New HONOR 8X Phantom Blue will be available starting tomorrow!

The HONOR 8X is HONOR Malaysia’s best selling smartphone, so it is no surprise to see them bring in another color option. The new Phantom Blue option will be available starting tomorrow via HONOR’s online sales channels. HONOR Experience Stores will offer it the following day, 16th February.

The new HONOR 8X Phantom Blue promises a mesmerizing gradient effect that changes from blue to purple depending on how you look at it. Aside from the new color, the excellent bang-for-buck that the HONOR 8X is loved for is retained.

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There’s the Kirin 710 chipset, large 3750 mAh battery and a dual rear camera on the beautiful Phantom Blue back. Here are the highlights of the HONOR 8X’s specifications:
Key HONOR 8X Specifications

Kirin 710, octa-core, up to 2.2 GHz, 12nm FinFET
4GB RAM
128GB storage (expandable via microSD)
6.5″ FHD+ Honor FullView display, 91% screen-to-body ratio
20MP f/1.8 + 2MP depth sensor
16MP f/2.0 selfie camera
EMUI 8.2 based on Android 8.1 Oreo
3750 mAh battery
RM949 (SRP)

Yup, despite coming with a new fancy finish, the HONOR 8X Phantom Blue is priced exactly the same as the other color options of the HONOR 8X. Well, you know where to get yours up tomorrow if you are interested  ;-)
Pokdepinion: Phantom Blue is a really pretty color, but the HONOR 8X in Red is still more of my thing…
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vivo V3Max review — the iPhone running on Android

Let me start by saying I do not have a good impression of vivo smartphones after reviewing the vivo X5Pro sometime back. I hope the vivo V3Max, with its powerful innards, can change my mind.

Given that it is the phone that Captain Steve Rogers uses in Captain America: Civil War, I do believe I will be suitably impressed. Let’s start.

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Unboxing

The vivo V3Max comes in a stylish white packaging, which sports a cool crosshatch pattern on all the surfaces. The vivo logo and V3Max branding are finished in chrome for a more premium look.

Lifting up the top cover, I immediately laid eyes on the vivo V3Max which is further protected by a plastic sheath. A quick-start guide is printed on the sheath, so you need not open up a manual just to find out how to insert your SIM and memory card, if you didn’t know how to, in the first place.

The contents of the packaging is quite comprehensive. A quick charging 18W charger is included along with the usual USB cable. A pair of cheap earphones are also included in the box. Aside from the usual suspects, the vivo V3Max also comes with a soft silicon case as well as an OTG adapter. OTG adapters are becoming obsolete nowadays with USB drives that feature both microUSB and USB Type-A connectors.

Appearance

The front of the device is dominated by the 5.5″ screen. I like the way vivo placed their logo off center above the screen. The side bezels are pretty slim but the top and bottom bezels are pretty huge, due to the fact that vivo is still sticking to capacitive keys when more and more manufacturers are moving towards on-screen softkeys to minimize the size of the bottom bezel. vivo also didn’t go for black bezels in an attempt to hide the actual size of the bezel, but used contrasting white bezels instead. The entire front is covered by a 2.5D curved glass panel for that extra premium look.

The metallic back is very clean. The strips at the top and bottom are plastic, which are necessary for the many antennae that are packed into smartphones nowadays. The main middle portion where my hand contacted the device was made of sandblasted aluminium which looks great and feels premium. The vivo V3Max sports squarish elements like the camera module and the fingerprint sensor to balance off the many curves it features.

All the physical buttons are on the right side. The buttons are only distinguishable by their different length. Worth noting are that the buttons are really tactile and a joy to press. The edge is curved with chamfered edges on both top and bottom edges. The left edge is empty except for the card tray.

The 3.5mm jack is lonely at the top of the device, with nothing else except for a thin plastic line. Here you can see that instead of a unibody design, vivo opted for a curved metal band wrapped around the edge and a separate back panel. However even with this design, vivo is still able to deliver excellent build quality with no gaps at all.

Over on the bottom we find the speaker grille, microUSB port and the microphone hole. The speaker grille is well designed with a nice metallic mesh peeking out from the three holes.
Overall the design of the vivo V3Max is great, but a tad uninspiring. While I would not say it is a direct copy as vivo has clearly attempted to differentiate itself with a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor and squarish rear elements as well as a non-unibody design, I think we can see where the idea came from quite clearly. The build quality is definitely faultless though with no gaps anywhere at all in my sample.

Specifications

CPU:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 (4 x A72 @ 1.8 GHz + 4 x A53 @ 1.4 GHz)

RAM
4GB LPDDR3

Display:
5.5″, FHD (1080p) IPS display

Storage:
32GB internal (expandable with microSD up to 128GB)

Camera:
13MP f/2.2 rear camera with PDAF
8MP f/2.4 front camera

OS:
Funtouch OS 2.5 based on Android 5.1.1

SIM:
microSIM (dual SIM support, one nanoSIM slot doubles as microSD slot)

Battery:
3000 mAh (non-removable)

Performance
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 CPU in the vivo V3Max does look like a potential winner here in the mid-range bracket. The CPU looks quite beefy, with 4 A72 cores and 4 A53 cores running in a big.LITTLE configuration. Pixel pushing is courtesy of the Adreno 510 GPU. The Snapdragon 652 is quite similar to the Snapdragon 650, except that the 652 features two more A72 cores, which should mean better performance. In the vivo V3Max, there is a whopping 4GB of RAM, a previously unheard of figure before the Zenfone 2 came to be.

The GPU performance of the Adreno 510 in the Snapdragon 652 SoC is the lowest end Adreno 5xx currently, which means it doesn’t perform nearly as well as even the past generation Adreno 430, and is definitely a far cry from the flagship Adreno 530 in the Snapdragon 820 package. However, it does match the Mali-T880 MP4 in the Huawei Kirin 950 SoC.

In Antutu, the vivo V3Max brings home a score of 77026, quite a respectable figure, which actually beats the already impressive Nexus 6P of yesteryear, The larger amount of RAM, newer A72 cores does put the vivo V3Max higher up the benchmark ladder, but the weaker Adreno 510 GPU in the vivo V3Max still allows the Nexus 6P to best it in the graphics department.

Geekbench is a CPU-centric benchmark, and the vivo V3Max with the Snapdragon 652 naturally shines here. It scores better than the Nexus 6P’s Snapdragon 810, but is quite a bit slower when compared against the much higher clocked Kirin 950 in the Huawei Mate 8.

PCMark tests overall system performance in work-oriented workloads, where it understandably surpasses the Nexus 6P.

Battery life on the vivo V3 Max is pretty good. The automatic brightness does default to a dimmer brightness than most devices I have reviewed, which translates to some power savings. With mobile data connection active, it gets 5 hours 34 minutes over 16 hours 57 minutes away from the plug before it dropped to 15%.

On WiFi, I managed to squeeze 26 hours and 7 minutes away from the plug, with 5 hours 37 minutes of on screen time somewhere in there. The longer standby time is because it lasted overnight.

The dual-engine fast charging technology in the vivo V3Max is really fast, allowing me to charge my phone up really quickly with the included 18W charger. It took a mere 58 minutes and 50 seconds to charge from 15% to 90%. That’s quite a feat!
Remember the OTG cable that was included. On a whim,I plugged my external drive to it, and surprisingly it powered up! I was able to access all 1TB of files on the external drive! Quite a surprise as most smartphones only put out a small current through the USB port, too underpowered to feed the huge external drives.

User Experience
The vivo V3Max is considered a rather slim device, coming in at only 7.6mm thin. The 5.5″ screen affords a large viewing area but doesn’t cause the phone to be too wide. It should be able to be used comfortably by most people, unless you have a midget’s hands. Single handed operation may still prove difficult though. I believe the chamfered edges along the sides are meant for grip, as I could hold it a lot more comfortably when the chamfered edges dig into my fingers and palm, instead of the much smoother curves of the rather similar looking fruity smartphone. Given its larger screen size and smooth aluminium finishing, smooth curves are a recipe for disaster.

Weirdly, the vivo V3Max’s main SIM slot is for microSIMs. As a result, my nanoSIM has to be put into the microSD slot, forgoing memory expansion. The design of the slot also makes it difficult to use an adapter with my SIM card. I think vivo should really catch up with the times and make the main SIM slot on their next devices fit nanoSIMs instead.

The fingerprint sensor is on the back of the device, which as I have said many times, is a very suitable place to put it. The fingerprint sensor here is set rather shallow when compared against the other devices I have reviewed. Probably there isn’t much space for a deeper fingerprint sensor cutout anyway, with the slim profile of the vivo V3Max. The fingerprint scanner is fast and unlocking the device was about as quick as it can get. The fingerprint sensor here doesn’t do any extra tricks here, and is solely meant for unlocking the device.

Let’s talk about the UI now. First off, we will discuss the capacitive keys. The arrangement is wrong. Google’s guidelines stated that the back key should be on the LEFT. Well the vivo V3Max has it on the right. The Menu key? It was already on its way out in 2012, replaced by the app switcher key. What is it doing in a 2016 device? No clue. And you get no backlighting even with the non-standard arrangement.

Funtouch OS is the name of the skin overlay vivo uses on all of its smartphones. The vivo V3Max is running on Funtouch OS 2.5, based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. Once again vivo seems outdated here. However the vivo V3Max did receive several bug fixes and updates during my short time with it, which seems to hint at a higher possibility of it being updated to a newer Android version that some of the other Chinese smartphones.

Using Funtouch OS on the vivo V3Max is a rather bittersweet experience. What’s sweet is that the the UI is absolutely fluid, with no stutters or delays anywhere at all. A lot of customization options are available, including 12 sliding effects for the homescreen which is pretty cool. A lot of gestures are also available to use.

The TouchPal keyboard preinstalled is also one of the better keyboards out there. Not as great as SwiftKey, but at least I didn’t really find a need to install SwiftKey to replace it.

