Category Archives: Lifestyle

Accessories, Editorial, Health, Lifestyle, News

[Google I/O 2021] Google & Samsung Take Wear OS to the Next Level

1 Comment

Android Wear or Wear OS as it was renamed a few years ago has been a little anaemic when it comes to updates; that is until NOW. Google took the stage at I/O 2021 to announce what could be the biggest and most important update to Wear OS: Google and Samsung are partnering to push Wear OS to the next level. The announcement confirms rumours which have been making their rounds for months.

Source: Google

The new partnership sees Samsung bring their know-how, expertise and features from their successful Tizen OS to Wear OS. As the companies put it, they are bringing “the best of their platforms together into one unified experience”. So what does this mean exactly? Well, the biggest change is that Samsung’s next Galaxy Watch will be shipping with Wear OS instead of Tizen OS. While this might seems like Samsung will be leaving their older watches behind, the company reassures its users that Galaxy Watch and other Tizen OS powered wearables will be receiving updates and support for at least 3 years after their launch.

Improvements Under the Hood

That aside, the new collaborative Wear OS approach also brings a slew of improvements that will not only be improving the user experience but also making developing for Wear OS a lot easier. The collaboration’s biggest improvement comes in its improved load time. Google is touting a whopping 30% improvement in app load times. In addition, Samsung and Google have made improvements to the lower layer of Wear OS to improve battery life. If you’ve used Wear OS smartwatches, you’d know that battery life can be an issue with them.

Source: Google

Google and Samsung have optimised background processes, making them more efficient and less intensive on the processors. In fact, processor-intensive processes like continuous heart rate monitoring have been optimised to use lower power cores to conserve power. This also opens the doors to more power-efficient features for wearable devices. Samsung has also helped with power efficiency with its bundled sensors which allow them to include more than one sensor in a single module.

More Diverse User Experience

Aside from improvements under the hood, the improvements are also creating a more diverse user experience. Manufacturers are now allowed to skin the operating system to have a more unified look across their devices. This also means that we might see slightly different experiences from manufacturers like Tag Heuer, Fossil and even Samsung will have their own design language when it comes to the user interface for their wearables. Google is expecting that the new customizability will result in a more diverse Wear OS ecosystem.

Google is also opening up more features in the OS to developers. Developers will be able to bring features like tiles to their apps. They have also integrated development for Wear OS into Android’s Development Studio. They are creating a more unified development experience across Android and Wear OS with a single touchpoint for development. Development is also made easier with Google’s Jetpack development suite which allows developers to call and implement API more readily. In addition, they are bringing Kotlin APIs to Wear OS.

Wear OS is also getting more focused on health with help from Samsung. Developers will be able to create new apps and improve their current apps with a more streamlined and simplified work flow. This comes thanks to the new Health Services platform which allows developers to retrieve data without building from scratch. Developers are able to take advantage of continuous data from the sensors and other contextual metrics without impacting the battery life of the device too much.

New Apps, Better Experience

Finally, these improvements directly impact how the OS performs and how accessible apps will be for the platform. The most direct improvements that users will be benefiting from is improved navigation on wearables. Google is bringing simple improvements like a double-tap to jump to your most recent app and even simpler swiping gestures to access your information.

Source: Google / Double Tap for Recent App
Source: Google / Tiles

Google is starting the ball rolling with updates coming to its core apps like Google Maps, Google Pay, Google Assistant and YouTube Music. The first change that will be coming to these apps is the adoption of the new “Material You” design. In addition, Google Maps will be getting better, more visible turn by turn navigation to help with using the app on the go. There are plans to take Google Maps offline. The same applies to YouTube Music as well. Google Assistant and Google Pay will be getting improvements as well. The latter will be making its way to 26 countries in the next few months while the former will become more user friendly on Wear.

