When Google introduces the Chrome OS and the Chromebooks along with it, everyone was kind of thrilled. Finally, a new operating system (OS) that could take on the giants that are Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s Mac OS, even Linux maybe. Sadly, it was not to be that way and the Chrome OS turned out to be something completely different.
The Chrome OS has grown into something completely different though. It has grown into a unique OS that proved popular amongst schools and students because of its simplicity. Because its interface mimics that off an Android smartphone as well, but for a bigger screen, navigation is much more intuitive as well.
The Chrome OS started out as a completely web-based OS which would require you to be constantly online to make it function. Google’s Play Store has added plenty of offline capabilities to Chrome OS and allow the Chromebook to be a productivity and learning powerhouse it is today. One of the best additions for productivity on the Chrome OS is Microsoft’s Office 365 apps like Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and even Excel.
It looks like that might change soon though. Microsoft’s Office suite will be leaving the Google Play Store from the 18th of September 2021 onward. That also means that apps like outlook will not be supported on Chrome OS. Microsoft claims that the move of removing their apps from Google Play Store is a part of their effort to optimise the Microsoft experience on the Chrome OS and Chromebook.
You still can access Microsoft’s suite of apps online though. Outlook.com and Office.com will still be available via web and signing into Microsoft account should be a breeze. The only problem is that you must be constantly online for that though. At the same time, the web experience is different compared to the Android App version.
Alternatively, there are Google’s G Suite apps still available on Chrome OS. Of course, with the Chrome OS, the native Google Apps should feel a little more optimised and seamless with your Google account. At the same time, you have an offline experience with G Suite apps on Chromebooks.
Xiaomi is no stranger to the mobile and tech market. The company has built an empire spanning smartphones to smart home items and it achieved this in a relatively short time. The company emerged and grew in the span of a little over a decade. In fact, Malaysia’s first Xiaomi device was the popular Mi 3. It’s been nearly a decade since – and it looks like things are about to change.
According to a statement to XDA Developers, it looks like Xiaomi will be streamlining its branding. As part of the move, it looks like the “Mi” branding that we know and love is going to be retired. In its statement, the company highlighted that the recently announced MIX 4 was the first device to have its new, streamlined branding.
The move to retire their “MI” branding marks a close in a very important chapter in Xiaomi’s history as it moves to be a more international company from its humble beginnings. Xiaomi’s first product wasn’t a smartphone – it was MIUI, the Android fork that is now a hallmark feature of all its products. Today, the company has become one of the largest smartphone manufacturers in the world with a smartphone literally built for everyone.
With the retirement of the “Mi” brand, new flagships will come under their “Xiaomi” name. This should bolster the recognition of their brand worldwide. However, Xiaomi now has the task of differentiating itself in a market saturated by so many. In addition, it also has POCO and Redmi under its belt. The two brands are wildly popular in their segments but do little when it comes to Xiaomi’s branding.
Xiaomi now has the behemoth task of maintaining its dominance in the mobile space. The market has always been ruled by big guns like Apple and Samsung. However, just recently, Xiaomi dethroned the companies as the largest OEM in the world.
3There is a huge debate between Google Maps and Waze users. Google Maps users prefer the cleaner looking interface with the enormous amount of detail you can get on their display without making their smartphone look like a mess of squiggly lines. You even get Google to tell you which lanes you need to take. Waze also adopted the lane guidance system by Google toward the end of last year, which was a hugely welcome addition to the app. Waze was one of the first few apps in the industry to allow for real-time traffic tracking and rely on user inputs to analyse traffic situations. But in some sense, its UI feels a little more clunky than the plain and clean looking Google Maps.
Since Waze added the lane guidance feature that was vital to Google Maps’ popularity though, it seems that Waze is leaping ahead. They had features that helped users really plan their journey out, complete with an estimate cost of the journey. Waze, at one point, was the only reliable app you could use to estimate your toll payment costs. Google Maps is now taking a backseat. Ironically, Waze is owned by Google as well.
