Review – Ugreen M.2 to USB 3.1 Gen 2 enclosure

For us here in the office, we have a lot of M.2 SSDs hanging around. Problem is, we have not enough desktops or laptops to slot them in. So, desiring the speeds like the SecureDrive BT that we reviewed not long ago, we decided to convert the extra M.2 SSDs into external USB-powered SSDs.
There are a few things we should know before going into this project – let us guide you through our process.

Choosing the right enclosure
There are multiple enclosures available in the market right now. Unfortunately, they’re all named similarly but functions completely differently. First, we need to know what type of M.2 SSD is to be converted to become an external USB drive.

We chose the KINGMAX PX3480. It’s an M.2 2280 SSD that is using the NVMe protocol and utilizes PCle Gen 3 x4 lanes. With that in mind, we can also confirm that this SSD is using an M-key. So, we’ll have to get an M.2 SSD enclosure that has an M-key. For those who are using SATA III M.2 SSDs, you’ll have to get a B-key enclosure.
This is the M-key M.2 SSD slot.
NVMe SSDs are fast – and this Ugreen enclosure utilizes the USB 3.1 Gen 2 protocol, and it can theoretically go up to 10Gb/s.
Unboxing
The Ugreen enclosure is pretty simple. We have the box itself that doesn’t tell much about anything.

Opening up we can find the enclosure itself. It’s metal for a reason that we’ll get into later. We also have this little rubber nub that we should keep properly and not lose it. There’s also a user manual that we’re never going to read. Also, it comes with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C to Type-C cable. Keep in mind that we need this cable to run at that super high speed.

And before you buy this enclosure, you might want to buy another USB 3.0 Type-A cable too.
Installation
It’s simple. The enclosure itself has a cover that can be slid off, revealing the connector itself. Ugreen made it so simple that we don’t even require any tools to install the SSD.

Remember that rubber nub? Yeah, we have another one on the SSD itself. Just take it out of the slot, plug in the SSD and then attach the rubber nub on the SSD and push it down on the hole to secure the SSD in place.

The Ugreen enclosure supports all different lengths of M.2 SSDs except for M.2 22110. Though, all of the M.2 SSDs that we’ve used are M.2 2280 anyway.

Using the Ugreen M.2 SSD enclosure
Honestly speaking, the KINGMAX PX3480 is a super speedy SSD when plugged directly into our PC. Going through the USB protocol, we’re locked with USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds – which on paper, can reach 10Gb/s or 1.25GB/s.
Well, in our real-world test, we’re able to get about 650MB/s on a single large file transfer. And that is already like 5-6 times faster than any of the usual 2.5-inch external hard disk that we’ve used.

But what are the drawbacks? Maybe don’t touch the SSD after copying files to/from the SSD inside the Ugreen M.2 SSD enclosure. It’s a known fact that SSDs do get hot – but NVMe SSDs are the hottest. It didn’t occur to me at first and I was surprised by how hot it got.
The metal enclosure does help to spread the heat out of the SSD faster, but that also means your hands will be scorched easily. There’s no way around this other than keeping in mind that the SSD will get hot after transferring files.
Wrapping up the Ugreen M.2 SSD enclosure.
I love it. If you have an extra M.2 SSD lying around, don’t collect dust with it. Spend a little more and convert it to an external SSD. Since it is using USB-C anyway, you can connect it to your phone or your laptop. Treat it as a speedy external drive. It’s so fast that I can edit videos off an external SSD, actually.

Depending on which M.2 SSD enclosure that you need, the price varies. For us, we opted for the M-key M.2 SSD enclosure for NVMe SSDs, and it was only priced at RM111.14 during a promotion. Just don’t ever buy the USB 3.0 micro-B enclosure.
This little enclosure gave our extra NVMe SSDs a purpose and for them to serve is in our day-to-day operation again.

Where to buy?

Lazada
Shopee

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Cooler Master shines with new MasterKeys mechanical keyboards

In case you don’t know, Cooler Master has made peripherals for quite some time now, and they’re now back with new keyboards – in a very bright and colourful style.
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The MasterKeys has a built-in ARM Cortex M3 procesor to speed up everything and to reduce delays. Seems like Cooler Master got a lot of masters around!
[UPDATE] : The MasterKeys Pro L is finally here in Malaysia, priced at RM699!
The MasterKeys Pro S will be available some time further, expected to be May 2016.

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Malaysia’s independent radios attacked

On the 7th of April, Radio Free Sarawak and Radio Free Malaysia were jammed with their website inaccessible due to cyberattacks, says its founder. As both of it are broadcasted in London on short-wave frequencies and available to be streamed through the internet via Soundcloud, founder Clare Rewcastle-Brown states that :

 “There have been attempts at broadcast interference on both radio stations by jamming from different parts of the world over the past few days. These have had limited success so far and we have been working on tracing the perpetrators”
– MalaysiaKini

This attack isn’t exactly on a small scale and must have gotten help, given that the attack was launched all at once throughout the entire yesterday, mainly from the US and Malaysia and had to be closed down.
Another website that was attacked similarly was The Sarawak Report, also founded by Rewcastle-Brown.
More on what Rewcastle-Brown said :
 “The BN is throwing in very large sums of money to suppress our voice, but all the BN is doing is demonstrating to the world that its pretence of holding a democratic, free and fair election is a sham.”
“If these two radio stations are doing nothing else, they are showing Malaysia’s BN coalition for what it really is to the rest of the world.”

The websites are already back up now and ready for the people again.
It’s tragic however, to see such a thing happen. Conspiracies – be prepared for it to spring up, though what Rewcastle-Brown said is pretty much what can be concluded now, as the traffic did come from Malaysia too. What do you think?
Via : Malaysian Insider

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Stand a chance to win a brand new smartphone from Apple and Samsung or more by joining the Yoodo Unlimited family

Yoodo has launched a new special infinite-themed campaign for all new and existing users to join and experience its fully customizable telco service.

Starting from November until the end of 2021, new users who purchase new Yoodo line or port-in from other telco brands who subscribes to an Unlimited plan will be enrolled into the lucky draw automatically to win an Apple iPhone 13 or Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G, Samsung 65-inch LED 4K UHD Smart TV and more that includes gadgets and Yoodo credits.
For existing users, while they can’t join in the lucky raffle fun but there are RM30 GrabFood vouchers up for “grabs”. Just post a screenshot of your Unlimited Plan data usage within the Yoodo app dashboard and post it on either Instagram Story/Twitter feed with the hashtag #unlimitedyoodo and tag @yoodomy. 30 weekly winners will be selected throughout the same campaign period.
Additionally, new Yoodo Unlimited users can also enjoy FREE 5GB high-speed data upon activation of their Yoodo SIM card, plus free voice minutes and 6GB of free hotspot quota as part of the Unlimited package.
For more info about Yoodo’s Unlimited Theory campaign, check here.

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U Mobile decides not to join DNB’s SSA

Oh this one is a doozy. We got an email with the official statement from U Mobile stating that they are not joining DNB’s Shared Subscription Agreement (SSA) plan. That means they won’t be joining the board of DNB stakeholder but they are still in discussion with DNB to join the infrastructure.
Here’s the official statement from U Mobile:

DNB Share Subscription Agreement (SSA)
U Mobile is supportive of the government’s vision of a single wholesale network (SWN) model for 5G deployment in Malaysia and is grateful to have been invited by the government to invest in Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB). U Mobile has had extensive discussions and deliberations on the matter and after taking into consideration the terms of the investment as it currently stands, the telco has decided that it will not pursue the investment option in DNB. The telco believes it would better serve Malaysians by focusing on its strengths of providing innovative and unbeatable connectivity and digital services, that would realise the full potential of 5G technology.
The telco’s decision not to invest in DNB does not affect its ability to provide 5G services to customers as access to DNB’s 5G network infrastructure is governed by a separate access agreement, which is not linked to the equity investment in DNB. U Mobile, along with the other telcos, is in discussion to finalise the 5G access agreement with DNB. Once it is finalised and signed, DNB’s 5G access when combined with U Mobile’s existing 4G network will enable U Mobile customers to enjoy a truly seamless connectivity experience.
U Mobile has full faith that DNB will be on schedule for the deployment of quality 5G network infrastructure and that it will carry out the government’s mandate to provide wholesale 5G coverage and capacity on an equitable and non-discriminatory basis via the 5G access agreement. U Mobile has been testing 5G services and are looking forward to our customers enjoying the full benefits of 5G with our 5G-ready products and services soon.
With this in mind, I got a question for those who are using U Mobile right now – what do you feel about this? What’s your reaction?

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Review – ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14: It’s a very different kind of “gaming laptop”

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. This is a highly-anticipated laptop and rightfully so – because it’s using the latest AMD Ryzen mobile CPU. But that’s not the only key highlight feature of the Zephyrus G14.
I’m talking about a brand new design, the AniMe Matrix, and many little quality of life things that ASUS got it right with this laptop.

Performance
So let’s start off with the performance of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. The one that we have here is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 4600HS coupled with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti, and also 8GB of RAM alongside 512GB of M.2 SSD.
I would say that the performance is as expected. I mean, within expectations – the configuration of the ROG Zephyrus G14 that we have here is still going to be a fairly powerful gaming laptop if you turn down the graphical settings a little to get a smooth 60fps. To achieve that 120Hz though, probably need to lower the graphical settings even more.

But that’s okay since this laptop’s display supports adaptive sync to prevent screen tearing.
As for the temperatures, the CPU might be a little toasty as it can reach 90°C in certain games, but don’t worry – it’s fine. The GPU is kept nice and cool at about 77°C most of the time.

The upgradability
Opening up the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is pretty simple. Here, we can see that ASUS made good use of the available space and a big portion of it.

Looking at the motherboard itself, the only thing that we can do here is to swap out the existing M.2 SSD upgrade and add another RAM. While I obviously prefer double RAM slots to be user-serviceable, I think this is an acceptable compromise.

