Category Archives: Consumer Electronics

Consumer Electronics, Editorial, Reviews

Haier LE50K6600UG Android TV In-depth Review: A Well-Rounded Smart TV With All The Essentials

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The television is usually the centre of the living room and the main source of entertainment in a household. As the centre it holds a unique position of being the only item that not only has to look good, it needs to be able to seamless fit into any design. However, this centre piece is slowly finding its way into bedrooms and boardrooms.

This shift is prompted by the additional use cases it has acquired over the years thanks to the internet and the advent of Wi-Fi and streaming. Nowadays, we use the television a complementary screen in addition to our media centre. It connects to laptops, desktops and smartphones seamlessly but, more importantly, it’s become a tool that everyone for work and play.

It has, therefore, become more important that we make an informed choice when it comes to purchasing a television. This is increasingly true with the myriad of choices that we are seeing in the market. There is now a television for every price point. The subject of this review, the HAIER LE550K6600GU, comes in a slither under MYR2,500. Is the MYR2,399 you pay for it worth it? Does it stand up to the competition? Should you go a tier higher for better performance? Those are the questions we’re looking to answer in this review.

Design

The HAIER LE50K6600UG is one of the sleekest television sets we’ve seen in a while. That especially rings true when it come to the sub MYR2,500 price point. HAIER didn’t hold back much when it comes to the design of the TV. It has one of the slimmest bezels for a television of its price-point and its minimalistic design allows it to blend seamlessly into any room setup.

Keep in mind, the HAIER Smart TV isn’t a small one either. It’s 50-inches; while it’s on the smaller end of the spectrum nowadays, it’s still pretty substantial when you put it in the middle of a room. The slim, near bezel-less design allows its to standout while blending in. It may sound a little oxymoronic, but the television is able to blend into any setup thanks to the large, black screen but it also has a panel which is bright enough to make it stand out. It’s built-in Chromecast feature also gives it beautiful pictures to cycle through when not in use. Even when the screen is blank, the surface of the black screen is mattified to minimise its reflectivity. You don’t get much distractions even with the screen off.

The overall footprint of the HAIER LE50K6600UG is also smaller and sleeker than its competition. At its thickest it measures just about 3cm; at its thinnest it’s about 0.5cm. This means that mounting it or even standing it shouldn’t be too much of a space issue. However, the legs provided to stand the TV on a console is about 15cm in width. While the design of the stand is sleek, it’s basically two slim throngs which are in an inversed V.

The one blemish on the sleek design of the HAIER LE50K6600UG is the infrared receiver for the remote control. I mean, it’s a literal blemish on the lower left corner of the TV. The odd bump also glows an ominous red when the television is off. Perhaps the main reason I call it a blemish is the odd brown colouring of the rather large casing for the receiver. It’s about a centimetre thick. However, HAIER placed it in a position that doesn’t take much away from the overall façade of the TV itself.

Features

Android TV

The HAIER LE50K6600UG is one of HAIER’s new Android TV touting smart TVs. It runs Android 9.0 Pie out of the box. However, HAIER couldn’t confirm if there would be upgrades to Android 10 later on. They mentioned that it heavily depended on the hardware requirements of Android 10 for TVs. If the hardware requirements are still met in the LE50K6600UG, it is likely that it will get the update.

However, being an Android powered TV, the  HAIER LE50K6600UG is able to access a wide variety of TV optimised apps from the Google Play Store. Apps like TubiTV, Amazon Prime TV and more can be downloaded from the Play Store to optimise your viewing experience. Netflix and YouTube come pre-loaded with a dedicated button on the remote. The wide variety of apps also extends the multipurpose nature of the TV. During our time we had remote streaming apps and even apps for productivity installed.

Android TV’s interface has also been optimised with introduction of Android 9 Pie. The new interface streamlines your frequently accessed apps and has quick access to your most frequently used apps. For example, recommended programs on Netflix are placed front and centre in a widgetised version of the app called channels. This quick access ribbons can be customised and personalised in the settings of the TV.

That said, there is a big flaw when it comes to HAIER’s implementation of Android TV on the LE50K6600UG: pressing the power button on the remote control as you usually would doesn’t turn off the TV. Instead, it sends it into sleep mode. This keeps the processor and graphics processor of the TV running even when the screen is off. However, the most detrimental effect of this is that the TV can get sluggish after a day or two. That said, sending the TV into sleep mode speeds up the boot time of the TV significantly.

AI, Chromecast, & Bluetooth remote control

The remote control of the HAIER LE50K6600UG is not just a standard infrared remote. It comes equipped with Bluetooth connectivity as well. The Bluetooth connectivity of the remote control is setup with a simple button combination during setup. After setting up the Bluetooth, you’ll be able to control the TV without pointing the remote at the tv itself. This also means that if you’re trying to mute the volume or turn the TV off in a hurry, you won’t be stumbling to point the remote control at the TV. That said, this functionality doesn’t work when you shut down the TV properly. It will only kick in after the TV has booted the next time.

Aside from that, the LE50K6600UG comes with AI built in. The AI automatically adjusts and optimises the display settings depending on the surroundings of the TV. It works most of the time. However, I found the optimisations to be a tad bit too minute and too focused on the brightness of the display. It rarely adjusted the saturation, gamma or contrast of the display. I’m also pretty certain that the AI could be contributing to the slowdown of the TV’s performance when its not shutdown. However, it’s a simple fix for HAIER with a software update.

The HAIER LE50K6600UG is a 4K UHD TV. It has a resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels. That said, the picture quality of the HAIER LE50K6600UG is passable. It’s not overly saturated like some of its competition. However, when it comes to the colour reproduction, the colours seem a little washed out and heavy on blues. This could be due to HAIER’s configuration of the individual pixels of the panel. There may be more white pixels to compensate for brightness.

