Category Archives: Lifestyle

Lifestyle, News

MCO No Problem, Shopee’s 4.4 Got You Covered

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The whole Movement Control Order situation in Malaysia means that none of us can step out to get to work. Well, not all of us anyway. The essential services are still up and running. Services like restaurants, groceries, certain workshops, obviously clinics and hospitals; they are all running.

There is another service that is still running though. Something that we take for granted sometimes. That service is the delivery service. Without these guys, we would not have anything getting to us at these trying times.

That also means while you cannot go out to do your usual window shopping or casual shopping, you can still shop at home. In fact, tomorrow is Shopee’s 4.4 Brands Festival. While you cannot go out to shop, you can shop from Shopee in this case.

We all know that shopping online is sometimes better than going to the regular bricks and mortar shops. You get better deals, you do not have to step out of home, and you get your things delivered directly to you. At the same time, you get a plethora of choices when you go online shopping.

For Shopee’s 4.4 Brands Festival that has been going on from 20th March 2020 onward to 4th April 2020, you get even better deals than usual. The finale, that is happening tomorrow (4th April 2020) is the big one. You get even better deals than the deals that you are getting used to since 20th March 2020, especially for gadgets.

For us to list down and elaborate on everything is a little bit of a drag though. So, you can check out below for the full list of things that Shopee has in store for you. We are just going to give you highlights of the products we think is worth checking out.

Smartphones

There are some very interesting offers from Shopee for the Brand Festival here. We think that the best deal you might get here is the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite that retails for MR 2,699. For tomorrow only, you can get your hands on one for MYR 1,999. While he Oneplus 7T is very tempting with an MYR 400 discount for the 4th April 2020, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite packs flagship like specs with just minor disadvantages compared to the likes of the Galaxy S20. From our review, we think that it is a stellar smartphone. The biggest issue we had with it is the price, which is remedied by Shopee at least.

Source: Samsung
ProductRRP (RM)4.4 Shopee Brands Festival Promo Price (RM)Product Link
Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite (G770) (8GB+128GB)26991999https://shopee.com.my/product/37587911/6016122249/
Samsung Galaxy A30s (A307) (4GB+64GB)899599https://shopee.com.my/product/37587911/2847886771/
Honor 20 (6GB + 128GB)1399999https://shopee.com.my/product/57745492/2231652236/
Vivo Y91c (2GB RAM + 32GB ROM)499369https://shopee.com.my/product/19049195/1989916208/
ONEPLUS 7T (HD1903) (8GB + 128GB)25992199https://shopee.com.my/product/33550146/3108298601/
Xiaomi Redmi 7A (2+32GB)399199https://shopee.com.my/product/56447030/5123300146/
OPPO A3s Smartphone (3GB RAM + 32GB ROM)899469https://shopee.com.my/product/12017474/1434720059/

Audio

Sometimes, your life is never really complete without good music accompanying you. Music is a big part of all our lives. Every season can be described with a tune. There are a few very interesting, very new products here including the Apple AirPods Pro that is selling for only MYR 999 tommorrow. We think that the winner here is the Audio-Technica ATH-M40X headphones though. Yes, you need to get an adapter for smartphones that does not come with 3.5mm jack. We still think that wired is the best way to enjoy your tunes at home though. From a retail price of MYR 560, it is now MYR 260; less than half the usual price. If that is not a good deal, we do not know what is.

Source: Audio-Technica
ProductRRP (RM)4.4 Shopee  Brands Festival Promo Price (RM)Product Link
Edifier TWS1 Bluetooth True Wireless Stereo Earphones29999https://shopee.com.my/product/16046076/2626377407/
Edifier W830BT Bluetooth Headphones499242https://shopee.com.my/product/16046076/1238424790/
Edifier R1280DB Bookshelf Speaker599269https://shopee.com.my/product/16046076/1241924819/
Marshall Kilburn I Black + Major III Headphones Black bundle17081025https://shopee.com.my/product/77679423/2626168812/
Apple AirPods Pro1119999https://shopee.com.my/product/73600336/7710052775/
Jabra Elite Active 65t True Wireless Earbuds Bluetooth899548https://shopee.com.my/product/53791796/1768944308/
Audio-Technica ATH-M40X Professional Monitor Headphones560260https://shopee.com.my/product/78735890/1332959933/

Wearables

In terms wearable items, we have been quite a loyalist to a certain brand. Not because we are fanboys over the brand. We just like the wearable products they produce. I doubt it is a secret that we think that Samsung’s wearable offerings in the market is the best one we have seen on Android devices. They are good value for money, since they are not sold at the price or the Garmins. The Tizen Wear OS is smooth, intuitive, simple to operate. Their battery life is always longer than what we can find on conventional Android wearable devices.

Source: Samsung

That is why we think that the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 is a winner here. Which one in particular? That is really your preference. Aluminium tends to be lighter. Stainless steel has a nicer finish and quality feel to it. Durability wise, I think both are quite similar. It now depends on your budget and preference.

