Category Archives: News

Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Xiaomi Redmi 12 is Launched in Malaysia at MYR 599 Onward!

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We get a lot of emails (not really) asking us; “we only have MYR 599 maximum to buy a smartphone, what do we buy?”. We sometimes will tell them to just bump their budget up a little bit to afford better, mid-range devices – especially if it is going to be their daily driver. Secondary device? Whatever works if it serves your calling and messaging purposes. What if you only have MYR 599 for a daily driver though? Can you still get a decent daily driver for that kind of money? With Xiaomi, it turns out, you can.

Take the Xiaomi Redmi 12 that was just launched for example. It is worth MYR 599, right on your budget. If you plan to get it at its launch (15th of July 2023), it will be MYR 100 below your budget too at MYR 499. It is an entry-level device but comes with everything you need in a daily driver device.

  • Redmi 12 IP53
    Source: Xiaomi
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For starters, it packs MediaTek’s Helio G88 system on a chip (SoC) that clocks in at 2.0GHz. While the Helio G88 is not the most powerful processor you can find on an Android device, it is still no slouch when it comes to daily tasking and multitasking, especially with memory extension capabilities. You get up to 8GB of RAM with the device, enough to take on anything you might want to throw at it. With memory expansion, you will get more than 8GB of RAM to play with too for even better multitasking capabilities.

You also get up to 256GB of storage with it to store all kinds of things like your photos and videos. If that is not enough, you get to expand the storage to up to 1TB with a MicroSD card. You want this kind of storage for the kind of camera you get on the device.

You get a 50-Megapixel main shooter out the back of the device. Alongside the main camera is an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera and 2-Megapixel macro camera. The camera app on the device also offers seven different filmCamera filters that offer a different kind of photographic experience and creative choices. If you do take plenty of photos in 50-Megapixel, you will fill up the storage quickly.

Redmi 12 Blue 10
Source: Xiaomi

If you are taking plenty of photos, you also want a large battery for it. The Redmi 12 comes with 5,000mAh of battery capacity. They say that the large battery can offer 23 days of standby time, 133 hours of music playback, 26 hours of online reading or 16 hours of continuous video playback. Your video is played on a high-resolution Full HD+ DotDisplay with 90Hz refresh rate measuring 6.79-inch. You can watch and read on the display for a long time as well with their low blue-light mode and Reading Mode 3.0 that protects your eyes at the same time.

Of course, it comes with everything you need in a daily driver like water resistance rating at IP 53. At 8.17mm, it is thin enough to be a regular mid-range or look like a flagship device. Unlike most flagship and mid-range smartphones, the Redmi 12 still offers you the convenience of a 3.5mm AUX combo jack. Its USB Type-C port also supports 18W of fast charging.

Price and Availability

The Xiaomi Redmi 12 is available in Midnight Black, Sky Blur, and Polar Silver colour options. As mentioned, prices start at MYR 599 (4GB + 128GB). It will be available 15th of July 2023 from authorised Xiaomi Stores, including official online stores at Shopee and Lazada. As mentioned earlier, if you do get it on the first sale date, you can get your Xiaomi Redmi 12 smartphone for MYR 499. For more information on the Xiaomi Redmi 12, you can head out to their website.

Android, Mobile, News

Nothing Phone (2) Drops on July 15 in Malaysia

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Nothing is on a roll when it comes to teasing their upcoming Phone (2). Nothing’s founder, Carl Pei, has been dropping teasers for the Phone (2) on Twitter for over a month. Just last week, the company revealed the Phone (2)’s design in an exclusive video with tech YouTuber, Marques Brownlee.

Nothing Phone 3 MKBHD ScreenCap
Source: Youtube (Marques Brownlee)

The new smartphone is rumoured to be coming with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, a welcome upgrade from the mid-range processor that was used in the Phone (1). It doesn’t look like Nothing is changing much on the Phone (2) though when it comes to overall design. That said, in their video with Marques, it does look like the Glyph design has been updated. We won’t have to wait very long for confirmation of the leaks and specifications of the smartphone. The Nothing Phone (2) is geared for release on 11th July 2023 at 11 am (EST).

