Category Archives: Lifestyle

Sony Walkman NW-A306 In-Depth Review – Hi-Res Audio for the Budget Audiophile

April 11, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

The Sony Walkman brand started in 1979 with personal battery powered cassette players. That was genesis for the portable audio industry, one of the first personal audio player small enough to fit in your pockets. The boom in the stereoscopic headphone industry can also be attributed to that.

In 2001, Apple brought their famous iPod to market. When that launched, the iPod became the household name for portable audio. All the other brands, including Sony’s Walkman, had to take a backseat.

Today, something like an iPod is ‘old-fashioned’. You can store lossless audio files and even play them on a modern smartphone. There are many streaming platforms today as well offering you music and even podcasts at the same time.

For all of these, you trade audio quality for convenience. Proper audio processors will make your smartphones bigger. Your streaming platforms use highly compressed audio for better economy, latency, and efficient storage.

For audiophiles and purists though, convenience is a hindrance to purity and greatness. A dedicated media player is always the way to go. Sony’s Walkman is still one of the biggest brands in this space. In the Walkman stables, there are also options to fit different budgets.

One of their latest additions to the Walkman family is the NW-A306, a mid-range media player for enthusiasts. It packs Android 12, like a smartphone. It is an extra device in your gear bag that will set you back MYR 1,599. In that case, is this relevant? Is it even worth the asking price?

Design

It looks like a rather compact and thick smartphone. Thanks to Android 12, it feels like an actual smartphone. Unlike a smartphone though, this has more buttons than the usual on/off an volume rocker buttons.

The front of the device is a glass plane protecting a 3.6-inch LCD panel and Sony branding at the bottom. The camera-less ridged back plate with a Walkman badge carved into it is aluminium. The ridge is meant to improve grip, we think. We reckon that a cheap silicon case would do a better job.

The sides are also aluminium like the back plate. On the right side of the device is where all your media and volume control buttons are. There is also a ‘hold’ toggle to prevent accidental presses. The entire device speaks quality and feels rigid, durable.

You can only get the NW-A306 in boring ol’ black. It is not meant to attract attention though. We would go so far to say that the Sony NW-A306 is meant to be subtle and stealthy.

Hardware

Sony does not mention the sort of processor inside the device. It is made with audio in mind though. For that, Sony has several effects processors inside for better audio reproduction and immersive effects.

Specifications

Sony NW-A306
Audio Playback	MP3 32-320kbps/32, 44.1, 48kHz WMA 32-320kbps/44.1kHz, 32-48kbps/44.1kHz FLAC 16, 24bit/8-384kHz WAV 16, 24, 32bit/8-384kHz AAC 16-320kbps/8-48kHz HE-AAC 32-144kbps/8-48kHz Apple Lossless 16, 24bit/8-384kHz AIFF 16, 24, 32bit/8-384kHz DSD 1bit/2.8224, 5.6448, 11.2896 MHz APE 8, 16, 24bit/8-192kHz MQA
Headphone Out Jack	20-40,000 Hz 35mW+35mW Max Power Output
Display	3.6-inch 720p (1280 x 720) TFT LCD with LED backlight
Memory	32GB Internal Storage Expandable via MicroSD
Interface	Android 12
Battery	Unspecified capacity Max. 36 hours (MP3), Min. 14 hours (DSD 1bit/11.2896 MHz)
Miscellaneous	USB Type-C (USB3.2 Gen1) Bluetooth 5.0 (A2DP, AVRCP, SPP, OPP, DID) LDAC AptX AptX HD DSEE Ultimate Vinyl Processor ClearAudio+ 360 Reality Audio Hi-Res Audio Hi-Res Audio Wireless 10-band equaliser

Features

You can upload MP3 files in the thousands, which would be a waste. You want FLAC or WAV format in the NW-A306 to get the best out of it. If you can, you want DSD format audio for it.

Android 12 Interface

Android is a familiar interface. Everything is intuitive and where you expect to find them. Even if it is not the most updated Android 13, it is familiar and simple to work with.

You still get Bluetooth and WiFi, but that is about it for connectivity. You will not be able to customize too much in terms of your back, recent apps, and home button too. But they are there, like a regular Android.

You can access Google Play Store. You can install Netflix and Prime Video, but you watch movies at HD resolution and on a miniscule screen, we do not recommend it. You can install other media players for it if you want alongside Spotify and Tidal.

DSD Audio Playback

All the NW-A306’s hardware goes into supporting one of the best lossless audio formats you can get. While technically you do not lose too much audio artifact through 32-bit FLAC and WAV formats, you still lose some artifact thanks to limited sampling rate at up to 384 KHz. That is not the case for DSD format.

The specific DSD format the NW-A306 plays is up to DSD 256, or DSD 11.2 Mhz. Whichever way you look at it, 11,289,600 Hz is plenty more than 384,000 Hz, meaning you get a lot more detail in your audio. FLAC and WAV formats offer better depth though. At up to 32-bit, you technically have much higher volume floors offering more powerful and full low-end sounds. Even then, 1-bit DSD 256 format audio contains somewhat more detail and with the right headphones, you might prefer it.

The difference is marginal and might not sound too different over untrained ears. You also need quality headphones with neutral and balanced drivers to tell the difference. Sony does not include any earphones with the NW-A306.

Direct, or Processed

The amount of customization and upscaling you can get from Sony’s media player is nothing short of astonishing. If you thought that Sony’s wireless headphones do well in upscaling audio, you might want to try one of these with a decent pair of headphones.

