Where to buy the best laptop under RM2000 in 2021

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The time has come for a brand new laptop, but it probably hasn’t been easy to pick up a budget laptop no thanks to shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but fret not, we have once again listed some of the best laptops that you can get for less than RM2000 if you are cash strapped for upgrading your laptop.

Acer Aspire 3 – Intel Pentium CPU, Full HD Display and Great I/Os

We believe that you shouldn’t save that few hundred Ringgit for a bad processor, Windows machines do require some fire power even if you aren’t doing intensive work on it, the Aspire 3 from Acer will set you right with a quad-core Intel Pentium Silve N6000 processor, it comes with 4GB of onboard RAM which can be later upgraded with an extra SODIMM slot, a 15.6-inch Full HD display ensures your eyes remain comfortable after long hours of staring at the screen, and you get lots of I/Os including a full-sized HDMI and Ethernet port on this budget 15.6-inch laptop.

Acer Aspire 3 Intel Pentium Laptop – A315-35-P5JS (Electric Blue) | Shopee Malaysia

JOI Book Classmate 30 – Rugged 14-inch laptop with great performance

Spoiled your laptop because of water spills or drops? The JOI Book Classmate 30 is the perfect device to start with for under RM1800, this 14-inch laptop is able to withstand drops of up to 2ft and water spills of up to 100cc. Best of all, it doesn’t compromise on performance and features as it is powered by an Intel 10th Gen Ice Lake Core i3-1005G1 processor, supported by 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD, this should be adequate for learning and office workflows.

JOI Book Classmate 30 14” Laptop Gray ( i3-1005G1, 4GB, 256GB SSD, Intel, W10P) | Shopee Malaysia

JOI Book Classmate 30 14” Laptop Gray ( i3-1005G1, 4GB, 256GB SSD, Intel, W10P) | Lazada

Machenike Machcreator A – Best Overall Value Laptop

We have reviewed this laptop before and find to be an excellent device for under RM2000, it comes with a very premium build aluminum build quality and has a webcam that’s better than some premium laptops, it is also the only sub RM2000 laptop that comes with a respectable specs sheet – Intel Core i3-10110U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, 15.6-inch FHD display – that other laptops can’t match, but the question remains is if you are willing to go through the more tedious support process should you face any technical issues, although Machenike has clarified with us that they have a local warehouse that performs replacements should you have a problem with your laptop.

Buy the Machcreator A at
Lazada
.

Chromebooks – Best for web related learning and work

While there are certainly other affordable Windows laptops, we won’t recommend them due to their low resolution displays and low power processors, but on the other hand, if your workflow mainly involves on the web, such as Gmail, Google Sheets, Microsoft 365, Zoom and etc., you should definitely give Chromebooks a go as they are extremely capable machines that can perform faster than a Windows laptop of the same price range. Here are some of them that we recommend:

HP Chromebook X360 11 G3 | Shopee Malaysia

ASUS Laptop Chromebook Flip C214 C214M-ABW0472 Grey/Celeron N4020 2.80GHz/8GB D4/64GB/11.6″HD Touch/Stylus Pen/ChromeOS | Shopee Malaysia

Meanwhile, check out work from home essentials at
Good Deals by KLGG
 and enter code
‘WELCOME’
 to receive a RM10 discount on your first purchase!

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Where to buy the Samsung Galaxy S21

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The Samsung Galaxy S21 series has just been
launched
 with an all-new Contour Cut Camera design, Samsung’s latest
Exynos
 chipset, and a bunch of new camera features as well. If you’re eager to put in your order for the phone, here’s where you can get them.

Samsung
 Online Store

If you’re only interested in the phone itself, Samsung is opening pre-orders now for the Galaxy S21 (RM3,699), Galaxy S21+ (RM4,299), and Galaxy S21 Ultra (RM5,299).

The Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21+ are available in the 256GB storage model only and you can finance it with a 0% instalment plan – the Galaxy S21 will cost RM154.13/month, while the S21+ will cost RM179.13/month.

The Galaxy S21 Ultra on the other hand comes in 256GB and 512GB models – the former will cost RM220.79/month, and the latter RM245.79/month.

Samsung is also offering free gifts with your pre-order, which includes the brand-new
Galaxy Buds Pro
, and
Galaxy SmartTag
. You also get a YouTube Premium
subscription
 for free. Visit Samsung’s website
here
to place your order.

Celcom

Team Blue’s offerings are applicable to new and
existing
 customers – the latter can opt for the
EasyPhone
 option where you can own the phone with no upfront device payments from as low as RM79/month for the Galaxy S21, RM99/month for the S21+, and RM132/month for the S21 Ultra. Your instalment plans can range from 24-months to 30 months.

Alternatively, you can also choose the device bundle option and pay a portion for the device in advance, but the amount will be rebated over several months in your bill. The bundle deal requires you to sign up for two things – the MEGA plan that gets you 40GB internet for RM80/month; and a Lighting or
Unlimited
 Pass.

Pre-ordering with Celcom will get you free gifts including a Galaxy Buds+, Galaxy SmartTag, and a Galaxy Wireless Charger Trio – all worth a total of RM1,217.

Visit Celcom’s website
here
 to make your purchase.

Maxis

On the Maxis front, all three models of the phone are also available to pre-order via
Zerolution
 or a normal contract.

Zerolution
 lets you snag the Galaxy S21 at RM99/month, the S21+ at RM129/month, and the S21 Ultra at RM169/month. With this plan, you can get a 24-month instalment plan that offers 0% interest rate, and RM0 upfront payment for eligible customers.

The data plans you can pair your
subscription
 with start at a low RM48/month for 30GB of internet, and can go up to RM188/month for 100GB of data.

With the normal contract, you’ll need to fork out for the phone upfront, but the device costs lower is lower than the recommended retail price. A 24-month contract applies and your options for a data plan is the same as before.

Pre-ordering with Maxis also gets you free gifts including a Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy SmartTag, and a Galaxy Wireless Charger Trio – all worth a total of about RM1,217.

Visit Maxis website
here
 to place your order.

Digi

If it’s a lot of data you’re after, Digi lets you pair your Galaxy S21 series smartphone with
with
 up to 200GB of data with the
PhoneFreedom
 365 Digi Postpaid 190 plan.

The smartphones start at RM98/month for the Galaxy S21, RM108/month for the S21+, and RM148/month for the S21 Ultra. If you don’t need that much data, you can also get 60GBx2 for RM120/month.

There’s a 24-month contract, and eligible customers don’t need to pay an upfront fee as well; other benefits include 0% interest rate, free phone upgrades after the 20
th
 month, free Digi Shield and protection plans that protect against liquid damage.

As per usual, you get free gifts too and it includes a Galaxy Buds Live/Pro, Galaxy SmartTag, and Galaxy Wireless Charger Trio.

Head over to Digi’s website
here
 to get yourself a new Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphone.

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Which is the best e-wallet to claim your e-Tunai Rakyat RM30 incentive?

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Starting from yesterday, eligible Malaysian users can start claiming their RM30 incentive via three e-wallets: Grab, Touch ’n Go eWallet and also Boost. However, you can only claim the RM30 incentive from one e-wallet and since each e-Wallet has their own perks, you should think it through before making your decision.

If you’ve already claimed the RM30, then it is a little too late for you. If you haven’t, then keep on reading to know what each e-wallet offers apart from the incentive.

Touch ’n Go eWallet

If your claim from Touch ’n Go eWallet is successful, then you’ll also be getting a RM30 cashback. That’s like double the amount you’re supposed to receive, but here’s the catch — the cashback is separated into six transactions (RM5/transaction) in which each transaction requires you to spend a minimum of RM20 to get the RM5 cashback. This excludes cash transfer, toll payments and parking payments via PayDirect.

You’ll also get two entries in The BIG RM2 Million Weekly Draw that has prizes like the Proton X70, Yamaha Ego Solariz, HUAWEI P30 Pro and Vivo V15. This contest is taking place from January 15 to March 10 and there’ll be winners every week.

Grab

Grab is offering up to RM270 GrabPay exclusive vouchers to go with your RM30 claim (if successful). Now, Grab has three tiers — the first tier gets RM270 worth of vouchers, the second tier gets RM120 worth of vouchers and the third tier gets RM30 worth of vouchers. These vouchers are from specific brands like Grab, Hotlink, Mydin, Baskin Robin and more. However, the first tier is already fully redeemed as it’s only for the first 10,000 users who claim the incentive from Grab.

Grab also offers GrabPay exclusive promotions but no additional details were provided, except that it will be worth up to RM2,700.

Boost

Boost is slightly more generous with its rewards because as long as you’ve submitted your claim via the app, the company will give you one bonus Shake to win rewards up to RM8,888. This means that even if you’re not eligible for the e-Tunai Rakyat program, you’ll still get the bonus Shake.

In addition to that, both eligible and non-eligible users can also participate in the Ang Pow challenge which can grant users two Ang Pows up to RM10 daily. There are more terms and conditions to this challenge, so make sure you read them carefully before you start the challenge.

If you’ve successfully claimed the incentive from Boost, then you’ll also have access to the RM1 Delicious Deals and RM18 Dazzling Deals bundle. By spending RM8 to get the RM1 Delicious Deals bundle, you can get lots of food and beverages with just RM1, saving you up to RM30. As for the RM18 Dazzling Deals bundle, you only need to pay RM18 to get a bunch of cash vouchers that can save you up to RM 150. If other non-Boost users use your referral code and successfully claim their RM30, you’ll earn up to RM3 per referral and every fifth referral will earn you RM6.

Which e-wallet app should you choose?

While each e-wallet app has its pros and cons, it all really depends on where you want to spend this RM30.

If you’re someone who drives a lot and pass-through tolls often, then you should definitely go for
Touch ’n Go eWallet
 that can be used on tolls that have PayDirect.

If you’re always taking Grab to get to places or you’re just extremely reliant on food deliveries, then you should pick
Grab
 for the extra vouchers.

If you’re focused on getting more cash in your e-wallet, then
Boost
 is the better decision thanks to its referral feature and Ang Pow Challenge.

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Which Microsoft Surface Should You Get?

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Unlike buying a smartphone, choosing the right laptop can be an even more challenging task, especially when it comes to dealing with hardware specifications and form factor, it just isn’t straightforward as choosing a smartphone given that vast amount of laptop models in the market. Rather than asking what’s the best laptop to go for in the market, the right question to ask is what you want to do with it and how you can take advantage of its features. Therefore, the Microsoft Surface family of computing devices keep things simple and straightforward, and we will explain which Microsoft Surface device you should go for.

