Beware Of This Latest SMS Scam

Needless to say, scammers are everywhere these days. Now the latest scam involves an SMS which claims that you’ve spent money on ecommerce platforms in Malaysia.
Thanks to Cyber Crime Alert Royal Malaysia Police, it’s revealed that these scammers are sending SMSs to consumers where it says that they’ve spent money on their card on Lazada.

These messages not only shows that but they also show card number details as well as their expiry date, which may make victims think that the message is legit.

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These messages claim that they are from BSN and to answer the issue, BSN has stated that the number that’s in those messages are not related to them. Of course, they’ve advised to the people to not call the number that’s listed on the SMS.
If you indeed come across these messages, you’d be wise to ignore them if they come from a personal smartphone number. Should you still feel in doubt, you can head down to your nearest bank to double check on the situation.
You can also report the message that you’ve receive to SKMM here.
Pokdepinion: Be sure to let your friends and family know of this new scam. It’s better to have them aware of the situation.
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[MWC2019] HUAWEI to announce foldable 5G smartphone?

HUAWEI is innovating pretty rapidly in recent times. After launching the AI powerhouse Kirin 980 chipset along with the HUAWEI Mate 20 series, HUAWEI announced the Punch All-View display with the HUAWEI nova 4, marking a breakthrough in screen-to-body ratio without having to adopt fancy and impractical technologies like multiple displays and what not. HUAWEI is going to transcend yet another barrier with a foldable device that they will purportedly be showcasing at MWC 2019.

Samsung has been teasing a foldable phone too, but we have yet to see anything concrete from the Korean giant. It’s probably in the late prototyping stage, but if these rumors are true, HUAWEI will actually start selling their foldable phones very soon. The HUAWEI foldable smartphone reportedly is able to fold to the left and also to the right, which would be quite interesting to see especially if HUAWEI manages to take advantage of the flexibility via software features.

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HUAWEI is reportedly going to cram a pretty standard 12MP + 20MP rear camera, and a 20MP selfie camera into this foldable smartphone. It is going to feature up to 8GB RAM and 512GB storage, mated to HUAWEI’s latest chipset, the Kirin 980. It will also tout 5G connectivity if HUAWEI’s CEO’s teaser is to be taken at face value. It would probably be a good idea too since HUAWEI would want to cram as much of their latest technology as they can into this single device, just for bragging rights.

Of course, it won’t be cheap. The rumors point to a starting price of RMB 8999 (~RM5416). Being an early adopter is never going to be cheap, but at least you will have all the latest and greatest tech right in your pocket.
Pokdepinion: I am not entirely sold on the idea of a foldable phone, but then again, I am open to trying it out.
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OPPO F11 Pro Price and Specifications for Malaysian Market

OPPO F11 Pro Specifications for Malaysian Market

This is the official specifications and price of the OPPO F11 Pro smartphone based on information obtained during the official launch event in Malaysia.

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CPU/Chipset:
Mediatek Helio P70 (4 x Cortex-A73 + 4 x Cortex-A53), 12nm

GPU:
Mali-G72

RAM:
6GB

Display:
6.53″ FHD+ (1080 x 2340) LTPS IPS LCD display, 19:5:9 ratio, 397ppi

Storage:
64GB

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
48 MP, f/1.8, 1/2.3″, 0.8µm, PDAF
5 MP, f/2.4, 1/5″, 1.12µm, depth sensor
LED flash, HDR, panorama, Full HD @ 30 FPS videos
Front Camera
Motorized pop-up 16 MP, f/2.0, 1/3.1″, 1.0µm
HDR, Full [email protected] fps videos

OS:
Android 9.0 Pie, ColorOS 6.0

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac dual band (2.4 GHz and 5 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, Hotspot
Bluetooth 4.2, A2DP, LE
microUSB 2.0, USB On-The-Go

Audio:
Mono speakers
3.5mm jack

SIM:
Dual SIM (Nano)

Battery:
4,000 mAh non-removable
20W VOOC 3.0 fast charge

Dimensions:
161.3 x 76.1 x 8.8 mm

Colours:
Aurora Green, Thunder Black

Retail Price in Malaysia

The OPPO F11 Pro smartphone is currently available in Malaysia. The retail price will be set at RM1,299 (6GB RAM + 64GB Internal). It will be available in Thunder Black and Aurora Green. Every purchase of the OPPO F11 Pro will come with a free Olike Back Shell Case (random colour) and a tempered glass screen protector.
Early bird customers who pick up the new smartphone will be eligible for extended warranty for an additional 365 days as well as screen warranty for 365 days.
We are in the midst of reviewing this smartphone. Stay tuned for our in-depth review of the OPPO F11 Pro.
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ARCTIC joins the AIO liquid cooler with Liquid Freezer series

We just published news about the new AIO liquid coolers by CRYORIG, and here we are with yet another great piece of news to share. Did you know that ARCTIC has just debuted its first AIO liquid cooler with the Liquid Freezer series?

ARCTIC is well known for its CPU and GPU cooling solutions. For a long time, ARCTIC has only served us with air coolers, and now ARCTIC has stepped forward to introduce their first AIO CPU liquid cooler. ARCTIC says that the new liquid cooler is “the quietest and most powerful in their class”, a pretty bold statement, I must say. Before we go into the cooler specifications let’s take a look at ARCTIC’s internal benchmarks below.

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Liquid Freezer 120
Liquid Freezer 240

Let’s take a closer look at the Liquid Freezer 120 first. The Liquid Freezer 120 radiator is quite a bit thicker compared to other brands at 49mm and has a 300 Watt TDP maximum cooling performance while being recommended for cooling up 250 Watt TDP.

To make full use of the thick radiator, it also comes bundled with two cooling fans, where most AIO liquid coolers in the market only come with one. With the thick radiator and two cooling fans the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer is priced at USD 86 (approximately MYR 380).

We have more fans over here, unlike the Liquid Freezer 120 which only has two fans, we have a total of four cooling fans spinning on the ARCTIC Liquid Freezer 240. The radiator itself is thicker than the average 240mm radiator and it has a max performance cooling up to 350 Watt TDP while recommended for cooling up to 300 Watt TDP.

The Liquid Freezer 240 has doubled up the fan count and radiator size but it doesn’t mean the price is doubled up as well. It will cost you USD 100 (approximately MYR 440) and if we compare this to offerings from other manufacturers, it’s absolutely affordable.

Both Liquid Freezer coolers have great specifications but what is getting my attention are the radiator fans. It’s using the ARCTIC F12 PST which costs USD 7.99 each.

If we exclude the fans’ price from the total price, the Liquid Freezer 120 will only cost USD 70 (approximately MYR 306) and the Liquid Freezer 240 will cost you USD 68 (approximately MYR 298). Compare to the other brands, both Liquid Freezers are cheaper and should offer better performance.

Pokdepinion : Both coolers are really cheap for me, and performance wise it’s totally worth your cash. In terms of price I found that the Liquid Freezer 240 is a good choice, it might cost a little more money but for me it’s more worth it. How about you, which one that you think is a better bang for your buck?

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BlackBerry KEY2 LE launched for $399 — the most affordable smartphone with a physical keyboard?

If you wanted a BlackBerry KEY2 but found the pricing a little too steep for your appetite, this device might be of interest to you. The BlackBerry KEY2 LE was just launched at IFA 2018, with a more palatable price tag and the all-important physical keyboard.

The more affordable BlackBerry features cut-down specifications to reduce the cost. Instead of the Snapdragon 660 in the original BlackBerry KEY2, there is the Snapdragon 636. There is also just 4GB RAM and 32GB of storage, but BlackBerry does offer the KEY2 LE with 64GB of storage. The battery has been reduced to 3000 mAh too.

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You get the same 8MP selfie camera, but the rear camera drops down to a pretty basic 13MP f/2.2 + 5MP f/2.4 setup. It’s a hair shorter and thinner, while also being just a bit lighter. The 4.5″ 3:2 1080p IPS display is carried over from the BlackBerry KEY2, as is the 35-key physical keyboard.
For $399 (~RM1647), the BlackBerry KEY2 LE doesn’t shine in terms of value for money. You could definitely do better in terms of performance-per-dollar, but if you want a keyboard without shelling out more than RM2000, this is the only way to go. If, it makes it way to Malaysia.
Are you still a die-hard fan of physical keyboards, or have you gotten so used to touch keyboards that you have decided to #moveon and forget about physical keyboards?
Pokdepinion: Well a more affordable variants is definitely one way to make BlackBerries more accessible.
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realme Introduces Buds Air True Wireless Earphones At ~RM233

realme has launched their realme Buds Air true wireless earphones in India, which comes with a price tag of Rs. 3999 (~RM233).

