TechSmart 80, May 2010, The Old vs New Issue

www.techsmart.co.za

ISSUE 80 May 2010

smarttechgetting smart with technology

®

ISSN 1726–3358FREE!

SA’s LARGEST TECH MAGAZINE

OLD VS NEW ISSUE

SONY ERICSSON X10iHow Android is helping SE

3D IN SA

METRO 2033Sony Ericsson X10iAsus UL30J notebook

WIN WIN WINA Verbatim “ Modern Survival” Goodie BagA Lexmark printer

Samsung talks about their new 3D TV

Regulars6 Feedback7 Tech News 8 Sci News9 Industry Expert: Samsung24 DIY Dude: How to play games in 3D28 The PC Medic30 Web Time Wasters

Mobiles10 Nokia X6 11 Sony Ericsson X10i

PC Hardware12 Asus UL30J Notebook12 Sony VAIO CW25FG Notebook16 NComputing U170 USB Virtual Desktop18 Evetech Custom Built Extreme Gaming

PC18 Holux M-1000C GPS Logger18 Verbatim portable eSATA combo hard

drive19 Billion BiPac 7402X 3G/ ADSL2+ VPN

Firewall Router19 LM-I56A 56K PCI Modem19 EnGenius ESR7750 Dual-Band Router23 HP Laserjet P1606dn23 Oki Mono Printer B220023 Samsung Laser Printer ML-1910

Telephony22 3CX PBX systems

Services25 Cartridge Depot25 SiSence PrismCubed32 TechSmart.co.za Online Business Directory

Internet26 NetSmart: The evolution of

connectivity26 Virus safe and secure: Staying safe

from phishing

Gaming38 Metro 203338 Command and Conquer 4:

Tiberian Twilight

Competitions and Give-aways6 Lexmark INTERACT 3-in-1 Printer30 Verbatim “Modern Survival” Goodie Bag

Well done MWEB

Last month Smart Publishingmoved to MWEB’s

affordable 4096 kbps uncapped ADSL offering. Whiletardy at times, the fact isthere was no point during themonth where we had to pullout the credit card when thebandwidth ran dry. Unlimitedbandwidth changes the wayyou think about the internetsince there’s no such thing aswasting bandwidth or “budgeting” usage to staybelow your cap. ThereforeMWEB’s move to “free theweb” with their well-priced

uncapped ADSL offer is highly commendable, and I hope itforces the cellular providers to rethink the ridiculous pricing ontheir bandwidth (their recent adjustments simply aren’tenough). At the same time if SA is to make the most of whatthe web has to offer, some serious questions need to be askedabout Telkom’s line-rental prices which remain a considerablebarrier to entry for some. Enjoy this month’s issue.

Mike Joubert <[email protected]>I am standing next to Standing Cat which you can find standing at http://tinyurl.com/thestandingcat

4 EDITORIAL TechSmart 80CONTENTS

Copyright © 2010. All rights reserved. No material, text or photo graphsmay be reproduced, copied or in any other way transmitted without thewritten consent of the publisher. Opinions expressed are not necessarilythose of the publisher or of the editor. We recognise all trademarks andlogos as the sole property of their respective owners. TechSmart shall notbe liable for any errors or for any actions in reliance thereon. All priceswere correct at time of going to print.

EditorMike Joubert > [email protected] Manager George Grobler > 083-460-0402Key AccountsSuzanne Grobler > [email protected] Kirchner > [email protected] Designer Brett Wilson Contributors Mike Joubert [MJ], Thomas McKinnon [TM], Linda Pretorius [LP], Hanleigh Daniels [HD], MJ Stephenson [MS],Online Editor Mike Joubert Accounts & SubscriptionsRonel Keet > 012-362-2732DistributionRenier van Vuuren > [email protected]

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WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK!!! Comment on the newsand reviews on TechSmart.co.za and you might win the incredible Lexmark INTERACT 3-in-1 printer, scanner andcopier with touch-screen. It includes Eco Mode and a three-year guarantee with lifetime phone support.

TECHSMART FEEDBACK

Dear TechSmart, I would like to convey my appreciation and encouragementon such a well put together publication. I literally read itfrom cover to cover right from the word go, and havelearned and followed much more in three months than Idid in computer classes at high school. Thanks to your articles I’ve learned to ask specific technically relatedquestions whenever I have interest in something on theshelves. Keep up the good work and may you be rewardedfor all the contributions that you are making towards amore informed and digitally adept South Africa!! Regards, Linton Dube, Sunnyside

Letters / Em

ail shorten

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ue to

space restrictio

ns.

FEEDBACK FROM TECHSMART.CO.ZA

Vrdeath on the Nokia X6: I tried this phone while it was inthe office as I have a Nokia 5800 and thinking of upgrading tothe X6. VERY VERY NICE PETER, a nice upgrade from theNokia 5800 and the screen is a lot more responsive, plus theComes with Music is worth its weight in gold. The only things Ididn’t like were that it is very heavy and it doesn’t use a stylus.

Gavin Schoonbee on the Nokia E72: I took the E72 comingfrom the E71 and I have to honestly say BRILLIANT!!! This is abred business phone which in my opinion has no rivals in thebusiness phone world.

Almost Not Amused on our April Fool’s article “Fibreoptic cable cover-up”: Ha-ha! You got me for a minute....! Irealised something was wrong when I read about the “superfast 56Kbps dial-up.”

From our Facebook Fan page:On the Apple iPad feedback buzz:Chillas Ntuli: Can’t wait to lay my hands on it.Benedict Thapelo Moeti: Just remember the price tag it willcome with Chillas.

PRINT LESS SAVE MORE

Tips from Lexmark for those of us looking to improve our printing practices, for the benefit of the environment.

Hi Linton, thanks for the kind words, we are glad to keepyou up to date. You’ll find even more info and reviews atwww.techsmart.co.za. Enjoy the Lexmark 3-in-1 printer.Mike.

Hi Mike,Your April editorial brought quite some good memories! Ialso remember buying vinyl records (at least one permonth) and recording some music onto cassettes during myschool days. It also reminded me of a chap we nicknamed“Speed 33” because he spoke – very slowly.Regards, Norman Pariza

FEEDBACK User replies6

techsmart.co.za l May 2010

Did you know? 1 in 6pages printed in the workplace are never used!

Ask your administrator to show you how toprint in duplex and multi-up, it saves paper3

Let’s protect the planet together. Let’s stop printing waste!

Give us your feedback on any of the articles by emailing us on [email protected] or leavecomments on our website or Facebook page. TheFeedback of the Month wins the incredible LexmarkINTERACT 3-in-1 printer, scanner and copier withtouch-screen. It includes paper saving Eco Mode anda three-year guarantee with lifetime phone support.

