Category Archives: Computers

Bringing JOI to Hybrid Education by Empowering Flexibility & Adaptability in Classrooms

In the past two years, the landscape of work and health has changed with the pandemic. However, while we look at the impacts of the pandemic on our education system. Students and teachers have been forced to adapt to an environment full of uncertainties. They’ve needed to learn in an environment that is constantly changing. What’s more, in most cases, they have been ill-equipped to adapt to these changes. However, as Malcolm X once said, “Education is the passport to the future” and educational institutions and educators must adapt to a new normal, especially with the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.

Like many other institutions, educational institutions like Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and even Universities have had to adopt a hybrid approach to both teaching and learning during the pandemic. That said, the demands of hybrid learning differ vastly. Education requires creativity, finesse and a touch of ingenuity; Skills and elements that can be lost with hybrid learning. Nevertheless, these elements can be preserved and amplified when teachers and students have access to the proper equipment. It wouldn’t be surprising to see creativity unbound, collaboration flourish and productivity increase with the right empowerment.

JOI Smart Classroom 7
Source: SNS Network

We’ve heard many success stories when it comes to hybrid learning throughout the pandemic. Institutions like Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) have successfully empowered their classrooms to embrace hybrid learning. They’ve done this by giving JOI a place in their classroom. The JOI suite of learning technologies is an end-to-end solution that covers everything from classroom devices to backbone technologies that allow for efficient, creative and collaborative teaching and learning.

One of the key technologies that empower distance learning is the JOI Smart Classroom. The platform allows teachers to interact with students and keep tabs on student progress. On the other hand, students get access to interactive experiences while learning seamlessly through a wireless connection. All these are enabled by SNS Network’s own JOI devices including the JOI Smartboard, JOI Books and JOI Connect. These devices unlock the flexibility needed for education to be adaptable to any circumstance.

What’s more, devices like the JOI Book and the JOI Classmate are built specifically to cater for remote learning. They’re powered by the latest Intel processors to bring the portability and processing power needed to empower remote teaching and learning. They also come with a variety of form factors with the JOI Book Touch 330 Pro able to support multimode productivity as a tablet and with a touchscreen. It also supports writing and drawing with a stylus.

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Source: SNS Network
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Source: SNS Network

In the classroom, JOI Smartboard and JOI Connect allow teachers to seamlessly teach both in-person and online. The Smartboard allows teachers to not only project but also annotate slides naturally with pen input or even write while teaching as they would naturally. This can seamless be integrated into platforms like Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams to be shared online. The students attending classes in person will get an uninterrupted experience like they always have. This allows teachers to bridge the current hybrid learning that is being implemented by the Ministry of Education in Malaysia across all national schools.

Of course, this brings up the question of data security and controlling access to the internet during learning hours. This is a non-issue with the JOI Classroom platform as it also allows teachers and administrators to grant and restrict access to websites outside those needed for education. They will also be able to grant or restrict access to plug and play devices via USB through this platform. The granular permissions allow them to help students focus better during learning hours while giving the students their freedoms outside learning hours.

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Source: SNS Network

It’s not a question of when but how schools and their administration can empower and facilitate this transition and new normal. As we move into an endemic phase, we also need to think about the future, about how we can better adapt to a constant state of uncertainty when it comes to education. Furthermore, we also need to take into consideration the feasibility of making students own a device whether by purchase or lease to take charge of their education.

If you’re interested in futureproofing education head on down to SNS Network’s official website to get more information.

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

Microsoft Announces that DirectStorage is now Available – No More Load Screens for Windows Gaming! There is a Catch.

Next generation gaming on both the Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation are technically the best and most advanced gaming devices ever to hit the market. The Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 offered a gaming experience like no other when they made the announcement of a certain storage technology that changed the gaming industry. It allowed the hardware to fully access all the speed offered by a 4th generation SSD storage.

In theory, the new technology allowed full access to the 5GB/s read speeds that the new SSDs are capable of. That much read speeds also means that loading times in games are cut short to nearly an instant. For games that was introduced on PS5 like “Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart”, it means no loading screens from one map to another. In that sense, developers are given more freedom to design games that has nearly no loading screens. That technology alone put the next-generation consoles ahead of even the most powerful gaming PCs you can find today.

Microsoft did make an announcement 18 months ago that that same DirectStorage technology on the Xbox Series X will make it to Windows games. That 18-month waiting time has laboured its final fruits. Microsoft has just announced that the DirectStorage API is here for Windows games.

direct storage normal asset flow 1
Source: Make Use Of

This announcement also means that games for Windows 10 and Windows 11 now get full access to the full 5GB/s the 4th Generation PCIe NVMe Solid State Drives. Technically, if SSDs gets faster in these few years, DirectStorage technology should also mean that whatever speeds SSDs can go to, games have access to as well. In that sense, it means loading times in PC games are not just greatly reduced, it could be eliminated.

