Category Archives: News

Mobile, News

realme Launches Their Super Budget Smartphone the realme 10 for under MYR 1,000

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When you are set to buy a modern smartphone at this day and age, you are mostly advised to prepare about MYR 2,000 to MYR 3,000. Forget about high-end smartphones though, those will set you back MYR 4,000 and above nowadays. There is a common theme here; smartphones are expensive and they are just going to be more so in the future.

What if that is not true though? What if someone tells you that you can still get a decent smartphone for less than MYR 1,000 today? It is hardly believable, but you can get a smartphone for less than MYR 1,000 with realme.

They call it the realme 10, and it is a curious smartphone that trickled down from the already budget friendly realme 10 Pro 5G. It offers about the same design language as well as the realme 10 Pro with hard edges and completely flat display and sides. It feels like a slightly old-fashioned smartphone from a certain manufacturer, really.

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The realme 10 is even more budget friendly than the realme 10 Pro 5G. It sets you back MYR 999. At that price, you need to expect some compromises in terms of the hardware it packs.

For starters, the device comes packing a MediaTek System on a Chip (SoC). Specifically, an entry-level Helio G99. They dubbed the SoC as a Gaming Chipset though, so you still can expect some decent performances from the processor, just not high-end or flagship level performance. Still, it should be fast enough to run Android 12 with realme UI 3.0 interface with little issues. You should benefit from up to 8GB of built-in RAM and up to 256GB of storage. From that 256GB of storage, you can technically ‘borrow’ up to 8GB as additional RAM on top of your built-in RAM. Unfortunately, there are no storage expandability options.

What greets you when you pick up the device is a 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display that boasts Full HD+ resolution. At the same time, this is no generic 60Hz display. It is a fast 90Hz display that is worthy of your games. It boasts 4,000,000:1 contrast ratio with up to 98% NTSC colour gamut. All of these goodness is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5. For something you get at MYR 999, all these is rather impressive.

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Out the glass clad back is one 50-Megapixel main camera for high-resolution clear photos. That main camera is paired with a 2-Megapixel monochrome camera for added details on your photos. Above the Super AMOLED display, tucked in one corner of the surface is a 16-Megapixel camera that can take super clear selfies.

Keeping the device running all day and even more is a 5,000 mAh battery. When it runs out, you can charge it quickly before you head out of home or anywhere else with up to 33W in charging speeds via USB type-C. It also comes with a matching charging adapter to keep your battery topped up.

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As mentioned the realme 10 will be available for MYR 999. It is now available for pre-order on realme’s web store and participating dealers across the nation until the 16th of February 2023. If you do pre-order your device, you are entitled to a free 1-year screen protection warranty and a complementary realme Band 2. It will be available in Clash White and Rush Black. For more information on the realme 10 entry-level smartphone, you can head over to their website.

Computers, Gaming, News

MSI Announces Two New GAMING X TRIO WHITE GPUs Perfect for Themed Builds

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NVIDIA released their GeForce RTX 4080 and RTX 4070 Ti not too long ago. No luck on NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4060 or RTX 4070 currently. Still, the two desktop class GPUs will be some of the most popular GPUs that NVIDIA will produce at this time. In that sense, you will find plenty of desktops built in 2023 coming with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 Ti and RTX 4080 over the super high-end RTX 4090.

While it is uncommon, white PC builds can look sleek. We like that great white colour themed builds can look very clean and easily stands out in your room. It also automatically brightens your gaming environment. Pair it to decent RGBs and you have yourself an Instagram worthy build.

The thing is, if you have a white colour themed build, you are hard-pressed to upgrade it. Most modern GPUs do not come in any other colour than black. For the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series, you do not have much of an option. You might be pleased to know that MSI is going to solve that upgrade problem for you. They already have the GAMING TRIO WHITE series GPUs. Now, they have even an even more powerful option for you.

Welcome to the GAMING X TRIO WHITE series GPUs from MSI. Ironically, there are currently only two GPUs within the series currently. You have a choice between the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti.

