Category Archives: News

PICO 4 Stand-alone Headset Available in Malaysia for MYR1,699

October 12, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Virtual Reality (VR) has ever been the next step in immersive gaming. In fact, in 2016 when the first VR headset was commercially available, the gaming industry was the first to jump on the possibilities for AAA games and the industry at large. However, many barriers have prevented wide adoption—one of the largest being the lack of viable options for the general consumer. That has changed in the past few months with the launch of the PICO 4 and PICO Neo 3 Link.

The PICO 4 brings the possibility of a cordless, untethered VR experience mainstream. Similar to its main competitor, the Meta Quest 2, the PICO 4 removes the need for bulky sensors and wide open spaces for an immersive VR experience. Instead, the sensors have been built-in into the headset itself to provide a more natural and user-centred experience.

Specc’d for Enthusiasts, Made for Everyone

PICO Interactive is consciously targeting the consumer with the new offering. However, enthusiasts are being left by the wayside neither, the PICO 4 is packed with features that enthusiasts are looking for. Underneath the sleek exterior of the PICO 4 is the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR2 system on a chip (SoC). Qualcomm has engineered the SoC from the ground up to power VR and AR experiences. The 64-bit quad-core processor has been proven to be able to handle some of the most complex VR experiences available now; even at high resolutions. Speaking of, the PICO 4 comes with high-resolution, 2K displays with refresh rates between 72Hz and 90Hz. PICO also uses pancake lenses which reduce the focal distance required for VR and allow for a slimmer, sleeker design.

PICO 4 5 — PICO 4 product presentation and demonstration by Mr Allen An, Regional Director, PICO Southeast Asia (Source: PICO Interactive)

Together with this, the standalone VR headset comes with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support. Of course, no VR experience is possible without the sensors to provide an immersive experience. The PICO 4 comes with 6 degrees-of-freedom positioning system which will allow users to move freely and more naturally in VR. All the sensors required are built into the headset. In fact, users can define safe spaces for the VR experience. Beyond these boundaries, the VR headset will revert to see-through mode to allow the user to be aware of their surroundings. Completing the immersion is an integrated high-fidelity speaker with a dual mic.

A 5,300mAh battery powers the PICO 4 standalone headset and supports 20W fast charging via the Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0 protocol. This allows for about three hours of gameplay and fast charging of up to 70% within an hour. A smaller battery pack also allows for the 295g weight of the headset.

Pricing & Availability

The PICO 4 will be available in two variants: a 128GB version and a 256GB version. The 128GB version will set you back MYR1,699. The 256GB, on the other hand, will cost MYR1,999. Early birds who place their order between the 12th and 16th of October will receive an MYR100 discount. Purchases made between now and January 2023 will also receive four free VR games.

The PICO 4 will be available starting from 12th October 2022 onwards. You’ll be able to get your own from the official PICO Stores on Lazada, Shopee and TikTok Shop. It will also be available from PICO’s official retail partners Impulse Gaming, Thunder Match and Urban Republic. If you want to try out the headset, you can get a personal hands-on experience at the PICO roadshow happening at Sunway Pyramid’s Orange Concourse from the 13th to the 16th of October.

Computers, Gaming, News

GIGABYTE Kicks off Their GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs with WINDFORCE Bionic Shark Fans

October 6, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

Yes, you read that right. You read Bionic Shark Fans, not Fins, and you are reading that right, it is not a typo. Now that we got that out of the way, let us talk about NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4090 as envisioned by Gigabyte.

NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 40 series promises a lot of performance and power. The ADA Lovelace architecture, as they call it, is claimed to be miles ahead of its competition and is significantly more powerful than NVIDIA’s older 30 series GPUs. Of course, we are all waiting to see if that claim can be substantiated.

While we are waiting around though, NVIDIA’s board partners are not. One of them, GIGABYTE has started introducing new GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs for the market. They did away with not just one GPU offering; they are offering four variants of the GeForce RTX 4090 alone.

