Category Archives: Accessories

Accessories, Camera, Consumer Electronics, Reviews

Mio MiVue 792 In-Depth Review – Dash Cam Plus

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Somebody once told me that a car is technically a weapon. When you think about it, that person makes plenty of sense. It is a giant metal box that weighs more than a tonne. It also travels at speed. Tell me that does not sound like a description of a sort of ballistic weaponry? The moral of the lesson is that we have to be alert and very careful on the road. Other cars can be super hazardous too.

While we try to be as careful as possible when we drive, accidents do tend to happen from time to time. It is quite inevitable really in Malaysia where 93% of the 31 million residents of Malaysia owns a car. That puts the car ownership number in Malaysia somewhere in the 29 million region.

What happens when you get into an accident though? You start playing the blame game. You think it is their fault, and they think it is your fault. There is only one way to settle this. Bring the case to the police station with evidence. What is the evidence? Footage from your ever so popular dash cam.

Every modern car comes with it now. Some even comes pre-installed when you buy the car brand new. What about older cars then. For example; what of an old Toyota Camry from the 2002 era then? You have to buy a separate one.

The question becomes, what do you buy? There is so many options now in the segment. There are even brands like HP in the dash cam segment.

We have a Mio MiVue 792 here. It is an MYR 799 option in the market. Considering that the cheapest dash cam in the market can go for as little as MYR 27.80 on Lazada, the Mio MiVue looks like an overpriced piece of toy.

Thing is, the Mio MiVue is 792 is plenty more than just a toy though. It is a piece of gear with features you might not find in any dash cam. It is also a tool to modernise your car a little bit.

The question remains though, is the Mio Mivue 792 worth the MYR 799 asking price? Or should you just skip it and look at the other options in the market? We find out.

Design

To be fair, this is one of the more bulky dash cameras I have seen in the market. It does mean that you get a significantly large display to monitor your dash cam though. You get a 2.7-inch display to pair to your CMOS sensor that records at 1080p Full HD at a maximum of 60fps.

While it is bulky, it is not to say that it is ugly though. Well, it may look a little out of place if you place it in a car as old as me. Still, it is not technically something you might look at on a daily basis.

When you first open the box up and take out the camera though. It feels premium. The plastic materials on it feels solid and durable. It looked like it could stand a car crash or two. There are plenty of vents everywhere presumably for heat dissipation and what not. Of yes, there is a mic installed on this thing too, so it technically records your conversations.

Its bulk, while gives you a sort of feeling that it is a solid piece of hardware, does have its own drawbacks though. One of its biggest drawbacks is its placement in your vehicle. By design, the dash camera is meant to be hung down from your windshield. Personally I mounted it as high as possible to avoid it coming into my field of view.

The bulk makes it a challenge to put it in places you would normally see a dash camera though. You can hide it behind your rear-view mirror to keep it as obscure as possible but then you would not be able to monitor its recording or its settings menu screen. You cannot navigate it with the buttons on the side because you effectively cannot see it.

While it is designed to be a one-time plug-and-play solution to a certain extent. there are more you can do with the Mio MiVue 792 dash camera. There is plenty within the menu that you can customize. There are more reasons to the bulk of the dash camera too, this thing is packed with features.

Features

We mentioned earlier that this thing packs more than just a camera. They somehow made this a very clever dash camera instead of a plain ol’ one you would be used to. It even has GPS for crying out loud. Sounds like an overkill? Maybe an overkill. We do appreciate some of its features though.

GPS Guardian Angel

Yes, this thing is loaded with a Global Positioning System (GPS) transmitter in its small body. Well, since GPS antennas can be fitted into a smartphone these days, that should not come as a surprise. Thing is, this is not some kind of navigation device though. You do not have a built in map that you can see within the device. The question now is; what is the GPS functionality for then?

Firstly, GPS can do plenty of things in your smartphone. At the most basic, it does not just track your whereabouts. Rather, it tracks your movement. That is one thing that the Mio MiVue 792 does in your car. It detects and tells you your car’s GPS speed; technically more accurate than your speedometer in front of you too.

In some sense, that can be quite a vital information when you present the evidence of an accident in court. It tells you whether or not you have broken any speed limit while a traffic accident is taking place. It also helps in determining whether or not you are traveling at a reasonable speed within the area and context of the location if there are no applied speed limit on that particular road. More information is always better technically.

