CES 2019: Samsung 2019 TV’s will support Google Assistant and Alexa

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Samsung is starting the year of 2019 with a TV lineup that connects with other voice assistants besides Bixby.

Samsung has announced that users will soon be able to control its upcoming QLED sets with either Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant. However, you need to purchase or provide the voice assistant devices yourself, be it an Echo, Google Home, or other smart speakers.

According to Samsung, the new Samsung TV’s will understand and execute commands they received from Alex or Google assistant, but the only built-in voice helper will continue to be Bixby.

You can control the volume of the TV, turn your TV on and off, switch inputs, or launch select apps via Google Assistant and Alexa.

On the other hand, Bixby has deeper, more advanced capabilities since it’s woven into Samsung’s Tizen TV software. You can speak to Bixby with your Samsung TV remote control, but not the others.

It is still unsure if Samsung will be bringing Alexa or Google Assistant to support its older TVs but the company has a history of updating older models a few months after its latest sets hit the market, so it could be a possibility.

alexa
google assistant
samsung


CES 2019: Samsung unveils the future of displays with groundbreaking 75-inch Micro LED 4K TV

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Samsung has introduced with yet another one of its latest innovation in modular Micro LED display technology at the annual first look CES event at Las Vegas.

“For decades, Samsung has lead the way in next-generation display innovation. Our Micro LED technology is at the forefront of the next screen revolution with intelligent, customizable displays that excel in every performance category. Samsung Micro LED has no boundaries, only endless possibilities,” said Jonghee Han, President of Visual Display Business at Samsung Electronics.

Samsung’s Micro LED displays deliver unparalleled picture quality, versatility and design, as well as featuring leading-edge self-emissive technology and modular capabilities.

The all new transformative TV displays are made up of individual modules self-emissive Micro LEDs, featuring millions of inorganic red, green and blue microscopic LED chips that emit their own light to produce brilliant colors on screen and delivering unmatched picture quality that surpasses any display technology currently available on the market.

In 2018’s CES event, Samsung had introduced Micro LED by unveiling “The Wall”, the critically acclaimed award-winning 146″ Micro LED display.

Samsung was able to create a stunning 4K Micro LED display in a smaller and more home-friendly 75″ inch home factor after some technical advancements in the ultra-fine pitch semiconductor packaging process that narrow the gap between the microscopic LED chips.

By adding the Micro LED modules, users can expand their display to any size they desire. The modular functionality of Micro LED allows users to create the ultimate display even at irregular 9×3, 1×7 or 5×1 screen sizes that suits their spatial, aesthetic and functional needs.

The Samsung Micro LED technology could also optimize the content no matter what’s the size and shape of the screen.

Even when adding more modules, the Samsung Micro LED displays can scale to increase the resolution, while still keeping the pixel density constant.

In addition to that, the Micro LED can support everything from the standard 16:9 content to 21:9 widescreen films to unconventional aspect ratios such as 32:9 or even 1:1, without having to make any compromises in its picture quality.

Other than that, because Micro LED displays are bezel-free, there are no borders between modules even when you add more.

The result would be a seamless, stunning infinity pool effect that allows the display to elegantly blend into any living environment.

samsung


CES 2019: The Cosmo Communicator is both smartphone and computer with an external display

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If we were to name one of the most interesting gadgets we have seen in the CES 2019, this would definitely make it to the least. Planet Computers, the UK based company famous for producing a dual OS communicator device, has unveiled its latest effort at the CES showfloor.

The Cosmo Communicator isn’t exactly a successor to the Gemini, an older model that was unveiled back in MWC 2018, the company however considers it as their true flagship device.

Basically, the Cosmo looks similar to its predecessor except that it now has a external 2-inch AMOLED display that lets you do the basic stuffs without opening the clamshell, such as viewing messages, answering phone calls and checking notifications, there is also a button right below the display that lets you answer phone calls, and an external 24MP camera resides on the top.

Once you open the device, you are then greeted with a new backlit keyboard, which I’ve tried typing on the prototype device and it feels way better than its previous model.

Otherwise, the Cosmo is a much faster communicator and is powered by a Mediatek P70 processor supported by 6GB RAM and 128GB of storage, it has a 5.5-inch display with a 1080p resolution, there’s two USB-C ports that supports charging and connecting external peripherals, a 4220mAh battery powers the communicator and is good for lasting one full day.

In terms of software, the Cosmo will ship with Android 9 Pie out of the box and the company is continuing to allow you to dual boot a Linux OS of your choice, so that you can get more out of it.

Planet Computers say that the Gemini is largely popular in Japan for the Asian market, where it was sold out for several times once the device was made available, the company is also exploring opportunities to bring the device to Malaysia too.

If you are interested, the Cosmo Communicator can be yours for US$549 (RM2256) over at
Indiegogo
 as a Show Special, it will ship on June 2019 and will retail for US$799 (RM3283) after that.

CES 2019
cosmo communicator
pda
planet computers


CES 2019: The FlexPai is the first foldable smartphone with a Snapdragon 855 SoC

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I believe I just witnessed the most magical thing happen in front of my eyes, as the Founder of ROYOLE, Bill Liu, took on the stage by showing off the company’s first foldable smartphone known as FlexPai over at CES 2019.

Not only the FlexPai is a commercially working smartphone that is already selling from US$1319 (RM5429), it is also the very first Snapdragon 855 powered smartphone that you can buy for now, and upgradeable to support 5G networks at a later stage. In other specifications, you get either 6GB RAM or 8GB RAM with 128GB and 256GB storage respectively, there is also a dual 20MP+16MP camera setup and a 3800mAh battery with the company’s proprietary Ro-Charge 5V5A quick charge support.

The company behind FlexPai isn’t just any new startup, as it has been manufacturing flexible display solutions for both enterprise and consumer products, they manufacture other products such as a rollable keyboard, flexible display T-shirts, and a smart writing pad.

As Bill puts it, the FlexPai is a device that will not have screen crack issues because it doesn’t employ glass on its screen, the idea behind this product is to have both a tablet and smartphone in your pocket. When unfolded, the FlexPai turns into a 7.8-inch tablet with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Once folded, there’s two different display aspect ratios on each side, an 18:9 for portrait usage and a 16:9 for landscape usage.

If you are worried about reliability, the company’s 2nd generation flexible display has been bent tested for 200,000 times to be equipped on the FlexPai.

The FlexPai ships with Android Pie and like any Chinese smartphones, it has its own skin on top called Water OS, my first impressions of the software experience is pretty good, not only it switches its UI fast when folded and unfolded, most apps tend to run fine on it too. As for the display mode, you can have it play different content on each side of the screens or mirror the content you are watching on the main display, FlexPai also sells a flexible keyboard for those who wants to use it as a computer on the go.

For now, you can already purchase the developer edition of the Flexpai over at ROYOLE’s website, while the consumer edition, which is presumably cheaper, will arrive at a later time. I’m pretty hyped about what I saw and while I won’t just buy this immediately, I’m definitely looking forward to own a foldable smartphone.

CES 2019
FlexPai
foldable smartphone
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samsung


CES 2019: The Fonebud W is a pocket WiFi device that can wirelessly charge your phone

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Most of us carry a power bank wherever we go, and when you think that it couldn’t do more than that, a Malaysian startup has shown off a power bank that is also a pocket WiFi at Eureka Park, one of the halls in CES 2019 that houses over 1200 startups from all over the world.

The Malaysian startup mentioned, Fonebud IOT Berhad, has participated CES for the fifth time. If you have followed the industry news, the company is famous for introducing its first powerbank product that serves as a Bluetooth earpiece and a camera shutter key for your phone.

The company’s new power bank, Fonebud W, is a tall and plain looking device that may look just like any power banks, but what it has under the hood is a 10000mAh battery and an eSIM that can roam in 90 countries and connects up to 8 devices.

Flip over to the other side, it becomes a Qi wireless charging pad for your smartphones. Though sadly there is no support for Qualcomm’s Quick Charge on its USB port, it still offers a 7.5W power output, which is still a good backup power for your devices.

Fonebud is selling the W at US$159 (RM653) at Indiegogo and it comes with 6GB of roaming data, which 2GB is allocated for any of the 90 countries while the remaining 4GB is allocated for 17 countries of your choice.

Unlike other similar service providers, Fonebud doesn’t charge a monthly service fee and they are available with long term validity periods from 90 days to 365 days, depending on the data quota you choose, you also have the option to choose a short term validity plan from a day to a week.

In future product releases, the company has plans to introduce a new power bank with WiFi hotspot and real-time language translation features, it will also feature an AI tour guide that helps users discover the places they visit based on their GPS location.

Check out Fonebud at www.fonebud.com and order one from their
Indiegogo
 page if you’re interested.

CES 2019
fonebud
fonebud w
startup


CES 2019: The Matrix PowerWatch 2 is always charged when you wear it

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If you’d ever wished for a smart wearable that you don’t need to charge, the Matrix PowerWatch 2 is going to offer just that and it is real, because this fitness tracker uses solar-cell and your body heat to stay charged, which the latter charging method is achieved with a thermoelectric generator.

The PowerWatch 2 has a rather complete set of fitness tracking features, there’s a built-in GPS, a heart rate sensor, and tracks a variety of things such as steps, pace, distance, cadence and sleep.

At Matrix’s stand in CES Unveiled, I was shown the prototype of the PowerWatch 2 and my first impressions are good, the watch had a rugged build which can handle serious bump and drops with up to 200m of water resistance. Also, the 45mm case size fits really well on my small-sized Asian hand.

One might wonder what happens if the PowerWatch 2 hasn’t been worn for sometime, one of the engineers told me that it has a power reserve that would last for a year, and if the battery really dies off, they do have an inductive charger that will revive the watch.

The PowerWatch 2 supports both Android/iOS and will be able to sync fitness data with HealthKit and Google Fit, it is available now at
Indiegogo
 for an early bird price at US$199 (RM819), prices will go back up to US$499 (RM2054) after the perks have been claimed.

apple
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fitness tracker
google
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CES 2019: This retro gaming console can play both SNES and Sega Genesis games

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The hype in CES this round may be all about flexible displays, AI and 5G, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find interesting retro stuffs on the showfloor.

This is the Super Retro Trio+ by Retro-bit, it offers three cartridge slots that can let you play NES, SNES and Sega Genesis/Megadrive games, which you can flip the switch on the side to activate the respective cartridge slots.

What’s even more interesting is that if you have your game cartridges lying around, the device can actually read them and you can play it just like you do on your old console. Like recent classic consoles we have seen, the Super Retro Trio+ outputs to your TV or monitor via HDMI with a 720p resolution.

Although the device have its own set of proprietary controllers, it supports input for legacy controllers if you still have them lying around in your store. In terms of games, Retro-bit sells its own cartridges in packs, there’s about four collections in their store that retails for US$34.99 (RM143) each.

