Apple Pay option found in iPhone settings after updating iOS 13.6

iOS 13.6 was just released about two days ago and the update includes support for digital car keys as well as some new symptoms category in the Health app and other minor bug fixes. However, what they didn't mention was that there's an Apple Pay option appearing in the Settings!

Can you use it? Well, the short answer is no. After updating, you can clearly see Apple Pay grouped with Wallet in the Settings and you'd surprised to see that you can actually scan and add your card. That said, although the iPhone is able to scan a credit or debit card alongside punching in the card's security code, a message will pop up saying "Your Issuer Does Not Yet Offer Support for This Card".

Knowing Apple's style, they would usually not release a feature that is not available for a certain country. But in this case, it's a strong hint that Apple Pay could be a viable option as a cashless payment method soon OR another possible scenario is that the option add-on was a mistake (God knows). Should it be true, our local banks would have to work with Apple to integrate Apple Pay.

Since cashless payment is very much encouraged in this pandemic period, what do you think of having Apple Pay? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win the Huawei Watch Fit worth RM499 with the #HUAWEIVLOG contest

Huawei has officially announced that you could stand a chance to win a Huawei Watch Fit worth RM499 simply by taking part in the #HUAWEIVLOG, starting from 21 December 2020 until 31 January 2021. All you need to do is to take a 1-minute vlog on topics such as Food, Make Up, Fashion, Fitness, or Mobile Gaming using a Huawei smartphone such as the Huawei Mate40 Pro.

Once you’ve taken the video, upload it onto Facebook with the hashtag #HUAWEIVLOGMY and make sure to set your post, as well as your profile to public. Also, be sure to drop Huawei Malaysia’s Facebook page a follow so that you can receive updates on the winners of the contest, as well as various other updates such as product launches and promos.

With all that said, would you be interested in taking part in the #HUAWEIVLOG contest? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win the Lenovo Yoga C640 worth RM3799

Lenovo has officially announced that the Lenovo Yoga C640 is currently available for purchase in Malaysia, and the price of the laptop starts from the price of RM3799. The aforementioned laptop is not only lightweight and stylish but it also allows the user to convert the product into a tablet simply by flipping the touchscreen display around.

In terms of battery life, they also stated that the Yoga C640’s battery life is able to last an entire day thanks to the energy-efficient 10th generation Intel Core processors. On another note, Lenovo announced that they will be hosting the #YOGAC640Challenge where you could stand a chance your very own Yoga C640 from now until 31 December 2019.

All you need to do is visit any of the 23 Lenovo stores nationwide, scan the QR code and fill in your details. Then guess the battery life of the laptop, post it up on Instagram along with your slogan, and include the hashtag #YOGAC640Challenge as well as tag @lenovo_my.

With all that said, would you be interested in taking part in the contest? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win the Mi 10T Pro with Xiaomi's Good things During Bad Time Photography Contest

Xiaomi Malaysia has officially announced that you could stand a chance to win a Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro simply by taking the part in the Good things During Bad Time Photography which is happening from 15 December to 31 December 2020. But that’s not all, winners of the competition will have their submission displayed at the Balai Seni Negara website.

In order to take part in the aforementioned contest, all you need to do is take a photo that best reflects the meaning of the contest title then post it on Instagram with the hashtag #GoodThingsDuringBadTimes #Xiaomi #Mi10TSeries #BalaiSeniNegara #PowerYourCreativity. However, be sure to drop a Like and Follow Xiaomi’s official Instagram Account to be in the running for the Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro.

If you want to find out more information, head over to Xiaomi Malaysia’s official website. Would you be interested in taking part in Xiaomi’s Good things During Bad Time Photography Contest? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win the OPPO Reno5 5G and more with the Friendship Wonderland Snap & Win contest!

OPPO has officially announced that you could stand a chance to win an OPPO Reno5 5G, OPPO Watch 41mm or even an OPPO Enco W51 with the OPPO Reno5 5G Friendship Wonderland Snap & Win contest! The contest will start on 26 February 2021 until 31 March 2021 so act fast if you’re interested in winning any of the aforementioned prizes.

In order to take part, all you need to do is take a creative video or picture at the OPPO Reno5 5G Friendship Wonderland mural located at No.5, Jalan Balai Polis (Kwai Chai Hong), City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur. Next, upload the picture onto your public Instagram account with the hashtag #OPPOReno5Wonderland & #PictureLifeTogether hashtags and tag @oppomalaysia & your friends.

If you want to find out more information, head over to OPPO’s official website. Would you be interested in taking part in the OPPO Reno5 5G Friendship Wonderland Snap & Win contest? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win the OPPO Watch on 25 September with a special appearance by Lim Min Chen

OPPO Malaysia is going to launch the limited edition Green Vegan Leather Gift Box soon! In the gift box, you are able to get the OPPO Find X2 Pro Green Vegan Leather Edition and OPPO Watch.

The OPPO Find X2 Pro Green Leather edition tech specs are the same but only the colour variant. It comes with a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with 1440p resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and 240 touch sampling rate. This device features a Snapdragon 865 chipset, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB internal storage. On the other hand, it is sporting a triple rear camera and a 32MP selfie sensor.

As for the OPPO watch, all we know is that it comes with a 3D flexible dual-curve display. For more tech specs of the watch, all we have to do is sit back, relax, and wait for the official announcement. The viewers of the OPPO Watch Live Stream stands an opportunity to win themselves 3 OPPO Watch, with a special appearance by Lin Min Chen.

To know more information on this limited edition gift box, you may tune in to their live stream on 25 September at 11.15 am as the company launches both of the devices. For more tech news, you may stay tuned on TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win the OnePlus 8T and more with the Shot on OnePlus - Discover The Night contest

OnePlus Malaysia has officially announced that they will be hosting the ‘Shot on OnePlus - Discover The Night’ from 23 December 2020 until 22 January 2021, where you could stand a chance to win a OnePlus 8T smartphone simply by taking a picture. But that’s not all, there are also other prizes to be won such as a cash prize worth up to RM1000, Limited Edition OnePlus Nord Merchandize, as well as an award e-certificate.

In order to take part, all you need to do is take a picture using the Nightscape mode found on any OnePlus device with the watermark function enabled and upload it to either your Facebook or Instagram page with the hashtag #DiscoverTheNightwithOnePlus, #ShotonOnePlusMY, as well as #(your phone model). However, be sure to set your Instagram profile or Facebook profile as public and make sure your post includes information such as the device name, location, as well as whether a third-party lens was used and submit your entry to their designated website.

With all that said, would you be interested in taking part in the ‘Shot one OnePlus - Discover The Night’ contest? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win tickets to Gamescom 2018 Germany + honor Play Fair held in Sunway Pyramid on 7 August 2018

In “honor” of the launch of the honor Play, from now until 5 August 2018, a total of 5 lucky winners will be given the chance to attend Gamescom 2018 in Germany which is held on 21 August 2018 to 25 August 2018.

In order to be eligible for the tickets, contestants have to join the honor fan club and share screenshots of their favourite moments while gaming. These screenshots will be judged based on the level of creativity as well as quality by honor representatives. Not only that, those who pre-order the honor Play will also be given a chance to win tickets to Gamescom as well! Do take note that there will only honor will pick 3 winners from the screenshot contest and 2 more additional winners from the honor Play pre-order.

On another note, there will be an honor Play Fair being held in Sunway Pyramid blue concourse where mobile gaming enthusiasts will be able to join in on fun activities as well as experience the honor Play device in person. The fair will be starting from 2:30PM onwards on 7 August 2018.

To give a little insight on the tech specs of the honor Play, the device is running on a HiSilicon Kirin 970 chipset, up to 6GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, 16MP + 2MP rear camera setup, 16MP front facing selfie camera, 6.3-inch display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels and it is powered by a 3750mAh non-removable battery.

The device also features GPU boost which increases the performance of the device but as for now it is currently supported by 2 known mobile games which is Playerunknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang. For more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win tickets to Huawei's Nova Superstar Night at KLFW 2018

In conjunction with the launch of the Huawei Nova 3 and Nova 3i, Huawei is running a contest for consumers to win exclusive VIP tickets to the Huawei Nova Superstar Night live at KLFW 2018 on 9 August 2018 in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur from 7PM to 9PM. In order to take part in the contest, the contestants have to like HUAWEI Mobile Facebook Page, like the contest post and share it on your Facebook account to be picked as one of the 10 winners for a pair of tickets. Do take note that you’re required to set the shared post as public in order to qualify. You could increase your chance of winning one of 5 pairs of VIP tickets from Hannah Delisha, Huawei’s ambassador on her Instagram page.

To give a little context about the tech specs of the Nova 3 and Nova 3i, the Nova 3 is running on a HiSilicon Kirin 970, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage, 16MP + 24MP rear camera setup, 24MP + 2MP front facing selfie camera, 6.3-inch display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, and it is powered by a 3750mAh non-removable battery. The Nova 3i on the other hand is housing a HiSilicon Kirin 710, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of internal memory, 16MP + 2MP rear camera, 24MP + 2MP front facing selfie camera, 6.3-inch display with a screen resolution of 1080 x 2340 pixels, and a 3340mAh non-removagle battery. For more updates like these, stya tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win trips to Jakarta when you purchase selected HP products

In conjunction with the upcoming Merdeka celebrations, as well as the on-going OMEN Challenger series. Stand a chance to win a trip to Jakarta simply by purchasing selected HP OMEN or Pavilion Gaming laptops. Not only that, but HP will also be giving away a free Steam Wallet code worth RM50.

