Pokémon Day commemorates the initial release of the, now, multimillion-dollar franchise. This year’s Pokémon Day was a little special with the unveiling of the next generation: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet.
The two new games mark the franchise’s 9th entry in its mainstream games. More significantly, it’s the first mainstream game to adopt an open-world adventure format. Before this, mainstream games had strict, linear gameplay that guided players from one town to another advancing the game’s plot. However, this changed with Pokémon Sword and Shield with small open world areas known as “wild areas”. Following this, Pokémon Legends Arceus advanced the franchise further into open-world gameplay. However, Scarlet and Violet will be the first to do it in a mainstream game.
Pokémon Scarlet and Violet will take players to a brand-new region inspired by the real-world Iberian region which consists of Spain and Portugal. The Pokémon Company hasn’t yet revealed the name of the region. However, early game footage shows a vast, open-world with buildings and landmarks inspired by the Spanish and Portuguese. Together with these landmarks, we’re also treated to some familiar faces including Pikachu, Psyduck, Lucario, Stonjurner and Larvitar.
Meet Sprigatito, Fuecoco & Quaxly
However, the hallmark of any new generation announcement is the three “starter” Pokémon. Players will choose between them as they start their journeys. The ninth generation of mainstream games sees three new Pokémon: Sprigatito, Fuecoco and Quaxly. While they still follow the Grass-Fire-Water type triangle, the new starters give us a little insight into the style of the new series.
Source: Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Official Website/The Pokémon Company
Sprigatito is a new cat Pokémon and the grass starter for the region. The official description lists it as the “Grass Cat Pokémon”. It’s the second feline starter in the franchise so far; the previous one being Litten of the Alolan region.
Fuecoco is a new crocodile inspired Pokémon and is the fire starter for the region as the name suggests. The new “Fire Croc Pokémon” is also the second crocodile starter in the franchise after Totodile in the Johto region.
Source: The Pokémon Company
Quaxly, on the other hand, is the first duck starter Pokémon to date and is the water starter Pokémon of the new region.
That’s about all the information we have so far about the ninth generation Pokémon games. However, we can expect more information in the coming months as the game is slated to release on the Nintendo Switch later in 2022. Yep – that’s right, this year.
When someone asks us about buying a smartwatch, we always come back with; “how much do you want to spend on our wrist wear?”. Most smartwatches should not set you back more than MYR 1,500 at this point. You can even get a Samsung Galaxy Watch4 for less than MYR 1,000 even. So why did we ask for your budget? Not really to see how rich you are, we want to know how serious you are in going for a smartwatch.
In that sense, if you have about MYR 5,000 to play with in your smart wearable wrist wear, we will always say; “go for something like a Garmin”. Garmin smartwatches and trackers have always been some of the highest regarded wearable in our books. They are built to the highest and most premium standards, and they have always been somewhat timeless. There are new ones on the block, and if you are in the market for a smartwatch at MYR 5,000, we think you should pay attention.
The Flagship – Garmin’s New fēnix 7 Series
Garmin’s flagship smartwatch has always been a little odd. They always offer coloured displays underneath premium materials and build quality that would put even Samsung to shame. They also offer battery life that is the envy of every wearable out in the market. But they do not offer touch screen capabilities. There is also a good reason for that, but we will not get too much into it because the new fēnix 7 does feature a touch sensitive display for the first time ever in their flagship line-up.
There are a whole slew of improvements made on the watch too that makes this fēnix 7 the best fēnix smartwatch there ever was. Its battery life has been improved by 300%, according to Garmin. Its solar charging capabilities has also been improved by 200%. All these improvements allow the fēnix 7X to last up to 24 days in UltraTrac mode, important when you are on an expedition.
The fēnix 7 series have always been made to be used in the great outdoors. In the great outdoors though is also where mishaps can happen. You might get stranded or lost, or even injured. The fēnix 7 series comes packing an improved multiband GNSS to allow for ultra-accurate tracking even if you are covered by the thick canopies of the forest. If not, the built-in flashlight of the fēnix 7X series can act as a morse code SOS signal display, other than lighting your way through the thick of the jungle or the dark of night.