If you are not interested in swapping cartridges, the company offers the Super Retro-Cade console with over 90 built-in licensed classic games from Capcom, Data East, Irem and Technos,

I’ve personally both consoles at the booth and confirm that the games work extremely well with no graphics and audio sync issues.

The Retro-bit Super Trio+ and Super Retro-Cade are available for purchase at the price of US$79.99 (RM327) and US$69.99 (RM286) respectively over at Amazon, Walmart and directly at Retro-bit’s website.

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CES 2019: Unleash your creative vision with the ASUS ZenBook 14

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There’s so many things to look forward to this year by ASUS, one of product includes the ASUS ZenBook 14 (UX431).

The ZenBook 14 looks sophisticated with its Utopia Blue colour and spun-metal finish, when the lid is lifted, it reveals a 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS NanoEdge display that offers great viewing angles and uniform colour no matter what the user’s sitting position may be.

For a more immersive experience, the NanoEdge display technology shrinks the bezels on either side down to just 6.5mm while also cutting down on the laptop’s overall size.

Thanks to the narrow bezels, ASUS engineers were able to squeeze the 14-inch screen into a compact 13-inch chassis.

The ZenBook 14 weighs just under 1.45kg, making it easy for users to slip it into their bags or tuck under arm and carry anywhere.

The ZenBook 14 prioritizes function alongside form, with some thoughtful tweaks to ensure the design serves more than just aesthetics, the ErgoLift hinge automatically tilts the keyboard up at an angle when the lid is opened, creating a more comfortable typing position while improving airflow under the chassis for better cooling.

The touchpad displays the illuminated NumberPad, where the numeric keypad allows for convenient data entry and calculations, but it doesn’t add any unnecessary width to the keyboard and can be turned on or off with just a tap, so it’s not a distraction when working on other projects.

The ZenBook 14 comes with Intel’s 8th Generation Core i3, i5, and i7 CPU options offer up to four Hyper-Threaded cores that run at frequencies as high as 4.6GHz thanks to Turbo Boost technology.

The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 620 engine is ample for photo editing and video streaming, but upgrading to discrete NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics with 2GB of dedicated GDDR5 memory makes light gaming an enjoyable option.

The ZenBook 14 is available with up to 16GB of RAM to ensure seamless switching between tasks. On top of that, up to a 1TB SSD provides a powerful combination of low latency and high capacity.

Other than that, the ZenBook 14 boasts a total of four speakers. In addition to the pair of upward firing speakers flanking the keyboard, there are two more bass speakers on the underside of the laptop, and the extra space created by the ErgoLift hinge results in clearer bass.

The quad-speaker system provides truly immersive sound, with a 1.4X-higher frequency response compared to its predecessor, UX430. Powered by a smart amplifier, the Harmon Kardon-certified setup employs advanced signal processing to deliver a wider frequency response and powerful bass for especially crisp sound.

Additionally, the ZenBook 14 features I/O ports befitting a flexible workhorse, there’s one USB 2.0 Type-A port for a mouse, and the USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C ports readily accommodate external storage, flash drives, printers, and other peripherals.

Users can connect to a second monitor via HDMI and the SD card slot accepts memory cards without the need for a USB adapter. There’s also a 1.8mm audio combo jack for headphones.

The ZenBook 14 features a 2×2 802.11ac Wi-Fi configuration, so users can move huge files to and from the cloud in record time or stream video without a hitch.

The availability and pricing of the ZenBook 14 shall be announced by ASUS during its launch.

But until then, for more information, check out their website
here
.

asus
ZenBook 14


CES 2019: Yubico reveals new security key for iPhones called YubiKey for Lightning

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While Microsoft and Android users are already familiar with the extra layer of security through hardware authentications like security keys, Yubico is now offering a similar product to Apple’s devices.

The company that produces hardware security key has revealed the YubiKey for Lightning which is a security key for iPhones, iPads and even MacBooks. The security key comes with a Lightning port on one end and a USB-C port on the other, and users can tap into logon standards including FIDO 2, WebAuthn and U2F.

The key serves as a seamless authentication while previously the best method of connecting to an iOS device was through Bluetooth, which Yubico believed was not sufficient. There are also some restrictions when it comes to connection via NFC, but with the new YubiKey, Yubico is confident that it can overcome said issues.

According to the Stina Ehrensvard, the founder of Yubico, the company aims “to make strong, simple authentication truly ubiquitous, across all services, devices and operating systems,” and the YubiKey for Lightning will help the company in its mission to create a passwordless future for all.

As the YubiKey for Lightning was just recently approved from Apple’s MFi Program, app developers will need more time to adopt codes to accept the security key, hence it’ll be awhile before it becomes available to the public. The price of the YubiKey for Lightning is also unknown, but developers who are interested in it can request to participate in the YubiKey for Lightning Program – Private Preview through this
link
.

apple
security key
Yubico
YubiKey for Lightning


CES 2021: AMD Ryzen 5000 series mobile CPUs announced

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AMD has taken to the CES 2021 stage to announce their latest lineup of mobile
Ryzen 5000-series
 CPUs – the product line consist of the Ryzen 5000 U, H, HS, and HX series.

The top-class HX series are unlocked CPUs that allow for overclocking – the lineup includes the Ryzen 9 5900HX and the Ryzen 9 5980HX, both of which are 8C/16T CPUs with a 45W+ TDP. These chips use AMD’s newest
 Zen 3
 architecture.

These two chips are also available in HS variants that offer a lower TDP for slim laptops. The HS series also range from a Ryzen 5 5600HS to a Ryzen 7 5800HS.

You then have
the regular
 H series that offer a TDP of higher than 35 – these include the Ryzen 5 5600H and the Ryzen 7 5800H.

Lastly, for ultra-portables you have the U series which range from a Ryzen 3 5300U to a Ryzen 7 5800U.

With these chips, AMD promise up to 16% increase in single-threaded performance and up to 14% faster multithreaded performance over the previous generation. The more efficient Zen 3 architecture means the chips are more power efficient, and AMD says that you can get up to 17.5 hours of general usage on these new processors.

The new Ryzen 5000 mobile CPUs should arrive in partner brand laptops sometime this February. You can visit AMD’s site
here
 to learn more.

amd
ryzen 5000
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CES 2021: ASUS ROG launches Flow X13, Zephyrus Duo 15 SE, and Strix SCAR 17

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ASUS ROG has today announced three new gaming laptops during the CES 2021 event – these include the brand-new ROG Flow X13, the ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 SE, and a refresh of the ROG Strix SCAR 17.

ROG Flow X13

As its name may suggest, this laptop is all about being nimble and ultraportable. It comes in a compact 13-inch frame while packing a 120Hz display for gaming, or a 4K panel for creative work. The displays support a 16:10 aspect ratio, Adaptive Sync for gaming, and is Pantone Validated for better
colour
 accuracy.

Under the hood is up to an AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU which should let you handle any e-sports title effortlessly. It’s not
slouch
 either when it comes to low-to-mid level creation work.

Should you need more power however, you can also pair the Flow X13 with the XG e-GPU which packs a GeForce RTX 3080 card.

In terms of battery life, the Flow X13 gets you up to 10 hours of gaming on a full charge, according to ASUS.

ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 SE

The ROG Zephyrus line-up sits on the brand’s top-tier range of gaming devices and the Zephyrus Duo 15 SE some of the best premium performance money can buy.

In terms of hardware, the laptop packs up to a whopping RTX 3080 GPU along with a Ryzen 5900HX CPU. The laptop also comes with a 300Hz FHD panel that supports 100% sRGB
colour
 space. You can also opt for a 4K 120Hz panel too that has 100% Adobe RGB
colour
 space.

What sets apart the Zephyrus Duo line of laptops apart from its competitors is its
ScreenPad
 Plus secondary display that offers a better multitasking experience both for productivity tasks as well as gaming.

ROG Strix SCAR 17

If you want something larger, the Strix SCAR 17 comes with 17-inch FHD panel that pushes a 360Hz refresh rate. You can also go for a 1440p display that has a 165Hz refresh rate. The displays support adaptive sync and has DCI-P3
colour
 output as well.

The laptop packs four speakers and support for Dolby Atmos so external speakers may not be necessary for gaming and media consumption.

The Strix SCAR 17 comes with a 90Wh batter and it offers up to 12 hours of video playback. More interestingly, the laptop comes with an optical mechanical keyboard which features per-key RGB lighting.

When it comes to specs, you get up to, again, the RTX 3080 + Ryzen 5900HX combo.

ASUS hasn’t announced when these devices will arrive in Malaysia and how much they’ll cost, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated when we get more information. You can also visit ASUS’s website
here
 to learn more.

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CES 2021: ASUS unveils new ROG gaming monitor, keyboard and mouse

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Apart from the new ROG laptops,
ASUS
 also unveiled new peripherals such as the ROG Swift PG32UQ gaming monitor, ROG Claymore II and ROG Gladius III wireless mouse.

ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQ

The ASUS ROG Swift PG32UQ is a 32-inch gaming monitor that supports a 144Hz refresh rate and an IPS panel with 1ms response time. It comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports so those who’d want to play 4K/120Hz games can do so via this monitor, especially those who recently purchased the PS5. The monitor also support up to 144Hz visuals, but you’ll have to rely on the DisplayPort 1.4 connection.

In addition to being a G-Sync compatible monitor, the ASUS Swift PG32UQ also comes equipped with ASUS Extreme Low Motion Blur Sync technology. These feature will help reduce screen-tearing and motion blur during gaming sessions. ASUS also states that the monitor is DisplayHDR 600 compliant and supports 98% DCI-P3 color gamut, so we’re expecting a display with good contrast and vibrant colours.

ROG Claymore II

This RGB gaming keyboard uses ROG RX Blue Optical Mechanical Switches, but it’s also available with ROG RX Red Switches. ASUS promotes a “near-zero debounce delay” as the keys come with a hollow-square stem, and with the corner latches at each keycap and an X-stabilizer mechanism, the keyboard will offer a wobble-free experience. The keyboard also comes with a magnetic wrist rest and a detachable numpad. This numpad can be attached to either side of the keyboard and also has extra control keys that can be used as macro commands; you’ll also get a scroll wheel for volume control.

The Claymore II can be used with and without wires; you can either connect it via USB-C or pair it via Bluetooth. The keyboard comes with a 4,000mAh battery that can last up to 40 hours in a single charge and can be charged via a USB-C cable.

You can also customise your keyboard lighting as it features the Armoury Crate software and also comes with wireless Aura Sync.

ROG Gladius III Wireless

Along with the gaming keyboard, ASUS also showcased the ROG Gladius III Wireless — a 19,000 dpi mouse. Weighing at 89g, this gaming mouse comes with the Push-Fit Switch Socket II so users can pick between the 3-pin mechanical micro switches or the 5-pin Omron optical micro switches but more importantly, ASUS says it offers zero-click latency and a flexible ROG Paracord cable so you’ll get faster mouse movements. It supports tri-mode connectivity and you can get in two different modes — wired and wireless.

