Vortex Pok3r mechanical keyboard review

Mechanical keyboards come in a variety of sizes. The most popular sizes are the 104-key full-sized keyboards and the 87-key tenkeyless keyboards. TKL users often choose that specific keyboard size because they find no need for a numpad, and would prefer to have their hands closer together for better ergonomics. People with smaller working spaces may also prefer TKL keyboards to save some precious space. However you can go even smaller when choosing keyboards. If you are looking for an even more compact keyboard, then I believe the Vortex Pok3r will be right up your alley.

Unboxing

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The Vortex Pok3r’s packaging is essentially a plain black box with “Pok3r” printed on the top side in reflective paint.

A small sticker with some sparse details about the keyboard. With a typo there too.

Opening the box up, you will realize that it doesn’t come with a lot of extras. You get the keyboard wrapped in protective foam, and the USB cable in a plastic bag. That’s all you get. No documentation is included with the Pok3r.

Appearance

The Pok3r doesn’t have any bezels to speak of. It features a compact aluminium case in which all the keyboard innards sit in, leaving the keys looking as if they are floating over the metal plate. It actually looks impressively sleek, further enhanced by its compact dimensions.

The aluminium case sports a nice finely textured finishing. Here you can also get a better look at the keys “floating” over the metal plate.

The keycaps are grey, with off-white laser-printed legends. The keys are thick PBT ones, which we will discuss more about later. Laser printing is used here, and I really can see that it isn’t that durable as my favorite keys (WASD) are now quite noticeably faded.

Checking out the underside of the keyboard, I spy large rectangular rubber feet, a DIP switch and a engraved metal plague with the branding and serial number.

A closer look at the engraved metal plague. It looks premium but that tagline just feels off. Enjoy your feeling. Ew.

The mini USB port here is placed on the far edge of the keyboard instead of under it like usual. You do get the advantage of showing off your cable connectors with this configuration though.

The included mini USB cable here isn’t sleeved and doesn’t sport gold-plated connectors.

The Pok3r is much tinier than the average keyboard. While I am used to full-sized keyboards on my desk taking up almost the entire area in front of my laptop, the Pok3r is actually not as wide as my 15.6″ laptop.

Specification

Body material
Aluminium

Keycap
PBT laser printed

USB report rate
N/A

Switch type
Cherry MX Red

Microprocessor
32 bit ARM Cortex-M3

Cable
1.5m, detachable

Weight
850 g

Included accessories
None

User Experience
The first thing you notice is that the keyboard is deceptively heavy for its size. Thanks to its aluminium chassis, the Vortex Pok3r weighs 850 grams. Not that I am complaining as I do prefer heavy keyboards for their stability. To use the Vortex Pok3r, all you have to do is to plug the mini USB connector into the keyboard, and the USB 2.0 Type-A connector into your computer and you are set.

The mini USB connector sticks out perpendicularly from the far left edge of the keyboard. The Vortex Pok3r offers no help in managing messy cables as it doesn’t have inset channels to route the cable. There aren’t any drivers that come with the keyboard, and users will have to download their manual online.

The Vortex Pok3r doesn’t allow for adjustable tilt, and you are stuck with the factory-set level of tilt. If you find it nice, good for you. If you find a need to raise it, you might just have to MacGyver it and rest the Vortex Pok3r on something to get your desired height. I did find the Pok3r is mildly slanted and is comfortable to type on, even without raising it. The big rubber feet of the Vortex Pok3r are grippy and the keyboard stayed put all the time during my use.

There are no preset media keys to speak of, but you can program some of the keys to act as the media keys you want. However there aren’t that many keys on the Vortex Pok3r to program and reassign anyway. Many of the keys are already performing double duty, with certain keys even performing triple duty, with different functions when pressed with Shift or Fn modifier keys. I really like that Vortex printed the secondary function accessible with the Fn key on the front side of the key, making it very convenient for newbies to start using the keyboard.

If you are going to start programming the Vortex Pok3r, you will be pleased to find out that it is quite simple. The instructions in the downloadable manual is very clear and easy to understand. There are three “layers” which you can program for different usage scenarios. If you are into recording macros, you will also be glad to know that each key on the Vortex Pok3r can be programmed with a macro of up to 32 keystrokes, and even custom delay duration between the key presses.

The Vortex Pok3r I am testing doesn’t sport any LEDs other than the ones that indicate the status during programming and also Caps Lock. I was notified that you can solder LEDs by yourself, but you will have to switch the LED polarity. For the less adventurous, backlit variants are also available. The switches used are none other than Cherry MX Reds, which are linear keys with a light actuation force. NKRO is also a feature of the Vortex Pok3r, so you can press as many keys as there are on the keyboard, and every single one will register.

Typing on the Vortex Pok3r feels great, thanks to the thick PBT keycaps that they used. The feeling is just different from using other mechanical keyboards with ABS keycaps. You really have to try it to understand. However, due to the fact that there aren’t as many buttons on Pok3r as I would usually have with a full-sized or TKL keyboard, I did find some keys that I use frequently when writing articles here to be rather hard to use. The worst offending keys are the arrow keys and Del keys, which require pressing the Fn key along with the respective keys to function. Basically gaming on the Pok3r is okay, but you will have to live with either no arrow keys when playing or lose the ability to chat without changing the programming layer. You will fare better in FPS as most shooters only stick to using the keys around the WASD area.

Conclusion
The Vortex Pok3r is an interesting concept. It’s compact and it feels very premium indeed. However its compact dimensions is also both its selling point and possible turn off. While it is good ergonomically to keep your hands closer together (your mouse hand doesn’t have to be stretched to accommodate a full-sized keyboard), you may also find the relatively low number of keys limiting. Keys that were previously dedicated are now serving double or triple duty, requiring the use of the Fn key to access. If you don’t mind using the Fn key all the time, or play games that don’t need that many keys, this may be the keyboard for you. The programmability is also a boon for the more advanced users out there. At RM499, you may want to consider whether the compact size of the Vortex Pok3r will be a plus point or a problem for you. If you are looking for better ergonomics, more free desk space, easy to use programming functions, excellent build quality and can overlook the limitations that come with its small size, get the Vortex Pok3r right away. I will award it a Bronze Award for its great build quality, improved ergonomics over most keyboards and easy programmability, but the small form factor was just a bit too limiting for me.

We express our thanks to Ultimate.Zone for lending us the Vortex Pok3r review sample.
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AMD Ryzen 5 3600 Almost On Par with Intel Core i9-9900K in Benchmarks

With many people getting more and more excited about the AMD Ryzen 3000 series, we have some bit of details that will take that excitement up a notch. It appears that the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 is almost on par in terms of performance with the Intel Core i9-9900K in benchmarks.
The benchmarks / data was recorded and compiled by El Chapuzas Informatico, which also included the Ryzen 7 2700X. The system that they used for testing includes a G.Skill FlareX DDR4 3200 MHz RAM and and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Founders Edition GPU. The Ryzen 5 3600 was installed on the Gigabyte AORUS Gaming 7 WiFi motherboard.

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In Cinebench R15 and R20, the Ryzen 5 3600 actually managed to beat the 2700X in single core performance. Moreover, it came very close to the Intel Core i9-9900K, which you can see in the pictures above. It is worth noting that it loses to the 2700X and the difference is more significant in the multicore test but this isn’t a surprise given that it’s a 6-core / 12-thread CPU.

Even in wPrime 2.10 32M, the Ryzen 5 3600 has nearly the same results as the Intel Core i9-9900K. You can even see it being faster than the older i7-8700K, Ryzen 7 2700X, and more. It was also mentioned that the Ryzen 5 memory writes rate was strangely low. It managed to hit 25.6 GB/s while the likes of the 1700X and 2700X reached 47 GB/s. However, this may be due to the motherboard being used and also possibly with memory timings. Further testing will be needed to verify the issue.

When you take into account the entire package, sure, the AMD Ryzen 5 3600 may not perform as good as the Intel Core i9-9900K but when compared to previous AMD offerings, it is still a noticeable improvement, especially considering the reduced clock speed and fewer cores / threads.
It definitely becomes much more attractive when you consider the USD $200 price tag. This would make it a very viable choice for mid-range PC gamers, more so if it has good overclocking potential. For the now, the CPU is expected to officially release on 7th July 2019 so we can expect to see and hear more about its capabilities then.
Source: El Chapuzas Informatico
Pokdepinion: I am genuinely surprised by how powerful it seems to be for the price. Sure, it looks really good for single core performance but it’s still amazing nonetheless. However, these are just benchmarks so it might be different in other aspects like gaming for example.
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There Are New Designated Pick Up Points for E-Hailing Services at KLIA and KLIA2

Whether you’re a driver or just someone that uses e-hailing services, this is definitely something you should take note of. Malaysia Airports Holdings have allocated new designated pick-up points specifically for e-hailing services at KLIA and KLIA2.
The move was said to have been made, with help from related government agencies, in order to improve traffic conditions and ensure a more systematic public transportation flow at KLIA and KLIA2.
The location of the new pick-up points at the airport are listed below:

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KLIA
Door 3 and 4, Level 1, Main Terminal Building
KLIA2
Door 5, Level 1, Transportation Hub
Previously, the e-hailing drivers picked up their passengers at Level 3 of the arrival hall at KLIA and Level 2 arrival hall at KLIA2Malaysia Airports Holdings
To access the pick-up lanes, you need to use a Touch ‘n Go card with at least RM20 credit inside. Alternatively, you can use Paywave with your Visa or Mastercard credit / debit card.
The pick-up points are said to have been upgraded with amenities so people can wait for their e-hailing driver with comfort. It’s worth noting that e-hailing drivers will be penalized RM10 if they remain in the pick-up lane for more than 5 minutes. An additional RM10 will be imposed if another 5 minutes elapses.
The new e-hailing pick-up points at KLIA and KLIA2 are available for use starting today onwards.
Source: FMT
Pokdepinion: Well, if there’s any worries of taxi drivers raising a fuss for e-hailing drivers taking their customers away, this could minimize the likelihood of it happening.
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realme 9i Announced With Snapdragon 680

It seems that over in Vietnam, the realme 9i made its debut to the local market. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 680 chipset, which suggest that it’s the phone that will launch here in Malaysia as well.
realme 9i launched in Vietnam

Powered by the Snapdragon 680, the phone comes in Blue and Black colour variants. It sports a 6.6-inch IPS LCD display that offers up to 90Hz refresh rate. There’s a fingerprint scanner on the side and stereo speakers is available.

