Google looks to be gearing up to join the league of life-saving services with the inclusion of satellite-based messaging in Google Messages. With Apple already offering satellite-based Emergency SOS, the company is reportedly teaming up with Garmin to bring a similar feature to Android devices through the upcoming Android 14 update.
Neil Rahmouni, a tech enthusiast, unearthed intriguing clues within Google Messages’ code, hinting at the integration of satellite messaging support. While not officially confirmed, Rahmouni’s findings suggest a possible collaboration with Garmin, a well-known wearable brand.
Garmin is renowned for its extensive satellite communication products and services, including emergency SOS options available across over 150 countries and all seven continents. If Google joins forces with Garmin, its Android 14-powered Emergency SOS could potentially outshine Apple’s offering, which is limited to a few countries.
Looks like Google Messages may use Garmin Response for the Satellite Emergency SOS
If true it could mean that Emergency Satellite messages would be available in 150+ countries👀https://t.co/egVqM6JaJV
However, Rahmouni wisely urges caution against excessive speculation until Google officially announces the partnership and its features. As Android 14’s release approaches, anticipation mounts over the precise connectivity options and satellite messaging capabilities it will introduce. Despite Google’s confirmation of satellite communication integration in Android 14, key details such as availability and supported devices remain undisclosed.
KONAMI recently kicked off the excitement for their latest football gaming update, eFootball™ 2024 at an exclusive media event in Kuala Lumpur. For those unfamiliar with this game, it is a football simulation video game that allows players to control virtual football teams and compete in various game modes. Another game that is highly popular in this category is FIFA.
KONAMI stated that the eFootball™ will begin its transition to eFootball™ 2024 (v3.0.0) update. This update, scheduled for 4 September 2023 till 7 September 2023, aims to refresh emblems, strips, and player data for Authentic Teams in accordance with licensing agreements.
Alongside these updates, they will be conducting an in-game asset and data carryover process.
Certain In-game Assets Eligible For Carryover
The assets eligible for carryover encompass eFootball™ Coins, eFootball™ Points, GP, Base Team, Nominating Contracts, Chance Deals, Contract Renewals (60 Days), Contract Renewals (10 Days), Players, Managers, Training Programs, Skill Training Programs, Objectives, and various in-game settings. eFootball™ Coins and eFootball™ Points will carry over, but be mindful of expiration, especially if your account is linked to Japan.
GP and Base Team may see changes, and players can select new Base Teams if needed. Nominating Contracts, Chance Deals, and Contracts will be carried over, but remember potential expiration. Training and Skill Training Programs, Special Strips, and Standard Player Tickets will also carry over.
Regarding your Avatar and settings, they will carry over if available in v3.0.0; otherwise, they will be reset to default. Your username, country/region, date of birth, and login bonuses will carry over. Records in your Balance Sheet will be partially reset, with only the past year’s records available. Match History will be reset entirely.
Team Playstyle Level Will Be Removed
However, there will be changes in the gameplay mechanics. Team Playstyle Level will no longer be a factor, and Abilities will not be influenced by it. Players who invested Progression Points in Team Playstyle Proficiency will see these points returned. The status of Players and Managers depends on Live Updates, with Standard Players experiencing updates to affiliations and data changes.
So, gamers, if you would like to learn more about KONAMI’s large-scale maintenance to facilitate these updates, check out more details on eFootball™ official website.
Over the weekend, word started spreading that ASUS was in the process of downscaling its operations in Taiwan and Mainland China amidst a massive restructuring of the company. According to the report from TechNews Taiwan, the Zenfone department was an unfortunate casualty of the restructuring.
Source: ASUS.com
However, that doesn’t seem to be the case as ASUS has officially commented on the issue and denied it flat out. In fact, it would be fair to say the official statement rubbished the claims. The company reiterated its commitment to the phone business. It highlighted the recent Q2 earnings call as proof thereof. The recent earnings call showed a marked growth in their revenue from the mobile phone segment; growing from under 1% to around 2% in the past quarter. While it’s still a minute segment of their overall revenue, ASUS sees it as enough of a justification to continue. ASUS even teases its upcoming 2024 product lineup.
Source: ASUS Press Room
The statement, issued through the company’s official press room, is pretty clear and direct with the company’s direction when it comes to mobile phones. “We will continue our two main phone business product lines, the ROG Phone and the Zenfone.”. It’s pretty clear that ASUS will continue to push their ROG Phone and Zenfone lineups moving forward.
