Category Archives: Lifestyle

Accessories, Computers, eSports, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Acer Brings New Monitors into Malaysia for Work and Play

Leave a comment

When you start with a PC build, there are a few essential things you need. You usually think of the spec of your build first, what hardware you want in your PC. How much CPU and GPU power you need also determines the kind of power supply you get for your PC.

Building a PC though is not just about getting the best CPU and GPU in your build. You need to think about your entire set-up from the ground up. Sometimes its better to start at what you can afford or the sort of performance you aim for. That usually starts from the things that you put on your table, your monitor and speakers.

People tend to forget that the display is a big part of their set up. Your display can sometimes dictate an entire build. If you are working with a budget, it realistically determines how much you have left to spend on your desktop tower PC and other peripherals. If you are going for a high-end build, your display determines how much you want to spend for your desktop PC.

How do you choose the right displays for yourself? That is a tough question. That question is made even tougher with Acer’s new offerings to the market.

The No Compromise 4K Gaming Build – Predator X28

Predator X28 01
Source: Acer
Predator X28 wp 03
Source: Acer
Predator X28 wp 02
Source: Acer
Predator X28 wp 01
Source: Acer
Predator X28 logo wp 01
Source: Acer
Predator X28 07
Source: Acer
Predator X28 06
Source: Acer
Predator X28 05
Source: Acer
Predator X28 04
Source: Acer
Predator X28 03
Source: Acer
Predator X28 02
Source: Acer

Acer’s no compromise gaming set-up always has one name attached to their device – Predator. You know it gets serious when you see the Predator branding on any device. In this case, you cannot get any more serious than the Predator X28.

As its name suggests, it is a 28-inch display. What its name did not suggest was the power contained within the 28-inch IPS panel. It packs 4K UHD resolution to take full advantage of NVIDIA’s new GeForce RTX 3090 Ti GPU. If you already have the RTX 3090, you can still benefit from it.

It even refreshes at up to 152Hz (overclocked) with ultra-low response times at 0.2ms (G-to-G), important for esports titles and even racing simulators. With NVIDIA’s G-Sync compatibility, screen tearing is a thing that you have only heard of. For the most realistic and immersive experience, the display offers up to 90% of DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage with Delta E <2. While DisplayHDR 400 does not sound like much, it should still mean that gamers still get a stellar graphics experience from the display.

The “Do Everything” QHD Build – Acer Nitro EI322QURP

Acer Nitro EI322QURP 01
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP 02
Acer Nitro EI322QURP 03
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP 04
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP 05
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP WP22a 03
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP WP22a 02
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP WP22a 01
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP WP22 03
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP WP22 02
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP WP22 01
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP wp 03
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP wp 02
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP wp 01
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP ftwp 01
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP featureswp 01
Source: Acer
Acer Nitro EI322QURP acerlogo wp 01
Source: Acer

It is a 31.5-inch curved display, larger than the Predator X28. The curved VA panel offers QHD 1440p in resolution with up to 165Hz in refresh rate, for fast gaming response. This will be perfect for builds with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3070 or anything equivalent.

It is not a compromised gaming build still though with 1ms of response time on offer. With AMD’s Radeon FreeSync 2 technology on offer, you still can game tear-free too. There is also one thing that it does better compared to the high-end Predator display: its colour accuracy. At 93% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and DisplayHDR 400 rating, games are more immersive than ever on this large-format display.

The Budget Gamer Full HD Build – Acer Nitro XZ306CX

XZ306CX 01
Source: Acer
XZ306CX 02
Source: Acer
XZ306CX 03
Source: Acer
XZ306CX 04
Source: Acer
XZ306CX 05
Source: Acer
XZ306CX acerlogo ftwp 01
Source: Acer
XZ306CX wp 02
Source: Acer

What if you only have the money to work with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or equivalent builds? To take full advantage of it, you might want to prioritise higher frame rates than resolution. In that case, Full HD will be more than enough to work with.

The Acer Nitro XZ306CX offers up to 200Hz in refresh rate for ultra-smooth gaming experience, 1ms response time for ultra-quick reaction times; important in esports titles like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO). At 29.5-inch as well, you get to immerse yourself into the world that is the game in front of you.  It is an Ultrawide display too, so you get to see a little more than your usual display.

