US President in talks with TSMC and Intel on moving manufacturing plant to the US

Based on a statement by ithome.com, it seems that the president of the United States is currently in talks with TSMC as well as Intel on opening factories to the US. But that’s not all, they are also keen on having Samsung expand to the US market as well.

However, the source has mentioned that it will not be a straightforward affair due to the fact that manpower in the US is considerably more expensive compared to Asian countries such as Vietnam. With all that said, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt due to the fact that nothing has been set in stone as of now.

What are your thoughts on the US currently in talks with companies such as TSMC, Intel, and Samsung on opening a factory in their country? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


5 Features you can't find in most RM500 and below phones besides the Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro

Looking for a value busting device? The Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro offers attractive features for an entry-level device and surprisingly, these are the features you won't find in most other phones within this same price range. Wondering what they are? Read on and find out more.

Most phones and devices below or around RM500 pack in LCD displays, which do not offer the same bright colours and clear details as a Super AMOLED display. With the Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro, you can watch movies and see pictures on a 5-inch Super AMOLED display which offers more vibrant colours than most phones. In addition, Super AMOLED displays are much thinner, resulting in a sleeker smartphone like the 8.4mm thin Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro.

Have you ever had that problem of not being able to reach the darn camera shutter button after you've got the perfect angle and expression for a selfie? That's often the case with most budget busting phones but the Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro offers a flexible Floating shutter button that can be moved according to how you want it to be, so now you can take selfies at any angle with ease with its 5MP (F2.2) front camera.

Work and play don't always seem to associate but with the Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro's Dual Messenger, you don't have to buy and carry 2 phones with you. Now you can talk, chat, mail and communicate with 2 accounts on the Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro using the Dual Messenger. The Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro comes with 2 dedicated SIM slots and 1 microSD card slot which lets you swap between 2 different telcos as well (without sacrificing any of the slots!)

Accidents happen and sometimes we just can't avoid them. With Samsung Cloud, you don't have to worry about your data, contacts and messages because the Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro lets you back-up and sync all of these online at no extra costs.

Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro comes with removable battery design you can just swap the used battery and replace it with a fully charged battery whenever your battery runs low. No extra powerbank required!

With these features, the Samsung Galaxy J2 Pro at RM499 is definitely a value-busting device. It is available at Samsung stores across Malaysia and official online stores on Lazada or 11street. Thanks for reading and stay tuned to more tech articles from TechNave.com.


Apple has discontinued sale of Intel-based MacBook Air laptops

After what has been a long wait for fans, Apple finally launched its new MacBooks earlier today. But if you were hoping to get the older models for a cheaper price, you may be out of luck. If you try to shop for older MacBook Air models now, you'll find they are no longer available.

According to Wccftech, Apple has removed older Intel-based MacBook Air laptops from its website, leaving only the new Apple M1-powered model. A quick check on the Apple Malaysia website reveals that this is the same here, with only the new MacBook Air available from. Fortunately, you can still get Intel-based models of the Mac Mini and MacBook Pro.

The move isn't all that surprising, as Apple would want consumers to adopt models with its latest Apple M1 chip. On top of that, official prices for the Intel models were not reduced and are actually more expensive, so there's no real incentive to go for them. Removing the Intel-based models for the MacBook Air makes sense, as it is meant to be a more affordable MacBook.

The new MacBooks are currently unavailable in Malaysia, but you can check the Apple Malaysia website for prices and details. Would you be interested in buying one for yourself? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more Apple updates.


US Senators also want the Department of Commerce to follow EU's footsteps in standardising standard charges

If you haven't heard, the European Union (EU) is in an agreement that all compact gadgets should use a USB-C port. While the agreement is not fully in motion yet, that may force Apple to switch the iPhone and iPad devices from the trademark lightning port to USB-C in the future.

Apple should not just worry about the potential change in the EU market but the US market as well. Sources have reported that two US Senators have written an open letter to the Secretary of Commerce to follow EU's footsteps. Written by Senators Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren, the letter didn't mention Apple's name but emphasised standardising the charging port for the sake of reducing e-waste and making it convenient for consumers.

Below is an excerpt from the open letter:

The European Union (EU) just passed important legislation obligating electronics manufacturers to adopt a common charger for mobile devices across the EU.

1 - We commend the Department of Commerce for the steps it has already taken to address these issues, 2 - and we urge you to follow the EU’s lead by developing a comprehensive strategy to address unnecessary consumer costs, mitigate e-waste, and restore sanity and certainty to the process of purchasing new electronics.

As we mentioned, the agreement is not approved yet but will go into EU law in the fall of 2024. The USB-C will be required in every smartphone, tablet, portable speaker, compact gaming console, camera, headphones and laptop. Most of the newer devices are already using USB-C but Apple's iPhones and iPads would have to make changes.

Reports have said that Apple has been testing the devices with USB-C ports but it's unknown if we will see it this year or in 2024. Whichever the case is, 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.


US allowed to supply chips to Huawei provided they're not used for 5G

Based on a statement by gizmochina, it seems that the US will once again be allowed to supply chips to China, provided that the components are not being used for 5G. Furthermore, it seems that more than 300 companies including major names like Samsung, Qualcomm, and MediaTek had applied for a license in order to do business with Huawei.

With all that said, there could be a possibility that Huawei could release a 5G smartphone that comes with completely different components as compared to variants without 5G. However, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Huawei has yet to provide an official statement on the leak.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on US companies being able to supply chips to Huawei? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


US government may soon be banned from buying Huawei equipment

Huawei's trouble with the USA continues. Although it seemed like things were looking up, it has now been announced that the country's House of Representatives has passed a bill to ban the US FCC (Federal Communications Commission) from helping telco carriers purchase Huawei telecommunications equipment.

According to CNET, the chairman and ranking members from the US Energy and Commerce Committee also made a statement in regards to the bill. The reason for the bill was cited as a need to protect the country's wireless networks from malicious foreign interference. This bill will now have to make its way to the US Senate, the body that will then decide whether the ban goes through.

Should the ban go through, the US government will also be required to help small-time carriers remove all network equipment deemed suspicious. We're uncertain if the US government will also help replace the equipment. If not, then the move could really hurt the small-time carriers in more rural parts of the USA the most, causing them to reinvest in more expensive equipment from other brands. Huawei itself has not responded to this, though it's likely a formal announcement will be made soon.

What do you think of Huawei's latest predicament? Do share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates on this.


US license granted to Sony and Omnivision to resume supplying camera sensors to Huawei

Right after the US government had given license to firms for supplying chips to Huawei, the next good news to the China tech company is getting the approval to work with Sony and OmniVision once again for receiving their tech components.

With this, it means Huawei, Sony and OmniVision are now licensed and back to business. In case you didn't know, both Sony and OmniVision are the top two leading camera imaging sensor suppliers. Besides Apple, Sony is also known to provide premium CMOC image sensor chips to Huawei as well, which is why Huawei smartphone cameras are technically one of the best. By the way, the latest Huawei Mate 40 series is equipped with Sony imaging sensors.

However, an anonymous told sources that Sony will still monitor the situation about their business with Huawei. This is because Huawei still requires reliable suppliers for chips and other tech components. If they can't, they simply won't be able to function in the smartphone industry and might not payback.

Besides Sony and OmniVision, other tech companies such as Samsung, Intel and AMD have resumed business with Huawei as well. Qualcomm and MediaTek are still awaiting license approval from the US government. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


US retailer slips possible Nokia 2 retail price from $99 (~RM420)

The Nokia 2 was briefly spotted on a B&H retail listing which has been since taken down but not before netizens could take a peek at what’s behind the counter. The listing not only provided a list of some device specs but also the possible official US price of 99USD which is the equivalent of our Malaysian RM420.

We get that this is not an actual representation of the actual price in Malaysia but hey, at least we can have a good guess on how much the phone would cost when it (and if) it does come over to Malaysia. Don’t worry, phones are almost always cheaper over here than it is in the west.

According to GSMArena, the Nokia 2 is a budget-oriented device that is reportedly rocking a standard Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 or 212 chipset and a singular camera setup. It will also feature a huge 4000 mAh battery for those who don’t fancy powerbanks on the go.

The Nokia 2 is scheduled for its big release somewhere in November 2017 so do remember to keep your browsers tuned to TechNave.com if you don’t want to miss out.


US tightens restrictions on sales of chips built with US technologies to Huawei

As if it wasn't hit hard enough, the US decided to impose new sanctions to tighten restrictions on Huawei. The US government has placed new sanctions that restrict the sales of any semiconductor chip with US technology to Huawei. This will affect companies that supply Huawei with mobile chips.

According to Android Headlines (via Nikkei), companies that want to sell chips to Huawei will now have to obtain a license first. Now, companies like MediaTek will also be unable to supply mobile chipsets to Huawei. As a result, the company's shares even fell almost 9% on the Taiwan Stock Exchange. Going forward, any company that wants to sell chips - that are created using technology from US companies - to Huawei will need to obtain a license from the US government.

These new sanctions were imposed because the US believed that Huawei was attempting to procure its chips through third parties. And if the US decides to expand restrictions further, more companies will be affected. Experts believe that the US could expand restrictions to cover companies that supply key components like display panels or materials like the protective glass covers developed by Corning.

Huawei might not have to worry in the short terms, but problems will occur in the long run. For example, the company might be forced to sell fewer devices by a wider margin. But what do you think about this? What's the biggest effect of these new sanctions? Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


USB 3.2 announced, up to 4x faster than USB 3.0

Move aside USB 3.1, a new speedster is coming to town and its name is USB 3.2. The recently announced USB 3.2 will be able to offer up to 20Gbps in transfer speeds, which is up to double what the USB 3.1 can do and up to four times faster than the common USB 3.0.

The new USB 3.2 will be used exclusively with USB-C cables as the usual connectors does not have enough wires to carry that much data.