AORUS MASTER

AORUS GeForce RTX® 4090 MASTER 24G — Source: GIGABYTE

First up is the AORUS MASTER GPU. Like all the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 cards released by Gigabyte, the AORUS MASTER offers better cooling performance with up to 30% more static pressure while reducing noise by up to 3dB. All this is possible thanks to Gigabyte’s latest WINDFORCE bionic shark fan design, and the AORUS MASTER gets three of them lined with RGB rings to keep the card cool in all kinds of conditions. Those are on top of larger heatsinks over the previous generation GPUs.

The AORUS MASTER cards also offer an LCD read out at the side of the card. The read out allows you to personalise your PC’s look even further with your own graphics and what not. If not, you can access and monitor critical stats like power consumption, GPU temperature, and even its fan speed.

To ensure that the GPU always works at optimal temperature, it is not just about having bigger coolers. It is also about using the right components in the construction of the card. That is why Gigabyte opted for aerospace grade PCB alongside Dual BIOS and 24+4 power phase design underneath an upgraded metal backplate to keep every component running at lower temperatures. Of course, the back plate also adds some rigidity to the card to minimise GPU sagging for a better look overall.

GIGABYTE GAMING OC

GeForce RTX® 4090 GAMING OC 24G — Source: GIGABYTE

Then there is the GIGABYTE GAMING OC card. It is no AORUS, but it is still an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 GPU which also means it packs a lot of power. It comes with the same WINDFORCE fan blade design as the AORUS MASTER. The WINDFORCE fans also uses graphene nano lubricant that is supposed to extend the fan’s life by up to 2.1 times compared to regular double ball bearing fans. The GAMING OC GPU also has three of the WINDFORCE fans that comes with the same RGB Halo from the AORUS MASTER GPU to keep everything cool alongside ULTRA DURABLE certified components. Dual BIOS should keep the card operating at lower noise levels.

GIGABYTE WINDFORCE

GeForce RTX® 4090 WINDFORCE 24G — Source: GIGABYTE

Sometimes you do not need the extremities that the AORUS MASTER offers. You do need the flashy RGB that the GAMING OC card offers too. You just want something that works. That is the GIGABYTE WINDFORCE NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 card.

It still packs the same WINDFORCE coolling system, which also means you should not be getting any less cooling performance with the entry-level GeForce RTX 4090 GPU from GIGABYTE. Like its more extreme brothers too, it has a large vapour chamber in direct contact with the GPU to keep everything cool and optimised. It even comes with Dual BIOS to keep things quiet when you need it to.

AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE

AORUS GeForce RTX® 4090 XTREME WATERFORCE 24G — Source: GiGABYTE

The AORUS XTREME WATERFORCE is GIGABYTE’s answer to keeping the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 optimally cool in more extreme loads. It offers everything that the AORUS MASTER card offers, but with a slightly different cooling solution. Instead of relying on regular fan and heatsinks, it comes with a large water block and all-in-one aluminium radiator attached with three 120mm fans to keep things icy cold.

Space management with liquid cooling designs are usually quite complex. You want to think about the placement of the radiators, especially if you are also going with an all-in-one cooling solution for the CPU as well. To make things easier, the inlet and outlet ports are placed at the back of the card, so that it is easier to place the radiator. The pipes are also 460mm soft tubes to give you that extra flexibility in radiator placements.

GIGABYTE UD1000GM and UD850GM Power Supplies – PCIe 5.0 Empowerment

The new GPUs are rather power hungry with a quoted TDP of up to 450W. That is not even considering the spikes that the GPUs might go through from time to time. You need a power supply with a tonne of capacity. Since these are PCIe 5.0 cards too, you want your PSU to have PCIe 5.0 support out of the box for the best experience with the GPUs.

Introducing GIGABYTE’s UD1000GM and UD850GM 1000W and 850W power solutions made for PCIe 5.0 parts. As per PCIe 5.0 standards, the PSU offers a high-quality 16-pin connector that supports up to 600W of power output should your GPU need it. It is also a modular design with detachable cables for convenient cable management.

Price and Availability

There are no mentions on its local availability just yet. There are also no specific mentions on its pricing. You can expect the GPUs to be available once the reference cards from NVIDIA goes to market. You can also expect prices to be on the higher end of the scale compared to the reference cards with all the custom cooling solutions and components on their cards. More on GIGABYTE’s custom solutions for NVIDIA’s latest GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs can be found on their website.