ProductRRP (RM)4.4 Shopee Brands Festival Promo Price (RM)Product Link
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 R830 40mm Bluetooth Smart Watch (Stainless Steel)1299899https://shopee.com.my/product/37587911/7301438884/
Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 R830 40mm Bluetooth Smart Watch (Aluminium)999599https://shopee.com.my/product/37587911/5420277694/
HONOR Band 5i Color Screen Smart Wristband11995https://shopee.com.my/product/57745492/6220139707/
HONOR Magic Watch 2 46MM Smart Watch699615https://shopee.com.my/product/57745492/3211878312/

Camera

You might think that you do not need anything more than your own smartphone as a camera. In most cases, that can be true. Your smartphone cameras can do much these days that you start wondering; “why would you buy another separate camera”? We will tell you why tough.

Source: Insta 360

Purpose built cameras are built to a certain purpose. Like the action camera that we picked out of this box right here; the Insta360 G0 action camera. This is really great, you get a wide angle lens camera that you can stick to your shirt, strap on your head, or wherever you fancy really and it will not be a distraction because it is so small. Our good friend over in Philippines has one and she loves it.

ProductRRP (RM)4.4 Shopee Brands Festival Promo Price (RM)Product Link
Insta360 GO Flow State Action Camera745630https://shopee.com.my/product/5807617/7915179167/
DJI Ryze Tech Tello Quadcopter319287https://shopee.com.my/product/52209777/1639342718/
FUJIFILM INSTAX Mini 9 Instant Film Camera + 10sheets film220196https://shopee.com.my/product/64599831/2268133817/
SIPII SP200 Dual Channel Dashcam Front & Rear Dash Camera 1080p599450https://shopee.com.my/product/5807617/2720635186/

Accessories

When it comes to completing your devices, you always think of some accessories that would fit your lifestyle. It is hard to pick and choose here because everyone has different priorities and preferences in choosing what is right for them. For us, we might really go for the Xiaomi Mi Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner just because it just helps with our work process. We just need to let it occasionally run around the office, clean it, and voila, you have a clean home or office.

Source: Shopee
ProductRRP (RM)4.4 Shopee Brands Festival Promo Price (RM)Product Link
Samsung Wireless Charger Pad 2019 P310515955https://shopee.com.my/product/3437289/3820526664/
Aukey PB-N42 Mini Power Bank (10000mAh)7929https://shopee.com.my/product/28077173/3817653125/
Anker A1241 PowerCore Nintendo Switch Edition 13400mah Power Bank349229https://shopee.com.my/product/148120148/5712799056/
Anker T2108 RoboVac 11S Slim Cleaner1399849https://shopee.com.my/product/148120148/2889129003/
Xiaomi Mi Smart Robot Vacuum Cleaner1299799https://shopee.com.my/product/2302204/4716943287/

There are plenty more deals from Shopee for the 4.4 Brands Festival. Acer, for example is giving out more than 25% in discounts and vouchers on Shopee. From their Shopee store, you get to own monitors from as low as MYR 233. Need 4K resolution? There is a 43-inch 4K display that is available for MYR 1,269 only on Shopee’s 4.4 Brands Festival. If you fancy a new work-from-anywhere notebook, the new Acer Swift 5 is offered with MYR 420 off its retail price.

All these are going to be on sale tomorrow on the 4th April 2020. From 12.00 a.m. to 2.00 a.m., you get to enjoy free shipping if you purchase more than MYR 8 worth of items. For the rest of the day, a minimum spend of MYR 16 will get you free shipping. For more information and other things, maybe even essentials, you can head over to Shopee’s website, or app. The Shopee app is available for free on both Android and iOS via the Google Play Store and Apple App Store respectively.

Health, Lifestyle, News

Fitbit Unleashes the Charge 4, Now with GPS, Active Zone Minutes and More

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Fitbit has become a brand synonymous with health and fitness. While the company has recently been acquired by Google, it doesn’t seem to have slowed them down. In fact, Fitbit has just announced a new entry to their Charge line up, the Charge 4.

Introducing Fitbit Charge 4

The new Fitbit Charge 4 comes with all the features that made everyone fall in love with the previous Charge devices. However, it has a few upgrades. The Charge 4 is the first tracker in the line up to have GPS. This allows you to track where and how far you’ve gone on your runs. This comes as an enhancement to the now essential features of any fitness tracker including customisable watch faces, notifications and even sleep tracking.

The Fitbit Charge 4 introduces Active Zone Minutes. This is developed based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association. Both organisations recommend that everyone should have 150 minutes of moderate or 75 minutes of vigourous activity weekly. Based on this recommendation, the Charge 4 will track your heart rate with Fitbit’s PurePulse 24/7 heart tracking. Using personalised data, it will determine how much effort you are exerting for an activity. This will allow for better tracking. In fact, the Charge 4 will be able to notify you each time you enter or exit zones. This will allow you to better optimise your workouts. If you want to get more detailed data, it’s accessible via the Fitbit App.

The Charge 4 comes with a promised 7 days battery life or 5 hours if you’re continuously using GPS. It is water resistant up to 50 metres and is swimproof. According to Fitbit the Charge 4 is able to operate between -20° to 60° C and up to an altitude of 8,535m.

Pricing & Availability

The Charge 4 will be available in stores starting late April. The regular version will retail for MYR 698. It will be available in black, rosewood and storm blue/black. The Special Edition will be available at MYR 798 in granite reflective/black wooven band. It will also come with a classic band for when you workout.

