Gladget Magazine December 2013 by Gladget Magazine

I S S U E 3 8 / Vo l . 3 December 2013

www.gladgetmag.com

Turning to biology for power solutions

Nature-power

Is SA Internet hampered by poor planning?

R evie w s inc luding As us , So ny , Trit t on, R azer, S ams ung, T omt om and more. . .

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tis the Season

Your Christmas shopping security check-list

Next Generation The PS4 is almost upon us...

Free Online Mag

I S S U E 5 4 / Vo l . 5 December 2013

w w w. g a m e c c a m ag . c o m

Call of Duty: Ghosts Need for Speed: Rivals LEGO Marvel Superheroes WWE 2K14 XCOM: Enemy Within and more...

Incoming!

Prepare yourself for PS4, South Africa!

Street Fights Need for Speed returns with some new Rivals

...And your Dog! Call of Duty: Ghosts reviewed

Cold War... Back to the battle with Killzone: Shadow Fall

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Taking fun seriously!

www.gameccamag.com

Inside 6 From the Editor

8 Yesuerday, Today, Tomorrow

PlayStation is a cornerstone of video gaming

16 Revolution or Reload?

Too little, too late for SA broadband?

18 â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Tis the Season

Keep convenient online Christmas shopping safe

20 Want Not, Waste Not

Does Biogas offer a sensible solution for Africa?

22 Lookng Back: 1980

Ronald Reagan, Space Invaders and IBM...

24 Reviews

Awesome hardware items investigated

56 Did You Know?

A few facts from the tech world

Competition

This Monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cover

35 Tritton Kunai Headset

PlayStation 4 will usher in a new era for SA gamers. See our feature on page 10...

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Reviews

DSTv Mobile Drifta

Tomtom Go 400

Tritton Pro + True 5.1 Surround Headset for PC / Mac

Thecus N2520 Intelligent NAS

Western Digital WD40EFRX NAS HDD

Asus Rampage IV Black Edition Motherboard

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite

Sony HDR-AS15 Action Cam

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3

SteelSeries 3H V2 Gaming Headset

Mad Catz R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse

Writers: Alex Scanlon Andy Taliadoros Charlie Fripp Iwan Pienaar Lein Baart Pippa Tshabalala Rob Edwards Suvesh Arumugam Walt Pretorius

Nokia Lumia 925 Smartphone

Letters: letters@gladgetmag.com

Beacon The Phoenix 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Competition Entries: competitions@gladgetmag.com

Crucial M500 960GB SSD

Razer Atrox Arcade Stick for Xbox 360

FujiFilm X20 Digital Camera

Call of Duty: Ghosts (X360)

Need for Speed: Rivals (PS3)

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes (PS3)

WWE 2K14 (X360)

Wonderbook: Book of Potions (PS3)

Just Dance 2014 (X360)

GLADGET Volume 4 Issue 38 December 2013

Editor: Katia Taliadoros katia@1337-media.com

Newsletter Subscriptions: www.gladgetmag.com Design & Photography: 1337 Media Marketing Contact: Katia Taliadoros katia@1337-media.com

technology. simply. All rights reserved. No content may be reproduced, copied or transmitted without the express permission of the publishers. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editors and publishers. All Trademarks and Registered Trademarks are the sole property of the respective owners.

GLADGET is published by 1337 MEDIA

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PizzaBribe H

From the Editor

ello December; it is that time of the year, isn’t it? We begin to start wrapping things up for 2013… and for some of us we can almost smell that well-deserved, lush holiday break before we greet the New Year with all those expectations and resurrected resolutions. There are exciting events for this end of the year issue. This month’s cover on Gladget Magazine is Sony’s PlayStation 4 which is one of the eighth generations of video game consoles and that does not really require any introductions. Launched on November the 15th, 2013 in North America, this device sold over one million units in twenty four hours in that territory alone. On the 22nd of November, free Pizza, Red Bull and a live performance from Tinie Tempah were offered to hundreds of patient UK gamers as they had queued for more than a day to get

their hands on their prized possession. Some gamers are paying over 60% the recommended price in a bid to play by Christmas. Even Amazon is placing down some ground rules that any pre-orders on Amazon after the 13th November would not be making their way to their owners by the 25th of December! And yes the PS4 will be launched and ready to be devoured on Friday the 13th of December by our eager and somewhat impatient South African gamers, who would rather capitalise their wealth on this delightful new console like the rest of the global fan club, than actually feed themselves. Oh wait, if you are in the UK, you get free Pizza! This piece of emotionally captivating hardware has taking the world by storm and Sony Computer Entertainment has estimated that they will sell five million PS4 consoles worldwide by the end of its 2014 financial year. For

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by Katia Taliadoros

more information, check out our Feature Cover on page 8! Additionally, this month’s regulars address some disturbing facts surrounding South Africa’s broadband, as well as potential Biogas power solutions. We also take a look at how to keep safe tabs on online shopping this Christmas. Also, check out our Did You Know regular…did you know that Vietnam will fine Facebook users for negative posts and that there will be over one billion employeeowned mobile devices by 2018? On that note, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your loyal support this year. I would like to wish you all a wonderful holiday season and an incredible New Year! To the Gladget and Gamecca team, you rock! See you on the flip side! And to all you hard working gamers, may you receive all your consoles intact and on time.g

Y E S T E R D AY, TO D A Feature

A brief history of PlayStation

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AY, TO M O R R O W

nâ&#x20AC;Ś and a look at the future. gladget38

Feature

t’s painfully clear … your eyes aren’t set up to look at a screen all day. On the 3rd of December, 1994, the world changed. It was on this day that Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. launched a video game console that would become so pervasive that it would almost become synonymous with video games: the PlayStation. With the initial release only in Japan and international releases happening around a year later, the PlayStation was set to become a video game legend. It formed part of the fifth generation of video game consoles and became the first console to ship more

than 100 million units worldwide. Although this lofty goal took 11 years to achieve, it was a sign of things to come. The original PlayStation was powered by a 33.8MHz processor and games were played from a CD-ROM (an extremely novel idea to gamers back then, who were used to the idea of games coming on cartridges). The popularity of the console resulted in sales extending well into the lifetime of its successor, the PlayStation 2… it was finally discontinued six years after the PS2 officially launched. The PS2 showed significant progress over the original console. As part of the sixth gladget38

generation, it had to compete with the likes of the Sega Dreamcast, Microsoft’s Xbox and Nintendo’s GameCube. To this end, Sony delivered a machine that was significantly more powerful than the original. On the 4th of March, 2000, the PlayStation 2 – powered by a 294MHz CPU and 32mb of RAM – hit the market. Later models featured an upgraded CPU that delivered 299MHz of performance. This new console provided players with a much improved experience. It also became an easy way to enjoy the increasingly popular idea of watching movies on DVD, which

was a fairly new standard at the time and was being eagerly adopted by numerous movie studios as a replacement for VHS. Although speculation, many believe that part of the PS2’s success stemmed from the fact that it could be used to play games and watch movies on DVD… and in some territories (like South Africa) it proved to be the cheapest option for DVD players for some time. The fact that games could now be played from DVD disks also changed the user experience. The more powerful hardware and added capacity of the disks meant that PS2 games were miles ahead of their predecessors. The

console proved extremely popular, and once again sold well into the lifetime of its successor. In fact, here in South Africa the PS2 has proven to be extremely popular, even with the PS3 on the market. Production for the unit was discontinued in January 2013, with more than 155 million units sold during its long life span. When the PlayStation 3 launched in 2006, the word was no longer talking about processor power in terms of MHz. GHz was the new terms, and the PS3’s 3.2GHz cell processor not only sat in line with general tech progress, but it also outstripped the PS2’s processing power significantly. With 256MB of system RAM, gladget38

256MB of video RAM and a much more powerful CPU, the PS3 was lightyears ahead of the PS2 in terms of power. But there were other changes that Sony worked in to their offering, too. For the first time storage on the device came in the form of a hard drive, rather than the memory cards used by the first two PlayStation iterations. These hard drives ranged in size, from 20GB right through to 500GB (admittedly in later models). The inclusion of the hard drive not only made saving games easier, but it opened up a whole new world of possibilities for gamers. One of these was online multiplayer gaming, something which Sony

PS4 Launch Titles The following games are retail launch titles for the PS4. Their availability in South Africa will be subject to confirmation. Additionally, there are numerous titles distributed via PSN not listed here.

Angry Birds Star Wars Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag Battlefield 4 Call of Duty: Ghosts FIFA 14 Injustice: Gods Among Us Ultimate Edition Just Dance 2014 Killzone: Shadowfall Knack LEGO: Marvel Super Heroes Madden NFL 25 NBA 2K14 Need for Speed: Rivals Skylanders: Swap Force

The following games will be available within the PS4 “launch window”, which closes in March 2014. Once again these are retail titles – there will be several more games (not listed here) available via PSN. DriveClub infamous: Second Son Thief

Feature

Wolfenstein: New Order

had never really concentrated on before. But the PS3 had to offer this functionality, what with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 being very oriented towards the concept. PSN because the network that would facilitate this, with Sony offering users free access (in contrast to Microsoft’s paid services). Another new feature came from a different direction, and was possibly a reaction to what the other Japanese gaming giant, Nintendo, was doing with their new Wii console. While Sony didn’t go the full motioncontrolled route that the Wii followed, the PS3’s controller was motion sensitive, using a

technology called Sixaxis. Later this movement control would be taken further, when the PlayStation Move system was released in 2010. In addition, the PS3 was to Bluray what the PS2 was to DVD. Once again, in certain territories, some of the PS3’s success was attributed to the fact that it was a very affordable Blu-ray player that could also play games. The PlayStation Eye has also had quite an overhaul for this iteration, and will offer numerous new functionalities, including voice recognition. Sony don’t seem to be concentrating on this later aspect too much, but the functionality is there. gladget38

A revamped PSN will also await players, but the service will become a paid one in future, much like Xbox Live. This will undoubtedly not sit well with some PSN fans, but will likely help Sony deliver an even better experience than before. With so many new features, the PlayStation 3 proved extremely popular, sparking a stiff competition between PS3 and Xbox 360. The Wii, in the meantime, outpaced both competitors, with significant sales world-wide. Despite the success of the Wii, the PS3 has sold over 15 million units worldwide (as of November 2012) and, if history is anything

to go by, will continue to be produced and sold well into the foreseeable future. But the time has come for this significant console to take a back seat – the PlayStation 4 has been launched in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Brazil already. It will launch in South Africa on the 13th of December, 2013. While this has caused some complaining from local PlayStation fans, South Africa is not the only country that is seeing a later release of the console; Korea, India and South East Asia will also be getting the PS4 during December. The Middle East release corresponds with the SA release, and other countries

will have to wait even longer. Honk Kong gets it on the 17th, Taiwan on the 18th, Singapore on the 19th and Malaysia on the 20th of December, 2013. Most surprising of all is that Japan – traditionally one of the first territories to have a new PlayStation released) will have to wait until the 22nd of February, 2014 for their PS4 consoles. That should make South Africans feel just a little better about having to wait a few short weeks before they can get their hands on one of the most highly anticipated devices of the year. Why exactly it is so highly anticipated is easy to see. In terms of specifications, it is far gladget38

beyond anything we have seen thus far. An 8-core CPU will deliver the processing, and unified RAM will take care of system memory and graphics - 8GB of unified RAM. Additionally, storage will be provided by an upgradeable 500GB hard drive. The controller has also been updated – it is now larger and features new design and tech elements, including improved triggers and a touch sensitive pad. But the real excitement is more about what the PS4 will be able to do. For some months now we have been seeing videos and screen shots of the first batch of games that will be available for