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Titbits TECH NEWS 7

May 2010 l techsmart.co.za

Facebook: http://tiny.cc/TSFBTwitter: @TechSmartMag

FOLLOW US

Apple’s new iPhone leaked

Apple is well known for being extremely tight lipped aboutany upcoming product ranges, but a few German beers put

an end to that. Apple software engineer, Gray Powel,l was having a tipple at GourmetHaus Staudt, California, whenhe left a cleverly disguised newApple iPhonetest model behind. The phonefound its way onto techsite Gizmodo, and morethan 8 million hits later, theiPhone 4G was all across the internet. Apple in the meantime senta letter asking for their phone back.

Telkom goes Ayoba

After selling their shares in Vodacom last year, Telkom has

now buddied up with MTN, announcing that they have signeda national roaming agreementthat will result in Telkom enteringthe mobile voice and data marketin South Africa. The deal meansthat Telkom will be able to launchits mobile service later this yearby offering its customers accessto MTN’s SA network, while at thesame time continuing to ready itsown mobile base stations.

TechSmart.co.za online poll results

• Yes, but I’m expecting to be overcharged. 16%

• No, I’m waiting for HP’s Slate. 14%• Nope, my PC suits me

just fine. 33%• What’s an iPad? 15%

Will you buy an Apple iPad?

Hot new Products

• New Office 2010 hereOffice 2010 should be available in-store from June,with the latest suite paying alot of attention to online collaboration and sharing. Forexample, 2010 users canshare documents online, with fellow contributors being ableto edit with an interface thatlooks almost identical to theregular Word and Excel set-up. PowerPoint presentationscan now also be posted onlinewith the presentation beingdone remotely, meaning Death-by-PowerPoint can now be executed via the net.

• Three new HTCs appearHTC has launched the longawaited Desire in SA. Hailedas the best Android phonecurrently available, the Desiresports the ultra-speedy Snapdragon processor andticks all the current featurewishlist boxes, including Wi-Fiand aGPS. Also available isthe smaller HTC Desire whichalso doesn’t shy away from features, and the less expensive Smart which shouldretail for under R2500. All three come equipped with HTC’sexcellent Sense user interface.

• Motorola is backMotorola has introducedthe Android based Milestone to SA. Knownas the Droid in the US,the phone receivedglowing reviews when itwas released there lastyear. Featuring a slide-out QWERTY keyboardwith a 3.7" capacitive touch-screen, the Droidlooks set to break thedrought Motorola has been experiencing in cool new phonessince releasing the ultra thin RAZR in 05.

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SCI NEWS8 Titbits

Heat without the hurt

Scientistsmay have

solved theburning question ofwhy heat hurtsso much. According to areport in a recent issue ofthe Journal ofClinical Investigation,skin cells produce their own chilli-likesubstance when subjected to excessiveheat. The burning sensation, however, iscaused when the substance binds to aspecific receptor on neurons. When theresearchers subjected skin neurons frommice with and without the receptor respectively to water heated to morethan 43 °C, they found that only thosecells with the receptor showed heightened activity. Their findings suggest that a new type of painkillermay be developed based on blocking thereceptor for the heat- induced substance.Hot stuff.

• New machine improves athletes’ performance by optimising hydrationlevels during training.http://tinyurl.com/sweatbaby

• Faith healing: Brain shuts off in response to healer’s prayer.http://tinyurl.com/faithbrain • Elephants emit “bee rumble” to

warn others of bees.http://tinyurl.com/elebee

No laughing matter

For hyenas giggling is a

serious thing. According to a report in a recentissue of the journal BMC Ecology, hyenasuse gigglingsounds to determine socialrank. Acoustic analysis of hyena callsshowed that the pitch of a giggle revealsthe age of the animal, while the patternof pitch changes signals whether it holdsa dominant or subordinate position inthe pack. Scientists think that these callsare usually voiced during food contestsby animals that cannot access the kill,and so are thought to be a sign of submission. A giggle may also be a callfor help by a frustrated animal who hadits kill hijacked by stronger predatorslike lions. A solitary hyena will stand nochance against a lion, but with the helpof backup summoned by a giggle thehyena may be able to scare off the lionsand get its food back. [LP]

Flocks in flight

Birds of afeather

flock together,but how? According to astudy published inthe journal Nature, birdsin a flock ofhoming pigeons were each fitted with atiny GPS that updated their positionsfive times per second. By matching thetime of a direction change and the position of a bird, the researchers foundthat a bird’s flight position is based on awell-defined social hierarchy within theflock. Although all birds in the flock arefree to suggest a direction change, therelative importance of a suggestion depends on the bird’s actual position inthe flock. The important decision makers were usually nearer to the frontof the flock. A pecking order indeed.

Other cool reads

• Depressed people eat more chocolate.http://tinyurl.com/morechocolate

$1bn.

Am

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Is 3D a fad or theway we’ll be watching televisionin the future? Corrie Labuschagne(CL): If we look at thetrend of 3D releasesand theatres investingin 3D projection equipment as well asmajor studios investingin releasing 3D Blu-ray content, we expect 3Dtechnologies to becomean “expected” and “standard” feature when consumers shopfor televisions. The active 3D technology is relatively new and will still evolve and enhance and will ultimately improve our viewing experience over time.

R900 for the entry level pair of 3D glasses seems a bitsteep, especially if you have a family to cater for. Anycomment?CL: This is the price for purchasing the 3D glasses as an accessory. For this reason Samsung has taken the decision toinclude two 3D glasses with a 3D TV purchased as a bundle.

MultiChoice commented that 3D glasses might be a barrier to entry. Will we see 3D glasses being made redundant in future?CL: That technology is already available, however, it does havevarious drawbacks. We believe that the shutter based technology with glasses offers the best Full HD 3D viewing experience.

With MultiChoice not really committing to 3D broadcasting soon, 3D content seems a bit slim. Do youthink your 2D to 3D converting of regular content willfill the gap?CL: The 2D to 3D conversion technology of Samsung allowsconsumers to watch all content in 3D, this means you canwatch programs/ sport/ movies in 3D by pressing a button, allowing consumers to watch anything and everything in 3D.

Only Blu-ray players would be able to handle 3D DVDs.How many 3D titles will be making their debut on Blu-ray this year?CL: We will probably see around 200 titles in the market overone year, increasing the number of titles to choose from.

What’s the price consumers will be paying for 3D, sayfor example on a 40" screen?CL: The 40" C7000 will retail for approximately R30 000.

The first 3D televisions are hi�ng the SA market thismonth, and according to Samsung’s TV product marke�ng manager, CorrieLabuschagne, 3D can in f uture become a standard feature. He tells us more

about the 3D offerings Samsung is bringing to market.