Screenshot 2023 07 10 at 11 42 17 Phone 2 launch Nothing event
Source: Nothing

However, in typical Nothing style, the company has announced that the Nothing Phone (2) will be available in select regions starting on July 13, 2023. Its big debut in Malaysia will be happening on July 15, 2023, at Crossover in Mid Valley Megamall at 11 am local time. You’ll be able to purchase the Nothing Phone (2) and the recently announced Ear (2) Black at the drop.

Nothing Phone 4 MKBHD ScreenCap
Source: Youtube (Marques Brownlee)

For the rest of the world, the details for the drops are tabulated below.

City/CountryDate & TimeDrop LocationProducts Available
Malaysia15, July 2023
11 a.m. (GMT+8)		CROSSOVER
T-025, Third Floor (South Court), Mid Valley Megamall 759200, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia		Phone (2)
Ear (2) Black
Singapore15, July 2023
11 a.m. (GMT+8)		Chamber by Limited Edt
435, Orchard Road, Wisma Atria,
#03-24 to 29, Singapore 238877		Phone (2)
Ear (2) Black
Bangkok15, July 2023
11 a.m. (GMT+7)		Carnival
428 Siam Square, Soi 7 Road, Pathom Wan, Bangkok 10330 Thailand		Phone (2)
Ear (2) Black
Jakarta15, July 2023
11 a.m. (GMT+7)		INVINCIBLE
Pacific Place Mall 4/f, #06A
J1 Jenderal Sudirman Kav 52-53, Jakarta 12190, Indonesia		Ear (2) Black
Tokyo15, July 2023
11 a.m. (GMT+9)		Kith Tokyo
Kith Tokyo 宮下公園北1階・2階, 渋谷区神宮前 6-20-10, Tokyo		Ear (2) Black
Seoul15, July 2023
11 a.m. (GMT+9)		KREAM Sangsy Showroom
50-1, Wausan-ro Mapo-gu, Seoul		Phone (2)
Ear (2) Black
Hong Kong15, July 2023
10 a.m. (GMT+8)		IFC MALL
Podium 3, 8 Finance Street, Central, Hong Kong

