Apple introducing desktop mode for iPhones in the future?

Based on a statement by Twitter user @MauriQHD, it seems that Apple could be working on a feature which allows iPhones to be used in desktop mode similar to Samsung Dex. While not much is known in regards to the upcoming feature, there is a possibility that it might be introduced alongside the iPhone 12 series.

With all that said, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Apple has yet to provide an official statement on the leaks. Not only that, but there’s also no news on the Malaysia release date, exact tech specs, and local pricing for now.

iPhone with MacOSApple working on Linda/Dex type of prototypesthe software work on it is insanei cant even tell you how excited they are about the whole thing im hearing

Would you be interested in getting the Apple iPhone 12 series as soon as it is available in Malaysia? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


You might be able to preorder the PS5 earlier than expected

Gamers are understandably excited for 2020, thanks to news that the next-gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft would be out by the end of the year. But now it seems that you might be able to secure a Sony PlayStation 5 in advance if you just can't wait. New rumours claim that pre-orders of Sony's next console will be up in March 2020.

Prolific leaker PSErebus posted the news a few days ago. In a series of tweets, he claimed that the Dual Shock 5 controller will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2020, followed by the opening of pre-orders for the Sony PS5. The console would allegedly be purchasable via direct.playstation.com, though you only see bundles of the Sony PS4 there at the moment.

DUALSHOCK 5 will be unveiled in the first quarter of 2020. PlayStation 5 will be available to preorder worldwide shortly afterwards pic.twitter.com/ffTU9HVaoP

Such an early pre-order session would be meant for Sony to get an estimate on how many consoles to manufacture. This should indicate that the console is finalised and there won't be any major changes to its design or specs. Perhaps we'll actually get to see Sony show off the PS5 or reveal demos built on the console in the months to come. Having said that, none of this is verified news so take it with a grain of salt.

Are you excited for the Sony PS5? Let us know if you're planning to get it on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for future updates on this.


You might be required to scan your fingerprint in order to access WhatsApp Web

Based on a report by wabetainfo.com, it seems that Facebook could be working on a new WhatsApp feature where the user will be required to scan their fingerprint in order to log in to WhatsApp Web. With that said, this means that WhatsApp web would not only be more secure, but it will also notify the user if an unauthorized login were to occur.

While not much is known in regards to when Malaysia will be releasing the update, it is still under development and it will not be available for download via the Google Play store. With that said, do take some of the information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Facebook has yet to provide an official statement on the leaked info.

What are your thoughts on WhatsApp requiring the user’s fingerprint in order to log in to WhatsApp Web? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


You might need to pay to use the "Undo Tweet" feature on Twitter

Based on the tweets by Jane Manchun Wong, it seems that the “Undo Tweet” feature is currently in the testing phase and it will most likely be available only to those who subscribe to “Twitter Premium”. Unfortunately, there’s not much known in regards to when the subscription service will be available globally, as well as what other features will be available along with it.

However, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt, due to the fact that Twitter has yet to provide an official statement on the leaked info. Not only that, but there’s also no news on whether Twitter is working on an “Edit Tweet” functionality as of now.

Twitter is working on app subscription for paid features like “Undo Tweet” https://t.co/CrqnzIPcOH pic.twitter.com/Ct16Gk2RL1

With all that said, what are your thoughts on the “Undo Tweet” potentially being locked behind a subscription? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


You might not be able to customise fonts and icons on Android 12

It seems that a recent report by XDA-developers hinted that the upcoming Android 12 operating system might not allow users to customise the smartphone’s fonts and icons. While there’s no official statement as to why the feature was removed, speculations were hinting the changes were intended to make way for the new “Material You” design.

Based on what we know so far, the Material You design can automatically and intelligently adjust the UI to suit the user. That might not sound like a bad thing, but some users prefer having complete control of the smartphone’s UI.

However, do take the information mentioned with a grain of salt because Google has yet to provide an official statement on the leaked info. With all that said, what are your thoughts on potentially not having the ability your Android smartphone’s UI in the future? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


You might win a free Realme smartphone from the Angpau For You! campaign

Like every other brand, Realme Malaysia will have a special Chinese New Year sale for Malaysians. Starting today until 10 February 2019, all customers can join in the company's "Angpau For You!" campaign where they get to slash their digital angpaus to unlock some free items, such as the Realme 2 Pro, Realme 2, Realme C1, Olike wrist bands, Lazada and Shopee vouchers as well as an Oppo selfie stick.

So how do you get started? Easy, just go to the link here and start playing the game to win the mystery gift. Keep in mind that no matter how many angpaus you managed to slash, the system still determines if you will win something or not and each player only gets one chance to participate. But don't fret, you still have a chance to win some weekly prizes, below are the steps to follow:

Only four winners will be selected each week. For more information on this campaign, you can go to their Facebook page here and check it out. Good luck and have fun!


You never have to remember your passwords with Android from now on!

It can be hard to remember every single password for every single account you’ve created online. Google has taken note of this and decided to make life (a little) easier for everyone. Android users (starting from the Google Pixel phones) can now verify their identities for Google services by using their fingerprints or screen lock instead of a password (hurray!).

Other Android devices with Android 7 Nougat or higher will be getting this update over the next few days. Users will only have to register their fingerprint or screen lock on their smartphones and they’re able to use it for any Google compatible services or sites on the internet or even native apps.

Google has promised absolute privacy for its users. Fingerprints will only be stored securely on user’s phones and will never be sent to Google servers. The servers will only receive proof of the fingerprint scanned and it is sent to the server via a message disguised through cryptography. If you’re interested in giving this a try, head on over to https://passwords.google.com, pick a site to add a password on and follow the instructions to verify yourself signing on.

Honestly, I’m very excited to see the beginning of the end of the password era. While this does make life more convenient, do you think there are some downsides to this? Keep up with the latest Android news on TechNave.com!


You now get a useful right click menu on your Gmail. Finally.

Finally, us Gmail users get a right click menu on our emails. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we’ve had it for awhile but options were only limited to archiving, deleting and marking as unread. Now, the right click drop down menu has pretty much everything the top bar has and a few extra features.

The update for Gmail will be coming soon. When that drops, you’ll be able to do so much more with your drop down menu such as forward emails, reply emails, move said email to a particular folder, find emails from the same sender, open more than one email on the same window, mute or snooze certain emails and even add labels to your emails.

Doesn't that drop down menu make you want to organize your emails?

The update is expected to roll out on the 22nd of February for G Suite users but it will come by for the rest of us normies sometime later. Honestly, we should have had this feature long ago as it is very basic but better now than never, I suppose. For the latest updates on lifestyle tech, TechNave.com is the place to check out!


You now have until 15 May to agree to WhatsApp's policy if you want to keep using it

Developers of WhatsApp has officially stated on their website, mentioning that they have extended the policy agreement date to 15 May 2021 instead of the initial date of 8 February 2021. With that being said, if you’re still keen on using WhatsApp, you have until the extended date to agree with their new policy.

For those who are unaware, the new WhatsApp policy states that they will be sharing your data with other Facebook-owned services. While it may seem harmless, many felt uneasy that their privacy is being violated and their data could be used for nefarious purposes.

What are your thoughts on WhatsApp extended their agreement date to 15 May 2021? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


You now need a Facebook account to sign up to Facebook Messenger

When Facebook Messenger was first introduced, it allowed users to sign up for an account by using their phone number. Surprisingly, Facebook has made changes to Messenger, which now requires new users to have a Facebook account in order to sign up for the service based on a statement by venturebeat.

Fortunately, those who already signed up to Facebook Messenger using their phone number will not have worry, as the new changes only affect new users. With all that said, what do you think of the changes made by Facebook? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


You’re going to have to pay 10% more for your overseas smartphone cases from 1 April 2023

This 1 April 2023 you’re going to have to pay 10% more for stuff you buy and import from overseas priced less than RM500. This is because Malaysia will start collecting a new sales tax for online low-value goods and hard-to-find overseas smartphone cases are usually below RM500.

This will not affect goods bought before 1 April 2023 but shipped afterwards. But, if you buy a smartphone case from China or Amazon after 1 April 2023 for RM10 with a shipping fee of RM4.90, you will have to pay RM15.90 (RM10 + 10% sales tax [RM1] + RM4.9 shipping fee).

If you’re an online seller of below RM500 imported goods then you’re going to have to register with Customs. Strangely enough, this new tax does not affect e-cigarettes, vape devices or the liquid or gels needed for these devices.

This means that even if you’re buying a smartphone case from a local seller after 1 April 2023, if it was originally imported in bulk from overseas after 1 April 2023, it would still have been taxed and subsequently increased in price. To most people, this isn’t entirely a big issue but local online sellers as mentioned above might get a bit of a pinch in import costs.

Given the 1 April 2023 starting date, it all seems like a horrible pre-April fools joke, but according to the Malay Mail it is officially based off of the Royal Malaysian Customs Department’s (RMCD) draft tax guide as of January 1. What do you think? Will this impact you? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com


Apple investors want to see ChatGPT competitor at WWDC 2023

At the WWDC 2023 conference tonight, some would be looking forward to seeing the new Mac Studio. There will also be those excited about Apple's long-anticipated AR/VR headset. But the investors aren't as interested in those products.

According to Ming-chi Kuo, Apple's investors are instead more interested in seeing Apple launch a ChatGPT-like service than the Reality Pro headset. One reason is that investors feel the headset won't provide substantial revenue in the next few years. Also, they believe that revealing a ChatGPT rival at WWDC 2023 could help with AI investment sentiment and lead to demand for new hardware.

