OPPO Launches “Be A RENOgrapher” Photography Contest in Partnership with Tourism Malaysia

OPPO announced their collaboration with Tourism Malaysia to launch the “Be A RENOgrapher” Photography Contest. With prizes worth up to RM129,000 to be won, “Be A RENOgrapher” aims to bring Malaysians on a journey of appreciating the beauty of Malaysia and discovering the hidden passion in photography through the lens of a smartphone camera.

“Be A RENOgrapher” Photography Contest open to all
The contest will be held from 18 November to 20 November and is open to all Malaysians age 13 and above, and applicable to both OPPO and non-OPPO device users. The photography contest is divided into four different categories:

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Clearly Your Best Night – focuses on capturing a captivating scene in lowlight conditions. Its hashtag is #RenoNightMoment
Clearly Your Best Portrait – demonstrates the spirit of Malaysia using the power of portraiture. Its hashtag is #RenoPortraitMoment
Clearly Your Best Creativity – get creative and go beyond expectations. Its hashtag is #RenoCreativeMoment
Clearly Your Best Landscape – explore, capture, and share the wonders of Malaysia. Its hashtag is #RenoLandscapeMoment

To take part in the “Be A RENOgrapher” Photography Contest, all you have to do is follow the steps below.
For OPPO users

Choose a theme category that interests you. Participants are encouraged to join more than one category.
Take an original photo that captures the theme you picked, using any OPPO smartphone. Ensure that the OPPO watermark function (if it is available) in your Camera Settings is enabled before taking any photos.
Post the photo on Instagram (feed) with 4 (FOUR) hashtags:
– #BeRENOgrapherxOPPO
– Hashtag of your phone model (eg. #OPPOReno4Pro)
– Hashtag of your chosen theme category. Ensure that your Instagram profile is set to ‘Public’.
To ensure OPPO don’t miss out your submission, you are encouraged to submit your Instagram URL to the OPPO user contest submission form here.

For non-OPPO users

Choose a theme category that interests you. Participants are encouraged to join more than one category.
Take an original photo that captures the theme you picked, using your smartphone. Ensure that the watermark function on your smartphone is disabled.
Post the photo on Instagram with 2 (TWO) hashtags:
– #BeRENOgrapher
– Hashtag of your chosen theme category. Ensure that your Instagram profile is set to ‘Public’.
To ensure we don’t miss out your submission, you are encouraged to submit your Instagram URL to the non-OPPO user contest submission form here.

Throughout the “Be A RENOgrapher” contest period, one participant from each group with the best photo will be selected as the weekly winners. Furthermore, on 23 December, 15 consolation winners, 10 excellent reward winners and four category winners from the OPPO Users Group as well as 12 consolation winners, eight excellent reward winners and four category winners from Non-OPPO Users Group will be announced via the official website. 8 Ultimate Award winners will be announced on 2 January 2021.
Not only that, participants can also participate through partnering platforms including China Press, Berita Harian, Era FM, Astro Gempak, Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, Zing Gadget, Technave 中文版, Technave and Digi. More information on Digi prizes and contest details available on Digi’s official Facebook page.
Participants who are OPPO users stand a chance to win an OPPO Reno4 while non-OPPO using participants could win an OPPO Enco W31.
Moreover, participants are given the chance to try their luck with as many submissions as possible to win weekly prizes as well as the grand prizes. For OPPO using participants, weekly prizes include a 2D1N stay for two in Port Dickson, Kuching, or Kota Kinabalu. Winners from the non-OPPO using participants will receive a 2D1N stay for two in Port Dickson, Johor, or Melaka as their weekly prize.
Participants who submitted their entries will receive an exclusive promo code for selected Reno series devices. The promo code provides discount of RM100 for OPPO Reno4 Series and RM50 for OPPO Reno3 Series and will be valid from 18 November 2020 to 13 December. The promo codes are limited to the first 100 redemption only and the discount is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Throughout the “Be A RENOgrapher” competition, participants might want to keep an eye out on OPPO’s Facebook Live as there will be a weekly special photography workshop conducted by the contest judges. The workshop will discuss the four categories as well as tips and tricks to phone demonstrations for viewers to learn, apply, and increase their chances to win each category.
Pokdepinion: OPPO’s “Be A RENOgrapher” Phtography contest looks like a very fun to participate in. To those of you who are thinking of participating, I wish you good luck.
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U Mobile And MET To Host MESL – Here’s Your Chance To Make It To The Big Stage!

With several local Dota 2 players doing ever so well at The Internationals, U Mobile and Mineski Events Team (MET) saw it as an opportunity to find the next star in the making. Thus, they have teamed up and announce the launching of Malaysia Esports League (MESL). Due to the popularity of the game, not surprisingly it will feature Dota 2.

MESL is set to be the biggest Dota 2 esports league in Malaysia with a total prize pool worth of RM500,000. Seeing that U Mobile is one of the sponsors, an extra RM50,000 will also be received by the winners if the players are active U Mobile customers. So keep that in mind for even more winnings. Other sponsors include Logitech G (official gaming gear sponsor), eGG Network (official broadcaster) and finally Twitch.tv (official streaming partner). With a line up like this, it is almost certain that the tournament will be looked upon seriously.

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The league will start on 2nd of September 2017 with qualifiers covering Peninsular & East Malaysia. The top 16 teams from each qualifier will then face-off in the group stages for a duration of 3 months. Subsequently, the top 8 teams will then advance into the playoffs stage and at the end of it will decide the best Dota 2 team in Malaysia.
Local stars Ohaiyo and Mushi were also on hand at the event, seeing the tournament as a great way to find more talents and a platform for them to play professionally.
We have been seeing phenomenal growth in esports not just globally but also in Malaysia during the recent years, and the launch of MESL is naturally the next step in our continued commitment towards the Malaysian esports community. Through our efforts with MESL, we hope to develop more young talents and icons like Mushi, Ohaiyo, and Midone, who will be eager to grow their careers professionally. This is a huge stepping stone for players to penetrate the highest level of Dota 2, such as ‘The International’, where every player dreams to be at someday Kenchi Yap, Managing Director of Mineski Events Team
If you want to follow the league online, you can do so. All games from the group stages up till the Grand Finals will be aired on Astro’s eGG network and Twitch.tv. U Mobile customers can also stream the games for free on Astro GO via Video-Onz, which is U Mobile’s service which offers free unlimited data for video streaming.
Besides the tournament, in conjunction with MESL, U Mobile will have the “For The Win” contest which will have Asus ROG GL702VM PC, Logitech G910 keyboards, Logitech G633 headsets, Logitech G502 mouse sets and RM50 steam codes up for grabs. The contest will start from 1 September 2017 and ends at 31st December 2017. The contest will be for U Mobile Prepaid subscribers only where they can collect entry points by purchasing selected prepaid data plans. A total of 32 winners will be selected monthly and winners will be selected based on accumulated entry points. For more info on the contest, you can check it out by clicking here
Pokdepinion: Seeing how our local stars perform on the big stage, it’s an encouraging sign for the esports scene here in Malaysia. I hope they just don’t limit it to just Dota 2..

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Tesoro Gram Spectrum review — mechanical feel, membrane look

I am not sure if anyone has chosen membrane keyboards simply because they are a lot thinner than the average mechanical keyboard. However if you are one of them, then you might find the Tesoro Gram Spectrum to be very interesting, as it features unique low profile keycaps and a thinner body than most mechanical keyboards. Let’s take a look at the Tesoro Gram Spectrum.

Unboxing

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The box is mainly black and Tesoro’s trademark purple. A splash of information along with an interesting look at the keyboard on the front entices shoppers to pick up the box to take a look at it, which is good. Tesoro highlights the cutting-edge AGILE mechanical switches which were used in this keyboard.

More information is found on the underside of the packaging, as well as a top down view of the Tesoro Gram Spectrum.

On the edge of the packaging you get to see which switch variant you are getting. Today’s sample comes with Kailh Blue RGB switches.

Opening up the box, you can see the Tesoro Gram Spectrum is well protected with thick foam blocks supporting it.

This is all I got in the box, but then this is not actually a retail model, but a close-to-final engineering sample. Therefore the included accessories may be a little different for retail sets, but I don’t think there is much more to ask for besides a keycap puller.

Appearance

Top-down, the keyboard looks pretty normal except for the absence of a case on top, making the keys appear like they are “floating” above the backplate. I do like the clean design. Makes it look very “business-only, no fooling around”. The Tesoro Gram Spectrum’s general appearance actually has more in common with a usual office membrane keyboard than a gaming mechanical keyboard.

The double-shot keycaps are smooth, but the highlight of this keyboard are that the keycaps are substantially thinner than the ones on conventional mechanical keyboards. Here you can see it compared against one from the Cooler Master QuickFire Storm TK which has normal profile keycaps. It is nearly half the height!

On the bottom of the keyboard, we have the generously large rubber grips in all four corners, with two wide adjustable feet. In the middle there is the label.

The USB port is located on the top edge of the keyboard. Cable management is virtually impossible with this configuration, but let’s talk about that later. Here you can also see the keys “floating” above the backplate.

Gold plated and sleeved, the cables seem to be of great quality. It is also fairly flexible unlike some sleeved cables I have encountered.

Specifications

Body material
Metal top, plastic base

Keycap
ABS doubleshot, backlit

USB report rate
1000 Hz

Switch type
Tesoro AGILE mechanical switches (Kailh Blue RGB)

Microprocessor
32 bit ARM Cortex

Cable
1.8m, braided, detachable

Weight
1050 g

Included accessories
Quick start guide

User Experience
Plugging the mini USB end of the cable into the Tesoro Gram Spectrum, I encountered the first annoyance with this keyboard.

Thanks to the USB port being located on the top of the keyboard, if I were to route the cable anywhere but perpendicular away from the keyboard it will just look plain bad. This issue is exacerbated because I use a laptop which means the USB ports are on the sides, and I have to route the cables to the sides over my laptop’s built-in keyboard. The long connector tip doesn’t do it any favors either, as it hits my laptop’s front edge. Not the best place to put a connector, Tesoro.

