If you were trying to get to a number of websites or use some of your apps earlier and couldn’t, it was likely because of an outage at Cloudflare. A large number of companies use the service to help improve their user experience and load times. The company has already acknowledged the issue and is currently working to resolve the root cause and restore the internet.
Screenshot: Cloudflare Twitter Announcement
According to their service status website, a P0 issue – essentially an urgent issue requiring all hands on deck – occurred at 6.34 a.m. UTC (2.34 p.m. UTC+8/Malaysian Time). The issue caused connectivity disruptions in the Cloudflare network across a large number of regions. During this time, you were likely to see a page with Error 500 on any website using the service – including ours. The disruption also affected Cloudflare’s 1.1.1.1 DNS service and a number of apps and services including Fitbit, NordVPN, Discord and even Shopify.
Screenshot: Error 500 on Bluehost.com
Cloudflare has announced that they have already deployed a fix for the issue at 7.20 a.m. UTC (2.20 p.m. Malaysian Time/UTC+8). For now, it looks like the issue has been resolved and the internet is back in one piece again. It is worth noting that this incident isn’t the first incident. Cloudflare has experienced similar outages in July and August 2020. The former resulted in Discord going down for a little bit while the latter saw a similar result to today’s outage.
Samsung seems to be on a roll with all their products this year. The company has only just announced some of the most compelling lifestyle products with the expansion of their BESPOKE line up and their new Smart TV offerings. However, it looks like the company isn’t done just yet. Samsung has announced a brand-new, high resolution display with certified colour accuracy aimed at creators.
The new ViewFinity S8 brings 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut with 5ms gray to gray response times. The display seems to want to take on Apple’s Pro XDR display with high resolution IPS panels. The panels come with 1000:1 contrast ratios and a UHD resolution of 3840×2160 pixels.
It will be available in two sizes: 32-inch and 27-inch. Unlike Samsung’s Odyssey G8 monitors, the ViewFinity monitors are flat panels. However, they are made for productivity – particularly if you need colour accuracy. The display is certified by PANTONE and can even support the new 110 colours introduced in PANTONE’s SkinTone Guide. It is also HDR capable; with the 32-inch supporting VESA’s HDR 600 standard while the 27-inch supports HDR 400.
The ViewFinity S8 Monitors come with a matte display which is also UL certified to be Glare Free. The matte finish helps disperse glaring lights while preserving colour integrity and reducing eye strain. It also comes with Adaptive Picture which optimises settings to suit your content while preserving eye health and also Eye Saver mode which reduces blue light exposure significantly. The monitors are also flicker free to reduce eye strain.
When it comes to connectivity, the ViewFinity S8 comes with 1 DisplayPort, 1 HDMI port and 1 USB-C. Connecting via USB-C enables deeper colour accuracy and up to 10Gbps data transfers. It also comes with a USB Hub feature which allows you to connect USB interfaces to your computer via the monitor.
The monitors also come with an environmentally aware, ergonomic design. Samsung has developed and incorporated new materials made from ocean-bound plastics to help reduce marine waste. These plastics are not only used in the body of the monitor but also in some of the more crucial components of the monitor. They are also more power efficient than before with Samsung’s Eco Savings Plus technology which reduces pixel brightness in sections of the image with black pixels for up to 10% more power savings.
Pricing & Availability
The Samsung ViewFinity S8 will be available in 32-inch and 27-inch sizes. It is currently available in South Korea for KRW820,000 (MYR2,794.88/USD$634.94) and KRW720,000 (MYR2,454.51/USD$557.60) respectively.
The monitors will be available globally according to regions starting in June 2022.
Cybersecurity has come leaps and bounds since we first started exploring the internet. Technology and the knowledge surrounding it have also progressed significantly. With that, so too has our understanding of the need to secure and protect our connections.
Cisco has recently issued an advisory to customers to upgrade their routers. The advisory comes in light of a vulnerability which allows a remote attacker to execute arbitrary code in a series of routers. This would cause a Denial of Service condition which would prevent access to the internet and connected servers.
Source: Cisco
The vulnerability affects relatively dated business routers – specifically, the Cisco Small Business RV110W, RV130, RV130W, and RV215W Routers. Malicious actors are able to access root privileges through the web management interface of the routers. While Cisco is aware of the exploit, it seems like the company has no plans to patch the vulnerability in these dated devices. Of course, the company has announced the end-of-life status in an advisory released back in 2019.
The only silver lining for those planning to continue using the aforementioned routers is that the vulnerability can only be exploited if the web management interface is enabled. This can be determined by checking the status within the settings of the router. That said, it is definitely advisable to update to a more current router for better coverage and connectivity if not anything else.
