MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Ultraportable Workhorse

Unboxing the MSI Prestige 14 A10RB
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Box

Inside the box of the MSI Prestige 14 A10RB laptop, we found the following items:
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Box content
Quick start guideUser guideWarranty card90W power adapterPower cableThe MSI Prestige 14 A10RB laptop itself
Appearance
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Lid
For our review unit, we got the Carbon Grey colour variant of the MSI Prestige 14 A10RB laptop. It has a very clean, classy look thanks to the more neutral colour choice. Looking at the lid, you can get a clear glimpse of its all-metal build with a small MSI logo residing in solitude here. Surprisingly, it’s not a fingerprint magnet, which is great.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Open up the lid
Open up the lid, which can easily be done with one hand, and you get a clear view of its 14-inch Full HD IPS-level display, a chiclet keyboard with backlighting, a surprisingly long trackpad with a fingerprint scanner, and product stickers.

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The bezels are really thin on the sides, but noticeably thicker on the top and bottom. The webcam resides on the top bezel while the bottom bezel has the MSI logo. You can open the lid up to 180° flat, which makes it rather versatile. Given the size, it’s no surprise to not see a Numpad here.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Ports
On the left side, you have two USB-C ports, LED indicators, and a MicroSD card reader. As for the right side, you have a 3.5mm combo audio jack and two USB-A ports. There’s nothing on the rear.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Bottom
Moving to the bottom, you have two long plastic feet on the top and bottom, two speaker grilles, product stickers, and an air vent that looks like a graphic equalizer. There are also six exposed screws here, with one hidden under the Factory Seal sticker.
Overall, the MSI Prestige 14 A10RB may sound like a generic productivity laptop on paper but it ended up looking way better than expected. It’s classy, compact, and has a solid build quality. It’s one of those laptops you have to see and feel in person to really appreciate it.
Specifications
CPUIntel Core i7-10710U @ 1.1 GHz (up to 4.7 GHz Boost), 6C/12T, 12M cache, 15W TDP, 14nmRAM16GB 2666MHz DDR4, single-channelGPUIntel UHD GraphicsNVIDIA GeForce MX250 2GB GDDR5Storage512GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD (Western Digital SN730)SoftwareMicrosoft Windows 10 HomeMSI Creator CenterMSI Driver & App CenterMSI True ColorNahimicNorton SecurityConnectivityWirelessIntel WiFi 6 AX201 (2×2 WiFi 6 up to 2.4 Gbps) Bluetooth 5.1 Wired2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C (supports DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 3, and PD charging)2 x USB 2.01 x MicroSD card readerKeyboardWhite-backlit chiclet keyboardDisplay14″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 60Hz IPS-level display with thin bezels, 72% NTSCAudio2 x 2W speakers1 x Combo audio jackArray microphonePower52 Whr, 3-cell Li-Polymer90W power adapterColoursPure White, Carbon GreyDimensions319 x 215 x 15.9 mmWeight1.29 kg
Performance
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – CrystalDiskMark
Starting off with CrystalDiskMark, the speeds are amazing. In case you’re wondering, the MSI Prestige 14 A10RB uses the 512GB Western Digital SN730 NVMe PCIe SSD. You can expect excellent speeds for loading, boot ups, and more.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Cinebench R15
In Cinebench R15, the Intel Core i7-10510U seemed to perform more like an i5. I suspect this has something to do with optimizations as it’s using a single stick 16GB RAM. Perhaps with dual-channel RAM, we can really see it soar.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Cinebench R20
The story differs a bit in Cinebench R20 as it perform on par with CPUs within the same range. Perhaps the newer technologies that the 10th Gen Intel Core CPUs offer isn’t fully taken advantage of in the older benchmark.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Unigine SuperPosition
In Unigine SuperPosition’s 4K Optimized benchmark, we didn’t expect it to do well. While it does have a discrete GPU, it’s only a GeForce MX250. It would be tough to run anything in 4K with that. You’ll definitely see a huge difference in score the moment it jumps to at least a GTX 1050, but even that is still weak for 4K.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – 3DMark Time Spy
A similar pattern can be seen in 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark, albeit not as bad. I find it interesting that a laptop running the same GPU but with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 managed a better score. I’m aware of the dual-channel RAM on that, so perhaps that played a major factor.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – PCMark
In PCMark, the MSI Prestige 14 A10RB performs pretty well in all areas. It’s definitely a productivity laptop first but thanks to the GeForce MX250, you can get a decent experience when it comes to content creation. If you want something stronger on that end, you’d most likely have to sacrifice the portability, and this one is a very portable 14-inch laptop.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – PCMark Modern Office endurance test
The battery life of the MSI Prestige 14 A10RB on PCMark’s Modern Office endurance test is decent at best. It managed to last 5 hours and 49 minutes (349 minutes). In the gaming endurance test, it only managed to get an hour and 2 minutes. I did expect it to score better, at least in Modern Office, but it’s still not bad.
If you’re looking for something more gaming-oriented, check out our review of the MSI Alpha 15 by clicking right here.
User Experience
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Slight lift
The MSI Prestige 14 A10RB is an ultraportable productivity laptop. It looks good, feels good, and has decent firepower inside. It’s powered by the Intel Core i7-10510U CPU with NVIDIA GeForce MX250 GPU. It has an 16GB single channel DDR4 RAM with 512GB NVMe SSD. 16GB RAM is great but it would’ve been better if it was 8GB x 2 as dual-channel RAM would be far more efficient. The laptop’s true potential is held back because of this.
It’s worth pointing out that when you open the lid, the hinge gives it a bit of a lift for improved airflow, which is great.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review
It uses a 14-inch Full HD IPS-level display with 60Hz refresh rate. The viewing angle is good and you get nice, vibrant colours. I find that the display a little dim, which might scare away some professional creators. It’s worth noting that you can open up the lid up to 180° flat. The display itself doesn’t seem to wobble or flex even when I type a little hard, which is great. It would be better if it had touchscreen support for improved productivity.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Ports
The MSI Prestige 14 A10RB is a little bit short on ports. You get two USB-C ports (both of which can be used to charge via Power Delivery), two USB 2.0 ports, a combo audio jack, and a MicroSD card reader. While you can output display via the USB-C port (DisplayPort support), it’s not a common option for consumers.
Moreover, the lack of an RJ45 LAN port can hinder its productivity potential. For most people to make full use of this, you definitely need to get yourself a USB-C hub which will add more USB ports, an HDMI port, and a LAN port. Lastly, USB 2.0 in a 2020 laptop makes it feel a little outdate.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Keyboard
The keyboard is a bit of hit and miss for me. I’m okay with it not having a Numpad given the size, it has white backlighting, and a short travel distance means that you can type quickly and comfortably. As for typing itself, it feels a little loose to me. It feels like a linear switch that went too light. Some of you may like it, but I’m personally not a fan of this.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Trackpad and fingerprint scanner
As for the trackpad, it’s oddly long compared to most other laptops. However, it still works great and I have no complaints. The fingerprint scanner located here works excellently. It’s as reliable and fast as the ones on smartphones today. Rather than use passwords, you should just use this instead for a more seamless experience.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – MSI Control Center
On the software side of things, there is a plethora of useful software that you can make use of. Here, you can download additional creation-based software such as video editing software, monitor system performance, optimize battery usage, and more. The MSI Driver & App Center lists down all drivers and utilities in a single interface for easier updating. Lastly, MSI True Color lets you optimize your viewing experience based on what you’re doing. Whether it’s work, gaming, or to reduce blue light, it’s very useful to have.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review – Nahimic
As for the speakers themselves, it works surprisingly well. What it lacks in bass, it makes up for it in clarity, even for vocals, and the sound is directed towards the user. My only complaint is that the speakers could be louder, but it’s a minor issue. You can enhance your listening experience using the Nahimic audio software, whether it’s for the speakers or with your favourite pair of headphones.
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Verdict
MSI Prestige 14 A10RB Review
The MSI Prestige 14 A10RB is a good productivity laptop that you can consider for work or studies. You get good performance for this type of laptop, solid build quality, reliable fingerprint scanner, useful software suite, and USB-C charging in a 14-inch ultraportable package.
However, it’s a bit short on ports, the battery life is decent at best, the RAM configuration is holding its true potential back, and the display is a little dim. It’s still a good laptop to consider if you want one for work if you’re okay with its price tag of RM4,899. With that, I award the MSI Prestige 14 A10RB with our Silver Pokdeward.

Big thanks to MSI Malaysia for providing us this laptop for the purposes of this review.
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HUAWEI’s ban in the US may end soon

While HUAWEI was banned from conducting business with US-based companies after being accused by the US government of espionage, it appears that US President Donald Trump is ready to talk things over with China. And while he still labels HUAWEI as “something that is very dangerous”, he did mention that HUAWEI could be a part of an upcoming trade deal between the US and China.
“You look at what they’ve done from a security standpoint, a military standpoint. Very dangerous.”
President Trump did not back down from his stance that HUAWEI is a threat to the US’ national security, but it seems like he is open to allowing the threat to continue, presumably if the US-China trade agreements are in his favor. Sounds pretty contradictory, don’t you think?
Based on ARM Cortex-A76 and ARM Cortex-A55 cores.
Despite the seemingly baseless allegations mounted by the US government against the Chinese tech giant, HUAWEI is still being shunned by many companies with ties with the US, with the most recent being Arm, the company behind the ubiquitous ARM processor architecture that HUAWEI harnesses to develop its own Kirin chipsets.

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Pokdepinion: Well we did expect the HUAWEI ban to blow over, but we didn’t expect Mr. Trump to be so blatant about it…

Here’s what HUAWEI’s CEO Ren Zhengfei has to say about the US bans.
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iPhone cameras may get degraded by use on motorcycles

You know how they say that iPhones are a status symbol? It seems that you will have to get a car to go along with it too, as vibrations on motorcycles can affect the iPhone camera systems. Apple advises against mounting the iPhones to motorcycles with high-power or high-volume engines, while motorbikes with smaller engines or electric bike users are recommended to use a vibration dampening mount.
The vibrations apparently impacts the optical image stabilization (OIS) systems and closed-loop AF systems in iPhone cameras, which Apple notes are “designed for durability.” Talk about mixed messages, sheesh. In any case, the systems are designed to measure vibrations to compensate against them and mitigate blurring in your shots, but intense vibrations from your motorcycle can degrade the systems.

