Nike's self-lacing shoe will be available at the end of November

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Shoes aren’t something we usually cover here, but Nike’s upcoming offering is an exception. Why is that you ask? Because this particular pair of shoes comes with self-lacing technology.

Called the HyperAdapt 1.0, this particular shoe comes with the company’s adaptive lacing technology that automatically tightens when you put your feet into the shoe. “When you step in, your heel will hit a sensor and the system will automatically tighten,” explains Tiffany Beers, Senior Innovator at Nike. “Then there are two buttons on the side to tighten and loosen. You can adjust it until it’s perfect.”

Before you get too excited, do note that the HyperAdapt 1.0 will only be made available at select Nike retail locations in the United States. This means that if you want a pair yourself, your only choice for now is to import them from the States. The HyperAdapt 1.0 will begin shipping out on the 28th of November and it seems that you’ll need to set up an appointment in order to get your hands on one. Prices for the shoes will be made available in the coming weeks.

Source:
Nike

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Nikon Announces Its Thinnest Pro Lens Yet with 26mm Pancake

1.3K

Although the Nikon Z line of lenses hasn’t been the most exciting in recent times, a few weeks ago
Nikon
 announced one of the brand’s most innovative releases yet.

The NIKORR Z 26mm f/2.8, affectionately called the ‘pancake lens’, is not only the lightest lens within the Nikon Z lineup, but also the thinnest auto-focus lens of any full-frame mirrorless camera. Weighing in at just 125g, and with a total length of around 23.5mm, it is inarguably the best portable lens you can carry for your Nikon Z camera.

With a focal length of 26mm, the lens allows you to capture a wide field of view that’s perfect for those cityscape shots. Plus, the wide f/2.8 aperture allows more light to come into the sensor, allowing you to capture shots with less than favourable light conditions. The 0.2m minimum focusing distance will also help you get up close and personal with your subject.

And if you decide to pair this lens with one of Nikon’s APS-C cameras, such as the Nikon Z50 or Nikon Zfc, you’ll get an equivalent focal length of 40mm, a great all-around perspective that can do everything from landscapes to stills to portraits.

The lens has a filter thread size of 52mm, and comes with an inconspicuous lens hood that allows it to maintain its small form factor.

It currently retails for 500 USD, which rounds up to about 2200 MYR. This makes it more expensive than Nikon’s more budget 28mm and 40mm lenses.

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Nikon announces the Coolpix S810c Android camera

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Let’s ask ourselves, since the first batch of Android cameras appeared in the market, have you ever rushed to get one or you’re still trusting your old camera with straightforward features? Today, Nikon continues to introduce a new model into the Android camera bandwagon by announcing the Coolpix S810c, a 16-Megapixel shooter which runs on Android 4.2.2 and WiFi Connectivity.

Being the sucessor to the S800c, Nikon has made some improvements such as a larger 3.7-inch touchscren, 12x Optical Zoom and a slimmer body. The camera is also able to access the Google Play Store and do almost everything that an Android smartphone can do, except phone calls of course. Nikon has also included a stereo headphone jack on the camera, which some users can treat it as a portable media player with a proper point and shoot lens.

It’s good that Nikon decided to stay in the game and we hope to see something from them to compete with Samsung’s NX series, given the fact Nikon is still the preferred brand in cameras. The S810c will be available for $349.95 early next month, which we expect a release in Malaysia soon after.

Source: Nikon


The Nikon D850 takes 4K videos at full frame for RM15,498

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Nikon is finally catching up in the DSLR videography space, as the company has finally introduced the long awaited Nikon D850 FX-format camera to the Malaysian market, Nikon intends the D850 to be a multi-purpose camera for content creators, be it for photography or videography, the camera is ready to take on these tasks with its 45.4-megapixel full frame sensor that is capable of recording 4K videos at 30 frames per second, 8K time-lapse videos and slow-motion videos at 120 frames per second on Full HD.

As the successor to Nikon’s D810, the Nikon D850 sports a number of attractive hardware upgrades. For instance, a magnesium alloy body construction that makes it stronger to sustain in challenging environments, a touch-enabled 3.2-inch 2359k dot tilt display, a larger optical viewfinder with 0.75x magnification, and capable of shooting up to 1840 images with the EN-EL15a Li-ion battery. In addition, the D850 has an ISO range of ISO 64-25600 (expandable to ISO 32-102400), a 153-point AF system with 99 cross sensors, and the ability to use an electronic shutter to capture images.

The Nikon D850 will retail at the price of RM15,498 for body only, users also have the option of purchasing it with a 24-120mm kit lens. For more information, head on over to nikon.com.my.

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Nimbus ExaDrive DC100 is the world’s largest SSD with a 100TB storage size

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Samsung held the crown for producing the largest-capacity SSD in the market, but just after a few weeks, another competitor has snatched the crown from right under Samsung’s nose and create a mammoth of an SSD. Samsung’s SSD came with a 30.72TB storage but now Nimbus Data has launched the ExaDrive that has a storage capacity of 100TB.

The SSD is based on the 3.5-inch design and Nimbus has claimed that it can deliver up to 100,000 input/output operations per second and up to 500Mbps throughput and uses 3D NAND to achieve its storage capacity. The company has mentioned that it can help data centres reduce power, cooling and rack space cost by 85 percent per TB which equates to higher capacity at a lower cost. The Nimbus ExaDrive DC100 comes with a five years endurance guarantee and has a mean time between failures of 2.5 million hours. It also has safety features like embedded capacitors to protect data in case of power loss and a secure-erase feature for data security.

You might not find this SSD on any regular PC, as it was intended for enterprise use. However, if more companies adopt SSD as storage for their servers, it will greatly increase access times and in some case, provide a better service to its customers.

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Ninebot and Segway combines to strengthen the rideable market

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You’ve seen us review the AirWheel on recent occasions and while the short distance rideable is fun and affordable than a Segway, its closest competitor Ninebot Inc. has announced a strategic alliance with Segway, which the latter will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, Ninebot’s major investors comprises of Xiaomi Technology, Sequoia Captial and Shunwei Foundation.

This strategic alliance is a milestone for Ninebot and Segway. After establishing the alliance, the company will widely apply a series of technologies into its future products, covering electric driving, mobile internet and man-machine interaction. This combination creates great opportunities for the development of the short-distance transportation industry. We believe that this alliance will promote the short-distance transportation industry to develop and grow on the intelligent mobile robot platform. The alliance of our well-known brands will provide more convenient and environmentally-friendly travelling solutions for customers

– Gao Lufeng, Ninebot founder and CEO

After the strategic alliance, both companies will be collaborating in technology and marketing areas which will result in more affordable yet fully featured rideables in future. The Segway rideable costs at least RM35,000 in the market and given AirWheel’s advantage as being a more affordable and safer ride, Ninebot’s and Segway’s collaboration would mean some healthy competition out there. Do check out our AirWheel Q5 and S3 review down below if you want to know more.


Ninetology teases new LTE smartphone coming soon

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Looks like our local smartphone maker Ninetology isn’t slowing their pace down, because we just got a teaser from them that a new LTE smartphone is coming on its way. Details are not being revealed in the mail but we are pretty sure the new smartphone will be under the U9 branding. Additionally, we believe that the new Ninetology LTE enabled smartphone could be powered by
MediaTek’s MT6595 Octa Core SoC which has a LTE radio integrated
, given the fact that the company is the first phone maker to launch
MediaTek’s first quad core chip last year
, and they will probably be doing the same again to bring phone prices down. Furthermore, Ninetology also teased that everybody will get a RM200 rebate on purchasing the new LTE smartphone through their E-Channel trade in campaign.

Ninetologians, are you ready for the next big thing from Ninetology? Or have you made up your mind already on a flagship phone this year? Let’s hope this LTE smartphone will cost no more than RM1.2K.

Source:
Ninetology


Nintendo’s patent reveals bendable Joy-Con controllers

398

Nintendo Switch has been a rather successful product of the company, but the company continues to take it further by trying to create bendable Joy-Con controllers. Yes, you heard that right — bendable.

A recent patent applied by the company recently reveals Joy-Cons with bendable design on its top half and this is supposedly made so that the console has a more ergonomic grip. This also means that even when the controllers are detached, they will still be able to bend outwards for optimal comfort when holding them.

Image credit: LetsGoDigital

The patent itself focuses mainly on the bendable design, so there aren’t changes to other components of the console itself. However, this should just be a new version of the Switch, not necessarily a lite or pro version. The Nintendo Switch Lite was just released a while back and there was no bendable design to be seen.

As usual, as it’s just a patent, we can only hope that Nintendo will implement this sometime in the future. Perhaps the company will introduce a Nintendo Switch Pro with this design, but with a few added features.

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Nintendo is bringing Legend of Zelda to smartphones

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Super Mario made it to Android and iOS devices, and the next Nintendo game you are going to find it in app stores is The Legend of Zelda. Nope, don’t expect that you can play the most popular Nintendo Switch title on your smartphone, however this report from WSJ confirms that Nintendo will be bringing the franchise of The Legend of Zelda to smartphones, there has been no mention of what game model that the company will bring, but you can safely assume that the game could use an in-app purchase model like many other console ported games.

The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild has been tremendously successful with the unveiling of the Switch, the game is also
reported
 to be sold more than the console itself. Nintendo CEO Tatsumi Kimishima quoted that the company plans to release two to three new smartphone games in the financial year ending March 2018, and Zelda is expected to be released after the upcoming mobile version of Animal Crossing happening this year. This is going to be really exciting for fans of the Legend of Zelda, and let’s hope it isn’t going to be another Pokemon Go or Super Mario Run game, because such game modes aren’t going to last.

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Nintendo debuts on the Apple App Store with Super Mario Run

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Out of all the things that has been predicted to be present at the Apple event, no one was expecting Nintendo to be present at the event. So it was a surprised that Shigeru Miyamoto was at Apple’s San Francisco event, signaling the fact that Nintendo will finally be making a move towards Apple’s App Store. With that said, Miyamoto has announced that Mario will be coming to the Apple App Store thanks to Super Mario Run.

In terms of gameplay, Super Mario Run is similar to endless runner games such as Temple Run. In the game, Mario will be running towards the end of the level. Your job is to help guide Mario to the end of the level safely. Tapping the screen on your iDevice will cause Mario to jump, allowing you to jump over gaps, jump on top of enemies and reach power up blocks.