Beyond that, the built-in GPS also feeds to a built-in map that tells you if there are speed cameras, or traffic light cameras, or anything other traffic cameras on the road. We were quite blown away by that initially. After a while it got very annoying; more on that later though.

Lane Departure and Collision Warning

We would say that if you are driving a car without a lane departure warning system or brake warning system but you want those features, this is some thing you might consider getting. The device itself has those functions pretty much built into the camera. All you have to do is dig into its menu and turn them on.

The whole idea of a lane departure warning is that your vehicle systems, or in this case; the dash camera detects your vehicle veering off your current lane. The device then will alert you when such things happen. This is kind of a warning system to keep you alerted on the road.

While you get that with plenty of modern cars today, you will not get the function with cars older than five years. The car we tested it in was more than 10 years old; perfect. We set it up and went for it.

Setting up the camera is a simple affair really. Just get the sticker off the foot, and stick that to the window at your desired placement, stick your dash camera in, and you are good to go. Of course, at installation the camera would guide you a little bit on how to properly set your camera up; where to point it to and what not.

The lane departure warning system is a great addition to the vehicle for a while. A little while later it got really annoying. Because it is basically just makes noise when you are veering off your lane, even if it is just a little bit. The system makes a noise too every time you cross into another lane, which is every single time you want to make a lane switch. You cannot even control how aggressive or passive you want the system to be. It is just ‘on’ or ‘off’. We turned the function off after 2 days of it making a noise every single time we wanted to change lanes.

Then there is the collision warning system. The collision warning system is also a great new addition to an old vehicle. Unlike the lane departure warning, you can set its aggressiveness. We set it to be really aggressive at first, meaning at any sign that we are a little below two car lengths, the device makes the same warning noise. At its least aggressive level, it tells us that we are too close within one car length distance. You can set it to activate only beyond a certain speed too.

We got a little annoyed after that too because it activates when we are in traffic. Every single time a car pulls in front of us, the Mio MiVue 792 makes noise. Quite understandable though because the MiVue 792 does not feed directly into the vehicle’s systems.

Wireless Monitoring and Video Extraction

The Mio App could not be easier to use. It is also the most convenient way for you to extract your videos out of the MiVue 792. All you need to do is to ensure that the MiVue 792’s WiFi function is turned on to connect to your smartphone. Of course, you need the app that is available for free on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.

Once in the app, the app will prompt you to connect to the camera via WiFi. Once connected, you can access the camera’s view live on your smartphone or transfer files. To transfer files though, you need to stop the recording on the camera. In that case, we also suggest that you stop the car before downloading any footage from the MiVue 792.

To make things quicker for users, the Mio MiCue 792 actually records videos in 3-minute sections. You can easily scroll through and pick out the incidents quicker that way instead of downloading a whole 30-minute drive sessions. That is not even considering the scrubbing of the video.

We found the app to be really useful when it comes to transferring videos without any other tools. Thing is, we are a little disappointed to find that you cannot change any of the settings of the MiVue 792 from the app itself. While that is not too big of an issue, it can be quite annoying for us when we want to change certain settings. We have to reach out, and go into the settings of the camera from the camera itself. You risk changing the camera angles that you have perfected in the initial set up.

Still, you do not need to use a notebook PC or a card reader to operate this device. That is a big plus in our books. It is so much more convenient and faster too with a smartphone that you already carry with you anyway.

Emergency Video Recording

There is an extra default function of this dashboard camera as well. We were not fast enough to capture its operations, but it exists. While it does record videos normally, there is a special section of folder than the camera uses in its memory card. That is the emergency recording folder. It records a video up to three minutes when it is subjected to a certain amount of vibrations or experiences a major change in G-Force (when you jam your brakes).

In that special folder, you can find whatever video that is recorded during an emergency. That would serve as an evidence to whatever that has made your day worse. While it may not sound like much, it makes these footages much easier to access when you are trying to find footages that could help you.

If your camera could stay powered on when your vehicle turns off too, it could detect movements outside the car and also start emergency recording. This is now turning your car into a scared, paranoid animal that takes an interest in everything that happens around it. It is not a bad thing though, you might need the footage to either save yourselves, or help a stranger in identifying suspect in a theft case. That, or just watch dogs and cats passing by.

Full HD 1080p Evidence

The most important part of a dashboard camera is allowing you to have an evidence of any occurrence around and in front of your car. You want it to be your evidence when a traffic collision happens. It could determine whether or not you are at fault.