Of course, you may not be always placed in such extreme conditions. You might want to just go for a simple jog, be it day and night. When you are feeling a little less adventurous, maybe the gym is a good idea. The fēnix 7 series comes packing with more than 40 built-in exercise modes. It now cleverly analyses and keeps track of your Real-Time Stamina when you go for a run, for you to monitor your best pace for the run. There is also an Up Ahead feature on the fēnix 7 watch via the Garmin Connect App to create routes and create checkpoints along the route. This might be useful in organised marathons. For night runs, the flashlight from the fēnix 7X will keep your path lit and light up red according to your arm swing for safety purposes.
The New Standard in Sports Monitoring – The Garmin epix with AMOLED Display
There is also a first for Garmin here. This is the first Garmin outdoor smartwatch to offer the brilliance of AMOLED displays. It sits under a scratch resistant sapphire crystal, and you can opt for a lightweight and durable titanium alloy case for it. It is made to endure as much as the fēnix 7 series, if not more.
Like the fēnix 7 series, there are more than 40 sports modes on the epix. You can take it to the gym for a HIIT session, or strength training, or even go for a jog, and the Garmin epix will keep up with the right modes automatically. It is made for golf and skiing too. Within the watch is maps of over 42,000 gold courses around the world. It also packs 2,200 maps of ski resorts globally.
Its battery life may not be as impressive as the fēnix 7 series. With regular functions it will last up to 16 days, which is still an impressive number for modern smartwatches. Considering that this does not even have solar charging built into the case, it is also mighty impressive. If you need to go for longer excursions though, you can get the battery to be extended to 21 days with its clever Power Manager function. That is also while you are being GPS tracked.
Prices and Availability
The Garmin fēnix 7 series come in three display sizes and a slew of flavours for your picking. There is a 1.2-inch fēnix 7S variant, a 1.3-inch fēnix 7 variant, and the premium 1.4-inch fēnix 7X variant. You can opt for regular steel or titanium cases for your fēnix 7 smartwatch. All the fēnix 7 watches come equipped with sapphire glass to protect its display. The fēnix 7S, and fēnix 7 starts at MYR 3,270 while the fēnix 7X starts at MYR 4,670.
The Garmin epix comes in three flavours for your picking. All of them measures 45mm in diameter though, so size choices here. You can opt for a regular steel casing at MYR 4,199. The titanium casing variant retails for MYR 4,670 but comes in two colour choices. You can opt for a Black Titanium variant paired toa a black silicone band, or a White Titanium paired to a white silicone band.
Both the Garmin fēnix 7 series and Garmin epix smartwatches are now available on Shopee, Lazada, AECO e-store, and all Garmin’s authorised retailers. You can find out more about the new Garmin watches on their website.
OPPO’s looking to up the ante with nighttime videography with the Find X5 series. For now, OPPO’s flagship series will consist of the OPPO Find X5 Pro, the OPPO Find X5 and the OPPO Find X5 Lite. The Find X5 and Find X5 Pro will feature OPPO’s customised, dedicated imaging NPU – the MariSilicon X which they announced back during OPPO Inno Day.
The Find X5 & X5 Pro – True Flagship Technology
OPPO’s flagship device – the Find X5 Pro – will feature Qualcomm’s latest and greatest, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. The new octa-core processor built on 4nm fabrication promises better power efficiency, processing performance and graphical performance. The Find X5, on the other hand, will feature the Snapdragon 888. The two smartphones are also the first smartphones touting OPPO’s MariSilicon X technology.
Source: OPPO
They both come with AMOLED panels capable of replicating 1 billion colours with a 120Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass Victus for added protection. However, the Pro comes with a larger 6.7-inch display size with a QHD+ resolution while the regular Find X5 comes with a slightly smaller 6.55-inch display with an FHD+ resolution. Both also come with UFS 3.1 storage technology for faster storage with better read and write performance.
The Pro comes with configurations with up to 512GB of onboard storage and 12GB of RAM while the Find X5 has only been announced with a single configuration of 256GB with 8GB of RAM. Both don’t support microSD cards.
Source: OPPO
Design-wise, the phones sport an updated aesthetic from the Find X3. OPPO has made the curves more seamless giving it a little bit more of a futuristic feel. They’ve also opted to use ceramic instead of glass on the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro. According to them, it’s sturdier and more durable. The sleek, seamless integration of the camera hump is still there on the Find X5 series.
