Roborock S6 MaxV: The smartest (and easiest) way to clean your home this Chinese New Year

653

A less talked-about (and rightly so) Chinese New Year tradition, is the pre-festive spring cleaning that’s not only important, but also a big pain – sometimes literally.

But in an age of smart technology, what if we told you a bulk of that cleaning work can be outsourced to a very willing helper – the
Roborock
 S6 MaxV robot vacuum cleaner can help you get the sweeping and mopping sorted effortlessly, before and after the big occasion.

Outsmarting the competition

Regardless of the size of your home, or how much you have lying around, the
Roborock
 S6 MaxV is built with its own pair of ‘eyes’ in the form of LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) sensors and stereo cameras that not only help it see, but also introduce depth perception as well. This thing’s probably got better eyesight and coordination than we do!

Under the hood of this sleek machine is a powerful Qualcomm APQ8053 processing chip that, with the help of Roborock’s PreciSense LiDAR navigation system, orchestrates the S6 MaxV’s movements, allowing it detect and glide past obstacles like they weren’t even there.

More incredibly, the device can detect small objects that measure as little as 5cm in width, and 3cm in height; that’s about the size of a chew toy! Heck, why not try the device in the dark? With infrared mapping, the S6 MaxV sees all even at night – so you can hit the hay, and wake up to squeaky clean floor.

Getting out the big guns

The S6 MaxV has two modes basically – the first of which is the vacuuming; and the device comes packed with the best-in-class
2,500Pa
3
of
HyperForce
 suction that offers 25% more power than the regular
Roborock
 S6 – which is good news for you and dusty rugs.

Once the vacuuming is done, you’re going to want to go in for a deep cleanse by way of mopping – the S6 MaxV is capable of that too and it’s pretty smart about it.

A host of mopping features can be unlocked when you click on the 297ml
SnapMop
 system. You can now adjust how much water flow is needed in a specific room to keep it clean, or no water at all in areas with carpets, exposed electronics and more. The best part is, this can all be controlled using the intuitive
Roborock
 mobile app.

Levels ahead

Quite literally – remember when we talked about how smart our little helper is? Well, you’ll be glad to know that one of its big features is that it can remember mappings of different floors!

Sure, the robot is smart and has eyes like a hawk, but sometimes you really just don’t want it wandering off into certain areas of the house. For that, you can have certain no-go zones in specific floors like in the nursery, or where dad’s battle station cables are jumbled up – so you can rest easy knowing the S6 MaxV will be within the confines you’re
comfortable
 with.

How do I get it?

The
Roborock
 S6 MaxV is priced at RM3,999, but during this Chinese New Year, from 31 January until 5 Feb, you can get the trusty bot for just RM2,099! Heck, there’s even a flash sale event happening that could see you score a unit for an even lower RM1,899 price tag!

That sounds like a great deal for a handy cleaner that you can count on not just for this festive period, but for many to come as well. You can visit their official
Lazada
 and
Shopee
 stores to make your purchase.

This article is sponsored by Roborock

best vacuum cleaner
chinese new year
cny
lazada
Roborock
robot vacuum
S6 MaxV
shopee


Robots get married in Japan and its far more interesting than gay marriages

341

Japanese do come up with crazy stuffs all the time, we first have virtual pets, then house robots and now, we have married robot couples and you won’t believe what you are seeing when you hit the play button, this is even more interesting than gay weddings in my very humble opinion.

The ceremony in Japan had about a 100 human attendees that day, and there’s even blessings being given to the two robots – a R2-D2 groom and modeled bride, a marriage kiss is even done to make it complete and the robot groom still requires some human help to kiss the robot bride. After that, a human singer goes up to the stage and started entertaining the crowd while having robot dancers at the back.

It certainly is hilarious, while we knew this was made intentionally I personally won’t rule out the fact that one day robots can in fact become a new type of human species, and hey who know the couple could give birth to a new robot baby? I’m probably now stuck in a fantasy world of robots.

japan
pepper
robotics
robots
tech
wedding


Intel Rocket Lake – 5 Reasons Why Gamers Will Love It!

534

It’s hard being a gamer right now. With chip shortages and slightly broken triple-A titles leaving a bitter taste in many enthusiasts’ mouths, will the launch of Intel’s Rocket Lake be the right tonic for gamers out there?

Intel’s
Rocket Lake
 is now upon us!

Launched on 30 March 2021, the latest offering from Big Blue covers 19 SKUs, ranging from the flagship Core i9-11900K all the way down to the Core i5-11400F. Aside from the usual i9, i7 and i5 product lines, we’ve also got a bevy of K, F, T and KF variants.

Here’s every single Rocket Lake CPU available.

We know – that’s a lot of numbers and letters to look through. But fret not, weary internet reader! We’ve got plenty of reasons for you to be excited about the latest and greatest from Intel.

PCIe 4.0 Support

Why does PCIe 4.0 matter?

In a nutshell? SPEED.

With double the transfer speed of its predecessor standard (16 G/Ts vs 8 G/Ts) and with support for PCIe 4.0 baked into the new Rocket Lake architecture, you’re looking at doubling your theoretical bandwidth over the same number of PCIe lanes. The upshot is incredibly fast loading times and, wait for it, more time to game.

It’s not just faster storage for Rocket Lake

PCIe 4.0 also means future proofing for future graphics solutions. With games like Cyberpunk 2077 showing the way of just how bandwidth-hungry gaming is going to be, it’s good to know that when the next generation of graphics cards lands (and the generation after that), your Rocket Lake PC will be more than capable of keeping you in the game.

19% Higher IPC

Generational improvements for Rocket Lake in gaming are not to be sniffed at! Credit : Intel

Back To the (Microarchitecture) Future

The backporting of Sunny Cove architecture that was first introduced by Intel in 2019 introduces improvements that translate to a reported 19% IPC gain. Instructions per clock (IPC, for short) is an incredibly important consideration in gaming, as it gives a rough guide as to how many calculations / operations can be carried out for every CPU cycle (or ‘clock’).

What does this mean?

More IPC = better gaming performance!

Intel has always ruled the roost when it comes to
gaming
, especially at 1080p (which, according to
Steam
, is still the most common gaming resolution in the world). As these graphs show, those IPC gains are not to be sniffed at, with generational improvements versus the 10th Gen Ice Lake chips.

Native DDR4-3200 memory support

Who doesn’t love (memory) speed?

Yes, Intel’s Rocket Lake natively supports DDR4-3200 memory speeds, which means better performance in your favourite titles! No more worrying about compatibility issues, or concern about whether or not your uber-fast RAM will work in a Rocket Lake system.

It just works!

Even better XMP Performance

Great performance with DDR4-3200 sticks? ✔ Check.

Even crazier performance with XMP? ✔ Check.

Memory kits from the likes of G.Skill are promising to go as fast as DDR-5333, and have been specifically developed for Intel’s Z590 chipsets. The onboard memory controller now supports geared memory ratios between the memory controller and DRAM speeds, ensuring that Rocket Lake users can get every last drop out of their systems.

Speaking of speed…

Overclocking options on ALL boards (Z, H, B)

Clocking it Up For the Masses

Humanity’s obsession with speed permeates EVERYTHING. When it comes to computers, that impulse seems to take on a life of its own – we are ruled by GHz, MHz, FPS and Mbps.

To that end, such acceleration-afflicted ambitions were limited to just Z-series board owners with K or KF processors – you know, those elites that could overclock their CPUs or tune their memory to get even more bang for their buck.

Times have now changed.

Memory Overclocking For All

Mid-level and budget PC enthusiasts, rejoice! In addition to the Z590, the upcoming H570 and B560 series of boards will give you the option of real-time memory overclocking (via changes in DDR4 frequency), allowing even the most cost-conscious gamer a chance to experience the joys of extra speed. What’s not to love?

Improved Media & Streaming Capabilities

Stream It All Away!

Those of us that are of an older disposition are slightly envious of the fact that streaming gameplay these days is a viable profession. Where was the internet to capture our speed runs on Sega MegaDrive Sonic? Jokes aside, we’re happy that streaming has taken off, as it means more mainstream acceptance of gaming.

How does Rocket Lake fit into this? With enhanced media capabilities!

The Intel Xe integrated graphics architecture has up to 50% better performance than their previous integrated solution, resulting in better encoding (thanks to support for 10-bit AVI/12-bit HEVC) and a load taken off your GPU and CPU cores when it comes to streaming. The upshot is a smoother streaming experience for you and your audience.

But that’s not all!

Rocket Lake brings a whole host of productivity-related improvements too, such as improved Intel QuickSync Video, enhanced technologies for AI/Deep-Learning (GNA 2.0/VNNI), and support for Thunderbolt 4 and WiFi 6. All add up to a package that just doesn’t game well, but can handle content creation (for those awesome highlight videos) with aplomb!

The 11th Gen Intel desktop processors are currently available at Malaysian retailers, visit this
link
 to find out more on what it has to offer.

11th gen intel
gamers
gaming
intel
processor
Rocket Lake


Rocket League got updated and new DLC

351

Good news for all Rocket League players because you will get an update version 1.04 that will bring you a lot of new features. One of the features will be the ability to vote for forfeit a match. All the sore losers can abandon their teammates during ranked match mode if things don’t seem to be going well. But, whoever that left behind are still able to vote to forfeit the match if they don’t want to keep playing against uneven odds.

The new updates also included spectator mode, which will benefits for eSports event because now players can now watch matches and study game from every angle. We can’t wait to check out high-level play, even if it scares most of the players. There wouldn’t be an expectation to play Rocket League that often without any tournament season. There will be a new free stadium, Utopia Coliseum, and a healthy dose of global representation with a bunch of new country flags are coming. You are able to check the list over
here
.

Besides that, there will be a new DLC will be available within this month – Supersonic Fury. Inside the DLC include two new cars, the American muscle car Dominus and the Japanese street racer Takumi, plus six new decals, five paints types – Brushed Metal, Carbon Fiber, Metallic Pearl, Pearlescent, and Wood. Then, two new booster – the Burnout and Nitrous 2 boost, two sets of new wheels and most importantly new Steam achievements.

This upcoming patch will bring the game to become eSport capable and the new DLC has a superb cheap price for the content that it has. You can check out the game over here in
Steam
 and it only cost RM 38.

dominus
esport
rocketleague
supersonicfury
takumi


Rocket League received another DLC – Chaos Run

342

Good news every player of Rocket League! The studios have announced the latest DLC “Chaos Run” that adds a post-apocalyptic twist to the game with “thematically-inspired” paint, wheels, rocket trailers, toppers, and antennas, plus a pair of brand-new cars, one of which sports a rather familiar haircut. The release of Chaos Run will feature a free new arena called Wasteland that’s based on a similar map in Psyonix’s 2008 game Supersonic Acrobatic: Rocket-Powered Battle-Cars.

