Samsung has just announced their new flagship series, the Galaxy S20 series. Giving birth to a new generation of phone photography. The top most variant of the series is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. It is also the variant with the largest screen with a 6.9-inch WQHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display.
The new S20 Ultra comes with the Exynos 990 or the Snapdragon 865 equipped with 5G connectivity. This is complemented with 128GB with 12GB of RAM. It is the only one in the series with a quad camera setup capable of 100X Space Zoom.
With 108MP in the main camera you will be able to take photo and video in 8K. Having the sensor size almost three times bigger you will be able to capture more in the dark. By utilizing night mode the phone will use all its camera to take multiple shots at once and merging the photos to get a better image with less blur and noise.
Being able to record videos in 8k has its benefits to it. It has an anti-rolling stabilizer that balances your camera giving you clear and stable video. Other than that if you found a special or funny moment in the video but want it as a picture instead? Not to worry as you will be able to capture stills off the video and it will still be 33MP stills.
The S20 Ultra is going to retail from USD$1,399. In Malaysia, it will be retailing for MYR4,999. Pre-orders will be happening from February 12, 2020 until February 26, 2020 in Malaysia.
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Using your mobile phone these days means that you are constantly connected. Services like Whatsapp, Telegram, e-mail, and all the known social media apps require you to use data even in the background, even when your device is turned off. In that case, there is always the problem of choosing between two types of plans that fit you the best.
You might need huge amount of data. There could be a number of reasons; you rely solely on your smartphone for data and internet, your work requires you to travel around plenty and therefore you rely plenty on your data plan for internet. You are most likely going for data plans that will give you unlimited data but at a capped speed.
Then there are those that need the speed. You might already have a fixed internet plan that you use at home. You want high speed data in occasions. To that, you have to trade off on quota. This is what Celcom calls the Lightning Internet Speed, you get full 4G LTE+ speeds all the time but you can only have them to a limited amount.
With a single MEGA plan, you can simply choose what you want for what you need. For as little as MYR 80 every month you are going to get up to 30GB of high speed data. With that also you get unlimited phone calls to any network. Pretty good?
For an additional MYR 18/month you can choose between an additional 10GB of data or unlimited M pass. That is unlimited data at capped speeds (5Mbps). If you need high-speed internet (Unlimited L up to 15Mbps), you can opt to spend a little bit more at an additional MYR 69/month. (Hotspot limited to 5GB and 10GB respectively every month)
For Lightning Mobile Internet Speed you start from MYR 80/month at 30GB cap, as per mentioned earlier. For an additional MYR 18 you can get MEGA M for an additional 10GB in your plan. For an additional MYR 68/month you get an additional 30GB of data. If you are that hungry for data, pay an extra MYR 108/month for MEGA XL plan and get up to 100GB of data every month (additional 70GB).
For the MEGA M, MEGA L, MEGA XL plans, there is a few additional features that you might like as well. If you have unused data in that month, you can trade-in your data for cashbacks. For now (two months promotion period), you get MYR 5 for 10GB of data you trade in credited to your Boost e-wallet. Nothing more, nothing less though.
Source: Celcom
When you travel to one of the listed 12 countries, you get to use your own data plan as well, or whatever that is left in it within your plan, instead of getting an additional data plan just for roaming. You have to pay MYR 38/day though to use your data. If you are on the MYR 188/month (MYR 80 + MYR 108 MEGA XL) plan though, its free. Data is precious? Pay a little extra for Celcom’s Ultra Hour Passes. You can even add on Celcom’s Unlimited Social Media plan.
The best part about the Celcom MEGA plan is its flexibility. As long as you are not getting a device with your MEGA plan, you can pick and choose the plans every month. You can choose between the five plans and change every month depending on your needs. You get to add up to 3 sub lines or Family lines if you want. For each additional line you pay MYR 40 for 15GB of data each line. For an additional MYR 5/month you can share your MEGA M, MEGA L, MEGA XL data pool with your family members.
Of course, like any other postpaid plan you can choose to buy devices from Celcom with the plan as well. If you pick up Celcom’s MEGA XL plan at MYR 188/month you can choose to get a smartphone for free from Celcom’s pool of premium devices. Users who are on Celcom First plan can opt into the MEGA Plan via Celcom’s BlueCube centers or a simple phone call. Subscribers of MEGA plans can change their monthly plans simply via logging into Celcom’s Android or iOS Celcom Life app and a few clicks. More info can be found on their website.