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Apparently there were some users who complained that their iPhone cameras got damaged after a ride on their motorcycles, leading Apple to publish this support document. The affected iPhones with OIS include most of the devices after the iPhone 6 Plus, while closed-loop AF is available on the iPhone XS and newer devices. This means that most of you out there who own an iPhone will probably do best to not mount your iPhone on your motorcycle’s handlebars.
While Apple’s support documentation only covers their own devices, it would probably be safe to assume that most other OIS-equipped smartphones would also be similarly affected by vibrations to varying degrees. You should definitely try to avoid subjecting your premium smartphones to too much vibration anyway.
Source
Pokdepinion: Or you know, get a car. Preferably a status symbol, just like your phone. Think different. What about a Tesla? Make sure you don’t owe people millions in unrefunded tickets though.
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ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe arrives in Malaysia, starts from RM2599!

ASUS’ flagship smartphone for the year is finally available in Malaysia. Announced at Zenvolution at Computex earlier this year. It is also the very first device to come with a Snapdragon 821. And it will be available here starting from RM2599 in two colors, Shimmer Gold and Glacier Silver.

The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe pairs the monster Snapdragon 821 with 6GB of RAM and 256GB of speedy UFS 2.0 storage. QuickCharge 3.0 allows you to quickly juice up the ZenFone 3 Deluxe via the USB Type-C port. The rear mounted fingerprint sensor allows for both security and convenience right at your fingertips. All that is wrapped in a full-metal body with invisible antennas, and finally topped off with a 5.7″ SuperAMOLED display with a 79% screen-to-body ratio. Keeping everything powered up is a non-removable 3000 mAh battery.

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Camera wise we have a 23 MP Sony IMX 318 sensor with PixelMaster 3.0 technology, and the very effective TriTech Auto-Focus technology which combines laser, phase detection and contrast detection autofocus for lightning fast focus acquisition. OIS, Deep Trench Isolation and 6 P Largan lens protected by a sapphire lens, 4K video recording round up the camera specifications list.
The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe will be made available in two variants. The version with the Snapdragon 820 with 64GB of storage will be priced at RM2599, while a higher end variant packing the Snapdragon 821 and 256GB of storage will be priced at RM3299. Get them at the ASUS Malaysia Online Store.

Pokdepinion: The ASUS ZenFone 3 Deluxe’s arrival in our markets marks the entry of the whole ZenFone 3 family here! Which will your pick?
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ASUS To Bring Refreshed Zenbook 14X OLED To Malaysia Soon

Coming mid-February.

ASUS has teased the arrival of its updated laptop lineup nationwide – on Zenbook’s side, the new Zenboom 14X OLED will come with Intel’s latest 13th-gen Core i9-13900H, paired with 32GB LPDDR5-4800 RAM, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Laptop GPU, and up to 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD.

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The display that earns its spot in the laptop’s full name is courtesy of a 14.5-inch, 16:10 2.8K 120Hz OLED panel, with DisplayHDR True Black 600 certifications for HDR content viewing. The 100% DCI-P3 color space coverage also gets PANTONE validation, with TUV-certified low-blue light emissions. ASUS says the display can also be optioned with touch capabilities.
Fit under its 16.9mm, 1.5kg chassis is a 70Wh battery which the manufacturer says is capable of all-day battery life; it also supports USB-PD fast charging, which they didn’t say exactly the maximum wattage support aside from ‘5-20V’ voltage rating. The chassis will feature two colors: Inkwell Gray and Sandstone Beige, the latter of which uses a new PEO coating process that is resistant to fingerprints and fading.
Zenbook 14X OLED specs. Image: ASUS
ASUS says the Zenbook 14X OLED should arrive in mid-February onwards – as the pricing will be revealed by then, so stay tuned for updates.

Pokdepinion: That’s a nice looking laptop, I have to say.
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After the conclusion of the Dragon Ball FighterZ tournament at EVO 2018, a new character addition has been revealed. It’s none other than Cooler himself.
Frieza’s Brother, Cooler, Confirmed for Dragon Ball FighterZ

After the final match of the Dragon Ball FighterZ tournament at EVO 2018, Bandai Namco showed off a brand new trailer for three upcoming characters in the game.
Two of the characters that appear in the trailer were already revealed last month, Base Goku and Base Vegeta. We got a closer look at some of their supers and dialogue, as well as what looked to be the two characters’ dramatic finish. Following those characters, we got a look at one of the two characters that’ll be a part of the last wave of season pass DLC. The one, and only, Cooler.

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Cooler will appear in his final form, making him one of the larger characters on the roster. We get a brief look at his combos and supers as well as his victory screen. He looks absolutely insane. As far as his history with the Dragon Ball series goes, Cooler made his first appearance in Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge. He’s Frieza’s brother and, obviously, the son of King Cold.
You can check out the new trailer for yourself at the top of this post. Dragon Ball FighterZ is currently available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will be coming to the Nintendo Switch later this year on 28th September 2018.
Tekken 7 also had a major reveal at EVO 2018, showing off 3 new characters coming to the game as well as 3 more to be revealed at a later date. Click here if you missed out on that.
Pokdepinion: Always thought they needed more villain characters in the game and now, we have it. This is a pretty good reveal.
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PUBG MOBILE Royale Pass Season 19 Brings New Traverse Theme

PUBG MOBILE has officially launched the Royale Pass Season 19 under the “Traverse” theme and as part of the version 1.4 update which added new gameplay, mechanics, and vehicles. The new update includes unique costumes, weapon skins, emotes, ornaments, and more, all of which vary from the previous season. All players’ rankings have been reset based on their final season 18 level, and players can now earn various in-game rewards.
PUBG MOBILE Royale Pass Season 19 is out now

Each rank in the Royale Pass Season 19 content update has exciting rewards. Players will be able to unlock the rank by completing different tasks and weekly challenges, or by purchasing ranks for 100UC per rank to progress up faster.

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When they reach the rank of 100 RP, players can use the Wheel of Fate feature to choose between the General Beetle and Queen Beetle outfits. Players can get a skin collection outfit and weapons, starting with the Garden Observer set, Trendy Kitty set, Queen Beetle – Mini 14, and Wonderland – AKM, as well as a skin collection outfit and weapons after reaching the 100 RP level.
The reward items that can be obtained during the Royale Pass (RP) mission is as follows:

RP 1 – Garden Observer Suit
RP 5 – Garden Observer mask
RP 10 – General beetle Dance
RP 15 – Avatar Royale Pass 19
RP 25 – Border Avatar Royale Pass 19
RP 30 – Gemstone Scarab Backpack
RP 40 – Finish Ancient Vine
RP 50 – Trendy Kitty Set
RP 60 – Bug Exterminator Grenade
RP 70 – Crimson Beetle Helm
RP 85 – Avatar General Beetle
RP 90 – Wonderland AKM
RP 100 – General Beetle Set or Queen Beetle Set

Players can also improve their Royale Pass rank by collaborating with others using the new RP Team feature. Players will use this function to collaborate and complete a variety of missions. There’s also a Royale Adventure event where you can explore each station and collect every supply to get a Wonderland motorcycle skin.
The PUBG MOBILE Royale Pass Season 19 is playable and available for free now via the App Store and Google Play Store.
Pokdepinion: I recently jumped back into PUBG MOBILE and I’ve got to say the new updates look pretty sweet. Now with the stuff coming with the Royale Pass Season 19, I might just dive in a little more. It’s whale time.
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Sony has just revealed the free games lineup for PS Plus Asia September 2021. The free games include Hitman 2, Predator: Hunting Grounds and Overcooked! All You Can Eat.

🔥Hunt or be hunted and have a fiery cook-off this September as Hitman 2, Predator: Hunting Grounds and Overcooked! All You Can Eat are FREE for all PS Plus members! pic.twitter.com/riUqxJPL6m
— PlayStation Asia (@PlayStationAsia) September 2, 2021

PS Plus Asia September 2021 FREE Games Lineup

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First up in the PS Plus Asia September 2021 free games lineup is Hitman 2. Travel the globe and track your targets across exotic sandbox locations in Hitman 2. From sun-drenched streets to dark and dangerous rainforests, nowhere is safe from the world’s most creative assassin, Agent 47. Prepare to experience the ultimate spy thriller story; your mission is to eliminate the elusive Shadow Client and unravel his militia, but when 47 learns his target’s true identity and the truth about his past, it changes everything.

The next game on the list is Predator: Hunting Grounds. The game is an immersive asymmetrical multiplayer shooter set in the remote jungles of South America, where the Predator stalks the most challenging prey. Play as a member of an elite 4 person Fireteam and complete paramilitary operations before the Predator finds you. Or, play as the Predator to hunt the most worthy prey, choosing from your vast array of deadly alien tech to collect your trophies, one by one.

The final game in the PS Plus Asia September 2021 free games lineup is Overcooked! All You Can Eat on the PS5. Overcooked! All You Can Eat bundles both Overcooked! and Overcooked! 2 with the addition of new content, online multiplayer as well as upgraded 4K graphics.
That’s all the games offered in the PS Plus Asia September 2021 free games lineup. If you haven’t checked out last month’s PS Plus Asia free games you can check them out here as there are still a few days left to download them.
Pokdepinion: This month’s free games is pretty good in my opinion. Highlights for me are Hitman 2 and Overcooked! All You Can Eat (even though I don’t have a PS5 yet). The Overcooked! series is an absolute blast and mind-blowingly chaotic to play with friends and family.
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Here’s how much the 10th Gen Intel Core desktop processors might cost

If you are looking for ballpark figures on how much the next generation of Intel Core processors will cost, here’s a good idea. @momomo_us has spotted a retailer listing the prices a bit too early, and here’s the pricing for the full stack of the upcoming 10th Gen Intel Core desktop processors.