终于，苹果最近发布的AR/VR职位描述里，总算泄露出来了他们要把LLM放进AR/VR设备里的想法：“Conversational and Generative AI”从技能描述看是做app，LLM看起来更像是放在设备上，而不是云上从使用上来看，提到了需要prompt engineering和prompt fine tuning，看起来更像是人和XR交互方式上做文章… https://t.co/lS7uFrO3vI pic.twitter.com/gtPg1cLL9z

Apple is hiring developers with interests in "Conversational and Generative AI"

On the other hand, the analyst believes that Apple's headset would still impact the 3D interaction design and computer graphics industries. From a user's perspective, an AR/VR headset from a top brand like Apple could also make more people keen on creating AR/VR content. This would then drive demand for such headsets.

Interestingly, Apple was spotted hiring machine-learning software engineers. Coincidence? Probably not, but we're also not sure Apple will announce a ChatGPT rival at WWDC 2023. Fortunately, the event is tomorrow, so stay tuned to TechNave for news about the event.


You’re not the only one as Microsoft Teams, Azure and Outlook were down around the world today

If you’ve been having problems with Microsoft Teams, Azure or Outlook today then you’re not the only one, as cloud users across the world lost access. Countries affected included the US, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa. Microsoft says that it has mostly recovered from a “networking outage” and it should be business as usual though.

According to Microsoft the network connectivity issue occurred between clients and data centres. They then tweeted that they had rolled back the network change that had caused this. If you’re still having issues, you should probably get in touch with Microsoft.

Were you impacted by the recent Microsoft cloud network outage? Apparently some organizations weren't affected at all as Microsoft continues to look for the reason why. We'll let you know as soon as we find out, so stay tuned to TechNave.com


You will be able to have a video call up to 50 people soon from WhatsApp via Messenger Rooms shortcut

Back at the end of April, Facebook introduced Messenger Rooms where people are allowed to have a video call up to 50 people. That's pretty cool and all considering that most people have Messenger already so they don't need to register at all, and it seems that WhatsApp users will be able to access into that soon!

According to the ever-reliable wabetainfo.com, the Whatsapp development team is working on a Messenger Rooms shortcut for WhatsApp web and it's currently in beta mode. The shortcut will appear at the "Attach" button alongside the photos and videos, camera, documents, and contacts. Once the user clicks on it, the Messenger Rooms introduction will appear and will bring you to the app instead of having it on WhatsApp.

Messenger Rooms shortcut on WhatsApp Web beta

Messenger Rooms shortcut for smartphones

As for smartphone devices on iOS and Android, the "Create a room" will appear below the "New group" option and the message will also ask you to continue in Messenger for it to happen. At the moment, we don't know when will this update be available on all 3 platforms, but we think it's a nice alternative to Zoom or Microsoft Teams because Messenger is what almost everyone has already.

What do you think of this update and are you looking forward to it? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


You will be able to send HD photos through WhatsApp in the future

Sending photos and videos through WhatsApp may not always be the best solution due to its compressed file quality. However, the WhatsApp team is going to change that by integrating a new feature that sends HD photos.

As you can see in the screenshot below, the HD toggle option will be available at the top (beside the cropping option) before sending the image. Although it looks like the image's original file quality will be preserved, it's reported that light compression will still be applied. Users can choose either the Standard or HD Quality.

Then for the screenshot on the right side, images being sent in HD will show the HD tag at the bottom left. That being said, WABetaInfo reported that an HD video is not possible for good reasons, as the file size can be too huge to send over. So in other words, this only applies to sending photos (but is inapplicable for status updates)

According to WABetaInfo, the new feature will be in the latest WhatsApp beta for iOS 23.11.0.76 update from the TestFlight app, whereas the WhatsApp beta for Android 2.23.12.13 update from the Google Play Store. We will have to wait a bit longer before the new update rolls out to everyone globally.


You will be able to trade-in old OPPO phones for the latest OPPO Reno series from 17 June onwards

You read that right, OPPO Malaysia is happy to share the news that if you have an older OPPO phone, you can now trade it in for the latest OPPO Reno series trade-in program with added benefits and deals starting from 17 June until 16 August 2019.

Interested consumers can visit 52 selected OPPO Concept Store including the upcoming OPPO Reno 10x Zoom Debut Roadshow at Sunway Pyramid. Also, those who have pre-ordered the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom are eligible to take part of this trade-in program with terms and conditions apply. Of course, all trade-in OPPO phones must meet the criteria and evaluation to meet the requirements, as well as the list of OPPO phones values, which you can read all about it here. Seriously, please read it.

In if you're wondering what is the Grade for, it's basically to check if the OPPO phone is in good working condition. This includes no dents, no crack, no scratches, no dead pixel and so on. Stay tuned for more OPPO news at TechNave.com.


You will get RM200 Samsung e-voucher if you register your interest for the next Galaxy pre-order

Just last night, we reported the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event that is happening soon. Samsung Malaysia has also confirmed the event this morning and there will be a livestream on 10 August 2022 at 9 PM, via Samsung.com/my and Samsung Malaysia’s YouTube channel.

Based on the image, we will be expecting to see the next-gen Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 but that's not all. Samsung Malaysia has already set up a registration page at www.samsung.com/my/unpacked/ where you can register your interest. From now until 10 August, a successful registration will grant RM200 Samsung e-voucher that can be used to pre-order the next Galaxy!

Image render leaks of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 have already appeared online but they still look more or less the same. However, there should be new colour options. For the Galax Z Flip 4, it could come in Gray, Purple, Gold, and Light Blue, whereas the Galaxy Z Fold 4 could be in Phantom Black, Beige, and Gray/Green.

Are you excited about the next Galaxy Unpacked? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


You will need to pay for more photo storage space on Google Photos from 1 June 2021 onwards

Starting from 1 June 2021, Google will no longer be offering free unlimited storage for photos that are uploaded onto Google Photos using the “High quality” setting. With that being said, you might want to consider subscribing to Google One which lets provides you with up to 2TB of additional storage space starting from as low as RM8.49 a month.

Do note that pictures saved on Google Photos using the “High quality” setting do not take up storage space, so it’s best to backup all your precious onto Google Photos before the changes take place. On another note, Google will also be releasing a new management tool that will help you keep track of how much storage you have left and help you remove blurry photos that take up unnecessary space.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on Google removing unlimited storage for selected photos? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


You will not be able to pay for parking via the DBKL parking payment machines from 1 October 2020 onwards

It seems that DBKL has recently released a statement on their Facebook page stating that motorists will not be able to pay for parking via the parking payment machines, starting from 1 October 2020. Instead, DBKL will only accept payments via apps such as EZ Smart Park, Flexiparking, Wilayah Parking, as well as M-Cash in order to pay for their parking.

In addition to that, they've also mentioned that e-wallets such as Boost and Touch ‘n Go eWallet is currently being integrated and will not be available at the moment. Unfortunately, there is no date on when both the e-wallets can be used to pay for parking, so you might need to stay tuned for that.

With all that said, what are your thoughts on DBKL switching over to cashless payments by doing away with parking payment machines? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


You would now have to pay for using the Pantone colours on Adobe apps

Creatives would have to pay a fee to use Pantone colours in Adobe projects, starting from now. Adobe and Pantone have removed support for free Pantone colours across its Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator Creative Cloud applications. They're offering a new plugin subscription for those who want to continue to gain access to the colours.

In a statement, Erin Di Leva, Public Relations Manager for Adobe, mentioned that "Pantone now requires customers to purchase a premium license through Pantone Connect and install a plug-in using Adobe Exchange." The purpose of doing so is the Pantone colour libraries inside of Adobe have not been appropriately maintained for many years, which has led the colours to become inaccurate, with hundreds missing from Adobe applications altogether.

For those keen to subscribe, it would cost $15 (~RM71) monthly or $90 (~RM426) for an annual subscription for a Pantone license. Of course, it has caused a stir among the current users. According to some, the file that has the Pantone colours have been removed and become black. Other Photoshop users also reported that downloading the Pantone Connect extension didn't guarantee fixing the issue. For this, The Verge has reached out to Pantone for clarification.

What do you think about the subscription? Is it necessary to charge people for using certain colours? Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech reports.


YouTube Courses ready to make it out of the U.S., starting with India as first

India will become the second country to get YouTube Courses. The feature launched in July allows channel owners to offer tutorials or classes as paid videos to the audience. Previously, it was only available in the States, but it seems that YouTube is ready to offer it somewhere else.

The feature arrives on YouTube India in the form of beta testing. In 2023, it'll only be available for general use for all content creators. In India, YouTube Courses targets teachers who want to teach online with videos for a fee. There's also an interactive quiz at the end of the study video to test the student's level of understanding.

The reason for YouTube choosing India as the next to deploy the feature is the country alone has 60 million videos teaching various digital skills, and every 1 out of 2 working citizens use YouTube to improve their personal skills. We hope the feature will also come to Malaysia soon as it might encourage content creators to offer more high-quality courses on the video-sharing platform.

What do you think about YouTube Courses? Share your opinion by leaving a comment, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech reports.


YouTube, Google Drive, Google Assistant, and more were down but it's now fixed

Update (9:02pm): Google has issued fixes.

Update (8:30pm): Google Docs, Maps, Gmail, Nest, Calendar, Classroom, Meet, Hangouts, Stadia, Duo and YouTube TV have been affected as well.