The realme Buds Air comes with a customized R1 chip, which supports Bluetooth 5.0. They claim that the earbuds can reduce sound delay in game mode by 51%, being only at 120ms.
There’s noise cancellation and it comes with a special system to offset ambient noise and provide a clear call quality, should you be in one.

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Coming with 12mm speakers as well as customized Dynamic Bass Boost, you can expect well, powerful bass from your songs.
There’s gestures that you can utilize with the realme Buds Air like most devices in the market by tapping or holding on the buds.
They also come with a wireless fast charging base, charging the buds at 10W.
The realme Buds Air comes in three color variants; black, white, and yellow. We could possibly see them being launched here in Malaysia. Should they do, rest assured that we will update. Stay tuned.
Pokdepinion: If it’s roughly around that price here, I wouldn’t mind getting myself one!
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5G trials to commence next month in Cyberjaya and Putrajaya

We are probably getting 5G earlier than we thought. A tweet from Bernama News Channel revealed that the first phase of 5G trials will begin next month in Cyberjaya and Putrajaya. The trials will reportedly run for six months in these two areas.

Malaysia akan memulakan ujian pelaksanaan teknologi generasi kelima – 5G fasa pertama bagi tempoh enam bulan di Putrajaya dan Cyberjaya April depan – @GobindSinghDeo pic.twitter.com/LC7WtSOH6Y
— Bernama News Channel (BNC) (@BernamaNewsCH) March 4, 2019

There aren’t any more details about which telcos are involved or what tests will be done during these trials. However it is very possible that Maxis and HUAWEI will be the forerunners behind this 5G trial, with them signing a MoU at MWC 2019 recently.

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With that said, these trials should fast forward the adoption of 5G here in Malaysia. With mobile telcos now very competitive versus fixed-line ISPs, once 5G is introduced we may even see them compete in terms of speed.
Definitely looking forward to see more updates about 5G here in Malaysia!
Pokdepinion: I know many of you will probably be complaining about the lack of coverage from your telco in the comments. But… 5G!
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HTC Unveil New Exodus 1 Blockchain Phone

HTC has recently announced their latest smartphone, the Exodus 1, which requires a rather interesting way to purchase the device.
HTC Exodus 1

What’s surprising about the phone is that it can only be bought through Bitcoin or Ethereum. With the phone, which was announced back in May 2018, the company plans on expanding the blockchain ecosystem through the world’s first smartphone that revolves around cryptocurrency. Additionally, with it, HTC hopes to bring decentralization and better security to their product.

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According to them, the Exodus will have a price of 0.15 BTC or 4.78  ($1,000). Besides being your standard smartphone, it will also feature its own crypto wallet, called Zion which can act as a hardware wallet as well.
As for specifications of the phone, it comes packed with a Snapdragon 845 chipset and comes with 6GB RAM that’s paired with 128GB of internal storage. Powering it up is a 3,500mAh battery and it runs on Android 8.1 Oreo.
The Exodus 1 comes with a dual camera setup at the rear, which consists of a 16MP camera along with a 12MP shooter. For selfies, it offers a 8MP lens.
Source: NewsBTC
Pokdepinion: Well that is certainly interesting. I’m curious though, do people still mine nowadays?
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Dell introduce its gaming monitor with TN panel — Dell SE2417HG

Dell is announced a gaming monitor that aims for eSports with a screen size of 23.6 inches with full HD resolution of 1920x1080p. The Dell SE2417HG using TN panel for the main display with 60Hz refresh rate. Alongside a 1000:1 contrast ration the Dell SE2417HG comes with 1ms grey to grey response time which is very good for gaming purposes. It also is using standard WLED back-light to providing 300 cd/m2 maximum luminance.

Unfortunately it have no DVI connector but include with 2 HDMI 1.4 ports, a VGA port and 3.5mm audio jack. On the front design the Dell SE2417HG is looking to implement new design but actually pretty much the same as other Dell monitors.

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As Dell trying to make this monitor as a flagship gaming monitor it price at 1539 RMB approximately at MYR 1100.

Pokdepinion: Will the Dell SE2417HG be a worthy gaming monitor as it use TN panel? I’m totally fine with it if the purpose is only for gaming but Dell really need to take a consideration of lacking DVI connector.

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PlayStation Network Lunar New Year Specials: Free Games, PSN Discounts, Prizes, and More!

Lots of interesting stuff on the PlayStation Network for the Lunar New Year.
As many of you know, the Year of the Rooster is almost upon us. Some of you will be on the road to meet with your loved ones and celebrate the new year. Then there’s people like me who will be spending free time gaming away.
If you’re just like me, the PlayStation team has prepared a number of awesome things. Of course, you can just join in the fun even if you’re travelling, because this is something you wouldn’t want to miss.

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PlayStation Network Lunar New Year Specials
1. PS Store Lunar New Year Sale

Looking to buy some new games to keep yourself entertained? Right on PSN, there will be special discounts, up to 75%, going on for selected PS4 and PS VITA games.
If you’re a PS Plus subscriber, you get an extra bonus with an exclusive discount of up to 80%. Believe it or not, major games like Final Fantasy XV, Watch Dogs 2, Battlefield 1, and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare are currently available at a discounted price.
2. PS Plus 12-Month Membership + 3-Month Bonus

If you have a PlayStation 4 or PS VITA and still haven’t subscribed to PS Plus, this might be the perfect time. The PlayStation team has released a special 12-month membership + 3-month bonus offer for PS Plus.This means that you will be a PS Plus subscriber for a year and 3 months by paying the regular 1-year membership price.
Every month, there will be free games and exclusive discounts for PS Plus subscribers, and they aren’t just some weird games. At times, there will be some major games available for free, such as the one I’m about to tell you below here.
3. More Awesome Free Games for PS Plus Subscribers

Along with the list of free games available for PS Plus subscribers in January as we’ve reported earlier this month, there are 2 high profile games that you definitely wouldn’t to miss. Those 2 games are Bandai Namco’s Tales of Zestiria, and the remastered version of God of War III.
Those games are only available from 26th January to 8th February 2017, and yes, they are free of charge for PS Plus subscribers. If you have subscribed it already, hurry on to the PlayStation Network and claim what’s rightfully yours.
4. PlayStation Plus Lucky Rooster Campaign

Alongside the specials happening on the PlayStation Network, there will be a special PlayStation Plus Lucky Rooster Campaign running for 4 days, from 28th January to 31st January 2017.
In that campaign, there will be some awesome PlayStation goodies up for grabs, something like the giveaway we did for the past 2 weeks. There’s Horizon Zero Dawn, DualShock 4 controllers, and more awesome stuff.
So how do you win this thing? You will have to tune in to the PlayStation Asia Facebook page during those 4 days at 1pm. Something will pop up there and all you have to do is participate. Easy, right?

Pokdepinion: Just when I thought Alienation alone is good enough, the team impresses me yet again by offering Tales of Zestiria and God of War III Remastered for free. If the discounts aren’t enough to entice you into subscribing to PS Plus, the free games alone will be enough.
Heck, you’d get an extra 3 months if you subscribe for a whole year. That’s 15 months worth of free games. I don’t know about you but I’m definitely not missing out on that.
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OnePlus 11 Concept Previews A Nothing-Inspired Light Show On The Back

Taking a page out of its co-founder’s playbook?
Image: OnePlus
OnePlus has dropped a teaser on its latest concept phone, aptly named OnePlus 11 Concept, with a rather intriguing photo of the back of a phone with blue illuminated lines running through it. Looks familiar? Because Nothing – the brand of which its co-founder Carl Pei set up back in 2020, has a phone that does exactly this, the Nothing Phone (1).
Still, OnePlus has dropped the teaser and here’s how they describe this new feature:

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“The images show the engineering breakthroughs of the OnePlus 11 Concept by highlighting the icy blue pipelines which run through the entire back of the phone, almost like OnePlus 11 Concept has its own series of blood vessels. OnePlus 11 Concept’s pipelines are housed inside a bold and futuristic unibody glass design inspired by the calm stillness and vast power of a glacial lake.”
Marketing speak aside, there’s no word on what exactly this array of blue pipes exactly do. Just for reference – Nothing Phone (1) uses the rear panel which houses a number of LED light strips that can be lit in certain patterns to convey information such as battery status, notification, among other things. Given that MWC (Mobile World Congress) is very near now, expect this phone to show up in the floors over at Barcelona pretty soon.
Source: The Verge
Pokdepinion: Won’t be long until RGB joins the party, I suppose?
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Cuphead The Delicious Last Course DLC Delayed Due to COVID-19

