HOT TAKES

Rapid fire reviews from a busy month.

MEDIABOX A team of South Africans spent about four years developing this Android-based set-top box and it’s amazing. R2 500 lets you turn any HDMI display into a smart TV with access to Android apps. Netflix and Showmax come pre-installed alongside fully functional versions of Dstv Now and Supersport Mobile. If your folks have a Dstv Premium subscription with an Explora decoder, you can use their login credentials to access sport and the full Catch Up library. SA ELECTRICAL SKATEBOARDS E-MOUNTAINBOARD Rideables are a thing, but not all are created equal. You want a longboard that can traverse more than just the smoothest promenade concrete and carry a rider who weighs more than 100 kg. This board can do exactly that. Dual drive 1 650 W motors, adjustable suspension, pneumatic 50 mm tyres and a springy bamboo and maple ply deck make the going smooth up to its 40 km/h max speed. But beware the lashings and highly abrasive grip tape, both caused minor injuries in testing. Also, 13 kg is heavy if you’re going multi-modal.

From R18 000, electrical skateboards.co.za SONY XPERIA X COMPACT If this handset hadn’t failed spectacularly I would’ve crowned it the king of the mini Android phones. Still a good option if you want something smaller, but I can’t guarantee that basic functions like calling will be reliable. HISENSE INFINITY ELEGANCE Your R4 000 will get you a 1080p, 5,5-inch display powered by a Snapdragon 430, 3 GB of RAM and encased in a metal unibody. Good cameras (13 and 5 MP, respectively) and a fingerprint sensor round out the spec sheet of a realy good value-for-money package. IFROGZ SUMMIT WIRELESS At a fraction of the Beats cost, these earbuds lose some ground in the battery life, sound quality and ease of pairing stakes. But separating the electronics into a module that you clip to your shirt was a masterstroke. Well, unless you go shirtless. Time will tell how long these earbuds last, but the R600 pricetag is impressive for quality Bluetooth performance. PM