OnePlus 11 Pre-orders for Malaysia Confirmed – Pricing and Freebies Revealed

If you’re interested to get yourself a OnePlus 11 or the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, pre-orders and prices for Malaysia have been revealed, along with some freebies.
OnePlus 11 Malaysia Pre-Order

One of the earliest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 smartphones to be made available in Malaysia, the OnePlus 11 5G is their newest flagship device, complete with a 3rd Gen Hasselblad Camera for Mobile. It sports a 6.7-inch Super Fluid AMOLED LTPO display with up to 2K resolution and dynamic 120Hz refresh rate.

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It also uses a triple camera setup consisting of a 50MP f/1.8 wide angle camera, a 48MP f/2.2 ultrawide camera, and a 32MP f/2.0 telephoto camera with 2x optical zoom. The selfie camera uses a 16MP wide angle sensor with an f/2.45 aperture. All of this will be juiced up by a 5,000mAh battery which supports up to 100W charging, and it even comes with a 100W charger inside the box.

There’s also the OnePlus Buds Pro 2, co-created by Dynaudio and powered by the MelodyBoost Dual Drivers. It supports LHDC 4.0 for better quality audio and Audio ID 2.0 which can tailor your listening experience by scanning your ear canals. You also get ANC, which is TUV-certified Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation up to 48dB. Battery life is said to be up to 39 hours total.

OnePlus 11 Specifications

CPU
Qualcomm SM8475 Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Octa-core
1 x 3.2 GHz Cortex-X3 & 2 x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A715 & 2 x 2.8 GHz Cortex-A710 & 3 x 2GHz Cortex-A510
4 nm

GPU
Adreno 740

Memory
8GB / 16GB LPDDR5X

Storage
128GB UFS 3.1 / 256GB UFS4.0

Display
6.7″ Super Fluid AMOLED LTPO (3216 x 1440), 1B colors, 20:1:9, Gorilla Glass Victus, 525ppi
Dynamic 120Hz Refresh Rate, up to 1000Hz touch response rate,
1300 nits peak brightness, Dolby Vision, HDR10+

Camera
50 MP, f/1.8, 24mm (wide) Sony IMX890, 1/1.56″, 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 6P lens
48 MP, f/2.2, 115˚ (ultrawide) Sony IMX581, 1/2″, AF, 6P lens
32 MP, f/2.0, (telephoto) Sony IMX709, 1/2.74″, PDAF, 2x optical zoom, 6Pn lens
Hasselblad Camera for Mobile, Dual-LED flash, HDR, panorama
[email protected], [email protected]/60FPS, Full [email protected]/60/240FPS, Auto HDR, gyro-EIS

Selfie camera
16 MP, f/2.45, 25mm (wide) Sony IMX471, 1.0µm, fixed focus, 5P lens
Full [email protected], gyro-EIS, Auto HDR, panorama

Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot
Bluetooth 5.3
USB Type-C 2.0
GPS with A-GPS, Up to tri-band: GLONASS (1), BDS (3), GALILEO (2), QZSS (2)
NFC, eSE, HCE
5G

Battery
5,000 mAh
Fast Charging 100W

Dimensions
163.1 x 74.1 x 8.53 mm

Weight
205g

Colour
Titan Black, Eternal Green

OnePlus Buds Pro 2 Specifications

Drivers
11mm + 6mm dynamic driver

Microphone
3 microphones + AI algorithm

Frequency Response
10Hz – 40,000Hz (44.1kHz Sampling)

Headphone Type
In-ear

Connector
Wired
USB-C
Wireless
Bluetooth 5.3 with LE, Google Fast Pair, dual connection, and LHDC 4.0

Wireless Range
10m

Noise-cancelling
Yes, Smart Adaptive Noise Cancellation (ANC)
48db TUV-Certified Adaptive Noise Cancellation

Battery
Earphones
60mAh
Charging Case
520mAh

Dimensions
Earphones
24.3 x 20.85 x 32.18 mm, 4.9g x 2
Charging Case
60.1 x 49 x 24.9mm, 47.3g

Colour
Arbor Green, Obsidian Black

Ingress Protection
IP55

The OnePlus 11 5G will be available in two variants; 8GB RAM / 256GB storage and 16GB RAM / 256GB storage. The former will be retailing for RM3,299 whereas the latter will be retailing for RM3,599. The OnePlus Buds Pro 2 on the other hand will retail for RM869. For those of you who pre-order it from 16th to 24th February 2023, you will also be getting the following freebies:

Free OnePlus Buds Pro 2
Free OnePlus 11 5G Bumper Case Sandstone
Free 1-year Extended Warranty
Free 1-year Screen Protection
Chance to participate in lucky draw
Jackson Wang postcard

If you were to purchase it during the first sale period from 25th February to 3rd March 2023, you will be able to enjoy these:

RM200 PWP discount for OnePlus Buds Pro 2
Free OnePlus 11 5G Bumper Case Sandstone
Free 1-year Extended Warranty
Free 1-year Screen Protection
Chance to participate in lucky draw
Jackson Wang postcard

If you’re wondering how good the OnePlus 11 5G is, check out our in-depth review by clicking right here.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s a pretty good smartphone for the price, though I wonder why there’s such a small gap in pricing for the 8GB and 16GB variants. Might as well go for the 16GB one instead since it’s just a little bit more, and you get more storage too.
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Arzopa G1 Game Review – 144Hz Portable Monitor

Unboxing the Arzopa G1 Game
Arzopa G1 Game Review – Box

Starting off the Arzopa G1 Game review with the unboxing, the packaging itself looks very basic, especially since its clad in white. When you open the box however, the content inside are neatly arranged in their own respective boxes, as if puzzle pieces that fit perfectly together. Inside, you can expect to find the following items:
Arzopa G1 Game Review – Box content

1 x USB-C to USB-C Cable
1 x Mini HDMI to HDMI Cable
1 x USB-C to USB-A Cable
1 x Screen Cleaning Cloth
1 x User Guide
1 x ARZOPA 15.6″ Portable Monitor

Specifications

Panel Size
Wide Screen 15.6″, 16:9

Panel Type
IPS

True Resolution
1920 X 1080

Display Surface
Non-glare

Touchscreen
No

Pixel Pitch
0.179 mm

Brightness
300 cd/m2

Contrast
1000:1

Viewing Angle (CR≧10)
178°(H) / 178°(V)

Response Time
5 ms (GTG)

HDR Support
No

Refresh Rate
144 Hz

Low Blue Light
Yes

HDCP Support
Yes

Viewing Modes
sRGB, Scenery, Theater, Standard, Night View, Game, Reading, Darkroom

Adaptive Refresh Rate
No

Signal Input
1 x Mini HDMI 1.4
2 x USB-C
1 x 3.5mm audio jack

Audio
Built-in dual speakers

Mechanical Design
Chassis Colours : Dark gray
Slim Design : Yes
Super Narrow Bezel Design : Yes

Dimensions
364.9 x 274.8 x 8.9 mm, 0.61 kg

Performance
The brightness of the display when measured at 100% brightness is 286.1cd/m2, and it was running at this setting by default. It’s a bit on the dimmer side but it’s still usable provided you’re not looking at it right under bright sunlight
Arzopa G1 Game Review – Screen uniformity test
Running the display uniformity test with a 3×3 grid, I’m actually surprised by how well the Arzopa G1 Game fared. It’s actually even across all areas, practically speaking. In fact, it’s almost perfectly uniformed here, something we haven’t seen in a long time.

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Colour Accuracy

Standard
Standard mode, calibration with DisplayCAL

Whitepoint
8400K
8300K

Average ΔE*00
1.45
0.35

Maximum ΔE*00
4.95
1.66

By default, the colour accuracy on the Arzopa G1 Game could fluctuate quite a bit but it’s not terrible. After calibrating it using SpyderX and DisplayCAL, we see significant improvements in average and maximum Delta-E figures. As good as it might seem on paper however, the display is a bit too dim for proper professional work.
Gamut

Gamut
Standard
Standard mode, calibration with DisplayCAL

sRGB
Coverage
99.6%
99.7%

Volume
108.4%
109.1%

Adobe RGB
Coverage
71.2%
74.4%

Volume
72.7%
76.2%

DCI-P3
Coverage
75.8%
76.5%

Volume
75.8%
76.5%

For the gamut coverage and volume, there were slight improvements after calibration. Overall with 99% sRGB, 72% Adobe RGB, and 76% DCI-P3, the colours are certainly lacking for professional creative work. However, I would cut them some slack since this is a low-powered monitor, and achieving this result is already a pleasant surprise for me.