Cuphead is one of the most popular games to be released in recent time, which made The Delicious Last Course DLC one of the most highly anticipated releases coming up. If you were expecting it to be coming soon, we have some bad news for you as it will be delayed to next year.
Cuphead The Delicious Last Course DLC Delayed

In the wake of the ongoing global pandemic affecting so many, we have made the difficult decision to push back the release of The Delicious Last Course. For our wonderful Cuphead community, we’ve prepared a letter from Studio MDHR founders Chad & Jared Moldenhauer to share more. pic.twitter.com/XiU57Wcn1y
— Studio MDHR (@StudioMDHR) November 25, 2020

The folks over at Studio MDHR recently tweeted that they will be delaying the launch of The Delicious Last Course DLC expansion for Cuphead to 2021. It’s said that they had to do so as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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According to the studio, The Delicious Last Course DLC is supposed to be just as good as the main game itself, which resulted in “meeting this standard has been extremely challenging”. This is most likely made worse due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. As such, Studio MDHR has no choice but to delay the release so they can work on it some more and make sure the quality is up to par.
Initially revealed at E3 2018, the Delicious Last Course DLC expansion for Cuphead was expected to have a number of new levels, challenges, and boss fights. Not to mention, there is a brand new, female playable character, Ms. Chalice, aside from the titular character and Mugman. Narrative-wise, it’s expected to serve as the proper conclusion to the story that started at the Devil’s Casino.
For now, Cuphead is available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC, and Mac.
Source
Pokdepinion: This one I can completely understand why. I hope they get all the time they need to make sure it will be great experience for all gamers out there.
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How Anything Can Be Hacked: Phreaked Out ? Security is fleeting, especially when it comes to the protection of our connected devices.
This documentary is inspired from new video game titled Watch Dogs by Ubisoft bring you insight about real-life hacking in our daily.

“Every time you introduce new technology – you introduce new vulnerabilities.”

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Motherboard youtube new series documentary titled “Phreaked Out”, Motherboard meets face-to-face with today’s most talented security researchers and white hat hackers to get a firsthand schooling on the various ways to breach our most commonly used devices.
Whether these connected networks control our cities, cars or phones, one thing’s for certain, is that with enough determination, nothing is secure.
Follow the first episode of Phreaked Out about  two Los Angeles traffic engineers, Kartik Patel and Gabriel Murillo, remotely accessed the city’s traffic control system and tampered with the light sequences at four main intersections of the city, as part of a labor union protest.
Although there was little evidence of the attack, their alleged disruptions were reported to have triggered a state of gridlock that lasted days. In 2009, Patel and Murillo copped to the crime, which stood as a reminder that the city of Los Angeles, like countless other metropolises, relies on a certain degree of computerized and internet-connected control systems that are vulnerable to exploitation.

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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti matches $999 GTX Titan X in Final Fantasy XV benchmark!

The NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is expected to be NVIDIA’s answer to the sub-$300 graphics card market, by utilizing a new GPU based on the Turing architecture, sans RT and Tensor cores. Just pure CUDA horsepower. And it does seem to be pretty beefy!
The GeForce GTX 1660 Ti has been spotted on the Final Fantasy XV benchmark tool’s chart. It slots in just below the GeForce GTX Titan X, while slightly outperforming a GeForce GTX 1070. Now the FFXV benchmark tool may not be the most reliable of benchmarks, but it does serve well to gauge the performance gaps between the various NVIDIA graphics cards.

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As it stands, it appears to be a much faster card as compared to last generation’s GeForce GTX 1060. Given that it is slated to be priced at around $279 (~RM1138), the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti should be quite the value buy for gamers who just don’t need the RT or Tensor cores.
These are the rumored specifications of the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti:
Key GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Specifications:

TU116 @ up to 1770 MHz Boost, 12nm FinFET
1536 CUDA cores
6GB GDDR6 @ 12 000 Gbps, 192-bit memory interface
120W TDP
$279 (~RM1138)

Are you looking forward to the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, or would you rather pick up one of the GeForce RTX cards to enjoy RTX and DLSS? Let us know in the comments!
Pokdepinion: A GeForce RTX 2060 does seem like a pretty good option if I wanted a new card now, but the GeForce GTX 1660 Ti is probably targeted towards gamers coming from the Maxwell or older generations.
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Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time Unveiled And It Looks Fun

If you’re a big fan of the Crash Bandicoot franchise, you’ve probably seen the newest title, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Well if you didn’t well we’ve got you covered.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time

The absurd marsupials are back again in this sequel to the original trilogy. If you’re wondering, the game is not a remaster but the first original entry in the Crash Bandicoot franchise in more than 10 years.
They’ve maintained the zany spirit of the franchise while also breath new personality and charm to the game. The game picks up after Neo Cortex, Dr. N. Tropy, and Uka Uka were last stranded on a distant island. After decades of fruitless attempts, the trio finally make their escape, and all that stands between them and total dominion over the multiverse are two fuzzy marsupials from N. Sanity Island.

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In the game, you will uncover four Quantum Masks, the guardians of space and time, which will give you the ability to bend the rules of reality and gain advanced ways to conquer dangerous obstacles.
To celebrate the reveal of the game, Activision has teamed up with hip hop star Quova from the music trio Migos, who will debut the world’s sneak peek at gameplay.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time will be releasing on both the PS4 and Xbox One on the 2nd of October 2020. The game is already available for pre-orders right now.
Pokdepinion: The trailer actually looks fun, I might get it when it comes out.
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#Pokdepicks 5 Awesome Games Coming This February 2019

God Eater 3

The newest entry in the God Eater series, God Eater 3 is an anime-style action role-playing game set in post-apocalyptic Earth ravaged by the Aragami, terrifying beasts that live only to consume. These beasts are carving a path of destruction and misery wherever they are encountered. To combat this threat an elite group of heroes known as God Eaters are called upon to save humanity.
Like in previous games, players take on the role of a God Eater, eliminating the Aragami using the powerful God Arc weapons which can be transformed into guns. Unlike previous entries, God Eater 3 will allow characters to dual wield these God Arc weapons for a more destructive and immersive gaming experience unlike anything ever experienced before.
Fun fact, God Eater 3 is the first game that was designed powerful hardware as opposed to its predecessors which was more focused on handheld platforms. This allowed the developers to make a more immersive gaming experience for the series as they will not be held back by limited resources of the machine.

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God Eater 3 will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 8th February 2019.
 Metro Exodus

The latest game in the Metro series, Metro Exodus is a first-person shooter set in the year 2036 and after the events of Metro 2033. Roughly 25 years after nuclear war devastated Earth, a few thousand survivors still cling to existence beneath the ruins of Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro. They have struggled against the poisoned elements, fought mutated beasts and suffered the flames of civil war.
But now, as Artyom, players must flee the Metro and lead a band of Spartan Rangers on an incredible, continent-spanning journey across post-apocalyptic Russia in search of a new life in the East. Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro Exodus continues Artyom’s story in the greatest Metro adventure yet.
Fun fact, Metro Exodus was initially slated for release on PC via Steam. It was even up for pre-orders via Steam but publisher Deep Silver made the decision to instead make the game exclusively available on the Epic Games Store instead. Gamers who have pre-ordered on Steam will receive the game as usual.
Metro Exodus will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 15th February 2019.
 Jump Force

The ultimate dream for every anime geek will be coming to life in the form of Jump Force. It is a fighting game which brings a wide variety of anime and manga from Weekly Shonen Jump into a crossover game of epic proportions.
In the game, all the characters from their respective worlds have been transported to a brand new battleground which is our very own reality. Uncertain of the reasons behind the phenomenon, these characters have banded together to form the “Jump Force” to tackle the mystery lurking in the shadows and defeat the mastermind behind it all.
Fun fact, while Jump Force isn’t the first game to feature such a large crossover consisting of these popular anime and manga characters, this one in particular is special. It was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Weekly Shonen Jump, a weekly Japanese comic anthology published by Shueisha under the Jump magazine.
Jump Force will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 15th February 2019.
 Far Cry: New Dawn