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It seems that they’ve made a single 6GB+128GB variant available in the country, where there is support for extra storage through a microSD card as well as expansion of the RAM through deduction of the internal storage.
For selfies, there’s a 16MP camera at the front. As for the back, it sports a 50MP f/1.8 wide and a pair of 2MP sensors.
Under the hood is a 5000mAh battery which you can charge up with its 33W fast charger. It runs on realme UI 2.0, based on Android 11 and is priced at VND 6,490,000 (~RM1,200)
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Source
Pokdepinion: Looking at the price tag, it seems that our neighbours are paying a slightly higher price than what we’re getting. As you may recall from our previous coverage, the company has said that the phone will be priced less than RM1,000.

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UiTM Hacked — More Than 1 Million Students’ Personal Details Leaked Out

Alarmingly, there’s a total of 1,164,540 total of accounts belonging to students and alumni of UiTM has been breached and the leaked, which showed their private and confidential records. According to reports, the breach involved students from the University (ranging from various courses) of those who studied from 2000 to 2018.
It is reported that the data included information of students from the Shah Alam campus to add to the other 13 state campuses around Malaysia. Besides that, it was known that students that enrolled for UiTM accredited courses such as Kolej INPENS, Kolej Yayasan Terengganu, Kolej Yayasan Pelajaran Johor, Institut Yayasan Bumiputera Pulau Pinang, Kolej UNITI, Kolej Chermai Jaya, Kolej Lagenda Langkawi, and Institut Teknologi Perak was also affected by the cybersecurity breach.
On the leaked data, it featured information such as Student ID, Student Name, MyKAD Number, Address, Email Address, Campus Codes, Campus Names, Program Codes, Course Levels, and Handphone numbers.

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It is said that the breach happened last year, being around February and March 2018. Adding to that, it is reported that UiTM is aware of the issue, but has yet to come out with any official statements regarding the matter.
Pokdepinion: Oh my.. I can’t imagine how their students are going to digest this news. More so that it also involves the alumni of their university..
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How to Check If You’re Eligible for the B40 Fuel Subsidy in Malaysia? Here’s An Easy Way To Check

How to Check If You’re Eligible for the B40 Fuel Subsidy in Malaysia

As many of you are aware, the government is introducing the B40 fuel subsidy program for RON95 petrol in Malaysia. The subsidy is expected to benefit over 2.9 million Malaysians who fall under the Bantuan Sara Hidup (BSH) program.
If you’d like to know how Budget 2020 affects you as a gamer and tech enthusiast, click right here.
Some of you may be confused as to the requirements of this B40 fuel subsidy here in Malaysia so we’re here to help you out. For starters, the requirements are:

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Car with 1,600cc engine and belowCar with engine above 1,600cc and more than 10 years oldMotorcycle with 150cc engine and belowMotorcycle with engine above 150cc and more than 7 years oldMust be a privately-owned vehicle with a legitimate home address
If you do qualify, then you will receive RM30 per month if you’re a car owner, and RM12 if you’re a motorcycle owner. Should you own both types of vehicles, you will receive the highest amount per month, which is RM30. The payments will be made on a quarterly basis; April 2020 (Phase 1), August 2020 (Phase 2), and December 2020 (Phase 3).
What If I’m Not a BSH Recipient?

If you’re not part of the BSH program, then this might seem rather confusing. It doesn’t mean that you are not eligible however. Instead of receiving RM30 / RM12 per month, you will receive a Kad95,
This card will allow you to enjoy subsidized RON95 fuel at 30 sen off per litre for cars, and 40 sen off per litre for motorcycles. Keep in mind that it will be limited to 100 litres per month. It is expected to implemented in stages beginning Q1 2020.
How to Check for Eligibility?

If you’re still uncertain on whether you’re eligible or not, there is an easy way. Just head on over to the Program Subsidi Petrol (PSP) portal and check for your status. You can do so by clicking right here. If you feel like you are eligible despite the portal saying otherwise, you can appeal at the same portal.
The B40 fuel subsidy program itself will begin on 1st January 2020. Malaysian citizens in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan are excluded from the program as well as the flotation price of RON95. Instead, you will be enjoying subsidized RON95 at RM2.08 per litre.
Hope this has helped you and if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.
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My OPPO Members’ 2nd Anniversary Sees RM2 Deals And Rewards Worth Up To RM4 Million

In honour of the 2nd anniversary of its My OPPO App, OPPO is giving away incentives worth up to RM4 million as well as offers starting at RM2.
My OPPO Members’ 2nd Anniversary

The My OPPO App is a loyalty programme for OPPO users that comes pre-installed on all new OPPO smartphones. OPPO customers may enjoy membership perks at the tip of their fingers thanks to this app. In addition to the reward system, the app allows users to enjoy exclusive service experiences, special discounts, and point accumulation to redeem discounts on OPPO Products and selected services.

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Aside from that, the brand is holding one-to-one giveaways with specially chosen prizes for the most popular OPPO products:

Get RM30 TnG eWallet reload pin and 1-year screen damage protection worth RM139 when you purchase a Reno6 Z 5G or Reno6 5G; get RM100 promo code for instant discount through the My OPPO app
Get RM30 TnG eWallet reload pin and Marshall Backpack worth RM319 when you purchase a Reno6 Pro 5G
Get RM50 TnG eWallet reload pin, RM300 cash rebate and 1-year screen damage protection worth RM259 when you purchase the latest flagship phone, Find X3 Pro
Get RM20 TnG eWallet reload pin when you purchase the A74(6GB+128GB) or Reno 5F
Get RM10 TnG eWallet reload pin when you purchase the A16 (4GB+64GB)
Get RM50 instant rebate when you purchase the Enco Air, Enco Buds or OPPO Band

In celebration of the app’s second anniversary, OPPO has partnered with your favourite businesses including Astro Go Shop, Baskin-Robbins, Tealive, Domino’s Pizza, LAC, Celebrity Fitness, and more to offer its loyal users up to ten gifts valued up to RM1,676 via the My OPPO App. Members may get a Single Junior Scoop from Baskin Robbins, a standard cup of Tealive, and more for RM2.
To redeem the RM2 rewards, all you have to do is follow these simple steps below:

Open the My OPPO App and click on ‘Voucher Redemption’
Click on any discount voucher you wish to redeem
Click on ‘Redeem Now’
Follow the instructions and enjoy your reward or voucher
To check your previous records, you can click on ‘Redemptions Record’

As if that wasn’t enough, OPPO is now giving members the chance to win fantastic items valued up to RM30,000! The Find X3 Pro, GoPro Hero 9, PlayStation 5, HP Omen Gaming Laptop, OPPO Band, OPPO Enco Buds, OPPO 5% IoT discount code, My OPPO rewards points, and My OPPO experience points are among the prizes.
To be eligible for one of the fortunate draw prizes, simply follow the instructions outlined below:

Download the My OPPO App and register as a member.
Open the My OPPO App and click ” My OPPO Members’ 2nd Anniversary Celebration Lucky Draw”.
Click “GO” and use 10 bonus points to get 1 chance to draw!

If you own an OPPO phone and haven’t yet signed up for the app, now is the moment. For the entire month of October, OPPO is offering 400 points for new sign-ups — that’s quadruple the points! Not only that, but members will gain 600 reward points for referring new users to the My OPPO App.
The My OPPO App 2nd Anniversary Celebration begins today and runs until October 31st, 2021, so don’t delay!
Eight ways to take great pictures with the OPPO Reno6 Series
Seeing that the OPPO Reno6 Series is included in the My OPPO App 2nd Anniversary Celebration, here are eight ways for you to fully take advantage of the OPPO Reno6 Series’ camera.

Take improved portrait photos with the Bokeh Flare Portrait Photo feature. Try the Bokeh Flare Portrait Photo feature at night in town or during festivals where there are beautiful background lights.

Capture more cinematic videos with the Bokeh Flare Portrait Video. Try the Bokeh Flare Portrait Video feature at night with urban landscapes like streets, tunnels or skylines as the background.

Make yourself look flawless using the Portrait Beautification Video function. The Portrait Beautification Video feature comes with a slider, just in case you want to turn its effects up or tone it down.

Use the AI Highlight Video feature to capture videos with great details and colour tones no matter the time of day. You can use this mode at night too. Ultra Night Video on AI Highlight Video automatically raises brightness in low light, allowing you to capture all the details in the dark.

Take great life portraits with the Focus Tracking feature. Double-tap on the camera to manually lock focus, and Focus Tracking takes care of the rest.