とある店で。 pic.twitter.com/2iIo8CieFS
— 188号 (@momomo_us) March 6, 2020

The pricing listed here are for the tray processors, i.e. not the boxed units one you can buy at stores. The difference is usually quite minimal, until your usual supply-and-demand gets in the way of things. With that said, here goes:

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10th Gen Intel Core processor prices (leaked)

SKU
Part Number
Base Clock (GHz)
Cores/Threads
Cache
Price (without VAT)

Core i9-10900K
CM8070104282844
3.7
10C/20T
20MB
€504 (~RM2411)

Core i9-10900KF
CM8070104282846
3.7
10C/20T
20MB
€475 (~RM2272)

Core i9-10900
CM8070104282624
2.8
10C/20T
20MB
€452 (~RM2162)

Core i9-10900T
CM8070104282624
1.9
10C/20T
20MB
€452 (~RM2162)

Core i9-10900F
CM8070104282625
2.8
10C/20T
20MB
€425 (~RM2033)

Core i7-10700K
CM8070104282436
3.8
8C/16T
16MB
€389 (~RM1861)

Core i7-10700KF
CM8070104282437
3.8
8C/16T
16MB
€362 (~RM1732)

Core i7-10700
CM8070104282327
2.9
8C/16T
16MB
€335 (~RM1603)

Core i7-10700T
CM8070104282215
2.0
8C/16T
16MB
€335 (~RM1603)

Core i7-10700F
CM8070104282329
2.9
8C/16T
16MB
€308 (~RM1473)

Core i5-10600K
CM8070104282134
4.1
6C/12T
12MB
€263 (~RM1258)

Core i5-10600KF
CM8070104282136
4.1
6C/12T
12MB
€236 (~RM1129)

Core i5-10600
CM8070104290312
3.3
6C/12T
12MB
€222 (~RM1062)

Core i5-10600T
CM8070104290410
2.4
6C/12T
12MB
€222 (~RM1062)

Core i5-10500
CM8070104290511
3.1
6C/12T
12MB
€200 (~RM957)

Core i5-10500T
CM8070104290606
2.3
6C/12T
12MB
€200 (~RM957)

Core i5-10400
CM8070104290715
2.9
6C/12T
12MB
€190 (~RM909)

Core i5-10400T
CM8070104290806
2.0
6C/12T
12MB
€190 (~RM909)

Core i5-10400F
CM8070104290716
2.9
6C/12T
12MB
€163 (~RM780)

Core i3-10320
CM8070104291009
3.8
4C/8T
8MB
€162 (~RM775)

Core i3-10300
CM8070104291109
3.7
4C/8T
8MB
€151 (~RM722)

Core i3-10300T
CM8070104291212
3.0
4C/8T
8MB
€151 (~RM722)

Core i3-10100
CM8070104291317
3.6
4C/8T
6MB
€129 (~RM617)

Core i3-10100T
CM8070104291412
3.0
4C/8T
6MB
€129 (~RM617)

The 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10900 parts will go head-to-head with AMD’s Ryzen 9 3900X, which is slightly cheaper while offering two more cores and four extra threads. Intel does have the advantage of being able to clock their processors higher though, so the single-threaded performance should be Intel’s advantage. Whether end users can actually cool the processors enough to enjoy the high clocks with that many cores is still questionable though.
Meanwhile for those who aren’t looking for the 10th Gen Intel Core processors, but still want something based on Comet Lake, there are the Pentium and Celeron parts.
Comet Lake Pentium and Celeron pricing (leaked)

SKU
Part Number
Base Clock (GHz)
Cache
Price (without VAT)

Pentium G6600
CM8070104291510
4.2
4MB
€92 (~RM440)

Pentium G6500
CM8070104291610
4.1
4MB
€81 (~RM387)

Pentium G6500T
CM8070104291707
3.5
4MB
€81 (~RM387)

Pentium G6400
CM8070104291810
4.0
4MB
€70 (~RM335)

Pentium G6400T
CM8070104291907
3.4
4MB
€70 (~RM335)

Celeron G5920
CM8070104292010
3.5
2MB
€58 (~RM277)

Celeron G5900
CM8070104292110
3.4
2MB
€47 (~RM225)

Celeron G5900T
CM8070104292207
3.2
2MB
€47 (~RM225)

Overall, the pricing does seem pretty interesting. The leak also reveals that all the new Comet Lake-based desktop processors will need the new LGA1200 socket. Whether enthusiasts can justify buying a new Intel board just to use these processors remain to be seen.
Pokdepinion: Intel’s product stack seems to compare quite poorly against AMD’s when it comes to value…
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Xiaomi Pad 5 and Xiaomi 11T series global launch on 15th September?

Xiaomi has teased a global launch event that’s happening this 15th September, and we do believe that it will be the Xiaomi Pad 5’s global launch. Or it might also be including the Xiaomi 11T series, although that might be coming later, with rumors pointing towards a 23rd September launch event for the smartphone.
Xiaomi Pad 5

For the uninitiated, the Xiaomi Pad 5 looks set to be a great tablet, with narrow bezels all around its 11″ 2.5K 120Hz display. Audio is handled by four speakers along the edge, promising a great listening experience. There’s also support for stylus input, as well as a keyboard dock/case that will let you work on it more comfortably.

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Performance is courtesy of the Snapdragon 860, which is still potent enough for 2021. The top configuration comes with 6GB LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage, which should be plenty for even the most ardent multitasker. There’s also a Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro that replaces the chipset for a Snapdragon 870 and offers up to 8GB LPDDR5 instead.
Xiaomi Pad 5 Specs and Price

Snapdragon 860, octa-core up to 2.96GHz, 7nm
6GB LPDDR4X RAM
Up to 256GB UFS 3.1 storage
11″ 2.5K (2560 x 1600) 120Hz LCD display, TrueTone, HDR10, P3 color gamut
13MP rear camera
8MP selfie camera
8720mAh battery, 33W fast charging
6GB+128GB: 1999 CNY (~RM1307)
6GB+256GB: 2299 CNY (~RM1504)

Global pricing remains to be seen, but the pricing in China does put the Xiaomi Pad 5 at a a very interesting price point that will see it compete against mid-range tablets with a flagship-class chipset under the hood. Obviously, global pricing will usually be slightly higher. In any case, it should be coming to Malaysia very soon, as it has already passed SIRIM.
Xiaomi 11T Series
The Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro
Less is known about the Xiaomi 11T series, although there has been rumors of there being two models, with the Xiaomi 11T and Xiaomi 11T Pro. Yes, they won’t be called the Xiaomi Mi 11T series, because of Xiaomi’s rebranding exercise. Rumors have hinted towards absolutely killer specifications in the Xiaomi 11T Pro, including a Snapdragon 888 chipset, 120W fast charging and also a 120Hz OLED display.
Meanwhile the Xiaomi 11T is slated to pack a MediaTek chipset, and probably some pared back specifications to allow it to slot under the Pro variant, both in terms of features and pricing. Both the Xiaomi 11T and Xiaomi 11T Pro has passed SIRIM, so you can expect to see them here in Malaysia soon enough.

In any case, the wait isn’t much longer. We will be finding out more about these devices as we get closer to the 15th September launch event, or whether it will actually be these devices that will be unveiled at the event. Stay tuned!
Pokdepinion: Or will Xiaomi be unveiling their recent Xiaomi TV 6 OLED series and the Xiaomi TV Master 77″ OLED?
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ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED promises to be a TV… At least a portable one

Do you remember the good ol’ days of tiny TVs that you could bring around with you wherever you go, and all you need to watch some TV was to find a power socket to plug it in to? The people at ASUS seem to have a hankering for a similar experience, and came up with the tagline: Your PC, Your OLED TV for the new ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED. While I wouldn’t consider a 13.3″ screen as a “TV” per se, it does pack quite an impressive entertainment experience in its compact dimensions.
ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED: A premium detachable laptop for work and entertainment

As with many of ASUS’ recent laptops, the ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED is set to deliver a great viewing experience, thanks to its 13.3″ FHD OLED display that is PANTONE Validated, and also features Dolby Vision. This panel is capable of 100% DCI-P3 gamut, and it is DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified too, promising deep blacks and brilliant highlights. It also puts out less blue light, thanks to the innate qualities of the OLED technology, meeting TUV Rheinland’s standards for eye care.

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A TV is more than just a pretty display, and the ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED packs a pretty impressive audio setup as well. It comes with a quad-speaker Dolby Atmos sound system, with smart amplifiers to deliver louder audio without distortion. If you think you want an even better experience, you can hook up the ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED to a pair of headphones via the 3.5mm jack, or even better yet, a bigger display via the USB-C port.

We did mention that the ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED is also great for work, and the touchscreen supports the bundled high-precision ASUS Pen 2.0 stylus, which lets you unleash your creativity via brush strokes or your handwriting. If you prefer the more conventional way of input, you can also dock the ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED to its detachable keyboard which also comes included. Type away on the full-sized keys with 1.4mm key travel, more than what you would usually get on these detachable keyboards meant for use with tablets.

For your video conferencing needs, ASUS crammed a 5MP camera above the display, and slapped a 13MP camera on the back, for when you might need to show off your surroundings during a video call. AI Noise Cancelling is also available here, giving the people on the other end a clearer version of you, so you don’t have to keep repeating yourself.
ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED Specs and Price in Malaysia

Processor
Intel Pentium Silver N6000, 4C/4T @ up to 3.3GHz, 10nm

RAM
Up to 8GB LPDDR4x

GPU
Intel UHD Graphics, 32EU @ up to 850MHz

Storage
128GB eMMC / Up to 256GB PCIe SSD

Connectivity
WiFi 6 (802.11ax) + Bluetooth 5.2
2 x USB 3.2 Gen2 (10Gbps)
1 x microSD card reader

Display
13.3″ FHD OLED display, 550 nits, 100% DCI-P3 gamut, Dolby Vision

Power
50WHr 3-cell LiPo battery
65W USB-C power adapter
Support USB-PD charging

Dimensions
309.9 x 190 x 7.9 mm

Weight
785g

Price
TBA

Availability
Soon

Included Accessories
Detachable keyboard
Cover stand
ASUS Pen 2.0

Along with the standard option that comes in every color as long as its Black, the ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED will also be available in two Artist Editions designed in collaboration with Steven Harrington and Philip Colbert. The special editions will come with a special cover stand, wallpaper, a special box, a sleeve, a keyboard, a hard cover case and keyboard stickers. The Philip Colbert Artist Edition comes with a pair of limited edition shoelaces too!

