ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 Gaming Headset Review – Gaming Audio Master

Unboxing the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1

Inside the box of the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 gaming headset, you are expected to have the following items:

User guideWarranty cardUSB-C to USB-A adapterDetachable microphoneSpare ear cushionsThe ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 gaming headset itself
Appearance

The ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 gaming headset is a rather large gaming headset that looks essentially identical to the Electret variant. The biggest difference here is the ROG logo which has RGB lighting. The ear cups are more oval shaped than round. You also have the aluminium alloy frame which connects the ear cups to the headband.

As for cushioning on the ear cups, the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 uses the ROG Hybrid ear cushions. However, it comes with two different types; protein-leather and fabric. The former features thin, yet soft breathable fabric mesh whereas the latter features a thicker but fast-cooling fabric designed for longer use.

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Moving to the headband, there is a plush fabric cushion along with a plastic plates indicating the left and right orientation. You can adjust the headband to fit your head, which will reveal a metallic support band with ROG’s signature design language. You also have a Republic of Gamers branding on the top which blends in with the headband.

While plenty of gaming headsets would have the microphone attached to it, this one does not. The ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 utilizes a detachable uni-directional microphone. This brings longevity to the headset as it’s far easier to fix with just a replacement. The headset cable itself is not detachable, and is connected to both the left and right ear cups.

It’s worth noting that this one has both a sound mode switcher and a volume rocker. The volume rocker itself also doubles a microphone mute switch. Simply roll it up and down to adjust volume, and press it to mute / unmute the microphone.
The ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 is a premium-looking gaming headset and is one of the better ones out there aesthetically. This one would suit the gaming crowd better because of the glowing ROG logo with RGB lighting. Personally, I like the looks of this better than the Electret variant.
If you want to compare with the Theta Electret, check out the review for that by clicking right here.
Specifications
DriversFront: 40mmCenter: 30mmSide: 30mmRear: 30mmMaterial: Neodymium MagnetFrequency Response20Hz ~ 40,000HzImpedance32 OhmHeadphone TypeCircumaural, closed back ConnectorUSB-C cable: 1.2mUSB 2.0 cable: 1mMicrophonePick-up Pattern: Uni-directionalFrequency Response: 100 ~12,000 HzSensitivity: -40 dB ± 3 dB Noise-cancellingAI Noise CancellationWeight 650 gColourBlack with Silver accentsROG logo with RGB backlightCompatibilityPC, Mac, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Smartphone
User Experience

The ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 uses a USB-C connector. This means that if you want to use this, you have to make sure your device has a USB-C port. This instantly makes it compatible with PC, Mac, Nintendo Switch, and smartphone.
However, it does come with a USB-C to USB-A adapter so it improves the compatibility. For desktops / laptops without a USB-C / Thunderbolt 3 port, this would be very helpful. Furthermore, you can use this on the PS4 by connecting directly to the console with the adapter. Keep in mind that the microphone will not work this way.

When using it on PC, you can make use of the ROG Armoury Crate software to customize the headset. However, it seems to be limited only to adjustments to the RGB lighting via the AURA Sync section. I find this a little odd as I expected there to be more options to play around with.

The audio experience with the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 is vastly different from the Electret. The bass is far deeper but it doesn’t muffle up the mids and highs. In fact, the bass is punchier than the ROG Delta. It makes voices both in-game and in videos sound more defined while still maintaining clarity.
When switching over to surround sound using the sound mode switcher, the changes in audio detail can be instantly discerned. I wouldn’t say better audio quality but it certainly does make gaming more immersive and enjoyable, especially first-person shooters. I had an easier time telling where my opponents were shooting from in Apex Legends. This is one of the best sounding gaming headsets I’ve had in recent times.

As for comfort, the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 is a bit of a mixed bag. The cushions are comfortable and it doesn’t get warm easily which makes them great for marathon gaming. There’s also the option of the Fabric cushions for better cooling. However, it’s a rather heavy gaming headset.
While it clamps to the head nicely without excessive force, the weight is something that can bring fatigue after long hours. This is even more so than the Electret, an already heavy gaming headset of the same size, since this is almost 100g heavier. I also dislike the idea of having wires on both ear cups as it makes me feel a little smothered.

One thing that is great here is the noise isolation. I used this in the office often with music playing at medium volume and I can’t hear my colleagues at all. At one point, my colleague was asking for help and I couldn’t hear anything. Even without sound playing, it isolates external noise pretty well, but it’s not complete silence. Just keep in mind that this isn’t a noise-cancelling headset.

It’s worth noting that the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 gaming headset isn’t travel-friendly. It can’t be folded nor twisted so you will have to carry it as is. The most you can do is what you see in the picture above. Furthermore, the size makes it a bit troublesome to bring around so you’re most likely going to be using this only at home.
Microphone Sound Test
As for the microphone, the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 is bad. Not only does the ROG Delta have the better microphone, the Theta Electret performs better. It makes me sound like I’m a cold-calling telemarketer. I find this odd as I was under the impression that it had the same mic as the Electret. The connector could possibly be a major factor in the resulting quality. If you simply need one for voice chat, this will do just fine.

It’s also worth noting that you can use it with your smartphone. In fact, it will detect the microphone and allow you to use it for calls / audio recordings. Just make sure your smartphone uses a USB-C port. I cannot confirm if it can work with an iPhone using a Lightning to USB-C adapter as I don’t have an iPhone on hand.
ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 Verdict

It’s no surprise that the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 is a premium gaming headset. It looks good, it feels good, and it sounds great. Furthermore, it’s generally comfortable to wear especially since it doesn’t get warm fast. With the USB-C connector coming with a USB-A adapter, this should easily work with a variety of devices.
However, it’s not the perfect gaming headset. It’s not travel-friendly, the microphone could use improvements, and the weight is something you can feel on your head after using it for some time. I don’t feel any of these are dealbreakers and it’s still a great gaming headset that I can recommend to anyone. Just keep the microphone voice quality in mind.
With that, I award the ASUS ROG Theta 7.1 gaming headset with our Gold Pokdeward.

Big thanks to ASUS Malaysia for loaning us this headset for the purposes of this review.
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OnePlus Releases Latest Flagship OnePlus 10T 5G And OxygenOS 13

OnePlus recently unveiled its next flagship smartphone, the OnePlus 10T 5G, as well as the next edition of its operating system, OxygenOS 13. The OnePlus 10T 5G is the brand’s second worldwide flagship smartphone for 2022, providing maximum performance that enables customers to Evolve Beyond Speed.
OnePlus 10T 5G

The 10T 5G features the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 Mobile Platform, which offers faster CPU and GPU speeds with improved efficiency, up to 16 GB of LPDDR5 RAM, and the largest, most advanced, and most powerful cooling system ever found in a OnePlus device.

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Furthermore, the phone supports 150W SUPERVOOC Endurance Edition, which can provide users up to a day’s power after only 10 minutes of charging, and a complete charge from 0% to 100% takes only 19 minutes. This smartphone has a 4,800 mAh battery and has two charging pumps, rather than one to enable quicker charging rates with higher safety, efficiency, and heat reduction.

A total of 15 antennas comprise the 10T 5G’s 360 antenna technology, which offers customers greater Wi-Fi and cellular connections regardless of device orientation. Smart Link is a function that works in combination with the smartphone’s antenna system to boost upload signals and speed.
The 10T 5G has a 6.7-inch display with an adaptive 120 Hz refresh rate, which also helps to better save battery life so the smartphone can be used for longer on a charge. The smartphone’s display is also HDR10+ certified and supports 10-bit colour for a more realistic viewing experience.
The smartphone has a triple camera system on the back which consists of a 50 MP Sony IMX766 sensor with optical image stabilisation (OIS), Nightscape 2.0 and improved HDR performance, an ultra-wide camera and a macro camera. The 10T 5G comes pre-installed with OxygenOS 12.1 based on Android 12 and will get three major Android updates as well as four years of security patches.
The OnePlus 10T 5G will be available in Malaysia on 1 September 2022, with a price to be revealed on 18 August 2022.
OxygenOS 13

OxygenOS 13 provides OnePlus’ characteristic quick and smooth software experience, with a great Aquamorphic design, better safety, and by expanding on some of the community’s most beloved features.
Below is the list of OnePlus phones that will receive OxygenOS 13:

8
8Pro
8T
9
9 Pro
9R
9RT
10R
10 Pro
Nord 2
Nord 2T
Nord CE
Nord CE 2
Nord CE 2Lite

The updated OxygenOS version provides an enhanced experience across the board, including greater personalization, gaming, and connection.
For more information about the OnePlus 10T 5G and OxygenOS 13, feel free to visit OnePlus’ official Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Pokdepinion: They have removed their iconic alert slider in this model in exchange for better thermal technology. I wonder if it would be worth that trade-off as the community is not happy about it.
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ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme, ProArt X570-Creator WiFi now available in Malaysia from RM1959

ASUS Malaysia has just announced two new additions to their AMD X570 motherboard lineup. The ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme and the ProArt X570-Creator WiFi are ASUS’ flagship motherboards for the AMD AM4 platform, with one for gamers and one for content creators.
ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme — the ultimate ASUS X570 board

As you might know, the AMD X570 platform is reaching the end of the line. However that didn’t stop ASUS from making the ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme the best AMD X570 motherboard they can create. The Crosshair VIII Extreme truly lives up to its “Extreme” moniker, with insane I/O and storage options as well as top-notch overclocking support.