Funtouch OS also emulates iOS very closely, especially in the way they made the quick settings accessible with a swipe from the bottom edge, which can prove confusing to most Android device users. vivo also restructured the menus in the settings, which was absolutely frustrating to me when I tried looking for specific options.

Not to mention they decided to hide the battery statistics in the iManager app. The vivo V3Max is also capable of smart multi-screen, but it is only usable for certain apps when video apps are full screen, not entirely useful, to me.

The rear shooter on the vivo v3Max is a 13MP one, while the front features a 8MP camera. A simple single LED flash sits under the camera module which is covered by a slightly protruding piece of square protective glass cover. Not much is known about the specifications of the 13MP sensor on the back, aside from the fact that it features hybrid phase detection autofocus (PDAF).

The UI of the camera is pretty simplistic, with a variety of modes and effects as well as watermarks hidden away in their respective menus. Accessing video mode is as simple as a single downward swipe, Manual mode is also here, or as vivo calls it, “Professional” mode, with a rather intuitive layout. It looks pretty similar to the Nokia Camera of yore, which actually started the whole “manual smartphone camera” fad.
Foood!Low light @ Acer event MacroAuto (landscape)HDR (landscape) Ultra HD Auto @ nightNight mode
Quality wise, the results from the vivo V3Max are good. HDR mode here does make a difference and makes the darker regions more visible, while also decreasing the blown-out regions area of the image. Noise is pretty well controlled in most conditions, except when it is really dark. There is also an Ultra HD mode which gives you a whopping 52MP image through interpolation. Night mode doesn’t do much except boost the brightness, in exchange for loss of detail.

The single speaker setup on the vivo V3Max is pretty powerful, with minor if any distortions to be found at maximum volume, at which it is quite unbearably loud, mind you.Of course, with the AKM AK4375 32-bit/192kHz Hi-Fi DAC, you may want to plug in a decent pair of headphones to enjoy your tunes better. And it does sound great, no problems here. If you are into tuning your audio output, you can also use the BBE mode, which is hidden in the settings of the music player.

Here you get to tweak a few settings which allow you to change the sound signature of the device. The names and descriptions of the options are kinda difficult to fathom, but hey, they do make them that much more interesting to tweak.

The 5.5″ IPS display displays Full HD or 1080p resolution. Black levels are deep enough for me, but at maximum brightness the blacks do tend to glow. The maximum brightness is also very bright so this is a display that I had no issues viewing under direct sunlight. Viewing angles are wide, as usual for any IPS-based display.

Conclusion
vivo asks for RM1399 for the V3Max, which I consider quite affordable. The vivo V3Max ticks a lot of boxes with its top notch CPU performance thanks to the Snapdragon 652 SoC, excellent fingerprint sensor, decent camera output quality, great sound quality, both through the loudspeaker and 3.5mm jack and last but not least, its appealing premium aluminium design, albeit it being slightly unimaginative. Overall, this is a great device for the money you pay for it, if you can live with the iOS-like UI.

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ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition features two NF-A12x25 fans in a 4.3-slot thick design

In case you haven’t heard, ASUS and Noctua paired up to design one of the coolest graphics cards you have ever seen. The ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition has seen various leaks in the past, but it is now finally officially announced, with some pretty cool numbers to back it up as well.

Noctua used two of their 120mm NF-A12x25 fans to cool a custom designed heatsink, making it also one of the thickest and shortest graphics card you have seen. Interestingly, Noctua kept the brown theme, instead of creating a chromax.black version of their renowned A12x25 for this collaboration. There’s quite a nice theme going on here, with metal embellishments on both ends of the card, bearing the Noctua and ASUS logos, respectively.

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The use of 120mm fans allows the ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition to run up to 15.7dB(A) quieter while matching the performance of the triple-fan TUF Gaming GeForce RTX 3070 card, which is really impressive. The TUF Gaming card is already a pretty quiet card though, so this is probably for those who are really after a silent PC build. And as if the operating noise isn’t low enough, there’s a 0dB mode to entirely shut off the fans in low-load conditions.
The ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition will be powered by the LHR GPUs, which means that these most probably won’t end up in miners’ hands. There will be two variants, the ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua Edition which runs at the up to 1755MHz in OC Mode, as well as the factory-overclocked ASUS GeForce RTX 3070 Noctua OC Edition that can go up to 1845MHz in OC Mode.

Pricing and availability in Malaysia are currently unknown, but that’s pretty much the case for any graphics card anyway. Sigh.
Pokdepinion: Damn boi, she thicc boi!
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RIP AMD Catalyst, welcome Radeon Software : Crimson Edition

Radeon Technologies Group (RTG) is a new organization within AMD, announced six weeks ago. Led by Raja Konduri, Radeon Technologies will focus on everything regarding graphics, visualization and gaming industries, like DirectX 12 and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies.

Last week Pokde.net has published news about AMD preparing a new AMD Omega 2015 driver, instead of the Omega driver, Radeon Technologies announced that the Catalyst Control Centre (CCC) is being put out to pasture and will be replaced by a brand new software built from scratch, named Radeon Software: Crimson Edition. So what’s new about this Radeon Software?

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Radeon Software : Crimson Edition is the first product from the RTG which is more than just a driver, but Radeon Software: Crimson Edition is actually a whole new mini graphics Operating System and RTG has decided to name this mini graphics Operating System simply as “Radeon Software”.

They changed almost everything from the ground up, RTG re-designed and re-architect-ed what was previously known as AMD Catalyst Control Center (CCC) and named it Radeon/FirePro Settings which focuses on user experience, form and functionality. The Radeon/FirePro Setting presents users with a new modern user interface that is simple and clean. Performance wise, RTG claims that it has a significantly faster start up than its predecessor.
Radeon Software : Crimson editionRadeon Software : Crimson editionRadeon Software : Crimson editionRadeon Software : Crimson editionRadeon Software : Crimson editionRadeon Software : Crimson edition
It also has new features like Game Manager, video quality presets, social media integration, simplified Eyefinity setup and system notification tab. But from the video below we know that the Radeon Software : Crimson Edition will bring improvements for some products, which is what AMD graphics cards users are waiting for. The Radeon Software : Crimson Edition is slated to be available for download at the end of this year.

Pokdepinion : Will Radeon Software : Crimson Edition change some people perception of AMD drivers? A light-weight software driver for graphic cards is a must in my opinion, I hope the software will offer more customization options during the installation setup, allowing users to pick the additional features they want. Custom skin layout? Who doesn’t like that, if Radeon Technologies can throw that in too, it would be a really awesome software.

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[CES2018] Acer introduces Nitro 5 and Chromebook 11; Gaming vs Productivity, what’s your priority?

Acer has yet another update, this time for their Acer Nitro 5 and Acer Chromebook 11, both being in the same category as laptop, but vastly different in purpose.
Acer Nitro 5
Acer Nitro 5 has grown into what Acer likes to call the casual gamer’s laptop. If you are seeking great performance in an attractive laser-textured design, this one will please you. The 15-incher is powered by Windows 10 and packs the latest generation AMD Radeon RX560 graphics for faster rendering and improved lighting and texture details.

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Under the hood is the latest AMD Ryzen processor that will definitely bring a whole new experience to gamers, content creators or simply multi-taskers. The Acer Nitro 5 will hold your data on its 512GB SSD which makes it really a practical beast. RAMs can go up to 32GB DDR4 and Acer’s NitroSense will assist you in monitoring CPU/GPU while Acer CoolBoost cools down on demand by adjusting fan speeds.
The Acer Nitro 5 chassis features a matte, crimson red hinge that really stands out. The 15.6″ Full HD IPS keeps things vivid as well. In the sounds department, Dolby Audio Premium and Acer TrueHarmony technology grants immersive audio experience. With plenty of connectivity including dual-stream 802.11ac wireless technology, USB Type-C, HDMI 2.1 and Gigabit Ethernet, this is a machine that is plug and play for gamers.
The Acer Nitro 5 will be available in North America in April with prices starting at US$799; and in EMEA in April with prices starting at €1,099. That’s roughly RM3,200 give or take for a gaming machine. Not bad, eh? We will of course update again once it lands in Malaysia and officially available, so watch this space.
Acer Chromebook 11
If gaming is not your thing, then the super practical Chromebook 11 will definitely be something for consideration. The new Acer Chromebook 11 (CB311-8HT / CB311-8H) offers an 11.6-inch display in a portable and fanless design, so it’s great for consumers and families who will move the device around or use in shared spaces. That’s not all, you can also connect peripherals, charge phones and even share content on large display using two USB 3.1 Type C ports.

Acer has been committed to the Chrombook line-up for years and has produced rather practical machines in this department. If you fully rely on Google tools for your productivity, the Chromebook makes it a perfect choice on the go. The Chromebook 11 will also fully support Google Play so the millions of Android apps will immediately be available to you from day one.
The Chromebook 11 provides 10 hours of battery on single charge. It comes with 4GB RAM and 16GB or 32GB eMMC choices. The fanless design accounts to 0db operations, so silent that the chiclet keyboard will actually be visible.
Honing an 11.6″ IPS display in either touch (CB311-8HT) or non-touch (CB31108H) has 1366×768 resolution. The Chromebook 11 is really lightweight too, sitting at 18.15mm thing and 1.1kg weight.
Several models in the Acer Chromebook 11 line (CB311-8HT/ CB311-8H) will be available in North America in April with prices starting at $249, and in EMEA in March with prices starting at €249. That would be roughly RM999 for its starting price and we will have more details for Malaysian market soon.
Pokdepinion: The Nitro 5 looks sleek and the Chromebook 11 is seriously practical. No one does Chromebook better than Acer, I’d vouch for that. And you don’t really have to worry about Acer when it comes to pricing. We never did.
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ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701 Launched in Malaysia – Powered by the GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q

ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701 Launched in Malaysia
ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701

At a launch event in Kuala Lumpur today, ASUS Malaysia has officially launched their newest thin and premium gaming laptop, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701. It is a powerful gaming laptop with an RTX GPU in a slim chassis.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701 gaming laptop is powered by the Intel Core i7-8750H and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q GPU. It has a whopping 24GB DDR4 RAM which consists of a 16GB DDR4 stick and 8GB soldered-on RAM.
For storage, it has a single stick 1TB PCIe G3x4 NVMe SSD. If you need more storage space, there is another free M.2 slot but it’s worth noting that there is no 2.5″ HDD slot due to the increased battery capacity.

