HTC U12 Life will not be made by HTC?

The latest leak regarding the upcoming HTC U12 Life reveals that the device might not be manufactured in-house, but instead outsourced to an ODM. Which is somewhat ironic considering that the HTC was once an ODM. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

Imagine Life (Allegedly U12 Life) will be shipped with Android 8.1 on board.
Interesting fact about it, this device will be ODM manufactured…
— LlabTooFeR (@LlabTooFeR) August 13, 2018

HTC has recently laid off 1500 employees from its manufacturing arm, which should have limited its production capacity. The leak also claimed that the HTC U12 Life will be shipping with Android 8.1 Oreo on board. That means that it’s launch should be pretty soon.
The device is rumored to be an Android One device and is expected to come with a Snapdragon 636, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The screen is speculated to be a 6″ FHD+ one, and the U12 Life will also possibly sport a dual camera setup on its rear.

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Source: GSMArena
Pokdepinion: I really do not dig HTC’s glass-backed designs. The last HTC I used was the HTC 10, and that thing was sexy. The new glass phones from HTC? Not so.
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RM400,000 Allocation for eSports in 2019 by Selangor State Government

Selangor terus menjadi peneraju dalam bidang e-sukan di Malaysia. Selangor Cyber Games yang bermula pada tahun 2014 telah menjadi jenama yang disegani di kalangan penggiat e-sukan di negara ini. #Selangor19 pic.twitter.com/EA5Eu4fmQB
— Amirudin Shari (@AmirudinShari) November 23, 2018

Recently, Malaysians got to know that the government will be allocating RM10 million towards the growth of eSports. Now, we have received more word  on fostering eSports growth locally, this time by the Selangor state government.
According to Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari during the tabling of the 2019 state budget, the Selangor state government will be allocating RM400,000 from their RM2.56 billion budget for eSports in 2019.

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It also appears that Selangor will be looking to obtain RM1 million from the federal government in hopes of pushing development of eSports into the regional level.

Bermula tahun 2014, penyertaan sebanyak seramai 569 peserta dengan jumlah hadiah terkumpul berjumlah RM 30,000. Kini dalam tahun kelima penganjurannya, Selangor Cyber Games 2018 telah berjaya menarik 1,100 orang peserta dengan jumlah hadiah terkumpul berjumlah RM 250,000. pic.twitter.com/Rtoq3xxnip
— Amirudin Shari (@AmirudinShari) November 23, 2018

As for how exactly the money will be spent towards growing eSports here in 2019, we do not have the specifics just yet. With that being said however, the Selangor Cyber Games will definitely play a big role in their plans for 2019 as it was specifically mention during the tabling.
For now, Malaysia will have quite a healthy budget for eSports, with the allocation from the government as well as the likes of Min-Liang Tan doing the same as well for Malaysia. With the Selangor state government wanting to play a more active role, we should be able to expect some big things come 2019.
Source: Selangorkini
Pokdepinion: Personally, I would like to see how this money is being spent first before being sold on the idea. There’s a huge cleanup needed in eSports locally, but KL Major definitely showed that we have the potential of being a major player in this area.
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Transcend announces portable hard drive enclosure kit

Transcend is a manufacturer of SSDs like the SSD370S and SSD220S, and they know that SSDs are replacing conventional HDDs in notebooks. Oftentimes laptop users upgrade to a 2.5″ SSD for snappier performance, they are left with the old hard drive, and possibly without a way to use it.

That’s where the Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 Upgrade Kit comes into play. It is a simple, rugged chassis and a USB 3.0 to SATA adapter so that you can make use of your older drive as an external drive.

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As you may have noticed, Transcend themselves also produce their own line of portable storage drives like the StoreJet 25H3 3TB which we have reviewed. It is a tank of an external drive, and the Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 Upgrade Kit offers excellent protection against bumps, drops and vibrations too. If you are going to use a slim 7mm drive, a spacer is also provided for a prefect fit.

Transcend also offers their exclusive one touch backup solution available through the Transcend Elite software, making backups as easy as a single press of a button. Encryption is also available for secure data storage.
The Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 Upgrade Kit is available at RM129.

Pokdepinion: The Transcend StoreJet 25CK3 Upgrade Kit is a little pricey. However if you need the shock proof properties as well as the proprietary Transcend Elite software for encryption or easier management of back ups, then it may proof to be worth the price.

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New Genshin Impact Trailer Showcases Layla’s Star Power

A new Genshin Impact trailer has surfaced online and this time, the spotlight goes to the 4-star character Layla and her star abilities.
New Genshin Impact Trailer Out Now

From what we know thus far, Layla is a 4-star Cryo Sword user originating from Sumeru. She is an Akademiya student who is suffering from insomnia, which you can see in her cutscenes and animations. That is certainly an affliction that won’t be cured anytime soon as sleep deprivation is key for her to build a connection with stars.
As you can see from the trailer, Layla’s fighting style is a combination of star abilities and swift swordsmanship, utilizing rapid attacks to take down enemies. We don’t get the exact name of the abilities so it’s hard to pinpoint which is what. However, we can see that she’s capable of AoE damage using one of her skills. In the case of her Elemental Burst, Dream of the Star-Stream Shaker, Layla fires Starlight Slugs which deals Cryo damage.

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A Rtawahist student who specializes in Theoretical Astrology. Heavily prone to somnambulism and locked in a grinding war with sleep deprivation, the problem of restful slumber is a most troubling one to her.
There is no exact release date for Layla in Genshin Impact, but she is expected to arrive as part of update 3.2. For now, the game is currently available for free on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, and PC.
Source
Pokdepinion: I wish sleep deprivation gave me cool abilities too. Maybe I’m not trying hard enough. Let’s see how far I can go with t…zzz…
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Destiny 2 Is Now FREE On PC — Redeem And It’s All Yours

To celebrate their 1st anniversary of the game on PC, Blizzard has announced that they are giving away Destiny 2 for free to everyone, starting from today until the 18th of November  2018.
Destiny 2 Free On PC

This offer applies to those who haven’t already have the game on PC. As for those who have already own it, they will receive a unique emblem instead. Those who download the game before the dateline will get to play it even after the November 18th.
For those who have just created their Battle.net accounts after 19:00 CET on November 2018, they will need to enable Blizzard SMS Protect before claiming their free copy.

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Besides that, Bungie is giving players to try out the new Gambit mode, which was introduced in this year’s expansion, Destiny 2: Forsaken. The game mode is a hybrid PvE and PvP 4v4 mode, and will be available for trial as part of Bungie’s “Gambit Free Weekend” from 9th November to the 11th of November.
To claim your free Destiny 2 on PC, you can click here to do so. Have fun with the game guys!
Pokdepinion: As a player of the original Destiny game, I didn’t purchase the game when it came out. In the past, the game would feel lacking in the early periods, hence my decision of not buying it. It always feels better once the expansions are out. If I do decide to buy it, I’d only go for it when the whole expansion is out. I just hate of having the need to purchase more DLCs over and over again. Well if you are new to Destiny, why not give it a go? Since it’s free now, you might as well :)

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The Playdate is a Pocket-sized Handheld Game System With a Crank

With the advent of mobile games on smartphones, handheld game systems like the Gameboy has become a thing of the past. While Nintendo still managed to garner success for their 3DS lineup, Sony hasn’t done well and discontinued their PS Vita handheld. It looks like there are still people working on that market segment as we’ve received a teaser for the Playdate.
The Playdate is an upcoming handheld game system made by Panic, the publisher behind Firewatch. It’s like a modern day Gameboy, with a black and white LCD screen, a D-pad, and two face buttons, for a start. But it has a neat, sleek design, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth capabilities, and software support from some prominent names in the games industry. Arguably the most interesting thing about the system is the hand crank. It will be used for control and not to power the device.

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The official website mentioned Keita Takahashi (Katamari Damacy) and Bennett Foddy (QWOP), along with Zach Gage (SpellTower) and Shaun Inman (The Last Rocket). Playdate will have a “season” of twelve new video games, with a new one said to come every week.

The games will vary in length, with some leaning towards traditional game design while others are experimental in nature. While not all games will utilize the unique control method on the Playdate, some games will take advantage of the hand crank, which is apparently designed to “break people of their touch (screen and controls) psychosis.”
The core team behind the Playdate handheld game system is said to consist of roughly five people who utilize a fully-featured Mac-based SDK and simulator in development. According to the website’s FAQ, the games can be written using either Lua or C.
If this looks like something that will interest you, you will have to wait. It is expected to release sometime early 2020, with no specific release date. It will be priced at USD $149, which is an okay price but definitely not affordable by any means.
If you want to learn more about the upcoming handheld game system, click right here.
Pokdepinion: Not gonna lie, the URL for the product makes me think like it’s meant for a dating app like Tinder or something.
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ASUS Cerberus Gaming Headset review — especially made for gaming

Okay let’s finish up the ASUS’ Cerberus gaming peripheral set with its final part, the gaming headset. Compared to the other peripherals in this line up which also consist of a gaming keyboard, a gaming mouse and mousepad, the gaming headset is the one that piqued my interest the most. Without further ado let’s begin with the product unboxing.

Unboxing

The ASUS Cerberus gaming headset’s packaging comes in a square box with blister packaging on the front. I received the white variant, or what ASUS calls the “Artic Edition” and from the front we learn that it’s also compatible with the Sony PlayStation.

