Samsung ups the ante with 64-layer V-NAND memory production; 1.5x faster than the current 48-layer V-NAND

Samsung which is leading in terms of V-NAND flash memory production, has just announced that they have begun mass production of 64-layer, 256Gb V-NAND flash memory, the next step after mass production of 48-layer 256Gb V-NAND. Dubbed the fourth generation V-NAND, the new chips are expected to cover more than 50% of Samsung’s NAND production by the end of the year.
Samsung has been making SSDs based on 64-layer V-NAND since January for key IT clients, while working on mobile and consumer storage solutions based on this new V-NAND. The company has plans to introduce embedded UFS memory, branded SSDs and external memory cards based on 64-layer V-NAND later this year.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The Samsung 64-layer 256Gb 3-bit MLC V-NAND features speeds of up to 1Gbps, the fastest among currently available NAND flash memory. The page program time (tPROG) of 500 microseconds is 4x faster than 10nm planar NAND flash memory, and 1.5x faster than the 48-layer 3-bit MLC 256bit V-NAND by Samsung. Aside from performance gains, the new V-NAND is also 30% more efficient than its predecessor, having a 2.5V input voltage instead of the 3.3V needed by 48-layer V-NAND. Reliability is also improved by 20% compared to the past generation of V-NAND.
Probably of most interest to us consumers is the 30% productivity gain 64-layer V-NAND offers over 48-layer V-NAND, which should mean more storage for even lesser costs to us consumers. With their success with the 64-layer V-NAND, Samsung has the basics down pat for producing V-NAND chips with 1Tb capacity and more by stacking over 90 layers of cell arrays.
Pokdepinion: More performance, higher efficiency and better productivity. V-NAND must be the holy grail of NAND storage, right?
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Battlefield 2042 Leak Suggests No New Content Until March 2022

Battlefield 2042 launched with a rather rocky start, given the large number of reports about it being a relatively buggy mess. Now, it appears to have another as there might not be any new content for the game until March 2022. Here’s what we know thus far.
Battlefield 2042: No New Content Until March 2022?

The #Battlefield2042 client includes weekly missions for 12 preseason weeks.
🗓 Season 1 seems to be scheduled for March 2022 (unless they’ve added a few weeks as “backup”).
🇨🇦 “Exposure” is probably the final name for the previously datamined “Ridge” map.
🎄 Happy Holidays! pic.twitter.com/FBuxapZvjl
— temporyal (@temporyal) December 19, 2021

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

According to a new leak by renowned Battlefield 2042 data miner temporyal on Twitter, there are 12 preseason weeks within the game’s client. When you take into account all that time, it likely points toward there being no new content for the game until at least March 2022.
With that being said, temporyal also mentioned that there is a good chance some of those preseason weeks are added as a backup plan and if everything goes well, new content from the upcoming first season will be coming to Battlefield 2042 earlier. This will allow the developers more time to fix any major bugs that might ruin the experience.
From what we know thus far, there will be a new map coming as part of the game’s first official season, and it’s called “Exposure”. It’s said to be based on a landslide that happened around a Canadian-US research facility base. Not to worry, there will be more than just this new map, just that details are scarce at the moment. For now, take all of this information with a grain of salt.

Battlefield 2042 is currently available for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC.

Source
Pokdepinion: Something in my gut feeling tells me that launching any earlier than those 12 preseason weeks will be a bad idea. I hope I’m proven wrong if that were to happen at least.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


GoPro – Full wash cycle in a dishwasher

Have you ever wondered what is going on inside your dishwasher? Play the video above. GoPro in a dishwasher is the most weird and disturbing GoPro adventure video I have ever seen. This adventure made me remember something similar with the dishwasher water squirt thingy. ( Check out the tab below )

Another Weird Video

Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


[E3 2017] Battlefield 1 Expansion Details Unveiled; New Competitive Experience Coming as Well

Battlefield 1 gets a brand new trailer for the “In the Name of the Tsar” expansion at EA Play E3 2017! Here’s all that you need to know.
E3 2017 has begun and we are super excited to see what’s going to happen this year at the videogame show of shows. Let’s kick things off with a little bit of Battlefield 1 from EA Play’s presentation.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

[E3 2017] Battlefield 1 Expansion Details Unveiled
ARVE Error: need id and provider
Launched some time in the fall of 2016, Battlefield 1 brought players back into the era of World War I, with the game set to bring even more iconic moments from the Great War with a series of new content that will go further into the eras of the war.
During EA’s conference at its EA Play 2017 event, a new trailer surfaced showcasing the new expansions and content coming to Battlefield 1 later this year. EA’s Andrew Gulotta revealed several new pieces of content coming. This includes Night Maps, and a brand new expansion called “In the Name of the Tsar,” which brings players into the largest front of World War I, including a new first look trailer.
In addition to the campaign, the expansion will feature 6 new maps, the Russian army, new cavalry, vehicles, weapons, “the iconic women’s battalion of Death,” and much more. During the conference, it was also revealed that the new content will be arriving in September 2017. EA promised during the conference that:
“In the Name of the Tsar” will be “the most extensive Battlefield expansion so far.
Along with the new expansion, EA also revealed that a new competitive experience will be arriving for Battlefield later this year. More details on the competitive experience will be revealed at Gamescom in August this year.
Battlefield 1 is available now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC. The “In the Name of the Tsar” expansion will be coming some time in September this year.

Pokdepinion: I guess it might be time for me to go back to Battlefield 1 and start practicing all over again. It might just be worth it when it’s finally out.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is now up for pre-order in Malaysia

If you were holding out for a more premium mobile gaming experience, the wait is about to end. The ROG Phone 5 Ultimate is finally coming to Malaysia, with the pre-orders starting this Sunday. For all pre-orders, ASUS Malaysia will also be throwing in RM1099 worth of freebies, including a complimentary ROG Strix Go Core in Moonlight White, on top of the Ultimate Fan Gift Box.

Differentiating the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate from the ROG Phone 5 and ROG Phone 5 Pro is the monochrome PMOLED ROG Vision display embedded in its matte white back. The specifications is also be going to be worthy of the “ultimate” moniker, with a whopping 18GB of LPDDR5 memory and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage under the hood.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

ROG Phone 5 Series Specs and Pricing

ROG Phone 5
ROG Phone 5 Pro
ROG Phone 5 Ultimate

Processor
Snapdragon 888, octa-core up to 2.84GHz, 5nm

Graphics
Adreno 660

RAM
Up to 16GB LPDDR5
16GB LPDDR5
18GB LPDDR5

Storage
Up to 256GB UFS 3.1
512GB UFS 3.1
512GB UFS 3.1

Display
6.78″ FHD+ (2448 x 1080) 144Hz AMOLED display
300Hz touch sampling
150.89% sRGB, 111% DCI-P3, Delta E <1
1200 nits peak brightness
Gorilla Glass Victus

Rear Camera
64MP f/1.8 + 13MP f/2.4 ultra-wide + 5MP f/2.0 macro

Selfie Camera
24MP f/2.0 selfie camera

Connectivity
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (WiFi 6E support)
Bluetooth 5.2
Dual-band GPS
5G: n41/77/78/79, n1, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38,n40
FDD-LTE: Band 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 7/ 8/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 26/ 28
WiFi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax (WiFi 6E support)
Bluetooth 5.2
Dual-band GPS
5G: n41/77/78/79, n66,n71, n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40
FDD-LTE: Band 1/ 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ 7/ 8/ 12/ 13/ 17/ 18/ 19/ 20/ 25/ 26/ 28/ 29/ 30/ 32/ 66/ 71

Battery
6000mAh (3000mAh x 2)
65W HyperCharge (USB-PD)

Special features
RGB ROG logo on back
Color PMOLED display on back
Dual touch sensor on back
Monochrome PMOLED display on back
Dual touch sensor on back
Matte finish

Included Accessories
65W HyperCharger
Aero case
65W HyperCharger
Aero case
AeroActive Cooler 5
65W HyperCharger
Aero case
AeroActive Cooler 5
ROG Ultimate Fan Giftbox

Price
8GB+128GB: RM2999
16GB+256GB: RM3799
RM4499
RM4999

From 8th to 21st August, you can pre-order the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate for just RM4999 on ASUS Malaysia’s official store on Shopee and Lazada. Stocks are expected to arrive by mid-August, so the wait for your pre-order won’t be too long. There are limited stocks, so make sure to be quick.

You can read our review of the ROG Phone 5, or watch our guide on how to customize the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate’s ROG Vision display above.
Pokdepinion: With an upcoming ROG Phone to feature the Snapdragon 888+, now might not be the best time to get the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate…

Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


You still have a long wait for your GeForce GTX 2060 as NVIDIA struggles to clear off GTX 1060

The NVIDIA Turing architecture is sorely missing a mid-range card, which should make the architecture more affordable for mainstream gamers. Even if it doesn’t come with RT cores. And it is going to be some time before NVIDIA brings out the GeForce GTX 2060, as they still have an excess of GeForce GTX 1060 lying around.
NVIDIA confirmed that they have too much stock of the GeForce GTX 1060, most probably due to the sudden crypto crash. They do hope to clear off the stock pretty soon, sometime between the next 2 quarters, so perhaps it is safe to say that you won’t see a new mid-range Turing card before 2019.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Considering AMD has yet to release a next generation mid-range GPU, or any next generation GPU for that matter, NVIDIA is still in a pretty stable position. The GeForce GTX 1060 6GB is still capable of going up against the Radeon RX 590, and given NVIDIA’s huge supply that’s already lying around, they might even be able to push prices lower to give them an edge against AMD’s cards. Or just slap faster RAM on them.
Are you waiting for Turing’s mid-range cards, even if they do not come with RT cores?
Pokdepinion: Well if the GeForce GTX 1060 could be SLI-ed, I am sure they would fly off shelves a lot faster than they are now.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Nokia 2.1 Review — Entry-level Device With Android Go

Introduction

Here comes a new challenger in the budget smartphone arena! The Nokia 2.1, is Nokia’s entry level device running Android Go. The whole idea of Android Go is to give users a smoother experience than possible with standard Android on lower-end hardware. With that in mind, let’s see what the Nokia 2.1 is all about, shall we?
Unboxing

So what you will be getting from the Nokia 2.1 is a basic 10W power brick, the phone itself, some standard earphones, a microUSB cable, and your standard documents.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Appearance

Starting from the front, you’ve got a dual speakers located on top and bottom of the display. The selfie camera is located at the top left side while the Nokia logo is situated on the opposite.