Microsoft Surface Laptop – The Comfortable Laptop for Everyone with 14 hours of battery life

Not everyone needs a 2-in-1 laptop and nobody wants a clunky computing device these days. Comfort is what the Surface Laptop aims to offer, which the first thing you will notice is the Alcantara material on the working area that lets you rest your palm comfortably, there’s also the high resolution 13.5” PixelSense display that soothes your eyes when viewing images and text.

In terms of aesthetics, the Surface Laptop is a reasonably lightweight laptop at 1.25kg, which you won’t find it weighing down your shoulder as you travel with it, not to forget to mention that you can most certainly leave the charger at home as the Surface Laptop could endure up to 14 hours of usage on a single charge.

A comfortable computing experience also shouldn’t be limited with performance either, the Surface Laptop can be purchased with up to an Intel Core i7 processor, up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of solid state storage. The Surface Laptop also doesn’t compromise on its entertainment features, as it sports a pair of Omnisonic Speakers with Dolby Audio Premium to compliment the high-resolution display. Lastly, the Surface Laptop doesn’t require you to enter your PIN or password every time you wake it up from standby, as it supports facial recognition using Windows Hello.

Microsoft Surface Pro – The Versatile Computer for Everyone

Whether you decide to get creative or productive, the Surface Pro is the portable computer that allows you to do draw that awesome masterpiece or conquer your e-mails. There’s a reason why it isn’t exactly called a laptop or a tablet because it can be both all thanks to a detachable keyboard cover, the sturdy kickstand also lets you use the device in any various modes depending on your workspace. With a mere weight of 768g, the Surface Pro is the lightest 12-inch Windows computer of its range, and you will be impressed with its high-resolution PixelSense display that accepts 4096 of stylus pressure level, which you will be able to draw, shade and scribble with the Surface Pen on it as if it is a piece of paper.

Unlike a typical tablet, the Surface Pro can run full blown Windows 10 apps and can be expanded with more ports with the optional Surface Dock, which will come with five extra USB 3.0 ports, two Mini DisplayPorts, a Gigabit Ethernet port and an audio port. If you require more storage, just pop a MicroSD card into its card reader.

What’s even more attractive is that the Surface Pro is the only 2-in-1 computer that can be purchased with up to an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage, it really solves the woes of performance and storage that most lightweight laptops currently possess, not to forget to mention that the Surface Pro could easily last up to 13.5 hours on a single charge, which you can easily finish off two blockbusters, complete a serious artwork or working on a slideshow for an entire working day.

Microsoft Surface Book 2 – The Ultimate Professional Laptop that Does More

If you love both the Surface Laptop and Surface Pro but require more firepower, the Surface Book 2 is the answer to that as the ultimate professional computer on the go, because not only it sports the versatile form factor that the Surface Pro has, it is also an extremely powerful laptop that comes with either a GeForce GTX 1050 or GeForce GTX 1060 GPU, which lets you run the most demanding games and render 4K videos in a compact and lightweight form factor. Also, the Surface Book 2 is available in two different screen sizes – 13.5” and 15”, and they both support the Surface Pen too.

What’s also different about the Surface Book 2 compared to its two other siblings is the increased amount of ports, apart from having two standard USB ports and one USB-C port, it has a full sized SDXC card reader and two Surface Connect ports, which means you won’t actually need a dongle should you need to connect more devices and can also expand more inputs with the optional Surface Dock, which in this case you can actually extend up to five external monitors if you choose to max out the display outputs.

With all of these power demanding features, you would be wrong to think that the Surface Book 2 won’t be able to endure as well as it two other siblings, in fact the Surface Book 2 has the best endurance in the Surface family with up to 17 hours of battery life, that’s double the battery life of other laptops in its range and makes it unrivalled compared to a gaming laptop, which is why the Surface Book 2 is truly the ultimate on the go powerhouse.

The Microsoft Surface Advantage

All Microsoft Surface devices come with a clean installation of Windows 10, which means there’s no additional bloatware preinstalled to slow down your first startup or nasty registration popups, it will also come with a 30-day trial of Office 365 subscription which will cost as affordable as RM27.99/month thereafter. Microsoft has also made the Surface family widely available in retail and online stores, which you can visit the Microsoft Brand Store at Lazada, or resellers such as Harvey Norman, Thunder Match, All IT Hypermarket, SenHeng, SNS Network and PC Image. To learn more on how you can purchase a Microsoft Surface device, visit
https://www.microsoft.com/en-my/surface/buy

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White-hat hacker breaks into Facebook servers; discovers existing backdoor

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What began as a simple bug bounty hack has led to a surprising discovery as a white-hat hacker has managed to find a backdoor located in Facebook’s corporate server that is configured to steal Facebook employees’ login credentials.

Said backdoor was found by
DEVCORE security researcher Orange Tsai
 when he scanned Facebook’s IP adress space that led him to the files.fb.com domain that was hosting a vulnerable version of the Secure File Transfer application (FTA) made by Accellion. This FTA application was used by Facebook employees for file sharing and collaboration purposes.

After identifying the vulnerabilties in the FTA and gaining access to Facebook’s server through them, Tsai started analyzing the log information. This is when he spotted a PHP-based backdoor, known as a PHP Web shell, installed on the server by a presumably malicious hacker.

Since discovering this backdoor, Tsai has already informed Facebook about it and the backdoor has since been closed. Tsai has also been awarded with USD 10,000 for his troubles. As for the rest of us, you need not worry as the backdoor affects only Facebook’s corporate server, meaning no private user data was leaked through the backdoor.

Source:
The Hacker News
,
DEVCORE blog

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Who says only USB-C is reversible? MicFlip does it with the current Micro USB cable

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Its really frustrating to have so many Micro USB cables around the house and they break easily if you are a hard core user, most of us also get annoyed when we don’t get our USB connectors plugged in the right direction, and you just wished that USB-C is immediately available for your old trustworthy device.

Meet MicFlip, a Micro USB cable that comes with reversible gold plated connectors at both ends, its cord is made with a strong braided nylon lead that doesn’t break easily if you are the tough user or get tangled if you are the messy user, the company WinnerGear hopes to raise up to a $6000 budget over at
Indiegogo
.
com

and at this time of writing, it has already reached $530 in 11 hours.

The early bird offer will start from $10 and I’ve already backed for one, despite of so many Micro USB cables already in the office but I really can’t wait to see my all new MicFlip when it starts shipping in September this year, time to ditch my Micro USB cables by then and keep my bag clean. Head on to the source link to back the project.

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Who wants first dibs on Star Wars The Force Awakens toys?

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Looks like the Star Wars hype is still ongoing, and this time there will be a global unboxing event to indulge fans of Star Wars across 12 countries, 15 cities and 18 hours. This global unboxing event is part of a global launch of these toys and merchandise revealed for the first time on YouTube. This epic celebration of Star Wars will be hosted out of Los Angeles, with live unboxings beginning in Sydney, Australia (evening of Sept. 2 U.S. time), and the grand finale at Lucasfilm, home of Star Wars, in San Francisco (morning of Sept. 3 U.S. time). You can check out the full schedule at
www.starwars.com
.

If you are a Star Wars fan in Malaysia, don’t worry as there is also a special event locally for your enjoyment. The Star Wars The Force Awakens toys and merchandise celebration will be held at a Force Friday midnight event at Toys R Us Malaysia, 1st floor, Mid Valley Store from 0001 to 0200 on Friday 4 September 2015. Now, who wants first dibs on Star Wars: The Force Awakens toys? We do!

Other than having a chance to be the first to own these toys and merchandise, there will also be exciting line-up of events for fans and members of the public to participate in, including best dressed impersonator competition and Star Wars trivia with prizes to be won, and goodie bags for the first 300 customers who purchase Star Wars: The Force Awakens merchandise. Top Toys R Us Star Card Spender for the night will be rewarded with a Limited Hasbro Star Wars: The Force Awakens toy. Are you ready???!!

Here’s a Force Friday preview for you to enjoy!

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World Health Organization has a WhatsApp chatbot to answer coronavirus-related concerns

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WhatsApp recently launched an informational chatbot with WHO to provide answers to WhatsApp users’ coronavirus questions 24/7, no matter where they are.

To start the conversation, you just need to text the number +41225017655 and say, “hi”. The chatbot will then offer you several topics to pick from, including myth busters, travel advice, latest statistical reports and more.

These are all verified and trustworthy information that has been approved by the World Health Organization. In some cases, the chatbot will even redirect you to the official WHO website for any fact-checking purposes.

You can also choose to share the official link if you reply “7”. For those looking to donate, the chatbot will also provide you with a link to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.

Instead of sharing or spreading uncertified information, direct your friends and family to the chatbot so that they can get accurate information no matter what time it is.

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Why did Samsung unveil a concept for a square folding smartphone?

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So Samsung unveiled a new foldable concept phone yesterday – one, that instead of folding horizontally like the Galaxy Fold, folds vertically. When folded, the device becomes a square.

The reveal took place during the Samsung Developer Conference 2019 in the US – and according to NST, Sally Hyesoon Jeong says that the concept would allow for a more compact device. NST also notes several mentions by Sally about how portable these foldables would be.

So to dig a little deeper into what looks to be a standard in the near future for smartphones – the trend that dominates the mobile industry today would be ever-expanding screen sizes. Anything smaller than a 5.5-inch panel would feel miniscule in the hands (heh…).

So with this new foldable concept, it’s supposed to minimize your – say 6.4-inch smartphone – into essentially half of that size making it fit in your pocket that much easier. Folding it would of course increase the grittiness of phone however – but it shouldn’t be too much a hindrance, unless you wear skin-tight clothing.

After fixing the issues that plagued the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the Korean company now looks confident with their foldable offerings; and we reckon we will be seeing a vertically folding  smartphones soon enough.

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Why do you need a ULED TV at your home?

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If you have always wanted a premium home entertainment experience at your home, chances are you might have come across OLED TVs, which usually offer superior contrast and colors than usual backlit LED TVs, however these TVs usually aren’t usually affordable and don’t necessarily offer the best set of features, this is why Hisense has set out to make the ULED TV that’s superior than most TVs of the same price range, which the latest U800QF ULED TV series blew our minds with its ULTRA impressive set of features.

