MSI GT80 Titan 2QE SLI review; a true titan

Let me start off by saying that MSI named the Titan very appropriately. It is huge like a titan, with a screen size of 18.4″, heavy like a titan at 4.5kg and definitely throws performance figures at us like a true titan. This monster of a notebook packs some pretty powerful hardware inside its huge but beautiful body. Aside from beastly hardware it also has a built in Steelseries mechanical keyboard with Cherry MX Brown switches, making it the first gaming notebook in the world with a backlit mechanical keyboard. MSI also claims it to be the thinnest 18.4″ gaming notebook out there, but it most definitely isn’t even close to being as thin as the other laptops in MSI’s arsenal. If you are looking for an extremely portable gaming notebook, this one isn’t for you. If it is a desktop replacement you seek, you may have found the one to get. Still interested? Let’s begin.

Appearance
I skipped the usual unboxing segment as I received an engineering sample. It just came in a very big box with equally chunky foam pads to protect the laptop from damage during transportation and the power supply came in a smaller box inside the very big box. The retail sets will definitely come with more stuff included in what MSI calls the Super Pack which includes gold WASD keycaps, a palm rest, a back pack, among others.

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The aluminium top lid of the Titan has a nice brushed metal look to it, and the red accents and Dragon Army logo which light up ensures no one will ever mistakenly think this is just an oversized normal notebook. I am a sucker for huge vents, and the vents on the GT80 Titan really appeal to me, aside from further reinforcing its image as a true-bred gaming laptop.

Lifting the lid, you will be greeted with the 18.4″ display, mechanical keyboard, touchpad and a curiously large aluminium panel with the Dragon Army logo which is removable to upgrade the HDD or RAM. This panel also gives it a rather unique look as usually you will find notebooks with the keyboard closer to the screen. Sadly the screwdriver set I have was a little too short and was unable to unscrew the very deeply set screws to open the panel. Oh and the buttons on the aluminium panel are the power button, GPU switch and the Cooler Boost switch. I never used the GPU switch though as it would be appalling to use the integrated GPU on this beast.
Mechanical keyboard, 18.4 inch IPS display, what more can a man ask for?Welcome to the dragon
MSI used aluminium bits and pieces here and there to improve the appearance and lend a more premium feel to the GT80 Titan, but most of the GT80 Titan’s body is made up of matte plastic. No soft-touch coating here, which is good as they tend to show ugly looking fingerprints, aside from being prone to wearing out after some time. Looks isn’t everything here in our labs, so let’s take a look at what this Titan packs inside its body.

Specifications

CPU
Intel Core i7-4720HQ @ 2.6 GHz (up to 3.6 GHz)

RAM
16GB (4 x 4GB) 1600 MHz DDR3L

GPU
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 980M SLI

Storage
4 x 128GB Kingston mSATA SSD in RAID 0
1 x HGST Travelstar 7K1000 1TB HDD

Software
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
355.82 WHQL NVIDIA Game Ready Driver
MSI Dragon Gaming Centre
MSI TrueColor
Killer Network Manager

Connectivity
Killer™ Wireless-AC 1525 and the Killer™ E2200 (Killer DoubleShot Pro)
Bluetooth 4.1
5 x USB 3.0
SD card reader

Display
18.4″ WLED FHD Super-PLS (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare Display
1 x Mini-DisplayPort v1.2
1 x HDMI 1.4

Audio
4 + 1 Dynaudio speakers (2 speakers per channel, 1 subwoofer)
1 x 3.5mm microphone input
1 x 3.5mm audio output
1x SPDIF output

Power
330W AC adapter, 8 cell battery (non-removable)

Dimensions
45.6 x 33 x 4.9 cm

Weight
4.5 kg

Performance
The GT80 Titan is a beast alright, capable of giving your average gaming desktop PC a run for it’s money. This also means it literally runs circles around my own Lenovo Y50. I am actually thinking how will I ever return to my own laptop after using such a monster. Starting off with the boot times, thanks to the crazy 4 mSATA SSDs in RAID 0, the Titan is completely ready in less than 40 seconds from the press of the power button. My own Y50 seems to take forever booting up when compared to the GT80 Titan. Speaking of boot up times, let’s take a look at the performance of the storage drives first.

The speed of the HDD… While pretty fast for a spinning drive…

Doesn’t hold a candle to the speed of the SSDs… The difference is really immense, and the best part of having 500GB of solid state storage is that you can throw almost every game in your library into the SSD for faster loading times and not having to worry about the drive filling up.

I had to disable SLI for Cinebench R15 because aside from not supporting SLI scaling, it also shows marginally lower scores when SLI was enabled. So here you go, and you can also see in the small ranking table that the i7 4720HQ in the GT80 Titan is slightly slower than the i7 3770 desktop.

So we have gone through our benchmarks, but aside from bragging rights, they mean little to the gamer who is going to get this notebook. The following gaming tests will provide a better idea of what kind of performance to expect from it. Tests were done at the native resolution and also at 1440p which was achieved via NVIDIA Dynamic Super Resolution.

I played The Witcher 3 on the highest settings, and even turned the controversial NVIDIA Hairworks to the high preset along with 4x Hairworks AA. Needless to say the GT80 Titan took it all in its stride and maintained a very smooth average frame rate of 65 fps. The CPU and GPUs did get rather toasty in this game though, hitting peaks of 93°C for the CPU, 79°C on the first GPU and 87°C on the second one, respectively. These temps caused the GPUs to actually stop boosting but didn’t appear to affect gameplay by much. With 1440p resolution set via DSR, average fps dropped to a rather low 44, but the game still remains very playable.

DotA 2 Reborn is a most probably the prettiest MOBA out there now, but it is most definitely unable to make the dual GTX 980Ms break a sweat. The game is capped by default to 120 fps, and we remove the frames cap to at least attempt to push the GPUs harder. However even at 1440p the dual GTX 980Ms are capable of pushing out an average of 120 fps.

Battlefield 4 is quite an old first-person shooter, but it is still pretty enough to match even some of the newest games out there. The tests were done with maximum graphics settings in a typical 64 person deathmatch in Locker, and even with all the bullets flying around, flares spitting particles everywhere, BF4 was entirely playable even at 1440p. As I came from a much lower performance laptop, the visuals with all the settings turned on was absolutely stunning to me. The experience is nicer at 1080p, no matter what console peasants say about our eyes only capable of seeing up to 60 fps or what not and I was able to aim better at 1080p.

The Crew at both 1440p and 1080p resolutions was handled very well by the twin GTX 980Ms, resulting in a smooth drive through the United States. This game is capped at 60 fps, thus making it a mediocre benchmark, but at least we know that the dual GPUs in the GT80 Titan are capable of pushing pixels fast enough to hit the framerate limit in this game. Framerates do take a small dip when going through grassy areas, but it is too minor to affect the experience.

I never played any game from the Metal Gear Solid franchise, and this is my first game. I have to say the graphics are absolutely stunning, way beyond any game I have experienced but it has a 60 fps cap as well. The cap is easily hit by the dual GTX 980Ms in this beast. However the game isn’t all about pretty graphics only, as it also offers a very interesting gameplay experience, albeit an extremely tedious crawl (literally) at the beginning of the game.
All in all, gaming performance is top notch, as expected with all that high-end hardware. However cooling performance remains a little wanting, as the CPU and GPUs get rather heated up during gaming sessions. I guess that is the price you have to pay for desktop class performance in a notebook form factor.

User Experience
As mentioned above, the GT80 Titan has weight of titanic proportions. Well after using it for a week, I realized that it is the price to pay for power of this magnitude. With great performance comes great weight, Spidey’s uncle once said. The size is also bigger than most laptops, making it hard to move it around. You will most probably have to stick to the complementary MSI back pack if you intend to carry this laptop as very rarely will you find laptop bags that can accommodate 18.4″ notebooks. Speaking of moving it around, the laptop itself weighs 4.5 kg, while the power brick weighs approximately another kilo, making for a very heavy load to carry around.
The massive 330W power adapter which feeds the Titan. Lenovo Y50’s charger for scale.
It will be most definitely lighter than a desktop though, so for people who need something more portable than a desktop, this is the notebook to get. The battery is also non-removable, a downer when this will most probably be used as a desktop replacement which means that it will usually be used while plugged in to the wall. The battery life is also quite weak, barely sufficient for a movie, so you will have to carry the power adapter along with the laptop if you intend to use it away from home.

The keyboard by Steelseries is a bliss to use and it so happens that I am accustomed to Brown switches as I use a CM Storm Quickfire TK with Cherry MX Brown switches too. For the uninitiated, Brown switches are tactile switches but aren’t as noisy as Blue switches. I commend MSI’s choice of Brown switches but the stabilizers needs some tweaking. It feels rather mushy compared to the other keys. The keyboard tilt is non-adjustable though, which means you must tilt the entire laptop to make the keyboard more ergonomic.
Any backlight color, as long as its red.
You also get a choice of any backlight color you want as long as it’s red, a slight drawback compared to its lesser siblings which sports RGB backlighting. The keyboard remains very cool even when playing intensive games like The Witcher 3 unlike most of the gaming laptops out there. The aluminium panel above the keyboard gets hot to the touch when gaming though.

