Armaggeddon PIXXEL+ introduces affordable gaming monitors while SonicGear amps up selection of speakers and soundbars

600

Armaggeddon and SonicGear are familiar names in the local PC gaming scene – chances are, their gear were part of our budget setups back in the early days. They’ve been relatively quiet of late, but the Singaporean-based brands have today announced a line-up of new products.

Starting with Armaggeddon, they’re stepping into the gaming monitor market with a new entry in the form of PIXXEL+. Noteworthy panels include the PIXXEL+ EFX 27UHD SWITX – a 27-inch 4K displayed at 75Hz and 2K resolution at 144Hz.

The IPS panel boasts a response time of 5ms and 15mm thin bezels all around. The monitor is also equipped with AMD Free-Sync and Nvidia G-Sync and currently retails at RM1,499; but for a limited time, you can get it on Shopee for a promo price of RM1199 for the first 80 buyers.

Other additions in the PIXXEL+ line-up also include the PRO PC27HD 27-inch curved display that pushes 75Hz refresh rate and 1080p resolution. If you prefer a conventional flat screen, there are the 23.8-inch Pro PF24HD and the 21.5-inch PRO PF22HD panels too.

If you’re gunning for a larger display, the EXTREME XC39HD is a 38.5-inch curved display that pushes 165Hz refresh rate. It is equipped with AMD Free-Sync and Nvidia G-Sync, thin bezels and 2ms response time. This one will be available soon, so stay tuned on Armaggeddon’s
page
 for updates.

Moving on to SonicGear, you cann expect new speakers in the form of the TITAN series systems that feature Bluetooth audio streaming, line-in audio, built-in radio, and even a card reader. Expect power as high as 120W, providing you ample volume. Plus, for those who like their setups flashy, you’ll be glad to know these speakers come equipped with RGB lighting.

For those gunning for a more cinematic setup, SonicGear also steps into the soundbar market with the BT5500 SONICBAR AIRBASS. It features a wireless subwoofer to make away with cables, plus there’s surround sound, and optical digital audio cable for your main unit.

If you’d like a more intimate music-enjoying experience – look to the SonicGear Airphone 7 and Airphone 5 headphones. They boast Bluetooth 5 connection, 40mm driver size and 200 hours of standby time.

You can head to the SonicGear Facebook
page
 for more information on more new models and release dates.

armaggeddon
Gaming monitor
leapfrog
peripherals
sonicgear
speakers


Armaggeddon Sonic Pulse Review: The best gaming speaker under RM400?

1.7K

Armaggeddon
 is known for making affordable gaming tech, whether it chairs, headphones, mice, or keyboards; but they have not made any dedicated PC speakers, until now. So we have their latest gaming speakers in for review – the Armaggeddon Sonic Pulse. They have a nice design with some great features, but is it worth RM399? That’s what we’re going to find out.

Design

Starting with the design, these Sonic Pulse speakers admittedly look really clean and minimalistic and steps away from the traditional ‘gamer aesthetic’ which is usually built with cheap glossy plastic materials and is filled with RGB. Instead, these speakers sport a hexagonal design with a matte aluminum finish on the body to give it a nice premium feel and look while including the perfect amount of RGB to light up a gaming setup.

Measuring in at 11cm x 11.2cm x 14cm, these speakers aren’t too big or bulky and would sit comfortably on any desk, however, do note that they don’t come with a subwoofer, so you will be able to save some space but won’t get the best bass. Other than that the RGB is located at the front of the speakers around where the sound outputs from as well as the sides in a thin line to give it a neat pattern.

Features

Looks aside, the Armageddon Sonic Pulse has very simple features that you would want from a pair of gaming speakers. First, it is Bluetooth-enabled so you’ll be able to connect them to your PC or phone without having a cable running through. Although if you prefer a more analog option, you can connect it with an AUX cable on the back.

There is also the app control with Armaggeddon’s SonicGo! 2 app that lets you change modes, adjust the EQ and change the RGB lighting on the device. There aren’t a lot of customization options though, and there are three main modes available – Rainbow, which makes all the lights circle through all the colors, rave, where the lights flicker slowly, and campfire with an orange, a red, and yellow colorway that moves around the speakers. Additionally, there are four standard modes available as well – Random, Breathing, Single and Rhythm.

While most of the RGB modes on this speaker, look great on the front of the speakers, keep in mind that you cant adjust the lighting on the sides, and it stays the same purplish-blue color.

Audio quality

Now, I have played used these speakers for watching movies, TV shows, gaming, and listening to music and the experience really differed depending on what I was doing. When listening to music, the bass was decent considering it didn’t come with a subwoofer, but the vocals did feel flat especially when listening to more relaxed songs like ‘Ocean Eyes’ by Billie Eilish. Additionally, when it came to listening at a loud volume, the treble could sound a little too harsh especially with songs that have a lot of high-pitched sounds like hi-hats or snare drums.

In terms of watching TV shows and movies, Armaggeddon Sonic Pulse did a good job especially during car chase scenes in movies like 6 Underground, where you can hear the cars moving from one speaker to the other and it feels like you’re in the scene, but when it came to dialogue, the actor’s vocals weren’t as crisp as I would’ve liked, and it was lacking some depth in the audio at times.

However, the real highlight of these speakers is the gaming experience you get with them. When playing first-person shooters like Valorant and Apex Legends, I could clearly hear noises like the footsteps and gunshots around me, and even with MOBA’s like League of Legends you could really catch small details like the characters ability sounds, which makes for a great experience and you can feel like you are in the game.

Verdict

For RM399, the Armaggeddon Sonic Pulse is a good choice for gamers who are looking to upgrade their gaming setup and improve their audio quality for gaming and those binge-watching sessions. The app control for the speakers can get confusing at times but the RGB really does do a great job at making a gaming setup look so much better.

However, if you are more of an audiophile these speakers might not be the best for you as they do fall short when it comes to listening to the music listening experience. These speakers are clearly tailored for gamers, so if you are looking for a clean and modern aesthetic as well as great audio performance for gaming, these would be the perfect option for you.

If you want to purchase the Armaggeddon Sonic Pulse you can head over to their
official website
 or their
Shopee
 and
Lazada
 stores.

Armaggeddon Sonic Pulse Ratings

Price:
 RM399
Purchase here

For RM399, the Armaggeddon Sonic Pulse is a good option for those looking to improve their gaming experience and up their setup game.

KLGadgetGuy

Design

8

Movies

7

Music

6

Gaming

8

Features

7

Value

6

The Goods

Great gaming performance

Decent for watching movies

Loud output volume

Good looking design

The Bads

Not great when listening to music

Not a lot of RGB modes

Lacked depth in audio

 7.0

Average Score

armaggeddon
Armaggeddon Sonic Pulse
Gaming Speakers
review


Armaggeddon Wasp-7 Pro 3D Review: Best gaming earphone for under RM90?

1.4K

To anyone who’s familiar with gaming peripherals and the brands that fill the market, Armaggeddon should be a familiar name – it screams “affordable” and “flashy”. Well, the Armaggeddon Wasp-7 Pro 3D gaming earphone is all that that, plus it’s surprisingly good for something that costs just RM89.90 at the time of writing!

Design

Unfortunately, I don’t share the same sentiment when it comes to its design – in typical Armaggeddon fashion, the earbuds look ridiculously over the top with its flared-out black ear piece with gold accents. There’s also a transparent housing that shows off the golden audio drivers – depending on who you ask, this either looks cool as heck or it reminds them of those
pasar malam
knock-offs the 90s.

The whole point of getting the Wasp-7 is for its boom rod microphone; it acts as – in this case – the main mic, and it sits close to your mouth to pick-up your voice clearly. It’s fitted on the left earbud, into a port that you plug the mic into.

It looks silly but it works – my only worry is that the build quality of the mic itself seems flimsy – the stiff piece of plastic sticks out quite far and I can see someone breaking it when they try to fit it into their bags. Best course of action is to take off the mic before storing the earphones.

Mic quality

While we’re talking about it – the audio quality of the boom mic is fantastic; it beats any mic you get on a generic earphone; there’s not much to say other than it’s clear and doesn’t pick up surrounding noise as much as the regular mic – my very-much-alive teammates on Mobile Legends can attest to that.

Meanwhile, there’s a secondary mic on volume control that doesn’t sound as great, perhaps because it’s further away to your mouth. It tends to pick up more noise than the boom rod microphone, but it works just as well as any generic earphone mic.

Audio quality

What also impressed is the audio output – the Wasp-7’s neodymium dynamic drivers produce punchy bass and crisp
mids
 and highs. You don’t usually aspect something this affordable to produce audio that’s full and has impressive depth.

When gaming, it’s the same depth in audio quality that makes it a to go to town on unsuspecting plebs in PUBG.

But it’s not all roses with the Wasp-7 as it tends to crackle at high volumes – but for the most part, you’re only going to increase the volume to drown out external noise.

Fit

This is where the earphone’s well-designed fit comes in – The Wasp-7 doesn’t
comes
 with any ANC, but the ear tips stay snug in your ears and actually
drown
 out quite a fair bit of noise even no music is playing.

With audio turned on however, you’ll be hearing nothing but the sweet melody of your
favourite
 tunes – just ask my colleague who sits next to me and has been ignored countless times for the past month or so since I’ve been using this; sorry Yvonne.

Features

The volume control uses a slider instead of a dial or buttons which I find convenient to adjust volume levels, while the mute and play/pause buttons are nice additions too. Inside the box is also a desktop audio splitter so you can use it on your PC too.

Verdict

There’s no getting over its gaudy looks, but stick ‘
em
 in your ears and you’ll be well-chuffed at the bargain you’ve just gotten yourself; I mean, for less than RM90, this has got to be one of the best value earphones for
not just
 gaming but music and movies as well.

I still wouldn’t wear them on my train commute, but you damn well know I’ll be making use of its impressive mic quality to bark orders at oblivious jungle mains.

Visit Armaggeddon’s official
Lazada
 and
Shopee
 pages to get yourself the Wasp-7 Pro 3D earphone.

The Good

Punchy bass

Superb mic quality

Well-fitting ear tips

Impressive noise cancellation

Balanced audio

Comes with a splitter for PC users

The Not So Good

Gaudy aesthetics

Audio crackles at high volumes

Volume controller feels cheap

aramaggeddon
boom mic rod
gaming earphone
wasp 7 pro 3d


Armani’s first ever Android Wear smartwatch will be available September

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Armani, a household brand in luxury and high fashion, will be diving into the tech space later this year. The high fashion brand tested the waters last year with a hybrid smartwatch, which retains the analog mechanics of a standard time piece. Now Armani has announced that it will begin selling an Android Wear smartwatch in September.