However, as mentioned in our previous article, Malaysia hasn’t seen a Zenfone launch since the Zenfone 5 series. On the other hand, the Zenfone 10 is poised for release in countries like the United States of America in the coming weeks. It’ll be a welcomed addition to have the Zenfone series be announced for the Malaysian market once again.
Google’s dessert-themed Android update has become stale. Well, not really. It’s just that Google Play is officially ending support for devices running Android 4.4 KitKat. This doesn’t come out of the blue as Google has been actively retiring support for older versions of the OS to ensure that the OS platform and the Play Store remain secure.
Source: Google
Android 4.4, aka Android KitKat, has been around for nearly 10 years already. The update was one of the most significant updates for the Android operating system at the time. The update brought an overhaul and standardization to the design language of Android at the time.
According to the latest breakdown of Android versions on the market, Android KitKat stood at 0.5% of devices currently available globally. It seems like it’s enough for Google to finally end support for the version on the Google Play Store. The same report also indicated that Android 5.0 and Android 6 are at 1.8% and 2.3% respectively.
It goes without saying, if you have a device running Android KitKat you may want to update it before August 2023 if you can. Otherwise, you won’t be able to use the Play Store anymore. If there’s no official updates, many Android smartphones and tablets are well supported by the community with more updated versions of the OS based on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP) that you can sideload.
The state of apps on tablets and foldables on Android has left users with a lot to be desired. That said, with Android 12L and the upcoming Android 14, these app experiences are becoming easier to optimize. In fact, it wouldn’t be to farfetched to say that they’ve been one of – if not the main – focus of Google’s Android. One of the pioneering heroes of these experiences has been Samsung with their Galaxy Z series.
Samsung has been actively app optimization globally hand in hand with Google. It’s no different in Malaysia. Over the past few years, they have been actively collaborating with partners from various industries to create new and optimized app experiences when it comes to foldables – in particular for the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold smartphones.
Samsung and their pioneering cohort of partners showcased their apps and experiences for the first time this week. These partners include one of Malaysia’s banks, Ambank, global convenience store chain, FamilyMart, Malaysian telecommunications company, Maxis, Malaysian payment platform, Pay4U and Malaysian Coffee chain, ZUS Coffee. These partners have been developing and optimizing their app experiences in partnership with Samsung and Google.
Each of these apps take advantage of the unique form factors of the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold as well as the additional display real estate on the latter. Each experience advances the customer and user experience of the apps allowing these partners to deliver more meaningful for users and catered uniquely to the Malaysian public. These new, optimized apps are rolling out to the Google Play and Samsung Galaxy Stores.
It’s worth noting that these apps are just the beginning of Samsung’s efforts in Malaysia. The company has already begun working with new partners such as Malaysian cinema chains, Golden Screen Cinemas and TGV Cinemas; Gigi Coffee and Zapp. These partners are expecting to roll their optimized apps in the second half of 2023. They are open to working with even more partners. In the words of Luke Au, Head of Product Marketing, Mobile experience at Samsung Malaysia, “We are passionate about making mobile innovation relevant to consumers… We invite local organisations to be part of this industry collaboration and deliver better experiences to their customers.”
In addition, the company also announced an upcoming hackathon catered for students of local universities and institutions of higher learning to develop new, unique experiences for foldable devices. Stay tuned to techENT as we will share more details on the hackathon as they become available.
Sony’s Xperia flagships is always something we look forward to. Since its rebirth, the Xperia 1 brand is a household name for those who wants a unique flagship that is completely different from the ones you see in the regular stores. If you noticed, the Xperia 1 smartphone has never really been sold via the network carriers. They are sold almost exclusively by retail partners and Sony flagship stores. That is only one reason why the Xperia 1 series smartphones are so unique.
Another thing that really sets the Xperia 1 series devices is also its design. It is a very distinctive and classic design; one that has not changed over its 5 generation of flagship smartphone. Yes, it is in its 5th generation now, hence the ‘V’ in its name. The design is not only classic though, but also functional, timeless, and rather unique for a market that focuses so much on curved and rounded edges. While it might look like an uncomfortable piece of slab in your hands, it is surprisingly one of the most intuitive shapes you might find in the industry. It also feels industrial, we admit.
As industrial as it feels, the device does come packing a lot of power. It is not built for the masses though; you can feel it when you first pick up the device. The device is made for those who are in the know, who wants function over form, who wants their smartphone to be a complete extension of themselves and their lifestyle. It is made for content creators and professionals. The new one, the mark V, might just be another game changer.
