Category Archives: Consumer Electronics

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.

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

Samsung Makes the Kitchen Hi-tech with Family Hub

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Samsung has been hard at work revolutionising traditional living spaces with a touch of technology. They’ve done the living room and the outdoors with some impressive TV offering. Now, they’ve got their sights set on the kitchen with their new refrigerators. The new two door side by side refrigerators are imbued with technology to make life and meal planning easier.

The new Samsung side by side (SBS) Family Hub brings features that make grocery shopping and meal planning a breeze. The new fridge comes with a ViewInside camera which allows users to peek into the fridge without letting any of the cold air out. Not only is this convenient, it helps when it comes to maintaining the temperature of the fridge. It also helps with power efficiency.

The SBS Family Hub also gives you a screen that seamlessly integrates with any Samsung smartphone; allowing you to share precious memories on the screen. The screen can also act as a virtual bulletin board; bringing a traditional use of the refrigerator surface into the future. The Family Board feature also allows you to share music and images on an interactive screen.

The Family Hub brings connectivity to your kitchen like never before. As part of Samsung’s Smart Things ecosystem, it brings seamless connectivity to your kitchen. Interact with your other Smart Things enabled devices such as your Samsung TVs or even smartphones. Mirror your screens on the Family Board, bring your daytime soap opera to the kitchen as you get started cooking for the family or even put your favourite tunes on while you’re getting ready for your day with breakfast. The functionality isn’t device dependent, the Family Hub is able to support apps and independently run music streaming or video streaming apps.

Pricing & Availability

The Samsung SBS Family Hub is now available in Malaysia for MYR8,999.

Computers, Consumer Electronics, Gaming, News

Sony PlayStation 5 Breaks Covers; Finally!

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It is hard to believe when we say that the Sony PlayStation 4 platform is already about 7 years old now. When it was launched, it was ‘The’ next generation console to get your hands on. It was supposedly less powerful than the Xbox at that time, but it came with a chock-full of exclusives that made the Xbox look boring. 

In its 7 years of service, there has been some great games that was made on the PlayStation platform. Plenty of the titles that came even later in its life cycle was very respectable titles still. Games like Grand Theft Auto V that was launched about the same time the PlayStation 4 was launched gained high praises for its graphical prowess and gameplay. That still holds true even today. Then there is games like God of War, Horizon Zero Dawn, Last of Us. These games launched just a few years ago still held up to the standards of games today. These games are still regarded as some of the best games today even when you compare them to games you can play on PC.  

Mind you, all these games that are filled with praises and great graphics are played on 7-year-old system. That is a testament to the prowess of the system itself in Full HD 1080p gaming. They’ve launched a specific model to accommodate the rising trend of 4K televisions though, the PlayStation 4 Pro with 4K Ultra HD capabilities but limited to 30fps. That is okay though because most TVs do not go over 75Hz in refresh rate. Still, pushing the original PS4 hardware to take on 4K gaming also adds some heat issues and a slightly different power regulation measures. The PS4 Pro handled that nicely and is still a benchmark in 4K gaming. Heck most PCs still maintain their gaming resolution to 2K. That is also to keep the refresh rate higher though at 120Hz at least to get 120fps. 

Seven years on and it is time for the PlayStation 5. It is time for the next generation gaming console. It has also been teased since 2018 technically and we have seen renders of the PS5 floating around in the world wide web. None of them, in our hopes, was true renders though. PS5 finally revealed some things early on in the year and just about a month ago. They revealed that, like the Microsoft Xbox, the PS5 console platform will feature AMD’s latest chips with RDNA 2 and Ray Tracing. It is touted to be less powerful than the Xbox too, just slightly. They claim that the Sony PS5 is about 10x faster than the previous generation console thanks to the more powerful hardware and cleverer SSD storage management and usage. People from Epic Games claim that the PS5 console is more powerful than any current generation gaming PC with an Unreal Engine demo.  