Health, Lifestyle, Mobile

Garmin Goes Golfing with the Approach S62 Smartwatch

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We like Garmin smartwatches, we do. While some of them are not specifically smartwatches in the modern sense (touch screen), they do still work like one. They connect via Bluetooth to your smartphone. They can be connected to your earphones for exercises and runs. They detect your heartrate and display all the information it can gather on your smartphone. They also take on notifications from your smartphones. So, the Garmin fitness trackers are smartwatches, unique smartwatches.

We like Garmin smartwatches because they are very well made. They are very rugged too, and their smartwatch batteries last you weeks instead of hours or days. Plus, their expertise in GPS tracking does not hurt as well. They are remarkable premium smartwatches to own.

In that sense also, Garmin has been making smartwatches that is targeted towards certain types of individuals. Most of them are quite active, to be fair. You get runners, swimmers, sailors, flyers, and even race drivers.

They also make smartwatches for golfers that is the Approach S40 and the S60. There is a new one though, an even better one. Welcome to the Approach S62.

Source: Garmin

The Garmin Approach 62 is an evolution of the Approach S60. That also means that it has all the great features of the Approach S60. It is a touch screen smartwatch, so you do not have to fiddle around with the buttons. At the same time, it has all the tracking functions you need on the golf course. It keeps all the distance information and scores for you so you can look at the data at home.

The new Garmin Approach S62 though can do one better. It has a slew of new sensors for swing detection. Now you can look at your past swings and let the watch determine which clubs are the best for each shot from wherever you are. Yes, the Approach series has golf course map data built into the smartwatch. They call the feature ‘Virtual Caddie’.

Source: Garmin

The Garmin Approach S62 smartwatch also features slightly bigger display at 1.3-inch. While it does not sound like much, a larger screen also means you do not have to squint so much to find your data or look at what is on the display. Of course, like a smartwatch too it has all the bells and whistles you might already expect from a smartwatch like heart rate monitors, oxygen saturation levels and what not.

You can expect the Approach S62 to last you up to 14 days on a single charge. With GPS mode on, you cut that down to 20 hours. Look at it this way though, you are not going to be walking around the golf course for 20 hours at a time. 20 hours is more than enough then.

  • Source: Garmin
  • Source: Garmin

The Approach S62 is available for pre-order via Garmin’s brand stores and MST golf stores across Malaysia. It will set you back MYR 2,399; more expensive than the Approach S60. You cannot technically go out to buy the Approach S62 now though because of the whole Movement Control Order (MCO) situation. Pre-orders are until the 30th of April 2020 though so you have about two weeks to pre-order one for yourself. If you do pre-order, you get MYR 259 worth of Garmin’s golf merchandises (while stocks last).

Android, Editorial, Lifestyle, Mobile

Living with HUAWEI Mobile Services and AppGallery Part 2: Adjusting Over the Weekend

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So last Friday we started on a series to document how we will start living with a HUAWEI smartphone free from the clutches of the evil Google ecosystem. No, they are not really evil; I am just trying to be a bit dramatic here. You get the idea though. Modern HUAWEI smartphones today only come with HUAWEI’s very own Mobile Services and AppGallery; no Google Mobile Services and Play Store. Kind of sad, really.

Last week we managed to download Facebook and WhatsApp. We did not have Instagram, or Netflix, or Telegram. In short, there were plenty of apps we did not have. Did we miss them? Yes, very much, I had Instagram and Netflix, and Prime Video installed in other devices just to scroll through them.

I Still Miss Social Media

In truth though, I am not that big of a social media person. While I do scroll through social media from time to time, I seldom spend more than 15 minutes scrolling through Facebook, or Instagram, or Twitter, and even Snapchat. I have never logged onto Tik Tok.

That does not mean that I can completely ignore all this social media though. Of course, if I am being honest, I do miss the apps. The idea of just seeing what other people are up to in their own life; that can still be quite fun, and quite traumatising depending on the contents.

Facebook can be quite enough though, especially with Facebook Watch and the countless videos on the platform. That is technically all the entertainment I got from the HUAWEI Nova 7i. To keep in touch with my friends, I have WhatsApp. Then again, I turn on my WhatsApp on desktop barely looked at my smartphone when it comes to messages.

Exploring the AppGallery A Little Deeper

Still, things are not so bad after scrolling through the AppGallery once more. There are apps in the smartphone after all. Social media apps include Snapchat, Tik Tok (of course), and WeChat (of course). Nope, nothing else that I use as far as I can tell. There is even TrueCaller on the AppGallery.

Things are looking a bit up now that I scroll through a little bit more through the AppGallery. You can find Viu, iflix, and some cinema booking apps within the AppGallery to start with. No, no Netflix or even Amazon Video Prime. For now, iflix and Viu would do. I personally don’t have a viu account, so I stick to iflix. We are currently under the Movement Control Order (MCO), so I cannot go for movies.

If not though, I can do some window shopping via Zalora, Lazada, and even Shopee. There are even some games that you might be familiar with. One of them is Cut the Rope 2 within the AppGallery. You can even find Lords Mobile and Fortnite on the device. So to be fair, you are not really getting shorthanded in terms of entertainment here.

For productivity, they have WPS Office on the AppGallery. While some say that WPS Office app is better than the original Microsoft apps, I would respectfully disagree. The modern Microsoft apps are now so much better, and so much more optimised. At the same time, it is easier to sync your Microsoft apps to OneDrive than anything else. This is a problem on the device though; there are almost no Microsoft apps here.

