Category Archives: News

Android, Mobile, News

The HONOR X series Returns with Three New Entries

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HONOR is expanding its offerings once again. The company has been coming out with all the punches this year. This time, after flexing its flagship prowess with the HONOR 50 and the HONOR Magic V, HONOR is looking to the more affordable offerings they were once renown for. They are introducing three new entries into their X series with a little bit of a rename.

HONOR X9 & X9 5G Leads the new X Trio

The new HONOR X series is spearheaded by the Snapdragon 695 touting HONOR X9 5G. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. When it comes to the display it comes with a 6.81-inch FullView Display with a 120Hz refresh rate and an FHD+ resolution. The X9 5G comes with a triple camera setup with a 48-megapixel main sensor complemented by a 2-megapixel macro and 2-megapixel depth sensor. Upfront, there is a 16-megapixel sensor for selfies.

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In the case of the HONOR X9, it’s important to mention the 5G moniker as the HONOR X9 also comes without 5G connectivity. The regular X9 comes with the Snapdragon 680 instead. That said, it comes with a more robust quad camera setup. The main sensor is a 64-megapixel main sensor complemented by an 8-megapixel wide sensor, 2-megapixel sensing macro sensor and 2-megapixel sensing depth sensor. The display on the X9 also has a lower refresh rate of 90Hz. Other than these, the HONOR X9 and X9 5G share the same design and specs including a 4,800mAh battery with 66W fast charging with HONOR SuperCharge and USB Type C.

The design of the HONOR X9 series hearkens back to the HUAWEI P40 with the circular accent emblazoned at the back. It also contains the multiple camera sensors and flash that the smartphone comes with. The face of the phone is covered with the HONOR FullView Display with a punch hole for the selfie camera.

HONOR X8 – Putting the Middle in Mid-range

The HONOR X series will also contain the HONOR X8 which touts the same Snapdragon 680 that powers the X9. In all ways, it’s the hybrid of the X9 and X9 5G. It comes with a slightly smaller 6.7-inch FullView display with a 90Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution. Aside from this, it also comes with a smaller 4,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge via USB-C connection.

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All of these specs aside, the HONOR X8 comes with the nearly same camera setup as the HONOR X9. However, it comes with a smaller 5-megapixel wide sensor. That said, it also has a different design language which is more angular than the fluid X9. It also departs from the circular accent in favour of a square module containing all its sensors.

HONOR X7 – Bringing even more affordability

Rounding up the HONOR X series is the HONOR X7. The HONOR X7 comes with the same Snapdragon 680 as its siblings with the same amount of internal storage but a lower 4GB of RAM. It comes with a larger 6.74-inch HONOR FullView Display with an HD+ resolution and 90Hz refresh rate. On the camera front, it comes with the same setup as the X8 albeit having a smaller 8-megapixel selfie camera. It comes with a larger 5,000mAh battery with support for 22.5W HONOR SuperCharge via USB-C.

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The HONOR X7 comes with the familiar design we’ve seen in the HONOR 50 before. However, it comes with a waterdrop display design where the selfie camera is. It’s also not curved like the HONOR 50.

Pricing and Availability

HONOR’s X series will be available starting on 7th April 2022. All members of the HONOR X Series will be launching with EMUI 4 powered by Android 11.

The HONOR X9, X9 5G and X8 will be available in Titanium Silver, Ocean Blue and Midnight Black. It will be available for MYR1,299, MYR1,099 and MYR899 respectively.

The HONOR X7 will be available for MYR699 in Titanium Silver and Ocean Blue.

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Intel’s Core i9-12900KS is The World’s Fastest CPU at 5.5 GHz 

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Intel, on a recent note, has been making quite a comeback. Their competitor, AMD really wiped the floor when they introduced the 5000 series Ryzen processors that made Intel’s 10th and 11th Generation processors look like old processors. When Intel introduced their 12th generation Core processors, people paid attention again, we paid attention.  

The 12th generation Core processors codenamed Alder Lake has already shown some of its power since the series’ launch. The higher-end processors have proven that Intel has not forgotten how to make powerful processors for gamers and content creators alike. They are also unique in the space of PC processors with a Big Small architecture that we are more used to seeing on smartphone chips. The 12th Generation Core i9, for example, packs eight performance and eight efficiency cores. They are also known to be very power-hungry chips, so if you are considering an Intel Alder Lake build, you do want to really think about beefing up your PSU (Power Supply Unit). 

