Will the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8 get the One UI update?

Well, after we published news of Samsung abandoning their older flagships, we actually saw several international news sites reporting that Samsung has confirmed that the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8 will be receiving the One UI update too. That’s in stark contrast to the confirmation provided to Tom’s Guide (which has since updated their article too). So we reached out to representatives from Samsung Malaysia regarding the issue.

Apparently, there is no official statement from Samsung, and all the information floating around are probably mere hearsay. We do believe that Samsung wouldn’t abandon their 2017 flagships so quickly, considering that it would probably be easier to just offer One UI to them too. However there is always the off chance that Samsung might just say that the older hardware cannot support the experience which One UI is designed to deliver. Or something like that.

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On the bright side, the representative from Samsung Malaysia we reached out to did assure us that they will offer a solid confirmation by early next year. So for those of you still using the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy Note8, keep your fingers crossed. The new UI looks absolutely amazing, and it would really suck if you guys get left out.
Pokdepinion: So now that this entire situation is in a state of limbo, we can only hope that the update does include yesteryear’s flagships. When it will arrive is a whole different matter together though.
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Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Japan Edition Now Available In Malaysia

The folks at Garmin Malaysia has today launch their new Forerunner 245 Music Japan Edition, which comes in limited quantities.
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Japan Edition
Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Japan Edition now in Malaysia
The Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Japan Edition features a Japanese aesthetic (not surprising) and comes with exclusive serial number plate engraved on the caseback. There’s only 100 units of them so you can imagine how exclusive they are.
For its design, it combines Mount Fuji with the sun disc of the Japanese flag.

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The launch of Forerunner 245 Music Japan Edition recognizes the hard-work and hours athletes have spent working on themselves. The Forerunner 245 Music Japan Edition celebrates every single breakthrough and records the legend you become. This limited edition smartwatch is perfect for Malaysians who want to keep an active lifestyle while having a taste of Japanese aestheticsIvan Ong, Senior Manager of Aeco Technologies Sdn Bhd.
Other than the design, it features ‘advanced running dynamics’, GPS, customizable training plans from Garmin Coach, as well as additional monitoring innovations. Adding to that, they claim that it can support up to 6 hours of music streaming.
If you are interested in the Garmin Forerunner 245 Music Japan Limited Edition, it retails at the price of RM1,799.
Pokdepinion: I really like the color scheme but that price though…
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POCOPHONE F1 is official in Malaysia — pricing starts from RM1237!

The most affordable Snapdragon 845 smartphone is in town! The POCOPHONE F1 which was just launched in markets other than India today is also going to be available in Malaysia starting this 30th August. Pricing starts from a ridiculously low price of RM1237 too before SST.
The Snapdragon 845 with LiquidCool Technology is mated to 6GB LPDDR4x RAM and 128GB UFS 2.1 storage. Keeping the device up and running is a 4000 mAh battery which features QuickCharge 3.0 support.

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The 12MP + 5MP dual camera setup may not be as fancy as the other flagships in the market, but given its affordable price tag, you might still find it very interesting. The front facing 20MP camera is also coupled with infrared facial recognition technology for seamless security.

The POCOPHONE F1 runs a customized version of MIUI with optimizations to deliver a quicker and more fluid user experience. It is also confirmed to receive Android 9 Pie in the future, so you can rest assured about that.

Pricing starts from RM1237 for the 6GB + 64GB variant, while the 6GB + 128GB variant will come in at RM1428. It will be come in Graphite Black and Steel Blue. Prices will swell to RM1299 and RM1499, respectively after 10th September with the implementation of SST.
There will also be a special promotion at the new Mid Valley Authorized Mi Store on this 30th August. The first 200 customers will receive a free Mi Sports Bluetooth Earphones worth RM93 and a game holder! Or you can go there and try out the device too before you buy it!
Are you interested in the POCOPHONE F1? We know we are!
Pokdepinion: It just offers insanely good value!
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[SPOILERS] Genshin Impact: More Details on Alice and New Lore for Klee

One of the characters that drew a lot of interests from gamers in Genshin Impact is Alice given her mysterious nature. While it doesn’t seem like miHoYo plans on expanding on her anytime soon, we did learn something new about her and Klee.
Genshin Impact Alice And Klee Lore

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Before proceeding, the following will contain spoilers from the Midsummer Island Adventure. If you haven’t finished that yet and would like to be free of spoilers, stop reading right now. Otherwise, continue onwards.
For those of you who aren’t aware, Alice is a famous adventurer in Teyvat, rumoured to have already explored all 7 regions from Monstadt to Snezhnaya while writing her impressions of places in the Teyvat Travel Guides. If that sounds familiar, that’s because it’s same travel guide you and Paimon are collecting.
During Mona’s Story Quest Act I, we learned that Alice is friends with Mona’s astrology master for about 50 years now, which easily puts her in that 50 – 60 year age range. She wouldn’t appear old as she might not be human, which might be able to tell from Klee’s elf-like ears.
Apart from that, she is said to be an important member of Hexenzirkel, a group of witches and why many speculated that she will appear in a witch outfit. While her current location is unknown, she left Klee (her daughter) with the Knights of Favonius before journeying out with her husband 3 years prior to the game’s current events. Alice is also the one who explained the concept of Japanese idols to Barbara.

As for the new lore for Klee, which also extends to Alice, we get a confirmation that both Klee and Alice are elves so they live far longer than humans. It’s also claimed that Alice regularly goes back to Monstadt unnoticed in order to check on Klee and the others. This suggests that she may have the ability to teleport or a similar travel-based skill.
Alice also mentions “Golden Apple Archipelago”, a reference to a popular story she heard in another world. Given that the protagonists were from a different world to begin with, it wouldn’t be a stretch to believe that she, along with other powerful characters, has the ability to travel to other worlds as well.
Genshin Impact is currently available for free on the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Android, iOS, and PC. A Nintendo Switch version will be coming sometime soon.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s quite interesting how you can dig up a lot of details about a character despite the game not telling you directly about it. It certainly does seem like she will be heavily tied to the main storyline at one point or another, and I can’t wait to see how it will turn out.
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HUAWEI MateBook 13 Review — it isn’t just about hardware

Introduction

HUAWEI’s entry into the laptop scene in Malaysia was pretty recent, but they have made pretty good progress. The HUAWEI MateBook X Pro and HUAWEI MateBook D were the first laptops they brought in to Malaysia, and they sold pretty well. This year, along with the HUAWEI P30 series, they brought in the HUAWEI MateBook 13, which is an ultraportable laptop that has an ace up its sleeve. Let’s check it out.
Unboxing

The packaging of the HUAWEI MateBook 13 is as simple as they come. A simple cardboard box with an image of the HUAWEI MateBook 13 and HUAWEI logo is all you get.

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Inside the box it’s equally minimalist. You get the laptop, a USB-C cable and a USB-C charger which is capable of delivering up to 65W to charge the HUAWEI MateBook 13 and a USB-C to USB-A dongle. The charger can also recharge your smartphone with up to 18W Quick Charge 3.0, so you can actually save some luggage space by not having to carry additional chargers for your smartphone. It doesn’t support HUAWEI SuperCharge though, so if you use a recent HUAWEI device, you will still need a separate charger if you want to enjoy faster charging speed than 18W QC 3.0. Ironic, I know.
Appearance

The Lotus Flower logo is the only thing on the aluminium lid of the HUAWEI MateBook 13. There isn’t much to talk about when it comes to the lid. I dig the gunmetal grey color (Space Grey, in HUAWEI, and fruity speak) and sandblasted finish, but really, it’s really simplistic here.

HUAWEI made good use of the HUAWEI MateBook 13’s footprint. The HUAWEI MateBook 13’s keyboard doesn’t have a numpad, but the keys are pushed right to the edges, just like how the screen is. There is very minimal bezels all around the display, even on the bottom edge. Many a laptop manufacturer tries to cheap out with thick bezels at the bottom and narrow ones around the top and sides, but not HUAWEI. Also, the webcam is in its usual position, so you won’t need to worry about showing off your multiple chins in a video call.

The keyboard layout is clearly very strongly inspired by a certain fruity tech brand. It does come with white backlighting, so you won’t have to fumble with it in the dark. The trackpad here is huge, which should be a boon for users who don’t carry a mouse with them. The HUAWEI Share sticker on the lower right corner is going to be quite useful, and we will talk about that later.

On the bottom of the laptop is where you will find the speaker grilles and also the intake vents. Four thick rubber feet raise the HUAWEI MateBook 13 well above any hard surface you place it on, giving the speakers and also the fans more breathing room. The Windows 10 and NVIDIA stickers are placed upon yet another sticker, so you can easily remove them if you think that they are messing up the minimal aesthetics of the HUAWEI MateBook 13.

