ddgg ggg

SHUTTERBUG SHOWCASE 7

Cameras for superb snaps

GADGETS / GAMES / GEAR

PC’ PC’s GONE RAD

SEGWAY LOOMO

A robot to ride home... or about

LAPTOPS GET THEIR MOJO BACK

LIKE IT ROUGH

Take this tough tech trekking ASUS ZENBOOK PRO p61

A LITTLE BIT OFF THE TOP

WIN

September 2018 R39.90 (incl VAT) Other countries R34.65 (excl tax) www.stuff.co.za

AN ACER PREDATOR LAPTOP WORTH OVER

R42 000

TESTED

Fitbit Ace Sonos Beam Maserati Ghibli

Welcome

The spring is (almost) sprung, the grass is ris… and that means it’s time to go shopping for swimwear (p50), brush up on your tennis with Mario (88), and start worrying about the fitness of you and yours (p76). It’s also a great time to go through your cupboards and donate, sell or dispose of the antiquated tech and other knickknacks you don’t need anymore.

That’ll also help you make space and raise dosh for things you’ll actually use… like a new camera (p32) or laptop (p52). Whether you’re snapping pics of your brunch for that food blog you hope will let you leave your day job one day, a professional wildlife photographer who wants to get close to the action without losing a limb, or you simply want the best, compact kit for your travel snaps, we’ve tested it all. Seriously, there’s even a drone in the line-up… what? It’s got a camera, okay.

You’re gonna need something to edit all those brilliantly composed photographs on, right?

Sure, you could tweak them on a desktop, but then you wouldn’t be able to do it wearing a beret in a coffeeshop making frames with your thumbs and forefingers while sipping a skinny, decaf, hazelnut-flavoured Frappuccino. For that sort of peacocking you need something portable.

If the idea of buying a new laptop leaves you colder than the aforementioned coffee abomination, head on over to our Acer Predator competition (p30). Similarly, if a new camera is out of your reach, enter the LG Q7 competition (p48) and you could have a capable snapper heading your way in time for those before-and-after the 12-week fitness routine pics.

Until next month, they say the bird is on wing. But we all know that’s absurd. Because the wing, the wing is obviously on the bird. Duh. Craig Wilson, Editor craig@stuff.co.za @craigwilson

www.stuff.co.za

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Stuff competition terms and conditions: Apple is not a sponsor, nor is it involved in any way with any Stuff Magazine contests or sweepstakes. Stuff Magazine does not offer Apple products as contest or sweepstake prizes.

1 Promotions, giveaways and competitions are entered through Stuff Group’s website www.stuff.co.za and are opened for Issue 88, 2018 on 20 August 2018 and close on 17 September 2018. 2 The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence can be entered into. 3 Employees of Stuff Group and their families are not allowed to enter. Advertising and public relations representatives may not enter competitions in the issue in which their promotions, giveaways or competitions are carried. 4 Prizes are not exchangeable for cash and/or other products. Prizes are available while stocks last. It is at the discretion of Stuff Group and the custodian of the prizes to ensure that, should there be a problem with the stipulated prize won, a reasonable replacement of the same value will be offered. 5 Stuff Group carries promotions, giveaways and competitions in good faith and cannot be held responsible for any misrepresentation on the part of the custodian of the promotions, giveaways and competitions. 6 Winners will be notified telephonically and by mail. It is the responsibility of the winner to ensure that the correct address and contact details are given. It is the responsibility of the custodian of the promotion, giveaway and competition to ensure that prizes are sent out correctly and within the specified time. 7 Prize delivery will take four to six weeks from the time the winner has been notified. 8 Promotions, giveaways and competitions are open to South African residents only. 9 All prize-winners will be published on www.stuff.co.za the following month, once the competition lines have closed. 10 Readers may not claim for more than one prize at a time, and once announced as a winner in any Stuff promotions, giveaways or competitions, will not be eligible for another prize for three (3) months thereafter. 11 By entering any promotions, giveaways or competitions, or by accepting any prize, entrants agree that their personal details may be retained by the promoter and/or Stuff magazine and used for the purpose of sending them information about future promotions, events and news, as well as for internal administration and analysis. 12 Unclaimed prizes will be kept for three months and will not be resent. 13 Participation in any promotion, giveaway or competition and/or acceptance of any prize implies full knowledge and acceptance of all rules.

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Subscriptions hotline 0860 070 700 Email subscriptions@ mdafrica.co.za Advertising Business director Sally Hudson sally@stuff.co.za Senior account manager Thalia Pallotta 083 375 2418 thalia@stuff.co.za Account manager (Cape Town) Bernice Blundell 073 618 1882 bernice@stuff.co.za Management Stuff South Africa is published by the Stuff Group (Pty) Ltd. Directors: Toby Shapshak, Sally Hudson PO Box 74, Melrose Arch, 2096 Haymarket UK Stuff UK content is published with the permission of the copyright holder Haymarket Magazines Ltd 38-42 Hampton Road, Teddington, Middlesex, TW11OJE ... and a word about prices Generally, we show the manufacturer’s recommended price.

Occasionally we (or suppliers) can make mistakes. Please remember that prices listed in Stuff are intended as a guide only. We make every effort to confirm that all information is correct (and triple checked) when we go to print.

© Stuff South Africa. All due care will be taken with material submitted, but the magazine and publishers cannot be held responsible for loss or damage. Stuff South Africa assumes no responsibility to return unsolicited editorial, graphic or other material. All rights in letters and unsolicited editorial and graphic material will be treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copyright purposes and material will be subject to Stuff South Africa’s unrestricted right to edit and comment editorially. Stuff South Africa is fully protected by copyright and nothing may be reprinted in whole or part without written permission from the publisher.

While reasonable precautions have been taken to ensure the accuracy of advice and information given to readers, the editor, publisher and proprietor cannot accept responsibility for any damage or inconvenience that may arise therefrom.

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CON S ON THE COVER

p52 Lapping it up

P66

P16

HOT STUFF 8

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The Hot Four ● Sonos Beam ● Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds ● Parrot Anafi ● BlackBerry Key2 Vital stats Segway Loomo How did we ever get by without a scootbot?

Icon Ballfinger MO63H5 375 000 Randelas… are you for reel?

Apps Want to be the next Rafa Nadal?

Gigapixel Wall art in the style of God of War Games Our Spidey senses are tingling…

Start menu We’re all diggin’ a yellow submarine Wheels Nissan Leaf Open Car Is this the budget rival to Tesla’s Roadster?

p712 Trident tested!

p70 Topless treat

p76 Child’s play

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TESTS 66 Versus Smartphones You could think different and save some: Nokia 8 Sirocco vs LG G7 ThinQ 70 Tested Mini (2018) The hottest hi-tech hatch on the market?

71 Tested Maserati Ghibli (2018) A V6, high-performance, luxury family car 74 Tested Garmin Dash Cam 65W We take the non-clunky car-cam for a spin 76 Tested Fitbit Ace Parents, time to give your kids the runaround 86 Long-term test LG E8 Is the 4K OLED pioneer still a matchwinner?

88 Tested Games Top tennis, deadly dinos, loads of link and wacky races

WIN! p48

09.18

WIN! p30

WORTH R42 200

P32 P99

FEATURES 32 Photography special Superior snappers for every occasion 50 Upvoted Swimwear Summer is coming...

52 Laptop special A fancy new portable PC for every need 72 Beta yourself Amazon Prime Video A stream come true for TV addicts 78 Stuff picks Tough tech Gear that’s harder to hurt than you are 84 Instant upgrades Samsung Galaxy S9 Get more from your ultra-curvy caller 112 Next big thing Airborne Uber Flying cars that might actually happen

TOP TENS 95 The Stuff Top Ten of everything Your essential gadget-buying guide: Smartphones, tablets, headphones, TVs, smartwatches, laptops, consoles, games, wearables, budget tech, system cameras 99 Playlist Lego Bricks have never looked so beautiful 101 Your streaming essentials Calling all villains, baddies and ne’er-do-wells 105 The big question How can I become an eco-warrior?

107 How to buy… a VR headset Banish your real-world worries 110 5-minute hacks Step this way for lightning-fast browsing

SUBS 0FFER

GET 30% OFF AND FREE DELIVERY

p91 5

I GOT SIGNAL INSTEAD OF NOISE

I SKIPPED DOWN A YELLOW BRICK ROAD

Even in a closed office, you really want a decent set of over-ear cans. They help you focus, even if you’re in an office by yourself.

Further, good music demands good sound, even at work. We were so impressed with Sennheiser’s latest, superb HD 4.50BTNC (Bluetooth, noise-cancelling) headphones that we got a set for everyone at Stuff Towers.

They’re really that good. But just try talking to anyone in our newsroom now… the active noise cancellation means no more hollering from the next room, we actually have to walk over to people’s desks and tap them on the shoulder.

Which means we’re not just getting more done, we’re getting more steps in, too. Go us.

Toby Shapshak, Publisher and Editor-in-chief

Some people get excited when a new chain coffeeshop or confectionary outlet opens here… and good for them. Being excited is great. I hate it when those lucky enough to travel poo-poo the latest instance of globalisation that helps those who don’t feel more like citizens of the world. Also, sometimes one comes along that excites me… like the Lego Certified Store that’s opened in Sandton City.

From some of the most collectable sets (p99), to a pick-n-mix wall of bricks in translucent bowls and a build-your-own-minifig station, it’s a welcome reminder that, when you’re playing with the world’s most famous plastic bricks, everything really does feel more awesome.

Craig Wilson, Editor

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

OUR MONTH

What this issue has brought us by way of geekery I PLAYED WITH SOME INCREDIBLE LEGO

The Lego video games have filled a multiplayer hole in my life that I didn’t even know existed.

Getting to play Lego Incredibles filled it up to the brim. This Lego game outing features the recently released Incredibles 2 storyline, along with plenty of references to the original Incredibles movie from 2004. The Lego series games have, arguably, the best same platform co-op system out there, which makes playing on a couch with bae the most fun you can have without Netflix. Choose from all the old favourites, including Mrs Stretchy, Invisigirl, run Forest run, and the Incredible man. Come for the gameplay, stay for the sly and wry humour that made the big screen versions such a treat.

Marcé Bester, Deputy Digital Editor

I HAD A LONG BOUT OF LUNACY

It’s no secret that I’ve got a small (okay, large) obsession with stargazing kit. There’s something about the night sky that speaks to me, prompting 2am wake-ups to see celestial marvels. The recent lunar eclipse was a real treat as it coincided with the 2018 Mars opposition – pity about the planet-wide dust-storm, really. I had several apps keeping me apprised of the eclipse’s start time, a shorttube 80mm f/5 wide-field refractor pointed at the heavens, a pair of 7x50 Celestron bins at my side, and an Orion 150 f/12 Maksutov telescope tracking the moon’s progress on the night – with brief detours to Saturn, Mars, Jupiter, and Pluto. Now that’s a Friday night.

Brett Venter, Digital Editor

Getting Stuff to you Printing CTP Distribution RNA 011 248 3607 (Caitlin) Contacting Stuff Call us 011 889 0610 Email us stuff@stuff.co.za Subscribe stuff.co.za/buy Find us www.stuff.co.za StuffSA @StuffSA Caxton House, 368 Jan Smuts Ave, Craighall, Johannesburg, 2196

South Africa

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T R A D E M A R K S , I N C L U D I N G B U T N O T L I M I T E D T O B L A C K B E R RY A N D E M B L E M D E S I G N A R E T H E T R A D E M A R K S O R R E G I S T E R E D T R A D E M A R K S O F B L A C K B E R RY L I M I T E D A N D U S E D U N D E R L I C E N S E B Y T C L C O M M U N I C AT I O N S LT D

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KEY SPECS

Hear there and everywhere Speakers 4 full-range woofers, 1 tweeter, 3 passive radiators Amplification 5 Class-D digital amps with adjustable bass and treble Connectivity HDMI ARC, Wi-Fi, Ethernet Dimensions 651x100x68.5mm, 2.8kg

The Beam is decorated with five far-field microphones, which should pick up your voice from anywhere in the room without forcing you to get all shouty.

For the love of Pod The Beam supports Apple’s recently rolled out AirPlay 2 update, which means HomePod owners will be able to group up with or pass audio on to the soundbar.

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Louder than bombs Concerned about waking the kids? The Beam has Sonos’s Night Sound mode, where the quiet talky bits are given a boost and boomy stuff is turned down.

HOT FOUR #1 STREAM A LITTLE BEAM OF ME Sonos Beam

The Sonos Playbar has been a five-star masterpiece since it first launched way back in 2013 but now, at the grand old age of five, it finds itself the veteran of the Californian company’s ever-burgeoning speaker line-up. Enter plucky upstart the Beam, a curvier and at 65cm (rather than 90cm) significantly smaller speaker. It’s also expected to be much cheaoer than its R16k sibling.

The rounded edges and diminutive presence could also give the Beam an edge over its heftier rivals, especially for people with smaller living rooms. It’s packed with the obligatory host of smarts,

including built-in Amazon Alexa support, AirPlay 2 support soon, and Google Assistant at some unspecified point.

This is the first Sonos product with an HDMI output, making it possible to control your TV via ARC, so you could feasibly ditch the remote and do everything with your voice. If you live in a castle the little Beam might struggle to cut the audio mustard; but if you’ve had it with your TV’s tinny speakers and fancy an affordable soundbar that can give your Echo its marching orders, well, you might just be looking at it.

As hot as… a beam of summer sunshine Rtba / mitechdirect.com

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Tappy days Capacitive touch controls allow you to tweak the volume, skip tracks, play, pause and mute the mics. The latter may prove useful if you’re watching a show about someone named Alexa.

The Beam team You can pair the Beam with a Sonos Sub and a pair of speakers to get proper 5.1 surround sound. The ‘pew-pews’ of blasters in The Last Jedi will sound all the better for it.

HANDS-ON WITH THE SONOS BEAM Sonos’s first punt at the home cinema space, the Playbar, was released back when smart voice assistants, 4K TVs and streaming devices from Google and Amazon didn’t even exist. Dark days indeed. While the Playbar isn’t going anywhere, the compact, cheaper Beam is looking like a very capable and tempting alternative.

And size really does matter here. The Beam is around 28% less wide than the Playbar, and 40% smaller when it comes to overall bulk. This will greatly benefit those who have less space to play with under or around their TV. Based on our hands-on time, listening to music from Leon Bridges as well as snippets of films and TV shows including Arrival and Stranger Things, we were impressed.

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If you put it side by side with its big brother you’re bound to notice a difference in performance, but for the price we thought the Beam sounded great. So much so, in fact, that we had to ask Sonos if there was a sub unit hidden somewhere in the test room.

The omission of Dolby Atmos support is bound to disappoint some, but if that’s on your must-have list you’re probably going to be shopping around for something a bit bigger anyway.

We’ll need to have one in the living room at home before we can offer a definitive verdict on how well the smart features work; but as most of us now chat to voice assistants more than we do our parents, we’re sure anyone who picks up a Beam will be bossing around Alexa and co in no time.

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Jive talkin’ Speech Enhancement aims to make dialogue clearer so you don’t have to rewind an important scene. No guarantees it’ll be enough to rescue Tom Hardy’s mumblings, though.

Woof trade Tear off the Beam’s fabric wrapping and you’ll find four full-range woofers, a single tweeter and three passive radiators. But don’t do this, because it’ll be all torn and messy.

RATHER HAVE YOUR BEAM ON THE WALL?

Flexson Adjustable Wall Mount This lets you wall-mount the Beam easily without concealing any of its fetching design. Once it’s fixed and fitted you can tilt it 90° up or down, so the sound is fired just where you want it.

Rtba / flexson.com

Flexson Cantilever Mount for TV & Beam Or you could opt for a two-in-one mount.

You can swivel it left and right, and tilt down to make sure it fits the layout of your room; but it won’t take TVs larger than 40in.

Rtba / sonos.com

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Silent alarm The Sleepbuds don’t just help you nod off. Paired with the Bose Sleep app, available for both iOS and Android, you can use them to wake you up again without disturbing anybody else.

Juiced in time The drone’s smart battery allows it to keep track of exactly how much juice it has left, automatically returning to its take-off position to save you from any mid-air conkouts.

HOT FOUR #2 LIKE A LOG

Bose Noise-Masking Sleepbuds You’ve tried everything: meditation, drinking chamomile tea, and so far you’ve counted exactly 4238 sheep, but you’re still having trouble getting to sleep. Could it be something to do with the 24-hour vuvuzela-testing facility you live next door to? It’s no use knocking on the door and asking them to keep it down a bit, they won’t hear you… but you can fill your ears with Bose’s Noise-Masking Sleepbuds. The product of an Indiegogo campaign, these wireless earphones are designed to fit snugly inside your lugs and play one of 10 pre-loaded soothing sounds or noise-masking frequencies to help you drop off. They’re rechargeable, but with a 16-hour battery life and charging case they’ll last longer than even the most slumber-challenged snoozers.

As hot as… a duvet full of lava Rtba / soundimports.co.za 12

Flight case The Anafi comes with a cocoon-like travel case that it slips into when its legs are folded in. When you’re ready to send it up to the skies, they can be unfolded in under three seconds.

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Dolly good show The Anafi can imitate a dolly zoom, the cinematic effect made famous by Jaws.

It’s where you move the camera away from or towards a subject while the lens zooms in the opposite direction.

HOT FOUR #3 FLY HARD Parrot Anafi

Anafi is a remote and extraordinarily attractive Greek island, a quick Google informs us. Untouched by mass tourism, it’s unlikely to be your last-minute summer holiday booking… but if you did somehow end up there, we reckon you’d want to bring along the new Parrot drone with which it shares a name.

A supremely compact flyer with four foldable arms, the Anafi will slip into your bag with minimal fuss. Once airborne it can shoot 4K HDR video at 30fps in all light conditions, as well as 21MP stills. A built-in 3-axis gimbal will help de-wobble your footage, while lossless zoom of up to x2.8

means you can watch those Greek bunny rabbits go about their business from above without getting too close. Not the most confident pilot? Onboard AI smarts mean you can let the drone take over when you want some really ‘pro’ shots.

The FreeFlight 6 app is designed to make piloting simple; and provided you can avoid bashing your mechanical insect into a tree (there’s no automatic obstacle avoidance, so we’d strongly advise preparing for the possibility), you should be good for 25 minutes on a full charge.

As hot as… island hopping in high summer R13 000 / takealot.com

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Berry long day BlackBerry reckons you can put your Key2 through the ‘most demanding day ever’ without its 3500mAh battery needing a recharge.

But there’s Quick Charge 3.0 just in case.

Tap dancer If you’re trying to compete with increasingly accurate touchscreen keyboards, you need to make sure typing is satisfying and typo-free. Keys are 20% larger than on the previous model.

HOT FOUR #4 BACK IN BLACK (AND SILVER) BlackBerry Key2

Sure to terrify anyone under the age of 16, the BlackBerry Key2 is still rocking a physical keyboard, complete with built-in fingerprint scanner and a new Speed Key, which you can customise for quick switching between various apps and functions. It’s also the first BlackBerry to feature a dual-camera setup on the rear. These 12MP snappers offer better white balance, faster autofocus and improved stabilisation, while the new Portrait mode means you can finally boast about your bokeh. Everything runs on Android 8.1 Oreo, and you can think of the retained headphone jack as the cherry (or berry) on top. A mobile phone revolution this is not; but if you find writing lame jokes in email chains that little bit more satisfying when they’re typed out with actual buttons, this might just be the mobile device for you.

As hot as… a blackberry crumble straight out of the oven Rtba / blackberrymobile.com 14

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BACK YOUR HERO WIN A FORTUNER ENTER AT FORTUNER4X4CHALLENGE.CO.ZA OR DIAL *120*62800#

Competition entries close 21 October 2018. For full Ts & Cs visit www.fortuner4x4challenge.co.za

V I

T A L S T A T S

’BOT STEPPING Segway’s Loomo robot is a real-life transformer (and transporter)

Loomo’s battery takes three hours to charge via a standard wall socket.

$1 499 (import) / indiegogo.com

There’s also a three-wheeled variant called Loomo Go for indoor delivery jobs.

The world is awash with automatons – if you’ve got a few rand and a mind to spend it on a metal-brained buddy there’s more choice than ever in 2018 – but few consumer droids double up like Segway’s Loomo: part programmable robot, part personal transport system ● Great, on balance First things first: the Loomo is a self-balancing multi-terrain transporter – a miniature version of the kind Segway built its name 16

on. With grippy wheels and a big battery, this thing will whisk you smoothly to the office at up to 18km/h, with a range of 35km per charge. What? No, your workmates aren’t sniggering, just smiling in admiration. Honest. ● From rover to robot Tap the button on the Loomo’s head and it transforms from a dumb user-controlled transporter into a personality-packed, AI-driven robot buddy. Aided by a 1080p camera and a bunch of infrared and ultrasonic sensors, it’ll recognise faces, follow along

behind a walking companion and move autonomously to any nearby destination you provide – indoor or outdoor. The sensors and camera help it to build hi-res maps of its environment, dodge obstacles and quickly react to changes in its surroundings as it toddles along. ● Face facts Instead of fixed features, the Loomo’s ‘face’ is a 4.3in screen on which it can produce adorable, fairly natural-looking expressions.

Touch controls allow the user to assign basic actions, but using

the companion phone app adds a truckload of options including remote motion and camera control, plus text-to-speech in Loomo’s appropriately nerdy robo-voice. ● Get with the program Loomo’s commuting chops make it more practical than 90% of consumer robots, but we sense Segway is still struggling to really harness its appeal – it’s smart, sure, but what does it actually do?

With its developer-friendly Android platform, it may fall to third-party software buffs to dream up some killer apps for this robo-roller.

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LEICA L1 & L2

The Leica name is well known to anyone with a passing interest in photography, but a Leica watch? That’s a new one. Or a new two, to be exact, as the company is launching the Leica L1 and L2 timepieces.

Naturally, they take design inspiration from the company’s cameras, from the fluting on the crown to the cambered form of the glass, which is supposed to be reminiscent of a camera lens. Both models are mechanical with manual winding, and you can have an exciting little peek at the internal components through the transparent sapphire crystal back. No exact pricing details yet, but we do know the L2 will be available with an 18-carat rose gold case.

Expect that one to make a bit of a dent.

Rtba / leica-camera.com

TECH-FUELLED TRANSPORT ● Razor Turbo Jetts Electric Heel Wheels

Not got the funds for a robo ride, but looking for a techassisted speed boost? These motorised rollers will fit almost any shoe, shooting the wearer along at 16km/h for up to half an hour.

Rtba / global.razor.com/za

● Archos Citee Connect

This electric scooter packs an Android-powered computer to keep you on course via Google Maps and a 5in screen, as well as whisking you to the office at a respectable 24km/h. €500 (import) / archos.com

● Lumos Bike Helmet

Already got a bike you adore?

This helmet makes your journey smarter (and safer) courtesy of 48 LEDs, which work as indicators triggered by handlebar controls or hand gestures. It also packs journey-tracking skills for Strava and Apple Health users. £150 (import) / uk.lumoshelmet.co

A turn-up for the books

KOBO CLARA HD

Yes, e-readers still exist, which might seem strange in a world of iPads and dirt-cheap Android tablets. But voracious Wimpy Kid fans wouldn’t have it any other way – and the new Kobo Clara HD shows why. For minimal outlay, you get a 166g slinkster with a 6in E-Ink display. Its tone is adjustable for those who prefer a warmer or cooler screen, with blue light automatically reduced at night; and it won’t keel over when you get to the good bit, since a single charge should last for weeks. The Clara HD also jabs the Kindle Paperwhite’s nose with twice as much storage: 8GB. That’s enough for 6000 ebooks, or a massive pile of digital comics when you fancy utilising its drag-and-drop import and CBR support.