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At the back, we have more detailed information printed. The headset comes with two microphones, one which is detachable and another one which is built in the in-line volume control. The specifications of the headset is available at the bottom part.

Inside the box we have the ASUS Cerberus gaming headset, a quick start guide and the warranty notice. For the accessories, we have two adapter cables and the detachable microphone.

Appearance

ASUS Cerberus gaming headset actually has two color options, white and black. The headset is made from plastic and help a lot to keep the weight low. From the picture, we can see the 60mm audio drivers used in this headset.

The headband is quite simple and isn’t padded. With the fabric and leather I wonder how many sweaty gaming sessions it can endure.

On the left earcup we have the detachable microphone’s jack and the audio in-line cable.

Here is what it looks like when the microphone is plugged and unplugged.

The headset’s earcups are wrapped with pleather with vibrant red fabric inside.

On the in-line volume dial we have the volume wheel and mute button for the built-in microphone. The braided cable is 1.3-meter-long and for this review I plugged it to my PC with its included adapter.

Specifications

User Experience
The headset overall look is quite simple but acceptable. Its full plastic build make it light in weigh and flexible. I saw the black version and I personally thought the Artic Edition looks better, although it might get dirty easier, especially the braided cable which will rub against your body and collect all kinds of dirt over time. The ASUS Cerberus gaming headset is quite comfortable for long hours’ usage but they make my ears sweaty after some time. For me, this is common for headphones with pleather earcups.

Before using the headset, I let it burn-in for about 24 hours. After several weeks of usage, I found that the gaming headset is really made for gaming. The headset did a good job when playing shooters and some game genre with many sounds effect such as DOTA2. This is because the stereo separation and bass quality is pretty good. The 60mm driver delivers a great experience when watching anime and other series on iflix. The only downside with the sound signature is the clarity, which can make vocals sound harsh in certain songs songs. But after connecting the headset to a DAC like the Fiio K1 the sound quality improved and the sound stage was much better.
I tested the mic-boom and the quality is pretty good. The voice quality is clear and it doesn’t add any unwanted noise.

Conclusion
I would say the ASUS Cerberus gaming headset is a decent gaming headset. Judging it as a gaming headset alone, the headset did produce a good immersive sound experience. With a great soundcard, it can deliver an enjoyable experience listening to just about anything.

ASUS Cerberus gaming headset is priced at around RM 239, personally I find the headset most suited for gaming. If you’re looking for good soundstage with good clarity, you might get other headsets or purchase a sound card or USB DAC. I award the ASUS Cerberus gaming headset with Bronze Pokdeward.
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Are our gadgets going to get pricier? US to levy 25% tax on China-made electronics

The trade wars between US and China has resulted in many items being taxed by up to 25%. And in the list are things like processors, memory, amplifiers and ICs. This should mean most parts in our gadgets nowadays.

While this list applies to the US, Malaysians might be affected too. You might think, “Oh, I will just buy ASUS, that’s Taiwanese, so I won’t be affected.” But that might not turn out to be true, as Intel, Qualcomm or AMD, which supply the parts to OEMs like ASUS are based in the US too.

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It is foreseeable that US-based giants will probably circumvent the tax by shipping the products from China to somewhere else before importing it from the transit country. The new tax is expected to hit 23rd August, so you might want to grab your Intel Core i9 7980XE before then.
Source: Guru3D
Pokdepinion: Hm, I wonder will the iPhones be still as affordable.
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Mario Tennis Aces Announced at Nintendo Direct Mini; Coming to Nintendo Switch

A major game has been announced at Nintendo Direct Mini for the Nintendo Switch, and it’s definitely something many people will love. It’s a brand new Mario Tennis game called Mario Tennis Aces.
Mario Tennis Aces Announced at Nintendo Direct Mini

Looks like they are finally bringing the racket-wielding sport to the Nintendo Switch as Mario Tennis Aces has been announced at Nintendo Direct Mini. The new trailer shows the gameplay and features we can expect from the upcoming game.
Announced on today’s Nintendo Direct Mini, Mario Tennis Aces is rallying its classic characters. Mario, Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi which were shown wearing visors, polos, and shorts, to the court with “new wrinkles in tennis gameplay.” Reading your opponent’s positioning and stroke is the key to your success.

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Additionally, Mario Tennis Aces is getting a Story Mode, the first in the series since Mario Tennis: Power Tour for the Gameboy Advance. Seen in the trailer, the mode flaunts some unconventional ways to play the game including boss battles, one of which includes Petey Piranha, a slew of missions, and more.
The last time Mario and his friends played tennis was on 2015’s Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash for the Nintendo Wii U. While a specific release date has yet to be revealed, Mario Tennis Aces will be available for the Nintendo Switch sometime this Spring. In other words, you don’t have to wait that long for the game to be out.
There are more news from Nintendo Direct Mini coming up here on Pokde.net so stay tuned for that. You definitely would not want to miss out on this, especially if you’re a huge Nintendo fan.

Pokdepinion: With a new Mario Tennis game comes more rage moments to flock the interwebz. Well, no complaints here, and Mario Tennis Aces seems very promising.
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Listed PS5 Weight Suggests That It’s a Chonky Gaming Console

We’re starting to learn more about the upcoming PlayStation 5 console bit by bit. The latest bit of information focuses on its design, or the be precise, how heavy it is. Based on the PS5 weight, it’s looking to be quite a chonky next gen gaming console.
PS5 Weight Allegedly Leaked

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A listing for the PlayStation 5 has appeared on Amazon Germany. While it doesn’t specifically mention the price or its availability, it did mention the weight. The PS5 weight is said to be 4.78kg, making it slightly lighter than the original PS3 console, but still shaping up to be a rather “chonky” next gen gaming console.
From what we know thus far, Sony Interactive Entertainment is still on track to launch the PlayStation 5 in Holiday 2020. Recent rumours of the price and launch date being announced by now has since been quashed, so we still aren’t sure as to when we will be able to hear them.
For now, we will be reporting more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Source
Pokdepinion: I really want to know the price more than anything else. I just hope it won’t be as pricey, if not more, than the PS3 when it first launched.
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3rd Gen AMD Ryzen to start from RM849 in Malaysia?

A Facebook post, which has apparently been deleted, revealed the pricing of the AMD Ryzen 3000 processors prematurely. The post was promoting the prices of the 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen processors in Malaysia, as well as the new 2nd Gen AMD Ryzen APUs, and they seem pretty affordable.

The prices of the latest AMD Ryzen processors here in Malaysia are as follows:

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AMD Ryzen 9 3900X (12C/24T): RM2099
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X (8C/16T): RM1699
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (8C/16T): RM1399
AMD Ryzen 5 3600X (6C/12T): RM1049
AMD Ryzen 5 3600 (6C/12T): RM849
AMD Ryzen 5 3400G (4C/8T): RM649
AMD Ryzen 3 2200G (4C/4T): RM459

Do take it with a pinch of salt though as AMD Malaysia usually announces the prices officially when it is available. But, if these are real, it does look to be amazingly competitive against the 9th Generation Intel Core processors in the market.
[UPDATE]: We have received information from multiple sources that these prices are false. Stay tuned for the real deal later today!
[UPDATE 2]: You can see the official pricing for the AMD Ryzen processors here!
Pokdepinion: Want!
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Transcend wants to ensure your safety on the road; announces Drive Pro 130 and DrivePro 110 dashcams with Sony imaging sensors

Transcend has just announced their latest DrivePro dashcams, the DrivePro 130 and DrivePro 110. The latest dashcams from the Taiwanese brand goes beyond just recording your journey, but also pack safety features such as Headlight Reminder and Driver Fatigue Alert.
If you often drive at night, these dashcams got you covered with their Sony high-sensitivity imaging sensors capable of high resolution and rich colors even in low light. The built-in Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) technology ensures that the recorded image will have as much critical detail as possible, balancing the brightest and dimmest areas in the images. Night or day, the cameras are capable of capturing fine details such as license plate numbers at 30 fps at 1080p Full HD.
Headlight Reminder automatically detects poor lighting conditions and prompts the driver to turn on the headlights, while the Driver Fatigue Alert reminds the driver to rest after a preset, driver-determined period of time. This ensures a safer drive.

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The DrivePro 130 also features WiFi connectivity to sync video and images to iOS and Android devices through the free DrivePro App. Easy access to video evidence without the need to remove the memory card from the dashcams is a great convenience in an accident. Both devices support the user-friendly DrivePro Toolbox which allows users to quickly locate video clips recorded by the dashcams. A nifty screenshot feature is integrated into the software for convenience.
The DrivePro 130 and DrivePro 110 dashcams are backed by Transcend’s Two-year Limited Warranty.
Pokdepinion: Higher quality dashcams are definitely welcome, and safety features like Driver Fatigue Alert are a great addition to prevent tired drivers posing a risk to other drivers.
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EA Is Sick And Tired Of Being The ‘Bad Guys’

It seems that one of the bosses of Electronic Arts (EA) reveals on how he struggles with the the idea that EA is often seen as “a bunch of bad guys” in the gaming industry.
EA is probably one of the largest and oldest gaming publisher in the world, where the company was founded back in 1982. Matt Bilbey, the company’s EVP of strategic growth, explains that when EA makes a mistake, these issues are magnified, thanks to their size and scale.
He says “25 years at EA and I still struggle with the external perception that we’re just a bunch of bad guys. We love making and playing games. Unfortunately, when we make mistakes on games, the world knows about it because it’s of a size and scale”.