We aren’t sure whether the Artist Editions will make it to Malaysia, but ASUS Malaysia has confirmed that the ASUS VivoBook 13 Slate OLED is indeed going to be launched here in Malaysia soon. Stay tuned for more updates from us if this is the kind of device that interests you!
Pokdepinion: I am not too sure about the kind of performance that we will get out of the Intel Pentium Silver N6000, but if it is affordable enough, I am quite keen to have a sweet OLED displays to watch Netflix on.
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Get the ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition for just RM2699 now!

If you are in the market for a new smartphone, why not consider what’s arguably the best gaming phone of 2020, the ASUS ROG Phone 3? The choice is made even easier now with RM400 slashed off the ROG Phone 3, and RM300 off the ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition. That makes the ROG Phone 3 one of the most affordable Snapdragon 865+ devices you can get in Malaysia right now.

The ROG Phone 3 is now priced at RM3399, while the ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition can be gotten for just RM2699. Both offer pretty similar features aside from the chipset, where the ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition gets a Snapdragon 865 and the ROG Phone 3 packs a faster Snapdragon 865+. There are more minute differences that you can also check out in the table below:

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ROG Phone 3 Specs and Price

ROG Phone 3
ROG Phone 3 STRIX Edition

Processor
Snapdragon 865+, octa-core up to 3.1GHz, 7nm
Snapdragon 865, octa-core up to 2.84GHz, 7nm

GPU
Adreno 650 (+10% performance)
Adreno 650 @ 587MHz

RAM
Up to 16GB LPDDR5
8GB LPDDR5

Storage
Up to 512GB UFS 3.1
256GB UFS 3.1

Display
6.59″ FHD+ 144Hz AMOLED display,
10-bit HDR, Delta-E <1
1000-nit peak brightness
113.3% DCI-P3 gamut coverage

Camera
64MP f/1.8 camera, Sony IMX686
13MP f/2.4 ultra-wide
5MP f/2.0 macro

Selfie Camera
24MP f/2.0 selfie camera

Connectivity
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth 5.1, aptX Adaptive
Dual-band GPS
5G: Bands N1, N2, N3, N5, N28, N41, N66, N71, N77, N78, N79
FDD-LTE: Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71
TD-LTE: Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth 5.1, aptX Adaptive
Dual-band GPS
5G: Bands N41, N77, N78, N79
FDD-LTE: Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 20, 28
TD-LTE: Bands 34, 38, 39, 40, 41

Battery
6000mAh
30W QuickCharge 4.0/USB-PD 3.0/Direct Charge

Dimensions
171 x 78 x 9.85 mm

Weight
240g

Price
12GB+512GB: RM3399 RM3799
16GB+512GB: RM4499
RM2699 RM2999

Mobile gamers should definitely take this opportunity to upgrade to the ROG Phone 3 series, as this promotion will only run until 4th January 2021.
Pokdepinion: ASUS is really not playing. The RM2699 ROG Phone 3 Strix Edition definitely annihilates a number of flagships out there!
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HUAWEI Mate X2 With Falcon Wing Design Unveiled

HUAWEI has recently announce the brand new HUAWEI Mate X2, their latest foldable flagship smartphone which comes with a brand new Falcon Wing Design.
HUAWEI Mate X2 unveiled

They’ve said that the new design folds perfectly into a compact shape with smooth corners all around. Its inner display measures 8-inches and the smartphone introduces a magnetically-controlled nano optical layer to minimize reflection. It works together with the 6.45-inch OLED display on the outside.  Both displays offer a 90Hz refresh rate to offer a consistent experience to users.

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The displays are complemented by features such as Smart Multi-Window, App Multiplier, App Bubble, and more. It is equipped with the Ultra Vision Leica Quad Camera where it sports a 50MP Super Sensing Wide Camera, 12MP 10x Telephoto Camera, 16MP Ultra Wide Camera and a 8MP periscope lens.
In terms of audio, the phone comes with dual-speaker stereo system and supports HUAWEI Histen sound effects. Aside from that, the HUAWEI Mate X2 is equipped with Kirin 9000, 4500mAh battery that you can charge with its 55W HUAWEI SuperCharge as well as 8GB RAM that’s paired with either 256GB or 512GB internal storage.
Launched in China, the HUAWEI Mate X2 starts from the price of RMB 17,999 (~RM11,253) and is available in White, Black, Crystal Blue, and Crystal Pink colour variants. It is still unknown on whether the device will launch in Malaysia but rest assured that we will update you should that be the case. Till then, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
Pokdepinion: The question that’s on my mind right now is whether the phone will be making its way here or not. Let’s just hope that it does. It’d be interesting to see the upgrades that they’ve done with it.
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We Could Possibly See USB4 Being Introduced In 2020

USB ports have gone a long way since its introduction, where it has been six years since USB 3.0 was first introduced. Now it seems that we will see a successor, which you can probably guess its name, USB4.
According to a report, it looks like the USB Implementers Forum has agreed to their final technical specifications for USB4, which we could probably see it as soon as next year, 2020. What does USB4 brings to the table exactly? Well it will offer twice the speed that a USB 3.2 port would perform, where it utilizes a dual-lane 40Gbps speed.
In terms of connection, it will follow a USB Type-C style, though offering backwards compatibility. Despite the increased transfer speed that it offers, we would probably see it being used for displays/monitors.

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Though it is expected to come out next year, it remains to be seen on who and which company will be the first to introduce the technology to the market.
Pokdepinion: What’s not to be excited? We’re talking about extreme speeds right here!
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Riot Games Offering In-Game Rewards for Enabling 2FA

In a bid to improve security and encourage people to enable 2FA (two-factor authentication), Riot Games is offering in-game rewards for doing so.
Riot Games Encourages Security with 2FA

Still not signed up for 2FA? We’re extending a fist bump to anyone who enables it, in the form of special rewards for @LeagueOfLegends, @PlayVALORANT, @PlayRuneterra, & @TFT!
Find out more: https://t.co/nkfBGPjlxv pic.twitter.com/b5HjsvhIjK
— Life @ Riot (@LifeAtRiot) October 17, 2022

Riot Games previously launched two-factor authentication (2FA) earlier this past January 2022 in an effort to improve security. It’s certainly a big step up from their previous security measure, and to encourage more people to use it, they are offering in-game rewards for users who make use of the feature.

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As for the exact rewards, we’ve listed it right below here:

League of Legends: Taliyah ‘Very Cool’ emote
Legends of Runeterra: Rare Prismatic Chest
Teamfight Tactics: Little Legend Egg
VALORANT: ‘Keep it Safer’ Gun Buddy

In case you don’t know how 2FA works, players will be given a six digit ccode sent to their email or smartphone after attempting to login. You can only login for real after keying in this code. There’s even an option to require 2FA once every 30 days. This should give some peace of mind to gamers who spend money on in-game cosmetics, especially with popular games like League of Legends and Valorant where hackers and scammers are always on the prowl.
If you’re not sure how to enable 2FA, click right here.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s a small, simple gesture, but it can go a long way in improving the security for every player. Anyone who chooses not to use it and finds their account compromised, that’s on them.
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Rocket League Will Soon Be A Free-To-Play Title

Psyonix, the game developer for the hugely popular game Rocket League has revealed at their blogpost that their upcoming game update will make the title free-to-play.
Play Rocket League for free

It’s been 5 years since Rocket League was released and the game publisher has said that they are gearing up to make the game free.
Despite the news, they’ve revealed that they will be taking the game out from the Steam store as they will launch it on the Epic Games Store, the same time that the update comes out.

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Own the game already on Steam? Well fret not as owners of the game will still be able to play it even after their move to Epic Games. The game will finally support cross-platform by locking down to a unified Epic Games account.
Aside from that, Psyonix has said that the update will bring several changes to the game’s tournaments as well as reward challenge mechanics.
If you’ve never played the game before, well think football (no, not american football) plus vehicles. I really can’t put it more simpler than that.
A precise date is yet to be confirmed for the new update but we can expect it to be released for Summer 2020.
Source
Pokdepinion: Truth be told, I’ve always thought that Rocket League felt like it should be a free to play title.. Well at least it will be soon.
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realme 3 officially launched in Malaysia priced from RM599

The realme 3 is finally launched here in Malaysia. It brings about a slew of improvements across the board, all the way from the design to the innards and software. While it replaces the realme 2, it actually has more in common with the realme 2 Pro than the former.

For starters, it comes with a beefy Mediatek Helio P60 under the acrylic unibody back, which comes in Classic Black, Dynamic Black and Radiant Blue. In terms of software realme has also made huge progress with ColorOS 6. You can read more about it in our full review of the device.

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For those of you who are into customizing your device, the realme 3 comes with an unlocked bootloader, and also Camera2 API right out of the box. This opens up the avenue to custom ROMs and of course, the famous GCam that everyone is into nowadays.

Speaking of GCam, the realme 3 touts an impressive Nightscape and Chroma Boost modes to improve its camera performance. The features use the AI chops of the Helio P60 to deliver low-light photography that’s on par with much pricier devices.
Here’s the full specifications of the realme 3:
realme 3 Specifications

MediaTek Helio P60, octa-core up to 2.0 GHz, 12nm FinFET
Mali-G72 MP3 @ 800 MHz
Up to 4GB RAM
Up to 64GB storage (expandable via microSD)
6.22″ HD+ IPS display, waterdrop notch
13MP f/1.8 + 2MP depth sensor
13MP f/2.0 selfie camera
ColorOS 6.0 based on Android 9 Pie
4230 mAh battery
3GB+32GB: RM599
4GB+64GB: RM699

The realme 3 can be gotten for just RM549 on Lazada’s Birthday Sale on 27th March, and the first 50 customers will also receive an exclusive case from realme’s Galaxy Inspired Collection.
Pokdepinion: A strong offering in the mid-range market!
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THUNDEROBOT introduces 911S and 911 Air — two new models with the latest Intel 8th Gen 6-core processors!