Rtba / circuitcity.co.za 17

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BALLFINGER M063H5 €23 980 (import) / ballfinger.de Back to reel music, is it?

Vinyl isn’t the only vintage audio format making a comeback. The cassette has enjoyed a resurgence (likely off the back of Guardians of the Galaxy and Stranger Things) and now, with this gorgeous Ballfinger deck, reel-to-reel tape has become desirable again. It’s nailed on to become the essential accessory for a certain type of well-heeled trendster who truly ‘gets’ the power of nostalgia.

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But… what’s it actually for?

This isn’t some empty style gesture. Reel-to-reel tape is a high-quality recording medium favoured by the likes of Lady Gaga and Ryan Adams, and it’s what all records were mixed to before the digital age. So you’ll be lusting after this if you’re a producer in search of analogue purity… or if you’re an audiophile who doesn’t mind trawling specialist retailers (and eBay) for albums in the format.

How do I know it’ll sound good?

Six years in the making and built with top-end components across the board, this deck has the chops to justify its eye-watering price.

Compatible with quarter-inch tape, it offers three winding speeds, and there’s a premium headphone amp built in so you can lash up a pair of ear-goggles and listen to your stereo mixes without having to master down to yucky digital first.

I’m fine with digital audio, but I’m also obscenely rich. Am I allowed to get one of these just to look at it?

That really depends on your nerd credentials. There’s no doubting the M063H5 is a handsome beast – the anodised aluminium casing, walnut side panels and glowing display exude 1970s pre-digital charm – but please don’t keep it in a glass case: the entire unit can be stripped down and reconfigured for your audio-tinkering needs.

Midnight RAM-bler

APPLE MACBOOK PRO (2018) Apple tends to announce new kit with all the fanfare of a Zamundan wedding in Coming to America, so it feels like they slipped something in our drink for the stealthy reveal of revised range-topping MacBook Pros.

The latest 13in model is claimed to be twice as fast as its predecessor, and its two 15in siblings 70% faster than before. All feature 8th-gen Intel sixcore and quad-core processors, beefed-up RAM, upgraded displays and tweaked keyboards, while Apple has integrated always-on Siri for the first time. These MacBooks are aimed at awfully important people, like developers and creatives, and should give our ultimate laptops line-up on p52 a run for its money. from R31 500 / myistore.co.za

Top-notch

NOKIA X6 Perhaps calling it the Nokia X would have been too on the nose. So instead we now have the Nokia X6 , Nokia’s first smartphone with a notch – and a slew of other features that make it look like an Android device had an illicit affair with an iPhone X. Still, there’s a lot to like: a 5.8in display; a 16MP selfie camera with face unlock; a dual 16MP+5MP setup on the rear, which also has a fingerprint sensor; dynamic emoticons and dual-view mode for photos; and some serious processing clout if you splash out on the pricier version. If you’re now all “iPhone who?”, be mindful of one tiny snag: we have no idea when or even if it’s coming to these shores.

Rtba / hmdglobal.com

A P P S

This month’s mobile must-downloads

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3 OF THE BEST

MOBILE TENNIS GAMES PKTBALL

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(Free) High-octane Pong, packed with crazed collectable characters and backgrounds.

Frantic fun, especially in multiplayer.

VIRTUAL TENNIS CHALLENGE

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(Free) Tennis as lobbed onto your device from Sega’s classic arcade series. It’s fast and furious – just ditch gestures for the virtual joypad.

TIMBER TENNIS

1 Scalak

2 Kotor

3 Homo Machina

4 Cosmic Watch

5 Jurassic World Alive

6 Nacho Notch

7 CDisplayEx

8 DAW Cassette

9 Canary Mail

R28 / Android l R30 / iOS At first you drag a square piece to a square hole… but before long Scalak is like an exploded Rubik’s Cube, as you drag, rotate and match while steam shoots from your ears.

R80 / iOS For when digital clocks just won’t do, here’s a crazed mash-up of planetarium and timepiece. As the seconds tick by, your position in the cosmos is shown in real time.

R75 / Android Most comic fans remain wedded to paper, but when you’re stuck with CBR and PDF, this app will get favourites to your eyes faster than a speeding bullet.

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R120 / Android l R150 / iOS Find out what your phone is made of with the finest Star Wars game ever made (for PCs). Knights of the Old Republic is the original title, tweaked for mobile.

Free / iOS, Android In mobile gaming terms, Pokémon GO is old enough to be a fossil.

Entertainingly, then, this mash-up with Jurassic Park lets you to catch a triceratops of your very own.

R200 / iOS If you once recorded to cassette, the notion of adding that medium’s ‘warmth’ and ‘character’ to pristine digital recordings will seem odd. But this AU plug-in for iOS does just that.

R51 / Android l R50 / iOS Here you delve into someone’s insides, represented as a giant 1920s factory. We’re sure this is entirely scientifically accurate.

Your aim is simple: function!

Free / Android The iPhone X got a notch, and every Android manufacturer laughed… then copied it. This app attempts to hide the notch on your device via a couple of taps.

R150 / Apple Watch So you’ve left your iPhone behind, and with it all your email. No worries: Canary Mail will grab your messages over a data connection. (There is no escape from work, ever.)

(Free) Dart left and right, returning shots to power up your smash meter, which unsportingly turns your opponent into a gravestone when you win.

Game Changer The new super powerful Note

Upgrade now and get a Note9 Welcome Pack.

Welcome Pack valued at R2 499 includes: • Wireless charger for convenient fast charging • Tripod stand for S Pen selfies • DeX HDMI cable for a PC-like experience PLUS get R500 towards an original Samsung phone cover.

Wireless Charger

DeX HDMI Cable

Tripod

Terms and conditions apply. Offer valid until 30 September 2018 or while stocks last. Accessories may differ from images shown.

The bigger picture in tech

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LAB YOUR OPPORTUNITY

Still looking for a sweetener to tempt you into picking up a Nintendo Labo kit? How about Mario Kart 8 Deluxe compatibility, so you can use your cardboard handlebars to play?

Nintendo says Labo support for other Switch games is in the pipeline.

BLOCKIN’ ALL OVER THE WORLD

GOD OF WALL If you haven’t played this year’s rebooted God of War yet, you’re duty-bound to rectify that as soon as you finish admiring this issue of Stuff. And what better way to remember the violent adventures of Kratos and Atreus than by immortalising them on your living-room wall? The picture you’re currently looking at is part of Cook & Becker’s six-strong God of War fine art print collection, made up of official concept artwork for the game. Stick it above the TV – when you’re being forced to sit through a crappy rom-com for the eighth time – to remind you there’s always a beardy god in a worse mood.

Buy the prints at candb.com

While they may look like toothbrush heads, rumour has it that the second version of Apple’s wireless in-ear AirPods will have water-resistance and noise-cancelling – good news for fitness types and those who hate the sound of howling babies.

EASED LIGHTNING

Is there anything more exciting than a new portable powerbank? Yes, loads of things, but iOS users should pay attention: Belkin’s Boost Charge Power Bank 10K can be topped up via a Lightning cable. That should shave a few seconds off your daily untangling routine.

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OUT 7SEP

FIRST PLAY MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN PS4 Marvel’s Spider-Man has been one of the PlayStation 4’s most anticipated exclusives since its reveal in 2016. Fans’ enthusiasm has been balanced by some cautious optimism, however, as Peter Parker’s previous interactive outings have been less than stellar.

We’re pleased to announce, then, that Marvel’s Spider-Man is shaping up to be a fan-pleasing hoot that could stand next to the Batman: Arkham series as one of the very best superhero games. It helps that Spider-Man is forgoing ‘origin tale’ tedium in 24

favour of putting players behind a web-crawler who’s already comfortable with his crimefighting powers and, of course, the responsibility that comes with them.

Within seconds of picking up the DualShock 4, we were zipping through Marvel’s open-world NYC in acrobatic style. Intuitive, responsive and sporting an amazing sense of momentum, the swinging mechanics possess plenty of pick-up-and-play appeal.

The unbridled freedom you feel swinging above the streets

of the game’s beautifully detailed city also translates to combat. Spider-Man can essentially pinball off and around environments – and enemies – as he unleashes a variety of web-based powers and projectiles. When combined with his lightning punches, kicks and aerial attacks, his webs offer an endless variety of ways to put goons in their place.

If the story and pacing of the missions can match the gameplay, this could be the game Spidey aficionados have been daydreaming about.

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FIRST LOOK DRESSED TO KILL AGAIN

OUT 13 NOV

HITMAN 2 PC, PS4, Xbox One Flamingo outfits and slapping someone in the face with a fish – sounds like a hazy recollection of a Boksburg bachelor bash at Carnival City casino that got a bit out of hand, doesn’t it? But no, this is in fact just another day at the office for Agent 47,

everyone’s favourite ruthless assassin with a penchant for fancy dress.

Yep, ol’ baldy is back in Hitman 2, the sequel to 2016’s soft reboot(ish) of the thinking man’s stealth series. As usual, you’ll be dropped into dense and varied sandbox levels – now packing more NPCs than ever – and tasked with taking out a typically elusive target or two. How you do that is

entirely up to you. Want to ghost through levels hiding knocked-out guards in conveniently person-sized containers? You can do that.

And you’re equally welcome to disguise yourself as a giant pink bird and machine-gun your way to the mission objective, as experimentation is usually rewarded.

Unlike the last game, which drip-fed players new missions

episodically, Hitman 2 will have six areas from the off, with a load of DLC promised post-launch. Developer IO Interactive has revealed that one of them will see 47 issued a contract at an F1-style race event in sun-soaked Miami.

The game is out in November, so you’ve got plenty of time to dream up the weird and wonderful scenarios that could unfold there.

BEST OF UPCOMING LICENSED GAMES

F1 2018

PC, PS4, Xbox One Once you’ve come to accept that you’ll never experience the success or wealth of Lewis Hamilton, the next best thing is to pretend you’re him in a video game.

After the critical success of last year’s entry, F1 2018 brings a deeper career mode and even more classic cars to drive.

FIFA 19

PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PS3, Xbox 360 With Champions League rights now in the bag, the world’s biggest football game is looking like the complete package. You can take Huddersfield all the way to the Wanda Metropolitano – and as FIFA also has the Europa League in the bag, there’s no need for Arsenal fans to feel left out.

NBA 2K19

PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch Even if all your basketball knowledge is derived from Space Jam, we’d still recommend giving the NBA 2K games a shot. You won’t find a better simulation of a sport on any console; and as the latest entry marks 20 years, there’s never been a better time to see what all the fuss is about.

INCOMING SEPTEMBER ● MARVEL’S SPIDER-MAN ● SHADOW OF THE TOMB RAIDER ● SPYRO REIGNITED TRILOGY OCTOBER ● RED DEAD REDEMPTION 2 ● CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 4 ● BATTLEFIELD 5 ● FIST OF THE NORTH STAR: LOST PARADISE

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DROP EVERYTHING & DOWNLOAD

Pocket Run Pool Free / iOS

Pool is snooker’s inebriated cousin. Instead of waistcoats and polished balls, you get stale beer and table surfaces that look like they’ve been attacked by Wolverine. We’re glad to report that none of these problems exist in the marvellous Pocket Run Pool – a puzzler as much as it’s an arcade game, with simplified one-thumb controls. You still sink balls, but your points tally depends on a ball’s number and the multiplier on the pocket you sink it in. Multipliers move every turn, forcing you to think ahead – or try for crazy trick shots. Beyond the basic mode, there’s Break of the Week (pre-arranged balls), Insta-Tournament (one attempt to set a high score, thereafter compared against the world), and High Stakes. That last one has you bet tokens and spin a wheel to modify your game, adding a time limit, table numbers, or balls that rather cruelly change size.

Deeper Breath of the Wild

ANKER POWERCORE NINTENDO SWITCH EDITION The Nintendo Switch – flipping great, isn’t it? Great, that is, until its battery decides it’s had enough just as you’re settling into a bit of Skyrim on a plane. Battery specialist Anker is launching two new powerpacks designed specifically for Ninty’s hybrid fun machine. Officially licensed and available in two sizes (20,100mAh or 13,400mAh), the PowerCore Nintendo Switch Edition claims to fast-charge your console from zero to full capacity in just under three hours – even if you’re playing a game.

Anker says the bigger pack will give up to 15hrs of extra playtime, if 9hrs from the smaller one isn’t enough for your thumb-twitchy addiction.

Rtba / anker.com

Zoom for a little one?

SONY RX100 VI

Sony’s high-end ultra-compact cameras sit right at the pinnacle of the pocket-friendly point-and-shoot category, and the RX100’s sixth incarnation adds to the appeal with a 24-200mm zoom lens, even if its maximum aperture takes a hit from f1.8 to f2.8 in the process. Also on board is what Sony claims to be the world’s fastest autofocus system plus optical image stabilisation, a 1in 20.1MP sensor, 24fps continuous shooting, 4K video with HLG HDR, an OLED viewfinder and a tiltable touchscreen. Phew. Sounds like the perfect camera to capture all your holiday hi-jinks – just don’t take it into the hot tub.

R24 000 / ormsdirect.co.za 26

S T A R T M E N U I GONDI GOE-

The latest startups, crowdfunded projects and plain crazy ideas

Cuter ’puter

MINI PC

Think your notebook’s tiny, just because it’s thin enough on one edge to give you a nasty paper cut? How about a properly pocket-sized computer? This Mini PC weighs just 230g and has dimensions akin to a small stack of smartphones. Sadly, it doesn’t match such devices in terms of style and grace, instead resembling a metal brick. Still, you get a 5in touchscreen, 8GB of RAM, a 12GB SSD, Windows 10 and Android 5.1 pre-installed, and enough ports to make an iPad green with envy. There’s even a fuzzy case/stand combination and a tiny Bluetooth keyboard that’s perfect for looming over and pretending you’re a giant. $159 / mipcworld.com BACK IT STACK IT

ST KIC AR K TE R

I GONDI GOE-

Stranger pings

Sack of hack

Find it easy

A yellow submarine

Smart homes mostly consist of tech you yell at. Oval instead responds to what’s going on around it. Stick its tiny sensors to windows, doors and drawers, and they’ll ping your phone when light, motion and moisture conditions change. Just don’t use one to spy on your kids, because there’s no “Help – I’m being pelted with rocks” alert. from $99 / meetoval.com

The Raspberry Pi’s great for unleashing your inner hacker, until you realise you’re kneedeep in components. CrowPi keeps things contained, packing everything you need into a tiny suitcase. Its bundled mix of 7in touchscreen and sensors that go ‘bing’ and ‘buzz’ is perfect for evil-genius projects like creating tiny oddball computers. from HK$1169 / elecrow.com

When hurtling down a mountain or deep in a festival crowd, it’s good to know where your friends are. Lynq’s a one-button tracker with a 4.8km range that can lead you to other synced Lynqs or pre-defined points.

There’s also a safe-zone alert for kids and pets who keep wandering off and should just be glued to a bench. from $174 / lynqme.com

This drone wants you to explore the inky depths rather than the sky. It can dive down to 100m for up to three hours on a single charge, and remains attached to its owner via a reinforced cable. Its four thrusters ensure stability too, ideal for shooting 4K video and 16MP photos of startled fish blinded by the drone’s powerful LED lighting. $999 / aquarobotman.com

OVAL

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ST KIC AR K TE R

ST KIC AR K TE R

SACK IT

CROWPI

LYNQ

NEMO

W H E E L S

Nissan Leaf Open Car

Cutting corners Beyond the obvious missing roof, the Leaf Open Car is pretty restrained for a concept.

Could this be our budget Tesla Roadster alternative?

YOU CAN LEAF YOUR HAT ON

NEWS DASHBOARD

Price N/A (concept) Looks like a Nissan Leaf had an encounter with a low bridge…

Nope, just a design team given free rein to do whatever they pleased to celebrate 100,000 electric hatchbacks sold in Japan since the Leaf’s debut in 2010.

That missing roof makes the Leaf Open Car concept one of only a handful of all-electric open tops, alongside Tesla’s Roadster.

How hard is it to chop the top off a Leaf, then?

Surprisingly easy. Or rather, it is when you’re working with a near-unlimited budget and have no immediate plans to roll it out to mass production – so no need to worry about crash protection and structural rigidity.

With no folding roof to find room for at the back, this really is an open car – so you’re not going to want to drive it on rainy days. Nissan has also ditched the rear doors and swapped the

bench seat in the back for a 2+2 layout. Squint and it’s practically a Porsche 911. Sort of.

Any other differences between this and a real Leaf?

Mechanically this concept is identical to the road-going car, driven by an electric motor and powered by a 40kWh battery.

Ditching the roof might make it lighter, but aerodynamic drag means a roadworthy version would probably only match the regular model’s 285 kilometres of electric range. It has the same ProPilot semi-autonomous driving mode and self-parking features too.

So is there a chance of this actually being driveable?

At the moment it’s strictly in concept form. But with Nissan’s 370Z convertible now a little long in the tooth, you can never say never to a no-roof Leaf…

Fer-rare-ri

Cars with the prancing horse logo aren’t exactly common, but the owner of this one never has to worry about meeting a twin rolling into the yacht club. A custom-designed one-off, the SP38 is based on the road-going 488 GTB but with a major cosmetic overhaul that’s Ferrari-approved.

Jet set spilly

Motorbike riders living on the edge might have a new way to save themselves from serious road rash: jet thrusters.

Yes, really. Bosch is working on stabilising jets that deploy like airbags when they sense the bike tipping over. No production version yet, but we can expect it to hit high-end bikes first.

Wireless wonder It seems wireless charging ain’t just for your smartphone any more: BMW is the first car company out of the gate with factory-fitted inductive charging, letting you top up your 530e iPerformance hybrid in less than four hours without having to wrestle with a big old cable.

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WORTH R42 200!

WIN AN ACER PREDATOR HELIOS 500 Serious gaming requires real computing power. Even more so if you want to do it on the go. What you need is an Acer Predator laptop. Lucky for you, we have one to give away, isn’t it?

The Acer Predator Helios 500 includes a 17.3” FHD 144Hz G-Sync LCD Panel, an Intel® Core™ i9 processor, NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 with 8GB of VRAM, 16GB of DDR4 memory, a 128GB SSD and a 2TB HDD, all powered by Windows 10 Home.

TO ENTER SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT:

stuff.co.za/acerhelios

Valid from 20 August 2018 until 16 September 2018. Terms and conditions on the editor’s letter page (p2).

HURRY! COMPETITION CLOSES 16 SEP 2018 30

PHOTO SPECIAL

MACRO FUJIFILM X-T2

LOW-LIGHT SONY A7 III

AERIAL DJI MAVIC AIR

STREET FUJIFILM X100F

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PHOTO SPECIAL

LANDSCAPE NIKON D850

CAPTURE THE RAPTURE Smartphones didn’t kill the camera star, they just made it stronger…

Stuff presents the best tools and pro tips for every flavour of photo perfection

FOOD CANON EOS M50

WILDLIFE PANASONIC LUMIX G9 33

PHOTO SPECIAL

WHAT THE PRO SAYS A bee is a rare find nowadays but definitely worth the wait! Compositionally, leaving space around the subject allows room for the viewer to imagine the location – and also allows more time to get a great shot as the bee flies away.

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Add Fuji’s XF 80mm macro lens to this classy compact shooter and Wayne’s World-esque extreme close-ups will be firmly within your grasp MACRO PHOTO TIPS Don’t rock the boat To draw out the tiniest details so they appear clearly, it’s crucial you avoid camera shake.

Use a remote release to reduce any blurring.

Tunnel vision If you can’t afford a macro lens, try adding an extension tube instead. It fits between the mount and lens to increase magnification.

Stack attack Take multiple photos of the same subject and composition, but with slightly different focal points, then hit ‘focus stack’. Thank us later.

F U J I F I L M R20 000 (body only) / fujifilm.co.za he X-T2 closes in on its second birthday this year, but remains one of the best cameras ever to grace the planet for the mere fact that it makes taking photos an event – and its latest macro lens only adds to the majesty.

A stylish CSC with a 24.3MP APS-C sensor, the X-T2 is a black magnesium mirrorless bad boy awash with manual dials for purists to immerse themselves

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in. Looking for a ‘sports’ or ‘landscape’ mode?

You need a different camera, because you won’t find them here.

For that reason it can seem rather daunting at first, particularly if you’re a novice weaned on smartphones. But making the effort to gain complete control over your photos can be massively liberating.

Elsewhere there’s an excellent electronic viewfinder, a sidewaysflippable LCD and not

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one but two SD card slots so you can shoot jpegs to one and RAW to the other, or back up as you go.

Picture quality from that sensor is primed for macro perfection because there’s just so much detail to be had here, which makes blowing them up bigger a post-production party.

Shots with a standard zoom lens can end up looking as sharp as those from a quality macro, but why take a slice when you can eat the whole cake? So open wide for Fuji’s

XF 80mm macro lens.

This glass becomes your bestest buddy when shooting extreme close-ups from around 25cm away – and a disruptive influence to every other lens in your bag as it begs to be the first-choice inclusion for everywhere you go.

Tech specs

● 24.3MP APS-C sensor ● ISO 200-12,800 ● 4K video @ 30fps ● 3in 1040k-dot LCD ● USB 3.0, microHDMI,

Wi-Fi, NFC

● 136x92x49mm, 507g

STUFF SAYS A mirrorless marvel approaching high-end DSLRs for image quality, detail and delectable design ★★★★★

NOW ADD THIS

Godox TT350F

Flash isn’t a must for macro, but natural light isn’t always sufficient for small apertures and fast shutter speeds.

Powered by two AA batteries, the TT350F is a smaller-than-average speedlight for when you need extra illumination, giving you professional results.

R1 800 / takealot.com

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Fujifilm’s radical rangefinder puts forth its claim for the compact camera throne: simply point and shoot to start making memories STREET PHOTO TIPS Watch your speed Select Program AE to set exposure, but offer different combinations of shutter speed and aperture so the camera won’t shoot too fast.

Get in the zone Zone focusing means switching to manual and pre-focusing to a specific distance and aperture. It’s a street photography favourite.

Behave yourself Manners cost nothing but a smashed camera might, so be nice to the locals. Ask permission to take a picture first or explain afterwards.

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F U J I F I L M R17 000 / fujifilm.co.za uji’s fixed-lens flagships get better with every generation, and the streetwise X100F is a real hotstepper for evoking jealousy in your fellow urban photographers.

Keeping their places from its seriously rated predecessor the X100 are an unparalleled hybrid viewfinder and a 23mm f/2.0 fixed-focal-length lens, giving a 35mm field of view and a large

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Fujifilm LC-X100F Case

Everything’s better when it’s wrapped in leather, don’t you agree? If you’re going to be waving the X100F around, put a leather sheath around it to keep it safe, in a retro kind of way.

R1 650 (import) / bhphotovideo.com

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maximum aperture.

Fuji does make a couple of conversion add-ons for the lens – one widening the field of view to 28mm, the other tightening it to 50mm – but these won’t be as optically clean as specialised lenses.

