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contents Features

24

12 Shaping the future Matsi Modise on tech for township entrepreneurs

22 Appetite for convenience Some of the best apps to get dinner to your door

24 4K dream set-ups

Top multimedia set-ups for your lounge

30 Fear the VReaper

Heart-stopping VR game experiences

38 Mobile movie magic How to use HDR for peak mobile video

40 Talk to the hand

Speak to your phone using Google Assistant

44 Taxi technology

Sensors in taxis to report overloading and bad driving

48 Chemistry life hacks

54 64

Household chemicals to solve common problems

Swag 10 Two-box audio heaven KEF LS50 wireless speakers

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: GALLO/GETTY IMAGES; THIS PAGE: COURTESY IMAGES

36 Clean up your act

Neato Botvac D7 vacuum cleaner

42 Mood lights

Smart bulbs that create ambience

Regulars 4 8 17 21 54 64 70 74

Ed’s letter Benefits Need to know Life hacks Game reviews Smart buys Buyer’s guide Backspace

70

TECH ed’s letter

AND THE GEEK GOD SAID: ‘LET THE FUTURE BE FORETOLD THROUGH THE WRITING OF SCIENCE-FICTION STORIES AND LET SOME OF THOSE STORIES BE MADE INTO MOVIES. LET THE STORIES BE AVAILABLE IN ALL FORMS UNTO ALL PEOPLE, NOW AND FOREVER MORE.’ Early Geek mythology – the tales of the proto-hackers and humanity’s everconflicted relationship with science and technology – is contained in novels that were written before PCs and the internet.

Today, electronic books are nearly outselling printed books, but you read them holding a screen in your hand, and it needs to be recharged all the time. And, anyway, reading time is a luxury far fewer of us seem to have these days.

Audio books, where the book is read to you by an expert narrator, is a quick way for the serious geek to catch up on the classics: Neuromancer, SnowCrash, Dune, Foundation and a million others. Best of all, you can take your flight of fantasy while you’re driving in traffic, sitting in a taxi, washing dishes or mowing the lawn. Your audio book is with you all the time, on your phone.

Back in reality, VR is something that’s notoriously hard to describe to someone who hasn’t been there. Read about our adventures inside today’s creepiest VR games on page 30.

Voice, not buttons and not touch, is the new interface. So combine voice control with artificial intelligence and you get Google Assistant, now available on most Android phones. Find out how this could improve your life on page 40.

Ready for next-level multimedia in your lounge? Check out these home theatre set-ups on page 24.

There’s lots to win in this issue, including Skullcandy Crusher headphones (p27) a Huawei P10 Pus (p9) and the Astrum ET300 cordless earbuds (p67), which are the perfect companion for audiobooks.

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TWO-BOX

audio heaven ALL THE PERFORMANCE WITHOUT THE CUMBERSOME COMPONENTS

PHO T OGR A PH Y: COU R T ES Y I M AGE

K E F L S 5 0 W i re le s s lo u d s p e a ke r s , R 3 2 3 0 0 Yes, these are pricey speakers (the original LS50s were a lot cheaper) but let’s put it this way – if you buy these wireless versions, you don’t have to buy an amp or streamer. There’s no need to find a space in your lounge to house them either. That’s because all the necessary hardware is neatly integrated. The result? Two simple boxes offering the sort of sound that makes bigger, more complex systems blush.

The added hardware of an amp and heat sink on each speaker has made them a bit bigger than the originals at the back, but otherwise they still look stunning with their curved front.

Playing your favourite tunes is also uncomplicated – using the companion app, you can stream tunes from your local library or from a media server.

You can also switch sources and use Bluetooth. Either way, you will be rewarded with scintillating sound.

The app’s clever room-correction settings let you adjust the EQ of the speakers to suit whatever space they’re in. Bass performance is room-shaking stuff, but nicely controlled, while other tracks reveal perfectly balanced sound.

Verdict We’re impressed Epic sound, with excellent streaming options in a space-saving system.

We’d improve Can’t change sources in-app.

The last word

Hugely powerful; sharpsounding and perfectly balanced; the LS50 Wireless speakers are an exciting listen every time.

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 1 1

MATSI MODISE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SIMODISA INSTAGRAM missmatsi 3 240+ followers TWITTER @matsimodise 1 870+ followers FACEBOOK SiMODiSA 670+ likes

fully charged TECH

Shaping the

future NOT CONTENT WITH CLIMBING ANYONE ELSE’S LADDER, MATSI MODISE IS MAKING HER OWN WOR DS JOA N N E C A R E W @L I T T L EC A R E W

E

VEN AS A CHILD, MATSI MODISE WANTED TO BE A BUSINESSWOMAN.

Today, as the MD of entrepreneurship association SiMODiSA, she’s doing just that, and helping the next generation achieve the same. In-between, she’s also a business owner and a regular speaker at business conferences. Tech chatted to Matsi about the many hats she wears and the role of tech in the local start-up space.

You started out founding an entrepreneurship hub in Soweto, right?

I was part of the Johannesburg Hub, but was asked in 2014 to start the Soweto Hub. The idea is to look at young people from Soweto who show leadership qualities.

The Hub is a place to develop projects that empower the community. I thought we could show the people living there that they don’t have to be from Sandton to be successful. Leaders and people with potential can be found anywhere.

What’s happening in the local start-up space?

When we consider entrepreneurs coming from disadvantaged backgrounds, we often don’t think of them as real business people, though we should. I come from a township economy. My grandmother put

her six children through school by starting a little township business. We shouldn’t see them as survivalists; they play a vital role in our country’s growth.

I really think this space is evolving.

10 years ago, we didn’t have anywhere near as many accelerators or incubators as we do today. There is this renewed focus on innovation, which is creating so many exciting new job opportunities.

How does tech help or hinder new entrepreneurs?

In South Africa, we still lack proper local systems to connect young people with the possibilities of technology. Many young

Venture Central SiMODiSA recently launched Venture Central, a digital platform that connects entrepreneurs to opportunities and information. This portal gathers together information about funding, mentorship and market advice in one place. It also offers digital tools and business templates for entrepreneurs to use for their ideas. venturecentral.co.za F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 1 3

TECH fully charged

Matsi’s tech MUST-HAVES She’s an Apple fan, and is armed with a MacBook, iPhone and iPad.

Matsi’s most useful apps…

Notes FREE, IOS

Capture your thoughts and meeting notes.

Google Drive FREE, ANDROID, IOS

Collaborate with team members.

Instagram FREE, ANDROID, IOS

Share photos and videos to promote your work.

people living in rural communities don’t understand the whole innovation and tech thing. It goes over their heads, because they haven’t really been exposed to it.

With localised ecosystems, we go into communities and create environments where young South Africans can get information, learn, and gain access to these technologies.

Tech plays a critical role because it offers business owners the opportunity to scale. Something as simple as social media allows a normal person to promote their business to thousands of people more affordably. I think technology is the best thing since sliced cheese.

What makes a great entrepreneur?

What was it like working with the World Economic Forum?

I was one of many Global Shapers responsible for running innovation hubs around the world. Each of us aimed to empower our communities. I attended many WEF events, including the big one 1 4 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

‘NEVER SETTLE FOR CRUMBS. I THINK IT’S IMPORTANT FOR US TO DEFINE WHAT WE WANT AND THEN GO OUT AND GET IT’ in Davos, Switzerland, which is kind of like the Oscars of the business world. You can meet anybody from Bill Gates to other global leaders, which teaches you a lot about networking and the business world.

As a young woman from the Free State, this experience really opened my mind to the rest of the world, as well as enhanced my global network, which makes it easier to do business anywhere.

Do you consider yourself a disruptor?

Well, you only have one life, so you need to make it a good one. YOLO is actually one of my mantras. Never settle for crumbs. I think it’s important for us to define what we want and then go out and get it. You can have all the dreams in the world, but if you aren’t willing to work for them, you’ll never get what you want. T

PHO T OGR A PH Y: M A RC SHOU L

Great entrepreneurs have the grit to take on any challenge. They see something they want and go get it, no matter what problems they encounter. I also think that great entrepreneurs are personable people and understand how to work and collaborate with others. I advise anyone wanting to become an entrepreneur to just get started. This means leaving your comfort zone and taking a leap without knowing where you’ll end up.

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say what?

Useful facts about the digital realm

Soundbar vs surround sound

If you want genuine cinematic sound, and high-quality audio, a full-blown surroundsound system is definitely the way to go. A soundbar is limited to a more confined stereo soundstage and certainly won’t offer the same kind of clarity or visceral slam. But, there are a few caveats…

Big sound requires an audio-video receiver plus a matching multi-channel speaker package – and whether you want basic 5.1 or immersive Dolby Atmos 5.1.2 (and beyond), which translates to a lot of boxes and budget to match. Soundbars, however, combine amplification and speakers, and so are generally a lot easier to live with.

A third possibility is a soundbase, which performs like a soundbar, but has a built-in subwoofer, so there’s no need to sacrifice additional floorspace and your choice boils down to convenience versus high fidelity.

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Internet vs The Web

The World Wide Web is a way of using the internet, not the internet itself. The internet is a huge network of networks that connects computers around the world.

The World Wide Web is an information system that runs on the internet and allows access to web pages through a browser. However, just like a road carries different sorts of traffic, the internet carries different sorts of data for other systems as well, such as email and file transfers. So there is far more to the internet than just the web.

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 1 7

TECH need to know GIF files

This stands for Graphics Interchange Format (.gif). It was invented in 1987 for transferring images over slow internet connections, storing the data in compressed eight-bit pixel format with up to 256 colours. Files in this format also have the ability to store changes to the image, and cycling through these creates the infamous animated GIFs that are so popular online.

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Internet filters use two main mechanisms: blacklisting and keyword blocking. Blacklisting bans access to certain sites, while keyword blocking searches pages for certain words and prevents the sites appearing. Different countries use different tactics. China uses a firewall nicknamed ‘The Great Firewall of China’, which checks and blocks sites.

