FBI: Don’t use free airport, hotel or mall USB ports… hackers can “juice-jack” your data

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI have come out with an official PSA (Public Service Announcement) on twitter warning Americans not to use free airport, hotel or shopping center USB ports. Apparently, hackers can “juice-jack” your data or insert malware into your phone or device.

The PSA goes on to suggest that you use your own charger and USB cord or use an electrical outlet instead. It doesn’t reveal whether this is just for free USB ports in US airports, hotels or shopping centers but if they’re doing this in the US, we expect that other locations around the world could do this too.

Of course, this being the US, commenters did the usual “or that’s what they want us to think”, suggesting that the FBI has invented a way to hack your own charger and electrical outlets too. Given what we know about tech, we have to say that this seems slightly less plausible than hackers quietly replacing free USB ports with their own “juice-jacking” devices, but what do you think?

Are you going to do what the FBI suggests? Or do you think the same as those US commenters? We think it doesn’t hurt to be careful but do share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com


FCC approves refurbished Samsung Note 7, packs smaller battery, Android 7.

Looks like tech giants Samsung isn't going to let go of the notorious Samsung Note 7 that easily. Judging by the FCC application, Three models of the refurbished set of the Samsung Note 7 has just been approved by the FCC (SM-N935S, SM-N935K, and SM-N935L).

Recently redubbed the Samsung Note 7R, the refurbished unit's unveiling might very well be around the corner. However it will come with a big catch, the South Korean tech giants have revealed that it will only be launched in select markets. The first designated market to receive the Note 7R will of course be South Korea and it is also confirmed that it will not be sold in the United States. Let's just hope Malaysia is on the 'yes' list.

In terms of phone specs, everything seems to be exactly the same as the original Note 7 except the battery size and the Android OS. Based on what we could make out from these leaked images, it would seem that the battery pack has been switched from a 3500mAh batter to a smaller 3200mAh battery whereas the OS has been upgraded from Android 6.0.1 to the latest Android 7.

You can check out our previous hands-on review of the old Samsung Note 7 for a better idea of the overall specs and performance. Since there was no change to the processing aspects of the phone, the performance can be assumed to be the same. Hopefully the Malaysian release and a new Malaysian pricing will be revealed not long after its official release. This could be a great bargain alternative to its latest releases, the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus.

Make sure to stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest updates and tech news.


FCC inadvertently reveals design for new Apple Powerbeats 4 earphones

Don't think the Apple AirPods are the earphones for you? Well, maybe another design would be more to your taste. If that's the case, this news may be of interest to you. Recently, designs for a new pair of wireless earphones for Apple was found on the FCC and it's for a new version of the Powerbeats.

According to MySmartPrice, the new wireless earphones is most likely the Powerbeats 4, a collaboration product with Beats. It was also noted that there could be a wire that connects the two earpieces together, meaning that it probably won't look all that different from the Powerbeats 3. This earphone has the model number of A2015 and uses Bluetooth to connect and to charge it you will need to use the Lightning connector.

Aside from the info above, we don't really know anything else about the Powerbeats 4. However, we believe that the launch of this new wireless earphones isn't too far away. In fact, it could be announced in March 2020 along with the iPhone 9/SE2.

With that said, do you like the more recent type true wireless earphones, or is something like the Powerbeats more to your preference? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


FCC is now asking telecom providers in the US to remove all equipment from HUAWEI and ZTE

As if HUAWEI hasn't suffered enough consequences from the trade ban, a new issue has come with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made an official announcement to order telecom providers in the United States to remove all equipment from HUAWEI and ZTE. The announcement was posted by FCC's official Twitter account on 11 December.

According to the source, FCC will now be forcing the providers to remove HUAWEI and ZTE equipment from their networks. At the same time, they have also established a program to help smaller providers to recoup any losses they may sustain. It is stated that the program will reimburse these smaller providers for the cost of replacing equipment considered a risk to national security. The reimbursement is estimated to be at least 1.6 billion USD (~RM6.4 billion).

Other than removing the equipment or services, it is mentioned that the providers must also properly dispose of everything from the mentioned Chinese companies. The FCC is currently looking into whether to block the ability of China Telecom to operate in the United States as well. Therefore, it looks like the U.S. really wants Chinese telecommunications providers completely out of the country.

Let us know what you think about this news on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest tech reports.


FCC listing gives us a look at upcoming Samsung Galaxy Buds 2

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Buds 2 is expected to be launched in July 2021 and it's about to enter mass production soon. Before it goes live, the FCC listing has leaked some information regarding the earbuds and a few live images revealing the design.

According to the certification, the Galaxy Buds 2 that bears the model number SM-R177 will have Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) connectivity. Meanwhile, its rounded square-shaped charging case with model number EP-QR177 will support 2.5W (5V/500mA) charging speed, with the earbuds charge at 0.6W (5V/120mA) speed.

For the design, it looks like Samsung will be adopting the one from the original Galaxy Buds. Giving the live images a closer look, you can see an inward-facing microphone, an outward-facing microphone, metal connectors for charging, and a wear detection sensor on the upcoming Galaxy earbuds. Other than black, the Galaxy Buds 2 is also expected to come with other colour options including white, purple, and green.

Let us know what you think about the design of the upcoming Galaxy Buds 2 on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech gadget rumours.


A new Face ID With a Mask feature is now on iOS 15.4 beta test

Using a Face ID to unlock your iPhone is certainly a quick way but the pandemic made the procedure a bit of a hassle. However, that may change with the upcoming iOS 15.4 update to allow iPhone users to use Face ID with a mask on.

Currently, Apple is using a feature that will allow iPhone users to use the passcode quickly if they don't want to pull down their masks. But this new idea is an even better one as Apple said that the feature can "recognize the unique features around the eye". That also means there's no need to unlock with the Apple Watch for authentication.

Obviously, you will need to redo the face-scanning for Face ID. Sources say that you just need to go into your iPhone settings and choose "Use Face ID with a Mask". Moreover, there's even a new feature to "Add Glasses", enhancing the security even further as well as more accurate with your glasses and mask on.

On the other hand, Apple is also working on allowing third-party apps to utilise the 120Hz ProMotion Display feature on the iPhone 13 Pro. This update will come in iOS 15.4 as well as the Core Animation bug fix patch. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


FCC listing hints a global launch of the OPPO Reno 3 Pro 5G

The OPPO Reno 3 was revealed last month in India serving tech specs like a 44MP front-facing camera and a quad-camera setup with 64MP main camera. Unfortunately, Malaysia hasn’t gotten an official launch of the device yet since the event. Now, rumours are saying that the device’s sibling, OPPO Reno 3 Pro 5G, will be arriving globally soon after it was found in FCC listing.

Although it’s a 5G variant of the OPPO Reno 3, it is said the device will come with slightly different specs from the 4G variant that was launched earlier. The 5G model features a larger 6.5-inch AMOLED screen with a 90Hz refresh rate and packs a Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 765G chipset. Other than that, the main camera at the back will now get Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), but drops down to a smaller 48MP sensor. You will no longer see a 3.5mm audio jack as well as it has been taken away to make space for new RAM/storage configuration.

On Geekbench, the device was also found with 12GB of RAM, which is exclusive to the 5G model. As for the naming, it is rumoured that the device will not be called OPPO Reno 3 Pro 5G for countries besides China. Instead, it will be named as OPPO Find X2 Neo to bridge the gap between the Find X2 Lite/Reno3 Youth and the X2 Pro.

Let us know what you think about a global launch of the OPPO Reno 3 Pro 5G on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more cool tech news!


FCC listings for the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+ reveal SD 8 Gen 2 SoC and 25W charging

If Samsung’s previous smartphone release cycle is anything to go by, its upcoming flagship, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series will launch in February 2023. Well, two of the devices within the lineup have recently popped up on the FCC website, revealing some of their spec details.

The devices in question are the Samsung Galaxy S23 and Samsung Galaxy S23+, which sport the model numbers SM-S911B and SM-S916B respectively. According to MySmartPrice which first spotted the FCC listing, both devices feature a rather disappointing 25W fast charging as well as a battery capacity of under 5000mAh.

Specifically, the Galaxy S23 packs a battery with the model number EB-BS912ABY, which sports a rated capacity of 3785mAh and a typical rating of 3900mAh. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23+ features a battery with the model number EB-BS916ABY, with a rated capacity of 4565mAh and a typical rating of 4700mAh.

Besides that, the FCC listing also showed both smartphones being powered by a Qualcomm processor. It is believed that the SoC would be the top-of-the-line from Qualcomm, which is the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2.

Of course, while this information is quite reliable given it was derived from the FCC website, do still take them with a grain of salt as nothing is confirmed as of yet. Well, we just have to wait for the official announcement from Samsung to find out.

So, what do you guys think of the alleged specs for the Galaxy S23 and Galaxy S23+? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news!


FIFA 13 released for Nokia Lumia Users Only

Nokia Lumia users rejoice (and probably Nokia Asha users too) Microsoft have released FIFA 13 exclusively for the Nokia Lumia Windows Phone 8 platform. The new FIFA 13 boasts much better graphics, sharper controls and about 500 licensed teams that can fight in 20 leagues. The resulting 15000 players you can choose from is massive for just a mobile phone game and there are now 32 real-world stadiums available to play in. FIFA 13 will be available from $4.99 which you can download here.


FIFA 19 now available for pre-order on Shopee for the PS4, XBox One and Nintendo Switch starting from RM201

Attention to all FIFA fanatics out there, the latest FIFA 19 is now available for pre-order on Shopee right now for the Sony PlayStation 4, Microsoft Xbox One as well as the Nintendo Switch with prices starting from at low as RM201. There’s also free shipping as well for those who are interested in getting the game.

