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www.techsmart.co.za ISSUE 77 February 2010 smart tech getting smart with technology TM ISSN 1726–3358 FREE! SA’s LARGEST TECH MAGAZINE GADGETS & GOODIES ISSUE Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 Edimax Wireless 3G router HTC’s HD2 actually is TOUCH ME Acer’s touch-screen all-in-one PC WIN WIN WIN Lexmark printers Acer Aspire Z5600 A GOOD WINDOWS PHONE? Features 8 CES Magnifique: The best of CES 2010 Regulars 4 Feedback 6 Tech News 7 Sci News 9 Industry Expert: James Munn 26 The Big Issue: Google in China Mobiles 10 HTC HD2 11 Nokia N900 11 Maemo 5 OS PC Hardware 12 Acer Aspire Z5600 all-in-one 14 Panasonic Toughbook CF-U1 18 Edimax Wireless 3G-6210n PR 18 U9-T USB 3.75G HSUPA GSM Modem 19 Genius G-Pen F610 19 Toshiba eSTUDIO 2820c 19 Antec P182 Mid Tower Case and Huntkey H001 Hercules Gaming Case Audio Visual 20 Iomega ScreenPlay Director HD media player Gadgets 22 Tippmann TPX Pistol 22 The Filling Station 23 Yealink VP-2009D Video Phone 23 Logitech Z320 speakers Software 24 Serif PagePlus X4 DTP package Books 24 How to do Everything with your iPod, iPhone & iTunes POS 28 Superb Uniwell Systems Internet 29 TechSmart.co.za Gaming 30 Darksiders Competitions and Give-aways 4 Lexmark INTERACT 3-in-1 Printer 29 Lexmark Platinum Pro905 Sharing is caring? With over 350 millionworldwide users – bigger in size than the population of the United States, Facebook is massive. So when Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently suggested that privacy is no longer a social norm, I get a bit queasy. It certainly looks that way if you look at the Lamebook website that posts all types of faux pas found on Facebook. If you browse around you quickly realise people are prepared to share everything online – sexual exploits, relationship fights, intimate experiences or even news about a recently picked-up STD. I tend to believe that just because you can doesn’t mean you should. But then again maybe my thinking is outdated and not “digitally native” enough? Enjoy this issue. Mike Joubert I’m running from the camera in homage to http://runningfromcamera.blogspot.com 2 EDITORIAL TechSmart 77CONTENTS Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved. No material, text or photo graphs may be reproduced, copied or in any other way transmitted without the written consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are not necessarily 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 be liable for any errors or for any actions in reliance thereon. All prices were correct at time of going to print. Editor Mike Joubert > 083-290-2889 michael@techsmart.co.za Executive Editor Suzanne Grobler > 083-742-6370 suzanne@smartpublishing.co.za Business Manager George Grobler > 083-460-0402 george@smartpublishing.co.za Advertising Suzanne Grobler > 083-742-6370 suzanne@smartpublishing.co.za Anneke Kirchner > 083-301-9134 anneke@smartpublishing.co.za Designer & Layout Brett Wilson Contributors Mike Joubert [MJ], Thomas McKinnon [TM], Linda Pretorius [LP], Hanleigh Daniels [HD] Accounts & Subscriptions Ronel Keet > 012-362-2732 Online Editor Thomas McKinnon thomas@techsmart.co.za smart Published by M A S S M E D I A S P E C I A L I S T S SMARTPUBLISHING distribution 98 772 copies per month Consumer: SciTech [July – Sept 2009] Distributed by 29 10 8 20 Core 2 Duo 1.86 GHz 2048 MB RAM 250 GB Hard Drive DVD-Writer Wireless LAN Bluetooth 15.6" LCD Display Windows 7 Professional 012-663-1155 | www.laptopcity.co.za l sales@laptopcity.co.za 1292 Heuwel Avenue l Centurion, 0157 l (Next to GWM) l Prices Quoted are CASH or EFT only! Laptop Chargers Laptop Batteries R330 From R980 From R18 590 HP Elitebook 8530W Acer Extensa 5635 HP 4310s Dell Vostro A860 HP Compaq 610 HP Compaq 610 Acer Aspire ONE R7890 R8390 R6900 R4999 R6900 R6450 Core 2 Duo 2.8 GHz 2048 MB RAM 250 GB Hard Drive DVD-Writer Wireless LAN Bluetooth 15.4" LCD Display NVIDIA FX770M 512 MB VGA Windows Vista Business Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz 3072 MB RAM 320 GB Hard Drive DVD-Writer Wireless Lan Bluetooth 15.6" LCD Display Windows 7 Professional Core 2 Duo 2.2 GHz 2048 MB RAM 160 GB Hard Drive DVD-Writer Wireless LAN Bluetooth 13.3" LCD Display Windows Vista Business Celeron M 2.1 GHz 1024 MB RAM 160 GB Hard Drive DVD-Writer Wireless LAN 15.6" LCD Display Built in Webcam Windows 7 Basic Core 2 Duo 2 GHz 2048 MB RAM 320 GB Hard Drive DVD-Writer Wireless LAN Bluetooth 15.6" LCD Display Windows 7 Professional Intel ATOM 1.6 GHz 1024 MB RAM 160 GB Hard Drive Wireless LAN Built-in 3G 8.9" LCD Display 0.3 Mp built-in Webcam Windows 7 Home Premium With Free Bag 3 Fan Cooling Pad R120 HP, Acer, Compaq, IBM, Dell, Fujitsu Siemens, Mecer, Sony, Asus, Toshiba, Packard Bell, LG, Lenovo, Proline, Gigabyte, Apple Mac, BenQ, Sahara, and many more…. Terms and Condi�ons apply. Stocks are limited. E&OE. Product may vary from picture. Prices may change without no�ce