Category Archives: News

MSI Goes AMD Advantage with Latest Radeon RX 6000M GPU

December 6, 2021 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

A few months ago, Lisa Su took the stage to introduce a few new things for AMD. They launched their new line-up of GPUs, the Radeon RX GPUs that is set to rival the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series cards. In that announcement, they have also introduced a new standard for gaming laptops. Where Intel has their Intel EVO platform for their thin-and-light notebooks, AMD has the AMD Advantage.

If you have not known what AMD Advantage is just yet, let us quickly get you acquainted with AMD’s ‘Gold Standard’ in gaming laptops. The AMD Advantage standard is simply AMD’s own standards in gaming laptops. It simply means that the gaming laptop you are going to buy is powered by AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 series CPU that is also paired with an AMD Radeon RX series GPUs.

‘AMD Advantage’ does have a nice ring to it. There is a problem however, not every manufacturer was ready to jump on board. Plenty of them have stuck to the model of a high-performing AMD processor that is paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series GPU. Until now that is with MSI.

MSI has just launched their new Delta 15, Alpha 15, and Bravo 15 line-up of gaming laptops. You might have guessed it; these are AMD Advantage certified gaming laptops. Yes, they are all AMD.

MSI Delta 15

Source: MSI
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The Delta 15 is the newest addition to MSI’s family of high-performance gaming laptops. It will also be MSI’s highest end AMD Advantage gaming laptops available at this point. You can spec it with up to an AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX CPU. Graphics is handled by AMD’s own Radeon RX 6700M, as promised by the AMD Advantage moniker. The 15-inch display pushes Full HD resolution to your eyes at 240Hz refresh rate. This also means that the AMD powered Delta 15 will be the most powerful AMD Advantage 15-inch gaming laptop there is currently.

MSI Alpha 15

Source: MSI
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Below the high-end Delta series comes the Alpha 15. Instead of AMD’s all-powerful Ryzen 9 or 7 series CPUs though, the Alpha 15 comes with a humble and powerful AMD Ryzen 5 5600H CPU. While it may not sound like much, the AMD Ryzen 5 still packs a lot of punch. That is especially when it is paired to the AMD Radeon RX 6600M GPU handling graphics out of the 15.6-inch Full HD display that refreshes at 144Hz.

MSI Bravo 15

Source: MSI
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For the mode budget conscious, you can get your hands on the MSI Bravo 15 series. It is no slouch though. You still can get the power of AMD’s Ryzen 7 5800H CPU. You are not getting the Radeon RX 6000M series graphics prowess though. Instead, graphics is handled by a humble AMD Radeon 5500M GPU instead. You still get Full HD out of the 15.6-inch display as well.

Price and Availability

The new AMD Advantage gaming laptops are already available in Malaysia. You can get your hands on one from their website. The all-new MSI Delta 15 starts at MYR 7,899, the updated Alpha 15 starts at MYR 5,299, while the Bravo 15 starts at MYR 3,949.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

OPPO Reno6 Z 5G Gets Special Shiseido Collaboration

December 1, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

The OPPO Reno6 series of smartphones has been available for a little bit now. Being a Reno device, the main focus was its camera and its many portrait photo features. That said, OPPO is now partnering up with what they call “the perfect partner” – Shiseido. Shiseido is one of many renown cosmetic brands that have been focusing on creating and delivering products which allow anyone to look their best; and – as OPPO put it, “when Shiseido helps you look your best, the OPPO Reno6 Z helps you capture your best portrait pictures!”.

OPPO and Shiseido will be launching a special version of the OPPO Reno6 Z 5G which will be coming with a specially designed box filled with Shiseido goodies to complement the smartphone. The limited edition gift box comes in the Reno6’s signature, irridescent Reno Glow Aurora finish. Inside, you will find the Reno6 Z 5G, a limited edition OPPO x Shiseido phone case and the an OPPO x Shiseido Gift Box filled with goodies.

The special edition gift box will be going on sale for MYR1,699 – the regular price of a Reno6 Z. It is currently available for pre-order from OPPO’s online store. The first 300 pre-orders will also get an additional Shiseido Synchro Skin Radiant Lifting Foundation worth MYR210. This is on top of the already included gift box worth MYR450. The limited edition will be available on shelves starting on 2 December 2021.

