Table of contents for May 2018 in Stuff Magazine South Africa (2024)

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Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018WELCOMEWhich brings me to our smart speaker feature (p40). Team Stuff has mixed views on welcoming a device that’s always listening into our homes, but there’s no denying that many South Africans have no such qualms. Even though smart speakers aren’t readily available locally we get queries about them all the time, both from people looking to get one and those who’ve done so and want to get more out of it.That’s why we’ve collected and tested the best of the current smart speaker crop (p40) so you can import/buyonline/smuggle with confidence… especially as returns could be tricky if you choose poorly.Another difficult choice we get asked about all the time is which smartphone to buy. No really, all the time. Huawei, LG and Nokia each have new flagship devices…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BACK ON TRACK FITBIT VERSAMust dashSwipe up on the Versa’s screen and you’ll be taken to a health dashboard. This lets you check up on daily stats and how close you are to hitting a goal. It’s your very own digital Mr Motivator.To-do wristThe Ionic’s on-screen workouts make a welcome return on the Versa. You’re talked through each step by the watch, which will tailor the intensity of the drills it throws at you depending on your success.(battery The good ) lifeFitbit says the Versa will last four days between charges – the same figure they promised for the Ionic. We found that to be a bit of a lie, but without GPS the Versa might get closer.Fitbit’s Ionic smartwatch was like an experimental debut album, with a blend of promising ideas, one or…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BATTERY CATTERY JAGUAR I-PACEThe fast and the curiousThanks to Alexa integration, you can check up on your ride’s wellbeing without leaving the house – including charge level, remaining range or whether you forgot to lock it again.Take me any ’wareFitted with Wi-Fi and 4G, the I-Pace updates its software wirelessly – so you’ll never have to worry about tedious progress bars or not having the latest version. Just as it should be.According to Jaguar, its new I-Pace is fast. Really fast. But judging solely from the time it took to arrive on the production line after being unveiled as a concept car in 2016, we’re not sure it could outspeed a drunken tortoise with a hernia.Of course, the specs tell a totally different story. The I-Pace’s twin electric motors combine to produce 696Nm…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BACK ON TRACK FITBIT VERSAMust dash Swipe up on the Versa’s screen and you’ll be taken to a health dashboard. This lets you check up on daily stats and how close you are to hitting a goal. It’s your very own digital Mr Motivator. To-do wrist The Ionic’s on-screen workouts make a welcome return on the Versa. You’re talked through each step by the watch, which will tailor the intensity of the drills it throws at you depending on your success. (battery The good ) life Fitbit says the Versa will last four days between charges – the same figure they promised for the Ionic. We found that to be a bit of a lie, but without GPS the Versa might get closer. Fitbit’s Ionic smartwatch was like an experimental debut album, with a…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BATTERY CATTERY JAGUAR I-PACEThe fast and the curious Thanks to Alexa integration, you can check up on your ride’s wellbeing without leaving the house – including charge level, remaining range or whether you forgot to lock it again. Take me any ’ware Fitted with Wi-Fi and 4G, the I-Pace updates its software wirelessly – so you’ll never have to worry about tedious progress bars or not having the latest version. Just as it should be. According to Jaguar, its new I-Pace is fast. Really fast. But judging solely from the time it took to arrive on the production line after being unveiled as a concept car in 2016, we’re not sure it could outspeed a drunken tortoise with a hernia. Of course, the specs tell a totally different story. The I-Pace’s twin electric…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018APPS1 BBC Earth: Life in VRFree / Android DaydreamDive into the drink and discover life beneath the waves, from faffing otters to swarms of krill. It’s the best personal Blue Planet around, short of actually hurling yourself into the sea.2 TyporamaFree (IAPs) / iOSIf your idea of type design is a strange attraction to Comic Sans, use Typorama to add text to your pics instead. Loads of styles and effects are included, and a one-off IAP forever nukes watermarks.3 NotedR13/month / iOSZone out even more during boring lectures and meetings with Noted. Use the app to record everything, tap to add inline ‘TimeTags’, and use them to flesh out notes later when you’re less bleary-eyed.4 tanz.loveR15 / AndroidDrum machines with traditional pads and step sequencers are so last year. With…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018WTF IS SKYDIO R1?That thing looks… intimidating.Do not be afraid. This is the autonomous Skydio R1, quite possibly the smartest drone ever. Most pro flyers are capable of basic obstacle avoidance, sure, but the R1 employs 13 cameras to build a 3D map of the world around it in real time. This way it’s able to dodge trees, buildings and presumably terrified dog-walkers at high speed, all while capturing your extreme exploits in super-sharp 4K at 30fps. And it does so without any interference from you. Wherever you go, this supercomputer-powered airborne action cam will follow.This sounds useful. I’ve crashed more drones than I’ve eaten Ouma rusks.Exactly. The R1 does have some manual control options, but try as you might, it won’t let you bash it up. Its autonomous instincts are impossible to…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018HOT STUFFEye spyCANON EOS M50When it comes to mirrorless cameras, Canon has so far reacted like us on a freezing Monday morning: turning over in bed for ‘just a few more minutes’ in the familiar warmth of its DSLR range. Well, no longer. The EOS M50 packs both the latest Digic 8 processor and the ability to shoot 4K video. Another new feature is eye detection, which means its autofocus will hunt down the natural focus point of your beaming aunt (or gurning dog). And with a 24.1MP APS-C sensor, 3in vari-angle touchscreen and Dual Pixel CMOS AF, it seems to have the full house.R10 000 (with EF-M 15-45mm lens) / canon.co.zaSnappy daysFUJIFILM X-A5The X-T20 has hogged the No1 spot in our system camera rankings for ages. But as they say,…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018DROP EVERYTHING AND DOWNLOAD...Thrive Free / AndroidYou know how it is. One minute you’re ‘quickly’ checking what’s happening on social media, and a moment later the sun’s gone and your stomach is eating itself because you forgot to feed it. If that sounds like you, Thrive for Android wants to help you take a break from your phone. And by ‘help’, we mean ‘force’. If a specific app eats into your day, you can set a daily usage limit. Once that’s reached, you won’t be able to Clash any Clans or Insta any grams until midnight. The app tracks usage over time too, making it handy even if you set generous daily limits. Beyond that, you can ask it to stop you using chosen apps altogether for a set period or, if you’re…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018WTF IS SKYDIO R1?That thing looks… intimidating. Do not be afraid. This is the autonomous Skydio R1, quite possibly the smartest drone ever. Most pro flyers are capable of basic obstacle avoidance, sure, but the R1 employs 13 cameras to build a 3D map of the world around it in real time. This way it’s able to dodge trees, buildings and presumably terrified dog-walkers at high speed, all while capturing your extreme exploits in super-sharp 4K at 30fps. And it does so without any interference from you. Wherever you go, this supercomputer-powered airborne action cam will follow. This sounds useful. I’ve crashed more drones than I’ve eaten Ouma rusks. Exactly. The R1 does have some manual control options, but try as you might, it won’t let you bash it up. Its autonomous instincts…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Gaming for gold (is better than just a chicken dinner)About a year ago in this column I was talking about the international explosion that is eSports. The standout number I remember was 160 million hardcore viewers tuning in to streamed games via platforms like Twitch, annually. What was more surprising was another 160 million so-called “casuals” tuned in too – people like me, who generally do not even own the games they’re watching others play. This year that combined 320 million-strong viewership is set to grow significantly. I bring up eSports in South Africa is on the march as well in 2018. VS Gaming is holding a major FIFA tournament at the beginning of the month, ahead of the actual World Cup in Russia, and the prize money is up from last year’s R500k to R1.5 million this year.