PS5 Hardware Reveal Trailer

There was a lot of hype around it especially after Sony revealed the Dualsense controller. Mind you, we have already seen how the other competing gaming console looks like. The Microsoft offering is black and box; purposeful. The renders of the next-gen Sony console does not look promising with weird valleys in the design and huge bulges that is less than attractive. At least he controller looks good though. It looks bulkier with more ergonomics as a part of the design consideration. It looks more comfortable than before. It looks better than before too. It departs from the traditional Sony Dualshock design that became an icon of a controller in the gaming world.  

With the console and controller mix too they promise an even more immersive gaming experience with not just ultra high-resolution and sharp graphics, and pulling horsepower; but also with immersive 3D audio even without purpose built audio systems. They are building that immersive audio into the Dualsense controller too. More than that, the trigger buttons on the PS5 are now adaptive to the games you play and its requirements. Now, we are more excited than ever to see the PS5 console itself. We hoped, we prayed that the new console does not look like anything that has been in the renders. 

Source: Sony

Fast forward to way too early this morning and our prayers were answered with the reveal of the PS5. Thank the heavens, it does not look like anything the renders put out. Thank heavens, Sony was able to keep the project under wraps for such a long time. Thank heavens, they have lined up a bunch of exclusives to be released within the first year of the PS5 launch in the late 2020s to the early 2021s.  

The Sony PS5 looks like nothing in this world. It looks more like a sculpture than anything else you can put your finger on. It is a far cry compared to the sharp, boxy slate design we are used to with the PS4. Instead, the sharp boxy design continues only with the Microsoft Xbox Series X, a boxy bin like structure that is more purposeful and stealthy. The PS5 is made so that you can really show off. 

It comes in two variants too, a regular PS5 with a Blu-Ray disc insert for the usual Blu-Ray media that we are used to since the PS4. Then there is a curious PS5 with no disc tray. They call it the Digital Edition and that starts to make a little bit of sense since games are purchased online and digitally these days.  

Source: Sony

Still, in its first launch phase, you are getting the first generation of Sony’s anticipated Dual-sense controller. There will be a Sony PS5 headphone to purchase as well. We assume that this is going to be fully optimised with Sony’s proprietary Tempest audio engine. There is also a Nintendo Wii-esque controller that we assume would be a VR or AR motion controller that you need to pair with a tracking camera which they are also selling together later on when the PS5 launches. There are no PS VR headset in sight just yet.  

Back to how it looks. There are plenty of smooth curves on its body that is standing tall. The only sharp edges are the two plates on each side holding everything upright and in its place. Those plates reveals a black cutaway cross structure that holds the integrity of the PS5 and encases all the horsepower inside. There are plenty of ventilation holes revealed here too, presumably for cooling and airflow: important in something that holds as much power as a very high-end gaming PC in less space than a mini-ITX build. We wonder at its thermal performance and throttling now though.  

Source: Sony

In a sense, this looks beautiful. This looks more like a show piece with its large white panels and distinctive, yet muscular curves and grooves. It looks powerful, yet elegant and modern. It looks like it belongs on your coffee table as a centerpiece more than in your TV shelf as a gaming device.  

We still do not know how it will actually perform though. All we know so far are just numbers. From the demos, it is looking good too. The only issue is that we are not directly having our hands-on with it just yet, so it is difficult to say. 

Still, like when they launched the PS4, they lined up very compelling titles out of the box within the first year of its release. We can expect even more than what they have already showcased too. Within the announcement itself, we are already excited to place our wallets on the counter for one PS5. 

Source: Sony

First of all, the announcement starts with Grand Theft Auto V (GTA). Yes, it is an old game. As old as the PS4 itself. But Rockstar is not announcing any new GTA titles anytime soon and the best we will get at this time is GTA V. Rockstar and PlayStation announced that the title will be available for free to current GTA V players on the PS4 console. Players on PS4 console will also be getting 1 million in-game currency every month until the PS5 launches. Great deal? Great deal. 

Then they continue with not just a handful of games to be released just for the PS5. It looks like they announced a whole year worth of games if you play them one by one. It is as though they are giving you a reason to buy the console at least to keep it for a year worth of binge gaming. 