Grab the sharpest snapshots with the Flash Snapshot feature. The Flash Snapshot feature is very helpful when taking photos of fast-moving pets, kids or cars.

Change your image’s tone to suit your mood with the AI Palette feature. Using the AI Palette, you can literally ‘copy and paste’ the best colour tones from any image, make them into custom filters, and
instantly apply them to all your photos.

Make your picture’s colours pop with the AI Color Portrait feature. This mode is excellent for street photography and comes with a video mode too.
Try these out and you’ll get much better quality pictures on your OPPO Reno6 Series smartphones. In the meantime, you can check out our review of the OPPO Reno6 Z and OPPO Reno6 Pro.
Visit OPPO’s official website for more information on the offers during the My OPPO App 2nd Anniversary Celebration.
Pokdepinion: If you’re a My OPPO member, you sure don’t want to miss these great offers!
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Enthusiastic PlayStation Fanboy Wrecks Office After Horizon Zero Dawn PC Announcement

What the hell is wrong with you people.
We made a game, you enjoyed it. Now some more people get to enjoy it. And somehow that takes away from YOUR enjoyment?!
Please be kind to yourselves. Your enjoyment of the game has not diminished because some more people get to play it. https://t.co/UrJXniLBYI
— Sam Sharma (@s3rioussam) March 11, 2020

As many of you may know by now, the once PlayStation 4-exclusive hit title Horizon Zero Dawn is confirmed to be coming to PC this year. To be precise, it will be coming to Steam instead of Epic Games sometime in the third quarter of 2020.
This piece of news wasn’t received well by some gamers. One notorious incident is with an overly-enthusiastic PlayStation fanboy who went berserk and wrecked his own office. Unsurprisingly, he tweeted the aftermath of the incident but he wanted his anger to be known. As such, he tagged the official PlayStation Twitter account, Guerilla Games, Shuhei Yoshida, and Hermen Hulst.

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The Two Sides of Exclusive Games
Following the outburst by the PlayStation fanboy, a former Guerilla Games developer shared his thoughts on the matter, which you can view at the top of this post. Surprisingly, his tweet is met with quite a bit of negativity with some gamers arguing about the idea of exclusivity.
The stereotypical animosity that PC and console gamers have with each other is clearly still present. However, this doesn’t mean that it applies to every gamer. One thing’s for sure, when something appears to be good, there will always be people who may feel otherwise.
Source
Pokdepinion: I feel like there’s nothing wrong having a game released on other platforms. This way, more people get to enjoy it. Getting angry that a game is getting ported out to other platforms feels like someone is trying to keep forms of entertainment in some elite club of sorts, which doesn’t sound fun at all.
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Microsoft Aims To Bring Call of Duty To Switch Among Other Activision Games

The Nintendo Switch is quite the popular gaming platform for gamers but it does lack a handful of games that others provide. It seems that Microsoft’s president Brad Smith has said that they intend on bringing the Call of Duty franchise to the platform, assuming that their acquisition of Activision Blizzard goes ahead.
Call of Duty to come to Nintendo Switch?

It appears that Smith has talked about it in an interview with CNBC where he’s said that the acquisition wouldn’t mean that Activision Blizzard’s games won’t be coming to both Sony and Nintendo platforms.

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Here’s what he has said:
One of the things we’re being very clear about as we move forward with the regulatory review of this acquisition is that great titles like Call of Duty from Activision Blizzard today, will continue to be available on the Sony PlayStation. We’d like to bring it to Nintendo devices. We’d like to bring the other popular titles that Activision has, and ensure that they continue to be available on PlayStation, and that they become available on Nintendo.
Brad Smith, President of Microsoft
This will definitely delight Nintendo Switch gamers, should the deal between the two goes through. For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: Yeah some might argue that the latest Call of Duty isn’t the greatest but hey, who doesn’t want the option to play future CoD titles, right? Besides, it’s not just Call of Duty that they’re looking to offer on Switch. Seems all good news for Nintendo Switch players.
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Epic Games Store To Offer 15 Free Games — Here’s How To Get Them

I think by now we’re used to Epic Games to offer free titles for you to play at the Epic Games Store. This time around however, they are offering not only one or two, but a total of 15 free games for you to enjoy.
15 free games on Epic Games Store

❄🎁 COMING SOON 🎁 ❄
The Epic Holiday Sale returns on December 17. Unwrap great deals and prepare for 15 Days of Free Games! https://t.co/Ww6pybdm6X pic.twitter.com/gkfK2uAms4
— Epic Games Store (@EpicGames) December 10, 2020

Epic Games has revealed at their official Twitter account that they will be offering a total of 15 games for you to play this festive season. The games will be given starting from this 17th of December, where a free game will be given each day on.

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As of now, there’s no details on what exact game titles that they’re giving out away but hey, who wouldn’t say no to free games, right? If you’re thinking that there’s a catch, well there isn’t any really.
All you have to do is simply have an Epic Games Store account and claim the game when it becomes available. Then on, they are yours to keep forever. That being said, you might want to set a reminder however as the games will be available to claim for free for just 24 hours, so make sure that you do.
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Pokdepinion: Though I don’t really fancy the Epic Games Store client.. 15 free games is really a deal that I don’t want to miss out on..
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Samsung’s New Fitness Band Galaxy Fit2 is Now Available in Malaysia for RM179

Samsung has just announced that their newest fitness band is now available for purchase in Malaysia. The Galaxy Fit2 is the successor to Samsung’s original Galaxy Fit band upgrades in its screen size, battery life, and overall design as it is a lot more stylish, ergonomic and easy to fit into any fashion choice.
The new Galaxy Fit2 sports a sleek 3D glass design, with a wide 1.1-inch full colour AMOLED display to keep you updated on all the information you need on your lifestyle. It also features a battery life of up to 21 days in a single charge.

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Furthermore, the Galaxy Fit2 comes with advanced tracking features that keep track of your calories burned, distance travelled, heart rate, steps taken, and more throughout the day to keep you fighting fit. Its auto-detection capabilities also recognises and identifies five different exercises including walking, running, dynamic workouts, elliptical training, and rowing machines. On top of that, the band is water-resistant up to 50m with 5ATM certification.
The Galaxy Fit2 can also be used to keep track of your sleep quality, tracking stages like REM, light, and deep sleep, providing you with a Sleep Score in the morning that breaks down how well you slept throughout the night with in-depth analysis on the Samsung Health app. You can also pair it with the Samsung Health app to track your stress levels and encourage you to practice breathing exercises when stress is high.
Galaxy Fit2 price and availability
The Galaxy Fit2 retails at RM179 and comes in two colour variants in Black and Scarlet. It is now available at Samsung Experience Stores, Samsung Authorised Partners and Samsung Malaysia E-store. More information about the band can be found here.

In addition to this, Samsung is partnering with BiiB to invite all Malaysians to participate in the Race of the Stars virtual run campaign and take charge of their lifestyles for a chance at Samsung prizes.
To register, all you have to do is follow the steps below.

Sign up here and run anywhere from 28 November to 23 December. Registration for this event closes on 10 December.
Upload your picture, running data, and share your running playlist and begin running anywhere, anytime.
Celebrate and get rewards mailed to you.

Participants who choose to join the “Star Racer S” challenge will be entitled to receive a Galaxy Fit2 as a reward, along with RM150 off Samsung wearable products. Not only that, but there are also over RM40,000 worth in total of prizes up for grabs, including the Galaxy Note20 series, Galaxy S20 FE, and many more in the Samsung product line-up.
Pokdepinion: The Galaxy Fit2 looks like a very compelling option for those who want to to keep track of their activities without having to spend too much. Also, the stress level tracker sounds really interesting and useful.
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Play your best with Logitech G Pro series, now here in Malaysia with exclusive introductory offer!

Logitech has designed and manufactured a lot of high end gaming peripherals which push the envelope of innovation, like the Logitech G502 Proteus Spectrum which features one of the most accurate optical gaming sensors in the market, as well as the exclusive Romer-G switches in the Logitech G310 Atlas Dawn and Logitech G810 Orion Spectrum which are a great alternative for gamers who wish to have faster actuation than the typical mechanical switch.
The latest additions to Logitech G’s gaming peripheral lineup are the Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard and Logitech G Pro Gaming Mouse. Packing the best of Logitech G and condensing it to just what you need, the Logitech G Pro series is designed for competitive gameplay from the ground up.

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Let’s start with the Logitech G Pro Gaming Mouse. It’s developed by taking into account the feedback provided by eSports pros. The result? A mouse that pairs the familar G100s shape, with the highest performing sensor Logitech has in its arsenal, the PMW3366 12000 DPI optical sensor. Coupled with a metal spring button tensioning system for a consistent click every time, durable switches rated for more than 20 million clicks and a special durable coating for grip, the Logitech G Pro Gaming Mouse is designed for the win.

Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard does away with the numpad to make more space for your mouse movements. Exclusive Romer-G mechanical switches just need to travel 1.5mm to its actuation point, offering 25% faster actuation than standard mechanical keyboards. Romer-G also deliver on RGB lighting with a large LED illuminating each keycap evenly. A steel back plate reinforces the entire keyboard for rigidity and stability. To make it easier to carry it around with you to LAN parties and tournaments, this is actually the first Logitech G keyboard with a detachable microUSB connector.
How much will these professional peripherals cost you? Logitech is asking for RM329 for the Logitech G Pro Gaming Mouse, while the Logitech G Pro Mechanical Gaming Keyboard will set you back by RM629. I won’t say these are affordable, but Logitech is currently running a combo deal on these two, and you can get both for just RM728, with a free G bag worth RM199!
Pokdepinion: The chief complaint of most G502 owners is the shape, and I am sure this shape will please those who prefer a more classic shape. The keyboard looks like a TKL version of the Logitech G810, so I am sure it will be pretty good too.
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ASUS mobile browser will have pre-installed ad blocker in 2016

ASUS proprietary browser on its mobile and tablet line up will have a built-in AdBlock that will turned-on as default on this 2016. Asus and Adblock Plus (ABP) is working together to enable over 15 million ASUS browser users.