As the first “non-standard” stadium added to the game, it features a wider field compared to the others and have different Boost placements. But the biggest difference is that the ground around the entire perimeter will be sloped, which developer Psyonix said will result in a much different “feel” in matches. Besides that, there will be a new music score from Kevin Riepl, which previous video game credits include Gears of War, Crackdown 2, Aliens: Colonial Marines, and Hawken. There will be more Garage items to be announced on a later date.

Rocket League: Chaos Run will be available early December and will be priced at USD 4 (approx. RM20).

casualgaming
chaosrun
dlc
gaming
pcgaming
rocketleague
steam
steamgames


Rockstar announces Red Dead Redemption 2; trailer to go live on Friday

415

After two days worth of teasing, Rockstar has officially announced their next game, and it is going to take players back to the wild, wild west.

While little information is revealed about Red Dead Redemption 2, the image that accompanies the announcement shows seven characters, all of which may or may not be key to the central plot of the game. Interestingly, the figure at the center of the image resembles John Marston, the protagonist of Red Dead Redemption. This may indicate that the game may not be a sequel, but instead a prequel to Red Dead Redemption. It could also mean that we may be taking control of Marston’s son instead.

Unfortunately, PC gamers may not be getting RDR 2 either as the
website
 shows that only the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 will be getting the game. There is a possibility that Rockstar will work on an enhanced PC port for RDR 2 much like they did for Grand Theft Auto V, but seeing as the first Red Dead Redemption game was never available on the PC, we wouldn’t hold our breaths over this.

The first trailer for RDR 2 will go live at 11am on the 20th of October, which is 11pm local time on the same day. The game is expected to launch in Fall 2017, so there’s still a whole year to wait before Red Dead Redemption 2 becomes available.

Source:
Red Dead Redemption 2

playstation4
reddeadredemption2
rockstargames
trailer
xboxone


ROG Maximus VIII Extreme-Assembly and GTX 980 Ti Matrix Announced by ASUS

497

ASUS Republic of Gamers has recently introduced the new Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly and Matrix GTX 980 TI. The flagship Z170 gaming motherboard is focused at epic gaming performance and overclocking and the true enthusiast-grade graphics card providing record-breaking performance with great overclocking potential. Both of this has been finessed with ROG’s all new futuristic Plasma Copper scheme for color matched extreme gaming and overclocking rigs.

ROG Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly: Best gaming and OC, plus SupremeFX Hi-Fi and 10G Express

The Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly is the new ROG flagship gaming motherboard for elite enthusiasts, leveling up Maximus VIII Extreme’s superiority with ROG’s Plasma Copper colors, and including the new SupremeFX Hi-Fi front-panel headphone amp and ROG 10G Express card, the fastest onboard consumer Ethernet.

Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly, like the Maximus VIII Extreme, is based on the Z170 chipset and LGA 1151 socket continuing ROG’s world-record-breaking heritage to offer the best gaming performance with multiple ROG-exclusive innovations. These also includes the 5-Way Optimization auto-tuning for instant performance boosts, Pro Clock to push base-clock frequencies way better than before, second generation T-Topology technology for extreme DDR4 overclocking and the new Extreme Engine Digi+ for precise, smooth core voltages.

ROG 10G Express is the enterprise-speed Ethernet card, powered by Aquantia and Tehuti Networks: these key partners are both members of the NBASE-T alliance, and worked closely to produce the new 2.5Gbit/s and 5Gbit/s standards that will be compatible with the existing Category 5e (Cat 5e) cabling and ports. With PCI Express 2.0 x4 speed, it equips Maximus VIII Extreme/Assembly gamers for next-generation LAN speeds of up to 10Gbit/s or up to ten times (10X) faster than today’s fastest consumer Ethernet on any motherboard.

SupremeFX Hi-Fi is the front-panel headphone amp that aims to deliver sounds exactly how the studio intended, being pure, unadulterated audio straight to the listener’s ear no matter for streaming or gaming. The ESS ES9018K2M digital-to-analog converter (DAC), dual Texas Instruments LM4562 op-amps and TPA6120A2 headphone amp work in pairs to reproduce every detail without distortion or jitter, delivering audiophile-grade 32-bit/384kHz and DSD128 playback, and output of over 6VRMS to 600ohm headphones.

ROG Matrix GTX 980 Ti: Record-breaking performance with best OC and gaming innovations

ROG’s new Matrix GTX 980 Ti houses the latest GeForce GTX 980 Ti GPU which is individually tested by an ASUS-exclusive GPU-sorting system to assess its overclocking potential. This ensures only the very best GPUs selected for inclusion on Matrix GTX 980 Ti. Only the very best GPUs that rank in the top 15% of those tested are reserved for use in the ROG Matrix. This precise attention to detail and commitment to quality results in a graphics card that offers gamers and overclockers extreme performance and overclocking stability. ROG Matrix GTX 980 Ti delivers up to 18.7% faster performance than reference cards and 21.6% faster in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Matrix GTX 980 Ti is fitted with ASUS-exclusive technologies, including DirectCU II and patented wing-blade fans that deliver maximum airflow over the heat sink for 30%-cooler and three times (3X) quieter performance. It has many advanced and exclusive hardware and software features designed to make overclocking as simple and safe as possible. Memory Defroster quickly defrosts the graphics card’s memory during below-zero overclocking to ensure sustained stability. A Safe Mode that allows users to overclock with complete confidence, as a single button push will restore default BIOS settings instantly. Extreme overclockers will also appreciate the liquid-nitrogen (LN2) jumper switch as it enables even more overvolting options, allowing the most adventurous users to unleash maximum greater power from their graphics cards.

To support stable overclocking, ROG Matrix GTX 980 Ti is also equipped with exclusive Digi+ voltage-regulation modules (VRMs) with 14-phase Super Alloy Power II technology. All ASUS graphics cards are now produced using Auto-Extreme technology, an industry-only, 100% automated production process that incorporates premium materials to set a new standard of quality and reliability.

ROG Matrix GTX 980 Ti is also equipped with a gorgeous color-coded LED that changes shade to reflect the GPU’s load level. Shining brightly through four resplendent color gradients, it provides a real-time visual guide to performance, even providing an awesome internal glow.

SOURCE:
TechPowerUp

asus
asusrog
gpu
graphicscard
gtx980ti
matrixplatinum
mobo
motherboard
nvidia
republicofgamers
rog980ti
rogmaximusviiextreme


ASUS ROG Phone 2: The most powerful phone of 2019 is officially available in Malaysia!

289

Some may say it’s overkill, some may say it’s worth your money – one thing’s for sure though: it’s cool as heck. The ROG Phone 2 is officially available in Malaysia and you can catch our review here:

Let’s talk about it’s biggest selling point – the ROG Phone 2 has got a Snapdragon 855+ along with 12GB RAM as standard and up to 1TB UFS 3.0 internal storage – ridiculous, we know.

We also see a massive upgrade to the display – this time around, you get a 6.59-inch FHD AMOLED display that pushes 120Hz refresh rate and supports HDR10! Plus, it boasts a touch latency of 49ms so you get a more responsive experience. Plus, you’ll find two front-firing speakers positioned on the top and bottom edge of your screen.

The phone is available in two variants – the Elite Edition, which has 12GB RAM and 512GB internal storage as well as a glossy back finish; meanwhile the Ultimate Edition variant comes with 12GB RAM and 1TB storage; this one comes in matte finish.

It all sounds impressive so far, until we come to imaging. The ROG Phone 2 sports a pretty standard double-camera setup at the back (48MP + 13MP ultrawide angle lens). For selfies, you get a single 24MP shooter.

With such a powerful device, you’re going to need a massive battery – and ASUS delivers with a 6,000mAh battery. It charges via USB Type C and supports up to 30W HyperCharge – so you’ll be back up and running in about an hour.

With this new iteration of the ROG Phone, you’ll get the new-and-improved AirTrigger II which are the same set of shoulder button sensors from before, but this time you can rest your fingers on them without actually triggering it. It now allows for sensitivity adjustments depending on how much pressure you want to actuate before triggering an action.

The phone is also equipped with GameCool II which now supposedly offers better cooling. In the box, you’ll also get the AeroActive Cooler II, which is the upgraded external cooling accessory that helps dissipate heat a little more.

The ROG Phone 2 is now available at RM3,499 for the Elite Edition, while the Ultimate Edition will set you back RM4,499 (this will be available in November). The latter is a little unnecessary, considering all you’re getting is extra storage space. The Elite edition is priced similarly as the first ROG Phone with only 128GB of storage. Plus, the ROG Phone 2 Superpack bundle will include a suitcase packed with all sorts of accessories for your phone; this is priced at RM6,999. Visit ROG’s official Lazada store
here
.

asus
gaming smartphone
rog phone 2
snapdragon 855 plus


ROG Phone 3 design leaked: 6.59-inch display with triple 64MP cameras

325

This is apparently what the upcoming ASUS ROG Phone 3 will look like – not very different unfortunately. The images of the phone were spotted on the Chinese certifications body
TENAA
 which suggests these images are official.

The design

The ROG Phone boasts a blocky shape like that of its predecessor; interestingly, the camera placement has been left unchanged, but there looks to be one more lens added to it. Instead of a 48MP camera system however, it is reported that a 64MP module will take its place.

Familiar display

The display on the ROG Phone 3 will be a 6.59-inch AMOLED panel which is the same as the
ROG Phone 2
 – there’s also a chance it will have a refresh rate of up to 144Hz. There is also no notch – the
selfie
 camera will instead take its place on the top bezel of the phone.

Image credit: WCCFTech

Top-tier hardware

The phone will rock a Snapdragon 865 chipset, and according to the TENAA listing, the phone will also support up to 16GB RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. Enabling all of this is a 5,800mAh battery, and the phone should support up to 30W of fast charging.

The phone will also ship with Android 10 with ROG UI layered on top. Unfortunately, not a lot has been disclosed about the ROG Phone 3’s gaming features yet, but the usual optimization and cooling software should be expected.

The phone is also touted to come this Q3 so stay tuned on our website as we bring you more updates when the phone launches.

64MP camera
Android 10
asus
gaming smartphone
rog phone
rog phone 2
rog phone 3
Snapdragon 865


ROG Phone 5 official design and specs spotted on certification listing

490

The yearly gaming smartphone beast is set to hit the shelves according to reports – keen eyes have found a TENAA listing of ASUS’ upcoming ROG Phone 5 along with its design, and specs.

For the initiated, the name should stick out like a sore thumb – what happened to the
ROG Phone 4
? Reports say that this is only a tentative name, and considering the number four has pretty negative symbolism in Chinese culture; so we’d be inclined to assume ASUS wants to steer clear of the inauspicious number.