Availability and pricing

These ROG peripherals will be launched in Malaysia, but their pricing haven’t been confirmed. The PG32UQ monitor will be available by the first quarter of 2021.

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ROG Claymore II
ROG Gladius III
ROG Swift PG32UQ


CES 2021 physical event cancelled amid COVID-19 fears

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As many have pointed out, the most recent CES 2020 showcase is probably the last instalment of the event that will be hosted physically for some time as it took place earlier this January, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the global lockdown, many major tech and gadget events have had to be cancelled or taken to the online sphere for obvious reasons.

Today, CES has
announced
that the world’s largest tech conference is going to follow suite and be an all-digital event for the upcoming 2021 instalment, which was due to take place in the usual Las Vegas. The Consumer Technology Association (CTA) made the announcement via CES’ social media platforms and on the website.

Big news👀

CES 2021 is going all-digital! Get ready for a new immersive experience where you’ll have a front row seat to the action
https://t.co/IzmHDpIu1Y

— CES (@CES)
July 28, 2020

Although much of the world is returning to relative normalcy, the number of cases have spike again even, even here in Malaysia; so, a massive convention filled to the brim with people happening January next year doesn’t seem like a good idea to us either – kudos to the top brasses for making the right decision.

But on a lighter note, for the upcoming
CES 2021
, we can expect to see a host of 5G-centric products introduced, alongside AI and robotics which are ever-present fields of tech that are showcased at event. Other things we can expect to see are possible more foldable, bendable,
rollable
 displays
, phones and such.

Regardless, we’ve still got some ways until CES 2021 hits, so for now, remember to stay safe and healthy.

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CES 2021: MSI launches GE76 Raider, GP66 Leopard, and Stealth 15M

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MSI
 has just launched three new RTX 3000-powered laptops at their digital CES 2021 event earlier this morning – the lineup consist of the GE76 Raider, the GP66 Leopard, and the Stealth 15M.

MSI GE76 Raider

This is the laptop that offers you the most configurations and can pack up to an RTX 3080 GPU and an Intel Core i7-10750H as well. You can equip it with up to 16GB of memory and a 1TB SSD.

This is a 17-inch laptop that has either a 144Hz panel or a 300Hz one depending on which variant you choose. This laptop sports a more streamlined look with its more minimalist chassis; it’s also 1.08-inches in thickness and weighs 2.9kgs.

The GE76 Raider is priced from USD1,499 (about RM6,060)  for the RTX 3060 model and USD2,899 (about RM11,720) for the RTX 3080 variant.

There’s a special Dragon Edition Tiamat that boasts a stunning cover with intricate oriental dragon and floral designs etched into it.

MSI GP66 Leopard

The GP66 Leopard is a 15-inch laptop that comes with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 GPU and an Intel Core i7-10750H processor. The laptop supports up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage by way of an SSD

You can configure your laptop with either a 144Hz, or 240Hz monitor – both push a FHD resolution. The GP66 Leopard measures at 0.92-inches thick and weighs about 2.4kgs.

This laptop is the most unique looking model of the three (bar the Dragon Edition Tiamat) as it sports an edgier cover and hinge design along with more prominent vents at the back. The GP66 Leopard is priced from USD1,799 (about RM7,273).

MSI Stealth 15M

This is the most affordable entry in the list and packs an RTX 3060 Max-Q GPU, and the newest Intel Core i7-11375H processor.

This 15-inch laptop is the thinnest of the lot of a 0.63-inch thickness; its 1.7kg weight also makes it the most portable laptop here as well. You get a single 144Hz display option here that pushes a FHD resolution.

There’s 16GB of RAM as usual and up to 512GB of SSD storage. The Stealth 15M is priced from USD1,399 (about RM5,656).

There’s no word on when these laptops will arrive in Malaysia yet, but stay tuned on our website for the latest updates.

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CES 2021: New Razer Blade 15 features the GeForce RTX 3080 GPU

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Razer announced two new gaming laptops at CES 2021 — the Razer Blade 15 and Razer Blade Pro 17. Both laptops support up to 360Hz refresh rate and are powered by the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs.

Razer Blade 15

The
Blade 15
 has a 15.6-inch display that supports up to 360Hz refresh rate while pushing 1080p resolution, but users can also opt for a 4K OLED Touch panel or a QHD panel with 240Hz refresh rate. The keyboard is powered by Razer Chroma RGB, but the base model gets single-zone RGB lighting whereas the advanced model gets per key RGB lighting. However, both models come with similar ports that include a Thunderbolt 3 port, a HDMI 2.0b port, two USB Type-C ports, a headphone jack and more. The advanced model also support USB-C charging and Windows Hello, in addition to using vapour chamber and thermal materials for its cooling system.

Under the hood, the Blade 15 is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor and can have graphics up to GeForce RTX 3080. This allows it to handle heavy-graphics game like Cyberpunk 2077 with ease. It also comes with 1TB PCIe storage and up to 32GB RAM.

Razer Blade Pro 17

Like its younger sibling, the
Blade Pro 17
 also offers up to 360Hz refresh rate, but it comes with a 17.3-inch display and sports 6mm-thin bezels. It is powered by the 10th gen Intel Core i7-10875H chip paired with up to 1TB of storage and uses vapour chamber cooling. Similar to the advanced model of the Blade 15, this laptop comes with per key RGB lighting and also supports up to GeForce RTX 3080 GPU which has third-generation Max-Q technologies that improves battery life while optimising GPU performance for an enhanced gaming experience.

Availability and price

The Razer Blade 15 starts at $1,699.99 whereas the Razer Blade Pro 17 starts at $2,299.99; both laptops can be pre-ordered exclusively at
Razer.com
 and Razer Stores on January 12. The Blade 15 will be purchasable in select retailers starting January 26, but the Blade Pro 17 is only said to be available in Q1 2021 with no exact date.

Razer Blade 15
Razer Blade Pro 17


CES 2021: Samsung’s Bot Handy acts as a housekeeper

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One of the latest innovations introduced by
Samsung
 at CES this year is the Bot Handy, a robot that can identify different objects and do your house chores.

Bot Handy adjusts its force to pick up and hold different objects

The Bot Handy relies on advanced AI and a camera to recognise objects of different sizes, shapes and materials, allowing it to grab hold of household items without accidentally breaking them. During the press conference, President of Samsung Research Sebastian Seung says that the bot is an extension of the user and can even serve drinks.

It comes with two eyes and an arm

The
Bot Handy
 only comes with a single arm, but it has a clamp-like hand so it can easily pick up objects. It’s a tall robot that comes with a rolling base and and extendable body to allow it to reach to higher places, and it even changes expressions with its two eyes.

However, Samsung did not mention when the Bot Handy will be available to consumers and how much it’ll cost. You probably won’t see the the robot in the consumer market anytime soon, though Samsung says the robot in in development.

Bot Handy
samsung


CES 2022: Acer buffs up Swift X range with powerful, ultra-portable additions

1.3K

Acer
 has announced a pair of additions to its thin, light and powerful

lineup of Swift X laptops
 with discrete GPUs, consisting of a new 14-inch and 16-inch model. New Aspire C27 and C24 All-in-One (AIO) PCs were also released. All of the new PCs feature the latest 12th Gen Intel® Core™ processors.

Acer Swift X

Acer Swift X 14-inch (SFX14-51G)

The ultra-portable
Swift X

(SFX14-51G) 14-inch
 laptop, which weighs just 1.4 kg, packs a 12th Gen Intel Core processor with up to 12 cores and an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti laptop GPU into its 0.7-inch (17.9 mm) thin aluminum chassis. A fan, air inlet keyboard and dual heat pipes dissipate the heat generated by this hardware, helping the device maintain the peak performance expected by creatives studying or working in multimedia design.

The
16-inch model (SFX16-52G)
 features 12th Gen Intel Core processors with up to 12 cores (4 P-cores and 8 E-cores) and discrete Intel Arc™ graphics. Keeping the laptop cool are dual fans, dual copper heat pipes, an air inlet keyboard, and a bigger side exhaust port. Co-engineered with Intel, the device will meet the requirements of an Intel Evo laptop through Intel’s hardware 2 specifications and key experience targets for responsiveness, instant wake, battery life, fast charge and intelligent collaboration.

Both models run on Windows 11 and feature a 16:10 aspect-ratio IPS screen—2240×1400 for the 14-in model and up to 2560×1600 for the 16-in model—with stunningly narrow bezels, allowing for up to a 92.22% screen-to-body ratio. Combined with 100% coverage of the sRGB color gamut and up to 400 nits of brightness, the Swift X wows with crystal clear images and delivers immersive viewing experiences. Further enhancing these images, it also features Acer BluelightShield™ for more comfortable viewing, plus Acer ExaColor™ and Acer Color Intelligence™ for more vibrant colors.

In addition to up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 memory and 2 TB of PCIe SSD storage for faster navigation, the new Swift X models combine Intel® Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax) for fast and stable connectivity—perfect for high-speed file sharing and smooth 4k streaming. From there, the laptops’ I/O includes two Type-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40 GBs) support, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports, HDMI 2.0, and a fingerprint reader for easy login with Windows Hello. The productivity capacity of both models is further enhanced by an FHD webcam with Acer’s Temporal Noise Reduction (TNR) technology for high-quality imagery even in low-light conditions, Acer PurifiedVoice™ with AI Noise Reduction for clearer com-calls, and DTS audio.

Acer Aspire C27 and C24

Image credit: Acer

For enhanced performance when working from home, the Aspire C27 (27-inch, C27-1751) and C24 (24-inch, C24-1750) All-In-One PCs have been refreshed with Windows 11 and the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, along with NVIDIA GeForce MX550 GPU[3] and 64 GB of DDR4 RAM, plus a 1 TB SSD and 2 TB HDD. From there, a host of connectivity options backs up this powerful hardware, such as Wi-Fi 6E for fast and stable connectivity, Bluetooth® 5.2 for simplified data-sharing between devices, and Thunderbolt™ 4 for up to 40Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth.

Video calling has never been more important, and the Aspire C27 responds to this need with a 5.0 MP webcam and two stereo microphones for high-quality video conferencing—and with a 91.14% screen-to-body ratio, the display looks gorgeous. It can also be tilted (-5 to 25°), allowing users to find the perfect angle before getting started. Acer BlueLightShield technology provides more comfortable viewing, and once the call is over, a physical webcam cover provides privacy and peace of mind.

