Tech - June 2017

STAND A CHANCE TO WIN THE SAMSUNG GALAXY S8

JUNE 2017

SA tech to scan the stars

Superior keyboards and mouses How to make a

5EXCEL Tips for

SCREEN VIDEO

USERS

FINGERPRINTING

HONOR GAMING Top brands FOR A clash of steel heard HEADSETS compared

around the world

C NT ENTS FEATURES GOING WITH THE FLOW

Dr Muthoni Masinde on IT studies in SA

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Add arty effects to your smartphone photos

FINGER-PAINTING

20

Keyboards and mouses that boost productivity

TAKING CONTROL

22

Innovative tools from SA’s top space scientists

SUCKING STARDUST

28

Tips and tricks for Excel users

CELL YOURSELF

34

How to record your PC screen

SHOW AND TELL

36

The SA Post Office enters the digital era

DIGITALLY DELIVERED

40

TRACE EVIDENCE

44

Local geeks are pioneering 3D fingerprinting

SWAG

4 6 15

8 38

74

Ed’s letter Benefits Need to know Life hacks Game reviews Backspace

Icaros Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45

28

GEAR 62 70

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY IMAGES

8

REGULARS

18 50

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Smart buys Buyer’s guide

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ED’S LETTER

4

Fake news. In the tech industry, that’s marketing hype. At Tech, we don’t recommend any technologies until we’ve figured out how they’re going to make our lives better. Ultra-high-definition TVs have now been around for years, but there has been nothing to watch. Then, Netflix quietly upgraded its SA service to offer UHD movies and TV shows. I had seen plenty of UHD video before, including one sci-fi movie where you could clearly make out the actor’s make-up, as well as the tape holding together the obviously cardboard set.

That was nothing like this. I spent an entire weekend watching nature documentaries in breathtaking UHD. Furry creatures scurrying, flowers blooming, waterfalls rumbling: I just couldn’t get enough of this glorious new reality. There’s a fully loaded UHD TV set on page 64, and another hyped-up product is on page 62: the eagerly anticipated Samsung Galaxy S8. We filter out the hype to explain what really matters about this phone. SA techies have placed our country on the map. Space scientists at the SKA radio telescope have invented a brand new kind of supercomputer architecture, and they’re developing AI to identify previously unknown astral phenomena (pg 28). Others are scanning fingerprints in 3D in the fight against crime (pg 20). Local is always lekker, but as a Tech reader, you already know that, right? Enjoy your mag.

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Highbury Media: Editor Gavin Dudley Managing Editor Richard Brown Chief Copy Editor Jonathan Meyer Senior Copy Editor Rhynhardt Krynauw Art Director Warren Uytenbogaardt Designers Faheem Benjamin, Devon Fourie, Natano Marnewick, Mish-al van Rijmenant Group Sales Director Clive Kotze Sales Director TFG Jason Hill Project Manager Kenneth Wiid HR Director Rizqah Jakoet Financial Director Lindsey Makrygiannis Production Director Bilqees Allie Commercial Director Shane Keohane MD Tony Walker CEO Kevin Ferguson TFG (The Foschini Group): Head of Publishing Sarah Kuttel Publishing Manager Laylaa de Villiers Brand Manager Carol Roux Marketing Assistant Melanie Snyders Enquiries Tech magazine, PO Box 6020, Parow East, 7501, Tel: 0860 282 896, Email: [email protected] Published by Highbury Media for The Foschini Group © Highbury Media (Pty) Ltd 2004/031056/07, ISSN 2313-7029, Highbury Media, 21st floor, Metropolitan Centre, 7 Walter Sisulu Avenue, Foreshore, 8001, Cape Town, South Africa. www.hsm.co.za Editorial enquiries Tel: 021 416 0141, Fax: 021 421 1250, Email: [email protected] Advertising enquiries Tel: 021 416 0141, Fax: 021 418 0132, Email: [email protected] Magazine subscription terms and conditions for non-account customers: 1 You have subscribed to Tech magazine (“the Magazine”), a publication of Foschini Retail Group (Pty) Ltd (“TFG”); 2 For enquiries regarding your subscription, contact customer services on 0860 576 576; 3 TFG reserves the right to cease publication of the Magazine at any time in our sole and absolute discretion. If your subscription is still running at that point, you will receive a refund for Magazines still due to you; 4 TFG reserves the right to change or cease the benefits and competitions offered in the Magazine at any time, and to change the level of service offered to subscribers of the Magazine; 5 Magazine benefits are only available to customers who subscribe to the Magazine for a minimum period of six or 12 months and do not apply to customers who purchase single copies of the Magazine; 6 Customers who subscribe for 6 or 12 month periods will be automatically entered into all “automatic entry competitions”, however, customers who purchase single copies of the magazine will not be entered into these competitions; 7 All customers must enter “SMS entry competitions” by sending a SMS to be eligible to be in the draw for any prizes; 8 Subscribers may only enter each competition once, and multiple entries will be discarded; 9 If you have elected to pay for your subscription via a monthly debit order deduction, and if your debit order fails for any reason whatsoever in any month, you will not be sent a Magazine for that month and you may be charged a financial handling fee; 10 You must provide us with the correct address where your Magazine must be sent to every month, failing which you will not receive your Magazine, and we will not be liable to re-send your Magazine to any alternative address. Should you change your address, you must advise customer services of this; 11 TFG may change the shape and the size of the Magazine at any time; 12 The price of the Magazine will be adjusted at any time during in a calendar year, however, customers who subscribe for six or 12 month periods will not be subject to price increases during the term of their subscription; 13 These terms and conditions can change from time to time and you will be bound to any updated terms and conditions from the date of publication in the Magazine and on www.tfgclub.co.za/cash subscribers; 14 We hereby notify you that if you are a Magazine subscriber it may be necessary for certain third party benefit providers to process your personal information to enable them to provider their services to you. By making use of the benefit(s) you agree to this.

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RIDING

A high-tech fusion of work, play and active VR

HIGH

Some of the muscle groups that can be targeted are abdominals, shoulders, triceps and quads.

Words William Horne @awilliamhorne

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FLIGHT RISK

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY IMAGES

The name of this ultramodern apparatus was taken from ancient Greek mythology. In the story, Daedalus and Icarus, his son, are incarcerated in a high tower. The father gathers the feathers of visiting birds and builds two pairs of wings Icarus and he can use to fly to freedom. It is something of a cautionary tale, in that the boy then flies too close to the Sun, destroys his wings and crashes to Earth.

The latest Icaros game simulates the experience not of flying, but of dropping towards the ground in free fall.

9

ICAROS VR workout rig Call your condescending uncle and tell him the debate is over: here’s your proof that gaming is a sport. VR gaming has flown to a whole new level of immersion, all thanks to the German design team behind the Icaros rig, which allows you to exercise while you play. The floating platform sees you lying comfortably in a flying position, with strategically positioned pads and rests to support your limbs. Don the VR headset of your choice (all the current leading models are supported) and the Icaros’ counterweighted tilting mechanisms will simulate a close approximation of the experience of actually flying. Of course, in the time you’re playing, you’re also getting a full workout. Whether you’re swaying and drifting like a bird on the machine, or using Icaros’ own VR exercise games and routines, you will be targeting specific muscle groups at moderate to demanding workout levels. Controlling the games happens through the natural motions and shifting weight of your body on the platform, assisted by the embedded wireless controllers in the front handle grips. Whether gamers are likely to become the swimwear models of the future is still anyone’s guess, but with the multiplayer functionality of the Icaros, at least some of the in-game voice chats should be less profane – if slightly more prone to heavy, exhausted breathing. 98 cm × 176 cm rig, 120 kg, 8 targeted muscle groups, Samsung Gear VR included, Compatible with all leading VR headsets, R110 000

WITH THE CURREN

Dr Muthoni Masinde is using tech to help small farmers predict the weather accurately and produce more food

Words Joanne Carew @littleCarew

WHEN DR MUTHONI MASINDE first took up her role as a senior lecturer at the Central University of Technology (CUT) in the Free State, she was a bit of a fish out of water. She had moved from Kenya in 2010 to study at the University of Cape Town, where she received her doctorate in 2012. Today, as head of the IT department at CUT, Muthoni has been attracting a lot of talented young IT students to pursuing their postgraduate studies at the university.

WHEN DID YOU DEVELOP AN INTEREST IN TECHNOLOGY? Having grown up in a rural area, my exposure to technology was very limited. But when the time came to choose something to study at university, I decided on computer science. I was in the first class ever to study computer science in Kenya. This was only offered in two other

FULLY CHARGED places in Africa: Zimbabwe and South Africa. At the time, I wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with it, but I went ahead anyway.

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DR MASINDE’S TOP GADGETS iPad and iPhone

WHAT PROJECTS ARE YOU WORKING ON?

v

Where I grew up, we did a lot of small-scale farming. Over time, I noticed the amount of rainfall was declining and it was getting difficult to predict the seasons. There was a lot more guesswork, and you could really lose out if you planted too early or too late. The only weather information these Kenyan farmers have is the newspaper or the radio, but many of them can’t read and they don’t understand the weather reports. I wanted to help using the tech knowledge I’d acquired through my studies, so I built a ‘bridge’ to

…and a second phone with her Kenyan phone number!

Portable hard drive

Weather station (home and office!)

Information Technology and Indigenous Knowledge with Intelligence The software tool combines, or bridges, local knowledge with scientific data for improved drought forecasting. In eastern Kenya, ‘itiki’ refers to a river bridge, designed using expert indigenous knowledge of local trees and river flows.

mobile phones

wireless sensor networks

artificial intelligence

Tested by250

farmers in SA, Kenya

and Mozambique

NOW AVAILABLE TO FARMERS IN KZN AND LIMPOPO

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connect scientific and indigenous knowledge. So we collected data around weather patterns and then combined all these with scientific modelling to provide us with more accurate forecasts – all through a mobile app. Using this, a farmer can request the weather forecast for their region for a specific date and they will receive an SMS with that information.

CAN THIS BE USED IN SA? The information is highly localised, which is what makes it so reliable and accurate. At the moment, we haven’t collected all the necessary data for South Africa, though that isn’t to say that we couldn’t do so and provide the same forecasts for farmers in any region.