Thing is, traffic collisions are not as simple as that. It is nearly never a black and white situation. It could be the driver in front not paying attention, braking too hard which gives you no time to respond. It could also be you not paying too much attention to the car in front of you. It could be a brake check from the driver in front. It could also be you tailgating. Okay, fine these can be quite clear cut sometimes.

There are times though where there is really no telling who is at fault without seeing the full footage. It could be a head on collision on an intersection with no clear lines indicating which way the traffic goes. It could be as simple as looking at what the road conditions are like. In that case, you do need a clear video that can pick out details. You need the resolution. You need Full HD videos.

In that regards, this MiVue does that 1080p video rather well. No, it is not made for action movies, not even for home made videos. We discourage you from sharing your Genting road exploits via the MiVue. Although, they can look rather good.

While there are plenty of dash camera that does Full HD 1080p videos, extracting the videos from this MiVue is simple. You do not even need to pull out the MicroSD card to get the videos out of the device like most dashboard cameras. You just need your smartphone and you are quite set.

The Full HD 1080p video on this is quite standard though. There is not much to shout about. There is not enhancements for its colours, so footage does tend to look a little dull. But that is not the point. The point is in its details. In that regards, the MiVue’s 1080p videos are full of it. The only sensible step up for dash cameras now is 4K videos; maybe when it becomes cheaper.

Worth Every Penny? Or Can You Do with Something Cheaper?

This dash camera costs MYR 790. That is not cheap in today’s standard for dash camera. Especially in the age where you can get everything online from China. You can even get one for less than MYR 150 and it works.

The thing is though, while they are usable. The cheaper options does just that. It just works, and nothing else.

The MiVue does not just work. It adds some new functions to older cars. It adds some smart features to your older car like lane departure warning and collision warning. You still cannot expect your car to brake itself and tell you whether or not there is an object in your blind spot though. But you are not adding extra sensors and computer to your car, you have to remember that.

What you are adding with the MiVue is not just an insurance, really. You are adding a safety feature, which is what every dashboard camera should strive to be. Instead of recording collisions and unwanted events, it should try to give you every bit of help to avoid it. It should warn you when you get too close to the limit, it should tell you when there is danger ahead.

There are still limitations what the camera can do though. You cannot expect it to recognise an animal on the road. You cannot expect it to even detect people on the road, that is still your responsibility. The algorithm embedded inside this little thing could have been cleverer, but that would mean they would need to bulk things up a little and complicates things.

So, is this worth the high asking price? In our humble opinions, it could be. If all the features packed into the MiVue are what you are looking for, then there is no other way to go with it.

If not though, more modern cars are mostly offered with dashboard camera these days. Most modern cars can also be equipped with lane departure warning, collision warning, and even more sensors than you can imagine. In that case, why do you need another dash cam that would annoy you whenever you pull a stop behind a car at the traffic lights, or when you want to change lanes?

Accessories, Consumer Electronics, News

LG’s New GX Soundbar to Complement Your new OLED TV!

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LG launched their new line-up of OLED TVs a few weeks ago. While the other Korean giant is moving away from OLED TVs, this one stays true to the path of OLED. Of course, we all know the benefits of LED based displays. They produce better colours, better contrasts, and overall a much better image quality. There is a reason why the best HDR and colour accurate displays in the world are LED based technologies.

Source: LG

The GX Gallery OLED Series TV, as they know it is their premium range of televisions. But Televisions are just that big displays that transmit video data to its users Televisions have also just grown into the years in size, but not in thickness. This just means that the OLED TVs will come with less powerful speakers that they deserve.

That is why you usually get a soundbar or speaker system to pair with your TV. Well, when I say speaker systems; these days, you only need a single soundbar. For LG’s new OLED TV line-up, it has to be LG’s new GX Soundbar.

Source: LG

This is not a regular soundbar, not like that at all. This is LG’s most premium soundbar to be seated with the new GX OLED TVs. If you have seen the Senheiser’s premium soundbar, this is just slightly smaller. That means you want to mount your TV a little higher than usual to avoid this interfering with your view.

You would want this for your TV though, believe me. You get the benefit of both Dolby Atmos and DTS:X for a wholesome cinematic experience. But it is not just a cinematic experience you are getting, you are getting a virtual 3D surround audio through just one soundbar set.

Of course, you connect this soundbar to the TV via an eARC cable as usual. Either that, or you can connect it to your tablet or smartphone via Bluetooth connection. That also means that this can be your living room’s music player too.