This is not MSI’s first GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs. They have already made the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti GPUs. Unlike some of their other cards though, the two NVIDIA GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs clad in white shrouds and triple fans are pretty standard in terms of specs.

They are still PCIe Gen 4 GPUs, so you want to make sure your motherboard can support it, to get the most out of the GPUs. The 9,728 CUDA cores found on the RTX 4080 variant clocks in at 2,610 MHz while the 7,680 CUDA cores from the RTX 4070 Ti clocks in at 2,760 MHz, both slightly higher than the standard GAMING TRIO WHITE GPUs. As the naming convention suggests, the RTX 3080 comes with 16GB of GDDR6X memory and the RTX 4070 Ti comes with 12GB of GDDR6X memory. They still draw up to 320W and 285W respectively.

The cooler is a large heatsink that is cooled by three TORX Fan 5.0 with rims that allows for more focused air flow for even more effective cooling on the GPU. The nickel-plated copper baseplate sitting right on top of the GPU chiplet is designed for even better heat dissipation and distribution from the GPU to the heatsinks for even more effective cooling. The GPUs even feature Dual BIOS for either a ‘quite’ operation, or extract maximum ‘performance’ from the GPU at the cost of noise. The metal backplate is a snazzy mix of frosty white and silver colour combination that not only reinforces the board, passively cools the back of the board, but also adds some flavour to your all-white build.

There is RGB, yes. They call it the Mystic Light and it sits on the shroud of the GPU. It syncs with your PC and other RGB arrays via Mystic Light Sync and Ambient Link. The GPU even comes with a matching support bracket for the GPUs, since these new GPUs are rather hefty.

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There is no official pricing for the new MSI GAMING X TRIO WHITE GPUs just yet. They say that the GPUs will be available globally within this month (February 2023) onward. There are no mentions as well on the GeForce RTX 4090 variant just yet. For now, we can only wait and see. More information on MSI’s NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GAMING X TRIO WHITE and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Ti 12GB GAMING X TRIO WHITE can be found on their website.

Computers, Lifestyle, News

Lenovo Releases the Latest Yoga 9i in Malaysia at MYR 7,299

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We have just reviewed Lenovo’s creator powerhouse Yoga last week. The Yoga series is all about flexibility and portability. They are also usually about looks, which is not entirely what the Yoga we reviewed was all about. In that case, if unique looks is what you look for in a laptop, you might want to take a look at Lenovo’s latest addition to their line-up in the Yoga series for Malaysia, the Lenovo Yoga 9i.

You get a 14-inch OLED display that you can swivel around to turn it into a tablet. You can stand it like a tent too, and use it with a stylus. Below the IPS display is a Bowers & Wilkins soundbar that is built into the hinge mechanism, which also means it rotates with you to give you the best aural experience wherever the display faces.

The OLED panel boasts 2.8K in resolution with slim bezels. That also means you get very deep blacks with VESA DisplayHDR 5000 True Black. You also get highly accurate and vivid colours with 100% of DCI-P3 colour gamut. While not 120Hz, the 90Hz display is still plenty fast for everyday use cases or even movies.

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Source: Lenovo

The 90Hz display is plenty enough for the Yoga 9i though, since it is not made with gaming in mind. The Lenovo Yoga 9i packs Intel’s latest 13th generation Core i7-1360P processor. There is no discrete GPU here though, just a simple integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, hence you do not need 120Hz in the first place. Alongside the powerful CPU with integrated GPU is up to 16GB in DDR5 memory for seamless productivity with the machine. You also get up to 1TB of SSD storage for all your working needs.

Of course, the Lenovo Yoga 9i runs on Windows 11. It supports Windows Hello facial recognition too with a Full HD webcam paired with an IR blaster and ToF sensor. When you do not want to use your webcam, there is a physical privacy shutter too. Alternatively, you can use the fingerprint sensor for Windows Hello.

The Lenovo Yoga 9i will start at MYR 7,299 and is now available in Malaysia. You can head over to any of their exclusive stores to get your hands on one. If you do get one between 11th to 26th of February 2023, you are entitled to free gifts that are worth up to 3,315 including a 27-inch gaming monitor, a Yoga wireless mouse with laser pointer, and more. More on the Lenovo Yoga 9i can be found on their website.

