Samsung Galaxy Note 5 Review

Samsung made the first big bang in the Android world when it came out with their first 1GHz Snapdragon based Samsung Galaxy S to rival with the HTC Google Nexus One. I had the privilege to explore both options and that was when I realized how I will never fit into Samsung devices – ever! The build was ugly and cheap looking and the performance was incredibly horrifying against it’s rival. And ever since then, I have been an anything-but-Samsung guy. I’ve been seduced many times, out of which I even fell into Samsung’s seduction traps when I bought the Samsung Note Edge, only to be let down again by it’s performance. Quite an introduction, right?
The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is ready to run even while the display is off
You see, we are tech writers and we always have this love-hate relationships with gadgets. One day a manufacturer makes a good hardware and the next day it’s a let down. But we can’t give up, right? So I didn’t. I went into the tiger’s den once again to get a grasp on the Samsung Galaxy Note 5. What I saw here, was honestly unbelievable!
Unboxing
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The packaging is very well thought out. The device gracefully sits at the top of the throne upon opening the box. Local Malaysian sets had an iFlix coupon code included too, but we’re not here for that at the moment. Under the device, you will see the SIM-caddy pin and manual that are separated by the rest of the goodies. Goodies include charger, it’s USB cable, SPen extra tips and earphones nicely packed in it’s own little plastic box. Oh, the charger is definitely a fast charger to get your device up to speed in a fraction of time. Now, I wasn’t lucky enough to get the free goodies that included the wireless charger and power bank, but special thanks to Maxis One Club Elite, they gave me a free original Samsung power bank, so I’m a happy camper here.

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Appearance
The Samsung Note 5 has to be one of the best built devices Samsung has ever made – hands down. The metal bezel around the device gives it a really premium feel which is not really typical Samsung back in it’s earlier years. The super shiny metal back is very fingerprint prone and is no longer removable like it’s earlier predecessor – which means, there is no SD Card or removable battery option here for you. At the top of the back, we are spotting a 16MPx camera with OIS that is capable of delivering crisp images. Next to it is it’s LED flash and barometer, heart rate, SpO2 combo sensor that you can use with Samsung’s SHealth app.
This camera has some surprises for you
At the top, we are spotting the dual-SIM slot nicely embedded into the body of the phone. On the right side, we have the power button separated from the volume buttons which are located on the left side of the device. At the bottom, we can spot a 3.5mm audio jack, it’s USB charging port, mono-speaker, microphone and the SPen mounted inside. The front facade is spotting a 5MPx camera, earpiece, and photosensitive sensors. Under the display you will see the typical Samsung design that includes the multi-task and back softkeys along with the fingerprint sensor activated toggle button.
Pretty good specs we have here, eh? So how is the phone afterall?
Specifications

CPU:
Quad-core 1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 & Quad-core 2.1 GHz Cortex-A57

Display:
5.7″ Super AMOLED (1440 x 2560) @ 518ppi

RAM:
4GB DDR4

Storage:
32GB Internal Storage

Camera:
Front: 5MPx
Rear: 16MPx with OIS

SIM:
dual-SIM (nano)

OS:
Android 5.1.1 Lollipop

Battery:
3000mAh Li-Po non-removable

These are specs that are very easy to digest. From the table above, you can already conclude what the rest of the review is going to be like. Well, read on if you are still here.
Dual-SIM nano caddy nicely embedded to the device.
Performance

We have a chart topper! At 69K score, this is by far the most powerful smartphone in the market so far. But this is expected given the fact that the device really performs well above any device that we have tested before. Let’s dig into it one by one.
The 64-bit octacore and 4GB RAMs are really a blessing to this device. We know it very well, this phone can eat up any games or applications that we may throw at it, so let’s not go further into that. The multi-tasking is simply smooth, transitioning between applications with snap! The one device that comes into my mind with such an experience is the Asus Zenfone 2 with 4GB of RAMs. The transition is smooth and fluid, makes the device pleasant to be used as your daily phone. You will hardly notice any lags switching between apps or even running downloaded apps as part of the system app replacement like SwiftKey keyboard. In fact, you can continue using the device and pile up the running apps in the background without the worry that the device will forsake the performance.
This baby is really very slim!
User Experience
One of the two things that I had a hard time deciding which to share first and eventually got the upper hand is the battery. With all the power under the hood of this monster, and knowing that it’s a Samsung, I was very shocked to find out that the 3000mAh battery delivers an unbelievable juice to this device. Especially when the device is on standby, it literally sips on it giving you a very long endurance on single charge! In fact, when you leave the device overnight without charging, at the very most, you are going to lose about 5% of the battery with all connectivity and applications running in the background. This is insane and one feature that I am very glad that Samsung has put their hard work into. As in my usage, I am able to push this device up to 2 days on single charge for everything else but gaming usage.
The second of the two things that I wanted to discuss is the super crisp vivid display. Samsung has been pretty known to deliver beautiful displays albeit rendering an ugly UI making it pointless. This time around, the 5.7″ Super AMOLED 518ppi display is an experience of it’s own. It makes you want to switch on the device over and over again, time after time just to cherish the beauty that it renders. The blacks are really black, the grays are very well proportioned, and watching anything 4K on this display is an experience you don’t want to miss!

Let’s move on to the next feature for which most people would actually buy the Note 5 over the S6 Edge+ (or any other device for the sake) – the SPen. I was using the Samsung Note Edge before this and one generation later, the SPen experience has already made pretty impressive progress. The pressure sensitivity is greatly improved and very noticeable when you use it to sketch. When you withdraw the SPen from it’s slot, a set of customizable shortcuts appears – some of which are pretty standard in most Samsung Note devices. The feature I loved the most was the screen write with a combo of scroll capture. Now, you can take long screenshots without manually scrolling and generate one image. Here’s an example of our web screenshot taken using the scroll capture.

So you might be thinking, after all that fluff, like always, Samsung would destroy the experience with it’s ugly TouchWiz, right? Well, not really. This time around, Samsung has really improved the TouchWiz! The experience, the UI, the flat icons, all totally looks new. What I didn’t like though, was the application drawer button has been moved to the right and you can’t change it’s location. I like things in a symmetry and I didn’t quite like this really.
The speakers are loud enough. I think it’s time for us to move forward with stereo speakers on premium gadgets at least like how HTC has been doing it. But the mono speaker on this device is no little boy. It’s loud enough for you to hear your ringtone even when the phone is in the pocket in a pretty noisy area. But I still wish it had stereo speakers.
The 16MPx camera takes beautiful pictures… VERY beautiful pictures… I’ve had a lot of fun taking pictures with it really. Be it indoor, outdoor, heavy lighting, low lighting, macros, this device didn’t fail to please. The built-in filters are a fun of their own to play, but just leave everything to automatic and let the phone do it’s wonders for you. People would usually share their best photos but in our case here, I’m sharing the ugliest photo that I have taken so far with the device. And look at how good it still looks! The depth-of-field is magnificent! The colors are beautiful, and look at the black! Oh, by the way, did I hear you say 4K images? We’re talking 5K here! The images captured at it’s highest size (16M) are at 5312 x 2988 resolution. 4K is the second settings at 12M. Need I say more?
And this is the ugliest photo on my phone!
Let’s move on to the wireless charging. Although I didn’t get the free wireless charger, I picked up a Nilkin wireless charger from the market just to try the feature and boy, it’s one experience of it’s own. Imagine getting back to your desk and just putting the device on a plate to get it charged. I’ve been doing this since I got the device, so much that it feels awkward to plug in the cable now. The device charges VERY quickly. And this is not even the fast wireless charger yet (as it has yet to enter Malaysian markets at the time of writing).
Another worthy mention about the Note 5 is the accessories. Samsung has added a plethora of accessories in the market to spoil their users.
Samsung Galaxy Note 5 AccessoriesCheckout the various accessories that Samsung has introduced for the Note 5Samsung Battery Pack (Fast Charge 5,200 mAh)For the traveller...Samsung Clear View CoverFor the stylishly protective...Samsung Clear CoverFor the protective but fearless...Samsung Glitter CoverFor the girl next door...Samsung Glossy CoverFor the protective hipster... Samsung Keyboard CoverFor the Blackberry Immigrant...Samsung Level On Wireless ProFor the audiophileSamsung Level UFor the gym rat...Samsung MontblancFor the 'Look at all the money I have'...Samsung Opening Ceremony CaseFor the chic...Samsung S View CoverFor the 'Fear My Wife'... Samsung Swarovski CaseCheckout the various accessories that Samsung has introduced for the Note 5Samsung Wireless Fast ChargerFor the impatient...Samsung Flip WalletFor the overprotective...Samsung Wireless Charger PackFor the ultimate gamer!
Conclusion
Samsung has really upped the ante with the Samsung Galaxy Note 5! It’s a game changer, one that I hope will force the other manufacturers to improve their devices and compete with it. A beautiful package, with powerful features, great battery life, lots of accessories, and mind blowing experience. You really couldn’t ask for more!