Alongside the base game, Super Mario Run will also feature a multiplayer mode via Toad Rally. This game mode will see you compete against other players in a race to collect as many coins as possible. For every daring move you pull of, you’ll receive a Toad character. Once the time is up, the coins for both players will be tallied, and the winner will be the one with the most coins. Additionally, Toads that are collected during this mode will be placed in your own personal Mushroom Kingdom.

Nintendo’s presence on the App Store won’t be limited to just Super Mario Run, as Miyamoto also announced that a set of Mario stickers will be made available for Apple’s messaging service. Super Mario Run will be made available for purchase on the App Store sometime during the Holiday Season.

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Nintendo files patent for touchscreen-centric gamepad

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Nintendo has filed a very interesting patent quite recently as the company
has filed a patent
 on a gamepad design where a touchscreen would cover the entire front panel.

The patent for the gamepad is suspected to be due to Nintendo’s upcoming console, the NX. According to
Japanese news portals
, there are rumours that Nintendo will be utililsing Sharp’s free-form displays in a future product, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to think that said future product will be the NX’s controller.

Judging by the early sketches of of the controller, the usual front facing buttons would be replaced by a touchscreen. Other controller elements such as the analog sticks and shoulder buttons will still be available on the controller.

The Wall Street Journal
 has heard that the NX would include a “mobile unit” that could be used separately from the main console. Seeing as the controller does come with a card slot, it’s is possible that you could play NX titles solely on the gamepad, much like the Wii U.

Regardless, this patent does not mean that the NX controller’s design has been finalised. It does make for a very interesting concept though.

Source :
Engadget

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Nintendo introduces a cute $60 NES console that stores 30 built-in games

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If you haven’t had the chance to own a NES console or probably missed that era, Nintendo is bringing the NES back to the present as it has announced the $60 NES Classic Edition console. Nope, you are not getting the monstrous sized NES back then but this one is a rather cute and small one, but it does look like the NES. With that said, this mini-sized NES has HDMI output and comes with a NES controller that works specifically with the device, unfortunately you can’t insert your old NES cartridges into this antique but modern gaming console or even sideload games, but you will definitely appreciate the multiple suspend point feature so that you do not need to remember those passwords to continue playing a game.

Here are the games that will be included in the NES Classic Edition:

Balloon Fight

Bubble Bobble

Castlevania

Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest

Donkey Kong

Donkey Kong Jr.

Double Dragon II: The Revenge

Dr. Mario

Excitebike

Final Fantasy

Galaga

Ghosts’N Goblins

Gradius

Ice Climber

Kid Icarus

Kirby’s Adventure

Mario Bros.

Mega Man 2

Metroid

Ninja Gaiden

Pac-Man

Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream

StarTropics

Super C

Super Mario Bros.

Super Mario Bros. 2

Super Mario Bros. 3

Tecmo Bowl

The Legend of Zelda

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link

Interested already? Just make sure you have $59.99 ready when it gets released on November 11th this year.

SOURCE:
 The Verge

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Nintendo introduces an adjustable charger for the Switch

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The Nintendo Switch introduced a new way of console gaming, but it also has issues that were never expected in the end product, such as connectivity issues with the joy con if you put it near an aquarium, but probably the most infamous issue of the Switch would be its low quality plastic kickstand, which could easily break if you twist it too much. Fortunately, Nintendo have introduced an adjustable charging stand, which will juice up your console’s battery and serves as an alternative to the weak kickstand.

Although this isn’t the first accessory to offer such a solution for the Switch, third party accessories have been reported to damage consoles after the Switch’s version 5.0 update, the introduction of the adjustable charging stand from Nintendo officially is nonetheless a great move, considering that many users would want to charge their consoles while placing it on a table top.

The Switch adjustable charging stand will be available in the US starting 13 July and costs $20, let’s hope it makes its way here soon enough.

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Nintendo introduces cardboard kit add-ons for the Switch called Labo

275

Nintendo is still holding on to their family-friendly way of selling their products with the introduction of Nintendo Labo. Built using cardboard sheets, these tools will allow you to turn the Switch into different types of controllers that will interact with Labo games.

Labo will come in different kits with different designs and parts to build the cardboard into tools and it comes with its own game cartridges with the specific game for the kit. The pre-cut cardboards will allow kids to simply remove the pieces and assemble them into a particular tool. Currently, there are two kits listed on Nintendo’s website, a variety pack that retails for $70 which includes a piano, motorcycle handle bards and a house. There is an $80 kit that can be assembled into a wearable robot suit to play a mecha like game. You might find paying that amount for cardboards is too expensive but it is an impressive way of interacting with the Switch, and with the low-cost production, there will be users out there fabricating their own cardboard kits that will probably surpass the quality that Nintendo provides with theirs.

The Nintendo Switch is not really catered to kids as they have games like Doom and Skyrim already out for the console. This could be the chance the company needs to capture its younger audience and perhaps even the older ones.

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Nintendo is releasing two new Switch models in 2019

272

Nintendo Switch was a hit when it was released, and now The Wall Street Journal reports that the company plans to release two more versions of the Switch by this year.

According to the report, one of the versions is made for video games enthusiasts, and while it won’t be able to win over the PS4 Pro or Xbox One X, the new Switch will be integrated with enhanced features.

On the other hand, the other version will accommodate for casual gamers, making it a cheaper version with several features removed. One of the features that was specifically mentioned is the controller vibration feature, which can help cut cost.

Though there are no price information on both models, Nintendo is said to be working with Sharp on the displays of the new Switch devices. We’re also expecting to see the two models during 2019’s E3 convention.

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Nintendo issues takedown notice on the FreeShop application

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Nintendo 3DS owners may or may not be familiar with an application called FreeShop. Originally created to allow 3DS owners to download games that they’ve already purchased, the application also has the unfortunate side effect of enabling piracy. No surprise then that Nintendo itself has issued a takedown notice on the application’s
GitHub page
.

The way FreeShop enables piracy lies in the ‘titlekey’ encryption system that Nintendo uses for its online store. FreeShop allows other users to share titlekeys, which allows many 3DS owner to acquire games that they’ve never bought. Because of this, Nintendo has forced GitHub to takedown FreeShops repository.

While this means that you’ll no longer be able to get FreeShop through GitHub, it doesn’t mean that FreeShop as a whole has been taken down entirely. As far as we know, those who already have FreeShop installed on their 3DS could continue using app as per normal.

Source:
Kotaku

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Nintendo has launch the Nintendo Switch Online app, adding online features to the Switch

327

After months of waiting for news on playing online with friends on the Nintendo Switch, the iOS and Android app that is required to use any online functionality have finally been released. This app will finally allow you to have voice chats with your friends, send game invites and various other game information that will appear on the app.

Although there no game that currently utilises Internet connection, there is not much that can be done with the app until Splatoon 2 releases this week. The early launching of the app is probably to allow users to get used to the interface and functions the app provides. The service is currently free till the end of the year and will cost $19.99 yearly, a much cheaper alternative comparing to PlayStation Plus and Xbox Gold.

After checking both the Play Store and the App Store, it is displayed as not compatible with your devices, but reports indicate that it was meant to release along side Splatoon 2. It might not be ideal to have the online features separated from the actual console, but its good to finally see online functionality coming to the Switch, giving more reason to get the console.

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Nintendo NX console will be a portable console with detachable controllers

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The last time we reported on the Nintendo NX, we were duped. This time though, the rumours seems to be a tad bit more legit as it appears that Eurogamer’s sources has managed to get a look at Nintendo’s upcoming console.

First off, the Nintendo NX appears to be a portable handheld console. The console itself will function as a high-powered handheld console with its own display. Two controllers are located at both ends of the console, and these controllers can be detached from the main unit. The NX will also feature a docking station that would allow you to connect the NX to the TV, allowing you to play your game on the TV itself. As for games, the NX’s physical media of choice will be cartridges.

Sources also say that the Nintendo NX will be powered by Nvidia’s Tegra processor. The NX will also run on a new operating system by Nintendo instead of the rumoured Android. Finally, because of the radical change in technology that the NX has, it is said that the console will not be supporting backwards compatibility.

With the reveal of the console currently scheduled for September, it won’t be long now until we get to see the Nintendo NX in the flesh.

Source:
Eurogamer

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Nintendo NX controller images turns out to be a hoax [Update]

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Nintendo is due to announce the NX sometime this year. So far, all we know about the devices is that the controller would be feature a screen of sorts and perhaps two thumbsticks at either sides of the controller.

Interesting though it may be, details of the controller thus far have all been concepts…until now that is as a reddit user has leaked what appears to be a prototype build of the NX controller.

From the photos, the NX’s controller seems to follow the design closely, aside from the omission of a grip. The controller itself sports two thumbsticks, placed between what we assume to be the main touchscreen. As the picture also shows, it would come wth a headphone jack located on the bottom of the controller.

It’ll be pretty interesting to see how Nintendo intends to implement the touchscreen into its games. Also note that the controller doesn’t have any traditional face buttons, so button input would be yet another mystery.

UPDATE: So it turns out that the images of the Nintendo NX turns out to be a hoax created out of Photoshop and a 3D Printer. The person who made the fake controller detailed his entire process
here
 if you’re interested in seeing it. If nothing else, kudos to the guy for taking the effort to create such a convincing fake. In the meantime, we’re going to have to wait for Nintendo to officially unveil the NX.

Source:
reddit

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Nintendo’s Paper Mario: The Origami King is coming to Switch in July

381

Good news, Paper Mario fans! Nintendo just made a surprise announcement, revealing that
Paper Mario: The Origami King
 will be released for Switch in less than two months’ time.

In this game, Mario partners with Olivia and Bowser to defeat King Olly who bound Princess Peach’s Castle and plans to re-fold the world. This game will be using a ring-based battle system and you’ll have to fight evil Folded Soldiers on your way to free Princess Peach’s castle.

This game supports all three play modes — TV mode, Tabletop mode and handheld mode. Unfortunately, it doesn’t support multiplayer mode, so you can only play alone. Downloading the game will take up 6.5GB of your storage space.

You can
preorder
 the digital edition of Paper Mario: The Origami King at USD $59.99 or CAD $79.99.

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Nintendo releasing a new and improved 2DS XL

330

After the downfall of the Wii U, Nintendo came back hard with the Nintendo Switch which is targeted to outsell the Wii U within this year, but that does not mean they are taking a break. Recently the Japanese gaming giant has just announced yet another handheld console which is very familiar to all of us, the New Nintendo 2DS XL. The design has also been drastically changed from the previous slab looking design the old 2DS had.

