ROG Ally First Impressions – Before you get yours tomorrow!

I’ve been toying around with the ROG Ally for a week now and here are my initial impressions for some of you who will be queuing up tomorrow to get your hands on it. Bear in mind, this is not my official review, which will follow later on and contain all the technical details, in-depth testing and full experience run down.

First things first, as you already know, this thing is powered by AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Extreme and comes with a hefty 16GB RAM and 512GB storage. This is the only spec that is made available in Malaysia and this should be more than sufficient. It’s a beast! It runs on Windows 11 and surprisingly, it’s capable of operating on a mere 10W of power. The visual experience is fantastic with a 120Hz FullHD display boasting FreeSync Premium. But enough about the specs – let’s get into the nitty-gritty of how this bad boy fared.

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As an avid gamer, I was quick to install Diablo 4, Forza 5, and Flight Simulator on the ROG Ally. And, wow, this compact machine didn’t disappoint. I’ve been lugging around a dedicated gaming phone for a while now, primarily for the convenience. But with the ROG Ally’s PC-level gaming in handheld form, I might be ditching the phone entirely. There’s a world of difference between playing Diablo Immortal on my phone and experiencing Diablo 4 on the Ally.
Now, this device running on 10W power is a real game-changer. You may have to dial back on the game settings a tad, but even at medium, the visuals are far superior to any mobile game out there. The battery efficiency at this setting also reduces any battery anxiety, promising longer gaming sessions. It’s not perfect, though – you might experience a bit of speaker crackling or occasional frame drops. It’s a small price to pay, in my opinion, for the extended gameplay time. Wanna take off those annoyance? Just bump up the power accordingly – which ASUS has made it extremely convenient using the Armoury Crate SE’s Command Center that has been custom developed for the ROG Ally.

While it’s love at first play, there are a couple of gripes I have so far. The laptop-like 65W charger is a bit of a letdown – it does cut into the ROG Ally’s portability. Thankfully, the bundle deal includes the more compact ROG Gaming Charger Dock, which solves this issue.
My other issue is not so much with the ROG Ally but Windows 11’s touchscreen interface on a smaller screen. I’m sure this will vary person-to-person, but for those of us with bigger fingers, it can get a bit tricky. The options and pop-up menus are tiny, and I’ve found myself selecting the wrong things quite a few times.

Despite these minor quibbles, my initial verdict of the ROG Ally is overwhelmingly positive. I’m looking forward to digging deeper into its capabilities in my official review, so stay tuned for that. But for now, based on first impressions, I can say that if you’re planning to snag one on its release tomorrow, you’re in for a treat.
If you want to wait for our full review first, then stay tuned as we’re crafting it out specially for you guys.
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Relish in Ray Tracing and NVIDIA DLSS with GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptops

NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series

Whether it’s for work or play, gamers and creators require more powerful hardware as technology evolves. After all, both games and content creation continue to become more complex as time goes by, with God of War taking up an abundance of resources, which is made even harder to handle if you add livestreaming on top of that. This is why you should consider getting yourself an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series laptop. You get desktop-grade power in a relatively compact, portable package, and more.

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For starters, you get to enjoy real-time ray tracing, which is a graphics rendering technology that realistically simulates the physical behavior of light, adding an air of realism and beauty unlike anything ever before. This is thought to be decades away from becoming reality but thanks to NVIDIA RTX™ technology and dedicated NVIDIA® RT Cores, this is something you can enjoy right now.

The one issue with real-time ray tracing is that it takes up too much resources so games become sluggish to run as a result. However, that isn’t something for you to worry about thanks to NVIDIA DLSS. Harnessing the power of AI, it is a rendering technology that can boost graphics performance via Tensor Core AI processors, which results in a significant boost in frame rates without sacrificing visual quality. For example, God of War can see a boost from 65FPS to 118FPS just with DLSS enabled.
But that’s not all that NVIDIA® helps with AI technology. With NVIDIA Broadcast, it can turn your home into a studio-like environment as it gives you the ability to add audio and video effects to your captures in real-time. Most notably, it can easily remove background noise and more, allowing you to sound more professional without taking a hit on your CPU as the processing is done via your GPU. This is truly beneficial not just for professional content creators, but for aspiring creators looking to start as well.

While all of this sounds great, you might be thinking that owning an NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series laptop would be too costly. Fret not as there are a number of affordable ASUS gaming laptop packages for professional workers, content creators, professional gamers, and streamers, complete with complimentary gaming peripherals upon purchase.
ASUS Gaming Laptop Packages
ASUS TUF Gaming F15 (FX506H-MHN224W)

GPU
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3060 GDDR6 6GB

CPU
Intel® Core™ i5-11400H

RAM
8GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM ( Extra RAM Slot )

Storage
512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD ( Extra SSD Slot )

Display
15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz Anti-glare IPS display, 63% sRGB

OS
Microsoft Windows 11 Home

Extras
MIL-STD-810H military grade durability
Immersive surround sound with up to 8 presets and built-in equalizer

Price
RM4,629 with Logitech G304 Lightspeed Wireless (Black) worth RM245 as free gift

Warranty
2 Years ASUS Global Warranty + 1st Yr Perfect Warranty

ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 SE (GX551Q-SHF173TS)

GPU
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 GDDR6 16GB

CPU
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HX

RAM
32GB (2 x 16GB) DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM

Storage
2TB (2 x 1TB) PCIE G3x4 NVME M.2 SSD

Display
15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 300Hz Anti-glare IPS display with AMD FreeSync, 3ms, 100% sRGB

OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home

Extras
ROG ScreenPad Plus as secondary display (4K resolution)
Adaptive Sync

Price
RM11,499 with Logitech G304 Lightspeed Wireless (Black) worth RM245 as free gift

Warranty
2 Years ASUS Global Warranty + 1st Yr Perfect Warranty

ASUS TUF Gaming A15 (FA506I-CHN056W)

GPU
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 GDDR6 4GB

CPU
AMD Ryzen™ 5 4600H

RAM
8GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM ( Extra Ram Slot )

Storage
512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD ( Extra SSD Slot )

Display
15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz IPS display

OS
Microsoft Windows 11 Home

Extras
MIL-STD-810H military grade durability
Stealthy and striking design for a grippy yet clean look

Price
RM3,729 with Logitech G304 Lightspeed Wireless (Black) worth RM245 as free gift
Free backpack

Warranty
2 Years ASUS Global Warranty + 1st Yr Perfect Warranty

ASUS TUF Gaming F15 (FX506H-CBHN272T)

GPU
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 GDDR6 4GB

CPU
Intel® Core™ i7-11600H

RAM
8GB DDR4-2933

Storage
512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD ( Extra SSD Slot )

Display
15.6″ FHD (1920 x 1080) 144Hz Anti-glare IPS display, 63% sRGB

OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home

Extra Features
10% lighter and 20% smaller footprint than standard TUF Gaming laptops
MIL-STD-810H military grade durability

Price
RM4,479 with Logitech G304 Lightspeed Wireless (Black) worth RM245 as free gift

Warranty
2 Years ASUS Global Warranty + 1st Yr Perfect Warranty

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G15 (GA503Q-EHQ071T)

GPU
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti GDDR6 4GB

CPU
AMD Ryzen™ 9 5900HS

RAM
8GB DDR4-3200 onboard + 8GB DDR4-3200 SO-DIMM

Storage
512GB M.2 NVMe™ PCIe® 3.0 SSD

Display
15.6″ WQHD (2560 x 1440) 165Hz Anti-glare display

OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home

Extra Features
Immersive surround sound with Dolby Atmos
Adaptive Sync

Price
RM5,999 with Logitech G304 Lightspeed Wireless (Black) worth RM245 as free gift

Warranty
2 Years

The promotion for these NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 30 Series laptops by ASUS will be available from 17th June to 30th June 2022. If you’re interested to purchase one, you can head over to the official GLOO store at Lowyat Plaza or purchase them online through:

NB Plaza Official Website
Notebook Plaza Lazada
GLOO Official Website
GLOO Lazada
GLOO Shopee

Pokdepinion: Here I am thinking of buying a new desktop and out comes these good deals trying to reel me back into getting a laptop. Decisions, decisions.
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At a local event today in Kuala Lumpur, the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Malaysia pre-orders have been officially confirmed. Here’s everything that you need to know about it.
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Malaysia Pre-Orders Confirmed

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Samsung Malaysia has officially confirmed the retail prices and pre-orders for the new Samsung Galaxy S21 FE. There will be two variants; 128GB and 256GB internal storage, with both retailing at RM2,899 and RM3,099 respectively. Both variants will be available for pre-order from today onwards, 6th January 2022 to 10th January 2022.
There are some special promos if you pre-order / purchase the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE from now until 28th February 2022 on the Samsung Malaysia Online Store, Samsung Experience Store, and authorized partners. This includes:

RM350 e-voucher, SamsungCare+ 1 Year Accidental Dmaage, Liquid Damage (pre-order only)
30% off Silicone Cover with Strap, Smart Clear View Cover, Clear Standing Cover, Silicone Cover, and Slim Strap Cover
20% off Galaxy Watch4 Classic, Galaxy Watch4, Galaxy Buds Pro, Galaxy Buds Live, and Galaxy Buds2

In case you missed it, here’s the specifications for the new smartphone:
Samsung Galaxy S21 FE Specifications

Processor
Exynos 2100, 5nm
1 x Cortex-X1 @ 2.9GHz + 3 x Cortex-A78 @2.8GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 @ 2.2GHz

RAM
8GB

Storage
128GB / 256GB UFS 3.1

Display
6.4″ FHD+ (2400 x 1080) Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display
Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
HDR10+
120Hz Refresh Rate, 240Hz touch sampling rate
Eye Comfort Shield with AI-based blue light control

Rear Camera
12MP f/1.8 wide angle camera, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera, 30x Space Zoom, PDAF, OIS
12MP f/2.2 123˚ ultra-wide
LED flash, auto-HDR, panorama
[email protected], [email protected]/60fps, [email protected]/60/240fps, [email protected], HDR10+, stereo sound rec., gyro-EIS

Selfie Camera
32MP f/2.2 wide-angle selfie cam, Dual Pixel PDAF

Battery
4500mAh
USB-PD 3.0 fast charging
15W wireless fast charging
4.5W reverse wireless charging

Ingress Protection
IP68

Colours
Lavender, Olive, Graphite, White

Once again, pre-orders will open today until 10th January 2022, so if you’re interested to get the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE, now is your chance.
Pokdepinion: It’s a pretty solid smartphone for the price, at least based on my initial hands-on experience with it. Can’t wait to review it.
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CEO Of OnePlus Says Exclusion Of Headphone Jack Will Hasten Wireless Headphone’s Development

It feels that it’s been some time since we’ve seen an audio jack on a OnePlus device. Ever since their OnePlus 6 was launched, fans of the company has been crying out for a 3.5mm port and rightly so. Their CEO, Pete Lau, had a few things to say on the decision.