The matte-finished back is blue in color, with copper colored accents for the Nokia logo and around the camera and flash modules. There is a slight curvature too to help with ergonomics.

At the top, there’s only the 3.5mm headphone jack port. Personally, I prefer these on top, so this is just right for me. Design wise, you can see the copper lines running around the phone, which is a nice touch.

Down at the bottom, there’s only the microUSB port for your charging and file transfer purposes. Since the phone has no SIM tray, you can also use the hole to pull off the back cover to put in your microSD and nanoSIM cards respectively.

On the right side is your usual power button and your volume rockers. At the opposite left side, it is completely bare with nothing there.
Specifications

CPU/Chipset:
Snapdragon 425 (4 x Cortex-A53 @ 1.4 GHz)

GPU:
Adreno 308

RAM:
1GB LPDDR3

Display:
5.5″ 16:9 HD (720p) display

Storage:
8GB (expandable via microSD up to 128GB)

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
8MP, AF, Single tone LED flash, HDR, Panorama
Front Camera
5MP

OS:
Android 8.1 Oreo (Go Edition)

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.2
LTE Cat.4 (150Mbps DL/50Mbps UL)

SIM:
Dual SIM

Battery:
Li-Ion 4000 mAh (non-removable)

Dimensions:
153.6 x 77.6 x 9.7mm

Weight:
174 g

Performance
Now before we start, we would like to mention that the phone was unable to run the Antutu benchmark, which we always feature in our smartphone review. But then again, its benchmark scores most probably won’t blow your mind anyway.

Again, the device proved that its performance is lacking with scores that lie very close to the bottom of our charts. It does do better than MediaTek’s old quad-core chipsets of yore though.

In the 3DMark test, it showed unsurprising results with scores being where they ought to be. The Adreno 308 GPU here lacks support for OpenGL ES 3.1, so no Sling Shot Extreme scores.

Similar to the PCMark benchmarks, it doesn’t deliver a massive score but still somehow managed to beat the theoretically more advanced MT6750T in the ZenFone Max Plus M1.

Now in PCMark’s battery life test is where it did rather a good job. Lasting more than 10 hours, it certainly is designed for endurance rather than sheer performance.
As for my daily usage, I find that I would need to charge the phone after nearly two days of usage. Note that I was simply using the device for your basic messaging, watching Youtube videos and some social media scrolling. So you can color me impressed with the battery life here. Charging it back up will take some time. In 30 minutes of charging, it managed to regain only 12% of the battery. So the next time you want to go out, make sure to plug in your Nokia 2.1 earlier.
User Experience

As soon as I took out the device, I’m not ashamed to say that I really like the phone, in terms of looks. It a breath of fresh air in today’s market of smartphone that’s full of notches. Besides that, I liked the fact that it had dual speakers on the front of the display and sports a copper line running around the device. A plus in terms of aesthetics for me. As for the dual front-facing speakers, they are what you’d expect from a smartphone. They are loud and that’s how they should be.

Although the Nokia 2.1 is an entry-level device, it certainly didn’t feel (on the hands) or look like one. Some may be put off by the plastic back of the phone, but for me, it’s acceptable. The back is also removable, which might be new to those who were born into an era of SIM trays. For me, it brings back a nostalgic feeling of back in the days where you are able to swap phone covers.

The main thing that they (Nokia) have marketed on with the Nokia 2.1 is that it is an Android Go device. This means that with it, it offers a smooth experience even if it doesn’t pack much in terms of hardware. Despite that fact, I can still feel the lack of specifications did affect my experience, where it was quite sluggish. At more times than not, it took time to respond to tasks. I just wish that they would improve in that department right there.

The camera app is pretty basic, but you still get niceties like Time Lapse and Slow Motion too. Now with the Nokia 2.1’s camera, the viewfinder can be quite deceiving. You will see that images look all ‘smudged up’ but once you focus on a point and capture, the end product is actually acceptable. Here are some sample photos taken with the phone.

As you would expect from an entry-level device, quality from the camera is not expected to do so well. Despite that, some of the shots taken were quite ‘okay’ for your standard social media postings. It should be said that camera performance under low-light is noisy so you may have a hard time capturing pictures at night, as like any other phones that are in this price range. You can check out the full-sized samples over on Flickr.
Conclusion
Besides the Nokia 2.1’s looks and battery life, I find it hard to recommend for people to purchase it as there are other options out there with similar price tags. Although it packs Android Go to make up for its lack of specifications, I could still feel the limited hardware marring my experience with the device. If you don’t mind its retail price of RM435, you’ll be getting good battery life and pretty good looks. Other than that, Nokia should probably optimize Android Go to offer a more smoother experience, as it is currently no better than full-fledged Android on similarly priced entry-level devices from the competition.
We would like to thank Nokia Mobile for providing us this Nokia 2.1 for the review.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Mi Air Purifier Pro, the ultimate home air purifier

After looking into the Augienb Air Purifier, we were left hungry for more air purifying action. Thus, we reached out to Xiaomi Malaysia and got our hand on their top of the line air purifier the Mi Air Purifier Pro!
Being the flagship in Xiaomi’s air purifier lineup, the Mi Air Purifier Pro carries all that Xiaomi has to offer, from high capacities, huge purifying range, built-in PM 2.5 counter among other. Priced at around RM1000, the Mi Air Purifier Pro has a lot to offer at this price, but how well does it fair? Let’s find out.
Overview
The Mi Air Purifier Pro stand at 73.50 cm
The Mi Air Purifier Pro towers over the Augienb Air Purifier, standing at 73.50 cm, or about the height of a small child. The casing is made of hard plastic that seems pretty sturdy. You get a matte finish and smooth curved edges, which hint at the fact that Xiaomi is well-aware that this product will be put around children and decided to go the sensible route with the design.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The unit is rated to be capable of purifying the air in a room measuring around 35 ~ 60 m2 or 645 ft2, about the size of a small house or studio unit. Within this range, it is capable of removing dust, pollen, and even volatile compounds such as formaldehyde thanks to the filtering system which combines a HEPA filter with an activated carbon filter.

The design of the Mi Air Purifier is rather simple. On top of the unit is the exhaust where the purified air exits the unit, as well as the navigation button. The front panel is home to an OLED where the status of the air purifier will be displayed.

There are 4 major items that can be displayed here, the PM 2.5 measurement in the area, the “favorite mode” which is basically a manual mode which allows users to control the speed via a mobile app, night mode which the quietest among all mode, and finally auto mode which is intelligently adjusts the fan speed to best purify the air in your room. Below the OLED is basically where the air filter sits, with it accessible via back door for easy replacements.
 To change the filter, user can simply remove the cover from the back, unlock the filter and replace it.
The purifying process is simple, the air purifier pulls in air from the holes in the chassis, forces the air through the air filter, and then exhausts the filtered air from the top. To change the filter, users can simply remove the cover from the back, unlock the filter and replace it.
Mi Air Purifier Pro’s fan
What is interesting is the selection of filter type available, Xiaomi has prepared 3 types of filter to handle different needs, the basic HEPA filter, the HEPA + formaldehyde filter, and finally the HEPA + bacteria type.
Mi Air Purifier Pro’s filter comes with 3 different variant
Review
To test the Mi Air Purifier Pro, we will be using an air quality measurement tool that specifically tests PM 2.5, Formaldehyde, and TVOC level. All test are done in favorite mode with the speed set at 50%
Normal Situation
Small office: ~150 sq feetNo windowsDoor closed with no entry nor exit during testing

FormaldehydePM 2.5TVOCControl0.1140010.636Start0.1100000.61715 Minute0.0610000.41730 Minute0.0480010.260
Due to the low PM 2.5 level available in the room, this test more or less proved nothing. However in the following set of tests, we can see how well the air purifier deals with PM 2.5 swiftly.
Hazardous Situation
Since the normal test does not really show the efficiency of the Mi Air Purifier Pro dealing with PM 2.5, to test its ability in dealing with hazardous situations. To test this we spray the room with deodorant spray, as this will spike the level of both formaldehyde and TVOC.

FormaldehydePM 2.5TVOCControl0.0150040.11730 second (Spray)1.9990129.9991 Minute1.5220529.99915 Minute1.1260018.31730 Minute0.8260005.7101 Hour0.1810020.754
The Mi Air Purifier Pro proved effective in removing hazardous substances in air. Within 1 hour we see the formaldehyde and TVOC drop to a safe level. With the AugienB Air Purifier we test, we only achieved this level after 5 hours. But it is worth noting that the AugienB Air Purifier does not come with an activated carbon filter, yet it is good to know that the Mi Air Purifier Pro does and as you can see, works rather effectively.
Interestingly, its seem that is this a better test result to understand how well the Mi Air Purifier Pro deals with PM 2.5. Within 15 minute you see the PM 2.5 dropping from 052 to 001.
Sound Level
While the test earlier is done at 50% fan speed, what we notice is that the noise levels are very bearable. We ran the Mi Air Purifier Pro at other speeds to see how much noise it would produce.

