htxt.africa's Tech Made Easy - June 2014

ISSUE 4 | JUNE 2014 | HTXT.CO.ZA

HELP!

I’M LOST!

TESTED: Huawei Ascend P7Exclusive first SA review of Huawei’s iPhone-beating smartphone.

HOW TO: Recover a stolen smartphoneCatch-a-thief! Tell your phone how to phone home.

TESTED: Action camerasThe best way to capture extreme video: three new cams compared.

M A D E E A S Y

SOUTH AFRICA’S BEST TECH WEBSITEFREE! FROM htxt africa

BEST BUDGET SMARTPHONESHigh performance handsets at a bargain price. We round up the best South Africa has to offer.

SUPERTEST!

M A D E E A S Y LEGO:

The Hobbit

BLOCK-BASED

TOLKIEN FUN

REVIEWED

INSIDE

FROM R1499

THE MORE FUN SMARTPHONE.NOKIA LUMIA520 SMARTPHONE, with Nokia Music, Smart Shoot and HERE Drive.

nokia.co.za/switch

JWT 65458/E

© 2014 Nokia. All rights reserved. Data charges may apply. All trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.Device colours & price may vary by operator or retailer, and are subject to availability. Specifi cations correct at time of going to print. E&OE.

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 1

FROM R1499

THE MORE FUN SMARTPHONE.NOKIA LUMIA520 SMARTPHONE, with Nokia Music, Smart Shoot and HERE Drive.

nokia.co.za/switch

JWT 65458/E

© 2014 Nokia. All rights reserved. Data charges may apply. All trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners.Device colours & price may vary by operator or retailer, and are subject to availability. Specifi cations correct at time of going to print. E&OE.

ISSUE #04 June 2014www.htxt.co.zaContents

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The nights are getting chilly, but our writers have been on fire this month producing South Africa’s best and fastest growing technology

website, htxt.africa. What you hold in your hands is just a small example of the massive number of news, reviews and features that we publish each and every day over there, and then pick the very best of to use in Tech Made Easy.

Whether you want up-to-the-minute reporting on cabinet reshuffles and their effect on the technology industry, or more leisurely analysis and thought-provoking insight into the world of games, no other website produces the same breadth of detailed stories about tech in South Africa.

And everything we do is locally made and written too.So if you enjoyed Dave’s supertest of low-cost

smartphones in this month’s mag, for example, you’ll love Brett’s online feature behind the scenes at the Lenovo factory in China, where many of the world’s phones get made. Similarly, if Deon’s exploits in Metal Gear Solid grab your fancy, just see what he thought of Watch_dogs.

Most of all, though, enjoy the mag. And don’t forget to catch us all daily at htxt.africa.

Adam OxfordEditor-in-Chiefhtxt.africa

WELCOME TO ISSUE 4

WHAT IS THAT ‘Bit.ly’ STUFF ALL ABOUT?Bit.ly shortens web addresses, making it easier to paste them into character-limited services like Twitter or Facebook. They also serve as shortcuts to web pages with long addresses. Type the Bit.ly URL seen in the exerpt pictured into your browser, for example, and you’ll go directly to the article page.

6 | TECH MADE EASY | MARCH 2014

MTN launches super-cheap smartphoneOperator’s sub-R500 Steppa is first of its kind.

M obile operator MTN has launched South Africa’s first Android-powered smartphone

that’s available on pre-pay for less than R500. It certainly an African first, and may even a world one: as far as we know, there’s no other smartphone in this class available for less than $50 anywhere.

That makes it quite a milestone in putting high-tech handsets within the reach of everyone. Which is awesome.

The phone itself isn’t, of course, hugely powerful. It’s based on a Qualcomm reference design, so it has a 1GHz single core Snapdragon processor, a 3.5inch screen and a mere 2MP camera on board. More limiting is the fact that there’s only 512MB of memory and 1GB of storage on-board.

The screen is a decent enough multitouch affair, which takes up most

of the front of the device. There’s no physical keyboard.

It also runs a positively ancient version of Google’s Android OS, Gingerbread. Still, that does still mean it’s able to access BlackBerry Messenger, which is hugely

important for South Africa.Sadly, MTN has confirmed that there’s

no plans to upgrade the Steppa to a more recent version of Android, although local hackers are investigating the possibility of unlocking the phone and flashing a custom firmware.

There’s an FM radio though, along with a microSD port for upgrading the storage. What you don’t get, however, is a fast HSPA radio for high speed internet access

– you’ll have to settle for plain old 3G. All in all, though, it’s a heck of a

phone for the price. Not even Nokia can come close with its Asha range of semi-smartphones, which start at about R799 and don’t have access to half the number of apps and services the Steppa has.

Like the sound of this super budget smartphone? See our full review at http://bit.ly/1l5dVkv

It’s a milestone which puts high-

tech handsets within the reach

of everyone…

More news at

go to htxt.co.za

CLIMATE CHANGE WILL CAUSE MORE STORM DAMAGE IN SA FACEBOOK BUYS WHATSAPP FOR R200BNTwo scientists from Wits have published a paper which says that South Africa may be at increased risk of tropical storm damage.Bit.ly/Nww6kR

Facebook has just dived into its war chest again to make another big purchase, this time it’s buying the popular messaging service WhatsApp.Bit.ly/1nPD8wj

TABLETLOCATED PHONE

LOCATED

There is nothing quite like

and then finding it again.

Kaspersky Internet Security — multi-device 2014.• Mix-and-match security any device combination• Optimised for device protection, performance and usability• Real-time protection against all Internet threats• Premium Android™ anti-theft device protection

All-in-one multi-device protection

THE KASPERSKY LAB TEAM

THINK ABOUT IT. WE DO.

NEED TO KNOW: NEWS

I am a cyclone forming over Madagascar

PUBLISHER: Brett Haggard – [email protected]: Adam Oxford – [email protected] EDITOR: Tiana Cline - [email protected]: David Greenway – [email protected]: Deon du Plessis – [email protected]: Lungelo Shezi – [email protected]

SENIOR DESIGNER: Quinton Hoffmann – [email protected]: Jessica Hurwitz – [email protected]

ADVERTISING: Dorothy Haggard – [email protected] Jubane – [email protected]

htxt.africa’s Tech Made Easy is produced by: Hypertext Media, 102 on 11th, Highlands North, 2192, Johannesburg

Contact Us:Email: [email protected]: (011) 023-8001/4Fax: 08654 83304

Our content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported Licence. Other rights may apply for non-original materials.

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Bit.ly/1nPD8wj

Type this code into your web browser

MediaShare WirelessPortable wireless streaming for your tablet or smartphone

Tablets and smartphones are often limited by their built-in storage capacity and their ability to access content saved elsewhere. With the MediaShare Wireless, you can access and enjoy your files without wires or an internet connection.

Scan the QR-Code to watch the video.

Mitsubishi Chemical holdings Group

STREAM

• Connect up to 5 devices to the MediaShare and share video, music, photos and data.

USB/SD CONNECTION

• Built-in USB port and SD Memory slot allows easy access to content from a USB drive, portable hard drive or SD memory card*.

WIRELESS BRIDGE

• Upload and download content wirelessly to and from your tablet or smartphone.

RECHARGING FOR SMARTPHONES

• The integrated 3000mAh battery can be used as a powerpack for your smartphone.

STORE, STREAM & SHARE...Anywhere!

* USB drive, hard drive or SD memory card not included.

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MediaShare WirelessPortable wireless streaming for your tablet or smartphone

Tablets and smartphones are often limited by their built-in storage capacity and their ability to access content saved elsewhere. With the MediaShare Wireless, you can access and enjoy your files without wires or an internet connection.

Scan the QR-Code to watch the video.

Mitsubishi Chemical holdings Group

STREAM

• Connect up to 5 devices to the MediaShare and share video, music, photos and data.

USB/SD CONNECTION

• Built-in USB port and SD Memory slot allows easy access to content from a USB drive, portable hard drive or SD memory card*.

WIRELESS BRIDGE

• Upload and download content wirelessly to and from your tablet or smartphone.

RECHARGING FOR SMARTPHONES

• The integrated 3000mAh battery can be used as a powerpack for your smartphone.

STORE, STREAM & SHARE...Anywhere!

* USB drive, hard drive or SD memory card not included.

Need to KnowEssential South African news

Would you ride an electric bike in Joburg? Our Lungelo gives it a go.Round-up Madibacoin, the new cryptocurrency in SA.South Africa hit by malware plague.Cell C drops call costs again.Pothole repair app to the rescue!Samsung’s newest Android cam revealed.GamesCleverpet, the games console for dogs.EA closes multiplayer servers.Nintendo looks at special African console redesign.Making games in SALocal developers group plans for the future.

The best reviewsHardware, games, gadgets more...

The best budget smartphonesWhich one should you buy? Huawei Ascend P7The latest Huawei phone is simply awesome. Jawbone UP/Sony Xperia Z2More phones and a new fitness doo-dah.LEGO The Hobbit/Trials by FusionWhat has it got in its pockets?Watch_DogsUbi’s hack-em-up is here.Metal Gear Solid VSnake slides into adventure.

Mobile gamesTo play or not to play?

Photos Made EasyYour cut-out-and-keep guide to photography.

Photo newsNikon’s supersnooper 400mm, Sony goes sub-compact.Action camerasThree tiny video tearaways - but which is the best? Camera basicsHow does your aperture work?Camera tipsMake that lens shiny and clean.

How to...Guides to get more from your gadgets

Mobile printingHow to get hard copies of pics from your phone. Find your phoneHow to track a stolen Android. PlayStation 4 in-game vidsHow to record video from your brand new console.

The stuff at the backThe bits that don’t belong anywhere else

SubscribeOrder up some issues for the future today.The month in numbers...SA tech stats that really matter.

ISSUE #04 June 2014www.htxt.co.zaContents

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 5

Would you ride an electric bike in Joburg?Why don’t more of us cycle to work? Lungelo Shezi investigates…

Transport is a priority no matter where you live. We need to get on with our day-to-day lives, but time has become

too precious to spend on public transport. On the other side of the spectrum, cars are costly to buy (and maintain) and not every young person can afford one. Wouldn’t an alternative mode of transport such as an electric bike be a bit more 21st century? We visited local electric bike store Cycology in Joburg’s Milpark to take a look.

Owner Vincent Truter has had an exceptionally varied career that belies his years. At a time when he was feeling particularly disillusioned with life in Johannesburg, he was forced to get around on an electric bike lent to him by a friend. He was so impressed he bought the company with the distribution right German-made A2B cycles.

“At the bottom of the road, there was a tree I’d driven past every day for four years on my way to the office that I’d never even seen before,” Truter explained to an audience at JoziHub’s first Green Tech Talk event. He says that commuting by bike instantly reconnected him with the city that he loves.

“I found it was a game changer that forced me to get up from behind my computer. New technology had always

forced me to be more stationary, now I was using it to discover this incredibly vibrant thing happening at street level.”

