Giving "Duit Kopi" for "Confirm Pass" could be a thing of the past with the new Drivers E-Testing System

Based on a statement by TheStar.com.my, Anthony Loke has mentioned that the new e-testing system will eventually replace the current testing methods used by Malaysian driving schools. Not only will the system be more cost effective and efficient, it will also make it harder for students to bribe their tests so that they can illegitimately obtain their drivers license.

But that's not all, if the students felt that they were being unfairly judged, the new system can be used to show which part of the test where the students performed poorly via a pre-recorded camera feed. That being said, while it may take a few months to tweak the system in order to meet JPJ’s standards. Loke is confident that the E-Testing system will be ready in as early as 2020, next year.

What do you think of the new E-Testing System? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


A scammed victim just lost ~RM8K from a fake Apple tech support call

While technology continues to advance exponentially, so are scammers looking for new ways to trick people. In this news, it looks like it just happened from the West on an Apple user by a "tech support" scam method that's not heard often. However, it appears that this tactic has been going on for years.

So how did it happened? Apparently, this incident occurred on a Mac device with a rather convincing Apple Support message from the scammer. The message reads and warns the user that there is a "System Security At Risk" and even provided a fake tech support number at the bottom. The user would be given two options - either call the fake line and pay to "fix" the security or download a diagnostic tool that is also from the scammer.

Even if the user goes for the latter, the scamming can still work via a screen-sharing app and try to convince the user to transfer the money for "safety measure". The scammer will also assure the user that it's just temporary and "part" of the Apple free customer service program. In the end, the victim from the sources of this news lost $2000 which is roughly around ~RM8259.

Should encounter any pop-up message about winning a prize (#sus) or encountering a "security issue" with a random number provided, we strongly advise you to ignore it. In fact, you should just call Apple support in your respective region just to be safe. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Global chip shortage issue worsens as wait time hits 21 weeks

The global chip shortage issue persists by having the wait time hit 21 weeks, the longest it has ever been. To put it simply, companies would now have to wait that long after placing their orders with the semiconductor manufacturers.

According to research done by Susquehanna Financial Group, the chip lead times, which is the gap between ordering a semiconductor and taking delivery, increased by six days to about 21 weeks in August from the previous month. That is said to be the longest wait time since the firm started tracking the data back in 2017.

Not long after the pandemic took place, the chip shortage issue arose and impacted several industries, mainly consumer electronics and automobiles. Until now, it seems like the problem is not getting any better over time. The report found that the lead times for analog and Broadcom chips have also gotten worse. Surprisingly, the power management chips and certain optoelectronic components have witnessed a positive turn recently.

Any opinions you want to voice out on the issue? Leave a comment to let us know and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech reports.


Global chip shortage to continue through 2022, according to TSMC CEO

Earlier this month, it was reported that the chip shortage is likely to increase the price of upcoming smartphones. It appears that not only the smartphone industry is affected by it, other sectors including automobile, gaming console, laptop, and more are also facing the same problem. According to a new report, the shortage is expected to continue through 2022.

TSMC CEO C.C. Wei stated that the demand continues to be high and the supply chain tightness will only release a little bit by 2023. Not only TSMC, companies like Intel and Nvidia have also addressed the issues of global chip shortage and claimed that it will take some time to recover.

However, there's good news for the automobile manufacturers as TSMC said that the chip supply is expected to improve next quarter. The company has also increased investment in new production by acquiring land and equipment for the construction of new facilities. Overall, the company plans to invest $100 billion (~RM412 Billion) to increase the capacity in its plants over the next three years.

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


Global launch for realme GT Neo 3 series happening soon

About two weeks ago, it was reported that realme could launch its next smartphone series soon. The realme GT Neo 3T was spotted on Thailand's NBTC website, which means we can probably expect the phone to be launched soon. Moreover, it would probably be the entire realme GT Neo 3 series.

Late Friday, realme's global Twitter account announced that the realme GT Neo 3 series is launching soon. The exact date was not given, but we're expecting it to happen in the next week or so. Based on previous reports, the company should have three models on the way - the realme GT Neo 3 and realme GT Neo 3T. The third one is probably the special Naruto edition that was spotted recently.

#realmeGTNEO3 doesn't just mean the 3rd gen, but 3 models. What do you expect for the most? #NEOSpeedAwakens pic.twitter.com/v6aM79ifSs

The realme GT Neo 3 will come with the MediaTek Dimensity 8100 chipset, up to 12GB of RAM, and 128GB or 256GB of internal storage. It will also feature a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 5000mAh battery, 50MP main camera, and more. There's not much info on the realme GT Neo 3T, but sources claim it will be equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 chipset. It's also expected to be a smaller device with a 6.5-inch AMOLED display.

Are you looking forward to the realme GT Neo 3 series? Which model would you prefer? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for updates about them.


Global sales of premium-priced phones reached its highest ever level in 2021 thanks to Apple

The global premium smartphone market sales reached its highest ever level in 2021 with an impressive 24% year-on-year (YoY) increase. This is according to a report by Counterpoint Research, a global industry analysis firm based in Asia.

The study, conducted by Counterpoint Research’s Market Pulse Service found that premium-priced smartphones with a wholesale average selling price (ASP) of more than ~RM1700 outpaced the 7% YoY growth of overall global smartphone sales last year. In fact, premium smartphones amounted to 27% of 2021’s global smartphone sales.

In terms of OEMs, Apple continue to dominate the premium smartphones market, gaining 5% increase from 2020 to 60% of overall sales last year. This may also be contributed to the delayed launch of Apple devices in 2020 which meant that consumers bought the device in 2021 instead.

Apple premium smartphones also saw unprecedented growth in the Chinese market, reaching its highest ever market share in 2021’s fourth quarter. More impressively, Apple was also the top OEM for premium smartphones in all regions in the world last year.

Samsung came in second place last year and saw a 3% share decrease in the premium market space for a total of 17% market share. Meanwhile, Huawei came in third with 6% market share, Xiaomi fourth with 5%, Oppo fifth with 4% and vivo sixth with 3%.

If you want to know what devices dominated the overall global smartphone sales last year, check out our report on the matter here. Spoiler alert, it was also dominated by Apple with the iPhone 12 crowned as 2021’s best-selling smartphone!

What do you guys think of this statistics? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for all the latest trending tech news such as this!


Global shipment of smartphones grew by 27% despite chip shortage

The global chip shortage could last well into 2022, but that's not stopping companies from selling more phone. In fact, analysts have found that smartphone brands sold more devices in the last quarter, compared to Q1 2020.

According to Canalys, the global smartphone market saw smartphone shipments increase by 27% year-over-year in Q1 2021. A total of 347 million smartphones were shipped in the first quarter alone. Samsung took the top spot at 76.5 million units, followed by Apple and Xiaomi at 52.4 and 49 million units, respectively.

Of the bunch, Xiaomi is the company that saw the most growth. The company saw a 62% year-over-year, owing to the strong performance of its new models. But analysts believe that OPPO, vivo, and Honor will also do well thanks to the mid-range segment. On that topic, the analysts also discuss LG's exit from the smartphone market, claiming that aggressive pricing and channel strategy are superior to hardware innovation these days.

Personally, I don't quite agree with that. But some people prefer affordable smartphones over expensive ones with fancy gimmicks. Having said that, what are your thoughts on the topic? Let us know in the comments below! And for more news like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Global shortage for AMD and Nvidia GPUs may last till February 2021

About two weeks ago, sources claim that prices for AMD's Radeon RX 6800 GPUs will return to retail levels in 4-8 weeks. But is that really accurate? The inflated prices for the new AMD and Nvidia GPUs are due to shortages of stock, and this situation is unlikely to change anytime soon.

According to Cowcotland (via TechRadar), both manufacturers are currently limited due to low supply for GDDR6 memory. It's speculated that the shortage will continue well into the first quarter of the year around February 2021. Besides the shortages on key components, it's said that GPU shipments could be delayed even more as countries around the globe prioritise on the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.

The CFO for Nvidia, Colette Kress, has recently addressed this issue and confirmed that the supply shortage was more serious than predicted. She also mentioned that demand could exceed supply in Q4 2021, so you should definitely wait for a few months for prices to stabilise. As for AMD, there haven't been any official announcements on when supplies would become available.

Both AMD and Nvidia are expected to launch mainstream GPUs at the upcoming CES 2021, so they really need to solve the shortage issues soon. With that said, are you looking to get any of the two companies new GPUs? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Global smartphone sales fell by more than 5% in Q4 2020

2020 was a bad year for many companies, but was it really that bad? Well, numbers can easily give you an idea of how an industry performed. In particular, industry analysis for smartphone sales published yesterday showed an overall decline in 2020.

According to Gartner, worldwide sales of smartphones dropped by around 5.4% in Q4 2020. The sales of 5G smartphones and more affordable devices helped prevent the numbers from getting worse. However, that didn't stop 2020 from being a bad year, with an estimated decline in global smartphone sales of 12.5% (or roughly 192.8 million).

Interestingly, Xiaomi and Apple did well in Q4 2020. Both companies had positive sales growth in Q4 2020, compared to the year before. The latter even took the top spot for the quarter, something that has not happened since 2016. On top of that, Apple had a positive market share growth of 3.3% for the whole of 2020. Samsung still sat on the top spot for global sales in 2020, however, due to the sheer volume of smartphones sold.

Some of you may have also chosen to avoid buying a new phone last year. In that case, would you be looking to upgrade this year? Let us know what new phone you are interested in and stay tuned TechNave for more news like this.


Global smartphone sales of 2019 revealed, with Apple taking top spot in Q4 2019

With 2019 over, it was only a matter of time before analysts shared the big numbers for 2019. Research organisations have provided a few interesting facts to chew on, such as how Samsung still holds the largest smartphone market share, Huawei overtaking Apple for the overall second spot, and Apple managing to snag a top spot for Q4 2019.