I say almost because there is a particularly useful Microsoft app that we love. That app is Microsoft’s Translation app. In our opinion, this is the best translation app that mankind has ever produced. It is accurate and works with plenty of accents. Still, we are not here for the Microsoft Translate app.

It is Still Android, Just Without Google

The apps that are downloaded are also very similar to the Android apps you find on Google Play Store. The EMUI 10 is based on Android 10 after all. Still, we found these apps. Which are great. If you are worried about bringing them out as your electronic wallet, you would be relieved to find Touch n’ Go app in there and Boost app. Grab is making its way on AppGallery. Still, the two largest e-wallets in Malaysia has a foothold in HUAWEI’s AppGallery. That means the HUAWEI Mobile Services (HMS), and AppGallery cannot be that bad, right? Too early to tell in my opinion.

Still, we are going to dive a little deeper than that. For now, that is all we can walk away with. Stay tuned for the next part.

Editorial, Lifestyle

1 Week into the RMO – Staying Active is Important

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Malaysia is still under Restricted Movement Order (RMO), or Movement Control Order (MCO), or in other words, partial lockdown. We are just one step away from a national curfew or martial law. If you have been living under a rock and have not known what is happening outside your windows, we are under RMO/MCO/lockdown because of the COVID-19 situation which is worsening as the days go by. To be specific, we are under this condition to combat the worsening COVID-19 situation.

Why this is the best way to go? There are plenty of graphs and what not to be shown, but we are not going to do that here. All you need to know is it is very important that we practice social distancing and stay at home as much as possible to limit infection rate and risks.

Staying at home can be a drag for plenty though. We can understand that, especially for those social butterflies out there. We feel your pain, but at the same time I personally like staying indoors anyway. Still, it does get boring; you run out of games to play, run out of books to read, generally running out of things to do eventually.

It is quite a simple fix though. You can order books online now and buy games digitally. You do not need to step out of the house for all these for a while now. You can even get a movie on your couch with Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, what not. Still, these things cost you money. There is something else you can do, for free – exercise.

The Right Tools Are Essential

We are saying that exercising can be fun, yes. Beyond that though, in the days where you can barely step out of your home, it is always important for you to keep yourselves active and healthy. By sitting around and working all the time while watching YouTube recipe videos, you tend to get lazy, and unhealthy.

We are pretty sure you have been eyeing those smartwatches and fitness trackers for some time now. It is the in thing these days anyway. At this time, you must be thinking; “maybe not now, maybe wait until this whole ‘stay at home’ thing blow over”. We are telling you that is the wrong mindset, because at this point the government is talking about extending the RMO/MOC/lockdown for another two weeks. Even the Olympics committee is looking to postpone the Tokyo Summer Olympics 2020 just to combat the pandemic that is the COVID-19.

Source: Garmin

Now is a good time as any to get a smartwatch or a fitness tracker. If you are planning to get one already, Garmin makes some great stuff (we can testify), and they are having some great promotions for their smart trackers now. For example, the Garmin Forerunner 245 and 245 music (one of my personal favourites, review coming soon) is on sale for MYR 1,299 and MYR 1,499 (originally MYR 1,450, and MYR 1,699) respectively. It will last you up to 7 days in normal smartwatch mode. It has GPS and built in music capabilities too. Be warned though, battery will drain within 6 hours if you turn both on.

Source: Garmin

The Garmin Forerunner not your cup of tea? Need something more basic? The Garmin Instinct would fit great with its ruggedness too. It is built to the U.S. military standards 810G to ensure that it still works in the most hostile environments. This would be perfect for you Spartan Challenge and Viper Challenge junkies. It has a battery life of up to 14 hours. It has GPS too of course, and that would last you u to 14 hours, 35 hours in UltraTac mode. You can get it in its plain body form, or tactical form (ATACS camo) for MYR 1,299 and MYR 1,450 (originally MYR 1,450 and MYR 1,599) respectively.

Source: Garmin

Nope? Need something more smartwatch like? Need touch screen? Something more elegant you can wear every day. There is the Garmin Venu, a pretty looking thing that has all the great Garmin features with a pretty AMOLED touch sensitive display. This smartwatch can last up to 5 days too, much better than almost anything with proper smartwatch functionalities in the market. Of course, the Garmin Venu also has GPS built into its svelte body and music storing capabilities. With both on, you get 6 hours of battery life. But you do not need more than that in your exercises. It is available now in plenty of colour combination options for MYR 1,599 (originally MYR 1,799). My personal favourite is the Blue Granite/Silver combination.

The Garmin smart trackers are on this discount until the 31st of March 2020, that is when the lockdown order ends too. All the promotions are also coupled by Free Shipping by Garmin with FREESHIPPING code from their local distributor. Well, because, you know, you cannot go out; and retails are not open. Visit their online store now.

  • Source: Samsung
  • Source: Samsung

You have the Samsung Galaxy Watch or the Samsung Galaxy Watch Active 2 that is now MYR 1,299 each. The Samsung Galaxy Watch, in my opinion, remains the best smartwatch that you can pair to your Android at this point. Of course they do not offer crazy one-week battery life. You get at most 3 days or so before needing a charge. Still, you get GPS, music storage, heart rate tracking, and activity monitor with them too. Plus, Samsung is participating in Lazada’s birthday promo on the 27th March 2020

Source: Apple

Or if you are an Apple user, you can always go back to the Apple Watch Series 5 currently. While we are not huge Apple fans, we have to admit that the Apple Watch has come a long way as a smartwatch option. The Apple Series 5 is a great smartwatch on its own with plenty of unique features like ECG monitoring, fall detection, and what not. Hey, it looks great too, in my opinion.