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The ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme is one of the few AMD motherboards with support for Thunderbolt 4, and ASUS even threw in two of them. Along with the Thunderbolt 4 ports, you also get eight USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-A ports on the back, each offering 10Gbps of bandwidth. Onboard, you will find headers for four USB 3.0 ports and two Type-C headers, supporting USB 3.2 Gen2x2 and USB 3.2 Gen2 speeds, respectively. The former supports up to 60W USB-PD charging too.

Networking is serviced by 10G and 2.5G Ethernet along with WiFi 6E. For storage, there’s a total of five M.2 PCIe 4.0 SSDs as well, with three on the motherboard itself, and two in the exclusive DIMM.2 card. There is six SATA ports too to support older forms of storage.
All your favorite overclocking features are also present here, including the LiveDash OLED to show vital system stats. The ASUS-exclusive Dynamic OC Switcher is also here, allowing for overclockers to maximize all-core clocks while still being able to enjoy Ryzen’s low-load boost frequencies. For the hardcore overclockers, there is the dual BIOS feature to quickly get back on your feet in the event of a failed overclock.
No high-end overclocking motherboard is complete without an appropriately overkill power delivery system, and the ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme takes it to the next level with a total of 20 90A power stages to the CPU.
ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme Specs and Price in Malaysia

Form Factor
EATX

VRMs
18+2 (90A)

RAM support
Up to 128GB DDR4, Up to DDR4-5100

Storage
5 x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
6 x SATA 6Gb/s

Display output
2 x Thunderbolt 4

Networking
WiFi 6E
Marvell AQtion AQC113CS 10GbE
Intel I225-V 2.5GbE

Price
RM4199

The ASUS ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme is priced at a whopping RM4199 and is covered by a 3+1-year warranty.
ASUS ProArt X570-Creator WiFi — minimalist beauty

If extreme overclocking is not something you indulge in, the ASUS ProArt X570-Creator WiFi is an excellent option for you. While it features fewer overclocking-oriented extras, it is still an amazing high-end motherboard. Its feature set is targeted towards addressing all the I/O needs of serious creators, with two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, 10G Ethernet and WiFi 6E.
The large heatsinks on the board feature copper accents, standing out against the predominantly black background of the motherboard. Under them lie three M.2 slots, the 14+2 power design and the AMD X570 chipset, which is passively cooled here as well. For those who need more bling, you can also make use of the three ARGB Gen 2 headers as well as the single RGB header.

ASUS includes the ASUS Control Center Express as well as the ProArt Creator Hub with the ASUS ProArt X570-Creator WiFi, giving you easy management of your system, as well as an easy way to color calibrate compatible monitors.
ASUS ProArt X570-Creator WiFi Specs and Price in Malaysia

Form Factor
ATX

VRMs
14+2

RAM support
Up to 128GB DDR4, Up to DDR4-5100

Storage
3 x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4
6 x SATA 6Gb/s

Display output
2 x Thunderbolt 4
1 x HDMI 2.1

Networking
WiFi 6E
Marvell AQtion AQC113CS 10GbE
Intel I225-V 2.5GbE

Price
RM1959

You can get the ASUS ProArt X570-Creator WiFi at RM1959, with the same 3+1 year warranty.
Pokdepinion: The ROG Crosshair VIII Extreme is probably perfect for those who want the absolute best for their Ryzen 5000 series system, but at this point… It is probably a bit too late to get such a premium AMD AM4 board.
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Will Nintendo Release A New Hardware In 2020? Here’s The Company’s Answer

There has been rumors circulating since last year that Nintendo will come out with a brand new Nintendo Switch Pro model but it seems that we won’t be seeing it this year as well.
The news was revealed by Nintendo Japan’s very own president, Shuntaro Furukawa. According to reports, the company has “no intention” of releasing any type of hardware in 2020.
Nintendo looks content with staying put with the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch Lite, which the former was introduced last year.

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It’s suggested that Switch is entering the middle of its life cycle. Despite that, it is said that Nintendo expects it to extend far beyond 5 to 6 years.
Pokdepinion: I can’t really say that I’m shocked with the news. With the Lite version released last year, well let’s just say that it isn’t cheap in making up new hardware.
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Planning On Buying SSDs? You Should Do It Soon

When it comes to PC products, the last few years has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride as far as pricing is concerned. Right now – especially for SSDs, we’re sitting on what is likely the lowest point of the entire ride: meaning, the prices of solid state drives has been the cheapest per GB historically. Let me put up a few example, based on my own observations.
ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro (1TB model pictured).
I had been watching the pricing on certain SSD models for a while (since I was one of the prospective buyers at the time), and I’ve especially paid attention to two models in particular: ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro, and Kingston FURY Renegade SSD. The former is the older PCIe 3.0 drive, whereas the latter is the more recent model running on PCIe 4.0 standard. For simplicity’s sake we won’t be talking about PCIe 5.0 drives for now – since they are very new and price aren’t settling in just yet.
Kingston FURY Renegade SSD.
Below is the pricing I recorded in two points of time (price averaged, as they vary from shop-to-shop):

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1H 2021
Today (April 2023)

ADATA XPG SX8200 Pro (2TB)
~RM950
~RM650

Kingston FURY Renegade SSD (4TB, without heatsink)
~RM3,800
~RM1,900

Keep in mind that both models are considered high-end parts (though intriguingly, ADATA continued to release its PCIe 3.0 successor, SX8600 Pro in late 2021 when PCIe 4.0 is already somewhat mainstream at the time). So lower-end models, such as Crucial P3 4TB can dip below RM1,300 at current pricing. For reference, GIGABYTE’s new AORUS Gen5 10000 costs RM1,500 with the 2TB version.
How Did It Become This Cheap?
To answer this question we have to go back to the year 2020. And what’s the biggest thing to happen that year? Yes, Covid-19. The most widespread outbreak in modern society’s history has rendered much of the society isolated in homes instead of offices, and with that, many people suddenly finds out their old laptops or PCs are not up to the task of working-from-home. Others, while not necessarily needing a PC to work, they may need it to play games with friends, as social activities are largely restricted at the time.
Image: Samsung
This has prompted huge demands for the laptops and PCs, and their surrounding parts. Webcams, SSDs, RAM, the silicon itself, and who can forget the most infamous of them all – GPUs? But anyway, let’s get back to SSDs. Memory manufacturers, like Samsung, Micron, SK Hynix, Kioxia, don’t just sell their stuff to customers – their parts can be seen in laptops and prebuilt PCs as well, sometimes even on specialized industrial systems.
So when demand shot up in the early days of the pandemic, manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the demand and the term “chip shortage” is all over the news. This is made worse with the reduced on-site workforce for the very same reason, further reducing manufacturing capacity on some low-level components such as chip substrates. The situation was bad enough that even automotive industry has halted for a while as the chips aren’t available to run their cars on.
A Costly Strategy Mistake
Companies at the time understandably thought this is a very terrible situation – all the demands but they couldn’t fulfil meant plenty of potential revenue lost this way. What they did is to crank up production capacity literally up to 11 – some factories are said to be churning out at 105% or even more than it usually does on full tilt just to keep up with the demand. However, you can’t just turn up and down your production capacity like a knob, it’s a long process that take at least months, if not years to kick in (such as building a new factory, for example).
However, all these decisions above are made on the basis that we’re entering “new normal” – masks, social distancing, a new work-from-home focused society (Mark Zuckerberg even went as far to bet his entire company with the whole ‘metaverse’ idea, which obviously backfired hard on him). The reality turned out to be less so – people are returning to on-site work, social activities have largely returned to pre-pandemic levels, and while WFH is still a thing, the demand for PC has already been slowing down.
Aside from consumers, companies are also stocking up lots of inventory to avoid another supply shortage situation (which is contrary to ‘Just-in-time’ production methodology to save costs, pioneered by Toyota in the 1960s). This effectively makes the new ones coming out of manufacturing production unable to move on either the consumer or downstream builders (such as OEMs), making matters even worse for the manufacturers.
Image: Anandtech / TrendForce
At this point, companies are watching trainwreck in slow motion as their supply is getting way too much for the oversaturated, downsized market to digest. That has caused a bunch of weird things: the aforementioned memory manufacturers are actually losing huge amounts of revenue, and the prices for commodity PC parts like DRAM and SSD has crashed so hard that companies are very close if not already selling at a loss. Even if they reacted by reducing production capacity – which they are doing right now to stop the price crash – the effects will take a few months before it settles into the market.
Trending Upwards
SSDs in particular also benefits from its unique situation for even lower pricing. Take PCIe 4.0 drives – since the newer PCIe 5.0 SSD has begin to enter the storage market, naturally the older generation hardware will receive some degree of price cuts in order to clear the remaining stock as companies phases out the production of these models. Combined with the reduced production, this means that PCIe 4.0 SSDs are likely reaching its lowest point in price at this point and the only way at this point is more likely towards up rather than down.
Image: Newegg
And such situation may not repeat itself again. The industry has clearly learned its lessons from this unprecedented pandemic, and work is being done to make sure the supply and demand do not experience another massive shock like this one. That includes localizing production – as major powers like US is attracting TSMC to build a factory in Arizona to maintain some degree of supply domestically, and TSMC themselves is building a new factory in Japan as well.
Aside from that, even with the promises of QLC and even PLC (penta-level cell) SSDs making into the market in the future, they are unlikely to beat the mainstream TLC SSDs in performance, and their current value. There may not be another supply shortage and the subsequent crash like this one in the future – so if you are planning to buy one, best to buy it within this year to maximize value, latest.
Info Source: Tom’s Hardware | Reuters | Anandtech | Wccftech | Toyota | BBC
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Year End Holiday Campaign with SNS Network with total up to RM70,000 online shopping vouchers giveaway

Christmas is just around the corner & you might don’t want miss out the holiday shopping spree cash back with Intel® & GLOO! It’s valid until 31st Dec 2018.
With any purchase of Intel® Core™  8th Gen Processors, you can walk away with online shopping vouchers up to RM200 with simple steps participation as below here.
Step 1: Purchase any Intel® Core™  8th Gen Processors devices at GLOO counters at AEON & AEON BiG during this campaign promotional period. *MacBook devices not included.
Step 2: Fill up your personal details here along with invoice submission within 3 days after purchase by scanning QR code POSM display at stores – http://www.gloo.com.my/holiday-shopping-spree-cash-back
Step 3: Receive the code via email within 2 weeks of submission for the voucher giveaway!