Like its higher resolution Nitro brother, it also offers up to 93% in DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. DisplayHDR 400 ensures that you get all the details from dark to light. It also offers AMD Radeon FreeSync 2 for a tear-free gaming experience you can expect from any good gaming monitors.

The All-Purpose-Productivity Build – Acer CB292CU

Acer CB292CU 01
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU 02
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU 03
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU 04
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU 05
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU 06
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU acerlogo wp 01
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU featurewp 01
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU typec featurewp 01
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU wp 01
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU wp 03
Source: Acer
Acer CB292CU wp 02
Source: Acer

Gaming might not be your thing. You might not even be considering getting a gaming PC for your build. You just want a versatile laptop that you can rely on and bring anywhere you need it to work. You just want a simple PC that you can use for all sorts of things other than gaming. In that case, you just want a bigger display at a reasonable price you can plug into at home.

For that, the Acer CB292CU is perfect. It is an ultra-wide Full HD display that offers up to 2,560 by 1,080 in resolution. The extra display real estate allows you to have more windows on display as well without making the display feel cramped and small. At 29-inch, you will not feel as if you have a small display too.

The 21:9 aspect ratio is quite perfect for most films eliminating the top and bottom black bars in most cinematic formats. Sure, YouTube videos might suffer a little with 16:9 aspect ratio, but it just means you can have a little bit of a multitasking set up with a wider display. You can be sure to also enjoy your films or just lightly edit videos on the display with up to 99% sRGB colour gamut coverage, if you need to. Accurate colours is always an enjoyable feature on any display.

Price and Availability

All the products mentioned are now available for purchase from all authorized Acer stores and retailers. Of course, you can get them from Acer’s official online stores as well, including their own online store, Shopee, and Lazada. The Predator X28 will set you back MYR 3,699. The Acer Nitro EI322QURP and Nitro XZ306CX with set you back MYR 1,299 each. The more budget option Acer CB292CU will set you back MYR 899.

Computers, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

A Microsoft Garage Project Evolves, Welcome to Microsoft Journal

Leave a comment

There is something about writing notes on a piece of paper. The granular feel of the paper is irreplaceable, at least to us. But writing on endless amount of paper is quite unrealistic, especially in a world where businesses have declared a war on paper waste in the name of ecological “wokeness”. So, we end up with a replacement medium, digital ink.

Digital ink is nothing new too. We have seen very early implementations in the early days of high-end handheld devices like a PDA. Most of them comes with styluses that helps you navigate the tiny interface that was Windows for PDA devices, and help you write out notes in the form of handwriting recognition.

The introduction of smartphones made the stylus quite unpopular, since you can input everything with your fingers on an iPhone. But styluses did not go out of style as Samsung has proven in their Samsung Galaxy Note series introduced in the same year the Samsung Galaxy S2 was introduced. It exploded and became one of Samsung’s biggest trademark series.

A digital pen is not a regular pen that writes on paper, but it is a good trade off when you need to quickly take notes in a meeting, jot down ideas, and even get a quick sketch going. After all, your smartphone or tablet will always be next to you or in your bag for their versatility and convenience. We say tablet and smartphones also because there hasn’t been a competing support on Windows devices that could compare to the likes of Samsung Notes or Apple’s proprietary note taking applications. This is about to change though.

Welcome to Microsoft Journal, Microsoft’s proprietary note taking digital ink tool native to Windows. Finally, Windows has a note taking tool that supports just doodles on your screen. It is the perfect tool for when you have a stylus to work with. In the case of the Microsoft Surface devices, your Surface Pen is now more functional than before.

Thing is, an app like this is not technically new. You can find similar apps that supports note taking and sharing across devices already in the market, excluding Samsung and Apple’s proprietary offerings. So, how is this a revolutionary thing?

A Garage Product Turned into Official Product

Microsoft Garage Gallery
Source; Microsoft

First, you want to understand what a Garage Project is. Microsoft has this in-house incubation and development program, and they call it the Garage. If you have come across our articles and podcasts that covers Red Hat’s Innovation Labs, you can liken the Garage to that. It is technically a collaboration space that was initially created for Microsoft’s employees to develop new ideas. It could be a new app, new tool, or new ways of doing things.

From Garage, employees and partners can come together to experiment with new ideas, develop the ideas into a working prototype, and work along further to bring the idea to life. At the end of it, hopefully the project gets to see the light of day in the hands of other users. Microsoft’s Journal is one such project.