The WiFi card can be swapped, but it already came with an Intel WiFi 6 AX200 network card anyway.
Design
Okay – we’ll start with the new design. The new Zephyrus G14 has a sleek design which I absolutely like. It has this boxy design with rounded corners which somehow looks… exceptionally sleek.

The one we have here is in white color and of course, we have to address the elephant in the room – those holes on the lid. The ROG Zephyrus G14 comes with the AniMe Matrix. They’re an array of white-colored LEDs which you can customize with your own text or animation.
If you’re on Facebook or YouTube, then you’ve probably seen a video of me explaining how to use the AniMe Matrix.

The customizability of the AniMe Matrix is surprisingly vast, and it truly depends on how far your creativity will bring you. For us, well – we’ll put memes on it because that’s how we roll.

Because of the AniMe Matrix, the laptop lid itself is thicker than most laptops – but this lid is made out of magnesium alloy with 6,536 holes milled with precision by a CNC machine. This lid is rigid and has little to no flex.

Actually, the entire laptop is also very sturdy. The deck is silver-colored and is made out of magnesium-aluminum alloy and then finished with a fingerprint-resistant coating. But because the chassis is mostly built with magnesium alloy, this laptop we have weighs in at only 1,719 grams. That’s impressive.

This laptop – surprisingly – also has the ErgoLift hinge. When the lid is opened, the laptop is raised up and propped up at an angle. What I don’t like here is how easy it is for those two rubber strips to become dirty. And since this laptop is white in color, the dirty rubber strips become very apparent.

That screen
Being a ROG laptop, it needs to have that “gaming” DNA in it. The exact configuration that we have here is a 14-inch 1080p panel with 120Hz refresh rate. It also supports adaptive sync, has 100% sRGB, and Pantone validated.
Okay, so I’m going to be real here. This display looks fantastic. I love the colors that come out of it but I’m not sure if it’s an issue with Windows or just the graphics driver in general – it seems there’s a dynamic contrast thing going on here, which is especially obvious since there’s a slow transition while viewing pages in dark mode and jump to light mode suddenly.

Either way, the bezels on the sides are relatively thin – except for the bottom. At least that ErgoLift hinge hides some of the massive chin. Also, there’s no webcam on the ROG Zephyrus G14. If you want to use a webcam you’ll have to get an external webcam instead.

Small, yet great trackpad
ASUS somehow manages to show us that there is nothing wrong with a smaller-sized trackpad if it is done well. This trackpad uses Windows Precision Touchpad drivers and it tracks very well. I love how this trackpad feels, by the way.

Instead of describing how great the trackpad feels, let me share with you my experience. I did this entire AniMe Matrix video using only the trackpad and I have no complaints about it.
One positive side effect here is that the smaller trackpad means no palm rejection issue – which I was taking for granted until just now.
The keyboard
When it comes to the keyboard, it’s using a tenkeyless keyboard – which means no number pad – and the typing feel on this keyboard is amazing. I love this keyboard a lot because they manage to balance out the stiffness and bounciness of the keys, making it responsive and just great to type on.

The keyboard layout that the ROG Zephyrus G14 is pretty standard for a 14-inch laptop and my only complaint is the arrow key arrow. It’s a half-sized arrow key cluster and it’s just something that we have to get used to.

I’d say it’s quite good in terms of battery life and ASUS also included two different power bricks with the ROG Zephyrus G14. There’s the standard 180W charger with a barrel jack, and also a smaller 65W charger with a USB Type-C port. Both of these use different plugs, by the way.

The latter is because the ROG Zephyrus G14 supports USB-PD charging. Of course, the smaller charger is not meant to be used while gaming – but it does still give life to the laptop.
We also did a test to compare and see how long it takes to charge from 15% to 100% while idle. It doesn’t make much of a difference while charging in an idle state, and I also have no idea why there’s a dip while charging using the 180W charger.

Either way, I truly appreciate this feature since I can charge this laptop using an 18W smartphone charger. It’s slow, yes – but I’m going to sleep anyway. So I just leave it to charge overnight.
Should you buy the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14?
Okay – so the price of this exact configuration of the Zephyrus G14 is at RM5,299. Looking purely at the specs itself, it might seem expensive. But the true value of this laptop is in its build quality, the materials used to build this laptop, the keyboard, the trackpad, and obviously – the AniMe Matrix.

I mean, this laptop is an attention-grabber. Whenever I take out this laptop, the first question I get is – what are those holes? When I boot it up, everyone goes wow. Then it just snowballs from there. The AniMe Matrix is a unique feature that I truly like – especially since it can show time and date. But it’s showing to the other person, not to the user of this laptop.
That aside, this is a very well-built laptop. While ASUS is positioning this as a gaming laptop, I see it as a great laptop for almost all types of workloads – including creative work like photo and video since it does have a Pantone validated screen.

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Transcend MTE850 M.2 SSD Announced; 2500MB/s Read & 1100MB/s Write

Transcend has finally announced their first ever SSD that utilizes the latest PCIe Gen 3 x4 interface with full compatibility of the NVMe 1.2 specs. Each time I see an SSD that uses PCIe Gen 3 and with NVMe specs, the speeds must be insane – and the Transcend MTE850 is no different.

With the far more superior PCIe Gen 3 x4’s theoretical bandwidth limit of 32GB/s, SSDs can really go beyond imaginable speeds while having a much tinier size. A single stick of M.2 SSD is arguably much more streamlined in design compared to a SATA-based SSD, in my opinion.
As we’ve stated, the Transcend MTE850 can reach up to 2,500 MB/s reads and 1,100 MB/s writes because of a few engineering decisions. Firstly, it uses  DDR3 DRAM cache, SLC caching, and also uses low-density parity check (LDPC) to ensure its reliability. Combined with 3D MLC NAND technology, its long-term reliability is greatly improved too.

Currently, the Transcend MTE850 is offered in 128GB, 256GB, and also 512GB variants, and it’s backed with Transcend’s 3-year limited warranty.

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Huawei Malaysia official online store celebrates 6th birthday with many deals

Huawei is one of the early brands that ventured into online storefronts back in the days. It’s been 6 years since its debut, and now the brand wants to celebrate its birthday by bringing in some exciting deals.
Starting from 23rd to 28th April, you can click here to get online vouchers of RM166 so that you can use it on 29th April during checkout. Of course, there are terms and conditions. The RM166 voucher can only be used for these devices:

Product
Free Gifts
Regular Price
Price with Voucher

HUAWEI M5 Lite
N/A
RM 1,299
RM 1,133

HUAWEI M6
HUAWEI M-Pencil
RM 1,899
RM 1,733

HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G
HUAWEI CP39s Wireless Car Charger and PU Leather Case
RM 4,199
RM 4,033

HUAWEI nova 5T
HUAWEI Band 4 (Black)
RM 1,399
RM 1,233

HUAWEI P30
HUAWEI Body Fat Scale
RM 1,999
RM 1,833

On the 29th of April 2020, there is also a one-day-only deal for these products:

Product
Regular Price
Promotional Price

 HUAWEI AM116 Earphone
RM 48
RM 40

 HUAWEI AM61 Sport Bluetooth Earphone
RM 205
RM 172

 HUAWEI AP09S 10,000mAh Super Charge Powerbank
RM 256
RM 215

 HUAWEI AP31 Car Quick Charger
RM 68
RM 57

 HUAWEI CM510 Mini Speaker
RM 99
RM 83

 HUAWEI CM70-C FreeLace Earphone
RM 369
RM 310

 HUAWEI CP11QC Power Bank 10,000mAh (Max 18W) Type-C
RM 188
RM 158

 HUAWEI CP12S 12000 40W SuperCharge Powerbank
RM 358
RM 301

 HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro PU Case
RM 68
RM 57

 HUAWEI Mate 30 PU Case
RM 68
RM 57

 HUAWEI Mate Dock 2
RM 299
RM 251

 HUAWEI X Gentle Monster Smart Eastmoon Eyewear
RM 1,599
RM 1,343

 HUAWEI X Gentle Monster Smart Jackbye Eyewear
RM 1,599
RM 1,343

 HUAWEI 9V/5V 2A or 5V4.5A + 5V1A Car Charger
RM 127
RM 107

Other products are also having discounts – which is only valid on 29th April 2020. These deals are on a while stocks lasts basis.

Product
Free Gifts
Regular Price
Promotional Price

HUAWEI Band 4
N/A
RM 139
RM 89

HUAWEI MateBook 13 i5
HUAWEI Mouse and Backpack
RM 3,999
RM 3,266

HUAWEI MateBook 13 i7
HUAWEI Mouse and Backpack
RM 4,399
RM 3,666

HUAWEI MateBook D 15 256GB
HUAWEI Mouse and HUAWEI Body Fat Scale
RM 2,299
RM 2,099

HUAWEI nova 4e
N/A
RM 999
RM 599

HUAWEI T5
N/A
RM 899
RM 596

HUAWEI Watch GT
N/A
RM 799
RM 366

HUAWEI FreeBuds 3
HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 Cover
RM 679
RM 566

There will also be a flash sale that runs from 23rd to 29th April 2020. The flash sale will be starting at 10.08am every day. There will only be a limited quantity for each item.

Date
Product
Regular Price
Promotional Price
Limited Units

23 – 28 April
HUAWEI CP11QC 10,000mAh Powerbank
RM 188
RM 66

5 units on each day from 23-27 April
4 units on 28 April

29 April
HUAWEI P10 Flip Cover
RM 58
RM 0.60
14

29 April
HUAWEI P10 Plus Flip Cover
RM 58
RM 0.60
51

29 April
HUAWEI Band 4
RM 139
RM 66
10

AppGallery voucher
Users of the Huawei AppGallery can also get another RM100 online voucher. Just register yourself as a user within 23rd to 28th April and you’ll receive this voucher. Remember that this voucher can only be used on the 29th April with a minimum purchase of RM1,100 and cannot be used for new arrivals.