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Loot box raised controversy to gamers all around
Back in 2017, controversy arose with Star War: Battlefront II over the issue of the game’s implementation of loot boxes as well as micro-transactions. Thankfully, it was all excluded before the game’s public release. It did however sparked a hot topic on whether loot boxes should be included in games or not.
Bilbey also spoke on the company’s direction. As the company grows bigger and bigger, there’s always the impression that they will be “disconnected” from new and original ideas (for their games). To answer that, EA Originals steps in. “EA Originals is our opportunity to connect with that talent and those smaller ideas. When you are part of a big company, it’s too easy to fall into the trap where when you see a game concept, it has to be big”.
Previously, EA was investigated for their loot boxes in FIFA, you can read more on that here.
Pokdepinion: Aside from the micro-transaction issue, I feel that their games rapidly decrease in value since they come out with yearly titles such as FIFA, Battlefield, and the likes. I wish that they come up with a wide range of titles. A Way Out was quite ‘okay’ to be honest.
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You can get the OPPO A83 for just RM539 — get the entry-level Selfie Expert for RM60 off SRP!

The entry-level OPPO A83 has seen several price cuts. It’s latest one brought the SRP down to RM599, but you can now get it for just RM539. Yep, OPPO’s entry-level device is now priced even more affordably than ever.
The Helio P23-powered device features 2GB of RAM and and 16GB of storage. You also get a 5.7″ 18:9 display which amps up the appeal of the device. A 3180 mAh battery good for more than 13 hours of usage is also fitted into the slim and lightweight body of the OPPO A83.

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For those inclined on doing a little photography with their smartphones, the OPPO A83 comes with a 13MP f/2.2 rear camera and an 8MP f/2.2 camera on the front. The expandable storage allows you to keep your images
The device is available in red and champagne gold color options, and you can get the special price of RM539 exclusively on Go Shop.
Pokdepinion: Seems like a pretty good deal, but the limited RAM would make most users shy away from it.
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PlayStation 4 Sales Surpassed 91.6 Million Units By End of 2018

The folks over at Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore has announced a new milestone for the PlayStation 4 console. It appears that sales for the console has surpasses 91.6 million units worldwide by end of 2018, with about 5.6 million units sold during the holiday season alone.
It wasn’t just the console that was doing well as there were 50.7 milion PlayStation 4 games sold worldwide during the holiday season. This number contributed to the 876 million PS4 games sold for the entire year by end of 2018.

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John Kodera, President and CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, said:
Thanks to the continued support from our fans during the holiday season, we are pleased to announce that PS4 has reached 91.6 million units globally. We are also happy to announce that the monthly active users of PlayStation Network continue to show strong Growth and has surpassed 90 million as of end of November 2018.
Kodera also mentioned that they will be bringing more “enhanced experiences” to gamers along with a “highly anticipated lineup of games” on the PlayStation 4. Guess that will start with Kingdom Hearts 3 coming out on 29th January 2019.
Pokdepinion: I’m hoping it would manage to 100 million units by end of 2019, just because it’s a nice round number, but I wonder if that would be too difficult given its lifespan.
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MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk Review — an interesting cocktail of features

The 10th Gen Intel Core processors are still the top choice for gaming PCs, with leading gaming performance. They are also a lot more fun to overclock than the AMD Ryzen processors, with a decent amount headroom, which makes the choice of a good motherboard all the more important. What if you want to play with overclocking, but don’t really plan on shelling out for the top-tier motherboards? Well, that’s where something like the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk will come in.
Unboxing

For an affordable mid-range board, the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk doesn’t come with all that much in the box. But that’s entirely fine because all the necessities are here. That includes the unnecessary driver disk, but that’s besides the point. You get two SATA cables and three M.2 screws, despite the board only featuring two M.2 slots. Spares are always welcome since M.2 screws have a peculiar habit of disappearing. Really, it’s not my fault.

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Appearance

The MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk definitely has an aesthetic that remind me of a aircraft carrier’s landing strip. Contrasting blocky light grey graphics stand out against the black PCB, making for a pretty obviously military-inspired design.

One thing to note is that the I/O shroud here is actually made of metal, and connected to the rear VRM heatsink by screws. This increases the overall total surface area to well beyond what you would usually get in this price range. The top heatsink is a little smaller, although it does feature deep cuts to increase the surface area.

Since we are on the topic of heatsinks, it is worth noting that MSI is including heatspreaders for both M.2 slots. The PCH heatsink is also quite significant in size, which is not something we often see in this price range. However MSI decided to hold it down with push pins, which I don’t exactly like as it isn’t nearly as easy to service when you actually need to replace the TIM under it further down the line. However given the longevity of Intel’s platforms… Maybe you won’t be holding on to the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk that long anyway.

The rear I/O is very nice, with a integrated I/O shield. Definitely not common in this price range. The selection of ports is also very nice. You get four USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.1 (10 Gbps) port and a USB 3.2 2×2 (20 Gbps) Type-C port. The latter is really quite a surprise to me, because I have reviewed much pricier Z490 boards that didn’t come with it. One HDMI and one DP port ensure that you can make full use of the iGPU with the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk.
I don’t really like the audio jacks though. Usually audio jacks are color-coded, and it has been often regarded to be standardized. You can easily tell someone on the other side of the phone to “plug in your speaker to your green jack” and they would know what to do. With black and red, that doesn’t work. On the plus side, if you know what you are doing, the all-black I/O here definitely looks cleaner. I do see an effort to keep things clean here with the blacked-out PS/2 port as well, so I guess it isn’t all bad.

The rear of the board sports very few SMD components. I do wish MSI paid a bit more attention to the finishing of the soldered ends though, as they are indeed quite sharp and actually tore my skin as I manipulated the board for photos.

And now for the last bit, the RGB LEDs. They are actually quite bright and glow out from under the PCH heatsink. There’s little risk of them being covered by large graphics cards, with them being relatively far down from the first PCIe x16 slot.
Specifications
MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk

CPU support
Intel LGA 1200
10th Gen Intel Core desktop processors (Comet Lake-S)
Pentium Gold & Celeron processors

Power
1 x 24-pin ATX
1 x 8-pin EATX 12V
1 x 4-pin EATX 12V
NCP81229 PWM controller (6+1 phase)
12 x NCP302155 (55A) powerstage for CPU
1 x NCP302155 (55A) powerstage for iGPU

Chipset
Intel Z490

Memory
4 x DDR4 DIMM, max. 128GB un-buffered memory
Up to 4800 MHz

Multi-GPU Support
2-way AMD CrossFireX

Expansion slots
PCIe 3.0 x16 (x16 electrically)
PCIe 3.0 x1
PCIe 3.0 x16 (x4 electrically)
PCIe 3.0 x1

Storage
6 x SATA 6 Gb/s, supports RAID 0,1,5,10
1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA (disables SATA_2 when M.2 SATA SSD is used)
1 x M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4/SATA (disables SATA_5 & SATA_6 when used)

Network
Intel I219-V 1G LAN
Realtek RTL8125B 2.5G LAN

USB
Rear I/O:
1 x USB 3.1 (10 Gbps)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C (20 Gbps)
4 x USB 3.0 (5 Gbps)
2 x USB 2.0
On-board headers:
1 x USB Type-C (5 Gbps)
1 x USB 3.0 (5 Gbps) (2 ports each)
2 x USB 2.0 (2 ports each)

Audio
Realtek ALC1200-VD1 CODEC
5 x audio jacks (rear)
1 x Optical S/PDIF out
1 x front panel audio connector

Display output
1 x HDMI
1 x DisplayPort

Other onboard connectors
1 x CPU fan header
1 x Pump fan header
6 x Chassis fan headers
2 x RGB headers
2 x ARGB headers
1 x TPM module connector
1 x chassis intrusion connector
1 x Thunderbolt 3 header
1 x RTD3 connector

Overclocking features
EZ Debug LED
BIOS reset jumper

Included accessories
User’s manual
Quick installation guide
Driver DVD
2 x SATA 6Gb/s cable
3 x M.2 Screw
Case badge
Product registration card

Form factor
ATX (12″ x 9.6″)

System

CPU
Intel Core i9-10900K, 10C/20T @ up to 5.3 GHz, 14nm

RAM
2 x 8GB TEAMGROUP T-Force Xtreem ARGB DDR4-3600

Motherboard
MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk (BIOS ver. 7C80v11)

GPU
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER Advanced Edition 8GB GDDR6

Storage
120GB Kingston A400 SSD
960GB Kingston UV500 SSD
1TB Seagate FireCuda SSHD

CPU Cooling
Cooler Master ML240R

Case
Vector Benchcase

PSU
Cooler Master V850 Gold

Monitor
BenQ EL2870U

Taking a Closer Look
VRMs

Power is fed to the CPU via 8+4 pin EPS power connectors. That should be able to handle way more than you would ever need before you run into issues cooling your CPU, even with an open loop liquid cooler, as even the single 8-pin CPU power can deliver up to 336W without issue. And yes, you can run it without the 4-pin connected, although you are recommended to connect it if you are attempting to really push some hefty overclocks.