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The feet are horrifyingly loud, with a sharp clack when opened or closed. The fact that you need to exert some force to lift or close the feet makes it even scarier. I did try flipping it open and close multiple times (while jumping due to reflex every time) but it didn’t get any looser or break, so I guess it is like that by design. In fact, it is very sturdy once opened and no amount of force while typing or gaming made it snap close.

The Tesoro Gram Spectrum is a RGB keyboard, in case you haven’t figured it out from the Spectrum moniker. The switches used in the Tesoro Gram Spectrum are what they are calling Tesoro AGILE mechanical switches, which still sport Kailh’s name on every one of them. While Tesoro still relies on Kailh to manufacture its switches, the Tesoro Gram Spectrum features translucent switch housings with the LED inside the switch body, instead of the usual solid switch body with a RGB LED located in a recess at the top. It now looks more like Cherry MX RGB switches which feature clear switch housings. A downside of the translucent body is that the lighting is less intense and sharp. In addition to the black metal backplate which isn’t as reflective, you don’t get as vibrant backlighting effects as you would get with some other RGB keyboards.

Here’s a look at the Tesoro Gram Spectrum running through its spectrum of colors. As it is capable of illuminating in 16.8 million colors, you can configure the keyboard to shine in any color you can imagine. The F keys also act as shortcut keys to quickly switch profiles, which can be programmed with their individual illumination settings. The Tesoro Gram Spectrum doesn’t feature dedicated media keys but also rely on the F keys doing double duty.

Speaking about configuration, Tesoro included a rather comprehensive driver software to manage macros, key reassignments and of course, the RGB lighting effects. You have to download it yourself though.. Macro and key reassignments features are complete and work as they should. Every key is programmable. I had some problems with the lighting effects. Right now, I was able to get every key to illuminate in a different color, or have it run in a wave. That was all I could make it do. While very feature-rich, the interface looks decidedly tacky. I would very much prefer a simple but usable interface than this over-designed crap. Not to mention a very annoying Windows error sound when ever I forget to press Cancel or Apply in ANY menu.
Which means programming the individual key backlighting is going to be a big pain in the ass, having to press Apply EVERY TIME, or else you will face the terrible sounding DONK that Windows make with every error. Urgh. Software like this make me wish it didn’t have any. Tesoro, please update the driver software’s GUI. We are now in 2016. I was later informed that this is a late engineering sample, which means that this hopefully most of my complaints will be ironed out by the time the Tesoro Gram Spectrum hits retailers’ shelves, but I believe the look of the software will still be around for sometime to come.

If you are a little lazy to open up that horrible looking driver software, you can switch between the lighting profiles by pressing the Fn key and the arrow keys. The left and right keys change the lighting pattern while the up and down keys adjust the brightness of the backlighting.

The low profile keycaps definitely feel different when typing. They do definitely differentiate the Tesoro Gram Spectrum from the crowd of mechanical keyboard in the market. The tilt is just right for me with the feet opened, but if the feet are not flipped out, it is a bit too flat for me to use, especially in addition with the thin body it has. The lower profile is actually more ergonomic as you don’t have to put weight on your wrists to tilt your hands up to type. The thinness of the Tesoro Gram Spectrum doesn’t affect body rigidity though as it didn’t flex even when I exerted force to try and twist it.
While it looks like a hell lot like a membrane keyboard, as soon as you touch a key you will know that this is a true mechanical keyboard. This is the first time I have used Blue switches, but from trying keyboards with Cherry MX Blue switches, I feel that the Tesoro AGILE Blue switches by Kailh used here in combination with the low profile keycaps are less noisy than Cherry MX Blues with standard keycaps, which is great for people who desire the tactile feel of Blues but deplore the noise they make. Don’t get me wrong though, they are still a whole lot noisier than the other switches. Tesoro claims that they have optimized the Tesoro AGILE mechanical switches for gaming, but I didn’t notice any added advantage.  The Tesoro Gram Spectrum is capable of NKRO, which is great for gamers who need to tap multiple keys at the same time, or even typist who type at crazy speeds.

If you are planning on customizing the Tesoro Gram Spectrum, you may be a little out of luck as they do not use Cherry stabilizers. All the other keys will be able to use aftermarket keycaps but the longer keys won’t be replaceable. But then, I doubt anyone would swap these keycaps for anything else after using them, unless there is a PBT low profile set out there…

Conclusion
The Tesoro Gram Spectrum is an interesting entry to the mechanical keyboard market. Combining low profile keycaps with a “floating key” design makes for a very sleek keyboard. Throw in RGB backlighting and you have what I think is an amazing keyboard which should satisfy almost everyone. One thing that I want to point out here is that while the Tesoro Gram Spectrum uses Kailh-manufactured switches which are often considered second-class when compared to Cherry MX switches, I found that Kailh switches aren’t really as bad as they are made out to be in the enthusiasts groups.
I would seriously recommend you to try out the Kailh switches in Tesoro keyboards before dissing them. The driver software is also very comprehensive in terms of features, albeit rather horrible looking while also not forgetting to annoy you with a loud Windows error notification every time you didn’t click Apply. I really did enjoy using the keyboard though, when I wasn’t meddling with the driver software. Right now it depends on how Tesoro Malaysia will price this keyboard. Tesoro Gram Spectrum hasn’t launched this product in our markets yet, but if they price the Tesoro Gram Spectrum reasonably, like they usually do with their products, this will definitely be among my recommended mechanical keyboards. With that, I give it our Silver Pokdeward.

[UPDATE]: The Tesoro Gram Spectrum is available for RM449, which actually makes it quite a good deal for a unique low profile mechanical keyboard with RGB lighting!

Our thanks to Tesoro Malaysia for providing us with the Tesoro Gram Spectrum review sample for us to test.
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Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra With Secondary Screen And 120X Zoom Revealed

We’ve previously reported the Xiaomi Mi 11, which was recently launched globally. While the company only unveiled the mentioned device, it appears that there has been a leaked video showcasing a Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra.
Xiaomi Mi 11 Ultra revealed

Over in the Philippines, a YouTuber uploaded a video showcasing the smartphone. The video has since been set to private but it hasn’t stopped people from saving it beforehand.

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Looking at the video, it appears that the Mi 11 Ultra comes with three cameras, which is supposed to sport a 50MP primary camera, 48MP ultra-wide lens and finally 48MP periscope shooter. The camera setup seems to be partnered with LED flash as well as a secondary screen, presumably to see better while you’re taking selfies with the primary camera.
According to reports, it seems that the Mi 11 Ultra will have the ability for a 120x zoom, which is rather impressive. Aside from that, the phone comes with a 6.81-inch WQHD+ 120Hz curved OLED display, which houses its 20MP front camera.
Powering the device is a Snapdragon 888 chipset and it runs on the latest MIUI 12.5. Other specifications include dual Harmon Kardon speakers, 5000mAh battery, a 67W wired and wireless charging as well as a 10W reverse wireless charging support.
We should hear more news about the device soon from Xiaomi. Stay tuned to Pokde.net for the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews.
Source
Pokdepinion: I pretty much dig the back design of the phone. Then again, if I had the Mi 11, I would be satisfied already. This is just taking it to the next level.
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Apple Watch Series 5 comes with Always-On Retina Display, among other things

The Apple Watch series has been quite interesting. The last one added an ECG feature and fall detection, the former a feature which I didn’t really think was possible in the limited space of a smartwatch. The new Apple Watch Series 5 doesn’t really one up its predecessor in terms of feature, but refines it.

For starters, the Apple Watch Series 5 will be offered in aluminium, stainless steel, ceramic and even titanium. The latter two are pretty exotic materials for smartwatches, and it would be interesting to see how they stand up to regular use, especially ceramic being a rather fragile material.

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On the front we have a new Always-On Retina display which… is always on. Instead of a regular LTPS OLED display, Apple went with a LTPO OLED panel backed by an ultra-low power display driver. To further lower power consumption, it also packs an ambient light sensor to ensure optimized brightness according to your surroundings. Apple promises all-day 18-hour battery life with the Apple Watch Series 5.

The health-centric features of the Apple Watch Series 5 gets two new apps, Noise and Cycle Tracking. The former keeps track of your surrounding noise levels, and informs you when it reaches dangerous levels, while Cycle Tracking is for the ladies to log their menstrual cycle. Not as groundbreaking as the ECG feature, but it’s new.
Local pricing is still unknown for now, but prices start from $399 (~RM1667) in the US for the GPS only version, while the variant with both GPS and cellular will set you back $499 (~RM2085).

For those of you who want a premium touch, Apple also partnered with Nike and Hermès for more options when it comes to band designs and watch faces.
Pokdepinion: Apple Watch Series 5 cost more than their iPads…
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Sneak Peek Into HyperX Gaming Product Lineup for Computex 2017; The HyperX Complete FPS Family

Looks like we’re getting an early glimpse of Kingston’s HyperX gaming peripheral lineup for Computex 2017.
When Kingston first brought over their HyperX division, a lot of people were skeptical. Can the memory giant succeed in a battle for hardware supremacy, or even put a dent to the competitors at least?
After the success of their Cloud gaming headsets, they are now bringing the full lineup of gaming peripherals. It’s set to be showcased at Computex Taipei 2017 but we have a sneak peek of the products right here.

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Sneak Peek Into HyperX Gaming Product Lineup for Computex 2017

First up in the HyperX complete FPS family is the PulseFire FPS gaming mouse. It is said to offer gamers accurate tracking and fast response time with PixArt 3310 sensor and Omron switches. The latter feature should allow the mouse to function perfectly for years to come.
Then, we have the HyperX Alloy FPS keyboard, which is claimed to be the perfect match for mouse movement athanks to its compact design. It will give gamers extra space on their table so they can freely move the mouse around without worries.
Lastly, we have the new HyperX Cloud Revolver S. It can be used easily thanks to its plug ‘n play function. It apparently has virtual Dolby Surround 7.1 audio, which should help FPS gamers in keeping track of players in the game…y’know, in case of surprise butt…you get what I mean.
No price or mention on availability just yet but we expect more information to become available once Computex Taipei 2017 is up and running. HyperX will showcase the upgraded Alloy FPS Pro and Alloy Elite RGB keyboard for the first time in Asia Pacific along with current existing products during Computex Taipei 2017.

