The HUAWEI MatePad Pro was launched alongside the very interesting, very elegant HUAWEI Mate XS. It was released in Malaysia at the same time the highly anticipated HUAWEI P40 series was released. At the time, you could get your hands on one, and more. If you pre-ordered the device, you should have your device already at this time and might have loved it. Still, it was a deal that was quite irresistible with so many freebies including the included M-Pencil and magnetic keyboard.
The deal was only for the pre-order period though. Or was it?
HUAWEI has just announced that from tomorrow (29th April 2020) onward, you can get your hands on the HUAWEI MatePad Pro with M-Pencil and Smart Magnetic Keyboard for just MYR 2,898. That is a difference of MYR 299 if you buy all of them separately.
The deal stands only until 7June, but that is more than one month away still, so you still have plenty of time. Of course, the tablet and its two other accessories are not the only thing that is on offer from HUAWEI.
If you already have a HUAWEI device, you can head over to HUAWEI’s AppGallery until midnight tonight to claim an MYR 100 voucher to be spent in HUAWEI’s official online store on the 29th April 2020. There is a minimum expense on the voucher though. You have to spend a minimum of MYR 1,100 in the store. The HUAWEI MatePad Pro easily fulfils that minimum purchase.
All this are in conjunction of HUAWEI’s official online store birthday. In Conjunction to the birthday sales also HUAWEI is putting up the HUAWEI P40 smartphone as a lucky draw price as long as you download or spend on selected games in the AppGallery from now until the 4th June 2020. If you spend on HUAWEI Video platform from tomorrow to 6th May 2020, you are entitled a one month’s free viewing of Qello Concerts, Stingray, and The Explorer Channels on HUAWEI Video.
The realme 6 smartphone was launched in Malaysia a month ago as realme’s most powerful device yet. It packed a MediaTek Helio G90T octa-core System on a Chip (SoC) that could make it fly. Well, not really, the SoC is quite a powerful one though.
At the time of launch, with a price of MYR 999 you can get your hands on one with 4GB of storage with 128GB of storage. For that price, you are already getting a really good deal. You get a powerful SoC paired with enough RAM and plenty of storage. In all fairness too, 4GB of RAM is quite enough for smartphone these days. What if you need more performance though?
That is when more RAM comes into play too. That spawns the realme 6 with 8GB of RAM on tow. Yes, that is double of what you can get your hands on before this. All that for only MYR 200 more than before.
Source: Realme
The question now becomes; should you buy the realme 6 at MYR 1,199? Or should you just stick to the MYR 999 model. There are some reasons why you would want a big 8GB RAM though.
For one, you get to do even more multitasking with the device. Devices with 4GB of RAM sometimes can get choked when you try to open more than 10 tabs on the internet browser. That is just part of it, if you open too many apps at the same time, you might not get your device running too smoothly. You might want to keep all apps closed when you start gaming too.
In the case of smartphones, more and bigger is better. Of course, having 8GB is better than 4GB. Modern smartphones come with bigger RAMs these days too, and app developers will take advantage of that in the future. That means bigger RAMS is also more futureproof.
The realme 6 with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage is available 2nd May 2020 onward on Lazada and realme’s authorised retailers. It is available in two colour variants – Comet White and Comet Blue. As mentioned earlier, it will set you back MYR 1,199. For more information on realme 6 and other realme products, you can head down to their website.
There is one thing that plenty of us miss during this quarantine period. That thing is travelling. Specifically, we all miss flying away to faraway lands and see the beauty of this ball of dirt floating through space from high up above.
There is, of course, another way to fly. There is another way to explore the vast outside world in this ‘stay home, stay safe’ period. After all, staying indoors for about 40 days without seeing what grass or trees look like is difficult and depressing. Buy a drone, any drone.
Thing is, just any drone does not cut it sometimes. There is so much potential with a drone. If you invest in one now, you can take it to your travel destinations after the whole COVID-19 situation blows over and create some stunning videos and photos to make your friends all jealous of you.
