COMPUTEX 2016: Asus teases Republic of Gamers 2016 line of products

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Asus celebrated the 10th year anniversary of their Republic of Gamers line of products at Taiwan today by revealing what the company has in store for the next year or so, and from the look of things, 2016 could turn out to be an interesting one for ROG.

One of the more interesting things that Asus revealed during the event was something called the ROG Avalon. According to Asus, this thing is a prototype motherboard/chassis hybrid that the company claimed is the ‘future of DIY’. Essentially, by rethinking the limits of the ATX form-factor and redesigning the motherboard and case as a single entity, Asus is able to optimize the layout to alleviate the more frustrating parts of the DIY process. Simply put, this chassis would simplify PC building into plugging the corrent components into specific locations in the chassis. Furthermore, the Avalon’s Z170 chipset-based motherboard comes with a modular rear I/O for customised connectivity options to fit every need.

Next up is the ROG G31 Edition 10. If you’ve seen the ASUS ROG G20, the ROG G31 Edition 10 would be familiar to you. Small though it may be, the machine sports some serious hardware. For one, it comes with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU with 2-way SLI, making it tailor-made for 4K UHD gaming. If that isn’t powerful enough for you, the G31 Edition 10 comes with one-click overclocking. If you’re worried about the post-overclocking heat generation, the G31 Edition 10 comes with 3D vapor-chamber technology with dual hidden-airflow channels that help keep the system cool and quiet. Rounding up the machine is the dedicated ESS audio DAC and amplifier headphone jack that delivers Hi-Fi grade audio to a gaming headset.

For gaming laptops, Asus has revealed the successor to the GX700: the GX800. Much like its predecessor, the GX800 is a monster of a machine. It comes with an Nvidia SLI GPU setup, as well as an Intel K-series CPU for those who are interested in overclocking. Also like its predecessor, the GX800 comes with the (improved) liquid-cooled docking station, allowing you to overclock the laptop to its absolute limits. Improvements have also been made to the laptop’s keyboards as the GX800 now comes with a MechTAG mechanical keyboard that is illuminated by RGB LEDs and features anti-ghosting technology.

Of course, the ROG event isn’t just limited to gaming machines of course. During the event, Asus revealed the latest entry into the Strix series: the ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080. If you though the base GTX 1080 is powerful, Asus has decided to fine tune the Strix GeForce GTX 1080 into a monster. The graphics card itself has been overclocked by Asus to reach 1939MHz and comes with the DirectCU III technology to maximize airflow to the card. This card also features Asus’s FanConnect design, with two 4-pin GPU-controlled headers that can be connected to system fans for targeted supplemental cooling and optimal thermal performance. If you like showing off your custom PC builds, the card itself comes with integrated Aura RGB LED lighting that can display millions of colours and six different effects for a personalized gaming system.

Motherboards were also present at the event as Asus took some time to reveal the ROG Rampage V Edition 10. The Rampage V Edition 10 is a refresh of ROG’s flagship extreme-performance motherboard to celebrate ROG’s 10th anniversary. As such, it comes with the Intel X99 chipset for the newer Core i7 processor family for socket LGA 2011-v3. This motherboard also comes equipped with multiple exclusive technologies such as Extreme Engine Digi+ voltage-regulator module (VRM), T-topology technology, and 5-Way Optimization, and Fan Xpert 4 for those keen on overclocking their machines.

Besides those, Asus also took the opportunity to reveal the ROG Centurion, a gaming headset that delivers true 7.1-channel surround sound that comes equiped with a Hi-Fi-grade ESS headphone amplifier. Also on display was the ROG Swift PG248Q, a 24-inch 16:9 LED-backlit display with Full HD (1920×1080) resolution with Nvidia G-Sync technology, a 1ms grey-to-grey (GTG) response time, and a refresh rate that is overclockable to up to 180Hz.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Asus unveils Zenfone 3 series of smartphones

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It’s been a long time coming, but its finally here. Asus has finally pulled back the curtains on the Zenfone 3 series of smartphones.

Much like the Zenfone 2, the Zenfone 3 comes in three basic variants: the vanilla Zenfone 3, the Zenfone 3 Ultra, and the Zenfone 3 Deluxe. For now, let’s talk about the Zenfone 3. Asus’s basic Zenfone 3 model will feature a 5.2″ Super IPS widescreen display that has a 2.1mm slim bezel. Said screen will also feature a 500cd/m2 brightness, allowing the screen to be perfectly visible even under direct sunlight. Upon launch, the Zenfone 3 will come in four different colours as well as three different back covers.

In terms of performance, the Zenfone 3 will be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 625 and up to 4GB of RAM. The camera on the Zenfone 3 is no slouch either, as the device sports a 16MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera. The cameras will support HDR and 4K recording and comes with Optical Image Stabilization, Electronic Image Stabilization, a Tri-Tech auto-focus system, dual LED flash, advanced low light technology and DTI technology.

The next step up above the Zenfone 3 would be the Zenfone 3 Ultra. As the name implies, the Zenfone 3 Ultra is the biggest of the Zenfone 3 series of smartphones, coming with a 6.8″ FHD IPS display that has a 95% NTSC Colour Gamut. The display on the Zenfone 3 Ultra comes with Tru2life+ Technology, allowing the phone to optimize contrast and sharpness of images, giving the phone a 4K TV grade optimization.

To further build on the Zenfone 3 Ultra’s media capabilities, the phone will feature the new Dual Five-magnet Stereo Speaker system. This system allows the Zenfone 3 Ultra to be 2.4 times louder than the normal smartphone speaker with 42% less distortion. As for power, the Zenfone 3 Ultra will sport a 4,600mAh battery and will come with Quick Charge 3.0 technology as well as a Powerbank mode.

Finally, we come to the flagship of the Zenfone 3 series: the Zenfone 3 Deluxe. In terms of design, the Zenfone 3 Deluxe will come with a full metal unibody while measuring just 4.2mm in thickness. Much like the Zenfone 3, the Deluxe will come with three different designs available.

For the screen, the Zenfone 3 Deluxe will sport a 5.7″ Super AMOLED display that has a dynamic contrast of three million to one and a NTSC Colour Gamut of ver 100%. THe bezel between the screen and the device is minimal as it measures just 1.3mm.

Performance is where the Zenfone 3 Deluxe stands out. The device sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. Another plus point is the phone’s Quick Charge 3.0 technology that allows you to charge up the Deluxe’s battery to up to 60% in just 39 minutes. The phone will also be utilising USB Type-C, enabling a data transfer rate that is 10 times faster than the standard.

The camera on the Zenfone 3 Deluxe is nothing to sneeze at either, as it comes with a 23MP rear shooter that uses Sony’s own IMX 318 sensor. It is encased in a Sapphire cover glass and sports DTI technology and is capable of 4K recording. Much like the Zenfone 3, the camera on the Deluxe comes with the Tri-Tech Auto Focus System, Optical Image Stabilization and Electronic Image Stabilization.

All three devices will be running on the new ZenUI 3.0 that Asus promises would provide a responsive experience. Some of the features that will be available on ZenUI 3.0 includes a Game Genie app that would allow you to livestream your mobile games on to YouTube & Twitch, as well as an in-game search window and a system booster. The mobile manager has also been updated and now comes with a Super Boost that will speed up your system. It also comes with cloud intelligence that will help extend battery life.

No release date was given as to when to expect the Zenfone 3 to be available for purchase, but Asus did reveal that the Zenfone 3 will retail for USD 249 (RM 1,024), the Zenfone 3 Ultra for USD 479 (RM 1,970), and the Zenfone 3 Deluxe for USD 499 (RM 2,052).

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COMPUTEX 2016: Asus updates the Transformer line of ultrabooks

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Asus’s answer to Microsoft’s Surface, the Transformer series, has gotten a refresh as the company has revealed some rather interesting details about the Transformer 3 series of 2-in-1s for this year.

Much like the Surface, Asus is spliting up its Transformer 3 series into two categories: the meatier Transformer 3 Pro, and the lighter, and much more affordable Transformer 3. For starters, let’s look at the Transformer 3 Pro. Measuring at 8.35mm thick, the Transformer 3 Pro is Asus’s answer to the Surface Pro 4. The machine itself is capable of supporting an Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe x4 SSD. For ports, the Transformer 3 Pro will feature USB-Type C as well as Thunderbolt 3 ports and Harmon Kardon speakers. An interesting addition to the Transformer 3 Pro is that it will come with a fingerprint scanner, allowing you to take advantage of Windows Hello.

As for the Transformer 3, this particular model is the lightweight variant of the Transformer 3 Pro. Measuring at 6.9mm thick, the Transformer 3 is capable of supporting an Intel Core 7th Gen processor, a 512GB SSD, and nine hours of battery life. Much like the Transformer 3 Pro, the Transformer 3 will come with USB-Type C. Thunderbolt 3 ports, Harmon Kardon speakers, as well as biometrics support that allows you to leverage Windows Hello.

Similar to the Surface, the Transformer 3 series of 2-in-1s will have their own series of peripherals. Standards such as the Asus Pen stylus and the keyboard cover are a given of course, but there are some new peripherals such as a Universal Dock and a quad speaker known as the AudioPod. By far the most interesting peripheral the Transformer 3 has is the ROG XG Station 2, a graphics dock that gives both devices access to a desktop-class GPU solution. This particular peripheral is meant to take advantage of virtual reality.

While Asus did not disclose the pricing of the peripherals itself, they did reveal the pricing of the Transformer 3 and Transformer 3 Pro. The Transformer 3 with keyboard cover will retail for USD 799 (RM 3,289), while the Transformer 3 Pro with keyboard cover and Asus Pen will retail for USD 999 (RM 4,112).

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COMPUTEX 2016: ECS unveils new Liva mini PCs and Z170 motherboards

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ECS has never failed to show interesting things at the COMPUTEX show floor this year, the Taiwanese company has unveiled its most recent development of its Liva mini PCs, as in the case of the Liva Z, this little machine is designed for Intel’s Apollo Lake platform and supports the new Intel Pentium and Celeron SOCs, while this machine is clearly made for commercial purposes, it still comes with a very decent hardware such as having a M.2 SSD slot, two Gigabit ethernet ports and two DDR3L slots. In addition, ECS mentions that the Liva Z has a stackable base which users can expand storage and input ports.