We have our highlights of course, and we are lovers of exclusive titles. One of the ones we are really excited about is Horizon: Forbidden West. We love the first title, and we are still playing it (we suck at games, please forgive us). The award-winning Spider-Man on PS4 is followed up with Spider-Man: Miles Morales too. Then, there is Grand Turismo 7 (we are also quite big on racing games). We are unexpectedly excited for Sackboy:  A big Adventure, because we played Little Big Planet 3. Then there are titles like Resident Evil VIII: Village, and Hitman III. If those titles do not get you excited, we don’t know what will. Best of all, you can still play all your titles from the PS4 if you already have them, thanks to backward compatibility this time. They are still based on the Blu-Ray media system anyway. The list of PlayStation exclusive titles that will be launched within the first year of the PS5 release are listed below. 

Exclusive Games 2020/2021 Release 

  • Spider-man: Miles Morales
  • Grand Turismo 7 
  • Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart 
  • Project Athia
  • Stray
  • Returnal
  • Sackboy: A Big Adventure
  • Destruction: All Stars
  • Kena: Bridge of Spirits
  • Goodbye Volcano High
  • Oddworld: Soulstorm
  • Ghostwire: Tokyo
  • Jett: The Far Shore
  • Godfall
  • Solar Ash
  • Hitman III
  • Astro Playroom
  • Little Devil Inside
  • NBA 2k21 
  • Bugsnax
  • Demon’s Soul
  • Deathloop
  • Resident Evil VIII – VIllage 
  • Pragmata 
  • Horizon: Forbidden West 

The Sony PlayStation 5 will be launched later in the year 2020. We are looking at the fourth quarter of the year for the highly anticipated console. We kind of know which console we will get our hands-on first with this reveal. Still, as per said by plenty of sources in Sony, we can expect prices to land somewhere near the US$ 500 mark, most likely more than that, but less than US$ 600 hopefully. We are keeping our eyes open, so stay tuned. What do you think of the Sony PlayStation 5 now that we have seen it? Which would you get? Comment below. 

Consumer Electronics, Hands On, Mobile, News, Video

HUAWEI MatePad Pro Hands On

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The HUAWEI MatePad Pro was announced globally in Barcelona back in February. The new MatePad Pro was touted as a revolutionary new productivity device empowered by 5G thanks to the HiSilicon Kirin 990 processor inside. Yesterday, the new productivity centered tablet got its debut in Malaysia!

The new MatePad Pro will be available starting 3 April, 2020 for pre-order until 10 April, 2020. It will be available in Midnight Grey and Pearl White. However, Malaysia will only be getting the WiFi version of the MatePad Pro which will come with 256GB of internal storage and 8GB of RAM. The device will cost MYR2,399 and will be shipped starting 11 April, 2020.

Pre-orders of the MatePad Pro will come with about MYR1,000 worth of freebies. This includes the Smart Magnetic Keyboard (worth MYR499), the HUAWEI M-Pencil (worth MYR299), 3 months free access to WPS Office, 50GB of HUAWEI Cloud Storage and 3 months premium access to HUAWEI video.

Aside from that, the MatePad Pro comes with a 10.1-inch IPS LCD display. It has a resolution of 2560 x 1600 and an aspect ratio of 16:10. It has a 13-megapixel camera on the back and an 8-megapixel camera on the front. All of this is powered by 7,250 mAh battery which supports wireless fast charging at 27W and reverse wireless charging at 7.5W. It can also be fast charged at 40W when plugged in.

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Consumer Electronics, News

HONOR Launches the HONOR Life – a Collection of Smart Home Items Including a TV

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We got a very brief tease of HONOR’s very interesting TV toward the end of last year. We saw them at one of their launches. Sadly, the staff at the time said that the TV will not be coming to Malaysia.