From the start, he says, he was aware that cycles as a day-to-day form of transport are a hard sell to South Africans, and it

wouldn’t be enough to simply put the bikes on sale, spend a bit of money marketing them, and hope that buyers would flock to his door. His marketing strategy, then, is based around getting people on the bikes.

“I knew that bikes were boys’ toys,” he explains, “So the first thing I did was take a group of 30-40 year-old-women on a ride along the waterfront in Cape Town, to establish the notion that we’re talking about more than just buying a bike.”

So convinced is he that electric bikes are the future, that through cycology Truter also runs a foundation which is working with the likes of the City of Joburg and

external researchers to help advise and plan on new cycle routes. But don’t mistake him for a do-gooding hippy: convincing people to adopt electric bikes for Truter is a cause, but it’s one that he’s very clear is about business first.

“We hit the top LSM customers initially,” he says, “We try to reach corporate South Africa by taking senior management out for a ride in the afternoons. After 30 minutes, they’re very receptive.”

He’s also realistic about the scale at which change can happen. Initially, he hopes to encourage companies to buy bikes or provide loans for staff simply to get around areas like Sandton during the workday. Convincing people to commute from suburb to town by bike will take better infrastructure, like cycle paths.

“In South Africa right now, we can do things for the first time. That’s what makes it exciting for me, there are lots of things we can do.”

Each bike has a bespoke internal motor system and is powered by a battery that requires a simple recharge that lasts up to 65 kilometres.

Cycology bikes range from R14 500- R35 000 depending on its body and battery size. A single charge costs R1.65c – R1.85c and will keep you going for 65km.

“Bicycles as a day-to-day form of transport

are a hard sell to South Africans”

More news at

go to htxt.co.za

LEGO MANDELA VIDEO WINS YOUTUBE FILM HACK

MEET JIMMY, INTEL’S 3D PRINTED ROBOT

Read about Quirk’s short video depicting the life of Nelson Mandela in LEGO form, and petitioning for an official Mandela LEGO set to be made.Bit.ly/1kjoTgC

This is Jimmy. He’s a 3D printed robot who will walk, talk, dance and tweet his way into your heart. And the best news? Most of him will be customisable with a 3D printer.Bit.ly/1mup5fS

NEED TO KNOW: NEWS

6 | TECH MADE EASY | JUNE 2014

NEED TO KNOW: NEWS

Forget about Bitcoin. Get ready for Madibacoin! What makes African cyber-

surfers vulnerable?Various cryptocurrencies have been taking the internet by

storm over the last couple of years but Bitcoin, the most prominent of the lot, might finally have comeptition. Make

way for Madibacoin. Created by two South African’s, the currency will work pretty much the same as bitcoin, as users will also have to mine for it using various means. The brainchild of Mahala Mobile, they explain that it is decentralised from any bank.

“If you are familiar with bitcoin then see Madibacoin as an alternate cryptocurrency. madibacoins are created as a reward for payment processing work in which users who offer their computing power verify and record payments into a public ledger. Called mining, individuals engage in this activity in exchange for transaction fees and newly minted Madibacoins.”

As a first order of business, you will be able to exchange any madibacoins you have for mobile airtime. While the company doesn’t explain which mobile networks are supported, they make use of a pin-less delivery system to supply you with airtime between R2 and R999.

While there has been no “real-world” value pinned onto madibacoin as yet, the company confirmed that no more than 20-million madibacoins will ever exist.

While surfing the internet for cute videos of cats, have you ever stopped to wonder how safe the web actually is? Anti-virus and online security company Kaspersky

Lab revealed that Africa is not as safe as users would like to believe – Africa accounts for as much as 4% of the total security threats in the world. The largest culprit in the region for the first quarter of this year was the Dinihou Worm, which was responsible for about three million infections. Kaspersky Lab explained that the worm spreads through removable media devices such as USB and memory cards, making use of .LNK files. In terms of malware detections on the African continent, Algeria leads the proverbial pack with almost 18-million total threats detected in the first quarter of this year. Dropping off significantly, Egypt is in second place, while South Africa is fourth with just over 4-million total threats detected in Q1. It’s not all bad news – while the number of eliminated threats (49 million) might seem high, there has been a decrease in incidents. Compared to the figures from January to March 2013, this year saw 3.4 million less attacks, but the number of cyber-attacks and malware infections in Africa for 2013 rose by more than 70-million from 2012.

More stories at

go to htxt.co.za

BBM HELPS DURBAN PEOPLE GET JOBS

REAL-TIME LANGUAGE TRANSLATIONS COMING FROM SKYPE

According to a press release, a Durban-based entrepreneur, Sanjee Singh, has found a clever new way of putting BBM to use.Bit.ly/1muqkLU

In an interview with Microsoft’s new CEO, Satya Nadella, this discussion stood out: Meet the “pre-beta version of magic” or as it is known right now, Skype Translate.Bit.ly/1hgb6Nn

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 7

JRA launches new pothole reporting app for Joburg

Cell C drops prepay voice calls to 66c a minute

The phonecamera is back with Samsung’s new Galaxy K Zoom

F ind&Fix is a mobile app developed by SA company Intervate which allows anyone

with a smartphone to quickly tag and report civic problems like potholes, faulty traffic signals, storm water drains and missing manhole covers direct to the Johannesburg Roads Agency. It’s as simple as snapping a a photo and sharing the GPS co-ordinates from your

phone. Find&Fix works on all Windows Phone, iOS and Android devices. Find & Fix will help to improve their services by speeding up reporting of problems, accurately tagging their location and cutting down on the amount of time spent sieving through multiple reports of the same problem and therefore bringing all kinds of efficiencies to the way repair teams are dispatched.

Network operator Cell C had a record breaking start to 2014, adding more than a million

subscribers in the month of March alone. The newly installed CEO Jose dos Santos also announced that there will be a lower tariff for pre-pay customers, which will charge for voice calls at 66c a minute. This new tariff, however, will not gain top-up bonuses. It’s purely a voice play. (There

will also be a new post-pay contract with 30 day cancellation terms with call charges starting at 79c a minute.) According to Dos Santos, 92% of Cell C traffic now travels over its own network – 439 new cell sites were added to the network in 2013, and a further 319 are planned this year to take the total to 4494. As a result, Dos Santos says customers in Durban no longer have to roam to other networks.

Once again Samsung is blurring the lines between portable cameras and smartphones with its freshly

announced Samsung Galaxy K Zoom. The K Zoom packs a new 20.7 megapixel camera sensor and 10X optical zoom into a much changed frame from last year’s S4 Zoom. Being as much a camera as it is a smartphone, Samsung have put some serious work into the Galaxy K Zoom’s imaging sensor: the 20.7MP camera has optical image stabilisation, which should help it get much clearer shots in low light conditions. And for the more proficient photographers out there, the Galaxy K Zoom has the ability to independently set exposure and focus points for the picture as well as full set of manual controls. Hardware wise, the Galaxy K Zoom uses a six core Samsung Exynos processor, a 4.8-inch, 720p Super AMOLED display and has 2GB of RAM.

NEED TO KNOW: NEWS

NOTORIOUS LULZSEC HACKER WALKS FREE

PR STUNT FOR WATCH_DOGS BACKFIRES

SONY TO FOCUS ON WEARABLES, SPLITS CRUMBLING TV BUSINESS

Leader of online hacking collective and spin-off from Anoymous, Lulzsec, walked free thanks to “extraordinary collaboration” with the FBI.Bit.ly/1nuuJnt

If you were being paid to promote a game, would you think it’s okay to anonymously send a news agency a suspicious-looking package?Bit.ly/1nBwmgI

Electronics giant Sony is to focus on its virtual and augmented reality facescreens with the concept virtual reality headset Project Morpheus.Bit.ly/1tT3RwV

8 | TECH MADE EASY | MAY 2014

NEED TO KNOW: GAMES

Nintendo to redesign consoles for Africa

CleverPet is a game console for dogs

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata has told Bloomberg that the company will be selling a brand-new low cost games console targeted specifically at countries like South Africa in 2015.

He said these new consoles will be built from the ground up and designed for “emerging markets”, rather than being derivatives of the company’s existing hardware.

“We want to make new things, with new thinking rather than a cheaper version of what we currently have,” Iwata said. “The product and price balance must be made from scratch.” These changes come in the wake of Nintendo’s 2013 earnings announcement, which included a loss of $329 million in the fourth quarter of. Nintendo has been struggling financially in the wake of the failure of the Wii U and 3DS consoles to ignite gamers’ passions like the Wii and 2DS before them. Bloomberg blamed that on the move of casual gamers to smartphones and tablets, and hardcore gamers onto new consoles from Microsoft and Sony.

Kickstarter has inspired a group of Americans to seek funds for a game console for dogs called CleverPet. The idea is fairly simple – the CleverPet is a bowl-sized

pet-proof device that rests on the ground and communicates with your dog using light and sound, rewarding it for solving simple puzzles. Should the dog manage to press the correct button, something the CleverPet subtly encourages it to do, a food reward is dispensed. The challenge presented to the dog also changes over time thanks to the fact that the CleverPet has more than one type of puzzle for the dog to solve. Over time, as your dog learns what’s expected, it may even get smarter.

CleverPet’s creators, San Diego-based Dan Knudsen and Leo Trottier said that pets in the US spend over ten billion hours alone a year leading to separation anxiety and destructive behaviour, and their CleverPet web-enabled interactive snack-dispenser can help alleviate those issues. The Kickstarter campaign is offering an early bird rate of $129 (around R1 300) to get yourself a CleverPet when it becomes available in February 2015.

GET YOURSELF TO DEALS.HTXT.CO.ZA

LOOKING FOR AN ONLINE BARGAIN?

FOR VOUCHERS, DISCOUNTS AND GREAT WAYS TO SAVE.

No more multiplayer for over 50 EA games

From the 30th of June this year you won’t be able to play over 50 Electronic Arts games with your friends online. That’s because those games use GameSpy’s services to

create and host multiplayer sessions, and GameSpy’s servers are being taken offline – permanently – on that day. Gamespy was a third-party online service used by many developers to host their games’ multiplayer portions. The games EA will be shutting down include titles we didn’t expect to see like Crysis 2, Command & Conquer 3 and Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2, but the official EA blog says that all affected games were chosen because peak numbers have dwindled to a point where it doesn’t make sense to keep up with the behind-the-scenes operations needed to keep them online. Is you favourite game on the list? Don’t fret as many communities have made other plans to keep their games accessible. For instance, Command & Conquer Red Alert 2 & 3, Generals, Master of Orion 3, Star Wars: Battlefront II and the first Neverwinter Nights have moved over to another service called GameRanger...


NEED TO KNOW: GAMES

The Humble Africa Bundle

“Despite the funding challenges, [MGSA] gained recognition

both locally and internationally thanks to a number of high-profile projects…”

South African game developers had a good year in 2013, according to news

out of the MakeGamesSA (MGSA) Annual General Meeting that took place in Joburg and Cape Town via Google Hangout.

