Category Archives: Lifestyle

AMD Announced the Zen 4 Architecture in the Form of the Ryzen 7000 Series

The AMD Ryzen 5000 series, at its launch, was the fastest CPUs for PCs in the world at the time. At launch, Intel did not even have a proper answer to AMD’s best offerings even with their 11th generation CPUs. Their 12th generation Core CPUS’s are something special though and claimed the throne as the best CPUs for Windows 11 and gaming at its time.

The AMD Ryzen line upheld up a few key advantages still over Intel’s best offerings. One of those advantage is that AMD’s offerings was still compatible with chipsets that were a few years old. It supported the first wave of PCIe Gen 4.0 devices before Intel could even hop on the bandwagon. Of course, Intel’s 12th generation CPUs works almost exclusively with DDR5, so there is that.

Now, there is this, the Ryzen 7000 series that just launched. No, they did learn how to count. The Ryzen 6000 series of CPUs are laptop CPUs.

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Source: AMD

The new Ryzen then, the fastest gaming chips in the world, they say. The recipe has not changed all that much with the newer CPUs. There is the fact that it is technically the most advanced chip made for the PC in the modern world. It is built with 5nm process now, which means there are more transistor count on the chips compared to what you get from the Ryzen 5000 chips.

The core count has not changed all that much though. At launch, the Ryzen 5 7600X packs six cores while the top end Ryzen 9 7950X packs 16 cores. We are guessing that the most popular option out of the four Ryzen 7000 models launched would be the Ryzen 7 7700X with eight cores and 16 threads.

The new generation Ryzen processors with Zen 4 are quite a bit more power hungry this time round too. The more budget conscious option, the Ryzen 5 7600X’s rated TDP is at 105W, the same TDP rated for the Ryzen 9 5950X at launch. While you might attribute the higher power draw to the increased transistor count thanks to 5nm process, it could also be the higher clock speeds of the new Zen 4 CPUs. The Ryzen 9 7950X, for example, clocks at 4.5GHz while the Ryzen 9 5950X clocks at 3.4GHz.

Instead of Zen 3+, AMD went straight for Zen 4 with the new Ryzen 7000, rightfully so. Thanks to smaller transistors as well, the newer generation processors will generate less heat, which would explain the higher clock speeds too. At the same time, Zen 4 will be all about DDR5 instead of support for DDR4, as well as PCIe 5.0.

With the new chip as well, they are finally retiring the AM4 socket and embracing a new generation of socket for the next few years at least until 2025. They call it the AM5 and the roadmap is pretty straightforward. The new AM5 platform will be exclusively DDR5 platforms with a planned update to PCIe 5.0 eventually.

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On paper, the AMD Ryzen 7000 seems like a leap in performance over the older chip. The top-of-the-line AMD Ryzen 7970X delivers 15% more performances across popular games over the older Ryzen 5 5950X in 1080p resolution. The biggest performance leap is across content creation capabilities though, at 40% average improvements over the older generation CPU. The higher performances can also be contributed to the much faster than before.

AMD’s new line-up of Ryzen 7000 processors will be available 27th of September 2022 onward. That is not necessarily when Malaysia will see the first chips hitting the market. Still, prices start at US$ 299 (MYR*) and tops out at US$ 699 (MYR*) which is about the price of the previous generation Ryzen CPUs. For more information on the next generation AMD Ryzen 7000 CPUs, you can visit their website.

[Video] Daily Driving a Chromebook – Is It Even Possible?

Choosing a computer for your personal home use or even work is tough decision. You can save yourself a hassle and get an Apple MacBook. You could also go for value and get a Windows PC. But there is another option, a third option. You can buy a Chromebook.

The Chrome OS is a unique ecosystem by Google themselves that sort of bridges the differences between a smartphone interface against the PC interface. The approach to the interface is rather simplistic as well, straightforward enough that it can be familiar to any users within a few minutes of use. The best part about the Chromebook is that it will be the least costly option among the the ecosystems you choose from.

Thing is, can you really live with a Chromebook? What are its limitations? What can we do with it? Is it worth the money? Most importantly, can it be your main daily driver? We also have a comprehensive editorial series on living with a Chromebook. Check it out here.

