The Samsung Galaxy of devices is about to get a whole lot bigger and more affordable with four new devices. The new devices will be available in the market starting from February with pre-orders starting on February 3, 2020.
Meet the new Samsung Galaxy A51 & A71
The South Korean tech giant silently launched their new Galaxy A series towards the end of last year. The new entries into the company’s mid-range offerings are the Galaxy A51 and A71. These devices succeed the popular A50 and A70; and also continue Samsung’s partnership with popular K-Pop band, BlackPink.
Keeping with the Galaxy A series’ ethos, the new entries into the line up continue to offer compelling specifications at an affordable price point. Both the Galaxy A51 and A71 are coming below MYR2,000. The A51 will be retailing for MYR1,299 while the higher specc’d A71 will be retailing at MYR1,799.
Samsung Galaxy A51
For the price, the two devices come with 128GB of internal memory with support for up to an additional 512GB via microSD card. The smartphones also support dual SIM connectivity through a triple card slot. The A51 is powered by a quad core Exynos 9611 with 6GB of RAM. On the other hand the A71 comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 with 8GB of RAM. Both come with a Super AMOLED display with Full HD+ resolution of 1080×2400 pixels. That said, the A71 clocks a slightly larger 6.7-inch display to the A51’s 6.5-inch display. Both have under display fingerprint sensors.
On the camera front, both the A51 and A71 come with a quad camera setup. The A71 has a larger 64-megapixel main sensor while the A51 has a 48-megapixel sensor. Both are capable of phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and have a wide 26mm focal length. These are complemented by a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor, 5-megapixel macro sensor and a 5-megapixel depth sensor. The front cameras are a single 32-megapixel sensor with a 26mm focal length.
Samsung Galaxy A71
The A51 has a 4,000mAh battery while the A71 has a 4,500mAh battery. Both have fast charging; however, the A51 only supports 15W fast charging while the A71 supports 25W. Both charge with USB-C.
Cheaper Flagships with the S10 Lite and the Note10 Lite
Earlier this month, at CES in Las Vegas, Samsung unveiled two more additions to their flagship Galaxy S series and Galaxy Note series. Both the smartphones come in below the MYR2,700 mark.
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite
The smartphones share a lot in common including a large 6.7-inch display and dual SIM connectivity. Both also have 128GB of internal storage and 8GB RAM. Both have support for microSD card expansion of up to 512GB.
Both the devices have triple camera setups and a front facing 32-megapixel camera. The Note10 Lite has three 12-megapixel sensors while the the S10 Lite has a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel macro sensor and a 5-megapixel macro sensor. The S10 Lite is powered by a Snapdragon 855 while the Note 10 Lite comes with an Exynos 9810. Both come with under display fingerprint sensors and 4,500mAh battery with support for USB-C fast charging.
Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite
Pricing and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy A51 will be retailing at MYR1,299 while the A71 retails for MYR1,799. Both will be available in Prism Crush Black, Prism Crush White (Silver for the A71) and Prism Crush Blue .
The Samsung Galaxy Note10 Lite will be retailing for MYR2,299 while the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will be retailing for MYR2,699. The S10 Lite will be available in Prism Black, Prism White and Prism Blue; while the Note10 Lite will be available in Aura Glow, Aura Black and Aura Red.
Pre-orders for the smartphones will start on the 3rd February, 2020. There are special freebies as per the table below.
Product
RRP
Colour Availability
Pre-Order Rewards
Galaxy S10 Lite
RM2,699
Prism Black Prism White Prism Blue
Complimentary Galaxy Fit worth RM369
Galaxy Note10 Lite
RM2,299
Aura Glow Aura Black Aura Red
Complimentary Galaxy Fit worth RM369
Galaxy A51
RM1,299
Prism Crush Black Prism Crush White Prism Crush Blue
Complimentary Protection Plus worth RM119 inclusive of: 1 Year Extended Protection 1 Time Screen Protection
Galaxy A71
RM1,799
Prism Crush Black Prism Crush Silver Prism Crush Blue
Complimentary Protection Plus worth RM185 inclusive of: 1 Year Extended Protection 1 Time Screen Protection
We unboxed the OPPO Enco Free True Wireless Earbuds. The OPPO Enco Free is another True Wireless earbuds that carries that Apple Airpods-esque design. There is a few small difference between the Enco Free and the Airpods though.