However, not all USB-C cables are able to support USB 3.2 – only the USB-C with USB 3.1 Gen 2 compatible cables will be able to support the sheer speed of USB 3.2. Other than that, the new version requires new devices and slightly updated hosts to work so we will probably see it mostly implemented in the newer devices. It will also be backwards compatible but at the slower speeds.

Sounds great right? The official formal release will be in September where we will see some confirmed specs of the new USB, it’s still mostly in the final draft stage. However, we will probably still have to wait until 2019 before we actually see it physically.

Make sure to stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech scoops.


USB 4 is now official and can deliver up to 40Gbps speed

It wasn't too long ago that we reported that Samsung is already mass producing its latest 512GB eUFS 3.0 storage chip. At this moment, there is another new member and it's not by Samsung, but rather the standard organization USB-IF for announcing USB 4 (not 4.0, just 4) and get this, it's able to reach up to 40Gbps (dual-channel) in transferring speed!

For comparison, the USB 4 transfer speed is the same as Intel's Thunderbolt 3 as well and this is pretty great news for all mobile users when USB 4 becomes the norm. Going into the technical aspects, USB 4 is capable of supporting up to 100W of power which means it can support two 4K displays or a single 5K display. It also does not rely on a "colour interface for intergenerational differentiation", as it has a new type of protocol that is compatible with the existing USB 3.2, USB 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3. On top of that, the physical connector is the same as the Thunderbolt 3's USB Type-C.

You may not know this, but Thunderbolt 3 is only strictly certified by Intel and it's good to know that they are open to the public and the use of this technology will be excused from licensing fees. With this, transferring super big files like a 4K video footage will be faster!


USB-C version of Apple AirPods Pro 2 could launch in 2023

While most mobile devices use USB Type-C ports, Apple has stuck to its Lightning ports. This is because it's a proprietary format, so Apple gets to set higher prices. But the AirPods Pro 2 could be the first Apple device to get a USB-C version.

Recently, a product bearing the model number 'A3048' was spotted in the upcoming iOS 16.4 update. A new AirPods case with the model number 'A2968' was also referenced. According to Kuo Ming-chi, the two products are likely the two components - earbuds and case - of the USB-C version of the AirPods Pro 2. The analyst also speculated that the new model could ship sometime between Q2 and Q3 of 2023.

I think this is likely the USB-C version of the AirPods Pro 2, with mass shipments expected in 2Q23-3Q23. By the way, Apple currently appears to have no plans for USB-C versions of the AirPods 2 & 3.我覺得這應該是AirPods Pro… https://t.co/aWKJvGh1lW

However, it seems that Apple isn't about to switch all of its products to USB-C. Kuo claimed that Apple doesn't seem to have plans to release USB-C versions of the AirPods 2 or AirPods 3. Perhaps the company isn't ready to do that for most of its products yet. After all, transitioning a product's production lines to incorporate different parts likely requires time and money.

Mind you, this piece of news is highly speculative, so take it with a grain of salt. Having said that, do you prefer having future Apple devices with USB-C ports or should they stick to Lightning ports? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this!


USB Chargers these days are more powerful than Apollo 11's guidance computers

Based on a statement by Apple Developer Forrest Heller, USB chargers these days carry more processing power as compared to the guidance computer found on the Apollo 11 spacecraft. The way the aforementioned developer proved his statement is by analyzing the hardware found in the USB chargers and compared them to Apollo 11’s computers.

To go into more detail, the Landing Guidance Computer has a clock speed of only 1.024 Mhz while Anker’s PowerPort Atom PD 2 is about 48 times faster at 48 Mhz. Not only that, but the aforementioned USB Charger has around twice the storage capacity as well.

With all that said, what do your thoughts on USB Chargers having faster processing power as compared to the Apollo 11’s guidance computers? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Apple has extended partnership with (RED) until end of 2021 to continue fighting the pandemic

By now, you should be aware that the (PRODUCT)RED iPhone devices are for charity and spreading awareness of AIDS. But since the pandemic happened last year, Apple redirected the credits to the Global Fund's COVID-19 Response and it has been extended until the end of 2021.

Initially, the due date was supposed to end on 30 June 2021 but the pandemic is far from over. The central location of Global Fund is in sub-Saharan Africa, where most of the health systems are in focusing on several projects including AIDS, HIV and many others. Apple has been providing critical support since 2006 and more than $250 million in donations have been given.

In order to continue proving support, Apple is still donating $1 for every purchase made from Apple Pay on the official website, Apple Store app or the Global Fund COVID-19 Response program. While Malaysia doesn't have the benefit of Apple Pay yet, there are still plenty of (PRODUCT)RED Apple devices such as the iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, Apple Watch Series 6, and other accessories like the MagSafe leather and silicone cases.

If red is your favourite colour, it would be a good deed that you purchase a (PRODUCT)RED Apple device because of the charity (Apple does not get a single cent from this). Stay safe, everyone. Stay healthy and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


USB Type-C 2.1 specification released, bumps power delivery to 240W

A few years ago, most laptops came with thick power adapters that take up space in your back. The sizes for these adapters have gotten smaller in recent years, but no manufacturer has managed to get rid of them completely. Fortunately, that might change soon.

In case you didn't know, the USB Implementers Forum announced the revision of the USB Type-C cable and connector earlier this month. According to Wccftech, the USB Type-C 2.1 specs revision was officially released yesterday and it could have a lot of impact on future devices. The updated USB Type-C standard bumps the maximum power delivery to 240W.

For reference, USB Type-C 2.0 delivered up to 100W via Power Delivery 2.0. It means that version 2.1 can deliver more than double that amount in wattage through a USB Type-C cable. That's enough to power even a gaming laptop with overclocked CPU or GPUs. In other words, we might see manufacturers start dropping thick power bricks in favour of smaller chargers.

Of course, you'll need the new Extended Power Range (EPR) USB Type-C cables to support the new standard. We can also expect the new cable to be far more expensive than the standard USB Type-C power cables. But would you the price worth paying to get rid of large laptop chargers? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


USB announces new Audio Class 3.0 spec for phones…without a 3.5mm audio jack

Companies are slowly moving away from including the humble 3.5mm jack on their smartphones. We have a few companies already coming out with devices sans the jack - LeEco, Motorola and the most famous of all, Apple. Now the organization behind the USB standard has come up with a new guideline for a spec called USB Audio Class 3.0, which eliminates the need of having an audio jack in the smartphone altogether.

The spec from USB-IF is primarily about allowing manufacturers to remove the old 3.5mm jack socket, while also enabling slimmer devices, improved water resistance, and new digital audio features. The new 3.0 audio specification is also designed to improve power efficiency and key word detection for better voice recognition. What is important however is that the use of a USB plug still allows for analogue signal to be passed through, so we may see the return of the audio dongle included with future phones. The specs also says that future devices can feature hifi-quality signal processing for better audio overall.

Does this mean the death of the audio jack is near? Will we see slimmer phones sans the hole for your headphones? Will we have to re-live the age of audio adapter dongles? Only time will know  so stay tuned to TechNave for more new and info on this soon.


USB4 Version 2.0 announced, delivering up to 80Gbps via USB C

Today, the USB Promoter Group announced a newly updated specification for the USB4 Version 2.0. It's currently in development and when ready, the technology is capable of transferring speeds twice as fast as the current USB4 of up to 80Gbps.

Thanks to a new physical layer architecture, the existing 40Gbps USB C passive cables are now combined with the newly-defined 80 Gbps USB C active cables. It can also now allow USB 3.2 data tunnelling to exceed 20Gb/s as well as support the latest DisplayPort and PCIe versions. Moreover, it is also backward compatible with USB4 Version 1.0, USB 2.0 and Thunderbolt 3.

According to the USB Promoter Group, the update will be published ahead of the USB DevDays developer event in November. The USB Promoter Group comprises of a few well-known brands, such as Apple, Intel, Microsoft, HP, STM and many others.

We expect to see more USB4 Version 2.0 in the future, particularly in 2023 with new smartphones, tablets, laptops and other devices. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


USB4 announced with faster speeds and improved bandwidth up to 40Gbps

The new USB4 has been announced and other than the improved speeds it comes with, it even ditched the space between the name and the number. The new standard is faster, comes with improved compatibility and you don’t have to worry too much about what cable or port you plug into.

USB4 is able to send out 40gbps per second which is two times faster than the current USB 3 and 8 times faster than the original USB 3. To top things off, it will be able to support the maximum speeds of the previous cables and interfaces which makes things convenient.

In terms of compatibility, the USB4 can be made compatible with Intel’s Thunderbolt 3. This means that anyone who’s creating devices or cables with USB4 can easily make it compatible with Intel’s standard (something that is widely used on devices on the market).

Now, the best part about the USB4 is the ability for it to only use a single cable to send power, data and video signal. There’s no need to worry about which different cables to use for different purposes. Due to the fact that it can send up to 40Gbps, if say you are using a monitor that uses 8Gbps of bandwidth, the other 32Gbps can be used for other things such as sending over power, etc.

The USB4 also doesn’t need a new connector. You don’t have to worry if your computer or smart device doesn’t come with a port of the same shape or size (think HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, etc). Changing connectors can be tough, especially if most devices don’t support it yet, making it a turn off to turn to USB4.

However, there is one drawback to USB4. The first drawback would be the price. As how most new technology is, it will be very expensive due to how complicated it is to create the ports. It should be about a year till we will be able to see new devices supporting the standard.

In terms of naming, I’m pretty glad they ditched the space in the middle, makes it look shorter and neater. Speaking of the naming, USB Promoter CEO Brad Saunders mentioned that they want to make things simple by naming the brand new standards USB4, USB5 and so on. I’m going to have to agree with him, USB 3.0 and 3.1 had confused me for awhile. Do you agree? Keep up with the latest tech news on TechNave.com!