As a final touch, this ultra-slim AIO delivers tidy and space-saving cable management, keeping the workspace free from distraction—and being finished in black with platinum details, the Aspire C27 and Aspire C24 look incredibly sharp, too.

acer
Acer Aspire
Acer Swift X
CES 2022


CES 2022: ASUS ROG launches gaming tablet with 12th Gen Intel Core & NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU

1.7K

ASUS

Republic of Gamers (ROG) has unveiled its very powerful, all-new gaming tablet, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13. This tablet vows to tackle all the latest games and applications you throw at it without faltering, and the best part is — it’s practical enough to be brought anywhere you want.

Design

Okay, I know it’s not the thinnest tablet out there
but
 the Flow Z13 boasts up to a 12th Gen Intel Core and NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU, so I think it’s a fair exchange. Despite being only 12mm thick, it’s built-in with a wide vapour chamber and large fans for increased heat transfer. The brand also claims that the fan never exceeds 40dB even when under full load so you don’t have to worry about everyone in the office looking at you when you
accidentally
 open up a game.

For its display, there are two options — the 13.4-inch 16:10 UHD IPS touchscreen display that pushes 60 Hz refresh rate with support for 85% DCI-P3 colour gamut; or the 13.4-inch 16:10 FHD IPS touchscreen display that pushes 120Hz refresh rate with support for 100% sRGB.

Hardware

As previously mentioned, you can choose for the Flow Z13 to be equipped with up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900H processor paired with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU. Moreover, you can combine it with up to 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB PCIe SSD, allowing for speedy performances.

Features

You can use the tablet with standard keyboard and mouse controls, and if you don’t want to bring around a separate keyboard, the screen cover can double as a fully-functional RGB-backlit keyboard with 1.7mm of travel. This tablet also brings the best of both worlds by supporting both mobile and traditional PC games so you can enjoy mobile or PC gaming on the go.

The tablet also offers an array of ports like a 3.5mm audio jack, one USB 2.0 Type-A port, one USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port, one Thunderbolt 4 port, and a MicroSD card reader. Other than that, it packs a 56Wh battery, runs on Windows 11 Pro, and supports Wi-Fi 6.

For more information about the ASUS ROG Flow Z13, you may visit the brand’s website
here
. There’s currently no mention of the ASUS ROG Flow Z13’s release date but we’ll be sure to update you for any changes so stay tuned.

asus
CES 2022
Gaming tablet


CES 2022: ASUS ROG Strix gaming laptops & desktop for esports enthusiasts

2.5K

Aside from revealing a new
gaming tablet
,
ASUS

ROG has also announced several laptops and desktop for its Strix line. Packed with powerful components, these laptops cater to those who want to level-up their gaming performance to the highest possible level.

ROG Strix SCAR

The new ROG Strix SCAR comes packed with tons of powerful hardware for lag-free and high-FPS gaming performance. This laptop is available in two sizes — the 15-inch or 17-inch model, with both offering different IPS-level displays.

15-inch

17-inch

QHD 165Hz

QHD 240Hz

FHD 300 Hz

QHD 240Hz

FHD 360Hz

All Strix SCAR displays support Dolby Vision HDR along with Adaptive-Sync for stunning colours and picture quality with no tearing or stutter. You also get a large trackpad and customisible per-key RGB backlit-keyboard and lightbar.

Under the hood, the laptops are powered by up to Intel Core i9-12900H processors with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU. There’s also a MUX Switch if you ever want to enable the integrated graphics in your device for ultimate GPU performance. It also supports up to 64GB of DDR5 RAM paired with up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 internal storage.

ROG Strix G15 and G17

As for the ASUS ROG Strix G15 and G17, they’re powered by up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor with the same NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti laptop GPU. Just like the Strix SCAR, the display comes with Dolby Vision HDR, Adaptive-Sync and offers different IPS-level displays.

15-inch

17-inch

FHD 300Hz

QHD 165Hz

FHD 360Hz

QHD 240Hz

The Strix G laptops are available in Eclipse Gray, Volt Green, and Electro Punk.

All ASUS ROG Strix models are packed with a 90Wh battery that supports 100W USB Type-C charging, along with Wi-Fi 6E, and 2.5G LAN. As for the audio side of things, all models sport a quad-speaker design featuring Dolby Amos spatial sound, and a two-way AI Noise Cancellation to filter out ingoing and outgoing background noise.

ROG Strix GT15 Gaming Desktop

If you’re looking for an ultimate gaming rig, the ASUS ROG Strix GT15 has received an update for 2022. Available in a variety of configurations for you to choose from, it can pack up to an Intel Core i7-12700KF, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080, and 64GB of DDR4-3200 RAM. Although it does weigh 11kg, the desktop has its own carrying handle and headphone hook for easy transport to LAN parties.

You can check out the ASUS ROG lineup
here
. For more information about what ASUS ROG had in store for CES 2022, check out their website
here
.

asus
asus rog
CES 2022
gaming laptop


CES 2022: ASUS showcases Zenbook 17 Fold, Zenbook 14X Space Edition & refreshed Zenbook 14

1.3K

ASUS

has just launched the ZenBook 17 Fold OLED, ZenBook 14X OLED Space Edition, and ZenBook 14 OLED — bringing in the world’s first 17.3-inch foldable OLED laptop as well as other sleek and powerful laptops to improve your productivity.

Zenbook 17 Fold OLED

Working closely with Intel and BOE Technology Group, ASUS has unleashed its first foldable OLED laptop, the Zenbook 17 Fold. It boasts a 4:3 17.3-inch 2.5K touchscreen display that folds in the middle to create two 3:2 12.5-inch (1920×1280) displays. The PANTONE Validated screen has also been TUV Rheinland-certified for eye care and supports 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut.

Under the hood, it’s equipped with up to the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i7 U-series processors, paired with Intel Iris X graphics. It’s also packed with a 75Wh battery with two USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports which support connections to external displays.

Since it’s foldable, the device does accommodate to suit your needs with the multiple modes available — PC, Laptop, Tablet, On-Screen Keyboard, Book, and Extend — and you can use it with ASUS’s ErgoSense Bluetooth keyboard and touchpad. Other than that, you even have a 5MP webcam and ASUS 3D Noise Reduction technology for your online meetings.

Zenbook 14X OLED Space Edition

Now, it hasn’t been long since the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED was launched, but a commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the ASUS P6300 laptop’s 600-day space mission must be celebrated, of course. The special edition sports a space-themed design with a Zero-G titanium colour. It even complies with the ultra-tough US Space Systems Command Standard SMC-S-016A testing protocols — meaning you can
literally
 bring this to space if you want to.

The display you get here is the same 14-inch, 16:10 2.8K OLED touchscreen display that pushes 90Hz along with DisplayHDR True Black 500-certified visuals, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, and TUV Rheinland-certified eye care.

Compared to the normal edition, there are multiple upgrades to the hardware and nice additions such as the a 3.5-inch OLED display on the external lid that can show customisable messages and animations. Under the hood, it’s powered by up to a 12th Gen Intel Core i9 H-series processor, Intel Iris X graphics, 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD.

Zenbook 14 OLED

The laptop now gets refreshed with a new lid design along with two new colour options — Aqua Celadon and Ponder Blue. As the name implies, you get an OLED display that measures 14-inches with a 16:10 2.8K resolution that pushes a 90Hz refresh rate. The display is also PANTONE validated and supports 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut.

Under the hood, it’s equipped with the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors paired with Intel Iris X graphics, up to 16GB of RAM and PCIe SSD. The Zenbook 14 OLED packs a 75Wh battery, the latest Intel Wi-Fi 6E, and an array of ports such as two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports to your usage.

The ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED will be available for purchase during mid-2022, and while the pricing and availability for the other laptops have not been revealed, we’ll be sure to update you so stay tuned.

asus
CES 2022
zenbook
ZenBook 14
zenbook 14x
Zenbook 17 fold


CES 2022: ASUS TUF Gaming & TUF Dash laptops refreshed with latest hardware

1.9K

ASUS

has updated the TUF Gaming F15, F17, and TUF Dash F15 with the latest Intel CPUs, an MUX Switch, and a refined chassis design. So, let’s take a look at what the laptops have to offer.

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 & F17

The TUF Gaming F15 and F17 laptops are equipped with the latest 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700H processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU. There’s even an MUX Switch for that extra boost in performance if you require; in addition, you can use the ASUS Armoury Crate to turn on a direct GPU mode to reduce latency and improve performance.

These laptops are tough on the inside
and
tough on the outside —meeting the military MIL-STD-810H test for durability, while sporting a mecha anime-inspired design.

In terms of visuals, the laptops can support up to a QHD 165Hz or a FHD 300Hz display. You also don’t have to worry about the laptop overheating as it features a pair of 84-blade Arc Flow Fans, along with four exhaust fans and five dedicated heatpipes to keep the laptop cool.

ASUS TUF Dash F15

The ASUS TUF Dash F15 has always highlighted the brand’s effort in making a slim, powerful gaming machine ever since it launched last year. This year, the 2022 model maintains the same sleek design while packing updated and upgraded hardware.

It’s equipped with a 15-inch QHD panel capable of pushing 165Hz with support for 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut for optimal gaming performance and colour-accurate content creation. The hardware specs include a 12th Gen Intel i7-12650H processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU with MUX Switch; you also get DDR5 RAM along with dual PCIe SSD.

Other than that, you get a wide array of ports such as a Thunder 4 port and a USB Type-C port with support for up to 100W Power Delivery. The TUF Dash F15 is available in two colours — Moonlight White and Eclipse Gray.

The pricing and availability for the ASUS TUF laptops have not been revealed yet, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated when we get more information. In the meantime, if you’d like to stay updated with CES 2022, click
here
.

asus
Asus TUF
CES 2022
gaming laptop
TUF Dash
tuf gaming


CES 2022: Intel announces 12th Gen Intel Core Mobile as world’s fastest processor

1.2K

Intel

has unveiled its latest 12th Gen Intel Core Mobile processors that offer up to 40% faster performance compared to its predecessor. The family is lead by its H-series’ Intel Core i9-12900HK which was claimed to be the world’s fastest and best mobile gaming platform.

Intel Core H-series mobile processor

So, what exactly is special about this series? Firstly, it consists of 14 cores — 6 Performance-cores and 8 Efficient-cores — which can reach an impressive 5GHz frequency. Higher clock speed means snappier performances, meaning you’ll find yourself going through common tasks with little to no delay at all.

Intel claims unparalleled gaming experience even with top gaming titles and content creation tools, with up to 28% faster gaming performance than its predecessor, and even a 43% boost for 3D rendering. The series also has a broad memory support for DDR5/LPDDR5 and DDR4/LPDDR4 at up to 4,800MHz.

Other than that, you get three times faster connectivity  with the Integrated Intel Wi-Fi 6E and Thunderbolt 4 support for transfer speeds of up to 40Gbps.

For more information about the 12th Gen Intel Core Mobile processors, you may click
here
. Laptops sporting the latest CPU have already been spotted on brands such as
MSI
,
ASUS
, and
Acer
 with many more to follow through in the upcoming months.