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Campaign Terms
Vouchers Giveaway Amount
Voucher Terms
Voucher Validity

Purchase of any Intel® Core™ 8th Gen i3 Processors
RM50 GLOO Online Shopping Voucher
Only valid to purchase any notebook/devices powered by Intel with value of RM1,000 & above
31st January 2019

Purchase of any Intel® Core™ 8th Gen i5 Processors
RM100 GLOO Online Shopping Voucher
Only valid to purchase any notebook/devices powered by Intel with value of RM1,500 & above
31st January 2019

Purchase of any Intel® Core™ 8th Gen i7 Processors
RM200 GLOO Online Shopping Voucher
Only valid to purchase any notebook/devices powered by Intel with value of RM2,500 & above
31st January 2019

*MacBook devices not entitle to use the voucher.
*Each invoice only valid to redeem one shopping voucher code. Duplication entry will be not entertained.
Pokdepinion: Sounds like a good time to pick up a new laptop!
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Waze to your Dad’s heart this Father’s Day — 4 hacks to make your dad’s days better!

Our dads taught us most of what we know, but let’s face it, there isn’t much we can help our dad with. I mean, most of what we know came from our dads. But we can return the favor by making their daily commutes better with a few nifty hacks from Waze.
Be his guide

With Waze, you can record your own voice to help you dad navigate. To enable voice customization, head over to the Settings menu and tap on Voice directions. There will be the option to record a new voice, your voice. Now make sure your voice is clear so your dad can get clear instructions! Or if he isn’t a fan of your voice, perhaps check for the latest celebrity Waze voices?
Get him a digital co-pilot
You can’t be there everyday to help him out, so why not use let Waze help him hit his preferred destinations with Waze’s recommendations? Available for everything from parking lots to petrol stations, Waze will help your dad get a smoother commute as he runs errands around town. It can even provide the nearest clinics in emergencies, touch wood.

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Help him plan ahead
With Waze’s Planned Drives feature, you can help him get to his destination right on time. With the estimated time of arrival displayed, your dad can easily plan his journey. He can even sync it with business meetings and Facebook events to never be late.
Let him worry no more

Whether we are 10 years old or 35 years old, our parents will always worry whenever we are not home in front of their eyes. Give them some peace of mind by sending your ETA via the Send ETA function. Not only will they receive your estimated arrival time, your dad can also follow your drive in real-time.
Find these tips useful? Share them with your friends, and make their dad’s lives better with Waze too!
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Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review – Great Example of DualSense Usage

What is Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart About?
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review – Titular protagonist Ratchet (Fidelity mode)

Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart takes place after the events of the reimagining of the first game on the PS4 (which also has a movie), where both Ratchet and Clank are being celebrated for their heroic feats. Unfortunately, Doctor Nefarious crashes the party and makes use of the Dimensionator which causes dimensional instability and opened rifts into other dimensions. As a result, Clank ends up being separated from Ratchet.
Meanwhile in another dimension, there is a female Lombax named Rivet who leads a resistance group against the Emperor Nefarious of her own dimension. Both Ratchet and Clank ends up in Rivet’s dimension, with the latter being saved by her as well. Emperor Nefarious of Ratchet’s dimension successfully jumped in as well and took over his counterpart’s position.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review – Resistance leader, Rivet (Fidelity mode)
With danger now expanding to other dimensions as well, Ratchet, Clank, and Rivet will have to team up to save the multiverse and take down Emperor Nefarious once and for all. At launch, gamers can play this game in 3 different visual modes; Fidelity, Performance, and Performance RT. For the review, we played it mostly in Fidelity mode but I will be doing a comparison for all 3 modes in the future.

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Great for Old Fans and Newcomers Alike
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review (Fidelity mode)
For the most part, Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart plays like its predecessor on the PS4; combat, weapon upgrades, collecting bolts, and more. It’s a 3D platformer, action-adventure, and 3rd person shooter, so you will be running and gunning, jumping to reach places, solve puzzles, and complete quests to progress through the game. You do have a new addition in the form of the Rift Tether, which will essentially let you teleport to specific areas of the map and reach areas that are either hard or impossible to get to otherwise.
As usual, you have main quests and side quests, with each playable location separated as its own planet and travelled to using your spaceship.  In fact, the interface on your spaceship will highlight the quests available in each planet. While main quests are self-explanatory, side quests are optional and helps enrich the game’s storyline more times than not. Moreover, having more opportunities to collect bolts and other collectibles is a plus if you want to see how strong you can get.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review – Gold Bolt (Fidelity mode)
Speaking of collectibles, there are a number of optional collectibles you can get in the game that will yield some perks. Most notably the Gold Bolts and Spy Bots. The former will add new options that can change the way you play the game, both visually and functionally. This includes changing the skin of your weapons and infinite ammo. The latter on the hand will get you the best weapon in the game, which I won’t spoil, but it’s highly destructive.
While all of these sound fun and gives you more things to do in the game, I personally feel like they could add more side quests to the game as each planet usually only has one. More of these quests, even if the rewards are minimal, will allow for more interactions with the characters and lets you stay hooked to the game for longer, which is a bit of a waste since they have a colourful cast to begin with and there isn’t enough dialogue going on.
Sure, there are pocket dimensions that you can explore, typically coming with their own platforming challenge. However, the dialogue that happens when you enter the game is so little, missing it won’t amount to much.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review – Upgrading weapons (Fidelity mode)
One important collectible in the game is Raritanium, which will be used to upgrade your weapons. It’s scattered across virtually every playable area in the game, and while there is a lot, there isn’t enough to upgrade every weapon to maximum level. Weapons are upgrades similar to a skill tree, with each node boosting a particular parameter such as range and ammo.
As you go through the game, you can unlock equipment in the form of helmet, armour, and boots. Each set of equipment will come with its own perks, such as taking less damage from specific types of enemies, bonus experience points, and bonus Raritanium. This, along with the weapons upgrade, give its that RPG-feel but it’s also simplified so gamers shouldn’t have an issue with confusion for this part.
Looking for more 3rd person shooters? Check out our review of Returnal by clicking right here.
Making Smart Use of DualSense
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review – Boss fight (Fidelity mode)
For combat, you have access to weapons and you can purchase more as you progress through the game. You have more conventional weapons like a laser pistol and bazookas to more eccentric weapons like a grenade that summons minions upon explosion. There’s certainly a good array of weaponry that can suit a variety of situations. It’s worth noting that both Ratchet and Rivet play exactly the same.
As for accessing them, you can either go through the weapons wheel (Triangle) or quick change using the D-pad. Early on in the game, using quick change would be the best as it’s the fastest way to change but as you get more weapons, you will likely rely on the weapons wheel more. This is because the quick change is limited to just 4 weapons. If you can add at 8 weapons like a full section of the weapons wheel, that would improve its usability in the late game.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review (Fidelity mode)
Melee combat however feels limited. Sure, it’s relatively strong, but you can only do up to a simple 3-hit combo and a ground pound-type move at best. While the game does have a bigger emphasis on gunplay, they should add more depth to melee combat, such as having more moves, to make it more viable which will further improve the combat experience.
One of the best things that make combat enjoyable is how Insomniac Games make use of the DualSense controller. For starters, there are a number of weapons that make use of the adaptive triggers, like the Negatron Collider which charges the laser beam when your press R2 halfway and fires it when it’s fully pressed. You will feel the resistance to let you know that it’s halfway pressed, which seems small but it feels amazing.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review – Rivet and Clank (Fidelity mode)
Another thing is with the haptic feedback, which doesn’t simply vibrate when things are happening but tries to mimic it as accurately as possible, most notably with explosions, when you have been attacked, or with certain cutscenes. It won’t let you feel like you’re actually getting shot of course, but how the vibration scales the intensity and how it only vibrates in certain areas of the DualSense certainly adds to the immersion factor.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Verdict
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart Review – 100% Completion (Fidelity mode)
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is a very entertaining game that can appeal to gamers of all ages regardless of whether they’re familiar to the series or are new to them. Combat has good depth, solid array of weapons to choose from, the game looks amazing in Performance RT mode, platforming is simple enough for most people to get a hang of, colourful cast of characters, storyline is good albeit slightly clichéd, haptic feedback and adaptive triggers are used well to improve immersion, and Gold Bolts add functions to the game that make it more accessible for everyone.
Like every game out there, it’s not perfect however. Quick Access has very limited slots so you won’t use it much, the game could use more side quests, and melee combat feels limited. While I did run into some bugs in the game, it has since been fixed in the update so I won’t bother to say it but it was minimal at worst. When you’re done with the game, there isn’t much left to do aside from getting all the stuff you missed but you can replay the game in Challenge Mode, which is basically a more difficult second playthrough.
At the end of our Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart review, I award this game with our coveted Gold Pokdeward.

