smart ®

FREE!Issue 116May 2013ISSN 1726–3358

SA’s LARGEST TECH MAGAZINE

Strange name, sexy looks

Samsung Galaxy S4The S4 lands in SA

The tablet that makes the calls

Hyundai Veloster

Asus FonePad

22

23

Smartphones:Moving forwardAt the end of last month theSamsung Galaxy S4 waslaunched in SA, bringing with it afull HD screen and a heap of newfunctionality. The S4, along withthe Sony Xperia Z and the HTCOne, leads the Android charge onthe full HD smartphone side, andit should be interesting to see howApple responds with the newiPhone.

But now a question is emergingwhether current smartphonedevelopment is not close to an

evolutionary plateau. If you look at the iPhone’s progress as example; inthe beginning every new iteration was greeted with much fanfare andhype, with lots of it actually justified. This was not the case with the pasttwo releases. It might be said that Android devices have stolen theiPhone’s thunder, but my suspicion is that, at least within the nextcouple of years, there will be very few major changes to the currentsmartphone model.

So what can radically impact smartphones? I put my money onGoogle Glass, since these head-mounted augmented reality unitsmight just change the way we think about all types of computingdevices. Science fiction will turn into science fact when Glass becomescommercially available in 2014 Stateside for about $1 500.

Enjoy the future,Mike (michael@techsmart.co.za)

TechSmart Issue 116, May 2013

12 HTC OneWhy is HTC’s new flagship the best Android phone we’ve tested todate? Read here to find out.

23 Hyundai VelosterIt might have a strange name, but Hyundai’s new Veloster is no stranger toturning heads. We spend some time on the road at its local launch.

Speed, aggressive good looks and top notch performance. All this onoffer from our selection of the Top 5 Boy Racers.

22 Top 5 Boy Racers

Copyright © 2013. All rights reserved. No material, text or photographs may bereproduced, copied or in any other way transmitted without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher or of the editor.We recognise all trademarks and logos as the sole property of their respective owners.TechSmart shall not be liable for any errors or for any actions in reliance thereon. Allprices were correct at time of going to print.

Editor print & onlineMike Joubert > 012-342-5141michael@techsmart.co.za

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ContributorsMike Joubert [MJ], Hanleigh Daniels [HD], Ryan Noik[RN], Linda Pretorius [LP], Ismail Fadal [IF]Designer: Brett WilsonAccounts & subscriptionsRonel Keet > 012-342-5141accounts@techsmart.co.zaDistribution queries: marlien@smartpublishing.co.za

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73 304 average copies per monthConsumer: Male [Jan – Mar] 2013

Contents

8 Asus FonePadIf you’re looking for a 7" Android tablet that can also make calls, Asus’FonePad should be right up your alley. The Nexus 7 has finally met itsmatch.

9 million. G

oogle Glass-like devices, w

hich integrate augmented reality w

ith wearable com

puting, expected to be sold by 2016, according to research firm IH

S.

2

Why yes, we’ve always wanted our bikesent by post. And that’s exactly what theDutch company responsible for theSandwichbike can do. Insteadof a regular weldedframe design,they engineereda ‘sandwich’ of

two weather coated frames of layeredplywood, bonded together by ‘smartcylinders’. There’s no RRP yet, butorders can be placed atbit.ly/snackbike.

Sandwichbike

PC shipments going down (again) Lamborghini Veneno

Hot New ProductsTop Tech Titbits

We love our racing gamesas much as the next guy,but this F1 racing carsimulator takes things to the next level. Manufactured by FMCGInternational, the full size simulator is as close as the real thing as youcan get. Instead of an engine you receive an Intel Core i7 high-endgaming PC, a force-feedback steering wheel, electronically adjustablepedals, three 23" TFT monitors and 5.1 surround sound. R1.3 million canbag you one from bit.ly/racingcarsim.

Full Size RacingCar Simulator

Bigger is better right? Well it is if you’reSamsung, who’ve unveiled the GalaxyMega smartphone duo. Consisting of a5.8" and 6.3" model, they top the alreadybig 5.5" frame of the Galaxy Note II, fallingjust below 7" tablets. Spec-wise they’re nottop-of-the-range, but still pack a 1.7 GHz dual-core processor in the 6.3"variant and 1.4 GHz dual-core CPU in case of the 5.8", coupled with 1.5GB RAM, while running Android 4.2. No local release info is available yet.

Samsung Galaxy Megasmartphones

Snapping at the supercar heels of the LaFerrari and McLaren P1 isLamborghini’s Veneno, which looks more like an alien spacecraft than asupercar. Blasting the Veneno to its terminal velocity of 354 km/h is a 6.5-litre V12 engine that produces an impressive 552 kW. Thanks to permanentfour wheel drive the Veneno gets off the line from standstill to 100 km/h in ablink-and-you’ll-miss-it 2.8 seconds. Only three will be made, whichunfortunately have already been sold for a staggering €3.57 million each,more-or-less what you’ll pay for seven Lamborghini Aventadors.

Korean tech giant, Samsung, has finally made itslatest and greatest smartphone – the Galaxy S4 –available to local buyers. This smartphone boasts aneye-popping 5" (1920 x 1080; 441 ppi) touchscreenand operates on Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean, whilebeing powered by the Exynos 5 Octa 5410 chipsetwith its eight cores. Performance should also beboosted by the inclusion of a decent 2 GB RAM. TheLTE version should land in June.

Samsung Galaxy S4 reacheslocal shores

Data analytics company, ABI Research, expectsglobal shipments of low-cost smartphones(priced below R2 500) to significantly increasefrom 259 million units forecasted for 2013 to788 million devices predicted for 2018. This, asentry-level smartphones are devouring themarket share of feature phones within

developed and developing markets. Shipments of mid-range smartphones(pricetag of R3 700 and less) are also expected to increase.

Chronicling the rise of thelow-cost smartphone

After reaching for the heavens above at theend of last year, Apple’s stock came crashingback to earth last month by dipping to around$460 per share. This dramatic decrease wasinitially caused by the Cupertino-based techcompany’s fiscal Q1 2013 results, whichdisappointed Wall Street. However, the dropin the stock’s value reportedly went into highgear when a number of prominent hedgefunds started selling off massive amounts ofApple shares.

Apple stock takes a pounding

Is it a case of goodbye PCs, hello tablets? During Q1 2013 PCshipments within Europe, the Middle East and Africa decreased by20.2% year-on-year, which was worse than the overall worldwide PCmarket dip of 13.9% over the same period. This market decline isblamed on consumers rather opting for tablets, while the user adoptionrate of Windows 8 has also been slow and spending within companiesremained constrained due to ongoing economic pressures. PCshipments within this region reached 21.8 million units within Q1 2013,and consisted of 13.6 million notebooks (a 20.6% shipment decrease)and 8.3 million desktop PCs (a drop of 19.6%).

4

NEWSB

etter than a PS

3. Bold claim

made by N

vidia’s Tony Tamasi about the perform

ance of the Tegra 5 processor.

FEATURE

6

A new server technology launched recently byHP has been cited by the company as the nextmilestone in the evolution of the server. DubbedProject Moonshot, it fundamentally re-imaginesthe server and data centre of the future. Thenew development is neither a whim, nor does itsolely consist of just another shiny new productthat is being rolled out. Rather, ProjectMoonshot – which has been in the making forthe past decade – is intended to address somepotentially serious strains that are being placedon both the internet and the environment, bythe burgeoning growth of data.

Innovation imperativeHP’s CEO, Meg Whitman, explained that ifnothing is done to address the core issues ofinfrastructure, the expansiveness of the internetcould actually limit it. She elaborated that onour present course, data centres needed toaccommodate the kind of content beinggenerated, would occupy the equivalent of 200football fields, and if laid end to end, these datacentres could potentially span the length ofManhattan and cost anywhere between $10-20billion.

Shooting for the moonClearly, this situation is neither sustainable nortenable. The company’s solution therefore, withProject Moonshot, was to design a kind ofserver that would drastically reduce not only theamount of power needed to run, but alsorequire considerably less space. The HPMoonshot servers are built from chips morecommonly found in smartphones and tablets,

which the company explained are typicallydesigned for their ability to consume lesspower, and thus result in energy savings in aserver environment.

Additionally, the Moonshot system, whichconsists of the HP Moonshot 1500 chassis andapplication-optimised HP ProLiant Moonshotservers, can support up to 1800 servers perrack, and thus require a fraction of the spacerequired by traditional servers. One of the maindifferentiating factors of HP’s new server is itsability to accommodate ‘cartridges’, whichresemble smaller, compact motherboards.These can be added to the Moonshot chassisaccording to the purpose, or workload, forwhich it is intended.

Small steps and giant leapsFor example, one such cartridge could befocused on storage, while another enablesusers to slot in processing power. Additionally,new cartridges could be developed and madeavailable within months, a far cry from the

turnaround time of the development cycle thattraditional servers rely on of around 18 months.What this means, the company explained, isthat customers could benefit from anaccelerated pace of innovation.