New arrivals
Speaking of new arrivals, they’ll be getting discounts or bundled with free gifts too. The promotional period is from 29th April to 7th June.

Product
Free Gifts
Regular Price (RM)
Promotional Price

HUAWEI MatePad Pro, Smart Magnetic Keyboard and M-Pencil
N/A
RM 3,197
RM 2,898

HUAWEI P40
HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 (White)
RM 2,799
N/A

HUAWEI P40 Pro
HUAWEI FreeBuds 3 (White)
RM 3,899
N/A

HUAWEI Watch GT 2e
HUAWEI Watch GT 2e strap
RM 599
N/A

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Samsung announces new software updates with new features for the Galaxy Buds2 Pro and Galaxy Watch4/Galaxy Watch5 series

Samsung just announced new software updates for their wearable devices to bring you even more features. I’m rather surprised as Samsung is technically just adding value for those who already own these devices – which is certainly nice of them to do so.
Galaxy Buds2 Pro gets 360° Audio Recording
For those who wants to capture soundscapes, now you can – by just using your earbuds and your phone. According to Samsung, once you’ve paired the Galaxy Buds2 Pro with a Galaxy smartphone, you can film your videos with high-quality, realistic 360° audio by using a microphone on each earbud.

Technically, this is more like a true stereo recording which even Samsung said it’s binaural recording. That means we can now wear the Galaxy Buds2 Pro, turn on the 360° audio recording, and record ASMR videos.

Samsung claims that this 360° audio recording is the first feature added to the Galaxy lineup that leverages the new LE Audio standard that is found in Bluetooth audio protocol. This new LE audio standard allows better quality audio with improved latency and power efficiency, alongside a broader spectrum of sound.
This feature will require your Galaxy smartphone to be running One UI 5.0 and above with Bluetooth LE Audio support.
Camera controls from your wrist
This feature isn’t exactly new – the Galaxy Watch series always had a Camera Controller app that allows us to control the phone’s camera with our watch. But, there are more things that can be done.
Samsung is introducing a brand new update to the Galaxy Watch5 and Watch5 series that adds zooming capabilities to the Camera Controller app by using either pinch-to-zoom gesture or by rotating the bezel (or virtual bezel).

I think this is a fantastic feature for those who want to take pictures using a tripod or something. Imagine moon shots – a slight bump on the phone means that the moon will be out of frame – and having a remote controller on our wrist can eliminate these bumps.
You can watch our review of the Galaxy Watch(es) here. I’m currently wearing the Galaxy Watch5 Pro and I’m loving the battery life.

Availability
These two updates will come in separate dates. The Galaxy Buds2 Pro’s 360° audio recording will be pushed via software updates today.
As for the Galaxy Watch5, Watch5 Pro, Watch4, and Watch4 Classic, the update will come beginning 2nd February – which I think will be highlight as a part of the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event for the Galaxy S23 series too. I mean, the camera is always the highlight on the Galaxy S series – so it makes perfect sense to pair this feature with the Watch4 and Watch5 series of smartwatches.
Remember to tune in on 2 February, at 02:00AM Malaysian Time, for more details of the upcoming Galaxy S23’s launch.

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Lazada’s 11.11 Sale of the Year is coming to town! Deals, shows, games, savings – Get them all!

November 11. How many wallets get dunked clean every single year during this day? I know I’m one of those people who’ll join the fun. As the premiere Sales of the Year day for e-commerce platforms, Lazada brings even more international and local brands to LazMall with unbeatable prices contributed by discounts up to 90% on over 70 million available items.

Following the theme of eleven, Lazada is also guaranteeing their prices are the lowest or get 11 times your money back. Speaking of the lowest price possible, customers can look for some of the most popular items with eye-boggling discounts including:

Up to 90%: OPPO A92 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, Lancôme Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Serum 7ml trial kit, Dyson V8 Fluffy+, Samsung Galaxy Note 10+, Tefal Steam Iron Comfort Glide
Up to 50%: Huawei Mate 30 8GB RAM + 128GB storage, Edifier X3 True Wireless Stereo Earphone, SUUNTO 9 Baro Copper, Asus 23 Eye Care Gaming Monitor
Food Deals: Baskin Robbins Single Junior Scoop @ RM2.50, 2 bowls of Ippudo ramen @ RM39.00, Burger King Double Beefacon meal with free Cheeseburger @ RM 11.11
Free shipping with minimum RM11 spent

To serve all the overwhelming purchases during that day, Lazada is committed to bringing all customers 24-hour delivery service alongside next day delivery for those residing within the Klang Valley area to make sure everyone can get their hands on everything they desired as soon as possible.
Shoppertainment with LazLive, LazCoins and Lazada Wallet
Lazada’s Shoppertainment programs and game apps are further improved to cater throughout the entire 11.11 period. Here’s what to expect during the annual shopping festival.

Lazada 11.11 Super Show – Starts on 10 November from 9 p.m to 12 a.m and will be livestreamed from Axiata Arena on the Lazada app, TV3, and the Youtube channel of both brands. Joined by Yuna, Harith Zaman, Douglas Lim with brand ambassadors Ayda Jebat, Ismail Izzani, Sean Lee, and Joey Leong, expect superior performance from the Super Show alone. Brands such as L’Oreal Paris, Garnier, Carlo Rino, Family Guard, Photobook, Samsung, and Nissan will be featured as well.
Lazada CDO Show – Chief Discount Officer Ain Edruce will be introducing many unbelievable deals on brands and products alike. Catch the show on the Lazada app, Lazada Youtube, TV3, TV3 Facebook Live and TV9 from 6 p.m – 8 p.m on 11.11.
The Lazada Heartbeat Wallet Contest – Win exclusive prizes and giveaways from Mastercard, Ippudo, InterContinental Hotel Kuala Lumpur, and other partners worth RM650,000 when you top up and shop with Lazada Wallet from November 1 to December 31
Win an all-new Nissan Almera – Just top up Lazada Wallet from November 1 to 10 and buy anything on Lazada between 12 a.m to 2 a.m on 11.11.
RM30 Instant Cashback – Top-up Lazada Wallet from November 6 to 10
Laz Treats – 11% off with a minimum spend of RM499 with Lazada Wallet from more than 1000 participating brands and sellers
Get more rewards with LazCoins – Win freebies and redeem more than 111 million vouchers. Additionally, stand a chance to win an Ecovacs DEEBOT OZMO 950 Robot Vacuum cleaner exclusively for LazCoins, and join the Coins Race to win items such as an OPPO A92, PerySmith Air Fryer, Sennheiser Sports Headset, Tefal Steam Iron, Thomas Sabo Charm Pendant, and many more
Redeem rewards from LazGames: Play “Happy Bounce” with 25,000 vouchers up for grabs from L’Oreal, Maybelline, and Garnier. Simply play to earn coins and stand a chance to win or play “SharePocket” and share with friends to reach the goal of RM111 to win rewards in the form of Lazada Wallet rebates. Furthermore, invite 11 friends from 10 November to 11 November to win RM5 instant Lazada Wallet rebates
FPX Online Banking deals – Get vouchers and cashback for new and existing customers during 11.11

As a side note, this time Lazada is initiating a CSR initiative with Colgate-Palmolive via The Lost Food Project. By buying the ColgateSendASmile Bundle that consists of a Colgate toothpaste and toothbrush at RM15 during the Flash Sale, customers will receive a special thank you note from Colgate, along with a Lazada voucher that can be used for their next purchase on the platform.
To find out more about Lazada’s 11.11 Biggest One Day Sale, check out the campaign page here.

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Gamescom 2019: Dell & Alienware brings their new designs to light

It’s the first day of Gamescom 2019 and both Dell and Alienware are showcasing their brand new products which will be coming to the market in the coming months. One thing that I realize is happening to Dell in general is the segregation of high-end gaming products under the Alienware brand (as usual) and Dell Gaming series is meant for more budget-oriented gaming gears.
Of course, knowing Alienware, the products announced today is not some generic product. We first saw it in Computex 2019 but had an NDA – but it’s officially announced at Gamescom. Alienware claims that it is “born from the ethos of purposeful innovation” and it looks absolutely fantastic.

This tiny little desktop tower is able to pack in an Intel 9th Gen Core Processors and NVIDIA GeForce GPU. More information on this desktop to come in the near future.
New Dell G5 desktop
Introducing Dell’s first Dell Gaming desktop – the G5. This desktop can pack up to an Intel Core i9 K-Series CPU with either both NVIDIA RTX or AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT GPU. If you ever want to expand or upgrade your storage, Dell has built in some tool-less mechanisms for you to pop your storage drives in and out easily.

The Dell G5 optimizes airflow and provides four thermal mode options that can be set in the Alienware Command Center. Since it is indeed a gaming desktop, it also has an optional blue LED lighting and optional clear window side panel.

Availability

Product
Starting price (MYR)
Availability

Dell G5 Desktop
RM3,999
End-August 2019

Alienware Aurora R9
To be announced
End-September 2019

Dell 32 Curved Gaming Monitor (S3220DGF)
To be announced
End-September 2019

Alienware 34 Curved Gaming Monitor (AW3420DW)
To be announced
End-October 2019

Alienware 27 Gaming Monitor (AW2720HF)
To be announced
Mid-November 2019

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Amazfit Malaysia launches GTR 4 and GTS 4 smartwatches for the actives, fashionista, and business elites

Amazfit Malaysia has announced they have brought in the new GTR 4 and GTS 4 series smartwatches into the country and you can buy them starting today.