Some smart shifting of buttons means clever kittens can shoot entirely one-handed, freeing up the other mitt for things like twiddling a cigarette, swiping right on Tinder

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or gazing at the 3in fixed LCD screen.

The X100F gets full marks for being brilliant at what it does. Namely, packing the build and performance of a premium camera into something that (almost) slips into your jacket pocket.

Almost R20k is a lot to spend on a camera that lacks 4K video, an articulating touchscreen, proper interchangeable lenses or Bluetooth connectivity; but it makes up for that with superb image quality, well laid-out controls

and a gorgeously stylish design.

Yes, it’s one of the most expensive compacts, but it’s also one of the best-looking and feature-rich when it comes to capturing city scenes. So before sneering “Hipster ahoy!”, you really should weigh up this CSC’s shooting abilities .

Tech specs

● 24.3MP APS-C sensor ● ISO 200-12,800 ● 1080p video @ 60fps ● 3in 1040k-dot LCD ● USB 2.0, HDMI, Wi-Fi ● 127x75x52mm, 469g

STUFF SAYS If you’re unflustered by the limitations of using a fixed-lens camera, the X100F is a street-scene sharpshooter ★★★★★

PHOTO SPECIAL

WHAT THE PRO SAYS Street photography often requires some discretion; and with this little camera, staying in the shadows enabled us to get a sharp silhouette framed by the bridge’s shadow.

Using graphic lines of light is a surefire way to make a clean and pleasing image, but remember to expose for the highlights rather than the shadows.

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WHAT THE PRO SAYS Having the model wearing a strong colour in the foreground with the lake in the background at night allowed us to make her stand out – and push the camera’s ISO high enough while hand-holding it to keep enough detail in both the foreground and the background.

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L O W - L I G H T Step out of the darkness and let Sony’s showpiece – an accomplished all-rounder – shed some welcome light on your photographic situation LOW-LIGHT PHOTO TIPS Set cameras to stun Stopping down your aperture can turn street lighting into starbursts.

Set the shutter speed to ‘bulb’ to encourage the merits of long exposure.

Like it RAW Nightscapes always look better when shot in RAW format. They’re higher-quality and you get more detail to play with in post-production.

Do the white thing Don’t overlook white balance. City scenes usually mix warm and cool lighting from varied sources, so manually select what suits best.

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R36 600 (body only) / ormsdirect.com here’s something of the night about Sony’s latest mirrorless camera – and this twilight temptress costs less than you might think.

A 24.2MP sensor, super-whizzy Bionz X processor, 10fps shooting with a silent mode, hybrid AF system, excellent electronic viewfinder, tilting touchscreen and 4K video recording make for quite the

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proposition at this size and price.

And yet few of these factors, bar sensor size, really figure when it comes to the Sony’s showpiece of shooting at night. Manually controlling shutter speed, ISO and aperture settings are what really matter when controlling exposure and leaving wiggle room to play with your pictures.

The Sony-made sensor is currently exclusive to its own

I I I cameras, which makes this one of the best full-frame options for low light and more than a match for the likes of the Nikon D750. The detail in dimly lit scenes is remarkable, and the high ISO capacity is not to be sniffed at either.

It’s smaller than the average DSLR, and the after-hours tasks of adjusting aperture and shutter speed are taken care of by a pair of dials neatly positioned for quick access by thumb and forefinger.

Sony backs the body up with a 25-strong

NOW ADD THIS lens selection, as well as support for glass from third-party makers. Yes, we’ve picked this one for its low-light skills, but a lens to suit every situation means the A7 III is a CSC that really covers virtually all bases.

Tech specs

● 24.2MP CMOS sensor ● ISO 100-51,200 ● 4K video @ 30fps ● 3in 922k-dot tilting touchscreen ● USB 3.0,

USB 2.0, microHDMI, Bluetooth, NFC, Wi-Fi ● 127x96x74mm, 650g

STUFF SAYS A superstar all-rounder that really comes alive when the sun goes down, and all at a very accessible price ★★★★★

Manfrotto 161MK2B Super Pro Tripod Made from aluminium and weighing in at 7.9kg, the Manfrotto Super Pro justifies the weight. If you want stability, the 20kg max load should stop your snapper from getting the shakes.

R12 000 / cameralandsandton.co.za

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PHOTO SPECIAL

W I L D L I F E Get Serengeti-ready for a walk on the wild side – without having to affect a David Attenborough accent – thanks to this CSC’s fine hunting skills WILDLIFE PHOTO TIPS Draw a blank Wildlife photos with the greatest impact tend to be on simple backdrops, clear of distractions, ensuring your subject stands out.

Bring on the night Animal silhouettes are best captured at sunset when the sky is at its most colourful. Locate the ‘low light’ or ‘sunset’ function to aid you.

Play the waiting game Research the behaviour, movements and habitat of what you want to shoot and remain patient – no one ever caught a fish in anger.

NOW ADD THIS

P A N A S O N I C L U M I X G 9 R38 200 (with 12-60mm lens) / ormsdirect.co.za he mirrorless market is awash with cool cameras, but the Lumix G9 represents the best of the bunch thanks to its animal instincts.

Top of the list is its ability to shoot at 20fps in full resolution with full autofocus, which can be pushed to 60fps if you fix the focus in the first frame. For wildlife photography, consider your interest piqued like an aroused meerkat.

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Nikon Aculon W10 Binoculars

Perfect for the African bushveld, you’ll spot Jumanji stampedes a mile off with these waterproof and rubber-coated camo binoculars that offer 10x magnification and a greatly reduced risk of being trampled to death.

R1 500 / kameraz.com

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A 20MP Micro Four Thirds sensor is smaller than most, but that impacts favourably on the overall system size, making this a compact but mighty travel companion for lurking behind the bushes (not like that!).

The Lumix G9 goes toe-to-toe with the Sony A9 for portability and strikes a telling blow by costing substantially less.

Masquerading as a mini DSLR means the

lenses are naturally smaller and quicker to change in the heat of the action too.

Small things make the biggest difference here, like a mode dial with a lock feature for preventing accidental changes. A smaller dial underneath switches between settings, like super-fast rates and something called 6K Photo.

When in this mode, the camera records short 6K videos from which you can extract 18MP stills and shoot at up to 30fps, changing

the focus point after a shot to pursue close-up macros instead.

Creeping up on crawlies is a cinch in silent mode, while the inclusion of excellent AF tracking, 4K video and high-resolution shooting make the G9 a safari essential.

Tech specs

● 20.3MP sensor ● ISO 100-25,600 ● 4K video @ 60fps ● 3in rotating 1040k-dot

LCD touchscreen

● USB 3.0, HDMI, Wi-Fi,

Bluetooth

● 136x97x92mm, 586g

STUFF SAYS A compact system companion that’s ideal for the travelling wildlife photographer – and firmly in the leading pack of mirrorless cameras ★★★★★

PHOTO SPECIAL

WHAT THE PRO SAYS Squirrels are pretty tame in Cape Town, so they make good subjects to test out long lenses on. Always remember to focus on the eyes; your background will always be out of focus when working this close, so even a dodgy park will look like a nature reserve.

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WHAT THE PRO SAYS Shooting down onto food is very popular as it gives the subject space to breathe and sets the scene. Use a wide aperture to focus on the main ingredient and let the fall-off from the lens do the rest. Natural side light is best, but this can be recreated with artificial lighting in the studio.

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Fine dining starts with an entry-level mirrorless camera guaranteed to make every mealtime pop – minus the Michelin-starred pricetag FOOD PHOTO TIPS Get busy With food, an interesting background and foreground can tell an extra story. So surround the plate with props relating to the dish.

Have a light lunch Consider sitting near the window with indirect light, then cover the window with a white napkin to act as a diffuser.

Play all the angles Different foods look better from different angles, so check your contours. A pizza looks better from above, burgers from the side.

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R7 500 (body only) / canon.co.za anon may not have been quickest out of the blocks when mirrorless cameras got serious, but its EOS M50 is a huge step in the right direction for an agreeable price.

Shifting focus from its rock-solid DSLRs, Canon has conjured up a jet-heeled CSC available in black or white and aimed at smartphone upgraders busying themselves with Insta foodie pics.

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It comes with a veritable feast of firsts, including a vari-angle touchscreen, a silent shutter so you don’t disturb diners supping on their soupe du jour and a Digic 8 processor.

And should you find a fly in your minestrone, 4K video can capture the evidence.

This, then, is a strong contender for a first ‘proper’ camera, and an alternative to being weighed down by a DSLR on a swanky

dinner date – while a touchscreen menu rather than physical buttons should make the jump from smartphones even more palatable.

The electronic viewfinder means you’ll see the whole scene while previewing settings, or quickly reviewing them once an image has been taken – a blessing for those constantly fiddling with filters.

Colours come nicely rendered with warm levels of saturation remaining on the right

M 5 0 side of realistic, while we found shooting in Fine Detail produced the best results for crispness.

Our only real bugbear is Canon’s lack of lenses (just seven models are available). Still, it’s great to see Canon finally taking mirrorless cameras seriously.

Tech specs

● 24.1MP sensor ● ISO 100-25,600 ● 4K video @ 25fps ● 3in 1040k-dot

rotating LCD

● USB 2.0, microHDMI,

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC

● 117x88x59mm, 387g

STUFF SAYS It’s no mirrorless wondercam, but the M50 is a solid little performer and an ideal first camera for smartphone upgraders ★★★★✩

NOW ADD THIS

Thinktank Photo Signature 13

For your first ‘proper’ camera you’re going to want a proper camera bag. The Photo Signature 13 will fit the EOS M50, additional lenses and other accessories, as well as space for a 13in notebook.

R6 200 / ormsdirect.co.za

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PHOTO SPECIAL

L A N D S C A P E Had the likes of Constable, Monet and Van Gogh been alive today, they would surely have plumped for this skilled assistant to help capture their inspiration LANDSCAPE PHOTO TIPS Get your priorities right Shooting landscapes in Aperture Priority mode controls the depth of field while the camera takes care of getting a suitable shutter speed.

Enter the twilight zone Just because it’s getting dark, don’t go home – check the sunset time.

Twilight can bathe the land in blue and violet light to awesome effect.

Go wide Your location and subject will dictate focal length and technique, but always pack a wide, ultra-wide or telephoto lens in your kitbag.

NOW ADD THIS

N I K O N

D 8 5 0

R54 000 (body only) / nikon.co.za onsider for a moment James Milner. Not the flashiest soccer player, nor the most chatty character, but on the pitch he’s priceless.

The D850 is arguably the best all-around performer money can buy – and the most accomplished landscape camera Nikon has to offer.

What you’re looking at is a true workhorse.

What you’re looking at is James Milner.

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Nikon 24mm f/1.4G Lens

Considered one of the sharpest lenses Nikon has ever produced: the wide aperture is great for landscapes and shooting in low light, and a nano crystal coating will eliminate all unwanted lens distortion for a flawless optical performance.

R31 000 / nikon.co.za

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Workhorses fare best out in the field, so it makes sense that the D850 should be capable of capturing the great outdoors in thrilling detail, especially given the 45MP sensor, all-purpose metering system and superb dynamic range, making RAW files a dream to deal with.

The weather-sealed construction virtually insures you against the elements, and features like 4K video recording

and a high-magnification optical viewfinder provide a feast for full-framers. In a first for this camera series, the D850 sports a 3.2in, tilting, touch-sensitive screen untroubled by bright conditions.

Unearthing desktopworthy vista images can take some trekking into the wilderness, so a claimed 1840 shots per charge will come in handy if you’ve taken a right turn at civilisation, while SnapBridge wireless connectivity uses Bluetooth LE tech for your image

transfers. If you’ve invested in CF cards, being limited to XQD and SD only may present a costly annoyance, but they’re so fast it’s worth it… especially after realising you’re dressed in crimson and you’ve missed the ‘Beware of the bull’ sign.

Tech specs

● 45.7MP sensor ● ISO 64-25,600 ● 4K video @ 30fps ● 3.2in 2359k-dot

LCD touchscreen

● USB 3.0, type-C HDMI,

Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

● 146x124x79mm, 915g

STUFF SAYS Moves like James Milner, captures landscapes like Peter Lik – this is Nikon’s greatest for gloriously detailed panoramic photography ★★★★★

PHOTO SPECIAL

WHAT THE PRO SAYS Countryside jaunts always guarantee a few cyclists. Waiting for one in the right colour will enable a wide view of the landscape and introduce scale to the shot. Always try to frame up so there are paths to lead the viewer’s eye through the image.

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PHOTO SPECIAL

WHAT THE PRO SAYS Get airborne, snap a few stills, and it’s easy to see why drones are so popular. Controlling the image from your phone soon becomes a pleasure. A different perspective generally makes a scene stand out from the masses, so remember to get it good and high to make even the average dog-walk seem epic.

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Fly through the air with the greatest of ease… and produce stunning imagery that would have you believe the clouds had taken the shots themselves AERIAL PHOTO TIPS Have some perspective Play around with seeing things from a totally fresh perspective (ie above) to unearth aerial patterns, symmetry and optical illusions.

Divide and conquer Sharp lines can make for crazy compositions.

Frame shots so lines extend entirely top to bottom, left to right or even diagonally.

Explore new horizons Use the Mavic Air’s panoramic modes and you’ll capture vistas that go on for miles – and it’s fun identifying what’s on the horizon. Honest.

D J I

M A V I C

R12 000 / navworld.co.za f you’re still questioning whether you really want a drone, the answer is unequivocally yes, of course you want a flying super-camera… but which one? Well, how about a fast and nimble RC toy that zips around fields at 64km/h for the fun of it and has a camera that’ll capture amazing aerials?

The Mavic Air comes the closest out of any drone so far to satisfying those

I

demands – at least until we’ve properly tested the Parrot Anafi featured in this month’s Hot Four – and it does so despite being barely the size of a water bottle when folded down.

On the inside, DJI has combined the best tech from the Mavic Pro with the best software features of the more beginner-friendly Spark. This means you get an approachable drone for epic travel photography, even if

A I R

you have less-than-epic piloting skills.

It’s all down to DJI’s killer combination of shooting 4K video from a three-axis gimbal, which we haven’t seen from a drone this size before. The Mavic Air also packs plenty of autonomous skills, akin to a camera’s ‘auto’ modes.

This includes cinematic sequences, zooming in on targets, stitching together panoramas, or even asking the Air to circle around you in an arc – perfect for dramatic

wedding shots. Buying a Mavic Air simply for stills might be like getting a PS4 for Netflix, but this is a capable sky-based compact camera. You can shoot 12MP photos, use HDR for extra detail in murky scenes, and create 32MP spherical panoramas alongside 180° ones.

Tech specs

● 12MP CMOS sensor ● ISO 100-3,200 ● 4K video @ 30fps ● 8GB internal storage ● Lightning, microUSB,

USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth

● 184x168x64mm, 430g

STUFF SAYS The Mavic Air takes flying cameras to cloud nine with a fine balance of pro features in a foldable quadcopter ★★★★★

NOW ADD THIS

Mavic Air Battery Charging Hub

Maximise your flight time by fully charging four Intelligent Flight Batteries in sequence according to their power levels. The advanced version optimises charging so you’ll be up in the air taking unforgettable snaps an hour sooner.

R1 000 / takealot.com

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WIN 1 OF 2 LG Q7 SMARTPHONES The LG Q7 offers premium features typically found in more expensive flagship smartphones at a mid-range price point. Its high-end features include Portrait mode, DTS:X Virtual Surround Sound, IP68 water and dust resistance and a fingerprint sensor on the back for added security.

WO R6 0RTH EAC 00 H

KEY SPECIFICATIONS: Processor: 1.5 GHz Octa-Core Display: 5.5-inch 18:9 FHD+ FullVision Display (2160 x 1080; 442ppi pixel density) Memory: 3GB RAM; 32GB ROM; microSD (up to 2TB) Camera: Rear 13MP with PDAF; Front 8MP Battery: 3 000mAh OS: Android 8.0 Oreo

TO ENTER SCAN THE QR CODE OR VISIT:

stuff.co.za/win-q7

Valid from 20 August 2018 until 16 September 2018. Terms and conditions on the editor’s letter page (p2).

HURRY! COMPETITION CLOSES 16 SEP 2018 48

TESTED APPS

Mini meme

● Sago Mini Monsters A monster emerges from the gloopy depths, inviting your youngling to scribble all over it, feed it disgusting food, and then – in a nod to sceptical parents everywhere – clean its grimy teeth. It’s then time for some stickers and a quick photoshoot before the creature departs, ready for a new ghoul to take its place.

Stuff says ★★★★✩ R60 / Android, iOS

6 WAYS TO KEEP THE KIDS APPY With the summer holidays only three months away, buy yourself some peace, quiet, and roadtrip-planning time with these downloads for the young ’uns

● Zen Studio

Rather than handing your sprog a pack of felt-tips and watching in horror as several disappear up a nostril while the rest are used to colour your furniture, have them try Zen Studio. As the grid of triangles is tapped, notes are played, turning the experience into a suitably chill-outy mix of geometric colouring and ambient audio.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Free (IAPs) / Android, iOS

● PlaneCrazy

● Bandimal

● Toca Nature

● Foldify

Stuff says ★★★✩✩ Free / iOS

Stuff says ★★★★★ R60 / iOS

Stuff says ★★★★★ R60 / Android, iOS

Stuff says ★★★★★ R50 / iPhone ● R60/ iPad

You could get the kids to fold their own paper planes and fling them about the house/car/ classroom, but that would mean actually finding some paper.

Download PlaneCrazy instead and watch as they guide a virtual paper jet over cupboards and books, dodging fans, lights and oncoming jets, appropriately coloured an ominous red.

Arming kids with instruments is just asking for trouble, so you might hesitate to give them an app with a crew of cartoon animal musicians. But this oddball and stripped-back but friendly DAW is hugely entertaining, with body-popping electro pandas and bass-belching whales. Just pray your kids remember you when they’re pop royalty.

Toca Boca’s ‘Life’ apps are excellent for keeping kids entertained, but Toca Nature is even better. Your kid carves rivers, builds mountains and plants trees with a finger, then uses the magnifying glass tool to explore the virtual landscape and feed doddering animals. It’s like Populous as re-imagined by the WWF.

This mash-up of old and new starts with your kid picking a 3D template (there are boxy people, cars and shapes). This is then decorated with scribbles, stickers and photos, before being printed out, folded and glued. It’s fun to watch virtual models become real objects; less so watching your house become a storage unit for endless card creations.

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BALLSY BRIEFS

JAUNTY JAMMERS

SNAZZY SHORTS

UPVOTED

The shady swimmers

Quiksilver Acid Proving you don’t need funky patterns to stand out from the crowd, these simple yet elegant swimming shorts are available in red, black or blue. We suggest you opt for red, though, just so the lifeguards can easily spot you if you nod off on your lilo and start drifting out towards the rip currents.

R830 / fruugo.co.za

The webmaster

Planning a beach trip or pool party? Stuff has suffered the chafes in order to find the perfect gear for the modern merman

Arena Spider Jammer While these jammers prioritise performance with an aerodynamic design, Arena still acknowledges it’s important to look great during a serious swim. And so it’s given them a groovy pattern that suggests a massive disco-raving spider has webbed all over them. Radical, man.

R1 120 / merkado.co.za

The splashy squishers

Speedo Energy Blast When people say “If you’ve got it, flaunt it” they’re not necessarily talking about your junk. Still, if you want to be a streamlined swimmer and get an even tan on your thighs, there are few better-looking trunks than these budgie-smuggling beauties.

R520 (import) / speedo.com

HOW TO DECIDE 50

The red herring

Firetrap Blackseal Sketch Most swimshorts are so eye-searingly bright that you need to wear sunglasses just to take them out of the drawer. This Firetrap pair, though, manages to look the part without resembling the tail of a peacock. Plus it gets bonus points for the zipped pockets on the rear.

R1 400 / merkado.co.za

The jolly jellies

Farfetch MC2 Saint Barth The only jellyfish we’d ever want to touch our sea cucumbers are the ones printed on these fashionable trunks. At R650 they’ll admittedly give your wallet a sting, but who else among your friends will be able to claim they’ve got sea critters dancing all over their privates ?

R650 / farfetch.com

1 Make it a tight race If you’re looking to become the next Chad le Clos, big flappy shorts just won’t do. Try a pair of jammers, which have a streamlined design to help you swim significantly faster.

The stars in your thighs

Vilebrequin Starfish Art Honestly, we’re not big fans of splashing out lots of cash just because something has a designer label. These shorts are an exception, though – not because they’re made by Vilebrequin, but because they’re plastered with colourful starfish and give off that irresistible beach vibe.

R3 025 (import) / vilebrequin.com

The need for speed

Speedo Fit Panel Jammer As ever, Speedo has designed these jammers to help you slip through the sea as quickly as a greased-up dolphin.

And with 100% chlorine-resistance, you can happily take your backstroke to the indoor pool without fear of your swimwear disintegrating.

R830 / originalbrands.co.za

The deep blue

Adidas Parley Setting aside our nagging suspicion that the ocean motif of these trunks has been designed to disguise any dark patches resulting from hungover ‘mishaps’, they look pretty swanky – and are made using upcycled beach waste, as part of Adidas’s eco-aware Parley programme.

R620 / proswimwear.co.za

2 Go amphibious If you buy shorts that can be worn both in the ocean and on land, you’ll spend less time awkwardly hopping about and more time splashing seawater in your friends’ faces.

UPVOTED

The surfing saviours

Finisterre Transom Shorts Anyone who’s seen Blue Planet 2 will know the oceans aren’t in great health. Fortunately, the designers at Finisterre are on a mission to make Attenborough proud by releasing a pair of shorts – for both swimming and casual wear – that are made entirely from recycled materials.

What’s more, 10% of each purchase is donated to the Surfers Against Sewage movement.

R1 125 (import) / finisterre.com

3 Size it up This might sound obvious, but always check the size of your swimwear. It’s not a ‘one size fits all’ thing – unless you’re happy to risk accidentally going commando after a cannonball into the pool.

4 Keep it together Not all swimwear can cope long-term with the harmful effects of chlorine. Polyester shorts should be fine, but if you’re looking at Lycra, go for the more robust Xtra Life type.

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LAPTOP SPECIAL ●

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STUDENT Essay-writing and pizza-ordering are the essential skills for laptops living the modern university life.

P54

GAMER So long, Switch: we’ve found the true portable champion that’s powerful enough to play any title.

P56

BACK TO SCHOOL Get your kids a laptop so great they’ll never again complain about having to do homework.

P58

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HOME WORKER Allergic to the office but still gunning for a pay rise? Here’s the beefcake to help you succeed.

P60

GLOBETROTTER Travel the world without falling behind on the series or your favourite Netflix blockbusters.

P62

● CREATOR Become a Photoshop wizard and video-editing legend with this arty machine.

P64

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T TH LAP HE EG O F OD S

LAPTOP SPECIAL

P is ut y fig ou ht r p ing ho ba ne ck do wi wn th fo fre r a sh se inn co ov nd: at th ion e p s o or n a tab m le P yr C iad h of as s m ha od ke els n . W off hic its h i sha sy c ou kle rt sa yp nd e?

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LAPTOP SPECIAL

STUDENT Get a first-class machine that’s capable of working the night shift before that 9am essay deadline

ACER SWIFT 3 (2018) from R10 000 / acer.com/za The Acer Swift 3 is the computing equivalent of two-minute noodles washed down with Tassies and coke: a powerful cocktail representing proper bang for your buck that frees up student loan funds for more important things, like bucket hats.