It is true, a simple aerial shot can be more stunning than it seems. Aerial photos and videos make the plainest places in your eyes look even more stunning than you can imagine. That is why plenty go for DJI drones. They are the best in the business, so it only makes sense.
Last year they introduced a near perfect drone package in the DJI Mavic Air. The compact, lightweight Mavic remote controlled drone was half the weight and size of the larger Mavic 2. That also means that it is more travel friendly than before with its foldable propeller arms introduced into the world with the DJI Mavic Pro.
It was no larger than a 500ml drinks bottle, which was quite fascinating. Considering you still can shoot videos at 4K 30fps with such a small package was wonderful. It even has longer battery life compared to the Mavic Pro all while costing less. Even the fly more combo was still cheaper that the basic DJI Mavic 2.
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
Source: DJI
There is no way they could top that within 6 months, we thought. Then earlier today they released their new DJI Mavic Air 2 and all hell broke loose. It is the successor to the DJI Mavic Air and it comes with a whole list of upgrades that they conveniently put in a single video.
Source: DJI
Bigger, Better, Faster
Source: DJI
The first upgrade, which will yield the most thumbs up is its sensor itself. The DJI Mavic Air 2 now features a larger ½-inch sensor that give you the power of 48 million pixels. You get to shoot at 4K resolution still, but now you can do it at 60fps instead of 30fps. 1080p Full HD videos can be shot at 240fps for a nice, smooth slow-motion videos, if you really need one in the air.
48-Megapixel sensor also means that you get incredibly detailed and sharp photos. You can choose between that or a compressed 12-Megapixel photos for your Social Media needs. Then there are more clever stuffs like HDR photos, Hyperlight low-light mode, and even scene recognition.
Beefed Up, Souped Up
Source: DJI
It is a bigger drone than the original Mavic Air. It even looks like its bigger brother now. No more cheap white plastic you can draw on or customise on your own. It is now built with the same materials as the bigger Mavic Pro. It is built to the same quality standards too meaning. It is still lighter than the bigger Mavic Pro at 570g but put on quite a lot of weight compared to the older Mavic Air 480g body.
The added weight also means that the DJI Mavic Air 2 packs a longer battery life at 34-minutes of flight time. There is a whole slew of new sensors packed with Mavic Air 2 as well to keep it flying and not hitting anything in front of it. That might make for some remarkably interesting review video though, obstacle avoidance. They call the new system Advanced Pilot Assistance System (APAS) 3.0. Even if you are a rubbish drone operator, you can still fly it. I did not say you cannot crash it, you can if you try hard enough.
Source: DJI
Still, the added weight also helps with in-air stability if anything. You really want that stability in windy conditions especially when you can keep it about 10km away from you with the new remote system and OcuSync 2.0. Oh yes, the remote is also now beefier and a little cleverer.
Clever Flying, Clever Shooting
The new DJI Fly app has been improving with each iteration and that is no doubt the case with the app. It should be more intuitive than ever and even better to use than ever. But shooting aerial photographs or videos is much more than that.
Source: DJI
There are new sets of ND filters you can equip the camera with, because you really want to block out some harsh sunlight in super sunny conditions. You are shooting outdoors anyway, and ND filters are important in outdoor shoots just to compensate for the harsh lighting.
The drone itself can now shoot timelapses in 8K resolution if you really want to. With timelapse mode you have Free movement, Circle, CourseLock, and WayPoints mode to get that stunning moving timelapse. Of course there are other shooting modes that you might be used to with the DJI Mavic Air.
There is a new cleverer ActiveTrack 3.0 that should be a large improvement over the ActiveTrack 2.0 from the older Mavic Air though. With the new Point of Interest 3.0 also, tracking subjects on a shoot is much more accurate and natural. That is also true for the new Spotlight 2.0 mode that is usually only found on DJI’s professional drones. All this makes for an independent aerial photography and videography a breeze for single operators.
