Get Elephone smartphones for a steal on Lazada!

With the rising costs of living, Elephone brings a breath of fresh air with their latest promotion campaign on Lazada. With the voucher code Elephone150, you can get the Elephone S2, P6000 Pro and the Trunk for less than RM500 each!

The Elephone S2, which is probably the prettiest looking of the lot, will cost a mere RM489 after discounts. The S2 packs a 64-bit quad core Mediatek MTK6735 paired with 2GB of RAM. The S2 is also equipped with a 13 MP rear camera while selfies will be taken care of by a 2 MP snapper. The display is a 5.0″ 720p IPS panel, pushing 294 ppi. All that is crammed into a sleek 6.8 mm body, with glass panels on both front and back sandwiching the metal frame.

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Those who seek more performance may prefer the P6000 Pro instead, as it packs a 64-bit octa core Mediatek MTK6753, mated to 2GB of RAM. The imaging department is handled by a 13 MP camera on the rear and a 2 MP one on the front. The higher performance CPU is supported by a large 2700 mAh battery too, which should supply enough juice for a day at work. The 5.0″ HD display by LG should ensure that media consumption on the P6000 Pro will be an enjoyable experience. The price? RM499, a steal indeed for an octa core smartphone, if you ask me.

Last but not least, we have the rather weirdly named Elephone Trunk. The Elephone Trunk is powered by a 64-bit quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 paired with 2GB of RAM. The cameras are similar to the other two phones in this promotion, with a 13 MP rear shooter and a 2 MP selfie camera. The display is also 5.0″, pushing HD resolution for a ppi of 294, with support for multi-touch. The Trunk will cost RM449 after discounts.
All three devices have 16GB of internal memory, expandable via microSD cards and run on Android Lollipop 5.1. This offer will end on 12.12.2015 so hurry if you want to get a new smartphone for less than RM500!

Pokdepinion: If you were on a budget and in need of a smartphone, I think these smartphones are quite good deals, especially the P6000 Pro which packs an octa-core number cruncher for only RM499.
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CES 2021: New LG Gram Laptops Feature Large 16:10 Aspect Ratio Screens

At this year’s CES 2021 virtual presentation, LG unveiled their new LG gram line of laptops. The new LG gram laptops comes equipped with displays with large 16:10 aspect ratios for more value to the company’s versatile solutions.

The lineup includes five new laptop models:

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LG gram 17 (model 17Z90P)
LG gram 16 (model 16Z90P)
LG gram 14 (model 14Z90P)
LG gram 2-in-1 16 (model 16T90P)
LG gram 2-in-1 14 (model 14T90P)

All of the new LG gram laptops feature the large 16:10 aspect ratio screens as well as enlarged keyboard and touchpad for faster, easier typing without compromising the portability of
these compact devices.

LG gram laptops come with Intel Evo Platform certification and are powered by an 11th Gen Intel Core processor with Iris Xe Graphics and speedy LPDDR4x memory. LG gram models 17Z90P, 16Z90P and 16T90P feature 80Wh high-density batteries to ensure longer periods of use between charges.
Furthermore, the flagship LG gram 17 boasts a large 17-inch screen while only weighing 1.35kg. Equally transportable, the new LG gram 16 and 14 tips the scales at just 1.2kg and 999g respectively and are a scant 1.68cm (0.66 inch) thick. Thanks to LG’s ultra-narrow bezels and a hidden hinge design, all three models achieve an impressive screen-to-body ratio (STBR) of 90 percent.

Both the 16-inch and 14-inch versions of the new LG gram 2-in-1 comes with a stylus pen compatible with Wacom AES 2.0 for enhanced navigation and control for smooth, precise writing and drawing experience.
Lg gram laptops specifications

LG gram 17
(17Z90P)
LG gram 16
(16Z90P)
LG gram 14
(14Z90P)
LG gram 16 2-in-1
(16T90P)
LG gram 14 2-in-1
(14T90P)

Display Size
17-inch
16-inch
14-inch
16-inch
14-inch

LCD
WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS, DCI-P3 99 percent (Typical)
WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS, DCI-P3 99 percent (Typical)
WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, DCI-P3 99 percent (Typical)
WQXGA (2560 x 1600),
Touch IPS Display,
Corning Gorilla Glass 6
WUXGA (1920 x 1200),
Touch IPS Display,
Corning Gorilla Glass 6

Aspect Ratio
16:10
16:10
16:10
16:10
16:10

Weight
1350g
1199g
999g
1480g
1250g

Size
380.2 x 260.1 x 17.8mm
(14.97 x 10.24 x 0.70 inches)
355.9 x 243.4 x 16.8mm
(14.01 x 9.58 x 0.66 inches)
313.4 x 215.2 x 16.8mm
(12.34 x 8.47 x 0.66 inches)
356.6 x 248.3 x 16.95mm
(14.04 x 9.78 x 0.67 inches)
314 x 219.5 x 16.75mm
(12.36 x 8.64 x 0.66 inches)

Battery
80Wh
80Wh
72Wh
80Wh
72Wh

CPU
11th Gen Intel Core Processor
11th Gen Intel Core Processor
11th Gen Intel Core Processor
11th Gen Intel Core Processor
11th Gen Intel Core Processor

GPU
Intel Iris Xe Graphics Intel UHD Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics Intel UHD Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics Intel UHD Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics Intel UHD Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics Intel UHD Graphics

Memory
8/16GB (LPDDR4x)
8/16GB (LPDDR4x)
8/16GB (LPDDR4x)
8/16GB (LPDDR4x)
8/16GB (LPDDR4x)

Storage
M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMe)
M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMe)
M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMe)
M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMe)
M.2 Dual SSD slots (NVMe)

Colour
White, Silver, Black
White, Silver, Black
White, Silver, Black
Silver, Black, Green
Silver, Black, Green

Keyboard
Backlit
Backlit
Backlit
Backlit
Backlit

I/O Port
USB 4 Gen3x2 Type C,
USB 3.2 Gen2x1, HDMI,
microSD/UFS, HP-Out
USB 4 Gen3x2 Type C,
USB 3.2 Gen2x1, HDMI,
microSD/UFS, HP-Out
USB 4 Gen3x2 Type C,
USB 3.2 Gen2x1, HDMI,
microSD/UFS, HP-Out
USB 4 Gen3x2 Type C,
USB 3.2 Gen2x1,
microSD/UFS, HP-Out
USB 4 Gen3x2 Type C,
USB 3.2 Gen2x1,
microSD/UFS, HP-Out

Other Features
Fingerprint Reader,
US Military Standard 810G
Compliance,
DTS X Ultra,
Wi-Fi 6
Fingerprint Reader,
US Military Standard 810G
Compliance,
DTS X Ultra,
Wi-Fi 6
Fingerprint Reader,
US Military Standard 810G
Compliance,
DTS X Ultra,
Wi-Fi 6
Fingerprint Reader,
Stylus Pen (Wacom AES 2.0),
US Military Standard 810G
Compliance,
DTS X Ultra,
Wi-Fi 6
Fingerprint Reader,
Stylus Pen (Wacom AES 2.0),
US Military Standard 810G
Compliance,
DTS X Ultra,
Wi-Fi 6

For more information on the new LG gram laptops, do head over to the official website right here.
Pokdepinion: I’m particularly interested in the 2-in-1 versions of the LG gram laptops because of the stylus support. I wonder how much they will cost come release.
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Guns N’ Roses Breaks Youtube Record — Is November Coming Soon?

Guns N’ Roses recently broke the record, where their music video is the first from the 1990s to surpass 1 billion views on Youtube.
Guns N’ Roses Breaks Youtube Record

Of course, the video that made the record is their iconic song, November Rain. You might be going “hold on, i’m pretty sure that there are other music videos that’s achieved that before”. Well in a way you are correct. What makes the band’s November Rain reign supreme is that it is the first music video from the 1990s to ever reach 1 billion views.
As a matter of fact, it is the first video created before Youtube even began to ever reach the milestone. Over the course of 26 years after its initial release of the video, the video averages around 560,000 views per day in 2017.

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Here’s a fun fact. The music video consistently spikes in popularity in November, with average daily views in November of 2017 spiking 41% compared to their daily average the rest of the year.
Following ‘November Rain’ behind are The Cranberries with their hit ‘Zombies‘ (739M views) and followed by Nirvana’s Smells Like Teen Spirit (727M views).
The 1990s wasn’t the only era that they rule. With over 692 million views, another one of their classic, ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine‘, is the biggest video on Youtube released in the 1980s.
Surprisingly, the band is more popular outside of the US with 83% of its 2018 views come from other countries that includes Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, and Colombia.
Pokdepinion: November Rain is so iconic. Like every guitar player needs to know the solo to be even be called a guitarist. Well at least, from the people that i know of. What do you think? Are you a fan of GnR? What’s your favorite song from them? Let us know down in the comment section below!

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CD Projekt Red Settles Case With The Witcher Author

Back in 2018, a legal case was filed against CD Project Red, in which the author for The Witcher, Andrzej Sapkowski was looking for extra compensation for the The Witcher 3. Now it has finally reached a conclusion.
CD Projekt Red has released a statement, though not revealing the full extent of the agreement where it says “The agreement satisfies and fully clarifies the requirements and expectations of both parties in light of previously concluded agreements, and establishes a framework for future cooperation between the parties”.
Sapkowski has previously filed a claim for $16million, where his lawyers think that he deserves more than that. CD Projekt Red said that they “will go to great lengths to ensure amicable resolution” but suggest that the money that he was asking for was a bit too much.

