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Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022WELCOMEYou must have heard the classic load shedding joke: Cyril phones the IT department and says, “I can’t get the country to work”.“Have you tried turning it off and on again?” IT asks him.“Yes, three or four times a day.” Funny but not funny.If you’re tired of load shedding jokes, you’re not the only one. “Personally, I’m sick and tired of walking into any social gathering and hearing 10 minutes of load-shedding jokes,” Eskom CEO André De Ruyter told eNCA in May,André, believe me, you’re better off with the jokes than you’d be with what we’d really like to say. Not that most of the blame lies with you or with Eskom’s people in general we know it doesn’t. Although you said it yourself: “Corruption is still very much a…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022HOT FIVE #3TOUCH ME WHEN FREELANCING Huawei MateBook 16SIf you’re one of those people who now split their working week between the hustle and bustle of the office and a desk at home, you’re going to need a laptop that’s equally comfortable in both - and the 16in 2520×1680 LCD touchscreen on Huawei’s surprisingly portable MateBook 16S makes it pretty much the ideal hybrid working companion.The 3:2 aspect ratio means you can easily fit two documents side by side, which should come in handy for serious multitaskers, while the 1080p webcam locks onto your face and tracks you around the room, so you can get up and indulge in some blue-sky thinking without wandering out of shot.You can choose from two of Intel’s shiniest 12th-gen processors - an i7 or an i9…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022SUNSHINE SUPER SPAN Garmin Enduro 2R19 000 (import)/garmin.com• Good days sunshineIf you’ve got such great stamina that you regularly outlast your own fitness tracker, bravo: you’re almost toofit.But a dead battery won’t help you slash those split times, so you might want to try Garmin’s ultramarathon-ready Enduro 2 - a multisport watch that’ll keep going fora whopping 150hrs with constant GPS tracking turned on. It’s all down to improved solar charging, which brings up to 40% longer battery life than the original Enduro. That means as much as 46 days of smartwatch use, or a quite absurd 172 days in Expedition mode.• Ding me sunshineThe 51mm case is built from titanium to withstand scratches and scrapes on the move, and the 1.4in 280x280 touchscreen is protected by sapphire glass. It keeps the familiar physical buttons…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Bo MR40 000 (import) / bo.worldNow that looks like the kind of BO you’d actually want.The designers certainly haven’t had a stinker here, have they? While most electric scooters look like they’d be at home dodging the feral Gen-Zers on your local high Street, the Bo M’s aluminium ‘monocurve’ chassis and 360° Light Halo give it a more futuristic vibe - like it should be gliding effortlessly down some spotless space-age boulevard, elegantly weaving between self-driving carsand robot dogs. That means it doesn’t fold up, but it does have a range of up to 50km.What kind of speed are we talking?It can do 24mph but that will be limited depending an. where you are, although it’s more of a luxury cruiser than a racer anyway. Bo reckons Safesteer, the M’s active…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022DROP EVERYTHING & DOWNLOADUpnext from R120/m / iOS, webDo you ever stumble upon an article, podcast or You Tube video and then completely forget about it? Upnext is a supercharged version of read-later apps like Pocket that automatically sorts everything you save into categories, whether it’s a Stuff.t v news story,alhread Of tweets or a file from your laptop.Every morning it’ll suggest five things you’ve not finished yet; swipe left and right to clean up your library and stop a backlog building up. You can also make your own lists of similar stuff, so all your long reads and video essays on the Nicolas Cage remake of The Wicker Man can be collected together in one easy-to-access place. It’s quite pricey, but there’s a free trial.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022BEST OF LONG-OVERDUE SEQUELS YOU CAN PLAY VERY SOONGOD OF WAR RAGNAROK PS5, PS4Fortunately not suffering the same fate of being delayed beyond Christmas like Horizon’s sequel was, the second chapter Of Kratos’s Norse saga will be with us on 9 November, along with an older-looking Atreus… though we hope his old man will still be bellowing “BOY!!!”BAYONETTA 3 SwitchIt’s almost five years since Bayonetta 3 was announced, but on 28 October it really will be the season of the witch. Expect more OTT action (with an option to cover up Bayonetta to save any awkwardness when playing on public transport), as well as a new playable character called Viola.A PLAGUE TALE: REQUIEM PC, PS5, XSXimagine The Last Of Us in 14th-century France with a sibling duo dynamic, and you have one of the sleeper hits of recent…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Hues gonna save my soul VIVO V25 PROIt’s hard to tell exactly how many colours Vivo’s new V25 Pro comes in. At first glance there’s ‘surfing blue’, ‘aquamarine blue’ and ‘sunrise gold’. But expose any of them to bright UV light and their fluorite glass rear panels will subtly change shade. On the front Isa 6.56in AMOLED with 120Hz refresh rate; inside is an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 1300 processor with up to 12GB of RAM and a 4830m Ah battery; the triple camera setup on the back comprises a 64MP main snapper with optical image stabilisation, an 8MP ultrawide and a 2MP macro. Oh, and it also comes in black, but that one doesn’t Change colour so you’d have to be a total dullard to pick it.Rtba (import) / vivo.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Edgy (in a good way) SONY DUELSENSE EDGESony has finally done it: the DuelSense Edge is Sony’s newly announced answer to the Xbox Elite series of controllers and all the third-party PS5 ‘pro’ controllers on the market. Now you can enjoy the same haptic feed back, motion controls, and adaptive triggers as the OG controller. You can also fiddle with the deadzones and sensitivity of the thumb sticks and triggers -dial them in just right for the controller equivalent of turning over your pillow. A couple of switches on the back hold profiles for different games or different users that you can switch between ontfefly.Rtba/sony.