There is a problem here. While Microsoft says that Windows 10 and 11 are ready for games with no loading screens, we will not be getting any games without loading times though. The reality is this, the marker is still full of games that are optimised for HDD speeds. That also means that even if your SSD can be read at 5GB/s, games today are not made to take advantage of those speeds yet.

The way things look, it looks like we also will not be getting any games that would be made to take advantage of those speeds anytime too soon too. HDDs are still a thing in the PC market. It is the cheapest way to set up a gaming PC today still, at the same time too, PCIe NVMe 4.0 SSDs are not the cheapest storage options available at this time. Still, if game developers are paying attention, they will make more games like the upcoming “Forspoken”. For now, while this announcement may not be much too significant currently, it could mean a future where games can feel seamless all the time.

Razer Wants You to Bring Your Streaming to The Next Level with New Streaming Gears

Today, content is king. When you talk about popular contents in the modern digital age, streaming is always something that comes up. The streaming industry is not limited to e-sports or gaming titles anymore, it could be anything really.

The entire streaming culture really can find its roots in gaming tough. When you talk gaming, you inevitably talk Razer. Razer is not just a gaming brand anymore though; they are a lifestyle brand with nice stuff for your PC and your gaming needs. We are also personal fans of the brand; we use their gaming peripherals and a certain compact USB mic for our podcasts (keep a look out for season 3!).

The streaming industry, as we pointed out, while started from the gaming culture is constantly growing. It used to be that you needed to have a capable enough gear to stream, a stable internet connection at home, preferably a fast one too just so that you can sit down and talk to hundreds to millions of people around the world. Today, 5G is looming upon us. Even without 5G, 4G LTE is more than enough to allow streamers to go LIVE anywhere and at any time. The number of digital platforms that allows anybody to stream whatever they like has changed the streaming industry.

Razer, as one of the brands that advocates the streaming culture must make progress with the streaming industry. To do that, they released a few new gears that streamers can up their game. They launched a new mic, a new mixer, and a lighting pad.

Taking Your Stream Anywhere – Razer Seiren BT

Seiren Bluetooth 036 R1
Source: Razer

To take your stream anywhere, anytime, you need to be mobile. The best hardware you have in your disposal is your smartphone. Your smartphone does everything a PC can while you are on the road. Most of the time though, while the camera on modern smartphones is more than capable of capturing clear, high-resolution videos for your Twitch stream, the audio is usually quite choppy unless you use a wired headphone and look cumbersome. Most wireless audio gear also means extra heft and a lot of cost.

The most elegant solution for this is using technology that is already available to us. That is why the Razer Seiren BT exists. The Razer Seiren BT is optimised to be used with smartphones and mobile streaming set ups to ensure that streamers always get the best audio quality no matter where they stream. Its simple clip-on design allows the mic to be mounted conveniently without disturbing your visuals. The wireless mic is also built with clever noise cancelling technology to cancel out background noise and wind noise in the environment, controllable via the Razer Streaming Mobile App.

Have More Control Over Your Streamed Radio – Razer Audio Mixer

Most of the time, audio is an afterthought in streaming. While setting up, plenty of people will tell you how important it is to get your visual right. You tend to focus on getting a good camera on hand and to make sure you and your environment looks good. Then you forget you need to let your voice get through in the stream, so you get yourself a mic that easily plugs into the USB port.

Layout 10 Razer Mixer
Source: Razer

While that is all good, you will have a problem when you want to work with multiple audio streams. You can, technically, control all these audio streams on your PC itself if you have the technical know-how. If you do not though, the Razer Audio Mixer is here to help.

The Audio Mixer is a clever solution to your Audio problem when streaming. It allows you to control up to 4 audio input channels to stream audio into and from your PC. It is an analogue board as well, so you can have direct and quick fader control over all the audio channels you have for your stream.

The Audio Mixer takes on most audio inputs too including hybrid-XLRs inputs, TRS Line, Optical TOS and others. Integrated to Razer’s versatile Synapse 3 software, streamers not just adjust the volume of your audio inputs and outputs. You can access the EQ of each channel via the software to tune your audio in your streams. All of these is done and loaded on the Razer Audio Mixer’s processor, so your PC can focus on working the video streams.