A new entry for one of Ubisoft’s biggest IPs, Far Cry: New Dawn is a first-person shooter with elements of adventure. Taking place 17 years after the events of Far Cry 5 after “The Collapse” devastated the world, survivors attempt to rebuild the community in Hope County. Their efforts are threatened by the Highwaymen, a roving band of organized bandits led by twin sisters Mickey and Lou.
With few other choices, the survivors form an alliance with New Eden, the remnants of the Project at Eden’s Gate, despite knowing that they may represent a greater threat than the Highwaymen. The game will lead to players discovering the fates of the Deputy and Joseph Seed, the protagonist and antagonist from Far Cry 5.
Fun fact, the game’s Art Director, Issac Papismado, mentioned that the development team had wanted to create a post-apocalyptic game for the series for some time now. The team intentionally avoided a dark and bleak tone as they felt that it would be a cliché and resolved to create a world that looks vibrant. The “super bloom” phenomenon set in the game made this look possible.
Far Cry: New Dawn will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 15th February 2019.
 Anthem

One of the most highly anticipated games of 2019, Anthem is a futuristic multiplayer action role-playing game developed by BioWare. The game takes place in a contiguous open world environment shared with up to four players in which they take the role of a Freelancer donning fully customizable exosuits called Javelins. These Javelins will have their own set of weapons and superhuman abilities.
The central meeting point of the game takes place in Fort Tarsis, the central stronghold of Anthem. Built by the eponymous General Helena Tarsis, it serves as a fortified settlement against the threats of the outside world and is also the point where the player goes to receive new missions. This will also serve as the location where various factions in the game will meet.
Fun fact, while many gamers fear that Anthem may be one of the games that will require additional payment for post-launch content given Electronic Arts’ track record, Lead Producer Michael Gamble assured fans that there will be no season pass required and that every new content after the game’s release will be available at no additional cost.
Anthem will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 22nd February 2019.
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NVIDIA sold $175 million worth of GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs to miners?

The latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series are in short supply around the world, and it seems like a huge contributor to the shortage may have been miners. We have previously reported that the NVIDIA Ampere GPUs are absolute beasts when it comes to mining, and that may have been why there are so limited stocks available for gamers.
According to RBC Capital Markets analyst Mitch Steves, NVIDIA may have sold at least $175 million worth of GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs to miners. He has previously estimated around $150 million in sales to miners, but I guess with NVIDIA’s massive success this quarter, he believes that the numbers he estimated were too conservative.

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Speaking of which, NVIDIA had a very successful Q3 2020, with $2.27 billion in revenue attributed to sales of their gaming GPUs. Compared to last year’s results, it is up 37%. This achievement can definitely be linked to the very impressive NVIDIA Ampere launch, along with the rest of NVIDIA’s gaming-oriented offerings, including the chipset in the Nintendo Switch.

The reason why miners are upgrading to NVIDIA Ampere GPUs is an upgrade to the Ethereum blockchain that will be happening sometime next month, which will reportedly make older mining hardware obsolete. The GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs are apparently the perfect upgrade to satisfy the new requirements.
NVIDIA’s decision to go with Samsung to produce the NVIDIA Ampere GPUs may be more justified now, as they will most probably not have enough supply to satisfy both miners and gamers if they decided to compete with everyone else to get a share of TSMC’s 7nm supply. As it stands, the supply of NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series cards aren’t great by any means, but at least there are some cards trickling out onto the market for gamers.
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Pokdepinion: Hopefully the miners have had their fill by now, and it is now time for gamers to get their hands on the cards…
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PS Plus Asia February 2018 FREE GAMES Lineup; Wait, Is That Mega Man?

The official PS Plus Asia February 2018 free games lineup is finally here. Wondering if it’s worth subscribing or continuing your membership? Well, look no further. Wait, is that a Mega Man game?
PS Plus Asia February 2018 FREE GAMES Lineup

It’s a brand new month and it’s a prosperous one at that. If you have been wanting to see what’s coming for PS Plus members, well, you’re in for a treat. Sony Interactive Entertainment has officially announced the PS Plus Asia February 2018 free games lineup, so let’s dive right into that.
The first headlining act in the lineup is Evolve. The game is set in a fictional future where humans have successfully discovered ways to survive outside Earth and have begun colonizing other planets. Humans arrive at Shear, a distant planet located in the “Far Arm” of space, and begin creating colonies and industrial factories. As the colonization progresses, humans begin to meet resistance from alien life-forms, known as Monsters, that have the ability to evolve by consuming local wildlife.

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As the Monsters destroy the colonies on Shear, a former “planet tamer” named William Cabot is brought out of retirement to deal with the threat and to evacuate the remaining colonists from Shear. Cabot assembles a team of Hunters to eliminate the Monsters and protect their communities. In multiplayer, you’ll either play as the humans trying to take down the monster, or play as the monster itself.
Next up, we have a Mega…oh wait, it’s Mighty No. 9. In the game, you play as Beck, the 9th in a line of powerful robots, and the only one not infected by a mysterious computer virus that has caused mechanized creatures the world over to go berserk. Run, jump, blast, and transform your way through twelve stages using weapons and abilities stolen from your enemies to take down your fellow Mighty Number robots and confront the final evil that threatens the planet. One of the guys behind the game is Mega Man’s own Keiji Inafune.
For the full line of free games coming to PS Plus Asia February 2018, check it out just below here:

PS Plus members, check out your FREE games for February starting 8 Feb to 7 Mar!
Keep yourself busy taking down Monsters in @EvolveGame or have fun tackling the action platformer, Mighty No.9!#PlayStationAsia #PlayEverythingPS4 pic.twitter.com/8oxO5qIVlE
— PlayStation Asia (@PlayStationAsia) February 1, 2018

Full Lineup for PS Plus Asia February 2018

Evolve (PS4)
Mighty No. 9 (PS4 & PS3)
Grand Kingdom (PS4 & PS Vita)
Starblood Arena (PSVR)
Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel (PS3)
Premium Musical Notes “The Memories of Puppet NieR Music Concert” (Bonus)

If you don’t see the game in the PS Plus list on your PlayStation 4, do not panic. The game will be available only from 8th February 2018 to 7th March 2018.
If you’re from the North American / Canada / EU region, click here for your regions PS Plus February 2018 free games lineup.

Pokdepinion: Not gonna lie, I chuckled a bit when I saw Mighty No. 9. Oh well, it’s still something at least.
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Google Pixel smartphone “made by Google” packs the highest rated camera ever

Hm. I wonder what happened to the Nexus brand? In any case, Google has just announced their latest smartphone, “made by Google”, the Pixel. Surely Google has not suddenly spawned a hardware manufacturing arm out of no where, and with rumors previously pointing towards a partnership with HTC, we have strong reason to believe that the Pixel devices by Google are built by HTC. Google claims that this is their very first phone made by Google inside and out, so maybe Google had more control over what went into the Pixel than it had during the Nexus era?  And yes, devices, as there will be a Pixel and Pixel XL coming.

The two models are only differentiated by the screen and battery size, with the rest of the innards kept the same. This means you will be getting a beefy Snapdragon 821, 4GB of blazing fast LPDDR4 RAM, 32GB or 128GB of storage, with unlimited media storage on Google Photos, and fast charging over USB Type-C. Let’s not forget the highest rated camera ever, a 12.3MP sensor behind fast f/2.0 lens, with PDAF and laser assisted AF for fast focus acquisition which scored a chart-topping 89 on DxOMark, improving on the the Nexus 6P. The last (?) Nexus device, which had what was literally one of the best cameras to grace a smartphone’s back last year. The rear-mounted Nexus Imprint fingerprint sensor is here again, a wise choice by Google, as I have found fingerprint sensors on the rear to be the most intuitive to use. Oh, and they come with 3.5mm audio jacks. Ahem.

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Moving on to the differences, the Pixel XL will be getting a 5.5″ 1440p AMOLED display and a 3450 mAh battery to keep it on, while the standard Pixel will feature a 5″ 1080p AMOLED display, and a smaller 2770 mAh battery. The displays will be under 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 4 panels. There really isn’t much difference between the two devices, and I believe most will just pick the Pixel they want based on the size they are more comfortable with.

Both devices will run Android 7.1 Nougat, an updated version of Nougat which will feature a new “sustained performance mode”. The Pixel brothers will also be the first devices to feature Google Assistant baked right in. Basically, it is a much more talkative sister of Google Now, being a lot more personal than the rather cold Google Now. Now everyone can have a personal assistant to chat with when they are lonely and bored. Niceeeeee.
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The Pixel devices will be available in three colors, Quite Black, Very Silver and also Really Blue, which is a limited edition available in the U.S. only. Pre-orders start from $649 in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Germany and Australia. Pre-orders in India will begin October 13.

