Acer Malaysia has unleashed the Acer Nitro V 15 gaming laptop! The new entry into the Nitro lineup is packed to the brim with gaming-centric specifications and promises an unparalleled gaming experience at its price point. The best part? It’s arriving just in time for the holiday season.
The Acer Nitro V 15 revamps the Nitro gaming laptop in more than one way. It’s not only got a brand new, edgy design. It’s also pushing the boundaries when it comes to value for money. Gamers can maximise their investment with a 13th Gen Intel Core i5 processor that is complemented by either an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 or RTX 2050 graphics card, ensuring seamless gameplay for casual gamers. The laptop’s commendable combined power draw of 180W and 170W for the respective graphics cards sets it apart, providing up to 30% more Frames Per Second (fps) compared to counterparts with lower Max Graphics Power (MGP).
One of the standout features of the Nitro V 15 is its captivating 144Hz 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display. Striking the perfect balance between power and style, this laptop is built to cater for more than just gaming. Gamers embarking on careers in graphics design or even multimedia should be able to breeze through with the Nitro V 15. The powerful laptop comes complete with a 512GB Solid State Drive (SSD) storage and 8GB of DDR5 5600Hz RAM. You’ll be able to expand the RAM up to 32GB for future gaming demands.
Acer is offering a 2-year warranty for the Nitro V 15. The first year also comes with an international warranty.
Pricing & Availability:
The Acer Nitro V 15 with the RTX2050 is priced at RM3,099. The RTX4050 version, on the other hand, will set you back RM3,899. It’s immediately available at Acer concept stores nationwide and the Acer e-store.
Customers who purchase the Acer Nitro V 15 before December 31, 2023, will enjoy gifts worth up to RM637. These gifts include a Nitro Urban Gaming Backpack, a 3-year subscription to Trend Micro Internet Security, a Logitech G Wireless Gaming Mouse, and credit for the Touch ‘n Go eWallet.
Early adopters can also participate in a quiz through www.a-redemption.com. If you do, you’ll stand a chance to win extra rewards totalling up to RM50,000 in the Holiday Giveaway.
With the holiday season closing in as we enter the last month of the year, Sonos is kicking it off with their 12.12 promotion on their audio and speaker systems.
If you’re looking to brighten your living space or home theatre setup, you just might want to grab a couple of Sonos speakers during the sale. During the 12.12 promotion, you’ll be able to grab your favourite products at a special discount. Here are a few of the incredible deals you can expect to see:
Check out the full list of deals and purchase them on TC Acoustic’s official website or head over to the Sonos Concept Store at The Starhill if you prefer to shop in-person.
After a beta test spanning a few months, GXBank Berhad (GXBank), Malaysia’s first digital bank, has officially launched its app. The app will be the main touchpoint for users. It aims to provide a user-friendly and accessible banking experience to millions of Malaysians. GXBank is an officially licensed bank under Bank Negara Malaysia. Being the first digital bank approved and launched, GXBank aims to revolutionize the financial landscape with its innovative approach to banking.
GXBank faces an uphill climb to convince Malaysians to come on board as the first and only digital bank at the moment. However, the bank is committed to promoting financial inclusion and empowering Malaysians to take control of their finances. That said, the bank’s intuitive app, designed with simplicity and accessibility in mind, caters to individuals from all walks of life. It can also be the tipping point for a lot of digital natives as conventional banks continue to struggle to digitize their services to serve digital natives intuitively.
GXBank shares that data gathered during the beta testing phase revealed that Malaysians are actively looking to replenish their savings which might have been affected by the recent pandemic, and they are actively utilizing GXBank’s features to manage their finances responsibly.
The GXBank app actively enables this with their key feature – ‘Pockets’, a digital savings tool designed to encourage and support saving goals. Nearly 50% of beta testers have embraced Pockets, demonstrating the strong appetite among Malaysians to save for emergencies, holidays, and investments.
In addition, GXBank’s debit card, the GX Card, seamlessly integrates with the digital banking experience. The card offers a range of attractive benefits, including unlimited 1% cashback on every transaction, zero markups on foreign transactions, and 1.5x GrabRewards points when used at Jaya Grocer.
