Sony has broken ground in chipset manufacturing by announcing its new, ultra-low power ALT1350 Chipset.
CEO Nohik Semel is confident the ALT1350 satisfies increasing demand for IoT chipsets
Developed by Sony Semiconductor Israel (Sony), the new ALT1350 chipset is the world’s first cellular LTE-M/NB-IoT solution which enables both LPWA communication protocols and satellite connectivity. CEO Nohik Semel believes the ALT1350 is a game-changer and satisfies increasing market demand for multiprotocol, ultra-low power IoT chipset.
Sony claims the ALT1350 asthe most advanced IoT solution available and addresses service providers main concern; power consumption. The platform features an optimized standby mode (eDRX) that reduces power consumption by 80% compared to the current generation. This can improve battery life by up to 4 times, allowing additional functionality and smaller form factors for future devices.
A feature-packed chipset with innovative power saving and connectivity features
The ALT1350 brings new innovation to connectivity too. It’s sub-GHz and 2.4GHz integrated transceiver enables hybrid connectivity. This reduces power consumption and costs when connecting to smart meters, smart cities, trackers and more, while enhancing coverage. To benefit trackers further, there is both cellular and Wi-Fi-based positioning along with power-optimized concurrent LTE and GNSS. Furthermore, the chipset will operate with 5G networks and contains an additional LPWA radio transceiver with targeting operation in <1GHz and 2.4 ISM bands for truly universal connectivity.
As summarized expertly by Nohik Semel himself, the ALT1350 is “…the game changer we’ve been waiting for, which will enable IoT deployments, utilizing universal connectivity on edge processing and multiple location technologies”.
Unleash double fun with vivo as the latest generation of its Y series smartphone, the vivo Y22s, arrives in Malaysia.
The vivo Y22s is available in Malaysia from 26 November 2022
Starting November 26th, Malaysians can get their hands on the new vivo Y22s, retailing at RM999. vivo claims this device as the most advanced iteration yet and boasts powerful specifications for its price range.
Powering the vivo Y22s is the Snapdragon 680 processor, which offers mid-range performance in today’s market. It is supplemented with 8GB RAM with an additional 8GB Extended RAM or virtual RAM partitioned from the storage. But do not worry of space shortage as the device comes with 128GB of storage out of the box.
Powerful specifications at an affordable price
The device comes with a 5000mAh battery, which helps keep the device powered for long periods. With the 18W Fast Charge on board charging times are also quicker. And last but not least, the equipped cameras are a 50MP rear shooter and 2MP front macro shooter.
The vivo Y22s is available in two trendy colors – Summer Cyan and Starlit Blue
The vivo Y22s is shaping up to be an attractive package of good performance at an affordable price. Available in Summer Cyan and Starlit Blue, purchase it in-store at vivo concept stores and authorised dealers. For online purchases, vivo Malaysia’s official e-store and flagship stores on Shopee and Lazada.
The Snapdragon Summit 2022 has unveiled the highly anticipated Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 platform, promising to revolutionize the flagship smartphone experience.
The new Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 unveiled at the Snapdragon Summit 2022
Snapdragon’s highlight event of 2022 held in Hawaii from November 15th to 16th centered around the announcement of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. The platform will be adopted by global brands including ASUS, HONOR, iQOO, OnePlus, OPPO, and Redmi to name a few. Expect to see it in commercial devices as early as the end of 2022.
Key Experience Pillars show AI integration systemwide
The new features highlighted by Key Experience Pillars”; Snapdragon Smart, Sight, Elite Gaming, Connect, Sound and Secure
With the latest iteration of the SoC, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 offers better performance with the new Qualcomm® Hexagon™ Processor that has a 3.2GHz Arm-Cortex X3 prime core. The mobile platform offers a host of new features, described as six “Key Experience Pillars” by Qualcomm. The first and most central pillar is Snapdragon Smart, which utilizes AI integration across the system. This integration allows faster natural language processing, multi-language translation and advanced AI camera features.