Other than that, those who purchased the HP 14 with Intel Core i3 and HP Pavilion laptops will be rewarded with a free Touch ‘n Go eWallet worth RM50 and a Microsoft Office 365 Personal worth RM269 respectively. What do you think about HP’s promo? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win two Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite this Valentine's Day

In conjunction with the upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration, Samsung has announced that you could stand a chance to win two Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite via their Samsung AR Doodle feature. The contest runs from now until 6 March 2020, so act fast if you are interested in taking part to win the prizes mentioned.

If you are interested, all you need to do is follow @SamsungMalaysia on Instagram, then express yourself and your loved ones by using the AR Doodle feature. Then, post up three videos using the feature on your Instagram account and tag @SamsungMalaysia as well as include the hashtag #GalaxyNote10Lite #ARDoodlePlus #ValentineswithGalaxy.

If you want to find out more about Samsung’s Valentine’s Day AR Doodle Campaign, head over to their official website. Would you be interested in taking part in the contest to win a Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Apple Powerbeats 4 is now official for ~RM648

For the past couple of weeks, the Apple Powerbeats 4 was a topic of interest among tech enthusiasts. The products were already in the stores before the official announcement and now it is. As previously reported, the new Apple audio product costs $149.95 which is roughly around ~RM648.

The rumoured tech specs for the Powerbeats 4 were also more or less the same. From the website, it has an improved battery life of up to 15 hours now (the predecessor only had 12 hours) and supports "Fast Fuel" charging. The latter is said to be able to provide up to 1.5 hours of playback from just a 5-minute charge, so that's awesome. Of course, it also has an IPX4 sweat resistance for those who want to use it for exercising.

Available in 3 colours (red, white and black), users have the option to change the size of the earbuds (4 choices) according to their preference. A Lightning to USB-A charging cable will be provided inside the box and it's also interesting to know that compared with the Powerbeats 3, the Powerbeats 4 is $50 (~RM216) more affordable. But we aren't sure if this will apply to our local set here in Malaysia.

Will you get your hands on the Apple Powerbeats 4 if it arrives in Malaysia? Or do you have a better alternative? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win up to RM10000 worth of gifts with OPPO's Christmas Surprise Gift

In conjunction with the Christmas Celebrations on 24 and 25 December 2019, stand a chance to win your share of up to RM10000 in mystery gifts if you purchase any OPPO models at The Gardens or Pavilion Flagship store. However, do note that stocks are limited, so act fast if you are interested in the mystery gifts mentioned.

Head over to OPPO’s official website or Facebook page, if you want to find out more about the OPPO’s Christmas Surprise Gift. Would you be dropping by OPPO’s Flagship store in either The Gardens or Pavilion? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win up to RM3600 in prizes with the Yoodo Stay At Home Cup

Yoodo has officially announced that you could stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM3600 when you compete in games such as PUBG Mobile and Mobile Legends: Bang Bang with their Yoodo Stay At Home Cup. The online qualifier for the PUBG Mobile Stay At Home starts on 13 May and 14 May 2020, while the grand finals will be held on 15 May 2020.

As for Mobile Legends: Bang Bang, it will be held only on 29 May 2020 in a single-elimination tournament format. In addition to that, Yoodo will also be introducing another two more games to the Stay At Home Cup in the near future.

If you are interested in taking part in the Yoodo Stay At Home Cup, head over to their official website to register your team. Would you be interested in taking part in the aforementioned tournament? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win up to RM4000 worth of prizes with the HONOR Game Palace Tournament

HONOR has officially announced that they will be hosting the Game Palace Tournament, where you could stand a chance to win prizes worth up to RM4000 by competing in a game of Clash Royale. The prizes include HONOR products such as HONOR 9X Lite, HONOR Bluetooth Earphones, as well as HONOR Bluetooth Speakers.

As for the dates, the tournament will take place on 24 July, 31 July, 7 August, as well as 14 August 2020 and the registration ends at 22 July 2020, so be sure to mark your calendars if you are interested in participating. Head over to HONOR’s official website if you are interested in taking part in the Game Palace tournament.

Would you be taking part in the Clash Royale Tournament? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win up to RM6000 in prizes with vivo's Vision Photography Contest

vivo Malaysia has officially announced that they are hosting the vivo Vision Photography contest, which starts from 1 until 15 November 2019. vivo fans who take part in the aforementioned photography contest during the duration mentioned, could stand a chance to win up to RM6000 in cash prizes.

In order to take part, simply take a picture of the landscape, animals or of people along with the official vivo watermark. After that, upload the pictures taken onto Instagram and include a creative caption as well as hashtags #vivovision as well as the hashtags for the respective categories which includes #vivovisionlandscape #vivovisionanimals #vivovisionplants #vivovisionpeople.

Last but not least, tag vivo Malaysia on their official Instagram page. If you want to find out more about the contest, head over to their official Facebook page. Would you be interested in taking part in the vivo Vision Photography contest? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win up to RM800000 worth of prizes with the OPPO Merdeka Fiesta

From 1 August until 2 September 2019, stand a chance to win up to RM800000 worth of prizes with OPPO’s Merdeka Fiesta Spin and Win contest. The prizes include Shopee vouchers, OPPO Screen Protector warranty of up to 6 months, USB cables and more.

In order to participate, simply purchase any of the selected OPPO products from any OPPO Official Concept Stores, authorized dealers, Lazada, Shopee or telco partners between 1 August and 2 September. Next, present the receipt to the representatives of any of the 32 selected OPPO concept stores in Malaysia to be given a chance to spin the wheel and win fantastic prizes.

Head over to OPPO’s official website, if you are keen on finding out more about the campaign. Would you be interested in taking part in the OPPO Merdeka Fiesta? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand a chance to win up to RM95000 in prizes with OPPO's Beyond Your Vision Photography Contest

To celebrate the cutting-edge technology housed inside the OPPO Reno 10x Zoom, which was launched around May of 2019. OPPO has announced that they will be hosting the “Beyond Your Vision Photography Contest”, with up to RM95000 in prizes up for grabs. The contest starts from 22 July until 21 August 2019.

The photography contest consists of 5 different categories, which is the “Story of The World”, “Story of Creativity, “Story of The Night”, Story of The People, and lastly, Story of Patriotism. Participants would have to post up a picture on their Instagram account, that relates to the category they have chosen.

Not only that, but they must also include the hashtag #BeyondYour Vision, #OPPORenoSeries as well as the name of the category in the form of a hashtag on their post. That being said, there is no limit as to how many photos you can post up. So, post as much as you can to increase your chance of winning! Do note that only pictures taken with an OPPO smartphone, is eligible to take part in the contest.

To find out more about the contest details and the prizes to be won, head over to the official contest website. Would you be interested in participating in OPPO’s Beyond Your Vision Photography Contest? Let us know on our Facebook Page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Stand alone Android VR headset by Pico Neo, running Marshmallow at RMB 1899 (RM 1184)

A start-up company out of Beijing wants everyone to have a VR experience without breaking the bank. While other mobile VR goggles needs a smartphone to work in tandem with the headset, the Pico Neo is a standalone device that itself is an Android device running Marshmallow without the need of any additional hardware.

The Pico Neo targets a middle market between low-end devices like Google Cardboard or Samsung Gear VR and higher-end products like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift. What makes this device unique is that the bulk of the processing power is not in the headset, but in the controller unit. This keeps the headset light and comfortable to use for longer period of times.

Running the device is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, which is paired with 4 gigs of RAM and 32GB of internal storage expandable via microSD. It runs Android Marshmallow 6.0.1 out of the box. Inside the headset, there are two screens - pixel each rocking a 1,200 x 1,080 resolution. This puts the Pico Neo at the same resolution as the HTC Vive and the Oculus Rift. With a 5000mAh battery, VR playtime is up to 3 hours  without the hassle of any wires, and when you do need to recharge, you won’t have to wait long because the Pico Neo supports Qualcomm's Quick Charge 3.0.

The device will launch later this summer with a price tag of 3,399 Yuan, which comes out to about RM 2118. If you want to forego the controller and just hook the headset up to your computer, then you can get just the headset for 1,899 Yuan or RM 1184. The question is, will they release it now that Google has announced Daydream VR and the reference headset?