For Working with Stylus and With Microsoft 365

Journal Page
Source: Microsoft

The Journal app is made with digital inks first in mind, especially in Windows based tablets. But it also packs a very clever AI that makes the notes made in the Journal app a little more than just scribblings. Instead of turning the scribbles into typed out words, the AI recognizes everything from underlines, headlines, lists, and important marks. What that does is allow the app to organize the notes accordingly. When you need to pull them up, you can even use the same gestures to find the notes again.

At the same time, the notes can be synced directly with your Microsoft 365 calendar. It attaches to your meetings that you’ve put on the calendar so that you can pull it up again or refer to it again whenever you need a reminder on what your meeting is all about. Of course, you can access your journal anywhere you have access to your Microsoft 365.

In short, the Microsoft Journal app allows you to be completely random with your notes. You can scribble or note down things that you need or want quickly in a meeting. While you do that, the app makes sense of things for you so you can remain organized without wasting half an evening sorting out your notes into its own folders.

The Microsoft Journal app is now available for free from the Microsoft Store. It works on both Windows 11 and Windows 10 if you have not updated to Windows 11. To know more about Microsoft Journal, you can find out more on their website.

Lifestyle, News

Samsung Challenges You to Become “Born of the Galaxy Stars”

Leave a comment

Samsung’s Galaxy S smartphones have been touted as “creator” smartphones for a few years now. With the release of the Galaxy S22 series, the company is pushing even harder for its flagship to be a go-to when it comes to content creation. We’ve seen the phones used to create content on social media and also some pretty impressive shorts before. Now, Samsung wants creators to push the boundaries with Nightography and its Galaxy AI-enabled cameras.

Samsung Born of the Galaxy Stars

In conjunction with the launch of the new Galaxy S22 series, Samsung is launching a new competition with the Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFFest) to challenge aspiring filmmakers to come up with amazing stories with their smartphones. 22 shortlisted teams will be presented with the Galaxy S22 series to shoot and bring their ideas to life. The final productions will be part of MIFFest 2022 where a lucky winner will be in the running for an MYR8,000 grand prize. In addition, the grand prize winner will also receive a trophy and Samsung products.

The theme of the “Born of the Galaxy Stars” competition this time around is “Borderless with Nightography“. As the name may suggest, ideas and scripts submitted are meant to highlight Samsung’s Nightography features which were advanced with the release of the Galaxy S22 series. Scripts should be submitted by 17 April 2022 at the official Born of the Galaxy of Stars Short Film Competition website.

Samsung Born of the Galaxy Stars 4

Samsung kicked things off with a showcase of the handiwork of four Malaysian Directors: Jawagar Samidurai, Taufiq Kamal, Ismail Jamaludin and Laura Low. All four used the Nightography feature of the Galaxy S22 series to showcase the themes of Fashion, Fitness, Romance and Music. These shorts can be viewed on the official website for the competition as well as on Samsung Malaysia’s YouTube Channel. So, get inspired and don’t forget to submit your award-winning scripts before 17 April 2022.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Intel’s Core i9-12900KS is The World’s Fastest CPU at 5.5 GHz 

Leave a comment

Intel, on a recent note, has been making quite a comeback. Their competitor, AMD really wiped the floor when they introduced the 5000 series Ryzen processors that made Intel’s 10th and 11th Generation processors look like old processors. When Intel introduced their 12th generation Core processors, people paid attention again, we paid attention.  

The 12th generation Core processors codenamed Alder Lake has already shown some of its power since the series’ launch. The higher-end processors have proven that Intel has not forgotten how to make powerful processors for gamers and content creators alike. They are also unique in the space of PC processors with a Big Small architecture that we are more used to seeing on smartphone chips. The 12th Generation Core i9, for example, packs eight performance and eight efficiency cores. They are also known to be very power-hungry chips, so if you are considering an Intel Alder Lake build, you do want to really think about beefing up your PSU (Power Supply Unit). 

Just having the lead on performance never seems enough though. Intel wants to keep the lead and destroy its competition. On a side note, it is good to see the two protagonists in the CPU industry outdoing each other every step of the way. We are the winners here. We are also looking forward to AMD announcing their Ryzen 7000 series CPUs in this case,  

Back to the topic, Intel wants to also wipe the floor with 12th generation Core CPUs, just before AMD makes their move with the 7000 series. They released their most powerful CPU yet, the Core i9-12900KS. While the naming scheme is a little confusing, it is a new Core i9 that we are seeing here. 

