Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite brings 64MP Sony IMX686 camera for just RM1599

The Xiaomi Mi Note 10 was quite an interesting smartphone, although one of my main complaints was that the Snapdragon 730G chipset wasn’t capable of keeping up with the 108MP camera sensor. The Mi Note 10 Lite address that by using a 64MP camera instead, while also slashing the price rather substantially.
It’s worth noting that anyone looking for a flagship-class camera experience should still look at the Mi Note 10, as the Mi Note 10 Lite is clearly a mid-range offering from Xiaomi. It shares the beautiful 6.47″ 3D curved AMOLED display from the Mi Note 10, massive 5260 mAh battery as well as the Snapdragon 730G chipset, but the penta-camera of the Mi Note 10 didn’t make the cut.

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In place of the 108MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright HMX camera, you get a 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor. It might arguably offer better performance, but we will have to test it to find out for ourselves. Gone is the penta-camera setup, with a quad-camera one instead. You get an 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, a 5MP f/2.4 depth sensor and a 2MP f/2.4 macro camera. A curious arrangement indeed.
Mi Note 10 Lite Specs

Snapdragon 730G, octa-core up to 2.2 GHz
8GB LPDDR4x RAM
128GB UFS 2.1 storage
6.47″ FHD+ curved AMOLED display
64MP f/1.89 (Sony IMX686) + 8MP /f2.2 ultra-wide + 2MP f/2.4 macro + 5MP f/2.4 depth sensor
16MP f/2.48 selfie camera
5260 mAh Li-Ion battery, 30W fast charging
RM1599

The Mi Note 10 Lite will be available in Malaysia for just RM1599, with availability starting on 12th May. Early birds will receive a free Mi Business Backpack 2 and a Redmi Powerbank 20 000 mAh!
Pokdepinion: That’s a pretty good price for the feature set on offer!
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Apex Legends New Heroes and Game Modes Info Leaked?

Apex Legends is one of the hottest recent game launches especially for the already saturated battle royale genre. With a surprise launch recently, the game has already surpassed 10 million players. Given its immense popularity, it’s no surprise that gamers would do all they can to find out more information on what we can expect from the game in the future. Well, we have some alleged details on that.
As recent datamines from modders seem to have pointed out, we have discovered a number of interesting things. For starters, there seems to be a Solo and Duo game modes coming to the game. There were no mentions of anything that requires more than 3 players per squad.

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Then we have a possible Survival Mode. Unfortunately, there isn’t much details to on for this part. It could be a mode that provides players with other challengers that they need to complete in order to be the last man / squad standing in battle.
Another interesting thing is details on two upcoming heroes. The first, called Octane, appears to have some sort of stim injection, but the description doesn’t mention what it actually does. Likewise, another is called Wattson, and his ability is a deployable Tesla Trap.
While none of this has been confirmed just yet by either Respawn Entertainment or EA, it’s safe to assume that given the rousing success that Apex Legends has enjoyed so far in its first few weeks of release, it shouldn’t be too much of a surprise to see that there is more in store for the battle royale game to keep players coming back, and to bring in potential new players.
Apex Legends is available now on PS4, Xbox One, and PC.
Source: VG24/7
Pokdepinion: I would definitely like to see new game modes in the game.
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Google To Let You Delete Your Last 15 Minutes Of Search History

It seems that Google is introducing a new feature that lets you instantly delete your last 15 minutes of search history on mobile.
Google introduces feature that deletes your last 15 minutes search history

The feature was revealed at the recent I/O 2021 and it will be available for both Android and iOS devices. Despite that, it is already available on Google’s iOS app. A release on Android is set for a later date this year.

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As for desktop, you can only choose to auto-delete your history every 3, 18, or 36 months on top top of deleting searches manually.
Aside from that, Google is said to only track your search history to “personalize” your experience when the Web and App Activity setting is turned on.
If that’s not enough, they are also offering an option where you can add a password to protect your search history.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Source
Pokdepinion: I just have one thing to say: incognito (please don’t judge me). I mean, it’s available on mobile too anyways. If you didn’t want anybody else to check your history in the first place, I think that’d be already sufficient enough. Then again, maybe that’s just me..
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How To Get The Genshin Impact KFC Glider Skin on Twitch

As many of you may know, there is a Genshin Impact and KFC collaboration going on, and I’m sure many of you want to get your hands on some of the special items. In the case of the KFC Glider skin, here’s how you can get it on Twitch.
Genshin Impact KFC Glider Skin

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As many of you may know by now, there was a collaboration between Genshin Impact and KFC in China, with photos of Diluc and Noelle donning special outfits appearing. However, these weren’t added as alternative skins in the game. There is however a KFC glider skin and special merchandises that can be unlocked by eating at the fast food chain.
In the case of the KFC glider skin, a.k.a. the Wings of Feasting, you can get it on Twitch. All you have to do is buy two tier 1 subs on specific Twitch streamers’ channels. As for who these specific streamers are, you will have to wait for the list to be published on 24th November 2021 on HoYoLAB.
To be precise, you can either subscribe to the streamer and then gift a sub in the same channel, or simply gift two subs. With that being said however, Amazon Prime subs, anonymous gifts, and existing recurring subscriptions will not qualify. Apart from the glider skin, you will also get other smaller rewards, including 30,000 Mora, Jade Parcels, Tonkotsu Ramen, and Sauteed Matsutake.
This Adventurers’ Guild on Twitch campaign event will commence on 24th November 2021 at 12PM EST / 9AM PST / 1AM GMT+8 the next day and ends on 8th December 2021. The code for the glider skin will be redeemable until 15th December 2021. Just keep in mind that you need to be at least Adventure Rank 10 to be able to redeem it.
Genshin Impact is currently available for free on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, and PC. A Nintendo Switch port of the game coming in the near future.
Source
Pokdepinion: Well, it’s several months late but better late than never at least. It’s not free but if you really want it, it’s inexpensive to say the least, and it helps out those streamers as well.
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The Samsung Galaxy S10’s intelligent cameras help you take better photos

The Samsung Galaxy S10 is equipped with everything you need for a good shot. It has an ultra-wide angle camera if you want to take in more of your surroundings, a standard angle shooter with dual apertures which can automatically switch to take in more light and a telephoto camera if you want to get closer. Today, we will be focusing on how the Samsung Galaxy S10’s features can help you get a better image.
Enable HDR Mode or Go RAW
High dynamic range (HDR) mode, is probably one of the most important yet easiest modes to enable. Samsung devices are one of the first to allow you to enable the HDR processing to be applied automatically without having to fumble through settings every single time.
You can find it in the camera app’s settings under HDR (rich tone). You can either enable it to be used all the time, or just when the Samsung Galaxy S10 thinks that it would be better to apply HDR. If you want to take the reins, you can also save RAW files when you shoot in manual mode.

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RAW files contain more details which is removed when an image is compressed, allowing you to extract details from the shadows and highlights better via manual editing. It’s somewhat of a hassle, so why not just let the Samsung Galaxy S10 do the job? It does a great job anyway.
Straighten your Horizon

A beautiful landscape image can easily be destroyed by a tilted horizon. Yes you can crop and rotate after the fact, but you will losing out on details along the sides. A very easy way to deal with it is to enable the grid overlay. Simply align the lower horizontal line to the horizon and take your photo. Samsung’s Shot Suggestion can also help you find that optimal horizon line, just so that it’s easier to get a great shot.
Use Rules of Third… but not all the time
While it’s recommended to use the grid to help with composing a nice shot, you should not rely on it for composing alone. It’s a good guideline but it should not define every photo you take. For a nice change of pace and yet still be able to take a good photo easily, you can make use of Shot Suggestion.

The Samsung Galaxy S10 can help you compose a great shot with the help of the AI capabilities powering the intelligent camera on the Samsung Galaxy S10.
Morning, Noon or Night?
Different time of day can give you very different effects. The warmth of the light and the direction of the light is also different. That’s what makes nature and landscape photography interesting. The illumination and shadow can add a whole different whole dimension to your image. And the best part is that with Samsung’s Scene Optimizer, you can easily take advantage of any natural lighting, or even when light is low.

In low light, the Samsung Galaxy S10 will automatically fire up its Night Scene mode which allows it to combine up to 17 exposures into one final image. With the fast f/1.5 aperture, the Samsung Galaxy S10 is already optimized to capture more light than most other smartphones on the market, but with Night Scene mode, it further optimizes its capabilities under light. Samsung even throws in some sunstars just for that extra bit of flair to your shot.
Be Aware of the Sun
The sun is a great source of natural light, and as mentioned earlier, it can give your image a certain “feel” depending on the time of day. However it can also ruin your shot if you are unaware of its position. Having the sun strike the lens at the wrong angle can sap away the saturation of your image, while also adding undesirable lens flare. If the sun is behind your subject, the Samsung Galaxy S10 can deal with it with HDR, but it would still be suboptimal as to having the sun illuminate your subject properly for a better shot.
Give your Image Scale

Try playing around with angles to give your image a different perspective. Do you want to take in everything in the surrounding, or do you want to just focus on a single object? The Samsung Galaxy S10 gives you three cameras with three different focal lengths, so you can play around with that. By playing around with the perspective, you can make the object in the foreground appear larger than life. Or, smaller, if you prefer. There’s also Live Focus if you want to emphasize the subject’s distance, giving your image depth.
          Telephoto            Standard angle          Telephoto              Telephoto            Wide angle            Standard angle              Selfie          Telephoto            Telephoto              Wide angle            Standard angle              Auto            Selfie          Telephoto (digital)              Standard Angle            Auto            Telephoto              Standard angle          Standard angle            Wide Angle              Wide angle            Wide angle            Wide angle            Telephoto
Above are some of the images taken when we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy S10. I hope these tips has been helpful for you, and if they are, do stay tuned for more tips on how to take advantage of your Samsung Galaxy S10!
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Celcom ends 2017 with growth — breaking a 3-year-long decline

Celcom Axiata invited us for their Q4 2017 business report, sharing with us their progress as a company last year. Celcom reports good progress on all metrics including customer satisfaction and profits.