Same Old Shell, But Better Internals
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
The Xperia 1V, as we might have expected, shares mostly the same look as the older Xperia 1 devices. It is a rectangular slab with hard edges all around. The design, as we mentioned as well, is timeless, classic. But for Sony, looks is rather secondary; it is function over form and that is where the Sony Xperia 1V might appeal to you, it does to us anyway.
We do have to start with the boring stuff though. It comes with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 8 Gen2 platform, the most powerful mobile integrated chip you can find on an Android smartphone today. Of course, it goes without saying that the Sony Xperia 1V also comes with 5G thanks to the platform. Alongside the powerful System on a Chip (SoC) is 12GB RAM for better multitasking experience. You get up to 512GB of storage too, for all the photos and videos you are going to be taking with the Xperia 1V. If that is not enough, the Xperia 1V also comes with a dedicated MicroSD expansion slot, a pleasant welcome for modern flagships.
Out the front though is an Xperia special. This is still one of the only flagship smartphones in the industry to pack a 4K resolution display. Measuring in at 6.5-inch, you get an OLED panel that refreshes at 120Hz for that extra smooth feel on your interface and games. Entertainment is in Sony’s blood, so they also outfitted the Xperia 1V with some low-noise speakers for the best-in-class audio performance. They even have a “Game Enhancer” mode that is supposed to improve gaming performance on the device itself and even allow players to stream their games on YouTube without additional hardware.
The Exmor T for Mobile – The Game Changer
Source: Sony
Source: Sony
This device is made for the content creators though. It packs a brand-new innovation from the camera division. It packs Sony’s latest Exmor T sensor for mobile. While it is not quite a 1-inch sensor, the newly developed sensor for mobile platforms is clever. It is a stacked CMOS image sensor with 2-layer Transistor Pixel. What that means for users is that the newly developed sensor is supposed to offer better low-light performance than ever before. It is also a much faster sensor offering higher levels of detail than older mobile camera sensor technologies. They also claim that the new sensor offers photos with less noise and dynamic range closer to what you can get out of a full-frame system. On top of the Exmor T for mobile 48-Megapixels sensor is a 24mm Zeiss lens with T* coating for less distortion and better clarity. There is also a 16mm 12-Megapixel ultra-wide shooter and another telephoto lens with 12-Megapixel sensor behind it. The unique thing about the telephoto lens though is that it offers an optical zoom between 85-125mm (3.5x-5.2x).
One big thing about the Xperia 1V is also the improvement of the S-Cinetone colour gamut. The S-Cinetone colour gamut can be considered a cinematographer favourite when it comes to shooting contents. With the Xperia 1V, S-Cinetone for mobile has been improved to offer better skin tones and offer more cinematic footages even before a comprehensive colour grading work. Since the new sensor offers better colour and detail performance, you also get enhanced saturation over the older smartphone. Of course, the low-light performance of the sensors helps with S-Cinetone too.
Thanks to Real-time tracking and Eye AF functions, the Sony Xperia 1V is a powerful tool for video and photo work when you really have nothing else to work with. If you are too lazy to post process your photos or videos, the smartphone also offers colour presets in Creative Look mode. When you need it to, the Sony Xperia 1V can capture photos at up 30 frames per second while tracking moving objects rather accurately. For vloggers reviewing products, there is a Product Showcase setting that forces the camera to focus more on the product on hand over the reviewer’s face. There is also a new voice priority mic within the camera that ensures that the creator’s voice is clearly heard in every situation.
Battery – Still As Big, But Better and Longer-Lasting
Source: Sony
Of course, for the Xperia 1V to be an extension of yourself, you need it to work an entire day and probably even more. The 5,000mAh battery within the classic body ensures that you have at least 20 hours of battery life even when you play videos at 4K the entire time. It also supports fast-charging technology so you can fully charge your device in just about an hour. With some new technologies and know-how, Sony has managed to improve the battery lifespan of the battery, which means that battery life anxiety might not be a thing for the Xperia 1V for years to come.
Price and Availability
The Sony Xperia 1V is not known for its colour options. It comes in three colour options still – Black, Khaki Green, and Platinum Silver. While some markets are getting the device in June, Sony Malaysia has confirmed that Malaysia will get the Sony Xperia 1V treatment on the 3rd of July 2023 onward. Sony Malaysia has also confirmed that the Sony Xperia 1V will be priced at MYR 6,399 onward. More on the Sony Xperia 1V can be found on their website.
The idea of an official Google Tablet has always been on the table for years. To be fair, the idea of a Google Tablet did not exist in the early days of Android, not until Apple introduced their iPad to the world. There was not too much sense for an Android tablet made by Google though. Like the iPad in its early days, it will be nothing more than a glorified Android that is blown up to fit the size of a tablet, which is what Google did not want.