Stand-alone Goophone Smartwatch available for pre-order

Quite a lot of people are still waiting for stand-alone smartwatch, or a smartwatch which doesn't need a smartphone to work. While there are other independant developers, Goophone looks to have come out with a stand-alone smartwatch in the form of the Goophone Smartwatch. Featuring a SIM card slot, the Goophone smartwatch comes in 2 versions, one with 3G and one with just 2G. Both are WiFi capable and run on a 1.2GHz dual-core MediaTek processor with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of storage. Other tech specs include a 1.54-inch display with 240 x 240 pixel resolution along with a 2MP camera, GSM - 850/900/1800/1900 Mhz and WCDMA - 850/1900/2100. At 72 grams and 41.9 x 47.5 x 13.5mm the watch is quite large and follows the slab of touchscreen house of design. While it has windows phone like main interface, the smartwatch is running Android 4.0 and it looks like you can download apps with ease. Both versions are available for pre-order at $299.99 (RM960) for the 3G version and $249.99 (RM800) for the 2G version. According to Goophone the battery life should be about 48 hours on normal use. While there isn't any Malaysia release date, they do have shipping to Malaysia for $29.99 (RM96) with shipping within 5-7 days. Check out the video below for some hands-on:


Standalone Huawei Watch 2 with 4G LTE confirmed at RM1999, officially coming to Malaysia soon

Huawei Malaysia held a media briefing for their Huawei Watch 2 today, confirming that Malaysia will be getting the 4G LTE version for RM1999. Featuring a premium round metal body like traditional watches, the Huawei Watch 2 has a sporty plastic strap and is completely standalone, meaning it has its own nano SIM and can work without a phone. No news on the Huawei Watch 2 Classic or Porsche Design version yet but the Watch 2 is currently available with Maxis who is offering the Watch 2 with the Huawei P10 or Mate 9 on their Zerolution bundles from RM78 per month featuring 2 nano SIMs for a single number.

The Huawei Watch 2 is IP68 water and dust resistant with a Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor, 4GB of storage and NFC for mobile payments (no news when this will be available yet). As mentioned earlier, the 4G LTE version can use nano SIM cards, allowing it to work without a phone.

Coming in Carbon Black and Dynamic Orange (Titanium Grey coming soon), other features include a 7 to 8 hour battery life and VO2Max virtual training coach. Like other smartwatches, it offers notifications for email and messages but takes it a step further with Facebook Messenger, Google Hangout, Evernote, GMail, Google Maps, Uber and other apps optimized for smartwatch use.


Standardised HSE Guidelines for Malaysian Telecommunications Industry

Today, the big four Malaysian telecommunication companies Celcom, Digi, Maxis and U Mobile got together with telecommunications Infrastructure Company, edotco and announced a collaboration to standardise the industry’s Health, Safety & Environment (HSE) requirements for a safer working culture across the industry.

Under this collaboration, the companies have agreed to a single common set of minimum HSE requirements for all main contractors and sub-contractors undertaking network infrastructure works at any of the telco sites.

It has already taken effect since 1 September 2016, as contractors are required to comply adhere to the new set of guidelines which will enable a more systematic approach to safety, reduce incident risks and will benefit the industry as a whole in having a safer work environment. Strict action will be taken against contractors who fail to comply.

Furthermore, workshops and training courses will be conducted for these contractors so they will be well equipped to adhere to the new set of safety requirements.


Apple Powerbeats 4 showed up in retail stores ahead of launch for ~RM640

Ever since the US FCC listing of the Powerbeats 4 appeared, it was obvious that the wireless earbud model was on its way. But since the Apple event in March 2020 is no longer happening, it seems like the company won't be waiting to sell it before officially announcing it. In fact, the new model was recently spotted in a store in New York.

According to 9to5Mac, the Powerbeats 4 were spotted on the shelf of a Walmart store in Rochester (New York). On the box of the new model of wireless earbuds, you can see that it's supposed to last up to 15 hours and that it's retailing for USD 149 (~RM640). The colours found also line up with the news of how it's expected to come in black, white, and red.

In addition to that, we also covered some other basic specs in a previous article. Other than the 15-hour battery life, the Powerbeats 4 is expected to house the Apple H1 chip and give you 60 minutes of playback with just 5 minutes of charging. It will also be using the lightning connector for its charging port.

At USD 149 (~RM640), the best thing about the Powerbeats 4 is that it's more affordable than the USD 199 (~RM854) price tag of the Powerbeats 3. But would you buy the new wireless earbuds when it launches in Malaysia or do you prefer the AirPods? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more Apple news.


Stanford researchers create self-healing battery

Despite it's benefits as being a relatively cheap and lightweight battery material, silicon tends to expand when charging and shrink back when discharged. This often results in cracks which cause the silicon to break off from the electrode, which degrades battery life. Researchers at Stanford used a "stretchy polymer that coats the electrode, binds it and spontaneously heals tiny cracks that develop". This self-heals and seals the silicon, allowing it to extend battery life much further than before. Chao Wang, Stanford associate professor had this to say:

Self-healing is very important for the survival and long lifetimes of animals and plant. We want to incorporate this feature into lithium ion batteries so they will have a long lifetime as well. We found that silicon electrodes lasted 10 times longer when coated with the self-healing polymer, which repaired any cracks within just a few hours...

Their capacity for storing energy is in the practical range now, but we would certainly like to push that. The electrodes worked for about 100 charge-discharge cycles without significantly losing their energy storage capacity. That's still quite a way from the goal of about 500 cycles for cell phones and 3,000 cycles for an electric vehicle, but the promise is there, and from all our data it looks like it's working.

While this all sounds promising, it could be some time before we get self-healing batteries in our notebooks and other devices but it is a step in the right direction. When used in combination with flexible batteries we could end up with lighter devices that last longer in the long run.


Star Ocean: The Divine Force coming in 2022, available on PC, Xbox, and PlayStation

Every year, the end of October is when things start getting exciting for gamers. We usually see a lot of game announcements at this time of the year, and this time around we have a big reveal from Square Enix. Specifically, the publisher confirmed that a new Star Ocean game is on the way.

In a new announcement trailer, Square Enix unveiled Star Ocean: The Divine Force, the sixth game in the JRPG series. Developer tri-Ace is back at the helm with a game that blends sci-fi with fantasy elements. Like Star Ocean: The Second Story, it features two protagonists who are named Raymond and Laeticia. During the game, you'll get to play as one of the protagonists, allowing you to enjoy the game from multiple perspectives.

The trailer also revealed other side characters and the worlds you would travel. What's cool here is that your character can freely traverse the environment by jumping and flying, so there's a lot of navigational freedom. This game also retains the action-oriented combat system that Star Ocean fans would be familiar with.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force will launch in 2022 on Steam, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. With that said, are you excited about a new Star Ocean game? Share your thoughts on the trailer in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news about it.


Star Wars: Hunters launching in 2022 on Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS

The Star Wars franchise is a huge one that encompasses several forms of media, each interesting in its own way. There are even video games based in the Star Wars universe, like the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic remake we mentioned earlier this week. Earlier today, a new Star Wars game for mobile devices was announced.

Star Wars: Hunters is developed by Zynga and will be released on the Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS in 2022. In case you didn't know, Zynga is the company that developed Farmville, the game that used to be super popular on Facebook. Based on the trailer and descriptions given, this is a player-vs-player battle arena game. In our opinion, it will probably play more like Pokemon Unite, rather than the standard MOBA games like Mobile Legends.

A total of 8 characters were shown in the trailer, with four of them officially given names - Rieve (Sith), Aran Tal (Mandalorian), Grozz (Wookie), and Zaina (Rebel fighter). There's also a lightsaber-wielding droid, a stormtrooper, a triple-stack of Jawas, and some mad scientist looking character. We didn't get to see any actual gameplay though, so the visuals in the trailer might just be cinematic and not what you get in-game.

Since Farmville was a pretty casual clicker game, it's surprising to see Zynga developing a game like this. But what do you think about it so far? Would you be interested in downloading the game? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates about it.


Star Wars Limited Edition Huami smartwatch soon available in China for ~RM1004

Huami has announced that a Star Wars Limited Edition of its Amazfit Smart Sports Watch 3 will be available in China beginning 19 December 2019 for 1600 yuan (~RM1004). It also announced that the Amazfit X smartband will be going into mass production in the first half of 2020.

According to the promo images released on Huami's Weibo account, the brand now also a new variant of the Amazfit GTS with an all-titanium body. Huami also confirmed that it has Huangshan 2 chip will be going into production next year and that you can expect the brand to be there at CES 2020 to tell you more about their products.

As for the Amazfit X smartband, it is supposedly inspired by designs of the Apple Watch. There aren't many tech specs revealed yet, but we do know from its product page that it features an all-metal body and a curved AMOLED display. For pricing and availability in Malaysia, we're probably looking at some time in the second half of 2020, assuming Huami decides to launch it or any other Huami product here.

Huami's smartwatches could be suitable for those who want a more affordable option but what do you think? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned for future updates on TechNave.com.


Star Wars: Squadrons trailer to be unveiled on 15 June 2020

EA recently posted on their Twitter account stating that they will be releasing a trailer for Star Wards: Squadrons, which revolves heavily around space combat. While not much is known in regards to the game as of now, my guess is that it could be similar to space battles in the old Star Wars Battlefront 2.

Based on a statement by VentureBeat, the aforementioned game will most likely be available on the PC as well as consoles. Would you be interested in playing Star Wars: Squadrons as soon as it is available in Malaysia? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.

Pilots Wanted. Tune in for the reveal trailer of #StarWarsSquadrons this Monday, June 15th at 8:00 AM Pacific Time: https://t.co/ULwkIhQy2y pic.twitter.com/L0Z3jC2c3j


Starlink might come out of Beta in October 2021

According to a statement by Elon Musk, it seems that SpaceX's Starlink will come out of beta somewhere around October 2021. While not much is known in regards to the Malaysia release date, it does give us a better idea of when to expect the aforementioned service.

For those who are not unfamiliar with Starlink, it is a global broadband internet service that uses satellites to transmit data with speeds going as high as 150Mbps. With that in mind, do take some of Elon Musk’s statements with a grain of salt, due to the fact that the individual is notorious for missing deadlines.