Under the rather massive heatsinks which weigh a total of 396 grams lies a 12+1 power stage arrangement. In what MSI calls Duet Rail Power Solution, two NCP302155 power stages are combined in one phase.

The CPU gets six phases, or 12 power stages, and the iGPU gets one. The controller responsible is the relatively advanced NCP81229, with six phases to the CPU, one to the iGPU and one to the system agent.

MSI seems to have plumped up for a pretty impressive VRM setup here, complete with thermal readout from the VRM, which is a feature that’s noticeably absent from many boards around this price range.
Audio

The audio hardware on this board is pretty standard, with a Realtek ALC1200 and some Nippon Chemi-Con caps. No fancy amps or stuff here, but it should suffice for most users anyway. For those who are more enthusiastic about the audio quality, there are plenty of PCIe slots to use for audio cards.
Storage

Unlike their more premium offerings, MSI isn’t splitting the lanes from the CPU down to the secondary slot. Instead, the first slot gets exclusive rights to all x16 lanes, while the other PCIe slots are all handled by the Intel Z490 PCH. Interestingly, MSI overbuilt both M.2 slots, with the connectors themselves rated for PCIe 4.0.

The M.2 heatspreaders sport pre-applied thermal pads, which will be necessary if you are actually going to use PCIe 4.0 SSDs on this board with whatever next-gen CPU that actually supports the faster standard. Regardless, I do commend MSI’s use of captive screws at least on one end of the heatspreader.

The M.2 SSDs do share lanes with the SATA ports, so you will want to read the manual before connecting all your drives to the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk. With that said, I guess MSI thinks you won’t use more than four SATA drives, because somehow MSI decided to cut some costs on the last two and just use regular  SATA ports instead of the 90° ones. They did plump up for a 90° USB 3.0 header though, so I guess it evens out?
Networking

To be entirely honest, I am not sure what MSI was thinking with the networking options offered by the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk. You get 2.5Gb LAN, courtesy of the Realtek RTL8125B. Not ideal, but hey, that’s great. There are also two LAN ports on this board, which is definitely a novelty at this price range. But no WiFi, why?

I think most of us would gladly give up one of these LAN ports in exchange for WiFi. I do understand that some people prefer Intel LAN over Realtek’s solutions, but I am pretty sure that most people will be happier with Intel’s Gigabit Ethernet coupled with a WiFi card, instead of this peculiar dual-LAN configuration.
User Experience
Build

This board sports one of the most heavily populated bottom edges I have seen. It is absolutely jam-packed with headers, so much so that they had to print the legends for the front panel close to the second M.2 connector. I didn’t expect to find it there and I was complaining to myself as I had to refer to the manual to ensure that I am connecting the right headers. Well, guess who feels kinda silly now.

Another minor inconvenience are that the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk uses tabs on both ends of the DIMM slots. This is a rather peculiar cost-saving measure considering that most good boards today use the kind which only open on one end. But hey, they work. You don’t install and remove memory sticks from the boards too often anyway, so I might just be extremely nitpicky here. One thing that you don’t have to worry about with the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk is a GPU blocking access to the lower clips, as there’s more than enough clearance there.
BIOS
          EZ Mode                   Overclocking              RAM timings            Boot Settings
MSI’s Click BIOS 5 is actually quite feature-packed, with the EZ Mode presenting quite a lot of options from the get go. However for some reason, once we enter the Advanced Mode, the interface is unnecessarily layered. Instead of using tabs, you have to switch between the different sections. The tips on the side is quite nice though, being quite a bit more in-depth than what I have seen from other top-tier boards.

As I also had the opportunity to upgrade to a newer BIOS, I was also quite perplexed that M-FLASH requires a reboot to the M-FLASH utility, instead of it being a part of the BIOS itself. The time it took for a screenshot to save was also weirdly long. With that said, all the features you need to take full advantage of your unlocked CPU is here, if a little weirdly placed.

I particularly liked the Hardware Monitor tab though, as in addition of letting you monitor voltages and temperatures, it allows you to assign the fan profiles to follow different temperature zones. For example, a case fan installed at the top of the case can be set to run faster when the VRMs are heating up.

On the other hand, the Board Explorer feature is just weird. I don’t see a need for a feature letting me know which headers are connected, which might be useful when troubleshooting, but also which USB ports are populated. If it was available in Windows, fine. But in the BIOS? Who enters the BIOS to find out which USB port is occupied? It also does a little of what the Hardware Monitor does, letting you monitor the temperature sensors on the board. Why the redundancy?
Overclocking

As this is a relatively affordable board, there’s no POST code readout. Instead, we will have to contend with the EZ Debug LED to troubleshoot a wonky system. The unfortunate thing is that all the LEDs glow the same white, which doesn’t really help if you installed the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk in a case and then only decided to run into boot issues. If you have to reset your BIOS, you will also have to deal with a BIOS reset jumper. Just like old times.
With that said, throwing a 5.1GHz overclock with 1.35V on our tried-and-true Intel Core i9-10900K was a non-issue. The CPU draws about 215W in Realbench at this point, which is what we used to test the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk’s VRM. HWiNFO reported the VRM temperatures to quickly ramp up to 60°C after about 90 seconds, before gradually rising to around 68.5°C throughout the hour-long stress test. While the temps are far from worrying, the upper heatsink did heat up very significantly, to a point that it was painful to touch for any longer than a second. I do think MSI should have put a heatpipe connecting the two chunks of aluminium over the VRMs, to better make use of the huge surface area that doubles as the I/O shroud.
Software
          Mystic Light            Mystic Light            Monitor              User Scenario            Gaming Mode
MSI is using the MSI Dragon Center here, similar to their laptops. It even offers True Color, which is a very peculiar option for a piece of software offered with motherboards. But it works, even with a dedicated GPU plugged in. It offers a clean UI, and seems to run a lot smoother despite offering more features than its peers. This is an area where I think MSI has the upper hand over the competition.
Conclusion
The MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk occupies a nice spot below the RM1000 mark with its RM949 price tag, yet offers most of what you need. I think I would be able to pretty strongly recommend it, if it only came with WiFi. There are few other shortcomings aside from the warm VRMs, which I must note is still well within the safe limits of the VRMs.
With that said, the solution to my quandaries may very well exist in the form of the MSI MPG Z490 Gaming Edge WiFi. It serves up a beefier VRM and WiFi 6 for an additional RM60. Maybe get that instead? If WiFi is less of a concern for you and you would prefer a second LAN port for whatever reason, the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk is the most affordable Intel Z490 board that I know of with two LAN ports.
Our thanks to MSI Malaysia for sending us the MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk for review.

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Government Officials Targeted for Hacking via WhatsApp

Reports have surfaced online that senior government officials in countries allied with the United States were targeted earlier this year with hacking software. The hack was done via WhatsApp and has the ability to take over users’ smartphones.
According to sources familiar with WhatsApp’s internal investigations, it was said that a “significant” portion of the known victims are high-profile government and military officials from at least 20 different countries from 5 different continents. The majority of them are US-allied nations. The hack could be a politically-driven attack with diplomatic consequences.
WhatsApp recently sued Israeli hacking tool developer NSO Group under the pretense that they built and sold a hacking platform which exploited a flaw in WhatsApp-owned servers. This allegedly helped clients hack into smartphones of at least 1,400 users between 29th April and 10th May 2019. The total number of affected users could potentially be much higher.

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Unfortunately, there’s still no clue as to who could be behind the attacks. NSO Group has mentioned before that they sell their spyware exclusively to government customers. Some of the affected countries include:
United States of AmericaUnited Arab EmiratesBahrainMexicoPakistanIndia
NSO Group has mentioned that they are “not able to disclose who is or is not a client or discuss specific uses of its technology.” Earlier, they denied any wrongdoing, mentioning that their products are meant to help governments catch terrorists and criminals. This statement was doubted cybersecurity researchers.
Independent watchdog group Citizen Lab worked with WhatsApp to identify the hacking targets and mentioned that at least 100 victims were civil society figures such as journalists and dissidents rather than criminals.
It is an open secret that many technologies branded for law enforcement investigations are used for state-on-state and political espionage.John Scott-Railton, Senior Research at Citizen Lab
The people over at WhatsApp checked the target list against existing law enforcement for information regarding criminal investigations, including terrorism and child exploits. However, they couldn’t find any links. They have since sent warning notifications to affected users earlier this week.
Source: Reuters
Pokdepinion: Well, this is starting to sound rather scary. Sounds like something big could be brewing in the shadows.
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Cooler Master Reveals The New MasterBox CM694 At RM499

If you’re looking for a chassis for your PC, you might want to have a look at the latest offering from Cooler Master, the MasterBox CM694, the latest iteration in the CM690 series and the successor to the CM690 III.

The CM690 series has been on the market ever since 2007, with each year seeing upgrades over each down the years. Established as a functionality adaptive, versatile frame, the MasterBox CM694 retains the ability to house high variation of specialized builds.

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It comes with a curved mesh, where the top and front panel of the chassis are entirely mesh for better ventilation, featuring the iconic CM690 curve and Cooler Master’s signature rhombus pattern.