OPPO Launches the Reno8 Z 5G at MYR 1,799

Earlier this year, OPPO launched their Reno7. They also launched the Reno7 Z not too long after that. A few months down the road, the OPPO Reno8 came about. Inevitably, the even more budget friendly version the OPPO Reno8 launches not too long after the Reno8 debuted. Welcome to the Reno8 Z 5G.

Naturally, the question that will be asked about the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G is if it is at all necessary. It is, after all, OPPO’s second Reno series of the year 2022. It is as though they are trying to make up for lost time.

Still, the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G is not without its unique characteristics. It packs a 64-Megapixel camera out the back. It is supported by a 2-Megapixel depth sensor, and 2-Megapixel Monochrome camera. The combination of all three cameras creates a photo with high levels of details and beautifully natural bokeh. Out the front is a rather clever 16-Megapixel camera with pixel binning technology. Since the Reno series is meant to be the photography champion in OPPO’s stables, it packs all OPPO’s best photography features in its camera app. It features Selfie HDR, AI Palettes, AI Colour Portrait, and Ultra-Clear 108MP Image modes.

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Within its rather slim body is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G System on a Chip (SoC) paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The powerful SoC and RAM combination runs ColorOS based on Android 12. At the same time, ColorOS can borrow up to 5GB of storage space to turn it into temporary RAM space for even better multitasking experience.

Keeping everything running an entire day is a 4,500mAh battery. Thanks to 33W SUPERVOOC charging technology, the OPPO Reno8 Z can be up and ready in within 63 minutes of charging. Yes, it comes with a charger.

All this goodness can be seen through the expansive 6.4-inch display up front. The AMOLED panel boasts Full HD+ in resolution and pushes 60Hz in refresh rate to deliver smooth snappy graphics. It is also a Netflix HD and Amazon Prime Video HD certified for the best experience on the two streaming platforms.

In terms of design, it is not too much of a difference, to be fair. You might mistake it for an OPPO Reno7 Z. It retains the Dual Orbit Lights that the Reno7 Z featured. It also retains a flush back body with two camera bumps, like the Reno7 Z. It feels a little sharper on the edges though, but that could just be us.

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The OPPO Reno8 Z 5G will be available from the 26th of August 2022 in two colour options. You can choose between Dawnlight Gold and Starlight Black colour options. The device will set you back MYR 1,799. IF you do get your device on its launch date, OPPO will also throw in a free TWS Earbuds worth MYR 109 and My OPPO members’ Privileges worth up to MYR 888. You can get your hands on one from OPPO’s authorized retailers, OPPO’s very own online store, telco partners, and their official online retail partners like Shopee and Lazada. For more information on the OPPO Reno8 Z 5G, you can visit their website.

Malaysia Gets to Try WhatsApp Communities First

A few months back WhatsApp announced that they were launching a new major feature that could make the platform a powerful one for organisations and communities It is also fittingly called Communities. WhatsApp made the announcement back in April 2022 and teased it as a “coming soon” feature. Months later, Communities might finally be a reality. As with any other major features platform providers want to release, they have to go through their testing phase first, WhatsApp included.

While it may seem odd, WhatsApp is one of the most popular, if not the most popular, communication platform in Malaysia. While other countries still rely on the regular messaging app, WhatsApp is a mainstay in Malaysia and is the preferred communication tool of the nation. It is not just personal communication that relies on WhatsApp in Malaysia, companies and organisations rely on WhatsApp Groups to get messages across, essential team communications, and even announcements going.

The reliance and usage patterns for the platform in Malaysia makes it the perfect test bench and sample pool for WhatsApp communities.

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Source: WhatsApp

As per the announcement back in April, Communities will be a powerful tool for administrators looking to run multiple groups in their organisations. It allows an admin to include and exclude groups in a single Community group. At that, it also allows admins to start smaller and more controlled conversation groups within the community itself with select members. Communities allows admins to send a community wide announcement if the need arises. At the same time, only the admin has the power to invite members into the community and its groups, also to remove members when they deem necessary.