Accessories, Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

ASUS is Zen 4 Ready with New B650 Motherboards

October 5, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

AMD recently launched their new Zen 4 architecture platform in their Ryzen 7000 series CPUs. Yes, in case you have not known yet, the AMD Ryzen 5000 series is now outdated and is replaced with AMD’s brand-new Ryzen 7000 processors. Yes, benchmark numbers produced by AMD also shows rather promising figures too, they suggest performance numbers well beyond what their Ryzen 5000 Zen 3 processors can manage. They are promising larger performances even compared to their competitors too.

While the past few years of AMD’s Ryzen goodness have been backward compatible with their AM4 socket, the new Ryzen 7000 with Zen 4 kicks things off for a new generation of socket made for the future, the AM5 socket platform. Gone are the flimsy pins on the chip itself and in comes push pins on the board instead, for a less nerve-wrecking installation process.

While AMD can go on and on with how powerful and different their new processors are, their Ryzen 7000 chips are glorified paperweights if they cannot get on a proper motherboard. This is where ASUS comes sweeping in with brand new motherboards to support the new AM5 platform and take advantage of Zen 4 with the B650 chipset motherboards.

You want to keep in mind that the AMD B650 boards are not the top-of-the-line computing platforms you can get for AMD’s latest and greatest. For the most current ultimate AMD experience, you want to go for the X670 boards. The B650 then is a sort of budgeted performance boards for those looking to build a powerful system that does not break the bank.

For the Hardcore Gamers – The ROG Strix Series

Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS

Everybody wants an ROG. That is also because they are known to make some of the best gaming gears and hardware in the market. For the AMD Ryzen 7000 they have the ROG Strix B650-E, B650-F, B650-I, and B650-A Gaming WiFi motherboards.

All of them comes with PCIe 5.0 drives of course. Only the ROG Strix B650-A does not carry any PCIe 5.0 x16 slots for peripherals. It is also the only one in the ROG Strix line-up that does not pack an I/O Shield. Then again, only the latest GPUs from NVIDIA are PCIe 5.0 peripherals. All of them support DDR5 memory though. True to their names too, they are all WiFi equipped boards.

The top-of-the-line ROG Strix B650-A comes with 16+2 teamed power stages with 8+8 ProCool power connectors for even more flexible overclocking on AMD’s Ryzen 7000 processors. It also features a tonne of heatsinks to cool two M.2 slots and its VRM. There are two additional M.2 slots too, on top of the two that are wrapped under heatsinks. To make installation much more convenient, the M.2 drives do not have to be screwed in; they are latched by ASUS’ clever Q-Latch system. There is also a USB FlashBack feature that allows the BIOS to be flashed even without a processor or GPU installed on the system. All you need is a USB drive and power supply. Its audio is also greatly improved with USB-based ALC4080 audio codec alongside a new Savitech SV3H712 amp for better experience when you work with audiophile gears.

For the Budget Gamers – The TUF Series

Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS

If you still want something tailored for gaming, but do not want to spend on an ROG, there is the TUF gaming series of motherboards. The B650 motherboards from TUF line-up offers all everything you need to fully take advantage of Ryzen’s 7000 series of processors Zen 4 architecture. You can choose between ATX or micro-ATX options for builds designed for smaller footprints.

Just because they are value offers for gamers, does not mean that they pack any less performance and features than their ROG cousins. You still get support for DDR5, PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, and onboard USB 3.2 2×2 Type-C ports for all sorts of stuff. Of course, all TUF boards also come with 2.5GBps ethernet ports for high-bandwidth internet connections and WiFi 6 in case you prefer things to be wireless.

For the Creators – The ProArt Series

The gaming market is not the only hotbed for high-performing computing solutions. The content creator market is still heating up and their appetite for high-performance machines has increased in recent years. They also need high-performing machines that are quiet and svelte when they need to be.

While contents take time to produce, speed in workflow is key in their projects. That is why having a PCIe 5.0 support on their M.2 slot is important. Plenty of content creator programs are memory hungry too, which also means that high-speed memory is important, you get that from new DDR5 RAM support. While the ProArt series only has PCIe 4.0 x16 slots as standard, it also means that users can fit up to two GPUs to handle all their content creation workflow needs in an x8/x8 confguration.