OPPO launched the Reno6 Z 5G earlier in August 2021. The smartphone comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 800U. This is paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. More importantly, the OPPO Reno6 Z comes with a triple camera sensor on the back; a 64-megapixel main sensor complemented by an 8-megapixel wide sensor and a 2-megapixel macro sensor. On the front, the smartphone is equipped with a 32-megapixel selfie camera.

News

Here Comes A New Challenger! Boost Makan brings Food Delivery to the eWallet

November 30, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

If there’s one thing anyone would tell you about Malaysians it’s that we love our food! That could be why it seems like every truly Malaysian app has forayed into the food delivery space. The latest app to do that is a very unassuming one – Boost eWallet. Boost is one of three major eWallets in Malaysia. They have also been one of the most experimental partnering with services like Samsung Pay.

It looks like the next adventure for the eWallet will be in the field of food delivery. The new service brings together Boost, its merchant partners and delivery partners in a joint venture that can take on current players. In fact, Boost is leveraging its high merchant adoption by making it easy for their current merchants to get on to the new service. Keep in mind, Boost has not only been working with shops and retail outlets, they have also been working with pasar malam vendors and hawkers. This could give the platform the upper hand when it comes to food choice.

To make things even more appealing, merchants are promised low platform fees and reliable delivery partners. In addition to this, Boost is also committing to quick turnover for payment settlements. At the time of announcement, they have committed to a 2-day turnover.

The Boost Makan service is also one of the most versatile apps when it comes to food service. Users can choose from delivery, pick up, drive thru or walk-in. Deliveries will list offerings from restaurants and merchants in a 20km radius from the user’s location. While pick up and drive-thru will need users to head to the merchant’s location. The latter gives the added advantage of being “delivered” the items as the merchant will be able to recognise user’s vehicles. Walk-in will allow merchants to provide customers with a contactless option for patrons to place their order.

Boost Makan is having a special promotion in conjunction with their launch. Users who place orders on Boost will be entitled to MYR5 cashback with their order. Merchants, on the other hand, will receive an MYR50 merchant incentive upon registered Boost Makan.

Android, Mobile, News

Samsung Silently Reveals the Galaxy A03 & the Galaxy A03 Core

November 30, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Samsung’s A series just got a little broader with the company silently announcing two new entries. The new entries seem to be meant for the entry-level segment. The addition of the new Galaxy A03 and Galaxy A03 core seems to bring even more choice when it comes to the lower end of the A series.

The new Samsung Galaxy A03 comes with an unnamed octa-core processor and up to 4GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. On the display side of things, the smartphone comes with a 6.5-inch display with an HD+ resolution. The camera setup of the Galaxy A03 is a dual-sensor setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor with an f/1.8 aperture and a 2-megapixel depth sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh battery. It also has support for Dolby Atmos.

Together with the A03, Samsung also silently listed the Galaxy A03 Core on its website. As the name suggests, the A03 Core is a stripped-down version of the A03. It looks to be coming with the same processor with a lower 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage. It also has the bare essentials when it comes to the camera setup with a single 8-megapixel sensor with autofocus on the back and a single 5-megapixel fixed-focus sensor on the front.

It’s more than likely that the phones will be running on OneUI Core – Samsung’s barebones version of their OneUI OS. It will likely ship with no frills and features like other higher-end devices but focus on the bare essentials.

Pricing & Availability

The Galaxy A03 will be available in blue, red and black. The A03 Core, on the other hand, will be available in Black and Blue only.

Samsung hasn’t announced any pricing or availability just yet.

News

Spotify Retiring Car View

November 30, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Spotify looks to be retiring its simplified UI for drivers. The Car View mode was initially announced in 2019 as a way to prevent drivers from being distracted while driving. Spotify’s approach was to strip away most of the superfluous elements on the UI giving users a simplified UI. The UI basically only allowed users to do basic actions like skip, pause and rewind when activated.

However, it looks like Car View is being removed from the app. Android users will realise that Car View no longer launches when connected to a Bluetooth speaker. The removal of Car View from the Spotify app was confirmed by a support thread moderator. In the statement, the moderator said that the feature is being retired to “make way for new innovations” and that they are “actively exploring a variety of new ways to deliver the best in-car listening experience”.