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The ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701 gaming laptop utilizes a 17.3-inch Full HD 144Hz IPS display with G-Sync capabilities. It’s said to have an ultra-fast response rate of 3ms, which makes it very ideal for even the most competitive of gamers out there.
As you can see, the signature Zephyrus keyboard design has been retained here along with the trackpad / numpad combo. Previous Zephyrus gaming laptops had 4-Zone RGB keyboard but the ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701 finally has per-key RGB lighting. You can use a preset or freely customize it using the Armoury Crate software.

For the full specifications, check it out right below here:
Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-8750H (6C / 12T @ up to 4.1 GHz), 9M Cache, 45W TDP, 14nm

RAM
16GB 2666MHz DDR4 + 8GB Soldered Onboard RAM

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q 8GB GDDR6

Storage
1TB PCIe G3X4 NVMe SSD

Display
17.3″ FHD (1920 X 1080) 144Hz Anti-Glare IPS Wide View Pantone Validated display with G-Sync (3ms response, 100% sRGB)

Keyboard
Chiclet Keyboard with NKRO, Per-Key RGB and Aura Sync

Connectivity
Wireless:
Intel 802.11ac (2×2) Gigabit Wi-Fi
Bluetooth 5.0
ROG RangeBoost
I/O:
2 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen1
1 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen2
1 x Type-C Gen 1
1 x Type-C Gen 2 with DisplayPort 1.4 and Power Delivery
1 x HDMI 2.0b
1 x Kensington Lock
1 x Proprietary Charging Port

Audio
2 x 2.5W Speakers with SmartAMP technology
1 x Combo Audio Jack
Array Microphones

Power
76Whr 4-cell Li-Ion Battery

Dimensions
399 x 272 x 18.7 mm (W x D x H)

Weight
2.7kg

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus S GX701 gaming laptop will be available in Malaysia from today onwards at a retail price of RM13,999. You can purchase it at any ASUS official stores and authorized dealers nationwide. It will be bundled together with an ROG backpack, an ROG gaming mouse, and the ROG GC21 external webcam.
Warranty for this product across all variants will be 2 years long.
Pokdepinion: I kinda wished that they would use the usual keyboard layout but oh well. I suppose it was a needed design choice on their end.
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How To Get Monster Hunter World Deluxe Edition for Cheaper than Standard

Monster Hunter World for PC has been the talk of the town in recent weeks and now it’s gotten better as you can get the Deluxe Edition at a cheaper price than the normal standard edition. Read on to find out how.
Cheaper Monster Hunter World Deluxe Edition

Yeap, the game we’ve all been waiting for is coming soon in August, which is just a month away. Now, what better way to play the game than to get the Deluxe Edition to kick things off? Hmm? You feel like you don’t want to fork out extra money just for more DLCs? What if we told you that you can get the Deluxe Edition CHEAPER than its standard edition price?
You read that right. You can purchase Monster Hunter World Deluxe Edition at just RM127.58, which is cheaper than the standard edition that you’d find on Steam by RM20.

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Too good to be true? Well you can click on the link here and see for yourself.  So if you haven’t gotten yours already, here’s your chance to get more gears while still save money.
Pokdepinion: I know people have waited a long time for the game to launch for PC, and finally that moment is coming nearer. Well now you know you can get it cheaper (even cheaper than the standard edition!), so why not get the Deluxe Edition straight away? Happy hunting!
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Get Free Smartphones When You Sign Up With Celcom MEGA Lightning Plan

In case you’ve missed the news, Celcom is offering smartphones for free when you sign up with their Celcom MEGA Lightning plans as well as other promotions.
Celcom MEGA Lightning free smartphone offer

The offer is available for plans starting from the MEGA Lightning M Pass up till the MEGA Lightning XL Pass. All you need to do is sign up for their MEGA Lightning plan, add 1 family line, and you can finally choose your desired smartphones that’s on the list, where it consists of up to 15 devices.

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Their Xpax Truly Unlimited pass now offers you twice the speed, where the price starts from RM12. Do check out our previous article for more details on that.
Aside from that their Home Fibre plans now comes with up to 1Gbps speeds. You can refer below for the pricing and package:

For more details on the Celcom Home Fibre plans, you can head to the link right here.
Pokdepinion: Seems like a treat for Celcom customers as we head nearer to 2021. Let’s hope they can offer even more next year.

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Grab Your Mother’s Day Gift at Roborock Shopee 5.5 Mega Day Sale

Roborock Shopee 5.5 Mega Day Sale: Purchase the Perfect Mother’s Day Gift at Nearly Half the Price

Roborock, the developer of intelligent home robots, is discounting up to 50% off its items during the Shopee 5.5 Mega Day Sale on 5th May, including its recently released Q7 Max. The Q7 Max is discounted up to 50% off going for at least RM1,899. The discounts are only accessible through the brand’s official Shopee shop.
The Roborock Q7 Max, which was released last month, is the newest addition to the company’s Q model. The robot vacuum has a suction capacity of up to 4200 PA, allowing it to draw dirt from carpets and extract debris from floorboard crevices.

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Furthermore, The Q7 Max’s twin cleaning power enables the vacuum and mop to simultaneously mop out small particles that vacuuming alone could miss. With the Auto-Empty Dock Pure, the robot vacuum will automatically empty its content into a 2.5L dust bag after every clean for up to 7 weeks.
The Q7 Max also features the PreciSense LiDAR technology, the brains to determine the most efficient route to clean throughout the whole house. The maps it generates enable a number of functions accessible via the Roborock app.
To enjoy Roborock Shopee 5.5 Mega Day Sale, feel free to visit their Official Shopee Store and purchase a vacuum for your mom this Mother’s Day!
Pokdepinion: Up to 50% discount? This vacuum will not only make my mom happy but my dad too!
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Pricey iPhones due to Samsung OLED panels; may not even feature Touch ID

The iPhone 8 may not be due until its launch in three days’ time but the interwebs are awash with rumors. Among which are that the iPhone will command a much higher price tag than previous iPhones. Coming in $999 (~RM4195.90), it will definitely be a new benchmark in pricing for iPhones.
The  price tag is reportedly due to Samsung charging around $120-$130 for each unit of their OLED panels, more than double of the $45-$55 per unit that the previous generation’s iPhone’s LCD panels cost.
Also due to their jump to OLED display technology, Apple is expected to skip Touch ID on the iPhone Edition, as the iPhone 8 may be called. KGI analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the under-display fingerprint sensors previously rumored does not offer satisfactory performance.

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We will be updating you guys about the iPhone Edition (or the iPhone 8) when it is announced on 12th September, so stay tuned for official news!
Cover image credit to MacRumors.
Pokdepinion: $999 is an amount I am unwilling to part with for a smartphone. However the prices of flagship devices have gradually crept up over the years, with the Note 8 coming in at $929, so there must be people who don’t mind such lofty prices.
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Corsair Rapidfire mechanical keyboards now official

If you were following our FB or Instagram page, you may have noticed a few teasers from us about a new switch and an upcoming keyboard. Back then Corsair was sending us those tiny little hints but didn’t really tell us what was it, so you aren’t the only person in the dark about it. One of the most interesting teaser was the one where a single switch was censored out. Apparently Corsair has yet another exclusive mechanical switch from Cherry, and we didn’t know what it was. But now we do.

The latest switch is the Cherry MX Speed, which promises the shortest actuation distance among the current generation of mechanical keyboard switches and also faster actuation speed, while maintaining the operating force of the Cherry MX Red/Brown, which is 45g.

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The MX Speed is compared directly against the exclusive switches from its rivals in the mechanical keyboard game, and it blows them away with it’s actuation distance and actuation speed. Also worth noting that it is the only linear switch in this comparison, which makes it the natural choice for those who prefer a faster MX Red.

The Cherry MX Speed switches will be offered with their current generation line-up, which means you get the stellar aluminium frame, individual key backlighting, 100% anti-ghosting (NKRO) and more.

The Cherry MX Speed switches will be available in the compact TKL K65 RGB Rapidfire, K70 RGB Rapidfire and even a single-color LED K70 Rapidfire, possible for those who do not need such levels of bling and would rather save some moolah.
Pricing and availability are still unknown for now, but we are sure Corsair will be ready to put these newest switches under gamers’ fingertips real soon. After all, speed counts.

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Pokdepinion: Aside from the curious Quickfire Rapidfire name, the Corsair keyboards with the Cherry MX Speed looks like a good upgrade to match the latest generation of gaming mechanical keyboards with their exclusive gaming-optimized switches. I would prefer a tactile Speed switch though, if it is possible to make.

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Corsair announces M65 PRO RGB gaming mouse with a whopping 12000 DPI sensitivity

Corsair is well known in the PC industry with their array of hardware ranging from edgy PC cases to premium gaming peripherals. The Corsair M65 has already been updated with RGB lighting recently, and now Corsair announces yet another variant, the M65 RGB PRO gaming mouse which comes with an upgraded sensor as well as RGB illumination.
The M65 RGB PRO’s highlight is the 12000 DPI Pixart PMW336x optical sensor, which is a slightly modified version of the widely acclaimed Pixart PMW3366 sensor which was exclusive to Logitech previously. The PMW3366 is considered one of the most accurate sensors available on the market, and the PMW336x should be no different. It offers surface calibration support so your mouse is always optimized, irregardless of the surface you use.

