New patent from Apple shows a stylus that can be used on any surface

315

The Apple Stylus looks to be getting an upgrade as recently a Netherlands tech site, TechTastic has spotted a patent detailing a stylus that will be able to write on any surface and send that information to any device. The patent was filed July 2017 and was made public January 2018.

The patent indicates that the stylus will communicate with an external sensor which will be able to track the strokes and force against any non-touch sensitive surface with three-dimensional motion and orientation, these data will then be transferred via radiofrequency or acoustic signals to the sensor.

This new patent could indicate that it will work with the rumored Apple augmented reality glasses, where users will be able to draw in 3D space and view the images with the glasses. Currently, the Apple Pencil only works with the iPad Pro, but some patents from last year show a Pencil 2 is in the works and it can be used with the iPhone.

Just like all patents, this application might not reach the end consumers but it is interesting to see a new method to interact with Apple devices and perhaps, even augmented reality.

apple
patent
pencil
surface
writing


New patent from Apple shows an iPhone with Touch ID and Face ID

345

When the iPhone X was announced, many were taken aback by the lack of Touch ID, as it means that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8+ will be the last models that come with the Touch ID. However, it seems like Apple might be bringing in the Touch ID after all with their new patent applications.

According to Patently Apple, the company applied for patents related to biometrics for both Face ID and Touch ID on a single iPhone, meaning that Apple will be similar to several Android devices that have already supported in-display fingerprint scanning and face unlock.

Apple first introduced the 3D Face ID as they want to offer iOS users better and quicker facial recognition, which is why users rotate their heads as the TrueDepth camera does the facial scanning. But Apple is being more cautious, and believes that bringing Touch ID can serve as a part of the dual biometrics system and a backup should the Face ID fail.

Image credit: Patently AppleA

Of course, the password option is still available, but bringing back the Face ID will also be like an extra precaution step. As seen in the patent figures above, when the Face ID fails to unlock user’s phone, one can choose to either try again or use Touch ID as an alternate method of authentication. On the other hand, if both Face ID and Touch ID fails, there’s always the password option for users to unlock their devices.

While all these are just early stages and might not even be true, it’d be nice if Apple really brings back the Touch ID that many missed. After all, the Touch ID will be in the display of the iPhones if it’s brought back, so it will not affect the screen size of the iPhones.

apple
face id
iphone
Touch ID


New Pixel 2 renders show display with rather large bezels

315

While bezel-less front panels are in trend, we all do know that not all companies are capable of producing smartphones of such design. One of the most notable examples is the OnePlus 5, in which OnePlus admitted that it did not possess resources enough to have a bezel-less display on its latest flagship. Previous renders of the Pixel 2 by Google show an attractive near bezel-less front, but latest leaks disprove otherwise.

Based on the image of the alleged Pixel 2 above, the display seems to be of an ordinary 16:9 aspect ratio instead of an 18:9 display seen on earlier renders. This translates to pretty huge bezels above and below the screen. Also shown in the image are the possible color options of the Pixel 2, with two new additions, brown and red.

However, earlier rumors also point to the Pixel 2 being a much more modest device while the Pixel XL 2 will display Google’s best design and engineering efforts, hence the possibilty of the larger model sporting a more attractive design and premium specs underneath the hood.

Otherwise, the Pixel 2 looks not much different when compared to its predecessor(s). The handset is said to be made by HTC and is slated for an unveiling later this year.

bezel
color
display
google
pixel 2
render
xl


New Pokemon RPG confirmed exclusively for the Nintendo Switch

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With the close of Nintendo’s E3 conference, we have still not heard about an exclusive Pokemon game from them which everyone was expecting is the rumored Pokemon Stars game but all we got is the announcement of Pokken Tournament DX that is coming to Switch. Tsunekazu Ishihara, Pokemon Company president confirmed that Game Freak has begun development on a core RPG Pokemon game exclusive to the Switch.

Other than that, Nintendo also announced the updated 3DS versions of Pokemon Sun and Moon and a release date for Super Mario Odyssey, an announcement on a new Yoshi and Kirby for the Switch and more details on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild future DLC packs.

They have not mentioned what the new Pokemon game will be about but lets hope that it would be a new IP for the Pokemon games as they tend to release the same game with different mechanics and they also tend to milk their franchises as much as they can, but it looks like third-party game developers for the console will be the reason I will get a Switch, what’s yours? Let’s discuss.

exclusive
nintendo
pokemon
rpg
switch


New polymer could repair phone screens by just applying pressure

373

Previously we talked about a new type of smartphone screen material that would self-heal by just applying heat to the glass, like the LG G Flex 2. Recently, scientists from the University of Tokyo has published a study on a new polymer for self-repairing smartphone screens.

The self-healing method is different from the heat method, as now you would just need to apply pressure from your fingers to clear up the cracks. They are calling this material, Polyether-thioureas, which was accidentally discovered by a University of Tokyo graduate student Yu Yanagisawa. He was making the substance into glue but discovered something strange where the edged would bond again after being cut. What is even better is that the sheets would regain their strength after just a couple of hours. That might sound like it could be an amazing breakthrough when it comes to cracked screens but questions still remain if it would be as responsive as other phone screens out there and if under screen fingerprint sensors would work through this material.

These questions are important to know as the LG G Flex 2 could only heal the phone’s case and not the screen. It will be a while before we see phones that can self-heal but when it does, it can definitely change the way phones are built and offer a peace of mind to owners

healing
screen
self


The new Razer Atheris wireless mouse claims it can last for 350 hours

306

Razer has a new wireless and compact mouse that is said to have 350 hours of battery life. Previously, the compact mouse that you could get from Razer is the Orochi mouse that has 60 hours of battery life and is supported by the Chroma system.

The new Razer Atheris will introduce a new level of battery life and signal stability. The 350 hours of battery life can be achieved by just using two AA batteries and uses Adaptive Frequency Technology that was in the Lancehead to get the best possible connection to your computer. The AFT dongle is stored in the battery compartment of the mouse but it can still connect to your computer through Bluetooth if need be. The Atheris uses 7,200 optical sensors, has rubberized ridged sides and is only 4-inches long and 3-inches wide, making it small and easy to transport. It also has an ambidextrous design making it easy to use if you are left or right handed.

The mouse is also decently priced at $49.99 (RM214.82) probably because they have ditched the Chroma tech that seems to be in all Razer devices. We will inform you guys when the mouse reaches our shores.

atheris
battery
compact
connection
life
mouse
razer
wireless


New Razer Basilisk V3 reinvents the wheel, quite literally

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Razer has just launched the new Basilisk V3 wired gaming mouse, which puts a lot of emphasis on reinventing the wheel – quite literally.

This iteration now comes with a new scroll wheel that can be used in three different modes – Scroll Mode for high-precision scrolling when cycling through weapons or skills, Free-Spin Scrolling Mode which lets the wheel scroll faster with less tactile feedback, and Smart-Reel Mode which automatically switches between the two depending on the application you’re on.

If for some reason you need really fast scroll speeds, then there’s Virtual Acceleration that basically lets you do that – the feature is toggled through Razer Synapse and it allows you to scroll through lengthy documents or web pages much faster.

Elsewhere, there are 10 easy-access buttons around the mouse and one customizable profile-switch button under the mouse. Each button can be programmed to perform different actions, and the mouse can hold up to five on-board memory profiles.

The Basilisk V3 is equipped with the Razer Focus+ 26K DPI optical sensor that allows for more precise use in-game and out. When it comes to the mouse clicks, the device comes with Razer Optical Mouse Switches Gen-2 which allows for crisp clicks that have an actuation speed of 0.2ms.

Lastly, it wouldn’t really be a gaming device if it didn’t have fancy RGBs – here, you get 11 Razer Chroma lighting zones around the mouse and an underglow portions that adds more aesthetic flair.

The Razer Basilisk V3 is priced at RM329 and is now available at selected retail and online stores. Visit Razer’s website
here

to learn more.

basilisk v3
razer
razer synapse


New realme AIoT devices launched; priced from RM29

856

During realme Malaysia’s virtual launch on Facebook today, the company introduced eight new
realme AIoT products
 that we’ve been expecting.

realme Type-C cable

The most affordable AIoT product launched this time is the really Type-C cable that supports 18W charging, priced at RM29 during its first online sale.

realme Wireless Mouse and Type-C Hub

realme also introduced a silent wireless mouse and Type-C Hub – they’re both priced at RM79 each.

The former supposedly has an ergonomic grip, weighs 62g and offers up to 1600 DPI. It also promises up to 8 months of battery life.

realme Beard Trimmer Plus

Priced at RM169, this realme product has 40 different length settings paired with a 10mm comb and 20mm comb – both features a 0.5mm precision.

The Beard Trimmer Plus also comes with an IPX7 water resistance rating and has an 800mAh battery that supposedly lasts 2 hours max – the former sports an LED battery indicator so users can track the battery level.

realme Hair Dryer

With 1,400W and 19,000 rpm fan speed, the realme Hair Dryer is an affordable hair dryer that is boasted to dry your hair in just 5 minutes.

realme says that the hair dryer doesn’t exceed 55ºC and generates 20 million negative iOS per cubic cm – these features prevents hair from over-drying and protects your hair from being damaged by heat.

realme TechLife Robot Vacuum

As mentioned
previously
, the TechLife Robot Vacuum sports a LiDAR sensor and 38 high-precision sensors. With these sensors, the vacuum is capable of real-time navigation and precise room mapping, in addition to obstacle detection.

You can also download realme Link app to control this vacuum; you can monitor the vacuum’s progress in real-time, set up virtual walls and store up to 5 different layouts for multi-level homes.

It also come with a 300ml electronic water tank and a 600ml dust box, so you can use this vacuum to mop and vacuum your house.

The realme TechLife Robot Vacuum is priced at RM1,999.

realme TechLife Handheld Vacuum Cleaner

Alongside the robot vacuum is realme’s TechLife Hanheld Vacuum Cleaner; this vacuum comes with a Strong Cleaning Mode for deep cleaning and Soft Cleaning mode for your daily cleaning.

You’ll get three different brushes when you purchase this vacuum – a floor brush, a crevice tool and a 2-in-1 brush to clean sofas and shelves.

realme also includes an extension tubes so it’s easier to reach higher areas.

realme TechLife Air Purifier

Last but not least, we have the air purifier that comes with a HEPA H12 filter, promising up to 99.95% filtration efficiency.