Customer satisfaction was measured by Transactional Net Promoter Scores (tNPS) at retail has improved to 68 points, two points over the last quarter. Meanwhile Celcom Contact Centres see their tNPS increase by 8 points over the last quarter to 37 points. To further improve on this metric, Celcom aims to refresh 60-80% of its Blue Cube stores by the end of 2018. They are also pushing for a digitization of their services moving forward.

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Service revenue has grown to 1.562 billion, with total revenue hitting 1.777 billion, marking an increase of 2.5% and 7.4% each. Out of this total revenue, 43% is made up by data revenue, making up RM767 million. Data revenue has grown by 25% year on year.

The growth was contributed to by improvements in both postpaid and prepaid revenues. This is also driven by higher data consumption which has increased by 17.5% over the last quarter. The current average is 8.5GB per month per active data user, which is also partly attributed to higher smartphone penetration, which is currently at 74%. As it stands, they are now offering 87% LTE population coverage, with fast mobile data accessible from 20 major cities across Malaysia.

Quarter on quarter, normalized EBITDA and normalised PATAMI see a growth of 6.6% and 8.6%, respectively. This quarter, normalized EBITDA is at RM734 million, while PATAMI is at RM336 million.
Celcom hopes to further drive their user base and as a result, revenue, up via initiatives like Super Video Walla, Xpax Internet Plan, Xpax Roaming Plan and Celcom Game Hero, which puts RM300 000 up for grabs on the biggest mobile tournament in Malaysia.
Pokdepinion: Congratulations Celcom! Here’s hoping for more affordable plans from the telco!
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The latest edition of Pokde Picks where we pick out 5 of the most awesome games you should be looking forward to in May 2018. If you have no idea what games to buy, here’s a good start.
Pokde Picks: 5 Awesome Games to Look Out For in May 2018
In April, we had a major blockbuster title in the form of the new God of War game, which blew the minds of many gamers across the globe. By now, some of you may have already finished the game and are looking towards the horizon for something new to sink your teeth. Well, if you’re looking for a new game to play, then you have come to the right place.Here is the Pokde Picks on the 5 awesome games to look out for this May 2018.
 State of Decay 2

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First up on our Pokde Picks is State of Decay 2, which takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead has risen and civilization has fallen. Not even the military could stop the zombies, and now it’s up to you to gather survivors and build a community in this barren wasteland where every decision matters, and where you define what it means to survive. State of Decay 2 is a zombie survival game in an open world where you and up to 3 friends build a community of survivors.

Every player’s experience is unique and the open world responds to your decisions, developing in real-time and dynamically offering new opportunities for you to demonstrate your own personal survival priorities. These decisions also result in real consequences that affect your community. Sending people out to scavenge for goods at the risk of not returning home, helping neighbouring communities with the risk of getting stabbed in the back. How you survive in this game is up to you.
Fun fact, State of Decay 2 is a prominent Xbox title as those who have subscribed to the Xbox Game Pass premium membership will be able to play the game completely free of charge. It is also part of Microsoft’s Xbox Play Anywhere initiative so if you have the game on your Xbox One, you can play it on your PC as well.
State of Decay 2 will be coming to the Xbox One and PC on 22nd May 2018.
Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia

In the year 878 AD, the embattled English king Alfred the Great has mounted a heroic defense at the battle of Edington and blunted the Viking invasion. Weakened but not yet broken, the Norse warlords have settled across Britain. For the first time in nearly 80 years, the land is in a fragile state of peace. The kings of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales sense the tides of change coming. There will be treaties, and there will be war.

Thrones of Britannia is a standalone Total War game which will challenge you to re-write a critical moment in history, one that will come to define the future of modern Britain. With ten playable factions, you must build and defend a kingdom to the glory of Anglo-Saxons, Gaelic clans, Welsh tribes or Viking settlers. Forge alliances, manage settlements, raise armies, and embark on campaigns of conquest across the map.
Fun fact, Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia will have players go through the game while balancing between war and peace. When you are at war, your people will demand peace and vice versa. While you don’t have to strictly follow what they say, not appealing to them may have disastrous results within your lands, such as insubordination or a lack of produce in the land.
Total War Saga: Thrones of Britannia will be coming exclusively to PC on 3rd May 2018.
 Detroit Become Human

One of the most highly anticipated PlayStation titles of this year, Detroit Become Human is an action-adventure game with a heavy narrative emphasis. The story revolves around 3 androids; Kara, who escapes the factory she was made in to explore her newfound sentience; Connor, whose job it is to hunt down deviant androids; and Markus, who devotes himself to releasing the androids from servitude.

The story will shape accordingly with the player’s choices and depending on the choice made, there will be major consequences such as character deaths. While players are allows to rewind to certain points in the story to reshape certain outcomes, they will have to obtain as much data as possible by examining clues in order to reconstruct and replay the events that occurred.
Fun fact, Detroit Become Human’s script is so detailed, it had one of the most extensive recording sessions for a videogame. To be precise, the motion capture took 324 days to complete and it yielded 35,000 camera shots, 74,000 unique animations, and 5.1 million lines of code.
Detroit Become Human will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on 25th May 2018.
Dragon’s Crown Pro

Taking place in the Kingdom of Hydeland in the same fantasy world as Odin Sphere, there is a legendary relic that is said to bring a fortune and many things deep within the long-forgotten ruins and labyrinths of the kingdom. The artifact is simply known as the Dragon’s Crown and players are tasked with retrieving this artifact.

There are wizards and other people of notable influence in even the highest levels of the government that seek the treasure and the artifact for their own benefits, which makes the journey a perilous one. Players must take up the role of one of six adventurers charged with retrieving the Dragon’s Crown before others end up taking it and using it for their own sinister purpose.
Fun fact, Dragon’s Crown Pro is a remastered title that will take advantage of the strengthened hardware of the PS4 Pro. The game will have refined artwork, soundtrack remastered from the ground up, and the ability to play in glorious 4K high definition graphics.
Dragon’s Crown Pro will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on 15th May 2018.
 Dark Souls Remastered

The last entry in our Pokde Picks for this month is the remastered version of the rage-inducing action RPG by FromSoftware. Dark Souls Remastered takes place in a fantasy world ruled by dragons and shrouded by fog. A powerful mystic fire erupts from the earth and brings with it the essence of all life. The Lord Souls, the most powerful of the souls, were claimed by the first Lords, Gravelord Nito, the Witch of Izalith, and Gwyn, who use their powers to defeat the dragons and build kingdoms, beginning the Age of Fire.

Over time, the flames begin to fade and Gwyn sacrifices himself and his soul to prolong the Age of Fire. With the flame artificially rekindled, the Undead Curse begins to plague humanity, causing certain humans to continually resurrect upon death. Players will go on a perilous journey that will end up deciding on whether to prolong the Age of Fire or letting it die out and start a new Age of Dark.
Fun fact, Dark Souls Remastered was created to give gamers a try at one of the difficulty, yet popular games in recent years and as such, it will be released on multiple platforms. However, the Nintendo Switch version has been delayed indefinitely due to development and optimization issues with the hardware.
Dark Souls Remastered will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 25th May 2018.
There is certainly a good variety of games in May 2018 that will surely entice a wide variety of gamers. Be sure to join us again next month when we announce June 2018’s Pokde Picks. Until then, have fun with this month’s selection of games and be sure to stay tuned to Pokde.net for more awesome gaming and tech news.
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Kingston Launches New Canvas Plus Card Series and MobileLite Plus Card Readers

Kingston has just announced the new Canvas Plus card series – a refresh of their popular Canvas series memory cards. The new Canvas Plus memory cards include Kingston’s first UHS-II cards and features increased performance for DSLR cameras, 4K/8K video production, Android devices, action cams as well as drones.

There are three different variants of the new Canvas Plus SD and MicroSD cards; Canvas Select Plus, Canvas Go! Plus, and Canvas React Plus. Each of the Canvas Plus cards variants has their own specific features which you can see more in detail down below.

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Canvas Select Plus

Designed for recreational/amateur Full HD and 4K DSLR cameras (SD), and Android mobile devices (microSD).
Class 10 UHS-I speeds 1 up to 100MB/s read.
MicroSD supports A1 app performance class to expedite workflow on tablets and smartphones.
SD and microSD in capacities 2 up to 512GB.

Canvas Go Plus

Ideal for shooting 4K UHD video and burst mode photography on your DSLR (SD), or using with your 4K action
cameras and drones (microSD).
Class 10 UHS-I U3 speeds 1 up to 170MB/s read 3 , 90MB/s write.
MicroSD supports A2 app performance class to expedite workflow on next-gen tablets and smartphones.
SD and microSD in capacities 2 up to 512GB.

Canvas React Plus

Top-of-the-line UHS-II performance to capture professional grade 4K/8K videos and high-resolution photos on industry-
standard cameras.
Class 10 UHS-II U3 speeds 1 up to 300MB/s read, 260MB/s write 4 (SD) and 285MB/s read, 165MB/s write 4 (microSD).
The first UHS-II microSD to support A1 app performance class to expedite workflow on tablets and smartphones.
SD and microSD in capacities 2 up to 256GB.

