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Afrihost now offering Mi Smartphones with FREE Data!
The team at Afrihost & Mobile In Africa, who distribute the Xiaomi products in South Africa, have joined up and are offering some awesome deals on Xiaomi phones. And the best part of the deal is you get a FREE data sims, loaded every month, for a YEAR when you sign up for one of the phones.

Having reviewed the Mi4, Mi5 & Redmi Note 3, these are some of the best phones at that price point. They match up to phones that are much much higher up the price scale. As an example, the Redmi Note 3 which I recently reviewed, offers Dual Sim capabilities, which means with this Afrihost deal you can now just use the Data Sim for data, and your normal sim for voice & SMS. Bonus!!

The phones on offer are as follows:
- Redmi 2 8GB – R1799 (With 500MB Free Data PM x 12)
- Redmi Note 2 – R2799 (With 500MB Free Data PM x 12)
- Redmi 3 32GB – R3299 (With 500MB Free Data PM x 12)
- Mi Max – R4699 (With 1GB Free Data PM x 12)
- Mi5 – R7999 (With 2GB Free Data PM x 12)
The phones are available for purchase today through the Afrihost website, and come with FREE delivery!

This is an awesome deal if you looking for a decent spec for, for an affordable price WITH Free data!!
November 16, 2016
How to create a Facebook 360 Pano photo using a DJI Drone

One of the best things about the DJI Phantom 4 for me is the ability to do some really cool Aerial Panos. I have always been fascinated with aerial photography and Panoramic photos.

This is one of my most recent Panos we did at Inanda Dam earlier this year
[pano file=”panoramas/inanda/export.htm”]

So I decided to put together a few resources on how to get the best Pano

Apps: Dronepan or Litchi for the DJI Phantom 4
PSD Template: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xtn7inn3jwwkr10/stfoto-facebook-panorama-template.psd?dl=0 – this PSD has the EXIF data needed to upload to Facebook to make it show 100% correctly as a 360 Pano
Sotware: MS ICE or PTGui
Site: https://roundme.com
WordPress Plugin: https://wordpress.org/plugins/panopress/

This video by Ricky DuNorth takes you through how to get the perfect Pano ready for Facebook. (Thanks Ricky, this an awesome tutuorial!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjesB3UQtEU&feature=youtu.be

November 15, 2016
How to add GIF Images to your Whatsapp conversation on iOS & Android

The team at Whatsapp released an update this week for iOS & Android which now includes the ability to send GIF images in your messages. This has probably been one of the most requested features for the Whatsapp app for a while now!

If you don’t know what a GIF is, I’m pretty sure you’ve seen one of those silly looking silent video’s of cats somewhere on the internet, much like the image below…

Excited Dance GIF from Excited GIFs

To insert GIF’s into your Whatsapp messages follow the steps below:

1. Download a GIF enabled keyboard for iOS or Android. My favorite is Tenor GIF keyboard (iOS or Android) or GBoard Keyboard for iOS

2. Once installed, open the keyboard and select your GIF.

3. You then need to “paste” the GIF into your conversation, which will then show up on the other person’s phone.

The process is pretty much like typing out any message or sending a photo or video, so very simple. The one thing to consider is GIF’s are a bit larger in size, so I would recommend turning off your “Save Incoming Media” on Whatsapp. I also suppose Group chats may become annoying with people sending unnecessary GIFs, but hopefully Whatsapp give an option in later editions to turn this option off :)

Have fun with some cool GIFS :)

November 2, 2016
Review: Xiaomi Redmi Note 3

It’s not very often that when I get to test a new device from a manufacturer that I get anxiety attacks when having to return it after my review period. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 was one of those devices, and the first in a while.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 may not be the top of the range in the world of smartphone devices, but it sure packs a punch to be reckoned with. The standout for me on this phone had to be the option of Dual Sim. As data is getting more expensive and competitive in the South African Mobile space, service providers are offering great deals on data at the moment if you shop around.