HONOR Vision X1

This year, they introduced a new TV alongside a whole slew of smart products for your home. They introduced their new HONOR Vision X1 TV. Seeing that we did not have HONOR’s previous TV, we do not know much about it. The new HONOR Vision X1 TV though packs 8K resolution from either a 65-inch or 55-inch. We still do not know whether this will come to Malaysia or not. We are hopeful though.

  • Source: HUAWEI Central
  • Source: HUAWEI Central

It packs four 10W speakers to output super powerful and clear audio so that you do not need to spend on new soundbars or sound system. The HONOR Vision X1 also packs Motion Estimate and Motion Compensation technology to prevent blurring when upscaling happens. The Honghu 818 System on a Chip (SoC) within the TV also helps reduce display flickering. At 65-inch it sets you back RMB 3,299 (MYR 2,019) while the 55-inch HONOR Vision X1 will set you back RMB 2,299 (MYR 1,407). That is extremely cheap for an 8K TV to be fair. Let us hope that it makes it into Malaysia before the launch of Sony’s PlayStation 5.

HONOR Router 3

Exactly what it sounds like, they launched a WiFi Router. This is not just a regular router with 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands though. It is a WiFi 6+ capable router with 1.2GHz antenna. This also means that the HONOR Router 3 is one of the most advanced routers available in the market at its launch later in July 2020. Again, we do not know if that is coming into Malaysia. Still, you might be able to get them on TaoBao later.

WiFi 6 means more speed and stability. Still, once it meets a wall or two, stability drops. WiFi 6+, according to HONOR anyway, is supposed to solve that issue. With WiFi 6+ signals through the wall should still be stable enough to be useable. Whatever that is, sign me up. It is priced at RMB 219 (MYR 134).

HONOR Choice Home Appliances

They not only launched a new TV and Router for the Smart Home. They also launched a selection of home appliances. They launched an electronic toothbrush that is designed to ensure that there is no dirt build up on the device. They call it their Smart Ultra-sonic Toothbrush. I am not a big fan of electronic Toothbrush though. No prices for this yet.

Source: HONOR

They also launched a Smart Kettle, a Smart Lamp, and a Smart Humidifier. These are items that you may be able to find in the shops though. There is no mention if these smart products are compatible with WiFi connectivity for remote control or not. We do hope that is the case with these products though. They also launched a bladeless fan they call Air Multiplier. No, it is not going to add more air into the room. Like any other fan, it just helps circulate air within a room. That might be useful in the hot and humid weather that is Malaysia though.

They launched a very interesting Smart Vacuum that mimics the more popular handheld, wireless vacuum today. In the launch gambit, they took a stab at Dyson. We know the Dyson wireless vacuum is the best there is in the market. They are claiming that the HONOR Smart Vacuum is more powerful than the Dysons. It packs a 350W 100,000rpm motor with 65 minutes of battery life. Its battery life is more than enough for most homes in Malaysia. It even has ultraviolet-sterilisation cleansing system to keep your floors cleaner than it can ever be. Whether that lives up to HONOR’s hype is yet to be seen though. We do not even know when all these products comes to Malaysia, if they ever come at all.

TWS Earbuds X1

Of course, with the craze with wireless things and wireless earphones, HONOR will not miss out. They launched the HONOR TWS Earbuds X1, their very own, very new True Wireless earphones for the masses.

Its design is very familiar. That is also because it is reminiscent of Apple’s AirPod Pro. It looks like it has a shorter stem though, which also means it is smaller in profile. There is no active noise cancelling on the earbuds though. Still, you get up to 24-hours in battery life with the TWS Earbuds X1 package. We do not know how much of that is down to the case’s battery power.

The TWS Earbuds X1 is priced at RMB 169 (MYR 103). It does not seem like there are any other colour choices except for white. Still, it is affordable. There is no confirmed availability date just yet. We do expect this one to come to Malaysia though.

Consumer Electronics, Contributed, Lifestyle

Picture Perfect: Choosing the Best Projector Resolution for Your Needs

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It started with The Magic Lantern in 1895, one of the earliest recorded functional projectors in history, the technology behind projectors today challenges the concept of flexibility, mobility and visual quality. The projector has evolved in so many aspects but one that is particularly significant: the projector resolution.

