Gladget Magazine June 2013

What does cloud computing mean to you?

Stealing identities in social media netwroks

Head in the Clouds Phishy...

R e vie w s inc luding Eps on, R azer, As us , S ams ung, Belkin and more. . .

Obsession Addictive mobile gaming applications

The Next Angle Samsung’s fresh approach to photography

I S S U E 3 2 / Vo l . 3 June 2013

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Metro: Last Light GRiD 2 Star Trek Soul Sacrafice and more...

Kiddie-Noir Investigating with Diggs Nightcrawler

Race Champion It’s all about speed in GRiD 2

The lives and times of the Last of Us...

Darkness Metro: Last Light is here

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Taking fun seriously!

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Inside 6 From the Editor 8 Did You Know?

Tech-fact snippets for your education...

10 Tshabablabber

Too much disposing?

12 The Expanding Galaxy

Samsung’s Galaxy range explored 18 Gone Fishing

New ways to steal your identity 20 Getting Your Head Around the Cloud

Cloud computing is all the rage...

22 Deceptively Tricky

Mobile games to tax your brains 24 Lookng Back: 1983

Ozzy, MIDI and mobile phones 26 Reviews

Lots of tech to drool over...

Competitions

This Month’s Cover Samsung’s Galaxy range is innovative and powerful.

See our feature on page 12...

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37 Samsung Galaxy Camera 47 Razer SCII Mouse & Keyboard bundle

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Reviews

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Razer Tiamat Elite 7.1 Surround Sound Analog Gaming Headset

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Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook

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Spectre SC II Gaming Mouse & Marauder SC II Gaming Keyboard

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Asus CirectCU Mini GeForce GTX 670 Editor: Katia Taliadoros katia@1337-media.com

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SanDisk Ultra Plus 256GB SSD

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Asus B1M Ultra-Bright Wireless LED Projector

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Samsung Galaxy Camera

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Epson WorkForce M105 Printer

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QYG QEB 1200 External Battery for iPhone / iPod

46 48 50 52

Belkin ScreenCast AV 4 Wireless-to-HDTV Adapter

ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 All-in-One PC and Tablet

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Metro: Last Light (X360)

66

Soul Sacrifice (PSV)

68

Mars War Logs (PC)

70

Star Trek (X360)

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iui BeCool Portable Bluetooth Speaker

GRiD 2 (X360)

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

Competition Entries: competitions@gladgetmag.com

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

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GLADGET Volume 3 Issue 32 June 2013

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.

GAMECCA is published by 1337 MEDIA

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Copyright Š 1337 Media CC 2009 - 2013

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Control...

A

From the Editor

s consumers, we are all researchers looking for the right tools to make our lives easier; if you consider that when we go out to purchase a product, most of us will read the packaging of the different brands, assess the cost, weigh up our pro’s cons and hopefully will make the right choices. Or do we?

We live in a world that is very complex. Existing as we do, we believe that we have control over much in our lives, but do we really?

The countries we live in dictate laws that we have to abide by. Major corporations like Monsanto try to gain control of our food supply. Even our friends and families strip control away from us with their actions, decisions and attitudes. In a world where freedom is so highly valued, we don’t really have much of it.

When we make decisions to acquire new technology and gadgets, we can make choices. But those choices are limited by the thinking of the people that create the products. Many of them

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respond to demands, but many others do not – they only believe that they do, creating items that they think we need, instead of what we actually need.

This disconnected approach can be seen in many examples of technology around the world. Most recently we heard about the new Xbox One from Microsoft.

While it has many good ideas attached to it, it moves away from its core (of gaming) and towards a broader market. But gamers are the ones who were most excited to hear about the product. The result is that Microsoft have alienated a public that was almost guaranteed to buy the Xbox One. Why does this happen? Is it because the people who make the products that we so happily purchase and use have forgotten what it is like to be a consumer?

They don’t have to buy their own products, and so perhaps it is easy for them to forget how it feels to spend hard-earned money on a device that is almost, but not quite, what one

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by Katia Taliadoros

wants.

We have the freedom to choose. We can buy a product, or not. We can choose between one product or another. But these freedoms are not absolute. Rather, they are options.

What the world needs is for consumers to stand together. In the case of the Xbox One, solidarity among consumers would send a very strong message to Microsoft, showing them that we don’t like a dictatorial approach when it comes to how we spend our leisure time.

This kind of solidarity often works. We are seeing more and more people become conscious of their own importance in the universe.

Events like global marches against Monsanto carry a very strong message that are receiving results. But will tech consumers ever stand together in the same way, to show displeasure at being dictated to, at being controlled? We haven’t reached that point yet.

Perhaps someday we will. g

Did You

Know?

1

…that a Yahoo is actually a repulsive person?

Well, technically it is, but not really. FutureSplash Animator was created by designer Jonathan Gay in 1996 as a vector-based animation editor for Gay’s company FutureWave Software. FutureSplash Animator was used back in the day on websites such as Microsoft’s MSN, Fox’s official The Simpsons website, but was bought by Macromedia in 1996, who promptly changed the name to Macromedia Flash. Skip ahead nine years, and the product was turned into the one we know better today - Adobe Flash.

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…that Archie was the first search engine?

The worldwide standard for broadband has been set at 1.2Mb/s through various standards.

This speed was specifically chosen to be labelled as broadband, as it has enough capability to for streaming high definition video, playing online games and sending and receiving large amounts of data. But in South Africa the situation is a little different. The Department of Communications have repeatedly said that the classification of broadband in the country is anything faster than 256Kb/s. This is due to a number of factors, but most importantly the infrastructure for widespread deployment of 1.2Mb/s internet isn’t readily available.

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…that there is a deep side of the web?

Regular

Whether technology users love it or hate it, Comic Sans is one of the most popular fonts around the world. Not only are users committing font-crimes on webpages, presentations and slideshows, but the font is widely used in birthday cards, comic books, restaurant menus and signs. The font was created by former Microsoft font designer Vincent Connare, who also designed Trebuchet and some of other Wingdings. But even the creator is very fond of him own creations, as he once Tweeted that “Comic Sans is the best joke I ever told.”

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Search engines, streaming games and the deep side of the web...

by Charlie Fripp

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…that Cliff Bleszinski worked at Epic Games for 20 years?

Wi-Fi has become one of the most widely used technologies across the world – even in developing nations. It allows users to connect to the internet through a wireless portal no matter where they are – as long as they are connected to the Wi-Fi network and in range. But contrary to popular believe, the word Wi-Fi isn’t an acronym nor does it stand for something.

Phil Belanger, a founding member of the Wi-Fi Alliance, explained that it was just a made-up word. “Wi-Fi doesn’t stand for anything. It is not an acronym. There is no meaning. Wi-Fi and the ying yang style logo were invented by Interbrand, and we asked them to come up with the name and logo that we could use for our interoperability seal and marketing efforts. We needed something that was a little catchier than “IEEE 802.11b Direct Sequence”.

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…that 8.5-million people watched the Xbox One Reveal?

Viewers of popular videos on Youtube might have noticed that sometimes a particular video will have thousands of likes on the site, yet only have 301 views – the number of viewers who actually looked at the video. Well, Youtube sometimes freezes the view count on purpose in an effort to stop fraud and to determine which views are legitimate, and which ones are from bots or people who arrived at the video by accident or baiting. Views on Youtube are seen as a form of online currency, and the more views a video gets, the higher the income for some users.

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…that the PS4 can streaming live games?

Technology truly is amazing. Back in the 1880s, Alexander Graham Bell invented the frontrunner to the telephone that we all know and use today. During the process and while experimenting with different ideas, Bell managed to record his own voice onto a wax disc. Well, that recording has now been retrieved by the Smithsonian Museum in the US, and they played back his original recording. Making use of some clever technology, they created a digital reconstruction of the recording and extracted the sound waves from it. Bell’s voice can now be heard for the first time, 130 years after it was recorded. . g

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Disposable Society Pippa Tshabalala

Tshabablabber

“

I

’m intrigued with our constant need to upgrade to the latest and greatest phones. I remember not even having a cell phone until I was at university, and now, just over a decade later it’s practically an extension of my hand.

I remember the twoyear upgrade, where you counted down the months until you could get a new phone with your contract. Where having more than one phone was unheard of unless you were into some dodgy business and didn’t want some people to contact you directly.

I remember my first cell phone, where the most innovative feature it had was that you could change the faces to different colours. Oh, that and send text messages, which had to be specially enabled by entering in a message centre number.

I progressed slowly but surely to a colour screen, to an amazingly “huge” screen that was probably the resolution of the corner of my Galaxy’s screen. Memory cards for phones? I’m definitely old when I think that once upon a time the thought of having a phone with 16, 32, 64 Gbs of memory would have seemed ludicrous.

Author’s photograph by Adrian Louw

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What could you possibly need that much memory for, do you need to store so many contacts?

How is it that we’ve become so flippant about what is truly an amazing advancement in technology?

And slowly, slowly while phones became more expensive, they also somehow became more disposable. It’s not just phones either. I have friends who think nothing of owning two or even three SIM cards, paying different amounts on each every month to different service providers. There’s the SIM card for the phone, the one for the tablet, the one for the other phone, one is for calls, one for data and so on.

I on the other hand have one SIM card.

Just one. I pay one bill at the end of every month. I briefly flirted with two SIMs, where I used one for my tablet, but I rarely used the data (being connected to WiFi most of the time) and because it was a PayAs-You-Go ultimately it expired. I never bothered to renew it.

I do however have a bit of a fixation with phones. I own no fewer than five, although to be fair I only bought two of them myself. That

said, it’s difficult to justify spending almost R10,000.00 on yet another new phone no matter how much I want to have the latest model.

This is the first time in a long time that I’ve realised I will probably skip a generation of my phone model.

The new features aren’t enough to make me more than momentarily envious, certainly not to outlay so much cash upfront when I have a perfectly functioning phone (indeed more than one) in my pocket.

No, it might not be the latest shape.

No, the screen isn’t a millimetre bigger.

But it makes calls.

It plays games. It sends messages.

It does almost everything this other newer, fancier model does, and it’s almost paid off.

I won’t deny that I do feel a bit of jealousy when I see how excited my friend is about his new Galaxy S4, but I have resigned myself to the fact that I’ll probably just upgrade to the S5 (or equivalent) when that’s released as it will likely coincide with my two-year upgrade. I’m old school like that. g

Interview

Samsung’s role in mobile communications.

The Expan Ga

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nding alaxy Samsung’s Galaxy range of mobile communication devices keeps expanding. And it’s not just smartphones and tablets anymore; now there’s a camera in the mix, too. We spoke to Craige Fleischer, Director of Mobile Communications at Samsung Electronics SA, to get a better view of the range and the philosophies behind it.