MariSilicon X Backed Camera Setups for Better Nighttime Video Performance
The Find X5 series is banking on the added umph of OPPO’s MariSilicon X. The dedicated photography and videography NPU is being touted as the backbone for most of the upgrades we see in the image and video processing in the Find X5 and Find X5 Pro.
Hardware Tuned to Keep Up with the MariSilicon X
Let’s look at the camera hardware first. The Find X5 and the Find X5 Pro both come with triple sensor setups. The Pro comes with a 50-megapixel, 1/1.56-inch main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture with multidirectional PDAF and OIS with 3-axis sensor shift and 2-axis lens shift. This is complemented with 13-megapixel, 1/1.34-inch telephoto sensor capable of 2x optical zoom with an f/2.4 aperture and PDAF and a second 50-megapixel, 1/1.56-inch ultrawide sensor with f/2.2 aperture with multidirectional PDAF. The regular Find X5 comes with a less robust 50-megapixel main sensor. The front camera sensor on both is a 32-megapixel wide sensor with gyro-EIS.
Source: OPPO
The mainstay of the MariSilicon X is its ability process imaging information on the fly. However, the hardware is only part of the equation. OPPO has bolstered the software to take advantage of the powerful hardware. Firstly, it’s teamed up with Hasselblad to bring true to life colours in still images in the camera’s pro mode. Then it’s also taking full advantage of the advanced NPU in its new 4K Ultra Night Video feature. With the backing on the NPU, the Find X5 and the Find X5 Pro are able to capture high resolution video in the dark. The video also has better dynamic range allowing it preserve more detail.
A Rebadged Reno 7 In the Tailgating Find X5 Lite
If you’ve realised, we didn’t mention much about the Find X5 Lite. This was intentional cause the Lite version of the Find X5 is simply a rebadged Reno7 smartphone. There’s no indication that the smartphone carries the same MariSilicon X NPU for the improved photography either. So, if you’re interested in getting the lowdown on the Find X5 Lite, you can refer to our article on the Reno7.
Pricing & Availability
The Find X5 Pro will be available in two colours – Ceramic White and Glaze Black. It will be retailing for €1,299 (MYR6,079.52).
Source: OPPO
The Find X5, on the other hand will be available in Black and White. It will be retailing for €999 (MYR4,676.23).
Both are available for pre-orders in select regions now.
Official Specifications
Screen grab from official press conference live stream on YouTubeScreen grab from official press conference live stream on YouTube
Logitech is one of the most trusted brands when it comes to computer peripherals. The company has, over the years, made a name for itself with some of the most reliable and long-lasting keyboards and mouses out there. They’ve even expanded their portfolio to include gaming-centric peripherals under their Logitech G brand. That aside, we’re writing about their new Logitech Signature M650 mouse.
Source: Logitech
The Logitech M series mouses have been one of their most popular lineups for a while now mostly due to its comfort and also affordability. With the newly released Signature M650, Logitech is expanding the functionality, comfort and functionality of the lineup. They’re also bringing a version of the Signature M650 built specifically for lefties!
The new Logitech Signature M650 is equipped with both Bluetooth and 2.4GHz connectivity via the Logi Bolt USB receiver. The SmartWheel on the M650 brings added control, allowing you to get line-by-line precision or super-fast scrolling as and when you need it. It’s also been ergonomically designed for comfort with a contoured body and soft area for your thumb. It also comes with rubber side grips for added grip. The Signature M650 is also more silent with 90% less click noise and has programmable buttons. You can customise the latter with Logitech Options Plus and set your favourite shortcuts.
The M650 comes with 24-month battery life with a single AA battery and is compatible with Windows, Chrome OS, macOS, iPad OS, and Android. It’s priced at MYR159 and is currently available on shelves.
CES 2022 (Consumer Electronics Show) earlier in the year graced us with many very exciting, very interesting devices. It is also sort of a confirmation that Intel’s 12th Generation mobile CPUs are coming hot. The question we left CES with was “when are they coming?”. ASUS answered first with their ROG Zephyrus M16 and Strix G series gaming laptops.
