vivo’s sub-brand iQOO is bringing high performance to a more affordable price with their new iQOO Z7 and Z7x. The two new phones bring Qualcomm’s best mid-range processors to smartphones that cater for those who need powerful devices on a budget.
The iQOO Z7 spearheads the new lineup with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 782G. Qualcomm’s processor strikes a balance between performance and power efficiency. The 6nm process allows Qualcomm the leeway to combine both performance and power efficiency cores with Qualcomm’s Kryo technology. iQOO combines this processor with up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage to complete their affordable performance smartphone. The Z7x makes the package even more affordable with the Snapdragon 695 5G. On the Z7x, this is paired with a maximum of 8GB of RAM with up to 256GB of internal storage.
Both the iQOO Z7 and the iQOO Z7x come with a 6.64-inch LCD display with 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. The display also comes with a 120Hz refresh rate for faster, smoother visual performance. Together with this, the phones come with NFC support and dual stereo speakers. The Z7 also comes with a 3.5mm combo audio jack and an infrared blaster. Both also run on Android 13 with vivo’s Funtouch OS.
On the camera side of things, the Z7x comes with an 8-megapixel selfie camera while the Z7 comes with a 16-megapixel camera. The main camera setup is a dual sensor setup with a 64-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS) on the iQOO Z7 while the Z7x comes with a 50-megapixel main camera. Both are complemented by a 2-megapixel depth sensor.
The two smartphones come with large-capacity batteries. The iQOO Z7 has a 5,000mAh battery with support for 120W dual-cell FlashCharge while the Z7x comes with a larger 6,000mAh battery with support for 80W FlashCharge.
Pricing & Availability
The iQOO Z7 is available in its signature Matrix Blue colour while the Z7x is available in a slightly different Tropical Blue as its signature colour. Both are also in Metallic Black. Prices for the devices and available variants are as below. Purchases of the smartphones
Model
Variant
Price (MYR)
Free Gift Offer
iQOO Z7
12GB RAM + 256GB onboard storage
1,499
– 1-year extended warranty – 1-year screen crack protection – Free gifts worth RM248, including an iQOO backpack or a Marshall key *Eligible for RM50 iQOO Student Discount programme voucher*
iQOO Z7
8GB RAM +128GB onboard storages
1,299
– 1-year extended warranty – 1-year screen crack protection – Free gifts worth RM248, including an iQOO backpack or a Marshall key *Eligible for RM50 iQOO Student Discount programme voucher*
iQOO Z7x
8GB RAM + 256GB onboard storage
1,099
– 1-year extended warranty – 1-year screen crack protection – Free gifts worth RM248, including an iQOO backpack or a Marshall key *Eligible for RM50 iQOO Student Discount programme voucher*
iQOO Z7x
8GB RAM +128GB onboard storage
999
– 1-year extended warranty – 1-year screen crack protection – Free gifts worth RM248, including an iQOO backpack or a Marshall key *Eligible for RM50 iQOO Student Discount programme voucher*
HONG KONG, April 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei today officially unveiled Huawei Cloud Stack 8.2 for the Asia-Pacific market at the Huawei Hong Kong and Macau Partner Summit 2023. The theme of this summit is “Grow Together, Win the Future.” This latest version of Huawei Cloud Stack provides trusted cloud-native infrastructure, rich cloud services, and extensive industry know-how. It is designed to help enterprises in the Asia-Pacific region speed up intelligent upgrade. Also, Huawei announced the establishment of the Asia-Pacific Huawei Cloud Stack Innovation Lab.
Hu Yuhai, Vice President of Huawei Cloud Stack, said, “We hope to leverage Huawei Cloud Stack 8.2 and the Asia-Pacific Huawei Cloud Stack Innovation Lab to bring new vitality to the Asia-Pacific hybrid cloud market while accelerating intelligent upgrade and unleashing digital power for more enterprises.”
Huawei Cloud Stack 8.2, The Preferred Choice for Intelligent Upgrade
Huawei Cloud Stack is a trusted on-premises cloud solution. Deployed on-premises, it improves security and compliance. Synchronized with services from the public cloud, it also allows for continuous iteration. Huawei Cloud Stack has been taking three approaches to inspire technological innovation and create new value for more industries:
Three Visions of Huawei Cloud Stack for Innovation
Robust service resilience is key to cloud migration of all workloads. To enhance resilience of cloud infrastructure, Huawei Cloud Stack provides high reliability, diversified computing power, high security, efficient storage, full-mesh networks, and efficient cloud management.
We have provided a range of scenario-specific disaster recovery (DR) solutions, including intra-city active-active and cross-region HA solutions, for automated failover. Plus, DR services and fine-grained DR allow tenants to create custom DR policies.
We have designed an end-to-end security protection system consisting of one security operations center and seven layers of protection, which transforms passive response to proactive defense. The system also provides more than 100 detection models and over 50 playbooks. 90% of alarms can be closed in minutes.
ManageOne, our intelligent cloud management platform, provides comprehensive management capabilities covering services, operations, and maintenance. Its unique multi-level cloud resource pool management architecture is able to match with intricate organizational structures of enterprises.
Offer Rich Cloud Services to Make Innovation Easier
Huawei Cloud Stack shares the same architecture as the Huawei public cloud, so it is able to continuously evolve cloud services and helps customers use the latest cloud services to promote innovation in data, AI, and applications.