Feature

the PS4. We even got to see it in action at rAge 2013. And it is these hints that have really brought excitement to a fever pitch. Additionally, reviews from overseas have been whetting our appetites via the Internet. “The PlayStation 4 serves up dazzling graphics, runs on a simplified and logical interface, and boasts a fantastic controller,” is what Cnet.com had to say about it. “We may not review game consoles every day, but we know a good one when we see it. This is just the beginning with PlayStation 4, and it’s a hell of a start,” was Endgadget. com’s take. “It’s a powerful console with understated and

forward-thinking designs applied throughout, and though it won’t win awards for innovation, it’s an impressive next-gen gaming console, and a big step forward for the PlayStation brand,” was what Gamespot.com summarised their lengthy review with. With all the hype – including the fact that the PS4 sold over 1 million units within the North American region within 24 hours of launch – it’s difficult not to get excited. But there are a few things that we need to remember about the PS4’s South African launch… a little foresight can help avoid disappointment, after all. The first thing is that rumours gladget38

would have us believe that the larger part of the initial shipment to South Africa (to be launched on the 13th of December) has already been sold out on preorder. While we could neither confirm or deny this, it might be prudent to take the approach that finding a PS4 on-shelf in a store before early next year may be difficult. Our best advice is to get to the stores early… if they have any, the early birds will certainly snap them up. Secondly, there is a Day One update required. The PS4 will apparently play games without it, but online services (including multiplayer gaming) will not be available without it. It’s just over

300mb in size, so it shouldn’t prove to be too problematic… possibly just time consuming. This update may or may not be preinstalled with our slightly later versions of the consoles, but being prepared to go through it is a safe bet. The third thing to remember is that it will take a little time for game developers to come to grips with the new hardware. In other words, don’t expect too many miracles in the first few game releases. After all, the truly tremendous games of the PS3 stable were released in the last few years (we’re talking games with awesome technical values, like The Last of Us, Beyond:

Two Souls and Tomb Raider, all released this year). That’s not to say that the first titles will be bad… a glance at the release list at the end of this article will provide a lot to get excited about. But truly great games take time and experience to create, and in this case experience with the PS4 will be crucial. And what about the PS3? As said before, history shows that previous consoles have served as entry points to gaming during the lifetime of their successors. So it would be safe to assume – based on past events – that the PS3 will still be around for a while, and will continue to enjoy the support of game developers for some years gladget38

to come. It will likely become the new entry point for PlayStation gaming which, in all honesty, is still a pretty impressive place to start. The local launch for PS4 is less than two weeks away at the time of publishing. To avoid any kind of disappointment with this initial launch, getting there early, expecting updates and being realistic about games is crucial. That said, it is still an incredibly exciting time, and one that begins a whole new era of console gaming. With initial reactions from territories that already have their PS4s being generally positive, it looks like we have a lot to look forward to. g

by Suvesh Arumugam

s Telkom get well into their proposed line upgrades (started on 11 November and running through to mid Feb 2014), it’s clear that my last prediction regarding the viability of upgrades was pretty spot on, and many broadband users are sitting with a lemon they didn’t really bank on. While it’s great on paper to be able to access double your speed in theory, many users still don’t have the cable infrastructure or the proximity to exchanges that will allow them to make use of the upgrades. This is pretty bad news for ISPs. Already there is huge pressure on ISPs to upgrade their clients to new speeds at no extra cost to match their upgraded data. While some have relented and offered to upgrade both line and data for free (for Uncapped customers) like Axxess, others are trying to proceed with caution to see how the whole fiasco will pan out. Of course Telkom have also upgraded their data bundles free of charge – but being the national fixed broadband provider means that they don’t pay IPC fees, which I still find amazing in light of how they price their products. You’d expect they’d be by far the cheapest ISP around – but they’re rarely on top of that list. What’s starting to become clear is that bandwidth players that rely on Telkom exclusively are in danger of being squeezed out of the game. While ADSL and VDSL still remain the most stable and economic broadband options, growth is limited and in danger of becoming insignificant in light of massive mobile growth. With LTE technologies becoming more prevalent and generally offered at no additional cost, many customers have a difficult choice to make. Mweb followed Afrihost’s recent R29 per GB Mobile Data launch by partnering with Cell C to offer 3G wireless in addition to their traditional DSL offerings, with their flagship product offering 2GB for R99. Mweb also reported a 500% growth in their Business

fibre offerings, signalling a move towards diversifying their product base away from Telkom. Vodacom’s purchase of Neotel is also a major signal to the market that Vodacom plans to make a major penetration into the fixed line consumer and business broadband market. Aside from their continued plans to extend 3G and LTE coverage, Vodacom now plans to offer Fibre to the Home (FTTH) thanks to the existing Neotel infrastructure. NeoTel will also launch new wireless broadband services,

the public by late 2014, which may already be too late if other players have their say. Ultimately that will be good for the smaller ISPs, who will have more options to choose from in terms of infrastructure to use as their backbone. The gist of the sentiment and direction of investment seems to indicate that Telkom’s efforts are once again too little and too late. Telkom recently delivered what many ISPs considered nothing less than token reduction in IPC cost by granting an 8% discount on pricing and a 5% increase in capacity. Major ISPs reacted mostly negatively stating that the effective reductions were hardly enough to stimulate significant savings to the end consumer, and more was needed to keep ADSL and VDSL competitive in a diverse broadband market. Telkom’s new spree of upgrades also seems to be generally leaving consumers confused and mostly disappointed, and they themselves seem more focussed on Mobile Data, though their latest LTE offering of 16GB for R99 seems to be sneakily promoting their Telkom Mobile Hotspots – the deal offers 6GB LTE data and 10GB at hotspots only. With the government soon to be signing POPI (the Protection of Personal Information Act) into law, ISPs and resellers are going to have to work harder than ever to mark their territory in the broadband space. This is pretty hard when everyone is essentially selling the same product. The four P’s of the Marketing Mix (also called McCarthy’s 4 P’s) – Price, Product, Placement and Promotion seem pretty limited and it comes down to price (which gives very little margin for ISPs and room to differentiate for consumers). Brand Loyalty and client service are becoming more of a deciding factor than ever for ISPs to set themselves apart. While players like Mweb are focussed on the promotion, it’s the fifth P that will most likely decide the winners – people. g

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Pretty bad news for ISPs

NeoBroadband Omni, currently undergoing trials in Bloemfontein. All eyes are on Kampala though, watching Google’s Project link which plans to bring super-fast fibre connectivity to Uganda. This will also be a major boost to the Ugandan IT and broadband industry. A year after successfully launching Google Fiber in Kansas City, Google have threatened to turn several continent’s broadband status quo on it’s head with initiatives like Project Loon, which aims to deliver wireless broadband to hard to reach areas using high altitude hot air balloons. Smart Village, owned by MultiChoice, has been securing key residential areas through their small but significant fibre investment. Now the company has plans to open their doors to other ISPs to run off their fibre backbone, opening the door for a lot more investment. While small ISPs can resell over their infrastructure, other existing fibre players can choose to link up to their existing networks rather than lay their own fibre, which may end up being a much more economic solution, and mean faster rollout for consumers in those areas. Telkom only plan to launch their own consumer Fibre offerings to gladget38

Revolution or Reload? Too little, too late from Telkom? gladget38

‘Tis the

Season

Feature

Helpful hints for safe Christmas shopping…

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by Iwan Pienaar

f you are anything like me, then Christmas shopping is still very much on the ‘To Do’ list. However, thanks to the convenience of online shopping, those of us who have been waiting to the last minute need not worry about finding parking, overcrowded shopping centres, and all the other general pushing and shoving that go hand-in-hand with this time of year. If you are anything like me, then Christmas shopping is still very much on the ‘To Do’ list. However, thanks to the convenience of online shopping, those of us who have been waiting to the last minute need not worry about finding parking, overcrowded shopping centres, and all the other general pushing and shoving that go handin-hand with this time of year. But as you know by now, online shopping is not without its risks. There are many malicious users out there hoping to gain from the rush typically associated with December shopping. Let’s face it, it is stressful enough looking for the perfect gift and getting it delivered on time. The last thing we want to worry about is if things go wrong and money suddenly starts disappearing out of our bank accounts. This year, it is even more important to be vigilant. Throughout the past few months, we looked at the risks associated with mobile devices and public WiFi hotspots. Now is the time to put everything you’ve learnt into practice. Thankfully, it is not all doom and gloom. We have compiled some simple to follow holiday shopping tips to ensure you have the safest online experience as possible. For starters, whether shopping on a smartphone, tablet, or your laptop, only use reputable retailers and Web sites. So even though

your favourite search engine is useful when looking for products, reviews, or price comparisons, you run the risk of unintentionally clicking on ‘poisoned’ search results. These could lead you to malware instead of your intended destination. Instead of just clicking a link to take you to the Web site of a retailer, type the URL into the address bar on your browser. It may take a little more effort, but this simple action can help to prevent you visiting a fake or malicious Web site. Also keep an eye out for the “HTTPS” in your browser address bar before entering your personal information

shopping. This should be a ‘clean’ computer that is totally free of computer viruses and any other infections. In order to help keep it clean, the machine should not be used for any casual Web browsing, social networking, or email. It is also worth considering creating an email address that you only use for online shopping. This can help you to reduce the risk of opening potentially malicious email or spam messages that are disguised as sales promotions or other notifications. If such messages are sent to your primary email address, you will now that there is a fair chance that they are fake or malicious. When you are in a shopping centre on the verge of buying something, it can be useful to make a last minute comparison with the best deals that internet retailers are offering. However, if you access the internet via a public Wi-Fi network cybercriminals can intercept your data and capture your passwords, login details, and financial information. If you need to access the internet when out shopping, rather do it via your cellular network. Linux-based devices like Samsung tablets may be safer for online transactions. Apple iPads may also be less likely to be exploited while you are shopping online provided that your device has not been jailbroken. Finally, treat mobile security as seriously as you do desktop security. Smartphones and tablets are now powerful, multipurpose computers, acting as our email clients, social networks, Web browsers and wallets. So if you are enjoying the festive cheer and benefiting from the world of online shopping, make sure you have comprehensive security software installed and that it is kept up to date.

