Category Archives: News

News

5G Finally Comes to Maxis Users with New Plans

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Maxis subscribers rejoice! You can finally access 5G connectivity thanks to the new plans being rolled out today. The plans come after more than a year of Maxis holding out on signing the Access Agreement with Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB). In fact, the plans are literally being rolled out the day after an EGM with shareholders yesterday.

Maxis 5G

The new plans come with even more data and at more affordable prices than the previous ONE plans. Users who opt for these plans can access data up to 30 times faster on DNB’s 5G network with perks like access to new devices through Maxis’s Zerolution plans.

The All New Maxis Postpaid with 5G

Maxis’s commercial offerings are getting a total revamp. Brand new plans starting at MYR75 will be available to customers. New sign-ups can only opt for these plans while older Maxis ONE users will be able to upgrade via the Maxis app.

The all-new Maxis Postpaid plans start at MYR79 a month for 80GB of data on both 4G and 5G with an additional 40GB exclusively for use on 5G. A step up will get you 100GB for MYR109 with 50GB of additional 5G data. MYR139 gets you 120GB with an additional 60GB of 5G data while MYR169 gets you 150GB of data with an additional 75GB of 5G data. Maxis’s postpaid offerings cap out at MYR199 for 200GB of data with a 100GB additional 5G data. All the new plans come with unlimited SMS and calls.

Maxis Postpaid with 5G

Supplementary Lines & Maxis Family Plan Users

Users who are on Maxis’s supplementary lines will automatically get 5G access when the principal line is upgraded to the new 5G plans.

However, if you’re on the family plan, it doesn’t look like Maxis is updating their plans for 5G just yet. Instead, you’ll need to activate your 5G pass which will set you back MYR10 a month. Activating the pass does not get you any additional 5G data quota. It simply allows you access to 5G connectivity provided you have a supported device.

This activation is also done on a per-line basis, so for the Family Plan for 4 which costs MYR299 for 4 lines, you will need to fork out an additional MYR40 for 5G access on all your lines. The only consolation is that your first month is free.

Maxis Business Postpaid

Maxis business postpaid customers will benefit from the same plans as the regular Postpaid plans. In addition, they will be getting additional productivity data of up to 100GB and access to digital marketing solutions in their company subscription plans. New business postpaid customers and customers who opt to upgrade to the 5G plans can take advantage of an MYR10 rebate for up to 12 months.

Hotlink subscribers will be able to take advantage of a bevvy of new plans offered on both Hotlink Postpaid and Hotlink Prepaid. The plans not only come with perks like “roam like home” which gives you access to your home data quota in Thailand and Singapore and a MYR60 rebate spread across six months.

Hotlink 5G Plans 2

The new Hotlink Postpaid plans come with highspeed 5G internet access and unlimited calls and SMS. The new plans start at MYR30 for 2GB of internet and cap out at MYR70 for 70 GB. The highest tier – Hotlink Postpaid 70 – comes with an additional 35GB of 5G quota.

On the prepaid side of things, users can opt to choose from a wide selection of new 5G-enabled plans that come along with additional features like Hotspot connectivity, and cashback as part of the Malaysian Government’s Pakej Belia initiative. Plans start at MYR3 a day for 3GB of data. The monthly passes come in at MYR45 a month and MYR60 a month. the MYR45 pass comes with 50GB of data with a bonus 25GB of 5G data while the MYR60 pass comes with 70GB of data and a bonus 30GB of 5G data. The latter also comes with Roam from Home capabilities unlocking data connectivity in Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore with the same quota.

Hotlink 5G Plans 1

There are also monthly “Unlimited” plans available for Hotlink Prepaid users which offer speed-limited access to 5G. The MYR55 pass gives you 100GB of data after which your speed is capped at 12Mbps while the MYR45 gives you 80GB beyond which your speed is capped at 6Mbps.