THUNDEROBOT which has just made its entry into our market is now offering two new models to satisfy more gamers who seek particular features in their gaming laptops. The THUNDEROBOT 911S offers high performance, while the THUNDEROBOT 911 Air goes for slimmer bezels and weighs just 2kg, improving portability.
THUNDEROBOT 911S — gets your pulse racing

The THUNDEROBOT 911S isn’t the Chinese manufacturer’s most powerful laptop, but it is definitely the lightest model from them with a GeForce GTX 1060 6GB. THUNDEROBOT also promises 10% better performance than a typical 8th Gen Intel Core i7, thanks to its three 8mm pure copper heat pipes and two cooling fans.

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Its aluminium chassis and RGB keyboard amps up the aesthetic appeal of the gaming laptop, while the 911S’ powerful specifications keep gamers smiling as they frag. What specifications, you ask?
THUNDEROBOT 911S Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7 8750H (6C/12T @ up to 4.1 GHz)

RAM
16GB DDR4-2400

GPU
GeForce GTX 1060 6GB

Storage
128GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD

Display
15.6″ FHD (1920×1080) IPS Display, 144 Hz refresh rate

Connectivity
802.11 ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 5.0

Power
180W Adapter

Weight
2.4kg

THUNDEROBOT 911 Air
— gaming performance without breaking your back

THUNDEROBOT’s first entry into the portable gaming laptop market looks pretty good, with slim 5mm side bezels and 13mm top bezel, as well as an equally minimal weight of just 2kg. What makes this interesting is that the 911 Air packs everything you want in terms of performance while being this light.

That includes a fancy RGB keyboard, the latest 8th Gen i7 8750H and GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB, as well as other niceties in this svelte 20mm thin laptop.
THUNDEROBOT 911 Air Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7 8750H (6C/12T @ up to 4.1 GHz)

RAM
8GB DDR4-2400

GPU
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB

Storage
128GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD + 1TB HDD

Display
15.6″ FHD (1920×1080) IPS Display

Connectivity
802.11 ac Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 5.0

Weight
2.0kg

DINO, ST Plus and 911GT refreshed

For those who want greater performance, there is the DINO, which is refreshed with the latest 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU. It also comes with faster DDR4-2666 RAM, WiFi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0. The ST Plus and 911GT gets the newer CPUs and wireless connectivity options but still pack DDR4-2400.
Pokdepinion: These looks like great options if you are in the market for a gaming laptop and aren’t too brand-conscious!
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Instagram Might Be Removing The Ability To Share Feed Pictures To Instagram Stories

Instagram might be changing up some of its app features by removing the ability for a user to share another user’s feed photo onto their Instagram Stories. According to reports, some users have received notifications of this change as part of the social media company’s new test run.
No more sharing feed pictures on Instagram Stories
Screenshot by Matt Navarra on Twitter
The users that are part of this test run were seemingly chosen at random as not all Instagram users received the same notification. Those who were selected saw a banner pop up at the top of the app that reads:
We hear from our community that they want to see fewer posts in Stories. During this test, you won’t be able to add a feed post to your Story.
For now, users being unable to share feed photos to Stories is still just a test which the social media company is running in select regions. They also explained that they have no intention of rolling out the change to the masses at this point in time.

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Interestingly enough, Twitter had recently announced that they are testing sharing Tweets straight to Instagram Stories as stickers on iOS. If Instagram ever chooses to proceed in implementing this change, then you might see people sharing feeds through Tweets instead.
Pokdepinion: Why can’t Instagram add a feature where users can choose to restrict sharing on their individual photos instead of removing the ability for everyone? I know a lot of businesses rely on sharing their feed on Stories to increase the visibility of their products and/or services. If the ability to share their feeds is taken away then how?
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Transcend’s throws 12.12 Flash Sale on Lazada’s Transcend Official Store!

Missed out on Lazada’s 11.11 Online Revolution sales? Maybe you should check out the Transcend 12.12 Flash Sale! Transcend is having a promotion for the DrivePro 110 dashcam, which is priced at RM299 now instead of the usual price of RM359.
The Transcend DrivePro 110 uses a Sony sensor for high resolution images even in low light. There’s also a built-in battery, a snapshot button, emergency recording, headlight reminder and driver fatigue alert, making it a very feature-packed dashcam.
The 1TB StoreJet 25A3W Portable HDD for RM99 flash deal has already sold out, and that was a great promotion. The dashcam appears to be still in stock, but do hurry as stocks are limited.

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In addition to the 12.12 Flash Sale, Transcend will also be giving out RM5 KFC vouchers for each purchase worth over RM100 on Lazada’s Transcend Official Store during the 22nd December Flash Sale event. Do check out the Transcend DrivePro 110 on Lazada via the following link:

Pokdepinion: RM299 for such a dashcam is a real steal! Too bad the StoreJet 25A3W has sold out though. Wouldn’t mind picking one up to store my content for academic purposes.
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Digi’s New “The Grandest Galaxy S22 Giveaway” – Count and win yourself a Samsung Galaxy S22!

Digi today launched “The Grandest Galaxy S22 Giveaway” to commemorate the recent launch of the new Samsung Galaxy S22 as part of its efforts to bring more exclusive experiences to all Digi customers.

All existing Digi customers will be able to participate in the “The Grandest Galaxy S22 Giveaway” from today until March 29, 2022, with no additional subscription or purchase required. Participants in the online contest must guess the total number of Samsung Galaxy S22 phones contained within an epic glass box in a secret Digi location. A total of 22 winners will be chosen to receive a brand-new unit of the Samsung Galaxy S22 5G (256GB) each.

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How to join Digi’s “The Grandest Galaxy S22 Giveaway”

Watch the video above or visit the link here and count how many units of Samsung Galaxy S22 there are in the glass box.
Guess the total number of smartphones in the container and craft a creative slogan on why they deserve to be one of the lucky Digi customers to own the new Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone.
Send in the answer via SMS to 28282 by 29 March 2022, 11.59PM.

The winners of the giveaway will be announced on 5th April. Head over here for more information on “The Grandest Galaxy S22 Giveaway”.
Pokdepinion: Ooh this is exciting! I loved these ‘count and guess’ contests when I was a kid. Gonna try my hand in this contest and hopefully I have a shot at winning.
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Western Digital crams four bits per cell on 3D NAND; calls it BiCS3 X4 technology

Western Digital has previously announced their BiCS4 with TLC and QLC architectures. The latest bit of news informs us that Western Digital has also successfully brought QLC (Western Digital calls it X4) to their 64-layer 3D NAND BiCS3 technology.
Western Digital has previously developed X4 for 2D NAND and commercialized it, so this bit of news comes as no surprise with Western Digital’s deep vertical intergration capabilities. With BiCS3 X4, Western Digital is capable of reaching an industry-leading density of 768Gb per chip, a 50% increase from the previous maximum of 512Gb per chip with TLC (or as Western Digital calls it, X3) technology.

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BiCS3 X4 promises to deliver performance comparable to their BiCS3 X3 products, with the technology to benefit consumers who want to take advantage of the higher capacities made possible by the higher density offered by X4 technology.
BiCS3 X4 chips is set to be used in removable drives and solid state drives, with Western Digital planning on showcasing products based on the technology at the Flash Memory Summit in August.
Pokdepinion: With TLC gaining wide acceptance now despite fears of poor endurance in the beginning, it’s only a matter of time before QLC is found in your everyday NAND chips.
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Apex Legends Was Leaked on Reddit Over A Year Ago

Apex Legends Was Leaked on Reddit Over A Year

 11 months ago, this was leaked in r/titanfall. All he got was pessimistic comments. from apexlegends

Apex Legends had a surprise release which caught many gamers off guard and became the best battle royale game around today. Not only does the hero shooter elements work well in a battle royale environment, it made the saturated genre feel new and fresh again. Surprisingly, the game’s release isn’t exactly from out of nowhere as it was actually leaked on Reddit about a year ago.
Over on the Apex Legends subreddit, u/Fubbles22 noted that 11 months ago, another user with the user name u/hitconic posted a picture of an alleged map of a Titanfall battle royale game being created by Respawn. You can see the post below.
The Respawn Community Manager chimed in down in the comment section. They stated that they actually remembered this post and was happy to see that people were just blowing it off. They also thought that they would be able to say they were right when the next year comes along.

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As big as this game is now, I am surprised that nobody has caught this sooner. It’s hilarious to see the actual map of the game get leaked and everyone in the comment section calling it fake. Let this be a reminder that while you should take information with a grain of salt, you shouldn’t be so quick to judge it.
Apex Legends is currently available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One for free.
Pokdepinion: I guess when there’s a number of battle royale games out, it’s hard to really care. Now, it’s the hottest one out there.
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ASUS ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4) Review – Cute and Small Mesh WiFi 6 System

Do you like small and cute routers that would fit anywhere in the house? ASUS has you covered as the ASUS ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4) is just the thing you need. Small yet delivers a good performance, who thoughts such a small size factor would perform reasonably good as other ASUS ZenWiFi product ZenWiFi AX Hybrid XP4 and ZenWiFi Pro XT12.
ASUS ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4) Specifications

Network Standard
IEEE 802.11a
IEEE 802.11b
IEEE 802.11g
WiFi 4 (802.11n)
WiFi 5 (802.11ac)
WiFi 6 (802.11ax)
IPv4
IPv6

Data Rate
802.11a : up to 54 Mbps
802.11b : up to 11 Mbps
802.11g : up to 54 Mbps
WiFi 4 (802.11n) : up to 300 Mbps
WiFi 5 (802.11ac) : up to 867 Mbps
WiFi 6 (802.11ax) (2.4GHz) : up to 574 Mbps
WiFi 6 (802.11ax) (5GHz) : up to 1201 Mbps

Antenna
Internal dual-band antenna x 2

Transmit/Receive
MIMO technology
2.4GHz 2×2
5GHz 2×2

Memory
256 MB Flash, 256 MB RAM

Operating Frequency
2.4 G Hz / 5 GHz

Ports
RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for WAN/LAN x 1, RJ45 for Gigabits BaseT for LAN x1

Buttons
WPS Button, Reset Button

Power Supply
AC Input : 110V~240V(50~60Hz) DC Output : 12 V with max. 1.5 A current

