When you think electric car, you think Tesla. When you think gaming, you do not really think Tesla. You think PCs, you think gaming consoles, you think Steam. But gaming and Tesla has a place in the same sentence.
The Tesla is not really a technological marvel. It is a step in the right direction for the automotive industry. They are currently still the largest electric automaker in the world. Traditional automakers like BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and even Porsche have been working overtime mostly to play catch up for now. At least that is the case on the surface.
We are not talking about other automakers though. We are talking about Tesla. We are also talking about gaming.
You can technically game in a Tesla. The expansive touch sensitive display that is found in Tesla autocars are pretty much its control center. The interface you get from the display is the Tesla’s nerve center, control hub. It is also the entertainment hub for your car. Usually, in a car, you can expect media players and some form of navigation software. In a Tesla you can find games too.
You can play rather traditional simple games like Solitaire and even Chess. You can even find Missile Command and Super Breakout, cult classics that will feature long lines in any arcade. Then there is something that comes from the modern era of gaming; Beach Buggy Racing 2. You even get Sonic the Hedgehog in a Tesla. Tesla, in this case, is not new to gaming.
What will be new though is Steam on a Tesla. This might sound like a surprising bit of news. Thing is, it should not be.
Steam has announced their very own gaming console in the Steam Deck. The console mimics the handling style that is the ever so popular Nintendo Switch, except it is a lot more advanced. It is also obviously heavier, and bulkier too, since it is built to be a gaming PC in a handheld chassis.
The Steam Deck, however much less powerful it will be against regular gaming PC towers, is purpose built for gaming with Steam on board though. That also means that games should run smoothly on the Steam Deck still, as long as they are optimized. How would that work on a Tesla?
Tesla’s center control, its nerve center, is rather powerful. The Tesla Model X and Model S’s center unit runs on AMD’s Ryzen CPU and it also packs a powerful RDNA-2 GPU, the same one you can find on the latest gaming consoles. That means that these cars are practically gaming consoles attached in a car. As long as games are optimized, they should be able to run on a Tesla with acceptable graphics quality at least.
Of course, there is no confirmation on Whether Steam will find a home in your Tesla. The announcement was made by Elon Musk on his twitter account. He also claims that a demo is coming in the coming month. There are no announcement or confirmations on Steam as well currently. Until then, this could just be rumours.
In the early days of OnePlus, they have always adopted the moniker of a ‘flagship killer’. They were offering flagship level smartphones at a much lower price point. Over the years though, things have changed a little. While their flagships have gotten much better, as per flagships in the modern era, their price points have also gone higher than before. Their flagships smartphones can no longer be called ‘flagship killers’. They are just flagships now.
The ‘flagship killer’ moniker did not die though with the introduction of the OnePlus’ Nord mid-range smartphone. The first Nord was through and through a mid-range smartphone. It offered a mid-range smartphone experience that is rather close or comparable to most flagships in the modern era though. It was also offered at a much lower price point.
Of course, the first-generation Nord, however good it was, must be replaced with a new one. The latest one of the bunch is the Nord 2T 5G. Welcome to the flagship experience, but at a fraction of the price.
Flagship Level Speeds
At MYR 1,899, it is not the cheapest mid-range smartphone you can find in the market. At the same time, on paper, it could be one of the most value packed smartphones you can find in its segment.
For starters you get MediaTek’s Dimensity 1300 5G system on a chip (SoC). On paper at least, the MediaTek Dimensity 1300 is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful SoC in its class. It also packs improved AI and imaging capabilities for improved photo and video processing. Thanks to the new SoC, videos can be taken in HDR as well. Working with Sony’s DOL-HDR technology brightness, colours, and even contrasts in videos are improved greatly for natural looking videos with accurate colours. You can also shoot videos at 960fps slow motion with the new processing power from the SoC.
Alongside the 3GHz clocked SoC you may find a 12GB (up to) RAM for that smooth and snappy multitasking mode. When you need more, the clever Oxygen OS 12.1 can allocate up to 5GB of your 256GB (up to) storage as temporary RAM for even better experience. For more stable connectivity on both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the device packs Wi-Fi/Bluetooth Hybrid 2.0 technology.
Class-Topping Display
Displaying Oxygen OS 12.1 on top of Android 12 in all its glory is a large 6.43-inch Full HD+ AMOLED display. The AMOLED panel refreshes at up to 90Hz for that extra smooth feel when scrolling through the interface. With HDR10+ support also, movies with HDR support should look better than good.