CANTON ROAD3
Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong

PACIFIC PLACE HOME STORE
Level One, 88 Queensway, Admiralty, Hong Kong		Phone (2)
Ear (2) Black
London13, July 2023
4 p.m. (GMT+1)		Nothing Soho Store London
4 Peter St, London W1F 0AD		All Nothing products
New York13, July 2023
4 p.m. (GMT -4)		Nothing Kiosk NYC
69 Gansevoort St, New York, NY 10014		All Nothing products
Berlin15, July 2023
10 a.m. (GMT+2)		Cyberport Berlin Bikini, Budapester Str. 42-50, 10787 BerlinPhone (2) Bundle
Paris15, July 2023
10 a.m. (GMT+2)		LEGACY Concept Store
46, avenue George V / Le Fouquet’s Paris		Phone (2) Bundle
Milan15, July 2023
10 a.m. (GMT+2)		WINDTRE Milano, VIA DANTE 3, 20121 MilanoPhone (2) Bundle
Madrid15, July 2023
(GMT+2)		Fnac Callao
Calle Preciados, 28, 28013 Madrid		Phone (2) Bundle
Ear (2)
Dublin15, July 2023
9:30 a.m.
(GMT+1)		Harvey Norman Tallaght,
Corner Airton & Greenhills Rd, Tallaght, Dublin 24, D24 E205		Phone (2) Bundle
Ear (2) White
Lisbon15, July 2023
(GMT+1)		Fnac COLOMBO Lisbon,
C.C Colombo, Av. Lusiada, Loja A103, 1500-392 Lisboa		Phone (2) Bundle
Ear (2)
Antwerp20, July 2023
11:00 a.m.
(GMT+2)		FNAC Antwerpen Grand Bazar Beddenstraat 22000, Antwerpen, BelgiumPhone (2) Bundle
Ear (2) Black
Brussels20, July 2023
(GMT+2)		FNAC Brussel
Nieuwstraat 123 1000, Brussel, Belgium		Phone (2) Bundle
Ear (2) Black
Helsinki15, July 2023
(GMT+3)		Elisa Kulma,
Aleksanterinkatu 19, Helsinki		Phone (2) Bundle
Ear (2) Black
Rotterdam20, July 2023
(GMT+2)		T-Mobile Lijnbaan
86, 3012 ER Rotterdam, Netherlands		Phone (2)
Ear (2) Black
Stockholm15, July 2023
(GMT+2)		Inet Sveavägen
Sveavägen 31, 111 34, Stockholm		Phone (2)
Ear (2) Black
Dubai15, July 2023
5 p.m. (GMT+4)		SHARAF DG DUBAI MALL,
Level 2 Electronics Zone Financial Center Rd, Downtown Dubai, Dubai		Phone (2) Bundle
Riyadh15, July 2023
5 p.m. (GMT+3)		JARIR BOOKSTORE RIYAHD OLAYA, Olaya St Al Olaya Riyadh 12213, Saudi Arabia,
شارع العليا، العليا، الرياض
12213		Phone (2) Bundle
Kuwait15, July 2023
5 p.m. (GMT+3)		XCITE AVENUES MALL KUWAIT,
The Avenues Mall, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Road, Al Kuwayt 13003, Kuwait		Phone (2) Bundle
Bangalore15, July 2023
(GMT+5:30)		Lulu Mall
Gopalapura, Binnipete, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560023
Android, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Sony Xperia 1V is Now Available in Malaysia for MYR 6,399!

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The Sony Xperia 1V is finally here in Malaysia, and as per previously reported, it will set you back MYR 6,399. It is a lot of money for a smartphone, yes. It is more expensive than Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra at this point (MYR 5,699 onward, 256GB + 12GB), making it the most expensive mass-produced Android smartphone to date. But then again, the Sony Xperia 1V smartphone is not necessarily made for the general user. Instead, Sony has content creators in mind when it comes to the Sony Xperia 1V.

On paper, it does not look like you are getting much more for your money on the Xperia 1V. You get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 System on a Chip (SoC) to begin with, the most powerful processor money can buy in an Android smartphone. Alongside the integrated chip is up to 256GB in storage and up to 12GB in RAM which should ensure that the device is speedy and snappy enough to keep up with the best the Android segment has to offer. Unlike most flagships in the market though, you can expand the device’s storage with a MicroSD card at up to 1TB capacity. Of course, that means sacrificing the secondary SIM tray.

Out the back are three 12-Megapixel sensors in 24mm, 16mm, and 85-125mm lenses configuration. There is a textured glass that protects the camera sensors too that offers better grip and feel than before. Underneath the glass back is a 5,000mAh battery that should keep the device running for an entire day and even more.

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Up front is a rather expansive 21:9 aspect ratio OLED display that offers 4K resolution at HDR levels. It also offers 120Hz refresh rate for a smooth feel of Android 13 on the device. The Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 protects the main display and also protects another 12-Megapixel sensor that is kitted with a 24mm lens for selfies or video conferencing purposes.

We said that the main sensor is a 12-Megapixel sensor. While that is mostly true in most photography use cases, the sensor is a special one developed just for the Sony Xperia 1 series. The new Exmor T sensor is larger than regular smartphone camera sensors, meaning it can capture more light and perform naturally better in low-light conditions. The sensor also technically has 52-Megapixel on it, but only 48-Megapixel is effectively available on tap. With pixel binning, you get a larger 12-Megapixel sensor than ever before that offers more details and clarity than ever before.