While in Cuba, private internet access is banned. In Myanmar, the government allegedly monitors internet cafes by taking screenshots as you browse. T 1 8 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

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life hacks TECH

Hack your life Use these tricks to get more from your tech WORDS Z A I D K R I EL @Z A I DK R I EL

Marked plugs Sick of jamming your charger cable into your phone the wrong way round? Put some nail polish on the top-facing plug surface of the cable so you can see which way around it goes. Alternatively, you can also put a blob of superglue on the top-facing plug surface so you can see and feel which is the correct way.

Dead batteries It’s easy to get used batteries mixed up with new ones. You can tell them apart by dropping them from a few centimetres on to a tabletop. If they bounce, then they are used up. Otherwise, they’re still good.

Spent batteries bounce when you drop them, because the chemicals inside change from gel to ceramic. T

PHO T OGR A PH Y: IST OC K PHO T O, COU R T ES Y I M AGE

Polystyrene cup lamp In a previous hack, we explained how placing a bottle of water on top of your cellphone torch creates a less harsh light, which is better for use inside a tent or a small space. Here’s another alternative that might be even easier.

Set your phone face down with the camera flash activated as a torch in the usual way. Now, place a polystyrene cup over the torch. A soft diffused light will shine through the walls of the cup.

This is even easier to set up and it also makes the ‘lamp’ a bit more portable.

Silent switch It’s a common mistake to forget that your phone is on silent mode after meetings.

A clever trick is to create a visible ‘switch’ that will remind you that your phone is silenced.

Find a pair of broken headphones and cut off the jack. By plugging it into the phone, you can trick it into thinking you are using headphones, and it will divert all sounds to your non-existent headphones. This way, the jack is always visible, which reminds you to remove it in order to take your phone off mute.

Browser notes You already use your browser for research, so wouldn’t it be really handy for making notes too? With this trick, you can open a blank page in the browser and jot down text notes.

Type this into your address bar: data:text/html, <html contenteditable> A blank page will open for you to type in your notes. Even better, if you press CTRL-S while editing, you can save what you’ve written as an HTML page, which you can open later when you want to continue working.

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 2 1

Appetite for

convenience Don’t feel like cooking tonight? Can’t be bothered to get out of your PJs? Let these food-ordering apps do the work for you WORDS RICHARD BROWN

apptitude TECH

Mr D Food

PHO T OGR A PH Y: G A L LO/GE T T Y I M AGES/ T H I N K ST OC K

FREE, ANDROID, IOS

The OG of local food delivery services, Mr Delivery – now Mr D Food – has been at it for decades. Many will remember the booklet stuck to the fridge with all the items that Mr D could bring to your door, as long as you had the cash on hand.

Now, it’s all at your finger tips with a super simple app, which links to your credit card, so there are no more cash payment hassles. We were disappointed that, although being close to the Cape Town city centre, a lot of the eateries in our area were ‘self-collect only’, which defeats the purpose.

We ordered a large Big Mac Meal from McDonalds, which took 36 minutes to arrive. The app experience is straightforward and user friendly, but the R15 delivery fee and questionably inflated pricing leave a bad taste in the mouth, and the restaurant list was quite limited.

Uber Eats FREE, ANDROID, IOS

You’ll be familiar with the ride-hailing service, Uber. Less well known is Uber’s food delivery app: Uber Eats. Download the app, register with your email address (or via your Uber account if you’re an Uber user), link your credit card, and you’re ready to chow down.

Uber Eats’s list of eateries is vast and the app is easy to use. It cleverly suggests the most popular restaurants near you (if you switch on your phone’s location setting), and if you’re a regular user, it keeps a record of your favourite grazing spots.

In our test, we ordered another large Big Mac Meal. Uber Eats only charged a R10 delivery fee and there were no hidden inflated menu prices. The food arrived within 29 minutes and, it must be said, was warmer than the Mr D Food delivery. Surprisingly, it also turned out to be the cheapest option.

Order In FREE, ANDROID, IOS

Founded in 2013, Order In actually kickstarted the rush of food delivery apps. It took some time to get off the ground, but has gained serious momentum, and is the preferred app for many a couch potato.

Like the other apps on test, the ordering system is very intuitive, possibly even a bit too simple with limited functions, and the list of restaurants is thin and rather upmarket (at least in our area).

Getting started is simple. Register with an email address, link your credit card, and start ordering.

McDonald’s wasn’t available on the Order In list, so we ordered a Steers Classic Burger Combo instead. We were pleased to note that Order In didn’t artificially inflate the menu prices, and only charged a minimal R10 delivery fee.

Our food arrived in 38 minutes and the fries were still fairly warm too. T

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 2 3

4K DREAM SET-UPS TAKE YOUR HOME ENTERTAINMENT TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH THESE AMAZING 4K-FOCUSED SETUPS, WHETHER YOU WANT A CELEBRITY-STYLE HOME CINEMA, A SWEET LIVING-ROOM MOVIE EXPERIENCE, OR SUPER-SHARP GAMING NIRVANA

The no-compromise TV set-up Be the envy of all your friends with this spectacular TV tech

LG E7 65-inch OLED Offering stunning 4K resolution with beautiful, deep blacks and vivid colours, this 65-inch OLED will make even the soapies look good. It’s compatible with multiple flavours of HDR, including Dolby Vision, and couples LG’s nifty webOS Smart Platform and Freeview Play for catch-up TV. R65 000

Apple 4K TV The Apple 4K TV is the first media streamer to support Dolby Vision HDR, making it a great partner for the LG E7.

Apple has loaded iTunes with UHD content, and will even upgrade your

existing iTunes movie library with UHD versions. You may only stream 4K movies (downloads are HD), but that shouldn’t diminish this little puck’s appeal.

R3 000

LG SJ9 Dolby Atmos With integrated Dolby Atmos up-firing speakers, crisp mid-range drivers and a room-buckling wireless subwoofer, the SJ9 lays claim to the premium end of the soundbar market. Potent amplification ensures the sound stage is as entertaining as it is big. The bar boasts two HDMI inputs and is an ideal match for the Atmos sound features in those over-produced superhero movies.

R10 000

2 4 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

decider TECH What is Dolby Atmos?

Hailed as 3D for the ears, Dolby Atmos has quickly become the de facto standard for next-gen audio. It’s an object-based (rather than channel) system, which means Atmosencoded content can be precisely steered any way a sound mixer wants. Dolby Atmos supports height channels and rears, which makes for truly immersive listening.

You’ll hear Dolby Atmos in select movie theatres, and it can be replicated in the home using a Dolby Atmos A/V receiver or Atmos-enabled soundbar. Dolby Atmos soundtracks aren’t only on Blurays. This tech is used by broadcasters to enhance 4K sports broadcasts, Netflix has started to stream Atmos and it’s gaining traction on Xbox and PC games.

TECH decider

The top value TV buys What to get when you don’t have as much cash to splash

Hisense N5700 49-inch A UHD HDR big screen for how much?

This bargain 4K combines a tasty screen size with vivid colour reproduction, HDR compatibility and a punchy integrated sound system. It’s also scheduled for a firmware update, giving easy access to catch-up TV. Its LED display can’t really match OLED, but it’s utterly fantastic for the price.

R8 300 (import)

Panasonic DMP-UB300 Just 320 mm wide, this miniature disc player promises 4K Blu-ray playback for a low cost. There’s no WiFi, but if you have a wired router, that’s no biggie.

Even better, it has the same 4K High Precision Chroma Processor as the brand’s up-market players. It’s also a solid hi-res audio streamer. We reckon it’s a bit of a steal, all-in-all.

R4 600 (import)

Philips Fidelio B1 Nano Cinema speaker Proving that you don’t need a lot of space to create a big sound, Philips B1 Nano bar is a mere 41 cm wide. Behind the grille are four drivers, each with their own amplifier. The arrangement creates a wide sound stage, leaving a wireless 200W sub to detonate with explosive force.

R8 280 (import)

Best 4K Blu-ray DVDs The Martian

2 6 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Despicable Me

From red-planet landscapes to highly detailed NASA hardware, the film bristles with detail and HDR drama.

If you have a wide colour display, make sure you buy this one. The movie boasts Dolby Vision HDR and superb colour fidelity.

The Revenant

Planet Earth

For sheer ultra-fine detail, this is hard to beat. Its stunning cinematography takes UHD Blu-ray clarity to another level.

This 4K documentary epic combines fabulous Ultra HD photography with jaw-dropping HDR detail.

WIN!

Skullcandy Crusher Wireless Headphones with haptic bass control you can really feel!

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TECH decider

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THE HEADSET

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SteelSeries Siberia 840

For only a little more than the price of the Xbox One X, you can net yourself this gleaming 50-inch 4K HDR set from Philips, and revel in its visual splendour.

Added to this is the Ambilight background glow, which changes colour to suit the action on screen.

You can expect our full review of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most powerful console next issue, but we can tell you now that itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a gaming wonder, thanks to performance most PC owners would be jealous of. The result?

Native (rather than up-scaled) 4K HDR gaming goodness at 60 fps.

A good headset is a vital component of console gaming. The Siberia 840 is the pinnacle of headset tech, with lag-free wireless audio, hot swappable batteries to keep you juiced in-game, and the full 3D sound courtesy of Dolby virtual 7.1 surround sound.

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primer TECH

Fear the VREaper V-AHHHHHHHHHHHH

HOW HEART-STOPPING CAN VR HORROR REALLY GET? IT’S TIME TO FIND OUT WOR DS L OU I SE BL A I N PHOTOG R A PH Y JOE BR A NST ON

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DMIT IT: YOU HAVE ALWAYS HAD A GOOD LAUGH AT THE VIDEOS OF THAT PERSON ON YOUTUBE STUPID ENOUGH TO DON A VR HEADSET AND VENTURE INTO HORROR GAMES.