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Interview

GM. When we last spoke, it became clear how important South Africa is to Samsung’s mobile strategy. How important is mobile in Samsung’s global business?

CF. Smartphones are some African and South African citizen’s first experience with the Internet. As innovation and competition drives the price of smartphones down, so too does the reality of making the Internet accessible for the masses on our continent.

The smartphone market and demand in Africa is rapidly growing and in turn, the developer ecosystem with it, which enables consumers to access locally relevant content. This is driving application creation, which adds value to the African and South African consumer. At Samsung, this market is critically important and through strategic efforts across the continent, our GALAXY range has gained significant popularity in South Africa.

The portfolio runs from premium smartphones like the GALAXY S4 and Note II to the mass smartphone and feature phone market with phones like the Samsung GALAXY Ace and GALAXY Pocket. The Windows 7 based phone the ATIV S is also gaining large traction with the prosumer and enterprise customer.

GM. Samsung now has numerous devices that address the growing demands of the mobile market.

Is it Samsung’s

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approach to “cover all bases” when it comes to offering consumers a wide variety of choice?

CF. Samsung, as a company, is a leading, innovative technology provider and will always take advantage of this by delivering products to market that enable a Smarter Lifestyle and simpler living. Consumers are looking for products and devices that give them access to live smarter lifestyles and provide an effortless experience that empowers their lives. Samsung’s strategy in this regard is twofold: 1) Yes certainly we are covering all bases – we are providing access to a range of devices at different price points and with different form factors to ensure that we are providing a product for the full consumer market - we realise that Africa and South Africa has a large mobile penetration that comes with varying affordability levels and that we need to make provision for this if we wish to service a large portion of the market, and 2) to increase our eco-system to offer consumers local content that is interesting, relevant and adds real value to consumer lifestyles – no matter what affordability bracket they may fall into. To this end, we are always searching for ways to develop devices/tailored service offerings for consumers and enriching our application/service footprint in partnering with market players and developers who can offer

something different. It is all about meeting every consumer’s needs with products that are aligned to their individual lifestyle requirements.

GM. Smartphones can take care of almost every need that a mobile user has, but Samsung still produces products that are more focussed on specific tasks, like the GALAXY Camera.

What is the thinking behind this approach?

CF. Sure Smartphones are very functional and offer the user a range of features. However, what we find is that some consumers still like to have specific devices for specific functions.

Photography is one such function.

The Samsung GALAXY Camera offers the user professional digital photography with the powerful intelligence of the Android Jelly Bean operating system. In terms of specific camera functionality the GALAXY camera offers bespoke features like; Share Shot Shoot which allows you to share your photos at the same time you shoot them with up to 8 other Wi-Fi direct devices within range, 65 powerful editing features giving users the opportunity to edit professionally with ease and while on-the-go, an ultrafast quad core processor and a 121.2mm (4.77”) HD Super Clear Touch Display - providing access to features like Auto Face Calibration so you can edit in precise detail and with ease.

GM. Does the

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development of products like the GALAXY Camera show a move away from the convergence offered by smartphones, or do these kinds of products appeal to a smaller niche market?

CF. No it certainly does not detract from the convergence offering of smartphones and is very much targeted towards niche markets – those consumers that want more than one device, tailored for the specific needs of the photographer.

GM. Have you found that people “geek out” on mobile devices? For example, will users get multiple devices (like a smartphone, tablet and camera) when one device could cover all the functionality presented by numerous “toys”?

CF. The Market is maturing and people are realising the benefits of bespoke tools, but still want single converged products for when the need arises. We are seeing that Consumers expect a device that integrates with their lifestyle, one that they can use in every aspect of their lives – be it professional or personal.

So while one device could suffice for all requirements, there are definitely many consumers who have more than one device and like it that way! Each device offers a unique interface, functionality and output and as such, there is

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Interview

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certainly a place for more than one device per user.

In fact, we are witnessing that consumers still use their different devices for different things – there is a set way in which people like to communicate and this provides a platform for multi-device per user.

GM. How does the South African market react to devices like the GALAXY Camera?

CF. Combining highperformance photography with the power of the Andriod platform, the GALAXY Camera is truly in a class of its own - A new breed of device.

There has been positive feedback from the market.

This device is focused on a niche segment, and we do not expect large volumes as we would on our flagship products like the GALAXY S4, for example. This is also a new concept which still leaves room for consumer education.

GM. In terms of devices like the GALAXY Camera and Note tablets, are they driving people toward consuming more data in South Africa?

CF. They most certainly do as they are aimed at being social, connected devices. These devices also encourage consumers towards media creation, which is data related. However, this does not mean that it needs to be costly for the consumer. Today, operators offer very competitive pricing deals on data – making it very affordable for the end user. Additionally, with our strategic partnerships with companies like

AlwaysOn and FNB we provide additional data as a value added service to our customers, enabling them to consume more content and explore what it means to live what we at Samsung term The Smarter Life.

GM. Why should users consider getting “specialised devices” like the GALAXY Camera when they have a smartphone at the ready?

CF. We find ourselves in the visual communication era and therefore, require enhanced story telling.

For social media channels photos from smartphones could be sufficient, however, specialised zoom functions are still required when higher quality photographs are needed at long distances.

The Samsung GALAXY Camera won Best Mobile Imaging Device by “redefining the connected camera genre,” as stated by the TIPA judges. As the world’s first android based 3G camera, the GALAXY Camera combines the professional quality of a high end camera and the freedom of 3G/4G and Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to instantly share high quality images with their friends and family.

Furthermore, The GALAXY Camera does more than take great pictures. It also listens very, very well. By tuning in closely to what you are saying, the GALAXY Camera is able to execute your command and when you’re in the gallery, tell it to rotate, delete, and even share your photos. Yes, it really is that smart.

To this end, “specialised devices” such as the GALAXY Camera also bring unique experiences, specific to the devices functionality, and speaks to individual needs and requirements.

GM. Do you think that the future of convergence lies in multiple devices that communicate with each other easily, rather than numerous functions crammed into single devices?

CF. There are two answers to this and that is yes and no. Some consumers still prefer using one device with the key functions and features per device.

They prefer one device that gives them access to live smarter lifestyles and empower their lives.

However, on the other hand - technological convergence is finally being realised with businesses benefitting from the interconnected lifestyle.

Gartner argued that the consumerisation of technology would irrevocably change the business landscape.

People would be expecting the companies they work for to implement things such as instant messaging, video chats, cloud-based email, and online work collaboration tools to mirror what they have become accustomed to as end-users. Further to this Samsung have integrated convergence into people’s homes, where your tablet can speak to your television and washing machine creating a smarter efficient lifestyle.

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GM. We already have phones, tablets, cameras and TVs that connect to the internet… What kinds of connected devices do you believe we will see in the future?

CF. Consumers are looking for devices that give them access on the go and not only to the internet, but also to vital personal data and rich applications to provide an effortless experience that empowers their lives. We are noticing today that consumers are selecting devices not only on the hardware but certainly on the broader value proposition offered by the brand. It is therefore important that brands offer the consumer not only innovative devices but that these devices are supported by solid, locally relevant content and a broader eco-system that enhances their lifestyle. At Samsung for example our devices offer a number of value added propositions such as the Kleek Music Aggregator, 1GIG of free data a month for 12 months, S-Health to manage eating and exercise plans, and of course a range of applications through the Samsung Apps store. Samsung, as a company, is a leading, innovative technology provider and will always take advantage of this by delivering products to the market that enable a Smarter Lifestyle and simpler living.

Any upcoming product launches will be in line with this thinking and will be announced when relevant. g

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by Iwan Pienaar Feature

W

henever people start using something online, there will be malicious users trying to exploit them. Take online banking for example.

Many years ago, when South Africans were still new to transacting online and doing their banking via the internet, a specialist group of hackers focused on getting access to their personal information. This practice, known as phishing, saw confidential information being requested over the internet under false pretences to fraudulently obtain anything from credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal data.

The initial attacks were good and had many people fooled. As banks (and other online shopping sites) started improving their security and educating people on what to look out for, so too did the phishing attacks get more elaborate and more convincing. The good news is that people who are used to transacting online know what to

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look out for and how to spot phishing scams. The bad news is that social media has seen the emergence of a new type of phishing attack.

These are known for experimenting with different fake social media applications in an increasingly desperate move to lure people. Take Facebook for example. You see a cute image of a girl or something funny that tries to get you to ‘Like’ it. Once you click the button, you get prompted for your Facebook login credentials in order to ‘Like’ the photo. After the credentials are entered, the phishing site acknowledges the login and requests you to click another like button. This is generally placed beside a fake number indicating the likes already gained. It is as easy and as malicious as that.

Another example is when malicious users spoof the Facebook login page. In some cases, the page has been poorly written but has the same look and feel as the

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Gone Phishing Exploiting social media

standard Facebook login page. Some spoof sites even cheekily change the Facebook logo mentioning that it is wasting people’s lives. But such is the routine way that people login to their social media pages that they rarely spot these things. Once you login to the fake site, the malicious users have successfully stolen your information.

So what are you supposed to do to avoid falling victim to one of these phishing attacks?

Here are a few tips and tricks to keep in mind: • Never click on suspicious links in email messages; • Do not provide any personal information when responding to an email; • Do not enter your personal information in a pop-up page or window; • Ensure the Web site you are accessing is encrypted with an SSL certificate by looking for the padlock,

“https”, or the green address bar when entering personal or financial information; • Always use security software that protects you from phishing scams and social network scams; and •Exercise caution when clicking on enticing links sent through email or posted on social networks.

Some things that are a dead giveaway for a phishing attack are spelling errors in the login page of a spoofed site or in an email that the malicious users send you. You should also hover over any suspicious links with your mouse and see where they direct you to. Invariably it will point you to a strange URL that is significantly different from the text of the link.

So just as with your online shopping and banking, you need to be extra vigilant when it comes to social media apps. Apply common sense and keep control of your identity online. g

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T

Feature

he internet is a breeding ground for buzzwords, and while many of them come and go, it’s not always easy to distinguish fads from the future. Social media has been a big focus for most internet related software and thinking for a while now, with tweeting, sharing and inviting being a big part of any design that crosses our screens. One buzzword that’s been hanging around for a while is “Cloud”. While many would be forgiven for thinking that the term emerged in the mid-2000’s, along with the concept of Web 2.0, the term actually dates back to the early 50’s and the very beginnings of computing. The terms that we often hear in passing (or see in ads) actually refer to several different ideas, which converge in some interesting (and ultimately awesome) ways.

Getting back to 2004, which is where it got interesting; there was a movement amongst Internet tinkerers to move away from static content towards more dynamic and interactive web experiences, by changing the way we think about the web. In short, they wanted to change the internet from being a data retrieval portal into a platform for social networking, data management and integration between various systems. Having evolved from loading software from growing piles of stiffy discs to compact discs about 10 years earlier (and later DVDs), software developers were already reaching the limits of the available storage media, and also finding using local resources (such as the user’s PC specs and local networks) placed greater limits on their development, while the capabilities of web servers and sophisticated data centres, were becoming vastly improved.