Additions, not replacementsHowever, the company stressed that thismodular approach to server technology, andProject Moonshot as a whole, is not meant aslinear replacement for existing x86 servers.Indeed, Paul Santeler, HP’s vice president andgeneral manager for Hyperscale Businessworldwide, commented that traditional serversstill have their place and their appropriate use,such as when a great deal of computing poweris needed. While HP is particularly focusing onthe web hosting market to begin with, over thenext several months, new cartridges will beintroduced that would be particularly aimed ataddressing other workloads.

To the pointIn essence, Project Moonshot is a bold plan toaddress a growing issue. For general userswho benefit from servers, and the magic in thebackground that they conjure, we dare sayProject Moonshot is a viable and excitingdevelopment which could see us enjoying ourtechnological age without necessarilyobliterating the environment.

The HP Moonshot system will be availablefrom this month locally, with prices starting atR550 000 for the enclosure, 45 HP ProLiantMoonshot cartridges and an integratedswitch. [RN]

TechSmart was invited to HP’s Project Moonshot launch in London,to find out why this server technology is so significant, and get anoverview of the innovations on offer.

HP’s solution is a serverthat would drasticallyreduce not only theamount of power neededto run, but also requireconsiderably less space.

Paul Santeler, HP VPand GM forHyperscaleBusiness worldwide,holding a newMoonshot cartridge

HP unveils Project Moonshot milestone

lends the device an aura of solidness.Indeed the clean, minimalistic design, whichreminded us a little of the company’sZenbooks, will challenge you to find a singlesharp corner (you won’t) and was no lessappealing on a tablet than it was on anultrabook.

That being said, the tablet is certainly notdifficult to hold for long periods; at 340 g itwas not exactly heavy. Additionally, thebezel on the tablet’s sides are noticeablythinner than those on the top and bottom,but these were still substantial enough tooffer us enough place to rest our thumbswithout obscuring the screen.

Screened and inspectedSwitching the FonePad on invokedmemories of the Asus Transformer Prime, asa bright and contrasty screen greeted uswith sharp images and text. The IPS screenoffers up a decent resolution of 1280 x 800(216 ppi), although we did find it to be quite

reflective, a little more so, in fact, than theNexus 7.

Like that tablet, the FonePad similarlyruns off Android Jelly Bean (4.1.2) and isexceedingly fast and responsive. Indeed, itreminded us yet again of how Jelly Beanlifted Android tablets to the next level; itsimpact is no less pleasing here.

This is very good news for the processoron offer here – not a Tegra 3 but ratherIntel’s Atom Z Series SoC, coupled with 1 GB of memory. In our tests, the duoperformed admirably, handling pretty mucheverything we would want our 7" tablet tobe able to cope with, such as webbrowsing, ereading, gaming andnotetaking.

Storing and speakingHowever, one area where the FonePadtrumps the Nexus 7 is in storage, as amicroSD card slot enables you to expandits 8 GB of onboard storage up to 32 GB.

Also, no less notable is the presence of 3Gonboard, via a micro SIM.

Both the microSD card and the microSIM slots are accessed by sliding off aremovable cover on the top of the device;however, when closed it produces a snug,almost seamless fit. On one hand this iswelcome, because it means that the devicefeels like a solid single piece of kit. On theother, you do need nails to lift it off, andyou probably won’t want to be removing ittoo regularly to replace microSD cards.

Phone logicThe question that could arise though, iswhy would you want a 7" tablet with 3G andfull phone capability? Admittedly, you maynot hold a 7" tablet up to your ear like asmartphone anytime soon, but you can pairit with a Bluetooth headset or Bluetoothspeakers when in the car to make andreceive calls.

More pertinently, the device’s 3Gcapability is meant to more ably cater tosending SMSs or emails, and consumingcontent, on the move. This amounts tobeing unhindered by the lack of a Wi-Fihotspot when you need to take advantageof the 7" tablet’s size to create and send adocument, or connect to a videoconference on Skype, for example, whenout and about.

Additionally, the FonePad gives you theoption to use it as a mobile hotspot as well.

To the pointMuch like the Nexus 7, the Asus FonePad’sreal drawcard is its price. At R3 000, it canlay claim to being very well built,impressively fast and full featured, as wellas affordable. In short, the Nexus 7 hasmet its match. [RN]

8

Like the Nexus 7, the FonePad radiatesquality in its build, as its aluminium-backedbody is both ergonomic in the hand and

HARDWARE

In short, the Nexus 7 hasmet its match.

Do a quicksearch forrecommended7" tablets, andno doubt youwill find theNexus 7, thejoint

development between Googleand Asus, topping more than afew lists. Now though, you canadd one more to the roster:Asus’ own FonePad.

ASUS FonePadSeven inches of tablet mastery

Top 3. Gingerbread (39.7%

), Ice Cream

Sandw

ich (29.3%) and Jelly B

ean (25%) are the m

ost used version of Android.

10

Samsung Galaxy Note 8Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 impressed us when we firstsaw it at the Samsung Africa Forum earlier this year,and it has only done more so now that we have it inhand to play with.

To begin with the device has a familiar Samsung, smooth plastic feel, butfeels a bit better built than its larger brother, the Galaxy Note 10.1.Additionally, the 8" size feels both more portable than the larger iteration, andmore spacious than the 7" Galaxy Tab, slotting nicely between the two. Also,activities such as web browsing and movie watching were a joy due to thelarger screen size, while the latter was aided by some impressively loudsound.

The screen itself has a 1280 x 800 resolution (189 ppi), which slightly beststhe iPad Mini’s 1024 x 768, and certainly left us happy with regards to howimages, movies and web pages rendered on the device.

Quick on the drawWe were similarly impressed by the quick performance afforded by thecombination of the 1.6 GHz A9 quad-core processor, 2 GB of memory andAndroid Jelly Bean (4.1.2). Its onboard storage of 16 GB or 32 GB can befurther augmented by an additional 64 GB microSD card. However, it wasthe Galaxy Note 8’s ability to accommodate handwritten notes using the S-pen that had us reaching for it time and again.

The stylus, when paired with S Note applications, performed beautifullywhen it came to quickly jotting down notes. Also included is the very goodaNotes, a digital diary app, which further assists with notetaking. It enabledus to keep more comprehensive notebooks on a variety of topics, completewith typed and/or handwritten text, imbedded images and hand-drawndiagrams and mind-maps.

Also worth mentioning was the ability to open two apps side by side, andReading Mode, which turned the device into a capable ereader, with side-lighting, for a more restive reading experience.

To the pointIn essence, we found the Galaxy Note 8 to be the most pleasing Note tabletwe have come across yet, more portable than the Note 10.1 and yet morespacious and full featured than its phablet counterparts. RRP: R7 200 [RN]

The stylus, when paired with S Noteapplications, performed beautifully.

HARDWARE

Acer looks set to disrupt the SA market with a low-cost7" tablet retailing for R1 500 (8 GB).

Dubbed the Iconia B1, Acer’s tablet should cause mayhem with a numberof no-name imports from China, since the unit comes from a reputedbrand and includes a one year fetch-repair-return warranty.

On the inside So what do you get for R1 500? Quite enough to make for a comfortabletablet experience. Buyers will be happy to know that the Iconia B1 sportsAndroid 4.1 Jelly Bean (non upgradable), an operating system that we’vegrown to love over the past few months.

On the hardware side, the 7" TFT touchscreen comes with a resolution of600 x 1024, the same as the Galaxy Tab 2 (170 pixels per inch). Doing thehard work inside is a Mediatek 8317T dual-core processor running at 1.2GHz per core. We’ve not encountered this chipset before, and although it’snot as powerful as, for example, the Tegra 3 quad-core beast poweringsome of the more expensive tablets, it should nonetheless allow for a fastenough experience. Just don’t expect class-leading performance whentrying out intensive 3D gaming titles such as Shadowgun: Deadzone.

One thing that the B1 does require is a Wi-Fi network, since it does notsupport 3G. Our suggestion? Hook it up to your smartphone’s portablehotspot. Also not on offer is a camera at the back, which means you needto use the front facing VGA camera (a low 640 x 480 resolution), moresuitable actually for video conferencing via Skype.

To the pointWith talk of declining PC sales, it’s easy to see why a clunky PC is notrequired if all one wants to do is surf the net, do banking, answer emailsand read ebooks. This is especially true if this can be done on a tablet thatcosts R1 500.

The Iconia B1 with 8 GB is set to retail for R1 500, while the 16 GBversion will cost R1 700, depending on the rate of exchange when landingon local shores. Both will feature a microSD card slot, so you will be able toexpand on storage if required. They should arrive during May.

Acer Iconia B1: What you need to know

The B1 should cause mayhem with anumber of no-name imports from China.