There’s support for 6x HDDs as well as 8x SSDs, ensuring that you will get enough space for what you need for your storage. Additionally there’s 3x Drive Cages that can be individually added, removed, or repositioned to make room for longer graphics cards and/or top and front radiators.

Other than that, the case’s IO panel is dust proof that features rubber shield, 2x USB 3.0 ports, a USB 3.1 Type-C port, and a 4 pole headset jack. The single 4 pole headset jack features both audio and microphone capabilities simultaneously, so you don’t need separate jacks.

As for cooling, it offers support for dual 360mm radiators on the top and front panel to guarantee thermal proficiency. Graphics card installed within the case are reinforced by an arm, assuring its placement is stable.

In comparison to its predecessors, the CM694 maintains the series’ versatility while decreasing its footprint by 10%. The MasterBox CM694 is now available for the price of RM499.
Pokdepinion: This is definitely one for fans of the CM690 series! Looks like it offers great flexibility in your build.
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The new iPad Pro is the most powerful tablet on the planet — does away with bezels and home button for more screen!

Apple has just upped the ante with the new iPad Pro 11″ and iPad Pro 12.9″. Apple has done away with the home button to fit more screen in a smaller footprint. The tablets are also the thinnest yet, measuring just 5.9mm thin. But that’s not all.
The LCD displays in the new iPad Pro feature ProMotion technology which automatically sets the refresh rate up to 120 Hz for a more responsive experience with the iPad Pro. It also features wide color support and True Tone for critical color evaluation. Thanks to the minimal bezels, the iPad Pro 11″ fits in the same footprint as the older 10.5″ model.
Hmm, is showcasing NBA 2K18 as a gaming performance benchmark a coincidence?
In terms of performance, the new iPad Pro comes with the most advanced mobile chipset ever. The A12X Bionic is built specifically for the iPad Pro, with a new octa-core CPU and a hepta-core (7 core) GPU cluster for ridiculous amounts of performance. The CPU is claimed to deliver up to 90% higher multi-core performance as compared to the previous generation. Despite all that horsepower, the iPad Pro is claimed to deliver an excellent 10-hour battery life.

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A Pencil and a Keyboard to conquer all your creative work?
All that power might come in handy when Adobe brings Photoshop CC on iPad and Project Aero for augmented reality to the iPad Pro. Apple has also brought out a new Apple Pencil which can magnetically attach to the iPad Pro when it’s not needed, and charge wirelessly while attached. A new Smart Keyboard Folio protects the new iPad Pro, while providing a comfortable keyboard to type on.
More screens more productivity. Just like the ASUS ZenBook Pro 15.
Apple has also dropped Lightning on the new iPad Pros in favor of USB-C. This change is somewhat expected, considering that Apple has always been touting the iPad Pro’s capabilities to replace traditional computers. The port offers USB 3.1 Gen 2 speeds for transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, as well as support for external displays up to 5K. The iPad Pro can also be used as a powerbank from its USB-C port.

Pricing starts from RM3499 for the iPad Pro 11″, while the iPad Pro 12.9″ starts from RM4349. The new iPad Pros will be available in two colors, silver and space gray, and come in three storage configurations: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB and 1TB. You can get the new iPad Pros at ITWorld!
What do you think of the new iPad Pros? Are you going to get one when it arrives here in Malaysia?
Pokdepinion: I have always wanted a tablet, and it seems like the iPad Pro with a Smart Keyboard Folio might just replace my laptop for work, when Photoshop CC comes to iPads.
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Using the ASUS ZenFone 3 in Manual mode — when Auto just doesn’t cut it

Sure, I have been preaching about how much smartphone cameras should be point-and-shoot. But there will always be a place for manual controls in cameras. Shooting in auto essentially allows the device to decide everything about the result image, not you. To fully take advantage of any camera, taking over the reins is a must. Today, we will talk about how you can get the most out of the ASUS ZenFone 3’s manual camera mode.

Not all smartphones offer a manual mode, but the ASUS ZenFone 3 has a rather comprehensive one, and it is really easily accessible, with a shortcut just above the shutter key. In manual mode you get quick shortcuts along the side, with a histogram and even an EV meter to gauge your image’s exposure.

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As a short introduction, EV should be something that is quite familiar for all users of recent smartphones. It automatically adjust parameters to increase or decrease the overall exposure of the image. Adjusting the exposure is an easy way to tweak the overall brightness of the image without, as you can see in the tabs below.

EV Auto (Shutter Speed 1/1456)EV manual (Shutter Speed 1/26)EV manual (Shutter Speed 1/445)

The ASUS ZenFone 3 does a pretty good job in auto mode, allowing for a nice blue sky, but sacrifices some details in the shaded areas. We know we can do better with manual EV compensation, so let's see what we can do.

Adjusting the EV to compensate for the darker areas, we actually blew out the sky. This is actually an overexposed image, and we do not want this. This is more of an demonstration of how adjusting the EV can change your image.

Tweaking the EV further, this image gives us what I consider a perfectly exposed image. The sky isn't too blown out, and the darker regions are visible as well. Everything in the shot is visible, and that is what I want.

White balance, or WB in the manual mode of the ASUS ZenFone 3 is pretty interesting, as it offers actual Kelvin temperatures instead of the usual white balance presets. You do not need to know what value is best for which environment, as the live preview feature allows you to see in real-time how does your white balance setting affect the image. However the ASUS ZenFone 3’s auto WB is pretty much as good as it gets, so you will rarely, if ever, have to adjust the WB.

WB AutoWB 2600KWB 6400K
This is what the ASUS ZenFone 3 considers to be the appropriate color temperature. As I have mentioned before, it does a pretty good job, but what if I find the colors are a bit too neutral to reflect what I want to convey to the world?

Going for a cool temperature, the image takes on a bluish hue. Of course, it may look quite unreal, but if I wanted to share with the world my Monday blues, this is one way to show it. After all, doesn't it just look very cold and uninviting to you?

This is what I think is perfect for this shot. As it was a hot day out there and I was sweating, I felt that a warmer temperature allows this shot to better represent the actual view there. I also prefer the overall "feel" of this shot. The most important thing to note here is that there is no "wrong" white balance, as everyone's has a right to let the world know what they like the world to look like.

ISO is the sensitivity of the sensor towards light, with 50 being the lowest value and 3200 the highest on the ASUS ZenFone 3. The rule of thumb when adjusting ISO is the higher the ISO, the brighter the image, allowing you to shoot in dimmer conditions. However higher ISOs introduce more noise to your shot resulting in lower image quality, which can be avoided simply by picking the optimal ISO for the current lighting condition.

ISO AutoISO 800ISO 1600ISO 3200
This is what the ZenFone 3 thinks is a well exposed image. By default, a camera will try to adjust the exposure to expose what it thinks is the subject of the shot. Here, it adjusts the exposure really well for the bright flowers at i-City, but fails to get a good balance for the dark areas which are pitch black here.

Switching to manual, at ISO 800 we manage to see more details in the darker regions, and noise was very well controlled. It still looks quite underexposed, so let's go even higher.

Going up to ISO 1600 gives what I think is a great looking shot. The trade off is more noise, but it is still very well controlled and is virtually invisible if you are just going to upload the images to social media.

Pushing into ISO 3200, we get an even brighter shot. Noise is still well controlled, which shows that ASUS did quite a good job with the noise reduction algorithms in the ASUS ZenFone 3. If you really need to take a photo in a dim environment, and lowering the shutter speed is not an option, increasing the ISO on the ASUS ZenFone 3 may just be the key to get a well exposed image, without sacrificing on too much image quality either.

Shutter speed, indicated with an S on the ASUS ZenFone 3, allows you to pull off light trail effects, or just to get the sharpest image possible with as low an ISO setting as possible by picking a slow shutter speed. A faster shutter speed may help you freeze motion, useful when capturing images of moving objects, or if you just have shaky hands. You get a wide range of shutter speeds from as slow as 32 seconds to 1/50000. With the 4 stop OIS technology available, slower shutter speeds are a lot more feasible on the ASUS ZenFone 3.

Shutter speed AutoShutter speed 1.6 secs

In auto mode, almost no camera will go for a slow shutter speed. This is because even with OIS, an unsteady hand will definitely ruin a shot taken with a slow shutter speed. For ease of use, the ASUS ZenFone 3 decides to go with a reasonable shutter speed like 1/24 in the above image. As you can see, the tachometer's needle features just the slightest bit of a trail, but 1/24 isn't slow enough for a nice light trail effect even when flooring the pedal.

With a shutter speed of 1.6 seconds, there was enough time for the needle to swing across the tachometer, leaving a trail of light. The longer the shutter speed, the nicer the light trail effects you can produce. Any moving object will leave a trail, so the ASUS ZenFone 3 which offers long exposures up to 32 seconds really allows you to try every kind of light trail possible.

Last but not least, manual focus. It really helps if you are trying to focus on an object that the device fails to focus on properly. So far, I have not encountered such an issue, as ASUS’ TriTech AF is really effective to help me get everything I want in focus. With that said, if I ever have to take a picture of something that even the TriTech AF fails to focus on, at least I can immediately take over focusing and get the shot.
I am no photography expert, but I do appreciate nice camera features in my smartphones. The ASUS ZenFone 3 offers a great manual mode, aside from a list of other great features like auto HDR, Super Resolution, Low Light, Depth of Field, and many more. And if you think my results with the ASUS ZenFone 3 aren’t impressive, wait till you see what the pros can do with it. What will you do with the smartphone built for photography?