It isn’t just Google that is improving its offerings. Spotify has revamped its experience on wearables; allowing users to seamlessly move on the go. The simplified interface allows users to not only control their music but also seamlessly switch between speakers and their Wear OS device. Other companies like Nike, Calm and Adidas have been working on revamping their experiences on OS. Fitbit will also join the Wear OS family. Wear OS apps will also be more visible on the Play Store with a dedicated section and recommendations.

The new Wear OS will be making its way to the market in the coming year. Current Wear OS devices find out if they are getting the big update in the coming months.

Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Clubhouse to be Available on Android Worldwide by Friday!

Leave a comment

Last week we saw Clubhouse finally taking the plunge into Android. The blogpost from Clubhouse themselves, dated 9th May 2021 said that they will be pushing into the Android market with a Beta app starting with their home market, the United States of America. Apart from their home market though, they said they will be pushing into other English-speaking markets in the coming weeks.

We thought that we will only get Clubhouse in two to four weeks. To be fair, while Malaysia is considered a major English-speaking nation, English is not necessarily our first language if we are being politically correct. In that case, we were guessing that nations like Singapore and probably India to get Clubhouse first before Malaysia. India mostly because of its population density and the various Android devices that the market houses as well. The large and diverse sample sizes could prove useful for the Clubhouse development team in bug testing, stress testing, and even diagnosing porting issues.

We were proven wrong though. Just a week in and Clubhouse announced that the rest of the world will be getting Clubhouse on their Android devices. According to their twitter post that is about 14 hours old, the Clubhouse version of Android will see the light of day in Japan, Brazil, and Russia by Tuesday; that is tomorrow. Nigeria and India will see the Clubhouse app by Friday morning. The rest of the world will get the app by Friday too, albeit in the afternoon. Our prediction that India might get the stuff sooner than Malaysia did sort of come true.

Clubhouse on Android, as per mentioned last week, is still in Beta stage though. There will still be some bugs on the app, and we can expect the Android app to not have all the features available to users from the iOS camp. We are expecting improvements to come over the coming months to bring the Android version of the app to what the iOS users are already familiar with though. The only function we do not expect to make it into the Android app in Malaysia at least is their payments function. That feature is also not available on Clubhouse on iOS in Malaysia too.

You can expect Clubhouse to gain traction quickly in the Android playing field too. Despite other social media giants like Twitter and Facebook launching their own Clubhouse-like features, they have not gained the traction to match Clubhouse and therefore proved unpopular among users. But of course, there is one thing that might prevent a large influx of Android users into Clubhouse though. Clubhouse remains an invite-only platform. For you to start an account with Clubhouse and join conversations, you must have an invite from your friends already on the platform.

There are also issues and controversies raised surrounding the app itself too. There are issues concerning its security and privacy at some point. The app has also been criticized for not being friendly to the hearing-impaired community. The app is still quite young though; it is barely a year old, to be fair. There is still plenty to improve on at this point. Currently, the app has focused a little more on creators with plans to fund over 50 audio shows on Clubhouse as part of an accelerator program. They are also planning to introduce in-room tipping for creators, paid events, and even subscriptions into Clubhouse soon. Live podcasting from us anyone?

Business, Computers, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Samsung and Lenovo Not Attending MWC 2021 in-Person.

Leave a comment

Mobile World Congress 2021 (MWC 2021) is upon us. The conference is set to happen in Barcelona next month and it is where some of the world’s electronics giants meet to introduce new products or new concepts for 2021. It is a place where we might get to see new smartphones being launched as well.

Last year’s MWC was cancelled for obvious reasons. While MWC has kicked-off as a physical event for 2021, a lot of people still think it is a bad idea to attend the conference in-person. One of those people who recently decided that it was not a good idea is Samsung. Lenovo joined that boat soon after.

Samsung cited health and safety reasons for not attending MWC 2021 in-person. This does not mean that they are not participating in the conference though. Samsung will still be present at MWC remotely. In other words, MWC 2021 will still happen for Samsung, but taken completely online.

Samsung and Lenovo join several high-profiled giants in their physical absence in Barcelona for MWC 2021. Among the big names that announced their physical absence at Barcelona includes Sony, Nokia, Ericsson, Oracle, and even Google. All of them cited health and safety concerns for their staffs for not attending MWC 2021.

