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GARDENS OF THE GALAXY GADGETS / GAMES / GEAR

UNSUNG HEROS

Never a dull Note

Prepare yourself for Samsung’s next-gen

Watch the world in 8K

FUTURISTIC FASHION

WORN VISION

The hottest wearables from around the world Liven up your Warhol’s

TESTED!

Polar Grit X Sonos Arc fired up Cycling helmets Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 BMW X5 M Competition & Ghost of Tsushima

Nifty little vlogger

www.stuff.co.za Issue 107 | R49.50 (incl VAT) Other countries: R43.04 (excl tax)

Pac-Man who?

Catch the latest in gaming news, tips and tech each week. Streaming on YouTube, Facebook Gaming and Twitch, all week, every week.

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s play

Welcome

Man, Donald Trump just cannot leave tech companies alone. I’ve got my own opinions as to why that is but it’s a little suspicious that he threatened TikTok with repercussions (like being banned) if they don’t sell themselves to an American company…after they already said they were looking to offload TikTok to an American company. It’s the political equivalent of telling a cat to do something it’s already doing and then claiming credit for the outcome. I reckon he just needs the attention. Remember folks, hug your kids. It may prevent an apocalypse. On a cheerier note, you’ll have noticed that Samsung’s got a lot of tech in the front half of this issue. Unpacked came down to our publishing wire, meaning we had to scramble to get this Note 20 stuff (p8) ready before the printers started yelling, and Samsung’s TV division offloads its new crop of 8K and lifestyle TVs (p14) as this issue hits shelves. But it’s not all about the South Korean behemoth. We’ve also got more reviews than you can shake a Bluetooth-enabled stick at. Audio stuff from Technics (p61), Marshall (p51) and Sonos (p58), cameras from both Sony (p50) and Fujifilm (p78). We’ve got features on the weirder sort of smartphones (p52), all manner of wearable tech (p68) and the sort of gear that’ll look good in your garden as the weather starts warming up (p34) – and that’s still only scratching the surface of what this issue has to offer. Which all just goes to show that it takes an awful lot to derail the technology machine. Whether it’s politics in various countries, the still-ongoing pandemic or just delays in the supply chain – yeah, Apple’s iPhone’s going to be late this year – tech just keeps on coming. And, honestly, that’s kinda what we like about it.

Subscriptions hotline Call Centre: 0873531291 WhatsApp: 0873531292 Advertising Business director Sally Hudson sally@stuff.co.za Senior account manager Thalia Pallotta 083 375 2418 thalia@stuff.co.za Management Stuff South Africa is published by the Stuff Group (Pty) Ltd. Directors: Toby Shapshak, Sally Hudson PO Box 74, Melrose Arch, 2096 Kelsey Publishing UK Stuff UK content is published with the permission of copyright holder Kelsey Publishing Ltd, Cudham Tithe Barn, Berry’s Hill, Cudham, Kent TN16 3AG ... and a word about prices Generally, we show the manufacturer’s recommended price. Occasionally we (or suppliers) can make mistakes. Please remember that prices listed in Stuff are intended as a guide only. We make every effort to confirm that all information is correct (and triple checked) when we go to print.

No place for Gnomes

Gardening has gone high-tech. Put these relics in your garden if you must.

p34

Brett Venter, Editor brett@stuff.co.za @DrakonisZA

www.stuff.co.za

StuffSA

Stuff competition terms and conditions: Apple is not a sponsor, nor is it involved in any way with any Stuff Magazine contests or sweepstakes. Stuff Magazine does not offer Apple products as contest or sweepstake prizes. 1 Promotions, giveaways and competitions are entered through Stuff Group’s website www.stuff.co.za and are opened for Issue 107, 2020 on 24 August 2020 and close on 18 October 2020. 2 The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into. 3 Employees of Stuff Group and their families are not allowed to enter. Advertising and public relations representatives may not enter competitions in the issue in which their promotions, giveaways or competitions are carried. 4 Prizes are not exchangeable for cash and/or other products. Prizes are available while stocks last. It is at the discretion of Stuff Group and the custodian of the prizes to ensure that, should there be a problem with the stipulated prize won, a reasonable replacement of the same value will be offered. 5 Stuff Group carries promotions, giveaways and competitions in good faith and cannot be held responsible for any misrepresentation on the part of the custodian of the promotions, giveaways and competitions. 6 Winners will be notified telephonically and by mail. It is the responsibility of the winner to ensure that the correct address and contact details are given. It is the responsibility of the custodian of the promotion, giveaway and competition to ensure that prizes are sent out correctly and within the specified time. 7 Prize delivery will take four to six weeks from the time the winner has been notified. 8 Promotions, giveaways and competitions are open to South African residents only. 9 All prize-winners will be published on www.stuff.co.za the following month, once the competition lines have closed. 10 Readers may not claim for more than one prize at a time, and once announced as a winner in any Stuff promotions, giveaways or competitions, will not be eligible for another prize for three (3) months thereafter. 11 By entering any promotions, giveaways or competitions, or by accepting any prize, entrants agree that their personal details may be retained by the promoter and/or Stuff magazine and used for the purpose of sending them information about future promotions, events and news, as well as for internal administration and analysis. 12 Unclaimed prizes will be kept for three months and will not be resent. 13 Participation in any promotion, giveaway or competition and/or acceptance of any prize implies full knowledge and acceptance of all rules.

© Stuff South Africa. All due care will be taken with material submitted, but the magazine and publishers cannot be held responsible for loss or damage. Stuff South Africa assumes no responsibility to return unsolicited editorial, graphic or other material. All rights in letters and unsolicited editorial and graphic material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and material will be subject to Stuff South Africa’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. Stuff South Africa is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted in whole or part without written permission from the publisher. While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of advice and information given to readers, the editor, publisher and proprietor cannot accept responsibility for any damage or inconvenience that may arise therefrom. Stuff is published in Brazil, China, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lithuania, Malaysia, the Middle East, Morocco, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom. Zinio digital edition.

STUFF PROMOTION

More Than FullView FullView Display | Huawei Share* | Fingerprint Power Button

Huawei has officially launched its Huawei MateBook D14 (2020) and MateBook D 15 (2020) laptops in South Africa. The latest 14in and 15.6in Huawei notebooks both bring a revolutionary cross-platform experience to users, specifically when it comes to working across multiple devices. The new Huawei MateBook D Series inherits the DNA of Huawei’s established PC range, which is expressed in its aesthetic design, innovative technology and the smart experience it delivers. On top of its lightweight chassis, FullView display, powerful performance, robust build quality and chic design, the latest Huawei MateBook D Series comes with a range of new features including support for multi-screen collaboration. Whether you’re looking for a PC, looking for a new notebook or just weighing your laptop options, the new MateBook D Series forms part of Huawei’s 2020 vision to bring seamless collaboration to every person, home and organisation for a fully connected ecosystem of Huawei devices. This ecosystem is at the core of Huawei’s strategy, set to transform the way we use and interact with technology in South Africa and beyond.

Authentic FullView Display

The mission to find an ultra-slim laptop for work, school or for gaming is made easier with the new MateBook D range of laptops. Thanks to its design-forward thinking, Huawei has managed to create something truly beautiful and powerful

with the ultra-slim bezel design on its FullView displays. If you’re looking for a large display in a portable chassis, the Huawei MateBook D has it. In line with the rest of the MateBook family, the Huawei MateBook D (2020) Series comes with a FullView display. Measuring at just 4.8mm for the 14in and 5.3mm for the 15.6in model, ultra-thin bezels frame the displays, resulting in outstanding 84% and 87% screen-to-body ratios respectively. The lightweight chassis is accentuated by a streamlined design with curved edges to produce a sleeker look. The new Huawei MateBook D Series features some of the smallest and lightest laptops for their screen size in the same price band, offering a wide viewing experience in a portable package.

Desktop PC capabilities on a laptop

Young laptop users and buyers look for more in a PC or laptop offering than just a beautiful screen and lightweight size. It has to be gamingcapable and powerful enough to run games. The Huawei MateBook D Series AMD Edition is powered by a 12nm AMD Ryzen 5 3500U laptop processor to deliver a powerful performance while retaining a high level of stability and reliability. For the laptop GPU, the AMD Radeon Vega 8 Graphics fitted in the laptop provides outstanding graphics and processing support. Don’t be afraid of the Huawei MateBook Series D overheating either. The Series also includes a new version of the Huawei Shark Fin Fan. With the new s-shaped fan blades,

*The actual performance of Huawei Share features depends on the model of the laptop and may vary with sales regions and release time.

Huawei’s Shark Fin Fan 2.0 optimises the laptop airflow dynamically to improve cooling and laptop performance. This will ensure desktop PC capabilities on your laptop. In terms of laptop RAM, the Huawei MateBook D range is fitted with 8GB of dualchannel DDR4 memory. That’s enough memory to handle most high load apps and games you can throw at it. The solid-state drive (SSD) in the new laptops are connected to the mainboard via the high-speed PCIe interface. The MateBook D 14 (2020) comes with 512GB of storage, whilst the MateBook D 15 (2020) comes with 256GB of storage.

Pricing and Availability

Huawei’s newest laptop range for South Africa has officially launched. The Huawei MateBook D 14 or 15 are available from the the Huawei online store (www.huaweistore.co.za), Incredible Connection, Takealot, Computer Mania, Evetech or Vodacom. The Huawei MateBook D 14 and the Huawei MateBook D 15 are both priced at R13 500 at selected retailers and on the Huawei Store. Order yours online or pick it up from your favourite retailer today.

CON S P29

ON THE COVER P13

Space age braai

HOT STUFF 8

18 20 22 26

The Hot Five ● Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra Now this studio, you’re encouraged to touch ● Grado The Hemp Headphone Hope they don’t sound weedy (sorry, sorry) ● Amazon Echo Auto “Your hair looks nice today, Michael” ● Samsung Q800TA It’s going to cost a little more than 8K ● Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor Next step on the road to Terminator reality Vital stats Razer Opus These noise-cancelling headphones have been personally certified by Darth Vader Icon Hublot Big Bang E The high-end Swiss watchmaker has a dabble with Wear OS – your dad will be mortified Games A new Star Wars game that, in a bold twist, you only have to pay for once Stream New films and TV series to stream while you’re stuck at home, social distancing

TESTS p68 Wear is the love?

p40 No mower tears

p46 24hr party earful 4

29 First test Microsoft Surface Go 2 50 Tested Sony ZV-1 We try out a camera made for vloggers 51 Tested Marshall Uxbridge Voice 52 Group test Mobile mash-up Five phones with a bit of a twist 58 Long-term test Sonos Arc Not the Arc-reactor we need, the Arc-reactor we deserve 60 Tested Huawei MatePad T8 We could all use more Mates like this 61 Tested Technics EAH-AZ20W 62 Tested Asus ROG Zephyus G14 It’s easy to be into metal with Asus’ new gaming gear 64 Tested Unihertz Titan Buy two and it’s a clash of the Titans 65 Tested BMW X5 M Competition One way to get 2020 back on track 66 Versus True wireless earphones 67 3 of the best Alternative 5G phones 76 Tested Polar Grit X A watch that’ll drag you up mountains (sort of) 78 Tested Fujifilm X-T200 We try out another fab camera for vloggers 84 Games The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima

09/10.20 P68

P92

FEATURES 33 Mini meme Healthy eating Download these apps into your mouth 34 Cover feature Upgrade your garden From brilliant braais to magic mowers, these are the outdoor and indoor gadgets you need make a stay-at-home summer bearable 48 Upvoted Cycle helmets Hi-tech noggin protectors to keep your hair immaculate when you bail onto the gravel 68 Wearables special 25 easy ways to smarten yourself up a bit, from fitness bands to heatseeking socks 80 Instant upgrades Apple iPad Pro (2020) Improve your merely fantastic new tablet 104 Random access memories Game Boy Micro Back in 2005, before the invention of the telephone, this was handheld gaming heaven

TOP TENS 90 Smartphones Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the handiest, handsomest handset? 91 Phablets As above, just for bigger hands (or egos) 92 Tablets, streamers Slick slates and ways to stream everything 93 TVs All you need for a lazy night/day/year in 94 Laptops Porta-powerhouses to warm your knees 95 Wearables, smartwatches Strapping smart tracking tickers 98 VR headsets and VR games This reality sucks. Try these new ones 100 Headphones In-ears and on-ears, hear hear! 103 Games 10 ways to avoid adult responsibilities

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I TOOK A FEW NOTES

The Note is a smartphone category that Samsung created and has pretty much owned ever since. The Note 20 Ultra is the deserved king of the crop, with its astounding selection of cameras. Who doesn’t want a 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto and a 108MP wide-angle lens? But the feature that I’ve come to love about the Note range is the S Pen. Pop it out and you can instantly write notes on the screen, which you can later convert to text. I use it every day. The S Pen is also a great remote for presentations and selfies, but you have to try the ultra-slow-motion video recording. It’s amazing what Samsung has done here. Toby Shapshak, Publisher and Editor-in-chief

I GOT TO USE MY HANDS

This month I got my hands on a lot of tech but my favourite (that wasn’t written about by anyone else) has to be the Unihertz Titan. An odd form factor, a lot of weight and an actual physical keyboard should make this phone feel like a dinosaur, but it was the most fun I’ve had with a new device in ages. The collection of building tools (yes, really) saw use as well as the keyboard - which was used to write the words you’re reading now. It really is an exciting, unusual phone. Check out my review on p64 or get a bigger view of this modern throwback over at stuff. co.za Brett Venter, Editor

Making Stuff up Publisher and Editor-in-chief Toby Shapshak toby@stuff.co.za Editor Brett Venter brett@stuff.co.za Deputy Editor Marcé Bester marce@stuff.co.za Art Director Brandon van Rensburg art@stuff.co.za Digital Publisher Nic Boerma nic@stuff.co.za Staff Writer Brad Lang brad@stuff.co.za Selling Stuff Business Director Sally Hudson, sally@stuff.co.za Senior Account Manager Thalia Pallotta 083 375 2418 thalia@stuff.co.za

OUR MONTH

What this issue has brought us by way of geekery I DEVELOPED A LOVE FOR BEANS

I’ve always been self-conscious about my ears. In high school, I tried to decorate them using painful piercings. In the workplace, I grew out my hair to cover ‘em, and when it came to audio kit, I opted for over-ear headphones. Great sound and ear-coverage at the same time. Win-win, right? Earbuds just never tickled my fancy – I never got the deep bass and loud beats from them that I got from my comfort headphones. That is, until I tried out Samsung’s new Galaxy Buds Live (ahem... they really do look a lot like kidney beans) to see if I could dislodge them while headbanging. I couldn’t. Now I feel like a hipster in my Beanies. Marcé Bester, Deputy Editor

I CAUGHT UP ON MY (COMIC BOOK) READING

Is it just me, or is time blurring together? The only thing that really stands out about this last month was discovering the joy of comic books. Don’t get me wrong, my adoration has never ceased. But I found myself playing too many video games (the dangers of a job that requires video games to be played frequently). To try and save my hobby from losing all enjoyment, I steered hard into comic books, specifically digital versions. I’m a hardcopy man myself, but having all my Spider-Men, Captains America and Batmen all saved on a cozy little tablet? Yeah, I can feel a shift in my reading patterns brewing. Brad Lang, Staff Writer

Getting Stuff to you Printing CTP Distribution On the Dot 087 353 1291 Contacting Stuff Call us 087 353 1291 Email us stuff@stuff.co.za Subscribe stuff.co.za/ subscribe-now Find us www.stuff.co.za StuffSA @StuffSA

South Africa

T Hit the DeX

DeX, the app that lets you connect your smartphone to a monitor or TV and use it as a computer, has done away with one big thing – the wires you used to need. Yeah, that’s tripped out.

Trusty scribbler The S Pen hasn’t gone anywhere and nor have those Air Actions, and Samsung’s made it faster. There aren’t any serious innovations here but do you really need any?

HOT FIVE #1 PLAYING THE FAME GAME Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

That’s refreshing Want to turn this office drone into a gaming monster? There’s an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate for the Note 20 Ultra’s display. A chicken dinner’s never looked this smooth.

It’s hard setting yourself up as some sort of online guru. There’s cameras and microphones, editing software, studio space, and then there’s guests, snacks and topics of conversation to take care of. Sounds like a mission, right? Not if Samsung’s got anything to do with it. The Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, the newest smartphone to have an S Pen, plans to make you forget that the stylus is even a thing. Unless, that it, you’re sketching out your next shot in your ‘filmed wholly in 8K’ opus that’ll make Tommy Wiseau hand in his ‘Oh hi Mark’. That’s courtesy of the camera array Samsung’s fielding this time – a 12MP ultra-wide, 12MP telephoto and 108MP wide-angle lens that’ll turn your home-shot clips into bits of cinematic art (directing skills sold separately, talent not included). And, in case you’re wondering how you go about uploading your 8K masterpiece, the Note 20 Ultra is toting 5G – which means you’ll have to find a location in SA where coverage is and then bask in the warm glow of blistering internet upload speeds. Or do it the hard way, using a computer. As hot as… live-streaming in 8K from R37 000 / samsung.com/za 9

HANDS-ON WITH THE NOTE 20 ULTRA We’ve had the Note 20 UItra in our hands and there’s some serious quality in the build. There are shades of the S20 Ultra in the meaty camera bump (which you’re going to wrap in durable plastic as soon as possible, we hope) but without the emphasis on zooming in on things Samsung had earlier this year. The focus is on filming things, while using a Samsung earbud as a microphone (see p12). When you’re not pointing the three camera lenses at your subjects, you’ll be connecting to Windows 10 notebooks (wirelessly) to use DeX, swapping files between phone and computer (or phone and tablet, if the need arises) and just generally being creative. Or you might do the unlikeliest thing of all and actually use the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra as a phone. But that’s a silly idea, it’s far too advanced for that.

NEW FROM SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH 3 The Watch 3 does something odd for a smartwatch – it doesn’t look like one. It’s got a much more traditional style going, which belies the tech hidden inside. Part of that tech is a built-in ECG (electrocardiogram), which doesn’t work here. Yet. Samsung’s Tizen operating system is an excellent take on a wearable OS and it plays very nice with Samsung’s apps in general. There’s an improved battery to look forward to, but you’ll still be returning to the charger every couple of days. It launches in South Africa in Bluetooth and LTE variants, with 41mm and 45mm sizes for each. Plus, you know, colour options. from R9 000

Fun with frames Fast or slow, the Note 20 Ultra has you covered. Capture up to 120fps at 1080p, for some slow-mo action, while you can film in 8K at 24fps. How far we’ve come…

ALSO NEW FROM SAMSUNG GALAXY BUDS LIVE Samsung’s newest buds might look like kidney beans but they sound like kidney beans that went to music school and got very good marks indeed. You might think that you’re getting by fine with the Galaxy Buds+ but the Buds Live have a lot going for them. They feature active noise cancelling, an ergonomic fit, excellent audio reproduction and the ability to be used as a lapel mic by the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. And, if you pre-ordered your Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, you’ve also got a voucher that’ll let you grab a set from Samsung’s new online store. Yeah, you do need a pair. R4 000

Held up in traffic The Echo Auto was first introduced as an invite-only product in the US back in 2018, and was later launched in Australia and India; it’s even out here if you know where to look for it.

HOT FIVE #2 HIGH FIDELITY

Grado Labs The Hemp Headphone Stuff would never condone the use of illegal drugs; but for those who like to kick back with a certain plant-based relaxant, there have always been particular types of music that seem to accompany it best – Bob Marley’s wooziest reggae classics, the lumbering sludge of early Black Sabbath, or the smoky trip-hop of some white middle-class Bristolians with dreadlocks. Well, now there’s a particular pair of cans to slip on while you nod out. Grado Labs’ The Hemp Headphone, presumably so straightforwardly named to prevent confusing stoners, uses the notorious L.E.A.F. to create a damping effect that helps to produce a fuller, more balanced performance with weighty lows and smooth highs (obviously). Each pair is handmade in Brooklyn, with Grado’s usual drivers having gone through a tuning and testing process to make sure they sound as good as usual in the hemp housings. There’s no new-fashioned Bluetooth or Alexa here – you’ll have to plug them in yourself and summon the energy to press play on your phone – but when you’re deep into your 18th listen of Dark Side of the Moon in a row, who cares about trivial stuff like that? As hot as…Cypress Hill’s sandwich toaster R10 800 / gradolabs.com 12

Gear/box problems

HOT FIVE #3

There are a few cars and phones that aren’t wirelessly compatible, including some Fiats, Hondas and Toyotas, plus some iPhones and Galaxy phones. Check Amazon’s list.

“ALEXA, ARE WE NEARLY THERE YET?” Amazon Echo Auto

In 2004, a man spotted Knight Rider star David Hasselhoff in the audience at a concert and hollered: “You’re nothing without your robot car!” Clearly the heckler had never seen him as Boner in Revenge of the Cheerleaders, and how was he to know the Hoff would go on to appear in Piranha 3DD? If only Amazon’s Echo Auto had existed at the time, Hasselhoff could have turned any old car into a chatty robot and that guy wouldn’t have had a leg to stand on. Despite looking like a portable hard drive, the Echo Auto actually has eight mics on board and has been designed specifically

to cope with the racket of the road. It connects to Alexa’s servers using the app on your phone, can be hooked up to your car’s stereo system via Bluetooth or old-fashioned 3.5mm analogue jack, and takes power from the cigarette lighter or a USB port. That means you can change the music, listen to an audiobook, check the weather or do any of the other stuff you’d normally offload to your robo helper, without having to take your eyes off the road. Leather jacket and hairy chest not required. As hot as...tickets for the Hoff’s 2021 tour R1 500/geewiz.co.za 13

Bound to see less bezels Samsung’s ‘Boundless Design’ means that bezels for this set are barely there. For something truly remarkable (but a little more pricey) see the Infinity Screen in Samsung’s Q950TA (Stuff 106, p58).

HOT FIVE #4 8K FOR BEGINNERS

Samsung Q800TA You’ve gotta start somewhere, right? Samsung’s Q800TA TV sets, due in stores around the same time this magazine hits shelves, are the easiest point of entry for those looking to make the 8K jump. But, like all advanced technologies, it’s not going to be cheap. You think Iron Man’s Mark 2 armour was done on a budget? Like Tony Stark’s toys, this gorgeous 8K (7680 x 4320) Quantum Dot-toting tech features a female-sounding acronym – AVA. This one won’t send you zipping past obstacles, though. AVA stands for Active Voice Amplifier, an AI-powered addition to Samsung’s TV audio arsenal. AVA detects overpowering onscreen noise, automatically boosting any dialogue so you can still hear what’s going on amid the explosions. Samsung’s AI upscaling is present, scaling up whatever you’re watching to an 8K resolution – which goes some way to making up for the dearth of native 8K content. That’s also done by way of Samsung’s AI, all powered by the advanced version of Samsung’s TV processor. Called, obviously, the Quantum Processor 8K. You wanted the best? It starts here. As hot as…the Mark L’s foot thrusters Rtba / samsung.com/za 14

Dish out the Special K This will be the most affordable 8K TV in SA at launch – but affordable and 8K don’t belong in the same room at the moment. Hope you’ve been saving.

Taking a position Object Tracking Sound+ uses the Q800TA’s six speakers (tucked behind the panel) to create a surround sound environment. How do they do that? Samsung’s built-in AI, naturally.

ALSO NEW FROM SAMSUNG

SERIF Style has a lot to do with the Serif’s presentation. If you’re less concerned with what’s onscreen and more concerned with your living room’s aesthetic, the Serif is for you. 4K AI upscaling, an NFC connection with your Samsung mobile, Quantum Dot tech and Airplay 2 are included. Rtba

FRAME For folks who only use their TVs occasionally but love art galleries, the Frame has new 75in and 32in models for 2020, features more than 1200 artworks from galleries around the world and a dual LED panel so you can be sure your artwork is accurately presented. Rtba 15

Who’ll stop the brain? With six in/out ports, a six-axis gyro, a 5x5 LED matrix, Bluetooth, a speaker and a rechargeable battery, this Intelligent Hub is the source of all your creations’ power.

HOT FIVE #5 CAREFUL ’BOT YOU WISH FOR Lego Mindstorms Robot Inventor

The silence is always the warning. The calm before the storm. Something big must be imminent when the noise stops… and robot uprisings are no different. So after seven years of absence, Lego Mindstorms is back with this 949-piece kit combining classic brick-building with elements of coding and robotics. The instructions included will help you to make Blast (pictured), a dart-firing action hero who hammers through obstacles; Gelo, a stunt-pulling four-legged critter; Tricky, your very own robo-Ronaldo; MVP, short for Modular Vehicle Platform; and Charlie, a dancing ’bot who loves playing the drums and dishing out high fives. But as everybody knows, Lego is all about indulging your imagination, so the inclusion of four motors plus colour and distance sensors and the Robot Inventor app means there’s scope here for even more creativity than usual. The app, available for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android and some Fire tablets, covers the basics of drag’n’drop coding, but you can also use Python to programme your own, more sophisticated silently-taking-over-the-world routines. As hot as…the Terminator’s fiery grave Rtba / greatyellowbrick.co.za 16

ATTACK OF THE ’PHONES Razer Opus

Rtba / razer.com

We love it when a leftfield contender threatens to upset the established order. And the Force is strong with this one… ● The prize of Skywalker The big news with these wireless cans is they’re THX-certified. THX is the high-fidelity cinema AV standard co-founded by George Lucas, the man responsible for creating a mildly successful film franchise about dysfunctional families and their droids. ● A new scope The original reason for setting up THX in 1983 was to ensure Return of the Jedi sounded mindblowing at the movies even back then. And if you’re wondering where a gaming hardware maker comes in, Razer acquired THX Ltd in 2016 and has been using its spatial audio tech in headsets. ● The empire strikes black Rather than being bright green and covered in flashing LEDs, these ’phones have more than a hint of Sony WH-1000XM3 about them. That’s no bad thing… and if they turn out to do what Razer and THX say they do, Razer isn’t charging enough for these. ● Revenge of the shush The active noise-cancellation aspect includes feedforward and feedback ANC using a total of four external and internal mics to nullify ambient noise, but also a hybrid ANC system where the two combine. ● The fat-dome menace Razer’s cans have 40mm drivers, another two mics for voice chats, USB-C and 3.5mm audio ports, Bluetooth aptX and AAC codec connectivity, and a battery good for up to 25 hours. At 265g they’re just 10g heavier than Sony’s world-beaters, and have been engineered for long hours of wear with plush leatherette memory-foam ear-cushions. Intrigued we are. 18

90° swivelling earcups and a full folding mechanism make these cans easy to store.