You get DSEE Ultimate, DC Phase Linearizer, Dynamic Normaliser, Vinyl Processor, and if you are too lazy to find out what you like; you get ClearAudio+ to cleverly transform your music listening experience via a single toggle. If you do not like any of those upscaling artifacts, you can even get to bypass all of Sony’s filters and effects via Direct Source mode or tune it to your personal preference with a 10-band equalizer.

We are not going to go into the technical bits of each effect that Sony offers. All you need to know is that each effect offers a different enhancement to your audio and some of them are pretty self-explanatory. Vinyl processor for example, offers a vinyl like listening experience which adds some warmth and reverb into your audio. We simply turned on ClearAudio+, which will turn off access to every other individual effect.

ClearAudio+ offers Sony’s DSEE Extreme, and other clever AI based effects to enhance your audio from a single toggle. You get more details in your music and the algorithm boosts your volumes a little too. Without ClearAudio+, we set the media player at more than 80% volume. With ClearAudio+, we only need to turn it up to 75% at the maximum.

Sony’s clever DSEE and ClearAudio+ does not just work for the regular DSD or FLAC audio you put into your media player. It also works for the music streaming apps like Spotify and Tidal. You can turn on Hi-Res streaming and the NW-A306 will cleverly upscale your output to 192kHz/32-bit quality.

Your Portable DAC

If you plug it into your PC via a USB cable, you might see a DAC mode on offer. It is not the straightforward plug-and-play solution we expected though. You want to have Sony’s Music Center app for your PC, or Hi-Res Audio Player for Mac. On PC, you are limited to 32-bit 48kHz input/output, which is not quite Hi-Res. Once you have your app installed, and you plug in your device to the PC or Mac via USB, and then select USB DAC mode, you must go into the Walkman app and find “USB DAC” button on the main library screen. Only once you activate DAC mode from there then only you can start enjoying it as your DAC.

With the NW-A306 as your DAC your music listening experience is transformed and you really feel like you are listening to a completely different device even with Tidal and Spotify. You get a much wider sound stage and improved dynamics. Your highs and lows are more distinct and plenty more detailed. You even get deeper lows and better volumes out of your PC.

There is a small matter of delay though. Pressing play on your Tidal or Spotify player takes about a second for the action to turn into audio. It is negligible for music, but it may not be ideal for Gaming or Movies.

Bluetooth Audio + LDAC + Qualcomm aptX HD

Unlike plenty of traditional media players, the Walkman can be used with Bluetooth enabled headphones. It is not just Sony’s headphones though. You can use it with any Bluetooth headphones. We tested it with the Sony WH-1000XM4.

The WH-1000XM4 is not a Qualcomm device with aptX HD chip. Instead, it works with Sony’s proprietary LDAC for the best possible Bluetooth audio experience. If you do have any other headphones that supports aptX HD though, you can work with the media player.

While it is Bluetooth enabled, the sound quality is only as good as Bluetooth 5.0 allows it to be. It also highly depends on the version and calibration of the Bluetooth gear. We think that using a wireless set-up with the NW-A306 is not the best. It is convenient though.

360 Reality Audio

The NW-A306 is marketed to be capable of 360 Reality Audio. The effects of the surround sound are highly dependent on your listening gear too. You want to have a compatible set-up for this. The WH-1000XM4, for example, is sufficiently capable.

We can also only get 360 Reality Audio music and audio from Tidal at this time. That also means that you have to rely on using Tidal to take advantage of 360 Reality Audio. The Walkman app refuses to play 5-channel FLAC and DSD audio files.

We spoke about 360-Reality Audio at length when we reviewed the WH-1000XM4. In that case, we are not going to elaborate on the 360 Reality Audio experience here. In short, we like it.

Performance – There is a Difference

The NW-A306 is not a gimmick. Even at this price range, there is an actual difference between listening to audio with this media player over your modern smartphones. That does not only come from us.

We pitted the NW-A306 against a modern smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, and used Tidal as the benchmark. We used a Shure SE535 in-ear monitor earphones on both devices with custom cable from KZ. For the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra, we used a USB Type-C to 3.5mm DAC adapter from UGreen.

Smartphone Versus NW-A306

Even with Tidal, there are differences. You get slightly more dynamic range from the NW-A306 than you get on the smartphone. Volumes do not necessarily differ all that much between the two devices, but you get more granular control over volume with the media player. There are also slightly more details in the music on the NW-A306.

Just so that we eliminate any fanboy bias, we let others test the NW-A306 against the smartphone. Most are not able to define the difference, but they preferred the listening experience from the Sony media player. While there are differences, they are so marginal that most might consider it negligible.

Going Hi-Res

Once we get to FLAC and DSD files though, the media player makes more sense. Those who have tested the media player with FLAC and DSD audio reports that you get a significant boost in sound quality. Most of them also prefers DSD audio formats than FLAC. To be fair, we could only get our hands on 24-bit/192kHz FLAC files at the maximum while the DSD files go up to 11.2MHz at 1-bit.

With FLAC, WAV, and DSD format audio, you are getting a tremendous amount of detail pumped into your ears. You get a full sense of width and depth of the dynamic range with these files. You are technically getting CD quality sounds and better. Audio is not just accurate; it also sounds great and clean.

Some Electronic Interference

It is not perfect though. There is still some electronic hiss that goes through to the headphones. You are likely going to put your audio levels at about 70 – 75% volume and the hiss is noticeable at those volume ranges. Once you start playing your music though, the hiss disappears behind the music.

Only 10-Band?

You can switch off ClearAudio+ to select the effects you want and tune your audio via the 10-band equalizer. We think that Sony could give us more than 10-band in their equalizer option for even more control. This is still better than what you get with your Sony Music app on your smartphone though.