The OPPO Enco Free, while carrying the same design, has a silicon tip to ensure a better fit on the ears. In the box comes three extra silicon tips with different size to ensure that the OPPO Enco Free will properly fit any ear. The stems from the Enco Free are also touch panels for you to control your music and volume with.
The OPPO Enco Free is now available via OPPO’s authorised retailers and official stores across the nation. The new Enco Free True Wireless earbuds is available in two colours, Black or White. There is a pink colour variant on the way, but there is yet to be available information on that yet. The OPPO Enco Free could be yours today for MYR 499.
You would think that when it comes to making compositions and music, you’d need a really good ear and knowledge of the arts. Not so much with Amazon Web Service’s new AI (Artificial Intelligence) service focused on creating musical pieces with a keyboard! DeepComposer is the latest in a series of Machine Learning focused services that AWS has introduced since it’s announcement of DeepLens at Re:Invent 2017.
The new music based AI is a 32 key, 2 octave keyboard which will allow developers to familiarise themselves with using Generative AI. The simple application of Generative AI in DeepComposer will take short riffs and generate a full compositions.
A brief diagram explaining how AWS’s DeepComposer works. (Source: AWS)
The DeepComposer generative AI will be able to layer and generate songs based on pre-trained models or even user defined models. The pre-trained models are able to generate based on algorithms developed by training the AI with large musical data sets. The user defined models give users better control of the generative AI. Users will be able to define multiple parameters including the Architecture and Discriminator. The latter allows the AI to distinguish between the genres and determine the overall composition.
Being a machine learning model, DeepComposer is continually learning to identify music types. The AI will improve with time as it learns and generates more music based on the models and riffs. It will also be able to generate music which mimics a defined model. Amazon’s release touts, ” you have to train as a counterfeiting expert in order to become a great counterfeiter “.
DeepComposer isn’t just linked to the physical keyboard. It also has a digital keyboard interface which allows users to compose on the go. Using this approach, AWS is hoping that Generative AI models are made more approachable for those looking to explore their applications.
The new feature is currently available for preview on AWS at the DeepComposer website. Also on the website is a FAQ to address some of the questions that new users may have.
HUAWEI’s nova series has always been a strong contender in the mid-range space with compelling specifications. The main draw of the series has always been its flagship class camera with a price point that makes it one of the most accessible offerings that’s worth your money on the market.
That said, the company recently announced the availability of their nova 6 series in China. It looks like the 6 isn’t making its way to Malaysia. Instead, HUAWEI is teasing a new entry: the nova 7i which will be available in Malaysia from 14 February 2020!
The new HUAWEI nova 7i looks to be coming with a HiSilicon Kirin 810 which was featured in the HONOR 9X and 9X Pro. That said, the new chipset promises power savings thanks to the 7nm fabrication process which allows the chip to have more performance while keeping the battery life. The processor is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. If 128GB isn’t enough, you’ll be able to add up to 256GB of extra memory with a nano memory card (NM card).
The display on the nova 7i is a 6.4-inch LTPS IPS LCD capable of reproducing 16 million colours. It’s a Full HD+ display with a resolution of 1080×2310 pixels. Unlike its flagship brethren, the new mid-ranger comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. HUAWEI included a large, 4,200mAh battery for all-day battery life. It also supports 40W supercharge charging which can provide 70% of battery with 30 minutes of charging.
More Cameras, More Better Pictures?
The camera setup on the smartphone is a quad camera array with a 48-megapixel main sensor. It is also capable of ultrawide and macro shots. HUAWEI hasn’t clarified if the ultrawide and macro features are due to individual sensors on the camera array. That said, the main sensor is a wide sensor with an f/1.8 aperture for better low light performance.
HUAWEI is touting the front camera’s enhanced selfie features. This is powered by a dual selfie camera setup. HUAWEI hasn’t divulged the exact sensors used in the setup. That said, the company has touted that the new setup will enable users to get “golden selfies”. In addition, it looks like the nova 7i comes with enhanced software that will allow users to get better performance on video calls and even when posting to social media such as TikTok and Instagram.