Expect camera performance improvements with Snapdragon Sight, which uses AI to better recognize facial features, hairs and even the sky to allow professional grade image tuning. The platform will support new image sensors and features from other brands such as Sony’s quad digital overlap HDR technology and Samsung’s ISOCELL HP3, the first 200-megapixel image sensor. It also has an AV1 codec with support for video playback up to 8K HDR at 60 frames per second.
Elite Gaming Performance
Enhanced gaming visuals with Ray Tracing thanks to Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
Snapdragon Elite Gaming will be welcome news to gaming fans as the 8 Gen 2 comes with an improved Adreno GPU. The highlight is the mobile platform will have Ray Tracing to further elevate gaming visuals. This will also be the first platform to support Vulkan 1.3 API on top of improved and more efficient performance.
High Speed Connectivity with Wi-Fi 7, improved 5G and dual Bluetooth
Stay connected with low latency WiFI 7, peak 5G speeds and dual Bluetooth.
Connectivity will be improved on the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 as described in the Snapdragon Connect Experience pillar. Sporting the new Snapdragon X70 5G Modem-RF System with Qualcomm® 5G AI Processor, expect faster than ever 5G speeds and first-in-market to support 5G+5G/4G Dual-SIM Dual-Active. It also features the Qualcomm® FastConnect™ 7800 connectivity system, for low latency Wi-Fi 7 and dual Bluetooth connectivity.
Soundly secure
Snapdragon has also beefed-up security on its new platform, with Snapdragon Secure. Described as premium level protection, it offers the latest tech available to protect your data and privacy with features such as the Qualcomm® 3D Sonic Sensor a Max fingerprint sensors. Finally, expect better audio performance with Snapdragon Sound. It features spatial audio with dynamic head-tracking for better surround-sound experience and supports 48kHz lossless music. Gamers will benefit from the built-in voice backchannel for clearer in-game voice chat and lowest-ever latency at 48ms.
In short, Snapdragon has brought out all the features of a flagship-level mobile platform with more intricate AI utilization as icing on the cake. For a full list of specifications and features, visit the official Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 webpage.
It’s not every day that we hear a tech company is celebrating its 10th Anniversary; what’s more, one that isn’t a start-up or consumer-facing. While that may be true for EDOTCO, the company’s decade-long existence has entrenched the company with consumers and connectivity. The company has been actively involved in the rollout of cellular towers and related technologies in Malaysia, Cambodia, Bangladesh and more across the ASEAN and South Asian regions.
What exactly does a TowerCo (telecommunications tower company) do? Well, it’s pretty simple. You know that symbol on your mobile phone which shows you your signal strength? They work to ensure that there is a connection at all times. This comes in the form of building and maintaining cell towers for mobile network operators (MNOs) and even leasing or co-locating towers with other companies. EDOTCO has its beginnings in Malaysia as Axiata group’s TowerCo before it spun off into its own business.
The company now boasts a portfolio of over 54,000 towers across the ASEAN and South Asian regions. They currently operate in Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Pakistan, Philippines, Laos and most recently, Indonesia. This has made them the 6th ranking TowerCo in the world with ambitions to be in the top 5 by 2024. They have also been recognized as one of three unicorn status companies in Malaysia by Credit Suisse last year.
We spoke with CEO, Mohamed Adlan Ahmad Tajudin, about the company’s focus on equitable connectivity, innovation and sustainability. This interview comes in the wake of the company celebrating their 10th Anniversary and launching a companywide rebrand.
A Heritage of Innovation & A Culture of Sustainability
EDOTCO hasn’t been resting on its laurels for the past decade. They’ve been at the forefront of innovating in the TowerCo space. The company has also been busy inculcating a philosophy of innovation and sustainable thinking from the ground up. CEO, Mohamed Adlan informs us, “we inculcate the culture of a sustainable world for the future and the next generation within the minds of our people. We hire passionate individuals who fit within EDOTCO’s culture and core values to ensure our staff are in tune with EDOTCO’s heart.”
(Source: EDOTCO) Cell tower in the Uttara Region in Bangladesh made of Bamboo.