Pricing and Availability
The DJI Mavic Air 2 will be available 10th May 2020 onward. You can pre-order your’s today onward though via authorised DJI retailers in Malaysia. Of course, with a beefier spec, comes a beefier price tag too. A standard package will set you back MYR 3,299. The Fly More Combo that comes with an extra piece (two pieces of battery) of everything you get from a standard package (except for the drone itself, of course) a shoulder bag, ND filters, and a charging hub for MYR 4,299. For more information on DJI’s latest portable and foldable flyer, check out their website.
Everyone knows Zoom, everyone knows Skype, and Everyone knows Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. It is nice that in this time of need, you still can see the faces of your loved ones on your smartphone or PC screen. Unfortunately, not everyone is on every platform that we have listed. Well, everyone is on WhatsApp these days. Still, not everyone is on the same platform at once.
In that case, making a larger video call sometimes is quite difficult. That is why Zoom gained such a popularity. In the case of Zoom, you do not need to be a registered member of the platform to get into an online meeting. Everything feels a bit more formal than necessary though.
What if you just want to meet your friends just to hang out? What if you do not want to be limited by the 40 minutes imposed by Zoom for free accounts? You can do it with Facebook now.
The new update to Facebook brings an extra flexible video call function to Facebook’s already robust Messenger. They call it Messenger Rooms, because it sort of is like a virtual room. It also means that you do not need to be on Facebook to join in the Messenger call or video conference. A lot of us are on Facebook already anyway, so this makes plenty of sense now.
Source: Facebook
The biggest concern to this type of video calling now is security. Facebook anticipated that and made sure that the app is airtight in security. As an admin you can ensure that you can keep your Room private and secure from unknown joiners or spammers.
On top of that, Facebook is introducing their Live With feature. This is a clever live broadcasting tool for you to go on Facebook Live videos without getting your guests leaving their homes. It makes managing a livestream more straightforward than what it is currently. Those who does live videos know the pain of setting up two or three different apps to be running at the same time, making sure that the audio feeds properly and what not. Facebook Live With eliminates all that.
Source: Facebook
Of course, Facebook will be updating WhatsApp alongside Facebook Messenger. You can already make video calls with three other friends through your smartphone app. Now though you can create a video call to include up to eight people.
Back on Facebook Messenger, within the Room you have all the features of the usual video call that you might have with your friends personally too. You get all the sorts of fun filters that you are used to in the normal messenger video call. At the same time, your friends do not even have to be on Facebook to enjoy their time with you.
I you want to know more about Facebook’s new Messenger Room and their latest update, you can head down to their Newsroom. If you are reading this and have not seen the Messenger Room function appear yet, Facebook says that they are releasing it by stages in different countries and regions. That means it will get to you, just be patient.
Web conferencing is all the rage these days. With extended quarantine period at this difficult time, everyone is craving for some form of human interaction after days of being alone at home. Thankfully, technology has our backs.
We can do plenty more than just making calls and sending text messages these days. You still can hang out with your friends in private text groups in WhatsApp or even Telegram. But you can do more than just group texts these days with smartphones.
The power of the internet has frown exponentially over the years. As technology progresses, the demand for data increases and that is how we get to the 5G data technology today. The power of high-speed internet also made it possible for us to connect with other people around the globe like never before. Yes, we are talking about video calling.
On Apple’s exclusive FaceTime app, you can do a video call with more than 10 people at one time. Sometimes you do not need to have that many people on one call, but it is nice to know you can. On the world popular Zoom app, you can do it with up to 100 people for free, at a limited time of course. You can even do a video call with four people at a time using WhatsApp.
There is one very popular chat app that we have been using that does not have the video call function just yet though. That app is Telegram.
We like Telegram for several reasons. You do not need to work with elaborate processes to get your messages saved from one device to another. It works on multiple devices at one time too, so you do not have to stick to only one device at a time. But we cannot do video calls with the app, bummer.