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022First Person Shooter DJI AVATAThe DJI Avata is the company’s second first-person view (FPV) drone. Unlike other FPV drones, this one isn’t aimed at the racing crowd. It’ll still manage just shy of 100km/hin manual mode. But the target audience for this one is definitely creators who want to follow a fast-moving subject around with uncomfortable proximity. That’s not to say it won’t suit the average user, The propellor guards mean indoor flight is less risky ahd if you manage to get it on its back, Turtle Mode can come to your rescue.from R22 500 (combo) / mydrone.co.za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Folding out for a hero?With big names like Huawei, Motorola and Oppo all getting in on the action, the foldable phone arms race shows no sign of slowing down this year. But with the inward-folding Galaxy Z Fold4, it’s Samsung leading the charge.This fourth-gen flagship gets the latest Snapdragon silicon, a triple-lens camera borrowed from the Galaxy S22, and a more streamlined appearance that’s more manageable with one hand. It’s still heftier than a traditional phone, but compact by foldable standards.The entry-level model (if you can call it that) gets a generous 256GB of storage, which should take some time to fill, but with no microSD card slot you’ll need to splash out on the 512GB model or thg top-tier 1TB version if you need more. That latter option is a first for the…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022SMART STUDENTGOOGLE PIXEL 6 PROR17 900 / connecteddevices.co.zaWe're sure it’s possible to thrive at college without a really good phone, but for most students a smartphone is the most important gadget of all. If you’re already all-in on Apple then an iPhone is the obvious choice, but if you aren’t then Androids are usually much better value.Google’s Pixel 6 Pro was already an ace Android, but its drop in price this year has taken it to a more affordable R17 900. And that makes it a good buy: a premium phone that no longer demands a premium payout.Cam-brain supernovaThe biggest selling point here is the camera. If you’re looking for something to document your student days or to create content - whether that’s Tik Toks for fun or 4K movies for…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022DIGITAL NOMADNOW ADD THESEKENSINGTON USB-C SINGLE 4K PORTABLE DOCKING STATIONA lot of docks aren’t really designed for portability, or for the power of today’s laptops. This one enables you to drive a 4K display, charge at up to 100W and connect to USB-C and USB-A devices.R1700 / firstshop.co.zaSAMSUNG GALAXY S22 ULTRAThis phone has the best cameras, the fastest processors and the best battery life of the Samsung range, while its 5G modem and wireless hotspot feature mean you can give internet access to other devices like tablets and laptops.from R27 000 / samsung.com/za5GEE WIFIYou could tether your phone… but if you don’t want your data allowance to seep away for work, or you need to co-work with several people linked up to a mobile connection, you need one of these. EE’s…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022HOME WORKERNOW ADD THESELUMIE HALOWhen the days get shorter again, many home workers may find their work area a little too dark-and over time that can get you down. A light therapy lamp can help stave off feelings of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and this one also has a warm light mode so you can use it as a decorative lamp.R6 400 / fruugo.co.zaDELL ULTRASHARP 27 4K USB-C HUB MONITORThis excellent 4K monitor works in portrait or landscape mode for maximum flexibility, and it’s particularly great for laptop users thanks to its built-in USB-C hub. That means you can connect all your accessories to it for instant access.R9 500/ dellonline.co.zaLOGITECH LIFT VERTICAL MOUSEThe Lift is the smaller sibling of the MX Vertical Mouse, which take the familiar desktop rodent and turns…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022NOW TRY THISNOBBLE NOTIFICATIONSDon’t let social media or other irrelevant apps derail your train of thought or interrupt your flow state, iOS, macOS, Android and Windows all have customisable ‘Do not disturb’ modes that limit the notifications you’ll receive.DO, DEFER OR DELEGATEThe famous Getting Things Done system recommends a two-minute rule: when presented with a new task, can you deal with it in two minutes? If so, deal with it; if not, defer it to another day or palm it off on someone else.SPEAK IN SILENCEOften have background sounds that are problematic for video calls? Try Krisp (krisp.ai): it uses clever Al tech to remove background noise and even loud sounds such as dogs barking or phones ringing.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Moderner vac sceneDyson V12 Detect SlimWhat’s the story?Last year Dyson revealed the V15 Detect, a flagship vac with a difference. For hard floors, the box includes a soft roller head with an integrated laser that shines a light on any dirt sitting on your floor. It sounds like a gimmick, but it actually works - and Dyson has now launched this more compact version.Both cleaners come with a bunch of tools for carpets and upholstery, including a ‘motorbar’ head, a ‘hair screw’ tool (it spins hair into the bin rather than getting tangled up) and a crevice tool. There’s an adapter for getting into hard-to-reach places too.However, there are some distinct changes compared to the V15. This vac has a smaller dirt bin, it’s got a power button rather than a trigger,…8 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022BETA YOURSELF BE A WRITERTHE BASICSStop faffingDon’t waste time styling text when you’se barely written anything. To get good, you must prioritise thinking and… well, writing. Use a plain text editor and learn Markdown (see markdownguide.org) for basic formatting. Only edit once you’ve at least a completed a rough draft.Set targetsNovels aren’t written in a day. And if you’re just starting out, even a few paragraphs might be a challenge. So set aside a minimum daily target (ideally in terms of time rather than words) to build a routine. Unsure what to write? Pick a random subject and just write as fast as you can. Think of this as exercising your writing muscles.Get physicalPeople genuinely tap out entire novels on a phone with their thumbs. But unless you’re a texting wizard, a physical keyboard…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022DYNAMICS OF POWERSUNSHINE, DIESEL AND GASWant, to use less electricity? These are your options:You can convert your stove and/or geyser to gas and have hot meals and showers during shedding.Generators are an option, Hough they’re best for businesses or companies running power-intensive services.Battery backup systems are quieter, cleaner, fumeless and. need less maintenance. Gennies can be cheaper to buy but more expensive to run, although both fuel and electricity prices are going to rise. You can buy a generator and connect your house to it for perhaps R25 000, and then pay for several hours Of diesel per week.But remember, you’re going to be using them for hours at a time, day after day. Unless your whole household is happy to live with that noise, you may wish you’d got a nice,…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022CREATURE COMFORTSIT’S THE LITTLE THINGSThese are the gadgets that will litter our houses as we go from stage 6 through stages 7,8,9 … So stock up, they’re going to make your life easier. You need all these, good power-surge insurance and a friend with a UPS.HEAD STARTGIZZU 1000A JUMP STARTERUntil we’ve Eskom-proofed our homes we’re all going to be sitting in our cars charging things. A lot. So this Smart Jump Starter is a good idea. It can start a petrol engine up to 5 litres or a diesel engine up to 3 litres, and do it 1000 times. It’s