Pokdepinion: Honestly, I was one of those skeptics. I didn’t think their HyperX Cloud headsets would be able to perform decently but I was proven wrong. Not sure how well the keyboard and mouse will perform but I’m super stoked for the Cloud Revolver S.
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Logitech acquires ASTRO Gaming; promises even better audio for gamers

The Logitech G family will get just a little bigger with the Swiss company acquiring ASTRO Gaming for $85 million in cash. The deal is expected to close in early August. ASTRO has a strong presence in the gaming audio market, with premium headphones and DACs designed for gamers.

ASTRO is famous for their premium console headsets, while Logitech G is better known for their PC gaming peripherals. This acquisition of ASTRO allows Logitech to complement their range of Logitech G PC gaming hardware with ASTRO’s line up of console audio equipment. Logitech will be able to reach an even wider audience through this acquisition.

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ASTRO is Logitech’s second acquisition of audio equipment brands, the first being Ultimate Ears, which is a manufacturer of professional custom in-ear monitors and consumer earphones. Logitech plans to further integrate the business and invest to expand ASTRO internationally.
Pokdepinion: Combining ASTRO’s expertise in console audio and Logitech’s innovations will definitely bring console gamers some interesting hardware soon!
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MSI Fan’s Week starts this weekend! Promotions and fan gatherings to be held in Melaka and KL!

MSI is going to be running a promotion starting this weekend on 17th March 2018 until 31st March 2018. During this period, MSI is going to throw discounts worth up to RM300 on their latest gaming laptops, give out bundled gifts with their laptops as well as hold MSI fan gatherings at Melaka and Kuala Lumpur!
If you are looking forward to a new MSI gaming laptop, check out the following list:

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Model
Key specs
Bundle
SRP

GL62M 7RDX – 2605MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
4GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1050 4GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, Vivid Color 94%
1TB HDD (7200rpm), one PCIe NVMe SSD supported (optional)
MSI T-shirt
RM3799

GL62 7REX – 2452MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
4GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, 120Hz, 3ms
1TB HDD (7200rpm), 128GB NVMe SSD
MSI T-shirt
RM4399

GS63 7RD – 232MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
8GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1050 2GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, IPS
1TB HDD, 128GB NVMe SSD
Instant RM300 discount
RM4999

GP72MVR 7RFX – 1467MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
8GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, 120Hz, 3ms
1TB HDD (7200rpm), 128GB NVMe SSD
MSI Siberia V2 Headset
RM4999

GS63 7RD – 075MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
8GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1050 2GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, IPS
1TB HDD, 128GB NVMe SSD
 Instant RM300 discount
Stealth Game case
 RM5499

GL62VR 7RFX – 1057MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
8GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, 120Hz, 3ms
1TB HDD (7200rpm), 128GB NVMe SSD
 MSI T-shirt
RM5399

 GP62MVR 7RFX – 898MY
 Intel Core i7 7700HQ
8GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, 120Hz, 3ms
1TB HDD (7200rpm), 128GB NVMe SSD
MSI Siberia V2 Headset
RM5999

 GE63VR 7RE – 067MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
8GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, 120Hz, 3ms
1TB HDD (7200rpm), 128GB NVMe SSD
Instant RM200 discount
MSI Neck Pillow
 RM7199

GE73VR 7RE – 079MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
8GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5
17.3″ 1080p, 120Hz, 3ms
1TB HDD (7200rpm), 128GB NVMe SSD
Instant RM200 discount
MSI Neck Pillow
RM7499

GE63VR 7RF -211MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
16GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5
15.6″ 1080p, 120Hz, 3ms
1TB HDD (7200rpm), 128GB NVMe SSD
Instant RM200 discount
MSI Neck Pillow
RM8699

GE73VR 7RF – 242MY
Intel Core i7 7700HQ
16GB DDR4 RAM
GeForce GTX 1070 8GB GDDR5
17.3″ 1080p, 120Hz, 3ms
1TB HDD (7200rpm), 256GB NVMe SSD
Instant RM300 discount
MSI Neck Pillow
RM8999

For anything other than the instant RM300 discounts, you will have to fill out MSI’s redemption form to get your goodies. The redemption period runs from 17th March to 10th April, so do not hold off registering too long or your prize will be forfeit.

If you are in Melaka this 17th March, you will want to head over to NCS Melaka to gather with your fellow MSI fans and get a chance to win MSI goodies and prize. ZadPumpkin will be there, and you will get the opportunity to play CS:GO against him. You can even get goodies bags if you register online via the link on their FB event page.

For MSI fans over in Kuala Lumpur, the gathering is held on 24th March at the MSI Gaming store in Lowyat. Here you will get to play Overwatch with MSI Gaming Ambassadors Momoko and Eruthlie for a chance to get prizes. Like the Melaka gathering, registering online will snag you goodie bags!
Pokdepinion: I might just get myself to the Kuala Lumpur fan gathering and embarrass myself in front of everyone with my 1337 Overwatch skills! On second thought, maybe not…
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HyperX Teams Up With Champion Athleticwear In Releasing Glow In The Dark Apparel Collection

The folks at HyperX has announced of a third, limited-edition apparel drop with Champion, makers of authentic athletic apparel since 1919.
HyperX releases Glow in the Dark Collection

The collection includes Powerblend fleece hoodies, Powerblend fleece joggers as well as cotton T-shirts. All of them feature a minimalistic design with glow in the dark accents.

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If you are interested, they will be available for purchase on the 14th of July 2021 on Champion.com. They come in a range of unisex sizes from S – XXL with the cotton T-shirt retailing for US$30 (~RM125), US$60 (~RM250) for the fleece joggers and US$65 (~RM314).
Unfortunately there’s no mention of its availability here in Malaysia. Should you wish to learn more on the collaboration, you may head to the link right here. For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: My gosh, those are really expensive clothing to say the least. Though I like the fact that they glow, I’m not a huge fan of the design. What do you think? Would you buy one for yourself?
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Genshin Impact Leak Reveals Full Kit for Shenhe and Yun Jin

Shenhe and Yun Jin are the two new characters expected to arrive in Genshin Impact 2.4. If you’re wondering whether these characters are worth getting or not, then look no further. Here’s what you need to know about both of them.
Genshin Impact Leak: Full Kit for Shenhe and Yun Jin

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As many of you may know by now, Shenhe and Yun Jin will be the two new characters for Genshin Impact 2.4. Both of them were first discovered about a year ago as a result of a data mine of a beta test, and now, we’re learning a lot more about both characters.
Yun Jin Skills

Starting off with Yun Jin, her Elemental Skill / E is called Whirling Opener which varies depending on whether you press or hold it. Pressing E will result in attacks with her Polearm, dealing Geo DMG. When holding E, there will be a charge up animation, forming a Shield scaling with her Max HP, with 150% absorption rate toward all DMG, Physical, and Elemental. When the Shield disappears, it’ll deal Geo DMG that depends on how much time the Shield was charged. There are two levels to the charge.
As for the Elemental Burst, it’s called Cliffbreaker’s Banner. It deals AoE Geo DMG, and applies the “Flying Cloud Flag Formation” effect to nearby party members. It amplifies Normal Attack DMG, which scales with Yun Jin’s DEF stat. The effect has a time limit and a limited amount of stacks that are consumed each time you hit an enemy, with each party member having their own independent stack.
Yun Jin Passive Talents

Light Nourishment: 12% chance to get double the food when cooking adventure-effect related food (Stamina consumption decrease, etc).
True to Oneself: If you tap E right when Yun Jin is attacked, it’ll trigger the Level 2 charge Geo DMG attack. The same thing as when her Shield breaks or disappears.
No Mere traditionalist: Increases the DMG bonus of Yun Jin’s Q by the number of characters with different Elements in your party. 1/2/3/4 characters= increase by 2.5%/5%/7.5%/11.5% of Yun Jin’s DEF.

Yun Jin Constellations

Stylized Equestrianism: Whirling Opener’s cooldown is decreased by 18%.
Myriad Mise-en-Scène: Characters with Flying Cloud Flag Formation deal 2% increased Normal Attack DMG after their Normal Attacks hit opponents. Can be triggered once every 0.3s, with 10 stacks max.
Seafaring General: Elemental Burst level + 3.
Ascend, Cloud-Hanger: Increases Yun Jin’s DEf by 20% for 12s whenever she triggers Crystallize.
Famed Throughout the Land: Elemental Skill level +3.
Decorous Harmony: Characters with Flying Cloud Flag Formation has their Normal Attack speed increased by 12%.

Shenhe Skills

Shenhe’s Elemental Skill is called Spring Spirit Summoning, and it gives nearby party members the Icy Quill effect that increase all Cryo DMG based on Shenhe’s ATK stat. Icy Quill has a time limit and consumes 1 stack when hitting an enemy. Each party member has an independent number of Icy Quill stacks.
This skill also has a Press and a Hold version, and holding E will make Icy Quill last longer and get more stacks. When pressing E, Shenhe will rush forward and deal Cryo DMG to enemies in front of her. When holding E, the Talisman Spirit will deal AoE Cryo DMG.
As for Elemental Burst, it is Divine Maiden’s Deliverance. It deals AoE Cryo DMG and consumes the Talisman Spirit, creating a field that decreases the Cryo and Physical RES of the monsters in it. The field also deals Cryo DMG continuously over time.
Shenhe Passive Talents

Precise Comings and Goings: Gains 25% more rewards in Liyue Expeditions that are longer than 20 hours.
Deific Embrace: An active character within the field created by Shenhe’s Elemental Burst / Q will get a 10% Cryo DMG bonus.
Spirit Communion Seal: Shenhe will buff party members when using her Elemental Skill / E.
Press: Increases Elemental Skill and Burst DMG by 15% for 10s. Hold: Increases Normal, Charged, Plunging Attack DMG by 15% for 15s.
If Shenhe usees her E again when the effect is still active, it’ll reset the timers.