ROG Zephyrus M16
ASUS ROG’s Zephyrus gaming laptop line-up has been the brand’s pride and joy in pushing what is possible with gaming laptops. They introduce some of the most compact large format gaming laptops available to the gaming notebook market. For 2022, they have a new one for Malaysia.
While the Zephyrus S series laptops have been an elusive one to Malaysia, the Zephyrus M series have been a popular choice for the market. The new one for 2022 is promised to be even better. The improvements go beyond just popping a 12th Generation Intel processor and updated NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs into the notebook.
Source: ASUS
Of course, we must start with those. The ROG Zephyrus M16 packs a respectable 12th Generation Intel Core i9-12900H with a monstrous 14-cores to work with. Six performance cores on the CPU ensures that any heavy workload you need to work on with the ROG Zephyrus M16 gets chewed quickly and efficiently. You can pair that powerful CPU with an equally impressive NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti (up to) for maximum attack on all the current AAA game titles. For even more performance on your games, MUX switch ensures that your games and applications get the best performance directly from the GPU when they need to.
To do the powerful hardware justice, up to 32GB (16GB + 16GB) of DDR5 RAM configuration is available on offer. For storage, you get up to 2TB in NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD storage. There will be an extra 4th generation PCIe slot for your perusal too, in case 2TB is not enough for all your games.
The most visible update form the older Zephyrus M16 is its new display with ultra-thin bezels all around. You still get a 720p resolution webcam with IR blaster for Windows Hello, which is rather remarkable considering the bezel size. The narrow bezels contain a high-resolution 16-inch display that projects WQXGA resolution (2,560 by 1,600) at 16:10 aspect ratio. It is also Pantone validate and covers up to 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, which means you get highly accurate and vivid colours. With Dolby Vision HDR, movies and games will look extra crisp and details pop. It is a gaming display still, so it needs to be fast at 165Hz.
Like the Zephyrus that came before it, the ROG Zephyrus M16 can be charged via a USB Type-C PD charger that is also included in the box. That is not enough power to get your games up to speed though, you will need the proprietary charger for the laptop if you want to get the most out of the Zephyrus M16. There will be no HDMI 2.1 implemented here though, just a regular HDMI 2.0b port. You do get WiFi 6E capabilities on the laptop though. While WiFi 6E is not a standard offering in Malaysia just yet, it is good to know that your laptop will take it on as soon as the technology becomes available.
To top it all off, the Windows 11 laptop packs four speakers for maximum immersive experience without the need of additional external hardware. Two of the speakers are 2W dual-force woofers equipped with Smart Amp Technology to ensure deep, detailed low-end frequency delivery. The other two are 2W tweeters for crisp and clean mid and trebles.
Source: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUS
ROG Strix G Series (G15 & G17)
The ROG Zephyrus M16, as impressive as they are, could be a little rich. While you want a do-it-all laptop, the Zephyrus M16 might still be a little out of reach with prices starting from MYR 8,099. You can consider the ROG Strix G series that starts from MYR 5,399 in that case.
You can choose between a 15-inch display (G15) or a 17-inch display (G17) for the Strix. Underneath the iconic shell is a brand-new AMD Ryzen 6000 series mobile CPU with Zen 3+ architecture, a minor update from the highly acclaimed Zen 3 architecture that should mean more performance out of the processors. Specifically, you get an AMD Ryzen 7 6800H mobile CPU with eight high-performance cores with up to 4.7GHz of clock speed (boost). The mobile CPU comes with an integrated AMD Radeon graphics. But integrated GPU is never enough for gaming and high-performance computing. You get to pick up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU for when you need the extra performance in gaming. Of course, MUX switch comes to the Strix G series of laptops.
Source: ASUS
Memory wise there are a few configurations you can choose from with the ROG Strix G series. You can spec your G15 with up to 16GB of DDR5 on-board RAM with an additional slot for upgrade, in combination with up to 1TB of 4th Generation PCIe NVMe SSD also with an additional slot for an extra SSD. The G17 gets a 16GB RAM configuration in combination with up to a 1TB SSD.
Just as we mentioned earlier, you get to choose between to work with a 15.6-inch display or a 17.3-inch display with the Strix G series. For the smaller G15 variant, you can opt for a very speedy 300Hz 3ms response time Full HD IPS display that also boasts up to 100% in sRGB colour gamut coverage. Or you can go for a faster display from the G17’s Full HD display at 360Hz. The 17.3-inch display from the G17 boasts only 62.5% coverage of the sRGB colour gamut though.