Google Maps might be able to regain some foothold though with an upcoming feature to mimic Waze’s toll cost feature. In that sense, now you can use your Google Maps to really plan out your journey, costs included.
Since Waze’s acquisition, the Google Maps and Waze apps have been getting numerous updates that adds functionality in one way or another. While Waze’s app development has been largely driven by its users, Google Maps takes a slightly different approach. Still, some functions from Google Maps will make way into Waze and vice versa.
The feature update that is touted to come in the coming weeks is supposed to show estimated toll prices alongside the drive route. Before this, Google Maps recognises the existence of tolls on its route but does not display its estimated cost. Before you pick a route on Google Maps too, the app will tell you that you are going to be taking a route with tolls on the way. The update is expected to finally tell you how much you might need to spend for tolls on the route of your choosing. There are no clear indications on how Google Maps plan to collect toll price data for this function. The best guess is that Google would be using collected user data for the function to work. Or Google could just completely rip the feature off from Waze and dunk it into their app.
Whatever it is, it can only mean good things for users at both ends. Being able to plan your routes accordingly and accurately is not just important to cut down your travel times, but also important in making your journey a less painful one with a certain amount of predictability. In that case, we are looking forward to Google Maps finally having some new features. Google Maps and Waze are both available for free on Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
Google launched the Google Pixel 5a last week on the 17ht of August 2021. Of course, the launch of a new Google Pixel is quite expected. The Google Flagship will also come with Google’s latest and greatest Android 12 with Material You design that had been the focus point in Google I/O earlier in the year.
Since Google has moved away from flagship level hardware, the Google Pixel has known to be some of the most remarkably average devices out in the wild with a reasonably modest price tag. The Google Pixel 5a is no different in recipe. You can pre-order it at US$ 449 (MYR 1,899*) , which is not a lot of money for a modern smartphone.
For that money though, you are still getting a remarkable device. It still packs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G System on a Chip (SoC) that you saw on the Pixel 5. Of course, that chip is also a 5G capable chip allowing the Pixel 5a to be 5G ready, as before. Oddly enough though, instead of the 8GB of RAM you find on the Google Pixel 5, the Google Pixel 5a only packs 6GB of RAM. This could also be due to Google’s own optimisation on Android 12 that makes it kinder to RAM usage on your smartphones. Alongside the 6GB though you get 128GB in built-in storage, same as before, and Dual SIM capabilities just as before.
Source: Google
You also get the same camera set up as before. The Pixel 5a sports a 12-Megapixel camera out the back together with a 16-Megapixel ultrawide camera. It does not sport a triple camera module, but the pair of cameras that comes with the Pixel 5a are essentially the most frequently used pair in modern smartphones anyway.
There are a few additional things you will find on the Google Pixel 5a that makes it an upgrade compared to the Pixel 5 though. It has a beefier battery at 4,680 mAh, 600 mAh bigger than the Pixel 5. The sad part is that the Pixel 5a does not offer wireless charging support here.
You also get a larger display on the Google Pixel 5a. The new Google reference smartphone now has a 6.34-inch Full HD+ OLED display instead of the measly 6.0-inch of the previous device. There are no mentions on its refresh rate though.
Source: Google
You still charge your device via the USB Type-C port. As mentioned, you do not get wireless charging. However, you do get a 3.5mm AUX jack, which is always a good option. Of course, the device is also water and dust resistant with IP67 certification.
Alongside the announcement that Google Pixel 5a will be available though, Google also made an announcement that the older Pixel devices will be discontinued. That also means that the arrival of the Google Pixel 5a will mark the departure of the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G.
The news came out first on Digital Trends. A spokesperson that spoke to Digital Trends is expecting the Google Pixel 4a 5G variant and Pixel 5 will sell out in the coming weeks following the launch of the new Google Pixel 5a. The launch of the Google Pixel 5a obviously drives down the prices of the older devices a that makes them a lot more affordable and attractive options as low-cost devices.