THX GON GIVE IT TO YA ● 1More Triple Driver

These are officially the world’s first THX-accredited in-ears. Sound comes from dynamic drivers, dual balanced armatures and double resonators. R1 500 / 1more.com

Don’t lift a finger

EUFY ROBOVAC 35C South Africa may have missed the Roomba fad, but other automated vacuum brands are trickling into SA. It’s about time. The Eufy Robovac 30C is a robust droid that cleans better than any of the Stuff staff equipped with a broom. It connects via the Eufy app, on iOS and Android, and you can set schedules for the bugger and track its battery level (which lasts a good couple of hours). Connect the Eufy with your current home automation system -- we set it up with Google Home and it works great. It’ll map the floor area, traverse carpets and get into small spaces. If this was the pinnacle of vacuum tech, we’d be happy for the next 50 years. R5 000 / circuitcity.co.za

● Fiio M11 Pro

Fiio’s premium portable music player includes THX AAA amplification, twin DACs, a 5.2in touchscreen display and up to 10hrs’ playing time. It has Bluetooth aptX HD. R17 000 / cplanaudio.co.za

● Edifier E235

This 2.1 THX soundsystem packs a wireless sub with two 8in drivers and ‘dynamic range control’. There’s plenty of port connectivity, or Bluetooth aptX with a range of 10 metres. R12 500 / takealot.com

Weighing the smarts

EUFY SMART SCALE C1

RAZER’S CANS USE A TOTAL OF FOUR MICS TO NULLIFY AMBIENT NOISE

Stepping on a scale is either a very traumatic or exciting experience. Or so we’re guessing. Before this one we hadn’t stepped on a scale in yonks. But just for the smarts, this one gets a pass. The Eufy Smart Scale C1 integrates with Apple Health, Google Fit and Fitbit, so you’re spoilt for choice. It’ll help calculate a variety of health-related numbers, from BMI, body fat percentage, bone mass, muscle mass, and more. We were too scared to find out what the ‘and more’ is, so we stopped there. If you’re into health tracking, a smart scale is a perfect addition to your (now home) gym. It also connects via a Eufy app, on iOS and Android. R420 / circuitcity.co.za 19

HUBLOT BIG BANG E R101 500 / hublot.com

Nice timepiece. Does it come with a screwdriver set? Not that we’re aware of, Tim ‘the Tool Man’ Taylor, but those very specific H-shaped screws are one way of telling this is a genuine Hublot, and at over a hundred grand it’s certainly priced authentically. The Big Bang is actually one of the Swiss watchmaker’s most iconic designs and a consistent award-winner since its inception 15 years ago, incorporating such materials as Kevlar, carbon, ceramic, magnesium, tungsten, tantalum, titanium, cermet, steel, gold and, er, rubber. So what does the added ‘E’ stand for – elastic? Expensive? We assume ‘electronic’ – because rather than being analogue, this is Hublot’s attempt at a luxury smartwatch running Google’s Wear OS. It’s in much the same vein as the TAG Heuer Connected, only minus TAG’s bespoke apps and brand-specific styling. The pair are part of the same LVMH watch group, so it makes sense for the two to have some shared features, and we’re pretty smitten with Hublot’s 42mm ceramic and titanium editions. Does it do anything special to even remotely justify that dizzying price tag? Apart from incorporating the smartwatch hardware into a complex construction that’s the same size as a standard Big Bang, the E has a dial design that changes throughout the day – and we don’t just mean the hands move. A series of eight themes created by storytelling artist Marc Ferrero changes every three hours (because 8x3 = 24), going in sequence through Happy Yellow, Magic Blue, Orange Dynamite, All White, Lucky Green, Magic Red, Rainbow Spirit and Black Magic. Each hour is also marked by a five-second animation, with more artists and designers set to add their own interpretations. 20

THIS IS HUBLOT’S ATTEMPT AT A LUXURY SMARTWATCH RUNNING WEAR OS

A stylish boost

ANKER POWERCORE METRO ESSENTIAL 20 000MAH If you know the Anker name, it’s likely due to its battery booster tech. We’ve gone through a heap of power banks in our time, and they all do the same thing. Some better, and some not so well. The Anker PowerCore Essential 20 000mAh is big, but also beautiful. It comes with a fabric-clad side panel which gives it a stylish look (and makes it less prone to sliding off things). This means you can charge up your phone during load shedding, prop your device on top of the Anker power bank and it’ll stay right there. It’s also fitted with two USB-A 3.0 ports, a USB-C and a micro-USB. R750 / circuitcity.co.za

Lark de Triumph

TRIUMPH TREKKER GT Yes indeed, motorbike maker Triumph has gone eco with its first ever electric bike. The Trekker GT carries all the necessary equipment for an electrically propelled jaunt, like a 250W Shimano motor, an integrated and lockable lithium-ion 504Wh battery and RockShox suspension. The 10-speed, 24kg steed features a hydro-formed aluminium frame in a neat matt black and ‘silver ice’ finish, and Triumph says the setup is good for a 150km range with a boost of 60Nm torque when taking to trails and uphills. It’d feel a bit weird riding a Triumph that doesn’t make a thumping noise but cruising along with almost no effort will make up for the shock, we’re certain. R63 500 / triumphmotorcycles.co.uk

Great, wireless Fire

KINDLE FIRE HD 8 PLUS There are a bunch of new Kindle Fire HDs on the block but, for our money (or someone else’s, we’re not proud), the Fire HD 8 Plus is the one to get. An 8in display, integrated Alexa (c’mon, it’s made by Amazon) and the beefiest specs in a Fire HD 8 to date are good reasons to get one of these. But the big change is the addition of wireless charging. Amazon makes a dock that’ll make this tablet look (and act, a l’il) like an Amazon Echo while it charges but that’s going to take a while to get here. It’ll also charge wirelessly on any other Qi-enabled charger you have lying around at home. Rtba / circuitcity.co.za

G A M E S

OUT 2 OCT

FIRST LOOK STAR WARS: SQUADRONS PS4, XB1, PC After making our Jedi fantasies come true, the next Star Wars game is set to fulfil our dreams of being starfighter pilots. Sure, dogfighting made an appearance in Battlefront 2, but Squadrons puts you right in the pilot’s seat in intense first-person battles across the galaxy, in a bid to recapture the halcyon days of X-Wing vs TIE Fighter. Letting you control pilots from both the New Republic and the Galactic Empire, the main focus is on 5v5 multiplayer battles, from traditional deathmatches to large-scale fleet battles, the 22

latter requiring you to destroy the other team’s flagship. You’ll be able to plan your skirmishes with your squadron in the briefing room before take-off, so there’ll be time for strategy and camaraderie. You’ll also be able to customise your ship, from component upgrades to purely cosmetic changes. Fortunately, EA has learned its lesson from the Battlefront 2 lootbox poo-storm so it’s all earned and unlocked through gameplay. There’s also a single-player campaign taking place shortly

after the events of Return of the Jedi, adding a host of diverse and original characters, and you can expect cameos from familiar faces too. Similarly, your battles across the galaxy will feature past locations such as the gas giant of Yavin Prime as well as new destinations. The game is already available to pre-order for R650, the price suggesting a lighter package compared to the scale of Battlefront 2; but it may prove the most immersive experience of them all, as it will fully support VR on both PS4 and PC.

FIRST LOOK THE VILLAGE (DEAD) PEOPLE

RESIDENT EVIL VILLAGE PS5, XBX, PC

We’re not sure if this is a good name for a game or just an excuse for a clever logo, using the first four letters of ‘village’ to spell ‘8’ in Roman numerals. Because yes, this is the eighth entry of the Resident Evil series, and it’s set to change

things up in even more radical ways than before. It does keep the creepy first-person perspective introduced in Resident Evil 7, as well as protagonist Ethan, who’s building a new life for himself and his wife after the events of that game. That doesn’t last, though… The village of the title, overlooked by a foreboding

castle, stirs memories of Resident Evil 4 (which is also getting a remake), but the snow-capped setting of Village appears to take us to new levels of fear powered by ultra-realistic visuals. The announcement trailer doesn’t feature any zombies: instead we get glimpses of a baby (never a good sign in the horror genre), a witch dressed

like a 1940s femme fatale, and a werewolf. And has longtime hero Chris Redfield turned to the dark side? The rest is mostly unknown at this stage… but fearing the unknown as you dread taking the next corner is how Capcom plans to evolve the next generation of survival horror, when Resident Evil Village launches in 2021.

PS5 PREVIEWS NEXT-GEN HYPE

DEATHLOOP

PS5, PC Two assassins play cat-and-mouse on an island trapped in a Groundhog Day cycle of death. Deathloop mixes first-person action with stealth, otherworldly powers, and a multiplayer spin where one person can be the antagonist in another’s campaign.

KENA: BRIDGE OF SPIRITS

PS5, PC Alongside the PS5’s big-budget offerings, there are little indies that look every bit as stunning – such as Kena: Bridge of Spirits. Looking like a playable Pixar film, it’s a story-driven action adventure set in an enchanting world with fast-paced combat and adorable spirit companions.

DEMON’S SOULS

PS5 The game that cemented FromSoftware’s reputation as putting the ‘hard’ in ‘hardcore’, and spawned many a copycat along the way, is reborn. This next-gen remake comes from Bluepoint Games, the same folks behind the stunning remake of Shadow of the Colossus.

INCOMING SEPTEMBER ● MARVEL’S AVENGERS ● IRON HARVEST ● CRUSADER KINGS III OCTOBER ● CRASH BANDICOOT 4: IT’S ABOUT TIME ● STAR WARS SQUADRONS ● WATCH_DOGS: LEGION ● THE DARK PICTURES ANTHOLOGY: LITTLE HOPE

IN CASE YOU MISSED...

5 THINGS FROM WWDC The highlights from Apple’s latest flurry of product news

Mini beam

LG CINEBEAM PH30N #1 iOS 14

Apple is introducing widgets to present the weather, music, photos, fitness data and more. Also new are App Clips, for pulling up an app-specific or location-specific applet without downloading the whole thing.

#2 NEW MACS

While we’re all still weighing up a return to the cinema, LG’s teeny projector will do its best to recreate the silver screen experience at home. Despite its diminutive 127x127mm (5x5in) size, the CineBeam PH30N delivers a massive 100in picture when placed 3 metres from a wall, so beware of gathering crowds outside your window. The box is about the size of a bag of chips, so storing it won’t be a problem, and its two-hour rechargeable battery should see you through most movies not directed by Martin Scorsese when you’re away from a plug. It’s good for sport too… but after being deprived of the rugby, you’ll have to make do with cinema coming home instead. Rtba / lg.com/za

Already making its own chips for other devices, Apple will start doing the same for Macs by the end of this year – claiming a better balance of power and energy consumption. And macOS Big Sur should be out about now.

#3 iPADOS 14

The iPad sees similar homescreen widgets to the iPhone, along with less invasive notifications for FaceTime and improvements to Siri. The Pencil gets Scribble, allowing you to handwrite a response into any data field and have it converted to typed text.

#4 WATCHOS 7

The Apple Watch gains native sleep tracking, although you’ll have to figure out when you’re going to charge the thing. And in addition to new fitness features, including dance as an activity, there’s now automatic hand-wash detection. Yes, really.

#5 AIRPOD TWEAKS

Apple’s earphones are also in line for software boosts this year. The 2nd-gen AirPods and AirPods Pro will gain seamless device-switching, while the AirPods Pro also get spatial audio with head-tracking for a more immersive listening experience.

Unbelievable, Jeff

KAMI OUTDOOR CAMERA Kami’s Outdoor Camera might sound like all the description is in the name but it’s more than just a camera that you can leave outside. Instead it’s a wire-free, weather-resistant snooper with night vision and a 140° lens to capture Full HD shenanigans. The only steal here is the price, plus there’s no need to worry about expensive add-on subscriptions: Kami does offer one from R900 a year for a single camera, but there’s a microSD slot for storing footage locally instead. With built-in Wi-Fi and a battery lasting up to six months, it sounds like a decent preventative measure as the criminal fraternity prepare to ease their way out of lockdown. R1 800 / amazon.com

DROP EVERYTHING & DOWNLOAD

Haul and notes

MICROSOFT SURFACE HEADPHONES 2 We liked the original Surface Headphones, but they were expensive and the battery life limped to a mediocre 15 hours. Hey presto: Microsoft has sorted both complaints with the Surface Headphones 2. Lasting a long-haul 20 hours on a charge, this puts them on a par with the Bose 700s… OK, so they don’t look drastically different to the original design, but Microsoft says you will benefit from improved sound quality, the choice of voice, touch or fingertip controls, and 13 levels of active noise-cancellation. The only pity is that these were not in the initial rollout of Microsoft’s (eventual) Surface entry into South Africa. Still, we can dream. Rtba / microsoft.com/za

Reply All (podcast)

A podcast about the internet isn’t exactly the most original idea on the market, something Reply All’s hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman constantly joke about. But rather than just being another show about the weird worlds online, Reply All is a thoroughly engaging investigative show that exposes, laughs at and uncovers some really interesting secrets from something we all take for granted every day. Delving into unique topics like the creation of the pop-up ad, social media sites where doctors share images of their most horrific surgeries, or the cult-like obsessions with internet fandoms, Reply All digs into the internet in a way that’s enlightening, never begrudging this miracle of an invention but instead looking at its weirdly beauty eccentricities while occasionally offering some helpful warnings and advice.

The times they Ara changing

CAMPFIRE AUDIO ARA If you’re in the very select camp of people who need seven balanced armature drivers inside each tiny earbud (dual high, single mid and quad low), housed inside an acoustically tuned chamber, then Campfire Audio really saw you coming. Its Ara earbuds are the brand’s most ambitious release to date – with a price to remind you that, as any audiophile will tell you, the quest for listening nirvana usually comes at a cost. The buds are built from titanium, so should be light, although that might make them easier to lose if you’re a reckless headbanger. Campfire has also refreshed its range with tweaks to the Andromeda and the Solaris buds… and yep, they’re bonkers-expensive too. R21 600 / campfireaudio.com 25

Forget about the beach/mountain/vacation you were planning to be on at year end and focus on these new treats coming to your TV

Cursed

Japan Sinks: 2020

Transformers: War for Cybertron

A new take on the legend of King Arthur, Cursed tells the story of Excalibur, Merlin and the knights who say “Ni” (not really) as seen through the eyes of a gifted young woman who eventually becomes the Lady of the Lake. The inimitable Peter Mullan stars as the big bad king trying to hunt her and her kin down. S1 / Netflix

Think this year couldn’t get any worse? How about a series of earthquakes turning your life quite literally upside down? That’s the story in the aptly-named Japan Sinks: 2020, a new 10-part Netflix anime series in which a family attempts to escape a ravaged Tokyo before the whole country falls into the ocean. Cheery stuff! S1 / Netflix

The Old Guard

The Umbrella Academy

It Chapter Two

Working as a mercenary when you literally cannot die? That sounds like an extremely lucrative career… and in this adaptation of the popular graphic novel, Charlize Theron and co have been raking in the dough for a few hundred years. But when their powers of immortality are exposed, the crew seek vengeance in classic action-flick fashion… Film / Netflix

The superpowered Hargreeves siblings find themselves back in the 1960s, scattered, and once again facing an apocalypse – the apparent result of their messing with the timeline. Can they reunite and avert annihilation once more? Probably, yes – but you’ll have to watch the second season of this graphic novel adaptation to be sure. S2 / Netflix

You’ll find scares aplenty in this sequel to 2017’s It adaptation. The kids who defeated Pennywise back in the ’80s have now grown up and left town, but the terrifying demon-clown isn’t resting in peace. This thoughtful reworking of the Stephen King classic will get you shivering no matter how warm it’s getting outside. Film / iTunes (R170)

Forget about the Michael Bay military porn, this is the real deal. In the vein of the High Moon-made Transformers games, this trilogy (part one – Siege – is available first) follows the titular heroes as they try and keep the AllSpark from the Decepticons by any means necessary. S1 / Netflix

DO M N TH ISS ’T IS

The Plot Against America S1 / Showmax

Philip Roth’s alternative history novel gets the HBO treatment in this glossy six-part miniseries from David Simon. Set in the 1930s, it chronicles the USA’s descent into fascism via the election of real-life Nazi sympathiser Charles Lindbergh, as seen from the perspective of a working-class Jewish family in New Jersey. You don’t have to be a genius to see why HBO chose to make this series in 2020; but as with Simon’s masterpiece The Wire, it clothes its powerful political message in a riveting story. Plus Winona’s in it.

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F I R S T T E S T M I C R O S O F T S U R FA C E G O 2

Where do you Go 2, my lovely? It’s simple is as simple does for the latest evolution of Microsoft’s iPad-rivalling hybrid tablet – but for Windows stalwarts, that should still represent a win Rtba / microsoft.com

he Microsoft Surface Go 2 is like a Nissan Micra in tablet form. That curvy car is as basic as they come under the bonnet, but who cares when it’s as cute as hell on the outside? That sounds like an insult, but with this Windows 10 slate being essentially a lightweight workhorse, the aesthetics,

display and build quality – and the feel of the keyboard – become vital to its appeal. Just don’t go expecting it to seamlessly replace your old performance laptop. It may well feel slower day to day, and is almost useless for editing video and large images; but it’s a charmer nonetheless, and may even be a better gaming

tablet than the iPad… although, as with its Apple rival, expensive accessories could be an issue. It’s not especially pricey on its own but it’ll cost extra for the (must-have) keyboard. If you’re arty, Microsoft’s stylus is also an extra expense. This device looks and feels just as well made as the Surface Pro 7. Its case is magnesium

alloy, carved with friendlier curves to signify that this is a tablet for everyone. The 10.5in touchscreen is larger than on the original Surface Go and makes it a thicker and heavier tablet. You also get a built-in kickstand – so there’s plenty here to help set the Surface Go 2 apart from the wider hybrid crowd.

F I R S T T E S T M I C R O S O F T S U R FA C E G O 2

Go without the flow

We’re testing the Surface Go 2 in one of its least powerful spec options: a Pentium 4425Y with 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD. The bad news is Windows 10 isn’t as smooth as it is on a laptop. Little pauses tell you it’s limited by the power available.

My heart will Go on

This machine runs Windows 10 S as standard – a restricted version that only lets you use apps from the Windows store. To install other apps you need to take off the training wheels and switch to normal Windows 10. Annoying, but it’s easy to do.

Is it my Go yet?

The Go 2 has a better webcam than any laptop at this price. It’s only a 5MP sensor but the quality is fine for video calls, which look clearer than on most notebooks. The 10.5in display is also much better than those found in most R12 000 laptops.

The integrated graphics chipset is low-end by serious standards, but it lets the Go 2 play lots of things an iPad can’t. Skyrim, The Medium and even Resident Evil 7 are achievable. Plug in an Xbox One controller and it becomes a nifty portable games console.

You Go to my head

Let’s Go crayonsy

Microsoft’s Surface Pen is great too, with 4069 pressure levels and support for tilt-sensing. It’s a match for the Apple Pencil, but a mismatch with this device: a tablet that’s barely able to run the software that justifies it. Best bump up those optional specs.

Good Meh Evil

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24 hours with the Microsoft Surface Go 2

1min 30

3mins

8mins 20mins 30mins

1hr

2hrs

4hrs

5hrs

F I R S T T E S T M I C R O S O F T S U R FA C E G O 2

Techspecs Screen 10.5in 1920x1280 touchscreen Processor Pentium 4425Y / 8th-gen Intel Core m3 RAM 4/8GB OS Windows 10 Home S Storage 64/128GB Connectivity Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio, microSD Cameras 8MP rear, 5MP front Battery life Up to 10hrs Dimensions 245x175x8.3mm, 544g

Where does this bit Go? A Surface tablet is nothing without its Type Cover keyboard… especially if it’s in fancy Alcantara

You’ve red our minds

This thing needs the Type Cover. Most images show the two together, but the backlit keyboard base is almost always sold separately. Microsoft sent us a new-for-2020 red Alcantara version.

You’ve got it pad

The touchpad below is glass rather than plastic. This offers the smooth finger-glide of a far pricier machine, only with a smaller surface to flick across. It feels just a teeny bit cramped.

W Di ha dn t a ’t n se gr e t ea ha t li t o ttle Th ne g ne e co am ed sty m es s t lu ing m op s is ! ac sp su hi ne ec pe s t rb . An o to of iP b o f t ad eu , he la se but cla st fu it l. re im s lo all ed ng y 10 er, W hr bu to e li ba t w Ap ke tte e ple th ry ’re ’s e m m ag life no uc n . t fa h- et r i m cc T iss h fro her a ed rg m e’s M er W no ag – in h Sa sim do u fe ila w ge . s1 d r 0. rain It’ o sa n n a ba ll- tte da ry y life ta b.

13hrs

14hrs 19hrs

22hrs

24hrs

You’ve suede us

The keys feel similar to those of a laptop, and Alcantara is one of the best fabrics for the job: this synthetic suede is tough, looks good and still has a soft feel without wearing or getting mucky.

You’ve got a friend

It’s comfortable for the odd bit of work, but typing for a solid eight hours is a job for the Surface Pro 7 and its full-size keyboard – or perhaps opt for the Surface Laptop 3, which is in SA.

The Surface Go 2 is priced like an iPad, but feels slower and less user-friendly. However, pair it with the Type Cover and it turns into a neat mini-laptop, and a great buy if you want the familiarity of fully fledged Office software. It’s also a surprisingly good way to play games – just don’t go ditching your Nintendo Switch.

STUFF SAYS ★★★★ Just enough power and some must-have accessories make the Go 2 a genuine iPad rival 31

The alternative: Microsoft Surface Book 3 A hybrid that’s more on the ‘slick laptop with a detachable keyboard’ side Rtba / microsoft.com The Surface Book 3 has the most dynamic design of any hybrid laptop. Most have a 360° hinge for flipping the screen over, but is it a real tablet experience if the keyboard doesn’t detach? Microsoft’s aim is to offer you a legit iPad Pro-style tablet running Windows with a keyboard that makes Apple’s Magic effort look like expensive fluff. It mostly pulls this off, whether wasting time on the sofa or doing the kind of serious work an iPad Pro isn’t really prepped for, and it can play games well too. But the look is dated, and that’s a big deal for a hybrid notebook that isn’t even available in South Africa yet. Microsoft deserves credit for how well the fundamentals work. But it’s got a fat bezel, is bigger than an HP Spectre 13 and weighs 250g more than a 13in MacBook Pro. Of course, Microsoft has some solid excuses for the extra bulk – like the techy logistics of the whole hybrid element. The LCD display is high-quality and maximum brightness is very good. It doesn’t hold up as well as that HP’s OLED in the sun, but it’s clear enough for outdoor work. It’s a touchscreen, of course, and will work with Microsoft’s Surface Pen stylus.

Go out two-batt There’s a battery in the screen and one in the base. They’ll work in tandem… but remove one and playtime is curtailed to as little as 3hrs.

Key specs Display 13.5in 3000x2000 / 15in 3240x2160 PixelSense LCD Processor Quad-core 10th-gen Intel Core i5/i7 RAM 8/16/32GB Storage 256/512GB/1TB Battery life Up to 17.5hrs Weight 1.49kg/1.64kg (13.5in), 1.90kg (15in)

The Surface Book 3 is an odd one. It has the most inventive hybrid design around but it’s not as light as most, battery life can be poor, and it lacks the power of a high-end laptop. Maybe Microsoft has been just a little too ambitious here.

STUFF SAYS ★★★★ The convergence king is more of a duke, but that’s still a result 32

Preach to the converter Screen plugged in, it feels as solid as a normal laptop: yank at the display and it won’t detach. To use it as a tablet, you just press a button on the keyboard; there’s a clunk and it’s ready to remove.

That’s a lot to process

Pretty much the same Core i7 processor is used in machines slimmer and lighter than this one. It means this laptop won’t be the best fit for those who demand serious performance.

Witch side are you on?

It’s a decent gaming machine, though. Play The Witcher 3 at 1200p with the graphics set to ‘high’ and you’ll see 30fps-plus. Skyrim can top 50fps at close to native screen resolution.