Battery Life

Sony says you can get 36 hours of non-stop music playing time with MP3 music. If you play DSD 11.2MHz files exclusively, you only get 14 hours of playback time. This is also considering that you are using a wired 3.5mm jack headphone. That easily covers an entire flight from Kuala Lumpur to London for example.

In our tests, we have not been able to extend the battery life to 14 hours while playing FLAC and DSD files. We estimated that the battery can last up to 10-12 hours in a single full charge at least in our test with music played through the Walkman app. We do recon that you can get about 14 hours of playback time out of it though if you keep your screen turned off while playing music.

The Sony NW-A306 – You Do Not Need it, But You Kind of Want It

At MYR 1,599, it is not what we will call a budget or even sensible buy. While it does sound better than the regular ol’ smartphone, it is marginal if you are only relying on music streaming platforms like Spotify and Tidal. To most, the difference is not enough to justify spending MYR 1,599 for an extra piece of kit to carry. The tiny HD resolution display is not exactly the best to enjoy Netflix and Video Prime on. To source for FLAC or DSD files is an effort too.

When you make the extra effort though, the NW-A306 makes sense. You get an elevated music experience over smartphones. It is no larger than a modern smartphone, making it rather portable. You have the convenience of wireless headphones but spending extra money on a great pair of wired headphones gets you an uncompromised listening experience. You can even use it as a DAC for your PC. If you can appreciate all of that, MYR 1,599 now seems more reasonable.

Is it relevant? We think it is. It is made for those who do not want to compromise too much on sound quality – audiophiles. It is for those who want to keep their devices separate from each other by function. It is for those who want no distraction from their music, a sort of separation between work and enjoyment.

At MYR 1,599, this NW-A306 is reasonably accessible. There are going to be other costs that is attached to buying this music player. You are going to have to spend more on a decent pair of wired headphones. You are also going to be spending a little bit of money on your music collection. Thing is, if audio quality is everything to you, it is worth it.

Camera, Lifestyle, News

FUJIFILM INSTAX mini 12 Launches – More of the Same Thing, But Just a Little Bit More for MYR 428

April 10, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

FUJIFILM’s INSTAX series cameras have been the king of instant printing cameras, not like they had plenty in terms of competition anyway. Their first INSTAX mini camera was introduced back in 2016. Back then, the INSTAX mini was a curious little camera that looked out of place in the world of digital cameras. There were questions about its place in the modern photography world.

It was not made as a serious camera though. It was built and made for fun. It was made to be completely basic and very easy to use. Fast forward to 2023, they are introducing the 12^th iteration of the INSTAX mini. To be fair, the recipe has been somewhat the same.

Press Release FUJIFILM Malaysia Launches INSTAX mini 12 Final1 — Source: FUJIFILM

The INSTAX mini 12 draws pretty much from the INSTAX mini 11 introduced back in 2020. Yes, it has been nearly three years since FUJIFILM updated the INSTAX mini camera. To be fair, there is not too much to update in the first place.

The INSTAX mini 11 introduced a very clever Automatic Exposure function to the FUJIFILM INSTAX family. There is nothing much else to be improved for the INSTAX because it offers the sort of same instant film experience as the INSTAX before it. There is slightly new bodywork adding some flair and ergonomic function to the instant film camera on the mini 11. Apart from that and the new exposure control technology, there is not much else new on the mini 11.

The mini 12 offers the same Automatic Exposure as the older INSTAX mini 11. It offers largely the same body as the old one too. Now though there is a new control mechanism on the 12^th iteration of the INSTAX mini. You now can rotate the lens. When you do that, the lens zooms in and goes to ‘Close-up Mode’. You can now use it to take proper selfies with the photo focusing right on your face. You can use the mirror right beside the lens too to get yourself in the right frame. It also prints faster than before, now at just five seconds after you hit the shutter.

Once you take your photo with the FUJIFILM INSTAX mini 12, you can keep it digitized with FUJIFILM’s latest smartphone app. With the ‘INSTAX UP!” app, you can take use your smartphone, take a photo of the film that was just printed by the INSTAX mini 12 and keep it digitally. You can even reproduce it in your own style with INSTAX printers. Either that, you can share the photos on your social media channels.

Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
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Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM
Source: FUJIFILM

The FUJIFILM INSTAX mini 12 will be available in new colours too – Mint Green, Blossom Pink, Pastel Blue, Lilac Purple, Clay White. The FUJIFILM INSTAX mini 12 will be available in Malaysia from the 13^th of April 2023 onward from FUJIFILM’s authorised retailers, their official stores, and online across the nation. It will set you back MYR 428 and you also get two packs of film to get going. More on the FUJIFILM INSTAX mini 12 can be found on their website.

Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Spotify Live is Being Put Down

April 4, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Spotify launched their Greenroom in response to the astronomical rise in the audio-only social media app that is Clubhouse. Greenroom works exactly like the Clubhouse app, except that it is a smear of green and black on your display compared to the grey, yellow, and white interface of the Clubhouse app. It was not an in-house development from Spotify as many though it was. It was birthed from Spotify’s acquisition of Betty Labs and its app, Locker Room. Later on in its life, it is named Spotify Live.

The hype for Clubhouse was a real one. It was a huge thing during the pandemic and everyone wanted to be on the platform or get involved in one way or another. At some point Facebook and Twitter were teasing their own audio-only social media platform. As the world would come to realise, the Clubhouse hype was short-lived.