To be fair, when we say new, it is not an entirely new CPU. It is still an Alder Lake architecture. Structurally, it is the same as any Inte Core i9-12900 series chips. What differs though is how much power it commands.  

intel core i9 12900ks 2 16x9 1
Source: Intel

The eight performance cores can now be clocked to up to 5.5 GHz with turbo boost. The previeous Intel Core i9-12900K could only boost up to 5.2 GHz at best. You could overclock it, obviously, since it is an unlocked processor. Why would you attempt to overclock an Intel Core i9-12900K when you can get the already overclocked stock Core i9-12900KS. The newly announced processor is also unlocked, by the way. 

There is a small catch though. While the Core i9-12900K draws a minimum of 125W, the new 12900KS needs at least 150W from your PSU. Turbo boost will draw up to 241W for both processors, no increases there, which is sort of good news for your PSU. Other than a slight increase in the clock speeds for the efficiency cores, everything else remains the same as the older 12900K.  

As with the current 12th generation chips, you want to work with the Z690 chipset motherboards to get the most out of it. It also supposed DDR5 4800 MT/s RAM and PCIe gen 5.0 technology. Of course, the older DDR4 and PCIe Gen 4.0 (no, this is not that old) technologies are still supported. 

You might be wondering; “who needs all this power?” We will say that no one really needs all this power unless they are working in the creative industry and needs some extra horsepower to render videos and 3D animations. Then again, there are specifically built workhorses for that. This is made for “gamers and overclocking enthusiasts”, according to Intel. We will go with that, but these are people with money and time.  

It will be available April 5th onward in select regions. We do not know if that includes Malaysia or not. As it is, supply situations in Malaysia are still quite dire. It will also set you back at least US$ 739 (MYR 3,120*). We say at least because that also depends on stock availability and demand. For more information on the Intel Core i9-12900KS, you can head over to their website.  

*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.22 on xe.com as of 29/03/2022 

Computers, Editor's Choice, Gaming, Lifestyle, Reviews, Video

[Video] The Predator Triton 500 SE In-Depth Review – The Thin Beast Thing

Video Leave a comment

Acer’s Predator gaming laptop line-up in 2020 was one that was filled with products that sort of look like each other. One gaming laptop stood out though. That one gaming laptop that stood out above the rest is the Predator Triton 500 gaming laptop. It was thin, thinner than any Predator gaming laptop you can find. It is not unreasonably thin that temperature becomes a concern too. At the same time it looks completely ordinary.

We love the form factor the Predator Triton 500 presented. But is a product with 10th Generation Intel Core processor and NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 20 series GPU. There is a new one, and it packs Intel’s and NVIDIA’s latest. Not just the latest though, the most powerful in the mobile line-up; the Core i9 and the GeForce RTX 3080.

It also comes with a new age design that is even more minimalist than before. It gained a little bit of heft and weight too. But essentially, the philosophy of the product is the same. Make it thin, as thin as possible. But make it powerful also, immensely powerful.

That means that the price is also bumped up to MYR 12,999. Does it still live up to the Triton 500 name? Is the Triton 500 SE even worth that kind of money? We find out.

Get your Predator Triton 500 SE here: https://acer.co/36NWtkm!
More information on the Predator Triton 500 SE here: https://www.acer.com/ac/en/MY/content/predator-series/predatortriton500se!

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Neotez AQUILA Gaming Monitors Now Available in Malaysia

Leave a comment

Blink and you’ll miss it. That’s how it feels right now with the mushrooming amount of gaming monitor brands appearing. There’s a new challenger in Malaysia too – Neotez. Neotez is a company just spreading its wings; founded in 2021 in Australia, it’s looking to bring a new wave of affordable, premium gaming experiences to the masses. No, you didn’t read that wrong. “Affordable” and “premium” are in the same sentence side by side.

Neotez AQUILA 24 1
Neotez AQUILA 24 2
Neotez AQUILA 24 3

The company is bringing their first wave of offerings to Malaysia after a successful year in Australia. Neotez is bringing their nascent AQUILA brand which has three monitors which cater to three different niches. The AQUILA 24, 27 and 34 offer different resolutions and sizes that cater to different budgets and gaming needs.

