Razer has introduced its latest collection, Razer Xanthus, following the success of its previous in-house apparel collections such as Genesis, Unleashed, and Instinct.
Source: Razer
This collection features Razer’s iconic acid green colour and graphics. The collection offers various styling options and customization choices, such as detachable straps with the motto “For Gamers. By Gamers.” and logo patches.
The new Xanthus Collection includes an oversized tank, a tee, a double pocket oversized tee, short sleeve shirt, cargo shorts, a 6-panel cap, and a bucket hat. All are crafted from high-quality, breathable materials.
Also part of the Xanthus collection is a Crossbody Bag and a Tote Bag. These bags are waterproof, lightweight, and allow gamers like yourself to conveniently carry with ease.
Source: Razer
Pricing & Availability
The Xanthus collection is available for purchase via Razer.com, RazerStores, and selected retailers* starting on 11th July 2023. Check out the tables below for the prices.
The Nothing Phone (2) was only just announced last week. The smartphone made its Malaysian debut at the Nothing Drop on the 15th of July at Crossover in Mid Valley Megamall in Malaysia. The drop was sold out in a matter of hours. Now, the smartphone is becoming more accessible with a partnership with Yes 5G by YTL Communications.
Source: Yes 5G
The partnership will bring the Nothing Phone (2) to consumers at no cost – just a subscription to Yes 5G’s Infinite+ Ultra Plan for MYR178. The subscription comes with unlimited, unthrottled data on both 5G and 4G networks, 110GB data for hotspot and tethering, unlimited domestic calls, and – if you need it – supplementary lines at MYR20. Of course, to be eligible for the free Nothing Phone (2), you will need to sign a contract for 3 years.
That said if you don’t want to be on a contract for 3 years, you can opt to get the Nothing Phone (2) with their Yes Infinite Basic Plan at a discounted subscription price of MYR38. The plan comes with similar features as the Infinite+ Ultra plan with a more limited 20GB of data for tethering and hotspot. Subscribing to this plan with entitle you to a Nothing Phone (2) at MYR3,499. However, you do get an MYR20 rebate on the MYR58 plan for 12 months, giving you savings of MYR240.
Source: Yes 5G Online Store
The offer is available online from the Yes Online Store, Yes Exclusive Stores and at selected Yes Flagship stores starting on July 22, 2023. If you can’t wait until then, you can pre-register for Yes 5G’s open sale happening on July 22, 2023. The first 100 customers at the Yes Experience Store at Lot 10 in Kuala Lumpur can purchase the Nothing Phone (2) with the exclusive Nothing Launch Edition set which comes bundles with the Ear (Stick), a 45W adapter and a case for the Phone (2).
PUBG Mobile has been on a roll lately with its updates. The new version 2.7 update also marks a new content collaboration with the popular anime franchise Dragon Ball – more specifically with the latest installation in the long-running anime Dragon Ball Super. The new content partnership will see two new additional modes in PUBG Mobile and kicks off on 13th July and will run until September 4th 2023.
Shenron, Ki & Dragon Balls Reimagine Gameplay
During this time, players can take part in a new Dragon Ball Super Themed Mode where they will have to search for the seven Dragon Balls to reign supreme. The new mode will happen in-game and will continue to have PUBG Mobile’s signature PvP battle royale gameplay. Upon collecting the seven sacred spheres, players will be able to summon Shenron at the Shenron Summoning Altar for powerful in-game buffs. The altar is also the cornerstone of a new hidden Dragon Ball trial where you’ll need to gather all seven balls, defend the altar and make a wish; all while being completely exposed to your enemies. Yep – they’ll be able to see your every move!
There are also four new Dragon Ball Super areas in-game, more specifically in the Erangel, Livik and Sanhok areas. The Dragon Ball Village”, “Tenkaichi Budokai”, “Kame House”, and “Karin Tower” areas will look familiar to Dragon Ball Super aficionados as they’re built to resemble areas and the architecture from the series. What’s more, they’ll have goodies that may just come in useful in your quest for that Chicken Dinner. You can even ride the Air Car to traverse the battlegrounds.
PUBG Mobile’s version 2.7 update also comes with a new “Ki” component which allows players to gather “Ki” for increased mobility. You’ll even be able to use the legendary skill – “Kamehameha” – to make quick work of your enemies.