Avoid risk of ‘poisoned’ search results this Holiday Season! or credit card details. Be careful about taking shortcuts with your online shopping. While it is tempting to select ‘Remember password’ when logging into online retail sites, this could potentially expose your shopping security should your smartphone go missing. Using a password manager can help you to deal with multiple accounts and passwords. These tools also encrypt passwords that would otherwise be in plain text. Some antivirus and internet security software products include password management and password security features. Remember to protect your mobile device with a secure passcode. So if it gets lost or stolen, then you are preventing someone else from using one of your retail accounts to buy stuff. For added security, you could use a dedicated machine for online banking and gladget38

Want Not, Waste Not Investigating the biogas solution…

by Nthato Morakabi

lectricity. It is one of the biggest commodities that we as humans use on an everyday basis; something that we would function less without due to the fact that we require it for so much. Refrigerators, microwaves, coffee machines. Getting away from the somewhat mundane, we wouldn’t have computers, ATM’s, hospital equipment and so much more without it. Unfortunately, such a benefit comes at a cost, a cost that affects us environmentally, economically and socially to the point that we are willing to cough up what we have to in order to use it. Corporate companies and regular households are all affected by load shedding and price hikes but what then about municipality stations that are providing services to both companies and homes? Should these be affected, the consequences will spiral down to all of us, big and small. As a predominately fossilfuel based country, our resources sadly affect us negatively when it comes to our environment and, quite recently, to our economy. The National Energy Regulator (NERSA) is a regulatory authority established to regulate electricity, piped- gas and petroleum in South Africa. It had previously approved ESKOM’s 3 year Multi-Year Price Determination in February 2010. The approval of this price determination meant that there would be an increase in nominal tariffs from ESKOM, rising from a 24.8% nominal tariff in 2010/2011 to 25.9%. in 2012/2013 The increase may seem tiny at first but when compared to the price that we as a country have to pay due to the increase, the final amount is almost double between the 3 years. The average price for electricity during the 2010/2011 period was R0.33/kwh and now it is R0.61 for the 2012/2013 period. If this is not bad enough, NERSA has approved yet another price hike for the next 5 years that has been estimated to cost R1.28/ kwh for electricity by 2017/2018. This kind of increase

has already hit the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works that treat the northern areas of Johannesburg, estimating an annual cost of R300 million for electricity; one can imagine how that cost will affect those communities. What is the solution to this problem? Renewable energy. There are already three large solar-power plants in South Africa, looking to provide cheaper, cleaner renewable energy to consumers. However, there have been other renewable energy plants out there, addressing issues not only from a consumer perspective but also from a corporate level. WEC Projects is an organisation that seeks to reduce the total organic load on wastewater treatment works and convert the resultant bio-gas into heat and electricity on behalf of municipal entities. The Department of Energy, SABIA (South African Biogas Industry Association) and the Development Bank of Southern Africa have partnered together to figure out what potential the biogas industry has as biogas in Africa is practically unknown with only a handful of commercial plants utilizing it. The Northern Wastewater Treatment Works in Johannesburg realized that their current electricityintensive plant would need to curb their overall electricity use and biogas is the way forward. The specific process used it said to be the first of its kind, unique to South Africa and is in fact the first water and sanitation utility in the country to make use of the revolutionary technology. Implementation of this technology will be able to reduce the electrical load on the local power-plant, reduce their carbon-emissions significantly, provide jobs and provide resources for agricultural sectors. A total of R38-million has already been invested into the Diepsloot based plant, with three engine powered biogas generators that have already cut back on 1.2 Megawatts (MW) a day of their 8.8 MW daily energy

Africa

Renewable Energy, a solution to our problem?

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usage. Potentially, this system can cater for 50% to 60% of the energy required to run the plant, saving a massive 3 066Mw/h to 3 504 Mw/h per annum of energy â&#x20AC;&#x201C; to gain perspective on exactly how much that is, one megawatt is able to power between 500 and 1000 U.S homes. In regards to cost, the plant will save between R1.5 to R1.75 million per annum. As great as that is for the power plant, what does that mean for us as a country, as individuals? Well with 51 plants of varying size situated in eight of our provinces and each of them utilizing fossil-fuel rather than renewable-gas, one can imagine the amount of carbonemissions that these plants are producing; they are a definite contributor to the 436,875 thousands of tonne carbon-emissions that South Africa produce as a whole. The City of Johannesburg is currently implementing similar biogas projects to five other wastewater treatment

plants, helping to supply 60% of the required power to each of them and there are more plants planned to be built in the next four to five years, cutting Johannesburg Waterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s electricity requirements significantly. As for employment, it is estimated that for every MW installed, 1.9 jobs will be created but an even greater potential can still be reached as the industry develops, stimulating job creation that could be five to ten times the greater than what other renewable energy projects create. With companies such as WEC Projects and SABIA spurring on the use of bio-gas as an alternate energy source and large companies such as Golder Associates, the Department of Energy and the Development Bank of Southern Africa investing in similar projects, not to mention all of this in the midst of other companies investing in various other renewable sources around the country, the future looks bright for South Africa. g

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1980 By Lein Baart

The Rise of the Computer

Looking Back

t was the start of a new a decade and a time that heralded great change for the world. From the rise of technology to shifting cultural landscapes the 80’s was a period of upheaval, and 1980 would prove to be no different. It was the year that saw Ronald Reagan elected, which would see an increase in tension in global diplomacy due to his openly anticommunist stance, as well as the beginning of the eight year Iran-Iraq war, one of the most terrible conflicts of the 20th century in which nearly a million soldiers and civilians would be claimed as casualties. Coupled with the murder of John Lennon, rioting in Miami, terrorist explosions in Italy and several natural disasters, 1980 was not a peaceful year for the global community. The age of space had dominated the decade before, and while far from dead, space exploration was no longer the top priority of the scientific community. That being said, significant discoveries were still being made, and this year saw Voyager 1, which had

launched in 1977 and is still continuing its mission to this day, return the first high resolution images of Saturn. Equipped with a staggering list of gadgetry, and weighing in at 722kg, Voyager passed within 124000km of the gas giant before being diverted to Titan, the largest moon the of the planet. This was however a year for the computer, as most of the decade would be, and video gaming, still a fledgling industry at best, was once against thrust to the fore of public consciousness due to two major events, the first being the launch of Space Invaders for the Atari 2600. The game, having being around for three years on arcade on systems, was already immensely popular, but the release for the then nascent console industry transformed Space Invaders into a household name, quadrupling the game’s sales and turning into the first “must-buy” title ever. 1980 was also the year that saw the release of PacMan for the arcade, probably the single most iconic game ever created. Developed by Tōru Iwatani in the

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space of a year, Pac-Man was almost an instant hit in the North American market (it only received a tepid initial response in Japan), and with 18 months had sold almost 350000 arcade cabinets for a total of $1 billion. By the end of the decade it had grossed $1 billion in coins, and by the end of the millennium an estimated $2.5 billion. Not bad for a game built around the concept of eating. This wasn’t just a year for gaming though, and 1980 would prove to be stepping stone for a series of developments that would have near unimaginable consequences for the world at large, starting with the creation of the DIX standard for networking, the precursor to the humble Ethernet standard. Despite competition from several technologies at the time, such as the Token Ring system, the DIX standard quickly gathered support from the industry in general as it was both cheaper and easier to implement, utilising coaxial cabling at first and later switching to twisted pair wiring. The impact of the technology has been subtle

but massive as virtually all systems utilise Ethernet for networking, and frankly put without it the global connection that is the Internet would not be possible. The biggest development of 1980 though belongs to IBM with the formation of the Project Chess team, which in just a year would design and create the IBM Personal Computer, the world’s first true PC as per modern definitions, and the first machine to make home computing a reality. It wasn’t an easy road for the computing giant though, as IBM had built its business and reputation around the creation of mainframes, and many both outside and inside the company were sceptical of IBM’s ability to produce a computer designed specifically for single users. The IBM PC though would later render all criticism pointless, and with an open design that would allow third party manufacturers to create parts for the system, as well as the first ever operating system produced by Microsoft, the PC quickly became the de facto standard in computing, a position it holds to this day. g

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Reviews Highlights 32 Thecus N2520 Intelligent NAS Sharing is caring! 36 Asus Rampage IV Black Edition Motherboard An excellent limited edition 40 Sony HDR-AS15 Action Cam Your extreme companion 46 Mad Catz R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse More than just a mouse

s the year winds towards a close, we are all looking at gift ideas... whther for loved ones, or even to spoil ourselves. In the following pages you can find a whole lot of things that would make great gifts - a little something for every taste. And, of course, there is the PS4 releasing here in South Africa in less than two weeks. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great time to be a tech fan! g

gladget38

by Walt Pretorius

Pictures n Vo

o g e

-T

DSTv Mobile Drifta

y Pa

I Review

n a society where entertainment is so very important, going away on a trip may mean that you’ll be missing out on your favourite documentaries, series and sporting events. But those in Africa who enjoy DSTv will be able to do so on the road, too, thanks to the DSTv Mobile Drifta. This small and easy-to-use device connects to your phone, tablet or PC via Wi-Fi or USB, and provides a selection of top channels (including Discovery, MNET Series and several sporting channels). Using DVB-H technology (the same that delivers video to your mobile phone) the Drifta displays 320x240 steaming video of your favourite programs. It’s easy to set up and features a fair battery life. Application software can be downloaded to your chosen device, allowing for uninterrupted entertainment on the go – at a base subscription price of R49 per month. It’s the perfect travel companion for those who suffer from TV withdrawal. g

gladget38

Summary

Tech Specs:

The Drifta is a great travel companion for those who need their daily TV fix, wherever, whenever...

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

TV everywhere! Easy to use

DVB-H technology 320x240 streaming video Wi-Fi USB connection Tablet, PC, smartphone compatible

TB C DSTv M obile www.dtsv mobile.c om

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Limited channels Fixed video size

Score

faste

Review

Tomtom Go 400

Be tt e rt

t’s been a while since we’ve seen a Tomtom GPS here at the Gladget offices. The question these days is, what with smartphones and other devices offering GPS technology supported by things like Google Maps, is the more traditional GPS a dying breed? The answer is not really a simple one. See, a smart-device GPS is functional, yes, and it does raise questions about whether extra expense is needed for a dedicated device to do the job. But smart-devices are multifunctional, and just as a dedicated camera is superior to one built into a smart-device, the argument can be made that a dedicated GPS is far superior. The Tomtom Go 400 is a great example of how added features can trump a device that offers similar functionality. In other words, the dedicated GPS allows the user to make use of a bunch of extra features that most smart-device GPS apps simply don’t have on offer. First of all, there’s the simplicity of navigation; simply tap your destination on the screen, and the GPS plans the route for you. You can use more specific ways of entering the address, of course, but this ease of use means that getting going is a little quicker. Maps – even the 3D navigational ones – offer a pinch-zoom functionality that allows the user to dig around in their surrounding areas, with a simple tap returning the user to the default view. Ranged along the side of the navigation map is a sort of “progress bar” which shows distance travelled (in a graphic interface) as well as points of interest, including petrol station, parking and those much-maligned speed cameras. Favourite locations are also shown on the map, which is displayed on a clear 4.3” screen. The Lifetime Maps system ensures that your GPS unit is constantly updated with the latest geographic info, and going off the beaten path (or initially connecting to the GPS) is made quicker with QuickGPSfix technology, with IQ Routes supplying the best routes and more accurate arrival times. You can even link the Go 400 to a smartphone to get Tomtom Traffic updates on the go. In short, the Tomtom Go 400 is a great device for those that want a dedicated in-vehicle GPS. Its screen is clear and the controls are responsive. The device is solidly built and features a very sturdy connection to its bracket, in the form of a sturdy plastic bar that slides through the back of the device from top to bottom. It’s a little tough to get off, but when it is secured, it isn’t going to go anywhere. So whether to use this reliable and responsive device really comes down to whether you need one or not. And that depends on whether you prefer an eye level guidance, or don’t mid navigating from a smartphone in your lap. g

gladget38

h c e

a a ns

quicker start to

er,

rn u jo r u o yo

by Walt Pretorius

by Rob Edwards

Summary

Tech Specs:

A dedicated GPS always trumps other options, and the Tomtom Go 400 is no different.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Very responsive Nice screen size Solid construction

4.3 inch screen 2 hour battery life MicroSD compatible Capacitive widescreen

Tomtom Tomtom www.tomtom.c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Not everyone needs a dedicated GPS

Score

82 29

by Walt Pretorius

patible com

Tritton Pro Plus True 5.1 Surround Headset for PC / Mac

ic e cho fro

S S

Review

The

urround sound… does it actually make a difference? There are those that swear by it, and those that feel that stereo is enough. That debate isn’t for here; but if you are one of those that demands sound coming at you from all kinds of directions, Tritton has a very good option for you. Last month we took a look at the Tritton Pro+ Headset for use with consoles (and, quite frankly, anything that can handle an optical cable). This time around, it’s the same thing… but this particular Pro+ is aimed squarely at the PC market. The two different models are virtually identical up to a point. Like the console version, the PC headset offers 5.1 surround sound delivered by way of 8 speakers – four in each ear-cup. That means each ear-cup houses a 40mm driver for sub and three 30mm drivers from centre, front and rear sounds. The

T ri

tto n

result is quite remarkable, and the user definitely can pick up sounds coming at them from different directions. Those not used to 5.1 headsets may even find it a little disconcerting at first. Like the console version, this version offers a comprehensive in-line volume control, with the user able to adjust overall volume, or specific volume channels. The headset can also be muted via this control, as can the detachable mic. In addition, users can employ the SVM voice monitoring system, so that they can hear their own voice as captured by the microphone. Just like the console version, this PC version is bulky, yet surprisingly comfortable. It is solidly constructed and delivers great sound. It does require a 5.1 capable sound card (either on-board or an actual card) which interfaces with its USB powered amplifier. Four 3.5 audio jacks and one USB jack lead from this unit, which

gladget38

Option

the headphones then plug in to. Handily, this headset can also be used as a secong headset with the Pro+ Decoder Box (which comes with the console version) as a secondary device. And that’s where the major difference lies. The Decoder Box may have limited input options, but it does work with an optical cable. Optical cables work with the PS3 and Xbox 360… and most PC motherboards too. So, theoretically, the console version is much more versatile, and includes PC use as well. If you don’t have any consoles, and want a Pro+ Headset to use just with your PC or Mac, this is the best solution. However, if you want a setup that has a little more versatility (despite the need for cable swapping) the console version may be a better bet. Either way, you’re pretty much guaranteed of great surround audio, no matter which way you go. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

If you’re only going to be needing surround sound from your PC, this option makes a lot of sense.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Great audio Comfortable

8 drivers True 5.1 surround Full function in-line control Detachable mic No driver required

Tritton Comet Computing www.c ometc omputing .c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

PC use only

Score

87 31

Review

The perfect home file sharing solution

Thecus N2520 Intelligent NAS

Sharing the

gladget38

by Alex Scanlon

Life

t wasn’t all that long ago that the idea of a network-attached storage (NAS) device was closely associated with the work-place. After all, who needs a place to share files at home? Right? Wrong. The modern home often has multiple computers in it, and files like media (including those illegally acquired movie and music files) are often shared. In fact, numerous reasons exist for a home NAS. Thecus understands that, and have produced a device perfectly suited for the home environment. That’s not to say that the Thecus N2520 (or “Intelligent NAS”, as it is called on the packaging) isn’t at home in an office. The two hard drive bays (easily accessible through a door built in to the front of the unit) can provide a lot of storage, with the right hard drives fitted, and the 1.3GHz CPU, supported by 1GB of RAM, delivers files quickly via a network. But there is simply too much happening with this device for it not to be perfect for the home. As a media server, particularly, this device is awesome. It even has an HDMI output. That means, quite simply, that you can connect the N2520 directly to your TV (or media viewing device of your choice) and play back a variety of media types. It’s almost like having a media player and NAS in one. File and device management can also take place via the attached TV. And then there’s the fact that you can upload, download and stream files and media from Android and iOS smart devices to and from the N2520. That’s pretty nifty, particularly in a home environment where sharing of embarrassing family photos between various devices may well be a priority. And if certain family members start turning in to space hogs, a handy user quota system will limit them from taking up all the HDD room. The N2520 has numerous other features which make it a very sensible choice for home file storage and sharing (and office, yes…). As an added bonus, it’s pretty small, when compared to other NAS units on the market, and it runs remarkable quietly. The drives can also be easily accessed and swapped out (with a little extra work beyond a plug-and-play procedure to get them prepared) thanks to that front access door. The only downside here is that the door cannot lock; that’s not too much of a problem at home, but may cause some to think twice before saving sensitive data on the device in an office environment. As far as personal “cloud” storage solutions go, the N2520 from Thecus is a fantastic option. It’s numerous added extras (including integrated antivirus software and much, much more) make it an excellent choice for those wanting a little more out of their network. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

The N2520 is the perfect solution for networkattached storage at home... and it doesn’t slough in the office, either.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Excellent home NAS solution Direct TV connection

1.3GHz CPU 1GB RAM HDMI output SPDIF output 2 USB 2.0 ports 1 USB 3.0 ports 2 drive bays

Thec us Sy ntec h www.sy ntec h.c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

No Locks

Score

96 33

cifi

for

Western Digital WD40EFRX NAS HDD

lly

T Review

he growing prevalence of NAS units in homes and offices has resulted in companies like Western Digital creating hard drives that perform better when paired with network-attached storage devices. With specific technologies built in to them, these drives make file sharing easier, smoother and safer. The WD40EFRX offers a drive that has been specifically engineered to perform at higher levels when used as part of a NAS set-up. NASware 2.0 technology ensures that file storage is far more efficient and reliable. In addition, the drive has added protection against power loss or disruption, keeping your data safer. And the fact that it is a 4TB drive doesn’t hurt, either. Using these with a standard two-bay NAS would result in lots of reliable storage. The old adage of the right tool for the job holds true; it makes sense to use a HDD designed for NAS implementation with a NAS device. And this particular one does the job beautifully. g

gladget38

Summary

Reliable Stable Perfect for NAS implementation

• • • • • • •

4TB capacity SATA 6.0Gb/s 64MB cache NASware 2.0 technology

Western Dig ita l Sy ntec h www.sy ntec h.c o.za

Pros • • • • •

Tech Specs:

Using these drives with a NAS device makes a lot of sense, seeing as how they are designed for exactly that.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

by Alex Scanlon

Made

Cons • • • • •

Long term savings No fax capabilities

Score

a Tritton Kunai Headset! Courtesy of Comet Computing TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gladgetmag.com Tell us who distributes Tritton in South Africa. Insert “Kunai” in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gladgetmag.com Like Gladget’s Facebook Page

Competition closes 31 December 2013. Gamecca subscribers only. South African residents only. Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC and Comet Computing.The judges’ decision is final. co mp e t i t i on • c o mp et it io n • c o mp et i ti on • com pe ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com p etition •

com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com p e ti ti on • com pe ti ti on • com petition • c omp et itio n • c ompetition • co mpetition

WIN

Review

Asus Rampage IV Black Edition Motherboard

Black is Beautiful

fter you see a lot of motherboards, they can start looking quite similar to each other. And that’s a massive problem for consumers, because picking the right board gets really confusing when you see all those specifications and technical jargon. Once in a while, though, a board comes along that stands head and shoulders above the competition in various ways. For Asus, that board is the Rampage IV Black Edition Motherboard, which sets itself apart as an overclocker’s dream, thanks to great components, solid design and a few very nifty ideas thrown in. Before we start, it is pretty important to note that if you want one of these great motherboards, you’re going to have to be quick – they’re a limited edition, which adds bragging rights in yet another sphere. The board itself is, as the name implies, a black affair, with numerous red trims. It looks pretty much like it means business visually, and that idea gets further enhanced when you see it in action. This really is a great motherboard. The Digi + III Engine it utilises, along with superior quality components, means that the power goes exactly where it is needed. The result is a board that performs smoothly and efficiently. On top of that, it adds in a little bonus for overclockers. A special overclocking “command centre” device ships with the board; it can be fitted in the case, or used externally. This gizmo allows extreme amounts of control on the fly, with single button switches between normal and overclocked modes. It provides numerous custom overclocking profiles, and places all the information and control right in the user’s hands. The command centre is, in case you were wondering, a physical control panel that can stand on the desk, or be fitted to the outside of your PC case. Another extremely nifty feature is Asus’ Wi-Fi Go technology, that not only delivers improved Wi-Fi performance, but allows you to set up your PC as a Wi-Fi hotspot, without the need for as extra router. There is a lot more that could be said about what is a really remarkable motherboard. But as much as we could bang on about it, the proof certainly is certainly in the pudding with this device. If you are lucky enough to get hold of one, the options and versatility it presents the user with are excellent. Even if you aren’t going to overclock (which would be something of a sin as far as this device is concerned) you will end up with a motherboard that is fast, reliable and efficient. It may cost a bit more, but the Rampage IV Black Edition really is worth every cent. g gladget38

d nd looks goo

Summary

Tech Specs:

This limited edition motherboard is worth every cent; added features and extras help make it truly exceptional.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Great added extras Efficient Reliable

• • • • • • •

Intel X79 chipset SLI and Crossfire compatible Supports up to 64GB RAM Socket 2011 8 USB 3.0 ports Wi-Fi Go technology Extended ATX form factor

A sus A sus www.a sus.c om

Pros • • • • •

. o to

by Walt Pretorius

some Perform e an Aw ce a

Cons • • • • •

Limited edition (we can’t all have one)!