The Neotez AQUILA lineup offers high resolution, IPS displays with 165Hz refresh rates with quick response times. AQUILA monitors also offer anti-glare, low blue light panels with HDR400 and Adaptive-Sync support. There are slight differences across the lineup but they generally offer more bang for your buck across the board.

Neotez AQUILA 27 2
Neotez AQUILA 27 1
Neotez AQUILA 27 4
Neotez AQUILA 27 3
Neotez AQUILA 27 5

The AQUILA 24 and 27 both offer flat IPS displays with 165Hz and a 16:9 aspect ratio. They both cover 100% of the sRGB gamut. However, the AQUILA 24 only covers 78% of the DCI-P3 gamut while the 27 covers 90%. So, not the best for colour sensitive work, but they still offer commendable specs for their price points. Additionally, the 24 only offers FHD resolution while the 27 offers higher, QHD resolution. The AQUILA 27 offers additional HDR400 support and RGB Lighting. Both come with two HDMI 2.0 ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4 port.

The larger AQUILA 34 offers 2K resolution and is the only curved display in Neotez arsenal. It’s also an ultra-wide monitor with a 1500R curve. That said, the higher resolution brings along a lower 144Hz refresh rate. It’s also got a higher 4000:1 contrast ratio compared to the 1000:1 of the 24 and 27. The 34 has HDR400 support but covers only 93% of the DCI-P3 gamut and 99% sRGB gamut. The Neotez AQUILA 34 comes with two HDMI 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort 1.4 ports and red LED backlighting.

Neotez AQUILA 34 6
Neotez AQUILA 34 5
Neotez AQUILA 34 4
Neotez AQUILA 34 3
Neotez AQUILA 34 2
Neotez AQUILA 34 1

All the monitors come with built-in speakers. The AQUILA 24 and 27 come with dual 3W speakers while the 27 come with dual 2W speakers. You also get a single audio port on all the monitors.

Pricing & Availability

The monitors are currently available from the official Neotez stores on Shopee and LAZADA. The Neotez AQUILA 24 will be priced at MYR899 while the AQUILA 27 will cost MYR1,549. The larger, ultrawide AQUILA 34 is priced at MYR2,099.

Neotez is having a special launch promotion where the monitors will be available at a discounted price for a limited time. During the promo, you’ll be able to get the Neotez AQUILA 24 for MYR899, the AQUILA 27 for MYR1,399 and the AQUILA 34 for MYR1,899.

Official Specifications

ModelAQUILA 24AQUILA 27AQUILA 34
Display Size24-inch27-inch34-inch
Display ShapeFlatFlatCurved
Display ResolutionFull HD
(1920 x 1080px)		Quad HD
(2560 x 1440px)		2K UWQHD
(3400 x 1440px)
Bezel Type3-sided borderlessZeroBezel3-sided borderless
Panel TypeIPSFast IPSVA
Aspect Ratio16:916:921:9
Curved RatioN/AN/A1500R
Refresh Rate165Hz165Hz144Hz
Adaptive SyncYesYesYes
Brightness350 nit400 nit350 nit
Response Time3 ms1 ms1 ms
Contrast Ratio1000:11000:14000:1
DisplayHDRN/AHDR400HDR400
Colour Gamut100% sRGB72% NTSC78% DCI-P316.7M Colour (8-bit)100% sRGB90% DCI-P316.7M Colour (8-bit)99% sRGB95% NTSC93% DCI-P316.7M Colour (8-bit)
Display Screen FeaturesLow Blue LightAnti-Glare PanelFlicker FreeDynamic Contrast RatioLow Blue LightAnti-Glare PanelFlicker FreeHigh Dynamic RangeLow Blue LightAnti-Glare PanelFlicker FreePIP/PBP (Screen Split)Dynamic Contrast Ratio
AestheticsN/ARGB LightingLED Backlighting (Red)
Ports2 x HDMI 2.0 1 x DP 1.4 1 x Audio 1 x AC In 2 x HDMI 2.02 x DP 1.41 x Audio1 x AC In2 x HDMI 2.02 x DP 1.41 x Audio1 x AC In
Audio2 x 3W Built-In Speakers2 x 3W Built-In Speakers2 x 2W Built-In Speakers
Viewing Angle178 (Horizontal)178 (Vertical)178 (Horizontal)178 (Vertical)178 (Horizontal)178 (Vertical)
ErgonomicsHeight, Swivel & PivotHeight, Swivel & PivotHeight & Swivel
MountVESA(100 x 100mm)VESA(100 x 100mm)VESA(75 x 75mm)
PriceRM899RM1,549RM2,099
Business, Computers, Lifestyle, News