There are of course, plenty of options out there for you. There are more stuff in Garmin’s product range that might fit your preference better, or there are even great options from other people. There are also cheaper, more basic stuff out there. You just have to go into the interwebs and look.

Back to Basics

Back to keeping yourselves at home. There are plenty of exercise videos you can actually watch from YouTube to keep yourself active. A search of home exercises come up with a plethora of videos that might fit your needs at home, so we are not going to feature any video here.

If you are not into the exercising videos or instructional though, that is okay too. There are other ways to keep yourself active. Yes, we try to do them too.

For one, you can just make sure you walk around the house. While you might have set up your workstation at home to be as convenient as possible for you work wise, you should separate all the living stuff and work stuff. This ensures that you do not stay in one place for too long. Somehow this forces you to get up and walk around the house to get water, or tea, or even food. Maybe you should even put your smartphone further away from you so that you will walk up to it to answer if there are any calls. I know I am doing that. Only issue is, if you accidentally put it on silent or leave your headphones on. Of course, check in from time to time.

Who says you need weights to keep yourself active at home? Keeping yourself active at home can be just as simple as keeping yourself active in the office. You have water bottles you can use as weight to do your weight-lifts and what not. While it may not be as intensive or taxing on your body than those crazy home workouts you see on YouTube videos, it is still something you can do to keep your body moving.

Of course, since you actually have plenty of time at home now, since you do not have to travel to work on a daily basis (you free up at least an hour of your day, you have not considered the time you take to go out with your friends, for meals). You have at least that one hour to get proper exercises done. You can do your basic push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, and whatever not. Of course, there are some more effective exercises you can find from YouTube and what not.

Still do not want to do it in front of the TV? Garmin has something called a Squad Virtual Challenge. It is a community-based fitness and exercise program that is now online. Obviously you have to be a Garmin owner to take advantage, hence the promotions. But you get new regimes every two weeks from the Squad Virtual Challenge (for now), so you can do something different every two weeks or so to keep your workout sessions more varied.

There are also plenty of other workout regime subscriptions or community workout plans out there. Some are free, some are not. Some of them may work for you, some of them may not. It really depends on what you want out of your workout sessions too. So you should really look into it.

Going to the gym, or even going for an outdoor jog is not really an option at this time. You really have to find the time on your own to keep yourselves active. We also understand that it can get quite difficult since you are just staying at home most of the time. It is important to keep yourselves active though. An active lifestyle is a more productive lifestyle, trust me.

Consumer Electronics, Lifestyle

Samsung Augments Wind-Free Air-conditioners with AI technology

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Last year, Samsung introduced a new way of cooling your home with its first ever “wind-free” air-conditioning system. The new approach to air-conditioning was a literal breath of fresh air in a space that has become pretty drab over the years. When anyone thinks of air-conditioning, the picture that comes to mind is always a wall mounted machine which actively blows cool air out to cool the room. However, Samsung took inspiration from stones in caves which were able to cool its surroundings.

With this inspiration, the company looked to revolutionize their offerings by offering something similar. Last year, the company introduced it’s R32 rated AR9500M, its first “Wind-Free” air conditioner. The AR9500M brought a new, optimized design of Samsung’s signature triangle air-conditioners. The new design came with over 10,000 micro air holes in the casing. This design allowed Samsung to optimize airflow to allow gentler cooling of the room. It also introduced a new mode of cooling to Samsung air-conditioners.

This year, Samsung’s new AR9500T takes the design of its predecessor and throws it out the window. The new, revamped air-conditioner adopts a familiar, compact design we’ve seen in many other air-conditioners. According to Samsung, the new design was adopted after consulting their partners and service team. They’ve created a modular air-conditioner which is able to be installed and serviced a lot easier than its previous models. The new AR9500T also comes with an increased 23,000 micro holes to create more still air and more efficient cooling.

Aside from that, the AR9500T comes with a new three step cooling process. The air-conditioner kicks into high gear with Fast Cooling mode. It does this by actively blowing cooled air. Samsung claims that the new air-conditioner can blow air further than any model before it; allowing it to cool faster and more efficiently. This is helped by the improved Digital Inverter Boost. After this, the air is dehumidified to optimal humidity. Once the air is at the desired temperature, it uses the wind-free mode to maintain the comfort.

The AR9500T is the first air-conditioner from Samsung to have A.I. Auto cooling. The new feature is uses data from thermostats which collects temperature data from the outside and inside. The A.I. uses this data in tandem with the user’s usage patterns to optimise cooling and maintenance. This is paired with the ability to control the air-conditioner through Samsung’s Smart Things Platform.

The new Samsung AR9500T Wind-free air-conditioner is currently on the market. Purchases of the new Wind-Free air conditioner is eligible for a new Samsung Air Purifier at 50% off! The promotion starts from 1st March till 31st May 2020.