For those who are keen in trying the game out first before buying it, you can try out the FIFA 19 Demo which can be found on the console platform’s respective store such as the Playstation Store and Origin. FIFA 19 is a long running sport video game that is heavily focused on football with the first FIFA game which came out in 1993. For more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


FIFA+ app is now a free streaming service for all kinds of football matches

Today, FIFA announced and launched FIFA+ as a free streaming service. Available on the website here, as well as on iOS and Android, FIFA+ is a platform where football fans can access free live matches, past games, original content and many more. It's also available in English, French, German, Portuguese and Spanish.

According to sources, football fans can stream over 40,000 live matches per year. This includes both men's and women's matches from 100 member associations in all six confederations. Even leagues that are not known such as from lesser-known countries and lower divisions will be broadcasted. A total of 1400 matches will be on livestream in the first month, FIFA said

If you take a trip to the FIFA+ website, you will also be able to enjoy original content such as a film about Ronaldinho and many other legendary footballers. You can also check out past matches in the archived footage that includes the World Cup or even just the highlights. Moreover, you may check out an individual player or compilations on best goals, best assists and so on.

FIFA said that FIFA+ will be ad-free for the time being and may include them in the future. On top of that, the organization could look into putting football into gaming, the social community and even go for a subscription-based method depending on how the industry unfolds in the future. So for now, we can enjoy the free content on FIFA+.

Just for your information, the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 is coming up by the end of the year. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


FIRST Basic 38 by Celcom plan offers more value at affordable pricing

Celcom recently announced their new FIRST Basic 38 by Celcom postpaid plan for just RM38 a month at full speeds on one of the fastest networks in Malaysia. Featuring up to 3GB Internet + 3GB WiFi for a limited 3 month promotional time, subscribers also get 50 minutes worth of calls and 50 SMS for free. This new plan is also the first network in Malaysia that allows you to carry forward any remaining balance of allocated Internet to the next month for up to 3GB of carry forward unused Internet. The complimentary 1GB Internet + 1GB Wi-Fi will be available for as long as you are subscribed. You can also stay connected even after you've finished this quota with additional Max Up (RM3/100MB, RM10/500MB, RM15/1GB, RM50/5GB) also available. Check out the tables below, the Celcom Site or a nearby CELCOM BLUE CUBE store for more details:


FIRST Basic 38 by Celcom promotion period ending on 16 July 2015

The FIRST Basic 38 by Celcom deal remains one of the more affordable and value-added postpaid plan bundles in Malaysia at this point of time. It single-handedly spurred the appearance of other value-for-money plans from Malaysia's other telcos. However, as of today, Celcom have revealed that the promotion period to get 3GB Internet + 3GB complimentery Celcom WiFi for life at only RM38/month ends on 16 July 2015. Apart from the usual free voice and SMS extras, these plans also allow you to carry forward unused Internet up to 3GB to the next month. To subscribe just walk-in to selected Blue Cube stores and sign up before 16 July 2015. For an additional RM10 a month you can also get a complimentary smartphone but for more information about the FIRST Basic 38 by Celcom plan check out the site or the table below:


FIRST™ GOLD by Celcom is their most talked about Postpaid plan yet at 10GB Internet for RM80

In this day and age, mobile Internet is becoming more and more important as we surf, stream, share, like, post, chat and more with friends and family. Seeing this need, Celcom have updated their FIRST™ Gold Postpaid plan to offer the most talked about plan yet, featuring:

In addition, all of the features above will be available for life as long as you sign up before 31 March 2016 at participating Blue Cube or Celcom Xclusive stores, so go check out the Celcom site for more information. And if that wasn't enough, you get all this FREE Internet at reliably faster speed thanks to Celcom 4G LTE with speeds up to 10x faster than the norm.


FREE Data Roaming for Maxis customers with hotel room booked on Expedia.com.my

Today, Maxis has become partners with one of the world’s largest full-service online travel sites, Expedia.com.my, to offer its postpaid customers a first-of-its-kind data roaming offer. With that, Maxis customers can now enjoy a FREE 1-day roaming pass on any hotel booking done via www.expedia.com.my/maxisroaming, as long as the destination of the hotel stay is within Maxis’s wide network of 117 roaming-pass enabled countries.

This free 1-day roaming pass offer includes:

To get the free 1-day data roaming pass, customers just need to:

To check if a specific country is covered by Maxis’ roaming pass offer, kindly visit Maxis' list of countries that are included or to check for more details on this new data roaming offer with Expedia, please visit www.maxis.com.my/roamingpartnerships.


FUJIFILM X-S20 Malaysia release - arriving on 29 June at a starting price of RM6888

Today, FUJIFILM Malaysia announced a new mirrorless digital camera - the FUJIFILM X-S20. The camera is set to release on 29 June 2023 and the starting price is RM6888. Customers who pre-order it will get several freebies worth over RM3285.

According to the company, the pre-order promotion will end on 25 June 2023 and early birds will get to bring home 2x 128GB SD Extreme Pro UMS-I microSD cards, 1x NP-W235 battery pack, 1x Sandisk Portable 1Tb SSD E30, Nanlite Lifelite-5C, a RM500 XF Lens voucher, and finally, a USB thumb drive. The X20 body itself is RM6888, whereas the 15-45mm and 18-55mm lens kits are priced at RM7388 and RM8888 respectively.

In terms of features, the X-S20 is equipped with a back-illuminated 26.1MP sensor X-Trans CMOS 4 and image processing engine X-Processor 5 to produce the best high-quality images possible. The battery capacity has also more than doubled the number of frames approximately 800 compared to the predecessor and the X-S20 only weighs 491g.

Like today's modern cameras, the X-S20 is improved with a five-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) with up to 7-stop advantage as well as an AI-based subject detection AF that can recognise animals and cars easily. For recording, it supports [email protected] 4:2:2 10-bit video and features a 3.5mm mic/earphone jack. On top of that, a new Vlog Mode makes it easy for vloggers to produce a vlog when the camera is combined with a tripod grip.

For more information, you can visit the official X-S20 page at FUJIFILM Malaysia's web portal right over here.


A new FullView and big battery ASUS smartphone is coming to Malaysia soon

Today, we got a tip that a new ASUS smartphone is coming to Malaysia at the end of December or early January. At first, we thought it was the ZenFone 4 Pro but turns out that's not the case because it will ASUS' first smartphone with an 18:9 aspect ratio on its display. So this is an entirely new phone lineup that's coming into Malaysia. So what is the smartphone called?

We don't really have an official name for it yet but its code model is ZB570TL and in the China market, it's known as the Pegasus 4S. We also got a few tips on what the phone will feature, first of all, it will most probably have a FullView display since its screen-to-body ratio is 18:9, the battery size is said to be humongous as well with 4130mAh and it will be "price friendly".

Tracing back our earlier news, we were able to dig out the full tech-specs list of it. Check it out below:

Which model variant will we get? And how "friendly" is the price? Around RM1k perhaps? By the way, ASUS Malaysia would also like you to know that they have a new page about ZenFone 4 Photography Tips & Tricks so check it out. Until then, stay tuned for more ASUS news at TechNave.com.


Face Unlock and AR Lens feature coming soon to Huawei Nova 2i

Today, Huawei has annoiunced that theywill be introducing two new software updates for the Nova 2i which are the Face Unlock and a new AR lens that is included in the honor View10 smartphone. The new software update will be available for all Nova 2i users from 30 January 2018 onwards and here's what you can do with it, especially the AR lens.

AR lens is a new selfie feature that allows the user to be more creative with the front camera. As the name suggests, Augmented Reality is partially used in this feature and you can impose yourself into a photo with another person without being there, or even take a picture at a location such as the Eiffel Tower, London's Big Ben or even the Sydney Harbour Bridge all with just a swipe of your finger.

For Face Unlock, it is what it does - unlocking your phone with your face but in Huawei's case, you have two ways of doing this - 1) Direct unlock or 2) Slide to unlock. What's the difference? Well, if you choose 'slide to unlock', you can take advantage of its notification display smart lock screen notifications. This is because if the phone doesn't recognize your friend's face, it will automatically hide the content from any notifications. In other words, your privacy is protected.

To upgrade the two new features, just go to:

Are you looking forward to this new update? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more Huawei news at TechNave.com.


Face Unlock feature will be included in honor 7X's next software update

In this short announcement, honor Malaysia is excited to let their honor fans know that the honor 7X's upcoming software upgrade will include a Face Unlock feature. Although the date is not known yet, they said it will be coming in a few more weeks and Malaysia is actually one of the first countries to receive the update. Here's what George Zhao Zhiwei, the Head of honor Malaysia said.

“Our Malaysian users will be amongst the first to receive this update. This Face Unlock feature will make it more convenient for users to unlock their phones by simply pressing the power button to wake the screen, then the face recognition feature will do its magic. This is in addition to biometric unlock feature using fingerprint."

“This is a great feature which further reinforces our testament to drive rich functionality while not breaking the banks of our fans and customers in our product offerings. This compliments the introduction of our very first and most affordable FullView phone, the honor 7X,” said George.

The update is likely to come through OTA (over-the-air) and honor 7X owners will surely get notified of that. For more information on honor, please visit www.hihonor.com/my/ and stay tuned for more honor news at TechNave.com.


Face Unlock update available for honor 7X and 9 Lite

Today, the Face Unlock update is officially available for the honor 7X smartphone, the honor 9 lite is also getting the update as well but will only have it on 3 April onwards via over-the-air (OTA) update.