Camera, News

Canon’s EOS R8 Is that Budget-Friendly Full-Frame Creative Powerhouse You Have Been Waiting For 

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Canon’s EOS R line-up has proven to be some of the most powerful and currently popular content creation tools to date. It is also an indication of a new direction that the entire camera industry is moving toward – mirrorless. Then again, Canon only has the EOS R5, R6, and RP helming their mirrorless camera division. Now there is a new one, the new EOS R8. If you were not convinced by Canon to start going into their mirrorless ecosystem, you might be now.  

The Canon EOS RP is and will still be Canon’s most affordable EOS R series camera to date. The Canon EOS R8 is not meant to replace the EOS RP then. It is meant to complete the EOS R collection and fill the gap between EOS RP and full-frame EOS R6. At the same time, it is Canon’s lightest EOS R camera yet, even lighter than EOS RP. 

At 461g, the Canon EOS R8 is 20g lighter than the already light EOS RP. That weight has taken the battery and SD card into account. That weight also allows cameramen to haul the EOS R8 and shoot for longer and offer even more shoot flexibility.  

For high-resolution, clear, and detailed photos, the Canon EOS R8 comes with a brand-new 24.2-Megapixel sensor. The new CMOS sensor works with their proven DIGIC X image processor. The new sensor is also capable of shooting at ISO 102,400 (stills). In video mode, it goes up to ISO 25,600, which is still rather high for shots in low-light conditions.  

While it is a traditional interchangeable lens camera, the Canon EOS R8 is made to be excellent for videographers. That is not to say that it will be rubbish as a point-and-shoot stills camera. It is still an excellent photographer tool. You can get up to 40fps high-speed continuous shooting with the electronic shutter. If you prefer shooting in RAW, you get up to 30fps with that too. After all, it is a Canon camera. 

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The lack of weight in the camera is rather perfect for extended free-handed video shoots. At the same time, Canon specifically developed something called the Movie Digital IS for the EOS R8. It is, technically, the same 5-axis in-body stabilization mechanism you can find in the highly acclaimed EOS R6 and R5. The Movie Digital IS adds tilt correction on top of that for extra stable footage in video shoots even without a gimbal. Since it is an in-body mechanism, it works even with lenses without optical stabilization. 

The Canon EOS R8 is capable of shooting videos in up to 4K UHD resolution, which is expected from all of Canon’s latest cameras at this point. You can even shoot the videos with HDR 10-bit 4:2:2 colours baked in, if you want. It is an even more capable video shooter too than the EOS RP with up to 60fps 4K UHD video recording for up to 30 minutes (4K 30p limitless recording). That 4K UHD footage from the new 24.2-Megapixel CMOS sensor is also even more detailed than before since the entire sensor is being used to oversample the footage in 6K resolution before being recorded in 4K.  

Canon’s very fast autofocus is rather famous in the camera industry, The new Dual Pixel CMOS AF II technology developed for the EOS R6 II makes an appearance here too for ultra-fast autofocus speeds. It can get a hold of an object in mere 0.03 seconds for that matter. It can lock onto and track various subjects including people, animals, and even vehicles. For video workflows, the clever focus breathing correction eliminates any sort of distortions or fluctuations when the focus changes from one object to the other.  

Shooting videos in Logs is always recommended, especially if you want your videos to look extra sharp and detailed. In that case, you can shoot with Canon Log 3 at up to 40fps. It is not quite the 60p if you shoot without the Canon Log, but you are getting above 30fps videos with highly flexible colour grading options in post-production.  

If you need a do-it-all camera for your streaming needs, the Canon EOS R8 is that one camera too. You can plug the camera to your streaming PC via USB type-C and get up to Full HD footage via the streaming apps or in video calls. You can get the camera running even without going through Canon’s app on your PC.  

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Alongside the Canon EOS R8, Canon is also launching the RF24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM RF mount lens for full-frame cameras and RF-S55-210mm f/5-7.1 ISTM STM zoom lens for APS-C EOS R cameras. The RF24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM zoom lens will be Canon’s lightest RF-mount lens available at 210g. It also features up to 4.5 stops in optical image stabilization. Combined with EOS R8’s Movie Digital IS, it offers up to 7 stops in image stabilization. 