UTAR is now connected by Maxis with high-speed fibre internet and mobile coverage offered campus-wide

Maxis has announced that they have connected Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman Sungai Long as well as Kampar campus-wide with 1GB high-speed internet through the use of Maxis’ very own Internet Protocol Metro Area Network, along with 4G LTE connectivity around the area as well.

This isn’t the first time, Maxis has collaborated with universities to provide campus-wide internet coverage. Previously, the local telco company have previously worked with University Kebangsaan Malaysia, connecting up 13 campuses across the nation.

UTAR Vice President of R&D and Commercialisation stated: “We simply cannot ignore the importance of staying connected, more so with high-speed connectivity in today’s digital age.” For more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Uber and Grab now entirely legal in Malaysia

Good news to all Grabbers and Uber, because E-Hailing services has just been officially legalized in Malaysia! Yes that’s right, Grab and Uber is now totally legit in both Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak.

The relevant transportation authorities including the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) and the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (CVLB) will be the ones regulating the E-Hailing services to conform to the amendments made by the Land Public Transport Act 2010 and the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board Act 1987 which were passed in our very own Dewan Rakyat on Thursday.

Among the amendments made are the protection of all e-hailing services from any form of assault, hindrance and obstruction. Any offence may be punishable with a giant fine of up to RM1000, imprisonment not exceeding three months or both.

Isn't that great?! Now everybody can Grab or Uber with total ease. Happy travelling everyone!


Uber and Hyundai are developing a four-seat flying vehicle, with prototype set for reveal in 2023

Uber is looking to diversify its business and it seems flying taxis are the next goal. At CES 2020, Uber and car manufacturer Hyundai showed up to unveil a four-seater electric flying vehicle that is meant to be used with the Uber app in future. The two companies are still working on the prototype but expect it to be ready by 2023.

Of course, there are many technical and technological difficulties to be overcome before flying taxis would become a thing. According to CNN, an actual pilot will be needed before Hyundai is able to figure out how to make it fly autonomously. The actual design of the vehicle, flight regulations, and more will also have to be sorted out. If anything, Hyundai's estimation of 2023 may sound unrealistic to many.

It should be noted that flying electric vehicles are not new concepts by any means. Boeing has already started its own test flights of a flying car back in 2019, while former Google co-founder Larry Page has been investing in startups working on flying cars. During Boeing's test flight, the vehicle was only able to sustain a flight time of less than 1 minute, and that was without any passenger or pilot inside.

One of the biggest hurdle for such vehicles at present is battery technology. Batteries need to be small enough to not bulk up the vehicles, yet provide enough charge to taxi people around more than once before needing to recharge. Unfortunately, current batteries can't achieve the above two requirements feasibly. It'll also take a while before Uber and Hyundai's flying taxi would be able to do so without needing a human pilot.

It was certainly unfortunate that we didn't wake up in 2020 to see flying cars. But if this news is any indication, it sounds like we'd at least be able to see them within this decade. What do you think, are you excited for the day you get to sit in one? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


Uber revealed 6000 reports of sexual abuse in the past two years

With all the convenience brought to you by e-hailing services, you pretty much don’t need to worry about having no transports these days. However, there is no light without darkness. The e-hailing services can still cause issues between the drivers and riders since there are still human beings involved after all (unless the car is driven by AI). Uber, the used-to-be popular e-hailing service in Malaysia, revealed that it has received over 6000 reports of sexual abuse in 2017 and 2018.

Uber is trying to be open and unafraid of sharing their statistics when it comes to safety concerns of its drivers and riders. Therefore, sharing the numbers is the first step to increase the transparency of the company and bring awareness to such issues among e-hailing services.

With this ongoing issue, Uber has proposed a few initiatives to improve the situation. Among the efforts, Uber is sharing the names of the drivers who have been banned from the company to other e-hailing service operators. This is to prevent the drivers to register themselves again and work with other companies.

Other than that, Uber is rolling out features that allow riders to verify their drivers with a secure PIN code, send a text message directly to 911 operators, and report safety incidents to Uber even before their trip is over. In 2020, Uber is also partnering with several anti sexual violence organisations to conduct more comprehensive programs regarding sexual misconduct.

Not only Uber, several cases of sexual assault have also happened in our country while using e-hailing services. These cases led the Land Public Transport Commission to instruct all the e-hailing services operators in our country to include a panic button in their apps.

With all the convenience given to us by technology, there are still certain precautions that we have to watch out to keep ourselves safe. Let us know what you think about this issue on our Facebook page! For more tech news, stay tuned on TechNave.com.


Ubisoft announced a new shooter codenamed Project Q, claiming that it's not Battle Royale

Ubisoft has finally announced a new shooting game after the rumours circulating on the internet for a while. Project Q, first mentioned as part of last September's Nvidia Geforce leak, is a new PvP battle arena game with the company claiming that it's not a Battle Royale title.

Ubisoft has mentioned on Twitter that Project Q is still in early development. Besides that, it also emphasized that the game is not a Battle Royale but will instead "feature a variety of PvP modes". The source assumes that it could be a low-player count arena shooter by moving away from the recent failures in the form of Hyper Scape.

By the way, this is not a Battle Royale. The game will feature a variety of PvP modes with one single goal in mind: FUN!

Not only avoiding Battle Royale, but Ubisoft also has no plans to bring in NFTs. The company has an NFT project titled Unisoft Quartz, and it's having its rough times recently. Therefore, it might be why Ubisoft wants to slow things down and decided not to include it in the game.

Are you excited about this new shooter announced by Ubisoft? Leave a comment to let us know how you feel, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more gaming news.


Ubisoft announces Rainbow Six Mobile for both Android and iOS mobile gamers

Of all the triple-A video games, we were quite surprised to hear the news of Rainbow Six Mobile by Ubisoft. For those who don't know, Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six is one of Ubisoft's well-known gaming franchises so here's what you should know about it.

Rainbow Six Mobile is mainly modelled after Rainbow Six Siege and the team's goal is to bring the mobile app more accessible globally. Since both games will be similar, Rainbow Six Mobile will be a competitive and tactical FPS game that puts two teams of 5 against each other. The core gameplay, operators and maps will be similar as well.

It turns out that Rainbow Six Mobile has been in development for three years already. So in the next few weeks, Ubisoft will begin live tests for early testers to provide feedback on improving the game. If you would like to be one of the testers, you can visit the website here to register yourself for the closed alpha phase.

On that note, you may also register your interest on both Android and iOS to receive the latest updates. Are you interested and excited to play Rainbow Six Mobile? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Apple has just launched the new 13-inch MacBook Pro

The rumour about this year's 13-inch Macbook Pro will be featuring more RAM and SSD storage has just been proven to be true! Apple has surprisingly launched an upgraded version of the 13-inch Macbook Pro just now with new features like Magic Keyboard and offers up to 4TB of SSD storage.

With the launch of this new 13-inch Macbook Pro, it also marks the end of the MacBook keyboard that uses a butterfly mechanism after being replaced with the scissor mechanism. The Magic Keyboard on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro brings an inverted-"T" arrangement for the arrow keys to make them easier to find, and a physical Escape key to quit programs easily. Other than that, the Touch Bar and Touch ID button have been kept to deliver better typing experience on the Mac notebook.

For the tech specs, the new Macbook lineup will now offer 10th-generation processors for up to 80 percent faster graphics performance and makes 16GB of faster 3733MHz memory standard on select configurations. This is also the first time that they offer 16GB as standard configuration, and you can choose a 32GB memory option as well if you want a more powerful performance.

The storage of the new Macbooks has also been upgraded, as all models will now have at least 256GB of storage. If you need more storage capacity, you can even top it up to the maximum of 4TB. Other features of the new MacBook Pro include a 13-inch Retina display with True Tone, Apple T2 Security Chip, all-day battery life, and more. For the price, it will start from the lowest at RM5,599 to RM8,799 for a higher variant.

Let us know what you think about the new 13-inch MacBook Pro on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest product launches.


Ubisoft giving away free games and trials starting with Rayman Legends

We are now in day 15 of the Movement Control Order and gamers everywhere are enjoying themselves. Over the past two weeks, many game publishers have come forward to offer their games with a huge discount or just for free. In Ubisoft's case, they are back once again and offering Rayman Legends for free on their website!

Players will be able to claim the game for free starting from today onwards until 3 April. Just simply log in to your UPlay platform or their website right here and it'll be yours forever! A classic blast from the past, you play as Rayman in a platforming adventure with more than 80 levels to battle the Magician from taking over the world. Besides that, Ubisoft will be offering more free games and trials on selected games such as Assassin's Creed, Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon series, The Division, Just Dance and many more. They have already made a webpage for that over here.

Speaking of games, we have also compiled a bunch of top games to play during the MCO period. Do check them out below and stay tuned for more gaming news at TechNave.com.


Ubisoft goes after Google and Apple for mobile clone of Rainbow Six: Siege

It looks like Ubisoft wants to flex its legal muscles. Reports say that the game publisher has sued Google and Apple for a mobile game called Area F2 that is available on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The game has been accused of being a clone of the highly successful Rainbow Six: Siege (R6S) first-person shooter and Ubisoft is not happy.

Area F2 is a mobile game developed by Qookka Games and published by Ejoy Technology, which is a company under Alibaba Group. According to Bloomberg, a Ubisoft spokesperson said that almost all aspects of Area F2 are copied from R6S. It was suggested that the game is trying to ride on the coattails of R6S' success and popularity.

Many of the Area F2's mechanics are similar to the ones in R6S

Ubisoft has reached out to Google and Apple to get the game pulled from their respective stores. But the two companies have failed to comply so far, which is why Ubisoft is resorting to a lawsuit as they believe they have a clear case of copyright infringement. So far, Google and Apple have yet to respond to the accusations.