Ultra Vivid Colors and Brightness

Play any 4K content on the 65-inch U800QF ULED TV, you will be left in awe with its ultra vivid display panel that shows over 1 billion colors with quantum dot technology that delivers better brightness levels than OLED TVs in brightly lit environments, this means even if harsh sunlight shines into your living room you will still be able to watch your TV as usual without worrying about reflections and color shifts.

With the U800QF’s amazing brightness level and 180 local dimming zones, the TV supports the Dolby Vision HDR standard where it takes advantages of the technology to show better HDR content, you can expect it to intelligently adjusting brightness while naturally enhancing colors in real-time as your content plays on, the dimming zones will ensure that contrast and blacks are properly presented.

Ultra Smooth Motion

Watching your favorite sports show is smoother and blur-free with the MEMC (Motion Estimation and Motion Compensation) function, this motion smoothing technique is achieved by using a smart algorithm that analyses the image in real-time and intelligently smoothing it, this prevents nauseating moments when the action happens too fast which you will usually experience on some other TVs.

VIDAA Smart OS – The simple yet functional operating system

Most OLED TV user interfaces are just too sophisticated or clunky to use, the Hisense U800QF ships with VIDAA Smart OS, a user-friendly and lightweight software that tells you what you should be watching every time you turn on the TV, users can also customize the homepage with their favorite apps for easier access.

The operating system also comes with the essential entertainment apps – Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and YouTube, while the built in VIDAA store comes with several more apps and games awaiting you to discover the TV’s full potential.

JBL speakers with Dolby Atmos sound

Enjoyed the Dolby Atmos sound experience in the cinema? You can now experience that on the Hisense U800QF ULED TV, as it comes with a built-in JBL speaker system that supports Dolby Atmos spatial sound, gun shots and moving vehicles will sound so realistic that as if you are in the actual scene itself. For the best Dolby Atmos experience, we’d recommend that you purchase a Dolby Atmos certified soundbar to pair it with the ULED TV.

Beautiful Craftsmanship and Ports Convenience

With a complete set of premium features, the Hisense U800QF ULED TV is a stunning piece of technology in your living room with its bezel-less design and arc design stand, the input ports are conveniently located at the left while the power port resides on the right, making cable management a breeze. On a side note, the ULED TV supports HDMI ARC so that you can connect to supported sound bars or external amplifiers.

With over 50 years of experience in manufacturing consumer electronics and No.1 TV Brand for 16 consecutive years in China, Hisense ULED TVs are manufactured with the most stringent quality standards and it is the reason why they are extremely popular in the market and seen in most living rooms these days.

To find out where to purchase the Hisense 65-inch U800QF ULED TV, click
here
 for a list of dealers.


Why does Acer believe in 3D displays on gaming laptops when others don’t?

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At COMPUTEX 2023, Acer has showcased several new products at its booth, but one particular area that truly caught our eye was its SpatialLabs demo area, where show visitors can experience how 3D gaming can work for them on a laptop screen and even on a panoramic display setup.

While 3D displays aren’t new, there has been a low adoption rate due to the lack of content and support from developers, however Acer believes that isn’t the case and has introduced SpatialLabs 3D displays onto its Predator gaming laptops, which is why we had a talk with Jane Hsu, Head of Business Development for Spatial Computing Product Business Unit at Acer, on why the company believes it is the right time to do so.

According to Jane, Acer is always on the lookout for the best display technologies to be equipped with their products, while 3D displays certainly isn’t new in the market, most devices weren’t able to deliver the best 3D display experience as they lack the processing and graphics power to do so, not to mention that you will need to wear a pair of stereoscopic glasses in order to immerse in 3D content previously.

The13th Gen Intel Core H processors and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series Laptop GPU are key to delivering great gaming performance, coupled with SpatialLabs 3D displays, it enables gamers to experience lag free and clear 3D without wearing glasses, giving it a SciFi feel that we have always seen in movies and ultimately delivering a more immersive gaming experience.

Acer is also committed to work with game developers on making their games compatible on Predator gaming laptops with SpatialLabs 3D displays, while Jane also welcomes the competition to expand the use case of 3D displays while the company spearheads the effort.

Last but not least, Jane says that the company isn’t giving up on other displays technologies such as VR, AR and MR,  Acer is committed and always on the look out for the best technology that’s proven to be reliable before releasing to the market, and we can look forward to more gaming laptops with SpatialLabs 3D displays in the near future.

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Apple Watch: Why should the elderly own one?

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Smartwatches have come a long way; from basic features like notifications, alarms and weather forecasts to advanced features like fitness tools and health tracking, a smartwatch is now a wearable that can help those who are trying to improve their lifestyle.

The Apple Watch is one of the most popular wearables in the market right now, and there are a few reasons why. Not only does it have an intuitive UI, it also has an extensive amount of features that makes it a great smartwatch no matter your age.

But today we’re going to discuss which features are beneficial to the elderly and why they in particular should own an Apple Watch, especially during the pandemic as we aren’t allowed to travel between states.

Emergency SOS

Not all parents/grandparents are tech savvy, and that’s even more worrisome if they by themselves. One of the best Apple features is the Emergency SOS feature.

Emergency SOS allows its user to call emergency services and their emergency contacts just by pressing and holding the side button on the Apple Watch. This is convenient for the elderly because unlike a smartphone, the smartwatch will always be with them (as long as they’re wearing it).

For example, if an elderly fell down and couldn’t get up on his own, he can just use the watch to notify his family and emergency services — even without his smartphone nearby. This will also put you at ease, knowing that your family members will not be completely helpless in situations like above, even when they’re alone.

Here’s an
article
 that proves how useful the Apple Watch can be in an emergency.

Fall Detection

Another practical features for the elderly or anyone with weaker health is Fall Detection. This feature can detect when you fall, and automatically call the emergency services if your Apple Watch doesn’t detect any movement after the fall.

As we age, our health deteriorates and we’re more likely to suffer injuries when it comes to accidental falls and what not. This means that it’s even more dangerous for the elderly when they’re in such situations, but with an Apple Watch that can detect an accident when it happens, at least the elderly can get help before it’s too late.

ECG

It wasn’t until two months ago ECG is made available to Malaysia via watchOS 7.5. This app monitors your heart rate and rhythm, allowing it to discover cardiac abnormalities which can be an early symptom of various heart diseases.

When an Apple Watch user experience irregular heart rhythm, the ECG app can capture the data and export it as PDF to be shared with his doctor. If the user recorded serious symptoms during the ECG recording, he’ll also get a prompt to call emergency services.

Overly high/low heart rate notifications

We may not notice these things, but devices like the Apple Watch can check when a user has high/low heart rates that are unusual. These unusual heart rate readings can cause heart failure, chest pain, hypo/hypertension and even cardiac arrest.

At least with an Apple Watch, you’ll be notified when your heart rate is abnormal, so you can take precautionary measures.

So, why should the elderly get an Apple Watch specifically?

The Apple Watch has one advantage over many other smartwatches — you can check your family member’s health information if given permission. For our parents or grandparents who aren’t as tech savvy, this is useful because we can keep track of their health status through Shared Health Data on the Health app.

With the right settings, you can access your family member’s activity goals, health data and even edit their Medical ID for them. Simply put, the Apple Watch allows you to monitor the elderly’s health, discover any signs of abnormalities — all without the need for you to be right next to them.

The Apple Watch is also convenient in the sense that its user can call or text their contacts from the watch itself; the only downside is its small screen, which may be difficult for those who are visually impaired.

That being said, we think the Apple Watch has more pros than cons and it’s a great smartwatch to get if you want to monitor your family member’s wellbeing.

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Why I love using the Acer Nitro 5 for work?

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What is the best laptop that doesn’t cost an organ? Does it stay fast in the long term? Can it run games like PUBG smoothly? These are the list of questions that could go on and on when many of my friends turned to me for advice of a decent performing laptop, and when I start to suggest gaming laptops, the impression of these devices being bulky and having short battery life seems to have been implanted on their minds. Last month, I had the privilege to receive the Acer Nitro 5 as our work laptop during our trip to COMPUTEX, as we needed a laptop that could process our heavy load of video footage and photos from the event, I continued to use it after we got back from the trip and switching it between my 15-inch MacBook Pro, and the Nitro 5 has exceeded my expectations as a mere gaming laptop.

Many gaming laptops I’ve tested, even the ones that are priced two times the price of the Nitro 5, have either mediocre keyboards and trackpads, which you will usually find cramped keys or unprecise tracking respectively, it isn’t something great when you don’t have the space to connect external peripherals when working on coffee tables. This isn’t something that you will find on the Nitro 5, as Acer has made the alphabet keycaps a lot wider than the function and numpad keys, it offers a great typing experience while allowing sufficient key travel distance. The trackpad may not have the widest space that I can use to perform gestures, it has decent tracking precision that won’t annoy you of selecting the wrong stuffs.

I find it extremely absurd when some expensive gaming laptops are fitted with crappy speakers, especially when manufacturers claim that gamers are hooked on to headphones or an external speaker, there’s simply no reason why a gaming laptop shouldn’t be fitted with good sounding speakers. I’m glad that Acer didn’t do that on the Nitro 5, the speakers are specially tuned and optimized by Dolby Audio software, though most would think its gimmicky, my personal experience with it have proved otherwise, its loud, and produces an impressive sound stage and some decent amount of bass when I’m playing my K-Pop playlist (yes, I listen to K-Pop) on Spotify, it has been especially useful at one time where I needed to show our client a video we have done at a noisy restaurant.

I’m not going to brag about the performance of the Nitro 5 as you can read it all at our
review
, my Nitro 5 Limited Thanos Edition is equipped with a 7th Gen Core i5 CPU and a GTX 1050, which could run most competitive games without issues on mid-high graphics. However, what I’m really happy about the Nitro 5 is the ability to upgrade my hard drive and RAM without any complications, as Acer has designed two dedicated compartments at the base for doing so, this is going to be so easy for users who want to perform upgrades on their own without the need to perform any complicated disassembly that could potentially cause damage to the system.

The Acer Nitro 5 is currently available with new 8th Generation Intel Core processors and should have significantly better performance than the current one I have, if you prefer the red camp, the laptop is also available with a mobile AMD Ryzen 5 processor that retails less than RM3000 all thanks to AMD’s Ryzen 5% cashback promotion, making this one of the best mid-range gaming laptop that doesn’t feel too flashy to use at the workplace.

Get the Acer Nitro 5 at
Lazada
 or
11street
.

acer
acer nitro 5 malaysia review
nitro 5
nitro 5 thanos edition review


Why is Microsoft comparing its Surface Book to MacBook Pro?