We have developed ModelArts, an AI development pipeline. It provides a complete set of AI development tools, including data management, data labeling, algorithm development, model training, and inference deployment. It addresses the problem of inefficient AI application development, caused by fragmentation, lots of customization needs, and isolated environments. Plus, ModelArts helps efficiently operationalize AI in a wide range of industries such as mining, meteorological prediction, and biomedicine.
GaussDB, MapReduce Service (MRS), and Data Warehouse Service (DWS) are our three major products designed for data innovation. GaussDB is an online transaction processing (OLTP) database product that provides outstanding performance, reliability, and security. It allows customers to move their core databases to a distributed architecture. MRS provides a high-performance, real-time data lake. DWS provides an enterprise-grade data warehouse service that delivers both T+1 online analytical processing (OLAP) and real-time hybrid transaction/analytical processing (HTAP).
In terms of application innovation, Cloud Container Engine (CCE), from Huawei Cloud Stack, is 100% compatible with Kubernetes APIs and provides a one-stop O&M platform to monitor and manage application statuses. ROMA Connect can also be used for efficient governance of data, information, and APIs.
Consolidate Extensive Industry Know-how for Shared Excellence
Huawei Cloud Stack has extensive experience enabling cloud transformation of customers in many industries. We have provided professional services and industry-specific solutions by working with partners to help customers move to, use, and manage cloud with ease.
We have released more than 30 industry-specific solutions including national AI cloud, national government cloud, and financial cloud solutions. All of these solutions are pre-integrated and verified on the cloud platform and with partners’ applications. These solutions provide an architecture reference for customers in those industries.
We have launched more than 70 professional services, covering multiple phases such as top-level design, implementation, and operational excellence. The services share our professional expertise with customers.
Asia-Pacific Huawei Cloud Stack Innovation Lab
To empower local customers and partners to promote innovation for more scenarios, Huawei Cloud Stack has established an Asia-Pacific innovation lab in Hong Kong, China. The innovation lab will be open to customers and partners and will be used for tasks as diverse as software and hardware verification, POC testing, and talent cultivation.
Accelerate Intelligent Upgrade and Unleash Digital Power for Asia-Pacific Enterprises
Huawei Cloud, constantly innovating by sticking to the vision of “Everything As a Service”, has become a brand trusted by global customers. Backed by the extensive customers and partners, we are now the fifth largest cloud vendor in the world, the second largest cloud vendor in China, and the fastest-growing cloud among the top 5 clouds in emerging markets of Asia.
In Indonesia, Huawei Cloud Stack’s hybrid cloud solution helped CT Corp, one of the local leading groups, deploy a customer data platform (CDP), which reduces TCO by 25% and improves overall business performance by 30%.
In Thailand, Huawei Cloud Stack partnered with Siriraj Hospital, one of leading public hospitals in Thailand, to develop a smart hospital, a hospital that infuses tech advances into nine different hospital scenarios, like AI-powered image reading, unmanned drug delivery vehicles, and 5G-based ambulances.
In China, Huawei Cloud Stack helped Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) deploy a financial data lake with more than 4,000 nodes, the most of any lake in the industry. It moved all of ICBC’s mission-critical applications to the cloud, including those for big data risk control and real-time anti-fraud and anti-money laundering detection.
The Asia-Pacific market has seen a blossoming of digital transformation. It has been imperative for enterprises in the market to dive into cloud innovation. Moving forward, Huawei Cloud Stack intends to continue spearheading innovation, staying focused on industry needs, and joining hands with customers and partners to help enterprises in the Asia-Pacific market accelerate intelligent upgrade and light up a digital future.
If you have not already known, Google completed its acquisition of Google very early in 2021. The price of that acquisition? A cool US$ 2.1 billion, with a ‘b’, yes. We thought that this could be a rather important acquisition for Google, especially in their pursuit of making an Android wearable product that can compete with the likes of Samsung’s Galaxy Watch and Apple’s Watch products.
Since the acquisition, the Mountain View giant has not exactly sat still with developing Android Wear. They introduced a new Wear OS 3. With that new Wear OS 3, they also announced a new partner in making their Google Wear. They eliminated a competition to Wear OS in tandem to that announcement. Google Wear OS 3’s new darling flagship watch would be made by Samsung into their Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, which also means the TizenOS for watches is no more. What about Fitbit?
In the two years that Google has owned Fitbit, it seems like business as usual for Fitbit. The app remains the same, the devices have not changed, the functions remain the same, they introduced their new products as Fitbit products with no association to Google or Android. Everything sort of changed when Google started making plans to integrate Fitbit into Google and consolidate the Fitbit platform into Google’s own.
Consolidating one platform to another can be a grueling and long process. Just last month, to make things easier to integrate, Google shut down one of the most unique features for Fitbit owners like community adventures and challenges. In the coming months until 2025, Google will start allowing users to log into the Fitbit app with their Google accounts. It is not the end of the story yet though for your old Fitbit login, at least for now. You have until 2025 to migrate and port your data over from the Fitbit account into your Google account though. If you are just starting out with a new Fitbit, you can only register with a Google account instead of the Fitbit accounts that are being phased out.