If Google and Apple comply with the takedown order, it could set a precedent where game publishers can start threatening lawsuits over every clone games. But will these companies only interested in quick cash-grabs stop churning out cheap clones? Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Ubisoft is giving away The Division for free

Itching for a new third-person shooter game? If you don't have it yet, you might want to go grab The Division in the next few days for free. Yup, Ubisoft is continuing its generous streak. After giving away Watch Dogs 2 in July, the company is going to give away the original The Division this month.

According to TechRadar, PC gamers will be able to grab The Division for free from now till 8 September 2020. But if you're an Xbox Live Gold subscriber, you'll have until the end of September to do so. The catch is that you'll have to add the game to your Uplay library before the deadline, which PC gamers can do so here. Once you have, the game will be yours permanently.

In case you've never heard of The Division, the game is set in New York after it was hit by a pandemic. You get to partner up with up to three other friends to take on the virtual streets of a city that has turned violent or play PvP matches. The multiplayer PvP is the game's best aspect, so if you enjoy such games you may want to try this out.

With that said, would you prefer getting the older game for free or play the sequel instead? Let us know what you think about The Division in the comments below! Also, stay tuned to TechNave.com for the trending news on tech or games.


Ubisoft is giving away free copies of Far Cry 3

The sixth instalment of the Far Cry series is releasing on 7 October 2021. But if you've never played any Far Cry title, there are plenty of ways for you to catch up. There was the Gamescom sale just a few days ago, but you can also grab Far Cry 3 now.

In anticipation of the release of Far Cry 6, Ubisoft will be giving away Far Cry 3 for free. You can claim it from this page via Ubisoft Connect. Just tap on the "Ubisoft Connect|PC" button on the page, then log in to your Ubisoft Connect account. From there, you can choose to redeem a copy of the game. Once redeemed, the game will be tied to your account permanently.

Note that there's a time limit for the offer. You have to redeem the game before 11 September 2021 by 2:30 PM (depending on your timezone). So if you're interested, just go grab it now before you forget! By the way, Ubisoft is still running a sale for selected games. Right now, you can buy games like Watch Dogs Legion or Assassin's Creed Valhalla at a notable discount.

You can never get enough free games, but are there any other games you'd prefer to get for free? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news on the latest mobile device and games.


Ubisoft is now giving away Watch Dogs 2 for free via Uplay

[Update] So it turns out that due to many players being unable to log in to Uplay during the Ubisoft Forward live-stream, Ubisoft has decided to give away Watch Dogs 2 to everyone that registers at this link.

If you recall, Ubisoft announced back in May that it will be hosting a live-stream event to replace its annual E3 showcase. The Ubisoft Forward promises to feature new games the publisher has been working. In conjunction with the event, Ubisoft will be giving away free copies of Watch Dogs 2.

According to Ubisoft, all you need to do to get your copy of the game is to log in to your uPlay account on the day of the stream. Specifically, you need to sign in any time between 3 AM to 3:45 AM on 13 July 2020, Malaysian time. Also, your uPlay account has to be linked to YouTube, Twitch or Mixer, which is now attached to Facebook Gaming. You'll be able to watch the live-stream via these platforms on that day, as well as on the Ubisoft's website.

On the topic of Ubisoft Forward, the publisher will likely introduce several new games. Expect to see more of the recently unveiled FPS battle royale Hyper Scape, Watch Dogs Legions, Assassin's Creed Valhalla (that had some gameplay leaked recently), and Rainbow Six Quarantine. Additionally, they will probably announce new content for existing games like Rainbow Six Siege and The Division 2.

For those who don't have Watch Dogs 2, this is a good opportunity to get your hands on a pretty good game. With that said, what else are you hoping to see from Ubisoft's event? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Ubisoft now has an official store on Shopee where you can get merchandises and more!

If you’re a big fan of games such as Rainbow Six: Siege, Assassin’s Creed, Ghost Recon, and more, you’ll be pleased to know that Ubisoft has recently opened an official store on Shopee very recently. With that said, you could get 20% off selected merchandises such as figurines, t-shirts, some games, mugs and more simply by using the discount code "UBISJUL20". (Thanks for the code aksiz.com!)

Head over to Ubisoft’s official store on Shopee, if you want to find out more information on the products they are selling. What products would you be interested in getting from the Ubisoft official store? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Ubisoft releases Ancient Egypt and Greece Edutional Tour based on the Assassin's Creed games for free

Throughout this Conditional Movement Control Order period, you, your friends and family have probably joined some online web seminars to learn a few new things. There are online photography classes, as well as finance management (no, not the "online finance gurus") but Ubisoft, the makers behind Assassin's Creed franchise, is taking this on an extra mile. From now on until 21 May 2020, you will have a chance to "visit" Greece and Egypt on an educational tour, Assassin's Creed style.

Now, we are pretty sure the online educational tour won't involve any assassination or jumping off from a high-rise building (as much as we would like to), but from what we understand by Ubisoft, you will be able to roam freely in the environment setting of Ptolemaic Egypt and Ancient Greece. The two regions should follow closely based on the Assassin's Creed games, but more like a virtual museum learning the culture and customs by yourself, as well as the philosophies, history wars, and myths. There is also an option to let the tour guides to guide you throughout the game.

Oh, the two games are called Discovery Tour by Assassin's Creed: Ancient Egypt and Discovery Tour by Ubisoft: Ancient Greece. You can claim the two games for free on their official website right here or your own UPlay client platform. Personally, I think it's a great way to engage students to learn about the history of Egypt and Greece. Play your part, play at home, and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Ubisoft reportedly working on a battle royale title called Hyper Scape

Just when you thought no one else will try to get into the battle royale space, another publisher decides to take a whack at it. Reports claim that Ubisoft is working on a new first-person shooter battle royale that will be called Hyper Scape.

According to Rod Breslau, this game is being developed by Ubisoft Montreal, which is the same studio that works on the Assassin's Creed and Rainbow Six series. Allegedly, Hyper Scape is going to be a free-to-play AAA title featuring fast-paced FPS action, set in a futuristic virtual world. The game will be available on both PC and consoles.

Sources: today Ubisoft will tease a new game code-named "Prisma Dimensions", which is actually a new AAA multiplayer fast-paced FPS Battle Royale from Ubisoft Montreal (R6, AC) named Hyper Scape pic.twitter.com/2hza3P7rz1

Breslau also shared a few other details regarding the game. He mentioned that the game will have crossplay between console platforms and that the closed beta will start next week, followed by the open beta and full launch on 12 July 2020. Besides that, the game will also have direct integration with Twitch, with Twitch streamers able to invite their subscribers to join their squad.

Granted, we're not sure if his news is true. But if Breslau is to be believed, we'll see more details being revealed this week as the embargo lifts. With that said, what do you think about this? Are you ready to try another battle royale game? Let us know what you think on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Ubisoft unveils Hyper Scape, a battle royale game featuring a lot of vertical movement

Remember the Ubisoft battle royale game that was rumoured a few days ago? Turns out that it's real after all, as Ubisoft has officially released an overview trailer for Hyper Scape that featured some gameplay. The publisher is now running a limited technical test for players from Europe and the US.

According to the game's official website, Hyper Scape will be available on PC, Xbox, and PS4. The game is expected launch within 2020, but the exact launch won't be decided until after the test phases. Ubisoft wants to ensure that the game is "in a spot where we are comfortable it meets the expectations of ourselves and our players".

Now, let's talk about the game itself. As mentioned, Hyper Scape is a battle royale game that supports up to 100 players in a massive 1km x 1km (according to scale) map. Set in a virtual city called Neo Arcana, the game features a lot of vertical movement. Specifically, you'll be jumping around a lot, which somewhat reminds me of Unreal Tournament. The game currently has 10 Champions you can choose from, though there doesn't seem to be any difference in picking one over another.

In terms of game modes, there will be two that's playable during the technical test phase: Crown Rush Squad and Crown Rush Solo. The former pits 33 squads of 3 players, while the solo mode is a free-for-all with 100 players. There will be a variety of weapons and hacks available to players, the latter of which will provide you with special abilities like teleporting or invisibility.

Hacks give you special ability like teleporting via balls

Twitch TV can directly vote for a match's battle events

Hyper Scape seems like it has great potential, but we can't quite judge until we see more gameplay footage. The technical test is already ongoing, so we can expect to see more soon. With that said, what are your impressions on the game so far? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Ubisoft unveils trailer for Watch Dogs: Legion, expected to launch on 29 October 2020

Did you stay up to watch the Ubisoft Forward stream and grab a copy of Watch Dogs 2 for free? Well, if you didn't then we'll at least tell you one of the big news you missed out. Ubisoft has unveiled Watch Dogs: Legion and it's expected to be released on 29 October 2020, for PCs on Steam and Stadia, as well as current and next-gen consoles.

The official trailer started with a montage of scenes and introduced some of the characters that will appear in the game, followed by a gameplay segment. Players will get to choose from various operatives to go out and complete missions in the large open-world. We get to see some third-person shooting, stealth action, and drone hacking.

Funny enough, while the trailer didn't list the Sony PS5 as one of the consoles that will get the game. It's probably a mistake though, as the game is slated for release on the Sony PS4. Speaking of release, Ubisoft has announced a Collector's Edition of the game that comes with a few special goodies, a season pass, and four weeks of VIP status for USD 190 (~RM810). In comparison, the standard edition is USD 60 (~RM256).

Besides Watch Dogs: Legion, Ubisoft also showed off Hyper Scape and Assassin's Creed Valhalla during the live-stream. Hyper Scape is currently in open beta for players in selected regions, while AC Valhalla will be released on 17 November 2020 for PCs and consoles. The story trailer for Far Cry 6 was also revealed, with the release date of the game set to 18 February 2021.

