Table of contents for December 2018 in Stuff Magazine South Africa (2025)

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Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018WELCOMEThere are perks to globalisation – like being able to buy sushi from a land-locked Pick n Pay with relative confidence of side-stepping botulism – and, there are downsides… like watching international tech launches happen for products we can’t officially get here. Tesla’s cars, Amazon’s Echo speakers and displays, pretty much every piece of hardware Google and Microsoft make, the list goes on. But we know, dear reader, that you’re finding ways to get the items you want. And we know you’re still interested in them. Which is why we’ve collated the highlights of the latest slew of releases from the big names in our opening pages. Hopefully by this time next year many of them will be gracing local store shelves (or online retailers’ catalogues). With that out of…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018HUB BE GOOD TO MEHub crawl The list of smart devices this Hub can control includes anything enabled for IFTTT or Chromecast. There’s no need to switch between apps, because everything is controlled via a single-view dashboard. Hub singer You get YouTube Premium free for six months and then pay around R240. Frankly, it’s worth it for Karate Kid-inspired comedy Cobra Kai and Warren G’s G Funk documentary alone. Hub quiz Saying “Hey Google, good morning” brings up a personalised schedule of events, reminders, commute info and more. At night say “Hey Google, good night” to set alarms, turn off lights and more. Ready, AI-m, fire. Putting Pixels to one side, Google is gunning for Amazon’s recently redesigned Alexa-enabled Echo Show. The Google Home Hub adds a visual element to all of the wide-ranging…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Microsoft Surface Studio 2 Rtba / microsoft.comPencil full of tech The Surface Studio 2 is for creatives, so drawing on it has to be a flawless experience. Good, then, that the Surface Pen can recognise up to 4096 levels of pressure. The original Surface Studio was enough to make arty types retire their paintbrushes for good. That is, if they happened to have R60 000 lying around. The follow-up isn’t coming in any cheaper, but with 50% more graphics power via a new Nvidia chip, you’ll be more tempted to take a break from doodling for a quick game of Sea of Thieves. A 2TB SSD should help speed things up, while that gorgeous 28in display is 38% brighter and packs in 22% more contrast than before. YOU SIXY THING Microsoft’s slick Surface Pro 2-in-1 is…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018SLOW ALEXA DOWN , !AmazonBasics Microwave Rtba Amazon’s desire to put Alexa inside every electrical item in your house continues apace with this smart microwave, which comes with voice-activated time and power presets to make sure you nuke that spud to perfection. Amazon Echo Auto Rtba Pimp your … . The Echo Auto hooks up to your car stereo and phone to add the voice assistant’s prowess to road trips. Navigation, reminders, shopping lists – it’s all here. Amazon Echo Input R700 (import) your speakers smart with this tiny puck of power, which adds Alexa functionality to any bit of hi-fi gear with an audio input. It’s basically an Echo Dot without the built-in speaker.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018PHONESOAPAccording to PhoneSoap, most mobile phones are home to 18 times more bacteria than a public toilet. We’d like to think ours are home to at least 20 times more, but then, we’ve always aimed high. Plus, we work in an office block where we have to share fingerprint readers with 200 other people to gain access. Oh, and we like a good Alto’s Odyssey sesh in the bathroom. So yeah, the PhoneSoap was designed with us in mind. Resembling a miniature sunbed, once plugged in (via a microUSB cable) it blasts your phone (or keys, makeup brushes, jewellery, or anything else you can fit in it) with bacteria-slaughtering UV-C light, and a USB port on the rear lets you charge your phone while it’s getting its pamper treatment. PhoneSoap…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018DEVIALET PHANTOM REACTORCONTROL THE PHANTOM WIRELESSLY OR VIA THE BUTTONS ON THE CHASSIS from R20 000 / devialet.com Er, is that thing nuclear? We haven’t turned it all the way up yet, but based on how loud its elder brother was able to go, it could well be. Devialet’s Phantom Reactor is a smaller version of 2010’s Phantom – an extremely powerful wireless speaker. The Phantom Reactor is a quarter of the size of its predecessor, small enough to be held in one hand, but if you plump for the more expensive 900W model it packs just 25% less power. If you think that might annoy the neighbours a bit, there’s also a 600W version. Which is half as much power as the old Phantom, right? Good maths. Want some more numbers?…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018WTF IS OCULUS QUEST?Oculus Quest? Sounds like a cancelled Asian game show. Maybe, but no. Oculus Quest represents Facebook’s biggest shake-up of virtual reality since, well, the Oculus Go. While that headset introduced us to wireless, faff-free VR that doesn’t require a smartphone or crazy-powerful PC in tandem, Oculus Quest has Zuckerberg and co taking the idea a step further. It’s still entirely standalone, but now you have six-degrees-of-freedom movement tracking, so you can stand up and move inside the virtual space. So it’s better for gaming, then? Much. Oculus Go was a perfectly decent entry-level VR headset, but it was a bit too restrictive to be seen as an on-the-go gaming device. By contrast, Quest is being pitched as a gaming system… and while we can’t promise you won’t look like a…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018KOBO FORMAYou can pick up an e-reader for next to nothing these days, but those who want to gobble up Yuval Noah Harari’s latest in the comfort of a gigantic bubble-bath should take a look at Kobo’s Forma. Expected to cost around R5 000, it’s definitely at the premium end of the spectrum, but for that you’re getting an 8in display (that’s an inch larger than that of its obvious rival, Amazon’s Kindle Oasis). You also get an ultra-lightweight design and the option of reading one-handed in either portrait or landscape. There’s also a new page-turn button that gives you a different option to tapping the screen. It’s waterproof for up to an hour in up to 2m of water, while 8GB of memory translates to around 6000 books. Rtba /…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018APPS1 A Way To Slay Free / Android, iOS The good news: you’re surrounded by bad guys with swords, but they don’t move until you do, so you can pick them off at will. The bad news: get the order in which you slash them up wrong and you’re dead. 2 Firefox Reality Browser Free / Daydream When you think 3D VR excitement, browsing the internet probably isn’t top of your list. Still, if you want to do so with your Daydream on, Mozilla’s app provides access to 3D content. 3 Niagara Launcher Free / Android This launcher helps you blaze through hundreds of installed apps by having you navigate them like artists in a music app. It’s fast, turns the letters into a nice wobbly line and has a…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018YUNEEC MANTIS QWe suspect packing a drone alongside your sunscreen, shades and undies when you jet off on your travels will one day become as common as packing a camera is now – and Yuneec is keen to bring the future forward with its new Mantis Q quadcopter. Toting a 4K/13MP camera, voice controls, a generous 33 minutes of in-air battery life and a brisk72km/h top speed, this compact, foldable flier comes with a twin-stick remote controller, although most settings are accessed via the companion app on your smartphone. At R5 000 less than the DJI Mavic Air, about the same price as the (4K-less) DJI Spark and around R4k less than the Parrot Anafi, the Mantis Q looks a very tempting entry-level choice for prospective drone pilots. from R8 500 (import)…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018EMBER CERAMIC MUGTech can’t solve all of life’s imperfections, but it sure can eliminate some daily niggles, such as tepid tea. The Ember Ceramic Mug connects to the Ember app and will allow you to control the temperature of your beverage down to the exact degree. A fully charged mug will keep a drink at the desired temperature for about one hour or, if used with the included charging coaster, all day. The best way to make enemies at work is by making temperature demands on the tea they’ve kindly offered to make you – so if you like a green tea at 50°C, prefer English breakfast at 60°C and coffee at 70.3°C with a fifth of a teaspoon of sugar and then blessed by St Paul, you can do all of…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018NEWS DASHBOARDWho needs a chauffeur anyway? Renault might not be the last word in luxury cars, but that might change once autonomous vehicles take over. The EZ Ultimo is a self-driving limo with lay-flat seats for snoozing, a workspace for catching up on emails and decor that wouldn’t look out of place in a five-star hotel. The regeneration game The mean-looking Infiniti Q60 Black S looks like it’s just stepped out of a Fast and Furious film. It’s got the energy recovery system from a Renault F1 car, which gives the already potent V6 petrol engine a 150bhp electric shove for serious overtaking potential. Topless dancer It was concept central at this year’s Paris motor show, but some were more practical than others: Smart’s ForEase two-seater roadster would be fine for…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018The Ballad of Buster Scruggs film / NetflixThe Ballad of Buster Scruggs is an anthology: six Western stories penned by the Coen brothers over a 25-year period and originally envisioned as a series, but now wrapped into a single movie telling several stories. With a cast including Liam Neeson, James Franco, Zoe Kazan, Brendan Gleeson and Tom Waits, it offers a Coen take on classic Western tropes such as bank robbery, prospecting, wagon trains, travelling shows, lynchings and, er, singing gunfighters. Put it on your watch list, pardner.