No matter the choice of display size though, the ROG Strix G series comes with WiFi 6E as standard. Like its predecessors as well, the new 2022 variants of the ROG Strix G series can be charged via its USB Type-C port using an included PD charger in the box. Again, you want to use the proprietary charger when you want to get the most out of the laptop.
Source: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUSSource: ASUS
Prices and Availability
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 will be available March 2022 onward in two configurations. One comes with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU at MYR 11,499. The other configuration is also the most powerful one with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti at MYR 16,499. There will be a more budget conscious option available with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU available in April onward for MYR 8,099.
The ROG Strix G series, as mentioned, will be available in two sizes – 15-inch and 17-inch. The Strix G15 will be available March 2022 onward. For now, only the G15 with NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 GPU, 8GB RAM + 512GB storage will be available for MYR 5,399. There is a special edition Electro Pink variant of the G15 available as well for MYR 5,599. The Strix G15 with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM + 1TB storage will be available on a later date alongside the Strix G17. There are no confirmed pricing for those yet too.
For more information on the ROG Zephyrus M16 and ROG Strix G series for 2022, you can visit ASUS’ ROG website.
So, when we say 5G, the OPPO Reno7 series smartphone can take on 5G when it is available. That is not available yet in Malaysia; but at least it is nice to know that your smartphone is ready for 5G when it is. Now, we move on to the star device of today.
OPPO’s Reno series is not necessarily a new on in their line-up. When they introduced it a few years ago, the series is made with high-end photography capabilities in mind at accessible prices. It is OPPO’s photography champion for the mid-range market, a market they are very familiar with.
We quite like the OPPO Reno series when they started introducing them. The devices are easy to work with and takes great looking photos with powerful cameras that are usually reserved for flagship sort of devices. They were also OPPO’s more unique looking devices that introduces some of the newer mobile photography technology, when it can. Did you know that the first OPPO Reno was one of those devices that made pop-up selfie camera a thing?
The OPPO Reno series is in its 7th generation now. They just launched the OPPO Reno7 series with 5G capabilities yesterday in Malaysia. It will set you back MYR 1,999 onward. There is also a Pro variant for MYR 2,999.
What does MYR 1,999 today get you? A highly capable mid-range smartphone, that is what.
OPPO Reno7 5G
Source: OPPO
The vanilla OPPO Reno7 builds on a MediaTek Dimensity 900 5G System on a Chip (SoC). It is a 6nm architecture processor with a combination of ARM Cortex A78 and ARM Cortex A55 cores to make it an octa-core powerhouse. It comes packing 8GB of RAM and ample 256GB of storage for all kinds of things you can throw to the OPPO Reno7. Of course, the ample storage allows you to store all of your photos. You want this kind of storage though for the powerful camera you get on the device.
You get a powerful 64-Megapixel main camera. Alongside the powerful main camera is an unspecified ultra-wide-angle camera that offers 118o field of view for beautiful and stunning wide panoramic shots. There is also an unspecified macro camera to complete a triple camera set-up for the Reno7’s rear. Up front is a 32-Megapixel front camera that is supposed to offer great self-portrait capabilities.
For you to see these photos, pick and edit them, or even just admire and share them is a large 6.4-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display with up to 90Hz in refresh rate. At 180Hz touch sampling rate, OPPO’s Android 12 based ColorOS 12 will feel smooth and snappy with near instant response times. With 100% of DCI-P3 coverage too, you do not need to use a different display for all your edits and get accurate and vivid colours.
To keep everything going for an entire day, you get a 4,500mAh battery. When the battery starts to run out, it comes packing OPPO’s highly acclaimed SUPERVOOC charging at 65W. If you do not have access to a wall port on a long day, you have Super Power Saving mode and Super Nighttime Standby to keep your battery going even longer.
OPPO Reno7 Pro 5G
Source: OPPO
This costs MYR 1,000 more than the regular OPPO Reno7 5G. There is a reason for that price premium. While you may not see all of it on the outer skin, there are major differences between the devices.