There are other features that are being added as well with WhatsApp Communities. To be fair, these are improvements done for WhatsApp Groups. Some of the improvements have been introduced before Communities in preparation for the arrival of the new feature too. Reaction, for example, was introduced so users can quickly react to messages via emoji without flooding group chats with new messages and drown the messages out. Group admins can also remove messages from chats for everyone in the group, if they deem it to be problematic. File sharing limit has been pushed to 2GB for more versatile collaboration efforts. Voice calls can now include up to 32 users while you can now mute other people in the call just to ensure that discussions and presentations can go on without distractions. WhatsApp Groups has also increased its member limit from 256 members to up to 512 members. If you wish to leave groups, you can now do it silently, only notifying group admins.

Currently, WhastApp’s Communities is being tested by Gabungan Anak-Anak Palsi Serebum (GAPS) community and Entrepreneurs and Startups in Malaysia communities. It is rolling out to select users in Malaysia currently. It will eventually be available for all WhatsApp users in Malaysia. For the latest updates on WhatsApp and its features you can visit their blog.

LG’s DualUp Monitor Ergo is not Here, But Not for Games

Whenever manufacturers shout about their new monitor products recently, it is always about gaming and their new monitors are made for them. Products made for the creative professionals and productivity are not hard to find. They just rarely get attention these days. Manufacturers tend to quietly add new monitors to their line-up because of that.

LG’s new monitor deserves attention though. Not it is not some breakthrough thoroughbred with some exclusive display tuning that makes it the brightest most clear display on the market. Technically, there is nothing new about the monitor. The display panel is the same type as most displays out in the market currently. There is something different about this monitor though; it is shaped rather differently from other monitors you can find in the market.

No, it is not a round display, nor is it a pentagonal shaped monitor. There are still four sides to make it a rectangle, just not the regular display rectangle. It boasts an aspect ratio of 16:18, which also means that it is a tall display, and it is almost square-ish in shape.

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Source: LG

If you think about it, the display size is really a combination of two 16:9 displays stacked on top of each other. This form factor also eliminates the bottom bezel of the top display when you stack it up. The design is not without its reasons though.

The expansive LG DualUp Monitor Ergo display comes with LG’s Nano IPS panel that should offer vibrant colours and excellent contrast ratio. Important when you are going to be using it most of the day for work. The panel boasts dual QHD resolution (2,560 x 2,880) for good measure too. In that sense, movies should look excellent on it, save for the two very large black bars you will get when you watch movies on the display the size of two 21.5-inch displays stacked on top of one another.

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Source: LG

The design of the DualUp Monitor Ergo is such to save as much desk real estate as possible. It is also the most ergonomic way of working with two displays, since you do not really have to turn your neck or body around to read through your documents or scroll through emails. At the same time, you get more real estate for your documents, which is always nice. On top of that, to reduce the strain on your neck even more, the LG DualUp Monitor Ergo comes with LG’s Ergo Stand that mounts and clamps directly on the table for not just more desk real estate. It also allows you to swivel and position your display in any configuration you prefer or can think of.

The LG DualUp Monitor Ergo comes with HDMI and DisplayPort inputs. It also packs USB Type-C thunderbolt and display port for an added versatility for the modern thin-and-light laptops. There is also USB 3.0 ports for you to work with. You can even rely on its two 7W built-in speakers with WavesMaxxAudio to enjoy music.

To protect your eyes, the LG DualUp Monitor Ergo comes with built-in ambient LightSensor to automatically adjust the display’s brightness accordingly. Live Color Low Blue Light also ensures that blue light emissions are reduced. To allow for a more flexible working environment, the monitor also packs a Picture-by-Picture mode to divide your area of work on the display real estate.

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The LG DualUp Monitor Ergo is now available via LG’ authorized retailers nationwide or their online stores on Shopee and Lazada. It will set you back MYR 2,948, which is still considered rather premium. You are getting LG’s Ergo Stand though, and you are investing in an ergonomic set up for long term use case. For more information on the LG DualUp Monitor Ergo display, you can check out LG’s website.

