A gamer just staged a real-life PlashSpeed scenario to sneak in a PlayStation 5

Ever since the Sony PlayStation 5 launched last year, we read some heartwarming stories of how PS fans been waiting for it. We also read news about how a housewife forced her husband to sell off the PS5, after finding out it wasn't an air purifier. In this latest episode, a Vietnamese player just re-enacted the infamous PlashSpeed scenario by hiring a fake network installer.

Just so you know, a PS5 price in Vietnam costs 15 million dong which is roughly around ~RM2652. Considering that it should be the Digital Edition from the looks of it, that's around RM800 more than our local set. With this in mind, this Vietnamese man staged a real-life version of PlashSpeed by hiring a shop assistant to be a fake network installer.

According to sources, the "network installer" used the PS5 as a router in order to install the network. A warranty phone label is even pasted on the PS5 so make it look legit. However, I wonder how did this news got leaked out and what happens if his wife finds out? Or maybe he already got busted so the news is out.

Just to recap, the PS5 Digital Edition is priced at RM1869 while the Ultra HD Blu-ray version is priced at RM2299. You may find the PS5 console in various gaming stores across the nation or online but do be careful of scalpers. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Digi to continue funding three local startups to scale-up

Praveen Rajan, Digi’s Chief Digital Officer who heads up the telco’s innovation lab, Digi-X (fourth from the left), pictured here with ambitious Malaysian startups GrabGas, Vase and Local Usher at Digi Accelerates’ Demo Day finale in Bangkok

Today, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) have announced it will be investing more than RM250000 in equity funding in GrabGas, Local Usher and Vase. Just last Friday, the three startups graduated from the company’s maiden accelerator programme, Digi Accelerate. The programme closed with a Demo Day held in Bangkok, which saw the startups join teams from Myanmar and Thailand in a competitive pitch session to 65 local and international venture capitalists.

“They have done a lot of work in the past four months to validate their business models, and now the real challenge is to be single-minded on building a repeatable, scalable and sustainable business beyond borders. The ambition should be to build traction and generate revenue in the first year – then they’re on to something potentially big,” said Praveen Rajan, Digi’s Chief Digital Officer, who heads up Digi-X, the telco’s innovation lab exploring new digital services that will serve Digi's 12.3 million customers or graduate them into new ventures beyond telco.

Local Usher is a platform to discover and book unique recreational experiences in Malaysia, now looking to expand into ASEAN. Launched in August 2015, the startup has grown tenfold in the last six (6) months, and is already recording positive cash flows. More at: https://www.localusher.com/

GrabGas is a web and smartphone-based on-demand cooking gas delivery service which addresses a real gap in Malaysia. Launched in April 2016, it has grown more than twelve-fold with its services currently covering Petaling Jaya, Puchong and Subang Jaya; averaging at 65 orders a day. More at: http://www.grabgas.com

Vase is a centralised portal for conducting surveys and providing actionable on-demand insights for its clients. The company launched in June 2016 and has grown its total respondent base by eleven-fold in the past three (3) months. More at: https://vase.ai/

Praveen said that Digi-X will continue to provide both funding and hands-on support for these ambitious startups; enabling a conducive support system to grow their businesses, which includes commercialisation opportunities with Digi and Telenor, tapping into 200million potential customers globally.

On his team’s stint at Digi Accelerate, Jeson Lee, Co-Founder and COO of GrabGas said, “Joining the accelerator really helped us gain insights and connections in markets outside of Malaysia. Having lived in Bangkok for four (4) months, we’ve managed to build relationships with the locals and people from oil and gas industry. The accelerator has helped us build the foundation for our market entry into Thailand and other possible Asian markets. We now have an idea of who to approach and how to make GrabGas a market fit for the locals.”

“Through the accelerator, we met a lot of amazing people who provided us with great feedback on our product, both from a user perspective, and from a development perspective. It is fair to say, without the feedback from our mentors, and the various really cool people the accelerator brought us in contact with, Vase would not be at the stage we are today,” said Julie Ng, CEO and Co-Founder of Vase Technologies.

Meanwhile, Sabrina Cheng, Co-Founder of Local Usher shared, “It was a great experience to join the accelerator. We learned important, practical tips on how to scale our business, and also gained access to a larger customer market. Both aspects are crucial for a startup like us who want enable more people to enjoy fun trips and activities around them, and to expand our business into ASEAN!”

Digi-X has been broadening its involvement in the startup ecosystem with Digi Incub8, its pre-accelerator programme, and Digi Accelerate. And more recently, it launched an ideation lab with MaGIC and Uber to help ASEAN startups grow their business ideas, as well as committed to partner the Ministry of Education (MoE) and MDeC in the #mydigitalmaker movement, an initiative to create future digital makers by exposing Malaysian youths to the creative and innovative aspects of digital technology.


Digi to inspire local content makers through crowdsourcing Kreative Crew platform

(L-R) Daniel Lim, Aaron Teng and William Lee, co-founders of Monad International together with Digi’s Head of Marketing Services, Chan May Ling (far right), Digi’s Head of Sub-Section for Digital Content and Activation, Kelvin Sim (centre) and Digi’s Senior for Activation and Sponsorship, Mohd Muhaymin Mustakim (back) during the launch of the Kreative Crew content crowdsourcing platform

Today, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) announced the launch of a new creative content crowdsourcing community platform called Kreative Crew. The platform is to facilitate and inspire the development of top local content producers, allowing individuals to submit ideas for creative content briefs and be rewarded with fees matching the depth and complexity of the projects.

It's set up in partnership with innovation and creativity events organisers Monad International Sdn Bhd (Monad International), this initiative is intended to reach the untapped creative talent market in Malaysia.

Daniel Cerventus, co-curator of TEDxKL and managing director of Monad International, said that after coming on as a judge in Digi’s annual WWWoW Awards which celebrates local creative talent and their achievements over the past few years, he came to realize that there was a large pool of people who don’t get the opportunity to showcase their creative ideas and this sentiment was echoed at Digi.

“After running the WWWoW Awards for six years, we realized that we are missing the opportunity to meet a lot of talented individuals outside of those who participate in our awards. We then decided to work with Monad International to build a community platform that will facilitate people to share ideas more fluidly and be rewarded for their work,” said Chan May Ling, Digi’s Head of Marketing Services.

www.kreativecrew.com is fully operational and can be accessed via desktop or mobile browser, from there, users to submit entries for various creative project briefs listed on the site. It is free to register and open to individuals from all disciplines within the creative industry. Everyone from graphic designers and videographers to script writers and voice talent are welcomed to be part of the community.

“This is a great opportunity for students in the creative industry or even amateurs to get involved and be rewarded for their ideas and talent. We are not limiting the platform to those who are already in advertising or marketing and in fact encourage those outside it to participate. Sometimes, what we need is a whole new perspective on branding and content development which is the purpose of setting up Kreative Crew,” Chan pointed out.

Kreative Crew also allows people to support social causes they are passionate about, for example, two non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are also looking to connect with creative talent.

“Digi wanted to help build an open platform that democratises creative content development in Malaysia. We hope to work with young minds and expand the creative landscape to talented people who are able to contribute to the marketing and advertising community.

“Also, as a brand, with Digi’s new direction of transforming the company into a digital services provider to become our customers’ favourite partner in digital life, we see an increasing need to generate more content to cater to the many platforms that exist today so this opportunity to partner with Monad International in setting up Kreative Crew was timely as it gives us a chance to test the platform and find areas of improving further,” Chan said.

“We hope to inspire budding creatives in Malaysia to achieve their dreams and work with the brands that they love and can identify with. For now, apart from Digi-related briefs, we also have NGOs onboard and we encourage more to join Kreative Crew to contribute and harness the energy from the community and its unlimited potential to create fresh ideas,” she added.

For more information about the new platform, visit www.kreativecrew.com.


Digi wants you to change the world at the Telenor Youth Forum 2017

Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd is looking for two inspiring youth who has the passion and the drive some real change on this world.

With the belief that social, political and environmental challenges can be addressed through innovative digital solutions, Digi will send the two passionate youth to represent Malaysia at the upcoming fifth annual Telenor Youth Forum (TYF).

TYF takes place in Oslo and is a year-long programme designed and hosted by the Telenor Group and Nobel Peace Centre (NPC).

The young and promising recruits from each market will be welcomed at the grand kick off during the Nobel Peace Prize events in December 2018. And will continue throughout the year with a second meeting in Bangkok, May 2018.

Face-to-face or email interviews are available with both TYF 2016 candidates that had just came back from Bangkok; Alina Amir, through Arus Education has helped underprivileged students with digital skills such as coding and programming along with Nora Nabila Ahmad Sabri, who has inspired others to take action on everyday problems through documenting real life stories on the power of the internet.


Digi widens their 4G+ network to the rural areas with their new 900Mhz spectrum network!

Our friendly neighbourhood Telco, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, otherwise known as Digi has successfully penetrated their reach into the deep rural areas of Malaysia since their implementation of the 900Mhz spectrum network on 1 July 2017.

Armed with their new 900Mhz spectrum, Digi has successfully provided its 4G+ network to 86% of Malaysians while their LTE-A reach has increased to a whopping 45% of populated areas in the country, covering over 80 cities and towns.

Announced around a month ago, the new Digi 900Mhz spectrum network allows high speed internet to penetrate better into buildings. To further confirm this, the network expansion works within the newly launched MRT line is capable of providing consistent, high speed internet even in underground sections of tracks and stations.

For more information on Digi’s 4G Plus network coverage, feel free to visit their main site at digi.my/4GLTE.


Digi will begin system migration maintenance today until 26 October 2021

In case you missed it, Digi did an announcement of scheduled system migration maintenance taking place today until tomorrow (25th and 26th of October). During the period, certain services won't be available to use so if you're a Digi user, read on below for a recap about what's happening.

First, the VoLTE and VoWiFi will be shut down from 25 October, 9 PM until 26 October, 9.30 AM. Shortly after the first maintenance, Bill payment, UMB, Digi Store transactions and Kiosks won't be available from 25 October, 11.30 PM until 26 October, 9.30 AM.