That has not stopped Google from introducing an entire interface dedicated to tablet devices at one point. When it did not make sense at the time, they integrated the entire Android ecosystem again and allowed tablets to take advantage of Android’s versatility and built-in functions that were specific to tablet type devices. Now that Google has sort of perfected that, they now see sense in introducing the highly anticipated Google Pixel Tablet, the new benchmark in Android tablets.
Source: google
There was nothing technically new with the Google Pixel Tablet, nor is it that innovative. Inside, you find a Google Tensor G2 powerhouse like the one you find on the Google Pixel 7a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro. Of course, it also packs a Titan M2 processor to keep the device encrypted and secure. The integrated powerhouse comes with 8GB of LPDDR5 RAM for speedy and smooth multitasking. You can choose between 128GB or 256GB for your storage options.
Out the front is an expansive 10.9-inch LCD display that offers 2,560 by 1,600 pixels at 16:10 aspect ratio. You can get up to 500 nits in brightness, which might not sound all that bright, but it is not designed for outdoor use mostly. The display also supports USI 2.0 stylus pens like its ChromeOS cousins, allowing the tablet to be used with USI certified stylus pens. Since they made the tablet mostly for entertainment, the LCD panel offers up to 24-bit in colour depth.
Of course, it is not just made for play, but for work too. You get an 8-Megapixel sensor that shoots out of the back with 1080p recording. No 4K recording here, you do not need 4K video capabilities on a tablet at most times. The front-facing camera is also a similar 8-Megapixel shooter with 1080p video recording and calling capabilities. That also means that you get very similar video calling performance out of both cameras, which is a good thing.
Source: Google
Source: google
Source: Google
Source: Google
Source: Google
Source: GooSource: Googlegle
Source: Google
On its own, the device packs four speakers for the most immersive sounds for your movies and even your music. Out-of-the-box though is a speaker dock that you can dock your Pixel Tablet to for even bigger sounds. It is not quite a wireless speaker though; it connects to the Pixel Tablet via pogo pins. When connected, the tablet’s 27Wh battery is also charged via the Pogo Pins. When docked also, the tablet suddenly becomes your Google Home hub, no need for a Google Nest system anymore. Of course, to liven up your living space, you can even use it as a live photo frame with your Gallery app .
Price and Availability
The Google Pixel Tablet is now available for pre-order in the United States (U.S.) and select regions and will see shelves by 20th of June 2023. It will come in three colour options – Porcelain, Hazel, and Rose and will be priced at US$ 499 (MYR 2,226*) onward. Unfortunately, the device will not make it into Malaysia at any official capacity. More on the Google Pixel Tablet can be found on their website. *Approximately based on the exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.46 as of 11/05/2023 on xe.com
Google I/O 2023 did not just introduce a brand-new Android to us. It introduced the budget powerhouse that will be running Android 14 for us. Google I/O 2023 brought the new Google Pixel 7a to us.
To be fair, not much has changed from the Google Pixel 7 from last year. It still packs Google’s in-house developed Tensor G2 platform with eight cores within the processor unit. You get 8GB of RAM out of it and up to 128GB of UFS 3.1 storage for ultra-fast data access and interface feel. Alongside Titan M2 chip integrated into the Tensor platform, you can even be sure that your device is more secure than ever.
You get a slightly smaller screen at 6.1-inch instead of 6.3-inch. It still displays at Full HD+ resolution and up to 90Hz in refresh rate. While it is nothing close to what ASUS had offered with their flagship ROG Phone 7, the display is a respectable one. It is also protected with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3, not their latest, but still strong enough to take on the daily bumps and scrapes. But it is not just the screen that is durable. Google says that the Pixel 7a is built to be the most durable A-series smartphone they have so far. The entire aluminium housing of the device is also 100% recycled, to comply with Google’s commitment to sustainability.
Source: Google
It packs everything that made the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro a delight to use, thanks to Android in part. It features the clever Pixel Call Assist that just makes phone calls to service providers much more bearable. With Direct My Call, the device gets you to the right departments quicker without too much fuss, Call Screen lets you screen through calls before you pick it up, Hold for Me holds your calls for you when you are in a waiting line so that you do not have to, the device even tells you how long you have to wait until you get an answer or representative talking to you via Wait Times. Of course, the clever interface enhances your calls with anyone with Clear Calling that enhances your voice and reduces background noise. Thanks to the power of Tensor G2 and Android, Live Translate, Recorder Speaker Labels, Assistant Voice Typing, and Voice Messaging Transcription on the messaging app is better than ever too on the Google Pixel 7a.