All of this is not particularly unexpected though. The COVID-19 pandemic that started in 2020 is still a major global concern with new strains discovered every other month or so. The current infection numbers are not particularly encouraging as well, leading governments to close their borders and restrict movements and employing tighter regulations to curb the pandemic. The decision to bring events online is also inline of Apple, Google, and E3’s decision to bring their conferences and events completely online and completely free to attend for people around the world.

While the numbers are dwindling, there are still some key attendees yet to announce their physical absence for MWC 2021 though. Among some of those names are LG and Xiaomi. LG though has announced that they are pulling out from the smartphone business recently.

GSMA claims that they have anticipated the move from manufacturers to back out of being physically present in MWC 2021. In light of the pandemic and their cancellation in 2020, GSMA has also developed their own virtual platform to ensure that participating brands can still have their MWC presence. The online platform also ensures that attendees still get to experience MWC 2021, albeit in a more personal and private manner.

Source: Reuters, Tech Crunch

Lifestyle, News

Samsung Brings More Customisability with the Expansion of Bespoke Appliance Line Up

Leave a comment

Samsung’s appliances have been one of the most trusted in the world. Late last year, the company took things to the next level with the announcement of their new Bespoke line up of refrigerators. It brought options for consumers to customise and express themselves when it came to creating a refrigerator which was able to blend seamlessly into the interior design choices you make in your home. There was only one limitation – availability. That changes today with the expansion of ability to North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, select regions in Asia and Africa and more.

Source: Samsung

The customisability of their Bespoke line up is also being expanded with more options coming to the line up. In South Korea, customers will be able to choose from a range of over 360 colours and finishes to create appliances that fit seamlessly into their home. In addition to colours, customers are also able to choose from unique designs from artists such as Thibaud Herem and Andy Rementer.

Samsung’s Bespoke brand is not only expanding in customisability. It’s also expanding to include other appliances such as water filters, ovens, microwaves and more. The now extensive Bespoke range covers every aspect of the home that you can think of. Samsung introduced the Bespoke Air Purifier, Bespoke Jet and Jet Bot AI+, Bespoke Refrigerator, Bespoke AirDresser, water purifier, Bespoke ShoeDresser and Bespoke Cube Refridgerator. All of these appliances come with colours and finishes that are hallmark of the Samsung Bespoke line up.

Source: Samsung

The Bespoke Fridge is spearheading the Bespoke paradigm with increased customisability. You’ll be able to select from a range of finishes and sizes. The Bespoke refrigerator comes in all shapes and sizes in a modular form factor that allows users to pick and choose what they want according to their needs and space restrictions. The updated Bespoke fridge also comes with some features from Samsung’s FamilyHub fridge including a flex zone which allows users to customise the zone according to their needs. It can go from a normal fridge to a crisper to a freezer. The Bespoke fridge also comes with reversible doors which allow you to choose how and which way the fridge door opens.

Source: Samsung

Naturally, the Bespoke line up integrates seamlessly into Samsung’s SmartThings Platform. This allows the Bespoke line up to become seamlessly connected to your IoT setup. Using SmartThings, Bespoke users can access even more functionality such as SmartThings Cooking which provides access to personalised meal plans and recipes, SmartThings Pet which allows you sync your Bespoke appliances to make life as comfortable for your pet even when you’re not around, SmartThings Air which allows you to sync your air purifier and air conditioner and SmartThings Clothing Care for more efficient laundry management.

Pricing & Availability

Samsung’s Bespoke line up will be making it’s way to North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, select regions in Asia and Africa and more in the coming months. No pricing or specifics have been announced just yet.