The smartwatch will be dubbed the Emporio Armani Connect, and is manufactured by Fossil. The designer brand has announced that it will make over 300 smartwatches across different luxury and fashion brands, and the Emporio Armani Connect is one of them. Armani did not disclose much on its smart wearable’s specs, but those should be of standard affair – a touchscreen, Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor and so forth.

The Emporio Armani Connect will support up to 8 different styles of straps, and has watch faces exclusive to it by Fossil. The exact release date for the time piece will be September 14, in which the Armani Connect will be available at select outlets.

android wear
emporio armani
smartwatch


ArmoryX releases the Commandos GLOCK gaming laptops with fully customizable specs

421

AmoryX, also know as Tech Armory Sdn Bhd is moving into the gaming laptop market with their first lineup of Commandos laptop called GLOCK with the objective of providing users with affordable laptops to fit the different needs of the gamer.

With the release of the GLOCK, ArmoryX intends to provide gamers with a reliable gaming laptop that is scalable to the users need. Customers will be able to choose the processor that will go into the laptop which can be upgraded in the future.

Other than that, customers can also choose the screen type ranging from 15.6-inch UHD to FHD IPS displays. The GLOCK comes with features like an Intel Core of your choice ranging from Pentium G5400, i3-8100, i5-8400, i5-8600 or i7-8700, Sound Blaster Cinema 5, desktop-grade performance, twin blade cooling and products backed by a 72 hours support where they will resolve your issue within 72 hours or less.

Their prices are also very affordable, you could get the Pentium G5400m 8GB DDR4 RAM and GeForce GTX 1050 Ti model for only RM3085 with RM150 cash voucher or an Intel Core i7-8700 with the same RAM and graphics card for RM4450 with a free RM150 cash voucher.

Definitely find the time and check out the Commandos GLOCK laptops at Tech Armory which is located at Sunway GEO, Unit E1-1-7. If you are looking for laptops that you can be customized to your needs and budget, ArmoryX can definitely sort something out for you. Stay tuned for our review of their laptop soon.

armory
armoryx
commandos
gaming
glock
laptop
tech


Arrival of Apple AirPods Pro rival delayed as Microsoft Surface Earbuds set for 2020 launch instead

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As Apple pulls away from its peers in the ear buds race, Microsoft latest attempts to catch up with its rival has hit a snag.

According to The Star, the upcoming Surface Earbuds have been delayed after missing its initial 2019 shopping season launch date. The supposed AirPods Pro rival will now be unveiled in spring of 2020.

Image credit: Microsoft

The earphones were announced earlier this year boasting features like using your voice assistant to control PowerPoint slides and more of the sort. In terms of form factor, the Surface Earbuds take on a more unconventional shape with a circular, flat stem as opposed to the thin, elongated form we’re more used to.

The Microsoft Surface Earbuds are priced at $249 (RM1,038) which costs the same as Apple’s AirPods Pro; but with the latter selling like hotcakes, one has to assume the delay could be a measure to make improvements on the Surface Earbuds.

airpods
apple
earbuds
earphones
microsoft


Artists can now raise funds for COVID-19 using their Spotify pages

349

Spotify announced the COVID-19 Music Relief last month, but one of its features that lets artist fundraise from their fans wasn’t available then. Today, this feature is launched so artists can link their fans to any fundraising organization of their choice.

This is an optional feature for artists and if they choose to use it, Spotify ensures that it will not be taking any cut from the contributions. Through this feature, artists can use their influence to get their fans to make contributions to alleviating the impact of COVID-19.

Spotify has partnered with several partners like MusiCares, PRS Foundation, Help Musicians and more. In addition, Spotify will also match the number of funds from those who donate to the participating organizations via the
Spotify COVID-19 Music Relief
 page.

Hopefully with all the current efforts that are made by influential organisations and individuals, the COVID-19 will take a turn for the better.

artists
COVID-19 Music Relief
spotify


Artist “hacks” Google Maps to create virtual traffic jams using 99 smartphones

368

Have you ever wondered how Google Maps detects when there’s heavy traffic? Turns out, it’s pretty straightforward and led to one artist named Simon Weckert to “hack” the system.

So, what did Weckert do? He brought a wagon filled with smartphones and opened Google Maps for navigation. As he walked down the street, Google recognizes the wagon of smartphones as a high concentration of “users” and changes the color of the street to red (bad traffic).

According to Weckert’s site, he used 99 secondhand smartphones to create the virtual traffic jam that led to a greet street turning red and making it possible for Google to even reroute other users.

Google spokesperson also responded to the issue, admitting that Google does detect traffic jams through a large number of devices using Maps in an area. However, the company also acknowledged that the system can be easily taken advantage of and will work to improve the app.

“We’ve launched the ability to distinguish between cars and motorcycles in several countries including India, Indonesia and Egypt, though we haven’t quite cracked traveling by wagon,” said the spokesperson.

google
google maps
Simon Weckert
traffic


Asia Virtual Property Expo: Browse your new home online

899

In light of the current COVID situation, PropertyGuru has decided to hold its property expo online, making it the first Asia Virtual Property Expo.

Asia Virtual Property Expo mirrors a physical expo

To make the experience more life-like, PropertyGuru included virtual booths, live chats and even virtual home layouts so attendees can gain all kinds of information, insights and deals. You can even interact with agents on each booth that will guide you through whatever property you’re viewing.

Use filters to find the right property

Attendees can also choose to filter the available booths to find for the ones they need. For example, if you’re only interested in properties that has HOC, you can select the filter and those with HOC will be picked out for you.

Join weekly giveaways to stand a chance to get PS5 and iPhone 12

This virtual expo also includes webinars and giveaways so attendees can learn about property trends and also win prizes like the iPhone 12, Samsung 43″ 4K Smart TV and the new Sony PlayStation 5.

Visit the virtual expo
here
.

Asia Virtual Property Guru


ASRock Releases B150M Combo-G3 Motherboard

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There are a lot of Z170 motherboards have been unveiled since Intel Skylake processor being announced, but now Asrock announced the B150M Combo-G motherboard. It features a micro-ATX motherboard that should make your upgrade to the 6th generation Core “Skylake” platform as painless as possible, letting you keep your current DDR3 memory and upgrade to DDR4 later down the line. The board features two each of DDR3 and DDR4 DIMM slots, letting you use up to 16 GB of DDR3 or up to 32 GB of DDR4 memory.

The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, conditioning it for the CPU with a simple 7-phase VRM. Expansion slots on the B150M Combo-G include one each of PCI-Express 3.0 x16, PCI-Express 3.0 x16 (electrical gen 3.0 x4), and PCIe gen 3.0 x1. Storage connectivity includes one SATA-Express 16 Gb/s connector, and six SATA 6 Gb/s.

The onboard 6-channel audio solution features ground-layer isolation and electrolytic capacitors. Connectivity includes display outputs include one each of DVI, HDMI, and D-Sub plus six USB 3.0 ports, gigabit Ethernet, and PS/2 combo port make for the rest of it. Fortunately, ASRock adds a cover that cover the back panel to make the board look sexier than ever.

The expected price for ASRock B150M Combo-G motherboard will be around USD 80 (approx. RM 350), but the official release date will be announced later.

asrock
intel
pcmasterrace
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ASRock show off the Z170 Gaming ITX/ac Motherboard

341

The next generation Intel processor seem is around the corner and ASRock take this opportunity to unveil its smallest socket LGA 1151 motherboard, the Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac. The board is based on Intel’s new Z170 Express chipset and supports 6th generation Core “Skylake” processors, with DDR4 memory support.

The motherboard need to draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS connectors, and conditions it for the CPU using an 8-phase VRM. The CPU is wired to two standard-size DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and a PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot. The connectivity on the Z170 Gaming-ITX/ac includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports, one SATA Express 16 Gb/s, roundup up the storage. Besides that, Intel-made gigabit Ethernet and 802.11ac with Bluetooth 4.0 making up the networking and 6-channel HD audio.

Surprisingly, ASRock includes a USB Type-C, seven USB 3.0, one P/S 2 port, two HDMI ports, one optical port and one display port. Apparently, the motherboard has three fan connector instead of the usual two ports only and this will be a huge benefit to most of the users that require a lot of
case

fan in their PC.

The price and availability for the motherboard will be unveils soon because the official release date for Skylake processor still a mystery at the moment.

asrock
intel
motherboard
pcmasterrace
skylake
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ASRock shows off the G10 Gaming Router that looks like a ROG GR8 desktop

265

When it comes to the name ASRock, most people will tend to refer to its ex-owner ASUS, the Taiwanese electronic manufacturer has shown off its G10 Gaming Router in COMPUTEX, a beastly device with a stunning gaming hardware form factor that immediately reminds us of ASUS’s own ROG GR8 compact gaming desktop and this is the company’s first networking product.

Inside the red chassis, ASRock has fitted eight antennas that broadcasts both 2.4GHz and 5GHz network bands with the fastest 802.11ac wireless standards, the company claims that the transfer speed could go up to 1733Mbps on a 5GHz band and 800Mbps on a 2.4GHz band, making it even faster than a standard LAN connection. The router has a dual core 1.4GHz CPU mated to 512MB RAM with 256MB of flash memory, which is the highest that we’ve seen in high end routers that aims to deliver hardcore users the most reliable networking experience, its built in Multi-User MIMO and Gaming Boost technology also enables the router to deliver bandwidth efficiently to gaming consoles or PCs that demands more resource while ensuring stability on other connected devices.

The G10 isn’t just a router made for gaming, it has built-in IoT (Internet of Things) applications that will be able to control home appliances with its smartphone app and there’s an IR blaster in front of the router to learn compatible IR remotes. In addition, there’s even a removable HDMI Dongle that also serves as a portable wireless access point on the go.

ASRock intends to go very big with its first gaming router and networking product with its expertise in making gaming motherboards is sure to have inspired them in making such an awesome product, there is no exact release dates for the G10 however officials have targeted to have it go live on August this year, you might want to start saving right now because obviously this isn’t going to be cheap.


ASRock unveils its Cost-Effective Z170X1-3.1 Motherboard with USB 3.1

329

ASRock released one of the first sub USD100 socket LGA1151 motherboards with USB 3.1 ports – the Z170A-x1/3.1. This new ATX board is compatible with 6th generation Intel core “Skylake” processors, with support for up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory, at speeds of up to DDR4-3400 MHz via overclocking. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors and uses a simple phase VRM to condition it for the CPU.

The expansion slots on the Z170A-X1/3.1 include one PCI-Express 3.0 x16 wired to the CPU, a PCIe 3.0 x16 (electrical x4), wired to the Z170 PCH, and three other PCIe 3.0 x1 ports. Storage connectivity includes six SATA 6 Gb/s ports. The core of this board’s feature-set is its pair of 10 Gb/s USB 3.1 ports, including a type-A, and a type-C. There will be eight other USB 3.0 ports, six on the rear panel, two by headers. Besides that, the gigabit Ethernet is driven by an Intel-made controller, and 6-channel HD audio with ground-layer isolation, make for the rest of it.