324

News of the new Microsoft Surface Book has been flooding almost every tech site out there ever since it was announced earlier today. I have to say it looks great and sounds very promising, but there is just one thing I can’t comprehend. Why did Microsoft compare a very good product that could hold its own to an Apple MacBook Pro?

If you remember when the Surface Pro 3 was announced, Microsoft marketed it as a device that is better than a laptop and a tablet. That was great, as it made a niche for themselves with a new unique product. Now, they announced the Surface Book. Since it is one of Surface line of products, most people would already have a certain perception about it: it looks very similar to the Surface Pro 3 or the Surface 3 in terms of design and make, and we would expect it to be a tablet and laptop in one. However, with Microsoft comparing the Surface Book to a MacBook Pro, they have brought another perception into the picture. Now, we can not just look at the Surface Book and think, “Hey, that is a really cool new product like the Surface 3 series”, but instead think, “Hmmm, how is it like the MacBook Pro?”

For instance, Panos Panay, the VP of Microsoft Surface Division said, “The Surface Book is two times faster than the MacBook Pro.” There was actually no reason to compare it to the MacBook Pro. Mac users are Mac users not because of the performance, but more about the user experience and the brand perception it offers. If it was just about performance alone, there are other laptops that offer even better performance than a MacBook Pro, but they don’t blatantly make comparisons to it since there is no real reason to.

Another instance is the way Panos Panay compared the revised Microsoft Pen stylus to the Apple Pencil, and I quote, “Isn’t it funny that there is a pencil out there without an eraser. It’s like backwards.” Instead, I find it funny that Microsoft had to make that jab at Apple, when we all know Apple already has taken a lot of flak when it announced its Pencil, since it was as if they were trying too hard to emulate the Microsoft Pen.

So, instead of comparing the Surface Book to a MacBook, Microsoft should have stuck to offering a great combo of a laptop and a tablet in one with more performance power than its previous Surface products, since it is after all, a really awesome looking device. It is not about being an Apple fan or a Microsoft fan, but Microsoft has its own great song to sing instead of doing comparisons.

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3G networks: Why are some Malaysians still using it in 2021?

1.7K

Most of us would’ve hated to see the 3G icon appearing on our phones, but that’s not the case for some. In Opensignal’s latest
study
, there are users who still rely on 3G networks, making it difficult for operators to shut down the service.

Malaysian operators have plans to retire 3G networks by the end of this year, but they will risk digital exclusion for 3G-only users. So, why are there users who chose to stick to 3G networks? Here’s why:

They’re not subscribed to 4G

Some individuals may own a
4G smartphone
 and even stay in a 4G-covered area, but their SIM cards or prepaid/postpaid plan doesn’t support 4G subscription. Without an upgraded SIM card or telco plan, they’re limited to 3G networks and its slow internet speed.

There’s also a possibility that these users have disabled 4G on their phones — this could be an attempt to conserve their battery usage. Opensignal also mentioned that these users may be unaware of the benefits of 4G networks — it’s likely that these individuals are the elderly who are not as well-informed as the younger generation.

They don’t have a 4G phone

Some users live in a 4G-covered area, they’re subscribed to 4G plans and they own a 4G SIM card. But what they’re missing is a 4G-supported phone. Without a 4G phone, there’s no way they can enjoy the faster speeds even if they’re in 4G areas.

Again, there are two reasons why one may not own a 4G phone; they either lack awareness of the benefits of a 4G phone, or they’re restricted by budget.

It’s true that there are many budget 4G phones in the market, but it doesn’t change the fact that 3G phones are still more affordable than 4G phones. The difference in cost may be a huge deciding factor to some, which is why they chose to stick with their 3G phones. As the saying goes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

There’s no 4G coverage

Now, this is something users cannot control and will frustrate most of them. Despite having 4G phones with 4G-supported plans, they may not be able to enjoy 4G due to the lack of coverage. However, this only makes up 5.6% of the 3G-only smartphone users in Opensignal’s study, so we can infer that 4G coverage is the least of the problem.

The largest cause is reason #1 — data shows that 81.9% of 3G-only users are limited by their old SIM cards and telco plans.

It’s time to say goodbye to 3G

If you know someone who’s still using 3G, you should let them know that 3G-only users suffer lower download speeds at an average of 3.7Mbps — that’s 72.1% slower than 4G users. Switching to 4G networks can only be good, though that will mean switching to better telco plans and phones for some.

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Why should you own the PICO 4 as your first VR headset ?

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Virtual reality isn’t new to most of us, despite being a trend for several years, there hasn’t been many choices when it comes to owning a VR headset, which is the reason why the PICO 4’s arrival in Malaysia has received an overwhelming response from VR enthusiasts and first time VR headset owners, not to mention the company’s continuous efforts on promoting use cases on the PICO 4, here’s what it offers and why we think the PICO 4 should be your first VR headset.

PICO Video with huge library of 360 video content

If you have always wondered what video content there’d be for a VR headset, the PICO Video app gets you started, comprising a wide variety of entertainment, education and travel content, which PICO has even recently showcased a virtual concert by famous K-POP girl group (G)I-dle, there has never been a better way to experience videos this way with the PICO 4’s 4K+ resolution display and immersive spatial audio speaker system.

(G)I-DLE concert on PICO Video

Unlike other platforms, the PICO Video app library is constantly updated so you will never need to go hunting for what to watch, it also recommends content based on your watch history and for the first time ever, you can enjoy TikTok short videos on a VR headset that makes it incredibly enjoyable as compared to a smartphone display.

PICO Store and Complimentary Premium Games

The PICO Store offers an expansive list of apps and games, not to mention many of them come with high quality user reviews from the great PICO community that enables you to make the right purchase, you can also browse apps and games comfortably from the PICO app on your smartphone.

While there are free apps and games being offered in the PICO store, the PICO 4 goes the extra mile by offering complementary premium games out of the box, this continues even after the headset has already gone on sale in Malaysia after a while.

On top of the usual Starter Pack, PICO Malaysia has offered Holiday game packs previously and at this point of time, it continues to do so with its Chinese New Year Prosperity game pack which offers six complimentary games, this is a very commendable effort to get first time users started with VR and will no doubt continue to woo customers to own the PICO 4.

Making every VR gameplay effort worth with fitness tracking

The PICO 4 is a great fitness partner all thanks to a great selection of games, and it is even better with a built-in fitness tracking feature, which tracks total exercise time and calories burnt that can be synchronized to Apple Health if you use an iPhone.

On top of that, you can even compete with friends or the global leaderboard to show how active you are in the VR world, there’s no need brace the busy traffic to the gym or worry about bad weather as you can easily keep fit and stay healthy at home with the PICO 4.

A Dedicated Experiential Store at Sunway Pyramid

PICO Store Sunway Pyramid

While VR headsets are usually only found at PC and gaming stores, many of these spaces don’t have a proper experiential zone, which is why PICO has spearheaded the effort in promoting VR by setting up the first PICO VR Concept Store at Sunway Pyramid, a retail space that offers various experiential zones that customers can try out the PICO 4 before purchasing one, it is also staffed with experienced VR sales advisors and has a service center to attend to warranty claims and repairs, which you will never have to worry about after sales support of your PICO VR headset.

With all these benefits offered by PICO, we certainly believe that the PICO 4 can bring VR to greater heights as the company continues to expand its presence, as well as the continuous promotion of use cases and content that can be enjoyed with the PICO 4.

Still hesitating to own the PICO 4 VR headset? There’s no reason not to consider owning one, you can purchase the PICO 4 VR headset from RM1,699
here
 or head over to PICO Malaysia’s Flagship Concept Store at Sunway Pyramid, Subang Jaya.

pico
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Why subscription-based productivity software are a pain

1.1K

There used to be a time when you could purchase a copy of a computer software, and pay for it just once; you’ll then be able to use it for years until it’s not compatible with your new devices anymore.

These days, the very same products are offered via Software as a Service (SaaS) models that require a subscription – that sounds fine until you remember – unlike one-time payment models – you don’t own the product; you’re simply paying a monthly fee to have the right to use it;
and this leads to the issue at hand.

You can’t install older Adobe Creative Suites anymore

If you go over to Adobe’s Creative Suite
archive page
, it says that you can no longer use Creative Suite 2,3, and 4 due to the “aging activation servers” that had to be retired – that means some poor soul is now locked out of a product he bought because of an anti-piracy measure, now needs to upgrade to the newest Creative Cloud – the brand’s own SaaS product.

Ironically, pirated versions of these older programs still work fine as pointed out by prominent right-to-repair and right-to-own activist Louiss Rossmann on
YouTube
.

We’re not advocating for piracy
, but I’d rather be the guy who still gets to use his programs rather than the guy who’s now locked out of using what he owns.

Apps like Photoshop and Illustrator will cost upwards of RM80/month, while the Acrobat Pro PDF reader will set you back around RM60/month; that’s a lot of money to fork out, especially for the individual.

Sure, Adobe promises regular updates and improvements to their services, plus you get to store your work on the cloud; but it still doesn’t change the fact that you don’t pay to own it.

What Microsoft is doing instead

Let’s pivot to Microsoft 365 – another subscription-, cloud-based productivity service that used to only require a one-time payment. However, the MS 365’s pricings are not too pricy at RM27/month for a single user, or RM36/month for six people.

But we reckon it would still be nice to actually own the product rather than pay a monthly premium for it – and we think that’s why Microsoft is launching the
Office 2021
, the first perpetual version of the program since Office 2019.

Since that came out 2018, it essentially took Microsoft three years to realize some people still prefer one-time-purchase models.

In closing, cloud services are useful for sure – especially when it comes to storing and accessing documents and files; but their monthly subscriptions and eventual shut down are a boon to those who want to own the products they buy.

This article serves to paint a picture with about how absurd it is that pirated copies of old productivity apps work, while paid versions lock their paying customers out.

Image credit: Michael Sexton via Creative Bloq

I’m also acknowledging that there are plenty of free alternatives out there that you can use if you’re on a tight budget – and you should definitely be using them just like I am.

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Why the Acer Swift Edge 16 could be the best budget premium 16-inch laptop in 2023

8.1K

I became a fan of 16-inch laptops last year and have come across almost every one of them from different brands.