At the time these visionaries came up with these fanciful notions however, there were several barriers to actually implementing these ideas, the most significant of course being the bandwidth capability (and cost) involved, and it took longer than predicted for their plans to come to fruition, only to be met my new challenges on the opposite end. As more online platforms started to emerge, with more sophisticated software, the traditional server infrastructure which had up to then catered for hosting, which was essentially a specialised and very robust computer, was starting to battle to deal with the increasing demand for storage and resources needed to service the growing popularity of online systems.

If online, interactive systems (as opposed to PC based ones) were the first cloud, virtual servers were the second. In the late 90s, companies like VMWare were starting to look into creating new kinds of infrastructure that could surpass fixed physical server architecture for running web platforms. While their first attempts started to get noticed in early 2001, virtual servers really started to gain market share around 2008, with major players like Stock Exchanges moving their services onto Cloud infrastructure.

Essentially, a cloud server doesn’t actually exist.

It’s a virtual machine, created as an instance from the collective resources available on the infrastructure. Many confuse this with Shared

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Hosting platforms, which use a similar methodology.

However, the difference is in the infrastructure itself.

Shared Hosting still uses physical servers, and section off available resources as static packages, including CPU processing, RAM and hard disk space.

Cloud servers use more scalable infrastructure, with a powerful controller which can be upgraded instantly by adding more server infrastructure, often called blades, which can add more RAM, CPU, as well serial or network attached storage space which can be beefed up at any point.

Cloud Virtual Controllers can also dynamically manage resources between the various instances, ensuring that resources can be diverted to where they are most needed, and maximise the potential of the server. This addresses the issue of servers falling over while other physical servers run idle. The benefits of using attached data storage also provides the option of cycling between multiple solid state and serial drives to give the fastest storage access for popular content, while offering large volumes of online archive storage on traditional drives.

The Web has pretty much moved over to this new concept of hosting, with all but the last die-hards who don’t quite trust the trends. With big business bucks (or dreams) on the line, one can imagine how this might seem like a risky endeavour. But that certainly seems to be the new norm for conducting business via the web in the near future. The third cloud is personal, and is the culmination of the integration of both the concept of the first cloud and the practical application of the second.

With most people abandoning their PC and even their laptops for the convenience of tablets and smartphones, data storage on these devices is generally limited. That’s convenient for online based applications, using very little of the devices local resources to operate. But today’s sophisticated, and demanding, users generally have extensive libraries of music, video and communication networks that connect them to their cyber world for both personal and business purposes. Service providers needed to provide a “cloud” which could be accessed anywhere, from any device, which could instantly connect users to their data. As always, companies like Google lead the way, with Gmail and GoogleDocs being at the forefront of this new type of thinking. While GoogleDocs tempted mostly tech fundies back in 2005, by 2012 Google had rebranded the project as GoogleDrive and offered a host of “cloud” based services that were entirely net-driven for personal data storage and services. Other services like Facebook are also moving towards being more online data hubs based on personal user needs. Gaming is fast moving in this direction, with both Sony and Microsoft hinting at new gaming consoles doing away with physical product and using streaming and cloud based services, that not only reduce the need for mass storage, but can be access from any console (or a variety of devices).

So before you dismiss “cloud” as another way to market products like the terms “vitamin enriched” or “toasted tobacco”, it may not be just hot air. g

Getting Your Head

Around The Cloud

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Deceptively Tricky Feature

Three simple games where you think you’re clever... but then it turns out you’re not.

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by Pippa Tshabalala

I

spend rather more time than I would have thought gaming on my phone. No perhaps I’m not playing the latest AAA titles on a 4.8-inch screen, but one of the things I love most about mobile gaming is the simplicity.

I’ve mentioned on a number of occasions that I obsessively download (and then often delete) apps for my phone.

In this case, I’ve managed to discover several games that I’m obsessed with this month (it is completely seasonal of course), and was compelled to share them. So you could benefit too of course. Some of these came about as recommendations from my friends, which is odd because I’m normally the person recommending stuff, but this was unusual enough that it demanded investigation.

First is Candy Crush Saga, a variation on the concept of Bejewelled. It seems straightforward enough at first until you realise that you have limited moves to achieve your goals which vary from level to level. The game is cute and simply, with brightly coloured graphics and a straightforward attractive interface with practically no ads. This has become increasingly important to me!

Anyway, gameplay wise, some levels will require you merely to reach a points target, others will make you clear blocks of jelly from the screen by matching up the candy, or jewels if you want a Bejewelled reference, and exploding them.

Still later levels will mean that you have to lower objects to the ground by getting rid of the candy in the way.

Combine four coloured candies to form special explosive sweets that will clear an entire row when used correctly. Combine two of these special sweets to explode a large area around them, and combine five coloured candies to make a special booster that

will get rid of all the candies of a certain colour on the grid.

It sounds simple, but Candy Crush Saga can get incredibly addictive, compounded by the fact that you also have limited lives. You won’t have to start again, but you’ll either need to buy (with real money) an extra life, or wait around twenty minutes for a new one to generate. I’m not planning on paying money for in-game purchases, so I don’t mind waiting around for a few minutes before I can continue.

Especially when I have games like Zombie Smasher and Blendoku to keep me busy.

Let’s move to Zombie Smasher first. A simple, rather cute little game based on a million other games you’ve seen before, where you have to smash zombies as they move around your screen. These zombies are lightning fast however and you can either smash in order to stop them eating the humans and reaching the bottom of your screen, or you can use special power ups such as electricity and bombs in order to clear large numbers of them at a time.

Obviously if you mistakenly smash any humans yourself you fail the level and must start again. My thumbs very often have a mind of their own when it comes to games like this so I am constantly on edge trying not to smash any humans along the way.

The levels are also randomly generated to an extent, insofar as that the zombies will always come at you in a different pattern, so you can’t get complacent and think you know where the human is going to be this time. Every time a zombie slips through your clutches you lose one of the three lives allocated to you at the beginning of every level.

The levels get increasingly harder, with a large variety of zombie enemies, each with different properties, which

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include burrowing construction zombies and Resident Evil looking zombie dogs.

Lastly, a game that I happened upon by chance (as opposed to a recommendation from a friend), but which I suspect is easier for people like myself who have art training.

That said, it can still be challenging in later levels.

Blendoku. The name is quite obviously a play on Sudoku, but with colours instead of numbers. You must decide where to place coloured squares as they blend from one colour to another. This starts off very simple, blending from light blue to dark blue for example, but it gradually becomes increasingly more difficult as you begin to blend colours in multiple directions, sometimes with no seeming connection between the two.

You also have a certain number of hints which you can use if you’re really stuck, but that can be just as frustrating when the game solves a square that leaves you even more baffled than before. These hints are also in very short supply, so try not to squander them needlessly.

A nice touch is that the game challenges you to better your time, showing the speed at which you completed the level, your best time if you’ve played it more than once, as well as the global average speed.

Those with some kind of art training will see the logic and pattern in it immediately, much like more mathematically minded people like my husband do in Sudoku, but for those of you without might see it more as random coloured squares mocking you. Either way it’s great fun and definitely worth the download.

Blendoku and Candy Crush Saga are available on both iOS and Android, while Zombie Smasher is only available on Android, all of them absolutely free. g

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Looking Back

1

983, as far as world events go, was a rather peaceful year. That’s not to say it wasn’t without its tribulations, with the bombing of the US embassy in Beirut, and the US’ subsequent deployment of missiles in England and West Germany, along with the Able Archer 83 exercise that nearly started a nuclear war. This year saw no major conflicts though (with the exception of the Zimbabwean civil war) and by and large the global community was striving for peace. It was the year that saw Star Wars: Return of the Jedi released, with Ozzy Osbourne, Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd as the soundtrack of the time, pop culture landmarks that endure to this day. Likewise, technology was making critical strides forward that still reverberate today, and that would ultimately shape our very lives.

The first of these innovations was the invention of the MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) standard, which would ultimately change the way the music industry operated. Analog synthesizers, which was the standard prior to MIDI, while allowing

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multiple instruments to connect to each other, were inadequate for the demands placed on them at the time.

Additionally they were usually monophonic and different manufactures’ systems were proprietary, meaning that they were not able to talk to each other. MIDI revolutionised the industry in that it created a standard interface that allowed multiple instruments and devices to be connected to one system, permitting an artist to control various pieces of equipment from just one device.

This year saw the announcement of the GNU Project, and ultimately the start of the open source software movement. The brainchild of Richard Stallman, the GNU (short for GNU’s not Unix) Project has ultimately resulted in the creation of several Linux-based operating systems, of which Ubuntu (developed by Mark Shuttleworth’s company Canonical Ltd.) is a popular choice. While in 1983 no official products were available, the GNU Project has pioneered the way for free software, resulting in applications that extended far beyond operating systems. The term free software also

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1983 The Dawn of the Modern Age

By Lein Baart

has far more connotations than “no-charge” however, and any software published under the GNU General Public Licence allows all users the freedoms to “use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer software.”

In another release that has come to dominate our modern day existence, 1983 saw the release of MultiTool Word, the ancestor of Microsoft Word. Developed

by Charles Simonyi, who had developed Bravo, the first ever GUI word processing system, Multi-Tool Word was initially not as well-liked as other word processing programs, and (ironically) was at one point more popular on the Macintosh than on DOS. One of the major innovations of the year though was the release of the first commercially available cell phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000x. With a size of 33 x 4.5 x 8.9 cm and weighing 793 g the 8000x was a true brick, capable of only 30 minutes of talk time and required 10 hours to charge. While woeful by modern standards, the technology was ground-breaking at the time, and the development of the phone and

supporting infrastructure cost Motorola $100 million.

This investment was more than made up for in the price however, as the 8000x initially retailed for $3995, about $9300 in today’s terms. Despite this Motorola was flooded with orders, with a waiting list of up to six months.

Just as monumental, though not as widely appreciated at the time, was the switch of ARPANET to TCP/IP, creating the network that would ultimately result in the Internet. Originally started by US Department of Defence for use in advanced research, the various university computers linked to ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) communicated through the NCP (Network Control Program) protocol, allowing email, data transfer and voice transmission. NCP soon proved to be unequal to the task however, and on 1 January 1983 (now known as Flag Day) ARPANET switched to the more powerful and flexible Internet Protocol, setting the stage for the greatest communications system known to man. g

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Reviews Highlights 28 Razer Tiamat Elite 7.1 Surround Sound Analog Gaming Headset An audio master!