PUBG Mobile Goes Full Dragon Ball Super
PUBG Mobile will also be taking things a step further as it adopts the signature animated art style of Dragon Ball Super. The stylistic change will take place between July 15 and September 4th 2023. During this time, players will be able to play as Son Goku, Vegeta, Frieza, Piccolo and Ultimate Gohan complete with their signature moves in their quest to be the last one standing.
As part of this brand-new mode, you will be able to gather Spirit Crystlets and Spirit Crystals from the ground to restore energy and upgrade your moves with a cap at Level 4. In addition, you’ll be able to traverse and manipulate the map with a variety of new features such as Teleport Points and Updraft.
There will also be exclusive outfits during this collaboration which feature Goku, Vegeta and Frieza and even companions Pilaf and Karin. But that’s not all, Tencent Games is teasing even more coming on August 14, 2023.
Acer’s Swift lineup has carved out a niche for itself thanks to its long legacy of literally being some of the thinnest and lightest laptops available on the market. However, that changed with the introduction of their Swift X laptop. The new generation of Acer Swift laptops was now supercharged as creator powerhouses with top-of-the-line discreet GPUs and cutting-edge displays. The new legacy continues with the Swift X 14 which comes with NVIDIA’s latest RTX 4050 laptop GPU.
The Swift X 14 was announced earlier this year at Acer’s next@acer event alongside CES 2023. The laptop continues to build on the Swift lineup’s heritage of strong, durable builds and portability. The new Swift X 14 comes in at only 1.55kgs with a 17.8mm thickness but comes packed with up to a 13th Generation Intel Core i7 H series processor and up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. The combo unlocks numerous possibilities for creators with support for Ray Tracing and even high-performance 3D rendering. Oh, did we mention…? It’s also a certified NVIDIA Studio device. This allows you access to NVIDIA’s most optimised Studio drivers which are specially tuned for graphical and video work with programs like Blender and the Adobe Creative Suite.
It’s not only got the power, but the Swift X 14 also comes with a redesigned chassis that holds a 29% larger battery, a 14-inch 2.8K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 and 100% DCI-P3 coverage and a totally redesigned thermal setup. The redesigned thermals improve heat dissipation by 7.16%.
Aside from that, Acer’s Swift X 14 comes with support for up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM, 1TB SSD memory and a complete array of ports including a HDMI port and numerous USB ports and a microSD Card reader. Also part of the package is a 1080p FHD webcam with Acer PurifiedVoice and PurifiedView technology with AI noise reduction.
Pricing & Availability
The Acer Swift X 14 is currently available in stores and on the Acer e-store. Prices for the laptop start at MYR5,999.
Google I/O in May 2023 saw them launching a sort of experimental open-sourced AI platform that is the Google Bard. In our write-up, we theorized that Google Bard is a direct response to ChatGPT, or rather, an attempt to compete with or replicate the technology that is ChatGPT-4. Before you get confused, again, Google’s Bard is not the result of their DeepMind AI project. It is not exactly Google Assistant as well, though sharing plenty of similarities.
At its launch, Google’s Bard was only available in English, Japanese, and Korean. Despite only working in three languages, the experiment was made available in 180 countries at launch. It is also important to know that the Google Bard you see in May’s Google I/O 2023 is not in its first iteration.
A few months on and Google is updating Bard to be more relevant to plenty more users around the world. The latest update to Bard makes it now available in over 40 languages, including the ones it started with. They also made it available in more than the original 180 countries including countries in the European region and Brazil. Of course, this is not where Google will stop with Bard. They are still planning to bring their Bard service to more regions in the future, but they are also doing it in stages in accordance with regulatory bodies, policy makers, and experts in the different regions they are expanding to. They also say that they are taking privacy and data into consideration when taking steps in expanding their services.
Language is also not the only thing that is being updated in Google Bard. Google has also updated Bard to improve its ability to customize its responses even more. Instead of just written responses, Google Bard can even read out its own response with correct pronunciation in case you are wondering how to say certain words. This is also available in 40 languages in the new update, which makes Bard super useful when you go travel too. You can even customize the responses from Bard by telling it to respond in five different options: simple, long, short, professional, or casual. Like ChatGPT, you can even ask Google Bard to create listings or postings for various things on various platforms. For now, this one is only available in English though. Obviously, the feature will be available in more languages as Google Bard collects more contextual data in different languages and regions.