It can produce
330m³/h of clean air, meaning you’ll only need about 15 minutes to cover a 1059ft house.

This air purifier has 5 different modes – Sleep, Soft, Normal, Strong and Auto. You can pick the mode according to your preference or select Auto if you’re unsure.

The TechLife Air Purifier even has an Air Quality Indicator which informs users of the air quality in their homes through colours.

This air purifier will cost you RM499.

realme AIoT: price and availability

Just like the realme Type-C Cable, all the AIoT products mentioned above will be discounted during realme’s first online sales.

Here are the product prices after discount:

realme Type-C Cable
: RM29

realme Wireless Mouse
: RM49

realme Type-C Hub
: RM49

realme Beard Trimmer Plus
: RM99

realme TechLife Handheld Vacuum
: RM349

realme TechLife Air Purifier
: RM399

The realme Hair Dryer and TechLife Robot Vacuum are not available in the market yet.

realme AIoT


The new redesigned Skype is now available for download

376

After a long time, Skype’s new look will finally come to its desktop apps on Windows, Mac and Linux which follows the same design blueprint as the mobile app version.

The new update will feature customizable themes and more cat list customizations, users can also pin contacts and groups to make it easier to contact them. There is also an option to use a standard or compact view and collapse the chat list to focus in on the conversations. In addition to that, the app will now allow you to send files that are up to 300MB by just dragging and dropping and they claim that Skype will use less power as it is now fully cloud-based software. There also @mentions commands to get someone’s attention in a group chat, similar to what you can do on Whatsapp and status updates are also back alongside bots to easily manage the group chats.

Finally, they also added chat gallery for you to easily find media, links and files that have been sent to the group chat, again a feature that is familiar in Whatsapp. If you have auto update turned on you will be getting this update soon, or just go to
Skype’s official website
 and download the latest version there.

chat gallery
mentions
redesign
skype
status
update


New report supports claims of Galaxy Note 7 iris scanner

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The Galaxy Note 7 is rumored to make its big reveal in less than two months from now, and from a couple months back, there were multiple claims and reports about the possibility of the flagship phablet sporting an iris scanner. This time, a report from The Korea Herald further supports the floating rumor which has been in existence for quite some time now.

According to The Korea Herald, the Galaxy Note 7 will pack a front facing iris scanner. The components for the iris scanner are said to be shipped by Patron, a Korean camera manufacturer that’s in charge. The report further states that Samsung has been planning to have iris scanners on their flagships as early as when the Galaxy S4 was being designed, which tells us that Samsung probably had that in mind since 2012, considering the fact that the S4 was released in early 2013.

Iris scanning technology is said to be more accurate and secure compared to fingerprint scanning. The report mentioned that fingerprint scanning technology recognizes 40 traits from a fingerprint, whereas iris scanning technology recognizes a far higher number of traits at 266, which is more than six times the traits that fingerprint scanning technology detects. Iris scanners were apparently less user friendly than fingerprint scanners back then, but that was more than three years back. We’ll be expecting more leaks and reports like this to come our way. What do you think?

Source:
The Korea Herald

7
galaxy
iris
note
samsung
scanner
technology


New reports indicate clicking and high-pitched sounds coming from Pixel 2 speakers

276

Previous, we reported on some screen issues that the Pixel 2 XL was facing, where users were reporting that the
screen looks dull
 even if it was using an OLED display which other phones with the same display was not facing. Looks like the problems with the phone does not just stop there as now users are reporting about weird noises coming from their phones.

High-pitch noises and clicking could be heard when the phone is next to the person’s ear, Google is aware of this problem and after some digging, they found out that it was a problem that seems to happen on the Pixel 2 and not the XL model. The clicking sound seems to go away when users switch off the NFC but the high-pitch sound still remains, an issue that could be solved with a patch which Google said they are working on. Other issues that the guys over at 9to5Google seem to have is that the top speaker is slightly softer than the bottom speaker to which their sources mention that it was a deliberate move made to reduce vibration caused on the top speaker.

https://twitter.com/hallstephenj/status/922666081822617600

Lastly, is the issue with the colours seem to stay on the screen as you scroll up and down. In the video above, pay attention to the black phone next to the white phone, if as the person is scrolling up you can see at the bottom right of the phone the black colour seems to seep out making it look like the colour is leaking out.

clicking
colour
high pitch
issues
pixel 2
sound


New reports on the iPhone 8 indicate that the fingerprint scanner will be on the power button

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There have been so many rumours going around on the final product of the iPhone 8, and one of the biggest topics is if the phone is going to have a fingerprint scanner or not, and if it does, where is the location of the scanner. Now, another report has surfaced that stats, the fingerprint scanner will be located at the power button of the phone.

this decision was probably made because they want to retain the full-screen display that they hope to bring to the phone and because they are still having issues getting the fingerprint sensor under the screen. Based on the previous rendering of the device, we could see that the power button was made longer. Initially, it was assumed that it would be easier to press the power button but Apple could have chosen that design as a fall back if they are not able to achieve the under-screen fingerprint scanner.

Image Source: Forbes

In a separate report, it would appear that the new iPhone 8 will be manufactured by Foxconn but the iPhone 7s will be manufactured by Pegatron. This is to meet the demands of consumers that are really looking to buy the phone and yet another report claims that the phone will be delayed to November.

apple
button
fingerprint
power
scanner


The new Ryzen APUs with Vega graphics are currently available worldwide

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AMD has finally released the new Ryzen APU line up which consists of the Ryzen 5 2400G and Ryzen 3 2200G processors both with a graphics on processor harnessing the power of the Vega graphics architecture. Both the processors are now available worldwide.

The new APUs performance is further enhanced with the improved AMD SenseMI technology which allows for lower power usage at higher frequencies and reduced memory latencies. Other than that it also comes with an updated precision Boost 2, enabling higher frequencies in gaming and real-world applications and thanks to the built-in Vega graphics, the new processors support Radeon FreeSync. For those of you that already own an AM4 motherboard will be happy to know that all the new APUs will support the AM4 socket and all users need to do is just a simple bios update to get the processor up and running and the chips will support AMD Ryzen Master overclocking utility to allow for performance tuning of the CPU, DRAM and GPU.

The Ryzen APUs are now available globally through all computer part retailers including those in Malaysia. Below is a breakdown of the both the Ryzen 5 2400G and the Ryzen 3 2200G processors:

Model

CPU Cores

Threads

Max Boost Clock (GHz)

Graphics Compute Units

Max GPU Clock (MHz)

L2/L3 Cache (MB)

TDP (Watts)

Suggested Price, SEP (USD)

Ryzen™ 5 2400G

with Radeon™ RX Vega 11

Graphics

4

8

3.9

11

1250

6

65W

$169

Ryzen™ 3 2200G

with Radeon™ Vega 8 Graphics

4

4

3.7

8

1100

6

65W

$99

2200g
2400g
3
5
apu
ryzen


New Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 to support 150W fast-charging

864

Qualcomm’s new flagship chipset that is set to launch soon will apparently support 150W fast-charging, allowing smartphones to charge up their batteries just 10 minutes.

The
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

–
previously known as
Snapdragon 898

– is set to launch later this month, at the company’s annual Tech Summit happening from 30 November to 2 December 2021.

Compared to the Snapdragon 888, its successor is said to have had major improvements as it features
Samsung’s 4nm manufacturing process
. With almost a 20% boost in performance, users can expect increased graphics performance.

According to leakster

Digital Chat Station
, the mass production for this chip has already started, however, only the second batch will provide this feature. Hence, we foresee support for 150W fast-charging in devices getting released in Q1 2022.

Source

samsung
snapdragon
snapdragon 8 gen 1
snapdragon 898


New Sony IMX CMOS sensor announced for smartphones

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Sony has been dominating the smartphone market with their impressive Exmor RS image sensors built for smartphone cameras, resulting in many OEM’s using Sony’s image sensors. The Japanese company has just announced the newest in its lineup – the IMX318 CMOS sensor.

This latest component by Sony features hybrid autofocus, with focusing times as quick as 0.03 seconds, which is based on image phase detection autofocus and contrast detection AF. The sensor also boasts 3-axis electronic image stabilization to reduce camera shakiness. The IMX318 also comes with 4K support at 30fps

The IMX318 will be replacing its predecessor, the IMX230. Featuring a 22.5 MP 1/2.6 sensor, however with a pixel size of 1.0μm. Sony claims that the image quality won’t be affected by the smaller sized pixels. The company stated that it’s engineers have been working on improving the circuit design for noise reduction and enhancing the efficiency of light utilization.

The IMX318 is predicted to be appear in smartphone later during the second half of 2016 since it will be scheduled to start shopping in May this year.

Source:
Sony
 Via:
Android Authority

camera
cmos
exmor
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New Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 10 leaked ahead of online launch – Snapdragon 865 with 5G support

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The follow ups to the Sony Xperia 1 and Xperia 10 are due to be announced later today via an online stream – but serial Max Weinbach of XDA Developers had found leaked promo materials of the two devices, including their specs.

Sony have opted for an unnecessarily convoluted naming scheme for the phones – the new devices will be called the Xperia 1 II (or Mark II) and the Xperia 10 II (or Mark II).

Image credit: Max Weinbach

The flagship Xperia 1 II will have blocky look but with a triple-lens bumper at the back. It has a 6.5-inch 4K display that has what Sony calls Motion Blur Reduction, that works like 90Hz refresh rate, but isn’t. Maybe Sony will clarify during the launch later.

For imaging, its got a three 12MP lenses along with a ToF lens. The selfie camera is a modest 8MP shooter. With the likes of Samsung gunning for a higher resolution camera setup all around, you’d think Sony would up their game in this department to catch up – perhaps the company is confident enough in its photography software then.

Under the hood, we get a Snapdragon 865 chipset with 5G support (Sub6), 8GB RAM and 256GB internal storage. It’s powered with a 4,000mAh battery with wireless charging support, and comes with a headphone jack.

It’s looking like an overall standard 2020 flagship with emphasis on display, and considering Sony devices cost a kidney in Malaysia, the Samsung S20 line-up may be more appealing to us.

Image credit: Max Weinbach

The Xperia 10 II is a midrange device with a similar aesthetic. It’s a 6-inch smartphone with a FHD+ OLED panel. For imaging, you get a 12MP main along with a couple of 8MP lenses. The front camera is also 8MP.