Update (26 February 2020): Samsung Malaysia has officially extended their pre-orders until 1 March, 2020. Other than the extension there is no change to the terms and conditions of the pre-order.
Samsung just unpacked their first flagship series of the next decade, the Galaxy S20 Series. Hot off their big announcement, Samsung Malaysia is announcing the pre-orders for the new flagship series. It looks like Malaysia will be getting the Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra 5G.
The new Galaxy S20 will be priced at MYR3,599 while the S20+ will be retailing at MYR3,999. The 5G capable S20 Ultra, on the other hand, will be retailing for MYR4,999. Pre-orders will be kicking off in 10 hours time; at 5:00PM GMT+8/MST. Pre-orders of the Galaxy S20+ and the S20 Ultra will be entitled to a pair of Galaxy Buds+ worth MYR599. It looks like the S20 series will be available in Malaysia starting on March 4, 2020.
Malaysians can pre-order their smartphones from the Samsung eStore, Samsung Experience Stores, the Official Samsung stores on Lazada and Shopee, telcos and participating retail partners. To make the pre-orders, customers will need to make a MYR500 deposit via iPay88 for outlets or through checkout at the respective marketplace. Remember to keep your receipt. Users can then opt to self collect or have the phone delivered to them once it is available. The latter option requires users to make full payment for the device.
Wondering why we keep highlighting Malaysians? Well, to successfully collect your pre-orders, you will need to produce identification card when you collect your device. Only Malaysians 18 years (as of February 12, 2020) or older are eligible to make the pre-order. Each individual is entitled to pre-order only one unit of the S20, S20+ OR the S20 Ultra. Users are able to collect their pre-orders from March 4, 2020 to April 4, 2020.
Keep in mind the deposit is nonrefundable. It seems like there are a total of 13,000 units available for pre-order.
There were two very big things that was launched in the Samsung Unpacked 2020 that just happened a few hours ago. Both of them very interesting devices to grace the market as well. The Samsung Galaxy S20 flagship has just refreshed the Samsung Galaxy S line-up. The Samsung Z Flip is certainly a new direction for Samsung and the smartphone industry.
There is another smaller star that was launched in the Unpacked event just now too. It is also literally smaller in size. The Samsung Galaxy Buds+ (Plus) they call it. The name is not new though, there is just an additional ‘+’ (plus) there. So this is kind of a revolution of an existing product more than anything else.
Source: Samsung
Previous rumours mentions that the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ will come with Active Noise Cancelling. In the reveal though, this is not the case. There are some new things packed within the earphones though.
Within the same package is a bigger battery that should allow it to last a few more hours per charge. That gives it a total of 11 hours of use. With a single extra charge from the case, you get up to 22 hours of listening time, about 4 hours more than the old Samsung Galaxy Buds. We suspect that the Buds+ might work with the old case as well. They look similar.
There are more drivers within the earphones as well. There is two dedicated drivers now; one for treble or mid to high frequencies, one for bass or low frequencies. This should address some of the low frequency weakness we find on the old Samsung Galaxy Buds.
There are 2 more mics to find on the Galaxy Buds+ too. One of them is placed inside your ear to ensure better sounding calls from your end at least. We suspect that the mic inside is more to capture the sound vibrations from your jaw to reproduce clearer sounding voices for calls.
Samsung has also worked with Spotify to make the Galaxy Buds more app friendly. A long press on the right side of the Samsung Galaxy Buds while on Spotify will give you recommended playlist based on Spotify’s profile of you. Quite brilliant for discovering new songs without looking at the app itself.
The Samsung Galaxy Buds should be available in two colours as usual. The one we saw was the white colour variant. There is a black variant with that too. If you saw our previous article on the Samsung Z Flip already, you should also know that there is a Thom Browne edition to the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ too. We suspect that the Thom Browne edition only comes bundled with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne edition. The Galaxy Buds+ will retail for US$ 149 (MYR 616*) when it is available. You can find more information on their website.
* Approximate conversion based on US$ 1 = MYR 4,13 on 12/02/2020
UPDATE: Samsung Galaxy Buds+ will be available in Malaysia for MYR 599. You can expect the earphones in stores on the 4th of March 2020 onward, same as the Samsung Galaxy S20 series. You can also get it as a bundle when you purchase the Samsung Galaxy S20+ and Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra through the pre-order program. Of course, pre-order units are quite limited too.