Big thanks to PlayStation Asia for sending us the game code for the purpose of this review.
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Exynos 1080 to come with Cortex-A78 CPU, Mali-G78 GPU on the 5nm node

Samsung has recently gotten the habit of releasing two flagship-class chipsets per generation, starting with the Exynos 980 and the Exynos 990 duo. The former is sold to other OEMs who want an alternative to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips as well as used in their upper mid-range offerings, while the latter appears to be reserved for Samsung’s own flagships. Now as we gear up for 2021, Samsung has just revealed more about the Exynos 1080, their first 5nm chipset.
Aside from being manufactured on the latest process node, the Exynos 1080 also offers new Cortex-A78 CPU cores and a Mali-G78 GPU. These upgrades should offer a pretty significant performance bump from the Exynos 980, which offered older Cortex-A77 cores and a Mali-G76 GPU. The number of cores for the CPU and GPU was not revealed, although it is slated to score in excess of 650 000 points in Antutu. For reference sake, the Exynos 990 scores less than 540 000.

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While you might be disappointed to find that this doesn’t pack the AMD RDNA-based GPU, do note that the Exynos 1080 is succeeding the Exynos 980, which is the lesser “flagship” chipset by Samsung. Samsung will probably unveil the fruits of their partnership with AMD with the Exynos 1090, assuming a similar naming convention. Samsung’s next flagship chipset is expected to sport customized Cortex-X1 cores along with the RDNA GPU, promising better performance than the upcoming Snapdragon 875.

Hopefully we will see more devices with the Exynos 1080, as we only saw it in very few vivo and Samsung devices. Perhaps we will see it in upcoming Fan Edition devices? In any case, vivo is expected to be among the first to put the Exynos 1080 into a smartphone, with it expect to be featured in an upcoming vivo X-series device.
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Pokdepinion: The improvements are pretty good this generation. Perhaps Samsung put the time they would have usually put towards designing their own cores towards finetuning their new chipsets?
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HONOR To Unveil Flagship Smartphone With Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 At MWC

It appears that HONOR will be looking to introduce a new flagship smartphone that’s powered by the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 chipset at this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC).
HONOR to introduce new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 smartphone

The news was unveiled on Qualcomm’s official Weibo account where it reveals that HONOR will release a new device to be powered by their Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 SoC.

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While it hasn’t reveal of what device it actually is, there is reports that it could be the HONOR Magic V, their first foldable smartphone.
We won’t be surprised however to see that it is actually a different smartphone model as they have released non-foldable flagships before in the form of the Magic3 series, which have used the previous Snapdragon 888 and Snapdragon 888+ chips.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: Though there’s no confirmation just yet, I hope that it’s not the foldable device and just a normal smartphone instead. Not everyone wants a foldable, at least in my opinion. Let’s see how they go from here.
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PS Plus Asia December 2022 FREE Games Lineup

As we approach the final moments of this year, we are getting the official PS Plus Asia December 2022 free games lineup to enjoy the holidays.
PS Plus Asia December 2022

The official PS Plus Asia December 2022 free games lineup has been announced and once again, the reliable Dealabs leaker bilibil-kun got it right once again. The headlining act here is Biomutant and Divine Knockout: Founder’s Edition, both of which will be offered in both their respective PS4 and PS5 versions of the game.

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But that isn’t all as there is another game joining the fray. It’s none other than Mass Effect Legendary Edition, which is the Mass Effect Trilogy remastered and comes with technical improvements. Just keep in mind that this only has the PS4 edition of the game. You can still play it on the PS5, just don’t expect next gen performance from it.
The games will be available as part of the PS Plus Asia December 2022 free games lineup from 6th December 2022 to 2nd January 2023. If you can’t claim it anytime soon, just make sure to do so before the next lineup arrives.
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Pokdepinion: Once I’m done with God of War Ragnarok, there isn’t really much left for me to play on the PS5 so this would be a good time-filler for me.
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Sequel To The Last of Us “Harder To Justify” Says Game’s Director

It’s been awhile since the release of The Last of Us Part II and it has probably divided opinions between gamers. Can we expect a sequel to the franchise? Well Neil Druckmann, the game’s director that it may be unlikely.
A new sequel to The Last of Us?

In a recent interview done with Druckmann, it seems that they have no idea on where a new sequel (a third title) would go. He however didn’t ruled out of it to become a reality though. The game director has said that they would have to find a story ‘that has the same emotional weight as the previous two’.
With the first game there were no expectations and it was like we could do anything. But now that we’ve established certain characters and themes and processes, it felt like to justify making a ‘Part II’ and we had to do something not that would match the emotional core we found in the first game. Neil Druckmann, Game Director for The Last of Us
Seeing how the game ended in Part II, it’s kinda hard to see a new sequel to come out in the future, but we never know, right? For the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.

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In case you’ve missed it, do check out on our spoiler-free review right here of The Last of Us Part II.
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Pokdepinion: Please, let the franchise end with Part II. I don’t think people will appreciate it if a new sequel were to come out.
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Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro leapfrogs to the top of Antutu charts after update

A certain Snapdragon 865 smartphone was launched yesterday, andt they were quick to boast about its Antutu score, which was the highest, at that point of time. Well Xiaomi wasn’t going to sit idly by, or at least the general marketing manager of Xiaomi China wasn’t.
Xiaomi has recently released the MIUI V11.0.7.0 update which also brought the latest GPU driver version 444. It seems that it bumped the performance of the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro up a tad from when it was launched and he set out to proof that.

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The Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro was put through a benchmark run at room temperature, scoring 605 783 points in Antutu. This was a hair higher than the 605 327 boasted by the device launched yesterday, but they didn’t stop just there. As you may know, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro supports an active cooler which comes with a Peltier cooler to quickly cool the smartphone.

Yao Liang proved that it was a pretty effective contraption by comparing the scores achieved with the cooler and by putting the Mi 10 Pro in the refrigerator. The Mi 10 Pro with the cooling attachment scored higher (610 627) than the Mi 10 Pro in the fridge (610 008).
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro Specs

Snapdragon 865, octa-core up to 2.84 GHz, 7nm
Up to 12GB LPDDR5 RAM
Up to 512GB UFS 3.0 storage
6.67″ FHD+ AMOLED, 90 Hz refresh rate
108MP f/1.69 + 20MP f/2.2 ultra-wide + 12MP f/2.0 portrait lens + 8MP f/2.0 10x hybrid zoom camera
20MP selfie camera
4500 mAh battery, 50W fast charging
8GB+256GB: 4999 CNY (~RM2964)
12GB+256GB: 5499 CNY (~RM3261)
12GB+512GB: 5999 CNY (~RM3557)

We do expect to see gaming smartphones based on the Snapdragon 865 coming soon, and perhaps those will offer even greater performance. In any case, this is evidence that the updatable GPU drivers that the Snapdragon 865 supports really does deliver impressive performance gains.
Pokdepinion: Antutu scores don’t mean much but at least we are seeing competition.
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Canon EOS R Unveiled — The Company’s First Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera

It seems that Canon has unveiled their brand new EOS R, which is their first ever full-frame mirrorless camera and lens system.
Canon EOS R

The new camera  boasts a 30.3MP full-frame sensor as well as Canon’s DIGIC 8 image processor. In addition to that, it features the brand’s new RF lens mount.

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Aside from the mirrorless cameras, it offers 4K video shooting, a high-speed AF, as well as unparalleled low-light performance. Aimed for photographers and videographers who need a high performance imaging tool, it features a 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor.

Its ISO ranges from 100 to 40000 and for manual focusing, the EOS R offers Focus Peaking and Dual Pixel Focus Guide. Other than that, it includes the 0.5-inch 3.69 million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, a 3.15-inch touchscreen, and a Multi-Function bar.
Well if you are interested in the new Canon EOS R, prepare your wallets as you’d need to fork out $$2299 (roughly RM9535), which isn’t cheap to say the least.
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Pokdepinion: What do you think of the new Canon EOS R? Price is alright or too much for you? Let us know down below on your thoughts as usual.

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GIGABYTE Announces Intel Z790 AORUS Series Motherboards

GIGABYTE today announces its latest lineup of Intel Z790 motherboards under the AORUS gaming brand.

The AORUS motherboards will feature up to 20+1+2 phases and 105A per power stage, providing CPUs with extreme overclocking performance and greater stability. Both DDR5 and DDR4 will be supported, with DDR5 variants tested to overclock up to DDR5-7600, GIGABYTE claims; a new exclusive layout design offers “DDR5 Unlocked Voltage” feature which unlocks the RAM voltage adjustment, allowing users to reach higher memory clockspeeds with greater stability. DDR5 XMP Booster and XMP 3.0 User Profile are among the one-click RAM tuning features offered as well.
The Z790 AORUS MASTER and above models will feature a new generation Fins-Array III and Direct-Touch Heatpipe II technology to further increase the surface and contact area for greater heat dissipation; meanwhile, select Z790 AORUS motherboards will implement a new LAIRD thermal pad in the VRM region for better heat conductivity. The models will adopt 8-layer PCB with optimizations to enhance heat dissipation; Smart Fan 6 and EZ Tuning ensure users an optimal balance between noise, temperature and performance.