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Grand designs1 Apple iPhone XS Max This is the maxed-out new iPhone, with perhaps the most beautiful display design seen in a phone. And XS-beating battery life. 2 Google Pixel 3 XL Android 9.0 has features designed to make you use your phone less. Now there’s some out-of-the-box thinking from Google. 3 Sony Xperia XZ3 The first OLED Sony phone. But can the Xperia XZ3 really compete with the best no-compromise phones in the world? 4 Samsung Galaxy Note9 This phone has something special: the S-Pen. You can scrawl notes and draw masterpieces. 5 Apple iPhone XS Basically the iPhone X with a new camera and a healthy injection of power. It’s by far the smallest here. Casual vibes for miles. 6 Huawei Mate 20 Pro The Pro can wirelessly charge…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Sony finally pulls its finger out with a low-price lovelyPut the Xperia XZ3 next to these other kings and it won’t come out on top. The camera is great, but worse in most areas. Its battery life is fine, but doesn’t match the Note9’s. You can’t ignore that price, though. The Sony Xperia XZ3 is expected to come in at around R14 000, which is cheap compared to the XS or Note9. This is also the first time Sony has crammed an OLED screen into a phone. And we’d rather that than the mostly pointless 4K displays Sony packed in to show off in the past. It’s a stunner, although this six-incher fills out the front less than any other screen here. Sony has embraced curved glass like no-one else, mind. The XZ3 is smooth as anything and, yes,…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018So, how can you improve on perfection? Ask Huawei…If the Huawei Mate 20 Pro were a meal, it would come with every single item on the menu. The list of features just keeps going. Not only does it have wireless charging, but you can charge other phones with its 4200mAh battery just by holding them together (rubber band recommended). There’s an in-screen fingerprint scanner that’s only a hair less quick than Huawei’s famed rear fingerprint pads. And, not content with a normal camera, the Mate 20 Pro has a 3x zoom and an ultra-wide lens… plus a new version of the brilliant AI-assisted night mode that made the Huawei P20 Pro so special. Huawei’s ahead of the Android pack with the Kirin 980 CPU too, which is a generation ahead of the arch rival Snapdragon 845. This is…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018WHAT’S NEXT?Ask us what’s the best phone in three months and we may well have another answer. By the time you read this OnePlus’s latest, the 6T, will be out, though like the Pixel, you’ll still have to import it, sadly. And Samsung is already preparing its 2019 phones to knock the smug smile off the Mate 20 Pro’s wallpaper. You can expect screens that fill up even more of the front, leaving almost no blank space at all. All we need is to make them translucent and we’ll have a real-life version of the props from a 2000s sci-fi movie. We’ll also hear a lot more about 5G mobile internet with the next generation of phones. This could make your downloads more than 10x as fast. There’s one snag: our…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Let it run wild■ Pod only knows Some of the best features of the Series 4 are also available on earlier models thanks to watchOS 5; the new Podcasts app allows you to download episodes to your Watch to take on a run round the park. ■ Help me ponder Given this new Watch’s bigger screen, you might want to use it to view photos – because we all know how nice it is to see what’s for dinner while you’re still slogging it out on the treadmill. ■ I’m in great shape This Apple Watch is truly obsessed with getting you fitter. If it thinks you’re on a walk, it’ll ask you if you want to record it as a workout. Your friends can also invite you to fitness challenges. ■ Do…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018HOW TO DECIDE1 Meter the litres If you have a large family or plenty of guests over on a regular basis, having a kettle that can boil more than the standard 1.5 litres could prove a lifesaver. 2 Turn up the heat If you’re an avid slurper, having a rapid-boil element will save you a lot time in the long run, while a ‘keep warm’ feature could save you from pushing the boil button quite so often. 3 Free the herb Having different temperature settings may sound silly, but if you like delicate infusions as well as tangy gloop you’ll be glad of the versatility. Some leaves are more delicate than others. 4 Don’t be dazzled It’s easy to fall for ‘designer’ looks, especially if you’re fitting out a new kitchen, but…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Greyed balls of fireRtba / sound-magic.co.za ■ Headphone sockets might be a rare sight on phones in 2018, but if yours has one it’s begging you to introduce it to some decent headphones. SoundMagic’s E10, E10C and wireless E10BT in-ears have been close to the top of our list of affordable in-ears for years, and now come the E11Cs. ■ These have a more premium look than their predecessors, opting for a single silver/grey finish rather than the assorted colours of the E10 range. The aluminium buds look and feel better-made as well. ■ They’re super-light and incredibly comfortable, forming a nice tight seal to ensure your tunes sound exactly as they should while not letting too much exterior racket creep in. ■ Just down the cable from the left bud is a…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018TIPS TO MAKE YOU A CUTER SHOOTER● You can carry on using the EOS R’s touchscreen while shooting through the viewfinder with ‘Touch and Drag’. If you find your nose is making unwanted AF point changes, you can choose a specific screen area that your snozz doesn’t get near, and hey presto. Sort of makes up for not having a joystick… well, nearly. ● One of the main benefits of mirrorless cameras over DSLRs is being able to use the viewfinder for all kinds of helpful functions. For example, you can zoom in to 100% and make sure your subject is pin-sharp before hitting the shutter release button. On the Z7 there’s a dedicated button to get you up close and personal.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018’Blad influence1 Steerway to heaven The Mavic 2 Pro is a fantastic flier that feels far more responsive in the air than we were expecting. It can zip along at 72km/h in Sport mode, but just knowing it’ll respond near-instantly to the controller, even at long range, is really reassuring. 2 Young, free and gimbal It’s stable too, with gusty weather causing few problems and the gimbal keeping the camera rock-steady. The sleeker body and blades mean it makes a little less noise in flight. At 30m high, any passers-by will hardly know it’s there. 3 Hook, line and sync’er The new OcuSync 2.0 video transmission system will beam a stable 1080p live feed to a controller-connected phone around 600m away. The only time we lost the signal altogether was when…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Four on the floorfrom R843 000 / bmw.co.za ■ Harder, better, faster… Previously if you wanted variable sports steering – softer at low speed, firmer at high – you had to spring for an M performance X4, but now it’s standard. ■ Cord and clutter cutter The centre console of the X4 includes something we really want to see from more manufacturers: a non-slip pad that supports Qi wireless charging. ■ The X4 is a divisive vehicle. Some people love its aggressive, swooping roof, wide stance and athletic styling. Others think it looks like someone sat on an X5… or took a coupe and mistakenly stuck it on an SUV chassis. We fall somewhere in the middle. From some angles the X4 is gorgeous, from others it’s got a hint of the gangly…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Specs tech■ Tech it to the bridge Codec support is fantastic. For smartphones well below the XM3’s pay grade you can use standard SBC; but if your handset supports it, the Sony WH-1000XM3 can deliver aptX, aptX HD, AAC and LDAC. ■ Neck and tech? Sony says its new QN1 processor is to thank for the XM3’s noise-cancelling performance. Well, it’s good alright… but listening to a Bose pair afterwards, it does seem the QCs still have the edge with higher frequencies. ■ All hands on tech LDAC only used to work with Sony phones, but it became a standard part of Android in version 8.0 Oreo so is finally useful. And it can stream in hi-res. You can see which codec the XM3s are using in the Headphones Connect app.