That said, it doesn’t affect the overall experience much unless you’re looking for cinema grade screens – which, to be very honest will never be in the price range of this TV.  The viewing angles of the screen affects the crispness of the details on the screen which is a little weird. In our review period, anything above about 60° makes the characters and alphabets look a little fuzzy. However, like many of the flaws on the HAIER, you won’t notice it unless you are trying really hard to.

Another big plus for the TV is the built-in Chromecast functionality. This allows the TV to work as a second, complementary screen to your phone, tablet or laptop. You can easily use YouTube and other streaming apps which are able to take advantage of the Chromecast API. It also allows you to be able to project from your PC with ease, allowing you to use it to project presentations seamlessly. The Chromecast functionality is one of the biggest advantages the TV has over its competition.

Google Assistant & Connectivity

Of course, being an Android TV, the LE50K6600UG comes with Google Assistant. This allows you to give the TV commands with your voice. Keep in mind that you need to be signed in and have an active internet connection for it to work. The voice recognition is pretty accurate but only if you enunciate your words properly. That said, I found myself using the Google Assistant very sparingly. I found it more tedious than helpful especially when searching in apps. However, it did come in useful when I wanted to launch apps quickly. It allowed me to launch the apps without clicking into the app drawer and searching for the apps manually.

The HAIER Smart TV comes with a whole array of connectivity from Bluetooth to Wi-Fi. It has 1 ARC HDMI input, 3 HDMI inputs, 2 USB inputs, 1 LAN input, a microSD card slot, L/R out, 3.5mm out and a few more for your over the air television signals. That is a whole lot of inputs and output. That said, the TV is able to intelligently name and label the channels according to the device that is plugged in. However, when it came to the USB inputs, we noticed that it could only read USB 2.0 drives. When we tried USB 3.0 and higher, the TV was unable to detect the drive and its contents. We’re unsure if it is a software issue but it’s likely that it may be a fault with the software of the unit that we had for review.

Picture & Sound Quality

The HAIER LE50K6600UG is a 4K UHD TV. It has a resolution 3840 x 2160 pixels. That said, the picture quality of the HAIER LE50K6600UG is passable. It’s not overly saturated like some of its competition. However, when it comes to the colour reproduction, the colours seem a little washed out and heavy on blues. This could be due to HAIER’s configuration of the individual pixels of the panel. There may be more white pixels to compensate for brightness.

That said, it doesn’t affect the overall experience much unless you’re looking for cinema grade screens – which, to be very honest will never be in the price range of this TV.  The viewing angles of the screen affects the crispness of the details on the screen which is a little weird. In our review period, anything above about 60° makes the characters and alphabets look a little fuzzy. However, like many of the flaws on the HAIER, you won’t notice it unless you are trying really hard to.

When it comes to sound, the quality is pretty good. In fact, I would go so far as to say that HAIER is a class above most of its similarly priced competition. While the sound isn’t full and rounded, it doesn’t take away from the experience of the TV unless, like a reviewer, you are looking for flaws. The sound coming out of the built-in speakers was rather hollow and tinny. This also made the sound feel a little too bassy. However, this is easily remedied with an inexpensive sound bar, if the sound quality is an essential for your TV.

An Option for Those Looking for a Well-rounded experience without breaking the bank

The HAIER Smart TV is one of the most well-rounded options in its price range. It provides a good picture quality, enough connectivity options and good sound quality. Overall, it has a complete package and provides a pretty commendable experience especially if you’re looking for a good overall experience without going broke.

At MYR2,399, it’s one of the most affordable 4K UHD TVs in the market. In fact, it’s one of the most affordable Android TVs in the market which is a big plus. Android TVs run a premium just because of the licensing that companies have to pay Google. However, HAIER has found a way to keep the TV affordable while equipping it with most of the sought-after features; making it a serious option for people who are looking for an easy, plug and play Smart TV to complete their rooms or home.

Accessories, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

[Next@Acer] Acer Halo Smart Speaker Quietly Slips Under the Radar into the World

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If you watched the announcement that was made by Acer last night, you might have thought that you already have all the information you need from Acer about their upcoming products that will lead into 2021. They did launch plenty of products last night that might be very compelling for your work from home set-up as well. In fact, if we count our press releases correctly, they had eight separate launches launching more than 20 individual products (this is quite normal, trust me).

There is one product that missed an appearance in the show though. If you checked back into their YouTube page though, you might have seen it. They also launched a smart speaker.

Acer Halo Smart Speaker | Acer

They call it the Acer Halo Smart Speaker, and it is a looker. Its transparent, glass looking thing at the bottom for its base is also an RGB light right that makes the speakers look as if it is dancing with you as you play music to it. Even if it is just responding to you, it just looks funky and light-hearted.

The overall design is just as industrial and pretty as you can expect a Google Nest to be. Like the Google made speaker, the Acer Halo Smart Speaker has a fabric mesh overall body that is shaped into a boxy tower. Underneath the mesh fabric is an LED display that can tell you the time or weather at a glance. You can even customise messages that is displayed on the LED panel.

Source: Acer

It is not just all show and no go though. The Acer Halo Smart Speaker is made with DTS Sound certification. That also means that the speaker is made with sound quality and enjoyment as well. If you put it in the living room, you could easily play a relaxing music through the speaker and sweet music will fill the air with its 360o projection. Its dual far-field speakers ensure that you could communicate with the speaker or give it commands, if you like, from anywhere in the room.