2013’s chairman Nick Hall said that while the group missed a few opportunities in 2013, for the most part they did well, increasing forum membership by 86% and upping the total number of companies associated with the forum to 17.

They also managed to start up a bursary program that raised over R20 000 for underprivileged game

The SA game industry has found more success than ever, with local game developers attracting international attention for their work

More news at

go to htxt.co.za

STEAM MACHINES RELEASE DELAYED TO 2015

LEGO! BATMAN! A THIRD TITLE!

If you’ve got your heart set on buying an off-the-shelf games console running Valve’s Steam OS, we’ve got bad news for you.Bit.ly/1nBrl7P

Who’d have thunk that LEGO is as timelessly refreshing in videogame format as it is in tiny ABS blocks?Bit.ly/1is41nx

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 11

The Humble Africa Bundledevelopment students within 48 hours, something they hope to repeat – and beat – in 2014.

But perhaps most interestingly, it emerged from a last-minute update from one of MGSA’s members that MGSA is in talks with the people behind the Humble Bundle to put together an “Out of Africa” bundle featuring locally-made games for release sometime in 2015.

The biggest challenge currently facing them as a volunteer group of part-time and full-time game developers is money. Hall said MakeGamesSA has grown enough over the past year to warrant a full-time employee to manage the day-to-day operations, as well as a need for a dedicated home for the group.

Both goals are on 2014’s to-do list, and Hall is currently speaking to both government and corporates to secure the necessary funding. Hall reported that he’s trying to get the group classified under the Manufacturing banner, which opens many more opportunities to secure government funding under various stimulus programs government currently has in the works.

The biggest barrier in making that happen, he said, is the gender and race makeup of the South African games industry, which consists primarily of young

Caucasian males. Apart from a genuine desire to increase diversity and better reflect the make-up of gamers in general, for government to believe that gaming is a legitimate industry it’s important to highlight the work of female and black coders and get them involved in the organisation. Knowing more metrics about the local industry would also help, he added, which the group would be working towards establishing.

Corporates he’s spoken to, which include Microsoft, Nedbank and Nokia, have indicated they are interested in supporting the local gaming industry, but none have committed to anything concrete as yet.

Despite the funding challenges, 2013 saw the group gaining recognition both locally and internationally thanks to a number of high-profile projects that members were involved in. These include side-scrolling testosterone overload Broforce and Nicholas Bischoff ’s successful million-rand STASIS Kickstarter campaign.

Plans for 2014 include a stand at the Really Awesome Gaming Event (rAge) in October, another staging of their successful Amaze program that inspires youngsters to get into making games and a trade mission to another country to stimulate relations between international and local game developers.

They also want to encourage developers to show off their games to a greater extent at rAge 2014 than they did last year, as they noticed how Pixelboy’s developers attracted the attention of some big players at 2013’s rAge that included Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. They’re also looking into securing sponsors to fly Cape Town-based developers up to Joburg for the show.

In all, the AGM showed a lot has happened in the last year. The local game industry has found more success than ever, and South African game developers are attracting international attention for their work, and with more hard work and official structures, permanent premises and a full-time employee, MGSA is looking set to build on that success and take SA development even further in 2014.

“MGSA is in talks with the people

behind the Humble Bundle to put

together an ‘Out of Africa’ bundle featuring locally-made” games…

AFRIHOST IS KILLING ITS DOUBLE MOBILE DATA BUNDLES

LG’S G3 FORMALLY LAUNCHED

CENTURION TEAM WANTS TO SEND THIS GLIDER INTO SPACE

Ever since it launched its mobile data deals with MTN, Afrihost offered its customers extra data every month without any additional cost. Not any more.Bit.ly/1k3z4vt

LG’s new flagship smartphone is now an official product and we have all of the details for the LG faithful looking to upgrade their handsets in the near future.Bit.ly/1rgENBW

A team from House4Hack is building a High Altitude Glider and launch balloon which they hope to launch up to 40km high.Bit.ly/1hdJ70V

South African Kickstarter reaches funding goal

STASIS, the indie game that’s being made by just one lone South African developer, has reached its

Kickstarter goal. This marks the first time a South African game project has been successfully funded on the popular crowd-funding website.

Fans who backed Statis should find that Kickstarter has billed thier credit cards already: it takes a cut of the proceeds with the balance going to Bischoff, who will have to start putting together any physical rewards that were promised in return for backing.

Once that’s all done and dusted, the remainder of the total will be put towards polishing the game further and adding a musical score by famed game soundtrack composer, Mark Morgan, who has created music for several big-name game franchises like Fallout 1 & 2, Planescape: Torment and Zork Nemesis to name but a few.

Other promised features that will see their way into the game now that the Kickstarter campaign has succeeded include additional cut-scenes and professional voice-acting.

We wish to congratulate Mr. Bischoff on his successful Kickstarter, and look forward to seeing the game shaping up in the coming months. The current estimated date of delivery for the completed game is August, 2014.


WIRELESS WIPESSome people say a smartphone is dirtier than a toilet seat. Wireless Wipes are one way to keep your iPhone gunk-free. They’re specially designed for tech and are fast drying, non-streaking and non-corrosive. Available in re-sealable packs of 12, Wireless Wipes also come in three fragrances: pomegranate citrus, green tea cucumber and rosemary peppermint.R49Bit.ly/1kfibbq

SPYDER POWERSHADOW IPHONE BATTERY CASEGive your iPhone a full charge with this Spyder battery case. Sure, it may add a little bulk... but when you consider that you can get an additional eight hours talktime, you won’t want to take it off. The PowerShadow also comes with a handy dock, which means it’s easy to recharge the case from a wall socket or computer – just pop the phone in and you’re good to go.R1299, Bit.ly/SPNTq0

KNOMO COLVILLE WRISTLET

If you’re looking for a stylish phone case that also

fits your battery pack cover, the Colville wristlet from Knomo is the best of both worlds. Not only does it have two compartments – one for your phone, another for cash and cards – it’s made from lightweight nylon with soft quilting that promises to protect your tech. R699Bit.ly/1mq5a1F

INCASE USB TO LIGHTNING CABLE If there’s one Apple accessory you don’t want to buy a cheapie version of, it’s a Lightning cable. Knock-offs are known to break, so it’s important to invest in a good brand like Incase. Available in a few bright colours, these USB to lightning cables are durable and ideal for whenever, and wherever, you need to be connected. R299

must-haves iPhone extrasLooking for iPhone accessories? Get the most out of your iOS device with these five, fun Apple add-ons.

KENU AIRFRAMEWhere do you keep your iPhone when driving? What if you need to use Apple Maps or hands-free calling? The Kenu Airframe is a light, portable and adjustable car mount that quickly clips into any air vent to keep your phone at eye level. It also comes with an attachable stand that’s small enough to slip into your wallet. R399, Bit.ly/1pj9Zi3

R1299, Bit.ly/SPNTq0

available at leading retail outlets

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SUPERTEST

BUDGET SMARTPHONE

We pick five options that promise a smartphone experience at a fraction of the price

Last year smartphones managed to outsell feature phones for the first time in history. It wasn’t all because

of flagship phones like the Galaxy S5 or the HTC One, rather it was the proliferation of budget smartphones that have driven down the price of owning one of these powerful, potentially life-changing devices.

For our supertest this month we’re

focusing on some amazing budget smartphones. While some of them are here because of their low prices, all of them are here because of the incredible value they offer. The network operators in South Africa have jumped on the low cost bandwagon with the MTN Steppa and the Vodafone Smart 4 mini from Vodacom taking their shot at the title. While both

Samsung and Sony have some skin in the game with the Galaxy Trend and the Xperia E1 making their presence felt. LG brings the only phablet to the mix with its G Pro Lite while Nokia is the only non-Android smartphone in the running with its wildly popular Lumia 520. All of them are great budget smartphones, but only one can be the winner.

SMARTPWHICH…

HONESamsung and Sony have some skin in

SHOULD

YOU BUY?

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SUPERTEST

LG G PRO LITE VODAFONE SMART 4 MINI

NOKIA LUMIA 520Nokia’s Lumia 520 has been an absolute revelation in South Africa. It has done extremely well in the market even having beaten the iPhone 5 in sales at one point. It owes much of this success to the ease of use that first time smartphone owners find in the Windows Phone operating system with its big colourful tiles and simple to use interface. The fact that the Lumia 520 is already a year old and can still compete with phones that have just entered the market in its price range is proof of just how good the hardware inside the Lumia 520 is. The only fault we might be inclined to pick on is the Windows Phone operating system which lacks the same amount of apps as Android has, but since almost all of the most widely used apps are present it shouldn’t be a big deal to most.

The LG G Pro Lite is both the largest smartphone, in terms of sheer physical size, in our supertest as well as the most expensive. However the increased budget allows it to bring some hefty benefits to the table. At the outset a 5.5 inch display with the less pixels than the 3.5 inch display of the iPhone 4 sounds like a terrible idea but the G Pro Lite’s display manages to make up for the lack of pixels with fantastic colours and outdoor visibility thanks to the IPS technology it uses. Battery life is by far our feature of choice in any smartphone and the G Pro Lite is an absolute champion in this arena. It’s all because of the monster of a battery hiding within the G Pro Lite which is

larger than all but a few phones that we’ve ever had to test.

It’s the follow up to Vodacom’s first effort at a self-branded budget smartphone last year and the improvement is rather drastic. For nearly a third of the price of some of our other competitors you get a 4 inch display with the same 480x800 resolution as the Xperia E1, the Galaxy Trend and the Lumia 520 although the latter definitely wins the display bragging rights of the four. While it may not be the latest version of Android the Smart 4 Mini does come with a respectable enough version of Jelly Bean which seems to run rather smoothly on the modest set of hardware offered. The only real [points to nit-pick on is below par camera performance and a sluggish processor that can at times be infuriatingly slow. However considering the fact that the price is only three digits long, these are easily forgiven.

LITE ON PRICE, NOT ON FEATURES

A MINI SMARTPHONE FOR SMART PEOPLE

TILES FOR MILES

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R4 799A big battery and beautiful display

Bit.ly/1lNTcSp

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DETAILS

R799Priced just right for what you get.

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 19

SUPERTEST

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R1 999This little Lumia can do no wrong.

SONY XPERIA E1Sony has been on a comeback mission with its Xperia smartphone range and the Xperia E1 is one of the finest examples of just how well the Japanese electronics giant can assemble a complete package. Both hardware and software wise the Xperia E1 is in a class of its own in this field with the best processor of the bunch as well as, something few flagship phones from 18 months can say, a planned upgrade to the latest version Android. Battery life is excellent with Sony’s power management software doing a fantastic job of stretching out the battery over a full day. Even the, seemingly lacklustre, 3 megapixel camera produces better-than-expected pictures. The only real disappointment is the design of the phone which looks rather dated and uninspired compared to the brilliance that lies beneath.

EXCEPTIONAL XPERIANCE

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DETAILS

R1 799Big battery, super speaker.