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CEO of CD Projekt Red, Adam Kiciński has admired Sapkowski’s work where he notes that he is a great inspiration to the folks at CD Projekt Red. He adds “I believe today marks a new stage in our continued relationship”.
The Witcher series has grown substantially down the years, with recently there’s even a live-action version on Netflix itself.
With the case being settled, it could see them (CD Projekt Red) develop a new Witcher sequel in the near future.
Pokdepinion: If you haven’t watched the one on Netflix, well you won’t be dissapointed. Geralt really sounds like Geralt!
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Cherry cultivates new Viola switches to allow for cheaper mechanical keyboards

Mechanical keyboards are a dime a dozen now, but original Cherry MX mechanical switches still command the premium segment. There has been a slurry of Cherry clones that offer a similar (if not better) experience in the budget segment, but Cherry is going to address that segment with the new Cherry Viola switches.
Announced at CES 2020, the Cherry Viola switches are designed to be a more affordable mechanical keyboard switch from Cherry. This will enable Cherry to make them cheaper, and for its partners to release cheaper keyboards to the market.

Design wise, it’s pretty similar to some of the mem-chanical switches out there in the market. It features a clear stem, a first for Cherry, giving OEMs the option to design keyboards with SMD LEDs for all that RGB bling bling in today’s gaming keyboards. The Cherry Viola also offers what some refer to as a “box stem”, and with the switches engineered to a tolerance of less than 0.01mm, you know they aren’t joking when it comes to mitigating wobble.

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The feel of this keyboard might be somewhat interesting, thanks to its new V-shape contact system. Instead of a uniform actuation force throughout the length of the travel, the Cherry Viola sports what Cherry has dubbed “CrossLinear”. The actuation force is pretty standard for Cherry switches, 45 cN all the way up to the actuation point at 2mm. After the 2mm mark, the resistance ramps up linearly to a maximum of 75 cN at the end of the 4mm travel. This curve should prove quite interesting to experience.
 According to AnandTech, Cherry aims to compete with membrane switches with the new Cherry Viola switches, which hints at how cheaply they can be made. But then again, there are some expensive membrane keyboards out there that are just as costly as the average mechanical keyboards, so that’s not really saying a lot.
Pokdepinion: I wonder if the Cherry Viola keyboards can slide into the sub-RM150 segment… That would really be interesting.
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Hotlink Offers 62GB Free Data For Malaysia’s 62nd National Day

The folks from Hotlink have revealed that they are offering a special deal for their customers this 62nd National Day in Malaysia by providing 62GB worth of free internet starting from today until the 25th of September 2019.

All you need to do to enjoy the deal is purchase an eligible HotlinkMU GIGA Sale deal (excluding hourly passes) on your Hotlink RED App. Once done, you’ll be able to enjoy the free 62GB as you like with no speed cap.
The data will automatically be activated with every purchase of an eligible HotlinkMU GIGA Sale deal, where each offer is stackable. So if 64GB isn’t enough for you, you can purchase another pass to earn more.

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Pokdepinion: Crazy amount of free data that they are giving out for free! Too bad the passes doesn’t include a monthly option.
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The Samsung Galaxy Note10 needs pricier USB-C to 3.5mm dongles than usual

Most smartphones that did away with the headphone jack continued to output the analog signal via the USB-C port. That allows for some really inexpensive dongles to be used. That does not seem to be the case for the Samsung Galaxy Note10 though, as SamMobile discovered. They tried using the dongle from a Samsung Galaxy Tab S5e, which is the common kind you find with most other smartphones, only to realize it didn’t work.
It’s both good news and bad news at the same time. Here’s why.
The Bad News
So let’s start with the bad news. You won’t be able to make use of cheap dongles from China. Most of the cheap USB-C to 3.5mm dongles rely on your smartphone doing the conversion of the digital signal into the analog signal that your earphones will then convert into sound waves to your ears.

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Yeah, these cheap ones won’t work with the Galaxy Note10.
So yeah, you would have to get slightly pricier dongles. Fret not though as Samsung is selling their own dongles for $14.99 (~RM63). I can’t seem to get the Malaysian pricing for it on the official Samsung Malaysia webpage though. It’s really not expensive, especially considering how they fitted a DAC capable of handling 24-bit/192 kHz audio inside. Still not sure why Samsung didn’t just bundle one in the box, but hey, they got plenty of courage to go around.
The Good News
Not outputting the analog signal via the USB-C port means that your Samsung Galaxy Note10 will be relying on an external device to handle the digital-to-analog conversion. As any audiophile would tell you, having sensitive audio hardware in a device like a smartphone doesn’t bode well for audio quality.
It’s because of concerns like that, among others, that these devices exist.
A smartphone contains many radio signals, and a gazillion of little electronic components, all of which might cause interference with your audio signal. Moving the audio processing out of the device prevents that to a certain degree, thus promising a cleaner audio signal. At least, in theory.
Now I won’t go as far as to condemn nor commend Samsung for their move. As far as I know, most recent SoCs have built-in DACs already, which means Samsung will be letting that part of their Exynos 9825/Snapdragon 855 go to waste in the Samsung Galaxy Note10. The dongle business is also quite a lucrative one, as we saw it boost Apple to become the first trillion dollar company in the world. Perhaps Samsung has similar aspirations?
In any case, make sure to choose your dongles carefully, so as not to accidentally waste money on cheap dongles that won’t work with your Galaxy Note10.
Pokdepinion: Samsung seems to have made many weird decisions with the Galaxy Note10…
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Xbox One-exclusive Sunset Overdrive is Now Owned by PlayStation

As many of you may know, Sony owns Insomniac Games, the development studio behind Marvel’s Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank. Most notably, the studio also owns and has retained the rights to the Xbox One-exclusive Sunset Overdrive. This ultimately means that in an interesting twist, the game is now owned by the PlayStation brand.
According to Sony’s own Shuhei Yoshida, it was confirmed that Sony Interactive Entertainment now holds the rights to Insomniac Games creations, including Sunset Overdrive. As for a possible port for the game or even sequels for it, that’s yet to be seen.
It doesn’t seems like the company has interest in reviving the Sunset Overdrive franchise. This is most likely because of poor sales that the game generated prior so it might not seem like it’s worth the effort and time to port it. There may still be legal issues as well so that’s another headache to deal with if they want to port the game over.

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For now, we’ll just have to wait and see what the company plans on doing with the IP. Personally, would prefer if they focused on a sequel to the recent Spider-Man game.
Source: PushSquare
Pokdepinion: It’s interesting to see how it went exclusive on one platform, and the sequel being exclusive to another.
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Intel Tiger Lake-U Geekbench scores look pretty promising

The 10th Gen Intel Core processors may be quite a mess with some SKUs based on the older 14nm process and some on the new 10nm process. While Intel has been pretty decent with their naming, it still doesn’t solve the problem that not all 10th Gen laptops will achieve the expectations of consumers who are expecting to get the latest and greatest from Intel. The 11th Gen may solve that though with a full range of products based on the 10nm++ node, and it seems that preliminary benchmarks are pretty promising too.

Some scores have cropped up on Geekbench, allegedly belonging to the upcoming Tiger Lake-U processors. With a single-core score of 1400 and a multi-core score of 4920, it is quite impressive, to say the least. For comparison, the top-of-the-line Core i7 1065G7 scored 1229 and 4510, while the six-core Core i7 10710U did 1092 and 4985, for the single-core and multi-core benchmarks, respectively. This might be attributed to the new Willow Cove core architecture, which is built upon Ice Lake’s Sunny Cove core architecture. There’s also the rather high clock speeds that the Tiger Lake-U part tested might be running at, with a 2.3 GHz base clock.

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With that said, for a 4-core, 8-thread Tiger Lake-U part like the one here in Geekbench’s records to beat a six-core Comet Lake part is really quite an impressive feat. The single-core performance has risen by a fair bit over Ice Lake too, which is nice to see. It should deliver an interesting lead over AMD’s Ryzen 7 4800U, which promises 4% higher single core performance than Intel’s Core i7 1065G7, although the 11th Gen Intel Core processors should still take a back seat when it comes to multi-threaded workloads due to how AMD managed to cram a whopping eight cores into their 15W TDP part.
One of the coolest AMD Ryzen 4000 series laptops.
Intel and its partners are expected to unveil laptops featuring the latest Tiger Lake processors by Q2 or Q3 2020, which means AMD will get a headstart with their upcoming AMD Ryzen 4000 series of mobile processors.
It’s nice to see Intel being competitive again. With the 11th Gen Intel Core processors also expected to bring along their latest Intel Xe graphics architecture, they might be able to put up a strong fight against AMD’s mobile offerings on both the CPU and integrated graphics fronts. Hopefully Intel’s 10nm yields will be sufficient by then and they won’t have to pull off a 11th Gen-but-14nm thing again.
Pokdepinion: I am actually more inclined towards the low wattage mobile processors now than the performance ones…
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Save up to RM429 on your Microsoft Office ESD license before 30th September!

We have already discussed the advantages of getting Microsoft Office Electronic Software Download (ESD) licenses, and now you can get them with massive discounts of up to RM429. From now until 30th September, get your Microsoft Office ESD licenses from GLOO® to enjoy massive discounts with the Hari Malaysia Month promotion.