HOW DO IT STUDIES IN SA COMPARE WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD? We’re just not there quite yet. At the moment, our focus is all on IT to solve small-scale problems. If someone were to design the next high-tech aircraft in South Africa, how would that really help the South African people? IT solutions designed for healthcare and education, for example, have a much greater impact, so we’re not in the right position to create cutting-edge innovations now. In the coming five years, we will witness the next revolution – The Fourth Industrial Revolution – which will be focused more around issues such as the Internet of Things and building artificial intelligence. Unfortunately, we as Africans haven’t been inventing these technologies: we’re still just users.

HIGHER LEARNING Dr Muthoni Masinde has spent a total of 16 years in IT research and teaching at university level. Since she’s been the head of the IT department at Central University of Technology:

Staff members with, or studying for, higher degrees have doubled. Research output has increased from two to more than 15 articles a year. Postgraduate enrolment has increased from three to more than 20 students per year. She is active in the Association of SA Women in Science and Engineering.

Unfortunately, we as Africans haven’t been inventing these technologies: we’re still just users. HOW CAN WE GET KIDS INTO IT-RELATED FIELDS? I think our parents play a critical role. At home, I’ve tried to always assure my kids that they can do anything. Computer science is a very promising career path, but I wouldn’t want to mislead young people: it’s still a lot of hard work!

ARE YOU A GEEK AROUND THE HOUSE? I think my kids see me as a mom and as a techie. They’re teenagers now, so they already know quite a lot. Sometimes I think they know more than I do!

WHAT REAL-WORLD PROBLEM WOULD YOU MOST LIKE TO SOLVE WITH TECH? I think I have done it. For me, any tech that increases the amount of food we can produce from our farms will solve many of our problems. A hungry person is never a nice person to be around. Anything that fills our food basket is critical in my eyes.

PHOTOGRAPHY: KENDALL-LEIGH NASH/HMimages.co.za, ISTOCKPHOTO, COURTESY IMAGES

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need to know

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Say What? Speak like a geek on top of their game

Words Craig Wilson @craigwilson and Joanne Carew @littleCarew

iris scanner Originally the stuff of sci-fi movies, iris scanning is commonplace today. You’re as likely to encounter it at airport security as you are on modern smartphones such as Samsung’s new S8 (reviewed on page 62). On phones, the front-facing camera tracks the iris; it uses infrared optics to scan your eye for added security. Like the ridges, troughs and valleys of skin cells that make up your fingerprints, the patterns in your iris are unique to you, making it an excellent hands-free alternative to fingerprint scanners on phones.

Pixel density

twitter canoe

Why is the screen of the LG G5 better than the iPhone 7 Plus? Well, it has higher pixel density. The more pixels that can be crammed into a display, the sharper your image appears. The pixel density (how tightly all the pixels are packed together) is calculated by taking the number of pixels in a given display and dividing that by the size of the display. On the 5.5” screen of an iPhone 7 Plus, the pixel density is an impressive 401 ppi (pixels per inch). But cram the same pixels into a smaller screen and you get a higher density, and a sharper image. So, for example, because the LG G5 has a smaller screen than the iPhone (5.3”), its pixel density is higher (554 ppi).

This results from someone inserting themselves into a Twitter conversation between two other people, prompting others to join in until the limited character count is taken up by all the usernames. And just like an overloaded canoe, the thread ‘sinks’ because too many people have hopped on. Luckily, Twitter has announced plans to exclude the usernames from the tweet character count in future.

NEED TO KNOW

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#DELETEUBER A perfect storm of public-relations blunders rocked Uber earlier this year. First, Uber appeared to be ruthlessly profiting from New York taxi drivers protesting the Trump travel ban against largely Muslim countries. It didn’t help that Uber CEO Travis Kalanick had joined one of Trump’s committees. Then, a senior manager at Uber went public with horrific tales of sexist corporate culture rampant within the company. In the midst of that scandal, Kalanick was caught on camera verbally abusing his own Uber driver.

WIREFRAME

VIRTUAL MACHINE

TWITTER LITE

Sometimes, developers working in one sort of operating system (OS) want to be able to test software using another operating system. Or you might want to use a piece of software that doesn’t exist for your PC OS yet. Using a process called emulation, your operating system can run another operating system on top of it, as if it’s just another application, to create a virtual second PC. Now you can run your incompatible software inside the second OS running on your virtual machine. One popular trick is to run Windows on a Mac, for example.

A constantly updating Twitter feed burns through your mobile data. This low-data web-app version is aimed at emerging markets and those on slower networks. It loads up faster and uses much less data, but still has almost all the primary features of the full app.

BITMOJI Tired of the ‘laughing till you cry’- or the good old ‘thumbs up’ emoji? You can now give your emoji a more personal touch. Download the Bitmoji app and create emoji that actually resemble you, customising skin colour, hairstyles, clothing and more.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCKPHOTO, COURTESY IMAGES

One of the core elements of good design is planning. A wireframe is part of the planning stage of creating a website. It’s like a schematic or a floor plan in that it shows where all the important elements will go, but without worrying about the specifics. So, in the same way that a floorplan shows where a door should go, but not what sort of door it’ll be, a website wireframe will show you where the navigation buttons will go, but not what they will look like.

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LIFE HACKS

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H CK YOUR LIFE Quick tricks to cope with your digital world Words Joanne Carew @littleCarew CLEAN BREAK They say that sitting is the new smoking, and most of us spend the whole day staring at our PC anyway. You really should take a break every hour or so. Luckily, there’s a website that can help. At donothingfor2minutes.com,

Tech subscribers get up to 10% off weFix repairs. Dial *130*3272*18#

you can listen to the gentle lull of the ocean as a timer counts down your two-minute break. Should you move your mouse at all, or attempt to switch tabs, the timer will restart. The idea is really to do absolutely nothing for two full minutes. Just don’t tell your boss.

SECRET MESSAGES Two-step verification is one of the most reliable ways to keep any data secure by requiring you to provide two forms of ID. If you’re worried about some schemer getting into your WhatsApp messages, here’s how to secure it: Open WhatsApp and navigate to Settings, then Account. Choose Two-step verification (if you don’t see it, update to the latest version of the app). You’ll be asked to enter a six-digit passcode and confirm it. Then, enter and confirm your email address. Done. To fully unlock your WhatsApp in future, you’ll need to provide both pieces of information.

SCREEN SAVER

PICK SIDES It’s important to make sure you use your left and right earbuds the right way round. Tie a small knot in the cable of one side to easily distinguish right from left. Or you can dab one bud with a colourful, hard-wearing substance like nail polish.

TAXI TROUBLES Left something behind in an Uber? Here’s how to go about retrieving it. Open the Uber app, tap the menu at the top-left corner of your screen and select Help. Under your last trip, select ‘Report an issue with this trip’ and then tap ‘I lost an item’. Select ‘Contact my driver about a lost item’ and fill in your phone number. When you hit ‘Submit’ your phone will start dialling the driver.

PHOTOGRAPHY: GALLO/GETTYIMAGES, COURTESY IMAGES

If your smartphone uses AMOLED screen technology (mostly high-end phones), you can save battery by using a dark wallpaper and themes. Unlike LCD screens, which have to light up the full screen all the time, OLED tech lights only certain areas. This saves more than you’d expect.

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PAINTING FOR ALL PRISMA Android, iOS It’s easier than you think to make your humble creations look like world-famous works of art. Prisma is an AI-powered app that does precisely that, using computer smarts to simulate your favourite artists, such as Picasso or Munch, or you can use modern art filters. Simply choose your photo, select your desired style and watch the results take shape. The introduction of an effects store is an interesting addition to your creative options.

CARTOON CAMERA

PHOTOGRAPHY: iSTOCKPHOTO, COURTESY IMAGES

Free, Android, iOS Most are familiar with the slick filters and camera effects from Snapchat by now, but Cartoon Camera is a lovely bonus app that also works for non-Snapchat users. It lets you take photos with an arty filter attached to them, featuring a pencil style, sepiatone effect, negative filter and a few more. Perhaps your camera already has some of these filters, but you can never have too many, can you?

PICSART Free, Android, iOS This app is a real one-stop shop that allows you to dress

Quick ways to turn your smartphone pics into art

Words Hadlee Simons @hadleesimons

up your snaps with clip art, stickers, drawing tools and something the developer calls ‘AI-powered magic effects’. This latter feature is pretty cool, and delivers some psychedelic effects to your pictures. Otherwise, it has all the usual filters, effects and editing tools found on most of the apps listed here.

COLOR POP EFFECTS PHOTO EDITOR Free, Android, iOS Colour-pop apps are a clever way to give your selfies and photos something different. There are some fantastic results out there. The app effectively turns your photos into greyscale images, and then allows you to re-introduce bits of colour back into the picture. It’s not completely user friendly but still a great app for producing digitally enhanced photos.

BESTME SELFIE CAMERA Free, Android, iOS If you’re obsessed with photo filters and have a more-is-more attitude, check out BestMe Selfie Camera, which offers more than 100 filters, some of which are not available in the free app. In addition to these arty filters, BestMe offers emoji overlays and clip art too, so you never send a regular picture to

anyone ever again. However, it’s a little light on the standard drawingand editing features.

FRESH PAINT Free, Windows Phone Microsoft may have walked away from the Windows Phone app store, but Fresh Paint is still one of the shining beacons on the platform. The app, available for both Windows Phones and PCs, is effectively the spiritual successor to the original MS Paint. So you can start from a blank canvas, of course, using pencil, watercolour paints and other brush types, but you can also transform your works or any images using half a dozen filters and some other effects.

DRAW ME! Free, Android Ever needed a little caricature or pencil sketch of yourself? Draw Me lets you submit photos of yourself or others, with other users then volunteering to recreate your likeness for you. Naturally, you can also volunteer to draw other people and showcase your artistic prowess. The massive downside is that you will probably be waiting a while for someone to complete your drawing, but there certainly isn’t a shortage of photos for you to draw.

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taking It’s easy to overlook the critical role of mouses and keyboards in our computing experience. Of all our personal electronics, these are probably the hardest working, but they cost the least. Keyboard and mouse malfunctions can be simply infuriating, but smart, ergonomic equipment promotes healthy computing practices and can even help you up your productivity. With touch screens and voice-activated systems now increasingly common, it’s likely the humble keyboard and mouse won’t survive into the next digital age. But until then, it makes sense to invest in the best desktop equipment you can afford. Your wrists, arms and shoulders will certainly thank you.

