January 2013
Free Broadband Google gives away the internet PLUS! Get gigabytes of ADSL for nothing
St i on ll R 1 ly
4 .9
Goodbye 2012
Try something
New!
13 things to do in 2013 that you won’t have done before
5!
PLUS: iPhone 5 vs Galaxy SIII Which phone is right for you?
Back to School
Guide to the best teaching tech
iTunes is here! Apple’s music and video store is finally in South Africa – full details and how to use it inside... R14.95 incl. VAT
Reviewed: Far Cry 3 Samsung Galaxy Note 2 ASUS Vivo Tab RT New Super Mario Bros U
Ultimate Portability.
Ultimate Power.
Sony recommends Windows® 7.
Sony VAIO range available at Incredible Connection
VPC-Z227 “Beyond the Ultimate” • • • • • •
VPC-SB38 “Power wherever you need it” • • • • •
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit Intel® Core™ i7-2640M Processor 2.80 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.50 GHz 750GB HDD 4GB RAM 13.3” Led Backlit Display
Works the way you want.
Windows 7 Pro 64-bit Intel® Core™ i7-2640M Processor 2.80 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.50 GHz 256GB SSD 8GB RAM 13.1” Full HD Led Backlit Display Includes Power Media Dock with Blu-ray, and high speed graphic support
VPC-F237 “Dive into 3D” • • • • •
VPC-EH Series “Power and Simplicity” • • • • •
Up to Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Up to Intel® Core™ i5-2450M Processor 2.50 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.10 GHz 500GB HDD 4GB RAM 15.5” LCD Display
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit Intel® Core™ i7-2860QM Processor 2.50 GHz with Turbo Boost up to 3.60 GHz 640GB HDD 8GB RAM 16” Full HD 3D Led Backlit Display
VPC-YB Series “Mobility to take you places” • • • • •
Windows 7 Home Basic 32-bit AMD Dual-Core Processor E-450 (1.6 GHz) 320GB 2GB RAM 11.6” LCD Display
www.sony.co.za/vaio
www.connectmag.co.za
issue #45
JANUARY 2013
4
14
FEATURES
14
Try something new! 13 (nearly) free things to do in 2013 that you won’t have done before
21
What is... UltraHD? The new cinematic standard for living room TVs
HOW TO
58
iTunes is here! Apple’s music store is in South Africa - full details and how to use it
62
Edit, Print & Share your festive photos Send us your best shots and win
21 58 2 | connect | january 2013
62
46 49
REGULARS 04 06 13 69 72
Editor’s Letter Get Connected Tech Jargon Tamsin the Tech Tannie Next Month
HARDWARE
51
23 24 26 35 38 40
Into Previews Reviews Group Test Back to School Components
GAMING 43 44 46 50 54 56
Intro News Previews Reviews Round Up WiiU Special
53 54 www.connectmag.co.za | 3
ed’s note
o t k Bac ont fr O
ne of the worst cliches in publishing is that tired old mantra ‘New Year, New You’. Which is why we’re kicking off 2013 with something slightly different ‘New Year, New Us’. Or at least ‘new year, slightly rearranged us’. I’m moving from the back of the mag to the front, and taking over editing responsibilities from Tiana – who’s moving on to an exciting new project that is currently top secret, or at least too long to explain here. Fortunately, Tiana isn’t leaving us entirely: she’s going to carry on looking after our games section – including a round up of every single Wii U game released so far on page 56. Then she brings us news of Maxis’ latest SimCity – where she’s been checking out real estate – and the awesome Far Cry 3 is reviewed too. Deon is still doing what Deon does best, which is taking apart all the latest kit and gadgets and making sure they work properly. When they don’t, they incur his wrath, but when they do he’s happy to recommend them in his hardware reviews section. This month, keep an eye open for Apple’s astonishing iPad mini and ASUS’ Windows RT triumph, the Vivi Tab RT. And me? I’m making a few changes around here. Starting with a brand new ‘How to’ section at the back of the mag – which we’re calling ‘The Workshop’ (page 64) – and a massive giveaway (page 66) of photography gear to celebrate its birth. When I’m not listening to music on iTunes, that is. Whaddyamean you didn’t know it was here yet? Go to page 58 and check it out now. Adam Oxford EDITOR
PUBLISHER Brett Haggard brett@connectmag.co.za EDITOR Adam Oxford adam@connectmag.co.za HARDWARE Deon du Plessis EDITOR deon@connectmag.co.za GAMING Tiana Cline EDITOR tiana@connectmag.co.za
TECHNOLOGY Christo van Gemert EDITOR christo@connectmag.co.za ART DIRECTOR Jason Palmer jason@connectmag.co.za Junior Designer Jessica Hurwitz jess@connectmag.co.za CONTRIBUTORS Tamsin Mackay
SUBSCRIPTIONS subscriptions@connectmag.co.za ADVERTISING Dorothy Haggard dorothy@connectmag.co.za
Connect is a joint venture between Hypertext Media Communications and Incredible Connection
Contact Hypertext Media Communications (011) 023-8001/4 info@hypertext.co.za FAX 08654 83304
A4_M
Memory Card Range
www.verbatim.com Verbatim is part of the Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Group
A4_MemoryCardRange_Advert_SA_Oct12.indd 1
22/10/2012 15:30
GetConnected The technology news you need to know
Use the internet for free! Imagine a world where accessing information is free, even when using the most basic handsets.
O
ne of the biggest problems South Africa faces when it comes to joining the modern, digital world is the cost of bandwidth. While our European, Asian and American counterparts are often able to receive unlimited digital downloads at upwards of 60Mbps for less than the price of an old media DVD, we’d need a second and third job just to get access to more than a gig or two a month. So hurrah, then, for Google. The search giant has opened up a new service in developing nations across the world called ‘Free Zone’, which is available in South Africa now and does exactly what its name suggests. Accessing Google services via your mobile handset is now free. That means you can check your mail, chat on Google + and even run a Google search without paying a cent for the data involved. The catch is that Free Zone is only available on Telkom’s 8ta for the time being, but it’s still a spectacularly magnanimous gesture on the part of Google. Many would argue that this is simply a ploy to get more people to use Google’s services, but since Google is in the business of providing information, there’s really no harm in that. If anything, it will be encouraging a huge portion of the population that would never otherwise access the web, even though they have a basic mobile phone, to do so. The stats back it up, too: more than 90% of the country’s Internet users access the Web wirelessly, using 3G or mobile data.
6 | connect | January 2013
It’s also worth mentioning that Free Zone isn’t just a perk for wealthy smartphone owners. It’s about encouraging more people to get online and take advantage of all the benefits being networked offers. The entire system works on even the most basic handset, as long as it has GPRS access and a web browser. Meanwhile, 8ta subscribers can already use their mobile device to access the Google Free Zone (http:// freezone.google.com). Any web traffic going through this portal is zero-rated, which means it won’t count towards your data cap. From the Free Zone portal, users will be able to access Google search, the Google+ social network, and Google’s e-mail offering, Gmail. Initiating a search is free, and clicking on a link from the search results page is also free. Clicking another link after that will see users warned that they’ll incur data charges. Gmail access is completely free, as is access to Google+, with the exception of video chats and hangouts. There’s a few teething problems with some phone models, but it’s a promising start none the less. This isn’t the first initiative of its kind. In northern Africa, cellular operators abroad have teamed up with Facebook and Wikipedia to offer similar zero-rated access to those sites’ services. And for those with an ADSL line, there’s also hope. Local ISP Vox has launched a new Wildfire product for gamers. The ISP promises high-performance bandwidth for online games, and is giving away a free 40GB data voucher with the purchase of certain Xbox 360 and PlayStation games. Combined with First National Bank’s offer of up to 5GB free ADSL data for account holders, the idea of free Internet access doesn’t seem like that much of a fantasy after all.
Better map apps for Apple?
After the many controversies surrounding Apple’s Maps launch, it should come as no surprise that the head of the department responsible has finally been sacked. Apple ditched Google Maps unceremoniously from its latest iOS 6 update, only to discover that its own Maps app wasn’t anywhere near as comprehensive or good. Nokia has spotted an opening, though. The Finnish company has launched HERE Maps for iPhone, bringing its well-regarded navigational aid to Apple’s handsets for free. http://bit.ly/XSsyw9
Follow that cab (for free WiFi)
Keeping with the theme of free things – and specifically free bandwidth – taxis in Gauteng, Cape Town and Durban are being turned into mobile hotspots, so that passengers can browse the web for free on their phones and laptops while sitting in the back. Sponsored by 8ta, the fleet of cabs will be equipped with 3G routers for their passenger’s high-tech comfort. There are about 350 vehicles in a fleet, so if you see one parked nearby, see if you can log on and connect.
www.connectmag.co.za | 7
get connected
LG slicing up Key Lime Pie?
Korean company LG may be living somewhat in its national rival Samsung’s shadow at the moment, but word is it has a new phone in the works that could change that. The Optimus G2 is said to feature the next version of Google’s Android operating system, codenamed Key Lime Pie, and comes with a 1 080p HD screen and a 2GHz quad-core processor. The bad news is it isn’t likely to make an appearance until May.
Mobile broadband gets a speed boost LTE is here, which means fast mobile Internet at no extra charge.
T
hink your swanky 3G modem is the bee’s patella? Prepare to be bombarded by bits beamed fast from a mobile mast near you. Long Term Evolution – aka LTE – is here, and it’s going to blow you away. We’ve been hearing about this revolutionary technology for some time now, but it still came as a surprise when Vodacom launched the country’s first commercial LTE network in October. It was even more surprising when the company announced that customers with LTE-compatible phones (and there aren’t many) would have access to superfast broadband at no extra charge over 3G data bundles. The other networks were quick to catch up, and both MTN and Cell C have now also turned on LTE transceivers.
What is it? LTE uses a similar transmission technology to 3G services, broadcast at higher frequencies for faster speeds. While 3G and HSDPA are capable of delivering data at speeds up to 42Mbps, and frequently achieve 2 to 3Mbps, LTE can theoretically download files at 100Mbps, and is usually around 10 to 20Mbps in practice.
8 | connect | January 2013
Can I get it? Vodacom is switching on aerials across the country, and already has 500 base stations enabled around Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban. Cell C has Cape Town covered, while MTN’s coverage map looks like Vodacom’s. It will only work with certain phones and tablets, though, like the Samsung Galaxy S3. They aren’t cheap, so if you want it, an LTE dongle is the way to go.
LTE – Is it better? In short, yes. Early reviews suggest that download speeds are good, hitting double digit megabits per second on a regular basis, and often moving faster than 20Mb/s. That’s nowhere near the headline speed, of course, but it’s as good as can be expected anywhere in the world right now.
Did you know? SMS messaging turned 20 last month. The first text was sent in December 1992, and simply read `Merry Christmas’.
Windows Phone 8 shoots for the moon
Microsoft’s mobile phone operating system, Windows Phone 8, is still steaming hot off the presses – but even before its shrink wrap comes off, there’s already a successor planned. The codename ‘Apollo Plus’ has appeared on Internet rumour sites regarding an overthe-air update to WP8 handsets due sometime around February, with various bug fixes and new features for security.
South African invades Mars
Is there life on Mars? If not yet, there soon will be. Maybe. Pretoria-born Elon Musk, the entrepreneur behind the Tesla electric car and the SpaceX commercial space flight company, has said he wants to establish a colony on Mars. He’d do it without the help of government agencies like NASA too, apparently, creating an 80 000-inhabitant town on the Red Planet funded by shuttle tickets priced at $500,000 per person. We want to believe, but we don’t.
get connected
iPhone 5 vs Galaxy S III They’ve come to blows in California and duked it out in Deutschland. Now the smartphone battle royale comes to South Africa – which will you choose?
Apple iPhone 5
Samsung Galaxy S III
Key features
Key features
Screen size: 4inches Resolution: 640 x 1 136 pixels Pixel density: 326ppi Dimensions: 123.8 x 58.5 x 7.6mm Weight: 112g Processor: Apple A6 dual core 1.2GHz OS: iOS 6 Camera: 8Mp Storage: 16/32/64GB Connectivity: WiFi, 3G/HSDPA, LTE SIM-free price: R9 499.95 On contract: From R399 a month (Vodacom Smart Light)
Screen size: 4.8inches Resolution: 720 x 1 280 Pixel density: 306ppi Dimensions: 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm Weight: 133g Processor: Samsung Exynos 4412 Quad 1.4GHz OS: Android 4.1 Camera: 8Mp Storage: 16/32/64GB + microSD Connectivity: WiFi, 3G/HSDPA, LTE SIM-free price: R7 499.95 On contract: R379 a month (Vodacom Smart Light)
Pros
Pros
• Big, Super AMOLED screen • Great battery life • Quad core CPU • NFC • LTE- and 3G-compatible • Google Play store • Homepage widgets • Face Unlock • 50GB Dropbox storage • Considerably cheaper (SIMfree)
• Apple iPhone 5 • Outstanding design • LTE- and 3G-compatible • Reasonable contract rates • Big Retina screen • Massive Apps Store (with quality control) • iOS 6 with new notifications • iCloud sync services • Stupidly thin and light
Cons
Cons
• Apple iPhone 5 • Reliance on Apple services • Concerns about Apple Maps • Battery life • Expensive
Availablity
• Since December 2012
Availablity • Since July 2012
• Plastic body • The Galaxy S4 is only just around the corner • App compatibility not as guaranteed as iPhone • Samsung’s TouchWiz interface
The Verdict The truth is that choosing between the S III and the iPhone 5 is an almost impossible task. The iPhone is a thing of beauty, with a responsiveness and power that belies its seemingly lower specifications. The Galaxy S III may not be as elegantly designed, but it has a superb screen,
10 | connect | January 2013
expandable storage and the extra flexibility of Google’s Android operating system, which lets you set up your phone exactly as you like it, and even install customised firmware for extra performance if you want. Apple’s App Store remains slightly ahead of Google’s Play in terms of quality releases,
although Play has a more interesting interface. To put it another way, they’re both great phones, and the reason the battle between Samsung and Apple rages across the globe is because they both make excellent products. Bit of a wet conclusion that, sorry.
StayConnected Speak and be heard! Write and be read... etc, etc.