Given that the HUAWEI MateBook 13 exhausts from vents situated between the main body and the screen, the HUAWEI MateBook 13 has no unsightly marring the sides and back of the laptop. This is also the only place in the HUAWEI MateBook 13’s frame which is made of plastic. HUAWEI designed the HUAWEI MateBook 13 with a aluminium lid, bottom and palm rest, but a plastic frame to keep costs lower. For a full-aluminium build, you would have to look at the more premium HUAWEI MateBook X Pro.
Overall the HUAWEI MateBook 13 is quite clearly inspired by a certain other M**Book. It looks quite good, that’s undeniable. It might not be the most original of designs, but then again, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, no?
Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-8565U @ 1.8 GHz (up to 4.6 GHz Turbo Boost)

RAM
8GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3 (soldered on-board)

GPU
Intel UHD 620
NVIDIA GeForce MX150 2GB GDDR5 (25W)

Storage
512GB WD PC SN720 M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
HUAWEI Share
HUAWEI PC Manager
HUAWEI Display Manager

Connectivity
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 WiFi 802.11ac Wave2 (Up to 1733 Mbps)
Bluetooth 5.0
2 x USB-C (USB 3.0) ports

Display
13″ 3:2 2K (2160 x 1440) IPS panel, 88% screen-to-body ratio, 100% sRGB, Windows HD Color support (HDR videos ready)
DisplayPort over USB-C (left USB-C port)

Audio
2 x speakers, Dolby Atmos
2 x built-in microphone
1 x 3.5mm combo jack

Power
65W USB-C power adapter
42 WHr Li-Ion battery

Dimensions
286 x 211 x 14.9 mm

Weight
1.28 kg

Performance

Storage speeds are blazing fast, which is a given considering how it packs a top-of-the-line PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD with 64-layer 3D NAND. Kudos to HUAWEI for not skimping on storage with PCIe 3.0 x2 NVMe SSDs, or God forbid, QLC SSDs.

Single-core performance is pretty stellar, given the strong single-core boost clocks. Multi-core performance isn’t nearly as rosy, but with it having 2/3 the cores and threads, the performance is really in line with the hardware on hand.

In Superposition, the HUAWEI MateBook 13 doesn’t do all that great. Keep in mind that it only sports an NVIDIA GeForce MX150, so you aren’t going to break any benchmark records or play the latest AAA titles with this machine.

Same case in Time Spy here. You will get by pretty well in simple games like DOTA 2 or CS:GO at 1080p, but if you want to play more graphically intensive games, you might find the GeForce MX150 shorthanded. Do use a cooler though as the Intel Core i7 8565U and GeForce MX150 can get quite toasty in this slim form factor, with the former going up to 92°C during our short Cinebench run.
What it doesn’t offer in raw horsepower, it makes up for it in endurance. Battery life on this thing is pretty good, with less than 20% of battery drained in 30 minutes of me working on this article. This was on the Better Performance power profile, with the display and keyboard backlighting set to 50% brightness, so you can probably eke even more battery life out of the HUAWEI MateBook 13 if you are willing to tone down the performance and brightness even further.
User Experience

Now let’s get down to actually using the HUAWEI MateBook 13 as a laptop for productivity. HUAWEI has integrated a fingerprint scanner into the power button. So if you want, you can press it to power on and just leave your finger there for it to scan and unlock. Probably no one would do that, unless you are waking the HUAWEI MateBook 13 from sleep, because then it would make sense as in that case it will be ready in just a second. Not to say this thing boots slowly though, because it does boot ridiculously fast. Just, not fast enough for me to keep my finger on the sensor the whole time. The fingerprint scanner is about as accurate as you would expect from a smartphone, and that’s saying a lot for a laptop’s fingerprint scanner. Speaking of keeping my fingers on the HUAWEI MateBook 13, the keyboard is quite comfortable to type on. Not MSI GS65-comfortable, but good enough. It could probably do with a pinch more tactility, but this is definitely fine.

I really love the display on the HUAWEI MateBook 13. It’s probably the sharpest and most vibrant laptop display I have seen this year. The slim bezels are really nice to have, and the only thing I can complain about the display here is that it has a glass cover but yet it doesn’t support touch. I know that a glossy finish helps when color accuracy and sharpness are prioritized, but it does make it hard to use when in areas with strong lighting behind you, i.e. outdoors. If you are using it indoors, the display looks fantastic, perfect for media enjoyment. The speakers on the HUAWEI MateBook 13 is also surprisingly good, so you don’t particularly need headphones to enjoy headphones. Just make sure that you aren’t forcing the people nearby to enjoy it with you though, because they can go pretty loud.
So since it doesn’t have touch, you will have to navigate Windows with the sizeable trackpad. Truth be told, the trackpad could probably do with some improvement. It does have excellent palm rejection, but when you use a second finger on the clicker and one finger to move the pointer around, tracking will be affected. If you only use one finger and double tap like a sane person should, it works perfectly fine. The area around the trackpad can get pretty warm. In fact, the whole palm rest area around the keyboard can get quite warm. The underside of the laptop heats up considerably as well, so I wouldn’t recommend using the HUAWEI MateBook 13 on your lap too frequently for extended periods of time. One of the drawbacks of packing so much performance into this slim form factor, I guess.
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While I enjoyed my experience using the HUAWEI MateBook 13 quite a bit, the lack of ports is really quite irksome. I personally prefer using a mouse rather than the trackpad, so I needed the USB-C to USB-A dongle. Now with a mouse in one of the two USB ports, I needed to connect my card reader… Aaaaaaaaand I m out of USB dongles. I know that this can be solved pretty easily but I really hope Windows laptops never go down the dongle route because it is really annoying. Also, why didn’t HUAWEI just embed a card reader into the HUAWEI MateBook 13? Probably because HUAWEI smartphones have awesome cameras which can replace DSLRs?

I would avoid commenting on that here, but if you are using a HUAWEI smartphone, the HUAWEI Share feature on the HUAWEI MateBook 13 makes transferring images a real breeze. Forget Dukto or any other third party software to help you transfer files over WiFi. HUAWEI Share is so well integrated into HUAWEI smartphones and the HUAWEI MateBook 13 that a single tap can transfer files to and fro between the devices seamlessly. It can even do screen recording from the laptop to the phone, which makes it a pretty amazing way to collaborate with people using IM apps on your smartphone without having to open up clunky web interfaces to do it.

HUAWEI Share is probably the most interesting innovation to be added to a laptop in recent years, and we definitely look forward to other manufacturers following suit. HUAWEI is probably in the best position to do it though, given that they make their own smartphones and laptops. All you need is a smartphone with NFC running EMUI 9/Magic UI 2.0 and above, and it will work. HUAWEI should definitely invest more time refining the software on their laptops and smartphone, since they have gotten most of the hardware on the HUAWEI MateBook 13 right.
Conclusion
The HUAWEI MateBook 13 is a pretty impressive laptop. But unlike our previous reviews where we were usually smitten by a laptop’s hardware, what makes the HUAWEI MateBook 13 amazing isn’t the hardware, but the software which makes it unique. HUAWEI Share is really quite amazing in practice, and while you will need a HUAWEI device to use it, let’s face it. HUAWEI makes some pretty cool smartphones too. If you have a HUAWEI smartphone and you are in the market for a nice ultraportable, the HUAWEI MateBook 13 might just fit your bill. After all, it isn’t that expensive with a starting price of just RM3999. Our unit here costs RM4399, but all you are getting is a bit more storage and a Core i7 8565U instead of the Core i5 8265U powering the more affordable variant. I would pick the Core i5 variant over this any day though, as that already has more than enough oomph for anything I need to do.

Now, there are a number of key drawbacks when considering this laptop though. You will need dongles, USB hubs and also a laptop sleeve if you are planning on using this as your mobile productivity PC. The HUAWEI MateBook 13 can get toasty, which points at the cooling system being somewhat inadequate. The sleeve will come in handy not only to protect the HUAWEI MateBook 13, but also to insulate your precious family jewels from the heat of this laptop. Speaking of which, why didn’t HUAWEI include one in the pouch? Most premium laptops I have reviewed came with one. All in all, the HUAWEI MateBook 13 is deserving of our Silver PokdeWard for the premium-albeit-derivative design, good performance and impressive software features.

Our thanks to HUAWEI Malaysia for provisioning a unit of the HUAWEI MateBook 13 for our review purposes.
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Corsair RMx Shift PSU Puts Its Connectors Sideways For Unique Case Layouts

The unique ATX 3.0 PSU was leaked on Twitter with its entire design and layout revealed all-around.
Corsair RMx series PSUs. Image: @Momomo_us
Courtesy of leaker @Momomo_us, the images of Corsair’s RMx “Shift” series was revealed with its connectors placed on its side, rather than the rear like the conventional designs. The leaker also revealed a few specifications and models available, which include 850, 1000 and 1200 watts. All models will come with 140mm fluid dynamic bearing fan, ATX 3.0 standard and 80 PLUS Gold certification.

🏴☠SHIFT pic.twitter.com/HLyAMPJEfx
— 188号 (@momomo_us) January 11, 2023

Given its name it is likely to be based on existing RM series, this model is more for SFF or special cases that can’t fit the usual placement without at least some kind of re-engineering on their cases. That said, it’ll work on regular cases with a few exceptions: assuming its upright installation layout, the connectors will be facing on the right side panel (behind motherboards). If installed on a conventional case, that leaves no room for connectors to fit, hence Corsair is said to be designing a right-angle micro-fit connector to alleviate such issues.

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Corsair RM1200x Shift PSU shown. Image: @Momomo_us
Weirdly though, the PSU will not come with a dedicated 16-pin 12VHPWR connector built-in. That means you’ll need to use whatever adapter that comes with your GPU if you wish to use any RTX 40 series GPUs – which may be a bit of a pain point for PC builders looking for less cable footprint. The timing of this PSU seems to coincide with various manufacturers releasing their own take of DIY-APE based designs from ASUS, which aims to hide all cables behind the visible area of the case. Could this PSU be part of the move to eliminate front-side cables in PCs? Time will tell.
Source: Tom’s Hardware | Momomo_us (Twitter)
Pokdepinion: Not having 12VHPWR for a PSU designed for odd case layouts (or even SFFs) seems like a weird design choice…
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Western Digital successfully develops 64-layer 3D NAND technology

SSD prices have been gradually dropping, and manufacturers are going towards 3D NAND to further drive prices down with higher density per chip. To that end, Western Digital has announced their success at developing their next generation 3D NAND technology, BiCS3, with 64 layer of vertical storage capability.