The Liva Pro is a high end mini PC from the company and supports 6th generation Intel processors, it uses ECS’s very own mini-STX H110S-2P motherboard that offers flexibility for customization, users can install up to 32GB of DDR4 memory and install a M2.SSD and 2.5″ HDD combo for storage, the Liva Pro also offers a number of I/O, there’s 4 x USB 3.0 ports with one of them being a USB Type-C port, Gigabit LAN, a wireless combo card, HDMI and DisplayPort. ECS has also partnered with Silverstone as well in offering a different case design for its mini-STX platform.

On the other part of its booth, ECS also showcased its latest Intel Z170 motherboards, the Z170 LightSaber motherboard is the company’s latest offering for Intel’s Skylake platform which offers great performance for gamers, sporting Killer’s E2400 ethernet controller with LAGFree+ that greatly improves network bandwidth efficiency and load balancing, the motherboard will support up to 64GB of DDR4 3200 memory with 4 DIMM slots, there’s three PCI-e x 16 slots for supporting AMD’s CrossFire, two USB 3.1 ports, six USB 3.0 ports and eight USB 2.0 ports. Moreover, the Z170 Lightsaber also has RGB illumination and Flash DiGi power, which the latter will offer a stable voltage maximizing to fulfill hard core gamers’ demand for over-clocking.

The new Liva mini PCs will be available soon in the market, while the Z170 Lightsaber motherboard should be available in local IT retailers already so do check them up.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Genius shows off a new range of lifestyle technology products

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I know what you are thinking, but this Taiwanese technology company is still really active in the peripherals game at COMPUTEX this year and they do have some eye-catching products in up their sleeves. Genius calls its new line of products this year Smart Life products and includes products that work with both computers and mobile devices.

The new ECO-series mice, as its name suggests, is a family of mice products that emphasizes on green computing with built-in rechargeable batteries, they will last up to 100 days in a single charge and can sustain up to 500 charge cycles, the ECO-series mice also has various sizes and designs to fit different hands as well.

If you want something to write on your phone and tablet, the Genius Pen is a very neat accessory. Requiring no special screen panel and software, this battery powered stylus has a ball point pen tip that allows you to write on your devices just like a typical pen, making it easy to have annotations on your presentations, Genius will also be introducing a number of apps in the near future that will work well with the stylus.

While mechanical keyboards feature macro keys and others with multimedia keys, Genius’ Smart Keyboard is made with productivity in mind as it allows you to configure its top row function keys to perform a series of actions, such as shortcuts to apps, accessing to your favorite website and checking the weather.

Genius also displayed a portable mobile home theater speaker with a built-in handle for transporting around, with a 6-hour battery life, the speaker has built-in Bluetooth connection for streaming music and videos wirelessly, there’s also hardware buttons on the top for volume and music controls, this 2.1 sound speaker system sure blows me away with a decent amount of bass and clarity.

Last but not the least, the SP-906BT bluetooth speakers feature a clip-on type design that you can clip on to your bag, play music while travelling around, there’s even a built-in microphone that can be used for making phone calls, which makes it a rather decent multipurpose portable Bluetooth speaker.

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COMPUTEX 2016: GIGABYTE unveils slim and high performance Aero 14 laptop

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As COMPUTEX is about to begin, GIGABYTE has taken the opportunity to unveil the Aero 14 laptop, it is a slim and powerful laptop made for the road warriors, measuring 19.9mm thin and weighing 1.89kg, it sports the latest hardware internals that you can think of, which includes a 6th generation Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M/965M GPU, a Quad HD resolution display and sports two M.2 PCIe Gen3 slots for blazing fast storage performance, there’s also USB 3.1 Type-C connectivity and HDMI 2.0 onboard as well.

The Aero 14 is pretty much a gaming ultrabook judging by its aesthetics, it is targeted at gamers and business professionals on the go. The Aero 14 features a full aluminum chassis that is fabricated through Nano-Imprint Lithography, its keyboard features a set of customizable marco keys that gamers will appreciate. Available in colors of black, green and orange, the Aero 14 sure looks attractive and will certainly appeal to those who doesn’t want a fancy gaming laptop design and a boring black design. In addition, GIGABYTE also claims that the large 94.24Wh battery could offer up to 10 hours of usage, which is rather impressive for a powerful hardware package.

No release dates have been revealed by GIGABYTE yet, more details will certainly be revealed in COMPUTEX and we shall be updating this space and hope to get a hands on with this slim and powerful machine.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Intel goes to the extreme with the new Core i7 Extreme Edition

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If you’ve been hearing rumours about how Intel’s new Broadwell-E chip will sport 10 cores, we’re glad to tell you that said rumours are true. Today, Intel has officially revealed the brand new Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition, the Core i7-6950X, at COMPUTEX, and judging from the look of things, this baby is impressive.

So let’s start with the basics. The Core i7-6950X is the first 10-core desktop CPU that has a base clock speed of 3GHz. Said clock speed can be boosted up to 3.5GHz via Intel’s new Turbo Boost 3.0 technology. The Core i7 6950X, coupled with Intel’s own Hyper-Threading technology, means that the CPU is capable of running 20 simultaneous work threads.

In terms of raw performance, Intel claims that the i7-6950X is twice as fast as the quad-core i7-6700K for 3D rendering. Intel also boasts that the i7-6950X is 65% faster than the i7-6700K when it comes to editing 4K videos. As for gaming, the i7-6950X is 25% faster than the last-gen i7-5960X for 4K gaming while encoding and broadcasting a 1080p Twitch Stream.

While the i7-6950X takes up most of the spotlight, there will be other Broadwell-E chips of course. There is the 8-core Core i7-6900K, the 6-core i7-6850K and the 6-core i7-6800K. All of these chips will support the Intel X99 chipset, so if you’re already have such a motherboard, you can upgrade your current proccessor with the Broadwell-E without needing an overhaul. That said, if you’re aiming to get the i7-6950X, be prepared to spend top dollar for it as the chip costs USD 1,569 (RM 6,473). Once you factor in GST, it’s likely that the i7-6950 will have a local price that breaches the RM 7k mark.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Kingston gives preview of new HyperX headsets, UV400 SSD and new Predator DDR4 RAM

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While Kingston didn’t have a booth in COMPUTEX this year, it surprises us by having us around in a hipster cafe to show off its latest HyperX gaming headsets and the new entry-level UV400 SSD.

The HyperX Cloud Revolver is the latest hero product in the HyperX gaming headset family, it features a studio grade sound stage with 50mm directional drivers that delivers a wider depth and width for improved audio precision in first person shooter and open environment games, the signature red memory foam and premium leatherette on the ear cups and head bands gives users a comfortable and long duration listening experience, I’ve personally tested the sound quality with my Spotify playlist of K-Pop songs and have find the sound signature to be rather warm, hence I can certainly imagine on how comfortable it would be to listen the booms and gun sounds on this headset in long durations. In addition, the HyperX Cloud Revolver comes with a noise cancellation microphone that delivers crisp audio quality and is one of the first devices to be certified by Discord, a fast growing voice and text chat app for gamers.

Based on the award winning HyperX Cloud II, Kingston’s new HyperX CloudX is an officially licensed gaming headset for the Xbox One, featuring a large 53mm driver the HyperX CloudX will deliver every sound element in the game to the ear which gives gamers an immersive console gaming experience, the headset has in line volume controls for convenience and uses memory foam ear cushions for a comforatble listening experience. If you needed to talk to your team mates, the HyperX CloudX also comes with a detachable microphone that attaches to the 3.5mm jack at the bottom of the left ear cup.

Kingston has also shown us its entry-level UV400 SSD that uses TLC NAND, known as the ‘ultra value’ series, the UV400 is powered by a four-channel controller that delivers up to 550MB/s read and 500MB/s write speed, the SSD is also shock and vibration resistant that makes it more reliable than mechanical hard drives, hence the UV400 is a very cost effective solution to those who wants to upgrade from mechanical hard drive without having to shell out too much cash, the UV400 will come in storage capacities of 120GB, 240GB, 480GB and 960GB.

Last but not the least, Kingston is also releasing its new HyperX Predator DDR4 RAM that features a new heatsink and a 3300MHz XMP frequency.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Love Lego? Here's a Lego USB flash drive from PNY

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If you are seriously getting tired of flash drives already, the Lego USB flash drive from PNY will definitely make you want to own one even if its just another flash drive in your drawer, the Lego USB flash drive is being shown at PNY’s booth in COMPUTEX, the really fun thing about this flash drive is that you can simply attach it to any lego blocks you have while it already comes with one in the package, the flash drive is sadly available in only 16GB and supports USB 2.0 data transfer, so don’t expect this device to be a speed demon for your file transfers.

PNY’s Lego USB flash drive is now available for purchase for a limited offer price of $9.99 (RM41) in the US, down from $3 of its original $12.99 (RM54) retail price, now everyone can give their Lego structures a decent amount of storage. Head on to
http://www.pny.com/Lego-USB-Flash-Drive
 to purchase one.

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COMPUTEX 2016: MediaTek's PumpExpress 3.0 promises 70% charge in a mere 20 minutes

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Many companies out there are vying for faster charging tech in smartphones. There’s of course the popular Qualcomm Quick Charge, and from smartphone manufacturers themselves – OPPO’s Super VOOC and Huawei SmartPower just to name a few. The successor for MediaTek’s PumpExpress 2.0 has finally been announced and yes, it charges faster – the PumpExpress 3.0 charging tech.

MediaTek claims that PumpExpress 3.0 not only charges faster, but cooler, safer and more efficient as well. Scheduled to be released in Q3 this year, the company claims that devices with this charging solution will be able to go from 0-70% battery in just 20 minutes. According to them, PumpExpress 3.0 is almost twice as fast as its competitors currently out there, not to mention five times faster when compared with conventional charging.

This charging tech happens to the first to use directing charging through USB Type-C power delivery, as claimed by MediaTek. Charging will be more direct as it bypasses the charging circuitry, sending the current directly to the battery from the adaptor. This not only prevents overheating of the device, but offers better efficiency at the same time, with the PumpExpress 3.0 achieving 95%. MediaTek has also made sure that the charging solution stays safe with 20-plus safety and built-in device protection systems, alongside the fact that PumpExpress 3.0 sports bi-directional communication, all in all to prevent the charging adapter or the device from overheating.

According to MediaTek, PumpExpress 3.0 will be available alongside the Helio P20 chips by the end of this year. The charging solution will also be available in future smartphone processors by MediaTek and can be added onto their own SoC’s if customers wish to do so. What do you think?

Source:
MediaTek

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COMPUTEX 2016: Microsoft announces that Windows Holographic will be coming to both VR and AR platforms

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Microsoft’s own augmented reality headset, the HoloLens, is about to get its own version of Windows 10 as the company has announced that it is hard at work creating Windows Holographic.