While there’s no doubt that the 16-inch MacBook Pro is still the gold standard and benchmark for 16-inch laptops, the only 16-inch laptop that has managed to impress me and I still proudly use until today, is the Acer Swift Edge, which is the slimmest and lightest 16-inch laptop that boasts an impressive 4K OLED display and surprisingly good performance at just 1.2kg.

This year, Acer showcased its successor, the Swift Edge 16, in COMPUTEX 2023, and when I saw the improvements it has made over its predecessor, I was like – THIS is the 16-inch laptop I’d love to upgrade to.

The Swift Edge 16 looks very much like the Swift Edge in terms of aesthetics, though Acer gave it a new dark green finish which I very much prefer to the current Flax White color on my Swift Edge, it is also slightly thicker than the Swift Edge which I don’t really mind, I/Os are about the same but I’m glad that Acer added a MicroSD card slot which isn’t available back then.

What the Acer Swift Edge 16 really impressed me is the new 3.2K OLED display that refreshes at 120Hz, though you certainly get lesser pixel density than the Swift Edge’s 4K display, the difference isn’t noticeable at all and in return you get buttery smooth scrolling and animations as you work around Windows, it should also have better power efficiency when you tune the refresh rate down to 60Hz while running on battery, and I would prefer a high refresh rate over a 4K resolution at 60Hz any day.

Left: Acer Swift Edge 16, Right: Acer Swift Edge

For those who does a lot of number crunching workflows, you will be glad that the Swift Edge 16 has a full-size keyboard with a numpad area that its predecessor lacks, although I find it to be cramped and still prefer a ten-keyless keyboard, I am glad that Acer has improved the key travel of the Swift Edge 16 which gives it a better tactile feel as I test my typing speed on MonkeyType.com, and that has to probably do with the slightly thicker chassis its worth doing so.

My other favorite upgrade is the higher resolution 1440p webcam, which is a good upgrade over an already good 1080p webcam previously.

While I feel that my Swift Edge is already a pretty responsive machine, I have no doubt that the Swift Edge 16 is going to be a much better performer and possibly have better battery life with the Ryzen 7 7840U processor, which boasts a higher boost frequency and runs on a more efficient TSMC 4nm FinFET process, not to mention its faster Radeon 780M graphics, 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and WiFi 7 connectivity, there’s also two fans cooling the system which is very much needed to ensure it runs optimally.

The only question remains that will ultimately make me want to own the Swift Edge 16 is its selling price when Acer launches it here, it starts at US$1300 (RM6015) when it launches in the US, which is significantly pricier than the previous model no thanks to the depreciation of the Ringgit, but despite that, it is still way cheaper than the competition with a similar screen type and performance, which to me, could be the best budget premium 16-inch laptop for the year.

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swift edge 16 review


Why the Apple Watch will never replace beautiful mechanical time pieces

272

The Apple Watch received a lot of criticism on its launch date and its price tag ranges up to a crazy $10,000 price tag, even though Apple has claimed that they have made the most beautiful gadget on your wrist, CNN’s interview has revealed a number of negative perception towards the overpriced watch despite being high tech and trendy. In fact, I do have to agree that Apple has certainly not understood the meaning of paying for an expensive time piece, mechanical watches do require a certain amount of time to be perfected and uses materials and processes that no simple mass production machine could’ve achieved, people buy expensive time pieces for memories and there’s always a meaning to it.

Here’s a few pictures showing every owner’s nostalgia over their own time piece and why the $10,000 Apple Watch will never be able to replace them or make them buy it, expensive mechanical watches do have a meaning at least for these owners, and this is what Apple need to learn before making a ridiculous time piece.

Last but not the least Apple, we wish you the best of luck and do try to surprise us if you can manage to sell at least 1000 units of the $10,000 Apple Watch.


Why the Nexus 6P costs RM2,698

290

In 2010, Google aimed to show the world what it envisioned in an Android phone. To that end, they’ve designed the Nexus line of smartphones, a combination of powerful hardware and stock Android that promises to deliver a pure Android experience.

The Nexus 6P is Huawei’s first crack at the top-of-the-line range of Nexus smartphones. Hitting Malaysian shores mid-last week, the Nexus 6P is priced at RM 2,698, the exact same price of Huawei’s other flagship, the Huawei Mate S. While the price may be steep in some people’s eye, Huawei believes that it is appropriately priced when compared to its predecessors as well as its competitors. Here are some reasons why they think it so.

The most high quality Nexus yet

Huawei are no strangers to making premium smartphones and it shows in the Nexus 6P. For the Nexus 6P, Huawei has opted for an all-metal, high quality aluminium design. Further adding to the device’s looks and high quality feel is the glass covered strip. To increase the durability of the Nexus 6P’s screen, Huawei has equipped it with Gorilla Glass 4. Speaking of the screen, the Nexus 6P sports an AMOLED panel, giving it superior contrast and black levels when compared to the Nexus 5X’s LCD display. Using their own expertise in biometrics technology, Huawei has equipped the Nexus 6P with a fingerprint sensor with the Nexus Imprint, a first for the Nexus line of smartphones. Also a first is that the Nexus 6P runs on Android Marshmallow, making it the first device to utilise the latest iteration of Google’s own Android OS.

Performance like never before

Besides style, Huawei has paid extra attention to the substance of the Nexus 6P. Coming with an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 v2.1 processor, the performance of the Nexus 6P far outstrips all other Nexus devices while still being gentle on the battery. Speaking of battery, the Nexus 6P’s 3,450mAh battery gives the smartphone a long lifespan and to augment it further, it comes with a reversible USB Type-C port for fast charging, allowing users to get 10 hours of use in just 7 minutes of charging.

A Nexus with a sexy camera

Cameras on the previous versions of Nexus smartphones are not exactly a selling point. Huawei is set to change that as the Nexus 6P comes fitted with a 12.3MP Sony IMX377 Exmor R sensor that has large 1.55 micrometer pixels and an f/2.0 aperture lens, giving the Nexus 6P’s camera a boost in performance even in low light conditions. The Nexus 6P also comes with a quick launch shortcut for easy access to the camera function.

Malaysia has the best pricing, much more value for money compared to Samsung

When you compare the prices of the Nexus 6P in Malaysia to other countries, you’ll find that the Nexus 6P is cheaper here than in other countries, such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. The pricing of the Nexus 6P is also RM 1 less than Samsung’s key model. Based on insights from some industry insiders, the cost of producing the Nexus 6P is higher than its Samsung rival, making the Nexus 6P a better valued phone by comparison.

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Why the realme 9 beats any other sub RM1000 phones?

5.1K

For under RM1000, there is a sea of great value smartphones to choose from, but that doesn’t mean that every of these phones deliver a great experience and practical features, and fortunately this doesn’t apply to the realme 9, the latest sub RM1000 mid-range phone from realme has a lot to offer that its competition doesn’t, and here are reasons why you should consider one.

The best and strongest mid-range phone display

Sporting a 6.4-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate, the realme 9 has the best display of its class that produces vivid colors and great contrast, while offering a buttery smooth experience when you scroll webpages and social media, it also has a 2.5D glass that’s protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5 which is more resistant to drops and scratches.

The realme 9 is also one of the few sub RM1000 phones that has Widevine L1 certification, which means you can stream Netflix and Amazon Prime Video in Full HD without any issues.

The First Samsung HM6 108MP ProLight Camera

Photo shot on realme 9

The realme 9 is the first smartphone of its class to come equipped with a 108MP Samsung HM6 sensor for its primary shooter, which features the Nonapixel Plus Technology that combines 9 pixels into one and captures images at an effective 12MP resolution, this greatly improves light sensitivity when taking photos in low light and complemented with realme’s AI imaging algorithm, low light photos have never looked this good on a mid-range phone.

All-round performance with excellent power efficiency

Powered by a Snapdragon 680 system-on-chip that’s fabricated on an efficient 6nm process, the realme 9 offers an all-round mid-range performance that you can depend on for most of your productivity tasks, along with the 5000mAh battery and 33W SuperDart fast charging, the phone easily offers a day of heavy usage and gets charged from single digit battery levels in just an hour.

Sleek and pretty enough to fit in any pockets

Despite having a large 5000mAh battery, the realme 9 has a sleek body that measures 7.99mm, which is slimmer than other competing phones of the same battery size, it also makes quite a fashion statement with an attractive ripple holographic design on its back that changes colors when in contact with light.

The realme 9 is currently available for purchase with color options of Sunburst Gold, Stargaze White and Meteor Black, it retails for
RM899
 for the 6GB+128GB model and
RM999
 for the 8GB+128GB model.

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realme 9
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Realme Malaysia


Why the Redmi Note 11 series is the true affordable flagship killer?

1.6K

The Redmi Note series are undoubtedly the best budget mid-range phone series that sport unmatched flagship grade features.

This year, Xiaomi is stepping up the game to leave the competition in the dust once again with the all-new Redmi Note 11 series, comprising the Redmi Note 11, Redmi Note 11s, Redmi Note 11 Pro and Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, and here’s why you will want to own one of them.

Flagship-level camera on a mid-range phone

Nope, it isn’t too good to be true, but the real deal. The Redmi Note 11 series come with flagship-level high resolution main cameras that’s totally unrivalled by the competition.

Shot on Redmi Note 11s, resolution has been scaled to fit article

With the advanced 108-megapixel main camera on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, Redmi Note 11 Pro and Redmi Note 11s, your photos will never look as if they are taken from a regular mid-range phone camera, it captures ultra-clear images with excellent dynamic range, and all thanks to pixel binning technology, low light photos will never look dark and blurry.

The Redmi Note 11 on the o
ther hand
, is equipped with a 50MP camera sensor that produces quality photos and videos
, sufficient
 to meet the needs of
regular
 users.

Seflie taken with 16MP front camera of Redmi Note 11s

For selfies, you can trust the 16MP front camera to do a good job when it comes to taking crisp, naturally looking photos be it on your road trip or during a party.

High refresh rate AMOLED displays and stereo speakers

The class leading Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G not only comes with a bright beautiful AMOLED display, but it also makes scrolling menus and webpages faster with a 120Hz refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling rate, that’s one super responsive display you don’t get on other mid-range phones.

Prefer a smaller display? The Redmi Note 11s and Redmi Note 11 are equipped with a beautiful 6.43-inch AMOLED display that pushes a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, which still offers a buttery smooth scrolling experience that you will never get bored of browsing your social media feed.

To complete the ultimate mobile entertainment experience, the Redmi Note 11 series come with dual super linear speakers located at the top and bottom of the phone for a better audio experience when holding the phone in landscape.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G offers the best audio experience with support for Dolby Atmos.