Samsung INTERVIEW 9


Martin

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1973.

Nokia X6

Capacitive touch-screen

Released a year later than the excellentXpressMusic 5800, the Nokia X6 steps

out as Nokia’s first capacitive touch-screen Symbian phone. The X6 consequently offersa far more responsive touch experience thanthe 5800, most notable when typing.

The overall navigation process is also improved by the better touch experience, butNokia missed a capacitive touch trick, aspinch to zoom and other multi-touch gestures are missing. To zoom in on webpages you need to double tap the screen– which is a little archaic in a multi-touch environment.

FeaturesThe X6’s spec sheet reads like a smartphonewishlist. It comes with a whopping 32 GB internal storage, a full complement of connectivity options including 3G HSDPA and WLAN, GPS with aGPS and a 5megapixel camera. Also included is Nokia’s excellent Comes with

Music, which is an all access licence to Nokia’sMusic Store for a year. The X6 is an impressivemusic device offering decent audio quality, a3.5 mm jack and FM radio beyond its enormous storage and Comes with Music license. Managing your media is now a littleeasier as well, with Nokia updating its OviSuite, which has gone some way to makingdownloading and syncing easier.

No loveDespite these great features we never fell inlove with the phone. It is often frustrating touse due to sluggish and erratic performance.For some reason, either the ARM 11 434 MHzprocessor or the OS decides it needs a timeout every so often, so the phone slows downto a crawl.

Applications for the device are also ratherthin, with the volume on Nokia’s Ovi Store noton par with the offers from Android or theiPhone. Other oddities include the fact that youcan’t charge the phone via USB.

ConclusionThe X6 failed to blow us away. It looks impressive on paper, but there are a few niggles that get to you; performance speedbeing a key issue. It also lacks the charm the5800 had when it was first launched, but itsscreen is far more responsive, which goes a

long way to making the Symbian OS bearable.The X6’s camera, Comes with Music access and capacitivescreen make it worth considering though. If you were a fan ofthe 5800 XpressMusic you’ll probably love the X6. Available fromAltec Autopage Cellular, see p3 for your nearest shop. [TM]

Nokia has launched its new X series ofphones, and in the same vein as the Eseries is all about business and the Nseries about high-end, the X series isdesigned for music and entertainment.

Music’s way

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Let’s get this straight –we were big fans ofSony Ericsson (SE) herein the office. Theirphones used to be wellthought out tech, full ofexcellent extras thatmade for a very enjoyable user experience. But for almost two years wesaw a steady decline.

Sony Ericsson X10i

WelcomeBack SE

Now thanks to the Android OS and the speedy 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon powering the X10i, Sony Ericsson

seems to be back in the game.

All you needThe X10i includes all you expect from a smartphone – GPS, Wi-Fi, email integration, a very decent and feature rich 8.1megapixel snapper, document viewing (but not editing unfortunately) and HSDPA. All this in a stylish, but big, bodywith a suberb 4" capacitive touch-screen. The screen might notbe as big as the 4.3" monster on the HTC HD2, but it containsmore pixels per inch for a crisper display. That said, the X10i isonly slightly smaller than the huge HD2 and actually a bitthicker (11 mm vs. 13 mm).

TimescapeJust like HTC’s Sense UI, SE builds extra functionality into thephone, utilising their Timescape interface in much similar fashion. Timescape makes easy work of integrating Twitter andFacebook, with these, alongside new SMSs and emails, beingdisplayed on the homescreen almost like cue cards.

Calling problemsWhile typing SMSs or emails wasn’t a hassle, we struggled calling with the X10i. Part of the problem is getting use to thefact that the X10i doesn’t carry physical buttons for “answer”and “end call”, or onscreen alternatives situated at the correctplace, i.e. at the bottom left and right corner. It makes your initial dialling experience difficult, since you need to find the appropriate buttons on-screen, and trying to make a quick callwhile driving will almost certainly end up being your last one.Almost as frustrating as this, is the maximum volume of incoming calls. In the office it’s fine, but go outside and you’llfind yourself struggling to hear what the other person is saying.Switching to speakerphone doesn’t help, since it’s also not up tostandard.

ConclusionThe X10i puts Sony Ericsson squarely back amongst the bigguns of the smartphone market. It looks sleek, the Snapdragonprocessor is as always stunning and thank heavens they decided to drop Symbian. For a first attempt at the Android OS,it’s an excellent effort and we can’t wait to see what SE will dowith a bit of experience under their belt. Available from AltecAutopage Cellular, see p3 for your nearest shop. [MJ]

Smartphones MOBILES 11


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Notebooks12 PC HARDWARE

We love thin-and-light notebooks. They generally costmore than regular notebooks, but that kilo or so lessthat you put in your Notebook bag at the end of theday makes a big difference. Asus’ UL30J brings yet another element to the party: good ba�ery life.

For the tests we conducted the UL30J provided batterylife in the range of 5-6 hours

with the Wi-Fi switched on and a verage usage. It also has one ofthe best screens on a notebookwe’ve come across, so viewingphotos or movies on this 13.3"16:9 HD ready (1366 x 768)screen was a pleasure.

PortsOn the side of the notebook you’llfind a nice array of ports includingthree USB ports and an HDMI connection. A memory card readeris also present, which makes theports on par with what you’ll find onother recent notebooks. The natureof the thin-and-light beast calls forthe jettison of the DVD drive, whichwe think is a fair trade-off for its reduced weight; a rather manageable 1.5kg. Compared to other thin-and-lights

we’ve reviewed, such as the Acer Travelmate Timeline 8471and the Samsung X460, it compares favourably in size andweight, but is simply much more powerful, since it includes thelatest Core i5 processor and a very efficient 4 GB of DDR3RAM. Its 640 GB of hard disk space is more than enough forjob related data, plus some extra movies.

Keyboard and trackpadThe chiclet styled keyboard is in vogue right now, and it washassle free to work with, but the trackpad had a few kinks.One of the problems is the keypad is flush with the palm restwith only tiny little dimples identifying it. A trackpad with a

slightly raised border usually works better. Wealso found it very difficult to pinch andzoom into webpages or documents, or useAsus’ strange two fingered approach toscrolling up or down.

ConclusionThe Asus UL30J thin-and-light notebookseems like the perfect choice for road warriors, since lugging this machinearound isn’t a hassle, while above averagebattery life will eliminate the need to havea power plug as the essential requirementof any coffee shop. If you’re happy

enough to buy a mouse to get pastusing the difficult trackpad, you’ll

have yourself one top notchnotebook, thanks to the

powerful i5 processor, lotsof RAM and a really excellent screen. PriceTBA. Call Asus

011-783-5450 [MJ]

Sony’s latest VAIO CW25FG notebook runs on the Corei3, Intel’s entry level to their new Core range of processors. While the new Core range handles graphicsand HD much be�er, what Sony included as an extra iswhat really impressed us.

