Canon gets sued for printers that do not scan when low on ink

Canon is apparently in hot water for their all-in-one printers. While neither scanning nor faxing require ink, those features somehow get disabled “to protect” the printers when you are out of ink on some Canon all-in-one printers. And since it doesn’t make any sense, a David Leacraft is filing a class-action complaint against Canon for disabling these features when the printers are low on ink.
The lawsuit calls for Canon to to stop “misleading advertising” and to properly inform consumers of their previous use of misleading advertising. Aside from false advertising, Canon is also being accused of “unjust enrichment” by forcing consumers to buy ink cartridges just to use other non-ink-related functions of Canon printers:
“Canon does not represent or warn consumers that ink is a necessary component in order to scan or fax documents. As a result, consumers are forced to incur unexpected and unnecessary burden and expense in the form of ink purchases or in the alternative be unable to scan or fax documents using the so-called all-in-one device.”
In a forum post back in 2016, Canon has apparently answered a customer asking about the inability to use the scan feature without ink with the following response:

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“If you are getting a “Ink Out” error, you will not be able to use the unit until the ink is replaced. These precautions are in place to prevent damage to the printer from occurring if printing with no ink is attempted. The printer uses the ink to cool the printhead during the printing process. If no ink is present, the printhead could be damaged or the unit would require service.”

Going by logic, there’s really not much of a reason for an all-in-one printer to need ink just to scan or fax. What do you think?
Source
Pokdepinion: Hopefully after the lawsuit concludes, Canon will release a firmware update to affected printers. Or maybe they will try to sell you a new printer that can scan even without ink. The latter might be closer to reality.
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HUAWEI P50 and Google Pixel 6 to sport Sony’s new 1-inch sensor?

Sony is expected to unveil a new 1″ sensor for smartphones named the Sony IMX800, which will be significantly larger than the sensors we have today. Befittingly, it will reportedly be featured in the HUAWEI P50, a lineup best known for their camera capabilities.
On top of being an absolutely humongous sensor, the sensor is also expected to tout a modest 50MP resolution, which means huge pixels for unprecedented imaging performance in smartphones. Coupled with the rumored RYYB color filter, the sensor could take really impressive low-light shots with the right software.

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The HUAWEI P50 is expected to pair the 1″ Sony IMX800 with other auxiliary cameras, which is to be expected. What’s most interesting to me is how will they manage to cram all that hardware into the confines of a smartphone, given that a 1″ sensor will not only take up precious PCB space, but also require a larger lens assembly.
Leaker @RODENT950 has shared that the HUAWEI P50 will get additional ultra-wide and telephoto cameras, while the HUAWEI P50 Pro upgrades the telephoto lens with a periscope lens for extra range and the HUAWEI P50 Pro+ gets an additional ToF sensor for more accurate focusing.

It is worth mentioning that 1″ sensors in smartphones aren’t exactly novel. The first ever was the Panasonic Lumix CM1, but as the name implies, it is actually a camera with smartphone features tacked on. Hopefully the HUAWEI P50 will look more like a smartphone than a camera.
Pokdepinion: I wonder how huge a camera bump will the HUAWEI P50 sport.
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Valve Bans Over 40,000 Dota 2 Accounts After Setting Up A Huge Trap

After laying down a trap within the game, the team behind Dota 2 have banned over 40,000 accounts for cheating blatantly.
Cheaters Will Never Be Welcome in Dota 2

Cheaters Will Never Be Welcome in Dotahttps://t.co/D0keeCjKIF
— DOTA 2 (@DOTA2) February 21, 2023

Valve has taken strict action against Dota 2 cheaters, announcing that it has banned more than 40,000 accounts that were found using third-party software to gain an unfair advantage. The software allowed cheaters to access information that was not visible during gameplay, giving them an upper hand against their opponents.

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Valve did not reveal what data was being exploited by cheaters, but it is speculated that they were notified when they were within enemy wards. Some players even used the software at semi-pro levels to gain an unfair advantage. Once Valve’s technical team figured out the software was working, the company laid a trap to detect cheaters, leading to Dota 2’s largest ban wave to date.
Valve added a honeypot with a stealth update to catch cheaters who were using third-party cheat software. This section of data is only visible to those using such software, enabling Valve to find and remove cheaters from the player base. The developers will now work to fix the underlying issues that allowed these cheaters to operate.

Valve also issued a warning to players using applications that read data from the Dota client, saying that their accounts would be banned from playing the game. The company emphasized that cheaters would not be tolerated in the Dota player base, and it would continue to fight against any illegal and unfair actions.
While Dota 2 has not had many issues with cheaters compared to Valve’s other multiplayer game, CS:GO, players have reported an increase in cheats and hacks in recent months. Valve is aware of this and promises to detect and remove new exploits as they come, banning users who cheat.
Source
Pokdepinion: I still don’t get why people cheat in these kind of games and if you’re thinking that these people only do it for fun, I’ve seen a number of them try to go professional thinking they won’t get caught. Not gonna lie, the result tends to be hilarious so it does make for good content.
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OnePlus 8 series to come with 5G and heftier price tags

Since all Snapdragon 865 chips do not have a integrated modem, and they also do not have the option to be equipped with a 4G one, this should come as no surprise. OnePlus’ CEO Pete Lau has announced that the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro will come with 5G connectivity. Since there isn’t even a choice to offer a Snapdragon 865 smartphone without 5G, such an announcement is actually rather pointless, no?
The man also goes on to reveal that they are going “all in on 5G” in their interview with CNET. With their track record of only releasing flagship devices, it does go without saying that all their smartphones will be using the latest and greatest chips from Qualcomm, which is currently only available with 5G.
The OnePlus 7 series charted an unprecedented price point for the OnePlus brand too.
Also, he revealed that the OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are going to be more expensive than their previous offerings as “the new technology add costs so costs have risen in comparison to 4G products.” OnePlus has been increasing the prices on their devices with every generation, so this, once again is no surprise. He then assures OnePlus fans that the price won’t be anywhere near the $1000 (~RM4235) mark, and that you would still get “5G products with a reasonable price.”

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It is worth noting that the OnePlus 7T Pro was priced at £699 (~RM3360), with an even more premium McLaren Edition offered at an eye-watering £799 (~RM3841). This is a far cry from their initial ambitions of being flagship killers with the OnePlus One launched at a price point well below what the competition priced their flagships at.

However the price increase this time around may actually be more justifiable, since the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 and its accompanying Snapdragon X55 5G are rather costly compared to last year’s Snapdragon 855 chipset, which came with a built-in 4G modem.
The OnePlus 8 and OnePlus 8 Pro are expected to be launched sometime in April, so stay tuned to check them out, if you are still interested.
Pokdepinion: I am really quite unsure of what OnePlus is going for with their whole “Never Settle” tagline now.
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Hackers Reportedly Using Google Drive to Infect You With Malware

Google has a number of useful tools for everyone to use. Given how convenient it is and that it’s typically free, it’s hard to not make use of. With that being said however, be extra careful with Google Drive links nowadays as hackers are making use of it to infect you with malware.
How Hackers Use Google Drive to Infect You With Malware

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System administrator A. Nikoci found a bug which allows a hacker to swap out legitimate files with malicious files in Google Drive. In essence, the system’s failure to check different versions of files stored on the cloud is what makes this possible. Swapping out new files will simply be read as an updated version of the existing file.
Because of this, there will be no alert or update given, which can make it far more dangerous, especially with many people still working from home. What’s particularly bad here is that Google Drive doesn’t even recognize if the swapped out file is even the same file type. This makes it easy to change it to an executable file which can wreak havoc on your systems.
A. Nikoci claims that he has reported the issue to Google, but received no feedback yet. As such, the issue has still yet to be patched. For now, if you get random Google Drive links, be sure to double check the authenticity with whoever that shared it with you, and double check on when it was uploaded just to be sure. It might just save a headache or two.
Source
Pokdepinion: I honestly didn’t think it would be this bad. More things to be aware of in order to stay safe while online.
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Samsung To Release NW700 Sound+ – A Wall-Mountable Soundbar!

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd has announce that they will be unveiling a new premium soundbar at CES 2018, the NW700 Sound+, a wall-mountable sound bar.
Samsung NW700 Sound+
Samsung NE700 Sound+
The new NW700 Sound+ soundbar succeeds their previous MS650 Sound+ and integrates features such as distortion-cancelling, wide-range tweeters, and multi-speaker control. Design wise, it sports a slim and sleek external design, made for wall mounting underneath Samsung’s thin television (well of course it has to come in pairs right?)
It is 53.5mm wide, which is 41% narrower than the previous soundbar model. The soundbar adopts three channels and slim sound technology to deliver dynamic and targeted sound, for an even more immersive listening experience.

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Samsung NW700 Sound+ Living Room
Its body also has a built-in subwoofer, taking out the need for an external subwoofer and contribute to a clean, slender design for a home entertainment space.
The distortion-cancelling works by predicting distortion at the end of the speaker movement and making adjustments before the distortion comes to place, resulting in a smoother, distortion-free bass tones.
NW700 Sound+ supports three sound modes that includes; Standard Mode, Surround Mode, and Smart Mode. With the Surround Mode, it is used to expand surround sound performance (well the name of the mode is really a hint), while Smart Mode automatically adjusts volume and surround sound effects.
The NW700 Sound+ joins the Samsung CJ791 Thunderbolt 3 QLED monitor which is also set to be unveiled at CES 2018. Well, if you want to read on about the monitor, you can do so by clicking here to have a look at it.
Pokdepinion: Looks like a great way to save space. Despite that, to fully utilize it, you’d need a mountable-TV as well. Go hard or go home, as they would say. For me, go where my wallet leads me to.
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Enjoy UNLIMITED CALLS with U Mobile at just RM38 a month!