Just having the lead on performance never seems enough though. Intel wants to keep the lead and destroy its competition. On a side note, it is good to see the two protagonists in the CPU industry outdoing each other every step of the way. We are the winners here. We are also looking forward to AMD announcing their Ryzen 7000 series CPUs in this case,  

Back to the topic, Intel wants to also wipe the floor with 12th generation Core CPUs, just before AMD makes their move with the 7000 series. They released their most powerful CPU yet, the Core i9-12900KS. While the naming scheme is a little confusing, it is a new Core i9 that we are seeing here. 

To be fair, when we say new, it is not an entirely new CPU. It is still an Alder Lake architecture. Structurally, it is the same as any Inte Core i9-12900 series chips. What differs though is how much power it commands.  

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Source: Intel

The eight performance cores can now be clocked to up to 5.5 GHz with turbo boost. The previeous Intel Core i9-12900K could only boost up to 5.2 GHz at best. You could overclock it, obviously, since it is an unlocked processor. Why would you attempt to overclock an Intel Core i9-12900K when you can get the already overclocked stock Core i9-12900KS. The newly announced processor is also unlocked, by the way. 

There is a small catch though. While the Core i9-12900K draws a minimum of 125W, the new 12900KS needs at least 150W from your PSU. Turbo boost will draw up to 241W for both processors, no increases there, which is sort of good news for your PSU. Other than a slight increase in the clock speeds for the efficiency cores, everything else remains the same as the older 12900K.  

As with the current 12th generation chips, you want to work with the Z690 chipset motherboards to get the most out of it. It also supposed DDR5 4800 MT/s RAM and PCIe gen 5.0 technology. Of course, the older DDR4 and PCIe Gen 4.0 (no, this is not that old) technologies are still supported. 

You might be wondering; “who needs all this power?” We will say that no one really needs all this power unless they are working in the creative industry and needs some extra horsepower to render videos and 3D animations. Then again, there are specifically built workhorses for that. This is made for “gamers and overclocking enthusiasts”, according to Intel. We will go with that, but these are people with money and time.  

It will be available April 5th onward in select regions. We do not know if that includes Malaysia or not. As it is, supply situations in Malaysia are still quite dire. It will also set you back at least US$ 739 (MYR 3,120*). We say at least because that also depends on stock availability and demand. For more information on the Intel Core i9-12900KS, you can head over to their website.  

*Approximately based on exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.22 on xe.com as of 29/03/2022 

Mobile, News, Social Media

Send Even Bigger Files with Future WhatsApp!

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WhtasApp’s beta is now available for iOS 15! While that is news, it is not the one we are excited about. Sure, it is important that WhatsApp explore and test their app on every available platform as soon as they are available. But new WhatsApp beta builds always come with new features we are likely to see in the coming updates for regular WhatsApp users.  

The update is iOS beta version 22.7.0.76. The update introduced to be compatible with iOS 15 brings about quite a significant step forward in the functionality that is file sharing on WhatsApp. It bumped up the 100MB limit that used to be the staple for WhatsApp. It is important, especially when you need to be sharing large format media files like videos to your colleagues, or friends, or clients without the clutter and slowness of emails, or simply uploading to a cloud storage only to share a link after. They did not bump up the 100MB limit to 150MB, not just 1GB too. They have bumped up the file sending capacity to 2GB.  

WA NEW MEDIA FILE SHARING LIMIT IOS
Source: WhatsApp Beta Info

While WhatsApp tends to compress your images and videos, you currently can send uncompressed image files within WhatsApp. It is a small turnaround, but it is possible. But the current release of WhatsApp will still limit your file sharing size to 100MB. You can send most photos, AAC and FLAC audio files. You will not be able to share high resolution videos, or WAV files in most cases, important in certain professional environments.  

2GB is basically a 2000% jump from the current limit. For us at least, 2GB could allow us to get our finished videos out to our clients via WhatsApp immediately instead of slow emails. It improves our workflow alongside the clients.  

The test is currently only available to iOS and certain Android users in Argentina. It is just a test though, so we can only take it with a pinch of salt. Only time will tell if we are going to be able to share larger format files via WhatsApp for now. We are hopeful though, since WhatsApp is one of the main communication platforms we heavily rely on in Malaysia.  

Source: WhatsApp Beta Info

Computers, Gaming, Lifestyle, News

Neotez AQUILA Gaming Monitors Now Available in Malaysia

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Blink and you’ll miss it. That’s how it feels right now with the mushrooming amount of gaming monitor brands appearing. There’s a new challenger in Malaysia too – Neotez. Neotez is a company just spreading its wings; founded in 2021 in Australia, it’s looking to bring a new wave of affordable, premium gaming experiences to the masses. No, you didn’t read that wrong. “Affordable” and “premium” are in the same sentence side by side.