According to honor Malaysia, its Face Unlock feature is capable of recording more than 1000 data points on your face and they also want you to know that it can be used to hide incoming notifications on the lock screen, covering your privacy. This can be done in the settings and if you want, the messages can only be shown when you face is recognised. Pretty cool, huh?

To recap the tech-specs, the honor 7X features a 5.93-inch FullView display with a near bezel-less screen design, 4GB + 64GB memory, a dual rear 16MP + 2MP camera, a badass 3340mAh battery and more. One of our writers quite enjoyed using the phone, so check out the review here.

Meanwhile, we are still testing out the honor 9 Lite so stay tuned for that review at TechNave.com.


Face mask support is widely rolling out for HUAWEI Mate 50 Pro's face unlock

Apple has already tuned its Face ID to recognize users' faces even when wearing a face mask. Now, HUAWEI finally introduces its version of support for the feature. The brand has announced recently that the HUAWEI Mate 50 Pro's face unlock will now be able to detect users' faces without removing the face mask.

Not only do you need to have the Mate 50 Pro, but the device also needs to be updated to HarmonyOS 3.0 version 3.0.0.156 or above to use the feature. To enable face mask support, it can be done by going from Settings > Biometric and Passwords > Face recognition > Setup face id (if never, skip if already) > Setup a face id record with a mask.

Besides that, the latest update also improves the camera photography experience. Changelog documents that the update "optimized the display effect of thumbnails and photos in some scenes and optimized to improve the stability of the camera."

Let's hope that face mask support will arrive on more Android devices or that COVID-19 can be completely gone already. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech update.


Face masks are not compulsory to put on in public and should not be stopped from entering shopping malls!

Malaysians are frustrated with not being able to purchase the surgical face mask as it is now on a limited supply in the country. Today, the Health Director-General Datuk Dr. Noor Hisham Abdullah has once again clarified only those who show symptoms or deals with patients in the healthcare sector are obligated to wear on a face mask.

Ever since the Movement Control Order has begun on March 18, a number of local authorities and supermarkets restricted those who did not wear a face mask from entering to shop for groceries. This has caused frustrations among the people with the shortage of face mask supply in the country. Dr. Noor Hisham stressed out strictly no arresting should be made for those who did put a face mask on in the public.

Siapa yang perlu pakai penutup mulut dan hidung (face mask)?Anda tidak perlu pakai sekiranya bukan tergolong dalam golongan yang disenaraikan.#coronavirus#COVID19#sihatmilikku#walkthetalk pic.twitter.com/so2lqeakoH

He explained the WHO’s advisory states that healthy people only need to put on a face mask when they are coughing or sneezing, or if they are taking care of a person with suspected COVID-19 infection or working in a hospital environment. Aside from that, he mentioned that social distancing is more than enough and the face mask will only be effective in combination with frequent hand-cleaning using alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water.As of now, Malaysia has a total of 1518 confirmed COVID-19 cases with a total of 14 deaths. So always keep your hygiene well taken care of and do not go out of your home if unnecessary. Stay tuned for more local news updates on TechNave.com!


FaceTime new updates will be available to Android and Windows PC users!

During the WWDC keynote, Apple announced a few new updates on its iOS 15, iPadOS 15, macOS Monterey, and more. One of it that Android users can relate to will be the FaceTime app which previously only available on iOS and Mac devices will now be available on the web for users to call in from an Android devices and Windows PCs.

According to the company, the release date was not immediate. But what we do know is that FaceTime is becoming a bit more like a Zoom-like video call service which allows you to grab a link to share with people to join in immediately or on a specific time that you scheduled.

There will also be a new grid view option, a voice isolation feature, spatial audio support for better sound quality, a portrait mode to blur your background while you’re on a call as well as Share Play feature. The Share Play feature will allow a group of people to watch or listen to the same songs or videos at once. It supports numerous big names like HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus and more.

With that said, there is still no official release date yet, but with all the new updates, both iOS and Android users will certainly be excited about using it for video calls next. Let us know what you think at our Facebook page and stay tuned for more tech news updates on TechNave.com.


Facebook + AFP will now fact check fake news and content for Malaysians

Facebook Malaysia announced their third-party fact-checking program today by partnering with Agence France-Presse (AFP) to review and rate the accuracy of stories, photos and videos on Facebook in Malaysia. When third-party fact-checkers like AFP rates a story or content as false it will appear lower in your News Feed and those who shared it will be notified.

Facebook and AFP will be checking content on Facebook in English and Bahasa Melayu for now but Facebook’s fact-checking program works with 54 global partners covering 43 languages. Here’s what Facebook and AFP reps had to say about it:

“We know that people want a safe platform for them to have a positive experience online. Our expanded third-party-fact-checking program in APAC through continued partnership with AFP in Malaysia reaffirms our continued effort to help build a more informed community and supporting digital literacy in the country,” Alice Budisatrijo, Strategic Partner Manager, Facebook Malaysia.

“AFP is committed to debunking disinformation around the world. With the addition of Malaysia and Bahasa Malaysia, AFP now writes fact checks in eight different languages, including English, French and Arabic, covering more than 20 countries worldwide. In the Asia-Pacific, AFP is already fact-checking in Australia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines, Pakistan, Singapore, and Sri Lanka,” Cat Barton, AFP Asia Fact Check Editor.


Facebook AI fails to disapprove ads with false info on COVID-19

When it comes to information, the wrong kind is often harmful. With the COVID-19 pandemic, spreading misinformation is the last thing we need. Facebook has been working on this in recent weeks, using a global network of fact-checkers and an AI to prevent the spread of wrong info. But it seems that the AI for Facebook Ads isn't doing too good of a job.

According to TweakTown (via Consumer Report), an experiment to test how well Facebook Ads' AI can deal with misinformation was conducted recently. It found that the AI is quite poor at determining whether an ad should be approved or not. In theory, the AI will not approve ads that contain misinformation, such as those with claims of the current coronavirus pandemic being a hoax or that drinking bleach could cure it.

However, the ad that claims the virus being a hoax and another that declared social distancing useless were both approved. This proves that Facebook's AI is far from capable of properly screening all ads. Although these ads were not published and Facebook could remove them later, there's no telling how far the misinformation could spread and how much harm it could cause.

In this time we're living in, it's crucial to verify the truth of things we see on social media not spread them mindlessly. With that said, have you seen any news that you know are fake? Make sure to warn the people around you about them. We'll also keep an eye out for fake news and let you know which ones to look out for from time to time. Remember to stay tuned to TechNave.com for updates!


Facebook Announces Facebook Home and HTC First Due in Malaysia Soon

Due to all the leaks about Facebook's "new home on Android" most of what got announced at Facebook's recent big event wasn't really big news. Confirming our previous news about Facebook Phone leaks, is that Facebook is indeed releasing an Android Home screen launcher. The official quote from Mark Zuckerberg was:

“Today we’re finally gonna talk about that Facebook phone. More accurately, we’re gonna talk about how you can turn your phone into a Facebook Phone." Mark Zuckerberg.

What Facebook Home does is basically take over your normal UI interface (in the same way any launcher would) and makes it more Facebook friendly. It has various advantages over the stock Android Facebook app by allowing for better features and a deeper Facebook experience on your smartphone (more on this later). In essence, it can be installed on any Android smartphone provided that it has the right hardware and has the right software (in this case Facebook apps such as Facebook messenger and the Android Facebook app already installed).

According to Facebook, Facebook Home is not a fork of the original Android OS, instead it works as a launcher. For now, the HTC First is the first Android smartphone that will have Facebook Home preloaded but the full Facebook Home app launcher should be available for US devices by 12 April 2013 (and other markets such as Malaysia afterwards). The Facebook Home app can be used as a lockscreen or a home screen and will also get monthly updates.

Regarding the HTC First, not much was mentioned regarding hardware, but most of what was guessed initially is correct. The only new factoid about the HTC First is that it supports LTE as well. The HTC First will be offered at $99.99 on 12 April 2013 under most major US carriers but other Android smartphones will also get it as well. The next few compatible Android smartphones after the HTC First includes the HTC One, HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S III, Samsung Galaxy S4 / S IV and Samsung Galaxy Note II.


Facebook Avatar is coming soon to WhatsApp as new stickers

It seems that Meta will be adding a new feature to WhatsApp. The unannounced Avatar feature is not found in our WhatsApp yet but according to sources, here's what we can expect from it.

In the screenshots, Avatar can be accessed through your WhatsApp profile via Settings and you would see it below "Account". Upon entering, you would be able to create your own WhatsApp avatar with a wide selection of choices. From different hairstyles to emotions just like what you see on Facebook.

Basically, it's the same Avatar function that Facebook introduced back in two years ago. It's not known how the Avatars can be used on WhatsApp but the most logical one would be using them as stickers to express yourself. WhatsApp hasn't made any announcements about it yet so we just have to wait and see.

But what do you think? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


A new HONOR 70 Icelandic Frost edition is coming with a free Enhanced Touch 'n Go NFC card soon

Today, HONOR Malaysia just announced a new HONOR 70 in a new colour scheme. Called the Icelandic Frost, the new theme colour is actually similar to the new Touch 'n Go (TnG) Enhanced card. This is in line with a promotion that HONOR Malaysia and TnG are working on.

So what's the promotion? Well, if you get your hands on the new HONOR 70 Icelandic Frost edition, you can also receive a free Enhanced TnG NFC card! It will be available in limited quantities and HONOR Malaysia will reveal more details soon at a later date.