The following Microsoft Office 365 licenses are currently on offer:

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Microsoft Office 365 Personal – 1 user: RM149 (SRP: RM258)
Microsoft Office 365 Home – 6 user: RM179 (SRP: RM344)
Microsoft Office 365 Business Premium – 1 user: RM519 (SRP: RM645)

You get a 1-year subscription to the cloud-based Microsoft Office 365 along with 1TB OneDrive cloud storage for your files to be accessed wherever you have an internet connection. Meanwhile, you can also get Microsoft Office 2019 at these promotional prices:

Microsoft Office Home & Student – 1 device: RM339 (SRP: RM516)
Microsoft Office Home & Business – 1 device: RM900 (SRP: RM1329)

GLOO® offers the Microsoft Office ESD licenses online on GLOO.com.my, letting you install and use them immediately. They also offer the licenses at their physical stores, so you can head over to the nearest GLOO® store near you for a retail experience.
Pokdepinion: RM179 for 6 users does seem like a pretty decent deal?
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Kingdom Hearts Making PC Debut On March 30th – Will be Epic Games Store exclusive

At long last, the Kingdom Hearts series is making its way to PC after years of being available solely on consoles and mobile. Square Enix’s beloved JRPG series will be the jump to PC via the Epic Games Store this coming 30 March.
Kingdom Hearts finally coming to PC

Four titles will be available at launch. These include:

Kingdom Hearts 1.5 + 2.5 Remix – A collection of HD remasters of enhanced versions of the first two games in the series.
Kingdom Hearts 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue – A collection which includes an HD remaster of Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance (originally released on the Nintendo 3DS), Kingdom Hearts χ Back Cover, a companion film to the mobile game, Kingdom Hearts χ as well as Kingdom Hearts 0.2: Birth by Sleep – A Fragmentary Passage.
Kingdom Hearts 3 + Re Mind DLC – The final chapter of the main series’ story which comes included with the Re Mind expansion.
Kingdom Hearts Melody of Memory – Released last year, Melody of Memory is the latest game in the series and is a rhythm action game.

All four titles are available for pre-order now on the Epic Games Store and ranges from USD49.99 (RM202.08) to USD59.99 (RM242.51) in price. You can check out our review of Kingdom Hearts 3 right here.

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The series follows Sora, Donald, and Goofy as well as new and familiar characters across 4 games, as they unite to battle against a dark force threatening their friends and beloved Disney worlds.
Pokdepinion: I guess it’s a good time to revisit the whole series. Though I do wish that the game prices would be slightly lower.
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It looks like the WhatsApp multi-device support feature is expected to release soon after a very long wait as the feature is currently in the final stages of development. There’s still a bit of testing left to do, but the launch is essentially imminent.
WhatsApp Multi-Device Support Feature Release Imminent

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The WhatsApp multi-device support is a long-awaited feature for many years now, and it’s almost ready to launch. According to WABetaInfo, the feature is now in the final stages of development, and they will be doing an open beta test for the feature next.
From what we understand thus far, the open beta test will be applicable for both Android and iOS users. Furthermore, the WhatsApp multi-device support feature will work with up to four devices at the same time.
It’s interesting to think that competing messaging app Telegram already has the feature running for a while now. The closest it can get to it is a desktop application, which basically mirrors what is on your mobile device to your PC, but you can type out more comfortably with a proper keyboard.
Apart from the new feature, WhatsApp will continue to work, and disclose, on a number of vulnerabilities that the app currently faces. Previously, we reported about 6 undisclosed vulnerabilities that had the potential to wreak havoc if taken advantage of by hackers. Fortunately, nothing came out of it and it was fixed in time. If you want to read more about that, click right here.
For now, there is no word yet on when the feature will be publicly available, nor when the open beta test will begin. We will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Source
Pokdepinion: This was something they should have added a long time ago. Well, better late than never, I suppose.
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For those of you who are still not keen on subscribing to Disney Plus, there might be a new, cheaper subscription plan coming your way. Here’s what you need to know.
Disney Plus Might Come With New, Cheaper Subscription Plan

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Disney Plus has one of the more affordable subscription plans amongst all the video streaming services around if you plan on using it for long term. With that being said, the company is aware that there may be people who would like a more affordable option, and that might just be coming your way.
From what we understand thus far, it’s supposed to be an ad-supported subscription plan with fees being lower than USD $7.99 per month, likely in the ballpark of USD $5 per month. If this plan comes to fruition, it will be launched in the US first before it gets rolled out to other countries, with the competition being rather fierce as their cheapest subscription plan is at USD $4.99 per month.
At the moment in Malaysia, Disney Plus Hotstar only has a single subscription tier, which is RM54.90 for 3 months. It is unknown if the cheaper plan will ever make its way to this country given that we have the Hotstar version of it but if it does, the price could be easily half of that. For now, we will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Source
Pokdepinion: Having ads is actually fine for me as the problem here is how excessive they might be. If it’s not, I wouldn’t mind going for that since I can save some money while subscribing to the service. How do you feel about ads?
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Philips TAPH805 Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Now Available At RM999

The folks at Philips has introduced their latest Philips TAPH805 wireless over-ear noise cancelling headphones, which you can now get here in Malaysia.
Philips TAPH805 now available in Malaysia

The Philips TAPH805 comes with Hi-Res Audio that lets you enjoy better audio quality. Coming with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), it is possible thanks to four ECM microphones.
There’s both physical buttons as well as touch controls for you to well… take control of the headphones itself. This includes voice assistant functions, activating or deactivating noise cancellation, turning Awareness Mode on, and more.

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With its 40mm speakers, it is capable of a wide HRA-accredited bandwidth of 7 to 40,000 Hz.
As for the weight, it weighs in at around 235 grams and can be quickly folded to bring around.
You can connect through its Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity and the Philip TAPH805 comes with 30 hours of battery life. Should you wish to use it wired, well you can by using the included audio cable. They claim that you need 2 hours to fully charge the headphones where with a five minute charge can give you playback for 2 hours.
The Philips TAPH805 retails at the price of RM999 but they are having a special promotion for the first 100 customers at Shopee and Lazada at RM699.
Pokdepinion: Hmm looks interesting. I wonder how’s the sound quality..
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11street Is Now Rebranded As PrestoMall

It seems that 11street has chosen to rebrand themselves, where they are now called PrestoMall. It comes directly from the Presto ecosystem, a Malaysian home-grown digital services Super App.

Thanks to the rebranding, it will see PrestoMall form the eCommerce component within the Presto ecosystem, a local Super App that fulfills user’s shopping, entertainment, payment, credit, travel, as well as ‘makan’ needs.

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With the system, you can make hassle-free mobile payments through PrestoPay for online and offline retail purchases while being rewarded with cashback for buying a variety of deals, discounted products, vouchers, and services.
Additionally, the app is also designed to help retailers, business owners, and sellers to boost their brand presence and reach out to consumers out in the market.
For consumers, PrestoMall will be offering several exclusive deals on various products and bundles, all year round. This will include local products as well as international brands, made available through Cross Border Trade (CBT).
To check out what they are offering, you can head over to the link here to go to PrestoMall’s website.
PrestoMall is available on both Android and iOS devices.
Pokdepinion: Well all I can say is that, it’s probably going to take me awhile to get use to calling the platform by its new name..
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ASUS has released the Android L (5.0) update for ASUS Zenfone 5 LTE (A500KL) with the version code TW_V12.4.5.21 for Taiwan sets. If you just can’t wait for the International version to be released via OTA, you may be pleased to know that ASUS offers direct download for those who just have to have the update as soon as possible. You can download it here. Remember to follow all instructions given to prevent your phone becoming a pricey brick.

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For the rest of the ASUS devices in the market, you can refer to the table above. According to the announcement from the ZenTalk admin here, there has been delays and this is the latest update to the ETA of the OTA updates  (I actually made it rhyme back there. HEHE). Here is wishing you patience in your wait for a taste of Lollipop on your ASUS devices!

SOURCE: GSMArena
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Choose Your Weapon: Gamepad VS Arcade Sticks

If you clicked on this then chances are that you are someone who finds joy in playing fighting games. I’m sure many of you have seen various professionals especially top tier Esports players using arcade sticks instead of the traditional gamepads. This would inevitably lead to you thinking if an arcade stick could take your gameplay to the next level.
Today, we are going to briefly explore whether it’s worth going for arcade sticks or if a gamepad is the way to go.

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Gamepad
Midnight Blue
Gamepads are one of the most common gaming peripherals around, right beside the mouse and keyboard combo. While there is a good variety of gamepads today with varying designs, most of the ones in the modern era will have a number of things in common. You have your handle grips, analog sticks (left and right), directional pad, shoulder buttons, and the main action buttons.The two most common gamepads which fit these criteria in the current generation is the DualShock 4 and the Xbox One controller.
The first major benefit of gamepads would be convenience. It’s small, easy to use, and also easy to bring around. This would be especially helpful if you tend to travel around a lot as it’s easier to just place it in your bag and not have it take up so much space or weigh you down much. From an industry perspective, it’s also the easiest to buy as it’s very common.
The second benefit here is universal compatibility with all game genres. What I mean here is that a gamepad would work well on all types of games. Fighting, sports, simulators, shooters, adventure, role-playing game, anything.

The third benefit is comfort. You can essentially game in any condition with gamepads. You can comfortably game from your couch, on the floor, upside down on a chair if you’d like and it will still work fine. Of course, your range will be limited by how far the wireless signal can go or how long the cable length is. The likes of arcade sticks and mouse / keyboard combo is dependent on a surface for it to be placed on.
One downside to gamepads is that while it’s a jack of all trades, it doesn’t highly excel in a particular area. It will do good enough for virtually everyone but there are better options for specific games.
Arcade Sticks

The most popular option for avid fighting game enthusiasts, the arcade stick (fight stick) is designed to be similar to the control device used in arcade cabinets. It’s a good choice for fighting games due to the required inputs you need to make for certain attacks.
The first benefit of using arcade sticks is speed. The buttons are designed with short travel distance and quicker actuation. Meaning here that you can execute actions faster than you would on a gamepad. Most people won’t notice this until they’re forced to execute a time-sensitive command. My best example would be Tekken’s Electric Wind God Fist for the Mishimas. Even a small timing difference would turn it into a regular Wind God Fist.

The second benefit here is movement. This shouldn’t come as a surprise given the huge joystick but it’s mostly beneficial for fighting games. It’s easier to move using that over the analog stick and the d-pad on the gamepad in terms of precision and speed. Especially for commands with quarter-circle forwards or similar movements such as for Ryu’s Hadouken / Tatsumaki / Shoryuken in Street Fighter, it’s easier to do with the big joystick.