If you're a fan of Ubisoft games, the next few months are going to be packed for you. But having said that, what do you think of the new reveals from Ubisoft? Which game are you most looking forward to? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Apple has moved on from AirPower and it's reported to be working on a similar product

According to the latest source, Apple has moved on from the cancelled AirPower mat project and is working on another similar one. It is claimed that the company is now in the research and development stages for the "successor" of the failed wireless charging product. Therefore, the company could finally present the long-awaited wireless charging solution with multi-device support in the near future.

Besides knowing that a new wireless charging product is in the works, the source also mentioned that the product might be able to send power over the air across short distances, not necessarily through an inductive pad. We have seen other brand like Xiaomi presenting a similar idea as well with the Mi Air Charge Technology.

The AirPower mat project was announced as part of the iPhone X keynote in 2017 and promised to arrive in 2018. However, due to some hardware challenges including catching flame on a regular basis, the project was officially cancelled in 2019. Until now, the company might have gained enough confidence again and step back into the project. With that said, we hope that it will be a successful one this time and let the Apple fans have what they want!

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


Ubisoft will be hosting a digital event that will feel like an E3 showcase

If you're an avid gamer, you probably know that E3 2020 was cancelled like many other large events this year. Although a digital event was planned, the idea was eventually scrapped. To make up for it, game developers and publishers have all begun to plan for their own digital events, with Ubisoft being the next to announce a digital event.

In a short announcement, Ubisoft officially confirmed that it will be hosting an event called Ubisoft Forward. This will be a digital conference for the publisher to reveal its latest games to fans and promises to deliver an "E3-style showcase". Ubisoft is expected to unveil exclusive news on its games and other updates or reveals on the 12 July 2020 12 PM PDT, which would be 3 AM Malaysian time on 13 July 2020.

What games can we expect to see, you ask? First, there's Assassin's Creed Valhalla, which recently launched a teaser trailer. It was a disappointing reveal, as many fans were expecting to see some gameplay as well. Besides that, we should also be getting more details on Watch Dogs: Legion, which is expected to launch sometime in April 2021, as well as the co-op shooter Rainbow Six Quarantine that should launch later this year.

As developers start to host digital events, a question that arises is whether publishers and developers stick to digital events like Nintendo has in recent years. Honestly, we probably won't know until next year. But what do you think? Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Uh… Unifi Mobile now has PEK JASA for civil servants with unlimited data, calls and SMS + 10GB hotspot for… RM59

Unifi Mobile just came out with a limited offer for civil servants in the Malaysian government. Now, they can get the PEK JASA with unlimited data, calls and SMS along with 10GB of extra data for hotspot sharing for just RM59. They hope to sweeten this deal by making it contract-free, so if you’re a civil servant and your coverage areas (work, home, general places you go to, etc.) are within Unifi Mobile’s strong spots, it could be an unlimited calls and mobile Internet plan you may consider. They’ll even deliver your SIM after the online registration, free of charge.

However, if you’re not within Unifi Mobile’s strong coverage areas, we heartily recommend that you check it out first (go see their Facebook page and find out how other users in your area are doing). Our own experiences with it have been less than stellar but we do know some users who are quite happy with it. That being said, there are also a lot of other unlimited mobile Internet, call and data plans well below their RM59 per month asking price.

But what do you TechNavers think? Does this PEK JASA from Unifi Mobile tick all your boxes or does it tick you off for some reason? Let us know in our Facebook Page and stay tuned to TechNave.com


Ultimate Ear's Valentine's Day gift guide and lucky draw contest!

Have you got your Valentine’s Day gift yet? We sure hope you already did, but if not, no worries, there are some exclusive promotion going on now from Ultimate Ears. And if your partner is an audiophile, then this is the perfect gift!

The three selected Ultimate Ear products that are up to RM88 in discount each are the UE MEGABOOM, UE BOOM 2 and UE ROLL 2, what’s more, avid music lovers also stand a chance to win UE speakers worth RM10,000 through in-store lucky draws that will take place on 17 February and 8 March 2017 at most Apple stores, Harvey Norman outlets and gadget stores.

To participate in UE Valentine’s Day lucky draw which is held at selected resellers’ outlets from 3 February until 5 March 2017, three winners will take home these first luck draw (17 February)

Then on 8 March 2017 which is the grand prize,  another three winners stand a chance to win the following prizes:

Remember, you have to purchase any of the UE speakers mentioned above and submit an original copy of the participation form available at the outlet, so you can take part in the lucky draw contest. Good luck and Happy Valentine's Day!


Ultimate Ears UE Boom gets more colour combinations

Logitech and Ultimate Ears recently announced new color combinations for their UE Boom mobile wireless speakers. Featuring 360-degree sound anda double play feature, the UE Boom speakers have a specially developed acoustic skin that is both water- and stain-resistant. The new colours includes the UE BOOM Black Strap Face and UE BOOM White Strap Red with Teal Fabric for RM799, available at all authorized sellers.


Ultimate Ears UE Fits release: Custom fitting, noise isolation and 20-hour battery life for ~RM828

Have you gotten tired of true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds yet? You have? Too bad, because we're probably not going to see the end of them. Ultimate Ears is the next brand to jump onto the bandwagon and unveiled its UE Fits earbuds yesterday. It's currently available only in the US for an introductory price of USD199 (~RM828).

Ultimate Ears prides itself on its custom fitting for earphones and how it's implementing this with the UE Fits is by using a pair of gel-filled tips. These tips can be moulded to the contours of your ears, then harden permanently so that it's the right custom fit for you. A side benefit of such a good fit means that you can block out background noise. So while the UE Fits doesn't have active noise cancelling, its passive noise isolation should be just as good.

In terms of features, the UE Fits can be paired with an app that comes with multiple EQ settings. It also has dual microphones with wind noise reduction, providing audio clarity for your voice calls. Ultimate Ears said that the UE Fits will deliver an immersive audio experience, up to 20 hours of audio playback (with the charging case), and will be sweatproof.

For those who are interested in it, you can check out the official product page. Mind you, we can't confirm that this will be available in Malaysia soon. But would you be interested in getting one if it comes here? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for further updates on this.


Ultimate Ears announces UE Boom shock, water and stain resistant wireless speaker

Ultimate Ears from Logitech recently announced their new UE Boom wireless speaker. Designed for the young and trendy, the speaker is shock, water and stain resistant with a 360 degree sound and 15 hour rechargeable battery. In addition to being able to work with both iOS and Android devices, the UE Boom has another feature called Double Up which allows one UE Boom speaker to link up with another UE Boom speaker for either a stereo-to-stereo mode or traditional left/right stereo mode. Priced at RM799 the UE Boom is available at authorized retailers but here is what Ultimate Ears have to say about it:

“The digital age has changed how we listen to our favorite songs and interact with music. While online music services have made it easier to access your music, it's remained a challenge to have an anytime, anywhere listening experience that can be shared with others. UE BOOM solves that problem. Ultimate Ears strives to amplify the social experience of listening to music, bringing people together around the music they love. UE BOOM is designed to bring music out into the world, and that’s why we’re also supporting this introduction with a campaign to inspire young music fans to make music social.” Rory Dooley, general manager of Ultimate Ears


Ultra Slim Acer Aspire S13 to bring sexy back for ultrabooks

At a recent press event in New York, Acer made several new product announcements for the laptops and smartphone product lines. The Aspire S 13 is their latest entry to the thin and light Ultrabook for the masses. As part of the S series, it is both very thin (14.48mm) and light (1.3KG). It is slated to come to Malaysia soon, and we are expecting the prices to start from EUR 699 (around RM3077).

It has a hinge inspired by the Aspire V Nitro series laptop, and comes with a laundry list of features that is more than adequate. This includes a 13 inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS screen with Acer’s BluelightShield technology (which also can be fitted with an optional 10-point touch panel), Intel’s sixth generation Core processor, up to 8GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage. Plus, it comes with both USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 Type C port, HDMI, 802.11ac Wifi and a battery life of up to 13 hours (with the optional battery pack).


Ultra Wideband tech may be heading to Android devices in 2020

There are some people who may have felt that smartphones in 2019 lacked innovation but it's not as if there isn't any at all. The Ultra Wideband technology from Apple for its iPhone 11 is arguably one of the more useful ones, and now there's a possibility it might be included in some Android devices this year.

Although Ultra Wideband isn't some new technology, it was never included in smartphones until Apple launched the iPhone 11. So, how does Ultra Wideband work in this case? For example, say you want to send some files using AirDrop. All you have to do is point your iPhone 11 at any compatible device and the device will appear on your send list. Essentially, it's easier for you to send files without an external storage device or using wireless hotspot.

Now, according to MacRumors, Samsung may have a device with the same technology thanks to a chip developed by NXP Semiconductors. Having Ultra Wideband technology will make it possible for there to be an Android version of AirDrop, or at least have the same kind of easy file transfer system. But until we get confirmation from Samsung or any Android smartphone brand on this, there's not much else we in regards to this.

That said, will you find such a technology useful? If you've been using the Ultra Wideband tech on your Apple iPhone 11, let us know how it works for you on our Facebook page. Also, stay tuned to TechNave.com for other news.


Ultra-light mechanical gaming keyboard Logitech G310 Atlas Dawn revealed for Malaysia at RM499

Logitech have recently revealed their latest Logitech G310 Atlas Dawn Compact Mechanical Gaming Keyboard for the portable gamers and keyboard enthusiasts on the move. Mechanical keyboards are known for their overall better feel and performance but not often for their compact portability, something which the Logitech G310 offers along with many other features. This includes exclusive Logitech Romer-G mechanical switches for faster response, better actuation and durability, central backlighting and integrated Logitech Arx Control for improved second screen capabilities. The Logitech G310 Atlas Dawn Compact Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is available in August at all authorized resellers for a suggested retail price of RM499 inclusive of GST but for more information, check out the Logitech site.