Like Connect? Hate Connect? Want to tell us something cool about what you do with your tech? This is your page, and we want you to use it
StarLetter Why can’t we all be like Cape Town? Dear Connect, I just wanted to drop you a line to make sure that you’ve heard of a smartphone app I’ve been using around Cape Town of late. It’s called GoMetro, and it’s changed my life. Once it’s installed, all I have to do is check my phone and I know exactly where each and every train on the Metrorail network is, and how long I have to wait. It’s made public transport actually usable for once – a fantastic and free service. Donald, Cape Town Ed sez: We have indeed heard of this, Donald, and we’ll be profiling the developer in a future issue of Connect. We’ll be running regular features highlighting South African success stories throughout the year, so keep your eyes peeled.
Happy holidays were had Dear Connect, I really enjoy your mag every month, and particularly the Holiday Gift Guide you published last month (December 2012). That really helped me out with some last last-minute buying decisions in late December, so thanks! One question, though – I was really intrigued by your Windows 8 feature, but I don’t have the bandwidth to download the upgrade onto my laptop – it’ll take me three times over my monthly cap, I think. Is there any way to get it on a DVD? Josie, KZN
Ed sez: Hi Josie. Glad the guide helped; it was a lot of fun to put together and we still haven’t found Deon since he wandered off round the back of the office to test the walkie talkies on page 10. The bad news is that there isn’t any way to get Windows 8 onto an existing PC without using Microsoft’s digital download service at the moment – unlike Windows 7, the company isn’t selling upgrades on a DVD any more. We’ll continue to badger the powers that be in Seattle about this, pointing out that not everyone lives in a country where fast fibre-optic broadband is common.
More online questions
WIN! The writer of our star letter of the month earns themselves a copy of top photo editing program, Corel PaintShop Pro X5, worth R799!
Dear Connect, I love reading Connect magazine every month and I think Deon, Christo and Tiana are the best South African tech writers working at the moment. Why don’t you guys have articles on your website, though? I go to www.connectmag.co.za and there are back issues to browse through, which is great, but I’d love to hear more of what you have to say on a daily basis. Sipho, Johannesburg Ed sez: We share your concerns,trust us. It’s something we’re definitely looking into, but we may need to erect camp beds in the office to get more words out of the editorial team on a monthly basis. In the meantime, have you seen our sister sites? You’ll find some of our writers at www.girlguides.co.za and www.dailyfive.tv.
We want to hear from you – whether it’s a suggestion for making the mag better, or a story idea you think we should cover, or you just want to share something interesting with us. E-mail the Connect team at: editorial@connectmag.co.za Or send a Tweet to @ConnectOnline and make sure you follow us while you’re there. www.connectmag.co.za | 11
techno jargon // by Deon Du Plessis
We’ve rolled out a few tech terms you’re sure to see more of soon, particularly around computer processors. We hope they prove useful in the months to come.
Gorilla Glass Gorilla Glass is a type of glass used in consumer electronics that is almost unbreakable and incredibly resistant to scratches. It’s made by American glassmaker Corning, and was engineered to be thin, light and extremely resistant to damage, properties that are highly desirable in smartphones, notebooks and other consumer electronics. Basically, if you see that a product is protected by Gorilla Glass, it will take a concerted effort on your part to damage it.
Processor Architecture A processor is built to execute a specific set of instructions, and the set of instructions it’s capable of executing is referred to as its architecture. Processors that use different instruction sets can’t run the same software unless that software is available in versions specific to each architecture.
RISC Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC) is a type of computer processor architecture based on the principle that simplified, highly optimised instructions produce higher performance. RISC processors are generally designed to perform specific tasks, as opposed to being capable of more general-purpose tasks like Intel’s x86 architecture.
x86 This is the name of the processor architecture used by AMD and Intel, and thus applies to the processors seen in today’s desktops, notebooks, netbooks and Ultrabooks.
ARM ARM stands for Advanced RISC Machine, and is a type of computer processor that has been in development since the 1980s. ARM processors use far fewer transistors than competing processors do and use a lot less power, making them ideal for small devices, which is why they appear in 95% of all smartphones on the market today.
Jelly Bean This frivolous name is what Google is calling versions 4.1 and 4.2 of its Android operating system. Jelly Bean represents an incremental upgrade to Android, and the aim of the update is to improve the overall performance of the user interface by way of some clever engineering.
Nits No, this isn’t what your child comes home with after joining a new daycare centre. Well, it is, but not in this context. It’s a combination of candela, the unit of measurement for the intensity of light, and the square metre. You may see it listed in specifications as cd/m², which quite literally stands for `candela per square metre‘, and in tech terms, it describes how bright a screen is. We’re sure you’ll agree that saying “nits” is a whole lot quicker. Anything over 250cd/m² is considered quite bright. Incidentally, the word “nits” comes from the Latin word
www.connect.co.za | 13
try something new
y r T
Something
NEW 13 (nearly) free things to do in 2013 you won’t have done before
A
h. New Year’s Resolutions. You gotta love ‘em. You have your Nicorettes and that gym membership sorted, but if you secretly feel you’re going to end 2013 in much the same humdrum way you spent most of 2012, we’ve got just the thing for you. Break out of the sameold-same-old pattern and try something genuinely new this year. For example, you could learn to pilot a balloon or take up competitive archery – if you can afford it and that sort of thing is your bag. If that sounds a bit extreme, however, we’ve got 13 free or nearly free things you should do over the next 12 months that we don’t think you’ll have done before.
14 | connect | JANUARY 2013
1
2
Sign up for Twitter Twitter is more than just a place for tech heads to share silly things in short messages. People always wonder why they should sign up if they have nothing to post, but the answer is simple: knowledge. Even if you have nothing to say, the service can be a powerful tool for accessing up-to-date information. Subscribe to the people who provide useful links and live updates, then just treat it like a digital version of your local newspaper. Following celebrities and jokers is just an added extra of the social interaction, but the real currency on Twitter is information.
Play games online
South Africa has a thriving gaming community, made up of thousands of enthusiasts who play everything from Battlefield 3 to World of Warcraft online with friends. We also have a lot of local internet service providers maintaining servers on which to play these games. The advantage of having local servers is that gamers get the fast response times they need to be competitive, unlike gaming on overseas servers, where longer response times mean playing at a disadvantage. The only games not hosted locally are massively multiplayer online roleplaying games like World of Warcraft, EVE Online and Guild Wars 2. These are generally hosted in Europe and the US, and South Africa’s connection to those servers isn’t quite as fast. If you’re looking to broaden your horizons in 2013, we highly recommend picking up a copy of Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 or Battlefield 3 and playing online against human opponents. The games themselves are incredibly well done and a blast to play, but more than that, you might form lasting friendships through interaction with your fellow players using the in-game chat systems. We have. Or, if you’re more about slower-paced games and playing a role while experiencing an epic, over-arching story, check out Guild Wars 2 and World of Warcraft. The gameplay tends to be more leisurely, with a much bigger emphasis on the games’ social aspects.
Local Internet service providers that host game servers: > Web Africa:
http://www.webafrica.co.za
> MWEB:
http://www.mweb.co.za
> Internet Solutions: http://www.is.co.za
> iBurst: http://www.iburst.co.za
www.connectmag.co.za | 15
try something new
3
Make a date (or friend) online
5
Buy something off the Web
6
Set up a custom domain name
Valentine’s is only a month away, and noisy clubs and smoky bars aren’t really the best places to meet new friends or find that special someone any more. Thanks to the joys of the Internet, though, meeting people is easier than ever. There are a number of online dating sites that serve as virtual matchmakers. You just share some of your photos, fill out a few quizzes, and your ideal match can be calculated from thousands of others. There are free services, like OKCupid (www.okcupid.com), or premium services like DatingBuzz (www.datingbuzz.com). Both have a decent number of members, so whether you’re looking for love or just a penpal, why not give them a try?
4
Back up to the cloud
Computer crashes, PC theft and the disinclination of the general public to back anything up until it’s too late can cause the loss of precious photos and important digital documents. That’s why using free online backup options is so important, because no matter what happens to your computer, all files copied to a server in the cloud will remain there forever more. The only disadvantage is the amount of space you get, but if you really want to, it can be increased for a fee.
It’s 2013 already – stop running to the shops, and let technology do all the hard work for you. Online shopping is convenient, local shopping sites are diverse, and you can save lots of money and time. Start your shopping here… Clothing: www.zando.co.za Entertainment: www.kalahari.net Food: www.woolworths.co.za Tech: www.incredible.co.za (sorry)
Here are three of the most popular options: Dropbox: 2GB of free space with plenty of ways to increase it over time
Google Drive:
7GB, free with every Google account
Microsoft SkyDrive: 7GB, free with every Microsoft account
Growing weary of using JohnSmith4223@gmail.com as an e-mail address? You should customise your Internet experience. First, register a domain (at www.diamatrix. co.za) – this is the Internet name that ends in .com or .co.za. For instance, we have connectmag.co.za as our domain. Next up, you’ll want to use Google Apps (http://apps.google.com) to get your own e-mail service hosted by Google. This might be tricky, but Google provides you with stepby-step information for making sure all the tricky Internet things are connected properly and pointing at one another. All that has to happen is that the domain name has to point to the e-mail server. If it sounds too complicated, the internet service provider through which you register a domain will be able to help set it up and get it working in a jiffy. Lastly, you can look at setting up your own blog (using a service like www.wordpress. com) with the domain name you have. The options here are numerous, and you don’t even have to settle for a blog – you could always get a fancy page made for yourself. And there you have it, a far more professional way for people to get hold of you, when you tell them to reach you at john@johnsmith.com, or to read your thoughts at www.johnsmith.com.
16 | connect | JANUARY 2013
7
Build a media centre
If you have a bunch of movies and music on your computer, or just want a better way to play YouTube videos on that big TV you just bought, why not build a media centre? All you need is a computer or laptop that is equipped with an HDMI output, which lets it connect to your TV, and a free piece of software called XBMC (www.xbmc.org). Once that’s installed, it scans for your movies and music, then shows up everything in a lovely graphical display that’s simple to browse, and optimised for big screens.
8
Start a neighbourhood newsletter
There’s an old saying on the internet that goes: ‘think global, act local’. In our ever-connected world, it can sometimes feel like we know more about what’s going on in Gaza or at the South Pole than we do just around the corner in our own neighbourhood. Next time you chat with your residents’ association, think about how much more they could do if they got themselves online. From policing, to potholes, to politics, creating local discussion groups, e-mail newsletters or blogs are great ways to bring communities together online and find out who your neighbours are. You might even end up meeting them in the real world too.
9
Learn to play an instrument
Lovers of guitar music, rejoice, for the age of digital guitar lessons is upon you! French game publisher Ubisoft has developed a brilliant guitar teaching tool called Rocksmith that is half game, half interactive tutorial that will take you from knowing absolutely nothing about guitars, to being able to play a wide variety of popular songs using a real guitar as the game’s controller. The guitar interfaces with your PC, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 using a special adapter cable, and the game teaches you by showing you how to play the many songs in its set list. By making a game of it, and using popular song choices, players are more inclined to learn. Best of all, the game adapts to the player’s skill level on the fly, making the learning experience more challenging as the player improves. No games console? Don’t worry – there’s a list of over 500 free lessons at www.justinguitar.com. If you want to get really clever, you could pick up a guitar to iPhone adaptor from www.sonamawireworks.com, which turns your phone into a learning amp. Make 2013 the year you dust that old guitar off, and finally learn to play Smoke on the Water!
a photo a day 10 Take For the past few years, the Photo 365 project has encouraged people to use their digital cameras to take and post a photo each day, for a whole year. With digital cameras getting cheaper and cellphone cameras becoming ever more capable, it’s very much a realistic prospect. Although it might seem like an intimidating undertaking, it’ll teach you quite a lot about photography, since you’ll have a whole year to experiment with your daily results before compiling everything into an awesome album for remembering your great project. All you need is a digital camera, some motivation, and a daily reminder.
www.connectmag.co.za | 17
try something new 11
Try a touchscreen
Thanks to Windows 8, 2013 is the year that touch migrates from handsets onto the desktop. Microsoft’s brand-new interface lends itself perfectly to big-fingered control, and manufacturers are falling over themselves to get new PCs with touch-sensitive screens out there. Want to try it out? We wholeheartedly encourage you to head over to your nearest mall, find an Incredible Connection store, and play on one of the display PCs. Go on, give it a gentle caress and see just how smooth and responsive it is. We promise it will change the way you interact with Windows for the better.
tech timeline for 2013 January
Tablets and smart TVs The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is the biggest event in the tech calendar, where everyone goes to Las Vegas to start the year off in an avalanche of new product releases. From tablets to electric cars and robot drones, CES is where it’s at. Expect lots of internet enabled TVs and tablets this year - and a full report next issue.
February
Samsung Galaxy S4
12
Learn how to code
As the great Douglas Rushkoff puts it: “Program or be Programmed.” If we spend our entire time in front of computers just using them and the software on screen, we’re training ourselves to be mindless drones that can operate a spreadsheet, but have no idea of the real wonders of computing. Learning to program a computer, however, is to learn how to bend technology to our will, thus becoming more aware of when others are using it to invade our privacy or steal our personal details for profit. Noble and practical reasons aside, programming can also be fun and profitable. If you thought it was something best left to bespectacled boffins, get on over to www.codeacademy.org and take a stab at writing a few lines of computer code. You never know, you might develop a liking for it. Plus, programmers typically earn way above the average salary and are always in demand. What are you waiting for?
> Also try...
Coursera.com: Take a university course for free. Scratch (scratch.mit.edu): An introduction to programing so simple a child can use it.
Hot on the heels of CES, Mobile World Congress is the place to go to learn about smartphones and tablets and see what the big manufacturers will put in your pockets. Our money is on a major announcement from Samsung.
March
Marvellous motherboards Another month, another trade show. This time it’s CeBIT in Hannover, Germany. This is where the hard-core, behindthe-scenes stuff like motherboards and processors are shown off. Watch out for Intel’s next-gen Core processors, codenamed Haswell, and new graphics cards from AMD and NVIDIA.
June
Games, games, games The world’s biggest games show kicks off in Los Angeles, and every major publisher and developer worth their salt will be there. This is where the games for 2014 will be announced.