Source: Google
It does not mean that Google is closing the Fitbit app though. It just means that you must sign into your Fitbit app with your Google account in the future. Once you transition from Fitbit login to your Google login, Google says that you will still have access to all your Fitbit data from the past and have full access to the Fitbit app in all its glory and functions. It adds a degree of convenience for users for sure. It also allows Google to keep all your data in a single place and consolidate it into a single security structure that they have control over. According to their Google Blog announcement, Google claims that the Fitbit data you keep with Google will be safer in their hands. You also do not need to be afraid of having Google Ads targeting you, because Google is keeping the data separate and away from Google Ads.
The transition to Google apps is not a surprising one, considering that Google owns Fitbit. While it took this long for Google to finally require Fitbit users to consolidate their accounts into Google, we have also mentioned that transitioning and consolidating two platforms is no easy task. We are also expecting to see new iterations of Android Wear with elements of Fitbit’s clever platform built into Android Wear. In that case, you can expect a new Samsung Galaxy Watch with plenty of what used to be Fitbit exclusive functions.
If you are a Fitbit user still on Fitbit’s proprietary login, we would recommend you switch over as soon as possible. Although Google did say that you are in no hurry, you have until 2025 anyway. For new users looking to get into fitness tracking, you still can buy a Fitbit, but you want to keep in mind you are signing up for it with Google.
Sony is a world-famous brand when it comes to audio gear. They make all sorts of audio solutions for all kinds of uses. They have the WH-1000X series of headphones for consumer level high-end noise-cancelling headphones. They make the MDR Z series headphones for audiophiles. If you prefer in-ear earphones, there is the WF-1000X series for consumers looking for the best truly wireless listening experience. You also have the IER series earphones if you prefer a wired audiophile solution. They do not stop at headphones though, they make vinyl players, portable media players, speakers, home theaters, recorders, and even microphones. They are also some of the biggest name in audio specific production work.
For years, the benchmark for studio and production monitoring has been Sony’s MDR-7506 over ear headphones. In fact, Sony’s MDR series monitoring headphones have been setting the standard in studio level monitoring equipment for more than three decades. Now, there is a new one – the MDR MV1.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Unlike the MDR-7506, the MDR-MV1 offers an open-back design. That means you can expect more natural and cleaner audio response from the headphones, an advantage over closed back designs. Open back headphones also usually offer a more accurate sound reproduction with a wider sound stage, allowing for better and more accurate mixes. There is a small problem of ambient noise though, since there is nothing stopping noise from outside from coming in.
Apart from that accuracy, the MDR-MV1 also offers spatial sound capabilities. For Sony, their spatial sound algorithm is 360 Reality Audio. You can technically use the headphones to mix for Apple’s Spatial Audio and other surround sound implementations. With Hi-Res resolution compatibility, the MDR-MV1 offers a broad depth of monitoring capabilities allowing you to mix all kinds of music accurately. The headphones offer frequency responses between 5Hz all the way to 80kHz, which is more than wide enough for all kinds of sounds, even if you sit in a foley studio instead of a music recording studio.
Unlike older designed Sony MDR monitoring headphones, the MDR-MV1 offers a detachable AUX cable. You can technically use other similar cables, but why would you want to when Sony offers a highly durable high-quality cable with machined connectors. They also re-engineered their earpads with softer materials that is also lightweight so that you can work for much longer without taking off the headphones or hurting your neck and head.
Sony C-80
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Alongside the MDR-MV1 open back monitoring headphone Sony also launched a new microphone made mostly for home recording and podcasts, the Sony C-80.
Sony’s C-80 is not the first microphone Sony makes. They have the C-100 and C-800G, both are aimed at recording studios mostly. The C-80 is more made for prosumers and hobbyist looking to have a professional grade gear in their homes.
The C-80 offers the best of both the C-100 and C-800G microphones. The capsule is derived from the C-100 while the shock-proof two-part metallic body is derived from the C-800G. They also innovated with something they call “Noise Elimination Construction” that prevents the mic from picking up noise from the body’s vibration itself offering a much cleaner sound almost free of noise while recording.
The C-80, like the mics that came before, is made mostly for vocal recordings. That does not mean that you cannot use it for anything other than vocal recording. You can technically use it for recording instruments like guitars. It is also a condenser, so you want to make sure you have mixer with 48v power through its XLR port.
Price and Availability
The Sony MDR-MV1 will be available in May 2023, alongside the C-80. There are no colour options here, so personalizing your headphones and mics will have to come down to your own efforts. The MDR-MV1 will set you back MYR 1,690, which is a little way off from the older MDR-7506. It is supposed to offer a lot more in terms of monitoring and mixing capabilities though. The C-80 will retail at MYR 2,190. More on Sony’s latest MDR-MV1 can be found on their website.
The new EKOBOX portable power station from ZLOS will keep you powered whenever you need it and wherever you are.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 12, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — ZLOS has just introduced its new EKOBOX device which is the world’s smallest 1240Wh portable electric power station. This lightweight powerhouse will change the way you think about technology forever by finally making it possible to take full control of your power usage from anywhere.
The EKOBOX also boasts being the world’s first fast-charging, portable power station that utilizes SG50 ports and is designed with market-leading LG cells. ZLOS General Manager, Jash Yang, has commented that “users will now have access to reliable power – both indoors and outside – with our compact, high-quality product.”