Where’s the numpad, you ask? The touchpad cleverly doubles as a numpad with a quick tap on the Num lock. It even has haptic feedback to make up for the lack of tactility of the touchpad. However from my experience after upgrading to Windows 10, it can get rather fickle as the auto-update feature always auto-updates the driver and the newer driver doesn’t seem to support the feature. In any case, I am used to not having a numpad, so it didn’t affect me much, but it still annoys me to have a feature that doesn’t work as it should.

The Cooler Boost feature pushes fan speeds to the max and it does get very loud indeed. A lot more air is pushed out through the vents but I noticed it only reduces the temps by around 5°C. Most of the hot air is also pushed out the sides, which can warm up the hand holding your mouse. I find it weird that MSI didn’t design the GT80 Titan to push most of the hot air out through the rear vents instead. The GPU button beside the Cooler Boost switch allows the user to use the integrated graphics instead of the dual GTX 980M for God knows what reason, but it will require a reboot. As mentioned above, I never used the said feature as I consider it a blasphemy to use Intel graphics when you have GTX 980Ms in SLI at your disposal. It will be useful for extending battery life but this isn’t the laptop to use for word processing at the library, so who cares?

The 5 USB 3.0 ports, 3 on the left and two on the right is sufficient for connecting your external drives and whatever peripherals you need. The USB ports are spaced adequately to fit most USB connectors, so you shouldn’t have a problem there. MSI even threw in an optical drive on the left side, something I am beginning to see less and less of.

On the rear you have the single HDMI port and dual miniDP ports. Do note the HDMI 1.4 port is only capable of 4K 30 Hz, so if you have a 4K monitor lying around you may want to use the miniDP ports instead. You can populate all the ports and have a quad screen set-up with Matrix Display too.

MSI has included the MSI Dragon Gaming Center software that allows you to monitor some vital stats of your GT80 Titan. It is quite nifty but it doesn’t come with an in-game overlay feature. As you can see there is a Shift Mode as well, accessible via Fn + F7 as well, which allows you to change the performance level of the GT80 Titan. I personally didn’t notice a difference in any of those modes though.

MSI True Color is also available on the GT80 Titan, but I have no apparatus to test the accuracy of colors or even the brightness levels, so there’s that. Each mode has some individual settings you can adjust to configure the screen to your tastes. The screen is a good looking IPS/PLS panel and the 1080p resolution is good enough, although I believe 1440p should be the sweet spot to properly utilize dual GTX 980Ms. Viewing angles are very wide, no edge bleeding is noticeable, all in all what you would expect from a proper display.

Audio is pumped out through Dynaudio speakers. While they definitely sound better than the average notebook’s speakers, they have a tendency to distort at higher volumes. The mini (micro?) subwoofer at the bottom does improve the bass output but don’t be ridiculous and expect thumping club-like bass out of it.

3.5mm output is loud and clear, and the jacks are separate, allowing you to use better headsets with a separate mic plug, but if you use headsets meant for smartphones, which most are nowadays, then you are out of luck.

Conclusion
The MSI GT80 Titan caters for a very specific market segment, I believe. Those who need desktop-class gaming performance in a notebook form factor and doesn’t want to sacrifice any performance at all. The GT80 Titan that is closest in terms of specifications to the one I am testing costs RM15,999, but that one has 384GB of solid state storage instead of the 512GB this one has. So here comes the verdict. Is it worth the money? In my opinion, if you really can’t live without your graphically intensive games like The Witcher 3 and not willing to play on lower quality settings even when outstation, you should get this. No way can you build a desktop PC with a monitor weighing 4.5kg in total, and we aren’t even talking about fitting hardware of similar performance into a desktop case to match the considerably compact size of the GT80 Titan yet. However if you only need a daily dose of less graphically intense games like DOTA2 no matter where you are, then there are a lot of more portable gaming notebooks out there that can satisfy you. Or if you just must have the best performance out there, then get this laptop. If only MSI managed to pack a desktop CPU into this Titan…

Our thanks to MSI Malaysia Notebook for providing us with the GT80 Titan reviewed.

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You’ll Soon Be Able To Enjoy Anime Contents From Studio Ghibli On Netflix

The folks at Netflix has announced today that there will be 21 films coming from Studio Ghibli starting from 1st of February 2020. If you are not sure who they are exactly, they are the people who brought some of the best anime movies around including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and The Tale of The PrinIn this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences. We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decisions to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience. Toshio Suzuki, Producer at Studio Ghibli
cess Kaguya to name a few.

As mentioned earlier, there will be 21 films which will be made available starting from next month, thanks to Netflix’s partnership with Studio Ghibli, allowing subscribers to enjoy some of the best content from the company.

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Here’s what Toshio Suzuki, the producer at Studio Ghibli had to say about the partnership:
In this day and age, there are various great ways a film can reach audiences. We’ve listened to our fans and have made the definitive decisions to stream our film catalogue. We hope people around the world will discover the world of Studio Ghibli through this experience. Toshio Suzuki, Producer at Studio Ghibli
Curious on what shows that will be available on Netflix by Studio Ghibli? You can refer to the list below:
Studio Ghibli Films Schedule On Netflix
1 February 2020

Castle in the Sky (1986)
My neighbor Totoro (1988)
Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Porco Rosso (1992)
Ocean Waves (1993)
Tales from Earthsea (2006)

1 March 2020

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
Spirited Away (2001)
The Cat Returns (2002)
Arrietty (2010)
The Tale of the Princess Kaguya (2013)

1 April 2020

Pom Yoko (1994)
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
Howl’s Moving Castle (2004)
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008)
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
The Wind Rises (2013)
When Marnie Was There (2014)

Pokdepinion: Awesome news. I don’t mind watching them classics back again.

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11.11 Sales are upon us; here’s what to look out for from MSI, OPPO and Transcend!

11.11 is the date to watch for promotions, offers and discounts on the stuff you want. We have here some of the best deals that you can get on the day from MSI, OPPO and Transcend. Before this we have already shared about deals from HP, Lenovo and Motorola, so let’s add more to the list of promotions available tomorrow!
MSI: Up to RM510 off gaming notebooks

MSI Malaysia’s official Lazada store is relatively new, but that doesn’t mean they can’t put up a good offer. They are running promotions on their entry level GL and GP gaming laptops with up to RM300 off selected models. The higher end GE62VR 6RF 022MY gets a whole RM450 shaven off its price tag to be priced at just RM5749 after the discount! The professional PE series also sees discounts of up to RM510, so make sure to seize the chance to get your dream MSI gaming notebook with this one-day-only exclusive promotion! Check out the full list of models with discounts below!

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OPPO: Free selfie stick and extended warranty for F5 and more!

OPPO Malaysia is offering pretty good deals this 11.11. Customers who purchase the OPPO F5 from OPPO’s Official Lazada Store and also their Official Online Store will be getting a complimentary selfie stick and an additional 6 month warranty! This promotion on the OPPO F5 isn’t limited to just 11.11 though, as it lasts until 13 November, giving you a little more breathing period. Exclusive for 11.11 are the price cuts on the OPPO F1s and OPPO A77. The OPPO F1s is priced at just RM698 while the OPPO A77 can be gotten for RM998, only for one day, exclusively on Lazada.
Transcend: Get free Power Kit with selected dash cams

Transcend is throwing in a free Power Kit worth RM149 when you purchase the latest DrivePro 230, DrivePro 130 and DrivePro 110 dashcams. The Transcend dashcams come with an array of features to ensure your safety on the roads. This promotion is exclusively available only on 11.11 on Lazada, so make sure to grab yours while you can!
Shopback: Up to 50% cashback!

Enjoy up to 22% upsized cashback on Lazada, double the usual 11% cashback! There is an additional exclusive 11% off voucher code for Lazada customers that you can get on 11.11 here! 11street customers will also be getting up to 6% upsized cashback, TRIPLE the usual 2%! Shop on AliExpress and Taobao/Tmall and get up to 7% cashback or up to 50% upsized cash reward, respectively. Both Chinese e-commerce giants will have the upsized cashback promotions running until the 14th of November!
What are you waiting for? Start adding stuff to your carts!
Pokdepinion: I wish I have more money to get all the stuff I want tomorrow…

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Konami Is Offering PES 2019 For Free — Available For PC, PS4, And Xbox

Konami has announced that they’ve released a free-to-play version of PES 2019 where it comes with game modes such as the PES League Mode, offline exhibition matches, skill training, as well as myClub.