APPS

Mini meme

● Green Kitchen

A traditional cookbook in your phone, this app has hand-picked recipes designed to get you eating more greens. There’s enough choice to keep you going for weeks, but not the kind of deluge that’ll lead to choice paralysis. Each dish has a mouthwatering snap, an ingredients list and steps to check off. And for those with limited diets, gluten-free and vegan recipes are clearly marked. R60 / iOS

● Paprika

You can save recipes from the web in Kitchen Stories, but only if you pay a hefty annual fee; so Paprika is a better bet for stashing clippings of dishes you discover that fit your lifestyle. And because the app lets you edit what you store, you can tailor pretty much anything to make it healthier. Well, perhaps apart from that deep-fried pizza burger… from Free / Android R80 / iOS

TREAT YOURSELF FITTER When you want a spot of healthier eating, reach for one of these apps instead of that stockpile of snacks you bought for the coronapocalypse

● Deliciously Ella

You might think all this healthier eating’s not going to make much difference if you sit there like a lump all day. In which case, grab Deliciously Ella. This app will happily suggest you add a mixed bean salad or chocolatey peanut protein smoothie to your weekly meal planner, but it’ll also urge you to do some yoga. And if all that doesn’t manage to relax you, there are meditation recordings too. from Free / Android, iOS

● MyFitnessPal

This industry giant helps you track everything you eat – when used well, it can act as a useful sanity check on your intake. A barcode scanner helps you log quick snacks, but even full meals aren’t a chore to get into the app. Over time, you’ll build a full picture of your eating habits, stash favourite recipes, and take on board useful advice from a video feed starring sickeningly healthy presenters. from Free / Android, iOS

● Kitchen Stories

If you demand more choice, try Kitchen Stories. It’s still curated, so not a complete free-for-all, but has a wide variety of dishes to explore. Select something yummy and you’ll see the dish’s difficulty, ingredients and prep time, along with related how-to videos. Each step has a photo too, so you can check whether you’ve made a terrible error or you were really supposed to set fire to the broccoli. from Free / Android, iOS

● Streaks

Want a less prescriptive means of recording what you’re shoving into your gob? Try a habit tracker. Streaks is useful in enabling you to define both positive (ate some greens!) and negative (but also a bag of chips!) habits. These can potentially be logged multiple times per day (actually, two bags of chips!), and you can peruse how your stats have changed over time. On Android? Try Productive or Habitica. R80 / iOS 33

GARDEN GADGETS

GARDENS OF THE GALAXY Spaceship-shaped pizza ovens, afterburner braais, droid mowers and NASA-inspired vegetable growers: upgrading your backyard can be cosmic OONI KODA 16 R9 000 (import) / ooni.com efore Ooni, cooking quality stone-baked pizzas was complex, cumbersome and expensive… and let’s face it, most of us just ordered Mr. D instead. Then, in 2012, this startup launched its original wood-pellet oven thanks to the support of just 142 Kickstarter backers. Look away now, irate pizzeria owners, because we’d just like to say a heartfelt thank-you to every one of the ‘Ooni 142’. You’ve helped revolutionise the quality of home-made pizza.

which can cook, you guessed it, 16in pizzas in seconds. With instant ignition, the Koda will hit temperatures of up to 500°C in 15 minutes. That’s around twice as hot as your kitchen oven, and the ideal temperature to knock out restaurant-style thin-crust pizzas. Heat comes via an innovative L-shaped burner that creates a gorgeous waterfall flame inside the oven, while ceramic-fibre insulation in the powder-coated steel shell helps it hold onto that heat for longer.

King of the fill After eight years and several tweaked designs, Ooni has just launched its biggest model yet: the propane-powered Koda 16,

Ooni-ds a braai anyway? Fold-out legs make the Koda 16 surprisingly easy to store away in a shed, and at just 63x52cm it’s a lot more

compact than the equivalent gas braai – plus we bet it makes an infinitely more tasty fiorentina. If you still want to serve up some more traditional outdoor grilling options, the Koda is a versatile box of tricks, able to flame-cook steaks, sear fish and roast lamb, as well as turning out flatbreads and doughballs. Top tip: We suggest you check out the vast recipe collection and Ooniversity section on the Ooni site for lessons in making the perfect dough, along with other tasty creations such as sourdough pizza and Chicago deep dish, plus how to hack a calzone from overstretched dough.

GARDEN GADGETS

A VIEW TO A KILN The 15mm-thick baking board is made using premium cordierite stone, which is also used in the manufacturing of kilns as it doesn’t mind very high temperatures.

SLIDE RETURN There’s a wide opening for sliding your bacon, asparagus and marshmallow pizza into the L-shaped burner – but remember to spin it to avoid overcooking one side.

PEELING GOOD You’ll need a pizza peel – basically a big flat shovel – to get your dinner in and out of the oven. Coat it with flour (ideally semolina flour) to stop the dough sticking to it.

GARDEN GADGETS

COOL FOR PATS Impressively, even at its highest temperature the super-stylish aluminium shell remains cool enough to touch, including the handle.

SPARK LIFE With fast-flame ignition, you just press the button and in 10 minutes the charcoal is ready to cook. A kilo will keep it going for up to nine hours.

THIS WICKED TONG The Everdure comes with a stainless steel and cast-iron cooking grill plus tongs, stainless steel risers and a high-temperature pizza stone.

GARDEN GADGETS

Stop playing silly burgers and pick one of these lean, mean (and sometimes green) grilling machines to turn up the heat on your burning braai desires EVERDURE 4K

W E ’ R E A L S O W I L D A B O U T…

R45 000 / yuppiechef.com he unlikely lovechild of a Star Wars GNK power droid and a Big Green Egg grill (see right), Heston Blumenthal’s latest outdoor oven blends ancient super-insulated charcoal cooking (4000 years old, hence the name) with the latest in connected, idiot-proof burger-cooking… and the results are magnificent.

Don’t light my fire First up, this charcoal barbecue lights itself, so there’s no need to reach for the jerrycan when flames are not forthcoming; and ingeniously, there’s a reloading drawer below the cooking grates, so you can add fresh charcoal during cooking without disruption. Auto-ignition requires mains power, which won’t please the traditionalists, but then neither will the digital temperature display, companion app and integrated meat probes. For the rest of us, it means delicious results with the minimum of fuss and virtually

LET’S GET THIS PATTY STARTED For your charcoal, invest in a starter chimney (R420, takealot.com) and use hardwood lump charcoal, not the instantlighting stuff – this will add a smoky flavour, rather than stinking of lighter fluid.

zero risk of spoiling everyone’s party with a tasty bout of campylobacter. Slow and low, that is the temp While it doesn’t boast the largest of cooking surfaces, you can grill over several different heights to increase capacity – and thanks to the insulated build, supremely controllable airflow and smart thermometer, it’s possible to cook low and slow for hours at as little as 110°C or crank it up for searing steaks and baking pizzas at 400°C ,thanks to a 1.4kW burner and the bundled pizza stone. The app is full of recipes and tips but, most importantly, keeps an eye on your cooking progress, tracking internal and ambient temperatures; it’ll ping an alert if you need to add fuel or increase airflow and then let you know when your chow is ready to eat. It comes in matt black or white, or a more striking red, orange or blue for riling Ned Flanders next door.

HAVE A BIT ON THE SIDE Indirect cooking is brilliant for slow roasting instead of just grilling the life out of your poor bangers. Set up the grill so the heat is on one side only and place your food on the other. Keep the lid on for better flavours.

BE ANAL ABOUT PROBES Buy a digital meat thermometer – or better yet, invest in a Cadac Bluetooth thermometer probe (R550, takealot.com). You’ll want to make sure the internal temperature of your meat is at least 75°C.

BIG GREEN EGG Based on an ancient Japanese oven, this charcoal-fired grill has an airtight cooking chamber and sealed firebox, making it easy to light and versatile, with 24 hours of cooking from one load of charcoal. You could even cook eggs in it. from R10 000 / biggreenegg.com

MORSØ GRILL 71 This cast-iron grill, designed in 1971 and in production ever since, is the perfect backyard companion for smashing out steaks without the need to sell all your garden furniture to make room for a hulking great braai. R5 600 / morsoe.com

BIOLITE FIREPIT CLIMATE NEUTRAL EDITION

CHAR-BROIL GRILL2GO

This app-controlled campfire-style hybrid grill features a 10,400mAh fan that keeps the fire burning at the ideal temperature for up to 24hrs (if you keep adding logs), with minimal smoke. R3 550 / bioliteenergy.com

An all-terrain action braai built tough for your camping adventures (or patio parties), the Char-Broil uses small gas canisters and features infrared grilling tech to ensure food is cooked evenly across the plate. R3 000 / charbroil.com

CAMPINGAZ ATTITUDE 2100 LX

WEBER SMOKEFIRE EX4 GBS

This tabletop gas braai serves up a generous cooking space across two enamel-coated cast-iron grills. The left side can be fitted with a pizza stone, roasting skillet or paella pan. Mmm, paella… R6 000 / campingaz.com

This pellet-fired all-in-one can cook at any temperature from 95 to 315°C, so you can smoke or sear steaks without lifting a finger… except to check the app’s countdown to dinnertime. R25 000 / weber.com

GARDEN GADGETS

Embrace the slightly-outdoor lifestyle: these fun lamps and refreshment providers will put the finishing hi-tech touches to your palatial patio W E ’ R E A L S O W I L D A B O U T…

ANGLEPOISE ORIGINAL 1227 GIANT OUTDOOR R75 000 / anglepoise.com f ever you were going to ‘love lamp’, the Anglepoise Original 1227 stands as good a chance as any of earning your affections. A design icon conceived in 1935, the classic Anglepoise uses pivoting arms with a revolutionary spring, crank and lever mechanism invented by vehicle suspension engineer George Carwardine, so it can be positioned with a light touch but remain in place once released – hence ‘angle’ and ‘poise’.

FATBOY THIERRY LE SWINGER

PHILIPS HUE OUTDOOR

TAURUS CASA GELAT

Fatboy is famous for brilliant ideas with ludicrous names. This is a wireless LED lamp that can be hung from a parasol or branch, or stuck in the ground with its beech stand. It lasts for up to 42hrs between charges. R4 500 / fatboy.com

Turning Philips’ great smart lighting inside-out, the Hue range now includes wall-lights and spotlights with integrated LEDs covering millions of colours. Controlled via the Hue app and bridge, this is outdoor Ambilight. from R3 600 / karibaa.com

This ice-cream maker is as cool as its end product, with a 1.2-litre capacity for creating frozen deliciousness in 60 minutes. You needn’t consume your treat right away either, it’ll stay chilled for an hour. R5 000 / taurus appliances.co.za

SMEG BLF01 BLENDER

PHILIPS PERFECTDRAFT

NERF SUPER SOAKER

Smeg’s 800-Watt machine can whip up frozen cocktails or even aerate wine before quaffing, if you really want to show off. The removable Bottle To Go is also a great add-on if you’d rather get wavy on a socially distanced park bench. R4 300 / hirschs.co.za

From pale lights to light ales: Philips’ home draught system not only gives you the option to taste 35 different beers, but will even keep the trail of ale chilled at a constant 3ºC, as well as fresh for up to 30 days. R8 800 / brandlys.com

If the beer doesn’t cool you off, Nerf’s Super Soaker series reimagined for 2020 will. You’ll find the original air-pressure system in today’s XP20, XP30 and XP100 models, armed and loaded for mild flirting. from R450 / takealot.com

The BFG The 1227 has undergone many special-edition treatments, but if there’s one guaranteed to get Brick Tamland foaming at the mouth it’s the ludicrously oversized Original 1227 Giant. Originally commissioned by the Roald Dahl Museum as a tribute to the author’s favourite writing lamp, it’s triple the standard size and comes in floorstanding or

wall-mounted configuration. Great for living rooms, not so good for gardens… so now Anglepoise has created a Giant Outdoor version with marine-grade stainless steel fittings and sealed housings to illuminate balconies and terraces without electrocuting you or your cat. James and the giant in peach? Along with all that stainless steel you’ll find an aluminium shade, forks and arms, with a gloss or satin powder-coat finish available in a series of standard colours. And you can specify a custom colour for an additional charge. We’re not sure which way you’re intending your garden gathering to go, but if you can afford to illuminate it with the likes of this retro standing lamp, we’d imagine you’re also serving the good stuff. We’re not going to ask you where you got it, but do you mind if we come over as well?

● OUTDOOR LIGHTING TIPS READ THE ROOM Think of your garden as an extra room and consider mains-powered lighting. It’s not all about the summer either – a well-lit winter garden seen from the window can be just as dramatic.

CATCH THE SUN Most wireless lights are charged via USB, but to go self-sufficient try the solar-powered Lumify fairy lights (from R1 350, thesolarcentre. co.uk) or LuminAid inflatable lanterns (from R1 000, amazon.com).

HEDGE YOUR BETS Try installing lights in or around trees and shrubs for an interplay of light and shade on stems. Lighting a hedge from underneath can look cool too, giving off the effect of cathedral columns.

GARDEN GADGETS

CASE FOR THE DEFENCE Like any other waterproof gadget, the Original 1227 Giant Outdoor has an IP65-rated casing for added peace of mind in iffy weather.

A STRONG LEAD

LIGHT ON ITS FEET The floorstanding version has an aluminium base with coated cast-iron base weights and knurled bespoke wheels.

Lit by an E27 A65 LED bulb, the Giant Outdoor has a 10m silicone rubber power lead and a maximum reach from base to shade of 2.3 metres.

GARDEN GADGETS

● LAWNMOWING TIPS TAKE A BIT OFF THE TOP Aim to reduce your lawn height by just a third each time you mow. The temptation might be to make it look like the pitch at the Wanderers, but any more than that risks affecting the health of the grass.

BORN GRIPPY The 305 is fitted with heavy-tread wheels for excellent traction even when it’s wet, so it can conquer gradients without slipping. And washing off excess grass is easy with a hosepipe.

INCH YOUR WAY ALONG Try to keep your grass between 25mm and 40mm tall. In areas that receive greater wear and tear it’s advisable to leave things a little longer at perhaps 40mm to 50mm. In shade, aim for 70mm to 80mm.

DON’T CLOUD THE ISSUE The weather and season will also dictate how you mow. Firstly, try to stick to dry days so as not to smear the soil. If it’s hot, raise the blades to let grass grow a little longer and hold in some extra moisture.

BORN SNIPPY Like a torture scene from a ’90s horror flick, the 305’s razor-like carbon steel blades cut little and often, with plenty of height-adjusting options to prevent moss growth. Chillingly effective.

GRASSING THEM UP A high-resolution graphic menu display guides you through the setup, including how to activate the mower’s PIN-protected alarm should someone try to run away with it.

GARDEN GADGETS

Even with all the spare time in the world, a chore remains just that, so put your feet up and let the robots get to work on your precious patch of green H U S Q VA R N A AUTOMOWER 315

W E ’ R E A L S O W I L D A B O U T…

R31 200 / husqvarna.com esigned to take all the effort out of lawn care, the Bluetoothconnected Automower 315 is ideal for anyone with close to a tennis court’s worth of grass to trim (up to 600m²); but unlike the competition, this robot loves complicated layouts. It automatically senses narrow passages and finds its way even through the smallest spaces, varying its route to avoid making track marks, while it can also be set to switch mowing patterns from random to systematic,

which keeps the cut consistent. And if it does sense taller grass, the 315 does a spiral mowing pattern to make sure the area is cut as quickly and evenly as possible. Mow money, no problems Most robot lawnmowers are nowhere near as autonomous as their vacuum-cleaner cousins, and the Automower still needs a boundary wire to prevent it going ballistic in your begonias. This model also requires a guide wire to lead it back to the charging base, which helps to ensure you don’t come home to find it floundering in a corner. With a 70-minute run time from a 60-minute charge, this 6.7kg mower will keep working until the job is done – and the vicious three-blade cutting system can trim to any length from 20 to 50mm. If you prefer to have more control over proceedings, the accompanying app will pass you the reins to start, stop or park the 315 from up to 30 metres away. Gardener’s resting time Just like a real gardener, the 315 adjusts its workload depending on the weather: it’ll get out more during periods of strong grass growth, but then kick back and relax during dry sunny periods to reduce wear on the lawn. And if you’ve got a hilly garden, this thing will have earned its rest, because it’s capable of handling slopes with an incline of up to 40%.

FLYMO EASILIFE 350

STIHL IMOW RMI 422

AMBROGIO L60 DELUXE

Flymo is owned by Husqvarna these days, which might be why this robot mower for gardens up to 350m² benefits from high-quality guide and boundary wires, and reliable Bluetooth control. Shame it doesn’t hover, though. R16 000 / flymo.com

Stihl’s smallest cutter is for lawns up to 800m² and will mow, charge and adapt its schedule all by itself so it doesn’t get in your way. The mulching blade puts nutrients back into the soil and there are 15 height settings. R22 500 / stihl.com

This one doesn’t need perimeter wires: instead it relies on bumpers and a grass sensor to tell where it is, so there’s no installation for the puppies to dig up. It’s 4WD and can cope with slopes up to 50%. R20 000 (import) / ambrogio.co.uk

GARDENA SMART SILENO+

HONDA MIIMO HRM 40 LIVE

ROBOMOW RC 308 PRO

Honda has been in the robo-mower business for a long time, and its Miimo family has a new, member for small lawns. Capable of cutting up to 400m², it logs your garden’s layout and can even get under garden furniture. R24 000 (import) / honda.com

An Alexa-equipped ’bot designed for lawns up to 1500m², this all-rounder can cope with 36% inclines, cuts from 15-60mm and has a 60-70min run time – plus it has an Edge mode for leaving no blade unsnipped. R33 500 / robomow.com

A premium choice for lawns up to 2000m², this stylish option uses the Gardena app for scheduling with compatible irrigation systems. And what are they? Find out on the next page… R40 000 / gardena.com

GARDEN GADGETS

In case you want to use your garden to do some, y’know, actual gardening, this connected kit will help you live in harmony (and security) with nature W E ’ R E A L S O W I L D A B O U T…

GARDENA SMART SYSTEM from R2 500 / gardena.com isits to the garden centre are often a mercy mission for miracles to cure the greenery you’ve left looking like the Karoo after a particularly dry, locust-infested winter. What you really need is something or someone that constantly takes care of the shrubs so you don’t have to. What you need is the Gardena smart garden system, compatible with Apple HomeKit and IFTTT.

RACHIO THRIVE Rachio is known for its smart sprinklers, but Thrive is a fully connected system for caring for your lawn with nutrients specific to your soil and size of garden. The kit includes a year’s supply and a custom schedule for its Alexa-ready watering systems. POA / rachio.com

GREEN FEATHERS BIRD BOX CAMERA This wireless Full HD cam allows you to watch nesting birds on your phone, tablet or computer. Stream live, share footage, or relive heartwarming regurgitations stored on microSD. from R2 900 / green-feathers.co.uk

GARDENATURE IP BIRD BOX SYSTEM

MASTER LOCK BIOMETRIC PADLOCK

If you’re after the full ‘cam inside the nest’ setup, these cedarwood boxes come with an HD camera for colour streaming even in low light, plus black and white images at night thanks to IR night vision. from R3 400 / gardenature.co.uk

Whether you’re securing a gate or performing escapology acts for guests, Master Lock’s connected padlock has biometric security and can store 10 different fingerprints. R2 900 / amazon.com

NETATMO PRESENCE Whether you’re using Netatmo’s outdoor security cam and floodlight with Gardena’s Smart System or not, this device can spot intruders 20m away and works with the big three: HomeKit, Alexa and Google Assistant. R4 480 / audicoonline.co.za

BRISANT ULTION SMART While you’re out vegetating in the back garden, Brisant’s smart door lock is making sure nobody breaks in round the front. It can even send a virtual key to let guests in without you having to leave your hammock. from R5 150 (import) / brisant-secure.com

Who’s gonna save my soil? Among the family of connected devices in Gardena’s system is a Smart Sensor supplying real-time data about current soil moisture, temperature and light intensity. Pair it with the Smart Water Control attached to your tap and hosepipe, and you’ll enjoy fully automated watering of your garden. Use all that in conjunction with the Gateway hub and companion app, and you can pick between watering on demand or setting schedules so you’re not suddenly drenched during

a hot date (unless that’s your intention, you weirdo). The gadgets are available separately or as part of a kit; and because everything can be controlled remotely from anywhere in the world, Gardena has also partnered with another smart home brand – Netatmo – so you can keep an eye on changing conditions with its Presence outdoor security cam (see left) and floodlight. You could even switch the sprinklers on to soak intruders rather than you and your best shirt. Water wonderful world You can expand your Gardena family with a compatible Sileno robot lawnmower (see p41), Smart Irrigation Control for underground watering in up to six zones, a Smart Garden Pump for supplying your home with rain and well water, and a Smart Power Adaptor for adding lights and water features… or illuminating and inflating your two metre-high Santa sleigh at Christmas.

● MUDDY TIPS DON’T SOIL YOURSELF Need to get your hands dirty in the flowerbeds? Before you get stuck in, spray your spade liberally with a silicone or Teflon lubricant and the coating will make mud slip off like… er, soil off a shovel.

BE TOP OF THE POTS Large plant pots can be heavy, but they don’t need to be filled all the way to the bottom with soil. Pack the bottom third with biodegradable packing peanuts instead and add landscape fabric on top.

GIVE ’EM THE BOOT If you want to ensure plants being brought back from the garden centre are still upright when you arrive home, pop a ladder in the car boot and use the gaps between the steps as compartments.

GARDEN GADGETS

THE FROST REPORT Connected directly to a tap, the Smart Water Control uses Gardena’s valve tech to prevent leaks and includes a frost alarm in case it’s too cold to operate. There’s also a manual override button.

CLOSE TO THE HEDGE The Smart Gateway connects to your router via Wi-Fi or LAN to act as a stable and secure hub between your Smart System and the internet. It has powerful radio tech for full garden coverage.

ROOT CANAL TREATMENT Gardena’s Smart Sensor measures moisture where it’s most crucial – at the roots. Because it communicates directly with the Smart Water Control, it only waters your plants when it’s necessary.

GARDEN GADGETS

SOILER ALERT Smart Soil keeps the pH balanced, and employs tiny pockets of oxygen to ensure plants get ample breathing room and nutrients whether the soil is wet or dry.

SWEET CHILD O’ PINE The Smart Garden’s frame is made from pine and the shelves from birch plywood with decorative copper details. Round the back is a felt bag for stowing your accessories.

MY CHARD WILL GROW ON Adjustable LEDs use an enhanced light spectrum that aids growth. Thanks to the system’s modular construction, there’s no limit to how tall your plants can grow… except for the ceiling.

GARDEN GADGETS

Create a botanical garden of compact crops, hydroponic harvesters and smart soil without leaving your house/flat/apocalypse-proof isolation capsule CLICK & GROW SMART GARDEN 27

W E ’ R E A L S O W I L D A B O U T…

R12 000 / clickandgrow.com e know full well that not everyone has a garden. South Africa certainly has the space for it, though, and we’ve got the weather too. When it’s not being a little too droughty for comfort, of course. Then it’s all about efficient use of resources and these tiny gardens may be just what you need. If, that is, you’re all about going a little sustainable in your spare time. Plus, it’s good for you. Smart garden maker Click & Grow says even indoor plants can improve health, reduce stress, boost air quality and generally make us all a bit more chipper.

Hit me baby, one more thyme The Smart Garden 27 is the largest setup of Click & Grow’s three-model range and can be used for growing fresh herbs, fruit, vegetables or any other plants without moving to a smallholding. It’s a guaranteed harvest too, because it takes

all-year-round care of the light, water and nutrients so your crops won’t wind up as a failed harvest. Click & Grow also claims its gardens use 95% less water than traditional agriculture and offer faster growing cycles – without the need for GMOs, pesticides or herbicides – so perhaps this really is the future of farming. It looks like something science fiction notified us about. Against all pods The Smart Garden 27 works like a capsule coffee machine. Pop in a biodegradable pod of what you want to grow, and the LED grow-lights and selfwatering reservoir do the rest. Inspired by NASA technology for growing plants in space, the garden also uses Smart Soil that releases nutrients in sync with each plant’s life cycle… unless you’re cultivating another Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors. If so you’re on your own.

● INDOOR GARDEN TIPS DRY A LITTLE TENDERNESS Don’t drown your plants by overwatering them, you fiend. It’s the biggest killer of houseplants and a kneejerk reaction to the first sign of a problem. Water once a week in summer and every fortnight in winter.

GROW OVER TO THE DARK SIDE Most houseplants are tropical and used to living under large canopies of trees, so they can cope with low light. If you’re planting a succulent (like a cactus or zebra plant), try sticking it near a window.

LOVE ’EM AND LEAF ’EM Try fertilising your houseplants twice a year (during spring and summer), and give them a wipe with a damp cloth – in the wild, the leaves would usually be cleaned naturally by windy and rainy conditions.

VERITABLE CONNECT Sporting an LED colour spectrum adapted specifically for edible plants, this indoor garden doesn’t just aid quick growth – it’s claimed to develop flavours too. The tank holds three weeks’ worth of water. R5 800 / veritablegarden.co.uk

AVA BYTE The Alexa-enabled Byte can grow five full-sized plants with an automated lighting/watering schedule, and even adds an HD camera for monitoring and creating timelapse videos in case people really do want to know how your garden grows. $349 / avagrows.com

PLANTUI NAKED SMART GARDEN 6

LEGROW INDOOR PLANTER

This ‘naked’ planter is a grower and a shower, giving a clear view of the inner hydroponic workings. Key to quick plant growth are the 18 tuned LED lights, and it has a three-litre water capacity. R6 400 / finnish designshop.com

This Lego-like stack of cubes can be expanded to build a network of shrubbery using LED grow lamps and humidifiers. The pots even include USB ports for charging your phone if you like. from R720 / legrow.co

MINDFUL DESIGN HERB GARDEN

AEROGARDEN HARVEST ELITE SLIM

For plantpots of all shapes, this kit uses full-spectrum LEDs that the makers call ‘solar stimulators’: the timer gives 16hrs on and 8hrs off, so your herbs can always get a nice bit of shut-eye. R2 100 / amazon.com

Designed for tight spaces, the Elite Slim hydroponic harvester is just 11cm wide. Despite its diminutive size it’ll grow six pod plants five times faster than soil, and it comes in a sexy brushed steel finish. R5 250 / wantitall.co.za

GARDEN GADGETS

Whether it’s wrestling with a jungle of weeds or pogoing by the light of the silvery moon, it still needs a soundtrack. Cue Greensleeves… W E ’ R E A L S O W I L D A B O U T…

BEOSOUND A1 2ND GEN R5 400 / audicoonline.co.za ver since Bang & Olufsen decided to descend into the world of affordable audio with its playful B&O Play sub-brand eight years ago, it’s done portable pretty well… but something always missing was a waterproof speaker. The Beosound A1 2nd Gen changes that, and adds some extra hidden smarts for outdoor adventures – even if, for now, that just means walking to the bottom of the garden.

to Amazon’s servers. Tweaked audio drivers and Bluetooth 5.1 deliver enhanced 360° sound with a 92dB max loudness when streaming, while three internal mics make it a very capable speakerphone for taking business calls from the paddling pool. If you’re feeling rich, buy two and pair them for stereo sound. As ever, sound can be personalised using the Bang & Olufsen app, which includes five audio presets.