We dive into the GTR 4 first and they are for the business executives as the style and design language are all about a modern active lifestyle with a hint of class. Hosting a piece of 1.43-inch HD AMOLED round display, it comes with Dual-band Circularly-polarized GPS antenna technology for improved positioning and route tracking in addition to real-time navigation.
Coupled with the wholly-packed fitness-related features like smart strength training, interval training templates, sports reminder, voice broadcast and track run mode, the GTR 4’s host of 150+ sports modes can fulfill your needs of virtually any kind of workout activity.
The 5ATM water resistance can keep itself safe from mild sweat and splashes while the new BioTracker 4.0 sensor amps the accuracy of overall physical wellbeing parameters.

Meanwhile, the GTS 4 sports a square-shaped 1.75-inch HD AMOLED display, and the color selection are more into the flat and simple spectrum where one can daily drive together with any sort of clothing combo. Function-wise, it is fully identical to the GTR 4 so we’ll skip over that.
Color and Pricing Info
The Amazfit GTR 4 will come in Superseed Black, Vintage Brown Leather and Racetrack Grey colors while the GTS 4 comes in Infinite Black, Misty White, Autumn Brown, and Rosebud Pink.
Both are priced at RM799 for a limited time (RRP RM829) and early birds will receive an RM30 Starbucks gift card. The deals are currently up and running at Amazfit Malaysia’s Shopee store.

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[Review] Armaggeddon KAI-9 Sentinel keyboard

This company approached me a few weeks ago and wanted me to review some of their products. Obviously I wanted to test it for myself , so I agreed since I have seen their products being sold in many places, and have heard of personal recommendations from friends too.
However when I got the parcel from the courier, the first thing I noted when I opened it was the keyboard’s name. Their website says it’s the NightHawk KAI-9, but on the keyboard it’s printed as KAI-9 Sentinel. Well, which is it? I’ll just call it KAI-9 throughout this review.

Putting that aside though, it’s get on into the review.
No, I’m not going to take pictures of huge rectangular box which just shows you a keyboard when opened.
The included stuff alongside with the keyboard is pretty simple. There’s an envelope with the manuals inside, a CD for the driver which you can also download it online, and some extra rubber feet for replacing the worn out ones should you need them.
Keyboards… there aren’t really much to talk about its box and accessories.
Oh yes, there’s also a 2-year limited warranty, which even had its warranty period printed at the back of the keyboard.
[nextpage title=”Look and feel”]
First off let me talk about what buttons are present and what is not. Right off the bat, I like its clean and symmetrical look, and the Armaggeddon logo at the top of the middle section, lit by an LED.

Then there’s the 6 programmable keys at the most right side, as seen on many other gaming keyboards. Nothing extraordinary here.
The interesting – or should I say the redundant part – is the media control keys at the top right side. There’s a play/pause, previous, next, volume up, volume down, and mute button. Yes, that’s great.
When it comes to the function modifier key, or Fn key, the same buttons appear once more, alongside with some extras such as RPS adjustment, and a button specifically to launch your media player.If F1 to F12 can do everything with the Fn key, what’s the point of the row of buttons at the top right???

As for the key’s design, my only complaint is the Shift and Enter key’s size. Personally speaking, button beside the Shift key should be moved to the upper half of the Enter key – at least that’s how I would prefer it to be, since I’ve gotten used to that configuration.
The Fn key replaces one of the most stupid buttons found on keyboards, and I give that a thumbs up, even though that placement does take a little getting used to.

The texture of the keys is something to be highlighted. It has this uneven surface that you can even feel by brushing your fingertip on the keys itself. I don’t know what the real purpose is – fashion or science.
Armaggeddon promoted that the KAI-9 has “7 different colours of backlight in one keyboard” on the product bog and also on their website, but then again all the colours I can find is only those two above – red and green. I wondered how I can get the other 5 colours but that’ll be on another section in this review.
[nextpage title=”Typing”]To get a gist of what the KAI-9 is about, I’ve decided to use it as my daily keyboard for more than a week and see how that goes. My method of testing is simple – I replace my Microsoft keyboard-mouse combo with what they sent me, and see how that goes.

To start off, the keyboard is pretty good in its tactile feedback for a membrane switch keyboard. Keys are high enough to feel the goodness of a complete press, but doesn’t make much noise when pressed with more force.
As my personal preference, I did feel the keys require a little too much force for me to type on as compared to my main Microsoft keyboard, and it did take a while for me to get used to such strength requirement.
Now I wouldn’t say it’s not that good to require such strength; I did type my entire assignment with this keyboard and am now typing this review using this keyboard.

My first complaint is that some buttons can somehow get stuck and would not bounce back up, which I have no reason why and I have to press again to let it bounce right back up. It happened to the Enter key, the right side Shift key and also the backspace key. What it seems like however, is that the key itself got stuck by catching itself with other keys. Seriously?

My second complaint is this : if the keyboard is going to be so thick, then give us an armrest.  The KAI-9 is so thick that even if you wanna use it without the keyboard legs propped up, it’ll still be too thick to type on in the first place. Definitely an issue for me during my typing experience.

Also if you’re typing in the dark, you’ll realize how much light leaks are present on the keyboard. You can tell that the front piece and back piece didn’t exactly seal up together well enough, leaving a relatively large seam and has green light coming out of it.

The keyboard can have 3 different profiles – great! It’s not as great as it sounds though – my fourth complaint is how the backlight changes between profiles. Like I said, there are only two out of the total of seven colours for my to control from. Profile 1 and Profile 2 uses the same green colour, whereas only Profile 3 alone uses red colour backlight. Seriously, can’t they just use up 3 of the total 7 colours to differentiate each profile?
Other than that, I don’t really have much to complain for the typing experience. It’s has a pretty OK build quality, twisting it from side to side and the keyboard does make some noise, but it doesn’t flex much. Pressing the keys in the middle doesn’t flex too.
[nextpage title=”Software”]This is where the goodness of the keyboard goes to the not-so-good part.
Starting off with the backlight colours. They claim that the keyboard has 7 different colours, but the ones that you can choose from is only 2, that is red or green. The other 5 colours is only shown when you change the backlight mode to “circular breathing”, where it pulses across all the 7 different colours. The available colours are red, green, blue, purple, cyan, yellow, and white (which looks pretty much like cyan).
On the other hand, the software has a very raw look into it, feels like it’s some kind of alpha version with its lack of polished looks.

Here is the main menu of the driver, with its features again slapped on the software. Take note again that the keyboard is just called KAI-9 in the driver, not Sentinel or NightHawk. Those social media icons at the lower left is completely useless – they can’t be clicked, except for the link back to Armaggeddon’s website.
Onward wit the button settings, you get a layout of the keyboard itself. Here, you can change nearly all of the keys. Technically, you can morph this keyboard into a DVORAK layout through this menu. Toggle between the 3 profiles to have some other layouts too, if that’s what you want.

Another thing I’d like to be able to change is these 3 buttons. Yes, My Computer and the Home button are great, but the email button? Not so much. It automatically launches Hotmail on my browser (I don’t have Outlook installed) and I don’t use Hotmail at all. Oh wait, Hotmail is no more, it’s all Outlook.com now.
I really do hope that I can bind something more useful to these keys. I mean come on, even my cheapo Microsoft keyboard can do what. Let’s not forget those redundant multimedia keys on the top right side too.

And oh, the image is deceiving. They do not light up at all.

Onward to macro settings, this is where you program all the 6 macro keys on the far left side of the keyboard. There’s something I would like to see here is a profile switcher section in this menu so that I know which profile I’m actually setting my macro keys to.

The last part of the menu is where I could expect to change the KAI-9’s backlight colour right? WRONG. I can’t find any part of the software that I can change the backlight, and most cringe-worthy part of the software is the spelling mistake. Please fix it.
Also, the Windows key setting is just to enable or disable the Windows button, so you don’t accidentally press it and get headshot in the intense game of CS:GO. However, shouldn’t this option be at the Button Settings menu instead of the Advanced Settings?
[nextpage title=”Wrap up”]The keyboard is something well built and quite confortable to type on, especially with the key height. Problem arises when ergonomics is concerned, and there is no wrist rest. The software is sub-par and felt like an alpha version, and I can’t get even control half of the advertised number of backlight colours. Yet with all these, Armaggeddon is charging RM149 for the KAI-9 keyboard.
Rating : 6/10
For the KAI-9, it’s just not so suitable for me. As for me, ergonomics is very important and Armaggeddon didn’t get it right this time. The backlight colours were just plain confusing. With such a thick keyboard body, I was hoping to see some cable management capabilities, but that was nowhere to be found.
Compared to my Microsoft Wireless Desktop 3000 keyboard-mouse combo set that costs even lower than the KAI-9 , that Microsoft keyboard can do pretty much everything and more. Also, their software is really giving out some amazing customizability.
Address some of the issues present though, it can be a pretty badass piece of keyboard for the price.

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realme brings in the 9 smartphone and Pad Mini tablet into Malaysia for adding more budget options for students

realme Malaysia has announced the availability of the latest realme 9 smartphone and Pad Mini tablet which are both kinda affordable in some sense.
As the 9th installment of the mainline numbered series device, the realme 9 is still going strong with the spirit of realme: Affordable mid-range that anyone can buy that is actually decent and can be used for a long time. For the first time, the device is also rocking the new ripple holographic back design that is also the world’s 1st that uses Plasma Atom-coating Process with UV-nano Imprinting Process to realize corrugated 3D texture in order to create a design with dynamic corrugated light effect. If a sophisticated back is your thing, this might be your thing.

Here’s what the specs inside the machine look like.

6.4-inch Super AMOLED Display

1080p Resolution
Top Left Punch Hole Notch
90Hz Refresh Rate

Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 Chipset
Up to 8GB RAM
128GB Storage
Triple Rear Camera

Main: 108MP f/1.8 with Dual Pixel PDAF
Ultra-Wide: 8MP f/2.2
Macro: 2MP f/2.4

16MP Selfie Camera
5,000mAh Battery

33W Fast Charge

Sunburst Gold, Meteor Black, Stargaze White Colors

For the big block, the Pad Mini is positioned and created for students in mind due to the rise of online education where a simple configuration that is low-powered and efficient is the key for long-lasting sessions tailored exclusively for online calls in things like Zoom, Google Classroom, and Microsoft Teams.
The price you pay for this tablet is actually not bad compared to what you get out of this device.