Feeling weird when you see the name Merseyside Red or London Blue? Well don’t worry. The Lite version also comes with the Edit mode, where it allows you to customize teams, stadiums and team kits.
Here’s the Steam synopsis of Pro Evolution Soccer 2019 Lite:

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Now you can play the Online myClub and PES LEAGUE Mode, as well as the Offline Exhibition Match and Training Mode all for free! Create your very own dream team with myClub, where current and historic superstars can be signed. World renowned legendary players like Beckham and Maradona feature, as well as FC Barcelona’s Ronaldinho, and Inter’s Recoba, Cambiasso, Djorkaeff and Adriano. More Legend players will appear in-game throughout the year in myClub! Aim to be the best PES player in the world by competing in this season’s PES LEAGUE. Users will be able to qualify for global events by participating in the CO-OP (3v3) ONLINE Championship, time limited tournaments, or the newly introduced PES LEAGUE myClub 1v1 competition.
The game is now available for download. You can click here to go directly to the Steam store.
Pokdepinion: Well? What are you waiting for? Get going football fans!
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The Neffos P1’s screen is as big as you want it to be — but you can’t buy it just yet

What’s with all this fuss about foldable screens? If you want a bigger screen, all you need is the Neffos P1, as it comes with a projector. You can resize the screen all you want then.

The Neffos P1 we are looking at is currently still a prototype. It wasn’t launched with the other more conventional Neffos devices introduced on 26th July. While the other devices were much more conventional, the Neffos P1 was truly a head-turner when it was teased at the event.

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It is equipped with an ultra-short throw lens, so you can get a 20″ display when you are just half a meter away from the surface. It can easily go up to 200″ too when you are 5.1 meters away from the surface. While you would expect such a projector to drain the battery rather quickly, the Neffos P1 is actually rated for four hours of continuous streaming.

Aside from the fancy projector, the design is also rather upmarket compared to its brethren. The gold chamfered edges look exquisite, a clear step up from the other devices introduced that day. The thickness belie a massive battery within to power the projector.

Neffos declined to confirm on the chipset or battery capacity, but we were informed that there will be 4GB RAM and 64GB of storage. Since it is not a final production unit yet, no pricing was revealed either.

Would you get a smartphone with a built-in projector?
Pokdepinion: Putting a projector into a smartphone isn’t a novel idea anymore, but it is always interesting to think how much more can we enjoy content on a bigger screen.
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New JOI 11 Pro is launching tomorrow at RM999 with more storage and improved Active Pen Pro!

Looking for an affordable tablet with support for stylus input? Well you might want to check out the JOI 11 Pro, which will be going on sale via GLOO’s online sale channels, as well as JOI’s official store on Shopee.
These are the usual prices, but you can get them for less if you purchase the JOI 11 Pro during 11.11!
To celebrate the launch of the new JOI 11 Pro tablet, JOI is bundling a free Active Pen Pro 110 stylus worth RM129! If you want to further kit out your JOI 11 Pro, JOI will also be offering an exclusive purchase-with-purchase promotion for the keyboard covers which will amp up the productivity potential of the JOI 11 Pro! Instead of their usual prices, you can get the JOI 11 Metal Keyboard for just RM185, or the JOI 11 Leather Keyboard at RM140 with the PWP offers. That’s some major savings right there!

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If you are a creative person, you will surely enjoy using the Active Pen Pro stylus which detects 1024 pressure levels for precise work. The 10.8″ FHD display also supports touch interaction and features palm rejection to avoid unwanted touches from ruining your experience. The entire tablet weighs just 700g and measures a svelte 8.8mm thin, allowing you to carry it wherever you go.
The JOI 11 Pro packs an Intel Atom X5-Z8350 for better endurance when working on the go, and it is mated to 4GB of RAM to ensure your applications run smoothly. It runs Windows 10 Pro in S mode, promising better security and quicker start up. The tablet also features 64GB of solid state storage built-in, with support for expansion via microSD cards up to 128GB.
Priced at RM999, the JOI 11 Pro is an interesting tablet to enable a more portable computing experience. Make sure to check it out on:

GLOO Webstore
GLOO Lazada
GLOO Shopee
GLOO Lelong
JOI @ Shopee

The JOI 11 Pro will currently be offered only via online sales channels until further notice. Be sure to get yours tomorrow before the exclusive promotions expire!
Pokdepinion: I really wouldn’t mind swapping my 2.4 kg ROG Strix SCAR II for a 700g JOI 11 Pro. Considering my work, I probably won’t miss my beast of a laptop much.
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[MWC2018] WD unveils world’s fastest UHS-I microSD — 400GB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC delivers up to 160 MB/s speeds!

While fewer and fewer smartphones support expandable memory, you may want to equip those that still support microSD cards with the best you can get. Well, Western Digital has announced just that at MWC 2018. With the 400GB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC card, you will be ready to capture, share and enjoy the richest content on your device.
The latest 400GB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSD card is faster than any existing UHS-I microSD cards. The card can hit 160MB/s read and 90MB/s write speeds, which makes it more than 50% faster than the current crop of SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSD cards. But sequential performance is of little meaning when it comes to apps. If you have used an SSD, you would know random performance is more important for a snappy user experience. The 400GB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC features the A2 specification for at least 4000 IOPS read and 2000 IOPS write, so apps loaded onto the microSD card would run without a hitch.
Western Digital achieved this feat by using 3D NAND in their microSD card. This breakthrough allows for fast and high density storage, even in the confines of the microSD standard. Western Digital also showcased their PCIe-enabled SSD card, capable of up to 985MB/s speeds over a PCIe Gen3.0 x1 interface. This will enable bandwidth intense applications like RAW continuous burst mode, 8K video capture and playback as well as super-slow-motion video.

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Western Digital is committed to delivering storage solutions that satisfy the demand of consumers and professionals today and in the future. Evolving from a top dog in spinning platter technology to one that breaks barriers in solid state storage isn’t easy, but it seems that Western Digital may just be able to pull it off.
Pokdepinion: I wonder if my ASUS ZenFone 4 can support the fast speeds offered by the 400GB SanDisk Extreme UHS-I microSDXC card…
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Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4 Now Official At RM149

Besides the newest Xiaomi Mi A3 smartphone that was launched today, Xiaomi Malaysia also launched the latest Mi Smart Band 4 to the Malaysian market.

According to the latest data by IDC, Xiaomi is the number one wrist-worn wearable company by shipment volume in Q1 2019, so understandably there’s excitement that comes along with the new Mi Smart Band 4.

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The Mi Smart Band 4 comes with a new full color AMOLED display that you can use to view your fitness stats, messages, as well as notifications in a glance with a splash of color. It is equipped with a 135mAh battery that the company has said can last up to 20 days on a single charge.
Aside from health and activity tracking features (that’s already available in its predecessors), the Mi Smart Band 4 now features a swim tracking mode to monitor your swim length, time, swim strokes, SWOLF (a measure of swimming efficiency) and much more.
In addition to that, it comes with a new intuitive UI for easier navigation, automatic band lock feature when removed from your wrist as well as controls for music playback on smartphones.
Interested in the Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 4? You can get it at RM149 starting from today at their official Shopee and Lazada online store as well as Authorized Mi Stores.
Pokdepinion: I just hope that the Mi Smart Band 4 lasts as long, or even longer, than its predecessor. I’ve used their Mi Band 2 previously and it probably lasted longer than I expected.
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PRISM+ Q-Series Ultra TVs with QLED Display and Google TV Launched in Malaysia

PRISM+ has officially launched its highly anticipated Q-Series Ultra TV line-up in Malaysia. These cutting-edge smart TVs come in three sizes: 55-inch, 65-inch, and 75-inch, and mark the brand’s first foray into QLED display technology. With built-in Google TV interface and a host of features, the Q-Series Ultra TVs aim to provide users with an immersive and interactive entertainment experience. Let’s dive into the details and explore what sets these TVs apart.
PRISM+ Q-Series Ultra TVs

All three models in the PRISM+ Q-Series Ultra TV line-up feature QLED panels renowned for their exceptional visual quality. These panels offer burn-in free performance and longevity, ensuring a stunning display for years to come. With support for up to 4K resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision, viewers can expect enhanced brightness, vibrant colors, and crisp details.

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Preserving the Filmmakers’ Vision One notable feature of the PRISM+ Q-Series Ultra TVs is the Filmmaker Mode. This intelligent mode automatically detects and supports a film’s original format, including aspect ratio and color profile, presenting content as intended by the filmmakers. This ensures an authentic cinematic experience right in your living room.

The PRISM+ Q-Series Ultra TVs offer compatibility with Dolby Atmos and DTS TruSurround. This allows users to enjoy immersive surround sound when connected to external audio systems such as soundbars. In terms of connectivity, the TVs come equipped with WiFi and Bluetooth 5.1 support, multiple HDMI and USB ports, Ethernet LAN, and Optical Audio Out, offering versatile options for seamless device integration.
Access to a Vast Library of Content The PRISM+ Q-Series Ultra TVs feature the Android-powered Google TV interface, providing users with access to a vast library of movies and TV shows through popular streaming apps. With improved personalization, content discovery, and parental controls, users can tailor their viewing experience to their preferences. Additionally, smart home device integration further enhances convenience and connectivity.
Built-in Chromecast allows users to effortlessly cast content from compatible smartphones or tablets, expanding the entertainment possibilities. The Far Field Voice Control enables voice-activated functionalities, enabling users to control their TVs hands-free. The sleek and ergonomic PRISM+ remote control features new programmable hotkeys and quick access buttons for a seamless user experience.