Price and Availability

The Sony Xperia 1V, as mentioned, is priced at MYR 6,399. It is now available via Sony Stores and their authorised resellers throughout the nation. You can get yours in Black or Khaki Green variants. They teased a White variant at the local launch, but we cannot be sure that it will be available at the same time as the other two colours currently. For a limited time, every purchase of the Sony Xperia 1V entitles you to a Sony WH-1000XM5 noise cancelling headphones worth MYR 1,799. Yes, it is expensive, but we do think that nothing does a better job than the Sony Xperia 1V when it comes to content creation. More on the Sony Xperia 1V can be found on their website.

News

OPPO Reno10 5G Series Comes to Malaysia Complete with Ultra-Clear Portrait Camera System & SuperVOOC Charging

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OPPO is showcasing their camera prowess in a new lineup of smartphones. The Reno series smartphones have already made a name for their camera technology especially when it comes to portrait photography. However, with the OPPO Reno10 series, OPPO is looking to take it a step further with the Reno10 by bringing even more camera features and closing the gap between the Reno10 Pro+ 5G and the regular Reno10.

OPPO Reno10 Pro 02

The Reno10 Pro+ 5G Brings OPPO’s Ultra-Clear Portrait System to Life

OPPO is packing a punch with their flagship Reno10 Pro+ 5G. It’s not only got the camera setup to prove it, but it’s also coming with a flagship processor – the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. Complementing this processor is 12GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. This combination promises to be quite the powerhouse when it comes to performance. The Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 has been used in many powerhouse devices including one of the most popular gaming phones – the ROG Phone 6. With the optimizations that OPPO is bringing with their new Dynamic Computing Engine, the Reno10 Pro+ is looking to be their most powerful Reno smartphone yet.

The Reno10 Pro+ comes with a triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel wide-angle sensor with an f/1.8 aperture, multi-directional phase detection autofocus (PDAF), and optical image stabilization (OIS) as the main sensor. This is complemented by a 64-megapixel telephoto sensor with an f/2.5 aperture, PDAF, OIS, and 3x optical zoom; and an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor with an f/2.2 aperture. Up front, you have a 32-megapixel wide-angle sensor with an f/2.4 aperture, gyro-EIS, and autofocus.

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The smartphone’s display is a 6.74-inch AMOLED 3D curved screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The display has a resolution of 1240 x 2772 pixels with a 20.1:9 aspect ratio. The smartphone runs on ColorOS 13.1 which is built on Android 13. The smartphone also comes with an under-display, optical fingerprint reader, accelerometer, gyro- and proximity sensors. All of these are powered by a 4,700mAh battery with support for 100W SuperVOOC charging.

Thinner, Lighter, and Power Packed – The Reno10 Pro 5G & Reno10 5G

The Reno series is completed by the Reno10 5G and Reno10 Pro 5G. These smartphones come with a 3D Curved screen. The former has the same setup as the Reno10 Pro+ while the latter comes with an OLED instead of AMOLED. The Reno10 Pro comes with the same resolution as the Pro+ while the Reno10 comes with a FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2412 pixels. They also come with different processors, the Pro comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G processor while the regular Reno10 comes with a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 process. On the Pro, the processor is complemented by 12GB of RAM while the Reno10 comes with 8GB of RAM. Both come with 256GB of internal storage.

05 The camera structure of Reno10 Pro 5G

On the camera front, the Reno 10 Pro 5G comes with the same 50-megapixel main sensor as the Pro+ while the main sensor of the Reno10 is a 64-megapixel sensor which lacks OIS. This is complemented by a 32-megapixel sensor with an f/2.0 aperture, PDAF, and a 2x optical zoom; and an 8-megapixel ultrawide sensor on both variants. The Reno10 comes with a 5,000mAh battery with support for 67W SuperVOOC charging while the Pro comes with a smaller 4,700mAh battery with support for 80W SuperVOOC charging.

Pricing & Availability

The Reno10 series is available for pre-order starting today from authorized retailers, MyOPPO Spaces, and the OPPO store. Details are per the table below.