The new 2DS XL is similar to the new 3DS XL just without the 3D feature that no one uses anyway. The device will have a C-stick, Amiibo support, Z-buttons and will be compatible with all New 3DS games. It’s a relieve to know that the screens on the device look to be the same size as the ones on the 3DS XL, as the previous 2DS was too small to play games with a lot of things going on at once like Monster Hunter Generations and Super Smash Bros.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=3lxNHhgMuTg

Based on the trailer, the new 2DS will come in a sleek black and blue design but a little digging on the Nintendo Japanese site shows that there will be a white and gold edition, which we hope will not be locked to the Japan region only. The device is set to release on July 28 with a retail price of $150 (Rm652.13), a good pick up for those of you that can make do without the flawed 3D function.

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Nintendo reveals the upcoming console-portable hybrid: the Nintendo Switch

391

The wait is finally over. After months of leaks, we finally have a trailer that shows of the console-formerly-known-as-NX, and it is called the Nintendo Switch.

Judging from the trailer itself, it appears that the Nintendo Switch will be a console-portable hybrid. The actual machine itself appears to be a portable machine, using Nintendo DS-like cartridges for its games.

For the console part of things, the Nintendo Switch comes with a TV dock, allowing you to dock the portable into place, after which the dock will transmit the game to the TV seemingly wirelessly.

Perhaps the most fascinating thing about the Nintendo Switch has to do with the controller. The main controller that will come with the Switch appears to be a central control hub that is flanked by two control modules. The modules themselves comes with an analog stick and four face buttons. These modules can be detached from the control hub and attached to the Switch itself, allowing you to treat the machine as a portable gaming console.

You don’t necessary need to attach the controllers to either the console or the control hub either as it is wireless, allowing you to use both controls in a Wii Nunchuck-line configuration, or as two seperate controllers for multiplayer games.

For those who prefer a more traditional gaming experience, the Nintendo Switch will also come with a standard game controller as well.

A specification list for the Nintendo Switch has yet to be revealed, but
Nvidia
 has handily announced that Nintendo’s latest console will come with a custom Tegra processor. As for the games, Nintendo has published a list of game developers and publishers that will be supplying the Switch with third-party titles.

The Nintendo Switch will be hitting store shelves some time in March 2017, giving you enough time to save up for the console.

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Nintendo rumoured to end production of the Wii U this year

309

Sales of the Wii U console isn’t living up to the Nintendo’s expectation, even in its home country of Japan. With sales figures low and the Nintendo NX rumoured to be revealed later this year, Nikkei has reported that Nintendo will be discontinuing production of the Wii U by the end of the year.

Nikkei reports that Nintendo’s decision to discontinue the Wii U is due to the company deciding that sales of the console would not recover. The lack of popular software has always been a thorn in the Wii U’s side and it doesn’t help matters that the console has not been as good of a market performer as its predecessor the Wii. With this decision, it seems that Nintendo will be focused solely on the Nintendo NX as it will be announcing the NX as soon as E3.

However, Japanese tech site IT Media has reported that those rumours are unsubstantiated. According to a Nintendo spokesperson, Nintendo intends to continue production of the Wii U for the foreseeable future. He also added that the rumours of the discontinuation of the Wii U “did not come from our company.” Only time will tell if Nintendo intends to continue manufacturing the console despite its lackluster sales figure.

Source:
Nikkei
,
IT Media

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Nintendo is shutting down Wii Shop Channel in 2019

374

The Nintendo Wii U was a rather disappointing device with lack of support from the company and expected games seemingly not released on that console, thus making the Wii Shop Channel a rather dull place for fun and games. Nintendo has recently announced that they will be closing down the service on 31 January 2019 and users will not be able to add Wii Points to their account from 26 March 2018.

All is not lost, as it is still possible to re-download purchased WiiWare and Virtual Console titles and transferring them to the Wii U using the Wii System Transfer feature which will also cease to work in 2019. Purchased titles will still be able to run if they are on the hardware but if they are deleted, there might not be a way to download them when the service shuts down.

Nintendo will announce at a later date when will the redownloads will be disabled but for now, if you are an owner of the console, it’s best that you start transferring your games using the

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Nintendo starts developing mobile games with DeNA

309

Whenever you feel like playing Super Mario or Pokemon, they are sadly only available on
Nintendo
’s own gaming platform and most of you might have purchased emulators from the App Store then sideload those old classic games into your devices. Here’s a good news,
Nintendo
 will be developing new games soon for your smart devices with mobile game company DeNA, while there won’t be direct port of games but you can be rest assured that
Nintendo
 characters are going to appear in these new titles.

The partnership took place earlier today, which Nintendo and DeNA held a press conference in Japan that officially announced the joint venture of the two companies, with Nintendo having a 10% stake in DeNA and the latter 1.24 on Nintendo. Once this joint venture takes place, DeNA will leverage on Nintendo’s characters to create new games optimized for smart devices, fans can expect new titles from the duo in this fall. Apart from that, Nintendo has also announced that the company is currently working on a new gaming console codenamed the NX, in which the company didn’t reveal too much details about it and we ourselves could assume that it could be something to do with VR, given the company has been creating games with motion controls with the introduction of the first Wii.

Only time will tell at the end of the year, if
Nintendo
 and DeNA will start bringing some great classics back into the modern era with beautiful graphics, we are of course more interested in what the company’s NX gaming console can when it gets announced.


Nintendo Switch may be getting an upgrade in battery life after release of the Switch Lite this September

442

So
 you may have head of Nintendo’s new Switch Lite – a portable-only little brother to the regular Switch. It’s fully handheld, doesn’t connect to the TV, but lets you join in on multiplayer with other Switch players. It also has supposedly has better battery life than the standard version.

But now, Nintendo is making “battery” the keyword with their newest offering – a unifier of sorts in their Switch line-up, is apparently a regular switch console, that has the best battery life compared to the two other consoles.

GameSpot
 reports that the current Switch boasts a battery life of 2.5-6.5 hours; but the new-and-improved Switch will offer between 4.5 and 9 hours of game time. Plus, since it’s essentially the regular Switch with a bigger battery, you can connect this to your TV.

The Nintendo Switch Lite will be priced at around RM824, around RM300 cheaper than the two-year-old standard Switch; but according to
GameSpot
, the newest
iteration
 will be priced similarly to the regular Switch, so although with its bigger battery, you may still consider the Switch Lite due to its price.

As the Nintendo Switch Lite is set for a September release date, we can expect this bigger battery Switch to come sometime October.

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Nintendo Switch is getting its first unofficial streaming app this week

360

When the Nintendo Switch first released, there was nothing much that could be done on it other than playing games. Nintendo also promised that video streaming apps like Netflix will come to the system. Months have passed since the release of the console and we have still seen nothing, until now. Japan will be getting the first of this kind of service in the form of Niconico.

It is a streaming site that is similar to YouTube but with a twist, comments that are posted by users will appear over the video or livestream and Japanese gaming companies often use this service for announcement and events. Niconico is also the first video app for the PlayStation Vita when it first released.

This is interesting for two reasons, the first being that there is finally signs that Nintendo is bringing video streaming services to the Switch and I hope to see Twitch on it soon. The second, Nintendo allowed a company that is not affiliated with them to publish an app on their eShop, which opens up possibilities for more 3rd-party apps to come to eShop.

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Nintendo Switch OLED: Not the Pro model fans have been waiting for

2K

Fans have been waiting for the
Nintendo Switch Pro
 for awhile now; unfortunately, the new console released by Nintendo is the Nintendo Switch OLED, not the Pro.

Nintendo Switch OLED – just a different screen?

Image credit: Nintendo

As suggested by its name, the Nintendo Switch OLED is basically a Switch, but with an OLED display. However, it’s also larger than the Switch and Switch Lite, featuring a 7-inch screen.

Double the storage!

In addition to that, the new Nintendo console has a wider kickstand at the back and also comes with a built-in Ethernet port. Under the hood, it has 64GB of storage — twice the amount compared to the Switch and Switch Lite — but other components including the RAM and processor stays the same.

The new
Nintendo Switch OLED
 is confirmed to launch on October 8 and will be available at the price of $349 — $50 more than the original Switch.


Nintendo updates Switch Online with Super Nintendo games

381

Nintendo launched its Switch Online service a year ago, which you get access to retro NES games on your Switch console for the price of US$4 per month.

Now, there’s more reasons to get subscribed to the service, as the company has introduced a handful of Super Nintendo games on the service, and here goes the list of them:

Super Mario Kart

Kirby’s Dream Course

Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island

F-Zero

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past

Super Mario World

Star Fox

Stunt Race FX

Super Metroid

Kirby’s Dream Land 3

Pilotwings

Super Soccer

Super Tennis

Brawl Brothers

Demon’s Crest

Joe & Mac 2: Lost in the Tropics

Super E.D.F. Earth Defense Force

Super Puyo Puyo 2

Breath of Fire

Super Ghouls ’n Ghosts

More SNES games will be added over time and if you really want to go all out to relive the SNES gaming days, you can even purchase an optional wireless SNES controller that’s made specially for the Switch for US$29.99, which we can expect to pop up and local game shops really soon.

nintendo switch
snes
snes switch online
super nintendo


Nintendo Switch Pro to launch in 2021 with 4K support

1.8K

The upcoming Nintendo Switch Pro is supposedly launching by the end of this year and instead of maxing out at 1080p, it will support 4K content.

Nintendo Switch gained popularity during COVID-19 season

The Nintendo Switch was very popular last year when the pandemic started and everyone is suddenly playing
Animal Crossing
. Now, the upgraded model will be launching with higher resolution and DLSS technology which upscales image quality without compromising the frame rate.

Nintendo Switch Pro will come with more major upgrades

Leakers
revealed
 that the Switch Pro will have huge improvements over the original switch, but we still don’t have the full details yet. However, you shouldn’t expect it to compete with the likes of
PS5
 or Xbox.

Either way, the new console should be launched this year. We should know in a few months’ time if the console ends up getting delayed to 2022.

nintendo
Nintendo Switch Pro


Nintendo to release the Famicom Mini in Japan

298

Remember when Nintendo announced that it will be releasing the
NES Classic
? Japan will be getting something different instead as Nintendo has announced the Japan only Famicom Mini.