According to Counterpoint Research, Huawei surpassed Apple in 2019 owing mostly to sales in the Chinese market. Throughout the year, the company managed to ship an estimate of over 240 million smartphones in 2019. This is despite poorer sales outside of China, which largely resulted from being placed on the US Entity List, according to Canalys. Huawei was banned from using Google Mobile Services and that certainly made affected devices less appealing.

In comparison, Samsung shipped about 298 million smartphones. The company was said to have performed relatively well in sales but didn't see any significant growth, according to Strategy Analytics. On the other hand, Apple's strong showing in 2019 with 78.4 million phones sold was attributed to the unexpectedly excellent iPhone 11, which helped the company secure number one in smartphone sales for Q4 2019.

There are probably many who aren't all too interested in these numbers. But if there's one thing you may want to know it was that global smartphone shipments didn't grow much in 2019. The global demand for smartphones seems to have reached a saturation point, an equilibrium if you will. Of course, though there's no telling what could contribute to major changes to the number for 2020. For example, the coronavirus that's majorly affecting China now.

What do you think of some of the numbers seen here? Does Samsung have what it takes to continue maintaining its lead or will another company overtake it in 2020? Let us know of your expert opinions on our Facebook page and follow us on TechNave.com for more news.


Global tournament ROG Masters 2017 announced with $500,000 prize pool

After the recent announcement of the new ROG Zephyrus gaming laptop in Taipei, Taiwan. ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has just made another announcement that they will be hosting the ROG Masters 2017 which will feature over 20 top professional gaming teams globally.

With the prize pool of $500,000, the two games that are chosen for the tournament are DotA 2 and Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). The open qualifiers will take place first in EMEA, Americas, APAC and China, and each of the winners out of these open qualifiers will then compete with invited professional teams from each of the four regions, battling it out for a spot in the Grand Finals in November 2017, which is yet to be announced.

More details will be given out by ASUS ROG in the near future, in the meantime, you may check the links below for more announcements. Stay tuned for more ROG news at TechNave.com.


Global variant of Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could have Exynos 2100 chipset

A few weeks back, it was suggested that the Samsung Galaxy S21 FE could launch on 8 September 2021. That didn't happen in the end, though we do think that the launch could happen soon. But since it's not out yet, there are more leaks now about its global variant.

According to Sammobile, the Galaxy S21 FE 5G was spotted on the Google Play Console website again. However, this time the listing shows that there are two models available. The first one was the one found previously, showing that the device would have a Snapdragon 888 chipset. But the second one reveals that there will be a variant with the Exynos 2100 chipset.

Besides the chipset, it also has 8GB of RAM and a 1080p+ display. This is allegedly the global variant of the phone, which means it's going to be the one that will be sold here in Malaysia. The variant with the Snapdragon 888 chipset will allegedly go to regions like North America, South Korea, and India.

Since we're starting to get these official website listings, it's clear that Samsung will be launching the phone soon. But would you be interested in getting one when it launches here? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates about this.


A school in Johor Bahru just begun using facial recognition to record class attendance

It's the first day of school and while this may seem bizarre, SK Taman Perling, a school in Johor Bahru has just implemented a new way to record class attendance via facial recognition. Not only this is for students, but even the teachers and school staff are counted as well.

According to the school's headmaster, Zamri Abd Wahab, he said that the facial recognition system's purpose is to ease the school's daily operations. Besides that, it can also monitor the student's personal information and could also expand to include visitors' registration for security purpose. The system was donated by Myrahub Foundation, an NGO in Johor Bahru.

In light of this, this also makes SK Taman Perling the first school in the state (and probably the first in Malaysia, as far as we know). BUT what do you think? Let us know in the comments in the Facebook post and stay tuned for more local tech news at TechNave.com.


Global variant of Xiaomi Pad 5 spotted on Geekbench

When Xiaomi launched its Pad 5 series last month, it quickly grabbed attention as a potential flagship killer. It's a relatively affordable device, especially considering the specs and features being offered. Now, Xiaomi could be pushing for a global launch soon.

According to Gizmochina, a Xiaomi 21051182G device was spotted on Geekbench. The model number is similar to the Xiaomi Pad 5 Pro (M2105K81AC), so this could be the global version of the Xiaomi Pad 5. Anyway, the motherboard is listed as 'nabu', which is the codename for the Snapdragon 860. The benchmark also confirms that it will have 6GB of RAM and run on Android 11.

Besides that, we also know a few details of the device from the launch in China. The Xiaomi Pad 5 should come with 256GB of storage, an 8720mAh battery, and a 13MP+5MP dual-camera setup. It should also have an 11-inch IPS display that has a refresh rate of 120Hz and 2560x1600 resolution.

We're quite sure that Xiaomi will also launch the Pad 5 Pro globally, though there haven't been any signs of it yet. If you're interested in that model, do stay tuned to TechNave for future updates about it.


Global variants of OPPO Reno4 series have been spotted on various certifications

Last week, rumour has come out saying that there will be another variant of the OPPO Reno4 Pro hitting the market with some upgraded tech specs and a different design. After a few days, the rumour might be turning into a fact as two models of the Reno4 series have been spotted on different certifications.

Spotted on TUV Rheinland, Wi-Fi Alliance and Bluetooth SIG, two model numbers that are CPH2089 and CPH2091 have been identified as the global versions of vanilla OPPO Reno4 and Reno4 Pro respectively. The listings have confirmed the devices will come with dual-mode Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, and runs on ColorOS 7.2 based on Android 10. However, we are still wondering if the global Pro variant will get a curved display with its refresh rate bumped from 90Hz to 120Hz as rumoured.

To recap, the Chinese variants of the OPPO Reno4 series are powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 765G chipset with up to 12GB of RAM and up to 4,020mAh batteries. Both of them are also equipped with a triple-camera setup that has a different setting. The Pro variant gets a Sony IMX708 sensor while the vanilla Reno4 doesn't have it. However, the standard one has an extra 2MP front-facing camera alongside the 32MP shooter.

Let us know what you think about the global variants of the OPPO Reno4 series on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more exciting smartphone updates.


Global variants of vivo X60 series spotted with Snapdragon 870 chipset

As you may know, some phones have different hardware in different regions. That could be the case for the vivo X60 series too. While the vivo X60 and X60 Pro launched in China with the Exynos 1080 chipset, the global variants would use a chipset from Qualcomm.

According to GSMArena, the vivo X60 and X60 Pro were spotted on the Google Play Console database. Both devices have the Qualcomm SM8250ac, which is the code number for the Snapdragon 870 chipset. The global version of the vivo X60 Pro was also spotted on Geekbench with the 'kona' motherboard. For your information, this motherboard was designed for the Snapdragon 865 and 870.

Besides the chipset, everything else should remain the same. The vivo X60 is expected to have 8GB or 12GB of RAM, up to 256GB of internal storage, and a 4300mAh battery. As for the vivo X60 Pro, it has only one configuration with 12GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, and a slightly smaller 4200mAh battery.

Considering the powerful cameras packed inside, the vivo X60 series deliver decent value for its estimated price range (~RM2169 to RM2789). With that said, would you be interested in getting one when it launches here? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates.


Global version of HUAWEI P50 will not make it in 2021

After launching the nova 9 on 28 October in Malaysia, HUAWEI still has another device in store for the global market. However, it looks like it will not arrive until next year, and we're talking about the HUAWEI P50 4G.

HUAWEI had launched the 5G variant back in July in China. If you have no clue about why the global variant lacks the latest communication technology, it's due to the combination of chip shortage issues and the infamous US ban. Therefore, the global version of P50 can only use Qualcomm's 4G version of Snapdragon 888.

Not only without 5G but the global P50 is also said to leave the HarmonyOS off the list. All it left are a 6.5-inch OLED full screen with a refresh rate of 90Hz, a triple camera setup (50MP primary + 13MP ultra-wide + 12MP telephoto), and a 4,100mAh battery with 66W fast charge.

Do you think the device can perform well in the global market minus those mainstream features? Leave a comment to let us know your opinion and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more smartphone news.


Global version of OPPO Reno7 could be the OPPO Reno7 SE

In November 2021, OPPO launched its Reno7 series in China. It consisted of two models - the Reno7 and Reno7 Pro - with flat edges that look more elegant than its predecessors. However, sources claim that we might not be getting that design.

Earlier today, the tipster Sudhanshu Ambhore leaked press renders and tech specs for what he claimed to be the global/India version of the OPPO Reno7. As you can see, the sides of this device are rounded. Instead of the OPPO Reno7, the design is identical to the Chinese version of the Reno7 SE.

[Exclusive] OPPO Reno7 Indian & Global version press renders, specs & pricing! This phone is entirely different phone from its Reno7 & Reno7 SE Chinese variant.-Dimensity 900-64MP OmniVision OV64B + 8MP Ultra Wide + 2MP Macro-32MP Sony IMX615-4500mAh, 65W SuperVOOC(1/2) pic.twitter.com/3JtLY3X4cM

However, it's not the same device since the tech specs are a bit different. While the global OPPO Reno7 has the same Dimensity 900 chipset as the OPPO Reno7 SE, the camera specs remain unchanged. Specifically, it will retain a 64MP+8MP+2MP rear triple-camera, a 32MP front camera, and 65W fast charging. You can consider this a rebrand of the OPPO Reno7 SE for the global market with improved specs.

Mind you, the source's could be referring to the global OPPO Reno7 SE (the post is a bit confusing). In that case, it would be a better deal than the version released in China. Either way, take this particular claim with a grain of salt. Having said that, do you prefer flat edges or rounded ones? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news about this.


Gmail to introduce self-destructing emails this June

This June, Google will be rolling out Gmail confidential mode to all users starting on the 25th of June. Technically, it works just like a self-destructing email would - the email will come with an expiration date whereby the email will be wiped out then. Senders may also revoke the email. As for the receiver, they are not able to forward, copy or download the email. This mode is perfect for emailing out sensitive data.