Previously the company has said that the exemption of the port would allow for a bigger battery in their devices. Sadly, nothing else was improved further. Despite that, they did introduced their first ever wired earphones, the OnePlus Bullets Wireless, where it gathered good reviews all around.

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Posted recently at his Weibo account, Pete Lau expressed his thoughts on the removal issue. He thinks that it (the removal) will help spur development of wireless earphones. As technology progresses, wireless earphones will too. Despite acknowledging that their Bullets Wireless is good, it still can get even better. Finally, he concluded the post by asking for opinions and suggestion on how to improve their earphones.
We could possibly see the upcoming OnePlus 7 to come with a new set of wireless earphones. Who knows, we might even see a true wireless buds from them.
Pokdepinion: I’ve gotten used to wireless earphones when I commute around… but then again I understand the point of view of people that they’d much prefer for a phone with a 3.5mm port. You don’t need to think about charging them and you can definitely charge your phone while listening to music at the same time.
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PNY XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X RGB 8GB DDR4 3200MHz CL16 Review — these have no reason being this affordable

PNY offers some pretty cool components at relatively affordable prices. The PNY XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X RGB is similarly affordable, with each stick coming in at less than RM150, yet it does offer good performance out of the box, on top of some nice overclocking potential. Pretty surprising, when you consider the price.
Packaging

The packaging of the XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X DDR4 is pretty nice, with it coming in an actual box instead of just a blister pack. As we only received a single stick for testing, the packaging is pretty small. You can see that it supports most of the RGB sync software in the market. The specifications are visible in the little red corner.

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Over on the back are more detailed specifications. The RAM is actually very securely packaged in a plastic tray. For some reason, the box actually has a cutout just so you can see the XLR8 branding on the RAM. No idea why they decided to do that.
Appearance

PNY designed a pretty nice heatspreader, with pleats running diagonally from the sides of the memory kit. One disadvantage of this design is that the underside of the heatspreader isn’t exactly flat, so the thermal pads underneath doesn’t make perfect contact with the heatspreader.

The RGB light bar on top also sports the XLR8 branding, but I am pretty glad that they didn’t decide to emblazon more text here. Overall the XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X DDR4 looks pretty simple, but has just enough flair to look interesting.

There’s plenty of light to go around when you turn on the RGB, and since that it works with AURA Sync, Mystic Light, Polychrome and RGB Fusion, you can easily set up a nice synchronized lighting scheme for your build.
Specifications
XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X DDR4

Memory dies
8Gb Hynix CJR

Frequency
3200MHz

Primary Timings
CL16-18-18-36

Voltage
1.35V

Capacity
8GB

Dimensions
46.5(H) x 140.5(L) x 6.4(W) mm

Test Machine

CPU
Intel Core i9-10900K @ 5.1GHz

CPU Cooler
MasterLiquid ML240R

Motherboard
MSI MEG Z490 UNIFY

Storage
Kingston UV400 120GB
Kingston UV500 1TB
Seagate FireCuda SSHD 1TB

Power Supply
Cooler Master V1200 Platinum

GPU
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER

Overclocking
While this is slightly slower than every RAM kit we have ever reviewed, it does overclock to a similar level quite easily. Let’s start off with the XMP profile, which feeds the XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X DDR4 1.35V to hit 3200MHz CL16-18-18-36.

As we can see here, XMP profile is perfectly stable. Do note that because we are running in single-channel mode, the memory bandwidth is much less than what you would see in our other RAM reviews, which are done with dual-channel kits.

On the XMP profile’s timings we managed to get up to 3500MHz by pumping 1.45V to the memory. I tried 3600MHz, but it just wasn’t stable. Most Hynix CJR-based memory kits rated for 3600MHz sport CL18 timings, so this is pretty much as expected.

Tightening the timings at 3800MHz got us to CL16-20-20-36 at 1.45V, which offers a nice bump in overall bandwidth. Adjusting the tRFC instead of leaving it at auto gave us the lowest latency we have seen in this test, at 45.6ns.

I also tried throwing on the timings from the KLEVV CRAS XR RGB, and we managed to get all the way to 4500MHz at just 1.45V. 4533MHz only made it through 50% HCI MemTest, so further loosening some timings might have been necessary to further increase memory clocks. Regardless, 4500MHz out of affordable memory like this is pretty impressive.
One thing that’s pretty interesting is that the XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X DDR4 actually has a temperature sensor on the DIMM, which is interestingly enough missing on most of the memory kits we have tested. While it isn’t all that important, it is nice to be able to monitor your memory temperatures via software like HWiNFO.
Conclusion

For just RM149, or even less, depending on where you look, the XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X DDR4 3200MHz offers some nice overclocking, and also the ability to tighten the timings quite significantly.

Being able to tighten the timings at 3800MHz to CL16-20-20-36, or go for higher clocks like 4500MHz with relatively loose timings of CL19-25-25-45 is really quite impressive, making it a good option, regardless if you are building an AMD or Intel-based system. And the cherry on top is of course its RGB lighting, which is compatible with most motherboard vendors’ software. These here are really sweet stuff.

Our thanks to PNY Technologies Malaysia for sending us the XLR8 Gaming EPIC-X DDR4 for review.

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Top Technology Trends That’ll Shape 2020

Today we had a chance to listen to Bjørn Taale Sandberg, the head of Telenor Research at Digi’s HQ, to give an insight on some of the technology trends that’s likely to take place this year in 2020.
We’ve seen down the years that technology trends have evolved and here’s what we should expect in the year (in no particular order):
Technology Trends In 2020
Green Gets Mean

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This year will see green innovations go beyond where they’ve been before, thanks to the combo of IoT, big data and AI tech which will help in measuring consumption, reduce demand, and reduce carbon footprints, all while cutting costs as well as building new revenue streams.
In Europe particularly, they are aiming to source 100% renewable electricity, preparing the foundation of climate neutral business operations. As for consumers point of view, mobile services will continue in providing the capacity for individuals to access apps and services that will drive green habits more effectively.
The Internet of Bodies

We’ve seen technology go as far as to medical applications, where we can now find devices such as smartbands that measures blood pressure, pulse, and etc. It is expected in this year that we will get the chance to see applications that go beyond just that and witness actual auto-interventions.
An example of that, insulin pumps. We could possibly see the first commercial systems closing the loop between reading blood sugar and delivering insulin automatically to the body, with simply the help with your smartphone.
Bjørn also reveals that Telenor Group is working with a local hospital in Norway in working on a new type of diagnostic pill, which patients will consume the pill and it will then have visuals inside your body to find out for anything that’s wrong. The idea would only be achievable with the help of 5G as you’d need fast speeds and low latency to examine real time.
Tech-arranged “Marriages”

With 5G getting more and more talked about today, it should see the rise of industry collaborations between IoT (Internet of Things) and AI, especially in most developed companies. We know that 5G will offer speedy connectivity and have the concept that it’s mainly for your mobile use but it goes way beyond that. The advantages that 5G offers gives the opportunity for the industry in getting together and offering new innovations.
Build Your Own Network

Tech companies and governments are collecting and analyzing more data about communication patterns and Internet usage. With it, they create new products, services and offerings, as well as surveillance systems.
As a result, more users are taking the initiative to protect their communications. Apps that use mesh or peer-to-peer technology are expected to increase in popularity as the technology for creating networks without centralized infrastructure improves.
Dirty Data is the new Fake News

AI has its own supporters and critics. Dirty data is a terms that’s used to question AI credibility. We know that AI sometimes can point us to the best option possible, but what if the data sets aand processes are inaccurate, biased, or even compromised?
Bjørn has said that the term may be considered mainstream as “fake news” in 2020.
What is the cost of trust?

Trust has become a big topic (remember Facebook?). Bjørn says that 2020 will see the competition for your trust will heat up in 2020 and the main platform will be on your smartphone. In a survey done by Telenor Research, it’s found out that majority of the people in Malaysia still believe that ‘free’ services comes at no cost but there’s an increased figure of people that understand that these companies make their money by using the data to sell tailored advertisements.
Besides the 6 that’s listed above, here are the rest of the tech trends that Telenor Group is predicting to take place this year:

eSIM takes off
Charge rage
Sleep tech
Clash of the streaming giants
gaming gold rush
DIY AI
Deepfake for the masses
Bringing Big Tech down to size
Ethical AI gets in gear
Digital Twinning is digital winning
Fight phone scams with Machine Learning
The gig’s up: Labour rights for Gig Economy Workers
Second-hand is the new “smart”
2020 takes us to the starts

Pokdepinion: It was quite an insightful talk by Bjørn. When we talk about 5G technology, most would think of the connectivity that they’ll be getting and how fast it will be, but 5G is definitely bigger than that. It provides a huge opportunities for IoT and companies to take advantage of and boost industrialization.
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Sackboy A Big Adventure Review – Even Better With Friends

What is Sackboy A Big Adventure About?
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review

Sackboy A Big Adventure is a 3D platformer and a spin-off of the LittleBigPlanet series. The game starts out with a narrator telling you of the Imagisphere, a special place made up of all the creative thoughts and ideas that anyone ever had. All the creativity combined to form Craftworld. It then takes you the village of Loom, home to the titular character Sackboy.
Unfortunately, the village was attacked by Vex, a mythical entity made up of chaos and fear. He kidnaps the other Sacklings and forced them to build his Topsy Turver, which will transform Craftworld into a barren wasteland of nightmares. It is up to Sackboy and the help of some friends to rescue all the other Sacklings, defeat Vex, and save the world.
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review
Apart from the base game itself, there is a Digital Deluxe Edition. This comes with a digital art book, digital soundtrack, 4 Sackboy costumes, 4 Sackboy emotes, 20 avatars, and the base game itself. The costumes and emotes allow for a little extra personalized touch, which can be fun if you plan on playing multiplayer often enough.