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Garage bandForza Horizon 4 is absolutely brimming with options for intermediate and expert players. More seasoned speedsters will want to dive into the settings menu, where a dizzying array of difficulty, assist and control tweaks can be tailored to specific preferences, play styles and skill levels. Similar depth can be found in the game’s customisation options, where vehicles can be tuned and tweaked to your heart’s content. Whether tinkering under the hood or applying cosmetic touches to the body of the 450-plus rides, fans will find the upgrade system surpasses that of previous entries’ already robust offerings. New features such as the ability to acquire perk-granting properties and personalise your avatar, also bring some customisation out of the garage. You can’t dig into all this depth right out of the gate,…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Assassin’s Creed OdysseyPS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC / assassinscreed.ubisoft.com You don’t play an assassin in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Instead, you assume the role of Kassandra or her little bruv Alexios, both mercenaries born long before the Brotherhood sharpened its first wrist-blade. Not to worry, though: you’ll still spend most of your time slitting throats and spilling innards with cinematic style to spare. Dealing death for cash is endlessly satisfying, primarily because of this game’s highly rewarding progression system. Topping off that experience bar and reaching a new tier not only makes you more powerful, but also brings weapons and gear, ability points and enchantments. Combined, these items fuel the game’s addictive levelling loop, allowing you to shape and mould your mercenary. Your items can be further personalised with enchantments – for example,…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018FIFA 19PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC / easports.com Not all winning teams are truly great. Zidane’s Real Madrid might have won three Champions League titles in a row, but did they change the way people think about how football should be played? No. FIFA 19 finds itself in a similar position. EA Sports has assembled another game full of winning features, but does that in itself make it a classic? The game’s biggest signing is its Champions League licence, which pops up everywhere from standalone tournaments to The Journey, so it throws you in at the deep end with a prediction of this year’s final: Juventus versus PSG at the Wanda Metropolitano in Madrid, with a huge Ronaldo banner overlooking the pitch. Considering he’s on the front of the box, it’s…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018SMARTPHONESHuawei P20 Pro R15 500 / huawei.com/za While Samsung and Apple’s war for smartphone supremacy rages on, Huawei has sauntered up and knocked both companies off their feet with the P20 Pro. Serious snappers will love this flagship phone thanks to the triple-lens camera, with 5x zoom and a 40MP main sensor. Add to that a quite awesome AMOLED display, lightning-fast internals and a top-notch design, and you’ve got yourself a recipe for one of the best new smartphones of 2018. Stuff says ★★★★★ That triple-lens cam gives the P20 Pro the edge in the smartphone wars ● NOW ADD THIS Tuff-Luv P20 Pro Back Case With its fragile back, you’ll want a case for your P20 Pro – one that accommodates the three sensors. R200 /…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018TVsLG OLED 65C8 R50 000 / lg.com/za LG’s new 65C8 is all screen from the front. From the side, though, it’s barely there. LG’s intuitive webOS er… OS guides you through a very simple setup. After that you just have to bask in the reverse-glow of inky OLED blacks, crisp picture reproduction and upscaling (for when you don’t have anything 4K on hand), and a refresh rate that’ll make your PS4 Pro or Xbox One X transform into a Disney princess and start singing. Cue harmonious woodland critters. Stuff says ★★★★★ It’s a choice between this one and LG’s wallet-busting E8. We picked this one ● NOW ADD THIS Sony PlayStation 4 Pro You’re going to want to use your 4K screen to display 4K bits and the…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018BUDGET BUYSSNES Classic Mini R1 250 / nintendo.co.za Why bother splashing out over R7 000 on a games console when you can get the SNES Classic Mini for a fraction of that? Especially when you get 21 classic titles pre-installed on this nostalgia-inducing machine, including the likes of Super Metroid, A Link to the Past, Super Mario World and the never-before-released Star Fox 2. And with two controllers bundled in the box, you’ll be able to start the Super Mario Kart action right away. Stuff says ★★★★★ Better games than the NES Classic Mini send this to the top of our wish list ● NOW ADD THIS 8Bitdo Bluetooth Retro Receiver Fed up of those short cables? Use this clever device to connect most modern controllers wirelessly. R500 /…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018SYSTEM CAMERASFujifilm X-H1 R27 000 (body only) / fujifilm.co.za The Fujifilm X-T2 was our favourite camera for a long time. So it’s little wonder its successor, the X-H1, takes our top spot. The key new features? The 3in LCD is now touch sensitive, there’s a monochrome LCD on top of the (slightly larger) grip for instantly checking settings, and the already excellent sensor now includes 5-axis stabilisation, which should mean up to 5.5 extra stops handheld. And video fans get new film simulation modes for 4K video shooting. The best mirrorless camera just got even better. Stuff says ★★★★★ A hardy body, outstanding ergonomics and brilliant image quality in a compact package ● NOW ADD THIS Manfrotto 190 Go! Carbon Fibre Tripod You no longer have an excuse for…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018CONSOLESPlayStation 4 Pro from R7 000 / playstation.com/za As a gaming platform, PlayStation 4 is the best around – which makes the PS4 Pro the best of the best. Games optimised for the new console look stunning on a 4K HDR TV, and are substantially improved by the extra grunt inside this slightly bigger machine. If you’ve already splashed out for a 4K HDR screen and you enjoy video games at all, it’s well worth the upgrade. The missing 4K Blu-ray drive means it isn’t a perfect entertainment system, but streaming converts won’t care. Stuff says ★★★★★ The system for console gamers who have a 4K TV and want the best gaming experience possible Microsoft Xbox One X from R9› 000 / xbox.com/za There’s no doubt the Xbox One X…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018FLAGSHIP PHONESHUAWEI MATE 20 PRO Like the P20 Pro, the Mate 20 Pro packs three cameras into its posterior. But this time one of them can go wide. Really, really wide. You also get a regular wide angle, 3x optical zoom, and 5x ‘hybrid’ zoom, which stacks multiple images and uses software smarts to mash them together and get closer to the action. A brilliant selfie cam, in-display fingerprint sensor, facial recognition for security, and the option to turn the handset – with its whopping 4000mAh battery – into a wireless charging pad, round out 2018’s best smartphone. R19 000 / huawei.com/za SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 9 There’s a reason the Note series attracts the most rabid fans in smartphone land: It’s a feature-laden, productivity powerhouse. Available in 128GB or…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018WEARABLESHUAWEI WATCH GT If battery life is the key metric you use when choosing a wearable, the Watch GT is going to be tough to top. With heart-rate tracking on and 90 minutes of exercise a week you should still get a fortnight from it, or 22 hours with GPS on full-time. And speaking of GPS, the GT supports Glonass and Galileo, too, so it locks on fast and ensures you aren’t cheating yourself on those 5k times. Swim tracking and a barometer mean it’s also great for hitting the pool or the trails, and the AMOLED display is as legible underwater as it is in bright sunlight. R5 500 / huawei.com/za SAMSUNG GALAXY WATCH Available in two sizes (42mm and 46mm) and promising as much as four…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018OUR MONTHI GAVE KUDOS WHERE THEY’RE DUE The last time I put a screen protector on my phone it was a disaster. Despite wiping the screen frequently there was still a bubble I couldn’t get rid of and the corners began coming loose pretty soon after application. Worse, the feel of the touchscreen was diminished enough to make it non-functional. But this year, in no small part because I have a one-year-old son who loves playing with my phone, I’ve put a QDOS protector on my iPhone XS. Applying it was painless thanks to the plastic applicator that fitted perfectly over the screen, and there is almost no difference to the feel, or responsiveness, of the touchscreen. Goodbye small scratches, hello cracked-screen protection. Toby Shapshak, Publisher and Editor-in-chief I STARTED SEEING…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Google Pixel Slate from R8 000 (import) / store.google.comWrite on The R2 000 Pixelbook Pen is pressure-sensitive, has tilt support and works with “virtually no lag” (Google’s words, not ours). Press and hold the Pen’s button then circle images or text, and Assistant will help you out. For some, tablets will never be anything more than giant Angry Birds machines. For the rest, they’re viable laptop alternatives, and so the latest super-slab to take on the iPad Pro and Microsoft Surface is Google’s Pixel Slate. It’s a 12.3in 2-in-1 convertible tablet with a detachable magnetic keyboard (sold separately) and a 3000x2000 display, with a battery life of 10 hours. It ships with a new version of Chrome OS, it has Google Assistant built-in, and there’s an 8MP camera on each side. CAST MASTER