Pokdepinion: I can’t wait to get my hands on one! After reviewing the Nexus 6P, I was hungover the impressive camera, and the Pixel has an even better one!

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DDR4 RAM prices may go down with new Samsung A-die

Enthusiasts sing praises for Samsung’s B-die, and for good reason. They clock high and are able to maintain low latencies at that. Not to mention Samsung B-dies enjoyed great success with the finicky 1st Gen AMD Ryzen processors, which made them even more desirable. But as Samsung is retiring their B-die memory chips, and kicking off with the newer A-die memory chips are looking like they will be much more affordable options.
How much cheaper? According to Tom’s Hardware, a 32GB stick of DDR4 2933 RAM featuring the Samsung A-die costs $157.77 (~RM658), as compared to another stick from Crucial with the same specifications which is priced at $171.99 (~RM717). The RAM specifications aren’t exactly great, clocked at 2933 MHz with CL21 timings. It runs at 1.2V, which is the nominal voltage for DDR4.

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Samsung’s A-die is manufactured on the 10nm node, which is a huge step forward from the B-die’s 20nm manufacturing process. It seems to be the reason for the uninspiring timings though, but of course the Samsung M378A4G43AB2-CVF modules seem like they are intended for the value segment. Maybe after Samsung optimizes it, and OEMs start pumping in higher voltages to better binned products, will we start seeing better numbers?
Pokdepinion: Well, cheaper memory is always good, even if they aren’t exactly of the high performance variety.
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PS Plus November 2021 FREE Games Lineup

Not sure if you should get or renew your subscription to PS Plus? This might just change your mind as we have the official PS Plus November 2021 free games lineup right here. Here’s what you need to know.
PS Plus November 2021 FREE Games Lineup

The first game in the PS Plus November 2021 free games lineup is the popular dodgeball game Knockout City. In case you didn’t know how the game works, imagine a team-based 3rd-person shooter game, but instead of guns, you pick up balls around the map and throw it at your enemies. The key here is to dodge and try to take down as many enemies as possible.

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Next up in the list is the fantasy-themed action RPG remaster, Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning. Initially released on the PS3, the game has seen a radical upgrade in terms of visuals and does include a more refined gameplay experience. The best part here is that you get all of the game’s DLCs included for free.
That’s not all folks as First Class Trouble will also be coming for free. It’s a 6-player social game where a group of players will have to cooperate in order to terminate a dangerous AI that’s controlling a luxury spaceship. Whether you survive or not is entirely up to you and your team, but it’s no easy feat as there might be some traitors within.

As an added bonus on top of the PS Plus November 2021 free games lineup, there are 3 PSVR games being given out for free exclusively for PS Plus members. The first is The Persistence, a survival game where you will have to fend off against horrid sci-fi creatures solo as a stranded member of a spaceship crew.
Next up, we have The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, based on the popular franchise of the same name. Players will have to go through the post-apocalyptic land of New Orleans while fending off Walkers. Players will bump into several characters along the way, but some of them might just stab you in the back.
Lastly, we have Until You Fall, a fantasy sword-fighting game with monsters and a fun neon environment. Players will have to make use of arm and body controls alongside rhythm to fight against hordes of enemies. Whether it’s slashing enemies or casting magic, anything you can do will help you in your journey.
All of the games in the PS Plus November 2021 will be available in both PS4 and the PS5 via backwards compatibility starting 2nd November until 6th December 2021. The PSVR games will be available longer, until 3rd January 2022. For as long as you have an active PS Plus subscription, you will be able to enjoy these games for free.
Source
Pokdepinion: This is a lot of free games to get all of a sudden. If you haven’t renewed your subscription yet, this is definitely a good time to do it.
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Apple Supplier Allegedly Use Forced Uighur Labor

Apple has several suppliers to make their electronic components and understandably so seeing how big the company is in the world. Well it seems that one of the suppliers, Lens Technology has been accused in using forced Uighur labor workers in the region of Xinjiang, China.
Apple supplier use forced Uighur labor workers?

According to reports, it seems that Lens Technology, a gadget glass supplier has been utilizing thousands of the mentioned workers. Even more, they are used as part of the Chinese government’s detention system and forced labor campaign against the Uighur people supposedly.

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It appears that a lot of the workers were previously held in indoctrination camps and were forced to renounce Islam as well learn Mandarin before they are transported to factories around the country.
Apple has responded and denied that they have any role in the practice where they have said “Apple has zero tolerance for forced labor. Looking for the presence of forced labor is part of every supplier assessment we conduct, including surprise audits. Earlier this year we confirmed that none of our suppliers have Uighur workers from ‘pairing programs’ from Xinjiang on any Apple production lines”.
Source
Pokdepinion: I don’t want to make assumptions… but it will be interesting to see how this goes. Will there be any actions taken?
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NVIDIA GeForce RTX-powered laptops are coming sooner than you might think

A question which have been playing on our minds is when the GeForce RTX-powered laptops will be appearing. Considering the massive inventory of Pascal GPUs that NVIDIA has to clear off, most people speculated that it should be still some time away. It isn’t that far away though.

Our industry sources cite a schedule of around Q1 2019 to Q2 2019 for laptops with the much anticipated GeForce RTX GPUs in them. The specifications of the GPUs are still vague, but considering the high TDP ratings of the desktop GeForce RTX GPUs, we might be looking at much lower clocks in the mobile variant of the GeForce RTX GPUs. Or perhaps different GPUs for the mobile and desktop segment, like what we faced before the GTX 10-series came around?

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Not powered by a GeForce RTX GPU, but should have no problem handling the thermals of one.
We might be seeing the higher-end GeForce RTX GPUs appear in upcoming laptops next year before the lower end GPUs trickle out, somewhat similar to the scenario we are looking at with desktop graphics cards. Considering NVIDIA’s push to enable desktop-class performance in portable form factors with the Pascal GPUs, you can probably expect MaxQ variants to pop up later too.
Well, I always prefer a laptop that can game while being portable enough to carry around on a daily basis, rather than a desktop that sits at home. So for those of you who are like me, stay tuned as we expect more news about the mobile Turing GPUs to pop up soon.
Pokdepinion: I would love me an RTX 2070-powered laptop, if it doesn’t cost yet another kidney.
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Windows 93 Is The Most Entertaining OS You Can Enjoy For Free Right Now

Are you getting bored of Windows 10? Do you want a taste of technology from yesteryear, maybe just temporarily for a change of scenery? Well look no further than Windows 93, a web-based OS that you can have fun with right now.
Windows 93 is a project by a pair of French hackers Jankenpopp and Zombectro, who wants to bring a touch of nostalgia to your lives. The description simply reads “What if Windows 95 had come out in 1993? I guess? I have no idea what this is, but it’s fun to play around with. If this doesn’t make you nostalgic, congratulations, you’re young as f***.”

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What Exactly is Windows 93?

It’s clearly designed as a parody of Windows 95 that is packed with all sorts of inside internet jokes. There are a number of applications in Windows 93, including games that are a clear parody of Street Fighter and Castle Wolfenstein. Solitaire and Internet Explorer is also available, but as a modified version called Solitude and Cat Explorer respectively.
Interestingly, it has a much better version of MS Paint called Pixel. It’s still not as robust as Adobe Photoshop but it’s interesting to see how they’ve taken MS Paint to the next level. There is a whole bunch of things you can do in it, and it might just be the most fun you’ve had with an OS in a long time.
Can this replace Windows 10 as your full-time OS? Most likely, no. But it’s still a good break away from the current technological trend that would also serve as a wonderful nostalgia trip with a dose of LSD. There are no installations necessary, and you just need to head on to the website to try it out.
If you want to give Windows 93, click right here and have a good time.
Pokdepinion: I wasn’t expecting much at first but I can’t believe a couple of hours just flew by. I honestly had a good laugh when I heard the PlayStation startup sound instead of the typical Windows sound. You should give it a try if you have the spare time for it.
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realme was the best selling smartphone brand during the Lazada 9.9 Sale

realme was the best selling smartphone brand during the recent Lazada 9.9 sale, thanks to some really enticing promotions on the realme 3 Pro and realme C2.

The realme 3 Pro (4+64GB) was offered exclusively for Lazada shoppers at only RM699, while the realme C2 (2+16GB) was even more affordable at just RM299. Together with Lazada, realme delivered greater value to consumers during the Lazada 9.9 sale.

