Category Archives: News

[Google I/O 2023] Google’s Foldable, the Pixel Fold is here – It Is Different

When Samsung first introduced their folding smartphone device, we thought they were a little crazy. Strangely, HUAWEI followed suit with their own design of a folding smartphone. The approach to a foldable smartphone could not be more different from one to another in between the Chinese giant and the South Korean conglomerate. Samsung’s solution proved to be the more popular variant among the two though, for one reason or another. So that form factor stayed on with Samsung and adopted by others like OPPO and even HUAWEI at some point. Now, you have Google getting on the foldable smartphone hype train with their very own Google Pixel Fold.

The form factor might look similar, but the Google Pixel Fold is a completely different device compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and even the OPPO Find N2 foldable smartphone. To be fair though, in terms of form, it shares more with the OPPO foldable than Samsung’s implementation. The entire device is shorter and fatter than the Samsung. That also means that the display opens up a little wider than the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold devices.

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Source: Google

The inside display is a 7.6-inch OLED panel with 6:5 aspect ratio. It offers 2,208 by 1,840 pixels for up to 380 ppi on the display. You get 120Hz refresh rate too inside for that extra smooth feel of the latest Android interface. The display is also rated at 1000 nits for HDR display purposes and can be pushed to 1450 nits in peak brightness for outdoor use. With up to 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio on 24-bit depth, you are getting a brilliant display experience from the Google Pixel Fold.

Fold it up and you get another brilliant display. It is a smaller 5.8-inch OLED panel offering Full HD+ resolution. It is an odd 17.4:9 aspect ratio, but its form makes it more compact than anything else that the market can offer and more useable with a single hand, and more comfortable to work with two hands. It is rated at 1200 nits too for HDR while offers up to 1550 nits in peak brightness for outdoor use. On top of this one is a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus to protect it from bumps and scrapes.

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Keeping Android running happily and taking advantage of the large displays is a Google Tensor G2 platform. That in-house exclusive platform is paired with up to 12GB of RAM for maximum performance and up to 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage for even faster access to your files or your apps. To keep everything secured and encrypted, the Tensor G2 platform also comes with Titan M2 dedicated processor just for security.

Out the back of the device is a 48-Megapixel main camera with Quad Phase Detection autofocus mechanism and optical image stabilizer for brilliant, beautiful, and steady photos and 4K videos. There is also two other 10.8-Megapixel shooters out of the back of the device for ultrawide and telephoto shoots. There two more cameras sitting above both displays respectively. The one on the outside is a 9.5-Megapixel shooter with dual phase detection autofocus for clear selfies. The one inside sitting above the large displays is an 8-Megapixel shooter made mostly for video calling purposes.

Keeping the whole thing powered for an entire day and more is a 4,821 mAh internal battery that should keep the device powered on beyond 24 hours (according to Google). Once it runs out, you can quickly charge it still at up to 30W via USB Type-C. You can even wirelessly charge it if you want to.

Price and Availability

The Google Pixel Fold will be updated to Android 14 when it is available. It will be available in Porcelain and Obsidian colour options. Pre-orders in the United States (U.S.) starts today for US$ 1,799 (MYR 8,015*) onward. They say also that the Pixel Fold will be sold in other select regions soon. Not Malaysia unfortunately. More information on the Google Pixel Fold can be found on their website.

*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.46 as of 11/05/2023 on xe.com

Nearby Share Between Your Windows and Android Devices is a Thing Now

Sharing files between devices is not as simple as it sounds. Sure, Apple figured it out and introduced their own version of wireless file sharing system called AirDrop for years now. The feature allows you to share files between multiple iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, or even Mac Desktops without the devices ever touching each other or tethering to one another.

Android and Windows did not have that. This is where the problem of fragmentation of Android and Windows devices comes into play. Every device is built to a different standard and specification so that file sharing between devices becomes a problem. You can technically share files between Android devices quickly without the devices ever touching each other. The function is called nearby share, and it works, to a certain degree. Each manufacturer also tries to come up with their own solution for their own devices that other manufacturers cannot take advantage of. For Windows devices, it is more of a problem because there is almost no such thing as wireless file sharing other than via Bluetooth.