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Need That Sense of Exploration
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review – Overworld
Sackboy A Big Adventure is a 3D platformer. You basically go about each level collecting orbs and other collectibles, defeating enemies, and overcoming all the obstacles they have laid out for you. You have an overworld which will lay out all the playable stages you can go through, but you will need to have a certain amount of points to unlock the next level. For the most part, it’s easily obtainable by play through the levels prior.
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review – Action Almanac
Players can run around, jump, punch, grab, roll, and a whole lot more using Sackboy. Admittedly, the list of things you can do in this is surprisingly extensive for a 3D platformer. You can always head over to the Action Almanac to see what you can do and how to perform it. While it may seem overwhelming for some, I honestly found myself only ever referring to it twice throughout my playthrough, so I’m sure you can go by without even knowing that it exists.
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review – Spinning enemy attack
Like most 3D platformers, while there is a good variety of them, the AI-controlled enemies are rather predictable in nature as every single one of them have an easily discernible pattern. Moreover, you can easily tell how to damage certain enemies by looking at them or their attack animations. For example, most enemies early in the game can be punched away but when you come across an enemy with a spinning attack, it’s very obvious that you need to jump on their heads. After a while, even with boss fights, it can feel a bit repetitive.
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review – Secret area
Certain levels will have secret areas with a mini-game like sequence which will yield more collectibles. All of them aren’t hard to find, but you will definitely need the sense of exploration to find them as they’re not too obvious. For the most part, the game is rather easy, but it will get increasingly difficult as you go through the game. However, it’s nowhere close to being Crash Bandicoot-levels of frustration.
Looking for more games to play on the PS5? Check out our Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales review by clicking right here.
It’s Fun, But Much Better With Friends
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review – Personalize your Sackboy
While you can play this game alone, it’s best to play this with friends. It has a completely different experience depending on who you play with but a very simple stage could turn instantly chaotic when played with more people. Whether your friends are there to seriously play through the game with you or they’re there to mess around for fun, it’s a lot more enjoyable than playing alone.
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review
For the most part, I believe the game does a good job with the 3D platforming experience. However, if you do play this with friends, you might be annoyed by the camera angle from time to time. Certain obstacles in the game can get trickier than expected to overcome due to this but it’s nowhere close to game-breaking. You’ll just need a bit of patience as well as trial and error to get through it.
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review – Rewards
After finishing up each level, your performance will then be “graded”. Then, you will given some rewards for your efforts. This is particularly great as at times, I find myself a little tired from playing the game but this part always makes me feel like I should play some more, like a parent patting their child on the head for a job well done. This is also great for perfectionists in case you need to know if you missed out on anything in the level.
One thing I found myself enjoying a lot more than I expected is the soundtrack. Personally, it sounds amazing but that is subjective as it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. What I can definitely say objectively is that it goes very well with the game. It keeps you playing with a nice beat to push you along through it, giving the game a surprisingly enjoyable pace.
Sackboy A Big Adventure Verdict
Sackboy A Big Adventure Review
Sackboy A Big Adventure is a fun 3D platformer for everyone to enjoy regardless of age. Personally, it feels like Super Mario 3D World with nicer graphics but slower pace. I played this on the base model PS4 console, and I didn’t experience any extensive load times, and it’s already visually pleasing to me. While playing on the PS5 is certainly better, you wouldn’t miss out on much if you play this on the PS4.
What I definitely would have liked is for there to be a bigger emphasis on the storyline as I feel that it’s rather forgettable as I go through the game. Moreover, the camera angle issue when playing the game in multiplayer can get a bit annoying. However, these should not be enough to steer away from the game. If you enjoy platformers, especially the ones that you can play with friends, you’ll definitely have a good time with this one. I just wished that it would be priced more affordably given what it offers.
At the end of our Sackboy A Big Adventure review, I award this game with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to PlayStation Asia for sending us the game code for the purpose of this review.
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The Newest Entry to Pokkén Tournament DX; “He” Looks Angry as Usual

Introducing the latest fighter to join Pokkén Tournament DX, a legendary Pokémon that always seems to be angry…and psychic.
Pokkén Tournament is one of those games that truly surprised me. Never would I have thought Pokémon would be viable as a fighting game, outside of the Smash Bros. series of course. I was wrong. Well, it appears a new trailer for the game has been released, and it features the newest legendary entry to the game.

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The Newest Entry to Pokkén Tournament DX
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Announced today by the Pokémon Company, a new trailer for the upcoming fighting game Pokkén Tournament DX has surfaced online, featuring the newest entry to the game’s roster of playable characters…or err, Pokémon.
This time arond we get to see the classic legendary pokémon Mewtwo in action, and as usual, he looks really angry in the brief but intense video (it’s actually closer to the TV commercial format, if you’re wondering).
For those of you who aren’t aware, Pokkén Tournament DX is a remaster for the Switch of Pokkén Tournament for Nintendo Wii U, bringing back quite a few beloved critters to the fighting stage.
It’s developed by Bandai Namco under the supervision of fighting game guru Katsuhiro Harada, and the original version was also released in Japanese arcades, in which he gained brief popularity.
Nintendo has certainly done well with remasters on the Switch, thanks to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It’ll be interesting to see if Pokkén Tournament DX will replicate its success.
For now, we can only wait the release exclusively on Nintendo Switch on September 22nd 2017, and take a look at Mewtwo in action in the trailer above.

Pokdepinion: Well, it’s about damn time for Mewtwo to show up on Pokkén Tournament DX. I can only imagine what kind of chaos he can create in battles once the game is out.
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OnePlus 7 pre-maturely listed on retailer’s website — reveals some interesting details about its cameras

The OnePlus 7 isn’t due yet. It will probably arrive sometime later in May 2019, like its predecessors which usually launched in the middle of the year. But retailer Giztop has apparently decided to leak out the OnePlus 7 on its sales page, revealing some interesting specifications as well as the OnePlus 7’s pricing.

For starters, they seem to be quite confused about the front camera setup. They mentioned a 6.5″ Waterdrop display and a popup selfie camera. Unless OnePlus is really gunning for the selfie fanatic niche by using an unconventional dual-camera setup up front, this should probably be just a mistake.

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Also, if it does come with a popup camera, it would mean that the unrated ingress protection on the previous OnePlus devices would most probably be gone. Unless, of course, OnePlus manages to seal a moving part.

The rear cameras seems to be somewhat interesting, with a 48MP + 20MP + 5MP setup. It’s somewhat curious to see a 5MP camera in a flagship device, as there really is no function for a dedicated depth sensor when you already have secondary cameras.
If the specifications are real, the OnePlus 7 will feature the most RAM and also the largest battery in the history of OnePlus devices. It’s slated to be offered with a 12GB RAM option, and come with a 4000 mAh battery. There is apparently going to be a new 44W Dash Charge. Why not just go for the 50W SuperVOOC from OPPO?

Leaked OnePlus 7 Specifications

Snapdragon 855, octa-core at up to 2.84 GHz, 7nm FinFET
Up to 12GB RAM
Up to 256GB storage
6.5″ Optic AMOLED display, waterdrop notch (?)
48MP + 20MP + 5MP rear cameras
16MP popup selfie camera
Oxygen OS based on Android 9 Pie
4000 mAh battery, 44W Dash Charge
$569 (~RM2326)

The leaked pricing for the OnePlus 7 does seem to mean that OnePlus is yet again raising the bar for its “flagship killer” pricing. Considering that Xiaomi is offering their Mi 9 for much less, I wonder if OnePlus is even relevant at this point. What do you think?
Pokdepinion: Never Settle? More like settle for higher prices because we are famous now.
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vivo announces new technologies for better photos and sound; new DSP Photography Solution and all-new DAC chip

Aside from the under-display fingerprint scanner, it seems that vivo still had a few tricks up its sleeve. The brand has also introduced their Digital Signal Processing (DSP) Photography Solution for better low light performance and also better images in backlit conditions as well as an all new digital audio converter (DAC) chip for an enhanced HiFi audio experience.

The DSP Photography Solution will allow users to take great shots with ease, automatically compensating for the best exposure and image quality in any condition. Multiple RAW images can be taken in difficult lighting conditions which will be combined by the DSP to produce a single enhanced RAW image which then be exported as a JPG image by the image signal processor. This will theoretically yield images with lower noise and better dynamic range. Aside from improved image quality, the DSP also promises faster processing speed as well as enhanced beautification effects of vivo’s Face Beauty Mode.

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vivo will also reinforce their position as the pioneer at bringing HiFi audio to smartphones with their latest customized DAC chip. The new chip promises an SNR of 122dB, dynamic range of 120dB, distortion of -111dB, and output power of 2.2VRms. This promises better resolution and better spatial perception. Combined with a customized headphone amplifier, vivo’s audio solution promises twice the output power of ordinary phones.
Pokdepinion: vivo has some very strong flagships but sadly they don’t bring them in here. Hopefully we will see some devices packing the above technologies soon here in Malaysia.
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One MSI Sale is happening from now until 6th September — big discounts and freebie bundles for MSI laptops and components!