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Noctua NH-U12S 120mm Air Cooler Review — Size does matter

Some mATX or mITX cases may have clearance issues with taller heatsinks measuring around 165mm like the Noctua NH-U14S and Noctua NH-D15 we have recently reviewed. This is confirmed by our friend over at NLT, where his SilverStone RL05 has just enough clearance for the Noctua NH-D15. The Noctua NH-U12S, is Noctua’s classic 120mm cooler, measuring just 158mm which should fit in most PC cases. With a smaller heatsink size and fan diameter, let check out the cooling performance of the Noctua NH-U12S.
Unboxing

The box is even smaller and lighter compared to the Noctua NH-U14S. The print at the top and front of the box is similar, highlighting key features of the Noctua NH-U12S.

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At the back of the box we have Noctua’s company introduction for the cooler in multiple languages.

On both side of the box we have the detailed information about the Noctua NH-U12S and specifications tables for the cooler and the included fan. Unlike the Noctua NH-U14S that uses a Noctua NF-A15 PWM fan, Noctua NH-U12S comes with a smaller 120mm Noctua NF-F12 PWM fan.

Tidy like the rest of Noctua’s coolers, we have two separated box, one for the cooler’s accessories and the other one for the cooler and cooling fan itself.

Inside the accessories box, we have the necessary mounting kit screws, Noctua NT-H1 thermal paste, Noctua metal badge, low noise fan adapter, fan mouting wires, Anti-vibration pads and user guide. If you planning to use Noctua NH-U12S with your new AMD AM4 setup, you can request the AMD AM4 socket directly from Noctua.

Inside the other box, we have the Noctua NH-U12S sitting securely in the box with its pre-installed Noctua NF-F12 PWM fan.
Appearance

With its small and compact heatsink design and 120mm cooling fan, the Noctua NH-U12S absolutely has no compatibility issue regarding its height or with the PCIe slot and memory modules clearances. If you are doubtful about this cooler’s TDP capability, you can refer to the Noctua TDP Guide.

Without any fan mounted on the heatsink we can clearly see the how the heatpipes is nicely arranged in symmetry. On the side view, Noctua NH-U12S is way slimmer compare to the Noctua NH-U14S, with only at 45mm thickness, there’s no way this cooler has memory clearance issue even with dual fan configuration.

To make it more suitable for mainstream processors, Noctua NH-U12S only comes with five heatpipes. This make me wonder its cooling performance with our 140W CPU.

The baseplate finishing on the Noctua NH-U12S is smoother compare to the rest Noctua’s coolers I reviewed before. The baseplate and heatpipes is actually copper but coated with nickel for corrosion resistance. This might be one of the reason why Noctua provide 6-year warranty policy.

Just like what we did in our review of the Noctua NH-U14S, we will run the Noctua NH-U12S with two different fan setups. We got an extra Noctua NF-F12 PWM fan, which we will put to use for this test.

Inside the retail packaging for the fan, we get the Noctua NF-F12 fan along with a Y-splitter, extender cable, low fan noise adapter, vibration compensators, screws and some documentation for the fan.

This fan has its own unique features. It’s specially designed for static pressure-demanding applications such as heatsinks and radiators. The Focused Flow™ frame features eleven stator guide vanes that straighten, channel and focus the airflow, which allows the NF-F12 to rival the performance of conventional fans running at much faster speeds.

With one fan mount, the total cooler thickness is at 71mm while on push pull configuration the thickness is at 97mm. Technically, you still will not have any memory clearance issues even with the thicker push pull setup.
Installation
The Noctua NH-U12S is going to be tasked with cooling the Intel Core i7 5820K in our bench rig. The installation with Noctua’s SecureFirm 2 kit is very easy, even easier than installing the NH-D15 due to the much more compact dimensions.
The mount bracket installation is wrong here, it should be inverted. XD
As the ASUS X99 Deluxe uses a square Independent Loading Mechanism (ILM), mounting the cooler would be even easier with Noctua’s SecureFirm 2 mounting system. All I needed to do was install the bolts onto the frame of the LGA 2011 socket.

Above is the shot of Noctua NH-U12S in two different fan configurations.

There is no PCIe lane clearance problem at all.
Specification
Cooler Specification

Fan Specification

Test Machine
Hardware

Processor
Intel Core i7-5820K

Motherboard
ASUS X99-Deluxe

Memory
Avexir Blitz 16GB DDR4

Storage
Sandisk Ultra II 256GB

Power Supply
Cooler Master V850

Software

OS
Windows 10 64bit Annivesary

Utilities
LinX, OCCT, Intel XTU, RealTemp, CPU-Z, HWMonitor

We are testing the Noctua NH-U12S on our official Pokde’s rig. With an Intel Core i7 5820K with a 140W TDP, it can pose a challenge for any cooler to tame the heat output when all the cores are under load. The CPU will be running [email protected] and also overclocked to 4.1 [email protected] Turbo Boost is disabled and SpeedStep enabled in both BIOS and operating system. For the testing phase, I will also be using three different tools to stress the CPU cores to the max: LinX, Intel XTU and OCCT. The tests are run for an hour each.
Our target is to monitor how high the temperatures can rise during the test. We also monitor closely during the test to check if any thermal throttling happens when the temperature hit the CPU’s Tjmax of 105°C. If it is just a spike there will be no thermal throttling unless it stays at the temperature for a certain period of time. This is just to see the maximum potential of the cooling performance of any CPU cooler. The fan speed settings are left at default. The system runs in an open test bench, with ambient temperatures of 25°C.
Noctua said that the NT-H1 doesn’t need any cure time, but I believe that it can get better after some thermal cycling. So, after applying new thermal paste, I ran a stress test for 1 hour before letting it sit for more than 12 hours. After the idle period, I stressed it again for 1 hour before shutting down the computer completely for more than 6 hours before I start recording the temperatures.
Special case for the cooler review, I will test on two different fan configurations which is with single fan and dual fan configuration.
Performance
I manually set the Tjmax at 105°C in RealTemp, and for the results, I picked the maximum reading from HwMonitor. The highest temperature I got with the Noctua NH-U12S in both single and dual fan configurations was 103°C when running LinX. Thermal throttling was unfortunately detected when stressing the CPU in LinX, even at stock clocks.
Stock Clock

Overclock

Noctua NH-U12S cooling performance is just as I expected it to be. From the graph, using two fans did indeed improve the temperature for both idle and load. However, the Noctua NH-U12S still struggles to keep the temperatures below 100°C in LinX.
Unlike the Noctua NH-U14S heatsink which only get a little warm during load, the Noctua NH-U12S gets warm during idle and can feel uncomfortable to touch when under load.
Recommended CPU:
Intel : LGA 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, processors
AMD: AM3+, AM4, FM2+ processor
Recommended form factor:
mATX, ATX
Conclusion
With less area to dissipate heat, we knew that it definitely will not be on par with the coolers we have previously reviewed. Based on my observation, the Noctua NH-U12S is more suited for LGA 115X and AMD AM4 processors with lower TDPs. In term of build aesthetics, Noctua NH-U12S will look great in mATX cases with its rather compact dimensions.
Noctua NH-U12S backed with 6-year warranty and priced at RM 305, which is a little bit pricey. Adding a second fan will be a must if you are looking for more performance, and the Noctua NF-F12 PWM will cost you another RM90. In my opinion, the Noctua NH-U14S is a better investment for overall performance if you do not have strict space constraints.

Based on its overall performance and factor, I award the Noctua NH-U12S with our Bronze Pokdeward.
Our thanks to Noctua for providing us with the Noctua NH-C14S to review!
We would like to thank our sponsors for our very own benchmarking rig – The PokdeRig. These companies believe in us and put their trust into what we do. They deserve all the love in the world!
Asus X99-Deluxe
Intel Core i7-5820K
CM MasterAir Pro 4
CM V850 PSU
Sandisk Ultra II
Avexir Blitz 16GB DDR4
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[NO SPOILERS] Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Review; Would Be Better Off As DLC

The last time we saw an Uncharted game was Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End. The game managed to sell a chart-topping 8.7 million copies as of January this year. Since it was the final entry in Nathan Drake’s story, it would be the perfect way to end the series and go out in a blazing glory. All of a sudden, we are greeted with a spin-off game known as Uncharted: The Lost Legacy. If you’re one of the fans that are wondering if it’s any good, then let us satisfy your curiosity.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy Synopsis

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is an action-adventure game featuring protagonists Chloe Frazer, a fortune hunter, and Nadine Ross, an ex-mercenary. They are on a journey to find the Tusk of Ganesh, a quest that consumed Chloe’s father, in the mountains of India in the midst of a civil war.

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In order to find the fabled tusk, they had to steal a map made by an unknown expert and a disc which acted as a key from Asav, an insurgent leader. Asav is also looking to obtain the Tusk of Ganesh in order to spark a civil war that will wipe out modern-day India and return it to the way of the old kings.
Asav
After escaping Asav’s wrath, they have to race against him to obtain the tusk before it’s too late. Unlike previous entries in the series, we will not be seeing Nathan Drake in the game. However, it has been hinted that a “familiar face” will indeed be aiding players in their quest.
The Characters

After getting used to Nathan Drake for the past several Uncharted games, having Chloe and Nadine act as the duo protagonists is a breath of fresh air. At the same time, the odd pairing takes a bit of getting used to. Hearing them talk feels like both of them are constantly trying to one-up each other, with both characters having a hard time trusting each other initially.
Chloe and Nadine go through a lot of emotional dips and peaks as their stressful adventure puts multiple strains on their partnership, acting like old pals at one moment and blood rivals in the next. But none of these emotional beats feels especially earned.