The feature was originally unveiled earlier this year but has been in beta mode since then. Confidential mode with be left ON as default. However, if an admin manages your emails, they will need to turn it on or off for you in the user settings. Google has mentioned that it will take up to 3 days for all Gmail users to see the mode after it rolls out. Will you be using the Gmail confidential mode? Keep up with the latest Google updates on TechNave.com!


Gmail users are reportedly getting a bug message in their emails, Google to resolve the issue soon

Gmail users worldwide have been reporting a bug at the top of their emails in the form of a grey banner with an exclamation in a hexagon for the past two days. The bug, which asks users whether they want to ‘continue receiving messages from this sender’ are reportedly appearing too frequently (even with contacts and frequent senders) to the annoyance of users.

As reported by 9to5Google, Google has since asserted that it has been made aware of the issue and is currently working on a fix. The tech giant released a statement confirming the bug, whereby users will be receiving redundant banner notifications on delivered emails in their inbox asking them if they want to continue getting emails from some senders.

Google further elaborated that for the time being, users might have to click ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on each of the banners displayed while its engineering team continues to investigate the matter. It has also updated that the issue is affecting both Gmail consumers and Enterprise customers, though it should be resolved soon.

Are you guys affected by this bug? Share your experiences with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest trending tech news!


Gmail users will now receive a checkmark icon from verified senders to combat spam emails

Today, Google announced that the Brand Indicators for Message Identification (BIMI) will be expanded in Gmail. Introduced in 2021, this new update will now have a checkmark icon from senders to show verifications, just like the blue ticks from Facebook and Twitter.

With the checkmark icon in place, it helps Gmail users and admins to identify messages that aren't scammers. As you should know, scamming has become very prominent online, particularly on mobile and sometimes they would even send fake PayPal emails. Google hopes that this gives users a better and safer experience from incoming spam.

According to Google, the update will roll out today (3 May 2023) and takes 1-3 days for full visibility. Besides users with personal Google Accounts, it will be available to all Google Workspace customers, as well as legacy G Suite Basic and Business customers.

To learn more about setting up BIMI, you can visit the Admins section right over here. Stay safe and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Go BIG with Y9 Prime 2019 for RM899 and WIN a Mercedes-Benz at the Huawei Carnival!

As previously teased, the Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 is coming real soon to Malaysia and it will be part of the upcoming Huawei Carnival sales in the near future with exciting prizes to be won. That said, the first Huawei fullview device is a new entry-level smartphone and it's priced at an affordable RM899! That's just the tip of the iceberg, below are The Top Four Features that make the Y9 Prime 2019 shine.

When the first pop-up camera was introduced, it was featured on a flagship and not everyone could really afford it. But Huawei made it possible on the Y9 Prime 2019 and this is the company's first pop-up camera. According to the website, the front camera can:

Some fun facts - if you start the front camera 100 times every day, the lifespan can last up for at least 2.7 years! As for the camera tech specs, it has a 16MP sensor, 1.0μm pixels, f/2.2 aperture and a total of eight scenarios, from identifying blue skies to indoor scenes.

With the aforementioned pop-up camera, this also allows Huawei to achieve a fullscreen experience with no notch in sight. The screen panel measures 6.59-inch long and it's perfect for watching videos, movies, gaming or reading e-books and magazines with no distractions. Enough said.

To add on, the Y9 Prime 2019 also comes with a built-in 4000mAh battery pack and everyone loves a long-lasting big battery in their smartphone. On top of that, Huawei also integrated a smart power-saving processor which is said to greatly increase the smartphone's overall power consumption and efficiency, enough to support most of your daily social tasks with ease.

Let's also not forget that having big storage is a huge plus (pun intended)! How much storage is that? It's 128GB worth of storage space which is not bad for an entry-level device, but it gets better - there's also an expandable memory up to 512GB via microSD card. That's up to 640GB in total!

Besides that, there are other honourable mentions as well. The Y9 Prime 2019 also packs in a Kirin 710 chipset, 4GB of RAM, a triple rear camera, USB Type-C port, and EMUI 9.1 based on Android 9.1 Pie out of the box in three different colour models.

So that's all, folks. But wait, there's one more thing! The upcoming Huawei Carnival will be offering fans and customers with a lot of premium gifts and surprises worth up to RM1 million. What could possibly cost so much? Well, a brand new Mercedes-Benz car and it will be part of premium gifts if you purchase the Y9 Prime 2019 at RM899. You can check out more on the Huawei Carnival page right here.

The Huawei Carnival will start on 27 July 2019. For more information about this, stay tuned for more Huawei news at TechNave.com, as well as Huawei's official Facebook page.This post is brought to you by Huawei


Go-Jek could start operations in Malaysia very soon

Based on a report by thestar.com.my, Indonesian’s most popular motorcycle hailing service called Go-Jek could be available in Malaysia very soon. Based on a statement by Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Reduan Yusof, it might take about a month or two for the Youth and Sports Ministry as well as the Transport Ministry to work on the kinks before allowing the service to roll-out in Malaysia.

This is to ensure that there will be no legal friction as possible, between the bike-hailing service and the authorities. To those who are not familiar with the name, Go-Jek offers much of the same service as you would find on Grab such as transportation, food delivery, parcel delivery and more. However, the main difference between the two is that Go-Jek focuses primarily on Motorcycles as their main mode of transportation instead of 4 wheeled vehicles like Sedans, SUV, and 4x4 Trucks.

What are your opinions on Go-Jek operating in Malaysia? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


A second PICO Store will be launching at Queensbay Mall, Penang this weekend

Today, PICO Malaysia announced that its anticipated second store will be launching soon. Strategically located at Queensbay Mall, Penang, the new store is set to offer a wide range of immersive VR experiences and cutting-edge PICO VR headsets for those up north of the peninsular. Of course, there will be some promotional offers to celebrate the grand opening.

To mark the occasion, every purchase of the PICO 4 will also be supplemented with PICO's exclusive Summer Sale in June. This promotion includes five free games, including All-in-One Sports VR, Wand Alliances, Superhot VR, and more, along with a free PICO water bottle (worth up to RM500). On top of the Summer Sale, PICO will also be offering a Grand Opening Special Deals for early birds at the Queensbay Mall store, where the first 30 customers to purchase a PICO 4 Unit can acquire a second unit at half price.

This promotion is only available on the Grand Opening day on 3 June, at Queensbay Mall's PICO Store. In addition, the Grand Opening Special Deals also offer customers a free 3-in-1 Accessories pack (worth up to RM170, while stocks last). Besides the promotions, visitors can participate in various VR experiential zones and interact with and win prizes, such as winning a PICO 4 unit as the grand prize for scoring the top points in Fruit Ninjas, as well as see their favourite influencers @jolenekhor and @3p_official appearing there.

The new PICO store spans 1476 square-feet at Queensbay Mall on 2F-79 and 2F-117. PICO fans are welcome to come early at 10 AM and wait for the grand opening at 10.30 AM on the aforementioned date. To learn more about PICO's VR headsets, drop by the PICO Store in Queensbay Mall or Sunway Pyramid, or visit www.picoxr.com/my.


Go-Jek is fully available in Singapore, will it expand to Malaysia too?

Go-Jek has announced that it is now fully available in Singapore as part of their 500 million USD investment to expand their services across South-east Asia which includes countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and Philipines up next.

That being said, as of now there were no plans by Go-Jek to expand their services to Malaysia. However, I personally feel that the expansion of the service to our country could be a possibility due to the fact that Budget 2019 clearly stated by the Minister of Finance, Lim Guan Eng, that cars below 1500cc, as well as motorcycles under 125cc, will be eligible for petrol subsidies. Since Go-Jek is a service that focuses more on motorcycles instead of 4-wheeled vehicles, it will benefit greatly from the subsidies mentioned.

Image courtesy of malaymail.com and soyacincau.com

Furthermore, the service will also be more convenient in urban areas where traffic congestion is a big issue as the motorcycles could easily cut through traffic to their destination. Urban areas will not be the only ones that will benefit from this service as rural areas will also be able to benefit from the convenience as well.

Not only will the rides be cheaper on motorcycles, but it will also be as fast, if not even faster than the current implementation of using cars. With Grab being the potential direct competitor to Go-Jek, it will be interesting to see what Go-Jek will do to be more appealing to their customers. For more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Go Shop offering the exclusively offering the Oppo A83 2GB RAM variant for RM539

Starting 23 July 2018, the Oppo A83 will be available on the Astro Go Shop which is exclusively priced at RM539(RRP RM599). Not only that, Go Shop customers are also entitled to a free original phone case as well as tempered glass screen protector which are worth RM99 in total.

In terms of tech specs for the device, the Oppo A83 is running on the MediaTek Helio P23 chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 13MP rear camera, 8MP front facing selfie camera, 5.7-inch display with a screen resolution of 720 x 1440 pixels, and it is powered by a 3180mAh non-removable battery. You can check out more information about the device Go Shop is offering on their official website and for more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Go get some big deals with Doogee at Lowyat Plaza this weekend

Doogee Electronics recently kicked off their 7-day Big Deals Promotion Roadshow which culminates this weekend at Lowyat Plaza. While there will be a bunch of gifts and discounts, the company's flagship Doogee F7 Pro with 4GB RAM and a deca-core processor tech specs will be available for RM1299. It will come with a complimentary (free) VR Mini Box. Go check out Plaza Lowyat today or their Facebook event page for more details.


Go travelling with Flash Plus 2 and a free RM100 travel voucher

Recently, the folks at Flash announced that you can now get an RM100 travel package discount voucher with every pruchase of the Flash Plus 2 from offline stores. Featuring tech specs that include a metal body, fingerprint sensor, Hifi Audio, 5.5-inch display and 13MP phase detection autofocus rear camera the Flash Plus 2 should be a good travel companion. Those who have purchased the Flash Plus 2 can register at the Packist site or check out the Flash site for where to buy the Flash Plus 2 smartphone.