Source: Google
There are speculations that Google is discontinuing the Google Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a 5G mostly due to the chip shortage that is happening globally. Amidst the launch of the Google Pixel 5a too, Google has been teasing their upcoming premium devices, the Google Pixel 6 series that is supposed to come with Google’s very own Tensor chip. The Google designed chip marks a departure from their long-standing dependence and exclusive partnership with Qualcomm. The new chip is also supposedly co-developed and manufactured by Samsung, which is now the largest chipmaker in the world.
In that case, it could be Google streamlining their product line-up to prepare for the Google Pixel 6 series coming later this year, or early next year. Of course, a more streamlined product is always more beneficial to manufacturers in keeping their warehousing costs lower. At the same time, a smaller product range also means lower production costs while allowing Google to ensure that their production line can keep up with demands.
There is more bad news though. While Google said that the Google Pixel 5 will start shipping by 26th of August, the device will not be hitting shelves near you anytime soon or ever if you live outside of the United States (US) and Japan. There are plenty of options for devices that costs around the same amount of money though, so it is not like you are losing out all that much on the Google Pixel 5a.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.23 on xe.com as of 23/08/2021
Update: OnlyFans has reversed their decision on banning sexually explicit content. The originally cited pressure from banks has apparently be worked out. OnlyFans has only said that they have secured financial assurances to support their content creators and as much creative freedom as before.
We haven’t spoke about OnlyFans much. That is because, as novel as the platform’s visions are, it inevitably became exploited to a little more than that. The platform quickly gained popularity as a sort of “Patreon for Porn” since its boom in 2020. It became popular for all sorts of wrong reasons.
You might think that OnlyFans is mostly about paying for explicit contents, and you can be forgiven for that. Since the platform came under limelight, its most popular contents are mostly what can only be described as porn in all kinds of form. At the very least, you can pay your way to getting photos of naked people on the platform.
The thing is, if you try to download OnlyFans for Android (OFTV) on the Google Play Store, you will find an app that is strictly SFW (safe for work). You cannot be accessing contents with naked people from the Android app at all. You can thank Google’s Play Store policies for that, Google does not want porn in their app store ecosystem.
As we have stated before, the idea behind the content subscription service is a novel one. On the OFTV app, the platform pushes differing content creators that reflects the novel idea of OnlyFans. It pushes content creators that dabbles in soft skills like cooking, crafting, and even photography for its users. That was the main idea of OnlyFans though.
Of course, OnlyFans garnered plenty of attention since it allows content creators the freedom to bring any form of contents into the platform, including sexually explicit ones. To be fair, the porn industry, in today’s day and age, is one of the most lucrative in the world. At the same time, the nature of the pandemic since 2020 has pushed the industry way forward with digital availability and demand skyrocketing.
It did not just gather the attention of users though. The platform got plenty of attention from authorities and drew plenty of criticism from everywhere. Investigators started scouring the platform for illicit contents. Critics say that the platform gives its creators too much freedom in infringing the platform’s own content guidelines.
Today is a big step for OnlyFans though since they have announced that they are no longer allowing sexually explicit contents on the platform from the 1st of October 2021 onward. The move as reportedly due to the rising pressures from OnlyFans’ bankers and investors in its recent bid to secure funding to hit US$ 1 billion in valuation. This is not the end of nudity on the platform though as OnlyFans has stated that it would allow its content to post nude contents if it complies with their content guidelines.
Of course, not all of the platform’s users would be happy with the announcement. Plenty of content creators who have kept themselves sustainable on the platform will be majorly affected by the changes that is to come October 2021 onward. On the bright side, OnlyFans could keep its lofty ideas of creating a reliable platform for its content creators to live off their contents without relying on brand sponsors or ads.
ASUS unleashed their ROG Zephyrus G14 with updated internals earlier this year in May, at least in Malaysia. The new powerhouse took over from where its predecessor left off. It packs AMD’s latest Zen 3 packed Ryzen 9 5900HS processor that maxes out at 4.3GHz. You also get NVIDIA’s power in a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU platform. The package is more than capable of powering the 14-inch QHD IPS display at 120Hz.