Their genuine passion and dedication to innovation and sustainability have been driving EDOTCO’s ingenuity when it comes to tower technology. One of the hallmarks of the company’s past decade is their collaboration with the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). They looked to create a greener, more sustainable solution to building steel towers atop buildings in Bangladesh. If you remember, there have been cases where buildings in South Asia were collapsing due to the weight being borne. In their collaboration, BUET and EDOTCO created a very sustainable solution of creating the towers with specially treated bamboo which is more resilient and lightweight. This innovation resulted in a solution that is not only greener with 70% less carbon emissions; the resulting tower is 88% lighter. EDOTCO erected its first bamboo tower in the Uttara region of Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2017.
Source: EDOTCO
“Innovation will always remain a key cornerstone in our operations. However, we have also shifted our focus to sustainability as a key indicator of growth as a group.”
While it may seem trivial, the innovative approach could very well be the first step in a new way to set up towers and empower connectivity in rural areas. With better, more natural materials, we’re looking at the possibility of minimally affecting ecosystems while society moves towards being more connected. The lower cost and carbon emissions are also a testament to the company’s commitment to creating and innovating sustainably.
Refocusing to Empower Equitable Connectivity with Innovative Solutions
The company isn’t resting on their laurels with their 10th anniversary either. Instead, they’ve turned their focus to sustainability and equitable connectivity. EDOTCO is committed to adapting to the rapid changes that come with the surge forward in digitization. To further drive the point home, the company is undergoing a revamp and rebranding to embody their continued commitment and further refocusing their efforts on sustainable innovation.
The rebranding also comes with a commitment to empower and advance the Asian region when it comes to the region’s communications and connectivity ambitions. They will continue to innovate and address the needs of both developing and developed countries with solutions that drive connectivity with 5G and beyond; making next-generation connectivity universally accessible. Together with that, EDOTCO will also be working with their partners and customers to enable and drive positive transformation in the communities they are engaged.
(Source: EDOTCO) Redesigned Logo focusing on Sustainability and Equitable Connectivity
Together with this EDOTCO is also looking to drive their goals sustainably. They will be enhancing their internal sustainability strategy moving forward through their one-way and two-way engagements internally and in person. The vision to be sustainable isn’t just a bunch of fluff or a hot topic. It’s a vision and policy being driven in all departments from HR to Engineering. It provides an added impetus to their innovation and empowers their vision for equitable connectivity.
When it comes to equitable connectivity, EDOTCO isn’t just talking about sustainability either. They’re taking tangible steps to make erecting towers and providing connectivity as a service more affordable to its customers and, in turn, to consumers. Even before they embark on their next decade, the company has already helped MNOs save between 16% to 35% in their Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) and Operations Expenditure (OPEX) through infrastructure sharing, tower leasing and co-location. This has also resulted in faster, more sustainable network rollouts and fostered competition between MNOs which is beneficial for consumers.
Working to Spearhead Equitable Connectivity & Sustainability
As much as they are driving innovation and helping with cost reduction for MNOs and, in turn, consumers, EDOTCO can only continue to do so with the correct policies in place. These policies and frameworks allow them to address more targeted issues. In Malaysia alone, EDOTCO continues to support the JENDELA framework put in motion by the Malaysian Government. It comes as no surprise that the company has already focused on equitable connectivity when JENDELA was first announced. They have since been supporting this framework by being a forerunner in connecting the unconnected.
(Source: EDOTCO) The Human Touch behind their innovative Bamboo Tower
Their innovations have allowed initiatives like Malaysia’s JENDELA to progress at a faster pace. With solutions like EDOTCO’s Network and Planning Analytics (NaPA), the company continues to allow MNOs to reduce costs and be more targeted and strategic in rolling out infrastructure. NaPA allows MNOs to reduce build times for towers by providing geocoding and analytic insights. To date, this technology has been used in the setup of over 200 towers in the JENDELA initiative.