To recap, the HONOR 70 is priced at RM1999 and the Icelandic Frost edition is probably using the same 8GB + 256GB memory configuration. Besides the upcoming new theme colour, you can also get the HONOR 70 in Crystal Silver, Emerald Green or Midnight Black. You may check out the rest of the tech specs and features from our news coverage right over here.

The Enhanced TnG NFC card is also another item that's quite hard to get due to supply and logistics issues globally. Anyway, if you have been looking to get a new HONOR 70 and this card, it's killing two birds with one stone. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg turned out to be quite a big fan of Samsung phones

In another interview session by YouTuber MKBHD (Marques Keith Brownlee), his latest one was with Mark Zuckerberg, the CEO of Facebook. In that nearly 20 minute video, MKBHD just had to ask him about what "phone is in his pocket right now" and Mark just revealed that he is a big fan of Samsung.

From the transcript, Mark did not hesitate to give his reason on why he likes using Samsung phones so much. Although he did not specify which Samsung phone he was using, he did say that he has been using Samsung phones for a few years and think that the company build great phones. On top of that, he also continued that billions of people around the world use Android (which he is also a fan) so it was pretty good for him and the Facebook team to have exposure to use different Android phones instead of iPhones.

From a business point of view, what he is saying is that the Facebook team should try to cater to different Android users as they are the largest market. MKBHD didn't ask any further questions after that probably because the interview session was running out of time (it was almost the end of the video). But apart from that, they also talked about other various tech topics such as Spotify, Holograms and more. If you would like to watch the video, you can check it out above.

So what about you? What phone is in your pocket right now? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook Creators can't attend Mobile Legends World Championship (M1), here's why.

The Mobile Legends World Championship (M1) is arguably one of the largest MLBB esports tournament to be held in Malaysia, and it starts from 15 November until 17 November 2019. For those who were unable to attend, they can also catch the aforementioned tournament via livestream on Youtube, which is the rival of Facebook.

With that said, it seems that two weeks ago Facebook sent out an email stating that they strictly advised to all Facebook Gaming Creators to not attending the Mobile Legends World Championship (M1). The email also stated that there will be consequences for those who have attended the event.

Email from two weeks ago. Image courtesy of mmoculture.com

What are your opinions on Facebook’s reaction on the matter? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Facebook Dating feature is now available on your app

So it finally happened, Facebook Dating is now official and Malaysia is part of the first wave among 18 other countries. According to Facebook, Facebook Dating is not really like Tinder and other dating apps, as it also specializes in safety and privacy (haha, right) and doesn't require you to swipe left or right. Instead, it uses a "Secret Crush" feature. Here's how it works.

Secret Crush allows you to add your crush on a list secretly and don't you panic, nobody, even your secret crush will be able to see your list at all. However, should you crush also add you to their own secret crush list, then both of your Facebook Dating profile will be unveiled and taa daaaa, surprise! Also, you can only add crushes up to 9 only and only one at a time per day but can be removed whenever you feel like it. In addition, there is other stuff that you should know about Facebook Dating:

Facebook Dating is its own separate profile from your original Facebook account

It also relies on common traits for matchmaking according to the Facebook algorithm

With safety and privacy as one of the cores of Facebook Dating, you can choose which friend to check out your dating profile or even block them

If you wanna get started, you will have to update your Facebook app first (not available on the web browser), go to the setting menu and you will see the word "Dating". Tap on that and then you can follow the instructions on setting up your new profile. Good luck on finding the love of your life!

Now if you'd excuse me...Imma go set one up now. Stay tuned for more Facebook news only at TechNave.com.


Facebook Gaming is introducing 4-person co-streaming

If you want to watch your favourite content creators collab in streams, you usually have to open multiple windows to watch them. However, Facebook Gaming is making it easier for content creators to stream together and for their viewers to watch them.

According to the announcement, Facebook Gaming is introducing a new co-streaming feature on the platform. Specifically, the main host can now stream with up to three other game content creators. In case you are unaware, Facebook Gaming is Facebook's platform for live streaming. It is meant to compete with Twitch and YouTube/YouTube Gaming but piggybacks on Facebook's huge userbase.

For those who want to co-stream with others, you have to head to Facebook Gaming. Next, go to 'Gaming' on the menu on the left, tag your game under the search field, then tag your co-streamers under 'Co-stream'. If you're already live, you can still add co-streamers by going to "Edit stream", then tag the game you're playing and your co-streamers.

Has anyone managed to try this yet? If so, do share your experiences in the comments below! Also, do stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Amazon want to get in touch with PM Ismail Sabri on Malaysia's cabotage policy

Image (left) courtesy of windsystemsmag.com

Over the weekend, tech giants with the likes of Facebook, Google, Microsoft and Amazon have sent a letter to meet our latest Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob regarding Malaysia's cabotage policy. In case you're unaware, this issue has been going on for a few months now about allowing foreign vessels to repair undersea cables.

The issue was revoked last year from the previous government body but with the new Prime Minister and cabinet reinstated, the tech giants are hoping for a favourable outcome to reinstate the cabotage rules regulations. Currently, the Malaysia Internet Exchange (MyIX) is representing the tech giants to engage with the new government.

MyIX Chairman, Chiew Kok Hin told Reuters that there is no harm in allowing the tech giants to use foreign vessels and repair the undersea cables. On top of that, they can also facilitate the transfer of knowledge to us. Currently, there is only one Malaysian company in the industry but is inexperienced in doing so. He added that the situation would have been different if there were a few developed companies in the industry.

At the moment, Facebook, Microsoft and Amazon haven't responded to Reuters' queries about the letter. There is no response from the Prime Minister Office and Ministry of Transport as well. Until there is a new update about it, we will be keeping an eye on the situation. Stau tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook, Google and Microsoft to consult with PM on allowing foreign vessels to repair submarine internet cables

Apparently, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Week Ka Siong just recently signed a feral gazette on revoking special permission to foreign vessels. While it may seem like a patriotic move, this will make repairing the submarine internet cables far longer than ever. Now several large tech companies including Facebook, Google and Microsoft will consult with Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on this matter.

The tech companies sent a memorandum to the Prime Minister just four days ago and they are still waiting for the response. The reason being is that the revoking could severely affect the country's economy and we are relying heavily on internet infrastructure stability. Should the decision move forward, any maintenance work will only be carried out by one local vessel that has only one cable repair ship.

On top of that, foreign ships that need to make submarine cable repair works will need to apply for a domestic shipping exemption license (DSLE) which takes a longer time. They say the average repair time for the submarine cables is 27 days for Malaysia, longer than 20 days in the Philippines, 19 days in Singapore and 12 days in Vietnam. If DSLE is not required, repair time can be shortened from 27 days to 14 days.

While we don't really know the real reason to revoke special permissions on foreign vessels, the latest decision by the government is likely to make it difficult for the country to attract foreign investment to become one of the global data centres. We think if the government is insisting on this move, then our repair management will have to be super-efficient for compensation.

What do you think about this issue? Share your thoughts in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook Home Reaches Malaysia

If you've been following us, you'll know that Facebook has released Facebook Home, it's app launcher for Android smartphones. While the initial release was for the US market back on 12 April 2013, the app has finally made it's way to other markets, including Malaysia. All you need to do to get it is to go to the Google Play Store and download it. Do remember that you probably need to have the Facebook for Android app and Facebook Messenger app already installed.While it is available for download, unfortunately it won't work for all Android smartphones. As of the time of writing it is only available for the HTC First (which was the first smartphone to come prepacked with Facebook Home), HTC One X, HTC One X+, Samsung Galaxy S III and Samsung Galaxy Note II. Other smartphone owners will have to wait a little while longer for their versions to come out.[Source]


Facebook, Instagram & other platform links not allowed on Twitter anymore

Today, Twitter has announced a bizarre decision to ban the free promotion of certain social media platforms on its own space. In other words, this means you won't be able to post and share other social network links anymore on Twitter.

In an official tweet by Twitter Support, it specifically mentioned a number of social media platforms. This includes Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Trush Social, Tribel, Nostr and Post. However, Twitter will still allow cross-posting content but not posting links as aforementioned as well as usernames to social media platforms.

Specifically, we will remove accounts created solely for the purpose of promoting other social platforms and content that contains links or usernames for the following platforms: Facebook, Instagram, Mastodon, Truth Social, Tribel, Nostr and Post.

Upon reading the new policy on the official Twitter page, even third-party social media link aggregators are also disallowed such as linktr.ee, Ink.bio and so on. Twitter also mentioned that they will allow paid advertisement/promotion for any of the prohibited social media platforms.

Thankfully, original websites (like ours), as well as YouTube, Telegram, TikTok, Weibo and others that aren't mentioned remain safe to post. That said, we can't help to think that even posting your YouTube profile page may be banned since they don't allow usernames to social media platforms.

Either way, violating the new policy would get your tweet deleted and temporary account locks or suspension. To read more about the policy, you can visit this page. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook Malaysia enforces Community Standards against harmful content

Recently Facebook Malaysia revealed a bit more about their Community Standards, which are basically their rules on what can and can’t be shared on Facebook. Designed with Safety, Voice and Equity in mind, these Community Standards were published in a more detailed version to avoid harmful content such as hate speech, bullying and extremist content from being published on Facebook in all of the local languages including Bahasa Melayu.

Available in various languages including Bahasa Melayu, they also recently expanded appeals, so you can ask for a second look if you don’t agree that your content doesn’t go against the aforementioned Community Standards. The content review team will then check it within 24 hours and if said content does not violate Community Standards it will immediately be restored. While investing in AI to detect violating content, there is a global team of 15000 people dedicated to reviewing such content.