Super Cameras
Out the back is the same 50-Megapixel shooter you can find on OnePlus’ falgship OnePlus 10 Pro. The Sony IMX766 features a large 1/1.56-inch sensor with optical image stabilisation that allows for more light to be captured for more natural looking and better detailed photos. On the side, there is an 8-Megapixel ultra-wide camera for when you need more things to fit into the display. Out the front is also the same 32-Megapixel shooter you can find on the OnePlus 10 Pro.
Thanks to the Dimensity 1300 SoC’s improved camera AI performance, the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G’s camera can shoot even better in low-light conditions. Of course, the fact that the larger 50-Megapixel sensor allows for 56% more light to be captured helps with low-light photography as well.
Long Lasting, Fast Charging
To keep the Nord 2T 5G running an entire day and more is a large 4,500 mAh built-in battery. If that is not enough to keep you going, the device features SuperVOOC ultra-fast charging technology that charges the device at up to 80W. At that kind of speed, the device can be charged from nothing to 100% in a single 27-minute charge. It also supposedly takes only 15-minutes for a charge that lasts an entire day.
Price and Availability
The OnePlus Nord 2T 5G will be available at OnePlus authorised retailers, their own webstore, and their official online stores on Shopee and Lazada from the 19th of July 2022 onward. It comes in either Gray Shadow (only 12GB + 256GB) and Jade Fog (only 8GB + 128GB). The Nord 2T 5G will set you back MYR 2,099 and MYR 1,899 respectively. More on the OnePlus Nord 2T 5G can be found on their website.
Carl Pei’s Nothing is at it again trying to redefine a smartphone. He successfully redefined the flagship smartphone while he helmed OnePlus. Now, he’s taking another go at it with the Nothing Phone (1). The new smartphone defies expectations and chooses to focus on the core user experiences instead of high powered hardware.
Source: Nothing
That isn’t to say that the Nothing Phone (1) is packing a punch. It comes with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G+ processor. According to Carl Pei, the company opted for a more reliable processor instead of the latest and greatest on paper. This was influenced by their drive to build a smartphone with their instincts rather than the data. The Snapdragon 778G+ comes with a 6nm archiecture which brings the best of battery life and performance. The Octacore processor also brings 5G connectivity and also Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity.
When it comes to design, the Nothing Phone (1) is made of a combination of plastics, glass and aluminium. During the launch, Carl Pei highlighted that none of the surfaces with which a user interacts is made of plastic. In fact, the front and back of the smartphone is made with Gorilla Glass 5 while the frame and bezel are made of recycled aluminium. The Phone (1) is possibly one of the more ecofriendly phones out there with more than 50% of its plastics being bioplastics. Even the tin used for soldering is 100% recycled.
Source: Nothing
The Nothing Phone (1) is keeping to the utilitarian approach which the company is becoming known for. Its version of Android is barebones and brings the best features of Android. Like the processor, the company is looking to focus on stability and quality. They believe that their approach to software will give their users a better, more reliable software experience. Of course, they are bringing in features that allow the Phone (1) to play nice with their own Ear (1) earbuds. This takes the form of controls front and center in the dock for active noise cancellation and more. The company is also looking to the future by creating their own NFT widget which allows users to display their collection or view floor prices for NFTs. Nothing is also promising 3 years of major Android Updates and 4 years of security patch updates rolled out every 2 months.
Source: Twitter
“At the beginning of the smartphone revolution, it felt like this amazing product category complete changed we lived, the way we communicate and, lately, it feels like – after a slew of more and more similar products, and more and more uninspiring products – that somehow the smartphone revolution has ended.“
Carl Pei, CEO and Co-Founder of Nothing
When it comes to cameras, the Phone (1) isn’t packing an extensive multi sensor setup. Instead, they are focusing on the essentials and looking to deliver a more consistent and well rounded experience with a dual 50-Megapixel setup. The main sensor is the Sony IMX766 bolstered with opitcal image stabilization and electronic image stabilization for better quality. This is complemented by the ultrawide Samsung JN1 with 114° field of view. The main camera setup is also capable of 4K recording at 30 frames per second. Up front is a 16-megapixel Sony IMX471 sensor with an f/2.5 aperture.
Source: Nothing
The Phone (1) comes with a 6.55-inch, FHD+ OLED display. It has a resolution of 2400×1080 pixels and a 500 nits brightness. Peak brightness tops out at 1,200nits. The display on the Phone (1) is a little unique in that it’s a flexible OLED panel. No – the screen is not curved, it’s flat. However, the design team opted for a flexible panel to bring a sense of symmetry to the face of the phone. The flexible display allowed them to bend the connectors backwards which allowed the display to be more symmetrical. It has support for HDR+ with 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz sampling rate.
