If you’re tired of fumbling with your Touch ‘n Go card at the toll or waiting in long queues, Touch ‘n Go is revving things up with their DUKE of the Road Campaign roadshow. This is an opportunity you won’t want to miss out on as visitors to the roadshow stand a chance to win six months of toll-free bliss on the DUKE highway!
With every RFID tag purchased at the roadshow, you’ll receive a cool RM8 rebate, along with a free outfitting service to help you install it on your vehicle. If you’re not familiar with RFID and the technology behind it, you’ll also get to learn more about the benefits of RFID from the Touch ‘n Go team.
But the fun doesn’t stop at rebates and learning! Each RFID tag purchase also grants you a golden ticket to be one of the lucky fifteen winners who will cruise through the DUKE highway toll-free for a whole six months!
For families joining in on the fun together, there’ll be loads of activities and exciting prizes to be won. So if you’re looking for something to do over the weekend, pop on over to the DUKE of the Road campaign roadshow at AEON AU2 Mall Setiawangsa!
Location: AEON AU2 Mall Setiawangsa
Date: 4 – 6 August 2023
Time: Fri & Sat – 10am to 11pm | Sun – 10am to 10pm
DJI’s foray into action cameras is getting a much-needed boost when it comes to footage quality and versatility. The newly launched DJI Osmo Action 4 brings a whole slew of features that make the footage more versatile, easier to edit and even brings you longer battery life for you to shoot for longer durations.
The Osmo Action 4 is getting a major update with a 1/1.3″ CMOS sensor. The larger sensor also comes with a wide f/2.8 aperture and a 2.4μm-equivalent pixel size. It’s now able to shoot in 4K resolution and up to 120 fps. Of course, the resolution for shooting at 120fps is locked at 1080p. The lens is also an ultrawide lens with a 155° field of view. The new sensor also brings along with a jump in footage quality particularly in low-light conditions.
The hardware improvements are complemented by new shooting modes including 360°HorizonSteady stabilisation modes, including RockSteady 3.0/3.0+ for FPV footage and HorizonBalancing or HorizonSteady for horizontal shots. This is enhanced by the ability to shoot in 10-bit D-Log M which preserves the colours of footage shot in true-to-life form. This also enables more advanced colour grading and editing.
The DJI Osmo Action 4 also comes with an improved battery which is able to deliver consistent battery life even in extreme conditions. The battery typically is able to deliver 2.5 hours of active use on a single charge. Thanks to its support for fast charging, it can be topped up to 80% charged in just 18 minutes. However, more importantly, the DJI Osmo Action 4’s battery is built to withstand extreme conditions; in this case, it’s built to deliver up to 150 minutes of battery life on a single charge at temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F).
Pricing & Availability
The DJI Osmo Action 4 is currently available from DJI partners, the DJI store and their online storefronts on Lazada and Shopee.
You can get the Osmo Action in two different packages:
Samsung seems to have the answer (albeit an unconventional one) – starting from August 1st to October 15, a purchase of a Samsung BESPOKE Refrigerator could put you in the running to win a BMW 320i M Sport worth RM283,800! Other prizes you could potentially win include the BESPOKE Jet vacuum cleaner worth RM3,699 and the BESPOKE 30L Grill Microwave Oven worth RM799.
Don’t forget, the BESPOKE range of fridges are available in multiple colours and finishes to suit your decor. You can also choose from top-mounted, bottom-mounted, single-door, and French-door versions. Prices start at an affordable MYR2,999.
So if you’re looking for a unique way to customise your kitchen and potentially win some goodies, check out the Samsung Malaysia Instagram to learn more.
Cybersecurity is a big talking point today. It is not a new thing; it really has been a concern since the digital age. There are always going to be perpetrators out in the wild who try to cheat, game systems, and even do harm to others for their own benefit. The most recent security threat, and still is one of the biggest threats to cybersecurity, is ransomware.
The thing is, while there are numerous talks about how cyber security should be implemented in corporations and company devices, we often forget that the cyber-first world encourages users to also use their own personal devices for work and at work – your smartphones for example. Where your organization’s issued devices are locked down and secured, your own devices are not. Where Your organization implements security measures on their own back-end digital infrastructure, your own devices are often left untouched. Where your company protects itself, you are left unprotected. So, what do you do?