As the name implies, Windows Holographic is Microsoft’s take on a mixed-reality version of Windows. This version of Windows builds on the common Windows platform such as the NT kernel, the Windows Store, the Edge browser, and the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) APIs. On top of that, Microsoft is adding a range of components made for mixed-reality computing such as a custom shell, human-interaction systems that integrate voice, gaze and hand gesutures, and spatial mapping.

The best part of Windows Holographic is compatibility. Microsoft has stated that Windows Holographic isn’t limited to just the HoloLens as the company intends to roll this OS out to virtual reality platforms such as the Vive and the Oculus Rift. As to when you can expect Windows Holographic to be available though, Microsoft did not mention anything about availabiity. Our “highly educated” guess would be that Windows Holographic would be available when the commercial version of HoloLens gets released, but seeing as the HoloLens does not have an official launch date either, it’s probably safe to say that it won’t be happening this year.

Source:
Ars Technica

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COMPUTEX 2016: Microsoft opens up Windows Hello; allows wearables to unlock Windows 10

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Many of you would be familiar with Windows Hello of course. This Windows 10 security feature allows you to log into your computer via biometrics such as face, fingerprint or iris recognition. However, at an onstage demo held in COMPUTEX, Microsoft revealed that they would be working on another option that has nothing to do with biometrics: wearables.

As part of the company’s new updates to the Windows Hello Companion Device Framework, Microsoft will be extending full Windows Hello support to werables such as Microsoft Band and other third party wearables. This means that in the future, not only will your wearable be able to log you into your computer, it would be able to make transactions in the Windows Store or even log into websites in Microsoft Edge.

No timeline was given as to when we can expect Windows Hello to start popping up on wearables, but we assume that we’ll hear more about this some time after Windows releases the Anniversary Update to Windows 10.

Source:
The Verge

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COMPUTEX 2016: MSI introduces VR-ready line of products at Taiwan

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2016 is pretty much the year of virtual reality, what with Valve/HTC and Oculus having released the Vive and Rift respectively. Of course, owning the headset is only part of the equation as you’re going to need a machine that is powerful enough to run it smoothly. MSI understands this, and that is why they’re debuting laptops, desktops and hardware that are capable of VR at this year’s COMPUTEX.

Let’s start with the laptops. The first of the laptops that is capable of VR gaming is the (in)famous Titan. Both the GT83 Titan SLI and the GT73 Titan SLI, much like last year’s Titan, are hulking machines that come with enough raw horsepower to power VR gaming. For the GT83 Titan SLI, the machine comes with a GTX980 SLI graphics solution. The laptop itself also comes with MSI Matrix Display technology that supports Surround View Mode, 4K output and up to three external displays. While the GT73 Titan SLI isn’t as powerful as the GT83, it still sports some powerful innards such as the dual GTX 980M SLI graphics solution. It is also the world’s first gaming laptop to integrate a 120Hz IPS level panel, which promises up to 120 individual picture frames per second. Combined with the 5ms response time, the GT73 Titan SLI is capable of delivering buttery smooth motion and razor-sharp visual output.

If working on VR titles are more your thing, MSI’s WT72 6QN Mobile Workstation would be right up your alley. Equipped with a powerful GPU optimized by ISVs, the WT72 sypports VR technology that reduces time needed for building physical prototypes and streamlines the development/communication process.

Next up are the desktops. First on the list of new products by MSI is the Backpack PC. As the name implies, the desktop is shaped like a backpack, allowing you to bring the device along with you. Despite its portability, MSI has made sure to make the Backpack PC a mean machine in its own right as it comes with a high-end Intel Core i7 processor and an Nvidia extreme level GTX980 graphics card. This machine allows you to bring your VR gaming rig on the go.

The other desktop that was shown off is the Aegis Series of gaming desktops, or more specifically, the Aegis X. Sporting an Intel Core K-series processor for overclocking capabilities and coming with the latest Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 GPU, the Aegis X is able to handle any graphically intensive games as well as VR titles without breaking a sweat. For VR headsets, the Aegis X comes with a special HDMI connector that is located at the fron of the case. Other features on the Aegis X includes Super RAID 4, Killer LAN, and Silent Storm Cooling 2 technology.

The last of the desktop machines that is capable of supporting VR is the MSI Vortex that we all know and love. Coming with an Intel processor, dual GeForce GTX 980 SLI graphics solution, and a 360 degree Silent Storm Cooling design, the MSI Vortex is a VR-ready machine that delivers superior performance under intense gaming sessions.

If building machines are more of your thing, the MSI has two motherboards and a graphics card that may interest you. For motherboards, MSI has the X99A GODLIKE GAMING CARBON and the X99A XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM. The X99A GODLIKE GAMING CARBON comes with MSI’s patented Turbo Socket which removes all limits by providing extra pins for better overlocking on Intel extreme processors. The motherboard also comes with DDR4 Boost with Steel Armor design, allowing for enhanced memry performance and stability. Killer DoubleShot-X3 Pro networking and 4-Way Nvidia SLI/AMD CrossFire support has also been integrated into the motherboard itself.

For the X99A XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM, the motherboard comes with a strengthened PCB and Military Class 5 components. With excelllent OC capabilities, the latest U.s 32Gb/s fast storage, USB 3.1 Gen 2 A+C, 4 Way SLI/Crossfire support, whole I/O, Audio Cover and more, the X99A XPOWER GAMING TITANIUM is geared up to provide the best OC performance and breathtaking VR experiences.

Lastly, the graphics card. MSI will be debuting its own GTX 1080 Founder’s Edition in the COMPUTEX halls. With heavy-duty graphics firepower to hit the requisite 90 frames per second, as well as features such as simultaneous multi-projection and the new VRWorks, the GTX 1080 Founder’s Edition is the cream of the crop of MSI’s graphics cards.


COMPUTEX 2016: Palit unveils GameRock and JetStream flavors of the GeForce GTX 1080

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The GeForce GTX 1080 Founders Edition may have made the headlines since launch, but it is also time that OEMs have started to unveil their own flavors of NVIDIA’s latest graphics card, we were greeted with the GameRock and JetStream flavors of the GTX 1080 in Palit’s office today, these two graphics card sports its own unique shroud designs with dual 10cm fans. Palit says that the GameRock version of the GTX 1080 is made for extreme gamers who also wants the best performance and stylish looking GPU, it has a ‘GameRock’ design backplate that protects the PCB and looks really cool, there’s also RGB lighting on the top that allows gamers to configure up to 16.8 million colours and it can be used to reflect the temperature range of the GPU.

Apart from having a more striking shroud design, the GameRock GTX 1080 has an improved GameRock cooler with 22% more fin and large size copper base, a 8-Phase plus 2 PWM that load balances power and improves overclocking, and dual BIOS feature that protects the GPU from system failure. The JetStream GTX 1080 on the other hand has a different cooler from the former, it has also been upgraded with 15% more fins and a larger copper base, the Turbo FanBlade design on the fan also complements on improving cooling performance by generating a powerful airstream and airpressure, there’s also a 8-phase PWM that helps stabilizes voltage levels and improves overclocking abilities.

That’s not all, Palit has also shown us the G-Panel, an external GPU monitoring device that will work with all GeForce graphics card, it allows system builders to monitor the GPU’s clock speed, fan speed, temperature and voltage conveniently while having additional front facing USB 3.0 Type-A and C ports. The Palit GeForce GTX 1080 GameRock and JetStream will be available by end of June in local IT retailers, while a factory overclocked GTX 1080 Super JetStream GPU has yet to be announced.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Perform alcohol level and air quality checks on your smartphone with Kingmax's mobile health device

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Kingmax have announced two very peculiar devices in COMPUTEX this year, they are mobile health devices that enables users to check on air quality and alcohol levels, while I was a little skpetical on what audiences does Kingmax intends to have these two products reach out, the marketing specialist at Kingmax has revealed that these are perfect devices for individuals who have sensitive health conditions, instead of buying those professional looking and expensive devices to perform such tests, the Alcohol Check and AirQ Check are very portable health check devices that you can easily store in your wallet or bag.

Both of these two devices have MicroUSB connectors and will only work with Android smartphones that has USB OTG support. The Alcohol Check will enable users to check their alochol levels should they need to know if it is safe to drive after a drink, the device has a built-in sensor that is able to detect the user’s breathe and shows the actual alochol level in the body, if it exceeds the unsafe level, the app will even allow you to configure a preferred phone number to call your important contacts to have you dragged from the bar, while this could be useful for some I still wonder if drunkards will ever remember to check their alcohol levels.

The AirQ Check is a more practical device though, targeted at individuals that are sensitive to air quality, this device will detect any harmful gases and CO2 levels on surroudings and tells you if you would require to have air filters installed to improve the room’s air quality, it works similarly to the Alcohol Check device and there’s an app for it to perform the required air analysis, an LED indicator is also available to tell users on the air quality.

Kingmax has plans to bring these two devices to the Malaysian market by the end of June and retail prices for these two devices are expected to be US$50 (RM207) before taxes, do keep a close look out on your nearest IT retailers or we might probably see it popping up in pharmacy shelves or clinics, fingers crossed then.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Plextor's new M8PeY is the most handsome looking PCI-e SSD ever

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We all know how SSD and PCI-E SSD look like, but the Plextor M8PeY has definitely made us fall for it with its very smart looking case, there’s also a breathing red LED on top to make it look even more attractive. Coupled with the M8PeG M.2 SSD and Marvell 88SS1093 controller, the M8PeY is able to deliver up to 2500MB/s of sequential read and 1400MB/s of sequential write speeds. Available in storage capacities of 128GB up to 1TB, the 1TB model will come with a 1GB LPDDR3 DRAM cache while the rest of it will come with 512MB LPDDR3 DRAM cache.

On the other hand, Plextor has also showed off its EX1 series mini SSD drives which looks a lot like a power bank, it features a mangesium alloy chassis and has design attributes that is inspired by Cupertino, this product is made for users who wants portability and speedy data transfer speeds on the go, hence the EX1 series mini SSD is fitted with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port that claims to deliver up to 550MB/s of sequential read and 500MB/s of sequential write speeds, storage capacities are available from 128GB up to 512GB, and I am sure this won’t be the most affordable storage device to own.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Qualcomm's latest chip is aimed at small wearables

242

At COMPUTEX, Qualcomm has announced that they will be making yet another chip. However, this chip isn’t the successor to the Snapdragon 820. Instead, Qualcomm is aiming for the wearables this time around with the new Snapdragon Wear 1100.