For one, the Pro variant builds on a more powerful MediaTek Dimensity 1200 6nm SoC. The SoC packs eight ARM Cortex A78 cores that are tuned to run at 3GHz clock speeds. To ensure that the powerful processor is not bottlenecked by memory, there is a 12GB RAM fitted into the device to ensure smooth operations all-around. To ensure it has the storage for everything else, is a 256GB built-in storage. OPPO has also included something called a RAM Expansion technology that allows up to 5GB of unused storage space to be used as temporary RAM to keep everything trundling along when needed.
Up front is a nice, expansive 6.5-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display boasting 90Hz for that extra smooth feel. For the instant, snappy feel it also offers up to 180Hz in touch sampling rate. It looks great too with up to 99.94% of DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage. You do not need to worry about your photos looking funky if you edit on this display.
On the top left part of the display is a punch hole camera that boasts and IMX709 32-Megapixel behind the portrait lens. The highlight camera array though is at the back. You get OPPO’s Flagship Portrait Camera System in the form of a powerful 50-Megapixel IMX766 sensor. The main camera offers a brilliant Portrait Mode that gives you the flexibility of 25 aperture stops (f/0.95 – f/16) for those beautiful bokehs when you want them. Alongside the main camera are an 8-Meapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2-Megapixel macro camera for up close shots up to 4cm distance to the subject, and a colour temperature sensor to ensure your photos come out correctly.
The Android 12 based ColorOS 12 device runs all-day with the same 4,500mAh battery that its vanilla twin gets. You also get the same SUPERVOOC charging at 65W allowing the battery to fully charge in a brisk 31 minutes. If all-day is not enough, you can turn on Super Power Saving mode or Super Nighttime Standby to extend its battery life.
OPPO’s Reno7 5G and Reno7 Pro 5G is now available for pre-order until 4th March, 2022. The devices will start shipping 5th of March 2022 onward. OPPO will be running a roadshow in Sunway Pyramid from the 28th of February 2022 onward all the way to 6th of March 2022. The vanilla OPPO Reno7 5G will set you back MYR 1,999 while the Pro variant sets you back MYR 2,999, as mentioned. Colours available for both the devices are Startrails Blue or Starry Black.
Every pre-order of the OPPO Reno7 series devices entitles you to free gifts worth up to MYR 1,406 in total. You get 1 year of OPPO Care screen protection plan, an exclusive OPPO Reno bag, My OPPO Membership with some free subscriptions, theme park admission tickets, airport lounge privileges, and what not. You also get an OPPO Enco Buds true wireless earphones for that money. If you do pre-order and are the first 100 customers to pick up their devices on the 5th of March 2022 at the roadshow, you are entitled to get yourself a free OPPO Watch Free. When you purchase the OPPO Reno7 series devices, you are also entitled to a 50% discount as well for the OPPO Watch Free and OPPO Enco Air2 from OPPO Brand Outlets. For more information on the OPPO Reno7 series smartph0ones, you can head over to OPPO’s website.
While the Panasonic Lumix line-up cameras may not be a popular choice for photographers, it is a well-known name in the content creation industry still. That was all thanks to the Panasonic GH4, their first micro four thirds camera with 4K resolution video recording. It was so popular even larger scale production would use the GH4 as a B Camera or stick it in places where space is a premium. We know that BBC were using the GH4 to get certain footages in one of their most popular motoring show, Top Gear.
The compact, high-resolution video capable camera was then replaced with the Panasonic Lumix GH5 which also proved popular among content creators. It packed more resolution than before at 20.3-Megapixel versus the original 16. It still shot at 4K resolution, but now it shoots at 4:2:2 10-bit colours internally, a feature most professional videographers would appreciate. It packs some new features like a speedier auto focus mechanism to make it a better all-around camera than before.
Today, there is a follow up to the GH5. Meet the Panasonic Lumix GH6, the new standard in compact DSLRs.
Source: Panasonic
Like its predecessors, the Panasonic Lumix GH6 packs a micro four thirds sensor. If you have not known yet, micro four thirds sensor are smaller than APS-C sensors developed by Olympus. But it also packs more resolution than before at 25.2-Megapixel over the older 20. Like before as well, it is a mirrorless camera. There are a few new things on this new camera that might you consider swapping your GH5 for one of these too.