The Good
Arzopa G1 Game Review – Snail’s House
The Arzopa G1 Game is very easy to bring around. This might sound dumb or redundant given that it’s a portable monitor but you’d understand when you see it in person. It’s ultrathin and it’s very light so it barely adds bulk to what you’re carrying. Given the added productivity potential, it’s worth just having it around wherever you go. The carbon fiber-esque look is a bonus.
It also has a good array of ports as it comes with a mini-HDMI port, two USB-C ports, and a headphone jack. It’s enough to offer versatility across a multitude of devices, including smartphones. The necessary cables are also included so you don’t have to worry about purchasing extra accessories.
Arzopa G1 Game Review – Gaming works great
In terms of performance, apart from what we’ve already measured, the Arzopa G1 Game certainly sets a high standard for portable monitors with its 144Hz refresh rate. Sure, the devices that can make use of it are likely limited to laptops with adequate power but it does provide some form of futureproofing for when other devices are capable of pushing the necessary frames for it. Imagine a Nintendo Switch successor with this monitor.
It’s also worth pointing out that the Arzopa G1 Game supports AMD FreeSync. This is revolutionary for portable monitors as it would typical be saved for a traditional, performance-oriented gaming monitors. In essence, you get to enjoy a tear-free visual experience no matter where you go.
Arzopa G1 Game Review – Ports
For those of you who are wondering, the Arzopa G1 Game doesn’t have a built-in battery. Instead, it relies on USB-C for power. To me, this is a good thing because it minimizes the risk of the product prematurely dying, especially since batteries are the most prone to wear and tear. It’s just plug-and-play and I’m certain this can last for several years with ease unless you get clumsy.
The Bad
Arzopa G1 Game Review – Buttons
While I would give the included flap cover props for a smart design as it fits nicely with the design of the monitor given the raised surface on the ports side, I find it more annoying than useful. For starters, it only works with one standing orientation and nothing more. Then, the magnetic attachment is rather flimsy so it can fall of rather easily. In fact, I’ve had it slip off while having it stand up, and that’s not good.
Then, it lacks touchscreen support so if you’re using it to extend your smartphone display, you’re only using it to see things bigger and that’s it. Having touchscreen would be nice not only because of that, but it will also add extra functionality and versatility for laptops, especially gaming laptops which typically lack touchscreen.
Arzopa G1 Game Review – Rear
To our surprise, the built-in speakers can pump out rather loud volumes. However, it is lacking in depth, bass, and anything that would make it immersive or enjoyable. This is more so an option for situations where you don’t really have much of a choice for audio, but that’s fine for me. I just feel that it’s worth pointing out.
Arzopa G1 Game Review
Arzopa G1 Game Review
The Arzopa G1 Game portable monitor offers a lot for the price. It’s certainly great if you want a secondary monitor on-the-go or just want to view things in a bigger display for some devices but it’s definitely not meant for professional work. Sure, it has its drawbacks but for its price of USD $209.99 (RM976.87), you can’t really complain.
At the end of our Arzopa G1 Game review, I award this portable monitor with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Arzopa for sending us this portable monitor for the purpose of this review. If you’re interested in getting one yourself, click right here. We even have a special RM20 Shopee discount coupon (valid for 3 months) for you so you can save some money. The coupon code is: “NANQ10J20″. They are having Prime Day promotions from 12th to 13th October 2022 so head on over to their official website for more discounts and promotions.
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[LEAKED] Digi to reward customers this 14th August — Mi Band 2 to be offered for just RM69 this Digi Customer Engagement Day!

The Mi Band 2, a pretty decent smartband for its price, is going to be offered for just RM69, exclusively for Digi customers. This promotion is apparently to celebrate the upcoming Digi Customer Engagement Day.

Even for those who aren’t Digi subscribers, they can purchase the Mi Band 2 for just RM88, which is the usual price you can now get the Mi Band 2 for on Lazada. There doesn’t seem to be any other criteria to get the discounted price other than the fact that you have to be a Digi subscriber, regardless if you are a postpaid, prepaid, long time user or even a new user. If you are using Digi, you get the offer.

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As usual, the offer stands while stocks last. The offer will be valid from 14th to 19th August 2018, at all Digi Stores nationwide. So Digi users, if you don’t have a smartband already, get ready to storm your nearest Digi Store for a Mi Band 2 at the discounted price!
We will update as we find out more about this new Digi Customer Engagement Day thingy as soon as we know more about it. Stay tuned!
Pokdepinion: I actually bought a second Mi Band 2 to replace my first one which was getting faulty. It is that good.
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Going Back For This Festive Raya Period? Here’s Some Useful On The Road Tips For You!

Got your bags packed for this Hari Raya season but worried about the travel that lies on the road ahead? Here are some tips on what you could do to make the journey a bit safer and smoother on the way back to your hometown with some studies provided by Waze.
#1 Plan Around High Traffic Areas And Peak Hours

In regards to preparation for the festive period, Waze has studied and identified high traffic areas as well as the worst time to travel, from this 12th of June to the 20th of June. If you’re heading towards Johor or Terengganu this Friday (when Hari Raya starts), the worst time that you could possibly choose is at 2PM – 4PM. For Kelantan, it’s best if you don’t drive around 3PM to 5PM. As for the worst time to drive in Kuala Lumpur during Hari Raya on Friday is 4PM until 6PM.

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#2 Share Your Drive With Family
While it may seem not much, sharing your drive and ETA to your family is always assuring towards your family members. At least now your parents now what time that you should be arriving!

#3 Avoid Hanging Out In High Traffic Destinations
Needless to say, to avoid congestion, avoid congestion (duh!). Waze found out that the most favorite destinations during Hari Raya to be shopping centers at 20%, followed by restaurants, hotels, gas stations, and banks. So when you’re planning on your trip back hometown, make sure you take note of this.
#4 Watch Your Speed Limit
Of course, it would be great to have a quick and traffic jam-free drive. Despite that, know your limits, specifically your speed limits. Hey, it’s always better safe than sorry no? Think of all the love ones that are waiting for your arrival.
While it may not be Raya yet, with still a few more days to go, we here at Pokde.net wish you all a pleasant Hari Raya and a safe journey, no matter where you are headed towards this festive season.
Pokdepinion: Remember guys, always heed the laws of the road.

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KINGMAX Introduces New M.2 2280 PCIe NVME Gen3x4 SSD

KINGMAX has today announce the launch of their newest product, the Zeus M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe Gen3x4 SSD PX3480. Due to popular demand for its performance and compact size, the new SSD is compatible with most M.2 NVMe 1.3 standard supported devices that includes ultrabooks and gaming laptops.
KINGMAX Zeus M.2 2280 PCIe NVMe Gen3x4 SSD
The new SSD features of rear/write speeds of up to 3,400/3,000MB/s where its read seed is 6 times faster than SATA III SSDs. It also applies SLC Caching and DRAM Cache buffer, to further accelerate transfer speeds and system response time.
With it, you are able to store up to 1TB of your files without occupying much space of your thinnest notebooks, mobile apps, and PC desktops alike.

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In addition, it supports LDPC (Low Density Parity Check) and ECC technology to detect and correct R/W errors for higher data accuracy and a longer lifespan. The SSD is backed by a 3-year warranty for complete after-sale services.
For more information on the Zeus, you can check out KINGMAX’s official website.
Pokdepinion: The company has said that the new Zeus is affordable, but I wonder how affordable is ‘affordable’?
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Tax Proposed For Violent Video Games In The USA

It seems that lawmakers from Pennsylvania (USA) has put a proposal to establish a 10% excise tax on violent video games.
The law, which is named House Bill 109, aims to impose ‘sin tax’ on games that’s rated by the ESRB as M for Mature or Adults-Only.
Money gathered from that would go to a fund called the “Digital Protection for School Safety Account”, which aims to enhance security measures at schools that has been going around in the country.

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State representative Chris Quinn has said that violent video games might be an element in the rise of school shootings in the United States of America.
One factor that may be contributing to the rise in, and intensity of school violence is the material kids see, and act out, in video games. Chris Quinn
Pokdepinion: It would be crazy if it was implemented here in Malaysia.. There could be a logic to say that games influence young ones, but still, why allow them to play the games in the first place?
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Qualcomm to unveil custom CPU cores in 2022

Qualcomm stopped trying to design their own custom CPU architectures since the overheating mess that was the Snapdragon 821, instead opting to customize Arm’s cores for their chipsets. They might be looking towards creating custom cores again though, with them planning to unveil new processors with custom CPU cores in the latter half of 2022, after announcing their acquisition of NUVIA.
The former CEO of NUVIA, Gerard Williams, has a very prolific past, being a part of the Apple’s custom CPUs and Arm core architectures’ development in the past. Hopefully he will be able to bring some of that experience to bolster Qualcomm’s effort to compete in the Windows laptop space.
Speaking of which, the first processors to result from this acquisition will be intended for “high performance ultraportable laptops”, which means that we will be seeing them in the next-gen Always Connected PCs. While Qualcomm didn’t exactly mention whether they will be designing custom CPU cores for their mobile platform, they did mention that the acquisition “enhances their CPU roadmap” and will strengthen their position in the “Windows, Android and Chrome ecosystems.”

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While the priority is probably to offer better performance to the Windows on Arm machines in the face of wildly successful Apple Silicon-powered Macs, it doesn’t seem too farfetched for Qualcomm to develop custom core designs for the smartphone chipsets too.
It might just be what Qualcomm needs to stay ahead of their competition like Apple and Samsung. Samsung has just recently put an end to the development of their powerful custom Mongoose CPUs, so it will be interesting to see how will they respond to Qualcomm’s move.
Source
Pokdepinion: I wonder if Qualcomm’s custom chip can compete against the 2021 successors to the Apple M1 and the rumored Apple M1X.
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KLEVV CRAS C920 M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 SSD 2TB Review — faster and cooler!

We have previously played with KLEVV’s awesome lineup of memory, but this is the first time we are checking out a PCIe 4.0 SSD. It’s the KLEVV CRAS C920 2TB, and we are quite excited to see what’s in store for us. It is also worth mentioning that this is the second generation of M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSDs, so most of the issues about heat output that plagued the first-gen drives have been fixed, and we have even faster speeds now. Sounds good? Well, let’s take a look.
Unboxing

Packaging wise, the KLEVV CRAS C920 isn’t particularly outstanding. I do like that it is clean and all the key features and specifications are clearly indicated on the front here. A clear image of the drive is also here, so you can decide if the black PCB and label will match the rest of your build.

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The back lists out the features in text as well as the expected sequential speeds of the drive. The 1TB variant is slower than the 2TB version of the KLEVV CRAS C920, which is to be expected as the lower capacity should have less chips and thus can’t take advantage of the full channels available on the controller.

Interestingly enough, this is all you get in the box. KLEVV kept the clutter to an absolute minimum, but I would have expect at least a warranty guide or maybe some case stickers. All you get is the KLEVV CRAS C920 in a simple plastic tray, and I guess that’s fine because at least your drive is well protected from all corners.
Appearance

KLEVV applied a nice dark label with only the barcode area being white. Since this is a PCIe 4.0 drive, you will most probably be using it under your motherboard heatsink, so whatever color is fine here. It is a regular paper label, none of that fancy aluminum foil or graphene stuff that helps dissipate heat, but as you will find out, the KLEVV CRAS C920 doesn’t actually need any help to dissipate the heat.