The Bespoke Refrigerator will be available in multiple configurations. In the U.S., the fridge will be available in a 4-door flex, 1-door column and a bottom mount freezer. It will be available 1-door column, slim 1-door column and bottom mount freezer options. The U.S. will see the roll out of a full range of kitchen appliances including the Bespoke microwave, oven and more. No information on the availability and models in other regions have been shared by Samsung just yet.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

ASUS ROG 2021 Notebook Series Ups the Ante with RTX 30 Series

Leave a comment

Last year NVIDIA announced their next generation GPUs, the GeForce RTX 30 series GPUs that they claim to have the largest generational gap over the older series. It is inevitable then for fans to be asking for the mobile variant of the GPUs to be put in the ever popular and growing gaming notebook market. They are also asking for more budget friendly variants like the RTX 3060 Ti and updated variant of the GTX 1650 and GTX 1660 Ti.

That is not all though, new CPUs are also introduced in 2020 and early 2021. AMD came swinging hard with the new AMD Ryzen 5000 series CPUs with Zen 3 architecture making them the most powerful consumer level CPU overall currently on sale. Intel pushed their own boundaries with their 10nm architecture 11th Generation CPUs early in 2021 too. To be fair though Intel came with the mobile variant of the 11th Generation Core processors early in 2020 before the desktop variants were introduced in 2021.

TUF Gaming F15 and F17 (FX506H-CHN021T, FX706H-CHX065T, FX506H-MHN103T)

  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS

ASUS kicks of with the new TUF Gaming notebooks, both in 15-inch and 17-inch flavours. You get to choose between an Intel Core i5-11400H and an Intel Core i7-11800H for the ASUS TUF Gaming F15’s (FX506H) processor. That powerful GPU also comes paired with either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 or an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU with 6GB of GDDR6 RAM.

To ensure that you get a smooth gaming performance too, RAM is at up to 16GB for the top-of-the-line TUF Gaming F15 with room to spare. For storage you get a single SSD with 512GB in capacity. The storage is also expandable still with free extra NVMe PCIe 3.0 M.2 slot.

The 15-inch and 17-inch variants both get a 144Hz IPS display that pushes Full HD in resolution. For even more immersive gaming, the TUF Gaming F15 and F17 packs DTS Audio and speaker calibration. Of course, a great gaming experience today also means stable internet connection, and the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 and F17 packs WiFi 6 capabilities alongside Bluetooth 5.2 for extra stable wireless peripheral connection. With 90WHrs 4-cell battery, the TUF Gaming F15 and F17 may not last a whole day, but at least a few hours of use away from the wall socket should be enough for you to get your emails and whatever else done.

The ASUS TUF Gaming F15 with 11th Generation Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 will be available mid of June 2021 onward at MYR 4,199. The TUF Gaming F17 with 11th Generation Intel Core i5 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 will be available at the end of June 2021 at MYR 4,299. The TUF Gaming F15 with 11th Generation Intel Core i7 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 will be available at the end of this month (May 2021) onward at MYR 5,599.

TUF Gaming Dash F15 (FX516P-EHN006T, FX516P-EHN007T)

  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS

For extra portability, you might want to look at the ASUS TUF Gaming Dash F15, a thinner and lighter TUF gaming notebook like no other. At 2kg, it is no ultrabook. Still, it is a light gaming device with the power to match.

You get the 11th Generation Core i7-11370H processor that also has an Intel Iris Xe Graphics integrated GPU for general usage at lower power draw. For all the high-performance stuff though, this thing packs a powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU. Thanks to the integrated GPU, the notebook draws minimal power from the 76WHrs battery and ensures that the notebook can last longer than your average gaming notebooks.

The powerful NVIDIA GPU though powers the 15.6-inch IPS display to push Full HD into your face. You even get fast 144Hz refresh rate to ensure you still have the necessary competitive advantage in any gaming situation. With up to 8GB of RAM, you can be sure that gaming is a smooth and snappy experience.

The ASUS TUF Gaming Dash F15 will be available in two colour options – Eclipse Grey and Moonlight White. The new gaming laptop will be available this month (May 2021) onward. The thinner and lighter TUF Gaming notebook will set you back MYR 4,799.