No matter, Spotify still sees value in the concept. You can hardly blame Spotify though, they hold the largest podcast library in the world currently, even ahead of Apple and Google Podcast. They see value in ‘live’ radio like shows for their platform. At some point they even wanted to integrate the platform into the main Spotify app just to give users a more direct and centralised access to “live podcast shows”. They even introduced some Spotify Live exclusive shows.

It seems like that will also not be happening as reported by Music Ally. The signs were all painted on the walls though. By the end of 2022, Facebook had pulled its own version of live audio off the plug. Even Spotify Live was struggling to keep interests on their platform and had to cancel a few of their own exclusive shows. The next step, obviously, was to close off the app and probably integrate the platform into the main Spotify app. As it turns out, that might not happen too.

The Verge has reached out to Spotify on integrating the app into the main Spotify app and mentioned that the spokesperson was a little coy about it. They mentioned that “Spotify Live is shitting down completely”. There was also mentions of more investments and further innovations, but that was not necessarily specific to Spotify Live and live audio platforms.

Spotify’s spokesperson also mentions that they still see value in original fan created contents. They also see value in “listening parties”. In that case, it seems like Spotify might explore more of that in the future. You might be able to expect “live concerts” or “live sessions” on Spotify in the future. They have technically done that before when they relaunched the Spotify Live app in 2022 with a Swedish House Mafia listening party.

Thing is, as revealed by Music Ally, live streaming and broadcasting is not exactly a terrible business to be in. As YouTube and Twitch have proven that live videos works and is in a good place. Amazon Music has invested in live video shows that focuses on music alongside Twitch. Apple Music also offers access to select live radio stations. Stationhead, a startup, managed to grow in the space and now they are hosting live release parties on their own.

We are still expecting Spotify to add the Spotify Live feature on their main app. It will not look like the Spotify Live app we know today. We will not see random chat rooms or ‘Live Rooms’ where you can participate in the chat or discussion topic of the day. You will definitely see more ‘listening parties’ within the app though, or even something that resembles a live radio show with music like Stationhead’s initiative. For now, long live Spotify Live, we cannot say that we will miss you because we have not exactly been active on the app anyway.

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

Sony Announces New WF-C700N Truly Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds & A New Shade of WH-1000XM5

April 4, 2023 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Sony’s Truly Wireless earbuds have gotten a new addition with the WF-C700N. The new truly wireless earbuds come in new, hip colours and bring some of the best that Sony has to offer at an affordable price point. Coming in shades of Sage Green, Lavender, Black and White, it comes with the perfect fit for your style.

The new WF-C700N adopts a design guided by the extensive ear shape data collected since the first in-ear headphones were introduced in 1982. This paired with the data on ear sensitivity for various types, Sony has created an earbud with a comfortable, stable fit no matter the ear size. It’s also so seamless that people may miss it while you’re zoning out to your favourite tunes.

Speaking of zoning out, the WF-C700N comes with noise cancellation and ambient sound. Two signature features in any pair of modern headphones or earbuds. The C700N comes with noise-cancelling technology that can be adjusted in the Sony | Headphone Connect app. If you don’t want to block out the world, Ambient Sound mode will allow you to keep it in the background of your tunes. The mics that power these modes also give the C700N its remarkable Focus on Voice mode and call performance. These modes hone in on voices allowing you to keep up with conversation better even with them in your ears. The Wind Noise Reduction Structure of the C700N also delivers clear voice in windy situations.

The WF-C700N packs a punch with Sony’s 5mm driver unit. The drivers produce rich, full sound despite its miniature stature. From deep bass to chirpy highs, you’ll be able to hear the full gamut of your music with the in-ear headphones. The Headphones Connect app will also allow you to customize your music to fit your preferences with its EQ. This is further expanded with Adaptive Sound Control which dynamically adjusts ambient sound depending on what and where you are. Need to multitask? No problem, the earbuds have Multipoint connectivity allowing you to connect with up to two devices over Bluetooth at the same time.

The C700N comes with up to 15 hours of battery life; 7.5 hours on the earbuds themselves with a single full charge in the cylindrical case. You’ll also be able to wear it even when you’re sweating or caught in a drizzle with its IPX4 water and dust resistance rating.

A New Shade of WH-1000XM5

Together with the new WF-C700N, Sony also announced a new shade of their critically acclaimed WH-1000XM5. The new Midnight Blue colour brings puts class and elegance front and centre. The subtle blue of the finish gives a sense of alluring mystery perfect for the WH-1000XM5

Pricing & Availability

The WF-C700N is already making its way to Sony stores near you starting on April 4, 2023. It will be retailing for MYR549.

The new Midnight Blue shade for the WH-1000XM5 will also be available at the same time. It will retail at MYR1,799.

Lifestyle, News

Bower & Wilkins Next Gen Wearable Audio Devices Make Malaysian Debut

April 3, 2023 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Bower & Wilkins (B&W) is no stranger to audiophiles. The company has produced audio products – mainly speakers and audio solutions for large venues – since the 1960s. The company has recently begun producing earbuds and personal audio solutions, soundbars and portable speakers for the general consumer. These products bring the balance, soundstage and quality B&W is known for to a more affordable and accessible form.

The company’s headphones, portable speakers, soundbar and earbuds are now available in Malaysia through TC Acoustic. TC Acoustic has signed on as the exclusive distributor for Bowers & Wilkins in Malaysia and Singapore. As such, these products will be available at TC Acoustic Outlets. In Malaysia, this is the TC Acoustic Flagship Store in The Starhill in Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur.