Instead, the game ends up with a lot of actions that seem to make sense more for narrative convenience than for the purposes of believable character and relationship building. In fact, it feels like the only mutual ground both characters have is a sense of loss; Chloe for her father and Nadine for her mercenary group.
Visuals

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy has some of the most breathtaking visuals that we’ve seen in the PlayStation 4. The Indian setting allows the writers to craft a tight mythology around the lore of a few Hindu gods and the ancient societies surrounding them. This lets the developers to create some of the best architectural and scenery works in a series that is already filled with them.
From cities hidden deep in forested mountains to gigantic statues of mythological kings, there’s usually a new breathtaking visual experience every few minutes or so. In fact, even some of the game’s puzzles such as the block-pushing and platforming ones seem awe-inspiring. However, that’s just the visuals and not the actual gameplay yet.
Generally Suitable for All Kinds of Gamers

For most parts in Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, you’ll be spending time exploring the jungle ruins or searching for a path to progress further in the game. Especially when you’re going through the highly detailed world via the map with your trusty jeep, it can be quite easy to feel lost in the game.

Do not fret as the game has a very subtle hint system that will be able to help you progress through the game. Instead of having the game outright tell you what to do via an on-screen text, listen to what the characters are saying. For instance, when I was struggling to figure out how to climb up to an out-of-reach area, Nadine suggested that I try using a nearby trolley to reach it.
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy still feels practically the same as its previous entry, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, so much so that it felt like the game should have been a DLC add-on rather than its own standalone game. It’s worth noting that this game features more Assassin’s Creed-style climbing and parkour, which is surprisingly fluid and easy to do.

As far as combat is concerned, it’s something most people should not have any trouble with. The enemies will usually blindly charge at you which leave them vulnerable to melee attacks. Even those who are shooting at you from a distance will stand out in the open as if they’re asking to be shot. Added together with the fact that your health will automatically regenerate after not receiving damage for a bit of time, you’re practically invincible for most parts of the game.

Seriously, the melee combat is a simple 2-button system and the enemies can be easily divided into 3 classes; armored, unarmored, and sniper. You don’t need complicated strategy and you’re usually good to go with just running and gunning towards the enemies. While this might make combat sound like a chore, the fluidity of the battle alone and working together with Nadine is surprisingly entertaining to experience. If you need a better challenge, you have 5 difficulties to choose from so no worries there.
Conclusion

Uncharted: The Lost Legacy is a pretty good game. However, due to not having much difference compared to the previous entry and the fact that the Story Mode is a little short, it feels like it should have been a DLC add-on rather than its own standalone game. I managed to finish the game in about 7 to 8 hours of gameplay time.
But don’t let that scare you away from getting a copy of the game yourself. The story is generally enjoyable and there’s a lot to see in this game. Especially if you are a fan of the Uncharted series, you definitely won’t be disappointed by the game. If this is going to be your game in the series, avoid it at all costs as you’re going to feel lost very fast. Overall, I’d give Uncharted: The Lost Legacy with our Silver Pokdeward!

For digital purchase in the Asia region, click here to buy it directly from the PSN Asia.
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Xiaomi Mi 9 review — #BaikBeliMi9 is real

Introduction

When we reviewed the Xiaomi Mi 8, we were suitably impressed by its affordable price tag. It comes with almost everything we would want from a flagship except maybe wireless charging or ingress protection. This year’s Xiaomi Mi 9 doesn’t only add wireless charging to the list of features, but they even made sure to include the fastest wireless charging in the market right now. Interested? Let’s go.
Unboxing

The Mi 9 comes in a iridescent white box. Despite the fact that we got a Piano Black, the box is white. Few flagships actually come in a white box, and it’s nice to see Xiaomi shake it up with this iridescent white packaging.

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The iridescent finish is continued even on the inside. Xiaomi also appears to be quite proud of their Mi 9’s design, as they embossed the Designed by Xiaomi on the inner box as well.

Under the box is the Mi 9 itself. As usual, Xiaomi applies stickers boasting of the features while protecting the device from scratches in the box.

The Mi 9 comes with all the accessories you might expect, except for a 27W Charge Turbo power brick. You get a standard 18W Quick Charge 3.0 power adapter, which is what you get with last year’s devices. The included case is soft, but unfortunately it is really thin and does not protect the camera bump at all.
Appearance

Xiaomi has been very proud about how they minimized the lower chin versus the Mi 8. And it really is very minimal now. The waterdrop notch is also much smaller than the Mi 8’s massive one, so we are definitely getting a lot more screen in pretty much the same footprint.

The back here is Gorilla Glass 5, with a very reflective coating under the glass. The camera hump is also embellished with a ring around the first camera, which surprisingly isn’t the 48MP camera but actually the telephoto one.

The Mi 9 also comes with a glossy finish on its aluminum frame. At the top there’s the secondary microphone and also an IR blaster.

Meanwhile over on the bottom we have the USB-C port flanked by two arrays of perforations. One of which is the only loudspeaker, while the one has the primary microphone behind it.

Over on the right we have the power and volume button. There’s an additional AI button over on the left side too like the Xiaomi Mi MIX 3. The camera bump does protrude quite a bit from the glass back of the Mi 9 which does raise some questions about how long can it last without getting scuffed up. Xiaomi claims they used sapphire glass here, so perhaps it will be a bit more resilient than regular glass.
Specifications

CPU/Chipset:
Snapdragon 855 (1 x Kryo 485 Gold @ 2.84 GHz + 3 x Kryo 485 Gold @ 2.42 GHz + 4 x Kryo 485 Silver @ 1.8 GHz), 7nm FinFET

GPU:
Adreno 640 @ 585 MHz

RAM:
6GB LPDDR4x 2133 MHz dual channel

Display:
6.39″ FHD+ (2340 x 1080) AMOLED display, 103.8% NTSC, HDR, Corning Gorilla Glass 6

Storage:
128GB UFS 2.1

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
48MP f/1.75 + 12MP f/2.2 telephoto + 16MP f/2.2 ultra wide-angle
Night Mode, Pro mode, Portrait Mode, 4K60 video, 1080p960 slow mo, AI Beautify, face recognition, 48MP HD, super macro
Front Camera
20MP f/2.0
AI Beautification, HDR, AI lens flare, AI make up, AI portrait mode, AI studio light, 1080p30 video

OS:
MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie

Connectivity:
LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/20/28/38/39/40
Dual-band GPS – L1 + L5
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Bluetooth 5.0

SIM:
Dual SIM

Battery:
Li-Po 3300 mAh (non-removable)
Quick Charge 4+ support
27W Charge Turbo, 20W wireless charging

Dimensions:
157.5 x 74.68 x 7.61 mm

Weight:
173 g

There really isn’t much to complain about the specifications here. Perhaps a larger battery? But then again, once you see the battery life figures of the Mi 9, you might be less harsh on the small-ish battery here.
Performance

The Mi 9 annihilates the rest of the smartphones we have ever tested. The Samsung Galaxy S10 enjoyed its short stint at the top of our benchmark charts before the Mi 9 came to my desk. And as they say, the rest is history.

The Snapdragon 855’s single core performance was not nearly as good as the Exynos 9820. It does sport better multi-core performance, so multi-threaded applications which can take advantage of it will be able to enjoy better performance.

GPU performance is exemplary as always. Qualcomm’s Adreno GPUs have traditionally been the best for their segment, and the Adreno 640 is no different. The competition has yet to catch up to the last-gen Snapdragon 845, and the Mi 9’s Snapdragon 855 widens the gap even further.

For PCMark it tops the charts too, no surprises.

Battery life is really the hidden surprise for the Mi 9. Despite featuring the second smallest battery in the chart, it out performs devices with 4000 mAh batteries. While we have already seen what a die shrink can bring, we didn’t expect so much of a difference.

Real world battery life is a bit less remarkable. We get more than 4 hours of on screen time, but not much more. I never had an issue lasting through the day though and with the Mi 9 supporting 27W Charge Turbo and 20W wireless charging, it shouldn’t be too much of an issue to just put the phone down to charge it up a bit before leaving home or the office. It’s worth noting that the standard 18W charger that comes in the box juices the Mi 9 up 51% in 30 minutes, which is slower, but still very respectable.
If you are interested in gaming, the Mi 9 offers more than ample performance for it. One thing to note is that the Mi 9 doesn’t actually come with a heatpipe to dissipate the heat better. However the Snapdragon 855 is cool enough that the device does not warm up uncomfortably. General performance is great too, which is of course what you would expect from a flagship chipset.
User Experience

The Mi 9 has an awesome curved back that looks amazing and also fits great in the hand. The AMOLED screen here is impeccable with vibrant colors and of course, the deep blacks you would expect from an AMOLED display. The bezels are amazingly thin around the sides and a much reduced lower chin as noted earlier. It actually feels near bezel-less now, except for that tiny dot drop notch.

Speaking of the dot drop notch, Xiaomi somehow over-accommodates the notch by having a slightly wider cutout on the display than the actual notch. Kinda pointless to have a small notch if you are going to lose more of the display. And oh you will be able to use face unlock with the Mi 9, which might be preferable considering the under-display fingerprint scanner is the slowest we have tested in 2019. The wide speaker grille up top doesn’t do much though, with it not adding to the bottom loudspeaker’s output. I must say the loudspeaker on the bottom edge really sounds awesome though. Just… no stereo. Why?