Moving on to how the phone looks – pretty cool, it doesn’t look all that different from the previous iterations – it’s got the same shapes and all, bar a few tweaks in the decals; we do see from these images however, possibly a mesh panel inlaid with LED lights – something akin to the ROG
AniMe
 Matrix found on the Zephyrus G14/15 laptops. If this is real, we’re definitely splashing the cash on this baby.

In terms of hardware, the phone will unsurprisingly pack the Snapdragon 888 chipset – the year’s most powerful processor; and then you also get a whopping 6,000mAh battery (two 3,000mAh packs) which we’d assume would be important to make the whole LED panel feasible without killing off your phone in a matter of hours. But if it does, there’s support for 65W of fast charging anyways.

Elsewhere, we see a 6.78-inch AMOLED display, but there’s no word on its resolution and refresh rate just yet. For imaging, the listing says a 64MP triple camera setup – however photography has never really been a strong suit for these ROG Phones.

Despite the listing on TENAA, there’s no official word on its release yet, but we can expect it to launch in the middle of this year, and possible arrive in Malaysia around September. With the pandemic rendering most people homebound,
ASUS
 could make an earlier push to get it in the hands of mobile gamers looking for something new and better.

asus
gaming smartphone
rog
ROG Phone 5
snapdragon 888


ROG Phone 5 series launched: Priced from RM2,999

472

The ROG Phone 5 series has just been launched and there are three distinct variants to choose from this time around.

ROG Phone 5

The regular model comes with a 6.78-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel that pushes a 144Hz refresh rate. On top of that, it also offers a 300Hz touch sampling rate and 24.3ms of touch latency, making sure
your
 browsing and gaming experience is smooth. The panel is also HDR10+ certified and offers a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio.

The device boasts an improved Aura RGB logo on the back that features the Matrix Dot design that’s similar to the Zephyrus G14’s
AniMe
 Matrix cover – LED lights emit through a dotted mesh, and on the ROG Phone 5, up to two
colours
 can be displayed at once.

Under the hood is the powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset, up to 16GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The phone also sports the new GameCool 5 thermal system that pushes any hotspots away from the users’ fingers.

The ROG Phone 5 also comes with an improved Ari Trigger 5 system now has more sensors, and is placed closer to the edge, making it easier to reach for smaller hands. Also available are swipe and motion gestures which extends your array of control options.

Powering the device is a sizeable 6,000mAh battery with support of up to 65W of fast charging. For imaging, you get a 64MP main lens, a 13MP ultrawide camera, a 5MP macro lens, and a 24MP selfie shooter.

The ROG Phone 5 comes in Phantom Black and Storm white. The 8GB+128GB model is priced at RM2,999, while the 15GB+256GB model will cost RM3,799. Both variants will be available this April.

ROG Phone 5 Pro and Ultimate

The higher-end models are similar in many ways – but the most telling difference is their design; Instead of a Matrix Dot back panel design, both the Pro and Ultimate phones come with the ROG Vision display that’s essentially a small rectangular PMOLED panel that can be customized to display different images.

The ROG Phone 5 Pro comes in Black Space Opera, while the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is a limited-edition phone and comes in matte white.

The Ultimate edition phone comes with two extra capacitive sensors on the back of the phone; on top of that, the phone comes with a whopping 18GB of RAM!

The ROG Phone 5 Pro is priced at RM4,499, while the Ultimate edition will cost RM4,999. Both variants will be available this May. The Ultimate edition will come with an
AeroActive
 Cooler 5 like the Pro, but also gets you an ROG Ultimate Fan Gift Box.

ROG
AeroActive
 Cooler 5

The de-facto external cooler for the ROG Phone gets a huge makeover and now boasts two physical triggers that can be mapped to different controls in-game. The cooler also takes on a larger shape, and ASUS claims it can give up to 15°C drop in surface temperature, and 10°C drop in CPU temps.

Pre-order
 for the regular
ROG Phone 5
will happen from 11 March until 25 March; your order will also snag you a free Kunai 3
GamePad
 which comes with a bumper for the ROG Phone 5.


ROG Phone 5 Ultimate pre-order promo comes with gifts worth RM1,099!

713

The
ROG Phone 5 Ultimate
 is back in Malaysia again and this time you’ll get pre-order gifts including a ROG Strix Go Core headset and an Ultimate Fan Gift Box, both worth a total of RM1,099.

The powerful gaming smartphone comes with a 6.78-inch AMOLED 144Hz display. Over on the back panel is the ROG Vision display that uses a PMOLED panel that can be customized to display different images.

Under the hood is the powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset along with a 18GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. Powering this beast of a smartphone is an equally beefy 6,000mAh battery; there’s support for 65W of fast charging too.
 \

The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is priced at RM4,999 and the latest pre-order promo will run from August 8-21 via ROG’s
Shopee

and
Lazada

stores.

rog phone 5 malaysia
rog phone 5 ultimate


ROG present at Comic Fiesta 2018, fans get to participate in exciting activities and win freebies

518

If you didn’t know, comic fiesta is happening this week on the 22 and 23 December 2018 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. One of the participating teams that will be present at comic fiesta is “Republic of Gamers” and they’ll be giving out lots of freebies as well as  running a few activities at their booth for fans to win some prizes.

One of the first few things that fans of ROG could partake in is “Snap & Win” where fans are required to take creative photos of themselves at the booth and upload it into their social media. Selected winners will stand a chance to win a limited edition ROG x G-Shock watches. ROG will only choose four winners for “Snap & Win”. Other than that, by participating in some ad-hock activities and experience ROG products, fans will be entitled to redeem a ROG badge and freebies.

There’ll also be ROG KOL meet and greet session where ROG fans will be able to meet “Xiao Ting” and “Josette” at ROG booth. ROG will give out free ROG t-shirts as giveaways while the meet and greet session is on going, but there will only be a few as stocks are limited. Xiao Ting’s meet and greet will start from 3:30pm to 4:40pm at ROG booth on 22 December 2018, whereas Josette’s meet and greet session will be held on the second day, from 11:30am to 12:30pm.

Ying Tze fans to quote “YINGTZE” and complete missions given by ROG will also get a chance to redeem free t-shirt and freebies, again, all stocks are limited.

For more information, visit
here
.

Comic fiesta 2018
rog


Roku will be updating existing devices with its own voice assistant

329

Roku, a company that offers a wide variety of streaming devices has just announced that they are going to be offering their own AI based voice assistant. The assistant will be called Roku Entertainment Assistant which is designed to go against the likes of Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa. They also plan to release their own smart speakers and soundbars which will be able to communicate with existing Roku products.

They are calling this ecosystem Roku Connect and it will be able to connect to Roku devices wirelessly to form a completely wireless home entertainment system. An example that was stated is that the Roku TV can connect to a Roku Connect enabled speakers or soundbar and you will be able to control these connected devices with just your voice. Their AI assistant might not be as good as the current voice assistants out there, it will have a bigger focus on home entertainment systems.

Roku will be pushing a software update for existing Roku devices to enable both Roku Entertainment Assistant and Roku Connect which is expected to come somewhere in the second half of 2018.

ai
assistant
connect
entertainment
roku
voice


Roku’s new marketplace will allow users to subscribe to video streaming services

358

Roku will be offering a new service that will allow users to signup for video streaming services and watch them on Roku devices without installing the apps. This service is offered through their marketplace and in the future, the company plans to add more services to their devices.

Currently, they offer services on HBO Now and CBS All Access, but they require their own dedicated apps. The marketplace will not only gather content from these video streaming services, they will also allow users to browse and signup for services that they want. It is a similar system to what Amazon’s Channels which is only available to Prime members, it is still unsure how Roku will go about with their version of the service.

Aside from that, reports indicate that they are developing a new version of their billing platform called Roku Pay. More information will be shared by Roku in the coming weeks, so for those of you that own a Roku device should keep an eye out for this new feature.

marketplace
roku
service
streaming


365

Remember RollerCoaster Tycoon? That old game where you’re tasked with running a theme park? Well, you can now relive the days of designing your own theme park from your smartphone as RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is now available for iOS and Android devices.

Priced at USD6 (RM26.99), RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic is based on the original RollerCoaster Tycoon and RollerCoaster Tycoon 2. The gameplay is has you building theme parks and balancing your operating costs in order to turn a profit, just like any other Tycoon-based game.

RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic does contain some in-app purchases though, as the “Wacky Worlds” and “Time Twister” content packs are premium content. In addition to that, the game also comes with a premium tool that lets you import and export save parks with cross-platform support for RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 on PC.

While the existence of premium content in a paid-for game may put off some people, rest assured that RollerCoaster Tycoon Classic does not contain any microtransactions like RollerCoaster Tycoon 4. The game is now available on both the
Google Play Store
 and
Apple’s App Store
.

android
appstore
atari
ios
playstore
rollercoastertycoonclassic


The Royole Flexpai has passed JerryRigEveryThing’s bend test

360

The Royole Flexpai is the first foldable smartphone that you can actually purchase right now, if you can’t wait for the Huawei Mate X and Samsung Galaxy Fold.

We came across the device early this year at CES, and it amazed us with how the company is able to take advantage of its expertise in manufacturing flexible displays and put it to work on a smartphone.

Reliability has always been one of the main concerns for anyone who wants to own a foldable smartphone, and even so when Samsung failed to deliver its Galaxy Fold due to its screen issues.

via GIPHY

Well known YouTuber JerryRigEverything has got hold a unit of the Royole Flexpai and put it to his usual stress tests, and while we already expect the phone to suffer an amount of scratches due to its plastic build, what we didn’t see it coming is how well the device managed to hold up when it is bent in the opposite direction, though the hinge broke, the display works properly with no issues, even Zack himself commended on the robustness of it.

Royole is a company that has been making flexible displays for a while now, the Chinese company also makes flexible displays on hats, t-shirts and have recently formed a
partnership with AirBus
 to design a flexible display panels for its future cabin cockpits.

jerryrigeverything
royole flexpai


Rufus Cuff is an Android KitKat smartwatch that wants you to do everything you can on your phone

334

When you think that the Moto360 is already cool enough, the Rufus Cuff will blow you away and change the way you think about smartwatches. Rather than a smartwatch, the developers call it a ‘wrist communicator’, which you’re able to browse the web, make phone calls, text messaging and run full apps from Google Play, it sounds like a full fledge Android device on your wrist.

Rufus Cuff started off as an Indiegogo project and has reached a pledge of $164K as of now, it is a 3-inch smartwatch that connects to your Android or iOS device via Bluetooth and runs on an AOSP Android KitKat kernel. The cool thing about the Rufus Cuff is that it is able to work as a standalone device even if there’s no Bluetooth connection available, simply hooked it up with a internet enabled WiFi connection and you can pretty much perform anything on it like an
Android smartphone
. A microphone is also available for you to make phone calls, Siri and Google Now is also supported on it. There’s even a camera on it for you to make video calls!