SpeedAvgOff45.2 dB10%46.3 dB25%48 dB50%51.8 dB75%54.5 dB100%55.4 dB
At full speed, it can get as loud as 55.4 dB, although the noise is a much more tolerable low pitched hum. Again we should point out that it is very likely Xiaomi has kept in mind that this device would be placed in a family area, hence equipped it with a fan that emits a low hum at its loudest.
User Experience
The Mi Air Purifier Pro is a beast when it comes to filtration as not only does it works flawlessly, it also does it swiftly. At 50% fan speed, the humming produced is noticeable but it’s still gentle enough that it does not get annoying.

Xiaomi did an amazing job on the mobile app which is very well designed and user-friendly. Once the device is connected, the controls are very straight forward. Other than changing the fan speed and mode, the mobile app also shows the PM 2.5 level and the estimated filter replacement time.
Conclusion

The Mi Air Purifier Pro is a wholesome package. For what Xiaomi is asking for, it is fully justified. Excelling at what it should be doing while at the same time looking right at home in any kind of room decor. This is a device that I would be comfortable to put in the living room knowing it won’t affect the theme I have set in place. We definitely recommend the Mi Air Purifier Pro.

The Mi Air Purifier Pro is priced around RM988, and more often or not you can find it at offer price below that. Check out the links below if you are interested to purchase. For more official information on the Mi Air Purifier Pro, you can find it at its official website here.
Gloo website🛒Gloo @ Lazada🛒Gloo @ Shopee
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


CoolerMaster Quick Fire XTi launched

Cooler Master, a leading manufacturer of desktop components and peripherals, today announced the availability of Quick Fire XTi, a minimalistic mechanical gaming keyboard with multi-colour backlighting for gamers built with 100% authentic Cherry MX switches.

A performance keyboard designed for gamers with a refined sense of style and sophistication. The XTi comes without any distracting logos and frivolous “button clutter” freeing up precious space on the keyboard.  The area above the numpad which is usually where the status LEDs and logo are printed, is also put to good use by offering four additional key, the Quick Fire XTi is truly all-out performance keyboard: A plug and play design makes sure that profiles, macros, and colour backlighting modes, are all quickly and easily customizable without the need for complex software.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Gamers who enjoy minimalism will appreciate the sleek lines, refined symmetry and solid built quality of the Quick Fire XTi. Soft to the touch and long lasting, Quick Fire XTi has UV coated keys which delivers a luxurious experience while protecting the keys for durable, long-lasting game play. Now you can say goodbye to missing letters and unsightly, discoloured keys. Choose between 100% authentic red, brown, or blue Cherry MX switches to match your tactile preference.

The Quick Fire XTi features dual colour backlighting (red and blue) that can be mixed to give you up to 35 colours per key. Multiple lighting modes are included like wave, breathing, and unique responsive effects. Four profile keys allow you to record and switch between lighting modes instantly. Program multiple keystrokes to a single key or change per-key backlighting with intuitive keyboard commands. And you can do all this without the need for additional complex software. Also, the Quick Fire XTi has 100% anti-ghosting with 104-key rollover over USB. This ensures that each key press is correctly detected regardless of how many other keys are being actuated. Never miss a beat and stay accurate even when your game gets fast and furious.
Quick Fire XTi comes with a detachable, braided, cloth cable that won’t strain or fray. Underneath the Quick Fire XTi is a micro USB plug and a choice of 3 cable tracks (center, left, right) that secure the cable in place. Choose the track that suits you, so the cable won’t ever get in your way or clutter up your desktop.
The Quick Fire XTi is now available in Malaysia, priced at RM 629.

Pokdepinion: I had good experience with Cooler Master peripherals, as I own a Cooler Master Storm Quick Fire TK, as well as reviewed the CM Swift RX mousepads. Both of them served me well, and I expect this to perform as well. The lack of RGB lighting might put off some users who prefer more blingy keyboards, and the price which is also rather high may scare away budget-conscious gamers.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Days Gone, A PS4 Exclusive Title Is Making The Jump To PC

It looks like PS4 exclusive Days Gone, the open-world zombie game will be releasing on PC sometime this spring. This bit of news comes from the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment himself, Jim Ryan in a recent interview with British GQ. This is the second first-party Sony game making its way to PC after the release of Horizon Zero Dawn.
Days Gone, the latest PS4 exclusive game coming to PC
“We find ourselves now in early 2021 with our development studios and the games that they make in better shape than they’ve ever been before,” said Ryan in the interview. “Particularly from the latter half of the PS4 cycle our studios made some wonderful, great games. There’s an opportunity to expose those great games to a wider audience and recognise the economics of game development, which are not always straightforward. The cost of making games goes up with each cycle, as the calibre of the IP has improved. Also, our ease of making it available to non-console owners has grown. So it’s a fairly straightforward decision for us to make.”

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

It’s safe to say that the apparent success of Horizon Zero dawn on PC has made Sony rethink its stance on porting games from their first-party catalogue to PC. Tim Ryan elaborated more on their decision to release more PC ports of PS4 exclusive titles.
“We assessed the exercise in two ways,” he said. “Firstly, in terms of the straightforward success of the activity of publishing the game on PC, people liked it and they bought it. We also looked at it through the lens of what the PlayStation community thought about it. There was no massive adverse reaction to it. So we will continue to take mission steps in this direction.”
Days Gone developer Bend Studios has also confirmed the PC port via their Twitter account.

Surprise. #DaysGone comes to PC this spring. Stay tuned for more details. pic.twitter.com/vcSYSKgOtn
— Bend Studio #DaysGone (@BendStudio) February 23, 2021

What other PS4 exclusive games do you guys want to see on PC? Sound off in the comments here or on our Facebook page. For more updates on Days Gone’s release date for PC, do stay tuned to us at Pokde.net!
Source 1, Source 2
Pokdepinion: Right now the only PS4 game I wish was coming to PC is Persona 5 Royal. Not really a first-party Sony title I know but my god I want it on PC so bad! I’m a huge fan of the Persona franchise and I absolutely loved Persona 5.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Security Specialist Easily Guessed Donald Trump’s Twitter Password

It seems that Donald Trump has a thing for Twitter as they seem inseparable. This time, it appears that his Twitter account was allegedly hacked by a Dutch security researcher who’s name is Victor Gevers.
Donald Trump’s Twitter hacked by security researcher

Victor, who happens to be a researcher at GDI Foundation and the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure, attempted to guess Trump’s password on Twitter. It didn’t take long to crack the president’s account however as Victor managed to guess it on his fifth attempt which apparently was “maga2020”.
Surprisingly, according to Victor, the president’s account isn’t backed up by two-factor authentication, which made Victor’s attempt to access his account a breeze.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

If you think it was a one-off thing, well think again. It appears that Victor did the same act back in 2016 where he managed to get a hold of Trump’s password which was “yourefired”, a phrase that Trump is famous for in “The Apprentice”.
After the incident, Victor has said that the president’s account have since change passwords (why are we not surprised?). On the matter, here’s what Twitter had to say:
We’ve seen no evidence to corroborate this claim, including from the article published in the Netherlands today. We proactively implemented account security measures for a designated group of high-profile, election-related Twitter accounts in the United States, including federal branches of government.Ian Plunkett, Twitter spokesperson
Source
Pokdepinion: It blows my mind on how a president’s official account on social media isn’t protected by two-step verification authentication.. It’s not like you’re some random person..
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Xbox One X Cyberpunk 2077 Edition Coming In June 2020

It seems that Microsoft has unveiled a new Xbox One X console that’s themed around Cyberpunk 2077 and it comes with an interesting design.
Xbox One X Cyberpunk 2077 edition

The console features decals that helps it glow int he dark and it comes with a blue LED light at the front. As you can see, this is no normal Xbox One console (seriously, it doesn’t look like one).
As you can expect, the controller also comes in a unique design. Interested in the special edition console? Well it appears that Microsoft is set to launch them in June of this year, which is three months ahead of the game’s release.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The bundle also includes the game itself too. This probably means that the June date is for pre-orders for the console. Unfortunately they didn’t reveal of an exact date or the price for it.
This is not the first time that the game has made its way to be a special themed product. Previously there was the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Cyberpunk 2077 edition graphics card.
Source
Pokdepinion: Not really a fan of the design if I’m being honest… though the controller kinda looks decent with its rugged look.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


This Year’s Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare Officially Revealed

There’s been speculations over the past few months on the latest Call of Duty title to hit the market. Now it’s been confirmed that it will be called Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. The game’s publisher, Activision, has released the official trailer for the game.