MSI will be doing their first-ever One MSI sales that will involve both their laptop and desktop component lineups. For the laptops, you will be looking at huge discounts of up to RM500 off SRP, while their desktop components will come with some nice freebies and goodies.
On the laptop side, here are the deals:
One MSI Laptop Deals

CPU
RAM
Graphics
Storage
Price

MSI GF65 9SEXR 673
Intel Core i7-9750H
16GB DDR4
GeForce RTX 2060 6GB GDDR6
512GB NVMe SSD
RM5599

MSI GF63 10SCXR 400
Intel Core i7-10750H
8GB DDR4
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB GDDR6
512GB NVMe SSD
RM3999 (SRP: RM4499)

MSI GF65 9SCXR 603/038
Intel Core i7-9750H
8GB DDR4
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB GDDR6
512GB NVMe SSD
RM3799 (SRP: RM4099)

MSI GF63 10SCXR 401
Intel Core i5-10300H
8GB DDR4
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB GDDR6
256GB NVMe SSD
RM3199 (SRP: RM3399)

MSI GF63 9SCXR 604
Intel Core i5-9300H
4GB DDR4
GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB GDDR6
256GB NVMe SSD
RM2999

Meanwhile over on the desktop components side:

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One MSI Desktop Component Deals

Price
Freebie

MSI Radeon RX 5500 XT MECH 8GB GDDR6
RM999
Dragon Doll Charm + PVC Keychain

MSI MAG Core Liquid 240R
RM549
RM50 Petrol Voucher

MSI MAG Core Liquid 360R
RM729
RM 50 Petrol Voucher

MSI Clutch GM60 Mouse
RM433.50
RM50 Petrol Voucher

MSI Z490 Gaming Motherboards
RM777 ~ RM3990
MSI Gaming Mousepad Long Version

MSI Optix MAG341CQ Gaming Monitor + MSI MAG CH110 Gaming Chair
RM3798 (SRP: RM4498)
N/A

MSI MAG Forge 100R Case
RM259
Random MSI T-Shirt

Make sure to check out the One MSI Sales on MSI MYStore, MSI Lazada and MSI Shopee to enjoy the promotion!
Pokdepinion: That’s a pretty good deal on that monitor + gaming chair combo…
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HUAWEI Mate 30 series launched — HUAWEI SuperSensing Cine Camera in tow

The HUAWEI Mate 30 has just been officially announced in Munich, with the latest innovations HUAWEI has in its arsenal. That includes the Kirin 990 chipsets and latest EMUI10 operating system, based on Android 10. Yes, the HUAWEI Mate 30 series still runs Android, calm yourself.
HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro
The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro is HUAWEI’s top-of-the-line flagship. It is available in both 5G and 4G variants, with either the Kirin 990 5G or Kirin 990 powering it under the hood. HUAWEI is quick to point out that the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro is the only flagship in the market featuring support for both non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) modes of 5G. But I believe what will interest you the most are the camera features on the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro.

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The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro now offers the highest resolution ultra-wide angle camera ever in the industry, as well as the widest aperture yet. The ultra-wide angle camera on the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro is a 40MP f/1.8 one, and more interestingly is that it’s a 3:2 sensor measuring a whopping 1/1.54″. HUAWEI calls it the SuperSensing Cine Camera, and rightly so. The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro’s video chops are easily some of the most advanced in the industry, with the capability to shoot 4K60 videos and ultra-slow motion 7680 fps videos.

For the primary camera, we are still looking at the 40MP f/1.6 SuperSensing RYYB camera. HUAWEI dialed back the zoom on the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro, only offering 3x optical zooming on the 8MP f/2.4 camera. Last but not least, we have a 3D ToF camera.
HUAWEI’s new Horizon Display on the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro curves seamlessly into the sides, bending 88° as it flows into the edges. Because of the impressive curvature, HUAWEI has forgone physical volume buttons for software keys. You can even tap the sides to trigger the shutter when using the camera. You still get a sizeable notch with the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro though.

The notch is home to two depth sensors, a gesture sensor, a 32MP selfie camera and of course, the ambient light and proximity sensors. The depth sensors enable 3D facial recognition in addition to some impressive bokeh effects for selfies. What’s not in the notch is an earpiece, as HUAWEI is using the Acoustic Display Technology which uses the screen to conduct sound to your ears.
HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro Specs

Kirin 990, octa-core @ up to 2.86 GHz, 7nm
8GB RAM
256GB storage (expandable via NM card)
6.53″ FHD+ (2400 x 1176) OLED panel, HUAWEI Horizon Display, 88° curved edges
40MP f/1.6, OIS, SuperSensing RYYB sensor + ultra-wide 40MP f/1.8 Cine Camera + 8MP f/2.4, OIS, 3x telephoto + 3D Depth Sensing Camera
32MP f/2.0 selfie camera, 3D Depth Sensing Camera
4500 mAh battery, 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge, 27W Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge
€1099 (~RM5087)

HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G Specs

Kirin 990 5G, octa-core @ up to 2.86 GHz, 7nm+ (EUV)
8GB RAM
256GB storage (expandable via NM card)
6.53″ FHD+ (2400 x 1176) OLED panel, HUAWEI Horizon Display, 88° curved edges
40MP f/1.6, OIS, SuperSensing RYYB sensor + ultra-wide 40MP f/1.8 Cine Camera + 8MP f/2.4, OIS, 3x telephoto + 3D Depth Sensing Camera
32MP f/2.0 selfie camera, 3D Depth Sensing Camera
4500 mAh battery, 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge, 27W Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge
€1199 (~RM5549)

The HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro comes in six color options in total, including two vegan leather options exclusively offered for the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro 5G, Vegan Leather Forest Green and Vegan Leather Orange. For even more opulence, you can get get the HUAWEI Mate 30 RS with genuine leather. That variant will come with a whopping 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, priced at €2095 (~RM9696).
HUAWEI Mate 30

As you might expect, the HUAWEI Mate 30 is slightly watered down from the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro. The camera here features slightly lesser hardware, with a 40MP f/1.8 primary camera mated to a 8MP f/2.4 3x telephoto camera, a 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera and a laser focus sensor. The selfie camera has been downgraded to a 24MP f/2.0 one as well, sans 3D facial recognition.

You also get a much more conventional 6.62″ display backed by a 4200 mAh battery. While previous generations saw HUAWEI distinguishing the variants with slower charging rates on the lesser models, this time you get 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge as well as the new 27W Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge with the HUAWEI Mate 30, just like the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro. And unlike a certain smartphone maker out there, HUAWEI will give you your 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge power adapter in the box.
HUAWEI Mate 30 Specs

Kirin 990, octa-core @ up to 2.86 GHz, 7nm
8GB RAM
128GB storage (expandable via NM card)
6.62″ FHD+ (2340 x 1080) OLED panel, HUAWEI FullView
40MP f/1.8, SuperSensing RYYB sensor + ultra-wide 16MP f/2.2 camera + 8MP f/2.4, OIS, 3x telephoto + laser auto focus module
24MP f/2.0 selfie camera
4200 mAh battery, 40W HUAWEI SuperCharge, 27W Wireless HUAWEI SuperCharge
€799 (~RM3698)

You can get the HUAWEI Mate 30 in all the same colors as the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro too.
Pokdepinion: I have always loved ultra-wide angle cameras… I wonder if the HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro will blow me away.
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AMD RX 480 PCIe power draw issue fix by July 7th

Users of AMD Radeon RX 480 and also reviewers have noticed that their RX 480s were drawing more than the maximum power load over the PCIe bus, leading to a few damaged PCIe slots as well as gaining the ire of the enthusiasts. AMD has quickly acknowledged this RX 480 PCIe power draw issue and has promised an update on 5th July, which they duly did.

From the update, AMD offers a choice of two solutions. The first is that AMD will adress the power distribution of the RX 480, most probably by pulling more power from the 6-pin power connector. This will lower the power draw from the PCIe slot, thus preventing any damage. Power supplies are usually more tolerant towards increased power draws than the PCIe slots on motherboards are, so it should be fine.
Another method that is suggested is that AMD will reduce the overall power consumption of the RX 480s to bring the power draw figures within spec. This is implied by the option to reduce total power with minimal performance impact or a compatibility mode. This option would be preferable for those who are running their systems with PSUs of questionable quality.
Last but not least, AMD also promised up to 3% performance enhancement thanks to optimizations in popular game titles with their upcoming Radeon Software 16.7.1 driver. Supposedly this will also help to negate the minimal performance impact for those who chose the compatibility mode.
The update as follows:

Pokdepinion: It is great to see AMD responding to complaints so quickly. In retrospect, AMD should most probably have released the RX 480 with a 8-pin power connector and sidestepped this mess, instead of a 6-pin power connector and now, this.

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Digi expands Digi Postpaid plans & new Family Unlimited bundle

Digi Postpaid Plans are Upgraded for 2022

Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd shared today that its Digi Postpaid portfolio has been enhanced to provide more Internet allowance for both new and current customers with alternatives like Digi Freedom Add-Ons and Digi Postpaid Family Unlimited.
Customers may now enjoy a larger Internet capacity as part of the revised plans. Here is how those plans will be improved, customers on:

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Digi Postpaid 60 will be upgraded from 25GB to 30GB,
Digi Postpaid 120 will be improved from 65GB to 70GB, and
Digi Postpaid 150 will be upgraded from 85GB to 90GB starting today.

Postpaid users will also be able to select from a larger selection of Freedom Add-Ons. Customers may choose between limitless Internet for streaming, social networking and gaming or all-usage, high-speed Internet. With a simple 12-month contract commitment, these add-ons are available for free and caters to both new and existing Digi customers.
Digi Family Bundle offers unlimited high-speed Internet and calls for everyone in the family
The telco company recently announced Digi Postpaid Family Unlimited is part of the company’s ongoing effort to help families stay connected on a consistent monthly budget. Families may obtain three postpaid lines with unlimited high-speed Internet and calls for only RM200 per month when they register at Digi Stores and Digi Store Express.
Digi Fibre is also available to families at unbelievable pricing, such as RM100 per month for limitless, ultra-fast 300Mbps Fibre Internet. “These revised postpaid deals are our way of thanking our existing consumers for their continued support and trust,” said Digi’s Chief Marketing Officer, Praveen Rajan.
Source
Pokdepinion: While Digi Freedom Add-Ons are contract-based, its nice to see that unlimited internet is at least available in the family plans instead.
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realme 6 And realme 6 Pro Coming Soon With 90Hz Display And Quad 64MP Camera

It seems that realme has officially announced that they will be launching their new realme 6 and realme 6 Pro smartphones this 5th of March 2020, where they come with a 90Hz refresh rate display as well as offering a quad camera setup at the back that offers a 64MP main camera.

The launch however will be in India first. Both devices will be coming with a punch-hole display. The realme 6 will however be sporting a single camera on the front compared to the realme 6 Pro’s dual selfie camera.
It is reported that the realme 6 Pro has the benefit of a Super AMOLED display that comes with the mentioned 90Hz refresh rate.

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Both will however feature a quad camera setup at the back that comes with a primary 64MP lens. The pro version however will have the feature of a 20x hybrid zoom.