July
Internet fishing
13
Buy your first smartphone
If you haven’t yet switched to a smartphone, we highly recommend doing so in 2013. Besides being devices that make calls and send messages, smartphones are actually pocket-sized computers that can do almost everything a desktop or notebook computer can, from email to social networking to playing 3D games. They are indispensable tools for staying in touch and being connected in today’s mobile world. Where are smartphones going in 2013? If the internet is to be believed, they’re going to get bigger… a lot bigger. Phone screens are incrementally increasing in size and pixel density, so it’s now common to get a handset with a 5inch, Full-HD display. That means more pixels per inch than even Apple’s iPhone 5 can boast, resulting
in images of amazing clarity, with the naked eye failing to detect individual picture elements. All the big-name manufacturers will be jumping on this bandwagon, with models already in development from the likes of Samsung, LG and HTC. Smartphone processors are evolving, too, increasing in speed while lowering power consumption and making phone batteries last longer. In addition, there are rumours of phones shipping in 2013 with 3GB of system RAM, taking them ever closer to the ability to run the kind of resource-intensive apps that were previously the sole domain of full-blown notebooks, Ultrabooks and desktop computers. The only question that really remains is this: iPhone 5 or Samsung Galaxy S3? The answer is over on page 10.
Another new undersea internet cable connecting South Africa to the Americas is expected to be finished, hopefully bringing down the cost of broadband while increasing the quality.
September
Apple iPhone 6?
Traditionally, Apple makes a big announcement around this time of year. We suspect that the iPhone 6 may be revealed earlier, however, as the company is releasing new versions faster than ever.
October
RAGE
The Really Awesome Gaming Expo is a hot event in the Joburg tech calendar, when players and publishers meet to try out the latest titles and take part in competitive play.
December
Festive fun
Remember all those gadgets you read about over the last 12 months? Put your requests in now.
18 | connect | JANUARY 2013
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05003 FujiFilm Connect Mag XF1 Ad_FINAL_Paths_nc.indd 1
2012/10/01 3:29 PM
what is it? //by Deon du plessis
4K?
What is... Think Full HD is sharp? Wrong! It’s actually lowdef compared to what’s coming…
I
f you own a TV that has a Full HD resolution of 1 920 x 1 080 (also called 1 080p), you probably won’t need to change it for years to come. But that doesn’t mean your 1 080p HD TV is still on the cutting edge of screen technology; that honour goes to a new TV standard called Ultra High Definition, also known as UHD and 4K. We’ve often thought Full HD TVs produce sharp images, especially compared to Standard Definition TVs, but images on a UHD/4K display look even sharper thanks to a resolution of 3 840 x 2 160. That’s the same resolution you’d get if you arranged four HD TVs in a two-by-two grid. All those pixels, on a single screen.
21 | connect | JANUARY 2013
What does this mean in practical terms? Well, for starters, content filmed using 4K cameras will look almost like the real thing in terms of overall detail and crispness. A secondary consequence is that viewers will be able to sit quite close to their 4K screens without seeing individual pixels (picture elements, the tiny dots that make up the on-screen image). For current HD TVs, the minimum distance is about 3m, so for 4K TVs, viewers will be able to get as close as 1.5m without spoiling the view. As exciting as this is, UHD technology presents several challenges. The first is price – UHD TVs are expensive, like, hundreds-ofthousands-of-rands expensive. The second is content: right now, there isn’t any. Not here, not in Europe, not in the Far East, and not even in cinema-mad America. Hollywood is certainly trying, and several movies have been shot using UHD cameras, but there’s currently no way to distribute them, apart from online, but even that isn’t viable right now considering the amount of data UHD movies generate.
UHD movies are so huge that to stream 20 minutes’ worth of footage would require over 4TB (that’s 4 000GB) of data and an Internet connection capable of downloading at a rate of 3.3GB per second. Compression technology will improve, of course, and that number will drop. But for now the storage requirements for 4K video are insane. Should you want one of these TVs? Absolutely! But wait a bit for prices to come down, compression technologies to improve, and filmmakers to start releasing their masterpieces in the new format before you rush out and buy one.
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Hardware News | Previews | Reviews | The Best Advice
Change! Yes, we can!
28
35
I
f you started 2013 believing it’s going to be a year of fantastic change, you were right! Here at Connect, we knew way back in November that there were big changes afoot, as that’s when we first knew the magazine would undergo a bit of a reshuffle, ready for the New Year. There are several reasons for this: the first is because we have a new editor, Adam Oxford, who is doing a sterling job of shaking things up to help keep the magazine fresh; the 2nd is so that we can deliver even more value to you, our cherished readers. To that end, there have been some dramatic changes made to the reviews section (now called the Hardware Section), as you’ll see. We’ve done it to make it more interesting and relevant by including news, reviews, mini-features and other exciting things that we hope will make your reading experience that much more enjoyable. We’d love to hear what you think of our new look, so please feel free to mail me (deon@connectmag.co.za), or Adam (editorial@connectmag.co.za) with your thoughts. I invite you to be as honest as possible, as all feedback, whether positive or negative, is incredibly useful in helping us establish what works best for the biggest number of people. So read on, dedicated reader, to see the changes for yourself, and to begin the journey of discovery that will result in the magazine becoming even better as time goes by. Catch you all next month! Deon
Contents: 24 26 28 31 32 35 38 40
24
News & Previews Apple iPad mini Asus VivoTab RT – SA Exclusive Review! House Of Marley Stir It Up Headphones Samsung Galaxy Note 2 Group Test – Windows Phone 8 Back to School Component Corner
26
31
38
Our hardware promise to you… Every month we test dozens of new pieces of kit and hardware at Connect Towers. Here’s why our reviews are the ones you should read. All of our reviews are:
Independent of bias
Authoritative
Exhaustive
Jargon free
Our reviewers work hard, and they work alone. There’s no question of editorial interference from advertisers or other partners, so you can be sure that we’re being honest and truthful in our opinions. When we say we like it, we do.
You can trust us, because we really do know what we’re talking about. Years of experience and a state of the art lab (well, it’s in a state at the moment) mean we can be thorough and accurate in what we say.
And yet never exhausting. In other words, we put every piece of hardware on these pages through the most rigorous tests, and then present our findings in the most entertaining and readable prose possible.
We do the hard work of staying up to date with tech so you don’t have to – why should you need a degree to understand what we’re saying? The best there is ‘Nuff said.
www.connectmag.co.za | 23
hardware news & previews
Coming in
2013
It looks like 2013 is shaping up to be an important year in the tech world. We’ve gathered up a few snippets of news and product information to whet your tech whistle for the months ahead…
Even more bang for your GPU buck The second quarter of 2013 will see the release of AMD’s new Radeon HD8000-series graphics cards, built on an architecture the company has code-named “Sea Island”. Why should this excite you? Because not only will they deliver phenomenal DirectX11 performance that will make PC games look better and run faster, but they will also herald a drop in price of AMD’s current-generation HD7000-series cards, which are excellent bits of kit in their own right. HD8000 cards will have even more transistors than their previous-gen counterparts (3.4bn vs. 2.8bn), consume less power when running under full load (160W vs. 175W for the HD8870), and possess processing power that’s orders of magnitude higher. If that’s geek-speak to you, don’t worry – it just means that through some fancy engineering, AMD has managed to produce graphics cards that do more, using less electricity, resulting in games that run even faster than before while simultaneously looking better than ever.
24 | connect | january 2013
Virtual reality gaming a real possibility A virtual reality headset called the Oculus Rift caused quite a stir in 2012. It was a Kickstarter project conceptualised by virtual reality enthusiasts looking for funding to create an affordable, wearable headset that would allow gamers to step into their game worlds like never before. Support for the project was overwhelming, and the developers managed to secure $2.4m worth of funding for the Oculus Rift VR headset. Many high-profile game developers expressed their interest in the project, including John Carmack from id Software, and Valve Software’s Gabe Newell. A workable, affordable virtual reality headset means a new way for gamers to enjoy their favourite pastime. With the buy-in of such important players in the gaming industry, support for the Oculus Rift headset will likely be present in a great many upcoming games. While there is no confirmed release date, speculation is the Oculus Rift headset will become available for purchase sometime in 2013.
Microsoft’s Surface Pro Tablet is coming Microsoft’s first own-brand tablet was 2012’s Surface, powered by an ARM processor, the same type of processor found in smartphones and tablets. Because of that processor, it runs Windows RT, which looks a lot like Windows 8 but doesn’t have the desktop of older Windows versions. While ARM processors offer exceptionally good power consumption, leading to devices with excellent battery lives, the software they can run needs to be specially programmed for the ARM architecture. That means there is no compatibility between software written for regular Windows 8, and Windows RT. Microsoft will address this shortcoming with the Surface Pro, a tablet that runs the same version of Windows 8 seen on desktop, notebook and Ultrabook computers.
Intel’s 4th-generation Core i-series chips to arrive In 2012, you may have heard a lot about ‘Ivy Bridge’, Intel’s new processor architecture that took over from Sandy Bridge. Well, 2013 will see the introduction of Haswell, the company’s newest processor architecture that focuses on being a better mobile chip. This is significant because it means Ultrabooks, notebooks and tablet computers that use Haswell chips will be faster than their Ivy Bridge competitors and, more importantly, they’ll last longer on a single charge. Haswell chips open the door to Ultrabooks, notebooks and tablets to sport batteries that last beyond the 10-hour mark, without forcing users to compromise on how they use their devices.
www.connectmag.co.za | 25
hardware reviews
Apple iPad mini NEED TO KNOW • A smaller version of Apple’s popular tablet • 7.9” screen @ 1 024 x 768 (Non-Retina) • 16GB storage, WiFi • Black & Slate or White & Silver From R3 399.95
It never even crossed our minds that the Apple iPad might be too big for purpose, but then Apple announced the iPad mini. It’s a smaller and less expensive version of the super-popular iPad tablet and, not uncoincidentally, appears shortly after competitors proved a tiny tablet could be popular. Google has its Nexus 7 and Amazon has just released the Kindle Fire HD, and Apple’s arch-rival Samsung is rumoured to be preparing a 7” Galaxy Note for launch sometime in the near future. With customers abandoning iPads for these smaller tablets – which make up around 20% of tablet sales now. iPad mini is Apple’s inevitable response. And the response is definitive. The iPad mini is brilliant. Apple has made the relatively new Nexus 7 seem old fashioned already. The nearest analogy we can think of is with blades: the Nexus 7 is a 26 | connect | january 2013
stubby shortsword that has a satisfying heft in the hand and can do as much damage as a full size version of the real thing. By contrast, iPad mini is an elegant rapier that carries almost no weight in the hand, feels almost too delicate for purpose, yet slices and dices the apps it encounters with blistering speed. Not only is it beautiful, it’s clever too. Physically, it’s smaller than a Nexus 7 but the taller screen dimensions and lack of bezel mean more of the body is given over to the display. Apple gets 7.9inches of imaging panel onto a body that’s smaller than Google’s 7inch one. It almost feels as if you’re holding the LCD in your hand, and there’s nothing else to it. It’s even better for some tasks than the full sized iPad. It suits activities like reading ebooks a lot better, for example, and can be carried around in a handbag. It does have some disadvantages. Web pages render with smaller text, and it’s harder to work on writing and office apps, but overall, the pros outweigh the cons so well that it almost makes the full-sized iPad redundant. Getting down to the nitty-gritty, the screen is a gorgeous IPS affair with the same resolution as the iPad 2 (1,024 x 768 pixels). That means instant app compatibility, and retention of the impressive brightness and colour quality found in its stablemates. And what of the extras? The iPad mini has a 1.2MP front-facing
perfect companions
iPad mini Smart Cover Just like the iPad mini is a smaller iPad, the Smart Cover concept that works so well with the original iPad has likewise been miniaturised to fit the new device.
FaceTime camera that can shoot video at 720p, and a 5MP rear-facing iSight camera that’s on a par with the iPhone 4’s camera but not quite as good as the iPhone 5’s. That’s still a very good package, because “not quite as good as the iPhone 5” isn’t the same as “poor”. It also has Apple’s controversial new ‘Lightning’ connector for charging, which means it doesn’t work with older docks. The only real criticism that can be aimed at the mini is that it relies on Apple’s older A5 processor, rather than the faster A6 seen in the iPad 3. There’s some lag on some apps, especially data-intensive ones like maps. It’s not unbearable, and it may not even be noticeable – unless you’ve had a play with the almost frictionless interface of the quicker iPad 3 or iPhone 5. Still, that does mean it can last for ten hours between charges despite the obviously smaller battery. Rounding off a near perfect package is the price. It’s not quite as affordable as a Google or Samsung 7incher, and that fact might just come back to hurt its long-term prospects as the rivals are excellent alternatives in their own rights. But it’s the cheapest iPad available now, and that makes it a no-brainer if you’re looking to find out what all the excitement of the last couple of years has been about. To put it another way: if you want an iPad, you want an iPad mini.
NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Display: 7.9” LED-backlit multitouch IPS panel @ 1,024 x 768, 162 ppi • Processor: Apple A5 • Storage: 16GB (32GB/64GB available on other models) • Connectivity: WiFi (LTE & 3G also available on a separate model), Bluetooth • Camera: 1.2MP front-facing FaceTime camera, 5MP rear-facing iSight camera • Connector: Lightning (smaller than older 30-pin connector)
Pros
Cons
• Everything good about the iPad, just smaller • Beautiful and sturdy build • 7.9” screen bigger than most other 7” products • Cheaper than an iPad • Available with 3G/LTE connectivity as well
• No Retina display • Doesn’t use the latest processor • More expensive than competing 7” tablets
Overall rating
Lightning to 30-pin adapter Using your old docks with the iPad mini will require an adapter that converts the old 30-pin connector into a new Lightning connector.
iTunes Store Credit With iTunes being available in South Africa now, it’s possible to buy yourself, or friends and family, credit on the iTunes Store in denominations of R100, R150, R500 and R1 000 from within iTunes (see p56).
www.connectmag.co.za | 27
hardware reviews
related
products
Asus VivoTab RT TF600 NEED TO KNOW Dell XPS 12
Dell’s take on the convertible concept is the 12” XPS 12, an x86 notebook with a screen that flips around to turn the machine into a tablet.
Asus VivoBook X202E
For a more traditional Windows 8 notebook, consider the VivoBook X202. It’s a fast, reliable machine with a touchscreen that lets you enjoy Windows 8’s manifold interface improvements.