8.7-inch IPS LCD Display
Unisoc Tiger T616 Chipset
Up to 4GB RAM
Up to 64GB Storage
8MP Rear Camera
5MP Selfie Camera
6,400mAh Battery

18W Fast Charge

Gray, Blue Colors

Pricing
Good news, both the realme 9 and Pad Mini is placed at the three-figure mark and comes in a variety of configuration and the best thing is on the launch date, they will be cheaper as well!

realme 9

6GB + 128GB @ RM899 (RM829 First Sale Promo on April 23)
8GB + 128GB @ RM999

realme Pad Mini

3GB + 32GB WiFi @ RM699 (RM599 First Sale Promo on April 25)
3GB + 32GB LTE @ RM749 (RM699 First Sale Promo on April 25)
3GB + 64GB LTE @ RM799

You may get these brand new items on realme’s official Shopee store.

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Review – ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1): Unbelievably Low Price

Today is the day! After teasers and previews from ASUS Malaysia, the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is finally here! The smartphone that many of us are waiting for – but is it worth the wait?
From what we know, ASUS was originally planning to sell it on the launch day itself (which is today), but in lieu of 0% GST starting 1st June 2018, why not delay another day to lift that 6% burden off from you?

In conjunction of the launch of the ASUS ZenFone 5 on the same day, check out that review as well!
Let’s take a deep dive into what the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is really all about.Unboxing
Surprisingly, the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) comes in a rather simple packaging design. It’s unlike anything what we’ve seen before in the ZenFone Max lineup – simple and clean. It has the same “We Love Photo” logo that was first seen on the ZenFone 4 series. Fun fact: that logo has been tweaked to reflect the vertically stacked camera orientation.

Here we also have a quick unboxing video. The charger was provided to us later as originally, it had a Taiwan charger instead. In whichever the case, you’ll be getting all of these items in the itself when you purchase the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1).

ASUS is quite generous to also include an earphone despite the already-very-affordable price tag on the ZenFone Max Pro (M1). The earphone itself however is simply held by a rubber band. Also comes with a total of 3 sets of eartip sizes – S, M, and L.
We forgot to include the charger in this picture!
Here’s the charger, by the way.

[nextpage title=”Design”]
IF you’ve been scouring the market for smartphones around the RM800 price range, you might have came across the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 that was launched not too long ago. That phone and the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) looks awfully similar.

Of course, that’s not a problem since there are many other smartphones in the market that looks pretty much the same – an 18:9 aspect ratio screen at the front without the notch. For the fact that all smartphones are moving away from 16:9 screens and to at least 18:9 is all thanks to what Samsung has done since the Galaxy S8.

At the back, it’s a very 2018 design as it has vertically stacked dual-camera system at the back. Come to think of it, haven’t we seen a similarly designed smartphone from ASUS with this material and finishing for the back and the antenna at the top? I am, of course, referring to the ASUS ZenFone 3 Zoom.
Left: ZenFone 3 ZoomRight: ZenFone Max Pro (M1)
There is a minor color difference but overall, they both look and feel pretty much the same – which is good since the ZenFone 3 Zoom has a very durable build quality.
See the little dots? This is good.
The included TPU case has little dimples on the inside of the case – which is good as it provides some breathing room between the phone and the case. For this type of case with dimples, if any small particle went inside – especially crystals like salt – it’ll minimize the chance of getting scratched. The ASUS ZenFone 5 has the same case included in the box as well.

However, ASUS didn’t take heed on the fact that the case will make the buttons difficult to press. If the power and volume buttons are of the same height and nearly flushed with the TPU case, then how are we supposed to press them?
The entire phone weighs in at 198 grams with the case.
[nextpage title=”Connectivity & Ports”]
When it comes to connectivity, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) has one major advantage compared to other smartphones around this price range – and that’s the triple dedicated slot. Two of them are for nano SIM, and one more for micro SD card. We first saw this type of SIM card trays in the ASUS ZenFone 4 Max Pro that we reviewed here and subsequently the Redmi S2, and I’m really glad that ASUS is continuing the trend with their new ZenFone Max Pro (M1).

With that said, the WiFi module in the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is pretty standard for this price range as well. It only supports 2.4GHz and up to 802.11n. It does have Bluetooth 4.2 and Qualcomm aptX support. Also, you can monitor your Bluetooth device’s battery life in the Bluetooth page on the phone. Neat.
An informative Bluetooth menu.
Also continuing the trend are the ports at the bottom of the phone. There’s a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone, a micro USB port for charging and data transfer as usual, and what are these two slits for?

They’re actually a new speaker design that ASUS is using for the ZenFone Max Pro (M1). According to ASUS, the new phone uses a 5 magnet speaker and has NXP smart amplifier built-in so that the sound produce isn’t too loud and damage the speakers physically or cause distorted sound. It sounds clear and loud but has a flat frequency response compared to other phones around this price range.
Those two slits for a speaker on the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) also reminds me of the speaker design as the Samsung Galaxy S9 that we also reviewed here.
Only the bottom-facing speaker works when playing music or games, unlike the ZenFone 5. Learn more about the ZenFone 5’s speakers here.

[nextpage title=”Display”]
For a smartphone in 2018, it’s pretty much a must to have at least an 18:9 aspect ratio screen – and that’s exactly what the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) has. Its display is a 5.99-inch, 18:9 aspect ratio IPS LCD panel with 2160×1080 resolution. The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) has a screen that is 0.22-inch larger than the ZenFone Max Plus (M1) that we reviewed here too. In contrast, the ZenFone 5 has a notched display.

Also, it does have the same rounded edges and chin size like the ASUS ZenFone Max Plus (M1) that we reviewed here. The radius of the rounded edges aren’t that extreme and it’s subtle enough to ignore and not hinder with the user experience by cropping out important elements.
In terms of the color reproduction, it looks okay but a little washed out. Nothing out of the ordinary for an IPS LCD screen, but not too bad as well. You can fine-tune the white balance according to your personal preference too. And yes – for those who actually use the night light feature, the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) has that option.
As for the brightness, it can be very dim or bright until it hurts your eyes. At least it gave me a blinding light since I wasn’t expecting it to be this bright.
Comparing the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) to the ZenFone 5, it is very apparent that the ZenFone 5 has much better contrast. The higher contrast makes everything looks nicer, too.
[nextpage title=”Camera”]
Surprisingly, this is something that people have been asking me since I’ve posted out some teasers of the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1). As stated during our first look at the phone, it comes in a total of 3 variants – and 2 of those variants are getting the 13MP+5MP rear-facing camera setup.
The one that we have for testing is the variant with 3GB RAM with 32GB storage – which is also the base model. In terms of the cameras’ specs, there’s really nothing to wow about. Also, the 5MP sensor merely functions as a depth sensor and cannot be used to take pictures. It’s similar to how the dual-camera setup for the HTC One M8 works. Learn more about it here.
Check out our full review of the ZenFone 5 if you are wondering what’s the difference between these two phones.
5MP on the left, 13MP on the right

Dual rear-cameras

13MP sensor with f/2.2 lens, PDAF
5MP depth sensor with f/2.4

Selfie camera

8MP f/2.2, fixed focus

Sample pictures
To view the images below in full size and to look at the EXIF data, click here to go to our Flickr album here.
Rear-camera
To be totally honest, I don’t think the camera is any good – especially in dimly-lit conditions. It’s just terrible – and the camera doesn’t respond well to manually-adjusted ISO to 100 too. It just locks in at that shutter speed – which is disappointing. That picture comparison is also in our Flickr album.

Taken with auto ISO.

Taken with ISO manually set to 100. Why didn’t it change the shutter speed???
White balance is pretty okay most of the time, but sometimes a little too aggressive and corrected an incandescent bulb to be totally white instead of yellow. We uploaded those pictures into our Flickr album as well.

Night shots are… well, noisy. HJR or not, it’s still noisy. I took two night shots – one will full auto ISO, and another one with auto (HJR) option. The difference is minute, and checking the EXIF data reveals minute difference too.
To its credit, when the place is brightly lit, the pictures turn out to be looking mighty fine.

Taken with HDR enabled

Keep in mind that the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) comes with a dual-camera setup. The secondary 5MP camera is used to gather depth data to create bokeh effect. The bokeh effect here is actually pretty good in separating the subject with the background. If you’re not into bokeh effect, then no worries – the camera has quite a shallow depth of field by default.
Also, it does not have the ability to readjust the bokeh effect after the picture is taken, unlike Honor, Huawei, and Neffos smartphones.

If you’re a professional photographer like Peter M Tan, the ambassador photographer for ASUS Malaysia, then you can actually take some fantastic shots with the ZenFone Max Pro (M1). I’ve seen some of the shots that he has taken, and they look absolutely fantastic.
For more amazing pictures which I have no idea on how he took it, follow Peter’s Facebook ablum here. Still awaiting for him to update them on his Instagram for the ZenFone Max Pro (M1).
Selfie camera
From what ASUS has told us, the variant of ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) with 3GB RAM (the one we have here) has an OmniVision sensor for its selfie camera. We’re not sure what model it is but from what I can tell you, the camera quality is just… bad.