That all being said, what are your thoughts on SpaceX’s Starlink coming out of beta potentially next month? Let us know on our Facebook page, and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Start your smart lifestyle with the Samsung Ecosystem bundle promo from just RM4599

As times go by, more phone brands have started to build ecosystems that connect your devices for a convenient smart lifestyle. If you have a Samsung Galaxy S21 series phone, you know it's one of the ultimate flagship devices around. It can empower you to connect with other people and devices the smart lifestyle way, all in the palm of your hand. By pairing your Galaxy S21 series phone to a Galaxy Buds Pro and Galaxy Watch Active2, you will be well on your way with the Samsung Ecosystem. This combo ensures that you will enjoy the best-personalised audio experience and health tracking system wherever you go.

This is where the Limited Violet Edition Galaxy Ecosystem Pack promo comes in with a new promotion that can save you up to RM798. But before we go into how this ecosystem can benefit you, here's a quick recap of some Galaxy S21 Ultra 5G key tech specs. The flagship features a large 6.8-inch Infinity-O Dynamic AMOLED 2X display (with 120Hz refresh rate), 8K video recording capability, a 108MP quad rear camera (with 100x Space Zoom), up to 16GB + 512GB memory configuration, 5000mAh battery and many more. Now, into the Samsung Ecosystem!

We have reviewed a pair of these wireless earbuds before, so we won't go into details here and just give you a summary of what you can expect. With the Galaxy Buds Pro, you can automatically initiate the connection between them and your Galaxy S21 series smartphone without the need to set it up manually. Trust us, the moment you take the Galaxy Buds Pro out of the charging case - the connection is seamless.

In terms of sound quality, we think the Galaxy Buds Pro is the best one by Samsung by far (read our review here). It has better mics for crisp, clear network calls, and it also has Game Mode if you play a lot of mobile games with your friends. In that mode, you get reduced audio latency, and the settings can be adjusted further on the Galaxy Buds Pro.

Next, the Galaxy Watch Active2 is perfect for sports enthusiasts or users who actively monitor their own health. Like most smartwatches, you can reply to text messages even when your Galaxy S21 series phone isn't with you. It can also be used to instantly access your music playlist, connect to Samsung Health, Samsung Pay, Knox security, Bixby and other third-party apps like Spotify.

By the way, did you know that you can also use the scroll capture feature on the Galaxy Watch Active2? Now that's something you don't hear every day. When you take a screenshot from your smartwatch, it will be automatically sent as a new image to your smartphone. That way, you can quickly capture message threads, workout information and many more for future reference. Pretty cool, huh?

It's uncommon for brands to sell three different devices as an ecosystem bundle (pre-orders don't count), so this is a pleasant surprise. As a reminder, this Limited Violet Edition Galaxy Ecosystem Pack comes in two packages - one with a Samsung Galaxy S21+ 5G or Galaxy S21 5G model for RM5099 and RM4599 respectively. Compared to buying the devices separately, you can save up RM798, which is quite the steal. If this is what you would be interested in, head over to the Samsung Online Store here to find out more.

For your information, the bundle promo begins today (15th) until 30 April 2021. So don't wait too long as it's a limited deal! Start your ecosystem journey with Samsung Malaysia today while stocks last. Also, stay tuned for more local tech deals at TechNave.com.


Starting 2023, imported goods below RM500 purchased online will be taxed in Malaysia

The Malaysian government is reportedly set to impose tax on imported low value goods (LVG) starting from 1 January 2023. As of right now, any goods imported using air courier services through selected airports are exempted from sales tax and custom duty should the value not exceed RM500 per consignment.

This neat little taxation ‘loophole’ has been putting local manufacturers at a disadvantage as they are subject to a 5% or 10% sales tax, hence it is hard to compete with international sellers that are not affected by such taxes. Hence, Malaysia is looking to emulate other countries that have imposed LVG such as New Zealand and Australia. In fact, Singapore is also looking to impose a 7% LVG tax starting 2023 and increasing it to 9% by 2025.

As shared by The Sun, the Malaysian government’s current plan is to only tax LVG purchased online and imported via air couriers through seven designated airports. Moreover, LVG will not be imposed on cigarettes, tobacco, tobacco products and liquor.

The sales tax that will be applied is a flat 10% rate and will be collected by the seller when the online purchase is made. As this tax only applies to goods imported by air courier, it won’t affect goods imported via land or air. Furthermore, it will also not affect the existing RM1000 exemption for travellers bringing accompanied baggage through the seven designated airports.

So, what do you guys think of this new taxation for imported goods below RM500? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest tech news in Malaysia and beyond!


Starting 4 July, MySejahtera’s Traveller Pass is no longer needed for Malaysians returning from overseas

Recently, we shared a few essential tech tips for post-pandemic international travel, including familiarising yourself with a specific country’s contact tracing app. Well, that includes our country’s own MySejahtera app, which until today requires those entering Malaysia to fill in its Traveller Pass feature.

However, the requirement will be rescinded starting this 4 July 2022 for Malaysians coming back home from overseas, though it will still be enforced for foreign nationals entering our country. This was announced by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin through a Ministry of Health statement yesterday.

Furthermore, Khairy also elaborated that travel requirements will also be relaxed in stages. Soon, non-Malaysian citizens may potentially be exemptedto fill in the travel pass on MySejahtera too, including permanent residents as well as those with student and social passes.

In the statement, the Health Minister asserted that this relaxation of travel requirements are thanks to our national health system being at a good and satisfactory level. However, for now, foreign nationals entering Malaysia are still required to follow the Traveller Pass requirement on MySejahtera so as to monitor infectious diseases such as monkeypox.

Have you guys used MySejahtera’s Traveller Pass feature in the past? What do you guys think of the feature and its amendment for Malaysians this Monday?

Share your thoughts and experiences with us in the comments below as we’d love to hear from you! As always, do stay tuned to TechNave for the latest tech news in Malaysia and beyond.


Starting on July 2022 onwards, MyDebit Cash Out fee will be revised to 50 sen per transaction

Just recently, Alliance Bank made an announcement that the MyDebit Cash Out fee has been revised. Starting from 1 July 2022 onwards, the initial RM0.00 fee will become RM0.50 per cash-out transaction by every MyDebit cardholder.

In the company's newsroom, it's also mentioned that the withdrawal of cash is applied to selected merchants and retailers. On top of that, it's not just Alliance but the announcement echoed through other banks with the likes of CIMB, HSBC, Bank Islam, OSBC and Standard Charted.

Despite that, PayNet, which is the provider of MyDebit Cash Out didn't release any statement about it yet. Many other banks that accept MyDebit Cash Out such as Affin Bank, Maybank, Public Bank, UOB and others, haven't made any announcements for some reason. Nevertheless, MyDebit users should just take note of this and be aware of the upcoming imposed RM0.50 fee.

For the uninitiated, MyDebit Cash Out allows Malaysians to withdraw money from selected merchants or retailers directly to purchase items and products. It's also worth noting that PayNet's other services like DuitNow, JomPAY, DirectDebit, FPX, and Interbank GIRO aren't affected by this change.

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


Apple, Samsung, Huawei & other discount devices that we found on Lazada 11.11 Big Sale

Are you buying anything tomorrow? If so, you're just in time because Lazada Malaysia will be hosting the annual Biggest One-Day Sale as per tradition but with a twist. The twist is that most of the crazy flash sale offerings will be subsidized by the company, brands include Apple, Samsung, Huawei and many more.

Starting from 12AM past midnight later, the company is said to offer the Lowest Price Guaranteed feature, which if you find a cheaper product sale somewhere else, you will receive your credit back to your Lazada Wallet 11x more of the price. Of course, there are some terms and conditions so make sure you read them here.

On top of that, we also saw several gadgets on an awesome discount at 12AM later. This is Lazada Malaysia's new Mesti Beli page which you can visit right over here. Below is the list of discounted devices that we found:

Stocks are limited so you should place the items in your cart first and click on 'Remind Me'. There are a lot of other brands on sale too such as Innisfree, SHARP, LANEIGE, Tefal, Lancome, and more, so do take your time to look around. Which one are you getting? Have fun shopping tonight and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Starting today, CIMB Clicks users logging in to a new device must undergo mandatory call verification

CIMB Bank Bhd and CIMB Islamic Bank Bhd (CIMB) have announced that they are implementing several measures to strengthen the security of their digital banking platforms. Among the measures is a mandatory call verification process that will go into effect starting today (26 December 2022).

As reported by Bernama, CIMB elaborated that the call verification process involves new users or existing users who are logging in to the CIMB Clicks and CIMB OCTO apps on a new device. This is to ensure that the account holder themselves initiates any first-time login attempt or device change.

CIMB further stressed that they have been upgrading its fraud management system on an ongoing basis to better identify indicators of potential fraud and scams. This includes constant fine-tuning of fraud detection rules and utilising machine learning to continuously enhance predictive capabilities to safeguard customers from fraudulent activities.

Previously, CIMB made SecureTAC authorisation mandatory for CIMB Clicks webs transactions of RM100 and above for non-favourite fund transfers, bill payments and prepaid top-ups. Furthermore, CIMB customers can now no longer receive SMS TACs for the aforementioned transactions.