ultra-compact fit into your glove box and of course there’s a USB 3.0 port.R1300 takealot.comSMART LIGHTSEUROLUX BATTERY GLOBE LIGHTRechargeable LED bulbs and lamps are fantastic, The bulbs retain charge, stay on…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Pellucid dreamsTWO WEEKS WITH THE NOTHING PHONE 1from R15 500 / cellucity.co.zaDAY 01Meet the smartphone equivalent of a freshly-launched pair of Yeezys. Excitement for Nothing’s Phone 1 was so frenzied that the first 100 handsets changed hands for almost ten times their retail value - and that was before the final hardware had even been revealed. Talk about hype…On taking it out of the box for the first time, the flat glass and recycled aluminium frame gives off serious iPhone 13 vibes. It costs a third of Apple’s most expensive handsets, but does a good impression of them from the front and sides - just with a punch-hole selfie camera instead of a notch. It feels pretty premium too, and while its IP53 rating means it’s not as hardy as some…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022INSTANT UPGRADES HUAWEI WATCH GT 3 PROONE KENSINGTON STUDIOCADDYYou won’t need to charge your Huawei Watch very often, but when you do, Kensington’s fine-looking charging station will organise your tech while powering up your phone, watch, tablet and laptop at the same time - thanks to two wireless charging pads as well as USB-A and USB-C ports.R2 150 / takealot.comTWO JBL FLIP 6Crank up the tunes even if you’ve left your phone at home with a little help from the water-resistant Flip 6: a loud yet portable powerhouse of a Bluetooth speaker that will last 12hrs on a charge. Pair it with your Watch GT 3 Pro and you’re in business. It comes in a range of colours - just make sure you don’t accidentally go for the camo option.R2 300 / takealot.comTHREE HUAWEI FREEBUDS PRO…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022THEN GET THESE…CALL OF DUTY MOBILEOptimised for wide screens and taking advantage of the Xperia 1 IV’s Game Enhancer and sheer power, this quintessential console co-op is a dream on mobile.Rfree (IAP)BRAVIA CORE FOR XPERIAWhile preloaded apps can often be written off as bloatware, Bravia Core (also available through the Play Store) gives access to a bunch of free films.RfreeMASTERCLASSA creative phone warrants expert guidance, so who better than Annie Leibowitz to teach you the art of photography, or Spike Lee to talk you through directing?from R1 700/yr…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022RollerdromeIt’s been a while since we reviewed a game that truly made us sweat like Rollerdrome does - and we don’t mean in the Nintendo Switch Sports sense.Set in an extremely violent, cel-shaded dystopian future, your task is to traverse a variety of deadly arenas on rollerskates, eliminating all the enemies - from melee gruntgand shield-toting heavies to pesky snipers - before they do the same to you. Think Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater if he was armed like Rambo. And was a woman in a red boilersuit.Considering most weapons don’t require you to aim before you fire and you don’t need to worry about getting a perfect landing, the combination of skating and shooting might sound pretty straightforward. But you’ll often run out of ammo after unloading on one enemy…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022ATARI VCSSo you’ve gone full retro this time, to the point that this console has actual woodgrain.It does scream 1970s - but that was the point. This was home gaming, so it was decided the VCS (renamed the Atari 2600 in 1982) should work with your home decor. It was pioneering in other ways too, with external cartridges killing off the standalone TV games that had until then been popular. And, despitea lacklustre start, Atari stuck with its console - unlike rival Fairchild, which quickly dumped its Channel F system thinking gaming would be a fad. Whoops.And that left us with countless terrible Atari takes on cherished arcade games.Be fair. The console was primitive - largely based on hardware designed for playing Pong. But in the right hands, great things happened.…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022HOT FIVE #1ALL THE BIGGEST STORIES FROM PLANET TECHFOLD ME CLOSER, SHINY DANCER Xiaomi Mix Fold 2There must be something in the water this month. Something that makes things foldable, because in the space of just 24hrs Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4, Motorola revealed a new Razr, and perhaps best of all, Xiaomi removed the covers from the Mix Fold 2 the world’s slimmest folding phone.At just 5.4mm thick when open, and 11.2mm when closed, it’s noticeably skinnier than the Z Fold4. It’s no weakling, though - there’s a Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 CPU, 12GB of RAM and a choice of 256GB, 512GB or 1TB of storage. On the outside you get a 6.56in 2520×1080 AMOLED display with Gorilla Glass Victus, while the 8.02in 2160×1914 screen on the inside…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022HOT FIVE #4ANYONE WHO HAD A CART Lego Atari 2600Do you grumble when folks refer to Xbox games as ‘retro’? If so - and if you like plastic bricks - the Lego Atari 2600 will keep you occupied during rare moments when you’re not yelling at kids to get off your lawn… plus it’s the ideal way to mark Atari’s 50th anniversary.Frustratingly, the set has 2532 pieces (surely they could have added an extra 68?); but when complete, the main unit echoes the original’s woodgrain effect, and has switches to flick and carts to plug in. Slide open the front and you’re treated to a pop-up scene from the 1980s, with a floppy-haired kid gawping at a chunky CRT telly.Lego’s version of the classic (if somewhat cramp-inducing) Atari joystick moves like the…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Waking cans for Nigel SENNHEISER MOMENTUM 4 WIRELESSThere might be 40hrs in the standard working week, but Sennheiser’s Momentum 4 headphones are ready to do some serious overtime. With their 60hr battery life these noise-cancelling cans last twice as long as Sony’sWH-1000XM5s and, unlike the rest of us, will probably manage a whole week of 9-to-5s without complaint. When they do conk out they don’t need a whole weekend to recharge either — just 10mins plugged in and they’re good to go for another 6hrs. Their understated design won’t fall foul of the office dress code, while the 42mm dynamic drivers should make your tunes sound brilliant. Expect the SA price to be somewhere around the R7 000 mark.Rtba / sennheiser.co.za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Thirty dancing NIKON Z 30If you’re thinking of setting up a You Tube channel all about the best mirrorless cameras for setting up a You Tube channel, you could do a lot worse than making your first video about Nikon’s Z 30. You could flip its 3in vari-angle touchscreen around and talk about its 20.9MP APS-C sensor and Expeed 6 image processor, which offers an ISO range of 100-25,600 for 4K video. The new Video AF mode is also worth mentioning, as it allows for continuous autofocus while shooting, as is the built-in stereo mic (although pros like you will no doubt use the mic input to hook up something more serious). Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are also on board, and naturally it’ll play nicely with Nikon’s Z mount lenses.R14 000 (body only) / ormsdirect.co.za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022FIRST PLAY MULTIVERSUS PS5, PS4, XSX, XB1, PCWith the Super Smash Bros series seemingly bowing out at its peak, or at least requiring sometime before it can reinvent itself, it might be time for a new generation to muscle in on the platform fighter genre.While past attempts such as Brawlhalla may have been mechanically sound, they lacked the secret sauce of Smash’s appeal: the franchise crossover element, letting you play as all sorts of iconic characters. So we’ve already seen last year’s Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl… but a challenger with the IP vault to really back it up is MultiVersus, which summons characters from across the Warner universe - Looney Tunes, DC Comics, ScoobyDoo, Game Of Thrones - to duke it out. We daresay it’s a better execution of the multiverse than Space Jam: A New Legacy.Besides one-on-ones,…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Meyers Manx 2.0 Electric BEACH FOR THE STARSRtba (import) meyersmanx.comWoah, did Thomas Crown find a time machine?I You don’t have to be as cool as Steve McQueen to drive this reborn beach buggy, but it helps. The Manx 2.0 is the first entirely new model from Meyers in nearly 60 years-and this is not just a throwback to the one McQueen famously drove in the1968 film: it’s all-electric, with a motor hooked up to each of the rear wheels, meaning it’ll pull off sand-spraying donuts all day long. Or at least until you Tun out of battery.You mean it’s not a VW Beetle underneath any more?Nope, the reborn Manx is all-new, with a bespoke aluminium chassis that promises to keep the weight down to less than 750kg-easily less than half that of your typical road-going EV. It’ll…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022NEWS FEEDLEGO LAUNCHES 5129-PIECE HOGWARTS EXPRESSStretching over 1.1m long and coming with its own recreation of Platform 9¾, the wizarding world’s most iconic train is stuffed with more hidden details than a Marauder’s Map. The set also includes a whopping 20 minifigures, including the three main characters, and will set you back a hefty R8 600.BEATS GETS FLESHY WITH SKIN-COLOURED FIT PROSEver wished your earphones weren’t so, well, colourful? Beats’ gym-friendly Fit Probuds (R4 000 (import), beatsbydre. com) now come in three skin-like hues: ‘moon’udune’and ‘earth’. They’re actually a collaboration with a vacuous reality TV star, but alas we don’t have space to give them any publicity. Shame.SPOTIFY’S CAR THING IS NO LONGER A THINGSpotify has canned its Car Thing controller. The dash-mounted device, which only went on sale earlier this…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Taken to excess? HUAWEI MATE XS 2This might not be Huawei’s first foldable smart phone but it’s the first time the company is launching its foldable range in South Africa. The Mate Xs 2 isHoawei’s best take to date on thefiorm factor. The Chinese manufacturer has once again opted for a design that folds in, instead of a design that folds out as used by Samsung, Xiaomi, and Microsoft. As the only other foldable that is locally available and with clever workarounds to run Googlebased apps, we’re excited to see if the Mate Xs 2 can give Samsung a run for its money.R40 000 / huawei.com/za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022You need two, right? SAMSUNG ODYSSEY ARKThe Odyssey Ark is Samsung’s attempt to make multimonitor setups obsolete. At 55in, this behemoth is one of the largest gaming monitors available, but its size isn’t the only eyebrow raiser. The 4k mini-LED display with its 1,056 local dimming zones, 165Hz refresh rate, Freesync Premium Pro support, 1ms pixel response time, and 1000 R curve doesn’t leave many boxes unticked. It even.comes with a remote. And if you’re putting this on your gaming desk you better make sure the legs are reinforced, because this big boy tips the scales at 41.5kg.Rtba / samsung.com/za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022The alternatives: More folding fanciesBEST FOR HYBRID WORKERSMicrosoft Surface Duo 2from R17 500 (import) / grooves.landWhat’s the story?Microsoft’s second-gen effort continues to keep things (relatively) simple, with two separate inward-facing displays held together by a tiny but tough hinge. There’s nothing going on outside save for a trio of cameras, and the whole thing is a pencil-thin 11mm when folded.Is it any good?Software was a dog’s dinner at launch, but things are much improved now. Apps play nicely side by side, with gesture controls for swapping them around and better full-screen support. The twin OLED screens are detailed and colourful, but have thick top and bottom bezels that ruin the sci-fi vibe a bit - and it’s impossible to ignore the gap between the panels when watching videos full-screen.Key specsScreen 8.3in combined (2x 5.8in)…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022NOW APP THESEMICROSOFT LENSThis brilliant app is designed for taking photos of whiteboards, documents and presentations and turning them into readable, editable text. It can export to PDF, Word, PowerPoint and Excel, making for a great way to store and share important info.Rfree / Android, iOS, WindowsNOTABILITYThere are lots of note-taking apps for iPad, but if you have an Apple Pencil then Notability is the perfect partner. It’s not just for notes: you can use it to create anything from study guides to storyboards. You’ll need to subscribe (R60/m) for unlimited note-taking.Rfree (IAP) / iPadOS…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022CAFE CREATIVETESTED MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP GO 2Rtba / microsoft.comMicrosoft’s Go series is all about bringing bits of its most expensive laptops to those who haven’t got a fortune to spend; and the Laptop Go 2 is good-looking, extremely portable and admirably powerful… as long as you pick the top-spec model.At 15.7mm thick and weighing just 1.13kg, portability is excellent. It’s made of aluminium and plastic, as opposed to the Magnesium alloys of other Surface models, but the feel and finish don’t fall far below the high standards of the range. The slightly cut-down QWERTY lacks a backlight, but for most people that’s only likely to be an issue in a power cut.Killer screenMicrosoft loves its tall displays, and this 12.4in 3:2 touchscreen is arguably more comfortable to work on than a…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022ROAD WARRIORAMAZON ECHO AUTOR800 / geewiz.co.zaThe main goal here is simple: get Alexa into the car so you can use it to summon music and weather, set reminders or get train times. It’s also ideal for capturing those thoughts you have while you’re driving along and adding them to your to-do list. You can even switch on your living-room lights or heating as you arrive home.This slim device can plug into nearly any car - it’s powered via USB - and it runs through your ride’s own speakers, It’s