Score

98 37

-Wei

B B

Review

Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite

uying a notebook is all about meeting needs. If you require a truckload of power, then forking out the often very high prices for a top of the range “gaming’ notebook may be what you have to do. But if you’re after broader functionality (which doesn’t necessarily require that much computing power) combined with easy portability, a device like Samsung’s ATIV Book 9 Lite may well be what you’re looking for. There is a question that needs to be asked, however, when it comes to a notebook like this. While it offers decent power at a reasonable price, one must consider the fact that it has no optical drive… in a country like South Africa, where bandwidth still has limitations and uncapped ADSL has yet to become widely adopted, downloading the required software to a device like this may result in extra costs. That could make the Book 9 Lite a victim of outdated infrastructure. But the device may also fall victim to incorrect purchasing decisions, too. It is not a powerhouse notebook; rather, it is a functional piece of equipment that comes in at a good price. That makes it ideal for certain segments of the market, like scholars and students. Those that require a little more power may find this ultraportable notebook wanting. It is powered by a quad-core AMD CPU that chugs along at a maximum of 1.4GHz. That’s not particularly speedy in anyone’s book, and the supporting 4GB of RAM, while certainly enough for most tasks, cannot be increased. And it is shared by the graphics processor, so heavy graphic tasks are not really going to be the order of the day here. Storage is a good news / bad news situation. The good news is that all storage takes place on an SSD drive. The bad is that the drive is a diminutive 128GB. That means a lot of stuff will either need to be backed up or stored on an external hard drive. The 13.3” screen offers a maximum resolution of 1366x768 and is a 10 point capacitive touch screen – perfect for the Windows 8 OS. Other control is provided by a generous touch pad and a rather nice keyboard (which has no numpad). In terms of ports, the Book 9 Lite offers the usual array, although it has no VGA port, and only two USB ports (one 2.0 and one 3.0). Connectivity is provided by integrated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It may seem like the Book 9 Lite is getting a bit of a knock here, but that isn’t the case. It’s a dependable machine, with great design ideas in terms of portability and aesthetics. It’s just underpowered in numerous areas… but it you don’t need massive amounts of power, the decent price point makes up for it. g

gladget38

ight

by Alex Scanlon

Portability and style rule this particular roost…

Summary

Tech Specs:

It’s stylish and very portable, but the ATIV Book 9 Lite is, as its name implies, not a very powerful notebook.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Looks great Solid build Ultra-portable

1.4GHz quad core CPU 4GB RAM 128GB SSD 13.3 inch screen Touch screen

Sa msung XXXX XXXX

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Underpowered Not enough storage

Score

74 39

the B

your most ex tr e m

Sony HDR-AS15 Action Cam

rd eco

T Review

here’s something really, undeniably cool about seeing action from someone’s point-of-view. Whether it is experiencing a fast ride along a mountain bike track, the vertigo of a skydive, a plunge through white-water rapids or virtually anything in between, the vicarious viewpoints granted by point-ofview cameras can be massively entertaining. After all, they allow us to “see” through the eyes of the person doing those crazy things without actually having to risk life and limb – or even get up off of our couches. The POV camera market is becoming a much more interesting one, too. Although GoPro has managed to establish a very strong hold on it, there are new entrants in that arena that bring a lot of experience with them. And one of those is Sony. For many years, personal video recorders were something that Sony dominated. They are still a top

notch company when it comes to recording video, so it is no surprise that they have entered this new market. Their Action Cam (or as those in the know refer to it, the HDRAS15) is a small but powerful device that can stand up to anything you can throw at it. Using a 16mp Exmor R CMOS sensor, the Action Cam can capture full HD video via a 170 degree wide angle Carl Zeiss lens. Video is captured to either a Memory Stick Pro (Mark 2) or a MicroSD card, supported by several systems (including electrical SteadyShot image stabilisation). The Action Cam can also capture still images, but these are only at 2 megapixel, which is a bit lower than we would have liked. It’s not about stills, though, when you get right down to it. As the name implies, this diminutive camera is all about the action. To this end, it ships with a waterproof housing that will

gladget38

Bend!

moments with

se a e

by Walt Pretorius

handle depths of up to 60m. That’s pretty deep, when all is said and done, so those of us that want to use the Action Cam to record our underwater shenanigans should be perfectly safe. The Action Cam’s video quality is great, which is something that we’d expect from Sony. It also does a fairly decent job of recording stereo audio – all of which can be played back via a mini-HDMI port, or downloaded to a PC via USB. If used for it’s intended purposes, the Action Cam does a great job. Sure, there are more powerful cameras with screens to view playback (the Action Cam only has a monochrome LCD screen for options and information) but they’re not quite as compact. Nor are they built to handle all the intense, extreme action that the Action Cam lives for. And with a host of accessories available, the HDR-AS15 is a great adventure companion. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

A great option for those who want to record pointof-view video of their craziest antics.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Tough Good video quality Very easy to use

16mp Exmor sensor Full HD Wi-Fi Carl Zeiss lens Waterproof housing Image stabilisation

Sony Sony www.sony .c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Weak for stills Niche market appeal

Score

86 41

Star

Review

Samsung Galaxy Tab 3

A solid performance from Samsung

gladget38

by Rob Edwards

T T

ablets are becoming more and more common here in South Africa, with an ever-increasing number of people making use of these rather amazing devices to do all manner of things; from business applications to communication to entertainment, tablets are pretty much everywhere these days. And it’s no small wonder, really; some brands have relied on longstanding reputations, while others have taken large chunks of the market through aggressive marketing and other promotion. Samsung falls into the latter category – considering that the company already has a huge mobile foothold in the African continent, it is not surprising to see that their tablet devices are also pretty prominent in the market. Between them and their rivals Apple, the two companies almost have this sector sewn up, with other players only really able to make smaller inroads in this two-horse race. Samsung tablets (indeed, tablets in general) have come a long way in a relatively short time. A quick look at the Tab 3’s specifications will corroborate that statement. It all starts with a relatively punchy 1.6GHz dual core processor, which delivers great performance for this kind of device. That CPU is supported by 1GB of RAM, although you’ll still want to keep an eye on how that’s being used with the handy, on-board RAM and application management tool. Storage comes in 16GB and 32GB flavours, which are fair amounts, considering that apps and the like are generally rather small. But if even 32GB is not enough for you, the Tab 3 allows for expanded storage of up to 64GB, by way of an easily accessible MicroSD port. The all-important connectivity of the device is provided by 2G, 3G and 4G (or LTE) capabilities, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and even infrared connection options. All of this ensures that the Tab 3 is a quick device, for the most part, with enough manoeuvring room provided by the specs to allow the user to do whatever they need at speed (connectivity and other factors do, naturally, effect performance). With a wide variety of supported file types and full HD video playback (1080p) the Tab 3 is great for entertainment as well as work. The 10.1” screen delivers a resolution of 1280x800, which is not too shabby, and the visuals it provides are crisp and clear. The tablet is as responsive as it should be in terms of touch control, too. Rounding the package off is a 6800mAh battery that allows for an average of 9 hours of use between charges – that a little light, to be honest. Unfortunately the camera only weighs in at 3 megapixels, but it is a tablet, after all… Certain design decisions could have been better, but for overall performance, it certainly is a decent option. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

It has a few design ideas that could have been better, but the Galaxy Tab 3 10.1’’ is a decent option for tablet users.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Great screen Fairly quick Expandable storage

1.6GHz CPU 1GB RAM 16/32GB storage MicroSD port 2G / 3G / 4G Full HD 3mp camera

Sa msung Sa msung www.sa msung .c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Battery life Underpowered camera

Score

80 43

siz e,

& Go!

Smal

l in

SteelSeries 3H V2 Gaming Headset

S S

Review

g bi

un o s n

teelSeries are a company that has a reputation for getting things done without too much fuss. They’re all about substance over style, and shy away from increasing manufacturing (and therefore retail) costs by adding extra features that really aren’t necessary. What’s most important to this peripheral manufacturer is how well a device does something, not how it looks while doing it. All you have to do is take a look at their 3H V2 Gaming Headset to see those principles in action. At first glance, the 3H V2 is nothing exceptional. It is a small, foldable headset that is remarkably portable, considering that it uses an over-ear ear-cup design. This portability is further enhanced by the retractable mic arm, which is housed in the left ear-cup. What proves the statement above is that the 3H V2 delivers excellent audio quality. Despite its small size,

the sound range (from full bass notes through to crisp highs) is beautifully created by the diminutive SteelSeries headset. In addition, the idea that stereo should provide enough audio stimulus for gaming is carried on in this headset. There’s no surround sound here. While many may feel that this just isn’t enough, numerous top gaming clans aligned with SteelSeries seem to agree with the manufacturer that a great stereo delivery is better than a poor surround sound one. To ensure comfort, the 3H V2 features well-padded earcups and a suspension-style headband. The overall build, though, feels a little flimsy, as though a little too much pressure on any of the parts may cause damage. Added to that is the fact that the headset may be just a little too small. I had to extend the ear-cup supports to their full length to get a good fit.

gladget38

by Walt Pretorius

That means that it might not be a perfect headset for everyone. Or it means that I have a big head. Either way, this is the one downfall of the 3H V2. On the upside, that excellent audio quality cannot be denied, and those who can fit the headset easily will certainly not be disappointed by its performance. As an added bonus, there is an adaptor which allows the headset to be compatible with mobile phones and tablet devices, too. The cord could have been a little longer, but it does feature a simple-yet-effective in-line volume control. Shortish cord and size aside, the 3H V2 delivers what it promises, in the form of a comfort and good sound. It may not suit everyone’s needs, but the added versatility of smart device compatibility makes it more than just a portable gaming headset; it is, quite simply, a small and effective personal audio solution for those that want great sound on the go. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

It may be a little small for some, but the 3H V2 delivers absolutely excellent stereo audio and comfort for a variety of devices. M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Great sound Easy to transport

Foldable Stereo Retractable mic boom In-line controls New generation drivers

SteelSeries M eg a rom www.meg a rom.c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

May be small for some Feel fragile

Score

78 45

Transformer

Mad Catz R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse

Review

â&#x20AC;Ś t can be exac a h e t t l b yw se o t u ha t t o you need i m gladget38

by Alex Scanlon

here are lots of different ways to make a mouse. Some of those ways use a lot of flash and dazzle; others strip matters down to bare essentials. There is a third approach, too, which offers customisation that really matters. Is it important to be able to change the colour of your mouse’s LED lights? Not really… that won’t make you a better gamer, or make the mouse more comfortable for any other kinds of tasks. Is it important to be able to change weight and panel positions? That’s an entirely different story. And that’s the kind of customisation that Mad Catz have built in to the R.A.T. 7. It looks like a rather mean rodent, when all is said and done. There are gaps and gizmos all over the R.A.T. 7, making it appear to be more of a work tool – something at home on a garage work-bench – than a gaming mouse. But this serious looking peripheral is all about gaming, and exceptional gaming performance. With a DPI of up to 6400 (and starting at 100) the R.A.T. 7 offers a wide range of sensitivity, which can be adjusted on the fly with a handy button. The user can switch between four selected DPI settings of their choosing, which adds a lot of versatility both in and outside of games. The R.A.T. 7 features six buttons which are fully programmable, as well as three different modes – that makes a total of 18 options. And yes, the LED colours do change accordingly, so the user can, at a glance, see what’s going on. The lightweight aluminium frame is tough, but doesn’t add too much weight. This can be adjusted by up to 30 grams, in 6 gram increments. Further comfort customisation comes in the form of a repositionable palm rest and a thumb rest that can be moved forward or backward. Additionally, there is an alternate palm rest, and two alternate pinkie rests (one which has added support). That’s a lot of customisation, but it would mean squat without performance. Thankfully, Mad Catz are aware of that. The R.A.T. 7 is not just super comfortable, thanks to all the tweaks, and versatile, thanks to all the programmable buttons… it is also fantastic to use. While the precision available from this mouse, as well as the responsiveness, is not necessarily immediately apparent when using more “everyday” applications, getting this baby going in a game is truly something to behold. The R.A.T. 7 presents a mouse that can be exactly what you want it to be; with its wide range of options, it becomes a device that you can trim and tweak to your heart’s content, and delivers excellent performance to boot. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

With all the options it offers, you can tweak the R.A.T. 7 to be exactly what you want it to be.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Extremely customisable Great performance

6400 DPI max 6 programmable buttons 3 modes Fully adjustable Corded

M a d Ca tz Comet Computing www.c ometc omputing .c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

...all of which comes at a price.