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EZ-Latch and EZ-Latch PLUS are featured on Z790 AORUS motherboards for quick installation and release of GPUs and M.2 SSDs; with the PCIe x16 slot reinforced to withstand 2.2x greater shearing force. All models will come equipped with 2.5GbE LAN with select models featuring 10GbE LAN, Double Connect Technology (DCT) allows networks to run through multiple frequency bands and connect to two Wi-Fi access points; the company cited Meta Quest 2’s Airlink feature as an example of such technology’s use case.
I/O include USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, 3.2 Gen 2, Thunderbolt 4 ports, and audio output is powered by ESS Sabre DACs with exclusive designs for GIGABYTE. The software, named GCC (GIGABYTE Control Center), will now replace the preceding APP Center utility – it will automatically detect and install necessary drivers to get your PC up and running.
The company will announce the availability of its Z790 motherboard in due course, for more information, head to AORUS website here.
Pokdepinion: I’d like to see what they’ll announce down the road in the more mainstream offerings.
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[CES2019] Cooler Master showcases ASRock Phantom Gaming Edition hardware

Cooler Master has previously partnered with ASUS to bring Cooler Master’s expertise into the TUF Gaming Alliance. It seems that Cooler Master has found a new ally in the form of ASRock though, with new ASRock Phantom Gaming Edition hardware showcased at CES 2019.

The hardware sees Phantom Gaming’s signature red and white slashes added to their currently outgoing MasterCase H500P Mesh case and also the Hyper 212 RGB air cooler. The Hyper 212 RGB Phantom Gaming Edition air cooler receives some fancy lines on the shroud covering the top of the cooler, giving it a more aggressive look.

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Meanwhile the MasterCase H500P Mesh Phantom Gaming Edition gets grey slashes across its tempered glass side panel, as well as some red accents near the front I/O. The touches are pretty subtle but it does make these selected pieces of hardware fit better with the ASRock Phantom Gaming lineup.

So now for people who love a military-inspired look, there’s the TUF Gaming Alliance. Meanwhile for those who prefer a sportier aesthetic there is ASRock Phantom Gaming. There are also the MasterLiquid ML240R Phantom Gaming Edition and MasterBox K500 Phantom Gaming  Edition for those who are interested.
What do you think of the added details to integrate them into the Phantom Gaming family?
Pokdepinion: The glass side panel of the MasterCase H500P Mesh Phantom Gaming Edition is really pretty attractive even though I don’t have anything from Phantom Gaming.
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Sunway OPPO Experience Store To Launch Where You Can Win A Proton X70

OPPO Malaysia will soon launch the new Sunway OPPO Experience Store (Sunway Pyramid) on the 29th of August 2020. At the launch, you can enjoy a host of promotions and gifts such as a 100% cashback on purchased items as well as a chance in winning a brand new Proton X70.
Sunway OPPO Experience Store launch

Located at Level F1 at Sunway Pyramid, you can experience their latest OPPO products by yourself. In celebration with the launch, OPPO will be having a Flash Sales Promotion, where they are offering their smartphones at cheaper prices.
This includes the OPPO A31 64GB at RM499 (RRP RM559), OPPO Reno3 at RM1,199 (RRP RM1,499), and OPPO Reno3 Pro at RM1,599 (RRP RM2,099). The Flash Sales Promotion will be available at 1.30pm to 3.30pm from the 29th of August till the end of the month, 31st of August 2020.

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On launch day, those who purchase any OPPO products stand a chance to win RM13,623 worth of freebies through a lucky draw. Prizes include a 100% cashback, MH320 earpiece, OPPO Enco Free, KFC vouchers, as well as OPPO discount vouchers.
Aside from that, those who purchase any OPPO devices from the store on launch date till the 30th of August will receive free gifts worth up to RM937. A purchase of any A-series comes with an additional 1-year warranty and a thermos, while any Reno series comes with a one-year warranty, a thermos and a bag, and finally any Find series comes with one-year warranty, RM300 discount and an OPPO Enco Free.
Not to forget, the OPPO Merdeka Mega Deals are also applicable at the store for you to enjoy and possibly win a Proton X70 through it.
Pokdepinion: If you’re in the area, why not check the store out. It might be your lucky day.
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Make your MacBook VR Ready with the Wolfe

We all know Apple aren’t all that interested in cramming high end GPUs into their MacBooks. The past generation and upcoming generation of MacBook Pros are testament to the fact that Apple focuses more on the efficiency of their laptops, rather than all out performance. The built-in dedicated GPUs can’t be upgraded, but you can add more graphical horsepower via an external graphics card enclosure, like the Wolfe.

Graphics card enclosures aren’t a new thing anyway, but the Wolfe uniquely targets MacBooks. The enclosure is powered by a 220W power supply, while offering 3x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI for multi-monitor setups. As per eGPU standards, the enclosure will connect to MacBooks and also Windows-based notebooks via a ThunderBolt 3 interface, but a ThunderBolt 2 option is available exclusively for Kickstarter backers. It will be available in two variants, the Wolfe and Wolfe Pro, whereby the former will feature a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950, while the latter will sport a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970, with it being very likely for backers to get an option to pick a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 instead.

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WolfePack Inc. (the company behind the Wolfe) also claims that multi-eGPU configurations are possible, and are only limited by the number of ThunderBolt ports your laptop has. But they are quick to add the caveat that support for multiple GPUs depend on the software you use, and the industry isn’t all that ready for gaming on a multi-eGPU setup, yet.
If you are interested in supercharging the graphics performance of your MacBook, then look no further, as almost no other external graphics dock offers support for Mac, despite claims of supporting all ThunderBolt 3 devices. It is available as a barebones dock, called the Wolfe DIY, with no GPU inside for $269 (~RM1087.04), the Wolfe with a GTX 950 inside will cost you $399 (~RM1612.38) while the Wolfe Pro will cost $449 (~RM1814.43). MacOS games are not included.

Pokdepinion: The Wolfe seems more like an innovation to offer more parallel processing power than one targeted at enabling Mac users to play the very few games available on the proprietary OS. Video editors and graphic designers may be very interested in this external graphics solution to quicken their workflow.
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Western Digital My Book Duo 12TB review

Having a massive storage will definitely give a smile to anyone, that includes me. You don’t have to worry about having too many files and stuff. However, when I received 12TBs of storage via the Western Digital My Book Duo, I absolutely have no idea what to fill it with.
Unboxing

The Western Digital My Book Duo comes in a big blue box and it seems to weigh quite a bit. At the front, we have the actual picture of the product. Western Digital offers up to 16TB for this storage solution but this one in particular is the 12TB one, consisting of two 6TB hard drives.

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The info at the back is written in multiple languages, so you don’t have to worry about not understanding what’s it about. The WD My Book Duo offers complete backup solutions with Dropbox integration and it can also be configured to either run in array or set to JBOD in order to use the drives individually.

On the side, we have a quick guide setup as well as a list of features of the WD My Book Duo.

The contents inside the box are as follows:

WD My Book Duo
Universal Power Adapter with 3 Swappable Adapters
USB 3.0 cable
User guide
Warranty information

Appearance

This Western Digital My Book Duo is a very hefty piece of equipment since it has two 3.5-inch drive inside. At the front, we have the power LED and also two HDD activity LED. At the bottom left there is the WD branding and model name. The WD My Book Duo body is plastic but it has really nice finish.

Moving at the back we have a USB 3.0 micro-B connector to your PC. We also got additional two USB 3.0 connectors as well so we can extend the capacity of the drive with another external drive via a daisy chain. There is a power jack and a Kensington lock mechanism to secure the WD My Book Duo in place.

It’s very easy to gain access to the drives in the inside. The lid will pop-up when we press the button at the top. Inside the WD My Book Duo we have two 6TB 3.5-inch Western Digital Red NAS storage. Replacing the drive inside is very easy, and it doesn’t require use of any extra tool.

Specification
The WD My Book Duo comes in many sizes, from 4TB up to 16TB. The default configuration the drive is formatted is NTFS in RAID 0. If you want to use it on Mac OS systems, you need to reformat the drive to the exFAT file system.

Software Bundled
The WD My Book Duo has its own companion software to configure the RAID, easy backup and security tool. For me, the software is designed with simplicity in mind. It’s just easy to use and setup. But, personally, it could be a better companion software if it comes in a single software instead of multiples of it. It comes off as being bloatware.
WD Drive Utilities

This tool allows you to diagnose the drive health, configure the drive array, set the sleep timer, and wipe the drives.
WD Security

With the WD Security, you can set the security parameter to keep others from accessing your files.
WD Smartware

Last but not least the WD Smartware is used to set automatic backup to a targeted location, either the drive or Dropbox.
Testing methodology
The WD My Book Duo is tested as an offline storage device and also as network attached storage through our AC wireless router. For the offline storage test, I ran a synthetic benchmark and our real-world performance test to determine the performance. I only bench the drives in RAID 0 since I feel it’s the best to have for massive storage as well as having the fastest possible transfer speed. For NAS, I tested it over wireless connection in 2.4Ghz (N wireless) and 5.0Ghz connection (AC wireless).
Performance
Synthetic Performance

In the CrystalDiskMark benchmark test, the sequential transfer speeds are expected from the strip array setup. With 304 MBs write and 248 MBs, transferring big file is not a problem at all. The table flips when it goes to random file access, where the speed is slower than some USB 3.0 external drive.
2.4Ghz
5.0Ghz
Setting up the WD My Book Duo to work as a NAS drive is a good idea. However, the transfer speed may vary depending on the wireless network setup you’re using. For us, the transfer speed above is pretty normal.
Real World Performance

The synthetic benchmark is proven in our real world test. The advantage to have fast sequential transfer speed is when you’re transferring big chunks of files. On the graph, we can see that it did very well when transferring compressed file and movies as most of it are big files. But when it comes to small files or random access, the SSD is still the king.