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Aside from the upgraded sensor, the M65 PRO RGB is similar to the previous variants, with its lightweight 115 g aluminium body which can be tuned with weights to change the weight balance, or just to make it heavier to suit your preference. Large PTFE feet reduce the friction when moving the mouse around, making it easy to make swift, effortless flicks.

Eight customizable buttons are strategically placed around the M65 PRO RGB, so you can configure your mouse to suit your specific style of play, or just to make your work even more effortless by programming macros into the buttons. Configuring the mouse is simple via the Corsair Utility Engine.
The Corsair M65 PRO RGB will retail for RM299.00 and come with a two-year warranty. It will be available in black and white color schemes at most major retail stores nationwide.

Pokdepinion: I use the Logitech G502 Proteus Core which has the Pixart PMW3366 in it, and I dare say it is the most accurate sensor ever. I can’t wait to try Corsair’s implementation of the sensor in their latest M65 PRO RGB!
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Konami is Looking to Revive Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Silent Hill Franchises

I’m sure many gamers have been wondering what Konami is up to since they’ve been relatively quiet for a while now. As it turns out, they have big plans as they might be reviving their Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Silent Hill franchises.
Konami Reviving Metal Gear, Castlevania, and Silent Hill?

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According to a report by VGC, anonymous sources informed them of Konami’s plans to revive their big franchises and bring them to the premium gaming space once more. This comes after the company restructured their games development divisions earlier this year.
The first one in the pipeline is said to be a new Castlevania game, which was described as a reimagining of the series and is being developed internally in their Japan studio with support from local external studios.
Next up is a remake of Metal Gear Solid, which was speculated to be developed by Bluepoint Games, the same studio behind Demon’s Souls. However, the sources told VGC that it will be working on by Virtuos, one of the world’s biggest game developers that focuses on supporting the development of AAA games and bringing existing games to new platforms.

This Metal Gear Solid remake will reportedly be centered around Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, rather than the original game that was first launched on the PlayStation 1. With that being said however, the company does have interest in launching remasters of the first two entries of the Metal Gear Solid series for modern game consoles.
As for the Silent Hill franchise, there are reportedly multiple games in development at various external development studios, with one confirmed to be a “prominent Japanese developer” earlier this year. Provided there are no disruptions such as the pandemic, we are expected to see them in major game expos next year.
It has been reported that Konami is easing up on the idea of contracting external development studios for major franchises. This came as a result of lackluster performance of in-house games such as Metal Gear Survive and Contra: Rogue Corps. We will report more on this as soon as information becomes available so stay tuned.
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Pokdepinion: I’m really hoping that Silent Hill one pans out well. I know they can do well with it but if its end up getting cancelled like before, I will officially give up hope on the franchise permanently.
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At RazerCon 2021, three new gaming headsets were introduced with improved haptic feedback; the Razer Kraken V3, V3 HyperSense, and V3 Pro. Here’s what you need to know.
New Razer Kraken V3 Family Unveiled at RazerCon 2021

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The Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense and V3 Pro make use of haptic feedback, which the company refers to as “HyperSense”, which makes use of haptic drivers in each earcup. The drivers will take the shape and frequency of the game audio and processes them under 5ms, which will then turn into vibrations. The best part here is that it works natively so it doesn’t require any additional software to make use of it.
The vibrations are expected to move accordingly with the game audio, from left to right, with the strength of it being dependent on the audio. For example, if a grenade were to explore on your right side, you will be a vibration on the right earcup, with the force going up to 4.3g.

This is similar to the Razer Nari Ultimate headset that was launched previously. Compared to that headset however, you can control the intensity of it via the on-ear controls, which can be set to be high, medium, low, or off. To make sure its up to par with their newer headsets, they make use of the 50mm Triforce Titanium drivers, which are divided for the low, mid, and high frequencies.
As for the Razer Kraken V3, it lacks the Razer HyperSense technology so it’s missing a major highlight of the new lineup. Apart from that however, all the headsets are pretty similar, with the Pro version being the only wireless one. All of them can also make use of THX Spatial Audio for a surround sound experience. For a brief view of its specifications, check it out right below here:
Razer Kraken V3 Family Specifications

Razer Kraken V3
Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense
Razer Kraken V3 Pro

50mm TriForce Titanium Drivers
50mm TriForce Titanium Drivers
50mm TriForce Titanium Drivers

THX Spatial Audio
THX Spatial Audio
THX Spatial Audio

Hybrid Fabric and Leatherette Memory Foam Cushions
Hybrid Fabric and Leatherette Memory Foam Cushions
Hybrid Fabric and Leatherette Memory Foam Cushions

Razer Chroma RGB
Razer Chroma RGB
Razer Chroma RGB

Razer HyperSense
Razer HyperSense

USB-A
USB-A
Razer HyperSpeed Wireless (USB-A), 3.5mm Analog

Detachable HyperClear Cardioid Mic
Detachable HyperClear Cardioid Mic
Detachable HyperClear Cardioid Mic

USD $99.99
USD $129.99
USD $199.99

Pokdepinion: I’m actually quite curious as to how these new and improved haptic feedback system would help. I’m hoping for some next level immersion.
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Founder of Namco and Father of Pac-Man, Masaya Nakamura, Passed Away at the Age of 91

It’s a sad day in the world of gaming today. We have lost yet another monumental figure in the gaming world, and this time, it’s from Namco. If you’re not too sure who this person is exactly, this person is known across the world as ‘the Father of Pac-Man”.

In memory of Masaya Nakamura, founder of Namco

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Bandai Namco has announced today that Namco founder, Masaya Nakamura, passed away on January 22nd 2017 at the age of 91. Masaya Nakamura has done a lot for the videogame industry and if you’re not too sure what exactly, we’re gonna dive into it.
Masaya Nakamura founded a company called Nakamura Amusement Machine Manufacturing Company in 1955. The company’s responsibility is to build children’s rides for department stores. In the late 1970s, the company was renamed to make it more easily identifiable. The company was then named Namco, based on the acronym of the original company name. Since then, Namco has focused on videogame development under Nakamura’s leadership.

Many people will remember him and Namco as being the one behind Pac-Man but they also developed other notable games. Galaga, Dig Dug, Pole Position, and more. When the great videogame crash of 1983 happened, Namco was one of the few companies that managed to survive, and they eventually became a household name.
In 2005, Namco merged with Bandai to form Bandai Namco. Masaya Nakamura stayed on in an advisory role. 2 years later, Masaya Nakamura was awarded the “Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette” by the Japanese government for his contributions to the country’s industry. Today, Bandai Namco publishes games like Tales of Berseria, Digimon World: The Next Order, the Dark Souls series, and more.
Masaya Nakamura’s cause of death was not discloses, in respect for the family’s privacy.

Pokdepinion: A lot of people today might not feel it, but we have lost such a massive figure in the videogame industry. Without him, quite a few videogame franchises we know today would not have existed. Rest in peace, Masaya Nakamura, and thank you for your contributions to the gaming world.
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Acer Predator Triton 900 Review – Power You Can Rely On

Acer Predator Triton 900 Review
Unboxing the Acer Predator Triton 900

What you’re expected to see inside the box of the Acer Predator Triton 900 gaming laptop are two more boxes. Inside of those two boxes, this is what you’ll be getting:

Quick Start Guide
Setup Guide
Charging Brick
Power Cable
The laptop itself

Appearance

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The Acer Predator Triton 900 is quite the eye-catcher. While it still maintains the more stealthy, neutral approach to design as seen in the Triton 500, you’ll definitely notice the two metallic bars on each side. This is the CNC-machined Ezel Aero Hinge, which we’ll talk more about in a bit. Looking at the lid, you have a dark aluminum body with the Predator logo taking centre stage. Of course, it glows blue so it’s cool like that. It can be a fingerprint magnet but it’s a lot better compared to other laptops with similar builds.

Lift the hood up and you’ll be greeted with a 17.3-inch 4K 144Hz IPS display, a clicky low-profile mechanical keyboard with per-key RGB backlight, and a trackpad which is similar in style to the ROG Zephyrus as it doubles as a Numpad. You will also see a dark-tinted transparent “glass” with a view of the internals. I put quotation marks on the word glass because it’s not actually glass, but feels more like polycarbonate.

When you turn it on, you’ll see the keyboard glowing in various colours with a wave-like animation. When Windows 10 is up and running, it will have a light blue glow by default to match its overall aesthetic. This can be easily changed via the PredatorSense software. You’ll also have five shortcut keys above F1 that will allow you to activate Turbo mode and switch between game profiles.

Then we have the star of the show, the Ezel Aero Hinge which holds surprisingly well. You can set the display up in four different modes; the standard laptop display, bringing it closer to the keyboard, a complete 180° flip, and closing the lid but with the screen flipped upwards. This will give more versatility on how people would like to use the machine.

On the left side, you have an air vent, a USB-A port, a headphone jack, a microphone jack, and a hidden USB-A port. On the right side, you have an air vent, an RJ45 LAN port, a USB-A port, two USB-C ports (one Thunderbolt 3), the power button, and a Kensington Lock. Seems a little lacking in ports right? Well, there’s more on the back actually. On the back, it has a DisplayPort, a HDMI port, and the proprietary charging port situated between the two rear air vents. It’s great that it has both an HDMI port and a DisplayPort, which easily lets you do a triple-monitor setup.
There’s nothing much on the bottom here aside from four rubberized stands, stickers, extra air vents, and speaker holes. You can also see a bit of the hidden USB-A port on the left side here. You can also find 12 screws here (including one hidden behind an Acer sticker) if you plan on opening up the machine for upgrades or maintenance.