Package Content
Router (XD4R)
RJ45 Ethernet cable
Power adapter
Quick start guide
Warranty Card
Router (XD4R)
Node (XD4N)
RJ45 Ethernet cable
Power adapter
Quick start guide
Warranty Card

AiMesh
AiMesh : Yes
Primary AiMesh router : Yes
AiMesh node : Yes

Game
Game Boost/acceleration : No
WTFast : No

IFTTT
Yes

AiProtection
AiProtection : AiProtection Classic
Router Security Assessment : No
Malicious site blocking : Yes
Two-Way IPS : No
Infected Device Prevention and Blocking : Yes

Traffic Control
Adaptive QoS : No
Bandwidth Monitor : Yes
Bandwidth limiter : Yes
Traditional QoS : Yes
Maximum Traditional QoS rule : 32
Traffic Monitor : No
Real-time traffic monitor : Yes
Wired Traffic Monitor : Yes
Wireless Traffic Monitor : Yes
Traffic Analyzer : No
Website history : No

Wireless
IPv6 : Yes
MU-MIMO : Yes
Wi-Fi Encryption : WPA3-Personal, WPA/WPA2/WPA3-Personal, WPA/WPA2-Enterprise, WPS support
UTF-8 SSID : Yes
Guest Network : Yes
Maximum Guest Network rule : 9
Guest Network Connection time limit : Yes
WPS : Yes
Wi-Fi MAC address filter : No
Wireless scheduler : No
Airtime fairness : No
RADIUS Server : No
Universal beamforming : No
Explicit beamforming : No

WAN
Internet connection Type : PPPoE, PPTP, L2TP, Automatic IP, Static IP
Dual WAN : No
WAN Aggregation : No
3G/4G LTE dongle : No
Android tethering : Yes
Port forwarding : Yes
Port triggering : Yes
DMZ : Yes
DDNS : Yes
NAT Passthrough : Automatic IP, Static IP, PPPoE(MPPE supported), PPTP, L2TP
Let’s Encrypt : Yes

LAN

DHCP Server : Yes
IGMP snooping : Yes
IPTV : Yes
LAN Link Aggregation : No
Manually assign IP address : Yes
Maximum manually assign IP address rule : 64

VPN
VPN Client L2PT : Yes
VPN Client OVPN : Yes
VPN Client PPTP : Yes
VPN Server IPSec : Yes
VPN Server OVPN : Yes
VPN Server PPTP : Yes
VPN Fusion : No

USB Application
HDD hibernation : No
Safely Remove disk : No
AiCloud : No
Download master : No
AiDisk : No
Media Server : No
Time Machine : No
Samba Server : No
FTP Server : No
Shared Folder privileges : No

Administration
Operating system : ASUSWRT
Free OS upgrade : Yes
Firewall : Yes
Maximum Firewall keyword filter : 64
Maximum Firewall network service filter : 32
Maximum Firewall URL filter : 64
Wake on LAN (WOL) : Yes
SSH : Yes
Configuration backup and restore : Yes
Diagnosis tools : Yes
Feedback system : Yes
System log : Yes

Dimensions (LxWxH)
90 x 90 x 80 mm

The ASUS ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4) comes in a twin pack, where you will get 2 units of ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4), giving you a whole Wi-Fi coverage for your home.

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Look at how small the ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4) is compare to my palm.Other accessories included in the box are two power adapter with two different types of detachable pins and a LAN cable.
When it come to compact sizes of a product, there must be something to trade off. In the case of the ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4), I/O ports only consists of two ports; 1 WAN/LAN and 1 LAN port.For those who want a fully wireless network system, I don’t think there is much an issue as you can always add another Switch to make i[ for the lack of LAN ports on the ZenWiFi AX Mini (XD4). The problem is when you have an internet package that comes with IPTV, the LAN port will be reserved for the IPTV and the LAN port will not work as a normal, thus the functionality of the Ethernet Backhaul with Mesh System will not work.Size comparison between ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XP4) and ZenWiFi Pro XT12.
 The main router and Unifi fiber connections are located in my room. My Unifi fiber comes with IPTV set-up box but I dont use it. My main desktop PC uses LAN (white cable) while the blue cable is for my secondary Access Point in the living room for mobile devices, TV, Astro and LAN network cable distributions to other rooms. with only one available LAN port on the ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XP4), my desktop PC wont be able to connect to the XP4 but this can be simply solved with a Network Switch.
Problem: Unifi user with IPTV has the secondary LAN port  reserved for IPTV and will not work as a normal LAN port.
Unifi User with IPTV
For those who are using Unifi with IPTV, when you select ISP profile Unifi-Home, your ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XP4) LAN port will be reserved for IPTV. Simply connect your IPTV device to the second LAN port on the ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XP4).
Unifi User Without IPTV
For Unifi user without IPTV, even you select the profile with Unifi-home setting, the second LAN port will not work as a normal LAN port. Even with custom VLAN settings, the LAN port still not able to use as normal, and this is something ASUS need to fix because with other ASUS routers, I have no issues with the IPTV LAN port working as a normal port.
In order to make the second LAN port to work, you have to use the Unifi-Business ISP profile even if you have a home Unifi package. This will make the second LAN port work as intended.
Wi-Fi Performance
The main Mesh node is located in my bedroom while the second node is in the kitchen.
Using my laptop with the ASUS USB-AX56 Wi-Fi 6 adapter in the same room with the main node, it is able to deliver the full speed of my internet plan.
Moving further away to my kitchen (connected to the main node), the performance starts to drop a little but still reasonable for gaming or streaming UHD Movies. The Wi-Fi signal here isn’t particularly good, which will affect the speed even more if there are more users hogging the connection.
In theory, if I connect my laptop to the second node of ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XD4), I should get the full speed of my internet connection but when connected to the second node, the performance drops even more but I’m getting an excellent Wi-Fi signal which brings a good, stable connection.
Features
AiProtection by Trend MICRO is also included in the ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XD4) but it lacks the Two-Way IPS System which is available only in the higher end routers.
Basic QoS is also available with standard traditional settings that you have to configure yourself as to which port and protocol to prioritize.
ASUS ZenWiFi AX Hybrid (XD4) Verdict
ASUS Zen Wi-Fi AX Mini (XD4) AX 1800 Dual-band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System is a mid range product by ASUS at RM918 for a twin pack. It is an excellent product for a small network system with no more than 10 heavy users in a cute, compact size while still delivering reasonable speeds and Wi-Fi coverage. The downside here is the limitation of 2 LAN ports and only the basic features of protection, which is good enough for me.

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ASUS Announces Local Availability & Pricing for Updated ROG Flow Laptops

Flow Z13 will arrive first, starting this March.

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This year, while there won’t be any new models coming from the ROG Flow series – all existing models will get updated hardware and some minor enhancements. The updated ROG Flow Z13, now powered by latest Intel Core i9-13900H and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 (65W), will have its very own ‘Nebula Display’. This upgraded panel now supports QHD+ 16:10 with 100% DCI-P3 coverage as opposed to the FHD+ 100% sRGB in the previous model year. This model will cost RM8,999 – and should arrive in mid-March.

The Flow X-series, which comes in 13-inch and 16-inch variants, gets their own updated hardware as well. First is the ROG Flow X16: The Mini-LED powered Nebula HDR Display now has increased dimming zones from 512 to 1,024 – with the same 1,100 nits of peak brightness; in terms of speed, it is now upgraded to a 240Hz QHD panel. The sole model set to arrive in Malaysia will feature Core i9-13900H + RTX 4060 (120W) pairing, but we won’t be seeing it until at least June of this year.

Next is ROG Flow X13, this Ryzen-powered model will see it powered by Ryzen’s best low-power CPU on offer, the Ryzen 9 7940HS. Accompanying it is the RTX 4050 (60W), and it has its own updates including a much larger touchpad (+56% over previous model), and a 16:10 QHD+ 165Hz panel. Like the X16 – this will only arrive in June this year.

All three ROG Flow models have a few similar features, including: new Corning Gorilla Glass DXC coating, which increase surface hardness by 40% to reduce scratches and glare; and all comes with the same XGm port that can be connected to a separate XG Mobile external GPU module – which now houses a 150W RTX 4090 inside. Availability are said to be ‘April onwards’, but the pricing has been announced, which is RM9,999.
For more details you can visit the landing page here.
Pokdepinion: Relatively minor update for ROG Flow this time around, but that’s expected given this line is still very new.
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Gran Turismo 7 Review – Great Driving Simulator Ruined by Slimy Microtransactions

What is Gran Turismo 7 about?

Gran Turismo 7 is the latest addition to Polyphony Digital’s long-running racing simulator series. The game offers players a wide selection of cars to race with on many tracks located in and around the globe. From hatchbacks to muscle cars to supercars, players can choose and customise whichever car they want and utilise them in either solo offline races or online races against other players.
It’s about drive, it’s about power

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Gran Turismo 7 is nothing short of gorgeous, easily the best-looking game in the series. The cars look gorgeous, the race tracks look gorgeous and the environment looks gorgeous. I find myself sometimes just participating in a race casually without the intention of even winning just because I wanted to take in the scenery. To me, these sorts of races are akin to a lazy Sunday drive one might take when they’re in no hurry to go anywhere.
Likewise, Gran Turismo 7 looks and feels equally gorgeous when you put the pedal to the metal and winning a race, to me, feels exhilarating as if I had participated in the race live. Gran Turismo 7 also features live weather changes that add a dash of realism to the race. Nothing is as immersive as drops of rain pelting on your windscreen as you’re neck and neck against another racer, trying to squeeze your way through a tight corner to secure pole position. The 4K 60FPS resolution that the game supports also helps a lot in that regard as well.

Gran Turismo 7 also features ray tracing that looks alright though you’ll have to play with a slower frame rate, at 30FPS. I generally leave it at 4K 60FPS due to the fact that it looks and feels better and that ray tracing doesn’t reflect during actual races but instead the animated recap.
Adding to the sense of immersion is the great implementation of the DualSense controller’s feedback and vibrations by Polyphony Digital. The adaptive triggers work brilliantly in providing resistance to every acceleration and braking you make during races. The controller’s vibrations also work well here as you can almost feel the texture of the track you’re driving on, from the bumps on the road to the dings your car makes as it hits another race’s car.
Apart from the traditional analogue stick controls, Gran Turismo 7 also offers steering via the DualSense controller’s motion controls which works surprisingly well. I actually feel like the motion controls here emulates a steering wheel well enough that it can pass off as a genuine substitute steering wheel controller.