U Mobile has just announced their latest postpaid plan, HERO P38, for their customers, allowing them to enjoy UNLIMITED calls, social networking, music streaming and Waze navigation from just RM38. Aside from these unlimited goodies, the plan also comes with 4GB of data for high speed surfing irregardless if you are on 2G, 3G or 4G network, any day of the week.
For the mobile enthusiasts who need more data, U Mobile will also offer another HERO Postpaid Plan called P48 on 17th April 2017. Aside from the Call-Onz unlimited calls, unlimited data for App-Onz, Music-Onz and Waze, users will get 5GB of data and an additional 5GB of data for Video-Onz. The package will be available for just RM48 per month.

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Here’s a little comparison chart prepared by the people at the orange telco, comparing their package against the other postpaid plans by the competition offering unlimited voice calls. As it stands, U Mobile offers the most affordable plan with unlimited calls.
Users can also tether without worry of extra charges, so you can share your data with your friends in case you can’t finish off your quota. For more information, please visit u.com.my/postpaid.
Pokdepinion: U Mobile has outdone themselves yet again with these new affordable plans offering unlimited calls. However coverage is still an issue for U Mobile subscribers, and hopefully it will be gradually upgraded as they gain more and more subscribers.
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The GPUs Released So Far In This Generation: GeForce RTX 40, Radeon RX 7000, Arc A-Series

Up until this point, both Team Green and Team Red has released a few current-gen models as both sides try to pit against each other to gain market share on various pricing segments. There’s also Team Blue aka Intel aka Player Three, but Arc graphics has so far settled nicely in the cheaper mid-range segment while NVIDIA and AMD fight themselves out in the top to bottom. In this post we’ll list out all the current-gen models released by all three GPU makers, and their respective competition.
(Note: “Performance target” assumes generally achievable framerates in recent games with settings set at Ultra.)
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 Series
RTX 4090 Ti / RTX TITAN Ada

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Officially, this model does not exist – but there are known evidences that such card do exist at least in prototype form in NVIDIA’s labs. The exact power figures aren’t known, with some claiming 600 watts and other information claiming at one point it achieved nearly 1000 watts (!!) and literally melted the GPU. It remains to be seen if NVIDIA would ever release this model, but without AMD competing at the very top, it’s more likely that NVIDIA tells these potential customers to go ahead and buy their RTX Ada workstation cards instead.
RTX 4090

Release date: 12/10/2022
Main competition: None
Current market price: RM8,000 – RM10,000+
Performance target: 4K, high refresh rate
The big bad boy GPU. When this behemoth was first introduced late last year, people were at the very least shocked by the sheer power draw it’s asking for – which mandated the use of new 12VHPWR connectors (and subsequently caused melting connector issues). This 450W absolute unit of a graphics card blows the competition though: in 4K, it effectively achieves double the raster performance over RTX 3080 Ti, the near flagship of the previous generation. Value proposition is mostly an afterthought here, so if you’re looking for something that runs absolutely everything – assuming the game isn’t broken on launch – this is it.
RTX 4080 Ti
Surprisingly, no leaks has ever mentioned this particular model so far. Given that there is a significant specification difference between RTX 4090 and RTX 4080, it’s possible that this card may only happen very far down the RTX 40’s lifecycle – or even when AMD decides to pull up a hypothetical “RX 7950 XTX” refresh. For reference, the RTX 4080 is using a full AD104 die, so whatever comes out of the “RTX 4080 Ti” will have to be salvaged dies from AD102 which RTX 4090 currently uses. NVIDIA will certainly leave most dies for RTX 4090 until it accumulates enough defect dies for RTX 4080 Ti to become a plausible product down the line.
RTX 4080

Release date: 16/11/2022
Main competition: RX 7900 XTX
Current market price: RM5,400 – RM7,500
Performance target: 4K, high refresh rate
Currently the second-best option in the RTX 40 family. It’s quite far off RTX 4090’s performance, but generally still achieves 4K high refresh rate, or 4K60 is the game is heavy enough for the GPU to struggle (turning on RT, for example). It beats the competing card from Team Red (7900 XTX) on efficiency fronts thanks to more advanced TSMC 4N node, and DLSS 3 will take the advantage even further – if the game supports it, of course. If you’re after plain raster performance, this card faces stiff competition from AMD especially when you take value into account.
RTX 4070 Ti

Release date: 05/01/2023
Main competition: RX 7900 XT
Current market price: RM3,800 – RM5,100
Performance target: 4K60, 1440p high refresh rate
Originally a RTX 4080 12GB – ended up subsequently “unlaunched” due to its vastly different hardware configuration compared to the “actual” RTX 4080 (16GB) and later reborn as the RTX 4070 Ti. This is also the lowest-end RTX 40 model to be exclusively powered by 12VHPWR connectors; and the first model in the RTX 40 lineup to not come with Founder’s Edition cards.
RTX 4070

Release date: 13/04/2023
Main competition: RX 6800 XT
Current market price: RM2,800 – RM3,900
Performance target: 1440p high refresh rate
This GPU is the first to feature the good old PCIe 8-pin connector in the RTX 40 lineup, thanks to its low TDP at just 200W. However, two variants exist – some high-end OC models will remain on 12VHPWR, although it’s hard to say if it’s warranted given the limited flexibility in TDP/TGP adjustments in NVIDIA GPUs these days.
RTX 4060 Ti (8GB & 16GB)

Release date: 24/05/2023 (8GB), 18/07/2023 (16GB, unconfirmed)
Main competition: RTX 3060 Ti, RX 6700 XT
Current market price: RM1,900 – RM2,400 (8GB)
Performance target: 1440p, 1080p high refresh rate
The RTX 4060 Ti, regardless of which VRAM versions, are – let’s just say – not NVIDIA’s finest moments. Given their high respective sticker price and virtually no value improvement to speak of, this model has received heavy criticism for its near-zero increase in raster performance if not generally weak improvements across the board compared to its direct predecessor, the RTX 3060 Ti. (In some cases the new card even lost to the outgoing model by very small margins, something similar to Intel’s equally disastrous Core i9-11900K Rocket Lake CPU.)
The 16GB version meanwhile is set to launch later in July based on leaks, but given the recent track record, we think it’s reliable enough to say that should be the date unless NVIDIA has other plans.
RTX 4060

Release date: 29/06/2023
Main competition: RTX 3060, RX 7600, RX 6650 XT
Current market price: RM1,500 – RM1,900*
Performance target: 1080p60
The card destined for 1080p gaming – NVIDIA’s newest entry in the form of RTX 4060 may proven to be competitive against AMD’s RX 7600 or Intel’s Arc A750 (since A770 isn’t sold in Malaysia), enough so that AMD has apparently been forced to drop MSRP in the very last minute to respond. Intel won’t launch Battlemage until 2024, so as far as mid-range GPU options go, this is between Team Green and Team Red for now.
*Max pricing based on MSRP announced on various AIBs. Some models remain unlisted in stores at this writing.
RTX 4050 Series & Below?

We expect the RTX 4050 to be the lowest end of the entire RTX 40 family – and so far, leakers has claimed that the RTX 4050 will come with 6GB of VRAM, and possibly surprise-launch within this June. No signs of RTX 4050 Ti, however – though it’s unlikely NVIDIA will release this model in the near future given the tight competition in this segment (in some cases competing against previous generation products value-wise).
Anything below is MX series territory, of which is already largely replaced by some of the fairly powerful onboard graphics courtesy of both AMD and Intel’s CPUs.
AMD Radeon RX 7000 Series
RX 7900 XTX

Release date: 13/12/2022
Main competition: RTX 4080
Current market price: RM5,000 – RM6,000
Performance target: 4K, high refresh rate
Radeon’s current flagship, it boasts 24GB of VRAM – which will be something of a theme across this generation – and a form factor that remains relatively compatible with most PC cases. As NVIDIA’s RTX 4090 has often outsized some PC cases, Radeon’s option may be more sensible for those who either don’t want to deal with 12VHPWR connectors (or do not own PSU with it), or just need something doesn’t look like a BFG 9000-sized contraption straight from DOOM.
RX 7900 XT

Release date: 13/12/2022
Main competition: RTX 4070 Ti
Current market price: RM4,300 – RM5,100
Performance target: 4K, 1440p high refresh rate
The second model that launched alongside the big XTX card, which isn’t necessarily competitive with NVIDIA’s current number two right now. Instead, as the big brother handles Team Green No.2, the RX 7900 XT will settle for competing against Number Three – the RTX 4070 Ti, in various 4K60 or 1440p HRR conditions. It’s also reasonably small, as far as flagship-class GPU designs go (MBA variants, that is).
A Big Gap In The Middle (RX 7800, RX 7700 series)
Interestingly, the next model we’ll be mentioning here won’t be RX 7800 or RX 7700 – as both models technically do not exist at the time of this writing. AMD didn’t specify the reason, but our best guess is down to supply – or perhaps too much so. Radeon’s RX 6000 series seems to have a serious oversupply issue where prices has dropped significantly (some Western markets has seen RX 6800 being price competitive with the RTX 4060 Ti 16GB at just $500), so that gives little reason for Team Red to release new products at this segment.
Should they wanted to do so without compromising clearing out RX 6000 models, that means they’ll likely have to adopt NVIDIA’s strategy by massively hiking the price on the new product, and as we can see by now – it’s not exactly popular among Team Green customers that an 80-class card jumped from an already high $700 to the insane figure of $1,100 in just one generation (NVIDIA often are reluctant to drop MSRPs on old products). In short, not a good move from a PR standpoint for AMD.
RX 7600