After Facebook facing issues with some of its platforms not responding last week, it looks like Google is the next to have problems as some of its services are currently down including YouTube, Google Drive, Google Assistant, and more.

Many users have reported that the most popular video streaming site YouTube is not accessible at the moment. While on the site, users can only see a purple monkey with the text "Something went wrong..." above its head. Other than YouTube, services like Google Drive, Google Assistant, and even Google Play Store are having difficulties as well.

For now, it's not clear if other services from Google are having issues besides those mentioned ones. Let's wait for the company to issue fixes or make a statement as we can't do anything as well. However, out of all, at least Google Search is still working.

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


Apple invites indicate the iPhone 8 and more are coming on 12 September 2017

The guys at The Verge recently received official invites from Apple for their next big event, slated on 12 September 2017. The event looks to be the place where Apple will announce the Apple iPhone 8 (or iPhone 7S) and iPhone 8 Plus along with a few other Apple stuff like Apple Watch, Apple TV and so forth. While we're secretly hoping for some better thought-out AirPods, the next iPhone is rumoured to come with a bezel-free display like the Samsung Galaxy S8 or LG G6, while packing in wireless charging.

Rumoured to be the most expensive Apple iPhone yet, the Apple Watch is also said to be following the Huawei Watch 2, featuring 4G LTE connectivity. As usual of Malaysia, we expect the next generation of Apple devices to arrive a month later or so in November 2017 with subsequent price drops to their existing lineup.


YouTube Malaysia, Maxis and Sunway University kicking off YouTube Broadcast Box and Rojak360

Ms. Su-Zen Low (left), YouTube Partner Manager, Online Partnerships Southeast Asia; Izmir (second left), Maxman TV; Bram, Cartoon Hooligans (second right); and Jin, Jinnyboy TV (right) in a panel discussion

Today, YouTube Malaysia has announced their collaboration with both Maxis and Sunway University to kick off the YouTube Broadcast Box roadshow. What's that? Well, the roadshow is designed to equip the next generations of Malaysian creators with the necessary knowledge to get a running start on YouTube, the Broadcast Box is a specially made mobile studio equipped with cameras, a green screen, and editing equipment tuned to help new creators shoot and upload videos on YouTube.

A mini studio inside with cameras, lights, props and green screen

The editing station after a participants have finished their YouTube Broadcast Box experience

Starting today, 1 August 2016 until 5 August 2016 (10am - 6pm), visitors to Sunway University will have a chance to experience what it's like to be behind the scenes in the Broadcast Box, they are also given a personalized video-making and editing experience by a team of experts on a theme they picked, as well as utilizing editing software and add effects.

"A research conducted by TNS Research and Google Malaysia earlier this year found that 16 to 34 years old Malaysians watch more YouTube than TV on a monthly basis. More interestingly, half of the 55 - 64 years old surveyed are also avid YouTube watchers, making the popular video platform very much a mass media destination." said Vishal Sarin, Head of YouTube Content Partnership, Southeast Asia.

In the coming weeks, the Broadcast Box will also make its way to Penang for Georgetown Festival as well as to Kuching, Sarawak.

Ms. Lau Sulin, Head of Marketing Services, Maxis Malaysia introducing Maxis Rojak 260 campaign

Meanwhile, Maxis will also be launching a joint Merdeka campaign theme Rojak360 with YouTube. This campaign is in conjunction with the coming National Day at the end of the month, to tell Malaysia's story in different languages from all walks of life using Virtual Reality technology.

This marks Malaysia's first ever 360 degrees short film series, the public is very much encouraged to participate this campaign by creating their own Rojak-theme Malaysian story and upload it to their own YouTube channel using #MaxisRojak360 in their video title. Participants stand a chance to have their work premiered alongside the films by award-winning directors.

"Though we're seeing amazing growth for video uploads on YouTube Malaysia at around 40% year-on-year, there is still a huge relatively untapped potential in Malaysia at around 40% year-on-year , there is still a huge relatively untapped potential in Malaysia for current and potential local creators to thrive on YouTube, and we hope with this roadshow we will be able to aspire the next generation of filmmakers." Vishal continued.

Some popular Malaysian YouTube creators were present as well sharing their experiences and tips, from Cartoon Hooligans (the first Malaysian channel to hit 1 million subscribers), JinnnyBoyTV, Dan Khoo Productions, The Ming Thing, Maxman TV and to Malaysia's top female YouTuber, Joanna Soh. The YouTube creators have also expressed their desire to see more contents in Malaysia as there are many hidden talents not explored yet.

Ming Han (left) from The Ming Thing and Joanna Soh (right) sharing their stories

Dato' Jailani Johari, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Communications & Multimedia, and Vishal Sarin presenting the Gold YouTube Button award to Bram Lee of Cartoon Hooligans for being the first Malaysian to reach 1 million subscribers

Media QnA session with the Malaysian YouTubers and YouTube Malaysia

For more information about participating YouTube Broadcast Box and Maxis Rojak 360, stay tuned for more news at Technave.com!


YouTube Malaysia’s 1st Virtual Hari Sukan has been postponed

Yesterday, YouTube Malaysia had announced that the 1st Virtual Hari Sukan with Pesta Game 2021 will be held on 30 January and 31 January 2021. Unfortunately, the event has now been postponed until further notice due to instruction from the relevant authorities. For those who have no clue, it is an online event that is joined by the country's top creator and audience to compete in various popular games like PUBG, Valorant, and more.

It is stated that the decision was made after close consultation with partners MyGameOn and IGN Southeast Asia. Youtube Malaysia has apologized for any inconvenience caused and they are as disappointed as those who were looking forward to participating in the event. Furthermore, they also promised to work closely with the partners to decide on a new time and date when everyone will get to enjoy the event.

Let us know what you think about the postponement on our Facebook page. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more latest local news. Stay safe and stay healthy!


YouTube Malaysia’s 1st Virtual Hari Sukan with Pesta Game 2021 postponed

YouTube Malaysia recently announced that they’ll be streaming “Malaysia’s 1st Virtual Hari Sukan” with Pesta Game 2021 on 30 January 2021 and 31 January 2021. The virtual online event will see participants of Rumah A, Rumah B and Rumah C compete against each other with Malaysia’s most trendiest video games. YouTube Malaysia will be partnering with MyGameOn, IGN Southeast Asia, KFC and powered by the Samsung Galaxy A51 and A71. Update: It's been postponed. See below for the complete statement.

The virtual online event will be streamed live on various Malaysian YouTube channels including Media Prima’s Drama Sangat, NTV7, TV3 and TV9 channels. Individual channels of creators participating in the games such as Athisha Khan, Dumpling Soda, Fuzz Channel, Isaac Osman, Syedot ASMR, and Wiser MY will also be involved. Viewers can also stand a chance to win amazing prizes during the live streams, or even join their favorite creators in-game.

From the infographics below, there will be a number of games to choose from including PUBG Mobile, Valorant and Gran Turismo, but the full official list has yet to be revealed. So, if you're not doing anything on that weekend, then you could perhaps drop by and win a game or two or just watch as your favourite YouTubers game it out. For more details, check it out at their respective YouTube channels or the Google Malaysia Twitter.

Due to instruction from the relevant authorities, Pesta Game, originally slated for January 30th and 31st, has unfortunately been postponed till further notice. After close consultation with our partners MyGameOn and IGN Southeast Asia, we agree that this is the safest decision to take.

We apologize for any inconvenience - we did not foresee such instruction at this stage of the planning process. Having spent the last few months preparing for the event with our participating YouTube creators and event partners, we are just as disappointed as you must be to not have a weekend of fun gaming to help Malaysians cope with extended life at home.

We want to thank our partners, content creators and members of the press for the continued support and understanding. As mentioned in our press release, we still fully intend for Pesta Game to deliver the spark of joy and positivity to light up your living rooms and mobile devices while you’re staying home. We will continue to work with our partners to finalize this event at a new time and date as soon as possible. Stay tuned and stay safe.


YouTube Music launches Listening Room, receives positive response

If you are a music lover, you know that music streaming platforms offer you more if you subscribe to them. Unfortunately, YouTube Music isn't that great when it comes to features. With that in mind, the company has a new program to curate feedback.

Recently, YouTube opened up for registration to a new Listening Room program. It aims to select a group of beta users who would be given early access to new features. Moreover, they get to join an exclusive Discord server that includes the YouTube Music product team members, to who they can provide feedback.

As you can tell, this gives beta access to new YouTube Music features. There was a Google form that listed basic requirements for joining and queried interested parties on their music listening habits. But the program no longer accepts submissions, so we can't get in to see what else it offers.

Do you use YouTube Music regularly, and can it compare with Spotify and Apple Music? Please share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates.


YouTube Music new updates aim to make your playlist better

Google has been working quite hard to push YouTube Music in recent months. The team working on it just released a new update yesterday, with new features that focus on improving playlists. To achieve that, artificial intelligence (AI) and other collaborative measures were employed.

The first feature Google added would be the Assistive playlist, which is the one that uses AI to suggest relevant songs based on certain criteria. For example, if your playlist name is "Ghibli Soundtrack", it might suggest a song or soundtrack based on that. It will also suggest songs based on your playback history. You can now also share your created playlist with others so that everyone can contribute to it and make it better.

If you can't be bothered to make your own playlist, you could just search for one that you may like with "Mixed for you". It's also possible to search for playlists based on your mood or genres, such as 'Party' or 'Hip-hop'. Sound familiar? Yup, these are basically Spotify's "Made for you" and 'Browse' features.

