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WELCO

One of the best things about the technology sector is that, unlike some
other industries where critics would have you believe the halcyon days
have been and gone, the best is always still to come.
This is especially true when it comes to gaming. In a few short years,
virtual reality (VR) has gone from being the stuff of science fiction to
being one of the new battlegrounds for the titans of tech to duke it out in.
From Samsungs Gear VR to Googles cardboard equivalent, VR is
harnessing the power of mobile to make our virtual dreams a reality.
One day phones may even come packaged with VR headsets as standard, but in the
interim weve collected and tested the current pick of the crop (p. 37).
VRs not the only exciting thing happening in gaming, though. The combination of
growing processing power in computers, consoles and mobile phones and increasingly
ambitious designers in games studios means theres a range of fantastic worlds under
construction for your gaming pleasure (p. 68)
Back in this world, two of the hottest phones you can get your hands on right now are
Samsungs S6 Edge and HTCs One M9. See what we thought of Samsungs latest flagship
(p. 11) and find out how its archrival from HTC squares up (p. 56).
Samsungs taken the controversial decision to do away with its traditional removable
battery and microSD slot (much to the amusement of Apple fans) with the S6 Edge (and
the S6) but has added genuinely useful curved edges and finally has a phone that feels as
premium as its price tag. HTC, meanwhile, has long made excellent and high-end-feeling
devices, but hasnt been able to keep up with Samsungs marketing muscle. This
competitions set to be closer than usual.
Of course, this is no two-horse race and there are plenty of other contenders, especially
in the Android ecosystem. With this in mind weve examined the current breed of
superphones (p. 59) up close to, as weve put it, rescue you from the tyranny of yesterdays
slow-witted blandsets.
Welcome to the world of tomorrow.

THIS MONTH
ON STUFF.CO.ZA
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CON
C
CO
ONS
12

ON THE
COVER

72

p37
Gamings
VR future

HOT STUFF

TESTS

53 Tested Formlabs Form 1+

Pro-style printing on your desktop
54 Approved Stuff-approved apps for
playing podcasts and making no-signal calls
56 First test HTC One M9
Has HTC improved on its classy,
metal-bodied flagship?
58 Tested LG G Flex 2
The bendy-bodied blower is reborn for 2015
76 Tested Acer Revo One
A cute box with a huge media brain
77 Group test Convertible laptops
Which is the best of the tab-top hybrids?
82 Tested Games
Resident Evil: Revelations 2

14
18
20
22
24
28
30
34
36

The Hot Four

BMW X5 M
Nvidia Shield Console
Samsung S6 and S6 Edge
nanoFlowcell Quantino
Vital stats Pebble Time Steel
The gold smartwatch you can actually afford
Gigapixel Runcible
A smartphone disguised as a wooden thing
I made this Paul Franklin
The man who built Interstellars black hole
Vital stats Nikon Coolpix P900
A superzoom camera that can see planets
Games
We dial Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number
Choice Board games
Not just for a rainy day with a power cut
Best of Geneva Motor Show 2015
All the highlights from the swish Swiss show
Apps
Small software that does big stuff
Rob Forbes
No Mans Sky

p11
The only
way is S6

66

p8
Snuggle
the beast

05.
0
5.15

WIN!
p21

68

TOP 100

HAPPIEST
LIST OF
EVERYTHING
Turn to p101
PHONES

T
HO
Y
BU

92

FEATURES
37 The future of gaming
The amazing Vive headset is at the forefront
of a new era in virtual reality and games will
never be the same again
59 Attack of the superphones
We go hands-on with the new flagships, but
which one will be your ultra-upgrade?
68 Gaming Game worlds
We visit the astonishing worlds of No Mans
Sky, The Witcher 3 and The Division
84 Media hoard
The latest noises, coloured lights and paper
85 Design Inspired by nature
When gadget designers take their cue from
the prettier bits of the natural world
112 Next big thing? Open-source houses
Because architects cost too piggin much
59

HTC One M9

One to rule
them all for now
p102

PROJECTS
92 Beta yourself Action photos
You might not have to leave those tricky
fast-moving shots to the experts after all
94 Playlist Comedy
Bored? Fed up? Gassy? Download this lot
and chuckle yourself better (and less gassy)
96 Super geek Drum machines
Ever wondered how they get those beautiful
beats so even? Tiny, mechanical drummers!
98 5 ways to reawesomise Android Wear
Now that youve mastered the basics, its
time to get smart with your smartwatch
99 Gadget doctor
Tech salve for your burning questions
100 5-minute hacks If nothing else, at least
Make a movie barcode Give a Raspberry
Pi voice control Make an animated video

WEARABLES

T
HO
Y
BU
Pebble Steel

Its still our top

smartwatch
p105
HEADPHONES

T
HO
Y
BU
AKG K451

Wireless
wondercans
p111

A Must See Next Generation RPG | gameinformer

The Witcher is a trademark of CD PROJEKT S. A. The Witcher game CD PROJEKT S. A. All rights reserved. The Witcher game is based on a novel by Andrzej Sapkowski.
All other copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
WB GAMES LOGO, WB SHIELD: & Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (s15)

THIS WORLD DOESNT NEED A HERO.

IT NEEDS A PROFESSIONAL.
M AY 19, 2015

THEWITCHER.COM

/THEWITCHER

/WITCHERGAME

/WITCHERGAME

HOT
FOUR
#1
SNUGGLING
THE BEAST
BMW X5 M

While its as comfortable as a duvet on a

Sunday morning the BMW X5 M also has
the power to leave most vehicles in the
dust, and not just rival SUVs, but nippy
coups and sedans to boot. Its the nonidentical twin of the X6 M as it shares the
same engine but has a sportier and more
playful exterior. Kitted out with a 4.4-litre
V8 twin power engine, it rockets from
0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds with the sort
of roar youd expect from a track car.
But then, it is a track car, one thats
wrapped in the body of a luxury SUV,
which is why BMW now gives buyers the
option of fitting the X5 M or its sibling
with ceramic brakes. Its updated engine
offers more power and torque than its
predecessor while still achieving better
fuel efficiency. Ten low- and hightemperature radiators ensure optimum
temperature management whether
on the track or navigating traffic.
As hot as brake discs on race day
from R1.6 million / bmw.co.za

TECH SPECS

Engine: 4.4-litre V8 twin

power turbo
0 - 100km/h: 4.2sec
Top speed: 250km/h
Fuel economy: 11.1/100km
Emissions: 258g/km