Facebook Malaysia to implement Terragraph in Cyberjaya for high-speed internet and their plans for Malaysians

Facebook Malaysia has just moved into a new, larger office. With it, it aims to bring much improvement and waves of development to the country by introducing high-speed internet via the Terragraph as well as empowering small businesses in Malaysia with the necessary skills and tools.

The Terraraph system is a new wireless technology by the company which uses street-level mmWave radios placed on street furniture such as lamposts. This technology is created to meet the growing demand for high speed internet in both urban and suburban areas. This technology is able to fiber-like speeds and only costs a fraction of the cost of our current fiber technology. As of right now, the Terragraph is undergoing trial in Georgetown, Penang with 50 free wifi spots. Soon, Facebook Malaysia is planning on expanding their trial to Cyberjaya within this 2019.

The Terragraph connectivity area in Facebook's new office

The Terragraph hotspot layout in Georgetown, Penang

In addition to high-speed internet, the company also aims to grow local businesses to bring life to Malaysia’s digital economy. The initiative, aptly named Fast Forward Together, focuses on creating programs to help Malaysian entrepreneurs grow and transform their businesses both locally and globally through digital skills.

Currently there are 4 programs run by the company. The first being Made in Malaysia, Loved by World which is a partnership between FB Malaysia with Matrade and AVANA which has helped empower 1000 businesses across 7 cities in this country, equipping businesses with the means to export their products and knowledge of digital online capabilities for global growth. Next is Blueprint Training which offers free education to help businesses learn how to market their businesses through the many Facebook apps. The Developers Circle aims to build programs for local developers that support education and innovation by providing them with the skills and resources they need. Lastly, the MDEC e-Usahawan Program aims to produce 100 Blueprint Associate Certified trainers this year so that they are able to go out and produce more across Malaysia.

With 98% of Malaysian internet connected users on their platforms, Facebook Malaysia also aims to make their platforms more empowering for communities to have a positive social impact on society. The Facebook Community Leadership Circle program aims to empower and show support to Facebook community leaders through Facebook Groups. The leaders will meet, gain experience as well as share experiences with one another. This program is set to launch by the end of this year in Kuala Lumpur. Besides that, We Think Digital offers literacy courses to help the community think critically and learn to be more aware when sharing news on social media.

Since 2016, Facebook Malaysia has been trying to create a change here in the country via their platform. The NUR Alert lets users know when a child goes missing on a user’s timeline in affected areas and Safety Check lets loved ones know if a user is safe and sound during a traumatic incident. In addition, very recently the Why am I seeing this was just launched to help users understand why a certain post on their timeline, what posts they interacted with triggered it and allows users to control what they see on their feed via a simple control on their News Feed.

Today, Facebook Malaysia also celebrated a new milestone which is an expanded, new office in Kuala Lumpur. With the larger office, the company hopes to expand their team, providing more benefits for users across Malaysia. So what do you think of Facebook Malaysia’s plans? Keep up with the latest news on TechNave.com!


A new Huawei 20MP selfie smartphone is coming soon to Malaysia

So here's some news, Huawei Malaysia has hinted a new smartphone is coming to Malaysia. You must be thinking what smartphone could it be, since the P10 series are already here, and we aren't expecting to see the upcoming Mate 10 that soon yet. Well, the answer is the Nova series and it is Huawei's first smartphone ever with a 20MP front camera.

Huawei Malaysia didn't really give us a lot of details on this, except that the new Nova smartphone offers:

Knowing that with the 20MP front camera on board, this is probably the answer to vivo and OPPO's selfie craze marketing that has been happening over the past few months. We also don't know when is the exact reveal date, but it sounds like it's coming really soon with the given teaser poster above.

So what Nova smartphone do you think it is? Our best guess is the Nova 2 and Nova 2 Plus since the phones have a 20MP front camera too but that remains to be seen. Stay tuned for more Huawei Malaysia news at TechNave.com.


Facebook Messenger Desktop version now available on macOS and Windows

With the on-going Movement Control Order, Facebook have announced some good news for all the people working at home. If you happen to use Facebook Messenger a lot, the company are launching a Messenger app for both macOS and Windows users. But hold on, what's the difference between this Messenger app and the browser?

Perhaps the biggest difference is that the desktop version comes with an unlimited and free group video calls. Although you can do that on your mobile phone already, the browser version is rather clunky and you can have group video calls on a larger screen. From the short promo video, your Messenger on the mobile phone will be in-sync with the desktop version so even if you're away, you won't miss a call or message. Did I also mention that it has Dark Mode and GIFs? Nice.

If that sounds good to you, you may visit messenger.com/desktop and get started on your macOS or Windows. Stay tuned for more Apple news at TechNave.com.


Facebook Messenger Rooms is now available for free, update rolling out globally

We have been talking about Facebook's Messenger Rooms recently and starting today onwards, the feature is now rolling out globally! To refresh your memory, Messenger Rooms is a new feature that allows you to create a room for video calls with up to 50 people. Here's how you activate Messenger Rooms.

Messenger Rooms is available on both iOS and Android so make sure you have the latest Facebook and Messenger version, also the rollout may take some time so please do be patient. As for the desktop version, you will need to download the Messenger Desktop app from the Microsoft Store or Mac App Store, don't worry it's free. By the way, there is no time limit when using Messenger Rooms. Even if someone doesn't have a Facebook account, he or she can still join via an invitational link!

As an online software, Facebook will monitor and might add more features in the coming months, so try it out if you can. Personally, we think this is the next best Zoom alternative program to use. Have you tried it? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook, Messenger and Instagram are reportedly down

It looks like Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram are having some technical difficulties right now. Many users have complained about not able to send and receive messages through the platforms. Not just in Malaysia, other countries such as the United Kingdom, France, and Australia are facing the same problem as well.

Starting from around 5 pm today, the mentioned platforms have started to receive reports on the site Downdetector. Luckily, it seems like WhatsApp is not affected by this despite being owned by Facebook. Are you one of the users who has been affected? If yes, be patient and we believe that Facebook will respond to the issues in no time.

Let us know what you think about this! Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest tech updates.


Facebook Messenger app for iOS now twice as fast and 84% smaller

Yesterday, Facebook Messenger had an update that trimmed the fat of the app in various areas. Now, we have a little more detail as to what was done on the development side. Facebook has revealed that the Messenger app for iOS is now twice as fast and is 84% smaller than the previous version.

Prior to the redesign, it was quite clear that Facebook intended for its Messenger app to be an all-in-one platform that provides a variety of features. But as Raymond Endres (VP of Engineering, Messenger) explained, the app became harder to navigate and the architecture more complex as development progressed. As a result, Facebook worked on reducing the app from over 1.7 million lines of codes to 360000 lines - a massive reduction in the size of the iOS app.

According to Endres, the improved iOS version of Messenger will be rolled out to users gradually over the coming weeks and will feature the same changes that are already found on the Android version of the app. You should now only see two tabs for Chat and People, with the latter being divided into Stories and Active tabs. Facebook also mentioned that some of the features that have been removed could make a comeback in the future.

Some of the iOS users on our team have already gotten the updated version on their iPhones, so the new version should already be available in the Malaysian Apple App Store. For those who have already updated to the new version, what are your impressions of it so far? Is it faster and easier to use? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Facebook Messenger is getting end-to-end encrypted message sync

While Facebook has renamed itself to Meta, most of its apps and products have avoided that awkward name change. That doesn't mean that nothing will change for apps like Facebook Messenger. In fact, sources have found new features for the platform.

According to Alessandro Paluzzi, Facebook Messenger is working on syncing for end-to-end encrypted messages. These messages are normally stored on a cloud server and will be encrypted for extra protection. But if you want access to it on multiple devices, you can generate a code that gives you access to the messages via your other devices.

#Facebook #Messenger is working on end-to-end encrypted message sync pic.twitter.com/ZiyXqgDQcG

Besides that, Facebook is looking to add Chat Heads and the ability to pin threads to the desktop version of the app. In case you didn't know, Chat Heads is the floating chat icon feature you get on the mobile app for Facebook Messenger. Pinned threads let you keep track of specific threads easily and isn't anything new, especially if you have experience with Discord.

Personally, none of these features is all that relevant. But would you find them useful? If not, what's a feature Facebook Messenger needs right now? Share your ideas in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Facebook Messenger no longer has Discover tab, focuses more on Stories

Many regular users of Facebook Messenger have run into a chatbot at one point or another and while amusing at times, most find it pointless. Facebook has redesigned the app, which has been greatly streamlined with the Discover tab for businesses now gone. Instead, it now has an emphasis on the People tab and is more focused on Stories.

According to TechCrunch, the Facebook Messenger app now focuses on just two tabs: Chats and People. The Discover tab, Games, and other less frequently features are no longer available or readily accessible. Facebook has been working on stripping off or hiding features that don't see much use, with the Discover tab the most recent was to get the boot. The redesigned app will be rolled out gradually to various regions, though Malaysian users should be able to experience it now by updating the app through the app stores.

The old Discover tab made businesses visible on the platform

It's clear that Facebook has been aiming for a simplified app that is just about letting users share stuff with each other, which is a good thing in our opinion. Having said that what do you think about the redesigned Facebook Messenger, do you like it better the way it is now? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Facebook Messenger now testing Reactions and Dislike button

Are you a fan of Facebook Messenger? It looks like you would soon be able to react to individual messages on the popular app. The feature, which is already available on Facebook’s News Feed, is currently being tested by random users. There’s a total of 5 reaction emoji(s) and another 2 others, which are thumbs up and thumbs down, which meant you could now dislike or disagree to a message. The 5 reaction emoji includes expression of love, funny, shocked, sad, and frown.