Made for small wearables that won’t be able to fit in large batteries, the Snapdragon Wear 1100 is a smaller version of the Snapdragon Wear 2100 chip that was released a few months ago. According to Qualcomm, this particular chip is meant for “targeted purpose” wearables which don’t require the horsepower that multi-purpose wearables require. Examples of such devices include smartwatches for the kids and the elderly, as well as fitness trackers.

The chip itself is 45% smaller than the QSC6270 and is capable of lasting up to seven days with LTE standby. Other features of the Snapdragon Wear 1100 includes a Power Save Mode, an integrated LTE/3G modem, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, and location tracking via Qualcomm’s “iZat” technology.

While Qualcomm did not mention which devices will be using its new 1100 chip, the company did say that the chips have already been shipped up, so you can probably expect 1100-powered devices as early as next year.

Source:
Engadget

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COMPUTEX 2016: Synology introduces new Intel powered DiskStation DS916+ and DS416play NAS servers

461

Synology’s appearance in COMPUTEX this year has once again impressed us with two new DiskStation NAS servers, the DS916+ and DS416play are two new products aimed at highly scalable enterprises and professionals, they are both powered by Intel processors and that means you will have better application compatibility on its DiskStation Manager 6.0 operating system.

One look at the DS916+ easily tells you that this isn’t something made for the average joe, the NAS server is able to handle up to 4 hard drives (expandable to 9 hard drives via e-SATA) and features 2GB and 8GB RAM options, making it a very flexible and future proof product if you have a constantly growing user base, it is also made to handle concurrent connections and virtualization as well. In terms of performance, the DS916+ is powered by an Intel Pentium quad-core CPU and Synology claims an impressive 225MB/s read and 221MB/s write speed, it also has two Gigabit LAN ports, two USB 3.0 ports at the back and one USB 3.0 port at the front.

The DS416play may be just a consumer-centric four bay NAS but it is certainly no slouch when it comes to transfer speeds, powered by an Intel Celeron dual-core processor, the DS416play offers up to 225MB/s read and 186MB/s write speed under RAID 5 configuration in a Windows environment, users will also be happy to know that the NAS server features single channel 4K Ultra HD or triple-channel full HD video transcoding on the fly, hence you can easily view your high quality videos on the NAS with your mobile device through DS Video and the NAS’s built-in Video Station without using your device’s hardware power. Finally, the DS416play has dual Gigabit LAN with a failover support to ensure service continuity in case of a network failure.

Apart from these two hero devices, Synology has also displayed the cute, compact and powerful DS416slim NAS server, the four hot swap drive bays accepts 2.5-inch hard drives and the NAS is powered by a dual-core 1.0GHz CPU, transfer speeds are also decent with over 194MB/s read and 77MB/s write speeds. Synology has not specify a release date, but do keep a look out in your local IT retailers if you are interested in buying one of these NAS servers.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Synology's new RT2600ac is a router that acts like a server and NAS

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We’ve seen Synology’s first ever network router last year, the RT1900AC has great hardware and a very polished user experience just like its DiskStation NAS, which makes it one of the most memorable networking products I have ever come cross. This year, the company introduced the RT2600ac wireless router, while it isn’t the successor to last year’s model, this bad boy comes with extremely high performance hardware under the hood, such as a 1.7GHz dual-core CPU, up to 2600Mbps speed and 4×4 MU-MIMO support.

The RT2600ac will also come shipped with Synology Router Manager (SRM) 1.1, which brings more advanced network management features such as automatically connecting devices to the best wireless band for best WiFi connection, the Smart WAN feature provides capability of automatic network failover or load balancing to ensure a consistent network connectivity. Last but not the least, SRM 1.1 also introduces the intrusion detction system and intrusion prevention system services that will help protect the network from hacks, Synology will be introducing Cloud Station to the operating system really soon and users will be able to create their own private cloud just like its Diskstation products.

In terms of ports, the RT2600ac has four Gigabit LAN ports, one Gigabit WAN port, two USB 3.0 ports for connecting external storage and printers, and probably the most unexpected feature would be a SDHC-UHS-I/SDXC UHS-I card reader onboard that will allow users to view and transfer photos on your SD card, this is definitely one of the most interesting network router that we have seen from Synology this year, however the company hasn’t revealed on when it is bringing its network routers into Malaysia, so lets hope that they will bring them in this year.

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COMPUTEX 2016: Unrevealed Asus VR headset spotted

275

Computex 2016 has been eventful thus far, both for Asus and for our team at Taipei. The company wowed us with their slew of refreshed products such as as the new Snapdragon powered Zenfones, the Zenbook 3 alongside a new line of Transformer ultrabooks, beefy ROG gaming laptops, and perhaps the most surprising unveiling by Asus – Zenbo, a cute little robot assistant. While Asus has covered pretty much every important aspect of technology, it looks like they’re not done just yet.

Spotted at Asus’ press event at Computex 2016, more specifically the demo area is a VR headset on display, encased in glass, with the “Asus VR” name. It is rather unfortunate that Asus decided not to officially unveil the virtual reality headset like it did with the rest of the devices, hence what we know about this headset is next to nothing. Based on the image, we can see that the VR headset has a couple of buttons plus a touchpad, similar to the recently announced ZTE VR, which supports Google Daydream. The straps of the Asus VR are pretty reminiscent of the strap seen on Asus’ own ZenWatch as well.

By the looks of it, the company has hopped onto the VR bandwagon, which is the in-thing right now, but we won’t be expecting Asus to unveil it at Computex. Since it sports a similar setup to ZTE’s VR headset, chances are that the Asus VR will support Google Daydream as well, making it one of the first after ZTE. How are you liking Computex so far? Stay tuned as we bring you more coverage live from Taipei!

Source:
Engadget

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Computex 2017 kicks start with innovative products and gaming competitions

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Computex will begin on May 30 till June 3, and we are here at Taipei as usual for the third time to check out the latest innovation in tech at the largest PC expo. This year’s Computex sees an increase of 10.5% of pre-registered international buyers and visitors around the world, and the theme for this year is Building Global Technology Ecosystems.

The show won’t differ too much from last year, as it continues to focus on 5 themes – AI & Robotics, IoT Applications, Innovations & Startups, Business Solutions, and Gaming & VR. TAITRA, the organizer of Computex has also collaborated with the Taiwan National Palace Museum in showcasing an immersive VR experience over at Nangang Exhibition Hall, which allows visitors to experience oriental culture and arts. Gaming competitions are also big this year, one of which includes ZOTAC’s CUP MASTERS, while there’s also activities such as Computex Modding Challenge – CyberMods and overclocking event OC World Cup.

Apart from forums and product launches, InnoVEX is held again in Computex this year, this is a featured exhibit that will house innovative products and services from startups of over 23 countries, including Taiwan, Korea, France, China, the U.S, Singapore, Israel, Hong Kong, Denmark and India, this exhibit will also allow the exhibitors to do pitches to potential buyers and investors, while having a business match making session. Moving forward, TAITRA has also announced that the Taiwan government will also be building an “Asia Silicon Valley” in the country, which will promote IoT innovation and optimize startups and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Stay tuned for more Computex 2017 coverage as we will be on the ground to check out these exciting stuffs.

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COMPUTEX 2020 postponed to September 28, not cancelled

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The annual COMPUTEX show in Taipei about all-things new in the world of computers, has been postponed to 28 September this year.

The show happens in June every year, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers have decided to delay this year’s instalment for the safety of its attendees and exhibitors. There’s also the fact that transport and immigration services will likely tight on regulations during this period, and a
postponign
 the event would probably mean an easier time getting people to the show anyways.

COMPUTEX in September will take place in the
Taipei

Nangang
 Exhibition Centre, Hall 2 and will see the newest tech in 5G, gaming, computing and more. To ensure a fruitful event, the Taiwan External Trade Development Council will “enhance” inviting global visitors to the show.

As it stands, we’re nowhere near seeing a stop to the pandemic – although isolation measures are in place to halt the progression of the virus, the number of cases
are
 on the rise globally, including here in Malaysia. But despite this, we’re glad the event is not cancelled entirely – and if anything, that gives tech folk like us something to be optimistic about.

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COMPUTEX 2020 cancelled; “rescheduled” to June 1 – 5, 2021

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COMPUTEX 2020 is now cancelled; the next COMPUTEX event will be held from June 1 to June 5, 2021 as there are still many factors that might hinder the success rate of this year’s event.

COMPUTEX 2020 cancelled

COMPUTEX is one of the biggest tech trade shows that is held annually and it’s usually held in June. COMPUTEX 2020 was first postponed to September in hopes that the pandemic situation will be over by then, but many countries are still greatly affected by COVID-19 as of now.

Though the
Facebook page
 states that the event is “rescheduled to 2021”, it is basically just another way of saying that there won’t be an event for this year. That being said, cancelling/rescheduling the event is the best move for COMPUTEX right now as there are still countries that haven’t lifted their travel ban.

COVID-19 has greatly affected many industries, including the tech industry; events like
MWC
 are cancelled and smartphone launches became online-exclusive events. This is the ‘new normal’, at least for the next couple of months.

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COMPUTEX 2021: Best announcements this year!

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Hordes of techies like myself cried of anguish last year when we learned that
COMPUTEX
 was officially
cancelled
; a year on however, the world’s largest tech expo was finally able take place – albeit through the interwebz.

As usual, the six-day affair saw big brands unveil all sorts of exciting products and innovations – so here’s a roundup of some of the more eye-catching ones.

AMD

Team Red announced new graphics cards for laptops in the form of the the Radeon RX 6800M, 6700M, and 6600M. They’re are built on the brand’s new RDNA 2 architecture, and
AMD
 claims that it offers at least 1.5x higher performance compared to the older RDNA architecture.

On top of that, being mobile cards, the new GPUs also offer 43% lower power consumption too. With the help AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution, these cards can offer more performance thanks to improved spatial upscaling in games that support the feature.

Besides that, AMD also announced two new CPUs by way of the Ryzen 5 5600G, and the Ryzen 7 5700G. Both chips are built with RDNA 2 graphics cores, and Zen 3 CPU cores – which should allow it to run AAA games well.

NVIDIA

Team Green
 took to the COMPUTEX stage to unveil two new GPUs as well – the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti and the RTX 3080 Ti. Their introduction comes as the crypto market sees one of its largest dips to date, which is likely to deter miners and scalper from hoarding the newly-launched cards.

That’s good news for gamers because now there’s at least a sliver of hope that stock will be somewhat readily available, but the issue of silicon shortages is still hampering production numbers.