Though nothing has been official about their charging capabilities. the company has teased on their 30W fast charger, which the devices would probably come with a USB Type-C port.
With realme Malaysia looking to launch their realme C3 here in the country on the 3rd of March, we can expect the realme 6-series to come shortly after that. Stay tuned for more updates.
Source
Pokdepinion: Specs wise, the realme 6-series looks interesting. Let’s just hope we can have a taste of them real soon.
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Zizan Razak Has Been Made Free Fire’s First Malaysian Ambassador

Garena has just announced that local celebrity Zizan Razak has been named as the first Malaysian ambassador for their popular Battle Royale game, Free Fire. Together, these both build on Garena’s strategy to deliver localised and engaging experiences to Survivors in Malaysia.
Zizan Razak: Free Fire’s New Ambassador

Zizan Razak was chosen as Free Fire’s first brand ambassador in Malaysia due to popular local demand and will be the face of Free Fire in Malaysia for the rest of 2021. He will appear in various Free Fire marketing materials, including in a TV commercial, an exclusive short film, and a music video which will be released on 8th May and 13th May respectively on Free Fire social media platforms like YouTube and Facebook.

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Furthermore, Free Fire is looking to feature a host of exciting activities and rewards for its Malaysian community to enjoy throughout the holy month of Ramadhan. The Ramadhan event will begin from 6 May to 16 May where Survivors will be able to redeem daily rewards and give gifts to their mates, with a daily cap of one gift given and received. There will also be prominent rewards like the Custom Room Card and the Ramadan-themed Verdant Soul backpack which will be available only on 13 May.

Survivors will also unlock individual milestone awards based on the number of donations they share to inspire charitable acts. This Ramadhan, play it forward to earn thrilling rewards like the Celadon Grail lootbox and the Persia Prowess Bundle. Survivors in Malaysia can also work together to count down the days before Raya by winning amazing login bonuses as a group. Trial cards with iconic weapon skins and fan-favourite characters will be among them.
Additionally, Survivors receive Lemang tokens for every match they play, which can be exchanged for a free M82B- Dragon Mob gun skin during the Ramadhan 2021 event time. Survivors who log in on May 13 will be rewarded with even more exclusives, including the mysterious Magic Cube, which can be traded for a costume pack of their choosing if they play for more than 30 minutes!
That’s not all! Raya Day Extended missions keep the action going after Peak Day. Survivors can unlock an exclusive Jungle Excursion skyboard by completing missions, which will allow them to glide through the skies and reach the battlefield in style.

You can also catch Zizan Razak as he ‘plays it forward’ this Ramadhan and in more upcoming events. Stay tuned to Free Fire’s social media pages (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok) for all the latest updates.
Free Fire can be downloaded on both the Apple iOS App and Google Play store.
Pokdepinion: Gosh Free Fire. I actually haven’t played the game since our last King of Mobile event back in 2018. Will I check it out again now that Zizan Razak is an ambassador? Maybe.
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WhatsApp now lets iOS users migrate chat history to Android devices

Aside from the new Samsung Galaxy foldables, there was another huge announcement during the Samsung Unpacked event. iOS users can migrate their WhatsApp chat history to Android devices seamlessly, something which was not possible in the past.

This feature will be available on the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 first, with it set to arrive on other Samsung devices running Android 10 or higher later. This uses the Samsung Smart Switch feature to seamlessly transfer your WhatsApp chats from your iPhone to your Android device.

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You can only transfer from your Apple device to your Samsung device for now, with the ability to transfer from your old Android device to your new iOS device coming at a later date. It’s also unclear whether WhatsApp will support these seamless transfers on Android devices other than Samsung’s. Fingers crossed!
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Pokdepinion: Finally it will be easier to move from iOS to Android, and vice versa!
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Edifier Release New And Enhanced Edifier X3 Minibuds TO-U Series TWS

If you’ve read our Edifier X3 review, you’d probably know how much we liked the product considering the price that it’s at and for what it offer. Well it seems that Edifier has launched their new an enhanced version of the earbuds called the Edifier X3 Minibuds TO-U Series.
Edifier X3 Minibuds TO-U Series

With the new Edifier X3 Minibuds TO-U Series, the company has said that it will come with a ‘refined audio quality’ as well as the benefit of having a USB-C port.
The X3 Minibuds TO-U Series comes with aptX codec support, offering up to 16/bit/44.1kHz audio quality, which is an improvement from the original X3.

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Bass lovers will love the fact that Edifier has said that the new series will have improved bass quality as well.
You can also expect the TWS earbuds to be IP55 splash and dust resistant. Other than that, it features CVC8 voice call noise-cancelling technology which cancels out ambient noise according to the environment you’re in, at least that’s what they claim.
The earbuds themselves can last up to 6 hours and the charging case offers you another 18 hours, which is definitely an upgrade from the original X3.
If you’re interested in the Edifier X3 Minibuds TO-U Series, you can purchase them now for the price of RM149 at Lazada.
Pokdepinion: If you’ve read my review, I absolutely took a liking on the Edifier X3. This new version seems like an upgrade. Too bad that it doesn’t come in white.
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Marvel Drops Gameplay Trailer For Spider-Man 2 In PlayStation Showcase

The recent PlayStation Showcase has presented a few major titles, and amongst them include Marvel’s upcoming blockbuster hit, Spider-Man 2. The gameplay trailer reveals the new enemy faction – Kraven’s Hunters – who is hunting down Dr. Curt Connors AKA “The Lizard”, and it’s up to Peter Parker and Miles Morales to stop them, and Kraven himself.
The trailer starts off at Connor’s home in Queens, one of the new playable boroughs in the new game. Peter Parker emerges from the basement door, who now wears a Black Suit and is more aggressive than ever in the fights. The fighting mechanics sees new moves and defensive moves like dodging will require additional maneuvers to work against some opponents. Aaron Jason Espinoza, Senior Community Manager of Insomniac Games has noted that you may need to “get cozy” with the L1 button. You might see some sick moves!

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“We’re putting respect on the Black Suit and giving it the story it deserves,” he continued. The new story will follow on Peter’s personal relationship with Symbiote – though you also get to play as the other Spider-Man, Miles Morales. The gameplay trailer showcases both Spider-Men chasing down on Lizard and fights off Kraven’s squad in the process, traversing the map in even faster speeds thanks to PS5’s SSD architecture enabling faster map loading speeds.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 is expected to release in Fall 2023, though Insomniac can’t confirm a release date just yet. Watch this space!
Pokdepinion: The new animations sure look sick. Gotta see what’s in store next…
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ViewSonic ranks among top three projector brands for fourth consecutive quarter in Malaysia

ViewSonic International Malaysia ranked as the top three best selling brands in Malaysia with their lineup of projectors since October 2018 for four consecutive quarters, according to the Future Source Report.
ViewSonic’s top-selling projectors are their LED projectors, with a overwhelming 60% market share for the first half of 2019. ViewSonic Malaysia’s Country Manager, Chaw Foo Hong targets no less than a doubling of the LED projector segment, as they push to redefine the projector industry with their lamp-free smart theater projector lineup.

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Their latest product is the ViewSonic X10-4K, which uses a second-gen mercury-free LED technology for long service life, and integrates the latest features such as wireless Miracast support, Bluetooth capabilities as well as Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistant technology. It also packs a Smart TV interface for an intuitive streaming experience. Last but not least, there are dual Harmon-Kardon for best-in-class audio too with the ViewSonic X10-4K. All of that is packed into a design that won the iF Design Award.
ViewSonic has dedicated themselves to developing more projectors that satisfy the needs of everyone, so stay tuned to see more from them in 2020!
Pokdepinion: I need a high refresh rate projector…
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[Computex 2018] ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) plays dare! – Introduces Gaming Smartphone, CPU Liquid Coolers, Power Supply, Desktop Chassis among others.

Computex 2018 is on, and ASUS is stealing all the limelight, it seems like it. Taking the “For Those Who Dare” tagline rather seriously, ASUS is bringing in not just new products, but rather opening up totally new categories altogether. This is probably ASUS’ most ambitious Computex exhibition ever and we are equally thrilled by what they have to offer.
The cherry of the cake has to be the ROG Phone, the gaming brand’s first ever gaming smartphone bearing the ROG moniker proudly. It brings in 3D vapor-chamber cooling system to soothe down intense gaming heat seamlessly. ROG also announced the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000, the world’s first ever tri-band 802.11ax router with Wi-Fi speeds of over 10Gbps. ASUS is also diving into the CPU liquid cooling business with the introduction of the ROG Ryujin and ROG Ryuo CPU coolers. Finally, ASUS is opening up the PSU shop by showcasing the ROG Thor 1200W Platinum power supply. To complete the cycle, ASUS showed the ROG Delta gaming headset and announced the ROG Strix SCAR II and  ROG Strix Hero II gaming laptops.
ROG Phone
ROG Phone is a ROG’s first ever attempt into the smartphone arena. The 6-inch device is designed specifically for high-performance mobile gaming. It uses the world’s fastest speed-binned Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 clocked at 2.96GHz and coupled with Adreno 630 GPU. It uses ground-breaking GameCool vapor-chamber cooling system with detachable AeroActive Cooler for an extra cooling boost and is capable of delivering high frame rates on its AMOLED 90Hz 1ms response time HDR capable display.