The ASRock Z170A-x1/3.1 will be expected to price at sub-USD 100 price point.

asrock
intel
itx
pcmasterrace
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z170a


Assassin's Creed Identity launched for iOS, Android version to arrive late March

374

The developers of Ubisoft, who are on a break from the annual release of Assassin’s Creed titles for PC and consoles, have launched  first action RPG game of the acclaimed Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed Identity on iOS last night. The company also plans to bring the game over to Android in spring (late March).

Assassin’s Creed Identity allows gamers to customize their own Assassin, in terms of weapons and outfits. This title also gives gamers the liberty to pick a class for their assassin, namely:  Berserker, Shadow Blade, Trickster or Thief, each having their own special traits when it comes to action and combat. The game takes place in the Renaissance era of Italy. There are many missions available for gameplay and players are being leveled up throughout the game.

Although you’re playing it on a mobile device, Assassin’s Creed Identity doesn’t stinge on its known parkour stunts. You have the option of using the virtual joystick and buttons on screen or an external gamepad. Assassin’s Creed Identity is now available on iOS for $4.99 (RM 21.04). We’ll be hoping for Ubisoft to rush in the Android version. Till then, stay tuned!

Source:
Ubisoft

android
assassins
creed
game
identity
ios
mobile
ubisoft


Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is coming soon and will explore the Viking age

851

It’s finally happening – Assassin’s Creed with
Vikings
! We’ve seen almost everything from regular Assassins, to pirates and Greek
Spartans
 – the franchise is finally taking to
Scandinavia, which is something fans have been wanting for some time now.

Last night, Ubisoft live streamed the teaser for
Assassin’s
 Creed Valhalla, showing off the game’s official poster; which gives off a History Channel’s Vikings vibe – we see a dude with a braided beard along with a Viking axe, and a Viking ship off to the side.

Newer Assassin’s Creed games have evolved into a hack-and-slash with RPG elements of late with titles such as AC Origins and AC
Odyssey
 – the justification for that has to do with the plot and the timeline; both these games take place before the Assassins Brotherhood was founded, hence before the white
cloaks
, and hidden daggers.

The original Assassin’s Creed began in 1191, and since the Viking age shortly took place before the Third Crusade, which is when Assassins Creed takes place in, so AC Valhalla will most likely have the same hack-and-
slash
 gameplay.

Not much else is known about the game and we also don’t know if it will explore Norse mythology at all; but the reveal trailer will be out tonight at 11pm, so we’ll know more then. It’ll be a tall order to match the excellence of that other Viking-themed game, God of War; but maybe
Ubisoft
 will add their own flare to the game to make Valhalla stand out.

assasins creed origin
assassins creed odyssey
assassins creed valhalla
ubisoft
viking age


Astro teams up with Allo to expand broadband and content services at RM99/month

872

Astro is now in a partnership with Allo to a bundled service that includes high-speed broadband and content services. There will be two bundles — RM99 and RM129 — in which the former offers 50Mbps and the latter offers 100Mbps.

Astro CEO Henry Tan also said that the partnership with Allo will allow them to expand Astro’s broadband reach into suburban areas that haven’t been covered by previous partnerships. The collaboration between these companies will allow Astro to resell Allo’s broadband products with speeds up to 1Gbps, but currently, Astro is only focusing on the 50Mbps and 100Mbps bundles. These bundles include Astro Family Pack with over 60 channels.

On the other hand, Allo Technology CEO Rodzi Ahmad also announced that while it’ll start to expand its footprint in states like Melaka, Perak Johor, Kedah, Selangor and Penang, it will gradually be expanded across the nation. Henry also said that the broadband home-passes should expand over 150,000 households and business in the next one and a half years.

For those who didn’t know, Allo is a subsidiary company of Tenaga Nasional Berhad. This offering is in an effort to support the country’s National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan.

allo
astro
astro family pack
broadband
broadband bundle
Content services


Astro could benefit from a ban to all TV boxes; here’s our take

339

According to a report by The Star, analysts at Maybank Investment Bank (IB) Research had recently noted that if media streaming boxes were to be banned in Malaysia, the research house believes that the move could benefit Astro significantly.

This comes after Singapore’s Law Ministry saying it would consider proposing a ban on TV boxes that would allow consumers to view pirated content.

This, of course, refers to unlicensed devices that currently flood the market. Because TV boxes – both licensed and unlicensed – have increasingly become the go-to option for households, it brings about the issue of what constitutes as unlawful as far as ownership is concerned.

Licensed boxes such as the Xiaomi Mi Box and Android TV are in the clear. As for it’s unlicensed counterparts that are able to receive international TV, according to BolehCompare it’s not illegal to purchase and own such a device, but installing and using it is.

A law that bans TV boxes would be inherently biased considering Astro’s position as the country’s leading Pay-TV operator. However, unlicensed devices should remain illegal and consumers should be made aware of this.

Consuming unlicensed content is technically piracy and should be avoided. However, a ban on all TV boxes seems a bit over the top. Perhaps a more ideal solution would be regulate the companies that produce these devices, making sure that all offerings are licensed. The devices and the streaming apps that are available should adopt a pay-to-use model to offset the cost of licensing.

Image credit: freestocks.org

At the mean time, you can make use of the legitimate resources you have now which still allows you access enough content to last a life time. So, Netflix and chill anyone?

android
astro
tv box


Astro: A home robot by Amazon that costs $1,000

975

Amazon recently
announced
 Astro, a home robot that rolls around the house while it performs tasks like home monitoring, video chatting, music playback and transport (small) objects.

According to
CNBC
, Astro has three wheels and is about the size of a small god.

Astro isn’t a robot that cleans

Image credit: TheVerge

It comes with a 10-inch screen and a camera on a 42-inch arm — this camera is used force recognition, home monitoring and video chat.

It doesn’t pick things up; instead, it has a back compartment where you can put smaller objects to be carried to someone else.

But this isn’t a household cleaner; Astro doesn’t clean your house, nor does it grab canned drinks from the fridge.

Astro is powered by two Qualcomm chip and has an OS based on FireOS and Linux; you can also speak to Alexa through Astro, so this is a robot that can accompany you if you’re lonely at home.

Astro sounds cool, but it has its flaws

However, a recent report by
Vice
 revealed that Astro’s person recognition system is not perfect — developers have stated that their Astro robots did not function as well as expected.

A source who worked on the project also told Vice, “Astro is terrible and will almost certainly throw itself down a flight of stairs if presented the opportunity.”

Another source believes that the robot is “not ready for release” and is “a privacy nightmare”.

That being said, Astro can’t be bought online or in-store now — you can only get it from an invite-based rollout.

It’s priced at $999.99 and users will get a six-month Ring Protect Pro service — the usual price will be $1,499.99.

You have to request for an invite to get Astro; this process will require you to fill out a survey so Amazon can decide whether your house is optimal for Astro.

Perhaps Astro will be better in the future, but it doesn’t seem like a wise idea to get it now.

amazon
astro


Astro issues casting call for eSports channel host

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Last week, we mentioned that Astro is launching its eSports channel called “eGG”. Today, Astro is issuing a casting call to find a personality (or personalities) for the channel.

On the 14th of May, Astro will be hosting an audtion to find a host for eGG. The audition will be held at the All Asia Broadcast Centre at Bukit Jalil from 10am to 5pm. If you’re interested in the gig, you can register
here
.  Registrations will be open from the 3rd of May until the 14th of May.

If you’re living outside of Selangor, don’t fret as you can also participate in the audition. International talents are apparently welcomed as well so if you’re currently studying overseas, you can also take part in the audition.

As always, there are pre-requisites for the job. Applicants must be 18 years of age by the 1st of May 2016 and must have a good command of the English language. An interest in eSports or video games, as well as the ability to present yourself comfortably in front of the camera is important as well. If all of the requirements sounds intimidating to you, don’t be, as Astro has explicitly stated that prior experience as a host isn’t required.

So if you want to be a part of the growing eSports scene in Malaysia, but feel that your skills in gaming leaves much to be desired, you can still be a part of it as a shoutcaster.

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castingcall
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Astro launches eSports channel "eGG"

338

eSports is getting a huge boost in Malaysia as local satellite broadcaster Astro has launched the first dedicated 24-hour eSports channel in Southeast Asia.

Called Every Good Game, or eGG for short, this channel will be broadcasting popular eSports tournaments like League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike: Global Offensive, Hearthstone, Starcraft II and more on Astro and Astro on the Go on channel 808.

Astro’s isn’t a stranger to broadcasting eSports events of course, as the broadcaster has previously televised The International 5 Dota 2 Championship back in 2015, making it the first paid-TV operator in ASEAN to broadcast an eSports event. The broadcast was a huge success among the younger demographic and has spurred Astro to create eGG.

“eGG plans to partner with main gagme organisers and developers to bring live top tier global tournaments and on demand content featuring pubstomps, gaming walkthrough, expert guides, documentaries, game house tours and weekly highlights,” says Lee Choong Khay, Vice President of Sports at Astro.

eGG will be made available to all Astro and Astro on the Go customers for free starting in June 2016.

Source:
Astro Awani

astro
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Astro makes all movie channels free until 31 March during RMO

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For all you Astro subscribers out there who’re stuck at home until the end of the month, you’ll be glad to know that you’ll be getting access to all movie channels for absolutely zero charge!

Astro announced via social media that channels such as HBO, FOX Action Movies, Celestial Movies, Astro Citra, HITS Movies, Cinemax and more will be available for you to watch until March 31 – the day the government-mandated restrictive movement order is lifted.

A number of companies have been doing their part to help make the RMO more bearable – Grab is continuing their delivery and transport services,
Shopee
 is still shipping out items, and
Foodpanda
 has
introduced
 a contactless delivery option.

So
 rejoice movie lovers – grab some popcorn, if you can source it at this point in time, and enjoy your free movies on Astro with your family.

astro
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Astro now offers bundled broadband with content offering to residents of Jasin, Melaka

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Residents of Jasin, Melaka are now able to enjoy Astro’s unique bundled broadband with content offering.

With this new bundled broadband offer, it will provide the residents of Jasin with internet connections as well as Astro’s best in-class content.

The offer is a part of Astro’s support of the Government’s National Fiberisation and Connectivity Plan (NFCP).

“Astro is pleased to be part of the NFCP and will be offering our new broadband bundle with our content to our customers,” said Henry Tan, CEO Designate of Astro.

According to Tan, the offering will increase customer engagement as the bundled proposition will allow them to enjoy their favourite shows on demand via set top boxes as well as through connected devices such as mobile phones and tablets.

