with LED backlighting, possibly with 3D built in. Mid-range displays will lack 3D, but that’s not a bad thing. 3D technology still needs to get a bit more advanced before it’s really viable for everyday use, or at least useful for most gaming and 3D movies. A good, midrange HD TV should also have LED backlighting, a healthy number of ports for linking up all of your sources, and a good refresh rate. This is the hertz figure, and it should be more than 120Hz. We’ve detailed each of the buying points below, and also explain what some of the important terms mean. Happy shopping!

CCFL Cold Cathode Fluorescent Light: similar to the tubular neon lights in offices, but smaller. These are used in cheaper TVs, instead of LEDs. 3D TV A 3D-capable HD TV. Usually requires special glasses to view the image. 720P The lower of the 2 HD resolutions. On a computer, this would be a resolution of 1 280 (columns) by 720 (lines). 1080P Also known as Full HD. The real deal, and highest resolution for current entertainment standards. On a PC, it would be 1 920 (columns) by 1 080 (lines).

Backlight Background If you go into a store and the sales guy tries to sweet-talk you into buying an LED TV, with a confusing explanation to seal the deal, don’t worry. LED TVs are LCD TVs that use LED backlighting. Do you want it? The short answer is yes. LED lighting is more power-efficient, so your TV will run cooler and use less power, but LED lighting is also a lot brighter. Certain TVs will use LEDs for dynamic or localised backlighting, too. When a dark scene is on screen, the LEDs can be dimmed, making the blacks deeper. But when things brighten up again, the LEDs switch on and make the colours pop. TVs with LED backlighting are also a lot thinner than their counterparts with conventional backlighting, so they’ll look a lot prettier when mounted flush on a wall.

www.connectmag.co.za | 15

back to basics

Smarter TVs

3Demystified If you have your heart set on getting a 3D-capable HD TV, here’s what you need to know. There are currently 3 types of 3D TVs available, 2 types that use special 3D glasses, and 1 that does without the goofy goggles. Displays that require glasses will either have active shutter glasses or passive glasses. Active shutter glasses are used in conjunction with older displays, and the glasses will need to be recharged for continued use. It also requires the TV to have a higher refresh rate, because it’s doing double the work by generating an image for each eye. Newer displays, such as LG’s latest range of 3D TVs, use a technology called FPR (Film Patterned Retarder), which is just a special way for LCDs to use the same polarised glasses you use in the cinema. There are virtually no drawbacks to this technology, since glasses are very cheap and freely available, while the display itself is brighter than other 3D solutions. It’s also viewable from more angles. Glasses-free 3D TV is still a developing technology, but there are some models available on the market. These work similar to the 3D display in the Nintendo 3DS, which means you have a very narrow field of view. With a glasses-free display, you’ll almost always have to be sitting directly in front of the TV. That’s fine if you’re a household of two with a single couch, but not that great when you have a big family and all want visuals that literally pop out of the screen.

16 | connect | November 2011

One emerging technology, or rather buzzword, is Smart TV. As we saw with mobile phones, which became “smart” when they gained the ability to have apps installed, smart TV allows users to do more than just watch TV. LG, Samsung, Panasonic, Sony and all the other manufacturers boast flagship models with some form of “smart” functionality. This ranges from the ability to play back media files on a USB storage device or wireless network, to Web browsing, YouTube playback, and more. The suite of smart functions depends on what the manufacturer chooses to include in the model, but many new models boast some form of additional functionality. With faster Internet connections, and online subscription models, your DStv subscription could soon become obsolete as smart HD TVs offer integration with streaming companies. It’s already possible to watch free content from certain services (if your connection is fast enough), stream Web radio and photo albums, or even browse interactive weather services. The availability of more content is the only issue currently standing in the way of this technology being rapidly adopted in SA.

Connect ‘Em Up You’ll want to ensure your new HD TV has enough ports to connect all of your sources – the devices that send a signal to the TV. Almost all modern devices will hook up via HDMI, so make sure the TV you want has at least one port for each device. Finding displays with 4 HDMI ports is not uncommon, so that’s a good number with which to start. Chances are you won’t need more than 4: 2 game consoles, a DStv HD PVR and a Bly-ray player seem like a fair call. In case you do need more, you might want to invest in either an HDMI switch box or a home theatre receiver. The former will give you more HDMI ports, but add another remote for switching between those inputs, while the latter can cost quite a lot, but does mean you can attach big speakers and have a proper cinema experience.

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make ‘em and break ‘em //by christo van gemert

t ugh

tech

If you think your laptop should stand up to life’s bumps and knocks, rather than being overly fragile, you might want to look at HP’s Elitebook range, or Lenovo’s Thinkpads. Both are, quite literally, tested to destruction. Connect went to HP’s labs in Houston, Texas, to see what these tests involve.

enovo, the company that purchased IBM’s personal computer division, have their Thinkpad laptops, which are regarded by many as the toughest business notebooks on the market – and the company’s marketers are willing to jump on the notebooks, during demonstrations, to prove this fact. Hewlett Packard, the world’s largest computer manufacturer, have recently introduced their Elitebook range of laptops. Like Lenovo’s Thinkpad computers, these are toughened up considerably. They’re made of metal and are subjected to rigorous tests, the kind used by the US Military to certify toughness, to make sure they’ll survive more than the average bump or knock while doing duty at home, in the office, or on the road.

18 | connect | November 2011

Military Mettle For their respective notebook lines, HP and Lenovo use the MIL-STD-810 tests to stress, and test for, weaknesses in their products. The full name for these mil standard tests is “Department of Defense Test Method Standard for Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests”. Put simply, these trials aim to push the hardware and design of the laptops to the maximum, so that they’re guaranteed to work in a number of adverse environmental and geological conditions. Whether you’re at the bottom of a mine, out at sea, in the desert or at a preschool, equipment certified by these tests will, as they say, take a licking and keep on ticking. Some of the MIL-STD-810 procedures include exposure to high and low temperatures, temperature shock, liquid and humidity intrusion, fungus, salt, dust, and shock and vibration – during storage, transport and operation.

Shocking stuff We might take for granted that our laptops boot up every single time, after being thrown around in a bag or bumped during operation. But they weren’t always this tough. Advancements in regular test procedures have made our normal notebooks resilient enough that they’re absolutely fine in normal operation, but when you’re a business pro looking for the ultimate in reliability, some extraordinary situations may present themselves. HP’s engineers showed us how they can run a 15 000 to 20 000-volt static charge through an Elitebook, while the machine is powered up, with no adverse effects. This comes down to more than just good grounding and electrical management, though. Components have to be specifically insulated, and power adapters for these machines need to cope with surges on both ends. Equipment used in hospitals, for instance, is subject to more stringent rules, and HP make sure their power

supplies do not present any feedback to the wiring in a building. Even though regulatory bodies across the world demand testing for this, the Elite line is tested to double the necessary standards. The other kind of shock – from vibration and drops – is also a very real danger. Lenovo are quite proud of their magnesium alloy chassis, used in the Thinkpads. These machines helped pioneer a safety mechanism built into almost all laptops these days: hard-drive drop detection. With this technology, the computer has sensors capable of detecting when it is dropped. It can react in milliseconds, and park the write head on a spinning hard drive to make sure no data is lost or disk platters damaged. Back at HP’s Elite labs, engineers perform drop tests from 76cm. After landing on a solid wood surface, an Elitebook is required to power up and continue operation without fault. Thanks to solid engineering, it does. Nothing is left to chance, though. Machines are even tested while in full retail or shipment packaging, to ensure that everything remains in place after a bumpy flight on a transport plane, or a rough ride on a shipping truck.

www.connectmag.co.za | 19

make ‘em and break ‘em

Climate catastrophe One of the things Lenovo proudly show off on the Thinkpads is the spill-resistant keyboard. A drainage trough is built into the chassis, and if you manage to empty half a glass of water onto the keyboard, the liquid will safely drain out the bottom, away from the electronics. Both HP and Lenovo have other environmental tests, too. Climate chambers simulate extreme altitude, where a computer’s cooling system will be less effective, to make sure fans still operate silently and effectively. Humidity is simulated, in addition to salt content in the air, to emulate environments where rust and water could affect circuitry. Ventilation systems also have to channel air effectively, so that any unfiltered dust doesn’t accumulate near components that could get damaged. While these are practical concerns, nobody wants a laptop that has a whining fan. Here, anechoic chambers are set up as silent rooms and tests are run to make sure the laptop stays within noise tolerance levels.

Beyond the call of duty While the Elitebooks and Thinkpads are aimed at business users, they’re still excellent machines for home users to buy. The additional engineering does draw a premium, however, and often these machines come with special warranty and support plans, so expect to pay more for a machine that’s tougher than it is pretty.

20 | connect | November 2011

Poking and prodding HP’s lab engineers have automated testing systems that have robots literally pushing buttons and opening latches. The hinge connecting a display to a laptop is tested for days on end to make sure no design flaws cause failures. Keyboards are tested with millions of keystrokes to test durability – something that’s led to a special coating being applied to the keys, ensuring the letter markings don’t fade away after extended use. The bezel making up the edge of a laptop display is pressure-tested, so that it doesn’t crack the glass screen when users pinch it. And laptop lids are weight-tested up to 120kg to make sure the computer survives even if you accidentally stand on it.

flashback //by christo van gemert

. . . e h t f o y r o The hist

Apple iPod Today we take the iPod for granted, but it’s been a rocky road for digital music devices. Things weren’t always simple, and the first devices didn’t even have enough storage for a whole album. Let’s take a look at how it all started...

1988 There is a falling out within his company and, failing to raise money for a patent renewal, Kramer’s designs for the IXI enter the public domain.

1979 British inventor Kane Kramer creates a prototype for a digital music player. It’s capable of storing 3.5 minutes of audio on an 8MB bubble memory chip. His initial report also contained descriptions of a download music service – how prophetic.

2000 Computer audio expert Creative Labs show off their Creative NOMAD Jukebox, a 6GB hard drive-based digital audio player. It becomes the iPod before the iPod, but a year later it’s eclipsed by…

1986 After receiving patents in the early ‘80s, Kramer’s prototype makes it into a pre-production phase and goes on show at a trade exhibition in October 1986. He allegedly receives £60 million in pre-orders for the device, from the music industry.

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2001

1996 – 2000 Development is quiet for a few years, as computer memory and chip technology advances. Eventually, a company called Audio Highway announces its Listen Up player. It’s the first-ever digital music player supporting the MP3 format. Despite critical acclaim, the device never goes on sale and only 25 units are made. Around 1998, with the MP3 format finally gaining popularity, many devices are released. Most ship with 32MB of removable memory, others with 4.8GB or 6GB laptop hard drives.

Steve Jobs of Apple takes to the stage on October 23, 2001, and shows off the iPod. It has 5GB of storage but, crucially, uses a Microdrive instead of a laptop hard drive. This means a smaller device. The first iPod has the simple clickwheel interface, but works with Macs only.

2007 Apple gives the world the iPhone in January, and follows it up with the iPod Touch, the first fulltouchscreen media player, with functions such as Web browsing.

2004

2002

With the regular iPod doing well, and available in 20GB or 40GB capacities, Apple releases the first generation iPod Mini, with a 4GB hard drive. It lasts two generations. Microsoft announces it’s working on a Portable Media Centre solution with Creative Labs.

In July, Apple announces a refresh of the iPod. It remains largely similar, but now gains compatibility with Windows computers through Musicmatch software – iTunes for Windows would only come much later. Meanwhile, a company called Archos releases its own hard drive-based players – the chunky, but Windows-friendly Archos Jukebox.

2006 Microsoft releases the Zune, a solid product and fine competitor to the iPod. It has a strong music marketplace, with a set subscription fee for as much music as you’d like. Despite offering value and innovation, users still flock to the iPod.

2005 Apple’s innovation and domination continues, with few competitors stepping up to the plate. It releases the first-generation iPod nano, to replace the mini, while the classic iPod gets a 60GB hard drive and colour display for movie and photo playback. Joining them is the first-generation iPod shuffle, a more affordable iPod with less storage, but lacking a display.

2003 The iTunes Music Store goes live, with 200 000 items available for purchase. It takes just 5 years for it to become the biggest music store in America.

2011 This year sees the iPod’s 10th birthday. More than 300-million of the devices have been sold and Apple holds a healthy 78% share of the portable music player market. The iTunes Music Store has had 16-billion downloads, and counting. At this year’s annual event, the company refreshed its nano and touch models, while retaining the venerable classic with its 160GB capacity. There are many other players on the market, but the one starting with i is the one that’s become synonymous with portable digital music. It’s the new Walkman.