Camera UI & Other Features
From what we know, ASUS is using another camera app called Snapdragon Camera as the built-in camera app instead of using what ASUS has already developed over the years. Shocker, I know. So how does this new camera app work and perform?
It’s simple… a bit too simple.
One word – simplicity. It guarantees simplicity but sacrificing in terms of extra functionality – and that is alright since ASUS is aiming for “boleh pakai” (can use) camera. The icons are humongous, the fonts are old school, and there’s a clear lack of explanation of all the other features it can do.
          A one-page-for-everything introduction for the camera features. Too simple.            All of the settings you can play around with. Nothing more.            The list of ISO settings you can choose from.
There’s no manual mode for this camera app. There is however, an option for manually setting the ISO. Once I pressed on that, I was presented with two flabbergasting options – Auto, and Auto (HJR). WTF is HJR?
Apparently, HJR means Hand Jitter Reduction. Which means opting for higher ISO in favor of shorter shutter – and it actually works – but with only a minute difference as shown above. Once again, the camera app lacks explanation.
As for the bokeh feature, it does a pretty nice job separating the subject with the background. Though, I have to say it once more – the camera is really slow in capturing images, so make sure you stay there for a good 2 seconds after capturing a picture. Maybe ASUS will push out an update to fix this too.
[nextpage title=”Software”]
The one major highlight for the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is the pure Android experience that it offers. Android 8.1 Oreo, to be exact. For the first time ever, ASUS is opting out of ZenUI in favor of pure Android – which ASUS said is due to customer feedback that they’ve been receiving.
Keep in mind that the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) uses pure Android. It is not Android One. The main differences here are that the pure Android 8.1 Oreo experience on the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is not completely stock Android and updates are handled by ASUS themselves after Google approves the update. ASUS promises there will be firmware updates constantly – especially when bugs are discovered. Is it beneficial?
There are features like this on stock Android. I love this feature by the way.
To me, comparing the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1)’s pure Android experience with ASUS’s latest ZenUI 5.0 found in the ZenFone 5 (which we also reviewed here) is a pretty good idea.
I’ve been fairly okay with ZenUI 4.0 as the bloatware can either be disabled or removed outright. It’s a one-time thing anyway, so it’s not a big deal. There are some pros and cons to pure Android experience, like the lack of any fingerprint gesture. There are many smartphones out there that has the feature to swipe the fingerprint sensor to open or close the notifications panel.

However, ASUS still managed to include some system-level features like Zen Motion into the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1)’s pure Android experience. Sure, this is more like a complimentary feature that doesn’t hinder the system performance or UI – just an additional feature that can be turned on or off by the user.
For some of the more novel features like rolling screenshots and whatnot, ASUS has decided to leave them out of the ZenFone Max Pro (M1). That means you’ll have to wait for Google to include this in the upcoming Android version.
Oh – the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) comes with 100GB of Google Drive for free too. It even has features to help you to clean up that 32GB of storage to make space for new pictures.
          Remove old pics automatically?            Make sure you enable auto backup at Google Photos first.
You do have options to unlock with Face Unlock too – but it won’t work in some dimmer conditions. I shined my face with a flashlight from another phone, and it worked. That’s a bummer.

[nextpage title=”Performance & Gaming”]
In today’s benchmarks, we have something really special. ASUS is launching both the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) and ZenFone 5 at the same time – but at its core, they’re both similar if not identical in terms of core specs. Same chipset, same graphics processor, same storage technology, and the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) is available in 4GB and 6GB variants as well. Yet, the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) has a 5,000mAh battery and at a lower price!
Let’s go through the specs first:

6-inch 18:9 aspect ratio IPS LCD display with 2160×1080 resolution
Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 chipset with 14nm FinFET technology

4x 1.6GHz Kryo 260 LP + 4x 1.8GHz Kryo 260 HP

Adreno 509 GPU

96 ALUs

3GB LPDDR4X RAM
32GB storage
5,000mAh battery

I tried with a few more games – Injustice 2, Tekken, and Transformers: Forged To Fight. They all performed exactly the same – smooth gaming experience with consistently high frame rates. The touch sensitivity is great too, if you’re concerned about that.
However, the ZenFone 5 has one big advantage – ZenUI 5.0 and its new features to boost gaming performance. Just bring down the notifications panel and there’s a brand new button called “AI Boost”. Tap on that and you’ll magically get more CPU performance.
Let’s take a look at the charts first and see what’s the real difference.

Seems like the ZenFone 5 does have the upper hand despite having similar specs. Remember – the ZenFone 5 has 4GB of RAM compared to the 3GB RAM of the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) that we have here.
Also, the read/write speed of the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) seems to be different compared to the ZenFone 5 too. From what we can find out, the Max Pro M1 has a lower write speed and a much lower sequential write speed. We suspect that ASUS is using a different memory chip between the two phones.
What about the “limitless gaming”?
ASUS has been collaborating with Pokde.net for the second time earlier this year to host the King Of Mobile challenge. The challenge is simple – to see who is the last man (or woman) standing after a myriad of smartphone games. The most recent one was Garena’s Free Fire. It’s not that demanding for a game.
But what about some heavier games? Let’s try one of the heaviest games that are available for free on the Google Play Store now – Honkai Impact 3.
It was a late night for me that night when I unboxed and started testing the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1), and I installed Honkai Impact to have some fun with it. To my surprise, the game ran smooth at 60FPS most of the time with everything set to high, other than the resolution was at medium. Take a look at this impromptu video that I filmed.

Wow! Even the Huawei P9 Plus that I had as a secondary phone couldn’t run Honkai Impact 3 smoothly at its lowest settings. Better yet, the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) can actually run the Sakura Samsara open world map with buttery smooth performance as well!
Remember – the pure Android 8.1 Oreo experience here means that the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) doesn’t have any advantage such as AI optimization or whatever Game Genie magic that ZenUI has.
On top of that, with such graceful performance comes the next big question – the battery life.
[nextpage title=”Battery & Charger”]
Continuing the one major feature that defined the ZenFone Max series is the humongous battery. ASUS is continuing the trend by including a 5,000mAh battery inside the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) – the largest and most overkill battery for a smartphone ever. Personally speaking, we’ve been spoiled by the ZenFone 3 Zoom’s power efficiency combined with a 5,000mAh. I never had to charge the phone for 2 days and I still don’t have to charge it.
With that said, here is the battery life test result for the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1).

With the efficiency of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636 chipset, the battery life can be extended and defeat the Zoom by a long shot.
Charger
I think it’s a common feat now where ASUS is just including the same charger for all of its smartphones. I mean, ASUS has been using this exact same 5V 2A charger since the ZenFone 3 series – with a few phones having a black colored charger instead of white.

It took me long enough to drain the battery – and in less than 3 hours, the battery was charged from 15% to 100%! Take a look at the charging graph here.

It took about 50 minutes to charge from 15% to 50%, and an hour and a half to charge from 15% to 75%. After that when the charging curve starts to plateau, it takes a total of 2 hours and 42 minutes to charge from 15% to 100%. Learn more about the charging curves here.
For those who are charging your phone while you sleep, then the total charge time of 2 hours and 42 minutes isn’t a big deal at all. Once you wake up, you have the ZenFone Max Pro (M1) fully charged up and ready to last for a total of 2 days of usage. Two days. One charge. It’s just insane.
[nextpage title=”Wrapping up the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1) review”]
We have to first consider the price of the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1). At just RM699 for the variant with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage that we have here, it’s a really compelling offer. Their claim of it being a “limitless gaming” smartphone does hold up too. Just to recap – have a look at our quick demonstration video with Honkai Impact 3. Coupled with a 6-inch 18:9 screen with 1080p resolution and 5,000mAh battery, I can game for hours without needing to charge!

But what are the downsides? The camera is obviously the downside. The ZenFone Max Pro (M1) we have here is the 13MP+5MP variant – we don’t know how the 16MP variant performs yet. But for this smartphone in particular, the camera is the only thing holding it back. From the hardware to its software – the camera just isn’t good. Sure, it gets the job done – but don’t expect to take pretty pictures since it doesn’t even have manual mode, especially indoors or in low-light condition.
For those who seek to be gaming all day and want a really low-priced smartphone, then there is no other option. Look for the ASUS ZenFone Max Pro (M1). You’ll have to bear with some trade-offs, though.
If you’re looking for a more beautiful and feature-filled version of the ZenFone Max Pro (M1), take a look at the ZenFone 5 that we reviewed here. It still uses Snapdragon 636, but everything else is completely different.
Did I mention there are 4GB RAM and 6GB RAM versions too? For the list of differences between the variants and prices, check out this post.
Where to buy?
Over at Lazada. They’re having a bunch of sales too – so make sure you catch them!

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Sony a5100 review

Sony dropped their NEX branding long ago in favour of combining them to their Alpha series of cameras. About a month ago, I got a review unit of the all-new Sony a5100 camera. I’ve been using a DSLR myself, and now I have a mirrorless camera to play with. How did it go?
The box has nothing fancy, so it’s not really exciting enough to do an unboxing. However, the things included in the package is the most interesting part.

What I can tell you about the included accessories is this : they are very thorough. Most of the cameras will have only your country’s power plug and that’s all you have to charge your camera. If you’re travelling then you’re out of luck – get a universal adapter and plug your charger to that.
Well – that definitely sucks. The Sony a5100 however has 3 of the most commonly used power plugs from around the world.

A+ in accessories right here.
[nextpage title=”Design and ports”]Truthfully speaking, it’s a small device that fits in the hands of many people, as it is very small and compact.

At the back, there is a menu button, a picture preview button, and a info button that is also used as a delete button. There is another rotating wheel that doubles as a directional pad, where you can select the timer and shooting mode, the display on the screen, the ISO, and also a bunch of effects.

Up top there is a zoom rocker with the shutter button at the center, a on/off switch, and a dedicated video recording button. At the far left side of the camera, there’s a flash button that pops the flash up.

At the right side of the camera is where the NFC is. In the menu, you can select what action for it to automatically launch when tapped. Definitely useful you need to connect your smartphone with the camera at an instant.

On the left side is where all the wired connectivity happens. There is a micro HDMI port, a micro USB port that doubles as a charging port and a data transfer port, and a SD card slot.

The best thing about this camera is that Sony knows you’re going to use the micro USB cable the most, so that created this flap-from-a-flap design specially for ease of access to the micro USB.