The cushioned palm rest provides support for hands and wrists, but can be removed to keep things more compact.

control Great mouses and keyboards can give you a productivity boost

Microsoft sculpt ErgonoMic DEsktop

Microsoft ushered in the era of workplace computing and still takes that responsibility extremely seriously, investing heavily in research towards healthy computing practices. And this crazy-looking set-up reflects some of its findings. Your hands will naturally tilt slightly outwards when in a relaxed position, and that informs the keyboard’s wavy shape. The thumb scoop for the mouse gives you more control with less effort, and the rounded shape also fully supports your palm and tilts your hand into the optimal position. Sure, it takes some getting used to, but looking after your arms and wrists will keep you productive for much longer. Cordless, ergonomic design, add-on number pad, R1 600

BUYING GUIDE WIRELESS

Most keyboards and mouses are going cordless. This connectivity, using the 2.4 gHz radio band, has become far more reliable and uses much less power than it did before. Bluetooth equipment is the most efficient for laptops, as you won’t need a receiver that will take up one of your USB slots.

BATTERIES Energy use has become so efficient that you’ll only need batteries every few months, not weeks. We would recommend you keep two sets of rechargeable batteries on rotation to avoid unplanned downtime.

MOBILE WORKERS Mobile workers and frequent flyers alike should invest in a high-quality compact mouse with a single AAA battery and Bluetooth connectivity. The best travel mouses have sensors that allow them to work well on just about any kind of surface (Microsoft BlueTrack and Logitech Advanced Optical Tracking, for example).

DOCKING Laptop users should also invest in a full-sized keyboard and mouse to work comfortably at work and at home. Connecting these is simply no hassle now, because they’re all cordless these days.

ERGONOMICS For healthy computing tips using your keyboard and mouse, go to download.microsoft.com. Search for ‘Guide to Healthy Computing’.

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Microsoft Sculpt Comfort

Even if you don’t want to take on a crazy-shaped mouse, you should still be able to work in comfort. This ergonomic model has a premium feel to it, with a slightly pronounced rear to support your palm and lift your wrist off the table. It uses a tilt wheel that will scroll up and down and side to side – useful for spreadsheets, design work and image editing. Cordless, Bluetooth, BlueTrack sensor, R530

Microsoft Arc touch BluEtooth

This striking design has some genuinely practical application. For the road warriors who find themselves working anywhere and everywhere, this mouse presses flat to slip more easily into a pocket or bag. Bend it into the arc shape to turn it on and it works reliably on just about any kind of surface using BlueTrack sensor technology and Bluetooth connectivity. Cordless, Bluetooth, BlueTrack sensor, R1 300

logitEch M330 silEnt

This mouse is small enough to take on the road, but big enough to work in comfort at the office. Its mechanical clicking and scrolling sounds have been reduced by nearly 90%, so your frantic mousing on deadline will be less of an annoyance for co-workers. The sides have soft, patterned rubber for a superb grip. Cordless, 3 buttons, R440

It goes to sleep when not in use. Logitech claims up to two years of battery life.

Hackers can’t intercept these keyboard inputs, because the wireless data is encrypted.

Microsoft DEsktop 850 sEt

The majority of business owners regard keyboards and mouses as inexpensive disposable tech, but they never think to measure the lost productivity owing to malfunctions, replacement turnaround time, or the big impact on the environment from throwing out cheapies. This no-frills cordless desktop set offers great tactile feedback, and is definitely built to last. Cordless, R580

Genius SlimStar 8000ME

Genius has been making computer peripherals for nearly 30 years. If you’re feeling the pinch in your pocket, this affordable, basic set-up is still good value. We especially like the compact size – it’s a far smaller footprint than most budget desktops – but you’re still getting well-sprung keys, multimedia controls and cordless convenience. Cordless, R250, takealot.com

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Change the resolution and mousing speed by pressing a small button on the underside: fast for gaming, regular for office work, and slow for detailed artistic work, for example.

ZowiE fk2 gAMing MousE

Zowie is a new brand in SA, and it’s usually linked to competitive gaming. This is a true-blue high-performance gaming mouse boasting an advanced sensor and buttons built for seriously rough treatment. Unlike most gaming mouses, though, it’s a subtle, elegant shape specifically designed for both ‘palm style’ and ‘claw grip’ mousing, and without any of those customary garish lighting effects, so it fits right into your work environment. If you’re putting in a solid day’s work, but you want to cut loose after hours, look no further than this unassuming, but highly specced rodent. Cabled, up to 3 200 DPI resolution, R1 300

Logitech K750 solar-powered keyboard

Logitech has produced some innovative keyboards one can wash under the tap, and halfsized ones for operating your smart TV, but our favourite is this solar-powered unit, which stores three months of charge at a time, and never needs new batteries. It’s a great keyboard too, with enough bounce and quiet operation. Cordless, solar powered, R1 900

STYLInG: ROBYn LAnE; PHOTOGRAPHY: AndREAS EISELEn/HMimages.co.za

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PROTECT AND CONNECT WHILE YOU ARE AWAY

Circle is the modern home security camera designed to help watch over your kids, pets and home while you’re away. Whether you’re at work or just next door, keep a close eye on unexpected or planned household activity, all in real time, then save and replay all the important moments. With Circle, you’ll never miss a thing at home.

Logitech MX Master Wireless Mouse The MX Master wireless mouse is Logitech’s flagship device, designed for power users. It offers a comfortable hand-sculpted contour*, stunning design, advanced features and a rechargeable battery. * Mouse mould manufactured from an original hand-sculpted design.

Wireless Presenter R700 You’ll have powerful control for highimpact presentations with this wireless presenter. • 30-meter range • Brilliant red laser pointer

Logitech K780 Multi-Device Wireless Keyboard Type on your computer, smartphone and tablet – with one fully equipped, beautifully finished keyboard. Easily switch typing between all devices, whether Windows or Mac, Android or iOS.* *USB-equipped or Bluetooth Smart ready device that supports an external keyboard (HID profile).

www.logitech.com

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SUCKING

STARDUST South Africans are building the tech that uncovers the mysteries of the universe

Words Mandy J Watson @mandyjwatson

The Square KilomeTre array (SKa) is a project that sees South africa and australia building massive radio telescope arrays that will help map out the universe by detecting the faintest of radio signals travelling through space. When finally completed in 2025, it will be a scientific marvel, and easily the biggest technology project SA has ever undertaken. Eventually, the radio telescopes of the SKA will produce more than 1 billion gigabytes of data per day. That’s one exabyte – more than is generated across the entire internet in a day right now. To manage this volume of data, you would normally custom-build a supercomputer costing hundreds of millions of rands. But being out in the desert poses some challenges: there’s nowhere near enough bandwidth, power is scarce and the hot and dusty environment is tough on electronics.

The project had to build its own roads as well as install its own power lines, and then install a fibre-optic cable capable of 10 gigabit speeds (a thousand times faster than your home ADSL). It has also had to find innovative ways to set up necessary computing hardware that’s rugged and long lasting. With the first phase of 64 dishes, called MeerKAT – there are 16 dishes up so far – our own scientists and engineers have already devised some innovative technologies and tools, some of which have turned into impressive tech projects in their own right.

Slick operation Astronomer Simon Ratcliffe has invented an innovative way to have massive processing power despite the hostile desert climate. Basically, he submerges the computers in a mineral oil, which helps with their cooling, keeps dust away from the circuitry and saves on electricity.

MAKING PLANS In Star Wars Rogue One, the Imperial data vault on the planet Scarif comprises three towers, each six stories high, and stacked with data cassettes retrieved by robot arms, the sci-fi equivalent of the SKA installation. The rebels proceed to steal the Death Star schematics, and the rest is sci-fi history.

This idea was first tested more than two years ago, when a computer board was lowered into the oil. It has been running ever since. The only problems have been the plastic cables becoming a little stiff and the mineral oil occasionally leaking and splashing out of the unit. To build the computers, Ratcliffe has also been combining a number of NVIDIA Tegra processors (usually used in smartphones and tablets) into modules that are subsequently networked together inside a box filled with oil. Seal the box, plug it in and you have created a kind of supercomputer that works out in the desert, but which uses much less electricity: just 18.4 kW, or half as much as a laptop.

Dumping Data Storing all of that data is another hurdle. Ratcliffe decided SKA should build its own data-storage system to save some money. There are two versions of its storage pods, one of which has 48 ordinary hard drives that total 360 terabytes, and one

of which has 48 solid-state drives made of memory chips without any moving parts, storing 1 TB each. This gives the team two types of storage: one for bulk and one for extremely high performance. For long-term data storage, which gets used very seldom, Ratcliffe has chosen a pretty old-school system: magnetic tapes. To speed up the archiving and retrieval process of these tape cassettes, the team is building a robot that moves through the library to find and extract the correct tapes, but this homegrown robotic solution costs 30 times less than other similar systems.

perfect timing Francois Kapp works on SKA’s realtime signal-processing systems. He and a few other SKA scientists have developed all of the timing-systems technologies keeping the telescopes’ signals synchronised. Laser-assisted timing systems that synchronise all the telescopes down to a couple of nanoseconds were all developed internally by SKA team members.

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MEET THE INNOVATORS Simon ratcliffe Astronomer He was one of SKA’s very first technical recruits, back in 2005. He says that the project has an assortment of disciplines, from producing its own hardware to researching machine learning. Francois Kapp Digital back-end subsystem manager What first drew him to the SKA project was, he says, the unique combination of working at the cutting edge of tech, and also being clearly for the greater good of humankind. Jasper horrell Experimental physicist He was one of the project’s first recruits, back in 2004. Jasper’s geek interests focus mostly around control systems and artificial intelligence/machine learning and real-time distributed data.

MeerKAT will eventually house 60 data-storage pods requiring 2.5 tons of hard drives. That’s three thousand drives, each holding 8 terabytes.

Each telescope is receiving at 40 gigabits per second, so the 64 antennas together will stream 2.5 terabits per second into the SKA processing system. This is several thousands of times more than any kind of conventional processor or data network can handle.

The SKA will produce more than one billion gigabytes of data per day Data ruSh The big solution was a contraption called a field programmable gate array (FPGA) which utilises gates operating in parallel instead of the regular central processors used for

most PCs and servers. The resulting circuit board is known as SKARAB (SKA Reconfigurable Application Board). Lots of these boards can be mounted in racks and configured to work together in a network. It looks like a supercomputer, but uses FPGA nodes, not CPUs. However, programming FPGAs is an extreme science mastered by only a handful of people worldwide, so now the SKA has joined a project known as Casper (Collaboration for Astronomy Signal Processing and Electronics Research) started at the University Of California to attempt to make it easier. The Casper project will employ a sort of drag-and-drop graphical software interface to allow scientists to figure out how to put modules together to build a radioastronomy instrument.