Bringing a Human Touch to Digitization
(Source: EDOTCO) Mohamed Adlan Tajuddin, CEO Of EDOTCO
Being a company entrenched in the digitalization process, it gets easy to lose sight of the human aspect of technology. However, EDOTCO isn’t just a technology company – it’s a “Bionic Organization”. The company is creating “the workforce of the future” by integrating technology and digital tools into human interactions. While others look to leverage AI to replace humans, they are using AI and other technologies to better their workforce and provide value for their partners. They look to drive human interactions with the highest levels of efficiency.
EDOTCO’s “Bionic Organization” approach looks to harness in-house talent to bring heart and feeling to an industry that can be very cold. In the words of Adlan, EDOTCO is looking to become “Fitter, Faster and Far Better, without compromising on the human soul”. This entails leveraging digital solutions to make work more intuitive and human experience more effective. In addition, it will also, inevitably require their workforce to harness their inherent diversity of experience and backgrounds to drive innovation inclusively and with a sense of equity.
It’s getting rarer to see a tech CEO whose focus is on creating warmth and heart when driving their company. However, Mohamed Adlan’s approach to a “Bionic Organization” is looking to unite the two dichotomies in digitization and embeds them throughout the organization. This aims to create an environment and work culture that is collaborative, efficient and driven by insights and a sense of purpose. This is how he plans to drive both the sustainability and equitability pillars at EDOTCO.
Looking to Expansion, Diversifying & Further Empowering Equitable Connectivity
With the first 10 years in the bag, EDOTCO is looking to the future. Not only is it focused on bringing heart to digitalization, but it’s also constantly looking for opportunities to innovate and expand. Having already built a portfolio of 50,000 towers in nine markets from the initial 10,000 in its four home markets, the company is looking into new areas such as Network as a Service (NaaS) and Site as a Service (SaaS) to expand their portfolio.
Their current focus is on expanding within Thailand and Vietnam where they believe that the potential for growth is the greatest. The company is also eyeing going public in the coming decade while they focus on pushing boundaries and accelerating equitable access to digital connectivity.
Tower of Fantasy is getting more exciting, fresh content with the release of the major 2.1 update, dubbed Confounding Labyrinth.
The 2.1 update brings more characters, powers, bosses and the new simulacrum debut in Tower of Fantasy.
New terrains and challenges await in the 2.1 update
Publisher Level Infinite and developer Hotta Studio have released the 2.1 update on the 22nd of November. With it comes a brand-new map, Confounding abyss with new challenges, bosses and the new simulacrum, Lin. Players can find the new location just beneath Mirroria and explore the diverse, underground terrain in the ruins of the Third City.
Explore the Prism Pillar (top) and Deepsoul Industrial Zone (bottom) in the Confounding Abyss
While exploring, players will encounter new challenges with enemies that have mutated under the effects of the Confounding Abyss. One such encounter is with the new enemy Crystal Hoof, where a Culton’s body has fused with a mysterious crystal, resulting in a strong, rock-like body. Experience the unique terrain of the Confounding Abyss with the official 2.1 update trailer.
Face new enemies like the Crystal Hoof in the Confounding Abyss
Rise against the new challenges with the debuting simulacrum Lin, the successor to MIrroria. Lin thrives in the frontlines of battle and has a unique alteration ability. While other simulacrums are equipped with one element each such as flame or frost, Lin can use all elements and construct weapons of any element genre. Find out more on Lin with the simulacrum release trailer.
Experience this exciting free-to-play MMORPG
With such exciting content in the 2.1 update, it’s no surprise Tower of Fantasy has been nominated for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards and the Google Play User’s Choice Game. Players can also show their support by voting at The Game Awards.
Tower of Fantasy nominated for Best Mobile Game at The Game Awards
PUBG Mobile has announced a collaboration with Lionel Messi, featuring 20 in-game items themed after the football star.
Get Messi-themed in game items in PUBG Mobile
Fans can outfit their characters to look like the Argentina star with Captain Messi outfits and themed accessories. Improve your in-game gear further with the Messi Football Icon range which includes a new themed set, cover, backpack, helmet, pan, PP-19 Bizon, Mini14, MK47, AKM, ornament and grenade. More themed gear is available with the Messi Super Legend items which includes a themed set, hat, mask and parachute. To complete the collection, fans can get the Messi Collaboration items which include a set, plane finish, hoverboard, dacia and ornament.