The ROG Zephyrus G14 platform may not be the highest-end gaming laptop you can find in ASUS ROG’s arsenal of gaming notebooks. Obviously, it is also not the most expensive you can find. But it is one of the most versatile one to have. It is the perfect size for an ultra-light and thin laptop, and it fits in most bags with little fuss. You will not be craving for more power when you need to be productive too with a powerful and efficient AMD Zen 3 architecture. Paired to NVIDIA’s GPU, editing 4K videos on-the-go is a breeze. You can even colour correct with the highly accurate display at 100% sRGB coverage.
The ROG Zephyrus G14 then is the perfect notebook for both work and play. It is a formidable laptop in a production setting. It is the perfect notebook to bear the Alan Walker name.
If you do not know who Alan Walker is, you are in for a treat. A Google search of Alan Walker should be all you need to get introduced to the popular artist. But before you start wondering if Alan Walker has anything to do with gaming, let us introduce you to Live Fast, a song he produced for PUBG Mobile, and Ghost, a soundtrack from the game Death Stranding.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The Alan Walker edition of the ROG Zephyrus G14 has to be special though. That is why ASUS shoehorned an even more powerful AMD Ryzen 5900HS that packs 8 processing cores with up to 16-threads. The Zen 3 processor should be more than enough for aspiring content creators to work with. Its superior multi-threaded performance will make short work of any creative software you can throw at it.
Getting your games on is important though, especially when you need a quick break to get the creative juices going again. The brand-new NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti GPU ensures that you have great gaming experiences on-the-road especially on the 14-inch IPS display that refreshes at 120Hz. The fun does not stop here though when it comes to Alan Walker.
Alan Walker designed the packaging of the ROG Zephyrus G14 himself. The packaging is not the regular box that merely protects the notebook though. You can connect the box to the Zephyrus G14 via a USB Type-C cable and the box turns into a unique accessory. It becomes an ROG Remix sampler that houses 18 of Alan Walker’s own sound effects. It comes complete with conductive pads on the surface for users to trigger the sound effects.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
The integration goes even deeper with a custom software developed and designed with Alan Walker and his team. The custom software allows users to start creating their own tracks or create remixes based on Alan Walker’s famous tracks.
It is an ROG product still though. You get an ROG x Alan Walker inspired animations on the ROG Zephyrus G14’s main display and its AniMe Matrix panel at the back. The animations will play accordingly based on the MIDI inputs that is selected from the Remix sampler. The notebook also comes with a custom boot animation and an exclusive Alan Walker wallpaper.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
On the surface, the Alan Walker ROG Zephyrus G14 is laced with Alan Walker’s signature colours. The ‘A’ and ‘W’ keys features the producer’s logo too. The AniMe Matrix panel comes in a unique Spectre Blue shade on this special edition. Lining the AniMe Matrix panel are two fabric belts with one belt featuring reflective texts that compliments the Matrix LED panel.
The ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker edition is scheduled to arrive in Malaysia in September 2021. There are no official pricing for the special edition gaming notebook at this time. The ROG Zephyrus G14 comes with a few special edition goodies in the package too like the baseball cap, a pair of socks, and an ROG laptop sleeve. More information on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 Alan Walker edition can be found on their website.
OPPO’s Reno6 series was recently announced. However, the series was a little incomplete without the Pro variant. Joining the OPPO Reno 6Z and the Reno 6 is the Reno 6 Pro which will be available exclusively via LAZADA.
The OPPO Reno6 Pro is the most powerful Reno yet coming with the Snapdragon 870 mobile platform. The processor is paired with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Display-wise it comes equipped with a 6.5-inch AMOLED 3D curved display. This is enhanced with a 90Hz refresh rate and up to 180Hz touch sampling.
Of course, being a Reno flagship, the Reno6 Pro comes with a quad-camera setup. The main camera is a Sony IMX766 sensor which OPPO has co-developed. This is complemented with a 16-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 13-megapixel telephoto camera and a 2-megapixel macro camera. The OPPO Reno 6 Pro also comes with a dedicated colour temperature sensor which allows it to capture more realistic colours.