Visuals is Still Everything Though – Razer Key Light Chroma

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Source: Razer

Being one of the big advocates of RGB hardware in gaming hardware, Razer is still all about the visuals too. Of course, visuals are still very important in streaming culture. You do not want to see badly filmed stream with dim lighting on the star of the show. As a star, you do not want your face to be covered by darkness too. But the regular cool or warm lighting is just too boring. What do you do?

You get the Razer key Light Chroma RGB light pads, mount it to your desk with an included desk clamp pole, point the pads to you, and choose whatever colour you want on your face, or lighting up your room. The Razer Key Light Chroma looks very much like a regular professional light pads used to light up a room or a scene with 16.8-million choice of colours with RGB Chroma. But connect them to your or smartphone via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and you will find that Razer’s Synapse 3 and Streaming App features more controls over the light pad than you know. Sadly, it is not battery compatible, you do need to carry a power adapter that can supply 52.5W to each light pad to power the pads. If you want to take your streaming mobile with the 2800 Lumens light source, you do want to make sure you have a power outlet available.

Price and Availability

The Razer Seiren BT, Audio Mixer, and Key Light Chroma is now available on Razer’s online store and authorised stores. Unlike some of other devices in Razer’s arsenal, there are no colour options for these devices. Prices start from US$ 99.99 (MYR 479*) for the Seiren BT, US$ 299.99 (MYR 1,399*) for the Key Light Chroma, and US$ 249.99 (MYR 1,209*) for the Audio Mixer. More information on Razer’s range of streaming focused hardware can be found on their website.

*Official local (Malaysia) pricing on Razer.com

Apple Confirms That Their Studio Display Works with Windows, with Some Caveats

Apple is just fresh off their most recent launch of the new M1 Ultra chip in a very expensive Mac Studio. In their most recent launch event, they also released a certain display made for the studios at a much more affordable rate than their premium Pro Display XDR. They launched an MYR 6,999 monitor called the Studio Display with 5K resolution and three options for a stand and mount.

The monitor works exclusively with USB Type-C ports with one of them being a Thunderbolt 3 port that feeds the display feed from Mac devices. But the fact that it is a Thunderbolt supported device should also mean that any PC users can enjoy the clarity that is offered by a 5K display.

Apple says to MacRumors that PC users can use the Studio Display with little to no issues at all. Thunderbolt capability means that any PC with Thunderbolt and display capability on its USB Type-C port can output a display on the Studio Display. So far so good, anyone looking for a studio display with more than 4K resolution on tap. They did say that there are certain limitations though.

Despite the Apple A13 Bionic chip they are putting in the Studio Display, it does not do anything that a regular display does not. There are no smart elements to this display like Samsung’s Smart monitors for work. It only works when there is another Mac or PC connected to it. Except, a PC will not be able to take full advantage of what the display has to offer.

There is a native firmware that runs on the Studio Display. The firmware is what runs the webcam, its Centre Stage function, True Tone, Spatial Audio, or any other functions that might require a firmware to work with. All of those requires MacOS to run.

That also means that the only thing you are going to be using the Studio Display as just that, a display. Apple also said that the resolution will also depend on what system it connects too. That could also mean that you might not even get the 5K resolution that is promised by the display.

The 27-inch Apple Studio Display starts at MYR 6,999. There are three mounting and stand option for the new 5K resolution monitor. Its availability date in Malaysia has not been confirmed thus far, but an official pricing also means that it will be available not too long after the United States gets their share of the new Apple displays. More information on the Apple Studio Display can be found on their website.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is Now Officially Available in Malaysia for MYR 7,399 Onward!

Back in February, Microsoft has announced that they are finally bringing the new Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio to Malaysia. They put it up for pre-order in the middle of February 2022. Now you get to officially buy it in stores.

As mentioned in the previous article, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio was launched in back in September 2021. This is also an era when Intel has yet to introduce their latest 12th generation Core processors. That also means that the most powerful Microsoft Surface device is still powered by an 11th generation Intel Core processor.

In case you forgot, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio comes with a display you can tilt around to make it a sort of a tablet or a touch display with an easel stand or kickstand behind it. It is more stable though since it has the whole weight of the laptop underneath it. Of course, it works like a normal laptop too.

Surface Laptop Studio Photo 2 LR
Source: Microsoft

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio comes in either an Intel Core i5-11300H processor or an Intel Core i7-11370H processor. With the Core i5 variant, you get Intel’s proven Iris Xe graphics. The More powerful Core i7 variant gets NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050Ti GPU. The One with Core i7 and the GeForce RTX 3050Ti is the one you want.