due to Rand Dollar fluctua�ons. All prices quoted are cash or EFT only and Incl VAT. All repairs done in our workshop So�ware l Hardware l Repairs l Upgrades l Projector Repairs l LCD Screen Repairs Your Letters, Comments and User replies4 FEEDBACK Thanks for the feedback Win. You might want to check out what futurist Ray Kurzweil has to say about the Singularity: http://singularity.com. Mike Give us your feedback on any of the articles by emailing us on info@techsmart.co.za or leave comments on our website or Facebook page. The Feedback of the Month wins the incredible Lexmark INTERACT 3-in-1 printer, scanner and copier with touch-screen. It includes paper saving Eco Mode and a three-year guarantee with lifetime phone support. By using a multi-functional printer (print, copy, fax, scan), one can reduce energy consumption by 30% and up to 50% compared to using a single function printer. GREEN Fast Fact TechSmart.co.za online poll results Which upcoming 2010 tech release excites you most? USB 3.0 Project Natal Google OS 3D technology Bluetooth 3.0 32% 25% 23% 16% 4% WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!!! Comment on the news and reviews on TechSmart.co.za and you might win the incredible Lexmark INTERACT 3-in-1 printer, scanner and copier with touch-screen. It includes Eco Mode and a three-year guarantee with lifetime phone support. TECHSMART FEEDBACK RE: Intel Brain Chip Dear TechSmart, Of course it’s going to happen. Why? Because WE WANT IT, full stop. There are two main attraction factors for brain chips. First of all for the convenience. Secondly, we will be ever more in control, and in fact we’ll be almost godlike. The “mark of the beast”-fear will obviously be a major consideration – but this has been a consideration ever since the telephone was invented. The educated and leading echelon of humanity is now far too clever to have any gadget, even if implanted, actually RULE them. Self- control is paramount. If that principle ever comes under threat, there will immediately be worldwide reactions to counteract, even dismantle such a novelty. Win Küppers Hi TechSmart, The only comment I can make concerns the lack of exposure in your magazine about software like The Grid, E-triloquist, Jaws and Proloquo2Go that are mostly used by people with disabilities, especially those who are unable to speak or are blind. Simon Sikhosana I agree Simon, we’ll feature it in next month’s mag. Mike Here is this month’s winning feedback. Win wins the Lexmark INTERACT 3-in-1. Write to us at info@techsmart.co.za Le tt er s / E m ai l sh o rt en ed d u e to s p ac e re st ri ct io n s. FEEDBACK FROM TECHSMART.CO.ZA What about www.finalfantasy13game.com? This is an EPIC upcoming game, I think it should be on the list as well. Jason on Five furious games for 2010. I think I’m getting one before end of this week. Lefaso on the Nokia N97. 6 8 % . R ea d er s o f Te ch S m ar t th at h av e b ee n i n fl u en ce d b y u s to p u rc h as e te ch f o r th ei r h o m e. Touchy feely Science has just confirmedthat women are better at touchy-feely stuff than men. But we’re not talking about emotions. According to a recent report in the Journal of Neuroscience, women have a finer sense of touch than men because their fingers are generally smaller. Scientists measured the size of 100 students’ index fingertips and then asked the students to touch panels containing parallel grooves. The smaller the person’s finger, the smaller the distance between two grooves that could still be discerned. They then measured the distance between the receptors that respond to static touch. It turned out that the receptors are closer spaced on smaller fingers than on bigger ones, which means such skin is more responsive to finely detailed surfaces. Smooth. Go-getters Getting what you want maywell be within your reach. According to a study, which recently appeared in the journal Psychological Science, our desire for an object influences our distance judgement. In one experiment, scientists asked a group of volunteers – half of which were really thirsty – to judge how far a water bottle was from them. The thirsty ones all reckoned the water was much closer than did their quenched counterparts. In another experiment volunteers had to throw a beanbag towards either a worthless or a valuable gift card, winning the card upon a hit. Consistently shorter throws were directed towards valuable cards than worthless ones. The researchers think that it’s a mind trick to motivate us to really try to reach our goals. So how about those New Year’s resolutions? Itching for an answer Scientists have long beenscratching their heads to understand itching. And, according to a study recently published in the journal Cell, they may just have found the answer. Non-allergic itching is caused by activation of a family of proteins called Mrgprs. These proteins respond specifically to the itch-stimulant chloroquine, which is also found in