Projector resolution significantly affects the image quality and our viewing pleasure; it is a measure of clarity & size of the output image. ‘Resolution’ refers to the number of pixels on screen. A pixel is the smallest element on a screen display which produces a complete image when put together. Hence, greater resolution produces greater image quality.

What are the resolution formats available?

Resolution formats vary depending on the intended input/output device and purpose:

Resolution Format
SVGA (800 x 600 pixels)An affordable option for business, large venues and classrooms to project simple data, charts and short clips.
XGA (1024 x 768 pixels)Following the advancement of technology and computers, the XGA format became the native resolution for most desktops and laptops.
WXGA format (1280 x 800 pixels)The widescreen version of the XGA, a common resolution suited to movie-viewing and video gaming.
WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels)A standard format for modern desktops and laptops, commonly equipped in large venues due to its bright and high-definition content projection.

Why should we choose a higher resolution at work and schools?

The greater the number of pixels = The higher the resolution = The greater the image quality. When it boils down to image quality, high-resolution formats enrich the quality and detail of charts, graphs, texts and high-definition videos resulting in a sharper, cleaner image[1]. These details are vital for effective classroom learning.

A projector for your home cinema experience

Additionally, high-resolution projectors for home entertainment is an investment for avid moviegoers and film enthusiasts as it allows for an at-home cinematic experience. This allows you to control the quality of your experience to completely immerse yourself in cinematic adventures with more privacy and intimacy.

ResolutionsRecommended Usage
720p (1280 x 720 pixels)An economical choice for movie projection and is compatible with the standard HDTV format
1080p (1920 x 1080 pixels)The standard format for home theatre, commonly used for 1080i/1080p HDTV broadcast and Blu-ray formats
4K UHD (4096 x 2160 pixels)The highest resolution for moving pictures, this means crisp visuals with quality cinematic experience within the comfort of your home

How do we choose the right projector resolution?

It all depends on your content. To guarantee viewing quality and pleasure, the projector’s resolution must be compatible with the content output. For example, the WXGA resolution is best suited with 720p videos and a HD resolution with Blu-ray discs and 1080i HDTV[2]. The projected image quality depends on both the resolution of the content and the projector itself. You may compromise on the content’s quality if the resolution of your input device doesn’t match the resolution of your projector. This happens when your input device (laptop/smartphone), a WUXGA format is projected through XGA formatted projector. The number of pixels will be reduced to fit within the ratio of your projector, reducing the display quality. Hence, making a careful choice in a projector that matches or is higher than the resolution of the input device is necessary to guarantee fine image quality, minimum compression and maximum compatibility[3].

You should opt for solutions that include exceptional image quality with a low total cost of ownership accompanied with excellent reliability and service[4]. Unsurprisingly enough, Epson can provide these and more! Investing in a quality projector, no matter the physical setting and content can improve performance, productivity and ultimately – viewing pleasure.

[1] https://epson.com/projector-guide-how-to-buy-a-projector-resolution

[2] https://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/high-tech-gadgets/video-projector-buying-guide1.htm

[3] https://www.projectorpoint.co.uk/projector-resolution

[4] https://epson.com/projectors-and-displays

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

Samsung’s 2020 QLED TVs Brings New Technologies for a More Immersive Experience

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Samsung’s QLED TV line up has been one of the first that have been pushing 8K and large form factor TVs. Last year, we saw the company push boundaries with a flagship series which capped at a whopping 98-inches. That said, Samsung’s line up isn’t just about size, they tend to also push the boundaries when it comes to technology. With the 2019 QLED TV line up, the company introduced a whole slew of features to help make content more immersive and also stand out. This year’s line up is no different.

Spearheaded by the new Q950TS, the new line up of Samsung QLED 8K TVs continue to bring more enhanced technologies. These technologies are focused at providing better picture quality, more immersive sound and a better, more well-rounded experience when it comes to content consumption.