The PRISM+ Q-Series Ultra TVs are now available for purchase through PRISM+’s official website, physical retail stores, and authorized e-commerce platforms including Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok. The Q55 Ultra is attractively priced at RM2,299, while the Q65 Ultra and Q75 Ultra models are priced at RM3,299 and RM4,499 respectively.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s pretty intriguing to see QLED TVs at these price points. From what I can see, it even managed to improve on one of the panel’s biggest weaknesses significantly; viewing angle. We might find out more if we do end up reviewing so stay tuned for that.
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Cooler Master NR200 and NR200P priced from RM269 — will be available in Malaysia this August!

Cooler Master has not made a good ITX case for quite some time, with the Cooler Master H100 being quite limiting in terms of your choice of hardware. Well, that’s about to change with the Cooler Master NR200 and NR200P cases, which are just as affordable but offer an immense upgrade when it comes to hardware compatibility.

For starters, the Cooler Master NR200 series will support up to 280mm radiators and you can cram up to 7 fans into the diminutive 18L chassis. That’s more than what some ATX cases can claim! You don’t really have to worry about cooling in this case, as there’s plenty of clearance for air coolers up to 155mm tall in the MasterBox NR200, and up to 153mm tall in the NR200P. You don’t have to purposely pick out a low-profile graphics card either, as there’s support for full-sized graphics cards of up to 330mm and three slots thick.

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For a flashier build, you can also fit the graphics card in a vertical position to show it off with the Cooler Master NR200P’s tempered glass side panel. The main difference between the MasterBox NR200 and NR200P is the side panel. The MasterBox NR200P comes with an additional tempered glass side panel, while the MasterBox NR200 sports a vented side panel. You can still use a vertical GPU in the MasterBox NR200, but there really is no point smushing your graphics card up against the side panel when you can’t really see it anyway.

There’s support for up to mini DTX motherboards as well, which means you can use this case with your ROG Crosshair VIII Impact, which is probably the only mini DTX board in the market right now. Your choice of power supplies is slightly more limited though, with the cases only supporting up to SFX-L power supplies. You do have the flexibility to mount it to the front panel or to the motherboard tray, depending on how you want to configure your build.
The Cooler Master NR200 and NR200P will arrive in Malaysia by August, with the following prices:

MasterBox NR200 – RM269
MasterBox NR200P – RM399

On top of the extra tempered glass side panel (yes, you get both a tempered glass side panel and the regular vented side panel), you also get a PCIe riser cable and two 120mm SickleFlow fans with the MasterBox NR200P instead of the 120mm and 92mm fans that come with the NR200.

Some retailers are already offering the Cooler Master NR200 series for pre-order, so if you absolutely can’t wait to get started on your new ITX build, that might be the way to go.
Pokdepinion: I bet it will look absolutely perfect next to my SL600M. Like a baby SL600M.
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Apex Legends Mobile arriving on Android later this month

Respawn has just announced Apex Legends Mobile, with the regional beta tests kicking off later this month. The beta tests will involve several thousand players in India and Philippines, and will be available on Android first. I think this might be the first time a popular game arrives on Android before iOS, but do correct me if I am wrong.

As you might expect, Respawn will be expanding their beta tests, allow more players from more regions to participate and also add iOS support in the near future. There apparently won’t be cross play as Apex Legends Mobile is built specially for mobile, with touchscreen optimized controls and optimizations to bring one of the most popular battle royale titles to smartphones. It will be a separate game from Apex Legends, and it is developed in collaboration with “other partners”.

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While Respawn saw it fit to allow the terrible aim of Nintendo Switch players to suffer at the hands of gamers on superior consoles, and of course the PC Master Race, Apex Legends Mobile players will thankfully be spared from seeing a similar fate. So yeah, PC gamers need not get too excited at being able to bully the pitiful mobile players in the wildly popular battle royale title.

As it doesn’t support cross play, Respawn will also be releasing Battle Passes, collectibles and unlockables for Apex Legends Mobile that are separate from those that’s available in the PC and console versions of Apex Legends.
Respawn is rather tight-lipped on when and how you can register to be a part of the beta for Apex Legends Mobile, but instead urges gamers to follow @playapex on Twitter for more updates.
Pokdepinion: Can’t say I am not excited to check out Apex Legends Mobile on my phone. I think my ROG Phone 5 will offer an excellent advantage over regular phones!
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TIME Internet users are enjoying up to 1 Gbps speeds

Remember the tease TIME Internet posted on their Facebook when TM announced their upgrades? Well it seems that a number of TIME Internet subscribers have received their upgrades, and are now enjoying speeds of up to 1 Gbps.
Users subscribed to the the 100 Mbps plan see a bump up to 500 Mbps, 300 Mbps subscribers get 800 Mbps now and 500 Mbps users are now enjoying 1 Gbps speeds. TIME has yet to publicly announce the upgrades, as these upgrades are probably rolling out in stages and not everyone will get it right away.

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Users are also barred from changing their plans until 15th October, which hints at something happening between now till then. Perhaps they are doing that to prevent users from downgrading to a lower package while enjoying the same or more speed than they are currently paying for?
So I guess one of our guesses were right. TIME Internet was indeed planning for 1 Gbps internet! If you haven’t already, do restart your router and modem, and see if you have received the upgraded speed!
Source: Lowyat.net
Pokdepinion: Now to see if business users get to enjoy upgraded speeds as well. We are literally languishing with just 10 Mbps bandwidth here.
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Thailand’s TrueMoney eWallet Has Finally Landed in Malaysia

A major eWallet service provider from Thailand, TrueMoney, has finally arrived in Malaysia, and it’s the official payment provider for Lotus.
TrueMoney eWallet

TrueMoney, a leading eWallet provider in Thailand, has officially launched in Malaysia in partnership with Lotus, the same company that took over Tesco’s operations in Malaysia. As part of the partnership, the new QR-based eWallet platform will also serve as the official payment provider for all of Lotus’s outlets nationwide.

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TrueMoney is a part of the Charoen Pokphand (CP) Group, a Thai conglomerate that also owns Tesco Malaysia and operates a telecommunications business through True Corporation. Currently, the eWallet is limited in functionality, only supporting QR payments with merchants and not supporting DuitNow QR, the national QR code standard.
Users can reload their wallet using credit / debit cards or online banking via FPX. The default maximum wallet size is RM200, but this can be upgraded to RM10,000 by completing the IC verification process. The upgraded eWallet also allows for transfers to other accounts with a maximum limit of RM10,000 per day / month.

To attract more users, they are running a campaign where customers can claim RM8 cashback if they spend a minimum of RM38 on a single receipt twice, by checking out from the store using the TrueMoney Wallet. They are also offering RM5 cashback when reloading a minimum of RM50 with a Visa card set as the preferred payment method.
TrueMoney was previously available in Vietnam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Indonesia, and is a joint venture with Alibaba’s Ant Financial. It also boasts the largest agent network with over 88,000 agents in Southeast Asia, enabling remittance, lending, and large payment volumes. Additionally, it is part of the Alipay+ network, which allows cross-border payments at over 1 million merchants worldwide.
The TrueMoney Wallet Malaysia app can be downloaded from the Google Play Store for Android users and Apple App Store for iPhone users.
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Pokdepinion: I’m starting to feel like there’s a bit too many options for eWallets now but I’m keen to see where it goes next for this one.
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Final Fantasy 7 Remake for PC May Be Coming Later This Year

One of the hottest games of 2020 is Final Fantasy 7 Remake, a reimagining of the PS1 classic. It’s a PS4-exclusive game but if you plan on playing it on PC, you might not have to wait for long if reports are accurate.
Final Fantasy 7 Remake for PC Coming Soon?

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In April 2021, Final Fantasy 7 Remake would turn a year old, which would mark the end of the timed exclusivity for the PlayStation 4. As such, rumours have started surfacing on a PC version of the game coming soon.
According to information found on ResetEra, industry insider KatharsisT mentioned that Square Enix is expected to announce both a PC version and PS5 version of the game later this year. There is no mention of whether the game will be coming to Xbox Series X or not.

This is particularly interesting as you can already play Final Fantasy 7 Remake on the PS5 via PS4 backwards compatibility. This would most likely refer to an enhanced version that will take advantage of next gen hardware. We do expect any new feature or upgrade that will be included to also be made available in the PC version as well.
There’s no word yet on when it will be announced, but we might just hear something about it in April 2021. With that being said, don’t expect the game to be launched immediately after either as it may still be making its way sometime towards the end of this year.
If you wanna know whether the game is worth it or not, check out our review by clicking right here.
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Pokdepinion: Can’t wait to see how good it looks on PC and if there will be any extra content coming along with it.
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NVIDIA GeForce NOW By Yes 5G Now Under Exclusive Beta Testing

Yes subscribers can access the Beta testing for free until April 10th.