The underside of the drive also hosts NAND flash modules and a memory module. The DRAM here is none other than the popular SK Hynix CJR DDR4, and you get a total of 2GB on the KLEVV CRAS C920, with one 8Gb module on the front, and another on the back of the PCB. Meanwhile we get to see that the NAND flash here is from Micron.
Specifications
KLEVV CRAS C920

Capacity
2TB (1.91TB usable)

Interface
M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4

NAND Type
256GB Micron 176-layer 3D TLC NAND

DRAM Cache
2GB DDR4

Controller
Phison E18

Rated speed
Sequential:
Read: Up to 7000MB/s Write: Up to 6850MB/s

Endurance
1400TBW

Dimensions
80 mm X 22 mm X 2.15 mm

Weight
8 gram

Included accessories
Free copy of Acronis True Image HD

Warranty
5 years

Test System

CPU
Intel Core i5-11600K

Cooler
Cooler Master ML240R

Motherboard
GIGABYTE AORUS Z490 MASTER

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti Founders Edition

Memory
2 x 8GB KLEVV BOLT XR DDR4-3600 CL18

Storage
512GB Plextor M9PeY PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD
2TB KLEVV CRAS C920 PCIe 4.0 x4 NVMe SSD

Power Supply
Cooler Master V850 Gold

Performance

The KLEVV CRAS C920 is the fastest SSD we have tested, which is pretty much expected. It easily exceeds both its rated read and write speeds, netting about 7GB/s on both sequential read and write speeds. With the Phison E18 controller and the latest 3D NAND from Micron, this blows everything else out of the water.

AS SSD is a more stringent test, with read and write speeds taken down a notch. However we see that the KLEVV CRAS C920 delivers excellent 4K speeds, which should bode well for normal usage scenarios like using it as a boot drive or for game loading scenarios.

It also impresses in Anvil’s Storage Utility, with really fast 4K speeds in both read and write. Sequential speeds are also very good at over 5.4GB/s on both read and write.

In the AIDA64 Linear Write test, we can see that the firmware allocates about 33% or around 600MB of the free space as the SLC cache, with the drive delivering a consistent write speed of around 5881MB/s while below that threshold. Once we pass it, speeds fluctuate between around 1000MB/s and 1500MB/s, which is still very fast, regardless of how you look at it. This is probably irrelevant to most users, unless you plan on writing bulk files to the KLEVV CRAS C920 frequently.
As we have expected, the KLEVV CRAS C920 runs significantly cooler than most PCIe 4.0 drives we have seen in the past. It is even cooler than certain PCIe 3.0 drives! Even without a heatsink, we saw temperatures of around 60°C when we absolutely hammered it with writes. The ROG Maximus XIII Hero’s heatsink brought that down to around 52°C. Pretty good.
Real world

As the fastest drive we have seen, the KLEVV CRAS C920 leads our game loading tests by more than a whole second. If you need an additional edge to load into games faster, this is the drive to get.
Conclusion

The KLEVV CRAS C920 proves to be a very fast drive, that can deliver good, consistent performance. It also runs a lot cooler than many PCIe 4.0 and PCIe 3.0 NVMe drives, so that’s a bonus too. Priced at RM1709 for the 2TB capacity, the KLEVV CRAS C920 is also pretty good bang for buck, at least with its performance taken into perspective. I really can’t find an issue with this drive, and if a PCIe 4.0 SSD is what you want, this is definitely a really good option to go with.

Our thanks to KLEVV for sending us the KLEVV CRAS C920 for review.
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Resident Evil 4 Remake is In The Works at Capcom

Capcom has been remaking some of their most popular games, namely Resident Evil 2 and 3. Given the big success that both remakes had, it appears we have another one coming our way as Resident Evil 4 Remake appears to be in the works at Capcom.
A report by Video Games Chronicle has indicated that Capcom has given the green light to develop a Resident Evil 4 Remake. It has entered full production and is said to have a release window of 2022.

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Leading the development of the game is a new game studio called M-Two, founded by PlatinumGames head Tatsuya Minami. They are expected to be aided by Capcom’s own internal teams as well as other external game development studios in various areas.
Interestingly, Shinji Mikami has turned down the role to lead the development of the game. In case you weren’t aware, he was the director of the original game. However, he did give his blessings and provided the developers with some directions.
Which Platform Will Resident Evil 4 Remake Be Released On?

Given that the game was the biggest shift from their typical gameplay as they shifted the view to over the shoulder, it’s going to be hard to imagine how the remake will turn out. Taking the release window into account, we should see significant graphical upgrades as it’s most likely bound for next-gen consoles as well.
Resident Evil 4 Remake will be coming sometime in 2022. While no platforms have been confirmed yet, we expect it to be available at least on the PlayStation 5 and PC.
Source
Pokdepinion: I really like the game, more than any other entries, so I really hope they do this one justice. It’s still too early to say anything conclusive.
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HONOR Magic5 Series Launching in Malaysia Next Month: Pro, Non-Pro and Magic Vs Foldable

HONOR is set to launch the Magic5 Series in Malaysia next month, featuring the Pro and non-Pro variants as well as the Magic Vs foldable phone.
HONOR to Launch Magic5 Series in Malaysia Next Month, Including Pro and Non-Pro Variants along with Magic Vs Foldable

HONOR Malaysia CEO, Justin Li, confirmed that the HONOR Magic5 Series will be launching in Malaysia next month. In addition, the foldable HONOR Magic Vs will also be making its debut in the Malaysian market at the same time. Both the Pro and non-Pro flavors of the Magic5 series are powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor.

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The Magic5 Pro features a 6.81-inch OLED LTPO display with a resolution of 2848 x 1312 and a tri-camera system on its back consisting of a 50MP f/1.6 primary camera, a 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP f/3.0 periscope telephoto camera. The standard version of the Magic5 has a slightly smaller 6.73-inch OLED LTPO display but still retains similar features to the Pro version. Both models have a tri-camera system on the back and a 12MP selfie camera.

The Magic Vs foldable is powered by the slightly older Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor and features a 7.9-inch 90Hz OLED display and a secondary 6.45-inch 120Hz OLED cover screen. The foldable has a tri-camera module on the back featuring a 54MP f/1.9 primary camera, a 50MP f/2.0 ultra-wide/macro camera, and an 8MP f/2.4 telephoto camera. It also features a 16MP f/2.45 selfie camera and 5000mAh battery.
All three devices were launched globally at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona a few weeks ago. HONOR Malaysia plans to release them in the Malaysian market in early April, making Malaysia the first market to receive the Magic5 Pro, Magic5, and Magic Vs outside of China. However, the exact launch date of these devices in Malaysia has not yet been announced.
Source
Pokdepinion: I’m genuinely looking forward to the foldable as their designs have been promising, even from previous years. I just hope the software has seen significant improvement, in terms of stability and features. Something that can aid with multitasking on a bigger screen will always be welcome.
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Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Minister blames poor internet access on terrain and trees

Tan Sri Annuar Musa, Communications and Multimedia Minister, has reportedly blamed the poor internet coverage experienced by residents of Kampung Seri Kesinai, Padang Besar, Perlis, to be due to the terrain and tall trees in the area.
Terrain and tall trees to blame for poor internet, but solution is incoming
The cause of the internet issues was identified after Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) conducted an investigation when visiting the area on 21st October. The Communications and Multimedia Ministry is expected to perform optimization of the nearby tower as one of the solutions, with completion slated for 8th November.

Mengambil maklum laporan @UMonline mengenai masalah liputan di Kg. Seri Kesinai, Padang Besar, Perlis, @kkmm_gov melalui @MCMC_RASMI telah turun ke kawasan tersebut pada 21 Oktober 2021 & mendapati ia berpunca daripada keadaan bentuk muka bumi & pokok-pokok tinggi. (1/3) https://t.co/e6KutVCRGx
— Annuar Musa (@AnnuarMusa) October 24, 2021

He also went on to mention that the Kampung Baharu tower has already been upgraded to improve the 4G quality and the new tower at Sungai Chuchuh is already operational, improving the service quality for residents in Sungai Chuchuh Unicity and surrounding areas.

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Utusan Malaysia previously reported that the poor connectivity in Kampung Seri Kesinai has forced residents to leave their homes in search of a better signal. PdPR activities and even checking emails can be a challenging task for the residents in the area, due to poor signal reception.
Image Source
Pokdepinion: Hope the residents of Kampung Seri Kesinai will be enjoying better coverage soon!
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Sony Launches New Videogame Publishing Label “Unties”; PC & Nintendo Switch Games Announced

Sony Music Entertainment has announced that they are opening a new game publishing label called Unties. 1st games announced for PC, PS4, & Nintendo Switch.

Sony Launches New Videogame Publishing Label “Unties”

Today Sony Music Entertainment announced with a press release the opening of a new video game publishing label named Unties.

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The label is dedicated to publishing indie games, and the name means to “unleash the unique talent of creators all over the world.” The initiative means to uncover games with original features, born from small-scale teams, and bring them to a wider audience of players, by using Sony Music Entertainment’s business know-how and promotion channels.

Interestingly, the label is not dedicated solely to Sony’s PS4 console, but it’s actually aiming to release its games on multiple platforms, with the initial titles announced for PS4, Nintendo Switch and PC.

The first game revealed under Unties’ umbrella is Tiny Metal by Area 35 for PS4, Switch and PC, releasing in Japan on November 21st.
Yet, that’s not all. Last Standard by I From Japan, Merkava Avalancheby WinterCrownWorks, and Deemo Reborn by Rayark will all be released and promotes by Unties in the coming months. While Deemo Reborn will launch for PS4 and PlayStation VR, the first two have been confirmed only for PC, with other platforms to be determined.