The EKOBOX power station features a battery made up of 70 LG 21700 M50LT cells – giving it an impressive 1240Wh capacity. To make things more convenient, the device is also 15% smaller than any other power station with the same capacity and integrates ergonomic handles to make carrying it around so much easier. Jash Yang has also attested to the performance of the EKOBOX, stating that “the battery’s superior quality allows it to retain 80% capacity after 1000 cycles.”
UP TO 12 OUTPUT PORTS
The advanced EKOBOX can also power up to 12 devices simultaneously and has six different output types, which allows it to meet almost any power requirement. The 1200W-rated AC output ports are capable of powering appliances with a maximum surge power of 1800W – enough to run even power-hungry devices like induction cookers, hairdryers, and kettles. The SG50 port provides power for outdoor refrigerators, portable air conditioners, and camping equipment while the DC5521 and car port provides stable power to smaller devices, such as stereos, drones, car refrigerators, and more. The versatile USB ports ensure power supply for personal electronic devices while still recharging other items – including camping lanterns, mini desk fans, and multiple other devices.
THREE WAYS TO CHARGE YOUR EKOBOX
The EKOBOX power station switches between fast charging, low-wattage charging, and solar charging mode seamlessly. With a maximum power of 800W, the product can be fully charged in just 1.8 hours – while competing power stations can take almost three to seven hours to reach a full battery. The EKOBOX allows you to charge it even in situations where electricity might be limited, such as campsites – all without jumping the switch when using the 400W AC input power in the low-wattage charging mode. Moreover, the 400W solar power input allows the device to be fully charged in only 3.5-5 hours through solar panels (which are not included) – effectively turning the EKOBOX into a fully-fledged solar generator.
SLEEK, ATTRACTIVE AND SIMPLIFIED DESIGN
The EKOBOX sports a stylish and practical design – with its stunning silver-gray, silicone port covers that are fireproof and water-resistant. The device also features the largest screen in its class to ensure direct access to critical information without the need to download additional apps. “The EKOBOX is useful even in dire situations,” says Jash Yang while pointing out the device’s large LED light that can easily illuminate the night while its SOS mode produces beeps reaching 70 decibels – allowing rescue teams to find your location faster. The EPS function of the EKOBOX also helps you in protecting the internal computer – ensuring you have a safe, stable, and reliable device for all your needs.
PRODUCT AVAILABILITY
We are thrilled to announce that our EKOBOX product will soon be available for purchase in several regions across the world.
– In Australia, the EKOBOX will be sold through a local distributor, starting from May 2023. – Our authorized reseller PBtech will make the product available in New Zealand, also starting from May 2023. – Customers in Korea can purchase the EKOBOX from Gobigs starting April 2023. – In the US and Europe, the product will be available for purchase starting in June 2023. – We are also excited to start our crowdfunding campaign in Japan with our partner, Earth Reborn Co., Ltd., on makuake, starting from May 2023.
Stay tuned for more updates and information on how to purchase the EKOBOX in your region.
ABOUT ZLOS
ZLOS specializes in the creation of high-quality portable electronic devices that are user-friendly, compact, and lightweight. Our products are designed for both indoor and outdoor applications and rely on chic, innovative, and practical engineering to maintain the perfect balance between form and function. Introducing unique and pioneering products to make life easier is all part of our continuous effort to meet the changing needs of our modern world. For more information, please visit www.zlos.com.
To get a better understanding of our products and services, we have created an introduction video that showcases our brand and products. You can access the video by following the link provided below:[https://www.youtube.com/@zlostechnology/featured]
eReaders aren’t your run-of-the-mill tablets; what’s more, with a product like the Kobo Elipsa 2E, we’re talking about e-ink displays. These devices have, for the longest time been single-use devices for those who enjoy reading but don’t mind the absence of tactility in their experience. The flip side to the absence is the access to an endless, ever-growing library of literary adventures.
However, Kobo is looking to change the experience with its new Kobo Elipsa 2E. The eReader comes with a 10.3-inch, E-Ink Carta 1200 touchscreen. This display comes equipped with a backlight and ComfortLight PRO which helps reduce blue light and eyestrain. The eReader is made specifically for longer reading sessions and maybe that hour or two to help you escape before going to bed. It’s also got 32GB of internal storage and a 2GHz processor.
The biggest difference with the Kobo Elipsa 2E is the new Kobo Stylus 2 which allows readers to actively annotate the eBooks that they are reading. It also comes with the built-in notebook feature which allows users to take notes independently as well. With the Kobo Elipsa 2E you’ll also be able to convert your handwriting into typed text if you to as well.
This feature addresses a long-standing issue that non-fiction readers faced with eReaders. CEO of Kobo, Michael Tamblyn highlights, “For avid nonfiction readers, eBooks have historically been an imperfect medium because they couldn’t mark up the text and engage with the content as effectively as with a print book. With the introduction of Kobo Stylus, we have solved that and with Kobo Elipsa 2E and our upgraded Kobo Stylus 2, we have created a superior reading experience for nonfiction fans.”
It’s not just about annotating either with this eReaders, you’ll be able to tap into Kobo’s vast library of audiobooks thanks to Bluetooth connectivity. Just pair your favourite pair of headphones and you’re all set for your next audiobook. With the Kobo Elipsa 2E, users can also rest at ease when it comes to their carbon footprint. The Elipsa 2E features a build that consists of over 85% recycled materials including ocean-bound plastics. The SleepCover for the Elipsa 2E is also made from recycled materials and ocean-bound plastics.