The Canon EOS R8 is now available for pre-order in the European and North American regions. There are no confirmed availability dates for Malaysia just yet. It is priced at about US$1,500 for the North American market. We are guessing that prices will hover around MYR 6,500-7,000 when it comes to Malaysia, but we are only speculating since there are no indications to local pricing at this time. More information on the Canon EOS R8 can be found on their website.

Android, Mobile, News

POCO Launches Their 2023 Mid-Range Champion, the X5 5G and X5 Pro 5G Prices Starting from MYR 1,099

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Picking a smartphone in the modern era is tough. You want to settle on a budget. In most cases, a limited budget for your smartphone means that most flagship smartphones are out of reach. In that case, you will have to settle for mid-range smartphones.

Settling on a mid-range smartphone is not necessarily a bad thing though. It is, currently, the most competitive and crowded segments in the smartphone industry. That means you are really spoilt for choice. You are not getting subpar products either, mid-range smartphones today are full of features and can take on some flagships.

The POCO X5 Pro 5G

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Take the new POCO X5 Pro 5G mid-range smartphone for example. You get an AMOLED display this time. The 6.67-inch panel offers up to 120Hz in refresh rate, Dolby Vision certification, 5,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, and 10-bit colour depth. It is not a QHD+ display, but a Full HD+ display is really all you need on a smartphone. At up to 900 nits as well, you will not be wanting for more brightness even under direct sunlight. Of course, the display is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 5.

Underneath the expansive display is a powerful Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G system on a chip (SoC).  The octa-core processor is coupled with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage to ensure that the POCO X5 Pro 5G can handle anything you can throw at it. If you ever need more RAM, Dynamic RAM expansion 3.0 can borrow some of the storage space to serve as a slightly slower RAM.

Out the back of the POCO X5 Pro 5G is a very powerful 108-Megapixel main camera. On the side is an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter and a 2-Megapixel macro camera. There is also another camera out the front, a 16-Megapixel shooter.

To keep the MIUI 14 (Based on Android 13) running all day and more is a 5,000 mAh batter within the metal body. The battery is capable of 67W quick charge too, so you do not have to keep it plugged in for too long, important when you are always in a rush. Yes, you get a charger with this device.

The POCO X5 5G

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At the more budget friendly end of the scale is the regular POCO X5 5G smartphone. It is still no slouch though.

Within the body is a Snapdragon 695 mid-range octa-core SoC. You also can get your POCO X5 5G with up to 8GB of RAM and up to 256GB of storage. If that is not enough, you can also expand it with up to 1TB MicroSD card.

The internals allows MIUI 13 to run smoothly on the 6.67-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display with up to 120Hz in refresh rate and an even brighter 1200 nits. You also get up to 4,500,000:1 contrast ratio for a respectable image reproduction that is even on par with some flagships. All of these is protected by Coring’s Gorilla Glass 3.

Out the back is a 48-Megapixel shooter that is still capable of taking breath taking photos. It is also supported by an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide sensor alongside a 2-Megapixel macro camera. The front-facing camera is downgraded a little too at 13-Megapixel over the 16-Megapixel of the Pro variant.

Within the svelte body is also a large 5,000mAh battery that should give you a few days of battery life. If you need, it still does quick charging, not as quick as the Pro variant though. Still 33W of charging speeds can also give you a full charge within two hours.

Price and Availability

The POCO X5 Pro 5G Will be available in three colours – Black, Blue, and Yellow. The POCO X5 5G will also be in available in three distinct colours – Green, Blue, and Black. The Pro variant will set you back MYR 1,299 onward while the vanilla POCO X5 will start from MYR 1,099. You can now get your hands on either one via Lazada and Shopee. More information can be found on their website.

Lifestyle, News

Netflix new titles for the month of love

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Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and Netflix has new releases from the 6th to 12th of February to get you in the mood.