‘Why would they do that to themselves?’ you ask as you gleefully watch them seize up in genuine terror when something goes bump in the digital night. And as someone who loves horror movies and VR, I appear to be at the top of someone’s list. Of course, it seems great on paper. All I have to do is wear a heart-rate tracker and head into this year’s most terrifying VR experiences so I can track my physical response to the horror. What’s the worst that can happen?

Do I have something on my face?

Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon

MAX HEART RATE: 141 BPM The first trial for my poor ticker is the newly revamped Derren Brown’s Ghost Train: Rise of the Demon at Thorpe Park, London. Taking note of my resting heart rate – a rather average 79 bpm – I head into the darkness. It very soon becomes apparent to me that liking horror films has given me absolutely no desire to be inside one or meet the monsters in there.

A holographic Derren Brown introduces the experience, telling us that if we do not like what is happening, we can just close our eyes and it will all simply go away. Oh, good. Next, we are herded inside a modern London underground carriage full of HTC Vive headsets.

I won’t spoil the experience; however, the following 15 minutes of scares were exhilarating. Once you have put on that headset, you’re immediately transported to a different train… Or is it the same one?

MY FIVE MINUTES OF TERROR COUNTED AS CARDIO. WHO NEEDS THE GYM WHEN YOU HAVE DEMONIC PERIL?

We also find train delays terrifying F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 3 1

TECH lower-case strap

It simulates the most horrifying Tube experience imaginable: The other passengers trying to start a conversation with you…

Scream of the crop The five horror tech accessories to die for

FitBit Alta HR

When it’s not being used to measure your heart rate, to check how terrified you are, the super-slim Alta HR records steps and calories consumed, and there’s an excellent sleep tracker to measure just how many nightmares you’re having.

R2 500

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PlayStation VR

Sony’s VR headset impresses with its exceptional OLED display and PS4 compatibility.

It’s comfortable for even the most terrifying games.

A slightly updated new version is on the way.

R6 000

Oculus Rift

PlayStation 4 Pro

R17 000

R6 500 (1 TB)

If you want the best virtual-reality controllers on the market, nothing can rival Oculus’ intuitive tracking technology, which makes you feel horribly at home even when dropped into a long-abandoned, crumbling hospital.

Want your horror in even higher definition? The supercharged PS4 has twice the processing power of the original.

Throw in HDR support and 4K gaming, and it’s a perfect upgrade.

HTC Vive

It’s not being used in the theme-park industry for nothing.

HTC Vive delivers an exceptional VR experience and roomscale exploration if you’ve got the space.

The HD screen means you probably won’t like what you find.

R13 300

primer TECH MY HEART RATE’S NEW AVERAGE WAS 122 BPM AND AT ONE POINT, IT REACHED THE LOFTY HIGHS OF 141 BPM Obviously that creature isn’t real, but the screams in my carriage are and what just grabbed my leg?

A break from the VR in the middle sees the group heading screaming into the depths of the London Underground where live horror actors lurk, and personally, I’m relieved when we return to the relative safety of VR. Escaping into the fresh air afterwards, I record my activity and it turns out that horror makes for great exercise. During the 35 minutes of queueing and scares, my heart rate’s new average was 122 bpm and at one point, it reached the lofty highs of 141 bpm. The Fitbit app even proudly tells me five minutes of my time inside counted as cardio. Who needs the gym when you have life-threatening demonic peril? Thanks, Derren.

Total eclipse of the heart

How much did Louise’s heart rate increase as she played in VR?

Don’t Knock Twice This supernatural horror game throws in a few decent jump scares, but 97 bpm highs aren’t quite existential dread

Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul

MAX HEART RATE: 105 BPM Thankfully, my next challenge does not involve other human beings hearing me squeak. From the safety of my own living room, I load up Paranormal Activity: The Lost Soul on PlayStation VR feeling somewhat apprehensive.

As a lover of the franchise – well, at least the first one and, oddly, the third – I know the demonic nasty that lurks in the very normal-looking houses of the series. The Lost Soul sees you arrive in one of these and, spoiler, never wants you to leave.

Even in the tutorial, I’m immediately, horribly afraid. Despite a set of genuinely counter-intuitive controls that expect you to know where the face buttons are on the PlayStation Move wands, the atmosphere is foreboding and grim. The house creaks and groans gently around you as you find a torch and pop a battery inside, and that’s before the randomised hauntings begin.

To try to deal with motion sickness, the controls only allow you to turn in 45° increments, which makes traversal difficult and even more tense. This was built solely for VR and even on Sony’s

Derren Brown’s Ghost Train The VR does a hell of a job keeping Louise scared at 122 bmp average, but that 141 bpm high is actually the bit with real actors

Wilson’s Heart The more sedate portions of this game allow a reasonable average, but you can see when things take a nasty 106 bpm turn…

TECH primer

Don’t Knock Twice

MAX HEART RATE: 97 BPM Next on the list is YouTube bait Don’t Knock Twice, also on PS VR. Just like Paranormal Activity, the game shares its ideas with a movie of the same name, which is currently streaming on Netflix.

Honestly, I do not recommend either.

Despite tackling the control issue with an easier teleportation mechanic via the Move wands and a few effective jump scares, Don’t Knock Twice is the hokiest of horrors. Thunder crashes, children laugh, and at one stage, I pull a burning doll out of an oven.

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THUNDER CRASHES, CHILDREN LAUGH, AND I PULL A BURNING DOLL OUT OF THE OVEN While the quiet, quiet, quiet, LOUD school of scares is understandably far more effective in VR, and there are more than a few moments where I find myself cowering in my own living room, this feels more like the kind of ghost train you might laugh your way through at a travelling funfair. The hand controls feel off, the teleportation stutters occasionally and the feeling of immersion is constantly shattered by the sensation that I’m having to try far too hard to have fun. It shows in my heart-rate readings. A relatively calm 88 bpm is my new resting rate with highs of 97 bpm at the jumps.

Wilson’s Heart

MAX HEART RATE: 106 BPM And finally, fittingly, I load up Oculus Rift exclusive Wilson’s Heart, where a man, voiced by Peter Weller (RoboCop), wakes up in a 1940s noir hospital with a mechanical heart where his own should be. By this stage, I’m hoping for one of my own as I’m not sure how much more

horror mine can cope with. Thankfully, Wilson’s Heart delivers a genuinely intriguing, scary tale where jumps are almost incidental. It’s instantly clear that the Oculus Touch controllers are terrifyingly intuitive. Looking down at hairy arms and ultra-realistic hands, I yank shackles off my wrists before spending a little too long admiring the visuals on offer.

‘Atmospheric’ just doesn’t cover this beautiful, horrifying monochrome world and the fixed teleportation points mean that the developer, Twisted Pixel Games, has made very sure you see everything it wants you to. Flicking to silhouettes of Wilson with the press of a button makes traversal the least of your worries and the little nuances creep up your spine. I see a silhouette of Wilson looking upwards and do the same thing.

It’s not spoiling anything to say that my heart-rate spike of 106 bpm is related to what I saw through the ceiling. Time for a cup of tea, I think. T

PHO T OGR A PH Y: COU R T ES Y I M AGES

relatively low-resolution headset, the environments look horribly real.

It only takes the second rattle of a door behind me before The Lost Soul wins the accolade of being the first experience to force me to do the age-old ‘make things less scary in VR trick’ by taking off one headphone. It doesn’t help in any way.

I enter a darkened living room only to find the TV click on and I see the remote control floating ominously over the sofa.

Every jump scare finds its mark and I’m left trembling in the house of horrors with an average heart rate of 90 bpm and highs of 105 bpm.

Pays for itself in only 281 kilometres *

It makes sense Turn your mileage into money sales@li�lelogbook.co.za (011) 050 0999

* based on SARS Prescribed Reimbursement rate for 2017-2018 Tax Season - R3.55

CLEAN UP your act LEAVE THE VACUUMING TO THE ROBOT. TIME TO PUT YOUR FEET UP

swag TECH

N e ato B o t v a c D 7 C o n n e c te d Sm a r t Vac uu m C le a ne r, R 14 6 8 0

PHO T OGR A PH Y: COU R T ES Y I M AGE

We’re so over vacuuming. It’s sweaty work and there are far more exciting things we could be doing instead of sucking up dustballs from under the sofa. If you’re of the same mindset, Neato wants to end your house-labour woes with its new robot vacuum, the Botvac D7 Connected. It sounds ace, but be warned: Initial pricing suggests it could cost more than a Dyson 360.

To justify that price tag, Neato’s marketing the Botvac D7 Connected as ‘the most powerful, intuitive and

LASERSMART TECH HELPS THE BOTVAC TO MAP AND NAVIGATE ROOMS, WHILE ROBUST SUCTION DELIVERS A POWERFUL CLEAN

connected robot vacuum you will ever own’ (Which seems like an overly bold claim. Ever ever?). It’s setting out to achieve this with a range of smart cleaning and mapping features, plus a new and improved Neato app that offers additional alerts and a Cleaning Summary Map. LaserSmart tech helps the new Botvac to precisely map and navigate rooms, so it’s not bumping around all the time, while robust suction, an ultra-performance filter, turbo mode and an improved brush system combine to deliver a powerful clean.

Use the Botvac D7 Connected in Discovery Mode and it will create a personalised MyFloorPlan (which you can access via the app). To this you can add virtual ‘No-Go’ lines, blocking off any rooms you don’t want cleaned at that point in time.

The vacuum is also launching with IFTTT compatibility, enabling integration with Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple Watch and Neato ChatBot for Facebook.

