Issue October 2018 - Stuff Magazine South Africa (2024)

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Stuff Magazine, the world's best-selling gadget & technology magazine. Stuff is your expert, up to the minute guide on gadgets, gear, technology - and how to play with them. Our expert reviews and tests sort the best from the rest in digital cameras, cellphones, computers, games, fashion, wheels, lifestyle products and the weird and wonderful. Stuff is a magazine about technology, but it’s more about how a product looks and how it fits into the reader’s life.

in this issue

IN THIS ISSUEWELCOMEBy the time you read this, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will’ve been on sale for three-and-a-bit weeks, and we will’ve been using one for five. Right now, here in the past, we’re mighty impressed. Nothing we throw at it can even make it stutter, and we don’t even mind the yellow S Pen that comes with the blue version. Head to p8 for a first look, and then to p63 for a first feel of the best (and biggest) Samsung phone you can buy.When you read this we have no doubt more details about the new iPhone will be out in the world, too. We’re expecting more options, more megapixels, more storage… and to have to part with more rands to get it. Who says we learn nothing from…2 min

IN THIS ISSUEOUR MONTHI PRESENTED WITH PANACHEIf you’ve ever conducted a presentation, you’ll know that despite every other gadget getting upgrades faster than most can keep up, the clicker’s been stuck in the past. In the age of Apple design aesthetic, most clickers look like they were designed by a rugby player. But Logitech – maker of so many compact, beautiful things – have reinvented the humble clicker and turned it into an object of minimalist excellence where form does match function. In grey, silver or rose gold aluminium, the Spotlight resembles an Apple TV remote, sits comfortably in your hand, and has only three buttons. Plus, Logitech says it has a range of 100 metres. It’s an overdue, and welcome, upgrade.Toby Shapshak, Publisher and Editor-in-chiefI DIED A THOUSAND NOBLE DEATHSIn building up…2 min

HOT STUFFS PEN A LITTLE TIME WITH MEForget me NoteIn keeping with the Note9’s ‘bigger is better’ philosophy, there’s a borderline ridiculous 512GB version – and if even that’s not enough, you can make it 1TB with a 512MB microSD.Cam-do attitudeThe Note9 has a similar dual-rear-cam setup to the S9+, but gains an ‘intelligent’ mode that optimises your shot and tells you when someone’s ruined it by blinking.PC does itWith DeX functionality built into the Note9, there’s no need for a dock (although you’ll need an HMDI adaptor). DeX allows you to use the phone as a makeshift PC. Add a monitor and you’re off.Buying a phone from Samsung’s Galaxy Note line is a bit like dining at an all-you-can-eat restaurant. In the same way that a fourth plate of spicy chicken wings is probably a bit…2 min

HOT STUFFBEST BOT TO ASKcompletion HearingThanks to his four-mic array, Vector can pinpoint where sound is coming from. He’ll be as disappointed as the neighbours when you start loudly cursing while watching rugby.Juice monitorWhen Vector starts to feel tired, he’ll automatically roll back to his charging station and park himself there until he’s raring to go again. That’s more than we can manage after a night in the club.We’re still some way off having house robots that’ll hand you breakfast as you dash out of the door. But if you can manage your expectations just a smidge, we think you’re going to get on famously with Vector.Not only can this little fella recognise your face and play games like his playful sibling Cozmo – he can also take requests, in the same way that…1 min

HOT STUFFDEATH OF THE DSLRThrice to meet youWith that new mount, optic experts have been liberated and have created three new lenses: a 24-70mm f/4, plus 35mm and 50mm prime lenses with f/1.8 max apertures.The cine fileThe Z6 is capable of 8K timelapses, while shooting standard 4K and HD at 120p. It’ll also do focus peaking, zebra stripes and even time-coding. In short, you could make a blockbuster movie with it.A moment’s silence is in order for probably the biggest camera story of the year. Nikon, the choice of DSLR diehards everywhere, has made a pivotal entrance onto shutter island with the Z6: its first mirrorless camera.Just like your dad’s dress sense, Nikon hasn’t changed its mount for 100 years, but the Z6 will see the company’s largest and most exciting mount yet, with…1 min

HOT STUFFRUNNING AWAY WITH ITSeven heavenFive-day battery life on the Charge 2 was hardly laughable, but your overworked sockets will be pleased to learn Fitbit has (at least on paper) upped it to a full week for the new model.Pressing matterThe demands of waterproofing led Fitbit to design the Charge 3 with no physical buttons. Instead, the function button on the side is now inductive.Once upon a time families would war over the TV remote and who pinched the last Magnum, but there’s no time for such squabbles in 2018 – not when Dad’s got his marginally superior daily step count to brag about.Fitbit’s latest, the Charge 3, has all the fitness features you could need: a 24/7 heart-rate monitor, sleep tracking, 50m water-resistance and 15 exercise modes including swimming. But this Charge packs…1 min

Issue October 2018 - Stuff Magazine South Africa (2024)

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