MSI Launches new Productivity Powerhouses – Meet the Summit, Prestige, and Modern Series

Leave a comment

MSI’s brand name is mostly associated with gaming and high-performing PCs. It is quite easy to assume that gaming PCs is all they do, because their biggest mindshare and market share is mostly thanks to their gaming PC line-up. They are a full-fledged PC builder though, so they do have more than just gaming PCs. They recently launched their creator focused line-up of laptops and desktops with sleek and muted designs containing high-performing internals. Yesterday, they launched completely new devices to take on the corporate world. Welcome to the Summit, Prestige, and Modern Series. 

MSI Summit 

2
Source: MSI

Let us back it up a little bit. The Summit series is not new from MSI. It has been their flagship notebook series for the corporate world for a few years now. Existing products include a Summit E13 Flip Evo and Summit E16 Flip. Yesterday they added two more devices into the family; the Summit E14 Flip Evo and the Summit E14 Flip. 

As its name suggests, both are 14-inch laptops. As names imply too, they are convertibles. Not that you can detach the keyboard or anything, it is just that you can tilt the display all the way around the keyboard to effectively make them chunky tablets.  

Both devices get Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors, quite obviously, it is 2022 after all. With the new generation processors, they also get Intel’s proven Iris Xe integrated graphics. You also get LPDDR5 RAM on both devices at 16GB (8GB x2), should be plenty enough for you to keep multiple Google Chrome windows and tabs running without slowing down.  

Obviously, because this is a productivity focused notebook, you do not get a power-hungry GPU. You also do not get a fancy RGB lighting. You still get white backlighting on your keyboard though in case you need it in low-light conditions. Connectivity and portability also take thefront seat for this laptop.  

It weighs 1.6kg, which is not as light as plenty of thing and light notebooks, to be fair. It is thin enough at 17.9mm though. You also get a full-sized USB 3.2 Type-A port, a MicroSD card reader, a full-sized HDMI port, and an audio combo jack alongside two Thunderbolt capable USB Type-C ports, either can be used to charge the 72Wh battery at 65W (USB Type-C charger provided). Both laptops also feature Windows Hello compatible Fingerprint sensor and an IR webcam for facial recognition.  

There is one major difference between the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo and Summit E14 Flip. The Evo variant gets a QHD+ display instead of the Full HD+ resolution of the regular Summit E14 Flip. Both are at 16:10 aspect ratio, of course. The Evo’s display offers 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage though, important if you are in the creative industry. The IPS display also supports MSI Pen input, effectively making it a touch sensitive panel.  

Alongside the new Summit E14 Flip and Summit E14 Flip Evo, the Summit E13 Flip Evo, Summit E16 Flip, and Summit E16 Flip Evo are getting a refresher in the form of Intel’s 12th Generation Core CPUs. The Summit E16 Flip is also getting a GPU upgrade in the form of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (up to) GPU.  

MSI Prestige 

3 1
Source: MSI

The Prestige series should also be a familiar name to fans of MSI. It is made to be the mid-range productivity powerhouse that prides itself with great design and portability like no other in its class. For 2022, the new line-up is even better than before.  

You can get the MSI Prestige in two sizes, 15 and 14 inches. Both sizes get Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors for a start. You can think of them as entry-level gaming devices too with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti mobile GPU (RTX 3050 for Prestige 14) handling the graphics department. You also get up to 32GB in RAM (16GB for Prestige 14) for any high-performance computing needs on the go. With the 15-inch variant also you get another NVMe PCIe Gen 3 slot in case you need to expand your storage. 

For its display, the Prestige 15 offers you a 15.6-inch UHD (up to) IPS panel that boasts 100% sRGB colour gamut coverage. The Prestige 14 only offers you up to a Full HD IPS panel. You still get 100% in sRGB colour gamut coverage. It is also much lighter at 1.29 kg over the 1.69 kg of the 15-incher. 

There is another Prestige 14 option, the Prestige 14 Evo. It comes with Intel’s Evo certification. That means it does not come with any GPU. That should also allow for extended battery life on the Prestige 14 Evo. While the other Prestige models with discrete GPUs charge at 100W though, this one charges at 65W (USB Type-C charger included).  