All of these specs are powered by a 4,500mAh battery which Nothing touts to provide more than a day’s battery life. It also supports 33W fast charging over USB-C with support for PowerDelivery 3.0. It also has support for 15W Qi wireless charging and 5W reverse wireless charging. According to Nothing, the Phone (1) will have a complete charge in 70 minutes with wired charging and in 120 minutes when charged wirelessly.
The Glyph Interface
The one feature which sets the Nothing Phone (1) apart from the competition is the Glyph Interface. The interface is essentially a series of LED lights which will illuminate according to different setting which the user can customise. The Glyph Interface is also Nothing’s approach to allowing users to know who’s contacting them even when in silent mode.
Source: Nothing
For now, the Glyphs can be customised to flash to help identify specific contacts. It’s also a complement to the silent mode on the Phone (1). Simply flipping the phone over with glyphs up will put phone in silent mode. The Glyphs will then flash when calls come in and if the call comes from a user defined caller, the pattern of the flashing will follow the customized one.
Nothing is touting this as the start of what can be done with the Glyph Interface. The company is building more features while working with its community.
Pricing & Availability
The Nothing Phone (1) will be available in both Black and White starting on 16th July 2022. From 16th July until 20 July, it will be available exclusively at the Nothing Kiosk in London in limited quantities. There will be partner drops from 18 July 2022 both online an in-store while open sales will begin on 21 July 2022.
The Phone (1) will be priced at GBP£399 (MYR2,110.74) for the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage version. The 8GB RAM + 256GB storage version will be retailing for GBP£449 (MYR2,375.11) while a 12GB RAM + 256GB storage version will be retailing for GBP£499 (MYR2,639.60).
Source: Nothing
It will be available in Malaysia on 18 July 2022 with an exclusive drop via Crossover on its online store and in-store. Starting on 1 August 2022, the Nothing Phone (1) will be available at all major electronics retailers including SenQ, Satu Gadget, DirectD, and TMT. It will also be available online on Nothing’s official LAZADA and Shopee stores. Prices in Malaysia are MYR 2,399 for the 8GB+256GB version and MYR2,699 for the 12GB+256GB version.
An entry-level smartphone makes plenty of sense if you think about it. It did not used to be like this though. For the longest time, in the earlier days of Android smartphones, entry-level smartphones are ones you want to avoid unless you absolutely must get one, or on such a tight budget, your wallet looked like there was about to be a hole in it. Thankfully, as high-end smartphones get more powerful, so does entry-level smartphones.
It is true that higher-end technologies of the yesteryears get passed down to more budget friendly options for the masses. It is especially true in the smartphone segment and the entry-level smartphone segment. An entry-level smartphone today can be comparable to flagship level smartphone from about 5 years ago in some cases and at a fraction of the price.
One of those entry-level devices you can get soon is the realme C30.
While the most popular smartphone segment in the region are mid-range smartphones, entry-level smartphones like the realme C30 can be rather appealing. For one, its price itself is rather appealing in the sea of flagships costing north of MYR 5,000 these days. The realme C30 will only set you back MYR 499 at most.
Source: realme
Source: realme
Source: realme
It is not like other entry-level smartphones either that tries to stand out with funky designs and weird looks. It is rather subtle, simple, very much like modern flagship smartphones. Of course, it does come with its own unique design to still set it apart. The Vertical Stripe Design, as they call it, are etched lines at the back of the device to not just add a visual impact, it is also to add some texture and grip for a more secure feel in your hands.
No, you do not get a Qualcomm, or a MediaTek for that matter, in this price range. Rather, you get a Unisoc T612 processor. You do not get bleeding edge 5nm technology with the System on a Chip (SoC). You do get eight cores on the device though with clocks up to 1.8Ghz with Cortex A75 architecture. While it may not sound like much, the processor can work with everything you need in a basic smartphone. At the same time, UFS 2.2 speeds should ensure that the C30 still feels as snappy as it can be for the money.
The SoC powers Android 11 with realme’s UI Go on a 6.5-inch display. No, its not a Full HD display, but you still get about 270ppi out of the 720p HD+ IPS panel. The front display also houses a 5-Megapixel front-facing camera for selfies, and even video conferences via the smartphone.
Out the back is a single 8-Megapixel main camera with some AI magic. It is constructed with 4P lens to ensure that your photos look as clear as you see them with your eyes. It is also capable of 4x digital zoom for when you need it. The photos may not take up too much space, but you can add up to 1TB in microSD storage on top of up to 64GB of built-in storage.