The third benefit is button placement. The button layout for arcade sticks, coupled together with its large size, makes it easier to reach multiple buttons quickly and efficiently. The button layout also makes sense if you think about it. The top buttons are usually for punches while the lower buttons are for kicks. In the case of Tekken, Button 1 and 2 (from top left of the layout) represents the left arm and right, while Button 3 and 4 (right below 1 and 2) represents the left leg and right leg.
One downside for arcade sticks would be its bulk. The sheer size and weight of it will make it tough to bring around. You’re gonna need a big bag, or a separate bag, just to carry it around while a gamepad is easier to chuck inside any of your bags. While some fight sticks aren’t really heavy, the sheer size of it alone makes it a cumbersome chore.
Verdict
In truth, there’s no true better option in this case. Even if you’re focusing solely on fighting games, it ultimately boils down to which one you have more experience with. In some cases, certain characters in fighting games may work better for you on a gamepad than it would with arcade sticks.
If you do end up moving to a new gamepad or even an arcade stick, don’t expect your gameplay to be instantaneously better. It will take some time for you to get accustomed to it, and you will then start to see the benefits and weaknesses. The best way to figure out which side to choose from is to identify your needs when it comes to gaming.
We might just be doing more peripheral comparison in the future, right here on Pokde.net. Let us know what you think and if this has helped you out.
If you’re looking for an arcade stick, the Razer Panthera Evo is a solid choice. Check out our in-depth review of it by clicking right here.
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Kingston UV500 960GB 2.5″ SSD review — 3D NAND without breaking the bank

Introduction
While SSD prices are becoming more and more affordable, it’s understandable that the scene is to get more competitive. When stalwarts of the spinning platter era are hopping onto the solid state storage bandwagon too, you can expect the scene to heat up considerably. Kingston has been in the scene for quite some time, and the Kingston UV500 SSD is their latest entry into the 2.5″ SSD market. It’s not only available in the 2.5″ form factor, as it is also available in the M.2 SATA and mSATA form factors too. Let’s take a closer look at the 960GB Kingston UV500 we have here.
Appearance

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We will skip over the unboxing segment entirely, because the Kingston UV500 960GB doesn’t even come in a box. All you get is the SSD, with the package itself serving as some sort of warranty leaflet. You can get it with an installation kit too if you want.

The SSD itself looks simple, and pretty familiar too, as Kingston has actually been using the same design for their Kingston A400 and Kingston UV400 SSDs previously. We like the texture and the very clean design. Just the branding, nothing else.

Over on the other side we see more screw holes and the regulatory information. There is less to see here, It’s nice to see a full-metal enclosure here in the lower end of things, and one that looks this nice is definitely a bonus too.
Specifications

Capacity
960GB (893GB usable)

Interface
SATA 3 6 Gbps

NAND Type
TLC 3D NAND

DRAM Cache
N/A

Controller
Marvell 88SS1074

Rated speed
Sequential:
Read: Up to 520 MB/s Write: Up to 500 MB/s
Random:
Read: 79 000 IOPS Write: 45 000 IOPS

Endurance
480TBW

Dimensions
100.1 mm X 69.85 mm X 7.0 mm

Weight
57 gram

Included accessories
N/A

Warranty
5 years

The Kingston UV500 960GB is the first drive from Kingston with 3D NAND offering 256-bit AES encryption and TCG Opal 2.0 support. Security features on SSDs isn’t something we test though, so we will be looking at its performance figures more closely. The very same Marvell controller is also found in the SanDisk 3D Ultra SSD and WD Blue 3D NAND SSDs, so lets see if the NAND and firmware used by Kingston allows the Kingston UV500 960GB to keep up with the other drives sharing the same controller. There is also a pretty standard 5-year warranty period which should offer some peace of mind.
Testing Methodology
The Kingston UV500 960GB is tested as a storage drive on Pokde’s benchrig. I ran several synthetic SSD benchmarks and real-time transfer speed tests to determine the performance.

Processor
Intel Core i7-5820K

Motherboard
ASUS X99-Deluxe

Memory
4 x 4GB Kingston HyperX Predator 3000 MHz CL15

Storage
Kimtigo 120GB SSD

Power Supply
Cooler Master V850

Performance
Synthetic

Right off the bat, the Kingston UV500 960GB is quite a bit slower than the Western Digital offerings. It isn’t all that fast but it does definitely beat a lot of older SSDs, even those based on MLC technology, especially in terms of write performance.

In AS SSD, the Kingston UV500 960GB actually pulls ahead of the 3D NAND-equipped SanDisk and WD duo. It takes a step back in the 4K benchmarks though, indicating that the Kingston UV500 960GB will deliver a less responsive user experience. Of course, at these speeds, you would be really be nitpicking to note a difference anyway. We certainly didn’t.

Moving on, we see that the Kingston UV500 960GB does score pretty decently in the sequential benchmarks, but once again doesn’t have nearly as good a time at random access tests.
Real world performance

With the rather decent write performance of the Kingston UV500 960GB, we actually see it keep up with the pricier SSDs when larger files are written to it. Once we go for smaller files like photos and documents, performance got very poor indeed, taking nearly 3x the time for 16GB of documents to finish being copied to the drive.

Game loading times doesn’t see nearly as huge an effect, with it being just marginally slower then the pricier drives. This is good to know as these would make perfect drives for gamers to use as their bulk storage. It is way faster than our SSHD drive though, which speaks a lot about the numbered days of spinning platter.

What it lacks in performance, it more than makes up for it in the cost-per-GB metric. With the Kingston UV500 960GB we are definitely nearing the RM1/GB threshold, all without sacrificing too much of performance in practical applications.
Conclusion
There really isn’t anything that’s really holding me back from recommending the Kingston UV500. Sure, performance might be on the low side for an SSD in 2018, but given the cost-effectiveness of it, I would say that it makes for an affordable bulk storage drive, or even as a primary drive when your budget is running a little low. I have been using it as my boot drive for some time, and while I do notice that it does feel less responsive than my other system with a Samsung 850 EVO, it doesn’t hurt to have nearly 1TB of fast solid state storage on tap. For RM1089, it offers excellent value for money. If prices drop even further, it would make it an even better buy. As it stands, it is worthy of our Silver PokdeWard for offering modern 3D NAND, lots of space and decent speeds, all at a price that doesn’t hurt the wallet too much.

Our thanks to Kingston for providing us with the Kingston UV500 here. To support us, click on the button below to check out the Kingston UV500 960GB on Lazada:

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As you may know by now, a number of PS4 games will have an upgraded PS5 version. It’s not a whole lot of them but if it exists for your games, here’s how you can get the upgrade with ease.
How to Upgrade PS4 Games To Their PS5 Versions

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There are two ways to upgrade PS4 games to the PS5 version, and which way you need to use will depend on the game itself. If you have a physical copy of the game and the standard edition of the PlayStation 5 console, here’s what you need to do:

Sign in to your PSN account on your PS5 console (or create an account).
Insert the eligible PS4 game disc.
Go to the game hub for the PS4 game.
Select the upgrade offer on the game hub and review the upgrade offer.
Select Download or purchase with the discounted price to download / purchase content.
After the download is complete, you can play the PS5 digital game by inserting the PS4 game disc. You will need to keep the disc inserted each time to play the game.

If you have a digital copy of the game, here’s what you need to do to upgrade PS4 games regardless of which PlayStation 5 console you bought:

Sign in to your PSN account on your PS5 console.
Find the PS5 game in PlayStation Store, or by Search, and go to the game hub for the PS5 game.
Select the upgrade offer on the game hub and review the upgrade offer.
Select Download (or purchase with the discount price) to download/purchase content.
After the download is complete, you can play the PS5 game.

It’s worth noting that upgrading PS4 games to the PS5 version isn’t necessarily free. Some of them may require a separate purchase, albeit at a lower price than the full game. Just make sure you know what you’re getting into before doing the upgrade process.
Source
Pokdepinion: I expected the upgrades to be free honestly. That would get people more enticed to move from the PS4 over to the PS5.
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AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs can run on ASRock X370 motherboards, but AMD really doesn’t want you to do that

AMD has been quite intent on limited backward compatibility when it comes to motherboards, although they have made a few concessions to keep AMD fans happy. With that said, the AMD X370 chipset was never intended to work with Zen 3, and in fact AMD doesn’t even fully support Zen 2 on the AMD X370 platform, but well, ASRock found a workaround, to get Ryzen 5000 working on their AMD X370 motherboards and AMD isn’t happy about it.

ASRock has apparently released a few unofficial BIOSes for the AMD X370 to support the AMD Ryzen 5000 series processors, before AMD asked them to remove them. AMD evidently disagrees with board vendors updating their AMD X370 motherboards to support the AMD Ryzen 5000 CPUs, even with BETA releases.

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This quote from an email sent from ASRock to a user in the HardwareLuxx forum clearly mentions that AMD requested the removal of the unofficial BIOSes:
Hi Jörg, unfortunately, we received AMD’s warning that X370 shouldn’t support Vermeer CPU.
Obviously, some customer didn’t operate it under table, AMD noticed it and said ASRock shouldn’t do this anymore.
The attached file is BIOS and it is the last BIOS which I can provide for you in this case, please pass it to user under table.
It does also hint that there are some BIOSes for the ASRock X370 motherboards that will support AMD Ryzen 5000 out there that you can get if you ask nicely, but you might not want to do it, if you can avoid it.
AMD Ryzen 5000 on AMD X370 is possible, but not a good idea
AMD is probably limiting the compatibility for a good reason, as many AMD X370 motherboards weren’t exactly great. Most motherboard vendors only started focusing on the AM4 platform in earnest with the AMD 400-series chipsets, as that was when interest in the AMD Ryzen processors really spiked.

Technical limitations like the VRM configurations, memory trace topology and PCB layer count were cited as the reasons as to why the AMD X370 motherboards are not to be supported, but I do think that there’s a good chance that some of the flagship AMD X370 motherboards out there will easily walk all over the budget AMD A520 boards in the market in most aspects, if not all. But hey, AMD is still a company, and a company stays in business by selling you new products.