Why do you need to communicate with the speaker? It is a Smart Speaker, why would you not communicate with it? You can tell it to start your slow cooker, turn the TV on, turn the air-conditioning on, turn the washer on, and more, if all these things are Google Home enabled. The Halo Smart Speaker works with Google Assistant, the same one you have on your Android device. That also means that this works as a Google Home controller as well.

  • Source: Acer
  • Source: Acer
  • Source: Acer
  • Source: Acer

There is a curious matter of why Acer has made this product though. While we do find it intriguing and finding ourselves wanting one, Acer has not made any other significant smart home items. They introduced the AcerPure Cool and AcerPure Pro air purifying systems at Next@Acer. The only one that seems to be available globally at this time is the AcerPure Cool air purifier and that is not exactly a smart home product. It still operates with a traditional remote.

There are no mentions on the availability and pricing of the Acer Halo Smart Speaker. We have high hopes for this product though and are praying for it to land in this part of the world. It would make a good alternative to Google Nest, that is not officially available in Malaysia as well. Here is our fingers crossed, our toes as well.

Android, Consumer Electronics, Editorial, Mobile, Podcast

Tech & Tonic Episode 23 Feat. Jeff Sandhu – The Quietest Moment in Our Studio

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Samsung just launched their Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G device last week globally. It is coming to Malaysia soon too with the global availability. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is probably the most anticipated and exciting devices to come out in these two years. Naturally, we are quite excited to see and review the device itself.

Before we can review the device though, we brought Jeff Sandhu in to our studio for a podcast. In this podcast we discuss all things foldable. When we say that, we mean smartphones and gadgets that are foldable, including the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2.

Jeff Sandhu was formerly from BFM. His 10 years experience in BFM includes producing his own talkshows featured on the radio channel itself. He joined BFM when the channel was only 2 years old. He recently left BFM to join a Sunway iLabs and Sunway Education Group initiative called 42 Kuala Lumpur. He is currently heading the media team in the initiative. He is an avid tech enthusiast like us though.

In this podcast we explore, with Jeff, some of the upcoming foldable devices. We discussed what we liked about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, and what we do not like about the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

Bring Some Pizazz to Your Home with Samsung’s New Lifestyle TVs

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In a time when values have changed and our tastes have changed, the way we decorate and design our homes and rooms has also changed. Gone are the days when we design rooms around large pieces of electronics, instead, we are now able to fit our electronics seamlessly into our rooms without needing to compromise. Noticing this trend in how we are designing our spaces, Samsung has introduced a line up of what they call “lifestyle TVs” which are intended to be more than just screens for entertainment.

The new The Serif, The Frame and The Sero QLED TVs are designed to be artistic accents in your rooms instead of cornerstone displays. These TVs aren’t just designed to be screens, they are meant to be functional additions to your room with a focus on the aesthetics and bring the added advantage of a screen that you can consume your media on. The Sero even adapts to your content going from portrait to landscape to fit your content.

Samsung’s The Frame

Having a large, blank, black screen in the middle of your living room is just a big no, no. Samsung’s “The Frame” turns the blank, black surface we’re used to into centerpieces of any given room. The new edition of The Frame comes with Samsung’s QLED 4K technology which includes Samsung’s 4K Quantum processor which intelligently upscales the content your viewing to take advantage of all the pixels of the 4K screen.

However, that’s not the je nais se quois that sets The Frame apart from other TVs. Samsung’s The Frame is designed to look like a frame containing a masterpiece; allowing it become the centerpiece on your art wall when you’re not watching that new episode of “The Witcher” on Netflix. The bold design is also personalisable with different designs for the bezels that allow you to customize the TV to fit your design style. Samsung has also built in a special gallery called “The Art Store” which allows you to get digital copies of masterpieces stored in museums for a monthly fee. However, if you’re not one to splurge, the Art Store also houses a selection of regularly updated free artwork.

The Frame is also designed with a zero gap design allowing it to lay flush against the wall. Unruly cables are also not a problem as it also uses the same invisible cable design from Samsung’s flagship 8K QLED TVs. This allows you to connect all your inputs to a single hub which can be placed further away from the TV leaving your display and wall blemish free.

Samsung’s The Serif

For The Serif , Samsung partnered up with the Bourellec Brothers to create a screen experience that is both chic and distinctive. The Serif will undoubtedly catch anyone’s eyes in any room it’s placed in. Looking at the overall design of the QLED TV, the inspiration for the name should be as bright as day. However, it’s unique design isn’t just its namesake; The Serif‘s design allows the screen to sit independently without the need to hide any cables. If you need a stand for the uniquely designed screen, it also comes with removable legs.

The Serif comes with Samsung’s 4K QLED panels and is available in 43-, 55- and 75-inch in white or black internationally. It also has the company’s 4K Quantum processor which allows you to get the most out of the pixels on your screen even from lower resolution content. It also comes with built-in stereo speakers for immersive sound and a removable back panel and built-in cable management for a seamless facade. The Serif is also able to take advantage of Ambient mode to blend seamlessly into its settings while display pertinent information such as the time and weather in an elegant way befitting the screen. It is also able to take advantage of “tap and connect” which will allow your phone to connect without the hassle of manually plugging in the connection via the settings. However, this only works with Bluetooth Audio on The Serif.

Samsung’s The Sero

The Sero is one of the most unique lifestyle TV offerings that Samsung has in its arsenal right now. The new approach to a TV allows the screen to seamlessly adapt to your content. It has a rotating 43-inch screen which is able to change from portrait to landscape according to the orientation of the content you’re looking at. If you’re on Instagram or TikTok, the screen will be in portrait mode, switch to Netflix and it’ll go into landscape. In apps like YouTube, the screen is able to adapt seamlessly between orientations according to the screen. If you’re minimised, it’ll stay in portrait mode and it’ll kick into landscape when you go full screen. The rotation is made possible thanks to Samsung’s new rotating hinge which allows it to rotate unrestricted.