True Wireless With Enhanced Connectivity with the Bower & Wilkins Pi7 S2 & Pi5 S2 In-Ear Headphones

First released in April 2021, the B&W Pi7 and Pi5 redefined the true wireless experience with high-resolution audio, unprecedented audio clarity and quality. Building on the renown and acclaim of the first generation, the Pi7 S2 and Pi5 S2 make their debut and up the ante when it comes to true wireless audio experiences.

The new S2s feature upgraded wireless connectivity with a re-engineered antenna design. The new design enhances Bluetooth connectivity with an increased range of up to 25 metres. It also provides added stability and augments the listening experience. Together with this, the wireless earbuds also come with Qualcomm aptX Adaptive which enables up to 24-bit, 48kHz wireless streaming with compatible services.

Updated to Be the Best

It’s not just about connectivity, the battery on the Pi5 and Pi7 comes with a boost in battery life. Both boast up to five hours of listening time. With their quick charge technology, a short 15-minute charge will get you an additional 2 hours of listening time. If that’s not enough, the Pi7 S2’s case comes with an additional 16 hours of battery life while the Pi5 S2’s comes with an additional 19 hours.

The Pi7 S2 features bespoke, 9.2mm drive units and a high-frequency ‘balance armature’ driver. Each of the four drivers in the earbud is actively driven by its own amplifier. It also brings Adaptive Noise Cancellation to the table with six microphones (3 in each ear) that provide ambient sound data for the earbuds to dynamically adapt to isolate ambience noise. The microphones also provide excellent sound quality during phone calls.

Bower & Wilkins Pi7 S2 & Pi5 S2 Earbuds Design

The Pi5 S2 comes with a single 9.2mm driver in each earbud and supports streaming of CD-quality playback with aptX compatible devices. It also features noise-cancellation with its twin microphones. These microphones also provide excellent sound quality during phone calls.

Seamless User Experience & Audio Retransmission

The B&W Pi7 S2 and the B&W Pi5 S2 continue to be fully integrated with the B&W Music App. You’ll be able to do everything from setup to adjusting wear sensor sensitivity and even noise cancellation modes in the app. The app also integrates with apps like TIDAL and Deezer to support Hi-Res audio streaming directly from your mobile device.

The Pi7 S2 comes with B&W’s signature Wireless Audio Retransmission. The feature, first introduced in the first generation Pi7, allows users to connect to an external audio source such as your inflight entertainment system and wirelessly transmit the audio to the earbuds. This is done by connecting the smart charging case which will then stream the audio to your earbuds in all its glory. This also allows you to use the Pi7 S2 as wireless in-ear monitors.

Both models are controlled via a simple, one-button user interface. The capacitive button can perform multiple functions with click variations seamlessly. They are also compatible with Google Assistant and Siri.

The B&W Px8 Headphones Feature Hi-Res Audio with Noise Cancellation in a Stylish Form Factor

The Bower & Wilkins Px8 headphones bring the experience from B&W’s reference quality speakers into a portable, stylish form factor. The 40mm Carbon Cone drivers deliver best-in-class sound quality and accuracy. Its uniquely engineered cans have Carbon Cone drivers angled ensuring a consistent distance from the ears at every point across the driver’s surface.

Similar to its earbud cousins, the Px8 uses Qualcomm’s aptX technology to provide the best audio quality from your device. It also comes with USB-C and 3.5mm analogue cable connections. The Px8’s ultra-high performance drivers work together with B&W-developed Digital Signal Processing to deliver high-resolution, 24-bit audio. B&W engineering also leaves its mark with the proprietary B&W optimized noise cancellation technology. Similar to the Pi7 S2, the Px8 comes with six mics which work to provide ambient sound data for Adaptive noise cancellation and voice clarity.

Together with the regular Bower & Wilkins Px8, TC Acoustic is also bringing in two special edition Px8 – the McLaren Edition and the 007 Edition. These editions come with unique design cues and colourways that represent the iconic brand and character. The McLaren Edition takes its design cues from the McLaren Artura supercar and features a Galvanic grey finish with Papaya orange highlights. The Px8 007 edition comes with design cues from Bond himself – particularly from James Bond’s first appearance on screen. The Midnight Blue finish hearkens back to the dinner jacket from that first appearance. In addition, they also feature the signature iris design on the inner side of each of the cans.

Pricing & Availability

The Pi5 S2 will be available in Cloud Grey, Storm Grey, Spring Lilac and Sage Green. It will be priced at MYR1,699.

The Pi7 S2 will come in Satin Black, Canvas White and Midnight Blue. It will retail for MYR2,499.

The Px8 will be available in Tan and Black for MYR3,299. The Limited Edition McLaren and 007 versions will be retailing for MYR4,299 from 30th March 2023.

Health, Lifestyle, News

Attaining Diabetes Regression with A Web App

April 3, 2023 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Diabetes is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in Malaysia. In 2020 alone, it accounted for about 2% of the total number of deaths in Malaysia. The disease presents in two forms – Diabetes Mellitus Type I and Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 which are classified according to the age of onset. Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus generally presents later in life and is a result of lifestyle choices which lead to over stimulation of pancreatic enzymes leading to glucose tolerance and inefficacy while Type 1 presents in infancy and is usually characterized by the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin.