While the retiring of the feature seems counter-intuitive, it isn’t really a handicap to the app as users are also able to interact with app via Google Assistant or, if you have a car with CarPlay or Android Auto, you can simply use the app in the dash. However, the timing of Spotify’s move to silently retire the feature is a little sus. The company only just recently released “Car Thing” a display device meant for older vehicles. The device delivers a similar experience to users who can’t use in-dash apps. That said, the USD$80 device is currently only available in the U.S. and Canada.

We’ll just have to wait and see whether a new version of Car View is in the works.

Android, Mobile, News

OPPO’s Reno7 Series Officially Unveiled in China

November 30, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

OPPO’s Reno series seems to spawn more and more iterations. Barely six months after the release of the OPPO Reno 6 series, the company has officially unveiled the OPPO Reno 7 series in mainland China. The new version of the Reno smartphones continues to inherit the line’s focus on photography and remains firmly in the mid-range territory.

The new OPPO Reno 7 series comes with an all-new design that ditches curves in favour of a more blocky design. However, the first thing you will notice isn’t the overall design, but the camera module which has been totally redesigned. The new Reno 7 series has three entries (for now): the Reno 7 5G, the Reno 7 Pro 5G and the Reno 7 SE 5G. Yep – that’s right – the whole Reno series now comes with 5G connectivity.

Reno7 Pro 5G

The other big change that OPPO has made is the notification LED which is now surrounding the camera on the Reno 7 Pro 5G. If you’ve been an Android user since the beginning, you’d be familiar with the notification LED. This has in recent years become smaller and smaller and even disappeared on some devices. However, with the Reno 7 Pro, the light is now making a unique comeback around the camera module of the smartphone.

The Reno 7 Pro comes with a Mediatek Dimensity 1200-Max with either 8GB or 12GB of RAM paired with 256GB of internal storage. It has a 6.55-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with HDR10+ and Gorilla Glass 5. The display also has a 90Hz refresh rate.

When it comes to the camera, the Reno 7 Pro 5G comes with a triple camera module. The main sensor on the module is a 50-megapixel Sony IMX 766 with an f/1.6 aperture. This is complemented by an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture and a 2-megapixel macro sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. The selfie camera is a 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 sensor with an f/2.4 aperture.

The 4,500 mAh battery powering the smartphone is also capable of 65W fast charging. It also has an in-display fingerprint scanner.

Reno7 5G

The Reno7 5G will be powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G. This is complemented by 8GB or 12GB of RAM with up to 256GB of internal storage. It will have a 6.43-inch AMOLED display with FHD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate as well Corning Gorilla Glass 5.

On the camera front, the main triple sensor setup replaces the 50-megapixel Sony IMX766 with a 64-megapixel sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. It still retains the same macro and ultrawide sensor. On the front, is the same 32-megapixel Sony IMX709 sensor. The Reno 7 5G will be powered by a 4,500mAh battery but will only support 60W fast charging.

Reno7 SE 5G

The Reno7 SE, on the other hand, will be powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 900 paired with 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of internal storage. It also has the same 6.43-inch display as the Reno 7.

On the camera front, however, the Reno 7 comes with a triple camera module with the 48-megapixel Sony IMX581 sensor as the main sensor. This is complemented with a 2-megapixel macro sensor and a 2-megapixel portrait sensor. On the front is a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471.

The SE is powered by a 4,500mAh battery with support 33W fast charging.

Pricing & availability

The series will be running Android 12 based ColorOS12. All variants will be available in Morning Gold, Midnight Black and Star Rain Wish (Blue).

The Reno 7 Pro will be available for CN¥3,699 (MYR2,450.41) for the 8GB + 128GB version and CN¥3,999 (MYR2,649.15) for the 12GB + 256GB version.

The Reno 7 will be available in three variants. The 8GB + 128GB version will cost CN¥2,699 (MYR1,787.88), the 8GB + 256GB version will cost CN¥2,999 (MYR1,986.61) while the 12GB + 256GB version will cost CN¥3,299 (MYR2,185.34).