Image credit: Max Weinbach

Under the hood is a Snapdragon 665 chipset, so no 5G support. You get 4GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It’s got a 3,600mAh battery too. Specs-wise at least, the Xperia 10 is not looking too appealing, again with the Samsung Galaxy A71 an A51 offering much more for possibly around the same price.

We’ll see what Sony says later during their live stream, perhaps new software features could win over some of us.

12MP camera
5g
Snapdragon 865
sony
xperia
xperia 1 II
xperia 10 II


New storage management function on iOS 11 could potentially save a lot of space on your iPhone

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Even though the big announcements have concluded on the first day of WWDC 2017, we still have more news on the latest products from Apple and this one comes in the form of a new feature in the latest developer preview of iOS 11. There are tips and tricks on conserving the fast depleting storage that comes in an iPhone, but Apple decided to take matters into their own hands by figuring out what to delete to free up space.

In the phone’s storage menu, there are tailored suggestions on how to free up space with highlighted areas on where you could potentially get extra space with minimal impact. Options provided could be things like emptying your recently deleted albums in Photos or delete large attachments or iMessage threads. There are other options that work on a scenario basis such as offload unused apps that will remove apps but preserving documents and data that comes with the app and automatically deleting conversations that are a year old.

Of course, this could not be enough for some users that have a large digital footprint but it could potentially educate you in areas of how apps use the storage in your phone and save you a lot of hassle especially those that own a 16GB iPhone.

11
apple
ios
iphone
management
storage


New Super Mario Bros 99 Lives Bug found after 30 Years

303

When you hear those jumping and coin sound coming from your gaming console, it really reminds us of those old gaming days where Super Mario was so popular back then. Just as you know, the game is almost 30 years since its release and we never knew that there was this 99 lives bug found in the game itself. For those who played Super Mario, you’d know that the game only gives you about 5 lives at the start and Mario dies easily when dropping off the cliff or touches an enemy, which is pretty frustrating.

The 99 lives bug is discovered by Japanese super fans, once you get the steps right, you don’t need to worry about dying in the game anymore, try following the steps below:

“First, you must first take player one’s Mario to the second level of the game and throw away your first life. With Luigi taking over, player two must traverse all the way to World 5-2 and find the hidden beanstalk block halfway through the stage. Once there, Luigi must start climbing the vines, however, he must await —and take on the chin — an incoming projectile from one of the Hammer Bros. Upon being hit, once player one resumes control of Mario, the beanstalk from World 5-2 will start growing in World 1-2, providing all you need to infinitely kick shells for unlimited bonuses.”

Feeling excited already? We are too, if you still have this game around, you may want to try if this is valid, or else you know where to find your sources. Fingers crossed.


New Tesla rival car will be able to have a full charge in 9 minutes

378

Henrik Fisker, the design brains behind many iconic cars like the BMW Z8 and the Aston Martin DB9 has unveiled his take on electric powered cars. Fisker has claimed that his vehicle would have a range surpassing 400 miles and will have a full charge in just 9 minutes thanks to a new kind of battery technology, this is possible because the car will be using graphene supercapacitors instead of traditional lithium-ion batteries for power.

The sedan will have autonomous functions but it is unknown if it will be fully self-driving as there is a frame on the front of the car will hold a key sensor that uses lasers to detect obstructions on the road. It will also be the same price as the Tesla Model S as he has mentioned that when looking at the premium electric car market, there is only one company that is ahead of everyone else and he intends to provide more options to consumers.

Fisker EMotion: World’s most advanced EV. 400 mile + range, 9 min fast charging, autonomous & connected. Very proud of what we are creating!
pic.twitter.com/7xWneZwMaT

— Henrik Fisker (@FiskerOfficial)
June 10, 2017

Fisker was involved in the initial design plans for the Model S but left Tesla to create Fisker Karma, which had an array of battery issues that led to the bankruptcy of Fisker Automotive. Let’s hope that this time everything will be smoother as electric cars are becoming big thanks to the advancement in the technology and speed of electric cars.

automotive
cars
charge
electric
Fisker
tesla


New update for YouTube app allows 10-second skipping in videos

513

The YouTube app now has a new and handy feature that might just make our lives easier. The video streaming app has been existent since forever in the world of smartphones, and the company has been adding feature after feature over the years to improve the user experience by enhancing the app’s functionalities. The latest feature of YouTube now enables users to skip/seek through videos in 10 second intervals.

In order to execute this new feature on the YouTube app, you have to double tap either on the right or left side of the screen while watching a video. Double tapping on the right side will skip 10 seconds forward and tapping on the left side will bring you back 10 seconds before. Tapping four times will skip 20 seconds. 6 times for 30 seconds and so forth, that is if you are fast enough.

The new feature is available on the latest version of the YouTube app on the Google Play Store, version 12.03 to be exact. If you find this feature as a must, you might want to make sure that your YouTube app has been updated to the latest version as mentioned. Unfortunately, this feature does not work on video ads. Thoughts?

Source:
Play Store

10
app
double
left
right
screen
seconds
skip
tap
video
youtube


New updates of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 make the phone seem uninspired

357

Besides the OPPO Reno Series, the next big thing people are looking forward to is none other than the Samsung Galaxy Note 10; unfortunately however, new leaks suggest that the upcoming flagship won’t be anything too spectacular — but rather just a slight upgrade over its predecessor.

The phone will feature a punch-hole display with a dual-lens module at the front; while the device’s general look will be similar to that of the Samsung Galaxy S10. Serial Samsung leaker Ice Universe also claims that the Galaxy Note 10 will also feature the same camera hardware as the Galaxy S10 — which isn’t great considering the likes of Huawei’s P30 Pro and OPPO Reno 10X phones are touted to far exceed this.

One thing fans can look forward to however is a possible 50W fast-charging support for the Note 10 series of phones which could rival that of OPPO’s SuperVOOC capabilities.

Image credit: Samsung

Ice Universe also claims that the Note 10 will come with the latest UFS 3.0 storage chips which are touted to be even faster than SSDs. The Galaxy Note 10 series of phones will be introduced sometime this August, so it’s still some ways away until we know what the phone really packs.

android
Galaxy Note 10
Galaxy S10
samsung


New Warcraft and Diablo titles in the making despite mass layoffs for Activision Blizzard

324

Activision Blizzard had recently laid off nearly 800 employees, but a vast majority of those who had to leave were working in the company’s “non-development” departments; suggesting that Activision Blizzard is set to inject its resources into bringing in more talent into the development teams.

Part of the reason for the cut in numbers is due the company’s inability to pump out enough titles to turn a good enough profit. According to reports, Activision Blizzard has attained record revenue numbers, but it is unable to compete with rival publishers in profits.

Image credit: DVS Gaming

Considering that Blizzard owns a majority of the games in its joint-publisher deal with Activision – it is currently servicing games such as Overwatch, World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo and Star Craft 2 – it makes sense that any resources should be put into building Blizzard’s offerings.

Activision might get a smaller slice of the pie since the Call of Duty Series is its only offering. There will be no new Destiny games for them after Bungie jumped ship.

According to Lowyat.net, with the savings gained from the recent layoffs, Blizzard will begin work on new titles, namely for Diablo and Warcraft.

This could be a turning point for Blizzard at least, especially when you take into account the backlash they received upon revealing the Diablo Immortal mobile game at BlizzCon 2018.

Games such as Overwatch and Hearthstone will continue to receive regular updates in patches as well as content.

Although it is unfortunate that so many had to lose their jobs, it can be said that the only place for Activision Blizzard to go from here on out is upwards. Although Dennis Durkin of Activision has stated no major titles will be released this year for Blizzard, you can definitely expect something big in 2020.

activisionblizzard
callofduty
diablo
overwatch
warcraft


New Windows 10 Insider Preview Build brings improvements to Cortana

260

A new build of Windows 10 is available to those who are part of the Fast Ring of the Windows Insiders program, and it comes with a slew of new upgrade for Microsoft’s own digital assistant Cortana.

In the latest Windows 10 build, Cortana will now be able to support Spanish (Mexico), Portuguese (Brazil) and French (Canada) languages. Aside from supporting these new languages, the team at Microsoft have also worked on Cortana to give it a “personality” that is relevant in each individual market and language.

Besides new languages, users will also be able to set simple reminders with Cortana. Users will have the option to set specific details like location, time, and people at a later time so that Cortana will surface it when its most relevant. In a future build, Microsoft says that Cortana will be able to retrieve these reminders upon request.

The lock screen will also be on the receiving end of a few changes. Currently, both the lock screen and the login screen have different backgrounds. In the latest Windows 10 build, both screens will feature a single background. If you’re currently using a custom background for your Lock screen, you’ll see said background on the Login screen as well. For those who uses Windows Spotlight for their Lock screen and Login screen, a future Windows build will be introduced to make it so that both screens uses the same picture.

Apart from these changes, the latest Windows 10 build will come with various fixes to pre-existing issues. You can find the full list of fixes
here
.

Source:
Engadget
,
Microsoft Blog

cortana
microsoft
windows10
windowsinsider


New Windows 10 preview built gives Cortana some hub-like abilities

325

Last week,
we’ve reported
 that Microsoft is looking to turn Windows 10 into a sort of central hub that can compete with the likes of Google Home and Amazon Alexa. Today, Microsoft has rolled out the latest version of the Windows 10 Insider Preview Build. With Build 14986, Cortana has received some new features, many of which feels like something that can be found on a smart hub system.

The latest Preview Build for Windows 10 will now allow you to issue voice commands to Cortana. Users can now shutdown, restart, lock or sleep the system solely through Cortana. If your computer is currently unlocked and idle, Microsoft has made it so that using “Hey Cortana” would cause it to occupy the entire screen. This feature is useful for those who are currently away from the screen at the moment but wish to look up some information at that very moment.

Microsoft has also taken a page out of Amazon’s book as Cortana can now assist in music playback. Available only on EN-US versions of the Preview Build, you can now use Cortana to play music on online radio stations like iHeartRadio and TuneIn Radio. In addition to that, you can now ask Cortana for information about the song that is currently playing. Just say “Hey Cortana, what song is playing?” and the A.I. will immediately dig up information about the song. This feature is available for all music applications.

Cortana improvements aside, Build 14986 brings with it improved full-screen support for Windows Game Bar for 19 additional games. Windows Ink has also been updated, allowing you to resume your previous screen sketches as well as an updated Ink Flyout Visals and finer control over ruler rotation.