For a limited time only, fans can get the exclusive “PUBG MOBILE X Messi” Collaboration Jersey. To win one, simply participate in the invitation sharing event, and be quick as this is a limited time event.
In the couple of years Samsung’s Galaxy foldables existed alongside HUAWEI’s own iteration of foldable devices, there has been plenty of interest from other manufacturers in producing similar devices. Microsoft has their Surface Duo Android smartphone, though they do not feature folding displays. OPPO launched their Find N (not in Malaysia, unfortunately). Google is even considering a foldable Pixel at more accessible price ranges. Then there is HONOR and their new Magic Vs.
Inevitably the HONOR Magic Vs is going to be compared to the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4, the current most popular foldable device out there. It is a slightly larger device offering a 7.9-inch foldable OLED display over Samsung’s 7.6-inch. In terms of resolution, it is also closer to the Galaxy Z Fold4 than the OPPO Find N at 1,984 by 2,272 pixels, which is also technically more than the Samsung. Its refresh rate is only at 90Hz though, the Samsung offers 120Hz. Still, it features HDR10+ colours and up to 800 nits of maximum brightness, which is still something.
Source: Honor
When you fold up the larger display, you can still use the device with its 6.45-inch OLED display that offers Full HD+ resolution. You get 120Hz refresh rate with this one for the smooth UI feel. It also offers up to 1200 nits in brightness, which could be useful under intense sun light.
They really are targeting the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 with this Magic Vs. Underneath the expansive display, you can find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1, the same one you find on Samsung’s latest and most powerful foldable smartphone. The system on a chip (SoC) gets paired with up to 12GB of RAM for the best Android 12 experience you can find on modern devices. You get up to 512GB in storage with the device too, just in case you need all that space to store movies, audio files, work files, and even photos.
You would want that much space for photos with the MagicOS 7.0 device. Out the back is a triple camera set up that is headlined by a 54-Megapixel shooter. Alongside that is an 8-Megapixel telephoto lens and a 50-megapixel ultrawide camera. Unlike the Galaxy Z Fold4, the HONOR foldable only features one selfie 16-Megapixel camera that is lodged in the punch hole of the external display. That also means you get all uninterrupted foldable display.
Keeping everything running an entire day is a large 5,000mAh battery. If you need a quick charge before you leave the house, the 66W HONOR SuperCharge technology can fully charge the device within 46 minutes.
Source: Honor
Source: Honor
Source: Honor
Source: Honor
Source: Honor
Source: Honor
Source: Honor
Source: Honor
The HONOR Magic Vs has launched in China and is now taking pre-orders that are expected to ship out by November 30th. It come in three colours – Orange, Cyan, and Black. There are also apparently two other colour options for their highest specced model – Black and Gold. At launch, the HONOR Magic Vs is priced from CN¥ 7,499 (US$ 1,050/MYR 4,736*) all the way to CN¥ 10,888 (US$ 1,520/MYR 6,876*). There are no confirmed dates or official pricing for the local market just yet. We are expecting HONOR to launch the device sometime soon though, if they are launching the device here at all. They also mentioned that this will be their first international foldable smartphone, which makes its local launch all the more likely. More information on the HONOR Magic Vs can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of CN¥ 10 = MYR 6.32 as of 24/11/2022 on xe.com
realme is bringing the realme 10 Pro+ 5G to Malaysian shores starting the 8th of December 2022. The device promises flagship-level features at an affordable price and a new 120Hz curved display.
The 120Hz curved display is a highlight of the realme 10+ Pro 5G
120Hz curved display that’s easy on the eyes
Announced on November 17th, the realme 10 Pro+ 5G embodies the “dare to leap” spirit with its innovative curved display. On top of the 120Hz refresh rate, the curved OLED display is Malaysia’s first to come with the Rheinland Flicker Free Certificate. It is capable of 2,160Hz PWM dimming for industry-leading eye protection. This is almost two times better than the IEEE International Lighting Standard of 1,250Hz.
realme has introduced Hypervision mode to further elevate the visuals on display. It provides video quality enhancement to allow better contrast, colour reproduction and dynamic range. To accentuate the display, the device also has the narrowest bottom bezel of any curved smartphones.