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okay, meerkat

The AI system will learn to look for astral phenomena that we don’t even know about today

Imagine being able to communicate with something as complicated as MeerKAT – and have it respond by telling you its maintenance needs, what part of the sky it’s looking at, or what it has found of interest on a particular day. Drawing inspiration from the Star The SKA telescope is going to Trek communicator, which seemed produce so much data, we humans to effortlessly draw on massive sets won’t ever be able to look over all of scientific data using mostly of it. It will need to be automated, plain-language questions and so the SKA’s computers will be responses, SKA physicist taught how to analyse and Jasper Horrell is now interpret astral data, and working on powering totally unsupervised. Last year, MeerKAT’s MeerKAT using AI Also, this AI system 16 antennas found 1 300 and other kinds of will have to learn how galaxies in a piece of the sky where we had machine learning. to look for types of previously been able astral phenomena to count only we don’t even know 70 galaxies. about today, and it will have to be able to both analyse and categorise this data.

The scientists have already applied machine learning to classification of galaxy shapes with some success, and are now working on detecting pulsars (super-dense stars emitting strong electromagnetic radiation) with MeerKAT. It’s expected that the research into AI for MeerKAT will have applications in other sciences and in business. The SKA project has attracted some of South Africa’s best and brightest, and their innovations are nudging the country back into the world spotlight of edgy scientific discovery. So it’s comforting, then, to know that if they encounter any, well, extraterrestrial life, they’re the ones representing humanity.

PHOTOGRAPHy: GALLO/GETTyIMAGES, COURTESy IMAGES

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CELL YOUR SELF Boss your spreadsheets with these five tricks Words Zaid Kriel @zaidkriel

DESPITE HOW INDISPENSABLE spreadsheets have now become in almost every kind of office job, there’s no denying that Excel can also be a bit overwhelming. Here are some handy tips and tricks that should make the whole thing seem a lot less intimidating.

QUICK ANALYSIS If you’ve been using Excel for a long time, especially for producing work presentations, you will know that a massive spreadsheet filled with row upon row of nothing but numbers can be challenging to make sense of. Fortunately, Excel has a fantastic built-in tool to quickly turn your data into a graph or represent it in some other kind of visual system. Since 2013, Excel has included the very clever Quick Analysis feature to simplify the creation of data tables, graphs and charts down to nearly a single click. Simply highlight a data set and the Quick Analysis button should appear at the bottom-right corner of your selection. Click it to see your various options for sorting, labelling or graphing your data. And best of all, by simply rolling over the

options, you will be able to get a real-time preview of the final result right then and there.

AUTOFILL By nature, Excel is a data-capturing tool, but logging repetitive numbers can be pretty mind-numbing work. Master Excel’s AutoFill feature and you’ll eliminate a lot of the drudge work and increase your productivity all in one fell swoop. If the data you’re entering follows a predictable pattern – days of the week, incremental invoice numbers or multiples of seven, for example – AutoFill can help you. You start by filling in the first few entries (Sun, Mon; 1202, 1203; or 7, 14, 21). Now drag a box around these cells and then move the pointer to the lower right-hand corner of the selection. It will turn into a black cross. Now click and drag across all the cells you need to fill. Using some artificial-intelligence magic, Excel can figure out exactly what you need done and will fill all the cells you have selected with the things you want them filled with – just like that.

HOW TO

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY IMAGES

CONVERTING ROWS TO COLUMNS So, you’ve misjudged your data set and created rows of data when you really needed to use columns. If you don’t know your Excel from your elbow, you could be looking at hours of tedious work rebuilding the whole table. Luckily, you can change your 450 rows into 450 columns in just a few clicks. First, highlight all your data and hit right-click. From the drop-down menu that materialises, select Copy. Now move along to the cell where you would prefer your new data to start. Right-click in that cell and, on the fly-out menu that appears, look for the Transpose icon. Now you just click that and marvel at how far we have come while your rows transform into columns.

SAME DATA, MANY CELLS

35

the very last cell you highlighted Occasionally, you’ll need to put the and, when you’re done, hold the same piece of data into lots of cells. Control key when you press Enter. This could easily become a mundane Whatever text you typed or copied copy-and-paste chore, but again, into that last cell will now appear in Excel has your back. every other highlighted cell as well, Start off by selecting the cell you saving you even more time. need to replicate, right-clicking and RESIZING COLUMNS hitting Copy. Next, you’ll drag a box AND ROWS around all the cells you need to fill, The most obvious way to resize rows right-click and hit Paste. Each new and columns is by dragging them cell will be filled with the contents bigger or smaller, but there’s a fast of the first one. way to automatically resize cells to But what if the cells you need to fit your data. As before, mouse over fill are not all together in one place? the space between columns (or rows) You can still do this replication move. until the pointer changes to a cross First, highlight all the cells you with two arrow points. Instead need to fill by holding the of dragging, just double-click Control key and clicking These tricks the left mouse button and each cell, wherever it may not all work on much the field will adjust to your is on the spreadsheet. older versions largest piece of data. Now type your data into of Excel.

SHOW AND

TELL

A simple screen-capture video can replace hours of frustrating tech support Words Zaid Kriel @ZaidKriel

HOW TO

SOMETIMES THE BEST WAY TO ensure they are easy to follow. teach someone something is to Once you are satisfied with your just show them. That’s all too true dialogue and procedures, you’re with computer programs, especially ready to record. those with unfamiliar software or Start PowerPoint, click the Insert particularly complex interfaces. tab, and select Screen Recording When you need to walk someone – it should be all the way on the through a procedure on a computer, right-hand side of the top menu especially if you’re doing it over the bar. A menu will drop down from phone, it would be ideal to simply the top of the screen showing video show them a video of the actions control buttons: Record and Stop. required. YouTube has made a virtue Other buttons include: of showing us how to do DIY, fix our Select Area cars and cook the perfect steak. So Use this to decide if you want to wouldn’t it make a lot of sense to record the entire screen or just a film computing processes too – specific portion. anything from formatting Word documents to changing Audio network settings? If the tutorial you Click this if So how do you record have created solves a common computing you need to on-screen procedures? problem, or applies to record audio In the past, you would some popular software, (voice-over download additional you could upload your instructional clip to instructions, software to accomplish YouTube, where it for example) this, but mastering that could help a much alongside your software alone could be broader audience. on-screen activity. challenging. Luckily, there are some readily available Pointer Recorder programs for PCs and phones Click this if you want people to see that make this process much the mouse pointer moving around easier. So easy, in fact, that you in your recording. won’t need a video tutorial!

PHOTOGRAPHY: GALLO/GETTYIMAGES, COURTESY IMAGES

YOU HAVE THE POWER(POINT) There are both free-to-use and paid downloadable apps that will record your screen activities, but the easiest way to go about doing this is likely already installed on your computer. If you have Microsoft Office, using PowerPoint to record your screen is just a few clicks away. Since Office 2013 edition, you’ve been able to use it to record on-screen activity. It pays to do a few trial runs first, so you can discover any hiccups and rehearse your voice instructions to

THE FINAL EDIT Once you’ve made these choices, you are ready to start with your recording. Simply click Start and PowerPoint will begin recording. When you’re done, click Stop and the recording will appear as a slide in the presentation. Right-click this slide and, from the drop-down menu, select Save Media As. Select a folder to save your new recording in, and give your file a name. Now you have exported the video file, so you can use it outside of PowerPoint.

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Depending on the length of your video, this file may be too large to send by email. At work, you can copy this file to a common server so your co-workers can play it. For friends and family, you may have to upload it to a file-sharing service such as Dropbox or Google Drive.

SCREEN TIME AZ SCREEN RECORDER Free, Android Recording can also be done for a smaller screen such as your Android phone, and this straightforward, free app is the best we’ve found. Download and install the app from the Google Play Store. A widget with four buttons will appear: a Record button, a Settings button, a Gallery button and a button to close the app. The Settings button can be used to change the recording quality and to start/stop audio recording. Audio recording can capture sounds from the device or voice instructions. There are a few options, but they’re pretty self-explanatory. We recommend you walk through the procedures you’re planning to record a few times before recording. Then press the Record button and, after a brief countdown, the app will record everything that happens on-screen. To stop recording once you’re done, swipe down the notification panel to find the Stop button.

THE TEST One Swiss watchmaker turns smartwatches into classic collectables Words William Horne @awilliamhorne

The watch uses mechanical gaskets to connect parts together for years of longevity, as opposed to the glues you’d find on other smartwatches.

SWAG

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OF TIME EEE

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY IMAGES

Using the online watch-builder tool, you can build your own completely custom Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 from hundreds of different variations.

TAG HEUER CONNECTED MODULAR 45 modular smartwatch As men’s fashion accessories go, the classic wristwatch has been the one staple that, once adopted, has never really been out of style. Since the First World War made pocketwatches impractical and thus obsolete, the wristwatch has been a timeless ambassador of one’s style, taste, and, of course, status. Unfortunately, much as with most modern electronic gadgets, smartwatches have not proven very heirloom-worthy so far. Now, premium watchmaker Tag Heuer has given the fashion-forward gadget-hound a way to pay homage to the staid heirloom timepiece without having to pass up the very latest in smartwatch technology. The Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45 is the perfect blend of Swiss watchmaking and smart technology. Running the latest Android Wear 2.0 operating system, it has GPS, runs Google Assistant and can even handle mobile payments. With a scratch-resistant sapphire glass, 50m water resistance and full titanium construction, no other smartwatch comes close in build quality. Then, to solve the problem of creating a timepiece that can stand the test of time and earn its place as an heirloom, Tag Heuer has also come up with a modular design. You can swap everything from the bezels, straps and links to the actual digital innards, which can also be replaced with a traditional analogue mechanism if you’d like. Android Wear 2.0, Sapphire glass, 1.39-inch AMOLED touch screen, 50m water resistant, 4 GB storage, 512 MB RAM, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, gyroscope, haptic feedback, swappable modular components, 30-hour battery life (claimed), from R24 000

NKOSINATI TOLOM SA Post Office Group Executive: Commercial

virtualpostoffice.co.za

IN TRANSIT

The SAPO app does pretty sophisticated parcel tracking using a unique number that will lead you to your parcel’s location on a map. You can also look up contact details for any post office in the country.