Overall, I really do like the look of the Acer Predator Triton 900 gaming laptop. Like with other Triton laptops, this one doesn’t go for the in-your-face gamer aesthetic, and it’s a solidly built machine. We were worried that the Ezel Aero Hinge might be a little flimsy but from what we’ve experienced, it has a strong clamp on it so you should have nothing to worry about. We do find the hidden USB-A port a bit odd, but at least that’s an extra port that consumers can use. The mechanical keyboard is certainly a surprising addition, but we’ll talk more about that later.
Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-9750H (6C / 12T @ up to 4.5 GHz), 12M Cache, 45W TDP, 14nm

RAM
16GB 2666MHz DDR4

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB GDDR6

Storage
512GB Intel NVMe PCIe SSD x 2 (RAID 0 )

Display
17.3″ 4K UHD (3840 X 2160) 144Hz IPS display with G-Sync, Ezel Aero Hinge

Keyboard
Low-profile Mechanical Keyboard (Clicky) with NKRO, Per-Key RGB

Connectivity
Wireless:
Killer Wireless 1550 2×2 AC
Bluetooth 5.0
I/O:
2 x Type-A USB 3.1 Gen 2
1 x Type-C USB 3.1 Gen 2
1 x Thunderbolt 3
1 x Type-A USB 2.0 (Hidden)
1 x Kensington Lock
1 x DisplayPort
1 x HDMI 2.0
1 x RJ45 LAN
1 x Proprietary Charging Port

Audio
4 x Speakers
1 x Audio Jack
1 x Mic Jack
Array Microphones

Power
72 WHrs, 4-cell Li-Ion Battery, 330W Power Adapter

Dimensions
428 x 303 x 23.8 mm (W x D x H)

Performance

As we’ve listed in the specifications, the Acer Predator Triton 900 utilizes two 512GB Intel NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 configuration,. As such, the speeds it achieved in CrystalDiskMark shows that it’s blazing fast and nowhere close to being a slouch.

Given how powerful the Acer Predator Triton 900, it’s no surprise that it performed admirably. The i7-9750H performed pretty close to the i9-8950HK of the ROG Chimera in both single core and multi core tests. It’s the second best scoring one in our list of tested machines thus far.

In Unigine SuperPosition, it showed how beastly of a machine it is. It took the top spot easily with a score of 7823. It shouldn’t be a surprise given its specifications but it’s still amazing to see nonetheless.

It’s the same case in 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark. It easily took the top spot and the closest contender it still noticeably lower in score.

In 3DMark’s Port Royal which tests the ray-tracing capabilities, it’s no surprise that it garnered such a high score with its RTX 2080 GPU. It’s amazing to see a laptop that scored that high in a test that most laptops sufffer the most.

Synthetic benchmarks aside, we now have game benchmarks. If some of the game performance seem oddly low, keep in mind that we ran the games in 4K resolution and the highest settings possible. It’s interesting in particular for Tekken 7 because at maximum settings in 4K resolution, very few machines are able to play smoothly given how resource-intensive it becomes.
Even then, it still managed to perform pretty well for the most intensive games out there in Ultra settings, such as Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Final Fantasy XV. In the case of Battlefield V, it’s no surprise that it suffers with DXR enabled on Ultra settings, even with DLSS enabled. However, playing on Maximum Fidelity instead of Ultra will give you the ultimate gaming trifecta; stunning visuals, ray-tracing goodness, and smooth gameplay.
As for running temperatures, it was kinda bad by default but with CoolBoost enabled, temperatures were really good. CPU temperature is generally in the high 80s / low 90s (°C) with very little to not thermal throttling present. GPU runs perfectly fine as it usually doesn’t go past 80°C.
As for battery life, it’s not something anyone would be surprised about. The Acer Predator Triton 900 is quite the power hog, but it’s understandable given its high-powered specifications. Even with the large 76Wh battery, you’re going to get about 2 to 3 hours of battery life for just web browsing, office applications, light editing, and other non-intensive tasks. Anything more and you’ll see the battery dip really fast.
User Experience

The Acer Predator Triton 900 is a beastly gaming laptop. For starters, it’s powered by the 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9750H and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU. As for memory, you have a 16GB DDR4 RAM (8GB x 2) clocked at 2666 MHz, and two Intel NVMe SSDs in RAID 0 configuration. Personally, would have liked it if came with 32GB RAM and an additional 1TB HDD storage given its price. It still doesn’t change the fact that it’s a powerful machine despite that however.
Surprisingly, it’s not thick.
This is by no means a portable gaming laptop like the Predator Triton 500. It’s big and heavy, weighing in about 4.4kg, so it’s not something that would be ideal to bring around often. The running temperatures are what I expected from such a size however, as it’s at satisfactory levels. As long as you have CoolBoost enabled, you most likely won’t see thermal throttling unless you’re gaming in a very hot room. On that note, the 4th Gen AeroBlade 3D fans can get a bit loud but definitely not unbearable. If anything, it’s definitely worth the running temperatures.

The 17.3-inch IPS display on the Acer Predator Triton 900 gaming laptop is one of the most enjoyable ones I’ve had thus far. You get excellent viewing angles, colours are bright and well-defined (100% sRGB), and the 144Hz refresh rate is a boon for serious gamers. The hardware is definitely powerful enough that you can easily take advantage of the high refresh rate. Best of all, the Ezel Aero hinge lets you flip the display up to 180°, and it’s a touchscreen display. That’s quite a rare feature among gaming laptops and I really enjoyed using it.

The Acer Predator Triton 900 has a good array of ports. You have three USB-A ports (one hidden on the left side), two USB-C ports (one with Thunderbolt 3 support), an RJ45 LAN port, separated headphone and microphone jacks, and both DisplayPort and HDMI port for visuals. It would have been a nice touch to include an SD card reader but it’s a small matter. Some of you may feel the hidden USB 2.0 Type-A port odd but it is very useful for wireless receivers. If you use a wireless mouse, connecting the receiver there will definitely decrease your chances of losing it.

The keyboard on the Acer Predator Triton 900 is quite an interesting one. While it looks like the typical chiclet keyboard you see in gaming laptops, it’s actually a mechanical keyboard. It’s the clicky kind but it’s nowhere close to being as noisy as your Cherry MX Blue switches. It’s quite fun to use but it does take a little bit of time to get used to as the travel is surprisingly deep. With that being said, you don’t have to press it all the way for it to register, just that the feeling can be weird at first.

The trackpad also doubles as a Numpad which can be enabled / disabled by tapping the top-right corner twice. The sensation is definitely nowhere close to a regular Numpad but it’s very useful to have, especially when you’re using your own mouse. If you’re a fan of RGB keyboards then you’re gonna love this as it has per-key RGB backlighting, which can be customized via the PredatorSense software. You can also change the colour of the fan underneath the glass but given how dim it is, there’s no point really. Unfortunately, you can’t adjust the brightness.

The PredatorSense software is still the same as usual. It can be used for some fine-tuning of the machine, including simple overclocking for both CPU and GPU, adjust cooling, customize hotkeys, and more. The UI is straightforward here and I personally like the look of the software as the colour scheme is very pleasing to the eyes. I doubt anyone would have issues using the software.
KILLER Control Center
But that’s not all on the software side as there’s also the KILLER Control Center. Not only will you be able to view and manage your network traffic, you can also optimize the system for gaming with the GameFast feature. What this does is that it prioritizes the game that you’re running above other network traffic, it also optimizes your CPU and memory resources for the game to ensure a smoother gaming experience.

On the sound department, the speakers on the Acer Predator Triton 900 gaming laptop is pretty good. It’s loud and has a surprising amount of depth and a bit of bass. Together with the Waves MaxxAudio software suite, you can easily optimize your listening experience for a variety of occasions, including different types of games. You can also get a more 3D-feel for the audio using Waves NX, which should be used with a headphone / headset. I would still opt to use a headphone rather than the speakers for the best audio experience overall.
Acer Predator Triton 900 Verdict

The Acer Predator Triton 900 is a pretty great gaming laptop. It’s very powerful, it’s packed with some interesting features like the flip display thanks to the Ezel Aero hinge, and even managed to fit in a low-profile mechanical keyboard. It is a rather hefty machine with an equally hefty price at RM15,999 however.
Ultimately, you will be getting a reliable gaming machine with some minor quirks which I feel isn’t significant enough for people to avoid. Sure, battery life is bad that’s to be expected for a machine that is this powerful. This will work best as a desktop replacement rather than a laptop that you’d want to bring with you everywhere you go. With that, I award the Acer Predator Triton 900 with our Gold Pokdeward.

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Samsung wants you to celebrate Merdeka at home; insane discounts up to RM1300 on 4K TVs!

Samsung Malaysia is running a great promotion on their 4K TVs for you to enjoy watching the National Day parade in stunning UHD resolution in the comfort of your home. Samsung’s Curved UHD TV (UA49MU6303) is currently priced at RM2799, an insane RM1300 discount from the RM4099 RRP!

For those who want a more premium TV can take a look at the 55″ Q7F QLED TV priced at RM9999, which is currently offered with a complimentary Samsung Soundbar Sound+ worth RM1599. In this exclusive promotion, they can also get the No Gap Wall Mount for just RM199 with every purchase of the Q7F QLED TV.