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The company is bringing their first wave of offerings to Malaysia after a successful year in Australia. Neotez is bringing their nascent AQUILA brand which has three monitors which cater to three different niches. The AQUILA 24, 27 and 34 offer different resolutions and sizes that cater to different budgets and gaming needs.

The Neotez AQUILA lineup offers high resolution, IPS displays with 165Hz refresh rates with quick response times. AQUILA monitors also offer anti-glare, low blue light panels with HDR400 and Adaptive-Sync support. There are slight differences across the lineup but they generally offer more bang for your buck across the board.

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The AQUILA 24 and 27 both offer flat IPS displays with 165Hz and a 16:9 aspect ratio. They both cover 100% of the sRGB gamut. However, the AQUILA 24 only covers 78% of the DCI-P3 gamut while the 27 covers 90%. So, not the best for colour sensitive work, but they still offer commendable specs for their price points. Additionally, the 24 only offers FHD resolution while the 27 offers higher, QHD resolution. The AQUILA 27 offers additional HDR400 support and RGB Lighting. Both come with two HDMI 2.0 ports and a single DisplayPort 1.4 port.

The larger AQUILA 34 offers 2K resolution and is the only curved display in Neotez arsenal. It’s also an ultra-wide monitor with a 1500R curve. That said, the higher resolution brings along a lower 144Hz refresh rate. It’s also got a higher 4000:1 contrast ratio compared to the 1000:1 of the 24 and 27. The 34 has HDR400 support but covers only 93% of the DCI-P3 gamut and 99% sRGB gamut. The Neotez AQUILA 34 comes with two HDMI 2.0 ports and two DisplayPort 1.4 ports and red LED backlighting.

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All the monitors come with built-in speakers. The AQUILA 24 and 27 come with dual 3W speakers while the 27 come with dual 2W speakers. You also get a single audio port on all the monitors.

Pricing & Availability

The monitors are currently available from the official Neotez stores on Shopee and LAZADA. The Neotez AQUILA 24 will be priced at MYR899 while the AQUILA 27 will cost MYR1,549. The larger, ultrawide AQUILA 34 is priced at MYR2,099.

Neotez is having a special launch promotion where the monitors will be available at a discounted price for a limited time. During the promo, you’ll be able to get the Neotez AQUILA 24 for MYR899, the AQUILA 27 for MYR1,399 and the AQUILA 34 for MYR1,899.

Official Specifications

ModelAQUILA 24AQUILA 27AQUILA 34
Display Size24-inch27-inch34-inch
Display ShapeFlatFlatCurved
Display ResolutionFull HD
(1920 x 1080px)		Quad HD
(2560 x 1440px)		2K UWQHD
(3400 x 1440px)
Bezel Type3-sided borderlessZeroBezel3-sided borderless
Panel TypeIPSFast IPSVA
Aspect Ratio16:916:921:9
Curved RatioN/AN/A1500R
Refresh Rate165Hz165Hz144Hz
Adaptive SyncYesYesYes
Brightness350 nit400 nit350 nit
Response Time3 ms1 ms1 ms
Contrast Ratio1000:11000:14000:1
DisplayHDRN/AHDR400HDR400
Colour Gamut100% sRGB72% NTSC78% DCI-P316.7M Colour (8-bit)100% sRGB90% DCI-P316.7M Colour (8-bit)99% sRGB95% NTSC93% DCI-P316.7M Colour (8-bit)
Display Screen FeaturesLow Blue LightAnti-Glare PanelFlicker FreeDynamic Contrast RatioLow Blue LightAnti-Glare PanelFlicker FreeHigh Dynamic RangeLow Blue LightAnti-Glare PanelFlicker FreePIP/PBP (Screen Split)Dynamic Contrast Ratio
AestheticsN/ARGB LightingLED Backlighting (Red)
Ports2 x HDMI 2.0 1 x DP 1.4 1 x Audio 1 x AC In 2 x HDMI 2.02 x DP 1.41 x Audio1 x AC In2 x HDMI 2.02 x DP 1.41 x Audio1 x AC In
Audio2 x 3W Built-In Speakers2 x 3W Built-In Speakers2 x 2W Built-In Speakers
Viewing Angle178 (Horizontal)178 (Vertical)178 (Horizontal)178 (Vertical)178 (Horizontal)178 (Vertical)
ErgonomicsHeight, Swivel & PivotHeight, Swivel & PivotHeight & Swivel
MountVESA(100 x 100mm)VESA(100 x 100mm)VESA(75 x 75mm)
PriceRM899RM1,549RM2,099
Business, Computers, Lifestyle, News