12th gen intel core
CES 2022
intel


CES 2022: MSI announces ‘Meta-Ready’ Intel 12th Gen gaming laptops

1.7K

MSI has announced five new laptops in its virtual CES 2022 launch, these laptops are powered by Intel’s 12th Gen Alder Lake processors and up to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3080Ti Laptop GPU, the company is also touting these laptops as Meta-Ready, which shows the company’s support for the future of the Metaverse.

MSI Stealth GS77/GS66 2022

The new MSI GS series laptops have long dominated the thin and light gaming laptop category, and the new hardware refresh on these models make them more attractive than ever.

MSI has mainly showcased the newly designed GS77 Stealth, which replaces the 17-inch GS76 Stealth, it comes with an Intel Core i9 processor, 4K 120Hz display, 32GB DDR5 RAM, and a new cooling feature called the Phase Change Liquid Metal Pad, which melts liquid when the temperature reaches 58-degrees Celsius to cool down the CPU and thermal block,  increasing cooling efficiency and up to 10% of performance, graphics is powered by an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080Ti Laptop GPU.

The GS77 Stealth’s display is also available in QHD 240Hz and FHD 360Hz options, should gamers prefer a smoother gaming experience.

Both the GS77 and GS66 Stealth feature a new zinc alloy hinge, larger trackpads and keycaps, improved audio with a six-speaker system, physical webcam lock switch and supports 100W PD charging.

In terms of availability, the new GS66 Stealth will be available in the Malaysian market in late January 2022, while the GS77 Stealth will only be available at a later time.

MSI Raider GE76/GE66 2022

Retaining the signature panoramic aurora lighting bar from its predecessor, the refreshed GE76 and GE66 Raider gets even more performance with the GeForce RTX 3080Ti Laptop GPU, which can reach up to 220W of power with MSI OverBoost, it also comes with the Phase Change Liquid Metal Pad that’s available on the refreshed GS series laptops.

The GE76 and GE66 Raider will be able to drive display output with the discrete graphics mode, so gamers can experience the full performance of the graphics chip of the laptop if they prefer to game on an external monitor.

MSI Vector GP76/GP66 2022

MSI has decided to call the GP series gaming laptops Vector in this refresh, compared to the higher end GS and GE series, it uses DDR4 RAM despite being powered by 12th Gen Intel processors. In comparison to the Leopard, the new Vector series come in a new Core Black color design.

However, the Vector is still no slouch either as it can be spec up with a GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU with up to 210W of power with the MSI OverBoost feature, it also has display options of QHD and FHD at 240Hz refresh rate, per-key RGB backlight keyboard, WiFi 6E and 2.5GBe LAN.

MSI Crosshair 15 2022

With an attractive sci-fi design, the MSI Crosshair 15 is a mid-range gaming laptop that can is speced with either an Intel Core i7-12700H or Core i9-12900H processor, GPU options comprise of a GeForce RTX 3060, RTX 3070 or RTX 3070Ti Laptop GPU, it also runs on DDR4 RAM and has a display types of either a Full HD 144Hz or 360Hz panel, which the latter is only available for the top-tier model.

MSI Pulse GL76 2022

The MSI Pulse GL76 could excite a lot as a 17-inch entry gaming laptop, it comes with graphics options of a RTX 3060 and RTX 3070 Laptop GPU, sporting a 17.3-inch Full HD display that pushes 360Hz refresh rate and a rather large battery size of 90Whr.

CES 2022
crosshair 15
ge66
gs66
gs77
meta ready
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pulse 76
vector gp76


CES 2022: Razer unveils Project Sophia Concept with 65-inch OLED display

1K

CES

is an event where companies showcase groundbreaking innovations that might or might not break into the market, and
Razer

has done just that. Introducing
Project Sophia
, a literal
desk
top.

Working with the agenda that it’s challenging to configure our setup throughout the day for different types of usages, Project Sophia is meant to adapt to you rather than the other way round. The tabletop is made out of glass and runs on a customised PCB underneath it consisting of the latest Intel processor and NVIDIA GPU.

To configure the modular desk, simply detach or attach the magnetically-fitted components as per your needs. Such examples can include touchscreen digitisers, tablets, creative input tools, and a lot more.

As for the monitor, it is said to be able to fit a 65-inch OLED panel. The modular desk comes with four configurations for you to choose from — the Gamer, the Creator, the Streamer, and the WFH.

Project Sophia is just a concept so who knows if this will actually come out as an actual product in the future. For more information, you can check out Project Sophia
here
.

Project Sophia
razer


CES 2022: Samsung announces sustainability efforts with ‘Together for Tomorrow’ vision

1.6K

During a pre-show keynote
event
 at CES 2022, Samsung highlighted the company’s efforts in creating positive changes towards the environment. The keynote event was lead by Vice Chairman, CEO and Head of Samsung DX (Device eXperience) Division, Jong-Hee (JH) Han.

What’s Samsung doing to help our planet?

Samsung’s vision of “everyday sustainability” has enabled them to adopt new, low-impact product manufacturing practices, footprint-reducing packaging, and a more sustainable customer experience.

Firstly, the company’s efforts in
reducing carbon emission
 throughout its production cycle has earned recognition from
Carbon Trust
, and even helped to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 700,000 tons last year.

An example of how Samsung has reduced their carbon footprint is with the introduction of a
SolarCell Remote
. This remote eliminates battery waste with its built-in solar panel that can be charged during the day and night, and is able to get electricity from radio frequencies such as Wi-Fi routers.

Other than that, Samsung’s Visual Display Business has plans on
increasing the use of recycled plastic
 30x more than last year as well as
implementing recycled materials for other mobile and home appliances products
. This year, recycled materials will be incorporated into Styrofoam, box holders, and plastic bags, along with a global expansion of their
Eco-Packaging program
.

Last but not least, the company has come up with propositions to
make all of its

TVs and phone chargers operate on near-zero standby power
 by 2025 — meaning lesser energy consumption when the products are not in use.

For more information on Samsung’s ‘Together for Tomorrow’ vision, click
here
. On the other hand, if you’d like to stay updated with CES 2022, feel free to check our
other
 articles.

CES 2022
samsung


Apple to introduce cheaper Apple Watch + Apple gaming controller soon

460

Apple Insider has got the lowdown on a few of Apple’s pipeline products courtesy of
leakster
 Jon Prosser – they’ve apparently got dirt on an
affordable
 Apple Watch, and even a gaming controller.

Apple Watch

According to the report, Apple is looking to make the Apple Watch more accessible by cutting down its price tag – the way
it’s
 doing that is by swapping out the
aluminium
/titanium chassis with a
plastic
 one.

On top of that, ‘Kid Mode’ is supposedly in development and we’re not entirely sure what it means – we can only assume it means a simpler
watchOS
 interface that make using the Apple Watch easier for children; it’s either that or it’s cutting off certain features like NFC payment, Siri commands, and more.

Game controller

There’s word that Apple wants to put out their own controller that’s supposed to be used with the Apple TV. You’re most likely meant to use it when you’re gaming on Apple Arcade – but we’re hoping it works on PC systems too.

Other launches

iPad Air 2019

The iPad Air 4 and Apple Watch Series 6 could arrive in September, but their introduction will be a quiet one – medias are expected to receive a press release as an announcement of their launching. The following month however, the iPhone 12 will take the stage, while its bigger siblings, the iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max will come later in November.

Apple, as usual, has remained tight-lipped on any of their upcoming devices – but if these
rumours
 are true, then we won’t have to wait long before we see Apple roll out something new through the doors.

apple
apple watch
gaming controller
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Check out the E-Ink rear display of the Yotaphone 3

283

The Yotaphone isn’t your conventional smartphone. Its features might seem gimmicky at best but the Russian brand definitely has a fan base of its own by now, as it looks to launch the third iteration of the Yotaphone later this year. With rumors beginning to circulate, we have gotten our hands on some leaked renders of the Yota 3’s rear E-Ink display.

The image above show the Yota 3’s displays in action. It is likely that the fingerprint sensor will be placed on the front below the display, embedded in the home button. The rear E-Ink display, although not surprising, looks a tad refined now, covering a larger part of the rear panel compared to predecessors. The rear display also comes with on screen navigation keys, and measures at 5.2-inches.

The front facing regular display is likely to be of 5.5-inches in Full HD resolution. Other rumored specs include a Snapdragon 625 processor with 4GB of RAM and up to 128GB of internal storage. The dual screen smartphone is also tipped to feature a 12MP rear camera and a 13MP selfie camera. The Yota 3 will likely pack a 3,200mAh battery.

The Yota 3 is slated for an unveiling later this year. The launch of the phone will end the company’s near four year absence in the smartphone industry.

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e-ink
snapdragon 625
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Check out the new look of the OnePlus 5 JCC Limited Edition

406

OnePlus will once again release a limited edition of their flagship smartphone. Last year the company teamed up with Colette, a high fashion retailer from France to release the OnePlus 3T colette Black edition. Only 250 units were sold, but the demand for Black OnePlus 3T’s were overwhelming, leading to the unveiling of another limited edition Midnight Black OnePlus 3T. OnePlus has collaborated with a renowned fashion designer for the OnePlus 5 which will be released soon.

The device is known as the OnePlus 5 JCC Limited Edition, which is a collaboration with the works of Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, a popular fashion designer. The limited edition OnePlus 5 will be sold alongside other accessories and apparel such as tote bags, caps and T-shirts which all feature Castelbajac’s signature design style.

As seen in the image above, the OnePlus 5 JCC Limited Edition features writing on the back panel on the device. The exclusive handset brings up a few colors as well – a blue power button, a red volume rocker and a yellow alert sliders to give it that artsy touch.

The OnePlus 5 JCC Limited Edition will only be available for sale in Europe for a price tag of 559 Euros (RM 2,811.76), only in the 8GB RAM/128GB storage variant. What do you think of the OnePlus 5 with an artistic touch?

art
europe
fashion
jcc
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Check out Google’s 2021 top trending searches in Malaysia

3K

Every year, Google puts out lists of top trending searches
globally

or even per country and
Malaysia

is no exception. This year’s keywords range from serious issues like financial aid to the more light-hearted zone of sports and games, continue scrolling to discover what were the specific keywords.

Top 10 trending searches

It’s undeniable that COVID-19 has affected us all in mentally, physically, or even financially — it’s no wonder
i-Sinar
 takes the first spot in the searches. Moving on to the sports and entertainment category, we have Euro 2021 and Popcat.

I’ll be honest here, I can’t say much about Euro 2021 but Popcat- people were posting about it on Facebook, Instagram, and even Twitter (fun fact: Malaysia is at 6th place now so if you’re feeling stressed, go
p
op
the cat and I promise you’ll feel better). As we continue down the list, we have more financial-related keywords, Google Meet and then the very famous Netflix series, Squid Game.