Conclusion
This Western Digital My Book Duo 12TB can be purchased for around RM2,500. To be honest, it can take quite a bit of time to ponder on this investment, but keep in mind that the cost per gigabyte is very cheap. Considering the built-in features and security measures, the WD My Book Duo definitely worth to have…if you have the budget. Performance-wise, the drive is excellent for backup and archiving files. With tool-less access, it’s easy to access the drive cage if the drive decides to break down.

It’s not necessary to get the 12TB model as you can get the 4TB model and swap for a bigger drive yourself. I’m not sure about drive compatibility but it should work on most models. There is no documentation about how much in capacity the enclosure could mount but it would be great if it can support 10TB drives and more.
With this, I award the Western Digital My Book Duo 12TB with our Silver Pokdeward.

The PokdeRig
We would like to thank our sponsors for our very own benchmarking rig – The PokdeRig. These companies believe in us and put their trust into what we do. They deserve all the love in the world!
Asus X99-Deluxe
Intel Core i7-5820K
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CM V850 PSU
Sandisk Ultra II
Avexir Blitz 16GB DDR4
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LocoRoco Remastered Now Available for PS4; Physical Copy To Be Available Soon

The digital version LocoRoco Remastered is now available for the PlayStation 4.
Most of us love a good game. It can help us get our mind off of things and pass the time when we don’t really have much to do. Some of us might even feel that there’s never enough games to enjoy.
When it comes to a quick game session, platform games are arguably the best. You don’t have to dive too deep into the lore and you can start/stop playing whenever you want. Sony Interactive Entertainment has brought back a platform game from 2006, when it was initially launched for the PSP, to the PlayStation 4.

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LocoRoco Remastered Now Available for PS4
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Sony Interactive Entertainment Singapore officially announced today that LocoRoco Remastered is now available digitally for the PlayStation 4. The digital version is now available on PSN while a physical version will be released later on 22nd June 2017.
The Digital version will be priced at RM59 while the Blu Ray physical version will be priced at RM89 when it’s finally released. It will be available in these languages; Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, English, and Korean.
For those of you who aren’t sure what LocoRoco Remastered is about, check out the video above and the synopsis just below here.
LocoRoco Remastered Synopsis
Living peacefully on a faraway planet, the LocoRoco and their friends, the Mui Mui, help grow vegetation and look after nature, making the planet a pleasant place to be, playing and singing the days away. When the Moja Troop comes to the planet to take it over, the LocoRoco do not know how to fight against these invaders from outer space.
As such, the player assumes the role of “the planet” that is capable of guiding the LocoRoco around to defeat the Moja Troop and rescue the remaining LocoRoco, returning the planet to its peaceful ways.

Pokdepinion: I had fond memories of this game on the PSP, and I remember passing the time a lot with this especially during long trips in the car. I mean, I wasn’t the one driving at the time since I was too young. Perhaps revisiting it on the PS4 would be an option, since it’s pretty affordable.
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Live Your World with Acer Day – Discounts, Gifts, and Prizes Up for Grabs

Every year, we have an Acer Day celebration held across multiple regions. This time around, it’s different given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic but they still have plenty of discounts, gifts, and prizes for you. The theme for this year is “Live Your World”, encouraging you to make the best out of the situation that you are in.
Live Your World with Acer Day

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First up, we have the Acer Day x Shopee Superbrand Day on 3rd and 4th August 2021, where there will discounts up to 60% / RM500 on a wide variety of Acer products. There are also some neat bonuses as well:

Up to RM200 store vouchers available for customers to collect and apply during checkout.
The top 10 spenders from select Acer Stores on Shopee will be able to bring home a Predator Gaming Chair worth RM1,299.
100 units of Predator Gaming Chair offered at a special price of RM359 once Acer Malaysia Official Store on Shopee hits 30,000 followers.
Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC Bank credit card holders will be able to stack vouchers up to RM300 when checking out with their shopping cart.

Next up, customers will be entitled to redeem gifts including the Acer Yoga Mat, Predator Mousepad, Gateway Pro Wireless Headset, and eWallet vouchers worth up to RM250 from 1st August to 30th September 2021. Furthermore, customers will be eligible to win Acer products worth up to RM70,000. And finally, the icing on the cake for good will, Acer will be donating up to RM50 for every purchase of selected products to World Vision.
Apart from that, Acer Malaysia will be having a #LiveYourWorldWithAcer challenge from 7th August to 30th September 2021, where participants need to record a 30-second video on Instagram Reels showing off they can “Be An Entertainer, to “Inspire Healthy Lifestyle” or “Unleash Your Inner Artist”. There will be prizes up for grabs, which includes:

Acer Aspire 5 laptop worth RM3,899
Acer Swift 3 laptop worth RM3,499
Touch ‘n Go credit worth RM200
Acer Day Yoga Mat
Acer Day T-shirt

Lastly, Acer Malaysia will be running a series of activities and performances starting 8PM Malaysia time (GMT+8) on 7th August 2021. You can join in the fun by tuning the livestream on the official Acer Malaysia Facebook page.
For the list of products and to redeem your gifts, be sure to stay tuned to their dedicated website right here.
Pokdepinion: I’m already geared up to get that Predator Gaming Chair. At that price, it’s practically a steal.
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ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 Review — the ultraportable workhorse that just goes on and on

Introduction

Ultraportables are nothing new in 2019. We have plenty of options in the market. But what about one with a 72 WHr battery yet weighs a paltry 1.3kg, and more importantly, doesn’t cost an arm and a leg? Well if that sounds interesting, then the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 might just be the laptop for you.
Unboxing

The ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 comes in a basic brown box with some lines and the ASUS VivoBook branding on it. Not the most interesting of ASUS’ packaging, this.

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The ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 is wrapped in a fabric sleeve in the box to protect it from scratches. You might also be inclined to use it when carrying the laptop in your bag, just as a protective layer.

The package contents are as basic as they come. I really dig the tiny power brick as it makes the entire setup much more portable, but it could have been better if it was a USB-PD power adapter that charges the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 via USB-C.
Appearance

We received the Petal Pink color option for review, so it should appeal more to the fairer sex. There’s also a Silver Blue variant if you don’t feel comfortable carrying around a pink laptop. There isn’t much to note on this lid, as it’s just like any other sandblasted aluminium laptop lid.

Lifting the lid we see even more aluminum. The only structural plastic part on the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 is the bezel around the screen, and even that is very minimal.

The underside of the laptop is also metal, so you are essentially getting a full-metal laptop with the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403. Probably that’s how ASUS managed to get this baby MIL-STD 810G-certified despite its unassuming appearance. There are no vents here for the cooling system, which does make me curious about how ASUS keeps the hardware inside cool.

Once you check out the thinness of the laptop you would probably be even more surprised as this laptop is just 16.5mm at its thickest point. ASUS did well with a slight cutout, making it easier to open the lid.
Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i3-8145U, 2C/4T @ 2.1 GHz (up to 3.9 GHz Turbo Boost)

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

GPU
Intel UHD 620

Storage
512GB Intel 660p PCIe 3.0 x4 NVMe SSD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
MyASUS
ASUS GiftBox
ASUS Keyboard Hotkeys

Connectivity
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 WiFi 802.11ac Wave2 (Up to 1733 Mbps)
Bluetooth 5.0
1 x USB-C (USB 3.0)
1 x USB 3.0
1 x USB 2.0

Display
14.0″ 16:9 FHD (1080p) IPS panel, 4.1mm NanoEdge display, 45% NTSC gamut, 87% screen-to-body ratio
HDMI 1.4

Audio
2 x 2W speakers, Sonic Master technology
Array microphone
1 x 3.5mm combo jack

Power
45W power adapter
72 WHr 4-cell Li-Po battery

Dimensions
322.86 x 208.38 x 16.5 mm

Weight
1.3 kg

Performance

The storage in the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 is none other the Intel 660p which ASUS has been putting into almost every single one of their recent laptops. It’s a QLC drive, which is the reason why we see performance that’s almost on par with PCIe 3.0 x2 drives despite it running on a PCIe 3.0 x4 interface. It’s still a very nippy drive though.

As expected, the Intel Core i3 isn’t nearly as fast as anything else we have previously tested. It has only two physical cores, with four processing threads thanks to HyperThreading. Processing power isn’t really its strength.

The Intel UHD Graphics 620 doesn’t do well at all. But are we even surprised?

We see a similar pattern here, as the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 just doesn’t have the hardware for gaming. The Intel Core i3 8145U is also far from the CPU you want to power a gaming laptop. The ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 is best suited for word processing, web browsing and media consumption rather than any heavy lifting.
Now for the battery life test, I just used this laptop to write out this article. Over the period of one hour, with multiple tabs in Chrome open, keyboard backlight on, “better battery” power profile, screen brightness set to 50%… I only managed to burn through 15% of the battery. Extrapolate that and we should be able to get more than 6 hours of use. We could probably push it even further by lowering the screen brightness, using the Battery Saver power profile and turning off the keyboard backlight too, but at this point, do we really need to? For the record, I have never used a laptop that can last longer than three hours when used for work, so this is definitely a new experience for me.
User Experience
Carrying the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 around with you all-day-long is also no brainer, as it fits in virtually any self-respecting backpack. It’s thin, it’s light and it packs enough of a punch for word processing workloads. It can be a perfect addition to your everyday carry if your daily tasks involve typing out documents like us, or if you are a student who just wants a ultraportable that you can fire up anywhere to continue writing your thesis. I carried it around Taiwan for Computex 2019 and I didn’t find it cumbersome at all to have in my bag. Something which I can’t say for my own ROG Strix SCAR II.