Check out neatorobotics.com for more information. T

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 3 7

Mobile movie

magic HOW TO GET SUPERIOR VIDEO STREAMED ON YOUR PHONE

WOR DS H A DL E E SI MONS @H A DL E ESI MONS

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ROM GIANT TVS ALL THE WAY DOWN TO YOUR SMARTPHONE SCREEN, THE LATEST BUZZWORD IN SCREENS IS HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE, OR HDR. How does it work

and how can you use it to improve your smartphone experience? How does it differ from the HDR feature you might have spotted on your phone’s camera?

Here’s what you need to know about HDR video.

Smartphones and HDR

You might have come across the term HDR on your smartphone. Almost every phone above the entry-level now has an HDR function built into the camera app.

However, this technology is not exactly the same as HDR video, so these two technologies should not be confused.

how to TECH HDR photography combines multiple photos at different exposures to produce a photo that features more detail in both light and dark areas. HDR video is shot in much the same way, but it’s a bit trickier.

The big difference? Photos shot using HDR can be viewed on any screen, unlike HDR video, which will only properly display on screens that are HDR-compatible.

What is HDR video?

HDR video can deliver a far greater range of contrast between light and dark areas of a video, and also a far greater range of colours. The user experiences a richer and more dynamic video stream.

To watch videos in HDR, the video must be filmed and produced using HDR technology, and your screen also needs to be able to display HDR content. How this actually works is that the video data stream includes a string of instructions that tells your TV screen, at extremely high speed, how to adjust itself for each video frame.

So, as an analogy, if you watch a highdefinition DVD on an old box TV, it only looks as good as the grainy old screen can display. Likewise, if you watch an old videotape on the latest HD TV, it still looks BEFORE

terrible. You need to have both HD source and HD display for things to look great.

HDR has been a feature on many high-end TVs for a few years already, but it’s also come to high-end smartphone screens in the past 18 months.

Because this technology is still very immature, there exist many different standards, and not all the phone makers support all the HDR standards.

There are currently three main HDR standards: Dolby Vision, HDR10 and UHD/HDR Premium. Samsung sticks to UHD/HDR Premium, LG offers Dolby Vision and HDR10, Huawei uses HDR10, and Sony supports HDR10. And latecomer Apple has opted for Dolby Vision in their latest iPhones.

What can I watch in HDR? While there are half a dozen video streaming services available in SA, only a few deliver HDR content, and they all support different standards.

YouTube only supported HDR10, Netflix delivers in Dolby Vision and UHD/HDR Premium, while Amazon Prime Video supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision. You get the picture. Or perhaps you don’t, because matching up your top-end

HDR-capable phones The ill-fated Samsung Note 7 was the first major smartphone to feature an HDR display, but many others have followed in its wake: • Samsung Galaxy S8 • Samsung Galaxy Note 8 • LG G6 • LG V30+ • Sony Xperia XZ Premium • Sony Xperia XZ1 • Huawei Mate 10 Pro • Apple iPhone 8/8 Plus • Apple iPhone X phone with your favourite video service seems to still be a bit of a moving target at this point.

Here’s a rough list of what services work on which phones (but you should visit the official support pages for each service to check for updates): • Netflix (HDR only available on the top-end subscription): Samsung Galaxy Note 8, LG G6, LG V30, Sony Xperia XZ Premium, Apple iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X. • YouTube (unofficial listing, based on research and tests): Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ and Note 8, LG G6, V30 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium • Amazon Prime Video (HDR available on the basic service): Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+, Note 8 and Sony Xperia XZ Premium

PHO T OGR A PH Y: G A L LO/GE T T Y I M AGES, COU R T ES Y I M AGES

Is HDR worth it?

AFTER

While it’s true that the difference in quality is not as great a technological leap ahead as high definition was over standard definition, the kind of video content also makes a big difference. A slow courtroom drama or movie filmed 10 years ago may not look as impressive as the high production values of nature documentaries such as the latest Blue Planet II series.

The HDR-video star is definitely still rising, so expect a broadening stream of HDR content from both Amazon and Netflix. Both companies are throwing plenty of weight behind the format, as they plan to film hundreds of hours of HDR content over the next few years. And look out, too, for HDR-capable screens on a wider range of more affordable phones. T F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 3 9

Talk to the

HAND

ON YOUR PHONE, GOOGLE ASSISTANT CAN FOLLOW YOUR VOICE COMMANDS, AND IT’S GETTING SMARTER ALL THE TIME WOR DS M EG A N E L L I S @M EGG _ E L L I S

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RTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS A CONCEPT THAT’S OFTEN DIFFICULT TO GRASP.

It refers to the ability of machines to perform functions similar to those done by the human brain, such as using lots of different kinds of data, recognising things or even making decisions.

But the most common use of AI today is happening on our phones, and Google Assistant is probably the most advanced of these tools. It gives you a way to control your phone, find information and perform many tasks with voice commands. Google Assistant can be used for everything from sending simple texts to controlling your smart-home devices.

Google Assistant either comes preinstalled on the most recent Android phones, or through an automatic update of the operating system. It only works on Android versions 6, 7 and 8 (also known as Marshmallow, Nougat and Oreo).

iPHONE USERS need to download the Google Assistant app

Google Now was the original AI on Android, but will be replaced by Google Assistant. Once Assistant is on the phone, you can access it by holding in your Home button or by saying, ‘Okay, Google.’ When 4 0 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

prompted, just give Google Assistant permission and it’ll replace Google Now. Here’s how to use some of its most useful features:

Other subscription options include mindfulness tips, poems, quotes and funny videos.

Navigate to places

It can be difficult to keep up with news during a busy workday. Luckily, Assistant can compile a news summary and play it back to you while you’re eating breakfast or sitting in traffic.

Simply ask Assistant to ‘Play the news’.

‘Listen to news’ or ‘Tell me the news’ also work. Google Assistant will then play through a list of very short audio news reports. It uses a default group of (mostly American) sources, but you can pick other channels from the list provided.

To customise your daily news feed, look under the ‘Play the News’ box for ‘News settings’. Not all news services provide short audio updates, but there is a lot to choose from, even for those with niche interests.

One of Google Assistant’s best features is navigation. To start it up, you can say ‘Okay, Google, take me to…’ Whichever location you mention, Google Maps will launch with voice navigation. You can either use the place’s name or its street address, or you can use words such as ‘home’ or ‘work’ if you have saved these locations in Google Maps.

Subscribe to daily updates

Subscriptions allow you to receive daily scheduled updates on certain topics including weather forecasts, interesting facts or lifestyle tips.

There are two ways to subscribe to an update: You can ask Google Assistant for a weather report by saying ‘Okay, Google, what is the weather for today?’ Once it has supplied this information, you’ll see a button labelled ‘send daily’. Once clicked, Google will ask when you’d like to receive your daily update, and will announce your weather report at this time each day.

Alternatively, you can issue an all-inone instruction such as ‘Okay, Google, send me weather updates daily.’

Listen to the news

Make a shopping list

There’s no need to write down your shopping list any more, because Assistant can create one for you and add new items on the fly using voice commands.

Start with, ‘Okay, Google, make a shopping list.’ Then try, ‘Okay, Google, add milk to my shopping list.’ When you want to review the list, say, ‘Okay, Google, show me my shopping list.’

how to TECH

PHO T OGR A PH Y: IST OC K PHO T O, COU R T ES Y I M AGE

This will load a separate window with a checklist of items. You will be able to see the items you’ve added, tick off ones you have bought, and see previous items.

Use voice commands

There are a variety of voice commands that save you the hassle of manually doing tasks. These include changing settings, launching apps, sending messages, setting alarms, and performing internet searches.

The best way to figure out exactly what Assistant can do is to try out different commands such as: ‘Okay, Google, wake me up at 6 am’ sets an alarm for 6 am.

‘Okay, Google, remind me to feed the

Google Now VS Google Assistant?

Google Now was built into much older versions of Android and, like Google Assistant, also has the ability to accept voice commands for navigation, setting reminders and performing searches. However, Google Assistant is much more advanced with many more commands available, and it can carry on a conversation with you thanks to its AI.

cat at 7.30 am every morning’ sets a daily reminder for 7.30 am.

‘Okay, Google, turn on WiFi’ turns on the phone’s WiFi ‘Okay, Google, send Brad a message on WhatsApp saying ‘What do you want for dinner?’ opens a new text message, confirms Brad’s particulars, spells out the message and sends it via WhatsApp. Google Assistant has many more features besides these, and new skills are being created all the time. The best way to keep track of the new functions is, unsurprisingly, to simply ask Google Assistant by saying ‘Okay, Google, what can you do?’ And if you are feeling selfconscious, just pretend you’re speaking on the phone and not to the phone. T

TECH swag

The best smart MOOD LIGHTS WANT TO IMPROVE THE AMBIENCE IN YOUR HOME? WE HAVE HAND-PICKED THESE TOP SMART PORTABLE LAMPS TO SUIT YOUR NEEDS BRIGHT

Philips Hue Go R1 800

Unlike the others, Philips’s offering isn’t so much a lamp, but more of an uplight. This directional lighting is great for mood-boosting room corners, but with a huge 300 lumen output, you will have to lower the brightness if you want it facing forward. Luckily, this is easy to do – just unplug the power and it’ll dim to 40 % brightness.

Alternatively, there are preset scenes to choose from, such as warm white light and cosy candle. Just tap the button on the bottom to flick through

these, or double-tap and hold to cycle through its myriad colour options – release to choose one. Sadly, unless you pair the Hue Go with a compatible Philips Hue Bridge, you will not be able to control this light through an app, so colour choice is more limited. If you do, you’ll be rewarded with remote control, scheduling, and more. Hue Go isn’t waterproof and battery life is a mere three hours.

VERDICT Super bright and a great mood enhancer, though the need for a Hue Bridge to access its smarts will no doubt put off some people.