The Reno 7 SE will be available in 8GB +128GB and 8GB+256GB versions. The former will cost CN¥ 2,199 (MYR1,456.67) while the latter will be priced at CN¥ 2,399 (MYR1,589.39).

Android, Mobile, News

Samsung’s DeX Bids Windows 7 & MacOS Good Bye

November 30, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Samsung’s DeX is one of the most useful additions to the Samsung ecosystem since the S Pen. The platform allows users to multitask seamlessly with their Windows or Mac systems in tandem with their Samsung device. It was first introduced with the Galaxy S8 and continues to be a cornerstone feature in any Samsung device.

That said, the feature – which turns a Samsung smartphone or tablet into a portable computer – seems to be making its first cut to keep up with the times. Samsung’s DeX will be halting support for Windows 7 come January 2022. This comes as no surprise as Microsoft themselves has marked Windows 7, 8 and 8.1 for support termination in the near future. If you’re on Windows 10 or later, you won’t have to worry about this change.

In addition to ending support for Windows 7, it looks like MacOS users who have a Samsung device will also be out of luck as Mac OS support will also be dropped come January 2022. Users have been getting a pop up notice from the app stating that support is ending for the app and it will not be available for download starting January 2022. No clarification or explanation has been given for the ending of support for MacOS.

Samsung DeX MacOS pop up Reddit — Source: Reddit

If you haven’t used Samsung DeX, it’s one of the first iterations of screen/device mirroring that made its way to Android. The feature allows users to connect their smartphones and/or tablets to a screen via HDMI or to a PC through WiFi. Once connected users will be able to access a desktop version of OneUI with support drag and drop file transfers.

Business, Lifestyle, News

DJI Opens Its First Experience Store Premium in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

November 26, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

DJi is no stranger to any drone or video enthusiast. The company has made a name for itself being one of the foremost in the industry when it comes to drones and possibly gimbals. It seems like DJI has been busy expanding its market presence in recent months.

The latest addition to their belt? A new “Experience Store Premium” in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur right in the heart of Malaysia’s capital. The new store will be host to the complete arsenal of products from DJI including its consumer, pro-sumer and professional products. You’ll be able to touch and feel products like the recently announced DJI Mavic 3, the DJI FPV and the DJI Action 2. Professional will also be able to get their hands on equipment like the DJI RS 2 and DJI RSC 2.

The Experience store isn’t just a retail outlet for DJI, it will also be a place users can go to to get the devices serviced as well as customer support. Customers will be able to walk in and consult their brand specialists for tips, tricks and advise on buying their next DJI device.

To celebrate the launch of their store, DJI is offering special prices on select devices on 28th November 2021 at 10AM. The promotion is limited to their first 50 customers. The devices going on offer are:

Device	Retail Price (MYR)	Offer Price (MYR)
DJI Tello	499.00	399.00
DJI OM4	459.00	379.00
DJI Mini SE	1,199.00	1,349.00
DJI FPV Combo	5,299.00	4,299.00
DJI Mavic 3 + Bag	–	9,999.00

DJI is also having a snap and win contest where you’ll be able to win one of ten mystery prizes by simply snapping a picture of yourself at the DJI Experience Store Premium in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur and posting to social media with the hashtags #DJIGrandOpening #DJIPavilion and tagging the official DJI Malaysia pages.

Business, Lifestyle, News

AvePoint Edutech Empowers Integrated Online Learning in Six Singaporean Institutes of Higher Learning

November 26, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

If the pandemic proved one thing – it’s that a majority of education systems and institutions currently available are ill-equipped for online-based learning. However, six of Singapore’s Institutions of Higher Learning are looking to change that with the appointment of AvePoint, Inc. by Temasek Polytechnic to deploy its integrated training platform. The project will provide over 100,000 learners access to a catalogue of 44,000 courses in a fully digital and hybrid manner.

AvePoint, Inc. will be deploying their AvePoint EduTech platform which is one of the only software as a service (SaaS) platforms for education and training that integrates directly with Microsoft’s suite of applications. It integrates directly into Microsoft Teams – which comes pre-installed in Windows 11 – and other Microsoft 365 services and applications to provide a seamless experience to both teaching staff and learners.