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You can read our review of the realme 3 Pro here, and watch our unboxing of the realme C2 below:

Pokdepinion: An impressive achievement for realme!
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Edifier TWS NB2 ANC Wireless Earbuds Review — pretty much everything you can ask for

Edifier sent us the Edifier TWS NB2 last year, but we were quite swamped with reviews and finally managed to get down to this review now. The Edifier TWS NB2 is actually Edifier’s second pair of TWS earbuds with ANC, with an entirely new design. It is also arguably Edifier’s most impressive looking pair of TWS earphones, although it definitely isn’t the most expensive. That honor goes to the Edifier TWS6. So with a relatively interesting price point and a nice list of features, is it going to be one of our most recommended TWS earphones? Well, let’s see…
Unboxing

The outer package is pretty standard for Edifier. A printed hard paper sleeve with the product image in front, and some details about the product behind. As the Edifier TWS NB2 we received is the Ivory White color variant, the packaging reflects it too with a beige-ish tone here.

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Once you slide off the sleeve, this is when things start to look really impressive. The box sports a dark cream colored faux leather finish, which is definitely a huge step up from the usual black boxes you get your earphones in.

Opening up the clamshell reveals the Edifier TWS NB2’s case coddled by a foam block. Above it is a small box that contains the replacement tips, USB-C charging cable the usual documentation and a nice fabric pouch. I wish Edifier thought of providing a more fitting or padded pouch, but then again, a lot of TWS earbuds don’t come with a pouch…

Appearance

Instead of your usual smooth plastic finish, Edifier went with a leather-like pattern here. It’s not faux leather, as it is only visually similar to leather but it feels hard like plastic. The three-line Edifier logo is silver, contrasting well with the beige case here.

Thankfully, Edifier used a USB-C connector for charging the Edifier TWS NB2’s case. There’s no wireless charging here, so you will need to plug it in for a charge all the time. A tiny LED beside the port provides sufficient information about the current charging status.

Once you lift the lid, which requires absolutely minimal effort, you will be presented with the Edifier TWS NB2 earpieces themselves. Edifier put a single button on the case to make pairing simpler, instead of relying fully on the earpieces to handle everything. More on that later. There’s also a tiny LED here that informs you whether the earphones are in place for charging, as well as your pairing status.

The earpieces connect to the case via two pogo pins, which is pretty standard affair. The design of the earpieces is a nice take on what some call the “golf-tee” design, with a more angular design for the stalk portion than most of the Edifier TWS NB2’s peers.
There’s the primary ANC microphone at the top of the stalk, incorporated into the design as a stylish looking vent. The bulbous portion that sits in your ears is very smoothly curved and you can also see the wear-detection sensor and vent here.

Over on the bottom of the stalk is the microphone for your calls. Overall, Edifier did a very good job with the design of the Edifier TWS NB2, but I do think that the Edifier TWS NB2 looks better in the Black color option, given its rather futuristic design. Black and silver also contrasts better than the beige and silver we are looking at here.
Edifier TWS NB2 Specs

Drivers
13mm graphene diaphragm

Frequency Response
20 Hz – 20,000 Hz

Sensitivity:
94dB

Impedance:
24Ω

Headphone Type
True wireless, in-ear

Connection
Bluetooth 5.0, SBC

Wireless Range
10m

Noise-cancelling
Hybrid ANC for playback
Noise reduction for calls

Battery
Earphones
Up to 8 hours playback (ANC on)
Up to 9 hours playback (ANC off)
Charging Case
3x Full Charge (Up to 32 hours total)

Weight
Earphones
5.5g x 2
Charging Case
41g (without earpieces)

Colour
Ivory White

User Experience
Pairing
For first time pairing, the Edifier TWS NB2 is pretty simple, it will immediately start searching for a device to pair to once you open the case. You can then pair with the Edifier TWS NB2 from your smartphone. Once paired, the next time you open the Edifier TWS NB2’s case it will begin looking for the last paired device to connect to.
You can use them individually, and unlike the Edifier TWS5, you don’t have to pair them with your device separately. I don’t really enjoy using it one-sided, but I do understand that some people actually like using Bluetooth handsfree headsets of yore. So yeah, with the Edifier TWS NB2, you have the option to use it like that.
In terms of connection quality, the Edifier TWS NB2 maintains a very solid connection to my POCO F2 Pro. Edifier claims a 10m connection range, and I managed to walk out of my house to throw the trash out with my smartphone in my room, and it still managed to keep the tunes going for most of the way. Generally you don’t have to worry about your tunes skipping due to connection issues with the Edifier TWS NB2.

Another feature that Edifier added to the Edifier TWS NB2 is a gaming mode. While the Edifier TWS NB2 isn’t actually targeted towards gamer (Edifier has the Hecate lineup for that) I guess Edifier decided that since the Bestechnic BES2300YP chipset supports it, why not just implement it.
Gaming Mode does reduce the latency to more tolerable levels as compared to your average pair of TWS earbuds, but there’s still a slight latency that is noticeable in games like COD Mobile. If you mainly play games like Genshin Impact, you will most likely not notice the latency even in the standard mode.

There are two ways to access the Gaming Mode on the Edifier TWS NB2. The first one would be via a triple tap on the left earpiece. The next one would be via the Edifier Connect app, or its accompanying notification. The app is quite intuitive and lets you adjust a few other settings too like disabling the wear detection and even the touch sensitivity on the Edifier TWS NB2. With that said, I do wish Edifier added an equalizer to the app to make it more complete.
Sound
Edifier tuned for a more “fun” sound profile with the Edifier TWS NB2 as compared to the Edifier TWS5 which I absolutely loved. It delivers copious amounts of bass, which makes listening to EDM party tracks an absolute joy with the Edifier TWS NB2.
Vocals and highs do take a backseat in bass-heavy tracks, but once I decided to switch gears to listen to some acoustic music, the clarity of the Edifier TWS NB2 is actually surprisingly good. With that said, all you need is a slight EQ adjustment to dial back on the bass can make the listening experience on the Edifier TWS NB2 phenomenal.
One thing to note is that if you plan on enjoying the best that the Edifier TWS NB2 can deliver, you need to disable the Gaming Mode. It appears that to deliver the lower latency, Edifier had to take away some audio fidelity, resulting in the highs being lobbed off for a less dynamic sound. It is not really noticeable, but the difference is there.

Onto the noise cancellation, I must note that the Edifier TWS NB2 does a decent job of cutting down on background noise. It eliminates most of the noise from my mechanical keyboard, and it is also effective enough to wipe out all the noise at the laundromat. There’s a third microphone hidden under the eartips that allow the Edifier TWS NB2 to analyze how well its noise cancellation is doing. This is quite a rare feature at this price point, and I am quite surprised to see it here.
It is not the most effective ANC I have experienced, but it does help to drown out some of the noise around you without you having to turn up the volume. There’s also an Ambient Mode that uses the microphones to channel noise into your ears instead of blocking it, and it does a good enough job to help you be aware of your surroundings. It doesn’t amplify the sound, which is a nice touch as some ambient mode implementations annoyingly make the surrounding noise louder.
Comfort
I guess the shape of the Edifier TWS NB2 isn’t exactly novel, so you should be able to guess how well it will fit you just by looking at it. For me, the bulbous portion sat in my ear very well, while the soft silicone tips were quite comfortable in my ear canals. The noise cancellation feature also doesn’t add an uncomfortable pressure sensation like some ANC earphones do, which is great.