AdBlock Plus co-founder and CEO Till Faida said “We’re extremely happy to team up with Asus, the first major hardware manufacturer to integrate ad blocking into their mobile devices. This is another call for innovation in the ad industry—a call getting louder by the day”.

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This will not only help ASUS smartphone and tablet users from malware but there’s more benefits to using Adblock Plus like reducing internet bandwidth usage.
Pokdepinion: I hoping that ASUS will  working together with LastPast for better password management.

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Here’s What’s Coming In March 2019 On Netflix

Are you wondering on what shows to watch on Netflix? Well here are some recommendations on what you can catch on the streaming platform starting this March 2019.
Paskal (15/3/2019)

Starting off the list is our very own local blockbuster, Paskal. Naval Unit PASKAL is among the most elite special forces in Malaysia but all bets are off when one of its own stages a hijacking. The story is based on true events.

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The Order (7/3/2019)

Out to avenge his mother’s death, a college student pledges a secret order and lands in a war between werewolves and practitioners of dark magic.
Love, Death & Robots (15/3/2019)

Terrifying creatures, wicked surprises, and dark comedy converge in this NSFW anthology of animated stories presented by Tim Miller and David Fincher.
Immortals (1/3/2019)

Driven by revenge, Mia, a human-turned-vampire sets out on a quest to vanquish Dmitry, a ruthless vampire leader who seeks an artifact that grants immortality.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 (1/3/2019)

The sequel sees The Guardians struggle to keep together as a team while dealing with their personal family matters, where it sees Star Lord’s encounter with his father.
For a full heads up of shows that’s soon to come in March here in the country, you can check out the video down below.

Pokdepinion: I know that The Umbrella Academy just got released recently but seriously I can’t waiting for season 2 already. Hmm, Love, Death & Robots looks interesting though..
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Free Fire All Stars 2021 Asia Is Coming LIVE From 23 To 25 July

The Free Fire All Stars, the game’s annual international celebration starring popular influencer and fan-voted players, will be held in three regions: the Americas, Asia, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Between July and August, the Free Fire All Stars 2021 will be entirely online.
The Free Fire All Stars 2021 brings together the Free Fire community of players and content makers from all around the world in a fun and casual event. The FFAS is a chance for the game’s influencers and content creators to demonstrate that they can compete with the finest pro players. Different Free Fire modes will be competed for the first time at an international event, a request from fans that will be fulfilled!
Official lineup for Free Fire All Stars 2021 revealed

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Long-time content makers like AshedZ and SpiderGunz will compete alongside rookies like Obvy and other broadcasters from the Philippines and Cambodia as part of one MCP squad. Garena’s latest initiative to highlight its worldwide network of content creators is represented by the team, which forges transnational relationships across the three countries that share one server.
Here is the official lineup of creators participating in this globally anticipated event:
Malaysia

AshedZ
SpiderGunz
Abiyek
Obvy

Philippines

Makisig Gaming

Cambodia

Manich Gaming

Free Fire All Stars 2021 broadcasting details

From July 23 to 25, you can watch all of the action from the Free Fire All Stars Asia live on Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok starting at 7:00pm GMT+8.
On the first day, July 23, eight teams will compete in Bomb Squad. In a single-elimination tournament, teams will compete. The top team from each quarter and semi-finals Best of (BO) 3 map advance to the next round, with the finals determined on a BO5 map.
On the second day, 24 July, teams will compete in Clash Squad. Similarly to the first day, eight teams will compete in a single-elimination style with BO3 maps in the quarters and semis and BO5 maps in the finals.
The FFAS Asia / Americas / EMEA will conclude on the third day (July 25). In the Battle Royale mode, 12 teams will compete across three maps. Teams will play twice each on Bermuda, Kalahari, and Purgatory in a BO6 format.
Each day’s winning team will get USD10,000 (RM42,000) in addition to the title of FFAS Asia Bomb Squad, Clash Squad, or Battle Royale champion.
Download Free Fire on iOS or Android, and follow the game on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest Free Fire news.
Pokdepinion: That’s a pretty good lineup. Would be an interesting FFAS to watch come next week.
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Genshin Impact Leak Reveals Yelan and Shinobu Elements and Weapon

The newest Genshin Impact leak reveals a weapon and elements for new upcoming characters, Yelan and Shinobu, and it’s an interesting one. Let’s dive right into it, shall we?
Genshin Impact Leak: Yelan and Shinobu Elements and Weapon

[Correction] [1] We previously made a tweet regarding the unreleased character “Yelan”‘s weapon type.
Due to rash analysis, we incorrectly stated her weapon as a new type: “crossbow”, however all bow users have mentions of crossbow in their data.
We apologize for this mistake.
— Project Celestia (@projectcelestia) December 21, 2021

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The first part of this Genshin Impact leak comes from renowned leaker TZ from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Discord server. According to TZ, Shinobu is said to be an Electro character and support for Yae. This is interesting as we’re getting an Electro character in update 2.5, but it’s still too early to tell whether this leak is accurate or not.
Moving on to the next part of the leak, which comes from Project Celestia and Dimbreath, the weapon for Yelan is described as a bow, but there’s no indication of when the character will be launching. Since it involves data that’s already in the game, it might be sooner rather than later.
Genshin Impact is currently available for free on the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS, and PC. A Nintendo Switch port of the game coming in the near future. Update 2.4 is expected to launch sometime in early January 2022 for all available platforms.
Source
Pokdepinion: Not sure if I could be hyped for a bow character but hey, an Electro character would be pretty cool. I just hope there’s enough utility to warrant me spending Primogems and time to grow the character.
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Grab Collaborates With EPF — Giving Their Drivers A Voluntary Retirement Savings Program

Grab has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with EPF to encourage their drivers to save for their retirement through Caruman Sukarela Insentif Persaraan (i-Saraan).
Grab Teams Up With EPF
With the partnership, Grab drivers  can enjoy the same benefits as an EPF members, such as annual dividends on their retirement savings, tax relief, death benefit, and also access to EPF’s Retirement Advisory Service at free-of-charge.
The government will top up an additional 15% of annual contributions to a maximum of RM250 per year until 2022 for members below the age of 55.

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With i-Saraan, which was previously known as the 1Malaysia Retirement Savings Scheme (SP1M), is designed to allow individuals who are self-employed that receive no regular monthly income to save for their retirement while enjoying the same benefits as EPF members.
Starting from 16th August 2018, Grab will also be providing of 5% on the amount contributed by selected driver-partners, subject to a maximum of RM80 a year, adding to the Government incentives provided.
You can find out more on i-Saraan by clicking on the link right here.
Pokdepinion: That’s nice of them to give back to their drivers. At least they have something as a backup in the future. Not sure if it will provide much, but still, it is there for them.

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This Game on Kickstarter is Malaysian-made; Soundtrack by Final Fantasy XV Composers

A game being funded on Kickstarter has been gaining a lot of momentum. It’s known as Re:Legend and it’s Malaysian-made!
There are plenty of us who have experienced countless amount of games throughout the years. If you’ve been gaming from an early age, you’d usually notice that these games are made in countries like the United States, Japan, or other countries.
Nowadays, we’re seeing more and more Malaysian-made games, especially thanks to the Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation’s (MDEC’s) #MYGAMEON initiative. This particular Malaysian-made game caught our eye and it’s something you should take note of, regardless of your nationality.

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Re:Legend, a Malaysian-made Game on Kickstarter
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From Malaysian game development studio Magnus Games comes Re:Legend, a J-RPG inspired by the likes of Digimon World, Rune Factory, Monster Rancher, and Fantasy Life. Notice the theme in all of those games? If you guessed taming pets/animals, you are absolutely correct.
Washed ashore on Vokka Island without memories, you start a new life and find ways to recover your lost memories. However, you must first learn how to live on the island by cultivating the land, befriending villagers, expanding the village and raising your very own magical creatures known as Magnus.
Venture around the land of Ethia where Vokka island resides to reclaim your memories, but this is no easy task as the world is filled with dangerous Magnus and threatening challenges.

Set in the land of Ethia, mythical creatures known as Magnus (not to be confused with the one DotA 2) roam the land and you can tame every single one of them. These creatures will aid you in many of the things you have to do in your daily life in the game, such as farming, fishing, traveling, and more.
And the part that will get people even more excited, the Magnus can grow and evolve depending on how you care for them, with each creature having their own unique evolution criteria. Once the Magnus has grown enough and you have gain their trust, you can mount them and use their abilities at will. These abilities will be helpful in your adventure.

Re:Legend can be played solo or with friends (up to 4 players). The developers mentioned that most of the things you can do in the game can be done with other people as well, and that most of the features are built around multiplayer.
One example would be farming, where you can split the workload between the players and everyone could master a specific part of the job. Different Magnus are better at different jobs, so each of the player can choose a different Magnus suited for different parts of farming. Having friends will speed up the progress significantly.