Asian love stories from Indonesia and Korea

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Dear David. (L to R) Caitlin North Lewis as Dilla, Shenina Cinnamon as Laras, Emir Mahira as David in Dear David. Image source: Netflix

At the top of the list is the must watch, coming-of-age film Dear David which revolves around a high school girl’s worst nightmare. Depicted vividly in this teaser trailer, straight A student Lara’s risque blog about her crush gets released to everyone in school and she must face the consequences. Starring Indonesian talents Shenina Cinnamon, Emir Mahira and Caitlin North Lewis, Dear David releases on 9th February 2023. The movie is also the first of Indonesian movies and series to be released on Netflix, with upcoming ones listed here.

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Enemies to friends to lovers in Love to Hate You. Image source: Netflix

There is also a new K-drama series Love to Hate You. From the trailer, the series plays on the enemies-to-lovers trope that will appeal to the romantic comedy fans. For more previews of the series, check out these character trailers for Mi-ran and Kang-ho. Netflix is also promising 2023 to be the biggest ever line-up of K-content, with the full list here.

Great exclusive content to be enjoyed alone or with a special someone

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The doctor prescribes more laughs in his Ride With Caution stand-up special. Image source: Netflix

Netflix is also premiering a host of exclusive content to keep you entertained. For some guaranteed laughs, look no further than the latest stand-up special, Dr. Jason Leong: Ride With Caution. The trailer shows his hilarious insights on ageing, the absurdity of middle-aged cycling enthusiasts, and more, the doctor will see you starting 9th February. Also premiering on 9th February is You: Season 4 Part 1. Joe looks to start anew in London and bury his past, but the road ahead is rocky and a new obsession starts to take hold. Check out the trailer here. Netflix film Your Place or Mine puts a twist on the big question at the end of every date night. See what happens when best friends Debbie and Peter swap homes for a week and find a path to love.

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Pay tribute to Boston Celtic’s legend Bill Russell in Bill Russell: Legend. Image source: Netflix.

Bill Russell:Legend will give NBA fans a chance to relive his life and legacy prior to his passing in 2022. Pay tribute to the Boston Celtic’s legend starting 8th February and learn more about the documentary here. Fans of Love is Blind: After the Altar will be thrilled to see the social experiment series back for Season 3. Starting 10th February, catch up with the former couples in this teaser trailer, to see their lives one year after their big decisions to stay or walk away. If you are spending the day in with the children, don’t miss My Dad the Bounty Hunter. The trailer for the new kid-friendly show, follows two kids who accidentally hitch a ride with their dad, a space-travelling bounty hunter.

Get your hearts racing, with adrenaline that is!

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Catch Nobody starring Bob Odenkirk this February. Image source: Netflix

Netflix will also serve up shows to make our hearts race that does not involve romance. Action thriller Nobody follows a middle-aged everyman weighed down by life, until a lethal home invasion awakens his killer instincts. In the dark thriller M4M4, a distraught mother seeks revenge following the senseless death of her daughter at the hands of gang rapists. In the revenge thriller Promising Young Woman, a woman seeks revenge against a system that enables and protects its predators after her friend falls victim to a heinous act.

Check out the Netflix Media Center for more updates on your favourite titles. 

News

ESET reports cyberthreats to Ukraine by Russian APT

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Cybersecurity company ESET released its latest APT Activity Report, shedding light on coordinated threats to cybersecurity across the globe for 2022. Advanced Persistent Threats or APT, are broadly defined as targeted cyberattacks by either a single person or a coordinated team over a long period of time. Typically the objective is to obtain sensitive data from the target, which includes intellectual property, sensitive information such as financial details, a website takeover or even sabotage. The report compiles data from the period from September to December 2022 analyzed by ESET researchers.

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ESET reports on APT threats for the end of 2022.

Ukraine targeted by new malware from Russian-APT Sandworm

During this period, the most notable cyberattack campaigns observed were perpetrated by Russian-aligned APTs targeting Ukraine. The most prominent was an attack by the APT group Sandworm in October targetting an energy sector company in Ukraine. Sandworm used a previously unknown wiper for the attack, a malware that deletes all the files on affected hard drives. ESET has named this wiper, NikoWiper, and it was found to be based on SDelete, Microsoft’s command line for secure file deletion.