For controls, the single button in the case allows you to pair the Edifier TWS NB2 with a long press, which will cause the LED indicator to flash green and white rapidly. This is only necessary if you have previously paired the Edifier TWS NB2 to a device. Meanwhile the earpieces have different controls for each side, so here goes:

Left
Right

2x tap: Switch Normal Mode / ANC Mode / Ambient Mode
3x tap: Toggle Gaming Mode
2x tap: Pause / Play / answer & end calls
3x tap: Next song

It’s pretty simple to remember, and if you forget, you can always go to the Edifier Connect app to change the settings. Being able to adjust the sensitivity of the Edifier TWS NB2’s touch controls is also a nice touch, as it can be tuned down to ignore light touches when you are trying to reposition the earpieces in your ears.
Battery life
While ANC can really bite off a huge chunk of your battery, the Edifier TWS NB2 manages to deliver a spectacular 6 hours and 35 minutes with ANC on. Turning off ANC netted me an extra hour of listening time, with it now delivering 7 hours and 40 minutes. Interestingly, turning on Gaming Mode doesn’t increase the power consumption, as the Edifier TWS NB2 still managed to last for just as long as with it off. My only grouse with the Edifier TWS NB2 here is that there isn’t a battery level indicator on the case, so you have no idea of how much juice is left in the charging case. The earpieces themselves report their battery level via your smartphone, so that is fine.
Conclusion

The Edifier TWS NB2 is seriously affordable for such a feature-packed pair of TWS earbuds. For just RM349, you get great sound, a functional gaming mode, active noise cancellation and pretty good battery life on top of that. There’s little more that I can think of asking out of the Edifier TWS NB2, except maybe dialing back the bass slightly and probably adding support for aptX, but that might require a more expensive chipset.
It isn’t the best at everything, but it does a good enough job across the board. It is worth noting that on top of offering more features than its predecessor, it is significantly more affordable, making it much better value.

Our thanks to Edifier for sending us the Edifier TWS NB2 for review.
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NVIDIA’s RTX Remix Gave NFS Underground 2 A New Look, Nearly 2 Decades On

NVIDIA’s premise for the RTX Remix is to turn old games into ray-tracing powered ones, and upgrade all the textures and models available with the help of AI. Amongst the examples include Half-Life 2, Elder Scrolls 3, and many of the DirectX 8 and DirectX 9-based games that was launched in the early 2000s.
Need for Speed Underground 2 is among the most legendary racing titles of all time with pioneering features such as open-world racing, robust vehicle customization options that makes it one of the games that still have its dedicated modding community keeping the game fresh. Of course, as the original developer, Black Box, has since went bust in 2013, there’s very little chance for an official remaster to happen – and that’s where RTX Remix comes in.

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How does Bayview (the fictional location of the game) looks like when you let RTX Remix does its magic? Turns out, surprisingly good. Although that goes without saying there seem to have some graphical rough edges like the lack of environmental lighting on certain parts of the map as you can see in the video below.

While games like these has received some kind of graphics-based mods before – some of which far exceeds the original graphic quality and achieves some degree of photorealism, it’d be interesting to see what modders can come up with as RTX Remix is now open source for the modders to get their hands dirty on.
Source: Wccftech
Pokdepinion: While the mods look nice, even the native graphics of Underground 2 didn’t age too badly did it?
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[MWC2018] Neffos Introduces N1 and C7 – Focusing More On Photography?

At this year’s MWC, Neffos took the opportunity to unveil their brand new Neffos N1 and C7 smartphones.
MWC 2018 Neffos N1 And C7
Neffos C7 (left) and Neffos N1 (right)
This year’s Mobile World Congress, which took place in Barcelona, saw Neffos unveiling their brand new Neffos C1 and also the Neffos C7, albeit the latter was already available here in Malaysia which we wrote about (you can click here to check on that).
The N1 represents the company’s first dual-camera device, which fits two 12 MP Sony IMX386 cameras into the rear of the device. One of the lens captures a spectrum of colors while the other one features a monochrome sensor for more detail.

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Powering the device is a MediaTek Helio P25 chipset which runs up to 2.6GHz. The phone comes with 4GB RAM and is paired with 64GB of internal memory (expandable up to 128GB through microSD).
It has a 5.5-inch FHD IPS display. Under the hood, it packs a 3260mAh battery which also comes with Fast Charging.
Neffos C7 on the other hand features a 5.5-inch display. It uses a MediaTek MT6750 chipset and runs on Android 7.0. Packed with 2GB RAM, it comes with 16GB of internal storage which is expandable up to 128GB through microSD.
Camera wise, it sports a 8MP front shooter that comes with 10-level Real Time Beautify mode that allows a live preview of beautification effects to your shots. As for the main camera, it features a 13MP shooter that comes with phase-detection auto-focus, or shortly known as PDAF.
The Neffos C7 is already available here in the country and comes in two colors, Cloudy Gray and Sunrise Gold at the price of RM599.
Pokdepinion: It’s nice to see that Neffos has ‘upped’ their specifications in the form of the N1 when Neffos has been known to create budget smartphones that people can afford.

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Cooler Master Opens New HQ in Neihu District, Taipei

As the PC peripherals maker celebrates its 30th anniversary, Cooler Master has officially announced the grand opening of its new headquarters located in Neihu District, northeast of Taipei City.

With architectural designs inspired by the company’s renowned thermal solution products, this new open-space HQ will consolidate staffs from various divisions, including Cooler Master Technology Inc., and corporate arm Cooler Master Corporation, under one roof; the building is also envisioned to accommodate future company ventures and emerging markets.

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Going with the tagline ‘Decades of Shaping the Future’, the company will celebrate the opening of Neihu campus by opening its doors to media and industry partners to commemorate the 30th anniversary, today – the opening event will show the past and present of various partners along the company’s growth since its founding at 17 November 1992, as they embraces the future.

Aside from the opening of new headquarters, Cooler Master also releases “30th Anniversary Edition” of its current lineup, coming in limited quantities. These products feature special colorways and designs to celebrate the anniversary – including monitors, PC case, PSUs, laptop stands and more. You can read more here on the landing page.
Pokdepinion: I wonder how big is the surface area with those gigantic “fins” on the building?
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Huawei enjoys strong first day sales of the P9

It seems like the only community not affected by the economy downturn here in Malaysia are smartphone enthusiasts, as they turned up in droves to be among the first to get the Huawei P9. For those who missed it, the Huawei P9 and P9 Lite went on sale last Saturday, the 28th of May, making Malaysia the first country in the Southern Pacific region to get their hands on the Huawei P9 and P9 Lite.

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Huawei claims much of the popularity of the P9 is due to it being the very first smartphone ever to feature a collaboration between the Chinese technology giant and Leica, world renowned camera brand. Through this collaboration, a dual-lens camera featuring two camera modules which are monochrome and RGB respectively.
For those who are still yet to get the Huawei P9 and P9 Lite, they go for RM2099 and RM1099, respectively.

Pokdepinion: We can’t wait to try out the fruit of the collaboration between Huawei and Leica in the Huawei P9…
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Razer is Bringing THX Spatial Audio for All PC Gamers to Enjoy

If you’re looking to up your audio game on PC, then this is a wonderful piece of news for you. The folks over at Razer have launched the Razer THX Spatial Audio app for Windows 10.
Razer THX Spatial Audio

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The Razer THX Spatial Audio app features advanced 7.1 surround sound with adjustable virtual speakers so you can improved positional audio accuracy, even with stereo devices. Using THX’s advanced rendering engine, you can get wide, positionally-accurate soundscape from just two channels. This can work with 3.5mm, USB, and Bluetooth audio devices.
This is especially valuable for gamers as in-game sounds matter a lot, such as hearing footsteps or knowing where enemy attacks are coming from. It’s customizable so you can freely adjust volume, frequency, and direction to a setting that is more suitable for you. There’s also an equalizer that you can use to optimize your listening experience, either with THX Tuned Presets or your own creation.

The Razer THX Spatial Audio app is created for Windows 10 and works with 3.5mm headsets, USB headsets, and Bluetooth headphones, essentially turning them into virtual 5.1, 7.1 or stereo audio experience. You can even switch equalizers on the fly so it’s easier to enjoy a variety of media without hassle.
The software itself isn’t free however, as it’s priced at USD $9.99 on upgrade from 7.1 surround, and USD $19.99 as a standard purchase. There is a free trial for it so you can give it a try first before making the purchase in case you’re uncertain. You can download the free trial by clicking right here.
Pokdepinion: If you don’t already use a surround sound headset / speaker, you can always get this instead. Any bit of help could make your gaming experience better.
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MIUI 12 Officially Unveiled

Xiaomi global has today unveiled the company’s latest user interface, the MIUI 12 and here’s what went down at today’s global launch event.
MIUI 12 launch
You might recall back April, Xiaomi had introduced the MIUI 12 in China. Today marks the global launch and they’ve unveiled additional details of the interface.
Needless to say, you can expect new system animations from MIUI 12. With the new UI, it comes with ‘advanced color blending and blurring’.