You can plant plenty of crops at Vokka Island, both on land and underwater, and each crop sold can be used to improve your game’s progression. It’s not just plants either, as you can keep and breed the fish that you’ve caught in the world and let them swim freely in your farm.
You can also gain life skills in Re:Legend. They level-up passively as you carry out the activities so it is crucial to practice the skill that you want to master as much as you can. So far, the life skills that have been listed are Mining, Fishing, Logging, Cooking, Crafting, Farming, and Weaponry.
Befriend local villagers and celebrate exciting festivals while having a good time together. Pay attention to their needs and help them out in their daily lives, and they will reward you accordingly. You can recruit more villagers into the village during your adventure, and having more villagers will expand the village. This will allow you to gain access to better resources, and who knows you might even develop a romantic interest in one of them. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)

What’s interesting about Re:Legend is the fact that the people behind the music are the same composers from Final Fantasy XV. It’s a collaboration with the Video Game Orchestra (VGO), a Boston-based ensemble that has recorded for major titles like Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts.

Their experience and knowledge from those huge titles will be applied to Re:Legend so everything will be blended seamlessly from scene to scene. Audio will be extremely dynamic so you will be able to feel the exact mood of the specific game situation.

Re:Legend is currently scheduled for a June 2018 release window, and it will be available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows PC via Steam. On their Kickstarter page, the lowest backer tier is at SGD$30 (USD$21 / RM94.44), which will yield 1 digital copy of the game and some extra benefits, to SGD$7,000 (USD$5,000 / RM22,035.99), which will yield you the following:

Pokdepinion: Re:Legend seems to be a game that’s worth being excited for. The fees for backers isn’t high and it might be worth spending a lot of time playing with friends. Well, I’m gonna see for myself whether it plays as good as it looks some time in the future.
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Game With The Power of The Greek Gods with GAMDIAS

Get your Greek on with GAMDIAS

GAMDIAS showed their geek Greek side at this year’s COMPUTEX in Taipei a few days ago. With their booth all decked out in a cool Greek Gods style inspired decor, GAMDIAS went all in to showcase their new products lineup which include their latest gaming peripherals and brand new Achilles RGB gaming chairs.

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I suppose the whole Greek design makes sense considering that GAMDIAS is also known as the god of gaming. This year GAMDIAS launched their latest optical key switch technology and low-profile keyboards, HERMES P2 and HERMES P3 series. The HERMES P3 RGB offers up to 16.8 million colours with customizable lighting effects and the HERMES M3 is the world’s first 87 keys RGB low-profile keyboard with its slim and compact design. These low profile keyboards offer precise keystroke, fast response and accurate actuation for an extreme gaming experience.

GAMDIAS also unveiled a couple of new optical switch keyboards which are the HERMES P2 RGB and HERMES M2 7 color. These two models use the latest light reflection technology instead of the usual infrared red line optical switch technology used by their competition. Traditional mechanical switches suffer performance degradation due to the oxidization and wear of the metal contact points inside; GAMDIAS HERMES P2 RGB and M2 7 Color provide Extreme Keyboard durability made with a spill-resistant surface to offers an extraordinary lifespan, unparalleled speed, accuracy and product longevity.

Now here’s the product I’m most intrigued and excited about, GAMDIAS’ brand new line of gaming chairs, the Achilles P1 and M1. The Achilles P1 is the more premium of the two with 4D adjustable armrest and additional footrest for some extra comfort but here’s the kicker, both of the Achilles gaming chair models RGB backlighting! Hook it up to a PC and you can customize the damn thing with up to 10 different lighting effects which I gotta say makes gaming sessions a little more colourful. Achilles P1 and M1 both have 2 designs each with 5 colours and small & large sizes.

All these products will be available worldwide starting from July this year. For more information go ahead and visit the GAMDIAS website or their Facebook page.
Pokdepinion: I’m pretty stoked about GAMDIAS’ new gaming chairs to be honest. Even though their just, y’know, chairs but there’s something about them that makes my insides feel all giddy. Probably the RGB lights. I dunno.
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Discord Beta Sees the Arrival of PS5 Voice Chat Integration

It appears that a number of Discord beta users suddenly have access to the highly anticipated PS5 voice chat integration feature.
Discord Beta PS5 Voice Chat Integration
According to Reddit user u/Syhix, their version of Discord beta on mobile has an option which reads “Join Voice on PlayStation”. It appears that the PS5 getting proper voice chat integration but not the PS4.
Nothing much else is new apart from the voice chat integration. You get to show the games you are playing on Discord, but that has been available since February of this year. Nothing has been officially announced by PlayStation and Discord so likely they are still testing this feature.

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It’s worth noting that industry insider Tom Henderson claimed that PS5 voice chat integration will be launching on 8th March 2023. It’s expected to arrive on the PS5 for sure, but no word on a PS4 release of the feature, and it might just not happen.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s certainly good news since it shows how development of the feature is progressing well. I’m certain they’re just trying to collect feedback before they make the final public release, and we might be able to expect it to do more when it does arrive.
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HONOR Watch Magic Sold Out In Just One Hour of Its Launch

The folks over at HONOR is proud to announce that their newly launched HONOR Watch Magic has just sold out within one hour of its launch.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the HONOR Watch Magic was launched in Paris slightly under a week ago on 22nd January 2019, along with the HONOR View20, HONOR’s latest flagship device with the world’s first 48MP rear camera, Link Turbo technology, and the in-screen ‘Punch Hole’ camera design.

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The HONOR Watch Magic was up for sale exclusively on their website at hihonor.com/my for just RM599.
On another note, the HONOR Malaysia roadshow which took place in 1 Utama Shopping Centre from 23rd January to 27th January 2019 just concluded. The roadshow offered the new HONOR View20 for RM1,999 for the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage configuration in Sapphire Blue and Midnight Black, and the 6GB RAM + 128GB storage configuration for RM2,499 in the Phantom Blue colour co-designed with Moschino.
The first 800 customers who purchased the new smartphone also received the HONOR Band 4 as well as the HONOR backpack for free. Of course, there was more from the roadshow. Click right here to know what went down.
If you’re wondering whether the new HONOR View20 smartphone is worth your money, click right here to check out our in-depth review of the device.
Pokdepinion: Personally, not surprised. It’s a good smartwatch for the price, especially with others going around double or almost double the price for similar features.
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One of the most highly anticipated games coming up is Rockstar Games’ next installment of their successful open world franchise, Grand Theft Auto 6. However, not much details have been made available but we can expect some major reveals soon as a trailer for the game might just launch sooner rather than later.
Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer Expected to Drop Soon

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The last time we saw a new entry to the franchise was in 2013, and it’s been 8 years since then. With many fans anxiously awaiting the arrival of Grand Theft Auto 6, we still have no idea what to expect from it, and when. Now, we have some solid clues on when we can expect some major details to drop.
According to a recent job posting on the Rockstar Games official website, the company is looking for someone to capture cinematic gameplay footage for use in online and TV campaigns. Simply put, they’re looking for someone to help record gameplay footage for commercial teasers and announcement trailers. While this is for an unannounced game, it’s more likely than not that this refers to Grand Theft Auto 6.
Typically, Rockstar Games would reveal a game about a year or two before it gets launched so if the trailer drops this year, we can expect it to launch in 2023. This would match with speculations from reporters that expect the game to be launch in 2023 or later. With that being said however, there is still a chance they might not reveal the new trailer this year as Grand Theft Auto 5 is still expected to launch for next gen consoles, and it might hurt its sales.
From what we know thus far, Grand Theft Auto 6 is said to still be in early stages of development, so it’s definitely not expected to be launched anytime soon. Regardless of the situation, we do hope to hear about the game sooner rather than later. We will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
Source
Pokdepinion: Hopefully, we’ll get to see that and also learn of the game’s release date sooner rather than later.
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Ready for GIG Speed Internet? Here are some tips for the best experience.

High speed internet is probably the most important utility in a household today. In fact, it has become the de facto reason when considering a premise to move in. Some people are even considering places where they can get 1 Gbps internet. Having the fast speed is one thing, but maximizing the experience is another. Allow me to share some tips here as I just had a friend who was clueless about his 1 Gbps internet.
Ensure fibre cables are not bent
Fibre cables transmit light through it to provide signals from one end to the other. Hence, it becomes a rule of thumb that these cables are not bent or folded at any part of the fibre optic because this will heavily jeopardize the outcome of the experience. When a fibre optic is bent even at a single point, it will create heavy refraction effects, bouncing the signal in all directions and creating the effect of a “clogged artery”. This subsequently results in significant drop in speed. If you think that your connection speed might be affected by something like this, you should give your ISP a call for advice.
Use a Gigabit Ethernet capable router
If you are using 1 Gbps internet, the router becomes more essential than ever. Just having 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard on your router does not solve the problem. That would only improve the local Wi-Fi interconnection woes. To ensure your 1 Gbps internet is not hindered, make sure the WAN feature on your router specifies 10/100/1000 BaseT or at least mentions “Gigabit Ethernet WAN”. If it only shows 10/100, it is NOT a Gigabit Ethernet router. This is the most basic feature that you can lookout for in a router.