BiCS3 will feature TLC technology for high capacity at attractive costs. BiCS3 was developed in partnership with Toshiba, and will be initially be deployed in 256Gb (32GB) capacities, with plans for up to 512Gb (64GB) per chip. Western Digital aims to ship BiCS3 chips for retail markets in Q4 2016, with OEM sampling to begin this quarter.

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Pokdepinion: Even cheaper SSDs coming? Yay!
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Genting Arena of Stars Now Using L-Acoustics K2 Sound System – Taking Audio To The Next Level

Genting Arena of Stars Now Using L-Acoustics K2 Sound System

There are a wide number of languages being used in this world, but music is said to be a universal language that transcends that barrier. At the Resorts World Genting Arena of Stars, there are plenty of musical performance that happen every month. To take that to the next level, Resorts World Genting has installed a new state-of-the-art sound system known as the L-Acoustics K2.
The L-Acoustics K2 sound system is said to have a rather meticulous installation method as it underwent plenty of planning to ensure the best possible performance at the Arena of Stars. It consists of four K2 array clusters (two 12-box arrays at the front, and two 10-box arrays at the sides), four stacks of L-Acoustics K1-SB subwoofers, and eight KARA enclosures placed in line with KS-28 subwoofers, driven by four LA4X and twenty LA12X amplified controllers.

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The result? It allows the sound from musical performances to be projected outwards to the audience with pinpoint precision, heart-thumping bass, and sounds that fill the arena evenly in all areas. All of this together without any feedback, reflection nor dead spaces no matter where the listener is.

However, the sheer number of equipment isn’t the only thing that makes installation a meticulous process. As they had to utilize the existing infrastructure in the Arena of Stars, they utilized a computer software called L-Acoustics Soundvision to map out the entire arena and optimize the placement and setting so every single part of it will have an uncompromising audio experience.

According to Faz Salleh, Senior Consultant for Pro Audio Solutions at Sennheiser, he mentioned that while this mapping program cannot be proven to be 100% accurate and can’t given an exact figure either, it is certainly much more accurate than humanly possible. They have continued using that program to optimize the experience for various situations and it has not even come close to failing.
In case you didn’t know, the L-Acoustics K2 is the same sound system utilized in international music festivals like Tomorrowland and Coachella. It is also apparently a popular choice among top touring artists such as Adele, Pink, and Jacky Cheung. When compared to the K1, it is said to have the same level of performance despite the noticeably smaller footprint.

The Arena of Stars is said to have eight international concerts and eight corporate events every month, according to Vice President of Promotions and Entertainment for Resorts World Genting Kevin Tann. Given their success over the years, they wanted to give back to customers with a new and improved sound system that virtually anyone can appreciate during these performances.
Simply put, if you’re planning on visiting the Arena of Stars at Resorts World Genting for a performance moving forward, get ready to enjoy a brand new sound system that will blow you away.
Pokdepinion: While I personally enjoyed listening to the L-Acoustics K2 sound system, I believe the arena requires some adjustments for further optimizations. A particular one I had in mind is better sound isolation. During my demo session, there was no carpet on the floor nor any noticeable padding around the arena. It could take something good to even greater heights.
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Super Mario Run is Now Available on Android; It’s Free…Sort Of

Super Mario Run, the Mario game for casuals if a Mario game wasn’t casual enough already.
Not too long ago in an Apple Keynote event, we saw Nintendo’s own Shigeru Miyamoto appearing on stage. Many were wondering what such a man was doing on stage in an Apple event. Well, he was announced a brand new Mario game that was exclusive to the iOS.
Well, it was exclusive at the time. Now, Super Mario Run is finally available on Android!

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Super Mario Run Officially Available for Android

We’ve released #SuperMarioRun on Android a bit early! Download it now on Google Play: https://t.co/u4H9bycTyr pic.twitter.com/4nHnPWD9de
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) March 22, 2017

The casual Mario game that was available for iOS in December is finally here on Android. We’re all familiar with how Mario games work. You traverse in a 2D landscape, moving from left to right, collecting items like coins and power-ups, and then proceed to finish the level.
This time around, Mario moves automatically, and you tap on the screen to initiate actions. Yes, never would I have thought that the Mario game could be even more of a casual game.
Like the iOS version, Super Mario Run on Android is a free download that comes with a trial of the World Tour, Toad Rally, and Kingdom Builder modes, with courses 1-1 to 1-4 available for free. The full game is available through a single in-app purchase of RM39.90, and unlike Fire Emblem: Heroes, there are no micro-transactions.
Playing Super Mario Run on the NVIDIA Shield is awkward as heck.
Keep in mind that this game runs in Portrait mode, so if you’re gaming on an Android device that constantly displays in Landscape mode like the NVIDIA Shield, prepare yourself for an awkward gaming session. Or, you can just do that in private so no one will judge your life choices.
If you want to give it a try, go search for Super Mario Run on Google Play Store or click here. Just be sure not to play this while you’re driving or in the middle of something important.

Pokdepinion: While having an official Mario game on a mobile platform was surprising enough for me since Nintendo has always been against bringing their iconic plumber to platforms outside of their own, Super Mario Run isn’t really my kind of game. A standard Mario game on mobile would have been much better but oh well. I’m aware that there are a decent number of people who enjoy this kind of game. Now, more people have access to it…just that it’s not completely free of charge.
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Accelerate your computing with these AMD Ryzen 5000-powered laptops!

The latest AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series mobile processors come with not only improved performance, but also enhanced efficiency, which are exactly what you want in a laptop. If you are hunting for a new laptop, you might want to keep an eye out for these deals that are available from now until 11th September from GLOO.
Why get an AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series laptop?
Laptops powered by the AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series processors offer up to 8 cores and 16 threads, which provide plenty of performance to tackle your everyday tasks, and beyond that as well. With a nippy boost algorithm that can go from idle to high performance clocks in just 2ms, Ryzen 5000 series processors provide laptops with amazing responsiveness when you need it.

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Being able to ramp up clocks and go back to idle quick allows the laptops to run at lower clocks more often, conserving power when you aren’t needing all that performance, thus extending the battery life of your laptop. AMD developed the AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series mobile processors for just about every kind of laptop, from productivity-oriented ultraportables all the way up to full-fledged gaming machines.
Which AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series laptop to get?
We have here several laptops that are powered by the latest AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series mobile processors, which are featured in GLOO’s 9.9 sales.
HP Omen Laptop 15 – RM5299

The HP Omen Laptop 15-en1000AX is a great example of a gaming laptop powered by the AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series mobile processors. It packs an AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600H, a potent 6-core, 12-thread CPU that delivers up to 4.2GHz boost clocks. On the graphics side we get the GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU, which is a pretty potent graphics solution, offering all the latest features like hardware-accelerated raytracing and also AI upscaling.

While it packs a lot under the hood, the HP Omen Laptop 15 is still relatively portable with its 2.37kg weight and 22.9mm thickness. GLOO will be throwing in a free HP Omen Backpack to help you bring all that performance with you everywhere you go.
HP Pavilion Aero Laptop 13 – RM3399

If you desire more portability, the HP Pavilion Aero Laptop 13 might be right up your alley. It touts a 13.3″ display, which might sound small, but this is a 16:10 display, versus your 16:9 screens you find in most laptops. This offers more viewing space than usual, letting you work efficiently when on the go, while still keeping a small footprint.

Speaking of working efficiently, the HP Pavilion Aero Laptop 13’s AMD Ryzen™ 5 5600U is very efficient, featuring a TDP of just 15W, while still giving you 6 cores and 12 threads. What this means is that you will get to enjoy really good multitasking performance, while still getting great battery life out of the HP Pavilion Aero Laptop 13. The HP Pavilion Aero Laptop 13 comes with a free HP Backpack and also a pre-installed copy of Microsoft Office Home & Student.
Lenovo V14 G2 ALC – RM2199

If a more affordable machine is what you are looking for, the Lenovo V14 G2 ALC is a great option as well. Featuring a standard 14″ HD display, the Lenovo V14 G2 ALC is really portable, without breaking the bank. The processor under the hood is the AMD Ryzen™ 3 5300U, which is a 4-core, 8-thread processor that is right up there with the flagship processors from the competition.
Memory and storage is pretty limited out of the box, with just 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. However the Lenovo V14 G2 ALC Laptop has a DDR4 SO-DIMM slot, as well as M.2 PCIe 3.0 x4 2242 SSD and 2.5″ HDD support, so you always have the option to upgrade your laptop if you find yourself needing more RAM or storage. The Lenovo V14 G2 ALC will come with a free backpack during GLOO’s 9.9 sale.
Other AMD Ryzen™-powered options available too!
Aside from the three AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series mobile processors above, GLOO is also running promotions on several other AMD Ryzen™-powered laptops from VAIO and Dell. These feature the AMD Ryzen™ 3000 series processors, which are still very good options in 2021. You can check them out down below:

All of the above laptops are available right now on GLOO. You can head on over to Lazada to buy them, or find out more about them on GLOO via the links below:
Check them out on Lazada
Find out more about AMD Ryzen™ laptops on GLOO
Pokdepinion: Probably one of the best times to get an AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series gaming laptop, as universities are set to reopen soon.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 VS Galaxy Z Flip3 – Which Is The Right Foldable For You?

Recently, we reviewed both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3. They are the newest foldable smartphones that Samsung has to offer, and it piqued the curiosity of many consumers, especially since this is the most affordable foldable devices have become for now. Despite being at different price points, many are uncertain which one to go for. Let us help you with that.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 VS Galaxy Z Flip3
Appearance

Fundamentally, both the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 and Galaxy Z Flip3 are very different foldable smartphones. The former unfolds to reveal a much bigger display similar to a compact tablet whereas the latter is more akin to the clamshell phones of old, albeit modernized.