The RTX 3070 Ti is priced at $599 (about RM2,427) while the RTX 3080 Ti will cost $1,199 (about RM4,949). The former will arrive this June 10 and the latter will be available this June 3.

If you manage to snag yourself one of these cards, you can expect performance boosts in the ray tracing department, and at least 1.5x improved generational performance.

Intel

Team Blue
 is looking ahead in the communications department instead with the introduction of the Intel 5G 5000 chip that will allow Windows laptops to get 5G connectivity. It comes in the M.2 form and will arrive later this year in partner branded devices like Acer, ASUS, and HP.

More expectedly, Intel is also launching two new CPUs – the Intel Core i5-1155G7 and the Core i7-11995G7 for mobile platforms will come with Intel Xe graphics, and will be available in 60 laptops by the end of this year.

Alienware

Dell’s gaming division has been putting a lot of brain power in fixing two common problems when it comes to gaming laptops – size and cooling.
Element 31
 is Alienware’s solution and it’s a liquid cooling solution that uses gallium liquid metal to dissipate heat.

Unlike regular liquid metal products, Element 31 does not conduct electricity as well. Dell claims that Element 31 can yield a 7.5-degree improvement in thermal performance compared to regular thermal grease.

This means a lesser need for larger chassis and fans to dissipate heat, allowing for thinner laptop – and to put theory into practice are the upcoming Alienware x15 and x17 laptops that will be arriving this June 15.

These are some of the more interesting unveilings during this year’s COMPUTEX expo – the common theme here of course is the need to improve gaming performance; and this comes at a time where consumers are starved of affordable components thanks to the surge in crypto mining.

We’re definitely excited to try out some of these new products in the near future, so keep an out on our website as we bring you our latest reviews when we get our hands on them.

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COMPUTEX 2021 to take place on June 1

375

The COMPUTEX trade show is one of the largest of its kind and it takes place
annually
 – until COVID 19 happened that is. What was to be this year’s iteration was
cancelled
 due to the pandemic; today however, we have confirmation from the organizers that COMPUTEX 2021 will happen, but with a twist to the usual formula.

Set to happen from June 1 to June 4, next year’s event will see COMPUTEX take an Online-Merge-Offline (OMO)
approach
, where by the physical event will house the vendors and brands, while event goers will attend via the internet. The event will also utilize AI to personalize the type of content each participant gets.

COMPUTEX 2021 will feature innovations in the fields of 5G, AI & IOT, Edge Computing, High-performance Computing, Cyber Security, Gaming, and Innovations & Startups.

As usual, the event will take place at the Taipei
Nangang
 Exhibition Center, as well as at the Taipei International Convention Center.
InnoVEX
, which is a branch event for start-ups, will happen from June 2 to June 4, also at the Taipei
Nangang
 Exhibition Center. Visit the COMPUTEX website
here
 to learn more.

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COMPUTEX 2023: Acer Boosts Developer Capabilities with Enhanced SpatialLabs™ Technology Tools

3.2K

In a significant move to elevate immersive technology, Acer has made an announcement of the expansion of its developer tools for its preeminent SpatialLabs™ technology.

The expansion is aimed at enabling a broader spectrum of developers to create glasses-free, stereoscopic 3D experiences on Acer’s SpatialLabs Pro devices. The development incorporates Unity plug-in support, providing an innovative platform for developers hailing from varied sectors to create unique stereo 3D content and applications.

Additionally, Acer’s OpenXR runtime for SpatialLabs has been successfully certified, making it possible for developers to employ OpenXR protocols in constructing stereo 3D content and applications on SpatialLabs’ commercial displays. In an effort to unlock the full potential of stereo 3D for VR applications, Acer’s SteamVR Bridge paves the way for developers to deliver superior immersive experiences via SpatialLabs Pro devices.

Acer Enhances its Pro Suite Developer Program with Unity Plug-in

Acer is proudly launching its support for the Unity plug-in, thus extending its developer base to a multitude of professional spheres, from education and architecture to medicine and beyond.

Given the wide-ranging utilization of Unity as a platform for creating stereo 3D content and applications, developers can leverage the available tools and verticals to enrich their experiences and present their 3D models in their true form on Acer SpatialLabs Pro Devices.

This advancement eliminates the necessity for specialized glasses for the immersive experience.

Acer OpenXR Runtime Reaches Certification

Acer has successfully acquired certification for its OpenXR Runtime, integrating the SpatialLabs Pro devices with OpenXR. Acer’s commitment to open standards is manifested in its contribution to the Khronos OpenXR working group.

This achievement offers the extended reality (XR) developer community a broader range of device choices to showcase their work with high-definition, glasses-free stereoscopic 3D. Acer’s vast experience in delivering immersive, stereoscopic 3D visuals through SpatialLabs synergizes with OpenXR’s cross-platform, high-performance API to speed up innovation.

Acer Propels VR with SteamVR Bridge

The availability of Acer’s proprietary SteamVR Bridge driver empowers developers of VR applications to transform their creations on Acer’s SpatialLabs Pro devices, delivering stunning clarity and imagery without the need for VR headsets. The Acer SteamVR Bridge, in conjunction with NVIDIA Omniverse™, affords users of SpatialLabs Pro devices more viewing options and streamlined workflows for superior stereo 3D projection of intricate graphics, visual effects, and simulations.

For more insights on the latest enhancements, developers and enthusiasts are encouraged to visit the SpatialLabs Developer site.

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COMPUTEX 2023: Acer made a WiFi 6E router out of post recycled consumer materials

5K

Acer has broken new ground with the launch of the Acer Connect Vero W6m, the company’s first eco-friendly Wi-Fi 6E router.

The cutting-edge router is unique in its use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials for its chassis and incorporates an energy-saving Eco mode for efficient power consumption.

High-Speed Wi-Fi 6E Connectivity and Enhanced Coverage

The Acer Connect Vero W6m stands as Acer’s pioneer eco-friendly router, offering Wi-Fi 6E connectivity and compliance with security standards stipulated by the European Commission’s Radio Equipment Directive.

It supports Wi-Fi 6E Triband (2.4 GHz/5 GHz/6 GHz[1,2]) AXE7800 throughput, offering blistering speeds of up to 7.8 Gbps for fast and stable online connections.

Users can pair the router with up to four units, providing vast network ranges of up to 465 m2 in a dual mesh system and up to 930 square meters in a quad mesh system, effectively eliminating dead spots in large coverage areas.

The router is powered by a MediaTek quad-core 2 GHz A53 processor with 1 GB LPDDR RAM and 4 GB memory capacity, ensuring the router can meet high-bandwidth requirements.

The Connect Vero W6m places strong emphasis on data protection and security, being the first router to meet EU EN 303 645 (RED) Cyber Security Standards.

Eco-Conscious Design and Features

In line with Acer’s commitment to reduce CO2 emissions, the Connect Vero W6m router has been designed with eco-consciousness at its core.

This environmental ethos is apparent in everything from the device’s chassis to its energy-efficient features. The packaging is also 100% recyclable.

The router’s minimalist and compact aesthetic is made of 30% PCR plastic and finished in a cobblestone grey that complements any office or home setup.

The router also incorporates a dedicated Eco mode, which optimizes power consumption of the router and connected devices by managing sleep times during periods of inactivity and efficiently regulating data frequency distribution.

No pricing and availability details have been shared by Acer at this time of publishing.

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COMPUTEX 2023: Acer showcases the Swift Edge 16 laptop

3.3K

Acer today unveiled the latest iteration of its Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-43) laptop, marking a significant upgrade tailored to cater to the demands of dynamic professionals who prioritize high computing capability, productivity, and portability.

The lightweight laptop, featuring AMD Ryzen™ 7040 Series processors and AMD Radeon™ 780M graphics, promises exceptional performance and visuals, even catering to AI demands with select models and processors.

The new Swift Edge 16 showcases an impressive 16-inch 3.2K OLED display with a superior refresh rate of 120 Hz and support for 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, ensuring life-like colors and images.

With Windows 11 onboard and compatibility with Wi-Fi 7, Microsoft Pluton, and a host of smart features, users can maintain fast wireless connections and secure their private data.

Attractive Aesthetics and Display Features

Designed to make a statement, the Swift Edge 16 exhibits a captivating design and color display capabilities.

The laptop’s slim and lightweight magnesium alloy frame measures a mere 12.95 mm (0.51 inches) and weighs in at just 1.23 kg (2.71 lbs), finished with a sleek olivine black coating. Its 16-inch 3.2K OLED panel (3200 x 2000) with 120 Hz refresh rate, 100% DCI-P3 color gamut support, and 0.2 ms response time guarantees a cinema-grade viewing experience.

The VESA DisplayHDR™ True Black 500-certified display offers high-contrast colors, while the TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe®-certified panel mitigates blue light exposure for extended viewing comfort.

Performance and Security Fueled by AI

Under the hood, the Swift Edge 16 harnesses the power of AMD Ryzen™ 7040 Series processors for robust performance and energy efficiency.

Paired with AMD Radeon™ 780M graphics, it delivers captivating visuals. Select models offer AMD Ryzen AI, promising exciting AI experiences like real-time video quality enhancements for video calls.

A built-in Microsoft Pluton security processor safeguards against sophisticated attacks, while Windows Hello provides biometric authentication via the fingerprint reader.

With up to 32 GB of LPDDR5 RAM and 2 TB of PCIe Gen 4 SSD storage, the laptop ensures quick data transfers, lower latency, and speedy load times.

Its TwinAir cooling technology, coupled with improved fan and air inlet keyboard designs, ensures the device can operate at its peak performance.

Enhanced Connectivity and Smart Features

The Swift Edge 16 supports up to Wi-Fi 7, delivering blistering speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps, sub-2ms latency, and multi-link capability.

It is outfitted with a host of smart features like Window Studio Effects for enhanced video conference experiences via its 1440p QHD webcam with automatic framing, gaze correction, and advanced background blur., the webcam’s video quality is also enhanced by Acer’s Temporal Noise Reduction (TNR) and Acer PurifiedVoice™ with AI noise reduction ensure superior video call experiences.

The laptop also provides a full-sized keyboard and an array of essential connectivity ports, including two USB Type-A ports, dual USB 4 Type-C PD 65W ports with fast charging and display capabilities, HDMI 2.1, and a Micro SD card reader.

The Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-43) is set to be available in North America and EMEA starting in July, with prices starting from USD 1,299.99 and EUR 1,199 respectively.

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COMPUTEX 2023: Acer unleashes a premium 16-inch gaming laptop

2.3K

Acer has unveiled a powerful premium gaming laptop to its robust gaming portfolio, the Predator Triton 16 (PT16-51), a laptop designed for both gaming and professional tasks.

