Stuff Magazine South Africa

One sure way to spark a conversation in the Stuff offices is to bring up headphones. Once everyone has been nudged enough to remove their own personal sources of sweet, sweet noise cancellation, opinions start flying. There are a disproportionate num

R43 000 / asus.com/za Asus is no stranger to laptops with dual screens, but its latest Zenbook Duo pushes the concept into uncharted territory. Where previous models had a much smaller second display squeezed in above the keyboard, this one has two 1

To most 20-year-olds the cassette looks like a relic from a time when Tik Tok was in black and white, memes were shared by post, and the only vape flavour available was Oros. But with Taylor Swift and Billie Eilish releasing albums on tape recently,

Could be. The 0 Series Saloon is one of two new concept vehicles unveiled at the CES expo in Vegas, the other being the van-like Space-Hub. Although Honda has been dabbling with EVs for a while now, this range will mark its transition to a fully elec

Here's another astronaut, forced by disaster to return to Earth, where she discovers that something about her own life appears to have gone missing… and it all smells a little bit conspiracy-ish. Or has she just come back changed? This eight-part thr

With recent hits such as Street Fighter 6 and Resident Evil 4, Capcom has been on such a roll that it can afford to gamble on bringing back a less-loved franchise. And truth be told, back in 2012, Dragon's Dogma's unique take on fantasy action role-p

It might look innocent but your smartphone has many deaths on its digital conscience. Ever since those magical rectangles appeared in our hands back in the early 2000s we've gradually seen a slew of other gadgets – compact cameras, MP3 players, sat-n

If you enjoy watching movies with dozens of strangers (while sitting among their popcorn shards), IMDb lets you dig into what's on and local showtimes. Beyond that, you can explore upcoming cinematic treats, build a watchlist, and terrify your eyes w

The Galaxy S23 Ultra almost managed an entire year at the summit of Stuff's top ten phones list. Its successor has similar ambitions… and is arguably even more deserving of that status. A titanium frame puts the Galaxy S24 Ultra on a par with Apple's

R21 000 / samsung.com/za What's the story? Samsung has played things safe for the base S24 model. It gets a flatter frame, brighter screen (with skinnier bezels) and bigger battery, along with Exynos internals for the first time since the S22. On-dev

■ MORE TIDY BUYS Solenco is known for its air purifiers, but it does a pretty good job of cleaning other things too. This is a fine and reasonably compact cordless vaccum and hard-floor cleaner, ideal for banishing muddy tracks and kitchen spills; it

R21 000 / arcam.co.uk Arcam's ST5 is a fresh face in the competitive world of music streamers. Priced competitively, this high-end home audio device shares the same design language as the brand's Radia range, which has bagged wide acclaim for its hi-

■ MORE VIDEO VALUABLES Sitting at the top of Bose's soundbar range, the Smart Ultra model is a beast. Not only do you get superior sound quality and stunning design, but it also has up-facing drivers for spatial audio, a great remote and support for

R3 000 / smarthomeafrica.co.za Accent lights easily add ambience to a living space. They're most useful to highlight architectural features like an alcove or bookshelves, or you can use one to show off a picture. Put simply, they can generate an inst

NETGEAR ORBI 860 SERIES Wi-Fi not up to scratch? Netgear offers stellar coverage with its Tri-Band WiFi 6 mesh system, for fast, reliable internet in every room. from R8 500 / amazon.com EUFY VIDEO DOORBELL S220 The Swiss Army knife of security cams:

R67 300 / hisense.co.za Who would have thought that Hisense would be the first company to bring a seriously smart fridge to market in South Africa?? Our money was on LG but while they were technically first, their InstaView fridges are not this smart

■ MORE BEDTIME BRILLIANCE These nocturnal earphones are a dream for restless sleepers, offering a comfy fit with buds so thin you can wear them all night, and a smorgasbord of relaxing sounds and playlists. The app and battery life need improvement,

R4 750 / aura-circle.com If you've ever tried to sleep with thoughts of deadlines and to-do lists whirling around your head, you'll know that getting an express ticket to the land of Nod can be tough. Well, that's where the Aura Circle comes in: this

from R50 000 / microsoft.com When Microsoft introduced the Surface Book in 2015, it was quite different to anything else on the market: a high-end laptop with a hinge that enabled the screen to fold flat. But the hinge was bulky. So Microsoft went ba

Rtba / amazfit.com ■ Amazfit's own Zepp operating system works with Android and iOS, displaying notifications from both native and third-party apps. It's easy to get to grips with but there's no payment support, the app store lacks any familiar names

What's the story? Printing your snaps on sticky-backed paper, the Zoemini S2 is all about fun. Flick between portrait, outdoor and selfie modes using the top slider, and connect to the Canon Mini Print app for bonus options like collages, circular pr

R25 000 / asus.com/za/ It's always a big deal when a CPU maker churns out a new silicon generation, but Intel's latest laptop effort is more than a simple speed boost. Core Ultra is the firm's first with dedicated neural processing units (NPUs), whic

R13 200/dji.com Why does the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 exist? Put simply, because smartphones are awkward to vlog on. The first two Osmo stick gimbal systems were a lot comfier to document your life with – but they weren't perfect either. With camera sensors