…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018DROP EVERYTHING AND DOWNLOAD...Thrive Free / Android You know how it is. One minute you’re ‘quickly’ checking what’s happening on social media, and a moment later the sun’s gone and your stomach is eating itself because you forgot to feed it. If that sounds like you, Thrive for Android wants to help you take a break from your phone. And by ‘help’, we mean ‘force’. If a specific app eats into your day, you can set a daily usage limit. Once that’s reached, you won’t be able to Clash any Clans or Insta any grams until midnight. The app tracks usage over time too, making it handy even if you set generous daily limits. Beyond that, you can ask it to stop you using chosen apps altogether for a set period or, if…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018DECIPHER#31 ANDROID GOA new version of Android has dropped, but it’s not Android P. We’re still eagerly anticipating the winter arrival of Android Pez, Peppermint Crisp, Parmesan or whatever it ends up being called, but in the meantime there’s Android Go – a version that’s optimised to work with low-end smartphones. Officially known as Android Oreo (Go Edition), the stripped-down system is targeted at budget phones with 1GB of RAM or less – phones that might otherwise collapse like a Springbok defence under pressure. And as phones running on Go have fewer pre-loaded apps clogging up space, you’ll have more storage to play with too. Even the apps you download will be less processor-intensive than the Android apps you see running on wallet-busting flagships, and Google reckons they’ll hog 50%…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018MAKE YOUR HANDSET HANDSOME● Nova LauncherCountless Android launchers rattle around Google Play, mostly slowly heading towards oblivion… but Nova Launcher has serious staying power. This capable app is smart, straightforward and hugely configurable. It’s a great bet whether you want to make the odd tweak or overhaul how launching works – and looks – on your Android phone.Stuff says ★★★★★Free (IAPs) / Android● ClarityPimp Your Screen (R30) is a powerful iOS theming app, but tends towards the gaudy. Clarity seems more ‘Apple’, focusing on tasteful, minimal wallpapers, based on user-created blurred imagery and gradients. It’s the sort of thing Jony Ive might approve of if he wasn’t forever trapped in a white room doing voice-overs for Apple videos.Stuff says ★★★★✩R4 / iOS● FigureDon’t be one of the many people who grab for their…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018MOBILE WORLD CONGRESSMIDDLE GROUND Nokia 7 Plus Flagship phones are getting so pricey you’re soon going to have to start selling body parts to be able to afford one. Nokia would prefer you keep your pancreas and buy what it calls an ‘affordable flagship’ instead. The 7 Plus should only set you back R7 000, but it’s packing all the luxuries you’d expect from a top-end 2018 phone – like an 18:9 screen, twin cameras and a lush ‘ceramic feel’ finish. R6 500 / hmdglobal.com HIGHER GROUND Sony Xperia XZ2 It’s not easy being a smartphone in 2018. If you’re not rocking a big ol’ bezel-busting display, you’re not going to turn heads. Sony’s plan is to go hard on three of the biggest letters in modern screen tech: HDR. The Xperia…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The One where Alexa gets the musical chops it deservesLike Ross and Rachel before them, Alexa’s hookup with Sonos was a will-they-won’t-they? story for the ages and took almost as long to come about. Eventually, when the Sonos One arrived in online stores, we could kind of see what the hold-up was. Making an amazing speaker was an easy job for the multiroom champs, but getting Amazon’s voice assistant to dance along in time with the speaker… well, that wasn’t such a simple task.Several months later, the One is an altogether more well-rounded device than it was at launch. It now supports Spotify with voice controls, as well as Amazon Music and TuneIn Radio, and the Alexa-incurred hiccups we first encountered seem to have been fixed after a series of software updates. The only issue we’ve still got with…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Google’s very own Echo is starting to show its ageGoogle’s Home is in a tough spot right now. In of itself it’s a fine smart speaker, but it doesn’t do anything better than all of the competition here. And that makes it hard to recommend to anyone who isn’t already committed to Google’s ecosystem.Having launched way back in November 2016, this turn of events for the Home is hardly surprising, but it does point to a curious future for Google’s original smart speaker. Should it chase sound quality à la Sonos One, which will also support Google Assistant soon, or cut a few corners to match the Amazon Echo on price? Right now, it’s doing neither – and that means you’re getting a great voice assistant wrapped inside a so-so package, which is hardly the most compelling prospect.Looking on…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018This boombox is a Blast both at home and on the roadIf it were a boy band we were judging, the UE Blast would be the ‘quirky one’ who stands at the back of the videos and goes on to have the solo career everyone else wanted. It’s far from the best speaker here, but that’s no deal-breaker when you consider its portable charm.Whether you’re after a talkative travel companion or don’t want a speaker cluttering up your kitchen all the time, the Blast fits in and around your plans rather than standing in place waiting for instruction – especially since it supports wireless charging with the optional Power Up pad. You can hurl the thing in your nearest backpack without needing to rip out any cables first, and switch it on once you’re ready to dip into its 12-hour battery…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Steady the eagleR27 000 (body only) / fujifilm.co.za The X-H1 is big for a CSC. It’s taller, wider and deeper than the X-T2, with a much larger grip and chunkier prism for the viewfinder. The reason for this sudden growth spurt? It’s had to make room for image-stabilisation tech. Fuji claims the 5-axis image stabilisation will give you up to 5.5 extra stops of exposure. It certainly makes a massive difference, letting you shoot handheld at shutter speeds of around 1 second without any visible blurring. The sensor is unchanged from the X-T2. You get 24.3MP and, although it’s ‘only’ APS-C, it outperforms plenty of full-frame cameras on many levels. As always, the Fuji colours are spectacular, with the X-Trans sensor serving up rich greens in particular. Handy if you like shooting…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Smart attack1 Sonos One Hijacking the Alexa bandwagon for its own audiophile ambitions, the Sonos One speaker is a juiced-up Echo that can be hard of hearing. 2 Apple HomePod The HomePod is your typical Apple invention: it’s pricey, restrictive and a quality device through and through, with fantastic sound. 3 UE Blast This test’s dark horse makes Alexa your go-to portable chatterbox with added rugged steel. A speaker that’s good for a knockabout. 4 Google Home Having arrived in rather half-baked fashion, Google’s air freshener can is now basically on a par with its Amazon-made alternative. 5 Amazon Echo (2nd gen) The speaker that introduced us to Alexa has now entered its teenage phase with improved sound quality. Well, it got there in the end. Apple’s HomePod has turned up…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Three’s more funfrom R290 800 / mazda.co.zaThe CX-3 is Mazda’s first go at a crossover vehicle, that is, one that’s mostly suited to urban driving but can handle the occasional trip down a dirt track. It shares engines and drivetrains with the Mazda 2 supermini, which is a great start, and despite its very competitive pricing when compared to rivals like Ford’s Ecosport and Nissan’s Juke we’d argue it’s nevertheless the best-looking of the bunch.The CX-3’s handsome exterior belies a somewhat less impressive interior. Lots of plastic and the rudimentarytrol infotainment system – at least at the bottom end of the range – explain how the price tag has been kept so reasonable. It’s not bargain basement, but it’s less modern and elegant than we’d expect given its thoroughly contemporary shell.Limited visibility…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Google’s very own Echo is starting to show its ageGoogle’s Home is in a tough spot right now. In of itself it’s a fine smart speaker, but it doesn’t do anything better than all of the competition here. And that makes it hard to recommend to anyone who isn’t already committed to Google’s ecosystem. Having launched way back in November 2016, this turn of events for the Home is hardly surprising, but it does point to a curious future for Google’s original smart speaker. Should it chase sound quality à la Sonos One, which will also support Google Assistant soon, or cut a few corners to match the Amazon Echo on price? Right now, it’s doing neither – and that means you’re getting a great voice assistant wrapped inside a so-so package, which is hardly the most compelling prospect.…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Major labellerR1 500 / brother.co.za Brother is no stranger to making label printers, but they tend to have clumsy physical keyboards and very limited options for label design, layout and typography. With the Bluetooth-enabled and LCD-less PT-P300BT, the company has overcome these limitations by shifting design duties to your smartphone. The label printer can be powered by six AAA batteries or a 9V DC plug (which sadly isn’t supplied, but if yours is a gadgety household you’ve probably got one lying about). Both side panels are removable, batteries live under the one while the tape/label cartridge lives under the other. Choose from more than a dozen tapes that vary in thickness (from 3.5-12mm), colour and price, with the cheapest coming in at around R200 each. Connecting to the printer is as…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Wireless in-earsSamsung Gear IconX (2018)What’s the story?Samsung’s audio pedigree has been mixed to say the least, but its new buds talk a good redemption story. There’s a built-in running coach, touch controls for playback, 3.4GB of storage for over 1000 songs and battery life of up to seven hours. This all sounds mighty impressive, but will count for zilch if they don’t sound decent.Are they any good?Much to our surprise, these Samsungs mostly match up to their techy prowess with audio that’s among the best you can find in a pair of in-ear buds. There’s a precise, spacious sound here with a healthy thud of bass when needed. Our one major qualm is a coarseness through the midrange and treble that grates at higher volumes.Price R4 000 / samsung.com/zaStuff says ★★★★✩A…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018You’ve gotta roll with itLittle wonderWatching raw 4K footage on a TV screen reminds us how far this tech has come in the past few years. We don’t recall ever seeing video this clear, crisp and natural-looking from a camera so compact.Shady characterThe 10-bit footage leaps out with clean tonal shifts and realistic