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As for colors, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is available in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, and Phantom Green whereas the Galaxy Z Flip3 has more color choices as it comes in Phantom Black, Green, Lavender, Cream, White, Pink, and Gray. The former has a more classic look whereas the latter has a two-toned approach, making it look more aesthetically-pleasing. While I personally don’t like the glossy look of the latter, I can’t deny that it looks better.
For a wider color choice, two-toned look, and the ability to become more compact, we have to award the point to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
Performance

Both foldable smartphones are powered by the Snapdragon 888 SoC. However, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 has more RAM at 12GB against the Galaxy Z Flip3’s 8GB. With that being said however, 8GB RAM is plenty so I wouldn’t mind too much about it unless you’re a heavy multi-tasker.
One thing that’s worth noting is that Snapdragon 888 is known to have thermal issues as it tends to overheat. While it can get rather warm on the Galaxy Z Flip3, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 barely gets warm based on my own experience. This may be due to the fact that there is more surface area for the heat to spread.

Adding to that, we did run benchmark tests which, objectively speaking, shows that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 is the better performer overall. Therefore, the point here will be given to it.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
User Experience
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 Review – Cover Display
Starting off with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, you get the best of both worlds with this foldable. You get the standard Android smartphone experience with the Cover Display and get a tablet-like experience with the main display. With improvements to the Cover Display, you don’t lose out on quality when using either of the displays. Furthermore, you also get S Pen support and IPX8 rating, further boosting its versatility.

As for the Galaxy Z Flip3, you get the standard Android smartphone experience with the main display and improved functionality (over its predecessor) with the new, larger Cover Display. However, you can’t do as much on this Cover Display compared to the Fold and it lacks S Pen support. It does have IPX8 water resistance as well, and being able to be superbly compact is definitely a great to have.
This one is hard to decide as it ultimately depends on what you need in a smartphone. For S Pen support and a bigger display, you’re better off with the Fold but if you don’t plan on using the S Pen and prefer something more compact, then the Flip will give you a better experience.
Winner: Draw
Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 has a triple-camera system consisting of a 12MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera, 12MP f/2.4 telephoto camera with 2X optical zoom, and 12MP 12mm ultrawide-angle camera. As for selfie cameras, you have a 4MP f/1.8 under display camera and a standard 10MP f/2.2 wide-angle camera on the cover display. You can take great photos and the wider selection gives you better versatility in what you want to capture.

As for the Galaxy Z Flip3, you have a dual-camera system consisting of a 12MP f/1.8 wide-angle camera and a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera, along with a 10MP f/2.4 wide-angle selfie camera. While not having an under display camera isn’t a big deal, the loss of a telephoto camera here means you don’t get optical zoom. Camera performance is certainly comparable, that much is for sure, so if you don’t need to zoom much, it’s fine. However, it’s clear that the Fold will be able to serve consumers better overall.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
Battery Life

One of the biggest worries about foldable smartphones is the battery capacity. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 has a 4,400mAh battery whereas the Galaxy Z Flip3 has a smaller 3,300mAh battery. From our benchmark test, the Fold can last longer when folded but it’s only slightly worse when unfolded.
This isn’t to mean that the Flip’s battery life is bad however because if we’re looking at standby time, having it closed and relying on its Cover Display will result in it lasting for a long time. Looking at the big picture, we certainly have to award the point to the Fold here.
Winner: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
Verdict

Given all the criteria, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 came out as the winner. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s necessarily the perfect fit for you. If you don’t need S Pen support and would rather have something compact, the Galaxy Z Flip3 would be the better choice. Otherwise, the Fold will be the one to satisfy your needs.
If you want to check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3, click right here. If you want to see the Galaxy Z Flip3 review, click here instead.
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Choosing your first robot vacuum can be tricky, here’s a fool proof plan to do it.

Choosing a robot vacuum is a serious matter, as these robots bring significant benefit, allowing you to take cleaning off your mind, and giving you all the time that you would usually spend cleaning your house to let you do whatever you want. But choosing the right one can be daunting task for a first timer, so here our fool proof plan on how to choose your first robot vacuum.
Budget

Your budget ultimately decides which category of robot vacuums you should consider. Before we go any further, think of robot vacuum should be seen as an investment for your time and mental health. It generally gives you the one hour or more that you would have to spend cleaning your house every other day, while also ensuring that your home is clean and comfortable to live in.
With that in mind, this is what you can realistically expect from your robot vacuum at the following budget points:

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Sub RM1000
Basic robots, mostly navigating via obstruction sensing, with limited smart features like map generating. Most of the robot in this price range would also not have a mop feature, only offering basic vacuum functionality. Unless that’s exactly what you are looking for, we generally recommend taking a look at the next price bracket.
RM1000~2000
This is where all the mainstream robots are at. You can generally expect most of the staple features like vacuum and mopping, laser guidance system, advanced smart mapping features and more in this price bracket. Some of the robot vacuums priced at around this price range might even offer more advanced features like an auto-emptying dock system.
Over RM2000
You want the most advanced robots in the market? If you are ready to pay over RM2000, you will be greeted by some of the most advanced and feature-packed robots we know of. Examples of specialized functions like sonic mopping can be found on the Roborock S7+, real time video feed on the Roborock S6 MaxV, while the Samsung Powerbot offers the Edge Clean Master feature.

Of course, there are always exceptions to the generalization that we have above, and one of them is the Roidmi Eve Plus. It sits firmly in the mainstream price bracket, yet it is equipped with a number of features that you will only find on pricier flagship models. It touts a large 3L capacity, self-emptying dock with odour ionizing function as well as support of Alexa and Google assistant smart home setup, making it quite the value buy.
Your house environment
Believe it or not, your house environment is crucial when picking out a vacuum robot. Here are a few things that would affect your decision:

How tall is your furniture?

Yes, most robot tout low profile designs, but does your furniture have enough clearance for your robot to clean under it? If you missed this part, it is very likely that the robot will not be able to pass, making that part of cleaning work yours to do.

Do you have carpets or floor mat?
Carpets and floor mats are quite crucial to take into consideration when deciding on a vacuum robot. Whether your home is mainly carpeted, partially carpeted or you have no carpets at all will affect your choice of vacuum robot differently. If your house has no carpeting at all, almost all robot with vacuum and mop function will do well. If you have only some areas that are carpeted, you will need robots that support the ability to stop mopping in designated areas. If you have a lot of carpet, only a robot with auto mop lifting function is sufficient.

Pets, can your robot handle it?

Perhaps pets are the reason why you need a vacuum robot in the first place. Shedding fur is something that robot vacuum can handle perfectly, and daily cleaning with your vacuum robot is a great solution to keep your home free of loose fur all over the floor. But, if your pet poos in the home, you need something that does AI object identification, or please check one round before you let the robot loose. Trust me, you don’t want to learn this the hard way.

The Roidmi Eve Plus is equipped to handle modern home designs. Based on our test, it is compact enough to clean under furniture with ease. Its app allows for a user-defined no-go zone to avoid carpeted area. And with its 2700Pa of suction power, it can clean very efficiently and effectively, sucking up any fur that your pet shed.
Functionalities
Robot vacuums have advanced quite significantly since they first appeared on the market. From the humble little Roomba that bumps into everything around the house, to something more akin to mini machine that’s programmed to clean your home in the most efficient way possible. Here are some of the functions that you might want to prioritize in your next robot:
Vacuuming and Mopping

These are rather basic functions of a robot vacuum, but the different capabilities and technologies that can go into making the process more efficient is anything but. Here’s are some of the capabilities that you might want to look out for:

Stronger vacuum suction to deal with carpets.
XY-pattern cleaning to greatly improve cleaning efficiency.
Dual-brush to handle the extra dust or pet fur flying around.
Sonic vibration mop for greater cleaning efficiency.

Apps
The central control app is vital for controlling your robot. While all robot cleaner brands have their respective apps, one unique control app is the Mi Home app.
The Mi Home app supports a wide range of robot cleaner beyond Xiaomi’s own lineup. This is because the app is designed to work with the wider Mi ecosystem.
What I really like in the Mi Home app is that it allows If Then What function for supported smart devices. This has proven to be extremely useful to me. I set it so that if I start the Mi Rice cooker, the robot vacuum will start running in the living room. The idea behind this is as I’m cooking in the kitchen, the living room would be empty, which would be the perfect time for the vacuum robot to clean the living room unobstructed. By automating the process, it gives me the peace of mind that after I am done cooking, I will be greeted by a clean living room again.
Battery life
Normally you’ll see robot vacuum packing battery capacities of up to 4000mAh, which is usually more than enough to handle cleaning the whole house. Even when it doesn’t, most robots today are smart enough to go back for a quick charge before getting back to cleaning.
Even so, choosing to spend on the battery capacities is something user should be mindful of, as you can often find options that provide more functions, but lesser battery capacities. As usual, it depends on your priorities.

If you follow this guide, your first robot vacuum should satisfy your needs instead of becoming a bad purchase you regret. Based on our reviews of several robot vacuums, we would say the Roidmi Eve Plus is an excellent starting point. Priced at only RM1588, not only does it have an dust cleaning dock, it also packs a large capacity dust chamber and and a huge 5200mAh battery that allows it to clean up to 133.3m2, or half of a tennis court, in one go.
You can check it out via the links below:
 Roidmi Eve Plus @ Shopee
 Find out more about the Roidmi Eve Plus
This is an exclusive article for MC Mart.
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[Computex 2019] 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen processors launched — very much improved gaming and productivity performance!