We don’t have any information on the price. However, given the previous price point of the nova 5T, we expect the nova 7i to be about MYR1,599. It is likely the smartphone may be priced higher due to the HUAWEI Y9s released last year.
Malaysia is set to be one of the world’s pioneer markets when it comes to the rollout of 5G. As reported previously, Malaysia is on track to rollout commercial 5G by Q3 2020; that’s a mere 6 months away at this point. Having shown off 5G’s potential in many use cases at the 5G Malaysia conference, Malaysia now faces its largest hurdle yet – the actual roll out.
While Malaysia is one of the first in the region to explore and rollout 5G, we still stand behind the first world countries in Asia; namely Japan and South Korea who are already on the verge of developing 6G connectivity. Having said that, the technologies behind 5G are still in their infancy. That said, being an early adopter, Malaysia can learn from the hurdles faced by these countries.
At the 5G Malaysia conference, we had a chance to sit down with Mr Choi Woo Hyuk from the South Korean ICT Policy Bureau. South Korea has already deployed commercial 5G back in April 2019. These were a few things he highlighted as hurdles that the South Korean government faced when investing and rolling out 5G.
1. 5G is about Collaboration
The first hurdle that came up with 5G in South Korea was the alignment of everyone’s interests to roll out 5G. There are many parties involved in 5G’s roll out including vendors such as Samsung, Telcos such as SK Telecom and LGPlus, Consumers and the Government. That said, each party has their own interests to guard. The ongoing negotiations between the parties necessitates mediation and compromise.
In Malaysia, the government has already brought together all the players to form a Consortium. This Consortium and the 5G task force has been a first step towards dealing with the issue. However, the government faces a huge hurdle thanks to a legacy of monopoly with players such as TM. Even now, we see TM lobbying heavily to be the main provider for 5G when it hasn’t even completed the roll out of fiber connectivity across the nation. In fact, we have sources who confirm that the High Speed Broad Band (HSBB) roll out is severely delayed due to TM.
The government will face a similar challenge when it comes to mediating the interests of all the players in the local telecoms and connectivity industry with not only Maxis, DiGi (Telenor), Celcom, TM, TIME and even companies like edotco involved. The government will need to take into consideration the interests of all the parties involved including the interests of its electorate to ensure smooth rollout of 5G and the report from the 5G task force which was handed over at the 5G Malaysia Conference.
2. 5G is a Balancing Act between Privacy, Data Security and Industry
This will be the case the world over as the public grows increasingly cognizant of how they are being tracked. However, with 5G, the amount of data that can and will be collected is increasing by at least tenfold. In South Korea, the government has passed Personal Data protection laws in addition to Financial Protection and Online Privacy acts. That said, policymakers are beginning to realise the nuances that 5G presents when it comes to data and privacy.
Malaysia is on-track with our policies thanks to the implementation of the Personal Data Protection Act 2010, more commonly known as PDPA. However, with security and connected cities being some of the use cases being investigated by our 5G Consortium, the question then arises is “How much data should be collected?” and when it comes to security, “how much data is too little?”.
That said, the advent of 5G may necessitate new data protection policies to govern the quantum leap in the amount of data that can be collected by industry. It may also pose a threat to national security given the interconnectedness of smart cities and the security applications of 5G.
3. 5G Coverage and Consumer Applications May Take Time
5G is all about industrial applications and the collection and processing of the immense amount of data that can be transferred through more efficient and stable wireless connectivity. As evidenced by the limited rollout of 5G in Langkawi, the roll out of the new connectivity technology will be a hurdle that can only be solved with consistent investment.
South Korea initially rolled out their 5G network with 30,000 base stations and has recently completed about 100,000 base stations. This initial rollout not only posed challenges to Telcos, but also caused a very disrupted, inconsistent experience for consumers. With the limited amount of devices at the time, mainly the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G, consumers in South Korea faced issues when it came to battery life as the phones would jump between 5G and 4G networks due to limited coverage.
While players such as Maxis, DiGi and Celcom are touting 5G readiness in Malaysia, it would not be surprising if we see the same issues crop up when 5G hits commercial availability. The increased hype and anticipation could be the biggest hurdle as the implication of 5G are more focused in industry rather than consumer technologies.
With these lessons in mind, it seems like the road to 5G is still quite bumpy and it will take a herculean effort from all the players to ensure that we have an open, unadulterated 5G in Malaysia. However, the success of Malaysia’s 5G rollout will depend on the government, its policies and mediation.