Inside you’ll find the NVIDIA GeForce GT 330M graphics cardwith 512 MB of dedicated video memory.

It enhanced the graphics to such an extentthat we were very happily playing the newCommand & Conquer 4 (see p38 for review) on the highest settings.

SpecsJust to get a few specs quickly out ofthe way – the Sony CW25FG’s i3 CPUruns very comfortably at 2.13 MHz,and is stocked with 3 GB worth ofRAM. Its 320 GB worth of harddisk space should deal withyour growing video collection at least for a little while. (The unit thatwe received for reviewwas a pre- release test unit,so actual setup might differ.)

WorkspaceThe chiclet styled keyboard was work friendly and we found ithassle free to type on. Ditto for the smart touchpad – it was spacious, not too smooth and it supports multi-touch gesturessuch as pinch and zoom. As far as size is concerned the VAIO ispretty much average, weighing 2.4 kg with a 14" LED backlitscreen. Average also applies to the unit’s battery life, standing atabout 2½ to 3 hours; as well as sound, which was adequate, butshould have been better.

Above the keyboard you’ll find three shortcut buttons – onefor VAIO Assist, one to turn off the display and another that willlead you to VAIO’s Media Gallery. Depending on how much youlike the included VAIO software you’ll find these shortcuts eithervery handy or merely a waste of a potentially useful button.

PortsApart from a DVD drive, three USB ports andmemory card readers on the side, you also geta HDMI connection to hook the PC up to anHDTV, plus Sony’s i.Link port to connect it to AVequipment that supports this type of port. An ExpressCard slot rounds off the port offeringnicely.

ConclusionThe Sony VAIO CW25FG left us very impressed. Although it’s nothing special in regards to size, battery life or speaker quality, the VAIO’s 3D

performance was excellent. As always you pay a premium for a Sony product, with the CW25FG marked

with a RRP of R9999 – more than we expected for an i3machine. It includes an international warranty. [MJ]

Sony VAIO VPCCW25FG laptop

Up for a game


Asus UL30J notebook

Thin and Bright

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Their latest offering, the U170, is a great addition to therange as it’s easier to setup than the X or L series and

allows you to add a single user at a time for groups of usersthat work in small clusters, like small call centres or schoolcomputer rooms.

BenefitsThe U series allows you to connect up to nine U170s (andtherefore nine users) to a host PC. You can then plug in amouse and keyboard, headphones, mic and monitor (via VGA)to each U170 device in use. The U170 is very compact with dimensions of 125 x 80 x 30 mm and can be neatly attachedto VESA compliant monitors. In a smart move NComputing designed the U170 to be powered by the host PC via USB, butto connect more than one U170 to a host you will require apowered USB hub.

SoftwareTo manage multiple clients on a host PC you need NComputing’s very useful vSpace software. It’s an incrediblysimple bit of software to use and it allows you to create andcustomise independent workspaces for each user of the hostPC. Once you register each new user, you can adjust their display, login and remote access options.

IssueWhile we were generally impressed by the U170, two issuesstood out. Firstly the device cannot support 64-bit operatingsystems, something that isn’t mentioned anywhere on itspackaging. But a 64-bit beta is now available for Server 2008R2 and Windows Multipoint Server.

ConclusionThe U170 is a fantastic little device. We were thoroughly impressed by how easy it is to setup and manage. The costbenefit that the U series offers is also impressive; you couldfeasibly save as much as 50% on hardware costs per clustersetup with the U170, as it cost just R785 (excl. VAT) per unit(excluding mouse, keyboard etc.). For more information contact NC Solutions on 011-465-7952. [TM]

NCompu�ng has been advoca�ng cost saving measuresfor more than a decade via their easy to set-up virtualisa�on devices like the X (PCI) and L (Ethernet)series. The idea behind their products is pre�y simple –one machine, many users.

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PC HARDWARE Gaming | Gadgets18

Verbatim portable eSATA combo hard drive

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Verbatim’s portable eSATA & USB2.0 combo hard drive offers 500

GB of storage and two connectivity options. Youcan connect your USBcable to transmitdata to the driveat a maximumtransferrate of 480MB/s, or ifyou havean eSATA connectionyou can hook upthe powered eSATAcable to transfer or backupyour data at a maximum speed of3 GB/s (more than six times faster than USB 2.0).

The Verbatim includes Nero BackItUp 4 Essentials. WithNero you can back-up and restore all your important data forthat always unforeseen circumstance when your PC crashes.Nero is easy to install and configure, plus, you can also use itto automatically sync folders every time you connect the device to your PC. The drive is not as stylishly designed as the InSight though, but it’s just as compact, measuring 130 x 80 x17 mm and weighing a very manageable 205 g.

The Verbatim will set you back in the region of R1500. Formore info on the product contact Gwen Nkambule on 011-253-4940. (Also see our Verbatim competition on p30.)

The ATI Radeon HD 5870graphics card is a monster,

both in size and performance.This encased GPU is two stopsaway from being top of the current ATI line-up, and you’llfind this DirectX 11 supportingGPU tucked very neatly into

Evetech’s Extreme Gaming PC.The emphasis here is indeed on extreme, since the PC’s performance was simply excellent.

We tested the machine with Metro 2033 (see review on p38)and it ran the highest graphical setting without a glitch. The

fact that Evetech overclocked the alreadypowerful AMD Phenom II Black Edition

X4 965 processor to 4 GHz, ofcourse also helped greatly with theperformance (with it running at anacceptable 60°C). One issue wehad was noise from the top fanwhich kicked up a racket at around85 – 90° C. There’s also not muchplace for expansion on the motherboard, but hey, you’ve

asked for a high-endgaming machine andyou’ve got it. FromEvetech.co.za for agood R12 699 if you pay by EFT (no OS included).

It’s a hassle freemethod to log

routes whiletravelling bycar, keep trackof trainingwhile cyclingor running,or pop itinto a back-pack whengoing on ahike. Afterwards youcan download thedata to view the route on Google Maps or Earth, or export itfor SARS inspection.

The M-1000C makes use of the world class 66 channelsMTK MT 3329 chipset. It consumes very little power whichmakes the battery last longer than, say for example, whenusing your cellphone as a GPS. The battery is rated at about20 hours and can be recharged via USB or the included travelpower supply. A Bluetooth connection enables connection toyour notebook, so you can navigate on there since HandyMAPAi Standard navigation software for PC and Pocket PC is included. Available from www.pdashop.co.za for R950.