There is also a Stylus included with the laptop. The stylus can be used on the brilliant 14.4-inch touch sensitive display that boasts 120Hz in refresh rate. The Studio laptop also features Quad Omnisonic speakers with Dolby Atmos certification to keep you inspired or entertained when it matters.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop is now available via Maxis and all Microsoft’s authorised retailers including Shopee and Lazada. You can choose between two configurations for the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, as mentioned. There is also a third configuration available for Malaysia. It is a Harvey Norman exclusive though. The Harvey Norman exclusive (MYR 11,999) comes with Intel’s Core i7, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050Ti, 32GB of RAM, and 1 TB of SSD storage, whereas the regular (MYR 9,399) Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio tops out at 16GB of RAM with 512GB in SSD storage. More information on the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio can be found on their website.

Apple Introduces the M1 Ultra in the Mac Studio and fit an A13 Bionic in a 5K Studio Display

No, Apple did not introduce two computing solutions in the Apple event today. They only introduced one computing solution. It is one Mac Studio, and a Studio Display. The Studio Display is just that, a display, not a computing device.

Apple Studio Display

Apple Studio Display MacOS Monterey 220308
Source: Apple

It might as well be though; it packs enough hardware in it to house Apple’s iOS or iPad OS. Yes, it packs Apple’s A13 bionic System on a Chip (SoC). It is a slightly older generation chipset, but still a capable one at that.

The chipset is not used to power an operating system within the display though. It is used to run centre stage capabilities on the built-in 12-Megapixel camera with ultra-wide lens. The powerful chip also allows the six-speakers built into the display to have Apple’s Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos for an immersive audio when you need it for entertainment.

The main highlight is the 27-inch 5K (5,120 by 2,880 pixels) IPS panel. They say it features 1 billion (10-bit) colours at a wide DCI-P3 colour gamut. This should mean that it features a highly accurate colour reproduction, a sort of requirement if you want to seat it in professional workflows. You can even configure it with something they call Nano-texture coating that acts as an anti-glare coating without the display losing its gloss and colour saturation.

Like any good display there are plenty room for I/O expansions on the Stuido Display. Unfortunately, they are all USB Type-C ports. Besides the mandatory power cable for the 27-inch display, you only need on small USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3 capable cable to come out from the back to your Mac. It does not support HDMI or DisplayPort, which is rather sad. At the same time, the Thunderbolt port also outputs 96W to keep your MacBook charged when it is plugged it.

The way you work with the Studio Display can be very flexible too. There are three stand options for the Studio Display. You can choose to work with it with a very basic tilt-adjustable stand, a stand with tilt and height adjustment, or a simple VESA ready mounting behind the display.

Price and Availability

The Apple Studio Display will be available in the United States (US) from the 18th of March onward. It is available in a few configurations. There are not confirmed dates for its availability in Malaysia. We are guessing that it might come somewhere in April.

You can opt for a regular glass display without coating at MYR 6,999 or one with the anti-glare Nano-texture coated glass at MYR 8,299. There are three stand or mount configuration to choose from as well. Unfortunately, they do not seem interchangeable.  You also want to add MYR 1,600 to the price tag if you want the stand with both tilt and height adjustments. More information on the Studio Display can be found on their website.

Apple Mac Studio with M1 Ultra

Apple Mac Studio front 220308
Source: Apple

There is no M2 here, not when they have not touched on the Mac Pro. We do not want to say that there is nothing ground-breaking here too, because it is an interesting solution to a problem that Apple created for themselves when they shifted to their own silicon platform for all their computing needs. At the same time, there is nothing too ground-breaking or too surprising on this new Mac Mini lookalike.

Let us get one thing straight though, it is not a Mac Mini. It just looks like one from certain angles. It is also taller than a Mac Mini with more vented ports. Where the Mac Mini stops at the M1 SoC, the Mac Studio starts from an M1 Max, not even an M1 Pro variant here. It is not even priced like a Mac Mini.

There is no need to introduce the M1 Max SoC. It is the same one that you can find on the MacBook Pro. The M1 Ultra though, needs a small introduction, but not that much, you will see our point. Like the M1 Pro and M1 Max, the M1 Ultra is based on the same architecture that the M1 is built upon. They just managed to make it larger than the M1 Max. The result is more processing cores, more GPU cores, more power consumption, and in theory, more power delivered for the MacOS it powers.