Pricing & Availability
The Elipsa 2E will retail for MYR2,019.00. It will be on sale complete with the Kobo Stylus 2. The eReader will be available in Malaysia via the Kobo Lazada and Shopee storefronts starting April 19, 2023.
Pre-orders kicked off on April 5 in Canada, the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan and Turkey. Physical stores will have them on shelves starting April 19, 2023.
The Sony Walkman brand started in 1979 with personal battery powered cassette players. That was genesis for the portable audio industry, one of the first personal audio player small enough to fit in your pockets. The boom in the stereoscopic headphone industry can also be attributed to that.
In 2001, Apple brought their famous iPod to market. When that launched, the iPod became the household name for portable audio. All the other brands, including Sony’s Walkman, had to take a backseat.
Today, something like an iPod is ‘old-fashioned’. You can store lossless audio files and even play them on a modern smartphone. There are many streaming platforms today as well offering you music and even podcasts at the same time.
For all of these, you trade audio quality for convenience. Proper audio processors will make your smartphones bigger. Your streaming platforms use highly compressed audio for better economy, latency, and efficient storage.
For audiophiles and purists though, convenience is a hindrance to purity and greatness. A dedicated media player is always the way to go. Sony’s Walkman is still one of the biggest brands in this space. In the Walkman stables, there are also options to fit different budgets.
One of their latest additions to the Walkman family is the NW-A306, a mid-range media player for enthusiasts. It packs Android 12, like a smartphone. It is an extra device in your gear bag that will set you back MYR 1,599. In that case, is this relevant? Is it even worth the asking price?
Design
It looks like a rather compact and thick smartphone. Thanks to Android 12, it feels like an actual smartphone. Unlike a smartphone though, this has more buttons than the usual on/off an volume rocker buttons.
The front of the device is a glass plane protecting a 3.6-inch LCD panel and Sony branding at the bottom. The camera-less ridged back plate with a Walkman badge carved into it is aluminium. The ridge is meant to improve grip, we think. We reckon that a cheap silicon case would do a better job.
The sides are also aluminium like the back plate. On the right side of the device is where all your media and volume control buttons are. There is also a ‘hold’ toggle to prevent accidental presses. The entire device speaks quality and feels rigid, durable.
You can only get the NW-A306 in boring ol’ black. It is not meant to attract attention though. We would go so far to say that the Sony NW-A306 is meant to be subtle and stealthy.
Hardware
Sony does not mention the sort of processor inside the device. It is made with audio in mind though. For that, Sony has several effects processors inside for better audio reproduction and immersive effects.
USB Type-C (USB3.2 Gen1) Bluetooth 5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, SPP, OPP, DID) LDAC AptX AptX HD DSEE Ultimate Vinyl Processor ClearAudio+ 360 Reality Audio Hi-Res Audio Hi-Res Audio Wireless 10-band equaliser
Features
You can upload MP3 files in the thousands, which would be a waste. You want FLAC or WAV format in the NW-A306 to get the best out of it. If you can, you want DSD format audio for it.
Android 12 Interface
Android is a familiar interface. Everything is intuitive and where you expect to find them. Even if it is not the most updated Android 13, it is familiar and simple to work with.
You still get Bluetooth and WiFi, but that is about it for connectivity. You will not be able to customize too much in terms of your back, recent apps, and home button too. But they are there, like a regular Android.
You can access Google Play Store. You can install Netflix and Prime Video, but you watch movies at HD resolution and on a miniscule screen, we do not recommend it. You can install other media players for it if you want alongside Spotify and Tidal.
DSD Audio Playback
All the NW-A306’s hardware goes into supporting one of the best lossless audio formats you can get. While technically you do not lose too much audio artifact through 32-bit FLAC and WAV formats, you still lose some artifact thanks to limited sampling rate at up to 384 KHz. That is not the case for DSD format.
The specific DSD format the NW-A306 plays is up to DSD 256, or DSD 11.2 Mhz. Whichever way you look at it, 11,289,600 Hz is plenty more than 384,000 Hz, meaning you get a lot more detail in your audio. FLAC and WAV formats offer better depth though. At up to 32-bit, you technically have much higher volume floors offering more powerful and full low-end sounds. Even then, 1-bit DSD 256 format audio contains somewhat more detail and with the right headphones, you might prefer it.
The difference is marginal and might not sound too different over untrained ears. You also need quality headphones with neutral and balanced drivers to tell the difference. Sony does not include any earphones with the NW-A306.
Direct, or Processed
The amount of customization and upscaling you can get from Sony’s media player is nothing short of astonishing. If you thought that Sony’s wireless headphones do well in upscaling audio, you might want to try one of these with a decent pair of headphones.
You get DSEE Ultimate, DC Phase Linearizer, Dynamic Normaliser, Vinyl Processor, and if you are too lazy to find out what you like; you get ClearAudio+ to cleverly transform your music listening experience via a single toggle. If you do not like any of those upscaling artifacts, you can even get to bypass all of Sony’s filters and effects via Direct Source mode or tune it to your personal preference with a 10-band equalizer.