So I was rather excited to see an Afrihost sim card in the delivery, which I could use as my Data sim card. The Redmi Note 3 allows you to then select which sim you want to use for Data and which one for voice. This was a treat, as I had recently run out of data, and used the included sim. The only downfall with this though is that the sim tray only allows you use 1 Micro sim (which I used for data) and 1 Nano sim (calls), but you then forfeit the use of a Micro SD card for storage, which shares the same slot as the Nano Sim.

The Redmi Note 3 is fantastic value for money and at around R3700 the specs on the device match up to a number of higher end smart devices currently on the market. The camera on the phone offers an awesome 16MP camera, and a Full HD (1920 x 1080) 5.5” display.

One thing I was very surprised with was the battery. Even though the phone was using 2 sim cards and being through its paces, the battery sometimes even lasted for around a day and a half. One of the better things about Mi products is the MIUI software that is embedded in on the phones. The software is not “bloated”, and offers the essential apps for the device. The new MIUI 8 is fantastic as well and is an improvement on the MIUI 7 software I previously tested.

I have to admit though, I may be becoming a bit of a Xiaomi fanboy. The devices that they deliver are world class, and even some of their latest announcements are making some waves on some of the larger tech-focused sites. After reviewing the Mi 4 & Mi 5, and now the Redmi Note 3, I’m quite excited to see what else hits the SA shores in the future. The price of the Xiaomi products are at a near perfect price point for consumers looking to get a decent specced Smartphone at an affordable price.

You can purchase the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 online at MIA Africa or on Takealot.com or if you outside of South Africa

Disclaimer: I was sent a Redmi Note 3 review unit from the team at MIA Africa. I was not asked to write a specific blog post about the device, but really enjoyed this unit, so thanks guys for the opportunity

October 26, 2016
Review: 3Doodler Create 3D Printing Pen

I recently had the opportunity to review the new Doodle Create 3D printing pen, which has launched in South Africa. The 3D printing pen is the latest version 2 of the original spec of the pen, and has been greatly improved with a couple of great new features. The original 3Doodler pen caused a huge stir on Kickstarter when it launched and raised almost $2.4 million before the end of the campaign.

The Doodle Create pen comes at a time when 3D printing is starting to make a significant impact in our everyday lives. We are seeing 3D printing being used in a number of ways, and now bringing that ability to the everyday consumer is a game changer.

I did a quick unboxing and first impressions video below. (I’m still learning about this whole video thing, so forgive me if it seems a little bit #awks J)

The review unit we got also came with a very cool book showcasing some of the projects and things you can build with the pen. We also got a set of 6 interchangeable nozzles, and a PVC board where you can create your 3D models on, as well as a cool stand to keep the pen safe while you not using it.

My 12-year-old daughter instantly grasped the concept, even though she didn’t understand that the concept of the nozzle being extra hot (while it’s on) and got stung a few times, albeit not too bad.
We had a look at the 3D Doodle community pages, where anyone can upload designs, and my daughter gave the sunglasses a quick go, which proved to fairly simple, but VERY cool in the end.

Using the pen is very simple. You either use a ABS or PLA plastic stick, which is put into the pen, turn the pen on and in a few seconds you ready to go. There are 2 speeds that you can use to “squirt” out the plastic, and even though it takes a little while to get used to, once you have the idea, it’s so simple.

Although the pen is fantastic, you have to be fairly creative to create some of the awesome things I’ve seen online. As you may have seen in the video above, I’m not very artistic, so will leave that up to the 12-year old who is far better at it that I am.

I think that this could possibly be the hot-ticket-seller for the Christmas season of 2016. The 3Doodler 3D printing pen retails for R1990, and is available at iStore & Dion Wired or on if you are outside of SA. This includes 2 packs of plastic, which can be bought for about R240. If you stuck for ideas for an awesome present for someone who loves to create, then the 3D Doodler is a must!

Disclaimer: The team at Above & Beyond, who are the official distributors of the 3Doodler Pen in South Africa, sent me a review unit. They did not ask me to write about the product and the above review is my own thoughts on the product.

October 21, 2016