You get yourself a protection plan of yourself of course. You get yourself Kaspersky’s latest and most comprehensive protection program. For 2023 Kaspersky introduces products that are more streamlined than ever and more comprehensive for all kinds of budget. With updated UI, the Kaspersky protection suites are also made to be more intuitive than ever while offering the most comprehensive protection and control back to users. Their latest suites also offer protection for Windows, Mac, Android, and even iOS.
Kaspersky Standard, or Plus, or Premium
The product naming scheme has become even more simplified than before too. Now you pick between the Standard, Plus, and Premium protection plans that offer different coverage and protection layers. Of course, they come with different price points too.
With the Standard package starting at MYR 70/year (1 device), you get the full might of Kaspersky’s antivirus program that will also detect and remove viruses or malware even before you get your Kaspersky security suite. On top of that, you get real-time protection against the latest known threats to your devices. Kaspersky standard also comes with Safe Browsing and Anti-Phishing suites alongside Firewall and Network Monitor to further protect yourself from malicious websites, downloads, extensions, and even applications. Unlike older cybersecurity suites that tend to slow your PC down, the new Kaspersky security suite offers Quick Startup, PC Speed-up, and Disk Cleanup Tools to ensure that your PC is always working optimally. If you game on your devices too, Kaspersky offers a Game and Do Not Disturb modes to ensure that your devices work to offer the best performance for your games while ensuring that you are not disturbed in an intense battle.
The Plus suite from MYR 96/year (1 device) onward adds an unlimited VPN subscription and Premium Password Manager to the mix. You also have access to Data Leak Checker that monitors the internet and dark web for compromised personal data while offering steps to ensure that your data is always protected. The plan also offers users the ability to monitor their home network and the devices that are connected to the network.
The Premium plan offers the full might of what Kaspersky can offer you for MYR 139/year (1 device) onward. On top of everything you get from the Standard and Plus plans, you also get Kaspersky’s identity protection suite and premium technical support that can even help you install your Kaspersky application for you, if it is too much of a hassle for yourself to do. They also offer the occasional PC health checks done by a professional if you need. In terms of identity protection, they offer something they call an Identity Protection Wallet that stores copies of your sensitive data including identification documents and even licenses in an encrypted format. There is also a one-year free subscription of Kaspsersky Safe Kids suite to further protect your family.
Price and Availability
Kaspersky’s Standard, Plus, and Premium protection plan is now available for MYR 70/year onward (Standard, 1 device) all the way to MYR 195/year (Premium, 5 devices). You can get them from Kaspersky’s website or authorized retailers across the nation. If you choose to get your Kaspersky protection suite now from their website, you are entitled to a 17% introductory discount for your 1-year subscription.
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has recently announced its collaboration with the hit anime series Evangelion, centred around the iconic EVA-02 and pilot Asuka.
This collaboration introduces a range of premium PC gaming components and peripherals with striking red and orange colour schemes, including Evangelion-themed decals and art.
For instance, the ROG Maximus Z790 Hero EVA-02 Edition motherboard features EVA-02’s signature colours and patterns, supporting 13th Gen Intel® Core™ processors and DDR5 memory for top-tier performance.
Source: ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG)
ASUS also boasts exceptional performance with the ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 EVA-02 Edition graphics cards. They come with advanced cooling features and an EVA-02 colour theme, accompanied by Asuka art on the backplate.
The ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB EVA-02 Edition AIO cooler combines efficient cooling capabilities with Asuka-inspired artwork. The LED screen can display various Evangelion-themed animations.
Next up, we have the ROG Hyperion EVA-02 Edition chassis, a premium gaming case with an EVA-02-themed lighting panel. It has been designed to match the aesthetics of EVA-02 and house other ROG x Evangelion components.
Source: ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG)
As for fans and gamers seeking an ergonomic and high-performance keyboard, the ROG Strix Scope RX EVA-02 Edition may just tick the boxes. This keyboard spots an EVA-02-themed keycap, a red-and-orange aluminium case, as well as ROG RX optical mechanical switches for reliable and responsive keystrokes.
The last item in the ASUS ROG Evangelion lineup is the ROG Gladius III Wireless AimPoint EVA-02 Edition mouse. The brand claims that the mouse can provide precision and accuracy with its 36,000 dpi. ROG also offers Evangelion-themed mouse grip tapes for added customization.