Considering how widely used Spotify is, it's not necessarily a bad thing for YouTube Music to use the same features. But what do you think Google can do to make its music streaming platform stand out against the competition? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more news.


YouTube Music now accepts your song library transfer from Google Play Music

When it comes to using a preferred music platform on your smartphone, Spotify would be the popular choice, then there's also Apple Music but nobody, absolutely nobody will tell you Google Play Music is pretty good. It has a rather wacky job on display album covers, the songs titles will follow exactly as the file name (which will turn out funny-looking), and the user interface is just bland. Thankfully, YouTube Music is here to save the day.

According to sources, Android users will be allowed to migrate their streaming library songs from Google Play Music to YouTube Music. Reports say that you can upload up to 100,000 songs to the library or 5000 songs to a playlist. Then if you have marked some likes and dislikes on some songs from the Google Play Music, YouTube Music will analyse them and try to recommend songs to you via suggestions.

That said, the podcasts you have in the Google Play Store can be transferred as well but only to Google Podcasts. The songs and albums you purchased can be moved too, but you will have to keep transferring if you want them in the YouTube Music library. Of course, since YouTube Music is not free (not counting the free trial), it's RM17.90 including YouTube Premium which you never have to see a single YouTube advertisement.

Initially, it was a hassle task to switch back and forth between the 2 music platforms and it's a good thing that music lovers won't need to do that anymore. Do note that it will take a few more days for the update to roll out, so until then, stay safe and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube Music now lets you cast cloud-stored songs to smart speakers

In the last few months, one of the apps that Google has been putting quite a bit of work would be YouTube Music. The company has been adding or updating a lot of features in the recent months and has recently released a new update, which lets you play songs you've saved on the cloud on smart speakers.

As pointed out by 9to5Google, this isn't a new feature but it was previously locked behind a paywall. That's right, while you can upload your personal collection of music files to the platform since May 2020, it wasn't possible to cast it to a smart speaker. At least, not without paying. With the update, you no longer need a premium subscription to be able to do so.

A Premium subscription was previously needed to cast songs from your cloud storage to smart speakers

If you've previously used Google Play Music for years and amassed a personal library of songs on the cloud storage, this update would be useful for you. There's a catch though - you can only cast the music you've uploaded. If you want to cast songs on YouTube Music to your smart speaker, you'll still need shell out RM14.90/month for a Premium subscription.

Personally, I hope the app would continue to play music even if my phone is locked. It's quite ridiculous how that requires a subscription when Spotify gives it to us for free, but what do you think? Tell us what you think YouTube Music really needs to improve on in the comments below! Also, do stick around with TechNave.com for more news like this.


YouTube Music rolling out an update to provide in-app lyrics to Android and iOS

When you're stuck at home staring at the four walls, sometimes a little bit of music is just what you need. YouTube Music is just in time with something new too, with an update being rolled out to add built-in lyrics to the app. Note that the update isn't available to every region yet, as it seems that we don't have it yet here in Malaysia.

According to Engadget, the Android version of the app has already been beta testing in-app lyrics a few weeks back. It's currently accessible when you click the info button next to the title of a song when it's playing. Of course, not all songs are supported currently. This applies even if it's an official channel on YouTube.

Lyrics are already available for some users in the current version of the Android app

Also, this update is expected to come with a redesign of the app as well. In the redesigned version, you should be able to see the built-in lyrics as a separate tab next to "Up next". More importantly, the feature will be available to all users, so you don't need to pay for a premium subscription to enjoy the feature.

We're not sure when this update will roll out in Malaysia. Hopefully, it'll be within the next few days so we can at least sing along to a song, instead of just staring at the wall. With that said, have you noticed this feature in the app yet? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


YouTube Premium Family monthly plan for Malaysia increased to RM33.90/month

Back in October 2021, YouTube Premium prices went up for a few countries but Malaysia wasn't one of them until this week. From now onwards, the YouTube Premium for Family is now RM33.90 per month.

To refresh your memory, the original YouTube Premium Family plan was RM26.90 per month. That's a staggering RM7 rise in cost and for unknown reasons, the individual plan remains the same as RM17.90 per month, as well as the Student package for RM10.90 per month. YouTube did not release any official statement regarding this matter for the Malaysian market.

Although the Family plan is more expensive now, it's still the cheapest way to avoid protruding ads while watching videos, downloading videos offline and listening to YouTube Music. The primary account holder can add up to five family members and each will have to fork out RM6.78 per month. Previously, it was RM5.70 per month for each member.

YouTube is still offering to non-Premium members a 1-month free trial and they can cancel it anytime. It's quite a pinch to our wallets but this is the reality of inflation now that's affecting everything. Stay safe and stay tuned for more trending tech news.


YouTube Premium and YouTube Music have landed in Malaysia from RM14.90

YouTube Premium and YouTube Music have finally launched in Malaysia and other countries such as Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, and Thailand. Both of them have been launched elsewhere in the world and finally, it’s our turn!

First, let’s talk about YouTube Premium. It is priced at RM17.90/month and you can watch YouTube videos without the distraction of any ads (Apple, we’re looking at you). The service also comes with other awesome features such as saving videos for offline viewing and playing a video in the background while opening another app. These features are the most wanted among YouTube users and we’re really glad they’re finally here.

YouTube Music has launched alongside with YouTube Premium as well. If you're subscribed to YouTube Premium, you are also allowed to enjoy ad-free music streaming on YouTube Music. If you're a user who is not keen to subscribe to YouTube Premium, there is also a stand-alone subscription called YouTube Music Premium for YouTube Music as well which is priced at RM14.90/month.

Without any subscriptions, you can still stream music with ads on YouTube Music. For mobile users, the app will cut the music off once you quit. This music streaming service by YouTube works almost the same as Spotify. If you want us to point out a major difference, I would say that YouTube Music is better at searching songs. You can just type out the lyrics if you forgot the title of the song. For example, type “I want it, I got it” to search for Ariana Grande’s 7 Rings.

In addition to that, you can also subscribe to the family packages which are priced at RM26.90/month and RM22.90/month for YouTube Premium and YouTube Music Premium respectively. Each subscription allows you to add up to 5 members who live in the same location. There is also a 4-months free trial for users who would like to try out these services. However, the free trial depends on the user's device as some of the users only get 1 or 2 months.

Let us know if you would subscribe to these newly launched YouTube services on our Facebook page! Stay tuned for more tech news on TechNave.com.


Apple is adding new emojis into iOS 14.5 developer beta

We have written some news about iOS 14.5 beta for a while now and here's another one. Apple has confirmed that the upcoming software update will include new emojis, Apple Music update and others.

For the new emojis, many new ones are coming soon and this includes skin tone variations for couples kissing and couples with heart. There are some fun ones too such as a heart on fire, heart mending, person with a beard, face exhaling, face in clouds and face with spiral eyes. The AirPods Max also has its own emoji now and you will see a person hiking emoji coming soon.

On the other hand, Apple Music will be getting some updates as well. Although it's quite minimal, it will add Lyrics Sharing which is a new option to share lyrics from your favourite songs on Messages, Facebook and Instagram Stories. Other minimal update includes Siri which will be able to Group FaceTime call with multiple contacts or with a group.

What do you think of the new emojis? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube Premium family package plan's monthly fee increased over 25%

Bad news for YouTube Premium family plan users - the monthly fee just got a price increase. Good news - the Malaysian market isn't affected by it but we can't help to think it's only temporary.

YouTube Premium family plan users got the announcement from their emails just recently. In terms of USD, the initial price of $17.99 (~RM85) per month is now $22.99 (~RM108) per month. That's an increase of over 25% and it's even higher for those who use an iPhone, which is $29.99 (~RM142) per month.

Oddly enough, the YouTube Premium individual accounts remain the same at $11.99 per month. Besides the US market, other countries got affected as well such as Canada, the UK, Argentina, Turkey and Japan. You can view the new price adjustments below:

YouTube didn't give any explanation on why did the monthly fee went up, but if we had to guess - it's probably due to inflation like everything else. For context, the local pricing for YouTube Premium individual and family plans (up to 5 members) cost MR17.90 and RM26.90 per month respectively. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube Premium's picture-in-picture feature is now out for everyone

If you aren’t up to speed, Youtube Premium subscribers had access to a feature called picture-in-picture. The feature allows users to view Youtube videos while doing other tasks on their device. Now the feature is rolling out for everyone globally, including those who are not subscribed to Youtube Premium.

The feature had started to trickle out for free users in the US starting from a few months ago. Now it looks like Google may just be rolling out the update worldwide for all Youtube users. In order to activate this feature, head on over to Settings > General and then select allow by pressing Home button. The video will then appear in the a small box which you can move around your screen as you do other things on your device.

So far the update has only been spotted in Italy but it is likely that the update may just be released in stages worldwide in the next week. No official statement has been made by Google so far so do take this article with some salt. What do you think of the update? Finally, I can listen to music on Youtube without having to be on the app. For the latest news on the coolest apps, stay tuned to TechNave.com!


YouTube Premium subscribers now can try out new beta features

Who doesn’t watch videos on YouTube? Some of the users even subscribe YouTube Premium to enjoy the watching experience without ads. Here the company - Google have rolled out some new experimental features for the YouTube Premium subscribers that are still under development.

According to sources, there are three features that are coming up next but on a time-limited access. First, it can help you filter any topic in new languages such as Spanish, French, or Portuguese. The second feature is you can search videos by using your voice, do take note this only applies on the web. Last but not least, it can allow you to watch videos directly on your home screen which only for the iOS users.