Can the Rufus Cuff change the way smartwatches should be? Do you really want a watch on your wrist that does everything that a phone can do? We think it is a very promising concept and a serious contender in the wearables market, we can’t imagine how a 3-inch watch will look like on our wrist and we hope to find out soon. You may buy one at $249 at the source link below and estimated shipping is around September this year.

Source:
Rufus Cuff (Indiegogo)


The rugged Samsung Galaxy XCover 4 is making its way to Malaysia

349

Think the Galaxy S8 is already good enough with IP68 water and dust resistant feature? Samsung is bringing in a much robust device called the Galaxy XCover 4, as spotted by our friends at Lowyat.NET in the SIRIM database, the regulatory board that certifies and registers wireless devices that is being imported to the country. The Galaxy XCover 4 is a IP68 water and dust resistant device, but its rugged chassis is MIL-STD-810 certified so that it can really take some on some serious drops and bumps.

As for such devices, don’t expect it to come with flagship hardware internals as they are not meant to be power houses, you get a 5-inch HD display, a 1.4GHz quad-core processor paired with 2GB RAM and 16GB of storage, and a removable 2800mAh battery. If you fancy to take some great pictures on this phone, it doesn’t disappoint with a 13-megapixel main and 5-megapixel front camera, which is a lot better than those rugged phones we know of.

We shouldn’t expect Samsung to officially launch the device in an event, but do keep your eyes out in Samsung retail stores as it could just show up in the next few months, would you buy this rugged smartphone from Samsung?

galaxy s8
rugged phone samsung malaysia
samsung
samsung malaysia
x-cover 4 malaysia


Rumor has it Apple is cancelling one of the iPhones in 2020

348

I think it’s safe to say that we already know how this year’s iPhone will turn out, but reports are suggesting that Apple wants to cancel one of the iPhones in 2020.

The iPhone XS and XS Max now measures at 5.8 inches and 6.5 inches, and the iPhone XR slots between them at 6.1 inches. The famous Apple analyst Kuo Ming-Chi recently reported that Apple plans to cancel the 5.8-inch iPhone model in 2020 and replace it with an iPhone SE successor instead.

Image credit: Ben Geskin

However, this successor will come with flagship specs; the only difference is it’ll end up as a 5.4-inch iPhone. While other brands are aiming for bigger displays, Apple decides to do the opposite and create a one-handed device that comes with flagship specs.

Of course, it’ll still have a bigger display compared to the iPhone SE especially since the bezels will be much thinner compared to Apple’s old iPhone designs. This decision is probably due to the current iPhone XS making the least sales compared to the iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. Meanwhile, the 2020 successor to the iPhone XS Max will measure up to 6.7 inches.

apple
ios
iphone
iphone xr
iphone xs
iphone xs max


Rumor has it that Dato Sri Siti Nurhaliza will return as Vivo Malaysia’s brand ambassador

1.1K

Remember this iconic Vivo V5 advertisement by Dato Sri Siti Nurhaliza? This video ad was definitely one of the video ads that got the attention of many that drove mass attraction towards the brand in Malaysia.

Dato Sri Siti Nurhaliza continued being the face for Vivo on their second advertisement for the Vivo V5 S and Vivo V5 Plus smartphones.

Unfortunately, Dato Sri Siti Nurhaliza has stopped being the ambassador for Vivo after her second ad for the Vivo 5 series and was then replaced by Joyce Chu and Janna Nick.

Just recently, Vivo Malaysia has teased their fans on their official Facebook page, hinting that Dato Sri Siti Nurhaliza will return as their brand ambassador.

After the performance and support for Vivo V11 grand launch event, Dato Sri Siti Nurhaliza is finally back.

Following on this joyous news, its also rumored that the brand may be launching a new product since they’re reuniting with their iconic brand ambassador.

Although the hints are obvious, Vivo has yet to reveal the full details regarding on the return of Dato Sri Siti Nurhaliza as their brand ambassador and their new product.

Till then, we shall wait for Vivo Malaysia’s official announcement. For more updates, check out Vivo Malaysia’s official Facebook page
here
.

Dato Sri Siti Nurhaliza
vivo malaysia


Rumor wrap up: What you should know about the Galaxy S8

386

We are only two days away from the Samsung Galaxy S8 unveiling at New York City this coming Wednesday. The Galaxy S8 is definitely one of the highest anticipated Android flagships to date by tech geeks and fans alike. Samsung is expected to more than make up for its Galaxy Note 7 loss in 2016 with its upcoming S8 flagship, as the former has dealt quite the blow to the South Korean manufacturer late last year. Like any other high end smartphone, there has been a sea of rumors out there regarding the Galaxy S8, so let’s take a good look at what we should expect from Samsung.

Design & Display

The Galaxy S8’s material will still be of glossy glass like the S7/S7 Edge. Display will probably be the most talked of as Samsung is expected to move away from the conventional 16:9 display aspect ratio with the Galaxy S8. The phone will reportedly sport a 18.5:9 display aspect ratio, which makes it a tad longer than that of the LG G6’s current 18:9 aspect ratio. Samsung will also be aiming to have as close as no bezels for the Galaxy S8, with the handset tipped to have a 90% screen to body ratio, which brings us to the placement of the home button. Samsung will most likely ditch the row of capacitive buttons and the home button which we have been seeing in the past Galaxy flagships. The Galaxy S8 will have software keys instead, justifying the rather odd 18.5:9 aspect ratio. One of the biggest trade off’s that Samsung has rumored to have made is moving the fingerprint sensor to the rear panel of the device. Instead of previously being embedded beneath the physical home button on the front, the fingerprint sensor will be placed right beside the rear camera of the device, as seen according to renders.

Samsung has also significantly increased the display size of its 2017 flagship to be launched. Gone is the Edge model as all S8’s will sport edge-to-edge displays, hence the two variants of the Galaxy S8 will be the S8 and the S8+. The ordinary Galaxy S8 will pack a 5.8-inch Super AMOLED display, which is already larger than the company’s Note phablet series. The Galaxy S8+ on the other hand will sport an even larger 6.2-inch display. The displays will be of 2960 x 1440 as their highest resolutions, but the default resolution is said to be 2220 x 1080, all of which can be tweaked via the phone’s settings. The screen of the Galaxy S8 will also have rounded corners like the LG G6.

Specs

The Samsung Galaxy S8 has earlier been rumored to be the first ever smartphone to feature the powerful Snapdragon 835 processor underneath the hood. However, that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore since Sony launched the Xperia XZ Premium with the same chipset. Regardless, the Galaxy S8 will still be powered by the SD835. The phone is said to retain the same amount of RAM at 4GB like its predecessor(s). No 6GB model despite the non-flagship Galaxy C9 Pro carrying that amount of RAM. Storage will be of 64GB, with support for micro SD card. Like the fateful Galaxy Note 7, the Galaxy S8 will have an iris scanner on the front of the device above the display. The phone will also feature an IP68 rating in terms of water and dust resistance. There isn’t much talk about battery, but there have been a few claims of the Galaxy S8 packing a 3,000mAh battery and the Galaxy S8+ a 3,500mAh battery. The Galaxy S8 is expected to have Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0 support given its SD835 chipset. It will also support wireless charging and Samsung will be offering an optional wireless charging cradle for the flagship, which is rumored to have one extra charging coil, making it 3 to provide more efficient charging. Last but not least, the phone will support Samsung Pay.

Camera

Both the Galaxy S8 and S8+ are rumored to have to same camera packages. Samsung will still remain with one rear camera instead of hopping onto the dual camera band wagon. The “dual” term comes into play when you factor in the rear camera which is said to be of dual pixel at 12MP. The rear camera is said to have an impressive f/1.7 aperture and a super slo-mo feature with a whopping 1,000 fps. The front camera will be of 8 megapixels and is said to feature a new smart auto focus technology.

Bixby AI

Artificial Intelligence will be one of the features to look out for when the Galaxy S8 launches. Samsung has recently announced Bixby, its new AI for Galaxy device. Bixby is claimed to be more complete than the current digital assistants on the market, being able to complete almost every task an application is capable of performing. There is also context awareness, whereby Bixby will understand the current context of the application, allowing users to “carry out the current work-in-progress continuously”. Bixby also boasts cognitive tolerance, providing users “less friction” when communicating with Bixby.

Others

Here are the bits and pieces which weren’t mentioned under the previous categories. First off, the Galaxy S8 are suggested to be Google Daydream ready, plus support for Samsung’s latest Gear VR. There were claims of the Galaxy S8 possibly coming with an S Pen but rumors of that have died down in the early stages. Samsung will likely keep the S Pen exclusively for its Note series. Speaking of accessories, the Galaxy S8 is slated to come with a pair of AKG headphones. No Harman audio technology just yet, as confirmed by Samsung.

Price

Given its features and specs, one would expect the Galaxy S8 to not go any cheaper than the Galaxy S7 ‘s price when it first launched last year, and that appears to be exactly the case. Popular leak source Evan Blass has listed out the European pricing of both the Galaxy S8 and the S8+, a claim supported by multiple sources. The Galaxy S8 will carry a price tag of  €799 (RM3,829.74) while the larger S8+ will go for €899 (RM4,309.06), definitely a luxury for us Malaysians with the Galaxy S8+ hitting above the RM4,000 mark. Do note that these prices are based on direct conversions at the time of writing and have not been confirmed. Samsung has been rumored to have included a protection plan to be purchased with the Galaxy S8, dubbed the Samsung Guard S8, which will include remote support, a one time display replacement and 2-hour repair services. Last but not least, 4 color options of the Galaxy S8 have been leaked so far – Black, Gold, Silver and Gray.

Wrap Up

As usual, as confident as we might seem to sound about the Galaxy S8 series, we would still require you to take everything mentioned with a pinch of salt. Besides, there are only 2 days (or less) left till Samsung officially unveils its first 2017 flagship on the 29th of March at its NYC event. To catch the event live, download Samsung’s “UNPACKED 2017” app
here
. Let us know if we’ve missed out anything!

12mp
835
ai
bixby
button
display
dual
edge
fingerprint
galaxy
home
iris
pay
pixel
price
ratio
rumor
s8
samsung
scanner
sensor
snapdragon
unpacked


Rumored HTC One X9 will equipped with 23 MP camera

353

Less than a month after HTC launched the highly anticipated One A9 smartphone, a new handset from the company has once again been leaked. Dubbed One X9, the rumored device reportedly carries a model number of E56 and will cost USD 470 (approx. RM 2050).