detail, with no signs of compression anywhere – and that’s before it’s even been colour-graded. It’s very, very impressive.Dark horseThe GH5S also excels in low light. ISO can be bumped up to 204,800 in extended mode and, while things do get noisy up there, it can capture totally usable footage in the murkiest conditions.Bit of roughFor filming at 50 or 60fps you have to step down the colour depth to 8-bit, which looks a little more ‘digital’ and compressed, but it’s…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The flight topDJI Mavic AirPrice R14 000 / navworld.co.zaWhat’s the story?Move over, seagulls: DJI’s quest to become the ruler of the skies continues with its latest ’copter.Combining the best parts of DJI’s previous drones, such as the Mavic Pro’s 4K camera and the Spark’s beginner-friendly software, the Mavic Air can shoot epic travel videos, even if you have less-than-epic piloting skills. And all of this tech has somehow been squeezed inside a device that can be folded down to the size of a water bottle. That is nothing short of miraculous.The most noticeable upgrade over the Spark, though, is the inclusion of a controller. This is crucial for flying your drone properly and boosting its range beyond 80 metres. The sticks give you far greater control than any touchscreen could.Is it any…8 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Three’s more funfrom R290 800 / mazda.co.za The CX-3 is Mazda’s first go at a crossover vehicle, that is, one that’s mostly suited to urban driving but can handle the occasional trip down a dirt track. It shares engines and drivetrains with the Mazda 2 supermini, which is a great start, and despite its very competitive pricing when compared to rivals like Ford’s Ecosport and Nissan’s Juke we’d argue it’s nevertheless the best-looking of the bunch. The CX-3’s handsome exterior belies a somewhat less impressive interior. Lots of plastic and the rudimentarytrol infotainment system – at least at the bottom end of the range – explain how the price tag has been kept so reasonable. It’s not bargain basement, but it’s less modern and elegant than we’d expect given its thoroughly contemporary…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018SNACK TECHGOURMET GADGETRY RETRO POPCORN MAKER Popcorn sits somewhere between pizza and Bar-Ones in our all-time food rankings – but until someone figures out a way to combine the three without eviscerating our digestive system, We’ll have to eat them separately. On the plus side, this dinky machine makes popping our own corn a breeze. Since it uses hot air instead of oil, it’s a healthier alternative to using a pan and means we can be 100% certain that no disgusting sugared corn makes its way into our home cinema den. ’Cos what kind of monster doesn’t prefer salted? R880 / merkado.co.za KRUPS ICE CREAM MAKER They say if you want something done right, do it yourself. Which is also true if you want an exotic flavour of ice…5 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018off the old blockThe Bip’s almighty vibrations will make sure you’re kept bang up to date with any bickering in your group chatR1 680 / zasttra.comDAY 01Our first impression of the Amazfit Bip? A shameless Apple Watch lookalike with a suspicious bargain-bin RRP. Like Apple’s market-leading smartwatch, it’s a square design with rounded corners, and at a glance it can be difficult to tell the two tickers apart. Pick up the Bip, though, and you’ll immediately notice the difference.The watch itself is quite a lot thinner than its wallet-busting inspiration, and at 18g the case is 9g lighter than the smallest aluminum Apple Watch. It’s plasticky rather than premium. As we’ve worn both, we can tell you that it feels like less of a presence on your wrist, which is good – although…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The director’s cutey1 Little Big Man Despite having room for a decent-sized OLED viewfinder, a 3in flip-and-swivel touchscreen, a pleasingly chunky right-hand grip and a bounty of buttons and dials, the GH5S is small and light enough to carry around all day without giving your a sore neck. 2 Cool Hand Luke The physical controls give your hands fast and easy access to almost any mode and setting you could want, with dedicated dials for drive and shooting modes, three adjustment wheels, a thumb-stick and five customisable function buttons. 3 Darkest Hour Panasonic has created the GH5S very much with pro videographers in mind. It takes the basis laid out by the excellent GH5 but halves the megapixels in the Micro Four-Thirds sensor, while increasing its sensitivity for improved low-light video capture.…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Strapped for cash?R4 000 / watchrepublic.co.za ■ Misfit used to pump out trackers that looked like jewellery, but now it’s competing with the big players. Looking to try Android Wear 2.0 for R4 000? You’ll want to readon. ■ First, the clever bit: the outer part of the Vapor’s touchscreen acts as a touch-ring. Run a finger around it and you can scroll through notifications, messages or apps. It’s neat… but few apps seem to have added support for it so far. ■ This is one of the thicker Android Wear watches – nothing like the dainty trinkets we’re used to from Misfit. Still, it’s quite comfortable on the wrist for a biggish watch, and is 5ATM water-resistant. ■ The 1.3in AMOLED screen is sharp and colourful, and brightness automatically changes to…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018GADGET DOCTORQ MISTAKES WERE MADEI just want to say I love reading your magazine! I noticed a mistake on page 70 of the April issue. Strava and Runtastic both have the same screenshot from the Runtastic app.JananA Thanks for catching that, Janan. Despite our best efforts these mistakes do get by us from time to ti me. On the upside, at least you know we're really humans and not androids.Q KINDLING A NEW FLAMEI am a 71-year-old woman who loves tech. I subscribe to your magazine and use it as a reference for practically anything tech-related that I buy. Because of your recommendations I have recently bought a Panasonic Lumix camera, and a UE Wonderboom speaker. I have bought tablets, cameras, headphones, and more over the years and have never been…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018WELCOMEWhich brings me to our smart speaker feature (p40). Team Stuff has mixed views on welcoming a device that’s always listening into our homes, but there’s no denying that many South Africans have no such qualms. Even though smart speakers aren’t readily available locally we get queries about them all the time, both from people looking to get one and those who’ve done so and want to get more out of it. That’s why we’ve collected and tested the best of the current smart speaker crop (p40) so you can import/buyonline/smuggle with confidence… especially as returns could be tricky if you choose poorly. Another difficult choice we get asked about all the time is which smartphone to buy. No really, all the time. Huawei, LG and Nokia each have new…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018HIDE AND CHIC SAMSUNG 2018 QLED TVsBix flicksAnyone who’s owned a Samsung Galaxy S8 or above will be familiar with Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant. Now it’s on your TV too, ready to change channels and search for shows at your request.Hanging a giant, wall-eating TV is great and all, but when it’s turned off you’ve essentially decorated your room with a monolithic black square. With Samsung’s new range of 2018 QLED TVs, however, you can smarten up your lounge with Ambient Mode, turning that space into a virtual art gallery. Or, if you prefer, have your TV mimic your wallpaper so it does a vanishing act.You can pick from a wide range of photos, patterns and colours, all included with the smartphone app. The TV then draws a virtual shadow around the screen’s edge to make…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BANANA SMOOTHIE NOKIA 8110 4GYellow brick modeThe 8110 is made from a sturdy polycarbonate plastic, and has light-up buttons for late-night texting. It’s novel, it’s kitsch, and it’s certainly unmistakable.Long-lasting fruitThe 3310’s battery life was a real selling point – and while the 4G connection will drain the 8110’s juice faster we’re still assured of a respectable 25-day standby time.Back in 1999 there was nothing cooler than Nokia’s 8110 slider phone. Sure, it was about as big as a brick, but Keanu Reeves had one while he was dodging bullets in the The Matrix so we all wanted one.Nineteen years on and Nokia is hoping we still do, because it’s bringing the bananaphone back for 2018 – and this time there’s a suitably bright yellow option. Nostalgia is obviously the new 8110’s biggest selling…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018HIDE AND CHICSAMSUNG 2018 QLED TVsBix flicks Anyone who’s owned a Samsung Galaxy S8 or above will be familiar with Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant. Now it’s on your TV too, ready to change channels and search for shows at your request. Hanging a giant, wall-eating TV is great and all, but when it’s turned off you’ve essentially decorated your room with a monolithic black square. With Samsung’s new range of 2018 QLED TVs, however, you can smarten up your lounge with Ambient Mode, turning that space into a virtual art gallery. Or, if you prefer, have your TV mimic your wallpaper so it does a vanishing act. You can pick from a wide range of photos, patterns and colours, all included with the smartphone app. The TV then draws a virtual shadow around the screen’s…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018NEWS FEEDONE FOR THE RECORDAustrian company Rebeat Innovation is working on creating platters that’ll have longer playing time, offer higher volume, promise more accurate audio reproduction, and work with your existing turntable. What are they calling it? “High definition vinyl”, of course.ROCKET LEAGUE IN WHEEL LIFERocket League and Hot Wheels: it’s a no-brainer crossover. Launching later this year, the real-world set comes with a stadium, two Bluetooth-controlled battle cars and a ball that pings IR signals to the scoreboard when you get a goal. No exploding nets, though.SEE YOU IN A FORTNIGHTLast-person-standing shoot-em-upper Fortnight Battle Royale has landed on iOS, meaning you can now frag newbs on the run – assuming your mobile data connection is up to it. The best bit? Aside from still being free, there’s cross-platform support.