ModelMemoryPriceColourPre-order Freebies
OPPO Reno10 Pro+ 5G 12GB RAM + 256GB on board RM3,499Glossy Purple;
Silvery Grey		Complimentary rewards worth a total of RM896 inclusive of:
1. OPPO Enco Air3 (worth RM249)
2. Free access to KLIA Plaza Premium Lounge (worth RM299)
3. Free 1-Year Screen Protection Plan (worth RM199)
4. Free 1-Year Extended Warranty (worth RM149)
OPPO Reno10 Pro 5G 12GB RAM + 256GB on board RM2,199Glossy Purple;
Silvery Grey		Complimentary rewards worth a total of RM506 inclusive of:
1. Bluetooth speaker (worth RM129)
2. OPPO Enco Buds2 (worth RM129)
3. Free 1-Year Screen Protection Plan (worth RM139)
4. Free 1-Year Extended Warranty (worth RM109)
OPPO Reno10 5G 8GB RAM + 256GB on board RM1,799Complimentary rewards worth a total of RM238 inclusive of Bluetooth speaker (worth RM129)Free 1-Year Extended Warranty (worth RM109)Complimentary rewards worth a total of RM238 inclusive of:
1. Bluetooth speaker (worth RM129)
2. Free 1-Year Extended Warranty (worth RM109)
Lifestyle, News

Anker’s Soundcore R50i & A20i Make Malaysia Debut

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Get ready for the new kid in town, everyone! Anker’s bringing its Soundcore brand to Malaysia, and it’s time to get excited for their affordable true wireless earbuds, Soundcore A20i and R50i.

Soundcore R50i: Longer Playtime, Longer Fun

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R50i Blue Hr 1500 1
R50i Black Hr 1500 1

The Soundcore R50i comes with 10mm drivers – this means the earbuds can bring you great sound quality. You will be able to personalize your audio experience using the 22 preset EQs on the Soundcore app. There is also the “Find My Earbuds” feature – so that you can easily locate misplaced earbuds.

With a full charge, the Soundcore R50i offers 10 hours of continuous playtime, and the charging case extends it to 30 hours. Anker claims that with just 10 minutes of charging, it will grant you an extra 2 hours of playtime. Additionally, the brands also boasts an IPX5 water-resistant rating, providing protection against rain or shine during your active lifestyle.

Soundcore A20i: Affordable True Wireless Earbuds

A20i white 1500
A20i purple 1500
A20i black 1500

Soundcore A20i is a pair of earbuds designed for people who enjoy bass music and are on the lookout for affordable earbuds. Similar to the R50i, you can also choose from the 22 preset EQs within the app, especially the brand’s signature BassUp preset.

These earbuds has a playtime of 9 hours on a single charge, extendable to 28 hours with the charging case. According to Anker, you can gain an additional 2 hours of playtime with just 10 minutes of charging. They also come with the Bluetooth 5.3 technology, an AI algorithm, and two built-in microphones to deliver clear voice quality, even in noisy environments.

Pricing & Availability

The Soundcore A20i and R50i will be available starting 7 July 2023. The earbuds will be available during the 7.7 sales on Shopee and Lazada.

R50i 7.7 2
A20i 7.7 2
ProductOriginal PriceDiscounted Price
Soundcore R50i – WhiteRM119RM109
Soundcore A20i – Black/White/PurpleRM99RM77

Android, Computers, Mobile, News

Samsung’s Quick Share App Goes to Other Windows Devices

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Integrating your smartphone and PC experience has always been a problem for many years. Apple has successfully done so with their range of devices thanks to the nature of their strictly closed development. You can work on your iPhone and then transfer your FaceTime call to your iPad tablet when you get access to it, and then even to your MacBook or Mac desktop when you get to them, without too much fuss. The closest thing we have on Android and Windows is the Microsoft Phone Link platform, which can be a pain to work with at times.

Alternatively, you have Google’s Nearby Share that works as a file transfer protocol between Android devices and Windows devices. It is far from seamless though. While it is simple enough on your Android devices to work with, your PC have to have the app installed and open for it to receive files from your various Android devices.

