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Review: The Shed Restaurant, Litchi Orchard, Salt Rock

I don’t often do that many restaurant reviews on this blog, but I definitely want to try and do a few more, especially of places in my area. There are so many cool places opening lately so it’s always worth giving them a shoutout!

Recently a new place opened in the area and is becoming a fast family favorite. It’s called The Shed and it’s situated in the awesome Litchi Orchard in Salt Rock. Many people may know the Litchi Orchard for their markets, but having this new spot makes it even better. The is also ample place for the kids to run around and explore, in fact we hardly even see the kids when we go there!

The Shed offers a variety of food & drink options in a great setting. It is set inside a wooden shed structure and also offers a cool outside area with bonfires. The food varies from Burgers, to Wood fired Pizza, to Flatbreads, fresh fish and even awesome tasting steaks. A little bit of something for everyone! Every time we have been with friends someone has tried something different, and everyone has been really happy with their food.

We have been a couple of times as a family and I really enjoy the burgers, while the kids love the pizzas. They also have a couple of local craft beers (Poison City Larger FTW) on tap as well as Gin & Tonic on tap, which is delicious. They also do these awesome gourmet milkshakes (Milo & Cookie Dough is to die for!!)

If you ever in the area looking for a spot to chill out, especially on a Sunday afternoon when they have live music, this is the place. I could easily spend a couple of hours here with the family.

Contact Details

w: theshedsaltrock.co.za
t: 032 8150516

Disclaimer: I was not asked to write this post. I love supporting new businesses in the area, so will probably start doing a few more of these :)

September 9, 2016
iStore Selling Phantom Drones & Accessories in South Africa
Great news!!! The guys at iStore have started stocking the DJI Phantom range of drones in a couple of their South African stores.

Having recently got a DJI Phantom 4, I know this will definitely change the market of consumer drones in South Africa. The prices may seem quite high, but you have to remember you are buying a hi-resolution 4K camera, which you would probably pay the same price for in a DSLR (if not more) And, this one flies!

The iStore is stocking the following DJI Products at the moment. I believe the range may grow as demand increases
- DJI Phantom 4 – starting at R27,999
- DJI Phantom 3 Advanced – starting at R15,899 (the Phantom 3 advanced only offers 2K video recording)
- DJI Phantom Accessories
If you looking for a drone to get into the awesome world of aerial photography, I would highly recommend the DJI Phantom range. They are seriously world class!!
July 27, 2016
Review: Huawei P9 Smartphone (with unboxing video)
I recently had the opportunity to get my paws on the newly Huawei P9 Smartphone. This is the latest offering from Huawei and is packed with some amazing features.

The biggest selling point of this phone has to the Dual 12MP Leica Camera lenses on the phone. The 2 lenses are a colour and a monochrome lens which provides for the ability to capture more light through the black & white lens. This means your photography ends up looking a lot sharper and easier to shoot in low light environments. This also means there a number of preset shooting modes (Standard, Vivid Colours and Smooth Colour) which look fantastic.

As with my review on the Mi5, which I did a few weeks ago, I did a quick unboxing & first impressions video. Any comments welcome :)

Some of the specs of the P9 include:
- 1080 x 1920 resolution screen
- 5.2 inches in size
- Android OS 6
- CPU: Quad-core 2.5 GHz Cortex-A72 & quad-core 1.8 GHz Cortex-A53
- 3GB RAM
- 12MP Back & 8MP front camera
One of the other things that I noticed with this phone was the speed of the device, and that i

I was very impressed with the phone and although the price is a bit higher than some of the other phones available in this spec range, it is a great phone for the specs it offers. The 3000 mAh battery means you get quite a bit of battery life out of the phone (Some reviews have even said up to 3 days standby time!!)

The one thing the phone seems to lack is the ability to record in 1080p or 4K, which looks like it is becoming a standard now on most high-end Smartphone devices. The design of the phone is also great and slightly curved on the edges to make it easier to hold.

Overall, the phone seems to cover a few good points, but not an all rounder. Having said that, if you looking for a phone dedicated to taking amazing photography on the go, the Lecia lenses are a must-have addition to your photography stable. All in all a great phone all round!
July 19, 2016
How to get Pokemon Go on your iPhone in South Africa
The latest craze to hit the mobile world is the awesome Pokemon Go game. Unfortunately it has only been released in a couple of countries around the world, but you can get it in SA, if you have an American iTunes account. If you already have a US iTunes account, why aren’t you catching Pokemon ;)

I have written a number of how-tos on how to get a US iTunes account, but if you don’t already have one you can follow these quick steps, or follow this guide. You are able to log back into your SA iTunes account once you have downloaded the app, but will need to log into the US account to update.

Quick steps to download Pokemon Go in South Africa:
1. On your PC open the iTunes store
2. At the bottom left of the page click the South African flag and select United States
3. Select App store from the drop down on the right (Music etc) or click on this link -> Pokémon GO Games – https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pokemon-go/id1094591345?mt=8
4. Click on Get and select the option to “Create New Account”
5. Go through all the T&C’s and put in your details, but ensure you use an email address that is currently NOT associated with an iTunes account (new Gmail address etc)
6. On the Billing page, ensure you select the NONE option
7. You will need to put in a US based address. My suggestion is to get any address for any hotel based in the US. Google is your friend :)
8. Once you have completed this process, you will be able to download the app from the app store. Once it has completed downloading on your PC, you can download it from your purchased items in the app store app on your phone.
9. You can now log out of the new US account and log back into your SA account (or if you wish you can use the US account going forward)
Enjoy catching your Pokemon !!
July 14, 2016
Review: Xiaomi Mi5 (With Review Video)

So earlier this year I had the opportunity to review the awesome Xiaomi Mi4 device, which I was very impressed with. So when I heard the Mi5 had landed in South Africa, I got in touch with the team and asked them if I could take it for a spin.

I tried something a bit different this time round and did a little intro video/unboxing/First Impressions video of the Mi5. Check it out below and then I will carry on with the rest of the written review.
PS. This is first attempt, so would love to hear your thoughts by commenting on the YouTube video. Also please for more videos like this coming soon!!

Once again, I was not disappointed with the Mi5. It almost feels, as it should, like the big brother version of the Mi4. The phone has “grown up” with a larger device, a better 5.15″ Full HD screen and a few extra features. One of the most notable additions is the new hardware home button/finger print sensor. That was one of the things missing on the Mi4, so I am glad they have introduced it on this model. Also included on this model is the ability to run Dual Sim, allowing you the flexibility to choose your network provider for your calls & data.

The phone sports a Quad Core Max 1.8GHz CPU, with 3GB Ram & 32GB internal Memory. It’s great to see the latest version of the Android OS, Android 6 Marshmallow, as the stock OS, which includes a number of awesome new features.

Another new addition, which makes life a whole LOT easier is the new USB-C port, which allows you to plug-in your USB cable into the phone anyway. No more guessing which way the cable has to go in when it’s dark! The camera has also got a fantastic upgrade to a full 13MP camera, with 4 axis image stabilizer, on the back and a decent 4MP selfie camera on the front.

Overall the Mi5 is a genuinely great device, and priced at R7999, available from www.miaafrica.com/za, and from Makro, DionWired, Game, Takealot and Incredible Connection, it comes in a lot cheaper than devices of similar stature. You can also get the phone on Contract through Vodacom on the U Choose Flexi package at R399 a month. For the full specs and more info about the Mi5 visit http://www.miaafrica.com/za

June 23, 2016