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If you want our guaranteed excellent experience, invest in what I call the “mother of all routers”, the ASUS RT-AC5300 because this is the router that we ourselves use, is tried and tested. Invest one time in a very good router and you will not regret it, especially if you are using 1 Gbps.
Use a CAT 5e RJ45 LAN cable or better
This is the most unknown factor among most home networks. The LAN cable that you are using does have different ratings. If you are using 100 Mbps internet, CAT 5 should be just fine for you, but at 1 Gbps, this will affect the experience drastically. There are plenty of factors involved including attenuation, resistance, composition (24AWG vs 23AWG) and POE factor, but we are not going to dive into it in detail here.
What you need is at least a CAT 5e rating cable, or, CAT 6 which is even better. You can find the rating imprinted on the cable itself for easy identification. If you are given an option between Copper Clad Aluminium (CCA) or Bare Copper (often called PCC or Pure Copper Cable), go with the Bare Copper as it has lesser attenuation resulting in better performance. In fact, CCA cables violate the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for CAT 5e and CAT 6 cables, so you should avoid them altogether.
Cut away and manage any additional data blocking layers
Unless you really have to, avoid using VPN or Proxy servers to ensure the best 1 Gbps experience. VPN tunneling and Proxy servers add another dependency layer in between your internet and the host. Because the packet data travel distance increases, the internet speed will be affected too.
If you really have to use VPN or Proxy Servers for managed access and authentication, you should then manage your firewall rules as accurately as possible and ensure that the packet data flow is uninterrupted. Otherwise, avoid using them altogether.
Some anti-viruses also add a layer of traffic monitoring in between your PC and the connection. As these anti-viruses vet every data packet that passes through your PC, it becomes impossible to deliver maximum speed. Consider studying your anti-virus software and only use reliable ones.
Use 5GHz over 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band
Last year, we wrote about the history of the IEEE 802.11 and the advantages and disadvantages of the 5 GHz network band. While we weren’t able to stretch our internet at that time due to the limitations of the WAN, at 1 Gbps, this becomes ever more relevant.
In theory, under the most ideal conditions, 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi supports up to 450 Mbps – 600 Mbps while 5 GHz Wi-Fi supports up to 1300 Mbps throughput (considering an 802.11ac router since we are talking about nothing less than that at 1 Gbps). When your local band can’t even support 1 Gbps natively, it will bottleneck the outcome of the internet speed. If your router does not have dual band wireless network, you are using the wrong router already.
On top of that, you can use applications like Wi-Fi Analyzer to identify which channel is being used by other neighboring Wi-Fi signals, and opt to use a different one instead for reduced interference and improved 1Gbps overall speed.
Kudos to TIME for bringing 1 Gbps in Malaysia
A little shout out to our friends at TIME Internet on their recent launch of GIG speed internet. Yes, a 1 Gbps home broadband plan has finally landed in Malaysia and you can get your hands on it for only RM199 per month. If you want something easier on your pocket, TIME also delivers the best value 100 Mbps plan in the market – RM99 per month. Fancy something in between? You can opt for the 500 Mbps plan for RM139 per month. Sign up online at www.time.com.my. Not only is the process quick and easy, you get RM100 off your first bill on top of the already great prices.
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Razer Cloud Clubbing Returns Tonight After Great Crowd Response

As some of you may know, we had a Razer Cloud Clubbing livestream last week that was done in partnership with Zouk Group. They brought the first cloud clubbing experience in Southeast Asia with livestreaming platform, Bigo Live. After a great crowd response, they will be returning to action later tonight from 9PM onwards.
From last week’s session, there was a rough total of 81,000 unique viewers, 200,000 total views, with the highest concurrent viewers at 5,600. It looks like they’re planning to break those numbers later tonight featuring exclusive closed-door sets at Zouk Singapore.

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For those of you who aren’t aware, the Razer Cloud Clubbing special came about as Razer teamed up with Zouk and Bigo Live to propel further digital disruption in the nightlife scene by bringing the experience of a club DJ set to a virtual sphere. This is especially the case as various countries across the globe are seeing movement restrictions / lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
CEO Min-Liang Tan on the Razer Cloud Clubbing Experience:
Youth and millennials, especially those who play games, tend to make the best out of the worst situations. With COVID-19 calling for social distancing, Razer and our partners will unlock the potential of cloud clubbing in Southeast Asia and drive thousands of party-goers to the livestream.
If you’d like to join the digital nightlife experience, download the Bigo Live app and click on this link right here. It will be happening from 9PM (GMT+8) onwards. It may be happening again in the future but they will be announcing the dates at a different time.
Pokdepinion: For those of you who enjoy the nightlife when the weekend is here, you can still somewhat enjoy that now with this. It might not beat the actual, live experience, but it’s still better than nothing. Just remember to party responsibly.
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Cooler Master Releases MasterBox Lite 5 RGB – Who Doesn’t Want Some RGBs?!

CoolerMaster announced today that they will be releasing their new PC case, the MasterBox Lite 5 RGB, which is a high performance ATX mid-tower case with three pre-installed RGB fans behind a DarkMirror front panel.
MasterBox Lite 5 RGB

The case comes with three interchangeable trim color options that comes in black, white, and red, which is included in the box. It is also pre-installed with 3 RGB fans.

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Users are able to download schematics from Cooler Master’s website and 3D print trims in any color they choose. The RGB fans can then be sync with the color you’ve chosen to make your own one of a kind case.
The MasterBox Lite 5 RGB comes standard with the 1-to-3 RGB Splitter Cable and four 4-pin male to male adapters. The case is also certified to be compatible with ASUS, MSI, GIGABYTE, and ASRock motherboards. For a full control of the RGB fans, the RGB LED controller or compatible motherboard is necessary.
The interior comes with a black coating and a PSU cover, allows you to make clean builds while not forgetting on cable management. Show off your perfect build through the 4mm thick, edge to edge, tempered glass side panel.
The case allows for up to four 120mm fans, three in the front and one at the back. Also, there is front or rear liquid cooling support for you to choose. This means that the case isn’t just about the looks, it also doesn’t compromise on the performance part. The interior will allow you to install graphic cards up to a length of 400mm and CPU coolers up to a height of 160mm.
MasterBox Lite 5 RGB is available for puchase now and retails at RM299.
Pokdepinion: Look at them RGBs all pretty. It comes at a decent price as well. All those RGB fans should take a look at it.
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MCMC Announce Telcos Will Allow Broadband Users To Migrate Plans

In a development to the telco issue in Malaysia, MCMC has today released a statement on the matter which sees users can switch to other broadband services.
Telcos To Allow Subscribers To Change Plans
With the announcement, they’ve said that all telecommunication companies are ready to allow their existing subscribers that wish to enjoy better broadband services at lower prices to switch to the new packages.
The Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has also said that all telcos in the country has stated their commitment in supporting the government’s efforts to provide high-speed broadband service at reasonable prices.

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Previously, MCMC had discussions with telcos on solving issues such as Streamyx users who are still paying high prices for their packages.
TM and Maxis will be looking to upgrade their ADSL service to fibre optics in stages, while Celcom will continue to expand their coverage for fixed broadband in 2019.
Source: TheMalaysianInsight
Pokdepinion; The ability to swap plans is good.. but if there’s no coverage in certain areas in the country, I don’t see the point though (talking for Streamyx users here). Hopefully they will make more areas accessible and of course, at affordable prices.
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Moto G5S Plus Review – Exceeding Expectations?

Introduction

While it wasn’t before long when the Moto G5 Plus came out, its successor the G5S Plus shortly came. Many would wonder why have Lenovo/Moto produce such a device so soon when the G5 Plus was already on the market at a price of RM1299 (when it came out) while the Moto G5S Plus retails at RM999. Bluntly speaking, the new G5S Plus packs a bigger display, metal build, and features a dual rear camera, so that’s a gist of what’s different. How often can we say that a newer model is cheaper than its predecessor? So how does it perform from the previous? Let’s take a look shall we.
Unboxing

Appearance

At the front side you’ve got your fingerprint sensor centered on the lower bezel. Meanwhile the front camera sits on the left side and the LED flash located just at the top right section. They appear to be equally distanced from the earpiece, which might interest our readers with OCD out there.

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On the right hand side, you got your standard volume rockers plus the power button at your disposal. Nothing much to display here, like any other devices though.

At the opposite corner, you’ve got only the SIM/microSD tray to see. Well that’s if you don’t include the antenna lines at the top and lower parts of the phone which connects all the way to the back till the end.

Head on to the top, there’s nothing much to write about as there’s only the 3.5mm jack. Well it could be said that personally, I prefer it to be at the top instead at the bottom due to the fact that I’d put my phones at my pocket. A convenience for me.

Down below, there is the speaker grille located at on the right corner. The phone uses a microUSB port, which to some may be outdated. Last but not least is the microphone situated just beside the microUSB port.

Flip the phone, there you have the phone’s dual camera. You’ve got the iconic almost ‘batwing’ Moto logo behind in a little dimple on the smooth metallic back. Visible as well are the antenna lines which are continued from the sides.
Specifications

CPU/Chipset:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 (8 x ARM Cortex A53 @ 2.0 GHz)

GPU:
Qualcomm Adreno 506 @ 650 MHz

RAM:
4GB

Display:
5.5″, IPS LCD, Full HD 1920×1080, 401 ppi

Storage:
32GB (expandable with microSD up to 128GB)

Camera:
Main Camera
Dual 13MP f/2.0 with depth editing, color balancing dual LED flash, active viewfinder
Front Camera
8MP f/2.0 wide angle lens, LED flash

OS:
Android 7.1.1 Nougat

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4 GHz + 5 GHz
LTE CAT4

SIM:
Dual nanoSIM

Battery:
3000 mAh

Weight:
168g

Performance
The Moto G5S Plus runs on a 3000mAh battery and packs a Snapdragon 625 chipset, which is a mid-range octa-core SoC. With that said, expectations is that it isn’t going to topple the charts but it certainly wouldn’t perform underpar as well. So lets head straight to the benchmarks shall we?