In addition to the new Canvas Plus cards, Kingston will also be releasing their new MobileLite Plus card readers. The new MobileLite Plus card readers are capable of supporting the new UHS-II speeds for faster file transfers and processing time. It also features USB 3.2 Gen 1 and has backwards compatibility support for UHS-I cards. Kingston also mentioned that the MobileLite Plus card reader have been designed for optimal performance with Kingston microSD and SD cards.
Canvas Plus Flash cards include a lifetime warranty and free technical support from Kingston. For more information you can visit Kingston’s official website here.
Pokdepinion: These new Canvas Plus cards look really good! I mean what else can you expect from Kingston. Been using their MicroSD cards since my first Android phone and have never had a bad experience.
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ASUS Releases the ZenFone AR; The Smartphone with Advanced AR and VR Capabilities

Augment your reality with the ZenFone AR

Phones have come a long way nowadays, with the advancements in hardware and software moving so fast that people can hardly keep up. I still remember seeing a flashlight on top of my Aunt’s Nokia 1100 when I was a kid and my young mind just exploded. I couldn’t believe how such advanced technology could have existed and it’s there right in front of me! Nowadays, smartphones are more advanced than ever, some of them, like the Samsung Galaxy S8 could turn into a frikkin desktop computer! Now, ASUS are trying to take things a little bit further by introducing their newest device, the ZenFone AR.

The ZenFone AR is claimed to be the world’s first smartphone with AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) capabilities that is Tango-enabled and Daydream-ready. It’s also the world’s first smartphone to have 8GB of RAM. Paired with a pretty powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor specially optimised for Tango, ZenFone AR’s powerful performance and innovative camera work in conjunction with Tango technology to enable smooth and compelling smartphone AR experiences.

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ASUS TriCam System

The ZenFone AR uses their specially designed TriCam system, a three-camera system consisting of a 23MP PixelMaster 3.0 main camera, a motion-tracking camera, and a depth-sensing camera that meet Tango specifications. The TriCam system consists of three rear cameras, a motion-tracking camera, depth-sensing camera and high-resolution 23MP PixelMaster 3.0 camera, together with Google Tango, giving you a vivid augmented reality experience. Furthermore, the ZenFone AR uses Daydream by Google that enables users to experience certain apps and games in VR using a Daydream View headset.
ZenFone AR with Daydream View headset
Apart from that the ZenFone AR sports a large 5.7 inch Super AMOLED WQHD display, 128Gb on board storage, a 3300mAh battery with Quick Charge 3.0 and comes with Android 7.0 straight out of the box. The main snapper is an ASUS PixelMaster 3.0 camera that uses a Sony IMX318 camera sensor and the ASUS TriTech autofocus system and has optical image stabilisation (OIS) for photos and electronic image stabilisation EIS for videos. On the front is a wide angle 8MP camera.
The ZenFone AR retails at RM3,799 and will be available from 7th July onward at authorised retailers and through Lazada. The ZenFone AR also has a 1 to 1 exchange warranty that is only valid within 12 months from the date of purchase.
Pokdepinion: The ZenFone AR is definitely some impressive cutting edge hardware though I can’t really see pass the unfortunate gimmicky-ness of the device. Also I think the ZenFone AR might find it difficult to find an audience especially when the device itself costs more than the Samsung Galaxy S8+.
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CES 2020: Lenovo’s Latest Offerings Including The World’s First Foldable PC

Lenovo took the time at CES 2020 to unveil a plethora of products under their banner which includes the world’s first foldable PC.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold
Starting off with the ThinkPad X1 Fold, it is the first fully functional PC with a folding OLED display.
Offering a 13.3″ display, the X1 Fold weighs less than 1kg. You can use its Bluetooth Mini Fold Keyboard. When the X1 Fold is folded closed, the keyboard is stored and wirelessly charge inside the system and secured with magnets.

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Lenovo is planning to bring in athe ThinkPad X1 Fold with Windows 10X at a later date as well as an optional 5G connectivity.
The ThinkPad X1 Fold with Windows 10 is said to be coming mid-2020 with the price starting at USD2499 (~RM10,239)
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus
Next up is the ThinkBook Plus, where it features a 13.3″ FHD main display as well as a 10.8″ e-ink display on the cover.
It comes with with an integrated Precision Pen, which can be synced with Microsoft OneNote.
You are able to create and convert real time ideation into diagrams and notes by sketching on the cover screen with the Precision Pen as well.
The Lenovo ThinkBook Plus will be available at USD1,199 (~RM4,912).
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus front view
Coming with an 10th Gen Intel Core processor, the laptop offers SSD as well as Intel Optane memory options.
There’s also the ThinkBook Plus Sleeve and Bluetooth Silent Mouse option to compliment the laptop, where the former is created specifically with interior foam padding to protect the e-ink cover display.
The ThinkPad Plus is expected to come in March 2020, starting at the price of USD1199 (~RM4,912).
Lenovo Yoga 5G
Last but not least is their new Lenovo Yoga and Chromebook additions. Starting off with the Lenovo Yoga 5G, as you can tell by its name, it support 5G connectivity. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G Compute Platform, giving 10x faster speeds than 4G.
Weighing at 1.3kg, they claim that the laptop can last up to 24 hours on a single charge. As for display, it offers a 14″ Full HD IPS touch display that comes with 400 nits brightness.
The Lenovo Yoga 5G is priced at USD1,499 (~RM6142).
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7
With the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7, it is available in either 14″ or 15″ and comes with Lenovo’s Q-Control Intelligent Cooling feature that uses AI to optimize battery life by an average of up to 20%.
There’s the option between up to AMD Ryzen 4000 Series Mobile Processor with Radeon graphics or Intel’s Core i7 with Intel Iris Plus graphics and the option to the latest NVIDIA GeForce MX graphics.
If you’re not satisfied with the graphics, they’ve also prepared the option of up to NVIDIA GeForce GTX graphics for better experience in editing or gaming.
They also come with Dolby Atmos Speaker System, to give more satisfactory audio quality.
 The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 starts at the price of USD1,209.99 (~RM4,957) for the Intel variant.
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook
Now we head to their Chromebook offerings, starting with the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook, one of the lightest Chromebooks around and one that comes with up to 10 hours of battery life.
It provides 8 years of auto-updates and Microsoft Office Suite compatibility. Not to forget, it also comes with a detachable keyboard complete with full trackpad.
The IdeaPad Duet Chromebook is ideal for those who wants simplicity and who are always on the go.
For the IdeaPad Duet Chromebook, it starts at the price of USD279 (~RM1,143)
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook
Last on the list is the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook where it comes with up to a 10th Gen Intel i5 processor. There’s up to 128GB PCIe SSD of storage as well as 8GB DDR4 RAM to offer performance and speed.
Its 13″ Full HD IPS touchscreen display can get up to 300 nits and the Chromebook is the first of their product to support a digital pen with integrated stylus support.
In terms of battery performance, they claim that it lasts up to 10 hours.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook is set to be priced at USD359 (~RM1,471)
Pokdepinion: Some might look at the ThinkPad X1 Fold but I’m more interested in the ThinkBook Plus, I think it’s more practical.
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Valve Open to Have PC Game Pass service on Steam if Microsoft is willing

Valve is happy to have Microsoft’s PC Game Pass service on Steam
Image Credit: Microsoft

Recently, Valve CEO Gabe Newell had an interview with PC Gamer and has openly expressed interest in having Microsoft’s PC Game Pass service on Steam as currently, Valve does not have any plans for an Xbox Game Pass competitor.
Newell said that Valve has no need of building its own subscription service yet but for customers who require it, they are more than happy to incorporate it on Steam. Despite Microsoft and Valve having held discussions before about bringing PC Game Pass to Steam, it is still early days and may never happen.
A stumbling block could be Valve’s 30 percent cut on software sales through Steam. Valve cut the number down to 20 percent for sales after USD $50 million (RM209 million approximately), however, it is not known as to how the company would treat subscription services like PC Game Pass. In the past, when EA play was launched on Steam in 2020, only the basic subscription tier was available and EA Play Pro is still exclusive to EA Origin.

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Microsoft has not shown any interest back on having the PC Game Pass on Steam though.

In 2019, the software maker began distributing more of its Xbox Game Studios titles through Steam but PC Game Pass remains an exclusive on the Microsoft Store and for Windows 10 or 11 PCs. This means that if you purchase a new Steam Deck, you can’t access PC Game Pass on the pre-installed Linux OS.
Microsoft has also attempted to shake up PC gaming last year by reducing its Windows store cut to just 12 percent. Microsoft has also said its open to Steam being part of its new Windows 11 app store as the latter still dominates desktop gaming.
Source
Pokdepinion: To be honest, I would love it if the PC Game Pass was available though Steam so I can only have two app launchers, namely Steam and Epic, to play games with but as long as Microsoft doesn’t respond, one can only hope.
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Transcend announces Ultimate UHS Video Speed Class 30 – microSD card with MLC NAND flash

Transcend today announces a new microSD, the Ultimate UHS Video Speed Class 30 (V30) for 4K video recording, The microSD is based on MLC NAND flash, with transfer speed up to 95MB/s read and 60MB/s write, offers optimum protection with capacities up to 128GB.
Capable of enduring extreme temperature ranging from -25°C to 85°C, it also waterproof, static proof, shock proof also x-ray proof. In addition, the built-in Error Correcting Code (ECC) automatically detects and corrects transfer errors.

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In term of recovery, Transcends included its exclusive RecoverRx software. Allows user to search and rescue accidentally erased file in the Ultimate UHS Video Speed Class 30 (V30) microSD card.
All transcend’s Ultimate UHS Video Speed Class 30 microSD cards are offered in 16GB, 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities. It also back by Transcend’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Pokdepinion: A good and fast microSD card doesn’t come in cheap. If you are serious in 4K video recording with your smartphone or drone. This might be one of your option.
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Samsung RDNA-infused SoC delivers double the GPU performance of the Snapdragon 865?