“Having a keyboard that is compact and lightweight was important, but it also had to be durable and comfortable for hours of gameplay. The G310 Atlas Dawn uses our custom Romer-G mechanical switches so it can withstand the wear and tear of intense gaming, which is perfect for our eSports players.” KP Sim, Logitech Country Manager of Malaysia, Philippines and Brunei.


Ultra-slim OPPO R5 strong enough to chop fruit, including an Apple

Recently the Oppo R5 lost the title of the slimmest smartphone in the market to the Vivo X5 Max. However, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer is determined to prove that its smartphone is not all about a thin profile. In a recent advert released by the company, the Oppo R5 was subjected to a number of stress tests which includes smashing a watermelon, cracking nuts, using the device as a hammer to put a nail into a wooden block, and even running a car over it. Not only did the phone survive despite its ultra slim profile but it also remained scratch less throughout the video.  Oppo also took a slice at Apple, by starting off the video with the R5 chopping an Apple in half. Apart from the ultra-slim yet solid built quality, the Oppo R5 features high-end tech specs. It comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB memory. Other tech specs include a 13MP rear camera capable of recording 2K videos, 5MP secondary camera sensor, 5.2 inch Super AMOLED 1080p display with Gorilla Glass 3 protection and 2000mAh Li-Polymer non-removable battery. It runs on Android 4.4.4 Kitkat OS with Color 2.0 UI on top of it. Check out the video below for yourself:


Apple has no plan to merge the MacBook and iPad Pro as one product

Not only the 2021 iPad Pro has arrived with mini-LED, but Apple's latest tablet is also surprisingly equipped with the powerful M1 chip. Now, the iPad Pro is basically equally powerful as the M1 MacBooks and it brings us to the question of whether Apple will merge these products one day. However, Apple executives have responded to the doubt by saying the company currently has no plan for it.

According to an interview with The Independent, Apple exec Greg Joswiak and John Ternus claimed that the company is "proud of the fact that it worked really hard to create the best products in their respective category.” Therefore, merging the two products as one is not a plan that will be happening in the near future. They also mentioned that the company has the "highest customer satisfaction for each of those products in their category.”

Besides that, Ternus said that the company has never thought of limiting the features of the two products so they will maintain their differences in the development process. It is mentioned that Apple always pushes itself to make the best Mac and also the best iPad. Last but not least, the company also noticed that the new iPad Pro has extra headroom when it comes to what it can do. For that, the extra power is up to how the developers will utilize it.

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


Ultra-thin vivo X5Max available in Malaysia for RM1799

While it isn't the World's thinnest smartphone anymore, the vivo X5Max is probably one of the thinnest smartphones in Malaysia as it is now available at authorized dealers here for RM1799. The vivo X5Max features a 5.08mm thin stainless steel body. The device is powered by a 64-bit 1.7GHz octa-core Snapdragon 615 processor and 4G LTE connectivity. It comes with 2GB RAM onboard along with 16GB memory which is expandable up to 128GB. On the front, the phone has a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display with full HD 1080p resolution. At the back, there is a 13MP camera with 6P lenses and F2.0 aperture along with a wide-angle 5MP front camera. The Vivo X5 Max runs on Android 4.4.4 Kitkat with Funtouch 2.0 UI on top. However, like some other high-end smartphones the microSD card slot can be switched into a secondary SIM card slot for dual SIM support. Unlike some other very thin smartphones, the vivo X5Max has a 3.5mm audio jack for the full smartphone experience.


Unboxing & First Impressions: HONOR Band 5 | The Band that tracks your oxygen saturation in your blood flow!

Want a smartband that can last you for a 14 days usage with all the sports features? Check out the HONOR Band 5, with the newly added SPO2 feature, it can now measure your oxygen saturation level in your blood flow!

The HONOR Band 5 comes with an AMOLED screen display with more than 5 workout modes which has up to 50M water resistant level and hidden features! If you want to know more, check out our unboxing.

Stay tuned to TechNave.com for the full review soon!


Unboxing & First Impressions: Vivo V17 Pro | 6 cameras, 1 phone!

If you love selfies and photography, check out this latest device from vivo, the vivo V17 Pro. It features 2 selfie cameras placed in a pop up mechanism as well as a quad rear camera setup. 6 cameras total.

Tech specs for the smartphone include the Snapdragon 675 chipset, 8GB RAM + 128GB internal storage and more. This device has a Malaysia price of RM1699. So will you be getting this for yourself? Keep up with the latest smartphone releases in Malaysia on TechNave.com!


Unboxing and first impression of the OnePlus 7 Pro which is equipped with up to 90Hz display

Here are the unboxing and first impressions of the OnePlus 7 Pro, which has a 90Hz display with HDR10+ capabilities, pop-up front-facing selfie camera, triple rear camera setup, warp charging and more. The device is currently priced starting from RM2999, and the device's display has been graded A+ by DisplayMate which is the highest rating possible to date.

In terms of the tech specs, the OnePlus 7 Pro comes equipped with the top of the line Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, 48MP + 16MP + 8MP rear camera, 16MP front-facing pop-up camera, 6.67-inch display with a screen resolution of 1440 x 3120 pixels and it is powered by a 4000mAh non-removable battery. For more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Unboxing and hands-on first impression on ASUS ROG Phone

Have you made your blind pre-order on the ROG Phone yet? It has already started yesterday (16 October 2018) with Shopee Super Brand Day and you can actually deposit RM999 first. Slated to launch on 22 October 2018, the ROG Phone is a dedicated gaming smartphone designed to play the most intense graphics mobile games, it features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 with an option to clock at 2.96GHz, 8GB of RAM, 6-inch display in Super AMOLED, 4000mAh and even has a RGB ROG logo on the back (#swag). Anyway, if you're still thinking about it, you can take a look at our first look hands-on and unboxing video below

You can also check out the ROG Phone's gaming accessories here that are coming to Malaysia too. Stay tuned for more ROG news at TechNave.com.


Unboxing & first impressions: Black Shark 2 Pro | The cheapest powerful gaming phone on the market

If some gaming phones aren't in your budget, the Black Shark 2 Pro should be the device you need to look at. Big screen, dual front facing stereo speakers, low input latency, this is a great gaming phone!

This device features the Snapdragon 855+ chipset, up to 12GB RAM, up to 256GB internal storage and more. Pricing for the device starts from RM2499. If you're interested to know more, find our full coverage article here. Will you be grabbing yourself this phone? Keep up with the latest smartphone releases in Malaysia on TechNave.com!


Unboxing & first impressions: Realme 5 | The 5000mAh battery capacity smartphone!

Want a phone that can last you a whole day long while multitasking with it? Check out the Realme 5, with its diamond cutting design and a 5000mAh battery capacity, you can be carefree without bringing an extra weight powerbank with you.

The tech specs of the phone comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 665 chipset with three memory variants - 3GB + 32GB, 4GB + 64GB and 4GB + 128GB, a quad camera rear setup and more! If you want to know more, check out our unboxing.


Unboxing & first impressions: Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro | The older brother you asked for

The older brother of of the Xiaomi Mi 9T that everyone has been asking for is finally here! If you thought that phone was great, wait till you try the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro! Equipped with flagship specs priced at an affordable price point starting at RM1599, the Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro definitely brings more power to the table.

This smartphone will be out in Malaysian markets on the 30th of August but there will be a pre-order promotion happening soon. Find out more about device in our video below and our announcement article! Keep up with the latest Xiaomi news and releases in Malaysia on TechNave.com!


Unboxing video and pricing of the POCO M3 Pro 5G spotted?

It seems that an unboxing video regarding the POCO M3 Pro 5G might have been spotted, giving us a better look at the design, and tech specs of the device. While there is no news on the Malaysia release date, it does give us a better idea of what to expect when it is available in the local market.

But that’s not all, it seems that the video also unveiled the official pricing of the smartphone in question, which starts from 199 Euros (~RM1004) for the 4GB + 64GB variant while the 6GB + 128GB is priced at 229 Euros (~RM1156). In terms of the tech specs, it seems that it comes equipped with a 2.2Ghz octa-core chipset, 90Hz display, as well as a 5000mAh internal battery that supports up to 18W fast charging.

Camera-wise, the device has a 48MP + 2MP + 2MP rear camera while the front has a 13MP selfie camera. If you want to find out more information, watch the unboxing video linked below.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on the POCO M3 Pro 5G? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Unboxing video for the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra spotted revealing full design of the device

It seems that the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra unboxing video has been spotted, revealing the full design of the smartphone as well as what to expect when the smartphone is officially launched later today. While not much is known in regards to the Malaysia release date and local pricing, we do know that it will come equipped with 120W fast charging which is able to fully charge the smartphone in less than an hour.

In terms of the tech specs, the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra was mentioned to come equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 chipset, 6.67-inch AMOLED display which supports up to 120Hz refresh rate, and up to 12GB of RAM. Camera-wise, sources have mentioned that it will most likely come equipped with up to a 108MP camera which supports up to 120x zoom.

With all that said, do take some of the information mentioned with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Xiaomi has yet to provide an official statement on the leak. Would you be interested in getting the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra as soon as it is available in Malaysia? Let us know on our Facebook page and for updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Apple has sold over 100 million iPhone 12 series models in just 7 months

Today is the first day of July and it has been 10 months since the Apple iPhone 12 series first launched globally. That said, Counterpoint Research reported that the iPhone 12 series just achieved over 100 million units sold.

According to the research company, the iPhone 12 series already made the milestone back in April so Apple did it in 7 months instead. By comparison, that is two months earlier than the iPhone 11 series as well as selling as fast as the iPhone 6 series. In other words, this makes the iPhone 12 series the first super-cycle iPhone in 6 years.