Regardless, there are plenty of affordable options out there if you plan on upgrading to a AMD Ryzen 5000 processor in the near future. AMD has already extended an olive branch to allow for AMD X470 and B450 motherboards to support the Zen 3 processors, although I honestly would not recommend it since you will be losing out on cool stuff like PCIe 4.0. Which is also technically possible on the older boards, but that’s yet another thing that AMD doesn’t exactly allow board vendors to offer on their older boards.
This won’t be the first time ASRock is bending the rules. Nor is it the first time a CPU maker is limiting compatibility to their newer chipsets, despite sharing the same socket. But oh well, this is how the world works.
Source
Pokdepinion: I think AMD should just allow board vendors to be able to release the beta BIOSes but on a as-is basis, and only for boards that support BIOS Flashback functionality, so that enthusiasts still hung up on their AMD X370 boards won’t brick their boards.
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AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT to pack 80 CU and 16GB GDDR6 memory

AMD’s Big Navi launch is about exactly a week away, but that doesn’t stop leakers from revealing more about the upcoming AMD Radeon RX 6000 series cards. AMD will reportedly be unveiling three different SKUs based on the Navi 2X architecture this 28th October.
AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT – Navi 21 XTX
Leading the charge will be the AMD Big Navi flagship, the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT. It will reportedly pack 80 CUs, which is double of what the currently outgoing Radeon RX 5700 XT packs. Throw in the additional RT hardware and we might be looking at a significantly larger GPU here with the Radeon RX 6900 XT.
According to rumors, the GPU will be available in limited quantities, and will be an AMD-exclusive at launch. AMD will allegedly clock the GPU at up to 2330MHz, and pair it with 16GB GDRR6 memory over a 256-bit bus.

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AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT – Navi 21 XT
Shaving off 8 CUs for a total of 72 CUs, the Radeon RX 6800 XT will probably be more widely available. This too will come with a 16GB GDDR6 over a 256-bit bus, although AMD’s reference design calls for slightly lower clocks of up to 2250MHz. You can safely expect AIBs to bump that figure up for their OC models. The Radeon RX 6800 XT GPU is expected to pull about 235W in AMD’s reference design, while overclocked variants from AIBs might be looking at around 270W.
AMD Radeon RX 6800 – Navi 21 XL
With a further reduction of 8 CUs, the Radeon RX 6800 is expected to come with only 64 CUs, although the memory capacity and bandwidth are expected to be the same, with 16GB GDDR6 and a 256-bit memory bus. Clocks are going to be even lower, with the boost clocks set to 2105MHz. The GPU here is slated to pull about 203W.
Rumored AMD Big Navi Specs

AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT
AMD Radeon RX 6800 XT
AMD Radeon RX 6800

GPU
Navi 21 XTX, 80 CU
Navi 21 XT, 72 CU
Navi 21 XL, 64 CU

GPU clocks
Up to 2330MHz boost
Up to 2250MHz boost
Up to 2105MHz boost

Memory
16GB GDDR6, 256-bit
16GB GDDR6, 256-bit
16GB GDDR6, 256-bit

Total board power
TBA
AMD reference: ~320W
AIB OC: ~355W
AMD reference: ~290W

These three cards are slated to be announced on 28th October, so stay tuned for more info on them. Aside from these three, VideoCardz also claims that the Radeon 6700 series is set to arrive in January 2021, although that’s probably a bit far out.
As successors of the AMD RDNA architecture cards, the Radeon 6700 series might prove quite interesting in the lower price bracket that they will be expected to occupy.
Source (1), (2)
Pokdepinion: Perhaps the 16GB VRAM across the entire RX 6800 series is the reason why NVIDIA will release the GeForce RTX 3080 20GB and RTX 3070 16GB?
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Facebook Obtains Patent to Get a Deeper Look Into Your Personal Life
Photo credits: DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP/Getty Images

It’s no secret that social media platforms like Facebook collect plenty of data from users. This data can be used by advertisers for more improved targeting among the masses for their products. If this is something that already made you feel uncomfortable, then get ready to shift to second gear.
A new patent awarded to Facebook sees the use of algorithms to scan your photos on both Facebook and Instagram to collect data on the things you like. In this sense, you don’t have to be liking the official Starbucks page to be part of their ad targeting anymore. If the technology manages to scan your photos and sees like a Starbucks cup for example, Facebook could easily sell that data directly to the company.
The official title of this patent is called “Computer-vision content detection for sponsored stories”. It can be read in detail right here.

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Essentially, it is just another way for Facebook to obtain data on their users’ personal life, which can then be sold to companies for advertising purposes. This certainly seems like some high quality data so I wouldn’t be surprised if they can make some big money out of this. Interestingly, the pictures could also ended up being boosted into your friends’ feeds like a sponsored story of sorts. It’s like a somewhat stealthy marketing tactic.
For now, it doesn’t seem to be something to worry about yet as it’s simply a patent and has not been applied yet. Even then, companies files for plenty of patents and doesn’t end up using a lot of them anyway. It’s best to keep your eyes and ears out just in case.
Pokdepinion: For now, it won’t mean much as it’s just a patent but if they ever end up utilizing such a technology, would we ever truly know about it?
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TUF Gaming laptops in China have a mascot you are sure to fall in love with

Well, it seems that ASUS has an entirely different direction for TUF Gaming in China, with it instead branded as The One. The logo TX is an abbreviation of the romanization of its Chinese name, 天选, or tiān xuǎn, which translate to something like Chosen One. But let’s put that aside and admire the mascot, who goes by 天选姬, which can be translated as the Chosen Girl, I guess?

ASUS seems to have invested pretty heavily into the mascot, as the mascot is featured extensively throughout the product page. She’s even seen in two versions, with a voluptuous anime-esque version alongside a chibi version. To remind everyone that she represents a tech product, she has some sci-fi wing-like protrusions from her back. She does remind me of Honkai Impact‘s Kiana, but it seems like there isn’t an official partnership between ASUS and miHoYo.

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So the laptops themselves also sport a different emblem, with a stylized TX badge etched on the lid, in place of the TUF Gaming’s winged logo. It seems that this branding is exclusively applied to TUF Gaming’s AMD-powered laptops, as the version with Intel inside still sport the winged logo.
Specifications wise, the ASUS FA506 in China shares similar specifications with the ones available here in Malaysia, albeit probably with certain configurations that aren’t available here. With that said, ASUS Malaysia offers a whopping nine configurations in total of the ASUS TUF Gaming A15 and A17, so I guess we aren’t exactly missing out on much either. The China variants do get a Sky Blue color option in addition to the Gunmetal Grey we have here, but I guess it goes a lot better with their mascot than the military-inspired direction ASUS has taken globally.

Now, would you prefer ASUS going with a cute mascot globally, or do you still prefer the tougher, grungier way that ASUS is marketing the TUF Gaming lineup internationally? Let us know!
Pokdepinion: Perhaps she would be the perfect partner to ROG Horsem4n.
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OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Coming This 27th May To Malaysia

While we’ve talk about the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom before, it was still unknown on when the device will be officially launched here in the country. Now OPPO Malaysia has finally reveal a date; 27th May 2019.
OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Specifications

Snapdragon 855, octa-core up to 2.84 GHz, 7nm FinFET
Up to 8GB RAM
Up to 256GB storage
6.6″ FHD+ AMOLED display, 93.1% screen-to-body ratio
48MP f/1.7 + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide + 13MP f/3.0 telephoto
16MP f/2.0 selfie camera, sharkfin popup
ColorOS 6 based on Android 9 Pie
4065 mAh battery, 20W VOOC Flash Charge 3.0

The OPPO Reno 10x Zoom is not to be confused with the standard OPPO Reno device, which is also coming to the country but earlier on the 16th of May 2019.
Though there’s no details on the pricing for the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom, we can expect that the company to be putting a high price tag for the device, seeing their pricing history of their flagship devices in the past.

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Pokdepinion: Personally, I don’t fancy zoom lens that much. I would rather use ultra-wide angle lens. What do you think? What’s the most frequent type of lens that you normally use?
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Nothing Phone 2: The Highly Anticipated Smartphone Set to Launch in July 2023

Excitement is building as tech company Nothing announces the upcoming launch of their highly anticipated smartphone, the Nothing Phone 2. Following the success of their debut Android device, the Nothing Phone 1, the company aims to make another bold statement in the crowded smartphone market. With a unique glyph interface, seamless integration with Android, and a commitment to innovation, Nothing has captured the attention of smartphone enthusiasts. In this article, we explore the upcoming release of the Nothing Phone 2 and what we can expect from this groundbreaking device.
Nothing Phone 2 Launch Date

In 2022, Nothing entered the smartphone market with their first offering, the Nothing Phone 1. Despite fierce competition, the Nothing Phone 1 managed to stand out due to its distinctive glyph interface and optimized use of the Android operating system. The glyph interface, featuring symbols instead of text, provided users with an intuitive and refreshing user experience. Additionally, the seamless integration with Android ensured optimal performance and functionality, making the Nothing Phone 1 a promising debut.

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After much anticipation, Nothing has finally revealed the launch date for their next model, the Nothing Phone 2. Scheduled for release on July 11, 2023, at 11PM GMT+8 / 11AM ET / 20:30PM IST, the Nothing Phone 2 is set to build upon the success of its predecessor. As with previous launches, Nothing will be live streaming the Phone 2 launch event on YouTube, allowing fans to be part of the excitement. While the exact details remain a mystery, a teaser image featuring octopus arms suggests that the Nothing Phone 2 will have an animal mascot associated with it, continuing Nothing’s tradition of connecting their products with unique avatars.

