MarcForrest.com

Category: On The Marc

Review: Xiaomi Mi 4
A while back I mentioned about the new Xiaomi Mi 4 that was being launched in SA. The launch of the phone in South Africa was a HUGE success, and really started gaining traction as a must have phone, given the price point.

As a gadget freak, I am always on the lookout for new and exciting gadgets, especially in the mobile sphere. So when I got the opportunity to give the Mi 4 a run, I jumped at the opportunity!! The Xiaomi brand in China is one of the fastest growing mobile brands, and has a huge community to support it. What I like most about Xiaomi is that they offer the ability to upgrade the phone MIUI OS, as well as being able to install a Windows 10 ROM on the phone!
The phone, which is priced at R3,799 in SA offers a variety of features:
- 5″ IPS 1080p capacitive touchscreen
- Android 4.4.3 KitKat with MIUI v.5, upgradable to MIUI v.6 (And Windows 10)
- 2.5GHz quad-core Krait 400 CPU; 3GB of RAM; Adreno 330 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 chipset
- 13MP camera, f/1.8 aperture, LED flash, 4K video capture, HDR video, 1080p@30fps, 720p@120fps
- 8MP front-facing camera; 1080p video recording
- 16/64 GB of built-in memory
- Active noise cancellation with a dedicated microphone
- 3,080mAh battery
So, I have been using the Mi 4 as my secondary device for a few weeks now, using it on the go for a few photos, social stuff and just general on the go use.
Even though the un-boxing was a little underwhelming, with just a phone, charger & USB cable in the box, once you turn the phone on, you start getting a sense of the Xiaomi brand and feel. The phone is pretty sturdy and made of a strong stainless steel frame, and has a distinctly similar look to the iPhone 5.

The screen display is amazing and offers a FULL HD experience, which does mean the battery life takes a bit of a knock. Having said that, using the phone as a secondary phone, I managed to get around 2 days out of the phone, with medium use. Not bad, considering what is under the hood.
The Sony Camera (at 13MP) also offers pretty clear images, as well as great video. This has to be the highlight of the phone, as it is not often we get to see such great camera hardware in these sorts of devices.

The performance on the device is pretty average, given the very basic CPU that’s behind the covers. Comparing it to other devices using the AnTuTu 4 benchmark app, the phone ranks in the middle of comparative phones in the same category.

The MIUI ROM that is pre installed comes with all the standard Google Apps offerings, and apart from 1 or 2 Xiaomi standard apps, the phone doesn’t feel like it comes with any “bloatware” that is often installed by Android phone distributors.

In a world where new smartphones are being released daily, it is difficult to match up to some of the best in the market. But given the price point on this device (R3,799) it’s a great device for an entry level user looking for a smartphone. The device is available at for purchase online on the MIA Africa Site, as well as on contract from MTN and at Dion Wired, Makro, Game & Incredible Connection.
March 1, 2016
Uber South Africa launches in Port Elizabeth

PE peeps, listen up!! Uber has (finally) launched in the Friendly City!! After many months of people asking when Uber South Africa would be launching it’s next city, they announced today that PE would be the fifth South African City to be launched after Cape Town, Joburg, Pretoria & Durbs.

If you haven’t used Uber yet I highly recommend it as THE way to get around the city, and especially to & from the Airport. They have also launched with some great pricing at R4,25 Base Fare, 60c per minute & R6 per KM

Below is an infographic from Uber of some example rates. As you can see it’s really affordable to move around the city.

If you haven’t yet signed up for Uber, you can use my promo code “uberiguyza” for a free trip with R150 off your first trip. Just click here to get started.

December 10, 2015
Get ShowMax for only R99 a month!

If you haven’t already heard about the awesomeness that is ShowMax, where have you been??? ShowMax is a subscription video on demand service (SVOD), which launched in August 2015 and is owned by Naspers. The service offers viewers the opportunity to stream over 12 000 hours of content, ranging from the best movies and series, talk shows, documentaries and local programming. With over 20,000 episodes and movies to choose from, it’s a no brainer at R99 a month. They also recently added ALL 5 seasons of the amazing Breaking Bad series

A few weeks ago I got given a voucher for ShowMax at a conference I was at. I went home and found that they had an app available on my LG Smart TV!! So I downloaded that and got all setup and within minutes I was watching some really awesome shows. The kids love it because there are loads for them to choose from as well. And, the word on the street is that they are also working on an app for the New Apple TV, which will be perfect to watch all the content on!