Equipped with the latest 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processors, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, and up to 32 GB of DDR5 RAM, this laptop is prepared to handle the demands of any gamer. Advanced thermal solutions, including dual 5th Gen AeroBlade™ 3D fans, Vortex Flow optimization, and liquid metal thermal grease on the CPU, ensure optimum performance even during the most intense gaming sessions, all within a sleek metal chassis.

Unprecedented Performance Coupled with Advanced Cooling

The Predator Triton 16, measuring just 19.9 mm (0.78 inches), sports a sophisticated metal casing adorned with a sparkling silver finish. Despite its thin profile, it houses up to 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processors featuring a new hybrid core architecture with a 5.4 GHz max turbo frequency.

The laptop also includes NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, NVIDIA DLSS 3, and a host of Max-Q technology features, offering top-tier ray tracing and performance. With configurations offering up to 32 GB of DDR5 5200 MHz memory and up to 2 TB PCIe M.2 SSDs in RAID 0 configuration, the Triton 16 delivers immense power to satisfy any gamer’s needs.

The Triton 16 features a 16-inch (16:10) WQXGA 2560 x 1600 IPS display with 500 nits peak brightness and a 240 Hz refresh rate. With DCI-P3 100% color gamut and support for NVIDIA Advanced Optimus and NVIDIA G-SYNC, the laptop offers vibrant, smooth visuals for the most graphically demanding games.

Advanced thermal management includes a dual-fan system with 5th Gen AeroBlade™ 3D metal fans. Acer’s Vortex Flow technology, which uses dedicated heat pipes and exhaust vents, and liquid metal thermal grease on the CPU ensure the laptop maintains peak performance without overheating.

Customizable Control and Connectivity

The PredatorSense™ key allows gamers to customize the keyboard’s per-key RGB lighting, user interface, management control systems, and more through the dedicated PredatorSense utility app.

The Predator Triton 16, running on Windows 11, boasts Intel® Killer™ DoubleShot™ Pro (E2600+Wi-Fi 6E 1675i) and an array of functional ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, HDMI 2.1, a Type-C USB port with Thunderbolt™ 4, and a Micro SD™ card reader. The addition of a fingerprint reader with Windows Hello support ensures secure and convenient access.

The Predator Triton 16 (PT16-51) is slated to be available in North America and EMEA in September, with prices starting at USD 1,799.99 and EUR 2,299 respectively.

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COMPUTEX 2023: HyperX launches Cloud III Gaming Headset

3.6K

HP Inc.’s gaming peripheral division, HyperX, has unveiled its next-generation HyperX Cloud III Gaming Headset at COMPUTEX 2023.

Building on the immense success of its predecessor, the Cloud II released in 2015, the Cloud III promises to deliver enhanced comfort and a superior audio experience with its upgraded 53mm angled drivers and lifetime activation of DTS® Headphone:X®, promising precise 3D audio spatialization.

In conjunction with the Cloud III unveiling, HyperX also introduced the HyperX Cirro Buds Pro True Wireless, meticulously designed to offer an improved listening experience with maximum comfort.

These wireless buds are equipped with 35 hours of battery life, 8mm dynamic drivers, Bluetooth® wireless connectivity, and precision noise cancelling with hybrid active noise cancellation technology for a clear sound experience free from external disturbances.

HyperX Cloud III Gaming Headset

Staying true to HyperX’s commitment to comfort, the Cloud III is equipped with re-engineered 53mm angled drivers and DTS® Headphone:X, ensuring immersive 3D audio.

The headset is designed to endure extended gaming sessions, featuring plush HyperX memory foam ear cushions and additional padding in the headband.

It comes with a 10mm microphone with noise-cancellation and an internal metal mesh pop filter, onboard audio and mic controls, and compatibility with platforms such as PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and mobile devices.

It features 3.5mm, USB-C, and USB-A connectors for versatile connectivity.

HyperX Cirro Buds Pro True Wireless Earbuds

The Cirro Buds Pro provide precise noise cancelling with hybrid active noise cancellation technology.

They offer an ambient sound mode for users to stay aware of their surroundings and low-latency audio connectivity for seamless mobile gaming.

Featuring Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, these earbuds promise wireless freedom along with an IPX4 water-resistant rating for durability.

The charging case can fully recharge the earbuds in just 40 minutes. With three sets of ear tips for a personalized fit and up to 35 hours of battery life, the Cirro Buds Pro are available in black, blue, and tan colors.

Availability of the Cloud III Gaming Headset begins on June 6th with an MSRP of MYR 399.

For additional information about HyperX products, please visit
www.hyperx.com.

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COMPUTEX 2023: Unitek made a Nintendo Switch dock that switches cartridges

4.8K

If you have always find switching between game cards on your Nintendo Switch a chore, Unitek has showed off an ingenious custom dock for the game console at COMPUTEX 2023 that allows you to switch game cartridges with just a press of a button.

The dock looks very much like Nintendo’s default charging dock, Unitek has included a cartridge switcher that holds up to 8 game cards, which 4 of them can be used by the Switch’s game card slot, while the remaining 4 of them serves as storage for your game cards, the end of the dock features a game card like connector which you will then insert into the game card slot of your switch, and it requires external power by just using a USB-C cable, which can be connected to the USB 3.0 port that Unitek has conveniently designed at the side of the dock.

Although the dock already features Nintendo’s branding at the back, Unitek says that they are in the process of getting this accessory licensed by Nintendo, and it intends to sell this product by summer this year, no estimated pricing has been shared with us at this time of publishing, but we think this is going to be a cool accessory to own if you tend to switch games often when gaming on your TV.

computex 2023
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COMPUTEX15: GIADA to exhibit next generation high performance computing products

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Giada, a leading embedded systems manufacturer based in Shenzhen owned by JEHE Technology will be making its appearance at Computex 2015 happening in the next two weeks, we’ve once reviewed the comapny’s Mini PCs and have found them to be extremely reliable in our tests and the company is set to excite us once again by introducing their next generation high performance computing products.

The company is expected to present a live demo of 6 x 1 multi-screen displays using its G320
Mini PC
 that supports up to 6 HD displays, offering the best digital signage solution for the industry. In addition, the company will also introduce the i58B barebone mini-PC powered by Intel’s Broadwell architecture. GIADA’s micro servers the GT200 and GT400 will also be present at the event, these small Intel Dual-Core powered machines serves the purpose of being a private cloud data center, email and web server.

We’ll be live over at Computex 2015 in the next two weeks to perform coverage so do stay tuned for more while we find out what GIADA is up to in the exhibition.


Concept renders of the Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro shows the four rear cameras

362

Samsung has recently sent us an invite to a launch even with just the title of 4x fun. Initially, we assumed that it will be one of their budget phones that will come with two cameras on the rear and front. However, in a recent leak of the Samsung Galaxy A9 Star Pro, which is related to the event, we see that it will be four cameras on the back.

The concept render was posted by All About Samsung which shows what we can expect from their 4x fun even. The four cameras will be in a verticle position on the left side of the phone’s back. The Galaxy A7 came with three cameras on the rear which is obviously to go against the Huawei P20 Pro, but it is obvious that Samsung felt that it’s not enough. The four cameras will come with an 8MP wide-angle camera, 24MP main camera, a 10MP zoom camera and 5MP zoom camera as well. The front houses a 24MP cameras and will come with a 6.28-inch screen with FHD+ resolutions and a Snapdragon 660 processor.

As of now, we don’t know the actual performance of the cameras and Samsung has not shared any images shot with the phone. We are assuming they want to keep things under wraps until the launch event. We have seen single camera phones performing well so we hope that with four cameras, it should surpass everything else on the market.

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Concept video shows the Samsung Galaxy A90 with a dual rotating camera on a slider

295

The Samsung Galaxy A90 was already accidentally revealed to have a “maxed out Notchless Infinity screen”, but we weren’t sure how it would be done. However, a YouTube video recently revealed how the Samsung Galaxy A90 can be, and though it’s not confirmed, it’s sure a refreshing way to get a notch-less display.

The video concept shows a sliding mechanism, a design already found in a number of smartphones but what makes it different is that there are no hidden front cameras, not even when you reveal the slider.

Instead, the slider holds a dual camera that can rotate to its front to function as a dual selfie camera. However, this concept can also be lacking in some ways. Not only will it be slower when it comes to switching between front and rear cameras, it’ll also be weird to take insta-stories where you want to switch from front camera to rear camera (or vice versa) to take a video. Will the rotating camera continue shooting the video — leading to unwanted footages as it rotates, or will it stop halfway?

The point is, while this video shows a rather unique concept, it doesn’t seem to check off practicality. On a side note, rumour has it that Samsung might announce the Galaxy A90 on April 10.

dual rotating camera
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ConceptD — Acer’s new series of powerful devices for creators

417

Acer introduces a new brand called the ConceptD, a brand made by creators for creators, bringing in several new devices including laptops, desktops and monitor.

The company started with ConceptD 9, a laptop that has Pantone Validated 4K UHD display with DeltaE <1. It also sports an Ezel Aero Hinge to prevent the display from flipping over by accident, which is similar to the one found in Acer Aspire R7.

As it is made for creators, the device has Wacom stylus support and will be powered by 9th Gen Intel Core processors. The ConceptD 9 measures at 17-inches, but it also has a ConceptD 5 and ConceptD 7 that are much thinner and lighter.

That aside, ConceptD also has a powerful desktop made for creators called the ConceptD 900. It is a desktop that comes with a unique design in which the top of the desktop supports wireless charging. The desktop is extremely powerful with dual Intel Xeon Gold 6148 processors that has 40 cores in total, and equips the NVIDIA Quadro RTX 6000 GPU that leads to amazing ray tracing speed.

Creators will not need to worry about storage with this desktop as it has 12 memory slots, 5 storage bays and multiple PCIe slots which can support up to 192GB RAM and 60TB storage. There is also a Concept D 500 desktop with lower specs but also sports wireless charging.

In addition to the announcement of its laptops and desktops, the brand also introduced its monitor, the ConceptD CP7. To ensure that it is up to standards, the CP7 is a 27-inch 4K UHD monitor with VESA Certified Display HDR 1000 and supports NVIDIA G-SYNC Ultimate. It also comes with 144Hz frame rate and has great colour accuracy with 99% Adobe RGB Color Space and Delta E <1. Those who wants a bigger screen can instead opt for the ConceptD CM7 that measures at 32-inches and comes with a Mini-LED technology which functions as the monitor’s backlight.

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Conference call with up to 200 people?