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opening new windows //by brett haggard

Microsoft’s latest OS explored Windows 8 is the next version of Microsoft Windows for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, netbooks, tablets, servers, and media centre PCs. Here’s a nuts ‘n’ bolts look at the latest build and what to expect. Look and feel

Quite a departure Windows 8 is quite a departure from Windows 7 – the new Operating System (OS) boots in a ridiculously short time period and is very smartphone-like. On start-up, you’ll be presented with a lock screen (much like you’d expect on a phone or tablet), which displays some of your most relevant user information. This includes things like what’s coming up next in your diary, unread e-mails, other unread messages and your computer’s battery life. Even though there is the option of logging in with a password as normal, Microsoft has invented a new method called “picture password”. This entails making a gesture or two over a familiar picture, such as that of a family member, your favourite pet, etc.

24 | connect | November 2011

A couple of things are vastly different from previous versions of Windows, like the disappearance of the “iconic” icons and the emergence of touch as a universal mechanism for navigation. Jensen Harris, Microsoft’s director of Program Management for the Microsoft Windows User Experience Team, says the company has replaced icons with tiles because tiles are far more expressive – they can be resized, dragged and grouped on different parts of the start screen, which stretches out towards the right in an almost movie-reel-type way. Either gesture to pan across the start screen, or pinch to zoom out (something Microsoft calls semantic zoom) to get a ‘stepped back’ view of the whole start screen.

Cloudy synchronisation functionality

Metro-style applications

In today’s technological age, it’s easy to have 3 main gadgets on the go: a notebook or PC, a smartphone and a tablet. Some users, however, have more than that, such as a desktop-based work PC and a desktop-based home PC. And if keeping data in sync across all of those devices is a challenge, keeping preferences and passwords is an even bigger issue. With Windows 8 and Live ID, however, this is a breeze. Data can be synchronised across multiple devices through SkyDrive, Microsoft’s cloud storage solution. Just imagine: you edit a profile picture on one machine and it’s automatically changed on the other. The same holds true for the personalised aspects of the OS – desktop wallpapers, images shown on the lock screen and security credentials. Using Windows 8, the SkyDrive-powered photo reel is really simple but hugely effective: take a photo on your tablet, smartphone or any other Live-enabled device and the photo reel will automatically sync with the cloud.

The look and feel of the start screen carries through to the applications themselves, which again strongly resemble the slick, content-rich applications on Windows Phone. Microsoft calls this new application look “metro-style”. Metro-style applications have been designed around content and can easily share content with other applications. They can also be searched for content that can, in turn, be sent to a contact. Microsoft enables this through a mechanism called “contracts”. Contracts have been described as “the clipboard of the future” and in the same way the clipboard helped applications move data around the Operating System, so contracts allow for content to move around Windows 8, but with added context.

Lucky charms Contracts are invoked by a sweeping right-to-left gesture from the edge of the touchscreen. This is represented by an interface or context menu Microsoft is calling “charms”. Charms consist of five icons: Search Share Start Devices Settings

Windows store Microsoft will be launching an online applications store, similar to the one through which it currently sells Windows Phone applications – only on a much bigger scale. Will South Africa be included on the list of countries to host such a store with Windows 8’s release? Watch this space.

While “Share” and “Search” make use of contracts, “Start” takes you back to the start screen, and “Devices” gives access to shortcuts of sorts that relate to external peripherals, such as a projector or printer.

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intel’s wireless display technology //by deon du plessis

wireless

spectacle

Wi-Di is a great way to watch movies stored on an Intel notebook on a bigger screen, without the hassle of connecting the two devices with a cable. Connect takes a look at how it works, and why it’s one of the cooler new technologies we’ve seen lately...

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ell, new-ish. Intel launched Wi‑Di in early 2010, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, but it’s only now gaining momentum in the market. The basic idea is that instead of using a cable to connect a laptop’s display to a bigger screen, Intel makes special use of its wireless networking and integrated HD display technologies to wirelessly send audio and video signals to a receiver attached to an external screen. The secret to Wi‑Di’s effectiveness lies in the hardware. Between 2005 and 2010, Intel secretly worked on a way to accelerate one of the most demanding tasks a processor could face – video encoding and decoding. The result was an amazingly fast technology Intel dubbed ‘Quick Sync’. Now, all second-generation Sandy Bridge mobile processors (found in all Intel-based notebooks shipped from Q2 2011 onwards) have Quick Sync support built in. This is important because Wi‑Di uses Quick Sync to encode the notebook’s video and audio signals into data that is then broadcasted over Wi-Fi to a receiver attached to the intended HD TV, which then decodes it and displays the final result onscreen. Without Quick Sync, the encoding process would use up a lot more of the CPU’s power and the picture on the receiving screen wouldn’t be as smooth. Quick Sync ensures that Wi‑Di works smoothly, and makes it possible to watch movies

on that secondary screen without being exposed to experience-ruining things like choppiness and out-of-sync audio. Playing 3D games using a Wi‑Di-connected TV is not an option, however, as 3D graphics are a lot more data-intensive than 2D content. The best use of Wi‑Di is for watching videos – either online or stored on the notebook’s hard drive – or conveniently connecting to an external display for presentation. When it first launched, Wi‑Di could stream a laptop’s screen contents to an external screen, but it couldn’t play content like DVDs, Blu-ray discs or any digital videos protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) software. With the recent update to Wi‑Di version 2.0, that’s now possible. It’s fair to say that viewing Blu-ray and DVD videos using Wi‑Di is a pretty complicated solution, but at least the functionality is there. It’s nice to know that consumers are being given the choice to use it if they wish. To make use of Wi‑Di, you’ll need a notebook with a compatible processor, an Intel HD Graphics processor and a wireless receiver to connect to your desired screen. At the moment, Belkin, Netgear and D-Link are the only 3 manufacturers that supply Wi‑Di adapters. South African consumers may have to shop online to find them as they were rather scarce at the time of writing. They also cost around R1 000 each, but the end result is well worth the cash if you really, really hate cable clutter.

Processors with Wi-Di support: Intel® Core™ i7: 640M; 660LM; 640LM; 620LM; 620M; 610E; 690UM; 680UM; 660UM; 640UM; 620UM; 660UE; 2710QE; 2820QM; 2720QM; 2635QM; 2630QM; 2657M; 2649M; 2629M; 2620M; 2617M; 2540M; 2520M; 2510E; 2640LM; 2620LM; 2630UM; 2610UM; 2530UM; 2920XM Intel® Core™ i5: 580M; 560M; 540M; 520M; 480M; 460M; 450M; 430M; 580UM; 560UM; 540UM; 520UM; 470UM; 430UM; 2540M; 2520M; 2410M; 2537M Intel® Core™ i3: 390M; 380M; 370M; 350M; 330M; 330E; 2310M Graphics: Intel® HD graphics Wireless Networking: Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N 1000, 1030 Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N 6200, 6205, or 6230 Intel® Centrino® Wireless-N + WiMAX 6150 Intel® Centrino® Advanced-N + WiMAX 6250 Intel® Centrino® Ultimate-N 6300 Software: Intel® My WiFi Technology (Intel® MWT) and Intel® Wireless Display must be preinstalled and enabled. Operating Systems: Microsoft Windows 7: Home Premium Professional Ultimate 32-bit and 64-bit

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free stuff //by deon du plessis

The Best e e fr Apps Gadgets without apps are just expensive paperweights. We take a look at 5 cool apps each for your PC, Mac and Android devices.

Windows: Winamp Winamp has been going since the 90s, and it’s a fantastic program for playing back music and video files from all kinds of sources. It can be customised with user-created “skins” to make it more personal, and it supports a wide range of popular and obscure media file formats. Category: Media Playback Get it from: http://www.winamp.com License: Free lite edition, Professional edition costs US$19.95

WinRAR Compressing files is a popular way to save on storage space, and there are a great many different compression formats to choose from. You need a program that handles many of the most popular ones to manage them all, and one of the very best of these is WinRAR. It supports common formats like .ZIP, .RAR, .ARJ, .ACE and .7Z, as well as a host of obscure ones including .CAB, .TAR, .UUE and .LZH. Category: Compression Tool Get it from: http://www.rarlabs.com License: Shareware, 40-day trial

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VLC Media Player This lightweight media player is extremely powerful, and is able to play back almost all video formats (including DVDs and Blu-rays) without requiring additional software. It’s particularly good for hassle-free 1080p movie file playback, and constant support from the developers means it keeps pace with new video format innovations. Category: Media Playback Get it from: http://www.videolan.org/vlc License: Free

Macintosh:

Adium

FoxIT PDF Reader 5.0 Some PDF reader programs are big and bloated and slow to load. Not FoxIT PDF – it’s completely free and incredibly fast, the perfect app to choose if all you need is a basic PDF viewer. Category: PDF Reader Get it from: http://www.foxitsoftware.com License: Free

Skype Skype is more than just a communications tool; it’s become a global phenomenon. It’s the best way to use the Internet to talk to friends, colleagues and family, as it supports text, video and audio conversations. You can even hold a video conference with multiple people, make calls to land lines in most countries (a paid-for service) and use it to manage your voicemail. Category: Communications Get it from: http://www.skype.com License: Free, with some paid-for premium features

With so many different Internet chat programs out there, it’s about time there was a way to access them all from a single interface. That is exactly what Adium does – no matter if your contacts are using Windows Live Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger, Adium lets you see and interact with them from one place. Category: Communications Get it from: http://adium.im License: Free

The Unarchiver

GIMP

The Unarchiver does for Macs what WinRAR does for PCs – it is a compression utility used to open and create compressed files. It supports a wide range of formats, and is multi-lingual and able to handle files in 12 languages. It is a small program that works quickly, and one no Mac user should be without. Category: Compression Utility Get it from: The Mac App store License: Free

This completely free image manipulation program is so good it rivals PhotoShop in terms of features, power and usability. Use it to retouch photos, edit your own images and even create new images from scratch. Category: Image Manipulation Get it from: http://www.gimp.org License: Free

Miro Video Converter

Burn

Getting videos that play on your Mac to also work on mobile devices like iPods, iPhones and Android smartphones can be an annoying, fiddly process. Miro Video Converter changes that by making it easy to convert videos into a wide variety of mobile formats that play flawlessly on their respective platforms Category: Multimedia Conversion Get it from: http://www.mirovideoconverter.com License: Free

Burning CDs, DVDs, data discs, discs full of music files and more is made incredibly simple with Burn, one of the best disc-authorising tools for Macs. The simple interface hides some pretty complex functionality that includes video conversion, making Burn an ideal tool for everyone from beginners to experts. Category: Disc-authoring Get it from: http://burn-osx.sourceforge.net/ License: Free

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free stuff

Foursquare Using the location information generated by the GPS found in most cellular phones, Foursquare lets you see where your friends are located, and allows you to broadcast your own position. It’s a great way to rate the places you visit and share tips about what’s so good about them with friends. Category: Social media and mapping Get it from: Android Marketplace License: Free

Data Counter South Africans are extremely sensitive to the cost of Internet data, which is why Data Counter is such a handy app – it tracks the amount of data used by your phone’s 3G and Wi-Fi connections. Knowing if your phone is chewing through data means you can stop the offending application before things get too far out of hand. Category: Data Management Get it from: Android Marketplace License: Free

Android: Google Sky Map As the name suggests, this app gives Android users the ability to raise their phones or tablets to the sky and see a map of the stars. Open the app, raise your phone to the sky and Sky Map shows you what stars you’re looking at. Search for planets, constellations and other heavenly bodies and the app will direct your phone to where they are located in the night sky. Category: Mapping Get it from: Android Marketplace License: Free

Task Manager One of the hardest things to accept about the Android operating system is the lack of an easy way to force applications to close. Task Manager is an app that lets you manage all open applications and close those that aren’t in use, quickly and easily. Category: Application Management Get it from: Android Marketplace License: Free

30 | connect | November 2011

Seesmic Managing social networks is vital as there are so many these days. Seesmic brings together Twitter, Facebook, Google Buzz and Salesforce under a single umbrella, and lets you manage them all from your Android device. Category: Social Media Get it from: Android Marketplace License: Free

product reviews // by Deon Du PLessis & Christo van Gemert

Previews Galore

Contents

ow, what a month! We’ve been beavering away merrily here at Connect HQ to bring you a whole slew of First Looks and a healthy dose of reviews, too. Lately, we’ve seen things that would blow a techie’s mind, like Samsung’s almost-here Series 7 Slate tablet PC and the new Eee Pad Transformer tablet from Asus. We’ve also had a sneak peek at a very neat GPS from TomTom that makes great use of a very, very famous TV show that I’m sure you’re going to love. It’s also been the month for huge notebooks – we’ve reviewed not one, but 2 massive machines that would make an athlete’s lap groan under the strain of their weight. They’re not great for travelling, but they’re excellent desktop replacements. One of them can even game respectably! And that’s it from me. Now for the year-end push, and that’s 2011 done and dusted. My, how time flies. Until next month, Deon

While we make every effort to ensure pricing is accurate before we go to print, sometimes through circumstances we have no control over, the prices in Connect may differ from those you’ll see on store shelves. In all cases, shelf pricing takes precedence. 32 | connect | November 2011