40 Samsung Galaxy Camera A new way to shoot 46 Belkin ScreenCast AV 4 Wireless-to-HDTV Adapter Kill the cables 52 ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 All-in-One PC and Tablet Really very all-in-one

A

s winter gets colder, the tech scene is getting much hotter. With various expos and reveals taking place, it certainly is an exciting time to be a tech addict.

In this issue we have a good mix for you; ranging from all-inone PCs to a rather nifty camera from Samsung, and including input devices, components and a host of gadgets to make your life easier, and richer.

Go on, you know you want to‌ g

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Razer Tiamat Elite 7.1 Surround Sound Analog Gaming Headset Review

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The Po Mor e

O O

ne of the things that modern entertainment brings us is surround sound. It has proven extremely effective in helping create suspension of disbelief, and proves particularly effective in creating immersion and engagement in video games, the most interactive form of entertainment. So it’s hardly a surprise that ensuring effective audio solutions are available to players of video and PC games is quite a high priority to a number of manufacturers – particularly when we have the ability to create the illusion of surround sound with personal audio devices.

That really is just a long winded way of saying that companies like Razer are going all out to create devices like the Tiamat 7.1 Gaming Headset.

The Tiamat offers the user not only a great audio experience, but striking looks as well. The angular ear cups are fitted with clear sections on their outer sides, allowing the ten audio drivers that the system uses to be visible. The overall look is quite chunky, making it appear that this headset is heavier than it actually is. And, as to be expected, Razer has gone with the contrasting black and green finish that marks so many of their products.

The left ear cup also houses a retractable mic arm, which feature a funky folding design, but is rather short.

Audio is supplied by ten drivers, as mentioned before. These are obviously divided into five per ear cup, and are comprised of a 40mm subwoofer, two 30mm drivers for centre and front sides, and two 20mm drivers for rear and side surround. The end result is rather thrilling, if surround sound is what you’re after.

Audio is delivered to the headset by way of a cable, which passes through a large in-line volume controller. This controller allows for volume adjustment on each of the various channels, as well as changing modes between stereo and surround audio, muting the mic and switching between speaker and headset. It’s a large control, which allows for fine tuning of audio, but does take up a little desk top real estate.

Because it is an analogue system, it interfaces with your PC by way of several 3.5mm jacks, and also requires a free USB port for power. That’s quite a potential cable snarl, but the long braided cable and general layout of the plugs will help mitigate too much mess.

In terms of comfort, the Tiamat is great. The ear pads are generous, and fit over the user’s ear. The headband also has generous padding, which is segmented to allow for even greater comfort.

Razer display a keen understanding of what gamers require yet again with the Tiamat. It certainly is not the cheapest of headset solutions, but the performance is well worth the expense. g

fo

o m r

udi a re

ower of Ten

ence… io excell

by Walt Pretorius

Summary

Tech Specs:

The Tiamat 7.1 Headset sets new standards for surround sound in the personal audio space.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Great sound Precision audio adjustment

10 drivers Independent channel volume 7.1 surround sound Retractable mic Analogue connection

Ra zer Corex www.c orex.xo.za A pprox R2 000

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Short mic arm

Score

95 29

Acer Aspire S7 Ultrabook

No

An Ultrabook that means business

T Review

T

he number one gripe that anyone using a printer regularly has comes down to the often exorbitant cost of replacement ink cartridges. The semi-joke that is cheaper to just replace the printer has some truth to it… in some cases, this would really be cheaper.

While it may seem that the Ultrabook frenzy has died down to a calmer rush (which it kind of has) there are still new products hitting the shelves. One of the companies that is pushing ahead with the concept is Acer, who are doing some pretty things with their Aspire Ultrabooks. The S7 is a great example, as it shows numerous, innovative ideas in a sleek, easy-to-carry package.

But the core of the S7’s experience lies in its touch screen capabilities. Love it or hate it, Windows 8 has put a serious drive into that particular technology, and the Aspire S7 comes to the party with an extremely

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responsive 13.3 inch screen that delivers the full HD 1920x1080 resolution. The result is a smallish screen that is still crisp and clear. It’s a very glossy screen, though, so finger marks are going to be something of a constant viewing accompaniment to S7 users. When opened, the screen can be tilted all the way back. That means that the S7 can lie flat on a surface, which can be quite handy. Sure, it doesn’t swing all the way around (which would effectively transform it into a tablet PC) but the “flat on its back” idea has merit.

Another striking feature of the S7 is its physical size, particularly in terms of thickness when it is closed. At only around 12mm, it really is rather skinny.

When it comes to Ultrabooks, the idea of no optical drive really has been a sore point for us. That said, if it is something you can do without, the S7 offers quite a lot. Under the hood is an Intel chip, available in i5 or

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by Alex Scanlon

i7 flavours. That is supported by a fairly generous 4GB of RAM, which helps the device chug along smoothly.

Graphics are provided by an Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset, while storage comes by way of a slightly diminutive SSD. The SSD can be of a 128GB or 256GB capacity.

On the outside, the S7 is a little reminiscent of an Apple product. It’s sleek and white, accented with brushed silver.

It has a reduced size keyboard (no numpad) and a large track pad. It also offers a multicard reader, 2 USB 3.0 ports, a headphone port and mini-HDMI output.

All this in a package that weighs just over a kilogram and offers a battery life of up to six hours.

As Ultrabooks go, the S7 shows some great features.

It is not a massive workhorse, but then Ultrabooks were never meant to be. It does, however, provide a stylish and effective computing solution for people who are on the go, and are looking for a slim, lightweight device. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

It’s a sleek, skinny and light Ultrabook for people on the go.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Slim Light Quick

Intel CPU 4GB RAM 128 / 256 GB SSD 2 USB 3.0 ports 13.3 inch touch screen

A c er A c er www.a c er.c om TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

More storage space would be nice...

Score

85 31

Review

Spectre Starcraft II Gaming Mouse & Marauder Starcraft II Gaming Keyboard

A A

few weeks ago I was asked to review two products from Razer, the Spectre Starcraft II Gaming Mouse and the Marauder Starcraft II Gaming Keyboard.

I wasn’t too sure if this was a joke, because I specifically remember that Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty was released in July 2010 and these two devices came out a few months later in December 2010.

According to a recent study, one year in the life of a computer should equal approximately 16 human years. This calculation is based on the average lifespan of a human being, which according to this study puts that at 80 years.

The study then estimates that computers and their peripherals start fading after 3 years and are toast after 5 years. Hence the calculation: 5 into 80 = 16 years.

Which would make these two review units 48 years old in human terms. Not too old to be reviewed I guess, but let’s have a closer look at these two middle aged men.

To begin, it would be prudent to note here that these two devices can be bought and used individually, but they do complement each other better together than separately.

They are, after all, specifically Starcraft programmed.

The Spectre Mouse is 5 button mouse which is wonderfully light and, with Zero-acoustic Ultraslick mouse feet, glides effortlessly over any mouse surface. It is sensitive to 5600 DPI and features ultrapolling at 1000Hz / 1ms for increased accuracy and response time.

Additionally the Always-On precision sensor never powers down, thus eliminating any lag on reactivation. The underside also has a three setting switch for button force adjustment.

Customisation is extensive via Razer’s Starcraft II Trifecta Software Control Suite, which allows varied lighting effects with the APM Lighting System, creating macros, assigning buttons or functions and cycling the DPI up and down, all easily managed and accessed through the profile-editor with automatic profile switching.

Complimenting the Spectre is the Marauder Starcraft II Gaming Keyboard.

The keyboard is compact, at 43.5cm across, with illuminated rubberised keys which feel firm and crisp. Like the Spectre, its lighting is customised using the APM reactive lighting system.

A slight downside is that the Marauder is power hungry in that it requires an additional USB connector for its lighting system.

Every key on the board is fully programmable and can be assigned to various recorded macro commands, which can also be recorded on the fly by pressing ALT+FN, type your keystrokes, press ATL+FN again and then press the key you want the macro to be assigned.

Together, this pair are jam-packed with programmable Starcraft II specific features and best used in unison for maximum functionality and enjoyment.

Middle aged they might be, but both still out perform many of the new comers on the block and ultimately it’s the Starcraft game that will determine their longevity… and according to some very old and wise gamers, games do not age. g

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Crafte

ed in the Stars

By Andy Taliadoros

ho W e

ar yo u g

llin ca d?

ol Summary

Tech Specs:

Solid complementary mouse and keyboard performance.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Mouse: 5600 dpi Mouse: 50g acceleration.

Mouse: 5 button Keyboard: Optimised key travel & spacing Keyboard: Ultrapolling Keyboard: Braided 2m Cable

Ra zer TB C www.ra zer.c o.

TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Mouse: Lightweight & Force adjustment Keyboard: Rubberised keys & APM lighting

Cons • • • • •

Mouse: Not ambidextrous Keyboard: Combined keys & No pass through

Score

80 33

The Smaller P

W

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Asus CirectCU Mini GeForce GTX 670 Review

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?

W

hen on thinks of graphics cards, the mind immediately leaps to rather large devices that need to be fitted into your PC case, resplendent with fans and heat sinks. But not all PC cases are the same, and not all PCs are used for the same purposes. Last month we looked at an Asus motherboard for discreet multimedia machines (built into smaller cases, of course) and now we have the perfect graphics card to go along with it.

Also from Asus, the DirectCU Mini GeForce GTX 670 packs a reasonable punch. But what’s more impressive about this particular card is that it is built to be used with ITX cases. It’s just 17mm in length, which is a lot shorter than the majority of graphics cards out there. And it opens up a whole new avenue for smaller PCs – gaming. Not that they can’t do it with on-board solutions provided by ITX motherboards, but with this device plugged in, the prospect is much more enticing and do-able.

In addition to the GTX 670 chipset, this diminutive graphics card sports 2GB of GDDR5 video memory.

That’s pretty impressive when you consider that ‘full size’ graphics cards don’t always offer that much.

With less space for fans and heat sinks, cooling is obviously an issue when it comes to this card.

But thanks to a unique fan design, a surprisingly generous heat sink and the DirectCU technology that Asus uses (now including a custom vapour chamber) the device manages to run a lot cooler than reference models.

The specially designed PCB means that the unit is also cooler from the get-go, and is more power efficient than some other cards available on the market. And it’s also quieter, which once again ties into the idea of a ‘discreet’ computer box.

Another surprise lies in the number of ports that the card sports. It has a DisplayPort, as well as an HDMI output and two DVI ports. But that’s because, while the card is shorter in length, it still has the expected height of a graphics card.