347

The term “undivided attention” is becoming more of a rarity nowadays. Everyone wants to converse with multiple individuals at the same time. Skype has recently rolled a
group calling feature
 for Android and iOS, supporting up to 25 participants per call. LINE Corporation has seemed to dwarf that feature, announcing an addition of a new group call feature to its LINE app, with support of up to 200 people.

The feature is included in the newest version of the LINE app for Android, iOS and desktop. However, the new feature will be rolled out to countries outside the Asian region, before arriving to countries like apan, Thailand, Taiwan, and Indonesia. Group calls can simply be initiated from group chats. Also, the number of people in a group call can be set on the spot. When a user is speaking, an icon will appear above his or her user icon for indication.

Apart from that, the app update comes with a slightly revamped design on the “More” screen. The menu icons have been increased in size for ease of viewing. LINE has had over a 100 million downloads on the Google Play Store since it was released back in June 2011. Your move, Skype. What do you think about this feature? Comment below!

Source:
LINE

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Considering an Android TV? Here’s why you should just go for it

2.1K

Do you ever want to Netflix but your phone screen is too small, and now you’re scrambling to get a cable so you can watch it on TV? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way because Android TVs can help you access the entertainment you love at the tip of your fingertips.

Download your favourite apps

As the name implies, Android TVs run on a similar operating system as your Android smartphones
– meaning you can install your favourite apps or games through the Google Play store.

Ask Google for help

Just like your handset, you can call out to your friendly Google Assistant to play music, videos or even something as simple as setting a timer.

Share your favourite moments

Android TVs also support Chromecast so you can share your favourite moments with your family and friends with just a tap from your phone.

You might be having second thoughts as these devices do not come cheap, while that may be true, there are brands out there that offer the best while maintaining a reasonable price point.

Here’s why Caixun is the brand you should go for

Caixun is a brand from Hong Kong with over 20 years of experience in designing Smart Digital Products such as TVs and digital signage. Having manufacturing facilities and sales offices around the globe, Caixun has finally expanded its market into Malaysia. Gaining the seal of approval from Malaysia SIRIM and MCMC, Caixun TVs are assembled locally.

Throughout the years, Caixun has established partnerships with industry leaders like Google, Netflix, Youtube, etc. Hence, you can be rest assured of its legitimacy as it will always bring the latest updates to your software.

You can get 1-year extended warranty if you register for their E-Warranty on their
official website
 as long as you purchase from their authorised online or offline stores
– that’s a total of 3 years of warranty compared to other brands!

Caixun is also dedicated to bringing the best visual and audio experience into your homes, ensuring you have the best entertainment experience without needing you to break the bank.

Caixun Year End Giveaway

The season of giving is soon arriving and Caixun is joining in by hosting a year-end giveaway to give back to its customers! This giveaway will go on from 1 – 15 December 2021.

The prizes are as listed:

Grand Prize: Caixun LE-50S2G 50-inch Android TV

Special Prize 1: Mini Wireless Keyboard x5

Special Prize 2: Caixun Travel Thermo Pouch x5

Special Prize 3: Caixun Thermo Flask x15

If you want to be the lucky person walking away with RM1,999 worth of prizes, all you have to do is simply:

LIKE
 Caixun Malaysia Official Facebook page

Keep an eye
 for Caixun Year End Giveaway post

Read the question
 and
submit the correct answer
 to Caixun

LIKE
 and
SHARE
 Caixun Year End Giveaway post

For more information, check out
Caixun’s
Official Facebook page
, official
 Shopee
 and
Lazada

stores or drop them a text through Whatsapp (+6019-335 0515) and they will be happy to answer any of your queries!

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Continental digitizes Tyre Pressure Monitoring with ContiConnect platform

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At least 58% of fleet tyres are underinflated in Malaysia, which leads to occasional truck breakdowns and accidents on the road. Therefore, Continental has introduced ContiConnect, a digital tyre monitoring platform with unique sensors that is dedicated for fleets, this isn’t the usual TPMS system that you see on common passenger cars but rather, the sensor is installed on the inner liner of the tyre with a battery life that lasts up to six years, and the way it is being installed prevent damage from kerbing and eliminates theft.

The tyre sensors will be able to detect tyre temperature and pressure without being affected by heat from braking systems, it is able to identify creeping air loss, one of the major causes of tyre failure, the data from the sensors will be read and transmitted to the ContiConnect backend via a cellular network by the yard reader every time the truck enters the fleet yard, which will then be presented on a web portal.

For fleet managers who requires have real-time tyre data via a telematics solution, Continental’s TPMS also offers data integration with multiple telematics providers, allowing integration to be seen in both the providers’ in-cab displays and backend portals, this will allow fleet managers to take proactive measures to reduce the chances of tyre failures, while ensuring the safety of the drivers.

Continental has since kicked off the pilot test of ContiConnect in Malaysia and Thailand, which has seen promising results and positive feedback from fleet operators, Malaysia is the first country to be chosen for a worldwide debut due to the successful pilot run. If you are interested in ContiConnect, head on over
here
 for more details.

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Contix Asia launched the Unixx Engine Oil to the Malaysian market

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Contix Asia has introduced its Unixx engine oils to the Malaysian market with a focus on producing quality engineered performance at competitive prices. These oils use the highest quality base stocks and are produced at ISO certified facilities in Singapore and Thailand.

Official sponsor of Unixx TR Motorsports Racing Team, this same engine oil was used in the 2017 Thailand Super Series, Supercar GTC for the 1st generation Porsche 977 that came in first place and was crowned the champion. This year, they were the runner up in the Thailand Super Production category with a Honda City. Unixx also supports various local street racing events, they are the main event sponsor of GXP in Thailand and sponsor of the Unixx JMS Tuner Motorsports in the Malaysia Speed Festival circuit.

Aside from engine oils, Unixx also produces a range of industrial lubricants which is available in China, Thailand and Myanmar. For more information, you can visit Contix’s
 official website
 or follow them on
Facebook
 for the latest news.

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Control Center in iOS 11 does not turn off your Wifi and Bluetooth

408

For those of you who own an Apple device that supports the new iOS 11, yesterday the company released their new operating system to users here in Malaysia and it brought along a lot of features that really enhanced the experience even for older devices. However, some changes have been made to the Control Center in the new update which is particularly targeted at the Bluetooth and WiFi controls.

When tapping on the two icons, it shows that it becomes disabled, however, this does not actually turn off the radio for both these features. They are left in the background running to keep features like the file transfer, AirDrop, geolocation services and communications with an Apple Watch intact. Now, this might seem like it’s not such a big deal, but we live in the age where an unsecured WiFi connection can lead to unwanted access into your devices, this also applies to the Bluetooth connection as well. This issue was found by security researcher Andrea Barisani who also mentioned that it is good practice to turn off both the WiFi and Bluetooth if you are worried about potential attacks and saving battery.

PSA: iOS 11 new control center WiFi and Bluetooth toggles don’t actually turn off their respective radios.

— Andrea Barisani (@AndreaBarisani)
September 20, 2017

The two radios can be shut off but it requires you to go directly into the each individual settings menu and switch them off there. Let’s hope that in future updates, Apple would make this process easier or indicate to users that their WiFi and Bluetooth is kept on for a good reason.

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The All Controller is the first universal controller that will work on consoles, PC and mobile devices

359

When people ask me which controller I preferred, my answer was always the same, I love the feel of the Xbox controller but I want the button positions of the Dualshock 4 controller. When I found out about the All Controller, a Kickstarter project that is a controller which connects to consoles, PC and even mobile devices, I thought to my self, “this could be it”.

To give you an understanding of what the controller looks like, it looks like the offspring of an Xbox Controller and a Dualshock 4, slapping a screen where the touchpad of the DS4 is. As you can see from the video below, it has a very Xbox-ish feel to the design of the controller and button placement mimics the DS4 pretty closely. They mentioned that it can give you 40 hours of continuous playing, paddles at the back of the controller and can even mimic a mouse and keyboard. The controller can even play games that were not built for controller support which applies to even mobile games. However, you do need a dongle if you want to use this controller with your console.

The All Controller has hit its pledge goal but you can still fund the project for 55 CAD (RM186.02) which will get you one wired All Controller. However, you would still need to wait awhile longer as the controller does not ship until May 2018.

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Leaked images of controller confirms the Microsoft Xbox Series S

386

Recent leaked images of the new Xbox controller has surfaced online with support for the Xbox Series S — confirming that Microsoft will be launching a new Xbox soon.

Leaked images of an Xbox controller

Image credit: Zak S

Just a few hours ago, a Twitter user with the name Zak S
tweeted
 photos of the Xbox controller that supports Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows 10, Android and iOS. This means that Microsoft might be revealing the Xbox Series S really soon — a cheaper next-gen Xbox console.

Xbox Series S: The more affordable console

And here’s a video to show that it’s real
pic.twitter.com/4SWl3nmsIw

— Zak S (@zakk_exe)
August 10, 2020

Previously codenamed as Lockhart console, The Verge said that the Xbox Series S will come with 7.5GB of RAM and features a similar CPU as the Xbox Series X. As for its controller, it sports a Hybrid D-pad and a Star button, has a textured grip and supports Bluetooth pairing.

This new Xbox controller comes in Robot White, but Microsoft hasn’t announced its availability nor its console’s. That being said, rumors are suggesting the console to launch within August.

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Xbox controller
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Affordable Smart TVs in the form of coocaa now available in Malaysia – includes 4K TV for under RM2,000 during pre-sale promo

411

A new challenger enters the smart TV game in the form of coocaa, a Chinese brand aimed towards the young-folk, definitely the first time I’ve heard of TVs being targeted to a specific demographic, let alone an age-based one.

But I digress; coocaa – which already have outposts in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam – makes their debut in Malaysia with five affordable Smart TV SKUs; each running on Android 8, while supporting formats like JPG, MP3, AAC, MP4 and more. The models falls under three series – Innovate, Change and Explore.

Image credit: coocaa

Under Innovate are a 32-inch and a 40-inch model, both have built-in Amazon Prime. The TVs also sport mirror share features which you can use to cast content on to mobile devices.  The 32-inch model is priced at RM1,099 while the 40-inch variant is priced at RM1,499.

Image credit: coocaa

The Explore series come with giant 50-inch and 55-inch devices. These TVs support Google Assistant with AloT technology like home hub features. Both models also support 4K UHD resolution. The 50-inch panel is priced at RM2,599 while the bigger 55-inch TV is priced at RM2,999.

Image credit: coocaa

Lastly, the Change series only offers one model – a 40-inch bezeless FHD panel. This is priced at an affordable RM1,699.