As the incidence of Diabetes Mellitus Type 2 continues to increase in an increasingly obese Malaysia, Malaysian Healthcare professionals (HCPs) are turning to technology to help address the gaps in the diabetic patient management. In a program which is the first of its kind in the country, medical professionals are coming together to spearhead a new approach to managing diabetes.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) is signed among, Dato’ Dr Lee Cheng Yew, President, Academy Of Family Physicians of Malaysia, Dr Wong Ping Foo, Vice President, the Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists' Association, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin, Vice President, the Malaysian Endocrine and Metabolic Society, Datuk Dr Zanariah Hussein, Chairperson of Diabetes Lifestyle Programme (DLP) Expert Panel, Dr Koh Kar Chai, Immediate Past President, Malaysian Medical Association, Prof Winnie Chee Siew Swee, President, Malaysian Dietitians’ Association, and Ms Yong Lai Mee, President, Malaysian Diabetes Educators Society, witnessed by Yang Berusaha Dr Mohd Azman Yacob, Director, Medical Development Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia. — The memorandum of understanding (MoU) is signed among, Dato’ Dr Lee Cheng Yew, President, Academy Of Family Physicians of Malaysia, Dr Wong Ping Foo, Vice President, the Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists’ Association, Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin, Vice President, the Malaysian Endocrine and Metabolic Society, Datuk Dr Zanariah Hussein, Chairperson of Diabetes Lifestyle Programme (DLP) Expert Panel, Dr Koh Kar Chai, Immediate Past President, Malaysian Medical Association, Prof Winnie Chee Siew Swee, President, Malaysian Dietitians’ Association, and Ms Yong Lai Mee, President, Malaysian Diabetes Educators Society, witnessed by Yang Berusaha Dr Mohd Azman Yacob, Director, Medical Development Division, Ministry of Health Malaysia.

The Diabetes Lifestyle Programme (DLP) sees a collaboration between the Malaysian Endocrine and Metabolic Society (MEMS), the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA), the Malaysian Family Medicine Specialists’ Association (MFMSA), the Malaysian Dietitian’s Association (MDA) and the Malaysian Diabetes Educators Society (MDES) in moving Malaysia’s approach to Diabetes from pharmaceutical intervention to an approach focused more on making effective changes in the patients lifestyle to control the severity of the disease.

Endocrinologist and Chairperson of the Expert Panel spearheading DLP, Datuk Dr Zanariah Hussein, highlights that, “For too long, most healthcare professionals and patients have relied heavily on medications to control high blood sugar levels. Let’s be clear – medications are important when indicated. However, if patients continue leading an unhealthy lifestyle, they may find themselves requiring higher doses or more medications. in contrast, several landmark studies have proven that lifestyle changes can have powerful positive effects, too. Managing one’s diet, getting more active, monitoring blood sugar levels, and losing body weight are basic measures. Lifestyle changes that result in the achievement and maintenance of substantial weight loss will reduce high blood sugar levels, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and even the amount of medications needed. In some cases, diabetes can be reversed entirely!”

The DLP seeks to empower both healthcare professionals and patients to make these changes through continuous education and through a web app which will be available via the official DLP website. The web app will house educational videos, interactive activities and even a virtual dietitian to help patients understand and make meaningful changes to their lifestyle.

The programme will be entering its first phase with its collaborators signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The first phase will see a select number of clinics and healthcare providers being pilots for the program. The DLP secretariat and experts panel hasn’t shared specifics on the eventual national rollout of the program. However, they are encouraging interested healthcare providers to contact the secretariat.

It is hoped that the DLP will be a first step as Malaysia moves towards Diabetes Regression. During the launch, Dr. Osama Hamdy, Medical Director of Obesity Clinical Program at Joslin Diabetes Center and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School shared research findings which showed how patients who were given the proper support and tools were able to enter Diabetes regression without pharmaceutical intervention. Diabetes Regression is characterized by a HbA1C of less than 5.5mmol/mol.

The DLP web app is looking to be Malaysia’s first step in taking control of its Diabetes endemic. With the proper training and HCP-patient collaboration, it’s not out of reach.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

ASUS ROG X Acronym Launches a Gaming Tablet That Will Set You back MYR 12,999 – The ROG Flow Z13-ACRONM RMT02

April 3, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

You should be familiar with ASUS’ ROG if you are a gamer. In the recent years, the brand has been paving the way in introducing rather absurd concepts for gamers. They revolutionized gaming laptops with ultra-thin offerings like the Zephyrus line-up. They managed to normalize the use of GPU docks with their thin-and-light ROG Flow series for laptops. Within the ROG Flow product booklet is now also a very curious, and very powerful gaming tablet, the ROG Flow Z13.

The ROG Flow Z13 is really that, a gaming tablet without the restriction of a keyboard. Sure, it comes with a keyboard case that can be connected to the tablet, but it really is just an all in one screen that runs Windows and is capable of slaying in DOTA 2 without much of a fuss if you want it to.

Within the rather restricted and thin body of this tablet, you get Intel’s latest and very powerful Core i9-13900H processor alongside NVIDIA’s modest GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. You have 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM too inside the tablet. To make things trundle along faster and make it more powerful, you can opt to get an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 XG mobile dock to pair along with your GPU at home for the ultimate gaming experience (for mobile PC gaming set-ups anyway).

ASUS ROG is also known to have collaborations with brands from other industries to further innovate their products or to offer matching accessories for their products. They have an IKEA collaboration to produce ROG themed furniture for your all ROG gaming set-up at home. They have collaborated with Alan Walker to produce an Alan Walker special gaming laptop that also doubles as your music mixing station when you go to parties. Of course, the Alan Walker special collaboration also entails some Alan Walker x ROG special apparels.

Their latest collaboration with ACRONYM produces something a little unexpected though. ASUS ROG and ACRONYM have introduced a new gaming tablet based on the ROG Flow Z13. No, it does not only get a fresh coat of paint and design, they have added some high-end power to make this even more ‘ultimate’ than the already extreme gaming table that the regular ROG Flow Z13 is.