An issue that this particular card faces is that it is built to be used with a form factor that isn’t very common. It is designed for ITX, and that’s where it’ll work. You won’t fit this properly into a more common ATX tower, so it is something of a niche device. That said, it is an important device to have around; there are people out there who are becoming more and more space conscious, and while that move may be a little slower in the South African market, the power and convenience of this card in a global sense are very welcome indeed. g

Picture

by Rob Edwards

Summary

Tech Specs:

This card is designed to be used with an ITX case and, as such, offers an excellent, discreet graphics solution.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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Small Quiet Runs cool

GTX 670 chipset 2GB GDDR5 VRAM 2 x DVI ports DisplayPort HDMI port DirectCU technology

A sus A sus www.a sus.c om TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

ITX only

Score

86 35

Solid!!

SanDisk Ultra Plus 256GB SSD

Faster is always better.

by Alex Scanlon

S Review

S

anDisk are well known for their solid state memory expertise, and so it is small wonder that they should produce very good SSD solutions. SSDs are the new storage hot topic, and SanDisk are right up there with the best.

The only hassle is that SSD capacities are still rather small. This makes them great for boot drives and even gaming devices, but leaves them lacking for general storage. As things stand, you’re not going to find much bigger than this 256GB model.

Still, if it’s the way you want to go, the Ultra Plus is way up there on the must-have list. It ships with a SATA 6 cable and 3.5 inch mounting bracket, too which are both added bonuses.

It terms of performance, like most SSD drives, it’s quick. If you’re looking at this kind of device, this is a fantastic option. g

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Summary

Tech Specs:

If you’re after an SSD, this is a great option.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

Fast Silent Added extras in the box

2.5 inch SATA 6 3.5 inch bracket included SATA 6 cable included

Sa nDisk Sy ntec h www.sy ntec h.c o.za TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

SSD sizes still a little small.

Score

80

one of two

Samsung Galaxy Cameras Courtesy of Samsung Electronics South Africa TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gladgetmag.com Tell us which operating system the Galaxy camera uses Insert Galaxy in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gladget.com Become a fan on Gladget’s Facebook Page Competition closes 30 June 2013. Gladget subscribers only. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC, Samsung Electronics South Africa and Orange Ink. 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 B1M Ultra-Bright Wireless LED Projector

Ultra A cost effective printer?

38

-Bright

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T

Andy Taliadoros

T

here’s a room in my house that I like to call the “gym room”, where gym equipment amassed over the years, albeit through good intentions, has gone to rest.

On rare occasions, when the moon is in the second house of Saturn, I sometimes stop procrastinating and begin to formulate yet another exercise schedule.

This entails going into the room and glancing around at which fortunate piece of equipment would win the prize of getting me back into shape.

Looking around and not being able to decide on which exercise gadget to use, my eyes eventually fell on the large open back wall of the room, it was empty, void of any pictures or paintings; just a big, open, clear, white wall.

“What a perfect space to project an image” I thought and hurried back downstairs to collect Asus’ newly released B1M Ultra-Bright Wireless LED Projector.

The B1M comes in an easy carry bag and has physical dimensions of 175 x 44.5 x 139mm, giving it the approximate footprint of a DVD case.

This, coupled with a weight of just 900g, makes this projector extremely portable.

Although it has various connection options, such as an HDMI port, D-sub and Composite Video, its portability has been greatly advanced by Asus’ Wi-Fi projection technology, which features a small Wi-Fi adapter allowing the B1M to wirelessly connect to a laptops, PCs, Android and iOS devices, thus allowing media to be streamed to the device without the need of cables.

Additionally the B1M features a USB Port and an SD card slot which allows direct projections from a USB storage device or a memory card and has onboard file format support for Microsoft Office documents and PDFs. Its short-throw lens is designed to project large vibrant images with 100% NTSC colour saturation at 1280 x 800 resolution at shorter distances and with a 700 lumen, mercury-free Eco-LED, 30 000-hour lifespan light source operating at low temperatures for instant start up and shut down times, makes the B1M ideal for presenting in small spaces and increases the lifespan of the projector.Its two level kickstand design makes this projector quicker to set up than other screw-adjusted feet projectors and its auto-keystone correction automatically adjusts the projector to ensure a truer rectangular image.

Built into the projector and using Asus’ SonicMaster audio technology are two 2 Watt stereo speakers, ensuring clear sound and negating the use of external speakers.

Asus have once again produced another masterpiece; their integration of high end features in a compact and portable design, with ease of use and near flawless functionality, seems to be a strength that will always keep this company at the forefront of their game.

I would also like to thank Asus for allowing me to find another use for my “gym room” as astrologically I saw somewhere that the moon will only be back in Saturn rising in another three years… so up until then I am thinking... “movie room?” g

Summary

Tech Specs:

Compact portable Wi-Fi projector

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

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0.45’’ DLP display 1.07 Billion colours 4:3 /16:9/16:10 700 lumen LED 30 000 hour life

A sus A sus www.a sus.c om TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Wi-Fi projection technology Long-lasting LED light source Plug & Play multi-format

Cons • • • • •

Not full HD

Score

92 39

Review

A hybrid between photography and sharing…

Shooter Samsung Galaxy Camera

D D

by Walt Pretorius

igital photography has resulted in anyone with a camera shouting about how they are a professional and taking the pics at all and sundry’s weddings. But, elitism aside, digital photography has come far in a short time, and certainly is the future of photographic arts. These days, getting a great camera that can produce massive images of at least good quality with ease is not a difficult task. It comes down, quite realistically, to what else the camera can do.

Samsung’s latest offering has been available for a few months now, and it utilises the ingenious pairing of a capable camera with a mobile device. Using Android’s Jellybean OS, the Samsung Galaxy Camera allows the user to not just take high quality images, but to take advantage of an extremely high degree of connectivity, thanks to a 3G port built into the camera. That means

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the user can take images and share them in a host of ways immediately. And it also means that the user can trim up their photographic experience by downloading apps from the Google Play Store. Instagram can now be used, for example, with a camera that is far, far more capable than the imaging device built into the average smart phone. It’s a camera, editing suite and networked sharing device, all in one.

The Galaxy Camera shoots images that are around 16.3 megapixels in size, which is fairly good for a pocket camera. As a pocket camera, though, it is fairly bulky, thanks to a good lens (that actually moves, which is important) and a generous 4.8 inch LCD display on the back. The 21x zoom means that the lens is the equivalent of a 23 – 483mm lens, in SLR terms.

It comes with 8GB of on-board memory, as well as a MicroSD slot that can handle cards of up to 64GB in size.

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What’s really great about this camera is that it has a host of presets and features that both amateurs and enthusiasts can enjoy. The presets make shooting specific image types easy, while an extremely easy-to-use manual mode (complete with an exposure preview on the screen) makes it good for those that want a bit more control over their images.

The rechargeable battery is good for around 340 shots, or 90 minutes of full HD video recording. It also offers a wide range of aperture and shutter speed settings, as well as a range of ISO ratings that make it capable in almost any conditions.

It is, in short, a great camera, despite the fact that it’s a bit bulky and that the autofocus while recording video sometimes battles with low light conditions. It’s an innovative idea, above all, and one that gets us excited to see what Samsung will think of next. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

The Galaxy Camera is crammed full of good ideas and solid image capturing performance.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

gladget32

Very versatile Great image quality Android OS

3G WiFi 16.3 megapixels 21x zoom 8GB memory 4.8 inch LCD screen Full manual mode

Sa msung Sa msung www.sa msung .c o.za A pprox R5 500

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Low light focussing can be problematic

Score

92 41

Colour

Epson WorkForce M105 Printer

Because you don’t always need it…

W Review

W

e’ve mentioned comparing apples with apples before. That concept is relevant in many cases, including this particular one.

See, to most people, a printer is a printer is a printer.

There are even many journalists out there who avoid doing printer reviews, because they cannot see the difference between one and the other – beyond, perhaps, the most obvious aspects.

But printing isn’t just about sticking paper in one end and getting printed page on the other. There are many factors that come into play when it comes to making a decision for a printing solution.

Sure, they all pretty much do the same thing in the end, but there is the whole matter of economy that does enter into the picture-particularly if you do a lot of printing.

So picking the right device can actually save you a

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lot of money.

If you, for example, need a workplace capable printer to handle fair volume, but only need black and white prints prepared, then this particular model – Epson’s WorkForce M105 – is a sensible solution. Getting colour ink cartridges is not sensible if you don’t need them, even if you only get them once. In fact, it’s starting to look like cartridges, overall, aren’t the best idea. That’s what Epson implies with this particular model. It doesn’t use cartridges. Rather, it has an ink reservoir that is refilled from bottled ink.

A single bottle of ink will yield around 6000 pages of printed material, and the integrated ink tank holds a good amount of ink, so refilling won’t be an everyday thing. Refilling is pretty simple, too, although mishaps can result in messy consequences.

The M105 might come armed with WiFi and cost-

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by Alex Scanlon

cutting ideas, but it is exactly what it claims to be: a printer. There are no bells and whistles here. That also means, on the upside, that it is a bit smaller than the average ‘everything and the kitchen sink’ printer.

So, when you get right down to it, if you need to print in black and white, and want to save some space and money, here’s your solution. It has no frills, really, and it’s operation is extremely simple. That isn’t a bad thing in an office environment, particularly not if the device is going to be shared by a number of people. With a print speed of up to 34 pages per minute, it works well in that kind of environment, because it is pretty quick. It’s also relatively quiet, which helps.

So, comparing apples with apples… for what it offers, the M105 does a great job. But it may not offer everything you need. It does make for a bit of cash saved, if it fits your environment. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

If you don’t need to do colour printing, the M105 makes a lot of sense.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

gladget32

Saves money Easy refill system No frills

Integrated ink tank Monochrome WiFi enabled Up to 34 ppm 1440 x 720 dpi

Epson Epson www.epson.c om A pprox R2 800

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Not everyone’s printing solution

Score

78 43

A Little Extra!

QYG QEB 1200 External Battery for iPhone / iPod

need… ay well r you m al powe addition le bit of That litt

R Review

R

unning out of battery power is one of the least ideal situations for mobile phone users.

Well, thanks to QYC, that may never be a problem again. The QEB 1200 is an external battery pack for iPhone, iPad and other devices that use a similar interface plug. It provides up to four and a half hours additional talk time off of a single charge.

Charging the keyring-shaped external battery will take around 15 hours, and it will hold that charge for up to 120 hours… roughly five days. It even sports an LED indicator that will, at a glance, notify users of its charge status.

The lightweight, convenient device is also extremely easy to use, and can make all the difference at crucial times – even if it means extending the music playback time on your iPod – all in a sturdy, portable package. g

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by Rob Edwards

Summary

Tech Specs:

You’ll need to keep it charged, but it’s extremely handy in a pinch.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

Convenient Easy to use LED charge indicator

1200mAh Li-Polymer battery 15 hour charge time 120 hour standby 4.5 hour talk time 23 hour audio playback 6 hour video playback

QYG Sy ntec h www.sy ntec h.c o.za TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Long charge time

Score

79

by Rob Edwards

No Belkin ScreenCast AV 4 Wireless-to-HDTV Adapter

But still in control…

M Review

M

ost people don’t have a problem displaying a mass of AV devices around their TV. It’s almost like bragging rights. But there might be reasons for not doing that. Space might be an issue, or they may be an OCD-driven desire to get all that clutter (and all those wires) out of site.