  • Source: LG
  • Source: LG

You get the benefit of using the soundbar to turn your living room into your music listening studio too with Dolby’s True HD and DTS Master Audio support via Bluetooth connection. Then there is the fact that this is a Hi-Res Audio certified speaker with 24bit/96kHz playback support. The built-in LG AI Sound Pro also analyses your contents and decides the best settings to play your audio for the best experience every time.

The LG GX Soundbar will start rolling out this month onward in the global markets. Unfortunately, Malaysia will not be getting the product at this time. Our good neighbours in Singapore is getting it though, never say never.

Accessories, Gaming, News

Alienware Unveils New Gaming Keyboard

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Alienware has become a really well known brand for their many offerings in the gaming space; ranging from laptops to desktops and even monitors and headphones, the brand has all their bases covered when it comes to the gamer’s experience. Well, all except one: gaming keyboards. That changes with the announcement of their new gaming keyboard: the Alienware RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard.

The new keyboard comes equipped with Cherry MX Brown switches which provide the optimal amount of travel for both productivity and gaming. It also strikes a unique balance between providing enough tactile feedback and keeping things quiet while players game or type.

The Alienware keyboard comes with fully programmable keys which allow gamers to program their own, customized macros and personalised key assignments via their Alienware Command Centre. Need a little more customisation? The keyboard comes with AlienFX per key lighting which allows you to customise your key backlight colour from a choice of 16.8 million colours for a bespoke keyboard which is uniquely you. It also has 3 height adjustments to allow for greater comfort when typing and gaming.

It’s a fully metal keyboard with floating keys atop. This allows users to better clean and maintain their keyboards to optimal usability and comfort. It comes equipped with a USB passthrough which allows easy access to USB connectivity without needing to navigate through the nooks and crannies of your desk. Also along for the ride are dedicated media keys for easy control during gaming and convenience for a better overall experience.

Pricing & Availability

The Alienware Keyboard (AWK410K) will be available starting on August 4, 2020 with prices starting at USD$129.99 (MYR555.38). No official pricing has been announced for the Malaysian market just yet.

Official Specifications

Accessories, Editorial, Health

A Week with the Fitbit Charge 4 -Making Sense of Fitness

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Fitness is a journey of a thousand steps and it usually begins with the first one. If you’re like me, that journey usually gets started and then quickly falls by the sidelines when visible results begin to plateau. I was pretty adamant in losing weight this round and then came a little angel who told me to try using the new Fitbit Charge 4 and passed me one for review.

The Fitbit Charge 4 was released not too long ago and comes with a very minor, but significant update to the Charge 3 – GPS tracking. This isn’t the first time I was using fitness bands or smartwatches; in fact, I use a Galaxy Watch daily and was using the Charge 3 before. But after a while, they became watches more than fitness trackers; a problem I’m pretty sure many others face. That brings up the question – why not buy a regular analogue watch? So, this time, I decided to pay closer attention to the features that the Fitbit Charge 4 offers and figure out how to effectively use them to help achieve my goals.

Setting up the Fitbit Charge 4 & Making Sense of Metrics

As always, the first thing you do with a new fitness tracker is to pair it with your phone. Like all other Fitbit devices, I plugged in the Charge 4 to get things powered up and started. I was pleasantly greeted by a smile and a prompt to continue the setup process on my smartphone – a Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G. The setup process was pretty straight forward but I was more impressed with the ease of setup. In the past, with the Charge 3 and even the Versa before, the setup process was rather painful with the devices not being detected and even disconnecting midway. The Charge 4 was a breeze, no issues at all.

Once it was setup, I glanced through the app looking at the many features which come in the Charge 4. You’ve got everything from the basic tracking of steps to sleep tracking and even GPS tracking. Fitbit has put a lot into making sure that you have everything you need to quantify your fitness journey in the Charge 4. However, it was quite daunting to be facing metric after metric after metric after metric. It wouldn’t be too farfetched to say that many people wouldn’t be able to make heads or tail of the many metrics that the Charge 4 can track. After some research and looking into the metrics, I realised that the biggest challenge any fitness newbie would face is the eventual plateau which I mentioned in the beginning. So, looking at the metrics that the Charge 4 could give me, I decided that the best thing to do is work towards overcoming that plateau.