The Famicom Mini, much like the NES Classic, is a miniature console that comes with 30 games pre-installed on the system. However, unlike the NES Classic, the Famicom Mini will come with two wired controllers instead of a single one like the NES Classic. The games lineup on the Famicom Mini will also be slightly different, with games such as Final Fantasy III not being available on it. But perhaps the most important detail is the fact that the console and its games will be in Japanese, so you’re going to have to understand the language before you’ll be able to navigate the system.

If you’re still interested in owning the Famicom Mini, the mini console will be available on the 10th of November for JPY5,980.

Source:
The Verge

console
famicommini
nintendo
retro


Nintendo to reveal more details about the Switch in January

340

The Nintendo Switch is one of the more fascinating consoles that Nintendo has revealed so far. Unfortunately, very little details about the device has been released thus far. If you’re hoping to know more about Nintendo’s upcoming console, you’re in luck, as Nintendo has announced that it will be hosting a livestream event on the 12th of January to reveal more details about the Switch.

Learn more about Nintendo’s new home gaming system at the Nintendo Switch Presentation, streamed LIVE on Jan. 12
https://t.co/0c7gOJasA2

pic.twitter.com/5aR7MBH2C5

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica)
October 27, 2016

Nintendo’s decision to host the event on January 12th isn’t exactly surprising as the company itself has announced that no further details about the Switch will be revealed in 2016. With the Switch scheduled for a March 2017 launch, Nintendo doesn’t really have too much time on their hands to convince the public that the Switch is a console worth getting. Now that Nintendo has decided to reveal more details about the Switch in January, the Japanese company will have roughly two months to work with before the Switch enters the market.

Nintendo: To hold Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 on Jan 12. It includes 1) price, 2) software lineup and 3) launch date
https://t.co/TtZbz5hs0g

— Takashi Mochizuki (@mochi_wsj)
October 27, 2016

While Nintendo themselves did not elaborate on what they would touch on during the presentation, Wall Street Journal’s Takashi Mochizuki has mentioned that Nintendo will be revealing the price, software lineup, and launch date of the Nintendo Switch. If you’re still uncertain about the Nintendo Switch, the January 12th event will be one worth watching.

Source:
Engadget

announcement
console
event
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Nintendo will be co-producing a Super Mario animated movie

282

Mario fans will be happy to know that Nintendo has just confirmed that they will be co-producing a Super Mario movie with Illumination Entertainment, the animation studio behind popular movies like Despicable Me, Minions and The Secret Life of Pets.

The fact that Nintendo will be behind the movie is a relief as the previous Mario movie that came out in 1993 was a major flop and fans all around demanded a better movie from Nintendo. Fast forward 15 years later, and here we are with a new movie that should be better than the 1993 attempt. Aside from the live action adaptation, this new movie will be animated.

Nintendo and Illumination are partnering on a movie starring Mario, co-produced by Shigeru Miyamoto and Chris Meledandri!
pic.twitter.com/wVRPLIzcGJ

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica)
February 1, 2018

Sadly, there is no mention of a release date, the movie might come out next year or even two years from now seeing as animations do take a longer time to produce compared to a live action movie. Aside from that, Nintendo has also announced that the lifetime hardware sales of the Nintendo Switch have surpassed the Wii U in less than a year.

bro
mario
movie
nintendo
super


Nintendo will end production of the Wii U this Friday

303

With the Nintendo Switch coming to stores in four months’ time, the Wii U’s life is at its end. Nintendo seems to believe so as the company is rumoured to be stopping production of the console this Friday.

According to Eurogamer’s sources, Nintendo’s Japanese production line for the Wii U will shut down after the final deadline for orders passed yesterday. The Wii U has been one of Nintendo’s weaker consoles, as sales of the device have been unimpressive even when it was first launched. As of September 30th, Nintendo has shipped 13.36 million Wii U consoles, a pitiful sum when compared to the Wii’s 101 million units.

It is highly unlikely that you’ll need to rush out and buy a Wii U console if you want one though, as even though production of te console may be halted, shops will probably still have inventories for Nintendo’s console. If nothing else, the Wii U has been a great testbench for the upcoming Switch, as the upcoming portable console hybrid has obviously taken some cues from the Wii U.

Source:
Eurogamer

console
nintendo
production
switch
wiiu


Nintendo will release a Pokémon Red and Blue bundle to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pokémon

319

On February 27th, Nintendo’s best selling franchise, Pokémon, will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. To celebrate this landmark, Nintendo will be releasing a special 3DS bundle on the date itself.

Coming with Pokémon Red and Blue preinstalled, this 3DS will also feature two cover plates with artwork from the original games and a download code for an exclusive Home Menu theme. Besides that, the original Pokémon games, Red, Blue and Yellow, will be available to download in the 3DS eShop on the same day as well.

Amiibos collectors will also be able to join in on the Pokémon celebration as Nintendo will be re-releasing some of its best-selling Pokémon amiibos like Charizard, Jigglypuff, Greninja and Lucario.

Rounding up the celebration, Nintendo will be releasing 12 Pokémon feature films on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon throughout the year. These films will be digitally remastered for release. For those who have access to Pokémon TV, the service will be hosting one film a month. The first three Pokémon movies will be available in Blu-Ray and DVD bundles this year.

Source :
Engadget

3ds
nintendo
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Nintendo will release a Tsum Tsum-themed Switch this October; only in Japan

478

Nintendo Switch has been the talk of the town recently because it’s finally getting Android (unofficially), it has a lite version and its battery life is getting extended. In addition to all of that, Nintendo is releasing a Japan-only Nintendo Switch that is Tsum Tsum-themed.

For those who don’t know, Disney has a popular mobile game for both iOS and Android devices called Tsum Tsum — a game that includes and adds more and more Disney characters as time goes. Many players became obsessed with this game and soon after, Tsum Tsum had its own merchandises.

With this Japan-exclusive Switch, the company will also include the Tsum Tsum Festival game that also has some DLC so Tsum Tsum fans can enjoy more than just the Switch’s appearance.

Moreover, this Nintendo Switch also has its own Tsum Tsum-themed dock, and Joy-Cons. The whole bundle is ¥36,000 which is around RM1,366.20 when converted to local currency. It is set to launch on October 10 this year.

disney
japan
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Tsum Tsum


Nintendo will reveal the Nintendo NX via a trailer tonight

282

After months of speculations, rumours and guesswork, Nintendo will finally reveal its upcoming console, the Nintendo NX.

Be among the first to discover
#NX
. Watch the Preview Trailer at 7am PT/10am ET!
pic.twitter.com/R2QTzjyLUo

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica)
October 20, 2016

Nintendo of America has announced that a preview trailer of the NX will be going live today at 7am PST or 10am EST. Converted to local time, the trailer will go live at 10pm tonight.

Seeing as it is just a trailer, we don’t really know how much Nintendo will reveal about the NX. Thus far, all the rumours so far reveal that the NX will be a cartridge-based system that will work as both a traditional console, as well as a handheld. We do not expect specifics of the console to be revealed in the trailer as Nintendo may be saving that for their own event, but a first look at the design of the console is pretty much a given.

Source:
Nintendo of America Twitter

console
handheld
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nx


Nintendo's first smartphone app will launch in Japan this Thursday

255

Nintendo will be making its own debut on the smartphone soon as the company’s first smartphone app, Miitomo, will be launching in Japan on Thursday.

Available for both iOS and Android, Miitomo, translated as Mii Friends, seems to Nintendo’s very own social media application. Users will be able to create their own Mii Avatars and could then come into contact with other Miitomo users when they are in close proximity, much like how the StreetPass system works on the 3DS. The app itself will also come with a mode called Miifotos, which will allow you to add your own Mii into a photo taken by your smartphone’s camera.

Nintendo has said that the game will be a free-to-start application, meaning that the game will feature microtransactions. Thus far, it seems that all of the microtransactions are merely cosmetic changes, so there really isn’t a reason to be up in arms yet.

As for an international release, Nintendo has yet to say anything about it, so we’ll have to wait a bit longer for it.

Source:
Polygon

android
ios
miitomo
nintendo
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Nintendo’s Mario Kart Tour is official; comes with a Gold Pass subscription

297

About a month ago, Nintendo released an official date to bring Mario Kart Tour to iOS and Android devices. That date is September 25, meaning the game is now officially available for download.

While the game is free for download, the game comes with a “Gold Pass” subscription that will cost $4.99/month. This subscription will provide users with extra things such as in-game items and badges, in addition to unlocking a 200cc mode.

According to its website, first-time users can get a two-week free trial when they subscribe for Gold Pass. However, those who purchase Gold Pass will not be able to transfer their subscription if the old and new devices aren’t under the same OS.

What you may have not noticed is that the Gold Pass subscription is similarly priced as Apple Arcade and Apple Arcade has Sonic Racing, which is quite similar to Mario Kart Tour. But then again, the Apple Arcade subscription will also give you access to over 100 games, which is definitely more value-worthy compared to the Mario Kart Tour.

That being said, you can always get the Gold Pass if you’re a hardcore Mario fan. No worries, we won’t judge.

android
Gold Pass
ios
Mario Kart Tour
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Nintendo’s online service is much cheaper compared to PS Plus

303

Nintendo has given us more information on their paid online subscription service for the Switch, with a confirm on the pricing and launch date. A smartphone app will also be launched alongside it which will allow players to invite friends, set up gaming sessions, or chat with friends during games on the second screen.

For now, playing online on the Switch will be free until the service comes out, which will cost $3.99 for one month, $7.99 for three months and $19.99 for a years subscription. In addition to that, subscribers will also get special deals on the eShop similar to what Sony is offering for PS Plus members. Nintendo’s back catalog of classic games will also be available for free and updated with multiplayer support, the company previously indicated that these games will only be available for a month at a time but they confirmed with Kotaku that users can play as many of the games as they want anytime as long as they keep their subscription alive.

The subscription service and mobile app will launch some point in 2018 with a limited version of the app launching this summer for people to try the system out before it launches.

mobileapp
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Nintendo's upcoming Switch console makes its first public appearance on The Tonight Show

328

Nintendo’s upcoming console-portable hybrid, the Switch, has made its first public appearance today by way of The Tonight Show, giving the whole world a first look at the upcoming device.

Reggie Fils-Aimé and Shigeru Miyamoto attended the latest episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to showcase the upcoming Super Mario Run. However, the biggest show stealer of the entire segment has to go to the first pbulic appearance of the Nintendo Switch. While little details were given about the console specifications, the segment does showcase the Nintendo Switch in both its console and portable form.