A…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018PLAYTIME - ALL THE TIMEDeeply dippy The Razer Phone 2 ’s IP67 rating means it can withstand being dunked underwater up to 1m deep for half an hour. Why let a dip in the pool interrupt your team deathmatch? Freakily speaky Forgot your cans? The dual front-firing speakers support Dolby Atmos and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound, and are capable of making quite a racket on their own. Thought a smartphone that puts gaming first was a dumb idea? Tell that to all the people playing buttery-smooth PUBG in the queue while the rest of us endure airport advertising. That’s not to say the Razer Phone 2, the creatively titled successor to the Razer Phone, is rubbish at normal phone stuff. The 5.72in QHD display is still a looker, and this time you’re getting…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018HUAWEI WATCH GTConsidering an Apple Watch comes over all faint at the idea of lasting past midnight on a single charge, the thought of a smartwatch that can do a fortnight might seem like pure fantasy – but that’s what Huawei claims of its new Watch GT. The company reckons its ‘frequent’ mode will allow for message notifications, 24-hour heart-rate monitoring, sleep-tracking at night, GPS for 90 minutes per week, and the 1.39in 454x454 AMOLED screen to be turned on 200 times per day. Although you can’t add third-party apps, the Watch GT offers multiple sport modes with Huawei Health. Choose between the silicone-banded GT Sport, or the pricier leather/rubber-banded GT Classic. from R5 500 / huawei.com/za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018LIVESCRIBE AEGIR SMARTPENIf, unlike us, you handwrite more than just your own name on waybills, Livescribe’s latest smartpen might be for you. Available in the purple Marlin or blue Dolphin variants, the Aegir takes all of Livescribe’s best smartpen tech and crams it into a scribbler that doesn’t look much bigger than any of the non-smart ones you’d find in an accountant’s breast pocket. You jot things down with it in a Livescribe dot-pattern enabled notebook, it records and digitises everything, recognises and transcribes your handwriting (in up to 22 languages) and can store up to 1 200 pages of notes before you need to offload them to the app. Use the app to record audio while you write and you can later search the text and have the matching bit of…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018NOKIA 7.1Things are getting a bit crowded in the mid-range smartphone space, but the Nokia 7.1 should be able to barge its way to a comfortable seat. It looks slick for starters, thanks to the anodised metal finish and alluring accents of the Gloss Steel model. Admittedly, you’ll have to live with a notch and a chin, but this is still a premium handset for the price. The 5.84in 1080p LCD display supports HDR10 and can upscale SDR video content to HDR-like levels, while shutterbugs will appreciate the pro camera mode that makes the most of the dual snappers. Being an Android One phone, it won’t lump you with bloatware, and a Snapdragon 636 should be fine for app-hopping the day away. Rtba / hmdglobal.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018The devil’s in the derailsThe process of winding up 2018 has begun in earnest and the biggest tech conferences of the year have been and gone. One of the most recent was an Apple event where we got the lowdown on the updated MacBook Air, Mac Mini and the new iPad Pros, which are destined to make it onto plenty of end-of-year lists, and deservedly so: They all look superb. But I’m not here to talk about conference successes, this month I’m all about the failures… well, one in particular. Conferences and reveal events are a big deal in the tech world. They’re slick, glossy, hype-filled events where manufacturers and developers get to show off the work they’ve done (and which they hope we’ll want to invest in) and tease us with hints about…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018MOOG ONEIt’s been over 30 years since Moog unleashed a polyphonic analogue synth, so the new flagship Moog One can hardly be called a rush job. The sound engine claims to be built on the most powerful architecture of any Moog product: each voice circuit (it comes in eight- and 16-voice versions) has an analogue signal path more powerful than that of the Minimoog Voyager, harnessing the clout of three VCOs, two analogue filters, four LFOs, and a barrage of other specs that’ll make synth fans warm in a happy place. It looks the part too, with an ash cabinet and aluminium chassis holding 73 knobs and 144 buttons. Sling one under your arm for that Kraftwerk tribute band audition and you’re in. from R120 000 / moogmusic.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018SHORT CUTSFree / iOS When Apple bought up Workflow, iOS’s best automation app, people feared the worst… until Apple’s own Shortcuts app appeared at WWDC, bearing more than a passing resemblance. Workflow has basically been consumed, Borg-like, by Shortcuts, which sits on the App Store hoping people will still love it. And they really should, because this app finally makes Siri useful. Rather than having the AI gradually learn new tricks, Shortcuts brute-forces its powers. You create workflows via drag-and-drop (or just download them) and define commands to trigger them. Sounds easy? It really is!…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018ASUS ROG ZEPHYRUS S GX531Gaming laptop makers have kicked off a competition to see who can squeeze the most face-meltingly impressive tech into the thinnest possible frame. Measuring between 14.95 and 15.75mm, Asus claims its Zephyrus S GX531 is now the world’s slimmest. Bezels have been crushed down by a 15.6in display with a 144Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time, while an Active Aerodynamic System is on cooling duty. Under the hood are an Intel Core i7-8750H CPU and Nvidia GTX 1060 or 1070 Max-Q graphics card. You get customisable RGB lighting in the keyboard and vents; and as per the previous Zephyrus model, the trackpad is found on the right of the keyboard. Odd at first, but like having parents on Facebook, you’ll acclimatise eventually. Rtba / asus.com/za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018MEKAMON BERSERKER V2If you think player-versus-player gaming is lacking in physicality and you have a thing for creepy robot spiders, you’re going to love MekaMon Berserker V2. Out now, these four-legged critters scoot about the place, partaking in intense real-life multiplayer battles (of up to four players) or single-player AR combat. They’re controlled through your device, but can be physically customised by their owner, whom they totally won’t laser to death while they sleep. As an added bonus, if you know anyone with arachnophobia, you can use the Free Drive mode to allow your robot ‘unlimited exploration’ across their face, presumably shortly before it gets a free flying lesson out of the nearest window. R5 000 (import) / mekamon.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018GAMESWhile many are salivating over the prospect of the multiplayer modes in Battlefield V , there’s a lot to be said for the upcoming single-player campaign, War Stories . The prologue really sets the scene for the stories that follow, as it switches between several perspectives and locations, and establishes that what you’re about to experience is based on real events from WWII. Nordlys, which we were able to play in its entirety, is the first of the three stories in the campaign. It takes you to German-occupied Norway, where you fill the shoes of a woman fighting for the Norwegian resistance. The second story, Under No Flag, has you following a criminal in London who gets recruited by the SBS (Special Boat Service)…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018START MENUKICK-STARTER Incy wincy speaker GRAVASTAR Speakers have become a creativity playground for adventurous hardware manufacturers. We’ve seen speakers as tyres, gramophones, and even HAL 9000. But Gravastar is the most arresting design yet, resembling a metal spider robot preparing to laser your face off. Fortunately, this thing is more interested in sending music to your ears than removing them. Its shock-absorbent zinc alloy shell houses a 15W speaker, and two Gravastars can be paired for stereo output. The tweeter/subwoofer separation is claimed to provide “crystal-clear distortion-free sound”. $129 / zoeao.com INDIE-GOGO Bag o’ light PIX Personalising backpacks with stickers is so pre-millennial. Pix gives you a 16-by-20 matrix of giant pixels instead. It’s all controlled by an app, enabling you to showcase your low-res art skills or play the most…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018The classy all-rounder with a wince-inducing price tagiPhones have never come cheap, we knew that. But trick out the XS Max with 512GB storage and it ramps up to R32 000. You could buy a 1991 Citi Golf with that kind of money, and have enough change to snag a pair of fake Ray-Bans for the ride. Use the iPhone XS Max and it starts making sense, though. The way the screen surround sticks at 3mm all the way around, bar the notch, makes it look like a work of art. Get this thing a spot in the Zeitz Mocaa already. Its face-unlocking feature is ultra-quick. You don’t even miss the lack of a finger scanner. And even if you’re a paid-up member of Team Android, you have to admit it’s probably the best phone for gaming…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Pen’s