AMD dropped a whopping bomb today when they announced the 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen processors, starting with the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X. The new processors feature much higher clock speeds and vastly improved IPC, promising a massive boost in performance in all applications, including gaming.

By doubling the cache and floating point performance with the Zen 2 architecture, AMD managed to make the AMD Ryzen 3000 series processors enticing to both content creators and gamers. And then there’s the 15% IPC improvement which will make everyone’s day.

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From a gamer’s perspective, the 3rd Gen Ryzen processors offer up to 35% improvement in frame rates over the last generation AMD Ryzen CPUs.
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X

So far, this is the lowest end 3rd-gen AMD Ryzen processor we know, with a maximum Turbo of 4.4 GHz and a base clock of 3.6 GHz. The most enticing feature of this part is probably the TDP, which is a low 65W. This should make it the ideal processor for content creators who prefer building in smaller form factor cases while still enjoying the full benefits of the increased performance brought about by the Zen 2 architecture.

In Cinebench R20, the AMD Ryzen 7 3700X outperforms the Intel Core i7 9700K by a large margin, although the Intel CPU does have less cores and threads.
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X

Marking a return back to the x800 series, the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is an upgraded AMD Ryzen 7 3700X, with a higher TDP and fittingly higher clocks. The base clocks now starts from 3.9 GHz at the 105W TDP, and goes all the way up to 4.5 GHz. The gaming performance of the AMD Ryzen 7 3800X is also vastly improved over the AMD Ryzen 7 2700X, with performance that ties the Intel Core i9 9900K. In PUBG, at least.

Considering how popular esports titles are more often than not CPU-limited rather than GPU-limited due to their low graphics requirements, these gains are really quite impressive.
AMD Ryzen 9 3900X

The “one more thing” from Dr. Lisa Su today is the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X. A 12-core, 24-thread monstrosity, the AMD Ryzen 9 3900X touts a TDP of just 105W, but boosts all the way up to 4.6 GHz. The cache is also a massive 70MB, which is more than double what Intel offers in their flagship HEDT processor, the Intel Core i9 9980XE.

Speaking of the HEDT platform, this processor gives the Intel Core i7 7820X a run for its money, all while being priced at less than half the SRP of the Intel CPU. How much, you ask?
3rd Generation AMD Ryzen Pricing

What’s most interesting about the AMD Ryzen 3000 processors is their pricing. Priced from $329 (~RM1376), the AMD Ryzen 7 processors are ridiculously affordable for the performance they put on the table. Even if you opt for the higher models, the AMD Ryzen 7 series promise unbeatable value, at least until Intel drops their prices massively.

AMD Ryzen 9 3900X – 12C/24T – $499 (~RM2087)
AMD Ryzen 7 3800X – 8C/16T – $399 (~RM1669)
AMD Ryzen 7 3700X 8C/16T – $329 (~RM1376)

The AMD Ryzen 3000 processors will be available starting 7th July 2019, so stay tuned for more updates until then about the latest 3rd Generation AMD Ryzen processors!
Pokdepinion: I am literally smitten. Now I hope we don’t see too huge of a markup when it enters our Malaysian market…
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ILLEGEAR Selenite X with GeForce RTX 30 series graphics priced starting from RM7299

Our local boutique laptop vendor, ILLEGEAR, has just announced the all new Selenite X series featuring the latest GeForce RTX 30 series graphics. The laptops are real heavyweights, featuring eight core CPUs and up to 64GB RAM for some serious multi-tasking capabilities.

You can get the ILLEGEAR Selenite X with either the 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10875H or AMD Ryzen 5900HX processors under the hood. Regardless of your choice of CPU, the ILLEGEAR Selenite X comes equipped with a cutting edge 17.3″ WQHD display that runs at a whopping 165Hz.

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Keeping everything alive when you are on the go is a 63WHr battery, although with such powerful hardware, I do believe you will want to keep your ILLEGEAR Selenite X connected to the 230W power adapter as much as possible to be able to enjoy all that performance to the fullest.

Speaking of which, ILLEGEAR has baked in the ILLEGEAR G+ feature that allows you to unleash the maximum performance in the laptop at the push of a button. This will be integrated into all upcoming 2021 ILLEGEAR laptops. You can check out the specifications and configurations of the ILLEGEAR Selenite X down below:
ILLEGEAR Selenite X Specs and Pricing

CPU
Intel Core i7-10875H, 8C/16T up to 5.1GHz
14nm
AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX, 8C/16T up to 4.6GHz
7nm

RAM
16GB DDR4-2933 (2 x 8GB SO-DIMM)
Support up to 64GB DDR4

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU 6GB GDDR6
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Laptop GPU 8GB GDDR6
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU 16GB GDDR6

Storage
500GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD
Support up to 2 x M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD slots

Display
17.3″ WQHD (1440p) 165Hz IPS display
100% sRGB, 300 nits brightness

Connectivity
Intel WiFi 6 AX201
Gigabit LAN
1 x HDMI 2.1
1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C (10Gbps)
1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A (10Gbps)
2 x USB 3.0
1 x headphone out
1 x mic-in
Intel WiFi 6 AX200
Gigabit LAN
1 x HDMI 2.1
1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-C (10Gbps)
1 x USB 3.1 Gen2 Type-A (10Gbps)
2 x USB 3.0
1 x headphone out
1 x mic-in

Battery
63WHr battery
230W power adapter

Dimensions
393 x 260 x 25 mm

Weight
2.42kg

MSRP
From RM7299
From RM8398
From RM12 198

As usual for ILLEGEAR machines, the specifications are customizable to your needs, and the above specs are just the default configurations. The ILLEGEAR Selenite X with the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX is currently only available for pre-order though, so do keep that in mind.
ILLEGEAR is also running their March Madness Promo that will net you a free Liquid Metal upgrade, a free Samsung 512GB SSD and the DUEL Backpack, worth a total of RM447. There’s a 5% cash discount too, which will allow you to get your Selenite X at an even more affordable price.
Pokdepinion: I do think a 17.3″ WQHD laptop display sounds great, but I am not sure if I want to lug it around with me.
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POCO X3 NFC Review — conquering new grounds

The POCOPHONE F1 which started it all offered a flagship chipset at an unprecedented price, and so did the POCO F2 Pro. The POCO X2 was a decent mid-range device too, and today we will be looking at its successor. On paper, the POCO X3 NFC does look extremely impressive, so I do expect a mid-range device that’s on par with their flagships that offered exceptional bang for buck versus the competition. Well, let’s see if it is actually has what it takes to live up to the POCO brand.
Unboxing

As customary of POCO, the POCO X3 NFC comes in a simple box featuring the signature yellow-on-black color scheme. Weirdly enough, while POCO has adopted yellow as its main color, there aren’t any yellow phones yet from them.

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There isn’t much in the box aside from the phone, the SIM ejector tool, a soft TPU case which sports a cover for the USB-C port and the sweet 33W fast charger. Yes, the POCO X3 NFC comes with a 33W fast charger in the box, when some significantly more expensive phones can only offer you a 25W power adapter in the box, or even worse, 5W.
Appearance

POCO is going all in with their branding this time around. While previous devices were easy enough to distinguish from the rest of the devices, the POCO X3 NFC sports much more noticeable branding on the back, just in case you mistake it for something else. For those who were expecting the premium build of the POCO F2 Pro, well you will be slightly disappointed to know that it is polycarbonate here. But hey, even RM4000+ flagships offer plastic backs today, so I guess it is absolutely fine in the POCO X3 NFC’s price segment.

The POCO X3 NFC’s camera hump is really unique, with flattened top and bottom sides so you won’t mistake it for the F2 Pro even with a case on. It does look quite distinctive with the diagonal lines along the centerline of the device, but I do wish that they weren’t there for a cleaner look.

A sweet 6.67″ 120Hz LCD panel dominates the front fascia of the POCO X3 NFC. Interestingly, the bezels are relatively narrow all around, which is quite rare for a device in this price segment. Instead of the POCO F2 Pro’s popup camera, the POCO X3 NFC serves up a center punch hole instead.

As you might expect, the POCO X3 NFC sports a headphone jack. The frame appears to be plastic but POCO does list an aluminium alloy frame in the POCO X3 NFC’s specifications, so I guess that it is plastic on the outside but there’s an aluminium frame in there somewhere to provide additional structural strength. I do wish that the sides weren’t glossy though, as it doesn’t feel great in my hands, nor does it feel grippy enough for me to confidently use it without a case.

On the right side of the POCO X3 NFC is a fingerprint scanner integrated into the power button, along with the volume rocker. Over on the left flank you get the SIM tray, which can also fit a microSD card, a feature that’s becoming increasingly uncommon today.

The top of the device is quite busy too, with POCO throwing in an IR blaster and also stereo speakers. The larger hole you see on the left is a port for the upper speaker. We will discuss a bit more about the audio in a bit.
POCO X3 NFC Specifications

CPU:
Snapdragon 732G (2 x Kryo 470 Gold @ 2.3 GHz + 6 x Kryo 470 Silver @ 1.8 GHz), 8nm

GPU:
Adreno 618

RAM:
6GB LPDDR4X

Display:
6.67″ FHD+ (2400 x 1080) 120Hz LCD display, 91% screen-to-body ratio
240Hz touch sampling
87.4% DCI-P3 gamut, HDR10, 450-nit brightness

Storage:
128GB UFS 2.1 (expandable via microSD)

Camera:
Main Camera(s)
64MP f/1.89 Sony IMX682 + 13MP f/2.2 ultra-wide angle camera + 2MP f/2.4 macro camera + 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor
Night Mode, AI scene detection, auto HDR, portrait mode, Beautify, AI Skyscaping 3.0, ultra-wide angle distortion correction, 1080p60/4K30 video, ShootSteady video, Vlog mode, up to 1080p120/720p960 slow-mo
Front Camera
20MP f/2.2
AI Beauty, AI Portrait, AI scene detection, Night mode, 1080p30 video, 120 fps slow-mo selfie

OS:
MIUI 12 based on Android 10

Connectivity:
LTE Band 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28/38/40/41
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4 GHz, 5 GHz)
Bluetooth 5.1
IR blaster
3.5mm headphone jack

SIM:
Dual SIM (hybrid dual SIM)

Battery:
Li-Po 5160mAh (non-removable)
33W fast charging (USB-C)

Dimensions:
165.3 x 76.8 x 9.4 mm

Weight:
215 g

Ingress protection:
IP53

Performance

Right off the bat, we see that the POCO X3 NFC is significantly faster overall when compared to the Mi Note 10, which offers a Snapdragon 730G. The Snapdragon 732G however is not much faster than a Snapdragon 720G though, which is a bit disappointing.