In the modern smartphone age today, there are a few launches that is always anticipated within the year. One of them is from Samsung early on in the year. This will be the Samsung Galaxy S line, for this year it will be the number 20, matching the year 2020.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Just like last year, and as the title suggests, there are three of them to complete the line-up. Unlike last year, the naming scheme is a little different. You start with a plain old Samsung Galaxy S20, then there is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, and then the biggest Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. All of them packs 5G support. Of course, if you do not want to dive into 5G just yet or want to fork out that much more money, there is the regular LTE version of the devices.
Samsung Galaxy S20
Samsung’s Galaxy S20 is Samsung’s smallest 2020 Galaxy S device thus far. Barring the Samsung Galaxy S20 Lite, which might be quite inevitable, the smallest Galaxy S20 device will pack either a Samsung staple Exynos System on a Chip (SoC) for the global market or the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 SoC for the United States market. Malaysia will no doubt get the Exynos version.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
The Android 10 device will come with up to 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for the LTE version. If you opt for the 5G version you get up to 12GB with the same internal storage option. Of course, you can expand that with a MicroSD card. Remember when Samsung did not allow the Galaxy Note5 to be MicroSD expandable? Disaster that one.
There is a square camera array arrangement going on at the back with three lenses. There is the main 12-Megapixel shooter, which is quite expected. It does not have the dual aperture that was known since the Samsung Galaxy S9 though. Paired to the main shooter is a 64-Megapixel telephoto shooter that enables the Samsung Galaxy S20 to have an optical zoom factor of 3x. Of course they will not forget the all-important 12-Megapixel ultra-wide angle sensor for that beautiful wide angle shots. Up front is a 10-Megapixel selfie shooter which should produce some stellar results.
Source: Samsung
As expected the Samsung Galaxy S20 has the beautiful Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O panel. It measures at 6.2-inch and pushes out the usual and expected 1440p Quad HD+ (1,440 x 3,200 pixels at 30Hz). Of course, Samsung being Samsung the display is an HDR10+. Oh, before we forget, it is a 120Hz (defaults to 1080p) display too so you should be getting an ultra smooth experience with the device. Thanks to 240Hz screen response rate, you should get a snappier experience too.
The OneUI 2.0 flagship will ship with a large 4,000 mAh battery under the familiar design language (very much like Note10 series) with some interesting colourways. The large battery can also be used to revers charge any wireless charging devices you may have in your accessory cabinet. There is no 3.5mm jack to be found anywhere, which is still quite sad.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus (S20+)
The bigger, bulkier Samsung Galaxy S20+ is technically a blown up version of the regular S20. Instead of the S20’s measly 6.2-inch though, you get a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity-O display with the same resolution and refresh rate. Bigger is better, right?
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Of course bigger devices also means bigger battery and more cameras. Instead of the three cameras, it has four within the same camera array set up. There is an additional DepthVision Camera that helps with depth detection and therefore better Bokeh results.
Storage and RAM wise, if you opt for the LTE version, you are not getting anything more than what you would be getting on the regular Galaxy S20. Yes, 8GB RAM plus 128GB storage with MicroSD expandability. If you opt for the 5G version you get 12GB of RAM with up to 512GB in storage. Nice? Nice.
Source: Samsung
Of course, it comes with a bigger battery too at 4,500mAh. Obviously you get to chose from the same colour options too. Except, you do not get Cloud Pink. Hey, at least you can choose Cosmic Black.
Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra
This is even bigger than the Plus. Its Dynamic AMOLED 2X display measures in at 6.9-inch and pushes Quad HD+ resolution (1440p) at up to 120Hz, just like its little brothers. Big, bigger, biggest.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
The Ultra is a different beast entirely though. You get the option of choosing between an LTE or even a 5G version too. Storage options starts from 12GB of RAM and 128GB of storage up to a mind-boggling 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. Yes? Yes.
You get a huge 5,000mAh battery too. You would want that battery, 5G can really drain the battery. The cameras too might really drain your battery life.
First of all, up front, in the O-punch hole, you get a 40-Megapixel front-facing camera. That camera is one of the most powerful selfie camera fitted in a Samsung Galaxy device. It is easily the most powerful fitted to a Samsung Galaxy S device.