The Charge 4 is able to track sleep, steps taken, distance travelled while walking, heart rate, calories burnt and a new metric called the Active Zone minutes. Other metrics such as weight, calories consumed, and hydration can also be measured but involve manually inputting the data into the app. With all of these available, I looked into creating a baseline for myself before I decide to make changes. After monitoring my metrics for about three days, I realised that I may not need to use all the metrics available – at least not initially. I looked at which areas I need to improve and realised that, for me at least, I needed to start looking into getting better sleep, being less sedentary and getting enough hydration.

The Fitbit App’s heart rate monitor screen helps you monitor your fitness level with you resting heart rate
Fitbit’s new Active Zone minutes feature allows you to set how many active minutes you want to cover a day
The Fitbit App also gives you weekly summaries and suggestions which can help you do better

This narrowed down my focus to three main metrics: sleep, steps taken or active zone and hydration. With my main focus set, I had the trusty Charge 4 to help me make small changes that can help me with my fitness.

Using the Charge 4 to Make Small, Meaningful Changes for Better Health

Using the Fitbit Charge 4 to track your steps, sleep and active zone is pretty straight forward – just wear the Fitbit. So, wear the Charge 4 I did. Keeping up with the metrics is a lot of work. You have to open the app to check up on yourself on a daily basis. However, the array of widgets that the Fitbit app helps ever so much in helping you keep track and making changes.

Setting Goals within the app will help with making meaningful changes to help you achieve your fitness goals
The multiple widgets on my home screen for Fitbit’s app. There isn’t a compact, integrated one. You have to place each toggle on its own.

For me, because one of my goals was to get enough sleep, the daily reminders and nudges to prepare for bed were a godsend. It has allowed me to get into a wind-down routine and put away my tech when the nudges come. This has actually translated into better sleep overall. However, – and this is a BIG one – the sleep tracking has been hit or miss for me. So, I’ve been using my smartwatch to get a more accurate picture of how I’ve been sleeping on a daily basis.

The Fitbit Charge 4 has also been breaking up my daily 10,000 steps into smaller, more achievable goals throughout the day. To help me achieve this goal, it nudges me every hour to get up and get some steps in. Believe it or not? This small adjustment also helps me get more productive throughout the day. I’ve been able to get more done in a day than before without feeling drained midway.

Fitbit’s sleep monitoring screen gives you a lot of useful information when it works. Otherwise it’s just a missed opportunity
Monitoring is easy with the overview the app gives you but you have to open the app to get it.

The hardest adjustment for me is the monitoring of my water intake. Since it’s done manually, I have to remember to turn on the phone and record the amount of water I’m consuming. As you can tell, this also means that I might miss recording a few glasses of water here and there. But, more hydration is a good thing.

Fitness Isn’t Just about the Aesthetics

Overall, my first week with the Charge 4 has thought me one big lesson – fitness isn’t just about looking good. It’s about the small changes that eventually lead to being more “fit” overall; aesthetics is just a result of you feeling better about yourself and overall, your body coping better with the stresses you face on a day to day basis. As the Malay saying goes, “sikit-sikit, lama-lama menjadi bukit” ; roughly translated: bit by bit, over time it will become a hill.

While the Charge 4 isn’t a magically genie that grants wishes, it’s given a health-science degree holding, obese person a new, quantifiable approach to dealing with the extra kilos. If you’re looking at the scale continuously, you’ll get demotivated over time especially when the reading starts to nag the same digits over and over again. Start with small changes like getting enough sleep and drinking enough water – the rest will come naturally. Getting the Charge 4 or something similar that fits your needs and budget will also help you get there.

Accessories, Android, Mobile, News

realme is Not All About Smartphones Anymore!

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IoT was the keyword of last year. That does not mean that IoT is an outdated concept though. It is still a big thing as we are going into the 5G era. But IoT is also not a new concept even coming into 2019. Our smartwatches are considered IoT devices. These smartwatches have existed for several years now. 

Of course, ever since we saw the first smartwatch, everyone wants to be a part of that smart wearable market. The accessories market, after all, is one of the most profitable. realme, being on of the major players in the smartphone market is one of those companies that has delved into the IoT product market. In fact, they have been one of the fastest growing manufacturers in the segment. 

Their growth rate is nothing curious though. The brand has been offering very compelling products at extremely attractive and accessible prices. Think about it, would you buy a TWS earbuds for MYR 599 or MYR 199 when they do the same things? The only real difference is probably in the branding. Okay, to be fair, there are some differences here and there in different aspects. But hey, the better accessibility also means that you can sell more of it since it is less painful to your pockets. 