Score

96 47

Nokia is making another good run at the smartphon

T T

Review

Nokia Lumia 925 Smartphone

he smartphone arena is probably the most hotly contested market in consumer technology today. The market – in South Africa, at very least – is strongly dominated by Samsung and Apple, with a number of other companies trying to make inroads. Sony, for example, has made a very strong run at the market with their latest Xperia devices. Another company that is also trying to get a stronger foothold in the market is Nokia. In fact, they were (in South Africa) the go-to company when it came to mobile handsets a few years ago. But it seems while they were busy congratulating themselves, they lost sight of where the market was going (the same can be said for BlackBerry) and now they are playing a game of catch-up with competitors that they previously outperformed. Nokia’s Lumia range has a new flagship in the form of the Lumia 925, and this particular device may just be the one that gets the company the attention it needs. At its core, the Lumia 925 has a 1.5GHz processor supported by 1GB of RAM. This leads to fairly snappy responsiveness, and the 16GB of on-board storage is supported by a further 7GB of cloud storage. However, there are no options for expanded storage, which may not suit some. The responsive 4.5” touch display is perfect for Nokia’s choice of operating system (Windows Phone

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by Rob Edwards

oves

ne market…

8) and delivers a 1280x768 resolution. The display also offers a wide viewing angle, a high brightness mode and the expected orientation sensor. Video and photographs are captured using a (primary) 8.7 megapixel PureView camera, featuring Carl Zeiss lenses. It’s a chunky phone, and feels very solidly constructed. Despite some specifications that could have been higher, the 925 performs very well. With a claimed 440 hours of standby time, it won’t need recharging too often either; that said, using video playback significantly cuts into that time (as with all smart devices). Still, you probably won’t have to recharge overly often – although battery performance also comes down to use and abuse. There aren’t really many things to complain about with regards to the Nokia Lumia 925. It does the tasks it was made to do well, and that’s really what one looks for in a smartphone. If you like its slightly harder looks, then it should provide a good fit – if you like the Windows Phone 8 OS, of course. With Android and iOS having carved out such a strong niche in the market, Microsoft’s mobile OS might not be an immediate choice – but it really comes down to a matter of taste. While expandable storage would have been a fantastic addition, the 925 goes a long way to re-establishing Nokia as a good handset manufacturer. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

While Nokia may have lost a lot of ground in the mobile handset market, products like the Lumia 925 will go a long way to re-establishing their lost reputation. M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Solidly built Nice camera

1.5GHz CPU 1GB RAM 16GB storage 4.5 inch screen 8.7 megapixel camera

Nokia Nokia www.nokia .c om

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

No expandable storage options

Score

80 49

Beacon The Phoenix 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker

by Walt Pretorius

Hot Little

T Review

here are a number of solutions out there for people who want to stream music from their phone or other media device to an external speaker. Beacon has produced The Phoenix 2, a compact single unit that encompasses two speakers and a subwoofer for clear stereo audio. The stereo delivered by The Phoenix 2 is remarkably good, considering the space between the speakers. But there’s more to it than that. It has a fast Bluetooth pairing system, and can be used as a speaker for phone calls as well, thanks to an integrated microphone. And all of this in a compact 3 inch to a side package. The Phoenix 2 can also be connected to audio sources via a 3.5mm jack, and is recharged using a USB cable. The battery will deliver up to 10 hours of crisp, clear audio playback. All in all, a good little external audio package. g

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Summary

Tech Specs:

A great option for those who want a Bluetooth speaker, complete with easy pairing and an integrated microphone.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

Nice size Quick pairing Great stereo

Bluetooth Rechargeable battery Integrated mic 10 second sync 360 degree sound projection 3 speaker system

B ea c on Comet Computing www.c ometc omputing .c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Bass is a little light

Score

Almost

An SSD just under 1TB…

Crucial M500 960GB SSD

by Alex Scanlon

E E

gladget38

Summary

Tech Specs:

It might seem like an odd number, but 960GB is pretty awesome for an SSD.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

Awesome amount of storage for an SSD

960GB capacity Data encryption Adaptive thermal protection

Cruc ia l Sy ntec h www.sy ntec h.c o.za

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Relatively costly

Score

90 51

Review

veryone loves SSD drives – at least everyone who has tried one does. The only real complaint that can be levelled at the majority of SSDs we’ve seen in the past is that they are, in terms of storage, a bit small. All that speed and reliability offered by the garden-variety SSD pretty much gets taken up by the installed OS and very little else. Enter the Crucial M500. Don’t let the number in the title fool you – this particular SSD has a capacity of 960GB. Yes, that’s a bit of an odd number, but anything this close to a terabyte of storage is pretty good in our book. The performance of the M500 is exactly what we would expect from an SSD – fast, quiet and efficient. The combination of that with the rather generous (in SSD terms) storage capacity makes the Crucial M500 a winner. g

T T

Review

Razer Atrox Arcade Stick for Xbox 360

here is a lot of nostalgia in the relatively short history of gaming (as there would be with any well-loved pass-time), most of which seems to come from feeding a seemingly endless stream of coins into machines in a dingy arcade. But it’s not just the nostalgia that was an important gift to gaming from the heyday of the arcade era… one of the biggest genres today was conceived for play on an upright machine: fighting games. Fighting games made the expected transition onto gaming consoles easily enough, but there are many out there who believe that the control system used by arcade machines suits these games much better. Arcade controls were (and still are) largely produced by a company called Sanwa Denshi, and it is these Sanwa style controls that many fighting game enthusiasts crave. Razer have produced the Atrox Arcade Stick range. We got to look at the Xbox 360 version and, quite honestly, it was well worth it (for nostalgia’s sake alone). Needless to say, the Atrox doesn’t only work with fighting games – it can be used with platform titles and anything else. But the feel that it gives while playing a fighting game is undeniably great. The main controls are made up of ten Sanwa buttons and an eight-direction Sanwa joystick. This joystick can either be used with the traditional ball top, or a slightly more modern, elliptical bat top. Both are provided, with one being housed in the body of the Atrox. Yes, you can literally get under the hood of this device… more about that later. A special control panel adds numerous other buttons to the mix, with large Sanwa-style buttons on the side providing “start” and “back” functionality. When you pop the Atrox open (with a button at the front of it) you don’t only find the alternate joystick head and a handy tool, but also gain access to the guts of the controller. This allows for easy modding, and the player will be able to set the controller up just the way they like it. This extends to the housing of the unit as well, which features a honeycomb base for easy screw-attachment to any surface, and interchangeable face plates. Connection to the Xbox 360 is via a long, removable cable, with a jack positioned at the front of the unit for a headset while playing online. The Atrox is a wonderfully responsive controller, and the control configuration not only reminds on of arcade machines, but is also very sensible for fighting game fans. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you’re familiar with the Atrox, it really is a great controller to make use of. g

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Time

in he golden ag t m e e of ga liv e e d a a r c R

by Rob Edwards

Summary

Tech Specs: • • • • • • •

Those that love the ‘‘oldschool’’ feel when playing games will love the Atrox!

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.c o.za

Pros • • • • • gladget38

Great control system Customisable

Interchangeable joystick heads Ten Sanwa buttons Detachable cable

Cons • • • • •

Bulky

Score

90 53

FujiFilm X20 Digital Camera

T Review

he trend towards making retro looking digital cameras continues. Love it or hate it, there is a definite charm to these devices, which remind us of a time when photography was film-based, and required a lot more effort (and luck) to get the perfect shot. That’s not a poke at digital photography… it’s a truth. Digital photography has made taking great pictures a lot easier, even If the cameras have started looking like the old mechanical devices that required luck, precision and lots of chemicals to get a good photograph. The FujiFilm X20 follows this trend, presenting us with a solidly-built photographic device that could easily be mistaken for a vintage camera when viewed from the front or top. At the back, though, the 2.8” LCD screen and fairly standard set of digital controls reveal its true nature. Close inspection of the dials

at the top would also give a hint – vintage cameras couldn’t, for example, shoot full HD video, which this device can. There are certain aspects of the X20 that could have been a bit better… and those aspects are the ones that everyone (whether they know what they are talking about or not) brags about. First off, the camera delivers a 12 megapixel image. That’s great for almost every application, but If you need truly huge images, it might not be quite enough. Secondly, there’s the zoom – with 4x optical zoom, the camera is not really going to be as versatile as one with a more generous zoom. This can be extended to 8x with digital zoom, but even that’s not quite up to par… and messing with digital zoom can result in image issues, after all. With an aperture range of f2.0 to f11, and a maximum shutter speed of 1/4000, the X20 sits in the upper

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Capture

Retro chic in a digital format

by Walt Pretorius

reaches of average. These aren’t bad specifications, but they certainly aren’t off of any kind of chart. The maximum ISO rating of 12800 implies a quick camera, and indeed, the X20 can shoot up to 12 frames a second. Surprisingly, it also shoots in an optional RAW format – something one would associate with the needs of professional photographers, who would most likely demand more from a camera. That said, the X20 makes for a decent backup camera, which every pro should have. There are several preset shooting modes and full manual control, too, allowing the X20 to run the gamut of needs from holiday snaps to more controlled image capturing. It’s a reliable, well-built camera that produces great images, but it has certain limitations that prevent it from rising to true greatness. It’s not a bad choice for those that need a camera for a variety of occasions. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

It delivers great images, but some of its specs may leave users wanting.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline:

gladget38

Well-built Good image quality RAW images

12 megapixel 4x optical zoom RAW capability Max 1/4000 shutter speed F2 – F11 Max 12800 ISO

FujiFilm FujiFilm www.fujifilm.c om

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Shy on some specs

Score

78 55

Did You

Know? 1…that Pac-Man was created to attract girls?

The game of Pac-Man arguably shaped a generation into the gaming that we have today, but the simply mechanics of the title actually have stranger origins. According to Pac-Man creator Toru Iwatani, the game was made to attract girls. “The reason I created Pac-Man was because we wanted to attract female gamers. Back then, there were no home games. People had to go to the arcade center to play games. That was a playground for boys. It was dirty and smelly. So we wanted to include female players, so it would become cleaner and brighter,” he explained.

…that the PlayStation 4 launched in Nigeria before South Africa? Sony’s PlayStation 4 console was launched in the US last week and while South African gamers will have to wait until 12 December to get their hands on the next-generation device, consumers in Nigeria will be among the first in Africa to receive stock. One of the biggest ecommerce sites in Nigeria, Jumia is facilitating orders for customers and these customers could receive the console in three to eight days. But, before user go rushing off to buy one, the unit is available for ₦139,995, which translates to roughly $879 or R8 923, which is more expensive than the South African version, which is expected to retail for no more than R6 200.

3…that an IT worker threw out

$7.5-million in bitcoins?

Regular

The online currency of bitcoin recently sky-rocketed in value to over $1000 for one “coin”, which prompted British IT worker James Howells to realise that he threw out a harddrive stacked with the virtually currency. Howells has now been digging through various landfills in his town in search for the drive – which he claims holds more than $7.5-million in bitcoins. He received 7 500 bitcoins in 2009 when the currency was virtually worthless, and left the hard drive in a drawer for several years.