Of course, connectivity could be key in a shared worlkflow. You get 10GBps ethernet port as standard on your boards. At the same time, you can work without a dedicated GPU if you choose with a built-in DisplayPort 1.4 output on the board itself. On top of that, you get the versatility of a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C port support.

For the Value Hunters – The Prime Series

Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS

If you are just looking for something that does not break the bank but still take advantage of AMD’s latest and greatest, then look no further than the ASUS Prime series motherboards. It gives you the flexibility of using all sorts of budget cases and compat builds with ATX and micro-ATX solutions. It is the perfect daily driver, in ASUS’ books.

The ASUS prime B650 boards offer up to 2.5GBps networking port, PCIe 5.0 M.2 slot, and DDR5 support across their boards, The boards also packs BIOS FlashBack feature that allows you to reset your BIOS and even update it with nothing more than a USB stick and working power supply. You do not get PCIe 5.0 x16 slots just yet, but you really are not missing out on much at this point of time.

Pricing and Availability

There are no mentions yet on their official pricing currently. There is also no promised availability date for the boards at this time, but we are expecting them to be available pretty soon. For more information on the ASUS B650 motherboards made for AMD Ryzen 7000 Zen 4 processors, you can head over to their website.

Gaming, News

The New Logitech G502 X Reinvents Logitech G’s Most Popular Gaming Mouse

October 4, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Logitech G is a brand that is no stranger to gamers. In fact, it’s one of the most popular gaming brands in the market at the moment particularly when it comes to gaming peripherals like mouses, keyboards and headphones. Over the years, the brand has become synonymous with some of the best gaming peripherals and esports teams.

One of their most popular offerings is their Logitech G502 gaming mouse. The lineup is one of the more affordable gaming mouses on the market. However, it’s always struck an impressive balance between affordability and functionality. Logitech is updating and reimagining the mouse with the announcement of their new Logitech G502 X lineup. Yep – that’s right a lineup. Not only is the mouse getting a design revamp, but it’s also becoming its own line.

The new lineup will consist of three mouses: the Logitech G502 X, the Logitech G502 X PLUS and the Logitech 502 X LIGHTSPEED. Each of the mouses in the lineup has its own unique features but shares a common set of base features that are signature to the G502 X line.

LIGHTFORCE Technology with LIGHTSPEED Latency

The biggest change in the G502 X lineup is the introduction of a new hybrid switch – the LIGHTFORCE. The new microswitch technology combines the speed and responsiveness of optical technology with the actuation and tactility of mechanical switches. The switch uses galvanic parts that operate like mechanical switches. Paired with the optical component of the LIGHTFORCE switch, Logitech is able to deliver an experience that is reliable with ultra-low latency actuation.

The G502 X has been redesigned from the ground up to cater to a wider group of gamers. It now features a redesigned, reversible and removable DPI-shift button to fit into any sized hand and accommodate any grip type. The scroll wheel is also redesigned to be lighter and more stable. However, it still retains the iconic dual hyper-fast infinite scroll and rachet modes of the G502.

All models in the new G502 X come with the HERO 25K high-precision gaming sensor. The sensor offers a 1:1 accuracy ratio at sub-micron levels. It also provides zero smoothing, filtering or acceleration making it more natural and intuitive to use. The HERO sensor and LIGHTFORCE technology work hand in hand allowing the new G502 X to have response times up to 68% faster than the previous generation.

The PLUS & LIGHTSPEED Factors

The Logitech G502 X PLUS and LIGHTSPEED feature LIGHTSPEED wireless technology. This allows low latency wireless connectivity between the PC and the mouse. What’s more, the new generation LIGHTSPEED protocol allows for up to two devices to connect to one receiver. So, you’ll be able to connect your new gaming mouse to LIGHTSPEED receivers if you have an existing LIGHTSPEED peripheral like the Logitech G915 or G715 gaming keyboards.