Geekbench sees a much smaller gap between the Snapdragon 732G, Snapdragon 720G and Snapdragon 730G devices. The Kirin mid-range chips are offering pretty great figures here.

3DMark sees the gap between the POCO X3 NFC and the Snapdragon 720G device in the charts widen, which was exactly what I expected considering the faster GPU. It still is far from the fastest mid-range chipset, but it should be the fastest mid-range 4G chipset in the market right now. The Adreno 618 GPU is in fact faster than the Snapdragon 821 which powered flagships just a few years ago.

In PCMark, the POCO X3 NFC posts middling performance, which is what you would expect from a mid-range smartphone. Nonetheless, these are still very impressive scores. The Snapdragon 732G in the POCO X3 NFC allows it to outperform significantly more expensive devices across the board, which is definitely worth noting.

Battery life is also excellent, especially when you consider that the POCO X3 NFC sports a 120Hz display. A run with the display set to 60Hz actually resulted in worse battery life, which did seem abnormal, and the reason why we decided not to list it here. Due to to the tight schedule, we will be running the test again at 60Hz after this review is published. After repeated runs at 60Hz and 120Hz, the battery life results were too similar between the two modes.

In my normal day-to-day usage with the screen set to 120Hz, the POCO X3 NFC provided 6 hours and 31 minutes of use over 18 hours away from the plug, and that was with me using the camera and firing up some games to test its performance. Recharging the battery is a really quick affair, with the battery going from 17% to 61% in just 30 minutes. Essentially, you would be getting about a day’s use with just 30 minutes of charging.
          COD Mobile – 60 FPS            PUBG Mobile – 45 FPS
POCO does position the POCO X3 NFC as a mid-range gaming smartphone, and I must say it does live up to its ambitions. We can easily achieve 60 FPS in COD Mobile, and less intensive titles that support 120Hz refresh rates like Alto’s Adventure run at that frame rate for some smooth skiing action. It is also worth mentioning that the POCO X3 NFC keeps its display at 120Hz despite COD Mobile running at 60 FPS, which resulted in a slightly smoother than usual visual experience.
Overall, we would say that POCO did a much better implementation of a 120Hz screen than the competition offering 90Hz displays in the mid-range segment. Thermals are handled quite well too, with the device barely warming up after about 30 minutes of COD Mobile.
User Experience

Aside from gaming, the 120Hz display offers a very smooth scrolling experience, which is great for me as I do a lot of my browsing on my smartphone. Unfortunately it is an LCD display, presumably to accommodate the tight budget constraints here, and the one here definitely can’t match OLED screens in terms of response time. It does seem better than all the high refresh rate LCD smartphones I have seen though, which is nice to see, literally.

The punch hole is also relatively clean, without the darkened halo issue that plagues quite a few punch hole smartphones with LCD displays. The lower-edge of the panel is marginally dimmer, which is common for LCD panels.
As the POCO X3 NFC offers stereo audio capabilities, the earpiece here does double duty as one half of the dual speakers of the POCO X3 NFC. Most mid-range offerings will offer you a much weaker secondary speaker if they even claim to offer you stereo sound, but I must say that the POCO X3 NFC’s earpiece and main loudspeaker over at the bottom are surprisingly well matched.

What you get is loud, even stereo sound with exceptional clarity that would compare well against many recent flagships. Movies, games and music sound great on the POCO X3 NFC, with the sole complaint I have is the lack of bass. Oh and as if it isn’t busy enough up here, there’s a notification LED crammed up into the earpiece grille too.

The overall user experience of the POCO X3 NFC is further enhanced by MIUI 12, although I might be biased considering that I have used MIUI devices since 2018. Coupled with the smooth display, responsive touch and also a nice haptic feedback motor that offers precise, tight vibrations, I must say that I am very happy with the overall feel of this device, especially given its price range.

The camera UI is very familiar, and is definitely very feature packed, but the processing speed is definitely held back by its processor. There’s a somewhat significant waiting time for Night shots, but not exactly anything out of the ordinary. I just wish it was faster. At least 64MP shots are pretty quick to process, and you will be ready to take the next shot almost immediately.
          64MP Mode          Auto            Selfie            Auto          Auto              Auto            Auto            Auto              Night Mode            Night Mode          Auto              Auto          Night Mode            Night mode              Auto            Selfie
Images taken with the POCO X3 NFC are quite good in good lighting, and even night shots are pretty nice. Weirdly enough, the Night mode makes images too sharp and the vibrance is turned all the way up, occasionally making the images look even worse than taking the shots with the standard mode. I do think POCO can further optimize the image quality on it.
          Ultra-wide            Ultra-wide          Ultra-wide              Ultra-wide            Ultra-wide            Macro              Macro            Macro
Unfortunately the Night mode is not available for the ultra-wide camera, but I must say it is fully capable of taking some rather nice images even in low-light conditions in the default mode. I am disappointed with the macro camera, as while the POCO F2 Pro had the best macro camera in a smartphone ever, the POCO X3 NFC is the worst one I have ever seen in a Xiaomi smartphone. I must mention that while it is still on par with most of the competition, fixed focus and a low 2MP resolution is not the best combo here. You can check out the full-sized images here.

You will want to take note of your hand’s position though, as the lens closest to the upper left corner is the main camera, and in a normal landscape orientation, you would be holding it with your left hand somewhere around the area… So yeah, if you want usable shots, do make sure to not block the main camera. POCO designers could have easily avoided the issue by putting the main camera in the center, but I guess the size of the 64MP Sony IMX682 and the lenses it require prevented them from doing so.
Conclusion
POCO offers their fans a strong mid-range option in the sub-RM1000 price range, with some features that are even better than their flagship POCO F2 Pro, like the high refresh rate display, longer battery life and stereo loudspeakers. The 128GB variant we reviewed here will set you back RM1099, but you can easily save some money and just get the 64GB variant which is offered at RM899, and throw in a microSD card if you think you will be using the camera extensively.

My only complaints would be the fingerprint magnet of a plastic back that will invariably collect scratches later and the fixed focus 2MP macro camera which doesn’t keep up with the other two great cameras. Aside from that, I would wholeheartedly recommend the POCO X3 NFC as an excellent mid-range device for very little money, especially if you don’t buy into the 5G hype.

Our thanks to Xiaomi Malaysia for sending us the POCO X3 NFC.
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Breathing New Life into Tech – Grid Studio’s Framed Artworks

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Never underestimate the beauty of technology, especially when it is repurposed into aesthetically captivating artwork. Recently, I stumbled upon a company called Grid Studio, a unique space where technology meets art. Grid Studio has pioneered a novel concept: they take phones and game console components, strip them down to their individual pieces, and transform them into stunning framed artworks suitable for wall mounting. It’s a blend of technical precision, artistic flair, and a dash of nostalgia.
Unearthing the Beauty of Technology with Grid Studio