Just so you know, the iPhone 6 series at the time was transitioning to 4G and many consumers were into the phablet designs. As for the iPhone 12 series, 5G and OLED display were two of the factors that attracted the consumers. Moreover, the iPhone 12 Pro Max performed better than its predecessor with a 29% share of sales (vs 25%). All in all, the iPhone 12 series has 22% more revenue than its predecessors in the first 7 months.

One intriguing thing that Counterpoint Research noted was that more people bought the iPhone 12 series during the pandemic. In 2019, it was reported that most of the customers stay put on their devices instead of getting the iPhone 11 series. But when the latest iPhone 12 series was released last year, a huge number of consumers switched which may have to do something with the aforementioned 5G and OLED displays.

Considering the statistic figures, Apple has indeed achieved quite a lot during the pandemic. Are you one of the iPhone 12 series users as well? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Uncharted 4: A Thief's End midnight launch at Sunway Pyramid a success

Last night at Sunway Pyramid, Uncharted fans and all PlayStation 4 gamers gathered around to celebrate the global official launch of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, which was organized by PLAY Interactive Asia. It was estimated around 500 people attended the event and more than 100 gamers who pre-ordered the game, it was also noted that last night's event was the first videogame launch to be held in public like that, the roadshow will continue on until 15 May 2016.

"This is the second time in this year we are organizing a game launch for the PlayStation 4 console. We explored this avenue and found that such game launches is a good way to reach out to our end users. It helps us to connect with our local gamers in Malaysia in a more personal way. The event was designed to show appreciation for the gamers and we prepared many great prizes to give back to these and to further promote Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, one of the most massive titles that will be released this year" said Gary Chong, CEO of PLAY Interactive.

The highlight of the event was the long queue snaking through the venue, filled with fans and gamers waiting in line to usher in the release of the game at midnight. The queue started as early as 9PM and many fans were determined to try and be the first in the queue.

"I can't believe that I am actually the first person waiting in line! The Uncharted series is one of my favourite games on PlayStation of all time and I am extremely happy and proud at the same time to be the first person to receive the official game copy as it launches in the country," said Farzan Mihanzadeh, the first person to collect his pre-ordered copy of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End at 12AM on 10 May 2016.

Fans were also treated to a lucky draw post-launch with attractive prizes such as entrance ticket plus return flight to the Tokyo Game Show 2016, Limited Edition Uncharted 4 PlayStation 4 Console Bundle, Limited Edition Uncharted 4 DualShock 4 Wireless Controller, Roccat Gaming Headset, and Exclusive Uncharted 4 T-Shirts.

Here are some of the pictures taken last night below, just in case you missed it.

Collector's Edition Nathan Drake toy figure

The queuing for the midnight launch started at around 10pm

One of the first few to get the Collector's Edition box

Congrats to the lucky winner for getting a free ticket to Tokyo Game Show 2016!

Another lucky winner of the Limited Edition Playstation 4!

That's all from last night's midnight launch, stay tuned for more news at Technave.com.


Uncharted 4: A Thief's End midnight launch at Sunway Pyramid on 9 May 2016

To celebrate the global official launch of Uncharted 4: A Thief's End on 10 May 2016, PLAY Interactive Asia are organizing a midnight launch and roadshow at Sunway Pyramid on 9 May for the Uncharted fans and all PlayStation 4 gamers across the country. Uncharted 4 is regarded as one of the most anticipated games of the year, and the popular game series follows a continuation of Nathan Drake's adventure in all new graphics potentials of the PlayStation 4 console.

Gamers can also pre-order Uncharted 4 from their nearest PlayStation Authorised Dealers and be granted exclusive access to the Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End Midnight Launch Event starting from 10PM (9 May), and it's not only just getting the game but also a chance to win merchandise, premiums, PlayStation 4s and even tickets to one of the best gaming events in the world, the Tokyo Game Show in Japan (check the Gamehub link below for more information).

Stay tuned for more news as we will be covering the event on the day, meanwhile, you visit either one of the links to check out more details about the midnight launch:


"Uncheatable" GameBench benchmark created, Samsung Galaxy S4 still beats HTC One

Recently, it came to light that Samsung and other mobile manufacturers were cheating current mobile benchmarks by upping processor performance each time these benchmarks were run on their devices. While this isn't something new in the tech industry, quite a lot of people were shocked, declared they never use benchmarks anyhow and made a general fuss about the whole issue. A startup called GameBench who have direct working experience with both ARM and MediaTek recently made an "uncheatable" benchmark for mobile gaming. The beta version of this GameBench benchmark was then run on the Samsung Galaxy S4 (the Snapdragon 600 version) and HTC One, two of the most contested smartphone models of last year (and supposed to have cheated previously). Turns out that the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S4 is still better than the HTC One (and closer to the original "cheating" scores than previously thought of). Check it out in the charts below:

The performance part of the GameBench benchmark runs an actual game and takes score from the background. This matches with industry graphic card testing and covered games like Despicable Me - Minion Rush, Real Racing 3, Dear Hunter 2014 and Dead Trigger. Each game tested different aspects such as the complexity of the graphics to how many objects were usually on the screen at the time. However, in all of the games run, the Samsung Galaxy S4 score 13 to 2 points ahead of the HTC One.

The other part of the GameBench benchmark covers battery drain while the games mentioned above are running. Again, the Samsung Galaxy S4 pulled ahead, especially in Minion Rush except for Dead Trigger where the HTC One was ahead due to it's Dead Trigger optimizations. The main conclusion we can come from this is that while it may be true that Samsung have been cheating, the real-life performance of Samsung devices like the Samsung Galaxy S4 is actually very close to those found in these "cheatable" benchmarks.


Under-display camera could appear for the first time with Samsung Galaxy Fold 2

Not content with one foldable device, news and rumours continue to talk about a possible second foldable from Samsung. The latest news claims that the assumed Galaxy Fold 2 will feature an under-display camera. In other words, no punch-holes or notches, just screen.

According to IceUniverse, a Korean source is the one to hint that a new device that will be using this technology. The device, nicknamed 'Champ', is the sequel to last year's Galaxy Fold foldable device and is expected to launch in July 2020. Currently, if no other brand does so, Samsung could be the first to launch a device with an under-display camera.

According to a Korean source, the successor of the Galaxy Fold, codenamed "Champ," will use Samsung's "Under Display Camera" technology for the first time. This is the technology we have been waiting for a long time. It is expected to be released in July. bye, Hole, bye, Notch!

Of course, under-display camera technology isn't exactly new. We've already seen reports from last year of smartphone manufacturers like Huawei, OPPO, and Xiaomi are working on the technology. However, more recent Huawei P40 renders show the front cameras under a pill-shaped cutout, while the Xiaomi Mi Mix Alpha has been delayed indefinitely and technically doesn't have any front cameras.

IceUniverse is a reputable leakster, but he didn't link a source this time so you might want to take the rumour with a pinch of salt. With that said, how big of a deal is not having a notch or hole on the front to you? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Understanding Huawei Mate 10 Pro A.I. Photography

There's no denying now that camera is now one of the main factors to consider when buying a smartphone, even for people who aren't enthusiastic photographers. Not only does the photo quality have to be good, but it has to be quick on the spot and be easily shareable, which is Huawei's objective by integrating artificial intelligence (A.I.) photography into the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro, but what does that really mean?

When it comes to photography, we know that it's not an easy hobby to pick up and it requires a lot of practice. It was something special back in the days of using a DSLR camera when it was about image quality, but thanks to the evolution of camera technology, algorithms and Big Data, this has made way for mobile photography to be more accessible to almost everyone and A.I. photography is the next step for mobile photography. Let's take a look at one of the scene recognition modes on the Mate 10 Pro.

As you can see in this screen recording video, the A.I. scene recognition changes automatically whenever it sees a different object

Let's take the "Snow Scene" recognition mode for example, in Huawei's research it was discovered that a lot of white coloured objects can be easily mistaken for snow, such as the clouds or even bright white clothes if taken in a snowy environment. Why this happens is because there weren't enough photo samples for the A.I. to learn. So to move this forward, more photo samples of white objects were added, allowing the A.I. to determine what is the object based on shape and scenario.

In other words, the A.I. is always on the work behind the scenes whenever you're using the camera, recognizing what kind of scenery you're taking from food to landscapes and changing its settings automatically for the best possible result. Compared to a DSLR, this automated process saves the user's time from the need to change the setting, with the help of Big Data-based A.I. to recognize multiple objects and scenes like a portrait, sunrise, sunset, blue skies, text, and even animals, once it does it will automatically change the filters, brightness intensity, the depth of field and more. This will allow the A.I. image recognition to learn more to differentiate more sceneries and complicated environments.

Apart from that, the A.I. also learns on adjusting the bokeh effect for portrait mode, night shooting (thanks to the aperture at F/1.6, allowing it to capture more lighting), motion shooting on capturing fast moving object, as well as intelligently enhances zoomed in pixel quality.

Anyway, enough talk for now. We took some Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro photo samples for you all, check them out below and you be the judge.