MOVERS & MAKERS

41

DIGITALLY

DELIVERED The SA Post Office is making bold moves into the digital realm and taking the wraps off its new virtual services Words Joanne Carew @littleCarew

THE DAY NKOSINATI TOLOM joined the SA Post Office back in November 2015, he knew that it would be a big ask. The troubled state-owned enterprise was living under a cloud of controversy, having spectacularly failed to adapt to the internet age. But Tolom brought with him a wealth of experience, including nearly twenty years of transformation at Telkom, and he decided he was well up to this challenge.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START WORKING FOR THE SA POST OFFICE? We all know about the previous struggles at SAPO. Someone told me there was an opportunity at the Post Office that would fit me like a glove. I really wasn’t looking for work, but when I started researching SAPO, it was very discouraging. But I saw it as my opportunity to contribute to the South African marketplace, and to the country.

I finally submitted my CV with just one hour to go before the deadline. Going through the interview process, I believe it also helped a lot that I had a plan and solutions ready for some of the problems I’d already identified. Since that day, it has been quite a challenging time, but an exciting one too.

WHAT PLANS DID YOU HAVE IN MIND WHEN YOU DECIDED TO TAKE THE JOB? During my time at Telkom, I was part of the company’s transformation from a telephone company to a solutions provider. One of the ideas there was to bring the physical Post Office into the modern, digital world. After all, technologies change and the profile of our customers has changed, so we had to follow the changing needs of the market and of our customers. Without acknowledging and then pursuing that transformation, you miss opportunities.

WHAT NEW DIGITAL SERVICES ARE YOU ROLLING OUT? Digital Post allows businesses to communicate with their customers using a Digital Post Box and send registered mail digitally. The main use for registered mail is the need for proof that something has been sent. If someone sends you an e-registered mail via our Digital Post Box, you’ll receive a notification on your phone. Clicking the link will allow you to register to access the documents being sent to you. This gives you Digital Post Box for life at no charge. Instead, we charge the sender of the document. The data is encrypted and secure so that any communication between you and your customers can easily be tracked, from proof the document was sent, to a notification when the recipient has opened the document on their side. This is a very attractive option for businesses, because it is fast and also reduces costs.

MOVERS & MAKERS

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WHAT OTHER DIGITAL PRODUCTS HAVE YOU DEVELOPED? We wanted to bring the Post Office into the comfort of your own home or office. Accessing our Virtual Post Office platform, users can now renew their post boxes, buy postage and pay for traffic offences online. We have also been working with government departments to allow SA citizens to apply for government services, complete and send off their forms and get approval, and all of it done electronically. The solution has already been designed and tested, and we’re really just waiting for final approval on the project.   Our Trust Centre also offers digital certificates, authentication and digital signatures in an encrypted format. This means that multiple parties can sign off on documents in a secure way without having to move paper documents around between them. We are also doing work around verifying Proof of Life so we can help prevent identity theft and be able to guarantee that people are who they claim to be.

One of the ideas was to bring the physical Post Office into the

digital world

HOW CAN SA CITIZENS FIND OUT ABOUT THIS ASSORTMENT OF NEW SERVICES?

OPEN FOR BUSINESS

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2.6M

5.7M

FINANCIAL

SAPO BRANCHES

POSTBANK ACCOUNTS

ADDRESSES REACHED DAILY

2 M

TRANSACTIONS

PER MONTH

PHOTOGRAPHY: SAMANTHA PINTO/HMimages.co.za

I must confess that we haven’t done a very good job of this so far. One of my strategic positions for the next financial year is that we’re going to share with the public what we have done with these digital platforms and to bring SAPO to this point. The general public still sees us as little more than a letter-distribution company, but these days, we are a combination of the physical and the electronic, with the digital supporting and also speeding up many physical processes. There’s a lot we’ve already done and so much more that we plan to do. We would like to reassure the public that we’re still open for business, and show that we also have lot of new digital efficiencies in place too.

HE IS YOUR ACTIVE INSPIRATION SPOIL HIM WITH A GIFT CARD THIS FATHER’S DAY 18 JUNE 2017

Scope

NATURAL WORLD

TRACE

EVIDENCE Crime fighting gets a boost from SA’s new fingerprint technology Words Mark Crozier

TECHNOLOGY HAS LONG BEEN transforming every sector of society, and crime-fighting is no exception. South Africa’s Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has now propelled one of the cornerstones of forensic science – fingerprinting – to a whole new level using technology developed right here in SA. Distortion is a big problem when trying to determine if a fingerprint belongs to someone. Despite what TV shows such as CSI may tell you, criminals very seldom leave behind perfect prints.

There is smudging when a person touches a surface, and the fingerprint image gets further distorted when something that is three-dimensional (such as a fingerprint’s ridges and whorls) is reduced to two dimensions (the simple lines of the print left on a surface). Also, the pattern on the finger can be damaged by exposure to chemicals, scarring or disease. In particular, people who work mainly with their hands, whether artisan or manual labourer, often have poorly defined prints. Forensic techs often struggle to collect a decent image as a result.

LASER SCAN For the first time, an ostensibly 2D fingerprint can be lifted in 3D. The new device can help the police and other investigators to identify the person who has left traces at the crime scene, a process investigators refer to as ‘transfer’. In a world first, the CSIR has now developed a method of gathering these fingerprints making use of a 3D-scanning process. This allows the print to be rendered as not just a simple outline, but with its ridges and troughs too, which makes for more accurate matching.

SCOPE

45

The CSIR was also tasked with building SA’s supercomputers.

The process, known as Optimal Coherence Tomography (OCT), is performed by scanning a fingertip using a red laser beam, which then penetrates fractions of a millimetre below the skin to capture maximum detail. This data is then processed to build an extremely detailed 3Dfingerprint image. Crime-scene investigators can therefore lift fingerprints without using the normal dusting technique, which can be imprecise and messy and damage the print. Since OCT doesn’t destroy the original evidence, this means you can ‘lift’ a print a number of times without degrading the original.

the scanner can also pick up prints without destroying other material useful for forensics. For example, if fingerprints are left in a blood stain, you can still easily retrieve the prints without, for example, the DNA in the blood being compromised by chemical reactions or heat. But the OCT scanner can also be useful for other things. It can detect

LIGHT TOUCH

the presence of sweat glands and tell if the object being scanned is dead or alive, both of some interest to the security industry, for example when preventing fake fingerprints being used for identification. This makes it all very useful in high-end biometric

Zelda Graham, CSIR National Laser Centre operations manager, says a major benefit of the scanner is that it doesn’t need to actually touch the print. Besides the print itself being retained for longer, this means that

Fingerprints are rendered with their ridges and troughs too, for more accurate matching

The first crime solved using fingerprints occurred in the UK in 1902. Using a system devised by Sir Edward Henry, a man named Harry Jackson was convicted of theft from prints taken off a window sill.

security of the sort that military and national security agencies require to restrict access. In fact, potential applications for the OCT scanner are pretty broad, including identifying stolen animals in stock-theft cases and scanning of newborn baby handprints to help us conclusively identify babies in the event of switching or kidnapping for trafficking purposes. Already a great deal of interest is being shown in the new technology, which has enormous potential both locally and internationally. The CSIR expects the device to go on sale in the next two years or so. The larger version, to be used in laboratories and morgues, will roll out first. The second phase will see the development of the portable OCT scanner, which can be used at crime scenes, for example.

Scope

SCOPE

47

NATURAL WORLD

X

FACTOR

CREEPY

MAULIES Every year, spiders eat more animals in biomass than all humans combined. Researchers have determined that our creepy-crawly friends consume up to 800 million tons of prey each year, mostly insects. Despite this all sounding rather macabre, the role spiders play in controlling insect populations is certainly due some respect.

DEAD

SERIOUS The man who invented the automatic telephone switchboard was not an engineer, but an undertaker. Almon Strowger had first come up with the invention because the wife of his direct competitor was the town operator, and kept directing all calls for undertakers to her husband instead of Almon.

Amazon’s popular voicecontrolled virtual assistant, Alexa, is now accessible on dozens of devices. The hard ‘X’ sound in her name helps this artificially intelligent liaison recognise its name more easily when addressed. But Alexa is also a homage to the ancient Library of Alexandria, inside which was contained almost the entirety of all human knowledge way back in the first century BCE.

SCOPE

48

TARGET

AUDIENCE In the late 1930s, darts was experiencing its first boom. Besides broadcasting live darts matches, BBC Radio in the UK also had one neat gimmick up its sleeve. A professional darts player, one FH Wallis, would be live in studio playing a round of 301, and would then announce his score and wait in silence as listeners at home played their turn.

SET TO G O The USS Zumwalt stealth destroyer is one of the most advanced ships in the United States fleet, sporting sophisticated stealth technologies and weaponry. Star Trek fans will be delighted to know that it’s captained by a man named James Kirk, whose namesake captained the USS Enterprise in the classic sci-fi TV series.

ING

Automation has fast been reducing the number of people required for certain careers since the Industrial Revolution. But in the past 60 years, only one actual occupation really has been completely eliminated by the rise of the machines: the elevator operator. The machines may be taking over... but very slowly.

PHOTOGRAPHY: ISTOCKPHOTO, COURTESY IMAGES

STUN

PLANTRONICS RIG500

This speedy design includes the ability to customise your sound experience. Swap the cups from a ventilated pair with a fabric finish that stays cooler for extended sessions to a pleather pair, which seals out any audio distractions and keeps you focused. We are fans of Plantronics’s sound, but the lack of controls on the cups or cable will probably frustrate some gamers. PC/PS/Xbox, 7.1 surround sound, R2 320

ASTRO A50

Recognised as the gold standard by e-sports fans, these updated wireless Astros extend that lofty reputation. They still sound pretty fantastic, and are beautifully built and extremely comfortable, and now come with a smarter base station (you can jack in your own background music!) that will also double as a neat charging dock. However, at this price, we’re kind of shocked there’s no option to switch from wireless to cable. PC/PS/Xbox, 7.1 surround sound, 15-hour battery claimed, R5 000

STEELSERIES SIBERIA 650

Extra-wide and soft cups make for an especially comfortable fit and the dual headband ensures there’s never too much pressure against your head. The external sound board lets you tweak your settings, including even the LED lighting on the cups. Those who consider the 10-channel equaliser software too finicky can simply choose a sound profile such as FPS, music or movies for instant audio optimisation. PC/PS/Xbox, 7.1 surround sound, R3 000

GAME REVIEWS

ACER V NITRO BLACK EDITION

It’s the gaming laptop for the rest of us. Sure, it’s more than a year old, which makes it a bit long in the tooth by gaming standards, but we like it as a solid value buy for the casual gamer who expects to use his PC for a lot more than fragging. The styling is very subtle for a gaming rig, perhaps even a little boring, but that fits right in with the businesslike feature set of four USB ports, DVD drive and SSD and HDD storage. But with an i7 and 6 GB under the hood, and a solid workhorse Nvidia Geforce 860M for graphics, you can still keep up the pace of most FPS duels, even if you have to crank down some settings on the very latest titles. Intel i7, 17” Full-HD screen, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD, 1 TB HDD, 2 × USB 3.0, 2 × USB, DVD drive, Windows 8, R20 000

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GaMe ReviewS

Razer’s Green switches are most common, but the quieter orange and yellow models are also available, and they’re all rated for 80 million strokes.