The bundled broadband offer will be a pilot project and Astro is said to be targeting an approximately 1,100 homes in an area where Astro has a strong 92% household penetration comprising Astro and NJOI customers.

Astro will be offering 50 Mbps and 100 Mbps broadband services with prices for as low as RM99 and RM129, starting from 1 February 2019.

The amount of fee paid will include Astro’s family pack content which has more than 40 channels including Astro Ria, Astro Prima, Astro Arena, Astro Awani, Astro AEC, Astro Xiao Tai Yang, NatGeo WILD, and FOXlife.

The pilot project will be held from 8 to 31 January 2019.

For Astro customers who have signed up for the bundled broadband, they are able to get free channel previews and complimentary broadband access for the month of January at current package rates.

Whereas for NJOI customers who signs up for the bundled broadband, they will get an upgrade to family pack and complimentary broadband access in January.

Astro bundled broadband not only caters to the connected lifestyle of a modern family, but also individuals needs for information, entertainment, and staying connected.

With the Astro bundled broadband, customers will be able to access the best of local and international entertainment, children’s educational program, animation, live sports (which also includes eSports), and content on demand in the comfort of their homes.

Lastly, Astro will contact eligible homeowners who lives in Jasin on the bundled broadband, which will be valid till 31 January 2019.

For more information, check out Astro’s official website
here
.

astro


Astro Pakej Jimat 109: Pay less for more entertainment

1.5K

Astro is kickstarting 2022 by offering more value for money with its new Pakej Jimat 109, which provides customers with home fibre internet, as well as more than 90 Astro channels.

Costing only RM109.99/month, customers will save RM39/month on their Astro Primary Pack and 30Mbps broadband subscription.

Primary Pack customers will receive the Astro Ulti Box and complimentary access to Astro GO. The Astro Ulti box has 200 hours of Cloud Storage and Video on Demand, allowing customers to catch up and binge-watch their favourite shows when they have the time.

Customers also have the option to subscribe to the Entertainment Plus Pack, which is priced at RM199.99/month, offering the extra features of 4K UHD and full access to Netflix on the Astro Ultra Box.

For more information on Astro’s Pakej Jimat 109 promotion, click
here
.

astro
Astro GO
Astro Ulti Box
Astro Ultra Box
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Astro signs deal with TM to offer broadband and high-speed internet services

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Coming out of left field in the local telecommunications scene today is the signing of deal between
Astro

and Telekom Malaysia that will allow the former to offer broadband and fibre internet service soon by leveraging on TM’s infrastructure.

The move comes as a joint effort by both parties to show their commitment to the Jalinan Digital Negara (JENDELA) initiative in providing better broadband coverage to Malaysians.

In this agreement, TM will provide Astro with a “full suite of infrastructure and connectivity solutions” which include high speed broadband, bandwidth, backhaul, and internet access.

With these tools at their disposal, Astro is said to be able to provide broadband services to its customers without building their own infrastructure, while still being able to reach users far and wide.

Image credit: Pixabay, via New Starits TImes

Astro will also get TM’s Content Delivery System, which allows the satellite broadcasting company to provide better streaming services.

Astro hasn’t disclosed when their new internet services will be available for customers, but watch this space as we bring you more updates.

astro
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Astro launches the Ultra Box with 4K UHD support, cloud recording and new user interface

898

Today, Astro officially launched its new TV box, Astro Ultra Box to the public consumers.

The Astro Ultra Box is Astro’s latest TV box that supports 4K UHD content, in addition to new user interface, cloud recording feature and multi-screen support. Users can also stream over 50,000 videos on demand, and even restart episodes and shows if you’ve missed the beginning.

For existing customers, you can get the Ultra Box for free if your monthly subscription pack is RM100 and above. On the other hand, new customers will have to pay an installation fee of RM99 if they opt for the Ultra Box — if they choose to subscribe for monthly packs RM100 and above. However, both new and existing customers will have to pay RM199 to upgrade/install the Ultra Box if the monthly pack they choose is below RM100.

There are also several requirements needed for users to be eligible for the Ultra Box. An internet connection at home is required and the company recommends intenser with more than 10Mbps speed, in addition to the minimum subscription with a HD+ recording service. You’ll also need to have a 4K UHD TV that supports HDCP 2.2.

4k uhd
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ASUS 11.11 sales includes flash deals on the new ROG Phone

382

In conjunction with the 11.11 Singles’ Day, ASUS has decided to offer sales and promotions on their products including the ROG Phone, several laptops and powerbanks.

First and foremost, ASUS is offering a flash deal that will begin from 12am to 2am on 11 November. If you’ve been eyeing the ROG Phone since it was first reveal, ASUS is now offering the ROG Phone limited edition set at the price of RM 6,999 instead of RM 7,942, which gives you the ROG Phone and all the accessory that was seen on the launch event such as the ROG Phone case, four different docks, a GameVice console, and the ROG suitcase.

The ZenFone Max Pro M1 will also be priced RM 50 cheaper at the price of RM 849, and the phone comes with 6GB RAM and 64GB storage. It is powered by the Snapdragon 636 processor, has a hefty 5000mAh battery that can last around two days, and comes with dual rear cameras and a fingerprint sensor.

ASUS is also offering discount on the ROG Zephyrus M(GM501G), a gaming laptop that runs on Windows 10 Home with i7-8750H processor, 16GB RAM and 256GB SSD paired with 1TB HDD storage. The gaming laptop will be priced at RM 7,777 during the flash deal, which is more than RM 1,000 cheaper than its usual price. There is also the 17-inch FHD display ROG Strix Scar Edition (GL703G) gaming laptop that comes with i7-8750H processor, GTX 1050Ti, 8GB RAM with 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD storage. The Strix Scar edition will be priced at RM 4,699.

Besides that, the VivoBooks by ASUS will also receive price cuts whereby the VivoBook S430 costs RM 2,949 and the VivoBook A411U costs RM 2,259. The VivoBook S430 is a 14-inch FHD display laptop that is powered by the i5-8250U processor with 4GB RAM and 256GB SSD and 1 TB HDD storage and purchasers will also receive a free backpack. Similarly, the VIvoBook A411U also comes with 14-inch FHD display, i5-8250U processor and 4GB RAM but it has storage of 1TB.

Last but not least, the ASUS Powerbank Pro is also on the flash deal where it comes with 10500mAh and has two ports with a light indicator to allow users to know the battery left in the powerbank.

Apart from the flash deal that will only last for 2 hours, other deals include the ZenFone Max Pro, ZenFone 5z, ASUS VivoBook Max and Asus TUF gaming laptops which will last throughout the whole day. The sales will be on ASUS’s official flagship store on Lazada, and you can check out the aforementioned ASUS products on
https://www.lazada.com.my/shop/official-asus-store/
 for more information.

asus
Asus TUF
Powerbank Pro
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ROG Strix Scar
ROG Zephyrus M
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VivoBook Max
Zenfone 5 Pro
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ASUS launches new 11th-Gen Intel Core VivoBook and ZenBook laptops

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ASUS has just launched three new lineups their laptop offerings which pack the newest 11
th
-Gen Intel Core CPUs.

ZenBook 13/14

The premium end of the spectrum is filled by the ZenBook series and both models come up to an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU. There’s 8GB of 3,200Mhz DDR4 RAM, and up to 512GB of PCIe
NVMe
 SSD storage. For graphics, you get the capable Intel Iris Xe.

The laptop comes with a 4-sided
NanoEdge
 display, which basically means really thin bezels around the panel. Both laptops have a thickness of just 13.9mm while the 13-inch model weighs 1.07KGs, and the 14-inch laptop is 1.13KGs.

With its slim body, ASUS is calling these devices the world’s thinnest laptops with full I/O ports; and
ther
 is a decent selection – 1x USB 3.2 Type-A, 1x Thunderbolt 3 Type-C, 1x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C, 1x HDMI, and 1x microSD card reader.

Another feature touted by ASUS is the AI noise-cancelling audio input and output features which includes a
ClearVoice
 Speaker which uses AI to filter out ambient noise in both upstream and downstream scenarios. There’s also far-field normalization which optimizes the volume of a person’s voice in relation to their distance from their recording device.

The ASUS ZenBook 13/14 laptops are available in Pine Grey and Lilac Mist.

VivoBook
 S15 and
VivoBook
 14/15

Moving on, ASUS’ midrange options get the 11
th
-Gen Intel treatment too with both the
VivoBook
 S15 and
VivoBook
 14/15 laptops getting the same Intel Core i5-1135G7 CPU. The laptops also get up to 8GB RAM and 512GB of storage via a PCIe NVMe SSD. The difference is that the S15 comes with the Intel Iris Xe graphics, while the VivoBook 14/15 can be equipped with up to an NVIDIA MX350 GPU.

The VivoBook laptops come with a FHD IPS panel with ASUS’ NanoEdge display design too. The keyboards are backlit and sport a unique yellow accent on the Enter key for extra flair.

When it comes to I/O ports, you’re looking at 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A, 1x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1x microSD card reader, and 1x 3.5mm audio jack for the S15 laptop; the
VivoBook
 14/15 laptops also pack plenty of ports which also include up a headphone jack.

These laptops too come with ASUS’ AI noise-Cancelling technology and the brand’s Intelligent Performance Technology which lets users tweak performance outputs on their devices, which in turn determine the noise levels produced as well – so should a user need the laptop to be quiet, Whisper Mode should be enabled, while Performance Mode should be
preferred
 for recourse-heavy tasks.

When it comes to colours, the VivoBook 14/15 comes in Hearty Gold, Transparent Silver (not actually transparent), and Indie Black; while the  VivoBook S15 comes in Indie Black, Gala Green, Resolute Red, and Dreamy Silver.

The ASUS ZenBook series is priced from RM3,999 for the Core i5-1135 model, and RM4,699 for the Core i7-1165 version. The
VivoBook
 S15 is priced from RM3,399 for the Core 15-1135 model, while the
VivoBook
 13/14 series will set you back at least RM3,099 with the same CPU.

Visit ASUS’s website
here
 to learn more about these new laptops, and to find out where to purchase.

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Asus adds two more devices to their Cerberus line of gaming peripherals

402

Asus has recently announced two new devices that will be added to their Cerebus line of gaming peripherals, the Cerebus V2 gaming headset and Cerebus Mech RGB mechanical gaming keyboard with the V2 being the long awaited follow up the popular Cerebus gaming headset.

The Cerebus V2 features ASUS Essence drivers that delivers high-fidelity audio giving users a more immersive feel when gaming. The driver sizes were reduced to 53mm compared to the previous which is 60mm, allowing larger sound chambers for a richer sound making it not only great for gaming but also listening to music. The headphone is built with stainless-steel outer headband, comfortable padded inner headband and soft wrap-around ear cushions that are ideal for long wears. A four-pole microphone is also included with the headphone and audio/mic splitter to be used with older laptops and motherboards that need it. It also comes with two types of microphones, a detachable boom mic for clear voice communication and an in-line microphone for mobile use.