Performance and Power you can depend on

The Redmi Note 11 series may be budget mid-range phones, but they are no slouch against more expensive smartphones.

The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G leads the pack with a 6nm octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 system-on-chip that supports 5G connectivity, while the Redmi Note 11 Pro and Redmi Note 11s uses the powerful Mediatek Helio G96 gaming system-on-chip, and the Redmi Note 11 uses the capable yet power efficient Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 system-on-chip.

With 5000mAh batteries being standard across the Redmi Note 11 series that will last more than a day of heavy use, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G and Redmi Note 11 Pro can be charged to 50% in as little as 15 minutes with Xiaomi’s exclusive 67W turbo charging technology, whereas the Redmi Note 11s and Redmi Note 11 aren’t far behind either with 33W Pro fast charging that gets charged from 0% to 100% in an hour.

Flagship-level features without a flagship price tag

The Redmi Note 11 series are all about challenging the status quo by offering innovative features at an accessible price, they can be purchased at all authorized Xiaomi Stores in Malaysia and official stores on Lazada and Shopee at the following prices and storage variants:

Redmi Note 11 – RM749 (4GB+128GB), RM799 (6GB+128GB)

Redmi Note 11s – RM899 (6GB+64GB), RM999 (8GB+128GB)

Redmi Note 11 Pro – RM999 (6GB+128GB), RM1099 (8GB+128GB)

Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G – RM1099 (8GB+128GB), RM1299 (8GB+128GB)

Visit the Redmi Note 11 series Launching Roadshow in Malaysia

To celebrate the arrival of the Redmi Note 11 series, Xiaomi Malaysia will be having a roadshow at Sunway Pyramid, Queensbay Mall and Aeon Tebrau city from the period of 23rd February 2022 till 27th February 2022, where customers can experience these phones, and be in the respective locations to score free gifts worth
RM457
, which comprise a free AIoT voucher worth RM100,  Redmi Buds 3 Lite (RRP: RM99), Mi Composition Scale 2 (RRP: RM119), Branded Canvas Bag and Soft Pillow Blanket (worth RM139) with any purchase of the Redmi Note 11 series, free gifts are available while stocks last, terms and conditions apply.

Visit this
 link
 to learn more about the Redmi Note 11 series.

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Why the vivo NEX 3 5G makes the ideal smartphone for a business person

2.8K

The vivo NEX 3 5G is one of the biggest head-turning flagships of the year – not only is it the first commercially available 5G smartphone in the country, it’s got one heck a design too – think waterfall display, Touch Sense and the best processor money can buy right now.

It’s the all-rounder device that would be perfect for any kind of user – but we think it’s the businessman or woman who would benefit the most from owning such a stunner device – here’s why.

Ushering in number 5

As its name suggests, the phone supports 5G connectivity – we’ll be seeing the new network standard roll out to the masses come 2020. That means that we’ll be achieving unprecedented connectivity speeds on mobile devices – think up to gigabit download levels!

In the business arena, getting information across accurately and quickly is key, so it’s imperative that a businessperson has a reliable and speedy internet connection. The extra speed goes into download important documents like presentation slides, or perhaps videos and images for those in the advertising field.

The vivo NEX 3 with its support for 5G will let you download and upload massive content in no time at all – a 1GB file download on 5G would take around 20 seconds; on 4G you’ll have to wait much longer!

On top of that, 5G brings low latency connections – and that means conference calls will pretty much be lag-free. Important business details shouldn’t be lost over choppy audio quality, so be it via voice or video, internet calls can now be as smooth and crisp as cellular calls.

It’s all in the display

One head-turning feature of the vivo NEX 3 is its curved-edge screen – aptly dubbed the Waterfall FullView Display, the panel bends almost at a 90-degree angle towards the sides of the phone. You may have also realized that this means there’s no room for physical buttons on the sides – and you’re right.

To remedy this is Touch Sense – pressure sensors that’re located on the edge of the screen where you’d find the traditional physical buttons. The power button is textured so you can still find it with your sense of touch.

Not only does it look ridiculously cool – it offers a bit of extra screen real estate to the already massive 6.89-inch panel. It offers much more room for productivity especially with Vivo’s split-screen feature.

To do that, simply swipe down with three fingers when in supported apps to bring up a second programme so you can work on two things simultaneously.

The display also supports HDR10 so you get a fuller gamut of colours – useful if you’re in the creative industry.

Looks to match your suit and tie

Being a premium flagship, it’s got to look the part too – the vivo NEX 3 sports a classy glass back that gives the Glowing Night colour its shine. So the overall design of the phone is a mix of chic and simplicity – perfect for the work environment.

The back panel is also accented by the Lunar Ring camera module – shaped in a circle with a minimal bump, the camera system blends in with the whole premium aesthetic of the phone.

Pictures tell a thousand words

Cliché, yes – but it really does in the business world. A well-crafted speech and pitch can only go as far as your clients’ ability to imagination. That’s why, images play a crucial role in landing you that next big project.

The vivo NEX 3’s 64MP triple camera setup will be your go-to when you need to snap photos of – say – the perfect venue for your advertisement video shoot, or even quality snaps of your product if you’re looking for investors.

The 64MP main lens is on a whole other level when it comes to giving you sharp images – images retain its detail even when you zoom in. Plus, it’s paired with a 13MP ultrawide lens and a 13MP telescopic lens. Snap a wider-encompassing image to fit more important details in a shot; or zoom in up to 20 times for when you need reference pictures of rival billboards.

With these images, your presentations slides are going to be that much more convincing, potentially landing you a big-money gig.

Pound for pound performance

It’s clear by now that the vivo NEX 3 5G is a premium smartphone – and a premium smartphone needs the most powerful chipset money can buy right now.

That chipset is, of course, the Snapdragon 855+ – we’re putting it past business folk nowadays to put in a few game sessions to kill time. Trust us when we say the NEX 3 will run any game you throw at it without a problem.

So, such power obviously translates to snappy user experience – meaning scrolling through apps, documents and webpages feel buttery smooth; especially on the 60Hz display panel.

With so much power, the phone’s massive 4,500mAh battery will still let you work and consume content for the entire day. If you’ve been at it for the whole day, the last thing you want is your phone dying just as an important e-mail comes in; for that, the phone supports up to 22.5W vivo Flash Charge to keep your phone up and running in no time.

There you have it, the vivo NEX 3 is the ideal phone for the business person because it provides great viewing experience, usability, power and photography to help rake in the moolah. Speaking of which, the phone is priced at RM3,899 and can be purchased via vivo’s
website
 or via the official stores on
Lazada
 and
Shopee
.

64MP camera
android
business
flagship
snapdragon 855 plus
Vivo Nex
vivo nex 3 5g


Why the vivo X90 Pro is set to rule other phones in 2023?

6.2K

The upcoming vivo X90 Pro is a highly anticipated flagship camera smartphone that many have been looking forward to, as vivo has continued to innovate its camera system with a new 1-inch sensor that continues to be benefited by the ZEISS T* Coating.

Having used the vivo X90 Pro for a week, it is quite a refresher from its predecessor, and while I am extremely impressed by the image quality of the camera, it has a lot to offer than the competition.

Starting with the performance, I am particularly happy that vivo has decided to equip the X90 Pro with the Dimensity 9200 chipset, as it topped the charts when it comes to gaming and performance consistency, it also doesn’t have overheating and thermal throttling issues even when I am gaming for long durations, not to mention that it can easily power the phone for up to two days if I am not doing anything heavy on it.

On top of that, the phone’s experience is further complemented by the vivo V2 chip, which not only takes the load off the Dimensity 9200 in terms of image processing and camera features, but it also serves as an independent display chip that enhances the visual quality on content and offers game frame rate interpolation to 120Hz, which is crucial in ensuring high frame rates in games with low power consumption.

Furthermore, the vivo V2 Chip offers more camera image enhancement features than its predecessor, including noise reduction and HDR in Night Mode, Double EIS Stabilization and 3D LUT Filters.

While this isn’t the first phone to be equipped with a 50MP Sony IMX989 1-inch sensor, how is it different from the rest?

The vivo X90 Pro uses a 1G+7P lens structure and has a larger f/1.75 aperture for better light intake. On top of that, vivo has opted an all-new upgraded Carl ZEISS T* coating, which features an ALC coating that reduces light reflection between the lenses, this eliminates ghosting better when taking low light photos in scenes that has indirect light sources.

Sample Image provided by vivo

In addition, the X90 Pro’s OIS algorithm is also developed in-house where it is twice as precise as standard OIS, with a technique called Active Centering OIS that helps achieve stabilization in multiple angles, which significantly reduces smears between frames and motion blur.

Here’s a camera sample of a portrait I took and compared with the iPhone 14 Pro, the vivo X90 Pro’s camera is nothing short of impressive with great subject separation and natural looking skin tones, because of the amount of light and detail that the 1-inch sensor is able to capture, the details on my t-shirt and facial features are maintained way better than the iPhone 14 Pro’s 1/1.28” sensor size.

As for 4K video recording, although both iPhone 14 Pro and vivo X90 Pro are relatively good at maintaining low noise levels, the former compromises detail and has a lot of light flare going on the signages, I am definitely impressed and surprised by how much detail that the vivo X90 Pro’s camera is able to retain considering it is a very dimly lit shooting environment.

While I have yet to conclude the review of the vivo X90 Pro, I am already convinced that the vivo X90 Pro will be a tough contender for other smartphone cameras that we are about to see this year, it truly changes the game of smartphone photography.

Click
here
 to find out more about the vivo X90 Pro.

vivo x90
vivo x90 pro
vivo x90 pro malaysia review


Why the Xiaomi Mi4i is still far from being a global phone?

307

When you build a global product, you have a lot to consider before truly calling it global – the product name, design, user experience, language, color scheme and etc. just to name a few of them. If we apply this in the automotive world, a global car will need to have the highest safety standards and a design language in both interior and exterior that appeals to most nations. Xiaomi has been teasing a lot on its social media ahead on its first ever
global phone
 and yesterday, the phone is finally unveiled to the world – the Mi4i, its an impressive phone nonetheless with great hardware build and performance internals but despite of that, the Mi4i is still far from being a global smartphone, and I shall explain why.

MIUI v6 isn’t a global software

While some may disagree with me on this, I have to admit that MIUI is a great custom operating system based on Android which aims to deliver the best user experience to Mi Fans by implementing features based on useful feedbacks from the community itself.