Spec-wise, the smartphone will be either powered by Qualcomm’s upcoming Snapdragon 820 SoC or Mediatek’s deca-core Helio X20 chipset, and sport a QHD display instead of the usual 1440p screen that is found in most of the new devices nowadays. But, the device will have 4GB RAM and 64GB/128GB internal memory options although it could be available with 3GB/32GB configuration to lower the price.

In terms of camera, the One X9 will sport a 23MP rear unit and a 4MP front shooter. Featuring a metal body and dual HTC BoomSound speakers on the front, the device will include a 3,500mAh battery. However, there isn’t any final confirmation by the Taiwanese company at the moment, so take all of this with a healthy dose of salt.

SOURCE:
Phoneradar

androidphone
htc
htcandroid
htcboomsound
htconex9
smartphone


Rumors indicate that AMD EPYC server CPU will have 64 cores and support 128 PCI Express lanes

305

After AMD had a great success in introducing the Ryzen and Threadripper processors to the world, they are now aiming their sights on servers with the announcement of the AMD EPYC processors and what a beast it is.

The EPYC processors will not only offer more Zen cores per socket but it will offer 128 PCI Express IO lanes for connecting co-processors like GPUs. It will also have more memory bandwidth with an 8-channel DDR4 controller. If these reports are accurate, it will not only double the CPU performance and bring about 256MB of cache storage to increase the efficiency of frequently used applications and commands and that server needs thus, reducing the need for off-chip memory making servers equipped with this processor more faster and efficient.

For now, we can only see what AMD plans to do with the EPYC processors as it would seem like the company is not only targeting Intel consumer computers which they are rather successful in but also servers. At the end of the day, regardless if Intel or AMD comes out on top, consumers like you and me will be the ones to benefit from this tussle between the two biggest computer chip makers.

amd
epyc
processor
server


Rumors indicate Apple is working on their own high-end headphones

351

Rumours are in the air about Apple working on releasing its own pair of high-end noise-cancelling, over-ear headphone and is targeted to launch at the end of 2018. The headphones are said to rival the likes of Bose and Beats by Dre which is odd, seeing as Apple owns the latter brand. However, Bloomberg has reported that they are going to some redesign issues with similar issues as they face with the HomePod.

It is said that the headphones will have the same pairing feature as the AirPods but based on Bloomberg sources, there is a big possibility that the headphones will be going through a design overhaul or the entire project might be scrapped altogether.

There is no indication of the price of the headphone, but like all Apple products, we should be expecting a premium price that comes with owning any of their products. Some of the Beats headphones can cost up to $300, expect the price of the headphones to be more than that.

apple
audio
cancellation
headphones
music
noise


Rumors indicate the iPhone SE 2 will come with an A10 chip and wireless charging

332

For those of you that cant afford the price that comes with Apple’s premium phones can look forward to the released on the iPhone SE 2. It took awhile, but there seems to be some reports and rumours floating around the Internet that indicates a release of the SE 2 during WWDC 2018 which will be held in June 2018

The rumours also state that the second generation iPhone SE 2 will come with some significant improvements over the predecessor. The phone will come equipped with a 4.2-inch LCD screen and the A10 Fusion chip which is powering the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Aside from that, it comes with 2GB of RAM, 32 to 128GB of storage and Touch ID will be present. Other reports are stating that the phone will be getting wireless charging support which would make the phone slightly more expensive than the first generation iPhone SE.

These are, of course still speculations and there is no confirmation from Apple about this information. We will be covering WWDC 2018 when it happens and will be reporting back if the rumours and reports are true.

2
a10
apple
iphone
leak
rumours
se
specs


Rumors indicate the Leagoo S9 will come with an under-screen fingerprint sensor

385

Rumors are out on the Leagoo S9 will have the feature that a lot of people have been looking forward too on full display phones, an under-screen fingerprint sensor. The design looks like an iPhone X with the notch at the top that a lot of phone manufacturers are producing.

However, that is not what makes the phone interesting, as the Leagoo S9 has a FaceID feature and an OLED screen with a fingerprint sensor embedded into the screen. This is something that has missed the iPhone X and the Samsung Galaxy phones which promised that the feature would come to the phone but they had issues and had to resort to using a physical fingerprint sensor.

For now, these are still rumours that have not be confirmed by Leagoo, we will know more about they announce the details on the S9. There is a forum post for users to discuss on the phone which you can join
here
.

fingerprint
leagoo
s9
screen
sensor
under


Rumors indicate new iOS and macOS will be showcased during WWDC 2017

303

In February 2017, Apple announced WWDC 2017 which will be held in San Jose, California. The event will start on June 5 to June 9 at McEnery Convention Center and will be the first time Apple has hosted the event since 2002 there. The early announcement was probably to give attendees and others time to plan out their schedule due to the fact that the location was changed.

Some of the expected announcements will be the iOS11, rumors have surfaced that Apple is working on a social networking app that is similar to Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram with the focus of giving users different ways to share video, which will allow users to record video, make edits, add doodles and send out to friends. Other rumors also suggest that Apple has iPad-specific updates, and with little focus on iPad in iOS 10, it is expected that the new operating system will include this rumors, especially in expanding the Apple Pencil support for the iPad Pro and combined with the hardware improvements, to bring features like smoother on-screen zooming, panning, and scrolling.

Next is the arrival of the second iteration of the macOS, not much is known about the features that will come with the new operating system but it should feature another name that reflects the California landscape. We will also likely to see the new versions of the tvOS and watchOS, not much is also known about this new updates but expect it to have a better integration with iOS. The final rumor suggests that Apple is working on an Echo-like smart speaker with Siri and AirPlay. The devices are described as a fat looking Google Home with a concave top that has built-in controls and could include a Beats technology and will run a customized version of iOS.

These are some of the assumptions on what will be showcased during the event for more information on the conference click
here
. Stay tuned as we will update you if any more news or rumors arise.

Source:
MacRumors

apple
ios 11
iphone
wwdc 2017


Rumors indicate that a new iPhone SE will launch in Q1 of 2018

308

Some of Apple’s fans are still sticking to the age-old thought of a 4-inch phone is as big as you will ever need it to be. Many of these people still would stick to the iPhone SE and are fine with the fact that the hardware is not as powerful as the other iPhones.

Recently, there have been reports that Apple is planning to release what we can call, for now, the iPhone SE 2. The latest rumours claim that the iPhone SE 2 will launch in the first three months of 2018 which is what rumours prior to this mentioned. The new phone will keep its 4-inch screen and use the A10 chipset from the iPhone 7, a step up from the A9 used in the current iPhone SE. We should also expect that the other components are older hardware coming from previous generation iPhones but, we should not expect to see a bezeless design on the SE.

The phone is said to be manufactured in India but will still be sold worldwide. It is an exciting time for Apple fans as we are expected to see three new iPhone X variants and a new SE next year.

2
2018
iphone
launch
q1
se


Rumors indicate the Nokia 9 and a refreshed Nokia 8 will launch on January 19

296

It would seem like the number of phones Nokia released in just a span of a year is a lot, but it seems like the company is not done yet as new rumors have surfaced indicating that not only the Nokia 9 will be released in January but an updated version of the Nokia 8 will also be released, as they are preparing for an event on 19 January in China.

Based on the previous leaks the Nokia 9 will come with a 5.5-inch QHD screen, Snapdragon 835 processor and IP67 certification, making it dust and water resistance, dual-camera and no headphone jack. The Nokia 8, on the other hand, will come with the same specs as the Nokia 9 but the screen will be an 18:9 ratio screen. Both the phones are also said to come with customizations for the Chinese market but there are global variants of the phones that are reported to be announced at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in February.

The Nokia 9 will come with a 6GB RAM and 64GB storage variant which is rumoured to be priced at 3699 Yuan and a 128GB storage variant priced at 4199 Yuan. Sadly, there is no news on the Nokia 8 but we expect to see more rumours when the launch date is nearer.

8
9
global
hmd
nokia
release
rumor


(Updated) Rumors indicate OnePlus is bring back the X-series with the OnePlus X2

279

In 2016 OnePlus released the X series focused on the mid-range consumers but it was not a popular phone and performance was not on par with the other mid-range phones. With the success of the other flagship phones, it seemed that the company ditched their X-series phones to put the focus on their flagship devices. However, rumours indicate that they might be reviving the X-series this year.

According to these rumours, OnePlus might release the OnePlus X2 which will be officially announced after the OnePlus 6 launch which will happen somewhere in the middle of the year. Unlike the previous X phone, the X2 will come with the still powerful Snapdragon 835 due to the extra 825 chips they have left over from the 5T release. Other than that, it comes with 4GB of RAM and 32GB or 64GB of internal storage depending on the variant. The rumours also mentioned that it will come with a 5.5-inch 16:9 display, 16MP rear camera, an 8MP front camera with Face Unlock and it is powered by a 3,000mAh battery.

The phone is said to come with a price tag of $230 to $260, whether it will be launch alongside the OnePlus 6 is still unsure but just like all rumours, it might not be true.

Update
: Karl Pei, Co-Founder of OnePlus has taken to Twitter to address the OnePlus X2 rumours with just a single “Nope”. Looks like the company is not gracing the mid-range market with their phones.

https://twitter.com/getpeid/status/960790393913671680

6
oneplus
release
x2


Rumour: Samsung Galaxy Tab S4 May Arrive at MWC 2018

263

If the rumours are true, Samsung may not just be releasing their Galaxy S9 series smartphones, but will also be announcing the Galaxy Tab S4 at next week’s MWC in Barcelona.

Rumours of the device started surfacing online when a GFXBench listing for a tablet with the model number SM-T835 appeared, and it seems to be benchmarking a 10.5-inch 1600 x 2560 screen. The full name of the processor isn’t listed, but it could be featuring a 2.3GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset and 4GB of RAM.

Although it may not be considered a high-end tablet because it won’t be quite on par with the Galaxy S9 and Apple is also pushing screen sizes up, it is still something worthy to check out if this is to be unveiled at the MWC.

apple
mwc
Samsung Galaxy S9
Samsung Galaxy Tab S4


Rumours about the 2020 iPhones might have you skipping this year’s models

322

Some of us may be anticipating for the upcoming iPhones (or not) but a recent report from MacRumors revealed information that might encourage us to just wait for 2020 iPhones instead.

One thing we’ve learned about the 2019 iPhones is that they will not be supporting 5G, but the newest leak unveiled another interesting information — the return of Touch ID. You’re probably thinking why is Apple taking a step back, except they’re not taking a step back. In fact, Apple is taking Touch ID to the next level.

Image credit: Redmond Pie

The alleged Touch ID in 2020 iPhones will be similar to the in-display fingerprint sensors that you’ve already seen on some Android phones. What makes it better than the rest is that it will be filling the whole screen, meaning that you can unlock your phone no matter where you place your fingerprint on the display.