If you’re looking for something more substantial, Fils-Aimé has mentioned that more details of the console will be announced at an event that will be held on the 14th of January. For now, you get to enjoy Jimmy Fallon quaking in excitement over the Nintendo Switch

jimmyfallon
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Nissan to introduce its driving-assistance system onto Japanese roads in August

350

Consumer-ready self-driving vehicles may be hitting the streets a lot sooner than you think as Nissan has announced that their autonomous driving system, ProPILOT, will be installed on its first production vehicle in August.

In a press release issued by Nissan, the company announced that the ProPILOT system will be installed on the upcoming Nissan Serena. With
Tesla’s accident
 still fresh in many peoples’ minds, Nissan has made it clear that ProPILOT is an autonomous driving technology that is designed specifically for highway use in single-lane traffic. The technology will be able to control steering, acceleration and braking, and is designed to be used during heavy traffic or long commutes. ProPILOT will also utilise a monocular 360-degree camera system that would watch for lane markers and vehicles.

The key thing to note here is that Nissan has stated that ProPILOT is designed to ASSIST the driver instead of being a full autopilot. For example, once ProPILOT brings the car to a complete stop, the driver must provide direct input to the car in order to resume driving. Also, ProPILOT will send warnings to the driver if their hands leave the wheel. Should the warnings be ignored after a few seconds, ProPILOT will automatically be disengaged, returning full control of the car to the driver.

While Nissan’s ProPILOT isn’t exactly the autonomous driving experience that many have been looking forward to, but Nissan has stated that it is planning to introduce more autonomy to the system gradually. For now though, this is an encouraging first step for self-driving vehicles.

Source:
Nissan
,
TechCrunch

nissan
propilot
selfdriving
serena


Nissin has introduced a noice-canceling fork for slurping sounds when eating ramen

391

Ever wanted to slurp your ramen noodles to enhance the taste, similar to how the Japanese people eat theirs but want to avoid the slurping sound you will make? Nissin, a Japanese company known for making the instant noodles has produced a gadget called the Otohiko fork which will cancel out the slurping sound.

Genious! Except, it comes with a giant handle and a phone app that makes a louder noise than the slurping that you will be doing. The fork’s handle has microphones and a transceiver which will detect slurping sounds and send a prompt to the app which will play noise to cancel out the sound as it makes a louder sound to drown out the slurping. In the ad, they mentioned that the reason for this is that some people are put off with the sound that Japanese people make when eating the delicious noodles, allowing this device to give them a peace of mind when they are eating.

It kind of defeats the purpose, due to the fact that you will probably grab more attention rather than the opposite and slurping noodles in Japan is a very normal thing to do. So, is there an actual reason for this $130 (RM551.26) gadget?

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No Android Wear Oreo for Huawei Watch, ASUS ZenWatch 3

365

Just last week, we found out that Google has already rolled out an Android Wear update which is based on its new Android Oreo software on Android smartphones. The update includes handy features such as vibration strength settings, touch lock and notification channels. Google has now officially announced the list of smartwatches eligible for the update.

Among the Android Wear smartwatches that have already received the update include:

Fossil Q Venture

LG Watch Sport

Louis Vuitton Tambour

Michael Kors Sofie

Montblanc Summit

The ones above are fairly new wearables, with the LG Watch Sport reportedly being the first to receive the Oreo based update. This second list of smartwatches are the ones which will be receiving the update as well, with the software due for rollout respectively:

Casio PRO TREK Smart (WSD-F20)

Casio Smart Outdoor Watch (WSD-F10)

Diesel Full Guard

Emporio Armani Connected

Fossil Q Control

Fossil Q Explorist

Fossil Q Founder 2.0

Fossil Q Marshal

Fossil Q Wander

Gc Connect

Guess Connect

Huawei Watch 2

Hugo BOSS BOSS Touch

LG Watch Style

Michael Kors Access Bradshaw

Michael Kors Access Dylan

Michael Kors Access Grayson

Misfit Vapor

Mobvoi Ticwatch S & E

Movado Connect

Nixon Mission

Polar M600

Tag Heuer Connected Modular 45

Tommy Hilfiger 24/7 You

ZTE Quartz

Most of these smartwatches are slightly aged, but happen to still be eligible for the update. These leaves out wearables such as the Moto 360 2nd Gen, Huawei Watch, and surprisingly the ASUS ZenWatch 3 which was launched only late last year. But according to the announcement, you can still reach out to your smartwatch manufacturer if your device isn’t on the list. It is unlikely that it will work but it’s still worth a try!

android
android wear
asus zenwatch
casio
fossil q
huawei watch
lg watch
michael kors
moto 360
oreo
smartwatch
software
update
wearable
zte


No, it's not the iPad Pro 2, just the iPad Pro

319

We have more news for you, live from Apple’s keynote at Cupertino, California. Apple has announced the iPad Pro, which is rather confusing since the Cupertino company now has two iPad Pro’s of different sizes. Introducing, a 9.7-inch model of the iPad Pro, which isn’t a successor to the 12.9-inch model launched last year, but rather, an addition to the iPad Pro family.

Apple claims over 200 million 9.7-inch iPad’s sold, making that form factor the most popular among iPad’s. Weighing at less than a pound, the iPad Pro’s 9.7 inch display is 40 percent less reflective than the iPad Air 2. Apple also claims it to be the brightest tablet available and it sports a True Tone display which will measure the screen’s color temperature and tweaks it according to ambient light.

Running under the hood is Apple’s A9X chip. Just as rumored, the iPad Pro sports four speakers and also supports Apple’s accessories like the Apple Pencil. In addition to that, a Smart Keyboard tailored for the 9.7-inch tablet. Schiller from Apple states that customers love taking photos with their iPad, hence the 12MP iSight Camera, like the one found on the newly announced iPhone SE.

The 9.7-inch iPad Pro will have three storage options available – 32GB at $599 (RM2418.43), 128GB at $749 (RM3024.05) and a whopping 256GB model at $899 (RM3629.67). Orders for the iPad Pro will begin on March 24 and will go on sale on March 31. What do you think of this smaller iPad Pro? Let us know your thoughts!

256gb
a9x
apple
ipad
keynote
pro


No Man's Sky to be investigated for false advertising

342

When No Man’s Sky was in development, developer Sean Murray made some vague suggestions as to how the game would work. When No Man’s Sky was finally released, it turns out that a huge chunk of what was promised by Murray was found to be absent in the game. This, unsurprisingly, led to a huge uproar, with unsatisfied gamers ranting about the game and tanking the game’s review scores across the internet.

However, things are about to get a lot more serious as it appears that the UK-based Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) will be launching an investigation on No Man’s Sky and its promotional material surrounding the game prior to launch. A full list of claims that are currently being investigated has been posted on
this Reddit thread
, and judging from the list, it seems that the ASA will be comparing the final game to the demo that was previewed at E3 2014.

No one is quite sure as to what would happen should the ASA find Murray and the games development company Hello Games guilty of false advertising, however the ASA webpage does state that those who have committed false advertising will need to withdraw or amend their ads. If such is the case, the best case scenario will probably be Murray and Hello Games being forced to modify ads relating to No Man’s Sky.

Source:
Polygon
,
Reddit

falseadvertising
hellogames
nomanssky
seanmurray


Waze feature lets you find zero-fee Touch ‘n Go reload spots

651

In an effort to make Malaysian roads truly cashless, Touch ‘n Go has worked with Waze to help you search for a zero-fee top-up point that’s closest to you – yes, that means topping up your card without having to pay the RM0.50 surcharge.

To access the feature, just search ‘Touch ‘n Go’ on your Waze app and the closest reload facility will be listed as an ad. Touch ‘n Go says that there are 500 zero-fee locations listed on Waze across the country, and this is introduced to make driving more convenient.

This comes in handy since you can no longer top-up at toll booths. Plus, you have other options to pay for your fare via RFID of
PayDirect
 with your
TnG
 eWallet. Visit Touch ‘n Go’s website here for the full list of reload locations.

reload
surcharge
touch n go
waze


No more top-up fees when reloading Touch ‘n Go at Shell stations along NKVE, NSE, ELITE and ECE

1K

A
promise
 to eliminate Touch ‘n Go reload surcharges was made last year – and true to their words, the company will be working with Shell to waive all top-up charges at their petrol stations at selected outlets.

At stations located on the NKVE, ELITE, ECE and NSE expressways, the RM0.50 surcharge will not be imposed anymore, so what you pay is what you get when you top-up your TnG cards. Touch ‘n Go had made public knowledge that they’ll be working with vendor partners to waive the surcharge fees across the country – and with Shell now on board with the change, we can expect more vendors to follow suit, if their current contracts are ending that is.

Image credit: Shell Malaysia

This is an effort to make tolls cash-free – last year, PLUS had stripped their booths of the TnG reload lanes, encouraging motorists to use features like RFID, or to simply top-up beforehand. As a result, it was reported that road congestion along those areas had seen a dip since the implementation.

If you’re still upset over the fact you had to pay for a service surcharge, remember that companies like Shell, and other petrol stations, are third-party vendors; therefore it is their right to impose a surcharge if they choose to offer a top-up service. TnG have made it clear to us that they do not collect the surcharge fees.

If you prefer to do reloads at other places other than a petrol station, you can visit locations such as KK Super Mart, Watsons, Tesco, or even at TnG self-service kiosks. Visit their website
here
 for a full list of no-charge locations.

We can also expect surcharges to be axed at
parking
lots too when you pay with your TnG cards – plus with RFID and the TnG E-wallet now becoming more prevalent, the company will also be expanding the usage of
RFID
 tags at these parking facilities too.

e-wallet
ece
elite
highway
nkve
nse
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shell
surcharge
TNG
toll
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touch n go


No new software for OnePlus 3/3T after Android O

373

OnePlus has traveled a rocky road when it comes to software support for its devices. It first began with a relationship turned sour between the company and Cyanogen due to an exclusivity feud with India smartphone maker Micromax, and not too long ago, OnePlus 2 users have succumbed to the fate whereby Nougat will not arrive to the second “Flagship Killer”.

On the other hand, OnePlus has brushed up on the timeliness on its software updates to its newer devices such as the OnePlus 3 and OnePlus 3T. But the company’s Head of Product Oliver Zhang has clarified that Android O will be the last version of Android for the OnePlus 3/3T. This new announcement comes from a very recent Q&A post on software support for the OnePlus 3/3T on OnePlus Forums.