RazeR Blackwidow chRoma V2

This updated model keeps everything that was great about the original Chroma keyboard: the insane lighting schemes, the superb mechanical switches, the built-in USB and audio port, and the overall build quality. It also adds some more macro keys for automating your keystrokes, and a truly useful palm rest, which attaches magnetically. Razer Green Mechanical Switches, R3 200

logitech oRion g810

We liked the compact and subtle design of this mechanical model. It sacrifices the dedicated macro keys found on some models and replaces them with more practical multimedia keys, including the genuinely handy volume-control roller. You’ll still get the fully programmable LED lighting effects and Logitech uses its own highly responsive Romer-G switches which are, thankfully, a bit quieter than some other models. Romer-G switches, R2 450 You can programme the normal function keys to fire off your keystroke macros.

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GAME REVIEWS

54

ZOWIE ZA11

This ordinary-looking rodent has top gaming performance where it counts, from 400- right up to 3 200 DPI precision, with a raised contour for better palm control, and it’s completely symmetrical so it’s easily set up for left- or right-hand users at the touch of a button. We especially like how it grips and how lightweight it is to manoeuvre but, strangely, the DPI switch is on the underside, so you can’t change modes on the fly. 5 buttons, R1 400

Camade? That’s geek speak for CAble MAnagement DEvice.

ZOWIE CAMADE

If you’re finding your desktop a bit crowded with cables, cans and, well, pizza boxes, then you will want to keep your mouse tail well clear of any snags that could end up costing you the game. Just slot your mouse cable into the toggle on these two springy arms, extend to the height desired, and it’s lifted well clear of any obstacles, keeping your mouse moving freely no matter how much detritus piles up around you. R700

Subscribers, SMS ‘JUNE LENOVO’ and your ID number to 43183.

MICROSOFT XBOX ONE CONTROLLER FOR WINDOWS

Rumour has it that Microsoft has spent several millions of dollars perfecting the beloved XBox One controller; perhaps PC gamers should look to benefit from all that R&D. The truth is that some games simply play better with console-like controllers: fighting games, platformers and driving games, for example. Connect over USB with this extra-long cable so that you won’t need to swap batteries, or pair with your phone over Bluetooth for a slick mobile-gaming experience. Xbox One/PC/mobile, Cable/ Bluetooth, R1 300

Unlike with previous Xbox controllers, you can now plug in any kind of headset using a standard 3.5 mm jack.

STYLING: ROBYN LANE; PHOTOGRAPHY: KENDALL-LEIGH NASH/HMimages.co.za,

Lenovo Ideapad 110 Intel Celeron Notebook

Choose your moves wisely to survive this medieval battlefield Words Sam Friedman

FOR HONOR

MOTION CAPTURED

PS4, Xbox One and PC

The game features some beautifully fluid animations, with every action that’s performed by the characters flowing naturally and easily from the previous action. This was achieved using motion capture, which means that every action performed by the characters in the game was based on motions by real people. The sound design, also, is nearly flawless. The developers truly outdid themselves in slotting all the audio elements of the game together. You can make out the clanking of metal armour and weaponry amidst the clamour of tearing flesh and bones breaking above the heavy breathing of your exhausted characters. The music speeds up during battles as the health of each character drops, just adding to the immersion and tension of the game.

This highly anticipated property is a third-person online hackand-slash game with a number of role-playing elements thrown in. The game includes three playable factions: Legion (noble English-style knights), the Warborn (bloodthirsty Vikings) and the Chosen (disciplined Japanese Samurai) who are pitted against one another in an epic and rather complicated story featuring a warlord, Apollyon, who triggers a never-ending war between these three factions. You play as one of the colourful cast of twelve characters, four from each of the factions. The unfolding story also serves as an in-depth tutorial for the game, introducing the various characters and some useful gameplay tactics. As with most of today’s leading titles, though, the campaign serves as a teaser for the main event: the online multiplayer modes. There are six basic modes featuring matchups between one, two or four players at a time. The objectives vary slightly between these modes, but they all include suitably gory endings.

ARTFUL BATTLES In the end, this is still a game that is centred around dispatching your opponent, and For Honor’s unique, complex combat system is called The Art of Battle. Melee combat attempts to bring some weight to the weapons and makes players directly responsible for every move in a battle, including changing from attack to defence.

This system can be managed at a very rudimentary level, but once mastered, skills can allow you to perform devastating combinations akin to a traditional fighting game such as Mortal Kombat or Tekken. Keep in mind that timing and precision are valued, so if you decide to just spam buttons mindlessly, you simply won’t do well at all. But string together some kills and you will earn perks in the shape of more hit points or healing abilities. Each playable character has a unique combat style and weapon. This makes each character feel as if they are distinctly different and adds a whole lot of replayability, because each character’s moves take some time to master. There is also a system for customising characters, so you end up with your own personalised warrior. The level of immersion and atmosphere the game develops is outstanding, and you can find yourself lost in this world, but it is held back a bit from outright greatness by a few bugs and a poorly narrated story. However, compared to the majority of other combat-centred games, it definitely helps to put some thought behind your actions – and this pays off in a satisfying rush when you finally crush your opponent into dust.

GAME REVIEWS

8

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GAME REVIEWS

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TORMENT: TIDES OF NUMENERA PC, PS4, Xbox One, Mac, Linux Amid a slew of endlessly updated sports simulators and rehashed first-person shooters, stumbling upon a strongly story-driven role-playing game such as Torment: Tides of Numenera transports you back to a long-gone golden age of gaming. This genre has many avid fans right across the globe and this title set a new record for crowdfunded games when it raised a crazy $4.2 million back in March 2013.

and item collection (although these are both present) in favour of story-driven character arc. Should you be skilled in the art of stealth, using the shadows to hide and avoid conflict, or will you become dominant and intimidate your foes into submission before you’ve even had a chance to come to blows? You have vague memories of your master’s past lives, and you soon realise you’re being hunted. As you explore, you meet others like you, gain control over parts of their lives, and flesh out your own story, piece by piece. Who you become is decided by the choices you make when following the main storyline and by completing side quests along the way.

DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

NEW RETRO

You’re thrown right into the fantasy world of Numenera knowing precious little about yourself, other than that your body was once occupied by another. An ancient being known by some as The Changing God discards vessels such as yourself once he is done using them for his own purposes. Soon after, you become recognised as The Last Castoff. You begin to develop your character by interacting with the world around you. This is Torment’s main focus, shying away from combat

The game looks good and I was quickly drawn into the vibrant Numeneran landscape and its bustling cities. You are able to equip clothing and items, but the focus here’s clearly on what makes you tick, rather than how you look. The text-heavy screens of Torment: Tides of Numenera will chase away most modern gamers within an hour, but cut through that and into the gripping and intricate storyline, and you’ll enter a world where simple words can elicit a powerful emotional response. This is video gaming in one of its oldest and purest forms, and it offers escapism and entertainment value unmatched by today’s rehashed franchise games.

CIRCLE OF

LIFE

An old-school role-playing game that’s a voyage of self-discovery

Words Jonathan Meyer @jonathangmeyer

8

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GAME REVIEWS

61

GUNMAN TACO TRUCK Free, Android, iOS Players drive a sick taco truck through the post-apocalyptic US, with the ultimate aim of reaching Canada. Hold the Trump jokes. The game has you driving to various cities on the way to the border, dodging and shooting your way past monsters and animals. In a cool touch, taking out all of these creatures means you have more taco ingredients with which to prepare enticing tacos to attract customers at your next location. Each city reached means more opportunities to make and sell tacos to residents, so make sure you have the right ingredients for each order and don’t keep your customers waiting.

9

BIT CITY Free, Android, iOS

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY IMAGES

Coming from the team behind the popular Tiny Tower, Bit City now has you managing an entire city. The title combines those idle games with light management, so you don’t have to do too much to get cash rolling into the city’s coffers, but you will need to upgrade buildings, introduce transport options and build the city in general, all by using simple tap mechanics. Bit City has neat visuals and simple gameplay that may even be a little too basic for some.

7

NEW FEATURES DEX Perhaps the most significant new feature is the ability to plug in a full-sized monitor, keyboard and mouse, and use your cellphone as a full computer, and running an Android OS, obviously. But unfortunately, this will only be possible using a special Samsung DEX dock. BIXBY This is Samsung’s own AI personal assistant, just like Google’s Voice Assistant, Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa. Right now, you can voice-control a handful of apps as well as the phone settings, but more Bixbyready apps are expected in the future.

The screen covers 83% of the front of the phone, far more than on previous models, and the traditional front button is now a touch sensor below the glass.

The fingerprint scanner has moved to the back of the phone, alongside the camera.

It’s covered in tough Gorilla Glass, front and back, but the curved glass edges make it far too easy to drop.

SMART BUYS

63

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MOBILE Leading-edge gadgets that won’t break the bank

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SAMSUNG S8

SAMSUNG GALAXY S8 smartphone

One of the most exciting products of the year, Samsung has pulled out all the stops with its new flagship, the S8. With an innovative power-saving processor and a breakthrough new curved-screen design, it is simply an engineering masterpiece. But let us separate the hype from the facts.

SIZE The S8 comes in two sizes: a 5.8” screen and a 6.2” screen. That means the regular size has a bigger screen than an iPhone 7 Plus, though the phone is still physically smaller. It stands 7 mm taller than the S7, which may prove to be a little bit of a stretch for certain people during one-handed operation.