When the FUJIFILM brand reinvented itself by introducing their revolutionary mirrorless APS-C sensor X-T100, they became an icon of the digital photography field. It has come to no wonder with the X-T100. It was popular for a particular reason. No, it was not cheap; at more than MYR 2,000 you might be able to get better deals from the likes of Nikon or Canon. That is if you just want a camera that gives you the ability to interchange lenses.
The FUJIFILM X-T100 is plenty more than that though. They call in an entry-level shooter, but it does not function like one. It features plenty more than just interchangeable lens flange and a shutter button with auto focus. There are plenty of buttons and customisation options for new and veteran photographers alike. You can configure the X-T100 to however your ideal set-up is. You may hardly find the same two FUJIFILM X-T100 side by side if you do things right. The image quality offered by the 24-Megapixels that is packed in the APS-C sensor is not too shabby as well. All that for less than MYR 3,000.
To replace a popular performer like the FUJIFILM X-T100 then is not easy. They have to do it anyway though, with the new FUJIFILM X-T200. You may not look at the X-T200 as a large improvement over the X-T100 though, it is more like X-T100 1.5 or something rather.
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You get a mirrorless APS-C sensor with 24.2-Megapixel packed in; pretty much similar to the X-T100. You can choose from the three great and timeless colour trims too; Champagne Gold, Dark Silver (or grey), and Silver. The capable entry-level FUJIFILM still shoots movies in 4K as well, still.
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What is new though is the FUJIFILM X-T200’s new lightweight construction at 370g. That is about 80g lighter than its father. Speaking of construction, the body also features a hand grip notch that you cannot find on the X-T100. That also means it is more comfortable and secure to hold, though at the expense of compactness.
The old three-way tilt LCD display is now a vari-angle display that gives photographers plenty more flexibility in shooting, you no longer have to lie on the floor to get your shots. Of course, because it is a mirrorless camera, you get the same great electronic ViewFinder as well.
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While you get the largely similar 24.2-Megapixel sensor, FUJIFILM fitted the X-T200 with new copper wiring for faster response times and faster processing. The X-T200 can process images at 3.5 times faster than the old X-T100. With the new sort of wiring too, rolling shutter for video shooting is claimed to be reduced. Of course, there is a new phase detection auto focus which speeds it up and increases its reliability.
The old software is not going to cut it for the FUJIFILM X-T200. The software has to match the new hardware changes too. So the new software supports up to 11 digital Film Simulation modes on the X-T200. In that sense, there is a colour adjustment for every scene and shooting condition. In other words, upgrade your Instagram photography game.
The FUJIFILM X-T200 is expected to start selling in Malaysia in the late February, 2020. You can expect it to go for MYR 3,588. For that price you get a FUJIFILM X-T200 camera body itself paired to a FUJINON XC15-45mm F3.5-5.6 OIS PZ kit lens. As mentioned earlier, it will be available in three different colourways too; Silver, Dark Silver, and Champagne Gold.
A television, in most cases, is a center piece of your
living room. There are homes these days that does not have a television set in
their living rooms anymore. Some families do not even have TVs anymore, because
they do not watch TVs for some reason.
Thing is, TVs are not just things that you use to watch things from the regular fixed channels anymore. You do more than just switch it on, get bad reception from channel providers (in Malaysia it is RTM, and Media Prima), and watch shows with fixed programming, at a fixed time. It is now smarter than that. Plug it into a TV box, and you get all the goodness of the internet from your couch. If you get more modern smart TVs, you do not even need a TV box, get it to connect to your home WiFi and you get the power of the internet in your palms while you imprint your butt on the couch.
The modern TV then, is an entertainment powerhouse for the
family; for the living room. You get to watch on-demand Over-The-Top contents
from the likes of Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, and what not. All of them
built-into the TV itself, making your TV the perfect movie machine. A gaming
console is perfect too for the modern 4K UHD TV set.
You do not have to spend too much too if you are looking
into one. Depending on the target size of the TV you want, you get one for not
very much money. Specifically, you can get your hands on this TCL 55-inch 4K
UHD TV for less than MYR3,000 MYR 2,829 to be exact. The question is; should
you? Would it be wiser to spend a little bit more for a big brand TV? Let us
find out.