34 36 37 38 40 42 43 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 59 60

First look - Asus Eee Pad Transformer First look - Samsung Series 7 Slate Tablet PC First look - Microsoft Windows 7 Touch Mouse First look - Nikon J1 First look - TomTom Top Gear GPS Nokia N9 Smartphone Motorola Atrix Smartphone Skullcandy Rocnation Aviators Dell XPS L702X Notebook Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G Sony B-Series Walkman Epson EB-S92 Projector Kodak EOS Office 2170 Printer Canon SX150 AVG Mobilation Adobe Photoshop Elements 10 Griffin PowerDock Dual Charging Station

product FIRST LOOK

Asus EeePad Transformer NEED TO KNOW • Android 3.2 • nVidia Tegra 2 processor • 10.1” IPS screen • 16GB/32GB of flash storage • EeeStation dock with keyboard/trackpad Availability: Christmas 2011

Android Honeycomb tablets are a dime a dozen these days, and with users somewhat spoilt for choice, the tablet vendors that manage to differentiate their offerings will be the ones to dominate. But, there’s differentiation, and differentiation. Bundling games, content and commonly-used applications (such as Twitter and 34 | connect | November 2011

products

Apple iPad 2

Facebook), along with customised user interfaces, isn’t all that attractive a differentiator anymore. Innovating when it comes to hardware design is. And in a sea of tablets that look and behave the same, it’s something that can allow one offering it to stand head and shoulders above the rest. For Samsung that meant making the GalaxyTab 10.1 thinner, lighter and faster than anything in its class. For Asus, it’s meant adding one of the most valuable peripherals into the mix – a keyboard dock. You’re probably thinking: “What good is a keyboard on a tablet? Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?” And the answer is: hell, no! Tablets are great for content consumption, and when it comes to using them as portable movie players, book readers, web browsers and gaming consoles, there’s very little one can do to improve on what’s already available. But the moment you try to create content on a tablet, you swiftly get irritated with the absence of a hardware keyboard and other interfaces, like more than one USB port. Now, for many third party accessory vendors, that’s left a great niche for add-ons. But, let’s face it; third party add-ons are seldom as good as something from the vendor itself. And that’s why we’re so excited about the EeePad’s innovative EeeStation. For about R1 500 more than the R5 000 you’re likely to pay for an entry-level 16GB EeePad, you get the ability to convert your media consumption device into a pretty capable Android 3.2-based netbook. And strangely enough, only once the device is converted into a netbook do you realise how useful Android Honeycomb is at being a netbook operating system. You get to choose between continuing to use the touch-based

interface for navigation (pressing down on the icons of the applications you want to launch), or flicking around content and pinching it to zoom in or out, or making use of the dock’s multi-touch trackpad. The keyboard, quite obviously, lets you type documents at speed and adds to the navigability of the operating system with dedicated keys that take you back to the home screen, into the settings and back to a previous screen of content. The biggest bonus, however, is the dock’s built-in battery, which drives up battery life by another 6 hours to a total of 16 hours. And remarkably, it doesn’t weigh a ton. The dock also adds 2 standard USB ports to the mix, for devices such as external hard disks, flash sticks and even a mouse (should you feel the need) and adds standard SD card capability to the tablet. By adding a keyboard, trackpad and some extra ports, Asus have placed their device in a league of its own. As far as we’re concerned, this makes the EeePad the Android tablet to go for right now.

The proverbial benchmark when it comes to tablets, the iPad’s sleek design, thin exterior and plethora of apps offer an appealing alternative.

Motorola Xoom

The other contender for the Android tablet crown, the Xoom, is packed with top-flight features and specifications.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • NVidia Tegra 2 processor • Android 3.2 Honeycomb • 16GB/32GB flash memory • 802.11b/g/n • 5MP camera • 9.5-hour battery standard, 16 hours with dock

Excitement potential

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

One of the best-looking pieces of consumer electronics kit ever, Samsung’s new 10.1 is the thinnest and lightest 10” available today.

www.connectmag.co.za | 35

product FIRST LOOK

Product Samsung Slate PC Series 7

Specs

NEED TO KNOW • Touch-based Windows 7 slate device • Choice of Core i3/i5 processor • Best of both worlds • Comes with external keyboard and docking device TBA

Samsung Slate PC Series 7 • Core i3/i5 processor • 2GB to 4GB of DDR3 memory • 11.6” LED touchscreen • 2MP webcam • 32GB to 128GB SDD drive • 802.11b/g/n networking • Micro HDMI out • 0.86kg • 6-hour battery • 0.5” thick

Since the release of the iPad a couple of years back, every technology vendor worth their salt has been trying to get into the touch-based computing market with a product of their own. And, ironically enough, the proverbial leader in the computing market – Microsoft – hasn’t been able to ante up anything in this regard. That is, of course, until recently. Instead of developing an entirely new Operating System tailored expressly for use on tablet devices, Microsoft has opted to throw some modifications into the Windows 7 mix and work closely with a handful of vendors to develop hardware platforms that make sense in the touch context. The Samsung Slate PC Series 7 is the first result of this collaboration. By choosing Windows 7 as the platform, a couple of benefits – apart from the ability to carry out serious work on your tablet – have immediately been brought to the fore. The most significant of these is the presence of a real Intel Core i3 or i5 processor and the ability to run more demanding tasks, such as full-

36 | connect | November 2011

blown word processing, e-mail, calendaring and even some games, with ease. At the same time, however, this means battery life takes a knock and the maximum amount of useful time users can expect from their tablet is 6 hours, well below that of other slate offerings. Ultimately, this new category of device will suit users who can’t decide between an ultraportable notebook and a slate, as it gives them the bets of both worlds and reduces complexity through running an Operating System that’s a known quantity, such as Windows. This approach will truly hit its stride when Windows 8 and its touchtailored interface becomes the dominant OS over the coming years. Whether it’s good enough to buck the market trend towards customised Operating Systems such as iOS and Android remains to be seen.

Pros

Cons

• Windows 7 on a slate device • Powerful Core i3/i5 processor • Runs standard Windows applications • Includes a keyboard and dock

• Notebook processor means battery life suffers • SSD drives increase the price and decrease capacity

Excitement Potential

product FIRST LOOK

Microsoft Touch Mouse NEED TO KNOW • Wireless, touch-sensitive mouse • Control your cursor with multi-finger swipes and gestures • Uses a tiny wireless receiver and Bluetrack technology Availability: Now

Microsoft’s new Touch Mouse is a wireless mouse designed to work with Windows 7. It uses Microsoft’s Bluetrack tracking technology that lets it work on reflective surfaces (including glass), it comes with a tiny nano USB dongle for convenient use with a notebook, and, most importantly, it translates finger movements across its surface into commands specific to Windows 7. The mouse has been designed to fit into the average human hand and is powered by AA batteries. Microsoft claims it can last up to 18 months before needing new batteries. Its surface is covered with tiny raised dots and Xes (think “Braille”) that are used to translate finger movements into commands. The two main buttons aren’t visible, but the top left and top right sides of the mouse’s surface are designed to click when pressed, providing users with feedback that indicates buttons have been pressed. There is also no visible scroll wheel, but this is because of the way the mouse works with touches. Swiping with a single finger produces the scroll effect, and a faster flick results in a quicker-than-normal scroll rate, handy for longer documents and Web pages. Swiping that same single finger to the left or right scrolls the on-screen document or Web page in those directions. If the document is too wide for the screen, for example, the Touch Mouse’s 4-way scrolling comes in handy. Other functions are accessed by swiping with 2 fingers. 2-finger swipes let you maximise, minimise and snap windows. Experienced

Product

Windows 7 users know just how useful it is to have 2 applications or documents open side-by-side using the snap function, and the Touch Mouse now provides an easier-than-ever way to set that up. It doesn’t stop there, either. 3-finger swipes reveal all open windows for easy selection and can also make the desktop visible in the same way pressing the Windows key and D does. The sides of the mouse are also touch-sensitive, which is great for right- and left-handed folks. By swiping your thumb across the thumb rest, you can access the Forward and Back functions that make navigating Web pages, Windows Explorer and Windows Photo Viewer so much easier. In addition to looking very cool, the Touch Mouse is quite hefty, so it’s got a nice feeling of weight to it. The tiny nano receiver that it ships with fits snugly into any USB port, but it’s particularly handy for notebook users as you can install it and just leave it plugged in. Desktop users worried that plugging the receiver into a USB port on the rear of their PCs might be a problem need not fret. Included in the box is a USB extension cable that the nano receiver plugs into, which can be taped to the desk the PC is on for maximum effectiveness. The attractive packaging, the awesome Windows 7 touch functionality and the look and feel of the Touch Mouse seem to indicate that Microsoft are listening ever harder to their fan base. We look forward to seeing more products from the boys and girls in Redmond over the next few months.

Specs

Microsoft Touch Mouse • Bluetrack technology for mousing on more surfaces • Touch-sensitive surface and ambidextrous design • Perform common Windows 7 shortcuts with finger gestures • 1-, 2- and 3-finger swipes supported • Wireless nano USB receiver fits neatly into any available USB port • Extension cable extends the range of the wireless nano receiver • Batteries last for up to 18 months

Excitement potential

www.connectmag.co.za | 37

product FIRST LOOK

Nikon J1 NEED TO KNOW • Nikon’s first mirrorless interchangeable lens camera • 10.1-megapixel still photos • Integrated projector for instant movie playback Availability: November/December

Earlier this year, Japanese camera manufacturer Nikon made one of the biggest announcements in its history: it will start shipping a mirrorless camera system, with interchangeable lenses. This is significant because, along with archrival Canon, Nikon’s only other interchangeable-lens offerings were from their SLR range. The fact that they’ve now joined the fierce competition, with established players like Olympus, Panasonic, Samsung, and Sony, is big news. A big name is finally taking this new segment seriously. Nikon have announced two models, the J1 and the V1, with the latter being aimed at professionals, and the J1 the more affordable consumer-focussed model. Don’t let the modest specifications be misleading, though. Many manufacturers have scaled back from 18and 20-megapixel sensors, and Nikon have chosen a 10-megapixel chip for the J1, which allows it to focus on ultimate image quality. This means no unwanted noise and grain when taking photos in low-light 38 | connect | November 2011

Also

Consider

conditions, at ISO 800 or ISO 1 600. The new camera system also implies a new lens system. Nikon have had their F-mount since 1959, and while that’s worked very well for SLR cameras, the small, compact J1 needs a new system, called the Nikon 1 Mount. This mount moves the lens elements closer to the camera sensor, so the 10mm – 30mm kit lens is actually the 35mm SLR equivalent of a 27mm – 81mm zoom lens. Nikon also announced 3 other lenses for the new camera system: a 10mm prime lens, a 30mm – 110mm lens and a 10mm –100mm lens. Those with an existing collection of Nikon lenses will be able to buy the FT-1 F-mount adapter, allowing them to use their F-mount lenses with the Nikon J1 and V1. The mirrorless system means framing photos on an electronic viewfinder, in this case a 3” display, but it also gives us slimmer cameras. The conventional mechanical shutter is now an electronic shutter capable of speeds of 1/16 000th of a second. A high-end SLR can only do 1/8 000th of a second. This translates into extremely fast photos in rapid succession. The J1 can take up to sixty 10-megapixel photos in a single second, with fixed focus. The hybrid phase-detect and contrast-detection autofocus system also means you’ll not spend any time waiting for the camera to focus on your subject. It also makes Nikon’s Smart Photo Selector a reality: when taking photos, the camera

will record multiple shots before and after the shutter was pressed, and select the one with the best focus and lighting, automatically. Users can also choose to manually select the best one of a series of photos. Finally, what would a modern camera be without a good movie mode? The J1 will record video in 1 080P, at 30 frames per second, or 1 080i at 60 frames per second. Lower-resolution movie modes are also available, with the ability to record in ultra slow motion for specific scenes.

Fujifilm X100

Fuji’s X100 is a fixed-lens solution, but this retro camera is one of the best we’ve used this year – it has amazing picture quality.