With the kind of success they enjoy, they are going to expand on other wearable and smart living products. It is quite inevitable too; everyone is getting into the wearable game that was conquered by the likes of Samsung. So, in addition to their previously launched realme Buds TWS earbuds, they launched even more products today. 

realme Buds Air Neo 

  • Source: realme
  • Source: realme
  • Source: realme

Firstly, they launched a new and improved TWS earbuds. They call it the realme Buds Air Neo. No, it does not come with noise cancelling technology. But it is an all-around better product with a slightly larger drivers at 13mm. They come with 17 hours of battery life too in total too. Also, it is a Bluetooth 5.0 device. Now also, you can wear it to the gym with zero worries since it is an IPX4 device. You might be able to wear it in the showers too. Just make sure it does not go into the drain.  

realme Buds Q 

  • Source: realme
  • Source: realme
  • Source: realme

They also launched another TWS earbuds. They launched the realme Buds Q that is supposed to have even more battery life at up to 20 hours of music playback time. Instead of the Apple Earpods-esque design, this is a more conventional design that we are used to. It has the usual silicon eartips that fit into your ears and seal the sounds in for a passive noise cancelling. Even with a smaller 10mm drivers, you should not lose too much performance on the earbuds. Still, because of the smaller drivers, it is light too at 3.9g each side 

It comes with its own set of touch sensitive controls for a seamless design. The charging and storage case is also different with a pebble like design for a better looking fit and feel in the hands. It feels more natural. Of course, that is to be expected when they engaged Hermés’ designer josé Lévy. 

realme watch 

Source: realme

Then there is the realme watch. The realme watch is realme’s answer to the Fitbit Versa, HUAWEI Watch GT, Samsung Galaxy Watch, and even the Apple Watch. At first glances, it looks more like the Fitbit Versa and Apple Watch combined. The rotating crown and button combination of the Apple Watch is nowehere to be found. In their place is a Fitbit Versa-eque button but in the wrong place.  

Greeting you from your wrist is a 1.4-inch touch sensitive display that is quite a staple for plenty of smartwatches these days. Like any respectable smartwatches too the realme watch has all the right sensors including a full-time heart rate sensor. It is also made to be water resistant with IP68 so you can wear it to the gym, or even in the showers with no fuss.  

The realme watch does not look like it is running on Google Wear though. Instead realme builds their own version of a wearable operating system that fits the squared face better. Of course, it comes with multiple watchfaces that you can swap to anytime you like. The watch that has 14 sports modes will connect with your smartphones via the realme proprietary Link Smart App for all the health data and additional settings to be controlled on your smartphone.  

realme Band 

  • Source: realme
  • Source: realme
  • Source: realme

If you are not looking for something as complex as a smartwatch though, you have the realme Band. While it looks like just any other smart fitness tracker band thing that you can get from the likes of Samsung and even Fitibit, it is a little bit more special. You do not need any USB docks or wires to charge the device. No, it is not wireless charging in a sense, it is still docked charging, just that you do not need anything other than the watch itself to charge. Simply remove the bottom part of the strap and plug it into your PC or power bank or wall charger via USB port to start charging it.  

You get 0.95-inch of colours from the watchface with a full-time heart rate sensor. You also get to track your daily activities with the built-in 9 modes. It is also IP68 rated so you still can take it from the gym to the showers with zero concerns over your device dying on you. 

Power Banks 

Of course, everyone is in extended power game now. Realme has their own attractive looking, striking coloured realme Power Bank line-up too. They introduced their new Power Bank 2 with multiple charging ports that supports up to 18W power output with USB Type-C two-way charging. This is a 10,000 mAh power pack, which also means it can charge most of your smartphones twice over 

They also launched another variant of their Power Bank – the realme 30W Dart Charge Power Bank. As its name suggest, this power pack charges devices at up to 30W to drain its 10,000mAh capacity in no time. Yes, it charges multiple devices at one go too.  

Price and Availability 

The realme Buds Air Neo will be available in three colours – Pop White, Punk Green, and Rock Red. It will be available on the 22nd of June onward exclusively on Shopee at this time for MYR 199. If you do go on Shoppe to buy the TWS earbuds on the 22nd and 23rd of June, on the realme exclusive flash sales on Shopee though, you can get your Buds Air Neo at MYR 79.  