CIMB also announced that beginning the first half o next year, SecureTAC authentication will be expanded to any transactions valued at RM100 and above as well as non-monetary transactions. Hence, users who haven’t installed the CIMB Clicks app are urged to immediately do so.

So, what do you guys think of these security measures implemented by CIMB? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for all the latest trending tech news.


Starting today until 30 November 2018, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Lavender Purple is now available in Malaysia

Starting from today until 30 November 2018, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 Lavender Purple Edition which is priced at RM4599 is now available at all participating Samsung Experience Stores and official merchants across Malaysia. Not only that, those who have purchased the Samsung Note 9 Lavender Purple Edition will be entitled to claim a free 512GB microSD card worth RM1199.

In terms of the tech specs of the device, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be running on either the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chipset or the Exynos 9810 depending on the region, 8GB of RAM, 512GB of internal storage with expansion capabilities of up to 1TB of total storage, 12MP f/1.5~2.4 + 12MP f/2.4 rear camera, 8MP f/1.7 front facing selfie camera, 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display with a screen resolution of 1440x2960 pixels and it is powered by a 4000mAh non removable battery. For more information about the device mentioned, do pay a visit to Samsung’s official website and for more updates like these, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Statistic report suggest Huawei will become Apple's new rival

Ah, the classic rival between Apple and Samsung. You know it, I know, everyone knows it. But would you be surprised if I tell you that it’s no longer the case? In fact, according to analyst Brian White from Drexel Hamilton, we have a new rival replacing Samsung and it’s Huawei.

New report from the Strategy Analytics revealed that during the fourth quarter of 2016, Samsung has dropped out of the top 5 spot in terms of smartphone shipment. This is understandable, as their Note 7 fiasco last year had hit them hard, allowing Apple to grab the market share. Moreover, with a great and increasing number of smartphone brands nowadays, it’s admittedly difficult to grab consumers’ attention. Even though Samsung did reveal their brand new flagships just last week, there are still a number of people who are dubious of whether or not it’s safe to use

In other statistic reports, the International Data Corporation has also reported that during the fourth quarter of 2016 - Apple and Samsung has a 18% market share worldwide each whereas Huawei managed to grab a 11% market share. Managing partner of GGV,  Hans Tung also stated that at this moment, Apple has the edge over Samsung and Huawei because of the ecofriendly hardware and software from the smartphone (which they introduced last year). He thinks mobile manufacturers will have to step up and create a better ecosystem to compete against Apple.

"I do expect the Chinese to knock off Samsung and that's probably going to be Huawei," Brian White said during the interview. "I see it as a Huawei-Apple fight in the future, Samsung and probably some smaller competitors underneath them."

What do you think? Is it really between Apple and Huawei now? Or it has become a three-way battle? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more news TechNave.com.


Statistics prove most people search for "Google" when they're on Bing

Google is the most used search engine globally, and it's been a fact for some time. However, the company was recently tangled up with a $5 billion antitrust fine from the EU, claiming that Google needs to stop forcing Android smartphone makers to pre-install Chrome and Google search. To fight against it, Google showed some statistics that prove people use Google by choice, not by force.

According to the numbers compiled by SEO company Ahrefs, "google" is the most searched term worldwide on Microsoft's search engine, Bing. As ironic as it may sound, it has also proven that people really prefer Google over other search engines. Still, it's funny that some of us would direct ourselves to Google through Bing rather than searching what we're looking for there, especially when using Microsoft Edge or the Windows search bar.

After "google", there are "youtube," "facebook," "gmail," and "amazon" lining up behind in the top 5 most searched terms ranking. It's still worth mentioning that Google beats the runner up by around 5 million searches. In just the US, Facebook is most searched on Bing, with Google being in third place.

Are you the kind of person who searches for Google when you're on Bing? Leave a comment to let us know and stay tuned to TechNave.com for the latest tech report.


Stay connected always and get up to 100GB of extra data with Digi x Senheng PlusOne Connect

During the movement control order (MCO), one of the most important things to do is ensure we can stay connected. That's not always going to be easy, especially if you don't have fast fibre broadband at home. For those who don't, the alternative is to use mobile data and tether it to laptops or desktop PCs for Internet access.

If you fall into the latter category, your next question would be: Which mobile plan can I go for? For those who need more data capacity, there's a plan that you may just be interested in. Say hi to Digi and Senheng's PlusOne Connect plan, which offers you high data capacity for a very affordable price. Today, let's take a look at how this prepaid mobile package may fit your needs.

These starter packs are available only at Senheng and senQ stores

Let's say you live alone in a small flat. It's not unusual if you choose not to pay for a fibre broadband Internet, right? After all, it's good to know and pay only for what you need. So you rely on a 4G mobile Internet plan that (hopefully) wouldn't cost too much. That's exactly what the PlusOne Connect can be for you.

This prepaid package is probably one of the cheapest in Malaysia at the moment. You can get 6GB for just RM28, which should be affordable for even part-time workers. Not quite enough for you? Go for the RM50 plan and you'll double your base data cap! Perhaps you plan to watch a lot of Netflix too, in which case the RM70 plan might be the better choice as it gives you 17GB in total. Note that these plans are for 30-day durations and you need to be a PlusOne member to enjoy some of its benefits.

You may have chosen to stay alone, but that doesn't mean you don't get lonely, right? With MCO going on, it's hard to visit family so you'll want to make a lot of phone calls. Not a problem, the PlusOne Connect has you covered there too.

Through this prepaid package, you can make unlimited calls to all other PlusOne Connect users with the RM28 plan. If your family or friends are on other networks, that's not a big problem either. Just go for the RM50 plan and now you get unlimited calls to all telco networks!

If there's a common activity that most modern people have, it's browsing social media. We Malaysians love social media and are often browsing or posting on it. Obviously, that requires data as well, especially for content likes Stories or videos. Thankfully, with the PlusOne Connect plans, you will get unlimited access to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. If you subscribe for the RM50 plan, you'll even get unlimited access to YouTube!

What if you're one of those hooked on K-dramas and TikTok videos? You watched so much that your data ran out, so now you're thinking "darn, what now?" For most telcos in Malaysia, this usually means Fair Usage Policy (FUP) kicks in and your mobile Internet gets throttled. But what if you can get some extra data?

One of the PlusOne Connect's Digi x Senheng advantages is the data cap bonus. Specifically, you'll get 10GB of additional data every time you subscribe to a 30-day plan. This 10GB can be used between 1 to 7 PM every day, so all data used during these hours will be counted for that. That way, you can sneak in an episode of Netflix during your lunch break and not have to worry about your base data being used. You can get this bonus a maximum of 10 times, which means up to 100GB of extra data cap! Be it video calls via Facebook and Waze or binging on TikTok and Netflix, you'll have all the data you need.

That's all we want to share today on the Digi x Senheng PlusOne Connect! If you ask us, the RM50 30-day plan probably offers the best bang for your buck. For more information, you can also visit the Digi x Senheng promo campaign page for details. But what do you think about this prepaid package? Do let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more articles like this.


Stay connected up to 200 meters away with HONOR 20 series' Enhanced Bluetooth

The HONOR 20, which was launched on 23 May 2019 came equipped with the Enchanced Bluetooth feature which allows it to stay connected to other Bluetooth compatible device up to 200 meters away. This is thanks to the Hi1103 chip which utilizes an AI algorithm to identify and overcome environmental obstacles, in order to improve the Bluetooth signal strength.

That being said, HONOR claims that the technology allows Bluetooth devices to maintain connection even through walls and other obstacles. Whereas conventional Bluetooth implementation would lose connection almost immediately, causing calls and music to either cut off or sound distorted. Do think the HONOR 20’s ability to maintain Bluetooth connection up to or even more than 200 meters would be useful? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Steam Autumn Sale 2021 is up with discounts of up to 85%

It's almost Black Friday and companies around the world have begun announcing sales. This means that the season that (most) PC gamers fear is also back - Steam sales. That's right, the Steam Autumn Sale 2021 is upon us so hold on to your wallets (or don't, lol).

Based on the numbers we're seeing on the Steam sales page, the platform is offering games at up to 85% discount this time. The AAA titles worth getting this time include Cyberpunk 2077 at RM109.50 (50% off), Doom Eternal Deluxe Edition at RM93.75 (75% off), Horizon Zero Dawn: Complete Edition at RM40 (50% off), Red Dead Redemption 2 at RM109.50 (50% off), and more.

If you're in the broke gang and want some cheaper games, you could also check out some popular indie titles. The few I'd personally recommend include Stardew Valley (RM18.60), Hades (RM30.80), Hollow Knight (RM15.50), Desperados III (RM39.60), and The Henry Stickmin Collection (RM19.20).

Of course, you might prefer different types of games, so feel free to grab those if the prices are right. Having said that, which games do you plan to buy during this Steam Autumn sale? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news like this.


Steam Deck heading to Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan

If you ask PC gamers which portable console they're interested in, the answer would be "Steam Deck". Valve's handheld gaming console has been making waves in the west, but you can't get it here in Asia unless you pay exorbitant import fees. Fortunately, things seem to be changing.

In a recent blog post, Valve announced that it's expanding the Steam Deck to more regions. The company is using a regional partner called Komodo Ltd, as it probably doesn't have a hardware distribution channel in the region. Anyway, the Steam Deck will soon be available in Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. That's excellent news for us since importing a unit from Japan won't be as expensive as importing it from the US.