Voice search on web and filter by topic in additional languages features

Are you a YouTube Premium subscriber? Will you try these features that still under development? Let us know in the comments below, be sure to stay tuned for more tech news on TechNave.com.


YouTube Shorts Fund to distribute ~RM412 million across 2021 and 2022

If you're a content creator, you may have heard of YouTube Shorts, a new short-form video feature. Well, YouTube wants to convince content creators to get on the beta and use the feature. So it has come up with a simple motivator - money.

YouTube has created a YouTube Shorts Fund to reward content creators. It's quite a big fund too, with a total of USD 100 million (~RM412 million) to be distributed over the course of this year and 2022. Specifically, creators who upload Shorts with the most engagement and views every month will be rewarded.

Currently, YouTube Shorts beta is only available in the US and India. But we can expect a global rollout eventually. Also, this Fund is not limited to content creators who are in the YouTube Partner Program, but to all YouTube content creators in general. Speaking of monetisation, the company will also be testing ads for YouTube Shorts.

Mind you, we have no idea when YouTube Shorts will be available in Malaysia. It could be months before you can earn anything from this. But with that said, does the monetisation make you more motivated to use YouTube Shorts? Share your comments on YouTube's new format, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


YouTube Shorts beta now available to content creators in Malaysia

Remember YouTube Shorts? YouTube has gradually rolled out its version of short-video format to many countries this year, so you've probably seen some Shorts on the platform. But for Malaysians who want to create these shorts yourselves, now you can!

Google Malaysia has just announced that the beta version of YouTube Shorts is now available in Malaysia. Creators will now have access to the Shorts creation tools, which include a multi-segment camera that lets you put multiple video clips together. You can also adjust the speed setting, add captions to Shorts, record music, and more.

Users should be able to access YouTube Shorts on desktop or the mobile app soon, though the update won't immediately be available to all Malaysians. But local channels like SoImJenn and Smashpop have already begun to experiment with Shorts. If you're a creator, do head over to YouTube to see if you've gotten the update.

With that said, what do you think of YouTube Shorts so far? Do you think it's a good alternative to TikTok? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


YouTube Shorts could get a new feature that lets you add voiceovers

If you are like to post short videos, you probably use either TikTok or YouTube Shorts. The latter isn't as popular in Malaysia but is working hard to catch up in terms of functionality. This time around, sources have spotted a new feature that might come soon.

An APK teardown by the folks over at XDA Developers has revealed a new voiceover feature. Specifically, there are two lines of string codes within the app that refers to a "Voice Over" feature. That means you'll be able to add voiceovers to YouTube Shorts via the mobile app. In addition, two lines seem to refer to the positioning of the captions. This would be useful to complement the voiceovers.

<string name="shorts_trim_edu_text">Drag to adjust video</string><string name="shorts_trim_segment_import_done_text">Done</string><string name="shorts_voiceover_icon_description">Voiceover</string><string name="shorts_voiceover_title">Voice Over</string>

Mind you, this update might take a while to drop. The teardown was for the YouTube Android app beta version 17.04.32, while the current version is 17.03.35. Currently, you can only add audio clips from the YouTube Shorts library, while custom audio clips have to be added to your short video via a third-party app. So, having a voiceover button built into the YouTube app is convenient for users.

With that said, do you post a lot of YouTube Shorts or is TikTok your preferred platform? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


YouTube Shorts fully launches, now available to content creators in the US

As short-form videos became popular thanks to TikTok, other companies have been looking to copy the concept. In fact, Google launched the YouTube Shorts beta in India last year. But the initial beta tests are over and the company is officially launching the new feature.

According to Creator Insider, content creators in the US will get access to YouTube Shorts within the next week. Along with the launch, YouTube has extended the maximum record time from 15 to 60 seconds. However, the cap remains at 15 seconds if you're recording with music from the YouTube library. Creators can also add filters and captions.

Besides that, YouTube has moved the explore Explore tab to the top left of the YouTube mobile app. The new Shorts tab takes its former place at the bottom. YouTube also changed a few other things, such as allowing users to change their profile name and picture without the changes reflected on your Google account.

There hasn't been any news on when YouTube Shorts will be available globally, but we'll probably have to wait for at least a few months. Until then, please stay tuned to TechNave for further updates.


YouTube Shorts to challenge TikTok, beta version starting in India

As many of you already know, TikTok is already banned in India alongside other over 100 mobile apps. From a business point of view, this is a big loss as India used to be one of the largest markets for TikTok. If there's no TikTok substitute, where do the Indian user turn to? Introducing YouTube Shorts.

According to the BBC, YouTube is currently experimenting with YouTube Shorts and it's in beta mode as we speak. Similar to TikTok, a YouTube Shorts video is just 15 seconds and would feature similar tools as well. This includes a mini video editor and a library of songs for the user's video. In short, this feature is basically "for creators and artists who want to shoot short, catchy videos using nothing but their mobile phones".

Chris Jaffe, YouTube Vice President of Product Management said that YouTube Shorts beta will start in India first to see how well it would be received. Should it be successful, it would be expanded to other markets with improved and updated features. We think this could prove successful, as YouTube has a large number of Indian users as well.

But what do you think? Would you like to try out YouTube Shorts if it was officially released? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube Stories will be gone from 26 June 2023

Initially introduced in 2017, YouTube Stories will be killed off starting from 26 June 2023. YouTube made this official in a recent announcement on a Google Support thread. Instead, YouTube suggests that content creators use Shorts and Community Posts to do all the teasers, trailers and supporting information for YouTube videos.

For those who don’t know, YouTube Community posts allow you to mostly post text but can also be used to put up polls, quizzes and filters and stickers. YouTube Shorts are like the compact vertical videos currently trending on other platforms like TikTok and so forth.

You can check out the original announcement for links and tips on the Community Posts and Shorts but as Content Creators ourselves, we have to say that it's mostly Shorts for us all the way. Do you prefer YouTube Shorts too? Have you ever heard of YouTube Stories or Community Posts before? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave.com


YouTube Super Chat & Super Stickers officially available to Malaysians

Malaysian content creators prefer to operate on Facebook or Tiktok. This is because both platforms have a larger user base here, which is great for attracting advertisers. YouTube isn't as appealing because it's not as easy to monetise, or is it?

For those unaware, YouTube has features called Super Chat and Super Sticker. Both have been around for years and allow viewers to 'tip' content creators during live streams. However, these were never available in Malaysia before this, possibly due to tax regulations. That seems to have changed lately, as we have spotted both features enabled when checking out some live streams.

In live streams, you should be able to see a small icon with a dollar sign next to the Emoji menu. By clicking on that, you can send a Super Chat, Super Sticker, or sign up for Membership to the YouTube channel. Super Stickers are all on fixed amounts, but you can customise how much you want to tip with Super Chats. The more you tip, the longer your Super Chat will remain pinned to the top of the live chat. For content creators, your channel must fulfil certain requirements to be eligible for monetisation via Super Stickers and Super Chat. You can get more details here.

We're not sure if the two features are available to all Malaysians yet. But a few of us at TechNave confirmed that both are enabled, so you might see it up on your end too. Do check it out for yourself and let us know in the comments below! For more news like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Apple is aware of the iPhone 14 Pro variants camera bug issue & said a fix patch is on the way

Yesterday, we reported that many users have experienced a weird camera bug on the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max when using a third-party app. This includes popular social apps such as TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat, whereby the cameras would shake, grind or make buzzing noises.

While not everyone has the same issue, it was bad enough that Apple acknowledged it and released a statement to the media. An Apple spokesperson said they are aware of the issue and will send a fix patch next week. Oddly, the camera issue didn't affect the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

Apple didn't also explain why it was happening, but it could be because of the optical image stabilizer or the camera switching between the ultrawide and telephoto lenses. Oh well, at least Apple is going to fix it soon as per tradition. It's not the first time that this happened whenever the company released a new iPhone and other devices.

The pre-orders for the iPhone 14 series are ongoing in Malaysia and the launch sales will begin on 23 September, except for the iPhone 14 Plus which will arrive on 7 October 2022. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube TV now has over 85+ channels, 4K Plus add-on and more for ~RM269

Nope, this is not the YouTube Premium that you heard of rather, but YouTube TV has been around for about two years now (you will learn why). So what are the new features in YouTube TV? Will it be available in Malaysia? Here's everything we know so far.

Taking a trip to the official webpage, YouTube TV now offers over 85 channels that consist of a wide range of catalogues. This includes live sports, news, and entertainment that are American-based, such as ESPN, CNN, Comedy Central, NFL Network, nickelodeon, HBO Max as an add-on, and many more. The whole package costs $64.99 per month (~RM269.87) without a cable box, contracts or hidden fees, up to 6 accounts.

On top of that, YouTube TV also provides unlimited cloud DVR storage space and rewind, fast forward, and pause functions. If you want, you can get some add-ons just like HBO Max as aforementioned as well as 4K Plus, offline recordings and unlimited streams at an additional fee. At the moment, YouTube TV is available on Google Chromecast, Apple TV, PlayStation, LG, Samsung, Android, iOS and others.

Looking at the contents, YouTube TV doesn't have many Asian-flavoured contents so we don't think it will come to Malaysia. It may take some time for some localisation to be done so we shall see in the future. If you're interested, you can have a 1-month free trial to check it out. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube VR app sneak peek in Daydream VR

By now, you should have heard about Daydream VR which is part of Google's I/O 2016 highlights. During the presentation, Clay Bavor mentioned how Google is redesigning several of their in-house apps with an interface just for virtual reality, one of them was, of course, YouTube and this is how the Youtube VR app will look like in the Daydream headset.