If you’re confused on the title of the game, well don’t feel bad (I’m sure a lot are too). The latest game from the CoD franchise is actually a reboot of the 2007 original game, where Infinity Ward has said that the game is “not a remake, but a reimagining”.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Captain Price
Simply put, the game is not based on the same universe as the original trilogy but you will indeed see some iconic faces in the game such as Captain Price, who happen to have a new voice actor.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

As usual, the game will come with a multiplayer mode. We’ve previously wrote on this year’s CoD will come with a campaign too and it has also been confirmed. Infinity Ward has revealed that your progression in the campaign will be carried over to multiplayer.
Interestingly, the game will offer cross-play across all platforms. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare is set to launch on the 25th of October 2019 for PS4, PC, and Xbox One.
Pokdepinion: I won’t lie, I’m pumped up for the game. For those who said that this year’s Call of Duty title won’t be another title from the Modern Warfare series, well here’s Activision/Infinity Ward’s answer to you.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Gearbox Reveals Past Failure Which Made Borderlands 3 A Much Better Product

Borderland 1 and 2 released only three years apart from each other. When you take into account the Pre-Sequel, it’s even shorter with only 2 years apart from the second game. This made people wonder why Borderlands 3 is taking a long time to release. Now, we have an idea as to why this happened.
According to Borderlands 3 Art Director Scott Kester, they were tired due to the back-to-back development of the first two games in the franchise. As such, they needed a change of pace as they fear that doing the third game so soon may not result in a good product.
Okay, so we made 1 and we made 2 pretty back-to-back. I was on both of those games and we were tired. And we were like, ‘Should we make another one?’ And we didn’t want to, we needed a break. Because if we didn’t have a break I think we wouldn’t have made something as good. By the grace of the beautiful 2K they allowed us to say, “Hey, we want to try this Battleborn thing, we just want to kind of reset our palette, we’re gonna try this thing”. And we did it and… you know, if we didn’t make that game Borderlands 3 wouldn’t be as good as it is now. It made us think about things a little different.
Essentially, the team has learned quite a bit from the failure they faced with Battleborn. This in turn helped to shape Borderlands 3 into what they have created right now. There were even details about post-game content that was shared. It was mentioned that they do have plans to go into DLC, and that they’ve made some rather substantial ones already. As for how many there will be and possible costs, that will be revealed at a later date.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Borderlands 3 is coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 13th September 2019. It is expected to come to Google Stadia at a later date.
Source: Metro
Pokdepinion: September cannot come any sooner. I’m so excited for the game, and I hope co-op will still be as fun, if not more so than ever.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


realme to throw ads at you in ColorOS 6 and above, but here’s how to disable them

realme competes against Xiaomi’s more affordable lineup rather fiercely, and will definitely be dealing with razor thin profit margins like Xiaomi as well. Xiaomi’s way to cope with this is to serve up some ads, or what they call recommendations, to help generate some extra revenue. It seems like realme will be going down a similar route in 2020.
realme has just announced that they will be showing ads in the Phone Manager app and the Security Check page. The latter appears after you install a new app, as the system checks through your newly installed app for hanky panky.
realme’s ads shown will comprise of apps and other commercial links, with realme promising to protect the privacy of its users. realme will be adding recommendations via an update to all realme smartphones with ColorOS 6 and above. Now, if you want to avoid being disturbed by such ads, all you need to do is the following:

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Go to SettingsGo to Additional SettingsToggle Get Recommendations

It’s really not difficult to disable realme’s recommendations if you find them too annoying. Would you be willing to deal with some ads to enjoy more affordable smartphones, or would you rather pay more for your smartphone?
Pokdepinion: Well it’s nice of realme to offer an option to disable ads without having to jump through hoops…
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Apple Employees Has Called For Tim Cook To Support Palestine

It seems that a group called the Apple Muslim Association has asked for Tim Cook and the company to acknowledge that “millions of Palestinian people currently suffer under an illegal occupation”.
Apple workers calling for Tim Cook support for Palestine

The group sent a letter to the company, where around 1,000 workers have signed. As you might have known, the recent Israel bombing on Gaza has killed around 227 people, with 63 of them being children.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

They’ve decided to write the letter to the company following Apple’s failed to release a statement to condemn the violence. In the letter, they’ve wrote “We are frustrated and disappointed because once more, many of those in positions of power and influence either choose to remain silent or release ineffectually neutral ‘both sides’ statements with regards to the Palestinian situation”.
One current worker suggests that Tim Cook has been a critic of Donald Trump’s Muslim ban previously. It appears that the letter has been sent on Monday but Apple has yet to respond to it.
Internally, discussions about the violence between the two countries have been dominated by pro-Zionist voices, with sources saying that Muslim employees and those who support them have been unsuccessful to turn the talks toward the plight of Palestinians and Muslim Apple workers.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Source
Pokdepinion: You have to wonder why Tim Cook hasn’t given a statement so far, seeing how he was supportive of Muslims in the ban previously. Regardless, violence is never something that you should encourage.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Samsung Adds Coral Blue To Its S8 Line Up – It Looks Stunning!

The Coral Blue which was introduced with the Samsung Galaxy Note 7, is now an option for the Samsung S8 and S8+. It’s a rather handsome addition and option compared to the standard palette of colors.
The Coral Blue

Samsung has announce that the Galaxy S8 Coral Blue will be available at the recommended retail price of RM 3299, while the Galaxy S8+ Coral Blue is offered at the retail price of  RM 3699, starting from tomorrow (7th of July).

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

In terms of features, the device is still the same with its conventional siblings with Infinity Display, Bixby, dual pixel camera, and more.
With the Coral Blue, it will be the 7th color edition of the smartphone. The list includes Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver, Maple Gold, and the Rose Pink edition.
For a full review of the Samsung Galaxy S8, you can check it out right here
Pokdepinion: It sure adds variety to the list. Considering that I’ve seen most of the S8 owners that i know chose the standard Midnight Black edition. Definitely looks stunning.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Samsung Galaxy A8(2018) and A8+(2018) launched; two front cameras but the rear camera is a lonely one

Samsung has quietly announced the Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) as the first members of their 2018 lineup. The Galaxy A8 (2018) duo offers some of the latest must-have features, including the 18.5:9 Infinity Display from its recent flagships and IP68 water and dust resistance, as well as the metal frame sandwiched between two curved glass panels.

The Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) are also Samsung’s first devices to pack dual front camera systems. As selfies are becoming serious business for smartphone manufacturers, Samsung isn’t going to be left out with its 16MP f/1.9 and 8MP f/1.9 dual front camera with Live Focus for bokeh effects in your selfies. The rear camera is lonely though, but it features a wide f/1.7 aperture in front of its 16MP sensor which also comes with PDAF. And oh, Samsung finally learnt how to position a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor properly! Just decided I had to point that out.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The rear camera does offer video digital image stabilization (VDis) technology and also hyperlapse, to let you create more impressive videos. Keeping things running would be a new octa-core processor which has its cores set in an unprecedented big.LITTLE configuration. That would be a pretty unique 2 x 2.2 GHz performance cores + 6 x 1.6 GHz efficiency cores setup. The Galaxy A8 (2018) will come with 4GB RAM and up to 64GB of storage, while the A8+ (2018) will be offered with either 4GB or 6GB RAM.

Both the Galaxy A8 (2018) and Galaxy A8+ (2018) feature a similar 2220 x 1080 resolution. The Galaxy A8 (2018) will sport a 5.6″ SuperAMOLED display while the Galaxy A8+ (2018) comes with a larger 6″ SuperAMOLED display. The battery in the Galaxy A8 (2018) is also understandably smaller at 3000 mAh, while a 3500 mAh keeps the lights on in the Galaxy A8+ (2018).

Both devices are curiously specified to run Android 7.1.1 Nougat despite them being slated for launch in January 2018. Samsung Pay is available with NFC and Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) support. The Samsung Galaxy A8 (2018) and A8+ (2018) will be available in a choice of four colors including black, orchid grey, gold and blue.
Pokdepinion: The Galaxy A8 (2018) looks like an interesting device. The rear fingerprint sensor is finally properly positioned, and the new SoC looks like it will offer a nice balance of efficiency and performance. Can’t wait to see it around next year!
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


What is Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission About?
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review – Yuffie in disguise

The Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission DLC stars Yuffie Kisaragi and takes place around the same time as the main story. In fact, the earliest part of the game coincides with the time Cloud, Tifa, and Barret commenced their mission to bomb a second Mako reactor.
As an operative of the Wutai government, Yuffie is infiltrating Shinra’s Advanced Weaponry department in order to get her hands on the “Ultimate Materia”. She will not be going in alone as she is aided by a brand new character introduced in the remake, a student of Yuffie’s father Godo Kisaragi and fellow ninja, Sonon Kusakabe.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review – Sonon and Yuffie
Unfortunately, the “Ultimate Materia” is nowhere close to being ready and Yuffie soon finds herself wrapped up in Shinra’s underground actions, most notably the Deepground project headed by the Tsviets. She will have to find another way to fight back and save her homeland. This part of the game will set the promise for the next episode in the remake.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