The Sero comes equipped with its own easel stand which also has detachable wheels for added portability. In addition to portability, The Sero is the only TV in Samsung’s line up which comes with a built-in 4.1 channel speaker system that is integrated into the easel stand. It also comes with Tap to Connect which is compatible with any Samsung smartphone. A simple tap on the top or right border of the TV will trigger quick connect which allows you to connect to your phone for wireless screen sharing and audio connectivity with the TV.

Pricing & Availability

Samsung’s lifestyle TVs are rolling out to selected markets worldwide. In Malaysia the pricing is as below:

ModelPricing
The Sero MYR6,999 (43-inch)
The Serif MYR6,499 (55-inch)
The FrameMYR6,499 (55-inch)
MYR10,999 (65-inch)
Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

The Samsung Family Hub – Heart of the Family in Connected Living

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They say that a way to a man’s hear is their bellies. We respectfully disagree. The way to any person’s heart is their bellies these days. Eating, in Malaysia at least, is a big part of our lives. Anywhere we go in Malaysia, the discussion of food never stops and is always something that anyone can chime in on.

But food is not just an important part of Malaysians, it is so for any families. Most of your family meeting or gathering happens in the kitchen or the dining room, which is right next to, or connected to your kitchen. There is one big thing in the kitchen too, to make it a kitchen; a fridge, which is what Family Hub is.

Regardless of the name, a fridge is truly a hub for the family. It is the one furniture that is shared within a household and used from day to night by every single person in the family. The Samsung Family Hub fridge lives up to that name and turns itself into a smart hub and assistant for your family. But it is more than just a fridge that is connected to your other electronics, it is a little more than just a fridge with a display too.

The Samsung Family Hub refrigerator is not technically a new product name. The product has existed for a while now. It was also one of the most interesting concept fridges when it launched. Especially, when they managed to fit a Harman Kardon speaker to the unit in 2019.

For 2020, The Samsung Family Hub got smarter in terms of software. Of course, it is a better fridge as well. But if you already have the older Family Hub, there is no need for you to go out to buy a new fridge. Still, new things are always nice; we know.

So Clever

Samsung says that this is the cleverest refrigerator that you will see. Then again, it might be the only fridge you see in your house. Why you need two large fridges in your home is beyond me.

Still, this is a very clever refrigerator with an intelligent screen and more within the screen. You can plan out your week’s worth of meals if you want to. It even helps you prepare meals with easy access to recipes that you can work with, according to what you have in the fridge.

Because it sort of knows what is in your fridge, you can even plan out what to buy in the groceries to ‘stock up’. If you forgot what to buy, you can always ‘View Inside’ the fridge to know what you have or not have inside the fridge, I know how many times I forgot to bring out my shopping list. Even when I do bring them out, I will have some missing things.

Family Center

As its name suggests, the Family Hub is meant to be the centrepiece of your family. Okay, maybe not a centrepiece sculpture, it is just a big storage box after all; how good can it look? It is where your family gathers.

We stick everything on the fridge too. You might stick your kid’s drawing, your shopping lists, your notes for your mother, your notes for your father, your notes for your kids, your husband, your wife, you name it. That will kind of clutter your fridge though. What if your fridge magnet decided not to be a fridge magnet anymore? You lose your notes.

With Family Board though on the display of the Family Hub fridge though, you will not lose your notes to the bottom of the fridge. It even has a built-in calendar to put on the screen for good measure. This means that you only need to pin whatever notes you need to put on the Family Board and it still stay there until you take it down or whoever it was intended has seen it. You can even take a family photo on your smartphone and load it to the fridge to pin it on Family Board.

Fun for the Whole Family

There is still a speaker on this new Family Hub though. With Connected Living, the Family Hub with its speakers is even better. It is a Tizen device after all.

The Family Hub can access your favourite music apps still. You can access Spotify, or Deezer, or Joox, or whatever your favourite music streaming app is and start playing music when you are preparing your meals. If you prefer to keep yourself updated with the latest trends in Malaysia, you can access the radio stations too, or open your favourite news aggregator to do more reading while preparing breakfast.

What if you want to catch up on your daily shows on Netflix? Oh yes, you can do that too, thanks to the brilliant display. You can even go on YouTube to get your short video fix if you really want.

SmartThings with Bixby

The Samsung Family Hub is a Samsung device with Tizen OS anyway, which also means that it has built-in assistant. Well, it is Bixby.

But thanks to Samsung’s SmartThings, the Samsung Family Hub is even cleverer. You can control the rest of your home with the fridge now. You can turn on your TV, your air conditioning, air purifier, your washing machine, and your vacuum cleaner too; all from your fridge. Provided, they are all Samsung devices too. You can even answer your calls from your fridge too if you need to.

Price and Availability

The Samsung Family Hub starts from MYR 8,999. It is quite a large refrigerator though for that price. Do make sure that the fridge can fit your kitchen or design your kitchen around your fridge. It is now available from Samsung’s authorised retailers from across Malaysia.

Accessories, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Sony Announces the New WH-1000XM4 Noise Cancelling Headphones – the New Gold Standard for MYR 1,599

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The Sony WH-1000XM3 was regarded, at its time, one of the best Active Noise Cancelling headphones if not the best. While it is not cheap, it is a great piece of listening kit to have. It was plenty more comfortable compared to the WH-1000XM2 and it had a much better performing noise cancelling performance. Coupled with Sony’s know how in music production and reproduction, the headphone is quite special.