Moreover, the 2020 iPhones will also have additional rear camera lenses that supports 3D sensing, in addition to 5G support. It is also said that the iPhones will have OLED displays, so even the lower-end successor to the iPhone XR might get an OLED display in 2020.

2019 iPhone
2020 iPhone
apple
ios
iphone


The Ryzen 3 1300X exceeds all expectations and is close enough to rival even a Core i5

310

I remember the day when I got my first computer and it had an AMD Sempron processor in it, the first thing on my mind was whats an AMD and why is it not an Intel processor. This was the time that Intel held on to the lead so strong that they held on to it for a good decade.

The problem with being on top is that you will forget that your rivals are always there in your shadow waiting for the right moment to strike just when you drop your guard. Just when the time was right AMD announced the Ryzen processors and showed us (or better yet, open our eyes) to a new and dare I say the better alternative to what Intel was providing.

We reviewed the Ryzen 7 in the past and that was beast beating its Intel counterpart in almost every test we performed. Today we have the Ryzen 3, the lowers tier of all the Ryzen processors but, never let that fool you because this little guy will impress you in more ways than one, even with its short comings. The Ryzen we have in our hand is the Ryzen 3 1300X, the highest end Ryzen 3 that you can get your hands on. So let’s begin with the test bench we are using.

Processor
: AMD Ryzen 3 1300x, 4-Core, 3.5GHz (3.7GHz Turbo)

Cooling
: AMD Wraith Stealth Stock Cooler

Motherboard
: Gigabyte Aorus AX370 Gaming 5 (provided by AMD)

RAM
: Kingston HyperX 8GB 2400MHz X 2

SSD
: Plextor 240GB

HDD
: Seagate SSHD 2TB 7200RPM

GPU
: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080 8GB Founders Edition

Power Supply
: Cooler Master G750M

Chassis
: Cooler Master Test Bench v1.0

Initially, we had a sinking suspicion that this powerful graphics card might show signs of bottlenecking the processor when we found out it did not, we decided to keep that shiny graphics card on the board because, well why not. With that out of the way, let’s look the processor for a bit. The Ryzen 3 1300X is a 4-core 4-thread processor, runs at 3.5GHz with a Max Turbo core speed of 3.7Ghz, an L3 cache of 8MB, runs on a low 65 watts of power and comes with AMD own Wraith Stealth.

Now that we covered that, let’s get to the benchmarking:

3D Mark

For the sake of comparison, we have included the previous results of our test comparing the Ryzen 7 to its Intel Core i7 counterpart to give you a rough gauge on the difference you will get when choosing the highest and lowers tier of the Ryzen family. As the graft above shows, the Ryzen 3 comes really close to its older cousin and its Intel counter part.

Handbrake
 4K to 1080p Encoding

Not really a surprise here as the Ryzen 3 does not have the same amount of threads as its cousin and fast enough clock speeds to come close to the others. However taking an extra 2 minutes to complete the encoding is admirable enough comparing it to the Intel i7 processor.

7-Zip

Here is where the processor falls behind but that is also due to the lack of an extra thread for each core putting it behind its cousin and the Intel i7. All we can say here is a good effort to the Ryzen 3 processor. Perhaps giving it that extra thread would at least help it be closer to second place.

Cinebench R15

Cinebench benchmarks will make your processor cry and in this case, the Ryzen 3 did let out some tears but it did come very close to its cousin in the OpenGL test, telling us this small guy still can dish out some punches if it needs to.

PCMark 8 Home Accelerated

This test was to show how the processor handles when it comes to a simple task like video conference, web browsing and other simple day-to-day task and it comes very close to its cousin which shows us again when the Ryzen 3 is called to duty, it delivers.

Thermals

In this part of the test, I was slightly disappointed as the processor has the same idle and load temperatures as my AMD FX-6350 at home. This is probably due to the Wraith Stealth stock fan that they have provided. If you want to see better thermals on your Ryzen 3, I suggest you get a better cooler for it, but don’t worry as AMD has stated that the processor has a max temp of 95 Celsius.

Finally, we come to the part that seriously blew me away, I tested out a few games that can be considered pretty demanding even on latest systems, but did the Ryzen 3 falter? No, it rose up to the occasion and said: “bring it on”. Do note, that all games were set to the high preset and with VSync turned off.

Gaming Benchmarks

I decided that it would not be a fair fight to compare it to the Ryzen 7 or Intel i7, as those two are capable to run games in 4K, but giving the Ryzen 3 4K gaming, shows that it is still capable of running them well within the 50-60 FPS range, which is still not too bad but definitely not meant for competitive gaming. Bringing it down to 1080p and the processor shined like a diamond, producing frames well above 80 FPS, making it ideal for any type of game mode.

1300x
3
amd
budget
comparison
processor
review
ryzen


Ryzen is stepping up the game again with the Ryzen PRO processors

315

The Ryzen processors were only recently introduced to the market, but AMD is not taking a break and will be releasing new PRO edition of selected Ryzen processors. These PRO variants will be focused mainly on compute-intensive workplace and will bring reliability security and performance to enterprise desktops.

Ryzen PRO Lineup

The Zen cores in every Ryzen PRO will provide up to 52% improvement in computing capabilities over previous generations and the Ryzen 7 PRO 1700 offers up to 62 percent more multi-threaded performance than other competitors. A spec sheet of the new PRO processors are as follows:

Product Line

Model

Cores

Threads

Boost Clock (GHz)

Base Clock (GHz)

TDP (Watts)

Ryzen™ 7 PRO

1700X

8

16

3.8

3.4

95

Ryzen™ 7 PRO

1700

8

16

3.7

3.0

65

Ryzen™ 5 PRO

1600

6

12

3.6

3.2

65

Ryzen™ 5 PRO

1500

4

8

3.7

3.5

65

Ryzen™ 3 PRO

1300

4

4

3.7

3.5

65

Ryzen™ 3 PRO

1200

4

4

3.4

3.1

65

Security wise, it will provide hardware-based cryptographic and security technologies to help protect against threats, armed with security standards like secure boot, fTPM (firmware Trust Platform Module), AES and Windows 10 Enterprise security features that are supported across the Ryzen Pro family.

These PRO processors will be available in the second half of 2017 and the Ryzen PRO mobile versions will release in the first half of 2018. For more information on these processors visit the Ryzen PRO official web page
here
.

3
5
7
amd
pro
processor
ryzen


S5 finally gets Marshmallow

404

Samsung launched its 2016 flagship line of smartphones running Android Marshmallow out of the box, and today we have news that Marshmallow updates are currently heading to the Galaxy S5, Samsung’s flagship handset in 2014.

According to SamMobile, Galaxy S5 variants running on South Korean carrier LG Uplus with the model number SM-G900L are the ones receiving the Marshmallow update. We are not sure whether this rollout is only exclusive and limited to the aforementioned S5 variants, but it’s very likely that other models of the aged flagship worldwide will be getting their fair share of the Marshmallow update in due time.

Powered by the obsolete Snapdragon 801 processor, the Galaxy S5’s Marshmallow rollout comes a month after the S6 and S6 Edge’s software update of the same Android version. The OTA update brings Android 6.0.1, which packs stability improvements, bug fixes and speed optimizations. If you happen to have the SM-G900L variant of the Galaxy S5, keep an eye out for the update and if you happen to be impatient, software updates can be checked manually via your S5’s settings menu.

Source:
SamMobile

android
galaxy
marshmallow
s5
samsung
update


Samsung midrange phones are getting 5G support this year

317

More and more 5G phones are appearing in the market and to be honest, we’re all expecting 5G phones sometime soon. Samsung recently revealed that in addition to their current 5G flagship devices, they’ll also be adding 5G versions of the Galaxy A71 and Galaxy A51.

Interestingly,
The Verge
 reported that there will be more 5G phones from the Galaxy A-series such as the Galaxy A01, the Galaxy A11 and the Galaxy A21. Unfortunately, we are still not sure whether these phones will arrive in Malaysia.

The current non-5G version of the Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71 is priced at RM1,299 and RM1,799 respectively. When the 5G models of these phones arrive, we should be expecting higher price tags, but most of their specs should remain the same.

It’s not like we’re in a rush too; 5G connectivity in Malaysia isn’t ready yet, so there shouldn’t be any issues even if Samsung takes another few months to launch their 5G midrangers in our nation.

5G connectivity
galaxy a01
Galaxy A11
Galaxy A21
Galaxy A51 5G
Galaxy A71 5G
samsung


Samsung to develop 600MP cameras that can capture more details than the human eye

319

Smartphone brands have been trying to bring better cameras in their smartphones; this includes Samsung, the company that just bravely announced that it’s aiming for 600MP cameras.

In an
editorial
 published today, Yongin Park — the head of Sensor Business Team — says that the human eyes match the resolution of around 500MP. The company wants to aim higher than what the human eye can perceive by developing 600MP cameras that can be used in devices other than smartphones such as drones, IoT and autonomous vehicles.

In just six months, Samsung has managed to jump from the first 64MP sensor to the 108MP sensor that is seen in the latest Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. Last year, the company has also introduced image sensors based on 0.7μm pixels, the Samsung ISOCELL Slim GH1. Park also mentioned that image sensors aren’t the only focus of the company; Samsung is also researching sensors may go beyond human senses, including an ultraviolet light sensor that can diagnose skin cancer.

A 600MP camera sounds ridiculous now, but a 108MP camera would’ve seemed ridiculous a decade ago too so don’t be surprised when the day comes.

600MP cameras
600MP sensor
image sensor
samsung


Samsung expects holograms on mobile devices to be possible with arrival of 6G

665

We’ve barely scratched the surface with
5G
 technology but Samsung thinks 6G is already on the horizon – the Korean giants are setting their sights on the new standard by releasing a document outlining the company’s vision for 6G.

Image credit: Samsung

When will 6G arrive?

Dubbed ‘The Next Hyper Connected Experience for All’ – what a mouthful – the white paper highlights different aspects of 6G including technical and societal megatrends, new services,
requirements, expected
 timeline of standardization and more.

Head of Advanced Communications Research Center at Samsung
Sunghyun
 Choi says it’s never too early to start preparing for 6G because it takes around 10 years from the start of R&D to commercialization to take place.

Image credit: Samsung

What to expect

With that said, Samsung thinks 6G will be in its early stages of commercialization some time 2028, while mass availability should come in 2030 – and we’re excited for that because Samsung believes the tech allows for high-fidelity mobile holograms and digital replicas! We don’t know how much we can do with that but we’re thinking along the lines
of teleconferencing

à
 la Darth Sidious initiating Order 66 to his Imperial Army – but with a less morbid outcome.