Zhang however claims that despite Android O being the last version of Android for the 2016 flagships, OnePlus will continue to roll out security patch updates “for the foreseeable future”. Support for individual application updates will continue as well. Regardless, this isn’t good news for OnePlus 3/3T users especially from a company who emphasizes software support.

OnePlus is expected to go full force on the software development for the OnePlus 5 in the future as updates for its older devices begin to settle down.

android o
nougat
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support
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No Nougat goodness for Lenovo Phab 2 Pro

340

Lenovo isn’t the best when it comes to timely software updates, or upgrading its handsets to newer versions of Android. While the company can be excused for not updating its older smartphones to Android Nougat, the first ever Google Tango enabled phone – the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro will be left out in the cold as well, with no plans by Lenovo to get Nougat onboard the unique handset.

According to Lenovo’s support page, the Phab 2 Pro has been listed running on Android Marshmallow, with an indication of “no upgrade planned” for the phablet. Admittedly, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro turned out to be a flop more than anything else. Google’s attempt to experiment with Tango on this phone is probably the only silver lining in this situation. Regardless, the lack of software support for the Phab 2 Pro comes as a shock, given the fact that it was only released in November 2016 after being announced a little over a year ago.

Having said that, the ASUS ZenFone AR is definitely the more complete package with support for both Google Daydream and Tango, also sporting top notch specs on top of those. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro is now available for huge discounted prices below RM 2,000 on local online retailers. What do you think of these “experimental” phones?

android
ar
asus
daydream
googled
lenovo
marshmallow
nougat
phab 2 pro
software update
tango
vr
zenfone ar


No Quick Charge 4.0 for the Nubia Z17 just yet

369

It was only last week when ZTE’s subsidiary Nubia unveiled what might be the most powerful smartphone to date – the Nubia Z17. The phone turned out to be one of the first ever smartphones to pack 8GB of RAM, and is claimed to support Qualcomm’s new Quick Charge 4.0 technology. But that won’t happen just yet, limiting the support to only Quick Charge 3.0 for now.

Nubia got most of the features right when it came to future proofing the Z17, but it seems that the company went ahead of Qualcomm’s Quick Charge tech, hence the reason why it will only support Quick Charge 3.0 for the time being. Despite the support for Quick Charge 4.0, there happens to be no supported charging adapter just yet, leaving the Nubia Z17 hanging by a moment for the latest charging tech by chip maker Qualcomm.

Regardless, the Nubia Z17 is also the first ever Snapdragon 835 powered device to feature QC 4.0, giving it another edge over the competition apart from its extra RAM. But it won’t be very much of a significant edge till we see a Quick Charge 4.0 charging adapter in the market. What do you think?

3.0
4.0
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charging
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qualcomm
quick
snapdragon
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zte


The Redmi 5 Plus is the Redmi Note 5!

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For those of you waiting in line for a Redmi Note 5 appearance, prepared for a disappointment as the phone has already been unveiled by Xiaomi. It is in fact, the Redmi 5 Plus. As opposed to rumors, there won’t be a Redmi Note 5 as Xiaomi has made a decision to do away with the Note branding on its smartphones. This is new information as sourced from a comprehensive review of the Redmi 5 Plus by a MIUI forums moderator.

“The wait is finally over, Xiaomi has finally decided to release the Redmi Note 5, wait!!! I heard its called the Redmi 5 Plus? No kidding?? There was a name change? Well yes folks, the 2 new Redmi Note sized phones are named Redmi 5 for the 5.7″ and Redmi 5 Plus for the 5.99….. as of the moment, Xiaomi has decided to drop the Note name on their 5.7″ sized budget phones.”

It appears that Xiaomi has silently launched the Redmi Note 5 with the new “Plus” moniker. The Redmi 5 Plus is still an impressive phone in its stride – a 5.99-inch Full HD+ display in 18:9 aspect ratio, a Snapdragon 625 processor, 3/4GB of RAM with 32/64GB storage, 12MP rear camera, 5MP selfie camera and a 4,000mAh battery. The processor however is a disappoint as it is the same one that powers the Redmi Note 4. What are your thoughts on this sudden news by Xiaomi?

redmi 5 plus
redmi note
redmi note 5
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xiaomi


No rest for OnePlus on Labor Day

288

Labour Day was just yesterday and no one could ask for something better than the annual public holiday falling on a Monday forming a long weekend. But it turns out that Chinese manufacturer OnePlus did not catch a break, as claimed by OnePlus CEO Liu Zuohu on his Weibo account.

Liu posted a status stating OnePlus’ addiction to labor without having any breaks, just for the sake of a big surprise, along with a #NeverSettle hashtag. The post comes with a cartoon drawing picture of workers working on a smartphone. Liu’s post is probably a hint at the continuous hard work behind the scenes for the company’s next smartphone. The OnePlus 5 has been slated for an unveiling some time next month, so Liu’s post strongly suggests that the new flagship is definitely in tow.

As far as rumored specs go, the OnePlus 5 is tipped to sport a 5.5-inch AMOLED display in QHD resolution, a Snapdragon 835 processor with 6GB of RAM. The phone will likely feature a dual camera setup whose alleged sample images surfaced just recently. However, the above rumors are not convincing enough just yet. We should expect the OnePlus 5 to be launched before the end of June. How do you think the OnePlus 5 will stack up against the competition?

Source:
Weibo

oneplus
oneplus 5


Samsung may not launch the Galaxy Note 21 this year

405

Samsung has just subtly re-affirmed
suspicions
 of 2021’s Galaxy Note series – or in this case, a lack thereof.

I didn’t see any description of Galaxy Note.
pic.twitter.com/DSebJtng3j

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce)
January 28, 2021

In the company’s
 financial results report for 2020
, Samsung had failed to mention the Galaxy Note series in a section of the report that talks about what the brand is looking forward to working on – other models like the just-launched Galaxy S21, and foldables Galaxy Z Fold, and Z Flip were, of course, mentioned.

With the Galaxy S21 Ultra now supporting the S-Pen stylus, it was pretty obvious from the get-go, what Samsung had in mind – make the Galaxy S series come with the same productivity features of the Galaxy Note, and you won’t have to produce the latter
anymore;
 instead, they can focus on improving their foldable lineups.

We’re not totally against this – if anything, this is a win-win situation; the obvious flagship smartphone option for those looking for a Samsung would now be the Galaxy S series by default, saving buyers time when trying to figure out what to get, on top of that, buyers benefit from having any possible innovations planned for the Galaxy Note, now being put into the
Galaxy
 S instead. For Samsung, without the Galaxy Note cannibalizing the Galaxy S series anymore, Samsung can sell higher units of the latter.

One drawback for buyers as a result of this decision, would be the lack of a S-Pen silo, which the Galaxy S21 Ultra lacks – to properly store your S-Pen and charge it, you’ll need a special case that comes with its own stylus housing.

There hasn’t been any official confirmation of what we know so far, so we’ll definitely keep you updated when we receive more concrete information.

galaxy note 21
samsung
Samsung Galaxy S21


There will be no Samsung Galaxy Note series in 2021

351

The Samsung Galaxy Note series has always been the go-to phablet of sorts for folks who want a big-screen experience, as well as enjoy the benefits of using the S Pen for creative work.

The issue however, it faces stiff competition not just from other brands in the premium segment, but from its Galaxy S series cousins as well. Now, it seems that Samsung is looking to offload the series, especially since the Galaxy S is becoming larger in size, and the upcoming lineup touted to support the
S Pen
 – there doesn’t look to be a place for the Galaxy Note anymore.

Samsung flagships to expect this year:

S21 FE
 S21
 S21+
 S21 Ultra
 Z Fold 3
 Z Flip 3
 Z Fold FE

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach)
November 15, 2020

According to reliable
leakster
 Max Weinbach, the 2021 lineup of Galaxy devices will not consist of a Note device at all – as it stands, this is how next year’s portfolio looks like: S21, S21 FE, S21+, S21 Ultra, Z Fold 3, Z Flip 3, Z Fold FE.

To be fair however, the previous Galaxy Note 20 was a great product which introduced a reliable flagship experience – albeit with the
Exynos
 990 chipset – for the business and creative folks. So, it’s not for the lack of quality in the products that Samsung is offloading the series, but rather it’s the matter of redundancy.

Samsung galaxy note 20 s pen

Interestingly, he also adds that 3 of these devices will support S Pen – which automatically makes you think it’s the two of the larger Galaxy S models, and the Z Fold 3 will the ones to feature the stylus. With the foldable devices now slowly making its way to becoming mainstream, the Folds, and the Flips are the phablets-elect to replace the Note series.

From a consumer’s perspective, we can’t say this is a bad thing – with so many options to choose from nowadays with similar specs – we often go for the devices that offer something unique, be it in a feature, or value; now that Samsung has one less product line to worry about, perhaps their newest and best features will all be packed into the Galaxy S series, making it all the more appealing to us.

exynos
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samsung


No SLI support for GeForce GTX 1060, benchmarks leaks confirmed as fast as GTX 980

361

It looks like NVIDIA is really hating SLI a lot, we’re kidding of course, the upcoming mainstream NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 has once again shown up in online pictures, and one thing that you will immediately notice is the lack of a SLI bridge finger, which was still featured back on the Maxwell based GTX 960, its kind of surprising that NVIDIA has decided to leave out SLI on its new mainstream candidate considering it rivals against AMD’s Radeon RX480 GPU, despite claiming faster speeds than the latter and as fast as a GeForce GTX 980.

The GeForce GTX 1060 is probably the most capable mainstream GPU ever made by NVIDIA, as the Pascal based GP106 chip has 6GB or 8GB of GDDR5 memory, 1280 CUDA cores, a 1506MHz base clock and 1708MHz boost clock, and a 192-bit memory interface while rated at 120W TDP via a single 6-pin power connector. In a leaked benchmark screenshot by WCCFtech, the GTX 1060 has an impressive score on the 3DMark Fire Strike test, particularly the Fire Strike Ultra test, which the GPU scores 3014 points and it is merely about 1000 points away from the flagship GTX 1080 Founders Edition. Last but not the least, the GTX 1060 will have the same set of ports as the GTX 1080, it comprises of three DisplayPort 1.4 ports, one HDMI 2.0 port, and a DVI port.

Meanwhile, NVIDIA hasn’t made any official announcements yet but sources have speculated the GTX 1060 to be unveiled at the end of July with a $250 price tag.