MSI Launches new Productivity Powerhouses – Meet the Summit, Prestige, and Modern Series

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MSI’s brand name is mostly associated with gaming and high-performing PCs. It is quite easy to assume that gaming PCs is all they do, because their biggest mindshare and market share is mostly thanks to their gaming PC line-up. They are a full-fledged PC builder though, so they do have more than just gaming PCs. They recently launched their creator focused line-up of laptops and desktops with sleek and muted designs containing high-performing internals. Yesterday, they launched completely new devices to take on the corporate world. Welcome to the Summit, Prestige, and Modern Series. 

MSI Summit 

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Source: MSI

Let us back it up a little bit. The Summit series is not new from MSI. It has been their flagship notebook series for the corporate world for a few years now. Existing products include a Summit E13 Flip Evo and Summit E16 Flip. Yesterday they added two more devices into the family; the Summit E14 Flip Evo and the Summit E14 Flip. 

As its name suggests, both are 14-inch laptops. As names imply too, they are convertibles. Not that you can detach the keyboard or anything, it is just that you can tilt the display all the way around the keyboard to effectively make them chunky tablets.  

Both devices get Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors, quite obviously, it is 2022 after all. With the new generation processors, they also get Intel’s proven Iris Xe integrated graphics. You also get LPDDR5 RAM on both devices at 16GB (8GB x2), should be plenty enough for you to keep multiple Google Chrome windows and tabs running without slowing down.  

Obviously, because this is a productivity focused notebook, you do not get a power-hungry GPU. You also do not get a fancy RGB lighting. You still get white backlighting on your keyboard though in case you need it in low-light conditions. Connectivity and portability also take thefront seat for this laptop.  

It weighs 1.6kg, which is not as light as plenty of thing and light notebooks, to be fair. It is thin enough at 17.9mm though. You also get a full-sized USB 3.2 Type-A port, a MicroSD card reader, a full-sized HDMI port, and an audio combo jack alongside two Thunderbolt capable USB Type-C ports, either can be used to charge the 72Wh battery at 65W (USB Type-C charger provided). Both laptops also feature Windows Hello compatible Fingerprint sensor and an IR webcam for facial recognition.  

There is one major difference between the MSI Summit E14 Flip Evo and Summit E14 Flip. The Evo variant gets a QHD+ display instead of the Full HD+ resolution of the regular Summit E14 Flip. Both are at 16:10 aspect ratio, of course. The Evo’s display offers 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut coverage though, important if you are in the creative industry. The IPS display also supports MSI Pen input, effectively making it a touch sensitive panel.  

Alongside the new Summit E14 Flip and Summit E14 Flip Evo, the Summit E13 Flip Evo, Summit E16 Flip, and Summit E16 Flip Evo are getting a refresher in the form of Intel’s 12th Generation Core CPUs. The Summit E16 Flip is also getting a GPU upgrade in the form of NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 3050 Ti (up to) GPU.  

MSI Prestige 

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Source: MSI

The Prestige series should also be a familiar name to fans of MSI. It is made to be the mid-range productivity powerhouse that prides itself with great design and portability like no other in its class. For 2022, the new line-up is even better than before.  

You can get the MSI Prestige in two sizes, 15 and 14 inches. Both sizes get Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors for a start. You can think of them as entry-level gaming devices too with up to an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti mobile GPU (RTX 3050 for Prestige 14) handling the graphics department. You also get up to 32GB in RAM (16GB for Prestige 14) for any high-performance computing needs on the go. With the 15-inch variant also you get another NVMe PCIe Gen 3 slot in case you need to expand your storage. 

For its display, the Prestige 15 offers you a 15.6-inch UHD (up to) IPS panel that boasts 100% sRGB colour gamut coverage. The Prestige 14 only offers you up to a Full HD IPS panel. You still get 100% in sRGB colour gamut coverage. It is also much lighter at 1.29 kg over the 1.69 kg of the 15-incher. 

There is another Prestige 14 option, the Prestige 14 Evo. It comes with Intel’s Evo certification. That means it does not come with any GPU. That should also allow for extended battery life on the Prestige 14 Evo. While the other Prestige models with discrete GPUs charge at 100W though, this one charges at 65W (USB Type-C charger included).  