While the Exynos 990 might have been quite a disappointment in the flagship segment, Samsung seems intent to make up for it. After announcing a partnership with AMD to use AMD’s RDNA GPU architecture, this might be the first time benchmarks of the upcoming Samsung Exynos flagship chipset have appeared, and they look plenty promising.
Based on a leak, Samsung is reportedly targeting the performance level of the upcoming Apple A14 chipset with their upcoming SoC featuring the RDNA GPU. As of now, the performance figures served up in the leak for the upcoming Samsung-RDNA mobile SoC in GFXBench are as follows:

Manhattan 3.1 – 181.8 fps
Aztec (Normal) – 138.25 fps
Aztec (High) – 58 fps

According to Anandtech‘s GFXBench Manhattan 3.1 test results, the iPhone 11 Pro’s A13 Bionic achieved a peak result of 123.54 fps, while the Snapdragon 865 Qualcomm Reference Design (QRD) delivered just 89.38 fps. It does seem like Samsung may have successfully achieved their target of at least offering the performance of the upcoming Apple A14 chipset, and might have even handily surpassed it too. But there’s still more work to be done on the Samsung RDNA-powered Exynos chipset.

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There are apparently still some issues with the power consumption of the chipset in its current form, but Samsung and AMD are actively trying to optimize the mobile GPU to mitigate the problem. With the chipset expected to launch in a device in 2021, Samsung still has quite a lot of time to tweak the performance-to-power consumption balance.

I guess with these results, it’s almost a no-brainer as to why Google is looking to work with Samsung for a custom chip to power the upcoming Pixel device. Here’s hoping that Samsung and AMD will have a strong alternative to Qualcomm’s Adreno GPUs next year!
Pokdepinion: A GPU that’s offering more than double the performance of the Adreno 650… I think that faster than Intel’s iGPUs by now?
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[E3 2018] New Trailer for FIFA 19 – Here’s the Release Date

The folks over at Electronic Arts have given us a glimpse of what we can expect from FIFA 19 at E3 2018. The release date for the game has also been revealed. It’s certainly an exciting EA Play 2018 for many gamers.
E3 2018: New Trailer for FIFA 19

Fans of the popular football (soccer if you’re in America) game series, you’re going to be happy to hear this. The folks over at Electronic Arts unveiled a new trailer today for their upcoming game FIFA 19. The game has been announced with a proper release date, which is set on 28th September 2018. Additionally, Electronic Arts also announced that this entry in the franchise will include the full UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Super Cup.
Since the release of FIFA International Soccer back in 1993, the franchise has released a new installment every year like clockwork. The most recent release, FIFA 18, was received pretty well from gamers across the globe.

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In addition to revealing the new game, EA also announced that last years title, FIFA 18, has a free trial available right now. If you’ve been on the fence about playing a FIFA game, this is a great opportunity to get yourself acquainted with the franchise, or at the very least, get excited about the launch of the upcoming FIFA 19 this September.
Check out the new trailer for the game at the top of this post. FIFA 19 will be released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch on 28th September 2018. Of course, if you can’t wait to get onto the pitch, you can give that FIFA 18 trial a try. If you’d like to see more of the announcements from EA Play 2018, do stay tuned to Pokde.net :)
Pokdepinion: Well, something that will certainly shake up the eSports scene locally and all over the world. It’s only the first day of E3 2018 even. Are you all excited for FIFA 19? I know I am.
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Xiaomi Is Already Looking Towards 6G

While just recently Xiaomi unveiled their affordable Redmi 10X 5G smartphone, it seems that they are already looking towards the next level of connectivity in the form of 6G.
Xiaomi to look at 6G
The news was revealed by Lei Jun, the company’s CEO where he has said that they have started the preliminary research on the technology.
In addition to that, he claims that they are also conducting a research on satellite internet and its benefits toward smartphones. Satellite internet has been used normally for those living in rural areas, where network and connectivity isn’t the best to say the least. It’ll be interesting to see if they could conjure up something with the technology.

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He has said that Xiaomi has cleared off their 4G devices (smartphones) in order to usher in the new age of 5G in China.
Source
Pokdepinion: Seeing most of the market outside China hasn’t deployed 5G just yet, I’d still think they shouldn’t ditch 4G just yet.
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 To Feature Two Variants?

Leaker MEGAsizeGPU alleges that NVIDIA is preparing two versions of RTX 4080 to launch concurrently.

4080 16G and 4080 12G will be released and launched at the same time, just like 1060 6G and 1060 3G https://t.co/nTWYuSGZUm
— MEGAsizeGPU (@Zed__Wang) September 6, 2022

According to the leaker, there will be two versions of this card: the 12GB variant with 10-layer PCB and the 16GB variant with 12-layer PCB, both using AIC (add-in card) reference designs (not NVIDIA’s own Founder’s Edition).
Despite configuration differences, it looks like both variants will share the same name, with the only difference being the amount of GDDR6X chips included in the board. There has been numerous occasions in the past where NVIDIA had done this, as recent as RTX 3080 (with 10GB at launch and 12GB variant later); and GTX 1060 before that (6GB & 3GB variants) as the leaker mentioned in the same tweet.

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No solid information on when it will be released, and as with all leaked information, do take it with a pinch of salt as many things may still change until the official launch.
Source
Pokdepinion: Given NVIDIA’s track record I’d say it’s very likely that this may happen again – since both major GPU manufacturers are looking to fill any market gap that the other may have missed.
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vivo X60 Pro Review — Mobile Photography Powered By ZEISS

It’s been quite some time since we’ve took a close look into a vivo smartphone. This time around, we’ll be taking a look at their brand new offering in this vivo X60 Pro review, featuring ZEISS optics. Will it impress us? Let’s get started with the review.
Unboxing

vivo X60 Pro Review Unboxing 1

vivo X60 Pro Review Unboxing 2

I usually skip out on the box / package of smartphone because there’s not much to go around, in terms of the unboxing experience. The vivo X60 Pro did surprise me when it comes to the packaging however as it does seem more premium than I initially thought it would be.

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vivo X60 Review Packaging
Inside the box, you can expect the following to find the items:

vivo X60 Pro
Hard case
Charging brick
Documentation
SIM ejector (hidden behind documentation)
USB-C dongle
USB-C cable
Earphone
Extra ear tips

Appearance
vivo X60 Review – Front
We can see here on the front that the vivo X60 Pro comes with curves at the sides. There’s a punch hole camera on middle-top area as shown above. The bezels on the sides are visible but I’d say that they are not alarmingly big, which is a good thing.
vivo X60 Pro Review – Bottom
Moving over to the bottom, you can find the SIM tray, microphone, USB-C port, as well as the speaker.
vivo X60 Review – Right
As is the case with most smartphone, you’ll be able to find the volume rockers and power button on the right side of the device. If you switch over the opposite side, it’s completely naked.
vivo X60 Pro Review – Top
Heading over to the top, you can find the secondary microphone of the device. There’s a “Professional Photography” text here too which might not seem like a lot, but it’s a nice touch.
vivo X60 Pro Review – Back
Flipping over to the back, we can see that the smartphone comes in an iridescent finish, which is pleasing to the eyes. The camera bump on the top left hosts its triple lens camera, accompanied by the ZEISS Vario-Tessar text. Of course, the vivo branding is also there towards the bottom half.
vivo X60 Pro Specifications

CPU:
Snapdragon 870 Octa-core (1×3.2GHz Kryo 585 & 3×2.42GHz Kryo 585 & 4×1.80GHz Kryo 585) 7nm

GPU:
Adreno 650

Memory:
12GB

Storage:
256GB UFS 3.1

Display:
6.56-inch FHD+ (2376 x 1080) AMOLED, 120Hz

Camera:
48MP f/1.48, PDAF, OIS
13MP f/2.46 portrait, PDAF, 2x optical zoom
13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide
ZEISS optics, HDR, Panorama, Night mode, 4K/30fps, 1080/30fps, Gyro-EIS

Selfie camera:
32MP f/2.45

Connectivity:
LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/17/18/19/20/26/28/32/38/39/40/41
5G Band n1/n3/n7/n28/n32
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi 6
Bluetooth 5.1
aptX HD
USB Type-C

Battery:
Li-Po 4200mAh
33W fast charging (charger included)

Dimensions:
158.58 x 73.24 x 7.59mm

Weight:
179g

Performance
The vivo X60 Pro is the first Snapdragon 870 device that we’ve tested, which you may recall us previously dubbing it as the “Snapdragon 865 Plus Plus” as it’s offers slight improvements over the Snapdragon 865 and Snapdragon 865+.
vivo X60 Pro Review – Antutu V8
Starting with Antutu’s benchmark, the score follows what we’ve mentioned earlier. Despite that, the overclocked ROG Phone 3 (in X Mode) ranks better with slightly higher score than the vivo X60 Pro.
vivo X60 Pro Review – Geekbench 5
Over on Geekbench, the vivo X60 Pro scores decently in both single-core and multi-core tests. Despite scoring slightly lower on the former, the X60 Pro actually performs better than the Exynos 2100 on the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra when it comes to the multi-core performance.
vivo X60 Pro Review – 3DMark
When it comes to graphical performance, we can see that the device is no slouch either, coming with decent scores when compared with the recent flagships that we’ve reviewed.
vivo X60 Pro Review – PCMark Work 2.0
Despite the rest of the test, PCMark’s Work 2.0 benchmark for productivity sees the vivo X60 Pro dropping to the fourth spot in the list.
vivo X60 Pro Review – PCMark Battery
Yes, you read that correctly, the device lasted 666 minutes on PCMark’s battery benchmark. With that side, you may find that the battery life is not that long. I find that it’s quite the score considering the battery capacity and the high 120Hz refresh rate that we set for the test.
For real-life usage, at the end of a day I would normally find myself left with around 55% to 65% while on 120Hz too. Of course, this depends on your usage but I would say that in my case, I use generally for social media apps such as Facebook, Messenger, Telegram, WhatsApp and watching videos on YouTube. You can also expect better battery life by turning the refresh rate down to 60Hz but then again, it would be a shame to stay away from the buttery smoothness of high refresh rates.
If you’re wondering how fast the 33W charger juices up the device, we got the vivo X60 Pro to go from 27% to 71% in 30 minutes, which is surprisingly slower than I expected it to be.
User Experience
vivo X60 Pro Review – User Experience
First thing that I noticed about the device while holding it is its lightweight nature. This could be due to the fact that it packs a slightly smaller 4200mAh battery inside compared to recent smartphones that I’ve tested with bigger batteries. The curves give it premium feel and it does look like a solid build from vivo. I do however noticed that the edges on the side are a bit sharp and not as refined as we would have liked.
The display is a pleasure to watch videos on thanks to its AMOLED display, which also comes with 120Hz refresh rate. I do find punch-hole notch right in the middle to be a nuisance however as it gets irritating for me to see a hole that doesn’t blend in with the background. I would’ve preferred for the camera to be placed on the top corners instead.