a gem, but is Samsung losing ground to the upstarts?Samsung is so good at making high-end phones, it’s starting to get boring. No wonder LG, HTC and Sony have started to fade into the background. Notes are the most interesting phones Samsung makes, though. They have an S-Pen – a stylus that slots into the bottom of the phone. Give it a poke to make it pop out and you can start scrawling notes directly onto the touchscreen, no unlock needed. This time the S-Pen also has Bluetooth, letting it work as a music controller or remote shutter button. As such it needs a battery, but it lasts around 200 clicks and recharges when put back in the phone. Genius. Add better battery life than the Pixel or XZ3, and a camera that holds up in every single situation,…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018The winner is… Huawei Mate 20 ProIf you want a phone that will make people jealous, sure, buy an iPhone XS Max. But the Mate 20 Pro frankly makes the rest look a bit lazy. It has the most advanced features, the slimmest screen borders, the best real-world battery life, the most versatile camera… and it’s still R5 000 less than the cheapest XS Max. Is it the best at absolutely everything? Nope. The big iPhone is better for gaming. Google’s Pixel 3 XL often takes more natural pics during the day. And, well, the Sony Xperia XZ3 is a lot cheaper. Let’s not forget the Note’s stylus either. But the Mate 20 Pro wins at a canter. Just how on earth did they fit it all in a handset barely wider than an iPhone XS?…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Mini meme BE A REAL GUITAR HERO● Yousician Learning a new instrument can be a right old trudge, which is why Yousician wisely reimagines plucking and strumming as a game. Its exercises are like Guitar Hero turned on its side, as you time your efforts to match coloured blocks and dots scrolling across the screen. If you fancy something a mite more conventional, try Fender Play (see p26) instead. Stuff says ★★★★✩ Free / Android, iOS ● AmpliTube You’re not a proper guitarist until you’ve got a rig of mindblowing amps and stompboxes to plug into. But they cost a fortune, weigh an absolute ton, and result in cable-spaghetti. So just use this app instead, with handy presets, custom setups, a built-in looper, and a live mode for those real, sweaty gigs. Just don’t forget yourself…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018The watch-finder generalLG W7 The hybrid W7 isn’t quite living tissue over a metal endoskeleton, but this 45mm watch does combine a Swiss-made quartz movement with Google Wear OS. Beneath the hands it has an LCD screen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4GB of storage. Rtba / lg.com/za Sony FES Watch U Why settle for one watch when you can have hundreds in a single device? Sony has fitted the face and strap of its fashion-focused 43mm wearable with E Ink. Press a button and it cycles through an assortment of chic designs. Rtba / sony.com Casio WSD-F30 Casio’s latest Pro Trek is for people dangling off cliffs and diving into seas. Waterproof to 50m, it runs Google Wear OS and downloads its own colour maps. Extend Mode boosts the…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Not shakin’ all over1 Gnarly the same The Hero7 Black looks almost identical to the Hero6 Black it replaces. We’re not complaining, given that it’s a tiny rugged block with a pleasingly rubberised finish, and the shared design means it’ll work with all your old GoPro mounts and accessories. 2 Button it! Controls will be familiar to users of the previous couple of Heroes: a one-touch button up top stops and starts videos and timelapses, or takes still photos, while a button on the side powers the camera up or down and flips between the shooting modes. 3 (Dis)playing rough An LCD panel on the front gives you info on battery life, SD card space and the current shooting mode, while the usual 2in touchscreen is at the rear. Its dinky dimensions mean…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018High noon for the high-energy hybridsWithings Steel HR Sport Smarter than a fitness band but not as life-controlling as a ‘proper’ smartwatch, a hybrid watch can be an elegant sporty solution. This Withings number looks fresh and minimal, with analogue numbers and a little OLED screen for notifications. This thing looks like a pretty ordinary ticker, but it has a 25-day battery life, excellent heart-rate monitoring, smart notifications, GPS (paired with a smartphone), a plethora of activity-tracking skills and an excellent health data app. In the morning the sleep app syncs effortlessly and then gives you a score for your snoozing. The GPS requires you to have your phone nearby, but the HR Sport will automatically detect activity – and the battery is really quick to charge. Screen Analogue dials, OLED screen Processor Exynos 9110…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018BETA YOURSELF WUNDERLISTTHE BASICS ■ Make some lists If you only want a bare-bones to-do manager – or if you burn through tasks at a pace that makes normal people hate you – you can probably stick with Wunderlist’s Inbox. But if you want to organise your tasks, create some lists. You can refine your setup further by dragging one list onto another to group them in a folder. Wunderlist will also make smart lists based on due dates and starred items. ■ Add tasks Tap the blue ‘+’ button and Wunderlist creates a new task. The app understands natural language input for schedules and notifications, such as ‘Buy Stuff tomorrow at 8am’. To manually assign dates and reminders, use the calendar button (and clock on iOS). By default, new items head…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018DJI Mavic 2 Zoom R26 000 / myistore.co.zaWith the same folding design as the Pro and many of the same flight features, the Zoom differs in only one significant way: its camera. No Hasselblads here, just a 2/3in sensor with 12MP. This model does, however, come with a world first for drones: a 2x optical zoom lens. That might sound a bit gimmicky, but it affords this Mavic a couple of special tricks. OK, yes, the Pro’s camera is much better. But in good lighting conditions the Zoom is more than capable of delivering impressively sharp 4K footage as well as reasonably clear and clean 12MP stills. And then we come to the fun part. The Zoom’s lens lets you perform a dramatic Hitchcock-style dolly zoom, where the drone flies backwards while zooming in on a subject.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Safe sexyfrom R673 700 / volvocars.com/za ■ Take the wheel If the lines on the road are good, Volvo’s semi-autonomous Pilot Assist can manage accelerating, braking and steering at speeds of up to 130 km/h. ■ Breath of fresh air Arguably the most Scandanavian aspect of the XC60 is Volvo’s new CleanZone air-quality climate system that keeps airborne nasties out of the cabin. ■ The last Volvo we drove was the enormous and remarkable XC90, and we loved it. So it’s little wonder the XC60 pleased us from the get-go, because it offers the same engine options as its larger stablemate, but is both easier to park and a whole lot gentler on the pocket. ■ Speaking of price, Volvo sent us the full-fat D5. It’s the most expensive of the…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018INSTANT UPGRADES NIKON D5FIRST ADD THESE… ONE AF-S NIKKOR 70-200MM F/2.8E FL ED VR LENS Nikon’s ultra-fast and super-sharp telephoto zoom lens has been tweaked for better AF and vibration reduction, while new lens elements make it lighter and tougher than ever. It might still be a big hunk of glass to lug around, but it captures the action like a true pro. R42 200 / nikon.co.za TWO METZ 64 AF-1 FLASHGUN Photography really comes to life when you master the art of light – and because of the professional nature of the D5, there’s no built-in flash (well, they tend to be a bit useless anyway). So it pays to invest in a mighty digital flashgun… and the Metz 64 AF-1 is one of the most powerful and versatile on the market.…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Call of Duty: Black Ops 4PS4, Xbox One, PC / callofduty.com Black Ops 4 has brought big changes to Activision’s annual blockbuster – and yet, despite the controversial lack of single-player, it’s somehow still got something for everyone. There’s definitely an element of the ‘hero shooter’ genre creeping into certain modes, especially one of the new additions: Control. Here, assorted specialists work together to control the points of the map. Perhaps you’ll pick Ruin when attacking a point, because of his grapple gun; defending, Firebreak’s reactor core will cause damage to anyone who comes near it. That these specialists are unlocked from the start is excellent, giving a far more level playing field than usual. Elsewhere, the multiplayer feels less brutal than before. It’s not exactly welcoming, but it’s less aggressive towards new players because…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Life (plus death) on the ocean waveAssassin’s Creed Odyssey’s addictive levelling loop and engaging combat carry over nicely to its excellent naval elements. The game’s sprawling ancient Greek setting is dotted with dozens of islands, ensuring you’ll spend plenty of time barking orders at your archers and rowers from behind the helm. Navigating your ship is incredibly simple and satisfying… as is crashing it into enemy craft and watching them sink while you escape unscathed. Of course, if you want to play pirate, you can also choose to board and loot your