MSI Modern 

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Source: MSI

This one, MSI says, is for the trendsetters. They have collaborated with French Illustrator, Lorrain Sorlet for this new Modern laptop series. In their Classic Black or Urban Silver colour choices though, the thin-and-light laptops does look like it will blend in anywhere you take it too. 

There are also two display sizes here, a 14-inch and a 15-inch. Both offer Full HD resolutions and are IPS displays which also means colours on the display will pop. Just do not expect the colours to be as accurate as DCI-P3 or sRGB rated displays. Still good enough for most entertainment purposes though.  

Of course, you can expect Intel’s 12th Generation Core processors on the new laptops. No discrete GPUs here, just a good ol’ Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics here. The processor is also supported by up to 16GB (8GB x2) DDR RAM. You get a fast, nice SSD storage to comem with the new Modern 15 and Modern 14 too,  

It is a little thicker than the other two laptops that MSI introduced alongside this one, but still quite thing at 19.9mm (19.35mm Modern 14). At 1.7 kg and 1.4 kg respectively, they are not what you would call heavy too. The extra thickness allows for a bit more practicality on the side though. Both devices pack two USB 3.2 Type-A ports, a full-sized HDMI port, a MicroSD card slot, a combo AUX jack, and one USB Type-C port. The USB Type-C port doubles as a charging port too with the included 65W USB Type-C charger.  

Availability 

MSI, in their launch, did not actually mention when the new laptops will be available just yet. They also did not include their pricing currently. The only thing we can do is wait and see. For more information on the new products, you can check out MSI’s website.

Lifestyle, Mobile, News, Social Media

Spotify’s Greenroom Will Integrate to the Spotify App as Spotify Live

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The audio based social media platform space blew up in the past couple of months. This is a space technically pioneered by Clubhouse. The app was so popular that other social media platforms paid attention. They wanted a piece of that pie as well. As a result, platform makers started looking into building their own platforms.  

Spotify developed their own platform too for audio based social media platform. They developed Greenroom, a Clubhouse clone in one way but with Spotify’s official colours plastered over everything on the platform. It is, in its own rights, quite a successful experiment by Spotify and it is among the only platforms of its kind that is still in existence, or rather, frequently visited.  

When they launched the platform though, it was launched as an app of its own. While you can use your regular Spotify account to get on to the platform and start having conversations with strangers about all sorts of topics, the app has no other correlation with the main Spotify app. We thought, perhaps Spotify Greenroom is meant to sit separately as a separate app since it does not offer any similar services to Spotify. Until now, that is. 

Based on what has been spotted on Spotify’s beta app, Spotify will be integrating Greenroom or Greenroom similar functionality into the main app itself. The feature will be renamed to Spotify Live instead though. There are rumours as well that the update will be rolling out in the second quarter of 2022. Though this might mean that Greenroom itself might be taken down and moved to the new platform under Spotify’s app, it does not mean that its functions and contents will be removed.  

It will fundamentally be the same as working with Greenroom, except that everything comes under one app now. While it does create a bigger, more complex app, it is a more sensible thing to do for Spotify. The platform within Spotify will allow content creators to organise and manage conversations on the app itself. Users can subscribe to content creators on the app itself and listen in on their LIVE conversations whenever their subscribed content creator creates the conversation room.  

Source: Bloomberg 

Android, Mobile, News

Realme GT 2 Pro Makes Its Malaysian Debut

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Realme has made a name for itself by offering affordable smartphones. However, the company has been uncompromising when it comes to features and value in its offerings with smartphones like the recently released Realme 9 series. That said, Realme is breaking from its MO and exploring a true flagship in their Realme GT 2 Pro. Teased earlier this year at MWC, the smartphone is Realme’s first foray into the flagship market and it’s finally making its Malaysian debut.

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Source: Realme

The Realme GT 2 Pro sports Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor which promises top of the line performance. The new 4nm process also brings with it better power efficiency. The phone pairs this with up to 12GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage. However, unlike Realme phones of the past, the GT 2 Pro does away with microSD card support.

It comes with a 6.7-inch, AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and support for HDR10+. The display maxes out at 1,400 nits peak brightness. The 2K resolution (1440×3216 pixels) of the panel gives it a 509ppi density. It also comes with Bluetooth 5.2 and WiFi 6 support as well as 5G connectivity.

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On the back, the Realme GT 2 Pro is coming with a triple camera setup with a dual 50-megapixel primary sensor with a large 150° field of view. Complementing this dual sensor setup is a 3-megapixel microscope sensor with 40x magnification. On the front is a 32-megapixel selfie camera. The main camera setup supports 8K video shooting. The main sensor comes with phase detection autofocus and optical image stabilization.