We are not going to go into the technical bits of each effect that Sony offers. All you need to know is that each effect offers a different enhancement to your audio and some of them are pretty self-explanatory. Vinyl processor for example, offers a vinyl like listening experience which adds some warmth and reverb into your audio. We simply turned on ClearAudio+, which will turn off access to every other individual effect.
ClearAudio+ offers Sony’s DSEE Extreme, and other clever AI based effects to enhance your audio from a single toggle. You get more details in your music and the algorithm boosts your volumes a little too. Without ClearAudio+, we set the media player at more than 80% volume. With ClearAudio+, we only need to turn it up to 75% at the maximum.
Sony’s clever DSEE and ClearAudio+ does not just work for the regular DSD or FLAC audio you put into your media player. It also works for the music streaming apps like Spotify and Tidal. You can turn on Hi-Res streaming and the NW-A306 will cleverly upscale your output to 192kHz/32-bit quality.
Your Portable DAC
If you plug it into your PC via a USB cable, you might see a DAC mode on offer. It is not the straightforward plug-and-play solution we expected though. You want to have Sony’s Music Center app for your PC, or Hi-Res Audio Player for Mac. On PC, you are limited to 32-bit 48kHz input/output, which is not quite Hi-Res. Once you have your app installed, and you plug in your device to the PC or Mac via USB, and then select USB DAC mode, you must go into the Walkman app and find “USB DAC” button on the main library screen. Only once you activate DAC mode from there then only you can start enjoying it as your DAC.
With the NW-A306 as your DAC your music listening experience is transformed and you really feel like you are listening to a completely different device even with Tidal and Spotify. You get a much wider sound stage and improved dynamics. Your highs and lows are more distinct and plenty more detailed. You even get deeper lows and better volumes out of your PC.
There is a small matter of delay though. Pressing play on your Tidal or Spotify player takes about a second for the action to turn into audio. It is negligible for music, but it may not be ideal for Gaming or Movies.
Bluetooth Audio + LDAC + Qualcomm aptX HD
Unlike plenty of traditional media players, the Walkman can be used with Bluetooth enabled headphones. It is not just Sony’s headphones though. You can use it with any Bluetooth headphones. We tested it with the Sony WH-1000XM4.
The WH-1000XM4 is not a Qualcomm device with aptX HD chip. Instead, it works with Sony’s proprietary LDAC for the best possible Bluetooth audio experience. If you do have any other headphones that supports aptX HD though, you can work with the media player.
While it is Bluetooth enabled, the sound quality is only as good as Bluetooth 5.0 allows it to be. It also highly depends on the version and calibration of the Bluetooth gear. We think that using a wireless set-up with the NW-A306 is not the best. It is convenient though.
360 Reality Audio
The NW-A306 is marketed to be capable of 360 Reality Audio. The effects of the surround sound are highly dependent on your listening gear too. You want to have a compatible set-up for this. The WH-1000XM4, for example, is sufficiently capable.
We can also only get 360 Reality Audio music and audio from Tidal at this time. That also means that you have to rely on using Tidal to take advantage of 360 Reality Audio. The Walkman app refuses to play 5-channel FLAC and DSD audio files.
We spoke about 360-Reality Audio at length when we reviewed the WH-1000XM4. In that case, we are not going to elaborate on the 360 Reality Audio experience here. In short, we like it.
Performance – There is a Difference
The NW-A306 is not a gimmick. Even at this price range, there is an actual difference between listening to audio with this media player over your modern smartphones. That does not only come from us.
We pitted the NW-A306 against a modern smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and used Tidal as the benchmark. We used a Shure SE535 in-ear monitor earphones on both devices with custom cable from KZ. For the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, we used a USB Type-C to 3.5mm DAC adapter from UGreen.
Smartphone Versus NW-A306
Even with Tidal, there are differences. You get slightly more dynamic range from the NW-A306 than you get on the smartphone. Volumes do not necessarily differ all that much between the two devices, but you get more granular control over volume with the media player. There are also slightly more details in the music on the NW-A306.
Just so that we eliminate any fanboy bias, we let others test the NW-A306 against the smartphone. Most are not able to define the difference, but they preferred the listening experience from the Sony media player. While there are differences, they are so marginal that most might consider it negligible.
Going Hi-Res
Once we get to FLAC and DSD files though, the media player makes more sense. Those who have tested the media player with FLAC and DSD audio reports that you get a significant boost in sound quality. Most of them also prefers DSD audio formats than FLAC. To be fair, we could only get our hands on 24-bit/192kHz FLAC files at the maximum while the DSD files go up to 11.2MHz at 1-bit.
With FLAC, WAV, and DSD format audio, you are getting a tremendous amount of detail pumped into your ears. You get a full sense of width and depth of the dynamic range with these files. You are technically getting CD quality sounds and better. Audio is not just accurate; it also sounds great and clean.
Some Electronic Interference
It is not perfect though. There is still some electronic hiss that goes through to the headphones. You are likely going to put your audio levels at about 70 – 75% volume and the hiss is noticeable at those volume ranges. Once you start playing your music though, the hiss disappears behind the music.
Only 10-Band?
You can switch off ClearAudio+ to select the effects you want and tune your audio via the 10-band equalizer. We think that Sony could give us more than 10-band in their equalizer option for even more control. This is still better than what you get with your Sony Music app on your smartphone though.