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The ROG Phone has an ultra-comfortable design that includes side-mounted ports, and the enhanced ultra-responsive game controls including two programmable ultrasonic AirTriggers and advanced force-feedback haptics let gamers focus all their skills on the game.
A unique range of powerful expansion accessories elevates the ROG Phone gaming experience. The optional TwinView Dock will provide dual-screen handheld mode. The Mobile Desktop Dock brings in the desktop-style gaming. The Gamevice controller with WiGig Dock using 60GHz Wi-Fi provides large screen gaming. Other ROG Phone innovations include ASUS Aura RGB lighting and Aura Sync support, along with ASUS HyperCharge direct-charge technology for faster, safer and cooler battery charges.
ROG Rapture GT-AX11000
ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 will be the successor of the previous ROG Rapture GT-AC5300 that was announced last year. It will be the world’s first 10 Gigabit Wi-Fi router that adds support for 802.11ax Wi-Fi standard delivering 250% higher data rates than any 802.11ac 4×4 router in the market. There will be OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access) support in the 802.11ax Wi-Fi standard will enable multiple devices to be bundled together in each channel, improving efficiency by 4 times while also reducing latency.
In the gaming realm, the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 will be able to provide triple-level game acceleration to boost game traffic from devices to server. One 2.5-Gigabit gaming port will prioritize the specific device connected to it with 2.5 times faster transmit speeds making it a perfect combination for 5-Gigabit LAN motherboards. Game Boost also takes things to hardware level by adding a physical button on the router for prioritizing gaming traffic on the network for even better gaming performance with one click, without having to access the web interface or mobile app. It also activates the DFS (Dynamic Frequency Selection) band. GPN (Gamers Private Network) support in the ROG Rapture GT-AX11000 also will ensure the shortest connection route for lowest ping and latency.
ROG Ryujin 360/240 AiO Liquid Cooler
This is the first time ROG is introducing their AiO liquid cooling hardware and don’t treat them like the new kids on the block, because what they have up their sleeves is really cool! ROG Ryujin is the world’s first liquid cooler with an OLED display. See? I told you! The 1.77-inch LiveDash color OLED is capable of showing real-time stats and personalized images and GIFs. It also has an embedded micro fan that provides additional cooling to the VRM and M.2 type SSDs that are located near the CPU socket, hence reducing their temperatures by up to 20°C utilizing Noctua industrial PPC radiator fans for better airflow and lower noise levels. It comes with reinforced sleeved tubing for increased durability too. Dayum!
ROG Ryuo 240/120 AiO Liquid Cooler
Surely the name would confuse you, but ROG Ryuo is basically similar to Ryujin, except it’s designed for compact and mid-sized gaming builds and made available in 120mm and 240mm radiators. It features ROG designed radiator fans for optimized air flow and static pressure and also has a 1.77-inch LiveDash Color OLED like the one on Ryujin to display real-time stats and Aura Sync RGB support for maximum customizability.
ROG Thor 1200W Platinum PSU
Like I said, ASUS is taking the “For Those Who Dare” tagline very seriously. Jumping into the PSU bandwagon, the ROG Thor 1200W Platinum features IP5X certified win-blade fan, an OLED Power Display and uses 100% Japanese capacitors. The 1200-watt power supply also has 80 PLUS Platinum certification for energy efficiency, comes with 10-years warranty and has Aura Sync RGB for synchronization. Try to just digest that for now.
ROG Strix SCAR II and Hero II

Remember the ROG Strix SCAR GL503 that we reviewed just recently? Small package meeting beastly performance, it is now back with its second generation, the ROG Strix SCAR II focusing on FPS gaming along with its MOBA focused sibling, the ROG Strix Hero II. The ROG Strix SCAR II will have a refreshed design including two contrasting brushed finishes across the lid, a new keyboard layout with Kevlar-inspired markings, and a front light bar with customizable Aura Sync lighting.
The ROG Hero II on the other hand includes similar dual contrasting brushed finishing along with a new keyboard layout with cyberpunk-inspired markings and also a front light bar with customizable Aura Sync lighting.
Both machines will feature the world’s first 144Hz super-narrow-bezel display with an ultrafast 3ms gray-to-gray (GTG) response time, a HyperStrike Pro gaming keyboard and HyperCool Pro technology for its CPU and GPU. Both of them are also the world’s first laptop to feature multi-antenna Wi-Fi for improved connectivity.
ROG Delta

ROG Delta is ROG’s latest headset featuring Hi-Fi grade ESS’ quad-DAC for crystal clear, true-to-life audio, giving gamers a better ability to pinpoint in-game opponents. ROG  Delta features an airtight chamber and exclusive ASUS Essence drivers with audio signal diversion technology that improves sound quality. It’s the world’s first headset with circular rainbow RGB lighting effects for the style-loving gamers. Comes with lightweight D-shaped ear cushions, it provides better fit than traditional ear cushions for improved comfort and reduces ear fatigue on prolonged usages.

To perfect it, USB Type-C has been adopted so you can couple it with your ROG Phone. Now that I mentioned ROG Phone, you will read the whole paragraph all over again, no? ;)
ROG Balteus Qi
As complicated as its name sounds, as simple as the product is. ROG Balteus Qi is an RGB gaming mouse pad that brings Qi-wireless charging to the desktop. It has 15 individually customizable Aura Sync RGB lighting zones and is equipped with an on-pad lighting mode button for on the fly adjustments and a USB 2.0 passthrough port for connecting of peripherals. Laying flat at 370mm x 320mm portrait-oriented surface, it offers ample space for simultaneous charging and gaming, and the micro-textured hard surface enables pixel-precise tracking. There will be an ROG Balteus without the Qi-charging capabilities too.
ROG Gladius II Wireless
My daily work mouse, the ROG Gladius II just made a comeback with wireless connectivity for cordless freedom. It offers dual wireless connectivity so you can pick your preferred connection between 2.4GHz vs Bluetooth although it beats me why you would want to use the latter. Having a 16000dpi sensor under the shell, it translates on-screen action via ultra-fast 1ms wireless connectivity. The ROG-exclusive socket design enables easy switch-replacements to customize click force for personalized play too and yes, you guessed it right, Aura Sync RGB is definitely here!
ROG Strix Gaming Chassis
Last but not least, ROG is taking a hit against gaming chassis too, this time around. Designed in aluminium and smoked glass, and featuring ARGB (Addressable RGB) with AURA Sync lighting technology, you can now take more control over every LED on the case for better light manipulation. It features an ergonomic woven-pattern handle for easier transportation. Ideal for  EATX motherboards, combined with liquid cooling upgradeability, along with dual 360mm radiators on the top and front of the case capabilities, it will definitely be a fun chassis to mod on.
It comes preinstalled with magnetic bearing PWM 140mm fans. It also features a Quick Charge 3.0 port, a USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, a tool-free ROOG SSD caddy, a magnetic dust filter, and a vertical graphics card design for effortless clean builds.
This story is still developing… Stay tuned for updates!
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AMD Ryzen 3000 CPUs and Navi GPUs to launch in early July 2019?

One of the most anticipated hardware releases this year is the AMD Ryzen 3000 processors. AMD showcased an unnamed AMD Ryzen 3000 at CES 2019 going toe-to-toe with the Intel Core i9 9900K, in single-core performance, an area which was previously AMD’s Achilles’ heel. While they didn’t announce when it will hit the market, there is reportedly a launch date in sight now.
According to Planet3DNow, AMD will be releasing all their latest 7nm products on 7th July 2019, or 7.7.2019. We know AMD isn’t shy of boasting about their 7nm manufacturing process (case in point, Radeon VII) so a 7th July launch does seem very appropriate.

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AMD will be introducing their AMD Ryzen 3000 desktop processors as well as GPUs based on their new AMD Navi GPU architecture. There will also be new motherboards based on the AMD X570 chipset, allowing users to take advantage of the AMD Ryzen 3000’s PCIe 4.0 capabilities, and whatever extra features the newer CPU brings.

With that said, since the AMD Ryzen 3000 processors will still be on the AM4 platform, it should work with older motherboards. It will be good for enthusiast who are moving up from older AM4 processors to have the option to purchase a newer motherboard at a later date instead of splurging on a new motherboard AND a new processor at the same time.
The report also goes on to state that AMD may be making an announcement at Computex 2019, which is happening around the end of May 2019, so it’s only a 3-month wait from now. Stay tuned for more updates about the upcoming 7nm products from AMD as we will surely be providing more coverage about them.
Pokdepinion: It would be interesting to see if the AMD Navi cards can be more interesting than the Radeon VII… Well they would have to be.
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Far Cry 5 Will Be Free To Play Starting This Weekend

Far Cry 5 will be free to play on Windows PC from August 5 to 9 for Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Store, according to Ubisoft. In solo and two-player co-op modes, players will have access to the full game.
Far Cry 5 free weekend

New players will be able to pre-load the game starting today and will be able to access the Free Weekend during the following times per platform:

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PC via Ubisoft Store: August 5 at 9PM (UTC+8)
PC via Epic Games Store: August 6 at 1AM (UTC+8)
PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4: August 5 at 3.01PM (UTC+8)
Xbox Series X | S, Xbox One: August 5 at 3:01PM (UTC+8)

During the Free Weekend, players who want to continue their war against The Father in Far Cry 5 will be able to keep their game progress and get up to 85% off the game and Season Pass. Here’s a short synopsis of what the game is all about:
Welcome to Hope County, Montana, land of the free and the brave but also home to a fanatical doomsday cult known as Eden’s Gate. Stand up to cult leader Joseph Seed, and his siblings, the Heralds, to spark the fires of resistance and liberate the besieged community.
FIGHT AGAINST A DEADLY CULT
Free Hope County in solo or two-player co-op. Recruit Guns and Fangs for hire to help defeat the cult.
A WORLD THAT HITS BACK
Wreak havoc on the cult and its members but beware of the wrath of Joseph Seed and his followers.
CARVE YOUR OWN PATH
Build your character and choose your adventure in the largest customizable Far Cry game ever!
DYNAMIC TOYS
Take control of iconic muscle cars, ATV’s, planes and a lot more to engage the cult forces in epic fights.

For more information on the Far Cry 5 free weekend, head over to the official website here. You can also check out our review of Far Cry 5 right here.
Pokdepinion: Bought this game during the last sale and it was ok I guess? At least I didn’t hate the game as I do with Far Cry New Dawn.
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Huawei Mate 9 rendered with new colour options — launch on November 8th?

Rumours point towards the next Huawei flagship smartphone being launched on the 18thof November with new colour options and a dual camera setup, co-engineered by Leica. If this is for real, the Huawei Mate 9 could pose direct competition for the iPhone 7 Plus and Samsung Galaxy Note 7.