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Source: Realme

Realme is touting all-day battery life on the GT 2 Pro thanks to its large 5,000mAh battery which supports 65W fast charging. It also comes with an under-display fingerprint sensor.

Pricing & Availability

The GT 2 Pro will be available in Malaysia starting on 25th March 2022 for MYR2,999. It will be available only in the 12GB RAM version with 256GB storage in either black or white.

However, if you’re looking for a great deal, the phone will be offered at MYR2,599 during flash sales on the Realme Malaysia Official store on Shopee from 25th to 26th March 2022 and from 30th to 31st March 2022. Units bought during these periods will come with a free set of Realme Buds 2 NEO.

realme GT 2 Pro Online Sale

The first sale at Realme authorized stores will be happening from 26th March 2022 until 27th March 2022. During this period, the GT 2 Pro will be sold at full retail price. However, purchases will be entitled to a free Realme Watch 2 Pro and an extended warranty.

Android, iOS, Lifestyle, News

Shazam Yourself to a Concert Near You

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Remember that app you use to find out what’s playing on the radio or at the cafe? Yeah – that one! Shazam! No, no, not the superhero, the app! It’s about to get a little more interesting for the music discovery app.

Well, if you forgot about Shazam, here’s a little refresher. The Shazam app first debuted in 2002. It was first launched as an app that could help users discover music by simply clicking on the Shazam button. The app has since gained a whole load of new features including identifying TV programs and ads. Yep, you can stumble upon a new episode of an unknown show and use Shazam to find out where you can stream it.

Shazam Concerts Credit to Apple
Source: Apple

The app is bringing a new dimension to music discovery by including a new feature that will allow you to not only discover new music but also find out when and where the artist is performing near you. All you have to do is Shazam a song on the app or website and you’ll immediately get concert information and ticket pricing. The same information is also available on the Shazam Artist page.

The new feature leverages concert information from Bandsintown, an established event recommendation and artist discovery platform. The platform has access to information from over 560,000 artists, labels and booking agents which gives it one of the most complete databases of concerts available worldwide. This feature is now rolling out to Shazam’s over 225 million active users across the world. Artists can also make their concert information available through Bandsintown For Artists.

Android, Mobile, News

Samsung’s New Galaxy A Series Available in Malaysia

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Samsung only just announced their new Galaxy A series slightly over a week ago. The company is now bringing its new midrange heroes to Malaysia as they go on pre-order. The pre-orders started for the Galaxy A53 on 21st March 2022 and are set to conclude on 25th March 2022. The Galaxy A33 and A73, however, are still on pre-order until 13th April 2022. Each pre-order of the Galaxy A33 5G will come with a free Galaxy Fit2 worth MYR179 while the A53 5G and the A73 5G will come with a set of Galaxy Buds Live.

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The new Samsung Galaxy A series continues Samsung’s ethos of bringing flagship features to the midrange. This year, the company is bringing some of the most sought after software features including Single Take for the camera. With Single Take, you’ll be able to take multiple versions of the same scene – from GIF to video to portraiture with a single click of the camera shutter. In addition, features like Continue App and Link to Windows bring a new level of productivity to the Galaxy A33, Galaxy A53 and Galaxy A73.

Galaxy A Pre Order visuals

You can get the full rundown of the three hero devices in our coverage of the launch. We’ve got all the details you need to know in one article! That said, the pre-orders are happening both in-store and online on the Samsung e-store. Everything’s summarised below!

ModelPre-order datesRRPColourExclusive Gifts
Galaxy A33 5GIn-store & E-store:
21 March 2022 – 13 April 2022		RM1,499Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Peach, Awesome Blue1x Galaxy Fit2, worth RM179
Galaxy A53 5GIn-store & E-store:
21 March 2022 – 25 March 2022		RM1,849Awesome Black, Awesome White, Awesome Peach, Awesome Blue1 x Galaxy Buds Live, worth RM549
Galaxy A73 5GIn-store:
21 March 2022 – 13 April 2022

E-store:
30 March 2022 – 13 April 2022		RM2,099Awesome Gray, Awesome White, Awesome Mint1 x Galaxy Buds Live, worth RM549
Computers, Gaming, News

ROG FLOW Z13 Launches in Malaysia; Price starts from MYR7,999

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ASUS took the stage in Las Vegas during CES 2022 to unveil a brand new slate of devices. Among them was one of the more interesting devices we’ve seen from ASUS and specifically the Republic of Gamers in a while – the ROG FLOW Z13. The new tablet brings gaming prowess and specifications to a form factor that we’ve yet to see for any device carrying its specifications.