Shenhe Constellations

Clarity of Heart: Spring Spirit Summoning can be used one more time (I’m guessing this works like Sucrose’s E).
Centered Spirit: Shenhe’s Elemental Burst will last for 6 more seconds. Characters in the field get a 15% Cryo CRIT DMG bonus.
Seclusion: Elemental Skill level + 3.
Insight: When characters trigger Icy Quill, Shenhe will get a Skyfrost Mantra stack: When Shenhe uses her E, she will consume those stacks and deal increased DMG, 5% increase per stack. Max 50 stacks.
Divine Attainment: Elemental Burst level + 3.
Mystical Abandon: When characters trigger Icy Quill using Normal or Charged Attack DMG, they won’t use up their Icy Quill stacks.

Shenhe will be a 5-star character whereas Yun Jin will be a 4-star character, which would make the latter more appealing to free-to-play gamers as it’s easier to obtain and max out her constellations. The final version may see some changes for both characters. Both of them are expected to arrive in Genshin Impact 2.4, which is expected to launch on 5th January 2022 for all available platforms.
Source
Pokdepinion: This is shaping out to be quite interesting for both characters. Also, quite extensive for a leak. I still foresee changes during the Genshin Impact beta, but more so in terms of balance changes so it should be about the same relatively speaking.
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Copper Networks To Be Phased Out in Malaysia by 2023
Image credits: lapieceriemoto

We have seen some interesting developments with regards to broadband internet in Malaysia. We’ve seen price reductions as well as speed boosts from some of the major providers here in Malaysia. It appears that we now have a glimpse of what to expect in the future as well.
According to the Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo, said that they are looking to phase out copper networks in Malaysia by the year 2023. The government is looking to increase broadband coverage in populated areas by at least five-fold, and they are looking at about 98% broadband coverage in populated areas with a speed of at least 30Mbps.
Aside from that, they are also discussing with several foreign companies which could see them coming to Malaysia to offer their broadband services which will help boost connectivity in the country as well as encourage better competition in the market. Gobind said that this will be possible through the deployment of the 700 MHz spectrum, and that some of these companies have affiliate companies in Malaysia already.

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While there is no mention on exactly who these foreign companies, it was noted that these companies are located in Japan, United Kingdom, France, and South Korea. The reason these companies were approached is because they have very advanced technology in this field.
The ultimate goal here is to break the monopoly of the wholesale broadband segment, encourage competition which will bring down charges, and make it more accessible for Malaysia as a whole.
On a related note, MCMC will be inviting telcos, researchers, startups, and technology adopters this November with regards to the 5G Network testbed taking place in Putrajaya and Cyberjaya.
Source: Nikkei
Pokdepinion: It’s still sometime away to say goodbye to copper networks but at least we know when essentially the whole of Malaysia will get too faster and, hopefully, more reliable internet coverage.
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Lite Variants of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 and Tab A7 Allegedly Leaked

pic.twitter.com/hdghYBG8OP
— WalkingCat (@_h0x0d_) February 18, 2021

With many people across the globe still stuck at home, there has been an increase in the need and use of tablets at home. If you’re looking to get a new one, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite and Galaxy Tab A7 have allegedly been leaked, and it might be worth looking out for.
Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite and Tab A7 Lite Allegedly Leaked

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Alleged promotional materials for the Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite and Galaxy Tab A7 Lite have been leaked on social media. To be precise, it came from @_h0x0d on Twitter, which included a couple of pictures; one for each tablet. Interestingly, it shows that both tablets will be coming sometime in June 2021.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Lite appears to share a similar design to the Plus variant, with a 12.4-inch display and the front camera positioned on the side. As it doesn’t show the tablet’s rear, it’s hard to say whether it will be any different there, especially on the dual-camera setup. Apart from that, it also comes with 5G connectivity and Galaxy Continuity, which lets you receive calls and messages to a linked Galaxy smartphone.

As for the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 Lite, it has a smaller 8.7-inch display with a “slim metal design”. It’s expected to come with one-handed mode and features that will boost its entertainment capabilities. While we’re uncertain what that would include, it may refer to improved speakers and features relating to the display.
Due to the fact that these are the Lite variants, we do expect there to be certain areas to be cut down from the original variants, perhaps in terms of camera or the chipset powering it. We might see it get powered by an Exynos chipset as opposed to the Snapdragon 865 SoC.
Do take this information with a grain of salt. We expect to hear more on this soon as June 2021 is just months away from now so we will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
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Pokdepinion: Regardless of the chipset, I’m sure it will provide adequate performance that can suit anyone. If you can save money compared to buying the regular variant, then that’s all the more reason to consider them.
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iPhones no longer a status symbol of the well-heeled?

iPhone users are often thought to be doing pretty well financially. Well, that’s because iPhones are still the most expensive smartphones you can get in the market. But apparently according to MobData’s survey, iPhone users in China aren’t actually that well off.

Most iPhone users are earning pretty low incomes of around 3000 yuan (~RM1812), and are predominantly female. They are also mostly young adults, aged between 18 – 24. Probably that’s why they make such bad life decisions, eh? The average education level is also lower, and consequently do not make the cut for professional work.

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On the flip side of the coin, HUAWEI and Xiaomi users in China earn more than the iPhone users. Is this something like how billionaires don’t use designer brands while the working class spend their paychecks on expensive goods that they can’t afford?

According to MobData’s data (yep I just had to say that), HUAWEI users are generally high earning professionals aged between 25 to 34, earning between 5000 to 20 000 yuan (~RM3000 – RM12 000), while Xiaomi users earn between 5000 to 10 000 yuan (~RM3000 – RM6000). While it seems like the rich prefer cheaper smartphones, the most popular smartphone in China is still the iPhone.
What do you think of MobData’s report? Does it match what’s happening in your circle of friends? Let us know!
Pokdepinion: Well it is because of the assumption “iPhone users are rich” that I am pissed off if they tell me they are out of data. I guess I have to be more compassionate to them after this.
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ASUS ROG Phone 5 set for 10th March launch

ASUS has confirmed that they will be launching the ROG Phone 5 this 10th March. ASUS will be observing a little bit of tetraphobia for this generation, and skip the ROG Phone 4 numbering for this generation. Aside from skipping a number, the ROG Phone 5 is probably going to be yet another great addition to the ROG Phone series.
The ROG Phone 5 is slated to pack the Snapdragon 888 processor, 16GB of RAM, a 6000mAh battery and a 6.78″ OLED display. Over on the back, ASUS is going to pack a triple-camera setup, which isn’t too farfetched given that the ROG Phone 3 has already offered three cameras on its back.

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ASUS is also set to offer a customizable secondary display on the ROG Phone 5’s back, replacing the RGB logo on their on the previous ROG Phones. It will allegedly be in the same dot matrix style that ASUS introduced with the ROG Zephyrus G14’s AniMe Matrix, and can be used for stuff like alerts for notifications and other customizable features. This is pretty much confirmed by the upcoming launch’s landing page already.

This will be a pretty interesting ROG Phone, as it is expected to arrive with the standard Snapdragon 888. Previous ROG Phones have usually come with the overclocked variants of the contemporary flagship chipset. With that said, ASUS can easily optimize the cooling in the ROG Phone 5 to help extract more performance than what most other devices are capable of delivering.
Well, all we need to do is to wait until 10th March to find out more about the ROG Phone 5!
Pokdepinion: I can’t wait to see if ASUS manages to add an RGB dot matrix display to the ROG Phone 5! Then I can safely wait for a RGB version of the AniMe Matrix soon!
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Carousell Singapore Data Breach Reportedly Affects Some Malaysians

Recently, Carousell Singapore has suffered a data breach but unfortunately, it has also affected a number of Malaysian users as well.
Carousell Singapore Data Breach

Carousell Singapore has confirmed that they suffered a data breach recently. It’s been said that a database containing data from over 2.6 million users have been placed on sale in an undisclosed online forum.

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The data breach, which occurred on 14th October 2022, was said to have been caused by a bug during system migration, and it was exploited by a 3rd party to gain unauthorized access to the data. This includes email address, phone number, and date of birth.

According to local website SoyaCincau, 5 copies of the leaked databased has been offered for USD $1,000 (RM4,738), and two of them were successfully sold off. It is said that the database is 2.5GB in size with over 5.5 million records, though it has been filtered down to 2.6 million to show specifically unique email addresses.
The seller has provided a sample of this data, a small one of just 1,000 individuals, but it also apparently included Malaysian users. Carousell Singapore mentioned that they have already taken the necessary actions and fixed the bug to prevent further unauthorized accesses. They will be contacting users affected by the data breach.
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Pokdepinion: If I were you, I would change my password right now, just in case. You never know with these kind of things sometimes.
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Here’s a quick guide to choosing your next gaming laptop from GIGABYTE

AORUS GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptops

With such a wide variety of options from laptop manufacturers, it can be quite a daunting task to choose the right one for yourself. GIGABYTE is one of the few manufacturers with rather distinct positioning within their lineup of gaming laptops, and in this article, we will go over them to help you pick out the one for your needs.
Casual gaming – GIGABYTE G5

The GIGABYTE G5 is the best option if you are looking for a gaming machine that can deliver the performance you need to tackle the latest games, without breaking the bank. GIGABYTE designed the GIGABYTE G5 for maximum bang for buck, which means that there are a few tradeoffs, but they definitely didn’t skimp on the performance.

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This laptop packs the GeForce RTX 3060 graphics with the latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors, which provides you with the  performance for you to enjoy RTX ON titles. On the cooling end, you get the WINFORCE Cooling System which comprises of two fans, four heatpipes and three large vents to effectively dissipate the heat from the CPU and GPU.