Go vivo Go Raya: Stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM70,000

vivo Malaysia today announced a special treat for Malaysians this Ramadan with its “Go vivo Go Raya” campaign. Happening from 15 April to 1 May 2023, those who purchase a vivo smartphone priced at RM800 or above will stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM70,000!

That means that consumers who purchase the recently launched vivo V27 series during the period would be entitled to enter! In order to participate in the campaign, consumers only need to follow these steps:

Awesome! For more information, stay tuned to vivo Malaysia’s official Facebook Page. As always, make sure to stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news and promotions such as this!


GoCar reduces GoEV Car Sharing rates & adds more locations

Today, GoCar Malaysia announced that GoEV electric car-sharing service has become even more affordable. Starting today onwards, the hourly rates have been reduced by close to 30% while bookings for 30 days and above now cost almost 50% less.

Available for Round Trip bookings, the hourly rate for GoEV Share is now RM17.90 (down from RM24.90 per hour). GoCar has also reduced the daily rates to RM179 from the previous RM249 per day. The price reduction is in line with GoCar’s ongoing efforts to expand the EV driving experience in mainstream Malaysia by making GoEV more accessible to the general public.

To increase the availability of GoEV within the Klang Valley, GoCar has also added two new zones – IOI City Mall (Level P1, between pillars F7 and F8) and 1 Mont Kiara (Zone C5, Level P3, Bay 162-164). Other current locations include:

For more information about GoEV and GoCar Malaysia, visit hi.gocar.my. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


GoPro Brand Store officially launched in Mid Valley Megamall

If you've taken a trip to Mid Valley over the weekend, chances are you have seen the newly opened GoPro store there. For those who missed it, FunSports Sdn Bhd has announced that its branded store is in collaboration with Thunder Match Technology Sdn Bhd and it has a full range of GoPro cameras and accessories there.

As all stores do, a team of qualified staffs will provide customers with an education on GoPro products, while advising the best captures for recording videos and images. The new GoPro store can be found at the following location: S-098, Second Floor, Mid Valley Megamall, 1, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, 58000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur.

"The opening of GoPro's second concept store in Malaysia is a continuation of our efforts to provide customers with the unique GoPro experience and we look forward to providing customers with the service and product experience when they visit the GoPro concept store in Midvalley", said Mr Khoo Boo Hian, Managing Director of Funsportz Sdn Bhd.

Anyway, check out how to stores look like below!

Stay tuned for more GoPro news at TechNave.com.


GoPro Fusion 360 and HERO camera have landed in Malaysia, starting price from RM949

Today, GoPro Malaysia has officially brought in the GoPro Fusion 360 Camera and HERO Camera into our country. Both devices will be available on 2 April and 3 April 2018 respectively but on different platforms, the Fusion will appear in stores at selected GoPro authorized retailers for RM3199, while HERO is exclusively sold on Lazada Malaysia for RM949.

A brief introduction of the Fusion camera, it has a special feature called the OverCapture which allows users to reshoot their 360 video moments again and again from infinite perspectives. How this is achieved is using the smartphone (with the GoPro and Quik app) and rotate the screen around to see the multiple points of view that were recorded from the Fusion camera. In other words, it doesn't miss anything when recording with a 360-spherical video. Below are the specifications for the Fusion camera.

The camera also comes with a strong sturdy tripod

Front camera with the navigation/record button

As for the HERO edition, this device is a compact tool for adventurers who want to share their experiences beyond what the phone can record. Like most HERO variants, you can share your photos and videos to the GoPro app and edit it via wireless. It's also waterproof!

Sounds good? Then you can block the date and get one when it's out. Stay tuned for more GoPro news at TechNave.com.


GoPro HERO 11 Black review - Retaining the throne of action cameras

When it comes to top-class action or rugged cameras, the brand that comes to mind is probably GoPro. Indeed, the brand has long established its reputation as one of the most reliable compact cameras for adventures since its debut. In this review, let's look at the GoPro HERO 11 Black.

The HERO 11 Black looks more or less the same as previous GoPro cameras. Externally, it has curved corners, a large camera lens, a display on the front and back, buttons for recording and switching, and a waterproof cover for the battery and memory card. There's also a spot to install accessories (compatible with HERO 10 Black accessories). Like always, the HERO 11 Black is an incredibly lightweight (154g) device, making it convenient to carry along.

Bottom - This is where you install accessories

Right - Large cover for the battery, USB-C port, and memory card

Since it's waterproof, the HERO 11 Black can submerge underwater for up to 10 metres. It also has solid build quality, so we didn't need to worry about the device falling. It's unlikely to accidentally drop it, as the surface is pretty rugged and enhances grip when you hold it.

The rear LCD is 2.27 inches, whereas the front display is 1.4 inches. Why is there a need for a front display? Well, it's for easier vlogging. Unfortunately, the LCD isn't a touchscreen, which would give vloggers more of an advantage. For your info, the DJI Osmo Action's front display is touch-capable.

The smaller front display doesn't support touch

Onto the camera, the sensor size is 1/1.9 inches. That's larger than the HERO 10 Black's sensor and allows users to record videos in a unique 8:7 aspect ratio. You can then edit the recordings into the more conventional aspect ratios like 16:9 or 9:16. The latter is handy, as it's a vertical format you can post on TikTok.

For features, the HERO 11 Black has a new HyperView that offers ultra-wide angles. However, It's too wide for its own good as you would immediately notice visual distortion at the sides, which visually degrades the video. You're better off with the wide or SuperView mode when recording.

You may also set it to wide, SuperWide, or Linear+Horizon Lock

The HERO 11 Black can record a video with a 5.3K resolution at 60fps, or slow-motion mode can be recorded up to 2.7K resolution at 240fps. While that's impressive on paper, the video quality is not that different from the HERO 10 Black. For those who like to edit colours in videos, the HERO 11 Black now supports 10-bit recording, which means it can store more colour-processing data for post-edits.

While the video performance was good, the audio quality was far from impressive. If you want clearer audio, you may need a Media Mod with a directional microphone, but that would be an additional cost. On the bright side, video stability is excellent, thanks to the HyperSmooth 5.0 function. Videos remain smooth even if you're running with the action camera.

Complementing the stabiliser is an Autoboost function that can adjust the stabilisation level automatically. Also, the Horizon Lock feature allows the HERO 11 Black to keep the video flat horizontally, even if it's rotated by 360°, higher than the 45° on the previous HERO 10. On that note, Horizon Lock can only be activated in Linear vision angles.

What about photography? Well, the HERO 11 Black allows you to take 27MP photos, which is a higher pixel count than the HERO 10 Black's 23MP. In addition, you can also get 24.7MP pictures from videos, so you can get your favourite moments from a video and turn them into high-quality photos. For people who are too lazy to mess with the settings, the HERO 11 Black has Easy Controls to adjust the frame rate and field of view. But stick to Pro Controls if you regularly change the resolution, colour profiles, stabilisation levels, ISO, or more.

For battery, the HERO 11 Black features a new 1720mAh Enduro battery. According to GoPro, this battery can last 38% longer. During our review, this battery lasted around an hour and 10 minutes in standard mode. Furthermore, the battery life can be extended if you record in lower resolution and frame rate or turn off some functions like GPS.

If you like capturing timelapse images, the HERO 11 Black features several new functions for night-time usage, namely Star Trails, Light Painting and Vehicle Lights. With this mode, you can take pictures of interesting light lines with satisfactory image quality.

Pro Control (left) and Easy Control (right)

The HERO 11 Black's battery life is much longer life than its predecessor

Overall, GoPro HERO 11 Black remains the king of action cameras. Of course, it has some disadvantages, such as the lack of touch support for the front LCD and the subpar audio quality.

Another challenge for the HERO 11 Black would be pricing. While the HERO 11 Black retails in Malaysia at RM2399, the DJI Action Osmo 3 is priced at RM1699, and the Insta360 One RS only costs RM1399. Although the HERO 11 Black offers the most advanced functions among these three cameras, a significant price difference can certainly sway Malaysian buyers.

Pros: Strong stabilisation, unique aspect ratio, easy to use

Cons: Expensive, the front screen has no touch control, and the audio quality could be better

Conclusion: One of the best action cameras for 2022


GoPro HERO 7 Black first impressions - steady, lightweight and much improved

The GoPro Hero line has almost always been the leader in lightweight and durable action cams especially with their new devices which include the GoPro HERO 7 Black, GoPro HERO 7 Silver and GOPRO HERO 7 White, each designed for different sets of users. Thankfully, we managed to get some time with the GoPro HERO 7 Black, so without further ado, here's our hands-on and first impressions.

While the GoPro HERO 7 Black differs from the previous two generations of HERO 6 and HERO 5 action cams in terms of appearance, GoPro has also made small changes in the colour and texture. The same design language has been maintained though.

The HERO 7 uses a black skin while the GoPro logo is white for a nice contrast

It feels very close to the previous HERO 5 and HERO 6

Batteries and accessories can be reused with the HERO 7

Recently, mobile phone live broadcasts or live streaming have become a very popular way of video sharing. It allows broadcasters to show off what they are doing without having to edit or add special effects while also interacting with your audience for a worry-free kind of video sharing. The latest GoPro HERO 7 Black updates this feature to include live streaming, so you only need to connect to your phone's GoPro App to broadcast live!

The GoPro HERO 7 Black supports live streaming on social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, Twitch and Vimeo

To be honest, we feel that this added live broadcast feature is quite attractive as it supports both straight and portrait modes automatically (auto-rotate). It is quite suitable for girls and those who like to travel light to broadcast live as it is both smaller, lighter and more durable, so you don't have to worry about it accidentally falling and getting damaged.

This time around, GoPro put in the new Hypersmooth super anti-shake or stabilization feature for the GoPro HERO 7 Black. This effectively achieves the same effect as a three-axis stabilizer but since it is built-in, it allows you to take stable and high-quality video even when underwater or in situations with high vibration or strong winds while reducing the overall weight of your equipment! Although the previous generation HERO 6 was already quite stable, the new Hypersmooth feature is even better and more improved, giving nearly the same effects as an external stabilizer. There's also a TimeWarp feature which makes a sort of animated gif that is easy to use.