Release date: 25/05/2023
Main competition: RTX 3060, Arc A750
Current market price: RM1,400 – RM1,600
Performance target: 1080p60
AMD skipped across high-end segments all the way to land on the midrange with the new RX 7600, and targets 1080p resolutions where it is still most people’s primary resolution of choice by quite the sizable margin. (NVIDIA quoted 77% in their recent RTX 4060 series keynote.) Is this card any good? The general theme seems to point at another relatively value-weak card against its predecessor, RX 6650 XT in particular.
Bonus: Intel Arc A-Series
Arc A750

Release date: 12/10/2022
Main competition: RTX 3060, RX 7600
Current market price: RM1,100 – RM1,500
Performance target: 1080p60
Enter Player Three. Intel’s first attempt in a gaming GPU got off to a rough start – but has since getting updates with support for most popular DX9-based titles and new games alike, with their respective performance optimizations. It’s still a bit of a rough diamond, and if your game roster doesn’t involve obscure game titles, Intel’s Arc cards may be pretty enticing especially in value given their recent market strategy, in order to penetrate the somewhat stale GPU market as of late.
Other Intel GPUs: A770, A380, A310 etc.
As far as Malaysian market is concerned, both A770 and A380 are nearly non-existent – we’re not sure why, but it’s likely down to Intel testing waters with a single model first before introducing more down the line, should the sales reflect a positive response from consumers. Though something like A310 may see some niche market thanks to its AV1 capabilities on the cheap – we’ll just have to see if Intel decides it’s time to make some inroads by then.

This post will be updated accordingly to reflect new product releases of current generations down the line from all three GPU makers.
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[E3 2019] War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Resurfaces

At the Square Enix E3 2019 Press Conference, we’ve learned that War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius is alive and well. In fact, we got to see more about the game, more so than we ever have.
The game takes place on the continent of Ardora, where several nations, Leonis, Hourne, Fennes, Wezette, Crystal Sanctum are fighting in the titular War of the Visions. In the trailer, we finally get our first good look at gameplay.
For those of you who aren’t aware, the game was first announced back in December. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much details about the game other than the fact that the developers are sharing game assets with the team behind Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Now, we can see that it has the Final Fantasy Tactics-style gameplay.

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War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius will be coming to Android and iOS worldwide (except Mainland China), but a release date / window isn’t mentioned at the moment.
The official website for the game can be found right here.
Pokdepinion: Any tactical RPG is a big thumbs up from me. I love Final Fantasy Tactics and I hope this would be better than the usual Final Fantasy mobile game.
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Netflix’s Method Of Counting Views Is Interestingly Weird

Before the end of 2019, the folks at Netflix revealed their most watched titles on the platform and some might be curious on how exactly do they measure the figures. Well that’s now finally revealed and it’s actually a rather strange method.
Previously they had counted a view as someone who has watched 70% of a title on Netflix. Now it seems that they’ve changed their ways of counting, where now all subscribers need to do to be counted is simply watch two minutes of a show, according to reports.
As you might tell from their list of top content for 2019, the movie 6 Underground made to top spot, gaining 83 million views. What this means is, there is a chance that not all that’s included in that figure actually watched the whole movie, or even half of it.

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A shareholder letter sent to The Hollywood Reporter mentions of Netflix’s statement:
This way, short and long titles are treated equally, leveling the playing field for all types of our content including interactive content, which has no fixed length. The new metric is about 35% higher on average than the prior metric
Pokdepinion: I won’t lie, I was surprised when I found out that The Witcher wasn’t sitting on top of that list. I guess it now makes sense.
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JOI Book 100 — the ultraportable for everyone?

A laptop can be considered a necessity for students nowadays. This rings especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when classes are brought online for e-learning. The portability of a laptop might not be the most important factor right now, but when classes resume and students return to schools and campuses, a light laptop would come in pretty handy. The main reason why you would choose a laptop over a desktop PC is the fact that you can work with a laptop anywhere anytime. For that, you would want an ultraportable laptop. They are great for staying productive when on the go, but light laptops can be quite pricey. Not the JOI® Book 100 though, which is why I dubbed it the ultraportable for everyone.
Thin and light

JOI built the laptop with narrow bezels, to allow for a smaller footprint than most laptops in this price segment. With a high screen-to-body ratio comparable to most premium ultrabooks out there, the JOI® Book 100 can easily slide into any bag. It’s sheer thinness measuring at just 14 mm thick also helps with that. With portability marketed as a premium feature by most laptop makers, the JOI® Book 100’s affordable price tag is surely a sight for sore eyes, especially for students with budget constraints.

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Portability is more than just being small though, as the weight plays a rather huge role too. JOI® designed the JOI® Book 100 to be lightweight, so that it will not burden you when you carry it around with you. JOI® lists the weight at 1.35 kg, which is lighter than most of the other laptops in this price range.
Built to last

Now, despite its affordability, JOI® didn’t compromise on the build quality of the JOI® Book 100 at all. The laptop sports an all-aluminium build, and even covers the screen with a sheet of glass to give it an even more premium look. Overall, the laptop’s build feels very robust and will surely survive the daily rigors of travelling to class and back. The Intel® Celeron® N3450 powering the JOI® Book 100 also ensures that you will have plenty of battery life to use on the go, aside from delivering sufficient performance for you to tackle your daily productivity tasks.
Expandable to suit your needs

A rather common limitation with ultraportable laptops is the non-upgradeable components. The JOI® Book 100 avoids that stereotype by offering an easily accessible M.2 slot on the underside of the laptop. This slot supports M.2 SATA SSDs up to 512GB, giving you the option to expand your storage easily.

For those who do not want to go through the minor inconvenience of installing the M.2 SSD, you can also pop in a microSD card to quickly add up to 64GB of storage to the JOI® Book 100. On top of that, you can also connect USB 3.0 external storage to easily expand your horizons. Speaking of which, the JOI® Book 100 also offers a micro HDMI port for you to to improve your working experience by connecting it to a larger display.
Conclusion

Across the article, we have pretty much repeated the point that the JOI® Book 100 is a very affordable ultraportable laptop for students or even working adults who need to get some basic productivity done while on the go. Well, how affordable exactly? Just RM998, which is more affordable than most Android tablets you can get in the market.

You get a full-fledged Windows 10 Home experience powered by an Intel® Celeron® N3450 on the JOI® Book 100, and it is really quite a good deal for those who need an ultraportable laptop to do light computing tasks on, or catching up on your online classes. If you are interested, you can check them out at JOI®‘s physical stores, or purchase it online at GLOO via the link below:
Get the JOI® Book 100 on GLOO!

From now until 28th June, JOI® will also be giving away free Thermos or Glass Flasks to JOI® users. All you need to do is the following:

Like the JOI Facebook page
Take a selfie with JOI® devices and upload the image with your own creative caption, tag JOI Malaysia and use the hashtags #JOI, #InspiringIdea and make sure to set your post’s visibility to Public

Of course, the prizes are available on a first-come-first-serve basis, so make sure to be quick!
This is an exclusive article for JOI®.
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Lenovo Announces Latest ThinkPad Laptops — Among The First Project Athena Machines

Lenovo has recently reveal their latest ThinkPad lineup, which includes the new X1 Carbon that runs Intel’s 10th Gen CPUs, establishing their first commercial platform part of the Project Athena program.
Other than the latest iteration of X1 Carbon, they’ve also announce the new ThinkPad X1 Yoga, ThinkPad X390 and the ThinkPad T490 which all use a 10th Gen Intel Core processor as well.
These new laptops features ThinkShield as well as the ability to stay connected with LTE-A Wireless WAN and Wi-Fi 6 in the latest models. Of course, they come ready with the iconic ThinkPad style keyboard.

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ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen

Kicking off with the ThinkPad X1 Carbon 7th Gen where its design is pretty much the same from the original.  It comes with up to a 6-core 10th Gen Intel Core processor that delivers multi-threaded performance, with support for 4K content. Despite the light build, you can be assure that it packs a punch with it being a part of Project Athena. According to them, you can enjoy up to 18.5 hours of battery life and should it get low, you can utilize its Rapid Charge which can deliver 80% battery in just 60 minutes.
ThinkPad X1 Yoga
Up next is the 4th gen multi-mode laptop, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga. Similarly, it packs up to a 10th Gen Intel Core cpu and it is also lightweight, being just 1.4kg. The laptop now supports all docking solutions, that includes ThinkPad Mechanical Dock.
Battery life is up to 18.3 hours and there’s also the Rapid Charge feature as well. Dolby Vision display as well as Dolby Atmos Speaker System is available to enhanced your entertainment experience. For the creators, there’s the integrated ThinkPad Pen Pro that offers multi-mode pen input.
ThinkPad T490

There’s the ThinkPad T490 that comes with 500 nit, WQHD Dolby Vision panel or a new 400 nit FHD display. It offers Dolby Audio Premium that features two up-firing speakers. You can enjoy up to 15 hours of productivity and there’s of course the LTE-A Wireless WAN feature and Wi-Fi 6 to provide fast connection speeds.
ThinkPad X390

Following the list is the ThinkPad X390, where it comes with up to i7 10th Gen Intel Core processor and weighs 1.3kg. Offering a FHD display, it also comes with Dolby Audio Premium and dual far-field microphones that enhances conferencing audio.
So that was the ThinkPad lineup that they’ve revealed but that’s not all. Lenovo has also reveal their new IdeaPad S340 and S540 ultra-slim laptops.
IdeaPad S340

The IdeaPad S340 is designed to fit conveniently in your bag, where it comes with three color options. Coming with Dolby Audio, front-facing microphones and quieter fan thermals, it can last up to 8 hours of battery life.
IdeaPad S540

The Lenovo IdeaPad S540 comes with an optional QHD display that’s coupled with Dolby Audio. Coming with Cortana and Alexa services, it is powered by up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 or AMD Ryzen 7 processors. It also comes with motion-sensing IR camera for smarter interaction and hands-free user login with biometric authentication.
Pokdepinion: Though they’ve revealed their latest offerings, it’d be interesting to see how they price them officially here in Malaysia. I mean, being a part of Project Athena means big and to be on the list, they don’t come cheap due to the high standards.
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BenQ ZOWIE Launches EC-B Mice And SE Mousepad – And It’s Available Now In Malaysia!