Aside from the higher Megapixel count, the video recording capabilities also got a massive upgrade. The sensor now can shoot videos at a maximum resolution of 5.7K at up to 60p. It still shoots at 4K if you want it to, but now at up to 120p for those satisfying slow-motion videos. Of course, you can record your videos if you want with unlimited video recording on the GH6, like its predecessors. You also get 4:2:2 10-bit colours like before, which is always a big welcome when colour contrast is important. You can even record at Apple ProRes HQ codec, important for the professional workflow these days.
Shooting videos without a gimbal or some form of stabiliser is usually frowned upon, even with the stellar video stabilisation mechanism built into cameras these days. That may not be a problem with the GH6 since it features 7.5-stops in their lens correction and stabilisation mechanism. With enough practice, you might just be okay leaving the gimbal behind.
Source: Panasonic
You might be thinking of packing even lighter without your external monitor too since the rotating monitor now features tilt function to make it even more versatile. This allows your monitor to swing around freely even if an HDMI or USB cable is attached to the side of the camera. On that subject, this takes on a full HDMI TypeA cable and a USB Type-C cable for external recording or monitors.
A powerful video camera needs to record on a speedy medium. For that, the Panasonic GH6 can take on a CFExpress Type B memory card and a regular SD card. You can program the videos to shoot on the faster medium while photos can be stored in the regular SD card for example. If photos are not your thing, your SD card can work as a redundancy for your videos too. It is always good to have backups.
All of these will not work though if you do not have a powerful enough processor. For that, Panasonic introduced the Venus engine. Because this is a video first camera, the Venus is made with improved video capabilities like Intelligent Detail Processing and 3D Noise Reduction. It also offers better video output, hence the 5.7K capability.
The Panasonic Lumix GH6 is now available in select regions. There are no confirmations on when the Panasonic Lumix GH6 will come to Malaysia just yet. Currently, the Panasonic Lumix GH6 body retails for AU$ 3,699 (MYR 11,127*), more than some of the full-frame cameras you can get your hands on today. It is a piece of kit that even professionals stand by though. more information on the Panasonic Lumix GH6 can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on the conversion rate of AU$ 1 = MYR 3.01 as of 22/02/2022 on xe.com
Two years ago in 2020, Google and Valve made a small but significant decision that would bring Chrome OS to the next level. With the introduction of Intel’s 10th generation Core processors, Google says that they are working on bringing Steam on the platform. If you have not known what Steam is yet, they are the largest game library in the known world. When we say game library, they are also an online game store that brought about the revolution of how we play and buy games today. Instead of buying physical copies, Steam brought about the age of digital copies of games; meaning you do not need CDs or DVDs to run your games anymore. That is why plenty of new notebooks and even pre-built PCs does not come with a disk tray anymore.
The announcement was made two years ago though, and we have not seen a single hint of Steam coming to Chrome OS since then. Until 9to5 Google uncovered something, that is. Apparently, things have already been swinging for quite some time now in the works of bringing Steam to Chrome OS and the latest development update came in January 2022. A developer commented on the processes they are working on and a sort of expected timeline for the project.
According to 9to5 Google the changelog that they were going through has introduced a list of supposedly supported Chromebooks and some minimum requirements. Of course, the Chromebooks listed are not named outrightly. From the codenames they have, it can be determined which Chromebooks are supposed to be getting Steam support. Most of them for now comes from Acer and ASUS.
Lindar – Unknown/unreleased Chromebook from Lenovo
The minimum requirement listed on the changelog also mentions that the Chromebook needs to have at least an 11th Generation Intel Core i5 processor and more than 7GB of RAM. So far, the specs reserved for Steam on Chromebooks are higher-end Chromebooks. But this is also a form of good news for Chrome OS fans.
With the introduction of Steam on top of Chrome OS also means that there will be a new breed of gamers that plays games on Chrome OS. NVIDIA is already working closely with Google and MediaTek to be more present in the development of and for Chrome OS. They are also working on a discrete GPU for Chrome OS, albeit for very specific use cases, for some time now. At the same time, the list of supported hardware is still expanding. There are already evidence showing that even AMD’s newer chips might be on the support list soon. A few of Google’s Chrome OS partners have also revealed that they are working on RGB versions of their Chromebooks. Would we see Steam pre-installed or supported by then? We do not know, only time will tell. But we are looking forward.