50%. Percentage of A

merican children w

ho regularly use a computer or tablet, by the tender age of 5.

SMARTPHONES

12

With the One, HTC’s new full HD flagship, thecompany’s marketing department better step upto the plate, because it cannot be journalists’ taskalone to tell people how good a phone it is.

HTC One

And trust us, it’s good, it’s very, very good. In fact, if it was a rugby player itwould have been Bryan Habana during his all-conquering 2007 IRB Playerof the Year season. The HTC One is beautifully enveloped in brushedaluminium with a plastic strip separating the phone’s front and back silverlinings. With rounded edges and a slight curve on the back, the One feelscomfortable in hand, even providing a welcome heft.

Screen sizeUnlike both the new Samsung Galaxy S4 and Sony’s Xperia Z, HTC doesn’tjump screen size to 5", rather opting to go for 4.7", the same as the One X.Now while you might lose the .3" you gain a much better pixels per inch(ppi) with the 4.7" full HD screen (1920 x 1080), since the One provides aclass leading 468 ppi (the Sony Z and Samsung S4 manages 440 ppi).

It needs not be stated that full HD looks a treat, with it being very difficultto spot any jaggy edges on icons or webpages, even when zoomed in.This is further helped along by good saturation, especially noticeable whencapturing photos or recording videos.

Performance Another point where the HTC One excels is in its performance, once againworthy of the Habana circa 2007 comparison. During benchmarking itproved unbeatable thanks in no small part to Qualcomm’s hardworkingSnapdragon 600 quad-core chipset running at 1.7 GHz per core, and 2 GBRAM. Unfortunately, although the HTC One is a figuratively hot device, itunfortunately also becomes literally so once you start putting it through itspaces via 3D gaming, benchmarking and the likes.

To the pointThe HTC One is not flawless, but we can safely say that it is the bestAndroid smartphone we’ve tested to date. It quite comfortably runs throughour ‘love-to-have’ checklist of features, including excellent performance,sleek metallic design, solid photography features (Zoes are great) and agorgeous full HD screen. [MJ]

The One is the best Android smartphonewe’ve tested to date.

Full Article bit.ly/onexhtc

The Xperia Z is one of the first next-gen full HDsmartphones to arrive locally and it’s not difficultto see that Sony has raised their game.

Sony Xperia Z

Although it’s not that bulky, Sony’s Z is still a big boy. With its 5"screen and quite a wide body, the Z feels a lot larger than the new4.8" HTC One for example. Design wise it looks more like an iPhone,thanks to Sony opting for a more boxy approach.

No water, no cryIf you’ve ever lost a smartphone to water damage, the fact that theXperia Z is water resistant to one metre (and 30 minutes underwater)will be much appreciated. Of course we’ve tested this, and it workslike a charm.

The Z’s other impressive feat is the massive 5" screen with a fullHD resolution (1920 x 1080) bringing pixel count to a lovely 440pixels per inch. It’s an absolute treat when watching movies orbrowsing pics, but it should be noted that not all 5" of the screen arealways utilised due to the Android menu buttons sometimes placedinside the screen.

Storage and performanceAt this stage, the Xperia Z runs Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean with verylittle that Sony adds to the experience. Sony provides 16 GB ofonboard storage, with the added benefit of a microSD card slotwhere you can inexpensively add up to 64 GB of extra space.

Processing is done by the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 ProAPQ8064 quad-core chipset that also does duty on the GalaxyNexus 4. It runs at 1.5 GHz per core and laughs at the bestbenchmarking performances from last year, but could not best theHTC One.

To the pointOverall we were left with a good opinion of the Sony Xperia Z, but notan outstanding one. The middling camera and speakers are adisappointment, while we also can’t help but wonder about the blandAndroid experience on offer. Its 5" full HD screen though is great,while its waterproof build should provide peace of mind for thoseunforeseen wet moments. [MJ]

The fact that the Sony Z is waterresistant will be much appreciated.

Full Article bit.ly/sonyzreview

2.6 billion. AR

M-based m

obile processors shipped during Q1 2013.

13

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to be done is to register your mobile deviceand create your Inbox account. The Inboxfeature can also be used to dynamically updateroute plans for travelling sales people ordelivery personnel, by updating their NavigatorInbox with the next location on their route.

AfriGIS Navigator with Traffic alsoavailableTo enhance the navigation experience, usersare able to bolt on AfriGIS’s real time trafficreporter, which allows them to receive real timetraffic updates every five minutes. This is veryhelpful when planning a journey, since itautomatically adjusts ETA (Estimated Time ofArrival) based on live traffic conditions. It alsoselects the best route based on live trafficconditions, while offering a bird’s eye view ofthe traffic conditions. The feature is powered inpartnership with Altech Netstar Traffic andrequires an extra fee per month.

To the pointThe AfriGIS Navigator is available for free onAndroid and BlackBerry devices, while costingonly R25 on the Apple App Store. Todownload the application go towww.afrigisnavigator.co.za/download.

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AfriGIS Navigator: Turn-by-turnnavigation on your smartphone

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A locally developed app solution is offering a turn-by-turn voice guidednavigation system for smartphones and tablets.

For the purposes of this experiment, we putourselves in the shoes of enthusiast wildlifephotographers who don’t have unlimited moneyto spend on the absolute best, fastest andlongest lenses. Using several older, but still verygood lenses, we photographed wildlife in avariety of situations and with both full frame andAPS-C bodies.

Our kit consisted of an older Canon 20D (R3 000 second hand) as ourAPS-C body of choice, and the newer Canon EOS 6D (R20 000) and EOS5D Mark III (R28 000) as the full frame cameras in our arsenal. On the lensfront, we packed the excellent Canon 70-200 f/2.8 IS L (Mark I version andaround R10 000), the Canon 100-400 f/4.5-5.6 L (approximately R14 000new) and then the latest 1.4x and 2x Mark III Canon teleconverters (R6000 each).

FindingsOur first option, the 70-200mm f2.8 L with teleconverters, yielded the bestresults with the full frame cameras, but the best balance between reach,quality and speed came from our APS-C body and the 1.4x converter,offering a range of 156-448mm at f4.

The bigger surprise came from our second option, the excellent 100-400

mm. It tended to be the most versatile on our 20D; giving us a range of160-640mm f4.5-5.6.and easily filling the frame with everything from smallmarsupials and meerkats, to birds, lizards and crocodiles.

On the full frame cameras, both lenses remained as is by default.However, putting a 1.4x converter on the 70-200mm pushed our reach to140-280mm f4, while the 2x converter transformed the lens into a 140-400mm f5.6.

On the full frame cameras, which tend to show up lens flaws morereadily, the 100-400mm similarly won us over. We did though, find that thelens on these bodies was sharpest one stop up (f7.1) and at about390mm.

RecommendationsWhile one can certainly go the APS-C route with excellent results, wefound that the bigger, full frame sensor was more adept at compensatingfor the slower speed of this lens, as we were able to photograph late intothe afternoon light by pushing up our ISO.

The 70-200mm f2.8 lens (Mark I or Mark II) would actually be the first lenswe would recommend investing in, along with the 1.4x Mark III converteron a decent APS-camera.

The total for a second hand 20D (R3 000), the 70-200mm f2.8 Mark I(R10 000) and the above teleconverter is a not too bad R19 000. Bump theAPS-C body up to the 7D (R13 000) and you are looking at R29 000, optfor the 70-200mm f2.8 Mark II and you can add another R15 000 onto thattally.

Our alternative recommendation would be to opt for a full frame cameraand the 100-400mm lens. This option, presuming one chooses the 6D,could cost one in the vicinity of a R35 000, or R43 000 for the 5D Mark III.

To the pointWe must admit we particularly loved swopping lenses between our APS-Cbody and a full frame camera, particularly with the 1.4x converter. This, toour minds and as far as camera bodies are concerned, ranks as our idealand most versatile setup, provided you can afford it.

In our final analysis though, we found the images we were able to capturewith the combination of cameras, lenses and teleconverters spoke louderthan words. Their message: being able to go long and capture good sharpimages was actually more within reach than we initially presumed. [RN]

CAMERAS

Being able to go long was actually morewithin reach than we initially presumed.

The best way to go long

CANONEXPERIMENT

Bearing in mind that the true magic inproducing good photos from a gear perspectiveoften comes from the lenses one chooses, we setout to find a good – and affordable – way toextend our photographic reach using someolder and some new Canon gear.

Canon 1.4x Teleconverter Mark III

Canon EF 100-400 f4.5-5.6 L IS USM lens

Picture taken with a Canon 5D Mark IIIwith 70-200 L f2.8, with Canon 1.4xTeleconverter Mark III

5x. The increase in likelihood of getting a malicious link w

ithin your search results on Bing com

pared to your chances via Google.