the closest thing we’ve yet had to Knight Rider’s KITT so lap it up even if it means that Amazon dominates yet another of your spaces.Gimme some ’toothEcho Auto took a while to get in gear (sorry), appearing in the US first…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022BIG CHEESENOW ADD THESEFRISKA PRIMO STANDING DESKCombining Swedish style with modern tech, this gorgeous standing desk has dual motors for effortless, quiet and reliable adjustment. It’s one of the quickest around, and you can adjust it from a wheelchair-friendly 615mm to 1300mm.R26 000 (import) / friskadesk.comSAMSUNG 49” ODYSSEY NEO G9 DQHDThere are wide monitors, and then there are wiiiiiiiiiiiiide monitors. This huge Samsung is one of the latter, a 49in display with a curved 5120×1440 panel and 240Hz refresh rate. It’s probably overkill for Excel, but you want the best…R28 000 / incredible.co.zaAPPLE ¡PAD PRO 12.9INAlthough we hear an even larger iPad is on the way, this is the biggest and best tab that Apple currently makes-and the most expensive too, coming in at over £2k if you go for 2TB…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022This steal’s on fireNokia G50What’s the story?The G50 is a big-screened Android phone that serves up fast mobile data speeds, commanding styling and stonking value. Better suited to bags and baggy pockets than skinny jeans, it’s the chunkiest phone in this test. It also misses out on a Full HD screen.What you are getting is a respectable amount of power and storage, as well as a long-lasting battery. If you can find room in your life for the Nokia G50, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better 5G phone for less.Is it any good?You can’t argue with the G50’s mobile internet speeds, screen size and battery life. But before you buy it, it’s worth asking yourself if you actually need 5G. If your area isn’t covered yet, or you don’t think you’ll make…9 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022EASY WRITERSIA WRITEROn iPhone and iPad, this app starts out one step up from a typewriter. But beneath its minimalist veneer are powerful options that allow you to adjust the interface, link docs and much more. On Android it’s more basic.R900/iOS Rfree or R400/AndroidBEARA friendly take on plain-text editing, Bear is less opinionated than iA Writer, with fewer writing aids and more aesthetic settings. It’s also cheaper (free if you don’t need cross-device sync). A good bet if you just want to dip a toe into writing in Markdown.Rfree(IAP)/iOSRUFFAn app for people who deem the two entries above not minimal enough, Ruff opens with a blank page and invites you to type. And that’s it, bar a few formatting options, live word count and export. Banish the ads for four quid.Rfree…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022GRID, INTERRUPTEDINVERTERS AND UPS’sIf you’re still going to rely mainly on electricity, you need something to store it in so you can have power during load shedding - that’ll be one or more batteries - and you’ll need something called an inverter, a small box that makes a whirring fan noise and changes the current from DC to AC and back again. Plug it in to charge when Eskom power is on, plug your devices into it during load shedding.Smaller ones will run a PC and a few lights, the big ones will light up your house, power your TV and several other appliances. If you don’t want any break in supply - the kind that crashes your computer - when Eskom cuts power, you’ll want a more expensive uninterrupted power…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Mini memeEVERY DAY IS LIKE SUN PLAYHorizon ChaseThis unashamed love letter to classic arcade racers is like the dazzling offspring of Out Run and Top Gear, as you blaze along twisty roads in gorgeous retro-infused landscapes. Although ‘weather’ does appear from time to time, you’ll mostly gawp at the perfect blue skies… right up until the moment you stupidly smash into a tree, thereby relinquishing any hope of taking the chequered flag.Rfree (IAP) / Android, iOSSuper Cat Tales 2Since the days of Super Mario and Sonic, it’s been gaming law that platform games start in beautiful Sunny locations suspiciously full of deadly foes. Super Cat Tales 2 has all that, and adds a two-thumb control system that’s ideal for mobile. It also occasionally has your moggy obliterate its enemies by way of massive shooty tanks. That…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022High way to DellFrom R35 000 / incredible.co.zaMinimalism: it’s not just an art movement. Doing more with less is one of 2022’s biggest tech trends, and now Dell is getting involved. Flat is where it’s at for the XPS 13 Plus, a head-turning ultraportable that builds on everything we love about the firm’s compact laptops.And less really is more here: ‘Plus’ means a beefier CPU than what you’ll find in an XPS 13, as well as an invisible touchpad, a flush keyboard and a row of light-up function keys. Just don’t call it a Touch Bar.Our review unit came with a 12-core Intel i7-1260P chip, paired with 32GB of RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD (adding up to £1949), but you can spec it up to an even more potent i7-1280P. There are…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022INSTANT UPGRADES CANON EOS R6ONE RODE WIRELESS GO IIYou’ve upgraded your video by buying this excellent mirrorless camera; now all you need to do is level up your audio - so cut the cords for some wireless action. This set of compact mics can send their sound to your camera by way of a receiver, and can also be hooked up to bigger, better mics for even higher-quality wireless sound.R6 900 / takealot.comTWO ANKER 537 POWER BANKThe EOS R6 is part of a new wave of cameras that can charge via USB-C, but for that you’ll need a charger that’s compliant with power delivery (PD). Anker has this massive 26,800mAh USB-C PD power bank, able to refill your battery over 10 times for all-day shoots and weekends away.R2 600 [import] / uk.anker.comTHREE OWC ATLAS…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022THEN GET THESE…HUAWEI HEALTHYou need this app to set up the GT 3 Pro, It’s your hub for exercise records, watch faces and more. In fact, without it your watch won’t even tell the time.RfreeARTERIAL STIFFNESS DETECTIONTo see just how old you really are, open Huawei’s Health app on your phone, and under devices select the watch to activate this feature.RfreeCALCULATORYou won’t need to pull your phone out for those quick calculations thanks to this free and almost finger-friendly app. Download it from your Watch’s AppGallery (within the Health app).Rfree…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022BETA YOURSELF iOS 16GET STARTEDGet your locks offBorrowing a trick from the Apple Watch, iOS 16 lets you tap-hold a lock screen to add new ones and swap between them. Each lock screen can be customised - tap above and below the clock to add widgets that resemble Apple Watch complications. This is ideal for at-a-glance weather reports, alarms and more.Find your FocusIn iOS 15, Apple moved beyond Do Not Disturb with the context-sensitive Focus; that system now goes deeper. Each lock screen can