Battery Life
Sony says you can get 36 hours of non-stop music playing time with MP3 music. If you play DSD 11.2MHz files exclusively, you only get 14 hours of playback time. This is also considering that you are using a wired 3.5mm jack headphone. That easily covers an entire flight from Kuala Lumpur to London for example.
In our tests, we have not been able to extend the battery life to 14 hours while playing FLAC and DSD files. We estimated that the battery can last up to 10-12 hours in a single full charge at least in our test with music played through the Walkman app. We do recon that you can get about 14 hours of playback time out of it though if you keep your screen turned off while playing music.
The Sony NW-A306 – You Do Not Need it, But You Kind of Want It
At MYR 1,599, it is not what we will call a budget or even sensible buy. While it does sound better than the regular ol’ smartphone, it is marginal if you are only relying on music streaming platforms like Spotify and Tidal. To most, the difference is not enough to justify spending MYR 1,599 for an extra piece of kit to carry. The tiny HD resolution display is not exactly the best to enjoy Netflix and Video Prime on. To source for FLAC or DSD files is an effort too.
When you make the extra effort though, the NW-A306 makes sense. You get an elevated music experience over smartphones. It is no larger than a modern smartphone, making it rather portable. You have the convenience of wireless headphones but spending extra money on a great pair of wired headphones gets you an uncompromised listening experience. You can even use it as a DAC for your PC. If you can appreciate all of that, MYR 1,599 now seems more reasonable.
Is it relevant? We think it is. It is made for those who do not want to compromise too much on sound quality – audiophiles. It is for those who want to keep their devices separate from each other by function. It is for those who want no distraction from their music, a sort of separation between work and enjoyment.
At MYR 1,599, this NW-A306 is reasonably accessible. There are going to be other costs that is attached to buying this music player. You are going to have to spend more on a decent pair of wired headphones. You are also going to be spending a little bit of money on your music collection. Thing is, if audio quality is everything to you, it is worth it.
US$20M investment aims to converge technology, expertise, and partners in one innovation platform serving the Asia-Pacific region
SINGAPORE, April 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Huawei unveiled Huawei OpenLab 3.0 Asia-Pacific today, an upgrade of its Singapore R&D operations aimed at adapting its solutions to the specific needs of the region. A space where Huawei and its partners can jointly collaborate, OpenLab 3.0 will combine expertise and technologies to speed up digital transformation across the public and private sectors in Asia Pacific. The opening ceremony was attended by Mr. Goh Pei Sheng, Vice President of Digital Industry Singapore (DISG), a platform of the Singapore government that engages with the technology sector. Over 60 partners and guests from the technology and public sectors, industry associations, and universities also attended the ceremony.
OpenLab 3.0 represents a US$20 million upgrade of Huawei’s R&D operations in Asia Pacific. It will enable Huawei to better collaborate with local partners to create customer-centric and innovative scenario-based solutions that truly meet regional needs. Based on its considerable capabilities in wireless and optical networks, storage, cloud and AI, Huawei has developed a range of integrated solutions like Smart Campus, Smart Classroom, and Smart City. Collaborating with customers allows the solutions to be better tailored to meet needs through joint innovation. Collaboration often results in new ecosystems that deliver the digital transformation of public service, finance, transportation, energy and many more industries.
“The booming digital economy in APAC will lead to new innovative services and applications. To accelerate the digital transformation of industries, a more open and diversified industry ecosystem is required”, said Mr. Nicholas Ma, President of Huawei APAC Enterprise Business Group. “OpenLab 3.0 is a global technology platform for local partners, customers and institutions of higher learning in APAC. It explores joint solutions based on the demands of various industries and continuously contributes to building the Digital APAC.”
Mr. Jun Zhang, President of Huawei APAC Public Affairs and Communications, explained Huawei’s talent development model PIPES. “Standing for Platforms, Innovation, Professionalism, Experience, and Skills, PIPES delivers targeted talent programs for individuals from all walks of life, in order to foster an inclusive talent ecosystem in the Asia Pacific region. OpenLab 3.0, a platform for innovation, experience and knowhow sharing, exemplifies our talent-centric commitment, and is set to emerge as a pivotal hub for talent cultivation across the region.”
“OpenLab 1.0 to 2.0 have been looking at tomorrow from today’s perspective. OpenLab 3.0 is about cooperating with our partners to look at tomorrow from the day after tomorrow’s perspective and explore more possibilities in the future through our comprehensive innovative R&D capabilities and investment. Incubating and enabling more future-oriented local applications and innovative solutions, while promoting them to the entire Asia-Pacific region to support digital transformation of various industries.” Mr. Foo Fang Yong, CEO of Huawei International, said during the ceremony.
“Cloud OpenLab”, a partner-oriented solution integration & verification platform on cloud architecture was also launched at the ceremony. During the event, two Huawei partners, Simon Chung, President of Global Business at Chinasoft International and Jeffrey Yam, Director-Founder of Maxxmedia International, discussed their journey of collaboration with Huawei that resulted in incubating Smart Campus and Smart Classroom solutions.
Huawei OpenLab was officially launched in Singapore in 2016. To date, it has welcomed over 6000 industry visitors from the APAC region and forged collaborations with more than 100 partners to create customer-centric solutions. Besides Singapore, Huawei has established OpenLabs in locations that include Suzhou, Munich, Istanbul, and Dubai, jointly developing and launching technologies and solutions with more than 400 partners worldwide.