Digi advised all the subscribers to quickly manage their bills, reloads and other payment-related services first before the maintenance begins tonight. On top of that, all other services such as Voice Calls, SMS, MMS, Transaction Authorization Code (TAC) Roaming and Data usage will still be available. However, the mobile internet data speed will be capped at 5Mbps for now during the maintenance.

To read more about the system migration for Digi Postpaid, Prepaid and Mobile Broadband, you may click on one of the hyperlinks here to learn more. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com


Digi wins Best Malaysian Organisation for workplace diversity and inclusion

Digi Employees celebrating the win for ‘Best Malaysian Organisation’ category for the [email protected] Awards 2016

Today, Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd (Digi) was announced as the winner of the ‘Best Malaysian Organisation’ category for the [email protected] Awards 2016, which recognises and celebrates employers who champion diversity and inclusion in their workplace. [email protected] Awards was organized by Talent Corp in collaboration with the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.  Along with five other companies, Digi was analyzed by the organizers to acknowledge the efforts, motivation, commitment and tenacity in implementing various diversity and inclusion programmes particularly for women in the workplace.

With Digi being the first to implement a six-month fully paid maternity policy in Malaysia, this allows mothers to spend more time with their newborns; in addition, their workplace also adopts a Board Diversity Policy and an introduction of the Women Network Mentoring programme in an ongoing effort to support development, growth and retention of more women leaders within its organisation.

“It is an honour to be recognised for our commitment to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We have always believed that the mix of talent, gender, culture, experience, thoughts and values are what make us a better, stronger, more unique Digi. We also believe that diversity and inclusion must go hand-in-hand to fully make an impact, where everyone has the equal opportunity to a seat and a voice at the table. Building an inspiring workplace will continue to be a priority for Digi, one where all Digizens are afforded the freedom to inspire the next for Digi and for themselves, to achieve their fullest potential both at work and in life,” said Haroon Bhatti, Digi’s Chief Human Resources Officer.

For more information on Digi, visit digi.my and digi.my/women.


#DigiUpdate - Network service issue returns to normal

A terrible Thursday for Digi users. Many of you are experiencing network problems and with that, it didn't take long for Digi subscribers to flame Digi's official Twitter page, as well on Facebook. It's said that the network service issue started last night to a few and got worst until this morning.

From our experience, those in Klang Valley will still have somewhat ok-ish connectivity, but not so much for those who are outside of that area. Anyway, Digi has officially restored the network and released a statement regarding the issue.

Initially, Digi has been replying to their customers that they would fix the unplanned service interruption within 4 hours but they did it in 2 which is faster than expected. Obviously, this isn't the first time that they (or other telco companies) have let us down but it's good that they managed to solve the issue. Also, if you're still getting connectivity issues, it's advisable for you to go on flight mode or restart your phone.

Welp, back to work! Stay tuned for more local tech news only at TechNave.com.


DigiWED launched by Digi in hopes to educate more women about the internet

The pioneering team of Digi's Wanita Era Digital

Digi Telecommunications Sdn Bhd, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO) have collaborated recently and launched DigiWED, which stands for Digi Wanita Era Digital. The purpose of the programme is to inspire, empower and provide Malaysian women with basic internet skills.

WED will be conducted in a series of educational meet-ups at 1Malaysia Internet Centres and NCWO affiliates’ offices around the country, along the basic internet skills includes safe usage of smart devices and the internet for communicating, sharing, browsing, and entertainment, as well as give them good reasons to use the internet. Digi hopes to expand the programme further to help women to take their business online in this rising digital economy era.

“Progress towards becoming a digital nation must be an inclusive process. By connecting the unconnected and bridging the digital gender gap, we help ensure every Malaysian can be active participants and contributors to growing our digital economy, and we are pleased to partner Digi Wanita Era Digital as they help drive this ambition forward.” said the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia’s Secretary General YBhg. Dato' Sri Dr. Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad during the official launch.

(L-R) Eugene Teh, Digi's Chief Corporate Officer, Vimala Menon, Digi's Board Member, Orsolya Sekerka, Digi's Chief IT Officer & Wanita Era Digital (WED) Champion, YBhg. Professor Tan Sri Dato' Seri Dr. Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hasan Shahabuddin, President, National Council of Women's Organisation (NCWO), YBhg. Dato' Seri Dr. Sharifah Zarah Syed Ahmad, Secretary General Ministry of Communications and Multimedia, Albern Murty, Digi's Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Ramani Gurusamy, Vice President, NCWO and associates and YBhg. Dato' Mohd Ali Hanafiah Mohd Yunus, Chief Digital Ecosystem Officer, Malaysian Communication & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) at the launch of WED.

She also added, “We are proud to witness a strong collaboration between the government, private sector and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to drive digital inclusion and empowerment among women. We fully support this programme and encourage more women to step forward to equip themselves with the digital skills and other benefits provided by the programme.”

Moving on, Orsolya Sekerka, Digi’s Chief IT Officer and WED Champion stated that 6 million Malaysian women have yet to access the internet. She sees there is a great opportunity to bring meaningful change by bridging the digital gender gap, and addressing the barriers to internet adoption among women – which are not knowing how to get online and not having reasons for use.

“The internet is a powerful instrument of transformation but it must be accompanied by skills and confidence for women to use it as a tool for empowerment. And we hope Digi Wanita Era Digital will inspire Malaysian women to take advantage of the freedom to connect and benefit from all the opportunities that flow from it - not only as an internet consumer but also an active participant in the digital economy. We know when women thrive, so do their families, communities and society as a whole. In this respect, we imagine the internet in the hands of every Malaysian woman; to see them connected and empowered – that is Digi’s ambition.”

In addition, WED is open to any community across Malaysia which includes residents associations, women groups, colleges, social groups and others. The programme meeting can organised by Digi as long as the group contacts the company through their website or email. For more information on Digi Wanita Era Digi, visit their website to check it out.


Digital ID is a new way from government to curb fake MyKad

To stop syndicates from producing fake MyKad, our Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin has stated that the government is developing something which is called 'Digital ID'. It is said that the new Digital ID would serve as a trustworthy identification platform that benefits the private and public sectors about identification purposes when performing online digital transactions.

According to the minister, the government has agreed to implement the National Digital Identification initiative or Digital ID where the National Registration Department (NRD) will be the lead agency in this initiative. Besides that, it was shared that the Digital ID would rely on complex biometric features such as 10 fingerprints, facial and iris recognition systems to ensure security.

It is worth mentioning that the Digital ID is not an alternative to replace the current physical MyKad but a new way for the government to eradicate syndicates producing fake MyKad. However, it will have other benefits as well including faster verification for enforcement agencies to detect if an individual is using a fake MyKad. At the moment, it is still unsure when NRD will start to implement this initiative.

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


Digital calligraphy with the S Pen by Samsung Electronics Malaysia

The Samsung Galaxy Note5 now comes in a new sassy colour, Pink Gold - perfect for ladies looking for a device that harmonises style and productivity with a touch of femininity, sophistication and grace

With the recent released of the Pink Gold Samsung Galaxy Note5 limited edition, Samsung Electronics Malaysia is proud to present their customers a new way of calligraphy writing on their devices – the S Pen.

Guests expressing their personalised style through the art of calligraphy writing which can be adapted digitally using the Galaxy Note5 S Pen feature.

The S Pen can be used by users to write, draw and design anything and everything. It encourages freedom of expressions and allows users to explore their creativity beyond traditional text and static visuals. Such feature, the “Moment of Note” can be utilized with the S Pen after the user captures a picture with it, then use the S Pen to recreate, design and beautify each shot with style through calligraphy.

Jil Sta Ana, a software engineer by profession and a calligraphy artist by passion was invited by the company to held a mini workshop to teach the audience the artistic wonders the S Pen can do with calligraphy.

“Calligraphy is an ancient writing technique using flat edged pens to create artistic lettering using thick and thin lines, depending on the direction of the stroke. Penning your thoughts using calligraphy style of writing does not only add beauty to the text but also inspires creativity. It is a beautiful form of art that has followed us through to modern times and with innovative tools such as the S Pen, the sky really is the limit with what you can write, draw and design using calligraphy. There are options to change brush styles, pen tips, and colours when writing and drawing with the S Pen, and that makes all the difference in calligraphic art,” said Jil Sta. Ana.

Julian Thean, Product Marketing Manager, IT and Mobile Business Unit, Samsung Malaysia Electronics, introducing Samsung’s new colour addition for the Note5, Pink Gold

“The Galaxy Note5 is by far one of our most successful and popular products in the market. The exceptional innovation and functionality of the Galaxy Note5 aside, we realized that colour too play an important role in the popularity of the phone. From our research on market insights and predictions of current trends in the smartphone industry, we noted that Pink is a unique vibrant colour that resonates with many consumers. We introduced the Galaxy Note4 in Pink last year and it was a remarkable hit among consumers. Now we want to continue the trend and this time, introduce the Galaxy Note5 in Pink Gold,” said Mr Lee Jui Siang, Vice President, IT & Mobile Business Unit, Samsung Malaysia Electronics.

Workshop participants exploring creativity with calligraphy art inspired by the vibrant colour and features of Galaxy Note5 Pink Gold

As mentioned of the Galaxy Note5 Pink Gold in the other post earlier today, it is offered for a limited time only from 21 January onwards until stocks last at a recommended retail price of RM2,699 (inclusive of GST). Note5 is also available in Gold Platinum, Silver Titanium, White Pearl and Black Sapphire.


A green OPPO R9S going on sale soon and a rumoured new R11 smartphone in the making?

As mentioned before, a green OPPO R9S is coming to fruition soon. But first, we want to talk about the new rumoured OPPO phone. When OPPO was teasing much about the new F3 Plus selfie smartphone, we thought that maybe that was the device that will implement the 5x Dual Camera technology which was shown at MWC 2017, but that didn’t happen, though. So maybe the technology will be used on this new phone?