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When I first perused Grid Studio’s offerings, I was taken aback. The lineup spans iPhones from 2G to Xr, Nintendo game consoles and controllers, as well as phones from Nokia, Motorola, and BlackBerry. What made this lineup stand out to me was that these weren’t just accurate replicas; these were actual devices, meticulously dissected and rearranged into an array of intriguing patterns.
My Personal Selection: Nokia 3310 and Gameboy Classic Frames
          Game Boy Classic            Nokia 3310
Intrigued, I took the leap and ordered two frames: the Nokia 3310 and a Gameboy Classic. The choice wasn’t random. The Nokia 3310 had an undeniable nostalgic charm, a throwback to the days when a phone’s durability outlasted its technology. The Gameboy Classic, on the other hand, was a nod to my childhood dreams, a time when this little gadget was the epitome of cool and the currency of playground bragging rights.
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          Very well packaged            The edges were well protected too
Upon delivery, I unboxed the two frames, and let me tell you, they were nothing short of breathtaking. Both of the frames were boxed together with plenty of foam to protect them. I was worried if the frames would be broken during the transit but as soon as I received the box, I was convinced with the packaging.
          Tell me you dont like what you see here?!            Wax Seal, been a while since I saw this one!          There’s a hidden gem behind this card, but I can’t reveal it. You’d have to find it out yourself.              It’s little things like these that makes unboxing a memorable experience
The packaging itself was meticulously wrapped and sealed with wax – a touch that you rarely see nowadays. Unwrapping itself was an experience of its own.
The Nostalgic Allure of Grid Studio’s Nokia 3310 Frame
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The Nokia 3310 was laid out like a tech-inspired mosaic, each part neatly presented in all its glory. It was a trip down memory lane, an unexpected visit to a simpler time when Snake II was the only game we needed. Being able to capture the innards of this historical device that is still remembered to date is definitely worth it!
Reliving Childhood Dreams with Grid Studio’s Gameboy Classic Frame
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The Gameboy Classic was equally impressive. Each tiny component carefully displayed, transforming the beloved console into a testament of technological evolution and an ode to childhood dreams. Seeing these parts, each playing their role in the symphony of innovation and creativity that was the Gameboy, left me in awe of the intricacy of the gadget I once held in my young hands.
Techno Art On Your Wall
And therein lies the beauty of Grid Studio’s work. It’s not just about dissecting gadgets and framing them. It’s about telling a story, capturing the essence of these devices that were once such integral parts of our lives. The Nokia 3310 and Gameboy Classic aren’t just frames on my wall; they’re pieces of history, each component telling a story of human ingenuity and progress.
The battery is removed and replaced for obvious reasons
The only part that is replaced with image and not using the actual component is the battery – for obvious reasons. The Nokia 3310 uses a printed battery while the Gameboy Classic was using AA batteries anyway. Grid Studio has notified that sometimes they also use fake or empty battery containers. All of this is subject to availability. I mean, the frames themselves are only available if they have the device at hand; a good condition device that is!
Need A Specific Hardware And It’s Not Available?
Yes, you heard that right! Grid Studio even does custom works. Say you want a specific hardware to be dissected but its not available on their website, you can ask them and they will scout hard until they find it. Need a corporate gift for your company’s products? Sure, reach out to them. The possibilities are endless really.
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Grid Studio Framed Artworks Verdict
The captions are also neatly organized.
So, do I recommend Grid Studio? Absolutely. To all the tech geeks, gamers, and lovers of unique art out there, these frames are a testament to the beauty of technology and the memories we’ve created with these devices. Visit Grid Studio here and bring a piece of this beautifully crafted nostalgia to your own space. It’s more than just an aesthetic addition to your decor; it’s a conversation starter, a reminder of how far we’ve come, and an homage to the devices that paved the way.
So go ahead, visit Grid Studio. Let the tech of yesteryears find its new home on your wall, telling its story in silent beauty. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
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#Pokdepicks 5 Awesome Games to Look Out for in February 2020

Yakuza 5

First up in the list of games to look out for this February 2020 is Yakuza 5. Kazuma Kiryu, once known as the Dragon of Dojima, has been enjoying a quiet life as a taxi driver in Hakata after cutting ties with his past. However, he was forced to return to the criminal underworld due to the war between the Tojo Clan and the Omi Alliance.
The game takes place across five major Japanese cities;
Tokyo, Osaka, Hakata, Nagoya, and Sapporo. Coinciding the number of cities is
the same number of protagonists; Kazuma Kiryu, Haruka Sawamura, Taiga Saejima,
Tatsuo Shinada, and Shun Akiyama. Each character will play a major role in how
the war will unfold, and it’s not going to be easy.
Fun fact, Yakuza 5 is a reboot of sorts for the series but
not in the way you think. The game had double the development time from other
the other entries and was set with the goal of having the greatest scripts and
scenarios seen thus far. Moreover, this one utilized a brand new graphics
engine, allowing the developers to give it a much needed breath of fresh air.

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Yakuza 5 will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on 11th February 2020.
Granblue Fantasy Versus

A spinoff of the Granblue Fantasy RPG, Granblue Fantasy
Versus is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The goal of the game
is to simply unleash a combinations attacks to empty the opponent’s life bar
enough in order to win. To ease newcomers into the game, each character can
perform Skybound Arts, a skill that corresponds to the character’s ability in
the main game.
It can be activated with a simple button press but there is
a cooldown time after each use. This game will also feature a Story Mode, which
differs from the main game modes as it acts as a side-scrolling beat ‘em up
game instead. There will be a total of eleven playable characters, with five
additional DLC characters coming at a later date.
Fun fact, Granblue Fantasy initially released as a browser
game for mobile devices in 2014. The game will be celebrating its 6th
anniversary soon, and Granblue Fantasy Versus is seen as a good way to mark the
occasion. As such, they’ve partnered with Arc System Works, a developer that’s
familiar with fighting games as they’re the ones behind Guilty Gear, a staple
in the fighting game community.
GranBlue Fantasy Versus will be coming exclusively to the PlayStation 4 on 6th February 2020.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows

Based on the popular Japanese anime / manga series of the
same name, One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows is a fighting game by Spike
Chunsoft and Bandai Namco. The game takes place in a 3D arena using a 3-on-3
format, with each player choosing three characters for their team. For the most
part, it’s a standard fighting game but it has one major exception.
The game has a unique “Hero Arrival” mechanic for protagonist
Saitama. Due to him being able to defeat anyone in just a single hit, he will
always be late for a fight. This forces the team that chooses him to survive as
a two-man team until his arrival. Certain attacks can increase and decrease his
arrival time. If he doesn’t arrive by the time the time his two teammates are
subdued, it’s considered a lost. If he does arrive in time, it’s inevitably a
win as he’s practically invincible.
Fun fact, One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows has a bigger
focus on fun rather than competitive spirit like in other fighting games.
Saitama can never be defeated by any character aside from himself. When pitting
two Saitamas against each other, neither will flinch when taking a hit. When
one loses, he simply runs off to go do something else instead of falling in
defeat.
One Punch Man: A Hero Nobody Knows will be coming to the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC on 28th November 2020.
Persona 5 Scramble

Yet another spinoff game in the list, Persona 5 Scramble is
a hack and slash action game by Omega Force and P-Studio. It is seen as the
Dynasty Warriors adaptation of the Persona 5 RPG. The game takes place six
months after the events of Persona 5, where Joker and the rest of the Phantom
Thieves of Hearts are taking a vacation travelling around Japan.
At the time, they started to hear rumours of people being
attacked by Shadows, leaving them unconscious in the real world as they wake up
in a mysterious version of Tokyo filled with supernatural enemies. Due to the
similarities between the rumours and their own past experiences, the Phantom
Thieves of Hearts make a move to investigate the matter.
Fun fact, Persona 5 Scramble started development around the
time of Persona 5’s release with the initial title Persona Warriors. The
gameplay elements symbolized the collaboration between Omega Force and
P-Studio, as it combined the free flow action combat seen in Dynasty Warriors
with some tactical turn-based combat aspect from Persona 5.
Persona 5 Scramble will be coming to the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch on 20th February 2020.
Dota Underlords

One of the most unique games to be created, Dota Underlords
is an auto battler game by Valve based on the popular Dota franchise. It’s
essentially a chess-inspired competitive strategy game, where players place
characters known as “heroes” on an 8×8 grid-shaped battlefield. After
a preparation phase, a team’s heroes then automatically fights the opposing
team without further input from the player.
A match features up to eight players online who take turns
playing against each other in a one-on-one format, with the winner being the
final player standing after eliminating all of the opposing heroes. Players can
earn gold, experience, and items that can be used to further strengthen the
heroes. You can play with other people online or alone in practice mode and
fight against bots.
Fun fact, Dota Underlords is based on the popular Dota 2
community created game mode, Dota Auto Chess. The game is available as a
free-to-play Early Access title on Steam on June 2019. The official release in
February will see some updates and have the game finalized on its format.
Dota Underlords will be coming exclusively to PC on 25th February 2020.
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Sony Unveil New Full-frame 24mm F1.4 G Master Prime Lens

Sony has added a new flagship full-frame lens in the form of the 24mm F1.4 G Master Prime, engineered for performance across all aperture settings.
Sony 24mm F1.4 G Master Prime

The new Sony 24mm F1.4G Master Prime (model SEL24F14GM) measures just 75.4mm x 92.4mm and weighs 445g. Coming from the flagship family of the G Master series, it combines high resolution and beautiful bokeh, both of which are redeeming features of G Master.

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It perfectly complements Sony’s APS-C sensor mirrorless cameras such as α6500 and α6300 and brings a total number of native Sony α E-mount lens to 482.
FE 24mm F1.4 GM boasts a new optical design comprising 10 groups with 13 elements featuring two XA (extreme aspherical) elements and three ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements. It helps suppress sagittal flare which allows point light sources are accurately reproduced.
The company’s Nano AR Coating is applied to reduce flare and ghosting for impressive clarity even in landscape shots where the position of the sun is more often than not problematic with a normal lens.
Not to forget, the FE 24mm F1.4 GM includes a number of professional controls that brings ease for you for both stills and movie shooting. An aperture ring allows direct, intuitive aperture control where else an aperture click switch makes it able to enable or disable click stops as required. The focus ring features Linear Response MF for fine, responsive manual focus control, giving the user the control immediacy needed for fast and accurate manual focusing.
Interested in the lens? Well the FE 24mm F1.4 will be available in mid of October 2018. Pricing is yet to be announced though, so we have to wait for more details on that. You can learn more on the lens at Sony’s website.
Pokdepinion: With an equivalent focal length of 36mm, this lens can be a great walk-around prime for general use. I wonder how much it would cost though. How much do you think it will be when it comes out?
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Shopee Partners With FPX In Providing Online Sales Tutorial

Are you an online seller or someone who plans to be one? Thanks to the partnership between Shopee and FPX, the platform’s official online payment partner, you might just learn a thing or two.
The partnership sees the launch of online tutorials for sellers. As an alternative to participating in the workshops, sellers are now able to learn and gain knowledge from the comforts of their home or even on-the-go through on-demand content.
The online tutorials will feature topics on how to get started on Shopee. Aside from that, they will also give FPX step-by-step guide on making payments simple and effortless, optimizing Shopee functions, maximize online marketing and more.