Dane kept a-rollin’ B&O Play no longer exists, but that doesn’t mean the Danes have forgotten how to have fun – in a controlled, sensible manner. That’s because the new A1 lasts longer – up to two days – and is lighter. B&O can also boast a world first on the new A1: it’s the only Bluetooth-only speaker to sport Alexa voice controls built in, hitchhiking on your phone for a data connection

Heady metal machine Design-wise the A1 doesn’t look any different to the old one – well, there was nothing wrong with the pearl-blasted aluminium chassis before – but now there’s that IP67 rating, which extends waterproofing to the leather carry-rope. Bang & Olufsen tends to offer seasonal colour changes to its products, but for now the A1 comes in not-very-partyish grey or black.

JBL PULSE 4 With a load of LED lights beneath the speaker’s surface, the Pulse 4 puts the ‘blue’ in Bluetooth by lighting up in sync with your tunes. There’s IPX7 waterproofing, and despite all that tasty illumination it’ll still play for a full 12hrs. R4 000 / takealot.com

SONOS MOVE A Sonos speaker roaming free, the Move means the multiroom champ is no longer restrained by Wi-Fi or a power socket. Switch to Bluetooth to take it further afield, and the IP56 rating ensures it should cope with a wild and wet summer. R9 500 / incredible.co.za

BOSE PORTABLE HOME SPEAKER

ULTIMATE EARS WONDERBOOM 2

Bose promises improved 360° sound and deeper bass than you’ll find in any speaker of the same size. It’s lightweight too, and has a handle to make carrying it into the garden even easier. R10 500 / takealot.com

The Wonderboom 2’s outdoor boost mode activates a preset EQ and gives the sturdy little speaker that extra bit of oomph and clarity. There’s also 13hrs of battery life and IP67 protection. R1 500 / takealot.com

HOUSE OF MARLEY NO BOUNDS XL

MARSHALL TUFTON

HoM’s portable speaker is made from sustainably harvested cork, so it’ll float in the pool. It’s also lightweight and antimicrobial, and the cork happens to be organic and biodegradable. R1 800 / houseofmarley.co.uk

From the masters of rock amplification, this portable party animal has enough power to deafen the neighbours… and 20hrs of stamina to keep deafening them all night. Plus, it’s got hi-fi refinement as well as sheer grunt. R8 000 / hificorp.co.za

● GARDEN PARTY TIPS INSTALL A KOOKY JUKEY To stop arguments (or start them) over the garden party playlist, try a social jukebox app like OutLoud (Free, iOS/Android). It lets your friends control the music, adding songs while others vote on what should go next.

PLAY SOME HOUSE MUSIC Turn your portable speaker towards the side of the house. You’ll be able to increase the volume without worrying about the neighbours so much, and audio bouncing off the walls tends to spread out better.

SWAT THE DIFFERENCE Great, here come the mosquitoes. Steer clear of standing water, try fans (they’re weak flyers) and use insect repellent containing picaridin – it’s odourless and non-greasy, and doesn’t damage synthetics.

GARDEN GADGETS

PLAY FOR TWO-DAY A 3000mAh battery means the new A1 will last for 18 hours with standard use and up to 48 hours if you keep your music down to a moderate 55dB. ARE YOU STILL HEAR? Alexa works up to five metres away and remains responsive for three hours after turning the speaker offâ&#x20AC;¦ although that feels a little uncomfortable.

FITTER TWEET SYMPHONY The improved audio comes from a 3.5in woofer and a 3.5in tweeter powered by two Class-D amplifiers, with AAC and aptX codecs for high streaming quality.

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UPVOTED

The cellular shell

The beckon beacon

POC Ventral Air Spin NFC Winning the leader’s jersey is certainly a reason to celebrate. Too many recovery drinks, though, and you might forget the colour of your Lycra – let alone what race you’re on. So an NFC chip in this carapace carries all your key medical info. Handy if you pass out from, er, over-hydration. R4 350 / bikeinn.com

Specialized S-Works Evade w/ANGi It might be nice to pedal free from the peloton, but come short on your own and it could be hours before someone finds you. Don’t go AWOL on the road: this lightweight shell packs an ANGi crash sensor which, paired with your phone, can text selected contacts if it detects a fall. R6 300 / bikeinn com

The light rider

CYCLE HELMETS

The brighter pilot

Lumos Matrix It takes more than a waving arm to safely signal on unlit roads. Add lumens to your arsenal with this bright idea: a light bar on the lip leads the way, while a dot-matrix display at the back tells traffic when you’re turning or stopping. Control it via a wireless remote on your bars, or your Apple Watch. from R4 300 / lumoshelmet.co

Keen to protect our precious craniums, Stuff saddles up to find the smartest helmets for safer pedalling

The custom can

The wonder armour

Hexr As mom’s always maintained, your noggin is unique. That’s why Hexr scans your skull to create a 30,000-point digital model, before 3D-printing a helmet that’s bespoke to your bonce. Not only does that mean a flawless fit, but its honeycomb shell also provides next-level energy absorption in an accident. R6 700 / hexr.com

HOW TO DECIDE 48

The wireless backup

Bontrager XXX WaveCel Road Splash out on this innovative lid and, while it won’t get you up Jonaskop any faster, at least your brain will be safe from bumps. Its collapsible cell-like structure delivers superior protection from awkward impacts, without affecting aerodynamics or airflow to your sweaty head. R4 000 / tritoncycles.co.uk

Hedkayse One Like a bulletproof scrum cap, this rugged wrapper will see you through repeated two-wheeled tackles. Unlike standard foam, its Enkayse padding takes bumps without deforming, so it can cushion your nut from further collisions – and its ballistic nylon outer layer is flexible enough to fold away. R3 500 / hedkayse.com

1 Pick’n’MIPS Want extra protection? Helmets with a Multi-directional Impact Protection System (MIPS) are designed to reduce damage to your brain caused by rotational forces in a crash.

Giro Bexley MIPS Your folding e-bike might look more shop run than Top Gun, but pull on this headgear and you’ll feel like Maverick every time you pop out for milk. A retractable eye-shield keeps your peepers safe, while a light-up rear panel ensures civilians will see your moves on the byway to the danger zone. R5 200 / starbike com

MET Allroad Commute via the forest trail and those pants are going to get dirty. But at least if you don this adaptable all-rounder your head will be shielded from rain and spray. An LED at the rear ensures you’re seen on the streets, while a detachable visor guards your eyes when you go off-road. R1 250 / bikeinn.com

2 Hug a heady How a helmet grips your head is key to comfort and safety. There are several types of retention system, so spend time finding one that suits your skull.

UPVOTED

The robocap

Coros SafeSound Urban It’s not technically illegal to text while you pedal but, like riding with no handlebars, it could easily put you in a bush. Speak safely from the saddle with this connected helmet. Paired with your phone via Bluetooth, buttons on the wireless remote make taking calls and skipping tunes a cinch. The integrated earphones are open too, so you’ll never be surprised by the po-po. R4 650 / amazon.com

3 Flow rider A lid with plenty of ventilation usually suits summer cyclists, while less breeze is better in winter. Airflow is also key for aero, so choose something slick if you’re tackling time trials.

4 Weighting game Pursuing that Strava record is pressure enough without a heavy helmet on your head. Modern cans are lighter than ever, but LEDs and smart features can add all-important weight.

T E S T E D S O N Y Z V- 1

Keep it 100 Sony reimagines its RX100 compact camera with the focus on vloggers and other pathological attention-seekers R17 000 / sony.com/za Almost DSLR-grade image quality and control, a wide-open f/1.8 lens, fantastic eye-tracking and continuous autofocus in a compact body? The ZV-1 isn’t cheap, but still undercuts Sony’s own RX100 VII despite packing the same sensor. It also adds a fully articulating screen, more versatile video capabilities and improved audio. There are sacrifices, though: no viewfinder and no flash. The real star is that 3in screen, which flips out and twiddles – a great feature for vloggers. Controls consist of a rotating dial and menu buttons, fiddly for anyone moving from a DSLR but fine for video. The 1in sensor on Sony’s premium compacts has always been a top performer and it stacks up well here. It’s quick to focus, with face-detection as well as a range of traditional modes from continuous through to single-point AF.

The cling of comedy You’ll get less than 40 minutes of 4K shooting time, but you can run a battery pack from the microUSB port.

Soft Skin beauty mode irons things out when you’re not at your finest, while the Product Showcase feature shifts focus-priority to anything being held by a vlogger while in frame, then right back to their face, turning the ZV-1 into both camera and camera operator. The included wind muff does a decent job of tackling outdoor noise, and directional recording is perfect for chatting away even in less than peaceful environments.

Tech specs Sensor 20.1MP Exmor RS CMOS ISO range 100-12,800 Max burst speed 24fps Video 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 120fps Display 3in articulating TFT LCD Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB, USB 2.0, microHDMI, 3.5mm Dimensions 106x60x44mm, 294g

The clear hunter

The LCD screen smashes it indoors, with great viewing angles and brightness, although in direct sunlight you might miss a viewfinder. The aspect ratio is traditional 4:3; for a video-first camera, 16:9 would’ve been nice.

The untouchable

Sony’s missed a trick by not making its UI touch-sensitive. Yes, the touchscreen supports touch-to-focus, but the interface has to be controlled by the camera’s buttons and that’s a little infuriating.

STUFF SAYS So good that after reviewing it we went out and bought one ★★★★★

Sony’s clever compact is an offer vloggers can’t refuse 50

The ZV-1’s articulating screen is spot-on, and opening it to power up the camera from cold is a classy party trick. Footage looks exactly how we want it to, and the only out-of-bounds environment for video capture is very low light. What’s more, with the same guts as the RX100, it’s a stills-master as well as a film star. You won’t get the shallow depth of field a DSLR can deliver, but this is an exceptional compact.

TESTED MARSHALL UXBRIDGE VOICE

Uriah cheap You can choose a black or white finish, but the plastic exterior gives the Uxbridge Voice a less sturdy feel than its bigger siblings.

Asking for a fiend Feel like a bit of Cannibal Corpse? Marshall’s latest and smallest voice-controlled rock box awaits your command…

R3 800 / marshallheadphones.com Carrying on the tradition of naming its wireless speakers after seemingly random bits of London, Marshall has dubbed its latest model in honour of Uxbridge Road, the location of founder Jim Marshall’s first shop. The Marshall Uxbridge Voice with Amazon Alexa, to give it its full name (there’s also a Google Assistant version), is designed for those who want their Alexa chats to have a bit of rock-star quality. This ‘compact sonic powerhouse’ is aimed at those who don’t have the space or cash for one of the company’s pricier models. Inspired by guitar frets, the long rockers on the top control volume, bass and treble. They’re responsive, but tricky for subtle tweaks – yes, the Moana soundtrack is a banger, but accidentally blasting out Disney classics at ear-shattering volume is hard to style out. Voice controls work well, with the far-field mics hearing all our demands even with How Far I’ll Go cranked up; but max things out and you might find yourself yelling “Alexa, for the love of God turn it down!” more than once. A speaker this size is never going to be earth-shattering, but the Uxbridge doesn’t embarrass itself. It’s better than some compact speakers we’ve heard… just don’t expect real depth, and do expect things to get muddled at high volumes.

Alice mid-scooper

Setup is easy: plug in the speaker, download the Marshall Voice app and follow the instructions. The app includes an equaliser with presets for various genres, plus a custom option in case you think you know better.

Kill-snitch engage

The ‘ker-chunk’ guitar riff sound effect on startup is incredibly satisfying, but you can turn it off. There’s no ‘off’ button for Alexa, though – she’s always there. Listening. Waiting. At least until you mute the mics.

Tech specs Output 30W Drivers 1 woofer, 1 tweeter Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, AirPlay2, Spotify Connect, Alexa or Google Assistant Dimensions 168x128x123mm, 1.39kg

STUFF SAYS Big sound from a small speaker, but audio quality can’t match Bose ★★★★

This Marshall will smarten up your home, not raze it to rubble

The Uxbridge Voice is one of the best-looking Alexa speakers around… but sonic performance is nowhere near audiophile level, so if your standards are high you’re out of luck. That said, its purpose isn’t to be your main soundsystem, and it represents a decent option as a desktop speaker or mini kitchen boombox. And with voice smarts on board, it even doubles as a mid-Megadeth cooking timer. 51

GROUP TEST MOBILE MASH-UP

Each to their phone These five handsets all offer something a bit different, but can 2020’s odd squad lure you away from the status quo?

Apple iPhone SE Price from R10000 / myistore.co.za What’s the story?

If you scoff at the thought of paying over R20 000 for an iPhone, Apple has extended you a cute little olive branch in the shape of the sub-R10 000 SE model. Take some components from its flagships (like the A13 Bionic chip and speedy charging), compromise with the display, single camera and lack of Face ID, squish all that into a smaller body, and you have Apple’s compact entry-level contender.

Is it any good?

If you’re already an iOS diehard with an iPhone 8 onwards, the SE isn’t for you. But if you’re in dire need of an Apple upgrade, step right up – and at this price, the SE might even lure a few Android users. With its dinky 4.7in display and refreshingly lightweight form factor, the SE is a bit of a wolf in bubblegum-coloured clothing. There’s no OLED, just an LCD ‘Retina HD’ screen with the same pixel density as the one on the iPhone 11. Indoors it’s bright and

clear, but in direct sunlight the struggle is real. The 12MP camera is capable, though it relies heavily on that A13 chip for image processing. Portrait mode isn’t as effective but you can get some great results in bright light, while a 7MP front snapper is sufficient for FaceTime calls. Video-wise, you can shoot 4K up to 60fps, but it does have a weird smoothing effect to it. The A13 chip is the star, making the SE a claimed 40% faster than the iPhone 8 and on a par with Apple’s very best. It zips between tasks and apps with grace, while the Neural Engine (vital for AR apps) adds a dash of futureproofing to what might otherwise look like a slightly outdated iPhone with a battery struggling to last a day.

Key specs ● 4.7in 1334x750 LCD screen ● A13 Bionic chip, 3GB RAM ● 64/128/256GB storage ● 12MP rear camera, 7MP front ● 138x67x7.3mm, 148g

STUFF SAYS A super-speedy introduction to the joys of iOS without the usual budget-busting extras ★★★★ 52

BEST FOR APPLE ADOPTERS

Fast and loose

GROUP TEST MOBILE MASH-UP

The SE does retain some flagship features, including wireless and 18W fast charging for its all-day battery.

Fast forward It might be a year old, but the A13 chip still outperforms the Snapdragon 865 found in pricier Android phones.

Not so fast Forget Face ID – the ‘SE’ costcutting includes reverting to Touch ID built into the Haptic Touch home button. 53

GROUP TEST MOBILE MASH-UP Tiny tempter

BEST FOR ENTERING THE FOLD

On the shell of the Z Flip is a 1.1in screen that shows the time and notifications, and doubles as a second viewfinder.

Lethal bezel The main display is 6.7in, with a screen-to-bezel ratio of 82.5% – about the same as the iPhone 11 Pro.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Price R30000 / samsung.com/za What’s the story?

All foldable phones so far have been a bit fragile, but Samsung is gunning for mainstream glory with its latest take on the trend, the Z Flip. This clamshell seems robust, shiny and capable on first inspection, with fewer compromises than the Motorola Razr; but are we still convinced after living with it for a week?

Is it any good?

Yes, the Galaxy Z Flip is our top foldable pick. Its screen isn’t so exposed as those of its rivals,

and is therefore less prone to damage, while, the Gorilla Glass on the outside is as hardy as we need it to be. The OLED display puts it on a par with the current iPhones for clarity and HDR credentials, although its hinge results in the most pronounced crease of all the foldables. Cameras are a solid 8/10: nothing sensational, but reliable. There’s the same 12MP main lens from the Galaxy S10, only without any dual-aperture witchcraft; it’s joined by a 12MP ultra-wide,

and the same 10MP selfie-cam found on the S20. Overall, pictures look mighty, with great clarity and dynamic range, plus it can shoot 4K at up to 60fps. The Android experience is virtually identical to the S20’s. If you’re sold into Samsung’s ecosystem, it’s a dream. If not, prepare to ignore a few of the UI elements. Power-wise, it isn’t rocking the greatest specs but still significantly outperforms the Razr, and the 3300mAh battery will cope all day thanks

to the energy-saving mini display. So is it worth the hefty asking price? Not if you want bang for your buck; but if you crave a compact clamshell that unfurls into a full-screen smartphone, it’s the only one worth considering.

Key specs ● 6.7in 2636x1080 + 1.1in 300x112 AMOLED ● Snapdragon 855+, 8GB RAM ● 256GB ● 12MP+12MP rear, 10MP front ● 167x74x7.2mm (unfolded), 87x74x17.3mm (folded), 183g

STUFF SAYS The easiest foldable to recommend, despite its sky-high price ★★★★ 54

GROUP TEST MOBILE MASH-UP BEST FOR SCREEN ADDICTS

Faster blaster Sony’s first 5G smartphone has a Snapdragon 865 and 8GB of RAM, so expect blazing-fast performance.

Laster blaster A hefty 4000mAh battery will get you from breakfast to bedtime, and wireless charging makes a return.

Sony Xperia 1 II Price from R20000 (import) / sony.com What’s the story?

Like taking photos? This Sony has the kind of focusing tech that could embarrass a DSLR. The Xperia 1 II gets a trio of lenses capable of 20fps shooting, and a dedicated pro-grade camera app to get the best from them. Add in 5G, Snapdragon’s top chip and a 4K HDR display, and you’ve got an alliance to put the Avengers to shame.

Is it any good?

The Xperia 1 II borrows brains from Sony’s other divisions to

create a truly capable flagship phone – albeit with niche appeal. Gamers, spec junkies and movie buffs will all find something to like here, while photographers will appreciate how close a phone can get to matching a ‘real’ camera for speed and flexibility. A side-mounted fingerprint sensor and gesture-based shortcuts built into the screen’s edge put your apps within easy reach, while the display gives unparalleled clarity. It misses out on a silky-smooth high refresh rate, and isn’t too

bright outside, but you won’t find a more detailed screen on a phone. Photographers get main, ultra-wide and zoom lenses with a time-of-flight sensor for crazy-quick focus and burst shooting. Images are packed with detail, and the Photo Pro app gives more fine-grain control than on any other phone; but colours can be quite restrained and it sometimes struggles with dynamic range. A 4K HDR display and DSLR-sourced camera smarts

don’t come cheap, especially if you’re in South Africa. The handsets aren’t officially available here, meaning that you’ve got to be a serious Sony fan to lay hands on one. Even then, heaven help you finding any local support or service centres if it breaks.

Key specs ● 6.59in 3840x1644 OLED ● Snapdragon 865, 8GB RAM ● 256GB + microSD ● 12MP+12MP+12MP+ToF rear, 8MP front ● 166x72x7.9mm, 181g

STUFF SAYS A feature-packed, cinephile-grade flagship that’s seriously photo-friendly ★★★★ 55

GROUP TEST MOBILE MASH-UP BEST FOR PENNY PINCHERS

Happy hours The 9S’ 5020mAh LiPo battery is close to class-leading and easily got us through a day of heavy use.

Tappy hours With 4GB of RAM and 64GB storage, swipes and taps are smooth and there’s room for plenty of photos.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S Price from R5400 / mia.africa.com What’s the story?

In a world that’s beginning to place more importance on budget handsets without sacrificing quality the Xiaomi Redmi Note 9S is set to impress. The Note 9S provides an upper-end user experience and build that won’t cost your first-born child. The fact that you can spend so little and use Google apps on your phone is also a pretty sweet deal.

Is it any good?

For what you’re paying for the Note 9S, you’ll be treated to a

phone that’s worth every penny...which probably sounds harsher than it really is. Xiaomi’s latest handset is a great little device that delivers competently in every field you’d expect but never really goes above and beyond. You’ll be getting a decent battery life, a smooth and sharp camera and screen that while not nearly as large and flashy as those more expensive handsets still looks good, even on the brightest of days. The main camera features a 48MP, 8MP, 5MP,

2MP, f/1.8 and 26mm (wide) lens meaning that you’re all sorted for the Instagram while the 5020mAh, 18W fast charge battery means you can forget to charge the Note 9S and not have to worry about bringing a charger to the office the next day. Of course, having access to Google apps through the Play Store is a pretty big deal these days, all of which run smooth with minimal slow down. Just don’t have too many tabs open at once; the phone does have a slight yet noticeable chug

when it’s juggling too many apps at once. There’s usually a sacrifice made somewhere in a Xiaomi handset – this time around it takes a very long time to fully boot up so bear that in mind if a hasty restart is in order.

Key specs ● 6.7in 1080x2400 LCD screen ● Qualcomm SM7125 Snapdragon 720G, 4GB RAM ● 64 GB + microSD ● 48MP+8MP+5MP+2MP rear, 16MP front ● 165.8x76.7x8.8 mm, 209g

STUFF SAYS A solid budget phone that runs decently and takes some great pictures ★★★★ 56

GROUP TEST MOBILE MASH-UP

V will rock you With a Snapdragon 865 and 8GB of RAM, the V60 is one of the most powerful 5G phones available.

Some body to lug The 5000mAh battery might account for why this handset is so huge, but it means two days of juice.

BEST FOR MOBILE MAVERICKS

LG V60 ThinQ 5G Price from R20000 / lg.com/za What’s the story?

You’d be forgiven for thinking LG had stopped making flagships. The Korean brand doesn’t get the same column inches as Samsung, but that’s not fair because LG is still kicking out excellent phones… the latest of which is a bold 5G handset with incredible battery life and a case that doubles your screen space.

Is it any good?

With an oversized screen, 5G, a quad-DAC headphone output and best-in-class battery life,

the V60 could be one of the handsets of the year. If you like your phones big, you’ll be rewarded by an outstandingly crafted piece of hardware, with IP68 water-resistance, Gorilla Glass front and back, and an aluminium frame. A 1080p 60Hz panel keeps costs down and may irk spec nerds, but it’s well calibrated and bright. In fact, there are two great panels: most V60’s come with a bundled Dual Screen case that puts an identical-sized display on the inside of the cover. It’s weird,

wonderful, and turns this into a unique faux-flipper. Then we come to the V60’s cameras. The back appears to have three, but there are actually only two – the other hole is a time-of-flight sensor, as found on the Sony on p55. The LG’s main 64MP sensor uses pixel-binning to produce detailed images, while night mode improves low-light snaps (obviously) – but it’s not the best in the business. The 13MP ultra-wide lens captures more of the scene, but with no optical zoom

you’re relying on digital only and the quality is poor. Still, the V60 is possibly the best Android phone for video. Creators are spoilt for options, and when you add in 8K recording, LG has quietly put out a phone that’s as good as any at capturing footage.

Key specs ● 2x 6.8in 2460x1080 OLED ● Snapdragon 865, 8GB RAM ● 128GB/256GB + microSD ● 64MP+13MP+ToF rear, 10MP front ● 169x78x8.9mm, 214g + 176x86x14.9mm, 134g

STUFF SAYS The case is niche; the battery life is the best you’ll get on a 5G phone today ★★★★ 57

TWO WEEKS WITH THE SONOS ARC

You can use Sonos’s Trueplay room EQ to let the Arc trim itself to its exact position in your living room.

Sonos has a way of presenting its products as if they’re breaking exciting new ground, deploying technologies undreamt-of until now. And so it is with the 3D-firing television soundbar that’s just arrived on the doorstep. The multiroom audio brand has finally put its elderly Playbar out of its misery, and replaced it with an altogether more up-to-date alternative, apparently inventing the Dolby Atmos soundbar in the

process (and you thought it’d been invented already!) – just like when it belatedly ‘invented’ battery-powered Bluetooth hi-fi speakers with the Sonos Move last year. There is a kind of justification to this ballsy attitude: Sonos has established such ubiquity in the last 15 years or so that a wireless multiroom speaker category doesn’t really exist in the wider public consciousness until there’s

Even with no rear speakers joining in, the Arc impressively brings out sound effects that would usually be behind us 58

a Sonos product in it. So… now that room-filling Atmos soundbars are officially a thing, is the Arc a good one? If it’s true anywhere that form follows function, it’s in the world of TV soundbars. Unless you’re Bang & Olufsen, there’s not a lot of scope for design flourishes where products like this are concerned – and even less appetite for them from customers. So the Arc looks exactly like a soundbar. It also looks exactly like a Sonos speaker – that’s mostly down to the matt black or matt white finish, the circular perforations forming the acoustic

grille along the length of the 114cm bar, and the impeccable build quality. If you’ve bought a Sonos speaker in the last year or two, nothing about the Arc is going to surprise or upset you. That length means it’s going to look a bit ungainly beneath any TV smaller than, say, a 55-incher; but the 9cm height and 12cm depth make it pretty discreet otherwise, while the rubberised base and screw-holes at the rear make it simple to position on a table-top or a wall. There’s a bespoke wall-bracket but it’ll cost you an additional R1 300.