Macam mana?

Now, this category is interesting — it basically sums up what Malaysians were curious about this year and you get to see if other people were searching the same thing as you.

I assume the very first search is cooking-related, and as we move down the list, we see stuff about vaccinations or how to use Google Meet. One thing that does stand out here to me is of course “How did Mr. Krabs die?”,
huh?
 It’s okay, I searched it up so you don’t have to — it’s a school project accidentally-turned-viral titled “
The Trial of Spongebob Squarepants
“.

Unexpected, but not surprised

Last but not least, the top trending gadgets for 2021. The
realme 8 Pro
 takes the cake for this category with its 108MP quad-camera setup and affordable price, it’s not really a surprise why Malaysians are searching for this phone. This is followed by the
iPhone 13
 and then the
OnePlus 9
.

Squid Game, Lee Zii Jia, Google Classroom, etc

There were also other notable categories that us Malaysians have been searching about and you can find out what they are in the images below.

That is all for the trending categories and keywords, if you want to explore certain topics yourself, you can head over to Google’s Year in Search 2021 website
here
.

2021
google
Google Search
Malaysia Search
Year in Search


Check out our new shop page

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Dapibus est? Cursus cras lectus nisi, elementum nisi, elementum nunc duis cras elementum eros, arcu et ac dictumst! Duis nascetur nisi! Odio mauris mattis arcu ac hac scelerisque cum ut, aenean nisi nunc odio nisi proin, massa mid purus. Dolor parturient montes magnis, cras adipiscing integer? Ac in, est sed, tempor! Ultricies, arcu penatibus, tristique risus, vel nunc odio natoque in velit, ut! Tempor amet in elementum pulvinar nec,

pellentesque porta enim nunc tincidunt, et aenean scelerisque pulvinar tincidunt lundium scelerisque lorem?

Turpis porttitor, risus tincidunt nascetur facilisis cras vut amet magna. In tincidunt odio platea, proin etiam urna turpis magna lectus. Porttitor sit nisi? Purus sit auctor! Magnis dictumst a,

turpis nisi magna odio sit augue aliquet turpis penatibus, mauris pellentesque! Magnis velit dis enim! Lorem! Pulvinar magna mauris egestas, lorem nunc aenean, purus, natoque, ac magnis, porttitor lorem, elementum non,

vel a dis diam ridiculus platea ut enim, nunc magna, velit etiam enim lorem magna sed est sit et placerat? Eros porttitor pid turpis duis dictumst, parturient, enim tristique. Amet in ultrices, mattis et dictumst, platea! Ultrices quis! Tincidunt, porta enim magnis non dignissim quis ultrices scelerisque mus, a augue pid facilisis, rhoncus pulvinar, pellentesque, facilisis, tempor, placerat turpis sociis? Phasellus rhoncus.


Check out the Apple 2021 App Store Award winners

1.6K

Apple has released its annual list of best apps and games of the year for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. The list ranges from lifestyle apps like Craft and EatOkra to competitive MOBA games like League of Legends: Wild Rift. Keep reading to see what other apps are featured on this list.

Apps of the Year

1. iPhone: Toca Life World
Toca Life World is a game consisting of several standalone apps developed by Toca Boca that encourages kids to role play as a postman, hairdresser, fashion designer, and more.

“There are no rules, no levels, no boundaries and no judgment, and this product is always evolving from what we learned from the kids panel that we worked with, and also from listening to our audience,”
said

Joy Chang, director of Business Development & Partnerships at Toca Boca.

With 65 million monthly active users, it’s not wonder they took the spot for iPhone app of the year. If you wish to try it out, Toca Life World is free-to-download on the
App Store
.

2. iPad: LumaFusion
If you’re someone who travels a lot and wants to edit videos on the go, then LumaFusion by LumaTouch is the app for you. The app is priced at $29.99 (around RM127) on the
App Store

but this one-time payment gets you most of its useful features
–  effects, speed FX, audio editing, control over export quality – so you can express your creativity right away.

You can download this app on your iPhone if you’d like but who wouldn’t want a bigger screen for video editing?

Apart from the iPhone and iPad, these are the winners for Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Watch:

3. Mac:
Craft

4. Apple TV:
DAZN

5. Apple Watch:
Carrot Weather

Games of the Year

1. iPhone: League of Legends: Wild Rift

The best iPhone game goes to *drumroll* League of Legends: Wild Rift. This comes off as no surprise especially with how well
Arcane
– animated series set in the League of Legends universe –
has been doing on Netflix. The game has recently been updated, adding two new champions: Morgana and Kayle. You can download the 5v5 MOBA on the App Store
here
.

2. iPad: MARVEL Future Revolution
MARVEL Future Revolution is an open-world-action RPG and is the second collaboration between Netmarble and Marvel Entertainment and is a successor to
MARVEL Future Fight
. Whether you want to swing across buildings as Spiderman or lead your team as Captain America, you’re guaranteed an exciting experience.

You can download the game for free on the
App Store
.

3. Mac:
Myst

4. Apple TV:
Space Marshals 3

5. Apple Arcade:
Fantasian

Trend of the Year: Connection

Among Us!
There is no doubt that Among Us! took us by a storm during the pandemic, literally everyone was playing it. This game successfully built a huge community through bite-sized matches that requires players to cooperate to find the imposters. Whether you win or lose, this game is a must-try for you and your friends. You may download Among Us!
here
.

Other apps included in this category are as listed:

Bumble

Canva

EatOkra

Peanut

Among Us
app store
apple
Apple games
Apple Store
League of Legends: Wild Rift
LumaFusion
MARVEL Future Revolution
Toca Life World


Check out this latest render of the Galaxy S8

303

Having had countless leaks and rumors surrounding it, the Samsung Galaxy S8 is probably the next big device to look forward to after manufacturers like LG and Sony have launched their respective flagship smartphones at ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. There have been many low quality renders, but trusted leakster Evan Blass has trumped the rest yet again with what seems to be a press render of the Galaxy S8.

As seen above, this latest leaked render is very much clearer. Rumors suggest that the Galaxy S8 will not have flat screen variants. Based on the image, the phone sports a dual edge curved display with minimal bezels on the top and bottom. The handset is also likely to go 18:9 on the display ratio like what LG did with its G6 flagship. Apart from the front facing camera, we see an extra sensor which presumably is for iris scanning. On top of that, Samsung has reportedly done away with capacitive buttons to make way for software keys which will take up some screen real estate. One odd discovery based on the image is that the S8 has an extra button below the volume rockers on the left side, which might be a shortcut button or possibly an alert slider.

Samsung has confirmed its next Unpacked event to be on the 29th of March, announced during the unveiling of its Galaxy Tab S3 and the Galaxy Book Series. Blass often nails it when it comes to renders like this so let’s see whether will he strike gold again.

Source:
Evan Blass

blass
display
evan
event
galaxy
iris
press
render
s8
samsung
scanner
unpacked


Checking out the MSI P (Prestige) Series at COMPUTEX 2015 (Video)

420

We visited MSI’s booth in COMPUTEX and checked out one of the Prestige series notebooks on display. First, the entry level PX60 series laptop features a 15.6-inch Full HD display with MSI’s True Color technology that achieves 100% sRGB colour gamut. If you think that the laptop looks really familiar, you shouldn’t be surprised as the laptop’s design is very much based on MSI’s GS60 gaming laptop, hence the laptop has the exact lightweight design at 1.89kg, making it a great device to carry on the go despite of its huge 15-inch screen size.[/vc_column_text]

Despite being branded as a professional working laptop, the PX60 still brings performance internals under the hood, including a 5th Generation Intel Core i7-5700HQ quad-core processor, 8GB DDR3-1600 RAM, GeForce GTX 950M 2GB GDDR5 discrete graphics, support for m-SATA expansion and a 1TB hard drive comes as a standard hardware.

On the other hand, the PE70 is the biggest sibling of the Prestige series, sporting a 17.3-inch Full HD display featuring MSI’s True Color technology, this beautiful machine has the very same Intel silicon with the rest of the pack, graphics is managed by NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 960M with 2GB GDDR5 VRAm and it has three M.2 SATA slots for super fast flash modules.

The MSI PX60 and PE70 will start selling in Malaysia in the coming week at a recommended retail price of RM4199 and RM4399 respectively. Despite having a short while with the Prestige series, we are able to perceive the experience that MSI is trying to offer on the Prestige series laptops, the 100% sRGB tuned display is beautiful, the keyboard feels pretty good despite not featuring SteelSeries engine and it comes with Nahimic sound engine that delivers an immersive sound experience in games, music and movies. Stay tuned to us while we get a review unit of the Prestige series laptops soon.


Cheese grater Apple Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR monitor will be available to order this December – price starts from RM24,934 and RM20,778 respectively

447

Back in June, Apple announced the third generation Mac Pro desktop at this year’s WWDC – almost half a year later, the professional workstation will finally be hitting the shelves.

The machine, along with the Pro Display XDR monitor will be available to order this December through Apple’s official website.

To recap, the latest Mac Pro takes on a new, bolder design with its ‘cheese grater’ front air intake – it’s supposed to offer much better heat dissipation compared to its predecessor. The chassis is
aluminium
 all around and features an easy-to-open panel that lets you get into your internals quickly.

Speaking of hardware, it goes without saying the Mac Pro is a beast – your options range from an 8-core Intel Xeon W to a whopping 28-core Intel Xeon W. For RAM, it comes with a minimum of 32GB, but you can get up to 768GB; there’s an option to get 1.5TB RAM but that requires a 24-core or 28-core CPU.

For graphics, pick from an AMD Radeon Pro 580X, Radeon Pro Vega II or Radeon Pro Vega II Duo. Lastly, for storage you get at least a 256GB SSD which is upgradeable up to a 4TB SSD.

Image credit: Apple

Moving on, the Mac Pro is meant to be paired with the Pro Display XDR monitor – a 32-inch Retina 6K display that pushes up to 1,600 nits of brightness. It pushes a pixel density of 218ppi and displays at an aspect ratio of 16:9.

The XDR in its name stands of Extreme Dynamic Range – think high dynamic range, but extreme (obviously).  This supposedly allows for better contrasts between light and dark
colours
 – even more so than your regular HDR allows. The monitor does not come with the Pro Stand – that’ll set you
back
 $999 (yes, I’m mentioning this to remind you of the memes).

The Mac Pro is priced from $5,999 (RM24,934) while the Pro Display XDR monitor is priced from $4,999 (RM20,778). Seriously folks, just go for the
MacBooks
, or get a car or something.

apple
extreme dynamic range
mac pro
pro display xdr
workstation


Cherry announced Cherry MX Board 6.0

320

During Computex 2015, Cherry show off their new keyboard – MX Board 6.0 and its world’s most responsive performance keyboard for enthusiasts. The keyboard combines the latest Real-Key-technology for analog single processing with the proven and precise MX-switches for uncompromised performance and the company aims for an absolute puristic design of the highest quality.