target vessels before compromising their hulls. Or you can avoid enemy contact entirely, simply take in the stunning sights surrounding you, and occasionally break cover to score some sunken treasure and maybe gut a shark… and why not? Regardless of how you spend your…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018GADGET DOCTORQ TRAVELLING DOWN DIFFERENT STREAMS So my family and I have recently migrated from DStv to Netflix. We were wondering if it was worth it to have both of these as well as Showmax, as there is quite an overlap in content. We were also wondering if Amazon Video is a must- have in SA or not? Mikhail A Showmax is great if you're after Hulu or HBO content. Netflix has a better movie selection and, of course, all the Netflix originals. Amazon Video is only a must have if you're fond of The Grand Tour, or want to see the upcoming Good Omens series. When in doubt, each offers a free trial, so take it for a spin for a week or three and see if you can't live…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018PHABLETSHuawei Mate 20 Pro R19 000 / huawei.com/za Huawei’s finally done it, managing to top both our phone and phablet lists with a pair of potent handsets that have rivals Apple and Samsung scrabbling to catch up. The Mate 20 Pro brings back the triple-lens camera of the P20 Pro, only now it’s got a 20MP ultra-wide-angle camera with a new version of its predecessor’s superb AI-assisted night mode. It’s the most tech-packed phone in the world, yet battery life is a match for any of its rivals. No contest. Stuff says ★★★★★ A stunning smartphone that makes the competition look lazy in comparison ● NOW ADD THIS Huawei Smart View Flip Cover This case has a transparent window that will display your Mate 20 Pro’s notifications, time…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018HEADPHONESSony WH-1000XM3 R6 000 / takealot.com Sony’s WH-1000 series was already a top performer, and the WH-1000XM3s make for an even more compelling package. With Bluetooth wireless and great noise-cancellation, they’re the ultimate public transport stress killer… well, aside from a chauffeur or a lottery win that lets you retire. The leather pads make them incredibly easy to wear, not unlike sitting in one of those ultra-comfy leather chairs, and most importantly of all the sound quality is fantastic. Stuff says ★★★★★ Great wireless headphones with effective ANC and a sound that nails just about everything Sennheiser PXC 550 R5 800 / mitechdirect.co.za To choose between these and the Bose below, you could jflip a coin – both are wireless headphones with active noise cancelling, though Sennheiser’s touch…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018GAMESGod of War R1 000 / PS4 A lot has changed for PlayStation’s god-slaying champion. Not only has Kratos gained some wrinkles and grown a chin-full of hair, but he’s also ditched his iconic Blades of Chaos for a magic axe and angered a whole new bunch of gods. But while the action is as breathtaking as ever, it’s the surprisingly mature storyline that’s the draw here, with the short-tempered Kratos learning the ropes of parenting. Don’t expect him to start telling dad jokes just yet. Stuff says ★★★★★ The epic return of Kratos is yet another phenomenal PS4 offering ● OR PLAY THIS Bayonetta 2 If you’re upset that God of War has binned its hack-and-slash roots, this eccentric Switch title is the perfect replacement. R800 / Switch TIPS…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018MID-RANGE PHONESNOKIA 6.1 Nokia’s range of devices have been consistently great of late. If you want an Android One phone without importing a Pixel or paying the earth, give Nokia’s Oreo-installed 6.1 a go. The 5.5in display is bright and clear, the 32GB storage and 3GB RAM are ample and there’s even room for aggressive expansion via microSD. The cameras are good too. The Nokia 6.1 is an improvement over every area of the Nokia 6, except one. The price. They kept that the same. R4 000 / hmdglobal.com LG Q7 If the LG Q7 doesn’t make you hungry for Oreo, nothing will. There’s 32GB of space and a MediaTek octa-core behind a bright 5.5in IPS display, 3GB of RAM to prevent slowdown while multitasking, and the whole lot…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018HOW DEEP IS YOUR NOTCH?Pix itself up A Pixel Stand charging dock is available for those people who hate it when a handset gets horizontal. Using it enables a custom display and some bonus Google Assistant shortcuts. Pix you out The Pixel 3’s rear camera owes more to software than hardware, while the front snappers offer wide and ultra-wide lenses for convincing Instagram followers you have real friends too. Pix ’em off Google’s AI spam filter is dubbed ‘Call Screen’. It answers the phone and informs the caller they’re being transcribed. Google insists this won’t use up data, and the conversation remains private. Last year’s Pixel phones offered a leap in quality, but something was missing: wireless charging. So for Google’s third roll of the superphone dice it’s called in the glaziers. No, not…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018BACK IN BLACK (AND BURGUNDY)Access all hairiers The original Surface Laptop ran Windows 10 S, Microsoft’s apps-based version. Now you get Windows 10 proper, so you can reacquaint yourself with Steam. Splitting hairs The Surface Laptop 2 is still rocking a 13.5in touchscreen with 2256x1504 resolution. A little spec bump would have been nice, but don’t expect to be squinting – it’s a very sharp display. The tech world was shaken last year when Microsoft produced an actual laptop. Turns out it was pretty good, so it’s no great surprise to see a sequel fly out of the door just as people start drafting up their festive wish lists. What’s changed? On first glance, not a whole lot. We’re glad to see the carpet-like interior finish (or Alcantara, if you’re a fabric nerd) return,…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018AMAZON’S ECHO CHAMBERTHE SEQUEL TO THE FIRST-GEN ECHO SHOW LOOKS MORE PROMISING AND FAR MORE PRACTICAL It’s nothing short of Alexa madness. In a bid to put a smart speaker in not just every home but every single room, cabinet and cupboard in every home, Amazon has unleashed an army of fresh Echo speakers and more upon the (rest of the) world… ● Amazon Echo Dot R1 000 The third generation of the cutest, cheapest and best-selling flavour of Echo to date, the new Dot remains a small circular speaker and is the simplest way to get a self-contained Alexa-equipped product in your home. While some things haven’t changed, other parts have undergone a welcome overhaul – namely a new, larger, 1.6in speaker, which Amazon says results in 70% louder sound. It…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018INSTA360 ONE XLast year’s Insta360 One impressed us – it was a tiny action camera with a 360º field of view that gave it a ‘shoot first, crop later’ approach to capturing footage. The company’s new One X improves things in almost every way, upping 360º movie resolution to 5.7K, stills to 18MP, and adding a new FlowState digital image stabilisation system that offers “impossibly smooth” video, whether you’re taking a leisurely beachside stroll or snowboarding down a mountain. Like any self-respecting action cam, it’s waterproof and is geared up for HDR photos, timelapse and hyperlapse videos. Best of all, you can pair it with the ‘invisible selfie stick’, which is hidden from your shots by algorithms. R8 000 / insta360.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018RAZER BLACKWIDOW ELITESo, you think you’re a serious gamer yeah? So serious, in fact, you’ve destroyed multiple keyboards this year alone and you’re perturbed by the lack of clackiness you get from the beige-and-grey 101-keyed monstrosity from the back of the cupboard that’s tiding you over until your next paycheck? You want – nay, need – the Blackwidow Elite. Its Razer Green switch-laden keys are rated for 80 million keystrokes and it’s packing two USB cables and a 3.5mm one. One USB powers the keyboard, the other lets you connect USB devices to the port on the side without fiddling around behind your PC, and the 3.5mm cable means you can plug your gaming headset straight into it. Sure, rapid typing on the Blackwidow makes you sound like Angela Lansbury, but her…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018PHOTOKINAREEL THUNDER Zeiss ZX1 With motives as transparent as its famed lenses, Zeiss wants in on your Insta feed with its first full-frame camera, sporting a 35mm f/2 fixed lens and offering built-in Lightroom CC. Its 512GB of internal storage and hefty editing suites mean you can shoot, edit, and finally share pictures that’ll detail every paper-thin sheet of filo in your spanakopita. due early 2019 / zx1.zeiss.com HAPPY MEDIUM Fujifilm GFX 50R Objectively it’s big… but then for a medium-format camera with the innards of one of those hulking studio models the GFX 50R is positively modest in size. At 775g this is no Chipnik or Cheese Curl, but considering that 51.4MP sensor inside, which is bound to be as stunning as Fujifilm’s usual stellar fare, it’s floaty-light. How…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018DECIPHER ALLOW US TO EXPLAIN…PROJECT xCLOUD Forza Horizon 4 , as you’ll find out later in this issue, is an astonishingly brilliant racing game. So good, in fact, that you might wish you could take it for a spin wherever you are. Enter Project xCloud, Microsoft’s in-the-works vision for the future that’ll let you stream games not only to your PC or console, but also to your tablet. The idea of streaming games from the cloud, rather than having them installed on a machine, is nothing new. It seems like yonks ago that OnLive introduced us to this idea, and Sony’s PlayStation Now service lets you stream old games to your PS4 or PC, and will hopefully come to SA. THE GOAL IS TO MAKE LOW-LATENCY GAME STREAMING POSSIBLE ON 4G AND 5G…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018TILE PRO (2018)Bluetooth trackers are a growing market segment, and Tile is the unofficial pack leader. We’ve tested previous Tile products and been impressed – we can use an app on our phone or tablet to prompt the Tile to emit a musical tone, or double press the button in the centre of the Tile to do likewise on our phone or tablet (a feature we’ve used way more often). Lose something further afield and we can rope in the Tile community to help us find it. The problem, however, is that previous Tiles haven’t had replaceable batteries, rendering them disposable. And at R500 for the cheapest, that hurts. Enter the 2018 version of the Tile Pro, which has a little door in the corner that’s home to a standard coin battery.