HP ENVY TouchSmart Ultrabook 4
Clean design and great Windows 8 performance set this gorgeous, touch-sensitive 14inch Ultrabook apart from its competitors.
28 | connect | january 2013
• Both a tablet and a notebook • Powered by Windows RT • 16 hours of battery life • 64GB of storage space R8 999.95
Want something unusual with which to impress friends and colleagues?. Throw away your laptop and embrace the future of computers. We firmly believe that in the near future, all PCs will look like this. The VivoTab RT from Asus is a tablet along the lines of the iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab, but it comes with a detachable keyboard dock that turns it into a fully functional laptop when you need to do some serious work. So it’s a slate for reading the news and playing games, and a fullyfledged workhorse when you need to get stuff done with words. It’s also lightweight, beautifully built and tough as an angry rhino thanks to a milled aluminium finish that’ll take a few knocks for you. There’s a clever hinge mechanism which couples screen to dock, and that means that the whole lot can be folded up like a clamshell for protection when it’s in your bag, just like a normal laptop. While the hinge is strong, it’s not so stiff that it’s tough to move the screen. And you will want to protect that screen. The IPS technology that powers it means colours really pop with the full power of the 600-nit LED backlight, and put most ordinary laptop screens to shame. The second-best thing about the VivoTab RT is its exceptional battery life. Because of the extra battery in the dock and its ultra-efficient ARM processor, it’s possible to squeeze up to 16 hours from it, easily longer than the average work day. Charging is another story, though – it took us three hours to fill the device to 60%. While we stand by our prediction – this is the future of form factors – the VivoTab RT isn’t for everyone yet. We found typing on the small keyboard to be a bit cramped for people who have larger-than-average hands. Worried about your paw size? We suggest you try one out in-store before you buy it. The largest obstacle to the enthusiastic embrace of the VivoTab RT as your next mobile computer, however, is Windows RT itself. Windows RT is quite different to regular Windows 8 in that it can’t run the same software due to the ARM processor architecture it supports. This means your favourite desktop software won’t work on Windows RT and will have
to be re-purchased, if it’s even available for the platform. In addition, apps for Windows RT can only be purchased through the Windows Store, and at the time of writing, the Store was sparsely populated. On the other hand, it’s the ARM processor that makes the VivoTab RT as responsive and power-efficient as it is, so if you’re looking for long battery life and speed, it’s a great buy. Just be sure the applications you need to run are compatible before committing, and that you don’t need to join a Windows domain as that’s another thing RT can’t do. One final plus is that every Windows RT-powered computer comes bundled with Office 2013 Home & Student Edition (Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint). For those missing Outlook, Windows RT’s native Mail app supports Outlook accounts, just without all of Outlook’s extra functionality. Did we like the VivoTab RT? Definitely! We’re just a little concerned it might not be as useful or valuable to the average consumer as a convertible computer that runs the x86 version of Windows 8. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Operating system: Microsoft Windows RT • Processor: NVIDIA Tegra 3 Quad-Core / Icera410 • Memory: 2GB DDR3 • Storage: 64GB • Display: 10.1” LED-backlit IPS panel @ 1 366 x 768, Corning Gorilla Glass, 600 nits • Cameras: Rear-facing 8MP with auto-focus, 2MP front camera, 1 080p video recording • Connectivity: WiFi, Bluetooth • Interface: Micro HDMI, microSD card slot • Battery: Tablet only, nine hours. With dock, an additional 16 hours • Software: Office 2013 Home & Student • Weight: 525g Pros
Cons
• Super-long battery life • Fast and responsive Windows experience • Touchscreen helps navigate Windows quicker • Convertible design is handy
• Can’t join a Windows domain • x86 apps do not work on it • Charging takes a long time • No Outlook with Office 2013
Overall rating
C1200595
Experience colour like never before.
Engineered with professionally calibrated technology for superbly accurate colour detail, the new Samsung SB970 lets you experience colours the way nature intended. Follow us on
hardware reviews
perfect companions Apple iPod nano The nano is one of the best ways to take your music with you wherever you go, without taking up much space in your luggage or pockets.
House of Marley Stir it Up On-ear Headphones NEED TO KNOW • Comfortable on-ear headphones • Earth-friendly design • Great for listening to live albums • 40mm moving coiled drivers R1 699.95
House of Marley (HoM) is a brand we can really get behind (see last issue of Connect). All of the audio products we’ve had from them have been of high quality, but more than that, they’ve shown a commitment to the concept of “Earth-friendly” product design and development that has gone beyond anything we’ve seen before. The Stir it Up on-ear headphones exemplify everything we’ve loved about HoM so far. They’re comfortable, they’re made from canvas, recyclable aluminium and beech wood with minimal use of plastic, and the sound they produce is superb. We’ve listened to everything from heavy metal to folk music to pop to bass-pumping Bassment Jaxx tunes with them, and they’ve handled everything really well. The quality is down to the large 40mm drivers that hide behind the wooden earpieces. The tone is definitely angled downwards, favouring reggae-style beats with a heaving bassline, but they retain clarity in the upper ranges that’s to be admired too. We spent a lot of time listening to music while we worked using these headphones, and we were pleasantly surprised at just how comfortable they were to wear for prolonged periods. The on-ear comfort is in large part thanks to the padded earcup cushions, and is further complemented by the canvas-wrapped headband. The earcups also help to isolate sounds and keep your music from bleeding through to the outside world and bothering other people. Even at high volumes, our colleagues were only somewhat aware of the music while we tested. The cord that connects these headphones to music-playing gadgets is about 1.3m long, with gold-plated connectors at both ends. We liked the L-shaped connector as it didn’t jut out as much as straight connectors do when connected to phones and iPods. It’s also covered in fabric, which adds to its durability and ensures it doesn’t get all tangled up over time.
Towards the end of the cable that plugs into the headphones, HoM has placed an in-line control that controls volume when hooked up to iPods, and answers calls when connected to iPhones, with limited functionality when connected to non-Apple devices. Lastly, there is even a handy canvas pouch in the box that can be used to protect the Stir It Up headphones during transport. That’s what we call a complete package. At R1 699, these aren’t exactly cheap. But after using them solidly for the past few weeks, we can definitely say they are worth the money, especially if what you’re looking for is a high-quality set of cans to enhance your on-the-go audio; these will definitely achieve that. You can also feel good about yourself for supporting a company with such a clear commitment to their customers, their products and the environment.
HTC Windows Phone 8X Using a pair of high-quality headphones with the 8X is the best way to make the most of the phone’s excellent Beats Audio technology.
NOTEWORTHY SPECS • On-ear design • 15Hz–22kHz frequency response • 40mm dynamic moving coil speaker driver • Right-angled, gold-plated connectors 3.5mm and 6.3mm • Integrated three-button control, compatible with iPod and iPhone • FSC Beech wood finish • 1.3m fabric cord to reduce tangle and static • Recyclable aluminium ring • Fabric protective pouch
Pros
Cons
• Built using ecologically-friendly materials • Very comfortable to wear for long periods • Excellent sound quality • Tangle-resistant cable
• Limited in-line control functionality for non-Apple devices • Premium price
Apple iPod touch The new touch is the thinnest and lightest touch yet. Its Retina display and ability to run apps from the iTunes Store makes it a good and cheaper alternative to a fullblown iPhone.
Overall rating
www.connectmag.co.za | 31
C1200595
hardware reviews
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Samsung Galaxy Note II NEED TO KNOW
Samsung Galaxy S3
If you find the Note II too big for you, there’s another premium Samsung handset that might take your fancy. There’s a reason the Galaxy S3 is the most popular smartphone in the world right now – you only have to hold it to see why.
ASUS Transformer Blue
If it’s a fully-fledged tablet you’re after, ASUS’ Transformer range is the best of the Android devices right now. Like the Note II, they’re a little different in that they combine a standard Android device with a keyboard dock, making the whole more useful than the two halves.
32 | connect | january 2013
• Quad Core 1.6GHz processor • 3G & LTE • 5.5inch Super AMOLED screen • 1 280 x 720 • 8Mp camera R7 999
Here’s a fact you didn’t know: when Samsung bosses launched the Galaxy Note in 2011, it was a speculative thing with which they expected limited success. The 5.3inch screen is too big to be a comfortable phone, too small to be a fully-fledged tablet. It was hoped the ‘phablet’ would find a small audience among business travellers, and stay entrenched in its niche market. After selling ten million of the things, and influencing the larger-screen re-design of every major smartphone up to and including the epochdefining iPhone 5, there’s no doubt its successor will prove popular. But is the Note II any good? Those who already use a Galaxy Note will love it, for all the same reasons they love the original. The slightly bigger screen – 5.5inches now – is even more comfortable to write and play games on, and to surf the web. The body itself is thinner and lighter than the previous Note too. And more than just the physical dimensions have improved. The combination of a quad core processor and the latest version of Android (Jelly Bean) make it that bit more responsive – especially when it comes to S Note, which we’ll look at in a minute. The 1 280x720 AMOLED screen is higher resolution and more colourful, too. It is, quite simply, the best way to watch an HD video on a handheld device. The star of the show remains S Note, Samsung’s app that allows the bundled stylus to take a screenshot at any point and annotate it, or make handwritten notes from any other app. It takes a while to learn all the commands for using the Pen – hold pen, push button, double tap, etc. – but it’s worth sticking with. All notes made like this are synced with a central server, and can be uploaded directly to the excellent Evernote too. The downside of S Note is that to use it, you have to stick with Samsung’s TouchWiz skin for Android. It’s not terrible, but it has a few irritating quirks and isn’t as good as a vanilla Android app launcher. Why
aren’t apps sorted alphabetically, for example? Only Samsung knows. Normally, with an Android device, it’s a matter of a few clicks to add a customised launcher like ADW from Google Play to replace your homescreens. This level of personalisation is what fans love about the operating system over something more prescriptive like Windows or BlackBerry. With the Note II, however, change the launcher and you lose most of S Note. Still, it’s not all bad – you can view two apps side-by-side in TouchWiz, which is a unique perk over rivals. Not all apps can be placed like this, but critical ones like Gmail and Maps can. The question for the Note II, however, is more prosaic than all that. Will it win over those people who remain unconvinced by the sheer size of the screen (including this reviewer)? Probably not. If you felt it was too big for you to use as a phone, this will reinforce your prejudices. Most of us will find a happier balance with a smaller phone that fits into a dashboard holder and a separate tablet that syncs documents, emails and calendars via the cloud. And the Note II? For all its loveliness, it’s simply the Note but faster, bigger, higher resolution and better. For existing fans looking to upgrade, that’s all they’ll need. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Operating system: Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) • RAM: 2GB • Expandable storage: microSD • Wireless features: Dual band WiFi, NFC, Samsung S Beam, Bluetooth, WiFi Direct • Stylus: Samsung S Pen • Dimensions: 151.1 x 9.4 x 80.5mm
Pros
Cons
• Excellent screen • S Pen and S Note • Quad Core CPU • Responsive and fast
• Still too large to use as a phone • Not cheap • Complicated S Pen commands
Overall rating
C1200595
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hardware group test
Windows Phone 8 Group test
Microsoft has developed and released the next version of its mobile phone operating system, and it’s called Windows Phone 8. We’ve had the chance to play around with three of the first handsets that run it, and here’s what we think.
In the space of around ten years, Microsoft’s mobile operating system has gone from being the de facto choice for a new smartphone to very much an also ran, trailling so far behind its Google and Apple competitors it can’t even see them on the horizon. So here’s the challenge the company is facing. Will Windows Phone 8 (WP8), the software giant’s latest mobile OS, put it back into contention or is it the sound of a death rattle for the firm’s handset hopes? WP8 builds on what was first seen in WP7; it uses what Microsoft calls “Live Tiles” to represent applications, functions and settings options, but it now allows users greater freedom in how they structure things. For the first time, tiles can be resized, with options to make them twice the size of the default squares, or a quarter the size to save on screen space. The ‘live’ nature of each tile is what sets WP8 apart from competing operating systems. Instead of tiles that don’t ever change, many tiles update based on the content of the app they represent. The People tile, for example, plays a slideshow with images of your contacts; the photos you have stored on your phone and on social networking services animate the
surface of the Photos tile. It gives the interface a fresh look that won’t fade over time. Microsoft has also fixed the system requirements for phones running its new mobile OS. This means a certain level of performance is guaranteed and WP8 phones are fast and responsive no matter their price. So what makes for a good Windows Phone 8 phone? Because performance and capabilities aren’t much of a concern, it’s things like the built-in storage, whether the phone has a slot for an SD card, its camera, the screen’s quality and its brightness/resolution/pixel density, how it feels in your hand and whether carrying it in a pocket makes you feel like you’re weighed down with bricks, or whether you hardly notice it at all that become the differentiators. These are the questions we will attempt to answer in the coming pages. The short answer, for those who want one now, is that WP8 is an excellent, innovative and truly funto-use mobile operating system. If you’re in any way fond of Microsoft and its new design philosophy, you’ll love WP8 no matter which phone it comes on. On to the reviews... www.connectmag.co.za | 35
hardware group test
Nokia Lumia 820 NEED TO KNOW • The cheapest WP8 phone • 4.3” AMOLED Multipoint touchscreen • Bright interchangeable covers RTBC
The Lumia 820 is a mid-range phone. That means it’s competent at what it does, but in some areas, it’s a little underwhelming in order to save on costs. Fortunately, it doesn’t slack in the performance department as it too runs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon S4 processor, delivering very good performance in apps and general interface navigation. Where it does lack a bit, however, is its screen – it’s nowhere near as bright or sharp as the 920’s, nor is it protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass. Overall, though, it’s built really well and is just heavy enough to indicate quality, but also light enough that it won’t weigh you down while carrying it. A modular cover system lets you swap out the 820’s cover for something a little brighter. It also has a microSD card slot that supports cards with up to 64GB of storage, in case 8GB of internal memory isn’t enough for you. The 820 is a decent phone, offering a good mix of performance, looks and versatility. It’s still firmly a mid-range device, but it’s certainly good enough if your mobile needs are a little more modest. NOTEWORTHY SPECS
Nokia Lumia 920 NEED TO KNOW • 4.5” PureMotion+ Multipoint touchscreen • 8.7MP PureView camera • Wireless charging From R399pm x 24 (Vodacom Smart Standard 229)
On the inside, the Lumia boasts a Snapdragon 1.5GHz S4 processor from Qualcomm, 32GB of storage and 1GB of system RAM. This drives the smoothest, fastest Windows Phone 8 experience currently available, on one of the brightest screens we’ve ever seen, rated at 600 nits. Nokia has included an 8.7MP PureView camera that takes pictures even the iPhone should be jealous of, as well as 1 080p movie files. Powering it all is a 2 000mAh battery that lasts for ten hours of talk time, and remains in standby mode for up to 460 hours. Our experience with it as our primary phone had us recharging only every second day, and that was with heavy use. If you don’t find it lasts as long, there’s a built-in wireless charger for topping up the battery without plugging it in. So it’s fast, smooth and has one of the best 36 | connect | january 2013
screens ever. Unfortunately, it’s also huge. The sheer magnitude of the Lumia 920 was enough to make us aware of it in our pockets and discourage singlehanded use. The result of all this power is that the Lumia 920 is easily the fastest Windows Phone 8 device available on the market today. Its size and reservations over Windows Phone 8 is its only real weakness, but otherwise, it’s fantastic. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Display: PureView HD+ Multipoint touchscreen @ 1,280 x 768, 600 nits, Gorilla Glass • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 @ 1.5GHz • Storage: 32GB onboard, 7GB SkyDrive, no SD card slot • Battery: 2 000mAh, 460 hours standby, ten hours talk time on 3G • Connectivity: WiFi, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, LTE, Bluetooth • Weight: 185g Overall Rating
• Display: 4.3” AMOLED ClearBlack Multipoint touchscreen @ 480 x 800 • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 @ 1.5GHz • Storage: 8GB internal, 7GB SkyDrive, MicroSD card slot up to 64GB • Battery: User-replaceable, 1 650mAh, 8.1 hours talk time, up to 360 hours standby time • Connectivity: WiFi, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, LTE, Bluetooth • Weight: 160g Overall Rating
HTC Windows Phone 8X NEED TO KNOW • 4.3” Super LCD 2 Multipoint touchscreen • Beats Audio technology • Wide-angle 2.1MP front-facing camera From R369pm x 24 (Vodaom Smart Standard 229)
HTC’s Windows Phone 8X feels really good to hold. Its sleek build and tapered edges make it much less bulky than the Lumia 920, and in general operation, we found performance to be favourably comparable thanks to the fact that both phones use the same processor. The 8X differs in design, weight, screen, storage capacity, camera capabilities, the absence of an LTE radio and, finally, audio. The 8X’s screen is very clear, displaying content with razor-sharp clarity, and while it’s quite bright for a phone, it’s not as bright as that of the 920. Audio, however, is far superior. This is because of Beats Audio, a soundenhancing technology that improves audio quality and volume when heard through a connected headset.