The press release mentions that Unties will continue to devote its resources in discovering new talent and introduce them to new users. If you want to know more about the games coming from the Unties label, check out all the trailers throughout this post.

Pokdepinion: Honestly, I was kind of surprised by this. Not that they aren’t capable but rather, just an unexpected move, especially games coming to Nintendo Switch. Well, let’s see what other titles we can get from the newly formed Unties.
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Step aside Jet Black, Midnight Black OnePlus 3T is here; better late than never?

The limited edition OnePlus 3T Midnight Black may be 9 months late (were they pregnant?), but OnePlus has a good reason for it. The black variant is in fact harder to produce. So hard to produce, that OnePlus has released a video explaining why they couldn’t release the Midnight Black variant together with the other color options of the OnePlus 3 back then.
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Apparently, the first prototypes of the OnePlus 3 were actually in black, and they were understandably awed by the lustrous dark finish. However they found that it was difficult to produce, with one of the reasons being that they wanted to produce a smooth black finish that didn’t collect fingerprints more obsessively than the CSI team. Also, only 400 in 1000 units of the Midnight Black finish gets past quality assurance tests, compared to 600 in 1000 for the Gunmetal variant.
Even though OnePlus’ painstaking quality assurance measures means that the OnePlus 3T Midnight Black will be produced in a lot smaller quantities than the other colors, they will not be charging extra for it. A limited run of 250 units will be made available for $479 on HYPEBEAST at 4pm GMT (12pm Malaysian Time), with more making their way to the OnePlus.net store later.

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What do you think? Will you be getting the OnePlus 3T Midnight Black with the Snapdragon 821, 6GB RAM and 128GB storage in the exclusive Midnight Black, or do you prefer the other color options? Or are you waiting for a Red variant to come around?
Pokdepinion: I have fallen in love. But it could look even better if the OnePlus logo was finished in red, or with red accents around the device. After all, isn’t red where the true OnePlus spirit lies? Oh and if you are interested in the wallpaper featured in the video, you can get it from here.
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NVIDIA Introduces Liquid-Cooled GPUs for More Efficient and Sustainable Computing

The NVIDIA A100 PCIe GPU is the first in a range of GPUs for mainstream servers designed to meet customer demand for high-performance, environmentally friendly data centres.
NVIDIA Liquid-Cooled GPUs Shows Acceleration Improves Efficiency

Equinix, a worldwide service provider that runs over 240 data centres, is committed to being the first in its industry to achieve climate neutrality. Equinix has approved the A100 80GB PCIe Liquid-Cooled GPU for usage in its data centres as part of a strategy to heat capture and sustainable cooling. The GPUs are already sampling and will be widely accessible this summer.

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Zac Smith, Equinix’s head of edge infrastructure, noted that “This marks the first liquid-cooled GPU introduced to our lab, and that’s
exciting for us because our customers are hungry for sustainable ways to
harness AI.”
Data centre operators hope to reduce chillers, which use millions of gallons of water per year to cool the air within data centres. Liquid cooling promises technologies that recycle small volumes of fluids in closed systems targeted in important hot regions. Smith added that they will turn a waste into an asset.
In experimental observations, Equinix and NVIDIA discovered that a liquid-cooled data centre could handle the same workloads as an air-cooled facility while using approximately 30% less energy. According to NVIDIA, the liquid-cooled data centre may achieve a PUE of 1.15, which is significantly lower than the air-cooled counterpart’s 1.6.

At least a dozen system manufacturers want to include these GPUs in their products later this year. ASUS, ASRock Rack, Foxconn Industrial Internet, GIGABYTE, H3C, Inspur, Inventec, Nettrix, QCT, Supermicro, Wiwynn, and xFusion are among them.
Energy-efficiency regulations are being drafted in Asia, Europe, and the United States. This is encouraging banks and other major data centre operators to investigate liquid cooling as well. Furthermore, the technique is not limited to data centres. It is required in automobiles and other systems to cool high-performance equipment placed within tight areas.
Smith added that they want to follow up the A100 PCIe card with a version based on the NVIDIA Hopper-based H100 Tensor Core GPU next year. For the foreseeable future, they intend to offer liquid cooling in our high-performance data centre GPUs and NVIDIA HGX platforms.
Today’s liquid-cooled GPUs give the same performance while using less energy, making them ideal for rapid adoption. In the future, they anticipate that these cards will offer the option of receiving more performance for the same energy, which consumers have shown a desire for.
More information about the new A100 PCIe liquid-cooled GPUs may be found on NVIDIA’s official website.
Pokdepinion: NVIDIA heading to an environmentally friendly future. This move will accelerate the adoption of liquid cooling and soon will be available to everyone.
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Grab rolls out GrabExpress to wider Klang Valley area — fuss-free on-demand door-to-door delivery

Got something you need delivered immediately? GrabExpress can help you with that. It’s like Grab, but for stuff and not people. You can now send documents, parcels and gifts without having to wait a full day for courier services to ship it to your recipient.
The service is offered in Klang Valley for now, promising on-demand door-to-door deliver service. Aside from personal deliveries, Grab plans to support the e-commerce industry with GrabExpress’ quick deliveries. With the ability to ship items and have them arrive the same day, it makes it possible to deliver a lot more items that may not be suitable to be shipped by normal couriers.

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Ordering a GrabExpress deliver is done via the Grab app. That makes it very simple for anyone who has used Grab, because it’s the same familiar and easy-to-use UI. GrabExpress also offers the ability to track your deliveries via a URL that will be sent via SMS to you. In addition to all that, Grab offers insurance coverage of up to RM500 for documents and parcels.
Parcels have to weigh less than 10kg and must not be over 30cm x 45cm x 42cm in size. GrabExpress charges by the distance, with the rate currently at RM1/km for the first 20km and RM2/km for each subsequent one. The minimum fare is RM10 which is a bummer if you just want to troll your neighbor.
Since its introduction last year, GrabExpress has grown exponentially. GrabExpress seen a 10x increase in deliveries since October 2018, with more than 50% being return customers. The number of delivery partners has also been increasing steadily.
We also have a promo code for you guys. Use GRABEXPRESS to get RM5 off your first delivery. This promo code only applies to the first 1000 redemptions though, so try it out quick!
Pokdepinion: Hopefully this will get picked up by more online retailers!
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Corsair announce a new PSU series, the RMx with 80+ Gold rating

Corsair is a well known brand in Malaysia, not only because for their gaming peripherals but also their PC components like casings and power supplies. Corsair has just announced the release of its new RMx Series of 80 Plus Gold certified PC power supplies, continuing Corsair’s legacy of delivering superior power to drive today’s most demanding high performance PCs. Boasting 80 Plus Gold efficiency, silent Zero-RPM fan mode, fully modular cables and premium components throughout.

Available immediately in 550W, 650W, 750W, 850W and 1000W capacities, the Corsair RMx series power supplies are 80 PLUS Gold certified and give you extremely tight voltage control, virtually silent operation, and a fully modular cable set. With all Japanese 105°C capacitors, they’re a great choice for high performance PCs where reliability is essential.

The RMx’s custom 140 mm rifle-bearing cooling fan benefits from Corsair’s Zero-RPM Fan Mode, only turning the fan on when necessary and allowing RMx to deliver its power virtually silently at low and medium load levels. Every PSU in the RMx range is backed by Corsair’s comprehensive 7-year warranty.

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Suggested Retail Prices:
Corsair RMx 550W – $109.99
Corsair RMx 650W – $119.99
Corsair RMx 750W – $129.99
Corsair RMx 850W – $149.99
Corsair RMx 1000W – $179.99

Pokdepinion : Average DIY PC build will most probably stick to a single GPU solution, which the Corsair RM 650x is good enough for, in my opinion. The Corsair RMx 650W is good enough for a system with a single high-end card and if you are considering to use two graphic cards, at least get a 750W or larger PSU.

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[CES 2022] ASUS ROG Flow Z13 is the gaming tablet you didn’t know you wanted

When it comes to gaming PCs, we are usually looking at the same old form factors year in, year out. A clamshell notebook here, a desktop gaming PC there. But once in a while, we get a few interesting takes on the idea. Last year, ROG explored the idea of a 2-in-1 convertible gaming laptop with the ROG Flow X13. This year, we have the ROG Flow Z13, a gaming tablet.
ROG Flow Z13 — what happens when the ROG Mothership hit the gym
Now, you might be inclined to consider the ROG Mothership as the actual first gaming tablet from ROG. Well, you won’t be wrong, but I do think tablets ought to be more portable than a regular gaming laptop. The ROG Mothership packs a strong punch, but it is far from being a mobile machine. Instead, I think it’s closer to a mini desktop AIO PC of sorts, sans the monitor stand. But, when the ROG Mothership loses a third of its weight and two-thirds of its girth, we have the ROG Flow Z13.

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The ROG Flow Z13 tips the scales at just 1.1kg, and measures just 12mm thin, which makes it a really portable machine. You will not mistake it for any other tablet in the market though, with its overtly gamer-centric design. Aside from the aggressive lines on the back, there’s a little window complete with RGB lighting to give you a peek at the inner workings. And ASUS also equipped the ROG Flow Z13 with an anti-fingerprint coating to hide the fingerprints from your long sessions of caressing the sweet CNC-milled 6063 aluminum alloy body.

Over on the front, you have a 16:10 touchscreen panel that’s Pantone Validated and comes with support for Dolby Vision and Adaptive Sync. The 170° kickstand means that you can get optimal viewing angles, no matter where you use the ROG Flow Z13. And of course, with this being a gaming tablet by ROG, you get an Aura Sync-capable detachable keyboard, that can also double as a screen cover when you are on the go.

While it is portable enough for anyone to carry around everyday entire the ROG Flow Z13 is still insanely powerful. It comes with the Intel Core i9-12900H, and packs the GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics. The design of the ROG Flow Z13 sees the hardware components placed behind the display, just like the ROG Mothership. And just like the ROG Mothership, the ROG Flow Z13 benefits from the enhanced airflow for cooling. ASUS also uses a vapor chamber cooling system for more effective cooling of the multiple heat sources, and also uses liquid metal for its CPU, optimizing the thermal transfer.