The Cerberus Mech RGB keyboard, on the other hand, comes with Red, Blue, Brown and Black Kaihua RGB switches which provide fast response and a durable lifespan of up to 70-milion keystrokes, full anti-ghosting and N-key rollover technology to ensure every key is registered even if multiple keys are pressed at once. With every key having individual LED lighting with millions of colours and seven built-in lighting effects, users can customise the keyboard exactly to their preference. The keyboard also comes with hotkeys for frequently used commands and on-the-fly macro recording without leaving the game, the recordings are stored on the keyboard ensuring that every PC the keyboard is plug into will have the same settings.

ASUS Cerberus V2 and Cerberus Mech RGB is estimated to be available by the end of the second quarter of 2017 with prices to be announced soon.

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ASUS and A BATHING APE launches Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE Edition at RM6,499

3.7K

Calling A BATHING APE fans, your dream laptop is finally here!

ASUS and streetwear brand A BATHING APE (BAPE), has introduced the special edition of the Vivobook S 15 OLED laptop, it also marks the Vivobook S 15 OLED’s entry into the Malaysian market as the vanilla version of it isn’t available here.

Despite being a Vivobook, the laptop is quite the powerhouse as it is powered by an Intel Core i9 13900H processor paired with 16GB LPDDR5 RAM and 1TB of PCIe 4.0 SSD, it is also an Intel Evo-certified laptop which you can expect responsive performance and good battery life out of it, complete with a 15.6-inch 2.8K OLED display that refreshes at 120Hz, there’s no denying that this is a pretty high-end Vivobook.

Aside from its respectable specs sheet, what will make you want to own the Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE Edition laptop is the unique photo-light-etched camo pattern with BABY MILO and friends on the chassis and touchpad, and a reflective logo tag that makes it stand out on the table on either the Cool Silver or Midnight Black color variant.

On top of that, the Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE Edition comes with an exclusive accessory bundle patterned in blue camo for the Cool Silver model and green camo for the Midnight Black model, they include a carrying case, keyboard stickers, a wireless mouse with interchangeable top covers, and a BABY MILO figure that’s holding the Vivobook.

This collaboration between ASUS Vivobook and BAPE is done in conjunction with the latter’s 30th anniversary this year, where the laptop pay tribute to the enduring legacy of both brands by combining cutting-edge technology with the iconce BAPE style.

The ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE Edition is available from local resellers and the ASUS Malaysia e-Store starting today at RM6,499, get yours from
Lazada
,
Shopee
, and
ASUS Malaysia e-Store
.

asus
vivobook
vivobook s 15
vivobook s15 oled bape edition


ASUS announces their new Cerberus GeForce GTX 1070 Ti

368

ASUS has announced their entry for the GTX 1070 Ti line which they have tested with the latest games called, the Cerberus GeForce GTX 1070 Ti. The card has a metal backplate for component protection and card reinforcement and comes with a 0dB wing-blade fans for a silent operation during light load.

The company mentioned that they have tested the card starting with extensie checks for compatibility with the latest games like League of Legends, Overwatch and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds. The strong backplate to protect components on the back of the card and give an added reinforcement for the circuit board. It is also accented with striking red lines to give it that signature Cerberus style. The 0dB fan can deliver 105% greater static pressure over the heatsink and will stop spinning completely when the GPU temperature is below a certain temperature. The fans are also IP5X dust resistant for extra reliability. With GPU Tweak II, users can perform overclocking with easy to use visuals and the new Gaming Booster will maximize performance by removing redundant processes and allocate available resources automatically.

The ASUS Cerberus GeForce GTX 1070 Ti will be available by the end of December 2017 and prices will be announced at a later time. It will also come with a 3-year warranty and can be picked up at all authorized ASUS resellers.

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ASUS announces new Electro Punk pink and black face-lift for ROG line-up

459

If you’re all about the aesthetics, and you particularly like pink, then ASUS has got you covered – they’ve just introduced a list of ROG products which have been given an ‘Electro Punk’ makeover, boasting a black and pink look.

The biggest item to receive the facelift is the ASUS ROG Strix G15 Electro Pink Edition gaming laptop. The 15-inch laptop will have pink accents around its cover, while the ROG logo will be pink too. On the keyboard, the WASD keys are also pink for good measure. The ROG Strix G15 has RGB lighting around the bottom of the laptop, so you can tweak that to match your pink look if you wanted.

On top of its new look, are the new Intel Core 10
th
-Gen CPUs (up to Intel Core i7) that’s paired with up to
an
 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER. The laptop supports up to 32GB of DDR4 3200MHz memory and up to 1TB of PCIe
NVMe
 SSD for storage.

To go with your laptop are a list of ROG peripherals as well – the ROG Strix Go 2.4 Electro Punk headset is a USB-C 2.4GHz wireless headphone that lets you connect to a PC, or console.  The headset is predominantly black with pink ROG logos to add some flare. The ear pads and frame are pink too.

Next you, you’ve also got the ROG Strix Scope TKL Electro Punk keyboard which is RGB backlit.  ASUS doesn’t hold back with the pink for this item – the whole bottom row of keys, including the spacebar, is painted that
colour
 . The arrow keys and backspace button
is
 also pink, while the ROG logo can be lit up in the same
colour
 too.

To complete your setup is the ROG Strix Impact II Electro Punk gaming mouse – the scroll wheel, ROG logo and side macro-buttons are painted pink. It’s also RGB-lit because why not? It packs an impressive 6,200 dpi sensor for responsive gaming. While you’re at it, why not slap on
an
 ROG Sheath Electro Punk mouse pad too? It’s a mousepad that’s half pink and half black – that’s it. Lastly, you can lug your awesome pink gear in the ROG Electro Punk backpack – it fits a 15-inch laptop so even your ROG Strix G15 can go in here.

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ASUS announces ROG G14 with a snazzy back-lit cover

521

As big and lucrative as the gaming desktop market is, the laptop side of things is hot on the heels of their PC counterparts – ASUS’ new line-up of ROG Zephyrus G14 and G15 laptops paint an accurate picture of the kind of demand gaming laptops garner.

The ROG Zephyrus G14, is a thing of beauty – ASUS has gone with a more mature overall design for their new 14-inch laptop, that is until you look at the cover. Here, you’ll find an optional AniMe Matrix LED-lit design that lets you display GIFs, the time and music visualizers on your laptop cover. We say optional, but we doubt anyone’s going to opt out of the feature – it looks cool as heck.

Alright, back to the nitty-gritty – the GE14 comes with the newest AMD Ryzen 4000 H-series chips along with up to an Nvidia RTX 2060 GPU. It can be fitted with up to 23GB DDR4-3200Hz RAM with up to 1TB of NVMe SSD storage.

The display on this device pushes a refresh rate of 120Hz with adaptive sync to reduce screen tearing. You can also opt for a WQHD display that’s capable of 4K pixel density – and both panel options are PANTONE validated, so the ROG G14 is as much of a creator’s laptop as it’s a gaming one.

Moving on to the bigger ROG G15, you get a more traditional laptop in that it doesn’t have the AniMe Matrix feature – but it does come with a 15-inch PANTONE validated display that pushes a refresh rate of 240Hz. It’s also 19.9mm thin and weighs only 2.1kg – great for lugging around.

Under the hood, you can pack it with up to an AMR Ryzen 4800HS CPU along with up to an RTX 2060 GPU. Memory and storage options are the same with the G14.

There’s no official pricing for the laptops yet, but we’re looking at a possible early 2020 release date for ASUS’ newest.

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ASUS announces the premium ROG Strix SCAR 17 gaming laptop with a 300Hz display

331

ASUS ROG has announced the new ROG Strix SCAR 17 gaming laptop that’s best suited for heavy-users and even enthusiasts.

The laptop comes equipped with a 17.3-inch display panel that has a whopping 300Hz refresh rate. To allow games to run at that high of an FPS, the Strix SCAR 17 packs up to an Intel Core i9-10980HK CPU and up to
an
 Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 Super GPU – no holds barred there when it comes to hardware.

You also get up to 32GB of DDR4 3200MHz SO-DIMM RAM, and up to 1TB
NVMe
 PCIe SSD for storage. You fit up to three SSDs in the laptop, so you can buy it with just one and add to it later on.

You get an
aluminium
 chassis that weighs 2.8KGs and comes with an RGB backlit desktop-layout keyboard which is customizable via ASUS’ Aura Core software.

With so much power, it needs proper cooling – for that, ASUS has packed the laptop with four heatsinks, giving you a total of 284 fins; the Strix SCAR 17 is 1.4mm taller than its siblings to accommodate for the more robust cooling module. On top of that, ASUS has applied liquid metal compound onto the CPU for added heat dissipation.

Moving on, the laptop doesn’t slouch when it comes to I/O ports either – you get three USB 3.2 Type A ports, one USB 3.2 Type C port, one Ethernet port, one HDMI (HDMI 2.0b) port and one headphone jack.

The laptop supports
WiFi
 6 with ROG
RangeBoost
 for
improved
 signal strength. Powering the laptop is a 66Wh battery – you’ll be docking this laptop at home anyways, so the battery size doesn’t matter too much.

The availability and pricing has not been disclosed yet, but we’ll keep you posted when more information comes.


ASUS announces the X570ZD; it boasts a mix of power and portability

250

ASUS releases its new AMD powered X570ZD laptop that boasts a mix of performance and portability.

The 15.6-inch laptop’s lightweight nature adds to its nimble 374.6 x 21.9mm. The laptop weighs a total of 1.9kg with the battery to make for easy portability.

Image credit: ASUS

Under the hood, the X570ZD runs on the highly-rated AMD Ryzen 2500U processor which should achieve decent productivity performance. However, you can also opt for the more powerful 2700U version of the laptop instead.

The laptop also comes with an NVIDIA Gefore GTX 1050 (2GB/4GB) GPU which should provide sufficient gaming power. You can also opt for the Radeon RX Vega 10 or the Radeon Vega 8.

4GBs of ram comes standard and can be upgraded to 16GB, while an additional RAM card slot is available which could fit an 8GB card. You get a SATA 1TB HDD for your storage needs. Other options include range from a 2TB HDD to a 512GB SSD.

Image credit: ASUS

Aesthetic-wise, the laptop comes in Reaper Black, accented by Lightning Blue around its edges. The keyboard is also back-lit which makes for better night-time productivity. ASUS offers two years’ worth of global warranty for the laptop.