LO N G -T E R M T E S T

Donut of Truth™

DAY 02 Sonos is always coy about technical detail. We know there are 11 drivers powered by Class D amplification, but apart from three silk-dome tweeters we don’t know what the rest are made from, how big they are or how much power is being produced. Two mid/bass drivers fire upwards, two more at the ends face outwards, four are arranged along the front and are punctuated by the tweeters. This all gives the Arc a shot at delivering meaningful width and height to its sound.

DAY 04 drivers,3tweeters Voice support Alexa, Google Assistant Touch controls Play/pause, volume up/down, skip forwards/ backwards Connectivity HDMI ARC/eARC, optical, Ethernet, AirPlay 2, Wi-Fi Dimensions 1140x120x87mm, 6.3kg

We’re still scoping out the sound quality, but it’s important this bar isn’t positioned below a shelf. The four far-field mics for Google Assistant or Alexa are along the top, as are the touch controls, so you don’t want to hamper access or you’ll be solely relying on the Sonos app and its latest S2 update.

DAY 06 The app is where you can integrate the Arc into a wider multiroom system, and today we’ve added two Sonos One SL wireless speakers as rear channels plus a Sonos sub, so at least it looks like a purposeful surround-sound system.

01 Sound is wide and tall despite its slim proportions 02 Impressive bass that’s entirely believable 03 It’s adept with music as well as movies

04 A fantastic S2 update to the Sonos app 05 Treble response has a bit too much attitude 06 Slightly odd separation between bass and mids

DAY 10 Finally, we’ve adjusted the Arc’s arrangement perfectly. It’s made a good go of the atmospheric Black Panther Atmos soundtrack, with a wide and spacious soundstage. Detail levels are high; and even with no rear speakers joining in, the Arc impressively brings out effects that would usually be behind us. Considering how slim it is, it also serves up a respectable amount of low-frequency presence – and it’s not just blunt thumping. Bass is deep and substantial, but also nuanced and textured. At the opposite end, though, it can be a little too confident: wind up the volume and the high frequencies become slightly painful. There’s a bit of a dip where the bass and mids don’t seem to gel together, but the midrange fidelity that’s so vital to the home cinema experience is present and correct.

DAY 14 Those side-firing drivers give a real sense of width, and the up-firing equivalents do the same thing for the height of the sound. It’s a far bigger-sounding device than it looks, this – just don’t expect it to do everything that a ‘proper’ Dolby Atmos setup with rear and overhead satellite speakers can do.

STUFF SAYS At last, Sonos can give you big-screen sound for your big-screen TV binges ★★★★★ 59

T E S T E D H U AW E I M AT E PA D T 8

Portable performance No more pain in the neck Huawei’s MatePad T8 features a mode that’ll warn kids if they’ve been sitting in a spine- or neckcontorting position for too long. That’s... considerate.

The Huawei MatePad T8 does a lot of work while looking good, despite its small build and cheap price from R3 000 / huaweistore.co.za

We’re so pleased that the craze of “bigger means better” for tablets is finally losing momentum. Just give us a device that’s larger than the average phone but can still be used with a single hand and we’re happy. That’s the best part of the MatePad T8: portability that doesn’t sacrifice performance. With an 8in, 1280 x 800 screen the MatePad’s display is just large enough to feel like a substantial upgrade to a phone screen but never large enough that you lose clarity in some of the finer details. It also feels solidly built, unlike a lot of other larger tablets. Does a compact shell make it sturdier? Perhaps, we’re not engineers. All we know is that we weren’t terrified of dropping it. But the best part of the MatePad T8 is undeniably its battery, which lasted for roughly 4 days without needing to be constantly charged. Sure, we mainly used it for browsing the internet, reading comics and watching YouTube but that kind of longevity is nothing to turn your nose up at. Of course, more intense activities will drain it faster so maybe we’re just being boring by reading books instead of playing games. PUBG Mobile and Fortnite Mobile could have run slightly smoother but never enough to really feel like we were playing at a disadvantage. Still, maybe plug it in if you’re chasing that win.

Pictures don’t last longer

The weakest part of the MatePad T8 are the cameras, which don’t take the sort of pictures we’ve come to expect from Huawei. That’s not really the intention behind this device, so lower those expectations.

Who needs Google?

Huawei continues its trend of showing the world that Google isn’t an essential service as EMUI10 and the apps it comes with do what Google does with very little difference. Expect the occasional hiccup, though.

Tech specs Screen 8in LCD Processor MediaTek MT8768 RAM 2GB Camera Rear 5 MP Front 2MP Battery 5 100 mAh OS EMUI10 Storage 32GB + MicroSD Dimensions 121.1x199.7x8.55mm

STUFF SAYS With a tablet like this, who even needs hard-copy books any more ★★★★

Portability really goes a long way 60

The Huawei MatePad T8 is a magical little device if you know what you want to use it for. Don’t expect an incredible camera or high-end performance but rather explore the incredible battery life, crystal clear screen, build quality, portability and ease of use. It runs smoothly, plays semi-demanding games with minimal slowdown and does so without weighing the same as a medium sized dog. Also, comic books look great on it. What more could you possibly need?

T E S T E D T E C H N I C S E A H -A Z 7 0 W

Tech my breath away Silencing everything but the music is a cinch with Technics’ wireless noise-cancelling buds… and the music sounds good

Uptown tap ranking The touch controls are simple to grasp, but we advise diving into the user-friendly app to change listening preferences.

R5 700 (import) / technics.com Technics has had a bit of a scattergun approach to audio since its 2014 comeback. First we got super-high-end separates, then an all-in-one soundsystem, before the return of its iconic SL DJ decks. None of these were exactly affordable, but that changes with its first pair of noise-cancelling true wireless earphones. Design-wise these buds are a lot like Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 2, only fractionally heavier and a bit cheaper. They have IPX4 water-resistance and the Bluetooth antenna has been integrated into the touch sensors. We’d prefer foam tips, but there are five silicone sizes in the box and we have no trouble getting a nice fit. An ‘acoustic control chamber’ in each bud controls airflow and balances frequencies, while sound emanates from graphene-coated 10mm dynamic drivers. Noise-cancelling comes via a ‘dual hybrid’ system capturing the noise both outside and inside the headphones. Save for a struggle in windy conditions, an issue that has since been sorted by a firmware update, results are impressive… if not quite Sony standard. There’s an ambient mode, and support for Siri, Google Assistant and Alexa.

Case against time

Six hours of playback with ANC matches most rivals, but it’s the capacity of the charging case that lets Technics down. It’s good for two full charges and a total of 18 hours; Sony and Sennheiser will give you three full charges.

Mutey call

The Bluetooth connection is separated between buds for a strong connection and sonic delivery. That extends to call quality, with MEMS microphones and beamforming tech picking up speech and killing ambient noise.

Technics products should be judged on the glow they give to audiophiles – and thanks to a combination of analogue and digital processing, these sound terrific. The oversized drivers deliver plenty of low end, but not at the expense of the balanced highs and mids.

Tech specs Connectivity Bluetooth 5, USB-C Battery life 6hrs + 12hrs case Weight 2x 7g, case 65g

STUFF SAYS Technics’ true wireless debut is a triumph for sound quality ★★★★★

It’s all about the audio… and Technics has really nailed it

A bit like Bang & Olufsen, Technics is a brand that does lavish hi-fi systems very well and has shrunk that tech down to deliver affordable personal audio. While the charging case lacks a little bit of juice, the AZ70s score highly in the noise-cancelling stakes, and even higher when it comes to sound quality. Yes, the big drivers help, but it’s a winning combination of proprietary internals that does the business. 61

TESTED ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS G14

Iron Horse The new Zephyrus loses its overbearing RGB shine but gains a sleek, muted design we can appreciate. R40 000 / evetech.co.za Every time we unbox a gaming machine this light, scepticism enters the air. Quite without reason, this time. The new Zephyrus combines the raw power expected from the range, and packs it into a small, robust magnesium alloy frame. It’s nice to see Asus move away from the RGB-laden design into a more mature, albeit badass looking machine that’ll fit into just about any backpack. We can’t downplay the attention to detail here, with the top lid featuring small perforations in an angled pattern, and minimal bezels around the 14in display. Those little holes aren’t just stylish accents but are actually an LED Matrix used to display images and animations both while using the device and also with the lid closed. While the sheer beauty of this machine is worth admiring, the G14’s magnesium alloy case also feels incredibly sturdy – to the point that we’d see it outlasting a nuclear apocalypse.

Gaming in the name of... Fitted with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q and an AMD Ryzen 9, throw just about any game at this metal slab and it’ll gracefully beef through the graphics. Pair that with a cooling system and you’re golden. How did they fit the beast of a GPU in this small frame? Black magic.

GOOD MEH EVIL

It’s smaller than we thought

Symphony of construction If a grey slab isn’t your style, the G14 also comes in white. The move toward a more muted design clearly positions it for both gamers and content creators. And the LED Matrix display up top (1) is a mutedly eye-catching way of saying ‘Look at me, I’m a gamer’.

The LEDs are rather mesmerising

Time to install Chrome

Looks that kill Given the monstrous CPU and GPU combo, we figured it wouldn’t have any trouble reaching high framerates, and boy were we impressed. It seamlessly hits a steady 180-200 FPS, more than enough to keep up with the laptop’s 1080p 120Hz screen.

Diving into a game is easy

It’s getting warmer...

No webcam? Hiss

TESTED ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS G14

Tech specs GPU Nvidia GeForce 2060 Max-Q CPU AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS RAM 16GB Battery life Up to 13hrs Display 1080p 120Hz Weight 1.6kg

Iron Will This slab of metal will get you through just about any technical predicament, game-related or not.

Click it up

A premium toy The chiselled magnesium alloy makes this feel like a solid piece of tech, but also being light and small has its perks.

Holy Pantone Did someone say Pantone? Not only is the display (2) brilliant and fast, but it also handles vibrant colours and fast motion with ease. It’s clear this machine isn’t only for gamers – but a real allrounder when it comes to design and rendering thanks to its 120Hz refresh rate and validation.

Cool’s not out A small body comes with one drawback: growling fans when things get hot and bothered. But Asus’ ergonomic lift design and great cooling system (3) do a decent job at keeping the internals cool. We saw temps reaching 74 Celsius while gaming heavily.

‘The G14’s minimalist keyboard design did a brilliant job keeping up with our keyboard rambles on a daily basis. Its keys are raised just enough to give you satisfying clicks, and low enough not to feel like too much effort.

Holy Driver

This one’s got you set up for life with enough ports for just about anything. It comes with two USB 3.2 Type-A’s, two USB-C ports, one of which supports DisplayPort, a full-sized HDMI port and of course a headphone/mic jack.

Gaming has never looked so good. Asus has managed to take its flagship Zephyrus and turn it into one powerful portable. The sleek metallic look of this machine, coupled with the LED Matrix display on the lid, makes it one of our favourite gaming notebooks. We still don’t know how they fit all those monstrous components in there, but they did, and we commend that effort.

War Machine

Outside of games, the Zephyrus G14 also proved to be a worthy workhorse. Fitted with 16GB of RAM and a speedy NVMe SSD, we had no trouble juggling all the Chrome tabs while streaming and rendering video on-the-fly.

All night long

We were particularly amazed by the G14’s battery chops. The machine easily lasts up to 13 hours on a charge, with more demanding work chopping down that time. Still though – small packages?

STUFF SAYS ★★★★★ A metal slab capable of far more than just a battle royale game on a whim. Asus dropping RGB is the best decision ever. 63

T E S T E D U N I H E R T Z T I TA N

Keyboard Warrior Don’t make the mistake of thinking the rugged Unihertz Titan is only about the physical keyboard $340 (R6 000) / unihertz.com The last time we saw a physical keyboard on a smartphone was on the BlackBerry Key2. This… ain’t no BlackBerry. The Unihertz Titan, one of the largest smartphones we’ve ever encountered, rocks a full QWERTY keyboard but it’s also packed with all the features. Features like a fingerprint sensor, all the power you could want in a phone, a literal all-day battery and an IP67 rating. The fact that there’s a backlit keyboard built into this rugged frame seems like just a bonus at this point. But it’s the keyboard that’ll garner the most interest. The keys feel durable and neatly clicky, though it’s not without its flaws. The placement of the backspace key next to the L key causes problems when typing certain words and, honestly, it’s faster to type on a screen. The 4.6in screen takes some getting used to. The square shape doesn’t show some apps to their best advantage but there’s enough acreage to let you get on with things. Certainly, all of the native apps (there are some interesting choices) work well. The Google defaults you know and love are all perfectly functional too. The Titan is a bit of a brick, the toughened frame looks like it’ll take a battering, though the phone’s so nice to use that it’d be a real shame if something happened to it.

Need a hand?

The Titan is more than just titanic dimensions. Weighing in at a notinsubstantial 305 grams, it definitely takes two hands to use effectively. The handset is a little top-heavy too, so expect a wrist workout as well.

Utility belt

There are a range of tools built into the phone. It’s got a spirit level, speedometer, protractor, a tape measure (when it works), a plump bob, and the ability to test noise levels at the building site you’re apparently on.

Tech specs Screen 4.6in (1432 x 1436) Processor MediaTek P60 octacore RAM 6GB Camera Rear 16 MP AF Front 8MP Battery 6 000 mAh OS Android 9.0 Pie Storage 128GB + MicroSD Dimensions 153.6x92.5x16.65mm

STUFF SAYS If you’re missing a physical keyboard, you shouldn’t miss this ★★★★★

Worth making the effort to get your hands on it 64

Getting your hands on a Unihertz Titan is more than a question of just ordering it online – you’ve got to order it online from overseas. That means taking risks, with import costs and the risk that JIMC will just lose your package if you didn’t pay enough for shipping. But if you’re in the market for something unusual, stronger than the average or just feel like having a keyboard under your digits again, the Titan’s an excellent choice.

TESTED 2020 BMW X5 M COMPETITION

Improving on excellence The BMW X5 M Competition is an unnecessary upgrade to the X5 M but boy howdy are we glad it exists.

from R2 633 000 / bmw.co.za We at Stuff like cool things but we don’t often get to spend time in something like the BMW X5 M Competition. Some might question why a new version of the X5 was needed but when you’re cruising a track at 200kmph, you won’t care. You just want to do it all over again. It’s comfortable, quick and has all the tech you’d

Safety First

BMW’s Driver’s Assistance Pro package ensure that you’ll be driving in the safest way possible. It’s an optional feature but it’s so good that it feels like it should be essential for all drivers.

expect to find in a modern BMW, making for one hell of a cool drive.

right in with Tony Stark’s vehicle collection. It’s a joy to look at.

The BMW X5 looks like a citybound SUV, because that’s what it is. Not so the X5 M Competition. It takes features from previous iterations, angling them into a more aggressive stance and creating something that would fit

It’s one thing to drive an BMW, it’s another altogether to drive a 4.4-liter V8. Touch and go has never been so literal, or so fun.

Pay check?

As nice as the X5 M Competition is, that ludicrous price tag will make anyone hesitant. It’s a luxury car, but for that much money there are other options that do the same, if not more.

Sure, getting from 0-100kmph in just 3.8s is a kick in the adrenal

gland but the tech inside is what really sold us. Controlling every aspect of the car’s interior with iDrive 7.0 is impressive, even though we’ve seen it before in older models. Waving your hand to shuffle music or answer a call is both satisfying and safe your eyes stay on the road. It can be a little hit and miss at times, though.

Tech specs Engine 4.4-liter Twin-Turbo V8 Gas Transmission 8-Speed Automatic Drivetrain AWD 0-100km/h 3.8sec Top speed 280km/h Fuel range (average) 664km Fuel Tank 83

STUFF SAYS This is an amazingly fun car to drive...if you have the cash. ★★★★

It’s cool, but at what cost?

The BMW X5 M Competition looks amazing, drives well and features remarkable tech under the bonnet. Some of it we’ve seen before but not sporting this particular shell. If you have the cash for that immense price tag (and, for most of us, it is immense), you’re in for a treat. BMW’s signature luxury is packed into a race-spec SUV crammed to the brim with safety features that’re ahead of the curve, innovations to keep you focused on what matters: driving. 65

ST E T ER INN W

Pod-like genius

Which of these freshly upgraded true wireless buds is the real AirPods killer?

Urbanista London (2020) A compact and discreet package, the newly wireless Londons come in a small case that carries four full charges, while the buds themselves are light and comfy. The short stems make them less conspicuous than Apple’s AirPods. A choice of eartips makes a pleasant fit easy to achieve, and Bluetooth 5.0 means hi-res audio files are on the menu. They’re a sensibly balanced listen, with good bass weight, well-judged treble and nice midrange detail. They’re compatible with Siri and Google Assistant, which is handy as the touch-controls don’t let you skip. There’s active noise-cancelling but it’s quite subtle, with an ‘ambient sound’ feature that works well for letting more noise in.

Battery life 5hrs (buds), 20hrs (case) Features Touch or voice control, ANC, USB-C or wireless charging Water/dust-resistance IPX4 Weight 2x 4.7g, 45g case

1. DESIGN

Smart without being flashy, the second-gen TrueConnects have a soft-touch matt finish that gives them a more ‘quality’ feel than bog-standard shiny plastic. And RHA has really nailed the wearability of these light, snug buds.

2. IN USE

These earphones aim to please with their sound, offering a clean, dynamic presentation. The bass has a bit of extra kick this time around but it’s never overpowering, and the sound impresses with most genres we throw at them.

3. SMARTS

RHA has kept things relatively simple here, so you’ll have to look elsewhere if you want features like noise-cancellation or EQ controls. But there is an IP55 rating now for protection against dust as well as sweat and water.

1 2 3

● Price R2 800 (import) / urbanista.com

★★★★★

RHA TrueConnect 2

Battery life 9hrs (buds), 35hrs (case) Features Touch control, USB-C charging Water/dust-resistance IP55 Weight 2x 6g, 91g case

● Price R2 800 / rha-audio.com

STUFF SAYS

★★★★★

They’re both fine-sounding buds, but Urbanista edges it with active noise-cancellation 66

GROUP TEST 5G PHONES

3 OF THE BEST

Stylish 5G phones These mid-priced mavericks prove that you don’t have to spend mad amounts of money to get your hands on 5G speeds

T TES R E N N WI

BEST FOR FOLDING FANS

LG Velvet 5G

BEST FOR SCREEN LOVERS

Xiaomi Mi 10

BEST FOR A 5G BARGAIN

Huawei P40 Lite 5G

What’s the story?

It it any good?

Price R12500 / lg.com/za

Price R16300 / miphones.co.za

Price R9500 / huaweistore.co.za

Stuff says ★★★★

A design marvel with a tall 6.8in Full HD OLED display, the Velvet comes with the option of a second-screen case that effectively turns it into a foldable – it’s identical to the main panel and makes gaming a Nintendo DS-style joy. A healthy 128GB storage and 6GB RAM plus a Snapdragon 765G chip, 4300mAh battery and triple-lens array round off an Android that’s right at home in the 5G scrum. The LG Velvet marks a refreshing change for LG, with an attractive new design and a camera app that’s one of the best around. You’re getting 5G, a decent OLED display, a headphone port and solid performance, while the options of the second screen and active stylus are perhaps the real differentiators here – even though both will cost you extra.

A solid 5G phone with a design update that LG desperately needed to prove it could pull off

Xiaomi was the first smartphone maker to drop a 108MP camera phone onto the scene when it launched the Mi Note 10 – and that snapper returns here. Curved Gorilla Glass 5 meets buffed metal, with a 6.67in 1080p Super AMOLED screen packing HDR10+ support and a 90Hz refresh rate. There’s even a top-spec Snapdragon 865 chip to put this firmly in the 5G hunt. The Mi 10 looks and feels like a five-star phone, and its screen is luscious. What lets it down, incredibly, is a pared-back camera combo with no optical zoom despite four rear snappers. Also, occasional gremlins hold it back from performance excellence, despite being one of the only phones at this price to look this good and offer wireless charging.

A real looker that falls short on optical zoom and occasional UI troubles

The P40 Lite has been in SA for a few months now but a 5G version has just popped up and we’re keen. It’s rare for flagship phones to come with 5G chipsets so the fact that the P40 Lite is out there rocking the damn thing is more than a little impressive. The P40 Lite comes with everything you’d expect from the original model, including a 64MP Quad camera and 40W fast charging, but also 5G. Of course, local availability of 5G will dictate whether you get one or not. You won’t get 5G connectivity in Springbok, NC, which means you can opt for the base LTE versions which is a whole lot cheaper than the 5G variant. Like the OG Lite, you’ll get a 64MP Quad camera and 40W fast charging included. Buying one in Silver or Black is up to you.

An affordable 5G phone hits South Africa, and from Huawei no less. 67

WEARABLES

WORN VISION The hottest wearables in the world this year range from cyberpunk smartwatches to solar-charged jackets and a giant red effort-tracking chest strap – it’s a strong look

Diesel On Fadelite

1 Zoning in

2 Rolling on

3 Facing off

Diesel doesn’t do low-key dumb watches and the Fadelite is proof of that. This 43mm-sized smartwatch comes in four different colours that fade to transparent along the strap, with the fully see-through case/strap combo the clear (sorry) standout option in the collection. Google’s Wear OS brings the latest available smarts to a range of designs that feel much more unisex than Diesel’s previous generation of wearables. R6 000 / watchrepublic.co.za

The ‘Globe’ dial lets you check on other timezones, while animations display weather effects in real time, in case you haven’t noticed it’s miserable.

Snapdragon’s Wear 3100 platform is there to ensure extended battery life, but rapid charging is supported if you need it.

This collectors’ edition, designed by cyberpunk artist Mad Dog Jones, landed in April along with a pair of special-edition watch faces.

WEARABLES

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WEARABLES

1 Core skills By shifting sports functions to the co-processor on its Snapdragon Wear 3100 chipset, the Suunto 7 saves juice by having its tracking run on low-power cores.

2 Suite skills Data from the GPS, HRM, altitude and compass sensors supports over 70 different sports modes. Sadly, darts and kabaddi miss out.

WEARABLES

Bohemian strapsody

STYLE ICONS

We know the Apple Watch is all-powerful, but 2020 has the strongest line-up yet of pretenders to the digital crown

Amazfit GTS

Skagen Falster 3

It’s taken a big bite out of Swiss watch sales and, after five years, continues to rule the roost when it comes to connected timepieces. Take your pick of two sizes that feature the same watchOS giving you an always-on display, a slick place to view phone notifications and the challenge to close those rings in the quest for a fitter you. The ECG heart-rate sensor is saving lives on a watch that remains a good option for iPhone owners only. from R9 600 / myistore.co.za

The Chinese brand has made an Apple Watch clone, giving you that familiar rectangular design for a much smaller dent in your pocket. This budget-friendly option has a high-resolution colour AMOLED display along with a big array of customisable watch faces. There are dedicated modes for activities including swimming and skiing, plus the promise of reliable health insights via an optical heart-rate sensor – and it’ll go the distance with up to two weeks of battery life. R2 500 / amazfit.com

Bringing a big slice of Scandi chic to your wrist, Skagen’s third-gen smartwatch is one for lovers of minimalism. Google’s Wear OS powers the smarts, including a new speaker letting you make calls and hear the responses to your Google Assistant queries. The latest Qualcomm processor tech pushes battery life a little further, while you can pair up the slender watch case with a whole host of sleek leather and metal strap options. R6 300 / skagen.com

Garmin Venu

Samsung Galaxy Watch Active2

Suunto 7 Suunto’s debut smartwatch calls on Google to bring the payments, the music and the ability to keep a closer eye on what’s kicking off in your most active WhatsApp groups… and all of that while you’re busy pounding the treadmill. It also plays up to Suunto’s navigation roots with mapping features that will help you find popular trails wherever you are in the world. This is wrapped up in the company’s most attractive – but undeniably still sporty – watch. from R8 000 / suunto.com

Garmin truly entered the smartwatch fray with the Venu, adding an AMOLED touchscreen display to make it more at home with the Apples and Samsungs of this world. It’s packing desirable features like letting you pile on Spotify playlists and animated workouts you can follow on-screen, and it’s jam-packed with sports sensors. All this while giving you two days short of a full week’s battery life to keep you away from that charger for longer. from R7 000 / garmin.com Wear OS is Google’s smartwatch operating system, with a simple screen-sliding interface; Apple’s

The smallest member of Samsung’s smartwatch clan still goes big on features – and there’s more on the way. It fully plays up to that Active name, prodding you with exercises when you’ve been inactive, and is adept at tracking the likes of outdoor runs and pool sessions. Incoming ECG support will increase its health-monitoring powers, while fall detection should also make it a better rival to the Apple Watch. from R6 000 / samsung.com watchOS is largely controlled by its digital crown and supported by Siri. But some makers opt for a different

Mobvoi TicWatch Pro (2020)

An upgrade of the most stylish member of the TicWatch family, the new Pro beefs things up in the performance department to give Google’s onboard Wear OS a much-needed boost. It’s better suited to withstand some rough and tumble than the old version, with a military-standard 810G design. That’s wrapped up in a watch with interchangeable straps and the best battery life that Wear currently has to offer. R5 350 / firstclasswatches.co.uk

Fitbit Versa 2 Fitbit, the fitness-tracking fave, also knows how to make a smartwatch you wouldn’t be ashamed to wear out and about. Beneath that soft-edged rectangular frame lies the best of Fitbit’s tracking features, a growing collection of handsome watch faces, smartwatch staples like payments and a built-in music player. Plus, Alexa has now been added to the mix to offer some smart assistance when you’re racking up those steps. R4 000 / fitbit.com

SPORTS STARS

Apple Watch Series 5

OS altogether: Samsung favours the Linux-based Tizen platform, arguably the easiest of the three to use.

