Rumour has it that Samsung and AMD may be parting ways after the next Exynos 2500 processor. The duo have been co-developing the GPU technology being used in the Exynos processors for a while now. Samsung, in particular, hasn’t had the best run when it comes to Exynos processors either. The processors have garnered a rather lacklustre reputation for being slow and prone to overheating. However, with the recent release of the Exynos 2400 in the Galaxy S24 and Galaxy S24+, the processors have garnered quite the furore thanks to it outperforming the competition.
So, why are Samsung and AMD reportedly parting ways? Well, rumours are stating that Samsung isn’t too happy with the partnership. While details are stark on why Big Blue is wary, it also seems like the company has begun development of its own GPU for future processors. This doesn’t include the upcoming Exynos 2500 which is apparently well underway and will use Samsung’s updated 3nm process.
The Xclipse GPU first debuted with the Exynos 2200 and was a huge turning point when it came to performance. The RDNA-based GPU was geared to improve the graphical performance of Exynos touting phones while laying the gauntlet for Qualcomm’s Adreno GPUs. It brought along features like ray-tracing to up the ante when it came to mobile gaming. More recently, the Xclipse GPU has made it to the midrange processors. Samsung’s new Exynos 1480 featured on the Galaxy A55 5G also features an Xclipse 530 GPU.
It’s not just about the partnership. Samsung seems to be gearing up to retire the Exynos branding altogether. Perhaps, big blue is looking to adopt Apple’s approach of designing and manufacturing the processors and SoCs used on their devices. There is no word yet on whether the rumours are true but they do come from reliable sources in the community.
Malaysia is poised for a digital revolution, and at the forefront of this transformation is a powerful combination: a world-leading 5G network and a collaborative program designed to unlock its potential for businesses.
Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) and Ericsson have joined forces to launch a groundbreaking initiative that will catalyze the digitalization of enterprises across Malaysia. This program, formalized through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with industry leaders like eMooVit Technology, Scania, SKF Malaysia, and Intel, paves the way for advanced technologies to empower businesses of all sizes.
Leveraging World-class Infrastructure with Wide Coverage
Malaysia boasts one of the most impressive 5G networks globally, with over 80% population coverage and exceptional performance. This robust infrastructure, as Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid, DNB’s Chief Strategy Officer, highlights, positions Malaysia uniquely to accelerate its digital journey.
“The network already covers more than 80% of the population and has one of the best experiential and consistent performances in the world,” says Zahid. “To further drive the adoption of 5G amongst enterprises, DNB and Ericsson have initiated this program.”
Creating “Lighthouses” to Propel Digitization and Adoption
This program focuses on establishing “lighthouse” projects across key industries. These projects will showcase the transformative potential of 5G integration, acting as catalysts to inspire and guide widespread digitalization efforts.
Intel, a leading technology provider, brings its expertise to the table as a partner in this initiative. Ms. AK Chong, VP of Foundry Manufacturing & Supply Chain and Intel Malaysia MD, emphasizes the crucial role of 5G in driving industry transformation.
MoU signing ceremony. (From left to right) Mr David Hägerbro, Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh; Mr Nunzio Mirtillo, Former Head of Market Area South East Asia Oceania and India; Mr Fredrik Jejdling, Executive Vice President and Head of Networks, Ericsson; Mr Andrés Vicente, Head of Market Area South East Asia, Oceania & India; Datuk Ahmad Zaki Zahid, DNB Chief Strategy Officer; Mr Börje Ekholm, Ericsson Group CEO; YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital; Tuan Ma Sivanesan, Deputy Secretary General (Strategic Policy), Ministry Of Digital; Mr Nasution Mohamed, Chief Operating Officer, Digital Nasional Berhad; Ms AK Chong, VP of Foundry Manufacturing & Supply Chain and Intel Malaysia; Dr. Hairi Zamzuri, CEO of eMooVit Technology; Ms Heba Eltarifi, Managing Director of Scania Southeast Asia; Mr Vignesh Sakthinathan, Managing Director of SKF Malaysia
“As 5G becomes a catalyst for industry transformation,” says Chong, “Intel’s technology is at the heart of this change, catalyzing AI at the edge and breaking down barriers in the 5G core space.”