Now, Gran Turismo 7 comes with a lot of cars and a lot of race tracks out of the gate, which is a massive improvement over Polyphony Digital’s previous outing, Gran Turismo Sport which was heavily criticised for its disappointing lack of content at launch. The game will offer players one out of three basic cars at the beginning of the game. Players can then use the selected car to participate in races to earn more in-game currency as well as receive ‘gift cars’ that players can alternatively use for subsequent races if they so choose.
As players progress, the in-game currency that players earn from races can either be used to purchase parts to upgrade their car or purchase better cars altogether from the in-game car dealership to use in future races. Gran Turismo 7’s in-game currency can also be topped up through purchases made with real money which we will touch on a little later in the review.

One element added to Gran Turismo 7 that I really adore is the ‘Cafe’ feature. In this feature, players will find various ‘menus’ that dish out objectives players must complete, perfect for those who prefer taking a more solo approach to the game. These objectives do become a bit repetitive after a while, mostly revolving around having players collect a specific set of cars by winning them in races.

You do get some weird and unintentionally funny objectives though, one of the objectives given to me by the ‘Cafe’ was to go wash my car. The objective was meant as an introduction to another part of the game though I can’t help but chuckle to myself at how clunky that introduction was.

Another reason why I like Gran Turismo 7’s ‘Cafe’ feature and why I keep going back for more objectives is that after you’ve collected all the cars, there will be a short and animated explanation of the types of cars that you’ve collected. I’m not a huge car guy but I do appreciate documentaries of all subjects as well as bit-sized infomercials such as the ones provided here. I’ve learned more about cars here than anywhere else.
Gran Turismo 7 also brings back the Licence Center mode from previous games where players can complete a set of objectives in order to obtain certain types of licences. These licence types are required for players to take part in certain races from the World Circuit. The Licence Center provides a surprisingly tough set of challenges for each licence type but a welcome one at that. It does not frustrate you to the point where you feel like pulling your hair out but it doesn’t present a walk in the park either. I found myself striving for gold in each challenge, which is surprising seeing that I don’t typically shoot for gold in games.

Beyond that, there is Gran Turismo 7’s Mission Mode which lets players take part in various missions similar to how the objectives in the ‘Cafe’ work. You can also engage in multiplayer mode which players can race against other Gran Turismo 7 players online or locally with another player via its 2-player multiplayer race though you’re going to have to own another DualSense controller to try it out. Unfortunately, I only have one DualSense controller so I’m limited to just the online multiplayer.

Lastly, Gran Turismo 7 features a unique mode called the Music Rally Mode which is more like an arcade racing mode but with a musical twist. Rather than racing against the clock, players will have to race before the music track ends. The overall goal is to drive effectively and hit checkpoints to maintain your beat count high so that you don’t run out of beats before the song ends, with your ultimate grade determined by the overall distance travelled once you’ve reached the conclusion.
Microtransactions left a bitter taste in the mouth

The microtransactions in this game are probably one of the worst I’ve ever seen in a game. The amount of in-game credits earned through normal means is paltry which means that players will have to grind hours and hours just to have a chance of purchasing one of the higher-end cars in the game’s marketplace. Mind you, there are around 400 cars included in Gran Turismo 7, so do the math at how much grinding players will have to go through to earn enough credits.
As a rule, I don’t go for in-game credits unless it’s needed for something like, say, a battle pass or a season pass that will provide players with extra content through DLCs but to have to pay just to get cars for a game that people are already paying a premium in the first place? That’s just sleazy to the first degree. I understand that Polyphony Digital are hardly the only developers that implement microtransactions in their games but this is just not good and in all honesty, infuriating.
On a positive note, the developers have said in a recent blog post that they are taking steps into rectifying this microtransactions issue following massive backlash from the gaming community. One of the issues addressed is that they would be increasing the in-game credit payouts as well as rewards for races both offline and online. I have updated the game and I can confirm that Polyphony Digital has gone through with the promise of higher payouts but for the duration of the review, I was stuck with the older payouts and rewards which truly made the game bitter for me.
On one hand, I am glad that Polyphony Digital is listening to the woes of the community and reversing some of their abhorrent decisions but on the other hand, how long will developers keep throwing crap like this in their games? Why can’t they just take the initiative and not do sleazy things like this instead of waiting for community outcry and backtracking on their dumbass decisions? It’s tiring and annoying.
Gran Turismo 7 Verdict

I loved my time playing Gran Turismo 7 and for someone who’s not a car guy and who’s not a fan of racing games, that’s saying a lot. The game looks and feels gorgeous with driving mechanics that make you feel like you’re going out on a real drive around town. The controls are fantastic and the included modes and features are an absolute blast.
Even the music included in the game is great. However, my experience has been truly marred by the greedy microtransactions that I can’t bring myself to give Gran Turismo 7 a higher rating than what I’m about to give now.
I hereby award Gran Turismo 7 a generous Silver Pokdeward.

Huge thank you to PlayStation Asia for providing us with a copy of Gran Turismo 7 for this review.
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vivo Officially Launches vivo V27 With Unique Aura Light Feature

The camera system uses a special ring light system to complement its cameras with softer studio lighting effect.

Vivo’s latest mid-range entry, named vivo V27 has finally arrived to Malaysia – the phone features some unique features both on technology and cosmetics. The headline feature, as Vivo calls it “Aura Light” is a ring-shaped LED that mimics studio lighting to provide softer lighting on night portraits. The camera itself is powered by Sony’s IMX766V 50MP sensor with OIS+EIS hybrid stabilization mode.

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On other aspects, the Vivo V27 comes with a 6.78-inch FHD+ curved display with 120Hz refresh rate and 10-bit color support (1.07 billion colors). The company conveniently mentions its curved display are the thinnest ever for its models, totaling at just 7.36mm in thickness and tips the scale at 180g – despite a fairly sizeable 4,600mAh battery that supports up to 66W fast charging. On that note, the battery can be topped up halfway in 19 minutes, with 97.5% peak energy conversation efficiency, as claimed.
MediaTek is responsible for the SoC, specifically the midrange Dimensity 7200 produced under 4nm process node. In terms of RAM, you have two options: 8GB and 12GB, and on top of that comes Vivo’s ‘Extended RAM 3.0’ that utilizes another 8GB virtually should apps require them. Both models available in Malaysia will be offered with 256GB of storage.

Another unique feature is the back of the phone. First off, users have three color options – Emerald Green, Flowing Gold and Noble Black. With the Emerald Green featuring a UV-sensitive layer that displays unique graphics under special light. Vivo says this is combined with 14 layers of ‘nano-grade coating’ to enhance the smoothness and clearness of the glass. The other two colorways have their own unique manufacturing processes as well, producing different visual effects.

Two models of Vivo V27 will be available in Malaysia – with the RM1,799 pricing goes to 8GB+256GB variant and RM1,999 for 12GB+256GB model. The sales is now live on major sales channels including Vivo E-Store, Shopee, Lazada and TikTok Shop, plus various retailers. Customers who purchase the model during 1 April to 1 May 2023 will be eligible to free gifts worth up to RM957, including extended warranty, extra screen protection and exclusive gifts. Students and teachers are also eligible for RM50 discount during 1 April to 9 April 2023, upon identification.
Pokdepinion: The UV effect is pretty wild I gotta say, seeing one of them having the Raya-themed design.
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Elephone Vowney is available for pre-order at RM1349 — Delivery on 5th December 2015

Nowadays China-made smartphones are not an unfamiliar sight in Malaysia. Standing out in the flood of mediocre Chinese phones, Elephone will be bringing their flagship device, the Elephone Vowney into Malaysia and is now available for pre-order for MYR 1349 and will be delivered on 5th December 2015.

The Elephone Vowney sports a 5.5 inch IPS LCD screen pushing a whopping QHD (2560 x 1440) resolution with an insane 535 pixel density. The Vowney is powered by a MediaTek Helio X10 SoC clocked at 2.2 GHz which is paired with a PowerVR G6200 GPU. All that processing power is mated to 4GB of RAM for a fluid user experience.

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Storage isn’t an issue with the Vowney as it comes with 32GB of internal storage, and if that isn’t enough, it also supports microSD cards up to 128GB. The Vowney runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop straight from the factory, and rumours suggest that the Elephone Vowney is also capable to run full Windows 10 Mobile.

The Elephone Vowney is also equipped with the SONY Exmor RS IMX230 sensor which packs 20.7 megapixels as well as hybrid phase-detection autofocus for blazing fast focusing (0.3 sec). The rear camera can also record 4K videos and a dual-tone LED flash helps to brighten up dim environments. Selfie aficionados are not forgotten either as the Vowney is well prepared with an 8MP front camera.

Connectivity-wise, the Elephone Vowney supports dual SIM, 4G (FDD-LTE Band), 3G (WCDMA), WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth 4.0. The Press Touch ID fingerprint recognition sensor on the rear of the Vowney provides you with a more secure way of unlocking your device. All of this is powered by a 4000 mAh battery.

The smartphone is available for pre-order on Elephone Malaysia website here.

If you have a smaller budget for a smartphone, there is the more affordable Elephone Vowney Lite, and there is actually really few differences between the normal and Lite version, among which is the lower 1080p resolution display instead of 1440p, 3GB of RAM, 16GB internal memory and the Mediatek Helio X10 is clocked at 1.9 GHz in the Vowney Lite instead of 2.2 GHz like in the Vowney.
You can pre-order the Lite version at here.

Pokdepinion : From my perspective, the Elephone Vowney is a very good device, but honestly I can’t afford the 2K display version, but the Lite version is still a good smartphone with the very affordable price of MYR 1099. Just take a look at the back camera and answer my question, can you get any smartphone with a 21MP rear camera that costs just MYR 1099?