ASUS ROG Strix G15 and G17 (G513Q-CHN019T, G512Q-CHN020T, G712Q-CHX022T, G512Q-CHN096T)

  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS

The new ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17 packs up to the highly acclaimed AMD Ryzen 7 5800H processor. With AMD’s processor, the ROG STRIX G15 and G17 is also a powerful creator class GPU. Pair that with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 and you get a capable video editor and gaming notebook that you can take with you anywhere you want.

You get up to 8GB in RAM and up to 512GB in SSD storage. If those are not enough though there is an extra available slot for you to expand your RAM and SSD storage still. An extra 8GB and an extra 512GB of SSD storage would do you nicely for the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17.

You get to choose up between 15.6-inch and 17.3-inch display sizes for the new ASUS ROG STRIX series. Both sizes are IPS displays that churns out Full HD in resolution too. Of course, for the extra smooth feel and edge in competitive gaming, the displays refreshes at 144Hz.

For all your connectivity needs there is the usual WiFi 6 that should be standard today. It also packs Bluetooth 5.1 for an extra stable wireless peripherals experience. You can find a USB Type-C port, but unfortunately Thunderbolt is not supported on the AMD based notebook.

The ROG STRIX G15 and G17 notebooks with either an AMD Ryzen 5-5600H or the AMD Ryzen 7-5800H will be available this month (May 2021) onward. The AMD Ryzen 5 variant of the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 will set you back MYR 4,199. The AMD Ryzen 7 variant of the ASUS ROG STRIX G15 and G17 will sell for MYR 4,499 and MYR 4,599 respectively. There is also an Elctro Punk special edition ASUS ROG STRIX G15 with AMD Ryzen 7-5800H that comes with its own set of colour matching accessories like a mousepad, a gaming mouse, and a backpack for MYR 4,799.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (GA401Q-HHZ078TS, GA401Q-CHZ083TS, GA401Q-EK2023TS)

Source: ASUS

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, in our books, is one of the notebooks that put AMD’s Ryzen processors name in the gaming laptop map. The first Zephyrus G14 was a brilliant product that received many accolades. That packed the older generation AMD Ryzen 3000 series mind you.

The new one of course packs the new AMD Ryzen 7 5800HS processor to boot. You get to work with up to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU for all of your gaming and content creation needs. Both the CPU and GPU are supported by an 8GB RAM that you can easily expand with an extra RAM slot in the thin and sturdy body with the very recognisable Matrix LED shell. Storage wise, you get 512GB in SSD with an extra expansion slot too.

The powerful CPU and GPU combination pushes games to up to 144Hz (120Hz for WQHD variant) on the 14-inch IPS display that comes with the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14. You get to spec your Zephyrus G14 with up to WQHD display too if you need the extra resolution for content creation purposes. On both the Full HD and WQHD displays, you get 100% coverage of DCI-P3 for a super deep colour accuracy and Pantone validation as the cherry topping.

  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS
  • Source: ASUS

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 will be available in Eclipse Grey and Moonlight variants. The ROG Zephyrus G14 with NVIDIA’s GeForce GTX 1650 GPU will come with a non AniMe Matrix shell while the rest of the variants get the AniMe Matrix panel on the shell of the notebook for extra personalisation. The new AMD Ryzen 7 powered ROG Zephyrus G14 notebook is available this month (May 2021) onward and will start at MYR 4,799 and tops out MYR 6,499.

Lifestyle, Podcast

Tech & Tonic Podcast S02E11 – More Streaming, More Better

Video Leave a comment

This episode is brought to you by Acer. Pre-order your Acer Nitro 5 gaming notebook with AMD’s Ryzen 9 5900HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 GPU from Acer from the 10th May 2021 onward!

In this episode of Tech & Tonic, we discuss the growing number of streaming services. Disney+ Hotstar is finally making its way into Malaysia after a long wait. Disney+ Hotstar joins Malaysia’s long list of streaming platforms including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Go, Astro Go, iflix, and a few others.