The program focuses on developing customized solutions for various industries. Here are some exciting collaborations already underway:
eMooVit Technology: This collaboration will explore the use of 5G for autonomous vehicles, a technology with the potential to revolutionize urban transportation. Dr. Hairi Zamzuri, CEO of eMooVit, highlights the significance of this partnership: “This exciting collaboration with Ericsson will be key to bringing these solutions to life through enterprise adoption, and in the long-term, revolutionize urban transportation together.”
Scania: With Scania, the focus is on optimizing assembly lines and fleet management systems using 5G’s Enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB) capabilities. As Ms. Heba Eltarifi, Managing Director of Scania Southeast Asia, explains: “With 5G technology, Scania Malaysia aims to explore further optimizing our assembly and our fleet management system to deliver greater efficiency and effectiveness to our customers.”
SKF Malaysia: This collaboration will leverage 5G to enable wireless digitalization on the manufacturing shop floor. This will allow for real-time data collection and analysis, leading to increased efficiency and innovation. Mr. Vignesh Sakthinathan, Managing Director of SKF Malaysia, expresses his enthusiasm: “We are thrilled to embark on this journey… As the world’s leader in Bearing, Seals, Lubrication systems and technologies, SKF Malaysia’s manufacturing arm is committed to embracing digitalization to drive innovation and deliver value to our customers.”
This initiative by DNB and Ericsson, along with their industry partners, presents a significant leap forward for Malaysia’s digital transformation. By harnessing the power of 5G, businesses across the nation can unlock new levels of efficiency, productivity, and innovation. As David Hägerbro, Head of Ericsson Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, concludes: “The digitalization of industries in Malaysia will enable the country to leapfrog as a Digital Nation. But they need to begin planning and investing in their digital journey now.”
Realme has launched the Realme 12x 5G, a powerful new smartphone designed for the masses. Living up to their “5G for Everyone” motto, the Realme 12x 5G boasts impressive performance, an AI Boost feature, and a smooth 120Hz display, all wrapped in a stylish design.
The Realme 12x 5G comes with the Dimensity 6100+ 5G processor that promises smooth performance. Realme boasts that the 12x 5G can achieve an Impressive AnTuTu benchmark score exceeding 415,800. The synthetic benchmark indicates that the phone should be able to deliver smooth performance. The smartphone comes with 360° Surround Six-Antenna 5G Layout, Signal Enhancement Technology, and Dual-channel Network Acceleration which can help achieve fast download speeds of up to 3.27Gbps. Gamers will appreciate the AI Boost Engine that optimizes resource allocation for a lag-free gaming experience.
The 6.67-inch display prioritizes user comfort by reducing harmful blue light emissions. This has been certified by TUV Rheinland. The display goes as low as 1 nit in brightness, perfect for nighttime viewing. It also offers a peak brightness of 625 nits for clear visibility outdoors.
The Realme 12x 5G brings flagship-level features like Air Gestures for hands-free phone control, Rainwater Smart Touch for operating the phone in the rain, and the Dynamic Button for quick app launching. A TÜV SÜD 48-month Fluency Certificate ensures long-lasting smooth performance, while IP54 water and dust resistance offers peace of mind.
The Realme 12x 5G comes with a Light Feather Design in Feather Green and Glowing Black. The back features hundreds of thousands of hyper-realistic feather motifs and a flagship-inspired middle-round camera layout. The phone boasts a 50-megapixel primary camera for capturing stunning photos. All of these specs are housed in a slim 7.89mm body and powered by a massive 5,000mAh battery with 15W fast charging.