Keeping with other Reno flagships, the OPPO Reno6 Pro also focuses on camera performance. OPPO has augmented the camera setup on the OPPO Reno6 Pro with AI algorithms which allow it to capture higher quality images with more detail than before. The smartphone’s camera comes with a new Bokeh Flare Portrait Video which allows users to capture video with the much sought after blurry background effect. In addition, it also has AI highlight video which allows the phone to optimize videos according to the ambient lighting of the surroundings. It also has focus tracking to keep your subject in focus throughout your video.
The smartphone is powered by a 4,500mAh battery with support for 65W SuperVOOC 2.0 charging. This will allow you to get from 0 to 100% in just 31 minutes.
Pricing & availability
The OPPO Reno6 Pro will be available in Arctic Blue and Lunar Grey. It will be retailing for MYR2,999.
Pre-orders start on 17 August 2021. Each pre-order is entitled to freebies worth up to MYR1099 including an OPPO Enco Air, 1 Year of OPPO Care Screen Damage protection and 1 year of HeyTop Cloud with 1TB of Storage space.
OPPO is also giving early adopters a chance to with Marshall products worth up to MYR5900 during their pre-order period. Every pre-order placed on LAZADA is entitled to 5 entries for this lucky draw.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 was launched earlier this year and it is the ultimate gaming smartphone with not just the most powerful smartphone processor you can find in a modern smartphone. We are talking about Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 888 5G platform here. But they squeeze up to 18GB of RAM into a smartphone. You are essentially getting the performance of a modern PC in the palm of your hands, and it still fits in your pockets.
The ASUS ROG Phone 5 packed a fast display too. At 144Hz, it is one of the fastest, if not the fastest, smartphone display you can get in a modern smartphone. It also came with one of the fastest responding displays you can find in a modern smartphone as well at 240Hz of touch sampling rate.
While all of that made the ASUS ROG Phone 5 series one of the most powerful and desirable smartphones in the market, the recipe is not unique to ASUS’ ROG Phone 5 series. Other flagship smartphones started using the same recipe in their smartphones. You still will not get RAM sizes as big as 18GB in most flagships from major manufacturers. But you will get the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G platform and even up to 512GB of storage onboard. You also get up to 240Hz touch sampling rate with displays that refreshes at up to 120Hz in most cases.
Source: ASUS
The ASUS ROG Phone 5s series takes things up a notch in power though. It now packs a specially tuned Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chipset. They call it the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888+ platform and it is marginally more powerful that its Plain Jane counterpart.
That is not all they improved though. They also made the 144Hz display a little faster to the touch. Instead of 240Hz in touch sampling, it now responds at 360Hz for an even faster 24ms latency from touch to action. It is still a Full HD+ display that measures at 6.78-inc though.
You also get mostly the same hardware as the current ASUS ROG Phone 5. The behemoth 6,000 mAh battery is still present to ensure you can work with it the entire day. You still get the high-resolution 64-Megapixel shooter supported by a 5-Megapixel macro camera and 13-Megapixel ultra-wide camera. Out front is a 24-megapixel shooter still.
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
We said that there is a series in the new line-up. That is because there will be two devices from the series – a regular ROG Phone 5s and an extreme ROG Phone 5s Pro. The difference between the two devices, at least in terms of visual, is found at the backplate. The regular ROG Phone 5s only packs the dot matrix RGB graphics at the back. The ROG Phone 5s Pro has the small OLED display that trickle down from the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. Of course, the Pro also gets the 18GB RAM + 512GB storage treatment that was signature to the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate. Because the new ROG Phone 5s series shares similar dimensions with the original ROG Phone 5, you can use accessories that you have from the older ROG Phone 5 series.
ASUS says that the devices will launch on the 30th of September 2021 in Taiwan. The ASUS ROG Phone 5s (16GB + 256GB) starts at NTD 29,990 (MYR 4,559*). You can get the ROG Phone 5s in 512GB storage flavour too at NTD 33,390 (MYR 5,167*). The ROG Phone 5s Pro will set you back NTD 37,990 (MYR 5,773*) at launch. There are no specific dates for an international launch at this time. Considering that the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate just arrived in Malaysian shores, we think the ROG Phone 5s series might not come all that soon.