Bit.ly/Sjmzjh


SAMSUNG GALAXY TRENDSamsung’s Galaxy brand of smartphones is almost instantly recognisable and the Galaxy Trend is no different. In fact the Galaxy Trend looks like a miniature version of a Galaxy S3 only smaller. The similarities with the Galaxy S3 aren’t just skin-deep either with an almost identical looking skin over the operating system to the one used on its more famous brethren. While we love the instant familiarity that most people will feel with Samsung’s smartphones along with the fantastic display that Samsung have put into the Galaxy Trend we were slightly disappointed with its real world performance. The Galaxy Trend is as smooth as butter when you first start it up, but once laden with apps and widgets on the home screen it starts slowing down rather drastically at

times. We would have also liked a newer version of Android than the now three-year-old Android 4.0 that it comes with.

SAMSUNG IS DEFINITELY TRENDING

SUPERTEST

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R1 999Apps and widgets a-plenty!

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DETAILS

R499Less features mean a longer battery life.

Bit.ly/1l5dVkv

MTN STEPPAIf this were a simple race to the bottom of the price scale then the MTN Steppa would have this all sewn up without the need to for any further reading. The fact that you could purchase two of them for R1 000 and still be able to tip the car-guard R2 on your way out of the store is an incredible feat. However that R499 price does make for a rather spartan spec sheet which might not appeal to everyone. One of the biggest gripes we have with the Steppa is the fact the Google’s Android operating system is buried underneath one of the heaviest customisations we’ve ever seen on an Android phone. Sure we can get passed it with some trickery, but should we have to?

STEPPING UP, STEPPING OUT

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LG G Pro Lite MTN Steppa Nokia Lumia 520 Samsung Galaxy Trend Sony Xperia E1 Vodafone Smart

Mini

Display 5.5 inch IPS LCD 3.5 inch 4 inch IPS LCD 4 inch TFT LCD 4 inch TFT LCD 4 inch TFT LCD

Display resolution

540x960 320x480 480x800 480x800 480x800 480x800

Pixel density

200ppi 165ppi 233ppi 233ppi 233ppi 233ppi

Processor Dual core 1GHz 1GHz Dual core 1GHz 1GHz Dual core 1.2GHz Dual core 1.3GHz

RAM 1GB 512MB 512MB 768MB 512MB 512MB

Storage8GB (microSD card up

to 32GB)1GB (microSD card

up to 32GB)8GB (microSD card

up to 64GB)4GB (microSD

card up to 32GB)4GB (microSD card up

to 32GB)4GB (microSD card up

to 32GB)

Camera 8MP 2MP 5MP 5MP 3MP 3MP

WiFi Dual-band 802.11n Yes 802.11n 802.11n 802.11n 802.11n

Bluetooth Bluetooth 3.0 Yes Bluetooth 4.0 Bluetooth 3.0 Bluetooth 4.0 Bluetooth 4.0

Battery 3140mAh 1300mAh 1430mAh 1500mAh 1700mAh 1400mAh

OS Android 4.2.2 Android 2.3.5Windows Phone 8,

Lumia Black updateAndroid 4.0

Android 4.3 (upgrade to 4.4 planned)

Android 4.2.2

Weight 161g 125g 124g 122g 120g 117g

SPECS-TACULAR


WINNER

SUPERTEST

EDITOR’S CHOICE

It’s difficult to pick a single winner from the crowd because all of these smartphones are here by virtue of the fact that they offer fantastic value for their prices. Instead we have two winners with the Vodafone Smart 4 Mini taking the budget crown for the staggering specs and user experience from a phone that costs just R799. Overall though we still find ourselves completely in love with the Nokia Lumia 520 as a budget smartphone. It has everything we want in a smartphone at a price that is affordable enough to meet the needs of a vast section of the South African population. We cannot believe just how much technology can fit inside a set of smartphones this well-priced in fact if you bought all of the smartphones in our test you would spend just R1 600 more than a new Samsung Galaxy S5 would cost you.

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Huawei Ascend P7Whatever else it may be, the Huawei Ascend P7 is first and foremost a stunningly beautiful smartphone.

‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ has become the axiom of smartphone design and, realising that it had

created something good with the Ascend P6, Huawei chose to build on, and improve the P6’s design with the Ascend P7. The biggest change from the Ascend P6 to the P7 is on the back of the smartphone. Gone is the brushed aluminium back-plate of the P6 replaced instead with new a seven-layer glass panel with a micro-dotted pattern inspired by Eastern garden philosophy.

The Huawei Ascend P7 ticks all of the hardware boxes that we expect from a flagship smartphone in 2014. Huawei, like Apple and Samsung, designs and manufactures its own processors based on ARM’s designs. The HiSilicon Kirin 910T found in the Ascend P7 is a quad core 1.8GHz processor which is significantly more powerful than its predecessor and most importantly comes with built in LTE, something Samsung’s chips in the Galaxy S5 can’t claim. System memory sits on par with Samsung’s Galaxy S5 at 2GB while the on-board storage has been given a much-needed bump to 16GB with expansion by as much as 64GB possible via microSD cards.

Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11n WiFi join the aforementioned LTE for wireless communications across all of the popular standards while an FM radio makes a surprise appearance in a high-end

smartphone to remind us that it’s not quite dead just yet.

Imaging duties are taken care of by a 13-megapixel rear camera from the good folks at Sony but the real story is the 8 megapixel front facing camera which is bound to please the selfie-conscious masses.

On top of the Android 4.4.2 base is a layer of Huawei’s own Emotion UI interface where the look and feel of the OS can be changed. A built-in theme manager replete with nine different themes ranging from flat and colourful iOS-like icons to more neutral coloured icons for the business conscious allows for quick customisation of the look of your P7 from the word go.

The Huawei Ascend P7’s display measures in with a 5-inch diagonal and full HD resolution which puts it on par with the best premium handsets available on the market today. The high pixel density display makes for text that is both smooth and crisp with great contrast between dark and light colours making reading anything from a short message to a book a pleasure.

While most smartphones are content to brag about the cameras on their backs, the Huawei Ascend P7 has an incredible 8 megapixel selfie-cam it has up front. While low light conditions will make hard work of getting the best selfies the Ascend P7 has by far the best front-facing camera

we’ve ever tested.On the back, Huawei has chosen to go

with a Sony-sourced 13 megapixel unit as the ‘main camera’ on the Ascend P7 and boy are we glad it did.

The Ascend P7’s Ultra Snapshot function remains a killer camera feature – double-clicking the volume down button when the P7 is in the lockscreen or even completely asleep wakes the camera up and immediately takes a picture in as little as 1.2 seconds.

When all is said and done, much of whether the Huawei Ascend P7 will be a contender for our smartphone of the year will depend on its price when it finally comes to South Africa.

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DETAILS• Display: 5-inch, 1 080×1 920 HD IPS

LCD display (441 ppi)

• Operating System: Android 4.4.2 with

Emotion UI 2.3

• Processor: HiSilicon Kirin 910T

1.8GHz quad core processor

• Memory: 2GB RAM

• Storage: 16GB expandable by up to

64GB with microSD cards

• Battery: 2500mAh non-removable

• Camera: 13 megapixel rear, 8

megapixel front-facing

• Networking: Dual band 802.11n WiFi,

Bluetooth 4.0 and LTE

R6 499 (estimated on €449 price)

REVIEWS

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 25

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NASA’s global selfie to create a mosaicThe US space agency got 30 000 people to photograph themselves, and made this awesome gigapixel picture.Bit.ly/1mstu4p

Make free calls with SA-launched ttrumpet appNew smartphone app developed by FastComm promises cheap calls. And it was made in SA.Bit.ly/1khGWbT

MTN, Cell C and Vodacom fail quality testsYou probably could have guessed this, but not all is well with our network reception in South Africa.Bit.ly/1gACMMf

How smartphones are madeCheck out this video made by our very own Brett Haggard - he visited one of Lenovo’s factories in China, and found out how phones are built. Bit.ly/SQeC5I

Unlike its competitors, the Jawbone UP24 has no display. There are

two LED indicator lights – a sun and a moon – used to indicate whether the UP24 is in sleep mode or not. The UP24 doesn’t have a clasp or a clip to keep it closed, instead it simply fits around you wrist overlapping slightly at the end. The lack of a display on the Jawbone UP24 means that most interaction is done through the UP app. It allows you to set daily activity and sleep goals which will then

be tracked by the accelerometer. The sleep logging feature is the most interesting – it records how long it took you to fall asleep, how many times you woke up during the night and how long you spent in light and deep sleep by using its accelerometer to measure how much you’re moving. A full week’s charge only takes about 90 minutes, so if you’re in the market for a fitness tracker then Jawbone’s UP24 is very good as a pedometer and a sleep monitoring device. Find it

Onyx, Persimmon and Coral.

Nearly everything about the Z2 is better: it’s thinner, lighter and its quad-core

processor isn’t slowed down by anything. The Z2 can survive liquid spills, splashes, and even immersion in water. (You could use it in the shower and read an ebook in the bath if you really wanted to.) The Z2’s 1 920x1 200 resolution can’t compete with Apple’s Retina but it still manages to put out some pretty crisp-looking visuals. The Qualcomm’s MSM8974-AB Snapdragon 801 processor is a very zippy beast and the Z2’s interface was also very fast. Looking at the

sound, Sony moved the speakers in the Z2 so that your hands don’t muffle them when simply holding the tablet in both hands. However you want to connect to the wider world, the Xperia Tablet Z2 has you covered. It has a SIM slot so that it can connect to cellular networks at up to LTE speeds, built-in 802.11b/g/n WiFi and also an NFC chip for interacting with assorted NFC-enabled technology like smartphones and printers. Overall, the Xperia Tablet Z2 is a brilliant replacement of any tablet older than two years.

Jawbone UP24Understand how you sleep, move and eat

Sony Xperia Tablet Z2The latest waterproof Android tablet

DETAILS• Battery: 32mAh battery

Lithium-ion polymer

• Sensor: Bluetooth 4.0 BLE

• Weight: 23 grams

R1899

More news at

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DETAILS• Weight: 439g

• Resolution: 1 920x1 200

R8 999

REVIEWS


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Story

Fun

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DETAILS• Platforms: Xbox 360,

PlayStation 3, Xbox One,

PlayStation 4, PC, Wii,

Wii U

from R399

REVIEWS

Trials Fusion is a puzzle game disguised as a motorbike racer. The premise is simple: all you need to do is ride your

motorbike along a two-dimensional path while balancing your rider just right so that he is able to jump over obstacles and navigate difficult terrain without falling on his head. If you can pull off a trick or two while doing it, all the better. Each level is timed, giving you a way to compare your performance with that of your friends, and a way to determine what medal you’ll earn. While that may all sound rather easy, it’s not. Your manual dexterity and mental agility will be tested to the Nth

degree before you’ve come anywhere close to mastering the game. Even in the beginning, you will spend more time falling off your bike than you where getting everything right at the right time is the game’s most difficult challenge, since you have to do it all at speed. Succeeding means progress, which unlocks additional tracks, bikes and accessories for your rider as you level up.