In the YouTube VR app, it was reported to look polished and the UI pops up in front when the video is playing. Other features such as the toolbar, 360 Video, Subscription, and Accounts are included as well, along with the standard progress indicator and play/pause, forward/backwards, and volume buttons. For searching videos, though, user will have to use voice command resulting a personalized discovery recommendations and playlists of VR videos.

As a VR app, all YouTube videos will be playable in full 3D mode including regular 16 x 9 videos with the support of 360-degree video, VR video, and Spatial Audio from the network. With this technology, YouTube partnered with several creators, including the NBA, BuzzFeed, and Tastemade, to explore ways to tell stories in virtual environments.

Lastly, in the near future, YouTube creators will get to access to the VR Jump cameras announced at last year’s I/O. YouTube Spaces around the world will be equipped with the VR cameras later this year. Stay tuned for more news at Technave.com.


YouTube Video Chapters is now officially available for PC and mobile devices

Some of you may have noticed it, but YouTube has been testing a rather neat new feature. We first found YouTube testing Video Chapters last month, a new feature that is now officially going live. This feature makes it easier for creators to break down videos into multiple parts and is something that viewers would appreciate.

As the name suggests, Video Chapters allows content creators to set multiple 'chapters' for their videos. What this does is sections in the video that you can quickly jump to. For example, if you're recording a video podcast, you can caption the different for your video, making it so that your viewers can identify the portions they want to listen to and navigate there accordingly.

0:00 We heard you and added Video Chapters.0:30 You liked it.1:00 Now it's official: Video Chapters are here to stay.1:30 Creators, try Chapters by adding timestamps starting at 0:00 to your video description. Viewers, scrub to find exactly what you’re looking for.2:00 Enjoy! pic.twitter.com/bIHGsGVmyW

With the new feature, content creators no longer have to manually create timestamps in the video description or comments section. Of course, chapters are only available if you choose to place them and there are conditions to the feature. The video must have at least three chapters and each must be at a minimum of 10 seconds. Also, the first chapter must start at 0:00.

The feature is now available to all YouTube users and will work on the web version, as well as Android and iOS apps. For those who've already seen videos with chapters or have used them, what are your impressions of it so far? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


YouTube Video Checkup - Maxis 4G LTE also delivers good HD video experience across all 14 states

So according to YouTube’s Video Checkup tool, Maxis has also emerged as one of the top telcos delivering consistent smooth HD video streaming in Malaysia, resulting top ratings for buffering speeds on Maxis 4G LTE across 14 states across the nation.

Video Checkup was was officially launched last week in Malaysia only, providing all Malaysian YouTube users a rating system to different telcos in a specific area based on YouTube video playback quality, with 4.0 stars being the highest possible rating at this time, as 4.5+ stars are reserved for future technology that support higher bandwidth video such as Virtual Reality (VR) and 360-degree videos.

Morten Bangsgaard, Maxis’ Chief Technology Officer stated, “We are glad that such a diagnostic tool has been launched. It provides transparency of different network experiences, and gives users a clear and reliable measure that comes from the aggregation of YouTube data that is gathered from actual user experience.”

According to a statement released by Google, “Today, most viewers of YouTube in Malaysia primarily watch videos from their smartphones, with two thirds of Malaysia’s YouTube watchtime coming from mobile devices. Much of this on-the-go watchtime comes from consumers using mobile data plans. The growth momentum for this trend looks strong, as mobile watchtime in Malaysia grew by 84% over this past year.”

With this, the increased use of video has driven a growing demand for Maxis mobile data, which doubled from 1.5GB last year to 4.0GB per month in 2016. There was also a tremendous growth in the penetration of 4G-enabled devices, which increased to 43% of total Maxis subscribers in 2016. Maxis 4G traffic grew 7 times in 2016 mainly used for good quality video streaming.

To use the Video Checkup tool, follow the steps bellow:

Maxis has also been voted Best Telco Provider & LTE Network by Lowyat.NET Community Choice Awards Malaysia for two consecutive years, and Best Network in 2016 by MCMC Wireless & Wired Broadband Services.

For more information, please visit: maxis.com.my.


YouTube Video Checkup announced for Malaysia only, Celcom and Maxis score highest

It appears that Google Malaysia has announced their YouTube Video Checkup tool to answer the question "How well do mobile providers stream video in your area?". Built in conjunction with Celcom, Maxis/Hotlink, Digi and U-Mobile, it offers Malaysians a coverage map showing how good and smooth HD video streaming is for particular areas.

The scores are calculated based on analysis from billions of YouTube video views over the last 35 days. Not exactly real-time Big Data at work, but close enough. So far, according to them, Celcom and Maxis/Hotlink score the highest at 4 stars out of 5 followed by Digi at 3.5 stars and U Mobile at 3 stars. Google Malaysia plan to include reporting of bad video streaming areas and calculations for other telcos in the future but do check out their site for more information.


YouTube Video proves Nexus 6 can survive underwater for a while

The Nexus 6 is probably one of the best Android phablets available in the market today. It comes with a great design as well as top end features which makes it better than most other phones in the market. But when Google announced this phablet a few weeks back, the company just mentioned that it was water resistant. So, unlike other competitors like the Sony Xperia Z3 and the Samsung Galaxy S5, the Nexus 6 wasn't IP certified. However, that didn't stop a user from testing the device under water. In a YouTube video uploaded a few days back, the user submerged his Nexus 6 in the bathtub to see whether it would work underwater. Surprisingly, even without the IP67 rating, Google's latest flagship survived the quick bath. In fact, as you will see in the video below, he could even charge it under water, which clearly shows that you won't have to worry about accidentally dropping your device in water. Recent Motorola devices come with a special nano-coating which makes them water resistant. It was seen earlier that the Moto G as well as the latest Moto X 2014 could survive a dip in water, thanks to this coating. So, it looks like the same coating makes Nexus 6 water proof to some extent too.


YouTube adds 3 new features to enhance Premieres

If you follow a lot of YouTube channels, you've probably encountered Premieres before. It's a feature that allows content creators or artists to drop teasers early in advance, as well as provide a place for fans to mingle and generate hype. And now the company has announced three new features: Live Redirect, Trailers, and Countdown Themes.

Some of you are probably aware of how Premieres work. You schedule a Premiere and it plays live at the appointed time, after which it's treated as a regular video on your channel. With Live Redirect, the channel owner can start a live-stream preshow and redirect viewers to the Premiere after ending the live-stream. Of course, if they want to do a watch-along, then that's a different story.

Trailers and Countdown Themes are pretty self-explanatory. The first allows you to upload a video of up to 3 minutes that can be played before the Premiere, which will then encourage users to set a reminder. As for the second one, it lets use a customised countdown (which you couldn't before) that fits your content.

Live Redirect and Trailers should already be added to YouTube, so you can try and see how it works. For those who've managed to test it, what do you think of the new features? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


YouTube adds Twitch-like custom global emotes to live chats and comments

YouTube has revealed that it will be introducing custom global emotes for comments and live chats on the platform. Called YouTube Emotes, the feature is similar to the one popularised by the Amazon-owned live streaming platform Twitch.

Announced via an official blog post, the company said that YouTube Emotes is perfect for “the times where words just aren’t enough”. Moreover, the platform said that it will be starting with emotes for Gaming but more types of emotes are coming soon.

The first batch of YouTube Emotes was made by three independent illustrators and is focused on live gaming content on YouTube, though it can work on any type of channel. To use the emotes, users have to click on the smiling face icon in the comments or a live chat.

If users have a membership to a channel that offers its own custom emoji, they will see YouTube’s global emotes below that. Besides that, just like on Twitch, users can also type the name of a specific YouTube Emote in chat and autocomplete will show any matching emotes that users can use.

So, what do you guys think of YouTube Emotes? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news.


YouTube aims to compete with TikTok with Shorts, a new feature that will be released in 2020

YouTube has been around for a long time and has long dominated the video content market. But when TikTok showed up, it changed the dynamics of the game and people started to flock to the platform. Well, it looks like YouTube is ready to take the fight to TikTok with the creation of its version of short-form videos called Shorts.

According to The Information (via The Verge), YouTube plans to release Shorts by the end of 2020. Instead of a new app, Shorts will be a feature added to the YouTube mobile app instead, allowing content creators to use the platform's large database of content. In other words, you will be able to use licensed music, songs, and soundtracks found on YouTube to make your short videos.

The fact that YouTube has decided to do this is no surprise at all. TikTok has seen a massive surge in usage in 2019, with over 1.5 billion total downloads and 800 million active users globally. It's very popular among youngsters, who often find the type of videos available on the platform to be funny or entertaining.

It'll be a while before we get to see Shorts in action, but we're quite eager to see how YouTube's version would perform. With that said, what are your thoughts on this? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech news.


YouTube and Netfilx are asked to keep their streaming quality down to free up Internet space

This is a time for us to slow down our pace in life with the movement control order being implemented. While staying home, many have gotten chances to do things that never get to finish back then. However, staying home doesn’t mean that we’re cutting off our connections with the outside world. To keep that connection, the Internet is so important in preventing us from becoming ‘cavemen’. Unfortunately, it seems like the Internet is not capable of fitting so many people at one time, so YouTube and Netflix were asked to keep their streaming quality low in Europe.