Here’s some sushi, sorry for the long post!
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KIOXIA Develops Industry’s First Prototype 2TB microSD Card

KIOXIA Corporation has announced its first ever 2TB working prototype microSDXC memory card, first seen in industry. The company’s BiCS FLASH 3D and in-house controller has achieved this feat which maxed out the microSDXC’s specification of 2TB as its maximum density.
Despite the SDXC specification being set by SD Association for more than a decade, the 2TB microSD cards were not developed prior to this prototype – which is made by stacking sixteen 1-terabit dies of 3D flash memory and achieve a maximum thickness of 0.8 mm at the die mounting area – making them well-suited to high-capacity data recording applications.

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Mass production of the KIOXIA 2TB microSDXC memory cards is expected to begin in 2023.
Pokdepinion: Imagine putting this bad boy into smartphones… you can fit so much photos with it.
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Netflix Reveals Teaser Trailer For The Witcher Nightmare Of The Wolf

Netflix has recently unveiled the teaser trailer for the upcoming The Witcher Nightmare of The Wolf and if you’re curious about the show, you’ve come to the right place.
Netflix trailer for The Witcher Nightmare of The Wolf

Before the time of Geralt, there was Vesemir. If you’re not aware of the story of have yet to play the game before, he is the mentor/teacher for Geralt. The story starts with a cocky and young Vesemir who slay monsters for coin. When a dangerous new power rises on the Continent, he learns that some witchering jobs are about more than just money.

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The world of The Witcher expands in this anime origin story and if you want to catch it, it will be released on the 23rd of August 2021. The show lasts for 81 minutes, in case you’re wondering.
In case you’ve missed the news, Netflix is eyeing to enter the gaming segment. You can read more about that by heading to the link right here. For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: Oh I’m definitely going to catch this when it comes out. You simply can’t hate The Witcher universe, at least for me. Let’s just hope that it doesn’t disappoint and actually holds up on its own.
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Latest HONOR Band 5 Update Lets You Measure Oxygen Level And Control Music

HONOR Malaysia has revealed today that there will be an update for their HONOR Band 5 which will allow for Pulse Oxygen Saturation (Sp02) monitoring and remote music control feature, which will be coming through an OTA (over-the-air) update this 29th September 2019.
HONOR Band 5 users can use the Sp02 by going to the HUAWEI Health app and tap on “check for updates”. This will prompt the band to update automatically. If your blood oxygen levels is between 90% and 100%, that’s considered normal. If it is under 89%, it’s a sign that you should stop exercising or seek medical attention.
As for the remote music control, it will also come in at the same date through an update. Once your band is updated and the music control is switched on (through the HUAWEI Health app), you can use the HONOR Band 5 to instantly view and control your favorite music from your wrist. Apps that’s supported include Google Play Music, Spotify, YouTube, Shazam, HUAWEI Music, and much more. Do take note that the remote music control is compatible for smartphones that run Android 5.0 and above.

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At the moment, you can get the HONOR Band 5 at only RM139 in conjunction with HONOR’s Pay Day Sale. For more details on that, do check out our previous coverage.
Pokdepinion: Pretty much welcomed updates!
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Nokia 9 PureView Is Perhaps Nokia’s Next Flagship Smartphone

Being 2 years already in the market ever since their revival, it’s been quite some time since Nokia launched a smartphone that people can call a flagship smartphone since Nokia 8 last year and that could change soon.
Nokia 9 PureView

Nokia 9 Pureview. That's the actual marketing name of what will come soon from HMD Global. (I know the bought the rights to the Pureview moniker, but can now confirm it'll be part of the device name.)
— Roland Quandt (@rquandt) October 1, 2018

Previously we’ve reported on Nokia is in the works for a smartphone that packs a penta-lens at the back. It seems that phone now has a name and it’s called Nokia 9 PureView, at least according to blogger Roland Quandt.
Now you may wonder where have you heard the term ‘PureView’ before, but you needn’t go far actually. PureView is a technology which was introduced with the old Nokia 808 PureView, which Microsoft bought over the license.

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It was revealed that HMD Global, the home of Nokia smartphones, bought the PureView from Microsoft just recently in August, thus sparking the speculation that the company will be on their way in releasing their new Nokia PureView smartphones again.
Though information is scarce at the moment, this is indeed exciting news for Nokia lovers.
Source: BGR
Pokdepinion: Personally, I was hyped up when Nokia 8 was launched last year. Things got rather flat ever since. Hopefully, the reports are real about the Nokia 9 PureView. It could change the smartphone market and shake things up a bit.
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Tumblr Vanishes From Apple App Store

It seems that Tumblr has been taken down from Apple’s App Store, where it is reported that sexual content was the cause of the disappearance.
Tumbler Not On Apple App Store Anymore
Just recently, it was revealed in their help center that the app can not be downloaded, insisting that they were working on to fix the issue.
Despite the news, neither Tumblr or Apple has officially stated the reason on to why the app was taken down from the store. Previously in February, Apple pulled Telegram, where the social messaging app was used to distribute illegal content, mainly on child pornography to users.

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From Apple’s perspective, they have guidelines for apps that anything that’s on the store must have a content filter to hide away materials of the likes.
Tumblr has been known to share adult content, with the platform leave it to user’s transgression with Not Suitable for Work (NSFW) contents tag to warn users.
Pokdepinion: I honestly have never used the app, so I’m not too sure of what it’s all about. Is it really that bad?
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AMD Announces A620 Chipsets For Entry-Level Motherboards, With $85 Starting Price

The new entry ticket to Ryzen 7000 series has aimed to maintain same pricing on previous generation entry-level A520 motherboards.

AMD has formally launched the A620 chipset for entry-level motherboards: the new entry-level platform retains certain features from higher-end chipsets such as DDR5 support, AMD EXPO support, however PCIe 5.0 is completely jettisoned and in its place are 32 lanes of PCIe 4.0 connections.

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The chipmaker claims that most motherboards “will support up to 6000MHz overclocked DDR5” under EXPO profile, but that remains to be seen if motherboard OEMs will stick to AMD’s promise. AMD noted that certain features such as overclocking, PBO, and Curve Optimizer are not supported in this particular platform.
That is for a reason: the company says A620 is ‘ideal’ for 65W-class CPUs, while higher-end CPUs that require more power will see some multicore performance penalties due to VRM limitations. All Ryzen 7000 CPUs will still run on this chipset (assuming AGESA versions match), and AMD says single-core and gaming performance should be minimally affected even if the VRM may not fully support high-power models.

Specs wise, the A620 motherboard supports a total of 32 PCIe 4.0 lanes, with 16 dedicated to GPUs; no processor overclocking is available, however memory overclocking is still unlocked; chipset will provide only two USB 10Gbps (3.2 Gen 2) and two USB 5Gbps (3.2 Gen 1) ports and 6x USB 2.0 ports, with the CPU itself handling the remaining USB connections.
Pokdepinion: Aside from the TDP ‘limitation’ I find this turned out to be pretty solid in terms of specs actually. You can definitely still build a reasonably expandable system with it.
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OPPO Team Up With Kodak To Release Limited Edition OPPO Find X3 Pro

It appears that OPPO and Kodak are teaming up to release a new smartphone that comes with a dual 50MP camera setup.
OPPO partners Kodak to release new Find X3 Pro variant

From the image, it seems that the back will be covered in silver and what seems to be black leather, a homage to the Kodak 35. While you might think that the specs will be different, it should be the same OPPO Find X3 Pro model, just with different looks.

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Despite that, we hope that the two could conjure up something special like we’ve seen from other brand partnerships such as HUAWEI with Leica, vivo and Nokia with ZEISS.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: It’s sure interesting to see whether they could do something special together. I just hope that the price won’t be too much however..
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A Close Race To The Top After Second Week of PMWL Season Zero

On to the PMWL Finals!

The second Super Weekend of the PUBG Mobile World League (PMWL) Season Zero went underway recently and saw a tight race to the top. Team Bigetron Red Aliens (BTR) and team Megastars secured some crucial Winner Winner Chicken Dinner (WWCD) in PMWL East. In PMWL West, team Cloud9 leapfrogged team Loops by 19 points and is now in the lead. Both regions are expected to see increasingly exciting gameplay as the competition heads into its third week.
PMWL East Table
The format of East and West League play will continue for one more week. The best 16 teams from each League will be determined based on their World League Points earned during the Super Weekends and will move on to the PMWL Finals happening on 6-9 August 2020. The winning teams to come out from the East and West Leagues respectively will be crowned at the conclusion of the PMWL Finals.
Furthermore, the voting round for the Fan Favourite category of the PUBG MOBILE Esports Awards 2020 is now closed and voters’ Fan Favourite will be announced during the PUBG Mobile World League Finals.