You’ll need a great sense of judgement and reflexes in order to land safely and complete the many and varied courses the game throws at you. For an extended review go to Bit.ly/1koeSTM

Trials FusionA beautiful puzzle game that will challenge both your reflexes and mental agility

REVIEWS

The best way to describe LEGO The Hobbit is that it’s a LEGO-themed re-enactment of key scenes

from both The Hobbit movies. You’ll see Smaug’s defeat of the dwarves, Bilbo’s unwitting inclusion in Thorin’s Company via Gandalf ’s dwarf ambush, the encounter with the three trolls Tom, Bert and William and many other famous scenes from a whole new perspective. In the course of moving the story through its paces, players will bash things, collect LEGO studs (the game’s currency), fight orcs and bosses, jump on platforms, build things to solve puzzles and go looking for secret areas and special LEGO blocks. Unfortunately the

player still has no say in what gets built, as their involvement in building certain things in this game is limited to pointing out missing bits for points/studs. Levels are highly re-playable as you’ll need specific characters, many of whom only unlock as the story progresses, to reach all areas as doing so often needs someone with a particular ability to unblock the way. New to the LEGO series is a building/puzzle mechanic that requires you to collect various components needed to finish special objects that solve puzzles. Even if you you’re not a fan of the movies, LEGO The Hobbit has enough charm of its own to make the game worth your while, regardless of the

platform you play it on. For an extended review go to Bit.ly/1k0Fo6Y

LEGO The Hobbit

DETAILS• Publisher: Ubisoft

• Platform: Windows,

Xbox 360, PlayStation 4,

Xbox One

R299

Lego Movie A4 Poster.indd 1 2014/03/06 8:21 AM

Lego Movie A4 Poster.indd 1 2014/03/06 8:21 AM


REVIEWS

Watch_Dogs

Playing as Aiden Pearce, gamers step into a future where Chicago has been taken over

by a new, automated operating system called CtOS that controls absolutely everything. Every gadget, gizmo, invention and electronic device has a computer chip in it that’s linked to CtOS, and of course while it’s mostly secure, there are those with the ability to “hack” the system and put its many disparate parts to work for their own purposes. Pearce is one of them.

Early on in the game, Pearce is given backdoor access to the CtOS system which allows him to control cameras, traffic lights, steam pipes, enemy grenades and more using just his phone, which essentially turns the entire world into his playground.

Story missions usually involve some sort of infiltration into heavily-guarded or electronically-secured locations, and naturally the ability to hack electronics comes in mighty handy. Surveillance cameras can be remotely controlled, and should another camera be within range Pearce can “jump” from feed to feed in order to find ways past or through guards.

Aiden can hack anything hackable that’s in the camera’s visual range, allowing him to hack things as if he were standing next to them. It is here that Watch_Dogs achieves its greatest victory: hacking things to make things happen is fun. There’s something incredibly satisfying about hitching a ride on surveillance cameras, distracting enemies by blasting static through their comms or killing them with explosions caused by transformer overloads, without even setting foot in the area.

Of course, Watch_Dogs isn’t just about hacking - there’s a pretty

A blend of hacking, driving and shooting in a gorgeous, fully-realised open-world near-future setting.

DETAILS• Publisher: Ubisoft

• Platforms: Xbox 360,

Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PC

• The good: Hacking, open

world gorgeousness and

awesome multiplayer

• The bad: A little bit

buggy

From R599 for the PC

version to R799 on PS4

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 29

Watch_Dogsdecent driving game and shooter in there, too. And that’s a good thing since you’ll be doing a lot of both. There’s a skill tree in the game that lets you unlock extra skills and abilities that make Aiden stronger and more effective. Skill points are awarded every time you level up, which you do by completing missions and side-quests.

There aren’t too many of these so you won’t be customising Aiden like you would a character in an RPG; rather, skills will be unlocked in a natural progression as you make your way through the story. You should have unlocked everything by the end of the story missions, giving you access to the full range of Aiden’s abilities.

If you’re not into the game’s story mode, there’s a lot else to keep you occupied. Watch_Dogs has a huge number of side-missions and activities available to amuse yourself with, from street and strategy games to driving challenges to augmented reality drone warfare.

Upgrading weapons in Watch_Dogs is a matter of money, which can be earned from finishing missions and stealing bank account information by hacking passers-by. Interestingly, there’s a crafting system

in the game that requires you to collect components and unlock skills. Otherwise you’ll have to find them in the world, which isn’t easy.

Ubisoft clearly put a lot of thought into Watch_Dogs’ multiplayer. It’s accessed

by activating the Online Contracts app on Aiden’s smartphone and options include online races for up to eight players, challenging someone using the game’s companion app to try stopping you from reaching checkpoints, invading someone else’s game to hack them, and a team deathmatch type game called

Online Decryption. You can even invite friends to join you in a massive free-roam session where you can explore and fight

together.Ubisoft must really be commended

for Watch_Dogs’ look and feel. The game is beautiful in ways that go beyond merely looking nice: explosions are particularly punchy, and the way cars break apart under gunfire and smash open when driven into is just so well done that it’s fun to shoot them just for the hell of it.

The soundtrack is likewise incredible, with a dizzying range of well-known tunes

from a wide variety of genres that play

when you jump into a car. Watch_Dogs is a stunning achievement by the folks at Ubisoft. It looks and sounds amazing, it’s massive amounts of fun to play and there’s so much to do that you’ll easily get 50 hours of entertainment out of it, if not more.

Watch_Dogs is more than just amazing visuals and fun videogame stuff: it has a very serious side too. Its story about a connected city where privacy is an illusion and where evil men exploit its technology for their own gain is uncomfortably poignant, perfect for this time when that sort of nasty business is unfolding in the real world. As such Watch_Dogs poses some interesting questions along the way, all but guaranteeing that you’ll come away having had more than just your trigger finger challenged.

“The game is beautiful in ways that go beyond merely looking

nice: explosions are particularly punchy,

and the way cars break apart under gunfire… is so well

done that it’s fun to shoot them just for

the hell of it.”

REVIEWS

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PS3™/PS4™

Exclusive Editionincludes 60 minutes

of exclusive gameplay

MAY 27TH 2014

©2014 Ubisoft Entertainm

ent. All Rights Reserved. Watch Dogs, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are tradem

arks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. ”2

”, “PlayStation” and “PS3” are trademarks or registered

trademarks of Sony Com

puter Entertainment Inc. “Ã

“ is a trademark of the sam

e company. Tradem

arks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo, W

ii and WiiU are tradem

arks of Nintendo.

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 31

Metal Gear Solid V: Ground ZeroesDon’t let the short game time put you off: like many things in life, there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Ground Zeroes (GZ) is a bit of a baffling release. Firstly, it’s a one-mission prequel to the upcoming

Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, itself a bizarre idea since it comes with a steep price-tag. Secondly, it can be finished quite easily in a lot less than two hours. If all you do is play the main mission, you’re left with the feeling that you’ve paid full price for a game demo, and that’s not a nice feeling at all.

But should you take the time to finish the main mission, you’ll unlock four side-missions called Side Ops that mix up your starting point, enemy placement and your objective, all set within variations of the same level where the main mission is set. These Side Ops aren’t easy, either, and beating them will take you a lot longer than the initial mission did. As a further bonus, if you manage to pick up specific collectibles hidden throughout the main mission - itself quite an achievement - you’ll open the fifth and final Side Op. Effectively there’s a lot of bang for your Metal Gear buck here - it’s just hidden beneath layers many gamers likely won’t peel back.

Ground Zeroes is a stealth/action game by gaming great Hideo Kojima, and it’s a prologue to the main Metal Gear game

that’s coming out later this year, MGS V: The Phantom Pain. It’s partially a showcase of that game’s new Fox engine, and partly a demonstration of how it’s going to play differently from Metal Gear games of the past. For instance there’s no CODEC in this game, no mini-map or health bar, something that MG fans may find a bit upsetting.

Story-wise, Ground Zeroes is about a rescue: two Metal Gear characters, Paz and Chico, have been captured and imprisoned in a detention camp, and it’s up to Big Boss (Snake) to rescue them both using any and all means at his disposal. He can silently take enemies out from the shadows or he can run and gun, although the latter tactic is much trickier to pull off thanks to good AI and a constant string of reinforcements. This is especially difficult when it’s time to get the prisoners to the extraction zone as Big Boss has to carry them on his shoulders and stash them somewhere safe when a firefight breaks out.

In a change of pace for Kojima, GZ doesn’t have nearly as many cinematics and unlike the movie-like cutscenes of previous Gear games. The PS4 version sports some excellent graphics. Kojima and company pulled out all the stops to make this one of the best-looking PS4 games to date.

The sound is likewise a polished piece of digital art, with multi-directional cues that tipped me off to enemy placement, what surface they were walking on and even how far away they were. Technically, GZ is a brilliant achievement.

So is the game worth the asking price? Even though it is somewhat limited in its scope, it’s a rather exciting taster of what MGS V: The Phantom Pain will deliver later this year. You should definitely not let word of its brevity stop you from playing what is a very polished and very enjoyable entry into the Metal Gear Solid series.

For an extended review go to Bit.ly/RTJJN8

DETAILS• Game: Metal Gear

Solid V: Ground Zeroes

by Kojima Productions,

produced by Konami.

• Platforms: PS3, PS4,

Xbox One and Xbox 360

• The Good: The best

graphics we’ve ever seen

on a PS4

• The Bad: It’s short and

limited in scope

R399

8

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8

7

9

Overall

Challenge

Sound

How it plays

Longevity and Replayability

Graphics

SCORES

Awesome reviews at

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PINK, PUFFY PLATFORMING - KIRBY: TRIPLE DELUXE

AERIAL ACROBATICS: BLAZIN’ ACES FOR IOS, WINDOWS PHONE

Kirby is a multi-faceted creature with a penchant for fancy dress: whenever he swallows an enemy, he can make a copycat ability for himself. Bit.ly/1m3qOtZ

This is a two-dimensional side-scroller features aerial dogfighting action, ramped up to modern standards, complete with gorgeous HD graphics and an orchestral score.Bit.ly/1kofNDv

REVIEWS

PS3™/PS4™

Exclusive Editionincludes 60 minutes

of exclusive gameplay

MAY 27TH 2014

©2014 Ubisoft Entertainm

ent. All Rights Reserved. Watch Dogs, Ubisoft and the Ubisoft logo are tradem

arks of Ubisoft Entertainment in the U.S. and/or other countries. ”2

”, “PlayStation” and “PS3” are trademarks or registered

trademarks of Sony Com

puter Entertainment Inc. “Ã

“ is a trademark of the sam

e company. Tradem

arks are property of their respective owners. Nintendo, W

ii and WiiU are tradem

arks of Nintendo.

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 33

Five must-play games for your mobileLooking for some new mobile games to kill time with on your next commute, or something to play for a few minutes before bedtime?