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Photos: 10.1 megapixels • Video: 1 080P full HD • Lens: 10mm – 30mm kit lens, interchangeable lens system • ISO range: 100 – 6 400 • Display: 3.0” • Storage: SD card slot

Excitement potential

Samsung NX10

Nikon are one of the late adopters when it comes to mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. Samsung, and others, had good offerings one to two years ago.

www.connectmag.co.za | 39

product FIRST LOOK

TomTom Top Gear Special Edition GPS Product

Specs

TomTom Top Gear Special Edition GPS • Screen size: 16:9, 4.3” • Bluetooth hands-free calling: Yes • Battery life: Up to 2 hours • Internal storage: 4GB • SD slot: Yes

NEED TO KNOW • GPS for fans of Top Gear • Voice guidance by Jeremy Clarkson • Ultra-quiet “Stig Mode” Availability: Now (R2 399.95)

If you’ve always dreamed of having Jeremy Clarkson guide your car around town with his trademark wit and humour, TomTom’s new Top Gear GPS might just be for you. Among the features of this new Special Edition TomTom, you’ll find voice guidance by Jezza himself, startup and shutdown screens emblazoned with Top Gear-related artwork and a silent “Stig Mode” for those times when Clarkson’s quips and jokes at your car’s expense wear a little thin. It’s a brilliant way to enhance TomTom’s already-excellent GPS line-up. The Top Gear extras are sure to amuse anyone who’s even vaguely enjoyed watching the world’s most famous motor men get up to mischief on the show. Besides that, knowing just how harsh Clarkson and the gang can be to sub-par products, their stamp of approval adds that extra layer of confidence that you’re not buying “utter rubbish”. Other Top Gear enhancements include special Top Gear icons for certain cars and emphasis on points of interest fans of the show might find interesting, like nearby race tracks. Beyond all the Top Gear trappings, users can expect plenty of TomTom’s usual services as part of the package. The GPS includes a 1-year subscription to TomTom’s excellent HD Traffic service, which will tell you in advance if the route you’ve chosen is congested with traffic and do

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its best to take you another way to your destination that’s somewhat more free-flowing. Its accuracy is maintained by traffic updates that are beamed to the device every 2 minutes, so it’s extremely trustworthy. The subscription also includes a year of traffic camera warnings, which can help motorists keep to the speed limit in heavily-monitored areas, thereby avoiding expensive fines. A new addition to the GPS’ service lineup is TomTom Weather, which provides drivers with a 5-day weather forecast. While that’s only as useful as any weather service (and only marginally better than simply sticking your head out the window to see what’s happening above you), it’s still a nice touch that drivers will grow to appreciate. Bluetooth hands-free calling is also present and accounted for, making the Top Gear TomTom GPS quite a valuable proposition, even if you’re not a huge fan of the show. The unit’s price may prove to be the clincher in many a sales pitch. Despite being heavily branded with Top Gear livery (or perhaps because of it), the Top Gear TomTom Special Edition GPS retails for only R1 999.95. That’s a great price for such a fully-featured navigation device. We were disappointed that our review unit didn’t arrive in time for this issue (hence this First Look and not a full-on review), but we can’t wait to be told what to do by Jezza himself, and look forward to telling you all about our handson time with this product in a future issue. Excitement potential

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Apple iPhone 4

The iconic touchphone that’s also a video/audio iPod, Apple’s iPhone 4 will be the handset others are measured against for some time to come.

Nokia N9 NEED TO KNOW

Samsung GalaxyS II

Crammed with the latest the electronics industry has to offer, the GalaxyS II is impossibly thin, light and good-looking. It also runs the latest version of Android.

BlackBerry Bold 9700

Blending touchscreen and RIM’s iconic keyboard, the new 9700 sports a faster processor, the latest Blackberry OS and a return to the wider Bold design so favoured a couple of years ago.

• First and last Meego phone the market will see • Revolutionary Swipe interface • AMOLED screen • 8-megapixel camera From R6 500

It’s no secret that Nokia’s dominance has been somewhat unseated in the market by smartphone vendors that are a little quicker on the innovation front. While this is something the company will no doubt hope to solve in the coming months when it debuts its first Windows phones, the handset of the moment is undoubtedly the N9. Hardware-wise, the N9 is right up there. It has a powerful processor, an 8-megapixel camera, between 16GB and 64GB of flash storage and even an NFC chip, which enables playback of media through wireless speakers by simply tapping the two devices together. The N9 runs a Linux-based operating operating system called Meego that resulted from a partnership with Intel. But, Nokia – months before the release of N9 – confirmed its intention to cease development on Meego. That means, despite it being an impressive piece of kit, the N9 is the first and last Meego device we’ll see from Nokia. Instead of making the N9 nothing more than a gesture of goodwill to the Meego development community, however, Nokia have, instead, designed something to which we all wish it would dedicate renewed focus. This has to do with the revolutionary Swipe interface that resides on top of Meego that makes the phone such a pleasure to use. The Swipe interface consists of 3 home screens – one with a conventional arrangement of application icons, another that shows all open applications arranged in a series of thumbnails, and a third that shows current events, such as missed calls, new e-mails/SMSes and, of course,

42 | connect | November 2011

a social media feed. The home screens are arranged in a carousel-like fashion, so users simply swipe from left to right, or right to left to switch from an application, to a view of all open applications, a screen from which new applications can be launched and one that shows up all of their feeds. It’s a new take on things and one that we think has serious legs. Swipe’s success will have more to do with where and when Nokia decides to deploy it next and hardly anything to do with how well the N9 fares. One thing’s for sure, however. It looks like Nokia are back from wherever they’ve been for a year or two, and over the coming months, Apple, Google, RIM and the others will face some stiff competition. Noteworthy specs • 3.9” AMOLED screen • Gorilla Glass coating • 1GHz processor • 16GB of flash storage • HSDPA 14.4Mbps/HSUPA 5.7Mbps • 802.11a/b/g/n • 8MP camera

Pros

Cons

• Super-smooth interface • Innovative button-less design • Built-in Wi-Fi hotspot capability

• First and last Meego device, meaning questionable application support • Interface is sluggish at times

Overall rating

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Motorola Atrix 4G Smartphone NEED TO KNOW • Smartphone with a dual-core processor • Plays and records 720p movies • Outputs to an HD TV over mini-HDMI Phone: R4 799.95 (MEGASTORES ONLY) HD Multimedia Dock: R1 349.95 (MEGASTORES ONLY)

On its own, Motorola’s Atrix 4G is a very competent smartphone, boasting all the right hardware and specifications needed to impress those who care for such things. Its dual-core processor powers an extremely smooth interface, the 5MP camera shoots 720p movies at 30fps, and the gorgeous qHD (which stands for “quarter High Definition”) screen has a resolution of 540 x 960. IEEE802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 14mbps HSDPA provide the connectivity, as to be expected from any high-end phone. So before you’ve even started it up, it’s clear the Atrix has a lot going for it. The Atrix’s secret weapon, the thing that transforms it from a phone into so much more, is the optional Motorola HD Entertainment Dock. When plugged into the dock, the phone becomes a mini PC that can be controlled with a keyboard and mouse connected by USB or Bluetooth (the dock features 3 USB ports on the back). The dock also has a micro-HDMI port that connects the phone to any TV with an HDMI port, so when everything is hooked up, you can literally use the Atrix as you would a netbook computer. In case you’re wondering how that can be, it’s because the Atrix has a hidden application called Webtop that only activates when the phone is plugged into the dock and connected to a TV. From Webtop, you’re able to control the phone’s functions on a much bigger screen with keyboard and mouse, with the added benefit of getting access to a full-screen version of Mozilla’s excellent Firefox Web browser. Firefox is a Flash-capable browser, so you’re able to visit all your favourite Flash-based Websites, something not all mobile platforms can offer. It’s also here that you can load the Entertainment Centre, a slick application that controls photo, music and movie playback. Movies and photos taken with the camera become available for playback on your connected TV, as does any digital music you have on the phone. These features work amazingly well, and don’t require any special technical knowledge to get going. Using the phone on a daily basis is like using any other Android phone, but the excellent performance of the dual 1GHz processors puts the Atrix in a class of its own. The option to connect up a keyboard and mouse and via the dock, and use the phone as a multimedia device on an HD TV is simply

Samsung Galaxy S II

awesome, and the fact that it plays back HD movies as smoothly as it does is very impressive indeed. Unfortunately, Motorola also forces users to create yet another account before the phone starts up properly the first time, this time for its “Motoblur” service. Motoblur collects all Facebook updates, Twitter feeds, e-mails and friend activities and presents them in a central location. This is great and all, but being forced to set up this account before the phone starts up properly is a little inconsiderate. Despite that hiccup, we enjoyed our time with the Atrix. On its own, it’s a fantastic, solidly-built Android phone that is a pleasure to use. But its true potential is unleashed when connected to a TV via the optional dock, when it becomes a multimedia device that sci-fi writers could only dream of just a few years ago.

The Galaxy S II is the phone most often cited as the Atrix’s main competition. Its slightly bigger screen uses Super AMOLED display technology that looks super-impressive, and its general performance is superb.

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NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Operating System: Google Android 2.2.3 • Display: 540 x 960 qHD with capacitive touch technology • Processor: Dual-core 1GHz NVIDIA Tegra • Memory: 1GB RAM • Storage: 16GB onboard storage, SD card slot (max 32GB) • Multimedia playback: AAC, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, WMA9, eAAC+, AMR NB, AAC+ • Outputs: mini-HDMI • Connectivity: IEEE802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth • Networks: WCDMA 850/1900/2100, GSM 850/900/1800/1900, HSDPA 14Mbps (Category 10) Edge Class 12, GPRS Class 12, eCompass, AGPS • Cameras: 5MP rear-facing, 2MP front-facing • Video capture: 720p @ 30fps • Messaging: E-mail, SMS, MMS, IM • Integrated Google mobile services: Gtalk, Gmail, Google Maps

Pros

Cons

• Superb performance in all tasks • Excellent multimedia capabilities • Outputting to a TV is possible even without the dock using a cable • Sturdy build quality

• Dock is an additional purchase • Screen colours not as bright as AMOLED • No option to skip setting up Motoblur

Overall rating

Motorola HD Multimedia Dock This little dock is where you’ll want to park your Atrix when you get home. It lets you use a keyboard and mouse to control the phone while outputting its visuals to an HD TV via mini-HDMI.

Motorola Lapdock for the Atrix 4G Plugging the Atrix into this accessory quite literally turns it into a netbook. The user experience is powered by the Webtop application, complemented by the built-in keyboard and trackpad.

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Earpollution Ronin

If your budget is a bit tighter, the Earpollution Ronin headphones will provide great audio for the price.

Skullcandy Rocnation Aviator NEED TO KNOW Studio Beats by Dre

One of the competing companies also has a set of rapper-endorsed headphones – but the Studio Beats are quite a bit more expensive.

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Apple iPod Classic The Skullcandy Rocnation Aviator headphones are designed with the music lover in mind, and a 160GB iPod can store all the music you’d want to carry with you.

• Great, simple design • High-powered 40mm drivers • In-line controls and microphone R1 999.95

Product endorsements seem to be the latest trend. It makes sense, in a way. The public is led to believe that if a famous person puts their name to a product, it has to be good. That’s not always the case, and when it comes to audio equipment, there’s always a very discerning audiophile market to put any outrageous claims to the test. Roc Nation, a media and entertainment company run by Jay Z – yes him, of rapping fame – has partnered up with Skullcandy, makers of fashionably desirable audio headgear. In the past we’ve not exactly waxed lyrical over Skullcandy’s products, and when this set of Rocnation Aviator headphones landed on the review desk, we didn’t know what to expect. We were pleasantly surprised. For a start, the Aviators are far less ostentatious than the other Skullcandy products. No garish logos or colours adorn these headphones. In fact, black, white and brown are the only colours on offer. The packaging is classy, too, with a leatherette carry case and cleaning cloth thrown in to sweeten the deal. The high-end package changed our preconceptions, and we were further convinced to take a listen when we read that Rocnation partnered up with Skullcandy to make a set of cans focussing on audio quality. And quality there is. The construction is solid, the earcups are plush, the cord is braided to prevent tangles, and the design is very sleek. We used a laptop and an iPhone for testing these, just listening to a selection of music, including rap, metal, classical, dance and rock. In every case, the Aviators had very defined mids and highs, with lovely rolling bass at the

44 | connect | November 2011

bottom end. There’s lots of power, too, and it’s only when you have the sound really cranked up that the bass starts faltering – not that you should be listening to music that loud, for extended periods. There’s also an inline microphone and a set of audio controls, when using the Aviators with an iPhone, iPad or other compatible device. We tried it out on an iPhone, and everything was great, other than feeling goofy for wearing full headphones while taking a call. We were honestly surprised with the defined and balanced audio quality of the Rocnation Aviators. For once, it’s a case of brand endorsement being worth the hype. These are far from perfect, and they command a hefty premium, but if you want something that looks good and sounds great, the Aviators will fit the bill. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Drivers: 40mm • Frequency response: 20Hz – 20kHz • Impedance: 33 ohms • Cord length: 1.3m • Other: Braided cord, inline mic and volume controls, leatherette carry case

Pros

Cons

• Surprisingly good audio quality • Braided cord prevents tangles • Mic and controls work well with the iPhone

• Bass suffers at high volume • Short cord • Inline controls feel cheap

Overall rating

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Dell XPS L702X 17” Entertainment Notebook NEED TO KNOW • High-performance entertainment notebook • Fantastic all-rounder • 17” 3D-capable full HD screen R19 999.95