Source: Samsung
Then there is the rear cameras. Its an array of four cameras too. It is not the usual 12-Megapixel plus 64-Megapixel plus 12-Megapixel arrangement that you get on the lesser models though. This top-of-the-line flagship gets an impressive 108-Megapixel main camera. You might not be surprised that the 108-Megapixel you find on the Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Pro is also the same Samsung developed sensor.
The 108-Megapixel camera is paired to a 48-Megapixel telephoto camera that gives the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra the ability to zoom up to 30x optically and 100x digitally. Stalker smartphone alert? Defnitely.
Source: Samsung
There is also a 12-Megapixel ultra-wide angle lens too on the other side. There is also the DepthVision sensor you find on the S20+. If you stayed up and watch the livestream, you might notice a low-light sensor fitted in too. They did not talk about the sensor, but that should help with good looking low-light photos.
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra takes camera to a whole new level not just with the physical cameras too. The new camera array comes with a slew of new software that might really change the game too.
Raising The Camera Game
8K resolution will be standard on all the Galaxy S20 variants. But it does not stop at just long form videos. 8K Video Snap is a new thing, made for more social media use, you can use it to capture moments very quickly by just launching the camera. Keep in mind that if you shoot on 8K using the Samsung Galaxy S20 and the Galaxy S20+ you are using the Telephoto lens. Bummer.
Source: Samsung
While the regular, traditional smartphone cameras take photos using one sensor at a time. The Samsung Galaxy S20 devices takes a single picture file with all the cameras they have. They call this Single Take.
If you work with the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, you get to zoom 30 times, or zoom it out to to ultra-wide photo, or just the regular wide angle photo all within a single shot. No more fiddling around and missing moments. Just make sure you get the right things in the frame and you are set.
The camera software also packs some new flashy Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) that improves on image stabilizing. It also helps with some rolling shutters when you move plenty. Oh yes, this can be your new production camera. They did use the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra to shoot the whole Unpacked 2020, you know.
More Stuff With The Galaxy S20 Series
All The Samsung Galaxy S20 devices in the series will be IP68 certified, as expected with all the modern Samsung Galaxy S devices. All of them will come with Fast Charging too via USB Type-C. If you are hoping the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra comes with 3.5mm jack, it does not too, sadly. All of the Samsung Galaxy S20 devices comes certified with Google’s Live Caption feature as part of Google’s Accessibility program.
Source: Samsung
Of course, it only makes sense if you get Fast Wireless Charging 2.0 at 10W. That wireless receiver can become transmitters for all the devices too. While all the devices come with dual SIM support, they work with eSIM too, which is always great since one of the SIM slots needs to be sacrificed if you opt for a MicroSD expansion.
There are a few colours available for the Samsung Galaxy S20 line-up. They differ slightly as you go through the range though. The Samsung Galaxy S20 comes in Cosmic Grey, or Cloud Blue, or Cloud Pink. The Samsung Galaxy S20+ comes in Cosmic Grey, or Cloud Blue, or Cosmic Black. The S20 Ultra comes in Cosmic Grey or Cosmic Black options only.
Prices start from US$ 999 (MYR 4,129*) for the Samsung Galaxy S20, US$ 1,199 (MYR 4,956*) for the Samsung Galaxy S20+, and US$ 1,399 (MYR 5,782*) for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra. Keep in mind these are the 5G variants though. Unpacked did not mention anything about the LTE versions but we are definitely getting them in Malaysia. More information on their website.
*Approximate conversion based on US$ 1 = MYR 4.13 on 12/02/2020
UPDATE: The Samsung Galaxy S20 series will start from MYR 3,599 (S20), MYR3,999 (S20+), and MYR 4,999 (S20 Ultra). For Malaysia, the Samsung Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ will only be available in LTE variants while the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra will come in both LTE and 5G variants. Pre-orders starts from the 12th of February 2020 at 5.00 p.m. onward to the 26th February 11.59 p.m., terms and conditions apply. The devices should be out in stores on the 4th of March 2020 onward.
The smartphone is changing; it’s a fact that we can’t deny anymore. Samsung officially unfolded their revolution with the Galaxy Fold last year. This year, they’re going to make you flip for the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. The Z Flip refines some of the features we saw with the Galaxy Fold and gives it a new form factor. Samsung touts the new flip phone as a perfectly compact, statement smartphone.