Following the announcement – YTL Communication’s telco brand Yes is now launching an Exclusive Beta testing to all Yes subscribers to try out NVIDIA’s GeForce NOW cloud gaming service in Malaysia. Gamers will be able to try out this feature for free until 10 April 2023.

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“We are proud to finally bring our collaboration with NVIDIA in Malaysia into fruition and kick start our Exclusive Beta phase of the GeForce NOW cloud gaming platform,” said Wing K. Lee, CEO of YTL Communications. “Through this Exclusive Beta launch, we hope to deliver to our customers and gamers an unparalleled entertainment experience, amplified with Yes 5G, allowing them to explore their fullest gaming potential before anyone else.”
GeForce NOW connects to most major gaming platforms including Steam, Epic Games Store and Ubisoft – those who already own titles through the aforementioned platforms can get instant access to their titles through the cloud without the need to re-purchase. Currently, GeForce NOW includes over 1,500 titles including major titles such as Cyberpunk 2077, Assassin’s Creed franchise, Destiny 2 and more than 100 free-to-play games such as Fortnite and Genshin Impact.
Pokdepinion: It’s gonna take a while before 5G is widely implemented in the nation for the cloud gaming to be widely accessible, but hey – it’s a start.
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Renegades Acquire Team Infamous – Bring On Vainglory 2017 World Championship!

Esports franchise Renegades will be heading to Vainglory 2017 World Championship with the acquisition of Team Infamous, which are one of Vainglory’s longest-standing guilds around.
Renegades
The Vainglory 2017 World Championship will be the first major tournament for Renegades since their acquisition of Team Infamous, will be held at Singapore’s Kallang Theatre from the 14th of December to the 17th December 2017.
Infamous is one of the most well-known and successful teams in the history of Vainglory esports, and it’s only fitting that they would be included in this milestone event in Singapore, where we both crown a world champion and celebrate the Vainglory community in Southeast Asia as a whole Evan Denbaum
Infamous has been a major team in the Vainglory scene ever since Season 2 of Vainglory International Premier League and up to Vainglory Worlds 2016, coming up with numerous tournament wins in between those periods. The team, which is led by Justin “Spaghetti” Bersamin, includes Ching “Chingy” Yang, Terence “Tezzaboy98” Leung Cheuk Yin, Adem “SnkEA” Lebeidi, Thanakit “uNi” Vongmanee, along with coach and analyst Bryan “Aeon222” Tray.

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Renegades represents countries from across the South East Asia regions, namely Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, and Australia. Interested in watching them play live at the Vainglory 2017 World Championships? You can purchase the tickets by clicking the link right here.
Besides that, you can watch all of the Vainglory esports action streamed live at Vainglory’s official Twitch, Facebook, and Youtube channels.
Pokdepinion: It’s always more interesting to see tournaments live, so if you’re a fan of Vainglory, wait no further.
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Using Adblockers On YouTube? You Might Be Barred From Watching Videos

Users are understandably unimpressed with this move.
Image: u/Sazk100 (Reddit)
If you’re a frequent user of the Internet but hates all the sensory distractions (read: ads), you’re on the same boat as me – and perhaps you already have an adblocker in your browser right now to keep your browsing experience a bit more sane. YouTube certainly isn’t fond of the idea though, going by this screenshot posted on Reddit. As seen in the image, the company is testing out blocking users altogether if they are found using adblockers to circumvent against ads.
“It looks like you may be using an ad blocker. Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide,” reads the prompt. In the event a user stumbles upon this message, they’re left with two choices: either disable adblocker to regain access (and possibly get bombarded with unskippable ads on most videos), or pay for YouTube Premium to watch content without ads getting in the way.

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Unsurprisingly, users has voiced concerns for such features getting released in the future. Amongst the reasons include excessive amounts of ads which greatly affects the watching experience, bad content moderation policies on both ads and content itself (which caused false-positive demonetizations) and the lack of pay cut to creators – who often relies on other income sources such as merch or direct monetary support through other platforms.
YouTube has since clarified it is an experiment at current stage. “We’re running a small experiment globally that urges viewers with ad blockers enabled to allow ads on YouTube or try YouTube Premium,” the company told BleepingComputer. “Ad blocker detection is not new, and other publishers regularly ask viewers to disable ad blockers.” That said, adblocker detection is more often seen on news websites, as social media platforms are usually less aggressive on such practices (Facebook, however, has a different strategy to neutralize adblockers by changing code in rapid successions).
Source: BleepingComputer
Pokdepinion: The ads situation honestly got so bad it felt like the pop up ad era all over again. Is it really any less obnoxious than pop out ads?
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Concert photography made possible with a smartphone?

Smartphones aren’t usually the gear you want to carry to a concert if you want to preserve your memories there. There’s not enough zoom, the audio recording isn’t exactly stellar, and generally low performance in low light situations just don’t cut it. The latter two issues may have been solved by most recent flagships, but these images allegedly taken by a smartphone seem to show that even the last problem has a solution for it now.

These images that surfaced from Blue’s recent performance here in Malaysia were apparently taken by a smartphone. The close shot was already better than what most current smartphones could muster, but the super close shot is really interesting. It appears that there is a mix of digital and optical zooming here, but still to be able to get this up close and personal in a concert, with a smartphone no less, is surely something.

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There are a number of possible smartphones that might have taken the shot, but the HUAWEI P30 Pro seems like the most plausible one. Firstly, they are just days away from the official launch of the HUAWEI P30 Pro at Paris. And secondly, they aren’t shy to show off the zoom capabilities on the upcoming flagship with both Richard Yu and Bruce Li showing off their shots.

HUAWEI has also been at the forefront of smartphone camera technologies, with the HUAWEI P20 Pro holding on to the top rung of DxOMark’s camera charts for more than a year, before being matched by the HUAWEI Mate 20 Pro. The HUAWEI P30 Pro should also similarly set an all-new benchmark for mobile photography.

HUAWEI has already announced the HUAWEI Backup in Malaysia, which may be included as one of the freebies at the local HUAWEI P30 launch. HUAWEI has had a tradition of giving generous early bird freebies, so it could be quite possible that the 1TB HUAWEI Backup be offered to give users an option to easily backup their treasured photos.

If you are interested about the HUAWEI P30 series, make sure to stay tuned to our updates!
Pokdepinion: I really can’t wait to see what HUAWEI and Leica will bring to the table this time!
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ARM announced the new Mali 470 GPU — Double the efficiency of 400

ARM’s new GPU, the Mali 470 is announced and is said to offer double the efficiency than the older Mali 400. ARM claims that the Mali 470 will have half the power consumption of the Mali 400 and is suitable for next-generation wearables and IoT devices that need low-cost and low-power chips.

The new Mali 470 comes with support for the OpenGL ES 2.0 graphics API that according to ARM it will give a strong balance between pixel control and energy efficiency. The reason why the OpenGL ES 2.0 still used is because it suited for smartwatch’s user interface and there’s no reason yet why we need to play 3D games on a tiny display.

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The Mali 470 is meaned for wearables and IoT devices because of the high power efficiency and to achieve that, ARM has improved the Mali 450’s energy optimizations on the Mali 470. In order to accomplish this ARM has implemented separate power domains on Mali-470 which will work together with the system power controller to better manage the GPU.

The GPU could be paired with either 32bit Cortex A7 or 64bit Cortex A53 cores. It will support screen resolutions up to 1080p at 60 fps, with support for the latest Android and any other Linux kernel-based operating system such as Tizen from Samsung.

Pokdepinion : With the new Mali 470 GPU, It made me think how it will fare if paired with lower powered Cortex cores, when compared against the Intel SoFia platform. It could be lead to interesting gadgets like even cheaper smartphones, smartwatches and also IoT devices.
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Intel forced to stop shipments to China’s largest server maker Inspur

US government restrictions has forced Intel to stop shipments to Inspur, the world’s 3rd largest server maker. This comes after the US government added Inspur to the list of 20 companies that the Pentagon claims to be under the control of the Chinese military (PLA). This allows the US to block the listed companies from obtaining “critical US technologies”.
Intel is reportedly just pausing shipments and will be resuming shipments in less than two weeks for some items, while other items will see shipments resume in a matter of days. The US government has previously allowed for US companies to apply for licenses to resume trade with companies like HUAWEI, so Intel probably has a plan to obtain a license to continue business with Inspur as well.
The list of Chinese companies that the US government has banned from trading with US companies include Hikvision and HUAWEI, with the latter already beleaguered by US sanctions since last year.

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Pokdepinion: All the more reason for China to start developing their own processors…
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Intel SSD 670p to bring 144-layer 3D NAND to consumers

Intel has just announced their new 144-layer 3D NAND, with a few TLC and QLC options. Unfortunately, Intel has reserved the 144-layer TLC NAND for their enterprise solutions, so consumers will be looking at 144-layer QLC options, in the form of the Intel SSD 670p and Intel Optane Memory H20.
Both products will only be available next year, with the Intel SSD 670p to arrive first in Q1 2021, while the Optane Memory H20 will come later in Q2 2021. With the increased density brought about by the 144-layer QLC NAND, we should see them offered at even more competitive prices. The Intel SSD 670p should be available in retail, but the Optane Memory H20 will only be available via OEMs.
Intel SSD 670p

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Intel is baking in a new controller along with the new 144-layer 3D NAND. Interestingly, while also increasing the density, Intel is claiming improved endurance with the Intel SSD 670p over the outgoing Intel SSD 660p we see in pretty much every laptop from ASUS recently. Intel claims up to 150TBW per 512GB, which is a significant upgrade from the 100TBW per 512GB of the SSD 660p.

