Stuff Magazine South Africa

It’s difficult to know what to write here this month. As this issue entered its final drive towards being a printed product, riots engulfed KwaZulu Natal and parts of Johannesburg. At present, there’s no resolution to the ongoing conflict and I’m not

You can’t beat a good reunion. First Robbie (briefly) rejoined Take That, then the cast of Friends got back together to compare facelift bills, and now Honor and Google have kissed and made up. It all started when Donald Trump (you remember him – ora

Rtba / vive.com Could this beefed-up VR headset eliminate motion blur and tummy troubles? Maybe, provided you’ve got the PC to run it… Performance gains are important all across the gadget-sphere, but with VR headsets you can really see them with y

When a publisher like Square Enix gets hold of the Marvel licence, you naturally expect big things – and even more so when the word ‘Avengers’ is uttered. But it’s fair to say last year’s video-game take on everyone’s favourite superhero collective

Looks like a happy chappy. This smiley little fella is a result of designers at Mercedes-Benz getting a bit creative. Based on the existing V-Class van, the Concept EQT is a look at what an electrified small van from the German brand might look like

Motoring journalist and famous grumpy person Jeremy Clarkson has to run a farm despite having no farming experience. What follows is, presumably, hilarious – because Clarkson is in it. We can only hope they give him an ailing plaas in the Free State

Sony is the reason there are so many brilliant active noise-cancelling true wireless earphones around right now. The company kicked the whole thing off in 2017 with the original WF-1000X buds, and since then everyone else has been playing catch-up –

R6 800 / e-piphany.co.za Yep, there’s room for one more on the ANC wireless bandwagon… and it’s French luxury hi-fi brand Devialet, bounding up to the top deck with a pair of surprisingly inexpensive in-ears that promise high-class sound and hi-tech

The iPad’s on-screen keyboard is serviceable, but it’s not great for lengthy work: tapping away on glass isn’t pleasant and the board takes up a lot of space. Apple’s Magic Keyboard costs almost as much as an entry-level iPad in itself, but pays its

For veteran artists and novice daubers alike, Procreate offers an ideal digital sketching and painting experience. Newcomers can get stuck in without being overwhelmed by palettes and features; old hands can delve into custom brushes, masks and effec

Think it’s unfair that your Android device gets some downtime when you don’t? Then put it to good use as a second screen for your PC or Mac by way of Duet Display. This also means you can interact with laggard computing platforms that haven’t yet emb

Sure, you can run these apps on your phone. But if you want to fully unleash the power of the best Android apps – with enough space to mix music or scribble a masterpiece – you need a larger canvas. The 12.4in OLED display on the Galaxy Tab S7+ gives

You’re blazing your way deep into overkill territory if you decide to buy Apple’s flagship iPhone just for its ability to display widgets. After all, this smartphone is primarily about the superb camera and, well, being the best phone Apple has ever

One of the new breed of weather apps, Overdrop is as much concerned with the user experience as it is with hurling facts at your eyes. With its Android widgets, though, it comes across like the designers couldn’t stop making new ones – and decided to

Rather than make you frantically search for your missing iPhone using Find My, PB blares an alarm (or plays a voice message) when it strays out of range. Luckily, this can be disabled when on home Wi-Fi, to avoid bedlam when you go for a wee and leav

Available in three slick styles with a multitude of straps, and packing Google’s Wear OS, the Fossil Gen 5 is far from a relic. An always-on display, swimproof design and 24hr extended battery life make it suitable for versatile everyday use; and if

Several of the apps on this spread require you to prop up your device for best effect. And that means you need to find a stand... unless you’ve welded a Moft to your phone or tablet. These adhesive stands add barely any bulk but cleverly fold out to

Although technically an animation tool, Looom feels like an experiment that crash-landed on your iPad from the future. Armed with an Apple Pencil, using Looom’s interface feels more like playing an instrument than using an app. It’s a relaxing way to

For parents, a calm mind comes from stopping the kids tearing around the house for a blissful several minutes. Your device can help – at least if you install Toca Life World. With its many and varied locations, characters and secrets for younglings t

It’s odd to think the Apple Watch used to be more focused on bling than wellbeing. These days Apple’s wearables are primarily about ongoing peace of mind. This can come from apps and reminders, but the devices also have plenty of health-monitoring fu

Modern phone cams have all kinds of anti-wobble tech baked in, but you’re still better off with a tripod. However, propping your phone up on uneven surfaces requires more than a typical three-legged gizmo. This is why a GorillaPod offers something ex

If you have designs on Hollywood, this is the camera app to get. It offers a slew of live analytics, controls and options for perfecting that guaranteed blockbuster of your dog. The sliders for focus and exposure/zoom are especially useful, putting y

Real-life cats aren’t impressed with humans thinking they own stuff, and so will quite happily swipe a priceless heirloom to the floor. In single-thumb leapy endless runner Crashy Cats, this kitty reasoning is taken to the extreme as a string of coll

Designed for gamers on the go, the wireless Cloud Buds manage to pack in Bluetooth 5.1, aptX HD and sizeable 14mm drivers for a scarcely believable price. Particular attention has been given to the in-line microphone so it copes with multiplayer comm

Pawing away at a glass screen is fine for games designed for touchscreen interaction; but when tackling console-orientated fare, you want a D-pad, sticks, triggers and buttons. In short, you want a Razer Kishi. Its innovative stretchy design means it

If you’ve played any Civ game, you’ll know the drill: start out with a settler, expand your civilisation and aim for the stars (or supervillain-style world domination). It’s deep, brilliant stuff and a marvel to see on a phone screen; and if you tire

Fresh from his adventures in superb mobile puzzler A Good Snowman, the titular monster heads for warmer climes. Keen to learn about humans, he explores sites dotted around islands, shoving over trees and rolling logs to create bridges. Responsible fo

Designed for Apple Arcade and other iPhone titles that support controllers, the Backbone is here to ease your route to the top of high-score tables and then to help you brag about it. Its stretchy form snugly fits any iPhone, and the combined entity

Rtba / consumer.huawei.com The Vision S looks like every other 65in flatscreen TV. The bezels are slim, as are the metal feet – which are very far apart, so your surface will need to be wide as well. The build is very plastic, but well put together.