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Attracting girl gamers, losing millions and making smart devices compulsory... by Charlie Fripp

4…that a South African university

made tablets compulsory?

With technology become one of the biggest drivers in an ever-connected society, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) has undertaken a decision to make tablets compulsory for first-year students from next year. All first-year students at UJ will be expected to have either a laptop or a handheld device such as tablet or an iPad, and the university said that they have been preparing for the technological change for the last two years. The university added that they have already started initiatives that include campus-wide Wi-Fi connectivity and charging points.

5…that there will be over 1 billion

employee-owned mobile devices by 2018?

While UJ has made tablets compulsory for first-year students, according to a report by Juniper Research, by the year 2018 there is expected to be more than 1 billion employee-owned mobile devices in the enterprise. This figure represents approximately 35% of the total installed base of consumer-owned tablets and smartphones. To add to this, an IDC statistic claims that by the year 2020, third platform technologies (mobile, cloud, social and big data) will make up 80% of all IT spending compared with 20% in 2011.

6…that Vietnam will fine users

for negative Facebook posts?

Facebook has a bit of a contentious love-hate relationship with its users, as post and comments can either be funny, witty and informative, or just plain nasty and abusive – with users having no recourse. Well, the Asian nation of Vietnam is trying to put an end to all this negativity – with a twist. In what is probably one of the most extreme forms of censorship, Facebook users will be fined several thousand dollars for criticising the government on the social network. “A fine of up to $4 760 will be applied to anyone producing propaganda against the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,” the country said. Reporters Without Borders have already dubbed the nation an “enemy of the internet”, and the new law is expected to come into force in January. . g

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Call of Duty: Ghosts

Dog Days There are new ghosts in town

by Charlie Fripp

and Black Ops being the first three. So from that aspect, the developer already had a great basis to work from. In terms of plot, the Ghosts are an elite squad of fighters who go in undercover to do the military’s dirty work. When a former Ghost returns to the scene, they soon realise the he is out to eliminate them all – and he must be stopped. Making use of the familiar general mechanics from the entire franchise, one thing that Ghosts does add is a playable dog named Riley. While he doesn’t feature as a main character, it is the first time that gamers will be able to control a non-human to fight in battles. Riley, a German Shepard, has the ability to sniff out enemies and viciously attack them – clearing the path for the player to proceed – all controlled by the player. He has a number of other gadgets strapped to his body as well, which will help players spot and track enemies.

Review

he entire Call of Duty franchise is one of the most successful in the gaming industry. So much so that it is almost a given that any new title will be well-received. Call of Duty Ghosts managed to make more than US$1-billion in the first 24 hours of being on sale, but is it as good as the previous titles? Gamers can ridicule all they want, but one fact remains true – Call of Duty is incredibly successful, and that isn’t about to change. Sure, there are laughter and jokes about new versions only being expensive map-packs, but developer Infinity Ward has added a whole bunch of new features to their latest title, Call of Duty: Ghosts, to keep players coming back. The Ghosts aspect of the title is a new direction for the franchise, taking the series into a fourth direction – with the original World War II games, Modern Warfare series

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In terms of graphics, returning players to the franchise will notice a significant boost to the visuals, yet be familiar with the graphical style from the previous games. The same can be said about the control scheme, and that is also something that draws players back into the franchise – the familiarity. The controls have pretty much stayed the same since the last iteration, a tried-and-tested formula that players know absolutely works. It all comes together with a gripping plot, but while the controls and graphics stayed almost the same, at times there are some exciting set pieces in the title and it will provide for a number of hours of action-packed fun. But no game is perfect, and Ghosts certainly isn’t immune to that idea. A problem that plagues almost all shooter titles is the linear way of telling a story and forcing the player to be at specific points during battle, or to trigger a set-piece. Players will often be forced to return to a previous spot

if they have wandered too far ahead of the non-playable characters (NPCs). This is also evident during scripted dialogues, as the NPC characters will block the path of the player – forcing them to listen to the conversations. It is not always a bad thing, but it sometimes feels like the secondary characters in the title have no sense of urgency. It’s not really a major issue, but Infinity Ward also decided to depart from the usual mini-map in the corner of the HUD for player to keep track of enemies and to orientate themselves. It can cause a bit of confusion sometime, as most FPS title still incorporate this aspect. For players on lower difficulties, there is usually a snapping function for aiming at enemies, but in Ghosts it seems to be a bit shoddy. The player will snap to an enemy’s last location, and if the enemy is moving around, it will mean

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hours. The multiplayer for Ghosts consists of a rather unique set of new aspects and mechanics. Taking a page from rival Battlefield, areas of maps in Ghosts can now be altered or destroyed, and new weapons have been added. The multiplayer experience can be divided into three separate categories: the main Multiplayer section; Squads; and Multiplayer. The main multiplayer section is exactly what players would expect, as it houses popular modes such as Team Deathmatch, Search and Destroy and Domination, as well as new ones like Search and Rescue, Cranked and Blitz. Squads is a mode that can be describes as an offline yet online multiplayer mode. Gamers will be able to form squads with AI characters and train with them through a number of modes and maps. A squad consists of ten different customizable characters, and will join the

Review

that the snapping will always be slightly off. The lack of a mini-map and enemy-snapping that is not entirely accurate can cause a bit of frustration for players, but as mentioned Ghosts is at heart and soul exactly what the Call of Duty franchise has been all these years. There are some sections that are incredibly tough to get through, but once completed, it feels like it was all worth it. Minor issues aside, Call of Duty: Ghosts should be on the shelf of every Call of Duty fan. For those who have yet to play any of the CoD titles, Ghosts is an excellent place to start. While the main single-player campaign is not very long, clocking in at just over four hours if players game at a steady pace, the real value for money lies in the multiplayer modes, which is sure to keep gamers busy for

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player in tackling other online players and their squads. While gamers still have to be online to access the main multiplayer section, Squads can be played by gamers against an entire bot squad – offline. Within Squads there are also different modes, such as Squad Assault, Safeguard, Safeguard Infinite, Squad vs Squad, and Wargame – all requiring different tactics and weapons to execute. Some of the modes can be a bit confusing and repetitive, but it’s a great learning experience for new players. And anything that players do in multiplayer, be it Squads or Extinction, contributes towards their online rank. Extinction is a new multiplayer experience where up to four players band together against various types of aliens in a base-defending survival style map. Players won’t be thrown into the deep end, as they will be able to

choose from four different class types, with unique traits and customizable loadouts. As with the other multiplayer modes, it also contributes towards their online rank, and players can level up their classes, unlocking more weapons and equipment for their loadouts. While Squads is a bit redundant and Extinction is a welcome distraction, the main grit of the multiplayer will always be in the sanctioned part of the experience. It’s where the traditional multiplayer lies, and it will be the mode most visited by players. The entire package for Ghosts is as solid as the franchise, and it’s refreshing to see that publisher Activision has the foresight to add a new concept to the series. Players of previous titles will truly enjoy Ghosts, while there is no better place to kick off a new experience. g

AT A GLANCE: First Person Shooter

Reviewed on:

X360

Taking the franchise in a new direction, things are about to heat up. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Battlefield 4, Spec Ops: The Line. Local

Network

Online

Infinity Ward Activision Megarom

Parental Advisory

16+ gladget38

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

80 61

Need for Speed: Rivals

Meeting the Need? Does Rivals fill the gap for the franchise?

by Walt Pretorius

has spent almost half of its life trying to clamber back up the ranks of driving simulators to the lofty position it once commanded. It hasn’t been an easy road, not by a long shot. The most recent two releases (before Rivals) were The Run and a Most Wanted reboot that both failed to impress… particularly in the case of the former. But the valuable name of Need for Speed is something that publisher EA will keep fighting for, and this year’s release, Need for Speed: Rivals, does a lot to reverse the flagging fortunes of the series. Rivals is, like the Most Wanted reboot, an open world racing game with strong nods towards Hot Pursuit. Players can take on the role of either racers or cops in a game that seamlessly integrates single and multiplayer gaming. With a fairly large world to explore,

Review

he Need for Speed franchise has been around for almost twenty years now. First released in 1994, this series has always been about driving awesome, fast cars. And then in 1998, when the third title was released, it started a trend that would change the franchise forever – the introduction of the Hot Pursuit concept, in which players could take the part of either racers or cops, and try to catch (or escape from) each other. This initial flirtation with the wrong side of the law grew into the release of things like Underground and Most Wanted, which proved wildly popular. But then around 2005 (when ProStreet was released) the franchise began declining. Although there have been moments of greatness in the interim (the 2010 reboot of Hot Pursuit springs to mind) the franchise

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players can cruise around looking for races, time trials or other kinds of trouble. Playing single player can be unforgiving, as the game presents the player with steep challenge curves interspersed with easier plateaus. The AI relishes these changes, and the player may often find themselves outclassed, leading to a lot of frustration. The game’s currency is a large part of where the frustration comes from. Instead of money, racers earn speed points, which can be spent on new vehicles and broadly-categorised upgrades. The problem is that if the player is bust by cops, all their speed points are lost. Getting bust after a long chase and losing a good amount of “money” hurts, and not in a good way. The cops who take these speed points don’t use them as much – they get new vehicles for free. The player can bounce between being a racer or a cop

at will. The open world multiplayer nature of the game means there is no pausing, but changing alliances and other activities can be done at either hideouts or mobile bases (depending on the faction) dotted around the map. So does Need for Speed: Rivals manage to get the franchise back to where it needs to be? Not entirely; it is great fun to play and the protracted chases can lead to some pretty awesome moments. But the lack of depth in things like upgrades and the fact that events soon get repetitive – not to mention that there is a lot of grinding to do to get anywhere in the game – all manage to knock it down a few notches. It is great fun to play, particularly in multiplayer, and it looks great to boot, but it certainly isn’t the Need for Speed game fans so sorely want. g

AT A GLANCE: Racing

Reviewed on:

It may come closer than previous games, but Rivals still does not return the Need for Speed franchise to its former glory. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

NFS: Hot Pursuit, NFS: Most Wanted Local

Network

Online TBC

Ghost Electronic Arts EA South Africa

Parental Advisory

7+ gladget38

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

79 63

LEGO Marvel Super Heroes

Marvellous! More heroes than you can shake a hammer at!

by Walt Pretorius

influences from the various movies that have been made. The result is a combination of influences… Spider-man, for example, looks more like the comic version (complete with the odd resting poses), while Hawkeye is undeniably influenced by the Avengers movie. There is even a LEGO version of Stan Lee that pops up in unlikely places from time to time. As always, this particular title offers a wide roster of unlockable characters, whether heroes, villains or support characters. Most of the game’s attention is given to characters that have featured in films: Iron Man, Captain America, Spider-Man, Hulk and so on. There are so many characters available, though, that it is inevitable that even some of the comic publisher’s more obscure characters will also make an appearance. This is the largest roster of characters that Traveller’s Tales have fielded to date, but the

Review

espite one or two minor lows, one can pretty much safely say that Traveller’s Tale’s long running series of LEGO games have gone from strength to strength. From Star Wars and Indiana Jones, through Batman and Harry Potter, and even Pirates of the Caribbean, these games have poked fun at a whole bunch of well-loved properties. But it was LEGO City Undercover that truly defined the potential for open world activity for the series. That potential has been partially explored in the latest LEGO game, too – but it doesn’t need all that much freedom, because it’s crammed with LEGO version of Marvel Super Heroes, and that more than makes up for a little less running around. Instead of following a particular movie franchise, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes takes on the world presented by the comics. That said, the characters all show very strong

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incredible size of the Marvel universe makes that possible. The game dynamics do not stray far from the LEGO staple. This game contains tons of platforming, lots of action and generally simple, location based puzzles – as well as lots of LEGO building to do. Each stage will also have numerous items and things to do that only specific characters can do. More accurately, only characters with specific power sets can do… certain characters get “upgraded” as the game progresses. As an example, Iron Man cannot access certain things until he gets an upgraded suit, at which point he gets new abilities, and players can revisit completed levels with him to gain access to the previously inaccessible. Sometimes the game is a little unclear, though, as to which characters can access which thing. For example, certain items are only accessible to “web slinging” characters, but Hawkeye’s rope arrows and Mr Fantastic’s “rubber” arms will do just fine.