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There are also great promotions on three more 4K TVs. Aside from enhancing your viewing experience this Merdeka, Samsung is also intent on improving your audio setup with a free BD-J4500 worth RM299 when you purchase the Soundbar Sound+ as well as RM100 off the HW-M550 Flat Soundbar.
Here’s the full list of what’s is on offer now:

Category
Item No
Model
RCP
Promo Price
Cost Saving
National Day Promotion

TV
1
UA49MU6303KXXM
4,099
2,799
1,300
Promo Price RM 2,799

TV
2
QA55Q7FAMKXXM
9,999
9,999

FOC Sound+ HW-MS550 worth RM 1,599
PWP Price @ RM 199 No Gap Wall Mount WMN-M11EA (worth RM 599)

TV
3
UA55MU8000KXXM
7,999
7,999

FOC Krups Coffee Machine worth RM 829

TV
4
UA55MU6300KXXM
5,299
5,299

FOC Anti-Tangle Canister Vacuum Cleaner VC18M31A0HP/ME
worth RM 499 & Healthy Steam Microwave Oven
MG23H3115GK/SM worth RM 549

TV
5
UA65MU6100KXXM
7,299
6,999
300
Promo Price RM 6,999

Category
Item No
Model
RCP
Promo Price
Cost Saving
National Day Promotion

AV
1
HW-M550/XM
1,499
1,399
100
Promo Price RM1,399

AV
2
HW-MS650/XM
1,899
1,899

FOC Blu-ray Player BD-J4500/XM Worth RM 299

This promotion will run until 30th September or while promotional stocks last, so hurry if you want to snatch yourself a nice new setup for your home.
Pokdepinion: The RM2799 Curved UHD TV seems like a great entry ticket into the world of 4K, and the curved panel will only enhance immersion.
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Razer Release Gaming Finger Sleeves Because Why Not

Are you a big mobile gaming buff? Well Razer has just introduced their Razer Gaming Finger Sleeve which is…basically a finger sleeve.
Razer Gaming Finger Sleeve

So if you want to take your mobile gaming to the next level, it’s going to cost you $9.99 (~RM41). The company has said that they are made out of “smooth, high-sensitivity fabric”.

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They are lightweight and breathable, which is something gamers can appreciate, especially if you have sweaty fingers or playing in a hot day.
Aside from that, it appears that the sleeves are washable so you can always keep them clean for usage.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: I’m not going to lie, having sweaty hands myself, this would help. That being said, do I really want to spend money on that? I’m not really into mobile gaming.. so yeah.
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Acer Launches New Predator Gaming Products – Introducing the Predator Orion 9000

So. Much. Stuff.

Acer Malaysia recently released a slew of new additions to their Predator gaming line which include the Predator Triton 700 laptop, the Predator X34P and Z35P curved gaming monitors, the Predator Galea 500 gaming headset, the Predator Cestus 500 as well as Acer’s ‘best’, the Orion 9000 gaming desktop.
Predator Triton 700 gaming laptop
First in the line of Predator products introduced by Acer is the Predator Triton 700 gaming laptop. First showcased way back in May during Computex 2017 in Taiwan, the Predator Triton 700 takes heavy design cues from the monstrous Predator 21 X albeit with a more a super slimmed down design – it has a thickness of only 18.9mm!

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Under the hood, the Predator Triton 700 packs a 7th gen Intel Core processor, an overclockable GeForce GTX 1080 GPU with Max-Q design for some pretty heavy gaming performances. The Triton 700 also has two NVMe PCle SSDs in RAID 0 configuration and up to 32GB of DDR4 2400 MHz memory for maximum speed and massive storage.
How does the Triton 700 keep everything cool under such a svelte chassis? The laptop uses Acer’s own unique Dual AeroBlade 3D Fan which has the world’s thinnest metal blade at only 0.1mm. This hyper efficient air cooling of upper and bottom air intake helps to increase airflow by 35% and unleash the power potentials from the Predator Triton 700. The laptop is also VR ready.

The Triton 700 features a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display which supports G-SYNC and has 170-degree viewing angle, 120Hz super fast refresh rate and 300 Nits high brightness delivers blur-free action by eliminating screen tearing and minimizing stuttering. It also features a combination of Acer TrueHarmonyTM and Dolby Atmos® surround sound for some seriously immersive experience.
There are to options available for purchase in Malaysia. The higher end Triton 700 with the GTX 1080 is priced at RM 13,999 while the other version, with the GTX 1060 is priced RM 9,999. It’s available right now across all authorised Acer re-sellers nationwide as well as Acer Online Stores. Those who bought the higher end version will be entitled to “special edition” TTe-Sports GT Fit Predator gaming chair at RM 1,399, Predator Gaming mouse at RM 499 and Predator Gaming T-shirt at RM 99.
Predator X34P and Z35P gaming monitors
Next in the line of newly released Predator products is a twofer. The Predator X34P and Predator Z35P are 21:9 curv monitors with UltraWide QHD (3440 x 1440) displays with immersive 1900R and 1800R curvature respectively. The Predator X34P features a 34 inch IPS panel that delivers pictures in vivid colours no matter your viewing angle. The 35 inch Z35P on the other hand features a VA (vertical alignment) panel that gives you better blacks, contrast and viewing angle.

Both the Predator X34P and Predator Z35P have G-SYNC for smooth, tear free gameplay while the Predator Z35P also includes NVIDIA’s Ultra Low Motion Blur (ULMB) technology that helps in reducing motion blur while gaming. Both the monitors have 178 degree viewing angles and come with 100% sRGB colour gamut that delivers some pretty rich colours. Both the X34P and Z35P have two built-in speakers for maximum entertainment, however the Z35P has DTS Sound 9Wx2 speakers and Acer TrueHarmony for that extra oomph.

The Predator Z35P is available right now through selected authorised Acer resellers across Malaysia and will retail at RM 3,899 while the Predator X34P will only be available sometime mid January 2018 and will retail at RM 4,299.
Predator Galea 500 gaming headset
The Predator Galea 500 gaming headset utilises Acer’s TrueHarmony 3D Soundscape technology which basically recreates the acoustic space based on the orientation of the player’s head. By doing this the headset tricks your brain into thinking that the sound you’re hearing is coming from a single fixed position, like how your brain would think in a real situation.

The Predator Galea 500 delivers crystal clear audio by using a driver constructed with Bio-cellulose membrane and rubber surround. This type of driver is usually found in high-end speakers so the Predator Galea 500 should literally give you a cinematic experience in gamers’ heads.
The Predator Galea 500 gaming headset is available now at selected authorised Acer resellers nationwide as well as Acer Online Stores and retails for RM 1,399.
Predator Cestus 500 gaming mouse
Next up is the Predator Cestus 500 Gaming Mouse features the Omron dual switch design that allows the click resistance to be adjusted according to the user’s preference. It also has an ambidextrous design, able to accommodate both right and left handers with detachable magnetic side panels. The Predator Cestus 500 is customisable with 16.8 million RGB color lights and 8 lighting patterns to suit every mood and style as well as 5 on-board profile settings for battles on the go with Acer’s Predator QuarterMaster app. The Cestus 500 also features a braided cord with gold-plated USB connector for all you ‘rougher-than-most’ gamers.

The Predator Cestus 500 has a retail price of RM 299 and is available now at selected authorised Acer resellers across the country as well as Acer Online Stores.
Predator Orion 9000
Now onto the big daddy. Acer’s pride and joy. The big kahuna. The Predator Orion 9000 gaming desktop. This was a surprise unveiling by Acer as there was no indication that they would actually launch the Orion 9000 alongside the other Predator products.

The Predator Orion 9000 comes packed with a beastly Intel Core i9 Extreme Edition 18 core processor, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB PCI-E SSD and 3TB 3.5-inch 7200 RPM HDD, as well as two GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GPUs. The Orion 9000 employs Acer’s IceTunnel 2.0 technology to keep itself cool. This technology is an advanced airflow management solution which smartly separates the different thermal zones of the system, each with an individual airflow tunnel to expel heat. There are five 120mm fans to help funnel cool air through the chassis, two at the front, one at the back and two more on top. The Predator Orion 9000 also comes with CPU liquid cooler to further help maintain the temperature.

The side window panels have latches on them for easy customisation. This allows users to easily upgrade their CPU, GPU, RAM, storage and thermal system. Users can also personalize the RGB lights up to 16.7M colors. With PredatorSense 3.0, users can also control fan speed as well as monitor and optimize CPU performance.
Due to its sheer size and weight, the Predator Orion 9000 is outfitted with two handles and wheels for easy portability.
The Predator Orion 9000 will be available for purchase in December and will retail for an eye-watering RM 28,888. That’s not all folks! There will also be another version of the Orion 9000 coming to Malaysia, however it’s a slightly downgraded version but with a much more affordable price tag. The second version will come with Intel Core i7 processor instead of an i9 processor, 16GB DDR4 RAM, 256GB PCI-E SSD and 1TB 3.5-inch 7200 RPM HDD as well as a GeForce GTX 1080 GPU which in truth isn’t too shabby. This version will retail at a slightly more easily digestible price of RM 12,999 and will also be available in December.
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Sony Might Be Planning To Bring Back Sony Xperia Compact Line With New 5.5″ Phone

There is a rumour swirling around the interwebs of a possible new addition to Sony’s beloved Sony Xperia Compact line in 2021. According to the rumour, Sony will be releasing a 5.5-inch Xperia Compact device in the first half of 2021.
Is Sony Xperia Compact coming back?
The rumoured Sony Xperia Compact device is said to come equipped with a Snapdragon 775G SoC and will be a lower priced version of a Sony Xperia device. Which existing device in unclear but presumably it might be either the Xperia 1 II or Xperia 5 II. The Sony Xperia Compact line were essentially shrunk down versions of Xperia flagships and used to be a very popular line back in the day. The last Compact device Sony released was the Xperia XZ2 Compact back in 2018.
2018’s Xperia XZ2 Compact
The Snapdragon 775G is a mid-range, 6nm 5G enabled chip that Qualcomm is supposedly working on as a successor to the current Snapdragon 765 and 765G and is due for release next year. Performance-wise, the Snapdragon 775G will reportedly have flagship tier performance with the upcoming Snapdragon 875 chipset.