If you’re part of the Windows Insiders’ Fast Ring, Build 14986 is now available for download. The features available in this Preview Build and more will be coming to the Windows 10 Creators Update.

Source:
Microsoft

cortana
creatorsupdate
hub
microsoft
previewbuild
windows10
windowsinsider


New Windows patch removes "Get Windows 10" app from Windows 7 and 8.1

308

Windows aggressive tactics when it came to Windows 10 did not amuse many as it came across as extremely heavy-handed. However, ever since the free upgrade period has expired, that dialogue box has been rather quiet as of late. Today, Microsoft has released a new patch for Windows, and with said new patch, it is removing this dialog box
altogether.

Patch KB3184143 will see Microsoft removing the “Get Windows 10 app” from computers that are currently still running Windows 7 or 8.1. While the free upgrade period has long since pass, and the “Get Windows 10 app” being removed entirely, it appears that you can still upgrade to Windows 10 for free. According to Paul Thurrott, existing Windows 7 and 8.1 product keys can still be used when you’re doing a clean install of Windows 10.

“The Get Windows 10 application was designed to make the Windows 10 upgrade process easy for existing Windows 7 and 8.1 customers for the one year free upgrade offer which ended July 29th,” says Microsoft. “Beginning on September 20th, the Get Windows 10 app and all other updates related to the Windows 10 free upgrade offer will be removed from Windows 7 and 8.1 customer’s devices.”

Source:
Thurrott
,
ZDNet

getwindows10
microsoft
patch
windows10
windows7
windows81


New Xiaomi device spotted on TENAA – sports Snapdragon 870 & 67W Fast Charging

519

A mysterious Xiaomi device with the model number 2112123AC has been discovered on the Chinese certification agency, TENAA, and it has already passed through 3C and MIIT certifications.

As shown in the the screenshots below, the handset offers support for 5G connectivity and a 67W fast charger
– one of the company’s most powerful charger yet as per our
reports
.

Under the hood, we can expect Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 870 chipset. Meaning it’ll still offer flagship-level performances, without costing a bomb.

Despite the lack of specifications, some are already speculating that this particular phone will be part of upcoming Xiaomi 12 series which is expected sometime Q1 2022. Stay tuned as we’ll be sure to keep you informed on future updates.

Source

2112123AC
new
snapdragon 870
xiaomi
xiaomi 12


New York Court sides with Apple in iPhone unlocking case

415

The FBI aren’t the only one that is trying to force Apple’s hand in unlocking an iPhone as investigators in New York have also compelled the company to unlock a seized iPhone 5S. Fortunately for Apple, the New York judge has ruled in their favour today, as the judge in charge of the case says that what the government is asking for went too far.

Much like the FBI case, investigators wanted the court to compel Apple to unlock the iPhone in question via the All Writs Act, a statute that dates back to the 18th century. For this particular case, US Magistrate Judge James Orenstein believes that “whatever else the AWA’s ‘usage and principles’ clause may be intended to accomplish, it cannot be a means for the executive branch to achieve a legislatiev goal that Congress has considered and rejected.”

Orenstein further added that “given the government’s boundless interpretation of the All Writs Act, it is hard to conceive of any limits on the orders the government could obtain in the future.”

While the case between the FBI and Apple is still in its infancy, many believe that this ruling from the New York Court may affect the decision made by the judges when the case goes to court in California soon. “It’s a meticulous and scholary opinion. It should be a roadmap for any court considering one of these requests from the government,” says Alex Abdo, attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union.

Source:
Ars Technica

apple
court
government
legal
politics


New Zealand will ban the Galaxy Note 7 from its cellular networks

301

Despite software updates that annoys the users, as well as a worldwide flight ban, some people are still stubbornly clinging on to the maligned Note 7. In what can be considered a last resort move, Samsung will be coordinating with the New Zealand Telecommunications industry to straight up blacklist the smartphone from the country.

Beginning on the 18th of November, the Note 7 will not be able to access any of New Zealand’s mobile networks. This means that all Note 7s in New Zealand will be rendered useless, as owners of the smartphone will not be able to make calls or use data on the device itself. By blocking access to the mobile networks, New Zealand hopes that any remaining Note 7 devices will be returned promptly.

New Zealand’s decision to restrict its mobile networks to the Note 7 may be the push that the Note 7 users need to finally return the phone. Depending on its effectiveness, it may also lead to other countries doing to same thing. That being said, if this move does not convince a Note 7 owner to swap his faulty phone for a new one, it’s probably safe to say that said owner won’t be trading in the Note 7 anytime soon.

Source:
TCF

battery
galaxy
newzealand
note7
samsung


Newegg finally delivers directly to Malaysia, increasing competition in the local components market

385

Popular American online PC component retailer Newegg have today announced that they are officially shipping directly to Malaysia!

Part of what makes Newegg popular is the reasonable pricing and frequent discounts, along with reliability when it comes to quality and service. With this news, Newegg now displays prices in Malaysian Ringgit complete with GST and SST taxes added.

This is significant because as a new player enters the game, other distributors in the country – online or physical – will have a new competitor to tussle with; meaning lower prices.

Besides PC parts and peripherals you’ll also be able to find smartphones, network hardware, and surprisingly, power tools too. Visit their website
here
.

cpu
gpu
newegg
pc building
pc components


Newegg to sue patent trolls

252

Last September, a patent-holding company called Minero Digital sued over two dozen American retailers and manufacturers for royalty payments on a wide range of USB hubs. Among those sued was Rosewill, a Newegg subsidiary that specializes in computer peripherals like power supplies, cases, memory and cables. Minero Digital would eventually drop its lawsuit against Rosewill with days of getting a call from Newegg’s lawyer, but it seems that this isn’t the end of the case as now, Newegg has filed its own lawsuit against Minero.

This lawsuit
, filed in the Los Angeles federal court, is asking a judge to rule that Rosewill products do not infringe Minero’s patent. According to Newegg’s Chief Legal Officer Lee Cheng, he states that the move is necessary since Minero dismissed its Texas lawsuit without prejudice, allowing the company to refile the case at a time of its choosing.

Newegg’s lawsuit asks only for a judicial ruling of non-infringement and is not asking for money damages against Minero Digital.

Source:
Ars Technica

lawsuit
minerodigital
newegg
patenttroll


Newly introduced AMD Ryzen 9 3950X outperforms Intel Core i9 9980XE by some margin while costing less

315

AMD recently introduced the Ryzen 9 3950X, one of the two new third-gen Ryzen 9 CPUs. The excitement around the processor revolves around it being the most powerful processor in AMD’s line-up while promising to stay relatively affordable ($749), or at least as cheap top-range processors can be.

It’s built on a 7nm Zen 2 architecture and boasts 16 cores, 32 threads and runs at a base frequency of 3.5Ghz, which can be boosted up to 4.7Ghz.

To put it to the test, folks have benchmarked the CPU against the Intel Core i9-9980XE which has 18 cores and costs $1,250 more than the Ryzen. According to a report by WCCF Tech, the benchmarks have shown that the Ryzen greatly outperformed its 18-core Intel counterpart.

Image credit: WCCF Tech

Geekbench 4 tests showed that the Ryzen 9 3950X scored 5,868 on single-core and 61,072 on multi-core; compared to the Intel Core i9-9980XE’s 5,300 single-core; 42,000 multi-core scores.

This drives home AMD’s recent resurgence as a CPU powerhouse; but more importantly gives them the one-up over Intel in this department, which have been the case for the better part of the year; AMD does all this, while making their products more affordable than that of Intel’s.

We reckon we’re going to see more Ryzen PC builds in the near future if this continues.

amd
cpu
Intel Core i9 9980XE
pc
processor
Ryzen 9 3950x


Newly launched bumbung.co help matchmake home seekers and agents

297

Looking for the perfect real-estate to suit each and every one of your needs can be quite a difficult thing to accomplish. However, these guys at bumbung.co managed to find a solution to your real-estate woes. As Malaysia’s first tech-based real estate company, bumbung was created to provide a long-term solution for both home seekers and real estate agents to offer an innovative, cost and time efficient model.

If you’re a home seeker, just head to bumbung.co and key in whatever requirements you need for a home, and within 24 hours, you will connected to 5 relevant properties or agents that best fit your needs. As for real estate agents, they just need to list their property once, and just wait for bumbung to notify them whenever a match is made with the listing on the database.

bumbung differ from many other platforms as they only charge real estate agents on the number of confirmed viewings, which ensures a fair and equal chance of every property to be listed on. On top of that, since safety, trust and privacy is a priority when it comes to this kind of things, bumbung features a rating system for real estate agents and only licensed agents are listed.

You can access this service via the website at bumbung.co, Google Play Store, and Apple App Store.

androidapp
bumbung
iosapp
realestate
startup


Newly published web error code to inform users if websites has been censored

268

All of us know about the web error codes that pop up when we couldn’t connect to a website. For example, 404 is used whenever a webpage couldn’t be found. Well now, a new error code has been published to inform users if the website they are trying to access has been blocked intentionally.

The newly published error 451
, which is a homage to Fahrenheit 451, lets website hosts and network providers warn you when access to the site is obstructed by “legal obstacles”. This error code means that you can now easily identify a website that has been censored through “official” means rather than the cryptic 403 “forbidden” error.

Of course, countries can opt to block 451 codes altogether, making it so that blocked websites will still throw out the 403. Regardless, this is an interesting addition nonetheless, and one error code that we may see far more often.

Source :
Datatracker
,
Engadget

censorship
errorcode
internet


NexODN uses AI to automatically optimize your website’s SEO

620

We’re a little late to the party – but as web writers, we think
NexODN
 deserves a little shout out, because it promises to ease a massive pain-point for us – SEO optimization.

NexODN
 is an AI machine learning SEO platform service that, as its description suggests, optimizes a page’s SEO score to help it rank high in an organic Google search. Parent company Nexus Mediaworks International says the program uses AI SEO Predictive Modeling and its apparently world-first
AutoPilot
 SEO System can deploy a top-ranking site in just 10 minutes, where traditional SEO optimization would take weeks.

That’s a big claim, of course, but Founder and CEO Francis Lui says that the program eliminates trial-and-error when it comes to manual SEO optimization by employing machine learning to automatically iron out issues.

As a service, the company aims to help drive conversion rates using a framework that employs algorithms in keyword intelligence, rank intelligence, content intelligence, and reporting intelligence – driving ‘high quality’ traffic to the clients’ websites, which improves the chances of monetary conversions.