Design
When you get a TV set, you usually set it in the living
room. The TV is usually the center piece of the living room, the home as we
mentioned. So, you want the TV to look good. You also want the thing to look
timeless, because it might sit there for the next 5 years or so. I know my TV
at home has sat there for more than 10 years.
This TCL 55-inch UHD TV is just a pane of glass on metal stilts mostly. In a lot of sense, it looks modern; very modern with the super slim bezel for the TV. Little bezels are important in the modern TV, it gives that borderless feel of the TV. It also optimises the space consumed by the behemoth of a thing you call a TV these days. By today’s standard, 55-inch is quite a normal size though.
Still, 55-inch is sizeable enough if you sit about
1.8-meters away from the TV. It is perfect for small to medium sized homes. If
you live in a condo, quite perfect; 55-inch is not too big, it is not too small
either. You can get 43-inch TVs, but Netflix should be enjoyed on a bigger
display.
The 55-inch TCl 55P8S is made mostly out of aluminium and
feels premium despite the price. When we say that the bezels are at a minimum,
we do not mean that there is an aluminium frame that eats into the display
panel real estate. The aluminium frame is pretty much hidden from view if you
look at it from the front. At a glance, the aluminium frames are pretty much
non-existent. While it holds the whole TV together, you do not really see the
aluminium frames.
The stilts, or the legs are premium milled aluminium pieces too. You get three of them as a set in the box and they are fixed separately via the provided screws. You either stand the TV on those stilts or you mount it on the wall with whatever generic TV mount you can get your hands on in the market.
Once you set them on the legs, the TV is quite sturdy. You
will not have to worry about your cat walking past from behind and knocking the
TV over. The strange thing though is that the stilts are actually quite small,
they do not look like they can keep the TV standing with a light push. They do
work though and are quite sturdy at it.
They say less is more, in the case of the TCL 55P8S, it
might be true. Even from behind you cannot really tell that this is a TCL TV.
You can only find the TCL logo and branding at the bottom aluminium lip of the
TV. It sits very close to the LED indicator that tells you if the TV is on or
not. You will not find any buttons in front of the TV as well; they are all hidden
to keep the clean look of the TV. Plus, you have the remote control anyway.
Features
Android TV
Nowadays, buying a TV set is never just about buying a
screen that can be plugged into the satellite and other media boxes. It is
about buying a display filled with contents and an Operating System (OS). You
would be pleased to find the TCL 55P8S coming with an Android TV 9.0 Pie, the
latest and greatest from Google in other words.
Android TV is one of many TV specific OS of many out there though. Still, TCL does not have their own OS at this time, so Android TV is the best option, since it is open source too anyway. Still, Android TV is a powerful OS on its own rights.
We are advocates of Android TV because we use the OS on our
own. The reason? The vast number of apps and contents available for an Android
TV is close to impossible to beat at this time. The only thing missing is Apple
TV App for now. That said, the OS is not perfect.
On certain older TVs, Android TV can be a little sluggish,
especially the 8.0. That is no thanks to the Processor and GPU fitted into the
TVs themselves of course. The new 9.0 though, Android TV is smooth and
responsive; plenty more so than before. Android TV actually feels optimised for
modern TVs. It is smooth and quite snappy mostly on the TCL 55P8s.
Android TV 9.0 as well brings some visual changes to the
User Interface (UI). There is a new grid system that cleans up the ol’
cluttered look that Android TV 8.0 had. The icons are smaller and cleaner to
look at. It is somehow a little more intuitive to navigate through as well.
Access to your favourite apps like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube is
even easier to find now. Oh, of course, there is Google’s great Chromecast capability
with Android TV.
AI IN
Another common terminology when it comes to Smart TVs these
days are Artificial Intelligence (AI). Thing is, this could be an overused
terminology. That is a different topic for another day though, for now we will
stick with their terminology of AI.
The built-in AI is not, as expected from an Android TV, the trusty Google AI Assistant. Instead they fitted it with their very own AI interface they call the AI IN. While it may not be a Google AI Assistant, it is not half bad either.