In Antutu, you can see that the Moto G5S Plus performs averagely. Compared to other devices that runs on Snapdragon 625, the G5S Plus is right in the middle of them. Additionally, it’s visible that Snapdragon 630 and Snapdragon 652 chipsets has a big advantage over them.

For the Geekbench benchmark, it’s multi core results fared quite well when compared with other devices with SD625 but for the single core, it performs on an average, being not too high or too low from the rest.

For the 3D Mark tests, the Adreno 506 here offers performance that once again places the Moto G5S Plus in the middle of the pack of other Snapdragon 625 devices.

In this benchmark, it tests the phone’s capacity to perform for productivity-related workloads. It performs better than higher-end devices, but that has been a “feature” (bug?) that we have seen repeatedly with Snapdragon 625 devices.

In the battery test, it performed surprisingly well despite its rather small battery capacity, but this maybe due to fact that it runs vanilla Android in addition to the already very efficient Snapdragon 625.

In terms of my real world battery usage, this is what it looks like. A round of AOV, some light Instagram scrolling, heavy usage of Facebook Messenger and Whatsapp. Not to forget some Facebook browsing as well. So all in all, having 54% of battery left after 14 hours sounds decent to me.
User Experience

Straight out of the box, the G5S Plus features a 5.5-inch display, bigger than it’s compatriot, the G5 Plus. With a standard 1080p resolution, the display looks sharp without having to chow down extra processing power to deliver 1440p. One feature that I thought was lacking in the phone was LED notifications. Using an active display, there was occasions where it left me baffled me where it turned on the display when they were no notifications, especially when I drove my car (I would like to say that I don’t use my phone while driving, I simply put it at the passenger seat :D )  Sporting a full metal build this time, it certainly doesn’t feel cheap. While it may feature a metal body, the weight is not heavy, which is a good thing for me.
For me personally, I just love stock android UI. It’s simple and pretty much straight forward. As for the fingerprint sensor, it works like a charm for me, and pretty fast I might say as well. Now the device doesn’t feature physical buttons on the sides of the fingerprint sensor, which may be a nuisance to some. Motorola have added a feature in their app to help with that.

With the Moto app, you can choose to turn on the One-button navigation besides the gestures that are available, which allows you to go back or open recent applications by the use of your fingerprint sensor. A tap and swipe left on the sensor will make you go ‘back’ while a tap and a swipe to the right will bring up the recent apps.

As far as my gaming experience with the phone goes. I played AOV quite regularly to test it out (yeah that’s my IGN, feel free to add me up lol). Performance wise, the phone gets laggy, especially during animations in the menu, not in gameplay though. As I went on a run playing the game, I noticed that the device gets warm after 70+ minutes of playing. Note that I’ve been playing in room temperature and no air-conditioning was present. All in all, game experience was decent as my only concern is the smoothness of gameplay, which works out fine.

Music wise, the phone doesn’t come with its own music player, so things are pretty basic with the Google Play Music app. Listening to music with the device is just average. Nothing to brag about but nothing to criticize. It does its job. Speakers are loud enough to notify you of any new alerts.
Next thing that I would like to mention is about its USB socket. The G5S Plus follows its Moto predecessors by using micro USB sockets. Many would think that such a feature is outdated with the USB Type-C lying around. Despite that, the Moto G5S Plus supports Turbo Charging and honestly it does the trick for me. Personally, I got it to charge 20% of battery in only 15 minutes. While this may not seem much to some, but it certainly helps when you don’t have much time to charge and have to be on the move. Every percent counts right?

Coming with dual rear cameras, much was expected. I would say that it doesn’t compete with the top of the range smartphones devices with better cameras, but I’ll say this, it’s not that far off. Experience with the camera was a fun one indeed, especially with the depth mode turned on. You can use it to take layers in a photo that you’ve taken and edit and place it into another photo with depth layer enabled. On a side note, in poorer lighting, there is a purple tinge easily visible in the photos taken. Overall, it’s more than enough for your social media needs. Despite the phone having no OIS (Optical Image Stabilization), Moto answers this problem with the use of software-based video stabilization in its video editor. You can choose to edit it there if you feel the need to improve your videos. Photos get no love though, so work on your breathing techniques.
Conclusion
The Moto G5S Plus was an enjoyable experience for me. It totally exceeded my expectations for a sub-RM1000 device. Especially with its price of RM999, it is more than worth your money for the specifications itself. It offers much more than the previous G5 Plus. You’ll get a properly built phone with metal design. You’ll have fun playing around with the Depth Mode, even though sometimes it is totally off the mark and looks downright silly. It’s hard to expect a premium experience with the price that it’s set at but hey, it’s a pretty damn good phone. It’s hard to ask for more for it’s price but if the cameras were improved a little, I would’ve given it a prestigious Gold Award.

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Special Deals For Nokia 3 And Nokia 5 – Save Up To RM300!

HMD Global are offering special deals when you purchase the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5, where you can save up to RM300 worth of cash, in honor of the first anniversary of HMD since coming to Malaysia.
Nokia 3 And Nokia 5 Deals
With celebration of their first anniversary in our shores, HMD are giving away the Nokia 3 and Nokia 5 at a discounted price as well as as a gift pack to customers who purchase the devices.
For the Nokia 3, it features a 5-inch fully laminated HD display which is powered by a MeditaTek MTK 6737 chipset. It has 2GB of RAM paired with 16GB of internal memory which is expandable up to 128GB via microSD. Camera wise, it packs a 8MP camera for both front and rear, with f/2.0 and autofocus for the latter.

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Previously, the Nokia 3 was retailing at RM599 but in the promotion, you can get it a cheaper price of RM499. Besides that, customers will also be getting a gift pack comprising phone accessories worth RM150 when they purchase the device.
On the other hand, they have also offered the Nokia 5 in offer as well. Featuring a a slightly bigger display, the Nokia 5 has a 5.2-inch HD IPS display that comes with a Snapdragon 430 chipset. In terms of memory, it has the same 2GB RAM and 16GB internal memory (expandable up to 128GB) as the Nokia 3. Running on Android 7.1 Nougat, it packs a 3000mAh non-removable battery.
In the camera department, the main camera is a 13MP shooter with PDAF and as for the front camera features a 8MP lense with autofocus.
You can get the Nokia 5 at a special price of RM699 (previously RM799). Customers also will be getting a gift pack which includes phone accessories worth RM200 when they purchase the device.
Interested in buying? You can do so by visiting all participating Nokia stores in the country. This offer is only valid for this month only (December 2017) or while stocks lasts. For more details and store locations, you can visit Nokia’s official Facebook page right here.
Pokdepinion: It’s not that much of a discounted when you exclude the gift pack (you’d save RM100), but hey, every money saved is worthwhile right? Still a good deal for those who wants to purchase the Nokia 3 or 5 though.

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ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 Laptop Review – You Win Some, You Lose Some

It’s finally here. Our full, in-depth review of one of the newest machines in the ASUS Vivobook S series, the S15 S530. Is this laptop worth your money?
ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 Laptop Review

If you have been looking for a new laptop to use at work, then I’m sure you’ve been looking for those that are light and easy to bring around. Chances are, you might be feeling a bit of panic as our tax holiday here in Malaysia is about to end, thus pressuring you for a purchase. Well, if you’re still uncertain about which one to get, this might be the one for you.

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Introducing the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop. Let’s take a look, shall we?
Unboxing the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530

We actually made an unboxing post earlier on the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop. In case you missed it, you can check out the video right above here or click right here to get up to speed.
Appearance
The first thing you’re definitely going to notice when you see the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop is its eccentric colour scheme. ASUS generally goes for more muted colours but this time, they decided to a bit wild on that end. The one we got is “Firmament Green” but it’s also available in 4 other colours; Icicle Gold, Gun Metal, Silver Blue, and Star Grey.

There’s a decent amount of ports on this machine. On the left side, you a couple of USB 2.0 ports and a MicroSD card reader. On the right side, you’ll have the charging port, a USB 3.1 Type-A port, a HDMI port, a USB-C port, and the combo audio jack.

Upon opening up the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop, you’ll be greeted with a full-sized backlit keyboard, a trackpad, and a Full HD display with ASUS’ own NanoEdge Display. For those of you who are wondering, NanoEdge is their own version of narrow bezels, and in this case it’s 6.3mm. This is why a 15.6-inch display laptop feels like a 14-inch display laptop from yesteryear.

You may have noticed that it’s supposed to have a fingerprint sensor but you don’t see it anywhere here. Turns out, ASUS has integrated it with the trackpad, thus resulting in a design that is not only space-efficient, but also one that is not cluttered.