For under R10 000 you get a generous 14in Full HD display with super-narrow bezels and up to 10hrs of battery life, ensuring you can get through every episode of Atlanta during lectures. There’s also a plethora of ports and a capable backlit keyboard for larking about on Reddit.

There’s a specification for every budget, but for peak

performance the range-topper features an 8th-gen Intel Core i7 processor, an Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics card, 8GB of RAM and lashings of storage: a 1TB HDD and 128GB SSD dual setup provides the best of both worlds for fast loading times and large capacity.

Study buddy In top spec it’ll run Windows 10 smoother than a single malt… if you don’t mind swapping the smoking jacket and Director’s Edition whiskey for a few nights on the white cider in order to afford it. Anyway, don’t kid yourself, you’re not Finch from American Pie. Whichever derivative you plump for, everything comes

wrapped in aluminium and housed behind glass. You also get a fingerprint sensor, so there’s no need to worry if you drunkenly changed your password to the forgotten name of the girl you met in the Mystic Boer last night.

We’ll give you a clue: it’s not Cortana, although Microsoft’s personal assistant is on hand if you need someone to talk to when all the coursework and exams become too much.

Tech specs Screen 14in Full HD LCD Processor Up to 8th-gen Intel Core i7 RAM 8GB Storage Up to 128GB SSD & 1TB HDD OS Windows 10 Dimensions 340x235x18mm, 1.5kg

Stuff says Powerhouse performance to match the looks from a laptop that really should cost a whole lot more ★★★★★

COMPLETE THE SETUP

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● Ruark Audio MRx

●● Rain

R7000 (import) / ruarkaudio.com

from R120 / rain.co.za

●●● Herschel Anchor Sleeve

Odds are your pokey student digs won’t entertain a massive stereo, so some minimalist class is what’s needed.

The MRx from British brand Ruark is a wireless multiroom speaker with exceptional sound. Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB, optical and analogue connectivity are joined by Alexa support, all smothered in sexy acoustic fabric.

Grab one of Rain’s data-only SIM cards and pay, for South Africa, mighty reasonable rates. 5c per MB or R50 per GB isn’t shabby at all and since Rain’s pay-as-you-go data doesn’t expire, this is a no-brainer. If you’re willing to pay a little extra, you can have a data modem or a cellphone as well. The initial free data days are just a sweetner.

Canadian hipster brand Herschel has achieved the sort of status where nobody scoffs at it no matter what their social class – and this fleece-lined sleeve is the perfect partner to the Acer.

Other designs are available, but all come fully padded with an exposed plastic zip and a classic woven label.

from R1 700 / wantitall.co.za

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● Prefer old-school radio stations to Spotify playlists?

This speaker has a built-in internet radio tuner, so you never have to miss out on Rob Forbes’ nattering ever again.

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Does your smartphone have terrible battery life?

Fortunately, Rain’s Huawei E5885 features a 6400mAh battery bank to keep you topped up.

●●●

There are 15 different colour variants for this laptop sleeve, including the Dark Chambray Crosshatch pictured. But some options only come in specific sizes.

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● Like any certified gaming gadget, the SteelSeries Rival 600 mouse is covered in RGB lights, just in case you can’t locate it in the dark. They are customisable too, so you’re free to go pink.

●● Thanks to IFTTT support, you can get your Nanoleaf lights to do all sorts of neat tricks, such as simulating a sunrise when it’s time for you to get out of bed in the morning.

●●● The 12 games that support LogitechG’s game-driven lighting include GTA V and Fortnite. You can also customise the lighting if your game isn’t supported.

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LAPTOP SPECIAL

GAMER Don’t stay rooted to your desktop computer: game on the go with this portable monster

RAZER BLADE 15

1 R69 000 / thecellstore.co.za Time was, most gaming laptops were so bulky they’d give even Dwayne Johnson a crooked spine if he hauled one around in a backpack.

Meanwhile, those machines that were lightweight enough to merit the portability tag could barely run Candy Crush, never mind the hordes of hyper-realistic shooters that proper-gamers worship.

These days, though, gaming laptops have finally cracked the fine balancing act between portability and power, and there’s no better example than the Razer Blade 15. At just over 2kg it’s light enough to carry to work without causing your back any grief, yet packs

the power to play absolutely any game you please without performance worries.

League of legends Actually, that’s not doing it justice. Thanks to its 8th-gen Intel Core CPU, 16GB RAM and GTX 1070 GPU, the Blade 15 lets you crank The Witcher 3’s video setting to the max and ogle glorious graphical fidelity that makes the PS4’s look like cardboard cutouts. Just bear in mind it can reach egg-frying temperatures when running such power, so it’s best to keep this laptop off your lap top.

Of course you also need a snazzy screen, and the Blade 15’s delivers. Its 144Hz refresh rate ensures ultra-smooth

performance, while the 15.6in Full HD display has vibrant colour popping out of the screen like a confetti cannon.

And if even that’s not enough, there’s also a 4K option.

What’s more impressive is that all this power has been stuffed into a slim frame that won’t look too out of place in the office… though you do have the option of a colourshifting backlit keyboard if you really want to draw attention.

Tech specs Screen 15.6in Full HD LCD Processor 8th-gen Intel Core i7 RAM 16GB Storage 256GB /512GB GPU GTX 1060/1070 OS Windows 10 Dimensions 355x235x16.8mm, 2.07kg

Stuff says This ultra-portable has enough power to make your games console jealous, but can get unbearably hot ★★★★✩

COMPLETE THE SETUP ● SteelSeries Rival 600 R1 420 / evetech.co.za

●● Nanoleaf Rhythm Smarter Kit

●●● LogitechG G560 Lightsync Speaker

Imagine missing out on a Fortnite victory because your mouse was too sluggish.

That’s a one-way ticket out of the window for your gaming peripheral. You won’t have such problems with the Rival 600 thanks to its dual-sensor system; and with 256 weight and balance configurations, you’ll be able to customise it for optimum FPS skills.

R6 600 / importitall.co.za

Rtba / logitech.co.za

These music-reactive light panels are wasted on the likes of Kanye’s raps. Instead, blast out the gunfire from Call of Duty or the sweet sound of a singing chest in Fortnite, and Nanoleaf’s lights will dance like the youth in an ’80s disco. And once the gaming’s done, you can use Alexa to activate a relaxing light display.

You’d think a speaker would be the one gaming accessory to escape the flood of flashing RGB lights, but this boomtastic setup proves otherwise. We’re not grumbling, though, as these glowers imitate the onscreen action for select games, so fiery explosions and splashes of water are projected onto your bedroom wall.

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LAPTOP SPECIAL

BACK 2 SCHOOL Paper and pens are so last decade – your progeny will need an ace machine to become A+ students

DELL CHROMEBOOK 3189 EDUCATION 2-IN-1 from R13 200 / wantitall.co.za Dell’s 2-in-1 Chromebook is designed to be school-proof from the moment kids leave the house, forget their bag is undone and see everything come crashing down on the driveway… just before Dad reverses over it.

OK, so this is not quite indestructible, but Dell Drop Protection helps it withstand lockers, backpacks, buses and projectiles hurled across the school yard. There’s also a spill-resistant keyboard and rubberised edges for when you’re recreating Harry Potter potions in science.

Lurking under the covers is a hybrid laptop, with an admittedly low-resolution

touchscreen, built specifically for the classroom. It’s powered by a reliable Intel Celeron N3060 processor, used widely on Chromebooks all over the place. There’s also ten hours of battery life to last through lessons and beyond.

All star Central to its usefulness is the ability to work in laptop, tablet or tent mode, where it can be flipped over and perched on a desk for students to view and write from any angle. Mind, this does make it harder to create phallic artwork without the teacher seeing.

To help support aspiring smartarses there’s something called the G Suite for Education, where Google keeps its apps

for students and teachers in one online location. This lets Ms Krabappel distribute and mark essays easily, so now your dog needs to eat your computer and the entire cloud for you to get away with not handing in homework.

Lastly, teachers, if you have control of the IT budget, a Dell charging cart lets you boost a class worth of laptops all at once while wheeling them down the corridor.

Tech specs Screen 11.6in Full HD touchscreen Processor Intel Celeron N3060 RAM 4GB Storage 16GB/32GB/64GB OS Chrome Dimensions 304x208x21mm, 1.43kg

Stuff says A versatile Chromebook with the quality to cope with whatever happens in or outside of the classroom ★★★★✩

COMPLETE THE SETUP ● Google Home Mini

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R1 000 / takealot.com

●● Master Lock Computer Lock

Google’s baby connected speaker is a great addition to bedroom desks. It’s not just a capable introduction to the world of voice assistants, but the perfect companion to Dell’s school-savvy Chromebook.

The Mini looks and sounds better than Amazon’s Echo Dot, and is far more likely to be able to answer random questions from inquisitive kids.

Back in the day, Master Lock taught Houdini a thing or two about escapology, so it knows its onions when it comes to stopping stuff from going walkies. Its self-coiling combination lock for laptops extends from 10cm to 1.8m, leaving you plenty of slack to attach it to any immovable object you find.

R260 (import) / masterlock.com

●●● Google Daydream R2 200 / geewiz.co.za If you’re going down the Google route for your laptop, chances are an affordable Android smartphone is in the offing too. Slip that handset into the Daydream VR headset and kids get immersive access to educational apps such as Expeditions, where they can virtually visit historically important places such as the Taj Mahal and Colosseum.

● Grab some smart light bulbs and Belkin WeMo plugs with the Home Mini, and Junior will be able to control an entire room with his or her voice without leaving the study chair.

●● Not very good at remembering numerical passcodes?

Fortunately there’s a version of the Computer Lock that’s unlocked with a four-letter combo instead.

●●● Don’t have a compatible Android phone?

No problem: Google and Lenovo are working on a Daydream headset that doesn’t need extra hardware.

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HOME WORKER 1

Who needs the office when you’ve got a workaholic PC that can tackle anything you throw its way?

ASUS ZENBOOK PRO from R27 000 / asus.com/za

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● For an extra R600 you can buy the Marble Edition of the Eclipse Charger in black or white. It has the same number of ports as the normal version, but looks seriously slick.

●● A range of Paper Tablet smart notebooks and planners are available once you’ve run out of pages, and everything works with the Pen+ smart pen.

●●● If you’ve plumped for the wireless version of the Retro Classic, you’ll get a 6000mAh battery. Azio reckons it should last you about a month between charges.

It takes a lot for a ripple of excitement to stretch through the Stuff office when a new laptop is announced, but our first look at the Asus ZenBook Pro had us brimming with anticipation. Could it be that PCs are exciting again?

Starting with the obvious, yes that’s a second display in the trackpad. The 5.5in Full HD ScreenPad is ideal for dual tasks, like referring to presentations or doing calculations without minimising windows on the main display – it’s like having a smartphone embedded into the base of your laptop.

This flagship touchscreen/ touchpad hybrid for pros has a 15.6in Pantone-validated

4K main display for accurate colour reproduction. It’s surrounded by a super-skinny copper bezel, made from aluminium, and comes in a fetching Deep Dive Blue finish.

Absolute power Under the hood there’s the choice of an Intel Core i5, i7 or six-core 8th-gen i9, paired up with 8GB or 16GB of RAM. Graphics are taken care of by a GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB RAM, giving the ZenBook some gaming pedigree.

You also get a fingerprint sensor, Amazon Alexa voice control and connectivity courtesy of two USB-C ports capable of supporting two external 4K displays at once… you know, for when you don’t

have enough displays already.

Oh, and a third external display can be attached via HDMI, if you’re absolutely mental.

Given the mammoth specs, it's little wonder the ZenBook Pro isn’t exactly the most portable 15in laptop on the market and more of a desktop replacement. The 14in model coming later this year might be more backpack-friendly, and is equally laden with Asus bells and whistles.

Tech specs Screen 15.6in 4K touchscreen Processor Intel Core i5/i7/i9 RAM 8GB/16GB Storage 256GB/512GB/1TB OS Windows 10 Dimensions 360x240x19mm, 1.8kg

Stuff says The most exciting and feature-loaded Windows 10 laptop since… well, Windows 10 ★★★★★

COMPLETE THE SETUP ● Eclipse Charger R1 700 / amazon.com

●● Moleskine Smart Writing Set

●●● Azio Retro Classic Keyboard

If you have lost your marbles and hooked up two external displays to the ZenBook’s USB ports, the Eclipse from Native Union offers a 3-port USB charging station for your other devices. The cylindrical device doubles as a winding cable-tidy to hide wires, and features Smart IC technology for a safe, high-speed power supply to your many gadgets.

R3 200 / amazon.com

from R1 880 / amazon.com

With so many displays on offer we can forgive you for wanting a screen break from time to time. Moleskine’s Smart Writing Set not only looks the part in any home study, but also means you can switch to pen and paper knowing full well everything sketched is transferred digitally to your computer.

This keyboard is as stylish as they come, with backlit keys that look and sound like a vintage typewriter. Choose between a Bluetooth or USB wired model, with lashings of genuine leather, wood and polished alloy. This can get grubby under greasy fingers, so it’s a good job a polishing cloth comes bundled.

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LAPTOP SPECIAL

GLOBETROTTER You can’t travel the world with a 10kg PC; here’s a lightweight companion to keep you productive

HP SPECTRE 13 (2018) from R26 000 / hpshop.co.za We all know someone who went on a gap year and 10 years later they’re still ‘working’ from the island where The Beach was filmed.

There’s a word for people like this, but they’d prefer we call them ‘digital nomads’.

OK, so we’re jealous of the ability to work anywhere, any time, and scrape enough of a living to reside almost exclusively in Thai beach huts.

It takes a particular type of laptop to support this type of existence and it’s called the HP Spectre 13.

Most HP laptops are solid, reliable machines focusing mainly on bang for your buck.

So the Spectre has always

been a bit of a surprise, with its bling-tastic chromed gold hinge that makes all others look rather plain.

Light relief This machine’s real claim to fame, though, is its portability.

A mere 10.4mm thick and only weighing 1.11kg, the Spectre is essentially a laptop-shaped prescription for curing cricked necks and aching backs.

This uncompromising vision of a laptop primed for the future packs in Intel’s Core i7 processor, a 13in touchscreen 4K display, and a choice of RAM and SSD configurations.

You also get a pair of Bang & Olufsen speakers.

Round the back you’ll find USB-C connectivity and a pair

of USB 3.0 ports – and before you lambast the lack of full-size USB or HDMI connections, HP has been good enough to provide all the necessary travel-friendly adaptors and dongles in the box.

We’re deeply in love with the ceramic, carbon fibre and aluminium finishes, and reassured by the hunk of Gorilla Glass covering the 4K display. The only thing to let it down is mediocre battery life.

Tech specs Screen 13.3in 4K touchscreen Processor Intel Core i7 RAM 8GB/16GB Storage 512GB/1TB OS Windows 10 Dimensions 308x224x10.4mm, 1.11kg

Stuff says The spectacular Spectre packs plenty into a portable frame that will please constant travellers ★★★★✩

COMPLETE THE SETUP ● B&O Play H8i

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R6 700 / takealot.com

●● Knomo World Travel Adaptor

The Spectre’s speakers feature Bang & Olufsen Signature Sound, so for consistency in the cans department these H8i Bluetooth noise-cancellers have got your covered. The on-ear design makes them lightweight and compact, as does the aluminium build, and a leather headband ensures they’re hard-wearing.

Thanks to its fold-out pin mechanism, Knomo’s World Travel Adaptor is super-slim for portability so it doesn’t poke out and rip a hole in your hand luggage. Plug-wise you’re covered for 220 countries, while it’s suitable for use with any USB charging cable so there’s no favouritism between Apple and Android.

R580 (import) / knomobags.com

●●● Knomo Novello Rolltop R5 500 / amazon.com Knomo’s Novello is an everything-everywhere backpack that can increase or decrease in size and weather any storm. Waxed for water-resistance and with a 15in padded laptop section, it has other tricks up its rolltop sleeve as well: a dedicated RFID pocket protects against phone, bank card and passport data theft, for example.

● Battery life for the Beoplay H8i headphones is between 30 and 45 hours.

And you can always switch to a 3.5mm jack if your electric juice completely runs out mid-flight.

●● Included with the travel adaptor is a faux-leather protective sleeve.

It helps prevent damage so you don’t get stuck somewhere even scarier than Bloem with a dead phone.

●●● The Knomo Novello Rolltop rucksack has room for an optional extra 10,000mAh battery pack, so you’ll never have to worry about your laptop conking out.

LAPTOP SPECIAL

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LAPTOP SPECIAL

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LAPTOP SPECIAL

CREATOR Become an on-the-move multimedia maestro with this assortment of high-powered gadgetry

APPLE iPAD PRO 12.9in from R13 500 / myistore.co.za

1 ● With various options for storage size – from a modest 500GB to a whopping 5TB – there should be a DiskAshur 2 to fulfil every creative type’s needs.

●● The Brydge 12.9’s 12-month battery life means there’s no need to worry about it leeching power from the iPad Pro, so you don’t need to set up camp next to a power outlet.

●●● It’s not just the iPad Pro that the Apple Pencil can sketch and doodle on. It also works with 2018’s revamped iPad, so you needn’t miss out if you baulked at the Pro’s price.

Say hello to the joker in our laptop pack. Yes, it’s a tablet, but no ordinary one: the oversized iPad Pro is a creative’s dream because it’s absurdly powerful – almost to irresponsible levels.

The Pro has a fantastic Retina display, a battery that lasts all day long and processor performance to outpace most laptops. Add a keyboard and Apple Pencil into the mix and it becomes a productivity powerhouse too, and that’s where our focus lies.

Calling the iPad Pro fast isn’t telling the full story. Apple’s A10X Fusion is an absolute beast of a chip, providing enough grunt to run even

the most demanding apps, with three high-performance cores and three efficient low-power cores to extend battery life.

Go Pro Stick an iPad Pro alongside a similar-priced laptop and the former comes out on top in benchmarks – it’s that powerful. All that matters is how responsive, slick and instant everything feels. You could be editing an image with multiple layers then jump into a CAD design app, and it won’t even need to redraw the screen. Mindblowing.

Even the most demanding games are no match for it, with silky-smooth frame rates no matter what you play. The higher screen refresh rate

only adds to the sense of buttery smoothness.

There’s plenty of storage space for these demanding apps, games and of course your collection of arty films.

The entry-level iPad Pro has 64GB, but you can step up to 256GB or even 512GB if you want. The Pro’s extra power doesn’t come at the expense of battery life either, with up to 10hrs possible – and that’s a conservative estimate.

Tech specs Screen 12.9in 2732x2048 Retina Processor Apple A10X Fusion RAM 4GB Storage 64GB/256GB/512GB OS iOS 11 Dimensions 306x221x6.9mm, 677g

Stuff says It’s pricey for a tablet, but Apple’s ultra-powered iPad is worth every cent for creative geniuses ★★★★★

COMPLETE THE SETUP ● iStorage DiskAshur 2

●● Brydge 12.9

●●● Apple Pencil

from R6 700 / za.rs-online.com

R2 400 / webantics.co.za

R2 000 / myistore.co.za

Creatives tend to work with huge files sizes, so it pays to have extra storage on hand.

The DiskAshur 2 is claimed to be the most secure external SSD in the world, featuring military-grade hardware encryption. If that isn’t enough, you can protect the drive with a PIN that’s required every time someone wants to connect to it.

If you’re going to turn your iPad Pro into a fully fledged laptop, pair it with an equally premium Bluetooth keyboard.

The Brydge 12.9 is forged from high-grade aluminium and uses a hinge design for viewing angles of up to 180º. The keys are LED-backlit and include a row for iOS special functions, and it’s available in finishes to match the iPad itself.

A magic wand when it comes to sketching, jotting down notes, painting a masterpiece or marking up documents.

Press harder for thicker lines and lighter for thinner ones.

Create shade by tilting, and you can even rest your other hand on the screen while you draw. It’s compatible with a whole host of apps, including the full Microsoft Office suite.

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VERSUS SMARTPHONES

Working glass hero

Smoothly curved Gorilla Glass on the back of the LG slips almost seamlessly into aluminium, curving again into glass on the front. It’s a slick and slinky pebble, and a pleasure to hold.

Hello from the other side Nokia and LG’s 2018 flagship phones go into battle armed with novel displays and desk-rumbling speakers et’s get serious.

Buying a Samsung or Apple phone makes you a glory-hunter.

We know they sell by the million and you get instant envy from friends still a year off their contract upgrade… but it’s time to show a little love for the underdogs.

That’s right, today mobile giants LG and Nokia are the outsiders.

This isn’t a pity party, though.

Both makers have come up with some bizarre and brilliant features to make the new Nokia 8 Sirocco and LG G7 ThinQ stand out.

LG brings back the wide-angle camera we saw last year in the G6,

L

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and adds a supernova 1000-nit screen and a clever speaker that vibrates the phone’s back. This isn’t just there to get on your nerves – it enlists any object underneath to become part of the sound, turbocharging the bass and overall power.

The G7 also has an iPhone-style screen notch that you can dress up in different clothes. Even the notch-haters should be able to get on board with that.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco goes for a more traditional look, leaving the notch out. Hardly surprising, since this handset is really a refresh of the hardly-ancient Nokia 8 – but

this one is thinner, faster, and a tad more modern. It’s basically an all-new smartphone, albeit one with a name taken from a racey looking Volkswagen.

The best part: both phones are much cheaper than the closest alternatives from Samsung and Apple. And they still have the advanced camera hardware and app-melting processors you get with the most expensive models.

The hard part: we still have to choose between them. Either will offer the smugness of knowing you’re not following the flock, but does the Finnish one beat the Korean one? It’s time to find out.

VERSUS SMARTPHONES Nitting pattern

The G7 ThinQ’s panel is LCD rather than OLED… but it’s extremely bright, reaching almost 1000 nits in boost mode. This makes it nice and clear even in full sunshine.

In stock

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is a neat, clean Android One handset, making it as close as you’re going to get to Google’s stock Android 8.0 OS without importing yourself a Pixel.

Glass or plastic

The 5.5in display is P-OLED, a relative stranger to smartphones. It’s an OLED display that uses a plastic substrate instead of glass, which might account for where this Nokia got all those curves.

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VERSUS SMARTPHONES Zeiss ist gut

Sirocco’s dual cameras – the 12MP and the 13MP secondary – live in a vertical stack behind Zeiss glass.

Induces a little nostalgia for the days when Nokia’s phones ruled the roost.

T W EST IN NE R

Heavy, man

You’re going to notice a bit more weight in the Sirocco, given its size. Part of that is the all-glass rear panel but the stainless steel edging, rather than lighter aluminium, plays its part too.

Let that sink in

Unlike the Nokia, the G7 has an IP68 rating for water-resistance. That means you can drop it in the sink while doing the dishes – no harm done.

Unless it lands on a fragile plate.

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VERSUS SMARTPHONES

NOW ADD THIS

Nokia 8 Sirocco Price R13 000 / hmdglobal.com Everything’s a reboot these days.

Even Nokia’s Sirocco smartphone is just a reboot of the 2017 Nokia 8.

But is that really so bad? They do sell, after all. And with good reason – The Nokia 8 Sirocco has a strong set of features.

Witness the dual 12MP/13MP rear cameras, offering up 2x optical zoom and some strong performance, even in the dreaded low-light. The lack of optical image stabilisation hurts this one just a little, though.