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Source
Pokdepinion: I’m actually pretty glad that manufacturers are now bringing smaller sized devices like the Sony Xperia Compact line. Sure, I enjoy bigger screens on phones but at times I do miss how well they fit in my hand and how easy it is to type with smaller sized phones.
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Mario Kart World Tour Finally Has a Proper Multiplayer Mode

Are you a returning player? If so, now’s a great time to jump back in! If you redownload #MarioKartTour and link to the My Nintendo Account you had originally linked, you’ll be able to pick up right where you left off. pic.twitter.com/zXJ1P5zfGn
— Mario Kart Tour (@mariokarttourEN) March 9, 2020

On September 2015, Nintendo launched Mario Kart World Tour for Android and iOS. While the game itself is pretty fun, there was a noticeable lack of multiplayer gameplay as you end up playing against AI racers instead. With the recently released update 2.0.0, we now have a properly Mario Kart World Tour multiplayer mode.
The update lets you play with other friends, people nearby, or random gamers across the world. This means you can play with up to 8 real gamers in the game itself instead of feeling sad because you only play with AI-controlled enemy racers.

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Due to many gamers being fed up with the game for many reasons, the official Twitter account gave a quick guide on how gamers can get their account back. If you’ve been wanting to play real multiplayer in Mario Kart World Tour, now is a good time to return.
Once again, Mario Kart World Tour multiplayer mode is out for both Android and iOS as part of update version 2.0.0.
Source
Pokdepinion: Well, guess I’ll give it a try and see if it’s worth playing or not. If there’s not enough people playing, I foresee this game shutting down by end of this year.
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vivo X Fold enters the foldable game with Ultra Thin Glass over its 8.03″ foldable display

With HUAWEI, Xiaomi, OPPO and HONOR having unveiled their foldable smartphones, it’s now vivo’s turn. The innovative brand that is no stranger to weird concepts that later catch on in a huge way has just launched the vivo X Fold, their first foldable smartphone, and is also probably one of the largest foldable smartphones in the market.
vivo X Fold: quad-camera flagship foldable with ultra-thin glass

The vivo X Fold comes in with a massive 6.53″ 120Hz AMOLED outer display, and an even larger 8.03″ 120Hz AMOLED foldable display inside. Just like most of the Chinese-made foldables, the vivo X Fold doesn’t have a gap when folded shut, and this is made all the more interesting by the fact that vivo went with Ultra Thin Glass for its inner display, for a more premium feeling when you are using the inner display. I honestly wonder why Samsung still can’t get their foldables to have the halves fold flush.

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Speaking of which, vivo is also differentiating the vivo X Fold from the other foldables with a premium camera setup that wouldn’t look out of place in a more conventional flagship. There’s a 50MP ISOCELL GN5 main camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, a 12MP 2X “portrait” camera and an 8MP 5X periscope camera for additional zoom range. ZEISS optics and “ZEISS modes” are present on the vivo X Fold to amp up its imaging chops. Selfies will be handled by 16MP cameras, both inside and outside.
Under the hood you have a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 paired with 12GB RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Keeping things running is a 4600mAh battery that supports both 66W fast wired charging, and 50W fast wireless charging. All of that hardware does result in a rather chonky device, with it measuring a rather unwieldy 74.47mm wide and 14.91mm thick when closed.

The vivo X Fold won’t come cheap, at 8999 CNY (~RM5984) for the 256GB variant, and 9999 CNY (~RM6649) for the 512GB version. But given the amount of screen real estate vivo is giving you, the prices are probably somewhat justified.
vivo X Note: the revival of the phablet?

For those seeking a large display but aren’t interested in foldable panels, vivo is serving up the vivo X Note. You get a huge 7″ 2K 120Hz AMOLED display, a size that has probably not been seen in smartphones since the phone-tablet era a few years ago. It’s probably a little easier to wield, with a 21:10 aspect ratio, but its still one gigantic device.

vivo has paired up this humongous display with an equally sizeable ultrasonic fingerprint scanner, with it capable of reading two fingerprints at once for enhanced security. Under the hood, you have a massive vapor chamber as well, to help cool the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The processor is paired up with up to 12GB RAM and up to 512GB of storage.
The Snapdragon chipset isn’t the only processor in the vivo X Note though. Helping the imaging capabilities along is a vivo V1 ISP. With the impressive quad-camera array comprising of a huge 1/1.3″ 50MP ISOCELL GN1 sensor and ZEISS optics, the vivo X Note is probably going to be the camera smartphone to beat.

Interestingly enough, while everything with the vivo X Note is apparently supersized, the battery isn’t. We get a rather conventional 5000mAh battery that you can get in much smaller devices. However you do have 80W fast wired charging and 50W fast wireless charging to keep it topped up.
Prices start from 5999 CNY (~RM3990) for the base 8GB + 256GB variant, ranging up to 6999 CNY (~RM4659) for the maxed out 12GB + 512GB version.
vivo Pad: the first tablet from vivo

If you want an even bigger display, there’s the vivo Pad. It features an 11″ 2.5K 120hz display with Dolby Vision. Hardware wise, it’s definitely a lot less interesting than the two prior devices, and I guess that’s why we don’t have it named the vivo X Pad. You get a Snapdragon 870 mated to 8GB RAM to keep things running along smoothly, with the option for up to 256GB storage.
Prices are notably rather affordable, starting from 2499 CNY (~RM1662) for the 8GB + 128GB version and 2999 CNY (~RM1995) for the 256GB storage option.
Pokdepinion: Glad to see vivo back to their innovative roots. Loved the vivo NEX series, hope to see more interesting things from vivo!
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NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M revisited

My Lenovo Y50 is a year old now, and the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M inside is also feeling rather outdated already. However most mid-range gaming laptops are still using the slightly enhanced GTX 960M based on the same GM107 silicon, which was first seen in the desktop GTX 750 Ti. Just to share a little backstory of the GM107 silicon, it is the first Maxwell chip to appear on the market, has a 128-bit memory interface and 640 CUDA cores. The GTX 860M also comes in two variants, Kepler and Maxwell, with the Kepler GK104 GPU offering slightly worse performance.

In any case, the GTX 960M which is also based on the GM107 silicon, has a faster base clock speed of 1097 MHz with boost up to 1176 MHz as compared to the GTX 860M which has a base clock of 1020 MHz reaches 1098 MHz with boost. In this revisiting of the GTX 860M mobile GPU, we will be testing with my year-old Lenovo Y50.

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Specifications

Processor
Intel Core i7 4710HQ 2.5 GHz (Boost at 3.5 GHz)

Memory
8GB DDR3L 1600 MHz in single channel configuration

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 860M 4GB DDR5

Storage
1TB Western Digital Slim HDD

OS
Windows 10

The Lenovo Y50 is infamous for cutting off boost very early, at around 65-70°C, resulting in the CPU running at 2.5 GHz, which in turn causes the CPU to bottleneck the GPU. So for the purpose of this test, I will be using ThrottleStop to keep the CPU running as high as possible to try and reduce the possibility of the performance being CPU limited.

Performance
For the performance tests, I will be playing four games, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, DotA 2 Reborn, Battlefield 4 and The Crew. All games tested are set to their respective maximum graphics presets at my screen’s native resolution of 1080p. The GPU clocks are as such:

Stock: 1020 – 1098 MHz core, 2505 MHz VRAM
OC: 1154 – 1232 MHz core (+135 MHz), 2750 MHz VRAM (+245 MHz)

Temperatures must be taken with a grain of salt as every laptop will have different cooling configurations, thus the temperatures here are not really a representative of the GTX 860M’s heat output, but more of the Lenovo Y50’s cooling performance.

We will start with one of my favorite games, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. In this game, I had a most unsatisfactory experience, due to the extremely low frame rate. It was extremely uncomfortable to play at the maximum settings at 1080p. NVIDIA optimized settings pegs it to 768p, but with considerably high graphics quality, providing a much more enjoyable time playing as Geralt. If you want to enjoy this game in its full glory, a better graphics card is definitely needed. Given that it is just playable on the desktop GTX 960, you may have to shell out a pretty large sum if you plan on playing it on a laptop.

DotA 2 is handled very well, with a very smooth experience. The fear of lag due to our excellent internet connection in Malaysia is much greater than the worry of the GPU limiting you from enjoying this addictive game. DotA 2 Reborn didn’t have a fps cap back when the GTX 960 was tested, but now it also has a 120 fps cap instated.

The Crew is a pretty fun racing game, or it can also be called a MMOCarPG. It offers a reasonable story, interesting PVP mode, and a bevy of challenges which you will have to grind to get the best upgrade parts for your car. Typical MMORPG. You would be much better off playing the game with NVIDIA optimized settings, or you can slowly tweak it to get the best experience from it.

Battlefield 4 is not the latest installment in the Battlefield series, but is arguably still one of the most popular, with Battlefield: Hardline failing to sway players in its favor. For the purpose of the tests, I played exclusively in the map named Locker, 64 vs 64 mode. Bullets flying everywhere while I desperately tried to aim and shoot with the pitiable 33 fps I was getting (or 39 OC-ed). Turning down the settings to the Medium preset, things were a lot smoother. I still sucked at it but at least I can’t blame the horrible fps. You can actually tune the settings for better graphics quality, but medium is quite good. NVIDIA optimization curiously drops most of the settings to Low, but in all honesty, with such fast paced action, you wouldn’t have time to enjoy the prettier looking graphics.

Conclusion

Is the GTX 860M or 960M still a valid GPU for 2015’s gaming laptops? I would have to say yes and no. The OC-ed clocks of the GTX 860M are above a stock 960M’s, and the clocks really didn’t make much difference in games. With games like Witcher 3, the 860M is considered insufficient. If you are most probably just stick to playing older games like DotA 2 or BF4, you may find it to be up for the task. Also note that most of the games I tested are also not that new. I wonder how will games with DX12 perform on the first-gen Maxwell chip. Hopefully the GTX 950 desktop GPU based on a cut-down GM206 will be making an appearance as a mobile chip as the GTX 965M or something.
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A Coldplay Song Was Apparently Hidden In One Of Kingston’s SSD Firmware

Someone was definitely bored at work in the making of this firmware.