While it’s definitely a premium device and excellent in its own right, the 8X lacks some of the polish found in the 920. The fact that it doesn’t support LTE is a bit of a disadvantage as well. On the plus side are its thin build, good looks, light weight and superb audio quality, and as such it makes a great phone for everyday use. NOTEWORTHY SPECS • Display: 4.3” Super LCD 2 screen @ 1 280 x 720, 300 nits, Gorilla Glass • Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 @ 1.5GHz • Storage: 16GB internal, 7GB SkyDrive, no SD card slot • Battery: 1 800mAh, • Connectivity: WiFi, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, Bluetooth • Weight: 130g Overall Rating
Wrapping up... All three of these phones are worth owning and using. The one you choose will depend on your budget, gadget requirements and tolerance for heavy, bulky phones. As much as the 8X appeals with its thin build, and as much as the 820 charmed us with its “I think I can” attitude, we have to say we like the Lumia 920 best.
Sure, it’s bulky, but it’s also everything we like in a phone – it’s fast, it has a stunning screen, an incredible camera, and a battery that outlasts the other two by a good margin. Windows Phone 8 is off to a good start with these phones, and we can’t wait to see what other manufacturers do to make their phones even better.
www.connectmag.co.za | 37
hardware buying advice
back to school As the holidays draw to a close, it’s time to start thinking about the year ahead. Here are a few suggestions for products that’ll make going back to school that much more exciting.
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The Classpad
Class Teacher Learning Systems has collaborated with local educators to create the Classpad, a tablet computer designed specifically for students. Available in 7inch and 8inch screen sizes, the Classpad comes preloaded with educational software aimed at helping students learn in a more interactive manner. As tablets go, the Classpad is quite affordable. You can get one for R2 999.95, whichincludes the tablet and all the educational software that comes with it. The Classpad is aimed at students from primary school to high school, and ships with games and activities that help enhance the learning experience.
Educational Software If you own a computer and have small children, you’re probably thinking there’s a lot of software out there that could potentially help your kids learn more, faster, and better. You’d be right – South Africa is home to a great many educational software companies that make some pretty decent and locally relevant learning software.
Big Boet
Teachers can send information to and receive it from each tablet, allowing them to easily conduct tests and assessments. As much as we like the Classpad, it’s not the highest-quality tablet on the market – designed for durability and cost rather than refinement.
Samsung Learning Hub If you already own a tablet, and it happens to be a Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 or a Galaxy Tab 2 10.1, you’ll be glad to know that the Korean electronics company has its own educational offering designed for these devices called the Samsung Learning Hub. it’s an application that gives users access to over 6,000 textbooks, videos sourced from over 30 content creators, as well as tools for note-taking and other education-enhancing facilities. The app acts as a store front where content can be purchased according to the user’s requirements, at a far lower rate than that of physical textbooks and videos.
Online collaboration The University of Cape Town’s Centre for Educational Technology has its own online “collaboration and learning environment” called Vula (https://vula.uct.ac.za/portal), which can be accessed over the internet. The word Vula means ‘open’, and is a reference to the potential of the platform as well as its open-source origins. Vula is being used to give students access to a wide range of materials. These include printable How-To documents, online forums for discussion with fellow students and even “Lecturecasts” which are full lectures accompanied by multimedia presentations and enhancements that allow students to revisit lectures or virtually attend ones they may have missed. Virtual marksheets and full testing modules can be integrated into the platform as well.
iPad coursework Got an iPad? Get ZABooks – it’s a new app launching this year which will be filled with low cost text books specific to the South Africa curriculum. It’s similar in style to iBooks and iTunes U, but subtly different to reflect local educational needs.
Available in both English and Afrikaans, the Big Boet series offers students from Grade 1 all the way up to Grade 7 a good selection of activities that entertain and amuse while also imparting valuable lessons and fostering thinking skills that stand students in good stead at school. Titles focus on reading, maths , spelling and memory skills.
Schooligans Schooligans focuses more on maths and language skills, using proven educational techniques to improve its audience’s grasp of English grammar, spelling and punctuation. It improves their reading skills as well as their grasp of mathematics. The Schooligans range covers kids from 5 to 13.
Score More! The Score More range of educational software tackles high-school maths and science. Both subjects are sold separately, and by grade, but each package contains excellent reference material and plenty of exercises to hone skills, impart knowledge and test what has been learned.
Fuzz & Ditto Series This charming series of educational software titles is designed for kids between the ages of 3 and 7. It uses the personas of Fuzz and Ditto, two friendly alien lifeforms, to introduce kids to all kinds of useful topics. They learn about shapes, animals, numbers, the alphabet and more, and are tested along the way with interactive lessons that help them remember what was taught.
www.connectmag.co.za | 39
hardware components
component
corner
If you need to upgrade your desktop system, here’s a collection of components that will help it make the transition from boring box to mighty machine. 1TB Seagate Hard Drive R899.95
There’s no such thing as “too much hard drive space”. In the age of High Definition videos that take up gigabytes per hour of footage, game installs that are approaching an average of 10GB each, and thousands of high-resolution photos that each take up over a megabyte, lots of hard drive space is essential. Seagate’s 1TB drive is the solution. It offers you 1 000GB of space at barely over R1 per gig, and with its SATA-III 6Gbps interface, you’ll get pretty good transfer speeds for a non-SSD drive. Features: • 7 200RPM spindle-based drive • 1TB of storage space • SATA-III 6Gbps interface
Kingston 4GB DDR3-1366 RAM R299.95
Upgrading your system’s RAM is one of the easiest upgrades to perform yourself. Simply open the case and plug it in, and you’re done. There’s only one place RAM fits, and one way to install it, so it’s impossible to get it wrong. This 4GB DIMM (Dual In-line Memory Module) is enough to give your PC a boost, and you should notice the computer starts up faster and responds a bit quicker in Windows once it’s installed. RAM-intensive programs like video- and photo-editing software will work faster with more memory, too. Best of all, this is a very cheap upgrade, so maybe even consider buying 8GB. Features: • 240-pin 4GB DIMM • DDR3-1366 CL9 SDRAM • Gold contact fingers • Cheap!
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Creative Labs X-Fi Titanium Sound Card R1 199.95
Your motherboard’s built-in sound processor may be quite good, but listening to games, songs and movies with the multivoice sound processing of a Creative X-Fi Titanium will make you feel like you’ve been wearing a cotton-wool hat all your life. The dedicated hardware processor can up-mix ropey old MP3s into audio tracks of concert-like clarity, and the surround-sound effects in games will leave you in another world, aurally-speaking, immersing you further into movies and games with effects that seem to come from the corners of the room. Creative’s EAX 5.0 technology also enhances games that support it with ultra-realistic sounds and incredible surround-sound effects. If you’re in any way serious about audio, this sound card will exceed your expectations. Features: • EAX® 5.0 sound effects and 3D positional audio for total game immersion • Precise and detailed surround sound – even with headphones • Hardware acceleration that boosts gaming performance • Restores detail and vibrancy to your MP3s • Works with your PCI Express-equipped PC
Asus NVIDIA GeForce GTX660 2GB Graphics Card Price to be announced
Having trouble playing games on your PC because the graphics just aren’t smooth enough? That could be because you’re using your motherboard’s built-in graphics chip for gaming, when it wasn’t designed to handle that sort of workload. A dedicated graphics card is the solution; as it’s dedicated to processing graphics it’s much faster than an onboard graphics chip and makes games both look better, and run faster. The version of NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX660 put together by Asus is a very good upper mid-range card that will
definitely help to make games more playable and prettier to look at thanks to the amazing visuals DirectX11 is capable of rendering. Features: • 2GB of Video memory • 2560 x 1600 maximum resolution • 980MHz base clock • PCI Express 2.0 x16
SanDisk Extreme 240GB Solid State Hard Drive R2 699.95
Intel Core i5-3470 Processor R2 199.95
Now that even the most basic CPU is powerful enough to land a paintball on Mars, upgrading the processor isn’t quite as high on people’s priority lists as it used to be. If you’re building a new PC from scratch, though, the latest addition to Intel’s Ivy Bridge range is fast and power-efficient and more than capable of handling everyday computing tasks. Just be sure your motherboard supports it before purchasing, however, otherwise you’ll need a new motherboard, too. Features: • Quad-core CPU clocked at 3.2GHz. Max turbo frequency of 3.6GHz • Uses Intel’s LGA1155 socket • Hyper-Threading and V-Pro-enabled
Regular hard drives are slow because their “read speeds” (the speed at which the system can pull information from them) are relatively low. Solid-state disks have incredibly high read speeds, which is noticeable when using an SSD like this one from SanDisk as your system’s primary hard drive. While you won’t get as much storage space with an SSD, being able to boot into Windows in less than 25 seconds more than makes up for it. We clocked this drive from SanDisk at an impressive 408MB/s (read) and 430MB/s (write) using HD Tune; that’s fast enough for us to heartily recommend it as the replacement for your existing boot drive. Features: • Interface: SATA 6 Gb/s (backward-compatible to SATA 3 Gb/s & SATA 1.5 Gb/s) • Temperature (operating/non-operating): 0˚C to 70˚C / -55˚C to 95C • Active power: 0.6W • Vibration (operating/non-operating): 2.17gRMS, 5-700Hz / 3.13gRMS, 5-800Hz
www.connectmag.co.za | 41
Gaming News | Previews | Reviews | The Best Advice
WHy wii u?
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W
hen Nintendo first launched the Wii back in 2006, its name became the subject of many a puerile joke – for obvious reasons. The joke is on us, though, as the Wii went on to become the fastest-selling console in history, attracting an audience far more mainstream than its rivals – so much so that many newbie gamers didn’t realise there were more titles to buy over and above the included Wii Sports. The Wii revolutionised motion gaming (with many smashed Bravia horror and Wii tennis elbow stories), and its successor, the new Wii U, looks set to do the same. Why do I like it? The Wii U has high-definition output, online multiplayer and social networking. The machine is backwards-compatible, which means you don’t have to say goodbye to your current games library. The tablet-like GamePad controller promises to open up another gameplay dimension. Imagine an RPG-like Fallout or Skyrim, where your maps and inventory pack can sit on your lap. With 17 exciting launch titles (including a Mario side-scroller), there’s a lot to play. Elsewhere in the gaming section of Connect this month, we review Far Cry 3, the sequel to Ubisoft’s 2008 adventure that ditches the African setting and heads back to a tropical island. We also preview exciting incoming games like EA’s all-new SimCity, another Army of Two bromance, and the much-anticipated Grand Theft Auto V. But mostly, we’re all about the Wii U. Congratulations, Nintendo.
Contents: 44 46 49
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News SimCity GTA V Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel
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Super Mario Bros. U Far Cry 3 Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013 New Style Boutique
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Tiana Cline Gaming Editor
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Wii U Special
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Our gaming promise to you… Games aren’t cheap, and if you’re going to get the best value for your money, you need to be sure you’re getting the best advice there is. Our deal with you is that we will be:
Independent of bias
Authoritative
Exhaustive
Jargon free
Our reviewers work hard, and they work alone. There’s no question of interference from publishers, developers, advertisers or other business partners. We say what we think and recommend only what we like.
We’ve played a lot of games here at Connect, starting with ye olde Binatone Pong clone in 1812, right up to ZombiU 200 years later. Our knowledge of gaming is vast and comprehensive, and we know what you like.
Every game reviewed is played through to the end, and only then do we decide whether or not we like it. We’ll avoid spoilers, but we won’t leave you open to unpleasant surprises, like a bad final reel which ruins the end.