Pricing & Availabilty
The Realme 12x 5G will be available in two versions the 8GB+128GB version will be priced at RM899 and the 8GB+256GB version will set you back RM1099. Both will be available in two colourways: Feather Green and Glowing Black.
It will be available through teleco partners CelcomDigi, Maxis, U Mobile, Yes, redONE, and TM starting May 3rd, 2024. Pre-orders for the phone begin May 5th on Realme’s official Shopee, Lazada, and TikTok stores.
Get ready to unleash your inner artist! Huawei is launching GoPaint, a brand-new self-developed painting app designed specifically for tablets.
The official Huawei account teased the app’s arrival with the tagline “Creation begins here!” Mark your calendars for May 7th, because GoPaint is set to launch.
Packed with Features for Creators of All Levels
GoPaint boasts a wide range of brushes and intuitive features, making it easy for both beginners and experienced artists to dive in and create. Huawei is the first major smartphone vendor to develop its own painting app. To do this, the company has leveraged user insights to design GoPaint with a focus on ease of use and maximizing the creative experience.
This launch follows the highly successful GoPaint Worldwide Creating Activity held in 2023. The GoPaint app builds on that momentum. The app is set to offer a professional yet user-friendly platform specifically designed for Huawei tablets. The app is poised to strengthen Huawei’s tablet experience for creatives.
GoPaint integrates seamlessly with this innovative hardware, creating a powerful software and hardware ecosystem. It also brings added features for creatives looking to leverage Huawei’s device ecosystem.
Unveiling Date and What to Expect
The official launch of GoPaint is expected to take place at the HUAWEI Innovative Product Launch on May 7th. The app will boast a comprehensive suite of painting tools, including a variety of brushes developed in collaboration with a leading art team.
GoPaint is also beginner-friendly, offering a full set of tutorials to help users develop their skills progressively. With more exciting features likely to be revealed, May 7th promises to be a big day for creative Huawei tablet users. Stay tuned for the official unveiling!
Samsung introduced Galaxy AI earlier this year with the launch of the brand-new Galaxy S24 series. With Galaxy AI coming to more devices like the Galaxy Tab S9, Galaxy Z Fold5 and Galaxy S23 series, the company is now showcasing the new features in an experiential event happening throughout May in Semua House in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur.
The Galaxy AI-volution focuses on all of Galaxy AI’s features with an immersive experiential event collaboratively developed by Samsung and Bomb Battle, Asia’s first immersive video game experience. So, put on your astronaut suit and get ready to take on invaders with the help of Galaxy AI and the Galaxy S24 Series.
In this experiential, you are a national space exploration team recruit. Your mission: to discreetly investigate an abandoned spacecraft for signs of life. During this mission, you will need to decipher clues and alien languages to figure out what this spacecraft is doing in the depths of Semua House in Kuala Lumpur.
The experiential event will walk you through the many Galaxy AI features that are currently available on the Galaxy S24 series, Galaxy S23 series, Galaxy Tab S9 series and Galaxy Z Fold 5. You will be using Circle to Search with Google to decipher encrypted messages, Note Assist to siphon key information, Chat Assist and Live Translate to translate clues, and Photo Assists to complete tasks in your time as a recruit.
The Galaxy AI-volution Experiential
Galaxy AI-volution is a 5 stage event where you will be able to collect points for exciting prizes. Here are the stages:
Stage 1: Welcome Aboard! – Register yourself on the ground floor and find out what’s ahead with helpful tips to help you clear stages.
Stage 2: Prepare for Takeoff – Get yourself enrolled with a Photo ID as a recruit for the national space exploration team at the AI Edit Photowall on the ground floor. Complete this task and earn yourself 5 points. (Pssst… Don’t forget to look for the UFO!)
Stage 3: AI-Volution x Bomb Battle – head on down to the depths of Semua House and enter the mysterious spacecraft found on level B2. Stay alert, decode puzzles and escape from the inactive spacecraft with the Galaxy S24 as your handy Tricorder. Complete this task and earn yourself 15 points.