The WH-1000XM3 also came with DSEE HX that upscales mp3 music to something that is closer to Hi-Res or lossless music. That also means you are getting superb sound quality even from cheap music format. With long battery life, you really should not be looking elsewhere for a headphone if you love music. It was priced at MYR 1,699 though, not cheap.

Still, from the brilliance of the WH-1000XM3, the WF-1000X skipped a generation and goes into the WF-1000XM3. The QN1 Noise Cancelling processor is one big reason for that jump though. The QN1 Noise Cancelling processor is undoubtedly one of the most advanced sound and noise cancelling processor ever made by Sony.

  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony

Why did we say that? The Sony QN1 processor is still being used by Sony in the product they just launched not more than a few hours ago. The Sony QN1 powers the WH-1000XM4. Now we are hearing questions by you asking; “how is this different of better than the WH-1000XM3 then? Shouldn’t we just buy the Sony WH-1000XM3 after this officially lands then?”

You are not wrong in thinking that, until you look deeper into what the WH-1000XM4 can do.

Cleverer Personal 360-Reality Audio

Source: Sony

First up is what they call Hear AI, or, as they put it, brain assisted noise cancelling. That is not to say that it uses our brains to assist it. Rather, the WH-1000XM4 is now cleverer in its noise cancelling. That also means a more complex algorithm for noise cancelling which in turn results in better noise cancelling for each individual listener.

Yes, personalisation returns in the form of a personalised earphone and audio setting when you get the app to work with the headphone to analyse how your ear responds to sounds. But because the QN1 processor now can now handle more complex maths, it understands your ears better and adjusts noise cancelling and other forms of audio to your ears better for the best listening experience possible on your headphones. This also means that your earphones are yours alone and tuned exactly for you. Keep in mind though that your friends might not be that impressed with the earphones because they are set to you and you alone.

But thanks to that cleverer hearing experience, Sony has also improved its 3D audio. They call it the 360-reality audio algorithm. In most cases the headphones will give you a sense of virtual surround sound. But in some cases, with new music from the likes of Dua Lipa, you are getting a completely different aural experience. We do not know how that will be just yet, we are looking forward.

Speak-to-Chat

Source: Sony

Other cleverer things on the WH-1000XM4 is just making it a better hands-free kit. You now do not need to cover any one of the earcups to turn on ambient noise. It now does that when you start talking. They call it Speak-to-Chat, which may sound like a no-brainer. But even with the WF-1000XM3, you still had to have a finger on one of the earphones to turn on ambient noise to talk to your friends. Not anymore with the WH-1000XM4.

Wearing Detection

Source: Sony

To preserve its battery life (that is still up to 30 hours, by the way), there is now wearing detection too. You do not need to manually turn the headphones off or on. Like plenty of the wireless earbuds these days, it is just a matter of putting the headphones on or take it off to turn it on or off.

DSEE Extreme

Source: Sony

If you think that DSEE HX was brilliant, this thing will amaze you with an improved DSEE upscaler. They call it DSEE Extreme to put music even closer or even on par with Hi-Res or lossless quality. That is considering that you have an MP3 format. The WH-1000XM4 will obviously sound good if you put a FLAC file through it.

Of course, plenty of things that I may have put out may sound like just a minor software update. That could be true. Which also means that the WH-1000XM3 could receive the same updates and sound just as good. But what the WH-1000XM3 cannot update is in the comfort department.

More Comfortable

Source: Sony

The WH-1000XM3 is in no way an uncomfortable headphone. It is, in its day, one of the most comfortable headphones in the market if not the most comfortable wireless item you put over your head. We actually wondered if they could make it anymore comfortable without losing grip over our heads and ears.

Turns out they allegedly can with the WH-1000XM4. The new materials that is a mix of plastics, aluminium, memory foams, and faux leather is supposed to make it feel better in the ears. How? It is now softer on your ears; meaning, less pressure toward your head – which helps with long hours of use. The top of the headband is better padded too apparently. We will not know how they perform until we actually get our hands on them though.

  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
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  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony

Price and Availability

The Sony WH-1000XM4 will be available on the 31st of August 2020 onward – Malaysia’s national day, so you should gift yourself one. If you want one, you can find it at any Sony authorised retailers across Malaysia or online. It will set you back MYR 1,599, which is MYR 100 cheaper than the WH-1000XM3 when it was new. Early bird buyers will get a limited-edition exclusive headphone stand for the 1000X and a starbucks card worth MYR 50. To know more about the amazing thing that is the Sony WH-1000XM4, you can head to their website.

Consumer Electronics, Gaming, News

Sony’s New PlayStation 5 Ready 8K BRAVIA Launched with Full Array LED

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The next era of console gaming is here! Oh wait, we are not in December 2020 yet; my bad. We got a little carried away with some of the interesting things that Sony promises with their upcoming PlayStation 5 (PS5) console gamer. We are not expecting to see the console until we are closer to December 2020 though.

While the gaming console is not yet coming, it does not hurt to prepare for its arrival. As per Sony’s claims, the next generation Zen 2 gaming console from the Japanese firm will support 8K resolution gaming or even 4K resolution at 120 frames every second. Right out of the box, there is a small issue with those numbers.

Source: Sony

Most Televisions(TV) you can buy in the market today does not have the grunt to take full advantage of the power that the Sony PS5 boasts. The only TV that sort of came to mind that might take full advantage of Sony’s new console gamer is Samsung’s 8K Television which was launched last year. It is no Sony though, so it is not necessarily turned and made for PS5.