ASUS ROG X ACRONYM – ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02

Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS

They call it the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02, and it is not just a mouthful, it is a handful too. ACRONYM, to those who are not familiar, is an apparel design studio that produces their own brand of apparels and accessories. They are based in Munich, Germany and specialize in outrageous looking, functional outfits that are made with the highest and innovative materials. You might have seen some Nike shoes and apparels that bears the ACRONYM name brand. You might also have seen a BE@RBRICK custom design by ACRONYM. More prominently, if you are a Kojima Hideo fan, the game Death Stranding is full of ACRONYM’s designed clothing. This is not ACRONYM’s first time collaborating with ASUS ROG too.

Same-Same, but Different

The ACRONYM designed Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 does not look like the gaming tablet that it was based on. There is a good reason for that. The entire backplate has been redesigned and fitted with milled aluminium. It is not just striking looks that ACRONYM and ROG wants to show, the milled aluminium backplate is functional too. There are visible shock pads on all four corners of the tablets and also strategically placed all of the backplate for a maximized grip on any kind of surface you might have it on. They are also there to ensure that there is still a good gap to the surface for maximized airflow with the array of air intake ports milled to the backplate. Of course, to ensure you have the best viewing angle on your tablet, there is the built-in kickstand made with the same milled aluminium material for added rigidity and some shock pads to keep it from moving around the table too much.

The design is not just optimized for protection and cooling though. It is designed with mobility and portable application in mind. Included with the ROG X ACRONYM ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 is a carrying strap that is designed to attach to the attachment points on the tablet’s aluminium shell for and optimized carrying posture for the tablet. The strap mechanism also allows you to work with the tablet while tethered to your body, so that you can work off it at any given time without the delay and hassle of finding a seat, useful in the trains. They quoted a better grip for the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02, though we do not recommend you holding on to it for too long even with the original ROG Flow Z13. The original ROG Flow Z13 weighs as much as a thin-and-light laptop at 1.18kg, the ACRONYM designed one with all-aluminium chassis weighs even more at 1.32kg.

The Beast Inside

It is not just an upgrade you get with the exterior. Thanks to the extra ventilation and more efficient cooling, ROG can fit even more powerful hardware into the chassis. While the original ROG Flow Z13 only gets NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4050, the ACRONYM designed beast of a tablet gets NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 treatment. Everything else about the tablet sort of remains the same.

The Windows 11 tablet comes with Intel’s 13^th Generation Core i9-13900H 14-core processor that clocks at 2.6GHz and can boost up to 5.4GHz. Alongside the upgraded GPU, you also get more RAM at 32GB over the 16GB of the original ROG Flow Z13. You also get 1TB in SSD storage at that.

The powerful internals power an ROG Nebula certified display. It is a 13.4-inch IPS panel offering QHD+ 16:10 aspect ratio in resolution. To get the best in colour reproduction it is a glossy glass panel that protects the IPS panel behind it. The 13.4-inch QHD+ display also offers 165Hz in refresh rate for the best gaming experience you can get on a tablet today. On top of that, you can be sure to enjoy movies with the Dolby Vision HDR support.

For total immersive experience, ASUS fitted a powerful 2 speaker system with Smart Amp technology into the tablet. The speakers are even Dolby Atmos and Hi-Res certified to offer the best-in-class audio experience. In case you need to communicate with your teammates, you have an AI noise-cancelling 3-mic array for a decent make-do team-comms experience with it.

To ensure that your mobile gaming experience is not disrupted, the WiFi 6E dual-band WiFi will ensure the most stable connection with a WiFi 6 capable network. Of course, since it is a tablet, you might be using more wireless accessories with it. Bluetooth 5.2 is sure to reduce latency and offer some stable connection for your accessories.

The battery is the only cause for concern though. There is a 56Wh battery, which is large for a tablet. With the kind of power this beast is packing though, the 56Wh battery might not last you too long. The kind of power you pack also is the reason why you have a 130W USB Type-C charger to g with the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02. It also comes with a keyboard cover, that adds another 400g to the total set-up on-the-go.

Price and Availability

The ASUS ROG X ACRONYM ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 is now available in Malaysia. It is a limited-edition item though, just 14 units will make it into the country. As of this writing, it seems that ASUS ROG has sold out all 14 units. If you are interested to get your hands on one, you want to prepare MYR 12,999 for one. More on the ROG Flow Z13-ACRNM RMT02 can be found on their website.

Android, iOS, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

iPhone Users Can Now Try the Galaxy S23 On Their iPhone.

March 31, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Samsung has been at the forefront of Android smartphones for quite sometime now. Samsung has also led the charge in getting iPhone users over to the Android boat. The employed many tactics for this. They poked fun at Apple in their own ads, they offer incentives for Apple users choosing to opt into Android, they made data transfer from an iPhone to Galaxy smartphone much simpler and hassle free than before, and they encourage iPhone users to try the Galaxy devices as much as they can. In their latest effort, iPhone users get to use the Samsung Galaxy S23 for free, on their iPhone that is.

They cheekily call it the Galaxy app. Yes, it is an app that will run the Galaxy S23 interface on your iPhone. It is not available on the Apple App Store, so you have to download it via web. It is also not a proper app that overlays your iPhone with Android 13 based One UI 5.1 interface. It is a web app, a web page that lets you test run the Galaxy S23 on the web.

But it is not just some web app that lets you scroll through the home page, the app tray, and nothing else. It allows you to try the camera interface too, through your iPhone cameras and experience things like Nightography and Night Mode. You can even try apps like Photo Remaster on the web app, allowing you to edit whatever photos you take on the app. All this is to show how powerful a Samsung Galaxy S23 camera system is. You can even try gaming on the Galaxy S23 to see how smooth it can be, although you are not technically playing a game.