Flap-ception! But it works very well!
[nextpage title=”Performance”]Here’s what everyone has been asking me when I brought this mirrorless camera out. How does it perform? How is it compared to a DSLR? All of these questions can be answered by a couple of pictures.
It’s really tiny. The camera is smaller than my hand.
The stock lens is a 16-50mm f/3.5-5.6 with optical stabilization.
It has a 180º swivel screen just for selfies. And yes, this is actually very useful.
It takes some decent pictures with its APS-C sensor (same as some low- to mid-range DSLRs)
Technically, I can take a picture and display it in full crop, and still get decent details out of it.

Play around with some cool effects to instantly share them onto social media through your smartphone. It connects to your phone wirelessly too.
Video recording is amazing, and it can capture in 4K resolution – though it will need a Class 10 SD card to work. Somehow, it just doesn’t work with my SanDisk Extreme 32GB Class 10 memory card. It is rated at 45MB/s, yet it can’t work?
Here’s a sample of 1440×1080 resolution video.

There’s also an option for touch to take picture or touch to focus. Handy, and definitely an amazing update from the a5000.

By the way, all of the above pictures are taken with Sony’s own Intelligent Auto mode. I did nothing, and the camera can capture amazing photos with their auto mode. The reason why I’m not going all manual like my DSLR is because of the next section :
[nextpage title=”Software”]
Sony made the a5100’s software very similar to their previous a5000. I’m not complaining, because that has proven to work for Sony and I find no reasons to further “fix” it.
However, one thing to note about the Sony a5100’s software is how confusing the settings menu is. Sure, it looks like any other camera’s settings page but the amount of pages in the settings menu is just oh-so intense!
7 pages for shooting pictures only, there are a few more other tabs of settings with another few more pages.
If you want to go full manual on this camera, there certainly is a learning curve. However that learning curve is quite unnecessary, since the Intelligent Auto mode is really good.
[nextpage title=”Battery”]
In short, the battery is a tiny, lightweight, and detachable piece of equipment that can be safely stashed into the camera and does not require to be taken out unless it is faulty.
It uses the micro USB port to charge, and it doesn’t take long to reach 100%. With a 100% charge, I can take more than 350 pictures! In another battery test, I drained only 35% of the battery while recording 3 hours of 1080p video straight. Simply amazing.
[nextpage title=”Wrap up”]The Sony a5100 camera is a solid mirrorless camera. For a DSLR user like me, it doesn’t offer as much as a DSLR does – that’s expected, but for the size, it’s stunning. I actually brought the camera everywhere with me since it’s so small!

Then comes the price. This set with the single kit lens bundle costs RM2,399 – it’s not cheap, but you get what you pay for. You get top notch quality with some very useful connectivity and features to go alongside with the great picture quality.
This is a camera that works great as a secondary camera for DSLR users. It’s also great for picture quality enthusiasts who doesn’t want something as bulky as a DSLR. With that said, this is the perfect camera for travelling.
Did I mention about the 3 included travel adapters?

The Sony a5100 is truly a traveler’s companion.
Just look at how happy this make-shift traveler is!

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How to play 3D TOF games on the HONOR View20

About a month ago, we published a video where we showed off a gameplay of a game called “Fancy Darts.” This game utilizes the HONOR View20’s 3D TOF camera and allows you to play the game with your body.
There are actually a total of 3 games that utilizes the 3D TOF camera on the HONOR View20 – you have the Fancy Darts as shown above, Fancy Skiing, and also Gesture Archery Master. Before you start playing any of these games, it is highly recommended that your phone’s screen is casted onto a TV or another computer. The back of the HONOR View20 will need to be facing you.

The 3D TOF camera is working!
The first game is obviously a dart game as the name mentioned. You have to raise your right arm to control the game. The in-game instructions are pretty good already, though. You can check out our video gameplay of the Fancy Darts game right here.

The Fancy Skiing game was demonstrated at Paris at the demo area when the HONOR View20 was launched. It is played as if you are actually skiing. You need to fling your arms as if you are skiing and sway your body left and right to move your character.
Then as for the Gesture Archery Master, you shoot the rings by gesturing as if you are shooting an arrow.

If you have an HONOR View20 now, you should try these games. They’re free and it is something that only the HONOR View20 can do at this moment.
Click here to visit the developer by the name of Hash Studio here.
More apps which will take advantage of the HONOR View20’s 3D TOF camera is coming soon. It was said during the grand launch in Paris that the SDK is coming soon. Then, it is up to your imagination on what comes next.

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Red Honor 8X Comes 7th November 2018

So you thought of getting the Honor 8X but never liked the black or blue color that they come with? Well, then fret not – as the red colored Honor 8X is coming this 7th November.
Ever since the launch from a month ago, the Honor 8X is selling like hotcakes since then. It’s no surprise since it’s a mid-range smartphone with decent specs and priced at only RM949 RM849 now. And it comes with a massive 6.5-inch screen with a 91% screen-to-body ratio. Even with the blue and black colors only, it sold 1,000 units on the first day via online sales and broke the record of being the best-selling honor smartphone in Malaysia.

We reviewed this phone as well, and we found out that it is indeed a very power efficient smartphone that also offers decent day-to-day performance. Decent for gaming too. 😉
Review – Honor 8X

Now, you can get the new red color Honor 8X with the same RM949 RM849 price tag as well. Available on Hihonor, Shopee, Lazada, 11street, you can start purchasing starting from 7th November onwards while at selected retail outlets starting 10th November.

Act quick as there are only 500 units of the red Honor 8X available for sale online! And of course, you’ll get a free Honor Band 3 for every purchase of the red Honor 8X at HiHonor.com!
You can visit these websites have a look at the red honor 8X right now:

HiHonor.com
Shopee
Lazada
11street

With a red color version of the Honor 8X, I feel like this only makes the Honor 8X even more special.

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U Mobile now has WiFi calling – here’s how it works

First, there were VoIP services like Skype, which then evolved to video conference-like calls like Hangouts on mobile, and then there’s U Mobile’s latest WiFi Calling.
First of all, I’d like to compare U Mobile’s WiFi Calling with something that was developed quite some time ago called VoLTE, or Voice Over LTE. It functions the same as VoIP – whenever you have LTE on your smartphone, you call to the other person over LTE instead of using what we have currently. With the higher bandwidth and lower ping of LTE, calls can be connected instantly with superb call quality. However, VoLTE means you need to be connected to LTE to make that call, and is still in its preliminary stages of rolling out, and still has a tonne of testing to do.

U Mobile however used another brilliant idea – why not call over WiFi instead? Introducing their WiFi Calling feature.
It’s a brilliant mix between VoLTE and  VoIP, where the calls can be made for free locally, or globally with IDD rates applied whenever you’re connected over WiFi. All you need to be eligible to use WiFi Calling is to be on U Mobile’s network, and your recipient’s phone number. Somehow U Mobile worked out their magic to have WiFi Calling functioning without an additional app, and even when there is absolutely no coverage, but there’s WiFi.

This seamless integration will only make life easier for places with little to no network coverage – let’s say a bran new shopping mall for example, or some isolated place like the resort at the mountain top.
Personally speaking, I really like WiFi Calling feature by U Mobile. Now to obtain a U Mobile number…

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[UPDATED] Gboard beta introduces emoji mashup

Ever wanted to send an emoji with a mixture of two emojis? Maybe… a thinking emoji monkey? Or flying money face? Smirking heart a la Ricardo from Adventure Time? IT seems like Google is testing out a built-in emoji mashup feature in the latest beta version of the Gboard keyboard.
Reported by Android Police, this feature is truly just wholesome. For Google to implement this feature is to open a flood gate of many different possibilities of emoji mashups to be discovered and shared with the world. I mean, some of these shown in the screenshots are already funny enough.

UPDATE: We have that feature on our phone!
Obviously, the first we did was spam our friends with emojis. And then, we made this video to show you how the feature works.

Source: Android PoliceThe developers of this feature also paid a lot of attention to the details – as seen in this screenshot whereby combining the swearing emoji with the heart emoji results in swearing in love instead. That’s aggressively lovely.
Source: Android Police.
The feature seems to be simple to use. Just select an emoji and it’ll display the multiple different variants of the emoji. We’re not sure how many of these emojis are customized like the “swearing in love” mashup, but it surely is interesting to see that Google is trying to do something different here.
Source: Android Police
This feature is actually reminiscent of those Twitter bot accounts where they keep tweeting mashup of emojis. Perhaps this is where the developers of Gboard got the idea from – and I think it is hilarious as these mashups can sometimes be really unexpected. Like this one.

🙃 upside-down + 😭 in-tears = pic.twitter.com/feQBhsS52H
— Emoji Mashup Bot (@EmojiMashupBot) January 25, 2020

Or maybe a disgusted ogre.

😓 cold-sweat + 👹 ogre = pic.twitter.com/dXFRpcN5rB
— Emoji Mashup Bot (@EmojiMashupBot) January 25, 2020

I mean, the possibilities are virtually enless here. If Gboard has a solid engine to mash the emojis together, then we’ll be seeing many new derivations of emojis.
By the way, Android Police uploaded the beta version of Gboard that has this feature. Click the link below to head on over to Android Police to download the APK and try it yourself. Send us back the emojis that you mashed up. 😏

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Wear OS combines with Tizen

Google I/O 2021 has concluded and one of the most interesting news that came out of nowhere during the keynote was the future of Wear OS. Google is now partnering up with Samsung to “merged” Google’s Wear OS and Samsung’s own Tizen.

We’re combining the best of @wearosbygoogle and @SamsungMobile Tizen into a unified wearable platform. ⌚ Apps will start faster, battery life will be longer and you'll have more choice than ever before, from devices to apps and watch faces. #GoogleIO pic.twitter.com/vj2aYZD81x
— Google (@Google) May 18, 2021

Many thought that Google has abandoned Wear OS since there was no high-profile product launch for a long time while Apple is making waves after waves with its Apple Watch.
Google’s solution to this is to merge with Samsung’s Tizen to get a headstart and to compete with Apple.