antimalaria drugs. Researchers measured the scratch rate of mice lacking the gene for Mrgprs as well as a control group with the gene, when subjected to chloroquine. They found that mice with the gene scratched almost three times more often than those without the gene. Further studies showed that the Mrgprs proteins are found only in specific neural cells in the spine. These findings may help scientists to create a drug that blocks the proteins to relieve unrelenting itching. [LP] Titbits 7SCI NEWS Must visit Sci links: • How is the internet changing the way you think? Experts responded here: http://tinyurl.com/internetthink • Are there diamond oceans on Uranus, Neptune? http://tinyurl.com/diamondjup • What happens when scientists ask: “What if?” http://tinyurl.com/whatisif techsmart.co.za l February 2010 TECH NEWS Titbits6 Facebook: http://tiny.cc/TSFB Twitter: @TechSmartMag FOLLOW US It’s in the script In what is being hailed as the biggest technical change to theInternet for 40 years, countries can now start creating domain names using their own alphabetic script without having to use Latin letters. More than half of the internet’s 1.6 billion users use another type of script. Egypt, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates are the first four countries that qualified to do this. Google starts selling phones No longer content with only havingthe very cool Android operating system for phones, Google has now launched their very own smartphone. By all accounts the Nexus One is the best Android device yet, but no iPhone killer. Google surprised a lot of people by selling the phone directly to the public and not through one of the American cellular operators. A brain for games Your abilityin gaming might be due to the size of certain key areas of your brain. Researchers in the US found that the size of sections in the centre of the brain, called the caudate and putamen, determines the even- tual prowess of new gamers. The areas have been linked to the ability to adapt to new situations and learning new skills. In the News • The number of South African internet users has finally passed the five million mark, breaking through the 10% mark of internet penetration for the country. • Starting next year users of The New York Times website will be required to pay a flat fee rate to read more after having accessed a number of articles for free. • Sales of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, one of the most highly anticipated games of last year, have surpassed the $1 billion mark. • Nokia’s highly anticipated capacitive touch-screen phone, the X6, is now available in SA. Ditto for the feature rich BlackBerry Bold 9700, and HTC’s big- screened HD2 (read our review on p10). >> One of the big winners at CES 2010 was mobile chipmaker Qualcomm (see our interview p9). Their speedy Snapdragon processors seem to have wormed their way into some of the hottest gadgets on display. Lenovo in particular seem infatuated with the processors, utilising Snapdragons on their new Android based LePhone smartphone, Skylight netbook and on the slate half of their ultra-hot IdeaPad U1 hybrid tablet. Snapdragons can also be found in Acer’s first Android phone the A1 Liquid, one of HP’s new netbooks, and, although not present at CES, in Google’s newly announced Nexus One smartphone. Qualcomm’s competition in the form of rival Intel’s Moorestown processor, only featured in LG’s GW990 phone. With Apple rumoured to adopt Qualcomm processors in the next iPhones, the future couldn’t look brighter for the San Diego based company. Qualcomm’s upcoming speedier Snapdragons are making mouths water. According to Luis Pineda, SVP of product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies, the 8X50A Snapdragon running at 1.3 GHz will feature on devices before the end of the year. The one we’re looking forward to the most though is their dual-core 8X72, with each core running at 1.5 GHz. It will be able to process HD content, something that current smartphones or netbooks are far from capable of. Shows8 FEATURE MAGNIFIQUE: THE BEST OF CES 2010 techsmart.co.za l February 2010 >> Slate PCs One of the biggest trends for 2010 at CES doesn’tinvolve notebooks or even netbooks, but rather the often berated tablet PC. Rumours of an Apple tablet device, said to be called the iSlate, loomed large over the exhibition, and although Apple didn’t attend CES, the word “slate” seems to have stuck, with it being adopted to refer to this breed of tablet devices. HP was first out the blocks to release such a device with an endorsement from none other than Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer, showcasing the HP Slate tablet in his keynote address. The Slate sports Windows 7 and seems to be an internet connected device lying somewhere between an ereader and a netbook. The least amount of information possible (or so it would seem) has been released about the Slate, with HP likely waiting to see