Of course, it only makes sense then that Sony makes TVs that would be fitting of the next generation gaming console. Sony launching TVs with this kind of power should not come as a surprise though. Still, what amazing devices they are.

Sony BRAVIA X90H

They have launched two new BRAVIA TVs to really take advantage of Sony’s PS5. The Sony Z8H and X90H TVs. The Z series, being the higher-end model will sport 8K resolution while capable of downscaling itself to 4K 120Hz resolution and refresh rate. You get up to 85-inch too for both models for the perfect immersion at home, even when you are not necessarily gaming.

  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony

We start with the X90H series of TVs. At the smallest, it measures at 55-inch. In that case, you get to choose between four sizes for the high-end TV at 55-inch, 65-inch, 75-inch, and 85-inch. All of them sport 4K resolution with HDR as well, so you are still not missing out even if your home may not have as large a space. The best part is that it refreshes at 120Hz still to take full advantage of the upcoming PS5’s 4K 120fps capability. All this is thanks to the new 4K X-Reality processor that Sony put into this thin TV.

Sound from the X90H is handled by Sony’s always brilliant X-Balanced speakers for superior sound quality. The speakers are even Dolby Atmos certified. That also means a highly immersive sound from an amazingly small package. Couple that with Dolby Vision on the TV and you get full immersion without needing an extra speaker system set. That also means you save some money there.

Sony BRAVIA Z8H

Since every other TV maker is getting to 8K resolution, Sony cannot be missing out. They are one of the biggest and more successful TV manufacturers to date after all. That gap is now filled with the Sony BRAVIA Z8H TV.

8K from the Z8H is amazingly rich. To fully take advantage of the many pixels you need a large display. You can appreciate the Full Array LED panel that stretches 85-inch.

  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
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  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony

At 8K though, you are limited up to 60Hz in refresh rate, which also means you cannot play games at 120Hz at full resolution. That is okay though, even the PS5 can only do 8K in limited fps. Turn it down to 4K though and you can harness a full 120hz and therefore run your PS5 at 120fps and still enjoy great images. The refresh rate advantage alone is already an advantage for the Sony against other TVs.

It is not a regular HDR that we have here though on the 8K display. It is an Extended Dynamic Range (XDR), instead of High Dynamic Range that we are talking about. That means even more details in the dark, and even better contrasts from your pictures. This is only possible with Sony’s X1 Ultimate processor fitted into the TV. Of course, this being Sony’s highest end TV, it is Dolby Vision certified too.

Source: Sony

That is not all this TV is capable of though. It has S-Force speakers which also means that sound comes from multiple parts of the TV. This is quite expected from Sony’s highest end TVs though.

The S-Force speakers means that the Z8H produces sound like no other TVs in the market. Without a full array of speaker sets, the TV itself can produce a true Dolby Atmos experience with virtual surround sound, including the low frequencies. If you have a speaker system, this would be the center firing speaker. In some sense though, if you want your TV space to look clean, you may not even need a soundbar or other speakers for this.

Android TV + Apple AirPlay

Source: Sony

Since both the BRAVIA X90H and Z8H TVs are Sony’s line of Smart TVs, they pack Android out-of-the-box for your enjoyment. Sony has been on the Android TV platform exclusively for a while now. That also means that you get to enjoy Netflix, Amazon Prime and even use Spotify on Sony’s amazing speakers built-in with the TV without needing an extra TV box. This is nothing new though.

What is new is the AirPlay compatibility that the new TV comes with. Apple AirPlay, before this, is a feature exclusive to Apple TV Boxes. There were only a handful of TVs in the market that supports the feature. Sony will now fully embrace the Apple ecosystem with AirPlay. This also means you can watch Apple TV and Apple TV+ programs on your TV without an Apple TV Box. You just need to have your Apple iPhone or iPad.

Full Array LED

What is new is Sony adopting Full Array LED panels instead of the usual direct lit OLED panels of the new high-end TVs. While they look similar, there are differences. Bear with us as we get a little bit technical.

Sony’s BRAVIA TVs are known for championing OLED technology even when other manufacturers are moving away from OLED. There is a very good reason for their adamance to their stubbornness though. No, it is not because they are Japanese.

OLED is very expensive, more so than IPS. The price alone is a small reason to other manufacturers choosing to go on a different route to their TVs. The high price is partly due to the limited amount of production in OLED panels.

Source: LG

The price is also still justified by the unparalleled colour contrast, brightness, and accuracy in the display industry. There is a reason why plenty of colour accurate monitors and reference displays still use OLED panels. The only panels that can achieve true black in the modern market are still OLED panels. That is what Sony wants, an unparalleled colour clarity and accuracy compared to any other TVs, while ensuring that you are not blinded.

There are downsides however, besides its high price point. It is not as durable as a regular LCD panel. While you can make OLED panels thinner than your exam papers, It may not last as long as a regular LCD panel. You might want to replace your TV or OLED panel in 3-5 years at a time, and that is just not as feasible in your home.

Source: Reddit

They call it LED burn in. This is also the reason why Sony did not include the always on function that Samsung has made popular in their wallpaper TVs. This happens especially when you leave an image on the panel for too long. You start seeing silhouettes of the image that is burned into the panel even when you want other images on your TV. This is an annoying and quite uncurable for OLED TVs.

To handle the problem, Sony has an LED ‘cleaner’ program built into their TVs. That does not completely eliminate the issue though. The program just extends the life of the panel a little bit with minimal loss of clarity and quality. The damage can be accalerated with leaving your display on for a long time without anything playing on it. It can be exaggerated with bright colours.