The MX Board 6.0 will be using high-quality gold-crosspoint switches, which have a lifespan of more than 50 million operations that allow CHERRY to assurance to achieve the highest precision when triggered. Every switch will be using a red LED and you are also able to control the backlight with brightness control. Cherry also thought of making the keyboard be more comfortable with attaching a rubberized palm razed and the company also uses a sophisticated mounting magnet system, allowing the palm rest to quickly be removed for cleaning or stowing.

Regardless of its eye-catching backlight, the MX Board 6.0 features a basic and puristic design with aluminium with a sanded finish, a grease-repellent coating ensures high resistance for rugged environment and has a textile braided, two-meter long USB cable.

The Cherry MX Board 6.0 will be available at the retail price of USD 219 (approx. RM 1100) and you are also able to purchase it over
here
.

backlight
board
cherry
keyboard
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mx


China bans online new sites from sourcing new articles from social media

297

China’s legendary stranglehold on information strikes again today as reports are coming out that China’s internet censorship body has warned online media operating within the country to not use stories found on social networks as the basis of news reports without first asking permission from the authorities.

The South China Morning Post has reported that the Cyberspace Administration of China has stated that “no website is allowed to report public news without specifying sources, or report news that quotes untrue origins.” South China Morning Post further quoted Xinhua as saying “all websites should bear the key responsibility to further streamline the course of reporting and publishing of news, and set up a sound internal monitoring mechanism among all mobile new portals [and social media chat websites] Weibo or WeChat.”

And just to show that the Chinese government is enforcing this rule strictly, there are reports that the central online censorship body has ordered its regional offices to increase supervision and to “severely punish fake news or news that deviated from the facts.”

Source:
Ars Technica
,
South China Morning Post

china
internet
news
politics
socialmedia


China declares that unauthorized VPNs are illegal

323

Virtual Private Networks (VPN) are one of the most common ways that Chinese citizens use to circumvent China’s infamous Great Firewall. Unfortunately for them, the use of such a VPN may land them on the wrong side of the law as it appears that China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has declared that use of unauthorized VPN services are illegal.

In a report by the South China Morning Post, the Chinese government has stated that all special cable and VPN services that operate in Mainland China will need to obtain prior government approval before being allowed to operate in the country. With this move, China aims to “strengthen cyberspace information security management.” Additionally, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has stated that “China’s internet connection service market… has signs of disordered development that require urgent regulation and governance.”

China’s decision to crackdown on VPNs coincide with the upcoming party congress. Simply put, China is looking to quell any dissent that may arise from the internet.

Source:
South China Morning Post

ccp
censorship
china
internet
politics
vpn


China develops world's fastest supercomputer using China-made chips

295

It isn’t too much of a surprise to find out that China has developed a new supercomputer that is deemed to be the fastest in the world. This new supercomputer, called the Sunway TaihuLight, succeeds the Tianhe-2, a supercomputer that is also located in China. However, what differentiates the TaihuLight and the Tianhe-2 is that the TaihuLight is the first supercomputer to be fully powered by Chinese processors.

Developed by the National Research Center of Parallel Computer Engineering & Technology (NRCPC), the Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer is powered by the ShenWei 26010 processor, a 260-core processor that can produce just over 3 teraflops of computing power. One of these chips can be found in each of the TaihuLight’s 40,960 nodes, giving the supercomputer around 93 petaflops of computing power, which is three time more powerful than the 33.85-petaflop Tianhe-2. Raw horsepower isn’t the only sector that the TaihuLight is beating the Tianhe-2 as the former machine runs at a relatively modest 15.3 megawatts of energy consumption.

The development of the TaihuLight also has its share of irony. According to TOP500, the 2015 US embargo of high-end processors means that the Tianhe-2 was unable to upgrade to Intel’s Xeon Phi processors. It also caused China to step up its processor development, leading to the development of the ShenWei 26010.

Source:
Engadget
,
TOP500

china
intel
shenwei26010
sunwaytaihulight
supercomputer
tianhe2
xeonphi


China looking to regulate app stores

298

The Chinese government’s obsession with censorship has struck once again as the
Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC)
 has announced late last week that apps stores that operate within the country will need to be registered with the government.

Beginning today, all app stores will need to register with the CAC in order to continue operating. The rule is based on a law introduced in summer of 2016 that restrict apps that attempt to disrupt national security, social order, and other illegal activities. Other interesting things to note about the ruling includes the fact that app store owners will have to register with the CAC if they’re setting up a storefornt, making changes to a preexisting storefont, or if they’re shutting down the storefront altogether.

An interesting thing to note about the rules surrounding app store registration is that it is vague. While the CAC claims that this move is to protect Chinese consumers from shady transactions and poor security standards that are implemented by certain app stores, it is not too much of a stretch to say that censorship is also part of the motivation.

Source:
The Verge
,
The New York Times
,
Cyberspace Administration of China

appstore
censorship
china
consumer
politics
regulation


China wants game companies to reveal drop probabilities of "loot boxes"

235

Many of you who play Overwatch will be familiar with the “Loot Box” system. The game gives you an in-game box which, when opened, will give you a randomized set of in-game items. Not many people like this system, particularly the Chinese government, thanks to its gambling-like system. However, China isn’t looking to ban games that use this system; it is looking to force game developers to reveal the drop rates for those boxes instead.

Beginning in May 2017, a law that has been passed by China’s Ministry of Culture will force game publishers to post the probability “of all virtual items, props and services” available in loot boxes. In addition to that, game publishers must also publicly announce the random draw results by customers on notable places such as the game’s official website or in game. These records must be kept for government inquiry for more than 90 days.

Of course, these laws will only be effective in China, so game publishers don’t really have to reveal their loot boxes’ drop probabilities outside of Mainland China. Seeing as information spreads quickly on the internet, we don’t need to wait too long for people to repost the drop probabilities on other gaming websites or forums.

Source:
Kotaku
,
Ministry of Culture of the People’s Republic of China

china
gambling
law
lootboxes
ministryofculture
probabilities


Chinese company shows support for HUAWEI, ban staffs from buying Apple products

303

One of Huawei’s supplier, Menpad, a Shenzhen based LCD display maker has threatened to fine its staffs if they purchased any Apple products. For staffs who have bought any Apple products, they will be punished by having to pay the company in the form of a fine with the same amount that is equivalent to the product that they have bought.

To show their nationalistic pride and support for Chinese companies, Menpad has also said that they will cease to buy any American products such as office equipment, computers and cars. Besides that, they will reward their staff who buys Huawei or ZTE phones by giving them a 15 per cent subsidy.

To top it all off, any staffs or employees who manages to sell off their products to the US will get double on their sales commission. This policy will be implemented in the company for as long as three years.

Menpad may be the first Chinese corporation to announce measures to support Huawei, which has been rocked by the arrest in Canada of its chief financial officer, who stands accused of violating US sanctions against Iran.

huawei
Menpad


Chinese face-swap app Zao turns users into celebrities in movie scenes, causes privacy concern

826

A Chinese face-swap app Zao went viral and became #1 on China’s iOS store despite being out for only three days.

While previously the face-modification app FaceApp went viral for its success with its gender-swapping filter and instant-aging filter, Zao takes it to another level with its deep-fake technology. With just one picture uploaded into the app, Zao can use the user’s face and place it in short footages of movies, musical performances, and TV shows.

In case you haven’t heard,
#ZAO
 is a Chinese app which completely blew up since Friday. Best application of ‘Deepfake’-style AI facial replacement I’ve ever seen.

Here’s an example of me as DiCaprio (generated in under 8 secs from that one photo in the thumbnail) 🤯
pic.twitter.com/1RpnJJ3wgT

— Allan Xia (@AllanXia)
September 1, 2019

Just two days ago, a Twitter user called Allan Xia posted a tweet that shares the result of his face-swap with Leonardo DiCaprio. The 30-second video has various scenes starring DiCaprio but with the user’s face instead. In fact, the result is so impressive that no one would’ve guessed it’s fake if they haven’t watched any DiCaprio movie. Needless to say, the more images users provide to the app, the higher the accuracy of the face swap.

However, a Bloomberg report stated that users have been complaining because Zao’s initial user agreements give the app “free, irrevocable, permanent, transferable, and relicense-able” to user-generated content. This comes off as invasion of privacy to Zao’s users, leading to a change in its user agreement. The current agreement states that the content will only be used for the sole purpose of improving the app’s technology unless users provide permissions for other usage.

Unfortunately for Zao, its app rating is now 1.9 stars out of 5 with more than 4,000 reviews. There are definitely a lot of users who aren’t happy with its initial user agreement, but there are definitely more who would download the app just to try out the deep-fake technology.

face swap
ios
Zao


Chinese New Year survival kit – Free apps that could come in handy this festive period

429

Carput

It’s
balik kampung
time, and you know what that means: long-hour drives (please note the sarcasm)! On a serious note, you’re likely going to be driving a lot this festive period, and we’re sure you’ve taken all precautionary steps to ensure your car is up to the task.

But in case your vehicle becomes incapacitated for any reason, Carput lets you request for basic roadside assistance like vehicle towing, engine jumpstart, tyre replacements, petrol delivery and minor roadside repairs. Carput enlists a team of licensed mechanics so rest assured you’re in good hands. The hotline is always active so you can communicate better with representatives of your problems.

2.
 Hargapedia

Image credit: Amanz.my

Festive periods call for food, lots of food. Whether you’re looking for groceries to whip up a meal or snacks to satiate your guests, you’re likely to go through your stockpile in no time.

Hargapedia collects up-to-date prices for goods across multiple major retailers in the country, list them side-by-side and compare prices so you can make informed decisions of where to get the best deal.

The list of retailers includes Tesco, Aeon, Giant, Econsave, Hero Market and a lot more. You will also be able to find promotional pamphlets listing Chinese New Year prices for your perusal, helping you cut cost this festive period.

3.
 GoGet

Now that you’ve picked out the items from Hargapedia, you’d still have to go buy them yourself; or, you can pay someone to do it for you instead, perhaps?.

GoGet lets you do exactly that: when you’re stuck at home entertaining your guests, you can hire someone through the app to go run errands for you.

Simply pick a category such as shopping, food, a general helper and more, note down the task, suggest a price you’re willing to pay for service. If the job and pay is reasonable, someone should accept the job in no time, so now all you have to do is wait. You’re not well-stocked without breaking a sweat.

4.
 AllRecipes Dinner Spinner

In case you’re the designated cook for family dinners, this app has all sorts of recipes for you to use.

All recipes are detailed, instructions are easy to read and most recipes come with an instructional video. You can pick according to the recipe’s cooking time too in case you’re surrounded by hangry relatives.

5.
 Food Panda

Can’t be bothered to cook? Why not have food delivered to you instead?