The thumbs down reaction is something new that is not being offered as a response on News Feed, which, according to TechCrunch, Facebook seemed to think that, when put in context within Messenger, could serve as an agree/disagree option. Example, when used in a group chat, it could be used as a voting process.

"We’re always testing ways to make Messenger more fun and engaging. This is a small test where we enable people to share an emoji that best represents their feelings on a message." - Facebook statement via TechCrunch

It has been one year since Reactions had been made available for News Feed, and it had generated 300 billion responses thus far, with more than half being accounted for by the Love reaction, proving the popularity of using reactions as a form of expression. Since this feature is currently in its testing phase, not every Messenger user has access to it yet. If the testing goes well, eventually all users will be receiving this new feature.


Facebook Messenger updates comes with Pacman and other classic games

While most people uses the Facebook Messenger as a chat service to talk with friends, Facebook thinks that it can be more than just for words. They have now rolled out an update for Android and iOS that will allow users to play a number of classic and current games directly in Messenger.

The new version of the app adds a game controller icon below where users normally type messages. Tapping on it will bring up a list of the free games that are available to play within the app. There are current 17 games to choose from, ranging from classic arcade titles like Pac-Man, Galaga and Space Invaders to more recent releases such as Words with Friends: Frenzy. With the new update, you can also challenge other players online if they can beat your high scores.

More games will be added soon, so are you going to waste your productivity on this new feature on the Facebook Messenger, like us? Stay tuned to TechNave for more news.


Facebook Oculus Quest 2 promo video leaked, reveals tech specs and features

When Facebook renamed Oculus to Facebook Reality Labs, some were concerned that the company would do away with the Oculus branding completely. But it seems that the company's new virtual reality (VR) headset will at least escape this fate and be launched as the Oculus Quest 2. Now, an official promo video of the headset has been leaked.

According to UploadVR, the video was accidentally leaked by Facebook but was since taken down. An overview of the Oculus Quest 2 was given in the video, with some tech specs and features being detailed. It's confirmed that the headset will come with a Snapdragon XR2 chipset, 6GB of RAM, and 256GB for internal storage. Besides that, it'll output 2K resolution per eye.

In terms of features, the ergonomics of the controllers have been improved so that they're more comfortable. Some games will even directly support hand gestures, so you don't have to use the controllers. The video also mentioned that you can use the Oculus Quest 2 to watch Netflix, immersive 360-degree videos, 3D art pieces, and more. What's interesting is that you don't have to plug the headset into a PC or console to enjoy some simple games.

Facebook has yet to announce the price and availability of the Oculus Quest 2, but we'll probably find out during the Facebook Connect conference tomorrow. With that said, would you be interested in getting this new VR headset? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Facebook Oculus Quest 2 release: Snapdragon XR2 chipset and 90Hz display from ~RM1240

On Tuesday, a leak for the Oculus Quest 2 appeared and was pretty much an official reveal that dropped ahead of the Facebook Connect event. But now the event is over and the new virtual reality headset has been unveiled. It's expected to be available in selected countries on 13 October 2020.

According to Oculus, the new Oculus Quest 2 comes with the new 5G-capable Snapdragon XR2 chipset from Qualcomm. This is expected to deliver huge improvements over the first Oculus Quest's Snapdragon 835 chipset. The Quest 2 will have 6GB of RAM, which is 50% more than its predecessor, as well as a bump in resolution for the display to 1830 x 1920 pixels per eye.

In terms of features, the displays now output at a faster 90Hz refresh rate. Moreover, the Oculus Link feature will let you play Oculus Rift games using the Quest 2. Of course, you will need to have a powerful gaming PC to go with it. You'll also have to buy the Oculus Link cable separately, which will cost USD97 (~RM402). Speaking of prices, the Oculus Quest 2 will retail for USD299 (~RM1240) if you get the base variant with 64GB of storage. But you can also get one with 256GB of storage for USD399 (~RM1655).

Having said that, is this something you would be interested in? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave for more news.


A new Huawei P20 Aurora model with 6GB + 128GB is released in China for ~RM2671

At this moment, only the Huawei P20 Pro has the Twilight model and it has been proven as a popular option to have thanks to its colour mash-up between purple and cyan. So due to its popularity, Huawei has decided to launch a P20 Twilight (or rather Aurora, according to this source) model as well.

Officially launched in China, the P20 Aurora is slated at 4288 Yuan (~RM2671) which is around the same price as ours at RM2599 but here's the kicker - although the Aurora and Twilight looks very similar, it's said that the colours behind will change differently from how the light shines on it, but it doesn't specify what kind of colour it will show. Perhaps it's the same thing, but just a different name for the China market. To add on to that, the P20 Aurora is also configured at 6GB + 128GB memory as well, making it superior to our local P20 model here which is only 4GB + 128GB.

Besides that, everything else of the tech-specs is the same. Will Huawei Malaysia import this special edition? We hope so. Stay tuned for Huawei news at TechNave.com.


Facebook Pages updated with new features and redesigned layout

With a new year comes new things, such as new products set to flood the upcoming CES 2021 or updates to our favourite services. In the latter category, Facebook is starting its year with a major update to Facebook Pages.

According to the announcement, Facebook has begun to roll out a new update for Pages, now with a new layout and features. For people who have Pages, it's now easier to navigate between your profile and Page. There's also a news feed now that can let users discover new conversations, public figures, other Pages, and more. Pages can also now host Q&A post, which could lead to more interactive conversations between Page owners and Followers.

Speaking of Followers, it seems Facebook is removing Likes for Pages. Facebook mentioned that you will still know how many people are receiving updates from your Page though. For that, there's now are now new Page management features, which comes with better controls for admin access or tasks like Insights and Ads.

There's more to the update, so do check out the announcement for more details. But with that said, have you gotten the new update on your Page? What does it look like and do you like it? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Facebook U-turns on decision to sell ads on WhatsApp

In May 2019, Facebook announced that it will start selling ads on WhatsApp in 2020. However, it seems like the company has decided to drop that plan. Facebook has since disbanded the team that was formed to work on this project and remove all related coding from the app itself.

According to Engadget, Facebook had wanted to include ads into the Status of users in the regular WhatsApp and WhatsApp Business apps, kind of like what was done for Instagram with Stories. For now, Facebook has suspended the plans to do so. But that may not be a permanent decision as the company could still look towards introducing some form of advertising in the widely used messaging system much later. In our opinion, there's no way that Facebook will give up an opportunity to cash in on a platform with such a large userbase.

With that said, what are your thoughts of ads in WhatsApp? Are you fine with it or would it cause you to uninstall the app? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Facebook Watch could come with two cameras and a heart-rate monitor

For those who didn't know, it was rumoured that Facebook has been working on a smartwatch. Allegedly, the company wants to build one that can compete with Apple Watch and Google Wear OS-based models. Now, we're told that this watch could launch next year.

According to The Verge, Facebook has plans to launch the "Facebook Watch" in summer 2022. That would mean we should expect it to be released sometime between June and September. This device will have a display with two detachable cameras that can be used to take photos and videos, as well as a heart-rate monitor. Users can then share the media content with their friends on Facebook or Instagram.

Moreover, the front camera is a 1080p camera that has autofocus and can be used for video calls. From the description, it sounds like the cameras and smartwatch can be considered separate devices It means that the camera would need its own battery to work. Also, this suggests that Facebook could make other accessories for the Facebook Watch.

To be honest, this doesn't sound realistic to us. After all, how do you attach a camera to a device as small as a smartwatch? But if it were possible, would it be a device you'd buy? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Facebook, YouTube, Twitter & Snapchat suffered almost $10 billion losses from Apple's App Tracking Transparency policy

Since the instalment of the App Tracking Transparency in April 2021, Apple introduced an anti-privacy policy that gives you the option to allow third-party apps to track your data or not. It's been a year since then, so is there any impact from that?

Well, The Financial Times (FT) did an investigation and discovered that social media apps got hit by the feature a lot. Besides Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Snapchat lost approximately $9.85 billion in revenue. Adtech consultant Eric Seufert also told the FT that Facebook got impacted the most as they "have to rebuild their machinery from scratch".

Furthermore from the report, Facebook lost the most money mostly because of how big the company is and having to rebuild the machinery as mentioned. Snapchat also suffered loss and “fared the worst as a percentage of its business” since they don't have a desktop version for advertising.

With the heavy impact of Apple's App Tracking Transparency policy, advertisers still can focus on Android devices. Or either that, they will just have to get creative such as paying YouTubers to promote their products in their videos. But how do you feel about all this data tracking in order to advertise more products? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook accounts getting banned for use in multiple Oculus headsets

If you are really into virtual reality (VR) and want to get multiple Oculus headsets for your family, you probably want to take note of this. It has been reported that Facebook has been banning the accounts of users who are using it simultaneously on multiple Oculus series VR headsets.

For those who are unaware, the Oculus VR headsets like the Oculus Quest 2 requires you to log in to a Facebook account to use it. According to Windows Central, Facebook has confirmed that users are not allowed to use one Facebook account for multiple headsets. Doing so is allegedly against Facebook's terms of services and will result in the Facebook account being banned.