Like your browser history, your interaction with Bard should not only last for that short minute you interact with the platform. The platform makes it easier for you to revisit conversations and topics you might have dropped off from with Bard. You can now pin your conversations and rename them so that you can archive it and bring it up on a later date when you have the time or whenever necessary. They have also improved Bard’s coding capabilities by now offering the ability to export Python codes to Replit and Google Colab to make coding much easier and faster. You can even share your Bard conversations with your friends and have them see the ideas you have thought of with the help of Bard. Google Lens is also now integrated into Bard. That means you can either take a photo or upload images with prompts or requests and Bard will analyze the photo to help with its responses.
When you think about getting an OLED TV, there are going to be a few names you start thinking about. Since they are so popular, one of those names is inevitably LG. To be fair, they have been on top of the OLED TV market for about 10 years now, as per their claims. Why not Samsung? Samsung has moved away from the OLED technology and introduced their own cutting edge QLED technology. The thing is, OLED TVs are still some of the best-selling TVs in the market for a good reason – they still offer some of the best colour contrast and saturation you can find today.
There is plenty to like about LG’s OLED TVs too. They have a clever remote that acts sort of like a ‘magic wand’. You just point to the things or contents you want via the remote, and then select the content via the button on your remote. Like other smart TV remotes, the LG TV remote also can work with voice command. There is the webOS User Interface (UI) too, which is still one of the best UI available for smart TVs today, in our opinion. It is, in our opinion, a little more polished than even Samsung’s TizenOS for TVs, and much better to work with compared to Google TV or Android TV interfaces. Part of the polished feel of the TV is thanks to some of the most advanced processors for TVs made in the industry found in their TVs. The processor is getting a little aged though and an update is in order.
Welcome to the latest line-up of LG OLED TVs made for modern entertainment. It comes ready with LG’s proven α9 processor, but it is upgraded to make the TVs some of the best money can buy in the market. They call it the α9 AI Processor 4K Gen6 and it is programmed with LG’s latest and improved AI algorithms for image upscaling and smoothing with AI help. It does not stop at images though, it also works well with audio to offer users not just immersive and lifelike images, but also top notch surround audio to go along with the action. The new processor also offers Brightness Booster Max technology (OLED Evo G3 series) to offer brighter, sharper, and more realistic images by controlling the brightness of individual pixels allowing 70% brighter images for realistic contrasts and background separation.
They have updated webOS too for 2023 that offers even more intuitive navigation for users. Ther is a new Quick Cards feature that allows users easy access to the contents and services they use most or most recently used. The cards are even organized and grouped under the different Gaming, Music, Sports, and other available categories to give that more sorted feel to the interface. Speaking of which, these new TVs are made with modern gaming experiences in mind. Thanks to a 0.1ms response time (on Boost), NVIDIA G-Sync, and AMD FreeSync Premium support, this is the perfect large factor gaming monitor not just for your latest gaming consoles, but also for your gaming PCs. There is support for HDMI 2.1 and VRR for the latest GPUs and even the latest consoles.
For the modern home, you want a seamless and integrated look. The thinner the TVs, the easier it is for you to integrate into your living space. That is also why the 2023 line-up of LG OLED TVs are designed to be as thin as possible with a zero-gap mount design to blend into your walls. The ultra-thin bezels give the illusion that the images are painted directly on your wall, and with the most accurate black paint available for that matter. If you prefer your TVs to be your home’s centerpieces or statement pieces, there is the new LG OLED Posé Objet Collection. For your gaming set-up, you can have the best of both flat and curved displays with the OLED Flex 4K display.
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
Source: LG
The new 2023 line-up of LG TVs is now available via LG’s authorized retailers across the nation. The new models are the LG OLED evo G3, LG OLED evo C3, and LG OLED A3. The LG OLED evo G3 starts at MYR 17,999 and is available in 65-icn and 77-inch sizes only. The LG OLED evo C3 will be available in sizes from 55-inch all the way to 83-inch with prices starting from MYR 10,999. Meanwhile, the budget option, the LG OLED A3 is available in 55-inch and 65-inch size variants at MYR 8,999 onward. If you are up for a good deal, you can visit their Perfect 10th, Perfect Black Roadshow happening now until the 16th of July 2023. If you do purchase any of their latest TVs from their roadshow, you are entitled to enjoy up to MYR 1,700 in TNG eWallet rebates, and even stand a chance to win a free 65-inch TV from LG. More on LG’s latest TVs can be found at their website.