As does the chosen processor.

Snapdragon’s 835 may be blistering, pushing all of the Android 8.0 bits around like a steroid-jacked bouncer at a dodgy nightclub, but it has been surpassed by the Snapdragon 845.

Sorry Nokia, the 835 is sooo 2017.

But we love the design. The curved sides are all the rage right now thanks to Samsung, though Nokia’s gone for much sharper edges here. The curved all-glass design has slimmed it down

some from its ancestor, but it’s also added weight. More durable materials will do that, we’re told. All the better to allow wireless charging.

Storage is another highlight, or would be if the Sirocoo had hung onto a microSD card slot. You might get 128GB of space out of the gate but that’s all you get.

LG’s G7 ThinQ has the advantage in most areas, truth be told. The camera shootout ends with the Sirocco being shot, the G7 is packing the 845 that’s missing here. Battery performance is about on-par, with the LG lasting slightly longer by the end of the day.

TECH SPECS Screen 5.5in 1440 x 2560 P-OLED Processor Snapdragon 835 RAM 6GB OS Android 8.0 Cameras 12MP+13MP rear, 5MP front Battery 3260mAh Storage 128GB Dimensions 140.9x73x7.5,177g

STUFF SAYS The Sirocco is a definite upgrade on the Nokia 8 but isn’t enough to steal LG’s thunder ★★★★✩

JABRA ELITE SPORT Nokia’s new 8 takes the Apple route and drops the 3.5mm headphone jack in favour of USB-C, which means your favourite earphones won’t work any more. Replace them with the Jabra Elite Sport and enjoy some in-ear heart monitoring along with the wonderful freedom offered by truly wireless buds.

R3 300 / circuitcity.co.za

LG G7 ThinQ Price R13 700 / lg.com/za

Pet project

LG’s AI camera mode tries to recognise the objects and scenes you shoot, filtering them into different boxes in the gallery. Could be a big time-saver for dog obsessives.

The LG G7 ThinQ comes to this party with three special moves. First, you’ve probably noticed it has a notch – and you may have heard of notches you can hide. But what about notches you can dress up? The new ‘second screen’ feature lets you treat it to a red, grey or rainbow gradient. You end up with the impression of a normal-shaped screen with fancy sprinkles on top.

Next up, the wide-angle camera lens. Every top phone seems to have a 2x zoom mode these days, but the LG G7 ThinQ lets you zoom out. No more asking people to squeeze up so they fit in the shot.

Finally, the BoomBox speaker is truly unusual. It sounds fine enough on its own, but lay it on a flat surface and the resonant glass back turns just about anything into a bolt-on speaker cabinet: slap it down on a cheap desk and it starts sounding like a mini Bluetooth speaker. And there are other benefits for music fans. You get

a headphone jack on the bottom, and it’s fed by a quality-boosting HiFi Quad DAC that makes your tunes sound better – as long as your headphones are good enough to ensure you can actually hear the difference.

Next to the Nokia, though, one of the LG’s key appeals is something really simple. As you may have guessed from the clue in its slightly unwieldy name, it’s thinner, lighter, and all-round smaller. That’s the benefit of a notch: you can fit more screen into a smaller phone. It lasts slightly longer off a charge as well , ending up with 30% left after a solid day’s fiddling.

TECH SPECS Screen 6.1in 3120x1440 LCD Processor Snapdragon 845 RAM 4GB OS Android 8.0 Cameras Dual 16MP rear, 8MP front Battery 3000mAh Storage 64GB Dimensions 153x72x7.9mm, 162g

STUFF SAYS Packed with quirks that work, this easy-to-handle phone is a bit of a hit ★★★★✩

BOWERS & WILKINS PX Wired headphones may be on the way out, but you’ll need a pair to hear the effects of the G7’s superior digital-to-analogue conversion tech.

These over-ears work wirelessly or with a cable, and active noisecancellation blocks out those annoying co-workers.

R4 200 / takealot.com

NOW ADD THIS

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TESTED MINI (2018)

Mini me

BMW’s latest Brit bombshell is packed with ingenious tech that can be customised to make it an extension of your true self from R302 200 / mini.co.za ■ This year’s Mini is the most customisable hatchback on the market. A fancy facelift is met by a monster options list, including the opportunity to 3D-print and laser-letter side scuttles, interior trim and illuminated door sills to your own specification, like you’ve gone mad with a label maker.

■ Regardless of the way you mod your Mini, you now get Union Jack rear lights. Fancy your name in lights? Pick a personalised message for the LED projectors and it reflects on the floor when you open a door.

■ Step inside and you’re met by the latest Mini Connected infotainment system and a head-up display.

There are also enough buttons to rival a fighter jet and an irresistible ‘missile launcher’ start button.

■ All the in-car tech is based on the iDrive system found in big brother BMW’s cars. There’s a super-sharp 6.5in touchscreen (8.8in in some models) for streaming apps such as Spotify, and also on board are Apple CarPlay and Apple Watch integration, for notifying you when it’s time to get going to reach your next destination.

■ Aircon and Bluetooth come as standard; GPS and wireless charging do not. Upgrading to the Chili Pack adds climate control, steering-wheel controls and different driving modes. Go big and you can spend over R490k on the John Cooper Works version.

Tech specs Screen 6.5in/8.8in touchscreen Connectivity USB, Bluetooth Engine 1.5l/2.0l petrol, 2.0l diesel Gearbox 6-speed manual or 7-speed Steptronic auto

■ Nice bit of KITT

Anyone using Apple CarPlay will know Siri has a way to go when it comes to fulfilling in-car demands, so Mini uses its own Natural Language Understanding system to process voice requests like “Show me the way home”.

■ Car, where’s my dude?

Mini FindMate is an optional fob that works like a Tile item tracker: pair it with your phone, then attach it to your precious laptop, handbag or Stormtrooper action figure; when it moves out of Bluetooth range you’ll be alerted.

STUFF SAYS Dozens of gadgety options make this practically a modular Mini ★★★★✩

Hold on… We’re all for fancy tech, but what about the ‘car’ part?

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Mini adventures begin the moment you hit up the online car configurator – the number of personalisation options on this facelifted model is so vast, suddenly things like engine size and gearbox variant don’t seem so important. But the good news for petrolhead purists is, the Mini has matured and drives better than ever, whichever model you choose and no matter which way you spec it.

T E S T E D M A S E R AT I G H I B L I ( 2 0 1 8 )

Howl and Move Faster

The Ghibli is Italian carmaker Maserati’s answer to those drivers who want five useable seats, supercar performance and that more ineffable of traits: exclusivity

from R1 617 000 / maserati.co.za

■ Out of time

We’ve got mixed feelings about the analogue clock in the centre of the dash. On the one hand, it’s a Maserati signature, on the other, it’s anachronistic.

■ Dash of mash

A mix of traditional dials and an LCD display between them offer the driver pertinent info at a glance, from fuel consumption to tyre pressure.

Tech specs Engine 3-Litre twin turbo V6 petrol Transmission 8-Speed automatic Power 243kW Torque 500Nm 0-100km/h 5.6 seconds Top speed 263km/h Fuel economy 8.9l/100km CO2 Emissions 207g/km Tank 80 litres Weight 1 810kg

■ At roughly half the price of the R3 million GranCabrio, the Maserati Ghibli may be the most affordable four-wheeler in the Italian manufacturer’s line-up, but there’s nothing ‘budget’ about it. From the hand-finished interior and iconic Trident logos stitched onto the headrests, to the carbon-fibre racing-style paddles behind the beautiful, heated steering wheel, the Ghibli oozes luxury from every stitch and chromed detail.

■ With ample leg and head room even in the back seat, the Ghibli is a big, heavy car, but that doesn’t stop it rocketing from 0-100km/h in just over 5.5 seconds, and with 50/50 weight distribution, the drive is as engaging and dynamic as you’d expect from a high-end sports car masquerading as a luxury sedan.

■ For the updated 2018 version, Maserati’s taken pains to bolster the tech options on offer. The centre console is dominated by an 8.4in touchscreen infotainment system, beneath which you’ll find a convenient phone storage box, and there’s a twolevel rotary control beneath that… though with the intuitive interface you won’t use it much.

■ Buyers can choose from a 900W 10-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, or an even more tooth-rattling 1 280W 15-speaker Bowers & Wilkin one, and naturally there’s full support for Bluetooth connectivity, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

There’s also the option to include an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot so your passengers can post to their Insta stories about their ride.

STUFF SAYS Exclusivity and luxury in a beautiful package that’ll still fit the fam ★★★★★ Potent, elegant and priced to match

If there’s anything to fault about the Ghibli, we couldn’t find it during our (very limited) time with it. From the opulent but stylish interior, the enormous boot, 360-degree cameras and parking assistance, glorious sound system and immaculate finishing, to the toupee-loosening acceleration and head-turning design, it’s exactly what it says on the box: a high-performance, ultra-luxurious car for those who want functionality with no compromises on form.

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Get more out of Amazon’s streaming app with these top tips from Stuff. We’ve made the popcorn. Now, who’s up for a Preacher marathon followed by an American Gods all-nighter?

THE BASICS

■ Download shows

■ Filter and search

From the menu (Android) or top tabs (iOS), you can access the Prime Video homepage, which provides recommendations.

Scroll down to browse by genre and use the search field to find something specific. Be mindful not all results will be available on Prime, though.

■ Take control

Whenever you’re watching a show, tap the screen to bring up controls. If Amazon hurls a pre-roll ad your way, skip it here. You also get play/pause, skip forwards/backwards (10 seconds), and a timeline scrubber (with preview and timecode) for finding your place. If you’re somewhere noisy, tap the speech balloon button and you can turn on subtitles.

Where was I? Started watching the latest episode in the Uber home? Fire up Amazon Prime on your TV and you should be able to resume right where you left off.

■ Optimise Prime

In Settings, go to Stream(ing) & Download(ing) to adjust video streaming quality. On smartphones you can also choose to stream on Wi-Fi, and in the same section you can adjust download quality.

The app reckons good/ better/best respectively use 0.6GB/1.8GB/5.8GB of data per hour, so downloading might be a good idea…

Not everything on Prime Video can be downloaded. To check whether a favourite can be, access its info screen. Tap the download icon next to an episode or movie’s name to store it locally. iOS also adds a Download button for entire series (under Resume) – just be wary of how much space that takes up. (Tap again and cancel, if need be.) Downloads are stored, logically enough, in the Downloads section.

■ Restrict viewing

Head to the Parental Controls section in Settings. Once there, you can create a four-digit PIN for Prime Video. You then set an age restriction for which videos will play without the PIN (or Touch ID on iOS) being used for authorisation. This system can be applied on a per-device basis – it doesn’t have to be global.

X-RAY VISION ■ Check out some facts

“Oh, look, it’s that actor! The one who was in that thing with whatshername…” If that’s you, just tap the screen and cast your eye to the left.

The X-Ray section will tell you who’s in the current scene, merely leaving you to wonder what else they’ve been in.

■ Go full movie buff

Tap All/View All to bring up the full X-Ray view. Powered by IMDb, it provides a full cast list and character roster, plus a music playlist and a bunch of trivia. You can check out a track or piece of info by tapping Jump to Scene.

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BETA YOURSELF

OR YOU COULD USE…

NETFLIX

Having impressively pivoted from being an online DVD bargain bin to a streaming service for superb shows (Black Mirror, Stranger Things), Netflix is an excellent choice to feast your eyes on yet more original content. The apps are solid and you get a 30-day free trial.

BLACK BIG SPENDER ■ See what’s free

WORLD TRAVELLER ■ Use a VPN…

When you rock up in a new country with Netflix, you get the local catalogue.

With Amazon Prime, you’re effectively told you’re in the wrong country – but arm yourself with a VPN and you should be fine.

■ Artful dodging

Using a VPN will also help you sidestep one of Amazon Prime Video’s most annoying quirks: Its tendency to list plenty of fare only to let you down when you select it by informing you what you want isn’t available in your region.

So. Very. Frustrating.

On Netflix, everything in front of you is available to play. But Prime Video also includes paid content when you’re exploring search results. Anything with the blue Prime logo at the top-left corner is free.

■ Buy more fare

KEEP WATCHING ■ Start a watchlist

Head to amazon.com and you can buy shows and movies until your bank account starts screaming at you. Purchases are made available in the Prime app – either prod Play in the relevant series list, or head to the Library tab/section.

When you’re browsing and see something you fancy watching later, tap it. On the show/movie’s details screen, prod Add to Watchlist.

In the Watchlist section, you can refine your list by date or title, and limit items solely to those on Prime.

■ Get extra channels

■ View expiring content

Scroll down in the Browse view and you’ll hit Featured Channels: subscription bolt-ons for those who can’t get enough children’s TV, sport or, er, ad-free TV. Subscribe on amazon.com and play through the app.

Black is unusual in that it’s an on-demand TV service rather than a straight-up streamer.

There are over 60 channels, covering movies, series, sports and news, and you can pick and choose which to pay for – basically what we’ve wanted from DStv forever.

A lot of shows and movies come and go on streaming services – and Prime’s no different. Helpfully, the apps won’t bother telling you when something’s on its last days, but there is a list online – a Google search will find it.

SHOWMAX

The South African heavyweight in the streaming arena, Showmax has a growing roster of shows, including several Hulu and HBO picks that aren’t available elsewhere. If you can’t find what you want on Netflix, odds are that it will turn up here.

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TESTED GARMIN DASH CAM 65W

Prang up to date Drive by wire

The power cable is plenty long enough to go clear around the windscreen and down to the 12V socket in your centre console.

Collision-recording dash cams don’t get much simpler than this dinky Garmin… but it’s hiding some clever features R3 500 / garmin.co.za ■ Dash cams aren’t only for creating YouTube clips of goats riding mopeds in Russia – it’s worth having one for your RSA runabout. You’ll be covered in case of an accident that isn’t your fault, which should help keep your premiums in check. Garmin’s Dash Cam 65W is much smaller and more subtle than these devices used to be.

■ The battery is good for about 10 minutes, so you’re going to want to use the power cable to plug into your 12V socket. There are buttons on the side, but just shout “OK Garmin” and the camera will wake up with a list of voice commands on the screen. The only trouble is, voice detection is so sensitive that the slightest mumble can trigger it.

■ The camera saves and locks footage when it detects a crash, while GPS data stores coordinates and speed. And warnings for lane departure and forward collision try to stop you having an accident, rather than just recording it.

■ The lens has a generous 180° field of view and the aperture is big enough for low-light use. Image quality is generally good, with clean footage that makes it easy to read road signs and number plates.

■ You can use Garmin’s VIRB app to download clips to your phone… but we found this agonisingly slow and ended up just popping out the microSD card instead.

■ For nosy parkers

Garmin’s Parking Mode Cable kit (R750) can keep your cam juiced without the ignition running.

It’ll only record when it detects movement, so shouldn’t flatten the battery, but you’ll need to hook it into your car’s wiring loom.

■ For light sleepers

An optional Cyclops subscription adds alerts for red lights and speed cameras. But be warned: break the limit, or just go near a speed camera, and it will emit an incessant beep that’s shriller than teenage Timberlake.

Tech specs Camera 2.1MP, 180° field of view Resolution 1080p @ 30fps max Display 2in LCD Storage microSD Features GPS, G-sensor, voice control, Wi-Fi Battery life 10 mins Dimensions 56x41x32mm, 62g

STUFF SAYS A simple if less than perfect way to record clear driving footage ★★★★✩

Smart dash cam passes its driving test despite a few little errors 74

Garmin has delivered on the basics here. It’s just a pity the Dash Cam 65W has so many quirks, and a lot of its safety-conscious extras are simply mimicking what some cars are already capable of. Collision detection often lagged behind the Suzuki Swift Sport we tested it with, and the audible speed limit alerts are far more intrusive than on a GPS screen – at least until you mute the damned things.

The Helios 500 is equipped with everything you need to take the fight to every foreseeable battlefield.

Enchance your experience with the Acer Windows Mixed Reality Headset For Specifications and where to buy, contact Mustek 011 237 1000 | www.mustek.co.za

TESTED FITBIT ACE

Band of brooders Can’t get your kids to stop staring at screens? Fitbit’s step-counting tracker aims to get tykes in tip-top shape…

1

R1 600 / fitbit.co.za Well done to Fitbit for coming up with a child-focused fitness tracker that can get younglings up on their feet and competing for the highest step-tally. Problem is, the Ace can behave like an infant too.

How so? Well the Fitbit Ace is small, looks cute and doesn’t cause you too much trouble most of the time. But on the flip side it’s also really annoying in some ways, unable to complete the simplest of tasks, and prone to bouts of utter stupidity.

At its heart, this is a mature fitness device in a diminutive package. It tracks your child’s steps, activities and sleep while looking every bit the sleek, stylish band they’ve seen Mommy and Daddy wearing. And it costs less than the adult version too.

It’s aimed at kids aged eight and above, and arrives with promises that it’ll help drag them away from those screens and into the garden.

But since it assumes that kiddies this age have smartphones, and offers little personalisation with only two colour options, the Ace feels likes a missed opportunity for coaxing kids outdoors.

1 Alta’d state The Fitbit Ace is a small metal lozenge with an OLED screen that clips on to a pair of swappable rubber straps.

Design-wise, then, this is essentially just a Fitbit Alta but with a smaller strap.

2 Work, wrist and play Build quality is excellent. The Ace is comfortable enough to wear all day and even in bed. It’s also water-resistant to IPX7 standard, meaning it can cope with a water fight in the garden, if not a full-on swim in the pool.

3 Turn on the taps With no buttons at all, the Ace is operated by taps to the screen: twice to wake it and once to cycle.

It’s not very responsive, though, and swipes won’t work because it uses an accelerometer rather than a touchscreen.

Good Meh Evil

T Fit he A bit ce Al is ta th – es an p d t itt St ha ing op ill, t’s im tio it c a g ag n i ou oo e o ns ld d t f th te do hin e ad w g. o i A f ju th a on s so st D , th o blu isn ey n as e o ey ’re th r p st ru e k ur rap nn id ple ing s s Th . t w at ab ra ha ’s p o t a gr ut th bo ea th eir e h Ac ut t fo th r t ou es e f he se ra ir . gi fit le ne va s se s, b s? ut T ! th hey eir s ac ay tu it i al sn w ’t v or e ds ry ; th re Th ey sp ki er ds e’ ’re on re s n on siv all o ly e. N y he eig o do a ht t n’ rt! t n tr ee ac Th d t kin ne e g k h ed id at he ou s lo . re r s ve ,b ut m th ar e tp ch ho al O ne len a s ne to ge ho for us s, b w go e t ut er t he th . It to m ey se tak … em e t s t he o A T ha ce ki he ve of ds Ac su f fo ar e i rv r eh ss ive ap o c d. py om to fo w rt ea ab r t le he th m at to th be e d.

24 hours with the Fitbit Ace

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TESTED FITBIT ACE

Tech specs Screen OLED Connectivity Bluetooth Tracking Steps, active minutes, sleep Water-resistance IPX7 Battery life Up to 5 days Compatibility iOS, Android, Windows Dimensions 11x20x189mm, 0.03g

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App their game Dig out your smartphone and you’ll uncover a few special features the Fitbit Ace has in its locker:

■ Sleeping rough

■ Healthy competition

■ A rude awakening

■ Adventure time

Sleep-tracking data can only be viewed via the app, alerting you that Junior only got 7hrs of sleep.

You can also set bedtime reminders, but they flash up on your kid’s phone rather than on the Ace.

Challenges let your children take on family members or friends to complete for the most steps in a certain time.

Remember, they have shorter legs, so don’t feel ashamed when they win.

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5 The parent trap The Ace app’s Child View lets you operate an Ace and view your kid’s data. Fine, just about. But to then swap back to your own account you have to sign out, then sign back in again as you.

It’s ridiculously convoluted.

T w he ell ap las p r t n ec ig ko ht ns .W k Th or id 1 ag e th di a es p kn dn ju p’s ow ’t s st a ing lee to nn log oy . p to i o ba ng “I’ l y c m pr k i fi op no nt dd o t ly er t s ly ur he . It ,” e ac tak sa it’ co es ys s c un o ki u “ t. d 1 nt in It fe . ing it el an s g m d i oo y t’s d st ep co to s m we fo ar rt a “T a n h bu e bl d e, I e ti A ” s ve ts ce ay n ap ge s k sle p n ts id ep ee a l 2. ds ot w of or th k, ing ”s s ay rig s u ht s.

4 Have you no heart?

There’s no heart-tracking or stair-counting on the Ace. It will do step-tracking, count active minutes and log sleep, of which only the first two stats can be viewed on the device itself.

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Every parent hates the daily morning routine of shaking their kids awake for school. With the Ace’s vibrating alarm, you can give them a shaking remotely while you remain tucked up in bed.

The Adventures mode gives your kids a sort of digital excursion around Yosemite or New York.

These come with photos and ‘hidden treasures’ along the way, and definitely have potential.

That the Fitbit Ace exists is clearly a good thing – anything that encourages children to be active is to be applauded. Kids will like wearing it thank to its simplicity, while it’s also well built and fairly affordable, which will please most parents. But sadly they won’t be so happy about the Fitbit app’s obvious deficiencies.

STUFF SAYS ★★★✩✩ The Ace succeeds in its goal of getting kids moving, but it’s liable to stress you out at the same time 77

Tough stuff Stuff Picks

If you want your tech to survive beaches, hiking trails and sociopathic baggage-handlers, best make it indestructible

Panasonic CF-33 We know what you’re thinking – this 2-in-1 notebook is hideous. But unlike your friend’s odd-looking baby, it doesn’t require you to pretend otherwise. The CF-33 was never designed for coffee-shop flaunting: it’s built to be tough, with a robust design and IP65 resistance to water and dust. It’s no slouch either,

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with an impressively speedy 7th-gen Intel Core i5 processor. OK, we probably wouldn’t get much use out of this Panasonic powerhouse in the suburbs of Joburg; but if you fancy doing spreadsheets halfway up a mountain, this could well be your champion portable companion.

R70 000 / weable.co.za

PICK UP THE TAB Detach the keyboard and pick up the bundled digitiser pen, and the CF-33 becomes a rugged tablet. It’s not exactly lightweight at 1.53kg, though.

STUFF PICKS

CELL IT ON When you’ve almost used up the 10hr battery life, you can swap out the twin cells for spares (sold separately) without needing to power down the laptop.

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STUFF PICKS

SWORN PROTECTOR It may have survived 130 endurance tests, but you’ll still want to look after that gleaming steel.

So the watch comes with a removable bumper to keep it scratch-free.

DEEP THRILLS Just as resilient in the deep blue as it is on land, the INOX is water-resistant to 200m. Well, it’s easy to lose track of time when you’re looking for Nemo.

Victorinox I.N.O.X. Here at Stuff, it’s our job to put gadgets through rigorous testing to check whether or not they live up to their billing. But we’ll be honest: short of launching it into a volcano or offering it to a moody leopard, we’re struggling to think of anything we could do to the tough-as-nails INOX that its maker hasn’t already tried.

Victorinox reckons this watch has

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had a 2hr spin in a 90° washing machine and lived to tell the tale, and if you’re thinking of driving over it in a 64-tonne tank… don’t bother. Been there, done that, got mud splatters on the T-shirt. Safe to say, then, that anyone needing a rugged timepiece for their next bushveld adventure should look no further.