At the time of writing this article, ASUS has not announced the official release date for the Evangelion lineup. If you are a big fan of New Evangelion, be sure to stick around to find out more!
Yes, I know, it’s been a long time coming. But, it’s time. Twitter is finally becoming X.
It seems like the writing has been on the wall for a while now with Elon Musk taking over the company last year. However, after what seems to be the most unusually tumultuous buyout ever, the day has finally come – the iconic blue bird logo is being retired for an “X”. The Twitter rebrand exercise was kicked into high gear three months ago with Elon Musk officially replacing the Twitter company with X Corp. [I know it weirdly sounds like LexCorp and we all know what happened with that company in Superman.]
The change has already taken effect with the x.com domain leading to twitter.com. The logo has also been changed to the “X” logo. This comes after Elon Musk tweeted, “And soon we shall bid adieu to the Twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds”. Even the official Twitter account is now an X although its handle is still @Twitter.
So, What Happens Now?
Well, that’s just it, aside from some grandiose words from both Elon Musk and newly instated CEO, Linda Yaccarino, we don’t really know. While Elon Musk has had a long history with the brand, it’s not much to go on. He’s used “X” in many of his other undertakings like SpaceX and xAI. His first startup in 1999 was x.com.
In an internal memo from Yaccarino to Twitter staff published by CNBC, she refers to the rebranding as a second chance for the company once known as Twitter to make a big impression. In the same statement, she highlights that X will be moving at lightspeed with an inventor mindset – “constantly learning, testing out new approaches, changing to get it right and ultimately succeeding.”. This could mean that we’re about to go for a real roller coaster ride with X and what’s coming for the remnants of Twitter.
X is the future state of unlimited interactivity – centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking – creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities. Powered by AI, X will connect us all in ways we’re just beginning to imagine.
However, if anything, it seems like Elon Musk and Linda Yaccarino will be taking Twitter and turning it into a global version of WeChat – a one-stop app for everything or as companies like Grab and AirAsia like to put it a “super-app”. Elon envisions X as the “everything app” and we get a glimpse of the future in the internal memo from Yaccarino, she says that X will “continue to delight our entire community with new experiences in audio, video, messaging, payments, banking — creating a global marketplace for ideas, goods, services, and opportunities.”
It seems like this is already underway in the U.S. with X Corp filing for the relevant regulatory approvals months ago. That said, it’s an end of an era with Twitter officially being wiped off the face of the living internet. After more than 15 years, one of the most iconic internet companies and platforms has been put down. That said, we don’t know what’s in store for X and X Corp as Elon has hinted at improvements and refinements in the near future.
Sony’s WF-1000XM4 that we reviewed last year was, in our opinion, one of the best, if not the best high-end noise cancelling earbuds your money can buy. Sony really knows how to make audio gear and thanks to their knowhow in active noise cancelling (ANC) technologies, you expect nothing less with their high-end noise cancelling audio gears. But that is also a problem in itself made by Sony for themselves. How do you top their best product? While the answer is simply; “make everything better”, it really is not as simple as that.
Of course, while Sony still holds the lead in active noise cancelling headphones, there are players in the industry who are catching up. Apple, for example, introduced their 2nd generation AirPods Pro to a success and with stellar reviews on its aural and noise cancelling performances. Sony cannot just be content with their WF-1000XM4. They do need to push the envelopes a little. They have with the WF-1000XM5.
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Despite being the ‘mark 5’ in the bunch, this is not Sony’s 5th generation ANC earbuds. It is, in fact, their 4th generation high-end earbuds. The earbuds also do not look totally dissimilar with the ‘mark 4’. It is supposedly 25% smaller and 20% lighter than before though. We think that Sony is going for that signature timeless look with their higher-end earphones now, sort of like what they are doing with their Xperia smartphones line-up.
Inside is a completely different earbuds compared to the WF-1000XM4 though. We start with the new driver; they call it the Dynamic Driver X unit. The new Dynamic Driver X is almost similar in size to the previous driver, but is developed specifically for the latest generation WF-1000 earbuds. According to Sony, the driver design offers a combination of materials from the dome to the edge of the diaphragm structure. What this does, according to them, is to reduce distortion on both high-end and low-end frequencies allowing the engineers to pump more power into the driver to produce detailed highs and powerful bass. Of course, they have not forgotten that a balanced audio reproduction requires a balanced and detailed mid-tone too.