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PMWL West Table
Due to the global pandemic, the PMWL Season Zero, PUBG MOBILE’s newest global esports programme, was changed to an all-online format, with Mountain Dew as the official beverage sponsor. PMWL Season Zero started on 11 July with 20 teams joining World League East and 20 other teams joining World League West and is set to be held until 9 August. It can be watched via live stream on PUBG MOBILE Esports YouTube channel.
Speaking of PUBG MOBILE Esports YouTube channel, the pilot episode of its official documentary “Between the Battlegrounds” has been released there called “Be Prepared”. It shows us the aftermath of the 2019 PUBG MOBILE Club Open Fall Split Global Finals and the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak on players’ preparation for PUBG MOBILE competitions. The pilot introduces us to Martin from team Valdus Esports, Madtoi of Team Secret, and the twin duo from team Bigetron Esports, Zuxxy and Luxxy, as they prepare for PUBG MOBILE competitions in the year 2020.

“Between the Battlegrounds” is an eight-episode documentary series that follows the world’s best PUBG MOBILE players and reveals behind the scenes’ look into the star players’ lives between professional competitions. Through this series, we learn about the personal developments and challenges faced by the players, and what it takes to be a top player in the game.
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Celebrate This Merdeka With Transcend — Get KFC Vouchers For Every Single Purchase

Transcend is holding something special for their customers this Merdeka, where users will get KFC vouchers for every single purchase of Transcend products from their official Lazada store.
Transcend Free KFC Voucher
From now until the 9th of September 2018, you can get KFC cash vouchers worth up to RM10 with any single purchase of Transcend product from Transcend Lazada official store.
There’s two types of vouchers where one being worth RM5 and the other worth RM10. For any single purchase of Transcend product that’s over RM250, you’ll be getting the RM5 cash voucher. For the RM10 voucher, you’d need to purchase any single Transcend product that’s over RM350.

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Note that this offer is available on a first come first serve basis, so you might want to hurry to get your cash vouchers. Transcend offers a number of storage products, portable hard drives, personal cloud storage, DDR4 RAM, and more for you to choose from.
You can checkout the official Transcend Lazada store by clicking here.
Pokdepinion: That sounds like a finger licking good deal to me :P
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Android P Confirmed As Android Pie — Rolling Out Soon

Google has confirmed that the final consumer-ready version of Android P will be called Android 9 Pie.
Android 9 Pie
The new Android update is now finished and will begin to roll out on to Google’s Pixel smartphones.
With the new update, the UI gets a makeover, in line with Google’s updated Material Design guidelines. A new notification panel is said to be available and also they’ve reworked the recent-apps screen.

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There’s also support for smartphones with notched displays as well as a gesture navigation system. Battery performance should also improve with the AI-powered adaptive battery system, a new auto-brightness system, and changes to CPU background processing.
For those non-Google Pixel phones, Google has said that several OEMs should have the updates out before the end of 2018.
Source: Arstechnica
Pokdepinion: Man, I wish I had a Pixel phone right now. Can’t wait to test out the new update.
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realme X announced in China priced from just RM909

The realme 3 Pro was an awesome mid-range device which offered a Snapdragon 710 at the very affordable price of just RM899. Taking it up a notch is the realme X, which offers pretty similar specifications, except that it now does not have a notch.
Yay, no bezels!
In place of the realme 3 Pro’s 6.3″ screen waterdrop notch, the realme X has a 6.53″ bezel-less display with a 91.2% screen-to-body ratio. The 16MP f/2.0 selfie camera is now placed on a popup mechanism, similar to what the OPPO F11 Pro offers. For those who are disgusted by the use of microUSB on the realme 3 Pro, the realme X now sports a USB-C port instead. The rear camera setup is exactly the same as the realme 3 Pro, with a 48MP + 5MP dual camera setup.
Inspired by none other than onions. Hope it doesn’t make you cry.
For those who missed the realme 2 Pro’s UFS 2.1 storage, the realme X brings it back. It can be gotten in configurations with up to 8GB RAM and 128GB storage, as well as a RMB 1899 (~RM1152) Master Edition which offers the same amount of RAM and storage but features a special design by Naoto Fukasawa inspired by onions and garlic.

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realme X Specs

Snapdragon 710, octa-core up to 2.2 GHz, 10nm FinFET
Up to 8GB LPDDR4x RAM
Up to 128GB UFS 2.1 storage (non-expandable)
6.53″ FHD+ AMOLED display, under-display fingerprint scanner
48MP f/1.7 Sony IMX 586 + 5MP f/2.4 rear camera
16MP f/2.0 selfie camera, popup mechanism
3765 mAh battery, 20W VOOC Flash Charge 3.0
ColorOS 6 based on Android 9 Pie
4GB + 64GB: 1499 CNY (~RM909)
6GB + 64GB: 1599 CNY (~RM970)
8GB + 128GB: 1799 CNY (~RM1091)
Master Edition 8GB + 128GB: 1899 CNY (~RM1152)

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The regular realme X will be available in blue and white, while the realme X Master Edition will be offered in a brownish and whitish tone, inspired by the aforementioned condiments. China availability commences this 20th May, while other markets will see it arrive shortly. But do we really need a realme X when we already have the realme 3 Pro with much of the same specifications?
Pokdepinion: The white realme X looks fantastic, but the realme 3 Pro offers the same package… But cheaper.
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Gone Home is Free for PC Gamers – Claim It Now And It’s Yours Forever

Gone Home is Free for PC Gamers

If you’re looking for a new game to sink your teeth in but you’re in the midst of saving up as much money as possible, then we got your back. The popular first-person interactive indie game experience first released in 2013, Gone Home, is now free for a limited time.
By limited time, we mean you have to claim it within the limited time but once you do, it’s yours forever. The offer is part of Humble Bundle’s Humble Monthly Trove promotion, a service that allows access to more than 60 games by paying a subscription fee each month. Any game obtained through the service is DRM-free as well which mean that, once downloaded, the game is yours to keep forever.
If you’re not sure what this highly-acclaimed game is about, check out the synopsis right below here, courtesy of Steam:

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June 7th, 1995. 1:15 AM
You arrive home after a year abroad. You expect your family to greet you, but the house is empty. Something’s not right. Where is everyone? And what’s happened here? Unravel the mystery for yourself in Gone Home, a story exploration game from The Fullbright Company.
Gone Home is an interactive exploration simulator. Interrogate every detail of a seemingly normal house to discover the story of the people who live there. Open any drawer and door. Pick up objects and examine them to discover clues. Uncover the events of one family’s lives by investigating what they’ve left behind.
Gone Home will be available to claim for free until 3rd May 2019. If you want to claim the game on Humble Bundle, click right here.
Pokdepinion: I have fond memories of playing this game. If you’re looking for a good story, you’re gonna be pleasantly surprised by this one. Since it’s free, you got nothing to lose.
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Acer Introduces New Chromebook Lineup

If you think that the TravelMate and Veriton was all that Acer introduced today, well think again. The company also have unveiled their latest Chromebook Spin 11, Chromebook 11, Chromebook Tab 10 and also the Chromebox CX13.
New Acer Chromebook Lineup

First up is the Acer Chromebook Spin 11, designed for teachers, families and those who want the ease and security of Chrome. It features a 360-degree dual-torque hinge design that can be used in four modes. Coming in with a 11.6-inch HD IPS display, it has tablet, tent, laptop, and display modes to choose from.

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It is bundled together with a Wacom EMR stylus, maximizing the functionality of the device for a better writing experience. It comes with two cameras, one located above the keyboard and one placed on the cover to allow you to capture shots or videos even while on tablet mode. The Chromebook is powered by an Intel Celeron quad-core processor N3450 that’s packed with 4GB or 8GB RAM and up to 64GB eMMC storage. Battery wise, it offers up to 10 hours of usage.
The C6GV (8GB/64GB) variant comes with a RM1,699 price tag and you can get the C9K5 (4GB/32GB) at RM1,399.

Following it is the Acer Chromebook 11. Having approval from rigorous U.S Military testing, the Chromebook 11 is proven to be durable. Built for those who want something that can withstand the pressure, it can handle up to 60KG of downward force on the top cover. It weighs just 1.26KG and comes with a 11.6-inch IPS display. It includes two USB 3.1 Type C Gen 1 ports.
Powering it is a Intel Celeron quad-core N3450 chip and it offers you 12 hours of battery life. Price wise, it can be purchased at RM1,099.
Now on to the Acer Chromebook Tab 10. It is the first education tablet to run on Chrome OS. As you could probably tell, it’s built for classroom environments and students. Equipped with an OP1 processor with 4GB RAM and 32GB of storage, it is responsive and can run multiple apps at once.
It comes with a 9.7-inch QXGA IPS display and offers 9 hours of battery life. The tab also can be charged by using a powerbank through its USB 3.1 Type-C port.
Of course when you are in the classroom, you’d need to take notes down. Well the Chromebook Tab 10 comes with a Wacom EMR stylus that can be put in the chassis dock. The stylus doesn’t run on battery, so you can worry not on the need to charge it over and over again.
The tab will soon support augmented reality, allowing to learn with Expeditions AR. It is Google’s AR technology that maps the physical classroom and places 3D objects in it.
It is now available for purchase and comes in Cobalt Blue for the price of RM1,299.
Finally, we have the Acer Chromebox CX13, which is equipped with Chrome OS and is ideal for business. Available with up to the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i processor and comes with up to 16GB RAM, it offers a responsive daily computing performance. It features USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 port for fast transfer of power and data. It is able to support dual monitors through HDMI and the Type-C ports.
Besides that, it comes with security in the form of Google’s automatic software upgrades, fixes and new features. Files that are kept will be stored in cloud.
Design wise, it is compact and fits into any workplace. You can choose to put it in a flat, stand or even VESA mount placement, making it flexible in terms of positioning.
The Acer Chromebox CX13 is priced at RM1,999 and is now available for purchase.
Pokdepinion: Well that was a lot that Acer brought out in their launch today. So if you’re finding something for business, or commercial use, today’s launch is something definitely for you.
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AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X announced — 72 PCIe 4.0 lanes, 144MB cache and 32 cores for $1999

AMD has done it yet again. They have just announced the latest Ryzen Threadripper 3970X and Threadripper 3960X, with more cores than you have fingers, from just $1399.