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News

Downfall Vulnerability in Intel Chips Raises Security Concerns

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A recently discovered vulnerability in Intel chips, named “Downfall,” has the potential to expose millions of users to cybersecurity threats. Cybersecurity researcher Daniel Moghimi, who is associated with the University of California and Google, discovered the major vulnerability. The vulnerability affects a large number of Intel chips produced over the last decade.

Intel Core

The vulnerability centres around the ability of malicious programmes to access data belonging to other applications. Therefore, it poses significant risks to user privacy and security. At the core of “Downfall” is the exploitation of the “register buffer” feature present in modern processors. With it, processors are able to optimise certain operations for faster execution. 

What Is a Register Buffer?

Imagine a computer processor as a super-fast brain that helps your computer think and do tasks quickly. This brain needs to remember things temporarily while it is working, just like you might jot down a few things on a sticky note while solving a puzzle. The “register buffer” is like that sticky note – it is a temporary data storage place in the processor where it keeps important information for a short time to help with tasks. Sometimes, the processor may also keep sensitive information like passwords in the register buffer. 

So here is the catch: if a hacker finds a way to look inside this register buffer, they might see your password or other sensitive information they’re not supposed to have access to. So, the “Downfall” vulnerability is like discovering a hidden crack in the wall next to the shelf where the processor keeps its sticky note. If someone figures out how to use that crack to take a peek at the content of the sticky note, they could get their hands on sensitive information such as your online bank password and more. 

The Potential Impact of Downfall

As you can see, the impact of this vulnerability is far-reaching, particularly for the cloud computing industry. Many servers are using similar setups built on Intel and AMD processors to run workloads, it stands to reason that since the vulnerability affects a swatch of processors, these cloud setups and the businesses that use them could be at risk of a major breach. If these servers are susceptible to Downfall, hackers could have a field day, stealing sensitive information from high-profile organisations worldwide.

According to Intel exploiting this flaw is not exactly a walk in the park. While Intel acknowledged the issue, they mentioned the discovery of “Downfall” happened under very specific conditions – not exactly what hackers encounter in the real world. Newer Intel chips, including Alder Lake, Raptor Lake, and Sapphire Rapids, are reportedly not susceptible to this vulnerability. You may check for the full list of affected devices here.

Preventing Vulnerability and Mitigation Strategy

Intel has released a microcode fix to patch up this vulnerability. While Intel claims that most workloads will not slow down, some specific activities such as heavy data processing might be affected. So, the trade-off here is between keeping your data safe and not compromising device performance.

The discovery of the Downfall vulnerability in Intel chips is a significant concern for cybersecurity. It showcases the delicate balance between performance optimisation and security, highlighting the need for continuous vigilance and adaptation in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

Business, News

NVIDIA & Snowflake Storms the AI Scene With Custom Generative AI

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NVIDIA & Snowflake partner up to allow companies to deploy custom Generative AI applications.

NVIDIA and Snowflake have joined forces to enable businesses of all sizes to build custom generative AI applications by using proprietary data. This collaboration allows companies to maximize NVIDIA’s AI technology and Snowflake’s Data Cloud platform to make better decisions and develop their own generative AI models.

NVIDIA offers the NeMo platform that enables companies to create, customize, and deploy large language models (LLMs) for AI applications like chatbots and intelligent search. With NeMo Guardrails software, developers can ensure that their applications align with business-specific requirements.

On the other hand, Snowflake provides a secure and efficient Data Cloud platform for businesses to store, manage, and analyze large amounts of data both internally and externally. This service also caters to various verticals like advertising, media and entertainment, financial services, retail, and more.

The collaboration between NVIDIA and Snowflake will allow companies to gather their proprietary data and customize the generative AI applications for business-specific applications. It also enables companies to maintain data governance without moving the data from a different platform.

Industries such as healthcare, retail, and financial services can benefit from this collaboration. For example, healthcare insurance models can provide detailed information about covered procedures. Financial services models can offer personalized loan options based on individual situations and needs.