Like any other AI built into a TV, it is activated mostly
via voice command. You press a mic button on your remote control and voila, you
have a smart home component in your hands. You can search for all kinds of
things as well, from weather reports, latest news, to opening your favourite TV
apps or even music apps. You can even play specific music or find specific
titles exclusive to the content app if you are that lazy or confident of your
search result.
The AI functions, on the surface at least, sort of ends
there. Of course, there is more to the AI implementation than just a mere voice
assistant. Smart upscaling for one is part of the curriculum of AI IN. Oh, yes
there is Smart HDR10+ on this thing too, thanks partly to Android TV but mostly
AI IN.
Smart HDR10+
With any 4K UHD TV, you really want HDR. HDR is short for High Dynamic Range, fi you have not known already. Basically, HDR gives you better detailing in dark images, better contrasts between colours, more vivid colours, and better realism.
HDR10+ is the gold standard in HDR standards. While the
standard HDR that was introduced some 5 years or so ago is great, HDR 10+ means
your contents look even better, your details and colour contrast are much
sharper and closer to real life than ever. You can see in the dark, quite literally.
The TCL 55P8S is already an OLED TV, which also means that
colour contrasts and colours are already great in the first place. Blacks are
super black, and greens are so bright that your garden suddenly looks boring
and plastic. Oh, yes that is thanks to HDR10+ too.
Unlike most budget TVs though, the TCL 55P8S actually works
really well with HDR10+. The picture you get out of the TCL 55P8S are very
crisp and colours are great. At a comfortable distance, or in a living room.
The images are smooth and sharp with very smooth colour gradients. That is also
a testament to the processor and the display quality itself. Enjoying Netflix
Formula 1 is really not hard with the TV. Even watching sports matches are
really enjoyable on the TCL 55P8S.
Noise Reduction
When upscaling videos from 1080p Full HD or 720p HD format,
you tend to see things you do not want to see in your media. You tend to see
blemishes and imperfections in the image or the make-up of the actor. Those are
things you may have to deal with though.
What you might not have to deal with is noise. Noise the
probably the most annoying thing about upscaling your contents. It does not
just happen on upscaling though, since upscaling produces minimal enough
graining and noise on your films. Your cable TV tends to be a little noisy too.
AI IN has a noise reduction function to reduce all these and make your contents looks crisp and properly made for 4K TVs instead of some downgraded TV show with no budget for a camera. We found that the noise reduction does not work on all sorts of contents though.
Most contents on Netflix looks really good with Noise
Reduction on. We found that animation style shows do not work well with Noise
reduction. Any sporting broadcast could use the clever noise reduction too, to
make you feel like you are part of the action.
Motion Smoothing
AI IN also features a clever Motion Smoothing overlay. This
is where your 30fps videos can look like 60fps videos. While it is cool, we do
find it a little off and looks odd from time to time.
When you watch sports matches from the regular broadcast, or
even YouTube and what not, motion smoothing makes the medium look really good.
It really feels like you are watching the matches and competition live from the
VIP box at times. When they do a close up of the athletes, you might as well be
there.
On the other hand, motion smoothing does not work with
everything. You do not want motion smoothing on animation type shows because
you start to see some very weird overlay on the animations themselves. You
would want to turn Motion Smoothing off for Netflix too, we notice a little bit
of flicker when you watch Netflix with Motion Smoothing on, which can be quite
jarring.
Picture Modes
Of course, like any other smart TV, or any other display you get these days, there are multiple picture modes for you to choose from for different channels and applications. For example, you can set your HDMI 3 channel connected to your gaming console to be in Game Mode. So now every time you switch to HDMI 3, your TV will always go into Game Mode with optimised settings.
While there are limited options in the picture modes, we
figured out some best use case for the more popular modes. If you are going to
switch on Netflix and watch animation style shows, we find that Game Mode looks
best. In any other case, cinema mode or sports mode will do fine; just remember
to turn off motion smoothing. Sports mode work well with YouTube contents
somehow. Then again, if you are just going to watch Netflix on your TV, just
leave it at its default settings. Our suggestion though is to take the time to
create your own settings and find what looks best to you.
Harman Kardon Dolby 5.1 Surround
Watching your shows is never complete without getting the
right sound to it. After all, watching a movie is not just about getting the visuals
in. It is about an experience of taking in the visuals and enjoying excellent
sound designs. That is why when you buy a TV, you most probably would be looking
to get a sound bar as well to complete the experience.