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Aside from that, your screen will respond to your movement, or so they’ve said. With its physics engine, they claim that icons move like real objects.
MIUI 12 weather app
The weather app also changes depending on real-time weather outside. Other than that, once you’ve clicked on an icon (on the notification bar) they will react and move, showcasing response.
MIUI 12 storage
You’ll also get a detailed look at your storage utilization where it shows a bar of specifically how much space is used and for what.
MIUI 12 Super Wallpaper Mars Edition
MIUI 12 has also brought the introduction of ‘Super Wallpaper’ and in this case the Mars Edition. The wallpaper lets you tour around Mars, where it moves slightly as time goes by.
MIUI 12 screen privacy
Do you ever worry when you share screen to another display that your messages or notifications will get shown there too? Well with the new update, you are rest assured that all that will only be shown on your main display, which in this case is your smartphone.
MIUI 12 minimize screen
One feature that’s certainly pleased the gamers is the ability to minimize your game and do other things. Yeah, we hate those loading screens as well. Done loading? Just pull it back down to go back to full screen.
MIUI 12 Ultra Battery Saver
Aside from that there’s the Ultra Battery Saver mode. Running low on juice? Well the new mode allows your device to last up to 5 hours with just 5% left of battery, at least that’s what they claim.
MIUI 12 permissions
Not to forget, they’ve also improved the permissions in MIUI 12. With the update, you can choose to allow permissions from apps only when you are using them (the apps) and no longer have to enable them all the them.
MIUI 12 device list
MIUI will be rolling out at the end of June 2020 for the first roll out and there’ll be a huge list of smartphones in the 2nd batch. These devices include:
Mi 9 / Mi 9T / Mi 9T ProRedmi K20 / Redmi K20 ProRedmi Note 7 / Redmi Note 7 ProRedmi Note 8 ProRedmi Note 9 POCOPHONE F1/ POCO F1Mi 10 Pro/ Mi 10POCO F2 Pro/ POCO X2Mi 10 LiteMi Note 10Mi 8/ Mi 8 Pro/ Mi 8 LiteMi Mix 3Mi Mix 2S/ Mi Mix 2Mi 9 SE/ Mi 9 LiteRedmi Note 7SMi Note 3Mi Max 3Redmi Y2Redmi S2Redmi Note 5/ Redmi Note 5 ProRedmi 6A/ Redmi 6/ Redmi 6 ProRedmi Y3Redmi 7/ Redmi 7ARedmi Note 8/ Redmi Note 8TRedmi 8/ Redmi 8A/ Redmi 8A DualRedmi Note 9s/ Redmi Note 9 Pro/ Redmi Note 9 Pro MaxMi Note 10 Lite
Pokdepinion: Glad to see that there’s a host of devices that’ll be getting it, especially their older models!
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Super Mario Maker 2 Confirmed for June Release Date

Let’s-a go! Let your imagination run wild as you make and play the Super Mario courses of your dreams when #SuperMarioMaker2 launches for #NintendoSwitch on 6/28! https://t.co/TnK9rQwRJi pic.twitter.com/eSJfb7JSPj
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) April 24, 2019

The folks over at Nintendo have quietly announced the release date of the upcoming community-centric Super Mario Maker 2. The game will be launched on 28th June 2019, which happens to be a few weeks after E3 2019.
If you were to follow the link to the teaser site via the tweet at the top of this post, you’ll get to see some cool screenshots and a teaser video from a recent Nintendo Direct show. You might also notice that under “Players”, it says “TBD”. There have been a few rumours that the sequel may add multiplayer and this only adds fuel to that fire.

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We may not know for sure about multiplayer yet, but we do know about quite a few other things Super Mario Maker 2 is bringing to the table. The sequel is adding much-requested features like slopes and modifiable auto-scroll direction. They also have a number of new enemies to deal with, including everyone’s least favorite Angry Sun. Add in new level themes along with tons of new blocks and this becomes a super attractive package already.
Super Mario Maker 2 is coming to the Nintendo Switch on 28th June 2019.
Pokdepinion: Time for a new dose of frustration and fun. Not gonna lie, I really love the game but wow, some maps are just purely sadistic in nature.
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When do you need an AVR, UPS or a surge protector?

In our most recent episode of PokdeLIVE, we talked about some of APC products, namely their surge protector, automatic voltage regulator (AVR) and uninterruptible power supply (UPS) offerings. The main question was when and why do you need them, and how to choose them. Well, in this article we will go through which products do you need to solve your power issues, and also how to understand the ratings on these products.
First let’s go through the difference between the products. Well, to kick things off, the names are pretty self-explanatory. A surge protector is to protect against surges, an AVR regulates the voltage delivered to the connected devices, and a UPS ensures that you get an uninterruptible power supply.
Surge Protectors
A surge protector’s main function comes about by preventing power surges from the mains from reaching the devices connected to it. How it does this is with a metal oxide varistor (MOV), which has the peculiar characteristic of having a lower resistance at higher voltages, making it perfect for this application. In a simple surge protector, a MOV connects the live wire to the ground wire.

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Under normal circumstances, the MOV will exhibit high resistance, and thus will not be conducting electricity from the live wire. But when a surge happens, the MOV’s resistance drops, and the surge can then be channeled into the ground wire, avoiding the surge from reaching your precious devices.

Then comes the ratings of the surge protectors. Most surge protectors will list a Joule rating number, and as usual, the higher the better here. For example, the APC SurgeArrest 5 we have here is rated for 918 Joules. A higher Joule rating generally means that the surge protector can last longer in use when dissipating smaller spikes. Meanwhile the 36 kA Maximum Surge Current rating indicates the maximum current it can withstand before failing. A lightning-based surge can exceed 20 kA, so the APC SurgeArrest 5 is prepared for that.
Since Malaysia has quite a lot of rain and thus quite a lot of lightning, having a surge protector is pretty much a necessity to help protect your expensive devices from a shocking death.
Automatic Voltage Regulator (AVR)
AVR is going to be pretty important if the voltage supply in your area isn’t stable. But unlike the surge protector which can only protect against voltage surges, the AVR is capable of compensating voltage dips as well, while also protecting your devices against voltage surges, albeit to a more limited degree. For an idea of how much more limited, the APC Line-R 1000VA AVR we checked out is rated at 148 Joules, which is a far cry from the 918 Joules the APC SurgeArrest 5.
So how would you know that the voltage in your area isn’t stable? A common phenomenon that you might encounter where you will notice the lights dim a little when your refrigerator’s compressor kicks in, or you turn on the air-conditioner is actually a sign that there was a voltage sag in your power delivery. While you might think it doesn’t really affect you right now, you might notice shortened lifespans on your devices, or even straight up crashes on your PCs when you turn on the appliances which have a high power draw.

An AVR will help you overcome that by compensating for the voltage dip by increasing the voltage, as well as lowering the voltage down when it overshoots the nominal 240V that our appliances are designed for here in Malaysia. The APC Line-R 1000VA AVR claims to be capable of normalizing the voltage to 240V when the input voltage is in the range of 193V to 295V, leveling out the voltage delivered to the connected devices.

A number that you will have to take note of when choosing an AVR is the VA rating. The VA rating can then be multiplied by 0.6 to give you a pretty good idea of what’s the maximum total power draw of the devices you can connect to the device. APC makes it a bit easier by giving you a value in W too. For the APC Line-R 1000VA, that’s 500W, which means the total power draw of the connected devices must not exceed 500W to not overload the AVR and render it ineffective.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS)
If you often suffer blackouts in your area, then a UPS is what you need. A UPS also serves the functions of of an AVR, while also adding on battery backup power. It’s voltage regulation functionality covers a pretty wide range too, from 170V to 280V. In the event of unstable power, the UPS can also switch to battery mode, to protect your devices by isolating them from the power supply from the wall.
The addition of a battery does mean that the UPS is a more advanced piece of hardware, which also means higher costs. UPSes are rated with VA ratings like AVRs, and the APC BV500I-MS here is rated for 500VA, or a 300W maximum power draw.

APC claims that this rather basic UPS is capable of sustaining a 180W load for about 3 minutes, or a 240W one for about 30 seconds. While that doesn’t sound like much, it does give you enough time for you to save your work progress before your PC shuts down. If you want more, you will have to opt for UPSes with higher VA ratings, which would of course cost more.
For a quick guide on how to choose your UPS, you can use the APC UPS Selector.

So now with the difference in the functionalities of the items, how to choose between them? Well, basically, all you need to do is to determine what do you need protection from. Is it surges, unstable voltage or blackouts. The above slide from APC is a pretty good TL;DR. So now armed with the knowledge, head on over to Lazada to check out the latest APC products available:
Check out APC by Schneider Electric on Lazada
I hope this helps clear up about surge protectors, AVRs and UPSes for you! Leave a comment if this helped you!
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