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If you are interested in the Shopee University online tutorials, well they will be available on the Shopee website starting from today, which you can find under the Seller Centre page. A video will be uploaded every week, where a total of 10 videos will be available.
Pokdepinion: If you are already on the platform or planning to get on board, be sure to check it out guys! Who knows, you might pick up a thing or two ;)
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ROG Phone 2’s 23rd July launch date confirmed on Weibo post

Previously the ROG Phone 2 was rumored to launch on 23rd July. Now, it is confirmed to launch on that date. ASUS has apparently posted a teaser on Weibo teasing the launch date of the ROG Phone 2, complete with the Republic of Gamers x Tencent Games header to boast of their latest partnership.

The first ROG Phone enjoyed phenomenal success despite being somewhat late to the game. It offered some pretty groundbreaking features like the customizable AirTriggers, as well as an active cooling solution dubbed AeroActive. The ROG Phone 2’s feature set has yet to be revealed, although there has been teasers of a 120 Hz display instead of the 90 Hz one found in the ROG Phone.

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Of course, we will expect to see the Snapdragon 855, hopefully with an overclocked GPU instead of an overclocked CPU cluster. We also received wind that the battery will be massive this time, maybe around 6000 mAh.
We will definitely be reporting on the ROG Phone 2, as well as any leaks about the ROG Phone 2 as we get closer to the launch date, so stay tuned! Well, at least one thing is for sure. The ROG Phone 2 is confirmed to come to Malaysia.
Pokdepinion: Definitely looking forward to the ROG Phone 2. Let’s see what innovation they can bring this year.
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WhatsApp Has Odd New Limitation During COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has badly affected various businesses across the globe. Messaging apps like WhatsApp has becomes increasingly more crucial to keep connected not just with loved ones, but also with work-related matters. Now, it appears that there is an odd limitation that you might not be aware of.
The Status feature in WhatsApp can no longer have videos that lasts longer than 15 seconds. This is the case for a select number of countries in the world, most notably India. Understandably, the move is done as in initiative to reduce the traffic on their servers. When the server gets congested, messages either gets sent with a delay or just go missing completely.

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What is rather odd about the limitation is why it is being imposed only in selected countries. As COVID-19 is a global pandemic, one would expect it to be the case for every country that WhatsApp has a presence in. If there the server is still facing congestion issues, we expect there to be more restrictions put in place. This is only temporary and is expected to be removed in the future.
WhatsApp Is Also Testing a New Feature That’s Available in Beta Now
On a different note, WhatsApp is currently testing self-destructing messages in the latest beta, version 2.20.110 for Android. There will be an indicator so people will know that the message will disappear after the set time has elapsed. Users can set the duration to a day, a week, or a month for now. Given that it’s in the beta, we do expect the feature to be made publicly available in the near future.
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Pokdepinion: I can understand the reason, but I just find the way they do it as a bit odd. Wonder if they’re facing a similar issue on Instagram and Facebook.
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Sony latest α7 III is priced at RM8999 — we also went hands-on with this monster of a MILC!

Sony latest addition to their α7 lineup of mirrorless full-frame cameras comes in the form of the Sony α7 III, a beast of a mirrorless camera with a new 24.2MP BSI Exmor R sensor and a maximum ISO of 204800 for stills. Slap on the 10 fps burst with continuous autofocus and autoexposure, and this is a camera that should satisfy most photographers, if not everyone.
Glorious full-frame sensor

The α7 III’s new full-frame 24.2MP Exmor R CMOS sensor is paired with front-end LSI which doubles the readout speed of the image sensor. Coupled with the updated BIONZ X processing engine which speeds up processing times by 1.8x compared to the α7 II, this is a speed monster. The new processing engine also enables an expanded ISO range of 50 – 204800 for stills (native ISO 100 – 51200) and a massive 15-stop dynamic range.

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Focused

The α7 III features a new 693-point PDAF focusing system inherited from the flagship α9 which covers 93% of the sensor area. This works in addition to the 425 contrast AF points, allowing it to achieve fast and reliable focusing and tracking even in challenging conditions. The AF response and tracking speed has also doubled, enabling photographers to capture motion with much greater precision and accuracy. The Eye AF feature is also available, automatically locking focus onto the eyes of the subject, a hallmark of good portraits.
Fast shooter

The faster image processing and focusing allows the α7 III to shoot full resolution shots at 10 fps with continuous AF/AE tracking. To take full advantage of this, you will need the faster UHS-II cards, which will let you shoot 177 JPEGs, 89 compressed RAW images or 40 uncompressed RAW images at high speed. Those who are more interested in videography will also be pleased to know that the α7 III  can use the full sensor to record oversampled 4K videos at 24fps. It can also capture 1.6x more data if you want [email protected] videos with oversampling. The α7 III is not only fast when it comes to taking shots, it can also transfer the shots to your PC faster via a USB Type-C (5 Gbps) port and even directly upload to a FTP or your smart device via WiFi.
Extra usable

The Sony α7 III’s NP-FZ100 battery offers 2.2x the capacity of the ubiquitous NP-FW50 battery, enabling up to 710 shots per charge (CIPA measurement). The dual media slots shared with the α9 and α7R III uses two cards in a variety of modes — separate JPEG/RAW recording, separate stills/video recording, relay recording, and more. Also it means you would have effectively doubled your storage without having to pay extra for large capacity cards. The high resolution XGA OLED Tru-Finder and large tiltable 921k-dots 3.0″ display also lets you compose your shots with ease.
Hands-on experience

The Sony Fast was a joy to hold, especially with the shorter prime lenses. The autofocus was fast regardless whether we were shooting with the standard FE 55mm f/1.8 ZA or telephoto FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS. So fast that as the dancers and models moved around the shooting range, shots fired off at 10 fps still turned up well focused. Thanks to the UHS-II cards, there wasn’t a need to take a break just so that the camera could write to the card. The following are some shots taken in Auto with the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS lens:

I would say the camera does very well, capable of shooting amazing images without meddling with any settings, unlike lesser cameras which would have required a much more skillful person behind the camera than yours truly. While easy to use, the camera offers tonnes of options and settings to tweak. I counted three pages full of settings, which should make photography enthusiasts grin with glee.
Price and availability

The Sony α7 III will be priced at RM8999 (body only), and will be available starting April 2018. It will work with the large array of EF-mount lenses. Let us know what do you think of the Sony  α7 III!
Pokdepinion: I just do not have enough kidneys to get this camera, as much as I loved the feel and performance…
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Alleged 3D Model of iPhone 15 Ultra Surfaces, Showcasing a Remarkable Design Evolution

An alleged 3D model of the upcoming iPhone 15 Ultra has surfaced, showcasing a remarkable design evolution with a thinner bezel and exciting changes to the controls. The phone is expected to launch in September alongside Apple’s WWDC 2023 event.
Alleged 3D Model of Apple’s iPhone 15 Ultra Surfaces Online

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 15 Ultra is rumoured to undergo the most significant design evolution in smartphone history, according to an alleged 3D model leak. The video, presented by Unbox Therapy, showcased an incredibly thin bezel of 1.55mm, a noticeable difference from the iPhone 14’s 2.17mm frame. Although the model’s origin remains undisclosed, its resemblance to previous accurate predictions adds credibility to its authenticity.
The presented design is based on rumours and leaks, suggesting a slightly narrower width and a camera array similar to the iPhone 14 Pro Max. However, the increased thickness hints at possible camera enhancements or an improved battery.

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Exciting changes to the controls are also observed in the alleged 3D model leak, with the volume buttons replaced by a long rocker and the silent switch transformed into a button. The iPhone 15 Ultra is expected to launch in September this year, alongside more groundbreaking technology to be unveiled at Apple’s WWDC 2023 event, including a mixed-reality headset.
Apple fans are eagerly anticipating the launch of the iPhone 15 Ultra and are looking forward to the futuristic experience it promises to deliver. While the leaked 3D model isn’t official, it has given fans something to speculate about and is sure to increase the anticipation surrounding the highly-anticipated device. Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the launch date.
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Pokdepinion: All of these are just building up my excitement for the new iPhone. More than anything else, I just can’t wait for it to finally move to USB-C so I don’t have to carry so many cables anymore.
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Transcend Offers Lightning-enable Storage Solutions – One For The iOS Users Out There!

Transcend Information Inc. has introduce its bidirectional transmission and storage solution for iOS users. This includes flash drives for immediate storage expansion, a smart card for transfers between Apple devices and memory cards, and Apps to go further beyond.

Introducing the JetDrive Go 500 flash drive, which is one of the smallest MFi-certified flash drives on the market. Designed for iPhone, iPad, and iPod, it combines a lightning connector and a regular USB 3.1 (Gen 1) connector into a flash drive. Allowing to you to back up and transfer files among iOS devices, Mac computers, PCs and laptops. It can transfer and store up to 128GB of extra storage on your Apple device. It comes in silver and gold colors.

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Next up, we have the JetDrive Go 300. Similar to the 500 version, it has USB 3.1 but instead it has dual lightning connectors. It provides an alternative way to share files with others when there is no WiFi connection or among different platform devices. Files can be copied or moved to the JetDrive Go 300 without having to connect to the internet. There is also a JetDrive Go App that you can utilize. Features of it include backup camera roll, contacts, iCloud photos, direct record and save, play music and videos, and offers password protection. The JetDrive Go 300 is available in Classic Black, Silver, and Rose Gold versions.
Lastly we have the RDA2 Smart Reader. The lightning card reader allows you to transfer photos and videos from your digital camera, editing, and uploading them to social networking sites. You can store, transfer, and back-up data from card slots for both SD and microSD cards. To go along with that, it has its own exclusive app called the Smart Reader App. Some of the functions include formatting memory cards and the ability to encrypt and decrypt files.
Pokdepinion: Well atleast now iOS users have something to work with now I guess.

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