If you haven’t already checked out Showmax you can sign up for a 7-day free trial right here. If you need more info about the service check out the FAQ section on their site, which provides all the answers!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFgVrCtCJNg

November 25, 2015
Review: East Oasis Ballito

Disclaimer: I was not asked to write this post, and neither did I benefit from it in anyway. Just sharing about this awesome new restaurant in Ballito

Last night the wife and I celebrated our 11 year wedding anniversary. Yay! We don’t do big gifts or surprises, but we do like to get out for a meal. We decided to pop in at a new place in Ballito for a drink after seeing a few people talk about it online, after which we would go to our favorite spot in town for dinner.

When we got to the door, the owner greeted us so enthusiastically I thought we had forgot to say HI to a friend. We sat down and ordered a cocktail each, and had a quick look at the menu. We decided to have a quick starter of chicken wings, drink our drinks and then move on.

Well….

We had the chicken wings and they were absolutely delicious. And hot. But not ugly hot, hot enough to make you want more! As we were about to call for the bill the owner came up and asked us what we thought of the place as it was new and was getting local feedback. He then asked us what we wanted for mains, and we told him we had plans to go elsewhere. Haha, he didn’t like that and convinced us to stay with some of the mouthwatering specialities.

Eventually we stayed, and I’m so glad we did. The food is absolutely phenomenal. And the owner, Shaun, is so passionate about his food, he won’t even let you add salt to it!!

We had a portion of calamari to share, and I had the baby chicken, while the wife had the most incredible rump. All served with a side salad and wedges. All the meat and salads are organic & free range, so it’s extra tasty. And the prices were not bad either, really worth it!

All in all, I can honestly say, that this place is the new kid on the block, and I hope it stays. Ballito tends to suffer from “December Turnover Syndrome” and too many good places close down too quickly. I really hope that East Oasis Ballito stays open for good and grows from strength to strength

Well done to Shaun and his team, I’m looking forward to spending more time at your place!

You can find them at 16 Compensation Beach road (near Shakers/Milk Cafe) or on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/eastoasisballito) or call them on 032 586 1034

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September 5, 2015
Restricting Adult Content on iOS devices

I often have a debates with friends and family about the kids of today using tablets and iPads. The main point I try and get across is that our kids were born into this technology. It is not foreign for them to swipe on things, similarly to the way we were brought up with Casio watches and Sony Walkmans. The thing is, the technology is here to stay, and we can’t keep our kids away from it, it is their life.

But one of the “risks” of having this sort of technology is that there is whole other world out there, that we don’t want our kids to see. It’s a reality and we need to firstly and most importantly EDUCATE our kids about what goes on out there. We can’t hide behind reality and by being honest with your kids, and telling them there are some crazy people out there, we can help protect them.

I also recently found a fantastic setting on the iOS devices which allows you to “Limit Adult Content” This doesn’t only block access to all adult sites, but also anything that could be deemed not safe for kids, such as gambling, religion etc etc. The setting is also controlled via a password so kids can’t undo this setting.

To turn this feature on do the following:

On your iOS device go to Settings -> General -> Restrictions

At this point if you have not used Restrictions before, you will need to set a password. I would suggest using a different password from whats normally used to unlock the iPad and only something you know :)

Once you in restrictions you can turn off a number of Apps etc. I personally turn off Safari & In App Purchases.

Once you go into Restrictions go to Websites and select “Limit Adult Content”

Once you try surf to a site Apple deems as unsafe, you will need to put in the restrictions password you set in the beginning.

If you ever need to go back to the full setting, you can just go into restrictions and take off the setting and allow all websites.

This is a really handy trick that works 100% of the time ;)

August 12, 2015