Apple Mac Studio back 220308
Source: Apple

Very much like the M1 Max and M1 Pro chipsets though, the M1 Ultra is not truly unique on its own. The only really interesting thing about it is that it is basically two Apple M1 Max SoCs glued together by a connecting bridge that Apple claims to be unique to Apple and no one else. You can hardly refute that claim though, you have never seen the likes of Intel and AMD gluing two of their chips together to make a single larger operating chip. You might see Qualcomm trying to follow suit with their future computing solutions, but we do not see that happening anytime soon.

The result is the M1 Ultra doubles its processing speed from the M1 Max allowing for up to more than triple the CPU performance and nearly five times more GPU performance (Apple claims). It doubles the memory bandwidth allowing for up to 128GB in unified memory, and we expect it to also double the power consumption. They did not specify that, but it makes sense.

Apple M1 Ultra chipset 220308
Source: Apple

Double the power also means twice the heat to manage, which also means that the Mac Mini-esque Studio block gets proper cooling and ventilation to keep the M1 Ultra happy at pace. Thanks to all of that, the Mac Studio is capable of handling 18 simultaneous 8K ProRes video streams in one go for a smooth multi-camera workflow when you need it. Then again, Apple ProRes is Apple’s proprietary video format that should be optimised to Apple’s chipsets and use case. But 18 streams is, at the very least, properly impressive.

According to Apple, the Mac Studio is also capable of handling up to 5 displays. According to the presentation, the Mac Studio can work with up to four Pro Display XDRs and one 4K display. To afford that kind of set-up requires you to spend upward of MYR 100,000 though. The more sensible set up for an editing studio would be a two-monitor editing set-up and a 4K presentation display. If you are going to go all Apple on that, it is still about MYR 40,000 onward.

Still, we should not steal any limelight from the star of the show, the Mac Studio. It packs six Thunderbolt 4 capable USB Type-C ports (four at the back, two up front) and one HDMI port. As per their presentation, it supports up to five displays at the same time. For content creators, there is an SDXC card slot up front for a much more fluid workflow when you need it. Of course, if you work with CF Express cards, you still need a reader.

Price and Availability

You can buy the new Apple Mac Studio in two main configurations – M1 Max, or M1 Ultra. The M1 Max Mac Studio starts at MYR 8,799, which is the price of a decent gaming PC. The M1 Ultra variant of the Mac Studio starts at MYR 16,799, which can be more expensive than a high-end gaming PC. You can top out the Mac Studio with and M1 Ultra with 64-core GPU, 128GB in unified memory and 8TB in SSD storage. That will set you back MYR 32,799. If you really want to, you can add Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro into the package and pay nearly MYR 35,000 for on Mac Studio with M1 Ultra.

It will be available in the US from the 18th of March 2022. As per the Studio Display, there are no confirmed local (Malaysia) availability dates for the Mac Studio currently. We are guessing as well that it would hit the Malaysian shores somewhere in April or May. More information on the Apple Mac Studio can be found on their website.

Apple’s ‘Peek Performance’ Is Happening Tomorrow! What Can We Expect?

Apple has confirmed their first event for 2022 and no, it is not an Apple iPhone event. Well, it could be, but no one knows for sure. They are dubbing the event the “Peek Performance” event which could be a hint of what they could be launching in the event.

Since the event is happening soon, there are already tonnes of speculations around what Apple is set to launch at the event. The biggest hint comes from the way they teased the event itself. “Peek” is not a typo; Apple hardly make typo mistakes like this. We can only assume that it is intentional, and that Apple is teasing a sneak peek to what they are working on for 2022. Then again, they never do that too.

Apple iPhone SE 2022

Rumours have pointed to the next generation Apple iPhone SE for the 2022 season. This is also because Apple did not make an announcement on a new Apple iPhone SE in their iPhone 13 series launch. The Apple iPhone SE for 2022 should be their new “budget” device champion moving forward.

The new Apple iPhone SE might also come with 5G connectivity, which also means that Apple is going all 5G in preparation for its availability. Of course, among other things, the Apple iPhone SE for 2022 will come with a slew of improvements in the camera and display department as well.

Apple iPad Air 5G

There are also reports that Apple will be announcing a new iPad Air 5G in March 2022 alongside the new Apple iPhone SE. As the name suggests, the new iPad Air will come with 5G connectivity at its most premium configuration. It is also supposed to come with a better CPU than before, which is sort of a given. It could also come with Apple’s very popular and useful Center Stage feature alongside a wide-angle front facing camera.

More Apple M1 Pro and M1 Max Goodness, Maybe Even M2

Apple made a breakthrough with their own silicon design with first introducing the M1 chips. Last year they pushed the boundaries of their M1 chips with the M1 Pro and M1 Max. They proved to be very popular with their new MacBook Pro line-up as well. The M1 Pro and M1 Max’s potential should not only be limited to the laptops though.