NexODN
 also operates on Natural Language Processing that allows it implement data sets of different languages such as Thai, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Bahasa Indonesia – meaning a website can reach a wider customer base geographically.

For more information on
NexODN
 and how you can employ this for your business, visit their website
here
.

ai
Google Search
google seo
machine learning
nexodn
website seo


Nexstgo arrives in Malaysia in Notebook Pro, a new store launch

405

Nexstgo made its debut in Malaysia today in a new store launch in Digital Mall called Notebook Pro which is selling products from Nexstgo, Avita and Vaio.

The Nexstgo SU01 from the SU series has a 14-inch Full HD display and runs on Intel Core i5 processor. In terms of storage, the notebook has 8GB DDR4 RAM and 1TB SATA HDD memory, which is a rather big storage space. The graphics run on Intel HD Graphics 620 with two USB Type-A ports and one USB Type-C port. The Nexstgo notebook has a 40W adapter and its battery life can last up to 9 hours. It is only available in one colour, and that is the Matt Black, priced at RM 2,299.

The store also sells Avita laptops, which are known as the LIBER series. The Avita Liber has a 13.3-inch Full HD display and run on either the Intel Core i5 or the Intel Pentium N4200 processor. The storage either comes with 8GB RAM DDR3L and 512GB SSD storage or 4GB RAM DDR3L and 128GB storage. It comes in Matt Black, Pearl White, Champagne Gold, Princess Pink, Fragrant Lilac and Avita Purple, and costs RM 2,299 onwards.

In addition, the Vaio S11 will be sold with a discounted price as part of the opening promotion. The S11 comes with a 11.6-inch display and runs on Intel Core i5 processor, aside from having a 8GB DDR3 RAM along with 256 SSD storage. The S11 uses Intel UHD Graphics 620 and it’s battery life can last up to 11 hours. The SRP (suggested retail price) is RM 6,699 but it can be purchased at RM 3,699 for the first 10 purchasers.

avita
Nexstgo
Notebook Pro
vaio


The next Android One phone will be from HTC

312

Looks like the Android One program is kicking into full gear with the release of the Mi A1 phone and now there are rumors that a new Motorola Android One phone will be coming to the United States indicates that Google is serious about this program. However, Xiaomi and Motorola is not the only two companies part of this, HTC is said to be the next company to make an Android One device.

A custom ROM developer that occasionally leaks HTC news, mentioned that the HTC Ocean Life will have an Android One version but will still have some HTC customization including the Edge Sense, Zoe and HTC Camera app. Ocean Life is said to be the codename of the HTC U11 Life, a phone that will feature 5.2-inch FHD display, 16MP camera on the front and rear, Snapdragon 630 and will have HTC’s Edge Sense squeeze gestures. The HTC Android One phone might be priced competitively to match the other Android One phones which should be around $400.

HTC Ocean_Life will be released under Android One program. It will lose most of the HTC apps and run stock Android O with Sense 9.0_A1.

— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR)
September 13, 2017

With phones having a broad range of price that we even see some mid-range phones priced at an almost high-end range, it’s good to know Google is stepping in to control the pricing and allowing more people to join the Android environment.

android
google
htc
life
one
sense
squeeze
u11


Next Bottle is the only thing you need at the gym

343

 As someone who goes to the gym (whenever I find the time), I have this little thing that irks me. I just hate having to carry a whole bunch of stuff when I head to the gym such as my keys, my water bottle, my phone to listen music on and a power bank in
case

my phone runs out of battery. I suppose I’m not the only one having this problem since someone has just designed the Next Bottle, a cool water tumbler that combines all your necessities into one!

The Next Bottle is a reusable water tumbler that not only contains your source of hydration, but also stores your keys, features a
Bluetooth
speaker
, and even comes with a power bank to charge your phone! Talk about a killer combo. It even has an LCD touchscreen display that allows you to control your music and answer your calls.

It doesn’t matter if you like your water cold or at room temperature; you can just detach the water compartment and pop it into the fridge (or freezer) to enjoy cool beverages later. Since the Next Bottle is made from aircraft-grade PP body, you don’t have to worry about dropping it when outdoors or while exercising.

Keys can be hooked onto the carabiner that comes with the Next Bottle, and if you need to charge your phone, just dock your phone and connect to the USB cord to keep your phone charged. Despite all these features, the bottle actually looks pretty streamlined. We don’t want to be carrying a bulky piece of bottle instead now, do we?

The Next Bottle is currently being crowdfunded on
Indiegogo
.

bottle
combo
gadget
indiegogo
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tumbler
water


Next-Gen Ford Ranger launches in Malaysia with many firsts tech in a pickup truck

4.3K

Sime Darby Auto ConneXion has unveiled the next generation Ford Ranger pickup truck today, which comes with a tough yet futuristic front face that features a signature brand new C Clamp DRL light, it is also packed with advanced safety features and in-car tech that current pickup trucks and segments in the market do not offer.

Powered by either a Single-Turbo or Bi-Turbo 2.0 inline four-cylinder diesel engine, the Single Turbo Engine delivers 180PS at 3,500 rpm and 405 Nm maximum torque from 1,750-2,500 rpm, while the Bi-Turbo delivers 210PS at 3,750rpm and 500Nm of torque from 1,750-2000rpm, the new Ford Ranger will most certainly deliver joy in off-road driving as these are proven engines that has gone through rigorous tests with over millions of kilometers, and operating in extreme temperatures from -40 degrees Celsius to more than 50 degrees Celsius.

In terms of transmission, the new Ford Ranger will be available in six-speed manual, six-speed auto and a class leading 10-speed auto transmission, which the latter will be mated exclusively to the 2.0-litre Bi-Turbo engine variant.

On the tech side of things, Ford claims many first of it in a pickup truck and the same segment, such as having a 10.1 or 12-inch vertical touch-screen infotainment system powered by the company’s SYNC 4A operating system, it supports both wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, a customizable split-screen setup with an information-on-demand panel always available at the bottom of the screen, which shows key information, like native or connected navigation, the user’s connected smartphone and more.

The huge display will also guide drivers on off-road driving with an off-road screen, with just a press of a button, drivers can monitor the driveline, steering angle, vehicle pitch, roll angles and other controls, a 360-degree camera is also fitted to make parking easier on tighter parking zones.

Drivers will also be able to keep their phone connected to the SYNC 4A and charged wirelessly at the same time with a Qi wireless charging pad, the infotainment system has both USB-C and USB-A ports that supports fast charging, while there’s also 12/240V sockets and a 150W inverter, there is also a high windscreen mounted USB outlet that is made for connecting external GPS or dash cams with a 5V output.

Also a first in a pickup truck and segment, the Ford Ranger has done away with a physical instrument cluster and has replaced it with an 8-inch digital instrument panel that can be customized and shows intuitive animations, such as a start-up and farewell animation, a digital speedometer and tachometer, and different themes when switching between on and off road driving modes.

As for lighting and safety features, the Ford Ranger takes the former to the next-level with full LED lighting for both front and rear, while the top WildTrak variant features the first-in-class Matrix LED headlights and anti-glare high beam, it comes with a suite of ADAS suite including Automatic Emergency Breaking, Pre-Collision Assist, Evasive Steer Assist, Reverse Brake Assist, Post-Collision Braking, Cross Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go.

The Ford Ranger is currently open for bookings and can be viewed at the Ranger debut tour happening nationwide, it will be available in XL, XLT, XLT Plus and WildTrak variants with the following OTR prices without insurance:-

Ranger 2.0 XL (MT and AT) – from RM108,888

Ranger 2.0 XLT (MT and AT) – from RM124,888

Ranger 2.0 XLT Plus – RM142,888

Ranger 2.0 WildTrak – RM168,888

Sime Darby Auto ConneXion has also taken the opportunity to give us a sneak peak of the Ford Ranger Raptor, which is expected to arrive later this year.

ford ranger 2022
ford ranger malaysia
ford ranger wildtrak
ford ranger xlt


Next-Gen Ford Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel in Malaysia, priced at RM248,888

4.7K

Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC), the exclusive distributor of Ford in Malaysia, has introduced the Next-Generation Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel, providing an additional engine option for local Raptor enthusiasts.

The new 2.0-litre diesel variant complements its twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 petrol engine sibling in the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor range.

First launched in 2018 in the previous generation Ford Ranger Raptor, the engine variant provides a compelling option for consumers desiring power, performance, and superior fuel efficiency, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission, it delivers up to 210 PS at 3,750 rpm and 500 Nm of torque at 1,750-2,000 rpm.

Enhancing the model’s fuel efficiency, it features a stop/start function, battery monitoring system, high-efficiency alternators, and LED daytime running lights, among other features. The vehicle also boasts the same sturdy chassis as its V6 counterpart, featuring several unique frames to withstand rigorous off-road conditions.

Its sophisticated FOX 2.5-inch Internal Bypass shock absorbers, filled with Teflon-infused oil, reduce friction by approximately 50 percent compared to its predecessor. Additionally, the new model features a Bottom-Out Control and a high-strength steel bash plate.

An upgrade in both design and technology is visible in the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel, which sports the same new exterior as the V6 variant.

The all-new cabin reflects a high-performance high-energy design theme, equipped with a 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster and 12-inch centre touchscreen with Ford’s SYNC® 4A infotainment system, which also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The model also boasts several safety features and advanced driver assistance system, including seven airbags, front and rear parking sensors, reverse cameras, ABS and EBD with electronic stability control, hill start assist, hill descent control, tyre pressure monitoring system and a 360-degree camera system.

The Next-Gen Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel is available in color options of Code Orange, Absolute Black, Arctic White, Blue Lightning and Conquer Grey, with a retail price of RM248,888, it comes with a 5-year or 160,000km warranty, whichever comes first, customers can also opt to extend to a 7-year coverage with the PremiumCare extended warranty package.

Early bird benefits, including a specially fitted Kenwood dashcam and a RM500 discount on a Ford Ranger Getaway, will be available to the first 300 customers making a booking for the new vehicle.

The vehicle will be showcased from 9 to 11 June 2023 at MRANTI Park and subsequently toured throughout Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, and Sarawak from June to September 2023 as part of the Ford Experience Hub roadshow.