Dell Announces the XPS 13 2-in-1 – It is as Flexible as it Gets

Dell’s XPS series of thin-and-light devices are quite legendary in its own market segment. The XPS series is known for their superb build quality with all-metal construction with an ultra-thin design like no other. They are not known to be the lightest devices in the market, but the all-metal body does add to some weight. It is not just premium build though, the XPS series also sets themselves apart to be a sort of benchmark in the world of thin-and-light PCs.

Dell just announced their latest XPS device, the XPS 13 2-in-1. Yes, it bears the same name as the XPS 13 2-in-1 from 2021 as well. It is a follow up model, in all fairness. It is a Microsoft Surface like tablet/PC.

Of course, as an updated model, it bears Intel’s 12th generation Core processors. You can spec it up with up to a Core i7-1250U that comes with two performance cores and eight efficiency cores totaling up to ten cores within the chip. That processor is also paired with up to 16GB in LPDDR4x (on board) RAM to ensure that multitasking is smooth and snappy. There are no discrete GPU to be found here, just a humble but still powerful Intel Iris Xe Graphics keeping everything that has to do with graphics processing in check.

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Source: Dell

The powerful chipset allows Dell to include a 13-inch 3K display with 3:2 aspect ratio. Of course, because your primary interaction with the device would be through touch, it is a touch sensitive display. The display also pushes DisplayHDR 400 at 500 nits’ peak brightness. It boasts up to 100% sRGB colour gamut coverage and up to 1800:1 contrast ratio. The Gorilla Glass Victus protected display should be more than enough for you to be immersed in your movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video with Dolby Vision support.

To ensure that you have all the storage you need for work and play (not many games, we would assume), you get up to 1TB in SSD storage. To keep you entertained and your movies immersive, you get Waves MaxxAudio Pro and Waves Nx 3D audio tuning on your speakers. Of course, because this is a device for productivity, it packs two microphone arrays to ensure that your voice is crystal clear in video and tele conferences. On top of that, you get a Full HD 1080p front facing camera that is capable of taking 5-Megapixel photos. At the back is a 11-Megapixel camera that is capable of taking up to 4K resolution videos.

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Source: Dell

When you are in a call, you want a stable and fast network. Intel’s Killer WiFi with WiFi 6E support should ensure that your internet connection is ever stable for those long online conferences. If you prefer to use Wireless headphones, there is Bluetooth 5.2 connection available too.

While it is sort of a tablet, it is still a versatile PC too. It has two Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB Type-C ports that also supports display output and power delivery. Included in the box is a USB Type-C to USB Type-A adapter, if you need to plug your external storage in. There is also a USB Type-C to 3.5mm AUX adapter, if you want to plug your headphones in. Within the device is a large 49.5WHs battery to ensure that you can work from anywhere through the day.

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The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 will be available in Malaysia within the month (August onward). The variant that will be available to Malaysians comes with Intel’s 12th generation Core i5-1230U, 8GB of RAM, 256GB in SSD and Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics. It will set you back MYR 5,999. For more information on the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, you can check out their website.

Google Finally Looks At Optimising the Play Store for Wear OS

Google seems to be taking its own OS for wearables seriously – FINALLY. With Samsung on the board with Wear OS, it would seem like Google finally deems it worthy of proper attention. Of course, the upcoming Pixel Watch could also be the impetus behind the company’s sudden commitment to the platform.

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Source: Google at Samsung Unpacked (YouTube)

At the recent Samsung Unpacked event, Google was given a small segment to discuss Wear OS. Google noted that the with the release of the Galaxy Watch 4 and the latest iteration of the OS, the number of users on Wear OS has more than tripled. Of course, to-date, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series is one of the only smartwatches with Google’s OS. So, it’s pretty evident that Samsung’s adoption of the platform is doing it some good.

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Source: Google at Samsung Unpacked (YouTube)

However, Google hasn’t done much in the years since it launched Android Wear back in 2014. That’s about to change with Google committing to revamp and optimise the Google Play Store. The revamp will put compatible apps front and center especially if you’re browsing the Google Play Store on your smartwatch. This will undoubtedly change the user experience on compatible devices.