BenQ has announced that their two new ZOWIE esports mice, the EC1-B and EC2-B are now available right here in Malaysia. They are also followed by the release of the new ZOWIE G-SR SE mousepad.
BenQ ZOWIE New EC-B Mice And G-SR SE Mousepad
BenQ ZOWIE EC1-B
BenQ ZOWIE EC2-B
Besides being known for making monitors and projectors, BenQ also offers gaming peripherals as well and joining the list is the ZOWIE EC1-B and EC2-B gaming mice.
Taking inspiration from their predecessor, the EC1-B and EC2-B provides the same shape and ergonomic feel. Despite that, they both are equipped with a more advanced 3360 optical sensor. The company has said that this internal adjustment will provide a different ‘feel’ for your gameplay when compared to their previous EC-A Series mice, which featured a 3310 sensor.

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BenQ ZOWIE EC1-B CS:GO Edition
The new series also features a USB report rate switch that comes with indicator lights at the bottom of the mouse, making adjustments to your settings more convenient by taking out the need for additional software. It also will allow you to swap to one of four preset settings on the go.
In terms of size, the EC1-B features a bigger build than the EC2-B, making it more ideal for those who has a bigger grip. Both mice is now available at a retail price of RM419.
In addition to that, BenQ has also partnered up with Valve in which they are going to release a special Counter Strike: Global Offensive (or CS:GO for short) editions for both the EC1-B and EC2-B which comes with special packaging and logo which is sported on top of the mice. Release date and the pricing of the special edition is yet to be confirmed.

Every mice needs a mousepad and for that, BenQ are also releasing their brand new ZOWIE G-SR SE mousepad which is available at all authorized dealers nationwide and at the BenQ Brand Store on Lazada which comes with a RM189 price tag.
Pokdepinion: The mice looks simple, suitable for those who look for a more simple look.
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Nokia 6.1 Review — One Good Looking Mid-range Smartphone

Introduction

This time around, we’re reviewing the Nokia 6.1, which is a smartphone under the Android One program. Does it offer an experience that today’s generation will appreciate? Well let’s get started shall we?
Unboxing

The Nokia 6.1 that we’ve got is the Blue/Gold variant. From the box, you will be getting the power brick, USB Type-C cable, your product documents, a SIM ejector, as well as a 3.5mm headphones.

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Appearance

As you can see, the phone doesn’t offer a notch. The front only shows the single front camera as well as the Nokia logo on the top right side.

Over to the left side, you’ve got your tray for your SIM card and microSD, alongside the antenna lines on the edges.

Switching over to the right hand side, you’ve got your usual volume rockers and of course the power button.

There’s only the 3.5mm port on top, which is always a welcomed addition to any smartphone.

Down below, there’s the microphone hole, the Type-C port in the middle and finally the speakers of the Nokia 6.1.

At the back, there’s the ZEISS camera lens, accompanied by the phone’s fingerprint scanner, and of course, the Android One tag below.
Specifications

CPU/Chipset:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 Octa-core 2.2 GHz Cortex-A53

GPU:
Adreno 508

RAM:
4GB

Display:
5.5″, 16:9 (1080p) FHD display, 73.2% screen-to-body ratio, 403-nit brightness

Storage:
64GB (expandable via microSD up to 256GB)

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
16 MP, f/2.0, 27mm (wide), 1.0µm, PDAF
Zeiss optics, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama, HDR
Front Camera
8 MP, f/2.0, 1/4″, 1.12µm

OS:
Android 8.1 Oreo (Android One)

Connectivity:
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth 5.0
USB Type-C

SIM:
Dual nanoSIM

Battery:
Li-ion 3000mAh (non-removable)

Dimensions:
148.8 x 75.8 x 8.2 mm

Weight:
172 g

Performance

Here we can see that the Nokia 6.1 comes short when compared to popular mid-range devices in the form of the ZenFone Max Pro M1 and Redmi Note 5, where both of them use Snapdragon 636 chipsets and costs lower than the 6.1.

In Geekbench, the Nokia 6.1 scored lower in both single and multi-core tests than the ZenFone 3 which uses a lower Snapdragon 625 SoC.

If you compare it with ZenFone 4 that uses the same SD630 chip, the Nokia 6.1 did better in the Ice Storm Unlimited test by a small margin but still lost in the other two.

In terms of general productivity related performance, the phone does an acceptable job in its scores. What came to a shock was the the HUAWEI MediaPad M3 Lite which comes with a SD435 managed to beat it.

For its battery performance, the test showed what was expected already with it lasting 8 hours and 9 minutes, which is average.
In terms of personal daily usage, I find it weird that the battery drains quite fast. I’ve used Instagram, Facebook scrolling and messaging, as well as your normal messaging apps. On one night, I charged it until 100% before sleeping and lightly used it. The following day, i came to notice that the battery was already around 75%.
User Experience
I’m not going to lie, the Nokia 6.1 is one of the prettiest phones that I’ve seen in the market. It looks and feels premium, especially with the gold accents around the device, and it doesn’t sport a notch on top, which is always a plus for me.
The build is solid and I really like the feel of it. Though I find the power button to be funny as it is a bit wobbly, well maybe that’s just me.
Aside from the looks, I was quite impressed with the charging rate of the phone. Of course, during the test, I’ve used the power brick and cable that comes included with the Nokia 6.1 itself. If you charge it for 30 minutes, you’ll be getting 32% juice, which is decent to say the least.

With the phone being a part of the Android One family, the main benefits is that devices under the category gets a pure Android experience that guarantees you no bloatware, other apps and services that’s not meant for the device. There is the promise of constant updates, which I’ve experienced myself. When I first used the device, I found out that there were 5 system updates, which is encouraging as that will promise you that you’ll be getting the best experience for your device.

The UI of the Nokia 6.1 is what you’d expect from a stock android device, where it is plain. Some might find it neat and smooth while some might find it a bit too boring. It all boils down to preference. For me personally, I think that if Nokia had their own  personalized UI, it will freshen things up a bit.

With the phone’s camera app, there’s the the Panorama, Pro, and Slow Motion modes aside from your usual photo and video mode.It also comes along with Nokia’s bothie concept, where you can capture a photo using both front and back cameras at the same time. To check on full sized samples of the device, you can check that out here.

The photos captured with the phone was quite decent. Though as you’d usually expect, low-light photography was a bit noisy but still more than acceptable for your social media usage. HDR on the phone really brings out the colors and it’s not too aggressive.
Conclusion
Honestly, I would rate the phone if it had been on the market earlier. With other brands releasing phones with flagship specifications but still ranging in the same price tag, it’s hard to justify the Nokia 6.1’s price of RM1169. That being said, what you get with the device is a phone that stands out from the rest in terms of looks (one of the best looking mid-range device, for me personally at least) and the promise of regular updates with it being a part of the Android One program. It just feels like the Nokia 6.1’s specification is out of date and it would’ve been better if it came out sooner.
We would like to thank Nokia Mobile for the Nokia 6.1 that was used in this review.
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HUAWEI Breaks Record By Selling More Than 1000 Of New MateBook Series

HUAWEI Malaysia has revealed that their MateBook has exceeded 1000 units sold in the last two months. The series was launched in February 2018 and it seems that Malaysia is the most successful country that had launched the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, where the country achieved the all-time best sales record to-date.
Huawei MateBook X Pro
The HUAWEI MateBook X Pro has won multiple awards (more than 35 recognition) from all over the world, thanks to its world’s first FullView touch-able display, quad-speaker systems as well as the recessed camera.
HUAWEI MateBook D, HUAWEI MateBook X Pro i5 processor, and HUAWEI MateBook X Pro i7 processor retails at the price of RM2,999, RM4,999, and RM6,999 respectively. To learn more on the device, you can check out on our previous post by clicking on the link right here.

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Pokdepinion: Well I certainly didn’t expect Malaysia to be the top-seller for the MateBook X Pro. I guess it certainly did attract consumers here in the country.
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11street’s Shocking Sales Increased Fourfolds – With Overseas Products Sold Increased By 600%!

The recent global shopping day, otherwise known as 11.11 or Singles day, had a big impact on 11street. It saw their total orders surge by 4 times compared to their regular business day.
11street Increased Sales
Within the 11.11 total order volume spike, it also saw a record breaking for number of orders made for overseas products which increased by a huge 600% from average daily orders on Saturday. Product categories such as grocery, home electronics, and beauty & sports are the main source for that increase, with an increase of more than 4x from average daily orders.
Understandably, e-vouchers and services also experienced growth, where they increased by 70%. Definitely consumers would want to get even lower prices with the help of them.