BARGAIN

Mipow Playbulb Sphere R600

Despite being the cheapest mood lamp here, MIPOW’s offering is outstanding. Not only do you get a great-looking, well-built light constructed from glass, it also comes with a wireless charging pad (which has grippy rubber underneath) so you can easily recharge it when it runs dry. But that won’t happen too soon, what with its eight-hour battery life. It’s also IP65 waterproof, meaning you can use it in the rain, and a small carry handle on the underside means it’s easily portable. At 230 lumens, it’s also plenty bright. So far, so great.

On the app side of things, there’s a wide range of options, including five different lighting effects, and a function enabling you to double-tap the top of the light to change colours, plus you can shake your phone to switch colours. You can even group multiple lights to control them all at once.

VERDICT The Playbulb Sphere does everything remarkably well, making it the lamp of choice for any situation, indoors or out.

PORTABLE

Witti Notti

PHO T OGR A PH Y: X COU XXR XT X ES X XYX /H I MM AGES images.co.za

R700 (import)

Small, oddly-shaped and – if we’re honest – a little on the flimsy side, the Notti doesn’t immediately appeal to the eye. But, cast aside those initial impressions, and you’ll be rewarded with a capable little smart light, that’s easy to carry wherever you go and boasts more than five hours of battery life. The basics are all present and correct: Connecting over Bluetooth is quick and painless; it’s really rather bright (considering its size); and you can adjust lighting easily via the somewhat simple-looking, but feature-rich, app. Aside from its mood-enhancing capabilities, there is much more it can do. The Notti doubles as a sort of beacon, notifying you when new messages or emails arrive. It will even flash neatly in time with your music, though you won’t be able to stream your Spotify/Tidal tunes. Multiple Nottis can also be grouped together and controlled in tandem.

VERDICT The smallest, and possibly smartest, light in this group. Great for taking places, and dancing in time with it at parties.

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 4 3

Taxi

TECHNOLOGY

UBER MAY BE A GLOBAL TAXI INDUSTRY DISRUPTOR, BUT ON THE LOCAL SCENE, QUICKLOC8 IS USING SMART TECHNOLOGIES TO MAKE MINIBUS TAXIS SAFER AND MORE ACCOUNTABLE WOR DS JOA N N E C A R E W PHOTOG R A PH Y S A M A N T H A PI N T O

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OU KNOW YOU’RE SITTING DOWN WITH A GENUINE ENTREPRENEUR WHEN THE BUSINESS THEY’RE TELLING YOU ABOUT ISN’T THEIR FIRST.

Now Mbavhalelo Mabogo has moved on from his original projects to develop something that he believes will shake up the local taxi industry. Tech chatted to him about Quickloc8, a monitoring app that puts control back in the hands of taxi owners.

How did the idea for Quickloc8 come about?

QUICKLOC8 EXPLAINED 1. A monitoring device and sensors are fitted to the taxi and linked up with the Quickloc8 app.

2. Notifications around driver activity and taxi location are sent to owners.

3. Owners are charged a monthly subscription of R199. The full installation and activation of the system is R500, which includes helping the taxi bosses to use the app on their phones.

I was on the road and I saw a taxi driving irresponsibly. I wondered why the people in the taxi didn’t complain. If I’m driving with other people and my phone rings, my passengers will have something to say if I try to answer it. This gave me the idea to create something that put the safety of the passengers back in the hands of the taxi owners, not the drivers.

4. The app is only available on

Why this approach?

fitted into about 2 000 taxis in 2018.

There are always competing voices in a taxi. Some people want the driver to go faster or do some ‘yellow-lane driving’ because they’re running late. The voices that are often marginalised are those of children, women and elderly passengers.

Instead of trying to solve the dynamics of the people inside, I opted to just take the responsibility out.

How do you do that?

With the Quickloc8 app, taxi owners always have eyes on what’s happening, which gives them more control.

With live tracking, they’ll know where their vehicles are at all times. If a driver starts the taxi, they get a notification. If their drivers are speeding, they’ll get a 4 4 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Android. Mabogo claims to have never met a taxi owner who uses Apple.

5. They aim to have the system

movers and makers TECH

MBAVHALELO MABOGO FOUNDER OF QUICKLOC8 QUICKLOC8.CO.ZA NEXT MONTH

Can you make a bar-beating beer with the latest home-brew tech?

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 4 5

TECH movers and makers notification. Sure, tracking devices aren’t anything new. What’s new about what we’re doing is how these devices communicate with our algorithms and present data to taxi owners in a way that is understandable to people who may have never used an app before.

Is the taxi industry against these kinds of innovation?

We have plans to develop a system that incentivises good driving. Using our system, you can analyse driving style so it’s easy to see if someone is driving irresponsibly. We have actually just signed a partnership agreement with an insurance company called Vulindlela Underwriting Managers. We hope to work with them to come up with a way to rank

the best drivers and develop a reward system for these drivers.

What are your plans for the future?

The first level of what we’re doing addresses tracking, measurement and safety. The second level is about revenue management. Previous attempts to track revenue used cards or tags, but these approaches weren’t very effective.

We’re working to develop hardware that can be fitted to a taxi and will track how many people get in and out of the vehicle each day. Ultimately, we want to come up with new ways to enable taxi owners using smart technology.

Our hope is that when a new taxi is sold in the future, our system will be fitted as a standard feature. T

MOV I NG TA RGE T

25k+

M I N I B U S TA X I S ON SA ROADS E V E R Y D AY

15 million COMMU TERS WHO U S E TA X I S D A I LY

20k+

M I N I B U S TA X I FLEET OWNERS

30–50%

WHO OWNS YOUR TAXI? Rental model

A taxi owner rents the vehicle to the driver. The driver has to pay the owner the rental fee at the end of each day, but they get to keep any surplus.

Profit-sharing model

Here, daily profits are divided between the driver and the owner. Owners can be defrauded if drivers are dishonest about their trips and passenger numbers, which is where Quickloc8 comes in.

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PHO T OGR A PH Y: H M images.co.za, GA L LO/GE T T Y I M AGES

E S T I M AT E D D A I LY INCOME STOLEN

BY DRIVERS FROM TA X I O W N E R S

Scope

NATURAL WORLD

Chemistry LIFE HACKS A LITTLE SCIENCE GOES A LONG WAY WHEN IT COMES TO SOLVING THESE EVERYDAY PROBLEMS

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COMMON COMPLAINT IN CLASSROOMS IS THAT NOTHING YOU LEARN IN MOST OF YOUR SCHOOL CLASSES WILL BE USEFUL IN YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE – BUT HERE ARE SOME CHEMISTRY LIFE HACKS THAT PROVE OTHERWISE. We’ll show

you how to clean your silver jewellery, how to remove rust and a better way to get red wine out of your carpet – using simple chemical reactions.

scope TECH

1

Fix bitter coffee

2

It’s well known that salt makes food taste good, but in 1997, scientists found out why. In a study published in the journal Nature, they had volunteers drink a bitter urea drink with added sucrose for sweetness, or sodium acetate for saltiness. Sugar did not improve the taste on its own, but salt did, and when the two were combined, the drink tasted even sweeter. It seems salt blocks bitterness and boosts sugariness.

Refresh tarnished silver

Silver can lose its lustre over time, becoming coated in a layer of black silver sulphide, but there’s a chemistry trick that’ll gently restore its shine. The first thing to do is line a bowl with aluminium foil and then add a spoon of baking soda, a pinch of salt and some hot water. The baking soda will react with the foil, stripping away the surface layer of aluminium oxide, and when you add your silver object, the salt allows electrons to move between the foil and the silver, which then creates a small electrical current. The silver gains electrons and the aluminium loses them and, in the process, the sulphur transfers from your cutlery to the foil.

SALT’S ABILITY TO SUPPRESS BITTER AND BOOST SWEET COULD BE JUST WHAT YOU NEED Coffee contains many different bittertasting molecules that contribute to its very distinctive flavour, but it takes a careful balance of temperature, brew time and coarseness to get the perfect cup. It’s very easy to get this delicate balance wrong, often with not-so-tasty results, but salt’s ability to suppress bitter tastes and boost sweetness could be just the thing you need to fix your brew.

Coffee beans also naturally contain chlorogenic acids, which break down into bitter quinolacetones, phenylindanes and melanoidins when the beans are roasted.

These are responsible for the flavour.

Iron reacts with oxygen in the presence of moisture, creating red-toned iron oxide

3

Remove rust with cola

Phosphoric acid is the sour ingredient that balances the sugary taste of the world’s favourite fizzy drink, but it boasts another use – it’s an industrial-strength rust remover capable of transforming reddish iron (III) oxide into ferric phosphate. To repair a rusty object, simply cover it in cola, and let the acid get to work.

Not only will it help to remove the rust, the layer of iron phosphate will provide some rust-proofing, protecting against future corrosion.

NEXT MONTH

Inventions that will change the world

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 4 9

TECH scope

4

Remove wine stains with vodka

The distinctive colour of red wine is created by pigments called anthocyanins and pyranoanthocyanins, which are formed when anthocyanins interact

VODKA, WHITE RUM OR GIN WILL DISSOLVE RED WINE PIGMENT MOLECULES MORE EFFECTIVELY with molecules made by alcohol-producing yeasts. Their chemical structure makes them just a little bit hydrophobic (‘water hating’) and a little bit hydrophilic (‘water loving’), meaning that they dissolve in both organic solvents, like alcohol, and aqueous solvents, like water.

White wine is often used to remove red wine stains, because it contains a mix of alcohol and water, helping to capture the pigment molecules and pull them out of the fabric, but a better option to quickly remove a stain is to use something stronger. Clear spirits such as vodka, white rum or gin contain a much higher percentage of alcohol, dissolving the pigment molecules even more effectively. Just keep dabbing at the stain and adding more alcohol until the colour begins to fade away.