Unfortunately the smartphone comes with a single speaker and from my experience with it, you’d need to turn it up to at least 50% to get a decent multimedia experience. It would’ve been nice if they had offered dual speakers, given how more and more brands are opting for that now. Furthermore, it’s a shame that the device doesn’t offer a 3.5mm headphone jack. I know that they included a dongle for that purpose but hey, it’s always better to have a dedicated port for it.
vivo X60 Pro Review – UI
The vivo X60 Pro runs on FuntouchOS 11.1 which is based on Android 11 and from my experience  it was quite snappy and smooth overall. It’s also helped by the fact that it uses 12GB of RAM, so there are no problems to open up several apps at once. I feel that the only issue that I have with the skin is that the bloatware that comes with it. While I understand how brands make money from this for entry-level or mid-range devices, but this is a flagship smartphone we’re talking about here.

Switching to the camera UI, I had no issues with it whatsoever. It’s pretty straightforward and easy to use. If you are not satisfied with the preset modes on the main menu, you can customize them to your liking by heading to “More” and tapping the customize icon on the top right.

I was actually impressed with the camera performance of the vivo X60 Pro. One of the selling points of the devices is the ZEISS imaging system and shots turned out decent overall. I had fun with it, especially when it comes to macro shots as it had a working, and easy to use, auto focus.
The 48MP mode changes the tone of photos and personally I feel that normal shots are better to be honest. Thanks to the stabilization system on hand, I didn’t need to keep steady (too much) for capturing photos that would normally be ruined by moving a lot.
I’ve never been too fond of selfies but if this is your kind of thing, the front camera has several filters included for you to utilize. There’s even a “Makeup for men” option should you need it, for whatever reason.
You can check out the full-sized images by clicking the link right here.
Conclusion
vivo X60 Pro Review – Verdict
All in all, the vivo X60 Pro was pretty fun to use and it feels premium. Despite that, some may argue that vivo is asking a lot for the device considering that it is priced at RM3,299. At that price, you’d definitely find other flagships that offer a higher-end Snapdragon 888 chip more attractive. Don’t get me wrong though as the Snapdragon 870 is still a powerful SoC, but I just feel that they should offer more for the price.
With that, I award the vivo X60 Pro our second best award, the Silver Pokdeward.

Our thanks to vivo Malaysia for providing the vivo X60 Pro that was used in this review.
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Snapdragon 690 brings 5G to the mid-range segment

Qualcomm has just announced the Snapdragon 690, which builds upon the Snapdragon 675 with better performance, and the buzzword of the year, 5G. Qualcomm also updated the CPU cores, GPU, ISP and DSP components, making it a pretty significant upgrade over its predecessors.
The CPU core cluster arrangement is similar to the rest of Qualcomm’s mid-range chipsets, coming with a 2+6 configuration. The “big” cores have been updated to the Cortex-A77-based Kryo 560, running at 2.0 GHz. Interestingly, that’s a more advanced architecture than the Snapdragon 765’s Cortex-A76-based Kryo 475 performance cores. Meanwhile six Cortex-A55-based efficiency cores run at 1.7 GHz. Overall, Qualcomm claim a 20% performance improvement over the previous generation of Snapdragon 600-series chipsets.
The GPU also sees a rather huge jump, with an Adreno 619L under the hood for a pretty huge 60% leap in performance from the Adreno 612 in the Snapdragon 675. The Snapdragon 690 will need to be quite powerful to feed the 120 Hz displays it supports, although I kinda expect it to not be capable of 120 Hz in games.

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In addition to all that raw CPU and GPU grunt, the Snapdragon 690 is prepared for the upcoming slew of high resolution cameras with support for up to 192MP cameras, with the new Spectra 355L ISP. This is also the first 600-series chipset to sport a 5th Gen Qualcomm AI Engine and Hexagon Tensor Accelerator, which was usually reserved for Qualcomm’s more premium chips.
Last but not least, the 5G modem. Qualcomm used a Snapdragon X51 5G modem here. It enables up to 2.5 Gbps down and 660 Mbps up over 5G, which is a bit slower than what the Snapdragon X52 5G modem in the Snapdragon 765 series is capable of.
Snapdragon 690 Specs

2 x 2.0 GHz Kryo 560 (Cortex-A77-based) + 6 x 1.7 GHz Kryo 560 (Cortex-A55-based)
Adreno 619L
Hexagon 692 DSP
Spectra 355L ISP (up to 192MP single camera, 32MP with ZSL and multi-frame noise reduction)
Qualcomm X51 5G modem (2.5 Gbps down, 1.2 Gbps up)
8nm LPP (Samsung)

The Snapdragon 690 is slated to appear in devices in the second half of 2020. One of the first devices to debut with the chipset might be from Nokia, as they expressed that they are “excited” to reveal more about their product featuring on the Snapdragon 690.
Pokdepinion: I wonder if the Snapdragon 690 will end up like the Snapdragon 675… It’s a great chipset that offers more raw horsepower than the Snapdragon 710, but saw very poor adoption, probably because OEMs would rather boast of a 700-series in their marketing material over a 600-series chip.
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Samsung innovates the li-ion battery

 It’s undeniable that the built-in batteries we have in our smartphones are the weakest link in all the awesomeness of high pixel density screens, octa-core processing and impressive cameras that rival compact cameras. You can all the best hardware, but without power, it’s just a brick, and a mobile phone isn’t deserving of the name “mobile phone” if it has to be attached to the wall or a power bank most of the time. It just isn’t mobile.
Seeing the problem, Samsung develops a new technology, creating a silicon cathode material for coating high crystal graphene on a silicon surface to usher in an energy density that is nearly two times more than existing lithium batteries. Current lithium batteries were developed and commercialized by Sony in the 90s, and have slowly been getting better and better, but the material itself has its limitations.
Most of the development of high-capacity battery materials has been done in the US, but there is a major technological problem that shortens the life of a lithium battery from constant charging and discharging. The R&D center of Samsung Electronics has succeeded where no one else has, developing a high-density and very durable cathode material by coating the strong and conductive graphene on the surface of the silicon, in order to create a type of protective shell around the silicon.

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Samsung has been working on improving battery capacity to make itself stand out from the competition, and this technology could be its ticket.
Industry watchers have said that the technology will need around two to three years to reach commercialization.

SOURCE: TweakTown

Pokdepinion: This is all good for the world. We just shared news of innovation in li-ion batteries for home and electric car applications and were left hoping for innovation in the mobile world too. Given that Samsung also has joined the “sealed battery” crowd, it would be wise to improve on the battery since users can’t swap out their dead batteries for a fully charged one — something many proponents of Samsung phones claim to be among the pros of using a Samsung smartphone but I have never seen anyone do it for real. We are all for longer-lived smartphones!
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MSI Releases Latest BIOS In Response To Blown Ryzen 7000 Chips

Most AMD 600 series motherboards is available with the patch, with the recent PRO A620M-E model still pending at this writing.

AMD Ryzen 7000 series has been making the headlines lately for the wrong reasons. To summarize: there were a number of reports with users having their Ryzen 7000 chips, X3D or otherwise, blowing itself up literally which ultimately killed the chip itself and sometimes takes the motherboard with it. The direct cause has been traced down to excessive SoC voltage (VSoC) set on certain motherboard models which greatly accelerated the degradation of the chip.

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To contain the issue, motherboard manufacturers have been scrambling for a fix – most commonly to put a upper limit on VSoC to prevent the chip from pulling too much voltage based on certain EXPO profiles. “According to AMD’s design specifications, the Ryzen 7000X3D series CPU does not fully support overclocking or overvoltage adjustments,” MSI said in its press release. “However, AMD EXPO technology can be used to optimize memory performance by appropriately increasing the CPU SoC voltage to ensure system stability when operating at higher memory frequencies.”
It’s normal for overclocked RAM to pull extra voltage to ensure stability, though MSI in this case has adjusted the VSoC values for both X3D and standard chips as a precaution. “In the confirmation report from AMD team, it is recommended that the maximum limit of the CPU SoC voltage should be set at a safe range for Ryzen 7000X3D series CPU to mitigate potential CPU damage caused by inappropriate overclocking or overvoltage. With the same safety concern, we’ll also adjust the CPU SoC voltage for the regular Ryzen 7000 series CPU,” the company further added.
MSI has published a list of updated BIOS as below:

Motherboard model

Patched VSoC BIOS Version

MEG X670E GODLIKE

E7D68AMS.152

MEG X670E ACE

E7D69AMS.182

MPG X670E CARBON WIFI

E7D70AMS.172

MAG X670E TOMAHAWK WIFI

E7E12AMS.133

PRO X670-P WIFI

E7D67AMS.192

MPG B650 CARBON WIFI

E7D74AMS.152

MPG B650 EDGE WIFI

E7E10AMS.162

MPG B650I EDGE WIFI

E7D73AMS.132

MAG B650 TOMAHAWK WIFI

E7D75AMS.162

MAG B650M MORTAR / WIFI

E7D76AMS.A51

B650 GAMING PLUS WIFI

E7E26AMS.111

PRO B650-P WIFI

E7D78AMS.152

PRO B650M-A / WIFI

E7D77AMS.182

PRO A620M-E

TBA

Pokdepinion: If you happen to have one of these systems, better update the BIOS ASAP.
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Apple M1X leaked to tout 12-core CPU, 16-core GPU and 32GB RAM support

The Apple M1 made some waves in the industry by being the first chips from Apple in their transition from Intel’s x86 processors to Arm-based Apple Silicon. It was a pretty low-powered chip, which was great for MacBooks but Apple definitely needs something with more grunt to replace the beefier Intel processors in the MacBook Pro 16″ and maybe also the iMac. Enter the Apple M1X.
As usual, take these specifications with a grain of salt. According to CPU-Monkey, the Apple M1X will pack a 12-core CPU, with eight Firestorm “performance” cores and four Icestorm “efficiency” cores. The performance cores will reportedly run at up to 3.2GHz, which is the exact same boost frequency as the Apple M1.
Meanwhile the already impressive GPU on the Apple M1 will be doubly so on the Apple M1X. The GPU is rumored to sport 16 GPU cores with 256 execution units, twice the amount packed into the Apple M1. If the rumors are true, Apple will be boasting of twice the number of performance cores and GPU cores of the Apple M1 with the Apple M1X.

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All of that performance will come at a cost, and aside from allowing Apple to charge Mac users more, the Apple M1X is expected to arrive with a 35W TDP that can go up to 45W under load. This is a pretty huge leap up from the 15W TDP of the Apple M1, which means that it is very likely that Apple will not be able to offer the same level of battery life that the current Apple M1-powered MacBooks enjoy.
It shouldn’t be too different from what they already have though, as the Apple M1X is slated to replace Intel’s H-series processors that are also rated with a 45W TDP in the larger MacBook Pro machines. In fact we might see it offer better efficiency than the Intel chips they are replacing in less intensive applications, thanks to the presence of the efficiency cores.
The Apple M1X will support up to 32GB LPDDR4X-4266, which should allow for better multi-tasking capabilities. The Apple M1X is expected to be manufactured on TSMC’s 5nm process, which should surprise no one, considering that Apple is now TSMC’s top customer for the 5nm node. It will reportedly be arriving in Q2 2021, so stay tuned for more details that will inevitably leak out.
Pokdepinion: I wonder if they will update the professional-oriented Mac Pro with Arm processors too?
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vivo Introduces vivo Y35 With 8GB + 8GB Extended RAM 3.0

vivo recently introduces the Y35 smartphone, the newest in the brand’s fun-packed and energetic Y series, with improved features and great processing power.
The smartphone comes with more storage of 256GB ROM extendable up to 1TB and 8GB + 8GB Extended RAM, as well as double the power capacity packed into the device’s 5000mAh battery with 44W FlashCharge. The Y35 is also IPX4 water-resistant and IP5X dust-resistant.

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The Y35 features a large 6.58-inch FHD display with a resolution of 2408×1080 and a colour gamut of P3. Along with immersive graphics that offer a high touch sampling rate and refresh rate of up to 90Hz. The display also boasts a maximum brightness of 550 nits, ensuring visibility and clarity under direct sunlight for pleasant outdoor viewing.
The fingerprint scanner of the Y35, combined with the power button on the device’s side, meets the need for an easy-to-access lock screen, allowing users to power on and unlock the phone at the same time. Users can now utilise the Face Wake function to unlock their phones at a glance by simply lifting them up.
The Y35 has a triple camera setup with a 50MP main camera, 2MP bokeh camera and 2MP macro camera. Users will appreciate the difference in clarity made possible by the 16MP HD front camera.
The vivo Y35 comes in two colours: Agate Black and Dawn Gold. The smartphone is priced at RM1,099 and is currently available for pre-order on vivo’s official E-store, Shopee and Lazada and official flagship store.
Customers who pre-ordered the vivo Y35 series between 12 to 16 August will receive free goodies worth up to RM547, including brand coupons, a sports crossbody bag, a one-year extended warranty, and a one-year screen crack protection warranty.
Pokdepinion: Another entry-level phone with decent features like huge storage and battery capacity. You can consider getting this phone if the features above fit your needs.
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Samsung Big Games Big Screen Campaign – Get Free Gifts Worth Up To RM26000!

In need for a TV, especially with the FIFA World Cup 2018 in mind or you simply just want a new TV to complete your living room? Well Samsung are holding their Big Games Big Screen campaign where you stand a chance to walk away with free gifts worth up to RM26,000 when you purchase their selected TVs.
Samsung Big Games Big Screen
The campaign, which is already running, will be available until the 30th of April 2018. Samsung has put a deal for customers to upgrade to larger TV screens for a more immersive viewing experience.
There’s an Ogawa Smart Edge Plus massage chair worth RM12,999 waiting for you when you purchase Samsung’s 75-inch Curved QLED TV.

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If a foot massage is more of your thing, you can get the Ogawa Omknee Therapy foot massager worth RM4,499 when you purchase Samsung’s 55-inch Flat QLED TV.
Massaging equipment just isn’t for you? Looking for that immersive cinematic experience? You can opt for the 65-inch Curved QLED and you can bring home a Samsung Dolby Atmost Soundbar worth RM5,999 for free, which Samsung has said it to be the ‘ultimate’ experience.
There is also a deal for Samsung’s UHD TV, where you can purchase any of Samsung’s UHD TVs and you are entitled to purchase the Samsung Soundbar Sound+ or Samsung 4K Ultra HD Blu-Ray Player at a special price of RM1,099 and RM1,499 respectively.
If you wish to learn more and have a full look of the deals of the promo, you can click here to go to Samsung’s official website.
Pokdepinion: While the World Cup is definitely coming, I don’t think that anyone will really buy a TV just for that occasion.  Nevertheless, if you are aiming for a TV anytime soon, you might want to consider the deals that they are offering (if you want to get those freegifts or those items that are up for special prices).
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OPPO A92 And OPPO Enco W31 Now Available For Pre-orders In Malaysia

Today marks the launch of OPPO Malaysia’s OPPO A92 as well as the new OPPO Enco W31 TWS earphones. Both of them are now available for pre-orders right now.
OPPO A92 And OPPO Enco W31 pre-order Malaysia
OPPO A92 pre-order Malaysia
The latest from their A-series, the OPPO A92 features a Neo-Display, a 48MP quad camera configuration as well as a Quad-curve body.
Other than that, it comes with 8GB RAM that’s mated with 128GB of internal storage. The OPPO A92 is powered by a Snapdragon 665 chipset and it’s coupled by a 5000mAh battery under the hood.

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Its price? Well the OPPO A92 will be available at RM1,199 in Twilight Black and Shining White. Pre-orders has already begun for the phone and will run until the 8th of May 2020. Those who purchase the phone will get gifts worth RM298 that includes an Olike Bluetooth Speaker and a 1-year extended warranty.
OPPO Enco W31 pre-order Malaysia
On the other hand, there’s the OPPO Enco W31 which was also introduced today. The TWS earphones has IP54 protection against dust and water.
It also comes with wear detection, so every time you put them off or in, they will know. Voice assistant is there if you need it and there’s also tap controls to utilize them.
Available in white and black color versions the OPPO Enco W31 is priced at RM259. Think that’s a bit too high? Well they are offering the earphones for a discounted price of RM199 when you pre-order them.
That’s not the end of it. To celebrate the launch, OPPO is offering a PWP (Purchase With Purchase) offer where you can get the OPPO Enco W31 at just RM129 when you purchase the OPPO A92 alongside it.
Pokdepinion: Well seems like they’ve upgraded in a few areas than the previous model..
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Mac Mini powered by Apple M1 offers zero upgradability

The new Mac Mini powered by the Apple M1 chipset does seem like a huge upgrade over the previous generation, unless you decide that you want to physically upgrade the specifications inside. While the prior generation of Mac Minis had accommodations for end users to throw in more RAM, or in even older ones, to upgrade the storage as well, the latest one doesn’t allow for any of that.
To be entirely honest, this is somewhat expected. The Apple M1 boasts of a unified memory architecture, which sees the memory being part of the same organic package as the chipset itself. This is supposed to lower memory latency, while also shrinking the size of the chipset + RAM assembly, allowing it to take up less room on a PCB.

And Apple did deliver on that. Unfortunately, they didn’t use the extra room freed up by the smaller package for more connectivity options or support for additional storage. All you get is a smaller motherboard and more empty space inside. Apple also shrunk the size of the cooler, which is to be expected considering that the Apple M1 is supposed to be significantly more efficient than the Intel chips that powered the previous Mac Minis.

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Source
Pokdepinion: I am actually quite surprised that Apple didn’t allow for support of additional M.2 SSDs given the extra room they have in the enclosure.
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Sony unveils new members of the EXTRA BASS series

Sony has unveiled a slew of new products in the EXTRA BASS lineup, designed to deliver the heavy-hitting bass for maximum enjoyment of today’s popular music. The new lineup enhances the intensity of deep bass notes and premium sound quality, irregardless of where they are.

The first of the new members are a series of new wireless speakers, the SRS-XB40, SRS-XB30 and SRS-XB20. The speakers feature multitude of lighting options to enhance the mood according to the type of music playing. Using the wireless party chain feature, speakers can also be synchronized to deliver great sound and lighting effects. Using two of the same speakers can allow you to take advantage of stereo sound with each speaker delivering one of the audio channels. Using the SongPal app, you can start music playback, toggle the lighting, add a speaker into the party chain and more. The SRS-XB40 and SRS-XB30 can also double as portable chargers if your smartphone is running low on battery.