Of course, you can customise your Galaxy S23 experience all on the web app. You can change the wallpaper, background, themes, icons, and even more that is available on One UI 5.1. The app is also designed specifically for iPhone, so it will not do anything if you try going on your web browser on your PC to test it out. If you are on an Android device, there will also be an attached warning for the web app. In that case, if you are on an iPhone, you can test out the web app and try out the Samsung Galaxy S23 yourself via their web app.

Gaming, Lifestyle, News

E3 2023 is Officially Over

March 31, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

It is official, E3 2023 has been cancelled. There are plenty of speculations to the real reason to the cancellation. IGN reported that the organisation behind E3 has cited that companies interested in E3 and supposed to attend the conference were not ready and will not be ready to showcase their games in the committed timeline.

While E3 2023 was something gamers was looking forward to, the same cannot be said about the gaming industry as a whole. Ubisoft very recently announced that they will not be attending E3 2023 and will host their own hybrid event instead. Nintendo and many other developers have also not expressed interest or even committed to attending E3 2023. In this case, many speculates that the lack of interest in the conference is the main contributing factor for the cancellation.

E3 used to be the biggest platform for the gaming industry to make their announcements and demos for their upcoming games. Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic hit though, E3 took a hit too. They had to cancel their E3 conference in 2020 forcing the gaming industry to make their announcements on their own and leverage streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube. Ever since that first cancellation, E3 has not been physically held until they scheduled their June 2023 date, which has since been cancelled too: another year without E3.

That is not to say that the gaming industry is asleep and is facing difficulties though. Ubisoft announced that they are holding a separate event on their own. We expect more announcements from Sony’s PlayStation camp and even Microsoft’s Xbox camp. We are expecting Nintendo to make some sort of announcement in June about upcoming games. Ubisoft and Microsoft have, in fact, announced that they are holding their own announcement event also in June 2023.

This year’s E3 cancellation raised some questions for the gaming industry. Firstly, is E3 coming back for 2024? Secondly, is E3 even relevant anymore?

To the first question, the people behind the scenes have reported that they are still “committed to provide an industry platform for marketing and convening”. The answer vaguely says that E3 is looking to come back in 2024, but is also filled with plenty of uncertainty. Us gamers obviously hopes that E3 makes a come back in 2024 in some capacity.

To the second question, there are a few things to think about. Larger developers like Sony’s PlayStation Studios, Microsoft’s Xbox, Ubisoft, Nintendo, and even Epic Games have realised that they do not really need to rely on E3 to make their own announcements. They also have enough funding to manage and create their own announcement events without constraining to space and tight schedules. Instead of announcing everything within a specified time frame, they can even space their announcements out. While having to learn to leverage online platforms for their announcements, they perhaps learned that they can hit a larger audience at a lower cost cap too. In that case, it is perhaps a more sensible platform to leverage on than having a physical presence in E3.

There is a lot of unknown for E3 in the coming years. The only thing we know is that they will not make a 2023 comeback. At the same time, we think that E3 might still have a place in the gaming industry since Gamescom and the Summer Game Fest will still be happening as scheduled. For now, we can only hope that the people behind E3 have not given up just yet.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

realme C55 Launches with 64MP Camera in Malaysia for Just MYR 699 Onward

March 29, 2023 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

If you were planning to spend less than MYR 1,000 for a smartphone, we would usually tell you that you may not be able to expect too much from your smartphone in that price bracket. Most of the time, you get the bare basics of a smartphone. There is a small chance that you might want to think about upgrading a year or two later. This one might be different.

They call their new realme C55 “a Champion of the Segment”, a rather bold claim. To be fair to realme though, the C55 does offer a few things that you will not find on any other smartphone in its segment, at its asking price. For one, you get a 64-Megapixel camera, which is far from basic. You also get 256GB in storage, way more than what you usually get in the segment.

Everything else though is pretty much what you can expect from smartphones in this segment. No Qualcomm flagship stuff here, just a humble MediaTek Helio G88 system on a chip (SoC). It is still an octa-core processor though, not a slouch. You get up to 8GB of built-in RAM as well, nothing to shout about over smartphones in this segment. realme UI 4.0 allows you to ‘borrow’ up to 8GB of storage to beef the RAM up to 16GB though.

Outside, you find an IPS LCD display that offers up to 90Hz and Full HD+ in working resolution. Of course, it is covered with glass for some durability. As mentioned, you can opt for up to 256GB of storage. You can also expand that to up to 1TB via a MicroSD card too if you want.

Other than the 64-Megapixel main shooter, you will also find a 2-Megapixel black and white camera at the back. Out the front is an 8-Megapixel sensor for clear self-portraits. There is a small trade off here though. You can only record videos at Full HD resolution.

There is a small advantage in buying smartphones in this segment. You always get a larger than life battery pack within the chassis. In the realme C55, you get 5,000mAh to keep the realme C55 running all day and more. When you run out, you can charge the device at up to 33W charging speeds.

Price and Availability

The realme C55 is now available for pre-order on their official brand stores for MYR 699 onward. You can get yours in Sunshower and Rainy Night colour options. If you do pre-order your realme C55, you are entitled to a free realme Buds 2 Neo and 6 months of extended warranty. From the 31^st of March 2023 onward, you can get your hands on the realme C55 at any of their brand stores, authorized dealers, their official online stores on Shopee and Lazada, and even their TikTok store. For more information on the realme C55, you can visit their website.

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Same-Same, but Different

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