MIUI 10 didn’t change much over the few months since it was introduced. There is something quite unfortunate about the Mi 9’s implementation though. Despite the small notch, Xiaomi doesn’t give the Mi 9 persistent notification icons in the status bar. With that said, the POCOPHONE F1 did receive an update to make the icons stay around, but the Mi 9 doesn’t have it yet and I find it quite stupid at the moment.

The camera here is a huge step forward from the Xiaomi Mi 8. Xiaomi upgraded the primary shooter with a 48MP Sony IMX586 sensor, and threw in an ultra-wide angle camera with autofocus. As of now, ultra wide-angle cameras seem to be the trend, but other than Xiaomi, only HUAWEI offers autofocusing to enable macro photography. Pretty cool to see it offered on an affordable flagship like the Mi 9 though.

Xiaomi didn’t change much when it comes to the camera UI. Except that there is now a new button to switch to the wide angle camera, and a new 48MP mode which allows you to take 48MP shots.
          Xiaomi Mi 9 primary camera            Xiaomi Mi 9 primary camera          Xiaomi Mi 9 primary camera              Xiaomi Mi 9 primary camera            Xiaomi Mi 9 Night Mode            Xiaomi Mi 9 primary camera              Xiaomi Mi 9 primary camera          Xiaomi Mi 9 primary camera            Xiaomi Mi 9 primary camera              Xiaomi Mi 9 Night Mode            Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle (macro)                       Xiaomi Mi 9 telephoto          Xiaomi Mi 9 telephoto              Xiaomi Mi 9 telephoto            Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle (macro)            Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle              Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle          Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle (macro)            Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle              Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle            Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle            Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle (macro)            Xiaomi Mi 9 wide angle (macro)
Image quality is really amazing, and they did fix the Night Mode which was comically bad on the Mi MIX 3. I generally won’t shoot with the 48MP mode, as while it does offer a higher resolution but does have a noticeably reduced dynamic range. The 12MP shots taken with AI mode were much better. 48MP shots also took a bit longer to save, which was quite a turn off for me. Speaking of which, there were some inexplicable shot-to-shot delays which randomly occurred when taking 12MP shots during my use of the Mi 9. Other than that little niggle, the Mi 9 is an amazing shooter. The wide-angle camera is impressive, with good shots and the ability to do really close up macro shots is cool as well. The telephoto camera, not so much. I would generally not recommend using it unless you really have to. You can check out the full-sized images here.
Conclusion
The Mi 9 is one spectacular smartphone. Just like the Xiaomi Mi 8 that came before, the Xiaomi Mi 9 is an affordable flagship with just enough flagship-class features to make it interesting. While we complained about the lack of wireless charging and ingress protection, Xiaomi equipped the Mi 9 with 20W wireless charging. There’s still no IP rating but Xiaomi do promise some sort of splash resistance. Maybe next time?
For RM1999, you get a great camera, the most powerful chipset in any smartphone yet, and a beautifully curved design with wonderful color options. If you get the 64GB variant, you are looking to pay just RM1699. We don’t always recommend a device this highly, but the Xiaomi Mi 9 absolutely deserving of the highest accolade we can offer. #BaikBeliMi9 is real.

Our thanks to Xiaomi Malaysia for providing us with the Mi 9 for review.
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Those fancy new iPhone 11 camera features — who did it first?

The new iPhone 11 series brings about a slew of new camera features, including more cameras, Night mode and also Deep Fusion. While we can’t comment on the latter, throwing in more cameras and Night mode aren nothing new in the Android space. So lets go through who did it first.
World’s First Dual Camera Smartphone?

Yeah, I know. Apple started using dual cameras back with the iPhone 7 Plus. But the very first dual camera smartphones cropped up way back in 2011 when the HTC EVO 3D and LG Optimus 3D were launched with dual cameras. But the focus (pun not intended) for dual cameras back then was quite different. Instead of offering a different focal length, the duo offered the capability to capture 3D photos and videos. It was somewhat of a thing back then.

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If we are talking about the first smartphones that had two usable cameras, it would probably be the LG G5 or HUAWEI P9 in 2016. The LG G5 is actually the closest to what the iPhone 11 offers, with the secondary 8MP camera sporting an ultra-wide angle lens. HUAWEI’s combination of an RGB and a monochrome sensor for better image quality was quite novel at that time, and HUAWEI continued to use the technology until the HUAWEI P20 Pro.
World’s First Triple Camera Smartphone?

Coincidentally, the first smartphone to appear with a triple-camera setup is the HUAWEI P20 Pro, launched in 2018. It consisted of a 40MP f/1.8 sensor, a 20MP monochrome sensor and a 8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera. This is also the last flagship from HUAWEI to tout a monochrome sensor, as HUAWEI adopted ultra-wide angle cameras starting from the HUAWEI Mate 20 series onwards. It hogged the top rung on DxOMark chart for quite a while, even tying the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro and Galaxy S10+, the latter a device which was launched 2 years after the HUAWEI P20 Pro.

We can see that Apple actually hopped onto the triple camera bandwagon quite a bit faster than they did with dual camera configurations. The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max are only two years late to the party, but then again it is in 2019 that we see Android smartphone makers really picking up on the triple camera trend, so I guess they are just fashionably late.
Night mode
Low-light photography is a challenge for any kind of camera. Be it a full-frame DSLR or a smartphone. Especially so for the latter, given the tiny sensor sizes that we are forced to deal with. But smartphone makers have always been pushing the limits on what is possible despite the confines of the technology at the time.

ASUS, for one, boasted of impressive low-light photography in the first generation ZenFone 5 and ZenFone 6, launched way back in 2014. Yes, they launched the first trio with the very poorly planned numbering. They used pixel binning to improve low light performancem so the 13MP sensors gave you 3MP low light images, while the 8MP ones gave you just 2MP. Results weren’t exactly impressive, but it was a step in the right direction. They weren’t the first to do it though, Nokia did it way back with the Nokia 808 PureView, binning the whopping 38MP readout of the sensor into 8MP images.

The current trend of multiple short exposures combined together to simulate a longer one along with some AI stabilization has been around for quite some time, arguably a trend that started with Google’s Night Sight on the Pixel 3 back in 2018. HUAWEI has since offered a similar implementation of AI Stabilization (AIS) in the Night Mode that debuted on the HUAWEI P20 and Super Night Mode on the HUAWEI P30 and P30 Pro, the latter enabling even longer exposures.
Deep Fusion

I believe the first to tout AI photography is HUAWEI, back in late 2017. HUAWEI has been going around telling everybody and their moms about the Kirin 970’s AI chops, and the main use case for it was the camera. Notably, HUAWEI’s partnership with Leica was a bragging right of its own. There isn’t much information about Deep Fusion, but it seems like it is a lot more than what HUAWEI is currently offering.
HUAWEI’s Master AI uses AI to identify the scene you are capturing and optimizes the settings including switching to the right cameras for it, but Apple will apparently be using the neural engine in the A13 Bionic to go through 9 exposures of varying lengths and selecting the best one by going through them pixel by pixel. It sounds pretty similar to what Google does on the Pixel smartphones, and those are already renowned for their photography prowess. Apple’s implementation isn’t available yet, so there aren’t any sample images lying around for you and me to scrutinize.

With smartphones packing increasingly potent AI capabilities, this is definitely an area that should see some development. Smartphone sensors are limited by their size, and throwing more cameras at the problem can only get you so far. Computational photography definitely would be the next big thing to pursue, and it’s nice to see Apple put the neural engine in the new A13 Bionic to work with it.
Did we miss any world-first smartphone camera tech that debuted in Android smartphones before they did in Apple’s new iPhone 11 series? Let us know!
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HUAWEI Malaysia Organised Prize Giving Ceremony For Top 10 Twin Tower Challenge Winners

Twin Tower Challenge Winners

HUAWEI Malaysia recently held two prize-giving ceremonies for the 10 lucky contest winners of their recent The Twin Tower Challenge. The month-long campaign ran from 1st to 30th June and ended on a high with over 50,000 participants with prizes worth over RM 200,000.
Among the prizes awarded to the winners of The Twin Tower Challenge includes a grand prize of a brand new Perodua Myvi, other range of HUAWEI Smartlife products and valuable HUAWEI redemption points which users can use to redeem awesome deals on HUAWEI AppGallery. The campaign was held to encourage more users to explore the many benefits of using and was organised by HUAWEI Mobile Services and sponsored by HUAWEI Services HK HUAWEI AppGallery.
Grand Prize Winner Mr Mohammad Zamri John
The grand prize was won by a jubilant Mr Mohammad Zamri John. He was the most active user in HUAWEI AppGallery of June during the campaign period. He received his brand-new
Perodua Myvi at Roda Kayangan Sales Sdn Bhd in Puchong with much to his excitement. The other prize-giving ceremony was held HUAWEI’s office in Icon Tower, Kuala Lumpur.