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Ripen fruit with fruit

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Descale your kettle with vinegar

Ripe fruits such as tomatoes and bananas release ethylene, or ethene. This natural chemical is also known as ‘fruit-ripening gas’ and has been used for centuries to artificially speed up fruit ripening. The Egyptians made holes in figs to let the gas out, people in ancient China burnt incense to release ethylene, and modern transport vehicles pump the gas over unripe fruit on their way to the supermarket to ensure it’s ready to eat on arrival. To use this trick at home, simply place an ethylene-producing fruit such as a banana, fig, mango, nectarine or plum next to an unripe fruit, and it’ll be ready to eat in no time.

Hard water contains dissolved calcium bicarbonate, which breaks down into insoluble calcium carbonate, also known as limescale, when it’s heated. To get rid of it, fill the kettle with one part vinegar or lemon juice and three parts water, and boil. Let the hot mixture sit overnight. The acid will react with the limescale, which will then form soluble calcium salts that can be tipped away in the morning. T A scanning electron microscope image showing crystals of limescale inside a kettle

NEXT MONTH

Inventions that will change the world

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TECH

Scope

NATURAL WORLD

Picky eating could be in your genes

A study has uncovered two genes that could be the cause of fussy eating. The University of Illinois carried out a study of children aged two to four years and uncovered DNA variants thought to be related to bitter taste.

One, known as TAS2R38, causes them to be more selective about foods, and the other, called CA6, was linked with struggles for control during mealtimes.

Intelligent bandages can heal your body A new ‘smart’ bandage is capable of dispensing multiple medications when triggered by a mobile device. Developed by researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Harvard Medical School and MIT, the bandage consists of fibres coated in a gel that house anything from antibiotics to painkillers. When a small amount of electricity is applied, the fibre and its gel heat up, releasing the drugs. Further testing is still needed, but it’s hoped that the bandage will eventually treat chronic wounds and battlefield injuries.

Elon Musk plans to colonise Mars by 2024

The ambitious founder of SpaceX has announced plans for a new spacecraft destined for Mars. By putting all of the company’s resources into the new rocket, Musk hopes to have the first launch by 2022 and send the first humans by 2024.

5 2 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

NEXT MONTH

Inventions that will change the world

scope TECH We’re one step closer to flying taxis

Airbus Helicopters has successfully completed testing its CityAirbus – an autonomous flying taxi that’s powered entirely by batteries. The company is preparing for its first flight around the end of 2018, before official lift-off in 2023.

CityAirbus will be designed to carry up to four passengers along fixed routes, soaring across the sky at a top speed of 120 kilometres per hour.

Barn owls never lose their hearing

PHO T OGR A PH Y & I L LUST R AT ION: COU R T ES Y I M AGES

Unlike mammals, birds are able to regenerate cells in their inner ears, so they suffer minimal hearing loss as they get older. However, after testing the hearing ability of young and elderly barn owls of up to 23 years old, scientists found no notable difference at all. It’s hoped that by figuring out how this works, we may be able to create treatments for people with hearing loss, or even nip it in the bud before it becomes a problem.

How giraffes stay cool

It’s assumed giraffes evolved long necks to fight or reach high-up food, but there could be another possible explanation: to keep cool. Scientists argue that if a giraffe faces the Sun – as they have been seen to do during the day – their necks cast most of their body in shadow. This gives them a crucial advantage in their hot habitats.

DEATH NILE ON THE

THE FABLED START OF GAMING’S INFAMOUS DEATH-CULT TITLE WOR DS C L I N T O’SH E A @ZOM BI E _ DR E DD

Assassin’s Creed Origins PS4, XBOX ONE, PC

The new Assassin’s Creed seems to have been well worth the wait. While it’s only been three years since Assassin’s Creed Syndicate was released, it’s been a lot longer than that since the franchise graced us with a truly memorable game.

So what makes Origins such a great return to form? Over the last few years, this third-person action-adventure stealth game has become bloated with too many

ideas and half-baked additions. Origins cuts back on these elements and focuses on a great story, fantastic setting and simpler game mechanic.

Dry town

You play the majority of the game as Bayek – the people’s champion – who evolves to become a fully fledged assassin, but there are visits to his wife Aya’s parallel story.

After a tragedy strikes your family, you begin your quest for vengeance, which includes ridding ancient Egypt of The Order of the Ancients, who are essentially the Templars before they became known

as such. As the game’s title suggests, this does hail back almost to the beginnings of the creed known as the assassins.

It’s a story and adventure that will keep you buried for many hours. The in-game map is very big … no, huge, and it should be explored carefully. Some regions have enemies that will destroy Bayek when he is still a low-level character.

Completed encounters and quests award experience points, allowing for levelling up and ability improvements.

It also means access to better weapons and gear. With Origins, Assassin’s Creed has completed its mission to become a lightweight RPG more than anything else, bringing a little bit of crafting, weapons upgrades, plenty of side quests and a lot of exploration.

Fighting styles

The series’ combat system and climbing mechanic have been simplified since the original games. In Origins, the combat is possibly the most accessible yet, with enough nuance to ensure a satisfying fist pump after a successful engagement with multiple enemies. The weapons feel more relevant in combat than ever before, and selecting the right weapon type for the right enemy feels more critical than in previous versions.

Of course, you could choose to rather use the shadows and natural cover to sneak up on your enemies and quietly end them one by one. Or take them out with a ranged weapon, such as your bow and arrow. The game allows you to really play as you please and thankfully never punishes you for choosing a more explosive approach over finesse.

game reviews TECH

A review of any Assassin’s Creed game would be meaningless without a critique of its graphics. Frankly, it’s breathtaking to behold. Egypt is vibrant and varied.

There are moments where you could be caught off-guard simply because you’re absorbed by the incredible sights, and forgetting you’ve entered a wild animal’s lair. Yes, there are animals and so much more in the game, and certainly far more than we can cover in this brief review.

This has got to be a serious contender for game of the year, and every kind of gamer would be doing themselves a huge disservice by not playing it.

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Out of the shadows Humble and humiliate your foes in this action RPG sequel WOR DS JONAT H A N M E Y ER @JONAT H A NGM E Y ER

PS4, XBOX ONE, PC

Sometimes, game developers just get it right. This was the case with 2014’s hugely successful Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor, a game based loosely off JRR Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings fictional universe. No one really asked for that game, but everyone ended up wanting to play it.

Enter its somewhat rather confusingly named sequel: Middle-Earth: Shadow of War. Developers Monolith Productions stick to a tried-and-tested formula in this open-world action role-playing game.

They expand on popular aspects of its predecessor, such as the fan-favourite Nemesis combat system, whereby your actions against various enemies have long-term (and often hilarious) effects on later interactions with and between them. Defeat an orc captain, for example, 5 6 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

but spare his life and shame him among his peers, and he’ll remember it when next you meet.

Brain bond

As mentioned earlier, Shadow of War plays fast and loose with Tolkien lore – the giant spider Shelob’s appearance, for example, has changed a bit from what I can remember – but the game is set between the events of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

You play again as the ranger Talion, whose soul becomes bonded to Elf Lord Celebrimbor as the two set out to avenge the deaths of their loved ones once more, and reclaim one of the lost rings of power (yes, one of those rings).

Shadow of War begins with a brief recap of the events of the first game, but doesn’t stand on ceremony or punish gamers who may have missed that boat – it very quickly throws you right into the action. Interrogation of foot soldiers once again plays a pivotal role in the game.

WOR DS: X X X X

Middle-Earth: Shadow of War

game reviews TECH

You gather intel on the whereabouts and weaknesses of larger targets, and develop a legion of followers to use in coordinated attacks against more powerful foes.

More of Mordor

Combat is quick and brutal, with slowmotion effects occurring whenever you execute one of the myriad orcs, uruks and assorted Mordor wildlife who cross your path. Indeed, button mashing will progress you through the game, but using a planned combination of Talionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s melee and ranged attacks, peppered with ethereal moves carried out by Celebrimbor make for a much more satisfying combat experience.

On the whole, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d call Shadow of War an improvement on its predecessor.

The game is bigger, looks better, and offers way more moves and tricks, and the Nemesis system is also fleshed out a fair bit. The inclusion of the dreaded micro-transactions and loot boxes leaves a bad taste in the mouth, but is definitely not game-breaking in this instance and some of the best armour and weapons in the game are free and easy to acquire.

It is the perfect game for a lazy weekend afternoon, and if you fancy a bit of orc-shaming.

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TECH game reviews

Handling with care The cultish racing game takes it up a gear

Project Cars 2 XBOX ONE, PS4, PC

If cars get your pulse racing, then Project CARS 2 could bring on a heart attack. Two years after the original game, Project CARS 2 adds a dash of polish to a game that’s now developing a cult following.

This year’s model (of the game) comes packed with more than 180 cars from around 38 manufacturers, and more than 140 track variations. That’s plenty of variety and depth, and should satisfy the most demanding racing enthusiasts across all vehicle classes. There is also plenty of customisation options available for those needing to get under the hood (or detailing on the bodywork for that matter).

Take control

It’s important to note that Project CARS 2 is not an arcade race. It’s a serious game that leans towards simulation realism over casual cruising. The game is quick to penalise you for bad driving habits such as cutting corners or leaving the track, but some of the many game setup options allow you turn all that off.

The in-game settings are some of the most comprehensive available in current-gen racing games, with the customisation of your head-up display being particularly useful. You can also turn on all the driving assists until you have mastered the game controls.

Driving using a racing wheel, rather than a controller or keyboard, is also

strongly recommended to get the most out of Project CARS 2. It’s totally playable with a controller, but really came to life when I used my Thrustmaster racing wheel.

The handling became more intuitive and responsive, and made far more difference than in other racing games.

The career mode in Project CARS 2 is a better experience than in its predecessor, but still feels lacking when compared to the scale of some of the other franchises.

There are plenty of other mode options, which include online races with a focus on e-sports. This sees an online ranking system and an online championship.