All but the 32-inch Innovate model will be available for pre-sale on exclusive online retail partner Lazada from now until 11 July. The 32-inch Innovate will instead get a Flash Sale on July 12 and will be heavily discounted. These pre-sale promos also offer the TVs are much lower prices. Plus, you can also get a free-trial of the Explore 55-inch model, all you need o do is pay a deposit from now until July 11, then the remaining price on July 12; you will then get the TV and enjoy it for 15 days. If you don’t like it, you can return it for a full refund.

Visit coocaa’s flagship Lazada store
here
.

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Cooler Master adds MasterBox Lite 5 to its ATX mid-tower lineup

362

Cooler Master has just introduced a new edition to their ATX mid-tower case, the MasterBox Lite 5 that brings DarkMirror front panel and external customization, which comes in the form of a trim allowing users to choose from three different colors to suit their taste accordingly.

The case will also come with the option to install four 120mm fans, front and rear watercooling support to ensure no compromise on performance. It also comes with 400mm of graphics card space giving ample amount of space to fit your graphics card, the edge-to-edge transparent acrylic side panel shows your internal components while the DarkMirror front panel gives the case an attractive look providing full visibility of the beast inside.

Because of its manageable size, the Lite 5 can be put on your desk, squeezed against your bookshelf or hidden under your workspace. Following small apartment design, the case has multiple functions to a single area of the case, giving it the room to put full-size graphics card, liquid cooling and SSDs.

The MasterBox Lite 5 is available locally with a suggested retail price of RM229, for more information on this case and the other cases that Cooler Master is offering click
here
.

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Cooler Master Announces CM Storm Pitch Pro in-ear Gaming Headset

350

Cooler
Master

announced the CM Storm Pitch Pro as an ultra-portable gaming in-ear headset designed for mobile users and gamers on the go. The Pitch Prop is an upgrade from its predecessor, the Pitch. Now it has better clarity and bass thanks to new 10mm drivers. The outer casing is constructed out of high-quality feather light aluminium allowing the
in
–
ear
headphones

to be used for longer periods of time with ease and comfort.

Included 10 mm neodymium drivers deliver high-fidelity audio with crystal clear high, mid, and low tones.
Cooler
Master

provide silicone ear tips that come in 3 sizes to provides maximum comfort plus noise isolation. This change are made to achieve super light yet extremely durable metal earbuds, and the solid aluminium earphone body was first anodised.

The built-in microphone offers accurate as well as clear voice quality, allowing for easy-to-understand conversation together with an inline remote to allow you control media (play, pause, answer calls, skip back, forward between tracks, rewind, and fast forward) on your smartphone,
tablet
, or PC. The mic has been strategically positioned to pick up your voice even while you’re twisting and turning during an intense gaming session.

The new CM Storm Pitch Pro features a flat cable that’s resistant to knots beside kinks with insulated rubber cable to protect the internal wiring from damage and eliminates microphonics. Besides that, there is a 3.5mm gold plated earphones jack offers a solid audio connection with smartphones, tablets, and PC/laptops. Included accessory are splitter cable, airplane adaptor, and pouch.

The CM Storm Pitch Pro is expected to be available right away with suggested retail price EURO 34.90 (approx. RM 170).

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Cooler Master announces MasterLiquid 120 and 240 liquid CPU coolers

282

Cooler Master has announced the availability of the MasterLiquid 120 and 240 all-in-one liquid CPU coolers designed and manufactured by Cooler Master. With the custom build and unique low-profile dual chamber pump, it out performs its single chamber predecessors in heat transfer. Equipped with the MasterFan Air Balance fans that gives the cooler reliability, performance and quiet operation.

The cooler comes with a unique low-profile dual chamber pump design which is based on the patented Dual Chamber Technology with FlowOp, making the vibration as low as possible for cool and quiet operation. It is also constructed using fiber-reinforced polymer which resist a broad range of chemicals and is unaffected by moisture or immersion in water, in addition making the pump light and impervious to oxidation and corrosion.

The MasterLiquid series is an all-in-one liquid cooler that requires minimal setup and installation and it comes pressure tested, pre-filled, and seal directly from the factory to provide maintenance-free operation for years. The 120 fits all PC cases that have a 120mm fan mount near the processor and will support the latest Intel and AMD sockets.

Pricing for the MasterLiquid 120 & 240 are now available for purchase locally and will be priced at RM339 and RM399 respectively. For more information on these coolers click
here
.

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Cooler Master announces the limited edition MasterKeys Pro L RGB Crystal

285

Cooler Master’s MasterKeys Pro L has just gotten itself a limited edition as the company has announced the availability of the MasterKeys Pro L RGB Crystal mechanical keyboard in Malaysia today.

Much like the original MasterKeys Pro L, the MasterKeys Pro L RGB Crystal is a full sized keyboard that sports either Blue or Brown Cherry MX switches. Also like the original, Cooler Master has also combined the N-key and six-key rollover feature on this particular keyboard. This would cause the MasterKeys Pro L RGB Crystal to automatically switch over the N-key rollover in the event that six or more keys are pressed.

Other features that have been brought over the the MasterKeys Pro L RGB Crystal includes support for on-the-fly macros, profile support and easy-to-use software. Also making a return is the LEDs that are capable of radiating 16.7 million colours. So what’s the difference between the regular MasterKeys Pro L and the RGB Crystal version? The RGB Crystal comes in a frosted transparent case instead.

For those interested in the MasterKeys Pro L RGB Crystal, the keyboard will retail for RM629.

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Cooler Master completes the MasterFan Pro RGB series by offering a LED splitter and controller

352

Cooler Master has just announced that they have completed their MasterFan Pro RGB series along with an RGB LED Controller and RGB Splitter Cable to give you an easy access and control to customize your RGB lighting for your preference.

They are not only giving you variable blade designs but will come in two different sizes, 120mm and 140mm. The variants provide a specific purpose, the Air Flow blades can quickly exhaust large volume of air to the outside of the chassis, while the Air Pressure blades generate powerful pressure for funnelling concentrated air through tight spaces and the Air Balance is a mixture of the two. They are all equipped with noise reduction technologies so you can have a quiet environment even when the fans are spinning at full speed.

For users that don’t have an RGB supported motherboard, the RGB LED Controller can control the type of illumination and colour that will fit best based on your setup. The controller has a built-in magnet so you can easily attach it inside your PC chassis. Finally, the RGB Splitter Cable allows users to add on multiple more RGB LED fan and strips to build the perfect lighting system of your dreams. It is capable of connecting with a standard 4-pin or 5-pin RGB header without an adaptor.

The MasterFan Pro RGB Series, RGB LED Controller and RGB Splitter Cable are now available for purchase in Malaysia with pricing as follows:

Single Pack

MasterFan Pro 120 Air Balance RGB: RM 99

MasterFan Pro 120 Air Flow RGB: RM 99

MasterFan Pro 120 Air Pressure RGB: RM 99

MasterFan Pro 140 Air Flow RGB: RM 109

MasterFan Pro 140 Air Pressure RGB: RM 109

3-in1 Pack

MasterFan Pro 120 Air Balance RGB 3 in 1 with RGB LED Controller: RM 299

Accessories

RGB LED Controller: RM 149

RGB Splitter Cable: RM 29

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Cooler Master debuts the MasterPulse in-ear Bass FX earphones

261

Are you currently look for some earphones? Because Cooler Master has just released a new pair of earphones, and these earphones are tailor-made for bassheads. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the MasterPulse in-ear Bass FX earphones.

Sporting a light yet durable aluminum housing that gives it better durability, the MasterPulse in-ear Bass FX earphones comes with the Bass FX Boost Dial technology. This piece of tech allows you to tune the bass and treble output of the earphones by turning the dial located at the end of each earbud. The earphones themselves also comes with a high-quality microphone as well as an inline remote, allowing you to toggle between music or even answer calls on your smartphone. Furthermore, the MasterPulse in-ear Bass FX headphones comes with an insulated flat rubber cable that is resistant to knots and kinks, making cable management an afterthought.

Interested? The MasterPulse in-ear Bass FX earphones is available now for RM219.

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Cooler Master includes PBT keycaps on two new mechanical keyboards

424

Cooler Master has a pair of keyboards that will fall under the MasterKeys lineup, the MasterKeys L and MasterKey S. What makes these keyboards special is the use of PBT keycaps. The benefits of using these keycaps over the ABS keycaps is that they are more resistant to wear and tear and will not become shiny over time. The only issues with PBT caps are that they are very brittle and is prone to breakage.

In order to combat this issue, Cooler Master has made the keycaps 1.5mm thick, making it twice as thick as ABS keycaps. To give it a more solid feel, the keycaps are injection moulded, double laser-etched, and fibre reinforced, making it resistant to solvents, mechanically strong and will not shine like traditional keycaps overtime. Other than that, the keyboards feature Cherry MX Red switches which are quiet and tactile.

Other than adding a set of seven extra red keycaps to replace the WASD and Q, E and R keys, there is nothing really much that makes the keyboard standout as a gaming keyboard, there are no macro keys but you can switch on-the-fly from QWERTY, Dvorak, or Workrman. The MasterKeys S PBT will retail for $80 and the MasterKeys L PBT will retail for $90, both keyboards will be available at the end of June.

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Cooler Master introduce two gaming mice catered to claw and palm grip styles

376

Cooler Master is back again to offer us two more devices tailored to gamers that have different styles of gripping a mouse. The MasterMouse MM530 made for palm grippers and the MasterMouse MM520 for those with a claw style grip, allowing gamers to select the mouse that is catered to their style of gaming.

the MM530 is the successor to the CM Storm Mizar and Alcor and features an ergonomic style with moulding and side grips making it ideal for palm grips. The design is also based on the popular Microsoft Intelli Shape and is made for high action competition in first person first-person. The MM520, on the other hand, is the successor to the Spawn gaming mouse which is slightly longer, making it perfect for claw grips. It is custom tailored for high-speed action of FPS, MOBA and RTS.

MasterMouse MM530

Both the mice come with hardware to compliment the design like Pixart 3360 lag-free 1:1 input with 12000 DPI, on-the-fly DPI adjustments, and 20 million rated Omron switches. Both also have PBT plastic construction on the side covers and the left and right buttons for rugged durability to ensure that stains won’t appear over time like regular ABS plastic. For those of you, that love RGB will be happy to know that both the mice will feature 3-zone RGM illumination so you can go crazy with the customizations.

The MasterMouse MM530 and MasterMouse MM520 can be purchased from shops that carry the Cooler Master brand and both will be priced at RM169.

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