Speaking of firing it up, the fingerprint scanner embedded in the touchpad allows you to easily log in to Windows in a jiffy. It works fast, just like your average smartphone fingerprint scanner, and the PCIe 3.0 x4 storage ensures that it will be ready for you in mere seconds from the moment you press the power button.

No numpad, but the keys you get offer sufficient travel and tactile feedback.
The power button on the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 is unfortunately positioned beside the Delete key. While I understand that this helps maintain a cleaner design, it does not bode well for users who have not gotten used to this layout. The rest of the keyboard is pretty good though, with sufficient key travel and tactile response. It’s also backlit, for when you still haven’t memorized the key layout. Just to testify how good it is, I typed out half this review on this laptop and I am still ready to write more.
The touchpad is also pretty good. It sports a glass cover, but to be completely honest, I wasn’t aware of it until I read the reviewer’s guide, with me assuming it to be a high-quality plastic layer. It sports a matte finish which is pretty comfortable to glide my fingers on. The touchpad here also supports all the Windows 10 gestures to allow you to navigate without a mouse. For finer tasks like editing photos, I still whipped out my mouse, but for general use it is plenty sufficient. It’s no MacBook touchpad, but it’s fine.
White lights that are bright enough, yet not blindingly so.
What impressed me most about the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 is the rigidity of the all-metal chassis. While most laptops will sport a little flex in the center part of the keyboard when typing, the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 exhibits a resilience that belies its light build. Pressing down on the lid does reveal some flex, but almost every laptop in the market exhibits that issue. Now that we are on the topic of build quality, ASUS could probably have done better with the edges where the bottom cover meets the sides. The metal is unnecessarily sharp there, making it quite uncomfortable to hold.

Now, the display. ASUS cut a few corners here, both literally and figuratively. There are ridiculously slim bezels all around, and ASUS managed to somehow keep the webcam at the top bezel. I wonder why can’t they do the same for their gaming lineup though. Now onto the figurative part. The 14″ panel here covers a paltry 45% NTSC, which isn’t too bad. I, for one, could only notice slightly less vibrance, but otherwise it was plenty sufficient for my daily use, even when I was editing photos for my Computex 2019 coverage. It has a matte finish too, which bodes well for general use.
Sound quality is somewhat of a sore point with the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 though. While the display was OK, the audio quality definitely left me wanting more. They aren’t particularly loud, and there is no bass at all. You could probably do better with headphones, and the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 does offer a 3.5mm jack so you can connect some cans to better enjoy your tunes.

          A proper SD card reader, no less            Good ol’ HDMI, no need for dongles.
While in Taiwan, I took most of the photos with my Xiaomi Mi 9 and some with my camera. Having an SD card slot and regular USB ports were a godsend as it meant that I didn’t have to rely on dongles to transfer the images to the laptop for editing and uploading. My previous experience with another ultraportable that only gave me two USB-C ports to work around with definitely pushes me to say that this is a great decision on ASUS’ part to offer proper ports. For those who use their laptops for presentations, the full-sized HDMI port also means that you won’t have to worry about dongles to connect your laptop to any regular projector.

Now another issue I have with ultraportables is that they can get quite toasty around the palm rest and keyboard areas. That can make them quite uncomfortable to work on. To that end, I have only praises for ASUS as despite a somewhat unconventional design where the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 appears to draw in cool air and exhaust heat from the gap between the body and the display, it proved quite effective at keeping the Intel Core i3 8145U running cool. The palm rests, underside and keyboard areas of the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 are comfortable to touch even after working on it for hours.
Conclusion
The Intel Core i3 8145U might make it less suitable for anyone who has to edit photos on the go, but there is an Intel Core i5 8265U version for you guys who need the extra grunt. The i3 variant is still worthy of consideration though, especially if most of what you do revolves around less intensive tasks like word processing or presentations.
The price ASUS Malaysia is asking for the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 is also very reasonable, at only RM2699 for the variant tested. For such impressive battery life in this amazingly portable package, I am definitely willing to part with that amount of money. I would probably opt for the Intel Core i5 variant though.
The fact that ASUS threw in 8GB RAM and 512GB solid state storage makes it a much easier decision. I do wish ASUS refined the build and shaved off those sharp edges around the sides, and also probably include a better display with more sRGB coverage, but then again, for refinement and great displays, there is the ASUS ZenBook lineup. For a portable, reasonably priced workhorse that can last a work day or more, there’s the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403.

Our thanks to ASUS Malaysia for providing us the ASUS VivoBook Ultra K403 for our Computex 2019 trip.
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[Computex 2019] Cooler Master Reveals Latest Wireless Pheripherals

At this year’s Computex 2019, Cooler Master took the time in introducing their latest wireless peripheral lineup that includes a new low profile mechanical keyboard, a gaming mouse with Qi wireless charging, and also a new 7.1 surround sound headphone.
Cooler Master MK851 mechanical keyboard
First up is the new Cooler Master SK851 keyboard. It’s equipped with Omron low profile mechanical switches and comes with Bluetooth 4.0 wireless connectivity. Its battery life offers up to 15 hours of juice backlit and up to five months without the lighting, which is rather impressive.
It comes with a full RGB per-key backlighting and LED ring all in a space gray brushed aluminum design. You can also customize it even further through Cooler Master’s software suit. The SK851 will be available in a linear switch option and a tactile switch option, similar to a blue switch.

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Cooler Master MM831 wireless mouse
Up next is the Cooler Master MM831 mouse. It is their first ever wireless mouse that provides lag-free connectivity. Coming with a four zone RGB lighting, it is designed with 3360 Pixart optical sensor as well as up to 32,000 DPI.
Its PBT chassis reduces wear and tear, while its Omron switches offers a 20 million click reliability. In addition to that, it comes with a hybrid wireless connectivity for 2.4GHz or Bluetooth operations. Qi wireless charging is also available that gives users the ultimate in cord-cutting convenience.
Cooler Master MH670 wireless headphones
Last but not least is the new Cooler Master MH670 wireless gaming headset, a first from the company as well. It couples its 2.4GHz wireless connectivity with virtual 7.1 surround sound that offers wireless usability with high-quality audio.
If wireless is not the route for you, it also comes with a 3.5mm connection, just in case you ever needed it. They’ve also introduced two other variants in the form of the MH650 and MH630, where they come in with lesser features than the MH670.
Pokdepinion: I wouldn’t mind having a go at that Cooler Master SK851 keyboard though :P
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Instagram Faces Lawsuit For Alleged Breach Of Privacy

It appears that Instagram is facing a lawsuit over in US where a woman claims that the company has violated state law by gathering facial data without consent.
Instagram privacy breach?

The women, Kelly Whalen from Illinois has taken action and sued Facebook, who is the owner of Instagram for allegedly breaching the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act, or BIPA for short, for gathering facial data without approval.
She has said that Instagram only begun to notify users of the chance of biometric data collection at the beginning of 2020.

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Should they be found guilty, it seems that BIPA cases that were found to be guilty usually face $1,000 per violation or even $5,000 if it is considered ‘intentional’ or ‘reckless’.
In Facebook’s defense, they’ve denied the allegations and Stephanie Otway, the company’s spokesperson has said that lawsuit was “baseless” and Instagram “doesn’t use” face recognition in that sense.
Source
Pokdepinion: It would be interesting how this pans out but seeing the figure that they’re facing, I think it’s safe to say that it’s something they’d have problems coughing out.
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POCOPHONE F1 can now record 4K60 videos with latest MIUI 10 update

The POCOPHONE F1 has definitely shattered all expectations when it comes to a budget flagship. After receiving the MIUI 10 9.2.25 Global Beta update to add Widevine L1 support, the latest MIUI 10 9.3.1 Global Beta update now adds 4K60 video recording to the affordable flagship.

4K60 video is somewhat of a benchmark for smartphones. Being capable of processing 60 frames of 8 million pixels each in every second is no joke. In fact many flagships in 2019 still lacked the ability to capture 4K60 video. Samsung was one of the earliest manufacturers to support it, and now the POCOPHONE F1 can proudly boast of similar capabilities after its MIUI 10 9.3.1 update.

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It appears that 4K videos on the POCOPHONE F1 aren’t stabilized though, so you might need to use additional hardware if you intend to use the POCOPHONE F1 as your 4K video camera on your vacation. Still, it’s no joke that you can now capture 4K video on a smartphone that costs just RM1299.
POCOPHONE F1 Specifications

Snapdragon 845, octa-core up to 2.8 GHz, 10nm FinFET
6GB RAM
Up to 128GB storage (expandable via microSD)
5.99″ IPS LCD display
12MP f/1.9 Sony IMX 363 + 5MP depth sensor
20MP f/2.0 selfie camera
MIUI 10 based on Android 9 Pie
4000 mAh battery, Quick Charge 4+ support
6GB + 64GB: RM1299
6GB + 128GB: RM1499
Armored Edition (6GB + 128GB): RM1599

The update to bring Widevine L1 and 4K60 should soon arrive on the official channel as well, but if you are impatient, you can try installing the MIUI 10 Global Beta version and receive updates weekly. That’s what I did, anyway.
[UPDATE]: This feature has arrived on the Global Stable update for the POCOPHONE F1
4K60 video recording has been added to the Global Stable update for the POCOPHONE F1. The update is numbered MIUI 10.3.4.0, and it comes with a number of features including Game Turbo and Widevine L1 support!
Pokdepinion: I was already smitten with my POCOPHONE F1, and Xiaomi just had to release a new update to make it love it more!
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TP-Link Deco M9 Plus launched — cover your entire residence with reliable, secure WiFi!