To keep everything running as they should be for an entire day, there is a 5,000mAh built-in battery. It is not a fast-charging battery, so you do want to give it some time to charge. You get up to 45 days in quoted standby time though, which is a long time between charges. If you keep it to Ultra Saving Mode, a 5% charge can last for 45.3 hours (quoted).
Price and Availability
The realme C30 comes in three attractive colours – Lake Blue, Bamboo Green, and Denim Black. Not whites, unfortunately. You cannot complain much though when you realise that you are paying MYR 429 (3GB + 32GB) for the smartphone. To get 4GB of RAM and 64GB in storage, you pay just a little bit more money at MYR 499. The realme C30 will be available in all realme Malaysia authorized stores and resellers across the nation from the 16th of July 2022 onward. For more information on the realme C30, you can head over to their website.
Sony is no longer the only choice in mirrorless cameras. While the Japanese electronics manufacturer have been at it for a long time, its compatriots have also started betting into the technology in recent years. Canon, for one, has been rather active in pushing out new mirrorless cameras and lenses in the recent years to not just compete against Sony. They want their throne as the largest camera manufacturer in the world, and they want the top spot in mirrorless cameras too.
To unseat the current king of mirrorless cameras though, Canon needs to offer more than just a few cameras and select popular lenses. They need to cater to a much larger market. They need to create a larger support system for their EOS R line-up of products. That is why they have introduced their new RF24mm f/1.8 MACRO IS STM and RF15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM lenses.
While it is only two lenses that they are introducing currently, they now have 30 lenses in their collection of lenses for the EOS R system. The RF lenses, in numbers, still pale in comparison to Sony’s current offerings. Canon is catching up fast though, at this rate anyway.
RF24mm f/1.8 MACRO IS STM
Source: Canon
As its single focal length suggests, it is another prime lens made for the EOS R series mirrorless cameras from Canon. It completes the range of affordable prime lens collection in Canon’s RF stables. The 24mm adds to Canon’s current 16mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm prime lenses. It is not just a regular wide-angle prime lens though.
Canon says that this is a sort of dual-purpose prime lens. It is still a wide-angle lens at 24mm, at which focal length, is perfect for landscape shots and even close-up portraits if you like. But it is also developed as a macro lens with only 0.14m in focusing distance from your selected subject. The ultra-short focusing distance will allow you to capture things like food, flowers, small animals, and even toys in rather immaculate detail up-close. At f/1.8 aperture too, you can capture all of these and even portraits with beautiful bokeh on your photos.
The 24mm is also not a very hefty lens to carry around, making it the perfect lens for travelling. At 270g, the prime lens is not what you would call back breaking. Yet, it still packs Canon’s rather clever Image Stabilisation hardware with up to 6.5 stops to ensure that you are capturing the best possible photos without wobbles. It contains 9 aperture blades so that your bokeh comes as round as they can be.
RF15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM
Source: Canon
If you need versatility from your lens, a zoom lens should always be the preferred option. Zoom lenses give you a sort of flexibility no prime lenses can give you. If you need one lens to do it all, you want to go for a Zoom lens.
The RF15-30mm with f/4.5-6.3mm is a budget lens. With aperture as high as f/6.3mm, you may not get depth effect as good as the one you get on the prime lens. It is a small trade-off for the versatility in range you get from 15mm to 30mm though. At 15mm, you get a wider angle from the 24mm to capture more landscape goodness in your travels. At 30mm, you can just zoom in enough to cut out whatever you might not want in your photo but still get a good wide-angle shot anyway. At 30mm too, you are getting a rather natural perspective, very close to what you can see with your natural human eyes.
While it is not exactly a macro lens, its 0.28m focal distance puts it close enough for you to work with if you still want to capture macro images. Of course, to get even more detail on your subject, you want to get a good zoom in. It sacrifices some of the lens opening with up to f/6.3 aperture, but with good enough lighting, you should be able to come up with something beautiful still.
At 390g, it is heavier than the budget prime lens Canon introduced alongside this lens. It is also slightly bulkier than the prime lens, which is sort of a given with more elements introduced for the lens to zoom in and out. It still packs Canon’s legendary image stabilization at 7 stops for ultra-steady and crisp images out-of-the-box. It features 7 aperture blades, 2 less than the prime lens. But you can still capture rather interesting photos with the RF zoom lens.
Availability
There are no confirmations on when the new RF lenses will make it to Malaysia. Although, you can already find more information on the new lenses on their website. If you do head over there, you would have noticed that there is no pricing just yet too. There are no clear indications how much Canon would be pricing both these budget lenses. Based on what we have seen on the market though, the 24mmm lens should set you back anywhere between MYR 2,000 to MYR 3,000. The zoom 15mm-35mm should go anywhere between MYR 2,500-3,500. Take it with a pinch of salt though, we could be wrong.