We’re knowledgeable so you don’t have to be. If there’s something technical that makes a game great, we’ll explain it simply. The best there is ‘Nuff said.
www.connectmag.co.za | 43
Gaming
news
Playtime! What’s new in games this month?
Is Dishonored Bethesda’s new franchise? Dishonored, Bethesda’s brand-new steampunk stealth title, has been seeing better-than-expected sales. What does this mean for framed protagonist Corvo Attano? Sequels, of course. “I can tell you that Dishonored is far exceeding our sales expectations, which is especially cool considering it’s a new IP facing a host of well-established franchises this quarter,” said Pete Hines, Bethesda’s VP of PR and marketing. “We did terrific numbers both in stores and on Steam, where Dishonored was listed as the number-one-selling title over the holiday weekend. And Dishonored has really sold well overseas. So we’re very pleased and appreciate all the fans who have supported Dishonored and Arkane. We clearly have a new franchise.”
“Xbox TV”, coming soon from Microsoft What does Windows 8 mean for the world of gaming? Rumour has it that Microsoft might be working on an Xbox that doesn’t play Xbox games. According to The Verge, the OS-come-gaming giant is planning to release what it calls an `Xbox TV’, a set-top box that will give users access to Xbox Live entertainment services, but will only feature limited support for casual games. Described as part of a two-SKU next-gen strategy, the low-cost alternative to the next proper Xbox will run on Windows 8, and focus on an `always-on’ experience that lets users go from sleep mode to watching their favorite shows almost instantly. The Xbox TV is expected to be out by the next holiday season. This may just be one of many upcoming steps beyond the console gaming realm for the Xbox brand. Microsoft is also reportedly interested in delivering full Xbox Live services to mobile phones, and is looking into teaming up with TV manufacturers to have Xbox Live built into new sets. 44 | connect | january 2013
Minecraft merges with reality
Molyneux Kickstart’s Project GODUS Peter Molyneux has become the latest well-known videogame developer to try crowdfunding. Molyneux’ 22 Cans studio launched a Kickstarter page for Project GODUS, a spiritual successor to Molyneux’ original god simulation game Populous. The studio said it has turned to its fans for funding because it “allows us to stay a small, independent team with unlimited freedom in our creativity.” The studio is hoping to raise £450 000 for development, with the game itself expected to launch within a year for PC and mobile OS and Android – other platforms may be added if Project GODUS exceeds its funding goal. In the pitch video, Molyneux proposes Project GODUS as a throwback to the work of his previous studio, Bullfrog – home to classic management games like Dungeon Keeper and Theme Hospital. “What I would love to do is go back to those glory days of Bullfrog, go back to when we focused ultimately on the gameplay. And with the team at 22 Cans, with your help and your direction, recreate the entire god game genre,” said Molyneux.
Everyone loves Minecraft, because the secret of the phenomenally successful indie game is that it’s not so much about the missions and the quest objectives, but about the joy of making stuff and revelling in the art of creation. What could be better than stacking blocks to create amazing shapes and patterns in the virtual word? Try transporting them over to the real one. 13th Lab has put together a clever iOS app called Minecraft Reality, which almost lets you do that. Upload your models to their Website, and you can then position them wherever you want in the real world. They won’t magically fall out of the sky, sadly, but anyone with the app installed on their phone will be able to point the camera at the spot in real life and see the Minecraft model appear in the video on their phone screen. Augmented reality has been threatening to break through into the mainstream for a while now. Being able to see a superimposed Minecraft scaffolding holding up the Leaning Tower of Pisa might just do it. Expect legions of Minecraft fans to make pilgrimages to the most impressive designs.
Is the Wii mini a real thing? Yes! Unveiled by American retailer Best Buy, Nintendo has now confirmed that the Wii mini is coming. Extra details became public alongside the reveal… including a low price tag of $100 (about R850). What we also know is that even though it’s backwards-compatible, the machine cannot connect to the Internet and will not run GameCube games. The Wii mini comes packed with a RED Wii Remote Plus controller and Nunchuk Accessory. Watch this space for local details. www.connectmag.co.za | 45
Gaming
preview
SimCity
Manage your own metropolis! SimCity is back! If you remember Will Wright’s urban-zoning city-builder of ‘89, you’ll know how this management simulation was the beginning of many new gaming franchises. From SimCity sprouted SimTower, SimAnt, SimTown and even The Sims. Built from the ground up using a new engine called GlassBox, the detailed graphics in SimCity 2013 are beautiful. Looking closer, there are still different zones like industry and commerce. And yes, you’ll also have to manage water, electricity, public service and education… but thanks to GlassBox, what happens in your city is based on what you can see happening. Because your world lives and breathes, you’ll be able to see architectural issues just by looking at what’s going on below. Traffic jams might be alleviated by something as simple as adding another bus stop, and placing a police station will show you exactly how long it will take your law enforcement team to get to a crime scene. Unlike previous games in the series, SimCity 2013 will have non-linear curved roads and zoning areas that can conform to different road types. The density will be driven by the types of roads and general traffic around these zones. When zoning, things such as desirability are important to make note of– where do people want to live? Will they commute to work? And while you’re asking that, how far exactly are they willing to walk? A lot of these answers can be found by analysing the economics of a city and from what we’ve read, this data is often based on real-world figures.
46 | connect | january 2013
Luckily, layers also mean numbers and statistics and this can take the guesswork out of what will make your city flourish. You’ll also be able to specialise in what sort of city yours is. Industries, such as manufacturing, tourism and education, are some of the options, and each will have distinct appearances, simulation behaviour, and economic strategies. (You’ll also have the option to heavily specialise on one or build multiple specialisations in any given city for diversity.) Natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes and the less common meteor shower are still a big part of the SimCity gameplay. But also expect off-the-wall occurrences like alien invasions. You can choose to set off a disaster (destroy your own city? We won’t judge!), or let them happen randomly. There are, however, repercussions. If your industry crashes in a quake and your residents can’t go to work, the economy will also take a downturn. Multiplayer (a first for this particular simulation series) means your city is connected to your neighbours. You can also choose how many cities you can control, or even look after multiple cities with friends. New to the city-building genre? Know that SimCity is not a pick-up-and-play title. It’s filled with tiny details that will take some getting used to, but the reward of a thriving city with happy inhabitants is worth the effort. SimCity 2013 looks to be so much more than a reinvention – it’s the reward for a 10-year wait by fans of the franchise. Look out for it in March 2013.
Plug in your 3G dongle
Share a 3G Internet connection with friends, family, and colleagues TEW-655BR3G • Share the Internet from anywhere you have a 3G mobile connection • Compatible with USB modems from every major mobile provider • Built in rechargeable 2.5 hour lithium Ion battery under full loading • One-touch connection with Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS)
TEW-658BRM • Combination ADSL 2/2+ modem and high performance 300 Mbps wireless n router • Compatible with most ADSL-based Internet service provider networks
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Gaming
preview
Grand Theft Auto V It’s been four long years since Rockstar revisited the world of Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto IV, but finally more details are slipping out about its successor, GTA V. We now know that the location of the game is once again sunny Los Santos, the setting for GTA III. It’s a vibrant, open city with a skyline based on the topography of Los Angeles. The place may be familiar, but Rockstar is shaking up the structure. For a start, there are three protagonists whose stories are interconnected - Michael, Trevor and Franklin. As
well as having their own storylines and mission structures, the three also work together to pull off daring heists, which involve planning, executing and getting away from scenarios as a team. You can switch between any of the characters at any time, too, which could be confusing or genius depending on how good the AI turns out to be (not one of the series’ strong points). GTA V is said to be the most ambitious GTA to date, with a map five times bigger than that in GTA IV and unlocked from the moment you start.
Army of Two: The Devil’s Cartel
Fight together or die alone. This is the motto of The Devil’s Cartel, the mature follow-up to the popular co-op action shooter from EA. Welcome to the deadly streets of Mexico, where you step into the boots of two nameless private military operatives, Alpha and Bravo. You’re part of a contract outfit called Tactical Worldwide Operations (T.W.O.), and you’re about to go face-to-face with a violent, bloodthirsty drug lord… but first, you must fight to protect an unwavering political figure determined to take him down. The Devil’s Cartel isn’t a follow-up to The 40th Day, it’s a step back. Visceral Games (the developers behind Dead Space) have redesigned Army of Two with a more serious tone. Alpha and Bravo have a good repertoire, but their interaction is more becoming of contract killers. Fans, however, will be grateful that weapon customisation is still a key part of the gameplay, with promises of bigger and better options. If, however, you’re just looking for a good time, The Devil’s Cartel does feature an over-the-top Overkill mode where you’re indestructible and not even the environment can get in the way of your bullets. So, come the end of March 2013, get ready to grab a buddy, cross the border, and join the war on drugs. www.connectmag.co.za | 49
Gaming
reviews
New Super Mario Bros. U
NEED TO KNOW • New worlds and power-ups • Play as your Mii character • Co-operative GamePad levels • Charming and challenging!
What would a new Nintendo console be without a Mario game to accompany it? If you’re ready for yet another side-scrolling adventure through the Mushroom Kingdom, New Super Mario Bros. U for the Wii U is here. Mario U really shines when it comes to level design. Of course, all your favourite themed areas and enemies make an appearance, but in Mario U, there are some interesting new (and high-definition) environments, such as a ghost level inspired by Van Gogh’s Starry Night. 50 | connect | january 2013
The core gameplay is made up of precision-based platform puzzles and speed-run courses – what you’ve come to expect from a Mario title. Mario, the always acrobatic plumber, will have you double-jumping and doing special moves inspired by power-ups to get to that flag in time. Accompany his dashing and diving is the same generic tried-and-tested tunes you’ve heard before, which is a pity, but it doesn’t take away from the addictive gameplay. Each level contains three hard-to-reach star coins that can be used to unlock new levels. In addition to the story mode and time trials, Mario U features an all-new challenge mode that places Mario in extraordinary situations that will definitely whittle away your stock of lives. From escorting an enemy to safety, to avoiding incoming fireballs with only a single block to stand on, this mode is tough and will truly test your controller skills. This addition is great for hardcore gamers in need of a Nintendo challenge. And using the Wii U’s GamePad and its unique touch-based
controls, you can now play Mario U with the TV off. The addition of the GamePad controller also means that a fifth friend can get in on the multiplayer action. There are a few new interactive touch elements – the person using the GamePad controller can, for example, use the touchscreen to place down platforms that will either help or hinder his friend playing on TV. Mario U feels fresh yet nostalgic. It manages to capture the best retro elements of what made the classic 2D games addictive, yet adds in some modern Mario experiences. From bosses and enemies, to levels, obstacles and the use of seamless worlds, there’s a good balance in the gameplay of new and old. Does rescuing Princess Peach on the Wii U capture the magic of the SNES era? We think so. With its innovative concepts, classic ideas and extra-tough challenge mode, there’s a lot more to Mario U than meets the eye, making it a must-buy launch title. R499.95
>>Consider this<< NEW Super Mario Bros 2 (3DS) A golden adventure on the 3DS, Mario has the Midas touch in this 3D adventure where everything he shoots with a golden flower bomb turns to coins. Ding, ding, ding
>>Buy This<< Rayman Legends (Wii U) An exquisite side-scroller from Ubisoft that’s both musical and magical. Look out for exclusive Wii U features with all-new ways to run, jump, slide and platform your way to the end.
www.connectmag.co.za | 51
Gaming
reviews
Far Cry 3
NEED TO KNOW • Open-world first-person shooter • Lush jungles and gorgeous islands to explore • Character development via RPG elements In Far Cry 3, players take on the role of Jason Brody, a carefree 20-something who is plunged into peril when a skydiving accident during a tropical vacation lands him and his friends in the hands of ruthless mercenaries only interested in money. The game makes it very clear through some brilliant character design that the mercenaries are violent psychopaths who really, really don’t care about anyone’s lives but their own. On escaping, Jason must find and rescue his friends before it’s too late. Fortunately, some well-intentioned locals take a shine to him. They offer to teach him their ways in exchange for his help in their fight against the crazy mercenaries. These ways form the game’s RPG-like ability upgrade system, and points for the upgrades are earned by completing missions like liberating strategic points, hunting down dangerous animals, and assassinating enemy soldiers. The game affords players many ways of tackling each objective and, unusually for a game of this scope and ambition, they’re all viable. Sneaking can be effective but requires patience, whereas going in guns a-blazing can be more fun but risks Jason’s health and opens up the possibility of being overwhelmed by reinforcements. Enemies aren’t stupid, either, and players can expect a significant challenge at even the standard difficulty level. New to the Far Cry series is a system of upgrading the player’s equipment by hunting and skinning animals and using their hides
to craft ammo belts and backpacks that allow Jason to carry more. It’s surprisingly fun and rewarding, and a fresh take on an old game mechanic that works really well. Graphically, Far Cry 3 is one of the best-looking games ever made. The beautiful tropical setting is amazing to look at, and the level of detail Ubisoft has lavished on the environment is astounding. PC players will enjoy the best visuals of all, but playing at the game’s highest graphical setting requires quite a powerful machine. If that’s not enough, there’s also a competitive multiplayer mode as well as a standalone campaign that can be played through with up to four friends. Ubisoft has made sure that Far Cry 3 delivers everything a gamer could want, and more. Going on how much we loved the 40-odd hours we racked up playing the single-player campaign, we’re happy to recommend it as a must-buy. R399 (PC), R599 (Consoles)
>>Get this<< Hitman: Absolution The unstoppable assassin Agent 47 is back in his most complex and mature game yet.
>>Consider This<< Dishonored A gripping story and excellent stealth gameplay await gamers in this fresh take on the sneaker genre.
www.connectmag.co.za | 53
Gaming
reviews
New Style Boutique
NEED TO KNOW • Customise and manage your own boutique • Over 12 000 in-game items • Accessories and men’s fashion Do you have what it takes to run your own boutique? In the crazy world of fashion, every detail counts: the outfit you pick to wear in the morning, the people you meet out and about, who you’re seen with. New Style Boutique perfectly captures the hectic life of an assistant working her (or his) way up in the fashion industry. It’s a fully customisable game where management matters. Not only can you decorate the shop, you’ll have to dress mannequins, help customers, and pick clothing from different brands at the Exhibition Hall to stock your store. Will that fussy customer like a casual or chic outfit? Will a boldly-coloured skirt work? New Style Boutique has it covered, right down to the accessories. There are
12 000 items in the game from which to choose, including, for the first time, accessories and men’s fashion. It’s all there, from seasonal trends, to catwalk competitions, learning what your clients want, and sprucing up your store. There’s even an online shopping feature that allows you to visit a friend’s store. For bloggers, fashionistas and shopaholics, New Style Boutique is a creative management simulation that’s surprisingly in-depth, and will definitely keep you coming back for more. R499.95
>>Buy This<< Scribblenauts Unlimited This brain-bending puzzle game features a huge side-scrolling open world of 41 levels with HD hand-drawn scenery. Your job? Help Maxwell solve robust puzzles and challenges by writing down any object you can think of.
Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013
NEED TO KNOW • The deadliest predators • Split-screen Man-eater co-op mode • The Top Shot Fearmaster controller 54 | connect | january 2013
Written by American television writer and producer Andrew Kreisberg (of Fringe fame), Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013 is more than a shooting game. It’s the story of two brothers who are reunited after a decade to hunt down the bear that mauled their father to death. Of course, a bear isn’t the only predator in the adventure. Expect to find the most viscous beasts the animal kingdom has to offer, and they’re all powered by Activision Blizzard’s new Prowler AI system. New AI means smarter predators that follow the same social hierarchies as their realworld packs and can take advantage of the surroundings to set up deadly ambushes… so be afraid. Also new to this year’s Cabela’s is a split-screen Man-eater mode. Here, two players can work together on dangerous survival missions. Cabela’s Dangerous Hunts 2013 comes bundled with a wireless gaming gun named the Top Shot Fearmaster. Arm this to measure your heart rate
(there are metal sensors in the peripheral) and hand tremors to improve (or worsen) your accuracy. Will you get the perfect shot? It’s a virtual jungle out there. R599.95
>>Coming soon<< Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate If you prefer killing mythological creatures, Capcom’s upcoming Monster Hunter title is everything a gamer could want – over 200 quests, deadly monsters, upgradeable weapons and cats wearing chef hats.
Gaming
wii u special
Launch Day! Nintendo’s successor to the phenomenally popular Wii has got the games if you’ve got the gumption to play them.
Meet the Wii U. It’s been a year and a half since the two-in-one console was originally announced at E3, and now Nintendo’s first HD console is taking the gaming world by storm. With its revolutionary GamePad controller, two screens and backwards-compatible system, there’s a lot to like. It even comes with its own HDMI cord, unlike the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The Wii U promises to change the way we interact with video content, and dual-screen gaming, for one, is about to take on a whole new meaning. Imagine being able to turn off your TV and continue the game on a tablet-like device elsewhere? This is called `Off TV Play’ and it’s just one innovative GamePad feature – it’s packed with high-tech specs that make every on-the-go gaming experience a pleasure. The GamePad has two analogue sticks, motion sensors, a built-in accelerometer, a gyroscope, and there are a lot of in-game feature opportunities. It also sports a frontfacing camera, microphone, stereo speakers and, just like the 3DS handheld, a stylus is neatly hidden away in the back. If you’re looking for a unique way of gaming and a console that won’t make you chuck out your existing games library (but still play exciting new releases), then the Wii U is it. Looking at the games on offer, there’s a big mix of stuff you’ve already seen on other platforms, with added features, as well as original titles. Call of Duty: Black Ops II on the Wii U is the must-play first-person shooter from Ubisoft, while ZombiU adds some undead to your multiplayer experience. For the family, Nintendo Land is a fun option filled with Mushroom Kingdom attractions everyone will adore. And New Super Mario Bros. U? Read our review on page 50.
56 | connect | january 2013
Mass Effect 3 Special Edition
Skylanders Giants Publisher: Activision Figurine based adventure, now on a grander scale.
Publisher: Electronic Arts Epic RPG from Bioware, now with added extras.
Funky Barn Publisher: 505 Games How Farmville would look if it was good.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition Publisher: Namco Bandai Games Europe Every new launch deserves a Tekken.
Rabbids Land Publisher: Ubisoft Those rabid rabbits are back with more cunning party games.
Assassinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Creed III
Nintendo Land
Sports Connection
Publisher: Ubisoft The stealth action game moves to the American Revolution.
Publisher: Nintendo The obligatory mingame launch title. Fun at parties.
Publisher: Ubisoft Movement based sports sim from ESPN.
Transformers Prime
New Super Mario Bros. U
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
Publisher: Activision Robots in disguise, you know.
Publisher: Nintendo The must-have game for the console.
Publisher: Ubisoft Playing games is good for you. This one at least.
EA Sports FIFA 13
Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper
Publisher: Electronic Arts Play as Bafana Bafana, see if you can beat their record.
Publisher: Tecmo Koei Fantasy battles with a kung-fu twist.
Call of Duty: Black Ops II
TANK! TANK! TANK!
Publisher: Activision First-person fighting fun.
Publisher: Namco Bandai Games Europe PLAY! PLAY! PLAY! Insanely fun physics puzzler.
ZombiU Publisher: Ubisoft Innovative survival horror game with a clever twist.
Just Dance 4 Publisher: Ubisoft The most descriptive title ever.
www.connectmag.co.za | 57
itunes 11 //by Christo van gemert
How to use...
iTunes 11 Apple’s digital music store is finally available in South Africa. Here’s how you can start buying media online.
T
he iPod is the world’s most popular digital music player. It first went on sale in November 2001, when the MP3 music format was the hottest word on the web. In March 2003, Apple opened up the iTunes Music Store, an online shopfront for iPod owners who wanted to buy high-quality music legally. It was a hit. And it was never available in South Africa. iTunes propelled iPod sales, and iPod sales made iTunes an overnight success. Despite only having 200 000 songs at launch, the store sold one million songs in a week. Fast forward to January 2013. More than 375 million iPods have been sold – this excludes iPad and iPhone sales – and the iTunes Store has sold in excess of 17 billion songs from a total selection of more than 28 million tracks. Plus, there’s a movies and TV shows in its one-stop shop. Now, for the first time, South Africans have official access to it. That’s right, you can simply fire up iTunes on your Apple or Windows computer, log in, and buy music and movies: a single song for as little as R5, or an HD movie for R150 (or rent one for R40 too). For the old hands, this means no more messing around with foreign-registered credit cards. For newcomers, it’s a simple digital sales model that (finally) just works. Want to get your first taste of those lovely legally licensed lullabies? Read on for our exclusive guide.
58 | connect | January 2013
But we already have iTunes! Until now the only downloadable content in the local iTunes Store has bee mobile apps for the iPod touch, iPad and iPhone. The ‘new’ Store brings music, movies and hope: Apple is taking South Africa seriously at last. All we’re left wanting for is a section for TV series and iTunes will be a proper digital here, just like it is in the rest of the world. Games would be nice too, are you listening, Apple?
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Navigating the iTunes Store in iTunes 11. 1. Your account Access your iTunes account and change information like your e-mail address, credit card details, and more. You can also redeem gift vouchers (not yet available), view your wish list, and log out of the store.
2. Departments Navigate between the different “departments” of the iTunes Store. Music, Movies and Apps are the main sections, for now, but you can get free books, download
podcasts, and access university material at iTunes U. When TV shows become available, they’ll be listed here.
music you own and have purchased. Clicking it again will return you to the store.
3. Universal search
The newest and biggest names get featured in the tiles at the top of the iTunes Store. Here, you can be notified of hot arrivals, as well as album sales and top sellers.
Search the entire store from this one search box. It will return results for any of the sections, so you can find Lady Gaga albums or Bruce Willis movies with ease.
4. Back home… This button takes you back to your own library, where you can play the
5. Headline acts
6. New arrivals The content in this section, as well as the sections below it when you scroll down, is curated on a weekly
and monthly basis. It will highlight the latest film releases, special playlists that have been compiled, and songs that are in the “bargain bin”.
7. Easy access The panel on the righthand side of the store page gives you quick access to your account, previous purchases (that can be re-downloaded), your wish list, things that are recommended to you and sales charts for the top singles and albums. You can also browse by genre.
Did you know? The App Store lacks games due to a dispute with the Film and Publications Board (FPB) over how they’re classified. Connect has learned that agreement is near, however, so we’ll soon have access to a million Angry Birds clones. Just like the rest of the world.
www.connectmag.co.za | 59
itunes 11 //by Christo van gemert
Getting started...
> Fire up iTunes, and click the iTunes Store button. Now click on Sign In, where you will be prompted to provide your existing details. If you already have an Apple device, you can use your Apple ID, and skip this how-to. Or you can click on Create Account, and continue to step 2.
> There’s a welcome screen, followed by a form where you can enter your account details – your home address, e-mail address, age, and so on. After that, there’s a form for entering your credit card details. Apple’s servers are secure, so no need to be worried about sending your details over the net. If you’re still paranoid, you can remove your payment details after you’ve created your account.
Buy your first song > Go to the iTunes Store and search for an artist or a song. Here, we’ve searched for ‘Johnny Cash’, and a results page shows us albums, songs, podcasts, and more. We have clicked on the Artists – Johnny Cash link, on the right-hand panel, to show us only his songs and albums.
> Now that we have all of Mr Cash’s music, we can either buy a full album, or a song. Clicking on an album cover will show a listing of the songs in that album, and you can preview songs from there. Clicking on a song cover will start playing a preview directly. The song price and album prices are listed next to each.
> When you click on the big button with the price for a song or an album, iTunes displays a dialogue box that asks you to confirm your purchase and download. Accepting this will start the download and charge your account with the amount. In a few minutes, the music will be on your computer, ready to listen to.
Got music? Meet Match
Want to put your existing library of music onto your phone? iTunes Match makes it easy.
> After entering all your information, Apple will send a verification e-mail to the e-mail address you supplied. Check your mail, and then click on the link. Apple will ask you to log in with the details you provided when you created the account. After this, you’ll be ready to go shopping!
60 | connect | January 2013
There’s a really cool feature that Apple offers with iTunes and the music store, called iTunes Match. It works like this: You already have music in your library, whether it’s stuff you downloaded elsewhere or CDs you’ve copied to your computer. The problem is that those songs might not be backed up, and you can’t access them when you’re on the road. For R200 a year, iTunes Match will back up your non-iTunes music on iCloud. This means you can be away from home and still access the
music you have on your home computer, thanks to iCloud. When you sign up for Match, it will upload information on your existing music to iTunes, and find the iTunes-specific replacements. Then you will be given a licence for the music on iTunes, and you can download it onto your other devices.
Stiff Competition If you don’t want to sign up for iTunes to buy music, here are your alternatives.
Simfy For R60 a month, you can listen to as much music as you want. There are 20 million songs on Simfy, but you’ll need to have a permanent Internet connection to stream the music. If you store files for offline use, they can’t be copied to CD – you can only listen to music through the Simfy player. www.simfy.co.za
iThings to know
Nokia Music
An essential FAQ for all things Apple
What do media files cost? iTunes lets you purchase individual songs starting at R4.99 going up to R8.99, or albums ranging from R49.99 to R149.99. Movies can be rented in standard definition or HD, and cost between R19.99 and R39.99. To purchase a film file and watch it again and again, expect to pay between R59.99 and R149.99 depending on its popularity.
Why are some films missing? We’re still only seeing a subsection of what’s available internationally in the ZA iTunes store, because some studios and artists still haven’t negotiated global licensing deals. Some brands are noticeable by their obmission. At the time of writing, Warner Bros is conspicuously absent.
May I copy music, share it, or create a CD? The music you buy from iTunes does not have any copy protection, so you can copy it to your other computers. Legally, though, you are allowed to “Authorise” iTunes to play music on up to five of your own computers. It’s illegal to copy files to a memory stick and share them with a friend. It is legal to burn a CD of the music you have bought on iTunes.
What if I delete a song? If you delete a song, or if your computer gets stolen, you still have access to your music, thanks to iCloud. This means you just sign into iTunes on your computer and you can view your previous purchases and download them again. iTunes will let you know if you’ve previously purchased a song or album.
What is a wish list? Next to each song and album’s price tag is a dropdown menu, where you can add that item to your wish list. This lets you keep track of things you want to buy in the future, and can be viewed on your account page.
What are recommendations and how does iTunes know? If you listen to a lot of classical music or rock music, iTunes builds a profile of your tastes, and will be able to recommend similar artists and songs.
What is ‘Complete my Album’? If you purchase one or two songs from an album, this feature offers you the option to complete that album by purchasing the rest of the songs at a prorata price.
When Nokia introduced its music-playing phones, it also brought the Nokia Music store to local users. There are an unspecified number of tracks, but the figure is in the millions and includes a great library of African music. You can buy tracks for between R6 and R10, and they are in MP3 format, for use on all devices. music.ovi.com
Rara Just like Simfy, Rara is a streaming service – every time you listen to a song, it downloads from the Internet. It does support offline playback, but you never own the music: you can only listen to it as long as you pay the monthly subscription of R34 a month.
www.connectmag.co.za | 61
how to //by christo van gemert
Edit, Print and Share your festive photos Taken some great shots this holiday season? Here’s our guide to getting them off your camera and in front of friends and family.
Y
ou’ve taken your camera with you on your holiday travels. It’s snapped smiles, sun, sand, and snow. You’ve transferred all those photos to your computer, and now comes the hard part: finding the best ones, making them better, and sharing them with others. Thankfully, it’s not really that difficult. With the right software and knowledge, which we have in this guide, sharing your snaps is as easy as saying `cheese’.
Sharing is caring When you’ve chosen the best shots and edited them to perfection, don’t just hang on to them – get them out there, and let people see what went down. Here are three fantastic photo-sharing services to get you on your way. 62 | connect | JANUARY 2013
Facebook The world’s biggest social network, with more than one billion users, is also the best way to share your photos with friends. You can tag people who appear in photos, and create private albums. The upload tool is very simple to use for uploading multiple files at once, as well as assigning information such as locations for where the photos were taken. www.facebook.com Flickr Flickr, owned by Yahoo, is one of the biggest photo-sharing services in the world. Its main audience is amateur, professional and hobby photographers, but that doesn’t mean you can’t sign up and use your Flickr account to share your wares. You can even join photo groups that’ll provide you with tips for taking better photos. www.flickr.com Google+ If you’re using the Picasa photo-editing tool, then sharing photos to your Google account is a simple, built-in pleasure. But Google’s Picasa service also ties into the Google+ social network, and you can share your photo albums there, with your Google+ friends, as well as make them available to the general public. http://plus.google.com
Make your pictures prettier Once you have your photos on your computer, you will want to sort through them, choose the best ones, and, finally, retouch them to get the best possible result. For this, we recommend using Picasa (www.picasa.com), a free tool that lets you manage photos as well as edit them. If you want to spend money on a powerful solution, we can suggest Adobe Photoshop Elements 11, which retails for about R1 599.