Customers can engage with the brand at the Ford Experience Hub, learn about Ford vehicles, book a test drive, or even purchase exclusive Ford merchandise. Those making a booking for the Next-Gen Ranger Raptor 2.0L Bi-Turbo Diesel at the Hub will be able to redeem exclusive merchandise.

ford malaysia
ford range raptor
ford ranger raptor bi-turbo diesel


Next Huawei flagship to be named the P20 instead of P11

349

2017 has been a busy but good year for Chinese manufacturing giant Huawei. The company launched a whole range of smartphones throughout the year, having unveiled a couple of handsets in this month itself. A news outlet in Israel has reported that the upcoming Huawei P11 flagship will be named the P20 instead, supporting a handful of earlier rumors.

A P20 moniker is somewhat nicer sounding and a more “perfect” number as compared to the P11. The CEO of Huawei’s Israeli distributor broke the news at the Huawei Mate 10 launch event in a country, revealing the company’s road map for its upcoming devices as well. Recently, numerous sources have claimed that Huawei trademarked the P20 name, and this latest disclosure bolsters up those claims.

The Huawei Mate 10 has proven to be one of the best of 2017, being an excellent all rounder. The Huawei P20 will be expected to be up to the Mate 10’s standards, if not a better handset. The P20 will likely be powered by Huawei’s own Kirin 970 high performing processor with AI capabilities, along with Leica branded shooters both on the front and back of the device. The phone is expected to make an appearance at MWC 2018 in February.

huawei mate 10
mwc 2018
p11
p20


Next HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus update will bring a Moving Picture feature to the camera

319

There will be a new update coming to the HUAWEI P10 and P10 Plus that will bring a new feature to the camera of both the phones. The update will bring a new Moving picture feature that is similar to what the iPhone already has. The camera will take shots of an image before you click the shutter and after, giving a more interactive experience to your still images.

This feature is made possible thanks to the great camera that comes with both the phones. Other features that will follow this update is an improved camera performance, giving you a more authentic imaging, overall system optimisation for better power efficiency which will improve the battery life, and updated Andriod security with the new Google Security Patch.

If you own either the P10 or P10 Plus then you can look forward to this updates by the end of July. To be updated with the latest news and releases from HUAWEI, follow them on their
official Malaysian Facebook page
 or visit their official website
here
.

android
camera
feature
huawei
moving
p10
picture
plus
update


Next iOS update will allow users to disable iPhone battery throttling

303

Apple received a huge backlash when a user reported that they were throttling older iPhones in order to keep the phone powered up when the battery loses its charge over time. That made a lot of people unhappy with the lack of transparency that Apple provided to its users. However, Apple CEO, Tim Cook has recently announced that there will be an update to the iOS that will allow users to turn off the performance throttling.

Apple had good intentions when they released an update that will slow down iPhone with weak batteries, but the lack of information or explanation was the major reason why users are calling foul at Apple. They were nice enough to offer battery replacement for affected devices at a very low cost. In a future iOS update, Apple will provide more in-depth information on the phone’s battery as well as performance throttling to which users can turn it off if they find that it is not significantly affecting their battery life.

The update will be released as a developer preview before it becomes an official update, for those of you that want to try the update and experiment with your phone’s battery and performance can signup for the beta program
here
.

apple
battery
fix
ios
performance
update


The next smartwatch from Samsung will be smaller than the Gear S3

320

There is some expectation that during IFA, Samsung will announce a new smartwatch in the form of the Samsung Gear S4. Based on a survey, there is an indication that the wearable will be a combination of the Gear S3 and Gear Fit 2, it could also mean that it could be the Samsung Gear Pop but that’s just a speculation.

What is known about the device is that it will be thinner and smaller than the Gear S3, and the straps will be interchangeable. The new smartwatch is also focused on fitness tracking and will include features like weight and calorie management, inactivity alerts, sports coaching and of course, it will be swim-proof. They did not mention what kind of screen it will be using or the size of the battery, only time will tell what the actual device will be.

Samsung is probably one of the companies that have been consistently producing smartwatches and introducing features that seem to be what we want but never knew about it. So, I am looking forward to seeing what is their next take on the wearable scene.

android
fitness
samsung
smartwatch
wear
wearable


Your next Windows computer could run on a Snapdragon 835

302

The age old question, “should I get an Intel or AMD processor”. Well we might need to change that phrase when buying a Windows 10 laptop because Qualcomm as just announced that they are going to join the PC market by putting their Snapdragon 835 processors into consumer laptops, their selling point is that the processor will have the best of both worlds by merging the best parts of mobile with the capabilities of the Windows 10 ecosystem.

On an assumption basis, this might still not be able to rival the processing power that the two giants can offer, but looking at the graphics we get on mobile phones, it might actually work out for casual use and perhaps gaming. According to Qualcomm, the 835 together with the Adreno 540 GPU, will deliver up to 25 percent faster graphics rendering than its predecessor GPU, the Adreno 530 and support ‘real-life-quality visuals’ as well as putting together a 4k 360 video in real-time.

In the end, these devices will focus on general purpose computing but vendors will most probably promote casual gaming as well, as games like Hearthstone will run well on the processor. Companies such as, Asus, HP and Lenovo are already committed to releasing Windows 10 devices that are sleek and fanless with the processor in them.

10
835
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snapdragon
windows


Next year's iPhone will sport an OLED screen

328

Apple’s iPhones have been using LCD displays since forever. This year’s iPhone 7 series feature brighter displays with a wider and more accurate color gamut, but the company still held on to LCD display technology instead of OLED displays, which are considered as a better option. OLED displays are being put onto smartphones more than ever before, with companies such as Samsung being known to adopt OLED displays for their handsets for several years now. According to a representative from Sharp, Apple will finally be moving over to OLED displays for its next generation of iPhones.

Sharp’s President Tai Jeng-wu has claimed that Cupertino giant Apple will switch over to OLED panels, according to a report by Nikkei. OLED displays tend to triumph over LCD ones because of their brighter and more vibrant colors, not forgetting that OLED’s happen to be more power efficient as well. Tai has stated that Apple will eventually have to walk down the OLED choice of path for innovation’s sake.

Having said that, an OLED iPhone next year has already been rumored for a while now. Given the fact that Apple will be celebrating the iPhone’s 10th anniversary next year, it wouldn’t come as a surprise if the company goes all out with a bang when it launches the next generation of iPhones. On top of having an OLED display, some speculate that the next iPhone would feature an all glass build.

According to the same report by Nikkei, the OLED display will only make an appearance in the bigger 5.5-inch Plus model of the iPhone instead of its smaller sibling. What do you think of Apple’s possible shift to finally use OLED displays?

Source:
Nikkei

2017
7
apple
display
iphone
lcd
oled
screen
sharp


Nextbit founder leaves company prior to Razer’s smartphone debut

375

Many of you might have known that the smartphone company called Nextbit has been acquired by Razer. Nextbit produced phones that stores most if not all of your saved files and data on too the cloud eliminating the worry of space on the phone. Recent news has come to light that tells us the founder of Nextbit has left the company.

Founder of Nextbit Systems, Scott Croyle has had a very impressive career, working as Senior Vice President of Design and User Experience in HTC before starting up his own phone company in 2014 which he then went on to create the Nextbit Robin smartphone. Croyle has now gone out to start his own studio called Attic and joining him is Daniel Hundt who worked as a Senior Industrial Designer and Creative Director at One&Co firm then directing HTC’s creative team for a year and a half.

The design studio now covers a wide range of products which are not only limited to consumer electronics. With the departure of Croyle, it looks like Razer has to find a very experienced person to replace him but they will still go on to launch their very first smartphone on 1st November 2017.

company
founder
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Nextbit Robin now going for as low as less than RM500 on eBay

362

When the Nextbit Robin was launched, it was viewed as a startup attempt on a smartphone, which initially received positive reviews from professionals and consumers alike, before the hype took a deep plunge shortly after. It has been nearly two years since the phone was unveiled, and it still seems like a decent handset to own, considering the fact that it has now dropped to a really low price by a trusted eBay seller.

The Nextbit Robin is currently being sold for an extremely low $109.99 (RM 472.68) by a particular US eBay seller, named BuySPRY. The price tag is equivalent to most entry level smartphones of this age. Although the Nextbit Robin is a considerably old device, it still features decent specs such as a 1080p 5.2-inch display, a Snapdragon 808 processor which was seen in the LG G4, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage along with 100GB of cloud storage. The handset sports a standard 13MP/5MP rear and front camera, comes with dual front firing speakers and a USB Type-C port for charging.

It is rather unfortunate that BuySPRY only ships to US addresses, and international shipping will cost significantly more. Nevertheless, a Nextbit Robin at less than RM 500 is definitely a steal. Speaking of which, Nextbit just got acquired by Razer earlier this year.

cloud storage
ebay
nextbit
price
razer
robin
sale
snapdragon 808


Nextsgo announces three new VAIO notebooks with 8th Generation Intel Core processors

785

Nextsgo is back with the announcement of new VAIO 2019 notebooks in Malaysia, and they are the VAIO SE14, VAIO SX14 and also VAIO A12.

VAIO SE14

The VAIO SE14’s display measures at 14 inches and has an anti-glare FHD IPS screen. It has four built-in speakers – two top-firing dual speaker and two down-firing dual speaker – and its microphone comes with Microsoft Cortana support. In addition, the SE14 has either a HD720p or FHD 1080p webcam, in which both supports Windows Hello.

The SE14 can be powered by a 8
th
Generation Intel Core i5-8265U and can be upgraded to Intel Core i7-8565U. It uses the Intel UHD Graphics 620 and users can pick between 8GB or 16GB RAM. It has two storage options: 256GB or 512GB SSD.

The SE14 is said to last up to 13 hours and supports fast charging that can charge the notebook up to 70% in just an hour. Weighing around 1.35kg, it has two USB 3.1, two USB 3.0, one HDMI port and a headphone jack. In terms of design, the SE14 looks sleek in two colours – Red Copper and Dark Grey – and it has narrow bezels that maximises the viewing experience. Moreover, the notebook has a backlit keyboard and comes with a fingerprint reader for higher security. The VAIO SE14 is suitable for those who wants a notebook for both consumer and commercial purposes.

The SE14 is only available starting April 15, and will be priced from RM4,099.

VAIO SX14

Another 14-inch laptop VAIO has to offer is the SX14 that comes with either FHD IPS or UHD 4K display, and it also sports a narrow bezel design like the SE14. The SX14 weighs lighter than the SE14 at 1.05kg, and it comes with built-in stereo speakers and a 0.92MP webcam.