Capacity Price
1.0 hp RM 2399
1.5 hp RM 2699
2.0 hp RM 3699
2.5 hp RM 4399
Business, Editorial, Lifestyle, Social Media

Catching Up with Snap Inc.: The Big Comeback & Bitmoji TV

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A little while back, the team at techENT had the privilege of catching up with Nana Murugesan, Managing Director for International Markets at Snap Inc. and Ba Blackstock, CEO of Bitmoji at Snap Inc. The interview was done shortly after the launch of Bitmoji TV. Snap had acquired Bitstrips, the company that owned Bitmoji, back in 2016 for a healthy USD$64.2 million.

During this interview, techENT posed questions to Nana and Ba regarding Snapchat and also Bitmoji TV. In particular, how the new integration will benefit and change the scene for Snapchat. Here’s the full interview text.

techENT: Looking back a little bit, Snapchat had a boom in the social media space with its unique offering of creating “disappearing” content. When Facebook introduced its own with Stories across its apps, the drop in users on Snapchat was heavily reported. What has changed with Snapchat and how have users responded to this?

Nana Murugesan: First of all, Snapchat isn’t social media. From the very beginning we designed Snapchat to enhance your experience outside of the app and reflect the way that people have interacted with their best friends, long before the creation of the smartphone. To a certain extent, this was a reaction to what we were seeing on social media and the issues these platforms face. So just like in real life, your conversations with your friends disappear and your stories unfold in chronological order.

Bitmoji of Nana Murugesan

While other platforms may now have these features, their underlying philosophy is very different. On Snapchat, people are free to be themselves, with their real friends. There have never been likes or comments, so it feels like less of a competition. That way, Snapchatters aren’t pressured to be pretty, perfect or popular; and we don’t stockpile data so our community doesn’t have to worry that everything they send will be kept for eternity. Snapchat also opens directly to the camera and over 3.5 billion Snaps are created each day.

We’re focused on creating engaging experiences through which our community can stay close with their real friends and when not chatting or Snapping with those they love. For example, we introduced Snap Games last year and recently launched Bitmoji TV.

techENT: What is the user base for Snapchat now?

Nana Murugesan: We are really happy to see a continuous growth in our Daily Active Users. During our last earnings call (Q4, Feb 2020), we shared that there are 218 million people on average, globally using Snapchat every day. This is a 17% year over year growth (31M).

Bitmoji of Nana Murugesan

techENT: What are some of the new features that users are crazy about on Snapchat?

Nana Murugesan: Apart from Bitmoji TV, we’ve been finding all sorts of ways to let Snapchatters have fun with their Bitmoji. So far, Bitmoji Stories have been a hit amongst users, with an average of 18 million viewers per comic strip. Created as a personalised comic that features the Bitmoji of Snapchatters and their friends, it also eventually became the inspiration behind Bitmoji TV.

Bitmoji of Nana Murugesan

We’ve also since introduced several games that feature your Bitmoji such as Bitmoji Tennis, a battle-royale style game called Tiny Royale, and recently we released Ready Chef Go, a co-op cooking game played with your friends and Color Galaxy – where you can conquer the galaxy together. 

Adding to more shareable moments, Snapchat also launched Cameos in December which lets you put your face on animated memes and short GIFs that also feature you and your friends.

Introducing Cameos

While Lenses aren’t a new feature, both Snapchat’s internal team and Snapchat’s Official Lens Creators are constantly creating new, innovative and fun lenses that are loved by many Snapchatters. In fact, every day over 70% of Snapchatters play with AR Lenses, and over 600,000 Lenses have been created by our community through Lens Studio.

techENT: Snap Inc, Snapchat’s parent company, acquired Bitstrips back in 2017. What was the strategy behind the acquisition?

Ba Blackstock: In late 2014 Bitstrips launched Bitmoji, which surged in popularity in 2015, becoming a cultural phenomenon. It resonated with people because it gave them a way to represent themselves in their online interactions that felt more personal, authentic and fun.

Bitmoji of Ba Blackstock

The massive popularity of Bitmoji led to a conversation with Snap, in which we realised that our companies shared the same passion for creativity, self-expression and visual communication, so it seemed like a natural fit to join forces.

Through the acquisition we were able to use Bitmoji to bring a new kind of visual identity and expression into Snapchat, and to grow Bitmoji to become bigger than ever before. Since joining Snap Bitmoji has been the iOS app in over 100 countries.

techENT: Have any of Bitstrip’s Bitmoji features been introduced in Snapchat? How popular/well-received is Bitmoji since their introduction?

Ba Blackstock: Bitmoji has transformed the experience within Snapchat by becoming Snapchatters’ visual identity in the app, as well as giving them lots of new ways to communicate and express themselves – from stickers in chat, to geofilters on Snaps, to 3D Bitmojis in AR lenses, to Bitmoji Stories in Discover. 

Bitmoji of Ba Blackstock

Bitmoji has proven to be incredibly popular and over 70% of Snapchatters now have a Bitmoji.

techENT: Tell us what is Bitmoji TV.

Ba Blackstock: Bitmoji TV is a fully animated show starring your own Bitmoji, that you can watch now on Snapchat – with new episodes coming out every Saturday morning.  Each episode is between 3-5 minutes long and makes your Bitmoji the main character, alongside celebrity guest stars like Andy Richter, Jon Lovitz and Riki Lindhome, to name a few.