ASUS ROG FLOW Z13 04
Source: ASUS

The ROG FLOW Z13 comes with a 13.6-inch IPS display with up to 4K resolution and a 120Hz refresh rate. The display comes with 100% coverage of the sRGB gamut with Pantone Validation and support for Dolby Vision HDR. Yes – like always, ASUS’s ROG goes over the top with all the bells and whistles for its first-ever gaming tablet. Together with the display, the FLOW Z13 comes with 16GB of onboard RAM with up to 1TB of M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD memory.

Here’s the kicker when it comes to the Z13, its body is only 1.2cm thick but it has specifications supporting up to an Intel Core i9 processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050Ti built-in. Yep – you read that right! BUILT-IN! You don’t have to hook up any additional accessories to get an RTX3050Ti GPU with the Z13. In fact, the ROG FLOW Z13 does support the ROG XG Mobile system we saw in the earlier ROG FLOW X13 with minor updates. However, adding on the XG Mobile system allows you to bump up to an RTX3080 with 16GB of GDDR6 RAM and 150W TGP. That’s a whole lot of power for a 13-inch tablet!

ASUS ROG FLOW Z13 02
Source: ASUS

In addition to the insane CPU and GPU, the Z13 also supports stylus and touch inputs. It’s also not taking any hostages when it comes to connectivity. It comes with 1 USB 2.0 Type-A port, 1 Thunderbolt 4 port with DisplayPort support, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C port with DisplayPort, G-SYNC and USB-PD support, 1 microSD card slot, a 3.5mm combo jack and, of course, the ROG XG Mobile interface.

ASUS ROG FLOW Z13 01
Source: ASUS

The keyboard bundled with the ROG FLOW Z13 is an RGB backlit Chiclet Keyboard. It also acts as a folio cover as well. It also comes with a triple microphone array for better video conferencing with the 8-megapixel, 720p webcam. On the speaker side of things, it has a 2-speaker system with Smart Amplifier technology. It also supports Windows Hello fingerprint recognition.

Pricing & Availability

The ROG FLOW Z13 will be available in three configurations in Malaysia. The lowest-end configuration will be sporting a 12th Generation Intel Core i7 with the NVIDIA GeForce RTX3050 and will retail for MYR7,999. A step up will get you the Core i9 with a higher RTX3050Ti. This will cost MYR8,799. The maxed-out version for Malaysia will come with the Core i9, RTX3050Ti and a 4K display with a 60Hz refresh rate. It’s going to set you back a whopping MYR15,999.

ASUS ROG FLOW Z13 05
Source: ASUS

All variants of the Z13 will be bundled with a ROG Sleeve bad, the ASUS PEN and a ROG mouse. The higher-end variant will come with the XG mobile platform bundled together which comes equipped with an RTX3080 and expands the connectivity options available on the tablet.

The maxed-out ROG FLOW Z13 will be available starting in April 2022 while the other two are now available on ROG’s LAZADA storefront.