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In addition, 11street also discovered that purchases made via credit cards increased by 386%, with traffic to the website doubled at that day. With the encouraging signs of the 11.11 sales, 11street have said that they will be planning to prepare a host of of different campaigns, sales, and promotions for the year end and and of course the upcoming 2018.
For those of you who don’t know, 11street’s Shocking? Yes! campaign offered lowest price guaranteed promotions, free shipping, periodic sales with deals as low as RM1 and RM11, as well as discounts from over 100 brands.
To find out more on 11street and what they have to offer, you can click the link right here to check it out.
Pokdepinion: Personally, I had a tough time handling the pressure to buy from Singles Day. I was so tempted…. :(
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Game companies are typically protective of their own IPs, but when a crossover happens, it can be magical. In the case of Crash Bandicoot 4, Activision and Toys for Bob had a little fun by paying homage to the original creators, Naughty Dog, with an Uncharted 4 parody.
Crash Bandicoot 4 Parodies Nathan Drake in Uncharted 4 Scene

Great to see friends helping friends this Holiday Season! 😉 @Naughty_Dog @PlayStation pic.twitter.com/seihSOEEZR
— Crash Bandicoot (@CrashBandicoot) November 30, 2020

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Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time marks the long-awaited return of the popular PlayStation 1 mascot, at least as far as new games go. After all, we previously had the remastered collection with the N. Sane Trilogy. In a new video on the game’s official Twitter account, Crash Bandicoot 4 paid homage to the series’ original creator, Naughty Dog.
In the video, you can see Coco Bandicoot playing Uncharted while Crash is chilling on the couch. This is in reference to the scene in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, where Nathan and Elena are seen playing the original Crash Bandicoot game. Apart from that, you can also see a Wumpa League sign in Uncharted 4, which is a clear nod to Crash Team Racing.
There’s no hint of any new games in the franchise coming soon, or even a crossover game. It’s just a cool little nod that people who are into games can truly appreciate.
Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time is now available for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Source
Pokdepinion: I like seeing crossovers like this. It doesn’t affect the game and it adds a little fun for everyone.
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Mortal Kombat 11 PS4 Trophy List Gives Glimpse of Final Character Roster

One of the more highly anticipated upcoming games that we get to look forward to is Mortal Kombat 11. At the moment, we only know of some characters that will be playable but not the full roster. It appears that the PS4 trophy list for the game has been leaked, and it gives up a glimpse of the final character roster.
According to this trophy list, there are three new fighters in total that we have yet to see. The first is that of Frost, Sub-Zero’s apprentice who first made her debut in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance. Frost hasn’t been a proper playable character since Mortal Kombat: Armageddon back in 2006. Next up is Kitana, who has been around since Mortal Kombat 2. Kitana is one of the more iconic fighters in MK history and fans have been clamoring for her return.
Lastly, another new character alongside Cetrion and Geras will seemingly be joining the roster of Mortal Kombat 11 as well. The Kollector is a new four-armed fighter that, as of this writing, we still know next to nothing about. Still, we’re sure to hear more about the new character very soon.

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It’s worth noting that the trophy list only mentions 24 fighters by name even though we’ve previously seen that there are 25 slots on Mortal Kombat 11’s character select screen. Then again, one of those slots could be a randomized selection or could be reserved for Shao Khan, who is a pre-order bonus DLC character.
Mortal Kombat 11 will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC on 23rd April 2019.

Source: Gamefront

Pokdepinion: I’m excited for the game but at the same time, a bit worried that it might just be the same game as the previous one, which would kill the hype. Well, at least I don’t have to wait long to find out.
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Kicking Off 2017 with New Samsung Galaxy A Smartphones; Free Level U Pro Wireless Headsets!

Wow, it’s not even 2017 and Samsung is already going to release the new Samsung Galaxy A smartphones.
It’s New Year’s Eve! A lot of people are busy reminiscing the year that has past us all. Some of you like, and some of you don’t. The folks over at Samsung have already finalized their plans on their next smartphone in 2017.
Samsung has been teasing us with the “Hold Your Breath, A New Wave is Coming” ad and this appears to be it. It’s an obvious nod that the phone would be waterproof/water resistant and this pretty much confirms it.

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New Samsung Galaxy A (2017) Smartphones

Samsung will be kicking off the new year with the unveiling of 2 new smartphones in the Samsung Galaxy A lineup. Those smartphones are the Samsung Galaxy A5 and the A7.
The new Samsung Galaxy A5 is a 5.2-inch smartphone with Full HD resolution and Super AMOLED display. The Galaxy A7 on the other hand is the bigger smartphone, at 5.5-inches, but it’s also with Full HD resolution and Super AMOLED display.

While we’re not too sure about the insides, online reports suggests that the A5 and A7 will be powered by the Exynos 7870 Octa and Exynos 7880 Octa respectively. However, one thing is for sure. Both of the Samsung Galaxy A smartphones are IP68 dust and water resistant.
Lee Jui Siang, Vice President of Mobile and IT Business Unit at Samsung Malaysia Electronics, said:
Samsung is focused on continuing to push the frontier of what’s possible to deliver innovation that matter. As a leader in the mobile industry, we designed the Samsung Galaxy A Series (2017) that suits the needs of trendy savvy consumers. The latest smartphones combine a premium design with a range of flagship benefits which includes IP68-rated dust and water resistant which is the first ever of its range.
Pre-Orders and Free Gift

The new Samsung Galaxy A smartphones, the Galaxy A5 and A7, will be available for pre-order starting 6th January 2017 at 10AM. This will continue until 15th January 2017 at selected Samsung stores.
The Samsung Galaxy A5 will be priced at RM1,699 while the Galaxy A7 will be priced at RM1,899. If you were to nab either of the Samsung Galaxy A smartphones during this pre-order sale, Samsung will throw in the Level U Pro wireless headset, worth RM399, for free.
Of course, both the phones and the free gift are limited in numbers so it’s on a first come-first serve basis.

Pokdepinion: Gotta admit, the naming of the device does leave me confused. Like, I’ll always think of the A5 being the same device we’ve seen all this while. I can’t personally say whether the Samsung Galaxy A smartphones are good or not until I’ve tried it myself. If you need to buy a new phone, I don’t see a reason why not to get yourself one though.
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7 Essential Valorant Tips and Tricks to Get More Wins

Improve your gameplay and win more matches with these 10 essential tips and tricks for Valorant. Learn about crosshair placement, map awareness, agent selection, and more.
7 Essential Tips and Tricks for Winning at Valorant

Valorant is a popular tactical shooter game that requires a combination of skill, strategy, and quick thinking. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, there are always new tips and tricks to learn to improve your gameplay. Here are some helpful tips and tricks for Valorant that can help you up your game.

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Use your abilities wisely
Smoking off entry points is a good way to deter enemies from simply waltzing in to specific parts of the map.
Valorant is all about using your abilities strategically to gain an advantage over your opponents. Each character has unique abilities that can help you win the game. However, it’s important to use them wisely and not waste them. For example, you should use your smokes and flashes to cover your team’s movements, and save your ultimates for clutch situations.
Communication is key

Communication is crucial in Valorant. You should always communicate with your team and provide them with valuable information. This includes callouts, enemy positions, and where you are heading. Good communication can help you coordinate with your team and win the game. Ideally, voice chat would be the fastest, most effective way to do this but if you’re shy, don’t have a microphone, or are worried that your teammates might be a bit too aggressive for your liking, you can always ping the locations or use the chat wheel for easy communication.
Need a break from Valorant? How about sinking your teeth into a JRPG? Check out our Octopath Traveler 2 review by clicking right here.
Master the recoil control

In Valorant, it’s essential to master the recoil control of your weapons. This means learning how to control the spread of bullets as you fire. You can do this by practicing in the shooting range and experimenting with different weapons. By mastering recoil control, you can improve your accuracy and increase your chances of winning gunfights.
Use your utility to control the map
Abilities like Cypher’s Tripwire and Chamber’s Trademark can help alert you of potential flanks if placed correctly.
Using your utility to control the map is an effective way to gain an advantage over your opponents. For example, you can use Sage’s wall to block off certain areas, or Cypher’s tripwires to detect enemy movements. By using your utility to control the map, you can limit your opponent’s options and force them to play on your terms.
Play with Friends

No matter what people might say online or in-game, Valorant is a team game, and playing with a team that you’re familiar with can greatly improve your chances of winning. When you play with friends, you can coordinate your movements, use your abilities effectively, and cover each other’s backs. Not to mention, it just makes the game more fun and enjoyable throughout.
Learn the maps

Knowing the maps is essential in Valorant. You should spend time learning the layouts of each map, including the callouts, spawn points, and chokepoints. By knowing the maps, you can plan your movements more effectively and anticipate your opponent’s movements. One good way to learn aside from repetitively playing through them is to go into a custom game alone as Neon with cheats enabled. This way, you can freely run through all parts of the map with ease. If your friends are interested to learn as well, invite them in the custom game lobby.
Practice your aim
Headshots grow increasingly important as you continue playing the game.
Finally, practicing your aim is essential in Valorant. This means spending time in the shooting range and practicing your aim with different weapons. You can also practice your aim by playing deathmatches and focusing on landing headshots. By improving your aim, you can increase your chances of winning gunfights and ultimately, the game.
Bonus Tip: Weapon Skins
Skins make wins, or so they say.
Now this part doesn’t give you an edge in the game, at least objectively. However, there’s no denying that certain skins have some cool visual and sound effects that make it so much more enjoyable to use. Whether it’s the Origin Vandal, Ion Phantom, or even the Sovereign Marshal, if you feel better, you can definitely perform better.
If you know you’re gonna be spending a lot of time in the game, no need to feel shame for spending money if it makes you feel better when playing. Just remember to only spend within your means and not buy out the entire store.
In conclusion, Valorant is a complex game that requires a combination of skills and strategies. By following these tips and tricks, you can improve your gameplay and increase your chances of winning. Remember, practice makes perfect, so keep playing and keep improving.
For more useful tips and tricks, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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EA Could Be In Hot Waters As Pro Players Argue Image Rights In FIFA 21

Football fans are sure to know about EA’s FIFA franchise as it is a title that has been going around since 1993 without failure. It appears that a couple of professional footballers that are found in the latest FIFA 21 has questioned EA Sports for using their image and name in the game.
FIFA 21 imaging rights?