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018TURN-BASED GAMESTURN UNDEADFree / Android, iOSGive the undead a kicking – and then quickly realise that time only moving when you do makes for some seriously tricky slaying.DISC DRIVIN’ 2Free / iOS‘Shuffleboard meets Wipeout’ is about the best way to describe this one. Flick your disc along tracks suspended in mid-air, keeping ahead of rivals.TAKO BUBBLEFree / Android, iOSThis retro single-screen arcade effort feels like Bomb Jack infused with chess-like forward planning. Think. Move. Grab bubbles. Don’t die.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Gaming for gold (is better than just a chicken dinner)About a year ago in this column I was talking about the international explosion that is eSports. The standout number I remember was 160 million hardcore viewers tuning in to streamed games via platforms like Twitch, annually. What was more surprising was another 160 million so-called “casuals” tuned in too – people like me, who generally do not even own the games they’re watching others play. This year that combined 320 million-strong viewership is set to grow significantly.I bring up eSports in South Africa is on the march as well in 2018. VS Gaming is holding a major FIFA tournament at the beginning of the month, ahead of the actual World Cup in Russia, and the prize money is up from last year’s R500k to R1.5 million this year.Prize money…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018NEWS FEEDONE FOR THE RECORD Austrian company Rebeat Innovation is working on creating platters that’ll have longer playing time, offer higher volume, promise more accurate audio reproduction, and work with your existing turntable. What are they calling it? “High definition vinyl”, of course. ROCKET LEAGUE IN WHEEL LIFE Rocket League and Hot Wheels: it’s a no-brainer crossover. Launching later this year, the real-world set comes with a stadium, two Bluetooth-controlled battle cars and a ball that pings IR signals to the scoreboard when you get a goal. No exploding nets, though. SEE YOU IN A FORTNIGHT Last-person-standing shoot-em-upper Fortnight Battle Royale has landed on iOS, meaning you can now frag newbs on the run – assuming your mobile data connection is up to it. The best bit? Aside from still being…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018TURN-BASED GAMESTURN UNDEAD Free / Android, iOS Give the undead a kicking – and then quickly realise that time only moving when you do makes for some seriously tricky slaying. DISC DRIVIN’ 2 Free / iOS ‘Shuffleboard meets Wipeout’ is about the best way to describe this one. Flick your disc along tracks suspended in mid-air, keeping ahead of rivals. TAKO BUBBLE Free / Android, iOS This retro single-screen arcade effort feels like Bomb Jack infused with chess-like forward planning. Think. Move. Grab bubbles. Don’t die.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018FIRST LOOK A SMASHIN’ TIMESUPER SMASH BROSSwitchForget about go-karting and tennis: our favourite Nintendo get-together is easily Super Smash Bros. After all, what can compete with the delight to be had from pelting the likes of Kirby and Luigi in the face? While a Switch version has been confirmed for later this year, it’s not yet clear whether this will be an all-new sequel or a Wii U port with extra trimmings in the style of the fab Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.While our money’s on the former, the prospect of a port isn’t too bad either. Battle arenas such as the frantic Mute City and topsy-turvy Mario Galaxy were previously exclusive to the 3DS and Wii U respectively, but the Switch would probably inherit them all like the spoilt youngest sibling. And as if…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018MOBILE WORLD CONGRESSMIDDLE GROUNDNokia 7 PlusFlagship phones are getting so pricey you’re soon going to have to start selling body parts to be able to afford one. Nokia would prefer you keep your pancreas and buy what it calls an ‘affordable flagship’ instead. The 7 Plus should only set you back R7 000, but it’s packing all the luxuries you’d expect from a top-end 2018 phone – like an 18:9 screen, twin cameras and a lush ‘ceramic feel’ finish. R6 500 / hmdglobal.comHIGHER GROUNDSony Xperia XZ2It’s not easy being a smartphone in 2018. If you’re not rocking a big ol’ bezel-busting display, you’re not going to turn heads. Sony’s plan is to go hard on three of the biggest letters in modern screen tech: HDR. The Xperia XZ2 has a 5.7in 2160x1080…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018START MENUWatch ya got there?HUMISMOne thing you can say about watches: they all look really, really… watchy. Enter the Humism range, which rethinks the whole wristwear concept by transforming it into kinetic art. These watches are still made from the right stuff: brushed surgical steel cases, sapphire crystal glass, Italian leather straps – but the faces are dominated by overlapping patterns that morph as the day ticks away. Neatly dovetailing into the kinetic theme, the watches are powered by your own movement. Oh, and in case you’re old-fashioned enough to care, the two little outer circles indicate the time. from $348 / humism.comBop of the popsSOUNDBOPSStick a piano in front of a kid and, while they’ll probably have fun for a few minutes, they won’t learn to play it. The idea…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018FIRST LOOK A SMASHIN’ TIMESUPER SMASH BROS Switch Forget about go-karting and tennis: our favourite Nintendo get-together is easily Super Smash Bros. After all, what can compete with the delight to be had from pelting the likes of Kirby and Luigi in the face? While a Switch version has been confirmed for later this year, it’s not yet clear whether this will be an all-new sequel or a Wii U port with extra trimmings in the style of the fab Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. While our money’s on the former, the prospect of a port isn’t too bad either. Battle arenas such as the frantic Mute City and topsy-turvy Mario Galaxy were previously exclusive to the 3DS and Wii U respectively, but the Switch would probably inherit them all like the spoilt youngest sibling.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BEST OF UPCOMING UNDEAD GAMESOVERKILL’S THE WALKING DEAD PS4, Xbox One, PC Who better to make a zombie slaughter fest than the brains behind co-op bank heist series Payday? After all, you’ll need flawless teamwork to get through either challenge. This survival is set in Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead universe too, so you may recognise the odd character. STATE OF DECAY 2 Xbox One, PC Getting bitten by a zombie in a video game isn’t too troublesome when you know you can respawn in a matter of seconds. In this open-world survival, though, once your character dies you’ll have to start from scratch. At least you can invite up to three friends for co-op to make it easier. VAMPYR PS4, Xbox One, PC Fed up of fleeing from the ghouls and monsters all…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Smart attack1 Sonos OneHijacking the Alexa bandwagon for its own audiophile ambitions, the Sonos One speaker is a juiced-up Echo that can be hard of hearing.2 Apple HomePodThe HomePod is your typical Apple invention: it’s pricey, restrictive and a quality device through and through, with fantastic sound.3 UE BlastThis test’s dark horse makes Alexa your go-to portable chatterbox with added rugged steel. A speaker that’s good for a knockabout.4 Google HomeHaving arrived in rather half-baked fashion, Google’s air freshener can is now basically on a par with its Amazon-made alternative.5 Amazon Echo (2nd gen)The speaker that introduced us to Alexa has now entered its teenage phase with improved sound quality.Well, it got there in the end. Apple’s HomePod has turned up so late to the smart speaker party, it’s rung the…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018DECIPHER#31 ANDROID GO A new version of Android has dropped, but it’s not Android P. We’re still eagerly anticipating the winter arrival of Android Pez, Peppermint Crisp, Parmesan or whatever it ends up being called, but in the meantime there’s Android Go – a version that’s optimised to work with low-end smartphones. Officially known as Android Oreo (Go Edition), the stripped-down system is targeted at budget phones with 1GB of RAM or less – phones that might otherwise collapse like a Springbok defence under pressure. And as phones running on Go have fewer pre-loaded apps clogging up space, you’ll have more storage to play with too. Even the apps you download will be less processor-intensive than the Android apps you see running on wallet-busting flagships, and Google reckons they’ll hog…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Simply the bossIn computing, terms like ‘pro’ are thrown around like confetti. Shove a dedicated graphics card and a slightly fancier screen on your machine and – hey presto – you’ve got something you can charge another five or ten grand for. While milking extra cash out of people with an inflated sense of self-importance hardly counts as the con of the century, it does make the proclamations of Apple’s all-new souped-up iMac hard to trust on face value. With prices for this beast starting at an eye-watering R84 000 – and the setup we’re testing here adding up to well over six figures – it’s easier than ever to raise an eyebrow at this particular Pro. But to call it overpriced would be harsh: this machine is an absolute beast, with…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Amazon’s champ is back and more affordable than everJust as Google wants its Android operating system plastered across every smartphone going, Alexa’s rate of multiplication is starting to put even bunny rabbits to shame. But while there’s been