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Two prizes of HUAWEI Matebook 13 was won by Mr Ong Kian Ming and Mr Mohd Adderly, two prizes of HUAWEI P40 Pro was won by Mr Liew Kok Wey and Mr Mohd Alif Erfan, two prizes of HUAWEI Mate 30 Pro was won by Mr Iskandar Jaafar and Mr Mohamad Firdaus and three prizes of HUAWEI P40 was won by Mr Lim Wei Cheng, Mr Lawrence Lee and Mr Simon Liew. Other winners who did not attend the ceremonies have been contacted by HUAWEI Malaysia and had their prizes delivered.
Pokdepinion: Congratulations to all the winners of The Twin Tower Challenge. I’m sad to say that I was not aware of the challenge. Would have participated in it myself if I had.
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Roborock shares future plans after a successful year in SEA markets

Roborock is a relatively new brand in Malaysia, only making its way to our shores back in 2020. However, it has charted some impressive growth over the past year in the robotic vacuum market here in Malaysia. We were recently given the opportunity to pick the mind of Joan Hu, Overseas Southeast Asia Director, regarding the past, present and future of Roborock in the region, and we definitely couldn’t give up on the opportunity. So we dropped six questions, and here are her answers.
Q: Roborock recorded a strong growth in China since its introduction. What do you think contributed to this?
A: In the robot vacuum market back in 2014, most available products only focused on the basic needs that comes with a vacuum — cleaning. We saw an opportunity to fulfill needs and wants that consumers don’t know they have yet. Hence, we grew our R&D department with a team of engineers, scientists, manufacturing experts and designers — all vital to create products that truly fit our users’ lifestyle.
Q: Any new vacuum launches soon?

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A: We have just launched the Roborock S6 MaxV in early 2020. This is an upgrade of our popular Roborock S6, with increased suction power of up to 2500Pa (compared to the previous 2000Pa) to pick up even the most stubborn dust particles, especially those on carpets. It also comes with an electronic water tank instead of a mop attachment for increased convenience and weighs lighter at just 7lbs. More recently, we also announced the Roborock S7 with sonic mopping for a deeper clean, as well as the Roborock Dyad that enables users to clean up both wet and dry messes. While we can’t comment on future products, do stay tuned!
Q: 2021 wasn’t the most economically-stable year. What factors contributed to Roborock’s decision to expand its influence to SouthEast Asia?
A: While we admit it has been a challenging year across all markets, we see this as a great opportunity to introduce our high tech products to our SouthEast Asian consumers. We started out in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand in 2020, and expanded our influence to Indonesia this year, and have received encouraging support from users.

Having to work from home is not easy for some, with parents having to watch over their kids while also hitting deadlines and KPI. Our range of products — from robot vacuums to versatile handhelds — allows parents to at least take cleaning off their mind. This way, they can spend more time with their kids and family members too. Our motto is, after all, let us take care of the things you hate, while you take care of the things you love.
Q: Roborock constantly sees positive sales results during sale events, such as the last 11.11. How do you plan to keep up the momentum in such a competitive industry?
A: We are very fortunate to have the support of our Southeast Asian consumers despite just breaking into the market. We would definitely be looking at future sale events to reward them with better deals. This year, we had the pleasure of working with Datuk Wira Lee Chong Wei, Tan Boon Heong, among others. This is also an encouragement for us to create and release products with even higher end capabilities.
Q: What are Roborock’s aspirations and goals for the local market and how do you plan to achieve this?
A: Besides growing our online presence, we hope to be able to provide a service centre to better serve our existing customers. Two years from now, we plan to have our own brick-and-mortar store to provide consumers with a more wholesome shopping experience.
Q: Other than the markets you have already entered, what are Roborock’s plans and next steps?

A: Our investment is not just in channels, brand building or positioning of our Roborock products, but we are focused on our customers. Our rapid business growth in each market is contributed by quality products with major high innovation features at reasonable price points, continuous innovation and user engagement. In future, we aim to go further  via collaborations with strategic partners ignited through marketing efforts.
So there you have it, Roborock’s growth and goals. I believe we can all expect to see more from them soon! What would you expect to see from Roborock? Let us know!
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Microsoft Provide New Solutions For Malaysian Businesses – Introducing Azure & Azure Stack

With Malaysian businesses seek better and faster ways to revolutionize and transform themselves, technologies such as cloud computing becomes ever more important to their success. With that in mind, Microsoft has announced of enhancing their cloud portfolio with the launch of the Azure Stack, Microsoft 365 and SQL Server 2017.
Microsoft’s New Solutions
A survey was recently done by 1200 IT leaders across Asia, and it is found out that Malaysia’s cloud usage is Hybrid cloud (50%), private cloud (31%) and public cloud (19%).

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For Malaysian businesses today, hybrid cloud is a natural progression regardless of size and budgets, to reach their digital ambitions. Many in the industry who have adopted these solutions include UEM Edgenta, Genting Plantations, Malaysian Airlines, Nando’s Doctor2U amongst others. With a firm ear on the ground, we believe in evolving ourselves to meet their new and evolving requirements of enterprises. As such, we have expanded our suite of products and created customisable solutions to enable businesses in Malaysian businesses today to embrace digital transformation – engage with customers, empower their employees, optimize operations and transform their products K. Raman, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia
The extension of Azure Stack and SQL Server 2017 will offer new applications which will enable better management tools, intelligent application and advanced analytics to not only reduce cost, but also innovate and enable faster time for market for businesses.
Details of the new cloud offerings include;

Azure Stack is an extension of Azure that brings speed and fast-paced innovation of cloud computing to on-premises environments and enables entirely new hybrid cloud scenarios. Offering consistent hybrid cloud, an ideal fit for organizations that want flexibility without having to build applications in a different way.
Microsoft 365 brings together Office 365, Windows 10, and Enterprise Mobility + Security to deliver a complete intelligent and secure solution to empower employees.
SQL Server 2017 provides intelligence on a trusted data platform and enables innovation for all the data of a company. It also enables companies to engage market leading solutions for every workload, which includes Advanced Analytics, Business Intelligence, Data Warehousing and OLTP.

As part of the launch, Microsoft has multiple offers. Users who sign up for Azure would receive $200 worth of credit to explore services for 30 days, 12 months of popular free services and 25+ services free of charge. Microsoft 365’s Fast Track customer service is available as part of the subscription. Additionally, there is a 30% discount to run SQL Server on Linux. Migration to SQL would also entitle businesses to receive free licenses, free training and subsidized assessments and support services until June 2018.
You can also check out a video they’ve made introducing the Azure right here.
Pokdepinion: Well, who doesn’t want a secured and trusted cloud service? Might want to have a look at it for your businesses.
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GIGABYTE Launches New Ultra-thin Gaming Laptop AORUS 15P

GIGABYTE has recently announced a new member of their ever-growing gaming laptop line, the AORUS 15P. The AORUS 15P has been designed in collaboration with Esports teams which ensures a sleek, high-quality built laptop tailored for professional gaming in terms of performance, display and keyboard. Not only that, but the AORUS 15P also benefits from GIGABYTE’s perfection of ultra-performance professional-grade gaming laptops, bringing in key features found in their AORUS Pro Gaming series.

The AORUS 15P weighs at just 2kg, the laptop provides good performance and heat dissipation while adopting a thinner per-key RGB keyboard. The overall design of the laptop is inspired by supercars, the laptop features a simple low-key elegant but sturdy chassis which has been tested with a series of rigorous pressure tests by GIGABYTE.

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The gaming laptop features a 15.6 inch 144Hz IPS display which supports 72% NTSC, which delivers more detail and colours compared to a 45% NTSC display found on most other laptops of this calibre. In terms of its internals, it features a 10th gen Intel Core i7-10750H processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 graphics with Max Q design. It also comes equipped with GIGABYTE’s exclusive WINDFORCE Infinity laptop cooling technology, which features 12-volts dual fans, 5 heat pipes and multiple vents. This ensures that the AORUS 15P can have both CPU and GPUs work at full speed without throttling.

AORUS 15P Specifications

Model
AORUS 15P WB
AORUS 15P KB

CPU
10th gen Intel® Core™ i7-10750H (2.6GHz~5.0GHz)

RAM
2x DDR4 2666MHz/ DDR4 2933MHz slots (8GB/ 16GB/ 32GB, Max 64GB)

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 With Max-Q Design GDDR6 8GB
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GDDR6 6GB

Storage
2x M.2 SSD slots (Type 2280, supports 1x NVMe PCIe & SATA/ 1x NVMe PCIe)

Software
Windows 10, Windows 10 Pro

Connectivity
LAN: 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet
Wi-Fi: Intel AX200
Bluetooth V5.0 + LE
3x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-A), 1x USB 3.2 Gen1 (Type-C)
1x HDMI 2.0 1x mini DP 1.4
1x 3.5mm Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack
1x UHS-II SD Card Reader
1x DC-in Jack
1x RJ-45

Display
15.6″ Thin Bezel FHD 1920×1080 IPS-level Anti-glare Display LCD (144Hz, 72% NTSC)

Audio
2x 2 Watt Speaker
Microphone
Nahimic 3

Battery
Li Polymer 94Wh

Power
230W
180W

Dimensions
357(W) x 244(D)x23(H)mm / 14.0(W) x 9.6(D) x 0.9(H) inch

Weight
~2.0kg

Price and availability
The AORUS 15P will retail at RM7499 and is available to purchase now. For more information, do head over to GIGABYTE’s official website right here.
Pokdepinion: The AORUS 15P looks like a pretty swell laptop. I like the design and the specs look to pack a punch.
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Vainglory Adds New Hero Following New Update 2.10 – Introducing Lorelai

Enter: Lorelai

Popular MOBA Vainglory received a major update from the game’s developers, Super Evil Megacorp today. The new update, dubbed Update 2.10, introduces a brand new hero named Lorelai along with some game balance updates as well as a few new character skins.