On top of that, you should also be getting better burst write performance out of the Intel SSD 670p which now offers 11% more dynamic SLC cache than prior generations. Only when the drives are 85% full do you get down to the minimum amount of SLC cache on the Intel SSD 670p drives. The Intel SSD 670p will be available in capacities ranging from 512GB to 2TB.
Intel Optane Memory H20

The successor to the Intel Optane Memory H10 will be coming next year, with it being a mobile-focused offering. It packs Optane Memory along with 144-layer 3D QLC NAND to provide better performance than just the NAND itself, while also promising to improve endurance by using the Optane Memory as a cache to lessen the load on the 3D NAND.

We will probably see the Optane Memory H20 being offered as the storage solution in Intel-powered premium ultraportable laptops, like what we have seen recently. Interestingly, it seems like the Intel Optane Memory H20 will not be compatible with last-gen systems, with the system requirements bumped up to a 11th Gen Intel Core U series processor and the Intel 500 series chipsets. The capacities will still be the same as the Optane Memory H10, with 32GB Intel Optane Memory paired with up to 1TB of NAND storage.
Intel Enterprise Storage Solutions

Intel SSD D7-P5510

Intel SSD D5-P5316

Intel also announced the D7-P5510 and D5-P5316 datacenter SSDs based on 144-layer 3D NAND. The D7-P5510 uses 144-layer 3D TLC NAND packaged into the U.2 form factor, while the D5-P5316 offers 144-layer 3D QLC NAND in either U.2 or E1.L form factors. Both of them support PCIe 4.0.

Then there’s the Intel Optane SSD P5800X that Intel claims to be the world’s fastest datacenter SSD with the next-gen Intel 3D XPoint in the U.2 form factor. It is up to 3X faster than its predecessor, the Intel Optane SSD DC P4800X, thanks in part to the new PCIe 4.0 interface and also the the newer 3D XPoint memory. Endurance has also increased to 100 DWPD, up from 60 DWPD.

Intel also shared plans to package the same next-gen Intel 3D XPoint into the next-gen Optane Persistent Memory 300 series, codenamed Crow Pass. This will see the memory packed into a DIMM form factor, designed to greatly improve scaling of memory capacity and provide better value for enterprise on top of better performance in certain implementations.
Pokdepinion: I do wonder if Intel will come back with their performance offerings in the consumer market, like their SSD 700 and 900 series…
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PSA: Beware Of This WhatsApp Verification Code Scam

WhatsApp still remains to be one of the most popular messaging apps today. Given the massive number of users, it’s bound to have a number of scams. The latest one involves a WhatsApp verification code scam that you need to be aware of.
WhatsApp Verification Code Scam

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According to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), there is a WhatsApp verification code scam that could lead to you losing access to your own account. To protect your account, there is a built-in protection system where a verification code will be sent to you via SMS, which will be required to sign in. This ensures that no one else in any part of the world can use your account.
The WhatsApp verification code scam will involve the scammer contacting you directly either via call or text message, typically by using hijacked accounts of your friends or family members. There are also cases where they leave an automated call in your mailbox as well. Either way, they might claim to be an official representative of WhatsApp and they are requesting assistance from you.
This in itself is a major red flag as no representative of any kind will ever request for your verification code. In fact, this code is meant for your eyes and your eyes only, so no one else even if they are legitimately your friends or family members.
In the event that you find yourself with someone trying to hijack your account or have successfully done so, there is something that you can do. The first you should do is to file a police report in order to protect yourself from whatever the scammer does while impersonating you. The other thing you can do is refer to the steps given in the FAQ page, which you can do so by clicking right here.
Source
Pokdepinion: It has yet to happen to me and the people around me so thank god for that. If it does happen, I know exactly what needs to be done.
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EA Plans To Bring Apex Legends To Mobile — Warns Of The Fake Version That’s Out

Receiving huge success since its launch, we could probably see Apex Legends to be brought to mobile devices as EA is looking to do just that.

It’s been revealed at the company’s Q3 2019 earning call, where Andrew Wilson, the CEO of EA has said that they are “looking at how to take the game to mobile and crossplay over time”.

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Of course it will take some time for them to make it available on Android and iOS devices but seeing how much of a success the game is, it is sure to excite mobile gamers out there.
After the announcement was made, security firm Check Point pointed out that there are a number of applications that disguise themselves as Apex Legends on mobile stores. They have warned that the ‘game’ is not from the company itself and they may cause harm such as malware.
Apex Legends is a battle royale shooter and is currently available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
Pokdepinion: Be careful when you see the game on your game stores or any websites that looks dodgy. It’s better to be safe than sorry and wait for the game to be officially released.
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Xiaomi launched a 27″ 1440p 165 Hz monitor for just ~RM1328

Xiaomi has been adding a steady stream of monitors to its lineup, but the latest one might be the most interesting one. At least, for us gamers. The new Xiaomi Mi Display 27″ 165 Hz Edition offers high refresh rate, impressive color response and also a relatively high 1440p resolution, all for just 2199 yuan (~RM1328).

The monitor boasts of a true 8-bit IPS panel that is capable of display 95% of the DCI-P3 gamut. There’s also DisplayHDR 400 support, for more vibrant visuals in games and movies. The Mi Display claims a maximum brightness of 400 nits, which is quite impressive for a monitor in this price range. On top of that, Xiaomi tuned the color accuracy to achieve Delta E <2, so it might be a pretty good fit for content creators too.

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Now, on to the gamer-oriented feature set. The Mi Display 27″ 165 Hz Edition offers the 165 Hz refresh rate in its name, along with 1ms Intelligent Motion Blur Control and a 4ms GtG response time. Xiaomi baked in Adaptive Sync, which means it will support AMD FreeSync and NVIDIA G-SYNC Compatible technologies for that sweet tear-free gaming experience. The bezels are also quite thin on the monitor, allowing for some nice seamless multi-monitor setups.
In addition to the sweet display panel, the Mi Display 27″ 165 Hz Edition will also offer two USB 3.0 ports. It will support DisplayPort 1.4 and HDMI 2.0 inputs.
Xiaomi Mi Display 27″ 165 Hz Edition Specs

27″, 1440p 8-bit IPS panel
165 Hz refresh rate, 4ms GtG response time
100% sRGB, 95% DCI-P3, Delta E <2
400 nits brightness, DisplayHDR 400 support
1 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI 2.0 inputs
VESA support (75 x 75 mm)
2199 yuan (~RM1328)

For 2199 yuan (~RM1328), I don’t really see any major flaws with this monitor. Heck, it even comes with a 3-year on-site warranty in China.
Pokdepinion: I wonder if I can get one into Malaysia… It sure looks very promising.
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ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi) Unboxing — what’s in the box, what’s on the board

So we have had the ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi) with us for quite some time already. I finally had the time to open the box and peer at it, and here are my findings. And don’t ask me to peel off the protective plastic. Because I won’t. For reasons.
The ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi)

As soon as you lift the lid of the box, you will find the motherboard behind a plastic covering. Be very careful not to drool on it. Maybe that’s why there is a plastic cover.

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What’s in the box?

So in the box, obviously you will have the motherboard. We will be taking a look at that later. ASUS also packed this load of stuff into the box. You get four SATA cables, the Q-Connector, ROG stickers, a ROG coaster, extension cables for RGB and ARGB connections, the usual documentation and of course, the CableMods voucher.
What’s on the board?

And here we have the ROG Crosshair VIII Hero, in partial glory. More glory will be visible on this motherboard once you turn it on, as there are plenty of RGB lighting to go around. The VRM heatsink is also a lot more “finned”, although it isn’t anywhere near real heatsink fins you can find on some other high-end motherboards. It looks great though. You can read more about the VRM in our preview of the power delivery system on the ROG Crosshair VIII Hero.
You can see that there is a fan to cool the AMD X570 chipset, just like most other AMD X570 motherboards in the market.
Expansion slots

One of the reasons that the AMD X570 chipset requires a fan to cool it actively is because it is apparently a much more power hungry chip here than the ones in previous generation motherboards. There are two M.2 slots here which can run in both PCIe 4.0 and SATA III modes. The top one is handled by the AMD Ryzen processor, while the second one will be handled by the AMD X570 chipset.
Two of the full-length PCIe slots are reinforced, with the first one (nearer to the CPU) being a full PCIe 4.0 x16 slot electrically, while the second one is only wired up be a PCIe 4.0 x8 slot. The one on the bottom can run at PCIe 4.0 x4, enabling the ROG Crosshair VIII Hero to run 2-way SLI configurations as well as 3-way CrossFireX setups.
Ample storage

If you are in need of more affordable storage options, there are eight SATA III ports to take advantage of. These are not shared with the M.2 slots, so you can fully populate ALL the SATA slots along with the M.2 slots if you find the need to. You can also see the USB 3.0 header along with the USB 3.1 10 Gbps header here.
And more headers!