Important VR PSA #2: Oculus headsets being used simultaneously on the same Facebook account will get it banned.“not be able to use two headsets” “lead to one or both Facebook accounts being disabled or permanently banned”Comms: @FBRealityLabsSource: Reddit - kommanderk33n pic.twitter.com/uUGjF3VUZ9

This is admittedly strange, considering how we can sign in your Facebook account to multiple smartphones or PCs. But for some reason, this rule doesn't apply to Oculus headsets. While this is probably not going to be a big deal for the vast majority of users, the few who were caught unawares now can't access their accounts due to the bans.

Honestly, this serves as a reminded that while we may hate scrolling through long lists of ToS, it's a good idea to at least go through the product's FAQ section at least once. What do you think? Do you think it's Facebook's fault here for not being more transparent about this? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


Facebook ad system goes bonkers and overcharges customers

When it comes to advertising online, most systems let you set a budget and choose how you want your ad to be presented. For Facebook, you do this with the Meta Business Suite. The platform is mostly based on software, which means bugs can occur.

According to Gizmochina, Facebook's ad system suffered a glitch recently. It supposedly caused the system to overcharge advertisers for ads and wasting their budget. The good news: Meta has confirmed that there was a bug and that advertisers can apply for a refund. The not so pleasant news: Meta refuses to explain what the problem was, which shows a lack of transparency.

Going back to the bug, it was said that advertisers were charged more than double the rate that was agreed on. This caused advertisers to lose their ad budget faster than expected, resulting in the budget being essentially wasted. Normally, paying more for ads should result in better ad performance, but this wasn't the case. Besides Facebook, the bug also affected Instagram.

If you were a victim of this bug, let us know if Meta provided you with any details about the problem. Also, what do you think the company needs to do to improve its ad platform? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Facebook adds Soundbites, Podcast, and Live Audio to its platform

Yesterday, sources confirmed that Facebook would be launching new audio products for its platform soon. In its official announcement, the company confirmed that it's launching a total of three audio products - Soundbites, Podcast, and Live Audio.

Soundbites is a new app that lets users record short audio clips and share them. This is probably the app previously named 'Hotline' and is supposed to be like an audio-only version of Instagram Reels. Next is Podcast, which lets you share and conduct podcasts on Facebook. And finally, there's Live Audio - the audio-only version for Facebook Messenger. The company is also building a set of audio creation tools so that users can edit audio files on their mobile devices.

Currently, the new audio products are all in the testing phase, so we won't be able to use any of them. But the good news is that Facebook will include monetisation opportunities. For example, Live Audio hosts would be able to charge a fee for access to Live Audio rooms or set up fundraisers for different causes.

It's hard to judge whether they'll be successful since there aren't any demos to show how these new audio products work. But what do you think about them so far, based on Facebook's announcement? Drop us a comment on the topic below! also, stay tuned to TechNave for further updates on this.


Facebook adds new features and changes to Messenger Rooms to make it easier to manage

When Facebook rolled out Messenger Rooms globally in May, it was probably hoping to become the top video call service. With Zoom and Google Meet in the way, that hasn't happened yet. But the company has added some new features and changes to Messenger Rooms that may entice more users to it.

Facebook has added quite a few new features to Messenger Rooms over the last few weeks, such as the ability to broadcast your rooms to Facebook Live and integrating it into Instagram so that more people would use it. This time around, the company announced a new interface that helps users create Rooms via Messenger. Users will now be able to create rooms with custom activity name and custom background by uploading a picture or video.

Besides that, Facebook is making it easier for you to manage the rooms you've created with the Manage Rooms. For example, it's now possible to schedule a date for future rooms and manage who gets to join. You'll also be able to view, join, or edit the settings of your rooms. The new update has being rolled out to the mobile version of the app, while the browser version may take some time to be updated.

If you're on Facebook often and have a lot of contacts there, Messenger Rooms may be worth using as they add in more features. But have you used the app before and how does it compare to Zoom or Google Meet? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Facebook aims to help limit spread of misinformation on coronavirus

With something as serious as the coronavirus happening, it's important to know what news is legit or fake. Just two days ago, our own Ministry of Health sent out a list of the fake news that's been going around. In the same way, Facebook is taking steps to limit the spreading of false information.

According to Facebook, the company will be using its global network of fact-checkers to help check content on the platform and dismiss any fake ones. If a piece of content or info is found to be fake, the platform will limit its spread. Moreover, users will be sent accurate info from the fact-checkers.

In addition, the platform is supposed to send notifications to people trying to send unverified news and even remove the content if it has been proven to be fake. For example, if there is fake news that claims drinking bleach could cure the virus, that content would be removed as soon as it is found.

At this crucial time, it's very important to not spread any false or even harmful information. Facebook is doing its part and so must the public. If you've seen any of these fake news, remember to flag them! For other news and updates, please continue to follow us on TechNave.com.


Facebook aims to provide accurate forecast of Covid-19 spread with the help of AI

As you know, the Covid-19 cases in our country have hit an all-time high a few days ago. Our government has also started to applied stricter MCO rules across the red zones to prevent the virus from continuing spreading throughout the country. While it's obvious that the pandemic is far from coming to an end, Facebook is trying to fight it with the help of an AI algorithm.

According to the source, Facebook has published a paper giving a forecast of COVID-19 spread across the U.S using AI. The company has also revealed that their forecast has seen a strong performance compared to others. It is said that an accurate COVID-19 forecast is important to help with decisions to be made including hospital capacity and lockdown restrictions.

Furthermore, the company has also built a “neural autoregressive model” that aims to separate regional and disease-specific elements of the data. To simplify it, that means that it could give a heads-up whether a spike in one country could affect neighboring countries. However, the forecast is currently only making predictions for the U.S. The company hopes to translate the model across to Europe to offer something similar soon.

Let us know what you think about this news on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest tech news.


A new Huawei P50 Pro design patent got submitted and it could look like this

While we are still waiting from Huawei Malaysia on the Mate 40 series release for the Malaysian market, there is already some news on the P50 series. Typically, the P-series would be unveiled during the first quarter of the year and someone just rendered the P50 Pro model.

Looking at the design, the rendered image is said to be according to Huawei's design patent submission some time ago. It's very unlikely that the company would settle on this design but it's still an intriguing one and certainly an eye-catching one. Should it be true, the nearly circular rear camera design houses four sensors which presumably to be the main, ultrawide, telephoto and a macro lens.

On the front, the pill-shaped dual front camera is still there and the bezels on four sides are almost gone. A dual-curved display is present as well and it's a good chance that the P50 Pro could sport a Kirin 9000 chipset with 5G capability. Of course, this piece of news should be taken with a huge pinch of salt.

Anyway, what do you think of this unofficial camera design? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook and Apple are having a drama about data privacy but you should pay attention to it

If you're an Apple fan, you might have come across a piece of news about Facebook attacking Apple about ad-tracking. In fact, they bought a full-page newspaper ads column to address the issue about their policy and boy, we got ourselves some drama here. Apple also just responded but in case you missed it, here's what happened.

From the newspaper ad, Facebook claims to be standing up to Apple and speaking up for small businesses (SMEs). They started by saying the SMEs are the core of their business but Apple's recent iOS 14 update is said to be causing limitations their business on personalized ads and reaching their customers effectively. They added more information in their blog post, accusing of iOS's App Tracking Transparency feature is all about profit, not privacy which hurts SMEs businesses and forcing them to sign up for subscriptions.

While the App Tracking Transparency is not fully launched yet (until 2021), Apple responded to Facebook by saying this feature is just letting Facebook giving users a choice. They also said the feature is "a simple of matter standing up for our users", you can read the full transcript below:

“We believe that this is a simple matter of standing up for our users. Users should know when their data is being collected and shared across other apps and websites — and they should have the choice to allow that or not. App Tracking Transparency in iOS 14 does not require Facebook to change its approach to tracking users and creating targeted advertising, it simply requires them giving users a choice.”

On top of that, not only Facebook has an option to give users a choice but it applies to all developers as well, including Apple (which they told 9to5mac.com). Advertising is still possible with the upcoming App Tracking Transparency feature, but giving users more control over their data which can be done in Settings -> Privacy -> Tracking. By the way, Apple also updated the App Store with a new App Privacy label where developers must disclose what data they have been collected and how it is used.

New App Privacy label about Facebook as seen on the Apple App Store

So that's the gist of what is happening between Apple and Facebook. With that said, you should also be careful about the information you put online because of how developers can use the data. You don't need to let the world know everything about you. Stay safe and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook and Google partnering to build new undersea cables to Southeast Asia

Do you know the joke about sharks biting undersea cables? Obviously, they're not always the culprit, but cable faults happen every year and they can be disruptive to our region. Now, Facebook and Google plan to alleviate the issue by building more cables.

According to Reuters, the two companies are planning to build two new undersea cables that connect Singapore and Indonesia to North America, which should reduce the burden on existing cables. In other words, it also indirectly improves Internet connectivity of other countries to servers in the American countries.

Facebook claims that it would increase overall subsea capacity between the two regions by about 70%. These cables are expected to be ready by 2023 and 2024 respectively, with each cable being built by different companies. Facebook, is partnering up with Google and XL Axiata to connect the first cable (Echo) to Singapore. As for the second cable (Bifrost), it's a project between Facebook, Telin, and Keppel.

Of course, this doesn't guarantee that Internet connectivity between Malaysia and North America would be better. It does look to be the case, but what do you think? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Facebook and Instagram are lowering video quality for the networks to have some breathing room

It's now day 6 of the Movement Restriction Order and many of us have been staying indoors more than ever. With this, Internet usage have also increased and you may have noticed that your respective Telco and Internet providers network are slower as well. Besides, YouTube and Netflix have already reduced the video quality just so that they can free up the Internet space.