Said to be called as the R11, it’s rumoured to follow the footsteps of the R9S in 5.5-inch display and of course, the dual rear camera and perhaps for the front as well. With this, it’s strongly hinting that the 5x Dual Camera technology might be integrated, supported by a Snapdragon 660 processor in 14nm size, using an octa-core of four 2.2GHz and four 1.9GHz. Another piece of news is that it might also come in June, but we shall see.

Meanwhile, the green OPPO R9S will be going on sale on 1 April 2017 (would be funny if it was a joke lol). No price information is known yet, but we think it should cost around the same as the original price more or less and it should start in China first, seeing the poster.

This will be the first rumours about the R11 and the 5x Dual Camera technology, so expect more to come this coming few months. Stay tuned for more OPPO news at TechNave.com.


Digital tax hits Facebook in Malaysia too, 6% charge applied to ads beginning 1st Jan 2020

As a wise man once said, nothing in this world can be said to be certain, except death and taxes. Malaysia's digital tax, as outlined in Budget 2020, is going to affect many companies next year. Google recently confirmed that all its digital services will have the tax applied and now Facebook is next on the chopping block, so to say.

Facebook has announced that starting from 1st January 2020, the 6% digital tax will be applied to Facebook ads. To be exact, this tax will apply to all advertisers that are selling their ads to Malaysia or are based here in Malaysia. For people who opt for manual payment, the tax will be applied when you top-up your ad account. In terms of numbers, the 6% will be applied directly on your total ad cost. So if want to spend RM100 for an ad boost, expect to have a nice RM6 added to the charge.

To those who will be affected by this, do you expect this to have a major impact on your ad spending? Do let us know on our Facebook page. Also, stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


Dimensity 2000 4nm chipset CPU specs confirmed

Earlier this week, there was a rumour that the MediaTek Dimensity 2000 chipset would consume 20% less power than the Snapdragon 898. Of course, no one knows if it's even as powerful, so the comparison feels meaningless. But we have some new details on its CPU.

According to Digital Chat Station, the Dimensity 2000 uses TSMC's 4nm process, which is why it's more power-efficient. More importantly, the CPU comes with one Cortex-X2 core (3.0GHz), three Cortex-A710 cores, and four Cortex-A510 cores. For your information, that's the same configuration that the Snapdragon 898 is expected to use. Besides that, the Dimensity 2000 will also have a Mali-G710 MC10 GPU.

The Dimensity 2000 chipset is based on the ARM v9 architecture

In other words, you can consider the Dimensity 2000 on par with it. Except it has a lower power draw, which means that phones with this chipset will have better battery life. Having said that, it's rumoured that the Snapdragon 898 would run higher clocks (3.09GHz on Cortex-X2), so it should perform better than its MediaTek counterpart.

Once these new chipsets all launch, it'll be interesting to see how they compare to each other. Which chipset would become the preferred choice in 2022? Share your opinions in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Dimensity 7000 chipset CPU and GPU details leaked

Last week, we started hearing rumours that MediaTek is working on a new Dimensity chipset. This Dimensity 7000 is manufactured using the 5nm process and is expected to deliver flagship-class performance. Some new details of this chipset were recently leaked.

According to Digital Chat Station, the Dimensity 7000 will come with 4x Cortex-A78 CPU cores (2.75GHz), 4x Cortex-A55 CPU cores (2GHz), and a Mali-G510 MC6 GPU. Previously, it was reported that the chipset managed a score of over 750k in the AnTuTu benchmark. Its performance level is roughly between the Snapdragon 870 and 888 chipsets, which means it's flagship-class.

Yesterday, the tipster also claimed that the chipset was benchmarked using GFXBench. Allegedly, its GFX ES 3.0 benchmark test score was on par with the Snapdragon 870. Besides that, the Dimensity 7000 can support a display refresh rate of up to 168Hz for FHD+ or 120Hz for QHD+, as well as LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage.

Overall, you could consider it slightly better than the Snapdragon 870, and possibly cheaper too. That's great if you're hoping to get an affordable flagship-class phone next year. Are you? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Dimensity 8000 could be the next mid-range king, performs on par with Snapdragon 888

Last November, MediaTek unveiled the Dimensity 9000. The new 4nm chipset's performance is comparable to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. However, it's rumoured that phones with Dimensity 9000 won't be significantly cheaper. Luckily, sources say that the Dimensity 8000 could be a good alternative.

According to Digital Chat Station, the Dimensity 8000 scored 820230 in the AnTuTu benchmark. This means it's on par with the average score of the Snapdragon 888. MediaTek's chipset is also expected to be a mid-range option. This means that it could be cheaper than its Qualcomm counterpart, making Dimensity 8000-powered smartphones excellent value-for-money.

Mind you, there are a lot of other factors to consider, such as power draw. First, graphical performance. At 315470 points, the Dimensity 8000's GPU score in AnTuTu is on par with the Snapdragon 888 rather than a cheaper chipset like the Snapdragon 870. Moreover, there's a chance that the Dimensity 8000 could use less power than the Snapdragon 888. If that's the case, it should result in longer battery endurance.

Overall, it seems that we can expect good things from devices powered by the Dimensity 8000 chipset. The only question is if they offer better value. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for updates on this.


Dimensity 8100 chipset delivers GPU performance on par with Snapdragon 888

Near the end of 2022, sources suggested that the Dimensity 8000 series chipsets would launch this year. There's also a benchmark of the Dimensity 8000, which can allegedly compete with the Dimensity 8000. Interestingly, the source now claims that there could also be a Dimensity 8100 chipset.

According to Digital Chat Station, there's a Dimensity 8100 chipset that's designed on TSMC's 5nm process node. This chipset will come with 4x Cortex-A78 CPU cores (2.85GHz), 4x Cortex-A55 CPU cores (2.0GHz), and the Mali G610 MC6 GPU. It will also support LPDDR5 RAM and UFS 3.1 storage, which is what you normally find in flagship mobile devices.

The tipster also claimed that the chipset managed an average of 170fps on the GFXBench ES 3.0 Manhattan benchmark. If these scores are accurate, it means the Dimensity 8100's GPU is on par with the Snapdragon 888 chipset's Adreno 660 GPU. Allegedly, Xiaomi will be equipping one of its Redmi devices with this chipset next month, so we might get some news during this coming week's MWC 2022.

Some mid-range devices are going to be as good as flagship phones from last year. But would you pick an affordable flagship-level mid-range phone over an actual premium flagship device this year? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Dimensity 9000 chipset is 2x the price of Dimensity 1200, but cheaper than Snapdragon 8 Gen 1

If you're looking to get a new flagship phone, it might be better to get one from this year than in 2022. For one, there's an ongoing supply shortage that's affecting the electronics industry. And as sources claim, mobile chipsets will cost more too.

According to Digital Chat Station, the MediaTek Dimensity 9000 chipset that was launched on 19 November 2021 will be quite expensive. The tipster claimed that it will be twice as expensive as its predecessor - the Dimensity 1200. On the flip side, it's expected to be cheaper than Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 (though how much wasn't mentioned).

If this is true, it would mean that smartphones prices would directly be affected. In other words, they could become more expensive in 2022, especially at the flagship level. The price tag of Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 powered phones might not be that much more expensive than its predecessor. However, the Dimensity 9000-based phones could be notably more expensive than those with the Dimensity 1200.

Of course, that's purely speculation at this point. However, the possibility is quite high. In that case, would you still want to upgrade to a newer phone next year or buy one that's launched this year? Share your opinions below in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Dimensity 9200 could launch close to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 in Nov 2022

Qualcomm's flagship chipsets more or less dominate the market. Of course, there's competition from MediaTek with its Dimensity chipsets. And the company wants to compete with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 by launching its flagship Dimensity 9200 chipset soon.

According to an industry analyst (via Wccftech), Mediatek could launch the Dimensity 9200 in November 2022. It's speculated that the launch could happen before or around the same time as the next Snapdragon Summit, which is scheduled for 15-17 November 2022. If this prediction is accurate, we could see new flagship smartphones bearing either chipset as early as December 2022.

The next flagship will be announced in November and revenue will kick off in December. 5G penetration will hit mid-50% in 2023.

Funny enough, the vivo X90 series could be the first to feature both chipsets. For those unaware, vivo likes to equip different chipsets for its X series flagship devices. And while it's rumoured that the vivo X90 series would come with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, we won't be surprised if there's a model with the Dimensity 9200. The latter is expected to be a strong competitor, with AnTuTu scores as high as 1266102 points. For comparison, the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 scores around 1118161 points.

There's no confirmed launch date for the Dimensity 9200, so take the claim with a grain of salt. We're keen to see MediaTek offer stronger competition, as it might drive down prices for chipsets (and possibly smartphones). But what do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Dimensity 9200+ could outperform Snapdragon 8 Gen 2

When it comes to mobile devices, the performance of the hardware can be quite important. While not always at the level of making or breaking a deal, but some people could choose a phone with chipset A over chipset B. And this could happen with the next-gen Dimensity 9200+, based on a benchmark.

Through Digital Chat Station, we've got our first benchmark score for MediaTek's next flagship chipset - the Dimensity 9200+. The tipster posted a Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark for a phone powered by the MediaTek 4nm chipset, which scored 2121 points and 5655 points in the single-core and multi-core tests, respectively. For reference, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 device can score up to 1483 points and 4959 points (score via NanoReview).

The Antutu benchmark looks less one-sided (check Antutu website for scores of other devices)

Mind you, we don't know which device this benchmark performed on. Could this be an engineering sample that's clocked at higher speeds to get a higher score? MediaTek could also be cheating the benchmark app like it was previously caught doing. Specifically, the device could be running without anything other than the OS in the background, which may result in higher scores.

Overall, it's best to take any claims of this chipset being better than the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with a grain of salt. After all, we still don't know how well the GPU would perform, or if it has lower battery consumption. But the Dimensity 9200+ will launch soon on 10 May 2023, so stay tuned to TechNave for more updates about it.