Huawei Mate 9 to be launched in 4 variants with six different colour options and dual 20MP cameras

Word is spreading that the Huawei Mate 9 will be using its new in-house HiSilicon Kirin 960 chipset, and pack up to 6GB of RAM with 256GB of storage. The device will come with a large display, customary of the Mate series, expected to be a 6.0″ panel with either a QHD or FHD resolution. With the recently announced joint innovation lab, the Mate 9 will feature dual 20MP cameras, most probably co-engineered with Leica. This time around, the camera is expected to come with dual tone LED flash, autofocus laser sensor, and also OIS image stabilization, something which was missing from the Huawei P9,  On the front it will be featuring a 8MP selfie shooter.
 Huawei Mate 9Mate 9Mate 9Mate 9Mate 9Mate 9
The phone might be using a huge 4000mAh battery capacity and run the latest Android 7.0 Nougat with the Huawei Emotion UI (EMUI) 5.0 overlay. With up to six different colour configurations, Mate 9 is likely to debut in early November starting at roughly USD 479 (MYR 2000) for the lower end and USD 700 (MYR 3000) for the higher end model.

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Pokdepinion: The Huawei Mate 9 will most probably see huge gains in the camera department compared to its predecessor Mate 8. With the success of the Huawei P9, will this Mate 9 be able to continue Huawei’s winning streak and go toe-to-toe with the likes of the iPhone 7 and Galaxy Note 7?
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Nokia 8 Now At A Slashed Price – Now You Can Capture Both Side Of The Story At A Cheaper Price!

In celebration with Chinese New Year, Nokia is now offering their Nokia 8 at a cut-price, which they have announce the news at their official Facebook page. Now you can get their flagship device at a special price tag and also get free gifts.
Nokia 8 Chinese New Year Price Drop

Nokia 8 was released back in September of last year, emerging as the company’s flagship device since their revival. With the festivity season coming, you can now own the device at a special price of RM1,988, which saves you RM311 from its original price and you will also be getting a free gift worth RM200.

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The smartphone features a 5.3-inch WQHD display and runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset. Memory wise, it packs 4GB RAM paired with 64GB of internal memory (expandable up to 256GB through microSD). Powering it is a 3090mAh battery and it runs on Android 8.0 Oreo, giving it better performance as well as security.
On cameras, it packs a dual 13MP rear cameras with Zeiss optics and a 13MP front shooter.The device also featured their trademark ‘Bothie’ feature, which lets you capture both sides of the story, like literally.
Wondering on what’s it like to use the device and to know whether it’s worth it? Well fear not, you can read on our extensive review on the Nokia 8 itself by clicking right here. Here’s a hint, we were impressed.
The promo is now available and will run until the 28th of February 2018.
Pokdepinion: I’ve been impressed by Nokia for fulfilling their words (such as promising to be one of the earliest smartphone device to get the Oreo update), and that created a good impression. Well while they are offering the Nokia 8 at a cheaper price, I’m more excited on what future phones will they offer in the market and will they still be at competitive price as with the current ones. P.S, if you still haven’t check out our review, what are you waiting for?!

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SonicGear BlueSport 3 (2017) sports Bluetooth earphones review — Barely usable

SonicGear is a rather well-known manufacturer of budget peripherals. They are part of Leapfrog Global, which is also behind Armaggeddon and Alcatroz. Today we have here the SonicGear BlueSport 3 (2017) which is their latest Bluetooth earphone targeted at the fitness enthusiasts who enjoy listening to music during their workout sessions.
Unboxing

The SonicGear BlueSport 3 comes in a simple but striking packaging, with red accents on a black background. You get a peek at the earphone through a clear cutout, so you know for sure which color you are getting. Ours here is the Red Black one, which looks pretty decent actually. There are three other color options available too if this is not your favorite look.

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Aside from the earphones, you get three sizes of eartips, a USB-to-microUSB cable and user manual. Not really impressive, but it will suffice for most users.
Appearance

The SonicGear BlueSport 3 features earhooks for a more secure fit even during vigorous activities. The shape of the earpiece actually reminds me of a boomerang with its curved shape. The earhook is quite flexible, which should be good for comfort. The earpiece is coated in a soft-touch finishing. The entire earphone consists of only plastics, and feels rather cheap. I am not a fan of the cables too. Being flat is good but they are rather thin and feels rather flimsy.

Unlike the Sudio Vasa Bla which has the battery on a separate block and the controls on the other, the SonicGear BlueSport 3 crams them all on one end. However, for a sports-oriented pair of earphones, they have seemingly forgotten that sweat can, and will, get into the exposed microUSB port here. A rubber seal would have been a great protection here.
Specifications

User Experience
To pair the SonicGear BlueSport 3 with your smartphone, all you have to do is press the middle button for three seconds. You will then have to search for the SonicGear BlueSport 3 from your smartphone and pair with it. Beware though as the SonicGear BlueSport 3 will play at full blast every time, so adjust the volume from your smartphone before you play any music with the SonicGear BlueSport 3 in your ears. The controls gets weirder from this point onwards though. The + and – keys do adjust the volume, but you have to long press them to raise or lower the volume. Single taps will get you to the next or previous song instead. Why didn’t they label them as forward and backward keys in the first place?
The SonicGear BlueSport 3 comes with three differently sized tips, but I just could not get a proper seal with the SonicGear BlueSport 3. I am not sure if it was intentional or not, but the size of the eartips are pretty standard, leading me to think that SonicGear designed the earpieces to be too short to properly insert the eartips into my ears. Comfort wise, they are okay, probably because of the earhook which makes them hold onto your ears instead of relying on the eartips gripping your ear canal to prevent them falling out. The cable between the earpieces are really long and I don’t really understand why.
Now that we have gotten comfort out of the way, let’s get down to the sound. To be honest, they do not sound good at all. In fact, I would not recommend them even if you have never tried any proper earphones. They sound worse than even the common earbuds you can get with budget smartphones. The bass is not punchy enough , while the rest of the music sounds as if you are listening to music underwater.
SonicGear claims the SonicGear BlueSport 3 has more than 150 minutes of battery life, and as far as my testing went, it did last longer than 2 hours and 30 minutes. I did not test it any longer as the sound quality was just too atrocious for me to put these earphones into my ears. Recharging it is fairly simple, with the microUSB port meaning that you can easily juice it up with your smartphone charger or powerbank, if you haven’t upgraded to a recent device with a USB Type-C port, that is.
Conclusion
The SonicGear BlueSport 3 is cheap. At only RM38, it costs a fraction of the money that the other Bluetooth headsets are asking. You do get what you pay for. What I cannot accept is that it is really cheap in terms of build quality and also the sound quality. These do not sound good at all. I would very much prefer spending a little extra money and sacrifice the wireless functionality for wired earphones like the Edifier P293 or Xiaomi Piston 2.1 which definitely sound better than this pair of pitiable earphones.
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New TUF Gaming F15 priced from RM4199, new RTX 3050/3050 Ti graphics options for current lineup

Along with Intel’s announcement of the latest 11th Gen Intel Core H-series processors and NVIDIA’s unveiling of the new GeForce RTX 3050 and RTX 3050 Ti graphics, ASUS also kicked off the ROG Unleash the Tiger Inside virtual global launch. On top of revealing several all-new laptops based on the 11th Gen Intel Core H-series processors like the TUF Gaming F15, ASUS also refreshed their current lineup with the new GeForce RTX 3050 and RTX 3050 Ti graphics. Let’s get into the ones are will be available in Malaysia first.
ASUS TUF Gaming F15/F17 – from RM4199

The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 is a direct counterpart to the AMD-powered TUF Gaming A15, while ASUS Malaysia will also be bringing in the TUF Gaming F17 for those who prefer a larger display. The TUF Gaming F15 is not to be confused with the TUF Gaming Dash F15, as the TUF Gaming F15 is a significantly more powerful machine, at least in terms of CPU performance, while being bulkier. It is also more affordable, which makes them great for those who want the most performance they can for their money. You can check out the specs below.

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ASUS TUF Gaming F15/F17 Specs and Price in Malaysia

TUF Gaming F15 (FX5056H-CHN021T)
TUF Gaming F17 (FX706H-CHX065T)
TUF Gaming F15 (FX506H-MHN103T)

Processor
Intel Core i5-11400H, 6C/12T @ up to 4.5GHz
45W TDP
10nm SuperFin
Intel Core i7-11800H, 8C/16T @ up to 4.6GHz
45W TDP
10nm SuperFin

RAM
1 x 8GB DDR4-2933
(2 x SO-DIMM slot)
1 x 16GB DDR4-3200
(2 x SO-DIMM slot)

GPU
Intel UHD Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU 4GB GDDR6, Max. 65W TGP
Intel UHD Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 6GB GDDR6, Max. 95W TGP

Storage
1 x 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
(2 x M.2 PCIe slots)

Connectivity
Wireless
WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth 5.2
Wired
1 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C
3 x USB 3.0 Type-A
1 x RJ45 LAN
Wireless
WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
Bluetooth 5.2
Wired
1 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C
3 x USB 3.0 Type-A
1 x RJ45 LAN

Display
15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS-level panel
Adaptive Sync
250 nit, 62.5% sRGB
1 x DisplayPort via Type-C
1 x HDMI 2.0b
17.3″ FHD 144Hz IPS-level panel
Adaptive Sync
250 nit, 62.5% sRGB
1 x DisplayPort via Type-C
1 x HDMI 2.0b
15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS-level panel
Adaptive Sync
250 nit, 62.5% sRGB
2 x DisplayPort via Type-C
1 x HDMI 2.0b

Audio
2 x 2W speaker
DTS software
3.5mm jack
Array microphone

Power
90WHr battery
180W power adapter
90WHr battery
200W power adapter

Dimensions
359 x 256 x 24.3 mm
399 x 269 x 25.2 mm
359 x 256 x 24.3 mm

Weight
2.3kg
2.6kg
2.3kg

Price
RM4199
RM4299
RM5599

Bundled Items
TUF Gaming Backpack

Availability
Mid-June
End of June
End of May

ASUS TUF Gaming Dash F15 – RM4799

The TUF Gaming Dash F15 series now gets a new member, featuring the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics to allow even more people to afford a portable gaming laptop. ASUS Malaysia will also finally be bringing in the Moonlight White color variant, which will probably appeal to those who prefer a more unique looking gaming laptop.
ASUS TUF Gaming Dash F15 Specs and Price in Malaysia

FX516P-EHN006T – Eclipse Gray
FX516P-EHN007T – Moonlight White

Processor
Intel Core i7-11370H, 4C/8T @ up to 4.8GHz
35W TDP
10nm SuperFin

RAM
8GB DDR4-3200 (on-board)
Upgradeable via 1 x SO-DIMM

GPU
Intel UHD Graphics (require dual-channel memory for Iris Xe Graphics)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6, Max. TGP 65W

Storage
1 x 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
(2 x M.2 PCIe slots)

Connectivity
Wireless
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, 802.11ax
Bluetooth 5.2
Wired
1 x Gigabit LAN
3 x USB 3.2 Gen1 Type-A
1 x Thunderbolt 4 Type-C
1 x Proprietary charging port

Display
15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS-level LCD, 62.5% sRGB, Adaptive Sync
HDMI 2.0b

Audio
2 x 2W speakers
DTS software
3.5mm jack
Array microphone

Power
76WHr, 4-cell Li-ion battery
200W power adapter

Dimensions
360 x 252 x 19.9 mm

Weight
2.0kg

Price
RM4799

Bundled Items
TUF Gaming Backpack

Availability
May 2021

ROG Strix G15/G17 – from RM4199

If you prefer an AMD Ryzen 5000 CPU with your GeForce RTX 3050, you can also opt for the refreshed ROG Strix G15/G17. The previous models started from RM5799, which makes the new starting price quite a bit more enticing. For some reason the battery is now smaller though at 56WHrs, down from 90WHr in the existing lineup of ROG Strix G15 and G17 models.