Source: Sony

This is where Full Array LED comes in though. If you look through Sony’s specification sheet for the new high-end TVs like the Z8H and X90H, you will notice that it is not an LED panel anymore that is stated in the display. Instead, you find an LCD panel with LED backlighting as its description.

No, it is not false advertising. Full Array LED panels are generaly LCD panels with LED backlight behind the LCD panels. The only difference between a regular LED backlit panel and Full Array LED panel is the amount of LEDs there are in the panel.

Full Array also means that each pixel is individually backlit as well by an LED array. There are plenty of benefits for this. Among which, a Full Array LED panel’s black is the closest to a direct lit OLED panel’s black so far. Though it may not be true black, as far as technicalities are concerned, it makes very negligible differences in a normal human eye.

Everything else is also pretty similar in terms of picture and colour quality. Sure, there is a little more colour bleeding from the edges of the image. That also means there might be a slight smear in the images. Again, they are very negligible to the naked eye. One thing for sure, these panels are cheaper than regular OLED panels to produce. That said, the new high-end TVs from Sony are not exactly on the affordable side.

Price and Availability

The more affordable Sony X90H that is ready to take on your Sony PS5 will set you back MYR 4,299 (starting from). Considering that there are not many TVs that would be boasting next-gen gaming console support, the price is somewhat acceptable. The X90H is now available from Sony’s retailers and Sony Centre’s across the nation.

The Z8H is a pill that is quite difficult to swallow. You would want to have a considerable space for the TV itself, thanks to its enormous size at 85-inch. You will need to spare another MR 79,999 for the TV though if you really want it. Yes, the price is quite similar to their competitor, Samsung’s, offering. You get 4K at 120Hz on this thing though. This is a testament of; “with money, anything is possible”. The high-end 8K TV will be available sometime this month as well, well before PS5 launches.

Android, Business, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Editorial, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Virtual Showrooms – the New Normal

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Just a few days ago we see BMW launching their BMW X5 xDrive45 M Sport. In that launch they also launched an AR app that allows you to view the car in person via your smartphone. There is something lacking though, you do not get to get into the car.

There is another site that gives you a tour around the car though. They are also giving you a tour inside the car. You can also view other cars, not just a BMW. Welcome to the normal.

The site in reference is WapCar. The function is newly launched though so there are limited resources for now. Still, this is a sign of a new coming of age in the automotive industry.

Sure, you could go to any car manufacturer’s site to customise your car options and see the results of the customisation on a virtual image platform on the website. Technically what you are seeing here is not technically new technology. But you are probably looking at a revolution of an industry in Malaysia.

Source: Merceds-Benz

Customising your vehicle before you buy them is nothing new. You would want to buy a car that you want in specs and equipment list that you want, very normal. Usually, you would go to a showroom to look at the cars, get a feel, get a quotation, decide on what you need in the car, and buy them. Either that, or go to a car show, or exhibition held by showrooms or brands (there is one upcoming one by NAZA, by the way). That is the general norm in Malaysia. Customising cars on websites in Malaysia then, is not very common.

Since the COVID-19 crisis hits globally though, things have changed. We go out less, we are a bit more paranoid with people, we try to not crowd a place, and we also try to avoid contact with other people not in our bubble or even public objects that could be a bridge between you and other people. So, how do we buy things now?

The ‘new normal’ as they call it, sees a big boom in the digital space. Again, they are not technically new technology. Things like Shopee, Lazada, GrabFood, MyGroser, Tesco Online, Lalamove, GrabExpress, FoodPanda, GoGet, and such have existed forever (well; not forever, just for very long time). Thanks to the fact that you do not have to go out to get your food, your shopping, and your groceries done though, these platforms have thrived and we have grown to rely on them more than ever. Online shopping has become a norm.

Source: McLaren

Obviously, some people start thinking; “why does this new normal have to be limited to regular online shopping, delivery, and food services”? They do not. Lazada kicked off the market first with putting Volkswagen and Hyundai on their platform to sell cars, actual cars like the Volkswagen Polo and Hyundai i30. They also innovated a little more with purchasing properties when they partnered with Mah Sing Group. So, why not more of these? Especially with cars.

There is a problem though. Malaysians are not used to looking at cars virtually online. They like to walk around the cars, touch them, feel them, sit in them. We cannot do that now, can we? So online showrooms are the way to go. That way you get to do a ‘walkaround’ and ‘sit in’. The only thing you cannot do is test drive it or hear its engine note. We are pretty sure that the showrooms will not find it to be a problem to arrange for a test drive for you if you do give in a call though. We are certain too that they will follow procedure to properly sanitise the car and wear a mask beside you. You can request that too; no harm in asking.

Source: Mercedes-Benz

So back to virtual showrooms then. WapCar currently has only a few cars in their VR showroom. If you go to their website, you can browse through their catalogue of endless listings that even includes the likes of Bentley, Ferrari, and even McLaren (nope, no VR just yet, we would be excited for that though). As long as you see ‘VR’ pasted on the thumbnail, you can virtually ‘walkaround’ the car at least. There are even fewer cars with VR interior for now. They are slowly rolling out the feature to as many cars they can get their hands on though.

WapCar as a platform does show us what is possible in the new normal. It also shows a sort of alternative for Malaysia’s automotive industry future. Maybe we do not need a physical showroom that takes up huge spaces with not that many things put into it. Maybe all we need is a PC display to show us what we might get in the car. Better yet, maybe all we need is a VR Goggle to see what the car might look like on our driveway, or parking lot.