R9 000 / picotandmoss.co.za

STUFF PICKS

Olympus tough tg-5 We get twitchy letting our camera within earshot of sand particles, so taking our usual kit on anything more exerting than a jaunt into Sandton’s Mandela Square is simply a no-no.

Because of this, our photo albums have become quite dull: a new building, some gooey cheese, another new building. People need to realise there was more to our food court trip than

chilled wine and giant olives. We need hard proof of our shopping prowess, and the TG-5 – waterproof to 15m, drop-proof to 2.1m, freezeproof to -10°C, crush-proof to 100kg – will allow us to provide it. After some tactical cropping, no-one need know we were only splashing about in the Square’s water feature.

R6 900 / ormsdirect.co.za

RAW TALENT Not only do you get built-in GPS plus 4K and slo-mo video recording, but the TG-5 can also shoot in RAW, which gives it a ‘pro’ edge over the competition.

PANE SAILING A double layer of glass over the lens cleverly prevents it from misting up like your granny’s glasses when shifting from the cold outdoors to a warmer room.

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STUFF PICKS

TURTLY SECURE Adding another level of toughitude for when you want to stuff them into a backpack, these headphones fold away into a terrapin-like hard-shell case.

v-moda crossfade 2 wireless Our hobbies include moshing, nude winter sports and wrestling crocodiles. And as we insist on listening to MixFM while doing all of these things, we tend to break headphones at a pretty phenomenal rate. What we need is a pair of cans built to withstand all the rigours of our staggeringly hip, modern lifestyle… and we may just have found them in 82

these wireless V-Modas, with steel frames tested to American military standards of durability and a twistable but ‘virtually indestructible’ headband. Maybe the sound is a little too pushy in the mid-range for our tastes – but hey, hi-fi perfection never saved anyone from a crocodile.

R7 900 / takealot.com

BEND TO YOUR WILL There’s a cable for when the Bluetooth battery runs out in mid-operetta, and it’s a suitably tough one: V-Moda says it’ll take a million bends without breaking.

STUFF PICKS

xtorm powerbank limitless Our holidays are only limited by how far we can cycle in a day before something – either us or our tech – runs out of power. Well, it’s usually us, but on the rare occasions that the phone dies or the Garmin stops telling us where to go, we’ll be glad to have this power bank carabinered to our bike bags. Its huge 10,000mAh battery will charge a phone in a flash four times over via the 2.4V USB output, and a second port means the Garmin won’t get lonely either.

Plus its tank-like shockproof build means it’ll survive being run over by a truck far better than we would.

R1 400 (import) / xtorm.eu

MARINE SCORE It’s IP68 waterproof and rated MIL-STD-810G: tough enough for use in the US Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. Useful if you’re thinking of joining up…

LIGHT RELIEF The built-in torch is perfect for tapping out an SOS from a remote hillside trail, or looking for the box of Romany Creams in the darkest recesses of your tent.

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FI R TH ST ES AD E… D

ONE SAMSUNG DEX PAD The Galaxy S9 isn’t just a brilliant smartphone; it’s also a fully-fledged PC. Pop it into the DeX Pad, plug in a monitor, keyboard and mouse, and you can use your phone like a (slightly limited) desktop PC. And it’s better than just mirroring your screen, because the phone’s touchscreen can act as a touchpad.

R1 500 / samsung.com/za

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TWO SAMSUNG FAST CHARGING BATTERY PACK

THREE SAMSUNG CONVERTIBLE WIRELESS CHARGER

Once the S9’s battery runs out, it effectively becomes a pricey paperweight.

Thankfully that shouldn’t happen with the Fast Charging Battery Pack.

It’ll juice up your phone on the go, and 5100mAh of raw power should be enough for almost two full charges.

Wireless charging is a great boon, but it’s annoying having to pick up your S9 to see your notifications.

The Samsung Convertible Wireless Charger props the handset up at an angle, so you can keep up with the WhatsApp chat while it gets a top-up.

R650 / samsung.com/za

R1 400 / samsung.com/za

NO TH W T IS RY …

DO A TH WN ND ES LO E. AD ..

INSTANT STANT UPGRADES

Kindle for Samsung 1 SET UP FACIAL RECOGNITION

2 TURN YOURSELF INTO AN EMOJI

3 ACTIVATE THE ALWAYS-ON DISPLAY

With the Galaxy S9 you can set up Intelligent Scan, which uses a combination of face recognition and the iris scanner to confirm your identity and unlock the phone. To do this go to Settings > Lock screen and Security > Intelligent Scan; just enter your passcode and then register your data via the camera. Finally, just ensure the slider is activated for Intelligent Scan unlock.

Why use a yellow grinning emoji when you can use an image of yourself? The S9 can create an avatar based on your own looks.

Just open up the camera, swipe to AR Emoji, then hit Create My Emoji in the blue bubble on the left side. Then take a picture of your beaming face, select your gender, and it will take a matter of seconds until your emoji flashes up on screen.

Unlocking your phone just to see the clock not only takes up your time, but also wastes the S9’s juice. If you activate the always-on display, the clock will remain on show – and since it’s only lighting up the required pixels thanks to the AMOLED screen, it’ll barely drain the battery. Open up Settings > Always On Display and then activate the ON slider at the top.

The Samsung edition of Amazon’s reading app has been optimised for Galaxy phones, and it also dishes out a free book every month.

Free

Evernote

Our favourite organisation app should be one of the first things you download. It syncs notes across devices so you’ll always have your shopping list handy.

Free

4 MAXIMISE THE PIXEL POWER Despite the S9’s capability of rendering glorious 2960x1440 resolution, it actually defaults to Full HD+ out of the box to prevent speedy battery exhaustion.

If you’re happy to sacrifice longer battery life to see those YouTube and Netflix videos in the best quality possible, just open up Settings > Display > Screen Resolution and set it to run at WQHD+ instead.

5 TRANSLATE TEXT

6 PERSONALISE THE AUDIO

Instead of confessing your inability to read French to the waiter, you can use Samsung’s AI assistant to translate in real time. Begin by opening the camera app; press the eye icon on the left and you’ll be asked to sign into your Samsung account.

Once that’s done, swipe to Text, on the far left. Make sure it’s set to translate into English and then hover the camera over what you need translating. Voilà.

With Samsung’s Adapt Sound you can create a custom EQ profile personalised for your ears – this can make music sound clearer. Head to Settings > Sounds and Vibration > Sound quality and effects, then scroll down to Adapt Sound. It will run you through a series of sound tests that involve listening to beeps at various pitches. Once it’s completed you’ll have your own EQ profile.

Gboard

We’re not at all dissing Samsung’s keyboard but Google’s is still the better option, with features such as glide typing, voice typing and Google Translate all proving to be super-useful.

Free

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TWO WEEKS WITH THE LG E8

OLED from the front Is the gorgeous-looking LG E8 a big enough step up from the C8 model that costs almost half as much? Stuff spends a fortnight glued to its dazzling, pricey panel…

R105 000 (65in) / lg.com/za

The E8 comes in 55in and 65in variants. We’ve tested the 65in version here.

DAY 01 LG’s OLED TV department must have had a blinder of a Christmas party last year. While most manufacturers finally decided OLED was worth pursuing in 2017, LG had already romped home victorious by balancing price and performance in a way that none of its rivals could.

This year, LG has decided to leave its panels well alone and instead place its focus on what goes on behind the scenes. That

is, making sure its TVs run faster and smarter than ever thanks to the new Alpha 9 picture processor. The tweaks might look small on paper, but they add up to make a significant difference to picture quality.

Before we can ogle the display, though, we have to set it up. To our relief, it’s a pain-free process.

Just slot the screen into the stand (with a satisfying if slightly unnerving click), tighten four

We loved the picture clarity of LG’s 2017 OLED range, and this year it’s been turned all the way up to 11 86

screws and you’re ready to go.

Well, once it’s all powered up and plugged in, of course.

We loved the picture clarity of LG’s 2017 OLED range, and this year it’s been turned all the way up to 11. With the Blue Planet II Ultra HD Blu-ray everything looks glorious. After tweaking settings, the many colours of the tropical reef are vibrant but natural.

Blacks are deep but detailed, while highlights are bright but subtle. It’s a really refined picture, packed with plenty of detail and insight, and just looks right.

As promised by the Alpha 9 processor, noise is gone in all but

the darkest of scenes, meaning there’s more depth and solidity to them than ever before, while outlines are pin-sharp and squeaky-clean. Clarity wasn’t exactly lacking in last year’s range, but the results here are like cleaning a mirror and realising there’s more there after all. The Alpha 9 also provides improved sharpness and seven times the colour accuracy of last year.

Motion has been improved too, looking much more stable as fish dart away from predators. The E8 still can’t match the Sony A1 for the last word in natural fluidity, but the gap’s certainly narrowed.

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

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Donut of Truth™

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DAY 04 We’ve had a few friends make remarks about how stunning the E8 looks, even on standby. Thanks to LG’s ‘picture on glass’ design it appears as if it’s floating in mid-air, which is pretty neat, and makes for an elegant, classy design.

It’s as slim as you’d expect any OLED set to be, with next to no bezels around its edges. Sneak a peek around the back, and there’s a slightly chunkier bottom section that holds all the inputs and processing gubbins, but it’s entirely unnoticeable while we’re on the couch watching Netflix.

DAY 05 Tech specs Screen 55/65in 3840x2160 OLED OS webOS smart TV Connectivity HDMI (x3), USB (x3), Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Dimensions 1449x910x 222mm, 29.9kg

It’s not just 4K and HDR content that looks fantastic. Thanks to upscaling, TV shows on the likes of SuperSport 1 have clearly received a considerable boost.

Even SD stuff is watchable, with expectations lowered accordingly.

DAY 08 For the past week or so we’ve been ordering the TV about more than Siri. Press the mic on the Magic Remote and you can issue a host of commands, to which the software should become more responsive over time. Ask the

01 Outstanding picture quality across the board 02 Elegant design that will be the envy of your friends 03 Great smart TV system and useful AI functionality

04 Sound performance is disappointing – you’ll really want a soundbar 05 Expensive compared to the LG C8 despite sharing the same panel

E8 to bring up Wi-Fi configuration steps, for example, or show you Jozi’s weather forecast. You can search for content by the name of an actor, switch sources to a games console, set reminders to switch channel when a show is about to start, or have the TV turn off when a film ends. It’s responsive and accurate, and makes flicking through menus a thing of the past.

DAY 12 The front-firing speakers offer clear, direct sound and steer away from ever sounding harsh. For basic TV watching, they should suffice… but the sound lacks any notion of fine detail, space or depth for more involved watching.

The lack of power and bass is just not going to hit the spot for large action scenes, and it’s not as explicit with dynamics as something more sonically talented would be.

DAY 14 Overall, this is a clearer, sharper and more refined picture than last year’s, and has to be one of the best OLED sets we’ve seen to date. The only problem is that price. It’s going to set you back way more than LG’s C8 (R52 000), with only aesthetic differences and slightly better sound.

STUFF SAYS A jaw-dropping picture and an elegant design: the E8 is close to the complete package ★★★★✩ 87

TESTED GAMES

Switch / nintendo.co.za

Mario Tennis Aces The furry-lipped plumber serves up another multiplayer gem for the Nintendo Switch, livened up by some radical new trick shots. Anyone for time-bending, racket-pulverising tennis?

he Mario Tennis series is back – but instead of simply replacing Rafa and Serena with Nintendo’s wacky cast, this Switch title has put a new spin on the sport.

With super-charged moves and an adventure mode packed with oddball challenges and boss battles, Aces is as delightfully Nintendo as they come.

In previous Mario Tennis entries you’d mostly rely on more or less ‘real’ shots: lobs, slices and so on.

These all return, but now Mario

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and co have also gained a slew of skills that Federer in his prime would have envied.

You can pause time to aim shots, slow down the ball to make it easier to hit, or even trigger a ‘special shot’ that’s so powerful it shatters your opponent’s racket.

But this isn’t quite an ‘instant win’ button, as it’s possible to counter such shots with a well timed block.

It all adds a surprising breadth of tactics to Aces.

There’s a very steep learning curve to master all of these new

abilities, but Adventure mode does a fine job of teaching you. Here you must complete creative challenges including a time trial where you launch flaming balls at a bunch of piranha plants. Bonkers on paper, but most of the challenges feel totally natural – and original.

The star attraction of Mario Tennis Aces, though, is multiplayer.

The 1v1 matches both online and against the console are tensely addictive fun.

Bizarrely, online tournaments are only available on certain days

as part of planned events, which leaves the online experience feeling rather shallow on your average day. At launch there are no online tournaments, no leaderboards and not even any sort of ranking system, so it’s going to be tough to find someone on your skill level.

But that isn’t a huge deal. If you’re happy to just play through the adventure and keep all the competitive matches for your friends, this is undoubtedly one of the Switch’s best multiplayers yet.

STUFF SAYS A superbly eccentric game that just needs a few more online features ★★★★✩ 88

TESTED GAMES

3 best sports games on Switch

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

We’re not going to dive into the argument over whether driving fast qualifies as an actual sport, but we will say that the latest Mario Kart is as crazy, competitive and fun-packed as its predecessors.

For multiplayer fun, there’s no better Switch title.

Golf Story

Boss battles in a tennis game? It shouldn’t work, yet it totally does.

Each character has unique moves. Mario backflips, while Waluigi moonwalks.

How do you make golf entertaining? Even Tiger Woods’ off-course antics never managed that, yet this indie title does it from the first swing – simply by turning it into an RPG and giving it a story with enough cutesy charm to rival Stardew Valley.

Arms

A perfect example of how Nintendo can squeeze creativity out of a stone, Arms is essentially a boxing game where the contestants have extendable arms made out of springs. The motion controls are tough to master, but this is a quality multiplayer.

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TESTED GAMES

Hyrule Warriors: Definitive Edition This Zelda-themed hack-and-slash bonanza is no Breath of the Wild, but it’s mindlessly entertaining enough Switch / nintendo.co.za

or all the plaudits the Legend of Zelda series has earned over the last three decades, it hasn’t half lent its name to a load of bull as well.

While Hyrule Warriors ranks a notch above the motion-controlled Link’s Crossbow Training and the co-operative stodge of Tri-Force Adventures, you shouldn’t head into it with your expectations anywhere near Ocarina of Time levels.

This game takes the franchise’s storied cast of heroes, villains and annoying sidekicks, and throws them all together into a serviceable hack-and-slasher. Fancy stepping into Ganondorf’s mighty boots and stomping all over a horde of faceless foes? Great… but if you don’t, there’s really no good reason to pick up this expanded port of the old Wii U game.

The premise here remains unchanged on Switch: your chosen character is thrown onto a giant battlefield filled with enemies and it’s your job to scythe them all into oblivion – basic Dynasty Warriors fare. You can level up characters with new abilities and weapons,

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and even pursue a few generic side-quests, but button-mashing is very much the order of the day.

And not in a subtle way.

Aside from its boss battles, Hyrule Warriors is mindless fun dressed up in familiar scenery.

From Hyrule Castle to Faron Woods, no location or snippet of lore has been left untouched; and that’s pretty much how it gets away with some unimaginative, unchallenging gameplay. Just as the novelty of fighting alongside the Gorons has worn off, you’ll be joining forces with the Koroks.

It’s nostalgic catnip, and that’s fine so long as you know that’s about all it is.

All the DLC and improvements that have been added to this game since its launch three years ago are bundled in – including Linkle, the female version of Link, and new character models that tally with the recent Breath of the Wild game. But as much as the Nintendo hardcore will get a kick out of Hyrule Warriors, it’s not something that ranks anywhere near being a Switch essential.

Every Zelda character you can imagine is featured here.

Yes, even Fi, unfortunately.

Performance issues on the Wii U version have been fixed for a smoother experience.

STUFF SAYS An entertaining if limited diversion from the usual Zelda fare ★★★✩✩ 90

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TESTED GAMES

PS4, Xbox One, PC / jurrasicworldevolution.com

Jurassic World Evolution

Think the original Jurassic crew did a terrible job of building a dinosaur wonderland? Then this is your chance to show them how it’s done… et’s drop the rose-tinted specs for a second. John Hammond, inventor of the living dino theme park, is either the most naive character ever created or a sick and twisted menace.

But we don’t really blame him… because if Jurassic World Evolution is anything to go by, watching velociraptors chase down frazzled guests is an absolute hoot.

Yes, this new business sim fulfils all of our dreams by giving us full control of our very own Jurassic Park, simulating the experience as closely as possible with a superb range of the monstrous beasts and more daring escapes than you’ll find in Prison Break.

And while there’s no doubt the developers have purposely pulled nostalgia strings here, with John Williams’ score and Jeff Goldblum’s voice acting providing flashbacks to the ’90s, Evolution never feels dependent on such tactics – it’s quite capable of standing on its own two scaly feet.

If you’ve ever played the likes of Zoo Tycoon, or indeed Jurassic Park’s own Operation Genesis,

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you’ll know the deal here. You build your own theme park, ensure all the critters are happily secured in their enclosures and do all you can to keep your guests happy – which mostly means keeping their heads secured to their shoulders.

Aside from the ability to tweak dinosaur genetics and a dynamic weather system that often wreaks havoc upon your park, there isn’t much here to help Evolution stand out from your average sandbox game. There are some performance problems too – once you’ve built your park up to a certain size, for example, there’s a noticeable lag when roaming the map.

But despite the barebones gameplay and technical issues, Jurassic World Evolution is still a wonderful experience. Unlocking the 40-odd dinos and developing the stature of your park is hugely addictive, while the thrill of seeing those extinct leviathans step out into your park for the first time is as goosebump-raising as when you first watched Spielberg’s Jurassic Park in the cinema.

Storms, sabotage and unhappy dinos are all capable of breaking down fences.

The gyrosphere lets visitors get close to the beasts without fear of being nibbled on.

STUFF SAYS A rather basic building sim, but the dinosaur magic makes up for that ★★★★✩ 92

TESTED GAMES

PS4, Xbox One, PC / ubisoft.com

The Crew 2

Marvel at America in miniature… but with no competitive multiplayer mode, things quickly get formulaic in this sandbox racer sequel bisoft’s open-world driving sequel wants to be street racing for the YouTube generation. Right from the start, your nameless avatar is let loose in a shrunken, greatest-hits tour of the USA with one simple aim: get insta-famous by showing off your skills behind the wheel.

How you earn those coveted online followers is up to you: on tarmac, over dirt and gravel, on the water… or in the air. And there’s a whole lot of it all to go around. It’ll take you the best part of an hour to drive across the whole country, with day rolling into night as you drive and weather fronts rolling in to blast you with rain and snow.

Away from the picture postcard locations, though, this world feels a bit… empty. Sure, people fill the pavements, cars pootle along the roads, and streets are full of shops and restaurants; but your races and events take a lot of patience to search for.

The first game saw you heading along the East Coast, then slowly easing your way inland towards Middle America and beyond. But

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When the road runs out, tap a button and you instantly swap your car for a powerboat.

Different car classes get faster as you progress, but not any more challenging.

in this one there’s no sense of connection between races. Even worse, there’s little to keep you occupied if you do decide to do all the cross-country driving yourself.

You might think adding aircraft and boats would keep things fresh, but the plane controls are tricky – until you’ve put in the practice, flying just isn’t as accessible as the other disciplines.

The racing itself is decent, but the game world feels hollow and inconsistent. The cars aren’t as free to roam as they once were, the planes take precision that feels at odds with the arcade-style racing… and why is it snowing on the Hollywood sign?!

With Forza Horizon having set the bar, Ubisoft hasn’t done enough to make The Crew 2 stand out. There’s hope that updates will add content and give players more reason to explore; but unless you’re desperate to take that virtual coast-to-coast road trip, you might want to wait and see what the season pass delivers later down the line. It worked out that way for the first one.

STUFF SAYS A blast to begin with, but there’s just not enough going on here ★★★✩✩ 93

GADGET DOCTOR

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MAIL OF THE MONTH Q

NORMAL SERVICE WILL RESUME SHORTLY

I have had the Stuff app on my iPhone and iPad for quite a while now but it has just stopped working on both devices. The iPad is a few years old but the phone is a 6s. The symptoms are the same on both: it opens initially and then just shuts down and disappears.

What should I do? I’ve considered redownloading the app but can't remember my password and don't want to lose my past editions.

Peter

A

Oh no! Sorry about that.

How embarrassing... and annoying. We nudged the app team and they tell us an updated version of the app has been submitted to the Apple App Store and will be available way before this gets to print. Good thing we have email. If you had autoupdates on for apps it would have downloaded automatically. As there hasn’t been any yelling yet, (and since we checked the app ourselves), everything’s nice and sorted now. Phew!

Speak your brains to Stuff and you could win!

This letter wins a L'Oréal hamper worth R500.

Q

I NEED MY SPACE

Hi Stuff team. I bought myself a PlayStation in June and unfortunately I was only available to afford a 500GB Slim console.

Since then I've accumulated quite a big collection of digital games.

How would you recommend I free up some space?

Mark

A

We recommend not freeing up space. Internet in South Africa is too sketchy to download things twice. Instead, just add some more. You need to make sure that you’ve got the 4.5 version of the PlayStation 4 firmware installed (or better – that was just the one that made this work). Then you’ll want to

They’re often free to download and play but sometimes they wind up adopted. Then they become illegal.

connect an external hard drive – just about any drive will work, as long as it’s smaller than 8TB. We’ve had success with those blocky Seagate drives, as well as Western Digital’s MyPassport range, but it’s up to you and your storage-expansion budget. Even an SSD will work (at double the price). Just connect your drive, head to Settings and then to Devices. It’ll show you USB Storage Devices and you’ll see your new drive here. Format it (it won’t work anywhere else without another format, though) and then you can set it as your main installation location. Then get to downloading those bargain digital games – until you fill up the new drive as well.

Q

LMGTFY

I am enquiring if you have a Chromebook 14 (CB3-431) charger in stock?

DC rating: 19v-2.37A (model number: N16P1).

Tlangelani

Q

DANGEROUS PI

In the near future I’m going to buy a Raspberry Pi. I’ve had a look at what people are doing with them, and most of the time they use the Pi as a retro gaming machine. This might be a good place to start, but… I’ve had a look at the legality surrounding ROMs and such. It seems to be a legal minefield, which has sort of put me off the idea. Do you have any tips on building a RetroPi machine, while keeping everything legal?

Stephan

A

If you want to approach it honestly: emulators are legal, ROMs are not unless you own a copy of the game. We’re sure that there’s a case to be made for piracy, especially if the items you’re after aren’t available any other way, but the safe option is to let your childhood die.

Otherwise we suggest you take a look at abandonware, games which are essentially orphaned.

A

Stuff doesn't sell any tech. We just write about it. If you run a search for the charger though PriceCheck (pricecheck.co.za) you'll find a couple of off-brand chargers that will apparently work. Most of them seem to come via WantItAll, a local importer.

Q

HELLO, OPERATOR?

Do you have any idea when the Samsung Gear S3 LTE will be available in South Africa and where I'll be able to buy it?

Sasha

A

When last we asked Samsung they told us the LTE version of the S3 won't be coming to South Africa. We suspect it's because local operators don't yet support eSIMs. That's the reason Apple didn't bring in the LTE-enabled Apple Watch either. Sadly, that also means even if you import one the LTE functionality won't work here. Sorry.