Similar to the SE14, the SX14 comes with similar options in terms of processors and graphics. However, the laptop has an extra feature known as VAIO TruePerformance to optimize the performance of the laptop at its peak usage. The SX14 also sports either 8GB or 16GB RAM and offers 256GB or 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD.

The SX14 can last up to 11 hours and comes with a HDMI port, VGA port, Gigabit LAN, USB Type-C, three USB Type-A, SD card reader and also a headphone jack. It also has a spill resistant keyboard that comes with an ergonomic design, a fingerprint reader and comes in three colours: Black, Silver and Brown. The SX14 is made for those who are looking for powerful specs in a lighter notebook.

The SX14 will start from RM7,199 and will only be available from May 2019 onwards.

VAIO A12

The VAIO A12 is a multi-functional device because not only is it a notebook, it also functions as a tablet. The A12 is slightly smaller than the notebooks mentioned above, but its 12.5-inch FHD IPS display makes it a perfect balance between a notebook and a tablet. Needless to say, the A12 supports touchscreen with 10-points capacitive multitouch. The A12 sports a 2.07MP webcam and comes with built-in stereo speakers.

Unfortunately, the A12 only comes with a single configuration; it’s powered by a 8
th
Generation Intel Core i5-8200Y processor and Intel UHD Graphics 615, comes with 8GB RAM and 256GB PCIe SSD.

The A12 is half black half silver. Its tablet is black in colour while its keyboard base is silver in colour, and the keyboard is also backlit and spill resistant. The A12 comes with a Gigabit LAN, HDMI port, VGA port, SD card reader, three USB Type-A, one USB Type-C and headphone jack.

The battery life of the A12 can last up to 15 hours and the all-rounder PC is rather light because both the tablet and keyboard combined only totals up to 1.1kg. The A12 can accommodate for those who emphasize on portability and convenience, and even comes with a pen support.

Like the SX14, the A12 will only be made available in May 2019 with the price of RM8,699.

nextsgo
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VAIO A12
VAIO SE14
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Nexus 6 finally gets its share of Android 7.0 Nougat

285

The Nexus 6 was Google’s first premiumly priced smartphone. As pricy as it can get, the Nexus 6 turned out to be probably the first handset by Google without any compromises. While Google’s devices were always meant to receive timely updates, Nexus 6 users have been crying foul over the lack of support and attention for the 2014 Google flagship. Only a couple of weeks back Google finally announced that Android Nougat 7.0 will be rolling out to Nexus 6 devices “in the coming weeks”, and the latest version of Android is finally making its way to the Nexus 6.

The update arrives after many Nexus 6 users speculating a reality whereby there will be no official Android Nougat for their devices, despite the device being included in the Android Beta Program. Google didn’t break its promise to consumers, finally allowing Nexus 6 users an official bite of Android Nougat. The OTA update is currently rolling out to Nexus 6 devices, sizing up to over 850MB, so it is definitely recommended to download the software update over WiFi.

Now that the Nexus 6 has gotten its share of Android Nougat, it won’t be long before we see the software update heading over to the Nexus 9 LTE, another two year old device by Google. Have you received your Nougat update for your Nexus 6?

Source:
9to5 Google

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Nexus 6 users reportedly getting OTA downgrades from Android 7.1.1 to 7.0

386

The Nexus 6 was lucky not to be left out from Google’s list of devices getting the Nougat treatment. Having launched more than 2 years ago towards the end of 2014, the Nexus 6 had Android version 7.1.1 rolled out to its devices earlier this year. Considering the fact that it is almost prehistoric in the fast paced age of technology, the Android 7.1.1 update might turn out to be the last ever for the 2014 Google flagship.

Some Nexus 6 users have gotten another OTA update on top of Android 7.1.1, not to a newer version of Android Nougat, but rather a downgrade reverting back to 7.0. This rather bizarre OTA update has been reported by numerous Nexus 6 users on Reddit. Since there isn’t any official announcement by Google regarding the “downgrade”, it’s safe to assume that this OTA is a blunder by the company.

There hasn’t been word from Google since this has happened, hence the Reddit Nexus 6 users have been advising each other to refrain from installing the update. It is safer not to anyway. Let’s hope Google fixes it like it always does. Let us know whether you’re getting this strange OTA update as well if you happen to be a faithful Nexus 6 user.

Source:
Reddit

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Nexus 9 & 10 can now run Remix OS 2.0

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Jide initially introduced Remix OS to be ran on laptops and PC’s with the liberty for user to have Android operating on their devices with multi-tasking abilities and close to desktop using experiences. The company has released a slightly more stable beta version of the OS last month, which includes dual-booting options, OTA updates and 32-bit PC support to revive older and aged PC’s with lower specs. This time around, Jide has released the Remix OS 2.0 for the Nexus 9 and Nexus 10 tablets.

Alongside the software releases, Jide has also rolled out a stable release for its own Ultratablet. With the ability for your Nexus tablet to run Remix OS, you can now turn it into a partial desktop device, since Remix OS packs many multi-tasking features such as being able to resize windows and a task bar. These features aren’t natively available on stock Android but Android N will be introduced with a couple of multi-tasking features in hand.

Jide has a guide readily available for those who are keen to hop on the Remix OS bandwagon. Do note that flashing the OS onto your Nexus tablet will require an adb tool installed on your computer. The image files can then be installed using fastboot. The step-by-step guide is available here. Have you used Remix OS? Tell us your thoughts!

Source:
Jide

10
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Nexus 9 finally joins the Nougat train

325

Just two days ago, we’ve gotten some good news from Google to Nexus 6 users, as the company’s latest Android version, Nougat has started rolling out to Nexus 6 devices. This might come as a surprise to fans since Google has mentioned last month that Android Nougat will be arriving to the Nexus 6 and Nexus 9 “in the coming weeks”, which is a rather vague timeframe. Speaking of the Nexus 9, the two year old tablet is finally getting Nougat as well, making both the Nexus 6 and the Nexus 9 two of the oldest Google devices to get their hands on the latest version of Android.

Both variants of the Nexus 9 (Wi-Fi and LTE), as expected, are receiving the rollout of Android Nougat as we speak. With build numbers of NRD91D and NRD90R respectively, users can now update their Nexus 9’s via OTA. There are also a couple of links available via the Google Developers website.

Co-designed with Taiwanese manufacturer HTC, the Nexus 9 tablet happens to be the last tablet by Google carrying the Nexus branding, before being replaced by the Pixel C last year. Google however, decided to retain the Nexus branding for their phones till last year – the Nexus 6P and Nexus 5X. A couple of days back, both handsets were successed by the Pixel XL and Pixel respectively, along with news that Google has officially ditched the Nexus titles and will not be manufacturing future Nexus devices.

Source:
Google

9
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NHK begins broadcast tests for 8K content

357

Ultra High Definition, also known as 4K, isn’t exactly mainstream yet, but that hasn’t stopped Japan’s NHK from going a step further. Today, the Japanese broadcasting company has begun tests on the world’s first regular TV satellite broadcasts in 8K resolution.

The test channel, known as the “Super Hi-Vision” channel, launched yesterday and will be carrying a mix of content in both 4K and 8K resolution. Apart from the broadcast resolution, of which 8K is four times as sharp as 4K, the broadcast channel will also be supporting 22.2-channel audio. NHK will be installing viewing stations throughout the country, allowing the public to view the broadcasts. NHK is expected to broadcast various footage from the Rio Olympics through these viewing stations, alongside other events such as concert and documentaries.

NHK’s 8K broadcasting test is part of the company’s preparation to rollout direct-to-home transmissions of 8K content by 2018. The company is aiming to broadcast the 2020 Tokyo Olympics entirely in 8K.

Source:
PC World
,
The Verge

8k
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rio2016


Niantic begins perma-banning Pokémon Go cheaters

328

GPS spoofers, botters and cheaters beware as Niantic has begun cracking down on those who have been manipulating their phones to get ahead in Pokémon Go.

A post posted up on the Pokémon Go website shows that Niantic will be banning those who have been cheating in Pokémon Go. The offences that will result in a perma-ban includes, but are not limited to, ‘falsifying your location, using emulators, modified or unofficial software and/or accessing Pokémon Go clients or backends in an unauthorized manner including through the use of third party software.’

Up until now, Niantic has been issuing bans of various severity. However, with this newly issued statement, it seems that Niantic will be increasing its efforts to crack down on cheaters. That said, Niantic hasn’t really provided much details as to how exactly they will identify cheaters, so it remains to be seen how Niantic would proceed with their crackdown.

Source:
The Verge

android
ban
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Niantic faces trespassing lawsuit over Pokémon Go

276

Pokémon Go’s method of establishing Pokéstops and Gyms have been making some noise among residents and certain businesses due to the large crowd of people it attracts. Now though, one highly irritated resident has decided enough is enough, and has sued Niantic because of it.

First discovered by Polygon, this lawsuit, which was filed by a New Jersey resident by the name of Jeffery Marder, claims that Niantic has placed Pokéstops and Pokémon gyms on private property without the owner’s consent. “At least give individuals knocked on plaintiff’s foor and asked for access to plaintiff’s backyard in order to ‘catch’ Pokémon that the game had placed in Plaintiff’s residence in West Orange, New Jersey – without plaintiff’s permission,” says the suit. The lawsuit also claims that Pokémon Go players are interfering with the use and enjoyment of his home. Marder believes that Nintendo and The Pokémon Company are profiting from a game that can have players entering private property.

Currently, the suit has been filed solely by Marder, but there is a paragraph in there that potentially states that anyone who has been inconvenieced by the placement of Pokéstops or Pokémon Gym could take part in the suit against Niantic as well. The three parties implicated in this lawsuit, which are Niantic, The Pokémon Company and Nintendo will have 21 days to respond to the suit.

Source:
Polygon
,
Scribd

lawsuit
niantic
nintendo
pokemongo
privateproperty
thepokemoncompany
trepassing


Niantic freezes international rollout of Pokémon Go to sort out server issues

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For the few of you who have yet to acquire the Pokémon Go app via an APK and was hoping to get it through legitimate means, you’re going to have to wait a little while longer as Niantic has officially announced that the company will be putting the global rollout of Pokémon Go on hold for now.

Thank you for your patience. We have been working to fix the server issues. We will continue rolling out
#PokemonGO
 to new countries soon.