5G node

6G improves upon 5G on all accounts including a peak data transfer rate of 1,000Gbps – which is a 50-time increase over the latter. The new tech also allows for better energy efficiency, which tackles a real problem with early 5G now.

Not quite there yet

With all this said, some architectural requirements for 6G need to be addressed for it to work – computation limitations need to bolstered, an AI system needs to be implemented from the get-go, and there needs to be a flexibility in integration by network entities.

So, while we’ll have to wait at least a decade longer for holographic video conferencing to be a thing, let’s enjoy what 5G has in store for us – low-latency all around, high download speeds, and more. You can also find Samsung’s 6G documentation
here
 if you want to learn more about the new tech.

5g
6G
hologram
low latency
samsung
telecommunications


Samsung 990 PRO PCIe 4.0 SSD launches in Malaysia

6K

Samsung Malaysia has officially brought in the 990 PRO SSD, a PCIe 4.0 SSD that’s equipped with the company’s 3-bit MLC V-NAND and new proprietary controller, the 990 PRO claims a sequential read and write speeds of 7,450MB/s and 6,900MB/s respectively, random transfer speeds are rated at 1,400K IOPS for read and 1,550K IOPS for write.

Designed for gaming PCs and consoles, the 990 PRO is built on a low-power architecture which Samsung claims up to 50% of efficiency compared to the 980 PRO with a power consumption of 1319MB/Watt compared to 877MB/Watt on the 980 PRO, it also has a nickel coating on the controller and a heat spreader label on the drive for reliable thermal management.

A heatsink version of the 990 PRO can also be purchased which offers RGB lighting and additional layer of thermal control.

The Samsung 990 PRO is available in capacities of 1TB and 2TB, it is backed by a 5-year or 600TBW limited warranty, do visit Samsung Authorized Dealers and PC retailers to purchase it.

samsung
samsung 990 pro
samsung 990 pro malaysia
samsung malaysia


Samsung acquires Harman International Industries for USD8 billion

630

Harman Kardon is now under new leadership as it appears that Samsung has acquired its parent company, Harman International Industries, for a cool USD8 billion.

Samsung first announced its intentions to purchase the audio and auto parts supplier back in November. With the deal being completed, Samsung will now own many of Harman International Industries’ sub-brands. This includes JBL, Harman Kardon, Lexicon, Mark Levinson, and many others. Harman’s main base of operations will remain in Stamford, Connecticut, while the company as a whole will now act as a standalone subsidiary under President and CEO Dinesh Paliwal.

“Samsung shares our commitment to our customers and our culture of speed, innovation and execution. Samsung provides Harman with the scale, platform and complementary technologies to accelerate growth and extend our global market leadership in automotive, smart audio, and connected technologies,” says Paliwal.

“Today is a historic moment for us. The close of this transaction opens the door to create substantial growth opportunities and deliver greater benefits for customers worldwide. We see transformative opportunities in the car – and a future which seamlessly connects lifestyle across automotive, home, mobile and work. Samsung’s and Harman’s leadership in these spaces perfectly positions Samsung to be the preferred partner to our OEM customers,” says Young Sohn, President and Chief Strategy Officer of Samsung Electronics.

Source:
Samsung
,
Engadget

acquisition
harmaninternationalindustries
harmankardon
samsung


Samsung acquires the creators of Siri, Viv Labs

335

Apple has Siri, Microsoft has Cortana, and Google has Google Assistant. Now, it appears that Samsung may be getting an AI assistant of its own as the Korean company has just acquired Viv Labs.

Known for the creation of Siri, Viv Labs has been busy working on Viv for a while now. The company first revealed the Viv AI Assistant in May at TechCrunch Disrupt, and has stated that the Viv will be leaps and bounds above what Siri is capable of.

No one has disclosed the amount of money Samsung has paid to acquire Viv Labs. That said, Viv Labs will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary, meaning that day-to-day operations at Viv Labs will be largely unchanged. While Viv Labs believes that Samsung’s acquisition would accelerate the development of Viv, it’ll probably be a few years down the line before Viv will be integrated into Samsung’s range of devices.

Source:
Medium
,
Samsung

acquisition
artificialintelligence
samsung
viv
vivlabs


Samsung allegedly developing a 150MP ISOCELL sensor

366

You’ve seen the 108MP sensor on the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and the Xiaomi Mi Note 10, but (unsurprisingly) no one is stopping there. Reports suggest that Samsung is now working on a new ISOCELL sensor, and this time it’ll be a 150MP sensor.

While the ISOCELL sensor has not gotten an official name yet, it will allegedly be a 1-inch sensor with 150 megapixels crammed into the small square place. It will also be utilising Samsung’s Nonacell technology that uses pixel-binning to create a 16MP photo.

Image credit: Cnet

If the history repeats itself, then we will be seeing a Xiaomi flagship with the new ISOCELL sensor — expected to launch at the end of this year. Other brands may follow too, but Samsung will probably skip the new sensor on its Galaxy Note 20 series.

Will 150MP sensors be the stopping point? We don’t think so.

150MP sensor
ISOCELL
Nonacell
samsung


Samsung and Maybank users can experience Samsung Pay early access

340

With everything slowly connecting to our mobile, Samsung Malaysia Electronics has finally announced its partnership with Maybank to bring Samsung Pay to your pockets. Maybank customers can now experience its first mobile payment service that is simple, secure, and accepted almost anywhere that accepts either NFC or MST payments.

Maybank is the first bank to join Samsung Pay ecosystem in Malaysia, hence, Maybank customers will get a firsthand experience as Samsung Pay can currently be accessed by Maybank Visa cardholders as part of an exclusive early access programme until 11 February 2017. More banks and merchants are later expected to join Samsung’s partnership upon the official launch of Samsung Pay in the coming weeks.

In order to make a payment with your Samsung Pay, just swipe up on your eligible Salaxy smartphone, scan your fingerprint, and pay. Samsung also made sure of its security, as Samsung Pay actually uses three layers of security to enable secure payments – fingerprint authentication, tokenization, and Samsung KNOX.

As of now, Samsung Pay is compatible with Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, S6 edge+, Note5, Galaxy A5 (2017 and 2016), and Galaxy A7 (2017 and 2016). You can also be one of the 500 users to win RM100 cashback for every RM500 cumulatively spent via Samsung Pay; only for Maybank customers, of course.

Check out
www.samsung.com/my/samsungpay
 for more information.

digitalpayment
maybank
samsung
samsungmalaysia
samsungpay


Samsung and MBO announces another Samsung Onyx LED theater in Atria Sopping Gallery in conjunction of Spider-Man: Far From Home screening

324

Samsung, in collaboration with MBO, introduces another Samsung Onyx-equipped theatre hall in the country. Onyx is a projector-less theatre hall fitted with an LED screen as opposed to the traditional projector screen.

This is MBO’s first involvement with what Samsung calls Cinema LED tech, and it’s located in their Atria Shopping Gallery outpost. There is currently one hall equipped with Samsung Onyx at the branch.

With LED tech, what you get is much deeper black compared to projectors, while a little demo reel showcased during the event highlighted a sharper and brighter display. Onyx is capable of pushing 500nitts in brightness compared to the 48nitts displayed by conventional projectors.

MBO’s hall in Atria Shopping Gallery comes equipped with Harman’s JBL Surround Sound system, which according to Samsung is fine-tuned to project sound to a “sweet spot” where the audience are.

The launch today coincides with the release of Spider-Man: Far From Home, hence the whole Spidey get-up.

On July 5, Samsung Mobile App users can enjoy a buy-one-free-one promo when they purchase an Onyx movie ticket at MBO Atria Shopping Gallery.

led screen
mbo
samsung
samsung onyx


Samsung and the Galaxy Note5 S Pen drama

333

If you have been following tech news portals and forums, you would realise there has been this controversy going around about the Note5’s S Pen. Apparently, should you insert the S Pen into your Note5 backwards, you would damage the internal S Pen sensor located on the inside of the slot. Some people have mentioned that
Samsung
 is at fault as they should have either designed the S Pen so that it can’t go be inserted the wrong way, or made it so that the sensor and slot is more robust to avoid it getting damaged so easily.

Anyway, after all the drama that has been circulating with people from both sides of the camp – one blaming
Samsung
, and the other side blaming user error,
Samsung
 has finally responded to the issue with a statement:

We highly recommend our Galaxy Note5 users follow the instructions in the user guide to ensure they do not experience such an unexpected scenario caused by reinserting the S Pen in the other way around. – Samsung

I am not sure which camp you are on, but I feel that just like many other products out there, you should read the manual before using an item, whether it is an electronic product, or something bigger like a car. Granted,
Samsung
 should expect that there are many users who don’t follow instructions and could have designed it to be idiot-proof, but at the end of the day, it really isn’t their fault.

So, which side are you on? Do you think Samsung should have designed the S Pen better, or do you think people should just read the manual?

controversy
drama
note5
samsung
spen


Samsung and Xiaomi introduce new 108MP ISOCELL Bright HMX imaging sensor – production starts this month

332

For those who’ve been keeping up with smartphone camera developments, I bet it’s getting real tiresome for you to follow – it felt like only yesterday we were hearing about 64MP sensors seeing the light of day – come to think of it, it probably was yesterday, or more– at this point I don’t even know.

It was only three months ago that Samsung introduced their 64MP ISOCELL sensor for mobile devices – during a time where 48MP lenses are still debatably useless. Now Samsung has once again gone public with another invention, a 108MP ISOCELL sensor – I mean,
come on.

Image credit: Samsung

Interestingly this time, the new gizmo was developed in partnership with Xiaomi – so it begs the question if this new sensor will be used in upcoming Xiaomi phones too. We reckon it will, since the Chinese company has a hand in developing it – perhaps in a new Mi 9?

The new lens is called the Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX; it’s 1/1.33-inches in size and uses Tetracell technology, producing 27MP images. Samsung says that the sensor is equipped with ‘Smart-ISO’ that selects the level of amplifier gains to compensate during low light photography. The new sensor also supports up to 6K videography at 30 frames per second.

The production of the sensors will begin later this month. But it’s not something we really need; lets see how 64MP fairs first before moving on to 108MP.

108MP
64MP
bright isocell hmx
photography
samsung
xiaomi


Samsung and YTL Communications join hands in launching the attractive Galaxy J (2016) series and Yes 4G LTE network

389

The Samsung Galaxy J series were rarely part of the attraction when it comes to Samsung’s marketing efforts, in order to stay strong in the entry-level smartphone market, the company has gone all in to release three new Galaxy J (2016) smartphones with a very attractive price, it has even partnered with YTL Communications to promote the phones as VoLTE and HD Voice capable devices while the telco took the opportunity to introduce its new 4G LTE network, the latter now has almost 85% of nationwide coverage just like its previous WiMAX network and has bundled a free prepaid SIM with 30GB of data for two months when you purchase any of the new Galaxy J Series.