In this latest news, it has been announced by Facebook that the company will reduce the video bitrates temporarily in Europe. Like other streaming brands, this will allow European networks to deal with the huge amount of users for Facebook as well as for Instagram. Below is the official statement by a Facebook spokesperson:

"To help alleviate any potential network congestion, we will temporarily reduce bit rates for videos on Facebook and Instagram in Europe. We are committed to working with our partners to manage any bandwidth constraints during this period of heavy demand, while also ensuring people are able to remain connected using Facebook apps and services during the COVID-19 pandemic."

Although this is taking effect in Europe, we won't be surprised if this happens in Malaysia too as some users are already experiencing low YouTube video resolutions and slower loading time on our Facebook app. This is annoying for sure but will ease those who are working remotely from home.

Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook and Instagram are planning to build an Instagram app version for kids under 13

An Instagram for kids? Yup, at least that's the idea for now according to Instagram Vice President, Vishal Shah. The company is planning to develop an app version for those who are under the age of 13 and it's now on the priority list. In case you didn't know, the current app version doesn't allow children under the age of 13 to use it.

Shah further commented that Community Product Group will have two focuses on building the new app for kids. First, accelerating our integrity and privacy work to ensure the safest possible experience for teens and secondly, building a version of Instagram that allows people under the age of 13 to safely use Instagram for the first time. In a way, it would be following the footsteps of YouTube Kids.

The announcement was made after a few public criticisms of teens facing abuse, bullying or online predation. The project would be supervised by Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri and Facebook Vice President, Pavni Diwanji. Diwanji was a former executive in Google, where she was involved with YouTube Kids so this should be a big help for Instagram.

At the moment, there's no blueprint yet but practically, Instagram wants to build a solution for kids where parents have some transparent monitoring or control. You can read more about their recent post titled "Continuing to Make Instagram Safer for the Youngest Members of Our Community" here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Facebook and Instagram finally roll out the option for users to hide the like counts

Facebook and Instagram are now finally offering the option that lets you hide the like counts. It has actually been a long time since we first heard about the feature in 2019. After years of tests and pressure, the social media platforms will now be rolling out the option after almost two years.

You are now able to toggle an option to hide all like counts on all posts in your feed on both Instagram and Facebook. There's also a separate option that lets you hide all your posts' like counts to others or even hide them on a per-post basis. For now, the per-post option is only available on Instagram but it's expected to make its appearance on Facebook in the next few weeks.

A 2017 study by the Royal Society for Public Health UK has claimed that Instagram is one of the services that is detrimental to young people’s mental health and wellbeing. Experts have suggested that removing the like button and like counts could help reduce anxiety and social pressures for some users.

Let us know what you think about this news on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech news.


Facebook and Instagram have banned Donald Trump's account for at least 2 weeks

If you have been following the news in the USA, Donald Trump's supporters are surely causing a lot of trouble in the Capitol. Initially, we weren't going to write news about this but apparently, Facebook has decided to ban Trump's account 'indefinitely'. This decision was made by Mark Zuckerberg himself on his Facebook post.

According to Mark's post, the reason to ban Trump's account was because of the violent behaviour shown by the supporters. As Trump is practically still president until the transition of power is done, his usual outrageous statements are likely to "provoke further violence". The company has also removed his statements that have "incite violent insurrection against a democratically elected government".

The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining...

On top of that, Instagram has also blocked his account indefinitely. It takes at least two weeks for the transition of power to be completed so until then, Trump's account won't be accessible for that period. Previously, Twitter also banned his account for the same reason but it is now back online with Trump asking his supporters to remain peaceful. Twitch is the latest platform to ban his account as well.

It's only the first week of 2021 and there are so many dramas already. Oh well, we hope your week has been a peaceful and fruitful one. Stay tuned for more media news at TechNave.com.


Facebook and Instagram launched a new feature to support local businesses!

Businesses have been impacted thoroughly since the beginning of movement control order (MCO), especially on local businesses. Recently, Facebook and Instagram have launched a new tool respectively to aid local businesses via gift cards to direct people to local businesses and purchase them through third-party partner sites.

Facebook is now testing a feature called ‘Support Local Businesses’ allowing the public to be able to access gift cards from participating merchants in their cities through the Facebook page. The value of the gift cards will be shared through Facebook’s partners, Fave and StoreHub, and minus their transaction fee with the participating merchant.

As for Instagram, businesses can add a gift card sticker to their Instagram stories and a button for their business profile page. The new gift card stickers will allow users and customers to tap through it when they encounter the Instagram stories from the business profiles to complete a purchase on the website of the chosen platform.

Facebook Malaysia country director Nicole Tan said the new tool was introduced to support businesses impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and hope to provide a means for people to share and support their local businesses with ease. So do try out the new features on your business profile pages and stay tuned for more local news updates on TechNave.com!


Facebook and Instagram to ban face mask ads to get rid of COVID-19 exploitation

While Facebook can be pretty annoying on showing you ads about something you just talked about, the company have decided that they enforce a temporary ban on ads of medical masks. This is to prevent exploitation by groups or individuals in the wake of COVID-19.

The news can be traced from Facebook Product Management Director, Rob Leathern, on his Twitter account saying that Facebook is banning ads and commerce listings sellings medical face masks at a ridiculous price. Moreover, he also said that if you (yes, you) see any ads showing up, you should flag it for the Facebook team to take action. In addition, Instagram will also do the same as Adam Mosseri, the Head of Instagram also declared banning ads and people exploiting the public health for their gains.

We are rolling this out in the coming days, and anticipate profiteers will evolve their approach as we enforce on these ads. Please report if you see such ads showing up (top right corner of ad) and flag here as well for our teams to action https://t.co/t4N6HOCXai

Update: We’re banning ads and commerce listings selling medical face masks on Instagram and Facebook. Supplies are short, prices are up, and we’re against people exploiting this public health emergency. We’ll start rolling this out over the next few days. https://t.co/GyPFEHr4qe

The initiative will be rolling out in the next few days so do play your part in reporting the fraud ads on your social media accounts. By the way, we should also always do a cross-check on news before forwarding to friends and family. This is so that we won't cause any necessary panic just like what happened with KL Sentral last week thanks to the quick spread from WhatsApp and Twitter.

Do continue to keep your hygiene in check and stay tuned for more social network news at TechNave.com.


Facebook announced Venue to take on Twitter

Earlier today, Facebook recently unveiled a new app called Venue, which was made to take on Twitter when it comes to events as it is able to display user interactions during the event via hashtags. However, it is best to take note that the app isn’t focused on fan commentary which is quite different compared to Twitter.

Instead, the event can specify who (journalists, fan-analysts, athletes and more) is allowed to give their input which can help control the flow of the conversation. Not only that, but those specific individuals can also open up a chat where the fans are able to interact with them.

With all that said, the Venue app will make its debut during NASCAR’s Food City presents the Supermarket Heroes 500 race in the US. Unfortunately, there is no official information on whether this app will be available in Malaysia.

Would you be interested in trying out Facebook’s new Venue app? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Facebook announces Watch as rival to YouTube, eventually coming to Malaysia?

Facebook recently announced that they are introducing their Watch platform to select mobile, laptop, desktop and TV app users in the US and it will be a video-centric platform to watch and discover videos. In short, this is Facebook's answer to YouTube. According to them, curated content is being currently being created, and according to TechCrunch, content creators will get a 55% share of ad break revenue.

Hopefully Facebook's Watch will also solve other issues like music revenue being used in these videos or come up with their own list of free to use video music. No news as to when we'll see it here in Malaysia but we expect it to come eventually, so stay tuned to TechNave.com and we'll keep you updated.


12GB Redmi K40 Gaming is bestselling variant, Redmi K50 series could have improved display and fast-charging

When brands market certain features, sometimes it's a hit and sometimes it isn't. In that regard, Xiaomi did well in convincing people about certain features of the Redmi K40 Gaming. So much so that a particular variant surprisingly sold better than the rest.

How much RAM does a phone need? Well, it really depends. But generally, 8GB is more than enough for most people. If you're interested in that topic, you can check out our article about it here. But anyway, Redmi boss Lu Weibing has revealed that over 70% of sold Redmi K40 Gaming devices were of the 12GB RAM variant. This means that a large majority of those who bought the phone feel that 12GB of RAM is important.

In related news, Lu Weibing has also started to ask Xiaomi users what they'd like to see in the Redmi K50 series. This means that the company could already be far into the development of the product, but is at a stage where changes are still possible. However, a well-known leaker revealed that we might see the new series sooner than later. We can also expect to see improvements to the display, video recording capability, and battery charging speed.

It's still early days and there's no solid info of the Redmi K50 series yet, but it looks like we could see the launch within 2021. With that said, what are you hoping to see improved in the new models? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates on it.


A new Huawei P50 leak shows a rear penta-camera design

It's the new year which means we are going to see some new smartphone designs. As reported earlier, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series will make its debut on 14 January 2021 and Huawei would usually follow up after that. While there isn't much news about the Huawei P50 series, the latest one just got leaked online.

Leaked by none other than Slashleaks, we got to see the back and its rear camera design this time. The rear camera design is super rectangular this time and it's said to have 5 cameras there, including a square perforated multi-zoom lens. Besides that, there are LED flashlight and focus sensors there as well which looks overkill.

In addition, it's also interesting to note on the 6 small dots which may be another type of sensor. As for the front, there is only a single front camera at the top left display. The Huawei P50 series should be equipped with HarmonyOS 2.0 and a Kirin 9000 chipset too.

Of course, we should take this with a pinch of salt as it may be a prototype model. But what do you think of the design? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.