Official Specfications

Model GZ301Z-CLD132WGZ301Z-ELD236WGZ301Z-ELC214W
ColorBlackBlackBlack
Dimension (W x D x H)30.2 x 20.4 x 1.20 ~ 1.20 cm30.2 x 20.4 x 1.20 ~ 1.20 cm30.2 x 20.4 x 1.20 ~ 1.20 cm
Weight1.18 Kg1.18 Kg1.18 Kg
Processor12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-12700H Processor 2.3 GHz (24M Cache, up to 4.7 GHz, 14 cores: 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores)12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H Processor 2.5 GHz
(24M Cache, up to 5.0 GHz, 14 cores: 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores)		12th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-12900H Processor 2.5 GHz
(24M Cache, up to 5.0 GHz, 14 cores: 6 P-cores and 8 E-cores)		 
Laptop GraphicNVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 4GB GDDR6NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3050 Ti 4GB GDDR6
DGPU FeatureMUX Switch + OptimusMUX Switch + OptimusMUX Switch + Optimus
Max Graphic TGP40W40W40W
IGPUIntel® Iris Xᵉ GraphicsIntel® Iris Xᵉ GraphicsIntel® Iris Xᵉ Graphics
Panel Size & Info13.4-inch IPS WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10
120Hz 500nits
Touch Screen Panel
Adaptive-Sync
SRGB 100%
Pantone Validated
Dolby Vision HDR
Stylus Support		13.4-inch IPS WUXGA (1920 x 1200) 16:10
120Hz 500nits
Touch Screen Panel
Adaptive-Sync
SRGB 100%
Pantone Validated
Dolby Vision HDR
Stylus Support		13.4-inch IPS WQUXGA (3840 x 2400) 16:10
60Hz 500nits
Touch Screen Panel
Adaptive-Sync
SRGB 100%
Pantone Validated
Dolby Vision HDR
Stylus Support
Total System MemoryTotal 16GB RAM
On-board: 8GB LPDDR5 x2		Total 16GB RAM
On-board: 8GB LPDDR5 x2		Total 16GB RAM
On-board: 8GB LPDDR5 x2
System Storage Installed
M.2		Slot 1: 512GB M.2 2230 NVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 SSDSlot 1: 1TB M.2 2230 NVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 SSDSlot 1: 1TB M.2 2230 NVMe™ PCIe® 4.0 SSD
Wi-Fi/BluetoothWi-Fi 6E(802.11ax)+Bluetooth 5.2 (Dual band) 2*2
(*BT version may change with OS upgrades.)		Wi-Fi 6E(802.11ax)+Bluetooth 5.2 (Dual band) 2*2
(*BT version may change with OS upgrades.)		Wi-Fi 6E(802.11ax)+Bluetooth 5.2 (Dual band) 2*2
(*BT version may change with OS upgrades.)
I/O Ports1x ROG XG Mobile Interface
1x Thunderbolt™ 4 support DisplayPort™ / power delivery
1x USB 2.0 Type-A
1x card reader (microSD) (UHS-II)
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / power delivery / G-SYNC
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack		1x ROG XG Mobile Interface
1x Thunderbolt™ 4 support DisplayPort™ / power delivery
1x USB 2.0 Type-A
1x card reader (microSD) (UHS-II)
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / power delivery / G-SYNC
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack		1x ROG XG Mobile Interface
1x Thunderbolt™ 4 support DisplayPort™ / power delivery
1x USB 2.0 Type-A
1x card reader (microSD) (UHS-II)
1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support DisplayPort™ / power delivery / G-SYNC
1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
Camera8MP camera and 720P HD Webcam8MP camera and 720P HD Webcam8MP camera and 720P HD Webcam
MicBuilt-in 3-microphone arrayBuilt-in 3-microphone arrayBuilt-in 3-microphone array
Keyboard TypeBacklit Chiclet Keyboard RGBBacklit Chiclet Keyboard RGBBacklit Chiclet Keyboard RGB
Aura SyncYESYESYES
Speakers2-speaker system with Smart Amplifier Technology2-speaker system with Smart Amplifier Technology2-speaker system with Smart Amplifier Technology
Audio TechAI noise-canceling technology
Dolby Atmos
Hi-Res certification
Smart Amp Technology		AI noise-canceling technology
Dolby Atmos
Hi-Res certification
Smart Amp Technology		AI noise-canceling technology
Dolby Atmos
Hi-Res certification
Smart Amp Technology
FingerPrintFingerPrint function availableFingerPrint function availableFingerPrint function available
Operating SystemWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 Home
Battery56WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion56WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion56WHrs, 4S1P, 4-cell Li-ion
PowerTYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 5A, 100W, Input: 100~240V AC, 50/60Hz universalTYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 5A, 100W, Input: 100~240V AC, 50/60Hz universalTYPE-C, 100W AC Adapter, Output: 20V DC, 5A, 100W, Input: 100~240V AC, 50/60Hz universal
Bundled ItemsROG sleeve bag
ASUS PEN (SA201H)
ROG Impact Gaming Mouse		ROG sleeve bag
ASUS PEN (SA201H)
ROG Impact Gaming Mouse		ROG sleeve bag
ASUS PEN (SA201H)
ROG Chakram Core mouse P511
ROG Delta Headset
XG MobileNot includedNot includedBundled
ROG XG Mobile (GC31S)
208 x 155 x 29.6mm (1kg)
NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 3080 16GB GDDR6
TGP 150W
Power Supply 280W

I/O ports
1x HDMI 2.0b
1x DP 1.4 support G-SYNC
1x RJ-45 LAN port
1x DC input jack
4x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
1x SD Card reader(Standard)/UHS-II(312MB/s)
Warranty2 Years Global Warranty
(1st Year with Perfect Warranty)		2 Years Global Warranty
(1st Year with Perfect Warranty)		2 Years Global Warranty
(1st Year with Perfect Warranty)
SRPRM7,999.00RM8,799.00RM15,999.00
AvailabilityAvailable Now in Malaysia (March 2022)Available Now in Malaysia (March 2022)April 2022