Yesterday, news broke about Spotify making two more acquisitions. To be fair, it was more like Spotify announcing that they are making two more acquisitions for themselves. No, it is not really because they have excess cash in hand. It is more because the two acquisitions might just seal Spotify’s position as the king platform for podcasts.
The two companies that Spotify is acquiring are Podsights, and Chartable. Both acquisitions would see the technologies they offer integrate with Spotify’s or enhance their current platform. But you as a consumer might not immediately see the effects of the acquisition. At least, you might not immediately see it directly anyway.
Podsights, according to Spotify, is a leading podcast advertising measurement service provider. It is supposed to ensure that advertisers get more accurate advertising data on podcasts. In short, it is a sort of Google AdSense for podcasts.
Then there is Chartable, a podcast analytics tool provider. The tool allows podcasters to see data regarding their podcast audiences. This would help publishers understand their audiences better and produce more accurate information regarding their podcast. They can even make more informed decisions regarding their podcasts in that case. This would be like the Google Analytics for podcasts.
In a sense, these tools are not really made for end-users in mind. The two new technologies that Spotify will be acquiring exists to allow Spotify’s podcaster’s easy access to tools that could help them make their podcast better, and to even grow their podcasts in different ways. It could help advertisers understand how their ads work on podcasts as well, allowing them to make better decisions on the way they design their ads, or where to place them.
While the technologies attached with the companies Spotify aims to acquire are tailored for podcast, the audio streaming company sees application beyond podcasts. They aim to bring the technology to their full suite of services. This includes their music streaming and eventually videos as well. What they are saying is that they are going to introduce more targeted ads in their music streaming platform soon.
All this not only points to better podcast experience, but also better monetisation opportunities for podcasters. It also means that advertisers get more accurate data and would eventually be willing to spend more on ads within podcasts, music, and videos on Spotify itself. Of course, all this also means more money for Spotify. But beyond that, it ensures that Spotify’s podcasters stay with Spotify and grow with the platform. It will also attract more podcasters to be on the platform, which is always a win situation for Spotify.
The acquisition announcement currently is still merely that, an announcement. There are no mentions on how much the leading music streaming firm is spending on these two acquisitions. They also mentioned that Podsights will be operating as an entity independent from the team in Spotify. Their technologies will still be integrated in the platform’s podcast tools, we are guessing. The reason for the independence is most likely since Podsights have their own list of clienteles currently. For more information on the new acquisitions, you can head over to their blog.
Our memory is still fresh with Samsung’s Galaxy S22 launch earlier this month. If you have been living under a shell; yes, it is the year 2022 and Samsung has launched their latest sequel to one of the most successful line-ups of Android devices in the world. The Samsung Galaxy S22 is here and will come to your doorways on the 3rd of March 2022.
It does not seem like Samsung is done launching devices though. They have just announced that they will be making another appearance alongside MWC 2022. On the 27th of February 2022, Samsung is making another round of announcements and inevitably launch a few products. The public invite on their website says that the event will be streamed LIVE on their YouTube channel at 7.00 p.m. CET (2.00 a.m. 28th of February 2022 Malaysia Time). They have also released some graphics with the date announcement and said that the graphics will be representative of what they are launching in late February.
We eyed a smartphone, tablet, the S Pen, a wearable, the Z Fold and Z Flip, and a laptop. Considering Samsung just launched their new smartphone and tablet, we doubt they will be releasing anymore of those anytime soon. In that case we probably can expect Samsung to launch a new wearable maybe, or a new notebook PC in that case.
There is also a small chance that Samsung might announce the inclusion of their smartphones and wearables in their Bespoke program. In that case, you might be able to buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 in a very special colour of your own for example. Then again, this is all speculations.
We could all be wrong, and Samsung might just launch a whole new line-up of smarthome products. This is MWC though, so we think that is highly improbably too. Samsung is being a little vague on this event.
Whatever it is, we will only find out in their second major announcement of the year in their MWC 2022 event. Again, you can watch their announcement on their YouTube channel on the 27th of February 2022 at 7.00 p.m CET (28th of February 2022 at 2.00 a.m. Kuala Lumpur time). If you want to know more about this event, you can head over to their website.