GXBank first foray into the digital banking space marks a significant step forward in Malaysia’s digital economy. It now remains for the bank to show that Malaysians are ready for the change that this will mark in their banking habits. The beta test which involved more than 20,000 is a good indication of the Malaysian public’s appetite for alternative banking solutions after dealing with brick-and-mortar banks. It will also mark a significant shift in the banking landscape as conventional banks will now need to compete with new contenders that can have a leg up when it comes to digitization.
Celcom and Digi are now ready to be a unified telco with streamlined plans and a unified brand. Hot off the announcement of the company’s new brand image and colours, CelcomDigi is now unveiling a whole new approach to its converged connectivity services.
CelcomDigi CEO, Datuk Idham Nawawi, and Praveen Rajan, Chief Consumer Business Officer, at the launch of the new Postpaid plans
Of course, being a mobile network operator, the new plans announced are focused on mobile connectivity. CelcomDigi’s revamped approach to mobile network connectivity is no longer just limited by data usage quotas, instead, the new plans are also differentiated by the connection speed being made available. Starting at speeds of 100Mbps, the plans offer 4G and 5G connectivity at a more affordable rate than before.
All New CelcomDigi PostPaid Plans
CelcomDigi’s new offerings come in five different tiers for mobile-only connectivity. The lowest tier, Postpaid 5G 80 which is priced at RM80, offers 90GB of data quota at the “Essential” 5G tier which offers a capped 100Mbps speed. The step-up, Postpaid 5G 100 is priced at RM100 and offers 150GB of data at an “Advance” connection speed capped at 300Mbps. Both of these plans allow users to hotspot from their phones within their respective data cap.
Above these two tiers, 4G and 5G connectivity is not capped by a data usage quota. Instead, the Postpaid 120, 140 and 160 are mainly limited by their data connection speeds and hotspot quota. The Postpaid 120 shares the same Advance 5G speeds as the Postpaid 5G 100 plan with a limit of 20GB for hotspot/tethering. The Postpaid 5G 140 and Postpaid 5G 160 offer higher speed connectivity at a “Premium” speed of 500Mbps. These plans have a limit of 100GB and 300GB for tethering and hotspot.
Together with these Postpaid plans, CelcomDigi is also introducing a converged plan which gives users mobile connectivity on 4G and 5G as well as Fibre internet. This plan, Postpaid 5G 260, comes bundled together with Fibre Internet at 300Mbps. It’s also the only unlimited plan being offered by CelcomDigi with its revamped plans. Both 5G speeds and data usage are unlimited on this package.
Supplementary Plans starting at RM30
In addition to these features, each of the new Postpaid offerings also supports up to 6 supplementary plans from RM30 a month. CelcomDigi is introducing tiers to its supplementary lines as well. The new supplementary plans are catered for family or gadgets. These two groups come with two tiers each.
The Family line is priced at RM40. This plan shares the same features as the Postpaid 5G 80 with 90GB of data and Essential connectivity speeds. On the other hand, the Family Plus is priced at RM50. The Plus plan shares the same features as the Postpaid 5G 120 with unlimited speed and Advance connectivity speeds. The Family Plus plan is only available with a principal line with a minimum of the Postpaid 5G 120.
The Gadget SIM plan comes with 30GB of data with Essential speeds at RM30 while the Gadget SIM Plus comes with 300GB of data at Advance speeds for RM50. Both the Plus plans are also able to take advantage of CelcomDigi’s Easy360 for device ownership.
Easier Device Ownership with Easy360 and Pakej MegaJimat
CelcomDigi also introduced two new ways for subscribers to own the latest devices and gadgets. The Easy360 plan is available to all Postpaid 5G subscribers including those on the Family Plus and Gadget SIM Plus. This plan allows subscribers to own flagship devices with no upfront payment. The device will be financed for up to 36 months for a monthly instalment with 0% interest.
Pakej MegaJimat allows users to own midrange and entry-level devices for free with the Postpaid 80 plan.
Additional Perks to Sign Up
For a limited time, CelcomDigi is offering an RM10 rebate on the price of its new offerings. In addition to this, pre-existing Celcom and Digi subscribers could also be eligible for a lifetime rebate of RM50 on their monthly bill with the new plans. You will need to check your “Box of Surprise” or “Just4Me” on your Digi and Celcom apps respectively.