Dell’s latest XPS notebook, the L702X, is a 17” monster that allows you to play games, enjoy Blu-ray movies and even get some work done. Not only is it huge in terms of physical size and weight, but also raw performance. In short, this is one fast machine, easily able to replace the average desktop PC without sacrificing anything significant. It’s also a bit of a puzzle, as it offers the same as – if not more than – the two Alienware notebooks we reviewed in the last few issues. Its gaming capabilities – both with and without 3D – are stunning, chewing through Dead Island’s gory graphics without breaking a sweat and only slowing down a bit when its 3D mode (courtesy of NVIDIA’s 3D Vision technology) was activated. It eats up applications and spits out results like it’s afraid you have the attention span of a goldfish. Its 17” full HD screen is big and bright, it plays Blu-ray movies and has plenty of hard drive space for your files. This is a puzzle because the L702X costs a full R10 000 less than the Alienware M17x. The differences between the two notebooks are mostly in the looks department, and quite frankly, the mean aesthetics and appealing rubbery material that coats the M17x’s surfaces don’t quite justify such a large price difference. The Alienware might be the flashier of 46 | connect | November 2011

the two notebooks, and that might be what some buyers are looking for, but it’s hard to recommend the M17x based on looks when the L702X is so much more affordable and its performance is on a par. Not only that, but the L702X offers something the Alienware machines don’t – truly astounding sound capabilities. This may not sound like a big deal, but the L702X’s superior sound makes playing games, watching movies and listening to music far more enjoyable than on most other notebooks. Sound is richer and more detailed and seems to come from all around the listener, even when headphones are used. This is because Dell has chosen Waves Maxx Audio processors to enhance the L702X’s audio experience. Waves Maxx Audio is a professional audio technology that performs all kinds of technical wizardry to produce a listening experience that even sound professionals will appreciate. Furthermore, the L702X has a far better graphics card than the M17x, an NVIDIA GeForce GT 555M. It ‘s faster and has more video memory, impacting overall gaming performance for the better. A faster frame rate means smoother graphics and less jerky 3D gaming. Switching to 3D mode means the game has to be rendered twice by the graphics card, which effectively doubles the amount of work it has to do. The better the card, the less impact switching to 3D has on gaming performance, which is why the GT 555M and its 3GB of RAM is such a win. Other areas the L702X excels in include Blu-ray movie playback, a gorgeous Chiclet keyboard that has backlit keys, a very smooth and pleasant touchpad and overall build quality. Battery life is only around

products

Dell Alienware M17x

If it’s mean, intimidating looks and competent gaming capabilities you’re after, this is the gaming notebook to go for.

Dell Alienware M14x

3 hours with the included 6-cell battery, and while this sounds rather pedestrian, it’s actually quite good considering the notebook’s power. Intel’s excellent Core i7-2720QM quad-core processor provides the brains when it’s needed, while also being able to throttle itself to a lower level of operation in those times when not much else is going on, resulting in lower power consumption and extended battery life. Before you rush out and buy it, however, there are a few things to consider. Yes, it’s an extremely powerful notebook computer that can play games and show off movies, it has fantastic sound courtesy of Maxx Audio and JBL speakers, but it’s also one hell of a big notebook. That means it’s not particularly portable; in fact, if you take a briefcase and stuff it with a few bricks, you’ll reproduce the same experience we’ve had toting the L702X around all week. Ultimately, this product is far better as a desktop replacement than something you should travel with. You’ll be far happier only lugging it around with you on the odd occasion you need it somewhere other than at home or the office. Your shoulders and lower back will thank you in the long run. Some design elements are also not perfect. Something that annoyed us no end was the fact that the battery status and hard drive activity lights were located on a narrow ledge that gets hidden by the screen when the notebook’s lid is open. What good is that when you’re sitting in front of the notebook all the time? Not a whole lot, that’s what. But these are small things when looking at the bigger picture. Overall, the L702X is a brilliant notebook that’s priced quite nicely, which more

Slightly more portable than its 17” brother, this relatively compact 14” notebook is a great choice for a mobile gaming rig.

than makes up for the fact that it’s a bit porky in the looks and heft department. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Processor: Intel Core i7-2720QM @ 2.2GHz • Operating System: Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit • Display: Full HD 1 920 x 1 080, LED backlit • Memory: 8GB DDR3-1333 • Storage: 2 x 750GB SATA-II hard drives • Optical: Blu-ray reader, DVD R/W • Communications: IEEE802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth • Ports: HDMI-out, DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0 • Battery: 6 cell • Audio: Maxx Audio with JBL speakers

perfect companions

Pros

Cons

• Powerful enough to replace a desktop • Excellent gaming and 3D performance • Sound really enhances entertainment options • Very nice price

• Very large and heavy notebook • Location of battery and HDD lights is irksome • Not very portable

Overall rating

Dead Rising 2 This fun, tongue-in-cheek zombie game has native 3D Vision support and looks and runs fantastically on the L702X.

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Dell XPS L702X Notebook

The XPS L702X that we reviewed on page 52 is only an inch smaller, but it has slightly more graphical grunt and is a better desktop replacement for gamers than the 8951G.

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Logitech Performance Mouse MX This mouse is comfortable to use, responds incredibly well and works completely wirelessly. It also has extra buttons that can be customised to perform specific actions.

Microsoft Office Home and Business No desk-bound notebook is complete without Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook, everything that this package contains.

Acer Aspire Ethos 8951G Entertainment Notebook NEED TO KNOW • Desktop-replacement notebook with a huge 18.4” screen • Removable touchpad doubles as remote control • Powered by Intel Core i7 mobile processors R15 999.95

November seems to be the month of big notebooks, because the one Acer sent us to review, the new Ethos 8951G, is a monster. Weighing around 4kg and with a screen that stretches 18.4” (46.7cm) from corner to corner, this is the biggest notebook we’ve ever seen. Due to its size, the intended use for the 8951G is as a desktop replacement system. The average notebook user is not going to want to lug this thing around with them every day. Happily, size isn’t its only trick: the 8951G has a detachable trackpad that doubles as a wireless multimedia remote control unit, which is actually quite a smart touch as you’re going to want to watch plenty of movies on the huge screen. You’ll have to watch HD movie files and not Blu-ray discs, though. Acer have not included a Blu-ray-capable optical drive in the package. Fortunately, Acer haven’t lost the plot completely, and have made good use of the space inside the unit. The 8951G is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor, comes with 8GB of RAM, 2 x 500GB hard drives, and runs Windows 7 Ultimate. The large amount of space brought about by the huge screen led to the inclusion of a full-sized keyboard with backlit keys and a full-blown number pad, which doesn’t restrict the user at all and makes typing very comfortable. As a result, using the laptop for everyday tasks is fantastic, and easily offers a user experience favourably comparable to that of a desktop machine. Gaming, however, is not the 8951G’s focus. It has only been outfitted with an NVIDIA GeForce 540M, a graphics card that is around 20% slower than NVIDIA’s older 460M. It can still power 3D games, but not at their full settings. We tried out Battlefield: Bad Company 2, and had to drop graphics down to their lowest quality setting to have a smooth enough experience for online play. By far the most interesting feature of the 8951M is its detachable touchpad, simply because we’ve never seen anything like it before. The basic idea is to detach the touchpad (it’s held securely in place by a very serious clasp) and control your cursor with your fingers, from a distance.

48 | connect | November 2011

Pressing a small, hidden button on the touchpad’s surface lit up other controls on its surface that could be used to play, pause or skip any playing media. It works really well, and as a concept it’s extremely cool. We just didn’t enjoy the feel of the touchpad’s surface, as it was a little too grippy. We hope to see that changed in future versions. Interestingly, the 8951G has excellent battery life for such a large machine: on a full charge, expect to get over 3 hours of up-time when away from a wall socket. Other noteworthy specs include N-class Wi-Fi, an incredible set of Dolby Home Theatre speakers that make music, movies and games sound amazing, a USB 3.0 port, HDMI out and even a mini Firewire port. In the end, the 8951G is a beast of a machine to move around, and it could be a little better on some fronts (graphics, touchpad surface). Making up for these somewhat is a lot of power, some great features and a very competitive price. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Processor: Intel Core i7-2720QM @ 2.2GHz • Memory: 8GB DDR3 • Storage: 2 x 500GB SATA-II • Operating System: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit • Display: 1 920 x 1 080, LED backlit • Optical drive: DVD/RW • Connectivity: IEEE802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth • Ports: Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x USB 3.0, 3 x USB 2.0, HDMI, FireWire, mini DisplayPort, eSATA • Card reader: 5-in-1 • Audio: Dolby Home Theatre Pros

Cons

• Large screen • Good everyday performance • Detachable trackpad • Stunning sound in games, music and movies

• Very bulky • Graphics card could be better • No Blu-ray drive

Overall rating

product reviews

products

Apple iPod Shuffle

The baby iPod has the same amount of storage, but lacks a display or any other extra features.

Sony Walkman B162F MP3 Player NEED TO KNOW • Quick charge function • 2GB of storage for music • Up to 18 hours playback on a charge R399.95

Sandisk Sansa Clip+

The other option if you don’t want an Apple music player is Sandisk’s capable Sansa range. They have expandable storage, radio reception and lots more.

perfect companions

Bose In-Ear 2 The B-series Walkman has great audio quality, with lots of bass, and these Bose earbuds will be comfortable for hours of use.

With the constant barrage from Apple, it’s easy to forget that there are other companies still making digital audio players, or just plain MP3 players if we skip the terminology. One of those companies is the one that started the mobile music revolution with its Walkman portable cassette player – a device they still sell in some countries. It makes sense that Sony continue fighting for a piece of the pie, and with their new range of Walkman digital players, they have an excellent set of products to give buyers an alternative to the collection of iEverything from Apple. This, the snappily-named Walkman B162F, has 2GB of storage and will play either MP3 or WMA files. Now the competing iFruit is the Shuffle, which has the same amount of storage but is very basic everywhere else. The Sony beats out Apple’s product by offering a display – yes, a small one, but very handy nonetheless – along with an FM radio, voice recorder and even a bass boost function. Sony’s chosen form factor for the B162F is a hopped-up USB stick. It has a cap that pops off, exposing a USB connector. Plugging it into your computer will let you copy files across by simply dragging and dropping. No extra software is needed. Additionally, the USB port charges the player. Sony have given this a quick-charge battery, meaning that just 3 minutes of charging will give you 90 minutes of playback. A full charge takes 70 minutes, which gives you a whopping 18 hours of playback. Expect this to be closer to about 15 hours, though, if you’re going to be pumping the volume. Playback is simple to control, but the control dial, which twists side to side, doesn’t have a nice, smooth action. It feels a bit cheap, but that’s not

50 | connect | November 2011

a big hassle. By using this dial and the play button, menus can be easily navigated to browse a music collection or tune into a radio station. Volume controls, along with the bass boost function, are situated along the side of the player. The B162F’s default audio profile is quite suited to “heavy” modern music, so it’s surprising to see a bass boost function. Switch this on and you’ll be rattling your earbones, albeit at a loss of some treble. The packaged earphones cope admirably, but their cheap plastic construction makes them uncomfortable for extended use. This puts the player in an awkward position: it’s very affordable, but investing in a nice set of earphones for it would mean adding 50% to its price. And that’s about the only real problem with the package as a whole. The controls you get used to, and as long as you don’t lose the supplied cap, you should have a trusty music player for all occasions. Solid construction, great audio, affordability and attractive features help this baby Walkman secure a place as one of our favourite audio players. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Capacity: 2GB • Battery life: Up to 18 hours • Functions: MP3 playback, FM radio, voice recorder • Connector: USB 2.0 • Other: Zappin function, bass boost Pros

Cons

• Charges very quickly • Great sound quality • Compact design

• Fiddly controls • Uncomfortable earphones • Cap can be easily lost

Overall rating

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Epson EB-S92 Projector NEED TO KNOW • Basic home and office projector • Native resolution of 800 x 600 • 2 300 Lumens brightness R4 999.95

Epson EH-TW450

This projector is great for console gaming, with its 720p resolution and HDMI input. As such it’s a good, affordable option for gamers on a budget.

Acer C20 Pico LED Projector

This pocket-sized projector is easy to carry around and has a 2-hour battery life. It works well in darkened rooms, and has a native resolution of 480 x 320.

Acer eMachine V700 720p Projector

Console gamers with a love for Acer will enjoy this 720p projector that connects to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming consoles over HDMI.