Is having more streaming services a good thing though? Does it still make sense for you to pay for Cable TV services like Astro in Malaysia, especially with certain channels being removed with the introduction of Disney+ Hotstar? Do we need more streaming platforms at this time? Would Disney+ be better than the rest of the platforms?

We discuss this and more in the Tech & Tonic Podcast.

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle, News

Sony Launches New BRAVIA XR 4K TVs with “Cognitive Processor XR”

Leave a comment

When someone asks us what TV they should buy for their homes, we always go back to Sony. We are big fans of Sony’s TV line-up and that is no secret too. We do think that they have been consistently making great TVs for a long time now. When you get a Sony TV as well, you get a sort of assurance that it will at least work properly with your Sony PlayStation 5; they are made by the same manufacturer, after all.

The BRAVIA series from Sony has also proven itself to be some of the best TVs in the world. While some of their TVs are based on older LED technology, the BRAVIA TVs still offer one of the best, if not the best, image contrasts and colour accurate images in the industry. Comparatively as well, BRAVIA TVs are more reasonably priced than some of its competitors.

Sony has just announced a new BRAVIA series with a very small difference that makes a lot of difference in how you experience TV in 2021. They have introduced the BRAVIA XR with a new processor, the Cognitive Processor XR. Yes, it is just a new processor to the TV.

As its name suggest, the new processor is a more intelligent processor Sony produces for the BRAVIA XR TVs. As with any modern processors in the market for any electronics items, it is also an Artificial Intelligence (AI) equipped chip. Sony claims that it is not conventional AI that they use here though.

  • Source: Sony
  • Source: Sony

They call it cognitive intelligence, and it does kind of work to work with our cognitive behaviour when we watch the TV. Sony says that the processor is designed to replicate the ways we see and hear, like replicating focal points on the TV screen anyway; at least they are attempting to. In some sense, the processor is not attempting to create better, more vibrant, and upscaled image. Instead, they are trying to make images look more natural to our eyes.

The processor divides the display panel into zones to detect focal points in a picture. It still works like conventional AI where colours, contrasts, and details are refined. It does a bit more than just analysing and refining the general elements though. When it finds the focal points of each frame it automatically enhances its elements to the best it can be alongside the other parts of the image. The result of that is a more natural looking image that is almost lifelike, at least according to Sony.

The processor also tampers a little bit with audio and its signal positions. The processor will identify the images, analyse sound positions and correctly places them through the speakers. The processor also converts the audio signal into proper 3D surround sound for an immersive experience without you spending extra on sound bar or a separate sound system. All-in-all, the Sony BRAVIA XR with Cognitive Processor XR is meant to really elevate your TV experience with little tweaks that matter.

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

With the introduction of the new Cognitive Processor XR too, the BRAVIA TVs get some new features. For one, Google TV is now available on Android TV. All BRAVIA XR TVs also get HDMI 2.1 and e-ARC compatibility for 4K 120fps support, beneficial for modern console gaming. The new BRAVIA XR TVs will also add additional support for smart speakers like Google Nest Speakers so you can control your TV with smart speakers too. On top of all of that, the TVs will also come with Netflix Calibrated Mode for studio like Netflix experience on Sony BRAVIA XR TVs.

For now, the Cognitive Processor XR will be available in five models in Malaysia. The Sony BRAVIA XR XR-65A90J OLED TV (65-inch, MYR 17,999), XR-65A80J OLED TV (65-inch, MYR 14,999), XR-55A80J OLED TV (55-inch, MYR 9,199), XR-65X90J Full Array LED TV (65-inch, MYR 7,599), and XR-55X90J Full Array LED TV (55-inch, MYR 5,399) are all available in Malaysia. There will be an 8K XR-85Z9J, OLED XR-77A80J, Full Array LED XR-75X90J coming soon into Malaysia. For more information on the Sony BRAVIA XR TVs, you can head over to Sony’s website.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News, Social Media

Clubhouse Coming to Android After More Than a Year in iOS Exclusivity.