All your routes logged

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Gaming as it should be Holux’s M-1000C logger is a matchbox sized devicethat requires only for you to switch it on, in order forit to start tracking your movements.

If you are concerned aboutyour internet connection

dropping and want the back-upof a 3G connection, Billion’sBiPac 7402X 3G/ ADSL2+ VPN Firewall Router should be on yourshort list. With support for both ADSL(supporting 2+) and a wireless 3G/ HSDPA connection, the Billion is handy in the officeand on the road if you want to connect a numberof PCs to a wireless connection. The 3G modem isn’tincluded and the Huawei e220 and e270 and Bandluxec100 modems (all available in SA) are the only modems supported by the 7402X. Just remember that the 7402X isn’t awireless router, so PCs can’t connect to it via Wi-Fi. For thisyou actually need its brother – the 7402GX.

The 7402X sports a 4-port full-duplex 10/100 switch thatenables you to connect it to other ethernet devices such as computers, additional hubs or switches in order to produce alarger network. It also features SOHO firewall security withDoS prevention and SPI boasts to protection against hackersas well as other internet-based threats. Parents and business owners can also control the access that the users at home orin the office have to the internet, when they employ the device’s URL content filtering as well as packet filtering functionality. You can pick one up at PC Pro Shop (012-348-4000) for R1950.

With high-speed uncapped broadband recently receiving amajor price drop, it’s easy to forget internet

connection’s humble origins (see p26 for more info). Forthose who that want a reminder, go pick up this 56K PCIModem with a 56 Kbps download speed at PC Pro Shop (012-348-4000) for R150.

Routers l Modems 19PC HARDWARE

It’s here that the more powerful capabilities of a dual-bandrouter come into play. The EnGenius ESR7750 router

simultaneously makes use of two wireless N access points, ineffect offering double the amount of bandwidth than a singleband router.

Two Access PointsThe two wireless access points separate different types of data traffic. The first, operating on the 2.4 GHz frequency, takescare of all the low impact applications suchas surfing the web, email and regular filesharing. The second 5 GHz access pointplays a central role in streaming traffic that

is “latency sensitive”, basically ensuring that all your multimedia files, VoIP applications like Skype, gaming andother P2P applications and HD content (1080p movies), getpriority on the network. Apart from this functionality you canalso set a certain IP address (or ports) to get priority in bandwidth allocation, ensuring that certain high priority usersget preferential treatment on your network.

SecurityOn the security front the EnGenius ESR7750 router includes afirewall as well as WEP, WPA and WPA2 security. Also onboardis basic URL filtering which can be used to filter out keywordsand adds an element of parental control to the home network.

Set-upThe Engenius router also doesn’t require a lot of set-up, since

all you need to do is connect your ADSL modemto the WAN port, while plugging your networkprinter or home server to one of the fouravailable LAN ports. Switch it on and you aregood to go. The EnGenius ESR7750 router with its dual-band media streaming capabilities is most suitable for home or small office usage. Itcomes with a RRP of R1211, for more infocall Miro Distribution on 086-123-6476.

Home networks are moving beyond just sharing an internet connec�on wirelessly across the house. Moreand more tech savvy users are using their routers toalso stream pictures, music and movies wirelessly froma home server.


Billion BiPac 7402X 3G/ ADSL2+ VPN Firewall Router

Media streaming in the home?

No problem.

EnGenius ESR7750 Dual-Band Router

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Other featuresTwo other features worth mentioning are the integration of customer relationship management(CRM) software into 3CX,so you can call people fromyour PC directly from Sales-force.com or Outlook. Certaincellphones can also be adoptedinto the office PBX system. For example, if your cellphone hasWi-Fi and your office runs a wireless network, your cellphonecan be used as a regular IP phone with the ability to make andreceive calls via the company’s network and not the cellularcompanies.

Reseller PartnersYou can download a limited 3CX version at www.3cx.com,which will make you one of 30 000 people who does somonthly. The sole distributor of 3CX in SA is Centurion-basedICTGlobe who supply and support total solutions exclusively toauthorised channel partners. Currently they are looking for potential partners who want to add IP telephony to their list ofservices. Partners will receive free training, sales and technicalsupport, plus leads provided by ICTGlobe (received throughthe 3cx.com site). Call them today on 012-940-0250 if youwould like to sign-up to become a partner.

3CX PBX systemsAdvertorial

What does 3CX do?

As an integrated IP telephony and unified communicationsplatform, 3CX makes use of the internet as well as regular

telephone lines to make calls. Companies that run the 3CX IPbased communication solution not only save on call costs butalso on the financial investment since a traditional, and costly,PBX system isn’t needed. So instead of investing in traditionalproprietary hardware, 3CX runs all the calls through their software on any standard Windows operated machine (XP,Vista or 7, Server 2003/2008) plus regular IP phones or PCbased “soft” phones. 3CX allows for the same functionality asa regular PBX system, including the allocations of extensionnumbers, call transfers, conference calling and the ability todial other colleagues. There are a number of added extras including digital call recording, the forwarding of voicemail viaemail, integration of the system with Skype and a digital receptionist. The digital receptionist allows for the typical “treebranch” welcoming message (Welcome, for sales press 1, foraccounts press 2, etc.).

PBX made easyWhile the open source Asterisk phone system for theLinux opera�ng system made big inroads in opening uplow cost Internet Protocol (IP) telephony for companies,a large and increasing number of IP telephony serviceproviders are making the switch to 3CX, the leadingWindows IP PBX system. 3CX is a scalable, so�ware-based PBX system and the company is cer�fied as a Microso� Gold Partner.

22 PABXTELEPHONY

Free!The Facts:- Multiple Award winning IP PBX

- The leading Windows based IP PBX system

- 3CX is a 100% channel company

- 30 000+ downloads per month Worldwide

- Increasingly taking Telephony market share

- Run 3CX using HyperV or Vmware

- Full CRM integration: SalesForce and Outlook

Partner Benefits:- Automatic Leads generator

- NFR (Not for resale) Key

- Full Support and Training in SA

- Partner discounts

- Partner possibilities for other African Countries

- Assistance with configuration and implementation

Latest Case Studies: REMAX www.3cx.com/clients/remax.html

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Visit our Website www.3cx.co.za / www.3cxshop.co.za

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HP Laserjet P1606dn

The P1606dn, nicknamed the Mantis, is an average sized(387 x 284 x 246 mm) printer, churning out a good 25

pages per minute. The qualityof the print jobs at either600 dpi or HP FastRes 1200 resolution are very good,with the paper tray holdingan average 250 (A4) sheets.

To save paper the HP includes duplex mode (automatic double-sidedprinting) and the Mantis alsosaves power with a speciallow energy mode. HP’sP1606dn can be connected

to the network via an Ethernet port at the back of theprinter. The P1606dn will only go on sale from about June,so there are no details on pricing available yet.