If you used the flash on the camera, there’s a good chance somebody has red eyes. In the past, this was a big problem, but Picasa makes it super-simple to take care of, using the red-eye removal tool. It’ll scan and automatically detect any red eyes in the photos, but you also have the option to manually select bits that it may have missed.
Sifting through hundreds of snaps that look the same is the hard part. Digital cameras have made it easy to take many photos, letting us choose the best ones later, but the new challenge is to sift through the bad ones. Be ruthless – delete the ones you don’t want. When it comes to finding a good one, zoom in and look for blurry edges, people who might have closed their eyes and unwanted details in the background.
Using Picasa in four easy steps Import! Plug in your camera, and start up Picasa. At the top left, there’s a button that says “Import”. Click it, and follow the instructions to import the photos from your camera into your photo library. Adjust! Browse your photos, and perform basic fixes on the ones you like. Adjust lighting, remove red eyes, retouch backgrounds and straighten skew snaps. Album! As you go along, click on the star button to star your favourite photos. This will make it easier to keep track of which ones you want to use, later. Export! When you’re done editing and starring photos, go back to album view. There’s a big star at the top row of buttons – click it, and it will select all of the starred photos. Now click “Export”, and Picasa will resize your favourite photos and put them in a separate folder of your choosing. They’re now ready to be uploaded.
Sometimes photos end up being a bit too dark (underexposed) or a bit too bright (overexposed). As long as it’s not too bad, in either case, the photo can still be salvaged. Using the colour and lighting tools in Picasa, you can use sliders to adjust fill light, highlights and contrast. Don’t go overboard, because there’s only so much correction that can be done with the digital data in a photo. If in doubt, use the automatic buttons to perform a quick fix.
Print like a pro Once you’ve sifted through the photos, applied fixes, adjusted lighting, and shared them online, there might still be some super-favourites you want to frame and hang on the wall. For that, there’s no need to rush off to the nearest photo shop – simply print them yourself. Many modern colour inkjet printers support photo printing, but to get the best results, you’ll want one that uses separate cartridges for each main colour (usually Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black). It’s important to note that high-resolution photos look better when printed. You don’t want to use the same photos you grabbed from Facebook – use the original photos as they came out of your camera, rather than resized photos. Resized photos have fewer pixels and printing requires many pixels. Finally, to get the absolute best-looking photo from your printer, invest in high-quality photo paper. Glossy paper will make all the difference to your printed pics. Before you hit print, make sure the print quality is set to maximum, and ensure that the printer is configured to use glossy paper, or else you’ll end up with a ruined print.
www.connectmag.co.za | 63
win stuff!
Win! Over R13 580
worth of photo kit! Two talented ‘togs will share our massive new year giveaway. Read on to find out how you stand a chance of winning!
N
ow we’ve shown you what to do with your festive photos after you’ve taken them, it’s time to take your shots to the next level. We’ve teamed up with some of the biggest names in image processing to put together this stunning bundle of prizes in order to reward our most talented readers for their effort. Just edit, print, share and win. The total prize value is more than R18 580, making this one of the biggest competitions that Connect has ever run. In order to help improve your photography, we’re giving away a collection of awesome accessories that will help you shoot like a pro.
64 | connect | OCTOBER 2012
Two Prize Winners will each receive: Sigma 18-200mm lens Get closer to the action with this powerful zoom lens (note this is available for either Nikon or Canon mounts - let us know which you want)
Belkin N600 Router A dual-band WiFi router that makes sharing your photos online simple and quick
16GB SanDisk Ultra SD Card High speed photo transfers to keep your buffer clear
The overall winner will also receive: Canon MG8240 Fantastic photo printer from the imaging experts
Adobe PhotoShop Elements 11 The simplest way to edit and put your photos online
How to win...
In order to stand a chance of winning one of our competition bundles, we need you to share your shots with us. Send your best festive photo to Connect, and we’ll choose our two favourites pictures as the prize winners.
our i l y to: a E m t ry @ en orial co.za t edi tmag. : c ne lineto t con c je ho Subtive p ion’. t s ‘Fe mpeti co
You can send your pictures to us via email, with the subject heading “Festive photo competition”, to editorial@connectmag.co.za Only one photo per mail address, and we’ll be checking all images to make sure they are original and yours. Send your entry before 30th January, and we’ll print the winning shots in our March edition.
The small print This competition is open to anyone in the Republic of South Africa, except agents and employees and their families of Canon, Sigma, SanDisk, Adobe, Corel, Incredible Connection or Hypertext Media. > The prize is not redeemable for cash. > You may enter once per email address. > The prizewinners will be notified by email no later than 2nd March 2013. > The closing date for the competition is 30th January 2013. > The judge’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to.
www.connectmag.co.za | 65
top tips //By Christo van Gemert
2X
Ten things you need to know right now, brought to you by Daily 5, the best online tips site. www.dailyfive.tv Five ways to get more space on Dropbox...
125MB of additional space. All you have to do is tell Dropbox, in less than 120 characters, how you use the service. It’s simple, and the easiest way to get some free space. It might not be a lot, but every drop helps fill the box. Space gained: 125MB
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Get started...
When you first sign up for your Dropbox account, you’ll be prompted to take a tour and try out some of the features offered by the service. Don’t skip this step – it’s worth 250MB of additional space. Thankfully, you can always go back (link below) and perform all the steps to unlock that extra space. Space gained: 250MB
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Some kind words A simple gesture of kindness can net you
66 | connect | January 2013
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Phone a friend
If you know of some friends who haven’t yet signed up for Dropbox, you can send them your referral link. By clicking that, they get a signup page, and if they sign up using that link, they’ll be given 500MB of free space right off the bat. And to sweeten the deal, Dropbox gives you an additional 500MB as well. You can invite up to 32 friends this way, for a massive total of 16GB of additional space. Space gained: Up to 16GB
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Looking for five cool apps to help you keep up to date with the news on your iPhone or iPad? Check these out!
http://tinyurl.com/bmdtb7x
Socialise
Got Twitter and Facebook? You’re two steps closer to getting 500MB of additional space on Dropbox. At the link below, you’ll be able to link your Facebook and Twitter accounts to Dropbox, and each step is worth 125MB. Then you can follow Dropbox on Twitter (another 125MB), and, finally, you can send out a tweet with your referral link, and a message saying how you use Dropbox, which nets you your fourth 125MB portion of space. Space gained: 500MB
ropbox is incredibly useful, whether you’re a home user wanting basic online file backup, or are part of a team needing to share files without complicated shared folders on a network. Here are five simple ways to get tons of extra space, for free.
Five best news apps for smartphones...
Upload, upload, upload!
If you use the Dropbox client on your Mac or PC, it can be used to import photos from your digital camera when you plug it in. This way, photos get loaded onto your computer, and backed up online to Dropbox. And for every 500MB you upload using this feature, Dropbox rewards you with another 500MB of storage, up to a total of 5GB of additional space. Sweet! Space gained: Up to 5GB
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www.connectmag.co.za
Intelligent printing
advertorial
Kodak All-in-One Printers offer intelligent features and deliver many important features that consumers need in a home or home office printer.
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The Kodak HERO 5.1 All-in-One Printer, retail at a recommended price of R1299, is Google Cloud Print Ready and Kodak Email Print Ready, and allows consumers to print from anywhere, for less.
outh African consumers now have access to intelligent printing systems that are easy to use, and offer high quality photos and documents with the lowest average cost-per- page. Kodak All-in-One Printers offer something very unique in the industry – high quality printing with affordable ink – backed by more than 100 years of leading Kodak Image Science.
The Kodak ESP C310 and C110 Allin-One Printer is an entry level wifi printer retailing for a recommended price of R999.
The Kodak ESP Office 2170 All-inOne Printer for the home office, offers four great functions, print, copy, scan and fax in a compact design and retails for a recommended price of R1 499.
The Kodak ESP C110 All-in-One Printer is the entry level non-wifi printer with similar features as the C310 at a recommended retail price of R799.
All Kodak All-in-One Printers use Kodak 30 Series Inks that deliver exceptional quality and cost-per-page ink value. The system uses a one size fits all philosophy across its all-in-one range, meaning they all use the same model black and colour ink cartridgesa, available in either standard or XL sizes.
High Quality Printing with Great Ink Value! The big obstacle for home printing in South Africa has been the high cost of ink. Kodak has solved this problem by providing consumers with affordable ink that delivers long lasting, high quality photos and documents. Kodak’s proprietary pigment-based inks provide richer, more vibrant colors, and significant fade resistance and instant dry advantage over dye-based ink systems. With Kodak, consumers get crisp, sharp text documents, brilliant graphics and Kodak Lab-Quality Photos that are smudge, and water and fade resistant and last a lifetime. Colour: R149
Black: R99
Our way of protecting the environment
Bring in any old technology and we will either re-furbish and donate it to those in need or we will ensure that the items are disposed of in an environmentally responsible manner with Enviro Connection and Desco. Enjoy discounts off your purchase of a new printer cartridge or toner when you bring in your empty ones. (Terms & conditions apply)
3135 Connect Enviro AD.indd 1
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tech tannie
With all that new kit kicking around after
CHRISTMAS there are bound to be a few teething problems. Fortunately, your favourite Aunt is here to help fix them.…
issue of the month: Q:
Dear Tannie. I reinstalled Windows XP and ever since then, the spell checker in Outlook Express doesn’t work anymore. If I go to Tools>>Options, the spelling tab is not available, and the F7 shortcut doesn’t work either. How do I fix this? Elizabeth
A:
If you have questions, gripes or just seek some solace, e-mail Tamsin, our friendly tech tannie at techtannie@connectmag.co.za
Dear Elizabeth. This is a stunning question. I do love it when someone throws me a tricky little problem that demands I scuffle about the Internet, download things and generally poke at my test machine like a mad scientist with a pet project. Fortunately for you, this little issue isn’t a new one. You see, Outlook Express doesn’t actually have a spell checker itself and relies on the one built into Microsoft Office software. You can check and see if that file – csapi3t1.dll – is being used by Outlook Express by going to the Help menu, clicking About and doing a search. If it’s missing or not working, you can download it from Tech-Pro.net (http://www.tech-pro.net/files/csapi3t1. exe) and it will automatically install on your sy stem – just make sure you save it to Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Proof. Now your spell check should reinstall. You should not be having this issue as you have installed Office, which could point to a simple communication error since your reinstall. I would consider uninstalling and then reinstalling Microsoft Outlook Express and see if that fixes the issue. You can find a comprehensive walkthrough on the official Microsoft site (http://support.microsoft.com/ kb/278909). If neither of these options work, then consider downloading some other options that can serve the same purpose, like Spell Checker For OE2.1. (http://www. majorgeeks.com/download.php?det=2952). I hope this helps, but if it doesn’t, drop me a line and I’ll see what else we can dig up to get you back on the pe
www.connect.co.za | 69
tech tannie
Q:
One of my programs is constantly freezing, and I mean constantly. It drives me mad. How do I stop this? Frank
A:
Interesting question, Frank, but very little for me to go on. Also, a “Hello” would have been nice on your e-mail. However, you are clearly a man who doesn’t mince words and who, quite possibly, was in the middle of the aforementioned screen freeze when he e-mailed me. So, here is the only solution I can think of that may help you, considering how you didn’t tell me which program, which operating system, whether it was a PC or a laptop, and what you are doing when it happens. I am going to assume you are using a version of Windows and that something there is freezing up. What I need you to do is press Alt+F4 at the same time, which should close the program. If it’s still fighting you or greying out as if busy working on a very important request, press Ctrl+Alt+Delete at the same time. This keyboard shortcut opens the Task Manager menu – if you are in Windows 7, you will be taken to the log-in screen where you need to click on Start Task Manager, which has six tabs. These are: Applications, Processes, Services, Performance, Networking and Users. Click on Applications and you should see a list that includes the program you are struggling to close. Click on it and then click on End Task at the bottom of the screen. This may not work immediately, but it will eventually get that darn program to cease and desist. If this carries on, you do need to troubleshoot the program itself, or find out what’s causing the underlying issue. And if none of these options work, you should probably do the time-honoured Restart to get the program kicked back into gear. That could be something you’d like to avoid if you’re in the middle of an important document and forgot to save, so your other choice is to leave it alone to ponder whatever it is that it is pondering and come back to it later. That may take a while, but shouldn’t take an entire day. If that happens, then try all the above steps again. Good luck!
70 | connect | JANUARY 2013
Q:
I just bought Windows 8 and I’m really struggling to get my head around the tiles when I use a mouse and keyboard. Please help! Winchester
A:
Well, Winchester, you are certainly asking a very common question here. Windows 8’s tile interface is a radical departure for the operating system and one that has really not taken the PC market under its wing that much. Sad, but true. However, using Windows 8 on a bog-standard PC or laptop without fancy touchscreen goodies is not that difficult once you get the hang of it. There are some steps you can take to make your life a little bit easier. To start with, get yourself into Desktop Mode, which looks almost identical to previous Windows incarnations and you should find it easy to navigate. You can then build in your very own original Start Menu, just like in the old days. To do this, you need to choose an app and there are, fortunately, quite a few apps available. Power8 (http:// code.google.com/p/power8/) is a free
tool that pops the Start button where it used to be and you can customise it to feature those programs you most regularly use. Win8 StartButton is another free service, and Pokki (https:// www.pokki.com/) for Windows 8 is an incredibly slick and versatile app that has convinced me, and others, that it’s one of the best around. Finally, there’s StartMenuX (http://www. startmenux.com/index.html), which is quite heavily customisable and delivers on the Start Menu promise. It’s a bit buggy, though, so don’t try it unless you enjoy troubleshooting from time to time. There you have it, some ideas on how to get various parts of the old Microsoft installed on the new. You would also benefit from reading up on the various keyboard shortcuts in Windows 8 as they will make a huge difference to how you work.
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