Reports points to an improved Mac Mini for the event with new designs. The new Mac Mini should also include options for the M1 Pro and M1 Max. Imagine a small form factor computer with the power that rivals modern desktop PCs, and you get the idea.

There are also rumours that Apple is ready to roll out their next generation silicon, the M2. The M1 replacement is supposed to be much more powerful than before and supposed to grace a new 13-inch MacBook Pro. There is not much information surrounding Apple’s upcoming silicon though.

More Likely Than Not, it Has to do With Vision

Apple does make an external display, a very expensive one at that. You might recall Apple launching their Pro Display XDR, an ultra-high-end display made for the professional working space. There is an optional stand that is worth US$ 999 that you can buy for it too. But what if the Pro Display XDR is a little too rich for the blood?

Most recent reports point to Apple working on an external display that does not pack Mini LEDs and is smaller in size compared to the Pro Display XDR. That also means that it could be a lot more affordable than the premium display that is about two years old now. The reports also point to a price point that is about half the Pro Display XDR at US$ 2,500.

Everything Will be Revealed Soon

As always, there is no 100% guarantees with Apple’s event. While we can make an educated guess to what they want to launch based on reports and rumours off the internet, Apple somehow keeps their lips tight on all their announcements. That also means that we will only find out or see their full launch list at their event which is happening soon. You can catch their event on the 8th of March 2022 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time (9th March 2022 at 2 a.m. Kuala Lumpur +0800 GMT time) on their website.

The Razer Hunstman Mini Analog – World’s First 60% Compact Keyboard with Analog Optical Switches

To be fair, when we say it is the world’s first 60% Analog Optical switch keyboard, you also must keep in mind that the Razer Analog Optical Switch is Razer’s proprietary technology made exclusively for Razer’s own keyboard line-ups. While that makes it sound less special, hear us out. It is still a special keyboard in its own rights.

The Huntsman Mini, if you look at it, is one of the most compact gaming keyboards available. Even compared to other compact keyboards, it is compact. There are a few sacrifices to make a 60% keyboard. One of them is that you lose your D-Pad. Just think about how much space you save though, and you start to understand why you want a 60% keyboard.

Huntsman Mini Analog 2021 Render03
Source: Razer

The Chroma RGB 60% keyboard also comes with the acclaimed Razer Optical switch. Rather than a physical switch, the actuation of the keys is done via light. This also means fewer moving parts and in turn, better durability. The Huntsman Mini is offered in two flavours too, a clicky variant and a linear variant.

While the Optical Switch is great, it could be better. Enter the world of Razer Analog Optical Switches, the only switch of its kind that allows for multiple actuation points. The Analog Optical Switch really redefines what we know about how keyboard should work.

Razer Analog Optical Switch

The Analog Optical Switch, a Razer exclusive, also works like the Optical Switch in its own right. It still relies on light detection and passing technology. Actuation is achieved when an emitted light hits a receiver within the single keys of the switch. The Analog Optical Switch is also only possible because of the Razer’s optical technology. You can see it as an improvement or an evolution over the original Optical Switch.

Analog Switch Use for switch closeup only
Source: Razer

Instead of making it an on/off switch, the light sensor within the keyboard now detects how much light is received from the emitter. This is also in accordance with the key height itself, how deep you pressed the key. The switch then activates according to the input from your fingers. While it does mimic the theory of a pressure sensor, it is far simpler than that.

This allows for a more precise control over movements in games. With multiple sensitivity, you can adjust your turning circle and intensity in driving games, for example. In driving games, you can even adjust your throttle feed to feather it in corners to be more precise as well. In first-person, or third-person games, you can control your movement speeds to a more relaxing walking pace when you want to slow down in a town.

The application can also go beyond that though. You can have two types of actuations from a single key for creative applications. We are not saying you should, but you could if you want, especially with the compressed size that is the 60% keyboard form factor. You could add a few more functions within the keyboard in different applications to make your workflow smarter, and faster; you just have to remember which keys does what.

Price and Availability

The Razer Huntsman Mini Analog will be available in Malaysia today onward from Razer’s Official Stores on Lazada and Shopee. There are no additional colour options currently other than black, unlike the original Huntsman Mini which offers a Mercury colour option. It is an Crhoma RGB keyboard with PBT caps though, so you can take advantage of those features. It will set you back MYR 669, which is at least MYR 150 more than the original Huntsman Mini (Linear) keyboard. More information on the Razer Huntsman Mini Analog can be found on their website.