Recently, Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market has requested video streaming companies like Netflix and YouTube to restrict users from streaming in HD and 4K. It is because the Internet usage in the region has come to a new high while people are staying home to avoid the virus. Not only that, but many e-learning platforms have also been activated to let millions of students continue their studies, which takes up a lot of Internet usage too.

In response to the issue, Netflix has decided to cut its streaming bitrates to free up some space. The company has also promised that the users in the region would still be able to enjoy high-definition videos, but maybe not as smooth and clear as before. For YouTube, it is assumed that the platform will restrict the videos to be at standard definition which is 480p. However, the measure has not been implemented by YouTube yet as the discussion to resolve the problem is still going on.

Usually, streaming an hour of standard definition video uses about 1GB of data, while streaming HD video in the same amount the time uses 3GB of data. There is no wonder why the Internet will be experiencing high traffic at this time with so many people staying home, not to say both video streaming platforms also provide 4K videos that consume a lot of data.

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


Apple is being fined by Brazil's authorities for $2 million because of not including a charger in the iPhone 12 box

Although the Apple iPhone 12 series boxes don't come with a charging brick nor earphones, not every country is down with the company's new direction. For instance, France's law and regulation require Apple to include earphones but in another box for some odd reason. Then in Brazil, it seems that Apple has to pay up $2 million to the authorities for not putting a charger in the box.

According to sources, Procon-SP which is Brazil's own consumer protection regulator body said the fine was also due to "misleading advertising, selling a device without the charger and unfair terms". Apple apparently also didn't reply to the authority on whether if the price would reduce for not having the accessories, as well as if any produced chargers were reduced.

As most of you know, Apple's reason for removing the charging bricks is to be more environmentally friendly. On paper, it makes sense not to have another accessory that most people won't use because by now, most consumers would already have a charging brick. However, Apple never demonstrated any environmental improvement or findings when asked by the authority.

For comparison, an iPhone 12 mini in Malaysia is RM3399 whereas in Brazil, it costs around $1200 (~RM4938). It's said that the currency in Brazil has depreciated and the pandemic increased the power of USD over theirs. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube begins beta testing for new change to video quality settings

For most of us on fibre broadband, we'll want to watch YouTube on 720p or 1080p, depending on your display. In the case of mobile devices, it's normal to change the resolution to save data when you're not on WiFi. YouTube is making it so that you don't have to manually adjust every time you switch between networks.

If you recall, this feature was first hinted about two weeks ago. But now Google is officially testing it, so users who have access to the beta can try it out, according to 9to5Google. While you'll still be able to 'Advanced' mode to choose your preferred resolution, Google is changing how the video quality setting works.

First, the 'Auto' mode will now adjust your video quality based on unconfirmed specifications decided by YouTube. Then there's "Higher picture quality" and "Data saver", which are self-explanatory. What's useful is that you can one a different setting for when you are on mobile data and WiFi. For example, you can set it to "Data saver" when you're on mobile data and go for higher quality when you're on WiFi.

Considering that the feature has entered beta testing, YouTube may be ready to add it to the mobile app soon. Having said that, what do you think about the change? Do you prefer to just set the resolution manually? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


YouTube enables 'Pinch to zoom' feature for its Premium users

Zoom in on YouTube videos will soon not be a complicated process anymore. The platform has introduced a feature called 'Pinch to zoom' for its Premium users, which allows you to zoom into the videos and pan around to look at different parts of them, both in portrait or full-screen landscape view.

If you've been paying for the Premium status, you may test it by tapping your profile photo and hitting "Your Premium benefits". After opening the "Try new features" section, you should be able to enable the zoom function. You might need to wait a while for the feature to be available, and then you can zoom in up to 8x.

YouTube used to select random users or beta app testers to experiment with their new features. Now, it seems like the video streaming platform is putting the Premium users first. Several other experimental features have also made their way to the Premium app, including easier playlist management and browser-based voice search. They will be available until 1 September and are only supported on Android devices for now.

What do you think about the feature? Drop a comment to let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more tech reports.


YouTube ends experiment that made 4K quality resolution a Premium subscription feature

Previously, we reported that YouTube was testing out locking videos in 4K resolution only for Premium subscribers, which understandably caused a lot of backlash from the community. Now, YouTube confirmed that the test has ended, though it is still unclear whether the company would be implementing such a restriction in the future.

Replying to a tweet from a user that urges YouTube to not force a premium subscription for watching 4K content, the official @TeamYouTube Twitter account clarified that the experiment has been fully turned off. The tweet further elaborated that viewers should now be able to access 4K quality resolutions without a Premium membership.

However, YouTube didn’t specify the findings of the experiment and whether such a restriction would encourage more users to get YouTube Premium. Nevertheless, given the criticism that the company faced for only testing the feature, we’d say that maybe YouTube should not be implementing restrictions on video quality for the foreseeable future.

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


YouTube explains why Rewind 2020 is not happening this year

Yup, you read that right. YouTube have just officially called off their annual YouTube Rewind special for 2020. The announcement was just made a few hours ago on their official Twitter page explaining why.

According to their tweet, the year 2020 has been different (you don't say) and for whatever reason, they feel it isn't right to proceed with YouTube Rewind 2020 so hence, they will take a break from it. Moreover, they acknowledged that there are a few good things that happened this year, but yeah, the rewind special isn't happening. They ended with "Thank you for making a difference" to the YouTubers who have found ways to lift the YouTube community spirits' up.

About Rewind this year. pic.twitter.com/oVayH8iyqG

While some are supporting YouTube's decision, some do not see the same viewpoint as they think the company should continue to try. Reasons being are that Rewind would still bring the community together, as well as being able to entertain people around the world on the positive things that happened. Then again, YouTube Rewind has also been getting worst with each entry every year, especially 2019 where they just lazily feature YouTube celebrities montages without any creative direction.

But what do you folks think? Should YouTube Rewind 2020 happen? Give your thoughts in the comments below and stay safe, stay healthy, stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube finally adding picture-in-picture mode to iOS

Don't you just wish you can watch YouTube on your phone while doing something else? While this is possible on Android devices, this feature wasn't available on iOS - at least not officially. However, YouTube has announced that the feature is coming to iOS.

According to MacRumors, YouTube has confirmed that the picture-in-picture (PiP) mode is being rolled out to iOS users. With it, users can watch YouTube videos in a small pop-up window. While some are worried the feature would be locked behind a paywall, that doesn't seem to be a problem.

YouTube picture-in-picture is finally working on the iOS app after all these years . Although I would guess it’s only if you have Premium obviously :/ pic.twitter.com/6YOEGFEqFk

Some iOS users have gotten access to the feature

In a statement from YouTube, the company announced that it has "roll out PiP for YouTube Premium members on iOS and plan to launch PiP for all US iOS users as well". Of course, this statement also sounds like the feature would only be available in the US at first. Currently, we're not sure when users in other countries will get the feature.

Of course, some alternatives would let you use PiP mode. For example, using the mobile Safari browser to access YouTube instead of the iOS app. But having official support on the app is definitely better. Haven't you gotten this update yet? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


YouTube introduces handles, a new way to identify channels on the platform

All YouTube users will soon be getting a new way of identifying themselves, which may be new to the platform, but not something entirely foreign in the social media landscape. Announced via a blog post today, YouTube is introducing @name handles across the platform.

Every YouTube user will have a unique handle on the platform soon from channel pages to Shorts. The handles can be used to mention other users in the comments, video descriptions, titles and more. The Google-owned video platform said that the introduction of handles will make it easier for creators to reach audiences and increase visibility.

YouTube also clarified that creators will still have a channel name on the platform, but handles will be something unique and can potentially cut on impersonator accounts. The feature will be rolled out gradually starting this week and users will be notified when it’s their turn to pick a handle.

Hence, some people may claim your favourite handle before you but hey, we can’t all get our way, right? Moreover, if a user has already created a personalised URL for their channel, that will be their default handle though they will still have the option to change it once it’s their turn to pick a handle.

So, what do you guys think of this change by YouTube? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news!


YouTube is considering to include NFTs for creators to capitalize on it

NFTs are sure getting a lot of buzzes these past few weeks. So much so that YouTube is actually considering exploring this option for video content creators to earn some profit. This came from Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube when she wrote an opening letter for the company's direction in 2022.

According to Wojcicki, the company is focusing on expanding the YouTube ecosystem and NFT may be considered to help creators capitalize on it. All in all, YouTube is just continuing to enhance the experience for both creators and fans on the platform. That said, the spokesperson for Alphabet Inc's YouTube has no comment on that when asked to clarify further.

In case you didn't know, market tracker DappRader reported that NFTs also known as non-fungible tokens actually reached up to $25 billion in 2021. NFTs are digital assets that exist in technology blockchain and have gotten very popular where people buy artwork and video highlights. Despite the popularity, the growth is slowing down by the end of 2021.

Besides YouTube, Twitter recently launched a feature that allows users to showcase NFTs as hexagonal profile pictures. Meta is also looking into letting users create and sell NFTs on Facebook and Instagram, as well as TikTok, Reddit and even LinkedIn.

What do you think of NFTs and are you interested? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube Shorts is the video streaming company’s answer to TikTok and it looks like the Google-owned company may also be competing with TikTok Shop, the unique shopping features found on TikTok. Starting in the United States, YouTube is currently testing shopping features and affiliate marketing on Shorts with eligible creators.