a veritable jamboree of speakers featuring Amazon’s voice assistant in the last year or so, very few of them come close to the Echo itself. What’s so good about the second incarnation of this all-conquering tube? In a word, affordability.Pick the right moment and you can get an Echo for roughly half the price of a Google Home, and even at full whack you’ll have to spend almost four times as much to get hold of Apple’s HomePod. This makes it a perfect companion for commitment-phobes who aren’t quite sure how far they want to kit out their smart home,…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Think for your selfieR8 000 / sonymobile.com/za ■ Social snappers, rejoice! This Sony takes the twin-cam setup usually found on the backs of phones and shifts it to the front. That means a 16MP selfie camera paired with an 8MP wide-angle sensor for squeezing more of your friends into each shot. ■ It does a great job when you feed it enough light, with optical image stabilisation keeping facial features looking crisp and detailed. The LED flash can be harsh, but makes all the difference to those late-night club selfies. ■ On the back, the 23MP snapper has one of the highest pixel counts you’ll find on a phone, but its photos are only really good when there’s loads of light. Focusing can take a while when it’s dark, and it can blur…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The One where Alexa gets the musical chops it deservesLike Ross and Rachel before them, Alexa’s hookup with Sonos was a will-they-won’t-they? story for the ages and took almost as long to come about. Eventually, when the Sonos One arrived in online stores, we could kind of see what the hold-up was. Making an amazing speaker was an easy job for the multiroom champs, but getting Amazon’s voice assistant to dance along in time with the speaker… well, that wasn’t such a simple task. Several months later, the One is an altogether more well-rounded device than it was at launch. It now supports Spotify with voice controls, as well as Amazon Music and TuneIn Radio, and the Alexa-incurred hiccups we first encountered seem to have been fixed after a series of software updates. The only issue we’ve still got…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Move over, Alexa: Siri’s come to claim its rightful throneIf the iPod was the gadget that kickstarted Apple’s revival, then the HomePod is meant to cement its all-conquering status. From headphones to watches and now smart speakers, no stone has been left unturned in its quest to slap its logo on every product you might use your iPhone with. This mission for assimilation seems to have reached its zenith with a device that’s allergic to Android handsets, demands an Apple Music subscription and can’t yet deliver multiroom sound. As such, the HomePod carries an air of exclusivity that’s akin to an old gentlemen’s club: you’re probably not invited and, if so, that’s no big deal. But it’s different if you’re an iPhone owner with an Apple Music subscription. Then you have a ticket to the best-sounding smart speaker money…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018This boombox is a Blast both at home and on the roadIf it were a boy band we were judging, the UE Blast would be the ‘quirky one’ who stands at the back of the videos and goes on to have the solo career everyone else wanted. It’s far from the best speaker here, but that’s no deal-breaker when you consider its portable charm. Whether you’re after a talkative travel companion or don’t want a speaker cluttering up your kitchen all the time, the Blast fits in and around your plans rather than standing in place waiting for instruction – especially since it supports wireless charging with the optional Power Up pad. You can hurl the thing in your nearest backpack without needing to rip out any cables first, and switch it on once you’re ready to dip into its 12-hour…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Amazon’s champ is back and more affordable than everJust as Google wants its Android operating system plastered across every smartphone going, Alexa’s rate of multiplication is starting to put even bunny rabbits to shame. But while there’s been a veritable jamboree of speakers featuring Amazon’s voice assistant in the last year or so, very few of them come close to the Echo itself. What’s so good about the second incarnation of this all-conquering tube? In a word, affordability. Pick the right moment and you can get an Echo for roughly half the price of a Google Home, and even at full whack you’ll have to spend almost four times as much to get hold of Apple’s HomePod. This makes it a perfect companion for commitment-phobes who aren’t quite sure how far they want to kit out their smart…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The director’s cutey1 Little Big ManDespite having room for a decent-sized OLED viewfinder, a 3in flip-and-swivel touchscreen, a pleasingly chunky right-hand grip and a bounty of buttons and dials, the GH5S is small and light enough to carry around all day without giving your a sore neck.2 Cool Hand LukeThe physical controls give your hands fast and easy access to almost any mode and setting you could want, with dedicated dials for drive and shooting modes, three adjustment wheels, a thumb-stick and five customisable function buttons.3 Darkest HourPanasonic has created the GH5S very much with pro videographers in mind. It takes the basis laid out by the excellent GH5 but halves the megapixels in the Micro Four-Thirds sensor, while increasing its sensitivity for improved low-light video capture.4 The Day The Earth Stood…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Strapped for cash?R4 000 / watchrepublic.co.za Misfit used to pump out trackers that looked like jewellery, but now it’s competing with the big players. Looking to try Android Wear 2.0 for R4 000? You’ll want to readon. First, the clever bit: the outer part of the Vapor’s touchscreen acts as a touch-ring. Run a finger around it and you can scroll through notifications, messages or apps. It’s neat… but few apps seem to have added support for it so far. This is one of the thicker Android Wear watches – nothing like the dainty trinkets we’re used to from Misfit. Still, it’s quite comfortable on the wrist for a biggish watch, and is 5ATM water-resistant. The 1.3in AMOLED screen is sharp and colourful, and brightness automatically changes to suit the ambient light.…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The software slumpGet app close Using the GoPro phone app, you can apply cool transitions and zoom the field of view in and out with a pinch. But only a handful of phones will work with it – check GoPro’s list before buying. Crash and burn We also tried both OS X and Windows 10 Fusion Studio apps – serious content creators will want to use desktop software after all. It’s flaky, crashy, and very demanding for all but the fastest machines. Wait for your queue Even with a powerful PC, you have to wait several minutes as the software processes clips. You then choose your field of view, pitch and yaw, and dump the clips in your rendering queue. Then, more waiting. Go down the pan A more serious issue than…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018CLOSE CALLTRIPLE THREATWith facial, iris and fingerprint scanning, the S9 has several means of checking your identity. Most of them are a bit awkward, though.Tech specsScreen 5.8in 2436x1125 OLEDProcessor A11 BionicRAM 3GBOS iOS 11Cameras Dual 12MP rear, 7MP frontBattery 2716mAhStorage 64/256GB, non-expandableDimensions 144x71x7.7mm, 174gFACE THAT RUNS THE PLACEFace ID isn’t just for unlocking your phone: it’ll also work with the App Store and most apps that used to use Touch ID.Tech specsScreen 5.8in 2960x1440 Super AMOLEDProcessor Samsung Exynos 9810RAM 4GBOS Android 8.0Cameras Dual 12MP rear, 8MP frontBattery 3000mAhStorage 64GB, expandableDimensions 148x69x8.5mm, 163gThe story of Apple vs Samsung’s flagship phones is a bit like that of Batman and the Joker: it’s been going on for ages and neither can seem to exist without the other.Not convinced? Just think about their last six…10 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Lighter entertainmentfrom R25 000 / dell.com/zaWhat’s the most desirable laptop out there? The Acer Swift 7 wins for skinniness, the MacBook Pro for Apple style, the Razer Blade for smooth gaming.Yet Dell’s XPS 13 is still the one we often end up recommending. It has a bit of everything: you get style, portability, performance and great battery life. And every part of it just feels… good.Now, only a few months on from its late-2017 refresh, Dell has given the XPS 13 another spruce-up. It’s thinner than ever, and we think you’ll love it… unless you’ve just bought the old version, in which case you’ll probably be a bit pissed off. Sorry.While that model’s 8th-gen Intel Core CPU was the only real change, this new 2018 model updates the whole design. You…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Wireless in-earsSamsung Gear IconX (2018) What’s the story? Samsung’s audio pedigree has been mixed to say the least, but its new buds talk a good redemption story. There’s a built-in running coach, touch controls for playback, 3.4GB of storage for over 1000 songs and battery life of up to seven hours. This all sounds mighty impressive, but will count for zilch if they don’t sound decent. Are they any good? Much to our surprise, these Samsungs mostly match up to their techy prowess with audio that’s among the best you can find in a pair of in-ear buds. There’s a precise, spacious sound here with a healthy thud of bass when needed. Our one major qualm is a coarseness through the midrange and treble that grates at higher volumes. Price R4…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018MossOnce upon a time, virtual reality was all set to reign supreme as the future of home entertainment. The people of Gamerland were ecstatic, for it had been foretold they could explore new realms and hitherto untold delights thanks to this magical new technology. Then they realised the headsets were expensive and uncomfortable, and didn’t have anything worth playing