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Cyberattacks on Ukrainian energy sector linked to Russian-aligned APT Sandworm.
Image source: Bleeping Computer

The Sandworm attack against the Ukrainian energy company in October 2022 coincided with the same period of the Russian military attacks. Russian forces launched missile strikes targeted at energy infrastructure too, suggesting some form of coordination and shared objectives. While ESET does not have evidence for this coordination, ESET’s report has noted that APT groups have been known to be operated by a nation-state or state-sponsored threat actors.

More ransomware attacks and spearphising campaigns

ESET reports that Sandworm also used ransomware in the same attack, with the final objective appearing to be data loss or destruction. In this case, ransomware will be used to lock the files in company computers but Sandworm will not offer the decryption key for a ransom, as in a typical ransomware attack. More ransomware attacks were observed in this period, with the Prestige ransomware, associated with Russian-based threat actor IRIDIUM, deployed against logistics companies in Poland and Ukraine. Also in October, ESET discovered and reported on Twitter, a new ransomware in Ukraine written in .NET they named RansomBoggs. Other Russian APTs such as Callisto and Gamaredon were conducting spear-phishing campaigns in Ukraine. These are email or communication-based scams intended to steal credentials or other sensitive information.

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Chinese-based APTs Goblin Panda and Mustang Panda beginning to target European countries.
Image source: SOCradar

Chinese-based APTs Target EU and Other Global Cyber Threats

Cyber threats were reported in other parts of the world as well. Chinese-based APT Goblin Panda, which typically targets the United States, have recently begun targeting European countries, a similar trend seen in another Chinese-APT, Mustang Panda. A Goblin Panda backdoor was found in a government organisation in the European Union, named TurboSlate by ESET. Similarly in Switzerland, ESET detected a Korplug loader used by Mustang Panda in an energy and engineering organisation. In Iran, the APT POLONIUM has targeted both Iranian companies and their foreign subsidiaries while the APT MuddyWater had likely compromised a security service provider. Cryptocurrency firms have more bad luck as North-Korean APTs were detected to target these firms and crypto exchanges globally with old exploits.

For full details on ESETs findings, the APT Activity Report for T3 2022 can be found on WeLiveSecurity here.

Android, Mobile, News

Pre-orders for Galaxy S23 Series Go Live

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Samsung has only just announced its new flagship series: the Galaxy S23. The new S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra bring the latest and greatest camera-centered experiences to Samsung’s portfolio. Powered by a customised version of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 with up to 12GB of RAM on the Galaxy S23 Ultra and up to 8GB on the Galaxy S23 and S23+, the smartphones are touted to bring new experiences and up the Nightography ante.

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With the announcements done and dusted, Samsung is announcing pre-order packages the world over. In Malaysia, pre-orders will be kicking off starting now (2nd February 2023) until 23rd February 2023. Purchases of any of the Galaxy S23 series are entitled to a double storage upgrade for the same price worth up to MYR500. So, if you’re getting the 128GB version of the S23, you’ll be getting the 256GB instead. In addition, you will also get a 30% purchase-with-purchase discount on selected Samsung Accessories, Galaxy Tablets, Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds and Samsung Care+. You can also get up to MYR600 rebate on trade-ins of your pre-existing device. (pssst… you’ll be able to stack up more than 1 device)

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Purchases on Samsung Malaysia’s official website will entitle you to an MYR400 e-voucher. However, if you purchase your Galaxy S23 at Samsung Experience Stores or at Samsung Authorised Partners, you will also get free accessories worth up to MYR458.

Pricing Details & Model Availability

Together with the pre-order deals, Samsung Malaysia also announced the models and detailed pricing of the S23 series in Malaysia. Notably absent is the 128GB version of the S23 and the 256GB version of the S23+.