Smarter AI Upscaling Augmented by Deep Learning

Samsung’s introduction of AI upscaling started with its 2019 line up of 8K UHD QLED TVs. The line up was the first to boast a dedicated Quantum processor to help with upscaling to help address the content gap. This year, Samsung ups the ante with an improved AI upscaling. While still backed by a Quantum Processor, the 2020 Samsung QLED 8K TVs will have better upscaling capabilities thanks to machine learning and deep learning algorithms.

The new machine learning and deep learning algorithms are supported by a new neural processing component in the Quantum processors. It is thanks to this neural processing that Samsung’s Quantum Processor is able to upscale content with machine learning and deep learning. The new two pronged approach to upscaling allows better, more natural upscaled content for the large factor QLED TVs.

The first prong of the two prong approach is Samsung’s Machine Learning Super Resolution. This upscaling technology focuses on upscaling content based on identified objects. The company has specified in an online briefing that the upscaling done by this technology preserves the characteristics and details of the objects or subjects of the scene or picture.

To ensure the natural detail of the shot is better preserved during upscaling, Samsung has introduced what they call Deep Learning Super Resolution. It enhances the details and fills in the pixel gaps when the image or video is upscaled. Accessing a neural network, the algorithm intelligently restores details which are lost during the upscaling process. It does this by upscaling the image pixel by pixel. Samsung’s engineers have assured us that the algorithm doesn’t introduce artificial details.

These AI technologies augment the enhancements Samsung has introduced physically in their displays. The new QLED displays come with Array Elite. This new technology allows finer control of the pixels which make up the TV. It allows finer contrast control and better power efficiency as pixels individually powered.

More Immersive Sound with Object Based Surround Sound

Samsung’s new line up of QLED 8K TVs also bring a refreshed approach to sound. In the past, sound seemed to be in the background when it came to TV development. However, Samsung is taking a more holistic approach with their 2020 QLED TVs.

It starts with a redesign of the integrated speakers. Samsung’s new line up comes with six speakers. It has two front firing speakers on the top corners of the screen. It’s placed behind the high resolution QLED panels. More significantly, Samsung has moved the tweeters to the side of the TV. In addition, Samsung is also using wider left and right channels for more complete sound experience.

The redesigned sound system has allowed Samsung to introduce a new, enhanced feature called Object Tracking Sound+ (OTS+). This allows regular consumers, like you and I, to experience sound the way it was designed. OTS+ essentially allows sound to be tied to an object instead of the channels available. This approach allows sound to move as an object moved on and off screen. Dolby refers to this as “audio objects” and is an essential part of its Dolby Atmos certification.

These new technologies enhance old features that came with the 2019 line up as well as enable new ones. The 2020 QLED TVs from Samsung could be one of the most exciting tech that come from the company. This is thanks to the company’s focus on enhancing and augmenting the user experience in its line up with meaningful new features. The new line up is set for its debut soon in Malaysia and has already been introduced in select counties around the world.

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle

Samsung Augments Wind-Free Air-conditioners with AI technology

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Last year, Samsung introduced a new way of cooling your home with its first ever “wind-free” air-conditioning system. The new approach to air-conditioning was a literal breath of fresh air in a space that has become pretty drab over the years. When anyone thinks of air-conditioning, the picture that comes to mind is always a wall mounted machine which actively blows cool air out to cool the room. However, Samsung took inspiration from stones in caves which were able to cool its surroundings.

With this inspiration, the company looked to revolutionize their offerings by offering something similar. Last year, the company introduced it’s R32 rated AR9500M, its first “Wind-Free” air conditioner. The AR9500M brought a new, optimized design of Samsung’s signature triangle air-conditioners. The new design came with over 10,000 micro air holes in the casing. This design allowed Samsung to optimize airflow to allow gentler cooling of the room. It also introduced a new mode of cooling to Samsung air-conditioners.