There were rumours that Telegram will start offering a “premium” plan that allows users to have access to a more powerful Telegram than regular users. That rumour is not a rumour anymore though. As of today, Telegram has made that rumour a reality for about US$ 5 a month (MYR 22.99*).
Now is the time to ask; “why do you need to pay for Telegram Premium?”
As paying users, you get access to upload files with up to 4GB in size. That means you can technically send out an entire Full HD movie out to your friends via Telegram. Regular users can upload files up to 2GB. Paying users also get to download their files faster than before, as fast as your internet connection can go, which means that a 4GB file might not be too big of an issue when you have high-speed internet.
You get your limits doubled too with Telegram Premium. You can follow up to 1000 channels and groups. You can pin up to 10 chats instead of five. Instead of two accounts in a single app, premium users get to work with up to four accounts. At the same time, you can now write a longer bio on your Telegram profile with links in it. At the same time, with up to 400 saved GIFs, responding to texts with witty images is faster than ever.
Paying users can also convert voice to text within the chat now. Instead of listening to a voice note, you can just get Telegram to convert voice messages to texts. It also improves over time with your rating and input.
At the same time, paying users get to have unique reactions to texts. You have exclusive stickers that is only available to paying users and over 10 new exclusive emoji to react to messages. Even your profile pictures can be animated now, alongside a premium badge on your profile so that others know you are paying for Telegram. If you want, you can even change your app icon on your smartphone. Of course, the other improvement to Telegram with Premium is that you do not get served ads in public channels.
To get Telegram Premium, you must update your app to version 8.8 which is currently only available on iOS for now. The 8.8 update is coming to Android devices very soon, so we should see some paying users from both the iOS and Android realms. More information and improvements on Telegram version 8,8 can be found on their blog.
WhatsApp last week rolled out a new update to their app. No, they have not added the Communities functions yet. They are still testing the feature and they tell us that they are getting ready to launch it soon.
The update we are referring to last week is mostly an update to their privacy feature and a few other functions. One of the newer things they have finally added to give you more control over your own privacy is the ability to limit the information you share with the people you choose to share or not share them with. You can now block specific contacts from viewing your WhatsApp profile photos and statuses.
While this is a new feature to WhatsApp, Telegram users are already quite familiar with the function. In Addition to that, Telegram now also do not require users to register a phone number to be attached to the messenger account. WhatsApp still requires you to attach a phone number to your messenger account, which might not change for a while.
There is more that WhatsApp has updated. While group calls have been a thing for a long time on WhatsApp, the more granular control to group admins has not been a feature. Users must be responsible for their own call controls. While this may not be a bad thing in regular social calls, users who wants to use WhatsApp as their main instrument in corporate calls might find it annoying.
To address that, WhatsApp now allows hosts of group calls to mute other users. It could help a lot in muting users who might have forgotten to mute themselves in the call. Either that or if you do not want to listen to that person at all.
Muting people in a smaller group call could be easy but monitoring a large group (up to 32 participants) can be rather difficult. Since you can only rely on the small screens of your smartphones, there is also a limit to how many people can fit in your display. WhatsApp is making the interface much easier to work with though for larger group calls. The indicator not only helps you monitor large group calls but also alert you of late joiners to the call.
WhatsApp is looking to transform itself from being a simple messenger service to something that users can even rely on in a corporate setting. They announced the Communities feature a few months ago and that is still on track to becoming available to every WhatsApp user by the end of the year. It is now also a video calling and audio calling tool for its users as long as they get data or internet. Even with the backlash that was their privacy policy update last year, WhatsApp is still one of the most popular mobile messenger services we have come across and is still the messenger of choice by many Malaysians. The announcements made today are mentioned on WhatsApp’s Twitter account.
ASUS’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) brand is one which every gamer will be familiar with. The laptops which make up some of the most wanted in their classes are coming with fresh new updates. The new lineup also brings totally new experiences in both mobile and form factors. Of course, it goes without saying that the lineup features liquid metal cooling thanks to ASUS’s collaboration with Thermal Grizzly.
ROG Flow X13
Spearheading the new lineup is ROG’s most innovative lineup in a while – the ROG Flow. The lineup takes convention and turns it on its head with a laptop that is compact, thin and light but is able to rise to the task when needed. The Flow X13 comes with support for ROG’s XG mobile eGPU which allows you to power up the graphics capabilities of the ROG Flow 13 with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080. It also extends connectivity with additional USBs and Thunderbolt ports.
This year, the ROG XG platform is also introducing an option with the AMD Radeon RX6850M XT. Paired with the Ryzen 7 6800HS in the Flow X13, you’ll be able to get the full AMD Advantage experience. That said, the Flow X13 itself comes with configurations with the RTX 3050Ti already onboard. The setup is complemented by up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM and up to 1TB of M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD storage.