It seems that Google, not Microsoft to no surprise at all, is going to solve that problem for Android users at least. They call it Nearby Share for Windows, which was technically introduced as a beta app for Windows devices about a month ago. Then again, it was only available in select regions and was more of a test tool. The tool is now in beta and is available for all Windows devices across the globe (with some exceptions).

If you wish to, you can download the tool from Google themselves to try it out. It only works with Android devices and 64-bit version of Windows 10 and newer. If you are running Windows out of an ARM based device, you are out of luck. You also need to own an Android device running Marshmallow (Android 6.0) with Nearby Share capabilities. It will be utilizing your Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities on both your Android and Windows devices to make the transfer handshake and transaction happen, so you want to make sure to turn on both when you are making a transfer.

Unlike HUAWEI’s implementation of file sharing between devices, you do not need an NFC tag on your PC or smartphone. The only thing you need to do is to tap ‘nearby share’ on your smartphone, select your accompanying or intended Windows PC, approve the data transfer request on your PC, and wait for the files to transfer at near instant speeds, as fast as your WiFi can go. The transfer goes both ways, so it will be the same process for data transfers from your Windows PC to your Android device.

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Source: Google

The Nearby Share for Windows app, as you might have noticed when you hop into their website, is still in beta and will be in that state for a while, we guess. That means that you might need to expect a few bugs and glitches with the software or function. It is not going to be the perfect solution just yet is what we are saying. Of course, Google is looking to make the app better constantly, so that is also what we are expecting in the future. You can find out more about Google’s Nearby Share for Windows app on their website.

100GB of 5G Data with YES Power35 5G Postpaid Plan

YTL Communications owned YES has revealed another 5G-enabled postpaid plan. The telco has been one of the pioneers in rolling out 5G connectivity to the masses with their previously announced plans and Wireless Fibre 5G offering. Now, they’re rounding out their postpaid plans with a new offering – Power35.

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The Yes Power35 postpaid plan is the company’s first capped plan. It has a data cap of 100GB for both 5G and 4G. According to their website, the plan comes with uncapped speed and infinite domestic calls across all operators. The highlight of the plan is the shared tethering or hotspot quota. Previous plans had data caps on their hotspot quota. All of this is being offered at MYR35 a month.

Previously, the company unveiled their unlimited plans with their Yes Infinite offerings. All of the Infinite plans come with Infinite data for your mobile device but come with data caps for your hotspot quota starting at 20GB and capping out at 110GB at the time of writing.

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The MYR35 Yes Power35 plan is the first offering that comes below MYR50 and offers ample data for mobile and hotspot connectivity. However, it’s worth noting that 5G connectivity does use more data on average thanks to the higher speed and bandwidth.

Users are able to sign up for Yes Power35 or the Yes Infinite postpaid plans on the YES website or at the nearest YES Service Center or reseller. Of course, you can even register for it on the myYes application and have the SIM card mailed to you.

Bring Some HONOR into Your Fitness Routine With Three New Health Products

HONOR Smart Fitness Devices

HONOR is expanding its offerings yet again with a few new additions. The company has already been actively producing AIoT and health related products since it was a Huawei sub-brand. Now, it’s continuing to do so on its own. HONOR has brought three devices made to help users achieve their fitness goals: the HONOR Band 7, HONOR Earbuds X5 and HONOR Scale 3.

Keep Track of Your Fitness with the HONOR Band 7

HONOR is upping the ante with the HONOR Band 7. The new entry into their fitness band line up brings an all new chipset powered by AI algorithms and professional optical components. These algorithms and sensors allow users to track metrics like heart rate more accurately and display it as easy to understand information.