As with the ROG Flow X13 convertible, the ROG Flow Z13 also supports the XG Mobile ecosystem. This year, ASUS is adding the AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT GPU XG Mobile, which offers an option for gamers to go with AMD graphics, aside from the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 XG Mobile that was released last year along with the ROG Flow X13. I am not exactly sure how well will the trio of graphics drivers play with each other, considering that the ROG Flow Z13 has Intel integrated graphics, built-in NVIDIA discrete graphics and support for AMD external graphics… But hey, that’s probably something ASUS engineers have thought about long before us.
ROG Flow Z13 Specs

Processor
Up to Intel Core i9-12900H

RAM
Up to 16GB LPDDR5-5200

Graphics
Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6, 35W TGP (40W with Dynamic Boost)

Storage
Up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD

Display
13″ 16:10 UHD (3840 x 2400) 60Hz display, Adaptive Sync, 85% DCI-P3, Pantone Validated, Dolby Vision
or
13″ 16:10 FHD (1920 x 1200) 120Hz display, Adaptive Sync, Pantone Validated, Dolby Vision support
1 x USB-C, DisplayPort Alt Mode

Connectivity
WiFi 6E + Bluetooth 5.2
1 x Thunderbolt 4
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 (Type-C), 10Gbps
1 x USB 2.0
1 x microSD card reader
1 x 3.5mm combo audio jack
1 x XG Mobile Interface

Battery
56WHr
100W USB-PD

Dimensions
302.8 x 204.8 x 12 mm

Weight
1.1kg

ROG XG Mobile Specs

2021 ROG XG Mobile (GC31S/GC31R)
2022 ROG XG Mobile (GC32L)

Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU 16GB GDDR6, 150W TGP
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR6, 125W TGP (140W with Dynamic Boost)
AMD Radeon RX 6850M XT, 12GB GDDR6, up to 165W with ROG Boost

Input
ROG XG Mobile interface + USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C
ROG XG Mobile interface + USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C

Connectivity
Gigabit LAN
4 x USB 3.0
1 x HDMI 2.0a
1 x DisplayPort 1.4
1 x SD card reader
2.5G LAN
4 x USB 3.0
1 x HDMI 2.1
1 x DisplayPort 1.4
1 x SD card reader

Power supply
Integrated 280W power adapter
Integrated 330W power adapter

Dimensions
208 x 155 x 29.6 mm
217 x 165 x 32.6 mm

Weight
1kg
1.2kg

This new AMD version of the ROG XG Mobile is actually slightly different from last year’s model, with support for faster 2.5GbE LAN, as well as the more power hungry Radeon RX 6850 XT that can draw up to 165W. To support this, the power supply has also been upgraded to a 330W one, and the overall dimensions and weight has also increased slightly. The ROG XG Mobile interface is still kept the same, so owners of the older ROG Flow X13 can easily switch to this year’s ROG XG Mobile.
Updated ROG Flow X13 with Ryzen 6000 and GeForce RTX 30 series graphics!

Along with the ROG Flow Z13, ASUS also announced the updated ROG Flow X13, now featuring an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS and a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti Laptop GPU. This is a pretty huge upgrade from last year’s AMD Ryzen 9 5980HS and GeForce GTX 1650! With the upgraded CPU, you also get support for faster PCIe 4.0 storage and LPDDR5-6400 memory, which should improve the overall user experience as well.
Pokdepinion: I think the ROG Flow Z13 is a great device, but I believe that an OLED display might have befitted its intentions as a premium ultraportable tablet better…
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Some Netflix Users May Soon Be Paying More – Could Be Bad News for Premium Subscribers

Netflix is planning to do some testing which may affect some users in terms of usage and price. If it happens, Premium subscribers might not be happy.
Some Netflix Users May Soon Be Paying More
Picture credits: Tutto Android
For those of you who use Netflix on more than 2 devices regularly, you might have to fork out more cash for the bill in the future. Netflix is currently testing a new tier which is positioned higher than their current highest tier (Premium) called the Ultra tier.
What this Ultra tier offers is streaming Ultra HD video and audio streaming simultaneously up to 4 devices. These devices can be smartphones, laptops, tablets, and TVs. Does this sound familiar to you? If it does, then you’re probably thinking that it sounds very similar to the Premium tier.

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And you would be right. So what happens to the Premium tier if Ultra tier offers that? Well, simply put, it will limit the number of devices to 2. While the Ultra tier could always offer more than just what the Premium tier is already offering, this is the only information that seems to be available on it at the time of this writing.
The folks over at CNET managed to get some words from Netflix spokeswoman, Smita Saran, who said:
We continuously test new things at Netflix and these tests typically vary in length of time. In this case, we are testing slightly different price points and features to better understand how consumers value Netflix.
It is also noted that not all Netflix subscribers will see the test and the company may not even necessarily offer the specific price points or features that is being tested.

At the moment, there are 3 subscription plans available; Basic, Standard, and Premium. In the United States, those 3 plans are priced at USD $7.99, USD $10.99, and USD $13.99 respectively, whereas for Malaysia, it is priced at RM33, RM 42, and RM51 respectively. There is word going around that this new Ultra tier may have a USD $20 price tag, and Malaysians can expect the price of it to be RM70-80 here. However, that price has not been confirmed and should be taken with a grain of salt.
There is a possibility that changes will be made to every single plan should they choose to actually include the Ultra tier for real, especially on the number of devices that you can stream on with a single account. For now, we will just have to wait and see.
Source: CNET / Tutto Android
Pokdepinion: Even if it is true, the Netflix Ultra tier is still pretty affordable for what it offers. I personally don’t mind if it is true but I don’t expect people to feel the same way, and I can sympathize with that.
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HTC reports operating loss of RM 514m in Q4 2015

HTC’s financials are still pretty shaky as they just reported their revenue and net income for Q4 2015:

Quarterly revenue of NT$25.7 billion (RM 3.2 billion) with gross margin of 13.9%
Quarterly operating loss of NT$4.1 billion (RM 514 million) with operating margin of -16.1%
Quarterly net loss after tax: NT$3.4 billion (RM427 million), or -NT$4.1 per share

HTC claims to have experienced good momentum for its Desire line of smartphones in Q4, especially over the holiday season, while the premium Android HTC One A9 launched in October was well received across Asia, the US and Europe. At the same time, HTC continued in its on-going program of realignment to ensure dedicated resources are in place for all business segments.

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HTC has put efforts into forming collaborations with Under Armor to release fitness-oriented gadgets as well as dabbled in VR technology with the HTC Vive. While the HTC Vive is a great innovation coming from the Taiwanese tech company, it may very well be a non-profitable investment. Even HTC’s bread and butter, their premium flagship smartphones, aren’t selling that well nowadays, with the HTC One M9 falling short of the company’s sales expectations.
Their salvation may very well come in the form of the HTC Nexus that was rumored, which might help the company regain favor from true Android purists who prefer the raw Android UI. After all, HTC’s voyage with Android began with the Nexus One, so hopefully this year’s HTC Nexus will help HTC regain the wind in its sails to embark on further adventures, as HTC may not be able to stay afloat if it keeps bleeding out like this.

Pokdepinion: Let’s hope that HTC is able to turn a profit this year as I am a fan of HTC smartphones myself, and seeing them go will be very sad. Whatever they will be bringing in at MWC 2016 better be impressive to woo their fanbase once again.
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HDMI 2.1 is still a huge mess and it is probably going to stay that way

HDMI 2.1 is pretty exciting, making its way onto the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series and AMD Radeon RX 6000 series graphics. However what’s less exciting is how confusing the standard can be, despite it being more than a year after HDMI 2.1 is widely available. A “HDMI 2.1” monitor may not support any of the new HDMI 2.1 features at all, and yet still be able to bear the HDMI 2.1 branding.
New HDMI 2.1 features are optional, HDMI 2.0 no longer exists
So, there’s a whole list of new features that you can get with HDMI 2.1, but OEMs can still use the HDMI 2.1 branding without any of them. This issue was noticed by TFTCentral on a new 24.5″ Xiaomi gaming monitor that runs at 240Hz at 1080p. The display lists two HDMI 2.1 ports, but with an asterisk. Further down the page, Xiaomi mentions that the HDMI ports only support Transition Minimized Differential Signaling (TMDS), instead of the newer Fixed Rate Link (FRL) technology.
TFTCentral then reached out to HDMI.org and the answer they got is pretty interesting:

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HDMI 2.0 no longer exists, and devices should not claim compliance to v2.0 as it is not referenced any more
The features of HDMI 2.0 are now a sub-set of 2.1
All the new capabilities and features associated with HDMI 2.1 are optional
If a device claims compliance to 2.1 then they need to also state which features the device supports so there is “no confusion”

What this essentially means is that any device that supports HDMI 2.0 can now change its labeling to mention HDMI 2.1 support, despite no support for any of the new features. Going back to the case of the Xiaomi monitor, having support for just TMDS is not really a major issue for it, as it does have support for 1080p 240Hz over HDMI, but it will be more of a problem if you are considering high refresh rate 4K gaming monitors.

4K 120Hz is possible on HDMI 2.0, but you will be limited to 8-bit color and 4:2:0 chroma subsampling. If you want 10-bit color, you will need HDMI 2.1 for that. And apparently according to HDMI.org, OEMs can slap the HDMI 2.1 logo on their packaging and website, but they just have to mention it. That will probably end up in the fineprint of the product page, which is going to make for a lot of angry users. And we are just talking about resolution and color, what about the other features like HDMI-VRR?
Pokdepinion: Oh well, I guess you will have to really read up on the fineprint if you are getting a new HDMI 2.1 display to be really sure that there is actual support for the new HDMI 2.1 features…
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AMD Ryzen 9 7950X Overclocked to 7.2GHz Single-Core, 6.5GHz All-Core with LN2

AMD’s upcoming Zen 4 processors has garnered a fair bit of hype thanks to its massively increased core clocks over the previous generation, and with that comes the world records in the Extreme Overclocking scene, just days before the official launch.