REVIEWS

BLAZIN’ACES (iOS, Android, Windows Phone)This locally-made arcade shooter has you dogfighting with World War II-era planes across different environments, using intuitive touchscreen controls that are easy to pick up while a beautiful orchestral score plays in the background. A neat story links the single-player campaign into a cohesive whole, or you can simply play skirmish missions to test your mettle against competent AI. R10.99

PLAGUE, INC (Android)Plague, Inc. tasks you with creating the perfect super-virus that must infect people at a terrific rate, and adapt to every cure humanity can throw at it. Your aim is to get the job done in as little time as possible by earning DNA points that upgrade your super-virus’s abilities to be more resistant to study (and therefore a cure), resilient to environmental conditions or simply violently effective so that it can spread faster than a cure can be developed. Free, with in-app purchases

HEARTHSTONE (iOS)This charming card-duelling game looks just as amazing on iPad as it does on a PC or Mac, and is both challenging and addictive. Play solo or against live players and rank up, earning card unlocks and other rewards along the way. You don’t have to spend a cent, either – you can earn plenty of extra cards for your deck completing the game’s quests and levelling up your characters. Free with in-app purchases

ICEBREAKER: A VIKING VOYAGE (Android, iOS)Do you like swiping at your screen, chopping and breaking things like a boss using nothing more than your fingers? If you do, Icebreaker: A Viking Voyage is for you. It’s more of a puzzler than an action game, challenging you to get your Vikings back to their Longboat by using your chopping, slicing and hammering skills to hack through icy obstacles and ropes. R26 (Google), R10.99 (iOS), with in-app purchases

HITMAN GO (iOS)Hitman: GO brings the murder and mayhem of the Hitman series to a turn-based, boardgame-like setting. Instead of 3D worlds, you’ll be planning your target’s assassination in gorgeous isometric environments while looking for creative ways to remain under the radar. This unique puzzler scratches both the murder and puzzle-solving itch the series is known for, just from a new perspective. R54.99 with in-app purchases

FUJIFILM’s acclaimed X-Series technology once again places you, the photographer, in the

leading role, letting you capture any photographic moment exactly as you intended.

The central themes of the X-series are simplicity and elegance. The camera is a precision instrument, but one that’s combined with a

functional beauty. Now, this fusion has resulted in the new fagship of the X-series, the X-T1, and, like every model that’s come before it, you’ll

fnd the joy of photography is hard-wired into its DNA, electrifying your instincts as a photographer, daring you to stretch your imagination

and capture perfect images every time you shoot.

Freeze the moment in time - with X-T1, it ’s like a refex.

There’s no substitute.

0

5

25

75

95

100

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 35

Nikon brings things closer with new telephoto lensLooking for something to capture a distant subject with crystal clarity? Nikon South Africa has released the AF-S NIKKOR 400mm

MM f/2.8E FL ED VR – a super-telephoto, fixed focal length (prime) lens. With a focal length of 400mm you will be able to bring far-away objects into close view for setting up the perfect shot. Grant Norton, Head of Sales for Nikon in South Africa, explained

in a press statement that the lens provides excellent autofocus accuracy. “The new AF-S NIKKOR 400mm f/2.8E super-telephoto lens brings together innovative optics with precise autofocus accuracy to deliver superb images in a lighter package.”

The super-telephoto lens makes use of a combination of different elements, such as fluorite, ED and a Nano Crystal Coat, ensuring that the lens performs at its peak. The barrel of the lens is fitted with magnesium alloy to make it lighter, and to transition smoothly between horizontal and vertical shooting, the tripod collar ring comprises of bearings. According to Nikon, “the super-telephoto lens is also equipped with an electro-magnetic aperture mechanism that contributes to better auto-exposure stability with high-speed continuous shooting, and a vibration reduction (VR) function that offers compensation for camera shake equivalent to a 4.0-stop increase in shutter speed.”

CAMERA NEWS, TIPS, TRICKS AND TUTORIALS

SOUTH AFRICA’S BEST

PHOTOS.HTXT.CO.ZA

© Tsutomu KishimotoShutter Speed: 1/2” | Aperture: F2.8 | Focal Length: 400mm

PHOTOGRAPHY

brings together innovative optics with precise autofocus accuracy

continuous shooting, and a vibration reduction (VR) function that offers compensation for camera shake equivalent to a 4.0-

you can




1TH

REA

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TEC

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WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 37

PHOTOGRAPHY

Camera manufacturer Canon is giving photographers another means of going super wide,

by adding two new high-performance, wide-angle zoom lenses to its EF range in South Africa.

The EF-S 10-18mm F4.5-5.6 IS STM is purpose-built for Canon’s consumer range of APS-C sensor EOS DSLRs,

and the company promises that it will deliver sharp and crisp wide-angle stills and HD movies. The lens makes use of optical IS and STM technologies to help with this.

For those looking for something a bit more professional, then the EF 16-35mm F4L IS USM will do the trick. The lens is the company’s first ultra-

wide L-series lens to feature Canon’s signature optical Image Stabilizer (IS) technology, so it will offer a four-stop advantage over non-IS lenses. There’s no South African prices yet, but it may be more reasonable than you think. The 16-35mm lens is hefty $1 200 (R12 500) overseas, but the 10-18mm lens is very tempting at $300 (R3 150).

Many were convinced that compact cameras were destined for the rubbish bin of history. Stuck between ever improving mobile phones and lower priced

mirrorless systems, it looked as though compacts were as unlikely to survive. Then we started seeing snappers like the Cybershot RX series from Sony, and a comeback was clearly on the cards: small, powerful and keenly priced the whole format started to look more attractive again. Sony announced its new flagship RX100 III. It’s a follow-up from the RX100 and RX100 II models, and features a specially developed ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 24-70mm1 F1.8-2.8 lens and adds a built-in OLED viewfinder with ZEISS T* coating for super sharp focussing and scratch resistance. Using the same 20.1 MP 1.0-type back-illuminated CMOS image sensor as the previous RX100 II model, it adds a BIONZ X processor. While the RX100 III is a compact camera, the processor is the same that can be found in full-framed models such as the a7 and a7R models.

A major feature for the RX100 III is the new Zeiss lens, which covers the 24 -70mm focal length with a wide F1.8 – F2.8 aperture. According to Sony, the wide aperture at 70mm allows the lens to let in about twice the amount of light as the RX100 and RX100 II models. “The new ZEISS lens realizes outstanding corner-to-corner

sharpness, with nine total aspherical glass elements including two advanced aspherical elements that have been cemented together – a world’s first in lens manufacturing,” Sony concluded. The RX100 III is expected to go on sale in June and will retail for about $800, South African pricing TBC.

Go super-wide with Canon’s new lenses

Sony’s perky new compact is small but extremely powerful

III is expected to go on sale in June and will retail for about $800, South African pricing TBC.

super-wide with Canon’s new lenses

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they saved online? Here’s the secret - they visited deals.htxt.africa, an awesome place where we’ve gone and done the hard work for you.

Our expert team scours the web every

day looking for the best discounts and offers available in South Africa, and then post them to our site.

Join them in their search to save money, and win prizes for submitting the best deals if you find one yourself. We’re not affiliated to any retailer, so you can be sure these deals are the best we can find.

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WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 39

SUPERTEST

Action CameraWhen it comes to filming action sequences or high-speed

extreme sports, more often than not the go-to piece of equipment would be an action camera. They have been

making their mark on consumers ever since they entered into the mainstream segment about six or so years ago. Ever since then, consumers have been strapping them onto helmets, bike handles, canoe paddles and even birds or sharks. The reason they have become so integral to filming high-speed action or extreme sports

is that they are incredibly versatile and ultra-portable – sometimes no larger than a computer mouse. But there is also a down side to cramming so much HD technology into a small form-factor – price. They tend to border on the expensive side, but once the power of these little beauties have been discovered, it becomes incredibly difficult to return to the old ways of the tradition (or dedicated) video camera. There are a number of companies that produce a variety of action cameras, but which one should consumers settle for?

Action cams are ultra-portable and incredibly easy to use, but which is South Africa’s best one?

Action CameraWHICH IS THE BEST…

40 | TECH MADE EASY | JUNE 201440 | TECH MADE EASY | JUNE 2014

ROLLEI BULLET YOUNGSTAR 720P

GOPRO HERO3+

You could be forgiven if you haven’t heard about Rollei before, but the company has been in the camera-

producing business since 1902. They established their reputation in the 50s and 60s as a precision manufacturer, and was acquired

7

6

8

6

7

Overall

Performance

Value

Image Quality

Handling

SCORES

SMALL AND INEXPENSIVE, IT IS AN OPTION FOR THE BUDGET-CONSCIOUS

TINY AS A MATCHBOX, IT GETS THE JOB DONE

SUPERTEST

GoPro has managed to become the quintessential action camera since they introduced their first

model in 2005. Since then, the company has produced a great number of different variations, all with differing qualities and strengths. But their flagship model is without a doubt the Hero3+ Black Edition, capturing the imagination and action of brand ambassadors like skateboarder Shaun White and Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner.

HANDLINGMeasuring in at slightly larger than a matchbox and weighing 136g, it is 20% smaller and lighter than previous GoPro models, making one of the most portable cameras out there. There is virtually nothing that users have to do in terms of operation (other than setting the mode), as simply pressing one button will do the trick. With only two buttons, navigating the menu

KEY FEATURES• HD Video Resolution (720p/30fps)

• 135° Wide Angle lens

• Up to 90 minutes of battery power

• Electronic shutter speed control and

automatic exposure compensation

• Waterproof up to 10 meters

R850

PERFORMANCEThe little video camera might not be as powerful at the rest in this supertest, but it can hold its own in the budget range. It features a 2-inch touchscreen at the back, and while it is a nifty thing to have, it not consistent in sensitivity and pressing some options can be difficult. The waterproof housing is sturdy enough, but users won’t be able to change from video to still images while the housing is on. It also features a rather small battery, as users will only be able to squeeze about 90 minutes out of the unit.

by RCP-Technik in 2007 – so they have a couple of years of experience. Catering

more towards the lower-end of the price spectrum, they have a number of action camera models for all sorts of activities.

HANDLINGFractionally bigger than the Hero3+, the lightweight plastic casing encompasses everything that users might want to achieve. Operation is fairly simple, as it has a power button and a capture button, both located on the top. It really is a matter of pointing

and shooting, with no fuss. Just like the Hero3+, it comes with a waterproof housing and the handling while in the case provide for a similar experience. Although it is impossible to touch the screen while the cover is on.

IMAGE QUALITYWith a 1.3MP CMOS sensor, users

shouldn’t expect award-winning footage, but at least it is in 720p and 30fps. The 135° Wide Angle lens will also help

to capture as much as possible, while the electronic shutter speed control and automatic exposure compensation will assist in allowing just the right amount of light to enter the lens. The Youngstar has a fixed-focus lens, yet users can zoom in and out by using the touch screen. While it might seem like a nifty feature to have, the quality of the zoomed-in images deteriorate rather quickly.