The Steam Deck is now in Japan, but will it come to SEA next?

Valve will probably never bring the console directly to Malaysia, but our chances of getting one are now higher than before. That's because the company's next target will likely be SEA countries like Singapore, Thailand, or Indonesia. Valve has also recently confirmed that its supply chain issues are clearing up, so you won't have to buy from scalpers if you're patient enough.

Are you planning to get a Steam Deck? What's the first game you want to play on it when you get one? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news about it.


Steam Deck may arrive in Malaysia unofficially at the end of February 2022

The Steam Deck has piqued many gamers' interest over the past few months. It's slated to launch this month but there's no word if Malaysia would have it until now. Just this afternoon, local gaming store Impulse Gaming just posted about its availability.

According to the Facebook post, Impulse Gaming is purchasing a few limited Steam Deck units from overseas resellers. Since there's no official distributor, that would mean the price is likely to hike up tremendously. The price tags that you see in the image are just an estimation, starting from RM23XX for the 64GB and up to RM41XX for the 512GB model.

The gaming store will get its hands on the Steam Deck units by the end of February or early March. That said, most video games nowadays take up lots of space so having 64GB may not even be enough. Impulse Gaming also said the money will be refunded if the stocks were unfulfilled. However, if one chooses to cancel the order then there won't be any refund.

Personally, we think this is quite a big risk because there won't be any warranty either (according to the post). Furthermore, you can actually get yourself a decent gaming laptop with that amount of money. Anyway, do stay safe out there and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Steam Deck no longer reservation-only, Docking Station unveiled for ~RM413

Back in July, Valve confirmed that the Steam Deck's supply chain issues were clearing up. It would soon be able to sell more consoles, and scalpers should no longer be a problem. Now, Valve has announced that the console is no longer reservations only.

Recently, Valve announced that the Steam Deck is available without buyers needing to make a reservation. The increase in supply could mean result in the company expanding shipments to more countries like Singapore, which would make importing one to Malaysia cheaper. However, Valve also confirmed that it could revert to reservation mode to catch up if it gets too many orders.

Besides that, Valve now has a dock for the Steam Deck for USD89 (~RM413). The Docking Station has three USB-A 3.1 Gen1 ports, one USB-C port (for power), one DisplayPort, one HDMI port, and an Ethernet port. Valve also confirmed that you could use third-party options. The company claimed that its SteamOS would support most USB-C docks or hubs.

I hope to see the Steam Deck launched in Malaysia, so the first bit of news is a welcome one. How about you? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more updates on the Steam Deck.


Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi dominate the global top 10 smartphones in Q1 2020

One would think that smartphone sales have dropped during this global pandemic but turns out it's the opposite. It seems that more people seem to have purchased tech gadgets making themselves comfortable at home. According to Canalys, they have just released an image from their report of the global top 10 smartphones in Q1 2020 with Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi dominating the charts.

The smartphone that took the number 1 spot was none other than the iPhone 11 with 18 million shipments, whereas the iPhone 11 Pro Max is sitting at the 6th spot and the iPhone 11 Pro at the last spot (surprisingly, we thought it would be the opposite for the Pro variants). The Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 and Note 8T came in together as 1st runner up at 8 million shipments, which is quite a farce difference in terms of the figures. The Redmi Note 8 Pro and Redmi 8A are also included in the top 10.

iPhone 11 series took three spots in the Q1 2020 top ten smartphone models. iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max accounted for 10% of global smartphone share. While @Samsung and @Xiaomi achieved four and three smartphones in the top ten respectively. pic.twitter.com/NuJzOcdtbI

As for Samsung, four of their smartphones made it to the chart but surprisingly, none of the flagship devices is involved. In fact, the South Korean company's mid-range and entry-level devices are enlisted there such as the Galaxy A51, Galaxy A10s, Galaxy A20s, and the Galaxy A01. Besides the iPhone 11, the chart also shows the figure shipments are quite close with each other, gradually descending from the 1st runner-up spot.

That said, this also makes us question the authenticity of the smartphone China brands (with the exception of Xiaomi). Perhaps their shipment figures just aren't good enough for to be seen on Canalys' radar. Nonetheless, vivo, OPPO and realme are doing very well in Malaysia, alongside Samsung and Xiaomi. realme have the best Year-over-Year (YoY) growth with +406%, while Samsung retains the first spot with 23% unit share.

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


Steam Deck now officially supports Windows, to add ability for dual-boot soon

If you’ve been thinking about getting the Steam Deck and for some reason is only deterred by the portable console not running Windows, then we’ve got great news for you! In a statement yesterday, Steam announced that it has released Windows drivers for the Steam Deck, essentially making it a Windows device should you wish for it to run the OS.

However, do note that only Windows 10 is fully supported as of right now. Steam further clarified that Windows 11 would require a new BIOS which is currently in the works by the company and will be released soon.

Previously, users have already successfully installed Windows on the portable console but the OS didn’t work properly due to the lack of any Windows drivers for the device. However, that has now been rectified by Steam with the release of GPU, WiFi and Bluetooth drivers which are available here.

As for audio, Steam said that it is currently working with AMD and other parties to create proper audio drivers for the device. However, you can still use Bluetooth or USB-C audio with Windows on the Steam Deck.

Do note that Steam is only releasing these drivers ‘as is’ and will not be offering ‘Windows on Deck’ support. Nevertheless, the company did include a step by step tutorial to return the Deck to the default Linux-based SteamOS if you somehow get stuck when using Windows on the device.

With the official release of Windows drivers, the Steam Deck has got to be one of the most versatile portable consoles out there! Furthermore, the open policy that Steam has for the device is definitely a breath of fresh air in the industry and should be replicated by other major companies out there.

What do you guys think? Are you planning to get the Steam Deck unofficially in our country? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for all the latest trending tech news such as this!


Steam Deck teardown shows why you shouldn't attempt to swap components

Handheld consoles have been popular options for gamers. In particular, the Nintendo Switch is a popular choice for many around the world. For PC gamers, the Steam Deck will probably be just as famous. But like the Switch, you probably shouldn't upgrade the insides.

In an official teardown video, Valve showed why you shouldn't bother taking the Steam Deck apart. While you could do it, you can't do much to the components inside anyway. The easiest thing you could remove and replace is the thumbsticks. But Valve recommends you avoid attempting to replace the SSD or battery, which are the only other components you could (somewhat) safely reach.

On the other hand, Valve understands that there would be users who want to take the Steam Deck apart. People who are skilled at handling electronic devices like these can and will attempt to do so. And if they do, the video will serve as a useful technical guide. It will at least let you know the removal procedure for parts and how to do it safely.

The Steam Deck is an exciting piece of hardware, so it's quite disappointing to know that it won't be shipped to Malaysia (not directly anyway). Having said that, would you buy what's essentially a mini gaming PC? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more updates about it.


Steam Deck to come with more colour varieties depending on user demand

One device that's been making waves for gamers lately is definitely the Steam Deck. Valve has opened reservations for the device, but it's not going to be out till late next year. In the meantime, the company is thinking about adding more colour varieties.

According to PC Gamer (via Wccftech), Valve is considering offering different colours for the Steam Deck. However, this depends on the reception for the handheld device, which is available only in the US, Canada, Europe, and the UK. The designers for the device said that there's no real reason to have multiple SKUs. But they also suggested that it could happen later if the device "gets off the ground the way we hope it does".

A first look at how the device would perform (via PC Gamer)

If the Steam Deck sees the same type of popularity as the Nintendo Switch, there might even be a chance for special editions or tie-ins to happen. For example, a Half-Life or Portal edition of the device with a unique colour and design. Of course, that's just pure speculation on our part.

With that said, what do you think of the Steam Deck so far? Would you buy one if it's made available in Malaysia? Let us know in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for further news about it.


Steam Deck users can now directly transfer games from their PCs to the handheld

The Steam Deck has received a nice quality-of-life update recently which allows users to directly copy games on their PCs to the handheld. Previously, users would have to separately re-download games available on their PCs over the internet onto the Steam Deck.

As reported by The Verge, this feature is part of the Steam Deck beta released last week. The transfer process uses your local network, hence the PC and Steam Deck should be connected to the same network for it to work.

Moreover, users must first enable Steam’s beta on both the Steam client on the PC as well as on the Steam Deck. Steam will then automatically check to see if any PC on your network already has the game and should there be one, it will begin the game transfer process.

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


Steam Deck will let users limit frame rate to 30fps to save battery life

When the Steam Deck was announced recently, some people question if the hardware powerful enough. Unlike Nintendo games, a lot of PC games on Steam require very powerful PC specs. However, a Valve executive claims that there will be a minimum fps.

In his tweet, Pierre-Loup Griffais 30fps is the minimum of what's considered playable. Allegedly, games that have been tested on the Steam Deck have "consistently met and exceeded that bar". This suggests that the hardware is capable of output most games at a minimum frame rate of 30fps.

The "30 FPS target" refers to the floor of what we consider playable in our performance testing; games we've tested and shown have consistently met and exceeded that bar so far. There will also be an optional built-in FPS limiter to fine-tune perf vs. battery life.