The CPU-Z entry was spotted courtesy of user TUM_APISAK, with clockspeeds already exceeding the previous record holder among Ryzen processors, the previous-generation Ryzen 9 5950X which overclocked to 6350.79MHz. Here, the Ryzen 9 7950X holds both a single-core record at a staggering 7247.49MHz, as well as all-core results clocking at 6500.54MHz.

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It is presumed that such results are achieved through LN2 (Liquid Nitrogen) cooling, with one demonstration on AMD’s recent Tech Day event (clocked at 6.44GHz):

AMDのTech DayでデモられていたRyzen 9 7950Xの極冷OCの様子 pic.twitter.com/kpZjaGry39
— Katsuaki Kato (KTU) (@kato_kats) September 22, 2022

 pic.twitter.com/SOdU1qfFP5
— Katsuaki Kato (KTU) (@kato_kats) September 22, 2022

AMD’s Ryzen 7000 series processors are set to launch on September 27th with reviews expected to go live one day prior.
Source
Pokdepinion: 6.5GHz on all 16 cores honestly sounds insane even on extreme overclocking standards… but I would expect the numbers go even higher as more retail chips gets released over time with improved silicon quality or just outright better silicon lottery.
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Apex Legends To Release Physical Game Copies — Includes Exclusive Legendary Skins

EA has announced that there will be two physical editions of Apex Legends, where one is themed around Bloodhound while the other after Lifeline. Both of them come with exclusive content for you to show off online.

First up is the Apex Legends Bloodhound Edition, where it includes The Intimidator, a legendary skin that’s themed after the devil. Aside from that, there’s also a special banner for Bloodhound called Feeling Impish, legendary Wrath Bringer skin for the Prowler, and the Tormentor badge.

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If red is not your color, well there the Apex Legends Lifeline Edition. While Bloodhound takes in the form of the devil, in this edition, Lifeline resembles an angel. Her legendary skin is called Guardian Angel. On top of that, there’s also a legendary Chooser of the Slain skin for the Flatline assault rifle, a Lifeline Winged Guardian banner and finally an Angel Struck badge included in the copy.
Both copies also comes with 1000 Apex Coins, which you can use to buy items or even new Legends. As for the price, they are priced at $20 (~RM83) and it is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. They are scheduled for a release on October 18 2019.
Pokdepinion: Nice looking skins.. but I still prefer The Intimidator.
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Everyone gets a new phone with the new Digi Family Plan!

Digi’s current Family Plan is already pretty impressive, giving you the same benefits on supplementary lines and the mainline. For only an additional RM38/month, the sub lines enjoy the same amount of data, calls and SMS as the main line.
Upgrading to the latest flagships like the HUAWEI P30 Pro can be quite a costly exercise
In addition to being able to enjoy more content and game without worries, you can also get to do all that on a new device with the new Digi Family Plan. Yep, Digi is giving you an opportunity to sign up for PhoneFreedom 365 even on the supplementary lines, whereas back then you could only do so on the primary line.
You can get up to three supplementary lines for your family, each of which are entitled to get smartphones from as low as RM73/month. The latest smartphones from Apple, HUAWEI, Samsung and more can be quite costly, so let PhoneFreedom 365 lessen the burden on your wallet.

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Interested? Make sure to head over to Digi.com.my to find out more!
Find out more about the new Digi Family Plan!
Pokdepinion: What’s not to love about an easier way to get the latest smartphones?
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[UPDATE] Antutu Benchmark removed from the Play Store

Antutu Benchmark is one of our main benchmark tools and we have been using it for the longest time. However the whole Antutu suite of benchmarks has just been removed from the Google Play Store all of a sudden. The apps removed include:

Antutu Benchmark
Antutu 3DBench
AItutu

One of the reasons for removal is probably because Antutu is likely owned by Cheetah Mobile, a company notorious for violating Google’s policies with disruptive ads and in-app purchases. Cheetah Mobile’s suite of apps has already been banned from the Google Play Store since last month, with the company shrugging it off by serving up their APKs instead of a Play Store link.
Interestingly, that’s also exactly what Antutu is currently doing, as you can now only get their apps from their official website as an APK instead of via Play Store. While it’s nice that Cheetah Mobile got banned for what they are doing, Antutu doesn’t seem to exhibit the same kind of disruptive behaviors, so it might have been a false positive, or Google is just tired of dealing with Cheetah Mobile and their antics so a blanket ban was Google’s approach to deal with it.

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Regardless, we will still be featuring Antutu Benchmark in our reviews moving forward unless we see stuff that discourage us from continued use of the benchmark tool, i.e. ads, in-app purchases or requests for unnecessary permissions.
UPDATE 9/3/2020: Antutu is not owned by Cheetah Mobile
In a statement to GizChina regarding their removal from the Play Store, the Global Marketing Manager of Antutu, Amelie Liu clarified that they are not a part of Cheetah Mobile. Cheetah Mobile has invested in Antutu since 2014, but they still operate independently without promoting Cheetah Mobile’s suite of apps, nor has Cheetah Mobile used Antutu’s Google Play account.
Antutu believes that Google banned Antutu because of their use of Cheetah Mobile’s legal services, thus resulting in their privacy policy linking to cmcm.com. Antutu is actually working on replacing their legal supplier, according to the statement. Here’s the full statement given to GizChina:
We noticed an article on your website published on March 8th about our Benchmark apps being removed from the Play store. We appreciate your attention to the matter and we would like to make some clarifications and explainations regarding the issue.
The team had received a notification email from Google on March 7th informing us that Antutu was one of the related publisher accounts of Cheetah Mobile, all Antutu apps were removed from the Play Store. But in fact, we think there is some misunderstanding about it. Antutu is NOT the related account of Cheetah Mobile!!
Antutu was founded in 2011, even before Cheetah Mobile, and is one of the earliest Google Play developers. Cheetah Mobile invested in us in around 2014 and became one of our shareholders since then. However, we still retain a considerable account of shares and Independent operation of the company as well as our own independent Google Play account. Cheetah Mobile has never touched our Google Play account, and AnTuTu has not done any promotion of Cheetah Mobile’s software.
We believe that the reason for Google’s misjudgment is that we purchased and used the legal services from Cheetah Mobile, so our privacy policy link used the address of cmcm.com. This is what we are working on, including changing legal supplier.
We hope that Google can examine Antutu’s account carefully and finally resolve this misunderstanding as soon as possible.
So there you have it, Antutu is not directly related to Cheetah Mobile. Now that the ball is in Google’s court, let’s see how quickly will they list Antutu on the Play Store again, or maybe they might have a statement explaining the reason behind the removal of Antutu’s app from the Play Store?
Pokdepinion: Well, that just made our jobs that much harder. Thanks, Google.
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OPPO A74 Review — Getting The Essentials Plus A Bit More

It’s been quite awhile since we’ve tested out OPPO smartphones. This time around, we’ll be taking a look at their midrange device in this OPPO A74 review. What exactly does it have to offer? Read on to find out.
Unboxing the OPPO A74
OPPO A74 Review – Unboxing
Inside the box, you can expect to find the following items to be included with the device:

OPPO A74
Earphone
USB-C cable
Charging brick
SIM ejector
TPU case
Documentation

Appearance
OPPO A74 Review – Front
The OPPO A74 sports a 6.43-inch AMOLED display. Here, we can see that the side bezels are not too thick but as for the bottom, there is a little bit of chin situation going on here.

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On the right hand side, you’ll only find the power button residing in solitude. As for the opposite left side, there’s the SIM tray accompanied by the volume rockers.
OPPO A74 Review – Bottom
As for the bottom here, you’ll find the 3.5mm headphone jack, microphone, USB Type-C port, and the speaker grille. The top however is completely empty.
OPPO A74 Review – Back
Turning over to the back, the smartphone comes with a glossy finish and as you can see here, we’ve got our hands on the Midnight Blue variant of the device. On the bottom right, there’s the usual OPPO branding and the top left is where you’ll find the triple camera setup.
OPPO A74 Specifications

CPU
Snapdragon 662 Octa-core (4 x 2.0GHz Kryo 260 Gold & 4 x 1.8GHz Kryo 260 Silver), 11nm

GPU
Adreno 610

Memory
6GB LPDDR4X

Storage
128GB (expandable via microSD)

Display
6.43-inch AMOLED (1080×2400), 60Hz

Rear Camera
48MP f/1.7, PDAF
2MP f/2.4 macro
2MP f/2.4 depth sensor
Night Mode, AI, HDR, portrait mode, Beautify, Pro Mode, up to 1080p30 video

Selfie camera
16MP f/2.4
Portrait mode, HDR, AI, up to 1080p30 video

Connectivity
LTE Band 1/3/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41
Dual SIM
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4GHz & 5GHz)
Bluetooth 5.0
USB Type-C