While most users will use GoPro action cams to record videos and movies, its performance when taking photos is not bad at all. This time around, the HERO 7 Black reinforces the existing still image taking capabilities with the SuperPhoto feature, which automatically adjusts the HDR, hue and noise reduction of the photo. If you don't want to do post-production, this feature will save you time and effort. The following is a comparison of the normal mode (left) and SuperPhoto (right).

The exposure of the sky, the shades and the color of the plants have been considerably adjusted, and the overall feel is more comfortable.

The shaded parts of the finished product shot with SuperPhoto are brightened, the details are captured with more detail, and the exposure of the sky is within a more acceptable range.

SuperPhoto is more versatile in processing clouds and sharper lines.

The GoPro HERO 7 Black is waterproof up to ten meters, and underwater shooting is not a problem.

To be honest, we think that the GoPro HERO 7 Black which now has Hypersmooth and SuperPhoto features is an exceptional action camera for those looking for lightweight devices. In addition, the new TimeWarp feature greatly enhances the video's visibility (and the shooting process is quite simple). So, if you're interested, do feel free to stop by the official Shopee website to order! Stay tuned for more in-depth tech news and reviews at TechNave.com


A sneak peak hands-on special on the ROG Phone, internal parts and accessories

Yesterday (10 October 2018), we were given a sneak peak of the ROG Phone in ASUS Malaysia HQ and while there is no official price yet, the official launch date will be on 22 October 2018 and we also got a bunch of hands-on pictures including the phone, the gaming accessories, even to the internal parts of the phone and others.

Before we get to that, it's worth mentioning that the tech-specs haven't changed at all since its introduction in June 2018. It packs the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset clocking in at 2.96GHz, a 6-inch AMOLED display with the latest Gorilla Glass 6, 4000mAh battery and will come in two configurations - an 8GB + 128GB and 8GB + 512GB model and more (full specs here). Anyway, check out the pics below!

This is how the box looks like, really unique looking and inside it provides the ROG Phone (duh), the cable charger, protective casing and the AeroActive Cooler

It's said that the ROG Phone accessories will come in ONE BUNDLE instead of being sold separately, could this be the one? Who knows

The TwinView Dock, and yes, you can actually put two ROG Phones on it

The ROG Phone connected to the monitor via Mobile Desktop Dock

A closer look at the Mobile Desktop Dock

The Mobile Desktop Dock has a ton of ports

Btw, the TwinView Dock has 6000mAh battery capacity

ASUS has its own Game Genie which allows you to customize your own controls to your preference

Also, not forgetting the AirTrigger feature on the phone. It also works vertically on the bottom sides

Two different spots for the antennas to ensure the best connectivity while gaming

Also, the dual front sound speakers are awesome

Taking a look at the hardware for the cooling system

Got to know more about the Game Center app, it works just like the ones that are on every gaming laptop to optimize the CPU, GPU, Fan speed, RGB Lighting and more!

The Game Center app can be easily accessed in the middle (top of the home button), the logo is just a "G" there

The body material is made out of a lot of components but the major ones are nickel (for cooling), glass and full metal

The ROG logo behind will also change colours according to the light setting in the Game Center

Slapping on the Aeroactive Cooler which can also plug in the 3.5mm headphone jack and USB Type-C, a well thought-out design!

That's all, folks! As mentioned, the ultimate gaming phone is coming soon on 22 October 2018 in Malaysia and we will definitely be covering the event. Stay tuned for the official news at TechNave.com!


GoPro HERO11 Black Mini now available in Malaysia for RM1979

GoPro have officially announced that their new HERO11 Black Mini is now available in Malaysia for RM1979. Smaller and lighter than their HERO11 Black action camera, the Mini is targeted at athletes and content creators who need something a bit more compact.

The Mini features GoPro’s larger 8:7 sensor on 10-bit colour depth with Cinematic 5.3K60, 4K120 + 2.7K240 video and 24.7 megapixel stills from video. Utilizing a simple one-button control, the Mini weighs in at just 133g with an embedded 1500 mAh Enduro Battery.

There’s a whole bunch of other features, tech specs and details such as TimeWarp 3.0 capture at 5.3K and 3 new Night Effect TimeLapse presets but for more details, go check out their site. Would you get the GoPro HERO11 Black Mini? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave.com


GoPro HERO5 Black & Session Launched in Malaysia!

The wait has finally over, the GoPro HERO5 Black and the HERO5 Session announced today at Zouk Club, Kuala Lumpur by FunSportz Sdn Bhd - the exclusive importer and distributor of GoPro equipment from the USA.

All the key features and tech specs were exactly like predicted in the rumours post we did earlier. But, in addition to significant gains in performance and convenience, GoPro's all-new HERO5 line of cameras can auto-upload photos and videos to GoPro Plus, a cloud-based subscription service that makes it easy to access, edit and share GoPro content via a phone or computer by using GoPro Plus subscriptions and Quik Apps. The cloud sharing platform will be made available in Malaysia at a later date to be announced by FunSportz.

As for the Malaysia price and release date, both the HERO5 Black and HERO5 Session will be available from 3rd October 2016 onwards for an RRP of RM1849 and RM1399 respectively.

Meanwhile, we do get to see the most anticipated GoPro Karma at the launch, but the CEO of FunSportz said that the Karma would not be coming to Malaysia anytime soon in 2016.

GoPro is also launching several new accessories later this year. Quik key, a key-chain, micro-USB card reader that plugs into your phone to quickly transfer photos and videos from your GoPro. REMO, a voice-activated remoted that extends the voice control range of HERO5 cameras while providing one-button remote control.


GoPro HERO6 Black edition now available in Malaysia with 4K recording capability for RM2399

Today, FunSportz Sdn Bhd, an official distributor of GoPro products has unveiled GoPro HERO6 Black model. The new model now can record 4K at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps with video stabilizer pre-installed. The price tag is officially RM2399 and it's now available at all authorized dealers. Additionally, there are also new mounts and accessories for the Karma Drone and a new waterproof Fusion 5.2K spherical camera, its availability will be announced at a later date.

First up, the HERO6 Black is an improved compact camera recorder with the returned waterproof feature and can record cinematic Quikstory videos. Check out below for the features it has:

The HERO6 Black now looks bigger than its predecessor, but it's still pretty compact

Top view of where the recording button is

The back and ports which consist of a HDMI and USB Type-C port

GoPro HERO6 Black recording capabilities

Next, the Karma is now compatible with the HERO6 Black and features two new auto paths : Follow and Watch. It does this with GPS and will keep you in the frame while you move. Other new updates include a cable cam and "Look Up" tilting capability.

The Handler, Shorty and Bite Mount + Floaty cost RM149, RM189 and RM149 respectively

Last but not least, there's no price tag on the Fusion camera yet. But it's able to capture immersive 5.2K spherical content. Most of the features are the same with the HERO6 Black but with an additional higher resolution, 18MP Spherical photo, night and time lapse, burst mode and others.

For more information, kindly visit their Facebook page or official website.


GoPro HERO9 Black Malaysia release: 5K resolution and HyperSmooth 3.0, priced at RM2,099

GoPro HERO9 Black has arrived in Malaysia today by bringing upgrades to every aspect of its predecessor. The HERO9 Black will now feature a new sensor that delivers 5K video and 20MP photos. Let's take a look at other new features that the tiny action camera has brought together with it!

Besides a new improved sensor, the HERO9 Black will also come with HyperSmooth 3.0 to offer better video stabilization with in-camera horizon leveling. There is a new 1.4-inch colour display and a larger 2.27-inch rear touch display as well to allow users to navigate at ease. For battery performance, it is said that the HERO9 Black will offer 30% more battery life compared to the HERO8 Black. Other features include TimeWarp 3.0, 1080p live streaming, 1080p Webcam mode, voice control in 11 languages, advanced wind-noise reduction, and more.

Other than launching the HERO9 Black, the company has also brought a new accessory to the market and it's the Max Lens Mod for HERO9 Black. With it, users can get the Max HyperSmooth video stabilization that comes with less distortion. There is also the Max SuperView that offers up to 2.7K60 resolution for ultra-wide scenes. The Max Lens Mod will allow for horizon lock as well even when the camera is rotating at a full 360-degree.

For the price, the HERO9 Black is now on sale for RM2,099 while the price for Max Lens Mod will be announced later. The first 400 customers who purchase the Hero9 Black will also receive an extra rechargeable battery and win weekly prizes up to RM1,000 cash vouchers. If you're interested, click here to find out more about the new Hero9 Black.

Let us know what you think about the newly launched GoPro Hero9 Black on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest tech news.


GoPro Hero 10 Black Malaysia release: 5.3K resolution, 240FPS slow-mo videos, and HyperSmooth 4 for RM2399

Earlier this week, a big leak revealed the features and estimated price for the GoPro Hero 10 Black. Considering the source, it was safe to assume that the launch would happen soon. The new action cam was just launched in Malaysia earlier today.

GoPro Malaysia has confirmed that the GoPro Hero 10 Black will be coming to local stores. As mentioned in the previous leak, the new model comes with a new GP2 processor that improves performance, especially in low-light environments. It also has an upgraded 23MP camera sensor that can record videos with resolutions of up to 5.3K at 60FPS. You could even capture slow-motion videos at 4K/120FPS or 2.7K/240FPS.

Besides the above, GoPro has also upgraded its stabilisation technology to HyperSmooth 4.0. The Hero 10 Black will also support 1080p live-streaming, automatic uploads, webcam on PC, and more. You could even upload videos to cloud storage, though that requires a GoPro Subscription. However, this service is currently unavailable here.