On the display end, you get a 240Hz panel that covers 72% of the NTSC color gamut, which is roughly equivalent to 100% sRGB. That ensures that you will enjoy vivid visuals with the GIGABYTE G5, and can even do some light content creation on this machine. After all, the performance is no limitation here. There’s also Nahimic 3 enhancement for the audio, which allows the stereo speakers to deliver a better listening experience.
Now, onto the drawbacks. The GIGABYTE G5 touts a relatively small 48.96WHr battery, and it is also pretty thick, measuring 27.9mm. Weight wise, at just 2.2kg, it is still pretty manageable. But if what you want is a really portable machine, you might want to check out the next laptop though.
Ultraportable performance – GIGABYTE AORUS 15G

While the previous generation of the GIGABYTE AORUS 15G was pretty hefty, GIGABYTE revamped the new AORUS 15G series to deliver a finetuned balance of performance and portability. The new GIGABYTE AORUS 15G weighs just 2kg, but it can be configured with up to the latest GeForce RTX 3080 laptop GPU running at up to 105W, for some serious performance in a really portable package that measures just 23mm thin.

The GIGABYTE AORUS 15G further upgrades the cooling, with the GIGABYTE WINDFORCE Infinity system. Despite the limited room available in the chassis, the GIGABYTE AORUS 15G packs a whopping five heatpipes and four vents with two 12V fans blowing through them to keep all the powerful hardware here running optimally. All the heatsinks sport copper fins to improve thermal dissipation.
The only reason to pick a portable gaming machine like the AORUS 15G is if you are going to carry it around with you a lot, and that would usually also mean working on the laptop. The battery of the AORUS 15G is a massive 99WHr unit, and there’s also Microsoft Azure AI to help you optimize the system to deliver better battery life.

It is not only a gaming machine though as the displays of the AORUS 15G laptops are individually calibrated before leaving the factory, earning them the PANTONE Certified label. Every panel is tuned to an accuracy of Delta E <1, which ensures that the colors are accurately portrayed on the display.
Serious gaming – GIGABYTE AORUS 15P
The next step up in terms of performance will the AORUS 15P. While the GIGABYTE AORUS 15P can only be configured with up to the GeForce RTX 3070 laptop GPU, GIGABYTE tuned the GIGABYTE AORUS 15P to deliver greater performance with a maximum graphics power limit of 130W with Dynamic Boost 2.0. This allows the AORUS 15P to achieve clocks of 1560MHz and beyond, which provides for pretty stunning performance.

To accommodate more powerful graphics solution, the GIGABYTE AORUS 15P sports larger fans and thicker heatpipes to dissipate the extra heat. As a result, it is slightly heavier than the AORUS 15G at 2.2kg, and also slightly thicker at 27mm. Other features like the individually calibrated 240Hz display that covers 72% NTSC, huge 99WHr battery, Azure AI optimizations and sleek overall design are kept pretty similar between the two laptops.
Ultimate experience – GIGABYTE AORUS 17G

The GIGABYTE AORUS 17G doesn’t offer much extra in terms of performance coming from the GIGABYTE AORUS 15G, but a gaming laptop isn’t just about the performance, but also about the experience. That’s where the GIGABYTE AORUS 17G has a clear advantage over the rest of the laptops mentioned here, with its larger 17.3″ panel that goes all the way up to 300Hz for a fluid and responsive gaming experience.

GIGABYTE also equipped it with OMRON mechanical keyboard switches that offer a great 2.5mm of key travel. They also provide very tactile and audible feedback, which is great for you to make sure that you did not miss your keypresses. The entire machine is also constructed of precision cut aluminum alloy, for a sturdy and elegant design that is unlike any other.
While the GIGABYTE AORUS 17G’s large 17.3″ display, 2.7kg weight and 26mm thickness might seem quite daunting, it is actually the world’s thinnest and lightest 17.3″ laptop to feature a mechanical keyboard. It is definitely for those who desire the best gaming experience possible in a machine that’s still relatively portable.
Microsoft Azure AI – what does it do?

A feature exclusive to the GIGABYTE AORUS laptops mentioned above is Microsoft Azure AI. As mentioned earlier, Microsoft Azure AI helps optimize the CPU and GPU performance depending on your needs. But it doesn’t only work when running off battery power, as it can also optimize the performance during plugged in operation.

The AORUS Control Center offers you the option to tune the CPU and GPU boost limits, as well as the fan profile. Azure AI can adjust the performance of the machine to balance the CPU and GPU performance and acoustics intelligently. Depending on your CPU and GPU loads, Azure AI will tilt the power balance to where it is needed most.
Of course, the enthusiasts among you might want to take over and do it manually, which is also an option, but if you just want a machine that performs great in all your tasks without having to meddle with the settings, Microsoft Azure AI is definitely a great feature to have in your laptop.
Pricing?
You can check out the following table to quickly differentiate their target segments, specifications and also pricing:

AORUS 17G
AORUS 15P
AORUS 15G
GIGABYTE G5

Segment
Ultimate Experience
Serious Gaming
Ultraportable Performance
Casual Gaming

CPU
Intel Core i7-10870H, 8C/16T @ up to 5.0GHz
Intel Core i5-10500H, 6C/12T @ up to 4.5GHz

RAM
32GB DDR4 (16GB x 2)
16GB DDR4 (8GB x 2)

GPU
GeForce RTX 3070
GeForce RTX 3060

Display
17.3″ FHD 300Hz IPS LCD
15.6″ FHD 240Hz IPS LCD

Operating System
Windows 10

Battery
99WHr
Approx. 8 hours of battery life
48.96WHr
Approx. 5 hours of battery life

Dimensions
405 x 276 x 26 mm
357 x 244 x 27 mm
357 x 244 x 23 mm
361 x 258 x 27.9 mm

Weight
2.7kg
2.2kg
2.0kg
2.2kg

Warranty
2 years

Price
RM9199
RM8299
RM7699
RM4899

In terms of pricing, the GIGABYTE G5 starts from a low RM4699, while the GIGABYTE AORUS 15G and AORUS 15P start from RM6599. The flagship AORUS 17G is priced at RM9199. All of them come with Windows 10 installed. For more information about the pricing, you can head on over to the following link:
AORUS GeForce RTX 30 Series Laptops
This is an exclusive article for GIGABYTE Malaysia.
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HONOR CEO Suggests Future Smartphones Will Come With Google Services

Following their separation from HUAWEI, many have pondered on whether HONOR will bring back Google services back to their devices. It seems that might be the case according to the brand’s CEO, George Zhao.
HONOR to bring back Google services?
George Zhao has said that “there’s no reason for the company not to partner up with Google again”. At the time of writing, the company has partnerships with Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, as well as MediaTek.
Seeing that list, it appears that Google is the only thing that’s missing. According to a recent interview with South China Morning Post, the CEO has said that they are already in talks with Google.

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We’ve previously reported on the new HONOR V40 but it is still unknown if the brand will be releasing a global version of the device that comes with Google services. We will update accordingly should there be new details on it. Till then, stay tuned to Pokde.net for the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews.
HONOR Malaysia is hosting their Niu Year Sale where you can save up to 60%. More details can be found in the link here.
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Pokdepinion: I really hope that they’ll bring in the HONOR V40 with Google services available. Regardless, it’ll be exciting news for the brand if they indeed get the deal done.
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COMPUTEX 2023: Arm Unveils Total Compute Solutions 2023

Mobile devices have become an integral part of our lives, offering immersive experiences and driving the need for more computational power. Arm, a leader in mobile computing technology, is at the forefront of this revolution, empowering users with limitless possibilities. With a relentless focus on performance and efficiency, Arm continuously builds foundational platforms to meet the ever-increasing demands of our digital lifestyles.
Arm Total Compute Solutions 2023 (TCS23)

Today, Arm announces the introduction of Arm Total Compute Solutions 2023 (TCS23), a groundbreaking platform designed to redefine mobile computing. TCS23 offers a comprehensive package of the latest IP, optimized for specific workloads, that seamlessly work together as a complete system. This includes the Arm Immortalis GPU, 5th Generation CPU cluster, and enhanced software accessibility for Arm developers.

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Elevating Visual Experiences Arm’s commitment to supercharged visual experiences continues with the introduction of the Immortalis-G720, built on the brand-new 5th Gen GPU architecture. This innovative architecture redefines the graphics pipeline, enabling next-generation high-geometry games and real-time 3D applications.
With features like Deferred Vertex Shading (DVS), partners can scale for larger core counts and higher performance points, resulting in smoother gameplay and more immersive visual experiences. The Immortalis-G720 delivers a 15 percent performance improvement and 40 percent uplift in system-level efficiency, ensuring higher-quality graphics and unrivaled immersion.

Empowering AI Arm’s commitment to CPU performance leadership is evident in TCS23 with the introduction of the Armv9 Cortex CPU compute cluster. At the forefront is the Arm Cortex-X4, the fastest CPU ever built by Arm, providing a 15 percent performance boost compared to the Cortex-X3. The power-efficient microarchitecture of the Cortex-X4 consumes 40 percent less power while delivering exceptional performance.
The Cortex-A720, known for its sustained performance, and the Cortex-A520, Arm’s most performant high-efficiency CPU core, further enhance the cluster. These new CPUs bring a 20 percent power efficiency improvement over previous generations, enhancing experiences across gaming, productivity, and background tasks. Arm’s partnership with TSMC on the TSMC N3E process ensures maximum performance, power, and area (PPA) benefits.