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018NEWS FEEDMEGA NEWS The Sega Mega Drive is back. And the Sega Master System. And the Mega CD, Game Gear, Mark III, Sega MyCard, and… well, you get the picture. It’s all thanks to the Analogue Mega Sg, a gorgeous unofficial console that can play nearly all of the classic Sega cartridges you have stashed away somewhere – in shiny 1080p. ROBOT WARS When we first met Anki Vector, the clever little robot that gives you weather reports and throws a tantrum if you beat it at cards, we dubbed it an Amazon Echo rival. As good as that fight would be to watch, it’s probably a better outcome that the two will be merging as the robot gets on-board Alexa powers. EASIER LISTENING Spotify knows you’re handing over the value…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018E-LEGEND OF TOMORROWHas this car fallen through a wormhole from the 1970s? No time-travelling car designers were involved in the making of the e-Legend concept – well, none that we know of. It’s a modern interpretation of the Peugeot 504 Coupé, and an effort to prove that the autonomous cars of the future don’t have to be boring and boxy. It’s modern, it’s retro and it’s cooler than anything in Peugeot’s current line-up. I’m guessing the engine isn’t as retro as the styling? Not a chance. The e-Legend is as cutting-edge as it gets beneath the bodywork, with twin electric motors sending 456bhp to all four wheels. That’ll get you from 0-100km/h in less than four seconds, quick enough to embarrass most supercars. And the 100kWh battery should manage a roadtrip-friendly 590km…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018STREAMFuture Man Remember Josh Hutcherson from The Hunger Games? Well this time around he’s Josh Futturman, a daytime cleaner and night time gamer who finishes a video game everyone else had given up on, and gets visitors from the future and time travelling escapades as his reward. With Seth Rogen executive producing, expect hijinks and hilarity. Season 1 / Showmax House of Cards With Kevin Spacey departed in disgrace and the real-life White House currently exhibiting a chaotic stranger-than-fiction quality, Netflix’s original Original might lack some of its previous allure and satirical bite, but this sixth and final season promises to wrap things up in typically tense, taut and thrilling style. Season 6 / Netflix Daredevil It’s high time to return to Hell’s Kitchen. Yep, after more than two years,…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Selfie specialist proves the camera’s still king for GoogleThe Pixel 3 XL is an ambassador from Android HQ, here to show us what the little green guy is into this year. At first, the hardware seems quite a lot like last year’s 2 XL: it’s the classic Pixel look, with more ‘cute factor’ than any other high-end phone. Some parts are totally different, though. The back is now all glass, with a fingerprint-hiding soft touch finish across the parts you hold. And glass isn’t just there for fashion’s sake: you can wirelessly charge the Pixel 3 XL, and Google offers its own Pixel Stand dock. There’s a notch too, and you can’t miss it – this thing is a double-decker. However, it does allow some of the finest selfies you’ll see in a phone, and brilliant background-blurred portraits.…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018An iPhone for iOS fans who still prefer smaller handsetsAs Apple never released the budget iPhone some were hoping for in 2018, and ditched the SE, the XS is the smallest of its new models. But it’s the same size and shape as last year’s iPhone X. It looks the same too, and Apple’s ultra-quick Face ID unlocking remains a top feature. So, what’s different? Only two major areas have been upgraded. You get the Apple A12 Bionic processor, the same as in the XS Max – that’s currently the most powerful processor you can get in a phone. And Apple has upgraded the rear cameras too. HDR performance is better this time around, giving you richer photos that get closer to that of a well-edited shot taken with a good dedicated camera. In this crowd, the iPhone XS’s…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018+ Now add theseGameSir M2 This Bluetooth gamepad lets you treat your phone like a proper old-school gaming handheld. It’s perfect for long journeys, or trips back into the ’90s with an emulator app. R1 200 / amazon.com Huawei Smart View Flip Cover A magnet inside engages a special display mode that shows essentials (such as the time, weather and your notifications) through the case’s transparent window. Rtba / huawei.com/za Sony WH-1000MX3 Yes, we wish the Mate could be a better friend to wired headphones, but these Bluetooth cans offer fantastic customisable sound quality… and noise-cancellation that beats Bose. R6 000 / takealot.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018An irresistible fourthfrom R8 000 / myistore.co.za 1 Save your love Health features are what really set the Watch Series 4 apart. Fall detection means if you take a tumble and don’t get up, the Watch can notify emergency services and your next of kin. The electrocardiogram isn’t working just yet... it needs local approval. 2 Siri-ously powerful Unless you’re Inspector Gadget, it probably still feels a little weird holding a conversation through your wrist. But the speaker in the Series 4 is fine for holding phone calls – and this has become our preferred way of using Siri. Just raise your wrist and talk. 4 Closer to the edge The new larger display can be filled up with more widgets, or ‘complications’. So on the new default watch screen, information fills…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018UPVOTED KETTLESBEAUTEOUS BOILERS The quirky cuppa De’Longhi Avvolta Who says you can’t have a transcendental moment of art appreciation while you wait for the kettle to boil? With its dramatic ‘vortex’ design, this is one eye-catching piece to add some design flair to your crumb-strewn kitchen. The shell is made of transparent resin rings with chrome accents. R1 650 / yuppiechef.com The pastel protector Dualit 1.5L Lite Jug One of the hazards of handling a kettle is of course the risk of scalding yourself in your feather-spitting urgency to get pouring. Dualit’s Lite Jug kettle has a finger-guard on its lid to keep your hands safe, plus a rapid-boil concealed element and a contoured, non-drip spout. R2 300 / loot.co.za The flashy flask Russell Hobbs Diamond Affordable…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018HyperSmooth operator■ Have-a-go Hero With rich colours, a wide dynamic range, responsive auto exposure, smooth slow-mo and decent low-light performance, this is a camera you can use without having to put much forethought into it. ■ Out with the old… The camera supports RAW stills and Protune video. But be aware that some resolutions and frame rates require the HEVC/H.265 codec, so they won’t be playable on a lot of devices unless they’re fairly recent. ■ Stable hand HyperSmooth is a genuine game-changer. Purely electronic, this image stabilisation tech does an incredible job of removing signs of motion. Footage is stable and judder-free, even when cycling over rough terrain. ■ …and in with the ooh! Other new tricks include TimeWarp (an especially stable timelapse mode), SuperPhoto (a stills mode with HDR,…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018It s a mirror cull1 Touchy feely The Canon’s touch bar can give you quick access to a key setting such as ISO – just be sure to engage the lock to avoid thumb-knocks. 2 Totes awks Having the on/off dial on the left is really quite annoying for quick switching – placing it around the shutter release would surely have made much more sense. 