SCREEN The AMOLED screen now flows all the way down the sides of the phone, and covers 83% of the front face, compared with just 72% of the S7. It’s as pin sharp as you’d

expect, boasting the highest pixel density in its class (2 960 × 1 440, 570 pixels per inch).

scans your iris, thought to be even harder to fake than fingerprints.

What’s missing? CAMERA It’s employing the same top-notch 12 MP arrangement from the S7, with Dual Pixel auto focus for precise photography. The front camera is now 8 MP.

PORTS As expected, the S8 uses USB-C for connectivity, has a slot for microSD memory, and is still waterproof, rated IP68. Wireless charging is also possible using a pad, sold separately. SECURITY The fingerprint sensor now lives next to the camera and flash arrangement, high up around the back of the phone. Two other biometric measures have now been added too. The front camera can now unlock your phone simply by recognising your facial features. Much more sophisticated is the iris scanner, which, as you may expect,

The curved glass makes it far too easy to let this slip through your fingers. It’s also a really powerful fingerprint magnet, both front and back. We would have preferred a less fragile metal backplate, and not glass all around.

Verdict We truly marvel at the pinnacle of technological achievement that is the S8, though deep down, we also know this is way more phone than most of us will ever need. And if you just have to have it, remember that the S8’s extraodinary lines will end up inside some clunky cover. But you will know it’s there. 4G LTE, 5.8” screen, 12 MP rear / 8 MP front camera, 4 GB RAM, USB-C, microSD slot, IP68 waterproof, Android 7.0, R15 500 (S8+, 6.2” screen, R17 500)

All manufacturers are using very similar LED nanotechnology. Samsung called it SUHD, Hisense calls it ULED and LG calls it SuperUHD.

SAMSUNG 55KS9500 UHD TV

The quantum-dot technology seen on Samsung’s latest TVs allows it to shine bright blue LEDs through a microscopic film of green and red nanoparticles to produce a much wider spectrum of colours – many millions more than ever before. The results are, frankly, breathtaking. It’ll be most noticeable in UHD nature footage, and in skin tones, which are always notoriously difficult to reproduce. Black picture areas are now properly dense, and not the darkish-greyish shadow caused by leakage from the white backlighting that is still used on older TVs. We also enjoyed the strikingly elegant design: the bezel edge is practically invisible, and the fine lines of the tripod stand are finished in a classy chrome lustre.

What’s missing? This is still a lot of money to pay for a TV, especially with so little UHD material around.

Verdict Yes, it’s difficult to justify spending anything more than R20 000 on a TV, particularly without much real content readily available. But for those who spend a bunch of time bonding with their set, this is the smart investment that pays out in hundreds of nights of satisfying, ultra-crisp viewing. 55” LED UHD Curved, 4× HDMI, 3× USB, WiFi/LAN, R30 000

Netflix offers a limited selection of UHD shows and movies. UHD disc rentals are very scarce, possibly because the DVD players are still very expensive.

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ADAM ELEMENTS IKLIPS DUO+ This flash drive has Apple’s Lightning plug on one side and regular USB on the other, so transferring files from an iDevice to any other is a cinch. 64 GB, R2 000

APPLE MACBOOK PRO with TouchBar

Apple products have a reputation for being expensive and, certainly, they are a bit pricey. But the user experience Apple delivers over time, from the rugged reliability to the apparently timeless designs, is still unequalled by any other major tech brand. That’s where the value lies: Apple products straight up outlast their competitors efforts. The new MacBook feels fantastic in hand; it’s balanced and sturdy, with none of the flex we see in other thin-andlights. Apple has pulled off a neat trick, with the full-sized keyboard providing tactile feedback that is a delight to the fingertips. The screen is also among the best we’ve ever seen on a laptop.

What’s missing? There are four USB-C ports, and nothing else (and one of these is used for power). So none of your old USB devices will work.

Verdict There are plenty of Windows PCs with more horsepower than this that look as compelling, run all your familiar software and cost half this price. But they will never feel as personal as owning a MacBook. i5, 13.3” LED screen, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD storage, 4× USB-C (Thunderbolt) ports, 304 × 212 × 15mm, 1.37 kg, R31 800

THE FINAL TOUCH

The TouchBar is a HD LED panel that presents buttons, controls and other shortcuts that change in context with the application you’re using. When you’re playing music or video, you’ll get standard multimedia controls. When you’re in the Finder, you’ll get one-touch layout and viewing options. It sounds gimmicky, but we found it extremely useful if you don’t know all of your keyboard shortcuts, especially when using Apple’s own built-in app selection.

ON GUARD

This is likely the most secure Android phone on the market right now. The built-in DTEK tool shows your security level at a glance, including clear steps for how to improve it. It helps you to monitor unauthorised access to your phone systems: tracking your location, using your contacts or turning on your camera, for example.

SHARE

& BLACKBERRY DTEK50 smartphone

Even after the market moved en masse to Android, we remained big fans of Blackberry’s touch-screen handsets. Now Blackberry’s lending its name to other manufacturers to brand their own phone designs, and they are all running Android. This one, produced by TCL, feels great in hand. It’s thin, but feels sturdy, and we loved the way our fingers grasped the edges and textured backplate. The build quality really exceeded our expectations. At a glance, this is just another Android phone, though there are still some traces of Blackberry DNA in the excellent on-screen keyboard, and we still delight in the unified inbox for all our email, texts and social media updates.

Post your comments to TechMagazineZA on Facebook and you could win the latest Blackberry DTEK50 smartphone, powered by Android.

ALTEC LANSING LIFEJACKET 2 bluetooth speaker

We’ve got a soft spot for hardened speakers and this example is built particularly tough, the robust plastic case covered in two thick layers of rubbery, shock-absorbent silicone. It’s IP67 shockproof and waterproof, which means you can drop it in the pool or get it full of sand and sea on your beach picnic. Sound quality is merely average, though. It lacks punchy bass, but still manages to get seriously loud. A nice touch is The included mounting bracket.

What’s missing? For the potent CPU and generous 3 GB of RAM on board, we found it a little slow to work. Also, there’s no fingerprint sensor.

What’s missing? Probably a little expensive for so-so sound quality.

Verdict Verdict This is an interesting design, but other than security (see sidebar) there’s no real standout tech to hold your attention in a market full of samey Android offerings.

This is a clever design that’s equally at home on counter tops, in picnic baskets or bungeed on to the roll bar of your Hilux. But for a simple stay-at-home Bluetooth speaker, you can probably do better.

4G LTE, 5.2” screen, 3 GB RAM, 13 MP rear / 8 MP front camera, 16 GB storage, microSD slot, Android 7.1, R5 500

IP67 waterproof/shockproof, 5 drivers + bass radiator, aux in, USB charging out, 191 × 79 × 72 mm, 910g, R2 500

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67

Fondi MegaPower Box 11400

Power banks are now available in every shape and size, so why don’t we use them to boost our laptops too? Well, first, laptops draw a lot more juice than phones and, second, they don’t use convenient standard plugs like microUSB. This powerbank will output 2.5A, suitable for laptops, and is available with plug tips for all the big brands (Dell, Lenovo, HP, Acer). Of course, it will also charge your phone several times over. 11 400 mAh, 2.5A max output, 90 × 90 × 34 mm, 285g, R700, drivecon.net Both these watches include activity trackers with step-count goals you can monitor on the companion phone app.

DOKIWATCH kids watch

Its a sad truth: we live in paranoid times, especially when it comes to kids. But strap this funky-looking watch on their wrist, slip in a SIM card, and you’ll buy yourself some peace if mind. The range of features comes straight out of the paranoid parent’s playbook. It reports your child’s location to your phone app and allows you to call each other or leave each other simple voice notes (like a pre-teen WhatsApp). Even better, you can make video calls using a tiny camera built into the watch face. A single press on the SOS button sends a message with your child’s GPS coordinates to all the adults on the trusted list, from grandparents to your friends. One advanced feature lets you set

On both watches, parents can remotely deactivate most non-critical watch features while the child is in class, either manually or on a regular schedule.

up a safe zone (a circle around the school premises, for example) and you’ll be notified whenever your child enters or leaves the area.

What’s missing? It has a non-standard charging cable, which means you can’t charge it with any old microUSB phone charger. The wristband is too small for man-sized wrists, so it’s strictly for kids.

TINYTRACK SIDEKICK kids watch

This clever feature set was clearly based on a real wish list from actual parents, but it’s also well executed at the technical level, so things work reliably and as expected. A low price to pay for your child’s safety.

The Sidekick offers almost identical features to the DokiWatch, including voice calls, voice messaging, SOS alerts and safe-zone alerts. It lacks a camera for video calls, and it’s a slightly less robust build than the DokiWatch, but it’s less chunky on the wrist and it’s also much more affordable. We like the tiny charging mat, which makes it easy for your child to recharge their own gear.

3G, colour touchscreen, 2 MP camera, GPS, 24-hour battery (claimed), R3 000

3G, colour touchscreen, GPS, 24-hour battery (claimed), R2 000

Verdict

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PAGE 68

BOOMPODS SPORTPODS RACE sports earphones BOOMPODS SPORTPODS VISION sports earphones

While running at night sounds, well, slightly dangerous, if not outright foolish, many enthusiastic athletes are obliged to work out after work or in the wee morning hours. The neck band on these cordless buds lights up, flashing or solid, so you’re highly visible if you’re running in the dark. They fit securely enough for running and light gym sessions, but they’ll tend to pop out in a vigorous workout. The sound lacks bass, so they sound a little shrill, and they stick out quite a bit on the sides of head, which looks odd. IPX6 splash-proof, R1 300

Instead of the more commonplace ear-to-ear arrangement, these buds connect back up to a large control button you use for managing your music, changing tracks and taking phone calls. The earbuds are small, very light and subtle and, while we think they’re a little fussy to fit by trailing the cable behind your ear, this does help them seat far more securely – good enough now for a moderate workout. And the control button has a solid clip for attaching to a convenient spot on your clothes. As with the previous Boompods, we found the bass lacking, making the music sound shrill. And if there is a way to turn off the annoying little flashing light on the button, we couldn’t find it. R800

SKULLCANDY XTFREE sports earphones

These are fitted into the ear using the twist-and-lock action, which will probably make them the most secure fit of the buds on test here, although they began to feel slightly uncomfortable after about an hour. As with many other sports buds, the sound quality seems to be less important than sweat-proofing and a secure fit. These could use a lot more bass, but the controls on the cable were well positioned and easy to navigate, even with your fingers shaking from a jolt of post-workout adrenalin. R1 400

STYLING: ROBYN LANE; PHOTOGRAPHY: GARETH VAN NELSON/HMimages.co.za, COURTESY IMAGES

All good sports earphones include tips in various sizes and are water resistant so you can rinse off dirt and sweat.

