Stuff Singapore - August 2014

We've got your September settled with ultra-affordable smartphones, virtual reality, and all the online shopping you can handle.

In a short few months, Xiaomi has quickly risen to become the third most popular smartphone brand in Singapore behind Apple and Samsung. That’s phenomenal success, and proof that China is quickly becoming the new tech nation to watch. Our cover story this month looks at the various smartphone brands coming out of China, and what they could mean to you.

It’s long been said that Singapore’s national pastime is shopping. However, not everyone likes having elbows jabbed into their ribs every time there’s a sale. In fact, we’re pretty sure nobody likes that. So our Ultimate Guide to Online Shopping has all the knowledge you need to buy whatever you want without even leaving the house.

Virtual Reality has come a long way since James Lye decided to offend our sensibilities and eyeballs as the Singapore’s lamest super hero. With headsets like the Oculus Rift and Sony’s Project Morpheus taking things to completely new levels, you might soon find yourself exploring the surface of Mars right from the comfort of your couch. See the endless possibilities for yourself, as well as the hardware that makes it all possible.

What’s an issue of Stuff without the reviews? This month we test the LG G Watch, the first piece of Android Wear aiming to change your life; the revolutionary Tesla Model S electric car; the darkness-destroying Sony Alpha 7S; the Windows 8.1 Nokia Lumia 930; the Mercedes-Benz GLA Class and BMW 220i; and the pixel-perfect Samsung Galaxy Tab