ModelsRRPPre-order Price
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 1TBRM7,199RM6,699
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra 512GBRM6,199RM5,699
Samsung Galaxy S23+ 512GBRM5,199RM4,699
Samsung Galaxy S23 256GBRM4,199RM3,899
Computers, News

Samsung Unpacks the New Galaxy Book Series

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Samsung unpacked a brand new series of laptops that make up the new Galaxy Book Series. The new series brings a renewed focus on productivity and also inter-device connectivity with Samsung focusing on features like Multi-control and Second Screen.

Samsung Galaxy Book 01
Source: Samsung

The Galaxy Book Series comprises of three entries: The Galaxy Book Pro, Galaxy Book Pro 360 and the Galaxy Book Ultra. Each brings Samsung’s flavours to a different class of laptops. However, they focus on bringing a revolutionary user experience to the thin and light category of laptops.

The Galaxy Book Pro brings either a 14-inch or 16-inch display to the traditional clamshell laptop form factor. The Galaxy Book Pro 360 brings a larger 16-inch display complete with S Pen functionality. Finally, the Galaxy Book Ultra is a 16-inch beast looking to find its home with creators. The three laptops have a simplistic design that emphasises minimalism and functionality. This design approach allows Samsung to have a series of laptops that are incredibly thin and light with the largest – the Ultra – coming in at only 16.5mm thick and weighing 1.79kgs.

The Galaxy Books will be coming with the latest 13th Generation Intel Core processors. Samsung has supercharged their Galaxy Book Ultra with configurations supporting the Core i7 and Core i9 with up to 32GB of RAM. Together with these, the Ultra will also feature configurations with either the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX4050 Laptop GPU. The Pro and Pro 360, on the other hand, will take advantage of the integrated Intel Xe Graphics.

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Source: Samsung

All the laptops come equipped with a 16:10 Dynamic AMOLED Display with support for up to a 3K display with a resolution of 2880×1800. The display also sports a 120Hz refresh rate with a 500nit peak brightness. It’s also VESA ClearMotion Ratio and VESA Display HDR TrueBlack 500 certified. In addition, the Galaxy Book Series will also come with studio-quality dual mics with ambient noise cancellation. They also come with a quad-speaker setup with two 5W woofers and two 2W tweeters for a more immersive audio experience.

When it comes to ports, the laptops come with a universal USB-C charger, microSD card slot, USB Type-A (v3.2), headphone and mic combo input, Thunderbolt 4 enabled USB-C ports and an HDMI port. They also ship with an integrated FHD webcam.

Software to Complement the Power

In addition to the hardware, Samsung has its eyes focused on providing a uniquely Samsung experience when it comes to their laptop lineup. The laptops will be able to take advantage of Galaxy Book Smart Switch which allows you to copy all your data from your old PC over to your Galaxy Book. You’ll also be able to leverage your Samsung account to sign in with Single Sign On (SSO). Your passwords are also securely stored in Samsung Pass.

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Source Samsung

If you’re working on the go, you’ll probably be utilising Link to Windows to connect and control your smartphone from your laptop. In addition, with the latest updates to the app, you’ll be able to automatically turn on your phone’s Hotspot feature with Auto Hotspot. Samsung is also bringing the ability to synchronise your recent websites with your laptop. The most useful feature will, of course, be Multi Control which allows you to seamlessly transition between your phone, tablet or laptop. In addition, you can even use your Galaxy Tab as a second screen.

Pricing & Availability

The Galaxy Book laptops will not be available in Malaysia. However, they will be available in global markets starting in Q2 2023.

Android, Mobile, News

Samsung Unpacks The Galaxy S23 Series

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It’s that time again, Samsung has just unveiled their new lineup of flagships – the Galaxy S23 series. The new S23 series follows its predecessor in more than just the design – there are also three devices in the lineup. You’re going to quickly realise that that’s a theme that will be recurring throughout the series.

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Like previous years, the Galaxy S23 series will come with a vanilla Galaxy S23, the S23+ and the Note-successor Galaxy S23 Ultra. This year, however, it seems like Samsung has chosen to focus on the Galaxy S23 Ultra rather than its two siblings. The vanilla Galaxy S23 and the S23+ seem to have a lot more in common with the S22 than we’re used to.