* Approximately based on exchange rate of NTD 100 = MYR 15.20 on xe.com as of 17/08/2021
Samsung’s new foldable devices have only just been announced and we’ve already got details for their Malaysian pre-orders. The new foldable smartphones are Samsung’s latest step in creating a new normal for smartphones. The Galaxy Z duo seems to be incorporating some of the most wanted features into the new generation with IPX8 and the S Pen. Of course, you can get all the details in our Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3 articles.
The foldable smartphones will be going on pre-order in Malaysia starting on 19 August 2021 until 21 August 2021. Of course, as always, Samsung is offering special pre-order freebies. All preorders of the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Flip3 will come with a complimentary year Samsung Care+ and an e-voucher for the Samsung Online Store.
Prices for the Fold3 start at MYR6,699 for the 256GB version and MYR7,099 for the 215GB version. The Flip3 starts at MYR3,999 for the 128GB version and MYR4,199 for the 256GB version.
Together with the Galaxy Z series, the Samsung Galaxy Watch4 series is also going to be available for pre-order. Each pre-order of the Galaxy Watch4 Classic will be entitled to an e-voucher worth MYR250. The Galaxy Watch4, on the other hand, will be entitled to an e-voucher worth MYR150. Like the Galaxy Z series, the Galaxy Watch4 series freebies will only be usable on the Samsung Online Store.
The Galaxy Buds2 will also be available for purchase. It will be priced at MYR499.
High-performance computing is the name of the game for MSI. For the longest time, they have been the name to beat too when it comes to high-performance gaming rigs. This includes their line of very powerful and very desirable gaming laptops.
Of late though, high-performance PCs are not just about playing games at high framerates and ultra-realistic graphics. It is also about creating contents that can live up to demands of the modern world. High-performance machines are not just about getting the most out of your games anymore, it is about making your workflow more effective and efficient.
Earlier in the year, MSI launched their new line of notebook PCs created for creators. The new line-up of creator notebook PCs combines the power of Intel’s latest and greatest with NVIDIA’s most powerful Ampere architecture for a performance like no other. At the same time, the svelte, stealth look of the notebook combined with fans designed to work as quietly as possible while maintaining optimal temperatures ensures that the MSI fits into any working environment.
Today, MSI introduces its new line-up of ‘made for creator’ notebooks in the Creator Z16. Aside from the familiar MSI logo, there is nothing to indicate the power that is hidden within its aluminium body. It even looks like a modern unassuming thin and light notebook PC.
Source: MSI
Fire it up though and you get a completely different story from its external façade. The first thing that greets you is a brilliant 16-inch display that boasts 2,560 by 1,600 pixels (QHD) at a 16:10 aspect ratio. The 16-incher boasts 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut with ΔE<2 in colour accuracy. That also means what you see is what you get on the MSI Creator Z16’s True Colour display. To get the best out of your creative mind, the 120Hz refresh rate display is a touch sensitive panel.
Of course, a high-resolution and fast display has to be matched by its powerful internals. The Creator Z16 boasts Intel’s latest 11th Generation Core i7 that clocks at up to 4.6Ghz on turbo. The new generation CPU is also paired with a new generation NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 with Max-Q design. The combination of the two processing chips means that the Creator Z16 is perfect for any sort of creative work on-the-go. With up to 16GB in RAM, you can edit 8K HDR videos smoothly and quickly, very important when you have a short deadline, and you need to be moving about for your shoots. You do not even need to lug around an extra backup drive for in your haul, because the Creator Z16 comes with 1TB of NVMe PCIe Gen4 SSD. The only downside is that you have no more excuses for not meeting your deadline.
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
Source: MSI
The MSI Creator Z 16 is now available for pre-order in Malaysia via MSI’s official Lazada Store and their own Online Store. There are no colour choices here, but you are getting a slate grey finish that looks ultra-professional. The MSI Creator Z16 will set you back MYR 11,999. More information on the MSI Creator Z16 is available from their website.