BLACK EDITION

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 41

GARMIN VIRB ELITEHANDLINGThe VIRB is an interesting one in the sense that it is considerably larger than most of the action cameras on the market. Yet, it handles fairly well. In terms of operational use, to start filming all that users have to do is flip a big switch on the side of the body. To take still images, there is a dedicated button for that as well. The unit is also waterproof (IPX7), so it will able to film underwater, as well as take a few knocks. A number of accessories will allow users to slap it on almost anything, improving its usability.

IMAGE QUALITYWith a 16 megapixel CMOS image processor and WideVü lens, captured videos and still images will be crisp, and pretty much on par with some mid-range compact cameras. As its primary function is to capture video, a number of modes are available: 1080p@30fps, 960p@48fps, 720p@30/60fps, 848x480@120fps. Action sports by nature are fast-paced, so Garmin included a Digital Stabilization to minimize the effects of constant motion. It also includes Photo Burst or Time Lapse modes in 16 megapixels. For stills, 16 megapixel, 12 megapixel or 8 megapixel are selectable.

PERFORMANCEWith a solid body and easy controls, the VIRB is ready to go straight out of the box. It is powered by a 2000 mAh lithium-ion battery, which should give users around three hours of 1080p recording – which is more than the average. The only issue that

SLIGHTLY BIGGER THAN THE REST, BUT STILL PRETTY GOOD.

SUPERTEST

KEY FEATURES• 1080p HD video recording with 16

megapixel CMOS image processor

• 1.4” Chroma display

• GPS, accelerometer and barometric

altimeter

• 2000 mAh lithium-ion battery

• Various capture modes, as well as

WiFi connectivity

R5 599

options can become a bit of a mission, but practice will make perfect.

IMAGE QUALITYWith 4K support and a plethora of full-HD recording mode to choose from, users will be spoilt for choice. An ultra-wide angle field of view will capture anything that is in the general vicinity, and the fixed f/2.8 aperture, ultra-sharp 6-element aspherical glass lens ensures that that quality is top-notch. In short, there are very few action HD cameras that can give the Hero3+ a run for its money. In terms of low light performance, GoPro tweaked a number of settings, providing even better quality when the lights are dim. For still images, the camera can shoot at 12MP, and up to 30 frames per second.

PERFORMANCEDescribed by the company as “the world’s most versatile camera”, users would be

hard-pressed to find reasons why it isn’t. Based purely on performance, the Hero3+ has an excellent track record, but the spot meter can be a bit…er… spotty. It’s also not as fast as the VIRB in terms of taking stills or video, as it takes a couple of seconds to initiate the operation. While the VIRB has a small screen, the Hero3+

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SCORESKEY FEATURES* Video resolutions up to 4K

* 12MP photos up to 30 frames per

second

* Built-in WiFi

* Waterproof to 40m

* 1180mAH lithium-ion battery

R5 999

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SCORES

starts to become a bit of a frustration is the screen – it’s a 1.4-inch Chroma Display. In directly sunlight it is virtually impossible to operate, but at least it has a screen to see what is being filmed. Other than that, it operates as it should – recording video and still images with the touch of a button.

doesn’t, so users will have to generally estimate what it is focusing on. It’s not a big issue, as users can pair it with the smartphone app, and operate it through there. It also has a smaller battery than the VIRB, but that can be ascribed to the lack of a display – lasting about two hours when filming in 1080p at 30fps.


SUPERTEST

While it might seem like the GoPro Hero3+ is the champion of this test, the Garmin VIRB Elite does provide for some stiff competition. The Hero3+ doesn’t have a screen, while the VIRB does, although it’s not fantastic. The VIRB also doesn’t come with a housing, so there might be some trepidation to submerge the camera, while the Hero3+ and the Rollei come with a waterproof housing. The Hero3+ also comes boxed with a rather cool remote control, so user will be able to remotely stop and start recording –

especially if the camera is placed on a difficult-to-reach spot. But going purely by the numbers, the Hero3+ Black Edition does come out on tops, as it has superior image quality, a vast number of recording modes (as well as 4K support) and can take 12MP photos at up to 30 frames per second.It is the most expensive one in the bunch, but if users are willing to fork out R 5 600 for the VIRB, they might as well spend R300 extra and get on of the best action cameras ever produced.

CONCLUSIONespecially if the camera is placed on a

on tops, as it has superior image quality, a vast number of recording modes (as well as 4K support) and can take 12MP

get on of the best action cameras ever

EDITOR’S

CHOICE

ALL ABOUT THE GOPROGoPro initially started as a company called Woodman Labs, named after founder Nick Woodman in California, USA. Woodman wanted to capture his surfing action while on holiday in Australia in 2002, and soon realised that there wasn’t a suitable product on the market to do the job.

The name for the camera that eventually went on to become one of the most recognised names in action cameras, stemmed from this desire to get professional angles and shots. The rest, as they say, is history.

As evidenced by the photos in this collage, people have been strapping the unit onto their bodies to catch some of the most amazing

images ever. The company itself calls the little capturer “the most versatile camera in the world”, and it’s easy to see why.

With a plethora of accessories, a GoPro can be mounted on a telescopic pole, attached to a Gooseneck to get unique angles, or fixed onto a head or chest mount to get an almost first-person view of the surroundings.

And it is built tough. Some of the most amazing footage and images have been captured while the wearers were in the thick of snow, covered in mud, thrown from a plane or attached to an aerial drone for a bird’s eye view of sharks in a bay.

Tel: 011 880 2885 Fax: 086 685 8132KAMERAZ - Shop L12, Rosebank Mews173 Oxford Road, Rosebank

Web: www.kameraz.co.zaMail: [email protected] us on facebook: http://goo.gl/3XitwWW

stockist of major photographic brands

Turning amateurs into pro’s

Tel: 011 880 2885 Fax: 086 685 8132KAMERAZ - Shop L12, Rosebank Mews173 Oxford Road, Rosebank

Web: www.kameraz.co.zaMail: [email protected] us on facebook: http://goo.gl/3XitwWW

stockist of major photographic brands

Turning amateurs into pro’s


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HOW TO CONVERT YOUR ITUNES PURCHASES INTO MP3S

3 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR ANDROID BATTERY LAST ALL DAY

Believe it or not, the cure for converting your purchased AAC files into MP3 files lies right inside iTunes, on either Windows or Mac OS X.Bit.ly/1fFWUcZ

Battery life has become the limiting factor in our brave, new world of multi-sensor, multi-core smartphones. Here are some top Android tips.Bit.ly/1ej8YAM

HOW CAMERAS WORK

Explaining Exposure: ApertureControlling how light gets through your lens is critical to taking awesome photographs

Time was you couldn’t be considered a real photographer unless you understood all about light. Back

when manual controls were the only controls, you had to have a grasp of the basic physics in order to get the camera set-up correctly every time. Nowadays, fully automatic cameras do everything for you in half the time you can do it yourself, and usually with better results.

So you’d be forgiven for having no idea what something like an F-stop actually is. If you want to make your photos better, however, it’s something you’re going to have to learn.

WHAT IS APERTURE? The aperture of a lens simply defines the diameter of the hole through which light passes through on its way to the camera sensor. It’s not a discrete measure – there’s no such thing as a ‘22mm’ aperture, for example – but rather it’s expressed as a ratio of the focal length of the lens to the size of the aperture. You’ll see this written as F-stop values, such as F1.4 or f/1.4 (we use F1.4 as it’s a more modern way of writing it, but f/1.4 is technically

more correct as it retains the original ratio expression where f=focal length).

HOW DOES IT AFFECT PHOTOS?Basically, the amount of light captured – the overall exposure – is dependent on three things. The shutter speed, the aperture and the ISO rating or sensor sensitivity. A wider aperture means more light can enter the lens, therefore an equivalent exposure can be captured with a slower shutter speed or lower sensitivity.

BIGGER IS LOWERPerversely, the higher the F-stop value, the smaller the aperture. So shooting on a sunny day, for example, you might want to choose a high F-stop like F22 and only allow a small amount of light through the

lens. Indoor shots without a flash will need a big aperture, like F2.4.

DEPTH OF FIELDThe critical reason for understanding aperture is to control the ‘depth of field’ of an image. This describes the amount of the picture that’s in focus. A high F-stop value will mean more of an image is in focus – at F22, for example, you might have everything up to 30 metres away appearing sharply in your final picture. At F2.8. you might find that a subject’s nose is in focus but the eyes are already starting to blur away. Getting the aperture right is how photographers make the backgrounds of their images blurry while keeping the subject sharp – a trick you must master in order to get people to look where you want them too.

APERTURE PRIORITYMost cameras will have an ‘aperture priority’ mode. Using this, you can lock the aperture to a certain setting and let the camera set other exposure values automatically. It’s the best way of shooting pictures you know you want to be fully sharp or have blurry backgrounds.

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If you’re familiar with the Swedish company Thule, it’s probably thanks to the fact that its car accessories are

everywhere. It makes the best designed, toughest and simplest to use luggage racks, bike carriers, towbar attachments and even roof mounts for carrying your gear around. That’s why everyone buys them.

But what you probably didn’t know is that the company also applies its engineering know-how for personal packaging too. As well as things to make putting stuff on your car safer, Thule makes things which make carrying your gear easier too. Specifically, your camera gear.

To celebrate the launch of its award-winning camera bags here in South Africa, the company has sent us R9 000 worth of its sturdy and beautifully made Perspektiv bags to give away. Which we plan to do via the time honoured mechanism of awarding readers prizes.

We’ve divided the cases up in to three separate bundles for three separate winners, and made the competition as easy to enter as possible. All you need to do is point your browser at www.htxt.co.za/winathulebagortwo and follow the easy on-screen instuctions.

R9 000 WORTH OF THULE

PERSPEKTIV CAMERA BAGS TO GIVE AWAY

Tough new bags from Thule give you ultimate peace of mind for carrying around your camera..

WIN!

TO ENTERPoint your web browser at www.htxt.co.za/winathulebagortwo and complete the following sentence in 20 words or less: My camera needs a new case because...The closing date is 30th June 2014, after which we’ll pick three winners based on our appreciation of their answer.Terms & Conditions apply – full details on the competition entry page.

ENTER AT WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA/WINATHULEBAGORTWO

First prizeA Thule Perspektiv

Backpack

A Thule Perspektiv

Large Toploader

Third prizeA Thule Perspektiv GoPro case

Second prizeA Thule Perspektiv Daypack

A Thule Perspektiv Med

Toploader

COMPETITION

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 47

HOW TO: PHOTOS

How to clean your lens and filtersLearn how to take care of your lens so that you never scratch it again

We have all been there: taken an amazing photo only to realise that there is something strange

in the image. Upon closer inspection, you see that it’s a not a piece of foreign material, but a minute streak, fingerprint or scratch across the lens. There is a good reason why most lenses come with a little cleaning cloth, and we’ll show you just how to polish it correctly below.