Don’t worry, it’s the holiday season and no one’s going to fault you for not wanting to lift a finger. Food Panda needs little introduction – it’s a popular food delivery app that lets you pick from a range of F&B outlets near you.

Offerings really depend on where you want the food delivered to, but Food Panda has one of the widest coverage among other similar apps on the market. The best part is, the delivery fee during this festive period only costs RM1.88 – so you have more left in your wallet for the customary rounds of CNY blackjack with the family.

6.
Yusheng and CNY Yu Sheng

To the chronic
bananas,
we know how awkward it can be when you’re the only person around the table who recites auspicious wishes in English when the family congregates for the customary
lou hei.

In comes the Yusheng app to save the day! It contains a list of traditional Mandarin
lou hei
wishes with it’s English translations, which is great for those who can’t remember the sayings and what they mean. There’s also a mode that lets you tinker around with a virtual
yee sang
with different ingredients that you could add to a real one.

Download this in advance and practice the sayings so you can impress
Ah Ma
 and
Ah Gong
 with your fluent Mandarin wishes and
yee sang making skills
! This app is only available for iOS devices.

For Android users, here’s a similar app. CNY Yu Sheng is  essentially a soundboard equipped with
lou hei
wishes. Although it doesn’t come with as many features as the app above, this one should help you brush up on your Mandarin wishes too.

android
apps
chinesenewyear
ios


8 Chinese New Year videos you should watch in 2021

971

It’s the first day of Chinese New Year but we Malaysians may not be celebrating it the usual way due to MCO. Still, there are many CNY videos that were released on YouTube this year, so we’re here to share 8 of our favourite 2021 CNY videos.

These Chinese New Year videos will make you cry and smile

RHB

Based on a true story, the video talks about a father who never gave up on his daughter who was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy and carried her to school every day.

Prudential

Prudential reminds viewers to not let wealth and success take over their lives and to remember that happiness comes from simple things.

Maxis

Your family is your home; Maxis tells a story of a little boy who believes that his family gave up on the art of lion dance and that they’re not living a happy life, but his family soon changed his mind.

Digi

A tear-jerking video featuring a man who is always generous to his neighbours but never seem to care for himself. The plot twist will make you cry…at least I did.

TNB

Unity is the main value of TNB’s CNY video. Though it didn’t tug on my heartstrings, it made me laugh a few times.

SingTel

Singapore’s telco combined humorous and heartwarming scenes in this video; two families are constantly trying to best each other, but it all comes down to putting their differences aside and celebrating CNY together.

Samsung

We can relate to
Samsung
’s CNY video — it’s about changing the tradition as time evolves. Just like the video, we Malaysians have to adapt to the new lifestyle and celebrate CNY in our own ways.

Apple

Apple’s CNY video is shot using the
iPhone 12 Pro Max
 and it tells a different story regarding the mythical beast, Nian. The beast may not be as scary as we think…

chinese new year


Chinese retailer enlists yet to be released Moto M

325

Lenovo’s Moto M has been rumored for the past couple of weeks. The upcoming anticipated Moto handset had most of its specs leaked out over this course, and we pretty much know what to expect at the Moto M’s launch event tomorrow. The phone has already seen a premature launch on Chinese retailer Tmall, with full on details leaked.

First of all, the Moto M features a standard 5.5-inch display on the front in Full HD 1080p resolution. Underneath the hood is an octa core MediaTek Helio P15 processor clocked at 1.8 GHz, coupled with 4GB of RAM, plus 32GB of onboard storage. The phone appears to have P2i oleophobic coating, making it splash proof, but that doesn’t mean it is IP rated with water resistance.

The rear camera of the Moto M is at 13 megapixels. Details of the selfie camera on the other hand hasn’t been revealed but we’re expecting a 5 megapixel sensor on the front. Below the rear camera sits a rear fingerprint reader. The Moto M was previously rumored to sport a mammoth 5,100mAh battery, which unfortunately happens to not be the case. Instead, the handset packs a 3,050mAh battery, which is fairly sufficient for the processing package as a whole.

The Moto M carries a price tag of 1,999 CNY (RM1,243.31), which is definitely on the steep side given its specs. There are better alternatives out there, especially from Chinese OEM’s such as Xiaomi. What do you think of the Moto M by Lenovo?

Source:
Tmall

13mp
3050
battery
camera
helio
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mah
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Chinese smartphones to feature Samsung's Edge display

392

Samsung experimented the consumer market with the launch of the Galaxy Note Edge back in 2014, featuring a curved edge display. Following its success, the Korean OEM went on to launch the S6 Edge and S6 Edge Plus, with the addition of the S7 Edge just last week at MWC. We’ve just received news that Samsung is selling its Dual Edge displays to Chinese OEM’s.

According to Korean site ET News, OEM’s Huawei, Xiaomi and Vivo will have their smartphones feature the Edge display in the future. There is also a rumored smartphone by Vivo, known as the XPlay5, which is tipped to be sporting the Dual Edge display after a teaser image was uploaded onto Chinese site Weibo. Apart from the curved edge screen, the XPlay5 is also rumored to be equipped with a whopping 6GB of RAM, running alongside a Snapdragon 820, proving it to be a worthy competitor among elite flagship handsets of 2016.

It is said that selling its Dual Edge displays is part of Samsung’s plan to push out Samsung’s AMOLED panels, which might just make up for its slowdown in smartphone sales. This doesn’t come as much of a surprise since Samsung has mainly been selling its AMOLED panels to Chinese OEM’s in Q3 last year and had good returns from that. Although we haven’t heard much from Xiaomi and Huawei about Dual Edge display, they certainly aren’t the first to adopt the display as Blackberry’s Priv sported the curved edge screen when it was launched last year.

We might be looking at a wave of smartphones with curved edge displays in the future. Who knows? We might even be seeing Apple succumb to a Dual Edge display for its iPhone’s. Stay tuned as we bring you more news!

Source:
ET News

blackberry
display
dual
edge
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Chinese Telco leaks the specs for Xiaomi Redmi 5, comes with 18:9 screen and Snapdragon 625

416

The Xiaomi Redmi phones have been the target of budget consumers and even if its a budget phone, these devices perform quite well in real life use. With the release of the Redmi 4 and 4X in 2017 taking users by storm, a China Telco has leaked the specs and images of the new Redmi 5 phone.

Off the bat, it comes with an 18:9 5.7-inch HD screen which is an increase from the 5-inch screens the previous Redmi phone was carrying. Other than that, it will come with a Snapdragon 625 ‘Lite’ version. The lite is because it is clocked at 1.8GHz rather than the standard clock speed of 2GHz on the 625 processor. Other than that, it comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage which is expandable via microSD card up to 128GB. On the back, there is a 12MP camera and the front is a 5MP camera. It will come with a headphone jack, microUSB 2.0 port and a fingerprint sensor on the back.

The downside is a massive step down on the battery side where it comes with only 3300mAh battery compared to the previous versions which had a 4100mAh battery. It will ship with Android 7.1 and MIUI 8.5.1.1 which should get an MIUI 9 upgrade later on.

5
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Christmas Deals: Tech gifts under RM500

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Christmas is just three days away, but if you’re still lost and don’t know what to get for your friends and family, here are some discounted tech gifts under RM500 that may work for you.

1. realme Buds Classic

If you know someone who still refuses to jump on the wireless earbuds trend, well, the realme Buds Classic will be a great gift. It comes with a comfortable, half in-ear design, has a large 14.2mm driver and has a built-in HD microphone for crystal-clear calls. It’s a simple yet practical gift that many will appreciate.

Get the
realme Buds Classic
 at RM49
.

2. Philips Wireless Keyboard and Mouse

Instead of getting one gift, why not get two? This Philips wireless keyboard and mouse come in a combo and is a great gift for office workers. The keyboard is ultra-quiet and the mouse is ergonomically designed; plus, both devices can be connected to the PC via one nano connector. You can save an extra port for other devices and since both are wireless peripherals, you’ll never have to deal with messy cables.

Get the
Philips wireless keyboard and mouse
 at RM44.90.

3. EZVIZ TY2

This gift may be unusual, but it’s nonetheless a useful one. The EZVIZ TY2 is a wireless security camera that come with smart tracking and a two-way communication feature. It’s a good device for those who travel often or are more safety-conscious. This CCTV can capture 1080p video and store footage in a MicroSD card up to 256GB. In addition to that, it covers 360º field of view so there won’t be any blind spots.

Get the
EZVIV TY2
 at RM119.

4. Zhiyun Smooth X

Do you have friends who’re always taking videos wherever they go? If your answer is yes, then the Zhiyun Smooth X is the perfect gift for them. This smartphone gimbal comes in a foldable design and weighs at 246g so it’s convenient to be carried around. You can also use gestures to trigger the gimbal to take photos or shoot videos, plus it has object/face tracking so you won’t have to worry about being out of focus. If you don’t know how to get started, there are numerous editing functions and filmmaking templates that you can try out in its app, ZY Cami.

Get the
Zhiyun Smooth X
 at RM189.

5. Hiraki 2-in-1 cordless handheld and stick vacuum cleaner

Everything is going wireless these days, and that includes vacuum cleaners. The Hiraki 2-in-1 cordless vacuum has a high suction power of 20,000Pa and a HEPA filter that can clean your house and filter out air pollutants. With a 2,200mAh battery, this vacuum cleaner can last up to 40 minutes — that’s more than enough time unless you have a huge double-storey house. If you haven’t gotten your mom a gift, this may just be it.

Get the
Hiraki 2-in-1 vacuum cleaner
 at RM279.90.

6. Animal Crossing: New Horizons

 We’re still in 2020, so if you have friends that haven’t played Animal Crossing before, you can get them the game and start hanging out virtually. After all, the COVID-19 situation is still alarming and it’s best we all stay home. This game is not only one of the most popular games in 2020, but it also won the Nintendo Game of the Year at the Golden Joystick Awards 2020. If you’re a parent, this gift is one of your best chances to get your kid to stay home more often.

Get
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
 at RM209.

7. Nintendo Switch Ring Fit

This is another game to get your family members/friends if you’re running out of ideas. The Ring Fit is not only fun to play, it also helps you sweat so you can lose the weight you gain during Christmas dinners. This will also be great for your friends whose New Year’s resolution is to start a healthy lifestyle.

Get the
Nintendo Switch Ring Fit
 at RM339.

8. Sony WF-XB700

We started this list with an audio device, let’s end it with another. The Sony WF-XB700 suits those who have ditched wired earphones and it offers Sony’s EXTRA BASS technology to deliver a punchy bass experience. With an IP54 rating, these earbuds can be worn when you’re out and about or even when you’re sweating in the gym. Your friend will be more than happy to receive this as a gift, especially since it can last up to 9 hours on a single charge and has digital noise cancelling.

Get the
Sony WF-XB700
 at RM349.

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