SOURCE:
Techpowerup
,
WCCFtech

geforce
gtx1060
nvidia


No Snapdragon 836 chip by Qualcomm, Pixel 2 to go with SD835

340

There will be no Snapdragon 836 by Qualcomm, as a source close to the company has claimed that it has no plans for a slightly upgraded mobile processor in 2017. This claim entirely dismisses the many rumors of the Pixel 2 before this, stating that the upcoming Google handset will be powered by a Snapdragon 836 processor.

While last year saw the Snapdragon 821 processor being underneath the hoods of late 2016 flagships like the OnePlus 3T and the Google Pixel series instead of the Snapdragon 820, Qualcomm must be confident that this year’s Snapdragon 835 chipset does not require any upgrades till the end of 2017. The latest claim dismissing the existence of a Snapdragon 836 processor also supports recent leaks suggesting that the smaller of the two Pixel handsets will indeed run on the Snapdragon 835 chip.

Either way, most of 2017’s flagships have been unveiled already. We’re talking about the ones that are powered by Qualcomm’s chipsets, which doesn’t give the company that good of a reason to produce a half step up processor solely for the Google Pixel lineup of 2017. Do you think upcoming Pixel series will go ahead with the current Snapdragon 835?

835
836
chip
chipset
google
pixel
processor
qualcomm
snapdragon


No tariff cuts for Apple says President Trump if parts continue coming in from China

637

Big daddy Trump has told Apple that the US Government will not grant the company a tax relief on tariffs on parts made in China for the Mac Pro.

Apple had asked if they could have 25% of the tariffs waived off a total of 15 parts, but not only President Trump deny the request, but had also urged Apple to build their own plants in Texas.

Image credit: The Hill

This has every little bit to do with the ongoing trade war between the USA and China – and one big reason why the trade war exists have something to do with Trump’s iconic ‘Make America Great Again’ election campaign slogan.

President Trump aims to make USA an even bigger economic powerhouse – and part of his strategy to achieve that goal is to reduce the outsourcing of businesses to foreign countries (like China) and have companies work locally, providing jobs to Americans and all that jazz.

Image credit: JOYI News

Hence the whole trade war and the issue Apple have at hand – the company outsources to China – as many gargantuan companies do – to cut cost. Reuters had quoted President Trumps as saying “You can build your plants in China, but when you send your products into the United States, we’re going to tariff you”.

So his method is clearly to price out manufacturing and production costs for companies so they eventually have to bring their businesses back to The States to receive any kind of tax cuts, if any.

What this means for us consumers, is pricier goods, especially those coming from American companies that rely on their outposts in China to produce said goods. Until Apple finds some middle ground to balance production cost and end-product pricing, we can expect ridiculous prices for their goods for the foreseeable future ($999 Mac Pro stand anyone?).

apple
china
mac pro
tariff
trade ban
trump


No Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 this year according to Xiaomi official

333

It’s interesting times for Xiaomi – they’ve recently launched the Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha recently with its all display feature. Prior to that, we also saw the launch of the Mi 9 Pro with its Snapdragon 855+ chipset.

As we head towards the end of the year, it looks like Xiaomi is ready to close up shop in terms of phone releases – meaning the much-anticipated Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 will not see the light of day, at least within this year.

Image credit: Giz China

Xiaomi China’s product promotion manager Bishop Edward took to Weibo to dispel rumours of “another Mi Mix device” other than the Mi Mix Alpha. He puts it quite bluntly in his post that there will be “only MIX Alpha, no MIX other” – so it’s safe to say the company is bypassing the Mix 4 indefinitely.

This makes sense in a way since the Mi Mix series have always been Xiaomi’s avenue for trying new things – the Mi Mix 3 sported the sliding back panel module, the Mi Mix 2 and 1 with the bottom selfie camera placement as well as thin bezel displays.

So this year, Xiaomi introduces the Mix Alpha with a quite revolutionary surround display. The other non-Mix phones have already been launched – the Mi 9 Pro comes with the best chipset around, and has a 5G variant, meaning Xiaomi has that premium flagship market covered. So there really isn’t any reason left to push the Mi Mix 4 out this year.

It needs to be mentioned that the Mix Alpha is a concept device – its RM11,764 price tag makes it so that only those who really want it can get it. For now, let’s forget about the Mix 4 for now and close out the year with the amazing devices we already have.

all display phone
mi mix alpha
miui
sliding camera
snapdragon 855 plus
surround display
xiaomi
xiaomi Mi mix 4


The Noa N10 is an example of a terrible iPhone X-like notch implementation

341

The iPhone X notch has been the talk of the town even up until today and we have even seen phones from other manufacturers that have this design on their phones. Last year, the Leagoo S9 was seen with the notch and now, there is another phone called the Noa N10 which is seen with the iPhone x like notch on the top.

However, manufacturers like Noa do not care if the notch might be blocking some of the Android elements as you can see with the video below, the notch blocks some of the information on the left and bottom when pulling down the notification bar. Aside from that, the Noa N10 does come with a ceramic casing and a 3,600mAh battery. It is equipped with a MediaTek MT 6763 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of expandable storage, 6.2-inch screen and Android 8.0 out of the box.

The company will be showing off the N10 during MWC 2018 at the end of the month and will come with a price tag of 300 Euros (RM1457.18).

iphone
mwc
n10
noa
notch
x


Noctua provides Free Mounting Upgrade for Intel LGA 1150

313

Noctua is one of the world’s leading CPU cooler introduced they will continue its tradition of supplying customers with its premium-class SecuFirm2 mounting kits for novel platforms free of charge. Most Noctua heatsinks will support Skylake’s LGA 1151 socket out of the box, but older models can be upgraded with the NM-i115x kit at no additional cost.

Roland Mossig as the Noctua CEO said they will determine to provide the best possible support to their customers and over the years, the company sent thousands of mounting kits free of charge to users who wanted to upgrade to new platforms. The Skylake is just around the corner and Noctua are pleased to announce that they will extend this offer for LGA 1151.

For users that has older Noctua retail models that don’t include a SecuFirm2 mounting system for LGA 115x can obtain the NM-i115x kit free of charge on Noctua’s website in order to make their heatsinks compatible with the new socket. Due to the spacing of the mounting holes being identical on LGA 1150, LGA 1151, LGA 1155, and LGA 1156, which will also support Intel’s upcoming ‘Skylake’ platform.

i115x
lga1150
noctua
pcmasterrace


Nokia 1 is expected to launch in March 2018, comes with Android Go

287

Nokia will be launching their new entry-level smart phone, Nokia 1 which based on reports will be part of the Android Go program. It is expected that the phone will be available in Russia from March 2018.

The phone is expected to come with an HD IPS display, 1GB of RAM and 8GB internal storage. There is no information on the processor they are using so it might come with either a Snapdragon or MediaTek processor, but because it is under the Android Go program, the phone is expected to perform decently well even with very low-end specs. The program is catered to phones that come with a minimum of 512MB to 1GB of RAM and Google has also announced that we will be seeing a lot of Android Go phones early 2018. On the rear, there is an 8MP camera with auto-focus and on the front is a 5MP camera which will support the Bothie feature.

There is an IP52 certification making the device splash-proof but will come with Android 7.0 out of the box with Google Assistant. Nokia has promised that the phone will be updated to Android 8.0 in due time.

1
android
go
nokia


Nokia 10 might come with 5 camera sensors and will release mid-2018

280

Nokia used to lead in the phone camera department during the time of their Lumia phones but after they dropped out of the radar for a long time. After HMD Global acquired the brand and released the new Nokia phones, it did not come with the well known Carl Zeiss lens which showed in the quality of their camera technology.

Looks like that all might change, a patent application was found on Google Patents listings showing that the Carl Zeiss brand has recently filed a patent for a camera technology that will put 5-lens on a single camera module for a phone. In the patent sketch, the five lenses are seen circling the LED flash, primary sensor and a fingerprint sensor. The module is said to be mechanically movable as it rotates the lens according to the zoom level, it will move the lenses around depending on the focal length and zoom amount.

If the reports are accurate, this camera module will be seen on the Nokia 10 when it releases mid-2018. It will also feature an 18:9 display and will be equipped with the Snapdragon 845 and 6GB of RAM.

10
5
camera
lens
nokia


Nokia 2.1 has arrived in Malaysia with a price of RM415

471

HMD Global has announced the availability of the Nokia 2.1 which goes on sale today. The successor to the Nokia 2 comes with Android Oreo Go Edition which is a lightweight version of the Android operating system that can run on only 1GB of RAM.

HMD Global has claimed that the Nokia 2.1 offers 50% performance boost over its predecessor and comes with a 5.5-inch HD aside from the dual front-facing stereo speakers. Other than that, it comes with a Snapdragon 425 processor, 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera.

The phone will give you two-days of battery life thanks to the massive 4,000mAh battery that is powering the phone. With Android Go, users will not have to worry about performance as the Go apps have been tailored to work with low-spec phones and because of its lightweight apps, users will not have to worry about their data draining faster than usual.

The Nokia 2.1 will come in two colours, Blue with Copper lining and Gray with Silver lining. The phone can be purchased from all authorised Nokia retailers for RM415.

2.1
android
go
malaysia
nokia
price
release


Nokia 3.1 has arrived in Malaysia with a price of RM655

377

Last year, Nokia returned to the smartphone world with the release of the Nokia 3, 5 and 6. They were entry-level phones that are affordable for everyone. Now the company is working hard to upgrade these first-generation devices with more advance technology and with that, they have released the Nokia 3.1 to the Malaysian market.

The Nokia 3.1 now comes with an 18:9 aspect ratio 5.2-inch HD+ display which is protected by a 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It also comes with a faster MediaTek 6750 processor which Nokia has claimed will give you a 50% performance boost, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage and an upgraded 13MP rear camera. Keeping with their promise of delivering a pure Android experience, the Nokia 3.1 comes with Android One, offering three years of monthly security patches and two years of OS updates as a guarantee under the Android One programme. Lastly, it comes with Android Oreo out-of-the-box so you can expect the latest features like Google Lens, Picture-in-Picture, battery-maximising features and more.

The phone will come in three colours of Blue/Copper, Black/Chrome and White/Iron, it can be purchased from all Nokia stores and authorised sellers for RM655.

3.1
launch
malaysia
nokia
price


Nokia 3 and 5 is now available for purchase in Malaysia

306

Nokia is a brand that is considered to be a legend in the mobile phone world, and it was sad to know that they had not been doing well for a long time getting thrown from one company to another. Now, they are back and they came bringing everything they got with the launch of the Nokia 3, 5, and 6. With the 3 and 5 being available right now for purchase.