This is one of the areas that indicates a lack of polish that creeps in to the whole affair. The game can sometimes be unclear as to what it expects from the player, and sometimes other poor design elements like mistimed dialogue creep in. They can be annoyances but, for the most part, they do not detract from the main aim of LEGO Marvel Super Heroes: to have fun. And this title delivers fun in truck-loads. Whether it is the addictive action, experimenting with different characters or just chuckling at the irreverent lampooning that is a series staple, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes has it all. It provides a large playground and tons of activities with great LEGO versions of very popular characters. The franchise has generally improved the time and, despite a few minor quibbles, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes stands as one of the finest LEGO games ever made. g

AT A GLANCE: Platform

Reviewed on:

Despite one or two minor unpolished elements, LEGO Marvel Super Heroes is one of the finest games ever in this long running franchise. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

LEGO City Undercover, LEGO: Batman Local

Network

Online

Traveller’s Tales Warner Bros Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

7+ gladget38

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

89 65

WWE 2K14

It’s Wrestling Time! A trip down memory lane.

by Nthato Morakabi

Wrestlemania. This game mode is all about reliving every Wrestlemania main event through the ages, beginning at its initialisation and working right through the years leading up to its third decade. Each fight features a list of objectives that one can complete and the objectives are related to the actual fight itself and what moves the particular wrestler used during that bout. There are also button prompt events known as Wrestlemania Moments that are a retelling of a defining moment in the fight that either turned the tide around in the fight or caused some sort of drama in the ring; an aspect that remains true to the proceedings that occur as seen on TV. The animated crowd adds much to the atmosphere as the wrestlers do and there is variety and enough detail in the crowd that it doesn’t look like a cut and paste job; the little details in the crowd, such as the hand-drawn signs,

Review

he lucrative world of professional wrestling has always been an interesting one, infused with adrenalin pumping action, heart-wrenching drama, and enough cheesy clichéd dialogue to appease 90’s action fanatics. And it has grown considerably through the ages, with each generation of fans fervent in their support for their favourite wrestler, cheering with each win and weeping with each loss – a truly gripping experience. WWE 2K14 seeks to capture the essence of the WWE through the generations, highlighting one of the most iconic events in the industry, Wrestlemania, and it has done a fantastic job at it. The amalgamation of real-life footage, in-game depiction of the event and everything leading up to it, helps create the atmosphere and the tension of Wrestlemania in the main story mode, 30 Years of

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complete the impression. Other than that, the game is pretty much like its predecessors in that the wrestlers movements seem stocky and unnatural as they move about in the ring, the animations seem a bit improbable and things like a table falling apart from a mild throw is unrealistic. The fights themselves do bring out the beauty of the game with a variety of grapples that each fighter can perform. It’s a fun exercise to try and figure out all of the different grapples one can perform, knowing that each one damages a specific part of the opponent. Finisher moves are just as stylish and impressive as the real thing and the OMG moments are the icing on top. The controls are easy enough to understand and it’s less button mashing than it is timing and countering. This makes fighting more of a challenge as countering isn’t

the easiest thing to do and each fighter targets specific areas to attack. These aspects can be the deciding factor between victory and humiliating defeat. A wide roster of fighters is available for use right in the beginning and playing through the Wrestlemania mode unlocks more of them, including the wrestlers of yesteryear. It is also possible to create your very own Super-Star for use in the various game modes, with the option of using existing fighters as templates. The WWE Universe offers some fun match customisation, setting up of rivalries and other little gimmicks that allow you to make the game be exactly what you want. There is also the intense online mode to push players past AI fights and see how they fair on the online leader boards, while levelling up to be the best of the best. WWE 2K14 is a wrestling game of note..g

AT A GLANCE: Fighting

Reviewed on:

Experience the hard-hitting, chair grappling action that has made WWE such a huge phenomenon. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Games Games Games Games Games Local 00

Network 00

Yukes/Visual Concepts 2K Sports Megarom

Parental Advisory

16+ gladget38

Online 00

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

85 67

Wonderbook: Book of Potions

The Reality of Magic Cash-in, gimmick or game?

by Lein Baart

reviews. Now with Book of Potions out just in time for the Christmas rush, once again we are to be sucked into the magically altered world of the Wonderbook. Anything relating to the Harry Potter universe is bound to create a stir among its massive fan base, but Book of Potions goes to considerable lengths to create a worthy addition to the franchise. Like Book of Spells before it, the game transforms the humble Wonderbook into a magical text, a seemingly perfect match for the actual design of the peripheral. It is quite literally the ultimate pop-up book, and the self-awareness that game demonstrates should see you enraptured throughout the eight hours or so of game time. The story, in which you take up the role of a Hogwarts student competing in the Wizarding Schools Potions Championship, all the while aided Zygmunt Budge (the author of the Book of Potions), is a simple, light-hearted tale

Review

ugmented reality has, by and large, been a miss rather than hit affair when it comes to gaming. Despite the appeal of injecting pixels into the world around us, a desire any gamer can relate to, most implementations have been poorly disguised cash-ins designed to ride the hype that any tech like this is bound to produce. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not to say there havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t been some genuine attempts, with relatively recent hardware releases such as the Wii U showing a lot of promise for the future, but mostly augmented reality remains a gimmick rather a genuine alternative method for gaming. The Wonderbook, however, has already proven an exception to the rule. Despite no games releasing for the accessory in almost a year (i.e. the Nintendo marketing approach), both of its launch titles, namely Book of Spells and Diggs Nightcrawler, were met with surprisingly good

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that captures the innocent, enthralling tone of the first Harry Potter book almost perfectly. The narration in particular is excellent, creating an almost fairy-tale atmosphere as Zygmunt alternates between surprised admiration for your accomplishments and smug superiority for his genius. The gameplay though is just as well-designed, and is no small part supported by the excellent visuals the game presents. From the get-go Book of Potions makes fantastic use of the PlayStation Move controller, and will see you use it as wand, a spoon and a knife, to name a few activities. The interaction with the Wonderbook is equally impressive, both in terms of creativity and technology, and small touches such as transforming the book into a cutting board or rotating it to get a different view on a plant all add to the magical reality of the game. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a captivating, intuitive experience, and one that Harry Potter fans of any age will

love. The game is not without its flaws however, but almost all of them are of a technical nature, with most due to the setup required for the PlayStation Eye to operate effectively. Bright lighting is imperative, as the game will quickly lose track of the Wonderbook otherwise, and getting the book into the correct position can be a bit tedious. Once configured though Book of Potions rarely stutters, and it should be a hassle free experience for most of the time. Book of Potions then is a magnificently designed title that should do more than merely entertain your kids (and probably you) for the entirety of its play through. With its uncomplicated gameplay and enchanting atmosphere, this is a game that should in little time become a firm favourite of the family. g

AT A GLANCE: Adventure

Reviewed on:

A title that any Harry Potter fan will love, Book of Potions is a well-crafted, delightful game well worth your time Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Wonderbook: Book of Spells, Diggs Nightcrawler Local

Network

Online

SCEE SCEE Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

7+ gladget38

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PS3 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

83 69

Just Dance 2014

The Crazy Uncle It doesn’t take itself seriously at all…

by Walt Pretorius

experience. The dance routines are often off-the-wall and even strange, where other games might try to emulate whatever is fashionable at the time. Ride your dance partner like a pony? Why not, says Just Dance 2014… as long as it is in the name of good, clean fun. And that’s the key here. Just Dance 2014 is not about getting together with a bunch of other people and trying to out-dance them. It is about getting together with a bunch of other people and dancing like you’ve just had twenty tequila shooters, whether you actually have or not. It’s a game that will leave some feeling embarrassed at their zany antics, but what’s better than being part of an entire group feeling the same way in these situations? It’s the crazy party next door to the dance studio, and it knows it. To this end – this maintenance of fun over anything

Review

f you are keen on becoming a top dancer with moves that rival even the finest stage performers out there, don’t play Just Dance 2014. There are other dancing games that can actually help you improve your dancing skills – Just Dance 2014 doesn’t fall in to that category. But if you’re less worried about looking like a pro and more concerned about having a blast, then you should most certainly consider this latest iteration in Ubisoft’s ever expanding Just Dance franchise. If other dance games are the guys on the dance floor that everyone is impressed by, Just Dance 2014 is the drunk uncle dancing on a table with a lampshade on his head that everyone remembers. This game never gets to the point where it takes itself seriously and, as a result, it leads to players having a fantastic, fun-filled

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else – Just Dance 2014 is a pretty forgiving game. Even if you are a buffoon with two left feet and the grace of an inebriated hippopotamus, you’ll be able to not only enjoy this game, but even progress through it. The game is very forgiving, raising some questions about its tracking and scoring systems. Particularly in the case of the latter, the game is pretty vague on how it assigns score to performances. But the only real concern about scoring is that you can unlock new levels, which needs to be done if you’re really going to enjoy that full, unbridled party experience. In terms of presentation, this iteration sticks to that zany, crazy feel that has permeated the series for a while now. Dancers on screen wear a wide variety of crazy things, and the settings are equally strange at times. With 47 hits spanning almost 4 decades, Just Dance

2014 has something for almost everyone (who enjoys pop music, of course). Artists like Abba, Bob Marley, David Guetta, George Michael, Gloria Gaynor, Lady gaga, Nicki Minaj, Rhianna and Robie Williams provide the soundtrack for the dance party. The visuals add the spice, and the players – who certainly need to be comfortable enough with their egos to stand the risk of making themselves look really foolish in front of their friends – provide the fun. It certainly is not everyone’s cup of tea – no dance game ever is. But even those that take their dancing titles seriously will find the whimsical nature, undemanding game dynamics and almost nonsensical approach of Just Dance 2014 to be outside of their taste range. However, as far as getting a party started goes, there is little that Just Dance 2014 doesn’t have to offer. g

AT A GLANCE: Dancing

Reviewed on:

The series has come a long way, but still hasn’t found a way to take itself seriously... and that may be a good thing. Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Just Dance 3, Dance Central Local

Network

Online

Ubisoft Ubisoft Megarom

Parental Advisory

3+ gladget38

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 X0 PS3 PS4 Wii U PSV 3DS AND iOS

Score

79 71

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