— Pokémon GO (@PokemonGoApp)
July 8, 2016

Ever since the game was officially released in the U.S., Australia and New Zealand, Pokémon Go’s servers have been on the receiving end of a beating as thousands, if not millions, of people were attempting to access the game. Not helping matters is the fact that the APK for the game was leaked, allowing users from other regions where Pokémon Go has yet be released to gain access to the game. This led to the Pokémon Go servers being constantly underload with many being unable to log into the game themselves.

As such, Niantic has announced that international rollouts of Pokémon Go will be suspended for now until the company manages to fix the server capacity. “We thought the game would be popular, but it obviously struck a nerve,” says John Hanke, CEO of Niantic.

Source:
Business Insider

android
augmentedreality
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Niantic hints that Mew will be coming to Pokemon Go

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Pokemon Go is still going strong, with a big following overseas and even in Malaysia. Players are still going at it, spinning PokeStops, raiding gyms and catching all the pokemon in the pursuit of being the very best. In a recent statement by Niantic, the developers of the game, it stated that Mew will be available in the game.

Mew, as most of you know is quite a challenge to catch, back in the days of Gameboy, the only way to get Mew in your collection is by going to special Pokemon events and getting Nintendo to upload Mew into your game. However, in Pokemon Go, the process seems to be easier as you would need to go on a quest which will get you your very own Mew. Niantic is still being vague on the details of the quest, they mentioned that there are two new quests that will get you a Legendary Pokemon, by collecting stamps and achieving the research breakthrough achievement which might let you encounter a Mew.

Some of the tasks will require you to spin PokeStops, discovering certain Pokemon or getting into battles. Some objectives will also be provided by Professor Willow, the first in-game character that you meet. For those of you that are still playing, make sure to keep an eye out for announcements in the game, and for those of you that want to get into the world of Pokemon Go, the app can be downloaded for free on iOS and Android.

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Niantic increases measures for Pokemon GO cheaters

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Pokemon GO is no doubt a really successful and fun mobile game. The game implements the AR concept, with Pokemon appearing in real world. Not only that, it makes players walk distances, indirectly contributing to fitness. But like any other gaming title, Pokemon GO has its fair share of cheaters, who all aim to conquer gyms and above all, live up to the “Gottta Catch ‘Em All” motto. Niantic, the folks behind Pokemon GO is planning to up the ante on dealing with cheaters.

Niantic previously introduced shadow banning cheaters, which allows them to only catch lousy Pokemon. But now, Niantic is adding a new anti-cheating measure, which will mark Pokemon caught using third party services with a slash:

With the announcement of Raid Battles and the new battle features, we are staying true on our commitment to ensuring that Pokémon GO continues to be a fun and fair experience for all Trainers. Starting today, Pokémon caught using third-party services that circumvent normal gameplay will appear marked with a slash in the inventory and may not behave as expected. We are humbled by the excitement for all the new features we announced yesterday. This is one small part of our continued commitment to maintaining the integrity of our community and delivering an amazing Pokémon GO experience.

This new measure by Niantic is to ensure that all is fair when playing Pokemon GO. This will also be another huge blow to cheaters, whose Pokemon “may not behave as expected”. What do you think about Niantic’s new anti-cheating measure?

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Niantic is cracking down on Pokemon Go cheaters; you can report them now

284

Pokemon Go has just been launched in Malaysia and surrounding regions, but there have already been reports of cheaters and hackers using all sort of unfair ways to level up. We have seen social media and blog posts from many players urging cheaters to stop spoiling the Pokemon Go experience for others, especially when these players hog gyms, not allowing players to have a chance to challenge them.

So, Niantic has given Pokemon Go players a chance to report other players who is suspected of cheating. We are not too sure how effective it will be since it will take quite a lot of effort to check through them all, but should you see crazily strong players with more than 2000 CP, you can report them
HERE
. Niantic will then do the necessary verification and checks.

pokemoncheaters
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Niantic officially launched Pokémon Go : Trainer Battles

329

Great news for Pokemon Go lovers! After much anticipation, Pokemon Go’s PvP mode, Trainer Battles, has finally rolled out and is now available to play on the app.

Initially, only players with level 40 were allowed to access the mode but Niantic has since changed the accessibility, allowing players with level as low as level 10 to access the mode and it would be the permanent minimum required level for the mode.

To initiate a battle, you may need to be in the same location as your rival, either through friends list or a QR code scanning feature. You can also battle with players whom you’ve achieved Best or Ultra friends status, while practicing against AI-controlled team leaders.

If you’re battling against human players, you can earn in-game rewards which includes the very much sought Sinnoh Stone, which allows you to evolve various pokemons to their powerful final forms. You can earn rewards this way up to three times a day.

pokemon go
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Niantic wants you to be a Pokemon GO photography expert

301

The folks at Niantic have continuously been working hard to improve Pokemon GO for its still very much active base of users. Launched last year, Pokemon GO has come a long way now with a ton of added features and new Pokemon to enhance the living motto of Pokemon that is “Gotta catch ’em all”. Now the company has organized a unique AR photography contest for all Pokemon GO players.

If you still happen to be a Pokemon GO player, the good news about this contest is that it isn’t only open to players in the US, but all players. The main requirement of course is photos have to be taken in AR mode on the Pokemon Go app. Photos are also to be submitted on Instagram with the hashtag #PokemonGOcontest. The top 10 submissions as judged by Niantic will win a Pokemon GO Prize Pack that contains a Pokemon GO Plus, an autographed poster by the Pokemon GO team and wireless Bluetooth earbuds.

This unique contest definitely requires AR photography finesse of some sort, plus a whole lot of creativity. Do add in a #klgg hashtag while you’re at that, yes?

ar
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This is the vivo V19’s night photography quality

1.1K

We recently got our hands on the vivo V19 and while we missed the chance to fully explore the potential of night photography with the V19 in a multi-sensory fine dining experience, we think it’s still necessary for us to share some night shots taken with vivo’s new phone. Luckily, we managed to take some gorgeous pictures before the MCO was implemented. Of course, our photos included the Twin Towers as it is a must-visit landmark when it comes to taking night photography.

This picture of our beautiful landmark is taken using the Night mode of the vivo V19. It’s impressive how clear and sharp the image looks; there’s no doubt that this phone is capable of taking insta-worthy night shots.

[sciba leftsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_20200318_213009-scaled.jpg” leftlabel=”Without Night mode” rightsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_20200318_213035-scaled.jpg” rightlabel=”With Night mode” mode=”horizontal” width=””]

These photos are a comparison shot taken with and without the V19’s Night mode. One thing’s for sure, with an adequate amount of lighting, the V19 can handle night photography without issues. The only difference we can really see between these two photos are the colours; the colours tend to be warmer when Night mode is switched on, so it’s really up to you whether you prefer warmer temperature or not. Personally, I favour the one without Night mode.

[sciba leftsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_20200318_222321-scaled.jpg” leftlabel=”Without Night mode” rightsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_20200318_222325-scaled.jpg” rightlabel=”With Night mode” mode=”horizontal” width=””]

Here’s another comparison; in this case, the picture taken with Night mode is much brighter and slightly clearer. However, we can also see that red on the signage slightly oversaturated.

A few more photos taken with the V19; as you can see, the photos are properly exposed, the colours are vibrant and you can see the details properly.

Moving on to the selfies, the V19 did not disappoint too. With its dual selfie camera setup, I could take night selfies that aren’t too shabby. With the combination of Night mode and Beauty mode, I get flawless skin and well-lit selfies.

[sciba leftsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_20200318_220116-scaled.jpg” leftlabel=”With Night mode, without Backlight HDR” rightsrc=”https://klgadgetguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/IMG_20200318_220207-scaled.jpg” rightlabel=”Without Night mode, with Backlight HDR” mode=”horizontal” width=””]

However, I’ve discovered another way to take better selfies under lowlight situation. Using its normal Photo mode or even Portrait mode, the phone will activate a feature called Backlight HDR to greatly brighten up the selfies when you capture them. This turned out to be more useful when I’m under really dark lighting, as seen in the comparison photos above. I was at a Petronas station hence the green lighting, but with Backlight HDR, the colours and lighting are much better.

The vivo V19 will be an exciting phone to anticipate. Though it hasn’t been launched in Malaysia, we should be seeing its debut really soon.

V19
vivo
vivo malaysia
vivo v19


Nightdive Studios launches Kickstarter to remake System Shock

515

Back in 1994, Looking Glass made an FPS-RPG hybrid game known as System Shock. This game would go on to spawn a highly acclaimed sequel in System Shock II, as well being the inspiration for the Bioshock series. Now, 22 years after the game was first released, Nightdive Studios is looking to do a complete remake of the original System Shock. To do so, they’ve taken to Kickstarter to ask those who wish to see it to fund their efforts.

According to the
Kickstarter page
, this remake of System Shock will be built on the Unity Engine. As expected of a remake, System Shock 2016 will be a modern take on the 1994 game. Improvements, overhauls and changes will be implemented to the capture the spirit of what the original game is trying to convey, and bring it to contemporary gamers. The story is the same, with the player character facing down the infamous crazed A.I. known as SHODAN on Citadel Station.

However, unlike most other video games-related Kickstarter, a demo for the System Shock remake is available for download on Steam, GOG and the Humble Store. If you don’t feel comfortable with blindly backing yet another video game Kickstarter, you can try out the demo first and make your decision. The System Shock remake is scheduled to be available in December 2017.

kickstarter
nightdivestudios
systemshock


Nike sells iPhone cases made out of shoe soles

398

Most of us have always been complaining how slippery phones are these days, which is why we tend to put on cases to avoid any accidental damages if we drop our phones. Nike has apparently thought that shoe soles can probably be made into phone cases as well, and it has made a couple of them for the iPhone, the Nike Roshe and Air Force 1 will have designs that resembles your footwear, while providing impact and scratch protection to your iPhone, and they cost USD35 (RM152) excluding shipping to your location.

Now, this is a pretty interesting product, as Nike’s shoe soles offer pretty good grip when it comes to running, and the added grip will improve the aesthetic of the iPhone. From the looks of it, it looks even thinner than most rugged cases as well as being cheaper when it comes to price, while durability is still one thing that’s questionable if you were to compare to cases from Otterbox and Thule. But still, it makes sense for Nike to make a case for the iPhone since it has been in partnership with Apple for products such as the Apple Watch.

Therefore, we are not going to expect these cases made for Android devices, and let’s hope other sports brand can pick up the trend on this one.

SOURCE:
Nike

apple
iphone 7
nike