News

AMD’s Zen 3 & Zen 4 CPUs Are At Risk of Exploitations Thanks to New “Inception” Vulnerability

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Researchers at ETH Zurich have identified a series of vulnerabilities in AMD’s CPUs. The vulnerabilities have been identified in CPUs with the Zen 3 and Zen 4 architecture in particular and are present across the board in both desktop and laptop CPUs and APUs with the architecture.

The vulnerability, identified now as “Inception”, takes advantage of speculative execution, a technique where a computer predicts and performs operations it anticipates needing in the future. Using an attack method called Training in Transient Execution (TTE), the affected CPUs can be manipulated to believe that they have seen a certain set of instructions before even if it has never happened before.

In the simplest of terms, the exploit acts exactly like how Leonardo DiCaprio and his team did in the movie “Inception”. Similar to how they were able to plant an idea to retrieve information, the vulnerability in AMD CPUs can do the same thing.

In fact, XDA Developers described that “Inception” takes its name from the movie of the same title, where the central concept involves implanting an idea in someone’s dream. In the exploit context, researchers metaphorically implant an “idea” into the CPU during its “dream-like” state, causing it to execute incorrect instructions. This manipulation of the CPU’s control flow is the core mechanism exploited by Inception.

amd ryzen 3000

Exploiting A Kernel Memory Breach

The vulnerability poses a serious security threat as “Inception” is an end-to-end exploit that can covertly leak sensitive information from Zen 3 and Zen 4 processors. The exploit can access confidential kernel memory, including sensitive files like “/etc/shadow” on Linux systems. This file holds hashed user account passwords, typically safeguarded and accessible only to the root user.

According to XDA Developers, with a leakage rate of up to 39 bytes per second, Inception has the capability to retrieve these passwords within 40 minutes.

Exploitation of Speculative Execution

The workings of Inception draw parallels to a similar exploit named Zenbleed. ETH Zurich researchers leveraged the TTE technique to craft an attack capable of infiltrating AMD Zen CPUs. This involves manipulating speculative execution to carry out actions that may not be immediately necessary, a strategy often used to optimise processing.

Inception: leaking the root hash from /etc/shadow on AMD Zen 4

A central component in this attack is the Branch Target Buffer (BTB) and the Return Stack Buffer (RSB). Inception disrupts branch prediction during the transient window by introducing fresh predictions into the branch predictor. This action creates more powerful transient windows, which can then be exploited to overflow the Return Stack Buffer. Ultimately, this allows Inception to take control of the CPU.

Preventing Exploitation and Mitigation Strategy

AMD has acknowledged the vulnerability in a recent bulletin. The company has released a µcode patch for the affected processors which can be applied via a BIOS update.

According to XDA Developers, like Intel’s “Spectre” vulnerability, effective mitigation strategies remain challenging. One proposed mitigation approach involves flushing the branch predictor during context switches. However, this could inflict significant performance degradation.

If you are using one of the following processors, it would be best to check for a BIOS update.

Desktop CPUs & APUs:

  • 3rd & 4th Gen AMD EPYC CPUs
  • Ryzen 5000 & 4000 Series Desktop Processors (including CPUs like Ryzen 5 5600G or Ryzen 7 4700G APUs)
  • Ryzen 7000 Series Desktop Processors
  • Ryzen Threadripper PRO 5000WX Series Processors

Mobile CPUs:

  • Ryzen 5000 Series Mobile Processors
  • Ryzen 6000 Series Processors (with Radeon Graphics)
  • Ryzen 7035 Series Processors (with Radeon Graphics)
  • Ryzen 7030 Series Processors (with Radeon Graphics)
  • Ryzen 7040 Series Processors (with Radeon Graphics)
  • Ryzen 7045 Series Processors
Lifestyle, News

Xiaomi’s Smart AIoT Products August Promotion

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Xiaomi is bringing fantastic deals on a spectrum of Xiaomi smart AIoT products for the entire month of August. If you’ve ever wanted to turn your home into a smart home, this is your chance!