Sony’s α6000 series is one of those line-ups of cameras that we can easily recommend to anyone who is looking to get into photography. Despite its price, we think that Sony’s mirrorless APS-C interchangeable lens camera line-up offers some of the best value for a camera. The older α6600 for example, offers 4K video recording with S-Log3, pretty much on par with the more premium α7 line-up of cameras when it comes to video work. While APS-C sensors are smaller than full-frame sensors, the α6600 is still a formidable photography tool that offers photo quality that is comparable to full-frame photos.
The α6600 is an aging platform though. It launched back in September 2019, which was nearly 4 years ago. Considering that the gap between the α7 III and α7 IV is also a little over 3 years old, the α6600 is due for an upgrade. Introducing the Sony α6700.
New Sensor
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
You still get an APS-C sensor on the Sony α6700, like its predecessor, which is also rather expected, since this is the compact camera line-up from Sony. It is an upgraded sensor though. It is now a 26-Megapixel Exmor R CMOS sensor alongside Sony’s most powerful BIONZ XR image processor that also powers Sony’s latest full-frame cameras.
New Processor
Source: Sony
The BIONZ XR processor allows the Sony α6700 to record 4K videos like the older α6600. But instead of the regular 60fps, you can record at 120fps this time. You can also record videos at S-Cinetone picture profile, which is the preferred profile for Sony’s filmmakers on their professional Cinema Line cameras. On top of that, you have the flexibility of shooting videos and photos from a standard ISO 100 all the way to ISO 32000 for both high-sensitivity and low-light shooting.
The new processor also contains a clever artificial intelligence (AI) engine first seen on Sony’s advanced α7R V platform. The AI engine allows the α6700 to cleverly recognize subjects accurately (Real-Time Recognition AF) and quickly focuses on the subject even if they are not human. Of course, that contributes to the speedy Eye-AF system that Sony pioneered.
Still Compact
Source: Sony
You get a familiar platform on the Sony α6700. You get the same compact design body with lightweight materials. It is a little over 100g lighter than the older α6600 too. While 100g may not sound a lot, it does make a difference when you need to work with it an entire day for both video and photography workflow. Thanks to the new swiveling vari-angle LCD monitor as well, the new α6700 offers even more flexibility in the types of shots you can get and monitor.
Price and Availability
The Sony α6700 will be available in Malaysia from September 2023 onward. No colour options here, just the regular black colour that we are used to with Sony’s cameras, or any other cameras for that matter. There are no mentions yet on its official pricing in Malaysia just yet. It is priced at US$ 1,398, which is about MYR 6,416*. In that case, we are expecting the new camera will be priced at about MYR 6,400 when it arrives in Malaysia. For more information on Sony’s latest α6700, you can head over to their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.59 as of 13/07/2023 on xe.com
Nothing just released their new smartphone – the Nothing Phone (2)! The new smartphone comes with the Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 with 8 or 12GB of RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. The Nothing Phone (2) is upping the ante with an updated Glyph Interface and even more focus on self-expression in Nothing OS 2.0. The smartphone still comes with a dual camera setup with two 50-megapixel sensors. The Nothing Phone (2) is dropping in Malaysia on July 15, 2023, at CROSSOVER in Mid Valley Megamall.
We’re giving you a first hands-on with the new smartphone and showing you some of the key specifications in our new hands-on video.
The first-generation Nothing Phone (1) launched with not too much fanfare. But it did attract a lot of attention with its bold transparent design and all the LEDs that lights the back of the device up like nothing we have ever seen before. The LED lights and the different combinations you can get with the LEDs can be used as notification indicators for different apps. In regular devices with LEDs,
The Nothing Phone (1) did not pack hardware that is worth shouting about though. It made and sold squarely in the mid-range smartphone segment category. Still, the mid-range smartphone segment is currently the most competitive segment of the industry, even more so than the flagship segment. Innovation in the segment does not come in the form of powerful hardware or Megapixel on cameras. Innovation in this market is offering the more creative solution to common problems, offering flagship smartphone experiences, while ensuring that the device itself is still affordable and accessible to general users. That was the Nothing Phone tough, an innovative mid-range offering that ticks all of the boxes of a smartphone and even more with its unique approach to design. The Nothing Phone (2) that just launched continues that design philosophy.
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
Source: Nothing
The Nothing Phone (2) follows almost the same recipe that made the first Nothing Phone a great success. It has innovative transparent design, and an updated hardware that is still no slouch in anyway you look at it. Everything is better than before though on the new Phone (2).