ADVERTORIAL

16

Say or text what you need translated into your new Samsung GALAXY S4and it’ll read or text back the translation. The Samsung GALAXY S4 is ahandy companion while travelling abroad, allowing you to easilycommunicate with locals, discover exotic foreign dishes, and explorehidden hangouts around the world. Supports 11 international languages.

S Translator: No more language barriers

Simply motion your hand at the Samsung GALAXY S4 to accept calls,change music, or browse the web and your photos with Air Gesture.How simple is that? Air View makes it quicker, easier, and super-convenient to enlarge content and photos, preview emails, and speeddial all with your finger barely hovering over the screen. Even whenyou’re wearing gloves, the Samsung GALAXY S4 still responds toyour touch.

Air View: Control your phone with hand gestures

Every picture you take on the Samsung GALAXY S4 can come withsound. So now you can remember what was said, played, andheard, not just what it looked like. It adds another layer ofexcitement to help you relive and share every moment of eachpicture much more vividly.

Sound & Shot: Photos with sound

Stay active and fit with the Samsung GALAXY S4. It will track yourworkouts, daily food intake, and weight levels. Get the current status ofyour surroundings for your activities with the Samsung GALAXY S4’sComfort Level. It shows your comfort level based on temperature andhumidity. Monitor your progress with both Health Board and variouscharts. Together with the Samsung GALAXY S4, being motivated forbetter health has never been so easy.

S Health: Helps improve your health

Two cameras, one extraordinary photo. Capture the ‘I was there’moments of your life by simultaneously shooting with the front and rearcameras. Get the shot you want with more variety of styles to choosefrom. With Dual Shot, friends and family can experience everything withyou, no matter how far away they may be.

Get your friends together and let them enjoy your music simultaneously.Wirelessly connect multiple Samsung GALAXY S4 phones to play gamesand share photos and documents. Get all Samsung GALAXY S4 phonestogether and create a powerful sound system that enhances the soundquality and keeps the party going.

: A real life companion

Each feature was designed to simplify your daily life. Furthermore, it cares enough to monitor your health and well-being. To put it simply, theSamsung GALAXY S4 is there for you.

Dual Shot: Puts you in the picture

Group Play: Share Music in a group

The Samsung GALAXY S4 is designed to make your life richer, simpler, and more fun. Here are a few standoutfeatures which makes it a real life companion.

The camera firstly boasts an 24.1-megapixel DX-format CMOS sensor, which offers usersthe flexibility to capture finely detailed imagesand make large prints from their photos, aswell as crop their images without losing detail.

Additionally, the camera is powered byNikon’s EXPEED 3 image processing engine,something the company asserts is equivalentto the engine found in its flagship camera, theD4, and which accounts for the camera’s high

speed operation. Furthermore, the camera offers a high ISO range of100 – 6400, and thus the ability to capture images in low light.

Something borrowedAlso onboard is the company’s Scene Recognition System, thanks tothe same 2 016-pixel RGB sensor found in high-end Nikon cameras,which Nikon elaborates more accurately analyses scene brightnessand colour information. This data is then used by the autofocus systemas well as by the AE (automatic-exposure), i-TTL balanced fill-flash andauto white-balance control.

While many entry-level cameras offer simple, cut down autofocusing(AF) systems, that does not appear to be the case here. The D5200takes action and fast moving subjects into consideration using a 39-point AF system. Of these 39 points, nine are cross type, while thenumber of active focus points can be limited to 11 if one so desires.

Additionally, the camera is able to provide high-speed continuousshooting up to approximately 5 fps (frames per second), particularlyuseful for sporting events. Alternatively, users can dial this down to 3fps for when a slower frame rate is preferred (such as when capturingnatural facial expressions, for example).

Video starMuch as we have come to expect from DSLRs nowadays, the cameracan do double duty to capture video as well. The D5200 can do so at

full HD (1920 x 1080) and recording frame rates that range from 50i or60i (1080), to 24p, 25p, or 30p (1080) per second. Sound is takencare of via an onboard stereo microphone, or by attaching an optionalME-1 mic.

One feature that shows the attention paid to the video on offer is theability to employ autofocusing during movie recording, using contrast-detect AF. According to Nikon, when the focus mode is set to Full-timeservo AF (AF-F) and the AF-area mode to Subject-tracking AF, thecamera automatically maintains focus on a subject moving throughoutthe frame. Manual settings are also available for those who want tospecify recording shutter speed and ISO sensitivity according to theirown preferences.

Any angle will doA particularly nice touch on the camera is the inclusion of the side-hinged vari-angle monitor as found on the the D5100. Nikon explainedthat the 3" 921k-dot LCD monitor, which can be rotated forward 180°and backward 90° when open, enables flexible shooting from anyangle, high or low, and even makes self portraits possible.

Admittedly, the D5200 does not have built-in Wi-Fi (a feature we areseeing more of these days) but it does support the optional WirelessMobile Adapter WU-1a, which enables wireless image transfer to asmart device.

Using this accessory further enables photographers to display theview through the camera lens (live view) on their smartphone or tabletscreen to control remote shooting. While remote movie recording is notsupported, images captured with the D5200 can then be transferred tothe smart device over a wireless connection.

To the pointThe D5200 may be in the company’s entry-level line-up, but it stillappears to boast all the features that count for amateur and seriousphotographers alike. The Nikon D5200 plus 18-55mm kit lens retailsfor R10 000.

It used to be that entry-level often meantfeature-stripped. Clearlyhowever, that is nolonger the case, asNikon’s more recent newDSLR, the D5200, ablydemonstrates.

CAMERAS

to know What you need

NIKOND5200

Winners will be selected randomly. Survey ends 30 June 2013. Terms and Conditions apply.

Toshiba certainly knows how to make solid devices, and its Excite 10 tablet is ample testimony to this fact. The Excite 10 feelssomewhat more compact than other 10.1" devices that have crossed our path, a factor which certainly counts in its favour whenholding it in one hand. One considerable differentiating factor of the device, and something we appreciate in any tablet, is thepresence of expandable storage via a full sized SD card slot, making this one tablet that can actually host up to 128 GB of storage.

• 10.1" screen with 1280 x 800 resolution• Nvidia quad-core Tegra 3 processor• Android 4.0, Ice Cream Sandwich• Stereo speakers• 1 GB RAM• 5 MP camera• SD card expansion• Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n• Durable aluminium surface

The Toshiba Excite 10 tablet features:

TechSmart 2013

Reader Survey

What TechSmart said in our Toshiba Excite 10 review:

Read our full review here: bit.ly/10toshiba

1st prizeToshiba Excite 10 tablet worth R5 500courtesy of Toshiba

Other prizesworth R8 850 courtesy of Mantality3x Build YourOwn Robot Armsworth R950 each

“”

3x Mini DVCameras worthR875 each

3x Mini Microscopesfor iPhone 4 worthR525 each

5x 80s RetroiPhone Cases and

3x Retro PhoneHandsets

worthR225each

We need your help to make TechSmart better! Fill out our 2013 ReaderSurvey online and stand a chance to win these prizes worth over R14 000.Go to www.techsmart.co.za and enter before 30 June 2013.

19

ADVERTORIAL

20

Over the last few years Pinnacle Africa,distributor of advanced ICT equipment andmanufacturer of products such as the ProlinePC range, has been focussing on thebusiness sector in conjunction with all themajor software and hardware providers withinthe IT and mobile environments. Likewise,Samsung has followed on its consumerstrengths with a targeted focus on corporatecustomers.

Now the two companies are joining forcesby offering smartphones and tablets; value-add services; and customised bundles,directly to the end-user. Many institutions canbenefit from this, including those seeking tooutfit their staff, along with educationalinstitutions looking for cost-effective digitalsolutions for teachers and students, forexample.

The model essentially allows corporates toleverage existing IT budgets which have beendedicated for device capex spend, and toprocure mobile devices via traditional ITchannels. Pinnacle Africa fits nicely into thischannel as they are a major distributor ofmobile technology.

A new approachAs this new business model has evolved,Pinnacle Africa has listened to what theirclients need. “Initially, when we first tried thismodel,” says Gerhard Hartzenberg, divisionalhead of Samsung, Pinnacle Africa, “wenoticed that, from a pricing perspective, themarkets we were targeting were extremelyprice sensitive. A more innovative approach

was needed, so we started offering lowermemory variance devices and, mostimportantly, Wi-Fi only options too. This ismost definitely a unique selling point from ourperspective as it can be deployed to staff orstudents without any additional fees.” Theidea has found traction within the educationand corporate world because there is asignificant price difference between Wi-Fi onlyand 3G models. The option to go with Wi-Fionly models is further enhanced by many bigorganisations having easy access to Wi-Fiinfrastructure.

Pinnacle Africa also saw that many of theircustomers needed to have mobile businessapps or content loaded onto devices beforesending it to the end-user. “It was impracticalto order 1000 units and then have usersphysically install the required software on eachunit themselves. We decided to offer a servicewhereby we would preinstall content that theclient needed” Hartzenberg noted.