Battery
5000mAh
33W SuperVOOC 2.0 fast charging

Dimensions
160.3 x 73.8 x 7.95mm

Weight
175g

Ingress protection
N/A

Performance
As you might’ve noticed from our recent smartphone reviews, we won’t be including our usual PCMark Work and Battery benchmarks due to the platform releasing a new version. It wouldn’t be unfair to compare the A74 to older devices through it. So let’s get on with the performance test.
OPPO A74 Review – Antutu V8
We can see that the OPPO A74 uses the same chip that the previous A73 used, the Snapdragon 662. While it does score higher, it’s not by much. Comparing with higher-end chips, we can see that the difference is substantial.
OPPO A74 Review – Geekbench 5
Again, we don’t see a solid performance, in Geekbench 5. That being said, it is to be expected with such a chipset powering it.
OPPO A74 Review – 3DMark
The trend repeats over in 3DMark, showcasing the graphical performance of the smartphone. We can see from the synthetic tests that the Snapdragon 662 isn’t really an eye-catcher.
When it comes to battery performance, it was pretty impressive however. For my personal usage, the phone lasted me a 2 full days before I needed to juice it up again. Of course, this depends on usage, but it is certainly helped by the fact that it’s not running on a high refresh rate display.
User Experience
OPPO A74 Review – User Experience
When it comes to the feel of the device itself, I pretty much like it. It’s lightweight on the hands and it’s quite thin. If there is something that I don’t like about the design, it is the back as it’s glossy. Sure, it looks pretty on the eyes, but as you’d expect from such design, fingerprint stains are easily gathered there. You can counter this by using a phone case, which they’ve provided one inside the box. We’d recommend using at least that instead of having it fully naked.
I do have to commend the display on the device. It feels like a solid experience when it comes to watching videos, thanks to the AMOLED panel. Colours are vibrant and you get dark blacks, which is usually the case with AMOLED screens. As for audio, the single speaker is loud enough. It would’ve been nice however if they had offered a dual speakers for a more immersive experience.
OPPO A74 Review – UI
The OPPO A74 runs on ColorOS 11 based on Android 11. If you’re familiar with the skin, there’s not much difference. Though I’m fine with the skin, I find the smartphone to be rather sluggish, especially when I open multiple apps in the background. This is likely to be caused by the Snapdragon 662 chip as it isn’t the most powerful SoC around. While I enjoyed the AMOLED display, I felt that the phone would benefit from 90Hz refresh rate at least for a smoother user experience.
OPPO A74 Review – Camera UI
As for the camera UI, it’s pretty straightforward. If I had to change anything, I’d prefer the ability to customize the modes that’s available on the front. Let’s say that you’re a big fan of the macro mode, it’d be easier if it was directly in front of you instead of having to select “More” every single time.

I’d commend the camera of the device when taken in good lighting. The 48MP mode also produces rather decent shots. On the other hand, I was a bit let down by the macro camera. When taking shots with it, shots would usually be overexposed and it just ruins it for me. If you’re not a big fan of the mode as I am, I guess you’d be fine.
The front camera is good enough for selfies with details being captured decently. You can also use the Portrait mode to get a little bit of bokeh effect for that cool background blur that everyone seems to like. As for the Night mode, I’d say it’s good enough. When it’s turned on, you can see the sky clearer but there is a little bit of noise as you would normally expect.
You can check out the full-sized images right here.
OPPO A74 Verdict
OPPO A74 Review – Verdict
Overall, the OPPO A74 is a decent enough device thanks to its battery performance and lovely AMOLED display for your daily usage. It is however hampered by their choice of using a Snapdragon 662. That being said, the device is still considered an entry-level offering from the brand.
If you don’t mind the some of the cons that were mentioned earlier and you fancy the design, there’s nothing wrong if you decide to go for it, especially at the price of RM899. I just wish it had a better chipset..
We would like to thank OPPO Malaysia for providing us the OPPO A74 that was used in this review.
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HUAWEI Y9s To Arrive In Malaysia On 29 November At RM999

HUAWEI Malaysia will be bringing in their new HUAWEI Y9s to the country on the 29th of November 2019, where the phone comes with some big combo features.

Boasting a 6.59″ Ultra FullView display with FHD+ resolution, the HUAWEI Y9s is powered by a Kirin 710F chipset.
Storage wise, it offers 6GB RAM that’s coupled with 128GB of internal storage. Under the hood is a 4000mAh battery, which you can charge with its 10W charger.

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Coming in with two color variants, Midnight Black and Breathing Crystal, the HUAWEI Y9s comes with a 16MP pop up selfie camera. At the back, there’s the triple camera setup that consists of a 48MP primary lens, 8MP ultra wide shooter, and 2MP depth sensor.
You can get the HUAWEI Y9s for the price of RM999 and to celebrate the launch of the device, HUAWEI is also giving away a free HUAWEI Band 4 that’s worth RM139 (while stocks last).
Pokdepinion: Hmm, if only they could’ve reduced the price a bit.. Still, there’s that free HUAWEI Band 4 offer though..
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GTA Online Los Santos Tuners Is Out Now With New Cars, Robberies And Music

Rockstar has just announced that the new GTA Online Los Santos Tuners update is live now with brand new content including new cars, contracts, activities and music from CircoLoco Records.
GTA Online Los Santos Tuners out now

Los Santos Tuners has released a new update for GTA Online fans that includes the LS Car Meet, a brand new club and social space run by Mimi for players to get together and show off their customised personal vehicles, test new cars with friends on a private track, watch others mod their cars in real-time, and other player-requested features.

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The GTA Online Los Santos Tuners update also adds ten new highly customisable cars in a variety of tuner-inspired styles, a new Auto Shop property, six epic new robbery-style Contracts, new races, a slew of new quality of life improvements, and much more.

Players will also get access to the Test Track, where you can test the limits of your own automobile or one of the three test cars available. With the debut of Los Santos Tuners, you can try out the Karin Calico GTF, Annis Euros, and a hands-on preview of the Pfister Comet S2, which will be available next week at Legendary Motorsport.
Members also have access to six new types of Races, a shared Mod Shop where you may customise your vehicles while watching others do so, the Merch Shop, and the Prize Ride, which is your opportunity to win the vehicle sitting atop the Vapid Slamtruck through weekly Challenges.

Contracts in the GTA Online Los Santos Tuners update can be run via your own Auto Shop. The contracts are playable solo or with a team of up to three other players. Your Auto Shop also includes a showroom-quality 10-car garage, a modification bay for your personal vehicles and friends, Exotic Exports — a daily list for extracurricular work recovering vehicles throughout the city — and optional upgrades such as drivers to assist with vehicle deliveries, a car lift to increase capacity for your modification business, living quarters, and more.
The new update also brings about new music which can be hunted down through a series of collectable media sticks containing new music. Some of these media sticks contain epic summertime mixes of classic cuts and exclusives and Monday Dreamin’ EP’s from CircoLoco Records.

If you collect all four Monday Dreamin’ media sticks, you’ll be able to access a special continuous DJ mix version of the complete Monday Dreamin’ compilation, which includes new interpretations of all 20 tunes made specifically for Los Santos Tuners. The CircoLoco Tee can be obtained by collecting all four CircoLoco media sticks.
GTA Online Los Santos Tuners also includes a drop of 10 new highly modifiable vehicles, both domestic and imported, in a range of classes:

Obey Tailgater S
Annis Euros
Dinka RT3000
Annis ZR350
Vulcar Warrener HKR
Karin Calico GTF
Annis Remus
Dinka Jester RR
Karin Futo GTX
Vapid Dominator GTT

Other content included in the new update includes clothing in collaboration with streetwear label Born x Raised, LS Car Meet Up Rewards, LS Car Meet Up Membership Rewards and many more. The launch of GTA V on the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S will also see faster top speeds for certain vehicles. These modifications can be made within the LS Car Meet.
For more information on the new GTA Online Los Santos Tuners update, you can head over here.
Pokdepinion: Just in time. I just started playing GTA Online again the other day so now I can give this new update a try.
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Rock Band Creator Harmonix Acquired by Epic Games for Fortnite Music and More

Another major acquisition has happened in the games industry as Epic Games has acquired Harmonix, the creators of Rock Band and Fuser. Here’s what you need to know.
Epic Games Acquires Harmonix

Turn your speakers UP! @Harmonix, the makers of interactive music experiences including @RockBand, are joining the Epic Games family! Together we will explore new ways for people to enjoy music across the digital world. 🎸🥁🔊 https://t.co/YLFBtYFKKn
— Epic Games Newsroom (@EpicNewsroom) November 23, 2021

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Epic Games has announced their acquisition of Harmonix, the same company behind Rock Band and Fuser. This isn’t the first time such things as happening as they have also acquired the likes of Psyonix and Mediatonic, the companies behind Rocket League and Fall Guys respectively.
According to their news release, Harmonix will be helping Epic Games in creating “musical journeys and gameplay” for Fortnite, though no specifics were mentioned. Given the company’s expertise in rhythm-based games, they will definitely play a big role in improving audio aspects for any game, and they will definitely help with the game’s virtual concerts.
Apart from that, it was also mentioned that they will be assisting in the development of Epic’s own metaverse, citing their musical gaming experience which gives us some idea as to how they will be working together moving forward.
For those of you who are worried about games under the company, they will still continue to support their own creations, and it will be getting more updates / DLC for the foreseeable future. Their games will still be on Steam and consoles as well, so nothing will be removed from anywhere.
Source
Pokdepinion: This may not seem big at first glance but I’m very sure they have big plans in mind. I can’t wait to see what they end up making as I’m prepared to get my mind completely blown away.
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International Olympic Committee: Olympic eSports Discussion Was “Premature”

Earlier this year, we reported of a discussion happening with the International Olympic Committee about integrating eSports in the Olympic Games. Naturally, the support for such a move grew bigger and more passionate as time passed by. Unfortunately, including it in the Olympic Games isn’t as simple as many have thought as there were a number of roadblock which prevented it from happening.
Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach was hesitant to include them due to the “violence and discrimination” that games could include, and now the International Olympic Committee is calling the discussions “premature” altogether.