Premium Design with Cutting Edge Materials
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip comes with a new design which isn’t just eye catching, it takes the fold of the Galaxy fold and flips it. (Yes, pun very much intended!). The Z Flip unfolds to the reveal a 6.7-inch foldable display within its sleek square body. The display on the Z Flip has a Full HD+ resolution of 2636×1080 pixels with a pixel density of 425ppi. Samsung claims that, unlike its competition and the Galaxy Fold, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip comes with an ultra thin, flexible Glass Super AMOLED display. This is possibly the first product available to consumers with flexible glass. It’s also Samsung’s first 21.9:9 aspect ratio screen.
The hinge of the Galaxy Flip Z has been improved. Taking feedback and lessons from the launch of the Galaxy Fold, the Flip Z comes with a new Hideaway Hinge. This hinge literally hides away when you open the Flip Z. The hinge silently tucks itself between the two halves of the Flip. The new hinge also comes with nylon fibres in between that help keep dust and particulates out of it.
Unique User Experience, Natively Supported by Android
The User Interface (UI) of the Galaxy Z Flip has also been enhanced; it now comes with a unique feature which allows the phone to be used at different folding angles. The new Flex mode on the Flip allows the phone to be used in a similar way to that of a laptop. The smartphone will be able to be used at three different angles thanks to the three stop hinge. The 6.7-inch display is split into two smaller 4-inch displays. The bottom portion of the display becomes a dedicated interaction area while the top continues to behave as a display.
The new interaction mode is supported natively by Android 10. During the Unpacked event, it was announced that Google Duo and YouTube Premium will support Flex Mode out of the box. Google also announced that the APIs for development on other multi-mode devices are already available. So, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more apps hit the Google Play Store soon.
The Galaxy Z Flip also come with a 1.1-inch display on the front. This display is activated when the phone is closed. The Cover Display displays notifications, the time and also acts as a screen for selfies when the phone is closed. The new Flip Z is able to use the dual camera setup on the phone to take a selfie on the cover display.
Compromised Specifications
The Flip Z comes with a dual camera setup with two 12-megapixel sensors. The main sensor is a wide angle with a 78 ° field of view and an aperture f/1.8. It supports Super Speed Dual Auto Focus, tracking autofocus, HDR10+ video recording, up to and optical image stabilisation (OIS). The secondary sensor is an ultra wide sensor with a 123 ° field of view with a f/2.2 aperture. The front camera is a 10-megapixel sensor with an 80 ° field of view with an f/2.4 aperture.
The Samsung Galaxy Flip Z comes with a Snapdragon 855+ processor which supports 4G LTE. This is paired with 256GB of internal memory and 8GB of RAM. It will have support for eSIM and a nano SIM. The smartphone will be powered by a 3,300mAh dual battery which is only capable of QuickCharge 2.0 (15W fast charging). On the connectivity side of things, the Flip supports NFC, WiFi a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS, Galileo,GLONASS and BeiDou. It connects via a USB Type C cable for wired charging. It also supported wireless charging.
Pricing and Availability
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will initially be available in Mirror Purple and Mirror Black in select markets starting February 14,2020. The only two announced so far are the U.S. and South Korea. A Mirror Gold colour will be available at a later date.
The Galaxy Z Flip will be retailing for USD$1,380 (MYR 5,704.54).
Samsung is also collaborating with Thom Browne, a renoun American fashion designer for a special limited edition version of the Z Flip. Details of this special edition will be unveiled at New York Fashion week.
February is here, Chinese New Year has gone, and Chap Go Mei just passed, and we look forward to the next big thing in our calendars; the 14th of February, Valentine’s Day. We first thought to go into a little bit of the history of Valentine’s Day. We then thought that that will be boring.
We also though of going through the history of cosmetics and then Elizabeth Arden as a brand. Then we also thought otherwise. We will have no clue what they are talking about. All we think you need to know is that cosmetics have existed for more than 1,000 years in the land of Egypt. Elizabeth Arden has also existed for about 110 years now.
Source: Elizabeth Arden
If you know cosmetics, you would know that Elizabeth Arden is one of the more premium cosmetic brands in the market. If you do not know cosmetics; there is the information for you. They make a bunch of great stuff too, which we do not personally use; because none of us in the office uses cosmetics unfortunately.