Samsung’s Quick Share is sort of the in-between the Phone Link and Nearby Share platforms. It is more like the Nearby Share platform, except that it is made for Samsung devices specifically. Nearby Share is made for the general Android devices that come with multiple connectivity standards and hardware. Samsung’s Quick Share is made for Galaxy devices with specific hardware that comes with all Galaxy devices; meaning communications between two devices can be standardized, made seamless, and be made at greater speeds. That is why you can only find the Samsung Quick Share button on Samsung’s Galaxy devices including the Galaxy Book laptops. Then again, that is not the case anymore.

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    Source: Microsoft Store
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Samsung has made the Quick Share app available on the Microsoft Store for other Windows devices.  While Quick Share for mobile devices is still only available on Samsung’s Galaxy devices, you do not have to have Samsung’s Galaxy Book devices to take advantage of it. You can now download it for free from the Microsoft Store.

There are a few more caveats though, other than that you must have a Samsung smartphone to take advantage of it. You must be on a Window 10 operating system at least with 2004 release (build number 19041), which is not entirely difficult since Windows 11 is the standard operating system today (unless you are on a corporate device, and they have not moved on from Windows XP just yet). You also need to have Intel’s Bluetooth driver version 22.50.02 and Wi-Fi driver version 22.50.07 to get the Quick Share app to work on your Windows device. All of these should not be too big of an issue if you have a modern laptop and ensure that you regularly update your Windows device. It only becomes a problem when you have a device that does not support Intel’s Bluetooth and Wi-Fi drivers, then you cannot enjoy the Quick Share function on your Windows device. Still, you can never know until you disassemble your PC, so you can try it for yourself by downloading the app from Microsoft Store.

Business, Lifestyle, News

More Changes to Twitter, Now Google Cannot Even See Tweets

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Twitter, under the new management of Elon Musk, is a different one than the one we were introduced to more than a decade ago. In just a few months after Elon Musk took over the social media platform as CEO, the platform started charging people for the blue ticks that indicates verified accounts. In a recent stir, the platform restricted contents to just people who are registered on the platform. A little later, they introduced a rate limit, where non-paying users get to see only up to a certain number of tweets a day. Specifically, you get to see up to 600 tweets a day before a limit error comes up to stop you from scrolling some more. Now, Twitter results are disappearing from Google search results.

While it may seem to be a deliberate move from Twitter to limit access to the platform by unregistered users. The disappearance and lack of Twitter content is a direct result of Google simply not picking up tweets from the platform because of the access restriction from Twitter. The Google Search engine still picks up feeds from Twitter with their API, but it has reduced significantly as noted by Search Engine Land. According to their report, Google Search has dropped more than half of the indexed URLs from Twitter. That is not to say that you cannot see tweets from Twitter in a Google search though. You still can, but you can only see new tweets that are made public. There are no mentions currently indicating the age limit of a tweet showing up on the Google Search platform.

There are rumours that this is just a temporary thing. Speculations regarding the lack of Twitter results in Google Search is due to the large changes happening within Twitter and for its users. In 2015, Twitter and Google had a deal where Twitter gave access to the full stream of tweets on Twitter’s platform, known today as the “Firehose”. While that was done before the Elon Musk era of Twitter, there are no reasons to believe that the deal has changed in any way for now. Then again, Twitter and Google are keeping any information close their chests for now, so we may see a change in stance from both parties in the coming days.

The move to limit Twitter only to registered is nothing new in the social media space. If you want to see a post or story from Facebook, you must get registered with the platform. Even for Instagram, you are only able to see single posts from users before needing to sign up for the platform to have access to the library of content the platform holds. In this sense, Twitter is technically pretty much just following in the steps of other social media platforms. Still, we think that closing off access to Twitter might be more damaging than helpful to the platform, especially since Elon Musk is focusing on monetizing the platform. It limits the option to run ads that could even be visible from Google itself and reaching out entire populations that do not have Twitter accounts or have no intention to get on the platform just to entertain themselves with microblogs.