HONOR Band 7

The Band 7 comes with a 1.47-inch AMOLED display with 2.5D curved glass and comes with sensors that that allow it to track multiple health metrics. Users will be able to measure heart rate, sleep, stress and blood oxygenation. The Band 7 will display these metrics in real time on its display. It also comes with tracking modes for 96 different workout modes including running, walking, cycling, swimming, elliptical, rowing and free training.

Stay Focused with the HONOR Earbuds X5

Workout without distractions with new HONOR Earbuds X5. Tune out the world while you workout with the 13.4mm dynamic coil drivers. The Earbuds X5 can deliver deep bass, clear trebles and distinct highs with its polymer composite diaphragm.

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With the 27 hours of battery life in total, the Earbuds X5 is built for you to take charge of your workout playlist. You don’t have to worry about running low on battery either, a short 10 minute charge will get you 3 hours of playback.

See more than Weight with the HONOR Scale 3

Of course, keeping track of your fitness comes with the understanding that at some point you will need to check in with the scale. HONOR is trying to make your scale do more with the HONOR Scale 3 that is able to measure more than just weight. It is able to give you measurements of your body fat, BMI, bone mass, muscle mass and more. The Scale 3 can even calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR).

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It doesn’t even need a smartphone to give you insights and data. You can do it all on the scale itself. If you have a WiFi connection, the data gets automatically communicated to the HONOR Health App with automatic synchronization.

Pricing & Availability

All three devices are now available in Malaysia via the HONOR Store, Lazada, Shopee and TikTok Shop. They are priced at:

  • Band 7: MYR199
  • Earbuds X5 : MYR279
  • Scale 3: MYR129

Pokémon TCG Live Is Finally Ready for Primetime

Pokémon is on high octane with its current lineup of releases; the franchise is expecting its first expansion for its mainline games: Pokémon Scarlet and Violet in a few months. It seems like that’s not all, though, the new iteration of their Trading Card Game is poised for an official debut both digitally and physically.

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Announced back in 2021, Pokémon TCG Live is finally ready for primetime. The game revamps the Pokémon Trading Card’s digital experience and brings it into the future. The Pokémon Company is updating the visuals and effects of the Pokémon Trading Card Game to come up to date with more experiences. At the same time, it is also retiring the original Pokémon Trading Card Game Online app.

That said, the Pokémon TCG Live has had a few hiccups in its rollout. It faced a delay back in 2021. However, the game did enter open beta in November 2022. Finally, the new app will be making its way out of beta and into the wild on June 8, 2023. The new app brings a whole new level of personalisation with a whole new experience with customizable avatars. TCG Live also brings attacks and moves to life in new ways. Players will also be able to digitize their physical cards with codes that come in physical booster packs. Those coming from the older app will be able to link their old account and bring their old card collections with some restrictions.

Pokémon TCG Live will be available together with the new expansion of the official trading card game – Scarlet & Violet – Paldea Evolved. The new expansion brings the new Pokémon from the latest region in the franchise, Paldea, to the card game. This means that Pokémon like box legendaries, Koraidon and Miraidon, will be making their official TCG debut.

To celebrate both launches, players who log in to the Pokémon TCG Live between May 2, 2023 and June 6, 2023, will be getting special customization sets that they can use in-game in TCG Live. The game is available on both iOS and Google Play.

Motorola Finally Has a Worthy International Flagship with the Motorola Edge+ (2023)

It’s been a while since we got excited about a Motorola smartphone. The company has been struggling to stay relevant outside its focus markets since Lenovo took the reigns from Google. That said, Motorola did turn some heads with the revival of their Razr brand. The foldable smartphone is poised to make a triumphant return later this year. In the meantime, Motorola has unveiled their new flagship, the Motorola Edge+ (2023). The new smartphone replaces the 2022 iteration with the same name with true flagship specifications and features.