In my recent
Redmi 2 review
, I’ve ranted about how bad the software is in both memory optimization and reliability on apps, MIUI is problematic in every way and it doesn’t feel unique of its own and with that alone, it is sufficient enough to suggest that Xiaomi isn’t creating a solid world class user experience on its products.

Sorry Xiaomi, merely having Google services installed on top of your iOS inspired software isn’t going to make your product ‘global’, I’d rather you provide users the option to buy a Stock Android software on your smartphone to make a global difference.

Mi4 ‘i’, does it
stand
 for India? International? Improved? I’m Confused.

Alright, I’m now putting myself in an Asian mindset consumer’s shoe, Xiaomi is calling its new ‘global’ phone the Mi4i, while everybody knows that the Mi4 was once the company’s heroic flagship phone and which I truly praise the device for its great build quality and early MIUI v6 software, having an ‘i’ moniker after the naming convention of a flagship product gives consumers a laymen impression of an improved product. If the ‘i’ stood for ‘innovation’, the Mi4i has no innovative features to impress apart from its price tag.

Instead of an ‘improved’ product, the Mi4i is literally a water down version of the original Mi4, it comes with a polycarbonate unibody and has a mid-range Snapdragon 615 64-bit CPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of built-in storage with no expansion. The Mi4i’s camera has been downgraded to a 13-megapixel f/2.0 camera and a 5-megapixel f/1.8 front camera, which actually confuses me as a consumer on why Xiaomi would give a downgraded product an ‘i’ moniker?

Of course, I do understand Xiaomi is trying to bring down prices of their best smartphones out there, but being global doesn’t mean you need to sell it cheap, but instead they need to make it a world class product that comes with absolute value to the average worldwide consumer, just to name a few – a proper sales channel instead of a flash sale model, standardized support for software instead of a community based one.

A bad grammar destroys your ‘global’ product image

I tend to notice every single commercial of tech companies and I think Xiaomi should really fire the person who created the teaser banners with those lame broken language hashtags, or the one who approved these ads should really go back to take some English lessons.

Because of these subpar promotional messages, it no longer makes a product feel ‘global’, ‘international’, ‘world class’, ‘improved’ or whatever you define. If Xiaomi truly wanted to make a smartphone launch a globally recognized one, language is the first thing that they seriously need to work on. #iDisagrees, anyone?

Last but not the least, I still have to commend Hugo Barra’s initial effort on rebranding the company’s name from Xiaomi to Mi for a global brand presence, I’m not trying to suggest that Xiaomi should follow the footsteps of what
Samsung
, HTC and Apple has succeeded but the company really needs to create a user experience unique and consistent to the global market, and that includes its software, customer service, retail and marketing.

I love both Xiaomi and Apple, while I don’t worship any technology brands like a god, Apple’s consistent marketing effort on the World Gallery commercial that gives me a good impression of the company’s product truly ‘global’.


Why would Apple want to include always-on display for future iPhones on iOS 16?

2.2K

WWDC 2022 is upon us, and one of the biggest speculations apart from the new M2 chip, is that Apple would finally include always-on display on iOS 16 for future iPhones, which is a feature that the Android camp has been enjoying for more than half a decade as long as your device comes with an AMOLED display, but it is also sadly a feature that you don’t see many people using.

Why? Because it consumes so much battery power and apart from showing fancy animations and the time, it isn’t really too useful.

However, that’s not to say that Apple hasn’t dabbled with the always-on display feature on its hardware as it has included the feature on the Apple Watch Series 5 onwards, which is unfortunately still quite a battery killer although the display can refresh at 1Hz when activated, but when it comes to iPhones, it probably make sense to start including that on newer iPhones if Apple manage to resolve power consumption issues that the feature causes.

Apple is well known for perfecting features that its competitors have already worked on, while the always-on display feature might work essentially the same as Android phones, we won’t be surprised to see if Apple has tweaked it to be more useful than a mere gimmick, and if Apple could use the magic of its Apple Silicon to manage power consumption better, this is going to be one feature that future iPhone users could use.

WWDC 2022 keynote happens on June 7th at 1AM Malaysia time, which is now a physical event and will be live streamed on Apple’s website and YouTube channel.

apple
ios 16
iphone
wwdc 2022


Why you should use ShopeePay as your preferred payment method

12.2K

Cashless payments are the way to go these days, but not every e-wallet can offer you the benefits and versatility of ShopeePay, which you might have already known as one of the best payment methods when you checkout on Shopee, there are many reasons to treat it as your main e-wallet over others, so here are some pro tips on how you can reap more rewards when using ShopeePay.

Verify your
ShopeePay
 account to receive Premium benefits

Your ShopeePay e-wallet is just as good as your debit card, which is why you should verify your identity with ShopeePay to receive premium benefits such as a higher transaction and wallet limit of up to RM4,999 from the usual RM2,999.

To do it, you will need to have your IC card or passport ready, head over to ShopeePay Setting on the Shopee app and choose “IC Verification”, take a clear picture of your identity documents and wait patiently, your account will then be upgraded within 24 hours.

Receive coins cashback at any offline merchants when you scan any DuitNow QR code and pay with ShopeePay

All thanks to DuitNow QR,
ShopeePay
 can be used at any retail merchants that accepts other e-wallets, and you can receive 3% coins cashback (capped at 300 coins) with no minimum spend for up to 20 transactions daily.

When you see a DuitNow QR code at a merchant, scan it with your ShopeePay QR reader and enter the amount you need to pay, the transaction will then go through as if you made the payment using a debit card, it’s just that simple.

Enjoy up to RM4 cashback with 1 Sen ShopeePay vouchers

How often do you hear about vouchers that costs only 1 Sen? With ShopeePay, you can purchase such vouchers and enjoy up to RM4 cashback on several participating retail merchants.

For instance, you can enjoy a RM4 off a Brown Sugar Boba drink from Tiger Sugar when you purchase its 1 Sen ShopeePay voucher, which all you need to do is to pay the original price when you are at the merchant, then RM4 will be credited back to you instantly after payment is successful, so make sure you have more than the usual amount in your ShopeePay e-wallet.

ShopeePay
 merchants and deals are all around you

Discovering ShopeePay merchants and deals are way easier than any other e-wallets, as you can easily find out your next shopping destination or eatery by just tapping the ‘ShopeePay Near Me’ on the Shopee app main page.

On this dedicated ShopeePay Near Me page, you are presented a familiar interface that shows you shocking 1 Sen flash deals, filter merchants with ShopeePay benefits, and access your purchased vouchers.

ShopeePay can be used for online purchases too, such as purchasing apps from the Google Play Store.

Users can checkout using ShopeePay on Google Play Store and receive 3% Coins Cashback.

Here’s how to add ShopeePay as a payment option on Google Play:
 Step 1: Open the Google Play app, at the top right, tap the profile icon.
 Step 2: Tap on Payment and subscriptions > Payment methods
 Step 3: Click on Add ShopeePay and you’re done!

Start
ShopeePay
-ING now!

Getting started on
ShopeePay
 is as simple as signing up for a new Shopee account, and you can reload your ShopeePay e-wallet with online banking, Credit and Debit card, as well as offline top-up at 7-Eleven and KK Mart.

Furthermore, ShopeePay e-wallet can be linked with Maybank2U for a seamless top up experience where you no longer need to fumble with OTP codes.

Make sure you also enable auto top-up to avoid embarrassment when paying at a merchant. As a security measure, auto top up is maxed out at RM400 and the lowest threshold to trigger the top up is RM10.

Start ShopeePay-ING
here
!

how to use shopeepay
shopee
ShopeePay


Why it’s a bad idea to reference European smartphone prices in Malaysia

480

So you’re a little bit of a techie, and are looking for an upgrade to your smartphone; and like us, you want the absolute latest in the market. But the problem is, some phones aren’t in Malaysia yet, so you resort to looking at what they cost in our neighboring continents. Stop right there – prices of phones in other countries don’t accurately translate to its eventual Malaysian prices. Here’s why.

If you’ve been keeping up with the latest happenings in the gadget world, your radar should be picking up on Huawei’s newest entry, the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro. The phones were launched in Paris and are priced at €799 and from €999 respectively.

Naturally, folks started doing conversions to reflect its price in Malaysian Ringgit, and they’re promptly greeted with jarringly high price tags.

In reality, the official Malaysian prices for the phone should cost around RM400 to RM800 less than the converted figure. Take the recently-launched Samsung Galaxy S10 – when checking the price on Samsung’s German site, the device is priced at €899, which translates to about a whopping RM4125! The official price in Malaysia: RM3,299

Now, part of why we get polarizing prices between the official numbers and the converted ones is because of a little thing called Value-Added Tax (VAT). Like our very own Sales and Service Tax (SST) system, VAT affects the sales tax that’s based on manufacturing and/or import, meaning taxes are compounded onto the final amount paid by consumers.

Looking elsewhere, the iPhone XR is priced at €849 which is about RM3,896; the official Malaysian price for the phone is actually RM3599 – the difference between the actual price and the direct conversion is only about RM300, but with that extra dough, you can put it into more internal storage.

Image credit: Avalara

At the time of writing, the average VAT rate standard is 20%, while in Germany, from which we took the price examples from, implements VAT at 19%. The €799 and €999 price tags were based on the 20% standard, but VAT rates vary from country to country, so it it’s crucial to avoid directly converting EU or even North American prices for that matter into MYR because it will always be inaccurate.

Now that you’ve got all this juicy insight to economics, what do you think the Malaysian price of the Huawei P30 and P30 Pro will be?

economics
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p30
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Wi-Fi 6 is coming and here’s what it means

914

Everyone is depending on data and Wi-Fi now, and no one will complain when it comes to having higher Internet speeds. From taking hours to download an item, we have reached an era where we can download multiple items in less than an hour.

The latest Wi-Fi by Wi-Fi Alliance is now named as Wi-Fi 6.

Firstly, the biggest change would be the rebranding of the Wi-Fi name. Wi-Fi names used to go by the 802.11 standard such as 802.11 ac, 802.11n and 802.11ax. Now, it has been changed to simple numbers like Wi-Fi 4, Wi-Fi 5 and Wi-Fi 6. The numbers should appear in the Wi-Fi logo in the future, which will enable users to tell which is newer and faster.