We’ve all heard bad firmware, or even malicious ones propagated by hackers – but in this case, someone definitely wanted to just have some fun in the good old way: slipping what looks like an Easter Egg inside Kingston’s firmware responsible for SSD controllers. Specifically, it’s the version named “SKC2000_S2681103” that serves models such as the KC2000 SSD.

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The firmware in question (which was released in 2020), when inspected by a security researcher Nicholas Starke turned out to contain lyrics from a Coldplay song aptly named “The Scientist”. The researcher then reached out to BleepingComputer with his findings. “I’ve seen many many firmware images in my time and this just seemed out of place,” he told the website. He also admits he hasn’t seen anything “quite like it” prior to the discovery.
“The Scientist” lyrics seen in hex editor. Image: @nstarke (Twitter)
Officially, the firmware is intended to provide performance enhancements on QD1-based workloads, so it’s pretty safe to say this is nothing more than either a sample text to test things out, or just an outright Easter Egg that someone in Kingston’s engineering department decided to put in just for a bit of that engineering humor. The company hasn’t commented on this matter at this writing, however.
Source: BleepingComputer
Pokdepinion: Perhaps that engineer is already buying tickets for the Coldplay world tour as we speak.
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Returners Launch In Singapore – Mobile RPG Featuring Heroes From History!

Ever wanted to play as Aladdin, Hercules, Robin Hood, and the lot in a mobile game? Well here’s a mobile game that you can experience just that. Introducing Returners, a mobile RPG game that just launched in Singapore today.
Returners

The mobile game, which is brought by Nexon Korea Corporation, is free-to-play and features RPG elements with management-style gameplay.

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Featuring a cartoon-ish style, get a chance to play timeless heroes spanning from history, lore, and myth while battling in a real-time 5v5 combat. That means every strategic decisions you make will have effects and consequences. Quickly grasp the battle within the given time and you might be leading your team to victory.
The game, which came from Korea, is getting an update where they will add essential gear, a new character, and the Platinum League. You can visit the shop every 24 hours for an opportunity to draw valuable and useful items for free. There are a total of five unique items made available. The new character addition is quite a famous one. It’s Alice from Alice In Wonderland but they call her Alice In Returners Land instead (huh clever). With the update, you can battle it out with the world’s elite in the Platinum League. It is only open to masters in the top-10 bracket of the Gold League and for those who hold a combat power greater than 21,000.
The game is now out for download for both Android and iOS.
Pokdepinion: For these types of games, I would just rather watch people play it instead. It’s too ‘cute’ for me :P
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Samsung Launches Odyssey Neo G7 Mini-LED Gaming Monitor

Samsung has unveiled the Odyssey Neo G7, a  43-inch flat Mini-LED gaming monitor with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro certification, as well as VESA DisplayHDR 600 and HDR10+ support. The display, which features HDMI 2.1, is a 4K 144Hz panel with 1ms (MPRT) response time. The monitor comes with a pair of 20W speakers, 1x DP 1.4 and 2x HDM 2.1, 2x USB 3.0 ports, Ethernet LAN port, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac) and Bluetooth 5.2 support.

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Much like the brand’s more mainstream Smart Monitor offerings, the Odyssey Neo G7 feature built-in smart TV features such as Amazon Prime Video, Netflix and YouTube, with no connection to a separate device required. The panel comes with built-in Wi-Fi to enable wireless screen mirroring for smartphones, and Bluetooth can be paired with game controllers to directly access cloud gaming services such as Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce NOW.
The Samsung Odyssey Neo G7 (LS43CG700NEXXS) is now available at RM4,599.
Pokdepinion: This particular model has more resemblance to Smart Monitor when it comes to design and even the stand itself (reminds me of M8).
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The Ghost Bride will be Netflix’s first Mandarin Original series shot in Malaysia!

Netflix has just announced the cast of its upcoming Mandarin Original series, The Ghost Bride, and it will boast of an international team consisting of members from Hollywood, Malaysia and Taiwan. Also, it is the first Netflix Mandarin Original series to be shot in Malaysia!
The adaptation of a New York Times bestseller of the same name by Yangsze Choo will see award-winning directors from Malaysia, Quek
Shio-Chuan and Ho Yu-Hang, a team of screenwriters led by Hollywood’s American Taiwanese TV writer Kai Yu Wu and stars Wu Kang Jen, Huang Peijia, Ludi Lin and Tian Tze Kuang, work together to bring the story to life.
The Ghost Bride is set in 1890s Colonial Malacca. Li Lan has been offered a marriage proposal from the wealthy Lim Family to become the “ghost bride” to their recently deceased son. Her family will be saved from a lifetime of debt, but she’ll spend the rest of her life being haunted by the Lim family’s son. Desperate to get out of this ghastly arrangement, she soon finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery and embroiled in other-worldly affairs much bigger than she could have ever imagined.

The Ghost Bride was shot in locations at Johor Bahru, Penang and Ipoh. It is currently in production, so for those of you who are interested to catch it on Netflix, stay tuned!

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Pokdepinion: I think I will probably just watch it to point out the Malaysian locations.  8-)
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AstraZeneca Returns To PICK, Preferred Vaccine Can Be Chosen Though MySejahtera App Soon

During a recent virtual press conference on the MOSTI Facebook page, Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has just announced that the AstraZeneca vaccine is back in the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK). He also announced that the general public will be able to choose their preferred vaccine through the MySejahtera app soon. The minister also stated that the ability to choose the preferred vaccine will come via a future update to the MySejahtera app though he did not reveal when exactly the update will arrive.
Choose other than AstraZeneca soon through MySejahtera

Furthermore, Khairy said that in addition to the public having the ability to choose their preferred vaccine, they are looking into allowing the public to choose their preferred date, venue and time as well.

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With AstraZeneca being moved back to PICK, this means that there will be no more opt-in sessions like the ones held earlier this month and the recent sessions on 23 to 26 May. Minister Khairy explained that the decision to move it back to the national immunisation programme is due to the positive change in the public’s opinion on the vaccine.
Image Credit: The Star
He also apologised for the problems faced by the public in their attempts to register for the AstraZeneca vaccine yesterday and admitted that the user experience could’ve been better. He also said that the system issues will be put under investigation.
For those wondering what could’ve been done to prevent the whole issue with yesterday’s controversial AstraZeneca vaccine registration, you can read our in-depth analysis right here.
Source 1, Source 2
Pokdepinion: Not gonna lie, I was pretty angry at how things unfolded yesterday. I missed the first batch of registrations and was hoping to register for the second batch. Well, that was before the proverbial excrement hit the fan.
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Outlast and Its DLC is FREE for a LIMITED TIME; Claim It Right Here!

Outlast is a critically acclaimed “modern classic” survival horror that came out in 2013, and is now FREE to download together with its DLC on Humble Bundle.
Get it HERE!
Can you Outlast this horror game classic?
Looks like Christmas has come early for PC gamers everywhere as there has been a lot of free games coming our way this month. Four free games this month alone by my count. Well guys, Krampus is about to give a fifth free game just for you to enjoy and this time it’s going to be more of a two for one deal.

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Classic survival horror game Outlast and its Whistleblower DLC is FREE right now at Humble Bundle and it’s gonna stay free for just 48 hours. So grab it quick! Outlast first came out back in 2013 and has garnered pretty much universal critical acclaim for its truly terrifying atmosphere and heart pumping gameplay.

Made even more popular when YouTube megastar Pewdiepie started posting videos of him playing the game, this is definitely a game worth playing at least once, even if you are not necessarily a horror game fan. It’s even better to play with friends around because who doesn’t love to see their friends screech like little babies?

Check out the synopsis below to know more about what you’ll be getting into when you play Outlast.
In the remote mountains of Colorado, horrors wait inside Mount Massive Asylum. A long-abandoned home for the mentally ill, recently re-opened by the “research and charity” branch of the transnational Murkoff Corporation, the asylum has been operating in strict secrecy… until now.
Acting on a tip from an anonymous source, independent journalist Miles Upshur breaks into the facility, and what he discovers walks a terrifying line between science and religion, nature and something else entirely. Once inside, his only hope of escape lies with the terrible truth at the heart of Mount Massive.
Outlast is a true survival horror experience which aims to show that the most terrifying monsters of all come from the human mind.
So go on and claim the game and the Whistleblower DLC ASAP before it’s gone. If you’re not sure where to click, just click here and it will bring you straight to the Humble Bundle link where you can claim the game. Happy screaming peeps!

Get it HERE!

Pokdepinion: Outlast is probably the only game to successfully scare the literal s**t out of me (long story) but strangely enough I loved every minute of it. It’s probably the most intense game I’ve ever played. Not even Outlast 2 managed to scare me as much as the first Outlast did.
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Roborock H7 to be available at 60% off during the Roborock Live Show!

Roborock will be hosting the Roborock Live Show later today to introduce the Roborock H7, their latest cordless stick vacuum. The Roborock H7 is priced at RM3399, but as part of the introductory offer, it will be available for just RM1388 during the Roborock Live Show.
The Roborock H7 offers 480W of power that can create a maximum suction of 160AW to suck up dirt from challenging surfaces like carpets and sofas. It is designed to use multiple cyclones and HEPA filtration to capture 99.99% of particles as small as 0.3 microns, which include pollen and fungi spores.
It touts a LiPo battery that can deliver up to 90 minutes of vacuuming, with a full charge in only 2.5 hours. The Roborock H7’s large 500mL dustbin requires less frequent emptying, letting you suck more. You can equip it with a disposable dust bag too, ideal for those who might be sensitive to the dust spray.

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You can already pre-order the Roborock H7 at RM3399 via Roborock’s official stores on Shopee and Lazada, but tune in to the Roborock Live Show happening today at 3pm to get it for just RM1388!

Aside from the Roborock H7, there will also be other selected Roborock products that will be available at substantial discounts, including the Roborock S7 and Roborock S6 MaxV.
Pokdepinion: Do you think I should get a robot or suck myself?
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