Robot vacuum cleaners are the best thing that happened to humanity after the broom, mop, and regular vacuum cleaners. Why? While it is not 100%, robot vacuum cleaners save you a lot of cleaning time in your house. Sure, you might need to use a supplementary handheld vacuum cleaner to ensure that you can clean the nooks and crannies in your home. If you are not too particular, modern robot vacuum cleaners does at least 85% of the job well enough. They can even mop your floor at the same time, saving you even more time.
There is a small problem here though. The robot vacuums are rather tiny in most cases, which also limits its waste tank capacity. If you have a mop function, the water tank would have to be rather small, and it takes up even more tank capacity, making the waste tank even smaller. While it does save some cleaning time, you would have to empty and refill the tank rather regularly. There is also the problem of cleaning the vacuum cleaner itself. Not with Roborock’s latest creation though.
Source: Roborock
They call it the G10, and it will set you back MYR 3,999. It is also one of the most sophisticated, if not the most, in the vacuum cleaning market. Yes, it comes with a rather tall dock for not just emptying its waste tank, it also cleans the robot’s mop if you want it to.
We start with the robot unit first though. It is Roborock’s most powerful robot vacuum cleaner to date. It features 2,500 Pa of suction to ensure that all sorts of dirt and debris gets lifted, even in carpets. They have also upgraded the main brush to hug the floor better to ensure that whatever dirt that might get stuck on the floor gets unstuck too.
The mop function has been updated too. It is now what Roborock calls Sonic Moppping that vibrates the mop at up to 3,000 times a minute to ensure that even the most stubborn of dirt gets wiped cleanly off the floor. The Ultrasonic sensor on the unit ensures that the robot recognises carpets more accurately in mopping mode to avoid wetting the carpets. To prevent hair from tangling within the brushes, it is fitted with Roborock’s rubber brushes that is also more durable than regular brushes.
Source: Roborock
Source: Roborock
Source: Roborock
Source: Roborock
Of course, it is a smart little gadget you can control with your smartphone, as expected. It packs Roborock’s rather proven 3D mapping technology that recognises your room and maps it out. This allows rooms to be cleaned more efficiently and effectively. You can now also add furniture and floor material information to create a more accurate map of your house. That way also the robot can also cleverly determine its own cleaning functions according to floor types and furniture placements.
Then there is its dock that also cleans the Roborock G10. Roborock designed the dock ramp to automatically clean its brushes of course. The dock also houses a larger tank that allows the robot to ultimately empty its own tank and reduces the need for you to keep maintaining the robot vacuum cleaner itself. At the same time, the dock has a cleaning module made to specifically clean the mop module of the G10. There is a brush that rotates at 600 rpm to completely clean the mop off dirty water, keeping the mop clean and ready to go for its next round of cleaning session. There is also a large water tank in the dock to ensure that your robot G10 is filled with clean water for its next mop.
The Roborock G10 is now available for pre-order. It retails at MYR 3,999 and you can get it from its official store exclusively on Shopee. For more information on the Roborock G10, you can head over to their website.
Wireless earphones are all the rage these days. We do not think it is the first time we start an article with that. We doubt it will be the last time too.
It is a true statement though. Most smartphone owners today will, at some point, have owned a wireless audio solution. Most of them will have at least experienced truly wireless (TWS) headsets at least once by now. Most of them will succumb to the convenience of one and own at least one in their lifetime.
There are also reasons why plenty of high-end audio gear manufacturers avoid offering TWS type headsets though. One of which is the fact that there will be some compromises with audio quality. Latency can also be an issue with TWS type headphones.
Still, manufacturers can no longer ignore the appeal of one. beyerdynamic finally gave into that pressure as well. Welcome to the Free BYRD. Yes, it comes with a few tricks from Beyerdynamic that is meant to elevate the TWS headset experience.
The beyerdynamic Free BYRD is their first TWS type audio gear, which is why they are pulling all the stops to make this as good as they can make it. It packs a 10mm driver, which is rather large considering that even the likes of Sony have reduced their driver sizes to about 6mm with the new WH-1000XM4. A larger driver has its advantages though. Because it is bigger than the regular drivers found in similar devices, it can push more air and drive more air pressure into your ears for punchier and more detailed bass notes.