Personalisation is keyThe product customisation does not end here.Pinnacle Africa is able to put specific brandingand covers onto smartphones and tablets.“Further, we can insert marketing collateralinside the device packaging, so that if thecustomer wants any particular communicationaround a specific offer, it is available. Thisallows for the product to become a client-specific out-of-box experience which has beenextremely popular as many of our clients wantto personalise their offering going to the enduser. We are, at our core, hardware movers

and our entire drive is to create value forpeople who are buying hardware from a capexperspective and need reliability, after-salesservice and product flexibility, ‘’ Hartzenbergcontinued.

Hartzenberg further believes that thesuccess of Pinnacle Africa’s various packagesis based around a trend where consumersrealise that they can purchase a device of theirchoice, and then look for a separate voice anddata bundle. ‘’What we have seen of late isconsumers actually going out and buyingdevices and using them on a pay-as-you-gobasis. You may want two or three differentdevices but don’t necessarily need a contractfor each of them. Furthermore, customers mayfind a great deal and want to upgrade withouthaving to take out a new contract. You cansimply use your existing contract on your newdevice.”

Service is everythingTo complete their value-add offering,Hartzenberg says that Pinnacle Africa havelaunched an industry first. “For the first time inthe mobile industry, we are offering a two-yearon-site, next-business-day warranty onSamsung smartphones and tablets. Thismeans that if customers have a problem witha device, they can phone one number and wewill send out a technician who will offer post-sales service and support. If the techniciancannot fix it on the spot he will do a swap-out.This, we believe, will be of great benefit to thecorporate world, since smartphones andtablets have evolved into critical businesstools. It is simply not viable to wait 14 days toget a device back.”

For more info on Pinnacle Africa’s mobilecommunications offerings, contact them on011-265-3000 or go to www.pinnacle.co.za.

Pinnacle Africa and Samsung have partnered in South Africa tobring you a raft of cost-effective new packages to meetcompanies’ mobile needs.

PinnacleAfrica andSamsung –uniquesolutions forunique needs

At a recommended retail price ofR441 300, VW’s Scirocco R is themost expensive car in thiscomparison. Luckily it offers thebiggest brand appeal, eye-catching styling andperformance bang for thatconsiderable price bark.

This hot hatch’s turbocharged2.0 litre four cylinder powerplantpushes out 188 kW at 6 000 RPMand 350 Nm of torque between2500 and 5000 RPM. Bringing up100 km/h on the speedo takes justsix seconds, whilst drivers are ableto reach 250 km/h (hopefully on aprivate road or racetrack only). Afirmer, sportier ride is providedthanks to the vehicle’s R sportssuspension, whilst the transversedifferential lock (XDS lock) andelectronic stability programmehelp keep the driver in control ofthe Scirocco R’s power.

Since selling its Formula 1 staketo Lotus, Renault has taken abackseat as merely an enginesupplier within the 2013 Formula1 season, but that doesn’t meanthe French company stoppedmaking some of the world’s mostdesirable hot hatches. Like the86, the Megane RS makes for anexcellent value prospect withinthis vehicle class, thanks to itsR359 900 pricetag.

Performance wise, Megane RSSport buyers get a 2.0 litre, fourcylinder turbocharged enginethat delivers 195 kW at 5500RPM and 360 Nm of torque at3800 RPM, whilst offering 8.2litres per 100 km on a combinedcycle. This enables the MeganeRS Sport to blast its sportyderriere to 100 km/h in sixseconds flat onto a top end of250 km/h.

Opel is no stranger todelivering hatchbacks whoseposters have donned the wallsof car fans, thanks to evocativeracers such as the Opel BigBoss and Kadett Superboss.The company’s latest effort isthe Astra OPC (OpelPerformance Centre), which ispowered by a turbochargeddirect injection 2.0 litre engine.

This powerplant offers up 206kW at 5500 RPM and 400 Nmof torque between 2500 and4500 RPM, enough go-juice torocket the car from standstill to100 km/h in just six secondsflat. Eventually it will reach anelectronically governed topspeed of 250 km/h, but don’texpect the stated 8.1 litres per100 km (combined cycle) whengoing that fast. Pricing comesto an exclusive R435 000.

Toyotas are known for their buildquality and reliability, asopposed to exciting design orthrilling handling. But theJapanese firm aims to snagmany a boy racer buyer withtheir 86 sports coupé,developed with the help ofSubaru. The 86 ticks all the rightboxes thanks to its low centre ofgravity, more aggressive sportylooks and horizontally opposedD4-S boxer engine. Thispowerplant cranks out 147 kW at7000 RPM and 205 Nm of torquebetween 6400 and 6600 RPM.

Unfortunately these figuresmakes the 86 the least powerfulcar in this comparison and itshows with its unimpressive 0-100 km/h time of 7.65 secondsand top speed of 226 km/h. The 2.0 litre High manual versionof the 86 goes for R334 500.

VW Scirocco RRenault Megane RS SportOpel Astra OPCToyota 86

Our Top 5 cars this month celebrates the spirit of the boy racer by looking at a few of the best factory-tunedoptions available.

22

VEHICLES

a fuel economy figure of around 7.2 litres per 100 km. The Focus ST also puts a smile on your face when it comes to the

handling thanks to Ford’s Sport Steering System plus a comprehensiverange of driver assistance features including cornering understeer controland torque vectoring control. The ST3 version is priced at R353 000, whichadds keyless entry and Bi-Xenon headlamps that incorporates LEDdaytime running lights to its standard features list. [HD]

Our number one pick for a boy racer conveys sportiness from theoutside thanks to bulging side skirts, roof spoiler and figure-eightstyle central chrome exhaust tailpipe. It also boasts an aggressivegrunt, with the 2.0 litre turbocharged EcoBoost engine delivering 184kW and 360 Nm of torque between 2000 and 4500 RPM. This seesthe ST hurry its way to 100 km/h in 6.5 seconds, on to an illegalterminal velocity of nearly 250 km/h. More sensible drivers should see

TOP 5 Boy Racers

Ford Focus ST

1 020 410. Ford Focus cars sold in 2012, making it the best selling car last year, relegating Toyota’s C

orolla (872 774) to 2nd place.

TechSmart finally got to find out if Hyundai’sstunning three-door Veloster coupé boasts theperformance bite to back up its stylish design bark.

Hands-on withthe HyundaiVeloster

As a massive departure from the previous A-Class, the new design is 160mm lower on the road compared to its predecessor and boasts a muchsportier front that features separate headlamps, radiator grille with centralMercedes star and double slats to either side of the three-pointed star, aswell as additional air intakes on the sides.

Bluetooth music streaming functionality, USB and auxiliary inputs, a 5.8"colour infotainment system display, six speakers audio system and a 12-button multifunction steering wheel are all features that can be found evenin the base model, so the new car is well equipped in terms ofspecifications. Also onboard is Comand Online, Mercedes-Benz’smultimedia system connects to the internet to deliver access to variousMercedes-Benz services such as weather forecasts and a news app.

Under the German bonnet Mercedes provides a range of engine options in both diesel and petrolvarieties. Mercedes-Benz’s new top-of-the-line 2.2 litre, four cylinder

Mercedes-Benz is looking to lure prospectivepremium hatch buyers away from category rivalssuch as Audi’s A3 and BMW’s 1-Series, courtesy ofits dramatically revised new A-class.

New Mercedes-BenzA-class availablelocally

23

VEHICLES

We definitely preferred the manual transmission, as the DCT auto’sinitial shift from first to second takes a while (3.65 seconds) with thecar revving all the way up to about 5100 RPM before that shift occurs.Furthermore, when you are driving up a steep hill and the Veloster is infifth gear, there is a bit of a delay (around two seconds) before theautobox shifts down a gear to enable the car to ascend the hill quicker.

Of course, the driver can avoid this shifting issue by slotting the DCTinto Sports mode, allowing drivers to take control of the shifts.

To the pointWe definitely feel that the Veloster is able to go toe-to-toe withsegment rivals when it comes to styling and overall handling, but thishatchback needs a bit more firepower from under its bonnet to boostits performance. Our recommendation – wait for the turbochargedVeloster and then opt for a manual gearbox. [HD]

The Veloster is one of the few cars that actually looks better in real lifethan it does in photos, being as stylish, if not more so, than its rivals,the likes of the VW Scirocco 1.4T FSi Highline coupe and Audi A3 1.4TFSi S three-door. Under the Veloster’s bonnet resides a 1.6-litre four-cylinder GDI (direct injection) petrol engine that generates 103 kW at6300 RPM and 167 Nm of torque at 4850 RPM.

Buyers can opt for either a six-speed manual gearbox or for thecompany’s first dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Combined-cycle fuelusage is a claimed 8.4 litres per 100 km, while the Veloster’s 0-100km/h sprint time takes 9.7 seconds in the manual (10.3 seconds in theDCT auto), and the car is able to reach a 200 km/h top speed.