Stage 4: The Winning Shot – Once you’ve completed your task. Take a winning photo of yourself in the Nightography room located on Level B1 using the Galaxy S24 Ultra. Complete this task and earn 5 points.
Stage 5: Share the Victory – Finally, shout out your victory! Share and tag a victorious group photo of you and your comrades to redeem amazing gifts! You’ll be awarded 5 points upon completion!
Once you have your points, you’ll be able to redeem prizes. The more points you score the more epic the prizes. You can earn RM10 Touch ‘n Go Credit with 15 points, Exciting Samsung Galaxy x Mindfreakxx Merchandise with 20 points and Pop Mart Blind Box Figurines with 30 points.
Together with the Galaxy AI-volution, Samsung is teaming with Curators.Lab and the Messy Club to bring you an unforgettable retail experience that marries tech and retail. The collaboration kicks-off on 3 May and runs until 26 May 2024.
Sony is adding a new lens to its α™ (Alpha™) E-mount lens line-up. The new FE16-25mm F2.8 lens brings the wide F2.8 aperture to a compact form factor. It maintains a large F2.8 aperture throughout its 16mm to 25mm zoom range. The new lens comes with a compact and lightweight design complete with the latest optical and mechanical design weighing only 409g.
The new allows photographers to get beautiful bokeh and high-resolution performance without the bulk and heft that usually come with lenses of this calibre. It also ups the ante with high-precision, quiet, fast-tracking autofocus (AF). These benefits come on top of the familiar operability, size and weight of the FE 24-50mm F2.8 G launched earlier this year. It’s also easy to use both with a gimbal and handheld.
Sony has achieved the compact size of the FE 16-25mm F2.8 G by optimising the configuration of the glasses and lenses. With the three extra-low dispersion glasses and four aspherical lenses, Sony minimises chromatic aberration and ensures high-resolution performance throughout the image. Pair this with the 11-blade circular aperture and you’ve got some of the most beautiful bokeh which has become a hallmark in Sony G lenses. The lens is also built for motion photography with two linear motors enabling high-speed, high-precision, high-tracking, and quiet focusing. It also supports high-speed continuous shooting with AF/AE tracking of up to approximately 120 frames per second for the α9 III full-frame mirrorless camera. It even has smooth tracking even when shooting 4K120p or FHD240p high frame rate videos.
Pricing & Availability
The Sony FE 16-25mm F2.8 G will be available in Malaysia starting at the end of April 2024. It will be available at Sony Concept stores and participating retailers.
Touch ‘n Go eWallet is one of Malaysia’s largest eWallets. Just recently, TNG Digital (TNGD), the company operating the eWallet, unveiled plans to become an integrated fintech company – one of the first in Malaysia. TNGD is well on the way to achieving its goals with the introduction of services like GOPinjam, GOInvest and even GOProtect.
That said, one of its most successful features is the introduction of cross-border transactions in over 40 countries including Singapore, China, Hong Kong and Japan. This is made possible with Alipay+’s integration with Touch N’ Go eWallet. The feature has arguably changed the way Malaysians travel overseas especially when it comes to transacting online. However, with the sharp increase of Malaysians travelling ever since borders reopened, TNGD has noticed a need for the company to be a little more pragmatic with its approach to cross-border transactions, particularly QR transactions.
As such, starting April 25, 2024, cross-border QR transactions using Touch ‘n Go eWallet will be charged a nominal 1% transaction fee. According to the announcement by TNGD, the fee will be factored into the daily exchange rate in the app. The daily exchange rate will be shown in real time before each transaction. So, if you’re in the U.S. and the daily exchange rate is RM1 to USD0.209659, it will be reflected as RM1 to USD0.20756241 inclusive of the 1% fee.