Congratulations to our two Solo bag and accessory pack winners: Paul Potgieter and Nabeela Adam

TO IN E T RI ND W WA US

Next month’s mail of the month wins an ADATA HD710 Pro External Hard Drive worth R1 048 with IP68 dust and water proofing plus military-grade shock resistance 94

TOP TEN

This gadget has leapt straight outta testing and into our rankings.

NEW

OF EVERYTHING Time changes everything, including Stuff Top Ten placings.

HOT BUY

BARGAIN BUY UPDATE Searing with techy genius, a product that’s set our hearts aflame.

A solid gold bargain.

Worth owning, regardless of cashflow.

Smartphones Phablets Tablets Playlist: Lego 2018 TVs Streaming guide Laptops Wearables Budget buys

96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104

The big question: 105 Become an Eco-warrior Cameras 106 How to buy… VR 107 Headphones 108 Bluetooth Speakers 109 Consoles and 109 5-minute hacks Games 111

HOW TO USE THEM

TOP T TO P TE T TENS ENS SMARTPHONES ENS

96

1

HOT BUY

Huawei P20 Pro While Samsung and Apple’s war for smartphone supremacy rages on, Huawei has sauntered up and knocked both companies off their feet with the P20 Pro. Serious snappers will love this flagship phone thanks to the triple-lens camera, with 5x zoom and a 40MP main sensor. Add to that a quite awesome AMOLED display, lightning-fast internals and a top-notch design, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for the best new smartphone of 2018.

TIPS & TRICKS Activating ‘Natural Tone’ in settings will adjust the screen’s brightness according to your environment.

Stuff says ★★★★★ That triple-lens cam gives the P20 Pro the edge in the smartphone wars

To capture a screenshot, simply double-tap the front of the P20 Pro with your knuckle.

● NOW ADD THIS Tuff-Luv P20 Pro Back Case With its fragile back, you’ll want a case for your P20 Pro – one that accommodates the three sensors.

R200 / takealot.com

Turn on ‘Face unlock’ in ‘Security & privacy’ and you can wake up the P20 Pro with just a glance.

2

UPDATE

3

HOT UPDATE BUY

UPDATE

4

5

UPDATE

6 7 Samsung Galaxy S9

Apple iPhone X

Small tweaks such as better placement of the fingerprint sensor, more power and a new dual-aperture camera combine to make the latest Samsung flagship a smart upgrade on the S8. And of course, you’ve still got that luscious near-bezelless screen.

There’s no question that the iPhone X is a fantastic phone.

Even notch-haters have to admit its design is majestic, while Face ID, a gorgeous display and a versatile camera all combine for one of the best all-round handsets you can buy. The only problem is the price.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Not a huge upgrade on the Galaxy S8, but it’s still a very welcome one

Stuff says ★★★★★ An awesome iPhone that goes toe to toe with Android’s best offerings

R14 000 / samsung.com/za

from R17 000 / myistore.co.za

Huawei P10

★★★★★ R9 700 / huawei.com/za Huawei’s last hasn’t fallen off the map but it’s displaced from the podium by the P20 Pro’s chops.

Samsung Galaxy S8

★★★★★ R11 300 / samsung.com/za It has been displaced from the top spot but the Galaxy S8 remains a top-notch phone.

Motorola Moto Z2 Play

★★★★★ from R8 700 / lenovo.co.za A great-value smartphone that can be converted into a gamepad, a speaker or even a 360° camera.

Apple iPhone SE

★★★★★ from R4 300 / myistore.co.za Cheap, in Apple terms, isn’t terrible. It’s a 6s in a 5s frame, so it’s made for those longing for the old days.

8

Apple iPhone 8

9

Sony Xperia XZ1

UPDATE

10

★★★★✩ from R11 500 / myistore.co.za The new entry-level iPhone offers more than you’d expect, but it’s still pricey and has a dated design.

★★★★✩ from R9 00 / sonymobile.com/za Flagship appeal, a slim body and a fancy screen.

But those big bezels are starting to look old.

Nokia 6

★★★★✩ R4 000 / hmdglobal.com With unadulterated Android, a decent snapper, and a great price, the second-gen Nokia 6 is rock solid.

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

● Prices quoted are for handset only unless otherwise stated

R15 500 / huawei.com/za

1

TIPS & TRICKS

UPDATE

Samsung Galaxy S9+

Stuff says ★★★★★ The Galaxy phone most worth having... unless you have small-ish hands.

Downloaded a dud? Get rid of unneeded apps by pressing on the app in question and waiting for the uninstall option in the resulting popup. It’ll also let you disable the likes of Facebook.

● NOW ADD THIS Convertible Wireless Charger The latest in phone wizardry deserves the latest in wireless charging wizardry.

R1 300 / samsung.com/za

3

4

UPDATE

UPDATE

5 6

UPDATE

7 Samsung Galaxy Note 8

Samsung Galaxy S8+

Gone from the top of the charts but not from our hearts. We suspect the Note 8 will hang on here until it’s kicked off by the Galaxy Note 9.

Quite how Samsung’s going to better both this amazing bit of kit and the current number one is beyond us, but they’ll manage.

A phone like this you don’t just kick off the Top 10. No, you just move it a rung or two down the ladder and look at it becoming more affordable by the week. Still one of the best phones out there. So what if Samsung now holds the top three spots. It’s earned them.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Want a stylus? This is your best (and only) option

Stuff says ★★★★★ Everything you love about the S8 in a bigger package. Yes, please.

R17 000 / samsung.com/za

HOT BUY

Samsung’s only gone and done it again, claiming the top phablet spot with their newest flagship.

And this time around it’s more than just an oversized copy of the “smaller” of the pair, though we do really like the 6.2in display. One of the new dual rear cameras gets the same variable aperture tech found in the S9’s camera, while the secondary camera offers some telephoto magic with a 12MP f/2.4 2x optical zoom lens. The 6GB of RAM doesn’t hurt either.

Some of these features were available in the Galaxy Note 8 but they look even better here.

Happily, accessing Samsung’s assistant is the same as it ever was.

Keep swiping right, or poke the button on the left of the phone to summon him.

2

PHABLETS TOP TENS

R17 600 / samsung.com/za

Keep things neat up top by trimming off some of the bits of the status bar. Head to Settings > Display > Status and you can set it to only show the three most recent notifications.

Or turn off the battery percentage, you rebel, you.

UPDATE

97

R12 500 / samsung.com/za

8 9

BARGAIN BUY

10

NEW

BARGAIN BUY

Huawei Mate 10 Pro

★★★★★ R14 500 / huawei.com/za Huawei’s most ambitious effort packs in AI smarts, a huge battery and heaps of power.

Apple iPhone 8 Plus

★★★★★ from R14 500 / myistore.co.za Short stay on the podium notwithstanding, the iPhone 8 Plus is the big Apple you want this year.

Huawei P10 Plus

★★★★★ R10 000 / huawei.com/za A true flagship that gives you plenty of power, a great screen and one of the best cameras going.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus

★★★★★ from R12 500 / myistore.co.za The 7 Plus has not gone from the charts or our hearts. Slipped a few places though.

LG V30+

★★★★★ from R13 300 / lg.com/za The LG V30+ takes everything good about the G6 and improves on it – a little late, but still.

Honor 7X

★★★★★ R5 000 / hihonor.com/za A solid camera, modern 18:9 display, fingerprint sensor and 4GB of RAM all make for big smiles.

Xiaomi Redmi S2

★★★★✩ R2 800 / mia.africa.com 6in of screen and a 12+5MP dual rear cam is joined by a 16MP selfie shooter at a bargain price.

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

TOP TENS TABLETS

1

98 HOT BUY

GOT EARS? THEN CHECK OUT…

Apple iPad Pro 10.5in from R10 800 / myistore.co.za

The 9.7in iPad Pro was already sitting comfortably as our favourite tablet, but that wasn’t good enough for Apple. Rather than giving its flagship tablet a few minor tweaks, Apple has introduced a bigger screen and an immensely potent processor.

In fact, this device is so powerful and flashy that it’s even blurring the lines between tablet and laptop. If you only want to browse social media and watch Netflix, the 10.5in iPad Pro is overkill; this is for those more interested in creation than consumption.

Stuff says ★★★★★ The iPad Pro puts all other tablets to shame – it’s unbeatable as a multimedia machine or creative tool

2

Samsung Galaxy Tab S3

3

Apple iPad (2018)

4

Microsoft Surface Pro 4

5

Apple iPad Pro 12.9in

UPDATE

from R10 000 / samsung.com/za The Tab S3 is powerful and has a gorgeous screen, while the bundled stylus is a welcome extra that you don’t have to be an artist to appreciate. It doesn’t do half-measures, which is rare in an Android tablet.

Stuff says ★★★★★ The first genuine rival to Apple’s iPad Pro

from R5 000 / myistore.co.za There might not be a lot different here compared to the previous iteration of the standard iPad, but subtle improvements, Apple Pencil support and a decent price make this the best tablet for most people.

Stuff says ★★★★★ A versatile tablet for both work and play

★★★★★ from R25 200 / microsoft.com/za It’s the Surface Pro 3, but better. What’s not to like? The price, mostly.

★★★★★ from R13 500 / myistore.co.za The other Pro, this one is fuller featured and larger. But... still not quite a laptop surrogate.

YOUR ESSENTIAL AUDIO GUIDE TO WHAT’S HOT IN GADGETS ● BITING COMMENTARY ● BRILLIANT INSIGHTS ● (BAD) JOKES! ● GADGET HANDS-ONS

FIND IT ON iTUNES, SOUNDCLOUD OR YOUR PODCAST PLAYER OF CHOICE SIMPLY SEARCH FOR “STUFFED” www.stuff.co.za/hubs/podcasts-videos/

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

99

PLAYLIST BEST OF LEGO IN 2018

PLAYLIST TOP TENS

While you’ll need a degree in engineering to build a proper fairground ride or spaceship, anyone can get in on the fun with these bricky beauties

BEST FOR CAR CRAFTERS

Bugatti Chiron

Fancy owning a super-stylish Bugatti but don’t even have the cash to afford its windscreen wipers?

Then you’ll be excited to know that Lego has released a 1:8-scale replica model of this dream car. With 3600 Lego pieces in the box, this is a monster of a model to build that will easily eat away a weekend.

Roller Coaster

Why go to Gold Reef City when you can build your own functioning ’coaster?

OK, so you’re not going to fit in this Lego model regardless of how well you’ve done on your diet, but the joy of seeing Lego people whizz around the track is a worthy substitute.

SOME OF THE BEST LEGO VIDEO GAMES

App-Controlled Batmobile

Lego and Batman go together like macaroni and cheese, but only now are we getting a brickified Batmobile that can be driven using a smartphone app. Lego plans to update the app after its August release so it can teach kids the basics of coding.

Ship in a Bottle

Did you put ‘build a ship in a bottle’ on your bucket list before realising how difficult it was? Fortunately for you, there’s a cheaty way to do it with this Lego model.

It’s still no easy task to assemble with 962 pieces, but at least it won’t crumble after a single sneeze.

LEGO THE INCREDIBLES

Pixar’s superhero animation was made for the brick life, as both the original and the sequel get the Lego treatment.

Brickheadz Marty McFly & Doc Brown

Rebel Y-Wing Starfighter

LEGO MARVEL SUPER HEROES 2

LEGO CITY UNDERCOVER

These pop-culture Lego figurines are the perfect picks to add character to your bland office desk. The Brickheadz collection ranges from Iron Man to Mr Incredible, but this time-travelling pair is our favourite, even if there’s no flux capacitor included.

Still reeling from that Infinity War ending? This fun Lego venture will dry up your tears and bring back that Marvel fun.

Another year, another Star Wars spaceship made out of Lego – not that we’re complaining.

This Rebel Starfighter has incredible detail, made up of 1967 pieces, with a cockpit to fit your pilot.

Building it may require Jedi powers.

You’d think Grand Theft Auto would be the last game the Lego series would take inspiration from, but here we are.

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

TOP TENS TVs TIPS & TRICKS

100

Magic Zoom lets you magnify anything on the screen, and pause to screenshot if you see fit.

1

You can connect your phone to the TV via LG’s TV Plus app with Magic Mobile Connection.

HOT BUY

LG OLED65B7 R68 000 / lg.com/za

With the absence of LG’s paper-thin (and wallet-busting) Wallpaper W7 screen in SA, we’ve got to go with the OLED65B7 as the TV that you want to own. LG’s incomparable OLED display tech give you a brilliant 4K panel. Dolby ATMOS sound is baked-in, as is that lovely HDR tech that Netflix launched here recently, meaning you get high-end tech on a budget.

Yes, budget. The B7 is part of LG’s budget line.

There’s also a 55in (R40 000) model.

Stuff says ★★★★★ LG’s OLED tech doesn’t have to mean selling your house but it’ll still cost you ● NOW ADD THIS Sony PlayStation 4 Pro You’re going to want to use your 4K screen to display 4K bits and the PS4 Pro is going to help you to do that. Best when paired with Sony’s PlayStation VR headset (R7 300).

R7 000 / playstation.com/za

2

3

4

UPDATE

5

UPDATE

6 Samsung 65Q8C

R55 000 / samsung.com/za

LG 65UH950

★★★★★ from R35 000 / lg.com/za It’s not OLED, but it’s still 4K, and that omission keeps the price down, but webOS 3.0 intact.

Hisense 65M7000UWG

★★★★★ R20 000 / hisense.co.za Hisense doesn’t have LG or Samsung’s tech but they do have a 65in 4K smart TV for R20 000.

Samsung 55Q7F

★★★★★ R24 000 / samsung.com/za Samsung’s 4K TV supports HDR and has a price that means you’ll still able to eat at month end.

7

LG 75UH655V

8

Hisense 75N9700UWG

9

Skyworth 55G7200

★★★★✩ R40 000 / lg.com/za You’re losing the inky-black OLED panel but you’re getting another 10 inches. Yay!

Samsung Frame TV

R35 000 / samsung.com/za

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

Say you want a TV but don’t want people to know you have one.

Samsung’s designer Frame TV mounts on your wall and pretends to be artwork when not in use, disguising the fact that you’ve got a 55in UHD 4K TV on the wall. Pity that folks can see the Xbox One X is plugged into the side of that abstract painting.

Stuff says ★★★★★ The price-is-no-object screen of your dreams

Stuff says ★★★★★ If your house looks like a magazine ad, this TV will fit right in

UPDATE

UPDATE

NEW

10

★★★★✩ R53 000 / hisense.co.za Hisense lobs Quantum Dot colour tech and a humongous 75in 4K ULED screen at you.

★★★★✩ R13 700 / iskyworth.com A 55in 4K display for under R15k? For that combo, we’ll forgive the user interface missteps.

LG 43UJ620V

★★★★✩ R6 600 / lg.com/za Want 4K for less than R10k? LG’s budget 43-incher offers 4K and HDR10 for a song.

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

101

YOUR STREAMING ESSENTIALS NETFLIX

NEW TO STREAMING TOP TENS

Villains are taking over the world (or rather your TV) this month, ranging from colossal monsters to a flesh-fond killer, zombies and a grumpy CEO. AMAZON VIDEO

SHOWMAX

Cargo

Pacific Rim

Stan Lee’s Lucky Man

Australia is already terrifying with all its killer toilet-spiders, so imagine if zombies were thrown into the mix. Poor Martin Freeman doesn’t have to use his imagination, as that’s exactly what he’s faced with in this Netflix thriller.

Humans using giant mecha suits to fight monsters sounds like another awful Michael Bay film. There’s a plot twist here, though: Pacific Rim is directed by Oscar-winner Guillermo del Toro, and it’s actually rather good.

Imagine no matter what you did, luck would see you through. That’s the premise of Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, where an inveterate gambler gets a luck-conferring bracelet from a mysterious and beguiling woman.

Steve Jobs

Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

This isn’t the only – or the most accurate – film about Apple luminary Steve Jobs, but the Aaron Sorkinhelmed biopic makes up for its missteps with its cast: Michael Fassbender, Kate Winslet and Seth Rogan.

This superhero standoff won’t be winning any awards for storytelling, but it’s still worth a gander for the sheer novelty factor of seeing two pop culture titans get into a scuffle.

Angel from Hell Jane Lynch as a slightly annoying and possibly insane guardian angel? That sounds... surprisingly watchable, even moreso as she’s basically messing with her charge while ostensibly looking out for her. Bonkers. Sign us up.

Suits (S8)

Logan Lucky

Die Ontwaking

The royal wedding didn’t have terrible consequences on the scale of a Game of Thrones marriage, but it did lead to Meghan Markle leaving lawyer-drama Suits. On the positive side, Katherine Heigl will be replacing her in court.

How do you turn your average heist film into a hilarious romp? Get a great cast including Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig and Adam Driver, give them all thick North Carolina accents, and then swap the bank for a motorsport arena.

Proving serial killers are creepy in any language, local film Die Ontwaking (the Afrikaans is a dead giveaway) sees viewers tagging along on the hunt for a serial killer obsessed with collecting skin. Young, tattooed female skin. Eek!

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

TOP TENS LAPTOPS TIPS & TRICKS

It may be small and tough but a sleeve will assure you that there’s nothing scuffing your new baby in your backpack.

102

Uninstall. Not all of it, just the selection of pre-installed apps that you’re never going to use.

Your eyes (and your data connection) will thank you.

1

HOT BUY

Dell XPS 13 from R26 300 / dell.co.za

The original XPS was already a great, lightweight laptop, then Dell gave it a welcome Windows 10 refresh. With improved battery life and performance, it’s the thinking person’s Ultrabook and a whole lot more. We’ve tried the 2-in-1 hybrid version, and while it’s good, this Apple MacBook destroyer will more than suffice for most users. Especially at this price point, which is nearly half that of the equivalent MacBook Pro.

Stuff says ★★★★★ An excellent Windows 10 Ultrabook, small in size and great in stature ● NOW ADD THIS Dell Power Companion If the terrific battery life isn’t enough, grab this 12 000mAh external battery.

R1 700 / dell.laptopdirect.co.za

2

3

4 5 6 7

Apple MacBook Pro

Asus Zenbook UX331UA

Second place is low for Apple. But the entry level (meaning “nonTouch Bar” here) MacBook Pro was an excellent device, but beaten in terms of price, specs, and battery life by… something else. Now that Apple’s updated the line, though, it’s a much closer call for top spot.

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

Stuff says ★★★★★ The standard 13in Pro is beautiful, compact, and a pleasure to work on

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

from R19 000 / myistore.co.za

from R17 000 / asus.com/za

MSI GT73VR

★★★★★ from R55 000 / evetech.co.za MSI’s desktop replacement is a beast off the bat. Throw in Intel’s new Core i9 chip and it roars.

Apple MacBook

★★★★★ from R21 000 / myistore.co.za The new Kaby Lake processor keeps the standard MacBook competitively brilliant.

Huawei MateBook X Pro

★★★★★ from R24 000 / huawei.com/za A stylish Windows laptop with some clever ideas to get the maximum display for your rand.

HP Spectre 13

★★★★★ R28 000 / hp.com/za Still super-thin, still elegant, now with i7-8550U chips, 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD.

8

Lenovo Ideapad Legion Y520

9

HP Omen 17

10

★★★★★ fom R15 000 / evetech.co.za A gaming rig for under R20k. If you want more than Kabylake and a GTX1050 it’ll cost you.

★★★★✩ from R25 000 / hpshop.co.za HP’s gaming lineup looks better than ever, with the beefy Omen 17 being the crown jewel.

Apple MacBook Air 13in

★★★★✩ from R13 000 / myistore.co.za If a portable road warrior is what you’re after, this slinky MacBook remains a great choice.

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

103

SMARTWATCHES, FITNESS TRACKERS TOP TENS

1

1

HOT BUY

UPDATE

Apple Watch Series 3 (GPS)

Garmin Fenix 5

The original Apple Watch was the best smartwatch on the market when it launched, but it lacked focus. The Series 2 devices came with an array of upgrades – more power, a brighter screen – along with a greater emphasis on fitness functions without a phone in tow. Both GPS and waterproofing made it a far more compelling gadget for exercise fanatics. The Series 3 keeps the best of the 2 and adds an altimeter and an enhanced Heart Rate app. The best just got even better.

The king is dead! But that’s okay, because we’ve got a newer, better one to replace him, and he’s kin. This is the smartest of the smartfitness watches you can buy right now. Track everything from swimming to sprinting to… wait, does that say skydiving?

Yes, yes it does. Which is an awfully specific function. The Fenix 5 is the ultimate sportswatch, so much so that you’ll feel you need a degree in sports fitness to understand all the stats, but that’s why we love this one. Anything we can do it can help us do better.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Apple’s further tweaks and even heavier sports focus add up to make the Series 3 unmissable

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

from R5 200 / myistore.co.za

from R7 800 / garmin.co.za

2

Fitbit Ionic

UPDATE

3

Samsung Gear S3

UPDATE

4

Huawei Watch 2

UPDATE

5

Garmin Vivomove

UPDATE

HOT BUY

UPDATE

UPDATE

2

Garmin Fenix 3

3

Garmin Vivoactive HR

4

Fitbit Alta HR

5

Garmin Vivosmart HR+

R4 900 / fitbit.co.za Once more fitness tracker than smartwatch, the Ionic now includes Fitbit Pay with support from FNB and Deezer offline playlists while still delivering heart-rate tracking, multisport modes and up to four-day battery life.

Stuff says ★★★★★ The best go at a Fitbit smartwatch so far

from R5 000 / samsung.com/za Samsung’s Tizen OS combined with the rotating bezel is the stuff smartwatch dreams are made of. It’s a real rival for Android Wear... now Samsung just needs to get devs as excited about Tizen as we are.

Stuff says ★★★★★ A few more apps and it may be unbeatable

★★★★✩ from R4 600 / huawei.com/za A SIM slot and slick interface make this the best Android smartwatch on the market today.

★★★★✩ R3 000 / garmin.co.za Free up a space on your wrist – this is everything you need from a fitness watch.

R7 000 / garmin.co.za Just because the number 5 has taken over doesn’t mean that you have to kick the Fenix 3 out of bed. It’s going to beat most of the competition for a long time to come – just like you do, right?

Stuff says ★★★★★ One case where second place still wins

R4 000 / garmin.co.za Garmin has a frankly bewildering array of fitness trackers and outdoorsy GPS watches, but the Vivoactive HR is the one you really want. It’s packed with long-lasting, easy-to-use rewarding fitness cleverness.

Stuff says ★★★★★ All-round tracker with sensors and stamina

★★★★★ R2 000 / fitbit.co.za The slim design, HR monitor, and notifications make this the best discreet wristable.

★★★★✩ R3 000 / garmin.co.za A superb tracker packed with features; it’s just a little bulky for wearing 24/7.

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TOP TENS BUDGET BUYS

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Why bother splashing out over R7 000 on a games console when you can get the SNES Classic Mini for a fraction of that? Especially when you get 21 classic titles pre-installed on this nostalgia-inducing machine, including the likes of Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, Super Mario World and the never-before-released Star Fox 2. And with two controllers bundled in the box, you’ll be able to start the Super Mario Kart action right away.

Chickens killed you in Zelda again? You can rewind up to five minutes and pretend it never happened.

For full-fat nostalgia you can read the instruction manual for each of the SNES games online.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Better games than the NES Classic Mini send this to the top of our wish list

Stop trying to raid Bowser’s castle in one sitting, and use one of the four save slots to take a break.