Still, this makes an Elizabeth Arden product the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. To be fair, this product is mostly made for women. You get the idea then.
The thing is, Chinese New year 2020 just passed and there are plenty of work to catch up on now. Time for shopping is very limited. So the only option for you to get a Valentine’s Day gift is via the online stores. Thank goodness for Elizabeth Arden on Shopee then.
Source: Elizabeth Arden
You may not find the most complete Elizabeth Arden experience in the online stores. You will still find a complete catalogue of Elizabeth Arden’s complete product line-up and you can easily purchase them too. Thing is, if you have no idea what you are getting yourself into, you might want to get some advise from your friends who would have more experience with these stuff.
From the online store in Shopee you can get Elizabeth Arden’s award-winning Eight Hour product range. The products supposedly improve skin conditions after eight hours of application, some fast acting stuff here. There is their new 8 Daily Defense Moisturize product as well for a healthier skin.
Of course, there are other products in the Shopee store. If Elizabeth Arden is not your cup of tea, Shopee has many more items in store for you for Valentine’s Day. No significant other to give to? Who says Valentine’s Day needs to be just about your significant other? For more information and promotion, you can head to Shopee’s online marketplace. The Shopee app is also available for free on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
UPDATE: For Valentine’s day Elizabeth will give 55% discounts on selected items at selected times too as part of Shopee’s Shocking Sale deals on the 12th of February 2020. That is tomorrow, yes. At 9 a.m. you can get a perfume, body lotion, and shower gel set at 55% off its MYR 378 price tag. At 4 p.m. you can get Elizabeth Arden’s White Tea two-piece set at MYR 116.55. At 8 p.m. you can get their perfume and body lotion set which is now priced at MYR 308.
Acer’s Predator League is one of the biggest e-sports events in the region. The company’s annual e-sports event brings together some of the best Defense of the Ancients (DoTA) and Player Unknown Battlegrounds (PUBG) players in the region. These competitors vie for a slice of the of the USD$40,000 prize pool. This year, the competition’s finals were scheduled to take place in the Philippines from February 19 to 23.
However, in light of recent developments, Acer has opted to delay the grand finals. The company announced late yesterday that the finals will tentatively be rescheduled to June or July given the current situation with the 2019-nCoV Coronavirus.
The company’s grand event is set to draw a huge crowd with about 20,000 tickets sold to date for the tournament. Acer informs us that processes are being put in place for those who have purchased their tickets. They will be updating everyone on how they will proceed with the ticketing moving forward. Keep an eye on their official website for updates on reimbursements or reuse of purchased tickets.
Belkin has become a well-known brand when it comes to accessories and peripherals for any device. The company has released some of the most well designed accessories for iPhones, Android devices and laptops. Recently, the company merged with Foxconn to form the Connected Devices division under a new entity called Foxconn Interconnect Technology.
You know the saying, “new year, new me”? Well, Belkin is taking that to heart by not only announcing its new identity but also by introducing a slew of accessories for Apple users. The new devices are a continuation of the partnership between Apple and Belkin which started since the early 2000s.
In a nutshell, Belkin is kicking off the year with a slew of products to make sure that Apple users are charged up. To kick things off, the company is introducing a wireless charging dock which is made for both the iPhone and the Apple Watch. Of course, since the dock charges wirelessly, it works with the iPhone X, Xs and the new iPhone 11. The dock also allows you to take advantage of the Nightstand mode in the Apple Watch so you’ll be able to use the alarm clock feature too. If you need an extra charger, the dock has a 5-watt USB A port which you can charge an extra device or powerbank through. The BOOST↑UP™ Wireless Charging Dock for iPhone and Apple Watch is available now for MYR799.
If that’s a little too pricey, the BOOST↑UP™ Wireless Charging Pad & Stand 10W will only set you back MYR339. The wireless charger doesn’t support the Apple Watch; but it does deliver 10W fast wireless charging. It’s engineered to work with cases up to 3mm thick. If you want your phone to be upright while using the wireless charger, there is a stand to allow you to prop it up. The standing pad retails for MYR389.