CEO of TNGD, Alan Ni, addressed the issue in a statement saying, “Although it has always been an industry standard for credit and debit cards as well as other eWallets to charge the overseas transaction conversion fee, we have subsidised these costs in the past to promote the cross-border payment feature on TNG eWallet. However, with the increase in overseas travel, we understand the need to ensure our business sustains in the long run. We are committed to continue to provide a seamless cross-border payments to our users. We have partnered with international businesses to create a strong network of merchants in over 40 countries, making it easy to use TNG eWallet for payments outside Malaysia.”
Samsung’s popular Galaxy Tab S series is getting more affordable. No, Samsung didn’t release another edition of the series. Instead, the tablet lineup is getting a price adjustment. The prices are taking effect starting on April 9, 2024.
The Galaxy Tab S series has been one of the mainstays of Android’s growing tablet market. Samsung’s flagship tablet series has been pushing boundaries with new functionalities, better hardware and, most recently, even better build materials. The Tab S9, S9+ and S9 Ultra were launched not long ago in July 2023 and continue to be the company’s flagship tablets. The tablets offer a compelling set of features including IP68 dust and water resistance and Samsung’s hallmark S Pen. Just recently, Samsung announced the Tab S9 FE which brings together the most compelling features of the Tab S9 series at an even more affordable price point.
The new pricing for the series sees Samsung reducing prices by up to RM300 across the board. The new pricing brings the entry point for one of Samsung’s flagship tablets to below the RM2000 threshold with the WiFi version of the Tab S9 FE (128GB).
Starting April 9, 2024, these are the prices of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 Series:
Product
Recommended Retail Price (Before)
Recommended Retail Price (New)
Galaxy Tab S9 5G with Book Cover Keyboard (256GB)
RM4,849
RM4,549
Galaxy Tab S9 with Book Cover Keyboard WiFi (256GB)
Sony is at it again! The company has released a brand-new lineup of audio devices catered to those looking to get that extra untz in their music. The New ULT Power Sound series marries some of Sony’s iconic form factors with exceptional low-frequency performance. The new line is launching with options for every situation with three different speaker form factors and a wireless headphone.
Source: Sony
All the devices come with an “ULT” button that kicks them into a specially calibrated mode to lift the bass and make you feel the beat. The new ULT Power Sound Lineup comes with two different ULT profiles. The first, ULT1, that’s designed to make you feel the beat and get your grove on and ULT2 that lifts the bass to make you feel every vibration. The lineup also features Sound Field Optimisation that automatically tunes the sound for music clarity even in crowded, noisy areas. Sony’s Part Connect feature allows you to connect up to 100 speakers wirelessly for that true party experience.
Bring the Concert & Rave Into Your Home with ULT TOWER 10
Sony ULT Power Sound’s big hitter is the ULT Tower 10, a tower speaker with all the bells and whistles you’d need to replicate live music vibes indoors. The speaker can even be hooked up to your tv to create an even more immersive soundscape for your movies.
Source: Sony
The ULT Tower 10 is designed to be a one stop sound station and can even hook up to your TV for that extra umph. You can even hook up a guitar or even sing your heart out with included wireless mic. It also gives you complete control of your sound with Echo and Key Controls located on the top of the speaker.
The Tower 10 will also get the party started with its 360° Party Sound that delivers powerful sound to every corner of the room. 360° Party Light will let you vibe with your music complete with RGB synchronicity.
Vibe on the Go with the ULT FIELD Speakers
The ULT Power Sound line up also comes with two portable choices with the ULT Field line up. The ULT Field comes in two different sizes to cater to different needs on-the-go. The series has the iconic cylindrical Sony design with a tweaks that make it easy to carry and transport. The line up also comes with IP67 dust and water resistance with the added benefit of being salt water resistant.
Source: Sony
The ULT Field 7 is the larger of the two ULT Field speakers and comes with a larger 30 hour battery life complete with quick charge. A 10 minute charge will get you about 3 hours of play time. The Field 7 also comes with carry handles that have been designed for portability both in horizontal and vertical configurations. It even comes with support for guitar and karaoke similar to the Tower 10.