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The SRS-XB10 is yet another wireless speaker, but it is also not just another wireless speaker. It is insanely portable at 91mm by 75mm. Don’t let its size fool you though as it can deliver incredible loudness and punchy bass, true to its status as a member of the EXTRA BASS family. With a 16 hour battery life, it will power any party all night long and well into the next day. Just like the prior trio of wireless speakers, the XB10 is also rated IPX5 for water-resistance, making pool parties a non-issue. The XB10 can also be paired with another XB10 for stereo sound.

If you prefer to keep your music to yourself, Sony have got you covered as well. The MDR-XB950N1 and MDR-XB950B1 EXTRA BASS Wireless Headphones deliver enhanced bass response right to your ears, with the XB950N1 having added noise cancelling so you can enjoy your thumping bass peacefully in noisier environments. Both headphones feature Bluetooth audio streaming with aptX and AAC codec support and simplified pairing with NFC. The noise cancelling XB950N1 is rated to deliver 22 hours of music while the XB950B1 promises to provide 18 hours of non-stop good sound. If you run out of battery, fret not as you can continue listening to your music with the supplied cable.
The MDR-XB550AP EXTRA BASS wired on-ear headphones with its specially designed ear cups and 30mm drivers deliver powerful, deep, bass punches. The drivers have an exceptional low-end frequency response, starting from 5 Hz, and ranging all the way up to 22 000 Hz. It will be available in black, red, blue, green, and white.

For the sportier ones, the MDR-XB510AS EXTRA BASS in-ear sports earphones will deliver powerful bass to keep you pumped while you push your body to its limits and beyond. Ths easy to wear style with arc supporter provides a secure fit for active users, and coupled with the IPX5/7 water-proof design, you can wear them during a jog in the rain without worries, provided your smartphone is water-resistant too.
We have yet to receive news of availability in Malaysia, but we will be sure to update when we have new information.
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TM to build New SEA-ME-WE 6 Submarine Cable System with Consortium

SEA-ME-WE 6: TM marks participation with various countries

Yesterday, Telekom Malaysia Berhad (TM) announced that they will be apart of a consortium for the latest Southeast Asia – Middle East – Western Europe 6 (SEA-ME-WE 6) submarine cable system. The system will connect Malaysia with other consortium members from multiple other countries namely Singapore, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Pakistan, Oman, Djibouti, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and France.
TM recently did a signing of the Construction and Maintenance Agreement (C&MA) with all the members in the consortium. With TM’s official participation in the consortium, the SEA-ME-WE 6 will join the list of the company’s investments in submarine cable systems including SEA-ME-WE 4, SEA-ME-WE 4, SEA-ME-WE 5 as well as other numerous international cable routes worldwide.

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SEA-ME-WE 6 is TM’s latest investment to connect with the world
Image Credit: Soya Cincau
According to a statement by TM Group Chief Executive Officer Imri Mokhtar, TM’s investment efforts is instrumental in establishing Malaysia as a regional digital hub and enables global technology players to deliver innovative digital services to the country.
The SEA-ME-WE 6 will provide TM with one of the lowest latency routes between Malaysia and Europe with its’ open cable system concept and design capacity of more than 100Tbps which will supply the consortium members complete control over their traffic management. It will also allow the company to support the deployment of hyperscalers’ data centres as well as the future requirements of 5G network in the country.
The SEA-ME-WE 6 submarine cable will land at TM’s new cable landing station in Morib, which is the company’s latest addition to their existing four international cable landing stations in the country. Imri notes that the strategic proximity to Klang Valley makes it a key cable landing site in Malaysia.
Source
Pokdepinion: Hopefully this expansion will help us achieve better internet connection…
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Commandos Spectrum G2411FN Review — absolutely amazing for its price

Commandos by Tech Armory is a brand probably better known for their laptops, but it seems that they are broadening their horizons with monitors as well. The Commandos Spectrum G2411FN is part of their first lineup of monitors, and to be entirely honest, I am seeing some things that I really like in this monitor. Let’s go.
Unboxing

The packaging of the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN is pretty basic. It comes in a black cardboard box with orange accents here and there. Generally not too much of a looker here. But as always, the content is what matters, and here it seems that Tech Armory dropped the ball a little by including a HDMI cable instead of a DisplayPort one.

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Considering that this is a gaming monitor, a DisplayPort cable would have made more sense as then gamers with NVIDIA GPUs can also take advantage of the variable refresh rate feature on this monitor. Aside from that, you get a pretty common external power adapter and a little screwdriver which we will talk about in a bit.
Appearance

The Commandos Spectrum G2411FN is devoid of any branding on the front, which is quite peculiar. If anything, it should blend right in to a clean system, with its lack of any flashy logos or anything getting in the way of things. The total bezel area from the edge of the viewable area to the edge of the frame is only 7mm, which bodes well for a multi-monitor setup if you feel up for it.

We have more of that nondescript, generic design here, once again being devoid of any branding on the back. The inputs are angled downwards, which makes for cleaner cable management. Overall, the design is pretty clean, with just enough aggressiveness in the aesthetic with the ridges along the middle to make it known that this is a gaming monitor.

The ridges don’t actually sport any holes for ventilation of the innards, although like all displays supporting VESA Adaptive-Sync, there really isn’t much to vent as there’s no G-SYNC modules here in the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN. Those can produce enough heat to actually require a noisy fan to cool it down. I guess the relatively sealed design also bodes well for maintenance as there won’t be dust inside your monitor.
Commandos Spectrum G2411FN Specifications

Panel Size
24″

Panel Type
Super TN

True Resolution
1920 x 1080 (FHD)

Display Surface
Non-glare

Brightness
400cd/m2 (max)

Viewing Angle
170°(H)/160°(V)

Response Time
1ms MPRT

Display Colors
10.7b (8-bit + FRC)

Color gamut
100% sRGB, 72% NTSC

HDR (High Dynamic Range) Support
Yes

Maximum Refresh Rate
165Hz

Low Blue Light
Yes

HDCP support
Yes

Viewing modes
Standard, Photo, Movie, Game, FPS, RTS

Adaptive refresh rate
Yes
48 ~ 165Hz over DisplayPort, HDMI 1 input
48 ~ 144Hz over HDMI 2 input

Signal Input
2 x HDMI 2.0
1 x DisplayPort 1.4

Earphone jack
3.5mm

Power Consumption
36W (max)

Chassis Color
Black

Stand adjustments
None

VESA Wall Mounting
100 x 100 mm

Weight
8.5kg

Performance
Right out of the box, the brightness measured comes up to 316.4cd/m², while adjusting it to 100% brightness bumps it up to 373.4cd/m². For some reason the measured brightness in HDR mode drops to 357.8cd/m² with the HDR/SDR brightness slider pushed all the way to the right. I do think we should be able to see closer to 400cd/m², but considering that this monitor isn’t even rated for HDR400 on their website, I guess having HDR is a bonus in itself already.

The display uniformity is pretty good, with it passing nominal tolerances across the display. The dimmest sector is the lower left corner, while the brightest one is the upper right corner. Overall, it is still very good and there isn’t any backlight bleeding to report, which is a benefit that TN offers over IPS panel.
Color Accuracy

Standard
Standard mode (100% brightness)
HDR
Standard mode (100% brightness), calibrated with DisplayCAL

Measured luminance
316.4 cd/m²
373.4 cd/m²
357.8 cd/m²
335.2 cd/m²

Whitepoint
6856K
6878K
6538K
6581K

Average ΔE*00
1.47
1.42
1.43
0.71

Maximum ΔE*00
4
3.56
4.68
2.51

Color accuracy is pretty on point out of the box, with it delivering an average Delta E < 2. Maximum deviance is lightly higher at Delta E < 4, but I would say that it is still quite a respectable result. Calibrating the display can bring the accuracy up quite significantly, but it definitely isn’t as precise as a professional monitor can be. But, as this is a TN panel, color accuracy won’t be of utmost importance due to the way that the limited viewing angles is going to be a hindrance when attempting to perform any sort of color adjustment.
Gamut

Gamut
Standard
Standard mode (100% brightness)
Standard mode (100% brightness), calibrated with DisplayCAL

sRGB
Coverage
92.6%
92.3%
97.2%

Volume
100.2%
99.9%
105.4%

Adobe RGB
Coverage
67.3%
67.1%
70.7%

Volume
69.1%
68.8%
72.6%

DCI-P3
Coverage
71.0%
70.8%
74.7%

Volume
71.0%
70.8%
74.7%

Gamut volume and coverage are pretty good for a gaming monitor, although it isn’t ground breaking. But for a monitor of this price, I would consider the results we are seeing here with the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN quite amazing indeed. It offers close to 100% sRGB coverage once calibrated, while offering in excess of 100% sRGB gamut volume. Overall, a pretty good result from a relatively affordable monitor.
User Experience

In case you were wondering why is there a tiny screwdriver in the package, well that’s because Tech Armory actually thinks you won’t have a screwdriver with you when assembling the monitor. The process is really straightforward, with two screws to hold the stand to the rear of the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN.

There’s a nice plastic cover to hide the holes, but to be entirely honest, I do wish that there was at least tilt adjustment in the stand. The Commandos Spectrum G2411FN uses a TN panel, and those aren’t known for good viewing angles. If you can’t get a perfect, perpendicular view of the display, you aren’t going to be able to enjoy the excellent color results we saw earlier. Some tilt adjustment would have made it much easier for you to get it into the right angle, but I guess Tech Armory decided that if you want more adjustments, you should splurge for a VESA mount instead, which the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN does thankfully support.
The stand included with the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN also does not have any rubber grips underneath, which stands to not only scratch the surface you put it on, but it can also slide around a fair bit if you so much as bump against it in use. Some rubber feet would have made it a much sturdier solution.