If you’re after a cleaner, sleeker looking entertainment area, Belkin have a solution. The ScreenCast AV 4 system allows the user to connect up to four AV devices to a transmitter, which can be positioned up to 30m away from a receiver. The receiver connects to the TV. It really is that simple – no mess, no fuss. Using wireless technology, signals from the AV devices are sent to the receiver, which then displays them on the connected TV. Remotes are taken care of using IR blasters, meaning that the user will still have all the control. It’s a great, no mess, no fuss idea. g

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Summary

Tech Specs:

A great way to combat AV cable clutter, and an effective accompaniment to any AV system.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

No clutter Very effective All remotes still work

Wireless transmitter Wireless receiver Up to 4 AV devices IR blaster 30m range

B elkin Tudortec h www.tudortec h.c o.za A pprox R4 300

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Not ideal for everyone

Score

82

a Razer Spectre Mouse & Marauder Keyboard Bundle!

Courtesy of Razer TO ENTER: Send an email to competitions@gladgetmag.com Tell us which game these devices were designed for Insert Razer in the mail’s subject line Subscribe to www.gladget.com Become a fan on Gladget’s Facebook Page Competition closes 30 June 2013. Gladget subscribers only. South African residents only.

Prizes may not be exchanged for cash. Competition closed to employees (& employee’s family) of 1337 Media CC, Razer and Lime Envelope. 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

Another

Ever expanding options for Samsung fans…

I I

Review

Samsung Galaxy Note 8

nnovation is an awesome thing, but it can lead to a point where the consumer – the intended target of that innovation – becomes confused with a large variety of options. Worst of all is when those options all come from the same manufacturer. This is something that Samsung is, to a degree, guilty of when it comes to their Galaxy range of products. There are so many options available that the consumer gets somewhat paralysed by all the choices.

But this is something that the consumer can mitigate by knowing what they need. There is no need to always buy the biggest and best device – rather, identifying the right device is crucial. And for many, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 may well be the right device.

While this device could be used as a replacement for a Smartphone, that really isn’t where it is aimed. Rather, it is intended to be a multifunctional communication device with a strong leaning towards tablet style usage.

As the name implies, the Note 8 sports an 8 inch multitouch TFT screen with a resolution of 800x 1280 pixels and 16 million colours on display. This screen is large and clear – while it doesn’t offer the size of a 10 inch tablet, it does allow for more space than the average Smartphone. It also reacts to the included S Pen, which slots into the Note 8’s housing quite neatly.

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by Walt Pretorius

…

Galaxy In terms of performance, the Note 8 does a good job.

There are still a couple of niggles that arise with the S Pen, but this is something that Samsung seems to be trimming up with each iteration (and the iterations appear to be coming hard and fast).

Armed with the Adroid Jellybean OS, the Note 8 obviously opens a wide world of useful and entertaining apps to the user. These can obviously be downloaded from the Play Store, as well as Samsung’s dedicated app store. Communication for this – as well as many other functions – comes by way of 3G, with WiFi and Bluetooth connections also available.

At the Note 8’s heart is a brisk quad-core, 1.6GHz CPU, supported by a generous 2GB of RAM. Storage comes in 16 and 32GB varieties, with an option for expanding that by another 64GB with a microSD card.

The Note 8 also has a host of features, including a sensor array (accelerometer, gyro, proximity sensor and compass) and a 5 megapixel camera (that can also shoot video at 720p).

While not as convenient as a Smartphone in terms of portability, it’s smaller-than-average size for a tablet and 338g weight mean that it makes for a good travel companion. The 4600mAh battery also helps, as the standby time on the device is fairly good. g

Summary

Tech Specs:

With a wide variety of Galaxy products available, the Note 8 will certainly meet the specific needs of some users.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

gladget32

Handy size Good screen Good battery life

1.6GHz CPU 2GB RAM 16/32GB storage Up to 64GB microSD support 5mp camera 8 inch screen

Sa msung Sa msung www.sa msung .c om A pprox R6 500

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Some S Pen issues

Score

84 49

A

lish y t s

th audio solution o o t Blue

by Rob Edwards

iui BeCool Portable Bluetooth Speaker

Travel

A Review

A

portable, Bluetooth capable speaker system is becoming something of an essential item, either for sharing music with friends, or conducting hands-free calls and conference calls.

Designed in Germany, iui’s BeCoolPortable Bluetooth Speaker makes for a stylish and effective option in this arena.

First off, it delivers great sound, including a solid level of bass that is complimentary to all kinds of audio. It is controlled by a high-quality multitouch panel built into the top of the funky-looking device, and allows for multipoint connectivity – great for office and home use.

It comes armed with a rechargeable battery that delivers around 10 hours of use, as well as a number of great features – including voice prompting for pairing and battery status.

Overall, it’s one of the better devices of this type around, and combines good performance and reliability with great looks and portability. g

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Summary

Tech Specs:

The BeCool looks good and sounds good – a great portable sound solution, all in all.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

Good sound Easy to use Looks great

Bluetooth Mutlitouch control panel Active pairing Multi-point connectivity Li-ion battery 3.5mm jack input

iui Sy ntec h www.sy ntec h.c o.za A pprox R1 000

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

A little bigger than some other options

Score

80

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Review

Crouching PC

ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 All-in-One PC and Tablet

Hidden Tab Asus beats back opponets...

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F

by Andy Taliadoros

blet

F

ormed in 1989, by four ex-Acer computer engineers, Asus has steadily grown into a dominant force in computer manufacturing and have stood by their branded slogan of “Inspiring Innovation. Persistent Perfection”.

Hailing from Taiwan, a country steeped in tradition and Chinese influence, it is no surprise that this company places great importance on the virtues of their employees and has adopted its own set, called the 5 Asus Virtues: Humility, Integrity, Diligence, Agility and Courage.

This credo, reminiscent of martial art ethics, made me think that if Asus was a form of Kung Fu it would be powerful!

Outmanoeuvring their competitors with speed (nyaaoooo, whoosshh), staggering back their opponents with powerful strikes (bash, bam, bada-bam, kapow), combination defensive blocks (doof, dunnnm, himph) and ultimately delivering the final blow (AAAeeeeeyAAA CRAK!) and walking away into the sunset a little bruised but victorious!

All to be expected with their ‘Iron Fist Shadow Dragon’ technique , hereby represented in this analogy as the ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 All-in-One PC and Tablet.

The Asus Transformer is an All-in-One desktop PC, running Windows 8 (64bit) on an 18.4 inch screen… but it’s not just a screen, it is also a tablet, running the latest generation Android software (Jelly Bean 4.1).

The PC Station contains the entirety of the desktop’s hardware and has a pivoting 30° docking port where the tablet slots in. When docked into the PC Station the tablet acts as the desktop’s display, thus forming the complete all-in-one experience.

Even though we were sceptical of the ability of the PC Station to effectively hold the tablet’s screen, we were pleasantly surprised with the solid build quality and ease of which the detachable display would slide in and out of its docking port.

The PC Station comes in three models with different processing powers and for this review we used the entry level Intel Core i3-3220 processor, running 4GB of RAM. The other two models available are the Intel Core i5-3350P and an Intel Core i7-3770 processor models, which both run 8GB DDR3 1600Mhz ram.

Hard drive space provided is ample at 1TB (up to 2TB SATA) but we would have liked to have seen at least one solid state disk drive for the Windows 8 OS. Graphically, all models run Nvidia’s GeForce GT730M 2GB chip, which handles day to day graphics beautifully, but struggles a bit when playing high end games that require large graphic processing power.

In fairness, it must be said that the Asus Transformer makes no claims at being a

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Asus ROG Tytan CG8890 Review

gaming PC, but is geared to offer a very decent PC experience with the added benefit of an Android tablet device.

The Asus Transformer comes bundled with an Asus aluminium brushed wireless keyboard and mouse combo, both of which are well designed, as would be expected from Asus.

The right side of the PC Station houses one UBB 2.0 port, which is marked for connecting the wireless keyboard and mouse using a USB dongle, and a DVD-RW slot.

On the left one finds a 3-in-1 card reader, four USB 3.0 ports, a microphone jack, a headphone jack and a Kensington lock, with another included on the tablet’s left side as well.

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The underside of the PC Station is fitted with two 3 Watt speakers and, thanks to SonicMaster’s audio technology, the sound is crisp with sufficient bass.

The rear features an ethernet port, an HDMI output port, which comes in handy if your 18.4 inch tablet is being used elsewhere or if you want to use both Windows 8 and Android 4.1 simultaneously, and finally a DC-in for the power supply.

The front of the PC Station is simple enough with a power switch on the right and the centralised docking station for the 18.4 inch tablet.

The tablet’s screen features an IPS display (In-Plane Switching) and boasts a1920x1080 LED-Backlight resolution allowing you to view full 1080p HD movies and the like.

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It also has a broad viewing angle of 178° and a capacitive 10-point multi touch surface. On the front of the screen is a built in 1.0 megapixel camera for taking pictures and recordings, and is primarily used with web based applications like Skype and other video communications.

The tablet is large, weighing in at 2.4 kg with dimensions of 466mm x 18mm x 294mm, which is not exactly portable but it does come with a handle and a kickstand where you can set it up away from the PC Station and use it to play Android games, connect to the web and check emails quickly without having to boot up to a PC. Having such a large display does take its toll on the 38Wh battery life and Asus suggests that five hours

of video playback is possible. Although the battery life is short, one must remember that the tablet’s size limits portability and hence will find itself usually being docked onto the PC Station long enough to keep a decent charge.

The right side is home to the tablets power switch, a volume control, a mini-USB 2.0 port, one Micro SD card slot reader, a 3.5mm 2-in-1 audio jack for headphone and mic and a DC-in power connector, allowing the tablet to be charged without having to be docked.

It also has a dedicated blue button which allows you to effortlessly switch between Windows 8 and Android modes when the tablet is docked. Additionally the tablet’s internal storage can be accessed within Windows 8 which appears as a mass storage device

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Review

Asus ROG Tytan CG8890

and makes it easy to transfer data between the PC and the tablet.

The tablet is also no slouch on hardware: it runs on an Nvidia Tegra 3 Quad-core CPU with 2GB DDR3 1600Mhz of ram and for storage uses 32GB eMMC Flash Storage which can be expanded using the Micro SD card reader.

Both the tablet and the PC Station use 802.11 a/b/g/n for their wireless data networking and both support dual band frequency of 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz. They are also able to network via Bluetooth, with the tablet running Bluetooth V3.0 EDR and the PC Station running Bluetooth V4.0.