A Change of Pace
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review – Ninjutsu
For the most part, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission DLC is the same as the base game. After all, it’s simply a story expansion so the underlying systems are the same. What makes this feel refreshing however is not just the focus on Yuffie Kisaragi, but how different she plays from Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and Barret. She is proficient in both melee and ranged combat, with you having the choice to transition between both at anytime.
She does quick combos when you engage enemies head on and you can throw a shuriken at enemies, which will then have Yuffie casting Ninjutsu as a ranged attack. Ninjutsu functions as magic and you have the ability to change the element at the cost of an ATB bar. At the same time, Sonon isn’t playable but they introduced a new mechanic which allows you to execute combination attacks with Yuffie at the cost of slowing down ATB gauge build up. It’s simple but it’s certainly enough to make the game feel more refreshed.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review – Weapons upgrade
Growing the character is the same as before, you level up your Materia with AP earned from defeating enemies and you strengthen weapons by using SP earned from leveling up. The former just needs to be slotted in your equipment whereas the latter will be the same regardless of the weapon so you don’t have to worry about accidentally using it and suffering with a better quality weapon later on.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review – Fort Condor minigame
As far as things to do in the game are concerned, you have the choice of going through the main missions to advance the storyline or side quests. Unsurprisingly, it’s the same as before but there are some new things, most notably the Fort Condor minigame. It’s basically a strategy-based game where you place units in order to take down the enemy’s 3 bases. Alternative, the player with the most bases still alive after 3 minutes win as well.
You make use of boards that can be customized with your own units, and each board has a set of magic that can be used. This may sound a little complicated but in essence, the types of units are like playing rock, paper, scissors in terms of strengths and weaknesses, and magic can help give you an edge over the enemy when used correctly. It’s fun at first but after a while, it gets a bit stale so if this ever returns in a future installment, I hope they add more depth to it as it does have potential.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review
VR Missions and Shinra Combat Simulator makes a return in this game, where you can fight enemies for great rewards. Interestingly, Ramuh is a brand new VR Mission, which will let you use the Summon if you beat him. This may not seem like much at first but after you complete the game, you will unlock more fights so you have more to do in the game. Given how the game is short, about 7-8 hours, it’s definitely needed to entice the crowd.
If you want to check out the review of the main game itself, click right here.
PS5 Upgrade
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review
As many of you may know by now, both the INTERmission DLC as well as the primary game will have a notable boost in performance compared to the original Remake on the PS4. You can notice it almost instantaneously as loading speeds are non-existent and the game runs at a buttery-smooth 60FPS. I’m surprised how the game feels a lot better and more next gen-worthy as a result.
While this sounds great, my only complaint is how this was implemented. As many of you may know, those who own the PS4 version of the game, regardless of physical or digital, are entitled to a free next gen upgrade for it. However, it’s not a simple patch that does it as you need to install the proper PS5 version of the game. In other words, if you have the PS4 version installed, you will need to delete that first.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review
It’s a small annoyance combined with a little confusion at first but I would like to point out that this isn’t Square Enix’s fault. It’s just how Sony implemented the next gen upgrade for games that exist on both the PS4 and PS5. It’s a bit of a shame that they made the INTERmission DLC exclusive to the PS5 as I personally believe that it’s capable of running on the PS4 without issues, just that it will be capped at 30FPS. Since many people still can’t get their hands on the next gen console, a lot of people will miss out on this.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Verdict
Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission Review
The Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission DLC is a pretty fun addition to the game that sets the premise for the next episode of the game. You get to learn more of what’s been going in the game’s story, you get an early taste of Yuffie, further indications of the storyline shifting away from the original game, and a cool little minigame to enjoy within the same solid JRPG system that worked great from before.
If there were any drawbacks, I’d say that the DLC could have been a little more padded in content, the way to go about getting the PS5 next gen upgrade for the game is a bit confusing, the Fort Condor minigame could use more depth, and it’s a shame that it’s only available exclusively on the PS5. If you’re a big fan of the franchise, it’s definitely worth getting, especially while waiting for the next episode.
At the end of our Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade INTERmission review, I award this game expansion with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Square Enix Asia for sending us the DLC game code for the purpose of this review.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Huawei Mate 20 Series Officially Arrives In Malaysia – Massive crowds gathered for device’s first day sales

Quite the turn out, Mate!

Today marks the official sales launch for the much anticipated Huawei Mate 20 Series. In a roadshow held at Pavilion in Kuala Lumpur, fans waited eagerly to get their hands on the Huawei Mate 20 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro which went on sale at 10 AM today. An estimated 10,000 fans turned up for the launch with some of the fans even telling us that they have been waiting in line since 1 o’clock the night before! Now that’s what I call dedication!
The long wait

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Some of them were in line since the night before!

That’s what I call a full house!
On display during the roadshow are the aforementioned Huawei Mate 20 and Huawei Mate 20 Pro. The Huawei Mate 20 X, Huawei’s very own gaming device was also on display during the roadshow. However, the Mate 20 X was only there for display and was not for sale. Also on display during the roadshow are Huawei’s brand new laptops, the Huawei MateBook X Pro with the ingenious pop-up webcam as well as the Huawei MateBook D.
Huawei MateBook D
To celebrate the auspicious day and as a reward for their dedicated fans, Huawei offered free gifts which include a FREE DJI Tello drone worth RM 469 for the first 1,000 customers who purchased the Huawei Mate 20 Series. Other gifts include a SoundStone Speaker and a wireless charger for those who bought the Mate 20 and Mate 20 Pro respectively. Those who purchased the MateBook Series however got freebies worth up to RM 1,000! These include a Huawei bag, a leather sleeve, A Bluetooth mouse as well as a one-year Microsoft Office 365 subscription.
The Huawei Mate 20 has a retail price of RM 2,799 and comes with the new Kirin 980 chipset, up to 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage and a tri-camera setup (12MP f/1.8 main lens, 16MP f/2.2 ultra wide angle lens and 8MP f/2.4 2x telephoto lens).
Huawei Mate 20
Huawei Mate 20 back
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro on the other hand retails at RM 3,599 and comes with the new Kirin 980 chipset, 6GB RAM, 128GB internal storage as well as a slightly bumped up tri-camera setup (40MP f/1.8 main lens, 20MP f/2.2 ultra wide angle lens and a 8MP f/2.4 3x telephoto lens).
Huawei Mate 20 Pro
Huawei Mate 20 Pro back
The Huawei Mate 20 X will arrive some time during mid-November and will retail for RM 3,199. The specs are the same as the Mate 20 Pro but with a larger 7.2 inch FHD+ OLED screen as well as a massive 5,000 mAh battery. For a more in depth look at the Mate 20 Series do head over here.
Huawei Mate 20 X
Huawei Mate 20 X back
Look at how big the Mate 20 X is compared to the normal Mate 20!
In addition to the Mate 20 devices, the Huawei MateBook X Pro retails at RM 4,999 for the i5 version and RM 6,999 for the i7 version. The Huawei MateBook D on the other hand has only an i5 version which retails for RM 2,999. Currently the Huawei MateBook X Pro and Huawei MateBook D are sold out and for those who pre-ordered the MateBooks beforehand can still come to the roadshow to collect their laptops.
Huawei MateBook X Pro
The pop-up camera on the MateBook X Pro
The sales launch roadshow will end tomorrow, 28th October 2018.
Pokdepinion: I was legitimately blown away at how many people came to the roadshow to purchase the devices. The fact that some of them even came at the wee hours to wait in line is all the more impressive.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


New Game Modes Are Coming To Apex Legends Says Respawn

Though Apex Legends is pretty much an enjoyable game (and free to play too!), its content is considered quite short as there’s not much that the game has to offer except for its standard PvP mode. Now, it seems that the game will see more game modes in the near future.
The news was revealed on Reddit, when a player asked Respawn, the game’s developer, whether they are “exploring new ways to play”. The user then added that players of the game want solo/duo game modes to be added to the game, while others want features such as custom lobbies and even skill-based matchmaking. Respawn Entertainment has go on and respond has confirmed that they are indeed on the way to bring in new content and features towards the game.
They’ve also confirmed that Respawn has taken note the issues of the game’s higher level progression issues, where progression is too slow and the rewards aren’t enough. It seems that Respawn will be talking about more on the issue this June, where Season 2 of the game is expected to be out.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Additionally, they’ve also noticed the issue of the circle being too big for the number of squads left, where the player brought up in the Reddit post. At the moment, the company is said to be not sure on how to correctly address it.
Apex Legends is available to play for free on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Pokdepinion: Though there’s not a lot of details that they are giving us here, it’s still good news that they’ve noticed several issues in the game and will be looking to introduce more contents to the game.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Thundermatch puts customer through misery; Laptop purchase turns into a nightmare!

Being a digital products retailer, one would expect you to get technically inclined salesperson to handle technical deals. This should especially be the case if the product in talks is a gaming laptop worth close to RM5K. However, this was not the case that happened recently at Thundermatch, a notoriously huge digital chain in Malaysia.
An anonymous friend of ours recently had a very bad and traumatizing experience with Thundermatch in Mid Valley Megamall. Looking forward to a new gaming laptop, he had chosen the ASUS ROG Strix GL553V series as his preference. Being slightly technologically literate, he knew he needed a machine that houses an SSD in it.
This is actually the unit that was purchased and it’s in our Pokdelab right now!
However, the salesman at Thundermatch assured him that he didn’t need one with SSD and opted him for the GL553V-DDM635T which comes with Intel i7-7700HQ 2.8GHz CPU, 4GB DD4 RAM, Nvidia GTX1050 4GB, but a measly 1TB 5400rpm HDD. We have done countless reviews with hardware that uses this hard disk and the experience has been nothing but sore. Recommending this to someone who already wanted an SSD configuration doesn’t look like it’s going to turn any good.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

This is not where the story ends. In fact, it gets worse.
The HDD is worse than any hard disks we have ever seen. I was told by our dear friend that the HDD was hitting 100% usage even on the most basic tasks. I mean, it is a 5400rpm hard disk, I wouldn’t expect stars and moon on it, but how basic can basic actually be? So I took the unit over to our labs to test this out. Here’s our finding.