The Electro Punk version that comes in neon pink is also now available, with a matching backpack, mousepad and mouse for RM4799.
ROG Strix G15/G17 Specs and Price in Malaysia

ROG Strix G15 (G513Q-CHN019T)
ROG Strix G15 (G513Q-CHN020T)
ROG Strix G17 (G713Q-CHX022T)
ROG Strix G15 Electro Punk (G513Q-CHN096T)

Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 5600H, 6C/12T @ up to 4.2GHz
45W TDP
TSMC 7nm
AMD Ryzen 7 5800H, 8C/16T @ up to 4.4GHz
45W TDP
TSMC 7nm

RAM
1 x 8GB DDR4-3200
(2 x SO-DIMM slot)

GPU
AMD Radeon Graphics, 7CU @ 1800MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6, Max. TGP 95W
AMD Radeon Graphics, 8CU @ 2000MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6, Max. TGP 95W

Storage
1 x 512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
(2 x M.2 PCIe slots)

Connectivity
1 x USB 3.0 Type-C (USB-PD support)
3 x USB 3.0 Type-A
1 x USB 3.0 Type-C (USB-PD support)
3 x USB 3.0 Type-A
1 x RJ45 LAN
1 x USB 3.0 Type-C (USB-PD support)
3 x USB 3.0 Type-A

Display
15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS level display
Adaptive Sync
250 nit, 62.5% sRGB
1 x DisplayPort via USB-C
1 x HDMI 2.0b
17.3″ FHD 144Hz IPS level display
Adaptive Sync
250 nit, 62.5% sRGB
DisplayPort via USB-C
1 x HDMI 2.0b
15.6″ FHD 144Hz IPS level display
Adaptive Sync
250 nit, 62.5% sRGB
DisplayPort via USB-C
1 x HDMI 2.0b

Audio
2 x 1.5W speaker

2 x 2W speaker
2 x 1.5W speaker

Power
56WHr battery
200W power adapter
USB-PD via USB-C supported

Dimensions
354 x 259 x 26 mm

395 x 282 x 24.6 mm
354 x 259 x 26 mm

Weight
2.1kg

2.4kg
2.1kg

Price
RM4199
RM4499
RM4599
RM4799

Bundled items
ROG Backpack
Pink ROG Backpack
Pink ROG mousepad
ROG Strix Impact II Electro Punk

Availability
May 2021

ROG Zephyrus G14 – from RM4799

The existing lineup of ROG Zephyrus G14 featuring the AMD Ryzen 5000 processors started from RM7699 with a GeForce RTX 3060, so these options should be great for those who want a portable gaming-capable machine. For those who do not find the AniMe Matrix exciting but still love the overall design of the ROG Zephyrus G14, the lowest configuration of the ROG Zephyrus G14 offers exactly that. The removal of the AniMe Matrix panel also makes for a 2mm thinner and 0.1kg lighter laptop, so that’s a bonus.
ROG Zephyrus G14 Specs and Price in Malaysia

Eclipse Gray, no AniMe Matrix (GA401Q-HHZ078TS)
Moonlight White, AniMe Matrix (GA401Q-CHZ066TS)
Eclipse Gray, AniMe Matrix (GA401Q-CHZ083TS)
Moonlight White, Anime Matrix (GA401Q-EK2023TS)

Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS, 8C/16T @ up to 4.3GHz
35W TDP
TSMC 7nm

RAM
8GB DDR4-3200 (on-board)
Upgradeable via 1 x SO-DIMM

GPU
AMD Radeon Graphics, 8CU @ 2000MHz
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 4GB GDDR6, Max. TGP 65W
AMD Radeon Graphics, 8CU @ 2000MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 4GB GDDR6, Max. TGP 75W
AMD Radeon Graphics, 8CU @ 2000MHz
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6, Max. TGP 75W

Storage
512GB M.2 PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD

Connectivity
Wireless
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX200, 802.11ax
Bluetooth 5.1
Wired
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) Type-C (USB-PD, DisplayPort, G-SYNC support)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps) Type-C
2 x USB 3.0 Type-A
1 x Proprietary charging port

Display
14″ FHD 144Hz IPS-level LCD, Adaptive Sync, 300 nits, 100% sRGB, Pantone Validated
1 x DisplayPort via USB-C
1 x HDMI 2.0b
14″ WQHD 120Hz IPS-level LCD, Adaptive Sync, 300 nits, 100% DCI-P3 Pantone Validated
1 x DisplayPort via USB-C
HDMI 2.0b

Audio
2 x 0.7W tweeter
2 x 2.5W speaker with smart AMP
1 x 3.5mm combo jack

Power
76WHr, 4-cell Li-ion battery
150W power adapter
100W Type-C USB-PD supported (not included)
76WHr, 4-cell Li-ion battery
180W power adapter
100W Type-C USB-PD adapter
76WHr, 4-cell Li-ion battery
180W power adapter
100W Type-C USB-PD adapter

Dimensions
324 x 220 x 17.9 mm
324 x 220 x 19.9 mm

Weight
1.6kg
1.7kg

Price
RM4799
RM5699
RM6499

Bundled Items
ROG Sleeve for 14″
ROG Sleeve for 14″
ROG Sleeve for 14″
ROG Impact Gaming Mouse

Availability
May 2021

ASUS also announced the ROG Zephyrus S17 and ROG Zephyrus M16 during the ROG Unleash the Tiger Inside launch, but there is no pricing nor availability information regarding those laptops just yet, so stay tuned for more news about them!
Pokdepinion: I guess I have a much better chance of saving up enough for the ROG Zephyrus G14 now!
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You Can Now Own The HUAWEI nova 3i For Only RM1 With Postpaid Plans

If you would like to get the HUAWEI nova 3i smartphone, well HUAWEI has made some deals for you to own one when you sign up with Celcom, Digi, or Maxis postpaid plans.
HUAWEI nova 3i Postpaid Plan Deals
You can now get the nova 3i with postpaid plans from Celcom, Digi and Maxis for free or just RM1. For those who are interested in getting it with Celcom, you can register yourself for the Celcom Mobile Platinum which is at RM148 per month. You can enjoy Unlimited Calls with 60GB Internet. You will also be getting unlimited iflix VIP Access Streaming. In addition to that, users gets 100GB free of Super Video Walla.
Not the plan you want? Up next is Digi’s postpaid plan. You can purchase the nova 3i for RM1 with Digi Postpaid Plan 190 and 160. These plans allow you to enjoy unlimited calls, 100GB and 70GB respectively for home internet data and they can also keep in touch with their family and friends when they are abroad with 5GB Internet Data plus 60 minutes calls for free.

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Additionally, Digi has announce complimentary of 60GB internet data plan for all HUAWEI nova 3i users. Exclusively for Digi members, this offers is applicable to new registrations, port-ins, and existing Digi Postpaid customers who are on the Digi Postpaid 80 plan and above, excluding the Digi Postpaid Family Plans.
Digi users just need to purchase the new HUAWEI nova 3i at any HUAWEI Experience Store, Display Zones, or authorized dealers, where customers will be given a Nova Membership Card. You can then simply scan the QR code provided and download the HUAWEI VIP App, browse through the list and click on the Digi brand to redeem the 60GB Internet promotional code. Offer is from 1st August till 30th September 2018.
Last but not least, there’s Maxis. You can purchase the device for RM1 when you sign up for MaxisONE Plan 158 that comes with a 24-month contract. The plan comes with 50GB of internet data with no weekday or weekend restrictions, as well as unlimited calls and SMS.
Pokdepinion: Well there you go folks, if you want to subscribe to a postpaid plan, why not get a nova 3i smartphone for free (or RM1) while you are at it?
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AMD Radeon Navi cards to see price slash before official launch?

While price slashing after a product is launched is nothing new, it seems like AMD will be slashing the prices of their AMD Radeon RX 5700 series graphics cards before they even hit the market. That’s quite unexpected, although with how the GeForce RTX SUPER cards are looking, it’s probably the only move AMD has.
A preemptive strike against an imminent Radeon RX 5800 series?
According to VideoCardz, the AMD will be slashing $50 (~RM207) off their Radeon RX 5700 series of cards, causing the whole lineup to start from as low as $349. This is to ensure that the Radeon RX 5700 will still seem like a viable alternative to the GeForce RTX 2060, while the Radeon RX 5700 XT will look like a reasonable step down from the GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER. Here are the prices:

AMD Radeon RX 5700: $349 (~RM1443)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT: $399 (~RM1650)
AMD Radeon RX 5700 XT 50th Anniversary Edition: $449 (~RM1856)

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Now when positioned directly against the GeForce RTX 2060, the Radeon RX 5700 does stand a chance. The Radeon RX 5700 XT will be an affordable option for gamers who want GeForce RTX 2070 performance levels without paying nearly as much.

How will this affect AMD’s bottomline remains to be seen, but it is clear that AMD intends to fight NVIDIA with everything they have. Let’s see the results when the benchmarks finally roll out on 7th July.
Pokdepinion: Probably this is the only way AMD Radeon cards can compete… On value and raw performance…
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