Unlike the older WF-1000XM4, the new WF-1000XM5 comes packing two processors. They have a brand-new Noise Cancelling Processor QN2e and Integrated Processor V2. The Integrated Processor V2 now enables the earbuds to process 24-bit audio and offers high-performance noise amplification for super rich audio unlike anything you might have experienced in a pair of wireless earbuds. Of course, you still get Hi-Res support thanks to LDAC and DSEE Extreme. Sony’s highly acclaimed 360 Reality Audio now also comes with head tracking technology that ensures that your sound moves accordingly creating an even higher immersion than ever before.
Source: Sony
Alongside three mics on each earbud, the dedicated noise cancelling processor delivers noise cancelling performance and ambient noise mode even better than you find on the WF-1000XM4. They say that thanks to the three-mic combo, ambient noise can be captured more accurately than before resulting in a much more natural feel of your surroundings. Because noise is picked up much more accurately as well, the noise cancelling algorithm is more precise and therefore works better in noisy environments. You also get Sony’s clever polyurethane foam materials that passively cancels noise in the environment for a better seal in your ears.
Sony also claims that the new WF-1000XM5 offers better call quality than ever before. You still get the beamforming mic that was first introduced in the previous earphones. They have employed cleverer AI algorithms in the new earphones based on Deep Neutral Network (DNN) processing working alongside new bone conduction sensors to accurately pick up your voice. The result should be a more natural sounding, cleaner, and clearer voice at least from your end during a call.
Despite being smaller, the IPX4 water-resistant body of the WF-1000XM5 contains a battery that offers up to 8 hours of continuous listening time on a single charge. Of course, the case carries extra charges for the earbuds for up to 24 hours of listening time. You can also charge the earbuds wirelessly, like its predecessor. Thanks to Multipoint Connect, you can pair the WF-1000XM5 with up to two devices simultaneously, though you might have to sacrifice LDAC capabilities.
Price and Availability
Sony’s WF-1000XM5 will be available in two colour options, just like before. You can get it in black or silver when it is available in August 2023 onward. It will set you back MYR 1,299, which is more expensive than the previous WF-1000XM4 that sold for MYR 1,099 at launch. More on the Sony WF-1000XM5 can be found on their website.
Samsung launched their updated ultimate gaming monitor back in CES 2023 in January. To be fair, CES 2023 saw Samsung showcasing several versions of their ultimate gaming monitor, the Odyssey G9. One of them was the Odyssey Neo G9 that packs dual UHD resolution on a 57-inch curved panel. While it does sound nice, only NVIDIA’s most powerful GeForce RTX 4090 seems to fit the bill for that display. You might even struggle getting the most out of the monitor even with NVIDIA’s most extreme GPU. The Odyssey Neo G9 is a little unrealistic then. But what about the other monitor Samsung introduced? What about the Odyssey OLED G9?
The Odyssey OLED G9 is not necessarily a new recipe from Samsung. Samsung already made the Odyssey G9 in the prior years. It is an out-of-this-world, hardware-pushing, borderline overkill of a gaming monitor that offers 49 inches of ultra-wide experience in dual QHD resolution at a curve. That also means you do not need to lean to one side of the display to see what is happening at the edge, simply turn your head and you are there. It was, in its day, the ultimate gaming monitor for the ultimate gamers. You want one, until. CES 2023 arrives, and Samsung says they can make this recipe even better.
Source: Samsung
It is a simple recipe; just add OLED into the mix. The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is now born. While it is new in Malaysia, the product has seen the light of day in other regions, including South Korea and the United States. No matter though, that was a month ago and now it is officially arriving in Malaysia.
For starters, if you missed our CES 2023 coverage on Samsung’s ultimate gaming monitor, it offers 49 inches still at 1800R curvature. It still allows you to just swivel your head to see everything clearly and easily from a single spot. You still get the 32:9 dual QHD resolution from the older regular Odyssey G9. It even comes standard with 240Hz refresh rate for ultra-smooth frame rates when possible, and 0.3ms gray-to-gray response time for ultra-fast and responsive gaming. It still comes with AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro for tear-free gaming and visual experience for even more immersion when you game. There is also a new CoreSync and Core Lighting+ that cleverly lights up in RGB and according to what you see on your display to add even more immersion to your games and movies. If you do not want a bulky speaker set-up to take up space on your desk, there are even two 5W speakers to work with.