Epson’s EB-S92 projector is a basic, entry-level projector that’s compact and sleek. It doesn’t need to be set up in a large room as it can project a reasonably large image onto a wall or screen without needing a whole lot of space to do it in. It connects to any device with an S-video, component or VGA output, and has a native resolution – the setting at which the projector’s image looks its best – of 800 x 600. Given today’s HD-capable TVs and computer monitors, a resolution of 800 x 600 is a little on the low side, but since this is an entry-level projector, it’s not an unforgivable offence. But it does mean that the S92 is best at playing back DVDs, as DVD players output images at a resolution of 720 x 480. While the S92 supports higher resolutions, when we connected it to a PC and forced the highest-possible resolution of 1 440 x 900, the image it produced was not completely clear, even after we sharpened it with a manual adjustment of the lens. Adjusting the image using the remote control and built-in menu system also didn’t produce great results. While we could adjust the aspect ratio, and set the projector to 16:9 “Widescreen” mode, it was less widescreen than it was a squashed 4:3 image. In fact, at 800 x 600, the desktop of the PC we had it connected to didn’t look very clear either, and none of the PowerPoint presentations we tried (another possible application of the S92 – as a presentation projector) looked sharp at all. The model we received for review was also noticeably loud, and grew hot very quickly. These are two things a projector should not be, ideally, particularly if you plan on presenting in a quiet boardroom, or aren’t a fan of very loud movies. The S92’s “Keystone correction” setting was not as useful as it is on some other projectors. It was difficult to get the projected image to look completely square through adjustment alone – the projector had to be placed just right. This means the S92 doesn’t cope well with being placed to the side of or at an angle to the viewing surface. On a positive note, it turned on and off very quickly, with no warm-up or warm-down periods needed before starting up or shutting off completely.

52 | connect | November 2011

Happily, the S92’s colour saturation and brightness levels are very good. At 2 300 Lumens, it’s easily bright enough for movie-watching at night, and colours are bright and punchy thanks to the 3LCD technology Epson used in its construction. The projector’s menu system is easy to use and self-explanatory, and the remote control that comes with the unit makes navigating the interface a doddle. If necessary, the buttons atop the projector can be used to move around the menu too. Overall, we weren’t too impressed with the S92. While its colours look great and it’s nicely bright, the image we saw when it was connected to a PC wasn’t fantastic, and its lack of an HDMI input or proper support for resolutions higher than 800 x 600 was disappointing. While it’s not the most versatile projector around, as a basic projector for DVD-viewing, it’s competent. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Resolution: SVGA, 800 x 600, 4:3 • White Light Output: 2 300 Lumens • Colour Light Output: 2 300 Lumens • Lamp: 175W, 4 000h durability, 5 000h durability (economy mode) • Contrast ratio: 2 000: 1 • Projection size: 30” – 350” • Projection distance: Wide 0.9m – 10.5m • Weight: 2.3kg • Keystone correction: Manual vertical ± 30° • Loudspeaker: 1 • Power consumption: 265 Watt – 220 Watt (economy)

Pros

Cons

• Good for DVD playback • Turns on and off quickly • Good brightness and colour saturation

• Loud and hot when in use • No HDMI input • Native resolution is low

Overall rating

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product reviews

Kodak ESP Office 2170 Printer NEED TO KNOW • New wireless inkjet printer from Kodak • Print, scan, copy and fax • Very affordable ink R1 499.95

Kodak recently launched a new range of inkjet printers for the local market aimed at providing South African consumers with good value, useful functionality and, most importantly, appealing costs. At only R1 499.95 for this multi-function device and R99 for black ink cartridges and R149 for colour, the appeal is certainly there. The question is, does the printer sacrifice anything significant in order to deliver that value? The answer, as it turns out, is yes and no. First, let’s cover the positives. The build quality of the 2170 is very similar to that of products from other big printer makers, it can be connected to a wireless network and shared in an office or home quite easily, and its print quality for everyday documents is very good. Even 54 | connect | November 2011

products

though it’s not specifically a photo printer, the photos we printed on it came out looking very good, with punchy colours and appropriatelydark darks. While the dedicated photo printer we had in the office did a better job of photo printing, it wasn’t by a huge margin. The 2170 accepts print jobs from a PC or Mac, it can print JPEGs saved to USB sticks and memory cards and save scanned documents there too. It scans in resolutions of up to 9600dpi, but it’s better to scan at lower resolutions of between 300dpi and 600dpi, as any larger than that and the resulting file size is huge. Scan results are crisp and clear, though, so full marks there. It’s also possible to send prints to the printer via the Internet. A simple setup process is all that’s needed to link the printer to your Google account and generate an e-mail address for it. As long as it’s connected to the Internet via Wi-Fi, you can simply send it an e-mail from any e-mail capable device or Google Cloud Print application and the 2170 does the rest. We were pleased with how easy the setup process was, and how quickly the printer responded to our mails – it took less than 30 seconds from Send to the print process starting. The 2170 also supports 3D printing. It’s not a one-click process, though, as it requires you to supply two photographs, each taken of the same scene a few centimetres apart, which are then combined by Kodak’s software into a final image that takes on additional depth when viewed through 3D glasses. There are 2 pairs of these in the box, and we were pleasantly surprised by just how well the 3D effect turned out. Kids in particular are sure to get a kick out of playing around with it, but serious users will probably ignore it. Kodak’s software – when it works – is actually quite useful. It provides a single interface from which the printer’s functions can be accessed. Scanning is particularly accessible this way – all you have to do is place the document or photo to be scanned on the scanner’s glass and the software lets you manage all settings along with the file’s format and save location. Now for the not-so-positives. Print speeds are nothing special, either for general documents or photos, and the printer makes quite a bit of noise when doing anything. Scanning in particular is quite loud, so don’t buy this if you want an ultra-silent office machine. Setting the printer up using the included software required several update downloads totalling around 100MB before printing could even begin, and the software crashed several times as we tried to access some of the more ambitious functions, like printing scenes from a video. It’s nice that such things are included, but they’d be more impressive if they worked first time, every time.

We also experienced a lockup, where the printer’s buttons stopped responding completely. Strangely, it still printed a job sent from the connected PC, but it required a restart before the buttons responded to touch again. So the 2710 has its share of pros and cons, but is it a good purchase? The answer lies in its “cost per page”: standard black cartridges cost R99 and can print up to 335 pages, costing only 29.7c per page. Colour cartridges are also quite cheap: R149 buys you up to 275 pages of colour prints, which works out to only 54.2c per page. XL versions are also available, which double the yield of each cartridge for around double the price. We think that’s rather good value. Ultimately, while the 2170 has its share of faults, it offers so much that they’re easy to overlook. It’s a competent office printer, scanner, copier and fax machine, it’s affordable, and supplies are pleasantly priced. We’re not going to nominate it for printer of the year, but it’s definitely got a lot to offer, and at just the right price.

HP Photosmart Premium eAIO

Photosmart printers produce lab-quality photos, and as an added bonus, this one also supports ePrinting, so you can print directly from e-mail. It also scans and copies documents.

perfect companions

NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Functionality: Print, Scan, Fax, Copy • Print Speed: 6ipm Black, 4ipm Colour • Copy speed: Up to 5 pages per minute (Black), 3 pages per minute (Colour) • Scanning Resolution: 1200dpi (optical), 24-bit interpolated 9600dpi • Supported print sizes: Borderless photos from 4” x 6” up to 8.5” x 11”, documents from 4” x 6” up to 8.5” x 14” • Fax Modem: 33.6kbps, colour and black faxing • Paper Capacity: Rear feed paper tray holds 150 sheets of document paper or 40 sheets of photo paper • Mobile printing: Kodak E-mail Print Service, Google Cloud Print-enabled applications • Memory Card formats supported: SD, SDHC, MMC, MS, MS Pro • Connectivity: IEEE802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi, USB 2.0 (no cable included), PictBridge • Display: 1.5” Colour LCD Pros

Cons

• Very low cost per page • Good print quality • Great price for a multi-function colour printer • E-mail and Google Cloud printing are handy extras

• Glitchy software • Noisy operation • Unimpressive print speeds

Overall rating

Kodak 30XL Black and Colour cartridges XL cartridges are the best way to maximise bang for your buck. Double the page yield of the standard Kodak 30 cartridges with these extra large versions.

Belkin USB 2.0 Cable You will need to buy a USB cable if you’re not planning to connect the 2170 to a wireless network. This one from Belkin will do the trick.

www.connectmag.co.za | 55

product reviews

products

Nikon Coolpix L120

Nikon’s competing snapper also has 14 megapixels, but will give you a 21 x zoom lens for roughly the same money.

Canon Powershot SX150 NEED TO KNOW • Great, simple design • High-powered 40mm drivers • In-line controls and microphone R2 799.95

Sony HX9

The pricier Sony has a few more megapixels, and a slightly higher zoom than the Canon, but will cost a touch more…

perfect companions

Sandisk SDHC Card High-capacity storage is really cheap, and you’re going to need it if you want to spend a lot of time taking pics while nowhere near a PC.

In recent years, the 3 tiers in Canon’s bread-and-butter Powershot lineup have been made clear. You’d get the entry-level, ultra-affordable Powershots, the mid-range models with a still-compact design, yet boasting more features for power users, and the high-end Powershots with trick lenses, sharp sensors and manual adjustments. The Powershot SX150, on test here, falls in the middle of the pack, but has a somewhat chunky design. Well, chunky is what we’d use to describe it when held in one hand. Just looking at it, the svelte curves might seem like slick bits of design, but the camera’s heft means the curves don’t really help when you need to get a grip on it. It’s awkward to hold comfortably, and if you need to flip out the manual flash, things can get slippery. This design comes courtesy of Canon’s choice to let the SX150 use AA batteries. A rechargeable pack seems better on paper, because it lasts longer, but a set of high-quality AA rechargeables means you can carry around an infinite amount of power for your camera, without breaking the bank. And AA battery chargers are easy to come by. The other bit that adds bulk is the 12 x zoom lens. While it’s no record-breaker, it definitely makes an impression when fully extended – a position in which it adds nearly 7cm more to the camera’s profile. But if the SX150 sits comfortably in your hands, and the size of the lens doesn’t bother you, then you’ll want to know what kind of pictures it takes. Truthfully, image quality is just above average. In good lighting, or with the flash, you can expect sharp, crisp images. We had a bit of trouble getting accurate colour from certain scenes (macro shots of flowers, in

56 | connect | November 2011

shaded daylight), but unless you’re running a magazine or printing press, off-colour purples and pinks won’t ruin your day. Instead, the dropoff in sharpness and clarity at higher ISO levels will. ISO 800 is where we’d draw the line for image quality with the SX150. The maximum, 1 600, is better than we’ve seen on many other cameras at 800, but it’s not something we’d want to print. For somebody who wants a point-and-shoot with some advanced functionality, a good image stabiliser and decent lens, the SX150 is great. It’ll record video at 720P, even allowing you to zoom (albeit very slowly, to prevent any noise from the motors in the lens). The menus are intuitive, the scene modes yield great results, and the controls are spot-on. We just hoped for slightly better image quality at the price. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Sensor: 14.1 megapixels • Video: Up to 720P • Lens: 12 x optical zoom • ISO range: 80 – 1 600 • Rear display: 3.0” • Scene modes: 32 • Storage: SD card slot

Pros

Cons

• Silent and fast zoom lens • Intuitive scene modes and “Easy” mode • Large display

• Inaccurate colours in certain cases • Curved design difficult to hold • No full HD video

Overall rating

Samsung recommends Windows® 7.

Introducing the new Samsung Series 9 Notebook. Cast from aviation alloy and powered by a 2nd generation Intel® Core™ i5 Processor, it’s the latest innovation in fast computing performance. At only 16mm, its ultra thin, lightweight streamlined arc design make it more than just a notebook. It’s a true reflection of strength and sophistication. What defines you? TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS Intel® Core™ i5 Processor 2537M (1.4GHz, 3MB) • Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium (64bit) Operating System 4GB (DDR3) System Memory • 13.3” SuperBrightPlus© Anti-Reflective HD LED Display • 128GB Solid State Drive (SSD) Up to 7 Hours Battery Life** • Weighs only 1.31kg

www.samsung.com/notebook Copyright© 2011 SAMSUNG Electronics Co, Ltd. Screen images are simulated. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel Core and Core Inside are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. ** Battery life based on Battery Mark test scores that will vary based on configuration. SAM_SERIES9_7374_CT_F

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product reviews

perfect companions

HTC Cha Cha HTC’s chattiest phone yet, the Cha Cha, has a touch-sensitive screen and a full QWERTY keyboard that makes chatting with friends via text, updating Facebook and live chats just that much better.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 This amazing piece of kit is Samsung’s greatest tablet yet. With its huge screen, amazingly responsive touch controls and fast processor, it’s definitely one of the best Android tablets out there.

Acer Iconia A501 3G & Wi-Fi The Iconia might be a little bulkier than most tablets, but it’s also robust and sturdy and packs both 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity to keep mobile users connected wherever they go.