AvePoint Edutech will be providing these six institutions of higher learning with a holistic, integrated solution that covers multiple facets of online and hybrid learning. Edutech is geared to ending the dilemma of jumping from one platform to another for a single function. Students and teaching staff won’t need to jump from Blackboard to WhatsApp to ProctorU for the complete suite of functions to effectively deliver lessons. Edutech’s three components: Curricula, Examena and Vitae allow all these functions to be managed seamlessly on one platform.

Using Microsoft’s Azure backbone and Kubernetes, Avepoint Inc. has simplified and containerised its offering to cater to the unique needs of every institution. They have also leveraged Azure Cognitive Service and Microsoft AI to deliver some of their more complex features. The Azure Cognitive Service is deployed in Examena to help prevent cheating as well as to verify student identity while Microsoft AI’s natural language processing is applied in Curricula where teaching staff can easily generate assessments and quizzes based on lectures. Group messaging and communication also leverages Azure by integrating directly with Microsoft Teams.

Microsoft’s Azure platform also allows better management of data. User information, classes and even profiles are secured in encrypted data lakes making it harder for malicious actors to access. More importantly, Azure’s services allow AvePoint Inc. to rapidly deploy and adapt services to the needs of each institution.

The deployment of AvePoint Edutech is expected to be completed by 2023.

Advertorial, Lifestyle, News

Xiaomi’s ROIDMI Eve Plus Robot Vacuum Gets MYR400 Discount on Shopee

November 26, 2021 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Xiaomi has been extending its reach into the realm of IoT in recent years. The company has developed and released many different offerings that cater to different segments and use cases. One of their most popular is home appliances. They have been busy developing everything from TVs to robot vacuums.

ROIDMI is one of their foremost offerings when it comes to robot vacuums. The new Eve Plus version of the robot vacuum is one which can not only vacuum but mop floors. It comes with a 2,700pa suction which is stronger than most of the competing brands.

In addition the vacuum also brings some of the latest in mapping and navigation technologies. The LDS 4.0 navigation technology allows it to detect, recognise and map terrain better than before. These features work together with the MiJia or Mi Home app to enable customised cleaning plans. You can even get it to clean on demand by using voice activation with Amazon’s Alexa and Google Assistant.

The ROIDMI Eve Plus Robot Vacuum come with a 5,200mAh battery which gives it a 250 minutes run time. If it runs out of battery midway cleaning, it will simply return to the dock and pick up where it left off after recharging. The dock also allows the vacuum to empty itself. It holds up to 60 days of waste in its 3-litre dust bag before needing to be emptied. The 250ml water tank that is built-in to the ROIDMI Eve Plus allows it to mop up stains while cleaning.

The Eve Plus Robot Vacuum is one of the only available that is able to sterilize and disinfect air that is sucked up and released by the vacuum. The activated oxygen system is able to kill 99.9% of bacteria including E.coli, S.aureus and even the fungus C.albicans. Air released by the vacuum is also clear of toxic chemicals such as benzenes, ammonia and formaldehydes.

The vacuum will be available on Shopee for a limited time offer of MYR400 off its retail price. It will be available MYR1,588 for a year’s warranty. The premium warranty is available for MYR1,988. This includes a 1-to-1 replacement should there be anything wrong with the ROIDMI Eve Plus.

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Category Archives: News

MSI Goes AMD Advantage with Latest Radeon RX 6000M GPU

MSI Delta 15

MSI Alpha 15

MSI Bravo 15

Price and Availability

OPPO Reno6 Z 5G Gets Special Shiseido Collaboration

Here Comes A New Challenger! Boost Makan brings Food Delivery to the eWallet

Samsung Silently Reveals the Galaxy A03 & the Galaxy A03 Core

Pricing & Availability

Spotify Retiring Car View

OPPO’s Reno7 Series Officially Unveiled in China

Reno7 Pro 5G

Reno7 5G

Reno7 SE 5G

Pricing & availability

Samsung’s DeX Bids Windows 7 & MacOS Good Bye

DJI Opens Its First Experience Store Premium in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur

AvePoint Edutech Empowers Integrated Online Learning in Six Singaporean Institutes of Higher Learning

Xiaomi’s ROIDMI Eve Plus Robot Vacuum Gets MYR400 Discount on Shopee

Tech Your Way