[MWC 2022] The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s – Snapdragon Inside

The idea of Microsoft’s Windows running on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon platform is not a new concept. In fact, it has been something that Qualcomm and Microsoft have been working on for years. Some products even rolled out of the factories that marries the power of Qualcomm’s potent system on a chip (SoC) with Microsoft’s best-selling interface. One of the products is Malaysian made, we reviewed it and quite liked it.

Unfortunately, the idea of running a full-fledged Windows operating system (OS) on a Qualcomm chip is not as simple as shoehorning a Qualcomm chip on any random Windows laptop chassis, nor is it as simple as installing Windows on a Qualcomm device. The problem is with the conflict in architecture in both the software and chip. Qualcomm’s mobile first approach ensures that it adapts to Android’s Linux based architecture and optimises its operations based on a regular smartphone interaction pattern. Windows, on the other hand, is optimises itself on different work processes and priorities that Intel and AMD’s chips are designed for. They are just different kind of processes and priorities, fundamentally.

There is a new workaround though. Welcome to Windows 11, an open door to whole new possibilities. The platform is designed to be more mobile than ever. It is designed with a touch experience in mind, a sort of tablet experience. While it is still based on Windows 10, it is a lot more tablet friendly than before. It just feels like something you can put on a slim tablet with no cooling fans powered by an SoC. With Apple’s move to push their M1 SoCs, it also only makes sense that Microsoft makes that option available.

01 Thinkpad X13s Eagle Hero Front Facing JD
Source: Lenovo

Enter the ThinkPad X13s, the first of many, we hope. This is not Lenovo’s first Qualcomm based device. It is also not Lenovo’s first Windows 11 device. It is their first though, that marries the two together.

You will not find any intake or exhaust ports on the 13.3-inch ThinkPad X13s. It is a little odd for a PC not to have ventilation ports. That is also the beauty of relying on Qualcomm’s latest generation Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 compute platform. The SoC is even powerful enough and optimised enough to run Windows 11 Pro. Keeping Windows 11 running on the WUXGA 16:10 aspect ratio display is up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage.

Thanks to the integrated modem on the SoC, the ThinkPad X13s is even ready with a 5G capable SIM tray. Together with WiFi 6E, the ThinkPad X13s can be connected to the web anywhere, anytime. It is always connected, always on.

Of course, the other benefit of using SoCs in devices is the way it sips battery juice. Lenovo quotes up to 28 hours in battery life with continuous usage. If you keep it on standby, it is ready to get going for days.

02 ThinkPad X13s Eagle Hero Front Facing Right
Source: Lenovo

For security, the device comes with a 5-megapixel webcam with Infrared camera (optional) for Windows Hello facial recognition. You can make it work like your smartphone. Yes, you can use the webcam for video calls as well, quite obviously.

Because the requirements of housing an SoC like the Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3 Compute platform is so minimal, Lenovo could squeeze everything down on the ThinkPad X13s. It is thinner, and lighter than most professional grade laptops thanks to the SoC. But that is not just the contributing factor to the ThinkPad X13s’ thinness and lightness. Before we forget, Lenovo’s ThinkPads must be built like tanks too.

To keep build quality high but super lightweight and thin is a challenge. There is also the demand of making things more sustainable. Lenovo achieved those on the ThinkPad X13s using 90% recycled magnesium for its chassis. Inside, 97% of the plastics on the PCB (Printed Circuit Board) cover and battery tray is made from PCC (Precipitate Calcium Carbonate) plastics. PCC plastics, in our research, is a type of plastic made using more sustainable materials. Calcium Carbonate is an artificial powder type filler used in plastic manufacturing to replace crude oil as a material to manufacture plastic parts. It is cheaper, and a lot more sustainable.

To ensure that the device gets to you in one piece are carton boxes and bumpers that are also recyclable. Even the production method is designed to keep energy consumption as low as possible. They used low-temperature solder methods that reduces carbon emissions by up to 35% over regular solders.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s will be available in select markets on the 22nd of May 2022 onward. Like most ThinkPad devices, there are no other colour option safe for black. It will set you back EU€ 1,399 onward (MYR 6,508*), which is still quite premium in our eyes. There are no mentions on the local (Malaysia) availability and official pricing for the laptop for now. For more information on the Lenovo ThinkPad X13s, you can visit their website.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.65 as of 03/03/2022 on xe.com

[MWC 2022] HUAWEI Brings the Latest Flagship MateBook X Pro and Super Device to the Game

HUAWEI’s MateBook series, introduced back in 2019, marks a new age for HUAWEI. Not just HUAWEI though, it marks a new age for smartphone makers that are not Apple. To be fair to other manufacturers though, HUAWEI is not the first smartphone-first manufacturer that makes PCs. Its biggest competitor in the Android smartphone market used to make notebook PCs as well.