Dimensity 9300 could become first chipset without little cores

For the longest time, ARM-based chipsets followed the ARM big.LITTLE concept. The idea is to have a CPU with performance cores and power efficiency cores. But we could see a new MediaTek chipset later this year that abandons or changes that concept.

According to Digital Chat Station, the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 will be a chipset following an "all big cores" concept. Its CPU is expected to feature four Cortex-X4 super cores and four Cortex-A720 big cores. For comparison, the Dimensity 9200+ launched earlier this month packs a Cortex-X3 super core, three Cortex-A715 big cores, and four Cortex-A510 little cores.

Extra info from the tipster's comments section

The tipster claimed that MediaTek aims to have this chipset directly compete with Apple's A17 Bionic chip, which is expected to be equipped on iPhone 15 series later this year. On paper, the chipset will also allegedly deliver more than 50% improvements in power efficiency. Moreover, the source said that the super cores will feature "moderate" frequencies. It's suggested that MediaTek will start testing production samples of the chipset in October 2023.

Could MediaTek really deliver on such claims? We'll have to wait for the chipset to launch to find out. Until then, we'll keep an eye out for relevant updates, so stay tuned to TechNave for more news.


Dimensity 9400 chipset could feature Nvidia-designed GPU

When it comes to flagship chipsets, the GPU is often as important as the CPU. That's especially true for gaming smartphones, which are catered to mobile gamers. For MediaTek, mobile GPU has never been an area of expertise so the company decided to partner up with Nvidia.

According to Digitimes, industry sources claim that MediaTek could integrate an Nvidia GPU into its next-gen flagship chipset in 2024. Since the Dimensity 9300 is coming later this year, this alleged next-gen chipset will most likely be the Dimensity 9400. Moreover, this future chipset might be manufactured on TSMC's 3nm process.

Besides the Dimensity 9400 chipset, MediaTek and Nvidia are set to co-design chips for Windows on Arm (WOA) devices. This refers to Windows laptops that are powered by ARM-based chips, instead of the usual Intel and AMD CPUs. Sources claim that these devices will feature Nvidia GPUs and AI technology, and would help the two companies penetrate the notebook market.

Mind you, nothing has been confirmed and we won't know for sure till 2024. But this partnership is probably a done deal, so we can look forward to this Nvidia-powered Dimensity chipset. Maybe it could beat next year's flagship Snapdragon chipset? Share your thoughts in the comments and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


A group of Cambridge students just invented a robot that can help you prepare an omelette breakfast

It's not uncommon for automated robots to replace human workers in a factory, but smart life products are becoming more evident now and the possibility for these machines are endless. In this latest innovation, seems that someone has created "OmeletteBot" which as the name suggests, helps you to prepare an omelette breakfast.

It was presented at the recent ICRA 2020, which is an international conference on robotics and automation, by a group of students from the University of Cambridge. Now keep in mind that this OmeletteBot can just cook an omelette, but also prepare a different kind for different individuals "based on how they react to a few sample omelettes". In other words, it's capable of cooking the perfect omelette for you.

According to sources, the OmeletteBot will evaluate 3 factors before cooking - flavour, appearance, and texture, with a 1 - 10 scale for each. On top of that, the robot is also capable of adjusting different volumes of salt, peppers, as well as whisking time, in-pan mixing time, and heat-time. You can check out the video above on how it functions, pretty intriguing.

If you want to read more about the OmeletteBot, you can read the original source here and they even interviewed the students about it. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


DingTalk by Alibaba offers enterprise inter-company collaboration, communication and management online for free

Hugo Zhu, Chief Technology Officer, DingTalk and Chris Wang, Head of Global Business Development, DingTalk showing off DingTalk

DingTalk by Alibaba Group has come to Malaysia (the 1st country outside of China!), offering a host of enterprise-level collaboration, communication and management (Attendance, HR, Leave, etc.) online. Accessible via app (both Android and iOS are compatible) or browser, DingTalk is tied to your phone number and as far as we can see for now, is completely free for the main services (but those beyond are chargeable).

More features can be added via third-party apps

DingTalk will also be bringing in their suite of devices which includes a wireless projector and face recognition terminal. Prices have yet to be announced but these and the pricing for requirements higher than that provided (more than 50 emails, more than 100GB cloud storage, etc.) will be announced shortly.

For now, DingTalk servers are located in Singapore but plans are underway for local data centers along with localization for languages asides from just English. Check out the DingTalk site for more details.


Direct posting from desktop coming to Instagram on 21 Oct 2021

If you recall, Instagram started working on direct posting from desktop browsers in May. Some beta testers got to access the feature in June, but since then we had no updates about it. Fortunately, the feature will be released soon.

According to TechCrunch, Instagram has announced that direct posting from a desktop browser will be possible starting 21 October 2021. Once the feature is released, you can upload posts or images from a desktop browser via the '+' icon. You can also determine the size or aspect ratio you want for an image, and add filters to it if you like.

#Instagram is working on longer stories  Videos up to 60 seconds will no longer be broken up into segments. pic.twitter.com/FihDOTymEL

Instagram is also expected to unveil a new feature this week called 'Collabs', which will allow a second user to co-author Feed Posts and Reels. Moreover, the company is allegedly testing a 'Fundraiser' option, as well as Instagram Stories that are longer than 60 seconds. The latter would be useful for those who don't want to break up their stories into multiple parts.

For Instagram users, it's nice to see all these new features being added. But is there another feature that you think the app needs? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Direct video downloads being tested for YouTube Premium members

Watching videos online has become a favourite pastime for many Internet dwellers. Sometimes some people download the videos, which is possible using (sometimes sketchy) third-party extensions or sites. But what if you could do it straight from YouTube?

According to Android Police, YouTube is working on adding a download button directly to the platform. Of course, this is a limited beta test for YouTube Premium members in India and France. In addition, the feature will only be available till 19 October 2021. It's unknown if YouTube will officially launch the feature after the beta test, but it probably depends on how popular it is with Premium members.

The feature functions in a pretty straightforward manner. Go to YouTube on a browser and look for any video, then click on the 'Download' button that's between the 'Share' and 'Save' buttons. This downloads the video to youtube.com/feed/downloads, which is a page you can access via the site. Unfortunately, you don't get to download it to your hard drive.

It's a bit like saving a webpage, so you probably won't have to stream or download the video again. That's useful if you can access it on a mobile device with a limited data cap. But do you find this feature useful for you? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates about it.


DirectD Digital Mall Kajang opens up to 50% discount promotions, RM888,888 worth cash vouchers given away and more

DirectD Digital Mall Kajang opened up on 10 February 2018 to much fanfare with the usual opening ceremony, 50% discounts off of various selected smartphones, smartwatches and devices, special accessories deals, Cash vouchers worth RM888,888 given away and more. Along the way there were prosperity deals with Neffos, ONG-HUAT lucky draws with vivo and 18 Super ONG Mali Models with a 30 days sale period starting from today.

Despite the queue for the 50% discount promotion starting at 6am, the line was especially long just like previous DirectD Store openings with some camping out much earlier from 10pm yesterday. Thankfully, there's plenty of indoor parking at the Digital Mall. Plenty of other accessories were available (500 units of 5000 mAh powerbanks for RM8.90 each and more) but if you intend to go visit after today for the 30 day sale check out the address below:

DirectD Digital Mall @Kajang Block C, Jalan Avenue 1A (Jalan Semenyih)  43000 Kajang Selangor. (NEXT TO SYABAS & PASAR KAJANG)  GPS : https://goo.gl/maps/Akc3MNDSxSn Hotline : 013-6910000


DirectD Gadget Mega Store grand opening

The DirectD Gadget Mega Store grand opening, complete with official car on the right

DirectD is one of the better known third-party mobile device sellers and retailers in Malaysia. This is due to their often lower than average prices and early (before official release) inventory of the latest smartphones, tablets, mobile devices and more. Recently, they held the grand opening for their latest DirectD Gadget Mega Store here in Petaling Jaya. Featuring 18000 square feet and lots of nearby parking space, DirectD say that they have the largest mobile phone shop in Malaysia yet. While there are more than 300 smartphones and tablets and 1000 or so accessories available at a time, the store also has the latest devices on display, a dedicated service center with comfortable waiting area and telco center for both new subscribers and bill payment. These telcos include DiGi, Maxis, U Mobile and YES with plans to add more soon. In addition, free WiFi is available throughout the store. Individual buyers can also opt to pay via installment plan or credit card while wholesale buyers are also welcome with no minimum order required. The DirectD Gadget Mega Store will be open from 9.00am to 9.30pm everyday. Here are some of the highlights and promotions available;

Industry brand players such as Huawei, Intel, YES and others officiating the DirectD Gadget Mega Store grand opening

Dr Eugene Chen, Corporate Advisor, DirectD Retail and Wholesale Sdn Bhd explaining a bit about DirectD

The member area includes redemption points for various prizes

Over 300 of the latest smartphones, tablets and mobile devices are available on display for hands-on

The parts center on the second floor has a waiting area

About 1000 different accessories are also available for purchase

A dedicated service center is also located on the 2nd floor

A sales counter and telco center are also available

All of the various big names in the industry were on hand to cut the ribbon including Intel, Huawei, YES, Microsoft and many more. Most of the promotions above will only be available today but DirectD spokespersons said that there will be in-house deals based on each brand and that much is true as we found the ASUS Fonepad 7 FE171CG going for cheaper than it normally retails for. We also found various smartphones that are not officially available or easy to get here in Malaysia, including the ASUS ZenFone 2 ZE550ML, HTC One M9, Meizu MX4, Meizu MX4 Pro and Honor 4X all available and on display for you to check out for yourself firsthand. They also announced that theya are now the sole distributor for ChatSIM (an SIM card dedicated for chatting) and Loca (a fashion brnad for smartphone accessories) and that upcoming GST could affect current prices somewhat. Check out our hands-on photos below:

Our hands-on of the ASUS ZenFone 2 shows that you can definitely get it here at the DirectD Gadget Mega Store


DirectD Publika @Duta, KL grand opening offers plenty of special promotions

DirectD opened their latest store with the grand opening of their DirectD Publika @Duta, KL store today. Featuring an early bird 50% discount promo, those who lined up to get the queue number at 8am (with some even lining up from yesterday night!) will get a chance to buy smartphones and accessories at 50% discounts. The actual sales began at 11am, but DirectD fans were taken care of well, complete with breakfast and comfortable seats.

