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Tech Outdoors SA’s LARGEST TECH MAGAZINE tech smart TM getting smart with technology Panasonic Toughbook U1 FREE Edimax 3G Router Second Sight iPhone 3G S Why Augmented Reality might change the world WIN! Uncapped WIN! Internet WIN! for a year TECH OUTDOORS www.techsmart.co.za ISSUE 72 September 2009 4 EDITORIAL CONTENTS TechSmart 72 his September we Features Thave a lot to celebrate 12 A Gadget Guide for Bear’s Crew at TechSmart. Not only is 13 Tech we Talk about when we Talk about Running spring here but we’ve also been certified for Regulars distributing 99 091 6 Letters copies per month by the 8 Smart Celeb: Riaan Manser Audit Bureau of 10 Tech News Circulation, making us 11 Sci News officially the largest 26 The Big Issue: Augmented Reality Consumer SciTech 13 27 Industry Expert: Aki Anastasiou publication in the country 28 How To: Loving your Laptop by far. TechSmart.co.za 30 DIY Dude: Custom printing is also growing at a 34 NetSmart: DIY VPN searing pace, receiving 36 Web Time Wasters more than a 1000 visitors a day. Thanks for your support, and we Mobiles must say we’re having a blast bringing you all the top tech. 14 Samsung B2100 Seeing as it’s our outdoor issue we interview adventurer 14 HTC Snap and all round nice guy Riaan Manser, who just returned from 16 iPhone 3G S kayaking round Madagascar. There’s also our review of the beautiful Apple iPhone 3G S and we talk to 702’s Aki PC Hardware Anastasiou, our Top Tech Tweeter, about life in the social 18 HP TouchSmart tx2 Tablet PC media fast lane. 19 Acer Veriton N260G 26 19 Evetech Intel Core i7 Custom Built Power PC Mike Joubert <[email protected]> 22 Edimax 802.11b/g 3G Router I’m holding HP’s multi-touch tx2 tablet PC (review on p18). 22 Billion Wireless-N HomePlug AV 200 23 Plustek OpticBook A300 Book Scanner Copyright © 2009. All rights reserved. No material, text or photo graphs may be reproduced, copied or in any other way transmitted without the Gadgets written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are not necessarily 23 ATV 4 GB Flash Memory 16 those of the publisher or of the editor. We recognise all trademarks and logos as the sole property of their respective owners. TechSmart shall not 23 Sunbeam LAN Party Bag be liable for any errors or for any actions in reliance thereon. All prices 24 SANYO Xacti HD2000 Dual Camera were correct at time of going to print. 24 RCA Small Wonder EZ209HD Video Camera 25 Mecer BT-135L Universal Battery Books 25 Digital Photography: The Missing Manual 25 Take your Photography to the Next Level Education 31 The Photoshop Teacher PS3 Games 38 Call of Juarez 2 Competitions 18 29 Win: Uncapped ADSL for a year Editor Mike Joubert > 083-290-2889 99 091 [email protected] copies per month Executive Editor Consumer: SciTech Suzanne Grobler > 083-742-6370 [April - June 2009] [email protected] Business Manager George Grobler > 083-460-0402 Published by [email protected] Advertising Suzanne Grobler > 083-742-6370 [email protected] Hein Slabbert > 082-442-8607 [email protected] Anelda Strauss > 083-748-3413 [email protected] SMARTPUBLISHING Designer & Layout Brett Wilson MASS MEDIA SPECIALISTS Contributors Mike Joubert [MJ], Thomas McKinnon [TM], Linda Pretorius [LP], Zombie Distributed by Kitty [ZK], Johan Bouwer [JB], Andrew Gould [AG] Accounts & Subscriptions Ronel Keet > 012-362-2732 Online Editor Thomas McKinnon smart distribution [email protected] 30 600. The number of unique visitors TechSmart.co.za received in August 2009. received 30 600. The number of unique visitors TechSmart.co.za techsmart.co.za l September 09 6 LETTERS Write to us at [email protected] Last month we asked: What are your concerns about the Rica Act? We received some interesting replies. Fast Fact Letter of the Month What does AIO or MFP Hi Adam, mean? The amount of letters we All-in-One or multi- Dear TechSmart, received on Rica was function refers to the In principal I don’t have a problem with astounding, all of them fairly additional functions like Rica – a set of laws to make South Africa pessimistic. We have to see what president fax, photo, scan and safer. The problem, as always, is the courts create when ordinary citizens copy, these printers enforcement. In South Africa, we don’t start facing criminal prosecution thanks to offer. have a culture of obeying laws. We don’t not reporting stolen or lost SIM cards. have a culture of enforcing them either. Congrats with winning the Lexmark X6675 I see a similar thing happening with wireless 4-in-1 (with