to justify all this hassle.The end? Not if Moss has its say. A storybook-style tale about a mouse who finds herself caught up in magical events that reach well beyond her tiny size, it belongs in the same rarefied company as Lone Echo and Superhot VR as one of the finest VR experiences you can immerse yourself in. With a gorgeous fairytale world to bask in, some clever motion controls and…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Kirby Star AlliesIf you think Luigi is under-appreciated, spare a thought for Kirby. Everyone’s favourite fat pink blob has been kicking around since the NES, but never quite found the franchise that’ll elevate him into gaming’s A League. Star Allies is the ever-jovial fellow’s latest attempt to hit the big time, and one of the few new Nintendo games for Switch this year that hasn’t simply been pulled out of the dumpster fire that was the Wii U. It’s also very much not for anyone over the legal drinking age.The trouble is, as has often been the case for ‘The Kirbster’, Star Allies is so simplistic and indistinct that most young ’uns won’t find too much that’s memorable in it either. A 2D platformer that sees you team up with three equally…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BETA YOURSELF GOOGLE CHROMETHE BASICS Speed up start-up On desktop, open Chrome’s settings and select ‘On start-up’. Tend to visit the same sites first thing? Select ‘Open a specific page or set of pages’. If your favourite pages are already open, click ‘Use current pages’; otherwise, click ‘Add a new page’ and enter a URL. Repeat at will. Make sure you’re you Google encourages you to sign into its apps – and Chrome is no exception, because you can sync stuff like bookmarks and passwords between devices… but that’s not great if someone pilfers your details. Stop that happening by activating 2-Step Verification (google.com/landing/2step/), which requires your phone to confirm new sign-ins. Sync your tabs Sat down at your PC before realising the page you need is already open on your phone? Assuming…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018OUR MONTHMY PHONE GOT UNBUTTONEDLosing the home button on the iPhone X hasn’t created as many headlines as dropping the headphone jack, but it’s an infinitely bigger change. Cast your mind back to what a breakthrough it was when Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone in 2007 with only that single home button upfront. It evolved (with the iPhone 5) into a fingerprint reader and this simple interface has dominated smartphone faces for a decade, even though Android added the back and tab-switcher buttons on either side of it. Using facial recognition to open the iPhone X has killed off the home button in favour of an upward swipe. It works perfectly and is a natural evolution of the interface. But it’ll be controversial for a while yet.Toby Shapshak, Publisher and Editor-in-chiefI…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018OUR MONTHMY PHONE GOT UNBUTTONED Losing the home button on the iPhone X hasn’t created as many headlines as dropping the headphone jack, but it’s an infinitely bigger change. Cast your mind back to what a breakthrough it was when Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone in 2007 with only that single home button upfront. It evolved (with the iPhone 5) into a fingerprint reader and this simple interface has dominated smartphone faces for a decade, even though Android added the back and tab-switcher buttons on either side of it. Using facial recognition to open the iPhone X has killed off the home button in favour of an upward swipe. It works perfectly and is a natural evolution of the interface. But it’ll be controversial for a while yet. Toby Shapshak, Publisher…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018RETURN OF THE VACdyson.co.za IT HAS 20% MORE SUCTION POWER THAN THE OUTGOING MODELWill this handheld beast kill off the corded vacuum cleaner for good?● Suck it upDyson’s back… and there’s no doubt the star of this ultra-light vac is its titular V10 motor. It’s smaller and weighs half as much as the V8 it replaces, but manages to spin at a ridiculous 125,000rpm, so you get 20% more suction power than the outgoing model. This is a streamlined machine that will make quick work of the messiest post-party floors. Oh, and the fact that it looks like a sci-fi alien zapper does nothing to dent its appeal.● Get it onNot tripping on a snake-like pile of cables is an obvious selling point for any cordless vacuum, but most people would rather take…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018GIGA PIXELDRIVING DRONE FOR CHRISTMASThe firmly land-based electric car revolution is only just getting started, but that’s not ambitious enough for the trio of Audi, Airbus and Italdesign, whose inspired collaboration brings us the Pop.Up Next concept. It’s an all-electric, zero-emissions, autonomous road vehicle… that also happens to fly. Imagine you’re driving home from work and you hit an almighty traffic jam. Right now you’re stuck with Radio 702 and a cacophony of hooters. With Pop.Up Next, you can park up and hail a nearby drone module to pluck up your cabin (leaving the wheeled ‘sled’ behind) and fly you home in time for dinner.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BANANA SMOOTHIE NOKIA 8110 4GYellow brick mode The 8110 is made from a sturdy polycarbonate plastic, and has light-up buttons for late-night texting. It’s novel, it’s kitsch, and it’s certainly unmistakable. Long-lasting fruit The 3310’s battery life was a real selling point – and while the 4G connection will drain the 8110’s juice faster we’re still assured of a respectable 25-day standby time. Back in 1999 there was nothing cooler than Nokia’s 8110 slider phone. Sure, it was about as big as a brick, but Keanu Reeves had one while he was dodging bullets in the The Matrix so we all wanted one. Nineteen years on and Nokia is hoping we still do, because it’s bringing the bananaphone back for 2018 – and this time there’s a suitably bright yellow option. Nostalgia is obviously…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018RETURN OF THE VACIT HAS 20% MORE SUCTION POWER THAN THE OUTGOING MODEL Will this handheld beast kill off the corded vacuum cleaner for good? ● Suck it up Dyson’s back… and there’s no doubt the star of this ultra-light vac is its titular V10 motor. It’s smaller and weighs half as much as the V8 it replaces, but manages to spin at a ridiculous 125,000rpm, so you get 20% more suction power than the outgoing model. This is a streamlined machine that will make quick work of the messiest post-party floors. Oh, and the fact that it looks like a sci-fi alien zapper does nothing to dent its appeal. ● Get it on Not tripping on a snake-like pile of cables is an obvious selling point for any cordless vacuum, but most…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018GIGA PIXELDRIVING DRONE FOR CHRISTMAS The firmly land-based electric car revolution is only just getting started, but that’s not ambitious enough for the trio of Audi, Airbus and Italdesign, whose inspired collaboration brings us the Pop.Up Next concept. It’s an all-electric, zero-emissions, autonomous road vehicle… that also happens to fly. Imagine you’re driving home from work and you hit an almighty traffic jam. Right now you’re stuck with Radio 702 and a cacophony of hooters. With Pop.Up Next, you can park up and hail a nearby drone module to pluck up your cabin (leaving the wheeled ‘sled’ behind) and fly you home in time for dinner.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018APPS1 BBC Earth: Life in VR Free / Android Daydream Dive into the drink and discover life beneath the waves, from faffing otters to swarms of krill. It’s the best personal Blue Planet around, short of actually hurling yourself into the sea. 2 Typorama Free (IAPs) / iOS If your idea of type design is a strange attraction to Comic Sans, use Typorama to add text to your pics instead. Loads of styles and effects are included, and a one-off IAP forever nukes watermarks. 3 Noted R13/month / iOS Zone out even more during boring lectures and meetings with Noted. Use the app to record everything, tap to add inline ‘TimeTags’, and use them to flesh out notes later when you’re less bleary-eyed. 4 tanz.love R15 / Android Drum machines…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018FIRST LOOK YAKUZA 6: THE SONG OF LIFE PS4At the very least, Yakuza 6 is the ultimate Tokyo holiday brochure. From the neon-lit streets to the sushi-stacked restaurants, everywhere you look is dosed in fantastical Japanese charm. And that’s without mentioning the interactive cat cafe. Still, this is no tourism simulator – it’s stuffed full of content with an epic story to wrap it all together.After enduring three years in prison, Kazuma Kiryu has returned home to find his adopted family in distress and young Haruka missing. Despite a vow to leave his criminal past behind, Kazuma must punch and kick his way to the bottom of this convoluted mystery.And when we say ‘punch and kick’, we don’t mean the tame scuffles you’ll find in the GTA games. Combat is delightfully over the top, hearkening back to the…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BEST OF UPCOMING UNDEAD GAMESOVERKILL’S THE WALKING DEADPS4, Xbox One, PCWho better to make a zombie slaughter fest than the brains behind co-op bank heist series Payday? After all, you’ll need flawless teamwork to get through either challenge. This survival is set in Robert Kirkman’s The Walking Dead universe too, so you may recognise the odd character.STATE OF DECAY 2Xbox One, PCGetting bitten by a zombie in a video game isn’t too troublesome when you know you can respawn in a matter of seconds. In this open-world survival, though, once your character dies you’ll have to start from scratch. At least you can invite up to three friends for co-op to make it easier.VAMPYRPS4, Xbox One, PCFed up of fleeing from the ghouls and monsters all the time, we’re craving the chance to do…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018HOT STUFFEye spy CANON EOS M50 When it comes to mirrorless cameras, Canon has so far reacted like us on a