Both these sleek and beautiful phones are made by a single block of aluminium which feels really nice in the hand. The Nokia 3 is equipped with a MediaTek MT6737 processor, 16GB storage expandable up to 256GB, 2GB RAM, 5.0-inch IPS LCD screen, 2630 mAh battery and Android 7.0. It will come in four colours, Silver White, Matte Black, Tempered Blue and copper white.

The Nokia 5 on the other hand, sports a Snapdragon 430 processor, 16GB storage expandable to 256GB, 2GB RAM, 5.2-inch IPS LCD screen, a 3000 mAh battery, and Android 7.1 out-of-the-box. It will also come in four colours, Tempered Blue, Sliver, Matte Black, and Copper.

The phones are available from all Nokia authorised dealers nationwide, the Nokia 3 is priced at RM599 while the Nokia 5 will be priced at RM799, the Nokia 6 will be available in July. For more information on these phones, check out Nokia’s official website
here
 or check out our hands on video of the phones down below.

3
5
6
android
malaysia
nokia
price
snapdragon


The Nokia 3 is now available through Digi’s Postpaid Plan 78 and the Nokia 6 will be available soon

361

Digi has just announced the arrival of the Nokia 3 to their 200 Digi Stores and Digi Store Express nationwide, with the Nokia 6 set to arrive by end-July. These new phones will be bundled with Digi’s Postpaid Plans with a 12-month contract, they are also offering a trade-in promotion for customers to save up to RM100 off the price of the device when they sign up with a postpaid plan.

Digi’s Head of Postpaid, Benjamin Tan said that they are very excited about the arrival of the Nokia brand to their stores and that they are very happy to be the first Telco to bring in the iconic brand to their customers. They are also looking forward to bring in more products and services for their customers and build a long-term relationship with Nokia. Vijay Thangavelu, Country Manager of HMD Global added that they are very happy to partner with Digi to bring a good and wide coverage to those that own the Nokia phones, allowing them to make use of the full potential the phone can offer and looks forward to further build the relationship.

The Nokia 3 is available via Digi Postpaid Plan 78 for as low as RM199 with a trade in, and the Nokia 6 will be available for as low as RM479 via the same plan with a trade in. For more information on these offerings, visit Digi’s official website
here
.

3
6
digi
in
nokia
plans
postpaid
telco
trade


The Nokia 3310 now comes with 4G LTE

294

It seems inevitable that 2G feature phones would one day be phased out of the market, and HMD Global obviously isn’t going to let its refreshed ‘legendary’ Nokia 3310 expire after a year of its release, as the company has finally introduced the Nokia 3310 4G in China. The phone looks exactly the same like the ongoing model, but it now comes pre-installed with apps, which at this point of time catered to the Chinese market, the phone will also come with 256MB RAM and 512MB of built-in storage, storage can be expanded up to 64GB with a MicroSD card, and it comes with WiFi Hotspot feature.

Instead of using the company’s S30+ operating system, the phone now uses YunOS with the familiar S30+ skin applied on it, it makes sense for HMD Global to switch to that as the phone will be capable of running social and chat apps to take advantage of 4G connectivity on the phone. If you are thinking to import the phone directly from China, you’ll need to take note on the network bands as it only supports TDD-LTE Bands 38,41,39 and 40, which will only support telcos such as webe and Yes 4G, the great news is that the phone will also support VoLTE which you can make crystal clear voice calls to other supported phone models.

HMD Global hasn’t set a release date and price for the phone yet, but we reckon it will be showcased in Mobile World Congress next month, and let’s hope the company brings more surprises during that time.

mwc 2018
nokia
nokia 3310 4g


Nokia 3310 lookalike removed from man’s stomach after he swallow it whole

664

Many of us may be familiar with the Nokia 3310 phone that was launched in the early 2000s, but have you ever swallowed one before? Well, this 33-year-old man did – he swallowed a 3310 lookalike.

This incident happened in Pristina, Kosovo and was shared by Skender Teljaku, the lead doctor of the medical team that performed the endoscopy to remove the phone from the patient. He posted picture of the phone on Facebook after it was taken out of the patient, in addition to a few X-ray during the surgery.

The phone was in him for four days!

Luckily for the patient, there wasn’t a need to cut open his stomach —

the medical team could retrieve the phone that was separated into three pieces through endoscopy. It was also revealed that the phone was stuck in the man’s stomach for four days before it was removed.

It’s not exactly the Nokia 3310

As for what he swallowed, it is suspected to be an
 L8STAR BM90
 — a phone that resembles the Nokia 3310 but is smaller as it’s about 2.44-inches in length only. The big question still remains: Why did he do it?

L8STAR BM90
nokia 3310


Nokia 5710 XpressAudio can be purchased in Malaysia for RM339

2.6K

If you are looking for a really fun feature phone to own aside from the recently announced Nokia 8210, HMD Global has finally brought in the Nokia 5710 XpressAudio, it is a really interesting music centric feature phone that comes with a pair of built-in wireless earbuds.

The Nokia 5710 XpressAudio is a 4G-enabled phone and supports VoLTE, it runs on the Nokia S30+ operating system which will come with preinstalled Java based apps and games, which unfortunately you don’t get WhatsApp and Google Assistant that’s on the brand’s KaiOS based feature phones.

Sporting a 2.4-inch QVGA display, the phone features dedicated music playback buttons on the side that has been a signature on the brand’s classic music phones, it even has dual stereo speakers that should pump out impressive room volumes. Other features include Bluetooth 5.0, wireless FM radio, a 0.3MP rear camera and a 1450mAh removable battery that offers up to 6 hours of 4G Talk Time and 31 days of Standby Time.

HMD Global didn’t specify the battery life of the built-in wireless earbuds, or whether it could pair to another phone over Bluetooth, but we’d assume that it should work right out of the phone and doesn’t require you to do pairing on the phone. If you are interested in getting one, you can purchase from Nokia Mobile’s official store
here
.

hmd global
nokia 5710 xpressaudio


Nokia 6 (2018) to arrive at Malaysian shores soon

335

We are seeing a lot of great mid-range smartphones recently, and HMD Global is about to bring the all new Nokia 6 to Malaysia right after the Nokia 7 Plus, the Nokia 6 (2018) is an entirely revamped phone from last year’s model and comes with a more acceptable specs sheet as a mid-range phone, instead of using an underwhelming Snapdragon 400 series processor, it uses a Snapdragon 630 processor supported by 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage, the screen remains at 5.5-inches with a Full HD resolution, while the main camera has been upgraded to a 16MP ZEISS lens.

Design wise, the Nokia 6 (2018) doesn’t look too different from its predecessor, apart from having moved the fingerprint sensor to the back, there’s a new black color variant that features copper accents around the phone’s camera module and frame. The Nokia 6 (2018) will also ship with Android One software, which we suppose that it will run the latest version of Android Oreo when it goes on sale with a planned upgrade to Android P.

We should expect the Nokia 6 (2018) to arrive in the next few weeks, given HMD Global’s promise of releasing a new device in the upcoming months during its local launch of the Nokia 1 and Nokia 7 Plus a few months ago, the phone is also sure to be challenged by devices from Honor and Xiaomi, so let’s hope HMD Global does the right thing to stay competitive in the market.

hmd global malaysia
mwc 2018
nokia 6
nokia 6 2018


Nokia 6 and 3310 now available for sale in Malaysia

352

A few months ago, Nokia bounced back from the dead after seeing its glory days extinguished by the modern smartphone age. Nokia found it difficult to stand its ground with the rise of iOS and Android smartphones respectively, hanging on to Microsoft’s wing with Windows Mobile.

Chinese company HMD is currently responsible for surviving the once famous Nokia, and has since revived the brand with a couple of Android smartphones under its belt, including a smart remake of the legacy Nokia 3310. The Nokia 3 and 5 went on sale not too long ago, and now the Nokia 6 and 3310 are following suit.

Just to recap, the Nokia 6 Android smartphone has been crafted with a premium 6000 series aluminium build for its chassis. It sports a 5.5-inch display at Full HD resolution and is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 430 processor underneath the hood with up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. It features a 16MP PDAF rear camera plus an 8MP selfie shooter on the front. The Nokia 6 runs on Android 7.1.1 Nougat out of the box with a pure Android experience.

The Nokia 3310 on the other hand, is a budget feature phone boasting excellent battery life, with a month long standby time and up to 22 hours of talk time on a single charge. It also features a modern take on the classic Snake mobile game.

The Nokia 6 carries an affordable price tag of RM 999, which is a good buy for a smartphone of its stature while the Nokia 3310 comes at only RM 239 if you intend to live out your early millennium days again.

3310
android
hmd
malaysia
nokia
nokia 6


Nokia 6 arrives from HMD for the China market and its pretty good

315

It has been rumored for a while now, and its not even a CES 2017 annoucement, the first true Nokia Android smartphone is finally official and its simply known as the Nokia 6. The Nokia 6 is by all means a no-nonsense device and features many premium features, the phone features an aluminum alloy unibody with very nice chamfered edge on the corners, there’s also a huge 5.5-inch display coated with a 2.5D curved glass, best of all the Nokia 6 runs stock Android Nougat 7.0 out of the box, but expect certain Nokia preloaded software onboard despite that claim.

In terms of hardware specifications, the Nokia 6 clearly isn’t a flagship device as it comes with a Snapdragon 430 processor mated to 4GB of RAM, to be honest this isn’t too bad considering that it runs on vanilla Android and I was quite impressed with this hardware setup when I reviewed the
Wiko U Feel Prime
. If you are expecting a great camera, the Nokia 6 features a 16-megapixel main camera with a f/2 aperture and 1.0 micron pixel size, which is something sufficient for the average user but definitely not for professional photography. The front camera however, is an 8-megapixel sensor with a f/2 aperture and 1.12 micron pixel size, this should be good for low light selfies. Otherwise, the Nokia 6 has a built-in 3000mAh battery and features dual speakers with support for Dolby Atmos.

Nokia aka HMD Global may not have announced a flagship in the first round, but knowing the current Nokia fashion, it would make sense to take simple steps to slowly reintroducing the brand again starting with an entry-level smartphone, where everyone could easily afford. The bad news here is, we have no idea if the Nokia 6 would ever make it to international markets, and there’s also a possibility that the phone won’t be called what it is right here. Let’s hope Nokia launches a flagship device together with the Nokia 6 when the company makes its debut here.

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