As you might’ve guessed, the game has been featuring real players, managers, and even stadiums to give an authentic experience for gamers. Well it seems that Zlatan Ibrahimovic wasn’t happy recently as he took the issue to his Twitter account.

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Who gave FIFA EA Sport permission to use my name and face? @FIFPro? I’m not aware to be a member of Fifpro and if I am I was put there without any real knowledge through some weird manouver. And for sure I never allowed @FIFAcom or Fifpro to make money using me
— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) November 23, 2020

In the tweet, he argued that that he was never a part of Fifpro and never allowed for them to make use of his name and image to be used in any form.
The tweet was followed by another where he said “Somebody is making profit on my name and face without any agreement all these years. Time to investigate”.
This has sparked Gareth Bale to come out as well, a player who previously played for Real Madrid and currently for Tottenham Hotspurs. Bale questions what Fifpro actually is and included the hashtag #TimeToInvestigate.
If you thought that this was all of the sudden, well it came just after it was announced that EA Sports had agreed to pay David Beckham a huge sum of money across three years to feature him as a FIFA 21 Icon on FUT.
It’s been reported that there’s a growing number of professional players that are backing the investigation on the franchise. It could spell trouble for EA Sports. It will be interesting how this story progresses should it be the case. We’ll sure to update you should any new details become available. Till then, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: I don’t know if Zlatan’s just playing around or he means business. I mean he’s been appearing in the game ever since his career started and only now he’s taking a look at the issue? Seems a bit of an opportunistic way of making money (even if he’s already rich!).
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Windows 10 Phone 1st rumored new smartphone specifications

There is a rumor going around that Microsoft is preparing two new flagship devices. The two new flagships are codenamed the Lumia Talkman and Lumia Cityman respectively. The Lumia Talkman will be a 5.2 inch smartphone while the Lumia Cityman will be a 5.7 inch phablet.

More information about these two devices will be revealed when Windows 10 for phone is ready. Both phone will have 64-bit processors, LTE connectivity and also removable batteries, a rarity nowadays. Have a look at the rumored specifications below.

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Lumia Talkman
Lumia Cityman

Procesor
Snapdragon 808/810
Snapdragon 615/618/620

Memory
3GB
3GB

Storage
32GB
32GB

Display
5.2 Inches (1440 x 2560)
5.7 Inches (1440 x 2560)

Rear Camera
20MP
20MP

Front Camera
5MP
5MP

Battery
3000mAh
3300mAh

Windows 10 will bring lots of new features and the feature I would like to get my hands on the most in Windows 10 for Phone is Continuum. Once you connect a mouse and keyboard, or flip your laptop around, Windows will go into desktop mode. Apps return to desktop which are easier to move around with a mouse and you’ll see your desktop again.

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Top Smartphones You Should Look Out For In The 2nd Half Of 2019

2019 saw a whole bunch of smartphones that got us excited, bringing in new technologies and features. This includes devices from 2019’s first flagship, HONOR View20, to Samsung’s Galaxy S10 series, and not to forget the zoom capabilities of the HUAWEI P30 Pro. If you think that’s all what this year has to offer, then think again. Here’s a list (in no particular order) of smartphones that you should look out for in the second half of 2019.
Xiaomi Mi Mix 4
Xiaomi Mi Mix 3
Kicking off the list is Xiaomi’s Mi Mix 4. Last year was the year of the notch and Xiaomi overcame that trend by introducing the slider in their Mi Mix 3.  It’ll be interesting to see what the upcoming Mi Mix 4 has to offer. What is certain about the phone is it will feature a camera sensor that’s even better than Samsung’s 64MP ISOCELL Bright GW1, which was claimed by Wang Teng, Xiaomi’s Product Director. We presume that the sensor that he’s talking about comes from Samsung’s main competitor, Sony.
ASUS ROG Phone 2
ASUS ROG Phone 2
It’s not long until we see the successor to the gaming beast (for smartphones, at least) of 2018, the ROG Phone 2. To be exact, the gaming smartphone will be introduced officially on the 23rd of July 2019 in China.

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What’s to be excited about the ROG Phone 2? Though full specifications are yet to be confirmed, one thing’s for sure is that it’s display has a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. Seeing how the original ROG Phone came with a binned Snapdragon 845 chipset, we do expect the device to be packing the recently announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ SoC.
With a CPU and GPU boost over the already performing Snapdragon 855, it is sure to give mobile gamers something to be excited about.
Google Pixel 4
Google Pixel 4 render
Recent leaks reveal that the upcoming smartphone from Google will sport a design that’s rather unlike Google, where the Pixel 4 looks like it will come with a camera upgrade.
Pixel devices have been known to offer great camera quality despite them usually offering a single lens setup. This time around, it appears that Google has decided to add the lens count on the Pixel 4, where it is reported to come with a dual-camera setup at the back.
It will be interesting to see how much of an upgrade the extra lens will provide to the user’s experience. Though it’s more than likely that we won’t be able to see the phone be sold here officially, it’s still an exciting prospect of how well it could do.
Samsung Galaxy Note10
Leaked image of Samsung Galaxy Note10
This year’s Galaxy Note will see some massive changes. Following their Galaxy S10 design, it’s reported that the new Samsung Galaxy Note10 will come with a punch-hole camera on its display, where it sits just in the upper middle part of the screen.
As for the back, they’ve fitted in a triple-lens camera setup which resembles the HUAWEI P30 series’ design. If reports are true, the Galaxy Note10 won’t be coming with a Bixby button, which will certainly delight their fans. Of course, the Galaxy Note series is iconic for their S Pen. Seeing how far they’ve improved on the stylus over the years, it will be interesting to see if they offer any upgrades for it.
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 is set for an 8th of August 2019 launch, so we’ll probably learn more on the device as the date draws near.
HUAWEI Mate 30
HUAWEI Mate 20
Every year, we see HUAWEI launching two flagship series; the P-series and the Mate series. With the P30 series already taking the limelight earlier in the year, it’s soon to be the HUAWEI Mate 30 series’s turn to shine. There’s a whole bunch of leaks / renders of the new phone from HUAWEI.
With details of it still in the dark, we do expect the device to come with an upgrade for the chipset. Going by logic, it would be called Kirin 985 or Kirin 990. Seeing how long it has been since they’ve come up with a new SoC and the introduction of Snapdragon 855 in rival smartphones, they will definitely try to amp up their game in that department.
Other than that, it would be interesting to see what camera setup they will offer, seeing how their P30 Pro has one of the best cameras in the world of smartphones.
So if you’re on the lookout to purchasing a flagship smartphone this year, these are definitely some of the choices that you should check out, once they come out of course. Is there any smartphones that you think that deserves a spot on this list? Do let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT review — svelte gaming beast

Gaming machines are often big and chunky to accommodate the massive cooling systems needed to keep those high performance parts cool. Some manufacturers give us more portable gaming notebooks by working up feats of engineering to cram the powerful hardware and the necessary cooling into thinner bodies. Ladies and gentlemen, the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502 is a perfect example of such an attempt. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look.

Unboxing

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The ASUS ROG STRIX GL502 comes in a grey and black package, with the STRIX logo stylized colorfully. There isn’t any mention of the model name here, and we do hope this will be the only gaming laptop that will come out under the ASUS ROG STRIX series, or else there will be some real confusion later.

Opening up the box, the laptop is wrapped in a white fabric sleeve. The ROG emblem stares at you as you lift the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT out of the box. Pretty cool, as few products actually decorate the inner surfaces of their packaging. And since I really like the aggressive look of the ROG emblem, I do like seeing more of it.

Taking out the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT from the box, and under it there are a few compartments which stow the included ASUS ROG Sica gaming mouse as well as the usual documentation and power adapter. ASUS even included a cable tie to help you do some rudimentary cable management. Cool.

The charger is capable of supplying up to 180W of power, which is more than enough for the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT even when its running at full tilt. The power brick itself is quite chunky, but that is a sacrifice you have to make when you want it to be capable to to feed 180W of power.

This is the first laptop that I have unboxed with a mouse inside, and you can’t say that I am not excited to find one. It is actually quite basic, but how often do you find a gaming mouse bundled with your gaming laptop in the box? Nice touch ASUS, great to have a ROG mouse to match the ASUS ROG gaming laptop.

Appearance

Starting with the top lid, it is finished in black brushed aluminium, which is a real fingerprint magnet. As you can see in this image, there are quite a few fingerprints along the top edge too. It is not to say they aren’t removable, but they do take quite a lot of effort to buff fingerprints off the surface. Only to get them again the next time you touch the ASUS ROG GL502VT. Bummer. And I dare say you will touch it quite a lot as it felt pretty great to run my hand over the brushed aluminium finishing. The ASUS ROG logo and two accents are backlit, but even with the laptop off they have some kind of fluorescent characteristic, causing me some confusion when I first unboxed it.