Being a Samsung Galaxy Watch Active smartwatch user myself, I have to say that even after so many years, its performance is still amazing. Its feature set is rivaled by none because of how many developers Tizen have.
Sure, the battery life of a true smartwatch isn’t good, but its ecosystem is expandable and I can download whatever apps available to make it even more functional – like Spotify.
With that said, this also shows how important software really is as Google only highlights 3 different main reasons for this Wear OS-Tizen merger: faster performance, longer battery life, and thriving developer community.
Only works with Spotify Premium. This feature is a few years old now.
The first two reasons are mostly regarding hardware – which can be fixed through stuffing in a faster chipset and bigger battery – but the developer community is something that’s just impossible.
I’m very excited about the future of smartwatches now. Perhaps even the rumored Galaxy Watch Active 3 will be using this new Wear OS-Tizen system. What will happen to Bixby? What other existing Tizen and Wear OS watches will be upgraded to this new system?
We’ll have to wait for further news.

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This is the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series

Finally! After about 1.5 years, Samsung released the next generation of high-end tablets, the Galaxy Tab S8 series. It comes in a total of 3 different tablets this time, but unfortunately- we didn’t have much time to spend with them, so this is going to be short.

Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

Samsung says it’s because people are buying tablets with a bigger screen, that is why they’re releasing this massive tablet. It has a 14.6-inch Super AMOLED screen with 120Hz refresh rate, 16:10 in aspect ratio – and yes, it has a notch – but it’s much smaller than I expected.

I mean, you can compare that Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s notch with the MacBook Pro’s notch.
Have a look at the MacBook Pro’s humongous notch.
But, within the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra’s notch, there are dual 12MP cameras for edge detection as you can use accurate background effects during video calls, and both front and back cameras can film in 4K.

This Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is also surprisingly thin to the point that I was afraid of snapping it in half when I was holding it. Samsung did reassure me that they’re using Armour Aluminium for the frame, though.
The thinness of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is insane.
All 3 of the Galaxy Tab S8 tablets come with the S Pen included in the box, and they now have improved latency as well, just like the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Both the Tab S8+ and Tab S8 Ultra are now down to only 2.8ms, whereby the Galaxy Tab S8 is at about 6-ish milliseconds of response time.

Also, all of the Galaxy Tab S8 tablets are powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset – which I don’t mind for a tablet since it has a much bigger area to dissipate the heat.
Samsung DeX is also improved but we will have to wait until we get our hands on it before we can test this further. We also do not know what’s new with Samsung’s new One UI Tab 4. It seems to be made for tablets, but isn’t that what Android 12L is supposed to be?

One more new feature that I’m excited about is the Tab S8 Ultra as a wireless external touch screen monitor for Windows PCs.
Also, LumaFusion is coming to Tab S8! We can use the accurate S Pen to do video editing on the tablet itself – which will definitely be an interesting experience overall.
Tab S8 is also using ocean plastic for parts of the tablet – which is in line with what the Galaxy S22 series is doing.

In terms of the colors available, here they are. Unfortunately, the Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra is only available in one color.

Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra: Graphite
Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 | Tab S8+ : Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold

In terms of specs of all the tablets, here they are. We’re not going to talk about the specs as we’ll leave that when we get the device in our hands to test it out.

Galaxy Tab S8

Galaxy Tab S8+

Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra

Display

11-inch LTPS TFT (2560×1600, 120Hz, 276ppi)

12.4-inch Super AMOLED (2800×1752, 120Hz, 266ppi)

14-inch Super AMOLED (2960×1848, 120Hz, 276ppi)

Processor

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

RAM

Up to 12GB

Up to 16GB

Storage

Up to 256GB

Up to 512GB

Rear Camera

13MP Main with AF
Dual 6MP Ultra-Wide
Flash

Front Camera

12MP Ultra-Wide

12MP Wide
12MP Ultra-Wide

Battery

8,000mAh

10,090mAh

11,200mAh

Colors

Graphite, Silver, Pink Gold

Graphite

Also, all tablets support the “power bank mode” which literally uses the tablets as a power bank – and the battery sizes of these tablets are pretty commendable too. By the way, all these 3 tablets can also be charged with up to 45W wired charging.
Pricing and availability
We still do not have the local details yet, but we’ll update you when we have the information.

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Report: 51% of workers use the same device for work and “play”

Kaspersky was finding out how the COVID-19 situation evolved the way we work since we have to work from home most of the time now. In this interesting report, Kaspersky found out that slightly more than half (51%) of those working from home are using the same device to watch adult content and to work.
Kaspersky also found out that 31% of workers are spending more time working, while 46% of workers have increased “personal time”, which leads to the main topic for today.

That 51% who admitted using the same device for work and “play”, 18% of those workers said the device as provided by their employer, while 33% said that they’re using their personal device to do work.

On a separate note. 55% of workers said that they’re reading more news to get updates on the coronavirus situation, and 60% of these news-reading activities are done with their work device. This also increased concerns over the possibility of visiting malicious websites, which can lead to malware infections.
While it is convenient to use the same device to do everything, I would argue that it is best to dedicate specific devices for specific tasks so that we can avoid such a situation. Moreover, it is a psychological thing to use separate devices too. I wouldn’t want to think about work during my alone time – that’s why I have two different computers.
For anyone who wants to read the entire report that Kaspersky published, click here.

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Ninetology Launches Smart Ecology 2

Each month, there are average of 820,000 unit of mobile phones sold! This means that people keep changing and buying new phones – very frequently too! The question here is : where do their old phones go? In a consequence with this kind of problem that face by everyone, Ninetology collaborated with Malaysia Nature Society (MNS) and had launched the Smart Ecology 2 program.

Smart Ecology 2 is a program to educate the public on importance of nature conservation and to provide a platform for Malaysian to recycle their old phones. As an incentive, RM200 is offered for those who trade in their old phones; students age between 12-21  are entitled to a RM150 rebate without trade-in.
Here is the guide to redeem:
Guide to redeem
Guide to redeem for student
We always never knew what to do with our old phones – some of us give it to our parents, some of us just take out the battery and keep it back in the box. Some of us even take the opportunity to subscribe to another telco to get the best of both telco’s prices. The most endangering to the environment is still by simply disposing old phones.
Ninetology and MNS’s Smart Ecology 2 campaign – which runs from November 2013 until 31st January 2014 –  will now provide us a platform to dispose our old phones and still get rewarded for it! So if you have any old phone that you not using it please do visit Ninetology website for any trade in or rebate.

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The OPPO Find X3 Pro is currently on sale with cash rebate and exclusive gifts for redemption

OPPO Malaysia has announced a special sale for its latest flagship device Find X3 Pro that was released around 2 months ago.

Those eyeing for OPPO’s current strongest and best-in-class smartphone will be able to enjoy a direct RM300 taken off the receipt while accompanied with a complimentary OPPO Enco X TWS and 1TB of HeyTap Cloud Storage which is worth more than RM1,000 when combined. And I must say, the bundle is fully practical where no items get treated like a warehouse item – stored and forgotten.
You may grab the special package at offline OPPO brand stores and authorized retailers as well as online e-commerce platforms until June 6.

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Jabra’s new Evolve2 30 produces professional tier sound input and output starting from RM480

Jabra has introduced a new headset dedicated to industry and professional use that particularly relies on online communication to get things done, the Evolve2 30.

Built to be lightweight and comfortable to wear for an extended period due to many jobs now running at remote locations, the Unified Communications (UC) verified Evolve2 30 channels collaboration effort and user concentration into a single quality package, with 28mm speakers and dual microphone for clear voice capture and crisp sound output while keeping the noise isolation and reduction in place to make online calls less disturbing from ambient sounds.
As a product made for business use, it is also Microsoft Teams certified to work with all native settings and plug-and-play support through either USB-A or USB-C ports for the application as well. If needed, a special MS model with a dedicated physical Teams button is available for selection too. To make your purchase worth your money more, the integrated chipset supports firmware upgrade delivered Over-The-Air (OTA) in the future that will keep the user experience as updated as possible. Wrapping the device is a sustainable package made from recycled materials to help the environment with every little bit of effort.
How Much and Where to Buy
Coming in just a single color of Black (sadly), the Mono edition of the Evolve2 30 will run you for RM480 while the Stereo model costs RM550 with both made available starting right now at stores by authorized resellers and distributors which you can find them out through the Store Locator page. On the other hand, they should start popping up on sites like Lazada and Shopee pretty soon too.

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Galaxy S7 Edge is now available in Pink Gold

Ever wanted a gorgeous Galaxy S7 Edge in Pink Gold? Now you can – because Samsung entitles you to get one for yourself.
Let’s just say this – the Galaxy S7 is a beautiful and elegant phone, and I think Samsung themselves said it best.

With hues that glitter and shimmer as if illuminated from inside their glass surfaces, the blending of pink and gold is the perfect representation of elegance and luxury. The refined Pink Gold colour scheme was chosen to soothe while incorporating a touch of gentleness, radiance and sophistication to the smartphones’ design – a minimalistic expression of premium ownership.

It’s a definite stab and twist onto Apple’s Rose Gold colour (which obviously is Pink) and for good reasons too. Firstly, Samsung is calling it PINK outright, and they don’t live in denial. Pink is pink, no matter what funky name you give it. Secondly, there are a total of five different colours for the Galaxy S7 Edge now – black, gold, silver, white, and now pink.
Samsung is also announcing that the Pink Gold version will be available starting on May 27th 2016 for the same retail price of RM3,099 – same as before.
Maybe you can get another Samsung SUHD TV in the mean time if you’re looking to get a new Galaxy S7 Edge?

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