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TOP

BUYER’S 5

PHONES 1 Huawei G8 32 GB

LAPTOPS 1 Acer Swift 7

Replacing our previous mid-price hero, the G7, this latest incarnation comes with a generous 5.5” screen and a whopping 3 GB RAM, the most important spec to keep your phone flying. The metal body and reasonable price clinched this topvalue deal for us. R5 500

The world’s thinnest laptop is not without its flaws, like the meagre two USB-C ports, but it more than makes up for that by being the perfect thin, light and sturdy travel companion for the mobile professional. The solid-state drive and toughened screen are nice touches. i5, 13” screen, 8 GB RAM, 1.1 kg R18 000

2 LG K10

2 Alcatel Plus 10

3 Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

3 Dell Inspiron 15 7559 Pandora

4 LG Stylus 2

4 Apple Macbook Pro with Touchbar

For an entry-level phone, it comes with great specs, a brilliant screen and excellent build quality, and feels secure in hand. And we’ve always been big fans of moving the buttons out of the way on to the back of the phone. R3 900

This is great value for a big-screen phone in a full-metal body with some oomph under the hood. With a sharp 5.5” screen, 2 GB RAM and a massive 4 000 mAh battery, it is gamingfriendly too. R3 800

With its massive 5.7” screen, this phone is great value, especially if you don’t need top-end processing power. We liked the tough plastic body and large 3 000 mAh battery, and the stylus is a nice touch. R4 300

5 Xiaomi Mi Max

At a whopping 6.4”, this is the biggest phone screen we’ve ever used. It’s backed by a large battery, a quality 16 MP camera and 3 GB RAM to make everything fly. Great for serious screen readers, and very affordable too. R4 700

This is a converted tablet, so processing power is limited, but it’s light, with a set of ports to add USB devices or a screen, and the keyboard feels responsive. There’s also built-in 3G. Atom CPU, 10” screen, 2 GB RAM, 4G LTE, 850g R3 600

For a gamer who can only buy one PC for work and play, this sturdy, well-priced model ticks a lot of boxes, including the classic Nvidia 960M graphics chip. We liked the understated styling and big display. i7 CPU, 15” screen, 8 GB RAM, 2.57 kg R21 000

Not a budget buy and, at this price, specs are nothing spectacular, but it pays for itself in reliability and peace of mind. The Touchbar is a genuinely useful addition. i5, 13.3” screen, 8 GB RAM, 1.37 kg R31 800

5 HP ProBook 450 G3

With very basic specs, this is considered an entry-level business machine, but its conservative design also means it’s optimised for reliability, battery life and the daily grind, which works for us. i3, 15” screen, 4 GB RAM, 2.1 kg R10 000

BEST BUYS

GUIDE HEADPHONES

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The top gear tested and compared on features, price and build quality by the experts at Tech

TELEVISIONS

1 Plantronics BackBeat Pro 2

1 LG 49UH600T

We were surprised by the great sound, superior build quality and comfy fit of these cans. Throw in the effective noise-cancelling system and the excellent on-ear controls, and they are the complete package for lounge, office and mobile audio enjoyment. R5 300

This big-screen UHD TV costs less than R10 000, which is extraordinary value, even if it’s a bit plain-looking and forfeits the premium metallic finishes of more pricey models. It’s backed up with a full range of ports and both LAN and WiFi connectivity, and powerful audio performance to boot. R9 000

2 Skullcandy Smokin Buds 2 Wireless

2 Samsung 55K6000

Taking us by surprise, these plain-looking Skullcandy buds delivered excellent sound, a comfy fit and a novel neckband that keeps everything tidy. R900

The secret to getting the right Samsung model at the right price is to choose from the Series 6 models. This one has classy metallic finishes and uses the new Tizen operating system with a great range of apps, including Netflix. R12 000

3 Sennheiser HD 202 II

3 Hisense ULED55T910

4 Skullcandy Grind Wireless

4 Hisense 50K390PAD

This streetwear brand has matured, swapping its crazy colours for better build quality. This subtle design caught us off guard and was as pleasing on the eye as it was on the ear. R1 500

These locally made TV sets come with great features, WiFi and plenty of HDMI ports. The OS can be a little clunky, but the standard Hisense four-year warranty gives you peace of mind. R10 300

5 Happy Plugs Deluxe Edition

5 LG 43LF540T

What a pleasure! These boring-looking cans are a sturdy build and delivered an unexpectedly powerful audio performance for the price. Easily our best budget buy on this list. R630

The gold finish makes a strong personal statement on the street, while on the inside, the handmade drivers deliver a detailed and balanced sound that is much better than the price suggests. R500

This is the latest tech from Hisense, delivering a rich, more accurate picture on a massive, but supremely elegant, curved screen. The image quality is better than on other sets in this price range and the audio is also strikingly good. R25 000

This bare-bones model has no connectivity options, and only one HDMI and one USB port, but for the low price, it’ll display a quality picture day in and day out. R6 000

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ACCESSORIES

GAMING GEAR

1 Outdoor Tech Buckshot Pro

1 Cooler Master Sentinel III mouse

2 Microsoft Universal Mobile Keyboard

2 Zowie ZA11 mouse

Like a Swiss army knife for mobile users, this gadget is a punchy, rubber-clad, weatherproof Bluetooth speaker that also doubles as a power bank. Then, plugging the USB torch attachment into the front, it becomes a multifunction LED flashlight. R1 000

The whole package: great grip, 6 400 DPI sensor and programmable buttons, but it’s a handsome devil too. You can colour-code its LED-lit back panel and check your set-up on the tiny OLED display. Then weight your weapon perfectly using add-on 4.5g modules. R810

This is the keyboard that’ll pair seamlessly across platforms. The detachable magnetically latched cover doubles as a stand, making it a real everyday product. R1 000

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It’s an ordinary-looking, no-frills model, but can still change resolution from 400 up to 3 200 DPI by tapping a button on the underside. It’s very light, with the body contour optimised for palm- or claw-grip mousing. R1 400

W

Banish the back pain you’ve built up from your years behind that PC. Fitting this back support is simplicity itself, using just two elastic straps, and it can easily be moved from office to home and even to car. R990

3 Razer BlackWidow Chroma V2 keyboard

4 Alcatel Move Time

4 Logitech G430 headset

Strap this on to your child’s wrist and you will be able to chat via voice calls, send voice messages or respond to their SOS alerts. And you can even know their GPS location at a glance. R1 100

The G430 comes in at a great price point that somehow doesn’t compromise on quality. The 7.1 surround sound immerses you fully, and despite the bulkier build, the headset has a comfortable fit for long sessions in front of the PC. R800

5 Logitech Z533 speakers

5 Acer Predator Z35 monitor

This simple 2.1 speaker set delivers 60W of pounding bass with clear highs, and comes with a convenient oversized volume-control dial that rests on your desktop and doubles as a hub for connecting your phone. R1 800

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Still our top gaming keyboard, the new version keeps the Razer Green mechanical switches and USB and audio pass-through but adds a detachable palm rest and more programmable macro keys. R3 200

Using the increasingly popular 21:9 widescreen style, this racy design tops out at a record-breaking 200 Hz, and Nvidia’s own G-Sync technology matches your monitor to your PC’s frame rate to prevent screen blur. R23 000

PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY IMAGES

3 Soho back support

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PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY IMAGES

IN

COMIX

A sci-tech story, in pictures

PAY UP! Ransomware invades SA

LOST PHONE? What to do next

SPACE STATION ASGARDIA

How to stream music

Set-top boxes, compared

Apps to prank your friends

Product buyer’s guide Geek terms explained Game reviews Life hacks

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FORGET ME NOT The more high-tech devices we carry, the more likely we are to leave one behind. But don’t worry: there’s an app for that

‘FORGET ABOUT IT’, AL PACINO says to Johnny Depp in… What was that movie again? I forget. But one thing I do know for sure: if I was in that restaurant in that famous scene, I probably would have forgotten to take half of my stuff with me when I left. This is the curse of the modern age. Whenever I stumble across old photographs or black-and-white films of urban street life, the thing that first catches my eye is all of the things that go unseen. Almost no one in those black-and-white movies carries any items on their person. Now and then you might see someone carrying a quaint brown-paper package tied with string. Otherwise, the walkers walk empty-handed. How free they are of burdensome material possessions. Nowadays, when I wander into a place, for a meeting or a coffee or just a rest from the chaos, the table groans as I set down my phones – I always carry two, in case I leave

one behind – my iPad, my keys, my Moleskine notepad, a plastic folder full of papers and my glasses. Then, later, I leave believing I have everything with me, only to discover even later that I do not. Once, I left my iPad on top of a toilet. Once, I left my camera on the back seat of a taxi. More than once, I have left expensive laptop chargers lying in conference rooms. I blame the technology that, in solving one problem, inadvertently creates another. The tools we carry are miracles of convenience and portability. But, for every new tech problem comes a new tech solution and, as is so often the case these days, it comes in the form of an app. It is called Don’t Leave It! and, in line with that command, you set yourself a reminder as soon as you sit down, choosing the items you don’t want to forget from a list of dozens, or adding one of your own. Then, when you leave, within a few paces, your phone buzzes you.

You slap yourself on the forehead, turn round and, with a sheepish sigh of relief, collect your forgotten stuff. But what if you left the phone itself behind? Forget about it. The way the human brain works is that it is good at focusing on one function at a time. Multitasking is a myth. So if you can just keep a close eye on your phone (and who doesn’t, these days?) and remember to set and engage the app, you ought to be fine. I’ve been using the app for a while now and am pleased to report that, so far, I haven’t left anything behind. Well, except for my glasses, which I only realised I didn’t have on me when I got in the car. So I rushed back to the restaurant and looked all over, finally realising that I had them in my pocket. As soon as someone invents an app for that, I’ll let you know. Don’t Leave It! (dontleaveitapp. com) is free for iOS and is coming soon to Android.

Donnie boy! I don’t need a phone to tell me where my pants are!

ILLUSTRATION: RYAN SEDEMAN

Words Gus Silber @GusSilber

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