The Free BYRD also features the latest aptX adaptive codec alongside AAC support. These codecs should work together with the 10mm drivers to produce sounds as they are intended and probably even better. beyerdynamic also introduces something they call MOSAYC. It is what they call “Attention to Detail with Mimi Sound Personalisation” to really elevate your listening experience. It automatically tunes the drivers to the listeners ears to create a more optimised listening profile. In that case, no two Free BYRD should sound completely the same. To customize the listening experience even more, there is the equalizer within the proprietary MIY app on Android and iOS.
Source: beyerdynamic
Of course, there is active noise cancelling (ANC) baked into the TWS earbuds. The hybrid ANC should really ensure that users block the world out. For the best experience, you want to find the best fitting ear tips for yourself. beyerdynamics includes five sets of differently sized silicone ear tips and three additional memory foam earpieces for use in sporting activities. In those cases, you can be sure that the Free BYRD can withstand all kinds of grimes and sweat with IPX4 certification.
The Bluetooth 5.2 device with Google Fast Pair headphones offers Qualcomm’s dual 2-mic cVc technology. The new technology with four mics in total should offer highly natural phone calls with excellent pick-up. Obviously, the mics should also be excellent for Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, and even Apple’s Siri.
In terms of battery life, the Free BYRD offers up to 11 hours of battery life from a single charge in total. You can wirelessly charge the Free BYRD if you have a wireless charging pad. Of course, it is also charged via USB Type-C. A quick 10-minute plug-in can also give you up to 70 minutes in music playback time, if you are in a rush.
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
Source: beyerdynamic
The beyerdynamic Free BYRD is available in most of Europe via their official store on Amazon.com. It is available in Black and Gray colour options. It will set you back EUR€ 229, which is about MYR 1,029* or US$ 232**. The price range puts it squarely as a competitor of the Sony WF-1000XM4. Sadly, there is no word on its availability in Malaysia. Chances are, if you really want one, you have to get it from Amazon Europe and get someone to ship it to Malaysia for you. More information on the beyerdynamics Free BYRD can be found on their website.
*Approximately based on exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = MYR 4.49 as of 08/07/2022 on xe.com
**Approximately based on exchange rate of EUR€ 1 = US$ 1.01 as of 08/07/2022 on xe.com
In the climate that is Malaysia, you get sunlight all year round. That also means that Malaysia is rather prime for solar technology. We kind of think that every gadget in Malaysia should include an option for solar charging.
While it is rather hot in Malaysia, outdoor activities are also rather popular in Malaysia. Well, we do have to live with it most of the time. It is either hot clear skies, or the rain, and we do prefer the former when we want to have outdoor activities.
Source: Garmin
When you want to buy a tracker for your outdoor activities, you want a Garmin, quite undoubtedly. Garmin does not just make plain ol’ fitness trackers. They make specific stuffs for all kinds of specific activities. They range from Golf, Running, Trekking, even driving. They also make cycling computers now. They make the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar, made specifically for cyclists.
Technically, the Edge 1040 is not a wearable. Rather, you attach it to your bike, and it collects all kinds cycling specific data for your reference on Garmin Connect app as well. It collects navigation data to create or highlight trails. It even tells you if there are popular routes for you to take from data collected from other cyclists. Of course, the Garmin is still a navigation tool, so with GPS it will still help you navigate through routes and helps you by notifying you off sharp bends ahead. There are differing training modes as well that puts the VO2 Max data against your body’s response to help you determine how best to take on trails. The Edge 1040 can even collect elevation data with ClimbPro. If you are into mountain biking, the Edge 1040 can even collect data like jump count, jump distance, and even hang time.
Source: Garmin
While it does add a little bit of weight to your bicycle, it can also act as your safety net. It allows its user to stay connected and tracked accurately via GPS. It features incident detection functions. Once detected, the Garmin Edge 1040 immediately sends for assistance. LiveTrack also allows your loved ones to keep cyclists tracked in real-time and even view their preplanned routes.
The Garmin Edge 1040 Solar features a rather clever Power Glass that is also featured on Garmin’s more premium wearables. The Power Glass allows the device to be charged by sunlight, which is plenty in Malaysia. We are not saying that you do not have to charge the device ever though. The solar charging feature does allow the device to last up to 100 hours, a lot more than the regular Edge 1040 without solar charging.
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
Source: Garmin
The Garmin Edge 1040 series is now available in Malaysia. You can get your hands on one from Garmin’s official online stores on Shopee and Lazada. You can also get them directly from Garmin’s exclusive distributor AECO and all Garmin’s authorized dealers. The regular Garmin Edge 1040 will set you back MYR 3,450. You want the Solar variant though, for MYR 3,699. More information on the Garmin Edge 1040 cycling computer can be found on their website.