The 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Threadripper parts aren’t cheap, but what you are getting in return is a massive core count and a ton of PCIe lanes. The $1399 (~RM5770) AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X offers 24 cores and 48 processing threads, while the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X serves up the 32 cores and 64 threads at $1999 (~RM8269).

With great core counts comes a new platform. The new Threadrippers aren’t compatible with the X399 platform, and requires the new TRX40 platform instead, which supports a whopping total of 88 PCIe 4.0 lanes, and 72 PCIe 4.0 lanes available with the new 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadrippers. The chipset now communicates over a PCIe 4.0 x8 link instead of the X399’s PCIe 3.0 x4, giving it 4x the total bandwidth. A new socket is also in play here, with the 3rd Gen Ryzen Threadripper processors fitting into the sTRX4 socket. The “s” stands for scalable.

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3rd Gen AMD Ryzen Threadripper Specs
Cores / ThreadsBase / Boost ClocksCacheCPU PCIe 4.0 lanesTDPPriceAMD Ryzen Threadripper 3960X24C / 48T3.8 / 4.5 GHz140MB64280W$1399 (~RM5786) AMD Ryzen Threadripper 3970X32C / 64T3.7 / 4.5 GHz144MB64280W$1,999 (~RM8269)
The 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Threadrippers processors will be launched on 25th November 2019. AMD has promised to reveal more to us as we get closer to the launch date. In the meantime, here’s a little teaser to keep you interested.

Pokdepinion: $2000 for a 32-core CPU doesn’t seem that bad at all! Also, all those PCIe 4.0 lanes!
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WhatsApp Now Allows You To Mute Videos Before Sending Them

WhatsApp has recently announced that Android users can now choose to mute the audio in videos before sharing them. This option can be done in both chat or by updating your Status.
Muting videos before sharing on WhatsApp

🤫For your eyes, not your ears. You can now mute the audio on your videos before adding them to your Status or sending in chat. Now available on Android.
— WhatsApp (@WhatsApp) February 26, 2021

The announcement was revealed over at their official Twitter account where the feature is available for Android users. If you’re interested in using the feature, you can find an audio symbol at the top left corner when you’re about to upload or share videos on the app.
Once you’ve pressed it, you’ll find it to be muted and you can then send it without having any audio. In case you didn’t know, Status videos are limited to only 30 seconds.

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Alternatively, you can choose to turn your content into a GIF, which in turn shortens it to less than 7 seconds, while also eliminating the audio. In addition to that, GIFs takes lesser space at the cost of resolution, so you have that to keep in mind.
For more of the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: Sometimes the videos that you shoot seems perfect but the background noise just spoils it.. I guess it’s a nice addition to the app. I wonder if people will still be using the app once the new T&C comes in.
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Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and 7c+ Gen 3 are bringing the fight to Windows and ChromeOS

After the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, Qualcomm also announced the latest additions to their Always On, Always Connected PC portfolio. There’s the premium, high-performance Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3, and the more value-oriented Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3, both of which will power next-gen Windows and Chrome OS laptops.
Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3: 85% better CPU performance, 60% better GPU performance

The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 will be made on the 5nm node, which hints that Qualcomm isn’t going to sacrifice the precious 4nm capacity that they are using for the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. Still, that makes it the first 5nm chipset designed for Windows, which Qualcomm is definitely keen on bragging about. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is still going to be an absolute beast, promising up to 85% higher CPU performance over the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 2 with their new Kryo cores. Yes, they decided not to give it a number, so you don’t know exactly which generation is it based on.

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What is known is that you will be getting four 3.0GHz “Prime” cores and four 2.4GHz efficiency cores. Qualcomm is claiming 60% better performance per watt than the competition, which should be very interesting to see in practice. Meanwhile over on the graphics end, the new Adreno GPU promises 60% better performance than last-gen, which Qualcomm suggests is enough for FHD gaming at 120FPS.
As a SoC, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 also packs other components like a Spectra ISP that enables 4K HDR camera quality, quad-camera support, better autofocus, auto white balance and exposure, as well as faster camera start-up times. 4K HDR and quad-camera setups aren’t really things you will find in the laptops of today, but I sure look forward to seeing laptops taking advantage of these capabilities. You also get AI noise and echo cancellation, something which is available on a lot of laptops today.

And now onto the key aspect of Snapdragon-powered PCs: connectivity. The Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 can be configured with the Snapdragon X55, X62 and even the latest X65 5G modem which debuted with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. This enables 5G speeds of up to 10Gbps. For WiFi and Bluetooth, you get the FastConnect 6900, which enables WiFi 6E connectivity, allowing you to stay Always Connected, and when coupled with the efficiency, the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 is ready to deliver new, Always On experiences.
Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3: 60% better CPU performance, 70% better GPU performance

For more wallet-friendly machines, there’s the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3. The name is becoming a mouthful, I know. But I do believe that we will see more of this in the mobile space as well. Stay tuned for the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. Called it. In any case, the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3 is apparently such a huge leap forward from the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 that Qualcomm decided to give it not only a new generational number, but also a “Plus” in its name. For starters, we are seeing a jump from the 8nm node to the more recent 6nm process.
It seems that Qualcomm is a bit more shy when it comes to revealing actual clock numbers with the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3, and instead only makes broad claims in comparison to its predecessor. This chip promises 60% higher multi-threaded performance and 30% higher single-threaded performance versus the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2, indicating either a significantly newer architecture or much higher clocks, or both. Meanwhile on the graphics end, we see a 70% increase in performance.
AI performance sees a smaller leap, with it going from 5TOPs to 6.5TOPs, but it is probably still very impressive in the entry-level category that Qualcomm is targeting with the Snapdragon 7c+ Gen 3. Qualcomm also integrated the Snapdragon X53 5G modem that enables speeds of up to 3.7Gbps, as well as the FastConnect 6700 for WiFi 6E speeds of up to 2.9Gbps. While 5G speeds of 3.7Gbps might not sound like much, it is a massive upgrade from the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2’s 600Mbps enabled by its Snapdragon X15 LTE modem.
Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and 7c+ Gen3: expect devices in 1H22

Qualcomm expects devices featuring the latest Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 and 7c+ Gen 3 chipsets to be available in the first half of next year. That should coincide nicely with the availability of the 12th Gen Intel Alder Lake mobile parts. While Alder Lake probably won’t be a match for the Snapdragons when it comes to efficiency, they should put up a very good fight when it comes to performance. Well, let’s see!
Pokdepinion: Never really got a great experience with Windows on Arm… Hopefully Windows 11 and these new chipsets are what we needed…
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AMD Ryzen 6000 APUs to pack Zen 3+ CPU, RDNA 2 GPU on TSMC 6nm node

While we still can’t buy the AMD Ryzen 5000 desktop APUs in retail yet, rumors of the AMD Ryzen 6000 series of APUs are cropping up already. It will reportedly offer Zen 3+ cores and RDNA 2-based integrated graphics, which should be quite impressive for anyone looking to build a gaming-capable PC without a dedicated GPU.

The top spec will reportedly pack 12 RDNA 2 Compute Units (CUs), which will mean that the APU will probably deliver some potent graphics performance. AMD’s current-gen APUs are still based on the Vega graphics architecture, which is getting so old that even Intel’s integrated graphics are now outperforming them.

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Rembrandt is RDNA 2 based with a maximum of 12 CUs 🔥
— ExecutableFix (@ExecuFix) May 8, 2021

The upcoming APUs should revitalize AMD’s APU lineup in terms of graphics performance, given that it will not only offer 50% more stream processors than the current AMD Ryzen 5000 series APUs, but also a much newer architecture.

Not much is known about Zen 3+, but if we look at Zen+ vs Zen, the newer CPU architecture should provide a mild improvement from Zen 3, but I guess AMD’s CPU performance isn’t exactly in dire need of an uplift right now anyway.
Aside from upgrading the CPU and GPU architectures, AMD is allegedly going to finally bring PCIe 4.0 to APUs. The AMD Ryzen 6000 series is slated to be manufactured on TSMC’s 6nm node, which should be slightly more efficient than the current TSMC 7nm node that AMD is using for all their products.

The AMD Ryzen 6000 series, which will bear the codename Rembrandt, will most probably launch sometime in early 2022, and will presumably arrive in laptops first before making their way to desktops.
As usual, do take these rumors with a pinch of salt. We will probably see more information about it as we get closer to launch, but as of now, AMD has not revealed anything about a Zen 3+ refresh in the pipeline.
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Pokdepinion: I can’t wait to see how RDNA 2 performs in an APU. From what I can see, it is definitely very interesting given how it is significantly more optimized for gaming than Vega or even RDNA!
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