Although specific details about the Nothing Phone 2 are still under wraps, some key features and specifications have been revealed. The device is expected to feature the powerful Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 chipset, ensuring smooth performance and efficient multitasking. Additionally, a generous 4,700mAh battery will provide ample power to keep the phone running throughout the day. With a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel, users can anticipate a vibrant and immersive display experience. While these specifications are impressive, it’s likely that Nothing has more surprises in store as they aim to redefine the smartphone experience.
The Nothing Phone 2 is set to launch in Malaysia. As the release date approaches, more details are expected to be unveiled, building anticipation among tech enthusiasts. Nothing has proven its commitment to pushing boundaries and delivering unique products, and the upcoming Nothing Phone 2 promises to be another milestone in their journey.
If you’re not sure where to watch the launch event as it happens, the livestream link is right here.
Pokdepinion: Building upon the success of the Nothing Phone 1, this new device aims to redefine user experience with its unique glyph interface and seamless integration with Android. As Nothing continues to captivate the market with their innovative approach, the Nothing Phone 2 holds the promise of pushing boundaries and offering something truly extraordinary.
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ASUS Joins The Online Revolution Sale – Get Networking Solutions, Monitor, And Mouse On Special Price!

ASUS announce that they will be joining in and will be doing a mega sale on Singles Day 11.11 with Lazada. Fans of ASUS products should grab this chance to purchase them on the special event date itself!
ASUS 11.11 Singles Day Lazada
Starting off with the sale is the ASUS RT-AC5300 router. Rule the network with this ‘bad boy’ over here. Its ROG Gaming Center keeps tab on all gaming related such as lag, traffic stats, and device connection. It features a tri-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, coming with 8 Gigabit LAN ports for wired devices and also 2 ultra-fast USB 3.0 ports.
Priced at RM1799, save RM730 off when you purchase the AC5300 router on the Online Revolution day itself.

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The ASUS RT-AC88U features an ultra-fast 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi router that can boost speeds of up to 3167 Mbps for a low-latency online gaming experience, smooth 4K UHD video playback, and extremely fast file-sharing. Wi-Fi range is wide with its 4×4 antenna design with AiRadar universal beamforming. It also has the exclusive built-in game accelerator from WTFast that lets you enjoy smooth gameplay in supported online multiplayer games.
Get the RT-AC88U at a lesser price of RM1499 instead of its original price of RM1829.
Next up is the RT-AC1200G+ router where it features 802.11ac and concurrent dual-band connectivity which delivers speeds of up to 1167Mbps for smooth 4K video streaming from Youtube and Netflix. It has 4 fixed 5dBi antennas and AiRadar beamforming strengthens wireless coverage. Also available are multi-purpse USB 2.0 ports for 3G/4G, printer, file sharing, and media streaming.
RT-AC1200G+ comes at a more affordable price of RM319 (after discount price).

ASUS Lyra is next on sale. Banish Wi-Fi dead spots with its Tri-band and Tri-hub mesh-networking system, which delivers perfect Wi-Fi coverage to every inch of your house. Its smart antennas optimize automatically hub connection to ensure the fastest speeds, at all time. Be protected with Lyra’s commercial grade security where it protects all devices in your home network with ASUS AiProtection.
Original price for the Lyra is RM1999 but you get to save RM300 at its discounted price of RM1699.
ASUS are offering the VS207DF monitor up for sale on the Online Revolution. It features a 5ms response time for work and entertainment. Its 19.5-inch widescreen can fit two pages side by side, ensuring there’s ample screen space for different contents to help with your working efficiency. It has a 16:9 ratio display for your video display and gaming pleasure.
Get RM80 off with its promotional price of RM249.
Last but not least, the ROG Gladius is also made available in the sale. Ideal for FPS games, it is ergonomically designed for all right-handed grip types. It comes with socket designs for easy switch upgrades (which includes 2 additional Japanese-made Omron switches). There’s separate left and right buttons, coming with two programmable ‘slide-to-press’ buttons.
Save RM300 off when you purchase the Gladious at a discounted price of RM99.
So be on the lookout for these items at ASUS’ Lazada store Oh by the way, you can do so by clicking the link right here.
Pokdepinion: Sales! Sales! Sales galore!
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Astro Go Shop Launches “Macam-Macam Ada” Campaign

Go Shop Discounts and Vouchers to All Customers

This month of June, Go Shop, Malaysia’s home shopping and e-commerce marketplace introduced the Macam-Macam Ada campaign to provide customers with the best deals in a variety of categories and a new category, travel. Customers who spend a minimum of RM220 and use the code ADA20 will gain an RM20 voucher for their next purchase.
Customers looking for quick local vacations can purchase the Let’s Go Cuti! travel bundles for under RM80 and enjoy a trip to Cameron Highlands and Port Dickson. Go Shop also has travel needs from Urbanlite and Barry Smith, as well as discounts of up to 40% on major digital and electrical brands including Vivo, OPPO, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Samsung.

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Not only that, customers can save up to RM50 when they shop and pay with one of Go Shop’s payment partners, such as CIMB, RHB, VISA, Hoolah, and Grab. Customers can also earn 5% Go Points for every purchase and get extra Go Points if they place at least three orders every month.
Go Shop is launching two new programmes on its channels, website, and mobile app in June which are Health & Wellness and The Premium.
Health & Wellness offers the best deals on health food, vitamins, supplements, and other products every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 11 AM on Astro CH118 and every Friday at 12 PM on Astro CH303. On the other hand, The Premium features an exclusive collection of fashion and beauty products from brands such as Melvita, Crabtree & Evelyn, Bonia, Sothys, and others on Saturdays at 9 AM on Astro CH303 and 11 AM on Astro CH111.
To learn more about Go Shop and their exciting deals and offers, visit their official website or download their app from Google Play and App Store.
Pokdepinion: Another platform to shop from! Will take a look at it and see what I can buy! Might consider getting some utensils.
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Samsung Galaxy Note10 concept render shows a popup selfie camera — but not like you have ever seen before

Samsung is obviously pushing for a higher screen-to-body ratio. They did reveal a New Infinity design way back in November along with their other notchy designs, but so far we have yet to see a device touting such a design. If this Galaxy Note10 concept render turn out to be true, it may very well be the first device to feature the New Infinity display.

No bezels, holes in screen or notches is expected to mar the New Infinity design of the Samsung Galaxy Note10. The upcoming flagship is rendered with a front camera located on the S Pen. Do note that Samsung has actually filed a patent detailing how they want to put a camera on the S Pen, so it may actually be one of the best features on the Samsung Galaxy Note10.

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Considering they added Bluetooth capabilities to the Note9‘s S Pen, adding more features like a camera to the Galaxy Note10’s S Pen does seem like something that isn’t too difficult to imagine. Whether it can keep up with the Galaxy S10’s selfie camera would be up for debate though, given the limited space constraints.

The rest of the rumored specifications all seem pretty plausible for an upcoming flagship from Samsung. More RAM, more storage, 5G, the works. The concept also details a quad rear camera which does seem pretty pointless now since Samsung already has the holy trinity of a standard angle, wide angle and a telephoto camera.
What do you think? Might Samsung actually pull it off?
Pokdepinion: Opting for a periscopic camera might be the way here, but if Samsung does do it, the S Pen should be quite substantially heavier and larger, which might degrade the user experience of the S Pen… But then again, I am no engineer.
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AMD Ryzen C7 mobile chipset rumors hint at chart-topping specs

Before we begin, take a healthy dose of salt with this rumor. The rumor was even removed from Slashleaks, which is a hub of unverified leaks. AMD is apparently going to build an AMD Ryzen C7 SoC, with some really impressive specifications. And instead of repeating the mistake Intel made when they decided to put x86 cores in their mobile chipsets, AMD is going to go with an Arm-based solution.

Somebody registered at a mobile phone leak site only to drop this image…https://t.co/4WcS8GMTFU
Looks reasonably legit and certainly a very desirable flagship SoC. They did misspell the name of Paul Gauguin, scholar of Cézanne and friend of Vincent van Gogh though. pic.twitter.com/n9NSUirqpL
— Hans de Vries (@HansDeVriesNL) May 31, 2020

Now, while the rumor was taken down from Slashleaks, it was saved by Twitter user HansDeVriesNL. The “leak” sports “Gaugin” cores, which might be a typo of the name Gauguin, as per AMD’s tradition of naming their mobile architectures after renowned artists. These will be based on the latest Cortex-X1 and Cortex-A78 cores, which is what you would expect from a flagship-class chipset.

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What’s more interesting is that the rumor hints at the RDNA 2-based GPU, complete with support for hardware raytracing. What would you do with that on a smartphone beats me. AMD has partnered with Samsung to bring RDNA to smartphones, so I am not exactly sure if their agreement allows AMD to make their own mobile SoC too.

There’s the possibility that AMD wants a slice of the Always Connected PC pie instead of competing in the saturated smartphone market. The ultra-efficient PC segment which Qualcomm has free reign over, for now. With Arm-based cores for efficiency and an RDNA 2 GPU for graphics horsepower, the AMD Ryzen C7 might prove to be quite competitive against Qualcomm’s solutions.
The rumors then goes on to point out that the AMD Ryzen C7 will also sport a MediaTek 5G UltraSave Modem for connectivity. If this leak turns out to be true, we might have more competition, and that’s always good.
AMD Ryzen C7 Specs *rumored*

2 x Gauguin Pro (Cortex-X1-based) @ 3.0 GHz + 2 x Gauguin Mobile (Cortex-A78-based) @ 2.6 GHz + 4 x Cortex-A55 @ 2.0 GHz
AMD Radeon RDNA 2 (4 CU @ 700 MHz)
Up to 2K @ 144 Hz display support, 10-bit color
LPDDR5 and UFS 3.1 support
MediaTek 5G UltraSave Modem
5nm TSMC

I would remind everyone to take these rumors with a strong dose of salt, but I honestly wouldn’t mind an AMD-powered Always Connected PC or smartphone in the near future.
Pokdepinion: Does anyone actually use an Always Connected PC though?
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Samsung abandons Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8 — Samsung’s 2017 flagships are not going to receive new One UI interface

Are you excited about the new One UI interface Samsung just unveiled yesterday? Can’t say we weren’t too, because it was a very huge step for Samsung, making the entire user interface look much more intuitive. Hold your horses though if you are using older Samsung devices. Only the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy Note 9 are getting it. The rest of you? Well, enjoy the Samsung Experience.