Arm understands the importance of software and security in providing developers with the tools to create simpler, faster, and more secure applications. As AI and machine learning workloads continue to evolve, Arm supports developers through open-source software libraries like Arm NN and Arm Compute Library.
These libraries enable developers to optimize their ML workloads on Armv9 Cortex-A CPUs and Arm GPUs. Additionally, Arm’s CPUs incorporate 64-bit computing and Armv9 security innovation, including the deployment of Arm Memory Tagging Extension (MTE), which eliminates memory safety bugs.
Arm’s commitment to mobile innovation extends beyond the present as they invest heavily in key IP, such as the Krake GPU and the Blackhawk CPU, to meet the evolving demands of partners. With an unwavering dedication to their CPU and GPU roadmap, Arm aims to deliver unparalleled compute and graphics performance in the years to come. As a global ecosystem, Arm is poised to shape the future of mobile computing, paving the way for immersive digital experiences.
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Pokdepinion: Arm’s Total Compute Solutions 2023 (TCS23) represents a significant leap forward in mobile computing. With state-of-the-art GPUs, high-performance CPUs, and enhanced software capabilities, Arm empowers users to enjoy extraordinary visual experiences, powerful AI capabilities, and unmatched performance. As Arm continues to push the boundaries of innovation, the future of mobile computing will undoubtedly be built on Arm’s foundation of cutting-edge technology.
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NSFW Aside, What Have Malaysians Been Searching on Google in 2016?

Interesting to see what Malaysians have been Google searching on…aside from +18 content of course.
2016 is almost coming to an end, and we’re already in the middle point of December. It’s times like this where we sit down and reminisce on what we’ve managed to accomplish this year…or cry at the lack of accomplishments depending on what you’ve been doing so far.
We could do a year in review for ourselves here at Pokde.net but I think the more interesting thing to do here is to see what Malaysians have been searching on Google in 2016, and here’s the results.

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What Have Malaysians Been Searching on Google in 2016?

So the folks over at Google Malaysia shared a unique perspective on this year’s major events, news, and trending topics. This data is obtained solely on searches via http://google.com.my/. Of course, there will be a crapload of stuff to show if they were to release the entire search history so basically, they’ve shared the ones being searched on most.
Topping the list of the country’s 2016 Trending Searches is ‘Euro 2016’, the football championship among European nations which took place in June and July. The 2nd spot belongs to ‘Pokemon GO’, the augmented reality Pokemon game that sent everyone into a frenzy when it launched in August. In 3rd place is the annual government financial aid programme ‘BR1M.’ The rest of the top 5 is rounded off by the public school exam analysis system for parents ‘SAPS Ibu Bapa’ as well as another global sports event ‘Olympic Games Rio 2016.’
The rest of the trending searches on the top 10 include hit local Malay drama, ‘Suri Hati Mr Pilot’ and ‘7 Hari Mencintaiku’, South Korean zombie apocalypse film, ‘Train to Busan’, the K-pop Mnet Asian Music Awards, ‘MAMA 2016’ and South Korean hit drama series, ‘Descendants of The Sun.’
Believe it or not, the number 1 trending person is Mr. Build-a-wall himself, the US President-elect Donald Trump. Local actress ‘Atikah Suhaime’ was in the spotlight in 2nd place over some alleged photo leaks. South Korean heartthrob ‘Song Joong Ki’ is in the 3rd spot due to his starring role in Descendants of The Sun. In the 4th spot is singer ‘Aiman Tino’ with his 2016 song hit song Ku Rela Dibenci followed by the luscious ‘Margot Robbie’ who played Harley Quinn in the Suicide Squad movie.
The rest of the annual trending people searches rounding off the top 10 are: actress Syatilla Melvin, housewife video gone viral Nadia Nordin, controversial Indian Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, China’s superstar badminton player ‘Lin Dan’ and lastly US presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton.

Zeffri Yusof, Head of Communications and Public Affairs at Google Malaysia, said:

Google searches continue to act as a reliable cultural barometer that gives us a real snapshot of the major events, popular individuals and trends that have collectively made an impact in the lives of Malaysians.
Google is where most Malaysians turn to for information and discovery, and we believe the lists we’ve compiled on Malaysian searches reflect the national zeitgeist or ‘spirit of the times’.

For the full list of top searches in 2016, you can check them out below here. Don’t worry, no NSFW content here so you’re safe in that sense:

Trending Searches of 2016
Trending People of 2016
Trending News Topics

Euro 2016
Pokemon GO
BR1M 2016
SAPS Ibu Bapa
Olympic Games Rio 2016
Suri Hati Mr Pilot
Train to Busan
MAMA 2016
7 Hari Mencintaiku
Descendants of The Sun

Donald Trump
Atikah Suhaime
Song Joong Ki
Aiman Tino
Margot Robbie
Syatilla Melvin
Nadia Nordin
Zakir Naik
Lin Dan
Hillary Clinton

US Elections
Olympic Games Rio 2016
Rayani Air
Brexit
Bajet 2017
Zika
Gerhana matahari
Note 7
Bauksit
Difteria

Other Trending and Top Searches of note:

Trending Movies
Trending Local Dramas
Trending Local Celebrities

Train to Busan
Suicide Squad
Deadpool
Dilwale
Kabali
Conjuring 2
Moana
BoBoiBoy The Movie>
Me Before You
Zootopia

Suri Hati Mr Pilot
7 Hari Mencintaiku
Dia Semanis Honey
Tundukkan Playboy Itu
Cinta Si Wedding Planner
Sayangku Kapten Mukhriz
Isteri VS Tunang
Mr Donat Karamel
Awak Sangat Nakal
Suami Tanpa Cinta

Atikah Suhaime
Aiman Tino
Syatilla Melvin
Goh Liu Ying
Mira Filzah
Aidil Aziz
Khai Bahar
Norashikin Abdul Rahman
Faiz Subri
Janna Nick

Trending ‘How To’ Searches
Trending ‘What Is’ Searches
Trending ‘Near Me’ Searches

Play Pokemon GO
Sign up for WhatsApp
Use Snapchat
Clear cache Google
Download videos from YouTube
Make Slime
How many delegates does Trump have after New York
Care for old people
Vote
Stop toddler cough

The Mounlol oktain of Butterflies
Brexit
Pokemon GO
Bauxite
The Panama Papers
The Zika virus
European Union
The Paralympics
Bitcoin
The electoral vote

Dominos near me
Pizza Hut near me
Part time jobs near me
KFC near me
Hotels near me
Western Union near me
Post Office near me
Money changer near me
PokeStops near me
Pharmacy near me

Trending ‘Apakah’ Searches
Trending ‘Bagaimana’ Searches
Trending ‘Kenapa’ Searches

Virus Zika
Bauksit
Gunung rama-rama
TPPA
Piagam Madinah
Maksud Pokemon
Tanda tapak kaki kuning
Kelenjar endokrin
Darah tinggi
Difteria

Nak daftar SPMU secara pos
Nak aktifkan memori kad
Cara import anjing ke Malaysia
Terjadinya tahun lompat dalam kiraan matematik
Nak daftar SSM
Cara menghapus status di Facebook
Menjadi pemandu Uber
Mengenalpasti cable coolant Viva bocor
Mahu atasi semut di rumah
Nak promote barang di Facebook

Orang period suka marah
Mudah penat dan mengantuk
Permainan tradisional kurang diminati generasi kini
Sakit di salur peranakan semasa mengandung
Solenoid gear kereta Vios berbunyi
Kucing kurang makan
Kerap kencing
Kerap berpeluh
Epal jadi perang
Bayi tidak mahu tidur dan menangis

Trending Games
Trending Car Models
Trending Mobile Devices

Pokemon GO
Warcraft
Slither.io
Agar.io
Overwatch
Clash Royale
Final Fantasy XV
Tree of Savior
Fifa 17
Pokemon Sun and Moon

Perodua Bezza
Proton Persona
Proton Saga
Honda Civic
Proton Perdana
Nissan Note Nismo
Toyota Sienta
Toyota CHR
Proton Ertiga
Audi A4

iPhone SE
Huawei P9
Vivo V5
iPhone 7 Plus
Samsung Note 7
Samsung J7
Google Pixel
Samsung Galaxy S7
Oppo F1s
Nokia A7

In addition to showcasing what people were curious about in Malaysia, Google Search tools also offer insight into which topics captured the entire world’s attention in 2016. Click here to explore the rest of the 2016 Year in Search stories and top trending charts from countries around the world.
Pokdepinion: That’s a hell of a lot of searches, ain’t it? Well, thank god they didn’t show all the dangerous searches up, because you may never know what kind of fetish searches might pop up. On a side note, when are we gonna get Pokde.net on that trending search eh?
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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Is The Biggest Assassin’s Creed Game Launch Ever

Ubisoft has just revealed that their latest game, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has sold more units in its first week than any other Assassin’s Creed game sold during the same period. This due to the fact that the game scored mainly favourable review scores and early player responses.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the biggest AC game in history
On top of that, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has also become the top-selling Ubisoft PC launch ever, driven by all-time record Ubisoft Store sales performance. With strong feedback from players on next-gen consoles, AC Valhalla is delivering on its promise to make the most of the new hardware.

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Ubisoft also announced that the retro censored content update will be coming to the PS4 and PS5 in a future update patch. The update will allow players who are outside the censored region an option to control violence and blood level.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is available on Xbox Series X and S, Xbox One consoles, PS5, PS4, the Epic Games Store and Ubisoft Store on Windows PC. For more information on Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, do check out the official website right here.
Do stay tuned for our review of the game coming real soon!
Pokdepinion: I was a bit skeptical at first about AC Valhalla but seeing numerous gameplay videos and solid reviews, I’m pretty inclined to get the game and play it myself.
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Digi Rah Rah RM1 HUAWEI P20 Pro promotion — much hoo-hah over nothing?

The HUAWEI P20 Pro is probably one of the best flagships for photography out there now, so it’s understandable that promoting an insane deal on such a desirable device will attract some serious interest. I know, for one, I was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. I am a long-time Digi user, and I am always on the lookout for some nice new data plan to hop onto. Dangle the carrot in the form of a HUAWEI P20 Pro priced at RM1, and I was lining up at 8.50 am outside the Digi Store at Bukit Bintang.
Yep, I forfeited my precious sleep, hoping to score myself a P20 Pro…
I was around the 40th person in the line, and my chances were really good. With the limited number of units — only 100 P20 Pros were up for grabs — I really didn’t want to take my chances by being there late. I stood there for about an hour in the sun, until I overheard a staff member inform her friend in the line, that the RM1 P20 Pro is only valid if you sign up for the RM190/month package. Quite a bullet to bite, there.