have a Focus attached, to help you quickly identify and switch setups. And Focus Filters in Settings let you filter inboxes, group Safari tabs and more, basdd on your selected Focus.Share your snapsIn Settings > Photos > Shared Library, you can create an iCloud Shared Photo Library. This allows…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Hangin’ slightly less toughThe world of Rollerdrome may be harsh and care little for who’s defeated in this dangerous bloodsport, but luckily the game itself is more accommodating. There are accessibility options including difficulty modifiers to make the action more manageable for those who are sick of seeing the ‘Eliminated’ screen a little too often.Want to adjust it so you take less damage from enemy attacks… or are invincible? Go for it. Want to enjoy infinite ammo instead of needing to pull stunts every time, or not have a timer for slow-motion? You can do that and more, and even set it so you needn’t complete all the set challenges to finish the championship.Want to go the other way and make things even harder? Devil-may-care thrillseekers will be delighted to discover there’s an…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022WIRELESS AND SMART SPEAKERS1 HOT BUYSonos RoamR3 000 / takealot.comLook, the Sonos Roam isn’t the very best speaker you’re going to encounter at this price point, but it’s certainly one of the most skilled. Integrating with your other Sonos kit but equally capable on its own, the Roam loves to do just that. Well-rounded audio is a given and the battery is ample, if not the full ten hours Sonos claims to offer you. Sound Swap hands off to nearby speakers, Trueplay tunes to your space and it supports both Alexa and Google Assistant.Stuff saysSonos finally got a Move on, but even that has to make way for this portable powerhouseJBL Charge 5from R3 000 / takealot.comThere’s a lot to commend this portable sonic tube. It’s compact enough to Jake anywhere, it’ll last…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022HOT FIVE #2HORIZON ZERO BORNE Backbone One PlayStation EditionWay back in 2011, the year that Game Of Thrones first graced our tellies, the News Of The World printed its final paper and Steve Jobs stepped down from Apple, the tech world couldn’t stop speculating about when Sony would release a PlayStation phone. Finally, the Xperia Play was unveiled and it was… a bit rubbish.Now, 11 years later, we’ve got what everyone imagined the Xperia Play would be like - and it’s not a phone at all. Slot your iPhone (sorry, Androids aren’t welcome for now) into the Backbone One PlayStation Edition, launch the PS Remote Play app and you’ve got the perfect way to stream games away from your console. Apart from the rather Xbox-y thumbstick arrangement everything else is in keeping…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022HOT FIVE #5GIMBAL RESPONSIBLY Insta360 LinkInsta360 normally makes cameras for people who like to spend their weekends kitesurfing or jumping off mountains. But what if the thing that gets your blood pumping is a 2pm Zoom call with the big boss?Capturing 4K footage at 30fps, or 1080p at 60fps, the Insta360 Link’s 1/2in sensor is sure to make a good impression, especially when its AI-assisted three-axis gimbal starts following you around the room. It also supports gesture controls to turn the tracking on and off or zoom in and out, plus there’s a variety of special modes like DeskView (toggling between a user’s face and their desktop) and Whiteboard (which zooms in on and enhances a designated area to share).The Link also offers HDR - requiring a drop to 1080p or 720p…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Everybody, Hertz! ALIENWARE M17R5Gamers will look for any competitive edge when it comes to playing online. A few grammes off the weight of the mouse or a couple of milliseconds off the reaction time of the keyboard can be the diiffirence between glorious victory and crushing defeat. Fort witch aimers seeking that extra advantage, Alienware’s M17 R5 is the first laptop that can be specced up (for well over R40 000) with a display that has a crazy-speedy 480Hz refresh rate. Elsewhere you can equip it with an AM D Ryzen9 6900HX processor, Radeon RX 6000 graphics, 64GB of RAM and 4TB of NVMe SSD storage — and if you can’t win with that kind Ofhard ware, it’s probably time to take up gardening instead.from R32 000 (import) / dell.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Blades of oary HYDROW WAVELike hunting, polo and wearing red trousers, rowing is usually a hobby reserved for rich people. Even doing it at home is expensive, but Hydrow’s new Wave costs $1000 less than its original rower. This Peloton-esque guided workout machine uses electromagnetic braking, polyester webbing and acustom-designed spring assembly to replicate the feeling of pulling yourself through the water, but without any risk of getting wet. You’ll still need a pretty big gaff to fit one in but it is slightly more compact and 30% lighter than before, with a smaller 16in touchscreen - so it should be easier to find space for even if you’re not minted enough to dedicatea whole wing to it.R26 300 (import) / hydrow.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022FIRST LOOK SKATE EXPECTATIONS?SKATE platforms tbaA full decade after the last instalment was released, EA announced in 2020 that a new Skate game was on the way - although at the time that ‘news’ was little more than two of its original creators appearing on a stream to say: “We’re doing it!” Since then, things have been a little quiet, except for an update last year confirming that anew team called Full Circle had been set up to develop the sequel.And now… well, the fact that this is a ‘first look’ makes it pretty clear that it’s still very early days for the project, bat at least we now know that it’s some sort of reboot, as it’s known simply as Skate.It’s rare for very early game foStage (or as the developers call…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022All hands on deckchair LOMOGRAPHY LA SARDINA ACAPULCO CALETAIf Lomography’s oddball 35mm film cameras aren’t quite wacky enough for you, the finish on this special edition should raise a smile even if the sun isn’t shining: each camera uses striped fabric cut from a different piece of cloth, so no two are identical. Based on the Irwin Kandor Candid camera of the 1930s, which was designed around a sardine can,it has a 22mm focal length, a 65cm focusing distance and agiamt flash attachment. Like most Lomos, the camera packs in a few creative shooting modes, including multi-exposure stacking. Now all you need is somewhere to develop your prints.R2 200 (import) / shop.lomography.