MSI Modern 

4
Source: MSI

This one, MSI says, is for the trendsetters. They have collaborated with French Illustrator, Lorrain Sorlet for this new Modern laptop series. In their Classic Black or Urban Silver colour choices though, the thin-and-light laptops does look like it will blend in anywhere you take it too. 

There are also two display sizes here, a 14-inch and a 15-inch. Both offer Full HD resolutions and are IPS displays which also means colours on the display will pop. Just do not expect the colours to be as accurate as DCI-P3 or sRGB rated displays. Still good enough for most entertainment purposes though.  

Of course, you can expect Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors on the new laptops. No discrete GPUs here, just a good ol’ Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics here. The processor is also supported by up to 16GB (8GB x2) DDR RAM. You get a fast, nice SSD storage to comem with the new Modern 15 and Modern 14 too,  

It is a little thicker than the other two laptops that MSI introduced alongside this one, but still quite thing at 19.9mm (19.35mm Modern 14). At 1.7 kg and 1.4 kg respectively, they are not what you would call heavy too. The extra thickness allows for a bit more practicality on the side though. Both devices pack two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a full-sized HDMI port, a MicroSD card slot, a combo AUX jack, and one USB Type-C port. The USB Type-C port doubles as a charging port too with the included 65W USB Type-C charger.  

Availability 

MSI, in their launch, did not actually mention when the new laptops will be available just yet. They also did not include their pricing currently. The only thing we can do is wait and see. For more information on the new products, you can check out MSI’s website.

Lifestyle, Mobile, News, Social Media

Spotify’s Greenroom Will Integrate to the Spotify App as Spotify Live

Leave a comment

The audio based social media platform space blew up in the past couple of months. This is a space technically pioneered by Clubhouse. The app was so popular that other social media platforms paid attention. They wanted a piece of that pie as well. As a result, platform makers started looking into building their own platforms.  

Spotify developed their own platform too for audio based social media platform. They developed Greenroom, a Clubhouse clone in one way but with Spotify’s official colours plastered over everything on the platform. It is, in its own rights, quite a successful experiment by Spotify and it is among the only platforms of its kind that is still in existence, or rather, frequently visited.  

When they launched the platform though, it was launched as an app of its own. While you can use your regular Spotify account to get on to the platform and start having conversations with strangers about all sorts of topics, the app has no other correlation with the main Spotify app. We thought, perhaps Spotify Greenroom is meant to sit separately as a separate app since it does not offer any similar services to Spotify. Until now, that is. 

Based on what has been spotted on Spotify’s beta app, Spotify will be integrating Greenroom or Greenroom similar functionality into the main app itself. The feature will be renamed to Spotify Live instead though. There are rumours as well that the update will be rolling out in the second quarter of 2022. Though this might mean that Greenroom itself might be taken down and moved to the new platform under Spotify’s app, it does not mean that its functions and contents will be removed.  

It will fundamentally be the same as working with Greenroom, except that everything comes under one app now. While it does create a bigger, more complex app, it is a more sensible thing to do for Spotify. The platform within Spotify will allow content creators to organise and manage conversations on the app itself. Users can subscribe to content creators on the app itself and listen in on their LIVE conversations whenever their subscribed content creator creates the conversation room.  

Source: Bloomberg 

Advertorial, Lifestyle

HP has an Intel Powered Laptop for Everyone with Unbeatable Discounts During LAZADA’s Birthday Sale!

Leave a comment

We live in a world where not having a computer can be a huge handicap. Post pandemic, this reality is even more real than ever. We are working, communicating and connecting with each other with technology more than we ever did.  However, it’s harder to come by devices that we can rely on that don’t burn through our bank accounts. That’s changing with offers coming from SNS Network in conjunction with LAZADA’s Birthday!

SNS HP LAZADA 2
Source: SNS Network

HP’s offerings are built for more than just one purpose – we’ve seen them grow their line up with Chromebooks, gaming laptops and even purpose-built design laptops. These laptops are built with performance in mind and are equipped with the latest and greatest processors from Intel® ranging from the Intel® Celeron® to the latest generation Intel® Core™ processors. These laptops can also be versatile like the HP Spectre x360, HP EliteBook x360 or the HP ENVY x360. These convertible laptops also come with stylus input for a more natural feeling interaction.