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Source: Google at Samsung Unpacked (YouTube)

In addition to the optimised Play Store, Google is also bringing offline navigation to Wear OS. The new feature of the Google Maps app will allow users to use turn by turn navigation from their smartwatch without being tethered to a smartphone. The current version of Google Maps on Wear OS is pretty much useless without a smartphone. This functionality is slated for “later this year”. It wouldn’t surprise us if Google launches this together with the upcoming Pixel Watch.

Google’s Wear OS 3 is slated to arrive on more devices soon. Currently, Samsung has the Galaxy Watch4 series and the recently announced Galaxy Watch5 series on the market. Mont Blanc and Tag Heuer also have more premium smartwatches running Wear OS 3 available on the market as well.

HONOR Launches Their New HONOR 70, Flagship Performance at MYR 1,999

In the past few months HONOR has been doing plenty to sort of distance itself from its previous parent company, HUAWEI. There is a good reason for that. It now means that HONOR can work with Google and get Google’s very crucial Play Store on their devices. The direct result is that their devices can really run on Google’s Android too and Qualcomm’s System on a Chip (SoC).

They have just released their latest device in Malaysia, the HONOR 70. They call this their “imaging flagship”. It is not really a flagship on paper. It only packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 778G+ with 5G capabilities, a mid-range processor. It also does not pack more than 8GB of RAM paired to 256GB of internal storage.

There is a reason why they call it their “imaging flagship” though. It packs a second processing chip. It is a proprietary, independent chip that handles all things imaging. They call it the HONOR Image Engine that also powers the device’s camera AI.

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The image processor works with Sony’s IMX800 sensor. This is technically the first device to feature Sony’s latest large format smartphone camera sensor. It measures 1/1.49-inch in size to make it the largest smartphone imaging sensor currently fitted to a consumer grade smartphone. The sensor is a 54-Megapixel sensor, because you do not need anything more than that in a smartphone. At the same time there is a 50-Megapixel Ultra-wide/macro camera that you can work with as well. Video-wise, they also added a feature to simultaneously track and record another subject in your video at 1080p Full HD resolutions.

The display is quite fascinating too, at 1080p Full HD resolution. It refreshes at 120Hz, a flagship level hardware this. It also displays up to 10-bit colours with up to 1920Hz PWM dimming for the best looking and immersive looking display in its class.

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The Magic UI 6.1 device also features flagship level battery life. It packs a large 4,800mAh battery that can last you days. If not, you can quickly charge it at 66W speeds.

The HONOR 70 is now available for pre-order at MYR 1,999. You can get your hands on one from HONOR’s authorised retailers, their own e-commerce platform, and their flagship stores on Shopee and Lazada. More information on the HONOR 70 can be found on their website.

WhatsApp Has a Native Windows App, Finally

No, this is not technically breaking news. In some sense, WhatsApp on PCs is not a new thing as well. The app has a Windows app for a while now. It is technically an incarnation of WhatsApp Web, but without reliance on web interfaces, to a certain degree.

The thing is, when you sign into your Desktop version of the app before this, you are not really signed into WhatsApp Desktop. Rather, you are signed into a web-based version of the app. Which also means that the desktop app is a lie. Well, they did not do anything to mask that WhatsApp Desktop is nothing more than web-based interface that opens on a separate window.

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The new update to the Windows version of WhatsApp Desktop is a little different though. At first glance, they changed on the visuals a little. There are more green accents on the interface. Thy interface also looks somewhat a lot more streamlined than before, less clunky. You also see a video call and phone button now, which means you can make calls from your PC now, instead of your smartphone. Then you turn to your smartphone and instead of “Google Chrome” or “Microsoft Edge” listed on your linked devices, it is now “Windows”.

This is all a part of WhatsApp making their interface native to Windows. Other than a few visual differences, there are also added a few capabilities to the app.

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While you might not notice it too much, WhatsApp being made native to Windows does have a performance boost. It should now load faster, work faster, and is a lot more stable than before. Other than the optimization you get on WhatsApp for Windows, you can also now receive messages and notifications even when your smartphone is offline. It is not completely reliant on your smartphone anymore. Of course, now you can make video calls and phone calls via the app on Windows PC.