One of the highlights of this machine is its ErgoLift hinge feature. It effectively lifts the laptop up when you open it, giving it a bit of space between the laptop and the surface that it’s being placed on. This elevation makes typing more comfortable than conventional laptops but more importantly, it helps the laptop dissipate heat better from underneath, thus ensuring improved cooling.
The ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 is a great looking laptop. The colours may seem unusual for ASUS but the idea here is to let customers  to “be bold” and pick one that suits their outlook. With the NanoEdge display, ErgoLift hinge, and its thin form factor (18mm), it’s a great looking laptop that will certainly appeal to the younger, more hip crowd.
Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i5-8250U (4C / 8T @ up to 3.4 GHz), 6M Cache, 15W TDP, 14nm

RAM
4GB DDR4 2400 MHz

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce MX150 (2GB GDDR5 VRAM)

Storage
256GB SATA III SSD + 1TB 5400RPM HDD

Display
15.6″ LED Backlit FHD (1920 X 1080) Display with NanoEdge Display

Keyboard
Full-size Backlit Chiclet Keyboard (1.4mm travel distance)

Connectivity
Wireless:
Dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi with advanced Wi-Fi Master technology
Bluetooth 4.2
I/O:
1 x Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 1
1 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 1
2 x USB 2.0
1 x HDMI
1 x MicroSD Card Reader

Audio
2 x High Quality Stereo Speakers
ASUS SonicMaster Stereo Audio System with Surround Sound, SmartAMP
1 x Combo Audio Jack (Mic + Headphone)

Power
42Wh 3-cell Lithium-prismatic Battery, 65W Adapter

Dimensions
361.4 x 243.5 x 18 mm (W x D x H)

Weight
1.6kg

Performance

Starting off with CrystalDiskMark, we ran the test on the SSD that it was utilizing and we can clearly see the usual SATA III SSD speeds and not NVMe. It’s still pretty fast, mind you. Just that when companies list out SSD, it can be confusing to know whether it’s NVMe or not. Now we know for sure.
As for the secondary drive (which is the 1TB 5400RPM HDD), the speeds are surprisingly good. It seems more like a 7200RPM HDD in our previous laptop reviews like this one. You won’t have Windows installed here so you probably won’t mind much when it comes to transfer speeds but just know that by the results, it should be a pretty zippy experience.
In case anyone is wondering what those drives are specifically, the SSD is a Micron 1100 whereas the HDD is a Toshiba MQ04ABF100.

On Cinebench R15, it fared rather well. The OpenGL test ran smoothly and shows FPS easily above 60 FPS consistently. This can be attributed to its discrete GPU, the GeForce MX 150, which provides some power while still retaining high energy efficiency. For the CPU test, it may be lower than some of the laptop reviews we’ve done but keep in mind, this is an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 and not an i7.

And the last yet arguably most painful test in our benchmark suite, Unigine Heaven benchmark running in the Extreme preset. I honestly wasn’t expecting the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop to run well here anyway as its specs isn’t really meant for resource-intensive applications. You can do some light gaming, and the MX150 helps, but best to dial down the graphics settings for the best experience.
As for the battery life, this is one of those laptops that can really last a while. With internet browsing and office work, you can expect about 6 to 7 hours per full charge, which is plenty. Add photoshop in there and battery life may take a hit, but it shouldn’t affect it too much. There is fast charging for this laptop, which is said to go up to 60% in 50 minutes, which is a bonus.
One downside is that you can’t charge the laptop via its USB-C port. As USB-C is becoming more ubiquitous with everyday technology, it’s an added convenience that ASUS missed out with this one. Even if you have high powered USB-C chargers or PD-capable powerbanks, it won’t work here.
User Experience

The ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop is a pretty decent machine but it highly depends on what you’re looking to do with a laptop. Editing pictures, doing office work, browsing the internet, and some light gaming should be easy for this machine. Anything more like video editing or trying to run Witcher 3 on even something like High settings would be too much for it.
The reason why I chose the word decent instead of good is not because of its processor. While some may prefer the Intel Core i7-8550U instead, the i5-8250U is strong enough. What is definitely lacking is in the RAM department. With mere 4GBs, even browsing the internet will have the PC feel sluggish after opening a few tabs regardless of whether you’re using Edge, Chrome, or Firefox. While multi-tasking is still possible, it’s best to upgrade the RAM to at least 8GBs as soon as possible for a much better experience.

What I do like about this laptop is the use of an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 GPU instead of the usual Intel HD Graphics. Sure, it’s weaker than the GTX 1050 but it gives that added bit of firepower while also retaining an energy-efficient design. For instance, editing pictures in Photoshop will be a smoother experience and for major eSports titles such as DotA 2 and CS:GO, it can reach 60 FPS easier, albeit at lower graphics settings.
Another major plus point is its storage. A lot of brands tend to cut cost wherever possible so products at this price point tend to only have 128GBs of SSD, and sometimes that’s just all you get. With the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop, you get a 256GB SSD and 1TB HDD, which ensures fast booting / loading times and plenty of storage capacity. Sure, 7200RPM would be better for performance but for a laptop of this purpose, 5400RPM will use less power, generate less heat, and make less noise. The SSD makes up for the speed.

The keyboard itself is pretty great as I feel very comfortable typing on it. While it’s essentially the same as previous Vivobooks, the elevation thanks to the ErgoLift hinge makes a whole lot of difference. Nothing much to say about the trackpad as it feels just the same as any other laptop with the exception of having a fingerprint scanner on it. You can use gestures to zoom, scroll, and execute other actions but most likely, you’re just going to be using a mouse and forgetting about this. It’s still a nice addition nonetheless.
Another good plus point on this machine is that there’s a decent number of ports on it. 3 USB ports, 1 USB-C port, a HDMI port, and a MicroSD card reader gives it that added boost in productivity / convenience without the need for hubs.I would like to reiterate my point from the Performance section again that you can’t charge this laptop via USB-C no matter what.

I personally feel that a full-sized SD card reader would be better because at least you can use a MicroSD card with it if you have an adapter whereas for this case, you can never use an SD card no matter what. This can matter a lot for photographers as plenty of cameras still use full-sized SD cards.
I do love the 15.6″ NanoEdge display as the display size is just nice and the narrow bezels really makes it stand out. It’s not an IPS panel so I don’t feel like the colours are super vibrant but it still looks great nonetheless. It’s just Full HD, not UHD like some of its competitors but truth be told, you most likely won’t be able to tell a difference especially for a screen of this size. Full HD is plenty good.

In additional note for its display, you can adjust the colour mode on this laptop via the ASUS Splendid Display software. It’s not the first time they’ve done this but I feel that it’s a good move by them to make it as user friendly as possible for everyone. You can switch between 4 different colour modes:

Eye Care Mode – Lowers the Blue Light emission of the panel by 30%, to reduce viewing fatigue (great if you’re about to sleep)
Normal Mode – Fine-tunes LCD colour gamut to optimize visual comfort. Suitable for daily work, document editing, and viewing angles.
Vivid Mode – Enhances the colour contrast and sharpness of images to deliver livelier visuals. It essentially provides the best viewing experience.
Manual Mode – Allows advances users to adjust colour temperature manually.

It would be great if ASUS included a touchscreen-capable display for this laptop. It would give that added bit of convenience for productivity on-the-go, especially if you don’t have / not planning to bring a mouse around. It doesn’t even need a flexible hinge or anything, just the touchscreen feature itself would be enough.

The speakers on the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop may be lacking in volume but if you listen to it in a rather quite area and place it on a flat surface, the audio sounds surprisingly good, is pretty much directed towards the user, and has a bit of depth to it. It’s not great but at least it’s not garbage. But of course for the best audio experience, get a decent pair of earphones / headphones.

On that note, you can actually customize your audio experience to better suit what you’re listening, or just one that works best for you via the ASUS Audio Wizard software. It has presets designed for specific uses such as Music Mode, Movie Mode, Recording Mode, Gaming Mode, and Speech Mode. It doesn’t turn good to great but it’s still a good thing to have either way.
Overall, I actually do enjoy using the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop. While it excels in some areas, it also loses out in others. It’s not as convenient as 2-in-1s but it has quite a bit of firepower packing underneath. In essence, this laptop is the epitome of “You win some, you lose some.”
ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 Verdict

The ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 is a good laptop for what it is offering. It’s fast, there’s plenty of storage, has good battery life, decent amount of ports, and the discrete MX150 GPU makes it more powerful. While the looks, especially the colour scheme, is subjective, I personally feel that it looks good. The ErgoLift hinge is a clever design choice to not only improve looks, but also improves user experience.
What I cannot agree with is that it only has 4GBs of RAM, especially for a laptop priced at RM3299. Sure, you can upgrade it yourself but it’s 2018 already. 4GBs of RAM is becoming barely usable. As for the other cons, it would only be considered a dealbreaker depending on what you need in a laptop. You may find trouble if you need a touchscreen-capable device, something that can read SD cards, or something that can be charged via USB-C. If none of these are your concern, then this is a great laptop for you.
With that being said, I award the ASUS Vivobook S15 S530 laptop with our Silver Pokdeward.

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AMD may partner up with MediaTek for 5G in Ryzen chips

AMD may be looking to add 5G to their offerings, with them reportedly mulling a joint venture with MediaTek, that will see AMD integrate MediaTek’s intellectual properties (IP) into AMD’s SoCs. AMD has previously worked with MediaTek on the WiFi 6E-capable AMD RZ608, which is a rebrand of the MediaTek MT7921K, so this might be an extension of that.
According to the report, AMD might be considering adding MediaTek’s 5G modems into upcoming Ryzen SoCs. MediaTek’s 5G solutions are more affordable, which may have been a key part of why AMD decided to go with them. The report also goes on to say that the partnership will only bear fruit in 2024, so we won’t be seeing 5G-enabled AMD Ryzen chips anytime soon.

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Aside from 5G, AMD might alternatively be looking to bake MediaTek’s WiFi modems directly into their Ryzen mobile processors. Intel has done this with their laptop processors for quite some time, so we might see this from AMD as well.
Currently, Qualcomm has the biggest slice of the pie when it comes to cellular connectivity in laptops. Aside from offering their modems to those who want to integrate cellular solutions in their designs, Qualcomm also has the Always Connected PC platform featuring their beefed up Snapdragon processors for laptops. It will be interesting to see if MediaTek will rock the boat.
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Pokdepinion: Not having to turn on my phone’s hotspot when using my laptop away from home base does sound pretty enticing…
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