a 5-year guarantee), Rica. The timelines are too short. The sponsored by Lexmark. –Mike number of SIM cards too many. The procedures too cumbersome. The Hi TS, penalties too harsh… And the number of There are many positives that could’ve come Letters shortened due to space restrictions. law abiding cellphone users are multi- from this, but for now the only people who tudinous! If I sell or lose my phone, there will not be affected by this new Act are the ain’t no ways in Hades I’ll be able to actual criminals! I mean, now I lose my comply with the exact requirements of phone or it’s stolen and I don’t report it, then Rica. By extension, this will eventually suddenly I’m a criminal! What’s the point of Question: make a felon of every South African with reporting it? So now the cops know that my What can we change on a cellphone. phone has been stolen and been used, then www.techsmart.co.za to The sole purpose of government is to what? To my knowledge, SIM cards stay make it better? Share your provide an environment in which good active for a long time after having been thoughts by emailing us on business can take place. Under this blacklisted even. So the only result of this [email protected]. definition, Rica is a bonehead of a plan. whole Act is innocent people being Our government should be spending their inconvenienced and possibly fined or jailed, Our Letter of the Month time, energy, and finances enforcing the while the criminals still run riot! It is a noble wins this incredible laws we already have, instead of making idea and obviously there will be some speed Lexmark X6675 wireless new laws that are impossible to bumps, but this Act should have been refined 4-in-1 with a 5-year implement. http://tinyurl.com/techsept far more before being made public like this. guarantee. (Also available Adam Phillips Denzil van der Merwe from IT retailers.) Reduce your phone bill Wireless Internet Get up to 50% or even 100% reduction with a VOIP solution from Vox Telecom – a JSE listed company. from R49 per month* from R49 Business opportunities available for entrepreneurs with low start-up costs and great income potential. Free assessment, signal HSDPA – Save between 22% – 57% testing and quote in the • Free SIM & Connection on landline and cellphone convenience of your home • 2 Months free calls and up to 60% on overseas calls because our call rates are cheaper. NetworkingNetworking SolutionsSolutions – Receive up to 40c/min rebates on incoming calls. – Vox-2-Vox calls are FREE! – Solutions for everybody, WebWeb hostinghosting from home users to SMEs. – No contract periods. If it doesn’t work, you fromfrom R15R15 per month* simply give it back. No questions asked. Going Wireless Visit www.aboutvox.co.za for more information on the Vox ADSL phone, Vox PBX, VOIP gateways for existing PBXs, and Visit our website for great monthly specials the most cost-effective ADSL access on the market. R25/GB R50/GB www.goingwireless.co.za for local only access and for international access. 087-808-6008 / 082-926-0755 Contact us on 082-655-4787 or [email protected] Email: [email protected] * Terms & Conditions Apply Web: www.aboutvox.co.za €18-million. EU investment in 4th gen Long Term Evolution (LTE) Advanced technology for mobile broadband. Advanced (LTE) Evolution in 4th gen Long Term €18-million. EU investment 8 SMART CELEB Riaan Manser Real men don’t drink pink drinks, they take a kayak and paddle 5000 km round Madagascar. Riaan Manser rose to fame when he trekked around Africa on a bike, and his latest adventure in Madagascar proved just as challenging. He talks to us about finding your way in a storm, grannies in Simon’s Town and manual tooth extracon. hat piece of technology was vital to the success of Wyour journey? My Garmin GPS. Geez, it still amazes me how they work so effectively in even the harshest conditions. Many times I’d be 10 km out in open sea; on the little 5 m kayak of course; dur- ing vicious storms and all I could rely on with accuracy was my Garmin to tell me where I was and what direction I should be paddling in! What video camera did you use? Sony South Africa came onboard in a grand way and made sure I had the best HD handycams available. The quality of the footage speaks for itself. The waterproof housings though were what Sony really wanted tested. And trust me, they were tested properly. I can break anything! National Geographic are putting together the three part series. HD quality still amazes http://tinyurl.com/techsept me.
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