Still, while other smartphone manufacturers have either left the smartphone market or abandoning the PC market, HUAWEI gladly embraces the market, shifting focus from making productivity focused Android tablets and upping the game in terms of a complete ecosystem that works seamlessly together for work and play. It does seem like they are learning from the biggest ecosystem outside of the Android world, Apple. Let us be honest though, it is not such a bad thing, this total coverage of the ecosystem thing.

HUAWEI’s most premium notebook for the discerning users is the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro. There is a new one for 2022. On paper at least, it looks quite special.

HUAWEI MateBook X pro

huawei matebook x pro natural tone 12x
Source: HUAWEI

It shares pretty much the same design from the old MateBook X Pro, or almost every other MateBook bred to existence. It is also the thinnest MateBook device in its range. At 15.5mm though, it is a little thicker than its predecessor. It gained some weight too at 1.38 kg over 1.33 kg of the 2021 variant. The minor heft gain for the MateBook X Pro 2022 comes with some extra power to make the MateBook X Pro the ultimate thin-and-light though.

You get a slightly bigger display now at 14.2-inch. With bigger display too, HUAWEI can squeeze a little bit more display out of it at 3,120 by 2,080 pixels to achieve an impressive 264 pixels per inch, higher than the predecessor. It covers 92.5% of the laptop body, which is even more than before too, leaving us to wonder how they made the bezels even thinner.

It is a stunning display too. The 3.1K LTPS panel produces up to 500nits of light at DisplayHDR 400 standards. It boasts 1,500:1 contrast ratio on its 1.07-billion colours on tap. It also offers an average △E<1 in P3 and sRGB standards. It is not a gaming display, but the 3:2 aspect ratio display still offers up to 90Hz in refresh rate. Did we mention that it is a touch sensitive display too? What we are saying is that you are really going to enjoy this display, no matter what you do.

The 2022 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro flagships come with class leading six-speaker set up with HUUAWEI SOUND. There are two tweeters for brilliant and detailed higher-end frequencies from the top firing speaker grilles. The other two are mashed to create a woofer sandwich which, in theory, should produce even more powerful low frequencies for deeper, more immersive bass notes, more boom. The speaker array should also benefit users when it comes to video calls alongside four far-field mics with AI Noise Cancellation algorithm.

Powered by an 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1195G7 CPU, the MateBook X Pro might sound a little old fashioned, but the processor is still quite a powerful one. It also packs Intel’s Iris Xe Graphics to ensure that the display gets enough juice to run on full chat. Of course, we would like to see what the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro could do with 12th Generation Intel processors.

HUAWEI Super Device Ecrosystem

It is not a new device that HUAWEI released here. It is more of introduction of a complete ecosystem for HUAWEI’s many devices. A sort of unifying piece to puts all of HUAWEI’s devices together.

The HUAWEI Super Device centers itself on HUAWEI’s PC experience. It starts from HUAWEI’s MateBook devices with the latest version of the HUAWEI PC Manager. The new ecosystem does not just allow HUAWEI’s devices to share screens and quickly share files across the connected devices. It now allows each device to be individual device modules to form a larger collaboration tool. You can take up a video call from your smartphone for example and later transfer it to a HUAWEI MateBook when you get yourself in front of one.

Super Device also introduces HUAWEI’s Mobile App Engine for their PC devices. Mobile App Engine gives HUAWEI MateBook devices access to the HUAWEI AppGallery. That also means that the Windows 11 device can now work with mobile apps reserved for the smartphone ecosystem that HUAWEI has built over the years, allowing users to be even more productive than ever with their HUAWEI MateBook devices.

Availability

HUAWEI’s Super Device function will be shipped with the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro, MateStation X, MateBook E, MatePad Paper, and MatePad. All of the devices that are launched in their MWC 2022 announcement. While HUAWEI mentions that existing HUAWEI MateBook devices will be able to take advantage of the new Super Device feature, there are no mentions on whether existing smartphone and tablet devices will get the function. At this point, judging by HUAWEI’s update history, older devices might not be getting the new Super Device feature.

There are also no mentions on when the HUAWEI MateBook X Pro will hit the markets. It will be priced at EU 1,899 (MYR 8,923*) when it is available. There are also no colour options for the new flagship MateBook as well, just a plain Grey.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of EU€ 1 = MYR 4.70 as of 01/03/2021 on xe.com