CelcomDigi is offering an RM10 rebate for the first six months to those porting into the network. For a limited time, the company is also offering free fibre internet at 300Mbps for the first 6 months. Signing up for CelcomDigi’s Postpaid 5G 260 will get you an even larger rebate of RM30 for 24 months.
The new packages from CelcomDigi go live on December 1, 2023. You can go to Digi stores, Celcom Bluecubes, or CelcomDigi’s official website for more information.
Apple’s Vision Pro gave VR and XR experiences extended time in the spotlight recently. However, it looks like Finnish company, Varjo, is about to steal that spotlight with its new headset – the XR-4. Varjo is banking on VR and XR experiences that are indistinguishable from real life with the XR-4.
While the Apple Vision Pro can work independently, the Varjo XR-4 must be connected to a fast-paced PC. The new XR-4 comes with controllers that were co-designed with Razer. It also doesn’t need any external VR base units for full-motion 6DoF, also known as six degrees of freedom tracking. The XR-4 has excellent specs, like a wider field of view (FOV) of 120 degrees horizontally and 105 degrees vertically. It also comes with LiDAR sensors that allow it to track and map more accurately. Varjo itself promises 8x clarity for better object and hand scanning in VR and a more accurate mixing of real-world and virtual reality images.
Varjo’s XR-4 moves further into AR and VR with a multifocal passthrough camera and higher headset resolution. The setup essentially blurs the lines between mixed reality and real life.
The Varjo XR-4 has a pixel quality of about 4K per eye and a pixel density of 51 pixels per degree. The display panel is a Mini-LED panel with a peak brightness of 200 nits. The cameras’ better dual 20-megapixel image sensors make the XR-4 even more powerful. Varjo’s Focal Edition, which includes gaze-directed autofocus cameras, is for people who want an even more advanced experience. This feature, controlled by the headset’s built-in eye tracking, makes the experience more immersive by letting you focus on real-world items and adding virtual ones on top of them.
Pricing & Availability
There are four variants of the XR-4. The first is the standard XR-4, which costs $3,990, and the Focal Edition, which costs $9,990.
Then there is the XR-4 Secure Edition, which has two variants: fixed-focused, which costs €7,990, and autofocus, which costs €13,990.
It can now be ordered via their official site only for companies and businesses, or join their waitlist to buy it individually and will only be shipped starting December.
OPPO has exciting news for gaming enthusiasts as it partners with Epic Games to bring Fortnite to the OPPO App Market. Starting October 10, OPPO users in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and India can easily access Fortnite through the app market.
This collaboration aims to make one of the world’s most popular video games accessible to OPPO’s large Android user base. To enhance the gaming experience, OPPO is introducing a steady 90fps Fortnite gameplay on selected devices leveraging the powerful hardware and technology found in its smartphones.
The 90fps feature is a significant advancement in mobile gaming, promising a smoother and more visually impressive Fortnite experience. This enhancement brings improved picture quality and responsiveness, providing users with a premium gaming experience.
The Find N3, the company’s latest foldable flagship launched in October, takes the lead in delivering this enhanced Fortnite experience. Known for its lightweight design and innovative triple camera system, the Find N3 is setting new standards for camera performance in foldable devices. It is the first device to support 90fps Fortnite gameplay. The Find N3 is just the beginning. OPPO plans to extend 90 FPS Fortnite support to other devices, including the Find X3 Pro, Find X5 Pro, Find X6 Pro, and Reno10 Pro+.
Beyond Fortnite, OPPO is committed to exploring more possibilities in mobile gaming. The company is focusing on technologies like ray tracing and higher framerates to bring ultra-realistic gaming experiences to users. Additionally, OPPO is actively collaborating with game developers to introduce more celebrated titles to the App Market, creating a diverse gaming ecosystem.
OPPO is at it again with a duo of midrange smartphones that are looking to change the way the company approaches its midrange offerings. The OPPO Reno 11 and Reno 11 Pro showcase a blend of cutting-edge technology, innovative design, and a feature-rich experience. The approach isn’t changing too much from the Reno 10 series. However, OPPO is looking to pack even more power, features and flourish when it comes to the new Reno 11 series.
Packed with Power to Supercharge Performance
The vanilla Reno 11 boasts a vibrant 6.7-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate that promises silky-smooth transitions and an immersive visual experience. The Pro model takes it up a notch with a slightly larger 6.74-inch OLED panel, also featuring a 120Hz refresh rate and an impressive peak brightness of 1,600 nits.