3 Eyes wide shutter Nikon’s new Z mount can facilitate wide-aperture lenses that the F mount couldn’t even dream of – look out for an f/0.95 lens coming soon. 4 Batt’s your lot With battery life rated at just 330 shots, a second battery is a smart investment for pros. But charging via USB is also possible for quick blasts of power on the go. Canon EOS R What’s…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018OR TRY ONE OF THESEMICROSOFT TO-DO You might get a sense of deja vu using To-Do, and that’s because Microsoft intended it to replace Wunderlist. Right now, though, it’s a rather minimal app, lacking key features. Still, not a bad choice if you want something simple. Free / Android, iOS, web HABITCA Although you always get that satisfying little buzz in your brain when you check a task off a list, that might not be enough. Should you need extra encouragement to actually get things done, Habitca turns your to-dos into a tiny role-playing game. Free / Android, iOS, web THINGS 3 One for the serious Get Things Done crowd – at least if armed with Apple kit. This task manager has a ton of great features for organising your life, and a lickable…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Hello retroGAMING Light NES of touch ‘Load’ the cartridge, replace the dome, press the ‘on’ switch and your beloved game is illuminated, trophy cabinet style. Clock NES monster The beating heart of the Pyua consists of circuitry taken from an Nt Mini NES console made by Analogue. NES is more The controllers are now wireless thanks to 8bitdo. They’re stored, with up to 20 cartridges, in a wooden carry case. Love Hulten Pyua Gamers are bathing in the glory of a retro revival at present. One Stuff staffer’s dad is a veteran gamer and has hurled himself head-first through this window of opportunity to replenish his cherished haul with kit that fraternises with HDMI. Enter nostalgic Swedish design house Love Hulten and its glass-domed shrine to Nintendo – or more specifically,…10 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Silent but deadlyR6 000 / takealot.com 1 Soft machine The foam inside is thick and extremely soft; and while the covering is synthetic leather, it feels very comfy. These Sony cans have a more positive grip on your head than Bose’s QC 35 IIs, which makes for better passive isolation from outside noise. 2 Beige against the machine Right now you can get the Sony WH-1000XM3s in either black or what’s variously described as ‘silver’ or ‘gold’ depending on where you shop. It’s actually closer to a light beige, like the walls of a house from a ’90s home improvement show. 3 Non-metal machine music The ’phones are mostly made of plastic – not the metal you might expect from this luxury price point. The cups have a soft-touch finish, the stems…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Forza Horizon 4Xbox One, PC / forzamotorsport.net Crossing the finish line in a racing game has never felt as inconsequential as it does in Forza Horizon 4. That’s by no means knocking the latest entry in Playground Games’ rubber-burning series: the simple act of driving, while soaking up some of the most gorgeous sights ever to grace a game, is so satisfying that competing hardly seems to matter. Whether tackling one of over two dozen career paths or simply pootling around the game’s sprawling, shared open world, Forza Horizon 4 always feels fresh. All of the vehicles handle differently – more so if you dive into the customisation options (see panel opposite) – while the sheer number of varied activities and objectives ensures you’re never doing the same thing for very long.…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Call of Duty gets undeadly seriousLet’s be blunt about this: you’ll either love or hate the Zombies mode, and nothing about Black Ops 4 will change that. But the inclusion of a deeper story and multiple maps to start with makes it very clear that Zombies is a big deal here, and the number of trophies on offer for the mode hammers that home. Elixirs add more depth if you somehow needed it, with in-game currency put into them in a random, almost loot-box-like mechanic offering either one-time or repeat-use special skills. There are potions that can spawn a nuke power-up, or the more passive ‘headshots have a chance to instakill’ – which, if we’re honest, we thought was the whole point of a headshot anyway… especially when facing everyone’s favourite undead monster. But there’s…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018Super Mario PartySwitch / nintendo.co.za The Switch is hardly lacking crowd-pleasing multiplayer games. Fancy a bit of racing? Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a classic. Irrepressible urge to punch someone in the nose? Avoid the consequences by doing it in Arms instead. Unwavering confidence in your digital sushi-plating prowess? Apron up for Overcooked 2. But, come Christmas, there’s only one game to rescue you and your loved ones from mince-pie malaise: Super Mario Party. With a whopping 80 new mini-games that are easily grasped by gamers and baffled grandmothers alike, as well as online play for the first time, this marks a refreshing return to form for the series. And Toad’s Rec Room, a new mode that lets you play tabletop games by joining two Switches together, is Nintendo at its creative…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018MAIL OF THE MONTHTRY NOT TO MAKE Q A NOTE›7› OF IT I recently picked up a Samsung S9 on contract. After using it for a couple of months I realise that it gets very warm on occasion. Considering Samsung’s past devices, have you received or observed similar behavior?JasonA We've only found the Samsung S9 getting warm when we're putting it under strain - like playing intensive games on it, or using it to provide navigation while also streaming music in a car. Of course, in the latter example, the Joburg heat probably had a role to play. All smartphones will get warm when made to work hard, but if yours is doing it when you're not demanding much of it, we'd recommend taking it into a Samsung store for a checkup.Speak your…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018TABLETS & MOBILE GAMESApple iPad Pro 10.5in from R11 000 / myistore.co.za The 9.7in iPad Pro was already sitting comfortably as our favourite tablet, but that wasn’t good enough for Apple. Rather than giving its flagship tablet a few minor tweaks, Apple has introduced a bigger screen and an immensely potent processor. In fact, this device is so powerful and flashy that it’s even blurring the lines between tablet and laptop. If you only want to browse social media and watch Netflix, the 10.5in iPad Pro is overkill; this is for those more interested in creation than consumption. Stuff says ★★★★★ The iPad Pro puts all other tablets to shame – it’s unbeatable as a multimedia machine or creative tool Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 from R10 000 / samsung.com/za The Tab S3 is…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018SMARTWATCHES, FITNESS TRACKERSApple Watch Series 4 (GPS) from R8 000 / myistore.co.za The Apple Watch Series 4 has everything going for it – the larger screen, improved processor and louder speaker mean it’s easier to actually do stuff on it than any previous Watch, and it has a load of health features that just aren’t on other wearables. Whether you’re navigating somewhere using Maps, going for a run without your phone, or just wanting to keep track of your activity during the day, this Apple Watch does a great job of handling all these things and more. Stuff says ★★★★★ Best wearable ever: a sleek, sophisticated redesign of the previous generation with some hearty upgrades Samsung Galaxy Watch from R5 500 / samsung.com/za A sturdy and stylish smartwatch with plenty of power…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018VR HEADSETS & VR GAMESOculus Rift from R12 000 / takealot.com The Oculus Rift has been playing catch-up for a while; but now that it’s got the fantastic Touch Controllers, has boosted its room-tracking capabilities to match the Vive and has had a price drop to undercut HTC’s standard headset by R3 000, it deserves to top our VR headset rankings. Its library of exclusive games has grown considerably since launch too, with the likes of Robo Recall, Lucky’s Tale and Lone Echo all added. This is now the best VR headset available that doesn’t cost the world. Stuff says ★★★★✩ Thanks to the price cut and much-needed updates, the Rift is now the best reasonably-priced VR headset HTC Vive R15 000 / evetech.co.za Barring a R3 000 price difference, there isn’t much difference…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018WIRELESS SPEAKERSUE Wonderboom from R949 / takealot.com It might resemble a can of baked beans wearing a colourful jersey with a cross on the front, but don’t let that put you off: the UE Wonderboom is the best compact Bluetooth speaker you can buy. It’s waterproof, the rechargeable battery beneath its mesh exterior is good for eight plus hours, and the sound it produces is staggering given how compact it is. If that wasn’t enough – and it ought to be – it’s also one of the most affordable portable speakers out there. Boom. Stuff says ★★★★★ The Wonderboom shouldn’t be as good as it is for the price, but it is ● NOW ADD THIS Joox Want to get the proverbial party started? But where to start? Joox’s numerous curated…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|December 2018CONTROLLABLE TV SHOWSFinally! A chance to change what happens in Titanic ... About time, eh? As if that glorified ice cube could sink a ship as magnificent as the Titanic. It’s just so unrealistic. But this is an idea that goes back way further than James Cameron’s capsizey classic. Ever since Tom Hanks came up with electronic choose-your-own-adventure comic books in ’80s favourite Big, geeks of a certain age have dreamed of having more control over how the stories they read and watch unfold. And now, Netflix is set to make it a reality. So we can save Jack from his watery grave? You may have to wait for that – although knowing Cameron’s penchant for post-release tinkering, we wouldn’t put it past him. Before the end of the…1 min
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