NEED TO KNOW 71

WEARABLES

Fits a kind of magic

UA Breeze T-Shirt

Nurvv

Amazon Echo Loop

UA Meridian

Fitness gear has long boasted about sweat-wicking prowess. But now the standard bearer for waterproofing, Gore, has upped the stakes with a fabric technology that takes mid-workout moisture control to the next level. The Under Armour Breeze T-Shirt features Gore-tex Infinium, a type of fast-drying technical fibre that goes from sweat-soaked to virtually dry in just six minutes. So you can work hard and cool down without getting chilly. Rtba / underarmour.com

Your walk reveals a lot about your health and fitness. Sensor-laden shoes and smart insoles that track your daily strides are stepping into view to help us decode our strides. While UA’s new chipped HOVR Machina shoes coach you while you run, Nurvv’s smart soles detect injury risks and help you take action. Other makers are working on real-time gait-analysing smart inserts that can be used to identify fall risk, Parkinson’s and even signs of Alzheimer’s. R5 600 (import) / nurvv.com

Smart accessories aren’t new. The health-tracking oura ring has been around for a while… but when Amazon gets in on the game, things look a whole lot more serious. The new titanium and stainless steel Echo Loop smart ring comes with a built-in mic and speaker so you can summon Alexa at will – and it’ll handle simple tasks like building to-do lists, controlling your smart home and asking the all-knowing virtual assistant what’s on your shopping list. R3 100 (import) / amazon.com

It might sound like sorcery, but Under Armour has developed a range of fitness gear called Meridian that moisturises your skin while you’re working out. Delivering skin care while you sweat, the fabric contains a chemical called Antarcine (found in the Antarctic) that reacts with the skin to create a moisturising effect without the need for lotion. And that’s just the start of what the company’s lab boffins think mineralised, infused fabrics could be used for. Rtba / underarmour.co.uk

Hexoskin AstroSkin

Levi’s Jacquard by Google

Myant Active Thermal Workwear

Clothes could someday replace watches, straps and fitness bands in tracking our vitals 24-7. The machine-washable Hexoskin AstroSkin was developed to monitor astronauts in space. It packs textile-based ECG and respiratory sensors that continuously measure heart rate, blood pressure, blood oxygen levels, breathing, skin temperature and movement. And it connects to an AI-powered app health dashboard for a complete status update. POA / hexoskin.com Not all smart clothing is interwoven with electronics: brands like Vollebak work with wonder-materials and a lot

Google’s experimental wearable Jacquard technology combines an embeddable sensor with an app to let users control their devices with their clothes – or more accurately, trigger their tech with gestures while wearing their clothes. It’s currently integrated in Levi’s Trucker and Sherpa Jackets and can summon Google Assistant features like traffic and news updates, or let you take a selfie by double-tapping your jacket sleeve. from R2 000 / levi.com of science instead. Some textiles can help regulate body temperature; but if your plan is to become a cyborg

Imagine clothes that didn’t just read your body’s state but responded to it. This active thermalwear collab between Myant and Helly Hansen does just that. Designed for working in extreme conditions, the baselayer top, leggings, socks, balaclava and gloves feature a dynamic temperature system that senses and regulates body temperature, delivering heat through the fabric when the outfit clocks it’s gone cold outside. Rtba / myant.ca one day, the idea is to embed the sort of sensors now found in trackers into the clothes themselves.

NEED TO KNOW 72

Vollebak Solar Charged Jacket

A dazzlingly different take on how clothes can keep us safe at night, the Vollebak Solar Charged Jacket features a phosphorescent compound that rapidly stores and re-emits the light it comes into contact with. Load it up from any light source and you’ll get battery-free instant visibility when darkness descends. You can even use your phone torch to scribble on it and turn your upper body into a walking billboard. R7 800 / vollebak.com

OFF THE SHELF

OFF THE SCALE

Smart clothing is an experimental area, but investing in futuristic undies or jacket can turn you into a tech ninja

WEARABLES

1 Prodigal sun A phosphorescent membrane stores energy from the sun â&#x20AC;&#x201C; or any light source. The stronger the source, the brighter itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll glow in the dark.

2 Glow for it

Thanks to every detail being lasercut and welded, the whole jacket (apart from the zip) can be treated as a light-painting canvas. Phallic artwork ahoy!

I 73

WEARABLES

1 Drill beats The Swim 2 helps you hone your swim technique with drill-specific tracking for formfixing sessions like kicking, one-arm swimming and sculling.

2 Stress daily On land it covers you for cycling and running, and extends to a wellness tracker keeping tabs on sleep patterns and stress levels.

WEARABLES

We will clock you

BODY STRAPS

From the perfect front crawl to whacking someone in the ring, the next generation of cardiac tracking isn’t messing around

Polar OH1+

Hykso

MyZone MZ-3

More than just a tracker, Fiit’s chest strap is your wearable link to a world of expert-coached at-home workouts. You can beam hundreds of classes covering strength, cardio and mobility, on demand to your TV, phone or tablet. During each session, the heart monitor logs your real-time workrate and intensity so you can work in the right zone. There are also personalised training plans that stitch together sessions to help you chase down goals. from R225/pm / fiit.tv

Chest straps remain the gold standard of BPM tracking, but there are plenty of sports where they’re a pain to use. The versatile OH1+ optical heart-rate sensor offers maximum flexibility to solve that problem. You can wear the tiny R2-coin-sized sensor on your biceps or forearm, or even move it to your goggle straps to track your heart rate in the pool. It’ll also pair with things like Form Swim goggles to display stats, so you’ll feel like an underwater fighter pilot. R1 500 / polar.com

A punch tracker for boxing training with serious intent, Hykso’s twin wrap-worn sensors track your punch type, count and velocity for each hand, in real time. On the fitness front, an intensity score reveals what happens to your workrate as tiredness takes hold, and all your data is made easily digestible in a partner smartphone app that helps you fine-tune your performance. It goes the distance too, with 10 hours of ring time on a single charge. R4 000 / hykso.com

The ultimate social heart-rate tracking tool, MyZone’s chest strap turbocharges your fitness motivation by turning workouts into one big virtual competition. It converts your real-time BPM into an effort score, focusing on intensity rather than classic performance stats like pace and speed, to reward the effort you put in. So whether you’re a super-fit champ or a total newcomer, you can compete with friends and family on a level playing field. R4 000 / mwantitall.co.za

Polar A370

Withings ScanWatch

Garmin Vivosport HR

Polar’s simple fitness band has all you need to whip yourself into shape. There’s heart-rate tracking for effort-zone training, more precise calorie burn, and it also piggybacks your phone’s GPS to track runs and rides, though you can also run phone-free or indoors on the treadmill with motion sensors providing pace and distance. Beyond workouts, move reminders and advanced sleep tracking give you a window into your all-around wellness. R2 500 / polar.com

The stylish ScanWatch tracks health as much as fitness, with medical-grade heart monitoring and insights for sleep, activity and fitness. Its ECG-capable optical heart-rate sensor triggers alerts for high, low or irregular heart rhythms, while a blood oxygen sensor identifies sleep apnoea. Automatic activity tracking, VO2 Max-powered fitness assessments and swim-friendly water-resistance complete this tidy fitness tool. Rtba / withings.com

If you’re upping your game from generally being a bit more active to attempting more serious running or cycling sessions, you need a fitness band with more bite. The Vivosport HR comes with built-in GPS for deeper insights when things get more vigorous than wandering about town. You can also monitor your progress with VO2 Max and ‘fitness age’ estimates. There’s also all-day stress tracking so you know when to go hard and when to go home. R2 200 / garmin.com

Garmin Swim 2 If you prefer to crawl, stroke and kick your way to fitness, this second-generation swim watch has everything you need. Its pool mode tracks a full suite of stats including distance, pace, stroke count, stroke type and efficiency (SWOLF), while wild swimmers can use the built-in GPS to track lake and ocean efforts. The real kicker: the optical heart-rate sensor works underwater and powers post-swim insights including the training effect of your last dip. R4 800 / garmin.com

Trackers use sensors – and the most basic is an accelerometer. It’s used to sense movement and translate that

into activity data, most commonly counting steps. Wrist-based trackers have optical heart-rate monitors that

WRIST TRACKERS

Fiit

use light to measure bloodflow, while chest straps measure electrical activity for greater accuracy.

NEED TO KNOW 75

TESTED POLAR GRIT X

Not just a Gritty face Polar’s first outdoor-ready multi-sport watch has the smarts, toughness and stamina to suit the most dedicated endurance freak R8 450 / probikekit.co.uk Launching a sports watch aimed at ultra-outdoorsy types while half the world’s on lockdown is a ballsy move. But the Grit X, the first watch in Polar’s line-up built for adventures beyond the urban streets, is all about going big. It packs 40hrs of battery life, extendable to 100hrs in low-GPS mode; heart-rate-based fuelling guidance that helps you avoid hitting the wall on endurance feats; Komoot-powered route planning with turn-by-turn nav on the wrist; and a Hill Splitter tool that unpicks your performance on the ups and downs. That’s all wrapped up in a design that’s as light as a Forerunner 945 and almost as rugged as a Fenix 6 Pro. But perhaps the biggest reason to have a closer peek at the Grit X is that you get all that for R8 500, a much more wallet-friendly price compared to most other top-end trackers. So does it really have the skills to go the distance against a Fenix? Or is it just a Vantage V wrapped up in a different jacket?

Donut stop me now The Grit X’s FuelWise alerts remind you when to eat to stay energised during longer events, based on real-time heart-rate effort (1). This excellent tool is much smarter than the basic time-based alerts on other watches, and on our 72.5km ultra run it worked very well.

GOOD MEH EVIL

Simple guided workouts

Hill communication Hill Splitter automatically tracks your performance on climbs and descents, displaying how many you’ve done plus current speed, ascent/descent and distance (2). Sadly there’s a delay before the watch recognises you’re on a hill, and often we’d topped a climb before the stats appeared.

Great battery life

No maps for navigation

Routing for you Grit X users can use Komoot’s route-planning and discovery tools to create adventures and sync them automatically to the watch. Once you’re on the move, you get reliable turn-by-turn navigation (3) that keeps you on track even in trickier areas with less well-trodden paths.

Smart fuelling advice Heart-rate readings lag and surge

Excellent recovery insights

TESTED POLAR GRIT X Get your Grit together The Grit X comes in two strap sizes and three colourways: all black, green and silver or white and silver.

Tech specs Screen 1.2in 240x240 colour touchscreen Connectivity Bluetooth LE, USB Sensors GPS, Glonass, Galileo, heart-rate, altimeter, compass Water-resistance 100m Battery life 40hrs, 100hrs in low-GPS mode Dimensions 47x47x13mm case, 64g

Running commentary

How do the Polar Grit X’s tech features fare when subjected to extreme testing in the wild?

Hold back the drain

The Grit X’s claimed 40hr battery life, extendable to 100hrs in low-power mode, isn’t far off the truth. We burnt 30% on a 10-hour ultra run with full GPS and we’d predict 30-35hrs’ workout time with heart tracking on.

Ticky don’t lose that slumber Polar’s sleep insights are now the most advanced you’ll find on a watch. The Nightly Recharge score combines your sleep score with a reading on how well your body recovers on a deeper level overnight. Great, although it did sometimes clock super-chilled couch time as sleep.

Waking up is hard to do The FitSpark tool recommends mobility, cardio and strength workouts for the day ahead, based on how you’ve bounced back overnight. It didn’t always match our mood, but each workout comes complete with move-by-move animations on the screen to guide you.

Crisper in the night

The 240x240 colour touchscreen is crisp and easy to read, although swipes and taps can be laggy. Thankfully Polar has fixed the button stiffness of the Vantage V and these controls work well on their own.

At R1 400 cheaper than the cheapest Fenix 6, the Grit X is a bargain for anyone who straddles the worlds of outdoor trail adventure and traditional urban pursuits. It’s a well-built, sharp-looking wearable with superb battery life – and it’s crammed with compelling and innovative tools, tracking and insights.

The beat goes off

Polar’s Precision Prime optical heart-rate sensor tech uses an improved 10-LED array – boosted from nine on the Vantage V. Sadly it’s still prone to surges and spikes, so you’ll need a chest strap for real accuracy.

Lightening bolt

At 64g, the Grit X is much lighter than most outdoor watches – thanks to a carbon-reinforced polymer back cover. That’s noticeable on longer runs, even if it does make the watch feel a little cheap.

STUFF SAYS ★★★★ For urbanites who occasionally venture into the wild for longer adventures, the Grit X packs a lot for the price 77

T E S T E D F U J I F I L M X-T 2 0 0

Vlog standard? Fuji’s flexible and affordable X-T200 mirrorless camera has enough features to please just about everyone… including aspiring video bloggers

R16 500 (with 15-45mm lens) / fujifilm.eu/za Sitting as near as heck to the very cheap end of Fujifilm’s X series, the X-T200 is a versatile and lightweight system camera with a lot going for it: 4K video, a revamped autofocus system with face and eye detection, 8fps stills shooting, improved low-light performance, a tilting and twisting touchscreen that can be flipped fully frontwards, and Fuji’s beloved film simulation modes. That’s all available – complete with a power zoom lens – for R16 500, which sounds like a steal for anyone taking their first steps into serious photography. Staying true to the analogue look of the X series, this is a handsome yet functional little device of mostly metal and grippy faux leather. Even with that 15-45mm kit lens attached, it’s an extremely compact and lightweight camera for its class, and easy to use one-handed… although we couldn’t wait to grab it with both.

Fuji wonderland On the top you’ll find dials for flicking between film simulation modes and shooting modes, and adjusting settings (1). On the back are the menu, joystick controls and a 3.5in display. Buttons or a touchscreen, it’s your choice, and tapping to set the focus point is always handy.

GOOD MEH EVIL

Lightweight and compact

Yes sir, I can Fuji The screen flips 180° to please selfie-takers and vloggers, and can be tilted to any angle you desire (2). You also have the option of an OLED viewfinder for composing and reviewing your shots (3) – while not the sharpest or brightest, it’s impressive for this price range.

Great stills quality

Blame it on the Fuji The ‘digital gimbal’ (essentially gyroscope-powered image stabilisation) limits movie quality to 1080p video at 30fps, only works with certain lenses, and crops images severely to give them breathing room. But for strolling film-to-camera pieces you may want to keep it on.

4K video is nice and sharp Digital gimbal isn’t all that

It’s not really a night owl

Flexible display fit for vloggers

T E S T E D F U J I F I L M X-T 2 0 0

Copper load The X-T200 has a copper-wired sensor, which Fujifilm claims equates to a 3.5x faster readout and an expanded ISO range.

Tech specs Sensor 24.2MP APS-C CMOS ISO range 100-51,200 (extended) Burst speed 8fps Video 4K @ 30fps, 1080p @ 120fps Displays 3.5in vari-angle TFT touchscreen, 0.39in OLED EVF Connectivity Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C, microHDMI, 3.5mm mic Dimensions 121x84x55mm, 370g

And now, the gallery… 3

Capturing the world with the Fujifilm X-T200 is a joy, whether you’re taking stunning stills or vibrant video

Still life

Stills photographers love X-series cameras for their ‘colour science’ – the way images look straight out of the camera. Thanks to its film simulation modes, the X-T200 produces sharp and punchy shots without the need for RAW tweaks.

Jungle Fuji This camera benefits from a fairly fast 8fps continuous shooting speed (with AF enabled), handy for capturing fleeting moments and moving subjects, and an overhauled hybrid AF system that feels quicker and more accurate than the one in the Fujifilm X-Pro2.

Fuji on, reggae woman Connectivity is also worth a mention. You get a/b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth LE, a 3.5mm mic port (so videographers can plug in a shotgun microphone for pro audio in seconds), a microHDMI output and a USB-C port that supports charging (4) – a strong haul for a cheaper model.

Life’s rich pageant

4K video is super-sharp with great colour clarity. It’s limited to 30fps, but that’s to be expected in this price bracket. Dial down to 1080p and you can shoot at a smoother 60fps, or up to 120fps in slo-mo/high-speed.

Who needs bleeding-edge innovation when you can get great-looking photos and pin-sharp 4K videos from a lightweight and eminently flexible camera that’s easy to use and inexpensive? If you’re upgrading from an older system camera or making the leap from a compact or mobile, this is an ideal investment.

Night life

Low-light shooting isn’t really what the X-T200 is built for, and the included kit lens isn’t designed for night work either, but the wide ISO range means you can grab some very usable and not-too-grainy results after dark.

Nine lives

Full HD footage probably won’t blow your socks off when viewed back on a large 4K screen, but for vlogging it’ll be more than adequate. Even at higher frame rates it does a decent job of retaining sharpness and clarity.

STUFF SAYS ★★★★ The X-T200 doesn’t do anything we haven’t seen before, but as an affordable all-round package it’s a winner 79

FI R TH ST ES AD E… D

020)

ONE APPLE MAGIC KEYBOARD Yes, we know – Apple’s new iPad keyboard costs as much as a whole tablet, and it feels like a brick in your bag. But it’s so lovely to use! The trackpad is dinky but responsive and works with the full range of iPadOS gestures, and switching our iPad between tablet and ‘laptop’ modes really is a breeze. from R7 000 / myistore.co.za

TWO APPLE PENCIL

THREE SONY DUALSHOCK 4

You might have ten little styluses at the end of your arms, but for most of us they’re too sausage-like for precision work. With the Apple Pencil, you can be an artist. You’ll need the second-gen one, though, and it’s R700 more than its predecessor. Still, the new Pencil’s flat edge means it won’t roll off the table into the dog’s mouth. R3 000 / myistore.co.za

We at Stuff maintain that the best iPad games are the ones that are geared specifically towards the platform. But if you want console-style thrills on a tablet, don’t bother grappling with virtual game controls — connect a real controller instead. Of those we’ve tried, the DualShock is by far the best bet for traditional gaming. from R1 160 / takealot.com

NO TH W T IS RY …

TH TH EN ES GE E… T

INSTANT UPGRADES INS

PIXELMATOR PHOTO

1 GO A LITTLE BIT P.C.

2 IMPROVE REALITY

3 SHOOT SOMEONE

Don’t want that pricey Magic Keyboard? No matter — any Bluetooth mouse will support iPadOS’s cursor, which morphs and merges with content. A Magic Trackpad 2 is better, since you get whizzy gestural stuff too. Fine-tune the system by opening Settings and delving into Home Screen & Dock > Multitasking > Gestures, General > Trackpad & Mouse > Accessibility > Pointer Control.

Augmented reality hasn’t been the game-changer Apple was hoping for… at least, not yet. Still, the App Store has plenty of apps and games that merge the real and the virtual — and the iPad Pro’s LiDAR scanner improves the AR experience. Surfaces are detected more rapidly, and the Measure app now veers on accurate rather than being akin to a drunk guy with a measuring tape.

Don’t literally shoot anyone, obviously. But the rear of the iPad Pro now features a 12MP wide camera and a 10MP ultra-wide. None of that will make a flagship smartphone jealous, but it’s more than enough for capturing fab photos and top-notch 4K video, which you can squirt into leading iPad apps ready for an editing session that will really show what your tablet’s made of.

Cheap as heck but eye-poppingly effective, this app uses AI trained on millions of pro photos to fix your snaps. For more control, just dive into the sidebar. R85

KORG GADGET 2

GarageBand is great but Gadget goes the extra mile with tons of tweakable synths, samplers and drum machines. Ideal for budding Florian Schneiders. R830

4 BE A PLAYER

5 GET YOUR ART IN GEAR

6 DO SOME EFFING WORK

There was a certain amount of grumbling when the new iPad Pro was launched with an A12Z processor that’s actually just the old A12X with an extra GPU core. But beyond extra clout in graphics, this device also gets 6GB of RAM across the board (only the 1TB model got that before). The upshot: this tablet is a monster for games, including the kind you’d usually associate with consoles and PCs.

If you have a Magic Keyboard, it’s tempting to turn your iPad into a sort-of-laptop. But Apple’s tablet is best when used in the hand, and nowhere is this more obvious than when making art. Whether you’re a dabbler or the next Picasso, spend time burying yourself in Procreate or Autodesk SketchBook, making a glorious creative mess free from the risk of grinding paint into the carpet.

Having spent the best part of twenty grand (or more) on a tablet, you might want to be productive. You could head straight for Office or Google Docs, but take a look at iPad-specific fare first. Smash out ideas with MindNode, organise your life with Fantastical, track news with NetNewsWire, plan and write complex texts in Scrivener, and even make spreadsheets fun with Numbers.

LUMAFUSION Desktop-grade video editing on a tablet? Yep. LumaFusion can chew through 4K footage on an iPad Pro, and has all the controls and effects you need for YouTube superstardom. R480

SMART CITIES FEATURE

TECHS IN THE CITY The place where you live will one day be a lot more convenient – for you, for visitors, for everyone. All it takes is time, connectivity, and data. Loads of data. rtificial intelligence, transhumanism, or a technological singularity – a point where technology spins away from human control forever – are all science fictions concepts that are also closer than you might expect. There is all manner of ways these ideas might come to fruition. If you’re anything like Keiichi Matsuda (check out his Hyper-Reality video on YouTube), the future will consist of vast quantities of information overload. If you’re James Cameron, then the years to come are a brutal battle for the survival of our species. If you’re Alex Garland, then the future of technology looks just like us – only better, stronger and faster. But in reality, mankind’s next few decades are more likely to feature invisible (but beneficial) changes, brought on by improved access to connected technologies.

The Road

It’s a path the planet is already travelling. You’re already participating in the first strands that will eventually coalesce into a vast interconnected web of data and services that will shape cities and societal interactions for generations. The wearable devices on your wrist, the smartphone in your pocket, the internet connection in your home and the cellular connections out on the streets all lead in one direction – to more connected cities. As with most journeys, there are many steps and stops along the way but there’s no denying that we’re on the path. Digital bank cards, like the ones recently launched by FNB in South Africa, and the ability to use contactless payments through a wearable or NFCenabled smartphone is a step. Widespread, speedy 82

internet connectivity is another. A major focus on technologies like coding in a school curriculum is yet another – and these are all steps that South Africa has taken recently, with the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) as a final goal. In many cases, these technologies have been spurred along by the current pandemic. Adoption of automation and innovation has jumped ahead several years. Time will tell whether that will speed up or slow down the coming change. But where do these steps all lead to?

Welcome to Elysium

The future, for one. For some, this will mean the proliferation of exoskeletons to make dangerous work less so, for others it’ll mean the convenience of wandering into a store, picking up what you want and walking out. The billing happens automatically. These aren’t hypothetical future events; they’re taking place now. But, for South Africa and with most of the rest of the world, the rise of a smart city is relatively far off in the future. We’re laying the groundwork by doing things

SMART CITIES FEATURE

like integrating payments into the one device nobody can leave their home without – the smartphone. The introduction of 5G into South Africa will eventually give rise to quicker downloads, sure, but it’ll also allow better integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in everyday life, the deployment of the sensors needed to make self-driving cars a reality (while retaining safety for passengers), and will let some cities respond to their inhabitants. This will become possible by joining the utilities needed to run a city

with the real-time data that city generates – open, accessible data, and the data that residents volunteer into the system.

Joining the Legion

The future of humanity has already been outlined by social networks, by popular media and (most especially) by video games. You’re already aware of the challenges that face mankind when it comes to implementing a smart city. Watch_Dogs, the game series by Ubisoft, has tackled both what might be possible and what might

go wrong. Call of Duty has examined a world in which bodily augmentation is a requirement for warfare; and what a civil war between planetary colonies might look like. It makes for excellent science fiction fare. But it’s a possible future that’s not as far off as you might think. If you want to see what cities will look like, all you need to do is pay attention to what’s happening around you every day. And, if you’re keen on shaping the cities of the future, it might be time to get involved in what’s taking place out there.

[ Graphics vectorpocket/freepik.com]

If you want to see what cities will look like, all you need to do is pay attention to what’s happening around you every day.

TESTED GAMES

PS4 / playstation.com

The Last of Us Part II Released in 2013, The Last of Us was a glorious swansong for the PS3 – and with Sony’s next console finally coming this Christmas, Part II offers a fitting send-off for the PS4

emember what happened at the end of The Last of Us? No? Then you might want to go and remind yourself, because you’ll find no spoilers for either game here. Part II picks up five years later, with Joel and Ellie living in a walled compound in Wyoming, patrolling the countryside and picking off the zombie-like ghouls that roam the land. When this relatively peaceful existence is interrupted by an act of horrific violence, it triggers a chain of… well, a lot more horrific

violence. The Last of Us Part II, then, is very much a continuation of the original game. Everything feels very familiar, at least for the first few hours, and scavenging for supplies is still the name of the game, whether it’s in knee-deep snow around New Jackson, inside a run-down synagogue, or in the blood-splattered ambulance bay of a deserted hospital. The savage beauty of each one is a joy to explore. As is inevitable in an apocalyptic wasteland, you’ll often have to fight

for your right to continue your journey – with an even more visceral physicality to the combat than before, and some truly disgusting new bitey specimens to sink an axe into. Don’t be afraid to deploy the big guns when necessary – you’ve got them for a reason. And no matter what kind of enemy you’re stalking, stealth is still very much your friend… although not the kind that demands you hide in a cupboard for 20 minutes memorising enemy patrol

patterns. Running away is also a legitimate tactic, which will be good news for all cowards. The game’s best moments often come when you’re relieved of control of the camera and developer Naughty Dog can act out its best horror-movie fantasies. So while it’s not as tightly conceived as the first game and can very occasionally start to feel formulaic, if this is the last hurrah for the PS4, it’s a mighty fine way to go out: Covered in blood, guts and emotional endings.