Here are some of the more standout 50% Discount Early Bird promos:

Check out www.directd.com.my/publika or their Facebook page for more 50% discount offers. However, all 50% early bird promos are only available for walk-in customers on a first-come-first-serve basis. The store at DirectD Publika @Duta KL is located at A1-UG1-05 Solaris Dutamas, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480 KL and is open 365 days, 10am to 10pm. Give them a call at 018-3100000.


DirectD announces Redmi Note 7 arrival in Malaysia on 19 March 2019

Today, DirectD has announced that the Redmi Note 7 will be coming into Malaysia on 19 March 2019! According to their Facebook page, the smartphone will be an original set by Xiaomi Malaysia which also means that the latter will also be launching it here in Malaysia officially.

At the moment, there is no price revealed yet but there is a registry of interest link given in the Facebook post. DirectD is also assuring us that the Redmi Note 7 is approved by SIRIM and MCMC, as well as being compatible with all the major telcos in Malaysia, meaning that this won't be a 100% Chinese ROM with unwanted Chinese bloatware. In addition to that, Xiaomi Malaysia will also offer an 18-month warranty with its authorized service centre.

You can find out the full tech specs from our news here. If you're interested in getting one, you can register your interest right over here. Stay tuned for more local tech news at TechNave.com.


DirectD teases ROG Phone's arrival for Malaysia, coming in 128GB and 512GB variant

The image is taken from DirectD's Facebook page

ASUS Republic of Gamers has been really quiet about their ambitious ROG Phone over the past few weeks, nobody knows the availability and price but one thing for sure is that Malaysians (and Phillipinos lol) are huge fans of it. Well, perhaps the time of waiting is coming to an end soon because our local distributor DirectD, has just released a teaser of the ROG Phone's arrival on their Facebook page.

Before you get too excited, DirectD didn't officially announce the availability and price just yet, but what we do know is that the two model variants of 128GB and the monstrous 512GB (UFS 2.1) internal storage are coming into the Malaysia market. Furthermore, there's a link given on the Facebook post about asking the customers if they would like to have a walk-in purchase selected DirectD stores or an online purchase from their official website.

Still, no word on the price but rumours have it that it could be quite affordable for a dedicated gaming smartphone. From our last post about the rumour, ASUS CEO Jerry Shen hinted that the ROG Phone cost slightly higher than the ZenFone 5Z which has not been released in Malaysia yet, but rumours have it that it could be RM2299 from earlier leaks. Given a benefit of a doubt, we are betting that it should cost around RM3K.

How much do you think the ROG Phone will cost in Malaysia? Let us know in the comments below, you can read the full specs details here from our coverage and stay tuned for more ROG news at TechNave.com.


Director David Sandberg collaborates with ASUS using ZenFone Zoom

David Sandberg using the ASUS ZenFone Zoom

Today, ASUS have announced filmmaker David Sandberg, creator of Kung Fury (seriously, one of the most entertaining Kickstarter-funded film ever haha) is set to collaborate with the self esteem company to create a series of short films with the ASUS ZenFone Zoom. Continuing with the initial theme “See the World Up Close”, Mr. Sandberg will also host a movie-making contest in which fans can create their own scenes and get a chance to win a ZenFone Zoom.

“Kung Fury was celebrated for its homage to the 1980s’ police and martial-arts movie classics,” explained Erik Hermanson, Head of Marketing - Mobile Products, ASUS. “It’s the attention to detail in Kung Fury that makes it such a hilarious love letter to the ‘80s. David Sandberg is celebrated worldwide for his incredible gift as a special-effects master and his story-telling capabilities — this is why he’s a great fit to share the story of the ZenFone Zoom’s incredible photographic capabilities. With these films we’re able to See the World Up Close through David Sandberg’s eyes.”

Speaking of the films, Sandberg said, "When ASUS approached me to shoot five videos for ZenFone Zoom, I was excited about the zoom feature of the smartphone and the possibilities of how I could present it. ASUS gave me a blank canvas to work with — it's rare for a client to be so open, and I really appreciate that. I am sure the end result will show how much fun we had working on this project."

There's no word on how the fans can join the movie-making contest yet, but you can watch the five short videos below by David Sandberg, entitled David Sandberg x ZenFone Zoom. Enjoy!


Director of Silent Hill will be working on a live action adaptation of Fatal Frame

Based on a statement by gamicsoft.com, it seems that the director of Silent Hill could be working on a live-action adaptation of a popular horror video game called Fatal Frame. In addition to that, there could be a new Silent Hill movie in the works as well which focuses on the Puritan-occupied towns in America.

Christophe Gan mentioned that the upcoming Fatal Frame movie will follow as closely to the game as possible, including the scary atmosphere as well as the jumpscares. With all that said, would you be interested in watching either the Silent Hill or Fatal Frame live-action movies? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


A group of researchers in London just broke a world record of achieving 178,000Gbps Internet speed

Yup, you read that right. A group of researchers from a university in London just broke a new world record for the fastest Internet speed with 178,000 Gbps. According to UCL (University College London)'s statement, the Internet speed is "twice the capacity of any system currently deployed worldwide."

Led by Dr Lidia Galdino, a researcher from the Royal Academy of Engineering, she worked with two research teams - Xtera and KDDI Research - on building a network infrastructure with up to 16.8THz (yes, Terahertz) bandwidth to transfer data up to 178,000Gbps. For your information, the current network infrastructure is only at 4.5Thz and a commercial bandwidth at 9THz which just entered the market recently. Surprisingly, the technology wasn't relying on any 5G connectivity.

The reason how the research team achieved the speed is that they extended the signal system and amplified it, as well as using a larger wavelength range that is commonly used in fibre optic cables and other different amplifier technologies to enhance the signal. Galdino further explained that the actual budget wasn't that expensive and it can be easily integrated with the existing Internet infrastructure. According to the team, upgrading the amplifier at regular intervals is a "fraction" of the cost of installing a new fibre optic cable, which is approximately $21,100 (~RM88,166) per 40-100km and $594,000 (~RM2,482,029) per km.

Perhaps if our local telco team can implement this to improve our local Internet signal strength, it would definitely benefit the several communities, especially the rural areas. But the problem is still about money and the government is currently focusing on 5G technology. Anyway, stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com!


Disappearing messages after up to 90 days now in WhatsApp beta mode

In case you didn't know, WhatsApp has already rolled out the View Once update on your iOS and Android. If you want more of those, the WhatsApp team is now working on making messages disappearing.

There is no telling when they will be done with the upcoming feature. But it looks like you can set it to different periods. It should appear at the WhatsApp settings mode where you can set it for 24 hours, 7 days or up to 90 days. Or if you like re-reading your previous messages, you can just turn it off.

According to sources, the 90 days option is only appearing on Android devices so we think the iOS counterpart will only have it later. But what do you think of this feature? Let us know in the comments below and do stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Discord adds new Clubhouse-like feature called Stage Channels

How many companies are going to imitate Clubhouse's voice chat rooms? The answer is probably "a lot". Ever since the app became popular, we've seen companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Xiaomi all copying the concept. But they won't be the last, as more companies are set to follow suit.

In fact, Discord is the next to jump on the bandwagon with its new Stage Channels. As you may expect, this is a feature similar to Clubhouse's voice broadcasts channels. Discord has promised better server controls, including assigning moderators. Each Stage Channel will be pinned to the top of a server's list of voice channels, so it's easy for server members to find.

here’s the comprehensive guide to all things stage channels: https://t.co/t7kKaxVzG3

Of course, this may be an elaborate April Fool's joke. But if you consider the very professional-looking FAQ page, that's probably not the case. The FAQ page also provides in-depth details on how the feature works, as well as what the moderators, audience, and server owners can do.

With that said, have you gotten the update on your Discord app yet? Let us know if the feature is real and how it works in the comments below! Also, stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Discord could be acquired by Microsoft for more than $10 billion

In this short announcement, it seems that multiple sources have reported that tech giant Microsoft is interested in acquiring Discord. Nothing is concrete yet, but the acquisition could go over $10 billion. Sources also reported that other companies are interested but Microsoft is the favourite here.

In case you didn't know, Discord is a voice-chat communication platform that allows gamers to talk to each other while playing together simultaneously. Should Microsoft be successful in acquiring them, they could implement the platform on their Xbox Live services and further enhance it on the PC and mobile platform. But do take it with a grain of salt, as Discord might go public instead of selling.

It's not the first time that Discord could be sold by other companies. Previously, there was news that Epic Games and Amazon in talks with Discord as well. However, nothing happened and both Epic and Amazon have no comments about it. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Discord is working on screen sharing for Android version

Originally made for gamers, Discord is now an app that's not just used for chat, but also to build communities. It's not uncommon to see large communities where people constantly share their content, even more so if it's a gaming community. With that in mind, it would seem that Discord is developing a new screen sharing function for the Android app.

The feature was found within the latest beta version of Discord for Android. Specifically, code strings referencing it were found. These strings appear as a response to various actions performed within the app. According to XDA Developers, the feature can be enabled when you are doing a video call on the app. Anyway, this should be similar to the streaming feature already available on the desktop version of Discord.

MOBILE_STREAM_ACTIVE_HEADER: "You’re sharing your screen!"MOBILE_STREAM_ACTIVE_BODY: "You can switch to other apps for your friends to see."MOBILE_STREAM_ACTIVE_BODY_SOUNDSHARE_WARNING_ANDROID: "You can switch to other apps for your friends to see. The latest version of Android is required for your audio to be shared."MOBILE_STREAM_STOP_SHARING: "Stop sharing"

By enabling this unreleased screen share function, Discord for Android will show the sentence "You're sharing your screen!" From there, you'll be able to switch to an app or game of your choice and share it with your friends. However, we're not sure if it'll support all apps or only specific ones. If you play a lot of mobile games, this might be a good way to target a new audience to stream to.