The built-in keyboard is flanked by nice engraved lines that gives it a sleeker appearance compared to flat aluminium. The brushed aluminium finishing is continued here, which is quite a bad decision considering how easily it collects fingerprints. The WASD cluster on the keyboard is highlighted in bright orange, but in my opinion it makes it look cheap. They could have gone with the same color but a different texture on the keycaps if they really wanted to make it easier for gamers to find the WASD cluster. A gamer who has to look at his keyboard doesn’t deserve to be called a gamer.

On the under side, lines are engraved into the plastic cover, continuing the theme we saw on the surface surrounding the keyboard. The bottom cover actually seems to share its general look with the ASUS ROG G752‘s bottom cover but it doesn’t have the black glossy plastic panel. The rubber grips are quite sizeable and are bright orange. Little slits serve as vents to keep the innards cool. The bottom looks very cool too, but sadly I can’t see more of it when I was testing it. Perhaps I should get a glass table simply to be able to see more of this…

Just look at how thin this laptop is! It can almost qualify as an ultrabook in terms of thickness! ASUS also did a great job here by coloring the heatsinks orange, making for a very attractive look when viewed from the rear. This is not a view you as the user will get to enjoy, but at least you can make your friends go green with envy.

Along the front edge are three status LEDs, one each for the power status, battery status and HDD activity. I wonder why ASUS didn’t try to make this edge more interesting with grilles or more orange accents, as this is the view you see the most of anyway.

Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-6700HQ @ 2.6 GHz (up to 3.5 GHz Turbo Boost)

RAM
16GB (1 x 8GB SODIMM + 8GB on-board) 2133 MHz DDR4

GPU
Intel HD Graphics 530
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M 6GB GDDR5

Storage
256GB Sandisk X300 M.2 SATA3 SSD
1TB 5400RPM SATA3 HDD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
372.70 WHQL NVIDIA Game Ready Driver
ROG Gaming Center
ROG AudioWizard

Connectivity
Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 8260
Bluetooth 4.2
3 x USB 3.0
1 x USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type C (5 Gbps)
SD card reader

Display
15.6″ FHD IPS (1920 x 1080) anti-glare display
1 x HDMI
1 x mini Display Port

Audio
2 speakers by ASUS SonicMaster Premium Technology
1 x 3.5mm combo audio port

Power
180W AC adapter, 4-cell battery (non-removable)

Dimensions
390 x 266 x 23.5 mm

Weight
2.2kg

Performance
So we all know now that the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT is a svelte gaming notebook at 23.5mm. But it can’t be a true gaming laptop if all it does is look good. So let’s get down to performance.

The ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT features an M.2 SSD slot which supports M.2 PCIe SSDs, but the one we are testing was supplied with a M.2 SATA3 SSD. M.2 SATA3 SSDs are usually just as fast as 2.5″ SSDs, as the Transcend MTS800 256GB M.2 SATA3 SSD has proven, but sadly the one here is actually pretty slow. It was nice that ASUS packs a 256GB SSD in the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT, but the write speeds here are actually pretty dismal. Read speeds are fine though, and as read speeds influence the gaming experience more than write speeds, this is somewhat forgivable.

Does ASUS have a fetish with slow storage? This is one of the slowest hard disk drives I have tested. I made the mistake of installing my Steam games in the hard disk instead of loading them into the SSD, and I was the last person to load into a public game of DOTA 2. Considering that the other players most probably do not own a ROG laptop, this is totally unacceptable. How can we proudly proclaim to be a member of the Republic of Gamers when our system loads the game slower than non-ROG setups?

CPU performance is about normal for an Intel Core i7 6700HQ, and the cooling system kept it pretty cool.

NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 970M may not be the latest mobile GPU out there right now, but it is still a pretty capable little chip.

Starting off with the newest game in my library, Overwatch is not exactly graphically intensive but it is surely fun to play. At the native resolution, gameplay was quite bad, and tearing was apparent on the display. 1080p is where the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT is more comfortable at, delivering more than 60 fps for a proper gaming experience.

DOTA 2 is quite easy on the hardware, with even lower mid-range hardware capable of playable frame rates. The GTX 970M is capable of pushing a nice average of 53 fps at 4K, which is pretty playable actually. Not great, but playable. However the CPU began to throttle at 93°C, not really something I expected to see on an ASUS ROG laptop. Dropping the resolution to 1080p yields more than double the frame rate.

Yet another popular title which doesn’t really need that much graphics horsepower to play, the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT shows that the GTX 970M inside is quite capable of pushing playable frame rates even at 4K in CS:GO. At 1080p we get 153 fps, along with a serious reduction in temperatures for both the CPU and GPU.

The Witcher 3 is where the GTX 970M is barely capable of a good experience. With all the graphics turned up, it only delivered 24 fps. At 1080p. So don’t ask me why didn’t I test 4K, because I am not interested in sitting through a slideshow. I think we would need the next-gen Pascal notebook GPUs to be able to play this game on a notebook with all the graphics options turned on and also enjoy a smooth frame rate. Reducing the graphics should yield better results, but then this is a game that really deserves to be experienced in all its graphical glory.

After noticing that it throttled in DotA 2, I opened up the bottom cover. After removing all the screws, all I had to do was carefully pop off the fastening clips that hold the bottom cover together. The cooling system seems to be more than adequate with two heatpipes running from end to end with the dual fan system. ASUS’ claims their Hyper Cool Duo-Copper cooling system keeps the GPU and CPU cool independently, but it doesn’t seem effective enough. Maybe ASUS just didn’t manage enough of an engineering feat to pack a high performance GPU like the GTX 970M into a 23.5mm thin chassis?

User Experience
The premium aluminium build of the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT is great to look at and also caress when not doing anything. The lid does flex a little when you attempt to twist it, but it does not sink in like certain MSI laptops. Despite featuring a solid build, the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT is also the lightest gaming laptop I have reviewed at 2.2kg. This makes it pretty portable and considering the performance it packs, I can’t complain.

The ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT sports orange backlit keys, with a 1.6mm travel. Despite the colorful stylized STRIX text, the keyboard does not feature RGB backlighting. It also features a little nub on the W key to help you easily find the WASD cluster by touch. Typing on it was comfortable, but it doesn’t feel all that different from any other laptop’s keyboard. The keyboard also doesn’t heat up to uncomfortable levels during gaming, which is really great considering the temperatures we saw during the gaming tests. As you can see here, the power button is also a part of the keyboard, with the same tactile scissor switch as the other keys. The ROG key is a shortcut to the ROG Gaming Center overlay, which aims to enhance your gaming experience.

From here you get to check system information, set up hotkeys for faster in-game commands, adjust audio settings, or record gameplay, all from from a single dashboard. It looks really cool and also offers shortcuts to the other utilities like Splendid which allows you to adjust your display according to your usage, ROG Audio Wizard which is a great piece of software allowing for extensive tuning.

At first glance it doesn’t offer much, with the different modes offering a different sound signature to enhance your experience, but when you click that little gear up there in the right corner, what you get is a different ball game altogether.

With the ability to adjust every frequency you want, even applying high and low shelving, high pass or low pass modes. I didn’t spend too much time here, but I am very sure if I spent more time on this, I could get the perfect sound signature for my pair of headphones.

GameFirst IV is ASUS’ own network priority manager. This is done in-house, while most other manufacturers turn to Killer and their suite for this. You can apply speed limiters, set higher priorities to games and other software for a smoother online gaming experience.

Audio is pumped out of these little slits located on both sides of the laptop. Do not be fooled by their diminutive size, as the audio output is decent. While ASUS didn’t include a subwoofer, the lower frequencies are not totally non-existent.

Regarding the I/O, the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT offers up a nice variety. On the right, you get the round charger port, Gigabit LAN port, a mini DisplayPort, a HDMI port, a USB 3.0 Type-A port and also a Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 1 port that offers up to 5 Gbps bandwidth. This is not a ThunderBolt 3 port, so you won’t be able to add an external GPU.

Two more USB 3.0 ports are located on the right, flanked by a 3.5mm combo audio jack and a SD card reader. The Kensington slot is also here on the right. With everything ranging from a USB Type-C port to a mini DisplayPort, it is difficult to ask for more. Perhaps a USB Type-C port with support for the ThunderBolt 3 standard?

The 4K IPS display is pretty great, with deep colors and dark blacks. Wide viewing angles are standard on any IPS display, so we do not need to highlight it anymore. However as usual for 4K displays on Windows 10, you are bound to run into some kind of scaling issue.

Right here we have Dukto R6 and the ROG Armoury which is the driver software for the ROG Sica mouse that is bundled with the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT. Both have user interfaces that are unbearably small to use. While I understand this is neither ASUS’ nor Microsoft’s fault, 4K gaming really isn’t all that viable yet. Especially not on a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970M. It looks good when surfing and navigating through Windows, but that’s about it.

The ROG Sica gaming mouse is an ambidextrous gaming mouse. It is pretty basic in terms of features, with no side buttons or DPI switch button. The cable is non-braided while the USB connector is gold-plated.

The ROG emblem on its butt is illuminated in none other than the signature red of the brand. Mayan patterns adorn both sides of the mouse, offering aesthetics while being nice to touch as well. While it looks pretty basic on its outside, it actually sports easy-swap switch sockets to easily replace the Omron switches when they die out, or if you desire a different click sensation. The sensor is the pretty ubiquitous 5000 DPI PMW3310 optical sensor, that’s adjustable in increments of 50 DPI for fine-tuning your preferred sensitivity.