freezing Monday morning: turning over in bed for ‘just a few more minutes’ in the familiar warmth of its DSLR range. Well, no longer. The EOS M50 packs both the latest Digic 8 processor and the ability to shoot 4K video. Another new feature is eye detection, which means its autofocus will hunt down the natural focus point of your beaming aunt (or gurning dog). And with a 24.1MP APS-C sensor, 3in vari-angle touchscreen and Dual Pixel CMOS AF, it seems to have the full house. R10 000 (with EF-M 15-45mm lens) / canon.co.za Snappy days FUJIFILM X-A5 The X-T20 has hogged the No1 spot in our system camera rankings…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018FIRST LOOK YAKUZA 6: THE SONG OF LIFE PS4At the very least, Yakuza 6 is the ultimate Tokyo holiday brochure. From the neon-lit streets to the sushi-stacked restaurants, everywhere you look is dosed in fantastical Japanese charm. And that’s without mentioning the interactive cat cafe. Still, this is no tourism simulator – it’s stuffed full of content with an epic story to wrap it all together. After enduring three years in prison, Kazuma Kiryu has returned home to find his adopted family in distress and young Haruka missing. Despite a vow to leave his criminal past behind, Kazuma must punch and kick his way to the bottom of this convoluted mystery. And when we say ‘punch and kick’, we don’t mean the tame scuffles you’ll find in the GTA games. Combat is delightfully over…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Simply the bossIn computing, terms like ‘pro’ are thrown around like confetti. Shove a dedicated graphics card and a slightly fancier screen on your machine and – hey presto – you’ve got something you can charge another five or ten grand for.While milking extra cash out of people with an inflated sense of self-importance hardly counts as the con of the century, it does make the proclamations of Apple’s all-new souped-up iMac hard to trust on face value. With prices for this beast starting at an eye-watering R84 000 – and the setup we’re testing here adding up to well over six figures – it’s easier than ever to raise an eyebrow at this particular Pro. But to call it overpriced would be harsh: this machine is an absolute beast, with a…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Think for your selfieR8 000 / sonymobile.com/za Social snappers, rejoice! This Sony takes the twin-cam setup usually found on the backs of phones and shifts it to the front. That means a 16MP selfie camera paired with an 8MP wide-angle sensor for squeezing more of your friends into each shot. It does a great job when you feed it enough light, with optical image stabilisation keeping facial features looking crisp and detailed. The LED flash can be harsh, but makes all the difference to those late-night club selfies. On the back, the 23MP snapper has one of the highest pixel counts you’ll find on a phone, but its photos are only really good when there’s loads of light. Focusing can take a while when it’s dark, and it can blur your shots all…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018START MENUWatch ya got there? HUMISM One thing you can say about watches: they all look really, really… watchy. Enter the Humism range, which rethinks the whole wristwear concept by transforming it into kinetic art. These watches are still made from the right stuff: brushed surgical steel cases, sapphire crystal glass, Italian leather straps – but the faces are dominated by overlapping patterns that morph as the day ticks away. Neatly dovetailing into the kinetic theme, the watches are powered by your own movement. Oh, and in case you’re old-fashioned enough to care, the two little outer circles indicate the time. from $348 / humism.com Bop of the pops SOUNDBOPS Stick a piano in front of a kid and, while they’ll probably have fun for a few minutes, they won’t learn…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Move over, Alexa: Siri’s come to claim its rightful throneIf the iPod was the gadget that kickstarted Apple’s revival, then the HomePod is meant to cement its all-conquering status. From headphones to watches and now smart speakers, no stone has been left unturned in its quest to slap its logo on every product you might use your iPhone with.This mission for assimilation seems to have reached its zenith with a device that’s allergic to Android handsets, demands an Apple Music subscription and can’t yet deliver multiroom sound. As such, the HomePod carries an air of exclusivity that’s akin to an old gentlemen’s club: you’re probably not invited and, if so, that’s no big deal.But it’s different if you’re an iPhone owner with an Apple Music subscription. Then you have a ticket to the best-sounding smart speaker money can buy.…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018MAKE YOUR HANDSET HANDSOME● Nova Launcher Countless Android launchers rattle around Google Play, mostly slowly heading towards oblivion… but Nova Launcher has serious staying power. This capable app is smart, straightforward and hugely configurable. It’s a great bet whether you want to make the odd tweak or overhaul how launching works – and looks – on your Android phone. Stuff says ★★★★★ Free (IAPs) / Android ● Clarity Pimp Your Screen (R30) is a powerful iOS theming app, but tends towards the gaudy. Clarity seems more ‘Apple’, focusing on tasteful, minimal wallpapers, based on user-created blurred imagery and gradients. It’s the sort of thing Jony Ive might approve of if he wasn’t forever trapped in a white room doing voice-overs for Apple videos. Stuff says ★★★★✩ R4 / iOS ● Figure Don’t be…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The winner is… Sonos OneLooking for the perfect smart speaker? Tough. It doesn’t exist yet. But for now, the Sonos One will do nicely. It might not work with Alexa as well as the standard Echo, or sound as incredible as the HomePod, but it still hits a sweet spot no alternative can match. It can blast out your tunes with real gusto before pausing them to order an Uber.Having garnered Spotify support and a whole load of software tweaks, it’s now waiting on Google Assistant so you can use it however you please. Plus it’ll join forces with other Sonos kit. Until the Echo sharpens up its musical chops or the HomePod does away with its dunce’s hat, the Sonos One is the best smart speaker you can buy.+ Now add theseSonos Play:5Wanna…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The world’s gone rad1 Pole positionThe Fusion is a little bigger than a standard GoPro Hero cam, but you’ll still be able to attach it to whatever you like. As part of the package you get a quick and easy extension pole for getting the camera away from your arms and head, and this doubles as a tripod.2 Press packUsing the Fusion is very simple. There’s a power/mode button on the side and a shutter/capture button on the front – that’s it. You press on the mode button to flick between stills, video and timelapse, and you can alter a few parameters in the settings menu.3 Point provenSo, you don’t even have to worry about where you point this cam? Well, that’s true to an extent. But look carefully at your footage and…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The software slumpGet app closeUsing the GoPro phone app, you can apply cool transitions and zoom the field of view in and out with a pinch. But only a handful of phones will work with it – check GoPro’s list before buying.Crash and burnWe also tried both OS X and Windows 10 Fusion Studio apps – serious content creators will want to use desktop software after all. It’s flaky, crashy, and very demanding for all but the fastest machines.Wait for your queueEven with a powerful PC, you have to wait several minutes as the software processes clips. You then choose your field of view, pitch and yaw, and dump the clips in your rendering queue. Then, more waiting.Go down the panA more serious issue than its sheer slowness is that the desktop…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018X2’s a brute eh?from R570 500 / bmw.co.za BMW’s gradually filling in the gaps in its X-series line-up, a range that accounts for more than 30% of BMW’s global sales. The latest addition to the family is the low-slung, SUV-meets-coupé, the X2, intended to bridge the gap between the functionality of the X1 and the sportiness of the now-discontinued 2 Series. Buyers can choose between two front-wheel driven petrol variants, the entry-level sDrive18i and the more potent sDrive20i, or the all-wheel diesel-powered xDrive20d. The 1.8 is available with a six-speed manual transmission, or seven-speed automatic one, the 2.0-litre petrol only comes in automatic, while the diesel is only available with an eight-speed automatic transmission (with the extra gear to handle the extra torque). All of the models are available in M Sport or…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018SNACK TECHGOURMET GADGETRY RETRO POPCORN MAKERPopcorn sits somewhere between pizza and Bar-Ones in our all-time food rankings – but until someone figures out a way to combine the three without eviscerating our digestive system, We’ll have to eat them separately. On the plus side, this dinky machine makes popping our own corn a breeze. Since it uses hot air instead of oil, it’s a healthier alternative to using a pan and means we can be 100% certain that no disgusting sugared corn makes its way into our home cinema den. ’Cos what kind of monster doesn’t prefer salted?R880 / merkado.co.zaKRUPS ICE CREAM MAKERThey say if you want something done right, do it yourself. Which is also true if you want an exotic flavour of ice cream or sorbet that no one…5 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The winner is… Sonos OneLooking for the perfect smart speaker? Tough. It doesn’t exist yet. But for now, the Sonos One will do nicely. It might not work with Alexa as well as the standard Echo, or sound as incredible as the HomePod, but it still hits a sweet spot no alternative can match. It can blast out your tunes with real gusto before pausing them to order an Uber. Having garnered Spotify support and a whole load of software tweaks, it’s now waiting on Google Assistant so you can use it however you please. Plus it’ll join forces with other Sonos kit. Until the Echo sharpens up its musical chops or the HomePod does away with its dunce’s hat, the Sonos One is the best smart speaker you can buy. + Now add…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Steady the eagleR27 000 (body only) / fujifilm.co.za ■ The X-H1 is big for a CSC. It’s taller, wider and deeper than the X-T2, with a much larger grip and chunkier prism for the viewfinder. The reason for this sudden growth spurt? It’s had to make room for image-stabilisation tech. ■ Fuji claims the 5-axis image stabilisation will give you up to 5.5 extra stops of exposure. It certainly makes a massive difference, letting you shoot handheld at shutter speeds of around 1 second without any visible blurring. ■ The sensor is unchanged from the X-T2. You get 24.3MP and, although it’s ‘only’ APS-C, it outperforms plenty of full-frame cameras on many levels. As always, the Fuji colours are spectacular, with the X-Trans sensor serving up rich greens in particular. Handy if…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The world’s gone rad1 Pole position The Fusion is a little bigger than a standard GoPro Hero cam, but you’ll still be able to attach it to whatever you like. As part of the package you get a quick and easy extension pole for getting the camera away from your arms and head, and this doubles as a tripod. 