The dugi definitely comes with its fair share of headers, and you can see them all lined up along the bottom of the board here. For those who do not want to stress themselves out with the front panel switches and LEDs, you can make use of the Q-connector in the box.
Support for up to 128GB of DDR4 goodness

Since AMD upgraded the memory controller on the AMD Ryzen processors, it will be a lot more fun to really take advantage of ASUS’ OPTIMEM III, which they claim features a proprietary memory trace layout tweak to enable better memory overclocking and performance. The 3rd Generation Ryzen processors fully support (Double Capacity) DC memory, which means you can fully kit out the Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi) with 128GB DDR4 RAM.
There’s also the Q-Code LED display which will help you troubleshoot a bad overclock. Definitely a very helpful feature and one which I quite literally can’t live without when trying to overclock. And oh, you can see more RGB and ARGB headers here.
Plenty of USB ports, but you won’t want this motherboard for any APU

APU users would best keep their distance from this board, as there is no support for integrated graphics output. There are plenty of USB 3.1 and USB 3.2 ports, 8 USB 3.1 and 4 USB 3.0, to be exact, and two LAN ports, just in case. One of which is a 2.5 Gbps port powered by the Realtek RTL8125, while the other is a regular Intel Gigabit LAN port. There’s also 802.11ax (WiFi 6) built-in to this board, enabled by the Intel AX200 WiFi card.

This is Intel’s current top-of-the-line WiFi card, and it enables up to 2.4 Gbps over the 802.11ax 5 GHz band. For those still stuck on AC WiFi, there’s also support for 160 MHz wide bands for a maximum throughput of 1733 Mbps.

Taking a closer look at the audio chips under the plastic shroud, there is the familiar ROG SupremeFX S1220 audio codec and a ESS Sabre ES9023P DAC which is all the way up there with dedicated portable DACs.
Check out that rear end!

On the underside of the board we have some UV spot of the HERO branding. Most of it is just solder, and the quality is just as good as it gets for through-hole soldering. Or at least, that’s as far as I can see.
The ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi) which we have here costs RM2039, and it is available now with a 3+1 Year Extended Warranty. We do think the ROG Crosshair VIII Hero (WiFi) offers plenty for the money, although we would definitely want to put it through its paces before passing any judgement. In the meantime, do let us know what do you think of the board!
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Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Update Will Add Tons of Content in 2021

At a recent livestream, it was announced that Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update will be coming sometime in 2021. It will be a huge update with tons of new content for gamers to enjoy.
Minecraft Caves and Cliffs Update

The Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update is said to be one of the biggest ones yet for the game and that it will have something for all gamers to enjoy. It will also be coming to all platforms that the base game is available on. Given the scale of the update, it will take a long time to develop.

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This is a massive update with a large variety of features to truly have something for all players, and we’re excited to release it for all supported platforms next summer. Due to the massive size of the update, the team needs more time to work on it than usual, which is why there will not be a traditional game update this holiday.
Mojang
From what we know thus far, Minecraft Caves and Cliffs update will include new cave types, a variety of enemies, new items, and more. One new resource that will be coming is copper ore, which can be mined and crafted into items. You can also make a telescope by using crystal geodes, but due to its “near-mystical” status, it will pretty hard to find.
As for the caves themselves, it will come in a variety of sizes. Some will be large caverns, include underground lakes, and even waterfalls. Stalagmites and stalactites will be added into the game as well, and they will cause damage if you touch them. With the new archeology system, you can find buried ruins to find artifacts.
We expect to hear more about the Minecraft Cliffs and Caves update at a later date so stay tuned for that.
Source
Pokdepinion: It’s interesting to see that a game that was released so long ago is still getting new content. Not only that, it still has a huge player base.
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List Of Games That Supports RTX Raytracing

Do you own one of the latest graphics card from the RTX 20 series but you don’t know what games that offers raytracing support? Well to help you out, here’s a list of current games that’s available in the market right now. By the way, it’s worth noting that select NVIDIA GeForce GTX cards can also do the job as well.
Battlefield V

Starting off the list is Battlefield V, where it is most probably the most established series on the list to adopt ray tracing. The game was even showcased alongside the new RTX cards when they were first introduced to the public.
Metro Exodus

Joining Battlefield V is Metro Exodus, where it was launched back in February. Despite offering support for raytracing, gamers have complained on how the new technology affected the graphics in the game, where some environments were beautifully represented while others were so dark that you couldn’t possibly see a thing.

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Shadow of the Tomb Raider

Showcased alongside Battlefield V in the revealing of the RTX 20-series, Shadow of the Tomb Raider provided a great way of showing how pretty raytracing can provide to video games.

If you aren’t a fan of first person shooters and action RPG, well there’s Assetto Corsa that also comes with raytracing support. Despite the game being in the market since 2014, the game’s developer, Kunos Simulazioni is looking to take the game to another level with raytracing technology. Despite that, there’s still no updates or a final version for the game to be able to finally support raytracing.
Of course, NVIDIA won’t stop there when it comes to support for the technology. There will be upcoming games that will be offering raytracing as well such as Atomic Heart and Control.
Atomic Heart

Control

Pokdepinion: Captivating graphics is nice and all but… personally I wouldn’t notice it as much as I usually play fast paced mutliplayer games..
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ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Natural Evolution

Unboxing the ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless

ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Box

Let’s kick off the ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless review with the unboxing. With each purchase of the mouse, you are expected to find the following items:

ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Box content

User guide
Warranty card
USB-C to USB-A adapter
2 meter ROG Paracord USB cable
ROG stickers
Spare Push-Fit ROG Micro switches
4 x Spare PTFE mouse feet
The ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless gaming mouse itself

Appearance

ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Top

The ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless is an ergonomic wireless gaming mouse for right-handed gamers. Given the shape and side button placement, it just won’t be comfortable to use if you’re a lefty. The body is essentially made up of a matte plastic shell.
Looking from the top, you have the scroll wheel and ROG logo, both of which have RGB lighting if it’s powered on. You also have the standard left click, right click, and a single DPI switcher below the scroll wheel. The area where the ROG logo is positioned is more rounded, letting your palm rest in a more natural manner.

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ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Sides
On the front, you can find a USB-C port, which is used to charge this gaming mouse. As for the left side, you have two side buttons with some engraved writings below it. It’s also worth noting that it can glow with RGB lighting as well. Moving over to the right side, you have some line patterns with the ROG text.
ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Underside
As for the underside, you have four triangular PTFE mouse feet on the ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless (one on each corner), product details, the ROG-tuned optical sensor in the center, a Profile button below it, a Pair button above the sensor, and the wireless connectivity switch above it. It’s worth noting that the wireless connectivity switch can be set to three different modes; 2.4GHz, USB, and Bluetooth.
Overall, the ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless is an attractive, ergonomic wireless gaming mouse. It’s clearly designed for right-handed gamers with a shape that is intended to make it comfortable for them. Let’s see if it can perform as well as it looks, and if it can at least match up against its predecessor.
If you want to compare it to the Gladius II, click right here.
Specifications

Body material
Matte plastic shell with textured sides

Sensor
ROG-tuned Optical Sensor

DPI
Up to 26,000 DPI in 50 DPI increments, 4 DPI stages

USB report rate
125/250/500/1000 Hz

Connectivity
2.4GHz Wireless, Bluetooth LE, and USB 2.0

Switch type
ROG Micro Switch rated for 70 million clicks

RGB
Yes, ASUS Aura

Cable
Yes, 2 meter ROG Paracord (braided USB-C to USB-A)

Mouse Feet
100% PTFE

Built-in Memory
Yes, for custom DPI and configurations

Weight
89g (without cable)