Samsung, back in CES 2022, announced a bunch of very interesting products. One of them is a particularly odd-looking projector with rounded body and an odd foot. It certainly does not look like the typical traditional projector.
They call it the Freestyle, and it is not really a portable projector in any case. It does not pack a battery pack within the body. It is a regular projector that requires a power adapter plugged into a wall socket. It is not technically an LED projector either. So, the only thing that is unique about this product could be its striking visual.
Except, it is not just its odd visuals that could make this a projector you want at home. While it is not a portable projector with a battery packed in, it is still a rather light device. At 830 grams, it is one of the lightest, if not the lightest projector of its kind. That also means that if you have a wall socket nearby, you can take this projector and turn any room or space within your home into and entertainment hub. Either that, or just hop it up with an external USB power source capable of pushing 50W/20V output. If you have a powerbank that powerful, you essentially have a portable projector here.
Source: Samsung
Projection wise, you are getting a Full HD image out of the Freestyle, which is actually pretty good. You can get up to 100-inch of projection with no issue too with the Freestyle. With the 180o articulation, even your ceiling can be your cinema display. At the same time, you can technically prop the Freestyle on any surface and its auto keystone function will automatically level your images. It even features its own Smart Calibration in case you are projecting on a wall that is not black or even white.
Surprisingly enough, you can still find a speaker on the compact projector. It packs a 5W 360-degree radiation speaker that should distribute audio evenly in the room. They say that the 5W speakers should also offer cinema-quality sound experience.
It is not just a plain projector that you have to connect your media source to. Even without connecting the projector via cables to your smartphone or PC, it is a smart projector that comes with the Tizen OS for TVs. That also means that you get access to the likes of Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video, and even Apple TV+. If not, you can always just mirror your smartphone’s contents on the projector wirelessly when you want. It also comes with Samsung’s Bixby smart assistant, so you technically may not need a remote for the Freestyle.
Once you are done with the Freestyle, you technically do not have to turn it off. You can use it to set the mood for your room with ambient mode. It can be an additional lighting source, or it can also display a scene and even become your large format photo frame if you want it to be. Of course, that is going to take up some of its lamp’s life.
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
Source: Samsung
The Samsung Freestyle is available now from Samsung’s Malaysia Online Store, Shopee, and Lazada. You can also find one in your nearest Samsung authorized resellers and concept stores nationwide. It will set you back MYR 4,999, which is a lot of money for a projector still. If you get the Freestyle before 31st of July 2022 though, you are entitled to complementary accessories like the Freestyle Case (Dark Green) and Freestyle Skin (Forest Green) that is worth up to MYR 498 in total. More information on the Samsung Freestyle can be found on their website.
Before we go ahead with the report, we must give you a little bit of a disclaimer. Not all the new headsets that ASUS ROG just introduced are built with dual-mode connectivity. Among the four options, you only have two headphones that gives you two connectivity options.
We are talking about wireless headphones here, the trend of the decade. Ever since audio solution providers started working with speakers that can be connected to devices via Bluetooth, the demand for wireless audio gear has skyrocketed. The number of products that cater to variety of wireless audio needs have also has exponentially multiplied over the years.
If you were to go out today and said you wanted a Bluetooth enabled headphone, you will be pressed for choices. There are too many out there to count from the budget options to the premium options. If you want the best of the best though, you had to have something like a Sony in mind. However, the current best-of-the-best from Sony is not really made for gaming.
In that case, you do want to turn to the gaming brands. You want to turn to the likes of ASUS’s ROG for example, the gaming skunkworks of the Taiwanese computing giant. They already make brilliant smartphones, the ROG Phone 6 is currently one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful smartphone in the world at launch. If they can do that, what about gaming headsets?
ROG Cetra True Wireless Pro & True Wireless
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
We start with the most unique one in their range of new audio solutions, the Cetra True Wireless Pro. Yes, this one is the one where you get dual-mode connectivity built into the device. It is also a True Wireless (TWS) earphone, the little in-ear ones, not over-ear headphones; that is why it is such a big deal.
At its most basic form, the Cetra True Wireless Pro works as a Bluetooth headset. To ensure that users get the best audio experience, there is a built in Qualcomm Snapdragon Sound chip that lowers latency. The chip also allows for a high-quality 24-bit, 96 kHz streams to get through via Bluetooth. If you put the earphones into gaming mode, the ultralow-latency hits 45ms to ensure that you get near instant feedback from your games. The chip also facilitates the multiple ANC (Active Noise Cancellation) modes that you can choose from with the headset.