The new hero, Lorelai is mainly a backline support hero who excels at zone control and team utility. Lorelai’s design is inspired by the Hindu mythology of the Naga, her abilities allow her to control the battlefield, impeding enemy heroes by slowing them down and granting protective shields to her allies. Lorelai’s abilities include:

That’s Swell ( Heroic Perk): Lorelai’s basic attacks deal crystal damage and she becomes empowered when she’s on a source of water from her abilities. Using an ability while Lorelai’s on a source of water consumes the water she’s on and empowers the ability used.
Fish Food (A): Lorelai calls upon her aquatic friends at the target location. After 0.8 seconds, her pet clam snaps the area, dealing damage to enemy units inside and stunning them.
Splashdown (B): Lorelai throws a sphere of water at target location. After a short delay, the water forms a pool for 8 seconds, speeding up allies and slowing enemies inside.
Waterwall (Ultimate): Lorelai forms a protective veil of water on target allied hero cleansing the target of any movement-impairing effects. (After a short delay, the water barrier drops on the ground, leaving behind a pool for 8 seconds)

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The Update 2.10 also adds new character skins to heroes Ardan, Flicker and Adagio, balance updates for various heroes as well as some balance changes to increase minion damage to turrets.

Vainglory have long-awaited for the arrival of a 5v5 mode and developers, Super Evil Megacorp are one step closer in delivering just that. If you’re itching to see the highly anticipated Vainglory 5v5 mode, be sure to tune in to the final day of the Vainglory World Championships happening in Singapore. The 5v5 mode will be officially unveiled then globally with two 5v5 exhibition matches, as well as many of the gameplay and map details, LIVE on air. You can catch the broadcast on Vainglory’s twitch, YouTube and Facebook Live pages.

Vainglory has also opened pre-registration for the 5v5 mode where players can get a chance at early access and exclusive rewards like unlocking the “Founding 5v5” player badge. You can pre-register right here.
For more info and full update notes, visit the official Vainglory blog right here.
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HONOR Malaysia Partners SPAO And Challenges You In The #HONOROOTD Fitting Room Challenge

If you’ve missed the news, HONOR Malaysia has teamed up with Korean retail brand, SPAO, where they are giving a chance to Malaysians to show off their creativity and fashion sense. How exactly? Well they’ve created the #HONOROOTD Fitting Room Challenge, a social contest where contestants needs to showcase their individuality and style through their outfit of the day (hence the hashtag).

The contest is up and running and will run until the 29th of September 2019. Fancy yourself participating in it? Here’s the steps that you need to follow:

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Visit a participating SPAO outlet and spot the unique contest stickers on the fitting room mirrors
Snap your best OOTD in front of the fitting room mirror. Make sure the stickers are included in your photos
Upload your photo on Instagram with the hashtags #HONORxSPAO #HONOROOTD #SPAOMY and tag @honormalaysia and @spao_my in your photo
Don’t forget to set your privacy settings and set the post to “public”

The grand prize winner will walk away with a brand new HONOR 20 and SPAO cash voucher worth RM500. 1st runner up for the contest will win a HONOR 20 Lite as well as RM300 SPAO cash voucher. Last but not least, the 2nd runner up wins an HONOR 10 and RM100 SPAO cash voucher.
Wondering on where you can find a SPAO outlet? You can locate them at Pavilion, Sunway Velocity, or IOI City Mall.
Pokdepinion: To those who like to take their OOTD shots, well what are you waiting for? You might find yourself winning some awesome prizes!
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Apple Arcade Announced – New Premium Game Subscription Service Coming in 2019

Apple Arcade Announced

At the Apple Keynote which took place at the Steve Jobs Theater in California, Apple has announced their new game subscription service which will work on iOS, Mac, and Apple TV. It will be known as the Apple Arcade.
Apple Arcade will give subscribers access to a catalog of over 100 games that will be playable on iOS devices like iPhone and iPad, Mac, or on your television via Apple TV. All games will be available for play offline and you’ll also be able to switch between devices when playing a title. So if you go to work and decide to play on your phone throughout the day, you can then pick up your progress where you left off on your TV when you get home without any problems.
To entice the masses, Apple says that the Apple Arcade will have a number exclusive games on their platform. The games are said to be from creators like Hironobu Sakaguchi, Ken Won, and Will Wright. Apple also released a preview trailer showing off some of the titles that will be available through Apple Arcade which included Oceanhorn 2: Knights of the Lost Realm, The Pathless, Sonic Racing, Beyond a Steel Sky, and many others.

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For a preview of those games, check out the video right above here. At the moment, subscription prices for the Apple Arcade is not available yet. Apple says it will have more details to share sometime in the future. Apple Arcade is currently expected to go live later this fall.
Pokdepinion: Well, everyone’s going gaming. I don’t mind them keeping everything within the company, I just hope it will be something worth having when it’s finally out.
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AMD Polaris 10 benchmarks leaked — matches R9 390X

Do you still remember our little rumor round-up post? If you don’t or haven’t seen it, it will be great to take a look before going further into this post.

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So yeah, we know Polaris is going to make a huge difference in terms of performance per watt compared to its predecessors. But then how much performance are we talking about? In this slide released way back in January, we saw it compared against a GeForce GTX 750 Ti, not the strongest offering from the green team. So recently the smaller Polaris 10, or also known by its codename, AMD 67DF:C4, has its benchmark scores uploaded to GFXBench, and was subsequently compared to its predecessors, the reasonably well regarded AMD Radeon R9 390X.

You can take a look at the full comparison here, but we can see that the AMD 67DF:C4 scores aren’t that far from the R9 390X’s, especially when we look at the onscreen scores. Worth noting is that this GPU will probably be marketed as the R9 480, which means that there will be quite a lot of room above it to fit the faster SKUs.
The R9 480 is expected to hit the $200 (RM786.15) price bracket, replacing the R9 380. This would represent a great deal in terms of both value and also power efficiency, if it’s true.
Source: TechPowerUp

Pokdepinion: The “smaller” Polaris 10 which is expected to be in the R9 480 does seem to offer great performance with these benchmark figures. And if the previous rumors regarding the sub-150W power requirements are true, it will definitely be a huge step for AMD, which is better known for powerful but power-hungry cards.
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POWERCOLOR announces DEVIL R9 390X

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POWERCOLOR has announced their DEVIL R9 390X, a custom design R9 390X 8GB which comes with a HYBRID cooling system which allows the user to unleash the true performance of the hot R9 390X silicon.

The full Grenada XT GPU in this card is equipped with 2816 stream processors and clocked at 1100MHz, along with 8GB of 1525MHz (6.1 GHz effective) GDDR5 memory which is fed via a wide 512-bit memory interface. Digital PWM solution works at a higher frequency in order to support fine tuning adjustment and low ripple at an output voltage to improve power efficiency up to 90%. Moreover, a total of 8 phases (6+1+1) is used in the board design for power efficiency, stability, and delivering ultimate performance at OC mode. PowIRstage increases the power up to 3-13%, features up to 1.0 MHz switching frequency, and supports efficient cooling ability.

HYBRID cooling to keep the hot 390X core cool and comfortable with an AIO watercooler, while not forgetting the VRMs as well which will be cooled by air. The HYBRID Cooling system allows for better overclocking environment, while also leveraging the Smart Air Cooling system. The Smart Air Cooling system has a special sensor that detects the MOSFET’s temperature automatically and controls the fan speed. The 15 degree slanted fan top cover design will give the best air flow from the MOSFET to bracket for a more efficient cooling solution for the card. With this feature, the MOSFETs will run more efficiently thanks to the cooler temperatures while reducing power consumption and prolonging fan longevity. LEDs are attached on the side of the card which makes the card even more aesthetically pleasing to gamers and PC builders. The Devil R9 390X 8GB GDDR5 is a graphics card that can satisfy many gamers’ needs; from playing the current best games on the highest graphics settings to games that will be released in the future.

This model supports Direct 12 and AMD’s newest technologies such as Virtual Super Resolution, FreeSync™, Liquid VR, and 4K resolution.

Pokdepinion: This is one nice looking card but everything still boils down to the pricing. If it costs more than its rivals from the green camp, this card is pretty much DOA.
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Apple Considering To Let Users Change iPhone Default Apps And More

When it comes to Apple, there’s not much you can do with their iPhone native apps. You simply can’t do anything or change it due to the fact that the company locks them. Well that could possibly change soon.
According to reports, the company is considering in letting iPhone users to select their own default apps.
Aside from that, it seems that they may also offer their HomePod speaker to third-party music apps such as Spotify and Pandora, though at the current moment it is still rumors.

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Additionally, iPhone users could have the ability to select a third-party web browser and mail app that they prefer.
The change is said to come out with iOS 14 but in the mean time, let’s just take it with a pinch of salt.
Previously Spotify filed a complaint on Apple’s anti-competitive practices to the European Commission. Read more about it here.
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Pokdepinion: It’s still unconfirmed at the moment..but what a move it will be if it turns out to be real.

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Xbox to Diversify Their Games Lineup; More Games Coming in 12 Months

Xbox has plans to diversify their gaming lineup to provide a richer gaming library for gamers. Also, some solid plans for the next 12 months.