AVG Mobilation NEED TO KNOW • Security app for your Android device • Scans files and folders for malware • Remotely locate, lock and wipe your device R99.95

Whether it’s due to paranoid hysteria or cunning foresight, the fact remains that tablets and smartphones are being targeted by purveyors of security software. This time around it’s AVG jumping on the bandwagon with their “AVG Mobilation” product, a small program that offers to protect your mobile device for a rather reasonable sum, while also offering a few interesting functions that may prove handy in the event that you lose your device. The installation process is quite unique; you can scan the QR code that comes in the packaging using any QR code scanner and your device will open up the installation page on the Android Marketplace. All you need to do then is click Install, and once the app is downloaded (it’s very small, under 2MB) it will launch and prompt you for the serial code (also in the package). It’s a fun use of QR codes, and we look forward to seeing more companies do the same. Once installed, opening the app takes you to a very simple screen that says “Touch screen to protect device”, which launches a scan of your files and apps. Pressing the menu button takes you to a list of other options, and from here you can access a variety of useful features. You can lock certain applications so they can’t be accessed without a password (great if you have kids and you don’t want them playing Angry Birds and messing up your scores), you can kill any running tasks to free up memory (a function that usually requires a whole other app) and erase all personal data from your device or memory card. Also included is a “Safe web surfing” feature that monitors all Websites you visit in real-time, and warns you if you ever visit a dodgy page that something is not right before the page loads properly. Happily, we noticed no slow-down at all as a result of this real-time protection. There were two options of questionable value, though. The first is a “Tune-Up” tool that simply lets you uninstall apps and see how much playback time is left on the current charge. The second was the “App

58 | connect | November 2011

Backup” tool that lets you copy all installed applications to a memory card, which is only really useful if you have a zillion apps installed and would hate to sit through a zillion installs again should something happen to your tablet. Undoubtedly the most useful features of AVG’s Mobilation package are the remote controls it grants the user. Once the device is registered to your Google account, you can log into a Web portal and locate, lock or wipe the device remotely. You can even make your device sound an alarm from this interface, something we’re sure will startle many a future thief into dropping their ill-gotten goods and make a run for it. When they work, they work beautifully; we recommend only using AVG Mobilation with 3G-capable Android devices, though as we had no luck remotely locating, locking or wiping a Wi-Fi-only tablet we had in the office. AVG Mobilation is nice to have, fun to play with and it may one day prove invaluable in locating a misplaced or stolen Android device. It’s not yet an essential purchase, however, but perhaps it’s better to be safe than sorry. NOTEWORTHY FEATURES • Tablet Locator, Locker, Remote Wipe • App, File and Settings Scanner • Safe Web Surfing • App Locker • App Backup • Task Killer • Free Support Pros

Cons

• Remote security features are very cool • Great price for peace of mind • Won’t slow the system down

• Some beta tools included that aren’t all that useful • Mobile security is not yet absolutely essential • Free apps on the Marketplace can do similar things

Overall rating

products

Adobe PhotoShop Elements 10 NEED TO KNOW • Consumer-friendly version of Photoshop • Almost as many useful features as full-blown Photoshop • New additions to the step-by-step tutorial mode R1 399.95

Adobe Photoshop is known to be the image-editing program for serious photographers. Along with highly professional and polished tools that can – quite literally – create any image the imagination can conjure up, comes a professional-level price tag. Fortunately, the good folks at Adobe realised that more than just the pros want a really good imageediting suite, and Adobe Elements was born. Elements is the consumer version of Photoshop, and it packs in many of the tools that make Photoshop so powerful. It’s been cut down so that it’s useful for hobbyists while still retaining many of Photoshop’s powerful image-editing tools. Consequently, it can’t be used in a printing production environment, but it certainly can be used to touch up photographs and perform many, many other useful tasks. One of these is the ability to catalogue your photo collection by categories using the Organizer application that comes with Elements. You can sort photos by date, location, friends and more. It even has Facebook integration that lets you tag photos using your list of Facebook friends. Organizer also finds videos, despite Elements not being a video-editing package, and the most useful thing you can do with those is upload them to YouTube from within Organizer rather than having to use YouTube’s uploader. One of Elements’ most newbie-friendly is its Guided Edit tool. There are several Guided Edits that take users through the steps necessary to achieve certain photographic effects so that people can learn as they work. An example is “Perfect Portrait”, a Guided Edit that shows users how to enhance portraits by improving skin tone, facial features (whitening teeth, brightening eyes, darkening hair, etc.) and generally touching up areas of the portrait that look like they could use some improvement. Guided Edits are very handy, especially for beginner users learning the ropes. Brand-new Guided Edits to Elements 10 include the Orton Effect, which adds a soft look to your photos. There’s also Picture Stack, an effect that makes your photos look as if they’re made up of several smaller photographs, put together in a collage-like pattern. Guided Edits make it simple to add professional effects, so much so that we’re confident even

Serif Draw Plus X5

the newest of the new to image-editing will find them useful. Adobe’s programmers have also added a feature called “Text on a path”, which provides the ability to type out text and have it follow the path you’ve set for it. You can wrap text around shapes, or an area of your choosing, for some really fun effects. It’s not easy to make changes to your text once it has been finalised, though – there is no way to adjust odd letter spacing, and it’s not possible to edit the path your text followed once you’ve clicked Done. Still, it’s a pretty neat feature we’re sure creative types will get a lot of use out of once they get the hang of it. Overall, Photoshop Elements 10 is the best package to buy for anyone getting into photography in a big way, where more than just basic imageediting capabilities are needed. It’s not perfect, but there is so much power and versatility here that enough time spent learning its ins and outs will produce excellent results for users of all skill levels. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS • 1.6GHz or faster processor (including single-core support) • Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Vista®, or Windows 7 • 1GB of RAM (2GB for HD video functions) • 4GB of available hard-disk space (additional free space required during installation) • Colour monitor with 16-bit colour video card • 1 024 x 576 display resolution • Microsoft DirectX 9 compatible display driver • DVD-ROM drive • Internet connection required for Internet-based services Pros

Cons

• Photoshop power without the Photoshop price • New Guided Edits and Text on a Path features • Organizer makes cataloguing photos easy • Community support makes learning accessible

• Interface has not evolved much from 2 years ago • Text on a Path feature not as flexible as we would like • Organizer’s search results are sometimes not accurate • Loads very slowly on some systems

Overall rating

If your creative interests lie more on the drawing side, Draw Plus X4 is just what you need to create your own stunning artwork. It’s also capable of some light photo editing.

Aperture 3

This program, designed specifically for Macs, is another great way to go beyond simple photography through its geotagging, cataloguing, editing and image-adjusting capabilities. Perfect Companions

Logitech Performance Mouse MX

Photo editing is an activity that can sometimes require extra precision, which is why it’s so important to have an excellent and accurate pointing device, like Logitech’s fantastic Performance Mouse MX.

www.connectmag.co.za | 59

product reviews

perfect companions

Apple iPhone 4S How about sticking the latest iPhone in your fancy PowerDock Dual, to keep it juiced up? It’ll be here soon!

Griffin PowerDock Dual NEED TO KNOW • Charges the iPhone and iPad • Single power adapter • Compatible with new and old devices R699.95

Apple iPad 2 Even though the iPad has excellent battery life, it’s still a good idea to keep it topped up and ready to travel.

Apple iOS 5 The newest version of the iPhone and iPad software allows wireless syncing, meaning you don’t need a USB cable to transfer data – ideal for this dock.

With all our battery-powered devices these days, it’s difficult to keep track of the various charging cables required. Fortunately, Apple has kept a single dock connector as the standard across its range of products. iPads, iPods and iPhones can all be charged and synchronised using the same USB cable – but if you have more than one of these devices, you could sometimes find yourself in a situation where you can’t charge both at the same time. Griffin’s PowerDock Dual attempts to solve this problem by having two Apple dock connectors built into its sturdy, plastic base. The idea is that you just prop up your iPad and iPhone (or iPad) in this dock, and they can get juiced up quicker than through a USB port. In practice, it works. Charging is fast – our iPad and iPhone both happily charged simultaneously, and the power adapter supplied with the PowerDock Dual is meaty enough to make sure there’s no shortage of current. With both an iPad and iPhone plugged in, things feel a bit cramped. It’s not a train-smash, though, but combined with the odd shape of the dock’s base, you’ll have a hard time finding a good position for the entire setup. It’s a good thing Griffin used some of that dead space as a tray for your car keys or coins. Those who have thick covers on their devices will be out of luck. The

60 | connect | November 2011

dock connectors are mounted at the right height for a “naked” iPhone or iPad to be plugged in. Our iPad is permanently housed in a thickish protective case and had to be removed from this to be used with the dock. To its credit, though, the dock doesn’t have moulded dock ports, meaning that anything from an iPhone 3G to an iPhone 4 can be charged in this. Even an iPod will charge. Similarly, the iPad slot will work for both generations of Apple’s tablet. We do need to highlight that the major advantage of charging using a USB cable is that it also synchronises your data. The PowerDock Dual doesn’t do this, but the latest version of Apple’s iOS software, version 5, for the iPad and iPhone, will allow wireless synchronisation. This makes the Griffin PowerDock Dual a lot more useful, and very convenient to have if you own both devices. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Compatiblity: iPad, iPad 2, all iPhones • Connectors: 2 x Apple dock connectors Pros

Cons

• Solid design • Compatible with iPad and iPad 2 • Tray for accessories

• No sync pass-through • Can’t be used with covers and cases • Only usable in portrait mode

Overall rating

game first look face-off

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 vs. Battlefield 3 Which military shooter are you going to play first? With two of the biggest and most anticipated first-person shooters coming out in November, there are a lot of questions on the minds of excited gamers: Is Battlefield 3 going to be better because it’s built from scratch? Is Modern Warfare 3 the same game as last year but with added features? Will there be zombies? Often compared but quite different in gameplay, Battlefield 3 is a huge, massively-multiplayer online game featuring vehicles, squads and largescale action, while Modern Warfare 3 is more of a traditional, combat-based first-person shooter that’s easy to pick up and play. Here’s what we know...

Stop & s Developer

Infinity Ward and Sledgehammer Games Publisher

Activision Platforms

PC, X360, PS3 Protagonists

Task Force 141 Captain John “Soap” MacTavish and former SAS Captain John Price The Enemy

The Russian Federation Setting

England, France and Germany (Look out for campaign stages in Somalia, Sierra Leone, Moscow and Dubai.) The Story

Following the events of Modern Warfare 2, the Russian Federation continues its invasion of the United States of America. It has also expanded its offensive to Europe, including England, France and Germany. Voice Actors

Tobey Maguire, Christopher Meloni, Corey Stoll, Christian Coulson, Roman Varshavsky and Troy Baker Gameplay

Campaign, cooperative, multiplayer Game Modes

Kill Confirmed, Team Defender, Team Juggernaut, Drop Zone, Gun Game and One in a Chamber Technology

The IW 5.0 Engine – this is the first CoD game with built-in support for colour-blind gamers. Online

Call of Duty: Elite – the free version includes features such as lifetime statistics and social-networking integration. The subscription version (US$49.99 per year) includes monthly downloadable content, daily competitions with virtual and real-life prizes, the ability to level up your clan, pro analysis and strategies, and more. Other Games

Call of Duty, Call of Duty 2, Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty World at War, and Call of Duty Black Ops. Limited Extras

In the UK, there’s an Xbox 360 Limited Edition Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 wireless headset with Bluetooth as well as a wireless controller that includes exclusive artwork and a transforming D-pad that can be rotated to adapt to the user’s gameplay.

62 | connect | November 2011

& shoot Developer

DICE Publisher

Electronic Arts Platforms

PC, PS3, X360 Protagonists

Staff Sergeant Henry “Black” Blackburn and Corporal Jonathan “Jono” Miller The Enemy

Iran Setting

USA, Middle East, and Europe The Story

Set in 2014, SSgt Blackburn leads a five-man squad on a mission to locate, find and safely return a US squad investigating a possible chemical weapons site, whose last known position was a market controlled by hostile militia. Voice Actors

Over 300 original voices Gameplay

Campaign, cooperative, multiplayer Game Modes

Conquest, Rush, Squad Deathmatch, Squad Rush and Team Deathmatch Technology

The Frostbite 2 engine and a new type of character animation technology called ANT. Online

Battlelog – a free cross-platform social service with built-in text messaging, voice communications (VOIP), game statistics, and the ability to join games that friends are already playing (though both players need to be on the same platform). Other Games

Battlefield 1942, Battlefield Vietnam, Battlefield 2, Battlefield 2: Modern Combat, Battlefield 2142, Battlefield: Bad Company, Battlefield Heroes, Battlefield 1943, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Battlefield Online Limited Extras

Anyone who pre-ordered Battlefield 3 received the first themed expansion pack, Back to Karkand, at no extra charge.

www.connectmag.co.za | 63

game reviews

Need for Speed: The Run

NEED TO KNOW • Great driving, better physics and hot cars • An epic action racing experience • Over 300km of road and different environments You’re Jack Rourke and you’re about to enter the race of your life. From San Francisco to New York, from icy mountain passes to lush forests, Need for Speed: The Run is so much more than your typical racing game. It’s an epic, story-driven speed battle across America, with an in-depth narrative and campaign mode that promises over 300km of realistic tracks, different locales and Hollywood-style excitement to go with it. And then there are the cars – realistically rendered, fast and perfect if you find yourself in need of a quick escape. (And because NFS: The Run is a narrative-driven story, you may even find yourself getting out of the car at certain points!) Autolog, as seen in NFS: Hot Pursuit, is back and once again reinvents how you’ll see your friends in the game, track your career progression and compare in-game stats. Adrenaline junkies and speed fiends will love this new addition to the everpopular Need for Speed series. R499.95

>>CONSIDER This<<

>>GET This<<

F1 2011

Forza Motorsport 4

Race against 16 players online with 8 AI cars to simulate a full 24-car grid, or play through a full season in a new co-op Championship mode.