Bowers & Wilkins isn't the only audio company that can't leave well enough alone – but fortunately, when B&W decides to tinker with an already winning formula, the results tend to be worthwhile. Which leads us to these, the Px7 S2e wireless noise-can

One day, Bose is going to release a pair of true wireless noise-cancelling earbuds that don't absolutely blow everyone away with their sound quality and ability to deal with all external sonic distractions. Today is not that day, though-because the Q

No one goes out of their way to damage their nice new earbuds, of course… yet there are plenty of aftermarket solutions to carelessness. This case is designed specifically to hold the Sony WF-C700Ns safe and sound, an ideal way to keep the more hamfi

There's really only one thing that separates FiiO from the other brands that are trying to keep the ‘high-end hard-wired over-ear headphones’ flame burning. FiiO has developed the FT3 cans to compete hard-they're thoroughly specced and properly built

Why spend R20 000 on something you don't actually need? To get it done properly. If you're fortunate enough to be able to justify the spend, this is the best-sounding digital audio player available for anything like this money. R20 000 / astellnkern.

Jabra has an impressive track record in making great-value fitness buds. The Jabra Elite 8 Actives follow the formula with good sound, a reliable fit, strong battery life and solid durability. The buds weigh just 5g each. That's as light as it gets –

For the last dozen years or so, Meze Audio has been making high-achieving headphones that seem to pay no attention to what anyone else is doing. And the most high-achieving, pay-no-attentioning of the lot are these, the second gen of the Empyrean ove

R3 000 / packard-bell.co.za ■ There's something rather nostalgic about Packard Bell's McLaren C1 notebook. It's packing eleven inches of fury (which is what we've called the 1366 x 768 display) and a Celeron N4020 processor. Not high-end specs by any

R5 000 / sony.co.za ■The IPX4-rated Inzone Buds are sleek, glossy and very comfortable thanks to a range of eartips that let you get just the right fit. The touch controls can be customised using the Inzone Hub software. ■The only Bluetooth here is L

You might be tempted to pick up the non-Slim model (R8 000), but this one's a better buy. Its standing folding style fares better on the lap; and while there's no trackpad, the S Pen is a precise enough pointer (or you can use your finger). Thinner,

VW's electrification of its range has been surprisingly rapid, thanks to the brand choosing to adopt batteries and motors long before many of its rivals. The result is a neat EV lineup ranging from the Golf-sized ID.3 up to the ID.Buzz van. The ID.4

On the new Siri Remote, the TV button opens the TV app. A long press of ‘<’ loads the home screen. Hate that app? Use Settings > Remote and Devices > TV Button to have it load the home screen instead. Double-click the TV button for an iOS-like app sw

Flashy multi-hit combos have been core to Tekken's fast-based beatdowns for over two decades now – but so have perfect positioning and knowing when not to go on the offensive. New players largely had to work that out on their own, so it's a treat to

Shave your head, don your suit, and drop into exotic locations around the galaxy as you and up to three friends (or internet randoms) defend Super Earth from the terrible scourge of evil Automaton robots and disgusting Termanid bugs. Whether playing

The Prince of Persia series is older than Sonic the Hedgehog, Super Soakers and Take That. The Lost Crown goes back to the series’ 2D roots and reimagines it as a superbly paced Metroidvania. You don't play as the titular prince, but peppy young warr

• Audio is great, but if you're looking for the best performance, add a soundbar like the one we've listed. • Samsung's Mini-LED QLED screens are brighter than OLED TVs — better for welllit living rooms with other things going on. Cheaper, too. • Com

• If you can afford it, the 512GB option brings faster flash storage (and more of it, of course). • Naturally the M2 Air performs better than the M1 version, but that older model is the value buy. From R26 000 / incredible.co.za The signs pointing to

• Skip the first-use Microsoft account creation shlep by using ‘no@thankyou.com’ as the username with any password to force local account creation. • Don't forget to register to claim an extra year of warranty. You'll be sorry if you need it. R21 000

• The new Action Button that lets you create quick action shortcuts, like launching straiht into a workout or taking a lap split while running or cycling. • Use the Race Route feature to pace yourself against any route you have previously run at leas

from R15 500 / 180by2.co.za Meta's latest entry in the realm of virtual reality is upon us. While it was once the fashion to sell a kidney or two to be able to afford a half-decent rig, the Quest 3 does away with all that. It's by no means cheap, but

• It's easy to set up the X-T5's customisable Q button: just hold it down for a couple of seconds for options. • Give your pics a retro vibe with film simulations, which mimic the look of classic 35mm shots. • Fuji's free Pixel Shift Combiner softwar

from R13 700 / incredible.co.za Come November, Sony's PlayStation 5 will be three. Three! We feel like proud parents having watched the current generation of consoles grow up. The PlayStation 5 has gone from being a cool-to-have into a medium for sev

• Hearts aren't everything. Don't be afraid to trade up those Light of Blessing's for a stamina upgrade every now and then. • Your Purah Pad Sensor exists for a reason. Use it. Not just on shrines, but on anything you're in need of. • A rocket fused

It's the first brick of Apple's walled garden! A beige brick! With a tiny screen! It was also revolutionary: the first successful all-in-one computer with a built-in display, controlled with a mouse, and with a graphical user interface rather than a