However, don't expect all games to run at 60fps without tweaking the settings. For high-end games, you might only be able to get 'playable' frame rates at very low graphical settings. Anyway, the Steam Deck will allow users to limit the frame rate to 30fps, which will extend the battery life. For example, you would be able to play Portal 2 for 6 hours in 30fps mode.

Obviously, it doesn't sound as impressive as a high-end PC. But the Steam Deck is quite an exciting device. It's unlikely to launch in Malaysia, but would you buy it if it becomes available here? Let us know in the comments, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news on this.


Steam, Epic Games and Reddit are now blocked in Indonesia

The Indonesian government has blocked several popular websites and online services in the country, most notably online gaming platforms Steam and Epic Games as well as social site Reddit. Interestingly enough, the blocking of these sites was made known by esports organisation Team Secret via a meme post on its social media pages.

This follows the Indonesian government's announcement that it will be introducing a new law for online platforms and services. Among others, the law makes it compulsory for them to have a PSE or Penyelenggara Sistem Elektronik Lingkup Privat permit to continue to be operational in the Republic.

Furthermore, according to Kominfo’d, a website that list down online services status in Indonesia, Paypal has also been blocked in the country.  Besides that, several popular online services are also risking being block by not being registered under the law yet, including GitHub, GitLab, Microsoft Azure, Vulture, Ubisoft, EA, Nintendo and MediaFire.

Based on my personal experience, Reddit has been blocked in Indonesia for a long time, with many users on r/Indonesia actually using VPN to access and be active on the subreddit. Furthermore, most public WiFi in Indonesia can still access Reddit and you can even access the social site if you use mobile roaming while visiting the country which is admittedly kind of odd.

So, what do you guys think of the actions by the Indonesian government? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for the latest trending tech news.


Steam Game Festival is back with more than 40 games and demos this time

Stuck at home with plenty of time on your hands? Well, Steam is here to bail us out again. The inaugural Steam Game Festival was held last year during The Game Awards 2019 and gamers all over the world got the chance to play a variety of new demos and games. And it's coming back!

With gaming conventions like PAX East, GDC, and E3 all getting cancelled or switching to live-streaming, the Steam Game Festival presents an opportunity for us to try all the demos and games that were supposed to be showcased at those events. According to Geoff Keighley, producer of The Game Awards, there will be more than 40 new games available for you to play and they won't just be indie titles this time.

Surprise! @thegamefestival returns tomorrow to @Steam with 40+ new games you can play at home, which were originally set for GDC. This is the Spring edition of @thegamefestival pic.twitter.com/lD7LE509Ge

Keighley is calling this the 'spring edition' of The Game Awards, which suggests that there could be more Steam Game Festivals held in the future. If that's the case, gaming events may just lose their importance, as companies start relying more on online streams and game demo festivals like this.

This Steam Game Festival will begin on 19 March 2020 (1 am Malaysia time) and will last till 24 March 2020 (1 am Malaysia time). Will you be staying up late tonight to see what the festival has in store for you? Let us know what game or demo you are most looking forward to trying! For other news on tech, gadgets, and games, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Steam Game Festival is coming back in October 2020

For those who are looking to try out new PC games and indie titles, it's time to mark the Steam Game Festival on your calendar again. That's right, Valve and Geoff Keighley are teaming up again to run the Autumn Edition for the event. This time around, it'll be held for one week from 7 to 13 October 2020.

The Game Awards host announced this on his Twitter recently but didn't confirm how many games demos will be playable. Also, Valve has already sent out a notice to developers asking them to opt-in by no later than 26 August 2020, if they want to showcase their demos at the event. Only games that are launching between 13 October 2020 to 1 May 2021 are eligible, so we should see a more condensed list of demos this time.

Valve is planning another Steam Game Festival: Autumn Edition this Fall, running October 7 - 13. Another chance to play free previews of upcoming games.

Besides game demos, developers will also have the option to participate in live streams and developer Q&As. This will most likely require developers to opt-in early too and the time slots available will be limited. However, Valve has yet to announce if there will be a focus on indie developers or larger game studios. Cyberpunk 2077 has a high chance of appearing in a live stream though, as it is the most anticipated AAA title for 2020.

With that said, is there a particular game demo you'd like to see in the next Steam Game Festival? What else should Valve do to spice up the event? Share your thoughts with us on our Facebook page and don't forget to stay tuned for further updates.


Steam Labs has revealed a new feature known as the News Hub

Valve has really been working hard on improving its Steam platform lately. Just last week, the developer revealed changes to its search filters, which we found highly useful. But that's not the end and Steam Labs has cooked up another new featured called the News Hub.

The News Hub lets you see the news and posts of the games on Steam or the platform itself. It's basically a news feed that's you can customise according to your needs. For example, you can make it show only posts regarding content updates or sales of games on your wishlist. The options currently available aren't many, but being able to customise already makes it a big difference compared to the current system.

However, with it being an experimental feature by Steam Labs, it's not a guarantee that it would be implemented in place of the current News tab for Steam. But in our opinion, if Steam Labs make it possible to filter what news appear based on individual games, it's definitely the system that people would prefer using. The fact that you can control what you see could be very valuable for people who have a lot of things they want to keep track of.

With that said, have you managed to check out the new News Hub? Do try it out for yourself and let us know what you think on our Facebook page! For more game news like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Steam Remote Play Together is now live and lets you play on your PC, phone, tablet and TV

Back a few months ago, Valve announced that they were developing a new crossplay method for Steam players to play together. Today, the company is proud to reveal Steam Remote Play Together and you can check it out on your Steam account right now! How much does it cost? Absolutely nothing! Well, ok. Not really, but here's how it rolls.

Steam Remote Play Together is a new way of playing games with your friends together online even without having everyone to purchase a certain game, as well as playing them on your phone, tablet and TV! That's right, if your friend doesn't have that particular game, they can get to play with you for free via Remote Play Together. With that said, the rule is at least one player must-own and host the game online which up to four players can join.

While there are a ton of games available for Remote Play Together, you can't really expect some AAA game titles on the platform as it's also made for mobile phones, tablets and the TV. You can download the Steam Link mobile app on the Google Play and Apple App Store (even Raspberry Pi). At the moment, the only popular game that we know of is Life is Strange, Rayman Legends, Mortal Kombat 11, Divinity II Original Sin, Injustice 2, Street Fighter V, and many many Lego games.

To learn more about Steam Remote Play Together, you can check out this page and tell your gamer friends and family about it. So are you going to try it out? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more gaming news at TechNave.com.


Apple, Samsung and other tech companies received approval to produce phones in India

As most people know, almost everything is made in China but that could change in the future. Just recently, 16 companies have gotten formal approvals by the Indian Government to start local manufacture of consumer electronics. Among the 16 companies, both Apple and Samsung are included and this initiative is part of the $6.65 billion production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme to increase exports over the 5 years.

So who are the other 14 companies? From the source, it seems that OPPO, vivo, realme and OnePlus are also involved. Besides these Chinese tech companies, other groups from India namely Lava, Micromax (Bhagwati), Padget Electronics, UTL Neolyncs, and Optiemus Electronics are also part of the initiative. It is estimated that the manufactured smartphones and other tech components by these companies would be worth more than $143 billion in the next five years.

In case you're wondering what's up with the PLI scheme, it's a plan to boost India's manufacturing business. The scheme would export 60% locally made products and the companies involved would gain between 4% - 6% additional sales of goods manufactured locally during the five years.

Are you ready to see your phone "Made in India"? Stay tuned for more trending tech news at TechNave.com.


Steam Replay is now live & here's how to check out your PC gaming highlights of 2022

You've got your Spotify Wrapped Up, Nintendo Switch 2022 Review, and many more, but for the first time, Steam just came up with its own Steam Replay where you can check out your gaming statistics on the platform this year.

To see your Steam Replay 2022, you just need to open up your Steam on your PC or mobile and visit the Steam News section. From there, you should see "Announcing: Steam Replay" as the top news with a hilarious corny video about it. Alternatively, you can also visit the Steam website or just simply visit the link right over here.

Like most year-end reviews, Steam Replay lets you see the highlights of the most played games, your gaming achievements, and other stuff. There's also a graph showing the types of games you tend to play, as well as playtime by month. It even shows you games that you played with a controller.

On a personal note, Steam Replay should have been released during the pandemic because I believe that was when most people played on Steam while working from home. Anyway, how was your Steam Replay 2022? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more trending tech news at TehcNave.com.


Steam Search greatly improved, can now filter games based on price

We've all done it at one point or another, crawling through pages and pages of Steam store pages to search for a game that could pique our interest. Well, the Steam store now has an improved search system for you to quickly find the games you would be interested in.

According to a Steam Blog post, the new features were developed by Steam Labs, which is the team Valve is tasking to build and experiment new features for Steam. For the improved Steam Search, you can now filter search results based on price, as well as include and exclude different genres by tags. Filtering by maximum price is particularly useful, especially when you're trying to find the best-discounted title during a Steam sale.

Another really useful change in Steam Search is the results screen itself. Previously, the system divides search results into multiple pages and you have to click through them manually to see more. Now, Steam will just automatically load more results as you scroll down. Thumbs up for that!

These changes should be very helpful for those who spend a lot of time on Steam looking for new games. Do give it a try and let us know what you think about the new feature on our Facebook page! For more news on tech and gaming, remember to stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Steam Store and Steam Community and more are currently down

[UPDATE]: All services seems to be fully operational as of 2:18AM.