The biggest change to it, and its party piece, is the OLED panel that this one comes with. It now offers a true HDR experience with DisplayHDR TrueBlack 400 standard. That also means that you are not just getting vivid colours, but an inky black that is more accurately represented than before. You can even start to appreciate the incredibly vivid and bright colours that the Odyssey OLED G9 can now offer thanks to the typical OLED colour reproduction.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
It is not just games that will pop on the display. You can now opt for the Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SC) to come with TizenOS built right into the monitor to directly reach OTT services like Netflix or Prime Video. Since the display real estate is expansive enough, you can even opt to work with multiple views (Multi View) for the ultimate multitasking experience. It is modernized too, to take on the future world. It offers HDMI 2.1, Micro HDMI 2.1 and Display Port 1.4 inputs with Auto Source Switch+ so that you can work with multiple devices quickly. They redesigned the stands too, sturdier than ever while still allowing you to easily adjust its height and tilt.
The Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 is now available for MYR 9,499 (G93SC) onward. For MYR 500 on top of that (MYR 9,999), you can get the Odyssey OLED G9 with smart TV functionalities. You can head over to the nearest Samsung authorised dealer or Samsung official stores to get your hands on one of these gaming monitors. You can even head to their online stores to make a purchase. If you do get your monitor between now to 31st of August 2023 though, you get to buy your Odyssey OLED G9 for MYR 8,074 and MYR 8,499 respectively. For more information on Samsung’s latest Odyssey OLED G9, you can visit their website.
Razer has introduced its latest collection, Razer Xanthus, following the success of its previous in-house apparel collections such as Genesis, Unleashed, and Instinct.
Source: Razer
This collection features Razer’s iconic acid green colour and graphics. The collection offers various styling options and customization choices, such as detachable straps with the motto “For Gamers. By Gamers.” and logo patches.
The new Xanthus Collection includes an oversized tank, a tee, a double pocket oversized tee, short sleeve shirt, cargo shorts, a 6-panel cap, and a bucket hat. All are crafted from high-quality, breathable materials.
Also part of the Xanthus collection is a Crossbody Bag and a Tote Bag. These bags are waterproof, lightweight, and allow gamers like yourself to conveniently carry with ease.
Source: Razer
Pricing & Availability
The Xanthus collection is available for purchase via Razer.com, RazerStores, and selected retailers* starting on 11th July 2023. Check out the tables below for the prices.
If you enjoy Chinese dramas centred around the theme of a ‘young couple separated when they were younger and falling in love again a decade later,’ then you are in for a treat!
iQIYI’s latest and hottest Chinese drama, Fireworks of My Heart (我的人间烟火), features popular star Yang Yang (杨洋) playing the role of a firefighter, Song Yan, along with Wang Churan (王楚然) as a doctor in the emergency department, Xu Qin.
In the drama, Yang Yang’s character Song Yan is a tough, passionate firefighter that offers disaster relief to people in need. On the other hand, Wang Churan plays the role of emergency doctor Xu Qin, who is burdened by the weight of familial expectations.
Forced apart by opposition from their families, the star-crossed lovers are reunited through their work 10 years later. Song Yan and Xu Qin work together to save the lives of others. It’s during this time they gradually clear the years of misunderstandings between them reigniting what was once lost.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9v5FP8JJycg
The drama also features other famous stars like Ian Wang (王彦霖), Wei Daxun (魏大勋), and Yang Chaoyue (杨超越).
You can watch Fireworks of My Heart on iQIYI now for free. A Premium VIP plan for iQIYI gets you ad-free streaming, early access to episodes and more for as low as MYR6.90 with an enticing 40% off the original MYR16.90 price. You can get even more discounts when you pay using Touch N’ Go EWallet.
In addition to Fireworks of My Heart, you’ll also be able to watch iQIYI’s growing library of local, Malaysian content which includes shows like “Sorry Naik Lorry”, “Rampas Cintaku” and its first brand-integrated show with GrabFood – “5-Star Hunter Bersama GrabFood”.