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Source: Motorola

The Motorola Edge+ (2023) comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 mobile platform which brings flagship-class performance with more power efficiency. This is complemented by 8GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage. On the display side, the smartphone comes with a virtually borderless 6.7-inch 1080×2400 pixel pOLED display. The display is treated with an anti-fingerprint coating and a velvet antiglare coating.

The Edge+ (2023) comes with a triple camera setup with a 50-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS). It also has what Motorola calls “instant all-pixel focus” which it touts uses 32 times more pixels than conventional Phase Detection Autofocus (PDAF). This is complemented by a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera with Macro Vision and a 12-megapixel telephoto portrait camera. Up in the front, the Motorola Edge+ (2023) has a massive 60-megapixel selfie camera with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Cognitive Image Signal Processor.

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The camera setup is capable of recording video at 8K resolution or in 4K with support for HDR10+. This promises deep, true-to-life colour when using the smartphone to shoot video. Motorola is also complementing the software with a suite of software features including Night Vision for better low light performance, Horizon Lock Stabilization which locks onto the horizon for better, clearer action shots, Autofocus tracking and Portrait mode even in videos.

Content creation and consumption take centre stage with the pOLED display and sound quality of the Motorola Edge+ (2023). The smartphone comes with Dolby Atmos certification for object-centred, immersive sound. Together with this, Motorola’s own Spatial Sound technology allows for better, more immersive playback when it comes to headphones and speakers.

All of these features are powered by a 5,100mAh battery with a promise of 2-day battery life on a single charge. It also supports 68W TurboPower charging – Motorola’s take on QuickCharge. Motorola claims that this will deliver a day’s battery with only 9 minutes of charging. It also supports 15W wireless charging and 5W wireless power share.

The Motorola Edge+ (2023) will launch with the company’s take on Android 13. Motorola is also committing to 3 years of OS upgrades and 4 years of bi-monthly security updates.

Pricing & Availability

In the US, the Motorola Edge+ (2023) will be available starting on 25th May 2023. It will be priced at USD$799.99 (MYR3,549.79). It will be available for pre-order starting on May 19.

In Canada, it will be available for CAD$1,299.99 (MYR4,314.34) via Motorola.ca at the same time. Pre-orders also start on May 19.

No official availability has been announced by Lenovo for the smartphone in Malaysia or Singapore just yet.

Making Android Better – Google Partners with Samsung to Fix Background Apps

Google I/O 2023 is just around the corner, and we are all quite excited. Apart from the new Pixel 7 series, we are expecting Google to announce a new foldable smartphone. We are also expecting that to be priced like a Samsung foldable, which is not necessarily a good thing. Still, we can look forward to a new Android, a foldable or convertible friendly one at least. They say that it might not look completely different this time round over the 13th generation of Android introduced in the same event last year. Every iteration of Android comes with a slew of its own improvements though, be it in the interface improvements, responsiveness, and even function.

There is a problem that has plagued Google’s mobile ecosystem for a while now though. It has to do with the multitasking capabilities of the interface. While manufacturers like Samsung have been championing multitasking on their devices for a long time, the vanilla Android is quite bad at it, as it seems. One of those problems is that apps tend to shut down when you leave it in the background. That is the opposite of what you want to happen when you are championing your device for multitasking purposes.

Their blog announcement points out a consistency problem of background apps working behind the scenes of your Android smartphone. They say that the Android ecosystem is flawed when it comes to multitasking. They pointed out that foreground services and background work are restricted on different devices by manufacturers. That means that different apps tend to behave differently across devices when they are put on the backburner. That is why you have passive apps that hardly work on your Android devices until you launch them again.

The next step for Google, according to their blog post anyway, is to introduce APIs and standards to ensure their partners adhere to a consistent set of guidelines for app functions on their devices. Samsung, one of the champions in mobile multitasking, is announced to be their first partner to take the step. The new APIs that is to be introduced by Google is not a way to police their partners, rather a set of guidelines to ensure that apps behave consistently on the foreground and background across devices, creating a more consistent Android experience for all users. Allowing for better and more consistent background works on Android also allows app developers to create apps that work better with other apps at the same time, offering better user experiences across the board. Of course, the guidelines will help offer apps that work as intended by the developers.