Source: Sony
The ULT Field 1 takes portability even further with a compact design and multiway strap. The speakers compact size doesn’t mean it’s not big on sound though. It comes with the same ULT Power Sound standard and has a dedicated ULT Power Sound for enhanced bass. It has 12 hours of battery life and comes with added shockproofing. It’s also the most colourful, coming in Black, Off-White, Forest Grey and Orange. The Field 1 can also be your video conferencing speaker on the go with a built-in mic and Echo Cancelling technology.
ULT Power Sound Gets Personal With ULT WEAR
Good Vibes don’t get more personal than with the ULT Wear headphones. The new headphones come with Sony’s Inegrated Process V1. Yep, that’s the same processor that’s in Sony’s award-winning 1000X series headphones. It’s got drivers that are designed specifically for the ULT Power Sound series that keeps the power and untz without muddying the details. It’s also got Dual Noise Sensor techology that allows you tune out the world and zone out to your music.
Source: Sony
The ULT Wear comes with one of Sony’s most comfortable designs yet. It has soft ear pads with more space around the ears for added comfort and sound dampening. The foldable design of the headphones also allows you to carry it anywhere with its compact form and carrying case.
The headphones are able to connect wirelessly over Bluetooth with up to two deices simultaneously. It also disconnects automatically when you take them off. Sony says that the ULT Wear has up 30 hours of battery life with Noise Cancelling on and up to 50 hours with it off. Quick charge allows you to top 90 minutes of play time with only 3 minutes of charge.
Pricing and Availability
The ULT Power series is being rolled out globally in stages. It is available for pre-order in the U.S.. For Malaysia, it looks like the ULT Wear is already available for purchase at Sony’s website. However, the full lineup will be available in June 2024.
In the U.S., the ULT Tower 10 has a retail pricing of US$1,199.99 (RM5,717.13), the ULT Field 1 is priced at US$129.99 (RM619.80), the ULT Field 7 is priced at US$499.99 (RM2,384.07) and the ULT Wear is priced at US$199.99 (RM953.60).
In Malaysia, the ULT Wear is priced at RM899. It is currently available on the Sony Store website. No local pricing has been announced for the ULT Power Sound Speakers yet.
Sabahans rejoice! Your connectivity and entertainment are about to get supercharged with high-speed broadband and access to the latest shows thanks to Astro’s new, competitively-priced packages. These packages bundle access to up to 90 channels of content and 100Mbps of fibre internet.
The new packages are already being made available from Astro. There are primarily two bundles being offered by Astro Fibre – the Astro Fibre Bundle 100Mbps + Primary Pack that comes in at RM99.99 monthly and the Astro Fibre Bundle 100Mpbs + Sports Pack that comes in at RM119.99 a month. The new bundles come after the announcement that Astro will be partnering with Celcom Timur to bring WiFi Kencang and connectivity offerings to Sabah. According to Astro, the 100Mpbs internet speed is a free upgrade to the base 50Mbps for two years. No word if the speed will be reverted to 50Mpbs or if higher prices will be enforced after the two years.
The new offering gives subscribers access to over 80 channels. This includes channels like Lifetime HD, TLC HD, Asian Food Network HD, Love Nature 4K, AXN HD, KBS World HD, NHK World Premium, TVB Jade, Star Vijay HD and more for the Primary Pack. The Sports Pack on the other hand gives you access to over 95 channels including beIN Sports, Astro SuperSport UHD 1, W-Sport, and SPOTV. Subscribers can add more packs to their packages for additional fees.
The packages will come with a free WiFi 6 router, a free Ulti or Ultra Box, access to the Astro GO app, access to the Astro Fibre app and free installation. You will be able to monitor your internet usage as well as set up safety rails for the internet for your children.