Nothing is confirmed at this point, but Elon Musk may just denounce the deal with Google at any time. While it does not sound like a major loss to Google, it is a small loss to content creators who are active on Twitter. It is a loss in exposure of the platform and users. It closes off the platform to be used as a public announcement platform too in this case. Currently, only time can tell whether or not this is going to be a permanent thing.

Lifestyle, News

Signify’s New Philips Ultra Efficient LED Lights Are More Sustainable Than Ever Before

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The environment is becoming one of the main issues at the top of all our minds especially with the effects of global warming becoming more apparent. Signify is empowering us to do more when it comes to energy efficiency with their new line Philips Ultra Efficient LED lights. The new lineup is touted to consume 60% less energy compared to standard LED lights and last 3.5x longer. They aren’t just stopping at energy efficiency, Signify is also bringing new solar-powered lights with their Philips Solar Lighting lineup. Signify is completing its offerings with smart lighting solutions in its Wiz line of solutions.

SINGIFY Go Eco Launch 5

We need to start with the basics when it comes to sustainability and it doesn’t get any more basic than the lights we use on a regular basis at home. These lights range from incandescent tube lights to bulbs. Traditional lighting options required a lot of energy to deliver their light. However, with the Philips Ultra Efficient LED lights, this isn’t the case anymore. In fact, these bulbs deliver more power efficiency with lower operating wattages and longer-lasting durability. Philips Ultra Efficiency LED lights are able to deliver the same brightness with power consumption levels that are 3.5x lower than conventional LEDs.

SIGNIFY POWER EFFICIENCY

Of course, with LED lighting, there has been an increasing number of creative lighting solutions that break convention and allow users to customize their space. Signify is taking a step into this arena with their Philips HexaStyle Downlights which allow users to have a more futuristic setup with hexagonal lights without the hassle of needing to renovate. These downlights fit seamlessly into conventional circular cutouts letting users update their setup with minimal cost.

Together with the more efficient LEDs, Signify also introduced a whole lineup of Philips Solar Lighting. These lights are perfect for lighting up beautiful landscapes and don’t require much maintenance. In fact, you won’t need any wiring. These lights are able to sustain themselves by charging using integrated solar panels after an initial charge. They’ve also included lighting for gates, floodlights, and even string lights to highlight the landscaping.

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In addition to the new lineup, Signify also showed off their WiZ lighting which was launched in November 2022. The new lineup brings Signify’s Philips lighting prowess to the IoT space with internet-enabled lighting solutions that can be controlled from the WiZ app. They’ve introduced flexible tube lighting that you can bend to your will!

The new products showcased will be making their way to the Malaysian market starting in July 2023.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

The Acer Predator Triton 14 – the New Word for Thin-and-Light Powerhouse for Everything 

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Powerful gaming laptops are known to be quite large and bulky in nature. There is a good reason for that. Since a laptop is meant to be mobile while packing everything you need in a PC, there is always the concern of space within the hardware to pack enough cooling for the heat producing components inside. Gaming laptops, inevitably, pack more powerful components than regular laptops. That also means that the cooling requirements are a lot more than before requiring larger more powerful fans inside a laptop that adds plenty of heft to it.  

Computing technology has progressed so much today that a gaming laptop today is vastly more powerful, and more purpose built than ever before. With more power comes more heat, which also needs a larger, heftier solution than before. But cooling technology has also improved so much that the cooling solutions today are much more efficient than before.  

All these things culminate in a thin-and-light gaming solution like we have never seen before, basically the Acer Predator Triton 14.  

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The Acer Predator Triton 14 is a new thin-and-light gaming laptop from Acer’s gaming skunkworks division reimagining the ultra-portable thin-and-light laptop for productivity. It is created not just for gamers in mind, it is created for the creative professionals, content creators, and even the accounting professionals who just have a knack for gaming in their down time. It weighs just 1.7kg, which is no lighter than a regular thin-and-light laptop. For a gaming laptop with powerful internal though, it is a big deal. It is also only 18.9mm thick, which is also no thinner than a regular laptop, but it does pack a lot of power underneath with optimal cooling solutions.   