what’s coming from Apple before divulging details. But we do know that it will be touch driven and will be released later this year, although we could not get conformation from HP SA if the device will be made available in SA. Top honours though goes to the sleek IdeaPad U1 hybrid tablet presented by Lenovo. This two-in-one device is a netbook in essence, with the amazing ability to clip off the screen to use it as a slate device. If that’s not cool enough, it actually sports two different oper- ating systems and two processors. In its netbook form it runs on an Intel Core 2 Duo processor and Windows 7 Home Premium, when unclipped it is powered by Qualcomm’s 1 GHz Snapdragon processor (see below) operating in a Linux environment. To make it switch and sync seamlessly between the different systems Lenovo employs what they call Hybrid Switch Technology. The yummy U1 with its 11.6" multitouch LED screen weighs only 1.6 kg (1 kg unclipped) and sports 3G integrated broadband. It is said to have 128 GB of SSD storage space in netbook form and 16 GB SSD in slate form. You will pay a premium for such privileges though, with the U1 expected to go for $999 in the US with its release scheduled for June this year. >> 3D TVs The 42" full HD LCD TV you just invested in isso two thousand and late. 3D is the new kid on the block, with 3D TV sets on display at every major television manufacturer’s stand. 3D does contain some inherent hurdles to mass adoption, not the least of which is the cost involved. Special 3D content is required, while you also need special 3D glasses to view content. But CES showed that problems are made for solving. Toshiba grabbed a lot of headlines with its ZX900 Series CELL TVs. According to Toshiba the set can convert regular 2D television programming and movies into 3D. Onboard you’ll find the CELL Engine for multimedia processing, which Toshiba claims is 143 times more powerful than what is currently found in TVs, while the TriVector 2D to 3D Technology handles the conversion in real time. The CELL TV range will be available in the US later in the year in 55" and 65" guises. TLC displayed a 3D TV that doesn’t require any unsightly headgear. Their set simply incorporates the frames that the glasses use into the actual TV set eliminating the need to look like a dork. The trusty remote also received a rethink, with Samsung showcasing a remote control with a built-in TV screen and speaker. It’s a novel solution for those unfortunate “have to go to the bathroom now” moments in the middle of a Springbok game. Now wash your hands. Toshiba also showed off a prototype TV which, like the Xbox 360 with Project Natal, can be operated without a remote control. You simply control it with gestures for example waving your hands in the air to bring up and make your way through the 3D menu system. The 33rd annual Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas is done and dusted for another year, and in its wake a roadmap to where electronics is heading for the foreseeable future is plain for all to see. So where are we heading and who’s driving? Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor It was a big hit at this year’s Consumer Electronics Fair, and isfound in the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10, the HTC HD2 (see our review on p10), and now also on Google’s Nexus One. We talk to James Munn, vice president of business development in Sub Sahara Africa for Qualcomm Incorporated, about what the future holds for smartphone users. You had a good show at CES this year. Why are so many phone manufacturers moving towards Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor? Mobile devices and mobile services have become part of people’s everyday lives and they are changing the way people live, work and play. Consumers are progressively moving beyond just using their phones to call people. We see them increasingly using mobile devices to access email, browse the web, play games, and enjoy multimedia like music and video. The next generation of phones and mobile devices need greater processing power to support these capabilities. Snapdragon delivers the unprecedented combination of 3G, processing performance, powerful multimedia capabilities and optimized power consumption all in a single chip to enable a new generation of smart mobile devices. Snapdragon has become the solution of choice for any device manufacturer designing a high-performance, next-generation mobile device. Looking towards the future, what are smartphone manufacturers demanding from Qualcomm? As mobile applications become more demanding, and networks become faster and more capable of handling heavy data loads, smartphones will continually push the limits of what is possible on a mobile device while still ensuring a good user experience. Mobile performance, power optimisation, connectivity options, and device size remain critical to the success of smartphones. Cost-efficiency will also di