STUFF SAYS A brutal, bleak and beautiful game – Naughty Dog has done it again ★★★★★ 84

TESTED GAMES

(What’s the story) mourning gory?

“Puff, pant, grunt… must hurry… grunt… carnival closes in 15 minutes.”

As well as playing the guitar and boating, you do get to do some violence.

It’s a little tough to talk about The Last of Us Part II’s story without spoiling anything, but at its heart there are three competing factions: Ellie and her New Jackson crew; the heavily armed Washington Liberation Front; and the whistling, tech-shunning Seraphites – a bit like if the Lost Boys from Hook went Amish. With its time-hopping storyline and multiple moments of genuine emotional heft, you can tell the writers have been watching a lot of big-budget TV; but there are different things to take into account when you’re asking people to part with R1 000. That’s probably why this game is slightly more drawn-out than the narrative needs it to be (as with most modern blockbuster movies, you think it’s over about three times before it actually is), with some pacing issues just after a crucial point halfway through. Its attempts to make you think about the violence you partake in may also be undermined by how much fun it is. Or perhaps that’s the point. But these are very minor quibbles with a game that deals with issues that others wouldn’t touch, and delivers in ways that most others don’t. No wonder HBO is making a TV show out of it.

TESTED GAMES

PS4 / playstation.com

Ghost of Tsushima Tired of waiting for Ubisoft to make and release Assassin’s Creed Japan, Sony and Sucker Punch have gone out and made their own take on the nation’s history

here’s something to be said about not reinventing the wheel. Sure, we’ve rebuilt and modernised, chopped and changed aspects but at its core, it’s still just…a wheel. That analogy rings true for Ghost of Tsushima, a game that sells itself more on visual flair and style than substance because at its core…it’s just more of the same. It’s very much like Assassin’s Creed. Mechanically solid, stylistically impressive and graphically competent, Ghost of Tsushima is

happy to just exist as a very by-the-numbers open world game, never really doing anything new or fresh. Which is fine. Sucker Punch, the development team behind the final big PS4 exclusive, made a name for themselves by developing plenty of solid open-world titles. It’s just a touch disappointing that they didn’t really do anything new with their most recent attempt. Ghost of Tsushima really shines in its visual and stylistic presentation… if you don’t look

too closely. The landscapes and environments in this game are absolutely magical, with some of the most beautiful vistas we’ve seen in a game for ages. There’s a reason social media has been flooded by images taken using the in-engine Photo Mode. But Ghost of Tsushima lost us with the number of dated open-world tropes it lobs into its gameplay loop. The map is littered with enemy camps, fox dens, shrines and all manner of arbitrary tasks and chores that make your

meters and abilities gradually increase. People enjoy all the extra content, we get that. Yet none of it feels especially rewarding. Which feels like an apt description. Ghost of Tsushima plays it safe in its design, never offering much in the way of invention or innovation but rather sticks to what has worked before. Fortunately, it’s able to take that pre-existing and arguably stale format and use it very well but at the end of the day, Ghost of Tsushima probably isn’t going to stick with you.

STUFF SAYS Come for those gorgeous visuals, leave because it gets dull fast ★★★★ 86

TESTED GAMES

Ghost ‘em or Toast ‘em

The game of The Floor is Lava got a bit out of hand.

Anyone else getting some Mordor vibes off this?

Fights usually start with a stylish and satisfying standoff which see Jin dispatching entire groups of enemies with just a few button presses. Combat is meaty and satisfying, with every hit causing blood to splash and squirt with some technically impressive animations. A variety of unlockable stances, effective against different enemy types, ensure that the game is able to craft a wide array of different encounters. Meaning you’ll actually be forced to pay attention to who you’re fighting rather than just mashing a single button until everyone is dead. It’s nothing inventive but it’s handled so well that it hardly matters. Jin is forced to adapt to the situation, having to use methods which would be frowned upon by his order in order to challenge the brutally savage Mongols. It’s a divide that enables two distinct modes of gameplay, one being the stealthy ghost approach that focuses on assassinations and taking out enemies without looking them in the eye and the more direct combat approach, which sees Jin taking on dozens of foes at once with some flashy sword slashes and parries.

GADGET DOCTOR

ALWAYS ON CALL

facebook.com/stuffsa ● @StuffSA stuff@stuff.co.za

MAIL OF THE MONTH Q

WE REALLY DO KNOW JACK

Hi. My name is Jack. I am 10 years old. I live in Plettenberg Bay. I have been reading your magazine for a few years now. It is my favourite magazine in the world. I have been buying it with my pocket money. I want to ask a few questions. On page 61 on your Great Indoors edition, why do you say the Skagen Falster 3 is better than Suunto 7. I think the Suunto 7 is better. But anyway, next question. What do you do with the stuff after you test it? Next question. What’s the difference between the Mavic Air 2 and Mavic Mini? I don’t see the difference. Also, I want to get some cheapish accessories for my Nintendo Switch. Do you know anything? Jack

Hey, Jack. Thank you so much for reading! We are normally (often begrudgingly) required to send the stuff we play with back where it came from but sometimes we get to keep some toys. But that’s only if we’re lucky. The Mavic Air 2 is basically just the Mavic Mini’s big brother; it does everything the Mini does plus a little more like 4K capture, more megapixels in the camera and a slightly longer battery life. And it’s physically larger. For your Switch, we’d recommend a Sparkfox Switch Comfort Controller Grip. It gives you an actual controller feel when you’re playing in handheld mode, which is way more comfortable and ensures your hands won’t go numb after a while! Is that just us? We hope not.

Speak your brains to Stuff and you could win! This letter wins a Vivo Y12 worth R3999.

JACK IN THE BOX

My name is Ryno and I am 17 years old. I have been reading your magazine for a while and you guys have a lot of amazing stuff going on (no pun intended). I noticed something on page 74 of the ‘Great Indoors’ issue. The Samsung Galaxy S20 has no 3.5mm headphone jack and I see that a lot of newer phone models are letting go of this feature. Why would Samsung do this when a

lot of people still prefer the standard 3.5mm headphone jack? Another quick question: is there any difference in sound quality when listening through C-type or 3.5mm ports? Ryno

To start from the bottom, there’s no noticeable difference between audio that travels through a 3.5mm jack and a USB-C connection. The

only thing that separates them is that the 3.5mm is an analog signal, meaning it has to take the digital audio of the device and convert it on the fly. USB-C is a digital signal, so the signal travels without conversion. If you’re looking at incredibly fine details, you might notice minor wave pattern differences but nothing that changes quality. To answer your first question, money is the answer. Money spent on Bluetooth headphones. Also, though, saving space inside the phone for even more tech.

TO IN E RITND W WA US

Next month’s mail of the month wins a

VIVO Y30 worth R4 999 88

THIS REALLY HERTZ

I am once again seeking your words of wisdom to guide me in yet another purchase decision. This time, it’s about the purchase of headphones. Since I still live off pocket money, as I'm 16 years old, my budget is fairly limited at R1 200. I've decided on a budget pair of gaming headphones as they deliver, for the price compared to those in the audiophile range, a superior sound and a more versatile usage. They have better sounding mics for calls and gaming, if I do start. Since I don't mind cables I was wondering if going for the 15hz to 25khz headphones is worth the extra cash even though the human hearing range is only 20hz to 20khz. Or am I looking at the wrong specs and range? Please advise. Tyron

15Hz is really not worth spending the extra coin. If you’re using it mainly for gaming and video calls, you’ll never need a frequency that low. If you were planning on going into music production and mastering, it would be a soft yes. One of the most important things to look for in headphones is frequency response, which is basically the range of frequencies it can accurately produce; the lower (and higher) the better.

THE AGONY OF CHOICE

Hi, I'm Bernard. I’m 13. I've read your magazine for more than a year now and I love it. I especially love the Top Ten. I was wondering if you can help me, please? I want a new phone that's under R7000. The iPhone SE is a good option but is also expensive for a 64GB phone. I also saw the Huawei P40 Lite. It looks great, with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Which phone is the best and should I rather save money to buy the iPhone SE? Bernard

Hey, Bernard! They’re both great phones but if we have to choose it would be the Huawei P40 Lite (see p67). It’s just a little better in every way; bigger battery, expandable storage, a whole host of better cameras and it’s a bit cheaper. But it doesn’t have Google services, so you gotta factor that in.

128GB of inbuilt storage 13MP primary camera

5 000mAh battery

8MP front camera

OP EN

This gadget leapt straig outta testin and into ou rankings.

OF EVERYTHING

NEW

Time changes everything, including Stuff Top Ten placings.

HOT BUY BARGAIN BUY UPDATE Searing with techy genius, a product thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set our hearts aflame.

A solid gold bargain. Worth owning, regardless of cashflow.

Smartphones Phablets Tablets & streamers TVs Laptops Smartwatches & fitness trackers Budget buys

90 9 1 92 93 94 95 96

Drones, action cams & compact cameras VR headsets & games System cameras Headphones Wireless speakers Consoles Games

97 98 99 100 101 102 1 03

HOW TO USE THEM

TOP TENS SMARTPHONES

T Y

UPDATE

Samsung Galaxy S20 The bigger and flashier S20+ and S20 Ultra models are the headline-grabbers, but the ‘basic’ Galaxy S20 feels like the Goldilocks of flagship phones right now: not too big and clever, not too small and basic, just right. It delivers excellent battery life, a phenomenal display, blistering performance and superb photo quality. Until someone else does it better, this is the Android handset to beat. Odds are, it’ll stay here at least until Apple takes a shot at it.

TIPS & TRICKS Slide your thumb in from the edge and back for one-handed mode, which adjusts the screen layout.

Stuff says ★★★★★ All the features you’d want in a flagship smartphone, plus a few more

Screen recording is great for capturing Instagram live sessions. You’ll find it in system settings.

● NOW ADD THIS SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive This USB-C drive will double your S20’s 128GB storage to 256GB for a lot less than you might expect. from R120 / takealot.com

Single-take mode uses all the lenses to snap various stills and video clips to cherrypick from.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro

Apple iPhone XS

Samsung Galaxy S10

Apple iPhone XR

Huawei P30

LG G8S ThinQ

UPDATE

NEW

UPDATE

Apple iPhone 11

Huawei P40

You’re getting a neat package here, and it’s not silly-expensive. The Bionic A13 chip packs serious power, the cameras are almost faultless and the battery will last all day. If you don’t mind the lack of an OLED display, it could be time to say hello to the everyman iPhone.

Look past the lack of Google apps, and this is a premium Android device with brilliant power under the hood. Expect Huawei’s top camera capabilities here, a beautiful display and horsepower to spare. Huawei has done a stellar job at making the P40 ecosystem.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Wow – an affordable Apple handset that doesn’t scrimp on specs

Stuff says ★★★★★ Strong enough to run all the apps you love, just get them from elsewhere

from R18 500 / myistore.co.za

R17 000 / huaweistore.co.za

UPDATE

★★★★★ from R24 000 / myistore.co.za It’s only down here because of the price. Brilliant phone, gorgeous colours, but a bit expensive.

★★★★★ from R17 000 / myistore.co.za Apple’s range is spreading, meaning it occupies the lower slots as well as the top ones.

★★★★★ R15 000 / samsung.com/za A well-rounded Android with a versatile camera and ace performance. Still a brilliant device.

★★★★★ from R16 000 / myistore.co.za This ‘budget’ iPhone still packs a punch, including killer battery life and the best LCD money can buy.

★★★★★ R10 000 / huaweistore.co.za The last great P-phone that still sports Google services. Well worth the cash.

★★★★ from R8 700 / lg.com/za LGs best-looking handset last year. Add a powerful processor, great camera and display, and you’re set.

Nokia 7.2

★★★★ from R6 000 / hmdglobal.com Dual-SIM handsets are hard to come by in SA – this Nokia won’t bust your budget for primo features.

FOR UP-TO-DATE NEWS VISIT STUFF.CO.ZA OR STUFFSA ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM

● Prices quoted are for handset only unless otherwise stated

R21 000 / samsung.com/za

PHABLETS TOP TENS UPDATE

TIPS & TRICKS

uawei P30 Pro

Go dark – sa battery (why your eyes (ok by hitting Se Battery > Dar interface colo

700 / huaweistore.co.za

know, we know, Huawei’s shiny new devices ed in SA. But it was lockdown and we’ve only ten to reviewing them now. Which means this Huawei still sits the throne for another e. It was the first techslab to feature the t generation of camera tech. Following this, er smartphone brands have tried to top its -light photography chops, and even the y zoom capabilities. Many have also failed. one still reigns for another month.

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ff says ★★★★★ l the best bigboi out there, let’s see at Samsung can do to top it ● NOW ADD THIS Huawei Supercharge 10 000 mAh The P30 Pro’s huge battery is no reason not to get it a high-speed power bank of its very own. R800 / huaweistore.co.za

Huawei Mate 20 Pro

★★★★★ R11 500 / huaweistore.co.za While it still supports Google Mobile Services, this is one of the most boss devices out there.

Samsung Galaxy Note 10+

Apple iPhone XS Max

Samsung Galaxy A51

Samsung Galaxy Note 9

UPDATE

Apple iPhone Pro Max

Samsung Galaxy S20+

The iPhone 11 Pro Max signifies Apple’s best tech of 2019 in its largest chassis. It’s got the triplethreat camera setup which includes a telephoto lens, a wide-angle and a main sensor. Is it basically a bigger iPhone 11 Pro? Yes. Same insides, different size. Bigger is better, right?

Another year, and another Samsung S-range. The Newly released Samsung S20+ looks better than all the others on this page on paper, but that doesn’t mean squat if it doesn’t work well in real life. 64MP? 100x zoom? We don’t see the appeal.

Stuff says ★★★★★ It’s worth maxing out your credit card for this iPhone

Stuff says ★★★★★ Look past the giant camera module and it’s a beauty

from R26 500 / myistore.co.za

from R19 800 / samsung.com/za

HOT BUY

★★★★ from R21 900 / samsung.com/za Samsung has pumped up the specs on its excellent phablet, including more S-Pen features.

★★★★ from R20 000 / myistore.co.za Apple must do something big to claw its way back. The XS Max proves they’re capable of that.

★★★★ from R6 000 / samsung.com/za This one’s a sleek, powerful, elegant phone and costs less than all your cents combined.

★★★★ from R16 000 / samsung.com/za Still an excellent purchase if you must have a stylus, even if it’s slipped down the ranks a tad.

Apple iPhone 8 Plus

★★★★ from R12 500 / myistore.co.za Short stay on the podium notwithstanding, the iPhone 8 Plus is looking cheap vs the XS Max.

Honor 8x

★★★★ from R4 500 / hi-online.co.za Our fave budget handset right now holds its own against far pricier ones, and looks the part, too.

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TOP TENS TABLETS & STREAMERS

92 HOT BUY

HOT NEW BUY

Apple iPad Pro (2020)

Xiaomi Mi Box

from R22 000 / myistore.co.za

R1 500 / cellucity.co.za

The old iPad Pro was already our favourite tablet by miles, and the latest update only makes it more desirable. As before, it isn’t cheap; but with its huge and super-slick 120Hz Liquid Retina screen, ludicrously speedy internals and double-lens camera (like the one in the iPhone 11), this is one working device to rule them all. Since Apple added cursor support to iPadOS, it’s also the best tablet to replace your laptop – and a glimpse into the near future of computing.

Buying a TV box in SA is a hit or miss, as most of them are massproduced and run on iffy software. Your best bet is opting for a certified Android box, like the Xiaomi Mi Box S. It’s the second of its kind, and can stream content in 4K from a variety of services on the market. Already have a smart TV? Just add the Mi Box S to up its streaming game. It’s also got Chromecast built-in, with some Assistant chops to improve its desirability. The Play Store offers a variety of apps that should impress any content snob.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Apple’s mega-tablet evolves into an outstanding piece of kit and pulls even further ahead of the pack

Stuff says ★★★★★ Ready to join the Mi too movement? This is by far the best Android box on the market in SA right now

Apple iPad Air (2019)

UPDATE

oogle Chromecast 3.0

25 / takealot.com e Chromecast is a cheaper option to smart your TV, and it works seamlessly. Plug-in, y and cast from your mobile device thout hassle. Pair it to a Google Nest and n more control using Google Assistant. ff says ★★★★★ st your dreams to the TV

from R11 000 / myistore.co.za Admit it, you’ve been waiting for a new iPad Air. An A12 Bionic procesor, improved specs across the board and an option of 64GB or 256GB of storage. It’s a very good time to be an Apple fan. Stuff says ★★★★★ Still the best all-purpose iPad for most

Apple iPad Pro (2019)

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

Samsung Galaxy Tab S6

Apple TV 4K

Apple iPad Mini (2019)

Ematic 4K Android TV

UPDATE

from R15 000 / myistore.co.za Still not cheap, but still a mobile powerhouse f you’re not keen on the 2020 version. It’ll be overkill if you just plan on checking Insta on it, so bargain on paying for raw processing power and a beautiful display. Stuff says ★★★★★ Stylish and powerful – sign us up UPDATE

★★★★★ R15 000 / samsung.com/za This is the Android tablet to get if you like doodling or gaming on tablets.

★★★★★ from R8 700 / myistore.co.za Apple’s finally updated the mini iPad, with the A12 Bionic chip and a general upgrade.

R1 000 / takealot.com Amazon’s latest streaming stick offers 4K plus a faster processor than its predecessor and comes with an Alexa Voice Remote. It doesn’t have Showmax, but the selection of third-party apps is excellent. Stuff says ★★★★★ This is the best stick you can buy

UPDATE

★★★★ R4 600 / myistore.co.za f you’re in the Apple ecosystem, might as well cough up for this one. It works. Well.

★★★★ R1 300 / takealot.co.za The Ematic Box can turn just about any display into a smart TV hub.

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93 HOT BUY

TVs TOP TENS

UPDATE

LG OLED 65C9PUA R52 000 / lg.com/za

Replacing its memorable predecessor, last year’s C-class OLED gives you LG’s most advanced picture and processing tech. It’s got the snappy as heck Alpha9 processor. Along with being faster than we can handle, the set looks beautiful in any setting. Even at its thickest point, the 65in C9 measures just 4.7cm. Joining four HDMI 2.1 sockets, the C9 has three USB ports, ethernet, optical and headphone outputs, and aerial and satellite connections. Oh, and it’s got 4K output.

Stuff says ★★★★★ As expected, the updated C9 is the closest you’ll get to a tiny home cinema TIPS & TRICKS

The C9 offers assistant-smarts — choose between LG’s own ThinQ, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa.

UPDATE

● NOW ADD THIS Sony PlayStation 4 Pro You’re going to want to use your 4K screen to display 4K bits and the PS4 Pro is going to help you to do that. Best when paired with Sony’s PlayStation VR headset (R4 800). R7 000 / playstation.com/za

It’ll recommend content based on what you’ve previously watched at certain times throughout the day.

4 HOT BUY

Samsung 55Q8C

R31 200 / hirschs.co.za

LG 65SK9500

★★★★★ from R30 000 / lg.com/za 4K UHD but there’s no OLED here. Nano Cell, HDR, and webOS make up for it.

Hisense 65U8A

Samsung 55Q7F

LG OLED 65E8

UPDATE

★★★★★ R14 000 / hisense.co.za A huge UHD panel, enough ports to make you feel like a sailor and a price that’s kind to the wallet.

★★★★★ R18 000 / samsung.com/za Samsung’s 4K TV supports HDR and has a price that means you’ll still able to eat at month end.

★★★★ R120 200 / lg.com/za LG’s heavy hitter is amazeballs, but the price hits your wallet harder than the pixels pummel pupils.

LG 65SM9500PUA R26 000 / takealot.com

Okay, it’s still curved and we’re kind of past that but Samsung’s big screen hits your eyes with a 4K panel toting their neato Quantum Dot tech. It also looks the part, with no bezels and minimalist styling, making sure that this one fades into the background… until you turn it on, that is. Samsung’s Q HDR 1500 also helps in that regard.

LG can succeed even without OLED. Just look at LG’s NanoCell-backed panel for the SM9500PUA, LG could bore you to death with NanoCell marketing fluff, but it really looks beautiful with deep blacks and solid, vivid colours. Get one in 65in and use LG’s digital assistant voice control to get lost in a mediocre Netflix series. It’s just that good.

Stuff says ★★★★★ If you can look past the curve, there’s a lot to love here

Stuff says ★★★★★ You don’t need OLED when you look this good

UPDATE

HOT BUY

UPDAT

Hisense 75N9700UWG

★★★★ R37 000 / hisense.co.za Hisense lobs Quantum Dot colour tech and a humongous 75in 4K ULED screen at you.

Skyworth 55G7200

★★★★ R7 000 / skyworth.com A 55in 4K display for under R10k? For that combo, we’ll forgive the user interface missteps.

LG 49UK6300PVB

★★★★ R6 000 / lg.com/za UDH and HDR combined in a package designed to make you feel like you spent far more money.

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TOP TENS LAPTOPS TIPS & TRICKS

Who needs a Touch Bar? You can log into your Mac with your iPhone’s Touch ID using the MacID app.

The universal clipboard lets you copy text on your iPhone and paste it directly to your Mac.

HOT BUY

UPDATE

Apple MacBook Pro 2019

from R29 000 (13in) / myistore.co.za

The entry-level MacBook Pro received a noteworthy spec bump last year, and the base 13in variation won’t necessarily break the bank. What this also means, is the previous-gen Pro’s have received a price cut. Which makes them even more desirable. But the 2019 Pro’s now run 8th- and 9th-gen Intel Core processors, and the 15in model packs up to 8-cores. It retains the Touch Bar, Retina Display, Touch ID, some nifty SSDs and the trusty Apple T2 Security Chip. Now if we could just get these a little cheaper, that’d be grand.

Stuff says ★★★★★ A bump in spec is exactly what the best MacBook needed to dominate ● NOW ADD THIS Satechi Type-C USB 3 Combo Hub Two ports not enough? This hub adds loads more and sits snugly against the MacBook Pro’s side. R800 / amazon.com

UPDATE

Apple MacBook Air 13in

★★★★★ from R22 000 / myistore.co.za As stylish as it ever was, Apple’s Air is due for a refresh locally after an international update.

MSI GT76 Titan

★★★★★ from R71 000 / evetech.co.za It packs a punch with at least an RTX 2070 GPU and up to an Intel Core i9 in a weighty chassis.

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo

★★★★★ from R30 000 / evetech.co.za Two is definitely better than one, and this dual-display beast is worth every cent. UPDATE

MSI PS63 Modern

★★★★★ from R17 700 / evetech.co.za Does MSI’s multimedia editing-slayer still play games? Yes. Yes, it bloody well does.

Dell XPS 13 (2019)

Asus Zenbook UX331UA

The Dell XPS 13 is one of the best, most consistent Windows laptops in the world. There are no gimmicks, no flimsy parts: every element is top-quality. You get style, portability, performance and great battery life. And every part of it just feels, well, good.

Asus’ new 1.12kg Zenbook 13 might look less like a MacBook than its predecessors did but that’s okay. It’s not like a Mac inside either, with a Core i7-8550U, 8GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and other metrics that make Apple’s machines look slow.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Royalty among Windows laptops: everything about this is top-notch

Stuff says ★★★★★ Something this fast shouldn’t be this light

from R23 000 / dell.co.za

Huawei MateBook X Pro

★★★★★ from R25 000 / huawei.com/za A stylish Windows laptop with some clever ideas to get the maximum display for your rand.

from R21 000 / asus.com/za

9 1

Asus ZenBook Pro 14

★★★★★ R31 500 / asus.com/za A sizable second screen makes the ZenBook Pro 14 a very unusual proposition indeed.

Acer Swift 5

★★★★ R16 500 / acer.co.za Lacks gaming chops but it’s light, portable, and powerful enough to make office life lovely.

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SMARTWATCHES, FITNESS TRACKERS TOP TENS HOT

HOT

DATE

Apple Watch Series 5

Garmin Fenix 5

You want to pay attention, because the new-gen Apple Watch looks pretty much identical to our previous leader. The Watch Series 5 may look familiar, but brings a bunch of cool new features and updated specs to the irrewristable companion. It’s now got an always-on display, WatchOS 6 and a speedier processor. It may not sound like much — but we love this watch. Improved health features make the Series 5 brilliant for both healthy and unhealthy folks.

So you’re the kind of sporty that makes the seriously fit look at you kinda strange and wonder if you’re ever going to slow down, you need the sportiest sportswatch. You’re going to need something that tracks all the things. Our fitness champ does everything from swimming to sprinting to… skydiving? Really? Yeah, really. The Fenix 5 is the ultimate sportswatch, so much so that you’ll feel you need a degree in sports fitness to understand all the stats. But that’s why we love this one.

Stuff says ★★★★★ It’s more expensive, but we’re betting it’s totally worth it if you’re in it for the health and fitness features

Stuff says ★★★★★ If you’re going to be the sportiest of your pentathlonbeating mates, you’re going to want the Fenix 5

from R9 700 / myistore.co.za

UPDATE

Samsung Galaxy Active 2

from R13 000 / garmin.co.za

UPDATE

R5 000 / samsung.com/za A sturdy and stylish smartwatch with plenty of power and a truly lovely user interface. Those with an iPhone are still likely to get a better experience and more functionality from an Apple Watch, though. Stuff says ★★★★★ The best smartwatch for Android users

R2 000 / fitbit.com For a broad range of tracking without making your wallet sad, Fitbit’s versatile Charge 3 offers up all of the basics, a whack of actual sports smarts, and more than a few bits cribbed from its smartwatch brethren. Stuff says ★★★★★ The Jonty Rhodes of fitness trackers

Garmin Forerunner 945

Fitbit Inspire HR

from R11 100 / garmin.co.za It’s definitely one of the most comprehensive, smartwatches out there. The FR945 goes beyond basic tracking, music playback and NFC payments. It’s got temperature and altitude acclimation and improved tracking. tuff says ★★★★★ Lifting the bar(ometer) for fitness freaks

Garmin Fenix 6

Suunto 7

★★★★★ R11 000 / garmin.co.za The best fitness-orientated smartwatch, offering incredible levels of detail.