All this plays out with a new time- and weather cycle, which includes dynamic weather changes based on the season you are competing in. This means being prepared for some realistic and ever-

changing track conditions throughout a race weekend.

The game uses a physics engine called LiveTrack 3.0. Sadly, this seems to entail some compromises that means the game doesn’t look as great as its competitors.

Playing on Xbox One, the cars looked fantastic, but the textures around the track looked a little wanting. However, if you play on PC, you can get 12K resolution that would leave all rivals in the dust.

It’s clear, though, that the performance of the cars is the main focus. They look great, they sound great, and they handle brilliantly. As with the original Project CARS, there are a few bugs, and Project CARS 2 will probably reach its best after a few patches and tweaks.

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game reviews TECH

Broken play

A rugby game that gets mauled at the breakdown WORDS RYA N V R EDE

Rugby 18 PS4, XBOX ONE & PC

This is a tough review to write because, as a kid, I spent hours upon hours of playing earlier versions of this game.

Years later, it simply has not progressed to the point it should have.

There are but a handful of redeeming features, among them the licence for the top European competitions. So, if you want to tear defences to shreds with Dan Carter in the colours of Racing Metro, you are welcome to try. Only, you probably won’t, because the controls are so complex, so utterly baffling even to a seasoned gamer, that you’re likely to get your cyber Carter smoked by a hulking Polynesian.

And everyone looks like a hulking Polynesian – either that or a juiced-up boytjie from the East Rand. It would be unreasonable to expect all sports games to compare favourably to FIFA, whose graphics are powered by the incredible Frostbite engine. However, this game looks like one developed a decade ago.

The early versions of this game were fun to play because they didn’t try to be a realistic simulation of the real deal. This aims for realism, and that further dilutes the experience.

Handling errors

Rugby’s rules are extremely complex, and attempting to translate that into

fluid gameplay is near impossible.

For example, ruck situations in rugby are dynamic and physically intense, despite this being one of the sport’s most policed facets. Ruck situations in this game are painfully slow and demanding from a control perspective, requiring you to commit players, who only react to that command seconds later, then to keep adding them if the opposition contest. And don’t even think about contesting yourself – you’ll just concede a penalty.

Tackling is just a joke, and even after days of trying, you’re still going to miss standard hits and then watch as the

hulking Polynesian or juiced-up boytjie heads for the try line. Tactical kicking is a disaster because of the complicated combination of controls that require you to direct, power and choose between four different types of kicks simultaneously.

Finally, the commentary, such a critical element in a sports game, is boring and often doesn’t fit with what is happening on screen.

Rugby has so much potential as a video game, but has yet to find a developer to do it justice. This is yet another in a string of poor attempts to do just that.

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TECH game reviews Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp FREE, ANDROID, IOS

Nintendo’s popular Animal Crossing series makes its long-awaited mobile debut as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp.

Think of it as a heavily simplified version of The Sims, but with anthropomorphic animals, fishing, bug collecting and furniture crafting.

You are the manager of a summer camp, trying to entice animals to visit your facility while interacting with them and performing tasks such as collecting fruit or fish to improve your relationships.

In the social aspect of the game, you’re able to befriend other camp managers and visit their camps, and even sell your surplus items on a global marketplace.

It’s a free game, so expect some in-app purchases, but it’s simple enough for children, and fun enough for adults to while away a few minutes at a time.

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Words with Friends 2 The sequel to one of mobile gaming’s biggest hits, Words with Friends 2 does not mess with the formula that earned it success.

You’ve still got the usual one-on-one word games to tackle, but we also see Solo Challenges for players who’d rather play alone. Another notable addition is a Lightning Round for cooperative play.

And getting into games is easy enough, as you challenge either Facebook friends or strangers from around the world.

This game won’t convert those who don’t do word games, but any fans of the original will enjoy the spiced-up modes.

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Upwardly

TOP GEAR FOR A GADGETCONSCIOUS LIFESTYLE

mobile iPhone 8 Plus

Let’s be frank – the iPhone 8 Plus would formerly have been known as an iPhone 7S Plus.

Apple’s Plus series has always had our favoured models. It’s the screen size and detail, the dual camera in the 7 Plus, the beefier specs (again, the Plus-sized phone features 3 GB of RAM, as opposed to 2 GB in the standard model).

The A11 Bionic processor moves to six cores rather than the four inside the iPhone 7 Plus’s A10 Fusion. It is fast.

Faster than fast. According to our benchmarks, this is easily the fastest phone on the market today. Graphics, too, have been given a boost.

More for less The iPhone 8 with 256 GB storage costs less than the upcoming iPhone X with 64 GB.

6 4 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Subscribe to TECH for just R29.99! See p6

smart buys TECH The battery is smaller than last year’s 7 Plus: 2 691 mAh instead of 2 900 mAh. We find that, generally, we can get it to last 24 hours like the iPhone 7 Plus.

The 8 Plus, however, does look dated compared to its rivals, and that is such a shame. The large bezels look ridiculous against the Galaxy Note 8 and S8 Plus.

The build quality is still excellent, of course, and there are people happy about keeping a Home button (and Touch ID).

Sadly, the 8 Plus doesn’t have an HDR display like the Note 8 or the iPhone X. While the 5.5” display is still bright, crisp and looks fantastic with a wide colour

gamut, its 1080p resolution does lag behind its rivals a bit.

The camera has received some love too, with a bunch of upgrades including the ability to record 60 fps 4K video (which looks sweet). The results are stunning thanks to a new larger sensor – the core camera specs are the same as last year’s model, meaning twin 12 MP sensors, with one camera lens offering wide-angle shots, and one offering a 2× telephoto zoom. The bigger sensor lets in more light, so colours are brighter, edges are crisper, and low-light shots are much improved.

Verdict The main question is whether you should buy this phone or get the upcoming iPhone X. The iPhone 8 Plus is super similar to the X – the same fast processor, and the rear camera is almost identical. You miss out on the new design, edge-to-edge OLED screen, Face ID and the better front camera, but if you can resist the pull of having the flashiest, newest design, you won’t be disappointed at all with this as your next iPhone.

Play it safe

Wireless charging requires a new glass back. It looks great, and Apple says it’s tough, but maybe get a case, yeah?

Astrum DA710 Laptop Docking Station

Specifications

Storage 64 GB or 256 GB, Screen 5.5” LCD Resolution 1 920 × 1 080, Rear cameras 12 MP wide-angle, 12 MP 2× telephoto, Front camera 7 MP, Processor Apple A11 Bionic, Dimensions 78.1 × 158.4 × 7.5 mm, Weight 202 g R15 500 (64 GB)

Thin-and-light ultrabook laptops never have enough ports. Some of Apple’s MacBooks offer just one USB-C port, and nothing more. By plugging in to a single USB-C port, this lightweight dock makes available a HDMI 2.0 port for attaching a monitor (up to 4K), full-size USB, USB-C, SD card reader, and Gigabit ethernet, so you can attach all your important peripherals and work in comfort.

R1 500

Verdict A practical, affordable solution for the laptop power user at the office.

TECH smart buys Samsung DeX phone dock

For some time, we have been referring to smartphones as a computer in your pocket, and now we actually have a chance to make that our reality. Drop your Samsung S8 or Note 8 into this coffee mug-sized dock, plug in a mouse, keyboard and monitor, and you’ll be able to use it like a regular PC. You can plug in other full-size USB devices too, and a proper LAN cable if you’re struggling with WiFi. It’s not just some watered-down mobile experience either. The interface is slick and uncluttered, but intuitive, and we quickly found our way around.

Not all apps work equally well, but in no time at all, we were using Gmail, the mobile Chrome browser and even the Google Sheets spreadsheet app as though they were the full PC version, even though, technically, they were running on the phone.

Verdict This is not the first phone dock of this kind, but it’s the best yet, and it’s a veiled promise of the integrated single-device future still to come.

Sound barrier

Although your phone is automatically charged when plugged into the DeX dock, the headphone socket is inaccessible, so you’ll need to use your Bluetooth headphones when docked.

Specifications HDMI, LAN, 2 × USB, 1 × USB-C R2 000

Hisense C30 Rock Lite

Specifications

Storage 16 GB, Screen 5”, Front/rear cameras 5 MP/8 MP, RAM 2 GB, 4G LTE, waterproof IP67, Android 7 R2 500

The original Hisense C30 was one of our favourites, built extra tough, but looking distinctly different and quite elegant to boot.

This Lite version scales back on some of the original features: It has a smaller screen, less RAM and processing power, and a less capable camera, but it’s still built to last, and comes in at a bargain price.

This model has the same shock-absorbent corners to handle drops, sturdy metalreinforced side panels and solid dust- and waterproofing. Battery life is extraordinary, and you can stretch it to nearly three days if you make use of the built-in powersaving tools.

Verdict It feels great in hand, but it lacks the standout looks of its bigger brother, and looks a little drab by comparison.

Astrum ET300 Wireless Bluetooth Earphones

This is not the first pair of earphones we’ve seen using this completely cordless design.

We’ve tested half a dozen of them over the past few months, all using the same basic system: one Bluetooth-enabled bud for each ear, paired with each other, and then paired with the phone.

It’s quite a remarkable achievement, having a stereo music signal split into two cordless Bluetooth channels to arrive in each earbud at the exact same moment to keep the music in sync.

These cordless earbuds were the lightest we have used. The fit was extremely comfortable and secure in the ear, and they excelled where the others had failed dismally at keeping the Bluetooth connected no matter how much we moved around.

They sounded good, but the occasional dropouts are still a very jarring experience when you’re getting in the groove. Battery life was not great, but they come with a neat battery-powered charging case, so you can keep them juiced up while on the move.

Snug as a bud

We were pleasantly surprised with the sound quality of all the Astrum headsets we’ve tested, although the build quality seems to vary a lot.

Verdict For the price, you’ll certainly score some tech bragging rights here.