Rather than being a pure True Wireless headset, you can use it via a USB Type-C connection as well. To eliminate latency, wired headsets are always preferred. With smartphones today though, 3.5mm AUX tips are no longer a good option. So, you go with USB Type-C, which also allows ROG to pack more features into the headphone via the cable.
Within the cable is a hi-f- grade ESS 9280 DAC. That also means that the bundled cable is good for lossless audio with rather rich detailing and even spatial sound. It can process up to 130dB signal-to-noise ratio to ensure that you are not only getting the most accurate sound representation of any media you are listening to, but it also allows you to really pinpoint where sounds are coming from in your games.
The Cetra True Wireless Pro’s mics can filter over 500 million types of background noise. Its integrated AI Noise-Cancelling Microphone reduces up to 95% of noise while still allowing you to have clear communication with your teammates. Additionally, there are microphones inside your ears on the headset too to make for better ANC experience.
Source: ASUS
With the ROG Cetra True Wireless, you get everything that the Cetra Wireless Pro gets, except for the USB Type-C cable and the dual-mode connectivity function. It is still a rather compelling option for mobile gamers though. You get to push it to low-latency mode too with Gaming mode. It still features Hybrid ANC technology to ensure that you are not distracted by what is happening outside your game time.
ROG Delta S Wireless
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
If you prefer something that is more wholesome, something you want to use at home, something that covers your entire ears for a more comfortable fit and better seal, you go for an over-ear headset. What if you hate cable managing? What if your PC is placed in an odd location and plugging your cables in and out of the thing is a hassle? What is your console is far away from you? You get an ROG Delta S Wireless gaming headset.
The ROG Delta S Wireless is also a dual-mode headset. Instead of giving you the option to either having a wireless or wired connection though, it is dual-mode wireless connection. It offers the low latency, near instant, highly stable 2.4GHz wireless connection. At the same time, it offers the convenience of Bluetooth connection for you to work with for smartphones, if you wish to.
The idea of using 2.4GHz connection for your audio gear with a dongle is not only for the PC gamers, but also for the console gamers. Since it is made to handle up to 25m in distance, there should be little worry about where you place the connected PC or console within your house.
Source: ASUS
It is a gaming headset, so there is naturally a built-in mic for team communications. It is not like any other mic that might feel like an afterthought in gaming headphones though. There are AI Beamforming mics that is hidden on the headphone that targets a good portion of area in front of the user’s mouth to pick up the user’s voice. The AI Noise Cancellation algorithm also ensures that the mics only pick up your voice and nothing of much else for clear team communications.
The Delta S Wireless packs a rather large driver too. At 50mm, it is larger than most regular over-ear headphones you can find in the market. There are 60mm drivers too, in the market to be fair. The ASUS Essence drivers, at 50mm, should be enough to deliver highly detailed and punchy low-frequency sounds though. They say also that the drivers should be able to facilitate highly detailed audios for all sorts of use case too with a 12o tit on the drivers in an airtight chamber. At the same time, there is ROG’s Hyper-Grounding technology to ensure that there is as little electromagnetic interference as possible on the audio signals to ensure that noise is minimized.
ROG Delta S Core
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Source: ASUS
Again, if you prefer something more regular, more grounded, more basic solution with the least latency, wired connections are the way to go. In that case, the ROG Delta S Core is the one for you. The Delta S Core offers a universal 3.5mm AUX tip that is compatible with PCs, major gaming consoles like the PlayStation, the Nintendo Switch, and even the Xbox.
It still features the same 50mm drivers you find in its wireless sibling. Because there is no battery to weigh it down, it weighs only 270g. The ergonomic D-shaped earcups that is designed to closely match the shape of regular ears also ensures that you can game for extended hours without feeling fatigued.
The wired connection also allows for the headphone to pack virtual 7.1 channel surround sound with Windows Sonic. With virtual surround sound too, you can accurately place your enemies or teammates within your game just via audio signals. At the same time, the built-in microphone that are Discord and TeamSpeak certified ensures that you always have a clear line of communications with your teammates.
Price and Availability
The ROG Cetra True Wireless Pro is not available now. Currently, there are no confirmations on when it will be available in Malaysia. There is no information on its official pricing for the region yet too. Its regular counterpart, the Cetra True Wireless headset will be available in Malaysia soon for MYR 515. The two Delta S series headphones that are just announced will also be making it to Malaysia soon. The ROG Delta S Wireless headphone with dual-mode wireless connectivity will be available for MYR 899. The ROG Delta S Core will be available for MYR 388. More information on ROG’s latest gaming headsets can be found on their website.