They also charge over USB-C. Additionally, the wireless versions of the G502 X are also compatible with the Logitech G POWERPLAY wireless charging mat which is able to charge the mouse while in use providing it with endless charge. The PLUS variant also comes with LIGHTSYNC RGB. This will allow you to customise the 8-LED lighting to fit your style and game.

Pricing & Availability

The new Logitech G502 X lineup is already available from retailers as well as official Logitech stores on Lazada and Shopee. The G502 X will retail for MYR319 while the G502 X LIGHTSPEED and PLUS will be priced at MYR549 and MYR689 respectively.

All G502 X mouses are available in Black and White colourways.

Lifestyle, News

Razer Announces Athleisure Instinct Collection & Nomad Duffel Bag

October 3, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Razer is on a roll when it comes to surprising us with releases out of the left field. This time, the company has announced a new lineup of athleisure wear. The new Instinct Collection and Nomad Duffel Bag come after the success of the previously announced Unleashed and Genesis Apparel lineups.

Razer’s Instinct Collection athleisure wear features Razer’s signature black and fluorescent green colours. The company’s signature fluorescent green is used as a colour accent. This gives definition and cut to the stylish lineup. The collection is made of sweat-wicking, lightweight and breathable material ensuring a comfortable, non-resistive fit while being worn. It also has subtle design hints of Razer’s THS logo, wordmark and tagline.

The Instinct Collection doesn’t discriminate either. Razer’s athleisure wear has options for everyone. The current lineup will have a sports bra, tank top, high-rise leggings designed for gamer girls and a tank, tee and shorts for gamer boys.

Together with the Instinct Athleisure collection, Razer is also releasing the Nomad Duffel Bag. The Nomad Duffel bag is a spacious, abrasion-resistant bag made with Razer’s signature black and green. Inside the bag is multiple slip pockets for everything. Razer claims that the bag will have enough space for all your gaming gear.

Pricing & Availability

The Razer Instinct Atheleisure collection will be available starting on 28th September 2022. It’s available via Razer.com and at select RazerStores. Prices are in the table below.

Item	Price (USD$)	Price (EURЄ)
Instinct Sports Bra	USD$79.99 (MYR371.82)	EUR€89.99 (MYR410.27)
Instinct Tank Top	USD$59.99 (MYR278.85)	EUR€69.99 (MYR318.99)
Instinct High-rise Leggings	USD$79.99 (MYR371.82)	EUR€89.99 (MYR410.27)
Instinct Tank	USD$59.99 (MYR278.85)	EUR€69.99 (MYR318.99)
Instinct Tee	USD$59.99 (MYR278.85)	EUR€69.99 (MYR318.99)
Instinct Shorts	USD$69.99 (MYR325.34)	EUR€79.99 (MYR364.56)

The Nomad Duffel Bag will be available exclusively in North America for USD$69.99 (MYR325.33)

Accessories, Health, Lifestyle, Mobile, News

Garmin Releases Their Most Affordable Smartwatches Yet – the Venu Sq 2 and Venu Sq 2 Music Edition

October 3, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

When we say affordable, you want to take it with a pinch of salt. The new Garmin Venu Sq2 will set you back at least MYR 1,230 still. The Music Edition will set you an extra MYR 250 on top of the regular smartwatch. While it is the most accessible Garmin smartwatch, it is not the cheapest smartwatch you can find out there.

No matter though, this is currently the most affordable Garmin wristwear you can find to date. It may be affordable, but it is still feature packed enough that you are not going to feel like you missed out on the Garmin experience.

It still packs a heart rate tracker, one of the most accurate out there if it is the same one you find on other Garmin watches. Alongside the heartrate tracker are over 25 specific sports mode tracking, that includes running and walking. If you are into running, there is a personal running coach with training plans. Alongside those features, the Garmin Venu Sq 2 packs a sleep monitoring feature, which should be quite standard for most fitness trackers today. There is also specific health tracker for women’s menstrual cycle or pregnancy via the Garmin Connect app.

All of these can be viewed via a square 1.4-inch AMOLED display that is colourful and bright even in the outdoors. If you are the type that is hardly into wearing heavy wristwear, you might hardly notice this one with its lightweight aluminium construction. Within the body is a battery that Garmin claims to last up to 12 days at a time.