Specifications

Weight 50 g, Bluetooth 4.1, charging case R750

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 6 7

TECH smart buys Remote snaps

The 200D has a pretty full range of wireless functionality. Using WiFi, it can connect with your smartphone, either directly or through a router. Using the free app, you can now remotely control some functions on the camera.

Using your phone as a viewfinder, you can tap to change the focal point and snap the shot when you’re ready. You can also copy files from the camera to the phone and upload them to social media, or to cloud storage.

Canon EOS 200D DSLR camera

Even with the extraordinary advances in smartphone cameras, you can’t beat the consistent quality and control you get with a proper digital SLR camera. This entrylevel model comes at a bargain price for a surprisingly full feature set including a 24 MP sensor, extremely fast nine-point autofocus and a fully articulated flip-out screen, which is rare on basic models, but extremely handy for beginners.

Picture quality is superb, even when compared to today’s top-end smartphones, and there are plenty of filters and effects to experiment with.

Most importantly, it is one of the smallest and lightest DSLRs on the market, which, together with the on-camera tutorials and simple button layout, makes it ideal as a first camera for the aspiring visual artist.

Verdict Keeping the body light and compact means the beginner is more likely to lug it around, so they’ll have it when they need it, which makes it a smart investment. T

Specifications

Sensor 24 MP Dual Pixel CMOS, Processor DIGIC 7, Dimensions 122.4 × 92.6 × 69.8 mm, Weight 456 g, full HD video @ 60 fps, nine-point autofocus, built-in pop-up flash, Bluetooth/WiFi, 3” articulated LCD touchscreen viewfinder

6 8 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

PHO T OGR A PH Y: COU R T ES Y I M AGES

R6 000 (camera body only) R7 400 (with 18-55 mm zoom lens)

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Five BEST

BUYER’S

Phones

Headphones

Nokia 8

Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

This is the phone to challenge the market leaders, but at a much better price. It’s the build quality you expect from Nokia, and we liked the brilliant 5.3” screen, the metal back cover, the quality dual cameras and the zippy Android installation with no bloatware.

We were amazed by the great sound, superior build quality and comfy fit of these cans. Throw in the effective noise-cancelling system and the excellent on-ear controls, and they are the complete package for lounge, office and mobile audio enjoyment.

R9 500

R5 300

Hisense C30 Rock

Skullcandy Ink’d 2 wireless

Combine the invisibly reinforced corners, waterproofing and metal frame, and this phone will happily absorb all of life’s little knocks – and look stylish doing it. The 5.2” screen is a delight and the 3 GB of RAM will keep things slick.

The flexible plastic collar makes these easy to wear and rolls up into a pocketable size. The sound punches well above its weight for entry-level buds and the large buttons have good tactile feedback.

R600

R4 500

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4

Sennheiser HD 202 II

An excellent feature set at an unbeatable price, this phone just delighted us at every turn. It’s got a serious processor, generous 3 GB of RAM and a superb 5.5” screen, all powered by a large battery that just keeps going.

What a pleasure! These boringlooking cans are a sturdy build and deliver an unexpectedly powerful audio performance for the price. They’re not easy to find , but well worth the hunt, and easily our best budget buy on this list.

R3 600

R630

Nokia 5

Skullcandy Grind Wireless

This is a great all-rounder, with a beautiful metal body and a generous 5.2” screen, all at a fantastic low price.

The cameras handle fairly well in low light, and the fingerprint sensor is a nice touch. Android installation with no bloatware.

This streetwear brand has matured, swapping its crazy colours for better build quality. This subtle design caught us off guard and was as pleasing on the eye as it was on the ear. The metal headband is a winner and the battery life is pretty good too.

R3 200

R1 500

LG K10 (2017)

iFrogz Plugz Wireless

It’s not the low-price champion it once was, but this updated model has a more stylish and premium look. We think it is still a solid performer that makes good on LG’s reputation for tough and dependable mid-range handsets.

They’re extremely basic, but the sound is much better than the price suggests. We ended up enjoying the big buttons on the in-line controls, as well as the soft-touch magnetic clip that attaches it to your shirt. Wrap the cable around it for easy storage.

R3 200

R500

7 0 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

best buys TECH

GUIDE Fitness gear

NEW

PHO T OGR A PH Y: COU R T ES Y I M AGES

Gaming gear

Garmin vívoactive HR

Logitech Lightspeed 703

The upgrade to our previous charttopper, this model delivers GPS-driven data for multiple sports, as well as activity tracking and smartwatch-like notifications, and now with heart-rate monitoring. A little less elegant than its predecessor, but far more practical.

This model proves it’s a myth that cordless mouses can’t be as fast as cabled. With a 1 ms response time, rubberised side grips, a removable 10 g weight and the option of wired or wireless, you’re getting the best of both worlds – for work and play.

R5 200

R1 800

Fitbit Alta HR

Sony PS VR

It’s thin and stylish, but it delivers a lot of very useful data for its size, including very reliable step count, sleep monitoring and heart rate.

It’s ideal for basic gym workouts, walking and yoga, but not for serious sport.

This is an authentic, smooth VR experience, supported by a proper pipeline of games and entertainment, at a reasonable price. And we like that it’s still a really great experience even on 4-year-old PS4 hardware.

R2 300

R6 800

TomTom Adventurer

Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 keyboard

We like that even though it collects tons of workout data, the display is simple and easy to read, and that it now supports activities such as hiking and trail running. The on-board music played to your Bluetooth ’phones is handy too.

NEW

THE TOP GEAR TESTED AND COMPARED ON FEATURES, PRICE AND BUILD QUALITY

BY THE EXPERTS AT TECH

Still our top gaming keyboard, the new version keeps the Razer Green mechanical switches and USB, and audio pass-through, but adds on a useful detachable palm rest and programmable macro keys.

R5 500

R3 200

Fitbit Blaze

Steelseries Arctis 3

It’s still a great fitness tracker with a solid phone app, but now it tracks your sports (in a fairly basic way) too.

Best of all, this is a properly stylish watch you can wear every day, with heart-rate monitoring and a five-day battery rounding out the offering.

The exceptionally comfortable fit of these cans, paired with a great mic and sturdy build, puts them streets ahead in a very competitive category. Music sounds great, too, but the 7.1 surround sound is a bit finicky for us.

R4 000

R1 900

Garmin vívosmart 3

Zowie Camade

This tracker does the basic step count and heart-rate metrics very well, but it has one or two extra features too, such as rudimentary VO2 and stress measurement.

It’s also fully waterproof, which is rare.

When all the cooldrink cans and chip packets pile up around your rig during an extended session, this clever CAble MAnagement DEvice, or camade, lifts your mouse cable clear of the chaos for continued smooth fragging.

R3 000

R700

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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8 TECH 7 3

TECH backspace

Duncan Bell … is self-driving A day in Milan gives insight into fashion, marketing and Volvo’s reinvention

C

ARS TODAY AREN’T REALLY MARKETED AS THINGS TO DRIVE, AS SUCH. THEY’RE SEEN AS EXTENSIONS OF LIFESTYLE, SIMILAR TO YOUR PHONE, OR PANTS, OR EVEN YOUR CHOICE OF CRAFT ALE.

That’s why a growing number of brands will now launch a car twice.

Once for the sub-Clarksons from mags named things such as Total Car Bastard.

There, men in bomber jackets with the sleeves pushed up will drive it around the Nürburgring while yelling, ‘Good torque!’ and ‘I hate caravans!’ I expect. Then, later in the day, they’ll launch it again for people largely uninterested in actual driving.

Tech-lifestyle gits, let’s say. Like me.

I thought the Volvo XC40 was a very sexy car. Who would have thought, in the ’80s, ’90s or even ’00s, that someone might use the words ‘Volvo’ and ‘sexy’ together?

On that level, it’s a triumph. It’s not just a youthful car for non-old people, who may ‘have sex in it’, as one attendee put it.

Now, how do you market a car like the Volvo XC40? I’ll tell you: At Milan Fashion Week, at a pop-up store that is open for just 80 hours, selling 40 lovely, tasteful

Scandi-designed things, of which the 40th is the actual Volvo car. Then you invite highly stylish people, like me, to scoff canapés and interview your CEO, Håkan Samuelsson, and the exquisitely named head project designer, Ian Kettle.

It being Milan Fashion Week, there were more than a few rather epic outfits on show. In our hotel’s lobby, there was a man with his hair teased out to either side of his head in a way I had not seen since I was last at a circus. His ensemble?

Couture sports, I’d call it. Tailored shorts; matching football-esque shirt; platform trainers; knee-high socks. He looked like a fashion referee.

Turns out, he was editor of GQ Japan and his first question to Mr Samuelsson was: ‘Why are you wearing an Apple 7 4 TECH F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 8

Watch?’ He asked this question while revealing that he himself was wearing mechanical watches on both his wrists.

Keen to do some journalism before returning to the canapés, I managed to ask Samuelsson about self-driving cars.

This is the interesting bit, so pay attention: Volvo, like a lot of car brands, is certain cars will, to some extent, drive themselves as early as 2020. I feel as though most of us still think, ‘Ooh, seems dicey … will laws, custom and insurance allow it?’ Ask Volvo Cars’ CEO, and he’ll fix you with a gaze like Wallander and say, ‘Yes. By 2021.’

‘So who is ahead in the race?’ asked another panel member, sadly not dressed as a couture umpire. ‘There are many brands involved,’ said Volvo Cars’ CEO. And a few beats later: ‘But it’s us.’ T

The Volvo XC40’s world-first intersection braking technology brakes for you if an oncoming car is detected

I L LUST R AT ION: BR A M VA N H A E R E N, COU R T ES Y I M AGE

VOLVO IS CERTAIN CARS WILL, TO SOME EXTENT, DRIVE THEMSELVES AS EARLY AS 2020

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