Bitmoji of Ba Blackstock

The premise of Bitmoji TV is that you are the biggest new star on TV – you’ve been cast in every show, every movie, every commercial, and each episode is a fast-paced combo of very different scenes. One minute you’ll see yourself in an action movie, the next minute you’re in a soap opera, then you’re in a sitcom. We’ve created our own animation style that is an audiovisual feast for the senses, with you at the center.

techENT: What sets Bitmoji TV apart from other platforms such as IGTV and YouTube? / Why introduce another platform in a space that seems so crowded?

Ba Blackstock: Bitmoji TV represents the beginning of an entirely new category of entertainment – a personalized experience that is unique for every single viewer. It’s also one of the first fully animated shows that’s designed to be viewed on your phone, in the vertical format. We had to build our own experimental animation and rendering technology to make it possible for this show to exist. But more than that, it’s a new experience that you can share with your friends that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

Bitmoji of Ba Blackstock

Bitmoji TV represents the beginning of an entirely new category of entertainment – a personalized experience that is unique for every single viewer. It’s also one of the first fully animated shows that’s designed to be viewed on your phone, in the vertical format. We had to build our own experimental animation and rendering technology to make it possible for this show to exist. But more than that, it’s a new experience that you can share with your friends that doesn’t exist anywhere else.

techENT: What type of content can we expect from Bitmoji TV?

Ba Blackstock: Bitmoji TV makes you the star of just about every type of TV show imaginable – talent shows, cop shows, sitcoms, soap operas, action movies and more. Every episode is different and is a fast-paced collection of various shows, as seen through the lens of Bitmoji’s unique sense of humour. 

Bitmoji of Ba Blackstock

Business, Lifestyle, News

Netflix Bringing You More Features To Keep You Binging

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Netflix has come a long way from just CD rentals to the biggest online streaming platform not only in the United States but across the entire globe. Netflix has been busy improving its services and features. So what does Netflix have up its sleeve this time to keep our butts stuck to our couch.

This time around, Netflix has added a top 10 list of what’s popular on Netflix in each country. This new label would be displayed on the top right corner of the show’s poster. Other than whats the most popular on the entire Netflix. Netflix has also separated what’s most popular based on whether it is a TV show or Movie. 

Its been a while since I have kept up with the latest offerings from Netflix but here are some of the TV shows that I feel are a must-watch. 

RIVERDALE

What started off as a murder mystery series quickly became a disturbingly addictive show. The spin-off of the Archie comic book series starts off with the mysterious murder of Jason Blossom, the popular kid in town. 

Viewers were strapped onto their seats through a multitude of plot twists throughout the first season. The first season finale ended with a cliffhanger, luring all of us gullible souls into the second season. This was where the writing went off the rails, venturing more so into the realm of teenage fan-fiction. But hey, who can resist the cliffhangers and the hilariously cringy writing?

CHILLING ADVENTURES OF SABRINA

As another spin-off of a well-known comic series from the good-old-days, the Netflix exclusive takes a darker turn in this witchy tale. The first season is essentially the coming of age story of Sabrina, where she has to choose between being a mortal and a witch. 

As it ruffled some feathers among the satanist community, it remains an interesting watch, especially if you like feeling like a badass when the show’s official soundtrack comes on. Though it seems to be going down the same route as Riverdale in terms of writing, it’s a nice, lighthearted show for lovers of the fantasy genre. 

THE GOOD PLACE 

If you like Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and The Office, you’ll love The Good Place. The show is basically a take on the afterlife and morality. Though chock full of actual ethical philosophy, the show maintains its comedic tone throughout the seasons. 

The story starts with the main character, Eleanor Shellstrop being assigned to what seems to be the wrong afterlife she deserves. Eleanor alongside Chidi, Tahani, and Jason, the ethically confused quartet go on a journey of self-betterment so they can end up at The Good Place. 

Lifestyle, News

Netflix is Free Until March 9, 2020 to Celebrate the Premiere of “To All The Boys P.S. I Still Love You”

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Netflix is arguably one of the most popular content streaming platforms out there. So, what happens when the largest content streaming platform when they release a sequel to one of their most popular teen romance dramas? Well, they allow you to stream the original for FREE.

The original romantic comedy, “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”, which aired last year, will be available to stream for free. The free stream is done in conjunction with the launch of its sequel, “To All The Boys, P.S. I Still Love You”. The stream will be made available until 9 March, 2020. You can access the free movie at netflix.com/toalltheboys.

To All The Boys I've Loved Before | Official Trailer | Netflix

To All the Boys I Loved Before follows Lara Jean (played by Lana Condor) after her sister accidentally sends out love letters she’s written. These find their way to their intended recipients, boys whom she’s loved from afar. The movie chronicles the events that happen as she has to come face to face with them.

TO ALL THE BOYS 2: P.S. I Still Love You | Official Sequel Trailer 2 | Netflix

The sequel which premiered on Netflix on February 12, 2020 follows Lara as the letters continue to reach their recipients. The complication? Things have started to blossom between her and one of the boys from the first movie.

So, don’t miss out on the original misadventures of Lara Jean as she navigates a very awkward situation. However, you will need to subscribe to Netflix to watch the sequel. Netflix subscriptions start at MYR17 for the mobile only plan in Malaysia.