If you are a Telegram user, you might not have to be too bummed out for long though. Telegram is looking to be bringing their long awaited and highly requested video calling function in 2020. There are no mentions yet on when we will start seeing the function on our smartphones though, soon we hope.
Still, Telegram is more than just an alternative text messenger app. It has developed and reinvented itself multiple times to be a lot more than just a texting platform. To know more about Telegram and its development, you can check out their blog.
About two weeks ago, a certain Cupertino based firm and a Mountain View tech giant decided to team up to create something that the world really needs. Apple and Google have decided that they are collaborating to create a framework for contact tracing apps. Singapore responded soon after with a contact tracing app that they are distributing in their own region, ‘TraceTogether’ they call it.
Source: ABC Australia
Following that is Australia, launching their own COVIDSafe app on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. The app is based on Singapore’s TraceTogether app, which is fundamentally is a voluntary app for users. Basically, the app will allow your device to communicate with other smartphone devices within a certain radius, a sort of “digital handshake”.
It uses your device’s Bluetooth data to trace proximity with another person. Once that is established, the app cross checks your contact list and its own servers to identify infected persons. The app will then notify users if they have been in contact with an infected person for longer than 15 minutes.
There are some security concerns over this of course. You are allowing your smartphone to share its contact information with a server and another device via Bluetooth, which is less than ideal. Still, it will only share these data when you allow the app to do so. The app will also ask for your consent to share your data if you are an infected person or if you have been infected. There are also concerns about more data being shared out with external parties and governments.
Department of Health (Australia)
The Australian government have dismissed that claims and assured its people that the app, though public and open in nature, is secure and save. Any technology that could help with the fight against COVID-19 is a welcome addition after all.
Germany is on a different approach to contact tracing though. Like Google and Apple’s approach to contact tracing, they are prioritising a little bit more privacy. Instead of storing data in a centralised sever, the app will store data only on its devices. We have not seen any implementations on that just yet though, including Google and Apple’s attempt. We should see it soon, and we are quite excited.
For now, we can only wait and see if the app helps or not. Although, in the case of Malaysia, the Movement Control Order has helped with the local efforts in the fight against the virus. Do we still need the app then? What do you think? Let us know in the comments section.
Pokémon has become one of the most valuable intellectual properties (IPs) in the world. What started off as a role playing game on the original Nintendo Gameboy, is now a multibillion dollar household name. Most recently, the Pokémon Company released the latest generation games, Pokémon Sword and Shield, on the Nintendo Switch. It has since announced much anticipated expansions to the Galar region; the first of which, Isle of Armour, due out in June.
In classic style, each new region introduced also signals a new adventure for the long running anime. Pokémon’s anime started off in 1997 in Japan and found its way to Western audiences a year later. With Ash Ketchum’s adventures well underway in Japan, the anime is now slated to make its US debut exclusively on Netflix as a Netflix Original.
The new series will follow protagonist Ash Ketchum as he travels the world with his Pikachu. The new series kicks off when Ash and Pikachu meet Goh, an extremely curious boy who looks to catch every Pokémon including the mythical Mew. The duo are appointed as official research fellows by Professor Oak’s prodigy, Professor Cerise. The series will follow the duo as they work towards becoming the ultimate Pokémon Master and catch ’em all around the Pokémon world.
Pokémon Jouneys: The Series will debut with 12 episodes on June 12, 2020. Netflix and the Pokémon Company International will be adding new episodes every quarter after. The new series joins a growing catalogue of Netflix originals which encompass licensed and Netflix produced shows on the platform.
HUAWEI’s AppGallery has been a little on the anaemic side when it comes to essential apps. However, the company has been busy at work trying to get app developers to bring their apps to the platform. The latest app to make its way to the AppGallery is the HERE WeGo City Navigation.
The HERE WeGo app fills in a void left by the lack of availability of a proper navigation application on the AppGallery. So far, users have had to opt to using the web version of Google Maps to get around. With the launch of HERE WeGo, HUAWEI users can now get access to a navigation app which will be able to run natively on newer HUAWEI devices which run on HUAWEI’s Mobile Services.