Basically, Wi-Fi 6 is an upgraded version in terms of speed, capacity and battery consumption. When it comes to speed, Wi-Fi 6 will have higher throughput and lower latency. Throughput and latency can each be described as results produced per unit of time and time to produce results.

Img source : Qualcomm

One of the feature of Wi-Fi 6 is Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), which can overcome the problem of Wi-Fi usage in crowded places. Users often get slow connections when connecting to public Wi-Fi with many people and sometimes even fail to get connections, and OFDMA can improve the situation by splitting the radio signal into multiple sub-signals and transmit signals simultaneously at different frequencies to receiver. Wi-Fi 6 also brought in the incorporation of 1024-QAM and improved the Multiple In/Multiple Out (MIMO). There is also a feature made for battery conservation known as “target wake time”.

This means that the Wi-Fi 6 will have faster data transfer speed, and can squeeze more bandwidth out of the 2.4GHz and 5GHz, as it was able to go up to 11Gbps in trade show demos, which is significantly faster compared to Wi-Fi 4’s maximum speed of 600Mbps in 2009. The OFDMA is designed to increase the efficiency and lowers the latency of data transfers, in addition to minimising “crosstalk”, the disruption of one channel caused by transmission of signal on another channel. The 1024-QAM enables peak Gbps for intensive usage of Internet, and the 8×8 multi-user MIMO results in higher Internet speeds per user, as the access point and devices can communicate simultaneously, unlike Wi-Fi 5 whereby devices could not respond simultaneously to the access point.

Despite the upgrades in the latest software, devices will not use up more battery than before, as the “target wake time” can wake the Wi-Fi for transmission and put it to sleep mode when there are no transmissions. A representative from Ruckus Network also called Wi-Fi 6 a “deterministic Wi-Fi” as it will be able to differentiate between users, providing Wi-Fi to only devices that want to connect and ignoring those with no intentions of connecting.

Of course, you’d need to have devices and routers that are compatible with Wi-Fi 6 for it to work, but that doesn’t mean that you cannot connect to networks that are using Wi-Fi 6. Wi-Fi 6 is backwards compatible, so there’s no need to worry about using Wi-Fi on your devices.

Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6


Wi-Fi 6 is official with higher connectivity, lower latency and better battery life

584

Wi-Fi Alliance has officially launched the Wi-Fi Certified 6 certification program, also known as the 802.11ax and the successor to Wi-Fi 5.

According to Wi-Fi Alliance, the new program will include improved features and capabilities that will enhance the overall Wi-Fi experience. The latest Wi-Fi generation will have higher performance, stronger connectivity and also latency improvements.

What this all means is that the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED 6 will support “more diverse set of devices and applications”, so it will be able to cater to a wide range of scenarios such as low power situations or high demanding environments. It is also reported to come with almost four times the capacity of Wi-Fi 5, meaning that it is able to enhance the connectivity among the massive amount of devices in an area — leading to more stable and equally-distributed connectivity in a crowded area.

A few of its features includes 160Mhz channels that offer higher performance with low latency by increasing the bandwidth, target wake time (TWT) that improves battery consumption in Wi-Fi devices and orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) that shares channels for higher network efficiency and lower latency in crowded areas with high demand for Wi-Fi.

You’ll need to make sure your devices support Wi-Fi 6 for it to be functioning, so if your router has been there for years, you’ll probably need to get a new one. Also, the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 and the new iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro are Wi-Fi 6 compatible.

iPhone 11
iPhone 11 pro
samsung galaxy note 10
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6


Widow sues Twitter for being ISIS mouthpiece

266

It is no secret that the Islamic State uses Twitter as platform to recruit impressionable Muslims into their “Holy War”. That is probably why the micro-blogging site is getting sued by a woman whose husband was killed in Jordan while serving as a private contract.

A federal suit that was filed on Wednesday
 claims that the service is in breach of the United State’s
Anti Terrorism Act
. The suit claims that Twitter has “purposefully, knowingly or with willful blindness” provided “material support to the preparation and carrying out of acts of international terrorism, including the attack in which Lloyd Fields Jr. was killed”. The suit further claims that “Twitter has knowingly permitted the terrorist group ISIS to use its social network as a tool for spreading extremist propaganda, raising funds, and attracting new recruits. This material support has been instrumental to the rise of ISIS”.

When questioned about this suit, Twitter said that the lawsuit is meritless. “While we believe the lawsuit is without merit, we are deeply saddened to hear of this family’s terrible loss. Like people around the world, we are horrified by the atrocities perpetrated by extremist groups and their ripple effects on the internet,” says a Twitter spokesperson.

Source :
Ars Technica

isis
lawsuit
twitter


Wikileaks releases a large trove of documents detailing the CIA's spying capabilities

401

Conspiracy theorist around the world have just gotten some of their fears validated today as WikiLeaks have published a huge number of documents that the website describes as “the entire hacking capacity” of the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency.

This leak, codenamed Vault 7, reveals some of the methods that the CIA used when it comes to cybersurveillance and cyberwarfare. Some of the methods that were described in the Vault 7 leaks includes weaponized “zero day” exploits, malware, viruses, trojans and many more. Said exploits and malware could be used to compromise operating systems such as Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android platform.

On top of that, the leaks also show that the CIA has the capability to hijack devices to eavesdrop on people. One such example that was given by the leaks is the CIA’s ability to hijack Samsung’s Smart TV line and use them as listening devices. Additionally, the CIA can also circumvent encryption systems that are employed by messaging services like WhatsApp and Telegram.

Perhaps the most disturbing part of the reveal has to be the fact that the CIA is capable of infecting the vehicle control systems used by cars and tracks. According to WikiLeaks, the ability to do so means that the CIA is capable of conducting “nearly undetectable assassinations”.

To make matters even worse, WikiLeaks claim that the CIA has “lost control of the majority of its hacking arsenal”. While the wording is rather vague, this potentially means that all the hacking tools that the CIA has may have been made available to people who aren’t part of the CIA. Needless to say, the revelations from the Vault 7 leak is extremely disturbing. Of course, it is possible that WikiLeak’s reveal is merely scaremongering, but if even a small part of this leak is true, the ramifications of these tools getting into the hands of less savoury actors, state-sponsored or otherwise, will be the stuff of nightmares.

Source:
WikiLeaks

centralintelligenceagency
cybersurveillance
cyberwarfare
espionage
hacking
security
vault7
wikileaks


Wikipedia bans British tabloid The Daily Mail from being cited as a source

281

Wikipedia’s standard when it comes to sources can be rather lax to some. Unfortunately for the British tabloid The Daily Mail, that standard isn’t low enough. Today, the online encyclopedia has decided to issue a new-total ban on The Daily Mail.

The decision to almost-completely ban The Daily Mail from being used as a source comes after Wikipedia editors reached a consensus that the tabloid is “generally unreliable”. Some of the reasons as to why the tabloid is considered unreliable includes “poor fact checking, sensationalism, and flat-out fabrication”.

While it is likely that The Daily Mail will no longer be cited for future articles, the tabloid itself can still be used for subjects that are considered accurate although this is subjected to the editors discretion. Another exception made to the ban is that The Daily Mail can be used as a source when it comes to an article featuring the tabloid itself or its staff. Apart from that though, The Daily Mail will no longer be used as a source on Wikipedia.

Source:
Wikipedia
,
The Guardian

ban
source
thedailymail
wikipedia


Wikipedia launches "perpetual" support fund on its birthday

471

Today, Wikipedia officially turns 15 years old. To celebrate this occasion, the Wikimedia Foundation is starting up a new endowment fund that aims to raise USD 100 million over the course of the next 10 years.

Called
The Wikimedia Endowment
, the fund aims to secure the website’s long-term future, while attempting to reduce its reliance on annual donation drives which has since netted the internet encyclopedia USD 250 million. The Wikimedia Endowment will start with less than USD 1 million, donated by the estate of Jim Pacha, a software engineer who died in 2015. Funds in the Wikimedia Endowment will not be used until it achieves its funding target.

For the foreseable future, Wikipedia still intends to carry out donation drives in order to keep advertising off the website. According to Lisa Gruwell, chief advancement officer for the Wikimedia Foundation, the additional funds from the endowment is expected to help insulate Wikipedia from economic turmoil and other potential threats to its survival.

Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales says that the recurring fundraising campaigns and the endowment are needed to run one of the Internet’s busiest websites and realise its ambition to become even more comprehensive as more people get online. “We stay very mission-driven. One of the things that we are focused on is the idea of having an encyclopedia available for every person in the world in their own language. As you go in that direction, these (requests for money) are some of the things you need to do to build that long-term dream,” says Wales.

Source :
The Times Of India

wikimediaendowment
wikipedia


Wiko features 3 trendy devices in its Y-Range: Robby, Lenny3, and Jerry

336

These days, smartphones are not so much about features but how it blends into an individual lifestyle is important as well. With that, Wiko introduced its Y-Range that includes three easygoing and fun models – Robby, Lenny3 and Jerry.

If you like it big, Wiko features Robby, the largest of the series with a 5.5-inch screen to allow you to enjoy multimedia content to its fullest. This 3G phablet features dual speaker and immersive 3D sound; all in a classy metal finishing in five punchy colours, with Space Grey and Gold available in Malaysia. One of the most interesting feature of the Robby is its double microphones. Whether you’ve picked up your phone the right way up or not doesn’t matter as both sides work prefectly, with the UI and screen rotating and adapting accordingly. Wiko Robby also comes with Android Marshmallow out of the box!

Next up in Wiko’s Y-Range is the new Lenny3, a 5-inch device that is an upgrade of the Lenny2. Lenny3 now sports an IPS HD display, offering you a better multimedia viewing experience. In addition, Lenny3 comes with Android Marshmallow out of the box and sports a classy metal design in six fun colours, with Silver and Space Grey available in Malaysia. If you are a social butterfly, then you would enjoy the 8MP rear camera and 5MP front camera that does not only have wide-angle mode to capture wefies, but other camera modes as well that will have you photographing like a pro.

The latest of the Y-Range is Jerry, the trendiest of the three. Sporting a classy metal design in fresh combination of colours with Bleen and Silver, and Black and Space Grey available in Malaysia, Wiko Jerry stands out from the regular smartphones in the market when it comes to looking fun and cool. On top of that, Jerry comes with Android Marshmallow out of the box so you don’t have to worry about not being able to use all the latest apps out there.

For more information, please visit Wiko official sites:
Wiko Mobile Malaysia website:
my-en.wikomobile.com
Wiko Mobile Malaysia Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/wikomy