This year, Samsung’s new AR9500T takes the design of its predecessor and throws it out the window. The new, revamped air-conditioner adopts a familiar, compact design we’ve seen in many other air-conditioners. According to Samsung, the new design was adopted after consulting their partners and service team. They’ve created a modular air-conditioner which is able to be installed and serviced a lot easier than its previous models. The new AR9500T also comes with an increased 23,000 micro holes to create more still air and more efficient cooling.

Aside from that, the AR9500T comes with a new three step cooling process. The air-conditioner kicks into high gear with Fast Cooling mode. It does this by actively blowing cooled air. Samsung claims that the new air-conditioner can blow air further than any model before it; allowing it to cool faster and more efficiently. This is helped by the improved Digital Inverter Boost. After this, the air is dehumidified to optimal humidity. Once the air is at the desired temperature, it uses the wind-free mode to maintain the comfort.

The AR9500T is the first air-conditioner from Samsung to have A.I. Auto cooling. The new feature is uses data from thermostats which collects temperature data from the outside and inside. The A.I. uses this data in tandem with the user’s usage patterns to optimise cooling and maintenance. This is paired with the ability to control the air-conditioner through Samsung’s Smart Things Platform.

The new Samsung AR9500T Wind-free air-conditioner is currently on the market. Purchases of the new Wind-Free air conditioner is eligible for a new Samsung Air Purifier at 50% off! The promotion starts from 1st March till 31st May 2020.

Capacity Price
1.0 hp RM 2399
1.5 hp RM 2699
2.0 hp RM 3699
2.5 hp RM 4399
Consumer Electronics, News

The New Sony Bravia X80H 4K LED TV Pre-Order Starts at MYR 3,099

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We love watching our TV, we love watching Netflix and Amazon Prime Video on our TV. Well, that is the best way to enjoy the streaming services we subscribe to these days. Even YouTube videos can be enjoyed on TV these days. It beats the small 15-inch displays on your notebook PC. It certainly beats your 6-inch smartphone display. You get at least 49-inch of goodness pushed through and in most cases, better audio that your notebook PC. You can even get soundbars if you really want.

Sony TVs hold a special place in our hearts. That is to say that we like Sony TVs for their brilliant details and great contrasts. LED TVs are also known for their vivid colours; which is true for all Sony LED TVs. I personally have a Sony TV at home and pretty much adores it. I only get to use it in the weekends though, sadly.

Source: Sony

Still, the Sony Bravia line-up in Malaysia just got even better with the new Sony Bravia X80H (KD-X8000H) line-up. Prices start from MYR 3,099 and goes all the way to MYR 9,699. Sizes available would be 49-inch (49X8000H), 55-inch (55X8000H @ MYR 3,799), 65-inch (65X8000H @ MYR 5,399), and 75-inch (75X8000H). The TVs will be available April 2020 onward and you can start ordering them from today onward until 31st of March 2020.

Why would you get this over the older X80G TVs? It has the same 4K resolution that the X80G has. It has a new HDR Processor X1, an evolution of the X-Reality Pro engine. That also means crisper, clearer, and more detailed images on your TV screen. Plus, its Object-based HDR remastering makes your TV viewing experience even better. If you find Dolby Vision compatible movies, this is really the screen that can take advantage of that.

Thanks to X-Balanced Speakers as well (55-inch and above), you may save some money from not needing to buy a soundbar anyway. If you do get a soundbar, you might want to spend a little more is what I am saying. Still, the X-Balanced speakers are Dolby Atmos certified, which also means that it should produce immersive audio. Even Spotify will sound good.

The Sony Bravia X80H series comes with Android’s latest 9.0 Pie Operating System, effectively making this the usual Smart TV that is pretty much a compulsory in TVs these days. The smart features is more than just Android 9.0 though. With the Sony Bravia X80H series, connecting to Apple AirPlay and HomeKit is now made easier.

Source: Sony

Pre-orders can be made at selected Sony Stores and Centres across the nation. If you do pre-order, you get a wireless keyboard and a Netflix gift card worth MYR 100 together with your TV when you collect it. Of course, terms and conditions apply. For more information, you can visit their website.