The Galaxy J Series (2016) smartphones come in three models, namely the J1, J5 and J7, these smartphones do not come with an aluminum and glass build like the more recent Galaxy smartphones but they still look and feel nice if you get a chance to look at it, one software inclusion on the Galaxy J series would be the Ultra Data Saving (UDS) mode feature, which technically helps users save data efficiently and restricts background data, the magic is actually done by Opera Max VPN, which is a renowned app that have users connect to its VPN service and performs data compressing over the cloud.

Among these three devices, the J7 is the flagship model that comes with an Octa-Core 1.6GHz processor paired to 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage, there’s a 5.5-inch HD Super AMOLED display that looks vivid. What’s different this time is that Samsung has been rather generous with the J7’s camera, it has a pair of f/1.9 aperture 13-megapixel rear and 5-megapixel front cameras, both pair of cameras come with a single LED flash and they are capable of capturing Full HD videos at 30fps, which means pictures shouldn’t look too bad in low light. Lastly, the J7 comes with a removable 3300mAh battery.

The J5 is a slight step down from the J7 and comes with a slower Quad-Core 1.2GHz processor, it has the same amount of storage and RAM, similar camera specifications, however it comes with a smaller 5.2-inch HD Super AMOLED display and a slightly smaller removable battery at 3100mAh.

The J1 is probably the most value packed 4G LTE and VoLTE capable device among the competition, while the phone’s hardware specifications aren’t that attractive compared to its two siblings but it certainly is no slouch, the Quad-Core 1.3GHz processor and 1GB RAM will certainly do well for day-to-day tasks, it comes with a rather beautiful 4.5-inch WVGA Super AMOLED panel that looks really good despite of its lower resolution. The J1’s cameras are also decent for a sub RM500 priced device, the 5-megapixel rear and 2-megapixel front cameras come with a f/2.2 aperture and is capable of shooting HD resolution videos at 30fps. Due to its less power hungry hardware, the J1 comes with a removable 2050mAh battery.

Samsung’s new Galaxy J (2016) series will be available on 16 June 2016 at all Samsung Experience Stores and authroised dealers, the J1, J5 and J7 will retail at RM449, RM849 and RM1049 respectively, they will be bundled with a free Yes 4G LTE Prepaid SIM with 30GB of free data for two months and 100 minutes of free off-net calls, the phones are offered in three color options – Black, White and Gold.

For a limited time, users who purchase a Galaxy device worth RM300 and above will also stand a chance to win one of the 30 cars which Samsung is giving away this festive season.

galaxy
hdvoice
j1
j5
j7
jseries
samsung
volte
yes4g
ytl


Samsung announces a monitor together with wireless charging – SE 370

440

Samsung
, a company that always tries to create more innovative products to attract consumers and push their technology to the limit. Today they introduce the world’s first monitor with an integrated wireless charging function for mobile devices – SE 370. This can ease you to put your phone on the
wireless
charging
dock
, so you can access your phone faster than your pocket.

The Samsung’s SE370 monitor works with all mobile devices that use the leading Qi wireless charging
stand
ard, which was developed by the Wireless Power Consortium (WPC) and it’s one of the most readily-available global interface
stand
ards. Moreover, this monitor will consolidates the multiple charging ports found in other displays with a circular wireless charging area integrated in the monitor’s
stand

which require users to simply place their device on the stand’s charging area to initiate automatic charging, which will light up an LED light.

Samsung

ensures comfortable viewing through a high-performance Plane-to-Line-Switching (PLS) panel, which allows users to experience universally-optimized viewing with a 178-degree wide-viewing angle. Besides that, it has an excellent picture quality with vivid and clear imagery delivered through a brightness of up to 300 cd/m2. Connectivity on this monitor aren’t that bad because it offers HDMI (1.4), DisplayPort (1.2), D-Sub (VGA) and a 3.5mm jack connector for the built-in speaker.

The
Samsung

SE370 comes in two resolutions – 23.6-inch and 27-inch with 1920 x 1080 resolution. The official release date and pricing will be announced soon. But, this innovative move from
Samsung

really impressive and kudos for
Samsung

making it happen. You can check the video of
Samsung

SE370 over
here
.

144hz
amd
freesync
pcmasterrace
pls
samsung
se370


Samsung announces Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+ in Malaysia, both priced below RM 1,000

334

Samsung has been catering for various consumers depending on their budget, with their smartphones ranging from budget prices to high-end prices. Their current new products, the Galaxy J6+ and Galaxy J4+ are mid-range smartphones that are now available in Malaysia!

The Galaxy J6+ and J4+ have a few similarities, as both smartphones come in a 6.0 inch HD+ Infinity Display, and has dual-sim feature. In addition, both the phones run on 1.4GHz quad-core processor. In terms of battery, both come with 3300mAh non-removable battery.

Moving on to the differences, let’s begin with the Galaxy J6+, it has dual rear camera which consists of a 13MP sensor and a 5MP sensor, whereas the from camera has 8MP sensor. In terms of storage, the smartphone has 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory.

On the other hand, Galaxy J4+ comes with a single camera on its rear which has 13MP sensor. On its front, it has a 5MP sensor front camera. The smartphone possesses 2GB RAM with 32GB internal memory.

Other than that, the Galaxy J6+ comes in black, grey and red whereas the Galaxy J4+ comes in black, gold and pink. Needless to say, those who want better specs should opt for the Galaxy J6+ that comes at RM 999, whereas the Galaxy J4+ costs RM 699.

galaxy j4
Galaxy J6+
samsung


Samsung announces GALAXY Tab S series

303

Samsung
 has again announced a new series of tablets called the
GALAXY
 Tab S series, which could pretty mean the flagship models for the Tab series. Two screen sizes – 8.4 and 10.5 inches – are being announced at the event at Madison Square in New York City. The new GALAXY Tab S series features a super slim design at only 6.6mm thickness with extremely shrunk bezels to make the tablet look really compact for users, Samsung has also introduced the Super AMOLED panels into the
GALAXY
 Tab S series with a jaw dropping 2560×1600 resolution. The GALAXY Tab S series comes in two colors – Titanium Bronze and Dazzling White.

The
GALAXY
 Tab S series will offer a SIM card variant that supports LTE networks and is able to make phone calls, the tablets also share some features from the company’s flagship
GALAXY S5
, which includes a fingerprint scanner on the home button, the very same perforated back cover but non removable and download booster which combines both LTE and WiFi AC speeds to boost download speeds. Next, the Tab S series will also feature some proprietary software found on the
GALAXY
 Note PRO that we’ve recently reviewed, SideSync 3.0 that lets you mirror your GALAXY smartphone’s screen on to the tablet’s display and Remote PC for controlling your Mac and Windows computer via the tablet.

WiFi only variants of the GALAXY Tab S series will start selling in the US this July, with LTE variants to follow in the coming months. Processors being used in the GALAXY Tab S series tablets are either the Exynos 5 Octa or Snapdragon 800 SoC, which we believe
Samsung
 Malaysia will be bringing in the Snapdragon variant into our market in the next few months.

Source:
Samsung


Samsung announces its new entry level Galaxy Tab A tablet

347

Samsung’s rebranding process on their smartphones and tablets are kicking off pretty well, the company has just made an announcement of the availability of the
Galaxy Tab
 A in the U.S which is targeted at entry level users. From pictures we can tell that
Samsung
 has indeed put in some effort to tweak its tablet’s design.

The
Galaxy Tab
 A will come in two screen sizes – 8-inches and 9.7-inches, you will get a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, 5-megapixel main camera and 2-megapixel front camera, a 1024 x 768 resolution display on both sizes, 16GB and 32GB storage options expandable via MicroSD, optional LTE network support and best of all, it comes running Android 5.0 Lollipop out of the box

Sales of the Galaxy Tab A series are expected to be live on May in the U.S, the 8-inch model’s price will be starting from $229 while the 9.7-inch model from $299 for the 16GB variant. The surprising thing here is that despite not being the Note series,
Samsung
 is throwing in S-Pen support for the 9.7-inch model which will retail at $349. Last but not the least, there’s just one thought going on my mind – why can’t
Samsung
 just up the resolution of the screens?


Samsung announces mass-production of 12GB RAM for smartphones

433

At this point in time, do smartphones really need more than 6GB RAM? A device with 8GB of RAM is becoming increasingly common, while phones like the Vivo Nex Dual Display come with a whopping 10GB RAM; but that’s understandable since the phone needs it for seamless transitions between both screens.

In general, 6GB RAM
would
do, but Samsung’s looking way ahead into the future by announcing that they’ve begun mass-producing 12GB LPDDR4X RAM modules for smartphones.

To put into perspective, a mid-ranged gaming PC only needs about 12 to 16GB of RAM, so for smartphones to come with just as much memory may seem like an overkill – but I digress; Samsung’s upcoming LPDDR4X RAM modules are reportedly capable of 34.1GB/s transfer rates.

So, with these new RAM modules, you can expect speedy respond times and seamless usage experience. When you take into account the new wave of foldable phones that are on the horizon, 12GB of RAM could be essential for flexible phones to function properly.

12gb
dual display
memory
nex
ram
samsung
vivo


Samsung announces massive micro-LED and gaming-ready Neo QLED TVs

881

Samsung has just
launched
 a couple of new TVs for the medium- to large-sized home during their Unbox & Discover event earlier this morning.

micro-LED

The first product is a micro-LED panel – we previously saw the
110-inch model
 announced late last year; but now Samsung has confirmed that we’ll also be getting a 99-inch version – which will be available at the end of March like the 110-inch model; while an 88-inch TV is also set to arrive this Fall (September to December).

The micro-LED TVs are so large that they can acts as four smaller panels, thanks to the 4Vue (quad view) feature – this basically lets you display four different sources simultaneously. We’re not sure how audio prioritization works – but we figure you get sound from the source you choose, while the rest remains muted.

Neo QLED

For something more conventional, Samsung’s Neo QLED TVs are available in 65-inches, 75-inches, and 85-inches for the 8K panels, and a 50-inch one that pushes a 4K resolution.

As the name suggests, the TVs use Quantum Mini LEDs that – at 1/40
th
 of the size of a regular LED – allows for finer control of light emission; meaning better contrasts thanks to deeper blacks, and brighter lights. The TVs are also equipped with a Neo Quantum Processor that’s also responsible for upscaling content, and more.

When it comes to gaming, the TVs are capable of outputting at 4K 120 FPS, along with a low 5.8ms response time. There’s also support for Freesync Premium Pro that offer low frame rate compensation, low latency even with HDR enabled.

There’s no word on the local pricing and availability of the devices mentioned above yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated posted when we get more information.

4K 120FPS
free sync
hdr
micro LED
neo qled
samsung