ROG Zephyrus Duo 16
The new ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 marks the return of ASUS’s signature dual-screen experience. The Zephyrus Duo gets slimmer and more portable than ever before. Powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 processor and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080Ti graphics card, the laptop is built for creators, gamers and streamers.
The ROG ScreenPad Plus brings a whole new level of productivity and also changes the game when it comes to cooling. The new design allows for better airflow and with AAS Plus 2.0 there is 30% more airflow above the fans. Thermal Grizzly’s Metal Conductonaut Extreme cools the processor even better than normal cooling compounds.
The Zephyrus Duo also brings top-of-the-line display choices featuring ROG’s new Nebula HDR. The new technology enhances ROG’s Nebula display technology with 512 Mini LED dimming zones and 1100 nits at peak brightness. The 16:10 display also supports Dolby Vision with certifications for VESA DisplayHDR 1000 and 165Hz refresh rate. The Duo, naturally, comes with options supporting the regular ROG Nebula display as well. The second screen features brand new, ROG-exclusive technology called the Dual Spec panel which allows the screen to switch between 4K 120Hz and Full HD 240 Hz. This allows it to adapt dynamically to the players choice.
ROG Zephyrus G15 & Zephyrus G14
The ROG Zephyrus G14 and G15 round up this round of additions to the ROG lineup. The new laptops bring back a winning combination of performance and personalisation. ROG has doubled down on its proven design. The new laptops feature a lid with 14,696 precision CNC milled holes. In models that support the AniMe Matrix, there are 1,449 mini LEDs under these holes. Like previous models, the AniMe Matrix allows users to express themselves with their own customised designs and logos.
When it comes to specifications, the Zephryus G14 and G15 both come with the AMD Ryzen 7 6800HS. The former comes with the full AMD Advantage experience with configurations featuring the Radeon RX 6700S and the Radeon RX 6800S graphics cards. The G15, on the other hand, complements the Ryzen 7 with either the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 or the GeForce RTX 3070 Ti. Both models come with up to 32GB RAM and 1TB of storage.
On the display front, the ROG Zephyrus G14 comes with a 14-inch QHD display with a 120Hz refresh rate and a 16:10 aspect ratio. The G15 comes with a larger, 15.6-inch QHD display with options for either 165Hz or 240Hz refresh rate and a 16:9 aspect ratio.
Pricing & Availability
The whole ROG line up is already available in Malaysia. The ROG Flow 13 is priced from MYR6,599 without the XG mobile system and MYR13,999 with the system. The ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 is priced from MYR15,999. The Zephyrus G14 and G15 are priced from MYR8,499 and MYR7,999 respectively.
The ASUS TUF was first introduced in 2018 to bring durable, high-end hardware to gamers; more importantly, these devices were introduced at a price point that was more affordable than any other comparable laptop. This round, the laptop gets enhanced with even more power, personalisation and a new MUX switch that will up the ante when it comes to gaming.
Staying true to the TUF Dash ethos, the new TUF Dash F15 maintains its slim, subtle silhouette. Coming in at under 20mm thickness it’s one of the slimmest in its price category. The TUF DASH F15 FX517 continues to come with military-grade durability with MIL-STD-810H certification. It’s also bringing a 26% bigger trackpad and better content immersion thanks to an 80% screen-to-body ratio.
Intel’s 12th Generation Core i processors are the brains behind the tough exterior of the TUF DASH F15. It comes with a new hybrid architecture that brings better performance and battery efficiency. This is paired with NVIDIA”s GeForce RTX laptop graphics cards with configurations supporting up to the GeForce RTX 3060. Throw in support for DDR5 RAM and you have the complete package for an affordable performer for gamers and even content creators. The new MUX switch shortens the distance between the GPU and the display for higher refresh rates and more responsive display performance.
Perhaps the most welcomed addition is a 720p webcam. In previous years, the webcam has unfortunately been omitted from the lineup. Thankfully, it’s here to stay (we hope) starting this year.
Pricing & Availability
The ASUS TUF DASH F15 is already available in Malaysia. It’s available in a few configurations with prices starting at MYR4,699. Details are per the table below:
Sony announced the Xperia 1 globally a little over a month ago. Their new flagship smartphone is doubling down on its camera functions and also the ethos of being an exceptional creator’s device. It continues Sony’s minimalistic design and also still features some of the best when it comes to the company’s imaging technologies.
The smartphone is now available in Malaysia for pre-orders. It will be retailing for MYR6,099 – a very hefty ask in the current market. However, Sony is sweetening the pot by throwing in their popular WF-1000XM4. The true wireless, wireless earbuds retail for MYR1,099 by themselves. The earbuds have been lauded for their impressive audio quality and also their fit. You can get our take on them in our full review.