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WhatsApp for Windows is now live on the Microsoft Store. If you have WhatsApp Desktop already installed on your machine, you simply need to update it via Microsoft Store. The Desktop App is currently limited to Windows. They are working on a working version for Mac currently which also means that it should be available to Mac users soon.

Samsung Launches the Odyssey Ark – Let Samsung Take You on a Magical Gaming Journey

The world of large format gaming displays is not necessarily a crowded space. There is a good reason for that. When you buy a large format display like a TV, you want something that can at least project up to 4K in resolution. Anything lower than 4K with displays less than 40 inches can look rather weird and pixelated (the days of 1080p Full HD TVs are far behind us).

At the same time, while 4K TVs are abundant today, 4K gaming is not something that is easily accessible today. Well, when we say not easily accessible, we are mostly talking about PC gaming more than console gaming. Sure, the PlayStation 5 and latest Xbox Series X can easily play games at 4K resolution and boasts up to 120fps for displays that does 120Hz. But at the same time, not every game can run at that framerate at 4K resolution too.

In the world of PC gaming, 4K gaming is not unheard of, it is just rather rare. The most common high-end gaming set up in the world of PC gaming sports displays that tops out at 1440p at 165Hz these days. That is also because in the world where your display is no more than an arm’s length in front of you, you never really need anything that is more than 30 inches big and more than 1440p to look good. At the same time, the amount of money you want to spend on hardware that can run games at 4K resolution at up to 120fps always is ridiculous.

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Source: Samsung

That does not mean that there is no such market though. For those with enough money to get something like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 and Intel’s latest 12th Generation Core i9 processor combinations, Samsung has something that will wet their beaks and make full use of their hardware. They have this, the Odyssey Ark.

The argument behind the Samsung Odyssey Ark is plenty simple. The idea is to make the best gaming display money can buy. They came up with a 55-inch behemoth that is curved at 1000R.

The 55-inch curved display sports Samsung’s highly acclaimed Quantum Matrix technology with Mini LEDs. With up to 14-bit processing, 16,384 black levels, your blacks look deep, and your images looks ultra-realistic. At 55-inch, you are going to be fully immersed in the game world too. At 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio with HDR10+, finding things in the darker areas of your map is a breeze.

It is not just a beautiful looking 4K display too. It is a super-fast display; it is a gaming display after all. It sports up to 165Hz in refresh rate. Its Grey-to-Grey response time is as low as 1ms for the fastest response you can get out of your display. It even supports AMD’s FreeSync Premium Pro for not just a tear free gaming experience, but also a super responsive one.

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Source: Samsung

You might want to forget going for a VESA mount for this monitor. The stand it comes with is plenty enough to handle the weight of a 55-inch gaming monitor. It is also a tiltable base so that you can use it in what Samsung calls the “cockpit mode”. You flip the display vertically and it really wraps around your head.

A display this size also requires big sounds. Because it takes up so much space on your desk, you might want to not get a sound bar, or a speaker set up. This one offers you four speakers with Dolby Atmos certification. They call it the Sound Dome Technology with object tracking capabilities for the most immersive experience available.

Of course, it comes with its own Samsung TV style remote, because it is that big. It also comes with something called an Ark Dial. It is a smart remote thing that allows you quick and easy access over the TVs more prominent and more frequently accessed functions. At the same time, like the latest Samsung TVs, it comes with a One Connect Box for a much easier access to all its four HDMI 2.1 ports, LAN port, and USB ports.

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The Samsung Odyssey is nothing short of breathtaking. It only comes in black, but it also has RGB strips on the top and bottom of the back plate. It does not matter though what colour the display comes in, the 55-inch curved Mini LED panel stands out like a sore thumb anyway. The Odyssey Ark is now available for pre-order in the United States of America (U.S.A.) and select regions. Malaysia? Not yet, but we can expect it to come pretty soon, since the 49-inch ultra-wide behemoth has already landed. In the U.S.A. it will set you back US$ 3,500 though, about MYR 15,631*, or the price of a very high-end, very big TV from the likes of Samsung. More information the Samsung Odyssey Ark can be found on their website.

*Approximately based on conversion rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.47 as of 16/08/2022 on xe.com