Yes, there is a Music Edition for the Garmin Venu Sq, just like the Forerunner series. There are no fundamental design changes from the Music Edition to the regular square smartwatch. It allows you to store up to 500 songs on the watch itself though, including your favourite work out and running playlists on your Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer. That way, you may not even need to bring your smartphone out with you for your runs and work out sessions so that you can just focus.

Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin
Sourcce: Garmin

The Garmin Venu Sq is now available in Shadow Grey/Slate, White/Cream Gold, and Cool Mint/Metallic Mint colour options. You can get your hands on one via Garmin’s authorised retail partners offilne and online across the nation. As mentioned, the Venu Sq will set you back MYR 1,230 while the Music Edition of the watch will set you back MYR 1,480. More information on the Venu Sq can be found on their website.

Computers, Gaming, News

Acer Predator Orion 7000 Gets a Boost with Intel’s 13th Generation Core Processors

October 3, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Acer’s Predator Gaming brand has one of the more diverse lineups of gaming laptops, peripherals and desktops. Their desktops have been one of the stars of their lineup bringing epic gaming performance together with price points that make sense.

Hot off the announcement of Intel’s 13th Generation Core processors, Acer is now bringing the new silicone to their Predator Orion 7000 desktops. The refreshed setup comes with a brand new Intel Core i9-13900K processor. However, Acer has opted to not refresh the Predator Orion 7000 with the latest NVIDIA RTX 40 series GPUs just yet. Instead, the Orion 7000 continues to come equipped with the NVIDIA RTX3090 and up to 64 GB of RAM.

Aside from the processor refresh, the Orion 7000 continues to use the same design launched last year. It comes with an EMI-compliant chassis which allows you to show off your setup and the flashy RGB lighting inside. The setup also features Predator FrostBlade 2.0 technology for cooling. With two 140mm fans in the front and a single 120mm fan in the back, cooling the system should be a breeze – literally. In addition to chassis cooling, the processor is also cooled by an AiO system with three Predator FrostBlade fans ensuring efficient cooling.

The system also comes with eye-catching ARGB so you can be as flashy as you want. The Predator Sense Software which comes pre-installed gives you more control of the cooling and optimisations for the PC. You can even set up device profiles and kick them into gear with the Predator Sense App on your smartphone or tablet.

Connectivity-wise, the Predator Orion 7000 comes with the Intel Killer E3100 2.5G Ethernet controller and Intel’s Killer WiFi 6E AX211 wireless module. These network adapters ensure that your gaming experience isn’t hindered by network bottlenecks and keep response rates high for gaming. It also comes with ample connectivity options with a splattering of ports including three USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, one USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C and two audio jacks on the top. There are three USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A, one USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Type-C, two USB 2.0 ports and three audio jacks on the back.

Pricing and Availability

Acer hasn’t announced any pricing or availability for the desktops just yet.

Computers, News

Acer’s Sustainable Laptop – the Aspire Vero – Gets an Intel 12th Gen Refresh

October 3, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

Acer is updating their most sustainable laptop – the Acer Aspire Vero – with 12th Generation Intel Core processors. The update brings even more power and battery efficiency thanks to a change in the microarchitecture compared to the previous generation.

The newly refreshed Aspire Vero comes with options for the 12th Generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. Both come with Intel Xe Graphics built-in. They also feature 8GB of RAM with up to 512GB of SSD memory out of the box. This round, you’ll be able to upgrade to a maximum of 24GB of dual channel RAM.

Of course, the hallmark features of the Aspire Vero make a come back with the laptop featuring post consumer recycled plastics in the keycaps and cover as well as ocean bound plastics in the track pad. The trackpad of the new Aspire Vero uses a new surface treatment method which gives the laptop a glass-like feel for better user experience.

Acer is taking things up to another level with their new VeroSense application which comes pre-installed on all Vero products. The new application allows users to monitor their energy efficiency and device health. It goes without saying that the new VeroSense app also gives users the ability to kick the laptop into power saving mode which allows for better power efficiency.