★★★★ R8 000 / ultimo.co.za/suunto This high-priced Wear OS watch balances brute ruggedness with slinky style.

Fitbit Charge 3

R2 000 / fitbit.com Fitbit’s latest is a great little tracker. As well as step-counting, it’s surprisingly capable for proper run-tracking if you go out with a phone. Add notifications and that’s just about everything we want in a low-key band. Stuff says ★★★★★ All the tracking skills that most people need

Fitbit Alta HR

Garmin Vivosmart HR+

UPDATE

★★★★★ R3 000 / fitbit.com The slim design, HR monitor, and notifications make this the best discreet wristable.

★★★★ R2 500 / garmin.co.za A superb tracker packed with features; it’s just a little bulky for wearing 24/7.

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TOP TENS BUDGET BUYS

There’ll be playground spats and online feuds over whether Nintendo’s or Sega’s games are better, but the Mega Drive Mini wins the miniature retro console war in terms of the faithful recreation of both hardware and software – especially as there are 42 games included. It’s taken a long time to get here, but as the saying goes, to be this good takes ages – and the Sega is going to be the must-buy console this year.

Dip into the display settings to switch from the standard 4:3 aspect ratio to fit your widescreen TV. Switch the language settings to Japanese and you can play vastly different versions of games.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Sega’s back – and this really is the ultimate mini gaming machine

Struggling with the old-school difficulty? Hold down the start button to use one of four save slots.

UPDATE

● NOW ADD THIS Retro-Bit Official 6-Button Controller A must for fans of fighting games, this six-button USB pad is also compatible with PCs, Macs and even the Switch. R700 / raru.co.za

SNES Classic Mini

Raspberry Pi Zero W

Why splash out over R6 000 on a games console when you can get the SNES Classic Mini for so much less? You get 21 titles pre-installed on this nostalgia-inducing little machine, including the likes of Super Metroid, A Link to the Past and Super Mario World.

It might be nearly twice the price of the original Pi Zero, but when you’re still getting change from R300 the wireless Pi is fantastic value. Simplicity is key, with no need to mess about with dongles or hubs. This also means your Pi projects can be squeezed into smaller places.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Retro-minded Nintendo fans won’t find better value anywhere

Stuff says ★★★★★ The Pi Zero was already brilliant; wireless add-ons make it better

R1 300 / nintendo.co.za

Sega Mega Drive Mini R1 400 / game4u.co.za

TIPS & TRICKS

UPDATE

R450 / pishop.co.za

UE Wonderboom 2

Moov Now

Amazon Kindle

SoundMagic E10C

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9

UPDATE

★★★★★ R1 300 / takealot.com A rugged little wonder that’ll bring a sonic boost to any occasion.

★★★★★ R1 600 / pclinkshop.co.za The best budget tracker you can buy – gives most Fitbits a run for their money.

★★★★★ from R1 600 / circuitcity.co.za Top of our holiday packing list, the basic Kindle is thinner and lighter than its predecessor.

★★★★★ R600 /sound-magic.co.za SoundMagic is royalty when it comes to budget buds. For only R600, these are stupendous.

★★★★★ R1 100 / fujifilm.co.za The new Mini 9 keeps the point-and-print charm of its predecessors... and the same film.

Ryze Tello

★★★★ R1 600 / takealot.com Rule the skies without breaking the bank with this affordable toy drone.

Google Home Mini

★★★★ R700 / takealot.com Google knows all, even in this garage pie-sized smart speaker. Tell it all your other secrets.

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DRONES, ACTION CAMS & COMPACTS TOP TENS

HOT BUY

HOT

DJI Mavic Mini

Sony DSC-RX100 V A

The Mavic Mini definitely won’t be for everyone. If you want maximum control over your footage, have no qualms about registering your drone, need 4K capture at 60fps, are OK with spending the best part of R20k and consider object-tracking a must-have, you’ll want to look elsewhere. If, however, you just want to get a fantastic balance of user experience, features, convenience and quality at a stomachable price, the Mavic Mini is the most accessible premium drone we’ve used to date.

We wouldn’t recommend buying this camera if you already own the old IV model, but a few improvements have ensured Sony remains the top dog in our compacts list – and we’re keeping this model above the new RX100 VI simply because of the price difference. It remains one of the finest point-and-shoots we’ve ever seen, with a flexibility that few pocket cameras can muster. While it’s still not exactly cheap, we reckon this is the cam to buy if you want fantastic-looking snaps from your holidays.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Dinky drones don’t come more feature-packed, and bigger drones than this need to be registered. Win!

Stuff says ★★★★★ A small improvement over the RX100 IV, but this Sony is close to premium point-and-shoot perfection

R8 900 / myistore.co.za

GoPro Hero8 Black

UPDATE

DJI Osmo Action

UPDATE

DJI Mavic 2 Pro

UPDATE

DJI Mavic Air

UPDATE

R6 500 / capeunionmart.co.za GoPro fends off the DJI challenge by giving its latest flagship action cam even better stabilisation skills plus 4K 60fps video, a range of wide angles, waterproofing and fast/slow timelapse capture. Stuff says ★★★★★ The most stable action cam we’ve ever used UPDAT

R18 000 / premiumbrands.co.za

UPDATE

R6 500 / myistore.co.za The image stabilisation is sensational and the face-optimised metering makes DJI’s action cam an ideal choice for vloggers. It has some idiosyncrasies, but this is a smart shooter that captures great footage without faff. Stuff says ★★★★★ Despite a few quirks, this is a stellar cam

★★★★★ R33 300 / myistore.co.za Superbly responsive in the air, this is the gold standard in portable flyers.

★★★★★ R15 560 / myistore.co.za A stellar gadget that combines the best bits from the Spark and the Mavic Pro.

Panasonic Lumix TZ220

R13 000 / panasonic.com/za This Panasonic compact is a significant upgrade from the TZ110, offering extra reach with the zoom lens, better colour reproduction, and an improved experience when using the electronic viewfinder. Stuff says ★★★★★ Small, neat and not dramatically overpriced

Sony DSC-RX100 VI

R21 800 / premiumbrands.co.za A true all-rounder that shoots 24fps at full resolution and has stunningly fast autofocus, topped off with a whopping 8x zoom lens that’s quite spectacular for such a tiny camera. Stuff says ★★★★★ A dinky yet luxurious point-and-shoot

Panasonic Lumix LX100 II

Fujifilm X100F

★★★★★ R13 200 / panasonic.com/za One of the most capable compacts on the market, with superb stills and HD video.

★★★★★ R17 000 / myfujifilm.co.za The best street shooter around if you don’t need the flexibility of interchangeable lenses.

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TOP TENS VR HEADSETS & VR GAMES

HOT BUY

Oculus Quest

Beat Saber

The Quest offers all manner of fully interactive, roamable virtual worlds that you can throw in your backpack without a single wire. That’s a mindblowing technical feat. Yes, the battery life is average, but the inside-out tracking and total absence of any cables make this the best all-round VR headset to date. It also ships with the Oculus Touch motion controllers included, which means you can play fully fledged Oculus Rift titles without being anywhere near a PC.

Most VR games equip you for immersive combat, but Beat Saber’s dual laser swords aren’t meant for slicing and dicing foes. Instead, you’ll gleefully swing them to chop blocks that are flung your way to the thumping beat of a song. This game has reinvented the rhythm genre for VR and it is glorious indeed, turning the power fantasy of dual-wielding lightsabers into an exhilarating modern music experience. And add-on packs keep the beat going for longer.

Stuff says ★★★★★ If you’ve been waiting to board the VR bandwagon, the Quest might be the best reason yet to go for it

Stuff says ★★★★★ A mesmerising musical melee that’s at its absolute best when played on the cable-free Oculus Quest

from R15 000 / 1 80by2.co.za

HTC Vive

Superhot VR

Farpoint

Oculus Go

Moss

PlayStation VR

R12 000 / makro.co.za Now that prices have levelled out, there isn’t much difference between the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in all honesty. But if you’re thinking of upgrading to the Vive Pro in the future, this is a great gateway headset. Stuff says ★★★★ A solid choice for immersive virtual reality

HTC Vive Pro

R14 000 (headset only) / evetech.co.za This high-end headset offers the best virtual reality experience by a long way, but its sky-high price means you should only really buy it if you’re a VR obsessive with a super-powerful gaming PC. Stuff says ★★★★ This hardcore headset is overkill for most

★★★★ R7 500 / takealot.co.za Go-godance withthe Go onthe go. It’scheaper than the Quest, and a standalone headset.

from R450 / Oculus Quest/Rift, Vive, PSVR

★★★ from R4 500 / playstation.com/za It can deliver incredible experiences, but the PSVR is held back by teething issues.

R400 / Oculus Rift, Vive, PSVR There’s something really cool about hiding behind a desk before blitzing your opponents with streams of bullets as if you were starring in your very own Matrix movie. A wonderfully action-packed title. Stuff says ★★★★★ A superb 2-in-1 VR puzzler and shooter

R330 (R1 000 with Aim Controller) / PSVR If it weren’t in VR, Farpoint would be a distinctly average space-based FPS. But the PSVR headset and Aim Controller lift it above the pack and make it a must-play, not just for VR fans but also for FPS addicts. Stuff says ★★★★★ Simply a thrilling VR experience

★★★★ R470 / PSVR This platform puzzler offers a one-of-akind fable that’s perfect for VR.

Star Wars: Vader Immortal

★★★★ from R154 / Oculus Quest/Rift Step into a galaxy far, far away… and yes, swinging a lightsaber is as cool as it sounds.

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SYSTEM CAMERAS TOP TENS HOT BUY

UPDATE

Fujifilm X-T3

R22 000 (body) / myfujifilm.co.za It’s really hard to find anything bad to say about the X-T3 – it’s just consistently great in so many ways. Fuji has looked at virtually every feature on the X-T2 and upgraded it. With substantial tweaks made to the pro-level video options, the high-res EVF, the super-fast autofocus and the burst shooting, what you’re left with is an all-round beast of a camera in a small, beautiful form. As APS-C shooters go, it’s the best there is.

TIPS & TRICKS Pre-shot ES mode starts taking photos and adding them to the buffer as soon as you half-press.

Stuff says ★★★★★ An incredible stills shooter with video smarts to match

Sports Finder mode’s display enables you to see what’s about to come into frame for moving shots.

● NOW ADD THIS Manfrotto 190 Go! Carbon Fibre Tripod You no longer have an excuse for wobbly photos with this carbon-fibre tripod. It weighs just 1.65kg. R4 350 / ormsdirect.co.za

Tapping an area on the 3in touchscreen will let you set the focus point or take an instant shot.

UPDATE

The A7 III manages to pack in a lot of technology and desirability for less than R40k. It’s a fantastic all-rounder that’s well suited to a bunch of shooting scenarios, coping well with landscapes, portraits, and even a little bit of high-speed sport shooting. As a camera design it’s admitedly not the prettiest thing we’ve ever seen, but it handles well for its compact size.

The G9 is the best Lumix camera to date and a cracking choice for wildlife or action photography. This diminutive cam’s images aren’t up with the best, particularly in low light, but the plus sides are lightning shooting speeds and a great system of small, light lenses. With 4K video and handy shooting modes also on board, it’s one of most versatile high-end mirrorless cameras you can buy.

Stuff says ★★★★★ A fantastic all-rounder that excels in low-light conditions

Stuff says ★★★★★ The perfect companion for the travelling wildlife photographer

R44 000 / premiumbrands.co.za

Fujifilm X-T30

★★★★★ R17 000 (body) / myfujifilm.co.za You get the X-T3’s sensor in a cheaper, smaller body with more spare change for buying lenses.

6 7

Canon EOS 90D

Nikon Z6

Nikon D850

NEW

Panasonic Lumix G9

★★★★★ R20 700 (body) / premiumbrands.co.za A cracking system cam for action photography, but stick with the A6300 if your budget is tight.

Panasonic GH5S

UPDATE

Sony A7 III

Sony A6500

R21 000 / panasonic.com/za UPDATE

UPDATE

★★★★★ R40 000 (body) / panasonic.com/za A compact system camera that’s a pro at video, if slightly disappointing for stills.

★★★★ R25 500 / canon.co.za An updated all-rounder, the 90D builds on the 80D with increased power and more megapixels.

★★★★★ R42 000 (body) / nikon.co.za A top-notch and reasonably sized mirrorless camera from the optical experts.

★★★★★ R75 000 (body) / nikon.co.za This super-cam has enough fantastic features to excel in pretty much any situation.

Fujifilm GFX 50S

★★★★★ R131 000 / myfujifilm.co.za It’s not cheap, but no camera we’ve tested takes better photos than this.

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TOP TENS HEADPHONES

100

Sony WF-1000XM3

Sony’s WH-1000 series was already a top performer, and the WH-1000XM3s make for an even more compelling package. With Bluetooth wireless and great noise-cancellation, they’re the ultimate public transport stress killer… well, aside from a chauffeur or a lottery win that lets you retire. The leather pads make them incredibly easy to wear, not unlike sitting in one of those ultra-comfy leather chairs, and most importantly of all the sound quality is fantastic.

The original WF-1000XMs had an easy job in the early days of noise-cancelling in-ears, because there simply wasn’t much in the way of competition. That’s all changed now – yet the way the XM3s serve up sound quality as spectacular as this while being truly wireless, while effectively cancelling background noise and while remaining comfortable in the ears, is quite something. So, just as it was with the original XMs, it’s job done for Sony.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Great wireless headphones with effective ANC and a sound that nails just about everything

Stuff says ★★★★★ Outright winners on design, build, specifications and, most importantly of all, performance

Bowers & Wilkins PX7

UPDATE

R5 000 / takealot.com

UPDATE

R8 500 / takealot.com B&W’s second ANC headphones place greater emphasis on comfort and are all the better for it, while the noise-killing is as effective as you’ll find anywhere. Oh, and they sound flipping good too. Stuff says ★★★★★ B&W takes on the best with top-class cans

UPDATE

Sony WH-1000XM3 R5 700 / takealot.com

UPDATE

HOT BUY

R3 300 / samsung.com/za Samsung’s latest in-ears bring a step up in audio quality from the original Galaxy Buds thanks to separate woofers and tweeters tuned by AKG – and they now support Apple devices as well as Android. Stuff says ★★★★★ A solid upgrade for these true wireless in-ears

Bose NCH 700

B&O H9i

UPDATE

Sennheiser HD 4.50BTNC

UPDATE

UPDATE BARGAIN BUY

R10 000 / takealot.com You won’t find a better voice pickup system than Bose’s, while the company’s already exceptional noise-cancelling tech is now even better. Other features, such as the slick touch controls, are also winners. Stuff says ★★★★★ As all-rounders these are hard to beat

★★★★★ R8 300 / takealot.com Frequent flyers and long-range commuters: these are the headphones for you.

★★★★★ R2 300 / mitechdirect.co.za Priced right, wireless, and with noise cancelling. The catch? No, there’s no catch at all.

Samsung Galaxy Buds+

Jabra Elite Sport

Apple Airpods Pro

Samsung Galaxy Buds

R3 400 / circuitcity.co.za For serious in-ear fitness tech, you have to get Jabra’s Elite Sport wireless buds. In-ear heart monitoring, up to nine hours of battery life, and a gnarly (and detailed) fitness-focussed app are the highlights here. Stuff says ★★★★★ The smartest fitness partner you’ll ever have

★★★★★ from R5 500 / myistore.co.za Not really ’Pro’, but still excellent wireless in-ears for iPhone users.

★★★★★ R2 000 / samsung.com/za Android’s answer to AirPods, the Buds sound great, look subtler, and offer more fit options.

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101 TIPS & TRICKS

You can control your Move with the touch controls on top, the Sonos app, Google Assistant or Alexa.

WIRELESS SPEAKERS TOP TENS

Auto Trueplay adapts the Move’s sound to different rooms, while the app offers additional EQ tweaks.

HOT BUY

UPDATE

Sonos Move R7 500 / sonos.co.za

The Sonos range of wireless speakers had been crying out for a battery-powered portable model for ages – and finally our favourite multiroom audio specialist caved in. Luckily, the Move was worth the wait. Its adaptability and sound quality mean it’s fine value for money, and a no-brainer for anyone who’s already a fan of the brand. Not only is this the speaker Sonos should have launched years ago – it’s one of the best products of its type and price that we’ve heard.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Sonos finally gets up to speed with the portable speaker craze, and in style ● NOW ADD THIS Spotify Premium Sick of playing your iTunes library on repeat? Sign up to Spotify for more new music than you could ever possibly listen to. R60/month / spotify.com

HOT BUY

UPDATE

HOT BUY

UE Megaboom 3

UPDATE

★★★★★ R2 500 / takealot.com You’ll struggle to find a better, longer-lasting or more feature-laden portable Bluetooth speaker.

UPDATE

JBL Xtreme 2

★★★★★ R4 500 / takealot.com The updated Xtreme offers all the bass for 15-odd hours.

JBL Pulse 4

NEW

★★★★★ R4 000 / takealot.com A small boost up from the Pulse 3 makes the Pulse 4 worth every cent.

UE WonderBoom 2

DreamWave Tremor

This tiny speaker is a delight. It’s ideal for the park, or even if you’re looking to use one (or two) to supercharge your bedroom setup. Audio quality is ramped up from its predecessor, giving you better bass and more detail, but not at the expense of dinky portability.

With 50W of thumping audio output, a humongous 20800mAh rechargeable battery that provides up to 18 hours at medium volume (or eight at full tilt), and the most rugged body we’ve ever seen in a speaker, the Tremor is a real beast of a portable noise maker.

Stuff says ★★★★★ A rugged little wonder that’ll bring a sonic boost to any occasion

Stuff says ★★★★★ It’ll last all day: come rain, snow, sand or being rolled down a hill

from R1 300 / takealot.com

from R3 300 / takealot.com

Braven 705

JBL Clip 3

Fender Newport

UPDATE

★★★★★ R1 800 / pclinkshop.com A massive price drop makes the 705 such a bargain it’s worth getting two to pair up.

★★★★★ R850 / takealot.com A pocket-sized party package that delivers pounding performance while being pound-proof.

★★★★★ from R3 100 / takealot.com Great battery life, incredible sound and good looks make this amp imitator utterly irresistible.

Marshall Kilburn II

★★★★ R5 500 / makro.co.za The Kilburn II is a speaker with rock-god cred and a 20-hour battery. Weighs 3kg, though.

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TOP TENS CONSOLES

102

HOT BUY

GOT EARS? THEN CHECK OUT…

PlayStation 4 Pro from R8 500 / playstation.com/za

As a gaming platform, PlayStation 4 is the best around – which makes the PS4 Pro the best of the best. Games optimised for the new console look stunning on a 4K HDR TV, and are substantially improved by the extra grunt inside this slightly bigger machine. Sure, it can’t match the Xbox One X for sheer power or resolution, but it makes up for that with an impressive line-up of games – including Uncharted 4, Horizon Zero Dawn and Bloodborne – and virtual reality support.

Stuff says ★★★★★ The system for console gamers who have a 4K TV and want the best gaming experience possible UPDATE

Nintendo Switch

from R8 000 / store.nintendo.co.za Nintendo’s console earned a promotion in our list after it impressed us with a growing list of fantastic games. Plus, no other device here offers the joy of portable gaming. Long journeys will never be boring again. Stuff says ★★★★★ This 2-in-1 console is the real deal

YOUR ESSENTIAL AUDIO GUIDE TO WHAT’S HOT IN GADGETS

Microsoft Xbox One X

● BITING COMMENTARY ● BRILLIANT INSIGHTS ● (BAD) JOKES! ● GADGET HANDS-ONS

Nintendo Switch Lite

FIND IT ON iTUNES, SOUNDCLOUD OR YOUR PODCAST PLAYER OF CHOICE SIMPLY SEARCH FOR “STUFFED”

PlayStation 4 Slim

UPDATE

from R7 800 / xbox.com/za There’s no doubt the Xbox One X is the most powerful console here, capable of producing stunning 4K visuals… but it simply doesn’t have the line-up of games to usurp the PS4 Pro from top spot. Stuff says ★★★★★ A 4K monster held back by its game catalogue UPDATE

★★★★★ from R5 000 / store.nintendo.co.za Yeah, it’s a tiny bit smaller. But it’s also cheaper and just as powerful as its big bro.

★★★★ from R6 000 / playstation.com/za Haven’t got a 4K TV? This is the best way to enjoy PlayStation’s brilliant exclusives.

www.stuff.co.za/hubs/podcasts-videos/

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103

GAMES TOP TENS

HOT BUY

Red Dead Redemption 2 from R600 / PS4, Xbox One

Believable characters, a world to lose yourself in, top-class voice acting and a story that intrigues all the way through. Warts and all, with improvements from other games ignored, this is Rockstar at its most arrogant but also its most powerful. Red Dead Redemption 2 trusts you to explore, to grow, and to let its world seep into your consciousness. This is a special game and one that was entirely worth the wait.

TIPS & TRICKS Make sure you talk to strangers more than once – you never know what they’ll reveal.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Ultra-addictive gameplay in one of the greatest open worlds ever created

Regularly brushing and feeding Arthur’s horse will increase their bond. It’s what all good cowboys should do anyway.

● OR PLAY THIS Zelda: Breath of the Wild If you’re after a different kind of open-world experience that’s just as expansive and has a lot of heart, this is the one for you. R1 140 / Switch

UPDATE

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

You’ll die more than twice guaranteed. This From Software title is still one of the most demanding and exhilarating games of the era. Beautiful graphics paired with a dynamic character makes this one we’ll keep in the library.

It’s no exaggeration to say this is hands-down the best Smash game yet. There’s just so much going on, with a huge array of fighters – it’s a fantastic way to enter into the world of Smash, and long-time fans of the series will not be disappointed.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Your screen may eat a controller from frustration, but it’s worth it.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Smash is well and truly back, and it’s bigger and better than ever before

from R900 / PS4, Xbox One, PC

God of War

Resident Evil 2

Forza Horizon 4

Fire Emblem: Three Houses

Luigi’s Mansion 3

Gears 5

UPDATE

R1 400 / Switch

UPDATE

★★★★★ from R320 / PS4 The epic return of Kratos is yet another phenomenal PS4 offering.

★★★★★ from R350 / PS4, Xbox One, PC Highly polished and much more than just a remake, this is the series’ best entry yet.

★★★★★ from R400 / Xbox One, PC This is a bar-raising sandbox-racing game experience that’s worth buckling up for.

★★★★★ R850 / Switch Crammed with tactical and social depth, this is the best Fire Emblem game so far.

★★★★★ R1 000 / Switch Luigi finally gets a blockbuster hit that would make his brother proud.

★★★★★ from R850 / Xbox One, PC Huge, thrilling and luxurious at every turn – this is absolutely essential.

Astral Chain

★★★★★ R1 200 / Switch The most stylish and innovative action game you’ll play this year.

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Clad about the Boy You didn’t need to take a pack of marker pens to your Game Boy Micro if you hated its looks: borrowing a trick from the era’s phones, it had swappable faceplates.

RANDOM ACCESS MEMORIES 2005

Game Boy Micro een the new Sega Game Gear Micro? Why can’t Nintendo do something like that? Nintendo did do something like that — way back in 2005. With the Game Boy Advance brand starting to tire by that point, Nintendo decided to give it a boost with a pocket-friendly (and cramp-inducing) new form factor. Sega’s dinky console might set hearts aflutter by looking like a Game Gear that’s shrunk in the wash, but the old Micro wins where it counts, in being thinner and having a much larger display: a whopping 2in, at a resolution of 240x160.

Fair points, but you get four games in Sega’s console — and one of them’s Sonic. Hang on – there is a Sonic game in two of the four Game Gear Micro variants, but the yellow and red ones are rather more RPG-happy… which will make you a sad hedhehog, unless you love tiny text and eye strain. As for the Game Boy Micro, you could only shove one game in its cartridge slot at a time, but at least it had one. Plus it was no hardship carrying a few extra carts in your pocket, and one of them could be the GBA’s take on Sonic. Or we could go one better and note that Nintendo also had Super Mario Bros. So there.

But I want something fully retro to remind me of my youth, when I still had hair. If holding Sega’s tiny Game Gear transports you back to 1991, when you had (really bad) hair, go you. But in 2020, it’s hard to think of a handheld that’s more properly retro than the Game Boy Micro. The thing’s 15 years old, for a start; but also, it’s essentially a handheld SNES, with many of its sort-of-3D titles using SNES-like scaling tricks. The only real snag is that, as with a lot of retro fare, even a used unit will command a pretty high price these days — even if the actual games tend to sell for a pittance.

DON’T MISS THE NEXT ISSUE! ON SALE 19 OCT

Aliens, from space? Seriously? This hideous abomination of pixels was once the most feared invader from space. Destroying them required a pocket of change, or a black and white TV (those were a thing), directional dexterity, nerves of steel and the ability to make your own sound effects.

Gaming has evolved. At its pulse is the StuffPlays team with the latest (and retro-est) in all things gaming. Expect weekly reviews, new releases, esports updates, with the latest gaming tech, live game play, strategies, tips and tricks, in real-time and played on every console imaginable.

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