Imagine catching up on your favourite shows on a voice-activated smart TV that also acts as your home’s AIoT hub. For those who dread doing chores after a long day of work, you can come home to clean floors with the help of a robot vacuum and mop. Feeling hungry? Look up and prepare more efficient meals by looking up smart recipes for your smart air fryer that can cook up delicious meals while you relax.

So if you’re looking at making your home smarter, you can take a dive into Xiaomi’s August Promotion and outfit your home with shiny new tech. The promotion includes products from smart household appliances to personal lifestyle gadgets and can be snagged at any Xiaomi Authorised stores across Malaysia. If you prefer online shopping, the promotions are also available online on Lazada and Shopee.

xiaomi tv
xiaomi robot

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the highlights from the promotion:

  • Xiaomi TV A2 58” – RM1,749 (RRP: RM 2,799)
  • Mi TV P1 55” – RM1,659 (RRP: RM2,499)
  • Xiaomi Watch S1 – RM549 (RRP: RM899)
  • Xiaomi Buds 3T Pro – RM249 (RRP: RM549)
  • Xiaomi Truclean W10 Ultra Wet Dry Vacuum – RM2,399 (RRP: RM3,599)

For more information and updates, you can visit Xiaomi Malaysia’s Facebook page.

Business, News

Nothing Announces “CMF by Nothing” with Two Upcoming Products

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Nothing is making waves with its approach to aesthetic technology. Hot on the heels of the release of the Nothing Phone (2), the company took to YouTube to give its quarterly community update. In this update, the team at Nothing in London gave a quick overview of the goings-on at the company. However, the updates’ other content was overshadowed by a special announcement from its founder, Carl Pei.

Screenshot 2023 08 08 at 10 50 13 882 Nothing Community Update Q2 2023 YouTube

That announcement is a new brand focused on bringing Nothing’s design philosophy to a more affordable price point. “CMF by Nothing” will continue to share Nothing’s design-led and user-centric approach to technology however, the new brand will focus on creating accessible products with a clean design and trusted quality. This breaks away from Nothing’s philosophy of pushing design innovation with premium materials and the latest technology. To ensure continuity with the efforts at Nothing itself, Car Pei notes that “CMF by Nothing” will be spearheaded by an independent team.

Nothing Community Update | Q2 2023

The announcement doesn’t end there, Carl Pei also announced that the new brand will be releasing CMF-branded smartwatch and headphones. The products are expected to make their debut later this year. There is so far no indication if the smartwatch will be utilising Google’s Wear OS software or going the route of OnePlus and Amazfit with a totally different OS.

It’s worth keeping in mind that Nothing has yet to release any smartwatch under the Nothing brand. So, it’s going to be interesting to see how CMF by Nothing will define clean design without Nothing leading the way in the product category.

Mobile, News

Instagram Finally Testing Out Tablet Layouts On Android

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It looks like the cry for a tablet and large screen-optimised Instagram may be coming to an end. Images have surfaced of the app getting different layouts tested with large-screen devices – in particular the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold series. The tests come on the heels of Google applying pressure on developers to develop apps optimised for large-screen devices with penalties coming to the Google Play Store.

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  • Screenshot 20230807 151709 Instagram jpg
  • Screenshot 20230807 151807 Instagram jpg

Two versions of the large-screen optimised Instagram app have surfaced. The first has a layout where the navigation buttons (i.e. the home, search, new post, reels, and profile buttons) are joined with the notifications and messages buttons on the right hand of the interface. The other looks like a blown-up version of the regular Instagram interface.

It seems like the testing is happening primarily on Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold series devices. The first reports surfaced days after the recent announcement of the Galaxy Z Fold5. This comes as no surprise as we already know that Samsung has been actively engaging with developers to optimise apps for large screens and the FlexScreen feature on their devices. However, it seems like layouts will not be exclusive to Samsung’s Foldables.