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That new statement came out of the Olympic Summit that took place in Lausanne, Switzerland over the weekend. While they recognized that just as much practice and effort is required in some eSports as in other sports already featured in the Olympics, that train of thought “cannot necessarily be said to apply to leisure electronic gaming.”
Because of that, the International Olympic Committee is encouraging further dialogue on whether eSports can actually be considered a sport, but is not yet ready to put that n the Olympics just yet.
That wasn’t the only issue. One highlights the fact that some games “are not compatible with the Olympic values” likely referencing Thomas Bach’s recent comment. They also say that the industry is evolving rapidly “towards augmented reality and virtual reality” which could cause issues.
Finally, they called the games industry “fragmented in nature, with tough competition between commercial operators. With gaming being a commercially-driven industry, it may go against the “values-based” sports featured in the Olympics.
Simply put, the inclusion of eSports may still be a bit far off but all hope isn’t lost yet. With the committee encouraging discussions, there is clearly room for consideration, just that people need to be more educated about it. Let’s hope for the best, shall we?
Source: GamesIndustry
Pokdepinion: The whole thing about gaming being commercially-driven and other sports being “values-based” is a bit strange. Aren’t most of the sports in the Olympics commercialized to begin with?
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Dragon Quest XI Review: The Best JRPG for Enthusiasts Today

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Review
What is Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age About?

Where there is light, there is certainly darkness. Such is the belief in the world of Erdrea, a land that was once enveloped by darkness thanks to the Lord of Shadows. Soon after, a man imbued with the power of light came to put a stop to it and thus began the Age of Eternal Peace and thus, the tale of The Luminary was born.

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Sometime later, the Prince of Dundrasil was born bearing the mark of the Luminary, signifying that the Age of Eternal Peace was about to end. Not long after, the Kingdom of Dundrasil was destroyed by evil monsters courtesy of the Lord of Shadows. In order to save the world, the royal family of Dundrasil sacrificed themselves to ensure the Prince’s survival, which led to him being found by a kind old man named Chalky in the village of Cobblestone.

During his coming of age ceremony, the Prince discovers that he is The Luminary reborn and that his goal is to restore the Age of Eternal Peace by vanquishing the Lord of Shadows. Discovering some truths about his real identity, he sets out on a journey to take down the forces of evil once and for all. Little did he know however, The Lord of Shadows is more than prepared to face his fated nemesis.
Can Be Daunting for Newcomers

At its core, Dragon Quest XI is a Japanese RPG. This means you’ll be going from place to place, accomplishing a number of main objectives and side quests, and continuously go into combat to strengthen your characters. The game still retains its signature Akira Toriyama-style aesthetics, so if you think that the visuals and characters seem familiar, that’s because it’s made in the same style as the Dragon Ball anime.

For most parts, you’ll be travelling the world and fulfilling the main quest to further the storyline. This is actually simple enough as the game will give you plenty of pointers as to what exactly to do. Worst case scenario, players can just look at the pink balloon on the map which could either be where you need to go, or just another person telling you exactly what you need to do.
This may sound simple but at times, the game will force you to think for yourself as to what you should do next. In this sense, Dragon Quest XI is a thinking man’s game and gives it a more open-ended feel. The side quests on the other hand, which is denoted by a purple balloon, are usually more straightforward albeit troublesome at times. It’s usually just fetch quests and subduing monsters which can feel a little dry but the rewards are usually worth it.

Early in the game when you gain your first companion, you will be introduced with the new Forging system. Whenever you camp, you will have the option to use the forge to create new equipment. However, you will need recipes and ingredients which can be found all over Erdrea in books and by finishing certain quests. This is a great alternative to simply purchasing new equipment with money.
The reason for this is because forging your own equipment can yield a number of benefits. You can get better equipment at an earlier point in the game, and you can also get a better version of the equipment compared to simply buying it. This will depend on the forging mini-game, where your success will yield you equipment with up to a “+3” bonus.

Forging in itself is a simple task as you simply need to bash it until it reaches the green bar in the meter. If you’re lucky, a critical hit will land you on the sweet spot, ensuring maximum success. Going over the green bar will lead to failure, but it will at least yield the normal version of the equipment. Along the way, you will grow and learn new techniques that will make forging rare equipment even easier.
Best to Use the Classic Combat System

Dragon Quest XI utilizes a classic turn-based combat system where your party and the enemies will take turns to execute actions. This could be anything from direct attacks, using unique abilities, casting magic, using items, and defending. At random times, your party members will glow blue and enter into a state known as “Pepped Up”. This will cause the character to have improved parameters and access to special “Pep Power” abilities, which can be used together with other party members.

Generally, the combat system is straightforward and easy to comprehend, so most players should not have a hard time with it. At default however, the game will use a free roam-style combat where you are able to move around freely in combat, but will still need to take turns to execute action. You can switch to the classic-style combat which will only have you dictate the actions, which I believe is where the true essence of the game lies.

As usual, you will gain experience points after each battle which can then result in your characters levelling up. Not only do your characters become stronger with every level, you also gain Skill Points which can be used further strengthen your characters the way you like via the Skill Tree. The Skill Tree will have a number of panels consisting of parameter upgrades as well as new skills, each with their own Skill Point requirements. This is a more interactive way of powering up your characters.
Dragon Quest XI Verdict

Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age is a great RPG will with a ton of content to enjoy. I personally took over 100 hours to complete it, and it was worth every minute. However, it is not a perfect game by any means. The game can feel rather slow and repetitive at times. Not to mention, players who aren’t familiar with Dragon Quest may feel lost at certain points in the game.
However, if you’re willing to look past that, you will be experiencing a game filled with colourful characters, an enthralling storyline, and an RPG that faithfully reproduces the feel of the old games with today’s technological advancements. As Dragon Quest XI allows you to play with special quirks such as higher difficulty and no shopping, it easily adds replay value to the game.
It’s worth noting that upon reaching the first ending, you will be hit with the sudden realization that the game has not ended yet, and there is still about 20-30 hours worth of content to go through. I will not say what it is exactly because it would spoil your experience, but believe me when I say it’s worth it. With that being said, I award Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age with our coveted Gold Pokdeward!

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[Computex 2019] ASUS introduces the ROG Strix XG17 – World’s first Portable Gaming Monitor

Ever wanted to extend your smartphone display to a larger screen so you could enjoy Netflix better?
Naah. That’s not powerful enough.
Have you ever had the desire to output your smartphone gaming to a larger screen so you can pwn your enemies better?

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Cmon, we can do better here.
Ever wanted an accompanying external display for your gaming laptop that extended your laptop display for a better experience?
Well, all above applies right here to the product that ASUS has just announced. The ROG Strix XG17 is an ultra-portable gaming display that unlocks so many possibilities in so many ways. It is a 17.3-inches IPS FullHD display with 3ms response time. That’s not even the best part, as we mentioned gaming display here.

This bad boy has adaptive-sync technology that allows it to churn out frames up to a whopping 240Hz. You heard that right! This monitor is so portable, yet packs so much punch, ready for pretty much any display extension that you desire anywhere.

Under the hood is a 3-hours battery life based on 240Hz which means if you are not fully utilizing the 240Hz, you can actually save even more of the battery’s juice. You can connect pretty much and of your portable peripherals that has USB Type-C or HDMI capabilities. I mentioned portable devices because, well, its a portable monitor. If you just need another extra display for your PC, by all means.

It comes with a smart case that allows the XG17 to stand in portrait and landscape orientation, depending on your personal choice.
Pokdepinion: I mean, I personally don’t even have a laptop that would be able to push 240 frames out which makes this display 10 steps ahead of time for me.
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Get RM300 Samsung e-Voucher When You Register for Galaxy Unpacked

Are you gearing up to get a brand new smartphone? Or perhaps you may need a replacement soon? If you register for the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked in August 2021, you can get yourself an RM300 Samsung e-voucher.
RM300 Samsung e-Voucher for Galaxy Unpacked Registration

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We have officially received an invite for the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event, which we previously reported on expectations of seeing at least the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. The digital event is set for 11th August 2021 at 10PM Malaysia time (GMT+8).
For those of you who are interested, you can watch it on the official Samsung Malaysia website, YouTube channel, and Facebook page. If you register your interest from now until 11th August 2021, you will be eligible to receive an RM300 Samsung e-voucher after you “pre-order the next Galaxy”.
To my understanding, The e-voucher will only be sent if you pre-order the new smartphone unveiled at the event, and it’s not something everyone will receive. This is still useful if you plan on getting some extras like new Galaxy Buds or a protective case. For those interested to trade-in old devices, a separate program is expected to be revealed at a later time.
We will report more on the Galaxy Unpacked event as it happens so stay tuned.
If you’re interested to register, click right here.
Source
Pokdepinion: Personally, I’ll probably wait for the trade-up program and consider my choices there. If you’re willing to buy it immediately, you might as well register since RM300 is still quite a bit of a discount and there are a bunch of extras you might want to get, like a protective case perhaps.
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Trump gives TikTok and WeChat 45 days to find a US buyer

Trump’s zero tolerance approach against Chinese-based companies has come to a head. He has just signed an executive order on TikTok and WeChat, giving them just 45 days to find a US buyer or cease operating in the United States if they are unable to do so in the given time.
Previously we saw Trump threatening to ban the popular video-sharing app TikTok in the US, but apparently WeChat was in his sights too. Microsoft has already publicly announced that they are discussing with ByteDance to acquire TikTok’s brand in several regions including the US and Australia, but WeChat might have to scramble to find a buyer.
If either Tencent or ByteDance fails to find a buyer for their apps, then the apps will no longer be allowed to operate in the US, or perform any transactions with any US companies, which essentially seals their fate. Of course, they might approach a non-US company, which should also get around Trump’s ban on all things from China.

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In his executive order, he cited India on how Tiktok was “stealing and surreptitiously transmitting user data in an unauthorized manner” to servers outside India. Part of the deal being discussed between Microsoft and ByteDance is to fully migrate all the data belonging to US users back to US-based servers, and deleting them from the Chinese servers.

Despite TikTok’s persistent denial of sharing any data with the Chinese government, they are owned by ByteDance, which is a China-based company. Regardless, it appears that WeChat and TikTok in the US and possibly several other regions will be handed over to US companies, although ByteDance will presumably continue hosting the servers for TikTok in other regions like South East Asia.
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Pokdepinion: I wonder if Microsoft will acquire WeChat in one go. That would make their social media game much stronger.
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