Looking to charge your iPhone and listen to tunes at the same time? Don’t have a set of AirPods? No 3.5mm port? Belkin’s ROCKSTAR Lightning Headphones & Audio Charge dock is here to meet your needs. The dock extends the USB connectivity of the iPhone to enable dual USB-C-Lightning plugin. The dock extends the lightning port of the iPhone to allow users to plug their Lightning connector earphones while charging through USB-C. The dock is able to convey audio at 48KHz at 24-bit quality while supporting 12W charging. The dock will cost MYR225. If you’re looking for earphones, Belkin has Lightning connector earphones from MYR199.
If you’re constantly on the go, you’ll need to be able to charge your devices without hassle. Belkin has a charger which you can carry anywhere. The BOOST↑CHARGE™ 27W USB-C™+12W USB-A Home Charger will only set you back MYR259 but it will allow you to charge your devices via USB-C. This also means that you’ll be able to charge your MacBook (probably slower than its original charger which is 30W). That said, it will also be able to fast charge your iPhone and AirPods. It is able to charge via a 12W USB-A port as well. If you need something similar for your car, the Belkin BOOST↑CHARGE™ USB-C + USB-A Car Charger 30W will only set you back MYR139.
Being on the go also means that you’ll need a way to charge your devices if they run out when you are out and about. Belkin’s BOOST↑CHARGE™ Power Bank 2K for Apple Watch will ensure that your smartwatch stays powered. The powerbank provides an additional 63 hours of battery life. For your iPhone, you can get the BOOST↑CHARGE™ Power Bank 10K with Lightning Connector. The MYR339 powerbank allows you to charge your phone through a lightning cable in addition to 2 USB A cables.
Which of these are you more likely to buy? Let us know in the comments below!
18 months ago, Touch n’ Go Sdn. Bhd. started something quite radical for the transportation industry in Malaysia. It is not what you would call unthinkable or unheard of. It has been done before, albeit outside of Malaysia. The new application within Malaysian road have been also widely know to be used in plenty of applications with unmatched reliability and accuracy; baggage sorting and handling in the airports for example.
If you were thinking of RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification); yes we are talking about RFID. The title should have given it away anyway. Touch n’ Go Sdn. Bhd., in collaboration with Touch n’ Go Digital, launched the RFID pilot program. According to Touch n’ Go, the program gave out about million RFID tags to residents of Klang Valley. The program also extends its acceptance across Klang Valley’s 22 highways through its 18 months Pilot program. Late last year, extending into this year, the RFID acceptance extends to selected toll gates across the North-South Expressway.
In short, the program was a successful one. That is the test covered; so what is next? A full rollout of course.
That also means that RFID tags are now available for purchase via installation centres across the nation. You no longer have to make extensive applications through the website and wait for approval from Touch n’ Go to install the RFID tags to your cars, for a price. Not expensive though at MYR 35. Compare that to a new Smart TAG device at MYR 150 each. To use the devices you also have to get a new Touch n’ Go card for MYR 10.
The RFID tag works with an eWallet – the Touch n’ Go eWallet. You do not need a Touch n’ Go card anymore with the RFID tags. Well, you might still want to keep one as a back up; just in case. All you have to do is to ensure you have enough credits in the Touch n’ Go eWallet, pass through an RFID lane, and you’re through. Keep a good distance with the car in front of you though, and a reasonable speed (30 km/h) and below.
Of course RFID will not just stop at the 22 toll gates in Klang Valley. They are rolling out to even more toll gates across the nation through 2020 and beyond. Touch n’ Go is also looking to use RFID beyond the public roads. They are looking at installing it and using it for parking, paying for petrol, and more.
RFID is more than just what you see on the surface though. Touch n’ Go Sdn. Bhd. can now do real-time traffic analysis and tracking. These data can be shared across multiple platforms or even the authorities for traffic planning and tracking. It is all a part of a smarter and more digital Malaysia.
Touch n’ Go’s RFID tags will be available for purchase at MYR 35/tag from 15th February onward. You do have to ensure that you have the Touch n’ Go eWallet app on your smartphones first though; the RFID tags are tied to your eWallet. From the 15th February 2020 to 15 April 2020 40 lucky winners will walk away with MYR 2,500 worth of Toll Pass credited in their eWallet.
The Touch n’ Go eWallet app is available for free on Android and iOS via Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store respectively. For more information on the Touch n’ Go RFID program you can head over to their website.