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JOI Launches Their First Ultra Notebook — Premium Looks For Only RM1,299

JOI has just launched their first ever ultra-thin notebook, the JOI Book 100, which the company said was aimed for those who want premium looks while on a tight budget on purchasing a laptop.
JOI Book 100

The new JOI Book 100, features an ultra-thin build (14mm thin) and comes with narrow bezels. The laptops comes with a 14.1″ Full HD IPS display. Under the laptop’s hood, it is powered by an Intel Celeron N3450 quad core processor with Intel HD Graphics 500.

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It runs on Windows 10 Home on the go and comes with multi desktop and snap function. Memory wise, it has 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and comes with a 128GB SSD, which can be upgraded with 1 additional bay up to 512GB SSD. There’s also microSD card support up to 64GB, if that’s your thing.

For ports, there’s 2 USB 3.0 slots and also micro HDMI support. The brand new JOI Book 100 comes with a 10,000mAh battery capacity, which can last you up to 6 to 8 hours of working time.
It’s now available for purchase here in Malaysia at a price of RM1,299. Along with the launch, there’s also a promotion when you purchase the laptop. You’ll get a free wireless mouse with every purchase of the JOI Book 100. There’s also the option to add-on Office 365 Personal for RM99 and also a 1TB Seagate portable drive for RM169.
Pokdepinion: Hmm, while i’m pretty sure that the laptop will not attract a whole lot of consumers, I still can see some that might. Especially those students who are in a budget just for their university work and perhaps the elderly. It certainly doesn’t look cheap, but the specifications are a bit last-gen to my liking. Well what do you think? Do you think there is a market for the JOI Book 100? As usual, let us know in the comments below!

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First 1,000 Samsung Galaxy A80 Buyers Will Get Special Edition BLACKPINK Package

Samsung Malaysia has announce today of the launch of their new Samsung Galaxy A80, which is now available for purchase in the country.

Samsung Galaxy A80 Specifications

Snapdragon 730, octa-core up to 2.2 GHz, 8nm FinFET
6GB RAM
128GB RAM
6.7″ FHD+ Super AMOLED, New Infinity Display, on-screen fingerprint scanner
48MP f/2.0 + 8MP f/2.2 ultra-wide + 3D Depth sensor, rotating
3700 mAh battery, 25W Super Fast Charging
RM2,499

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In conjunction with the release, the first 1,000 customers who purchase the Galaxy A80 will receive a complimentary BlackPink special edition package that includes a Galaxy A80 case, stand and photo card, along with a Galaxy Fit that’s worth a total of RM818.
Want to learn more on the Samsung Galaxy A80? You can check our previous article right here.
Pokdepinion: You might want to be quick if you want to get your hands on those limited edition freebies, especially if you’re a BLACKPINK fan.
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HP Launches New OMEN Gaming Laptops — Challenger Series PUBG Tournament Also To Commence

HP has introduce today of their latest OMEN gaming laptop, the new OMEN 15 and OMEN 17 which packs power, design and performance on the go.
HP OMEN 15 & OMEN 17

The latest addition to the OMEN gaming laptop family brings power, enhanced portability, while also offering improved hardware and features that most crave.

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Offered in the new laptops is a GeForce GTX 1050 with Max-Q design, an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 8GB DDR4 RAM. The laptop includes a flexible variety of storage options that includes SSD, HDD, SSD + HDD, or even HDD+ Intel Optane memory for that boost of speed.

Visual wise, the new laptops come in 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch respectively, with options including of 144Hz 1080p, 60Hz 1080p and G-SYNC on select configurations.  Their audio is powered by Bang & Olufsen along with a discrete audio amplifier. For those who enjoy wearing headphones instead, you can enjoy DTS Headphone:X for stimulated surround sound to pinpoint where each sound comes from.

In addition to that, there’s also the option of expansion. You can simply customize the storage and memory at the base of the laptop that comes in a accessible single panel.

The OMEN 15 retails from RM4,485 and is available at the HP Online Store as well as authorized HP resellers in the country. As for the OMEN 17, it is priced from RM8,699 and will be available from mid-September 2018.

From 3rd September to 3rd October 2018, those who purchase the OMEN by HP Series stand a chance to win a trip for two to catch the OMEN Challenger Series live in Bangkok. A total of 3 pairs of winners will be chosen.
OMEN Challenger Series
Besides the introduction of the OMEN 15 and OMEN 17, the company has also announced their OMEN Challenger Series, where PUBG gamers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, India, CHina, Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand can take part in an open amateur tournament  to win from a prize pool of USD50,000.
Registration is now open while the team qualifiers will kick off online from September 15 2018. Up to 80 amateur teams of four will participate in the country qualifiers, which will be livestreamed through local  streaming studios.
If you wish to register for the OMEN Challenger Series, you can do so here.
Pokdepinion: To be honest, it doesn’t look that bad of a gaming laptop but for me it’s a bit too bulky to my liking. Be sure to sign up for the PUBG tournament, who knows you might just win.
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ASUS Cerberus gaming keyboard review — Spill resistant with LED backlight

At the beginning I thought that it would easier for me to write a single review about the entire ASUS Cerberus gaming peripheral line-up. Then after several days with the samples, I realized the Cerberus line-up are just OEM products rebranded by ASUS. Each peripheral have different standards and each is worthy of being mentioned individually.
In my review of the ASUS Cerberus gaming mouse and mousepad, I had issue with its lift off distance, result of incorrect placement of the optical sensor. Today I have the ASUS Cerberus dual LED backlit gaming keyboard and this is what I think of it.

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Unboxing
Cerberus is a monstrous multi-headed dog with a serpent for a tail in Greek mythology. This is the idea behind the Cerberus insignia. But, instead of guarding the gates of the underworld, ASUS Cerberus guards the gates of under-budget gamers.

On the front of the packaging, we have the product image, and some highlighted features.

On the back we have the picture of the keyboard again with some explanation of its features flanked by the detailed specifications of the keyboard.

Inside the box we have the ASUS Cerberus gaming keyboard itself, and some documentation. If you bought this keyboard please make sure to read the user manual thoroughly as it doesn’t come with any driver software to edit macros.

Appearance

This edgy design took me several days to see the similarities with another keyboard. Back in April, SuperDaddy published his review of the Cooler Master Devastator II combo, take a look at its design, and you might get the idea.

By looking at the multimedia keys, I noticed the ASUS Cerberus actually share the same DNA as the Cooler Master Devastator but with a slightly different outlook. This doesn’t mean that ASUS ripped off Cooler Master’s design, since both of them might be getting the keyboards from the very same OEM.

On the underside, a plain bright red base with plenty of drainage holes as it features spill resistance. The amount of rubber feet is also enough to keep the keyboard planted stably on my desk.

ASUS mention that this keyboard has dual LED lighting on the box, but I actually found the third color, purple. That color is only visible when programming macros. If there’s any way to unlock it permanently, ASUS should share with us how to do it.

ASUS Cerberus keyboard uses printed ABS keycaps and unlike the CM Devastator, this unit is a standard rubber dome membrane keyboard.

Specification

User Experience
As I have mentioned earlier, you really need to read the user manual before using the keyboard. Even the dual LED backlighting doubles as an indicator. Red LED is when the keyboard has macros enabled and blue is where the macro function is disabled.
Either typing or gaming, I have no problem with this keyboard, double tapping should not be a problem as I was able to pull off quick double taps in games. Personally I found the build quality of this keyboard much better than the mouse’s. It feels way more solid and got a nice weight to it. The reason behind this is most probably the SECC full metal plate.

The key travel is not too deep and it makes no sound when typing. What I like about the keyboard is the slight tactile feedback when typing. You might not notice it when you first start using it but you can actually feel it after several days of usage. Of course, the tactile feedback is not the same as what mechanical switches offer. In term of the body design, ASUS could improve the aesthetic value is the keyboard comes with fully matte material body.

Conclusion
The rubber dome membrane keyboard isn’t that impressive when compared to mechanical switches keyboard. In addition, the 12 programmable macro keys would be advantageous for gaming or simply improving productivity. For me the keyboard is actually pretty good as long you don’t compare it with mechanical keyboards. It feels solid and has a nice weight to it. ASUS asks for USD 50 (approximately RM120) for this gaming keyboard, but it would be a better deal if the price is reduced to somewhere around USD 45. This is because there are too many competitors out there that have already saturated the “budget” gaming peripheral market. I’m satisfied with this keyboard and I award it the Bronze Pokdeward.

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E3 2023 Has Been Cancelled, As Major Publishers Skips The Event Altogether

Most major publishers – if not all – has decided to host events on their own, leaving the longtime event nothing to show for.

IGN has confirmed that E3 2023 – short for Electronic Entertainment Expo – has been cancelled following the announcement made by organizer, Entertainment Software Association (ESA). The event was originally to be held on 13/6 to 16/6 at Los Angeles, resuming in-person activities since the last event held back in 2019 (2021 rendition was entirely online).

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Per IGN, two sources has confirmed this fact from an email sent by ESA through its members. In the email, ESA stated E3 “remains a beloved event and brand”, followed by the fact that this year’s event “simply did not garner the sustained interest necessary to execute it in a way that would showcase the size, strength, and impact of our industry.”
ESA issued a public statement through Kyle Marsden-Kish, Global VP of Gaming, ReedPop (managing company of E3 2023):
This was a difficult decision because of all the effort we and our partners put toward making this event happen, but we had to do what’s right for the industry and what’s right for E3. We appreciate and understand that interested companies wouldn’t have playable demos ready and that resourcing challenges made being at E3 this summer an obstacle they couldn’t overcome. For those who did commit to E3 2023, we’re sorry we can’t put on the showcase you deserve and that you’ve come to expect from ReedPop’s event experiences.
It’s not surprising – given that major publishers, including Microsoft’s Xbox (who also owns Bethesda), Sony, Nintendo, and Ubisoft has opted out of the event entirely to host events of their own (mostly with digital showcases). While ESA remains committed to ‘advocacy work’ moving forward, the industry at large seemed to moved on and towards a more digitalized approach – often with better publicity at less cost.
Source: IGN
Pokdepinion: Hard to see if E3 can recover from this – companies seems to figured out they can live without in-person events like these, or at least downsize it given the current economic situation.
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