Within the all-metal body construction is a powerful 13th Generation Intel Core i7 that is paired with up to NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 GPU for laptops for maximum performance. You can fit the Predator Triton 14 with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM operating at 6,000 MHz transfer speeds and up to 1TB of PCIe NVMe Gen4 SSD for smooth and fast operations in both gaming and productivity situations.  

The powerful components power Windows 11 through an impressive 14-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS display. The display offers 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 colour gamut to cater to even the most demanding creators or creative professionals on the road. For when the mood takes you, the display also offers 165Hz for a smooth butter like gaming experience. With Intel’s Killer Wi-Fi 6E AX1675i modem inside the Predator Triton 14, it can go wireless and still play games online as if it was connected via a LAN cable – smooth, stable, and speedy. There is even a Full HD webcam that offers AI-enabled features like Purified View for improved images, automatic framing, advanced background blur, and gaze correction for video calls.  

To keep everything cool and running at its best is Predator’s latest and most advanced cooling system ever. The 5th generation AeroBlade 3D fans are made of metal and to be as thin as possible to maximize airflow (Vortext Airflow), to cool the heat transfer components to keep temperatures manageable. The new Triton 14 is also equiped with Liquid Metal thermal grease for even more efficient cooling for better performance in the long run.  

Price and Availability 

The Acer Predator Triton 14 is now available at Acer’s eStore and official stores on Shopee and Lazada. You can also get your hands on one from select Acer Concept stores throughout the nation. Purchases made before the 16th of July 2023 are entitled to free gifts worth MYR 699 that includes an Acer Nitro VG270E 27-inch gaming monitor and a one-year license for Trend Micro’s Antivirus. More on the Predator Triton 14 can be found on their website.  

Lifestyle, News

YouTube in Combat of Ad Blockers – Three Strikes and You’re Out

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We love YouTube, and we love using YouTube for all kinds of things. The amount of content you get from YouTube is so vast that you could technically learn everything you need to learn in the modern world on the video sharing platform. With everything we love about YouTube, there is something we also despise about YouTube – ads. While it started out as a simple played out ad at the beginning of whatever videos you want to watch, ads on YouTube have grown to become an irritation.

There is the argument that the number of ads that are being served to us on YouTube is necessary. The ads pay for the platform and help YouTube not just profit, but also pay its various creators for their contents. The ads also help keep the platform free to use for the billions of the world. As much as we hate ads being served to us, it is a necessary evil and quite inevitable to keep the platform from charging us for contents. Except, they sort of do.

There is such a thing called YouTube Premium, a paid membership to YouTube. What that offers you is things like picture-in-picture mode, and open access to YouTube Music, regarded to be one of the biggest official music libraries you can find anywhere. You also pay for the omission of ads when you consume your contents on the platform.

If you still want the free experience on YouTube but without the ads, the only way around them is through using ad blockers. There are several tools and third-party programs that skips and blocks ads on YouTube unless they are baked into the video itself. That means that you are getting a YouTube Premium-esque experience, but without paying for it, which is frowned upon by YouTube, obviously.

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In the most recent attempt to battle ad blockers, YouTube is giving users three strikes before completely blocking a user from using YouTube. There are no mentions on whether blocked users will be blocked indefinitely, but the wording leads us to believe that you can be unblocked just by disabling your ad blocker app or algorithm. Obviously if you choose to pay for YouTube Premium, you will immediately be unblocked and given fuss free experience with YouTube amongst other things.

The new measure was spotted by a user on Reddit, interestingly enough. YouTube has not commented on their new measure, but the new measure does make a lot of sense for a company that relies mostly on ads to survive. While it is somewhat aggressive, it could be a necessary step for Google to protect their platform and ensure that it is still profitable.