2 Press pack Using the Fusion is very simple. There’s a power/mode button on the side and a shutter/capture button on the front – that’s it. You press on the mode button to flick between stills, video and timelapse, and you can alter a few parameters in the settings menu. 3 Point proven So, you don’t even have to worry about where you point this cam? Well, that’s true to an extent. But look…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018BETA YOURSELF GOOGLE CHROMETHE BASICSSpeed up start-upOn desktop, open Chrome’s settings and select ‘On start-up’. Tend to visit the same sites first thing? Select ‘Open a specific page or set of pages’. If your favourite pages are already open, click ‘Use current pages’; otherwise, click ‘Add a new page’ and enter a URL. Repeat at will.Make sure you’re youGoogle encourages you to sign into its apps – and Chrome is no exception, because you can sync stuff like bookmarks and passwords between devices… but that’s not great if someone pilfers your details. Stop that happening by activating 2-Step Verification (google.com/landing/2step/), which requires your phone to confirm new sign-ins.Sync your tabsSat down at your PC before realising the page you need is already open on your phone? Assuming your devices are signed in, you…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018X2’s a brute eh?from R570 500 / bmw.co.za ■ BMW’s gradually filling in the gaps in its X-series line-up, a range that accounts for more than 30% of BMW’s global sales. The latest addition to the family is the low-slung, SUV-meets-coupé, the X2, intended to bridge the gap between the functionality of the X1 and the sportiness of the now-discontinued 2 Series. ■ Buyers can choose between two front-wheel driven petrol variants, the entry-level sDrive18i and the more potent sDrive20i, or the all-wheel diesel-powered xDrive20d. The 1.8 is available with a six-speed manual transmission, or seven-speed automatic one, the 2.0-litre petrol only comes in automatic, while the diesel is only available with an eight-speed automatic transmission (with the extra gear to handle the extra torque). ■ All of the models are available in…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Major labellerR1 500 / brother.co.za ■ Brother is no stranger to making label printers, but they tend to have clumsy physical keyboards and very limited options for label design, layout and typography. With the Bluetooth-enabled and LCD-less PT-P300BT, the company has overcome these limitations by shifting design duties to your smartphone. ■ The label printer can be powered by six AAA batteries or a 9V DC plug (which sadly isn’t supplied, but if yours is a gadgety household you’ve probably got one lying about). Both side panels are removable, batteries live under the one while the tape/label cartridge lives under the other. Choose from more than a dozen tapes that vary in thickness (from 3.5-12mm), colour and price, with the cheapest coming in at around R200 each. ■ Connecting to the…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Metal Gear SurviveThis isn’t a Metal Gear game. Look beyond the title – a tenuous link to Hideo Kojima’s universe – and it might as well be called Survival Game #637. But if it were, would you be bothering to read this? Still, you’re here now, so the real question is whether the game is any good. The answer, like the game itself, is complicated.While the exposition-heavy intro is very Metal Gear, you’re soon thrown into unfamiliar territory after dying during an attack on Mother Base. So you’re dead, but also… not dead? Plus you’ve just been thrown through a wormhole to a world full of strange zombie creatures. It’s up to you to find out what happened to the last team to go through the portal, and find a way back…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018You’ve gotta roll with itLittle wonder Watching raw 4K footage on a TV screen reminds us how far this tech has come in the past few years. We don’t recall ever seeing video this clear, crisp and natural-looking from a camera so compact. Shady character The 10-bit footage leaps out with clean tonal shifts and realistic detail, with no signs of compression anywhere – and that’s before it’s even been colour-graded. It’s very, very impressive. Dark horse The GH5S also excels in low light. ISO can be bumped up to 204,800 in extended mode and, while things do get noisy up there, it can capture totally usable footage in the murkiest conditions. Bit of rough For filming at 50 or 60fps you have to step down the colour depth to 8-bit, which looks a…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018The flight topDJI Mavic Air Price R14 000 / navworld.co.za What’s the story? Move over, seagulls: DJI’s quest to become the ruler of the skies continues with its latest ’copter. Combining the best parts of DJI’s previous drones, such as the Mavic Pro’s 4K camera and the Spark’s beginner-friendly software, the Mavic Air can shoot epic travel videos, even if you have less-than-epic piloting skills. And all of this tech has somehow been squeezed inside a device that can be folded down to the size of a water bottle. That is nothing short of miraculous. The most noticeable upgrade over the Spark, though, is the inclusion of a controller. This is crucial for flying your drone properly and boosting its range beyond 80 metres. The sticks give you far greater control than…7 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018CLOSE CALLTRIPLE THREAT With facial, iris and fingerprint scanning, the S9 has several means of checking your identity. Most of them are a bit awkward, though. Tech specs Screen 5.8in 2436x1125 OLED Processor A11 Bionic RAM 3GB OS iOS 11 Cameras Dual 12MP rear, 7MP front Battery 2716mAh Storage 64/256GB, non-expandable Dimensions 144x71x7.7mm, 174g FACE THAT RUNS THE PLACE Face ID isn’t just for unlocking your phone: it’ll also work with the App Store and most apps that used to use Touch ID. Tech specs Screen 5.8in 2960x1440 Super AMOLED Processor Samsung Exynos 9810 RAM 4GB OS Android 8.0 Cameras Dual 12MP rear, 8MP front Battery 3000mAh Storage 64GB, expandable Dimensions 148x69x8.5mm, 163g The story of Apple vs Samsung’s flagship phones is a bit like that of Batman and the Joker:…10 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018Lighter entertainmentfrom R25 000 / dell.com/za What’s the most desirable laptop out there? The Acer Swift 7 wins for skinniness, the MacBook Pro for Apple style, the Razer Blade for smooth gaming. Yet Dell’s XPS 13 is still the one we often end up recommending. It has a bit of everything: you get style, portability, performance and great battery life. And every part of it just feels… good. Now, only a few months on from its late-2017 refresh, Dell has given the XPS 13 another spruce-up. It’s thinner than ever, and we think you’ll love it… unless you’ve just bought the old version, in which case you’ll probably be a bit pissed off. Sorry. While that model’s 8th-gen Intel Core CPU was the only real change, this new 2018 model updates…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018off the old blockThe Bip’s almighty vibrations will make sure you’re kept bang up to date with any bickering in your group chat R1 680 / zasttra.com DAY 01 Our first impression of the Amazfit Bip? A shameless Apple Watch lookalike with a suspicious bargain-bin RRP. Like Apple’s market-leading smartwatch, it’s a square design with rounded corners, and at a glance it can be difficult to tell the two tickers apart. Pick up the Bip, though, and you’ll immediately notice the difference. The watch itself is quite a lot thinner than its wallet-busting inspiration, and at 18g the case is 9g lighter than the smallest aluminum Apple Watch. It’s plasticky rather than premium. As we’ve worn both, we can tell you that it feels like less of a presence on your wrist, which…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|May 2018PHABLETSSamsung Galaxy S9+R18 000 / samsung.com/zaSamsung’s only gone and done it again, claiming the top phablet spot with their newest flagship. And this time around it’s more than just an oversized copy of the “smaller” of the pair, though we do really like the 6.2in display. One of the new dual rear cameras gets the same variable aperture tech found in the S9’s camera, while the secondary camera offers some telephoto magic with a 12MP f/2.4 2x optical zoom lens. The 6GB of RAM doesn’t hurt either. Some of these features were available in the Galaxy Note 8 but they look even better here.Stuff says ★★★★★The Galaxy phone most worth having... unless you have small-ish hands.● NOW ADD THISConvertible Wireless ChargerThe latest in phone wizardry deserves the latest in wireless…3 min
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