Of course, there's no telling when and if the feature will be completed. Having said that, would you find screen sharing for Discord on Android useful? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Discord to come with YouTube integration in the near future?

After the removal of both Groovy and Rythm bot, it seems that Discord is currently working on a new feature called Watch Together, which lets users watch YouTube videos together. With that being said, the new Watch Together feature might be a little more resource intensive because the feature will play both audio and video.

Other than being able to watch videos together, Watch Together also lets users create playlists and assign selected users to control video playback. As of now, the feature is only available on selected Discord servers with plans to have it available to all users before the end of October 2021.

However, if you’re keen on testing out the Watch Together feature for yourself, you can head over to Discord’s Game Labs server. That said, what are your thoughts on Discord collaborating with YouTube to develop a new feature? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Discount vouchers up to RM18800 to be given away during OPPO Enco Music Concert on 26 June 2021

One word that many of us Malaysians love to hear is 'discount'. All the brands know this and regularly hosts different events and sales to entice us to buy stuff. This weekend, OPPO is hosting an event where lucky Malaysians can win some goodies.

Dubbed the OPPO Enco Music Concert, this event is a collaboration between OPPO and Shopee. It will feature well-known local artists like Khai Bahar, Iman Troye, and Syamel. During the event, you can purchase selected devices at promo prices. For example, you can buy the Enco X, Enco Buds, and Enco W11 wireless earphones for RM599, RM99, and RM79 respectively. Of course, the purchase has to be from Shopee.

In addition to that, you can also snag some discount vouchers. These will be given out by the artists during the concert and will be valid for the first 50 people who buy the device from Shopee. Khai Bahar will be giving away an RM200 discount voucher for the OPPO Enco X, while Iman Troye and Syamel will each provide a different code that lets you purchase a second Enco Buds or OPPO Enco W11 for just RM1.

If you're interested in watching the concert, check out OPPO's official Facebook page. You can also learn more about the concert on OPPO's Shopee store page. With that said, what do you think about events like this? Would you like to see more of them? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Discounts & Flash Sales is the main reason for online purchases among Malaysians - Shopee Study

As previously reported on how Malaysians have a mad spending spree on tech gadgets in 2016-2017, we have another round of survey done by Shopee Malaysia. The study this time is showing what drives our online purchasing decision. Sounds interesting? Read below to find out more.

Conducted in June 2017, the consumer behaviour study was based on Shopee data and survey results collected from over 7500 online shoppers across Malaysia. Not surprisingly, discounts and flash sales are the biggest drivers of online purchases, followed by free shipping, then “Lowest Price Guarantee”. 97% of respondents indicated that they plan their online shopping around discounts, flash sales and vouchers availability.

Based on the survey, over 46% of respondents indicated that they browse Shopee three to six times daily to compare prices and check for deals. Over 26% indicated that they would log in more than 6 times a day to hunt for deals. Additionally, the peak hours for online shopping among Malaysians are during lunchtime from 12:00 to 14:00 and after dinner time from 21:00 to 00:00.

It’s also noted that the shoppers are in the age group of 18 - 32 years old. Female shoppers from 18 to 24 years old tend to shop for Fashion and Health & Beauty products during sales, while those aged 25 to 35 prefer Home & Living and Toys, Kids & Baby products.

When it comes to Mobile & Gadgets, male buyers take the lead, with 60% of participants in past mobile phone sales and campaigns being male.  The participants also tend to be more price sensitive towards to this category, as 25% of respondents indicated that they are willing to wait for at least a one month to find better deals or discounts on more expensive items.

While we are on the topic, there’s a new Shocking Sale from Shopee Malaysia right now, featuring curated flash deals at deep discounts, including RM9 deals updated daily from 9 to 15 July. After 15 July, these special RM9 deals will continue to run on the 9th of every month. In addition, Shopee will refund 120% of the price difference via cash voucher if any shopper finds a lower price for the same item on another platform in the Lowest Price Guarantee category.

So what do you think of the survey? Do you get triggered by discounts and flash sales? Shopee app is available in both Apple and Google Play Store, stay tuned for more Shopee news at TechNave.com.


Disney+ Hotstar app is now available on the Astro Ulti Box

Today, Astro has finally introduced the Disney+ Hotstar app on its Astro Ulti Box. As many of you know, the app itself is not available on most smart TVs (except Android-stock ones) and other TV boxes, so it's a nice addition to the Ulti Box.

To access Disney+ Hotstar on the Ulti Box, press “Home” on your Astro remote control. Under the “Apps” rail, select “Disney+ Hotstar” and follow the steps on the screen to pair your Disney+ Hotstar account for first-time users. Once complete, you’ll have instant access to Disney+ Hotstar app at the comfort of your couch.

From today onwards, all Ulti Box customers with an active Disney+ Hotstar subscription will be able to enjoy the benefits of the Disney+ Hotstar app. Ulti Box customers can also switch between hit local channels and the Disney+ Hotstar app’s library without needing to leave the Astro interface.

In case you didn't know, HD-enabled Ulti Boxes allow customers to stream their favourite shows uninterrupted; pause, rewind or fast-forward live events, and stream up to 90,000 On Demand titles seamlessly across their devices. For even more value, new customers can add Astro Fibre, Astro’s own internet service to enjoy a FREE upgrade to a higher speed tier for 6 months* when they sign up for the 50 Mbps, 100 Mbps or 500 Mbps bundle plans as part of Astro's WiFi Lagi Kencang campaign.

You can click here to learn more about the Disney+ Hotstar app on the Ulti Box. To access Disney+ Hotstar as part of your Astro subscription, new customers can sign up for the Movies (RM59.00 per month), Premium 1 (RM99.99 per month), Premium 3 (RM99.99 per month) or Platinum Pack (RM99.99 per month) and enjoy these special rates for six months** by visiting astro.com.my. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.

* Offer ends 30 September 2022 and is only applicable to new customers on a 24-month contract.

** This offer is applicable for new customers on a 24-month contract only. The Astro Premium 1 & Premium 3 Packs RM99.99/month for 6 months offer will end 30 October 2022, whilst the Movies Pack RM59.99/per month & Platinum Pack RM99.99/month for 6 months offer will end 31 August 2022.


Disney+ Hotstar finally released in unifi TV from RM16 per month but free to stream for new unifi customers

If you're looking to get a new unifi line as well as Disney+ Hotstar, perhaps now is an excellent time for you. Recently, unifi silently updated a new promotion for the unifi TV Ultimate Pack. Besides the unifi 100Mbps customers, the unifi TV Ultimate Pack customers can also get Disney+ Hotstar free of charge.

On top of that, Disney+ Hotstar has also just begun its debut on unifi today (17 May 2022). In fact, all new unifi customers who have subscribed for the 100Mbps package will get the stream the platform for free for 6 months. For your information, the 100Mbps package is RM129 and new customers won't need to subscribe to any unifi TV packs for the free Disney+ Hotstar streaming.

Unfortunately, the existing current users won't enjoy this benefit but will need to pay separately from RM16 per month with unifi TV or RM54.90 for three months with Disney+ Hotstar. Comparing the two prices, both are more or less the same since you will need to pay RM18.30 per month for the latter. It's just a RM2 difference there.

Recently, newly added movies and TV shows such as Moonknight, Turning Red, and Encanto have received critical acclaim from fans. Not to forget, there will be an upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series coming at the end of May 2022. If you are interested in these, you ought to consider subscribing (click here for the FAQs at the bottom to know more). Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Disney+ Hotstar is now available on the Astro Ultra Box and here's how to start streaming

Today, Astro Ultra Box users can now view Disney+ Hotstar just in time for the Raya festive season. Existing customers on Movies, Premium 1, Premium 3 and Platinum Packs will also have access to Disney+ Hotstar and simply need to click on the streaming platform’s app.

To begin, you can start the Ultra Box homepage on-screen login process via tv.hotstar.com on another device and log in with your mobile number. For new customers, signing up for the Platinum Pack on a 24-month contract get to enjoy 60 days on Astro including complimentary access to Sports Extra for 24 months. Alternatively, new customers on the Movies Pack can enjoy 30 days of access to the pack.

To the uninitiated, Disney+ Hotstar consists of movies and shows from Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, FX, 20th Century Studios and many more. It also includes a wide array of titles from select Malaysian studios and local language content from the Asia Pacific. Astro's simplified TV packs are available with bundled streaming apps starting from as low as RM60 per month.

What will you be watching on Disney+ Hotstar? We heard good reviews about Moonknight and Turning Red so far. Moreover, the Star Wars TV series - Obi-Wan Kenobi is coming soon by the end of May 2022. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


120Hz Mini-LED displays for Apple MacBook Pro 2021, would come in 14-inch and 16-inch models

Earlier, we mentioned how Apple would be having an event to launch new MacBook Pro models soon, right? Well, the new model is expected to be a notable upgrade and the CPU isn't the only change. Sources claim that the screen is also going to be a new type.

If you recall, it was suggested that the upcoming Apple MacBook Pro would have Mini-LED displays. According to Ross Young, there will be a new 14-inch and 16-inch model for the Apple MacBook Pro. The Display Supply Chain Consultants analyst claimed that the new models would have displays with oxide backplanes and Mini-LED backlights. He also suggested that they would have a 120Hz refresh rate.

Panel suppliers are the same between the iPad Pro's and MacBook Pro's - LG Display and Sharp. Expecting similar technology - oxide backplanes, miniLED backlights and 120Hz refresh rates. MiniLEDs, 100% confirmed.

But if the new models are using Mini-LED displays, supply for it might be tight. Back in May, it was rumoured that production for the panels may have been affected by the pandemic. The panels are allegedly being manufactured by factories in India, which experienced a major COVID-19 outbreak at the time.

Of course, Apple should still be able to comfortably meet the market demand. Devices with Mini-LED displays would be expensive, so maybe only people who need the performance would buy. What do you think? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates.