The original iMac was revolutionary in 1998, but in recent years Apple’s all-in-one desktop has become stale. The innards kept pace with modern demands, but it’s been a decade since they did anything close to daring with the design. With this latest

Rtba (R7 000 est.) / huawei.com/za Huawei has made wearables for years, but the Watch 3 is the first one since 2017 that we can really call a proper smartwatch – that is, without following up with a bunch of apologies about how you can’t make calls

Rtba (R55 000 est.) / sony.co.za There’s nothing groundbreaking about what Sony’s trying to do with its new XR-A90J range of 4K HDR OLED TVs. Like every other TV maker that takes things seriously, it’s shooting for great picture quality, an intuitiv

from R3 200 / istore.co.za HDR formats Dolby Vision, HEVC, HDR10, HLG OS tvOS 14.6 Processor A12 Bionic Connectivity Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI 2.1, USB, Lightning, IR, Ethernet Storage 32/64GB Dimensions 98x98x35mm, 425g (box); 136x35x9.3mm,

What’s the story? The PL7 is part of LG’s Xboom Go range of portable Bluetooth speakers. It’s the largest of the three PL models, meaning it’s the most impressive when it comes to power, battery life and proper low-end power. It comes with the added

R19 000 / garmin.com Motorsport is expensive, but track days where you turn up in something mechanically sound for a few laps are increasingly affordable. So this is a circuit GPS that draws on Garmin’s sensor, accelerometer and camera tech to create

In the noughties a flagship DSLR would have been twice the size and weight of the A1… but stick a smallish lens on this mirrorless machine and it could almost be called discreet. That’s despite chunky dials, an OLED viewfinder, and a grip that feels

from R14 000 / istore.co.za The 2018 iPad Pro made good on Apple’s promise of an all-screen device that ‘becomes’ whatever app is running. The 2020 model improved things further, with a better camera setup, Lidar and the lovely Magic Keyboard. This y

The city of the future will consist chiefly of two things – a vast concentration of people and enough sensors to manage them all. Unless you’re a member of that tribe based near the Bay of Bengal, you’re familiar with the role of sensors in the moder

from R21 000 / takealot.com DJI’s status as overlord of the consumer drone world is pretty much unchallenged, but there’s no sign of laurel-resting from the Chinese company. This is the Air 2S, a souped-up version of the Mavic Air 2 that’s the same

Yes, of course you’ll need a blasted charger – the 12 Pro doesn’t come with one in the box, and if you’ve got an old iPhone charger you’ll be looking at a snail-paced 5W power-up. Opt for an Anker Nano and you can get 20W charging speeds. That means

You need good habits and routines to stay organised, even when armed with tech. If you start using to-do or GTD (Get Things Done) apps like Things, go all-in rather than arbitrarily adding tasks. Deal with documents and emails swiftly. Just because d

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is, like its predecessors, an exceptionally polished kid-friendly adventure in which our titular intergalactic heroes dart between hostile planets armed with an ever-swelling arsenal of bonkers weaponry. What sets Rift Apa

After a few awkward years, the Resident Evil series’ seventh main instalment modernised things with a new first-person perspective while returning it to its horror roots. RE Village retains that same style and feel, putting you back in the shoes of

from R15 000 / istore.co.za The iPhone 12 is a monumental smartphone. While it may not look like much of an upgrade from last year’s iPhone 11, the new A14 Bionic chipset means the iPhone 12 is one of the fastest devices on the market. It now also

from R5 000 / samsung.com/za Given how much you’re paying, the Samsung Galaxy A32 is a snazzy little handheld. While it obviously cuts back on some of the more luxurious features belonging to its beefier siblings, we can’t help but appreciate its 9

from R55 000 / lg.com/za LG’s OLED TVs are consistently impressive and the G1, the company’s newest super-slim television, is no exception. It’s ‘merely’ 4K but at just 20mm thick it’s also ideal for sticking on your wall. Which might be why you nee

from R23 500 (13in) / istore.co.za If you thought the spec bump of the 2019 MacBook Pro was worth your time, then the 2020 version will astonish you. There’s nothing as powerful as Apple’s new M1 processor which runs 2.8x faster than the last model

from R8 000 / istore.co.za The Apple Watch Series 6 is the next step forward for all you fashionable fitness junkies. It improves on the Series 5 in every way, enhancing what was already the best smartwatch on the market. With a capacity of 32GB, a

R1 200 / evetech.co.za It’s rare that one encounters a microphone this small that works so well. The new Razer Seiren is the microphone for anyone who spends plenty of hours talking at the computer and doesn’t want a clunky mic hanging over their

R16 800 / istore.co.za With the Air 2, DJI has built on the basic platform of a simple entry-level drone and thrown in a heap of pro-grade features, so those dipping a tentative toe into the waters of aerial photography or videography no longer ha

R38 800 / ormsdirect.co.za The Fuji X-T4 might be the high-end mirrorless camera of your dreams. Relatively affordable for a flagship, it excels at stills and video thanks to in-body image stabilisation, high-speed shooting and 4K recording at up