Leave a comment

There was a debate that raged on a bit in a certain new and upcoming social media app. The app was valued at US$ 4 Billion (MYR*) at its most recent fundraiser too. That social media platform is Clubhouse, and the debate was whether or not Clubhouse should remain an iOS exclusive platform.

For over a year, Clubhouse has remained exclusive to iOS. That is not without good reason though. Developing on iOS is a little more straightforward because there is not a tonne of scaling to work with, everything is based on roughly the same hardware architecture. You do not have to take different versions of iOS and iPhone devices into account either, the SDK will do its job and standardise experience across all iPhone devices. Obviously, with the amount of Android devices out there for different market segments, things become a little more complex when you want to develop on Android. This was the case of WhatsApp on iOS and Android all over again.

Still, the voice based social network app has been one of the most popular apps since the pandemic broke out and everyone in the world is expected to stay at home and lock themselves up. It gave people another way to stay connected with the rest of the world. It gave way to Elon Musk to connect with other people from other parts of the world without physically meeting them. Elon Musk could be one of the reasons why Clubhouse blew up too.

Still, because Clubhouse was a thing, Android users are now asking for the feature on their devices. Clubhouse also have been reportedly working on its Android app for some time now. Earlier in the year Clubhouse finally announced that they are going to put Clubhouse in Google’s Play Store. This week, they came through in the United States of America (U.S.A.).

Source: Clubhouse

The Clubhouse app is now in open Beta state in Google Play Store. While that means you get access to the most basic functions of Clubhouse like joining a chat room and moderate a chat for example, there are still some things that users on Android will not get access to for the time being. For one, Android users will not be able to report someone else for now. That feature will come soon though according to Clubhouse.

Translation and localisation will not yet be available as well on the Android version. Understandably, Clubhouse on Android is still limited to the U.S. and will be rolling out to other English-speaking regions within these few weeks. You cannot create club or manage any clubs at the moment too with the Beta version of Clubhouse on Android. You can read the full list of missing features on Clubhouse’s FAQ page.

The team behind Clubhouse is also noting that they will be collecting feedback from the community on the app. In the coming weeks, the team will be fixing all kinds of bugs and add more features before finally releasing the app properly on Google Play Store as a full app. The only thing that they have not changed their stance on is the invite-only system. You have to be invited into the app to sign up for an account. Signing up for the app is free though.

The Clubhouse app will be available in Beta in the U.S. region for now. As Mentioned the app will roll out in other English-speaking regions soon after. If you are keen to get on the platform with existing invites at hand, you can head over to Google Play Store to register as an interested user and be the first Android user when it becomes available in your region.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Wear OS Gets New GBoard -Fresher, Faster, Better

Leave a comment

Google’s I/O is just around the corner and there are plenty of things to look forward to in Google I/O. One of them is improvements and updates to Wear OS. If you do not know what Wear OS is, it is basically Google’s perception of what a wearable interface should look like. The smartwatch OS can be found on plenty of smartwatches you can find on the market that is not a HUAWEI, or Samsung, or Fitbit, or Apple. In Malaysia, the most popular Wear OS smartwatch currently are still from Fossil.

While it is considered one of the major smartwatch interfaces you can find in the current market, contents for Wear OS can be limited. Of course, the app ecosystem for Wear OS is still growing and there are still room for improvements for the wearables that are equipped with Wear OS. Google also hardly updates or releases new apps on their own Wear OS, weirdly enough. Until now that is, with a certain GBoard.

GBoard is a keyboard, yes. In fact, it is one of the most popular and most loved keyboards in the world of Android. Some of the best and most popular Android smartphone sports GBoard as their default keyboard, that is how good it is. Wear OS also sports Google’s own default keyboard on the platform that has not been updated until now.

Previously known as Google Keyboard, GBoard gets a new update that borderlines a makeover of the app on Wear OS. The new Wear OS still retains the full QWERTY layout but with a more streamlined and cleaner design compared to the clunky Google Keyboard of old. Of course, GBoard also retains gestures and voice input functions. They are much easier to access now though.