Xbox to Diversify Their Games Lineup

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In an interview with Xbox Games Marketing General Manager Aaron Greenberg by DualShockers, there has been some good things brewing on the side of The Coalition and the main team at 343 Industries.
Greenberg thinks that 1st party studios being quiet is a good thing. As a fan he knows that The Coalition is there, and they’re hard at work on “something,” and the same goes for 343 Industries. The question is how far in advance Microsoft should announce what they’re doing.
There are so many games coming to Xbox One over the next twelve months, and Microsoft feels good about its first party lineup. Greenberg feels that it’s nice to be able to have a strong lineup like that, and still be a little quiet about what is being done behind the scenes. That being said, he recently visited The Coalition, and he is “very excited” about the future of the Gears of War franchise. He is also very excited about the future of the Halo franchise.
On another note, Greenberg also commented on Black Desert Online‘s upcoming release on Xbox One: Microsoft believes that there is an opportunity to have more MMO games on the console, and Black Desert in particular has a strong following, but isn’t yet very well known in the west. So it’s a great opportunity to bring a great game to the console and give it more visibility in the west.
This was actually the idea behind the E3 show: showing a large and diverse line-up of creators from all over the world, including Europe, Korea, Japan and more. Microsoft “really want that diversity,” and the folks working at Xbox pride themselves on loving games and wanting to honor the creators and artist making these titles.
Xbox Division Head Phil Spencer himself is a game developer, and has a “deep appreciation” for this. According to Greenberg it’s not always about selling millions of units, and Microsoft wants to make sure that they have a good variety and a diverse lineup for their players.

Pokdepinion: Perhaps we’ll see a bit more interest in the Microsoft-side of things outside of they’re new console. I always thought games on that side are not as attractive to the general audience but if that side gets improved, we might see a huge interest shift over.
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What Happened To Me During The Thunder Match Gaming Store Grand Opening at Sunway Pyramid

Ten hours and nothing

Before any of you start losing your collective shits and go all keyboard warrior on me, know this. I thought long and hard about whether I want to actually write this article or not but I felt like my story needed to be told. I hope that this article would help in the improvement of any future Thunder Match grand openings (or any store for that matter) in the future by avoiding the mistakes made during this whole debacle.
Warning: This article is going be a long one. I intend to explain every bit of detail as I want to paint a clear picture as best I can as to what exactly happened that night.
I didn’t plan on going to the grand opening initially. I was never the kind of person that would actually go out of my way just to take advantage of a sale, no matter how crazy the discounts were. However this time my editor convinced me that I should go to Thunder Match’s sale because they were selling an ASUS GeForce ROG Strix GTX 1050Ti for an insanely cheap price of RM 299 (normally that particular GPU would retail at around 900 ringgit!). I needed a new GPU anyway so I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to get one.

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I couldn’t help but chuckle and shake my head as I wrote the above sentence.
What went down during the grand opening itself was anything but perfect.
Thank you for the heads up Super Daddy
So Thursday came (the day before the grand opening) and I remember going through Twitter that night and came across a picture of a few people already lining up in front of the closed Thunder Match store in Sunway Pyramid, preparing themselves for an overnight stay. This was at 11PM mind you, the day before Thunder Match’s grand opening. My mental alarm bells started wailing as if Quasimodo himself was ringing them and hollering “SANCTUARY!” and I remember swearing loudly like a sailor when I saw the picture and contemplated for close to an hour on whether I’d want to go there and stay in line overnight myself.
Couldn’t find the original tweet but here’s the aforementioned picture
I mean the prospect of me owning a brand new GPU was at stake here! I couldn’t let that opportunity go! So of course I decided to go in line overnight myself at Sunway Pyramid.
I went there with a friend who was gracious enough to drive my idiot self to an empty mall at midnight just so I could buy a goddamn GPU. I even made him walk all the way from the basement parking bay to Thunder Match with me just so that I wouldn’t make a total ass of myself walking around an empty mall with an overnight bag. Eventually I reached the closed Thunder Match store and to my surprise, the line was empty!
False hope
My mind started spinning wildly with questions.
Was I mistaken? Was the picture actually an old picture of a previous Thunder Match store opening?
My heart started pounding with excitement. I was getting a GTX 1050Ti!
All that excitement drained out of my face immediately when I realised that there were already bags (and even sandwiches!) placed in a line, a ‘booking’ attempt by the people who stood in line before me.
My heart sank a little when I saw how many bags, books and sandwiches were there in line. Each driving home, inch by inch, a metaphorical dagger of realisation of me not walking away with a spanking new Strix GTX 1050Ti. I forced myself to remain optimistic however, as there are many other items on sale.
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After I said my goodbyes and started mentally counting down the minutes of a daunting 9-hour wait, a few more people came. All wanting a piece of the action. All was fine during the first hour of waiting, until a Sunway Pyramid security guard came around in his Segway like Paul Blart and kicked us out. He told us that we weren’t allowed in the mall after hours and told us to wait outside at the mall entrance until 8.30AM.
ARVE Error: need id and provider
Turns out that the first few people in line were kicked out as well as they were all assembled outside the entrance. Upon seeing me walk out of the mall the elected representative of the group informed me that I was the 21st person in line that night. Bye bye GTX 1050Ti. They were all surprisingly civil and well organised about this whole thing. The group representative, Ed (not his real name) even made a list of who’s getting what during the sale the next morning. Most of the keyboards were already snapped up so feeling utterly defeated I only asked for the ROG Gladius mouse. Even that was for a friend.
A few more people came as the hours went by. Finally, at least 50 people entered their names and their products in the list provided.
ARVE Error: need id and provider
The wait was tough. The first few hours went by fine as I had a few gamebooks on my phone to keep me company. When those books were all finished a couple of hours later, in came the challenge of finding a good place to rest or at least get an hour’s shut eye. Started walking around the outside of Sunway Pyramid until I saw a 7-Eleven and luckily had the opportunity of sleeping at one of the tables inside. Some weren’t so lucky. One of the people who waited overnight there slept in a trolley.
Everyone started lining up in front of the mall entrance at around 7.30AM, eagerly awaiting the moment the guards’ll eventually let us all in. When the time finally came to let us in some couldn’t contain themselves and began running to the store.
And that was when the imaginary excrement hit the imaginary fan.
Give or take a hundred people were already lined up in front of the store. We couldn’t believe our eyes. How were these people in line already and how weren’t they kicked out by security like us? Our belongings, the ones we used to ‘book’ our spots were tossed aside. Luckily nothing of mine was lost or broken or there would be hell to pay. Ed tried to make a case with the Thunder Match representative, explaining how we were all there since the night before. The Thunder Match representative, Joe (not his real name) wouldn’t allow us to go to the front of the line, instead told us to hang around while he makes a few calls to presumably Thunder Match HQ.
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It was utter chaos. The people who were in line started making noise against us. Luckily there were no physical altercations involved. The atmosphere was expectedly tense nonetheless. An hour later and still no solution was found to our problem. Back and forth negotiations between Ed and Joe was seemingly heading nowhere. Joe was constantly on the phone with his superiors trying to find a way out of this mess.

Dirty and dog tired from waiting for hours last night I decided to walk around in an attempt to escape the madness and to clear my mind. I was too tired to feel angry even. I just wanted this thing to settle ASAP as I wanted my Gladius and go home. In the meantime I took the opportunity to talk to some of the other people from my group who waited overnight. Some of them traveled all the way from Malacca just to catch this crazy sale. Some even traveled all the way from the East Coast with their return tickets ready in their pockets.
After that it was mostly walking around aimlessly as nobody knew what the hell was supposed to happen. Heck, even the staff was clueless and just stood there with blank faces, watching. Everyone was just waiting for Thunder Match to open their blasted store.
Finally, when it was near opening time, Joe called us all up to try and settle this thing once and for all. The conversation between Joe, Ed and the rest of the group was conducted in Mandarin. Confused as all heck I had to rely on translations made the guy next to me. Based on what he said only the first ten people from our group were allowed inside Thunder Match to get the stuff they wanted and that Joe promised the rest of us some sort of compensation. We didn’t know what the compensation would be (neither did Joe as a matter of fact), and that they’d call to let us know what it would be. Physically and mentally exhausted, I and the rest of us (well most of us) begrudgingly accepted Joe and Thunder Match’s offer as we didn’t really have the energy to argue. We filled in our contact details in the list Ed had made earlier and went home empty handed.
I think we all know what happened to Thunder Match after this whole disaster.The public uproar came thick and fast with the overall response being largely negative. People mainly complained about the poor management and how people were allegedly walking out with more than one promo items when the rules clearly stated that a customer can only a single item. They were also furious at how the promo items were quickly sold out before 12PM when Thunder Match’s posters stated that they officially open for business at 12PM. The response was so bad that people began posting a sea of bad, single star reviews that left an abysmal 2.7 star rating on their Facebook page. See for yourself:

Some even went out of their way to call for a boycott on Thunder Match. Much like the outrage caused by Gamers Hideout infamous incident that happened earlier this year.
ANGERY
In hindsight, letting Ed and the first ten people inside to purchase the stuff they wanted was a little unfair to the rest of us who waited the whole night. Sure we got compensation but to wait for a grueling 5 to 10 hours for a frikkin mouse? We deserved to go in there too. At least there wouldn’t be the feeling of putting all that effort in for nothing. It makes sense from Thunder Match’s public relations standpoint as there were already pictures of these guys waiting outside their store the night before floating around social media but boy does it sting for the rest of us.
They even foolishly tweeted me these to which I responded simply.