The GoPro Hero 10 Black will retail in Malaysia for RM2399, which makes it pricier than last year's model. The GoPro Hero 9 Black is getting a small discounted to RM1979, so that might be a better option. What do you think? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


GoPro Hero 10 to retail for 540 Euros (~RM2641), estimated to release on 15 Sep 2021

About two weeks back, we got our first glimpse of the GoPro Hero 10. The new model hasn't gotten any significant changes in design but is expected to deliver better performance. Now, sources have even revealed its estimated launch date and price.

According to WinFuture, the GoPro Hero 10 will retail for 540 Euros (~RM2641) and will launch on 15 September 2021. Also, the new model's price is 50 Euros more than its predecessor. This means that while the price in Malaysia in Malaysia will be different, you should still expect it to be priced above the GoPro Hero 9's RM2099 launch price.

Many of the features for the GoPro Hero 10 were leaked previously too. We already know that this model will have a new GP2 processor for better performance, as well as the upgraded Hypersmooth 4.0 for improved image stabilisation. The camera resolution has also been bumped up to 23MP and can deliver 5.3K videos at 60FPS.

The GoPro Hero 9's Malaysian launch date was the same as the global one, so it could be unveiled here on 15 September 2021. Would you be interested in buying one? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for the official release in Malaysia.


GoPro Hero 8 Black and GoPro MAX official announced starting from ~RM1673

GoPro has officially launched the GoPro Hero 8 Black as well as the GoPro Max with the price of 399USD(~RM1673), and 499USD(~RM2092) respectively. As for the availability, the Hero 8 will be available globally starting 11 October while the GoPro Max’s availability date will be from 24 October 2019 onwards.

In terms of the features, the new Hero 8 comes with a built-in mounting allowing it to be mounted on any compatible accessories. But that’s not all, it is also waterproof up to 10 meters and up to 60 meters if you have the camera in GoPro’s waterproof housing. If you compare it against the Hero 7, the Hero 8 is 14% lighter, has enhanced front-microphone, HyperSmooth 2.0, TimeWarp 2.0 and more.

But that’s not all, it also comes with the new Media Mod ecosystem, which gives the user the option to mount a microphone, external lights as well as a front-facing facing screen. In addition to that, it also comes with several extra ports such as a 3.5mm audio jack slot, HDMI slot, and two cold shoe mounts. The Media Mod ecosystem would most likely be very useful for users who vlog frequently, and would most likely have their own accessories.

The GoPro Max, on the other hand, comes equipped with a camera on the front as well as on the back. The user can utilize either front, back or both cameras in order to take panoramic pictures thanks to the Max SuperView feature. Head over to GoPro's official website, if you are keen on finding out more.

Would you be interested in getting any of the GoPro cameras mentioned above? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


GoPro Hero 8 Black now has add-ons made for vloggers like a shotgun mic and flip-display

What makes the GoPro Hero 8 Black appealing for travel is the size, durability and quality. However, for most vloggers, it’s hard to simply go for that camera due to the fact that it lacks so many features needed for vlogging such as lighting and a mic jack.

However, this is about to change as the GoPro is adding a new line of accessories called “Mods” which essentially is a frame that will allow vloggers to add a higher quality mic, a small and powerful LED light and a flip-up display to their GoPro Hero 8 Black. The Mods are not sold together with the USD$399 (~RM1678) action camera.

The frame is a housing for the camera which contains a small, integrated shotgun mic, type-C ports, an HDMI port and a 3.5mm port built into it. In addition it also comes with two cold-shoe mounts for attaching other accessories.

Besides that, there’s also the USD$79 “Display Mod” which is a 1.9 inch flip-up screen which can be attached to the top cold-shoe mount. This is perfect for taking selfie videos and can be flipped down when not in use. The “Light Mod”, priced at USD$49, is waterproof and can light up to 200 lumens. Both of these come with internal batteries so it won’t drain the GoPro’s batteries.

GoPro has mentioned that the Light Mod may be sold as a standalone product due to its size and power. Also, we may be seeing more mods coming in the future for the GoPro which is definitely a plus for vloggers. Vlogging with large cameras is already pretty much a pain so these mods are definitely a welcome addition. Can the GoPro replace your standard vlogging cameras? Keep up with the latest tech news on TechNave.com!


GoPro Hero 9 could have larger front display with full colour

The GoPro Hero 8 from last year only has a monochrome front LCD

For those who are into vlogging, some use specialised compact cameras like the Sony ZV-1 or Panasonic Lumix DC-G100. But for those who do travel vlogs, a smaller camera like the GoPro Hero is a more popular option. Now, it seems that leaked images of the upcoming GoPro Hero 9 have begun appearing.

Recently, TechRadar spotted Reddit user 'chrswnd' posting a leaked image revealing the frame of what's assumed to be the GoPro Hero 9. It sports a larger front display compared to the one on the GoPro Hero 8, prompting speculation of a possible coloured LCD. The overall size of the device, camera lens opening, and the front microphone remains the same.

Granted, the larger opening on the front doesn't necessarily mean that the display will be a coloured LCD. Those will consume more battery, so GoPro may prefer to stick with a monochrome display. Of course, an actual colour LCD has the advantage of allowing vloggers to check what the camera is seeing and thus frame their videos and photos better. This is what the DJI OSMO Action camera does too, so it won't be unusual if GoPro decides to follow suit.

As usual, we advise you to take this piece of news with a grain of salt, as we can't verify if the source is reliable. But with that said, what do you think about this? Would the full-colour front LCD make the GoPro Hero 9 worth buying? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


GoPro Hero 9 global release: Full-colour front LCD, 5K video, and voice commands for RM2099

Update: Pricing of the GoPro Hero 9 in Malaysia confirmed to be RM2099.

If you recall, there was a leak back in July that showed the casing of the new GoPro camera. It revealed a cut-out for the LCD screen that was larger than those found in previous models. Now, the company has officially launched the GoPro Hero 9 and it has a larger full-colour LCD screen as many suggested.

The GoPro Hero 9 Black features a new sensor capable of delivering 20MP still shots and 5K videos. It has a 1.4-inch full-colour LCD screen at the front, while the back LCD screen is a 2.27-inch touch display with zoom. Besides that, the battery life for the new model is estimated to be 30% more than the GoPro Hero 8. The GoPro Hero 9 is going to be available globally for USD449.99 (~RM1864) or USD349.98 (~RM1450), if you grab the one-year subscription to GoPro (USD49.99, ~RM207).

As for extra design features, the new model also has a removable lens cover, three microphones with advanced wind-noise reduction, and a larger speaker that promises better audio. Besides that, the camera is waterproofed for up to 10 metres, so you can bring it into a pool with no issue. It also now supports voice commands in 11 languages, neat!

The authorised local dealer for GoPro doesn't seem to have the Hero 9 yet, but you could visit the official website for more details. With that said, are you interested in this new action camera? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


A study done by Oxford University shows that video game is good for mental health

With the next-gen gaming consoles releasing, people are becoming more enthusiastic about video game than ever before. Other than that, the pandemic is also one of the factors which let this activity become a popular one while almost everyone is quarantined at home. If you're wondering if gaming is good or bad for health, this new research is going to provide you the answer.

According to the latest study done by Oxford University's researchers, playing video games is good for mental health. The researchers have used two games which are "Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville" and "Animal Crossing: New Horizons" to conduct the study. As a result, it shows that spending time playing games is a small but important positive contributor to people’s happiness.

Unlike previous studies that relied on players' inaccurate estimates, this study uses data of time spent on the games that are provided by game developers Electronic Arts and Nintendo. Research director Andrew Przybylski also mentioned that the result shows that video games are not necessarily harmful to psychological well-being. In fact, playing games might have a direct positive relationship with mental health, and people who seldom play video games might prevent themselves from getting these benefits.

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


GoPro presents three new HERO11 Black cameras with a larger sensor, price starting from RM1,979

The popular action camera brand has returned. GoPro has launched three new HERO11 Black cameras, featuring a larger sensor this time. There are the HERO11 Black, HERO11 Black Creator Edition, and HERO11 Black Mini, and you'll find one that suits your journey.

The HERO11 Black and HERO11 Black Mini pack a new 1/1.9-inch sensor that delivers over 1 billion colours in a 10-bit colour video at up to 5.3K resolution at 60 frames per second. Meanwhile, the standard HERO11 Black can also capture 27-megapixel photos. Furthermore, the sensor enables 8:7 aspect ratio video for the largest vertical field of view ever on a GoPro, allowing users to capture more of a scene vertically and crop them to different aspect ratios in the GoPro Quik app. There's also the HyperView, which is the widest 16:9 field of view ever native to a HERO camera. It's ideal for filming first-person-view such as biking, skiing, surfing, motorcycling and similar activities.

There's nothing wrong with going with the HERO11 Black, but the HERO11 Black Creator Edition and HERO11 Black Mini should be in consideration. The HERO11 Black Creator Edition features a long-lasting battery grip with built-in buttons for one-handed camera control and over four hours of 4K recording per charge, perfect for vlogging, filmmaking and live streaming. On the other hand, HERO11 Black Mini is just like its name, a smaller and lighter version of the HERO11 Black but still packing performance. It also has a one-button design for those who prefer simplicity in controls. Other features of the new HERO 11 Black models include HyperSmooth 5.0 technology, three new Night Effect Time Lapse, TimeWarp 3.0 at 5.3K, Enduro Battery and more.

The HERO11 Black will be available in Malaysia starting today for RM2,399.00, while the HERO11 Black Creator Edition goes for RM3,399.00. Meanwhile, HERO11 Black Mini will only be available on 25 October 2022 for RM1,979.00. All three models will be available at select retailers and distributed by GoPro's appointed distributor - Ingram Micro Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.

What do you think about the three new GoPro cameras? Drop a comment to let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech gadget launches.


God of War (PC) review - Is this PC version worth getting?

The God of War series is an iconic PS game franchise. And recently, Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) decided to port God of War (2018) to the PC. This is not the first time SIE has done this. The company ported several PS-exclusive titles before this, including Horizon Zero Dawn and Days Gone. Now, God of War is the latest to join the PS-to-PC bandwagon.