Driving impressionsEven though the ride in the Veloster is firm thanks to a sportiersuspension setup, it was by no means uncomfortable. The steering isquick and precise, making the car feel quite agile, whilst the stoppingpower (braking) was also highly impressive.

The Veloster is one of the few cars thatactually looks better in real life than itdoes in photos.

turbocharged diesel powerplant in the A220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY delivers125 kW and 350 Nm of torque. This diesel is able to gallop to 100 km/h in7.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 227 km/h. In combination with the7G-DCT automatic dual-clutch transmission this engine consumes aclaimed 4.3 litres per 100 km on a combined cycle.

When it comes to the petrol options, in the new top model – the A250Sport – drivers will find a 1991 cc, turbocharged four cylinder engine thatchurns out 155 kW at 5500 RPM and 350 Nm between 1200 and 4000RPM. All this, whilst remaining reasonably fuel efficient with a combined-cycle consumption figure of 6.1 litres. This car brings up 100 km/h on thespeedo in just 6.6 seconds and can reach a terminal top end of 240 km/h.

To the pointFrom initial feedback it seems like the new sportier A-Class is just whatMercedes needed to set the premium hatchback segment alight. We can’twait to see what the competition does to heed this new rival. Prices startfrom R273 718 for the A180 BlueEfficiency.

It seems like the new sportier A-Class isjust what Mercedes needed.

5.12

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Accurateidentification isfast becominga critical toolin businessprocesses. Thisis mainly dueto identityfraudaffectingevery part ofbusiness, withtraditionalmethods suchas access cards,PINs andpasswords justnot effectiveanymore.

GADGETS

mantality.co.za

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Can’t afford the multimillion rand pricetag ofthe latest Ferrari supercar? Well how aboutopting for a more affordable alternative in aradio-controlled replica (scale 1:50) of theFerrari Enzo, whose tires you can burn viayour smartphone or tablet. Users of iOS- andAndroid-powered mobile devices simplyneed to download the Silverlit SmartLinkFerrari application from their respective appfronts (App Store or Google Play). Plug theSmart Link Control dongle into your 3.5 mm

When counting stock, delivering goods,signing off a job card or even receivingvisitors, companies need to know who wasaccountable. Building that chain ofevidence is becoming as important as theactual profit that each transactiongenerates.

The problem is that conventionalidentifiers (cards, PINs and passwords)have become instrumental in acts of identityfraud since they are regularly shared,forgotten or stolen.

Thousands of organisations have realisedthis inherent flaw in cards, PINs andpasswords, and have successfully switchedto biometrics for access control and timeand attendance. Proving the business casefor this is also quite easy when millions aresaved on ‘buddy clocking’ prevention andaccurate payroll calculations.

Identify the personA fingerprint is a convenient, accurate anddefinitive way to identify a person.Traditionally, it was associated with criminalinvestigations but the technology hasmatured to the point that its commercial

Ideco: Who didWhat, Whereand When?

benefit is reaching every area, process andaspect of business. And when implementedcorrectly, the actual person can beassociated with the transaction, building achain of evidence that would stand in acourt of law should things go wrong.

Even the modern mobile fingerprintreaders provide effective proof of delivery,completing the transaction by linking theactual identity. Specs wise these readersare high-end portable devices runningWindows Mobile with Wi-Fi, GSM and GPSthat comply with FBI standards forfingerprint image quality and accuracy.

To the pointAdmittedly, requiring a fingerprint with everytransaction would be onerous. However, if thatis the proper way to eliminate identity fraud inmobile applications, it is a small deed with abig influence on the bottom line.

To arrange a pilot within your ownenvironment and experience the benefits ofa valid chain of evidence, email Ideco atcontact@ideco.co.za or call them on 086-104-3326.

Using biometrics such as afingerprint is the only wayto definitively identify thatperson.

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Smartphone Controlled RC FerrariIf you would rather take to the air than race aroundthe house in a supercar, then the Gyro StealthAttack radio controlled helicopter will enable you tobreathe life into your Airwolf-inspired aerialfantasies. Users utilise a remote control to pilot thisattack helicopter and are even able to test theirmarksman skills thanks to two missile launchers thatare located on both sides of the nose section of thishelicopter. You can fire a couple of missiles at twocardboard cutouts of tanks that are included in theretail package. RRP: R850 from Mantality.

RC Helicopter – Gyro Stealth Attackaudio jack of your phone, and soon you’ll bedrag racing this miniature RC prancing horsethrough the house or office.

You can even turn the car’s headlights onvia the app, to keep the racing action goingat night. Amateur drivers can utilise theonscreen controls to learn the ins and outsof their vehicle, and are then able to switchto the motion-based gesture controls for amore authentic driving feel. RRP: R600 fromMantality.

and mic. Notifications such as a received SMS or email will also bedisplayed on your timepiece, enabling users to check whether a messageis important enough to remove their smartphone from their pocket in orderto reply to it.

General performance whilst navigating theoperating system of the I’m Watch oropening and closing apps is a lag-free affair. This is thanks to thefact that the timepiecefeatures 128 MB of RAMand is powered by asingle-core FreescaleiMX233 applicationsprocessor running at454 MHz.

Battery lifeThe I’m Watchcomes equipped witha built-in rechargeableLi-Polymer 450 mAhbattery, giving it a claimedstandby time (with Bluetoothconstantly on) of around 24 hours.According to the company, thebattery life of the timepiece during dailyusage should be around five hours. Once depleted, you can recharge thebattery using the provided 3.5 mm to USB connectivity cable, whichconnects to a notebook, home- or work PC.

To the pointAt this stage, the I’m Watch model is only in the prototype phase of itsdevelopment. RRP starts from R2 900. For more info visitwww.imsmart.com or contact 083-460-0402.

Unlike conventional wristwatches, a smartwatch like the I’m Watch doesnot only provide the wearer with the time and date, these devices are alsoable to synchronise with a user’s web-connected smartphone or tablet.This enables it to inform you of incoming calls, messages, email, weatherforecasts, social networking notifications and upcoming calendar events.

DesignThe I’m Watch weighs in at around 90 g and sports a watch face thatmeasures 52.9 x 40.6 x 10 mm. You use a thick rubber strap and metalcoupling to securely and comfortably strap the timepiece to your wrist,both of which feels durable enough to cope with the normal wear and tearof daily use.

The centrepiece of the design is the 1.54" colour LCD touchscreen thatboasts a 240 x 240 pixel resolution, resulting in a fairly decent 220 ppi. Likean iPhone, this smartwatch only features a singular hardware button, whichis used to go back within the menu structure or within an options list. Sincethe watch operates on Android Eclair (2.1.1), navigating your way aroundthe OS should be quite familiar to smartphone or tablet users.

FunctionalityBesides being able to tell the time, this Android-powered watch alsocomes with a selection of applications such as Facebook, Twitter and anews aggregator app. Configuring all of these apps online(https://imcloud.imsmart.com), allows users to get their latest Facebookand Twitter updates, or even check their incoming email, on their watch,when it is tethered to their smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth.

In addition, users are able to make and answer calls via the I’m Watchwhen it is connected to their smartphone, thanks to the built-in speaker

ADVERTORIAL

Although Apple, Samsung, Microsoft and evenGoogle are rumoured to be working on their ownsmartwatches, these clever wrist pieces areactually already here courtesy of the I’m Watch.

25

I’m Watch

NEWS

26

Green NewsSci News

The sound ofmusicLove that new song?Now scientists say theyknow what gets youhooked. According to astudy in a recent issue ofScience, it’s all aboutemotional reward.Researchers askedparticipants to listen to

60 tunes and for each say how much they liked it. Brain scans showedthat when a new favourite played, activity increased in a brain areainvolved in creating emotionally rewarding expectations. There was alsoconsiderable cross-talk with areas involved in storing information aboutpreviously heard music and pattern recognition. The findings suggestthat we predict how a melody should develop based on previousmusical experiences, which then creates an emotional expectation. If theexpectation is met, you hit like; if not, you wipe the song from yourplaylist. It’s all in your head.

Infiltrating the enemy hasbeen many a spy hero’ssave. And science isfollowing suit. In an articlepublished recently in thejournal NatureNanotechnology,scientists describe a typeof ‘nanosponge’ that canabsorb toxins from theblood. Many toxinsproduced by harmful

bacteria, poisonous snakes and bees pierce red blood cells, disruptingthe chemical balance in the cell and causing its death. So, researchersdeveloped a decoy: tiny biocompatible polymer beads wrapped in redblood cell membranes. Toxins attack the decoys as readily as theywould real blood cells, effectively steering the toxin away from the realtargets. Between 44% and 89% of mice survived a lethal dose of cell-piercing toxin, depending on whether they were given the nanospongesbefore or after contact with the toxin. Divide and conquer, we say. [LP]

Hole-y mole-y

DetroitElectricSP:01

Largest rainwaterharvestinginstallation in SAunveiledVodacom haslaunched SouthAfrica’s largestrainwater harvestingproject at its headoffice in Midrand, inan attempt to save on

utility bills and reduce its municipal water usage. Rainwater is beingcollected in a storage dam (pictured left) with a capacity of onemegalitre (1 million litres), enabling it to collect on average around 12million litres annually. About one million litres of water that wouldnormally be running down the stormwater channel will now be utilisedto cool down the company’s air-conditioning system at the VodacomCommercial Park building. Additionally, the rainwater will be used toirrigate the extensive gardens on the Vodacom campus.