The pretty looking realme Buds Q will be available in either Yellow, Pure white, or Black colour options. You are looking at July if you want your hands on one. There are no prices announced yet for this one, so stay tune to realme’s website or Facebook page. 

realme’s watch will be available in Black, but you can interchange your strap to different colours. That will also be available with realme watch on the 12th June onward for MYR 299. If you get it on realme’s exclusive flash sales on Shopee though, you can get your hands on one for MYR 249 only. 

The realme Band will also only be available later from 22nd June onward. It will be available in three colours variants – Yellow, Black and Green. On 22nd and 23rd realme exclusive flash sales on Shopee, you can get your hands on the realme Band at MYR 79 instead of its full retail price of MYR 129. 

The Power Banks that realme introduced today will be available in two colour options – Yellow and Black. The Power Bank 2 with 18W charging will be available on the 12th June 2020 onward. On that day’s exclusive flash sales on Shopeee, you can get the Power Bank 2 for MYR 99 instead of MYR 129. The Dart Charge Power Bank will only be available somewhere in July with no announced price tag just yet. For more information on all their launched products, you can head over to their website. 

Accessories, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

OPPO Enco W31 Launches in Malaysia – TWS Goodness for MYR 259

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Personal audio is awesome. Being able to tune out the world at your daily commute is awesome. There is a problem however, there always is. Earphones are often quite messy. That is why true wireless (TWS) earphones are all the rage these days, overtaking regular Bluetooth headphones.

Of course we can understand why. TWS earphones come with its own protection case that even charges the earphones. When you carry it around and use it, it is completely wireless, which also means that there is no risk of wasting five minutes trying to untangle the earphones. You just simply take out your earphones from the case and start playing music, awesomeness in less than five seconds.

TWS earphones are not cheap though. You cannot usually find any decent TWS type earphones that would cost less than MYR 500. OPPO is looking to change that though.

Source: OPPO

No, we are not talking about the OPPO Enco Free. The OPPO Enco Free was launched a few months ago that was priced at MYR 599. Yes, Still MYR 599. They just launched a completely new TWS earphone for the market alongside their new OPPO A92 mid-range smartphone.

They launched the OPPO Enco W31 and it is priced at MYR 259. Oh yes, it is priced below MYR 500, and we know that OPPO makes good audio devices since their OPPO Digital days. Remember they made the iconic OPPO PM-1 high-end headphones?

Source: OPPO

The new OPPO Enco W31 has some design cues that is very reminiscent of a certain other manufacturer in their newer earphone too. Still, by the looks of it, it seems a little more ergonomic than the outgoing Enco Free with a more standard earbud design.

The MYR 259 price tag does not mean that the OPPO Enco W31 is anywhere near cheap quality or cheap sounding though. At least we do not think it is. Still, you are getting quite a few features for the money.

Source: OPPO

It has noise cancellation, albeit only for phone calls. It even has the same sort of Bluetooth technology that Enco Free has. The Binaural Low-Latency Bluetooth technology on top of Bluetooth 5.0, as we have experienced in the OPPO Enco Free, is quite amazing. That technology also helps with latency differences between earphones, which means you are getting properly synchronised audio through the earphones.

It even has a Bass Mode to pump the low frequencies up. Most smaller earphones with small audio drivers have a problem of a less powerful low frequency. This should solve that issue with OPPO’s 7mm diaphragms. All this is packed in a package that can last you a total of up to 15 hours of battery life. On their own, the earbuds last you 3.5 hours. It charges fast enough though. 10 minutes of charge gives you up to 80 minutes of music playback time. All you need to do is pop the Enco W31 ear buds into the carrying case.

  • Source: OPPO
  • Source: OPPO
  • Source: OPPO
  • Source: OPPO
  • Source: OPPO
  • Source: OPPO
  • Source: OPPO
  • Source: OPPO
  • Source: OPPO

The OPPO Enco W13 TWS earphones is now available for pre-order until the 8th of March 2020. That is the same time as the OPPO A92 smartphone. It will set you back MYR 259 still. If you pre-ordered your OPPO Enco W31 alongside the OPPO A92 though, you are only paying MYR 199 for it. It is available in two colours: Black and White.

Accessories, News

Ultimate Boom with Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM!

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Never heard of Ultimate Ears? We can forgive you for that. To be fair, the brand has been a long standing audio brand that has been building products for a very niche market; the audiophiles. If you are one of them, you should know that they make custom earphones that fits in your ear, and only your ear. You would also know that they are priced quite a bit more than just the average earphones you get out there.