Console games ported to PC are often known to have noticeable technical issues, especially in the graphics department. So is God of War a proper PC port for PC gamers? Read on to learn what our TechNave BM writer thought about Kratos's foray into the PC realm.

God of War is quite an old game, so there's no need to tell you what's the story about. Instead, this review focuses more on the PC port's performance. According to our TechNave BM writer, he's happy to report that the game's performance is excellent across the board. He played it on the ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17-inch laptop equipped with an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Laptop GPU. Below are just some screenshots of several locations in the game.

The game ran smoothly at a consistently high frame rate. Plus, our writer didn't experience any bugs or crashes while playing. On the PS4, God of War is capped at 30fps. So it feels amazing to play this game with an unlocked frame rate on the PC, visiting the beautiful and enchanting Nordic worlds in the game. Various locations such as pine forests, underground mines, snow-capped mountains, huge lakes, crafty Elven structures and many more left him in awe.

If your PC is not powerful enough, there are graphics settings you can use. These include Texture Quality, Anisotropic Filter, Shadows, Ambient Occlusion, etc. You can disable one or more graphics settings to increase the frame rates. However, it must be noted that the game requires a hefty 70GB of storage, so make sure you have enough room on your PC first before installing.

The next thing we want to mention is a feature that's nice to have. Some PC ports offer barely any of the graphics settings we mentioned earlier. But since our writer has an NVIDIA GPU, he could enable Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) for more beautiful visuals in 1080p resolution.

Since this is a PC game, is it suitable for the good old mouse-and-keyboard combo? In our writer's opinion, he thinks this is a game best enjoyed with a controller considering its PS4 roots, but mouse-and-keyboard works just fine. The default configuration felt weird, especially when we had to throw the axe. So maybe you would want to adjust the keys according to your preference. Fortunately, you can adjust all of Kratos's actions with any key or button that you desire.

You can execute light and heavy attacks with the axe using just the left and right mouse buttons. But unique combos require combining your axe attacks with keyboard inputs. The axe can be thrown if you don't want to face your enemies head-on, and you also need to throw it in some boss fights and simple puzzles. Besides the axe, Kratos is equipped with the Guardian Shield to block enemy attacks.

The axe, bow and shield can be upgraded with enchantments and perks as you defeat more powerful enemies. And if you're bored of using those weapons, you can always fight with Kratos's fists. They have lower damage but can stun enemies and make them immobile for a short time.

If you have played God of War on the PS4 previously, should you play it again on the PC? Considering its high asking price of RM209, we think you should only play this game if you have a PC that can match the recommended system requirements.

You can't fully enjoy the game on a PC that only fits the minimum requirements. That's because you would only be able to play it with the most basic graphic settings. It wouldn't be any different from playing it on the PS4. The God of War PC version also doesn't offer any additional content, so the only upgrade you get is the improved graphics.

Video games were a favourite among the kids growing up in the 90s. But it's safe to say that most of them never got to taste any PlayStation games (because only the rich kids would have it). Like our TechNave BM writer (and myself), we never got to play PS-exclusive titles like Gran Turismo, The Last of Us, or Ratchet & Clank. So this isn't a game you want to miss out on, especially if you're a hardcore PC gamer who has never played a God of War game (like me). The game has fast-paced combat that never gets boring and a beautiful Nordic-inspired world to explore. Plus, it features an engaging story between a father and his son.

It's the same price on both gaming platforms

Have you gotten yourself the God of War PC version yet? The game is now available in Steam and Epic Games Store for RM209. Let us know what you think of the game, and stay tuned for more game reviews at TechNave.com.


God of War Ragnarok Review: God-tier level game-of-the-year material

We are back with another game review and this time, it's the return of Kratos and Atreus for the much-anticipated AAA game - God of War Ragnarok. As a sequel to the popular God of War 2018, many fans have been clamouring to know what happens next in the father and son's epic journey across Midgard and the nine realms.

For disclosure, I have never played a single God of War game series until this one since I only had a PS1 before (and the first one came on the PS2). So this game is reviewed with a fresh pair of eyes and yes I know, it's weird to read a review by someone playing God of War for the first time. But trust me, I thoroughly enjoyed it, mmkay?

"But Abel, how are you gonna review a game that you've never played before?" you might ask. Well, good thing that I do have some prior knowledge of God of War (2018) thanks to the countless "BOI" memes online as well as catching up on EVERY God Kratos Kills in God of War (ft. @The Completionist). Also, it was a good thing that Santa Monica Studio included a story recap before you start the game. At least that lets me know who are the important characters.

Good to have a recap since it's been 5 years

The first 9 minutes of the game (no spoilers)

Based on the character dialogues, the places that you have been in the previous games are the same but with many changes. To kick off the game, Fimbulwinter has already taken place in Midgard and it plays an important role in Norse mythology, as it foreshadows the events of Ragnarok. If you have some knowledge of that stuff, you should have some idea of what and who to expect.

I played God of War Ragnarok on the PS5 so it goes without saying that the graphics are just top-notch. Every attention to detail such as the textures and facial expressions is delivered superbly, which even impressed my wife on how a modern AAA game looks like. The lighting dynamic, the actions, the mythical monsters, heck, I bet you could even count the number of hairs on Kratos' beard if you wanted to.

Thankfully, not every realm is experiencing Fimbulwinter

Excellent dynamic between the light and shadows

There is plenty to explore in the 9 realms

The lighting reflection mimics very closely how your eyes would see in real-life

Occasionally, there are some nice quiet moments after a string of battles

Another Norse mythology tale brought to life in a game

Behind the scenes of designing the creatures and characters

Not every place is covered by Fimbulwinter ice and it still isn't as open-world as the previous title. But the realms are now a whole lot bigger for you to explore. This is great if you like exploring, although there are some places that you can't access yet, you can always come back to them later on. Speaking of bigger, there are also more options when compared with the predecessor, as Kratos has more Rage modes, as well as Shield forms, Atreus' skill tree is expanded, and there are lots of choices for runes, relics, and armour sets for nearly all your playstyle preferences.

In terms of gameplay mechanics, I really have to give credit to the Santa Monica Studio for thinking out of the box on the challenging battles and puzzles. Even in normal mode (Give Me Balance), I had a hard time defeating many mini and main bosses but this could be because I'm not used to it. I got the hang of it towards the end of the game, though, and I think you would too. Granted, it's a hack-and-slash game but it still requires some strategy to beat a certain enemy. Eventually, you will find a playstyle that you like thanks to the number of weapons and armour sets' stat choices given to you.

A lot of reading to do if you're looking for a good armour set

You can check out how the combat mechanics work here

As for the puzzles, there are a couple of them that literally took me half an hour. Sometimes, I would feel dumb but turns out that I just need to look around hard enough. If you find that too troublesome, you can actually access the accessibility mode and adjust some settings to make the hints pop out. For example, turning the environment white and the hints to bright red saves time.

Besides the main campaign, you can also get sidetracked by "Favours" (side missions) along the story. When I was on a mission in Svartalheim, I couldn't help myself exploring a huge lake nearby just to see what else there was before proceeding. Needless to say, I spent a lot of time hunting for accessible treasures and coming back later to unlock more valuable items. You can certainly take your sweet time doing these long before the finale.

For example, you can set the necessary things to be highlighted to progress more easier

It's good that they integrated accessibility so everyone can play

Of course, the main highlight is none other than the story. As a single-player story-driven game, I didn't expect how heartfelt it would be at the end. I did have some ideas about the father and son (Kratos and Atreus) relationship, but it goes quite deep and taps into their emotions for a very relatable game. This is very much so for Atreus who has grown up from a child to an annoying and naive teenager.

I think many players would get annoyed by Atreus' behaviour throughout the game. Without spoiling too much, he made many questionable decisions and followed his feelings just a bit too much due to the prophecy that was foretold at the end of the previous game. And because of his impulsive actions, Kratos had to deal with him strictly, the Kratos way.

How do you top the story from God of War 2018?

Kratos and Atreus' relationship becomes more complicated but rewards the players with a heartfelt ending (warning: it may even make you cry)

Much like the real world, I believe everyone can relate to the dynamic contrasting relationship between Kratos and Atreus. The game not only explores their bonding as well as other complex emotions dealing with grief, loss, trust, and perhaps most importantly - acceptance. Even for a stoic character like Kratos, he too showed his vulnerability despite being a grown hardened killing machine in some scenes.

There is a quote by Kratos that really struck me, I'm just paraphrasing here but it goes:  "When an animal is wounded, it must stop running or it would bleed too much and die." So likewise, when we run away from our problems, we carry that burden in our hearts unknowingly that it's bleeding. Besides that, other supporting characters (including Thor) have a role to play and are developed quite well.

At this time of posting, there are already 5.1 million God of War Ragnarok copies sold since its debut on 9 November 2022 and it's the fastest-selling first-party launch ever on the PS5. As you can tell, I really love the game and it's easily one of the best games on the PS5 (and PS4) to get. It has everything that a modern single-player video game needs - god-tier visuals, great character developments, a heartfelt story, exceptional background music, epic and challenging battles, tough puzzles, gameplay mechanics expanded, and much bigger maps for you to explore.

This review may seem a bit short but I don't want to reveal too much and you should experience the game by yourself. I finished the story in 36 hours but there are still a ton of side quests, collectables and other mini-boss fights to do. For RM299, I think the replayability of the game makes it well worth your time and money spent. Anyway, God of War Ragnarok is truly game-of-the-year material! Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna complete it 100% to show my love and appreciation.


God of War pre-purchase now on Steam and Epic Games Store for RM209

In the world of gaming, some video game franchises are exclusive on a certain console. This is very much the case with the God of War (2018) for the PlayStation 4 but Sony just recently announced that it will be making its way to the PC. Slated for 14 January 2022, you can now pre-purchase the game for RM209 on Steam and Epic Games Store.