The hard disk REALLY was a bottleneck to the entire experience! More than anything that we have ever seen before! The above process is a screenshot of opening up Windows Explorer window. I’m not kidding! I booted up the laptop, let it settle down, clear all the background processes, turned on the Task Manager, and fired up the Windows Explorer. Not even browsing around it, not even transferring any files. The middle spike was just me moving the mouse, and the final spike is for closing the Windows Explorer window. This is batshit crazy lousy performing HDD!
So I asked him to go back to where he bought the laptop; Thundermatch at Mid Valley. When he explained his situation, he was actually presented with an answer that no one ever would like to hear. “Who asked you to purchase the laptop without SSD?“. That is as ridiculous as it gets! But look, the problem is there, and it has to be solved! So he asked how much it would cost to replace the dreaded HDD with an SSD?
“RM479 for 128GB SSD plus RM100 installation fees”. That’s what was quoted to him. We do know that computer prices are spiking, but this is downright ridiculous! I could easily get a 256GB SSD for that price at Lazada itself! So I asked him to just get back home, pass the unit and I would do something about it.
Rextech Saves The Day!
So I asked my friend to send the laptop back to me and I promised him we’ll fix this situation ourselves. I reached out to my man at Rextech and asked for a quote on any affordable SSD that he has in his inventory. Considering my friend had just spent about RM4.6K on the laptop, he didn’t want to burn his pocket.
So I was quoted RM435 for a 256GB PNY CS1311B SSD from Rextech. To even sweeten the deal, he threw in a free 16GB thumb drive. Now that’s what an SSD price sounds like in January 2018!
If you guys need to reach out to Rextech, you can find them on their facebook page here. Afterall, we are all in for companies who are genuine in selling and technically inclined in understanding sales matters for customers on budget.
Don’t hate the brand!
Following this case, it didn’t end just here. The damage was overflowing beyond expectation. Having such a bad experience, and sharing it among his friends, a falsified perception was getting created. Our immediate circle of friends were also hunting for gaming notebooks and were looking for recommendations. Upon recommending this same model, the responses were turning dreadful. The stories about this experience had spread among the circle and people were on the verge of thinking that it was the laptop’s problem. This whole fiasco has nothing to do with the brand. It could have been any other gaming laptop brand in the picture. It’s not the brand’s fault here. Please get that part right as a consumer.
We plugged the SSD into the gaming laptop and everything is blazing quick now.
Pokdepinion: I’m sorry Thundermatch, this was totally unethical on your side. In the case of my friend, at least he had a friend who could assist him in solving this matter, but not every laptop buyer has the same privilege. This guy entered your premises just like a normal joyful person excited about purchasing a gaming laptop, but you have caused damage beyond just this one person, and we stand up for what is right and needs to be fixed as we share the same industry, just different medium.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


10,000 Units Of ROG Phone 2 Were Sold In Just 73 Seconds

We all know about the ROG Phone 2 and what a beast of a gaming smartphone it is. Well it looks like the folks from China are really excited for the phone as ASUS managed to get 2.4 million reservations on JD.com, a local online store there.
While this figure isn’t a pre-order amount, they’d still need to reserve their order in order to purchase the device beforehand.
It seems that during the first batch of sale for the ROG Phone 2 (today) saw 10,000 units of the gaming smartphone to be gone in exactly 73 seconds.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

ASUS has then offered an apology for those who weren’t fast enough to get their hands on the ROG Phone 2, where they gave promise for their upcoming sales to be larger stock supplies.
If you missed on the news about the ROG Phone 2, it comes packed with a top of the line Snapdragon 855+ chipset, a 6.59-inch AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate as well as a 6000mAh battery under the hood. For more details on the ROG Phone 2, you can check out our previous article right here.
Pokdepinion: I just hope that the price for the ROG Phone 2 will be similar (after conversion) when it reaches to Malaysia, it’ll definitely sell like hot cakes! Then again… the original ROG Phone was an instant hit back then despite its launch price.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Indonesian Muslim Group Issues Fatwa Declaring PUBG and Similar Games Haram

The popular online battle royale game, PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), has been hit with a fatwa by an Indonesian Muslim group which declares the game, and also similar games, haram.
The Aceh Ulema Council has called on local residents to avoid playing PUBG and suggested that their local government to consider banning the game completely. The reason mentioned is because PUBG and similar games have the possibility of triggering violence and changing people’s behaviour.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Faisal Ali, deputy chairman of the Aceh Ulema Council, said:
Our fatwa says that PUBG and other similar games are haram (forbidden) because they can trigger violence and change people’s behaviour, It also insults Islam.

This religious edict came after officials in Iraq, Nepal and Gujarat banned PUBG over fears of inciting real-world violence. The Aceh Ulema Council were increasingly alarmed by the growing popularity of the game. This is especially the case with both children and adults playing PUBG Mobile on their smartphones.
Breaking the fatwa would not result in any punishments, but it was mentioned that the Aceh Ulema Council has been contemplating a similar call to ditch violent games altogether. It’s been said that talks about a potential fatwa came about with recent shooting incidents across the world which resulted in deaths and serious injuries. One of the more notable incidents is the Christchurch shooting in New Zealand which happened on March 2019.
Source: FMT
Pokdepinion: In my honest opinion, I personally don’t believe that games will cause people to turn violent. After all, I grew up playing Mortal Kombat, Doom, and other rather violent games, and I turned out just fine. However, I also believe that different people perceive things differently, and it might give them a different impression altogether. Because of this, I’m on the fence on the matter. What do you guys think? Should it be haram / something to avoid?
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED (2023) Review – A Zenbook S Reboot?

This year’s rendition of ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED has switched back to Team Blue CPUs, with a complete chassis and hardware redesign despite inheriting the same name from the previous year AMD-powered machine. Today we’ll get into this model year 2023 version of the Zenbook S 13 OLED (SKU number UX5304V-ANQ195WS – in case you’re wondering), and see what’s new. Spoiler alert – they’re completely different.
Unboxing
Box packaging
What you’re seeing here is a very nondescript box until you look closer. The recycled material features the new ‘A’ logo faintly highlighted on the top of the box, but other than that there’s literally not a single letter elsewhere. Charging cables are placed separately, making more efficient use of the space.
Box contents
Unpack all the boxes and you get these items:

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Power cable (UK, Type G)
65W power adapter (USB-C PD)
MyASUS leaflet
User guide
Quick start guide
Laptop sleeve
ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED itself

Since we only have the review unit – the sleeve doesn’t come included with us, but retail units will come with these included in-box.
Underneath the box – you get this AR section.
Small tidbit: beneath the laptop box you’ll also find this compartment revealing a grid artwork and a QR code on the lower right side. Scan it and it’ll take you to your Instagram app to activate a filter – which I’m not entirely sure how it’s supposed to work given that all it produces is an overlay of the “grid” into the app viewfinder when you aim your camera towards it.
Walkaround
          Lid            Keyboard & Touchpad          Underside
This is a brand-new chassis for the Zenbook S lineup, with a lot of design differences. First off, the ‘A’ insignia is prominently featured on the lid of the laptop; and the keyboard now features the “boxed” design that somewhat resembles the redesigned Apple Macbooks. You get a huge touchpad that covers all available vertical space; meanwhile down the bottom you get two relatively tiny intake channels directly exposed to the cooling fans.
          Front            I/O (Left)          I/O (Right)              Rear            Webcam array            Display hinge
As far as I/O goes, it’s pretty much your standard lightweight laptop’s selection of ports. A single USB-A, two Thunderbolt 4 ports (either one can be used for charging, but it’s on the same side anyways) a HDMI port that supports 4K high refresh rate outputs (it’s version 2.1), and the venerable headphone jack. Should you need port expansions, the Thunderbolt ports should get you covered (they also double-up as DisplayPorts).
The webcam array features quite a few sensors, which of course supports Windows Hello face recognition; but you won’t be getting fingerprint as a sign-in option. Also gone is the virtual numpad, and as gimmicky as that seemed to be for some, it’s a bit of a shame isn’t it?
Specifications
ASUS Zenbook S 13 OLED (UX5304V-ANQ195WS)

CPU
Intel Core i7-1355U (2P+8E – 10 cores, 12 threads)

RAM
16GB LPDDR5-5200, Dual channel soldered

Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics (96 EUs)

Storage
Intel SSD 660p 1TB (PCIe 3.0 x4, M.2 2280)

Display
13.3″ 2.8K 16:10 IPS, 2880×[email protected]
100% DCI-P3, 550 nits peak brightness
10-bit color, PANTONE validated
Dolby Vision support, VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500
Glossy non-touch panel

Speakers
Downward-firing stereo speakers
Dolby Atmos support

I/O

2x Thunderbolt 4 (DisplayPort / USB-C Power Delivery support)

1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
1x HDMI 2.1
1x 3.5mm headphone jack

Connectivity
Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3 (Intel AX211)

Battery
63Wh

Power Supply
65W, USB-C Power Delivery

Operating System
Windows 11 Home

Dimensions
296.2 x 216.3 x 10.9 ~ 11.8 mm

Weight
1.00kg

Performance

First things first – the Zenbook S 13 OLED is off to arguably a bad start here. Checking the model SKU number through Task Manager has revealed that inside this laptop sits a 5-years-old Intel 660p Series SSD, which runs on the dated PCIe 3.0 protocol despite the Intel 13th Gen chip supporting Gen 4 drives. Compare this to the predecessor and you see a sharp drop in sequential performance; however, in the more crucial random I/O metric, the new model does edge out the old one by some margin.

Despite having a newer Intel chip, the performance on the new Zenbook S 13 OLED is… middling. The Ryzen-powered predecessor, which packs all 8 full-size cores and 16 threads has left the new one in the dust, due to its core deficit – as much as Intel says the E-core technically counts as a ‘core’ (which bumps up the spec sheet to a “10-core CPU”), they’re much weaker in performance and the lack of hyperthreading on them certainly didn’t help this 2P+8E chip.
As for single thread, it’s a clear lead over the AMD chip, however when compared to 12th Gen-powered laptops, oddly enough it’s still behind some last-gen chips – even the Core i7-1255U in the ASUS Expertbook B9400 which, mind you, is this very chip’s direct predecessor. You can of course crank the power to 24W by selecting Performance mode through MyASUS app, but we’re testing out-of-the-box settings here (which consumes 19W on long-term workloads).
It’s worth noting that despite the workload keeping the CPU pinned, the core temperature never exceeded 92°C (it thermal throttled, though). Long-term workload will keep the core temps around 80°C, which is likely to not burn user’s laps (it’s called a laptop for a reason) when the workload hits.

The trend continues – the Intel chip’s onboard Xe Graphics (with 96 Execution Units) is no match to the AMD chip featuring in the previous-gen Zenbook S 13 OLED, so if you need that last bit of performance to play some light games or AAA titles on low settings, AMD is the better option given its 43% lead (and driver support is another thing to take account, but Intel is improving in this regard).