Dimensions
123 x 68 x 44 mm

User Experience
ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review
As mentioned earlier, the ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless is geared towards right-handed gamers. The size is just nice for my hand, especially since it’s relatively long. I can easily use a palm grip, fingertip grip, and calm grip. Coupled together with its lightweight body and PTFE mouse feet, I can glide smoothly and with ease. This is especially important for me to control my aim in shooters, as I play Valorant and Apex Legends often.
ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review
Depending on the game you play, this may or may not be suitable for you. If you play a game that requires a lot of shortcuts, there are only two programmable side buttons, which you can customize on Armoury Crate. If that isn’t enough then you should consider a different mouse.
ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Underside
One smart thing that ASUS did is to have a dedicated area to store the USB dongle. It can be found on the underside, sandwiched between the two bottom mouse feet. Using the USB dongle or in wired mode is the best option if you want the fastest response time. Alternatively for convenience, you can still make use of Bluetooth if you plan on taking this mouse with you wherever you go, and the response time is still pretty good, albeit slightly slower.
ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Tracking
From my own experience, the ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless is able to track with pretty good accuracy. At 4,000 DPI, there’s a slight jitter, and that gets a lot worse as you increase the DPI, as seen by my results for 9,000 and 18,000 DPI. The DPI goes up to 26,000 but you wouldn’t want to use it anywhere close to that high anyway. It’s worth noting that you can save up to 4 different DPI settings and switch between all of them using the DPI switcher. I personally wished that it has two DPI buttons instead of one so you can have an easier time switching in and out of specific settings.
The ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless uses the ROG-tuned optical switches and it feels great to use. It’s clicky with minimal travel distance, which is great for competitive gaming and feels satisfying to use. Moreover, there’s the additional benefit of a long lifespan, rated at 70 million clicks. If that wasn’t enough, you can swap it out with the included spare micro switches. You just need to pull out the existing one using the included tweezers and push the new switch in.
ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – Armoury Crate
As for software, you have Armoury Crate to customize the the mouse to your liking. There’s nothing new or out of the usual here, so you can still easily customize your button layout, customize RGB lighting, update firmware, and more. You can save your configuration as it has onboard memory. There is an increase over its predecessor from 3 profiles to 5, which is a good improvement.
Speaking of battery life, it’s certainly one of the better ones out there. After a full 24 hours of use with RGB lighting on at 50%, I had a battery life of 57%. In other words, I only needed to charge this once every 4 days for my own use as I frequently use it. For other people, you might be able to see it through a full week, especially if you lower down the RGB brightness. Charging is also convenient as it uses USB Type-C.
ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Verdict
ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless Review – RGB
The ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless is certainly one of the better wireless gaming mouse options out there. You get good battery life, USB Type-C, lightweight body, triple connectivity option (wired, 2.4GHz and Bluetooth), fast and accurate tracking, fast response time, easy to maintain, Armoury Crate software is user-friendly, and a dedicated USB dongle compartment below the mouse.
However, there is no adjustable scroll wheel and having two DPI switchers would be better. There’s less RGB compared to the Gladius II but honestly, I don’t see it as a negative as it’s more than enough, but I should point that out in case you want the same thing as before. At the end of our ASUS ROG Gladius III Wireless review, I award this with our Gold Pokdeward.

Big thanks to ASUS Malaysia for sending us this mouse for the purpose of this review.
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This Monitor Lets You Change Settings By Simply Using Your Face

Now facial recognition isn’t something new. It’s been around for some time. Despite that, the folks at MSI has decided to implement the feature to their brand new gaming monitor.
The monitor is called the Optix MPG341CQR, where your face can be used to activate your preferred display settings.

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In terms of size, it is 34-inches and offers a ultra-wide QHD resolution (3440 x 1440) that comes with 1800R curvature. Performance is not an issue with the Optix MPG341CQR offering with a 144Hz refresh rate as well as 1ms response time.
Coming back to its facial recognition system, it is able to do so thanks to the camera at its bottom bezel. It seems that MSI calls the monitor to be ‘smart’ or ‘AI’ monitor. Thanks to it, it uses facial recognition to identify the user and change the monitor settings based on the user’s saved profile.

Additionally, the monitor is capable to adjusts its own brightness, based on the light that’s available in its surrounding. In terms of ports, it offers two HDMI 2.0, two USB 3.2 Gen 1, DisplayPort, Type-C, USB 3.2, Type-B headphone, mic in and a PC to monitor audio port.
MSI has said that the MSI Optix MPG341CQR gaming monitor will be released in Q3 of this year at the price of $799 (~RM3346)
Pokdepinion: I wonder how accurate it is in low light….
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Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Adds Nintendo Labo Support – Time to Build Your Own Drive Kit

A new update for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is now made available by Nintendo, adding support for the Nintendo Labo DIY kit. Time to build some steering wheels.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Adds Nintendo Labo Support

As one of the first Nintendo Switch ports from the Wii U to arrive when it launched last year, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe gave players the ability to race on the go. Now the game is getting some new, and rather creative ways to race, thanks to the new DIY peripheral kit, Nintendo Labo.
Nintendo has announced that a new update is available now for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, with the update specifically providing compatibility for the game with Nintendo Labo.

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Alongside the new update, Nintendo also released a new video highlighting Labo compatibility with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in action, including using the cardboard Toy-Con Motorbike accessory to steer your character’s kart in-game, which is found in the Nintendo Labo Variety Kit.
The update itself is free and available now via the Nintendo eShop according to Nintendo’s announcement, so if you have a copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Nintendo Labo, and a little bit of imagination in store, you can take your cardboard wheels for a spin in the game now.
Alongside the Labo update, the latest patch also provides a few minor updates to the game, according to patch notes from Nintendo. If you have been looking for a fun multiplayer game to play with your family and friends, now can enjoy the game even more or have a special get together session to build some sick new steering wheels…cardboard ones of course.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is currently avaiable exclusively for the Nintendo Switch.
Source: Nintendo
Pokdepinion: This was bound to happen the moment they released the Nintendo Labo. Especially for those 1st party Nintendo games where you can definitely think of some sorta peripheral that would make gaming interesting.
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HUAWEI Y7 Pro Announced For Malaysia At RM649

HUAWEI has recently introduce their HUAWEI Y7 smartphone, which is coming soon here in Malaysia at a price tag of RM649. The entry-level device represents itself for those who wants AI features in the smartphone.
The HUAWEI Y7 Pro comes with a Dewdrop Display, which was debuted with their Mate 20 series back in October of last year, offering a bigger screen-to-body ratio of 86.7%. With the notch, it sports a 16MP front camera for your selfies. As for the back, it offers a dual 13+2MP AI camera setup.
Straight out of the box, the HUAWEI Y7 Pro comes with EMUI 8.2 (based on Android Oreo) and under the hood is a 4000mAh battery to power up the device. In terms of chipset, it uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 octa-core SoC. In terms of memory, it packs 3GB RAM that’s paired with 32GB of internal storage. If that’s not enough for you, you can expand it up to 512GB through microSD.

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The HUAWEI Y7 Pro will go on sale in Malaysia from tomorrow (6th of April 2019) where you can get it at all HUAWEI Experience Stores, authorized resellers, and Maxis.
Pokdepinion: Yikes, that sounds like an expensive price for a Snapdragon 450 device.
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Overwatch 2 New Hero: Ramattra, Joins December 6

At the Overwatch League Grand Finals, the makers of the game has revealed their newest Tank hero – Ramattra.

A character with complex and multifaceted past, his ultimate goal is to protect his people – however the cost of reaching that goal is still anyone’s guesses. Originally a war machine – Ramattra shed his munitions for a shield to protect his people by peace and tranquility. Sharing similar experiences with his fellow Shambli monk – Zenyatta – his story however is one about hardships, trauma, and the exposure of humanity’s harsh realities.

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Harmony was soon replaced by dissonance, and Ramattra began to take on his mission for peace in a different way – by any means necessary, to defend his fellow omnics. As the Null Sector leader, he boasts incredible support from his people, and he is ready to bring his philosophies on human’s world.
Ramattra will join the Tank lineup beginning Season Two, starting December 6. Keep an eye out on official Overwatch 2 channels for latest info leading up to the hero’s release.
Pokdepinion: Guess we shall wait for the time being…
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The next iPhone may support dual-SIM — you won’t need to carry two iPhones anymore!

iPhones have never featured dual-SIM support. But that feature may be coming to an upcoming Apple smartphone. The latest iOS 12 developer beta 5 has references to “second SIM status” and “second SIM tray status” in it.

Given that dual-SIM functionality is really popular in Asian countries where users still use separate plans for their data and calls, the upcoming iPhone might be a bigger hit than anticipated.

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Apple is also rumored to put this feature into their more affordable LCD-packing iPhone, which would make it even more popular among the budget conscious users.
Would a dual-SIM iPhone entice you to go down the Apple route?
Source: 9to5Mac
Pokdepinion: I don’t really use the dual-SIM feature. Perhaps Apple would consider adding microSD support soon too?
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Great news, TM is NOT going out of business!

This may come as a big surprise to you but contrary to popular belief, TM does not own the building where it is currently located at.
Why is Menara TM Up For Sale?

Telekom Malaysia Sdn Bhd has issued a statement, stating that they were a tenant of Menara TM, located at Jalan Pantai Baharu, Kuala Lumpur. Following a property ad by Menara TM, it is easy to confuse the two as they both have the same name. However, the telco does not own the building and neither is the telco involved with its intended sale of the building by the property’s owner, Menara ABS Bhd.

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The telco service is already relocating to a new location in Cyberjaya as well as the two other properties, TM Annexe 1 and Annexe 2. The move aims to include the majority of its corporate offices as part of the company’s optimization initiative to enable hybrid working conditions for its employees and staff and to greater efficiency and agility in the workplace.
You can be rest assured knowing that the telco will not be going out of business anytime soon.
Source
Pokdepinion: Usually in this scenario, it’s easy to think something bad happened but with large corporations, there’s always something going on behind the scenes that we aren’t aware of. Now we know what’s actually happening.
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