Source: Google

The new GBoard also still has word suggestions, except that it is now scrollable instead of a drop-down menu. That makes word suggestion a lot more accessible and much more intuitive to work with. The word suggestion bar is also your quick access to input methods now. To allow for a bit more space and accessibility on the keyboard, the language toggle is now moved to the spacebar instead of a dedicated language button.

The update for Gboard for WearOS should be a huge welcome for the platform and its users. The platform, since its 2.0 release five years ago, have stagnated a little. Its last update was a minor update to version 2.23 with minute changes to improve its connectivity support and battery life mostly. Wear OS is expected to receive a major update in the upcoming Google I/O.  

Lifestyle, News

Disney+ Hotstar Coming to Malaysia 1 June 2021 onward! Finally, it is Here.

1 Comment

After months of speculation and years of patience on our end, Disney+ is finally taking its step into Malaysia. How much is it? It will set you back MYR 54.90 for three months and it starts in June 2021. If you are already a customer of Astro, there are also special packaged for the streaming platform.

For the longest time, the dominating force in the on-demand content streaming service in Malaysia was dominated by none other than Netflix. Of course, there were other competitors in Malaysia with less significant market shares like Prime Video, HBO GO, Astro GO, the homegrown iflix, Dim Sum, and even Viu. A handful of these competitors are not even direct competitors as they tend to show more Asian contents than the other platforms.

Netflix’s closest competitors in Malaysia at the current time would be HBO GO and Amazon’s Prime Video. Those two still pale in comparison to Netflix and what Netflix has to offer. This is also mostly due to Netflix’s highly aggressive marketing strategy and a whole slew of Netflix exclusives that has been churning out in the past few years. Netflix exclusives are also accompanied by very compelling licensed titles including ones from Disney’s studios. Those things made Netflix the platform to have if you want an extensive selection in great contents. Plenty of those contents are also Disney contents.

It only makes sense for Disney to get in on the whole streaming platform game. They are the largest entertainment organisation in the world, after all. In that sense, they own the largest collection of exclusively licensed contents in the world currently. If they start a streaming platform, they have the largest collection of exclusive titles in a single platform. That also means more money for Disney and that is why Disney+ was born.

Source: Disney

Disney+ Hotstar is a streaming platform that is also tailored to Malaysia. That also means that you get exclusive viewing to locally produced films on the platform. Titles like Ejen Ali, Upin & Ipin, Alif & Sofia, and J2: Retribusi, Evolusi KL Drift, KL Gangster, Gol & Gincu, and even Zombitopia are all coming to the platform. There are top selections from the rest of the Asian region too with the likes of Ip Man 4, Infernal Affairs, The Legend of Haolan, and Pandian Stores and Vishwaroopam 2 in the mix too.

Of course, when it is Disney, you expect the bigger Disney blockbusters to appear in the platform. You can now watch WandaVision, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier, the upcoming Loki, Frozen, Mula, Maleficent, The Lion King, Marvel’s Avengers, and so much more from Disney+ Hotstar. You even have highly acclaimed titles coming on top of the platform like Fresh off the Boat, Criminal Minds, How I Met Your Mother, and even Grey’s Anatomy.

That said, a few of theses familiar titles that you might have seen on Netflix or other streaming platforms will disappear from the other platforms as Disney+ Hotstar becomes available in Malaysia. As per reported too, Sony has signed an exclusive deal with Netflix instead of Disney. In that case, for the time being we can expect Marvel’s Spiderman movies to be available on Netflix first before airing on Disney+ Hotstar.

Disney+ Hotstar starts streaming for Malaysia on the 1st June 2021 onward. Customers can head over to Disney+ Hotstar website for more information and to subscribe to the platform. Disney+ Hotstar will set you back MYR 54.90 every three months and can be viewed on up to 2 displays at a time. Is it worth subscribing to? That is for you to decide, but we are likely subscribing just for WandaVision, The Falcon and Winter Soldier, the upcoming Loki, and the new Star Wars: The Bad Batch series.