Design-wise, the new Aspire Vero shares a lot in common with its predecessor. The laptop is designed to look and mirror the aesthetic of recycled products. The textured finish is also one of the more unique features of the laptop. It comes with the iconic mirrored “R” and “E” keycaps as well. The laptop also comes with the same recyclable packaging which won Acer the Red Dot Design Award in 2022.

Pricing & Availability

The new Acer Aspire Vero is now available in Malaysia. The laptop can be purchased from Acer’s official retail stores, the Acer eStore, Acer’s official stores on Lazada and Shopee and at authorised resellers nationwide.

The laptop will set you back MYR2,599 for the Core i5 version or MYR3,299 for the Core i7 version. Both versions come with Microsoft Windows 11 and Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021.

Mobile, News

Samsung’s Batteries Are Bloating and It’s Happening More Often Than You Think

October 3, 2022 Nur Jeevan Leave a comment

It’s not every day that problems literally come to haunt a company. In 2016, Samsung had the biggest tech scandal in the past decade with its most popular device – the Galaxy Note 7 – becoming an explosive hit. Now it looks like the problem is back to haunt them in newer devices.

Samsung phones are Blowing Up - Here’s Why.

Tech YouTuber, Arun Rupesh Maini – better known as Mr WhoseTheBoss – has recently released a video highlighting a confounding problem that he faced almost exclusively with his Samsung devices. The issue came to light when he realised that his Galaxy Note 8 had its back detached due to the battery expanding. Keep in mind, that the same issue was at the centre of Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7 fiasco back in 2016. While it would seem like the issue was occurring exclusively on Note devices, he also noted that the same thing happened on his Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S10. It’s worth noting also that the phones were not actively being used but were powered down for storage.

I've just found out that 3 of my Samsung phones' batteries have blown up because of the recent UK heatwave

Not a single other brand has 🤔 pic.twitter.com/LI6Qrz8xSv
— Arun Maini (@Mrwhosetheboss) July 27, 2022

Thinking it was a remote issue and possibly caused by the recent heatwave in the UK, he proceeded to turn to the internet. The issue, however, seemed to be a well-known fact swept under the rug. In fact, Samsung themselves reached out to Mrwhosetheboss requesting that the phones be passed back to Samsung for further investigation. It’s been about 2 months since and there hasn’t been any word from the manufacturer.

More interestingly, it began to surface that other tech reviewers were facing the same issue. Matt Ansini from This Is shared a similar tweet noting that every Samsung phone that was more than three years old in storage had experienced the same issue. Upon further investigation, Mrwhosetheboss noticed that the same had happened to a number of Samsung devices in his storage including the Galaxy Z Fold 2 was on the verge of doing the same.

Another prolific Tech Youtuber – Marques Brownlee, better known as MKBHD – is also featured in the video noting the same occurrence in his own stash of devices. He mentions, “We always find like one or maybe two phones that the battery’s swollen up and have to get rid of it. And every single time it’s been a Samsung phone.” The same occurrence was noted by Zack Nelson from the popular YouTube channel JerryRigEverything. However, Zack provided an explanation noting the likely cause is the degradation of the electrolyte in the battery which releases a gaseous byproduct that is causing the bloating. Zack did further investigations to puncture the bloated batteries noting that Samsung has put in multiple measures to prevent the battery from exploding. However, he did note that it would be risky to charge the battery.

If the situation sounds familiar, it’s because Samsung’s Galaxy Note 7, had a similar issue which resulted in early units combusting in various situations. The common thread, however, was that the phones in each case were charging or had been charged very recently before the explosive event. What’s more disturbing is that after the fiasco, Samsung did take to the stage to apologise and reaffirm its commitment to end-user safety. In fact, the company highlighted multiple steps that it would be taking to ensure that the issue wouldn’t reoccur. So how are we here – again?

Having seen the video, we did a check on our own Samsung devices here at techENT. So far, we haven’t noticed any bloating in the Galaxy S7 or the Note 5 that we had in storage. The older Galaxy A7 also seems to be in good condition on the outside. It is worth noting that the Galaxy S7 was actually still being used until very recently and had a very diminished battery capacity.