A group of scientists are working on clothes that can charge your phone

Have you ever thought that it would be so cool to charge your smartphone when you put it in your shirt pocket? Well, it could be a reality one day as a group of scientists from Fudan University, Shanghai in China just published a new study on a type of fibre that can be used as a charging technology.

According to the study, scientists have actually made woven fibres with lithium-ion batteries in them. It's not exactly like literal batteries on the fibres but more like the functionalities of the fibre materials. Dubbed as fibre batteries, scientists say it can hold up to 85.69 watt-hours of electricity per KG.

From the image above, you can clearly see a prototype fibre battery-enabled t-shirt with a charging iPhone attached to the pants. Their research also reported that even after 500 cycles of charging and discharging, the metre-long fibre battery could retain 90.5% of its capacity. In case you're wondering, the fibre battery can be folded, washed, or pierced by a sharp object.

It may still take scientists a long way to have a fully functioning fibre battery clothing, but it is the first step to have a smart clothing item in the future. But what do you think of this technology? Let us know in the comments below and you can check out the full published research paper right here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Disney+ Hotstar officially launching in Malaysia on 1 June, price package is RM54.90 for three months

Today, the news of Disney+ launching in Malaysia is finally coming true. As expected like our neighbour, Singapore, the name will be Disney+ Hotstar and will start streaming on 1 June 2021. Besides the huge library collection of Disney movies, Star Wars and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, there will be local contents as well such as J2 J Retribusi, Zombitopia and more.

So how does this work? Well, you can watch this on Astro or online (iOS and Android). The package fee that was introduced so far starts from RM54.90 for three months. In comparison with the Netflix Premium package, that's a lot way affordable since it's just around RM18 per month. There's also a special package with Astro, which Movie Pack customers can just add the platform for an additional RM5 per month (read more about it here).

Since it's launching in June, we will be on time for Loki TV series starring Tom Hiddleson. Future Disney movies like Luca and other MCU TV series such as What If... are also coming soon. In addition to that catalogue, other movies and TV shows that aren't under Disney such as  Nomadland, The Walking Dead, Jojo Rabbit, Criminal Minds, Fresh off the Boat, The Simpsons, Grey’s Anatomy, 9-1-1 and even the Alien franchise will be available.

Disney+ Hotstar has also signed a series of multi-year agreements with leading Malaysian studios such as Skop Productions, Revolution Media Films, Primeworks Studios, WAU Animation, Act 2 Pictures, Les’ Copaque Production, Red Films and more. With this, local contents with the likes of Ada Hantu, Ejen Ali The Movie 2 and others will stream exclusively on the platform after the theatrical release.

Each registered account can support two concurrent streams, and the majority of content is available for download on mobile and tablet. All content is commercial-free, with a dedicated kids section with age-appropriate content and a kid-friendly, easy-to-navigate user interface. For more information, you may visit the official DisneyPlusHotstar.my webpage here. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Disney Plus might launch a new subscription tier with a cheaper fee, but there's a catch

Disney Plus is a rising video streaming platform with the popular Pixel animation movies and Marvel TV series. However, it looks like the current state still can't satisfy the platform as it's going to lower its subscription fees to attract more users.

According to the source, Disney Plus plans to launch a new tier that is cheaper than its current one, which costs RM54.90 for three months in Malaysia. Of course, there's a catch for it. It's said that the cheaper tier might be an ad-supported version. Therefore, not only growing the user base, but it can also help to gain some revenues through the ads.

The new tier is likely to be available in the US first before coming to the other countries. In the US, the streaming platform faces fierce competition from Paramount, Discovery, Warner Media, and NBC, which already have an ad-supported subscription tier.

Are you willing to pay for cheaper fees but get flooded by the ads (maybe not that many)? Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech report.


Disney could be working on a bunch of new Star Wars movies and games set in the High Republic timeline

Based on a statement by MakingStarWars.net, Disney could be working on Project Luminous which consists of a bunch of Star Wars movies and games set 400 years before the Skywalker Saga. Not only that, but they also mentioned that there could be a bunch of games planned out as well, including the Jedi: Fallen Order 2 that’s being developed by Respawn Entertainment.

With all that said, do take every bit of information with a grain of salt, as there was no official statement by Disney in regards to Project Luminous. With all that said, would you be interested in any of the films or games mentioned? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Disney is finally releasing Mulan on 4th September 2020 in Disney+ !

Mulan has been in our to watch list since the premiere of the trailer and due to Covid-19, it has been going through few delays. Today, Disney finally announced the new releasing date which is on September 4 but the catchy part here is that it will be released on Disney+ with an additional  $29.99 on top of your subscription fee.

According to the CEO of Disney, Bob Chapek mentioned that this is a “one-off” decision that it will still be in whatever theaters happened to be open in the coming September during the release all over the world at the same time it’s on Disney+. He said that this will be a new business windowing model the company is looking at and how Mulan performs financially will be a major factor in the decision making for the next movies.

Mulan will be made available on Disney+ in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and several Western European countries. As for the other countries around the world, let’s hope that it will be making into our theaters by September. This decision is similar to the other recent movie releases that went straight to online premieres such as the Warner Bros. Scoob and the Universal’s Trolls World Tour but the only difference is that those movies were on multiple platforms but Disney’s Mulan only will be available on Disney+.

With that said, the chances of Mulan releasing in Malaysia’s cinema are high since our cinemas are back in business but still it will be depending on the whole Covid-19 situation in September. So do continue to practice our hygiene and put on our facemask in the public all the time during this period. Stay tuned for more news updates on TechNave.com.


Disney+ may be coming to Malaysia soon, new official Instagram page is online

After a long wait, it seems that Disney is finally making a move into the Malaysian market with Disney. It appears that several hours ago, the company set up a Facebook and Instagram page named Disneyplushotstarmy. For some reason, the Facebook page has been taken down except for the latter.

Prior to this, there was no official announcement by Disney about this. Malaysians who visited the official Disney+ Malaysia website here can only be informed via "Keep me updated" and no newsletter was distributed to our knowledge. It's also worth noting on the blue tick appearing beside the name on the two platforms, but we don't know why they took down the Facebook page. Perhaps it was a test drive?

In case if you're wondering about what Hotstar is, it's a video streaming platform in India which is owned by Walt Disney Company India. With this, Indonesia was the first SEA country to have Disney+ Hotstar last year followed by Singapore. For reference, the annual subscription for Hotstar in India is $14 (~RM56).

We will be keeping a close eye on Disney+ Hotstar's availability in Malaysia. Are you excited that you all can finally watch The Mandalorian and upcoming MCU TV shows? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Disney+ officially brings in Ms Marvel, Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Kenobi, Lady & the Tramp, High School Musical, Lizzie McGuire, and more

Previously, Marvel Studios announced several exciting films for their Phase 4 in the next three years. Along with that, they also announced some Marvel follow-up series from the MCU to appear on Disney+ (think of it like Netflix). However, with the D23 Expo going on, it has been announced that several more shows will be appearing on that platform, without further ado - here's the breakdown of what we can watch on Disney+!

So first up, there will be a new High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (yes, the name is so long) and will feature a new cast crew. As fans of the show, they can expect the show to be more or less the same with some tongue-in-cheek scenarios. According to Disney, the show "focuses on a group of theatre kids who attend the actual high school where High School Musical, and who are putting on a school production of High School Musical".

Graduated from MU and ready for the real world. Get a new look at Monsters at Work's Tylor and Millie, coming to #DisneyPlus in 2020. pic.twitter.com/xUZ8HzWea2

Next, the Monsters franchise is making a comeback and this sets after the first Monsters Inc. film. As the movie title suggests, it will have a bunch of new monster fresh grads finding their way in the working environment where Monsters Inc. has just switched to the power of laughter. The main character is Ben, who is a top student in this class. Aisha Tyler and Ben Feldman are involved in the project.

Woah, Phineas and Ferb? Yup, they are back too with a brand new movie and in case you have no idea who Candace is, she is Phineas and Ferb's sister who got abducted by aliens and it's up to them to save her. Besides this new movie, there will be a total of 127 new episodes for their next adventure.

Moving on to the Disney remakes, we were surprised to learn that the Disney classic Lady and the Tramp will be featured on Disney+ instead of the big screen. From the trailer, it has a lovely feel and a great mash-up between technology and animals (better facial emotion than that Lion King 2019). This movie is set to debut on 12 November 2019.

Talking about classic shows, Lizzie McGuire series is coming back as well so that means Hilary Duff will be reprising her role with the original creator, Terri Minsky. Obviously, this series will take on a different approach to a new generation, this is what Hilary has to say about the new series:

“Lizzie is older, wiser, and has a much bigger shoe budget. She has her dream job, an apprentice to a fancy NYC decorator. She has her dream guy, who owns a cool Soho restaurant, and she’s preparing to celebrate 30th birthday." But not all is perfect and well. "Lizzie is still fighting with her 13-year-old animated, no-holds-barred Lizzie who is in adult Lizzie’s head.”

Following the success of Toy Story 4, it seems that Forky will be getting his own show. Seem to aim at children, they will follow Forky on exploring the world and question about everything such as "What is money". Forky Asks a Question is a mixture of TEDTalk and comedy.

Just announced at #D23Expo, Forky Asks A Question, a collection of shorts from @Pixar, only on Disney+. Start streaming November 12. pic.twitter.com/kgBlvM4DpG

In addition to Loki, WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, Kevin Feign also took the opportunity to announce that Ms Marvel, She-Hulk and Moon Knight are added to Disney+. There is some promise that Kamala Khan, Jennifer Walters, and Marc Specter will make their debut in the MCU, though, which will probably take some years.

On top of that, we also learn that Sharon Carter and John Walker (starring Wyatt Russell) will be part of The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as Darcy Lewis from Thor and Agent Jimmy Wu from Ant-Man to be featured in WandaVision, which will be "half 60's sitcom" inspired by The Dick van Dyke Show.