The thing is though, buying a sound bar is an additional cost to buying a TV. If you are on a tight budget, or if you do not have the extra space for a sound bar, you might not want to spend beyond the MYR 2,899 that you caked out for the TV already. In that case, you really want to find a TV that has decent speakers to begin with.
Usually, in this case I would recommend anyone to go for the
Sony TVs for their superior sound quality. In those cases, you may just need to
find cheap subwoofer to fill up the dynamics. There are not many TVs in the
market that comes with decent speakers in the market these days. Well, since
people are going to get sound bars to accompany their TVs anyway.
The TCL 55P8S though, has a Harman Kardon 5.1 Virtual Surround
Sound speakers. That also means you may not need to get a separate sound bar or
speaker set, in theory anyway. The result of the Harman Kardon speakers is an
excellent audio experience with great high and mid frequency. Unfortunately,
the lower frequencies suffer because the speakers just do not have the capacity
to pump the lower frequencies properly. For that, you need a subwoofer. Then
again, low frequencies (the bass, the boom) have always been a problem for TVs
with no external speakers or separate sound bar.
Still, the TCL 55P8S works without the sound bar. The crisp
and clear mid and high frequencies really make up for the lack of a dedicated
sound bar. The only thing you need to get after this is the subwoofer. You do
not need to spend thousands on a subwoofer though.
TCL 55P8S – Value Fun for The Whole Family
The TCL 55P8S, on TCL’s own Lazada store will set you back
MYR 2,829 currently. For the same money, the only thing we think comparable to the
TCL 55P8S is a Sony TV. The thing is you do not get the voice command enabled
AI IN. You will not get the Harman Kardon sound speakers too. You do not Get
HDR10+ too for that kind of money.
Of course, if you look at the other Chinese brands you may be able to find offerings that are quite similar too. For most of the Chinese brands, you may not get the same sort of built quality and assurance that TCL can give you. The brand has been one of the best-selling brands in the United States, if not the top selling, for a reason. That reason is great value paired to great reliability and performance. In all fairness, we do like the 55P8S very much for its price. If you ask us, this is one TV that we would buy, if we are looking for a TV for our homes. Why? HDR10+, AMOLED, AI IN, Android TV, Harman Kardon; nuff’ said. You can get yours from Lazada Malaysia or an Sen Heng outlets across Malaysia.
If you walk into your favourite cafés or even restaurants, you might be bombarded with small table
standees with a QR code on the payment counter. That is to indicate that the
restaurant has gone cashless and is accepting cashless payment options. Having multiple
options to pay for your purchases is always great, but problematic since every single
cashless payment vendor produces their own unique QR code for each of the
participating shops.
You end up with multiple apps on a single
device. To keep track of the payments, you must access different apps. That, or
you get a specialised device that has access to several apps at the same time.
Still, it is not perfect. You still need multiple apps to get it to work, if
you choose to omit certain apps, you cannot even allow users to use those apps.
In the end, it is all rubbish and using cash is still the best option to work
with.
Do not get us wrong, we are very big advocates
of the cashless payment system. We use them all the time and we love the fact
that we do not need to carry too much cash around, saves us the trouble of getting
robbed off hundreds in Ringgit. Still, because there are so many payment
options out there and not everyone uses all of them, it becomes troublesome for
us too; we hate that.
We’ve always said then that for eWallets
and cashless payments to work in Malaysia, there needs to be a unifying body that
could make all the apps work seamlessly together. Because changing all the card
receiver machines across the nation is impossible and it is impossible to implement
NFC type payments in all devices, the easiest is to have a single unified QR
code that could work with everyone regardless of app. This announcement then,
is godsent.
PayNet and Cyberview plans to lead the way to digital Malaysia with cashless payment. Then again. Cyberview has been paving the way forward for plenty of things to do with digitalising Malaysia. PayNet is an affiliate of the National Bank of Malaysia, and has been digitalising and providing essential services for Malaysian banks in terms of their payment networks and infrastructure. Thanks to Paynet, we have things like DuitNow and even free instant transfer between banks. That should be the way forward too with eWallets.