The sound on the tablet is pumped out using two 1.5W speakers and at one point were loud enough for me to be scrambling to find the volume control.

In closing, the ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 is essentially a hybrid, composed of two independently strong devices which have a long way to go as far as assimilating into one another.

At the moment their unification is intriguing, all be it unnatural, but Asus have given us a taste of what the future holds for merging different operating systems and utilizing the value of working on a powerful desktop with the ability of portability and I for one love them for it.

Getting back to our Kung Fu analogy, bash, bamm, ba-da-bam, kapow is the sound of me fending off waves of computer geeks trying to get at the last remaining ASUS Transformer AiO P1801 box in the store.

Our Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is in fact Crouching PC, Hidden Tablet.... AAAeeeeeyAAA CRACK! g

Summary

Tech Specs:

An intriguing union of two very powerful devices.

M a nufa c turer Distributer: O nline: RRP:

gladget32

All-in-One Desktop PC & Tablet Runs Windows 8 & Android Solid build quality

PC Station: • Intel Core i3/i5/i7 • GeForce GT730M 2GB. • 1TB to 2TB SATA HDD Tablet : • 18.4inch screen • Tegra 3 quad-core CPU

A sus A sus www.a sus.c om TB C

Pros • • • • •

• • • • • • •

Cons • • • • •

Limited graphics performance No SSD Drive Low tablet battery life

Score

90 57

GRiD 2

All About Speed Whether you need it or not…

by Alex Scanlon

R

proved very popular, and so it was quite surprising that there wasn’t another GRiD title lined up for the race to pole position shortly after.

Those that hoped for Codemaster’s return to the broader, slightly more arcade-like style of Race Driver: GRiD have had their long wait rewarded with the release of GRiD 2. Here is a game that allows player to try a few dozen cars not only along different tracks scattered around the world, but also in a number of street racing disciplines. And it has a story, too.

True, it’s not much of a plot, but it does serve the game well, cobbling the disparate racing disciplines featured in GRiD 2 together quite nicely. The player takes on the role of a figure-head for a new racing league, called ‘World Series Racing’. This is the brainchild of a semi-mysterious wealthy guy who wants to

Review

acing games are always a hotly contested genre for the video game industry. When it comes to street racing – in other words, games that use cars that you might actually see driving by on the street – there are only a few names that stand out.

Microsoft’s Forza sprints immediately to mind, as does Sony’s Gran Turismo franchise. EA’s Need for Speed games have had a spotty record of late, but they are also viable entrants into the genre. These three form an almost unassailable beach-head on the genre.

When it comes to other developers like Codemasters, one generally thinks of games dedicated to specific racing disciplines, like F1 or the DiRT series. However, Codemasters did take on a more diverse racing approach before when they released Race Driver: GRiD several years ago. It

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see all the various street racing types around the globe unified under a single banner. The player’s mission is simple; travel to various regions (first the US, then Europe and then Asia and the Middle East)to drum up support for the fledgling WSR. To do so, the player needs to impress racers at club level, and garner support for WSR. Once enough support has been gathered, a WSR event becomes available in the region.

It’s simple, yet effective. The player gets to take part in numerous race events featuring disciplines like street racing, point to point, touge, drift competitions, checkpoint racing and head to head challenges. In between, the player will get to earn new cars by taking part in manufacturer sponsored showcases, and will also be able to take part in promo events. All of the above help to earn the player the only kind of currency that

GRiD 2 has: fans.

Instead of money, popularity is key here. While other games require the player to earn cash and buy vehicles and upgrades, GRiD 2’s benefactor makes sure that the player has the cars that are needed. New cars will be presented to the player from time to time, with a choice of two vehicles being the norm. Once one has been chosen, the other can invariably be one in an upcoming manufacturer showcase. So, no money needed… Daddy Warbucks supplies you with cars.

The same can be said for upgrades. The cars in the player’s stable cannot be tweaked beyond visual customisation, which may leave some fans feeling flat. But that’s not what is at the heart of GRiD 2.

Rather, this game is about driving really, really fast, and participating in a wide variety of events. Even the car

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Graphically, GRiD 2 is a treat. The repetition one would expect from the tracks – particularly in terms of décor and spectators – is minimal. The tracks come across as lively and are fairly high in terms of detail, although the impression of speed is such that the details tend to be blurs. Rather, the player will be impressed with the fact that the game manages to capture the essence of the settings. Blasting down the road with the Eiffel Tower looming in the distance is quite a treat, and each area manages to deliver a different look and feel to the title. Add to this the fact that the player will see birds flying overhead, or a paper blown in the breeze (all those little details, really) and the racing arenas used in GRiD 2 come alive.

The cars look great, too, with excellent modelling and lighting effects. A decent damage model is also in

Review

roster is much smaller than one would expect from a game of this type, totalling a few dozen rather than a few hundred. This allows for more focus, and for the player to get more familiar with specific vehicles; an important thing, considering the variety of events.

So if you’re not racing for cash, or a massive stable of cars, what’s the point? Well, quite simply, the thrill of it. GRiD 2 is all about getting your car through the event as fast and skilfully as possible, and pulling a 100 metre drift through a long curve on a course before snapping out and blasting down a straight is undeniably thrilling. This is one of the aspects that leans GRiD 2 more towards an arcade racer than a nuts-and-bolts simulator; there are no nuts and bolts.

Rather, it’s about a more focussed group of cars, and what driving them might feel like.

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place, not just in terms of looks, but also driving effects.

On the downside, GRiD 2 features a fixed camera – no bumper of hood cam here, folks. But the cars look and sound so good that being outside of the vehicle isn’t too much of a problem.

Visual effects, particularly during crashes, are also of a high quality, as are the sounds that the player will hear from the cars and from around the various tracks.

Speaking of driving, GRiD 2 can be a little unforgiving. Once you get used to the way particular cars handle you should be fine, but you may spend a little time trying things out and rewinding sections of the race that didn’t go your way. With varied disciplines, this can get even trickier. And, just to add a fun mix up to the whole affair, Codemasters have included an idea called LiveRoutes: dynamically changing tracks that

alter the race while the player is barrelling along. You’re not going to see sections shifting in the distance, but passing a section a second time may result in different turns and challenges. This means you’ll need to be on your toes during these events. There are also no driving assists, although the game has a number of difficulty levels and damage effects can be turned on or off.

Whether GRiD 2 will challenge the really big names remains to be seem. What we can say, however, is that Codemasters have produced a racing game that is, above all, fun to play. The cars feel good and the tracks are entertaining. Those that like tinkering under the hood of their vehicles will certainly need to look elsewhere, but for players who simply want to experience the thrill of driving fast, GRiD 2 has a lot to offer. g

AT A GLANCE: Racing

Reviewed on:

With heavy leanings towards the arcade side of things, GRiD 2 is more about driving fast than about tweaking cars.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Need for Speed, Forza, Gran Turismo Local

2

Network

Online 12

Codemasters Codemasters Megarom

Parental Advisory

3+ gladget32

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

X360 Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

80 61

Metro: Last Light

Doom and Gloom Putting the ‘dys’ in dystopian…

by Walt Pretorius

T

based on a best-selling novel by Dmitry Glukhovsy. This new work is inspired by that same novel and once again puts the player in the shoes of the near-mute Artyom, the hero of 2033. As the game kicks off, we learn that his actions in 2033 have seen him elevated to the status of Ranger, working with the Spartan Order. This group holds no affiliations to any of the Metro political movements, but rather acts as a self-appointed security detail, trying to keep the Metro safe. Soon, though, new threats to the people of the Metro see Artyom hurtling along a path that leads him to uncovering a terrible conspiracy.

Unlike most shooters out there, Last Light is very reliant on its plot. The story is not complex at all – in fact, it gets rather predictable and a little pedantic towards the end. But it is refreshing to see a first-person

Review

he fate of Metro: Last Light was something that a number of people wondered about when the news of THQ closing its doors came up.

However, that publisher’s IPs were snapped up by numerous other publishers; Last Light went to Deep Silver, which allowed it to be released pretty much on schedule.

The game takes us back to the devastated world of Moscow after a nuclear holocaust. Survivors of the disaster have found refuge in the dank, deep and dark tunnels of what was once the Moscow Metro. Here they fight to exist amid crime, corruption, violence and political rivalries. It’s a miserable place to be, and developers 4A manage to capture that feeling beautifully. But we’ll get to more of that a bit later.

The original title in the series – Metro 2033 – was

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shooter that isn’t all about headshots and killing hordes of enemies. The story, simple as it is, is central to the experience.

This means that Last Light doesn’t play out like other shooters. There are a lot of scripted events, and the game is extremely linear. A single play-through is likely all that you will get to, unless you are a massive fan.

Additionally, Last Light needs the player to pay attention – not just during combat sessions, but also during the often protracted cut-scenes. In fact, even walking around a corner may have the player happen upon a conversation that is vital to the plot, or helps further the idea of life in this dystopian future.

That play style does exclude all those players who are just after unbridled action… and there are a lot of them.

There are long stretches in this game where dialogue is

the only thing going on, and as much as this drives the plot forward, it may not sit well with some.

Speaking of dialogue, one could be excused for thinking that the voice acting is a bit poor in Last Light.

But all of the actors are native Russian speakers, bringing even more authenticity to the game through heavy accents and often strange pronunciations. This authenticity is furthered by excellent character models.

The devil is in the details; whether you’re encountering a political leader, an underground fisherman or a stripper offering you a lap-dance, all the characters in Last Light are memorable. There is some repetition in character models, but this does tend to be in the case of uniformed enemies and mutants that the player needs to fight off.

Graphically, the game is pretty decent overall. The PC version is the strongest in terms of visuals, with some

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Because of this, the game doesn’t really go through a difficulty curve, but rather peaks and troughs. It’s more realistic, really, adding a somewhat organic feel to the game’s progression. The player’s weapons are the same scratch-build type of items from the previous game, and ammo is a commodity. So much so that high grade military rounds are treated as currency. They can also be used to add a little more damage to the player’s attacks, but the game never gets that tough that you will be spending your money on killing bad guys rather than buying useful stuff.

Another aspect of the game is going outdoors. Artyom will need a gas mask and air filters to do so, as well as to access certain hazardous areas in the Metro itself. This is the same as the previous game, but Last Light tends to be more generous with air filters, meaning that the

Review

weak textures showing up in the console versions.

However, the lighting effects – which are core in a game that often dumps the player into very dark areas – are excellent.

The overall play dynamic of the game feels, at times, rather chaotic. Combat sequences can have the player either stealthing around in the dark, or running in guns blazing. Both will work, because the enemy AI is not the greatest. It is better than that of 2033, but it still leaves a bit to be desired. Mutant enemies tend to swarm the player, resulting in intense fire-fights. While ammo can be scarce, the player who takes the time to gather up resources will likely never run out of bullets and makeshift grenades, particularly if they do a little exploring in the limited number of areas that allow them to do so.