Packed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and 12GB of RAM it’s definitely got the makings of a powerful device. With 256GB of internal memory and support for up to 1TB of additional storage with a microSD card, you wouldn’t be too hard-pressed for space when you shoot your content. The large 6.5-inch 4K HDR OLED screen will be able to show you everything in vivid detail.
On the optics side of things, the Xperia 1 IV comes with a triple sensor setup for its main camera. The main sensor is a 12-megapixel 24mm wide camera. This is complemented by a 12-megapixel 16mm ultrawide sensor and a 12-megapixel 85-125mm telephoto sensor for that telescopic zoom. There’s a lot more to the cameras than just the hardware, you’ll be able to get all the details in our coverage of its international launch.
The pre-order in Malaysia will be happening from 10 June 2022 until 10 July 2022. So, don’t miss your chance to get both the Sony Xperia 1 IV and the Sony WF-1000XM4.
If you haven’t heard of Thunderbird, we wouldn’t blame you. The once popular open source email client has all but faded to obscurity since its last major update. The desktop version is still stuck in the early 2000s. When it comes to mobile, the email client is non-existent. Since its glory days from 2003 to 2005, the email client hasn’t had much of a visual overhaul nor has it made any strides to have a mobile presence of any kind.
That’s changed with a recent tweet from Ryan Lee Sipes, the product manager for Mozilla Thunderbird. In which he noted that his number 1 priority will be to fix Thunderbird’s UI and UX. The change will be a very very welcomed update – this coming from someone who still uses the email client. However, there isn’t a firm date when the big update will be coming. That said, the desktop app is due for its anniversary update on June 28. Could it be one and the same?
Aside from that, it looks like Mozilla is significant progress towards creating a mobile app for Thunderbird. Mozilla has acquired the trademark rights and source code of K-9 Mail on Android. This includes its GitHub repository. Together with all the code and repositories, Mozilla has also hired Christian Ketterer (cketti), the project’s maintainer. What this essentially means is that Thunderbird’s Android app will be built using the pre-existing code from K-9 Mail. Thankfully, this also means that the development timeframe for a Thunderbird mobile app can be significantly shortened.
May take a while to get all the syncing stuff squared. But this is my #2 priority, my #1 is fixing Thunderbird's UI/UX.
It seems like together with the new UX and UI for the desktop application, Thunderbird will also be getting Firefox Sync as feature Mozilla Firefox users will be familiar with. This feature will allow you to sync emails, drafts and more between your different Thunderbird installs on mobile and on desktops. I’m pretty sure that this will be a welcomed development for anybody who finds themselves working on multiple devices.
K-9 Mail is already available on the Google Play Store. So, if you’re interested in contributing to the future of Mozilla Thunderbird, you can install the app as it is updated with features that will be central to the new Thunderbird mobile experience. Of course, if you do use the K-9 Mail app, you will need to potentially brace yourself for multiple UI and UX changes as the Thunderbird team builds on K-9 Mail. Once they’ve achieved their development milestones, the K-9 Mail app will conceivably be changed to Mozilla Thunderbird.
Touch ‘n Go eWallet just got a little more useful, especially if you frequent Singapore. TNG Digital Sdn Bhd announced that the eWallet will now work in Singapore. However, you will only be able to use it for payments when you use taxis operated by ComfortDelGro. The compatibility comes from Touch ‘n Go’s collaboration with Alipay+. Alipay+ is a suite of global cross-border digital payments and marketing solutions operated by the Ant Group.
Alipay+ has been avaliable in the eWallet app for a while now. However, it seems like this is the first official application of the cross-border payment capabilities from Touch ‘n Go eWallet. While it was reported a while back that there seems to be compatibility for payments in Japan, there hasn’t been any official announcement from TNG Digital themselves.
Alan Ni, CEO of TNG Digital, indicates that this is merely the beginning when it comes to cross border payments – particularly in Singapore. Touch ‘n Go eWallet is in a unique position when it comes to cross-border payments as Touch ‘n Go Bhd has worked with Singapore’s EZLink for cross-border usage recently. The partnership and Alipay+ opens up a whole new level of convenience for Touch ‘n Go eWallet users who frequently commute between Singapore and Malaysia. This amounted to some 350,000 people before the pandemic.
TNG Digital hasn’t clarified if there are transactional fees when you use the eWallet overseas. However, they are having offers to celebrate the new collaboration with ComfortDelGro taxis. Users who use the eWallet to make payments until 25th June 2022 will be entitled to an instant discount of between MYR4 (SGD$1.26) and MYR6 (SGD$1.89). Discounts are varied between weeks and limited to the first 300 transactions daily.