PROPER TOOLSHowever you tempted might be to quickly clean a lens or filter with the corner of your shirt or handkerchief, don’t. It is one of the worst things that you can subject a lens to. The fine coating on a lens has been designed for rough surfaces, so make use of a micro-fiber cloth and Methyl alcohol. A hand-operated air blower will also come in handy.

TECHNIQUEWhile you might be tempted to just cover the cloth with cleaning fluid and rub it all over the lens, there is actually a technique to it. Doing it incorrectly, even with the right equipment, could damage the lens. Slow and steady does it, with even strokes and circular motions.

DUST AND DIRTIf dust or dirt managed to creep into that hugely-expensive lens, the best way to get rid of them is to use a camel-hair brush to sweep it away. Or, if you don’t like the idea of using a brush, an air blowers is your next option. Just make sure that it isn’t canned air, as that will cause undue damage.

FINGERPRINTS AND STREAKSBeing as gentle as possible, take the folded micro-fiber cloth, breathe onto the lens surface and gently rub it in circular

motions. You should never clean a lens without using some form of lubricant (called dry cleaning), as in this case your breath. If the marks persist, use a different corner of the cloth and repeat the process.

METHYL ALCOHOLMethyl alcohol should never be applied to the lens or mirror directly, as it can damage the special coatings. The alcohol is also great for when a micro-fiber cloth isn’t close by. In such a case, any soft cotton-based material can be used, but great caution needs to be taken.

IMAGE SENSORThe same principles apply for the image sensor as that of the lens, but greater caution needs to be taking as it is far more delicate. The image sensor or mirror should almost never be touched, let alone directly, as the best way to remove dust is with the air blower.

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 47

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 49

Print from your mobile phone

Printing anything can be a very messy affair. Even trying to get something from your desktop PC to a printer

designed for it usually involves some sort of driver software(s) and a complicated installation process. But that doesn’t have to be the case, because you can now print directly from your smartphone or tablet without any need for drivers or bloated software. Here’s how to go about it:

DO IT WITH APPSEpson, Brother and Samsung all have Android and iOS apps for their own printers that let you print, scan and sometimes even fax right from your phone or tablet. Using them is as simple as downloading them from the app store, connecting to the same network the printer is on and choosing the document or photo you’d like to print.

Most of the apps also let you save files to online storage services like Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive and iCloud and also print documents stored there.

DO IT OVER EMAILEpson and HP let you print without even being in the same room as your printer, and doing it is as simple as sending an email. Or rather, doing it is exactly like sending an email: thanks to HP’s ePrint and Epson’s Email Print technologies, all you have to do is compose an email to your printer once you’ve set it up with its own address, attach the files you want printed and hit Send.

Even if you’re on the other side of the world, as long as your printer is connected to the internet your attachments will print and best of all, it works with any piece of technology that can send an email.

DO IT WITH DEDICATED SERVICESApple’s AirPrint is built right into its latest operating systems and lets you print anything you see on your Mac, iPad, iPhone and iPod touch’s screen directly to your AirPrint-compatible printer, provided both devices are attached to the same network. Simply go to whatever content you’d like to

print, tap the actions icon and choose the name of the printer you’d like to print on, and you’re done.

Google’s Cloud Print service goes one step further and lets you print to any printer you’ve attached to your Google account, from your PC, Android phone/tablet or any device that can run the Chrome browser.

You have to jump through a few hoops to set up Cloud Print, but once it’s done and the printer you’ve selected remains connected to the internet, you can print from anywhere there is connectivity.

DO IT WITHOUT PRINTER DRIVERSIf you follow these simple tips, you’ll never have to wrestle with a printer installation on PC or Mac again. The only thing to keep in mind when printing this way is that you don’t have as much control over the final print as you do when printing from a PC or Mac, where you can fiddle with driver settings to get the best print possible.

Modern smartphones can help you you print wirelessly and easily

HOW TO…

GOT A PROBLEM - POST A QUESTION AT BIT.LY/1EUDVB3 AND YOU CAN ASK OUR STAFF OR READERS TO HELP.

FREE TECH SUPPORT! htxt africa

BLO

OM

UA

/ S

HU

TTE

RS

TOC

K.C

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For your nearest stockist contact John Wileman Phone: 083 440 1700 Email: [email protected]

• WATER PROOF

• DUST PROOF

• SHOCK PROOF

• IMPERVIOUS TO DAMAGING CHEMICALS

• LIFETIME WARRANTY

• GOING TO EXTREMES?

outdoor-cases

B3 Ball Head

Double Action with

Friction Control

B2 Ball Head

Double Action with

Friction Control

DJ90 2-Way

Monopod Head

GH1-PGimbal

GHAGimbal

Fits directly onto

Ball Head

GH2Gimbal

TRIPODS • GIMBALS • BALL HEADSAll use standard “Arca” style lens / camera plates


outdoor-cases.com

HELP!

I’M LOST!

WWW.HTXT.CO.ZA | 51

Track a stolen smartphoneInitially Google’s Android operating

system was bereft of the likes of Apple’s ‘Find my iPhone’ service but there were,

and still are, a host of options for the security conscious user to protect themselves with.

Thankfully though the official Android Device Manager was launched as a stand-alone application in the Google Play Store at the end of 2013 and can be downloaded for any device using Android 2.2 or higher.

Android phones and tablets with active cellular connections will be able to locate themselves using the cellular networks, WiFi only tablet will need to connect to a WiFi network for their location to be mapped.

FEATURES

1 Ring – Your Android device will ring at maximum volume for five minutes to

help you find where it is. You can stop the ringing by pressing the power button.

2 Lock – Replace your standard Android lock screen with a new password and an

optional message that will appear when the device is unlocked.

3 Erase – This performs a factory reset on your device which erases all apps,

photos, music and settings. After you erase the device, Android Device Manager will no longer be able to track the device. If your device is offline the factory reset will occur as soon as it goes online again.

HOW TO SET UP ANDROID DEVICE MANAGER

1 Open the All Apps Menu and select ‘Google Settings’ (it’s a grey logo with

a white ‘g’ and gear in its top right hand corner).

2 Select Android Device Manager.

3 You turn on the following options: Remotely locate this device – Find your

device and show its location on Google Maps. For devices running 4.1 and higher you have to enable location access (go to Google Settings > Location > Access location). Allow remote lock and factory reset – Allows both the device lock and erase functions to work.

Android has a lot of great options for recovering a stolen phone, but you’re better off preparing for the worst ahead of time. Android has a lot of great options for recovering a stolen phone,

PART 1ANDROID

SH

UTT

ER

STO

CK

.CO

M

HOW TO…


• WATER PROOF

• DUST PROOF

• SHOCK PROOF

• IMPERVIOUS TO DAMAGING CHEMICALS

• LIFETIME WARRANTY

• GOING TO EXTREMES?

outdoor-cases

B3 Ball Head

Double Action with

Friction Control

B2 Ball Head

Double Action with

Friction Control

DJ90 2-Way

Monopod Head

GH1-PGimbal

GHAGimbal

Fits directly onto

Ball Head

GH2Gimbal

TRIPODS • GIMBALS • BALL HEADSAll use standard “Arca” style lens / camera plates


outdoor-cases.com


Learn more at…

go to htxt.co.za

HOW TO STREAM GAMES FROM ONE PC TO ANOTHER WITH STEAM

HOW TO TRACK A STOLEN IPHONE, IPAD OR MAC

Just because you only have one high-powered gaming PC doesn’t mean that’s the only place you can play games at their highest settings.Bit.ly/1mxyULz

Apple’s ‘Find my iPhone’ service has been available to iPhone users since 2010 and has recently become available on iPads and Mac computers as well.Bit.ly/1giE2ne

HOW TO…

How to record, edit & upload video with a PS4Sharing game screenshots and videos with your friends has never been easier

Since the PS4 is always recording what you’re doing, when you hit the Share button a video of the

last 15 minutes of gameplay is ready to be edited and uploaded. Editing options aren’t extensive - you can only set starting and ending points for your clip - but they are just enough to let you quickly and easily show off that really cool move you just pulled or that amazing online moment you’ve just witnessed. To show you just how easy it is we’ve put together this quick guide.

STEP 1Play a game of your choosing. Hint: This one’s pretty good.

STEP 2Press the Share button on your controller.

STEP 3Select Upload Video Clip.

STEP 4Choose the clip you’d like to share.

STEP 5Choose the start and end point of your video. The PS4 automatically cuts your footage down to size and saves it as a new video.

STEP 6Select Facebook or Twitter as the online destination for your video upload.

STEP 7 Your friends and followers will see your video posted to your chosen social media platform once the upload is complete.


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distributed for free through a wide variety of well known South African retailers, but that does mean that getting hold of one from a store is on a first-come-first-served basis. And if you live a long way from a store, you may well end up disappointed.

Don’t worry, though. if you want to guarantee that you’ll be able to get hold of

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Better still, you can sign up for our daily email newsletter too, and never miss any news at all.

Still can’t make up your mind whether or not subscribing is worth it? How about we tempt you with this? We’re also running an

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ISSUE 4 | JUNE 2014 | HTXT.CO.ZA

HELP! I’M LOST!

TESTED: Huawei Ascend P7Exclusive first SA review of Huawei’s iPhone-beating smartphone.

HOW TO: Recover a stolen smartphone

Catch-a-thief! Tell your phone how to phone home.

TESTED: Action camerasThe best way to capture extreme video: three new cams compared.

M A D E E A S Y

SOUTH AFRICA’S BEST TECH WEBSITE

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BEST BUDGET SMARTPHONESHigh performance handsets at a bargain price. We round up the best South Africa has to offer.

SUPERTEST!

M A D E E A S Y LEGO:

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REVIEWED INSIDE

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STATS

17 tech projects from around Africa have been awarded up to R200 000 each from Google and WeTech, for their work sup-

porting women in IT. Bit.ly/1mstIZf

The numbers that sum up the state

of the nation

SA techin stats

Enjoy this free copy of htxt.africa’s Tech Made Easy? There’s loads more like this – plus in

depth features, geek culture and business news – at our website www.htxt.co.za.

NEXT MONTHAnd if you want even more, keep your eyes peeled for issue 5 on 1st July in all good retailers.

30 000 people sent selfies to NASA to make a giant

mosiac of faces to celebrate Earth Day. Bit.ly/1mstu4p

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The cost of calls using SA-developed app, ttrumpet. Bit.ly/1khGWbT

Yunnis Carrim, the widely liked and highly regard-ed Minister for Communications, served just 11

months in his position before being booted out. No-one’s sure why. Bit.ly/1prAVcB

You can enter a competi-tion to appear in the next Star Wars film by donat-

ing R100 to charity. Bit.ly/1nLTFT3

The Find&Fix pothole app from

Joburg Roads Authority was used 1 606 times in its

first week. Bit.ly/1lMYUPY

Samsung’s new 4K TVs

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htxt.africa's Tech Made Easy - June 2014

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