Moving on, as you would have seen in the specifications, the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN does support two HDMI and one DisplayPort inputs. HDMI 1 and the single DisplayPort input support the full 165Hz refresh rate, while the HDMI 2 input only goes up to 144Hz. Nothing too surprising here.
There’s also a USB port which I have no idea what it does at the moment, as the documentation doesn’t discuss it. I guess it is used for firmware updates? And last but not least there’s a 3.5mm audio jack too, for you to output audio. The Commandos Spectrum G2411FN doesn’t sport any built in speakers, for better or worse. Given my experience with most monitor’s built-in audio, I guess this is for the best.

If you were curious about where the controls are, they are on the bottom edge of the monitor. The controls only consists of five buttons, but they are pretty simple and intuitive to use. Without bringing up the full OSD with the M button, these are the quick shortcuts that are by default:

E button – input selection
Left arrow – Enable on-screen crosshair
Right arrow – Color profile selection

By default, the OSD takes up front and center of the display when it is summoned. You do have the option of increasing the transparency or even move it around as well, which is a feature I believe isn’t all that common. There are quite a lot of features in the OSD, and all the features you would expect from a good gaming monitor are present here.
Conclusion

There’s little to fault the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN on. And when you consider its price of just RM499, it gets even harder to criticize it. You get a fast 165Hz refresh rate, quick response times, pretty good color accuracy out of the box, good gamut coverage and even HDR, although it doesn’t seem to achieve any necessary HDR requirements with its sub-400 nits brightness. I don’t think you can do much better than this at this price point.
My main issue with the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN is its included stand. The lack of adjustments exacerbates the shortcomings of the TN panel. I do fortunately have a stand that props up my monitor higher to meet my eye level, but for those who don’t, the limited viewing angles of the TN panel featured in the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN will make for a poor viewing experience that won’t do the good panel any justice. If Tech Armory plans to make this monitor the go-to gaming monitor, all they need to do is to throw in a more flexible stand, and we are absolutely golden. If you are interested to up your gaming experience, you can get it via the link here.

Our thanks to Tech Armory for sending us the Commandos Spectrum G2411FN for review.
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The latest GeForce Game Ready Driver brings up to 23% higher performance to the GeForce RTX cards!

NVIDIA has just released a new Gamescom Game Ready Driver which packs some awesome new features and new optimizations for the latest games. And these optimizations aren’t that small, with NVIDIA promising up to 23% higher frame rates.

The performance gains are visible with the GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER, with the biggest gains seen in Apex Legends. The other games which received optimizations with the latest GeForce Game Ready Driver 436.02 are Battlefield V, Forza Horizon 4, Strange Brigade and World War Z.

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In addition to higher performance, the new drivers also offer a new Ultra-Low Latency Mode which can lower latency by more than half when enabled. NVIDIA claims that this mode gives you the most benefit when you are GPU bound, giving you the responsiveness of high-framerate gaming, even though you are unable to push the high framerates at your current graphic settings.
Three options are available when you go to the Low Latency Mode option in NVIDIA Control Panel:

Off: The game’s engine will automatically queue 1-3 frames for maximum render throughput
On: Limits the number of queued frames to 1. This is the same setting as “Max_Prerendered_Frames = 1” from prior drivers
Ultra: Submits the frame just in time for the GPU to pick it up and start rendering

The Low Latency Mode is now in beta with all NVIDIA GeForce GPUs supported by the current drivers supporting the feature, and can be experienced in DX9 and DX11 titles. In DX12 and Vulkan titles, the games themselves will decide when to queue the frame.

Another new feature is GPU Integer Scaling which will make pixel art games sharper on high resolution displays. This new feature will be offered on all Turing GPUs. Gamers who enjoy titles like Faster than Light should definitely download the latest drivers to enjoy a sharper experience in your title.
For the non-gamers, the 436.02 Game Ready Driver will also bring 30-bit color, which will benefit users with high end displays. The new color support will be enabled on GeForce and TITAN graphics cards, with software like Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro capable of taking advantage. This feature was first introduced in the Studio Driver channel before now being brought into the Game Ready Drivers.
Last but not least, they have added another three G-SYNC Compatible monitors to the list, with the ASUS VG27A, Acer CP3271 and XB273K GP joining the fray.

Make sure to download the GeForce Game Ready Driver 436.02 as soon as you can!
Pokdepinion: I know someone who will be very happy to see the Integer Scaling and also the 30-bit color…
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Razer Aims To Save 1 Million Trees By Selling More Sneki Snek Merchandise

Razer has just announced that they are targeting to protect 1 million trees through their Sneki Snek campaign which is ten times the original target. The campaign is made in partnership with Conservation International with an initial target of just 100,000 trees. This proved hugely successful as they managed to reach that target in less than 2 months and is now fast approaching saving 150,000 trees, equal to almost 600 acres of forest.

Buy Sneki Snek merch and save some trees!
Due to this success, Razer is expanding that target to 1 million trees with milestones along the way that will see new Sneki Snek merchandise released as each new target is achieved. To celebrate reaching the initial 100,000 trees target, a new Sneki Snek merchandise will be announced at the RazerStore along with several other cool product announcements.

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The new milestones to reach will be 250,000, 500,000, 750,000, and finally 1,000,000 trees. Razer will continue to launch new Sneki Snek merch at each milestone, rewarding the community for their efforts and encouraging them to reach the final goal of 1 million trees. Every piece of Sneki Snek merchandise sold will protect 10 trees and contribute to the enormous new goal of 1 million trees saved.
Aided by Razer’s support, Conservation International is securing the protection of trees from dozens of forests around the world, such as Costa Rica, Ecuador, Suriname, Brazil, Madagascar and Indonesia among many others. Conservation International works directly with the communities who live in, and depend on, these forests, using innovative tools, technologies and approaches to prioritise the most important forests and the benefits they provide to people and wildlife, to protect them sustainably for the long term; and to monitor their ongoing protection and health.
Pokdepinion: I might just get myself one of that Sneki Snek merch. Save the trees!
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Catch The Top Rainbow Six: Siege Teams In Cooler Master RektNation R6 MY/SG Invitational This Weekend

A fan of Rainbow Six: Siege? Well be sure to catch the Cooler Master RektNation MY/SG Invitational Grand Finals this weekend to watch top teams from the region to battle it out for RM10,000 prize pool.
The tournament will take place at Quill City Mall, in conjunction with Digital N8tion Expo that’s happening on the 30-31st of March 2019. It will see four teams, where two of them coming directly from Malaysia and the other two hailing from Singapore.
The R6 community here in the country will get a chance to meet these players and learn from the best on how it takes to be a professional player in a professional setting, and will be able to spectate the Grand Finals at the expo. Additionally, there will be a streamer exhibition show match at the expo as well. Streamers include wataprincess, The Hound, Bilal, WDP, SpiderJal, MonkeyLisa, Sofieylahh Gaming, Sandman13 from the Face Gaming, and Play of the Jay. Spectators will also get a chance to play in their very own show match at the venue itself.

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Cooler Master RektNation Exclusive Sale
Not forgetting, in collaboration with RektNation this weekend, Cooler Master will be having an exclusive promotion on their Official Lazada store from 29-31st March 2019, so you might want to grab this chance to get the best Cooler Master products at the best price this weekend.
Pokdepinion: It’s great to see that R6S is gaining popularity here in Malaysia. I think I’m the only person in the PokdeOffice to still play the game :P Be sure to head down to the venue to see all the action! If you’re too far away, well don’t feel bad. There’s the Cooler Master sale over the weekend. Make sure you check it out for some deals!
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POCO F2 Pro global launch event is happening on 12th May

The POCO F2 Pro is going to be a rebranded Redmi K30 Pro, which doesn’t surprise anyone after the POCO X2. But what’s surprising is that it might be launched outside of India first, despite POCO being an India-based brand. The POCO X2 was not made available in any country other than India, which makes this strategy all the more unexpected. The POCO F2 Pro is launching in Madrid, Spain on 12th May.

Hey POCO Fans, hit ❤ ⁰now if you want to experience the simplicity of life powered by innovations that truly matter.
BTW, a hidden message at the end of the video.#POCOisBACK #PowerfullyCool pic.twitter.com/FoF3zrLpd3
— POCO (@POCOGlobal) May 7, 2020

With that said, earlier rumors have pointed to the POCO F2 Pro being a global offering, while the Redmi K30 Pro will be offered in India without getting rebranded. Why did Xiaomi decide to do this definitely eludes me, but I don’t really mind as that means I can own a POCO once again. But it might not be as easy this time around.

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Instead of the POCOPHONE F1’s amazingly affordable price tag, the POCO F2 Pro with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage has been leaked to be priced from €649 (~RM3029), which after accounting for Portugal’s private copy levy should result in the device being offered at around €599 (~RM2796). That’s nearly double that of the POCOPHONE F1’s launch price of just €329 (~RM1536). That’s also a pretty far cry from the Redmi K30 Pro’s pricing when it was launched in China.
POCO F2 Pro Specs

Snapdragon 865, octa-core up to 2.84 GHz, 7nm
Up to 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
Up to 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
6.67″ FHD+ AMOLED display, HDR10+, 1200-nits peak brightness
64MP Sony IMX 686 + 13MP ultra-wide + 5MP telephoto macro + 2MP depth sensor
20MP selfie camera
4700 mAh battery, 33W Fast Charging
6GB+128GB: 2999 CNY (~RM1878)
8GB+128GB: 3399 CNY (~RM2129)
8GB + 256GB: 3699 CNY (~RM2316)

The POCO F2 Pro is expected to go head to head against the realme X50 Pro 5G, which would be an interesting match up to see. Anyway, with the launch just five days away, just stay tuned for all your questions to be answered!
Pokdepinion: I do hope that it will be offered here in Malaysia…
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