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After I heard the “leak”, I decided to exit the line and find out more information about this plan. Apparently the details I overheard was true, and you did have to get the RM190/month plan to be eligible for the RM1 P20 Pro offer. Of course, there were other smartphones offered for RM1 with the other packages, but that wasn’t why I was there. I was there for the P20 Pro, and I believe most were too.

It’s understood that quite a few people gave up as well, as the guy who was standing just ahead of me in the line became the first few to step into the store to check out the postpaid packages offered.

Some quick number crunching for the money paid over the 24-month period reveals that users who get the HUAWEI P20 Pro with the RM190/month plan would be paying a whopping RM4560 over 2 years. Unless you really need that much data, it’s indeed quite hard to justify spending nearly RM200 a month, RM1 smartphone or not. I guess what’s seems too good to be true, often is…
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Pac Man Championship Edition 2 is Free on PC, PS4, and Xbox One – Here’s How to Claim It

If you’re stuck at home in this COVID-19 pandemic, then I’m sure you’re looking for something, anything, to pass the time. Today, we may have something for you as Pac Man Championship Edition 2 is free on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
In case you weren’t aware, this is the sequel to the original Championship Edition game and it features the signature Pac Man game in dazzling 3D graphics. You play as the iconic Pac Man as you go through a maze to eat dots while avoiding the ghosts. This entry lets you make up to four ghost trains and there are new game modes to play. This includes Score Attack and Adventure Mode.
It’s worth noting that Pac Man Championship Edition 2 here only supports single player. If you want a multiplayer experience, you’re gonna have to look for some other game. With that being said however, there’s no harm in claiming it and at least trying it later in case you might not have other games to play.

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How to Claim Pac Man Championship Edition 2 Free Copy?
As we mentioned earlier, it’s free on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. To claim it, click below here for your respective platform:

Steam PC version
Microsoft Store Xbox version
PS4 version

Pac Man Championship Edition 2 will be free to claim until 10th May 2020.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s a free game so I wouldn’t complain. Whether I would actually come to play it is a different story but for now, I’m just gonna take it.
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[Update 1] OPPO R15 Teased – Will It be Just Another ‘Notch’ Smartphone?

OPPO has today teased of a brand new R-series device that will be coming. It’s safe to assume that the device is the brand new OPPO R15, which was launched recently in China.
OPPO R15 Teased
In recent times, OPPO has been focusing on the F-series, namely the F5 and F7 respectively. Now, they are bringing back the R-series which will be the brand new OPPO R15. While the company has been famed for their selfie-focused devices, the R-series will be offering overall better performance compared to the F-series.
The OPPO R15 will be coming in two variants; a standard edition as well as a premium edition. So what’s the difference you might ask? Well for starters, the standard variant will be powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 chipset, while the higher variant will be running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660. In terms of memory, both will be packed with 6GB of RAM and paired with 128GB of internal storage respectively.

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OPPO R15 / R15 Pro Specification

CPU/Chipset:
Mediatek Helio P60 Octa-core (4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A73 & 4×2.0 GHz Cortex-A53) /
Snapdragon 660 (4 x Kryo 260 @ 2.2 GHz + 4 x Kryo 260 @ 1.8 GHz)

GPU:
Mali-G72 /Adreno 512

RAM:
6GB

Display:
6.28″, FHD+ (2280 x 1080) 19:9 OLED panel

Storage:
128GB (expandable with microSD up to 256GB)

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
Dual: 16 MP (f/1.7, 1/2.6″, 1.22µm, PDAF) + 5 MP (f/2.2), phase detection autofocus, LED flash /Dual: 16 MP (f/1.7, 25mm, 1/2.6″, 1.22µm, PDAF) + 20 MP (f/1.7, 25mm, 1/2.8″, 1µm), phase detection autofocus, LED flash
Front Camera
20 MP (f/2.0)

OS:
Android 8.1 Oreo

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 4.2 / Bluetooth 5.0

SIM:
Hybrid Dual SIM

Battery:
Li-Po 3450 mAh (non-removable) / Li-Po 3400 mAh (non-removable)

Official prices hasn’t been confirmed just yet but as usual, when we get the dibs, we will inform on our websites. So do stay tuned for more. The device should be released before Hari Raya gets here though.
[Update 1]: OPPO R15 Pro Available For Pre-Order 25th May Onwards (22nd May 2018)

OPPO has announced that the R15 Pro will be made available for pre-orders starting from 25th May onwards. First 100 customers who pre-order from OPPO’s KLCC Flagship store will get the device at an early date on the 29th of May and will receive limited gifts. For offline pre-order customers, they will receive free gifts during the first day of sale, which is on 1st June 2018.
Pokdepinion: I’m just curious on why the Pro version gets a smaller battery compared to the standard edition. Another thing that I’m weird out is that their idea of ‘high end’ is a Snapdragon 660? Well I guess we need to wait to find out more on that.
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ASUS ExpertBook B1 (B1500C) Review — a blast from the past

The ASUS ExpertBook series is renowned for their portability and durability, which is necessary to meet the needs of professionals out there. Today, we will be looking at something that’s a bit more affordable, the entry-level ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C. While it is the entry-level model, it has the biggest screen in the lineup, so it might get interesting. Let’s see.
Unboxing

Packaging wise, the ASUS ExpertBook B1 is not particularly outstanding. It comes in a regular brown cardboard box, just like ASUS’ more wallet-friendly offerings. Of course, this is also probably because it is actually the most affordable ExpertBook launched recently, so there’s that.

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In the box, we didn’t get much aside from the laptop and the power adapter. Even then, we didn’t get the appropriate power adapter for Malaysia, as this is a sample sent directly from ASUS Taiwan. If you are getting one, rest assured that you will be getting the proper 3-pin plug as well as the usual documentation that you would expect with your laptop.
Appearance

The lid of the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C is extremely similar to the ASUS ExpertBook B9 I reviewed recently. It isn’t as rough, as there isn’t a ceramic coating here created via micro-arc oxidation, so we just have standard matte aluminum. I really dig the blue tones which set it apart from more boring black laptops, although ASUS officially calls this Star Black.

Now the underside of the laptop is actually, well, black. It’s made of plastic, which is pretty expected, but it feels quite sturdy. There’s actually the ExpertBook branding emblazoned on the vents, which I find to be quite a nice touch. There are four rubber feet in the corners, and all the screws are exposed, which bodes well for maintenance or upgrades down the line.

Once you open up the laptop you will probably notice a few things. The bezels aren’t as thin as you might expect from a recent laptop, but that’s fine since the ASUS ExpertBook series are designed to survive drops. And you might also notice the nice numpad squeezed into the side. It seems like ASUS really made an effort to squeeze it in, as you can see that the numpad has noticeably narrower keys as compared to the other keys.

One quite interesting design choice that ASUS went with for the ASUS ExpertBook B1 is a full 180° ErgoLift hinge. Most previous ErgoLift designs do not go flat, so this is interesting. Personally I don’t really find 180° hinges that useful, but I am sure some will, especially if you have to show what’s on your screen to the person in front of you.

Overall I would say that the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C looks pretty decent. It’s not going to turn any heads when you whip it out at a meeting, but it won’t embarrass you either. Which is good enough, I guess, for the entry level ASUS ExpertBook.
ASUS ExpertBook B1 Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-1165G7 @ 2.8GHz (up to 4.7GHz Boost), 4C/8T, 15W TDP, 10nm SuperFin

RAM
32GB DDR4-3200, dual-channel (16GB on-board + 16GB SO-DIMM)

GPU
Intel Iris Xe Graphics, 96EU @ up to 1.3GHz
NVIDIA GeForce MX330 2GB GDDR5

Storage
1 x 1TB WD PC SN530 PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe SSD
1 x 2TB Seagate ST2000LM007 2.5″ SATA HDD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Pro
Intel Graphics Command Center
NVIDIA Game Ready Driver 471.41
MyASUS
ASUS Business Manager
DTS Audio Processing
McAfee Personal Security
Office Home and Student 2019

Connectivity
Intel WiFi 6 AX201 (2×2 WiFi 6 up to 2.4 Gbps)
Bluetooth 5.0
Intel I219-V Gigabit LAN
1 x USB-C (Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, USB-PD charging)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps), Type-A
1 x USB 2.0, Type-A
1 x microSD card reader

Display
15.6″ FHD (1080p) 60Hz IPS panel, CEC Panda LM156LF-5L06, 45% NTSC, 250 nits brightness
USB-C supports DisplayPort Alt Mode
HDMI 1.4 (up to [email protected])

Audio
Stereo speakers
Array microphone
1 x 3.5mm combo jack

Power
90W power adapter
USB-PD supported (USB charger not included)
42WHr Li-Po battery

Dimensions
358 x 237 x 19.4 mm

Weight
1.73kg

I have to mention that the review sample of the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C we were provided with is not a Malaysian retail unit, and thus do not precisely reflect the experience that you would get with the retail units you can buy in Malaysia.
Performance
          SSD            HDD
ASUS equipped our sample with both an SSD and a HDD, but Malaysian retail samples won’t come with a HDD pre-installed. Speeds are excellent on the HDD, but the HDD is as slow as expected. I guess it is a good thing that ASUS Malaysia won’t be throwing in a HDD, as I guess most people won’t want to deal with that kind of speeds anyway.

Cinebench sees the ASUS ExpertBook B1 outperform all the other laptops we have tested with similar 11th Gen Intel Core processors. Switching to the Performance Mode in ASUS Intelligent Performance Technology (AIPT) also gave us a nice performance boost, allowing it to nearly go toe-to-toe against the eight-core CPUs we have tested. Nearly.

3DMark Time Spy also sees a nice performance boost by switching to the Performance Mode, but as you can see, the integrated Iris Xe Graphics actually outperforms the GeForce MX330 here, so I am not exactly sure why ASUS decided to go with a dedicated graphics solution for the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C. I guess that’s why ASUS Malaysia decided against bringing in the variant with the dedicated graphics here.