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Back by popular demand LOGITECH G502 X PLUSThe Logitech G502, and its many revisions, is one of the best-selling gaming mice on the market. We were eager to see if Logitech has tinkered with it enough to set the G502 XPlus apart from its best. Perhaps it’s more a case of it if ain’t broke, don’t fix it. The spotlight features fans can look forward to are Logitech’s new Lightforce hybrid optical-mechanical switches,the same popular ergonomic shape with angular stylings, and Logitech’s Hero 25k sensor. And of course, it wouldn't be a wireless gaming mouse without RGB.R3 000 / logitech.com…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022The price of being Zen ASUS ZENBOOK 17 FOLD2022 seems to be the year of thefoldable. Asus skipped making a folding smartphone and jumped straight to a folding laptop. The Zenbook 17 Fold has, as you might’ve guessed, a 17.3in foldable OLED touchscreen. It also features support for Dolby Vision, is Pantone validated, and is Display HDR True Black 500 certified, in case you needed any more reasons to get excited. And that’s just the display. Asus has packed in a 12th-gen Core 17 GPU, 16GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD to make sure the internals can keep up.R70 000 /asus.com/za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022STREAMThis month’s new-to-streaming selection includes the friendly chap opposite revealing the secrets of his daily skincare regimePinocchioMixing live action with CGI, this is not a Boris Johnson biopic but a reworking of fhe classic Disney animated movie - and it’s coming Straight to streaming. It stars Tom Hanks as Geppetto, the lonely woodcarver who whips himself up a son in the workshop, as well as Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Cynthia Erivo and Luke Evans.Film / Disney+, 8 SeptDo RevengeHigh school meets Hitchco*ck in this twisted black comedy starring Camila Mendes and Maya ‘Robin from Stranger Things with the famous parents’ Hawke. The pair play students from opposite sides of the campus divide who form an unlikely team in order to exact vengeance on the bullies and jocks who caused both their downfalls.Film…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022FINEST WORK THRONGTESTED APPLE MACBOOK AIR M2from R24 000 / incredibie.co.zaThe wedge is history. Two years after Apple shoved its own-brand M1 chip inside an existing MacBook Air frame, the skinniest laptop in its range has had a complete overhaul both inside and out.The 2022 edition is perfectly flat - and thin at 11.3mm. That’s way less than its predecessor’s 16.1mm maximum and almost half a centimetre thinner than any MacBook Pro. We thought we’d miss the wedge design; we don’t. The keyboard and ginormous trackpad are great for extended word-smashing sessions.Shiny happy peepholeThe reduced and refined screen bezels look smart. Yes, there’s a notch, but it’s less Of an issue here than on a phone, and Apple has wisely moved the menu bar up into it.Brightness is up from 400 to…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022NOW APP THESETRIPITIf you travel a lot then you’ll love Triplt. This app makes it easy to organise all your travel documents, from airline boarding passes and e-tickets to car hire and hotel reservations. This means all your bits are in one place, and the automation features are brilliant.Rfree (IAP) / iOS, AndroidTRANSLATEApple, Google and Microsoft all make excellent translation apps that are useful for business travel and holidays alike, with easy translation of signs and menus as well as real-time translation of conversations. If you aren’t multilingual, one of these is a must-have.Rfree iOS, Android…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022NOW APP THESETHINGSWe have tried very many productivity apps over the years, but Things remains our favourite for freelancing and solo home working. It makes it easy to track projects, personal stuff and calendar events, and perhaps most importantly of all it’s really fast.R200 / (iOS)MICROSOFT TO DOMicrosoft’s free app is a wonderful task and time manager, and because it’s cross-platform you can use it across all kinds of devices including PCs and Android phones, as well as on anything with a browser. It’s fast, simple and useful.Rfree / Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, web…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022NOW TRY THISUSE YOUR HOTSPOTIf you have a flagship phone such as a Galaxy or iPhone, use your personal hotspot feature to connect tablets or laptops to the phone’s 4G/5G via short-range Wi-Fi. Just make sure you have enough data allowance first.LISTEN AND LEARNOne of our top productivity tips is to listen to audiobooks and podcasts while driving, using apps like Overcast (iPhone) or Pocket Casts (Android). It’s a great way to catch up on heavy business reading.LOCATE A DATEGet into the habit of adding locations to your calendar entries. That way your phone can give you a reminder when it’s time to leave based on current traffic conditions. It could save you from being horribly late.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022FREQUENT FLYERTESTED LG GRAM 16 [2022]from R27 000 [import] / lg.comAlaptop with a 16in screen should be something of a beast but LG’s Gram range has always focused on weight… or the lack of it. While LG hasn’t quite managed to get it down to the single gram that the name suggests, it still weighs in at a full kilo less than the 2021 version of Apple’s 16in MacBook Pro with M1 Max, which tips the scales to a fiendish 2.2kg.That’s quite incredible when you consider the power on offer here. It’s made from the same magnesium alloy that’s used to build planes so it’s tough too, and may even take off if you throw it hard enough - although that will almost certainly void your warranty.Like a squarePerhaps inevitably the…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 20223 OF THE BEST Running shoesAsics Gel-Cumulus 24What’s the story?Designed for versatility, the Gel-Cumulus 24 isn’t a lightweight speed machine: it’s all about comfort and softness, with extra FF Blast (no, we’ve no idea either) cushioning. Unlike some shoes designed for pure speed, these make your feet feel enveloped in foam. At 286g, they’re available in black and grey colours, but our review sample came in a great-looking orange and blue colourway.Are they any good?Designed for neutral runners, these Asics are excellent all-rounders - although if you need extra support you’ll want to look elsewhere. Certainly after testing numerous lightweight shoes, we found them a welcome return to something a bit more comfortable. They’re ideal if you want to run somewhere but also need to be able to walk around afterwards.Price R3 080 / takealot.comStuff…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022HELLO DARKNESS MY OLD FRIENDDYNAMICS OF POWERIf you can’t get enough Eskom electricity, you can just make your own, using sunshine or diesel. One’s cheap and noisy, the other’s neither. And there’s gas, too.pg62SAVED BY THE APPOf course there are apps to save you from eternal darkness. Some good, some bad, all local. But will you have enough cellphone battery left to use them?pg64GRID INTERRUPTEDIn Top Gun, yes. But in load shedding, an inverter is a gadget that changes current from AC to DC and back again. You’re going to need one. And maybe a UPS too.pg64CREATURE COMFORTSIf you haven’t gone off the grid, these are the gadgets that will keep you and your household functioning when Eskom has decided to take the day off.pg66BY THE NUMBERSYou’re going to have to figure out the…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022PROTECT YOUR TECHPower surges are common when the electricity comes back on, and they’re not good for electronically-controlled devices over time.The best protection is to unplug them, but you can’t be doing that several times a day. You can have whole-house surge protection wired in by an electrician, but the quickest and cheapest solution to protect electronics in TV’s, computers and fridges is to use fuseequipped power strips. Replace them after every few years or after a serious surge, though.When voltage surges after load shedding blow appliances they can to start fires, Not often, but it happens. So invest in a fire extinguisher as well.