Samsung Laser Printer ML-1910

The Samsung ML-1910 might take up slightly more desktop real estate than the HP (360 x389 x 197 mm), but is more stylish. Its printing is a little off the HP’s pace though, printing

up to 18 A4 ppm. We liked the Print Screen button that appears on the printer itself, allowing you to print out

the info displayed on your monitor. Samsung’s AnyWeb print also boosts your productivity sincethe software enables you to drag and drop content (such as diagrams and tables) from variouswebpages onto a blank page (with a customised layout). The duty cycle of the ML-1910 is agood 10 000 pages per month (2 000 more than the P1606dn’s). You can pick one up at Computer Corporation (08616-08616) for R788.

Oki Mono Printer B2200

Oki printers are known fortheir reliability, with their

B2200 the best suited for highvolume print jobs.

Conservatively styled with themost compact dimensions of thebunch (320 x 204 x 181 mm),the Oki also boasts the best dutycycle by far (15 000 sheets) anda claimed 2 000 pages from itstoner cartridge. The B2200packs a printing speed of 21ppm, but its loading tray onlytakes 150 A4 sheets.

Unlike the P1606dn, the B2200 doesn’t offer duplex printing,but it does deliver the same good quality printouts as the HP in itsHigh Quality setting of 1200 x 600 dpi. Get it from Computer Corporation (08616-08616) for R700.

Monochrome Printer Face-OffPrinters 23PC HARDWARE

58%

. Reven

ue fo

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What you need:

• The correct NVIDIA GPU• Red and Blue cellophane paper• Cardboard• Scissors • Glue

Correct NVIDIA cardAfter some clever geeks on the net got the technology workingwith old multicoloured glasses, NVIDIA took notice and made ita free feature available for anyone with the correct NVIDIAGPU. To check if your card supports 3D go have a look athttp://tinyurl.com/3dnvidia. If you have a compatible cardmake sure you have v186.18 or above of the GeForce driverinstalled.

Glasses neededNVIDIA uses their 3D Vision Discover glasses for this, but theyare simply the blue and red type used years ago for old school3D. I found some by simply asking around, but making them isnot that difficult since you basically just need to head over to astationary shop to find red and blue cellophane paper and cardboard. Another alternative, which also gives you a prettycool excuse to stock up with some snacks, is to pay a visit toyour local candy store and get a bunch of candy with differentshades of blue and red wrappers. You’ll have to try differentcombinations to find the ones that work best. The rest is Grade1 stuff – simply cut out some cardboard glasses and stick onyour wrappers for lenses or just clip the wrappers over yournormal glasses.

GPU setupActivate “Enable 3D VISION Discover” in the NVIDIA settingsand complete the setup wizard and you’re ready to go, currentlymore than 350 games are supported from Left 4 Dead to FarCry 2 and lots more to come. To be fair it’s easy to see why thecoloured glasses were abandoned, you lose a bit of quality andsuffer a rather huge refresh rate drop. Of course both of thesecan be avoided with the full R7000 package. [MS]

With the resurgence of 3D technologylast year, 2010 has a variety of newgadgets for us to play with. HDTVsand projectors that are 3D capable have already been released by the major brands but,as with most new technology, ifyou’re not hi�ng 50 it’s probablynot in your budget.

NVIDIA’s 3D Vision Discover Glasses

THE DIY DUDE24

NVIDIA recently releasedtheir 3D product, called

NVIDIA 3D Vision, which enables a regular PC to effectively provide a fullstereoscopic 3D experience.For this though you needtheir 3D active shutter

glasses, a Samsung3D Vision LCD

display andthe correctgraphics card.

This isn’t cheaphowever, you can

expect to pay betweenR2000 and R3000 for the

glasses alone, and most gamers probably won’t cash out theR7000 needed for a complete setup. Luckily the hackers havesaved us again.

3D

How to: Play games in 3D


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Cartridge Depot Advertorial

Cartridge Depot offers very competitive pricing on eitheroriginal printer cartridges or on their own Eclipse branded

products. Eclipse printer cartridges are remanufactured toglobal standards and rigorously tested before being packed forresale. With savings of up to 30%, compared with original cartridges, Eclipse cartridges are affordably priced and offerhigh quality printouts with good page yields. Eclipse printercartridges are also recycled, so they offer an environmentallyfriendly option for the consumer.

With a vast range of products for most printers in stock, Cartridge Depot specialises in obtaining hard-to-find consumables for their customers. They also offer a recyclinginitiative where empty printer cartridges can be returned forrecycling.

Cartridge Depot Stores have grown to eight outlets, andare conveniently located on arterial roads and shopping centres in Pretoria, Witbank and Vanderbijlpark.

For more information or to locate the nearest CartridgeDepot store visit www.cartridgedepot.co.za.

Your ink-saving Depot

Any person owning a printer knows that buying replacement printer cartridges can be very expensive,o�en cos�ng more than the ini�al cost of the printer.

SiSense PrismCubed Advertorial

Gone are the days where thefocus was placed on

collecting, manipulating andmanaging data. Today the focusis on how business users interact with the data, and what business circumstances theyare trying to improve via this interaction.

Enter the so-called Business Analyst Business IntelligentApplications. These are applications aimed at empoweringbusiness users to build their own BI applications in more sophisticated ways than spreadsheets, but without having torely on a team of full time IT resources to operate and supportthe application.

Sisense’s PrismCubed is an example of such an application.PrismCube’s integrated environment enables businesses usersto collect and connect to data, define screen layout, add interactive visualisation widgets and bind them to data usingnothing but drag-and-drop operations.

To download a free demo, please visit www.sisense.com.For additional information or case studies visitwww.sisense.co.za or www.sakhu.co.za. You can alsocontact Sakhu (a SiSense approved reseller) on 012-997-3791, or email [email protected].

In recent years a new trendhas emerged in the BusinessIntelligence (BI) environment.

Consumables l Business Intelligence 25SERVICES

The future of BusinessIntelligence

1 in

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For the average South African 56 kb/sanalogue dial-up is an outdated

technology, but quite a few users are stillstuck with it due to Telkom’s inability to

provide better infrastructure in many areas. Many South Africanswill (fondly or otherwise) remember the noise these modemsmade while negotiating the best signal, similar to that of a faxmachine. As memorable was the sizable chunk of your monthlytelephone bill dedicated to internet browsing, since normal callcharges applied when you dialled-up to surf.

DigiNetHistorically, Telkom’s connectivity option which was targeted atbusinesses, consisted of a leased-line product called DigiNet. Afixed copper line, DigitNet initially offered starting speeds of 64kb/s, which was only slightly faster than a 56 kb/s dialup connection. Businesses looking at a permanent fixed line solution had no other options but to pay a premium price for thisproduct, which was simply not affordable for smaller businesses.