According to the makers of God of War, Santa Monica Studio, the PC version will have an option of 4K resolution on supported devices and unlocked framerates. It will have full integration with NVIDIA Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) on RTX and in addition, NVIDIA Reflex low latency technology will be added to the system. A 21:9 ultrawide screen support is available too.

Since it will be on the PC, you will be able to use the keyboard and mouse to play the game as well as console controllers. This includes the Xbox controllers and even the PS4 DualShock4 and PS5 DualSense wireless controllers. Should you pre-purchase God of War on PC, you will have some freebie items which are:

Have you been waiting for this game on the PC? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending gaming news at TechNave.com.


Gods Will Fall and Galactic Civilizations III are the next free Epic Games Store titles

Do you enjoy space empire building games? If you do, you can grab one for free next week from Epic Games Store (EGS). For the next two weeks, the platform will be giving away Gods Will Fall, followed by Galactic Civilizations III.

For those who prefer adventure games, Gods Will Fall could be something to your taste. This game features eight Celtic warriors to choose from, each with different types of weapons and skills. In terms of visuals, it has an angled top-down camera that's similar to games like Diablo 3 and Path of Exile.

Choose 1 of 8 characters in Gods Will Fall

You can customise ships in Galactic Civilizations III

As for Galactic Civilizations III, this game is a 4X strategy game that's similar to Sid Meier's Civilization series, except it's in space. This game lets you build your very own space empire, with different races/factions to choose from. There are multiple win conditions available that cater to different playstyles, so you can pick the one that fits you the most.

Personally, Galactic Civilizations III is my type of game, but how about you? Which game are you hoping that EGS would give away for free next? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for other news.


Going Bright Night with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

Hailed as "the phone that will change photography", this is a pretty ambitious marketing statement by Samsung about their latest Samsung Galaxy S20 series. The S20 Ultra is packed with many camera features such as Single Take, 100x Space Zoom, 8K video recording and many, one of the features is the Bright Night which specializes in taking night photography. But this begs the question - is it good? We got you covered.

Bright Night is not really new as it was introduced last year with the Galaxy S10 series, but on paper, the S20 Ultra should be able to take much better night photos right? After all, its main camera can shoot up to 108MP. We decided to put it to the test and these are the results we got. Check out our Bright Night with the S20 Ultra below!

Starting the Bright Night photo sample at one of the Samsung booths at Mid Valley

Bright Night is an automatic feature that you can't turn on, but you can always manually set the light sensitivity by yourself

A closer shot at the light bulb for the finer details

The area here is supposed to be darker than it looks

Portrait mode in Bright Night is not a problem at all

With sufficient light around, Bright Night is a walk in a park (literally)

Hmm, I wonder if it's possible to shoot for the stars if it wasn't for the clouds above

By the way, in case you haven't heard - there's an on-going Galaxy S20 Trade in promo happening until 31 May 2020! There are only three simple steps:

Remember to back up all your files first and leave it unlocked before trading in. You'd also be relieved to know that Samsung will accept a non-working device as well but it will have a lower rebate value. Kindly refer to the table below for the full details.

The Galaxy S20 Ultra features 12MP Ultra-Wide + 108MP Wide-Angle + 48MP Telephoto + DepthVision quadruple rear cameras, a 5000mAh battery, 12GB + 128GB memory capacity, an Exynos 990 chipset, 5G connectivity and more. To learn more or purchase one now, you can visit the official Samsung Online Store right here or your nearest Samsung Concept Store. Get one now while you can and change your photography game!

Stay tuned for our future Galaxy S20 Ultra review at TechNave.com.


Going hands-on with the iPro Livepad 8.9 tablet - Solid metal frame tablet for just RM699!

(from left to right) Sumner Lemon, Country Manager for Intel Malaysia and Singapore, Daniel Chia, Principle, IPRO Mobile (M) Sdn Bhd and Darren Ryan, Director PC Category Management, APAC, Consumer Channels Group, Microsoft with the iPro Livepad 8.9 and it's demo truck

Intel is looking to really help local Malaysian tech companies into the limelight by providing Intel tech and expertise for mobile devices. This includes local device maker iPro and we were recently able to get some hands-on time with their latest iPro Livepad 8.9 tablet. Powered by a 64-bit Intel Atom Z3735F processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage and an 8000 mAh battery this surprisingly powerful tablet also sports  an 8.9-inch full HD (1920 x 1200 pixels) display and Windows 8.1. The Livepad 8.9 was recently on promotion at Plaza Low Yat for just RM699 with a free bluetooth keyboard (complete with trackpad) and casing worth RM199 for 500 early-bird buyers. Unfortunately, all of these keyboard and casing promos have already been snapped up. The RM699 offer is still available for buyers at www.iclickz.com while stocks last (as of the time of writing, they still had stock) but after this the tablet is expected to retail at RM799. We managed to score some hands-on time with the iPro Livepad 8.9 tablet below.

A solid metal frame with tempered glass front and back gives the flat and thin iPro Livepad 8.9 a very premium and solid look and feel while the trackpad equipped keyboard casing turns it into a laptop on the go

Compared to the Joi 8, the Livepad 8.9 looks and feels much nicer despite being priced at just a few hundred ringgit more

Build quality for the iPro Livepad 8.9 is surprisingly solid. Featuring a metal frame and a flat and thin design, the Livepad 8.9 also comes with a layer tempered glass on the front and back for a very premium look and feel. In addition, it features a free Office 365 Personal subscription for a year and it also has a built-in recovery system, so you can use this if anything goes wrong. Darren Ryan, Director PC Category Management, APAC, Consumer Channels Group, Microsoft was on hand to confirm that the iPro Livepad 8.9 would be one of the devices to get a free upgrade to Windows 10 sometime in July 2015. We didn't manage to run any benchmarks on it but in a live demo, the Livepad 8.9 ran CounterStrike 1.6 with pretty smooth framerates. While the tablet is coming in white and black, only the white version is currently available with the black version and a 32GB version expected sometime in March. The 32GB version is expected to retail for a bit higher at RM899. Relating plans for the future, Daniel Chia, Principle, IPRO Mobile (M) Sdn Bhd, said that a larger and more premium version probably called the livepad 10.6 is expected in June with a 10.6-inch full HD display, 64GB of storage.

The iPro Livepad 8.9 was powerful enough to run CounterStrike 1.6 and display it on a full HD HDTV


Going on an #A2017LiveUnplanned vacation with the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017

Thanks to Samsung Malaysia we recently went #A2017LiveUnplanned with the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017, for a family vacation at Lexis Hibiscus in Port Dickson, Malaysia. Recording duties were of course given entirely to the Galaxy A7 2017 with its 16MP front and rear camera and plenty of room thanks to 32GB of storage. Starting out the journey it was obviously roadtrip time with plenty of cloud watching along the way.

Heading to Lexis Hibiscus Port Dickson for #A2017LiveUnplanned

Our overwater villa had its own private pool

After about 2 hours journey from Kuala Lumpur, we finally arrived at the Lexis Hibiscus, featuring 643 pools in a single sprawling resort made up of 644 overwater villas in the sea arranged in the shape of a hibiscus. Suffice to say, our premium room had its own pool, something which the kids immediately took advantage of. Joining right in the fun, we could just bring in the IP68 water resistant Galaxy A7 2017 without any worry, resulting in a number of spectacular shots of water in motion, underwater selfies and more.

The kids enjoying the pool while the parents rest their weary feet

Catch all the wet and wild moments with the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 like this water bending shield!

As morning came around, we were surprised by a sudden heavy downpour. Fast autofocus on the 16MP cameras and the aforementioned IP68 water resistance let the Galaxy A7 2017 catch raindrops falling in the pool for worry free recording in the rain. As luck would have it, the Lexis Hibiscus had an indoor Kids World so the fun could continue even in the rain.

Raining? No problem with the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

Catching the raindrops with the pool and the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

No worries, some more fun time indoors for the kids while the parents rest their weary feet some more

Thankfully, the rain broke sometime after midday, allowing some time in the afternoon for kite flying and sand castle building on the beach. This was followed up by some archery and Yo Yo car riding. Travelling between all these locations was done via buggy, so even though the Lexis Hibiscus is a huge resort with multiple attractions and facilities, we didn’t end up too tired out getting to each location.

All the while of taking pictures in the wet and rubber floored Lexis Hibiscus Kids World, battery life for the Galaxy A7 2017 did very well for about close to 2 days of battery life before needing a recharge. We did find that we had to drain and dry the Galaxy A7 2017 quite thoroughly though, proof that it takes safety seriously. I hope Samsung comes up with a tool or drying container in the future but for now, it still works well enough propped up at an angle (although we did have to push in a tissue for a bit).

Yes, the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) can get wet, but it can't charge until it is dry

Night-time again and pool fun continued thanks to the private pool. Again the Galaxy A7 2017 didn’t disappoint, nicely catching shots in the pool even at night. Afterwards with the kids asleep, I took some time with the Galaxy A7 2017 to enjoy the night-time breeze and a view of the main resort complex. Granted, images were still a bit blurred due to the lack of OIS or Optical Image Stabilization but for the most part it should satisfy those night owls out there as well.

At night, a lack of OIS means that pictures can be a bit blurry with the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

But you can always take advantage of this instead

Catching the night breeze and reflections off the sea with the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

Care for a night time stroll with the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)?

All too soon, the trip was over and we made our way back from our #A2017LiveUnplanned vacation. No doubt, the memories and moments recorded in the wet and dry at Lexis Hibiscus with the Samsung Galaxy A7 2017 will make those moments last longer, so if you’re planning a trip to a location with wet and dry situations like Lexis Hibiscus, then the Galaxy A7 2017 makes for an excellent travel companion. Thanks again Samsung Malaysia and the Galaxy A7 2017.

Last morning of our #A2017LiveUnplanned trip with the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017)

Making unforgettable memories with the Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) and #A2017LiveUnplanned