Google has also stated that all these improvements on foreground and background apps will be introduced in Android 14. The improvements include more user control even on foreground apps and services, smoother large uploads and downloads of user-initiated data transfer jobs via JobScheduler, and a new Google Play policy for appropriate use of foreground services. There are no mentions on whether the first patch of Android 14 will get these treatments or not. We can only tell when they announce Android 14 in the coming Google I/O or when they start shipping their latest Google Pixel out to customers.

Say Goodbye to Passwords with “Passkeys” for Google

Hacks, lost accounts and compromised emails may be a thing of the past with companies moving towards a “passwordless future”. Google is the latest to bring this future to the present with its introduction of “Passkeys”, a new way to log in to your Google accounts moving forward.

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“Passkeys” will use biometrics like facial recognition and fingerprints to log in to your accounts. How? Well, it will use your smartphone. Yes, this also means that you’ll be able to use your screen lock PIN to log in to your Google account. However, it also makes your password obsolete. So, you won’t need to have that notebook or that codenamed document on your PC with all your passwords recorded. According to Google, these passkeys resist online attacks like phishing and are more secure than SMS one-time codes.

That said, Google isn’t forcing all users to immediately migrate over to using passkeys. Instead, users will be able to opt-in to using Passkeys in addition to their password and two-factor authentication (2FA) by going to g.co/passkeys. For companies using Google Workspaces, administrators will soon be able to activate passkeys for their end users.

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Setting up passkeys for your Google account is pretty straightforward. You can either use the g.co/passkeys link or look under your account’s security settings. You will now see a new setting called passkeys. There you will be given the option to activate passkeys for your account. It will automatically turn your most recently used Android devices into passkeys. So, you may want to clean up the list of devices with access to your account. Once you activate the feature, you’ll be prompted on your phone or Windows device when you sign in to verify your identity.

Are you excited for a “passwordless future”? Sound off in the comments below.

Google Reveals the Pixel Fold, The Next Word in Foldables

Google I/O 2023 has been announced and it is happening on the 10th of May 2023. Among other things, we expect to see a new Android being announced. We expect to see the new Google Pixel 7 series for 2023 with their second-generation Tensor, the Google Tensor G2 integrated chip. We could see a new Android Wear update, or a new Google smartwatch being announced in I/O. These are all speculations and expectations though. There is one thing that Google have just confirmed as of yesterday that you will see at Google I/O 2023, the Pixel Fold.

The Pixel Fold announcement is more like a teaser than anything else. They announced on their Twitter and Pixel store that the Pixel Fold is coming with a teaser video. The 8-second video does not tell us much more than what we the rumour mills have said about the Pixel Fold though. It shows the exterior display, internal display with some bezel space to fit a front facing camera, the rear camera with Google logo to boot below it, the hinge plate, and the unfolding of the device. There are no details whatsoever in the teaser video on its specifications, hinge mechanism, or the version of Android it comes with. The teaser also only showed a single colour option for the Google Pixel Fold. Expect a black colour variant though, always expect black colour as an option.

It is not hard to figure out what you might get with the highly anticipated foldable device though. Based on many rumours, reports, and educated guesses, we can expect the Google Pixel Fold to come with their very own Tensor G2 chip rather than a Qualcomm one. It is also reported that the external display will measure at 5.8 inches while the internal main display will measure at 7.6 inches. The displays are supposed to support up to 120Hz in refresh rate.

As for the camera, rumours and reports point to a 48-Megapixel main camera supported by a 10.8-Megapixel ultrawide shooter, and 10-8-Megapixel telephoto camera with up to 5x optical zoom and 20x hybrid zoom. The rumours also point to a larger and more durable battery to its main rival, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4. They say that this will have a battery that can go on for up to 72 hours on a single charge, which is quite a bold claim considering battery technology has stagnated for a while.