No surprises – the newer Zenbook S 13 OLED’s onboard graphics sits on the lower end of the spectrum, with the previous-gen once again leading the chart with a huge 50% lead over the Intel-powered model.

Onto Novabench – the Zenbook does edge out the previous-gen Intel-powered Dell XPS 13 Plus, but loses out to its bigger-sized brother as P and H series enjoys a lot more power allocation to really stretch its muscles. (TDP/MTP is 45W and 28W respectively, FYI.)

The PCMark 10 test reveals the new Zenbook S 13 OLED does win, sometimes. Essentials gives Intel-powered Zenbook a convincing win; however both Productivity and Digital Content Creation are completely AMD’s home field thanks to its superior number of cores and thus, compute power. Looking outside of the two laptops, and you see the Zenbook S 13 OLED pretty much is the highest score in terms of Productivity – if you ignore its more performant predecessor, that is.

Another win for Intel: the majority of E-cores sitting within the Intel Core i7-1355U finally proves itself in battery runtime. The Intel-powered Zenbook gets 10 hours 49 minutes of runtime, or roughly 100 minutes more (99 if you’re counting) than the AMD-powered counterpart. It’s also one of the best in terms of endurance as far as laptops in this chart are concerned.
The Good

ASUS is very proud with their OLED displays, and this is no exception. It’s got all the things you could ask for as far as media consumption goes: HDR, 10-bit color, 1 million-to-one contrast ratio, color accuracy, gamut, 16:10 aspect ratio and 550 nits of brightness, which is very high among OLED panels. The only thing it kind of lacks is the refresh rate, but it’s more of a nice-to-have rather than a practical advantage that it may provide.
The company also put its focus on sustainability, which is one of the highlights of this laptop. Much of the chassis contains recycled aluminum, recycled magnesium-aluminum alloy, recycled plastics, ocean-bound plastics and halogen-free PCB. The box packaging can also be upcycled into integrated laptop stand for better typing ergonomics.
Another strong point for the laptop is the chassis itself: at just 1kg, it’s one of the lightest 13-inch laptops out there, and ASUS says it’s the lightest 13-inch OLED laptop on the market right now. You can definitely carry it single-handedly no problem, and students would appreciate the lack of weight and footprint; also, the design perhaps looks the part as well.

The keyboard is a bit of an interesting case. Depending on your preference, you may like it or dislike it – the keyboard is clearly tuned for minimal typing noise, however that does come at a cost of typing feel which I’d describe as a bit “resistive”. The initial actuation force seems to be higher than I expected, and the keystroke distance is definitely on the shorter side (which I often bottomed out). I personally find it serviceable despite my preference over clearer keystroke at the tradeoff of slightly more typing noise.
Microphone performance is decent – although it does seem to pick up more echo than I’d like. ASUS is handing off the noise suppression to their AI Noise Cancellation software for the most part (which MyASUS app warns does increase the battery consumption), so a noisier environment could get into the receiving end of the call fairly easily if you’re leaving the microphone settings by default. Here’s a test clip:

https://pokde.net/assets/uploads/2023/07/zenbooks13oled2023_Recording.mp3
Meanwhile, ASUS has also fixed one of the downsides of the last-gen model by returning one USB-A port. It’s not much (a mouse can already populate it), but it’s better than carrying a USB-C to A dongle with you all the time just to connect someone else’s USB drives. Just ask Macbook users.
The Bad

On it’s own, the Zenbook S 13 OLED is fine in terms of performance – you’re not dealing with performance issues unless you do things that it’s not quite supposed to do, such as gaming. However, this is not a vacuum, and the predecessor exists – in the form of Ryzen 7 6800U-powered machine that delivers so much performance on tap, it just makes all Intel chips on the same power category look considerably weak in comparison. Imagine a Zen 4 version of this laptop!
There’s also another aspect of the performance that I have issues with, specifically cooling. The cooling performance is fine, great even – but the noise frankly is distracting with the very high-pitched whine that almost reminds you of your dentist visit. I’d strongly suggest you keep the fan profile on Silent, anything faster and you’re hearing that whine until it stops spinning. That said, if you live in noisier environments, this may be less of a concern for you.

Like the Zenbook 14 Flip OLED, the I/O placement suffers from the same problem: both Thunderbolt ports are situated on the same side (left), so you can’t switch the direction your cables are routed to which is one of the point of transitioning to USB-C charging in the first place. I’d rather see the USB-A switch places with one of the Thunderbolt ports so charging can be less restrictive, especially on tight spaces.
As for speakers, I do find it lacks in bass. Tuning EQ with the Dolby Access can only help so much, as the sheer volume imbalance across the frequency range makes it more of a speaker designed for conference first-and-foremost (it delivers clear audio, at least), so if you’re listening to songs – get an external speaker, earbuds or a headset.
The redesigned chassis also drops the virtual numpad that’s commonly seen in ASUS laptops before – we’re not sure why, especially given the price it’s asking for it’d be nice to have some exclusive touchpad features to differentiate itself from the ultralight laptop crowd. Also dropped: touch panels. Bummer.
Verdict

Here comes the painful part – ASUS is asking RM5,999 for the Core i7 spec of the new Zenbook S 13 OLED, and it would probably have been fine… if not for the existence of the predecessor which sells for the same price, while offering vastly superior performance thanks to the powerful Ryzen chip. You do get slightly better battery life in the new model, so ultimately it depends on your priority – performance or battery life?
The new change of direction for the Zenbook S 13 OLED could be a risky one, given that we’ve already listed quite a few feature regressions across the board. Let’s hope the Zenbook S “franchise reboot” would be for the better.

Big thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending us this laptop for the purpose of this review.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Samsung Malaysia Launched Galaxy S10 into Space – You Can Win a New Samsung Galaxy S10

Samsung Malaysia Launched Galaxy S10 into Space

The latest and hottest thing happening with Samsung right now is their new flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S10 series. There are three devices to be precise; the Samsung Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10, and Galaxy S10+. In a rather interesting move, the folks over at Samsung Malaysia is launching the Samsung Galaxy S10 into space.
This very same smartphone being sent 80,000 ft above ground and into space will be set to capture a bird’s eye view of our own planet Earth. This grand feat was done to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy series. Apart from that, it is also done to demonstrate the prowess of the camera on the flagship device. Interestingly, it is also Malaysia’s first smartphone brand to send their device into orbit.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Yoonsoo Kim, President of Samsung Malaysia Electronics, said:
The past decade has been illustrious for us. We have revolutionized the smartphone landscape by reinventing the device we hold firm in our palms and close to our hearts. We introduced many of the world’s firsts and what was once unimaginable is now the norm. But we are far from resting on our laurels. Today, you will see that we have created a new standard for all of you who desire and expect more from your mobile companion.
While the Samsung Galaxy S10 is being sent into space, the public can join an online contest called “Be Unbeaten” to predict where the smartphone will land by dropping a pin on mapped locations. The ten pinned locations closest to where the smartphone lands will win a brand new Samsung Galaxy S10 smartphone.
The “Be Unbeaten” contest will be happening from 1st March to 4th March 2019 so you will have the weekend to guess where the smartphone will eventually land. You can be one of the ten lucky winners who will walk away with a brand new smartphone this year.
Pokdepinion: I hear free smartphone opportunity, I take part in it. You should too, lady luck might want to smile in your favour.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


HUAWEI Mate40 Pro Is Arriving This 12 December 2020

HUAWEI Malaysia has revealed that their HUAWEI Mate40 Pro is set to arrive in our shores here in the country this coming 12 December 2020. You can also stand a chance in getting exclusive gifts and freebies when you purchase it.
HUAWEI Mate40 Pro arriving in Malaysia

The free gifts that’s offered is worth up to RM3,300 where it includes the following items:

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

HUAWEI Sound X
HUAWEI Video
HUAWEI Book
HUAWEI Pay
HUAWEI Member Center offers
HUAWEAI AppGallery 20% rebate for reload transactions
50GB Cloud Storage

Priced at RM4,299, the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro comes with the latest Kirin 9000 chipset and it is packed with 8GB RAM that’s paired with 256GB UFS 3.1 storage.
Camera wise, the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro comes with a triple camera setup that consists of a 50MP Ultra Vision camera, 20MP Cine lens, and finally a 12MP telephoto shooter. As for the front, you’ve got a 13MP lens to shoot your selfies.
Its 6.76-inch display uses an OLED panel where it supports HDR10 plus 90Hz refresh rate. Under the hood is a 4400mAh battery which you can charge with its 66W fast charger. It also supports 50W wireless charging as well as 5W reverse wireless charging, in case you’re wondering.
Available in Mystic Silver, you can purchase the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro starting from this 12 December 2020 at your nearest HUAWEI Experience Store or any HUAWEI Store in the country.
Pokdepinion: If you’ve been waiting for the HUAWEI Mate40 Pro, well you’ll be able to get your hands on the flagship device soon!
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Online services to be taxed starting January 2020 — Steam games to get more expensive?

Malaysian Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng is still tabling Budget 2019 in the Parliament, and there is some bad news for us gamers already. Imported online services like Netflix, Spotify and Steam will be taxed starting 1st January 2020.