Night shot scene - Normally on night shots like this, most smartphones struggle to get the best light condition whereas the Mate 10 Pro does it easily

Plant scene - Look at the details! The A.I. somehow knows the important aspect of this shot which is the cactus and its colours, making it stand out with the adjusted bokeh effect around it

Food scene - Mhmm juicy, with the same scenario with the cactus picture above, the A.I. also blurs out the rest and brings out the "freshness" of the orange

Food scene no.2 - Even a simple meal like this looks so delicious because of how detailed the rice is

Portrait + Beauty mode level 5 - As mentioned earlier, the A.I. intelligently adjust the bokeh for the best portait photo, making the subject (me) stand out perfectly

Cat scene - If you zoom into the picture, you can see how the A.I. make the cat's fur look detail, even on the outline (but why can't they call it animal scene, though lol)

Night shot no.2 - The A.I. knows you want to focus on the raindrops, but without blurring out the background too much

Wide Aperture mode - Like most Huawei smartphones now, wide aperture mode allows you to shift where you want to focus after taking the shot

You can shift the wide aperture mode by just tapping

Flower scene - Check out the the details of the flower's centre and the raindrops that are stuck on the petals

Plant scene no.2 -  Similarly to the cat scene, the A.I. outlines the leave and blurs the background so that you can see the details on the leave perfectly

Panorama shot -  See how the left side is not overexposed? Because A.I. did that

Sunrise scene - What's good about this photo is not only the sunrise is slowly rising, but the fact that the bird flying across seems to be frozen in time, this is A.I. motion shooting at work

Of course, not forgetting these monochrome shots too, a favourite among the fans

Monochrome shot no.2 - Seems that A.I. has a habit blurring out the background too much or little whenever we do a close-up shot, depending what the subject is

So what do you think of the Mate 10 and Mate 10 Pro photos? Are you one of the proud owners and do you enjoy using A.I. photography? If you want to know more, head over to its official online store here, let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more tech articles at TechNave.com.


Uni5G Prepaid monthly data pass now with even lower FUP data limit of 60GB

For those unaware, Telekom Malaysia's Uni5G Prepaid has a monthly unlimited pass that allowed users to have unlimited 4G Internet. But in December 2022, the company decided to impose a FUP data cap of 100GB. Well, that cap is now even lower.

According to the updated FAQ page, the new unlimited data pass now offers users to have 4G access of up to 60GB under its fair usage policy (FUP). While the daily and weekly passes remain at 10GB and 20GB, the monthly pass went from 100GB to 60GB. The wireless hotspot data cap was also reduced from 10GB to 5GB. As usual, Internet speeds will fall to 512Kbps (from 5Mbps) once you've finished your monthly FUP data cap.

The main page doesn't reflect the change yet, so take note of that

Despite the change, the monthly fee for the unlimited data pass remains at RM35. Users will get less value now (from RM2.86/GB to RM1.71/GB), but RM35 for 60GB is still a good deal. If you want 4G mobile Internet at an affordable price, Uni5G Prepaid could be an option to consider.

Well, what do you think about the change? Do you think this is the right rate for both the company and users? Share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


UniFi Wireless Broadband plan is offering 60GB for RM79

UniFi has started to offer a no contract UniFi Wireless Broadband plan in Malaysia priced at RM79 (excluding GST) for 60GB of data very recently, giving you the freedom to terminate the plan at any moment without any consequences. The plan also allows the customer to share the bandwidth with up to 64 devices simultaneously.

The only catch is that the customer is required to purchase the WiFi router up front for RM599 but the good news is the the device yours to keep! All you need is a power socket for the device (no messy installs!) and coverage so do check for broadband coverage to make sure your area is covered!


UniFi will allow installation at your house within 24 hours of registration for free for a limited time only

Good news for all future TM UniFi customer, as Telekom Malaysia will be offering an expedited installation service to have the UniFi service and equipment installed within 24 hours. While the expedited service is free for now, customers who register after 31 March 2019 will need to pay an RM200 fee for it. This is due to a recent update on UniFi’s FAQ document, which is found on their official website.

This is only eligible for customers who made their registration on TM UniFi’s official website, and how soon the UniFi equipment and services will be subjected to availability. Do take note of the timing and availability of when the UniFi equipment can be installed and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Unicode 14.0 has been delayed so you might not see new Emojis till 2022

It seems not even emojis can escape the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Unicode Consortium, a non-profit organisation that works on the Unicode Standard, has announced that the Unicode 14.0 will be delayed by 6 months. This pushes the release date to September 2021. At the same time, Emoji 14.0 will also be delayed until 2022.

According to the consortium, this delay is due to the lack of manpower at this current time. This is because the Unicode Consortium enlists the help of volunteers to work on the Unicode Standard and new emojis. As a result of the current pandemic, these volunteers have more things to worry about than working on new text encoding standards or emojis.

Fortunately, the unreleased Emoji 13.0 is still on schedule and should be available in mobile devices around September 2020. The consortium is also considering incremental updates, such as an Emoji 13.1 release where new emojis are a combination of existing ones. This way, there would be no need to wait for the next encoding version to be ready. If this happens, this supposed Emoji version 13.1 would be available in 2021.

Although many of us use emoji, it's fortunate that this particular delay won't have a major impact on us. Regardless, we're looking forward to the new ones that will help us express ourselves in new ways. Having said that, do you use emojis often and do you have a favourite? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Unicode reveals the most used emojis in 2021

As we're approaching the end of 2021, it's time to review what has happened throughout the year. Other than Spotify Wrapped, Unicode has also revealed the emojis most used by people in 2021. Emoji is a thing that most of us can't live without when sending out texts or writing a caption, so it's interesting to find out which one of them gets used by us frequently.

According to the statistics, the tears of joy emoji accounts for over 5% of all emoji use. The top ten emoji used worldwide are tears of joy, love, rolling on the floor laughing, thumbs up, loudly crying, folded hands, blow a kiss, surrounded by love, heart eyes, and smiling face. This result is similar to the one in 2019, as tears of joy and love were also the top two among 3,663 emojis. So, most of us are just laughing and crying or sharing love throughout the year (virtually)?

If you want to know about the least popular emojis, well, there have done the math as well. It appears to be the flags, and the least popular ones are the country flags. They also represent the largest collection with 258 emojis. It's worth mentioning that Unicode Consortium is the non-profit organization responsible for digitizing the world's language.

Are you surprised by the result? Leave a comment to let us know your top emojis! Stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech report.


Apple has sold over one billion iPhones around the world

While the Android marketshare continues to rise – Apple with their iOS ecosystem (iPhone and iPad) devices has been there all along as a great counterbalance to the market. They have just recently reached a milestone – they have sold over one billion iPhone devices as of today.

The current generation of iPhone includes the Apple iPhone 6s and the 6S Plus, which is joined by the Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch and the 9.7 inch, as well as the Apple iPad Air 2 and the iPad Mini 4th generation.

The billionth iPhone was sold about two years after Apple sold its 500 millionth iPhone. We at TechNave would like to convey our congratulations to Apple for this achievement. We are also waiting with great anticipation for the next generation Apple iPhone to come out in the market.


Unifi Basic plan throttle speeds down to 128kbps after finishing 60GB quota

Previously we have reported that TM Unifi had announced their unifi Basic Plan which has speeds of up to 30Mbps. But there's a catch, customers who subscribe to the Basic Plan is capped at 60GB data quota, it is only available to households who have a total income of less than RM4500 and it is available exclusively on the TM Unifi's official website.

Based on an FAQ located on the unifi Basic Plan on TM Unifi’s official website, once customers uses up the 60GB data quota per month they will experience network throttling which would bring their speeds down from 30Mbps to 128Kbps which is more than 200 times slower than the original speed. To give a little perspective, a 30Mbps line could easily down a 1GB file in less than 5 minutes while the 128Kbps line would take about 18 hours to download the same file. TM Unifi has yet to announce any quota add-ons for the Unifi Basic Plan for now, but it might come soon in the near future(hopefully!). For more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Unifi Basic requires payslip/BRIM acceptance letter + Unifi 10x speed upgrade starts on 18 July 2018

You can pre-order the unifi Basic Plan which offers 30Mbps for RM79 a month with a 60GB data cap. However, customers are required to present a payslip to prove that their household is currently earning less than RM4500 a month or BRIM acceptance letter in order to sign up for the unifi Basic Plan. Not only that, they have to be within unifi covered areas and be at least 18 and above.

Do take note that the unifi Basic Plan will be subjected to the usual 24 months contract and although it does come with a fixed telephone line, the plan does not come bundled with a telephone set and it has to be purchased separately at any TMpoint in Malaysia. The plan will be officially available starting from 1 August 2018.

On another note, there was a new section that popped up on unifi’s website showcasing the unifi Turbo upgrade plan and who is eligible for the upgrade. Apparently the new section showcased that the upgrade is starting from 18 July 2018 onwards but will only commence as with the consent of the customer.

There is no other information regarding whether they will provide a better router to support the new unifi Turbo plan speeds but we hope to see more updates from unifi as the service rolls out. For more news like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Unifi Mobile in 5G is coming soon, according to the JENDELA Map web portal

Besides YES 5G, Telekom Malaysia (TM) already joined Digital Nasional Bhd's (DNB) 5G single wholesale network a long time ago. Despite that, there were no signs of any 5G package plans yet until today. Although nothing is official yet, a trip to the JENDELA map would say otherwise.

If you visit the Satelite Map as seen on the website, you can see 'Unifi Mobile' officially listed there alongside 'All' and 'Yes'. You can't tick 'Unifi Mobile' just yet but at least it's a sign that the company is finally going to launch something soon. No date on when it is coming, though.

Previously, there was some news of unifi launching 5G services in February 2022 but the company backtracked it afterwards. The 5G first appeared on several package plans but got removed, with the reason being that the team was "working extensively on its internal 5G service testing". Ever since then, TM got quiet on its progress until now.

In case you missed it - our Malaysia Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) Minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa confirmed that six telcos have signed on to take a part of DNB's stake just last Friday. The official announcement would take 7-8 days so until then, we just have to wait and see. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Unifi Turbo upgrades existing Unifi customers up to 800Mbps rollout starting 15 August 2018

On today's media briefing, Telekom Malaysia has announced the Unifi Turbo Plan and plans to upgrade existing Unifi customers up to 800Mbps at no extra cost. Not only that, customers are not required to renew their contracts as it will be a direct speed upgrade. Here is the list of speed upgrades that the plans are eligible for:

Unlike the Unifi Basic Plan, the Unifi Turbo Plan upgrades will come with unlimited quota. Upgrades will gradually roll out starting from 15 August 2018. It is best to note that there is no news in regards to whether Unifi will provide a much better router capable of handling those kinds of speeds for now. For more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.