Let’s start off with what’s changing across the board, the first and biggest update coming to the series is its new processor. This time, Samsung hasn’t been coy about it. Instead, globally, the S23 series will be coming with the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for GALAXY. This is a customised processor built specifically for Galaxy smartphones. Prepare to see more of the “Snapdragon for GALAXY” in this year’s Galaxy lineup. In addition to this, the Galaxy S23 series will be coming with a Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with increased colour accuracy, a 120Hz refresh rate and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2. This comes in a 6.1-inch size on the S23, 6.3-inch in the plus and 6.8-inch in the Ultra.

Is the Galaxy S23 Series Continuing an Iconic Design?

When it comes to the design of the S23 series, the series drops the iconic contour cut design from the Galaxy S22 and S22+ in this year’s iterations. Samsung claims that it’s doing this for the uniformity of design across all three variants of the S23 series. To achieve this uniformity, they’ve opted to adopt the minimalistic design language of the S22 Ultra – which has more or less been recycled for the S23 Ultra.

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However, there are some iterative changes that are being introduced. As mentioned, the contour cut camera cutout is no more. Instead, the back is totally uniform with each camera sensor being highlighted by a silver ring. The same design is used across the series. The Galaxy S23 Ultra is slightly more different with the design being flattened out to enlarge the flat surface of the 6.8-inch display to take advantage of the S Pen.

Galaxy S23 Ultra Focused Leaving the S23 & S23+ Behind – at least in Hardware

The new series is very heavily Ultra focused. The Galaxy S23 and S23+ are more or less the same devices we’ve seen in the S22 and S22+. The only difference aside from the new processor is the improved selfie camera which comes in at 12 megapixels and the larger batteries – 3,900mAh in the S23 and 4,700mAh in the S23+. Aside from that, they come with the same 10-megapixel telephoto and 12-megapixel ultrawide sensors we’ve seen in the S22 and S22+.

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The Galaxy S23 Utlra, on the other hand, comes with a brand new 200-megapixel sensor complemented by a 12-megapixel ultrawide camera, 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom and 10-megapixel telephoto camera with 10x optical zoom. The new camera setup – particularly the 200-megapixel adaptive pixel sensor – comes with improved pixel binning. The new sensor combines 16 pixels into a single pixel when taking photos. Samsung is calling this “Super Quad Pixel”. This gives better light sensitivity and contrast while giving the AI more information for better bokeh and nightography. With the improved pixel binning, the AI is able to discern between features like skin, eyes and hair better and more accurately. It also allows for better autofocus as it allows the AI to use a larger 4×4 grid with more points of focus.

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Stabilization on the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s camera has also been improved. The optical image stabilization (OIS) angles have been doubled from 1.5° to 3.0°. This is supposed to give the smartphone even better image and video stabilization. Keep in mind, this is a stabilization that comes from the hardware itself and not the software. Software-wise, the whole S23 series comes with improved VIDS. The improved VIDS is able to analyse and subdivide movement and recognise lighting conditions that allow for better software stabilization. The S23 series also comes with better multi-frame processing and AI.

A Focus on User Experience Starting with One UI 5.1

While the series is a little bit bland when it comes to hardware, Samsung promising a renewed focus starting with One UI 5.1. The new update to One UI will bring a new sense of personalisation which can be extended with apps like Good Lock.

One UI 5.1 brings a few new features including Modes and Routines. The new modes and routines feature allows users to string together settings, apps and even smart things devices into a “routine” or “mode”. This allows you to do things by simply saying “Hey Google” or “Hey Bixby” followed by the name of the routine or mode or even trigger it with an exercise or more.

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Bixby Text Call is also coming for the ride. The new feature allows users to send text messages as replies to incoming calls. In addition to this feature, the S Pen functionality is extended to work in a series of Google Apps including Google Drive, Google Sheets and more. Users will also be able to collaborate more effectively with the Co-Edit feature in Samsung Notes over Google Meets.

Pricing & Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S23 series will be in Phantom Black, Cream, Green and Lavender. Prices for the S23 and S23+ start at MYR3,899 in Malaysia while the Ultra starts at MYR5,699.