The X570ZD is available now priced from RM2,899.

asus
laptop
ryzen


ASUS announces the Tinker Board, an advance SBC for DIY enthusiasts

310

Asus has announced the Tinker Board, a Single Board Computer (SBC) in an ultra-small form factor that can offer performance while leveraging on mechanical compatibility. The board targets IoT enthusiasts, hobbyists, PC DIY enthusiasts and others who what to build and tinker their ideas into reality.

The powerful ARM-based processor, the Rockchip RK3288, offers improved performance over other SBC boards. It also features 2GB of LPDDR3 dual-channel memory and SD 3.0 that offers significantly faster read and write speeds to expandable microSD cards used for the OS, applications and file storage. The board’s graphics and GPU computing APIs are powered by the Mail-T764 GPU which allows for high-quality media playback, gaming, computer vision, gesture recognition, image stabilisation, computational photography and more.

To further enhance the media experience, the board is equipped with an HD codec that supports up to 24-bit/192KHz audio and the integrated audio jack supports audio output and microphone in without an extension module. Other ports include a 40-pin GPIO for receiving inputs from buttons, switches, sensors, LEDs and more. Gigabit LAN for the internet and network connectivity and a full-size HDMI output. There is also the connectivity basics like WiFi and Bluetooth controllers that are shielded with a metal cover to avoid interferences.

The Tinker Board will support a wide range of OS, some of them include:

Armbian

DietPi

Volumio

Yocto

FlintOS

LUbuntu

LibreELEC (kodi)

The Tinker board is available now for a retail price of RM285 and can be purchased from ASUS’s first authorised online reseller of the Tinker board
here
. They are also offering a one year warranty with a 1-to-1 swap. For more information on the Tinker board, visit the official website
here
.

asus
board
computer
diy
iot
sbc


Asus announces the Z370 series motherboards which supports Intel’s 8th Gen processors

463

With the release of Intel’s 8th Generation processors, it is time for Asus to introduce a new lineup of the motherboard that will provide users with the full potential of what the new processors can offer, giving you a better experience when playing games, content creation, or power users that want more with their PCs.

Asus has released 15 models of motherboards that covers a range of priorities, budget and form factors. THe Z370 collection will span across ROG, Prime and TUF Gaming motherboards made for a particular audience.

This range also includes the next-generation ROG Maximus X motherboards with all the bells and whistles that gamers and performance enthusiasts demand. Other than that, is the ROG Strix motherboard which is stylish with the performance to match, Asus Prime series for customization and tuning and the all-new Asus TUF gaming boards with durability and ease of use at an affordable price point.

As of now, Asus has no solid release date or pricing for these motherboards but they did say that you can contact your local Asus representative for more information.

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ASUS BR1100 Series: 6 reasons Parents and Children will Love It

1.6K

Buying a laptop for your child can be worrying, especially when you have no idea how they may mishandle the device without your watch whether it is at home or at school, and you might have probably spent enough money replacing and repairing their laptops, which is ultimately why you may want to consider the
ASUS BR1100 series laptops
, designed with primary schoolers in mind, it comes in a classic clamshell and 2-in-1 form factor that’s strong and offers practical features you won’t find in many other laptops.

Military-grade tested against bumps and spills

The ASUS BR1100 series are military grade tested against bumps and spills, strong rubber bumpers are fitted around the chassis to absorb shocks and protect the components, a spill resistant and tamper proof keyboard is in place to prevent water from entering the laptop and your kid from prying out the keycaps, the robust quality also means that it can withstand heavy items up to 120KG – yup, no problems if that naughty child of yours steps on it.

High quality webcam for learning pleasure

With online classes being the norm these days, your child deserves the best video calling experience with his/her teachers and friends, the ASUS BR1100 series get the job done with a high-quality HD noise reduction webcam. If you opt for the 2-in-1 form factor, you get a second world camera that takes 13-megapixel clear stills and 1080p resolution videos, which enables your child to capture class notes with ease as well as have fun taking photos with friends in the classroom.

Physical webcam shutter that protects your privacy

Webcam privacy is a crucial feature on laptops these days, and the BR1100 series takes that into consideration by including a physical webcam privacy shutter that protects your child’s privacy when they need it, which also serves as a double protection feature to the disable webcam hotkey.

No compromise in ports selection

Forget about dongles and USB hubs, because the ASUS BR1100 series are generous on ports that let your children connect external storage and peripherals with ease, there’s two full-sized USB ports, a full-sized HDMI port, a RJ45 Gigabit Ethernet port, a USB-C port that supports USB Power Delivery charging and a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion. Furthermore, the ports of the BR1100 series have been rigorously tested for durability so no matter how your kids tamper with them, they remain functional and strong.

AI Noise-Cancelation ensures clear voice calls

Noisy pets and siblings in the house? The ASUS BR1100 series ensure your child’s learning experience isn’t disrupted by that with ASUS exclusive AI Noise-Cancelation technology, the feature intelligently cancels surrounding ambient noise and focuses on your child’s voice so that he/she can interact clearly with teachers and classmates despite challenging environments.

Convenient microphone mute button to eliminate noise in calls

Speaking of which, the BR1100 series also has a dedicated microphone mute button for added convenience that works universally in programs.

All-day learning with 10-hour battery life

Learning never stops on the ASUS BR1100 series all thanks to its power efficient and solid-state components that deliver up to 10 hours of battery life on a single charge, they are silent machines that your child can depend on for a full day of online classes, it also charges conveniently and fast over USB-C so that they never need to wait long to start a new day.

The only student laptop you can trial on

Still not convinced? ASUS is confident that you and your child will absolutely love the BR1100 series laptops, which is why the company is offering a trial demo for a limited time to interested individuals or school management, which you can register your interest here.

The ASUS BR1100C classic clamshell retails at RM1449 and BR1100F 2-in-1 Flip retails at RM1699, visit
here
 to find out more about this child friendly laptop.

This article is written exclusively for ASUS Malaysia.

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ASUS brings glasses-free 3D OLED display to Vivobook Pro 16X

5.6K

On top of all ASUS’ exciting CES 2023 announcements, the ASUS Vivobook Pro 16X 3D OLED might just be the most interesting mainstream laptop of all, as the name already suggests, this 16-inch laptop features a 16-inch 3.2K 3D OLED 120Hz display and despite being part of the Vivobook series, it is packed with some serious firepower.

Under the hood, the Vivobook Pro 16X 3D OLED is powered by a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13980HX processor paired with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 40 series Laptop GPU with up to 150W TGP, it also has a MUX Switch and comes preinstalled with NVIDIA Studio driver that’s optimised for creative workflows.

In addition, this laptop can be configured with up to 64GB DDR5 RAM and up to a 2TB PCIe 4.0 SSD, making this the most powerful Vivobook that ASUS has ever produced.

As a creator centric laptop, the Vivobook Pro 16X 3D OLED comes with an advanced ASUS IceCool Pro thermal technology to cool down its internals, there’s also a capacitive ASUS DialPad for precise and intuitive creative controls, and creators will love the convenience of dual Thunderbolt 4 ports and a standard sized SD card reader, which is overall a commendable upgrade over the Vivobook 16X OLED.

Local availability and pricing details have yet to be announced by ASUS Malaysia at the time of writing.

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ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 Review: An Elegant Web Browsing Champ

664

Most of the time, our work revolves around the web, we do emails using Gmail, write documents using Google Docs, access our files on Google Drive, watch videos on YouTube, or put it simply, our web browser has become the main operating system for our daily computing tasks, hence the existence of Chromebooks, a category of laptops that uses Google’s Chrome OS, or rather, the Google Chrome browser that aims to do almost everything that a typical computer does.

I have been using the ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 for a while now and it is the best Chromebook that you can already find it in Malaysian tech stores, not only it looks a hell lot better than Windows laptops of the same price range, but should you spend over RM2000 on a computer that can’t run your beloved Windows apps?

Before we answer that question, let me just tell you this once again, the Chromebook Flip C434 is such a beautiful object that you will simply forget that it doesn’t run Windows. The build quality is solid with an all aluminium chassis, the screen bezels are sleek for a 14-inch display, the keyboard is super silent and comfortable for typing and is way more solid than a MacBook Pro keyboard, and there’s a good amount of ports for a Chromebook – Two USB-C ports with USB Power Delivery charging, a full-size USB 3.1 port, and a MicroSD card reader.

The display that ASUS employs isn’t a cheap one either, it is a Full HD LED panel that covers 100% of the sRGB color space, the touch response is also really precise and the hinges are strong enough to sustain flips over the years of ownership – Yes, this is a 2-in-1 form factor that lets you treat it as a tablet and laptop, but unfortunately it doesn’t support any stylus input like the Surface Pen and ASUS didn’t make one for it. Also, you’ll be glad to know that the hinges also tilts the laptop a little to make typing a pleasure.

The Chromebook Flip C434 uses a Core m3-8100Y SoC that is paired with 4GB of LPDDR3 RAM and 64GB of internal storage, which on paper might not sound powerful if you have such hardware running Windows but more than sufficient for a Chromebook, I could open a dozen of Chrome tabs without encountering slow downs or require to reload pages as I’d usually face on a Windows machine with 4GB of RAM, it also streams 4K videos on YouTube like a champ and better than a 2019 MacBook Air that’s equipped with a more powerful CPU.

Apart from work, the Chromebook Flip C434 is a great entertainment machine, the loudspeakers maybe firing sound downwards but it is way better than many sub RM3000 laptops, its doesn’t have a bassy output that you’d expect from a Macbook speaker but it is clean and loud to not require an external speaker, I especially enjoy playing my Spotify jazz playlist on the laptop’s speakers.

One of the beautiful things about Chrome OS is the ability to run Android apps, you can download apps through the Google Play Store just like you do on your Android phone and run them, but unfortunately this is where problems tend to happen, as Android apps run on emulation rather than leveraging on the laptop’s raw power, you can encounter freezes and crashes without warning, playing Android games that require more graphics power will result in dropped frames or unplayable frame rates. This leads to the next problem – the Chrome Web Store, though you can find most of the essential apps here, most of them are extensions and do not work offline if you aren’t connected to the Internet.

Otherwise, the Chromebook Flip C434 is a beautiful web browsing and productivity machine, ASUS claims that it can last 10 hours on a single charge and I find that to be close enough based on my usage, there isn’t a measurement tool that I can use to testify, but I only usually need to charge the laptop every two days with an average 3.5 hours of combined usage per day, it also doesn’t discharge much when it goes on standby.

At RM2399, the Chromebook C434 Flip is an expensive device by Chromebook standards and a difficult choice to recommend, considering that you can easily get a Windows laptop with better specs on paper that isn’t limited by software. However, what will make you want to own the Chromebook C434 Flip is the good build quality and web browsing battery life within that price range, which makes it a compelling choice if your work is mostly on the web.