The design ethos of the Reno 11 series is equally noteworthy. Both models sport a sleek and modern aesthetic, with the Pro variant subtly distinguishing itself. The displays curve elegantly at the edges, enhancing not just the visual appeal but also the overall handling experience. The punch-hole design for the selfie camera and the fingerprint scanner under the display demonstrates a commitment to both form and function.
Under the hood, the Reno 11 series flexes its muscles with formidable chipsets. The standard Reno 11 is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8200 chipset, offering a seamless and responsive user experience. Meanwhile, the Pro model houses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, an SoC known for its prowess in handling demanding tasks with ease.
The vanilla version packs a robust 4,800mAh battery, while the Pro model, with its slightly smaller form factor, still impresses with a 4,700mAh battery. What sets these devices apart is their charging prowess. The Reno 11 supports 67W charging, ensuring a quick power-up, while the Pro model accelerates the charging game with an 80W charging speed. A 19-minute charge from 0 to 50% for the Reno 11 promises minimal disruptions to your day.
Cameras the Carry on the Reno Ethos
The camera system is undoubtedly a star feature of the Reno 11 series. Both models present users with a versatile and powerful camera setup. The 50-megapixel main camera is accompanied by a 32-megapixel portrait lens, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide lens, and a 32-megapixel selfie shooter.
The Pro model takes it a step further by incorporating the higher-end Sony LYT-700 sensor that should elevate the camera performance to new heights. Optical Image Stabilization (OIS) across both models ensures that shaky hands don’t compromise the quality of your photos and videos. Whether you’re capturing landscapes, portraits, or selfies, the Reno 11 series promises a photography experience that resonates with both enthusiasts and casual users.
Pricing & Availability
The standard Reno 11 is priced at CNY2,499 (~RM1,640). The Pro model commands a starting price of CNY3,499 (~RM2,295).
As of now, OPPO has left the global audience in anticipation, with no official word on the international availability of these smartphones. The tech community worldwide eagerly awaits news of the Reno 11 series expanding its reach beyond China, bringing its innovative features to a global audience
In what can only be described as an eventful weekend, Honor has taken the covers off the China-exclusive versions of its latest midrange hero: the Honor 100 and the Honor 100 Pro.
The Honor 100 Pushes Mid-range Boundaries
The Honor 100 debuts as the first smartphone to feature Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 7 Gen 3. The new system on a chip (SoC) brings even more power to the smartphone industry than its predecessor and maybe even the last generation flagship smartphones. It has a svelte 7.8 mm profile and a 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED display with a fingerprint scanner seamlessly embedded beneath.
The Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 powering this sleek marvel is a 4nm process-driven Qualcomm chipset, with a dynamic CPU configuration. The combination of a Cortex-A715 core that clocks at an impressive 3.15 GHz, complemented by three additional cores at 2.4 GHz and four Cortex-A510 units operating at 1.8 GHz promises blazing performance with good power efficiency – at least on paper.
The Honor 100 comes with a dual camera setup with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX906 sensor complemented with a 12-megapixel ultrawide sensor. Up front is a 50-megapixel sensor with an f/2.1 aperture. The Honor 100 series also features the Honor’s custom-made RF chip, the C1. This chip is supposed to be able to optimize cellular connection for better connectivity even in challenging scenarios.
The smartphone comes with a 5,000 mAh battery with support for fast charging leveraging Honor’s 100W Supercharge technology. The 100 series comes with MagicOS 7.2 based on Android 13.
The Honor 100 Pro Brings Flagship Performance
Unveiled alongside its sibling, the Honor 100 Pro comes with a larger 6.78″ OLED display and the formidable Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset. The display has a 2,600 nit peak brightness and a Delta E of about 0.27.
The camera ensemble retains the 50-megapixel main and 12-megapixel ultrawide lenses but introduces a third sensor – a 32-megapixel sensor with 2.5x optical zoom and up to 50x digital zoom. Up front is a dual-camera setup with a 50-megapixel Sony IMX816 sensor with a TOF sensor.