With the collaboration PayNet will start implementing unique QR codes for shops that would replace the ten million QR codes generated for the shop by other eWallet vendors. With less clutter, they look less intimidating as well. For users, you can use any eWallet of your choice to pay for your meals and shopping. All you need to do is scan the DuitNow QR code and voila, you can pay using GrabPay, or Boost, or Touch n’ Go eWallet, or FavePay; technically anyway.
The only downside right now is that they are only implementing it in Cyberjaya, for now anyway. PayNet is looking to expand their DuitNow QR to other parts of Malaysia. We think that the service will really take off in Kuala Lumpur and other parts of Klang Valley. You might have to check also if your eWallet app is also a participating vendor within the DuitNow QR ecosystem. For more information regarding DuitNow QR, you can visit their website.
5G is the buzz word that is taking over our minds when it
comes to connectivity. However, while the technology has been making the news
thanks to many telecommunications companies including Qualcomm, Samsung and
Huawei, news on progress when it comes to rollout has been slim. That said, Malaysia
is gearing up to start commercialisation of 5G technologies by Q3, 2020 – that’s
only 8 to 9 months away!
Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, delivering opening remarks at the 5G Malaysia International Conference Opening
“5G will soon influence every industry, at the same time serve as infrastructure for innovative growth. The convergence of 5G and different industrial sectors such as agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, smart transportation, and tourism present new opportunities for industries, society, and individuals to advance their digital ambitions, and deliver new and better services.”
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia
The target rollout date comes as a follow up to the announcements of a number of test-beds across the six states in Malaysia including the capital Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, and the Island of Langkawi in Kedah. Langkawi is arguably the largest test site in Malaysia with over 25 5G sites. These sites cover 6 use cases including agriculture, education, healthcare, manufacturing, and smart city technologies. These tests have been ongoing since June 2019.
With the imminent launch of 5G commercially in Malaysia, Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed is calling
for businesses to begin looking to adapt and adopt these technologies to further
the countries mission of becoming Southeast Asia’s Industry 4.0 hub. He also
cautions that failure to do so could result in businesses being unable to
compete and thrive.
Al-Ishsal Ishak, Chairman of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) presenting on the 5G development projects in Malaysia
“5G has the potential to be a game-changer for humanity as it promises a fully connected society that will fuel the future growth of several industries, support various use cases and ultimately spark a new era of enhanced digitisation in Malaysia.”
Al-Ishsal Ishak, Chairman, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC)
That said, it looks like the benefits of 5G technology won’t
be hitting consumer roll out just yet. The technology is being geared to push
the boundaries of the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data. The jump to 5G
speeds in mobile connectivity seems to be a little bit away. However, the main
focus of 5G technologies now seems to be geared towards improvement of quality
of life through innovations and implementations that will lend itself to growths
in GDP. This includes implementations in transport, healthcare and agriculture
which will result in better services for the end consumer.
Celcom recently announced their Business Suite for Retail. What is that? The Business Suite is technically their service plan. You can liken them to the Celcom Mobile or Internet plan; the only difference is that the Business Suite, as the name suggest, is for businesses; Small Medium Enterprises (SME) specifically.
You can find out more on their site, here. Briefly, Celcom’s Business Suite for Retail is a complete business end-to-end telecommunication and data solution. You get phone plans, data plans, payment solutions, and more depending on the plans you select. If you need to, you can even throw in Microsoft Office 365 into the plan. The plans are basically perfect solutions for SMEs.
Alliance Bank is known for their very extensive and generous SME programs. They have the BizSmart program to promote and encourage the growth of the SME segment in Malaysia. Of course, when there is a chance to deliver even more value to SMEs, they would want to be the first to be a part of it. They have plenty of solutions for SME after all; the SME Express Cash for example.
Source: Celcom
The partnership that just happened today marks the combination of two forces in the SME specific services space. Celcom Business Suite for Retail subscribers are now eligible for Alliance Bank’s extensive financing plans for SMEs. Thanks to the collaboration as well the processes and pains of applying for Alliance Bank’s financing programs are expedited and shortened. SMEs might even be able to get preferred rates on Alliance Bank’s business loan programs like Express Cash if they are subscribed to Celcom Business Suite for Retail.
Information regarding Celcom’s Business Suite for Retail is available on their website. You can also sign up for Alliance Bank’s available financing programs via the same website.