The Good

Solid build quality and beautiful craftsmanship

Colorful display and great brightness

All-day battery life

USB 3.1 ports

Silent and comfortable keyboard

Loudspeakers are better than most Windows laptops

Handles a dozen Chrome tabs like a champ

The Not so Good

No HDMI port

asus
asus malaysia
chrome os
Chromebook Flip C434
google


ASUS has confirmed the prevention of Ransomware via their AiProtection-Enabled Routers

353

With the on going attack on the world by the ransomware called WannaCry, ASUS has just released a notice to all AiProtection-enable routers that these devices will be able to protect users from the attack by utilizing the inbuilt intrusion prevention system powered by Trend Micro Smart Home Network by protecting vulnerabilities on your network such as open ports.

The system will check every single packet of data coming through the router from the Internet, AiProtection can detect and block any attempts to infiltrate your network and protect all connected devices. According to Trend Micro, last week alone the protection feature has already blocked over a million ransomware attacks, so don’t forget to enable the protection feature on your ASUS routers now.

If you have the following devices you can enable this feature:

RT-AC5300

RT-AC88U

RT-AC87U

RT-AC68U

RT-AC66U B1

DSL-AC68U

BRT-AC828

For more information on how to enable the feature ASUS has made a Facebook post dedicated to helping users keep their network safe
here
.

Aiprotection
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ASUS confirms that the Zenfone Max Pro M2 has a 5,000mAh battery

339

ASUS is planning on releasing the ZenFone Max Pro M2 in Indonesia next month, and the newest update from the company confirms that the smartphone will come with a 5,000mAh battery.

The M2 is rumoured to be a gaming smartphone that has a 6.26-inch IPS Full HD+ display with a wide-angled notch that has a single camera. There will also be changes in the back whereby the smartphone will be using a glass back instead of an aluminium back. The smartphone is also expected to get an upgrade in its processor, meaning that the phone will be equipped with the Snapdragon 660 processor instead of the previous Snapdragon 636 processor on the M1.

Image credit: ASUS

The M2 will come with a front camera that is assumed to have a 13MP lens, and there will a dual rear camera with 12MP+5MP lenses, and one of it will have a 3-axis EIS. It is also said to have 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, but many are expecting the company to bring in a 6GB RAM variant. As mentioned, the phone will be equipped with 5,000mAh battery that might support Quick Charge 3.0.

The smartphone will be revealed on 11 December in a launch event organised by Asus, so we will have to wait till then for further confirmation on the specs of the phone.

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zenfone
Zenfone Max Pro M2


Asus devices receiving Android 6.0 Marshmallow update

339

In their official ZenTalk forums, Asus has announced that some of its devices will be receiving the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update soon. Although the actual rollout timings have not been released yet, Asus however, has announced a list of its devices that will be updated when the time comes.

Before this announcement, rumors have been circulating that we would most likely see Asus latest devices receiving this update, which consists of the ZenFone 2 series, Laser and Deluxe; and looks like the rumors were quite accurate. However, one additional device that will also be getting the Android 6.0 Marshmallow update is surprisingly – the PadFone S. The PadFone S will be the only 2014 device in this list, and unfortunately for owners of older ZenFone devices, so far Asus has not addressed this issue about the update.

Here is the complete list of the Asus devices and model numbers that are confirmed to receive this new update:

PadFone S (PF500KL)

ZenFone 2 (ZE550ML, ZE551ML)

ZenFone 2 Deluxe/Special Edition (ZE551ML)

ZenFone 2 Laser (ZE500KG, ZE500KL, ZE550KL, ZE600KL, ZE601KL)

ZenFone Selfie (ZD551KL)

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ASUS ExpertBook new B-series laptops launched

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ASUS has just launched their newest lineup of business laptops in the form of the ExpertBook B1, B5, and B9.

ExpertBook B9

This is the most feature-laden model in the series and it packs an Intel Core i7-1165G7 CPU along with Intel Xe Graphics, 16GB of onboard memory, and up to 1TB of NVMe SSD in RAID 0 and RAID 1 configuration.

The laptop packs a 14-inch FHD IPS panel that has LED backlighting – the display offers 100% sRGB colour space, along with 4mm thin bezels.

Being a business laptop, the ExpertBook B9 offers a host of video conferencing features such as ClearVoice Mic, Multi-presenter mode which helps normalize individual voices, and ClearVoice Speaker which makes it easier for you to hear what your peers are saying.

There’s also a 720p webcam along with an IR sensor for facial recognition. Speaking of security, the B9 also comes with a fingerprint sensor for biometric login, plus an optional TPM chip that adds a layer of security for you data.

The ExpertBook B9 is priced at RM7,989.

ExpertBook B5 and B5 Flip

Your options in this lineup include a laptop with a conventional hinge, and one with a 360-degree hinge. The latter allows you to prop up the device in tent mode, or use it like a tablet instead.

Under the hood are either an Intel Core i5-1135G7 or and i7-1165G7 CPU; for graphics, you get the usual Intel Iris Xe. Both models come with 8GB of RAM and up to 512GB of PCIe SSD.

Both models pack a 13.3-inch FHD display, the B5 Flip of course comes with a touchscreen panel instead.

Other features for these laptops include a lightweight 1kg-body, up to 14 hours of battery life, and the same video conferencing features as the ExpertBook B9.

The ExpertBook B5 is priced from RM4,299; while the ExpertBook B5 Flip is priced from RM4,999.

ExpertBook B1

This is the most customizable model in the series and you get to choose either an Intel Core i5-1135G7 or Core i7-1165G7 CPU, alongside anywhere between 4 to 32GB of RAM. For storage, you get up to 512GB of PCIe SSD.

There are two models in this lineup – the B1400 which is a 14-inch laptop, and the B1500, which packs a 15.6-inch panel instead. Both displays are FHD and anti-glare.

I/O ports are also aplenty with 1x Thunderbolt port, 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A ports, 1x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI, 1x Ethernet port, 1x microSD card slot, 1x VGA D-SUB port, and one headphone jack.

The ExpertBook B1 is priced from RM3,599 for the 14-inch model, while the 15-inch variant will set you back RM3,759.

Visit ASUS website
here
 to learn more.

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ASUS ExpertBook B9 (2021) Review: Intel Tiger Lake takes it even further

1K

Business laptops have rarely been our choice when it comes to owning a work laptop, as they are usually pricier than consumer laptops and don’t necessarily feature better specs on paper, however companies like ASUS have decided to break the tradition with the ExpertBook B9, which I have reviewed last year and found it to be a very impressive ultraportable laptop and if not for its expensive price tag, I would have bought it without a heartbeat.

Watch our ExpertBook B9 video review last year

The ExpertBook B9 I received this time is refreshed with Intel’s 11th Gen Tiger Lake laptop processor and naturally, it is an Intel EVO certified device just like how its predecessor is certified on the ‘Project Athena’ platform. Given how satisfied I was with last year’s ExpertBook B9, I have no doubt that this is going to be one heck of a business machine that you will want to consider this year if you are looking for a new laptop to boost productivity.

Design and aesthetics wise, the ExpertBook B9 isn’t too different from last year’s model as it continues to sport an extremely lightweight profile of 995g (my unit comes with a 66Wh battery) all thanks to the magnesium lithium chassis, the screen bezels are also pretty thin which enables it to take up a very small footprint for a 13-inch laptop, although some might prefer if it came with a 16:10 aspect ratio display for more vertical space.

Therefore, it has always been a joy to transport the ExpertBook B9 around compared to my 13-inch MacBook Pro, it fits on most small coffee tables and doesn’t weigh down my backpack, a total life saver when I need to have other things on the table while working on it.

The ExpertBook B9 doesn’t leave out important and full size ports when others do

Despite its slim profile, ASUS has managed to squeeze in a full-sized USB and HDMI port that’s usually not possible on some other ultraportable laptops, it also has two USB-C ports that has been upgraded with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity with 65W USB PD charging, and if you ever need wired network connection, ASUS provides a Gigabit ethernet dongle out of the box that plugs into the micro HDMI port, however with WiFi 6 connectivity built in, I have never used it during the review period not unless I need to do some large file transfers over the network.

Privacy and on-device security remains to be the ExpertBook B9’s top selling point, as it comes with a privacy shutter for the Windows Hello enabled webcam and a fingerprint reader, one new security hardware feature is a proximity sensor built next to the webcam that senses your presence with the AdaptiveLock feature, which immediately activates as soon as you walk away from the laptop and depending on the timeout you configure, it locks the laptop and dims the screen, and once you return to your seat it turns on instantly and logs you in even before your hand reaches the trackpad.

For tighter security control, the ASUS Business Manager app allows you to lock access to external storage and restricts changes to system settings such as date and time and the registry, the laptop’s NVMe drives can also be encrypted with the app so it cannot be accessed on other laptops when removed, a system backtrack feature allows you to set a restore point while a file shredder feature ensures the file you deleted can never be retrieved with a recovery software.

The review unit I had with me is an impressively maxed out configuration model, it comes with 32GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 2TB of storage, which on top of the Core i7-1165G7 processor, is quite an overkill for many business users, but hey, you no longer need to crack open the laptop to perform any upgrades so I’d say that’s a total win.

Intel’s Tiger Lake processors introduced several improvements over the old Comet Lake-U processors, which in the case of the ExpertBook B9, it has gotten more responsive when you wake up the device from sleep, starting up from a cold boot also feels like a breeze, and more importantly the laptop’s fan is barely audible when I have several browser tabs opened on Microsoft Edge.

With the new Intel Xe iGPU, graphics performance is significantly boosted over the previous generation which you can technically do some graphics intensive tasks such as video editing and lightweight gaming, the processor’s thermal power can also be boosted up to 28W when set to Performance mode in the fan profile section of the MyASUS app, which will require you to remain plugged in for that added performance.

Just like its predecessor, the ExpertBook B9 is a very comfortable device to work on all thanks to the ErgoLift hinge that raises the keyboard height, the keycaps are also reasonably sized for fast and accurate typing and the trackpad has good tracking performance, however what continues to annoy me is the NumberPad 2.0 capacitive numpad,  which by all means isn’t a bad feature for those who requires to use a numpad on such a compact machine, but it can be easily activated when my palm rests near the capacitive button as I’m typing, a palm rejection feature in the drivers should resolve the issue but I doubt ASUS would implement that any time.

Apart from the M1 MacBook Pro, the ExpertBook B9 is the only laptop I have ever come across to exceed the 10-hour battery life mark, while ASUS’ advertised that it could go up to 24 hours on a single charge with a 66Wh battery, I managed to get around 14 hours when I was using it entirely for mostly web browsing and writing, which is darn good for its specs and quite on par with my M1 MacBook Pro.

The refreshed ExpertBook B9 continues to be one of the best ultraportable business laptop you can buy in the market with many of its features surpassing the competition, Intel’s Tiger Lake has certainly made it an even more attractive buy with its improved response and power efficiency, but one thing you do have to look out when you own this laptop is to always check if it is in your bags, because it really feels too light to handle.