Beyond raw power, the Honor 100 Pro champions convenience with 66W wireless charging in addition to Honor’s 100W Supercharge. A meticulously designed vapour chamber cooling solution ensures efficient heat dissipation, preventing overheating during intensive usage.
Pricing & Availability
The Honor 100 series will be available in Monet Purple, Butterfly Blue, Moon White, and Midnight Black.
Pricing for the Honor 100 starts at CNY 2,499 (RM1,640.45/USD$349.92/EUR€319.67) for the version with 12GB of RAM and 256 GB of onboard storage. The version with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard memory is priced at CNY2,799 (RM1,834.51/USD$391.95/EUR€357.99) while the 16GB + 512GB version is CNY2,999 (RM1,965.89/USD$420.02/EUR€383.59).
The Honor 100 Pro will be priced at CNY 3,399 (RM2,230.29/USD$476.20/EUR€434.84) for the 12GB+256 GB, CNY3,699 (RM2,424.47/USD$518.34/EUR€473.22) for the 16GB+256GB, CNY3,999 (RM2,622.22/USD$560.37/EUR€512.45) for the 16GB+512GB and CNY4,399 (RM2,884.51/USD$617.24/EUR€563.71) for the 16GB+1TB.
GXBank, the Grab-led digital bank, has quietly introduced its GX Debit Card. This announcement comes on the heels of the announcement of its banking app earlier this month. While the current app focuses on basic savings, the anticipation surrounding the debit card launch is generating considerable interest.
According to the GXBank website, the GX Debit Card will be launched soon. The card features a sleek, minimalistic, modern design in renders. It is also being touted to provide users with unlimited 1% cashback on everyday transactions. That is on top of GXBank’s pledge to not markup on exchange rates and have transparent overseas transaction fees for the time being.
The GX Debit Card claims to be “the only cashback card with no limits,” offering 1% cashback across various spending categories. The promotion of an RM1 fee waiver at 10,000 MEPS ATMs nationwide adds to the card’s appeal. However, accessing the card presents a challenge as GXBank’s public beta is limited to 20,000 Malaysians.
Being a digital bank, GX Debit Card users can expect convenient card management through the app – which is not in beta. The app will allow users to self-serve features like freezing the card and customizing transaction preferences. That said, there doesn’t seem to be anything indicating support for popular digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
While the GX Debit Card offers enticing cashback benefits, it’s worth noting that there are fees which are currently being waived. According to the documentation available, this includes an RM12 card issuance fee and an RM1 transaction fee for MEPS ATM withdrawals. Additionally, there is a 1.2% administration fee for foreign currency transactions or overseas card use. There isn’t any word on when the fees will be enforced. However, the product information sheet points to the waivers only being until 31 December 2024.
Users interested in trying out the offering from GX Bank will need to register on the waitlist for the app and request the debit card from there. However, there is no word on how long this will take or if GXBank will be expanding the public beta currently underway with 20,000 participants.
Proton, a well-known Malaysian automaker, plans to revolutionise its in-car experience by trying to incorporate Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. ACO Tech, the company that created Proton’s ATLAS infotainment head unit (IHU), has announced it intends to provide these features to Proton vehicles.
Sunny Wang, Head of Project Management at ACO Tech, announced the plans to integrate the systems at a media preview of the new Proton S70 sedan. He stated that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay integration is actively being worked on and that users will not have to wait long before they can mirror their smartphone screens on the ATLAS IHU. However, it is crucial to remember that the integration process entails more than just a simple software update. According to Proton’s Deputy CEO, Roslan Abdullah, changes to the IHU’s chipset are required to support Android Auto and CarPlay.
Source: ACO TECH
Roslan Abdullah also stated that the change and implementations must be on its hardware and not just software. This is due to the changes to the IHU’s chipset. Despite admitting the long-overdue nature of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, Roslan stated that the transition would be difficult due to the requirement for hardware modifications.
Furthermore, obtaining licences from Google and Apple is one of the most complex aspects of the process. Roslan stated that these conversations had been “a bit of a hassle”. This is mainly due to the complications caused by the geopolitical tensions and technological rivalry between the United States and China.
Sadly, as of now, neither Proton nor ACO Tech have specified a definite date for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay availability in Proton cars. While the next Proton S70, which will be on sale on November 28, will not include Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, the confirmation of active development suggests that these features are on the way for Proton users.