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time constraint on missions is lessened. That said, the claustrophobic tunnels of the Metro are easier to deal with in combat situations, because to you know more or less which direction trouble will be coming from.

With a cast of memorable characters, unique weapons (including an awesome four-barrelled shotgun) and a heavy dependence on the narrative, Metro: Last Light is a fairly unique title. And as is so often the case with unique titles, it will have a smaller following than the next iteration of any given copy-and-paste military shooter. It’s lack of multiplayer and linear delivery will limit replay value, although Ranger mode (which is available as a download) can allow for a tougher second experience, should the player choose to re-experience the tale.

Even with just a single play-through, Last Light stands

as a good example of how a story can be told in a firstperson shooter. The pacing isn’t break-neck, and the combat sessions tend to be smaller – more personal, even – than what we generally get. Both of these are refreshing aspects to the game, making it stand out in the crowd. Sure, not everyone’s going to love it, but for those who want to play a game to be entertained, rather than earning kill-ratio bragging rights, Metro: Last Light is a great option. Having played the original helps, but it isn’t essential… the story here is interesting enough for it to stand on its own two feet.

Moving away from the norms of first-person shooters is a fairly bold move for 4A games to make, but they have a story that they want to tell, and experiencing the tale of Artyom’s second set of adventures in the Moscow Metro is worth the effort. g

AT A GLANCE: First-person shooter

Reviewed on:

X360

It’s not a thrill-a-minute game... rather, Last Light relies heavily on setting and narrative to tell a tale.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Metro: 2033, Deus Ex: Human Revolution Local

1

Network

Online

0

4A Games Deep Silver Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory

18+ gladget32

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

80 65

Soul Sacrifice

Read the Book!

It holds all the answers…

by Rob Edwards

W

will need to experience the history contained within. The book allows the player to visit periods in history to hone their skills, visiting past events to become a powerful mage. That’s the core of what Soul Sacrifice offers, and it can be great fun.

The title is typical of the Western approach to roleplaying video games, so the player will spend quite a bit of time grinding. That said, it manages to keep things in bite-sized chunks, which is perfect for the Vita platform.

While grinding, the player will run into the same enemies over and over again, and will revisit maps that have already been experienced. This really is Soul Sacrifice’s biggest problem – it can become a little repetitive.

But amid that repetition is a robust system of upgrades and tweaks that any role-playing fan will love. The game is heavily customisation driven, and the player will be

Review

hen a platform doesn’t see many game releases, that could be cause for concern.

But Sony are far from giving up on the flagging fortunes of the PS Vita. In fact, the PS4 may do quite a bit to revitalise the Vita. And games like Soul Sacrifice will do their bit, too.

Soul Sacrifice is not a perfect game, but is as close to perfect as you can get if you’re a Vita owner looking for a deep and engaging RPG experience.

The title kicks off with the player’s character trapped in a hellish prison cell, awaiting execution. The only way to get out is to follow the instructions and teachings of a sentient book, named Librom. Librom forms the core of the experience; all missions, lore and other information are contained within its pages.

In order to learn what Librom has to share, the player

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able to lose themselves in the legends and lore as they seek ways to improve their character.

In addition, the game allows the player to take on the right kind of approach for their tastes. The player is equally able to engage in up-close combat or long distance spell slinging, and various items (including spells) can be upgraded and customised.

And just because Soul Sacrifice is on a hand-help platform doesn’t mean that the player won’t be faced with a few difficult choices. Levelling up, for example, has the player choose between improving health or magical force. It’s a simple system, but one that has consequences. Using certain attacks may have consequences, too, so the player will have to not just wade through armies of enemies, but will also have to think about how they do it.

For a game this ambitious on the Vita, it is surprisingly lacking in issues. The camera can be a pain at times, and the combat all takes place on a flat plain – there is no verticality in this title. But neither of these are things that ruin what can be a truly deep and engrossing experience.

Surprisingly, Soul Sacrifice doesn’t go crazy with the Vita’s control capabilities. The player will mostly use the external buttons, with an occasional need to use the front touch screen. That’s about it. It doesn’t lessen the experience, though; rather, Soul Sacrifice feels like a game that flows smoothly, instead of one that tries to show off funky control implementations.

If you’re in to the idea of working your character towards a goal, don’t mind grinding and own a PS Vita, this is one that holds a lot of appeal. g

AT A GLANCE: CRPG

Reviewed on:

A great addition to the Vita line-up, with some really engaging elements Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Monster Hunter Local

1

Network

Online

2

Japan Studio SCEE Ster Kinekor

Parental Advisory

16+ gladget32

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

PSV Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

79 67

Mars War Logs

Slogging Through Potential scuppered by a low budget?

by Walt Pretorius

R

the transport.

The guy telling the story is called Innocence. It’s the first of many names themed along virtues in War Logs, although Innocence is likely the only one you’ll meet that lives up to his name. Shortly after arriving at the prison, he is sent to have a sand shower (because water, y’know, and Mars…). In the wash room he is accosted by a portly gentleman who seems keen on making Innocence into his love-slave. It’s at that point that the player is introduced to the character that they will control through the course of the game: Roy. Yes, Roy. Roy is the typical quiet guy who has many secrets, and who is the biggest bad-ass in a world full of badasses. He rescues Innocence, obviously, and the tale begins.

Review

GP games set in a bleak sci-fi setting are always popular, but that popularity (translated as success in terms of making the cash back that was spent to make the game in the first place) is never guaranteed. Even, as seems to be the case with Mars War Logs, when that budget wasn’t all that high to begin with.

It is easy to spot a low-budget movie, and many of the elements that you might expect to see in one of those crop up in this futuristic role-player, set on the war-battered planet Mars. The game kicks off clumsily, with a long narrated section explaining what’s going on. But instead of showing scenes that would support the spoken words, the player is treated to multiple angles of prisoners being shipped off to a prison camp. And all of them are inside of

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Mars War Logs limps through its weak plot, relying on anecdotal information and side quests far more than it should. Instead of having a strong narrative, the game relies on side quests and disparate pieces of information relating to the setting to try and spin a tale.

Visually, the game has its moments, but it’s here (and in the almost hilariously bad voice acting) that the assumed budgetary constraints show up. It looks ok, but it lacks that extra something. The game starts off fairly strong, but soon devolves into being lacklustre… even feeling rushed.

In fact, the only area in which this often plodding game shines is in the combat. It’s mostly melee combat, and the player can customise weapons with gathered parts and scraps – always a fun idea. But the

combat can also be laughably difficult, and the player will likely spend more time having Roy dodge than hit things. So maybe shine is the wrong word. The combat is fun, but there are better ways to handle things.

When you get right down to it, Mars War Logs lacks all the elements that would make it a great game. But, and it’s a big but, it has potential. Sure, they’re not going to magically fix what’s wrong here, but future projects from the same developer may well improve.

For now, though, Mars War Logs is a good effort, but it misses too many marks. A little spit and polish, a better script and numerous tweaks would have resulted in a game that could be compared favourably to greats like Mass Effect. But those added extras just weren’t implemented, leaving Mars War Logs feeling decidedly B-grade. g

AT A GLANCE: Genre:

CRPG

Reviewed on:

PC

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Mass Effect Local

1

Network

Online

0

Spiders Focus Home Entertainment Apex Interactive

Parental Advisory

16+ gladget32

0

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Mars War Logs shows lots of unrealised potential... maybe a bigger budget would have saved it?

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

55 69

Star Trek

Set Phasers to Dumb Is it possible to Nerve Pinch oneself?

by Charlie Fripp

O

in the gameplay no matter what character they prefer, apart from a few weapons.

It’s very disappointing, as there is no replay value, but on the up side, the game also features the ability for players to drop-in and out of the gameplay, which allows two players to complete the same game as co-op partners.

It does make the missions a bit easier, and it’s always fun to play with a friend.

As players progress through the missions, they will gain XP points, which can then be used to upgrade a number of things (such as weapons and abilities) throughout the title. While it’s not absolutely compulsory to do so, it does make things slightly easier.

Whether players opt for Kirk or Spock, each one will have their own abilities, as Spock often makes use of Star Trek staples the Vulcan nerve pinch and mind meld, while

Review

ver the years, Star Trek has always been one of those franchises that you can rely on for some great action and a gazillion cool intergalactic toys. But as the video game adaptation proves, it’s not always the case when it comes to electronic entertainment.

The latest Star Trek title, which is released alongside the new film Into Darkness, takes place between the timeline of the two current reboots of the franchise films. But while the Star Trek universe is ever-expanding, it seems as though the design was skimped on a little bit in the one.

At the start of the title, players will have to choose if they would like to play as Capt. Kirk or Spock, which is pretty cool by anybody’s standards, but that’s where the niggles start to creep in. There is actually no difference

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Kirk takes a more direct, shooter approach.

It’s also great to see that the actual actors from the films have signed up for their likeness and voices to be used in the titles, as it just makes the game is bit more believable. With varying degrees of accurateness, the entire cast can be seen in their digital transformations.

And while the film’s actors agreed to have their voices cast in the game, it feels forced and unnatural. There are many instances where players will realise that the actors are reading from a script – which ruins the experience.

In terms of graphics, it seem almost dated, with screentearing and glitches ruining the fluidity of what could have been a good game. Graphics are the first thing that gamers notice, and if there look like they have been lifted out of a game from 2009, it doesn’t bode well for anybody.

The graphics are incredibly below par, and developer

Digital Extremes could have done a much better job at convincing the audience of the authentication of the franchise.

The gameplay also leave a lot to be desired, as it doesn’t run as smooth as it should. A number of very cheap deaths will await players, as the characters sometimes just don’t move as expected, or objects will get in the way of a clean getaway.

Star Trek has to be one of the most disappointing titles of the year so far, and while the title had a lot of potential, the nagging glitches, poor graphics and sloppy gameplay drags it down.

The title would have been fantastic if Digital Extremes adopted a RPG-like Mass Effect approach, where players fully embodied the role of Kirk or Spock, and had fight their way through a free-roam universe. g

AT A GLANCE: Action Adventure

Reviewed on:

X360

It’s rather disappointing that the Star Trek franchise has been reduced to this.

Similar to: MaxPlayers Developer: Publisher: Distributer:

Army of Two Local

2

Network

Online

2

Digital Extremes Namco Bandai Games Megarom

Parental Advisory

16+ gladget32

2

Violence Language Sex Drug Use Prejudice

Accessibility Hard-Core Medium Casual

Platforms

Genre:

PC X360 Kinect

PS3 Move

Wii U Wii PSV 3DS DS

Score

51 71

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