Kinect compatibility means you can walk around a car in a virtual showroom, crouch down to look at the details, or open the doors and hood.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

NEED TO KNOW • Customise your character • Award-winning voice actors • Choose from loads100s of weapons, spells and abilities Compared to Fallout’s post-apocalyptic environment, Skyrim’s lush fantasy world of dragons, mythology and magic is something to behold. This popular RPG series once again wows gamers with completely customisable characters (across 10 species), open quests and vast, detailed and interesting environments. Add some professional actors lending their voices, an enchanting, emotive soundtrack and unbelievable dragon battles and you know this is one game you’re going to be playing for a very, very long time. R599.95

64 | connect | November 2011

>>Consider this<< RAGE Also published by Bethesda, this FPS is set in the not-too-distant future after an asteroid impacts Earth, leaving a ravaged world behind. Take on bandit gangs, hordes of mutants and more using an arsenal of exotic weapons and gadgets.

Megarom 1 Artwork still to come...

game reviews

Disney Universe Batman: Arkham City

NEED TO KNOW • Become the Dark Knight… and Catwoman • Battle iconic villains with advanced free-flow combat • Exciting new gadgets to try out • Stereoscopic 3D support on all platforms

Arkham City is the follow-up to 2009’s hugely successful and award-winning Batman game, Arkham Asylum. There’s so much on offer here – a fully explorable Sandbox environment, all the best bat-gadgets, and a brilliant story put together by Emmy-Award-winner Paul Dini. You play the Dark Night, DC Comics’ tortured superhero. And from street brawls to nailbiting stealth scenes, there is plenty to do, over and above the epic super-villain encounters. (Expect to see many familiar foes

PES 2012

NEED TO KNOW • Enhanced realism and graphics • Improved controls and better AI • Unique personalised game modes 66 | connect | November 2011

like Victor Zsasz, Dr. Hugo Strange, Two-Face, and loads more!) A nice gameplay addition is Catwoman, who is now a fully playable character with her own missions and maps. Batman: Arkham City is a standout game for 2011 – it’s polished, lives up to the hype and you’ll feel like Batman as you soar over (and save) the city. R599.95

Everyone wants to know the same thing – which is better: PES or FIFA? Every year, Konami and Electronic Arts release a new and improved footie title. This year’s PES offering has even more realistic graphics and plenty of single and multiplayer fun. We like the new pre-pitch training challenges (get those skills up!) as well as the new Football Life mode that shows off the gameplay’s simulation aspects. While Championship Manager fans will love the Master League mode, if you really just want to be an upand-coming soccer star, the Become a Legend mode is back and better than ever. Compared to FIFA, PES has fewer official club licences and doesn’t give you the opportunity to play goalie, but it does show there’s a lot more to soccer than playing league. PES 2012 will impress fans looking for a little extra, as well as those who just want to play ball. R599.95

Need To Know • More than 40 well-known Disney character costumes • 6 different worlds inspired by Disney and Pixar • Great fun for the whole family You know the classic movies, the characters and the songs. Now you can suit up, power up and team up with some friends in this Disney-themed multiplayer action adventure game. From Alice in Wonderland, to Pirates of the Caribbean, The Lion King and Aladdin, the colourful gameplay is all about puzzles and platforming – with a Disney twist. The costume you choose comes with its own special abilities, which makes getting through a level very entertaining. It also adds a lot of replay value to the title. Disney Universe is a game the entire family will enjoy. R399.95 (Wii)

Megarom 2 Artwork still to come...

tech tannie

She skips gaily through the fields of gadget happiness, singing a song of

Bytes & Bits, and, for one day only, she’ll solve all your problems. Yes, it’s Tech Tannie again…

issue of the month: Q:

Recently somebody told me to add their e-mail address to my white list. What on Earth is a white list? Worried in Winburg

If you have questions, gripes or just seek some solace, e-mail Tamsin, our friendly tech tannie at techtannie@connectmag.co.za 68 | connect | November 2011

It’s a good thing you told me it was for e-mail, skattie, or I would have thought you were being a little bit elitist… Your e-mail whitelist, as it’s commonly spelled, is really just a list of people who you have allowed into your e-mail inbox. Many anti-virus or spyware programmes are so enthusiastic about protecting you, that they tend to block e-mails from what they deem as “threatening” places (gmail tends to fall victim to this) and you can miss out on an important e-mail as it’s sitting in your spam filter. To avoid this, you can create a whitelist by adding people individually, and their e-mails will always get through the safeguards to land safely in your inbox. You didn’t mention what e-mail client you have so I’m going to give you some choices on how to set this up. First off, let’s start with Outlook. They have a Safe Senders list, so go to Actions>>Junk Email>>Add Email to Safe Senders List. Done. There you go. That e-mail will, theoretically, always land in your inbox. I say “theoretically” because Outlook can be a little, ahem, mercurial. To stop Gmail from eating important e-mails (by the way, you should always check your spam filter for every e-mail account at least once a week), first add your contacts to the Google Contacts list, then go to Create a Filter. In the From: field, enter the e-mail addresses of the people you want to whitelist, and separate each one with ‘OR’. Then click Next, and select Never Send it To Spam. And you’re done. Bravo! Now you too have your very own whitelist and can grin smugly at anyone who asks you to add them to it…

I want to upload a family video to YouTube, but I really don’t want anyone else to see it, not unless I let them. How do I do this? Private in Potchefstroom

Okay, so there are 2 ways you can keep prying eyes off private viewing on YouTube – private videos and unlisted videos. An unlisted video is not the same as a private video and here’s why. With an unlisted video, only people who know the link to the video can view it. You also don’t need a YouTube account to watch the video and there is no sharing limit. This is a good choice if you want a one-off sharing of a movie with family and friends without any complications. Best of all, you won’t have to endure YouTube’s crappy registration process. With a private video, you need to have a YouTube account, as do the people wishing to view it, and you can make any video you have on your system a private one just by clicking on the settings. This is fine if you and your family and friends all have YouTube accounts, but Tannie Magda, who was 98 last Saturday, may not appreciate having to register…

I am really confused. What is the new Facebook? Is it the same as Timeline? Why are they making all these changes? I mean, why fix what ain’t broke? Fed up in St. Francis Bay

Ag nee, skattie, why do you have to be one of the naysayers on the Facebook issue, hey? I mean, what’s wrong with a bit of change now and again? You do realise you are complaining about a completely free service that you are under no obligation to use, right? It’s not like you have to log in every day in order to make a living, now is it? No. So my first command to you, as I sort through your (actually fairly interesting) questions, is: Please Stop Whining. Or stop using Facebook. I mean, if I had your phone number, I could just give you a call, find out if you still wanted me to answer your questions and, if not, go and have a nap instead. But I don’t. So here goes… To start with, there is no “new” Facebook, there are just several little tweaks and pokes and adjustments that you will notice as you use the site. Some aren’t working so well, like when you scroll down to see older posts and it keeps jumping to the top of the page, while others are a vast improvement. The kinks will gradually be worked out, as they always are. Soon you will see this as the “old” Facebook and probably

kick up a stink about the next set of changes that make your life a bit easier. Timeline, however, is a far bigger adjustment than a mere “tweak”. This is a full-on, great, big, humdinger of a change that has the potential to be a lot of fun. Of course, the media have gone mad, claiming it allows perverts and stalkers to hunt you down, but if you are clever and just take it for what it is, this new feature is fun. Timeline lets you create a, um, timeline of your entire life that can be viewed on Facebook by yourself and anyone else you allow to see it. You can star certain moments so they go big and widescreen, and highlight an exciting moment, or you can delete memories that you would really rather forget. Several apps are to be released for Timeline that let you listen to your music, with a friend able to listen at the same time, adjust your images and more. While Timeline has not yet been launched, you can sign yourself up to receive a notification when it is due to come out. Just go to www.facebook. com/about/timeline and click on the bottom right-hand side of the page, where it says Sign Me Up.

www.connectmag.co.za | 69

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disconnect //By adam oxford

How much is

my money

Don’t make me pay twice for a subscription service!

here’s a moderately famous Internet ‘meme’ from last year that popped up again in my inbox this week: “If you’re not paying for a service, you are the product being sold.” This pithy aphorism was coined by a true Nietzsche of the Internet (actually, it first appeared on a random forum, which is much the same thing). It underlines the way old business models have been destroyed, but very few people realise quite what’s been going on. There are thousands of first-class services on the Web that are offered for free, from e-mail providers like Gmail, Hotmail, Yahoo and so on, to online office suites like Google Docs and Windows Live. The big names in social media – Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr, etc. – are all free at the point of service. As is Amazon’s forthcoming turbo-charged Silk browser and Apple’s iCloud. These things aren’t really free, of course. The companies that provide them have enormous overheads that must be covered, and investors to keep happy. Facebook physically exists in 9 rented datacentre sites in the US, and the company has just finished building its own 29 000m² server farm in Oregon to supplement them. Google has a workforce of some 28 000 or more to pay every month. So something is being sold: you. Mostly, of course, this is via advertising. Just like the old newspaper business, readers or users are a valuable commodity to pass on to advertisers. The more you have and the more you know about them, the more money you can charge for access to their eyes. And Facebook knows a lot about you. So when an awesome new service appears for free, it’s usually because the provider is gathering a lot of data about you to sell on. For the most part, that’s a price we’re willing to pay and represents good value for, if not money, privacy, at least. There are some incredible things that are genuinely free, either thanks to the support of corporate sponsors or good old-fashioned philanthropy: Wikipedia, Ubuntu, OpenOffice and so on – but we’ll

72 | connect | November 2011

come back to these another day. The problem, for me, is that the border between ‘old-style, paid-for service’ and ‘free online service’ is rather badly drawn, as some companies want to be in both worlds. This week, for example, I fired up my Spotify desktop app. I love Spotify – it’s a giant online music library from which you can play any song you want. If you use it for free, your playlist is interspersed with ads – just like a commercial radio station. For a small subscription fee, you get unfettered, uninterrupted access to its whole archive on demand. I’m a subscriber to Spotify, which means that the two of us have an old-fashioned business/customer relationship where I give them money and they give me stuff. I like it, I think they provide value. Except that now, Spotify is teaming up with Facebook (a free service I have an account with, but don’t think offers value, so haven’t actually used for years) to enable people to see what their friends are listening to. However, I don’t think my friends want to know about my predilection for a good Bulgarian gaida chorus, so I don’t really want to link Spotify to Facebook, thanks. Spotify really wants me to do that, though, presumably because the business imperative is to link up what Facebook knows about me and what Spotify knows about me into one giant advertising target for gaida tuning services with Facebook pages. Almost every time I start it up, it splashes up a nag screen asking me if I want to connect to Facebook, which promptly crashes the whole application too. I see it as being bombarded with the kind of advertising I’m paying not to see. I imagine that, by the time you read this, Spotify will have fixed this issue. But it’s an important lesson for any business in this new age where we’re still working out the rules: free is fine, just make sure your paying customers are getting what they pay for. Because if I’m not freeloading off a service, I am not the goods, okay?

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eavy rains and threats of flooding, not to mention the serious lightning storms and the unpredictable power situation some parts of South Africa have experienced over the past month don’t create all that fantastic an environment for technology to live in. And having just kitted yourself and your children out with the latest and greatest the technology world has to offer, it’s probably an apt time to think strongly about the adequate care of your new technology assets. And as usual, common sense prevails. That means making sure that you avoid eating and drinking around it (since a drinks spill can result in a complete hardware failure), that you unplug it from wall sockets or network/ phone cables during an electrical storm and that for your own comfort, you consider using it in an ergonomic manner. And the same applies for the various components in your home – from broadband routers to televisions, amplifiers

and gaming consoles, if you’re lucky enough to own them – keep them safe from harm, by exercising common sense. While you can do your best to keep your technology well maintained and safe from harm, there’s often something unforeseen lurking around the corner – and that’s why more and more people are considering short term insurance for their technology assets. And with technology becoming a more vital part of our lives – in the same way it’s wise to insure your car or other precious possessions, so it’s wise to make sure your notebook and other computing devices are covered. This is especially relevant if your technology assets are financed. Besides ensuring nothing serious happens to your notebook or desktop computer, basic care and a solid insurance policy will ensure you gain many years of valuable use from your purchases. And that’s surely the whole point of buying right the first time.

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