  • Source: WapCar
  • Source: WapCar

What about the showrooms? Why not just have these businesses set up online entirely? That may not seem to be such a bad idea, no? Maybe that also might make your car purchases a little bit more special since you really have to be patient. Who knows, it could be like unboxing your smartphone for the first time, or unwrapping your Christmas gift.

Accessories, Consumer Electronics, First Look, Lifestyle, Video

First Look at the Ruark Audio R3 – High-End, Pretty, At Home

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Ruark Audio just launched in Malaysia. Malaysia is also the first market to the Ruark Audio R3. The new Bluetooth enabled speakers is so much more than just a table top speaker though.

It packs a very powerful class A-B amplifier for superior sound quality even if you compare it to the likes of Senheiser or even Bose. It is just as pricey too at MYR 3,999. It is also a piece of furniture though.

The wood finish is actual wood, instead of laminated MDF boards. It is a piece of decoration in your living room, or your study, or even your bedroom. It can even fit your antique furniture if you really like.

It is not an antique museum piece though. It is Bluetooth enabled, WiFi enabled, Internet enabled, and you can even put a CD into it. It is as modern as the National Art Gallery of Singapore.

The Ruark Audio R3 will be available in Malaysia at the end of August at retail partners accross Malaysia. There are no available colour options available, just that every piece of Ruark Audio’s loudspeakers come from actual wood, so you get different grains. As mentioned, it will be priced at MYR 3,999. More information can be found on their website.

Accessories, Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

Ruark Audio Makes its Way into Malaysia With the R3!

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Never heard of RuarkAudio? We cannot blame you. It is practically a brand that technically does not exist in Malaysia before today. If you are not an audiophile, you might not have heard of the brand before. If you are, there is also a slight chance you may not be too familiar with the brand.

RuarkAudio is a British company that makes speakers. Unlike Senheiser or Bose though, they have less than half the resources these company boasts. That said, their offerings are not half as bad. In fact, their offerings can be highly competitive in terms of audio performance compared to the likes of Senheiser.

For some context, the company was founded in 1985 by Alan O’Rourke. It started in an industrial estate in Raleigh, Essex as a small workshop to make their own loudspeakers. Over the years they have been making high-end speakers, studio monitor speakers and even DAB radio receivers. They receive high praises in making all these products.

Fast forward to 16th July 2020 and they are launching their brand-new compact speaker system for the discerning millennials. They introduced the Ruark R3. It sits in between their R2 and R4 wireless speakers, effectively making the R3 a mid-range product in Ruark Audio’s highly acclaimed product range. Yes, they have quite an extensive range in their workshop.

Their flagship Ruark Audio R7 is something of a furniture. It looks more like a very thick table you put in your living room rather than play your audio. With that solid wood finish too, you can easily mistaken it to be decorative coffee table. It is a powerful speaker with a class A-B amplifier built into the wooden chassis though. You can plug any audio source like a turntable, your media player, or even your smartphone to it and it will work. You can also tune into the local radio channels, if you really want. Or, if you still carry CDs, you can put that into the R7 and it will play too. This one will set you back a cool MYR 15,999.

The R7 too rich for your taste? The R5 then, a shrunk down tabletop version of the R7. Smaller body does not mean smaller power though. It still packs the same amplifier from the Ruark Audio R7. That makes the Ruark Audio R5 the perfect audio furniture to own in a smaller condominium unit.

The class A-B amplifier combined with a downward firing subwoofer, the Ruark R5 produces excellent low frequencies while maintaining powerful mid and high frequencies. You can even put a CD into it like the R7. This has a specific RIAA turntable input though, this would be the one you want if you have a turntable. This will set you back MYR 6,999.

The Ruark Audio R3 is their latest product to grace the audiophile market. It is even smaller than the R5, which makes it quite perfect for your bedroom technically. Then again, your home is your home, so you decide where this goes. Being the latest product from Ruark Audio, this is also one of Ruark Audio’s most cutting edge product to date. You can easily stream music via Spotify Connect, TIDAL, Amazon Music, and Deezer over WiFi, or Bluetooth with aptX (not aptX HD, sadly). Its Smart Radio can tune into internet based radios, or DAB or DAB+, or local FM Stations, making this the most flexible radio set you have in your room. You can even play CD through it. The R3 is also compatible with your smart TVs, or Amazon Echo Dot, or Google Home Mini to make it even cleverer. This sets you back MYR 3,999.

No need audio for the room? Need a stereo set up for your desk instead? The MR1 is the perfect desktop speakers for that. Be it your work station, or even your media player centre, the Ruark Audio MR1 will sit on the desk like it belongs. It still packs the class A-B that the R3, R5, and R7 has. That also means that this is a powerful little speaker that produce clean, crisp audio. Unlike most desktop set ups, you only need two of these little boxes to get a full aural experience. You do not need a secondary subwoofer for this. This one is MYR 2,099.

If ease of use is your thing, then there is the MRx instead. The single speaker unit has more in likeness to the MR1 than the other products in Ruark Audio’s product range. It does not have a player unit or a large display unit. It plays audio via Bluetooth, or USB stick, or the internet, or even an AUX input. You can only control the speaker via the UNDOK app available for Android and iOS. This will set you back MYR 2,399.

The Ruark Audio R7, R5, MR1, and MRx will be available in Malaysia at the end of August. You can get them either online or Ruark Audio’s retail partners in Malaysia, Atlas Sound and Vision at the Gardens Mall, Mac Studio at BB Plaza KL and Bangsar Shopping centre, and Flash Gadgets at Sunway Pyramid. You do need to experience the products first before justifying the investment though. To do that, you can head to Atlas Sound and Vision at The Gardens Mall for a Ruark experience. For more information, you can head over to their website.