Pre-order the realme 10 Pro+ 5G now to enjoy promotions
In preparation for the upcoming Malaysian launch, pre-orders are now open with special promotions. By pre-ordering at realme Malaysia’s Official Brand Stores and Authorised Dealers, win prizes worth up to RM2,999 with a Scratch and Win card. Every pre-order also includes a realme Band 2 and Extended warranty up to 2 years.
With the FIFA World Cup finally kicking off, Google offers new features in the Search Android app to stay up to date on every kick of the game!
Stay ahead with notifications, statistics and live scores with the Google Search app
Get notifications from your favorite teams and in-depth stats with Google Search
To get started, search “FIFA World Cup” on the Google Search app to find a list of tournament matches for the day. Tap on the bell icon to bring up a list of the 32 participating teams and select your favorite team to receive notifications. If you’re an avid fan, tap on a match to see in depth statistics and even win probabilities of the competing teams. You can even pin the live scores of ongoing matches to your home screen so you do not miss any goals. Simply tap on the match you want to track and drag it anywhere on your home screen.
Pin live scores to your home screen
Relive all the action with recap videos and YouTube
If you’ve missed any of the action live, you can catch up using Search for daily recap videos from FIFA+ and official broadcasters on YouTube. You can even react to your favorite moments from the tournament using the Remix feature in Shorts. Don’t forget to follow #ShortsFIFAWorldCup and use the hashtag to share your content with World Cup fans.
Watch highlights and replays of all the matches on YouTube and FIFA+.
Interact with fans around the world with player ratings
Any players in the tournament caught your eye? You can use Search to learn about their stories and accomplishments. You can also rate players on how you think they will perform and see how other World Cup fans rate them too.
If you want a little more action, join other fans around the world in the Mini Cup game! Once a real-live match is live, pick your team and work together with other fans to score the most virtual goals.
Score virtual goals with other fans for your favorite team
While scoring virtual goals may be fun, nothing beats the atmosphere of a live venue. Search has new labels for businesses to help fans find venues that broadcast the World Cup. Simply search for “Where to watch the world cup near me” to find a spot to meet up with other fans to enjoy the games.
Don’t miss another match with Wear OS Countdown
Never miss another World Cup match if you have a Wear OS watch. You can set match viewing plans on your calendar in the Agenda app. You can also ask Google to set reminders for upcoming matches. Wear OS watches can also channel useful information before matches such as team-lineups and player profiles. If your team scores, you can find a fun little animation to celebrate the goal with you!
Never miss another FIFA World Cup match with Wear OS watches
U Mobile celebrates the commercial launch of its 5G network by offering unlimited internet over the weekends.
U Mobile prepaid users can enjoy unlimited usage of 5G network over the weekends
Every Saturday and Sunday, prepaid customers of U Mobile can enjoy unlimited usage with uncapped speeds on both 5G and 4G networks. All customers of the Prepaid U35 plan and newly launched Prepaid U40 plan can enjoy this perk, starting from midnight every Saturday, ending at 11.59pm every Sunday. To enjoy the use of the 5G network, customers need to be using a 5G compatible device and be within 5G network coverage area. All other customers can of course enjoy the 4G network instead. To experience Unlimited 5G Weekends, customers will need to redeem it weekly via the MyUMobile app.
U Mobile has also announced the launch of the new Prepaid U40 plan. Priced at RM40 monthly, the new plan offers unlimited calls and data as well as unlimited hotspot for sharing data across multiple devices. Unlimited hotspot can be purchased as an add-on feature of other prepaid plans such as U25 and U35 for RM 5, lasting 30 days. Prepaid customers who want to experience the 5G network uncapped speeds can also purchase 5G Daily or Weekly Plans starting from just RM3 per day.
For more information on U Mobile Unlimited 5G Weekends and services, visit the official U Mobile website.