Based on reports from the website steamstat.us as well as their Twitter account, it seems that several features from Steam such as the Steam Store and Steam Community are currently down. While there is not much known in regards to the cause of the outage, games that require these services such as Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and more will not be functioning properly.

As of now, there is no official information on when these features will be fully functional again. Were you affected by the outage? Let us know on our Facebook page and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


Steam Summer 2022 sale starting on 24 June 2022, big titles expected to get discounts

Video games are expensive these days, especially AAA titles from big publishers. That's why most people wait for sales periods, which could be the only chance you can get these games at a more affordable price. The good news is the next Steam Summer Sale is just around the corner.

Thanks to the folks at PCGamesN, the date for Steam Summer Sale 2022 was leaked in advance. In an unlisted YouTube video from Steam, it was revealed that the sale will be held between 23 June to 7 July. The exact time would be 10 AM PT or 1 AM for us here in Malaysia, so those who like to stay up late can start getting discounted games this coming Friday.

The Steam Summer Sale page isn't up yet, so you can't see what the discounted rates would be. However, Steam did reveal some AAA games that would be on discount. The small list includes Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light 2, God of War, Red Dead Redemption 2, and more. Of course, you can also expect some indie games to be available for lower prices.

With that said, what game are you planning to buy during the sale? Share the games on your Steam wishlist in the comments, and do stay tuned to TechNave for the latest news on gadgets and (the occasional) video games!


Steam Summer Sale returns with Points Shop and game discounts below RM10

Are you still working from home during this Recovery MCO? Well, it doesn't matter because the Steam Summer Sale has returned to suck your wallet dry. Starting from today onwards until 9 July, 10 AM Pacific time (or 10 July, 1 AM in Malaysia time zone), you can now buy the games you've always wanted with a huge discount of up to nearly 90%.

Before we dive into the top games that are worth your time and money, it's worth noticing that you can earn points from buying games on Steam or contributing to the Steam community. If you're familiar with the Chinese New Year promotion, it's exactly the same and your previous points will get carried forward! For every RM1 you spend, you will earn 23 points then spend them on customizing your Steam profile or award a fellow Steam member. You can read more about it here.

You can use points to spend on various Animated Avatars, Frames, Backgrounds, Badges and Chat items

Anyway, without further ado, below is the list of games on a discount (in alphabetical order) that you should totally get while we are still in RMCO. Do also note that you also get to save an additional RM10 automatically on a purchase of RM60 during checkout, have fun shopping!

We know, there are still a ton of games that we didn't list down here but you can check them out at your Steam account. So which one will you get? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more local gaming deal news at TechNave.com.


Steam now supports Nintendo Joy-Con controllers on its platform

Valve Corporation has finally added a feature that many Nintendo Switch users have been asking for years; Joy-Con controller support on Steam. Well, better late than never I guess!

Part of the latest Steam beta, you can use the Nintendo Switch’s Joy-Con controllers for games on Steam. Furthermore, you can either use the Joy-Con individually or combined together on Steam.

As reported by engadget, the feature is only available on Steam beta as of right now. Hence, you'd have to navigate to Steam’s Settings and click ‘Change’ under the ‘Beta participation’ option to test it out.

Moreover, since the Joy-Con controllers are Bluetooth-only and don’t have any actual cables to plug into your computer, do make sure that your PC or laptop has Bluetooth connectivity to actually connect the Joy-Con controller. Well, a Bluetooth dongle would also suffice too!

So, what do you guys think about Steam supporting Joy-Con controllers? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news.


Steam publishes CAD files for Steam Deck so users can 3D print new casings

Although Valve's Steam Deck is not officially in Malaysia, there are ways that you can get a hold of one. Local gaming store Impulse Gaming is importing the console to Malaysia in limited numbers, so some of you could get it soon. You might even be able to customise it.

Recently, Valve published the CAD files of the Steam Deck's outer shell/casing via GitLab. The files provide detailed measurements of the handheld console from all sides, which should allow users to create replacement parts if necessary. All you'll need is a 3D printer to make your parts.

More interestingly, this could open up the market for aftermarket modding and third-party accessories. The company said that it's "looking forward to seeing what the community creates". This is in stark contrast with Sony and its PlayStation 5 console. Sony has made covers in different colours, but there's no market for custom covers since third-party manufacturers were banned from making any.

Currently, we're not too sure how much customisation can be done on the Steam Deck. But this is certainly good news for users who want to personalise their console. What kind of custom outer shell would you put on a Steam Deck? Share your ideas in the comments below, and stay tuned to TechNave for more news about this.


Steam reaches all-time high of 20.3 million concurrent users for 15 March 2020

Guess what else is actually getting a boost due to the coronavirus? Steam records. That's right, Steam recorded a new all-time high in concurrent users yesterday, with up to 20 million players seen on the platform. It being a Sunday, along with the quarantines and lockdown in many countries may have contributed to the staggering new record.

According to PCGamesN, the new record was an impressive 20313451 concurrent users. There were also a total of 6.2 million players in-game at the time the record was taken, most of who were playing CS:GO (971k players), Dota 2 (616k players), and PUBG (264k players). These numbers were all taken from SteamDB, an independent site that tracks Steam user stats.

It should be noted that while Steam broke its record of concurrent users, that doesn't mean that all those users were actually gaming. Considering the huge discrepancy in numbers, it's most likely that the majority of users either spent time just browsing the store for new games or leaving the program running in the background. I would know since I do that quite often myself.

Were you one of the many users who spent the whole of yesterday on Steam? Do you spend more time actually gaming, or browsing for games and idling around? Let us know on our Facebook page and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news like this.


Steam records over 10 million concurrent in-game players for the first time ever

Valve's video game digital distribution service Steam recorded a new milestone over the weekend after it hit over 10 million concurrent in-game players for the very first time. Specifically, 10,082,055 users were in-game concurrently on Saturday (7 January 2023).

Shared by SteamDB on Twitter, the data for the day also showed that a whopping 32,186,301 were online on Steam at the same time, though they were not necessarily playing any games. The milestone is quite significant given that there were no new major games released on Steam during that time.

So what were these users playing? Well, the most popular game was Counter Strike: Global Offensive which garnered 1.08 million concurrent in-game players. The second most popular game was Dota 2 with 766,096 concurrent players, with Goose Goose Duck (605,694), PUBG: Battlegrounds (439,944) and Apex Legends (367,585) making up the top 5.

What do you guys think of this latest milestone by Steam? What’s your favourite game on the platform? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave for more trending tech news such as this.


Step aside, Spotify. Youtube Music is coming to town

The first update of Youtube Music of 2019 (version 2.65), isn’t that big of an update. Or is it? Source codes in the app reveal that the app may be evolving into a music player for Android devices which may replace Play Music, thus turning it into Android’s default music player.

Youtube Music works just like Spotify and Apple Music. You’re able to listen to music on the go and most importantly, you’re able to minimize the app to listen to music as you use other apps. For a fee, you’re able to use the app ad free. However, the app is not available here in Malaysia. Since the app may become the Android’s default music player, there may be a possibility of the app being launched here in our country. As for now, it is still unsure when the update will go live.

Besides that, another change coming to Android will be its lockscreen. Just like the Google Pixel’s lockscreen, you’ll now be able to trigger the Google Assistant from the phone’s lock screen itself. The update will be rolling out over the next few weeks (end of January at the latest) to all Android smartphones. You can enable this update on your phone’s settings. Now you won’t have to unlock your phone just to ask for the weather from your Google Assistant.

Youtube Music does sound pretty interesting to me and it does make me wonder if it will improve listening quality to its devices as well as music variety. Most importantly, will it be good enough for me to cancel my Spotify subscription and move to the that app? The ability to trigger the Google Assistant without unlocking your phone is an amazing quality of life update which will be able to make the lives of everyone, especially those with disabilities, much better. What do you think of the updates? For more quality of life updates on the Android, make sure you ask your Google Assistant to update you on the latest news on TechNave.com!


Apple Smart Battery Case for iPhone 11 series will be selling for RM539

Have you been waiting around for Apple to release its charging case for your iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max? Finally, Apple announced the all-new Smart Battery Case for its iPhone 11 series. All variants of the charging case will be sold at the price of RM539 in Malaysia soon.

The charging cases now support wireless charging with Qi-certified chargers. They also offer up to 50% longer battery life so that you don’t have to worry about running out of battery while you’re on-the-go. The percentage of the battery case will be shown on the iPhone lock screen and in Notification Center as well.

Design-wise, Apple remained using soft microfiber lining as the inner material for the case. It is claimed to offer your iPhone a great protection. Silicon is used for the exterior design and there is an elastomer hinge design as well for you to slide in your phone without any difficulty. There is a new dedicated camera button added this time for you to launch the Camera app when the phone is either locked or unlocked.

The colours available are white, black, and pink sand for iPhone 11 Pro/ iPhone 11 Pro Max. For the iPhone 11, there are only two colours which are black and white. The Apple Smart Battery Cases are coming soon to Apple’s official website, Apple Store App, Apple Stores and selected Apple Authorized Resellers and carriers.

Let us know if you're keen to purchase to this charging case or you're good with your current powerbank! For more new product updates, stay tuned on TechNave.com.