As reported by Tech Crunch, YouTube confirmed the plans to introduce shopping features and affiliate marketing on Shorts in the near future. Moreover, the company is in the midst of testing the ability to tag products from creators’ own stores, whereby viewers in the United States, India, Brazil, Canada and Australia can see the tags and purchase them through Shorts.

YouTube further elaborated that the feature will be expanded to more creators and countries soon. As for the affiliate marketing programme, YouTube clarified that it will allow creators to earn commissions through purchases of recommended products in their Shorts and regular videos.

As of right now, YouTube has not revealed when the shopping features and affiliate marketing programme will go official or whether it would be expanded to Malaysia. Well, we just have to wait to find out.

In the meantime, what do you guys think of this direction taken by YouTube? Would you purchase items that you saw on YouTube Shorts? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest trending tech news such as this.


YouTube is experimenting blocking Ad Blockers on its platform

Among all the annoying things online, ads forcefully appearing on a YouTube video is no doubt one of them. Many resorts not paying or simply installing Ad Blockers but we may not be able to do this in the future. It has been confirmed that YouTube is experimenting with a new feature that blocks Ad Blockers.

Since it's an experiment, it was discovered by a random YouTube user who posted a screenshot about it on Reddit. A YouTube employee confirmed the experiment to a Reddit MOD and this is probably going to get a lot of users angry. In the screenshot, you can see YouTube saying "Ads allow YouTube to stay free for billions of users worldwide".

Moreover, another sentence saying going ad-free with YouTube Premium helps creators get paid from subscriptions. YouTube asking users to subscribe and pay may seem like a very corporate greed thing to do, but it's also true that it puts food on the table for content creators around the world, as well as staying free to watch.

But what is your take on this? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube is now testing 5 unskippable ads to some users and they are not happy

Just when you thought YouTube is done with two unskippable ads for the video platform, it seems that the company is bumping up to five for a foreseeable future. Do note that nothing is final as YouTube just recently started testing five unskippable ads before the video starts playing.

Apparently, a few YouTube users have received the pilot test and started to share it on Twitter and Reddit. Obviously, the non-Premium YouTube users are upset about this. Originally, the ads can be skipped but now they are forced to sit through the whole five ads.

youtube just gave me 5 long unskipable ads pic.twitter.com/FgUUrzZvoB

hmm...this may happen with a certain type of ad format called bumper ads, since they're only up to 6 seconds long. if you'd like, you can send feedback directly from YouTube via the send feedback tool

In response to the rants, the YouTube Team acknowledged the matter and replied to some of the users on Twitter. We got to learn that this new ads format is called bumper ads and only lasts up to 6 seconds. However, we think that's not really the case since one of the ads was already 12 seconds.

There are a couple of ways for YouTube users to get around this, first is the use the Premium membership that skips all ads and is able to download videos to watch them offline which is nice. The other way is to use the AdBlock extension on your browser (but not that we are encouraging piracy).

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


Prior to the unveiling, there were some rumours here and there about the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.  We were curious, they were excited, then when Samsung introduced the Galaxy Z Flip in February for the first time, the media went nuts. Like, really nuts to the point that most of the media were more interested in this one device at the experience zone. Oh my, it was and still is truly a beauty.

As I quote from Samsung Electronics Mobile Communications Business Vice President, Tae-joong Kim, “The Galaxy Z lineup introduces a new identity to the foldable mobile category. One that adds a fashionable touch to users’ lives.” This is very much true, as the main target audience for this device is for the fashionistas or people who want a device with style. We decided to take a deeper look at what makes it so attractive, and 5 reasons why everyone can't take their eyes off the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.

At first glance, the Galaxy Z Flip may look like an ordinary smartphone until you fold it. While the Galaxy Fold was a pretty cool concept, we think the Galaxy Z Flip has redefined how futuristic smartphones will be presented in unprecedented ways. In fact, after this we think probably the best way to present a foldable display phone is by flipping it vertically.

Samsung even integrated their own animated blooming wallpaper when you unfold the Galaxy Z Flip. This is a really inviting experience and it automatically qualifies you as one of the cool kids.

Next, choosing the colours is as equally important. At the moment, the Galaxy Z Flip comes in 3 colours - Mirror Black, Mirror Purple and Mirror Gold. Of course, they could have chosen other colours but from a fashion lifestyle point of view, these 3 colours nailed it - you can't go wrong with black, purple gives that fashion feel and gold represents luxury at its best.

Moreover, the device's body was processed with a smooth glass finish and layers of colours. This is so that when you look at the Galaxy Z Flip from a different angle, a range of hues will be reflected beautifully.

While the Galaxy Z Flip looks fine when unfolded, the challenge for Samsung engineers was how the phone should be folded in the most efficient way without any issues. If you had the chance to hold the Galaxy Fold last year, the problem (at least for me) was that the phone was rather thick when folded. So how do you balance that?

Not too thick nor too wide, Samsung has somehow found the right symmetries and this made the Galaxy Z Flip easy to hold. When folded, it's around 4-inches long and fits into your pocket jeans perfectly. With this, nobody has to feel like they are putting a brick in their pants anymore.

According to the company, the improved dual-CAM system made the device stronger and this allows the phone to fold inwardly symmetrically and smoothly, yet is able to "lock" halfway at any point from 70 to 110 degrees. Moreover, Samsung also said that it can be folded 200,000 times!

It's also worth mentioning that even if the Galaxy Z Flip is folded half-way, you can also take some photos as if you're holding a pocket mirror or even better - it can be "tripodless" to take some night photo or time-lapse video. Tech has never been this stylo!

Finally, we have arrived at the last point which is the Infinity Flex-O display. When you look at the Galaxy Z Flip, it's kinda amazing that Samsung managed to retain the clarity and colour quality on that foldable ultrathin glass. You can watch YouTube videos in 21:9 ratio, play mobile games, and can even use it as a pocket mirror as aforementioned.

Granted, this foldable phone is not for everyone but for those who are only looking that for something that suits their aesthetic lifestyle, this is one of the best-looking devices around and believe me, your friends and family won't be able to take their eyes off it.

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is currently available at RM5888. Those who pre-order or purchase one will be provided with Samsung Galaxy Z Premier Service, which includes a 24/7 Premium Careline, free on-site Pick and Delivery for Service Support (within 12 months of purchase), a priority/express lane at Samsung's Service Centre and one (1)-time  Inner Screen Crack replacement (within 12 months of purchase). Do note that to be entitled to the one-time Inner Screen Crack Replacement, you will have to be a Samsung Member and fill up the information for the repair.

If you are interested in getting one, you can visit the page right here as well as other selected online authorized retailers to learn more! Also, it's available online so you don't need to go out at all and have them deliver the phone at your doorstep! Do look after your hygiene in this Movement Restriction Order period for everyone's benefit, but you can also do it in style with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.

Stay tuned for more tech review articles at TechNave.com.


Apple is bringing 'new features' that are already on WhatsApp to iMessage

When it comes to chatting apps, most people in Malaysia would recognize WhatsApp and WeChat as the superior ones. In other countries, they also have their own favourites with apps like LINE, Tencent QQ and many more. However, some of the Apple users would still prefer iMessage over the other third-party apps, with its extra cool features like Animoji and Memoji to express yourself. Now, it is rumoured that there are a few new updates coming to the platform which will make users’ lives easier.

First, the chat platform will probably let you tag someone in a group chat to let them know you are talking to them directly in the future. By typing ‘@’, the names of the contacts will show up for you to find your peace of mind in a chaotic group chat. We know that this feature has been available on WhatsApp since don’t know when, it is funny to see iMessaging is only now planning to roll out.

More than that, users will also be able to retract messages after sending them out in the coming update. This shocks me as well knowing that the platform still doesn’t offer the feature yet. Although this is not really some important features for chat apps, at least we will still get to delete something awkward that we’ve sent out to save ourselves. Hope Apple will bring this to the users as soon as possible.

It is also said that Apple is going to bring some good old times back by letting the users type commands like ‘/me’ in its messaging app. The command is used to show broadcast IRC-style notification to the others. Why is it old? Is it because the feature has been on Mac since there was still this thing called 'iChat'.

These updates are speculated to come as early as iOS 14. Let us know what you think about these new features for iMessage on iPhones. Stay tuned to TechNave.com for more cool tech updates.


YouTube is now testing out an automatic translation for native speakers

For many countries like Malaysia, there is a good amount of users preferring to watch content in their native tongue. Well, looks like YouTube is working on that and there's a new translation experiment being conducted as we speak.

According to some YouTube users online, they are starting to see a new translation option popping up on the desktop and mobile YouTube version. The translation seems to be automatic and so far, sources have seen English being translated to Portuguese and Turkish. Since it's a translation experiment, don't expect to see this new update so soon.

There's no telling when YouTube will work on Bahasa Malaysia and Mandarin for Malaysian YouTube users, but this is a good sign and the first step for localization. What do you think of this? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


YouTube is testing a new ‘1080 premium’ video quality option for Premium subscribers

YouTube is currently testing a new higher-quality 1080p option that is currently available for a small group of YouTube Premium subscribers. The new video quality option is called ‘1080p premium’ which has an enhanced bitrate which provides more information per pixel.

As reported by The Verge, the video streaming platform assured that it is not changing the existing quality offerings for 1080p (HD). Instead, the higher bitrate option would provide a better viewing experience and potentially be another new feature to separate Premium subscribers from regular users.

It is unknown how long YouTube would be testing this feature or whether it would be available to the masses in the future. Well, at least the platform is testing a new video quality feature and not adding more ads as it did before!

What do you guys think? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news.