For starters, you get a flagship class Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 system on a chip (SoC) that is still a relevant chipset today, even with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Paired up with a 12GB RAM and up to 512GB of storage, you are getting flagship levels of performance. All that keeps the Nothing OS 2.0 based on Android 13 running smoothly on the 6.7-inch OLED LTPO display boasting up to 120hz in refresh rate. They also say that the new interface is twice faster to start up than the older interface on the older device.
Out the back is a dual camera set up that offers 50-Megapixel photos on both ends. Of course, one is a regular wide camera offering 24mm in focal length, while the other is an Ultra-Wide shooter that should offer you more creative freedom when the photography bug hits you. Out the front is a 32-Megapixel shooter for clearer selfies or better-looking video calls. With the new interface, the camera also gets a few extra features like Advanced HDR and Motion Capture 2.0. The new 50-Megapixel main shooter also offers an advanced 18-bit Image Signal Processor that allows the Nothing Phone (2) to process up to 4,000 times more data than the first-generation Nothing Phone offering better accuracy in both photos and videos. Its combined Electronic (EIS) and Optical (OIS) image stabilizers allows you to record smooth 4K videos at 60fps.
Source: Nothing
Underneath the transparent body is a large 4,700 mAh battery that offers an entire day of battery life or more depending on your use case. When you do run out, charging it to 50% takes just 20 minutes. You can even charge it wirelessly if you want to.
The unique aspect of the Nothing Phone (2) is still the iconic Glyph Interface inherited from the first Nothing Phone. They have improved the Glyph Interface for the second-generation Nothing flagship smartphone though. There are more LED segments than before, allowing better customizability and even more options for users. It can also work as a countdown timer for anything from rides via a hailing service, or delivery progress. Of course, that also means that the Glyph Interface now works as a timer too. You can even check your smartphone’s volume just via the LEDs out the back. There is a new algorithm called the Essential Glyph Notifications where you can still receive notifications from select apps or even contacts. The top-right LED segment will be kept on until you address the notifications or calls. There is also something called the Glyph Composer now where you can personalize the smartphone experience by creating your own personalized Glyph Ringtones.
Availability and Price
The Nothing Phone (2) will be available in Malaysia 22nd of July 2023 onward from Nothing’s official online stores on Shopee and Lazada, along with Nothing’s authorized retailers across the nation. You can choose between two colours, however the most affordable 8GB + 128GB option is only available in black colour option. For the White colour option, you only get to choose between a 12GB + 256GB offering or a 12GB + 512GB variant. There are no mentions of its official pricing in Malaysia just yet. It will be available in select markets 17th of July 2023 onward forwith prices starting from US$ 599 (MYR 2,786*). Based on that, you can expect the Nothing Phone (2) to be priced north of MYR 2,500 onward. More on the Nothing Phone (2) can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.65 as of 12/07/2023 on xe.com
Apple has updated its latest iOS 16 to version iOS 16.5 rather recently. Even more recently, they have just released the 16.5.1 version of the iOS 16.5. Apparently, they have just updated the 16.5.1 again. While being only a 2.7MB update, it is a critical one.
Apple labels this as one of their Rapid Security Response updates for their software. Alongside the Apple iPhone, the iPad is also getting the Rapid Security Response for the iPadOS 16.5.1. As per the release notes, the iOS 16.5.1(a) update is available for iPhones with iOS 16.5.1. But it is not just the iPhone and iPad that is getting a security update. At the same time, Apple is releasing security updates for MacOS Ventura [13.4.1 (a)] and Safari (16.5.2).
The thing about Apple’s security updates is that they can be rather vague in their description. According to their release notes, the update addresses “web content processing that may lead to arbitrary code execution”. According to Apple as well, there has been reports on the issue being heavily exploited, hence the need for iOS 16.5.1 (a) update. The release notes says that the update will bring “improved checks” to address the issue, whatever that means.
Rapid Security Response updates are important updates, they tend to patch security issues that has been reported or found. That also means that it is recommended that users on the latest iOS to check for their updates if they have not been updated yet. It is a relatively small update too, which also means that you might not have too much trouble or too long of a downtime with your iPhone when you do update your device. Once updated, your iPhone will request that you restart your device. Once you do so, your device should display iOS 16.5.1 (a) instead of the regular iOS 16.5.1 when you check its software version.