Source: Ultimate Ears

If you know the brand, you would also know they make excellent Bluetooth speakers for the party people. The last time we tested the speakers – the BOOM, and the MEGABOOM, we fell in love with the crisp, natural sounds and its powerful bass. We loved the fact that they float in water too, and that its optimal shape means that you can place it in any orientation standing up and everyone around gets its effect.

We thought that the MEGABOOM was as big and as expensive a Bluetooth speaker can get from Ultimate Ears. We are proven wrong though with the new HYPERBOOM they just announced. You can see it in the website already and it is on pre-order form US$ 399, which is approximately MYR 1,688. That is around the same price of Sony’s Extra Bass XB90 party speaker.

Source: Ultimate Ears

The only difference is that the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM is smaller, more svelte. It looks more like a regular trash can than anything else. That is not to say that it is bad looking from the photos though. It looks properly sleek and functional. It is supposed to have the low frequency power of three MEGABOOM 3s.

It is still water resistant at IPX4 rating, means cleaning is easy; especially when your friends starts to get a little crazy. It will also go on for 24 hours on a single charge to keep your party going all night long. If one HYPERBOOM is not enough, you can always pair it to another Ultimate Ears speaker to make your party even more powerful.

  • Source: Ultimate Ears
  • Source: Ultimate Ears
  • Source: Ultimate Ears
  • Source: Ultimate Ears
  • Source: Ultimate Ears
  • Source: Ultimate Ears
  • Source: Ultimate Ears
  • Source: Ultimate Ears

In all fairness though, we do not actually know when the Ultimate Ears HYPERBOOM will be coming to Malaysia at all. Still, you can pre-order your UE HYPERBOOM and find out more on their international website. It looks like it only comes in one colour, classy black.

Accessories, Mobile, News

Samsung Unpacks the Samsung Galaxy Buds+ (Plus) – The Samsung TWS Reloaded

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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.

Accessories

Belkin Wants A Bite of Your Apple Devices with New Accessories

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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!

Accessories, Health, Lifestyle, News

The HEALBE GoBe3 Tracks Calories, Emotions and Hydration Automatically

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Smart Bands and Smartwatches are becoming some of the most essential fitness accessories nowadays. However, they always need manual input of meals, caloric intake and hydration. That’s where the HEALBE GoBe3 sets itself apart from the competition. The new smart band from HEALBE is touting the first ever commercially available smartband which tracks caloric intake automatically.

The HEALBE GoBe3 is a smartband which comes with sensors designed to monitor nine key vitals. This is done non-invasively through the surface of the skin and, according to its manufacturer, with real time accuracy. The vitals tracked include sleep, stress, energy balance, heart rate, and steps taken. It does all this tracking through the hypo allergenic titanium sensor contacts on the back of the device.

Monitoring Calories Through Your Own Electrical Impulses

The new HEALBE GoBe3 uses the company’s proprietary HEALBE Flow technology to monitor caloric intake. It does this by monitoring the bio-electrical impedance of skin cells. This method of monitoring caloric intake is backed by an understanding of the human digestive system and nutrient absorption.

Our body digests different foods at different intervals after we consume it. When the nutrients are absorbed, cells create a differential gradient to assist. Essentially, the cell pump water out to allow nutrients in. HEALBE Flow uses this movement to detect the caloric value and nutrient breakdown of foods. In essence, it monitors the differences in bio-electric charges in skin cells to derive the caloric value of foods. The impedance is then used to calculate the caloric value of foods and their nutrient content.

This method was recently verified by researchers at the University of California Davis. Their research found that the technology that HEALBE uses in the GoBe3 is as accurate as manually tracking caloric input. This research is supported by another piece of independent research by the Red Cross Hospital in Guangzhou, China. Both pieces of research found the HEALBE Flow to have 89% accuracy in its reporting.

Taking On the competition with Cutting Edge Technology

Aside from the groundbreaking HEALBE Flow technology, the GoBe3 is equipped with an always-on MIP display. The display is touted to be glare free. The GoBe 3 is also lighter and sleeker than its predecessor. In addition, the smart band has interchangeable straps which come in many colours and designs. The new design is also touted to increase the accuracy of tracking. This paired with a new optical pulse sensor allows more accurate and more frequent data collection. The GoBe3 also has WiFi capabilities which speeds up data processing.

Pricing & Availability

There’s no official price for the GoBe3 announced just yet. However, we expect that the smart band will continue to hover around the USD$169 of the GoBe2.

Keep an eye on healbe.com for the GoBe3’s availability.