Researchers from theUniversity of Illinois atUrbana-Champaign havedeveloped a new lithium-ion battery that might betiny but packs enormouspotential to changepower usage within the

telecommunications (mobile device batteries) and transport industries.These microbatteries, only a few millimeters in size, can be charged anddischarged approximately 1000x faster than current lithium-ion batteries,allowing for some interesting scenarios. For instance, the battery of anelectric car such as the Detroit Electric SP:01 (above) takes more than fourhours to recharge to full power using a special charger and 10+ hoursusing standard outlet, with this new battery tech holding the potential todramatically reduce these charging times.

Superquicklithium-ionmicrobatteries

Look out Tesla, there is a new sports model in town and it’s making aplay for the title of world’s fastest pure-electric production car. TheDetroit Electric SP:01 boasts an AC Asynchronous electric motor drivesystem that delivers 150 kW and 225 Nm of torque, enough to rocket theSP:01 to 100 km/h in a mere 3.7 seconds onto a terminal top end of 249km/h. Production is set to start in August 2013 and only 999 exampleswill be sold globally, with the car costing $135 000 Stateside, whilepricing elsewhere will vary according to specification and locallyapplicable taxes.

One small stepPutting one foot in front ofthe other comes naturally.But it didn’t always. In fact,it’s such a feat that thejournal Science published –in a single issue – severalarticles describing howAustralopithecus sedibamanaged it almost twomillion years ago. Analysesof two almost-complete

skeletons found in the Cradle of Humankind showed that Au. sediba couldswitch between moving like an ape and moving like a human. Our earlyancestor likely walked with an extended leg, just like us, but with the toesturned in, like an ape. The spine also shows the same type of curve in thelower back as ours, yet it was more flexible. The findings of another studyin the set showed that the cone-shaped rib cage of Au. sediba favouredarm movements for swinging from trees, while swinging next to the sideduring walking may have been more difficult. Together the studies suggestthat our early ancestor’s walking was movement still in the making.

6. Num

ber of astronauts who have driven a lunar rover on the m

oon, whilst 12 astronauts have w

alked on the Moon’s surface.

27

This rather nifty, free app enables you toremotely connect to a Windows-running PC viayour iPad. After a quick registration, with whichyou sign in on both your PC and tablet, usersare able to remotely access, open, create and

share documents on their PC with only their tablet. To its credit, the appis fast and easy to use, while documents, photos and favourite foldersare neatly organised. A search feature allows you to remotely searchyour PC documents as well.

BlackBerry tipWhile composing a BBM, SMS or email, here area few shortcuts you might find handy. Type‘mynumber’ to insert your cellphone number;‘myver’ to reveal your device model and version;while ‘mypin’ will insert your BlackBerry’s pin. Orinclude the time and date by typing ‘LT’ for timeand ‘LD’ for the date.

APPS

Travel ListIf you travel frequently at all, no doubt you arefamiliar with the sinking feeling as you board theplane that you have forgotten something athome. Travel List is one app intended to saveyou from trying to remember everything,

enabling you to create custom packing lists for your destination. As wellas being able to add items from preset categories such as clothing,footwear, accessories, and gadgets, you can create reminders for thoselast minute items. The app costs R16.

One particularly useful feature in iOS 6 if you have photos youwant to share with multiple people is simply to createPhotostreams. By first enabling the feature in ‘Settings’ under the‘Photos and Camera’ tab, you can subsequently create and namea new photostream and choose which email addresses you wantto share those photos with. Subsequently, as you place newphotos in your stream, they will be uploaded to iCloud and yoursubscribers will be notified by email.

Apple iOS tip

Apple iOS Apps of the month

Smartphone top tipsAndroid Apps of the month

BlackBerry Apps of the month

Android tipYou can add a shortcut to the homescreen, which links to any webpagesuch as www.techsmart.co.za for instance. Simply open the page in yourbrowser and save it as a bookmark. Go to the bookmark section in thebrowser, tap and hold the bookmark of your favourite website and select‘Add to home screen/ Add Shortcut to Home’ from the options menu thatpops up.

hopTo

Always wanted to create those short videos inthe form of animated GIF files (or the HTC One’sZoes)? Cinemagram is the assistant you need. Itis done by recording a short video of aroundfour seconds in length and then applying a

range of special effects. You can loop the video, speed it up, selectwhich part of it must remain animated, or add Instagram-like filters to thevideo. The finished product can be shared via Facebook and Twitter.

Google KeepGoogle’s answer to Evernote enables users tocreate written and voice notes, to-do andshopping lists, which are then stored in thecloud. This makes your notes instantlyavailable on all your devices from the home PC

(via the browser on http://drive.google.com/keep), through to yourmobile devices. Notes can also be colour coded to help categorisethem and shared with others over your social networks. Don’t forgetto see if any of Keep’s widgets are useful.

Hills of Glory 3DTower defence titles are highly popular onGoogle Play, with one of the latest ones – Hills ofGlory 3D – showing us why. This game sports adecent amount of graphical and gameplay (21missions) bang for its mahala pricetag. Players

have to defend a bunker from a seemingly unending amount of enemysoldiers, by making use of various military weaponry ranging frommachine guns through to mortar fire and air support.

Cinemagram

Gameloft’s latest free offering, Wonder Zoo, givesyou the ability to run and build your own dreamzoo. Besides completing objectives in the mainquest, you can also take a break and have funwith different mini games such as making animal

dishes. Other features include a wide variety of animals along with decentgraphics. The only issue with Wonder Zoo is the trackpad sensitivity whichmay cause moments of frustration and hassles. Wonder Zoo may not beZoo Tycoon, but that does not make it any less fun.

MiniPaintLooking for a new picture editing application?Have a look at MiniPaint by BB4 Software.Besides allowing you to adjust the size of yourpicture you can also insert text boxes and colourfilters such as grayscale and invert. However do

note that this application does not come preloaded with clipart as statedon the description, since you would have to download the clip art fromthe internet. Brighten up your pictures with this R16 application. [IF]

WeatherSANever be caught without your umbrellathanks to WeatherSA by Mushroom Cloud.This free weather application provides youwith detailed and accurate weatherforecasts on the move. Features include

daily forecast notifications so that you don’t need to open theapp, detailed graphs and the ability to store your favouritelocations. Do note that you may need an account withWeatherSA, to have full access to the application’s features.

Wonder Zoo

Cut the Rope: Time Travel

The latest addition to the very successful Cut theRope franchise, Time Travel, sees the candy-crunching Om Nom sucked into a wormhole andfinding himself face-to-face with a doppelganger.In gameplay terms, this means you have two Om

Nom’s to satiate with candy in the quest for the perfect three star score.Six stages with 15 levels each set across different time periods will nodoubt keep puzzle-players busy for awhile. It will set you back R26.

Struggling to master your new smartphone? TechSmart ison hand to provide some helpful tips.

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Samsung Galaxy S4Sony Xperia ZHTC OneThe next iPhoneNexus 4LG Optimus G Pro

TechSmart.co.za online poll results

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TechSmart’s top tweets

TWEETS

Here are the tweets that struck our fancy last month.

5 minutes. A

verage attention span of a digital native, down from

12 minutes ten years ago.

Bang & Olufsen’s BeoSound 8 dock connectsto your iPhone or iPad, to deliver crystal clearsound at any volume from its twin 70 Wattspeakers. Audio aficionados will struggle to

find a dock that offers a more pristine sound quality, however theBeoSound 8 hits a few false notes due to its lacks of wireless connectivityoptions (only mini-USB and aux port offered) and use of the outdated 30-pin Apple adapter instead of the new lightning connector used on allCupertino’s new mobile devices. RRP: R6 570

Bang & Olufsen Beo-Sound 8 docking station

Amazon’s answer to the tabletonslaught is actually a very decentone, as its bright 8.9" Kindle Fireoffers backlit screen, fast 1.2 GHzprocessor and 1 GB of memory.The tablet makes use of an Amazoncustomised Android interface,

which unfortunately forsakes access to Google Play, opting forAmazon’s own app store filled with books, music, games, newspapersand videos. While books show up beautifully, the videos and music aresadly currently hobbled by lack of availability in the South African region.R3 910 for 16 GB at http://store.orange.com/za.