…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Ballad of PC riserR16 300 (import) / sony.comMister space–spanSony has been sure to style the M9 so it matches the PS5. The tripod-style stand looks neat and largely keeps away from where your keyboard and mouse are likely to be, but it needs a lot of desk space for a 27in monitor.Chestnut pairConnectivity includes DisplayPort 1.4, USB-C (with DP Alt mode) and two HDMI 2.1 ports. Both of these can only do 4K at 120Hz; DisplayPort is good for 144Hz. Inputs change automatically when a signal is detected.The M9’s 4K IPS panel offers very good viewing angles and overly saturated out-of-the-box colours. This gives games plenty of punch, with vibrant hues to go with ample brightness, but it’s a pain if you’re also going to use it for work and need accuracy.Full Array…2 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022Wear ever I may roamfrom R12 000 | samsung.com/zaSamsung has given smartwatch fans a tough choice with its new Galaxy Watch line-up. Do you go thin and slim with the 40mm Galaxy Watch5, plump for the bigger-screened 44mm version, or step up again to the 45mm Watch5 Pro?All three share the same internal hardware, with multiple fitness sensors and one of Samsung’s own Exynos CPUs running the show. They all run a version of Google’s Wear OS software too. But it's the flagship model that stands out in more than a few ways.It might look utilitarian, but beneath the big bezel is a more premium build using tougher materials, and a double-stuff battery for multiple days of fitness tracking. It’ll also more accurately track your sleep, and has more customisation options than the standard…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022THEN GET THESE…CANON CAMERA CONNECTThe R6 can pair wirelessly with this phone/iPad app. It’s great for transferring photos-though it makes for a laggy live viewfinder.Rfree / Android, iOSINSHOT PROEdit videos from your R6 on a mobile or tablet with InShot, an editing tool that comes pre-loaded with a ton of templates and transitions.R170/yr / Android R230/yr / i0SCANON EOS WEBCAM UTILITYMac and Windows users can really up their Zoom game by downloading the EOS Webcam Utility and using their full-frame DSLR as a fancy cinematic webcam.Rfree / canon.co.za…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022INSTANT UPGRADES SONY XPERIA 1 IVONE VLOG MONITORWhy use the Xperia 1 IV’s front camera for vlogging when Sony loads up three way better cameras round the back? Hook up the Vlog Monitor to unlock the best quality possible as you frame up your shots with its 3.5in HD screen. And thanks to a cold shoe mount and mic input, you can also boost the audio for upgraded quality all round.R3 400 (import) / sony.co.ukTWO DJI OM 5DJI’s fine-looking gimbal keeps your footage steady in style. With a removable magnetic clamp, it won’t hold your Xperia hostage, letting you switch between incredibly smooth video and handheld photography with ease. ActiveTrack 4.0 makes everything smarter as the OM 5 follows your subject, and this gimbal even doubles as an extending selfie-stick.R2 860 / takealot.comTHREE SONY WH-1000XM5You’ll…3 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022UPDATED iOS APPSWEATHERThe Weather app looks much the same, but tap any module and you can now dig into details - for example, to view sunset times and averages, UV values throughout the day, and rain predictions across a week. The map’s changed too, with fluid rainfall visuals ripped from Dark Sky.MESSAGESNew collaboration features make sharing documents easy in Messages, but you’ll be more interested in editing and deleting messages, or marking them as unread. Note: undo is limited to 15 minutes, editing retains a history, and neither is backwards-compatible.NOTESQuick Notes are now on iPhone, but adding one isn’t the same as on iPad: you use Control Centre (after first adding Quick Note to it in Settings), the share sheet or the context menu after selecting text. Notes itself also gets handy…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022GADGET DOCTORALWAYS ON CALL facebook.com/stuffsa • @StuffSA stuff@stuff.co.zaMAIL OF THE MONTHQ WOMEN IN TECH Your Women In Tech article in the Stuff August-September issue was great. I didn’t expect to see actual flesh and blood people in Stuff. Usually everything I see in Stuff has a screen and a power cable, which is the stuff we all buy it for. Those women are amazing, doing remarkable things, and Kim Zulu is the only one with a screen and a power cable. Can you feature them or South Africans like them again? They are so inspiring, I would like to know more about the amazing things they’re doing. AudreyA They are inspiring, every one of them. Readers, let us know at stuff@stuff.co.za If we should give you a line-up of our top…4 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022CONSOLESPlayStation 5from R13 000 / koodoo.co.zaNext-gen is finally here and it’s looking better than ever. The PlayStation 5 is a behemoth of a console and that size isn’t just for show. Games load faster and look better than ever before thanks to the new solid state drive and the actual machine is quieter than ever. Then there’s the DualSense 5 controller which is just… monumentally cool. Alongside a stellar lineup of launch games, Sony has really outdone itself with its latest console, justifying that price tag. The PS5 is an amazing console all round.Stuff saysAn amazing controller and some solid launch titles make for a great kick off to next-gen gamingXbox Series XR11 800 / game.co.zaMicrosoft’s new console is a beast of a bit of hardware. It’s also a far…1 min
Stuff Magazine South Africa|October/November 2022GAMES1 HOT BUY• TIPS & TRICKS • When you first start playing, follow the story until you unlock Residium. Once there, and you’re able to save items, you can branch out and start exploring. • Pay attention to the time of day Moving areas will advance time, and each area behaves differently depending on what time of day it is.Deathloopfrom R1070 / PC, PS5What if you were caught in the same day, over and over again, until you completed an almost impossible task? That’s the idea behind Deathloop - players become Colt; an assassin tasked with killing the eight Visionaries causing the time loop he’s trapped in. The creators of Dishonored and Prey combine parkour, stealth, gunplay, and movement skill to create this highly unusual first-person shooter. There’s also a…2 min