That said, Arun and Zack also highlight an issue that should be more worrying to consumers. Every battery shipped, has a marking which informs consumers that they are supposed to remain inert without any chemical changes for a given amount of time. A majority of the devices that have been highlighted are marked with a 5-year guarantee. So, how are we seeing devices that are as recent as two years facing this issue?

The simple answer would be that Samsung has a major problem when it comes to manufacturing the batteries whether it is in the electrolytes themselves or any other part of the manufacturing. It’s more alarming that Samsung’s own quality controls have failed to detect the issue before these devices.

That said, we’re not chemical engineers nor are we experts in battery manufacturing. We’ll have to wait to see what Samsung says about the issue now that it’s out in the open.

Accessories, Business, Camera, Mobile, News

DJI Enterprise launches the Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T – Not Your Average Mavic 3

October 3, 2022 Darwin Sucipto Leave a comment

DJI’s Mavic 3 launched a few months back. It is, in our opinions, one of DJI’s most innovative product to date. The feature packed compact drone is really a demonstration of DJI’s technological superiority when it comes to drone technology.

While compact drones like the Mavic 3 have its roots found in the demand in the end-user segment for aerial photography and videography, it holds more potential that goes beyond just amateur filmography. Thanks to its lightweight and compact construction, the industrial application could be limitless for a Mavic 3.

The Mavic 3 for enterprises comes in two flavors, the Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T. The difference? You get a thermal enabled camera on the Mavic 3T while the Mavic 3E boasts a powerful camera system that allows you to accurately map out an area or pinpoint points of interest with 56x hybrid zoom. The thermal camera on the Mavic 3T allows you to also pinpoint subjects of interest via heat signatures. At the same time, the Mavic 3T packs a 28x side-by-side digital zoom for even better accuracy in detecting subjects and comparison.

Thanks to DJI’s know how in long-range remote technology, the drones can be flown up to 15km away from base (remote). They call the technology DJI O3 Enterprise Transmission and it is even more powerful than the antennas you can find on any consumer grade DJI products. The technology also allows users to view its feed live at 1080p/30fps with minimal interruption.

The Mavic 3 for pro-sumers is already a potent drone with state-of-the-art safety features and measures. The one for Enterprises gets all the same innovative features for safer and easier flight. It also includes DJI AirSense, a system that automatically detects traditional aircrafts in the area and warns its users of surrounding air traffic. At the same time, the DJI APAS System 5.0 is improved to ensure that the Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T do not fly blindly into obstacles.

Made for all sorts of applications, the DJI Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T can be attached with a selection of modules to ensure that the Mavic 3 is properly tailored for specific use cases. For one, the remote that the DJI Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T can work with is the DJI RC Pro Enterprise that fits a 1,000-nit display for clear visibility even in direct sunlight. With the RTK Module, the Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T becomes an aerial measuring tool that measures down to centimeters. Ensuring that your Mavic 3E or Mavic 3T is properly always located for emergencies is the D-RTK 2 Mobile Station with GNSS receiver. You can even send the drone packing a speaker for either crowd control or direct communication via the drone and remote combination.

Of course, hardware is only one part of the story. The Mavic 3 made for enterprises comes with a suite of apps and software to support and make sense of all its sophisticated hardware. For the Enterprise series, there is the DJI Pilot 2 app with improved interfaces for even better experiences than before. Payloads can also be easily controlled via the app if they can interface with the drone. At the same time, the DJI Pilot 2 can be used as a monitor for users.

To manage a fleet of drones, DJI developed the FlightHub 2 as well to always locate and manage your fleet with route planning efficiently and effectively. DJI Terra can be used to map entire areas for mission planning and even 2D or 3D modelling of an area. For the Mavic 3T, the DJI Thermal Analysis Tool 3.0 helps with analysis, annotations, and processing of all images captured by the thermal camera for temperature changes and abnormalities.

The DJI Mavic 3E and Mavic 3T is now available in Malaysia. If you are interested in procuring one, you can do so via DJI Enterprise’s newest authorized distributor and service centre, Aonic. This also means that you can also service your existing DJI drones with Aonic as well. The Mavic 3E will set you back MYR 14,800 while the thermal camera equipped DJI Mavic 3T comes in at MYR 21,000. More on DJI’s Mavic 3 Enterprise series drones can be found on their website.

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