Despite the rather basic mouse, the ROG Armoury driver software is about as comprehensive as it gets, even allowing you to change the button assignment and customize the ROG emblem’s lighting too.

Conclusion
The ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT is a very appealing gaming laptop. Aside from the impractical 4K display and the limited cooling performance, it is actually perfect for those who need an actual portable gaming laptop and not a desktop replacement. While the storage built into our sample was some of the poorest we have seen, the ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT actually supports M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs, so if you really want more speed, you can go down that route. The ASUS ROG STRIX GL502VT has an SRP of RM6999, quite a sum considering it is now packing a past-gen GPU. Perhaps wait for the Pascal-refreshed GL502?

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Epic Games Store Founder Claims Rival Games Store Are “Fleecing” Developers

Now the Epic Games store critics are flocking here to grouse. But, fact is, the best goose games will be on EGS, while the stores they support continue to fleece developers.
— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) June 15, 2019

Epic Games Store has made waves since it first launched. At E3 2019, we saw its influence getting even bigger with the likes of Shenmue 3 being exclusive to their store, as we reported here. Not one to take things slowly or lightly, founder Tim Sweeney went on Twitter to make a rather controversial statement..
According to Tim Sweeney, game developers who are selling their games on digital marketplaces other than Epic Games Store are getting fleeced. In other words, the developers are taken advantage of and being overcharged with fees for the sale of their games.

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Tim Sweeney did not specifically mention any digital marketplaces in his tweet. However, it’s not hard to get an idea of who he might have directed that towards to. The most obvious one the jab is directed to Steam, as they’ve always made a point that they take a smaller cut of each sale compared to them. This could even be directed to GOG given that their customer base hasn’t been too happy with Epic Games.
Regardless, they’re certainly doubling down on exclusives for their platform, even if it’s just for a limited time. Some gamers aren’t happy about this, and would rather have it on Steam or just multiple marketplaces. Shenmue 3 was on the receiving end of such a backlash, as we reported here.
Things have certainly gotten very interesting since they’ve appeared, and we’re bound to hear more about this sooner rather than later.
Pokdepinion: There’s been quite a bit of hate on their digital marketplace, and this might just end up fueling it even more. To me, if developers can make a better living being on a particular store, I’m okay with that as long as customer support is good.
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Twisted Metal Might Make a Comeback on the PS5

Twisted Metal was a popular gaming franchise in the 90s and early 2000s. The vehicular combat game was rather innovative for its time but suddenly, it faded in popularity and just disappeared within the gaming landscape. Soon, it might just make a comeback on the PS5.
Twisted Metal PS5 Comeback?

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Initially reported by VGC, it appears that Sony has signed off on the development of a new Twisted Metal game on the PS5. It’s said to be a reboot that will be worked on by UK-based Lucid Games, the same studio behind Destruction AllStars.
If true, this will be the first Twisted Metal game since the 2012 reboot on the PlayStation 3. From what we know thus far, this game will be free-to-play, and follow a similar route to how Destruction AllStars turned out.
This might not inspire a lot of confidence in gamers as Destruction AllStars had subpar reviews in general, with the common theme here being a lack of depth. With that being said however, perhaps the studio would take what they learned and do a better job with this Twisted Metal reboot.
For now, nothing has been confirmed yet. If it’s true, it may be a PS5-exclusive game, but there’s also a good chance it could still launch on the PS4 as well so more gamers can hop on board. We will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
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Pokdepinion: Personally, I’m on the fence on this one. I’m not too confident on how well the game will turn out, but I’m at least willing to give it a try.
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Grab Malaysia Offers Senior Citizens Discounted Rides To Get Vaccinated

The folks at Grab Malaysia has recently announced of their support to help senior citizens to travel to and from authorized vaccination centres nationwide where they are offering Grab ride promos of up to RM8 off 4 rides.
Grab Malaysia offers Grab Ride discount for senior citizens to get vaccine

The offer is for citizens who are aged 60 and above and of course, Grab users. It will be available to use starting from the 12th of June 2021.

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It is one of their initiative to support the government’s National COVID-19 Immunisation Program, where Grab will be working closely with the Ministry of Science, Technology & Innovation (MOSTI) and COVID-19 Immunisation Special Task Force to ensure that all points of interest at vaccination centres are available on the Grab app.
In order to use the offer, you will need to follow these steps:

Register for a Grab account and verify your age on GrabPay by 8 June 2021 (users will need to complete their KYC registration)
On the appointment day, book a Grab ride (open to all ride types) by entering the vaccination centre location
Copy and paste the promo code from your inbox into the “offer” tab
Promo will also be applicable for all payment methods
Upon completing their vaccination, users can then book a Grab ride from the vaccination centre to their homes

Be sure to register your Grab account and verify your age on GrabPay by 7th of June 2021 in order to receive the code too.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: This is definitely helpful for those who can’t drive anymore. It would be even better if this was also offered to OKU citizens as well so that more can easily get vaccinated. If you know someone who’s eligible for the offer, don’t forget to tell them about it!
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Get free games when you buy AMD Radeon RX cards with the Raise the Game Fully Loaded bundle!

AMD launched the “Raise the Game Fully Loaded” bundle, giving gamers a chance to enjoy upcoming titles for free when they buy a new AMD Radeon RX card or AMD Radeon RX-powered PC. And they are not the casual indie games, but real AAA titles.
The “Raise the Game Fully Loaded” bundle includes Resident Evil 2, Devil May Cry 5 and Tom Clancy’s The Division 2. None of these games are available yet, but you will get them once they are released. Meanwhile, you will receive a coupon code with your new Radeon RX graphics card, which you can add to your AMD Rewards account.
ROG Strix RX Vega64 OC Edition
If you purchase a new Radeon RX Vega or Radeon RX 590, you will be able to receive all three games, which is worth a total of $180 (~RM753). If you purchase the Radeon RX 580 or Radeon RX 570 cards, you can pick any two games from the bundle, which will sum up to $120 (~RM502).

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Considering that a new ROG Strix Radeon RX 580 8GB can be gotten for just RM1239, the games are a very nice bonus, especially if you are a fan of all three franchises. Will you be picking up a new AMD Radeon RX card in the near future?
For more information, head over to AMD’s landing page.
Pokdepinion: AMD is really supporting gamers with free games!
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ZOTAC Announces Additional RTX 4060 Lineup With Two New Models

During the initial announcement made for the RTX 4060 Ti launch back in mid-May, ZOTAC has first unveiled the sole RTX 4060 model, the single-fan RTX 4060 SOLO. Today the Hong Kong-based company has revealed two additional models under the RTX 4060 8GB lineup. Aside from the SOLO model, ZOTAC is releasing the new RTX 4060 Twin Edge OC White Edition and an overclocked Spider-man: Across The Spider-Verse bundle.

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As the single-fan model, SOLO will only occupy 163mm of length and two slots (39.5mm) making it compatible with virtually all cases, and even SFF (small form-factor) builds with its compact footprint. It will not feature any factory overclocks, with its boost clock set at 2460MHz – this model will remain as the only MSRP model of the lineup when it launches in June 29.

Meanwhile, the Twin Edge OC White Edition features the highest overclock in the RTX 4060 8GB lineup, though it’s merely a +30MHz bump making it boosting up to 2490MHz. The hardware is otherwise identical – though the cooler is now a dual-fan design measuring 221.4mm in length and grows slightly thicker at 43.1mm, still within the 2-slot thickness territory.

Finally, the OC Spider-man edition of the card gets a paltry +15MHz clock bump and a slightly different size at 222.3 mm x 116.8 mm x 41.4 mm. Aside from special shroud designs, you get Ztorm Figurine blind box, themed fan emblems and special decals accompanied with installation guide to turn your PC into a Spider-man inspired build.
All models is set to go on sale in 29th June, following NVIDIA’s global release date – pricing is not yet known for the OC models however. Local availability may vary, the company notes.
Pokdepinion: There seems to be very little overclocking potential for the chip, though it’s a bit of a lost art in GPU scene these days.
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Xiaomi Showcases Redmi Y3’s Durability By Kicking It Down The Stairs

Redmi is bound to introduce their new mid-range smartphone, the Redmi Y3, which comes with a 32MP front camera, a first from the brand. To hype things up for the device, it seems that Mi India has released a video on their official Twitter account to show how durable the phone is by kicking it down the stairs.

How about the build quality? See it for yourself. Will you drop your phone like that? #32MPSuperSelfie arriving on 24-04-2019. pic.twitter.com/rYOguJazj3
— Mi India #Mi10i is Here! (@XiaomiIndia) April 20, 2019

Set to be released in India on the 24th of April 2019, the video shows the device being kept in a trash can (covered with tape) and sees it being kicked down the stairs. Despite the phone appears to be functional after the drop, it’s not certain that its body wasn’t left without a mark, due to the distance.
This isn’t the first time that Xiaomi/Redmi did a durability test such as this. Previously they did one with the Redmi Note 7, where a similar test was uploaded and even the phone was used as a skateboard.

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The Redmi Y3 seems like it has a similar rear to the Mi 9’s Ocean Blue color variant. Reportedly, the Redmi Y3 comes with a Snapdragon 625 and packs 3GB RAM. Straight out of the box, the phone will run on MIUI 10, based on Android 9.0 Pie. Under the hood is a 4000mAh battery to power up the device. Main highlight of the phone is sure to be the 32MP selfie camera, which is fitted in a waterdrop notch.
Pokdepinion: The last time they promoted the durability of a device, remember what happened to the Redmi Note 7..?
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