ADSLMore recently, things have started to change and connectivityoptions available to end-users have increased. ADSL (Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line) provides faster data transmissions over the same copper line infrastructure used byanalogue dial-up modems, with Telkom offering 384 kb/s, 512kb/s and 1024 to 4096 kb/s ADSL coverage on 92% of its network (according to its 2008 operational review) as a “ best- effort” service. Higher speeds (10 mb/s and 12 mb/s) are currently being trialed in specific areas. On the cellular side 14.4mb/s 3G HSDPA (a mobile telecommunications standard) is offered by Vodacom and MTN.

FibreRecently MetroEthernet – a metropolitan area network based onthe Ethernet standard with fibre speeds of up to 1 gb/s for thetime being, with the probability of 10 gb/s in the future – became available from Neotel, Vodacom Business and Telkom.The aforementioned operators also provide fixed-line opticalfibre connectivity for those lucky enough to be close to theirprovider.

FTTCIn future, FTTC (Fibre to the Curb) will replace all or part of thelocal loop – the demarcation point of the customer’s premises tothe edge of the telecommunications provider’s network – with anoptical fibre line, allowing for up to 10 gb/s connections. To putthis in perspective, this is a technology aimed at end-users andis roughly 163 840 times faster than the starting speed ofTelkom’s old DigiNet offering aimed at businesses!

The futureAt the rate in which telecommunications technology has advanced over the past few years (roughly keeping to Moore’sLaw), it is not surprising that there is talk of a totally connectedworld where everything from your cellphone to your automaticdogfeeder will be connected at truly affordable broadbandspeeds.

Martin van Dyk has 20 years experiencein the IT industry, of which six includework on international communicationnetworks. He is currently director of internet service provider XDSL.


The evolution of connectivity

VIRUS SAFE & SECURE Security

For conservative and careful computer users, phishing is aname that is synonymous with scammers trying to hook

private data and banking details. For those that have beencaught in this deceitful net, phishing is a name that will neverbe forgotten after losing private savings lodged in their bank account in a matter of seconds.

How is it done?Phishing is typically carried out by email or instant messaging.The message directs users to legitimate looking but fake websites to enter bank account details and personal information. Even experts find that it takes tremendous skilland experience to detect whether the website is in fact fake.

These phishing emails always contain clever words andphrases, alerting you that “routine maintenance” is being doneto your bank’s servers, asking you to “verify your account” or“confirm billing information”. Often the mails are designed sowell that they will feature the bank’s logo and include thebank’s name in the email address.

Other Forms of PhishingRecently I’ve started receiving many emails congratulating meon becoming an instant millionaire. I’ve won the Canadian Lottery ($1 500 000) twice and the UK lottery (£2 000 000)four times. I’ve also succeeded in winning lotteries, strangelyenough from Microsoft and Yahoo. Of course in order to claimthe prizes I had to send my banking details.

There are also some more harrowing emails coming throughsuggesting I’ve made a very “shady” purchase on my creditcard. “You bought product X online and it costs $1 000. Clickhere to confirm the transaction and enter your credit card details in order to cancel it”. This can send shivers down the innocent reader’s spine since it can be easily mistakento betrue. The user immediately cancels the transaction and give allthe relevant info the scammers require.

What to doVictory is in the bag for the phisher as soon as you bite, sonever click on the links inside of these emails.

Banks will never send you an email or call you requestingyour pin, bank details and especially the last three numbers onthe back of your credit card. The best advice is to never sendor share these via the web or phone. If you are unsure alwayscall your bank or antivirus supplier to check with them whetherthe call or email is either legitimate or illegal.

Jonathan Holton, general managerof Holton and Associates, distributors of BitDefender, con�nues his series on PC securityby taking a look at modern dayphishing a�empts.

Send your Security related ques�onsto [email protected]. The best ques�on will win BitDefender Internet Security 2010 for one year,courtesy of Holton & Associates.

Staying safe from phishing

26 PABXNETSMART

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Why can you relax whenyou use BitDefender? • Free and qualified LOCAL service• Only one distributor in SA – simply call Holton & Associates• No overseas calls with long queues• No credit cards asked for• No problems with understanding language

All An�virus 2010 features PLUS

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• Unique to BitDefender is the WMI Scrip�ng feature to audit your hardware, so�ware, installand uninstall so�ware from the control centre

• Powerful An�Spam protec�on against unwantedemails

Business Solu�onsBusiness Edi�on – adopts a defence in depth strategy tobe�er protect school networks against diverse threats.

Dear PC Medic. I haverecently invested in anew PC and I havefound someone towhom I can sell my oldPC to. I wanted to know

how I can wipe the hard-drive clean of all my personal

and business info, so that noone will have access to it. Iknow I could just format thePC and re- install the OS, butI’ve heard that that doesn’tmean people can’t still access the data. – Concerned Seller

PC Medic (PCM): Whatyou’ve heard is correct, it is

not enough just to format thedrive, as tech savvy people

can use forensic softwaretools to retrieve that data.One good way of ensuringthat your data is completely removed from

a disk is to delete the info and replace it with useless data.There are a couple of programsthat write rubbish data to the hard-drive, one of which is

BCWipe from Jetico, which youcan try out for free for 21 days (4.6

MB download). BCWipe complies with theU.S. Department of Defense security standards, but you might want to let theprogram do its thing overnight, as it’ll repeatedly write to the disk to ensure thatyour data is completely removed.

Hi PC Medic. There aresuch a lot of ads on

websites. Is there a way for meto prevent my browser (Firefox) from loading theseads? – Leanne Fourie

PCM: The AdBlock Plus add-on for Firefox is the most popular ad-blocker. You can go to

http://tinyurl.com/2cd87q to download and install it, inorder to block adverts, banners and the like. For those of youwho use Google Chrome, you can download AdBlock for Chromefrom the Google chrome extensions site(https://chrome.google.com/extensions) just search for Adblock on the extensions page. Just remember that sites relyon adds to make money, so think about that when browsing.

Hey PC Medic, is there a quick, easy way to create arepair disk in Windows 7 to have in case something

goes wrong? – Thomas Noah

PCM: The quickest way I can think of is to type [systemrepair disc] in the start menu form of Windows 7, which

will take you to the “Create a system repair disk” window. Youjust select the drive on which you want to create the system repair disk and click “Create disc”.

Send your PC related questions to [email protected].

PC Medic once again swoops in to answer your PC related ques�ons, faster than Julius Malema can kick aforeign journo out of a news conference.