Android, Mobile, News

Honor Prepares to Unfold Tomorrow on September 1, 2023

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Honor is prepared to take its thinnest foldable smartphone, the Magic V2, global with an announcement coming up at IFA in Berlin. On September 1, 2023, at 10 am CEST, we can expect Honor Magic V2 to make its global availability known. However, it seems like there may be another smartphone in the works for the announcement as well. It’s rumoured that Honor may announce a second flip-style foldable during the event as well. There’s also a teaser on the website’s announcement of the IFA 2023 Keynote with a mathematical formula.

Screenshot 2023 08 08 at 09 23 55 HONOR IFA 2023 KEYNOTE HONOR Global

The Honor Magic V2 debuted earlier this year in July exclusively in China. It stunned with its 4.8mm thickness when unfolded and 9.9mm thickness when folded. It’s also not shying away from being a full-fledged flagship with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, dual 50-megapixel sensors and a 20-megapixel telephoto sensor on the back and a 16-megapixel sensor for the selfie camera. Together with this, the Magic V2 comes with a large 7.92-inch inner screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a large 5,000 mAh battery.

With the increasing number of choices for foldable smartphones increasing this year, it’s going to be very interesting to see how brands continue to edge each other out with design and software. Honor is currently one of three brands with a globally available flagship large-screen, foldable device. If rumours are any indication, the space is about to exponentially more competitive with brands like vivo and OnePlus joining the foray.

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Flip Out with the Galaxy Z Flip5 & Galaxy Z Fold5 in Flip Town!

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Samsung is cooking up something in the vibrant Golden Triangle…and has unleashed Flip Town! From now until 31 August, visit Flip Town to try out the latest Galaxy Z Flip5 and Galaxy Z Fold5 before they hit the stores!

To start your Flip Town adventure, start at the Bukit Bintang crossing, where you’ll see six Galaxy Z Flip5 lifestyle visuals by local Malaysian artists. This will also be your opportunity to snap OOTDs while flipping the cityscapes around you for Instagram-worthy moments.

If you head on over to Optimist Coffee on Jalan Bukit Bintang, you can also take pictures with loan units of the phones at the selfie stations until 13 August . Don’t forget to claim your free stickers! There are also convex mirrors that will allow you to experiment with unique angles to make your photos pop. Samsung is also giving out free coffee when you follow the @GalaxySpaceMY page.

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Next – this one’s for the BTS ARMY! Look out for the wall poster of BTS’s Jimin and strike your best poses next to the giant Galaxy Z Flip5 prop. Don’t miss out on visiting the Flip Town Experential Zone, where you can take photos with the wall poster of BTS’s Suga with the FlexCam. Snap more photos with loan phones at this pop-up station until 16 August for fresh, trendy shots next to Suga.

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Stay connected with the Flip Town community by using the hashtags #GalaxyZFlip5, #GalaxyZFold5, #JoinTheFlipSide, #MYFlipTown. You can also follow @GalaxySpaceMY and @samsungmalaysia for updates.

If you’re itching to own the Galaxy Z Fold5 or Galaxy Z Flip5, pre-orders are now available until 17 August 2023. Visit the Samsung website to learn more.

Business, News

No Need Express When You Have Pandago!

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Foodpanda is expanding its services again! From getting your food and groceries delivered to now getting your packages delivered 24/7. The company is now introducing pandago for its everyday users.

The service will be available within the foodpanda app starting today. Users simply have to select the “pandago” tab and it will automatically bring you to the delivery service page. The service will be available 24/7 on-demand so it’ll be perfect for sending that birthday surprise at the stroke of midnight or even those pesky last-minute documents in a rush.

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The pandago service comes with real-time tracking for easy tracking of your deliveries. The tracking will provide real-time delivery status updates while allowing customers to chat with the delivery partner to update their status.

While it may seem like a totally new service out of the blue, the pandago service has been operating since 2021. However, it was only available to business customers looking for a logistics-as-a-service (LaaS) partner. Pandago provided this service without the need for onboarding fees or commission fees and helped keep business costs at a minimum with a pay-as-you-use model.

Foodpanda is offering a 20% discount to new pandago users on their first delivery. You’ll simply have to use the voucher PANDAGO when you send your delivery to enjoy it.