I LOL’d
They didn’t reply though.
I applaud Thunder Match though for pulling through on their promise of a compensation though. They recently contacted me saying that the ROG Gladius mouse was available for me to purchase at the same discounted price during the Grand Opening. This was accompanied however, with a request that we, the compensated customers, leave a 5 star rating on their Facebook page to help them recover. Sorry Thunder Match. I appreciate the discounted Gladius but I wasted 10 hours waiting so no, this does not warrant a 5 outta me. I’d probably give you guys 2 stars. 3 stars if I’m generous.
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Qualcomm aptX Lossless Supposedly To Offer ‘CD-quality’ For Wireless Audio Devices

It appears that Qualcomm is confident that they’ve found the best solution for lossless audio for wireless devices with the new aptX Lossless, which is a part of their Snapdragon Sound Program which was revealed earlier in the year.
Qualcomm aptX Lossless

Qualcomm has said that the technology is able to stream CD-quality at 16-bit /44.1kHz lossless audio over Bluetooth. We could expect a device that features it as early as 2022.

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If you are interested in using it, it appears that you will need to have your Android smartphone and audio device to support the feature.
They have revealed that Snapdragon Sound will detect a lossless audio source and play it at a higher data rates than previously with aptX HD. In terms of bandwidth, aptX Lossless can reach up to 1Mbps.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: While it may sound impressive (pun intended), I still think that you’d be better off with wired audio devices for quality assurance.. at least for now.
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You Can Now Enjoy Reduced Delivery Fees From foodpanda This Year

foodpanda has kick-start 2019 with lower delivery fees now where across Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and Putrajaya, you can enjoy delivery fees that are reduced to RM3 from its original RM5 price.

As for the people in Penang, Johor Bahru, and Kota Kinabalu, the fees has been reduced to RM2. Aside from that, the minimum amount that you’d need to spend has been reduced to RM10 nationwide.

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We wanted more Malaysians to be able to order anything from their local mamak right up to a fine dining restaurant and have it delivered right to them. The revised pricing is a fantastic way for us to offer our customers better value for their money when ordering in their favorite food. Sayantan Das, Managing Director of foodpanda Malaysia
Aiming to help more of their users to enjoy their service, you can easily order in a meal for one on the platform for as low as RM12 in selected areas and as low as RM13 in other areas.
Pokdepinion: Any price reduction is music to my ears. I guess I would probably use more of them after this, well at least on my lazy days.
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RTX 2080 Ti Struggles in Watch Dogs: Legion Full HD 60 FPS

As we’ve reported from the Ubisoft Forward digital event, Watch Dogs: Legion will be one of the highly anticipated games from the company. While it’s expected to push the limits of gaming technology, we don’t know to what extent that would be the case, that is until now.
GeForce RTX 2080 Ti Struggles With Watch Dogs: Legion on Full HD 60 FPS

The folks over at Digital Foundry managed to get their hands on a build of Watch Dogs: Legion. It appears that the game has a 30 FPS lock setting, which is expected to work similarly to consoles with the graphics settings set to Ultra and ray-tracing enabled. The PC that was running the game uses an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, which allegedly struggled with the game.
It appears to be impossible to get the running at a stable 60 FPS in Full HD when the framerate isn’t locked. It’s interesting to think how intensive the game can be to put such a card into major strains. However, it’s worth noting that this is far from the final build of the game. That will include a bunch of optimizations that will significantly boost frame rates, on top of stability. With that being said, we’re not surprised to see Ultra settings and ray tracing really pushing systems to the limit.

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Digital Foundry didn’t manage to run the game with DLSS 2.0 enabled, which is expected to boost frame rates with its upscale / downscale AI-based algorithm. We do expect it to make a huge difference in the final game, such as finally letting you play in 4K at 60 FPS with ray-tracing enabled. We will be reporting more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
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Pokdepinion: If the final game is that tough to run in Full HD, then the minimum requirements must be really heavy.
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Company of Heroes 2 is Now FREE – Here’s How to Claim The Game

Company of Heroes 2 is Now FREE

Looking for a new game to play but want to be as frugal as possible with your money? Well, look no further because Company of Heroes 2 is now free.
Initially released on June 2013, Company of Heroes 2 is a World War II real-time strategy game with a number of expansions available. The game is currently being offered for free to celebrate the game’s 5th anniversary, and has generally positive reviews on the internet by gamers and critics.
If you’re not sure what the game is about, here’s a synopsis courtesy of Steam.

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Powered by the Essence Engine 3.0, the Company of Heroes 2 series feature some unique mechanics rewarding thoughtful players.
From the TrueSight system that emulates the units’ line of sight to the cover-system that encourages clever unit placement, not to mention the combined arms approach and the hard and soft counters gameplay that will make you think twice before trying to destroy a tank with a simple squad of riflemen.
Each game presents players with an uninterrupted stream of meaningful tactical choices that can turn the tide of war.
To claim the game, all you have to do is login to your Steam account and claim Company of Heroes 2. To make things easier, you can click right here to head straight to the official Steam page for Company of Heroes 2.
Pokdepinion: Ah, I still have fond memories of playing this game. I also remember being confused as I thought it was gonna be just another army shooter game. Well, if you haven’t played it yet and don’t have anything else to play, give it a try. It’s surprisingly fun.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Leaks Shows How You Can Store S Pen

The latest Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 leak reveals how you can store the S Pen for the foldable smartphone, and it might be what you expected given how they’ve implemented it outside of the Galaxy Note series.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 S Pen Storage

Few upcoming foldable details.
Z Flip3
– 6.7″ internal / 1.9″ cover displays
– 12MP x2 (rear) / 10MP (selfie)
Z Fold3
– 7.6″ internal / 6.2″ external displays
– 12MP x3 (rear) / 10MP (cover selfie) / 4MP (main selfie)
– 2 optional S-Pens (Pro and Fold Edition)
Both phones IPX8 pic.twitter.com/lPm60yCzvt
— Evan (@evleaks) July 26, 2021

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Recently, popular leaker Evan Blass (@evleaks) tweeted out more details on both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3 foldable smartphones. The former has a 6.2-inch external display and a 7.6-inch main display while the latter has a 1.9-inch cover display and a 6.7-inch main display. Both devices will have an IPX8 resistance rating.
The interesting here is the mention of the S Pen, which will apparently have two different versions; Pro Edition and Fold Edition. The Pro Edition S Pen isn’t exactly new since we learned of it back during the Galaxy S21 series launch but we have no idea how different both versions are from each other.

As for how one can store the S Pen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, it doesn’t come with a silo for it. Instead, you will have to rely on a protective case, where it’s stored behind the hinge with a dedicated slot for it. This same case will have a flap that will reveal the external display, ensuring protection for it when not in use. The material is said to be leather, but no mention of whether it’s vegan or genuine leather.
Apart from that, we also learned of the camera setup for both foldable smartphones. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 will have a triple rear camera setup consisting of three 12MP cameras, a 10MP selfie camera when folded, and a 4MP selfie camera when unfolded. As for the Galaxy Z Flip3, it will have a dual 12MP rear camera setup and a 10MP selfie camera.
We will report more on these foldable smartphones as information becomes available, especially during Galaxy Unpacked, so stay tuned.
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Pokdepinion: As someone who has been using the Galaxy S21 Ultra with the S Pen case, I think this should still be easier to hold when folded. However, I do wonder if it will feel awkward having the S Pen on the back when holding it while unfolded.
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Genshin Impact 1.7 Leak Shows Off Sayu and Yoimiya Animations

If you’re looking forward to more new characters in Genshin Impact, a recent leak has revealed the animations for two upcoming characters that many people are excited for. Those two are Sayu and Yoimiya.
Genshin Impact Leaks: Sayu and Yoimiya Animations

This particular leak first came from notorious leaker Dimbreath, who has previously leaked a bunch of stuff on Genshin Impact in the past. In the video above as well as the top of this post, you can see animations for Sayu and Yoimiya, both of whom will be arriving in Genshin Impact 1.7.
To clear any confusions, a good number of leakers claim that the next update will move straight to Genshin Impact 2.0 but if that is true, the leak should apply for that same update.

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On a different note, the Genshin Impact database Honey Impact has found some subtle changes to Ayaka’s character details. You can find them, as first revealed in the popular Wangsheng Funeral Parlor Discord server, right below here:
Added Allegiance: Yashiro Commission
Astrolabe Name: Grus Nivis
Changes
Alternate Sprint old:
(Ayaka Consumes stamina) to hide within a swift flow of sleet that moves as she moves
Alternate Sprint new:
(Ayaka Consumes stamina) and cloaks herself in frozen fog that moves with her
Ult old:
Continuously slices at opponents it touches with frigid winds as sharp as blades, dealing Cryo DMG
Ult New:
A storm of whirling icy winds that slashes repeatedly at opponents it touches, dealing Cryo DMG
Genshin Impact is currently available for free on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Android, iOS, and PC. A Nintendo Switch version will be coming sometime soon.
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Pokdepinion: Some of these changes may seem minor but if you take into account every single change from start to end, you start to realize that they’re doing this to have a better flow for the overall story. Even something as simple as a skill description change can play a big role.
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