While we have previously assumed that Samsung would pack the One UI skin along with their Android 9 Pie update to all their devices, apparently that isn’t the case. They are going to leave out the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note 8, leaving them to continue enjoying the Samsung Experience. Which evidently also includes being left out of newer updates.

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The funny thing about this update is that Samsung will now have to maintain different variants of the skin. The Samsung Experience version and also the One UI version, all based on Android 9 Pie. Isn’t that harder than just bringing everyone to One UI and just working on optimizing the UI for different screen sizes? Don’t ask me, I am no developer.
Meanwhile, I hope Samsung fans are happy. Are you? Do you feel betrayed? Or do you accept the fact that your one-year old device doesn’t deserve a revamped UI?
Pokdepinion: Not like I will ever purchase a Samsung device, but this is unacceptable. The devices are only a bit more than a year old!
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PS Plus November 2017 Free Games Lineup; Worms Headlining the Lineup

The PS Plus November 2017 free games lineup has finally been revealed. We have some interesting games up for grabs for PS Plus members this month.

PS Plus November 2017 Free Games Lineup

I hope you’re ready for another month of free games because the official PS Plus November 2017 free games lineup is here. In case you get confused, this lineup is only applicable for PS Plus members in the US and EU regions. If you’re from the Asia region, you’re going to have to wait a bit longer.

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First up in the PS Plus November 2017 free games lineup is Worms Battlegrounds. The game brings friends and family together in the noble pursuit of mayhem. Join multiplayer matches where each turn is full of questionable decisions, high-powered weaponry, and exploding sheep.
The next main attraction we have for PS Plus November 2017 is Bound. This platformer transports you into a beautiful, fantastical world that exists in the mind of a woman revisiting the memories of her childhood. Bound combines a unique visual style with a powerful story and gameplay mechanics infused with modern dance. As the game progresses, the introspective story unfolds through powerful metaphor and imagery.

For the full list of games in the PS Plus November 2017 free games lineup, check it out just below here:
Full Lineup

Worms Battlegrounds, PS4
Bound, PS4
R-Type Dimensions, PS3
Rag Doll Kung Fu: Fists of Plastic, PS3
Dungeon Punks, PS Vita (Cross Buy with PS4)
Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse (Episodes 1 & 2), PS Vita

As Sony Interactive Entertainment continues to celebrate the 1-year anniversary of the PlayStation VR, they are giving PlayStation Plus members another bonus PlayStation VR game. From November 7th through January 2nd 2018, PlayStation Plus members in the U.S., EU, Canada, and most of Latin America can download Until Dawn: Rush of Blood as a bonus game. Get ready for the most disturbing roller coaster ride you’ll ever take in this trigger-happy arcade shooter.
Lastly, there are a number of games on sale right now at the PlayStation Store, and PS Plus members get double the discount. Some notable highlights include Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 Remix (20% off, 40% for PS Plus members), Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 (15% off, 30% off for PS Plus members), and Horizon Zero Dawn (22% off, 44% off for PS Plus members). The sale ends on November 7th at 8AM Pacific.

Pokdepinion: I haven’t played any Worms game in so long so I would actually be superbly excited to get my hands on Worms Battlegrounds. How do you feel about November’s lineup?
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ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) Ultrabook Review — sexy, fast and portable, without breaking the bank

Introduction

Ultrabooks never really piqued my interested. The lack of cores and dedicated GPUs meant they were pretty much only good for simple tasks like office productivity and browsing. Well that has changed. Intel’s Kaby Lake Refresh was one of the most interesting things to happen last year. Well, at least for me. We finally were getting true quad-cores in the 15W TDP category. And there’s even HyperThreading! More performance in compact form factors is always welcome. Intel’s Core-U series processors are a mainstay of ultrabooks and lower end laptops, and today we have a great example of the former. The ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) packs an i7 8550U and a GeForce MX150, in a 1.12kg package. Interesting? Let’s take a closer look.
Unboxing

The ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) even comes complete with its own cleaning cloth and pouch. The pouch is lined with microfiber to wipe your laptop every time you use it, which is great to keep the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) looking shiny and sleek. It also comes with a USB-to-RJ45 adapter in case you have a need for wired connectivity. Speaking of adapters, I believe it would have been great if ASUS included a Type-C-to-Type-A adapter as well, as we aren’t really seeing that many USB Type-C peripherals around, except maybe for some external drives from Transcend.

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Appearance

Just one look at the lid, and I am smitten. The glossy top finishing over the signature Zen-concentric circle pattern is just perfection. Now in case you didn’t know, I really dig glass and the concentric ridges. Yes, the glass is a pain to keep clean if you are an OCD freak, but for most users like yours truly, the sleeve does a fantastic job of keeping it clean.

Flip the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) over and you will be presented with a nice sandblasted aluminium finish. The vents at the sides help with cooling the hardware within, while the four small rubber feet grip pretty well on most surfaces while raising the laptop off the surface. The screws are of the pentalobe variety, so you will need more than your standard precision screwdriver set to open this baby up. Feeling along the edges of this bottom panel also reveals that the finishing isn’t perfect, with the sides meeting the bottom rather awkwardly. You can feel the edge of the sides higher than the bottom, which shouldn’t happen in a premium device like this.

The lid lifts to present keyboard with full-sized keys despite its compact dimensions. The screen fills up most of the upper half, which is a nice upgrade over your usual laptops and their massive bezels. Sadly ASUS didn’t see fit to finish the bezels with the same dark blue color seen everywhere else on the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN). We see more aluminium here on the lower half, with the large touchpad taking up around 1/3 of the area below the keyboard. The substantial size of it is great, as this is an ultra-portable design which will definitely see more use of its touchpad than say a gaming laptop.

The side profile shows just how thin the laptop is. There is a fair assortment of ports provided but instead of using the upcoming USB-C standard for charging, ASUS still went with a proprietary charging port. The lid is also framed by plastic, which is a bit disappointing to see with the copious amounts of aluminium used elsewhere.
Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7 8550U (4C/8T @ up to 4.0 GHz), 15W TDP, 14nm+

RAM
8GB DDR3 2133 MHz (dual channel)

GPU
Intel UHD Graphics 620
NVIDIA GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5

Storage
512GB Samsung PM961 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD

Software
Windows 10 Home Single Language
GeForce Experience
ASUS Battery Health Charging
ASUS Giftbox
McAfee Security, LiveSafe, Advisor

Display
13.3″ FHD (1920×1080) Anti-Glare AHVA display, 60 Hz refresh rate
72% NTSC coverage, 100% sRGB coverage
80% screen-to-body ratio, 6.86mm NanoEdge side bezels
ASUS Splendid

Connectivity
Wireless: Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
802.11ac WiFi (2×2)
Bluetooth 4.2
I/O:
2 x USB 3.0 port (Type-A)
1 x USB 3.0 port (Type-C)
1 x HDMI 1.4 port
1 x microSD card reader

Audio
ASUS AudioWizard
1 x Combo Audio Jack (Mic + Headphone)

Power
50 Whrs Battery, 65W Adapter

Dimensions
310 x 216 x 13.9 mm

Weight
1.12kg

The specifications of the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) is near faultless, except maybe for the DDR3 RAM. DDR3 does consume more power than DDR4, which might affect battery life. It is soldered to the board too, so no upgrades are possible in the future. This is a common predicament to befall ultrabooks in their pursuit for portability, and even gaming models like the ROG Zephyrus feature soldered RAM. We would prefer to be able to upgrade the RAM to 16GB RAM for even better multi-tasking capabilities. On the bright side, the RAM here runs in a dual-channel configuration for double the bandwidth, which isn’t all that common out of the box.
Performance

The 512GB Samsung PM961 PCIe SSD is definitely a fast one. We had a taste of its performance in the ROG GL503VS SCAR Edition, and here we are looking at a bigger sample. 512GB is quite generous of ASUS, as it really offers oodles of space to install your productivity applications and a few games without worrying about running out of space. Booting up is near instantaneous, presenting you with the Windows 10 lockscreen in seconds. An older computer might wake from sleep slower than the ASUS ZenBook 13 boots.

CPU performance is excellent for this weight class. As you can see, the additional cores and thread allows it to just blow the older i5-3317U out of the water, with multi-core performance well in the range of the i7 3840QM, which is a much faster CPU. If you look at the single core scores, it comes close to that of an i7 4770K clocked at 4.4 GHz, as the i7 8550U actually clocks up to 4 GHz when tackling calculations with a single core.

If you intend to do any gaming, you will be glad to know that the GPU performance of the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) thanks to the GeForce MX150 is way above that offered by the ubiquitous 940M/940MX GPUs. It is actually the mobile equivalent of the GeForce GT 1030, which may not be the most powerful gaming card you have seen, but it definitely is an efficient little whopper. For comparison purposes, the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) nips at the HP Pavillion Gaming‘s heels, a gaming laptop which featured a GeForce 950M with DDR3 VRAM at this benchmark.

Overwatch is not exactly playable at the Epic preset at native resolution. Dropping the graphics setting to the Medium results in a very much more playable game, with an average frame rate of around 54 fps. Temperatures were also more controlled. Speaking of temperatures, the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) will lose its TurboBoost clocks after a certain treshold. Surprisingly gaming performance wasn’t that badly affected despite the lowered CPU performance, but we are talking about the Medium presets here.