Whatever your need, HP’s lineup of laptops is bound to have something that is uniquely catered for you. If you’re looking for a versatile laptop for education, the HP Chromebook x360 is built to cater to you. Powered by the Intel® Celeron® N4020, it’s equipped with enough power for all your educational needs. Its versatile 360° hinge also allows it to adapt to any space you are working on. The HP Chromebook x360 also comes with a durable chassis that can withstand falls from the desk or even an accidental spill. It’s available during LAZADA’s Birthday sale for MYR679! That’s a whopping MYR720 off the retail price of MYR1,399.

SNS HP LAZADA 3
Source: SNS Network

If you’re looking for a laptop that is able to handle work and some play, HP has a plethora of laptops to choose from. Laptops like the HP Pavilion Laptop 14 equipped with the 11th Generation Intel® Core™ i5 with a 14-inch FHD screen are built to bring together portability and performance at an affordable price point. This specific model is getting a whopping MYR740 discount during the sale. If the Pavilion Laptop isn’t your style, the HP Probook 440 G8 would fill the same shoes with enterprise-grade security and comparable specifications. It will be available for MYR3,329 – an MYR270 discount off its retail price. If you need some graphical prowess, the HP Laptop 15s is also on sale with NVIDIA® GeForce® MX350. The discreet graphics card will give you additional power for work involving graphics and design and it’s available for MYR2,859 during the sale.

  • HP LAZADA SNS Offer 2
  • HP LAZADA SNS Offer 3
  • HP LAZADA SNS Offer 4
  • HP LAZADA SNS Offer 1

Running on Intel®’s 11th Generation Core™ processors gives these laptops an edge over the competition. The 11th Generation Core™ processors are able to run more efficiently giving you up to 20% better battery life. That’s about an hour’s worth of usage! The processors are also more powerful than before. They promise about 15% better performance with single and multicore processing. You’ll be able to tackle large excel files, pivot tables and even some light design work without many problems. With their integrated Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics platform, you can even do some basic gaming or even edit videos with up to 4K resolution without a hitch. These laptops are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what’s available and on offer during the LAZADA Birthday Sale starting on the 27th of March 2022. The SNS-HP LAZADA store will feature everything from desktops, all-in-ones, laptops, and even gaming setups powered by Intel®’s processors for proven performance. You can even grab printers, monitors and other accessories during the sale with massive discounts happening from 12 am to 2 am on the 27th of March 2022. SNS Network will be offering massive savings of up to MYR860 on laptops!

SNS HP LAZADA

Psst! Pssst! Wanna know a little secret? You can already start adding what you want to your cart on the LAZADA app. LAZADA will then notify you when the superb Birthday sale kicks off later this month. You’ll be the first to know when the item you want goes on sale! What are you waiting for!?  Head on down to the SNS-HP LAZADA store and select your laptops!

22CON BTS Gaming LT 11thGen 10thGen Masthead 970x250 EN CA

DISCLAIMER: THIS ARTICLE IS AN ADVERTORIAL COMMISSIONED BY SNS NETWORK. IT MAY NOT REPRESENT THE OPINIONS OF THE TECHENT EDITORIAL BOARD.

Android, iOS, Lifestyle, News

Shazam Yourself to a Concert Near You

Leave a comment

Remember that app you use to find out what’s playing on the radio or at the cafe? Yeah – that one! Shazam! No, no, not the superhero, the app! It’s about to get a little more interesting for the music discovery app.

Well, if you forgot about Shazam, here’s a little refresher. The Shazam app first debuted in 2002. It was first launched as an app that could help users discover music by simply clicking on the Shazam button. The app has since gained a whole load of new features including identifying TV programs and ads. Yep, you can stumble upon a new episode of an unknown show and use Shazam to find out where you can stream it.

Shazam Concerts Credit to Apple
Source: Apple

The app is bringing a new dimension to music discovery by including a new feature that will allow you to not only discover new music but also find out when and where the artist is performing near you. All you have to do is Shazam a song on the app or website and you’ll immediately get concert information and ticket pricing. The same information is also available on the Shazam Artist page.

The new feature leverages concert information from Bandsintown, an established event recommendation and artist discovery platform. The platform has access to information from over 560,000 artists, labels and booking agents which gives it one of the most complete databases of concerts available worldwide. This feature is now rolling out to Shazam’s over 225 million active users across the world. Artists can also make their concert information available through Bandsintown For Artists.