Kevin also shared some more exciting Marvel contents with What If...? We were told that we will be seeing several possibilities such as what if Steve Rogers became a zombie, what if Peter Quill aka Starlord was black, and what if Peggy Carter got the super-soldier serum instead of Steve? That's awesome.

An extraordinary look at ordinary things. The World According To Jeff Goldblum. Original Series. Streaming November 12 only on Disney+. pic.twitter.com/jLJ5uXJxaX

In a show that's non-related to Disney and Marvel, Jeff Goldblum is making his own show with the title above. It will be a slice of life documentary show where he goes around the world meeting people and asking various questions the Goldblum way.

Now moving into the world of Star Wars, Kathleen Kennedy took the stage and announced that the deserved final season of the popular Star Wars animated series - The Clone Wars will premier on Disney+ on February 2020 (exciting!!) and not only that, Cassian Andor and his Android sidekick, K-2SO from Star Wars: Rogue One will have a series, which will be set as a prequel.

Just announced at #D23Expo, the next season of The Clone Wars will premiere in February on #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/S1zswiLcCs

As many Star Wars fans know, The Mandalorian directed by Jon Favreau will debut on 12 November 2019 and from the first official trailer, it has very gritty feel like Rogue One. This takes place after Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi in a lawlessness setting, where people and mercenaries are just trying to survive. The show stars Pedro Pascal, Gina Carano, Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, and Taika Waititi came out on stage to thank fans for supporting them.

Last but not least, the rumoured Obi-Wan Kenobi series is official and yes, fan favourite Ewan McGregor who last took the helm 14 years ago is reprising the role. The script has finished and the shooting will start next year.

Hello there! Just announced at #D23Expo: Ewan McGregor will reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in a new original series, coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/Bk67rslEYU

Disney+ is making its debut on 12 November 2019 but we aren't sure if this applies to Malaysia (#fingerscrossed). BUT what do you think of the new show contents that are coming on this new streaming platform? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more entertainment news at TechNave.com.


Disney plans to launch new international streaming platform in 2021

Since Disney Plus has yet to come to Malaysia, the company may end up launching a separate streaming service first. Disney has announced that it will be launching a new video streaming platform in 2021 and that it will be under the Star brand name. This platform is expected to feature general entertainment and will not have any licensed content.

According to TechRadar, the platform will use the same technology that Disney Plus is based on and will be integrated with it as well. The announcement was made by Disney CEO Bob Chapek, who said that the platform will feature content from ABC Studios, Fox TV, FX, Freeform, Searchlight and 20th Century Studios. He also mentioned that it will be available 'internationally', but did not specify which countries will be getting the service and when.

The new platform is supposed to use the same technology as Disney Plus

Considering that this platform's content will all be from studios under Disney, we can expect a wide variety of shows to watch. For example, the Alien movie series and Buffy the Vampire Slayer TV series from 20th Century Studios, as well Grey's Anatomy from ABC Studios and The Simpsons from Fox TV. Of course, there's always a chance that some shows or series won't be available.

Those who are into video streaming will probably be excited about this news, especially if it does make its way to Malaysia. Having said that, are there any shows belonging to these studios that you specifically want to watch? Let us know in the comments on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.


Disney+ subscription fee to increase & an ad-supporter tier to be introduced by the end of 2022

Today, the Walt Disney Company released its 2022 third-quarter financial report for Disney+. According to sources, there are plans to increase the Disney+ subscription fee as well as release an ad-supported version by the end of the year.

In the report, the ad-free Disney+ subscription will rise by 38% from $7.99 (~RM35) to $10.99 (~RM48) per month. It will be the first time Disney has done this since the platform's debut in 2019. Moreover, the ad-supported tier Disney+ will be priced at $7.99 per month and the effect will happen on 8 December 2022.

But what of Disney+ Hotstar? Well, it seems that Malaysia as well as other Southeast Asian countries and India are safe from the price increase. Searching from the report, Disney has mentioned that Disney+ Hotstar is excluded from International Disney+. It was also reported that Disney now has 221.1 million subscribers in total, overtaking Netflix which has 220.7 million subscribers.

Despite Disney+ Hotstar being excluded, things may change by the end of 2022 due to the current economy and inflation. We will just have to wait and see. Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Disney would like to keep the word 'Fox' out of the 20th Century & Searchlight logos

Every time before you dig in a film, a familiar sound and animation will start to play. Among all the famous movie company intros, the 20th Century Fox is definitely no stranger to you, and we bet you could even hum that legendary theme song. Now, the magnificent logo is getting a tweak as The Walt Disney Company has decided to stop using the word ‘Fox’ for two of their studios, which they acquired from Rupert Murdoch-owned Fox Corporation.

In the near future, you are not getting to see the word ‘Fox’ in the logo of 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight. They are now renamed as ‘20th Century Studios’ and ‘Searchlight Pictures’ respectively. One of the reasons to remove the word is to not confuse the public as the studios don’t belong to Fox Corporation any more. Other than that, it is also said that Disney would like to distance themselves from controversial brands like Fox News.

To clarify, you might not see an immediate logo change from the movies that are currently in the theaters. Disney has officially declared the first movie to be shown with ‘20th Century Studios’ logo will be Downhill, starring Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. For the first movie to get the ‘Searchlight Pictures’ logo, it will be the Harrison Ford’s adventure movie named The Call of the Wild.

After the acquisition happened back in March 2019, many movie franchises have fallen into the hands of Disney including X-Men, Fantastic Four, Star Wars, Avatar and many more. While waiting for Disney to have future plans for those franchises, we shall see many changes Disney is going to make with the once major film studios.

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


Display sizes for 3 Samsung foldables revealed, will launch in 2021

Smartphones have reached a point where major improvements are hard to come by, which is why we're seeing companies experimenting with new designs and form factors. In particular, foldable devices are all the rage and Samsung could have as many as three in the pipeline for 2021.

According to The Elec, OLED research firm UBI Research claimed that Samsung is preparing three types of foldable OLED panels. This is believed to be solid proof that the company is going to launch at least three foldable devices next year. It's speculated that the three devices would be the Galaxy Z Fold 3, Galaxy Z Flip 2 (or possibly Z Flip 3), and the Galaxy Z Fold Lite. There are already some rumours for the Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 2, so two new foldable devices is the minimum.

In terms of specs, the Z Fold 3's is expected to have an estimated 7-inch main screen, as well as a 4-inch secondary display. If that's true, that would mean that the Z Fold 3 would be a smaller device than its predecessor. The Z Fold Lite's displays are expected to be about the same sizes, while the Z Flip 2 will maintain a 6.7-inch main screen but come with a larger 3-inch secondary screen.

Considering that the source is a research firm, this news should be quite credible. At least, the fact that Samsung is preparing three types of foldable OLED panels should be true. For us, the Galaxy Z Fold Lite is potentially the more interesting device. But what do you think? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


A guide to Celcom's latest FiRST postpaid plans

Some of you have probably heard of Celcom's newest, craziest and biggest plans. Yup, we are talking about the latest FIRST Gold Supreme and FIRST Platinum Plus postpaid plans that we covered a few days ago which is offering everyone 100GB and 50GB worth of Internet data and more.

With all the bombardment of different telco plans these days, it can be confusing for a consumer on which plan to sign up for. To continue catering to the needs of Malaysians' daily mobile behavior these days, Celcom has come up with 5 plans to give you what you want including benefits such as Unlimited WhatsApp and WeChat, Unlimited Calls to all networks, FREE Yonder Music and FREE Video Walla.

Perhaps the best part of signing up for one of the plans is that you actually get a free phone as well (while stocks last). Below is the table of what each plan offers:

Designed for the ultimate online content user, the FIRST Platinum Plus plan (Benji), looks to offer all the Internet you could need with 100GB of Internet data and 100GB of FREE Video Walla with no strings attached. Considering that most home family Internet plans are only 90GB and below, this is the plan for the online gamer, the Ultra High Definition movie watcher and the person who never gets enough Internet over Celcom's high-speed networks.

Here are the FREE phones you can get with the FIRST Platinum Plus:

Next, the FIRST Platinum (Ju) remains the same as before when Celcom announced the upgraded Internet data plan last October. Packing 60GB worth of Internet data, it is split in half for 30GB of weekday and 30GB of weekend usage. There's also a load of 30GB FREE Video Walla along with unlimited Yonder Music. Although it's not as much as the FIRST Platinum Plus, it's still more than enough Internet data for a user who doesn't need to stream "that much" HD video content or likes to listen to a lot of songs.

These are the FREE phones that "Ju" can get for signing up with FIRST:

On the other hand, FIRST Gold Supreme (Yan) is one of the latest additions to the Celcom postpaid plan line up. Just for RM128, this plan is just a slightly a lesser version of FIRST Platinum, coming with 50GB Internet data (again, 25GB for weekday and weekend respectively), 25GB Internet data for FREE Video Walla, unlimited Yonder Music, Whatsapp, WeChat and calls to every network. However, the user will have to pay 20 cents per SMS.

There are 5 FREE phones you can get in this plan too:

If RM128 is a bit too much for you, then maybe the FIRST Gold Plus (Gopi) will be just fine. Like the FIRST Platinum, the FIRST Gold Plus is still the same as before but with some limitations such as the extra charges for SMS (20 cents), as well as the unavailability of Video Walla. This plan is good for users who don't really watch many videos on their mobile phones, plus you still get unlimited Yonder Music, Whatsapp, WeChat and calls to every network.

Also, the only FREE phone you can get with this plan is the Samsung Galaxy J3 Pro.

Last but not least, FIRST Gold (Jamie) offers Internet data of 20GB (10GB for weekday and weekend each). Designed just for those who aren't keen on video streaming, FIRST Gold provides all this for RM80 along with all the free unlimited features like Yonder Music, Whatsapp and calls to every network, making this perhaps one of the most value-added postpaid plans in Malaysia. Unfortunately, there is no free phone to offer if you sign up for this, but it is still a good plan nonetheless.

To find out more about Celcom's all-in-one postpaid plans, head over to their website here or their nearest BlueCube stores for more information.