“We welcome all the partners and customers into OpenLabs, holding joint discussions on requirements and possible directions of solution, to truly deliver solutions that can address customer needs,” said Eric Xu, Huawei’s Rotating Chairman at the company’s annual report press conference. “Huawei’s commitment to various countries, customers, and partners in the APAC region will not change. We will continue to strengthen our investment, including R&D and other areas, in the APAC region.”
Huawei maintains a strong investment in R&D, with an annual spend of CNY161.5 billion in 2022, which accounts for 25.1% of their yearly revenue. This brings their total R&D expenditure to over CNY977.3 billion for the past decade.
About Huawei
Founded in 1987, Huawei is a leading global provider of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and smart devices. We have 195,000 employees and we operate in more than 170 countries and regions, serving more than three billion people around the world.
Our vision and mission is to bring digital to every person, home and organization for a fully connected, intelligent world. To this end, we will work towards ubiquitous connectivity and inclusive network access, laying the foundation for an intelligent world; provide diversified computing power where you need it, when you need it, to bring cloud and intelligence to all four corners of the earth; build digital platforms to help all industries and organizations become more agile, efficient, and dynamic; and redefine user experience with AI, making it smarter and more personalized for people in all aspects of their life, whether they’re at home, on the go, in the office, having fun, or working out. For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:
Google just updated their policy just last week to ensure that users have more control over their own data on apps and account on their selected apps. This week, they are updating the app itself to add a little bit more automation on the app. While it may sound a little counter-intuitive especially with the whole initiative in giving users more control over their own smartphone and data, it is a good update for users.
Smartphones in the modern world allow you to have thousands of apps in your smartphone. In fact, you would install thousands of apps on your smartphone. All these takes up precious storage on your smartphone and when you find a new app you could use, you run out of storage space before you know it. To install the new app, you must clear up your storage by deleting things on your smartphone, uninstall apps. Thing is, you might want to keep those apps still because they could come in handy. You want to ensure that your app data is still in your smartphone in case you want to start running the app again. There is a way, thanks to Google’s latest update to Google Play.
You can now opt-in for Google Play’s new ‘auto-archive’ function. According to Google’s developer blog update, the function will help the user free up space on their smartphones without the need to manually uninstall apps from their smartphone. Google Play cleverly partially remove an app that you have not used for a long time on your smartphone to give way for newer and more functional apps. It is not really completely uninstalled though; the app’s data is still stored within the smartphone and you can re-download the app when you want to use it again as long as the app is still available on Google Play Store.
Of course, the function is not only an opt-in for the user, but also for developers. Their apps would have to have the function built into their app. They would also have to be using App Bundle to publish their apps on Google Play Store. Once their app enables the auto-archive function, the apps will be less likely to turn up on uninstall suggestions when users want to clear their smartphone’s storage.
Source: Google Blog
For users to opt-in, a prompt will trigger when a user tries to install an app on their smartphone with full storage. The prompt will appear and ask if the user would like to enable auto-archive. Once the user enables auto-archive, Google Play will cleverly do its thing to archive apps you hardly use or have not been using for a long time to free up some storage space for the new app. No, you do not have to do much, just make sure your Google Play Store is up to date to get the function.
SYDNEY, April 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Systems Reef 2 (SR2), a collaboration between UTS and BVN Architecture, reduces the carbon footprint of commercial buildings through energy-efficient design and materials.
A SR2 prototype is currently installed in the BVN Sydney office. Photo supplied.
UTS and BVN Architecture have won the Green Building Material/Product Award at the most recent Australian Sustainability Awards for their 3D-printed air diffusion system, designed to reduce the carbon footprint of commercial buildings.
Many buildings currently use traditional air distribution systems which have not seen significant innovations over the last one hundred years. These systems are not tailored to each space, and they cannot be reconfigured to adapt to the changing ways we work or live.
UTS and BVN found inspiration in nature as they redesigned air diffusion from the ground up. Eschewing traditional methods of design and manufacture, the team built a system that mimics the respiratory system of frogs; SR2 uses an aerodynamic design with fine pores to ‘mist’ cool air rather than dump it into one spot.
Informed by a circular economy approach, UTS and BVN chose recycled PETG plastic so that SR2 was fully recyclable at the end of its life.
“The building industry is one of the highest contributors to global waste, one of the biggest consumers of energy and materials and has some of the most significant contributions to CO2 emissions,” says Tim Schork, chief investigator and Adjunct Professor at the UTS School of Architecture.
UTS and BVN designed SR2 for the purpose of retrofitting existing building stock with outdated air distribution systems that use significant amounts of electricity.
“Compared to Australia, there are even more buildings globally whose air diffusion systems need to be renewed. It’d be great to see SR2 implemented in other parts of the world,” Tim says.
Now patented, SR2 is one step closer to market-readiness.
“SR2 can be installed in any office environment, but is not just for these spaces. It can be installed in supermarkets, hotels, commercial stores, and homes where there are many existing air duct systems that can be replaced,” Tim says.
The University of Technology Sydney is a leading university of technology, ranked 15th in the world and 2nd in Australia in the 2022 Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. For more information, visit uts.edu.au.