Official Synopsis

To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before

What if all the crushes you ever had found out how you felt about them…all at once? Lara Jean Song Covey’s love life goes from imaginary to out of control when the love letters for every boy she’s ever loved—five in all– are mysteriously mailed out. From New York Times Bestselling Author, Jenny Han, the film adaption of the popular YA novel stars actress Lana Condor (Alita: Battle Angel, X-Men: Apocalypse) and Noah Centineo (Sierra Burgess Is A Loser, The Fosters).

To All The Boys I’ve Loved P.S. I Still Love You

It’s a new year and Lara Jean (Lana Condor) and Peter (Noah Centineo) are no longer pretending to be a couple. They ARE a couple. And, as Lara Jean navigates a trove of official firsts with Peter — her first real kiss, her first real date, her first Valentine’s Day — she finds herself leaning more on Kitty and Margot (Anna Cathcart and Janel Parrish), Chris (Madeleine Arthur), and an unexpected new confidant, Stormy (Holland Taylor), to help her manage the complex emotions that come with this new chapter of balancing a relationship and figuring out her authentic self. But when John Ambrose (Jordan Fisher), another recipient of one of Lara Jean’s old love letters, enters her life again she must rely on herself more than ever as she’s confronted with her first real dilemma: Can she love two boys at the same time?

Business, Computers, Consumer Electronics, Contributed, Editorial, Lifestyle

Combining AI and Humans in the New Decade

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*This article is a contributed article by Ravi Saraogi, Co-Founder and President of Uniphore, APAC *

2020 marks the transition into the great unknown. With the emergence of new possibilities and challenges ahead of us, successful organisations must be quick to identify and take advantage of opportunities through the power of emerging technologies. Specific to the customer service industry, brands that utilise Conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies will improve business operations and customer experiences.

It is estimated that about 70% of organizations will integrate AI to assist employee productivity by 2021[1] to meet the high demand of delivering faster, relevant and holistic services to today’s customers. More often than not, customers today are frustrated that broken customer service systems and poorly equipped agents don’t understand their requests. To fix this, businesses must move away from a siloed experience and approach service holistically.

Photo by mahdis mousavi on Unsplash

In terms of the adoption of the adoption of AI in Malaysian businesses, it was revealed that only 26% of companies in Malaysia have actually begun integrating AI into their operations, according to a survey that was conducted in 2018. The low adoption rate is attributed to two key barriers that are related to organizational culture on AI and limited employee skill sets2. Thus, the time is now to blend the capabilities of people and AI and better understand conversations in real-time for businesses to stay ahead of the race.

New Power to Customer Voice

With technological capabilities, it’s about time we start hearing what customers really want. Customers today are time poor, distracted and empowered by lots of products and services to choose from. Instant gratification is their modus operandi. With other factors like price point and product quality being at par, superior customer service remains challenging and is often a deal breaker. In a competitive landscape, customers demand a seamless experience when interacting with a brand.

That said, poor customer experiences are not difficult to resolve at all, more so today due to machine learning, AI and automation. This is because AI is now helping brands to truly listen to the voice of the customer and understand their needs in order to quickly resolve customer queries, deepen customer engagement, and deliver superior customer experience at scale.  

Making Headway with Conversational Service Automation

Minister of Communications and Multimedia, Gobind Singh Deo emphasises Malaysia’s potential in the development of AI in both public and private sectors, and the importance of ensuring the local government and industries capitalise on the opportunities at hand.[2]

The use of AI is becoming more prevalent in the customer service industry as conversations become more complex. There is a small window of opportunity for brands to deliver personalised customer service, particularly when your engagement happens across diverse channels. Being equipped with an understanding of context, sentiment, behaviour and real intent, and being able to act on such insights in real-time becomes even more crucial.

Photo by Joseph Pearson on Unsplash

Conversational Service Automation is about enabling front office automation in contact centres. Consider this scenario: A customer starts a conversation with a chatbot for quick self-service. The bot is able to provide some quick and valuable updates based on the customer’s previous interactions. If the conversation gets more complex, the voice bot politely hands the call to a human agent via a live transfer. The agent is assisted through real-time analytics and chat transcripts to be able to make the next best offer which the customer gladly accepts.

This automation backed by real-time analytics is continuously self-learning, enabling real-time listening of conversations across channels and then converting them into actionable insights. As a result, a win-win situation is created where businesses can reduce work pressure on call center agents, improve accuracy of information and greater customer satisfaction.

Getting Ahead of the Race with Voice and AI

We are in the midst of a customer experience transformation and conversational AI technology is leading this change. There is a positive acceptance from both businesses and customers to adopt newer conversational AI technologies. This is driven by the try-before-you-buy and pay-as-you-go models offered, which enterprises find appealing and less risky. Brands can take smaller bets, test-and-learn and then scale up.

Automation has successfully allowed computers to respond to contexts within queries, monitor customer behaviour and improve overall customer service. Moreover, contact centre agents can now receive real-time alerts and recommendations for upsell and cross-sell. The time is now for companies to leverage conversational AI to deliver a quantum leap in customer service, in an industry that is full of potential. It is good to note that brands that embrace conversational service automation will be the ones who stay ahead of the competition and thrive in the new decade.

[1] https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2019-01-24-gartner-predicts-70-percent-of-organizations-will-int
2 https://www.stuff.tv/my/news/malaysian-companies-needs-build-ai-culture-it-too-late-microsoft

[2] https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/09/12/gobind-malaysia-well-positioned-in-se-asia-for-ai-research-and-development/1789773