We can see a similar scenario here in Superposition, where the integrated graphics outperforms the dedicated GeForce MX330 here. You might also notice that Performance Mode does not do much here, and in fact we have some negative scaling. The difference is very marginal, but AIPT only affects the CPU, rather than the GPU, which is why a benchmark that only gauges the GPU does not benefit from having it enabled.

And that’s why we see such a nice uplift in the PCMark 10 scores when we enable Performance Mode. It actually goes from the middle of the pack all the way to the top, which is a very interesting result. The ASUS ExpertBook B1 also has really high Productivity scores, which is appropriate for a laptop designed for, errr, productivity. The biggest change is seen in the Digital Content Creation score going from 3802 to 4352 points.

The battery life is somewhat of a bummer though, with the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C only clocking in 6 hours and 7 minutes in the PCMark Battery Life benchmark, slotting it right at the bottom of the stack. It is probably somewhat expected though, since it has the biggest display and the smallest battery, while also being the only one with a dedicated GPU in this chart. Not a great combo.
Thermals
          Balanced Mode            Performance Mode
Just by looking at the graphs, you can see that the clocks are significantly higher in the Performance Mode. ASUS has just essentially doubled the power budget available to the CPU in long workloads, with the PL1 going up from 10W in the Balanced Mode to 20W in the Performance Mode. The average frequency goes from 1314MHz to 2088MHz, which is a very noticeable increase that we saw in the benchmarks above.
The GPU power budget is not affected, and we can see that the clocks are maintained. However since the cooling system in the ASUS ExpertBook B1 only relies on two shared heatpipes between both the CPU and the GPU, temperatures are now higher in the Performance Mode. I would say that that temperatures are still very well controlled even in the higher performance setting, as the GPU remained below 88°C, while the CPU was kept below 88°C during the initial boost, while staying below 82°C when limited by the 20W PL1 power limit. In Balanced Mode, the system is even cooler. The GPU stays below 75°C with the CPU being below 71°C while being limited by its 10W PL1.
User Experience
Display and Audio

The ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C sets itself apart from its siblings with its large 15.6″ display, but that’s about all that’s good about the screen. Color response is lackluster, at around 57% sRGB, so you aren’t recommended to be doing any photo editing on this laptop. But while it has pretty bad gamut coverage, it actually is surprisingly color accurate, with an average Delta E of 0.34. It was also surprisingly brighter than the 250 nits it was rated for, with it going up to 280 nits. Retail samples are only specced for 220 nits, which is actually a bit too dim for working in a well-lit environment.

Audio is also not a strong suit of the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C . It’s not particularly loud, and the lower frequencies are also very distinctly missing. These are very basic laptop speakers, and I don’t really hold it against ASUS for putting them here, as I don’t think you are expected to enjoy music videos on your work laptop.
Keyboard and Trackpad

What I think you are expected to do most of on your work laptop is, of course, work, and thankfully the keyboard here is pretty good. It isn’t as tactile as I would like, but there’s sufficient travel to be decently comfortable to type on. And the fact that there’s a physical numpad array here, means that those who need to key in a lot of numbers, will be well served. While the palm rest area is made of plastic, there’s metal reinforcement beneath, which actually was sufficient to minimize the dreaded keyboard deck flex.

We will then take a look at the touchpad. So there’s no NumberPad here, which is what you would expect, but it is also quite small for a laptop of this size. Our sample of the ASUS ExpertBook B1 also had a wonky touchpad that had problematic clickers. They did not offer any tactility when clicked, and had a tendency to just jam. However I do think it will not affect the final retail samples of the ASUS ExpertBook B1, as we have previously experienced similar issues with ASUS’ pre-retail samples.
I/O Ports

I believe the first thing that you have noticed in the image above is the VGA port. Yes, the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C still comes with a VGA port, which I believe would make it the dream laptop to school teachers who still have to deal with VGA connections to the classroom projectors. Accompanying the antiquated port are the significantly more modern Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 1.4 and two USB 3.2 Gen2 ports, which are each capable of 10Gbps speeds. Pretty nice.

Over on the other side, we have the microSD slot, 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB 2.0 port. There’s also a full-sized LAN port here on the ASUS ExpertBook B1, unlike the ExpertBook B9’s odd microHDMI port that connects to a dongle for built-in LAN. The last orifice we have on this side is the Kensington lock slot, allowing you to physically secure your laptop.
Security and Privacy

As you would expect from a commercial laptop, the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C is well-built to ensure your privacy and security. While it does not have the same IR facial recognition system of more recent ASUS laptops, it does have a physical privacy shutter over its webcam, allowing you to block the webcam when you don’t need it.

The fingerprint scanner is integrated into the power button, and it touts the single sign-on (SSO) feature where you can just press it firmly to turn on, and you will be logged in immediately as it caches your fingerprint data. You don’t have to touch it again just for it to scan your fingerprint. It’s pretty convenient, but I wish the power button was more tactile, as it had very little travel and I was always left wondering if I have actually pressed it or not until the boot logo appears. A larger button would have also made it easier to align my finger, as this little sliver of a fingerprint sensor doesn’t give much room for error.
Upgradeability

As mentioned earlier, the ASUS ExpertBook B1 has exposed screws on its bottom. That makes removing the 10 screws very simple, and then it is down to popping the plastic clips. With some gentle persuasion, the cover is off. All the screws are of the same length, so you don’t have to worry about messing it up when you are closing the laptop. Just make sure to keep them in a safe place because ASUS didn’t go with captive screws for any of them.

Unlike most recent laptops, the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C still has room for a 2.5″ SATA drive. This is occupied by the HDD, but the Malaysian retail samples won’t come with one, so you can upgrade it yourself. There’s also the M.2 slot, which is also in a very convenient position. Last but not least, the SO-DIMM slot. For Malaysian retail samples, you can upgrade it yourself, as the variant offered in Malaysia will only come with 8GB of soldered memory.
There’s a surprising amount of wasted space in the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C’s chassis, which makes me believe that ASUS could have optimized to accommodate a bigger battery. However I believe that it might be due to the fact that ASUS is offering the ExpertBook B1 in two flavors, 15.6″ and 14″, and they might share the same motherboard which is why we see the extra room around the battery and the motherboard.
Pre-installed Software
          DTS Audio Processing            MyASUS – Home Screen          MyASUS – Link to MyASUS              MyASUS – AIPT            MyASUS – Battery Charging
The ASUS ExpertBook B1 comes with a pretty appropriate set of pre-installed software. The only thing I don’t like is the McAfee antivirus. The rest are fine. And MyASUS is really evolving into something that you will find quite useful, now offering the capability to not only update your drivers, but also toggle certain features. The Link to MyASUS feature is also very cool, and has improved over time to offer even more capabilities when linked to any Android device.

Beside the PrtSc key here is a hotkey to switch between the different AI Noise Cancellation modes supported by the ASUS ExpertBook B1. I was quite surprised to see it here, since ASUS has been equipping their laptops with the AI Noise Cancellation feature for quite some time now, but this is the first time I have seen a hotkey to toggle between the different modes.

https://pokde.net/assets/uploads/2021/08/ASUS-ExpertBook-B1-review-AI-Noise-Cancellation-test-4.mp3
Depending on whether you have multiple presenters or a single one, the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C can accommodate its noise cancellation algorithm. The test above uses the single-presenter mode, which isolates my voice very well from the background noise. Give it a listen.
Conclusion
The ASUS ExpertBook B1 is actually a pretty decent commercial laptop that ticks most of the right boxes. It runs pretty cool, has a good keyboard, and is relatively compact. I also really appreciate the comprehensive port selection, which includes even a legacy VGA port. The expandability is also very nice, especially since you can throw in an inexpensive 2.5″ SATA drive to upgrade your storage. The weight is on the heftier side of things, but ASUS will point you towards the pricier ExpertBook B5 or B9, if you want a lighter laptop.

With that said, I would consider the ASUS ExpertBook B1 B1500C to be quite reasonably priced at RM3759. And that’s even if you disregard the three-year warranty that the ASUS ExpertBook B1 comes with. The ASUS ExpertBook B1 isn’t targeted at the average consumer like yours truly, but instead it is intended for companies which will really appreciate the three-year onsite warranty to ensure minimal downtime in their operations. Even then, I do believe that those who need a no-frills 15.6″ laptop for their casual use, can consider picking the ASUS ExpertBook B1. It is a decent laptop with remarkably few flaws.

Our thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending us the ASUS ExpertBook B1 for review.
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Devil May Cry 5 Censors Partial Nudity But Not For Everyone

When it comes to any game’s loyal fanbase, you can expect to catch even the most minute of details in their favourite games. Devil May Cry 5 is no exception, especially since it’s one of the most highly anticipated games of 2019. It appears that there has been some censorship pertaining partial nudity in the game.
It appears that Capcom is working on a new update for Devil May Cry 5 that is said to cover up some partial nudity. What is more bizarre here is that the update will only be for the PlayStation 4 version of the game specifically only for the West.
Now, since the game is still very new, we don’t want to spoil the game outright for you. But we do want you to be informed of some things so if you want to see what was censored, check out the video at the top of this post. Fair warning, spoiler alert.

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Do not download patch 1.1 it censored the game pic.twitter.com/3BwzRCJTTd
— Alex Valiente (@alexvaliente90) March 9, 2019

Some gamers on Twitter have took note of the censorship, showing a screenshot of the difference. As you can see, it uses a lens flare to cover up the view. What is strange here is why is this censorship update only for a very specific crowd? There is a chance that it might end up coming to the other platforms and regions as well. For now, this is all we know about it thus far.
Devil May Cry 5 is now available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.
Pokdepinion: To be honest, I feel like what was being censored is kinda harmless in this day and age. If some angry parent wants to say that it’s not appropriate for kids then they’re overlooking plenty of other things in the game. This game series isn’t exactly child-friendly to begin with.
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