Bagi perkhidmatan atas talian yang diimport oleh pengguna, penyedia perkhidmatan asing akan dikehendaki berdaftar dengan Kastam, mengenakan dan meremit cukai perkhidmatan yang berkaitan berkuatkuasa mulai 1 Januari 2020.
— Ministry of Finance (@MOFmalaysia) November 2, 2018

Providers of imported services are required to register with the Customs Department for taxation purposes. The tax to be levied upon the services has not been announced yet, so providers may have to pay between 5% to 10% tax.
Whether the service providers will transfer the cost to consumers remains to be seen, but if they do, we will have to reconsider whether we need any of the services that are imported.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

Pokdepinion: Hmm, this tax makes iFlix a much more attractive proposition now, doesn’t it?
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Intel Tiger Lake sees 4.8GHz boost along with 1.55GHz GPU clocks

While Intel faced issues with the Ice Lake parts not being able to be clocked nearly as high as Comet Lake due to the limitations of their 10nm node, it seems that they might have overcome it for their Tiger Lake generation.
The Intel Core i7-1185G7 was spotted on Geekbench with 3.0GHz base clocks and 4.8GHz boost clocks, which is a significant step up from the 4.1GHz that Intel squeezed out of the Apple-exclusive Intel Core i7-1068NG7.

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The CPU isn’t the only impressive part of the upcoming 11th Gen Intel Core processors. As hinted earlier, they are also going to pack the upcoming Intel Xe graphics, and the GPU here is a massive 96 EU (Execution Units) part that’s clocked at up to 1.55GHz.
In comparison to the GPUs in the Ice Lake generation that came in configurations of up to 64 EU running at up to 1.1GHz, we should see a major leap forward in integrated graphics performance, at least for Intel.

While I think it is probably safe to assume that the Core i7-1185G7 will rank on the higher-end of the spectrum, the Intel Core i3-1115G4 appears to be pretty impressive too with 4.1GHz clocks. The 11th Generation Intel Core processors might just see Intel be competitive again, when the AMD Renoir APUs have taken the market by storm recently.
Intel is expected to unveil more about the 11th Gen Intel Core processors tomorrow, so stay tuned for more news on them coming real soon!
Source (1), (2)
Pokdepinion: Hopefully Tiger Lake won’t be reserved for the premium segment like Ice Lake was…
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


Acer Announces A Slew Of New Predator And Nitro Gaming Monitors

Acer has just announced a series of new additions to their Predator and Nitro monitor line. These new monitors are suited to a wide range of gamers, from elite professionals requiring top-of-the-line technology to casual players more concerned with enjoying themselves. These gaming monitors are TÜV Rheinland Eyesafe-certified which selectively filters out blue light while still maintaining crisp and vivid colors. Not only that, Acer is the first brand to offer gaming monitors with this certification.
Among the gaming monitors that were announced by Acer are Predator XB3 Series monitors, Predator X34 GS, Acer Nitro XV272U KV and Nitro XV272 LV.
Predator XB3 Series
Predator XB273U NV

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

The new Predator XB273U NV is a gaming monitor that is certified by Eyesafe, one of the first with this certification, and has been designed to give players as comfortable a gaming experience as possible. It does this by managing high-energy wavelengths in order to selectively filter out blue light while maintaining crisp and vivid colour quality. Part of the XB3 VisionCare series which incorporates a range of technologies – LightSense, AdaptiveLight, ColorSense and ProxiSense – that measures environmental and ambient light and then automatically adjust the monitor’s brightness and colour-temperature to match it, helping reduce eye strain.
The XB273U NV monitor features 27-inch QHD (2560×1440) Agile-Splendor IPS display with wide viewing angles, a fast 1ms response time and up to an overclocked 170Hz refresh rate. It is VESA DisplayHDR 400 certified and has true 8-bit image quality and dynamically adjusts screen brightness to suit the displayed scene.
Furthermore, it has RGB LightSense for synchronizing the screen’s colours to music, media and esports tournaments while the built-in TX transmitter can wirelessly sync lighting colours and rhythm to additional networked monitors for an even more dramatic effect.
The Predator XB273U NV be available will be available in North America in January 2021 starting at USD549.99 (RM2281.63), in EMEA in January 2021 starting at EUR549 (RM2698.79), and in China in November 2020, starting at RMB3999 (RM2488.91).
Predator XB253Q GW

The Predator XB253Q GW has a 24.5-inch FHD IPS panel that can be overclocked to a 280Hz refresh rate (overclockable) with up to a 0.5ms (G to G) response time and it is G-SYNC compatible. It also has integrated RGB LightSense with nine different special effects synchronizes RGB to the beat of the music, games and more.
The XB253Q GW monitor has also been ergonomically designed, allowing users to adjust its tilt, swivel, height and pivot.
The Predator XB253Q GW will be available will be available in North America in January 2021 starting at USD429.99 (RM1783.81), in EMEA in January 2021 starting at EUR449 (RM2207.21) and in China in December 2020, starting at RMB2999 (RM1866.53).
Predator XB323U GX

The Predator XB323U GX features a a 32-inch QHD display that is overclockable to a 270Hz refresh rate and up to a 0.5ms (G to G) response time. It also has 99% AdobeRGB coverage which makes this an excellent choice for players who create videos of their gameplay, and a VESA DisplayHDR 600 certification indicates that the XB323U GX features 8-bit image processing and local-dimming for deep blacks and impressive highlights.
The Predator XB323U GX will be available will be available in North America in January 2021 starting at USD899.99 (RM3733.61) in EMEA in December 2020 starting at EUR999 (RM4910.92) and in China in November 2020, starting at RMB6999 (RM4356.06).
Predator X34 GS

The Predator X34 GS features a 34-inch curved UWQHD screen with an Agile-Splendor IPS panel that delivers clear images even at wide viewing angles. It is also G-SYNC compatible, is overclockable to a 180Hz refresh rate and has 0.5ms (G to G) response time. It also features VESA DisplayHDR 400 which illuminates the finer details to create sharper images while 98% DCI-P3 spectrum coverage brings images to life in vivid colour.
In addition to that, the X34 GS monitor features two integrated 7 watt speakers that eliminates the need for external speakers.
The Predator X34 GS will be available will be available in North America in December starting at USD999.99 (RM4148.46) in EMEA in December starting at EUR1099 (RM5402.50) and in China in November, starting at RMB7999 (RM4978.45).
Acer Nitro XV272U KV and Nitro XV272 LV
The Acer Nitro XV272U KV and Nitro XV272 LV are two new 27-inch Nitro series models that are Eyesafe-certified and are geared towards a more casual gaming audience.

The Acer Nitro XV272U KV offers a clear QHD display with a low Delta E<1 rating and 95% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour spectrum. It can overclocked to up to 170Hz refresh rate with a 1ms (G to G) response time on an Agile-Splendor IPS panel. The monitor is also equipped with LightSense, ColorSense and ProxiSense technologies, giving users a more comfortable experience by automatically adjusting the monitor’s settings based on ambient lighting in the environment.

The Nitro XV272 LV on the other hand, sports a FHD Agile-Splendor IPS panel and can be overclocked to up to 165Hz refresh rate. With 90% DCI-P3 color coverage and a low Delta E<1 rating, users have all the technology necessary to dive into immersive virtual worlds.
The Nitro XV272U KV will be available will be available in North America in December starting at USD399.99 (RM1659.36) in EMEA in December starting at EUR469 (RM 2305.53) and in China in November, starting at RMB2999 (RM1866.53). Meanwhile, the Nitro XV272 LV will be available will be available in North America in December starting at USD279.99 (RM1161.54), in EMEA in December starting at EUR319 (RM1568.15) and in China in December, starting at RMB1999 (RM1244.14).
For more information on the products above or any other Acer products, do head over to their official site here.
Pokdepinion: That’s a lot of monitors there and I love the fact that most of them are certified to help reduce eye strain and such.

Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related


PCMark delists MediaTek smartphones for cheating

UL Benchmarks, the maker of the popular PCMark and 3DMark benchmarking software, has decided to delist all MediaTek-powered smartphones from its PCMark charts. This comes after the Taiwan-based chipmaker was caught red-handed cheating in benchmarks with a whitelist to improve performance in the shortlisted apps.
The delisting of MediaTek smartphones from its PCMark charts because whitelisting is definitely not an “accepted industry standard”, as MediaTek put it. MediaTek has even called out their key competitor for doing the same thing, but Qualcomm has bluntly refuted it and went on record to say that they do not do whitelisting.
The OPPO Reno3 Pro’s whitelist
UL Benchmark has worked closely with AnandTech to determine which MediaTek chipsets come with the whitelist in the board support package (BSP) which are provided to smartphone makers. As such, smartphones powered by the following chipsets will be removed from the PCMark benchmark charts. We have included the example of devices that were delisted too:

 Join Pokde Telegram Channel

MediaTek Helio G90(T) – realme 6, Redmi Note 8 Pro
Mediatek Helio G70 – realme C3
MediaTek Helio P95 – OPPO Reno3 Pro
MediaTek Helio P90
MediaTek Helio P65 – vivo Y19
MediaTek Helio P60 – realme 3
MediaTek Helio P20
MediaTek Helio A22 – Redmi 6A

While the list may seem pretty exhaustive with some really old chipsets like the Helio P20 listed too, they may have missed out a number of chipsets including stuff like the Helio G80, which debuted in the realme 6i. Perhaps UL Benchmarks has yet to collect evidence on those devices cheating as the realme 6i is not that widely available yet. UL Benchmark did announce that they have temporarily delisted over 50 smartphone models, and we believe they will be adding more devices to the list once they have more concrete proof that those have the whitelist too.
UL Benchmarks has previously delisted devices from HUAWEI and OPPO too for cheating in their benchmarks, although the manufacturers have decided to be a bit more truthful in their performance profiles recently. Considering that MediaTek seems pretty adamant that they are in the right, I would probably assume that their newer chipsets will also feature the whitelist.

It’s a real pity though as some MediaTek-powered smartphones like the Redmi Note 8 Pro were actually excellent devices, even when we disregard their benchmark scores. It’s unfortunate that their names have to be dragged through the mud too.
Pokdepinion: I wonder if this will turn into class action lawsuits, although with MediaTek’s limited penetration in the western world I guess it might not become that.
Spread the PokdeLoveClick to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related