The Good

Extremely lightweight and portable

Full-sized USB and HDMI port

Intel Tiger Lake delivers improved performance

Great privacy and security features

Strong battery life

The Not so Good

NumberPad 2.0 on trackpad easily activated

16:9 display

Expensive

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ASUS ExpertBook B9 now in Malaysia – weighs only 870g while packing top-tier specs

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The ASUS
ExpertBook
 B9 laptop has been launched and the company claims that it’s the lightest business laptop in the world – and with a weight of just 870g and thickness of 14.9mm, that could very well be true.

Thin and light

The 14-inch laptop comes with a
bezeless

NanoEdge
 display that’s fitted into a small 13-inch body. It sports a classy Star Black finish coated on a magnesium-lithium alloy body for that premium toughness. It also has ASUS’ signature ErgoLift hinge for better airflow and typing angle. Another signature feature is of course the ASUS NumberPad 2.0 which is an LED-illuminated keypad built into the touchpad.

Top-tier hardware

Under the hood of the
ExpertBook
 B9 is a 10
th
-Gen Intel Core i7 chip with up to 16GB of LPDDR3 RAM, and up to 2TB M.2 SSDs should you populate both PCIe 3.0 x4 slots. For graphics, there’s the Intel UHD Graphics 620. A premium 2020 laptop isn’t complete without support for Wi-Fi 6.

Connectivity

For I/O ports, there’s 2x Thunderbolt 3 USB C ports, 1x USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type A, 1x HDMI out, 1x HDMI port, an Ethernet interface via a mini HDMI port, and a headphone jack.

24-hours of battery life

Powering the laptop is up to a 66W battery which ASUS claims can last you up to 24 hours of regular usage on a single charge. Being a Project Athena-certified product, that claim could very well be true.

Price and availability

The ASUS
ExpertBook
 B9 is available for:

Intel Core i7-10510U+16GB RAM+ 2x 1TB SSD (Win 10 Pro) – RM9,299

Intel Core i7-10510U+16GB RAM+1TB SSD (Win 10 Pro) – RM8,599

Intel Core i
7-10510U+16GB RAM+1TB SSD (Win 10) – RM8,299

Intel Core i5-10210U+8GB RAM + 512GB SSD (Win 10 Pro) – RM6,599

Intel Core i5-10210U+8GB RAM + 512GB SSD (Win 10) – RM6,299

Visit their website
here
 to learn more about the laptop.


ASUS FonePad 7 FE170CG Review

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Phablets today have changed many people’s lives in using tablets and smartphones and they have been made really affordable for the masses without compromising too much on performance and usability. ASUS is a company that continues to introduce affordable Android devices to the market that has great design and features on board, the latest Fonepad 7 FE170CG is one device that you should be really noticing, it has dual SIM and phone calling capabilities, a 7 inch display and yet it retails at an extremely affordable price tag.

ASUS FonePad 7
 FE170CG Video Review

Low profile and elegant design

ASUS is a manufacturer that makes one of the best entry level hardware, the FE170 is an entry level device in the FonePad 7 family which features a very low profile yet elegant looking device. The back cover has a rough type texture that doesn’t make the device feel slippery while holding it, ASUS has also shrunk the bezels on the front to make the
tablet
 feel small and compact; the slightly curved design on the sides of the
tablet
 lays comfortably on our hands. The FE170’s design is really well thought by ASUS engineers to create a great user experience.

Similar to the original FonePad, the FE170 comes with very humble hardware specifications with some slight upgrades.

ASUS Fonepad 7 FE170CG Specifications

Processor: Intel Atom Z2520
Dual Core 1.2GHz
 with Quad Hyperthreading
RAM/ROM: 1GB/4GB (8GB available) with MicroSD Expansion
Display: 7″ IPS 1024×600 resolution with ASUS Splendid Technology
Camera: 2 Megapixel AF (Main), VGA (Front)
Connectivity: WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Features: Zen UI, Dual SIM Standby, USB OTG, Front Firing Speaker
Networks: DC-HSPA+ (
SIM 1)
, GSM (SIM 2)
Battery: 3950mAh

Low resolution display but vivid colors

Specs sometimes don’t tell you the true potential of every device, just like the display on the FE170. Despite having a very low resolution on a 7 inch display, colors looked vivid on the display thanks to ASUS Splendid display enhancement technology.

Due to the lack of an ambient sensor, there is no automatic brightness control which causes trouble when we’re using the device outdoors, even if we turn the brightness up to its maximum level, visibility can still be a challenge at outdoors. Fortunately, touch responsiveness is good and precise, we don’t have much issues performing gestures or navigating around the device.

First FonePad to feature Zen UI

We already anticipated ASUS to extend the support of Zen UI to devices out of the
ZenFone
 family to ensure that the user experience across its devices are consistent. The FonePad 7 FE170CG is the first product out of the ZenFone family to feature the company’s latest and greatest Android launcher. Zen UI focuses a lot on productivity features in the user experience and gets users back to the basics rather than introducing gimmicks.

Zen UI is a very colorful and lively launcher, it maintains many usability of stock Android rather than totally changing them, ASUS has designed clean and flat icons that looks pleasant to the eye, combined with a set of beautiful and breathtaking built-in wallpapers, it feels very comfortable and you totally get the ‘Zen’ feeling when using the device.

During our review period, we are happy to report that Zen UI doesn’t cause any serious amount of lag to the overall user experience. Lag only happens when background tasks such as synchronization and app updates are happening, otherwise you can pretty use the handy task manager widget to clean up memory. Lastly, Zen UI is very reliable and is the only third party Android launcher that we feel comfortable using on a
tablet
.

Do it Later and What’s Next – the main focus of Zen UI

We use our smartphones and tablets a lot, but we always tend lose focus on things that we should be working on with our busy lifestyle. Do it Later is basically a rebranded reminders and tasks app that helps you track down everything that you’ve set to complete them at a later time and is integrated in every default apps – Phone, Messages, Email, Browser, and SuperNote. After saving them as a do it later task, a reminder can also be set to remind the user on pending stuffs, you can even jump right into the relevant app from the tasks you’ve saved.

What’s next is a home and lock screen widget that tells users on upcoming events and tasks which is integrated well with the do it later and calendar app. The way it tells us what’s coming up next in our day is very intuitive and it even has a great and caring weather reminder.

A phablet that gives an immersive entertainment experience

Trust us, we haven’t seen any great entry level
tablet
 that gives us an immersive multimedia experience. The FonePad 7 FE170CG is the first entry level device to show us that potential with its front firing speaker, which is loud and clear for music listening and movie watching. With AudioWizard and SonicMaster onboard, the tablet produces an immersive sound experience in earphones with natural thumping bass while maintaining clarity.

The device also supports USB OTG, which lets us expand our storage easily by simply plugging in a USB OTG flash drive. To our surprise, the FE170 supports reading and writing
flash drives
 formatted in NTFS file systems, which is unachievable by most Android devices and requires a 3rd party app to access such file systems. (NOTE: FAT file systems that is commonly used by
Android smartphones
 can only support storing a maximum file size of not more than 4GB per file, NTFS file systems are natively supported by Windows and can support a theoretical maximum file size of up to 16EB)

Lastly, you will also be surprised that the device plays Full HD MKV videos without any hesitation on BS Player.

Camera with great potential but limited with a low resolution

Having a 2 Megapixel camera on a device today sounds really underwhelming and we definitely admit that ourselves. However, the FE170 gives us surprising imaging results, pictures taken aren’t spectacular, but they don’t look as grainy as other similar resolution smartphone cameras that we’ve reviewed recently and yet they produced good color saturation. Check out the sample images down below.

Similar to the original Fonepad, the FE170’s camera app is identical to the ZenFones. With numerous shooting modes and controls available, we feel disappointed on why isn’t ASUS able to include a better resolution camera on the device.

Benchmarks, Battery Life and Call Quality

Benchmarks on the FE170 yields similar results to quad core devices two years back, which demonstrates the power of Intel’s hyperthreading technology despite being a dual core chip, the device scores 15212 points and 5470 points on Antutu and Quadrant respectively.

Battery life is excellent for an entry level phablet with such a huge screen and a 3950mAh battery, we basically did a handful of phone calls and instant messages, web browsing and Bluetooth music streaming while connected to a Pebble smartwatch, the device is able to last us a full working day and sometimes slightly more than that.

Voice calling quality is excellent via Maxis and Celcom networks with no dropped calls experienced. Due to the lack of a proximity sensor, the display isn’t able to turn off itself when we put it the device near our ears, which makes it really troublesome for us to control our phone calls when the screen switches off itself.

Verdict

ASUS has again surprised us with an entry level device like the Fonepad 7 FE170CG, despite some compromises that we’ve faced in the user experience, the device has performed reliably as our daily driver. It isn’t meant for power users, but it certainly has well-balanced features for those who wants a productivity phablet that works well. The
ASUS Fonepad 7
 FE170CG starts retailing at RM499 for the 4GB variant and up to RM599 for the 8GB variant, we highly recommend to add an extra RM100 to get the higher storage model as you’ll need it to download huge apps.

The Good

Affordable Dual SIM phablet

Elegant entry level design

Acceptable performance

Good multimedia capabilities

Zen UI is awesome on a
tablet

Decent battery life and call quality

Excellent battery life

USB OTG supports NTFS file systems

The Bad

Low resolution camera

Fitting into pockets still a challenge

Limited amount of RAM

4GB built-in storage isn’t sufficient

No ambient and proximity sensor

Screen visibility slightly challenging at outdoors

We rate the
ASUS Fonepad 7
 FE170CG at 4 out of 5 stars.


ASUS Fonepad 7 Unboxing and First Look

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While the ASUS Zenfone 5 and 6 may not have arrived at our shores yet, the company has introduced a new product here to cater for the entry level market, meet the successor to the original
ASUS Fonepad
 which we’ve reviewed a few months back – the all new
ASUS Fonepad
 7.

This is a year of affordable smartphones and ASUS is one of the smartphone makers that’s joining the game, the
Fonepad
 7 is a successor to the original
Fonepad
 which was the company’s first attempt to make a phablet with phone calling capabilities. The
Fonepad
 7 has an all new design compared to its predecessor, featuring a rough textured plastic body which feels really good and it’s the first phablet to feature Dual-SIM standby support. The
Fonepad
 7 is powered by an Intel Atom Z2520 processor and 1GB RAM, our review unit is a 4GB internal storage model, the phablet supports MicroSD expansion and has a 2MP AF main camera, 7-inch 1024×600 display, front firing speaker and a 10Wh built-in battery. Check out our unboxing video down below and stay tuned to our full review of the ASUS Fonepad 7, the phablet retails at a RRP of RM499.