The Maps service will bring free voice-guided navigation to HUAWEI users. It also allows users to download maps for offline navigation. Public transit information for more than 1,300 cities is also available on the app. The cities include large metropolitan cities such as Kuala Lumpur, New York City, Munich and more.
HUAWEI users have been feeling the pinch ever since the U.S. initiated a trade ban against the company. The ban has, in particular, affected HUAWEI’s mobile business which has been forced to turn to an in-house developed Mobile Services platform to deal with the inability to license Google’s Play Services which provide the API backbone for essential mobile functions. This includes access to the Play Store and Google Apps.
The OnePlus 8 series was unveiled last week internationally. This week, the new line up makes it Malaysian debut! Yep! It’s barely been a week since the international launch and Malaysia is getting the new smartphone on pre-order.
In a post in the official OnePlus Malaysia Facebook, the company teased the pre-orders for the new Snapdragon 865 touting 5G smartphones. Both the OnePlus 8 and its larger Pro brother will be 5G enabled and also come with enough RAM and internal storage to make sure you’re on top of whatever you’re doing. The OnePlus 8 and the OnePlus 8 Pro will go on pre-order starting 12AM on the 24 April, 2020.
The OnePlus 8 will be retailing for MYR2,899 for the version with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal memory; the version with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal memory will be MYR3,299.
The OnePlus 8 Pro will be priced at MYR3,699 for the version with 8GB RAM and 128GB of internal memory and MYR4,099 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB internal memory.
Pre-orders will be coming with 2 years official warranty from OnePlus Malaysia, 1 year screen crack protection and a limited pop up gift pack. It looks like the gift pack will be coming with a phone case and also the OnePlus Bullet headphones.
You can pre-order your OnePlus 8 and 8 Pro from the official stores on Lazada and Shopee as well as other official retailers.
AMD has been bringing the gauntlet when it comes to pushing processor technology. The company has shown, in recent years, that it is able to compete and innovate in an industry which hasn’t seen much development. The company’s continuous development of new technologies and also investing bringing these technologies to consumers at an affordable price point.
The company has announced the availability of their new 3rd generation Ryzen 3 processors. The new processors will be running on AMD’s Zen 2 architecture which debuted last year with their announcement of brand new Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 processors. The Zen 2 architecture brought increased performance efficiencies that allowed it to outperform the competition. The new Ryzen 3 processors have been a long time coming. The Ryzen 3 processors are the entry range of processors from AMD and are some of the most affordable in their lineup.
The new Ryzen 3 3300X and Ryzen 3 3100 introduce Simultaneous Multithreading, a feature reserved for higher performance processors, to their line up. The new processors come with 4 cores and are capable of processing 8 threads. This means that they will be able to process more information and also handle larger workloads.
AMD is touting increases in gaming and creator performances with their new Ryzen 3 line up. AMD claims that the processors show up to 20% increase in gaming performance and up to 75% increase in creator performance compared to its competition.
Here’s a little bit more technical details for the processors for all you data bugs out there.
MODEL
CORES/ THREADS
TDP5 (Watts)
BOOST6/BASE FREQ7. (GHz)
TOTAL CACHE (MB)
PLATFORM
AMD Ryzen™ 3 3300X
4C/8T
65
4.3/3.8
18
AM4
AMD Ryzen™ 3 3100
4C/8T
65
3.9/3.6
18
AM4
Together with their announcement of the Ryzen 3 processors, AMD also announced the availability of their new B550 chipset. The new chipset still runs on the AM4 socket and will be able to support all Ryzen 3000 processors.
Pricing and Availability
The new AMD Ryzen 3 processors will be available starting in May 2020. The Ryzen 3 3100 will be retailing at USD$99 while the Ryzen 3 3300X will be USD$120. In Malaysia, they will be retailing at MYR449 and MYR549 respectively.