● NOW ADD THIS 8Bitdo Bluetooth Retro Receiver Fed up of those short cables? Use this clever device to connect most modern controllers wirelessly.

R500 / 8bitdo.com

3

Moov Now

4

UPDATE

★★★★★ R1 050 / mantality.co.za The best budget tracker you can buy – gives most Fitbits a run for their money.

Amazon Kindle

5

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

6

★★★★★ R650 /sound-magic.co.za SoundMagic is royalty when it comes to budget buds. For under R700, these are stupendous.

SoundMagic E10C

Fujifilm Instax Mini 9

7 Raspberry Pi Zero W

UE Wonderboom

It might be nearly twice the price of the original Pi Zero, but when you’re still getting change from a R200 the wireless Pi is fantastic value.

Simplicity is key, with no need to mess about with dongles or hubs.

This also means your Pi projects can be squeezed into smaller places.

If you want a cheap portable Bluetooth speaker, you can’t go wrong with either the UE Roll 2 or the UE Wonderboom. But the latter makes this list for offering bigger sound, its nifty design and waterproofing. It’s also Stuff’s reigning hi-fi gadget of the year.

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

Stuff says ★★★★★ Our absolute favourite hi-fi gadget is a steal at only R1 000

R185 / pishop.co.za

SNES Classic Mini R1 250 / nintendo.co.za

TIPS & TRICKS

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HOT BUY

NEW

R1 000 / takealot.com

NEW

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

HOT BUY

Ryze Tello

HOT BUY

Amazon Echo Dot

8 9

10

★★★★✩ R1 800 / takealot.com Rule the skies without breaking the bank with this affordable toy drone.

★★★★✩ R1 000 / thegadgetshop.co.za This smart home assistant is a lot smaller than the full-size Echo, but it’s a much bigger bargain.

Xiaomi Mi Power Bank 10400

★★★★✩ R300 / mia.africa.com Everyone could use extra power but having to fork out for it sucks. Thankfully, you don’t.

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THE BIG QUESTION TOP TENS

THE BIG HOW CAN I BECOME QUESTION AN ECO-WARRIOR? FOR DAILY DEEDS

iNaturalist Why watch a documentary about Africa when you don’t even know what’s living in your garden? iNaturalist helps you identify the many critters roaming about SA, while you can also upload your own discoveries.

Free / iOS, Android

1

JOULEBUG Free / iOS, Android Unless you’re Trump or a James Bond villain, you probably don’t want the planet to die. Problem is, it’s difficult to find space in the calendar to tie yourself to a tree in the Amazon rainforest.

JouleBug’s goal is to motivate you to become more eco-friendly via small, manageable steps. Like being back in the Scouts, the app awards you badges for completing challenges that range from refilling your reusable water bottle to buying a smart thermostat. These may seem ineffective alone, but you’ll get so addicted to racking up points that you’ll soon be making a big difference.

But what would be the point in collecting awards if you had nobody to show them off to? This

is why JouleBug has a thriving community, allowing you to brag about your achievements to the rest of the globe. You can even take part in community challenges, where you compete with fellow do-gooders for prizes. No cheating, though: you need photo evidence to prove that you really are following through on your righteous mission.

SPECIAL SKILL TROPHY CASE JouleBug keeps track of all the badges you’ve won, so you can marvel at your achievements.

Even better, it also tallies up the amount of water and CO2 you’ve saved, as well as the waste you’ve recycled. There’s no better motivation than feeding your ego.

FOR GREENER GOODS

GOODGUIDE

SPECIAL SKILL SCAN FAN The built-in barcode scanner lets you check products’ green credentials while on the run. If something you point your phone at isn’t in the database, you can ask GG to add it… but don’t expect Ouma Rusks anytime soon.

WILDLIFE APPS

Free / iOS In a world awash with marketing hyperbole and obfuscation, it’s nearly impossible to know whether the dishwashing liquid, coffee or nappies you’ve picked off the shelf come from an environmentally conscious company. GoodGuide lists popular products in a range of categories, including personal care, food, household and babies & kids, and users can filter results using criteria like certified non-animal tested, USDA organic, Fair Trade accredited, vegan and more. It’s pretty US-focused, but thanks to globalisation you’ll find some of the listed products in SA, too.

Story of Life This collection of Attenborough videos showcases the TV legend’s greatest moments while filming beasties in their natural habitats.

From Africa to Blue Planet, the app has taken highlights from his 60 years of doc-making.

Free / iOS, Android

2

FOR SOCIAL STARS

#CLIMATE Free / iOS Sometimes it only takes a retweet on Twitter to make a positive impact on our little planet. But it’s rather difficult to spread the word of a new eco-saviour campaign if you haven’t heard of it. The #Climate app serves as a bridge between the public and organisations tackling climate change, while also sending a rallying ‘call to action’ to let you know how you can help.

Latest Sightings Spotted an animal more interesting than an impala on your latest game drive? Share the location to Latest Sightings, and see where you should be heading next thanks to live reports from other users.

Free / iOS, Android

3

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TOP TENS DSLRs, COMPACT CAMERAS

1

1

HOT BUY

HOT BUY

UPDATE

Fujifilm X-H1

Panasonic Lumix LX100

The Fujifilm X-T2 was our favourite camera for a long time. So it’s little wonder its successor, the X-H1, takes our top spot. The key new features? The 3in LCD is now touch sensitive, there’s a monochrome LCD on top of the (slightly larger) grip for instantly checking settings, and the already excellent sensor now includes 5-axis stabilisation, which should mean up to 5.5 extra stops handheld. And video fans get new film simulation modes for 4K video shooting. The best mirrorless camera just got even better.

This is one the most capable premium compacts on the market – and the LX100’s 4K capabilities give it a crucial edge over its rivals. HD video capture and superb stills performance make the Panasonic Lumix LX100 a star performer when it comes to the basics too. It doesn’t hurt at all that the LX100 is priced affordably enough that almost anyone can get it. 4K on the go is within reach of most photography wallets. Connectivity and optical image stabilisation just seal the deal.

Stuff says ★★★★★ A hardy body, outstanding ergonomics and brilliant image quality in a compact package

Stuff says ★★★★★ Having 4K in your pocket goes a long way when you’re shooting on the run

R27 000 (body only) / fujifilm.co.za

R13 300 / panasonic.com/za

2

Sony A7RIII

UPDATE

3

Fujifilm X-T20

UPDATE

4

Nikon D850

UPDATE

5

Canon EOS 80D

UPDATE

UPDATE

UPDATE

UPDATE

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R56 400 / premiumbrands.co.za Taking all the good bits from previous A7 models (OLED viewfinder, solid build, fullframe sensor), perfecting certain things and adding a host of new features, this is a brilliant enthusiast camera that’ll handle any task.

Stuff says ★★★★★ A true imaging powerhouse with a lofty price

R19 000 (with 18-55mm lens) / fujifilm.co.za The same 24.3MP APS-C sensor as the X-T2 but the addition of a touchscreen and a lower price make this one of the best mirrorless cameras you can buy. Fujifilm’s excellent lens selection helps, too.

Stuff says ★★★★★ The sweet spot between price and features

★★★★★ R53 400 (body only) / nikon.co.za This super-cam has a tonne of features that will appeal to anyone who can afford it.

★★★★★ R16 300 / canon.co.za The 80D is so easy to use that even a toddler would get some great shots with it.

2

Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II

3

Fujifilm X100F

4

Nikon Coolpix AW130

5

Fujifilm XP120

R9 500 / canon.co.za The latest in Canon’s stable, the updated G7 X delivers incredible image quality and lowlight performance. A tilting LCD, continuous shooting at 8fps, 20.1MP 1in sensor, and NFC and Wi-Fi support make it a great buy.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Ticks all the basic boxes, connectivity just seals it

★★★★★ R17 200 / fujifilm.co.za A 24.3MP APS-C X-Trans CMOS III sensor and X-Processor Pro image processor mean you can dial up the ISO to a whopping 51200, but with the built-in light-guzzling Fujinon 23mm f/2 lens, you probably won’t need to.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Our compact cam of 2017, with good reason

★★★★★ R5 000 / nikon.co.za Waterproof, cold-proof and shock proof, this is the one to haul where others fear to tread.

★★★★★ R3 400 / fujifilm.co.za Waterproof, shockproof, freezeproof and dustproof, with 5x optical zoom to boot.

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HOW TO BUY A VR HEADSET

HOW TO BUY TOP TENS

Nintendo and Xbox not immersive enough to drown out your real-world worries?

Try strapping one of these VR headsets to your face instead:

FOV

‘Field of view’ refers to the area you can see while wearing the headset. A big FOV means great immersion.

Head tracking

This refers to the sensors that read the movement of your head and then adjust the images being displayed.

Latency

If your PC isn’t beefy enough the visuals will struggle to keep up with your movement, which can be nauseating.

JARGON BUSTER

REALITY CHECK 1

Money is power

One of the biggest pains for VR-dabblers is the additional equipment required.

The Oculus Rift and Vive need powerful gaming PCs, which is a sticking point for most. The PlayStation VR, meanwhile, only requires a PS4 so is significantly more accessible. Don’t even have one of those? Try the Oculus Go, as the headset is all you need to jump into VR worlds. ● Get this: Oculus Go

NOW BUY THESE

BONUS STAGE 2 What’s your game?

Another major consideration is what experiences you want from your headset. The phone-enabled Daydream will happily run arty apps, VR movies and mobile-esque games, but serious gamers will want a more powerful headset.

The PlayStation VR has a wide selection of titles including Skyrim, Farpoint and Superhot VR. ● Get this: Sony PlayStation VR

3 Make room

Not all VR headsets let you roam virtual worlds as if you’re actually there. The cheaper ones, such as Google Daydream and Oculus Go, are restricted to head-tracking and arm-wiggling, which aren’t exactly immersive. For full room-tracking experiences, you’ll need an Oculus Rift, HTC Vive or HTC Vive Pro, as well as a 2x1.5m play area. ● Get this: HTC Vive

● VR-READY PC

4 Pixel power

It’s the same old story when it comes to video quality: the more you pay, the more pixels you get.

Cheap VR headsets will have rather grainy displays, while even pricier options still have a noticeable screen-door effect (like looking through netting). The Vive Pro has the best resolution out of all the headsets, but it requires a PC with at least a GTX 1070 GPU. ● Get this: HTC Vive Pro

If you can’t be bothered building a super-powerful gaming computer from scratch for your HTC Vive or Oculus Rift, you can avoid the hassle by just plumping for Dell’s Alienware Aurora instead.

5 Wild card

VR headsets are pricey, so it’s best to try before you buy.

Have a go on a friend’s headset, or buy a smartphone-powered Google Cardboard to dip your toe in VR worlds on the cheap. ● Get this: Google Cardboard

● WIRELESS ADAPTOR

Nothing ruins immersion like head-tugging wires. The TPCAST adaptor eliminates wires for the Vive, but it’s not easy to set up and costs R5 500. You might be best off waiting for the official accessory.

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TOP TENS HEADPHONES

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HOT BUY

UPDATE

Sennheiser PXC 550

SoundMagic E10C

It’s tough at the top. Tough to get there, and tough to stay there.

Truth be told, there’s not much in it between these and the Bose QC 35s below… except cool factor. But that counts. As does two levels of active noise cancellation, touch controls, quality accessories and around 30 hours of life to a charge. Frequent flyers, these are your cans. You don’t have to be an airline afficionado to want to pop these over your ears but they certainly lend themselves to lengthy times in transit.

You might be wondering just how a sub-R1000 pair of headphones wound up at the top this list. It’s almost because of the novelty factor contained herein. Sure, it’s possible to spend an absolute fortune on headphones if you want no wires or active noise cancellation or other bells and whistles. But if you just want beautifully balanced sound and something you can sling in a pocket the E10Cs are tough to beat. And if you wear them out? Well, at this price you can just buy another pair.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Good looks, superb build, top-notch comfort and stonking audio to boot. The PXC 550s set the bar.

Stuff says ★★★★★ If there’s better value to be had in the in-ear market we’ve yet to see (or hear) it. Buy now, thank us later.

R5 600 / mitechdirect.co.za

2

Bose QuietComfort 35

3

AKG N60NC

4

AKG Y50BT

5

JBL E-40BT

UPDATE

HOT BUY

R7 500 / dionwired.co.za Active noise cancelling. Planes? No problem.

People? Perish the thought. Just your tunes.

Which takes care of the quiet part (however quiet Death Metal Mix No 47 manages to be).

Comfort? That too.

Stuff says ★★★★★ So effective, you won’t know you’ve landed

R4 000 / connoisseur.co.za Active NC for half the price of the competition, 30-hours of battery and a mere 150g? Yip. We’ve long been AKG fanatics and the N60NC does nothing to diminish the regard that we have for their cans.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Powered up so long you’ll forget to charge them

★★★★★ R2 500 / audicoonline.co.za Proof that good wireless sound needn’t bankrupt you. 20 Hours of life and rock-solid.

★★★★★ R1 600 / musica.co.za You get 40mm drivers, a built-in mic, 16 hours of battery life and fold-flat flexibility.

R700 / sound-magic.co.za

2

Jabra Elite Sport

3

Apple AirPods

4

Skullcandy Smoking Buds 2 Wireless

5

CliffCentral UnWired Headphones

UPDATE

R3 300 / circuitcity.co.za For serious in-ear fitness tech, you have to get Jabra’s Elite Sport wireless buds. In-ear heart monitoring, 9 hours of battery life, and a gnarly (and detailed) fitness-focussed app are the highlights here.

Stuff says ★★★★★ The smartest fitness partner you’ll ever have

R2 500 / myistore.co.za Yes, you’ll look silly, but their range is astounding, as is call quality and ease of use.

Worth looking like you’ve rammed a white pipe in one ear and out the other before bending down the protruding bits.

Stuff says ★★★★★ We hope the others are taking notes

★★★★✩ R900 / luksbrands.com Punchy sound without breaking the bank and a removeable neckband make these shine.

★★★★✩ R550 / takealot.com For the podcast- and budget-conscious, these cheap in-ears are surprisingly solid.

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WIRELESS SPEAKERS TOP TENS

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HOT BUY

UPDATE BARGAIN BUY

UE Wonderboom R1 000 / takealot.com

It might resemble a can of baked beans wearing a colourful jersey with a cross on the front, but don’t let that put you off: the UE Wonderboom is the best compact Bluetooth speaker you can buy. It’s waterproof, the rechargeable battery beneath its mesh exterior is good for eight plus hours, and the sound it produces is staggering given how compact it is. If that wasn’t enough – and it ought to be – it’s also one of the most affordable portable speakers out there. Boom.

Stuff says ★★★★★ The Wonderboom shouldn’t be as good as it is for the price, but it is ● NOW ADD THIS Joox Want to get the proverbial party started? But where to start? Joox’s numerous curated playlists can help. from R29/week / joox.co.za

2

HOT BUY

3

HOT BUY

UPDATE

UPDATE

4

UPDATE

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6

UPDATE

BARGAIN BUY

7

UPDATE

DreamWave Tremor

UE Boom 2

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

Years making in-ear monitors for musos means UItimate Ears knows its bass from its mids. Water-, dust- and drop-proofing along with 360º sound, 15-hour battery life and a slick app so friends can play DJ makes the Boom 2 our pick of the mid-sized pack.

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

Stuff says ★★★★★ If you were going to take one of these surfing, this is the one

R6 000 / takealot.com

R1 900 / ultimateears.com

8

UPDATE

9 10

JBL Xtreme

★★★★★ R4 300 / dionwired.co.za A killer speaker that’s also become a far more affordable one in recent months.

JBL Pulse 3

★★★★★ R4 000 / myistore.co.za Pretty pricey, but potent for its size, and the LED light show is utterly mesmerising.

Braven 705

★★★★★ R1 300 / itoys.co.za A massive price drop makes the 705 such a bargain it’s worth getting two to pair up.

JBL Flip 4

★★★★★ R1 700 / incredible.co.za Like a Pulse without the lights, the new Flip adds Siri and Google Voice to its skillset.

JBL Clip 2

★★★★★ R800 / incredible.co.za A pocket-sized party package that delivers pounding performance while being pound-proof.

Fender Newport

★★★★★ R4 000 / musica.co.za Great battery life, incredible sound and good looks make this amp imitator utterly irresistible.

Skullcandy Barricade XL

★★★★★ R1 900 / luksbrands.co.za An unusually understated offering from Skullcandy, both in looks and bass treatment.

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TOP TENS CONSOLES & 5-MINUTE HACKS

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HOT BUY

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LAUNCH WEBSITES WITH HOTKEYS Nobody’s got time to do a Google search or rummage through bookmarks. This hotkey system offers lighting-fast browsing:

PlayStation 4 Pro from R7 000 / playstation.com/za

● Up for a Quickey?

With Quickey Launcher, you assign your favourite websites to keyboard shortcuts. This means that, as soon as you open Chrome, you can access the likes of Twitter, YouTube and Stuff.co.za by just pressing two keys.

You can download the free extension from the Chrome Web Store.

● Keys to success With the extension enabled, open a new Chrome tab and a keyboard will appear.

Select the key you want to customise, and then paste in your desired website link. You can even assign it an emoji (say, an envelope for Gmail). ● Take a shortcut Now open up Chrome, press the ‘tab’ key and the keyboard shortcut you created, and you’ll be whisked to your chosen site in no time.

As a gaming platform, PlayStation 4 is the best around – which makes the PS4 Pro the best of the best. Games optimised for the new console look stunning on a 4K HDR TV, and are substantially improved by the extra grunt inside this slightly bigger machine. If you’ve already splashed out for a 4K HDR screen and you enjoy video games at all, it’s well worth the upgrade. The missing 4K Blu-ray drive means it isn’t a perfect entertainment system, but streaming converts won’t care.

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

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UPDATE

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Xbox One S

from R4 000 / xbox.com/za Microsoft dumps Kinect, the R7 000+ asking price and the fugly power brick to create a supremely enticing console that also has a 4K Blu-ray player. It remains a serious alternative to the PS4 Pro. Stuff says ★★★★★ A fine console with some big exclusive titles

Nintendo Switch

from R5 000 / nintendo.co.za Nintendo is on the block with this one and we’re pleased to say that the Switch delivers, hard. The platform will still rise and fall on its library of games but as it stands now, the Switch is a bloody marvel.

Stuff says ★★★★✩ Whether stationary or mobile, it’s excellent

4

PlayStation 3 Slim

5

Xbox 360 Slim

★★★★✩ from R3 000 / playstation.com/za The PS3 is more of a value proposition than ever – plus, online play is still free.

★★★★✩ from R2 500 / xbox.com/za Technically the better console, but for one thing. Having to pay to play with mates grates.

CALL AN UBER VIA TEXT MESSAGE Mobile data always runs out when you’re desperate for an Uber. Fortunately, this app means there’s no need to settle for an overpriced meter taxi when you’re stuck offline: ● Text a taxi If you’re dead set on using Uber even when you’ve no net access, download Offline Ride for Uber. An Android-exclusive app, it allows you to request an Uber via SMS at no extra cost. By hijacking your smartphone’s GPS, it can let your driver know exactly where you are.

Payment works the same way as usual, as the app links to your Uber account when you set it up.

● No regrets This app does have issues, though. Like, it’s not possible to cancel an Uber if you change your mind. But you do get the option to call or message the driver.

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TIPS & In every world TRICKS there’s a hidden

Captain Toad. Find him and he’ll reward you with a moon.

1

Hold Y to throw your hat and then, if you hop onto it, you’ll get an extra boost for your jump.

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GAMES TOP TENS

HOT BUY

Super Mario Odyssey R850 / Switch

Jam-packed with inventiveness, this is a crazily enjoyable video game – one that’s big and silly and totally essential if you’ve got a Switch. Not only does it show off what Nintendo’s portable console is capable of, but it also reminds you why Mario has endured for so long now. Its variety elevates Odyssey above any other recent platformer – and roaming free around vast new kingdoms, possessing all sorts of critters with your magic hat, just feels great.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Eccentric, unpredictable and riotously entertaining, Mario’s return is a blast ● OR PLAY THIS A Hat in Time Don’t own a Nintendo Switch?

You can still quench your 3D platformer thirst with this adorable indie title.

R320 / PS4, Xbox One, PC

2

3

God of War

Monster Hunter: World

God of War’s Kratos has returned and he’s become a father (again).

Gone are the rage-fuelled killing sprees – instead there’s emotion and nuance between father and son. And disembowellings. Also: beheadings, giant enemies, blood.

The more things change, eh?

From a flame-spitting dinosaur to a poison-puking bird, there are plenty of critters to kill in this RPG. But it’s the addictive weaponupgrade tree and online co-op multiplayer that will dig their claws into you. That and nailing the perfect pose for your screencap.

Stuff says ★★★★★ Get out there and slay those monsters, boy

Stuff says ★★★★★ Beast-slayin’, gear-makin’ fun for newbies and pros alike

R980 / PS4

R975 / PS4, Xbox One

HOT BUY

4

Dragon Ball FighterZ

5

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze

6

Dark Souls Remastered

7

Forza Motorsport 7

8

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle

9

Assassin’s Creed Origins

10

★★★★★ R975 / PS4, Xbox One, PC Gorgeous to look at, and one of the greatest fighters we’ve ever played.

★★★★★ R850 / Switch You might have missed this gem on the Wii U but you’ve got no such excuses now.

★★★★★ from R700 / PS4, Xbox One, Switch There wasn’t much to change here. We’ll take the resolution update and Praise the Sun, thanks.

★★★★★ from R1 000 / Xbox One, PC Still the driving champ – until Forza Horizon 4 drops and drops our jaws, that is.

★★★★★ R900 / Switch The most bonkers Mario mashup yet has some surprising tactical depth.

★★★★✩ from R1 000 / PS4, Xbox One, PC The best Assassin’s Creed in yonks, but it’s not quite the pharaoh of open-world games.

Far Cry 5

★★★★✩ R975 / PS4, Xbox One, PC A few minor gripes aside, this is a brilliant evolution of the open-world FPS series.

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NEXT BIG THING?

airborne uber top trying to make flying cars happen.

You said that about robot butlers, and now you’ve got a tube in your kitchen that turns the lights on and off when you ask it to – so how about a little bit of patience, eh? This is UberAir, and while it does look a lot like the countless other flying-car concepts that have appeared over the years, this one isn’t just blue-sky thinking: the taxi-in-your-pocket company has already signed up five aerospace companies to make its all-electric aircraft, and the plan is to have them actually in the air by 2023. Besides, it’s not a flying car, it’s a VTOL.

S

And what’s a VTOL when it’s at home?

It stands for vertical take-off and landing, which means you could summon one to an inner-city rooftop – a bit like how you currently request a Corolla to collect you from the club. The one in the picture is the Karem Butterfly, with four relatively slow propellers that use less battery power and make less noise – perfect for operating over a city without making everyone feel like they live in a shed on the end of a runway at OR Tambo. The first places to get UberAir will be Dallas and LA, but the company is on the lookout for one more launch city.

So they could be coming to Pretoria?

Well, let’s not rule it out just yet, but being the birthplace of Elon Musk isn’t currently on the list of criteria. And Pretoria’s population isn’t even close to the two million required – although at least there’s an airport nearby. That’s important because Uber sees its VTOLs operating as communal shuttles between major transport terminals, rather than personal chariots that you can ask to stop at McDonald’s. Well, if that’s all it takes to make the flying taxi dream become a reality, giving up control of the in-car playlist is a small price to pay.

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