Q

Q

Q

A

A

A

THE PC MEDIC Q&A28


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KasperskyInternet Security

2010

KasperskyAnti-Virus

Kaspersky Internet Security2010 automatically protectsyou and your family at alltimes – whether you work,bank, shop or play online.

• Email Archiving• Unified Threat Management• Anti-Virus• Intrusion Detection/Prevention

• Anti-Spam• VPN• Content Monitoring• Firewalls

KasperskyMobile

KasperskyBusinessForSecurity

2010Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2010provides the basic toolsneeded to protect your PC.

World-class security forsmartphones: at home, atwork, on the move.

World-class enterprise security solutions for yourbusiness.

Tel: 012-665-2513 l Fax: 012-665-0509Email: [email protected]

Website: www.africasd.com

Africa SD: Your network solution distributor in Africa

Websites30 INTERNET

Pangloss Widomwww.pangloss.com

In the age of electricity hikesby Eskom, petrol price

increases and potholes, we alloccasionally need a couple of

inspirational thoughts to keep us from becoming completelydisillusioned. This simplistic website offers short quotes as wellas comments aimed at putting you in a positive frame of mind,inspired by the literary character called Dr. Pangloss created bythe famous French philosopher Voltaire. If this sweetness getstoo much there’s a link to a section where you can find variousShakespearean insults.

People of Wal-Marthttp://www.people-ofwalmart.com/

We might not have a Wal-Mart in South Africa,

but that doesn’t preclude usfrom enjoying a look at someof the craziest, wacky andfunny people to ever havegraced this American store.You can look at the feature

creature (the sites featured choice) or browse through themany pics, stories and videos that the blog has on offer. Thereare also some pics of the odd vehicles that have been parked atthe store’s parking lots. These have definitely not been trickedout by the dudes from “Pimp my ride”.

Totally looks like http://totallylookslike.com/

This website presents youwith a selection of visual

comparisons between twothings, one which is a wellknown person or object and theother being its visual twin. Comparisons can be made between anything from celebrities (like Will Farrell and his look-a-like), cartoon characters (like Squidward from SpongeBob Squarepants and his visual double) to the iPad.You can also create and submit your own comparison by usingthe site’s Lol builder. To construct your very own comparisons to submit.

Sci-Fi Movie Pagehttp://www.scifi-moviepage.com/

Sci-fi fans can beam over tothe Sci-Fi Movie Page,

which boasts a plethora of sci-fi, fantasy and horror moviereviews, movie trailers, scriptsthat you can download and news on upcoming science fiction films. Although it gives you access toall the latest news, info and interviews, by employing the talents of writers and reviewersbased in the US, the site is owned and run bySouth African James O’Ehley.

May 2010 Web Time Wasters

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Command and Conquer 4: Tiberian Twilight

This is the end

The GoodWithout a doubt thenew gameplay.

The BadYour units have an annoyingtendency to bump into eachother.

RTSPC GAMING38 FPSXBOX 360 GAMING


It’s 2062 and humanity is teetering on the edge of

extinction. Enter Kane, leader of theBrotherhood of Nod, who claims tonot just have developed a systemto control the extra terrestrialTiberium crystal and exploitits power, but to put an endto the seemingly endlessconflict between Nod andthe Global Defense Initiative (GDI). Fast forward15 years and the questions nowis what does Kane want in return for his earth saving efforts?

GameplayWithin the game you are given a maximum of 90 commandpoints which you use to build units. There are no resourcesused in the game, the only limit to building units is the limitednumber of command points plus the time it takes. The mainfocus of a game is to be the first to, or closest to, 2500 pointsafter the allotted time-frame is over. Scattered throughout themap are control points, of which the more you hold, the fasteryour point count increases, bringing you closer to victory. At thesame time you need to upgrade your units, for which you needto collect Tiberium crystals.

Tiberian Twilight also introduces the Crawler – a huge, mobile base that allows you to pack up and move your basealong with your army. This, together with the time factor, translates into never ending action, since even if your Crawler isdestroyed, you will be able to bring in a new one to rejoin thefight after a bit of time.

New Features In Tiberian Twilight you can tackle the campaign by yourself orhook up with a friend and play cooperatively. You also have access to the largest C&C multiplayer available, choosing toplay as your favourite class in 5 vs. 5 objective-based battles.

VerdictOverall, the game is well polished with just a few niggles. Thenew gameplay style is fresh and exciting and you’re never leftbored waiting for something to happen. Command and Conquer4 brings a fitting end to one of the most popular gaming seriesever. Farewell Kane, it has been many many years for you!

The GoodExcellent storylineand immersive atmosphere.

The BadThe annoying sound glitch in the game.

Moscow MetroMadness

Metro 2033

As Artyom you are sent on a mission to Polis, the largest andmost powerful of the underground metro stations. Here you

must request help from elite soldiers known as Rangers, to protect your home station against a new and terrible threatknown only as the Dark Ones.

Gameplay and atmosphereWhether you’re in the subway or making your way througheerie, badly lit tunnels, Metro 2033 delivers some gorgeousgraphics and level designs, helping to add to its immersive storyline. You get the feeling the developers watched a wholebunch of M. Night Shyamalan as well as Alfred Hitchcock moviesfor some added inspiration.

The gameplay is fairly similar to what you expect from FPSgames, but it does have a few elements of stealth gameplayand economy. The stealth gameplay is not just another way offinishing the game though, since going in guns blazing at everyopportunity versus stealthily avoiding encounters (by staying inshadows for instance and watching your chosen path to avoidbroken glass) will present you with a different ending to thegame. There is no money in the game, instead military gradebullets are used as currency. These are bullets that were manu-factured prior to the nuclear fallout and thus more valuable. Youcan also use these bullets in combat as well because they packmore stopping power than the dirty, rusty bullets used by mostmetro residents.

Occasionally though, the immersive atmosphere is spoiled bysome bad sound glitches. While walking around accompanyingone of the other characters you can not only hear your conversation, but also that of other characters in your immediate environment. This can be distracting and annoying.

Final ThoughtsMetro 2033 is up there with the best of them with its engrossing storyline and post apocalyptic atmosphere. But itsmostly average gameplay elements and frustrating sound glitchkeep it from reaching the cream of the crop of our choice ofmust-buy titles for 2010. Being so engrossing makes the shortlength of the game also a bit disappointing, as it takes about sixhours to complete.

It’s 2033. An apocalyp�c event has turned the earth’s surface into a nuclear wasteland. Survivors, ba�lingmutant creatures topside, have made the murkyMoscow underground system their home.

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Command & Conquer has kept us company for 15 years.How will Tiberian Twilight bring an end to one of themost popular gaming franchises in history?

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TechSmart 80, May 2010, The Old vs New Issue

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