DotA 2 sees the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) losing its TurboBoost advantage quickly too but the game is still quite playable. This average frame rate was obtained by turning on all the bells-and-whistles in the graphics menu. That includes the fps-killing Ultra Shadows option. Dropping some details would definitely make this title more than playable. Thermals are under control by losing TurboBoost clocks, and the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) actually doesn’t really heat up except for the area above the keyboard where the heatsink is and the bottom. Those areas can get seriously uncomfortably hot.

I managed to write on Pokde.net for 4 hours, with multiple background tabs before the battery hit 20% on the Better Battery power profile. This was with the screen at a decent 25% brightness and the keyboard backlighting active too. This is way more than I have ever achieved with any quad-core laptop out there, so color me impressed! To maintain the performance of the battery, ASUS also included the Battery Health Charging application, to prevent the battery from unnecessarily charging up if you are going to use it plugged in most of the time.
User Experience

The most appealing feature about this very ultrabook aside from its fancy performance is its weight. If you are a car freak, you will definitely know the weight-to-performance ratio parameter, and this one is definitely a champ. Of course we have insanely fast gaming laptops weighing just 1.8kg, but those cost double of this baby here. I can literally lift it up with one hand, and I am not even exerting myself. Yes I do hit the gym every once in a while, thank you. The ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) feels rather rigid despite being lifted up by one corner like this, but structural weakness can be discovered by pressing on the lid when it is closed.
This is what the screen looks like outdoors
With an ultrabook, you might be inclined to start working where you may have never tried to. Such as by the pool in your condominium. Well we did try, and this is what our screen looked like under some shade. It definitely isn’t too bright which affects contrast when working outdoors. While we noted some rather high surface temperatures when gaming, less demanding applications would still allow you to use it on your lap if you are wearing long pants. If you are more of an indoor guy…

… then the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN)’s 13.3″ screen with full sRGB coverage is really nice to use. It is plenty bright and vivid, with wide viewing angles. The brightness is the only flaw to this rather great screen. If only ASUS could somehow transport the technology applied in their smartphones and give us 600-nit laptop displays, that would be great. The multimedia experience is somewhat hampered though by the down-firing speakers. Depending on the material you have under the laptop, you will end up with anything ranging from average sound quality to muffled audio. There probably isn’t much space left around the full-sized keyboard, but I would appreciate seeing some feats of engineering to have speakers that are actually pointed at me and not the table.

The keyboard has nicely-sized keys, and they are well-lit too. The chiclet-style keyboard is easy to type on, but travel is limited. With the limited depth of the entire chassis, I don’t think you can really blame ASUS on this one. I actually gamed on it, and used it to type out more than half of this review and I am pretty happy with it. More travel would be welcome, as would the removal of the slight flex that happens when you press the middle keys like G or H. It’s not too serious especially if you are one who is light on your fingers. I abuse my keyboards with heavy keypresses so your mileage may vary. The power button over in the upper right corner looks like a recipe for disaster, but I have never accidentally tapped it when I wanted to use the Backspace or Del keys. The touchpad is large with support for most common gestures. I found it great for everything except when using it to highlight text which required finer motor skills than I seemed to possess.

If you intend to connect external peripherals, the two USB 3.0 Type-A ports will keep you happy. If that’s not enough there is always the USB 3.0 Type-C port. However as mentioned, the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) does not come with an adapter, so you will have to head over to your favorite Chinese e-commerce site to get one. I got mine for less than RM10, by the way. Here on the right we see the combo 3.5mm jack and microSD card reader. A full-sized SD card reader would have been a lot more useful for photographers on the go, but space constraints may have influenced ASUS’ decision here.

Meanwhile here we see the charging port and HDMI 1.4 connector. A HDMI connector is always welcome so you don’t have to resort to dongles to use an external display or projector for presentations. The power LED and charging LED also find their home here. It would have been even better if the Type-C port supported the ThunderBolt 3 standard, but we are stuck with USB 3.0 speeds here, not even true USB 3.1.

Saving the best for last — the fingerprint sensor. This baby already boots in mere seconds to the lock screen thanks to the ultra-fast Samsung PCIe SSD. Powering up from a full shut down is nearly as fast waking from sleep. Now with the fingerprint sensor, you can unlock in less than a second. This sensor is as fast as you would expect from a flagship smartphone, and just as accurate. After using this, I really felt that entering passwords are a real hassle. Even PINs are too slow. This is definitely a feature I want in your next ultrabook/laptop. I felt that its location also cannot be any better, as a few designs see the fingerprint scanner in the touchpad which makes for a small and undesirable divot when mousing (touching?) around.
Conclusion
I hope ASUS can improve on the cooling design, as this nearly cuts it as the perfect ultrabook for me. It isn’t really all that pricey at RM5185 (GST 0%), and the fancy glossy blue lid is definitely a looker. The rigidity of the lid could be improved too, as can the screen’s brightness. Do we have to wait for the upcoming ZenBook Deluxe, whenever that arrives, to enjoy those features? Right now, the ASUS ZenBook 13 (UX331UN) is worthy of our Silver PokdeWard, for cramming this much performance into a design so light and thin it is almost surreal to behold. The reasonable pricing makes it all the more attractive too to make this your first do-it-all ultrabook.

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Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 Battle Pass Revealed in Full

We now have the details for Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 Battle Pass, so if you want to know what you can get in it, here’s everything you need to know.
Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 Battle Pass

SEASON 2 BATTLE PASS! pic.twitter.com/SUNycnamFZ
— HYPEX (@HYPEX) March 20, 2022

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Thanks to details by popular Fortnite leaker HYPEX, we have the details for Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 Battle Pass. The main event of the battle pass will certainly be Doctor Strange, and we can expect to get a good number of new emotes as you level it up.
Without further ado, here are all the details of the Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 Battle Pass:
Page 1 of Battle Pass

Tsuki 2.0 – Outfit
Kata Tech Burstswing  – Glider
Omni Sword – Harvesting Tool
2.0s Revenge – Wrap
Banner Icon
Kata Pack – Back Bling
Spray – Eye of Agamotto

Page 2 of Battle Pass

Blade Break – Emote
Gunnar’s Special – Wrap
Feel The Chain – Loading Screen
Chain Surfer – Glider
Buzz Pack – Back Bling
Banner Icon
Gunnar – Outfit
Punch Saw – Harvesting Tool

Page 3 of Battle Pass

Tsuki 2.0 (Shimmering Pearl) – Style
Cyclo Curl – Emote
Gunnar Approved – Emoticon
Chainpalms – Contrail
Before the Strike – Loading Screen
Get Ripped – Music
Gunnar (Arctic Tag) – Style
Gunnar (Order Guard Helmet) – Style

Page 4 of Battle Pass

100 V-Bucks – Currency
Big Guns – Spray
The Imagined Blade – Harvesting Tool
Gunnar (Ultra Charge) – Style
Imagined Wingspan – Back Bling
The Imagined Wingspan- Glider
The Imagined – Outfit
Turning Point – Loading Screen

Page 5 of Battle Pass

K.O Cruiser – Glider
Finish Line – Emoticon
Rebels – Loading Screen
Kiara K.O – Outfit
Captains Tag – Contrail
K.O Club – Harvesting Tool
Segway Tour – Emote

Page 6 of Battle Pass

Banner Icon
Tsuki 2.0 (Iridium) – Style
I just Wanna Fight – Music
Bag of Essentials – Emote
Imagination Unlimited – Loading Screen
Imagined – SPray
The Imagined (Combat Elite) -Style
The Imagined Aura – Wrap

Page 7 of Battle Pass

Cube Fall – Contrail
Original Issue – Wrap
Banner Icon
Kiara K.O (Battle Gold) – Style
Armored Battle Bus – Loading Screen
The Origin – Outfit
Cube Aether – Back Bling
Cube Sceptre – Harvesting Tool

Page 8 of Battle Pass

Erica’s Crest – Wrap
!?! – Emoticon
Love Lock – Bling
The Hunter Returns – Loading Screen
The Origin (Granite Grey) – Style
Erisa – Outfit
Guardian Daggers – Harvesting Tool
Wheel of Daggers – Glider

Page 9 of Battle Pass

Fallen Daggers – Contrail
Erisa Alert – Spray
Dagger Dance – Emote
Happy Heart – Emoticon
Erisa (Cerulean) – Style
Unchained – Emote
Origin’s Anthem – Music
Fallen Kingdom – Loading Screen

Page 10 of Battle Pass

Conjure Weapon – Emote
Spellwork Scimitar – Harvesting Tool
Book of the GG – Emoticon
Sorcerer Supreme – Loading Screen
Tao Mandalas – Spray
Book of Cagliostro – Back Bling
Mandala Disc – Glider
Doctor Strange – Outfit

From what we know thus far, there are some new vehicles coming to the game, as seen in the trailer. This includes planes, tanks, Armored Battle Buses, the Big Driller, and Blimps. Interestingly, we have a new vehicle known as “Ballers V2”, which is given the codename of “HamsterBallPrototype”.
Apart from that, you can expect to enjoy the Pump Shotgun, Heavy Sniper, Thermal AR, and more. As for the new map, it’s said to come with new elements which will certainly give a breath of fresh air to the game. If you’re the type who enjoys customizations, you will have 7 brand new skins in the battle pass itself.
For those wondering about some changes from the current game, the Quad Bike with Tool Box is back, C4 will now do 12 times more damage to vehicles, Thermal Flopper has a reduced duration from 45 seconds to 30 seconds, and snipers can make use of vehicle weak points to do massive damage.
Fortnite Chapter 3 Season 2 Battle Pass is expected to go live anytime now (if it hasn’t already by the time you read this). Expect a downtime of about 2 hours for maintenance reasons before the update is finally live.
Source
Pokdepinion: This is quite an extensive battle pass, colour me impressed. Granted, I myself am a bit too engrossed in Apex but hey, if I wanted a change of scenery, I might consider coming back to Fortnite.
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