Kindle Fire HD 8.9

10 May 2013

ETC...

Gear in the office To watch

29

We never have enough space to feature all theproducts that made an appearance in our office.Here are some quick thoughts on a few of them.

If street photography is yourpassion, then the Fujifilm X100Sneeds your attention. It’s smallenough to fit in your coat pocket,looks amazingly retro and comes

with a solid APS-C sized sensor. We enjoyed the quick access to the allthe core functionality, while the fixed 23mm f2 lens won’t make you aslave to constant lens acquisition. Pricey at R13 000.

With a built-in GPS and heart rate monitor includedin the package, the Bryton Cardio 40H watch did agood job at tracking runs, linking quickly to satellitesand the monitor. While it did what we expected onthe road, Bryton is trailing the pack when it comesto uploading and analysing runs online – theirwebsite’s interface looks dated and is difficult to

use. It retails for about R2 900 from http://bryton.co.za/product/run.

Bryton Cardio 40H GPS watch

Fujifilm X100S

Side Effects

Blitz Patrollie reads a bit like a who’s-who of thelocal comedy scene. Featuring names like DavidKau, Joey Rasdien, Kagiso Lediga, Chris Forrestand Mel Miller, it follows the capers of two cops(Rasdien, Kau) working the mean streets that arethe Jo’burg CBD. The one is trying his best to

start a family and get rid of his nosy mother-in-law, the other justwants to kick some bad-guy butt. The movie has beaten out 1858other titles to make it to the Cannes Film Festival, so we’re sure itshould be good for a couple of laughs.

Blitz Patrollie

10 May 2013

Psychological thriller Stoker tells the story of India(Mia Wasikowska, Alice in Wonderland), whosuspects that the uncle who moved in after herfather’s death is up to no good. It has us excited fortwo reasons. Firstly, it is Chan-wook Park’s US debut;he happens to be the Korean responsible for the

quite disturbing Oldboy. Secondly, Nicole Kidman stars as the veryconfrontational mother, a role we believe will bring out her best.

Stoker

24 May 2013

Unlike their rugby or cricket teams, we have a bit of aspecial place in our hearts for the Aussie’s films. Thelatest to receive a local release is the inspiring TheSapphires. Very loosely based on a true story, it tellsthe tale of four soulful indigenous women making theirway to sing to troops fighting in the Vietnam War. Also

watch out for the excellent Chris O’Dowd (The IT Crowd, Bridesmaids)playing the oddball talent scout that polishes their act.

The Sapphires

Steven Soderbergh has been responsible for numerous greatmovies in his career (Traffic, Ocean’s Eleven, Kafka), with thepsychological thriller Side Effects unfortunately being his last beforeretiring to a life of painting. Psychiatrist Jonathan Banks (Jude Law)is in heaps of trouble after a client he has prescribed a new drug toends up killing her husband in a haze. It should be interesting to seewhat Rooney Mara (the client) can do after her solid acting asLisbeth Salander in the US version of The Girl Who Played with Fire.

Amazon’s best e-ink ereader yet, the Paperwhiteis an ‘enlightened’ device which boasts front-lighting for reading in the dark, a generally fasternavigation and user interface, as well as crisper,more contrasty text. Additionally, eight weeks ofbattery life (with Wi-Fi and 3G disabled) means it’stravel friendly and able to go charger free at astretch. R2 250 for the Wi-Fi only version.

Kindle Paperwhite

By the time you read this, Iron Man 3 should haveblasted his way on screen already. But what else isthere to watch this month? Let TechSmart assist.

31 May 2013

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WHAT’S HOT

On www.techsmart.co.zathis month

SmartphonesHTC ONEreview:bit.ly/onexhtc

Sony Xperia Zreview:bit.ly/zsonyz

BlackBerry Z10review:bit.ly/blackz10

Nokia Lumia820 review:bit.ly/nokia820

SamsungGalaxy S3 minireview:bit.ly/s3minis

Apple iPhone 5bit.ly/appi5

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Web Time Wasters

www.viralviralvideos.comThe holy grail of internet exposure is ‘goingviral’ which in essence, refers to contentgaining a quick, and rapidly expandingaudience within a short amount of time.ViralViralVideos.com focuses on tracking anddelivering just the videos that are currently‘going viral’.

The videos on offer, therefore vary wildlywith regards to the topics they cover, fromthe news orientated to entertainment, fromthe silly to the sublime, depending onwhat is capturing the internet’s shiftingattention.

ViralViralVideos.com www.theexaltation.comAs anyone in a creative endeavour will attest,inspiration, mainly from other creatives, can beessential to stoking the fires of their owncreativity. With this in mind, The Exaltation is afine site to visit, as here you will find a group ofcreatives sharing inspirational projects andevents which inspire them – and may do thesame for you. Just one such example is asequence of photos from Matthias Werner’squiet places. The site encompasses a varietyof endeavours, from architecture, art,illustration, photography, movie and sculpture,as well as fashion, design and music.

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Fans of the cell-shaded design of the PS2 era will be happy to know thatThieves in Time continues with its colourful and distinctive aesthetic, albeitboasting sharper, more finely drawn textures, thanks to the graphicalprowess of the PS3. This lends the game the same charm and characterthat we loved in its predecessors; and graphically, the game has certainlyretained its uniqueness.

On the story front, the theme once again revolves around the fate of theThievius Racoonus, Cooper’s priceless family heirloom which seems tobe beset by the odd occurrence of its secrets suddenly disappearing offits pages. Sly, along with the brains of his capers, Bentley, and the muscleof the trio, Murray, set off to try save the Cooper legacy by engaging intime travel to encounter Sly’s ancestors in various eras and save thefamily lore.

Time to exploreThis really sets the stage to go explore different, creative locales and timeperiods, for a fair amount of sneaking, platforming, puzzle solving andskull-cracking, interspersed with a variety of treasures to collect, bottlesand collectibles to find, and safes to crack. Suffice to say, this all comestogether beautifully – the game is a delight to play and we once againfound ourselves quickly engrossed in all of the above.

Enhancing the experience, is cross buy and cross-save, provided youhave a PS Vita. If you buy the PS3 version, you receive a voucher todownload a digital Vita version for free. With cross-save, you can startplaying on the PS3, upload your save file to the cloud and then downloadit on your Vita, continuing where you left off, and vice-versa.

To the pointIn the final analysis, Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time is a gem of a game. Beingable to get both the PS3 version and the well-done Vita version for almosthalf the price as most other titles, is well, a steal. RRP: R380. [RN]

If you buy the PS3 version, you receive avoucher to download a digital Vitaversion for free.

GAMES

There are certain franchises thathave nostalgic value, mainlybecause they had their beginningsin the PS2 heyday. Can the latest SlyCooper: Thieves in Time on the PS3successfully make the jump to

current gen and still win players’ over like it used to?

The game could best be described as the thinking players’ first personshooter, as it is not afraid to shy away from weighty issues such as politics,religion, racism and morality. Much like its spiritual predecessor, BioshockInfinite begins on the water, as you, Booker DeWitt, find yourself on amysterious boat ride with a desperate job: to rescue an equally mysteriousyoung woman named Elizabeth from a religious zealot. To do this, you areinnovatively transported to the floating city of Columbia.

On its surface, at least for a little while, Columbia seems idyllic, and couldnot be more different to the claustrophobic environs of Rapture. Clearskies and an expansive city greet you, as does a rather fervent group ofbelievers. At first, the 1910s themed city (which boasts stunning graphics)oozes with charming, almost genteel character, that is, until you win achance to throw a baseball at slaves in a raffle. It is then that Columbia,which has seceded from the United States, show’s a distinctively darkerside to the city and its story, and where the gameplay shows its mettle.

Super destructionPlayers will be able to use a combination of projectile weapons, such as apistol, machine gun, sniper rifle and shotgun, as well as supernaturalpowers that can be acquired called Vigors, such as Devil’s Kiss,Possession and A Murder of Crows, amongst others, all which work togreat effect against enemies. These are fuelled by Salts; that thankfully,along with ammo and health-restoring food, are not in short supply,provided you are willing to search for them. Adding an extra dimension tocombat and traversal alike is the Skyhook, which enables you latch ontocargo hooks and zip around the city.

To the pointBioshock Infinite is a triumph of a game that quite simply begs to beplayed. Two tips: Do collect and listen to the voxophones to get the fullstory and don’t give this title a skip. [RN]

Since its release, BioShock Infinitehas garnered effusive praise andits fair share of acclaim bothlocally and abroad, and this warmreception, as well as an early nodtowards being deemed Game of

the Year, is with good reason.

Bioshock Infinite

Bioshock Infinite could best bedescribed as the thinking players’ firstperson shooter.

32

Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time

1 billion+. N

umber of hours gam

ers have spent playing the Xbox 360 edition of Minecraft, since the title launched in M

ay 2012.