As for the price, rumours suggest that the Google Pixel Fold will be sold at US$ 1,700 (MYR 7,544*) onward andu p to nearly US$ 2,000 (MYR 8,876*). While the prices are not too far off Samsung’s offering, they are still rather premium. Like the Google Pixel devices though, Malaysia will most likely not see the device in an official capacity at least. You can expect our good neighbour Singapore to get it sometime after the device goes on sale in the United States (U.S.) though. In that case, you might be able to secure your hands on one from Singapore if you really want one. More on Google’s Pixel Fold and Google I/O 2023 can be found on their website.

*approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.44 as of 05/05/2023 on xe.com

Apple and Google Agrees on Something Again – AirTags Needs Better Standards for Improved Privacy.

Apple and Google hardly agree on many things when it comes to their consumer offerings. When we say that they hardly agree, of course we do not mean that they are always on each other’s throats on every single issue. They offer two wildly different products that arrive at the same solution most of the time. Take Android and iOS for example, both highly successful smartphone platforms that offer an app ecosystem, smart integrations, and even machine learning based digital assistants. Both platforms look vastly different and function even more so in the hands of consumers though. There is a common denominator for both Google’s and Apple’s offerings though – privacy and security.

In this case though, while Apple and Google share the same concern over privacy and security, their approach can also be quite different. Android’s privacy and security layer has a slightly different depth compared to Apple’s. The Apple Play Store and Google Play Store ensure that app developers comply to certain practices and regulations to stay relevant, but both Apple and Google offer slightly different guidelines for their app marketplaces. Still, if developers want to have their app listed on both stores, their apps naturally must comply to both Apple’s and Google’s guidelines. Not so for location tracking devices so far though.

Apple introduced a clever Bluetooth based location-tracking tool we now know as AirTags. While the AirTags were intended as a sort of keychain or tool to keep track of your things at home or as a reminder for you not to leave things in your favourite café, the reality is a little different. A few weeks after AirTags were introduced, there were reports of the tiny pucks used for stalking purposes. To be fair, while AirTags was the center of attention in many of these cases, Apple’s solution was not the one being used in privacy invasion cases. Solutions from manufacturers like Samsung got involved shortly after they were introduced. To be fair though, thanks to the sophistication of the AirTags, offenders preferred Apple’s solution.

Over the years, Apple has introduced new measures as a stop gap solution to ensure that users are not being unwantedly tracked by other individuals. One of the solutions was a sort of notification when an AirTag device that your iPhone does not recognize comes in proximity via Find My app on the iOS. But this is only a solution for AirTags, what about others in the field? This is where Google also comes in.

Google does not make their own Bluetooth based location-tracking tool, but their partnering manufacturers do. Players like Samsung, Tile, and a few others make tracking devices that can easily pair to both Android and iOS devices. That also means there needs to be a standardized specification to ensure that all the trackers are as safe as one another to use. Yes, it is a beneficial thing for us the users.

Google and Apple’s partnership in the issue of standardizing Bluetooth based locating-tracking tools is a big step forward for this segment in the industry. In one way, it allows other players in the industry to catch up to what Apple has done with their AirTags. It ensures that industry players comply to a certain standard in making these little tracking devices, meaning there will be standardized parts produced by a single or multiple manufacturers creating economies of scale allowing the technology to be a lot more accessible. Standardized parts not only ensure that the industry can be policed at higher standards, but it also offers plenty more compatibility for users. It could allow Android users to use an AirTag to track their keys, for example and vice versa.

For now, standardized specifications for these trackers are not yet a reality. Google and Apple have submitted their draft proposal to the authorities for now, which means you can only expect to see some sort of results in the coming few months. Samsung, Tile, Chipolo, eufy Security, and Pebblebee have expressed their support in the program, which is a good sign for the proposal. Google and Apple expects to have some sort of production guideline and implementation by the end of 2023 with support for both iOS and Android in the same timeline.