If you have a large house, a single router won’t be enough. Setting up repeaters can be troublesome. Which is where TP-Link’s Deco M9 Plus AC2200 Smart Home Mesh WiFi System comes in. This mesh WiFi system allows you to cover your entire residence with a reliable AC WiFi signal.

If you know just one thing about 802.11ac WiFi, it will definitely be the fast speeds it can deliver. However the range is the major drawback of using the 5 GHz frequency. That’s what the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus is designed to overcome; it offers AC2200 tri-band speeds, over up to 600m2 with a 3-pack.

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Aside from the powerful coverage, the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus is also beautifully designed to fit in with your decor. It can support more than 100 devices connected at the same time, and features a smart hub to control all your smart home devices. There is also the TP-LInk HomeCare feature that offers parental controls, QoS and built-in antivirus software.

Priced at RM999 for a 2-pack, the TP-Link Deco M9 Plus will be available starting August 2018 at all authorized TP-Link retailers.
Pokdepinion: I have never lived in a house so big that I needed more than a standard AC router, but for those with big houses, this might be good for you.
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Here’s How You Can Easily Access Netflix US Using The Built-in Opera VPN

Did you know that Netflix US offers more than 1300 shows and about 4300 movies for their subscribers while Netflix Malaysia only has about 180 shows and 500+ movies? While Netflix is working hard to expand its available shows to local viewers, did you know you can easily access Netflix US without needing to buy expensive VPN services?
Opera is a pretty nifty web browser that’s quite packed with useful. One of its features (which is a personal favourite of mine) is that it’s got one of the simplest integration for things like Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Telegram etc than any other browser I’ve used before. Another nifty feature that a lot of people use is the built-in Opera VPN which people use to access Netflix from other regions. Here’s the kicker, it’s completely FREE.
How to watch Netflix US using Opera VPN
Setting up Opera VPN is pretty easy and straightforward, there’s no need to download or install any extensions to your Opera browser or any of the sort. All it takes is a few tweaks in the browser settings and you’re ready to go. Here’s how to set up the VPN on your Opera browser:

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Step 1: Download and install Opera browser to your PC (if you haven’t).
Step 2: Open your browser settings and navigate to the VPN section.
Step 3: Select and enable the VPN option.

Step 4: Click on the VPN tab on the left side of the browser’s search bar.
Step 5: Change the Virtual Location to “Americas”.
Step 6: Sit back and watch Netflix and chill.
Netflix US
Here are our top 3 favourite movies and TV shows made available to us when we enabled VPN:

All of the Power Rangers series.
Pineapple Express.
Zack and Miri Make a Porno.

There have been reports of people claiming that Netflix will block access if they detect that you’re using a VPN but so far we haven’t encountered such an issue. So you might want to proceed with this at your own discretion. You can also access Netflix Europe if you set the Virtual Location of the Opera VPN to Europe if you want to. Another thing I’d like to add is that Opera VPN is available on Opera’s mobile browser as well however you can’t use this with Netflix unfortunately. You’ll have to resort to another VPN for that.
Happy watching everyone and stay tuned to Pokde.net for more tech news and other tips and tricks.
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Moving Out Review — Are You F.A.R.T Enough?

What is Moving Out About?

Ever fancied yourself to be a great neighbor and help people move their things? Well now you can with Moving Out, a game developed by SMG Studio and Devm Games. Moving Out is a couch co-op game that adds a fun and whimsical twist to the chore that is moving things out. No longer will the whole experience be dull or mundane, and you would be adjusting your jaw from all the laughter by the end of the day.
Straight to Business
Moving Out review
You start out fresh from training having just gotten your Furniture Arrangement & Relocation Technician certification.  Yes, you saw that right, you’re F.A.R.T certified.  If that doesn’t tell you how “serious” the moving business is, I don’t know what will.
The goal of the game is to collect a number of items from the client’s house and dump it all onto the mover’s truck.  Sounds simple, right? Wait till you start getting bit by random turtles or slapped silly by your own teammates for not rushing to help them lift the sofa.  Controls are simple and easy to master, making the whole moving experience fun and seamless.  Moving Out also provides an Assisted Mode where there are a number of tweaks that you can do to make the game more accessible, fun and not tiring for everyone.

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Best enjoyed with company
Moving Out review
Hate moving sofas and fridges alone? Not to worry as Moving Out allows you to play with three other players together.  This way, you can have fun trying to dictate whether it’s my right or your right that we’re shifting to.
Personally, I prefer the chaos… I mean excitement of having four movers at the same time as it adds to the whole experience.  Don’t worry, there are no movement control order here. You can go ahead and break rules and everything in sight (glass windows and doors included).
Getting the Job Done
Moving Out review
Moving Out requires players to think spatially and try to squeeze out furniture out of tiny doors while having an eye on the clock.  Players are awarded medals (gold being the fastest and bronze the slowest) based on the time that they set for each house.  Each house that you enter represents a different challenge for the player to overcome. As you move (pun intended) along the levels, you get to unlock more wacky characters and the levels get increasingly elaborate.
Visually, Moving Out is very pleasing to the eyes with colours that pop and level designs that are really well thought of, providing a good balance of fun and challenge.
It’s Fun But…
Moving Out review
The downside of it all is that if you are expecting to play with your friends online, you can’t.  As mentioned before, it is a couch co-op game. This definitely limits the fun factor at least a little bit. Think of all the fun that you can have with all the random people in the world. Moving Out also does not present itself as a story driven game, therefore offering an experience that is fleeting.
Replayability is rather low unless you’re the achievement hunter type and strive to get gold for all the levels but still I feel as though it doesn’t encourage players to invest more time in playing it.  Moving Out is one of those games that is perfect for blowing off some steam and for the times that you just want to have some fun.
If you want to find another fun couch co-op game, check out Biped right here.
Moving Out Verdict
Moving Out review
Priced at RM105, I feel that it might be slightly more than what is worth paying for these types of games.  Personally, I’d wait for it to be discounted for it to be worth the money. At least if online multiplayer was a thing, it wouldn’t be too bad. It’s still a fun game to play, but it’s one that is best to play with other people.
With that in mind, I award Moving Out our Bronze Pokdeaward.

Thanks to PlayStation Asia for providing a copy of Moving that was used for the purpose of this review!
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Freeform on iOS, iPadOS and macOS Makes Productivity Much Cleaner Than Before

If you’re looking for an easier, cleaner way to be productive solo and with others, then give Freeform a try. It’s the newest app available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac right now.
Freeform on iOS, iPadOS and macOS

Apple has released iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1, and if you installed those updates, you would have noticed a new app called Freeform. Not to worry, it’s not malware but it is a tool that allows users to organize and lay out content visually on a digital canvas. It allows users to see, share, and collaborate in one place without worrying about layouts or page sizes.

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Users can add various types of files and preview them inline, and invite up to 100 collaborators to work on a project together, even during a FaceTime call. When you open a new project board on Freeform, it is similar to opening a large whiteboard where you can add notes, images, text, and more.
Freeform functions like the current Notes app, but on a larger scale. iPhone and iPad users can draw on the canvas using their finger or an Apple Pencil. You can also add an image from your camera or drag and drop items from other apps. All of your Freeform projects are saved in iCloud and can be synced across all of your devices.

Here are some of the use cases that Apple highlighted for Freeflow:

FaceTime: Drawing and collaborating together while on a FaceTime call to visually share your ideas.
Education + Class activity board: A teacher stages a few different prompts or questions for discussion. Teams of students can break off to work on their own areas and then talk through what they came up with all on the same board.
Vision boards / Mood boards / Creative Projects: Gathering inspiration for scrapbooking, wedding planning, and other creative projects
Home Renovations: Planning a new project at home? Collect inspirational images, color swatches, links to planned purchases, on your board. Share with your family to get everyone’s input, or with your landscaper to show off your vision.
Travel: Collaborate with friends and family on a board for your upcoming trip. Add budgets, maps, links to restaurants and attractions, photos, playlists, etc.
Fashion: Sketching fashion designs, planning for fashion shows and dropping in inspiration, collaborating with an entire design team, and more.

In addition to Freeform, iOS 16.2 includes new always-on display settings to turn off the wallpaper, end-to-end iCloud encryption, the Apple Music Sing karaoke mode, and reliability and bug fixes. iPhone users who update to iOS 16.2 will also be able to connect to 5G if their telco plan supports it.
If you have updated to iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1, you will be able to find Freeflow in your list of available apps, so you don’t have to download it. Feel free to give it a try.
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Pokdepinion: This is a rather interesting piece of software. Well, since I’m already using the Notes app, might as well give it a try and see how much better it is.
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Here’s How To Play Super Mario 64 On Your Browser

Are you a big fan of the classic Super Mario 64? Well here’s some good news; you are now able to play the game simply on your web browser.
Super Mario 64 available on browser

The website isn’t exactly approved by Nintendo so we wouldn’t be surprised if it was taken down. It was uploaded by the Super Mario 64 decomp project. But if you are interested in playing that game that was originally released in 1996, all you got to do is simply visit the website and it’s free to play.

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Super Mario 64 is the first in the franchise to feature 3D gameplay. As Mario, you must collect power stars while exploring Princess Peach’s castle and rescue her from Bowser.
At the current time of writing, the website is still up and running. If you would like to have a go at it, you can head to the website by heading to the link right here.
For more on the latest tech and gaming news plus reviews, stay tuned to Pokde.net.
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Pokdepinion: It does bring back those old good days. I would however warn you that if you’re wearing headphones, you might want to lower down your volume a little bit or you’re set for a shock once the website loads.
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