Where the Pixel 7a differs from the Google Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro is the cameras it packs. The Google Pixel 7a comes with a 64-Megapixel main shooter that is also supported by a 13-Megapixel ultrawide camera on the side. It does not have a third camera like the Pixel 7 Pro. The Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro also only comes with a 50-Megapixel main camera, which is technically less powerful than that of the Pixel 7a. Compared to the Google Pixel 6a though, the 64-Megapixel sensor is 72% larger than before for up to 44% more light capture. There is also a 13-Megapixel front-facing camera that is now capable of recording videos at up to 4K resolutions. Thanks to the Tensor G2 processor, the main camera can now shoot in Long Exposure mode that can really enhance photos with moving objects or subjects. You can even take photos at 8x zoom with Super Res zoom function.
Price and Availability
The Pixel 7a is now available in the United States for US$ 499 (MYR 2,226*) onward. You can choose between four attractive colours – Coral, Sea, Charcoal, and Snow. The Google Pixel 7a will be available in other select markets on a later date. Unfortunately, Malaysia will not be getting the Google Pixel 7a in an official capacity at this time. More about the Google Pixel 7a can be found on their website.
*Approximately based the exchange rate of US$ 1 = MYR 4.46 as of 11/05/2023 on xe.com
Sharing files between devices is not as simple as it sounds. Sure, Apple figured it out and introduced their own version of wireless file sharing system called AirDrop for years now. The feature allows you to share files between multiple iPhones, MacBooks, iPads, or even Mac Desktops without the devices ever touching each other or tethering to one another.
Android and Windows did not have that. This is where the problem of fragmentation of Android and Windows devices comes into play. Every device is built to a different standard and specification so that file sharing between devices becomes a problem. You can technically share files between Android devices quickly without the devices ever touching each other. The function is called nearby share, and it works, to a certain degree. Each manufacturer also tries to come up with their own solution for their own devices that other manufacturers cannot take advantage of. For Windows devices, it is more of a problem because there is almost no such thing as wireless file sharing other than via Bluetooth.
It seems that Google, not Microsoft to no surprise at all, is going to solve that problem for Android users at least. They call it Nearby Share for Windows, which was technically introduced as a beta app for Windows devices about a month ago. Then again, it was only available in select regions and was more of a test tool. The tool is now in beta and is available for all Windows devices across the globe (with some exceptions).
If you wish to, you can download the tool from Google themselves to try it out. It only works with Android devices and 64-bit version of Windows 10 and newer. If you are running Windows out of an ARM based device, you are out of luck. You also need to own an Android device running Marshmallow (Android 6.0) with Nearby Share capabilities. It will be utilizing your Bluetooth and WiFi capabilities on both your Android and Windows devices to make the transfer handshake and transaction happen, so you want to make sure to turn on both when you are making a transfer.
Unlike HUAWEI’s implementation of file sharing between devices, you do not need an NFC tag on your PC or smartphone. The only thing you need to do is to tap ‘nearby share’ on your smartphone, select your accompanying or intended Windows PC, approve the data transfer request on your PC, and wait for the files to transfer at near instant speeds, as fast as your WiFi can go. The transfer goes both ways, so it will be the same process for data transfers from your Windows PC to your Android device.
The Nearby Share for Windows app, as you might have noticed when you hop into their website, is still in beta and will be in that state for a while, we guess. That means that you might need to expect a few bugs and glitches with the software or function. It is not going to be the perfect solution just yet is what we are saying. Of course, Google is looking to make the app better constantly, so that is also what we are expecting in the future. You can find out more about Google’s Nearby Share for Windows app on their website.
Google I/O 2023 is just around the corner, and we are all quite excited. Apart from the new Pixel 7 series, we are expecting Google to announce a new foldable smartphone. We are also expecting that to be priced like a Samsung foldable, which is not necessarily a good thing. Still, we can look forward to a new Android, a foldable or convertible friendly one at least. They say that it might not look completely different this time round over the 13th generation of Android introduced in the same event last year. Every iteration of Android comes with a slew of its own improvements though, be it in the interface improvements, responsiveness, and even function.
There is a problem that has plagued Google’s mobile ecosystem for a while now though. It has to do with the multitasking capabilities of the interface. While manufacturers like Samsung have been championing multitasking on their devices for a long time, the vanilla Android is quite bad at it, as it seems. One of those problems is that apps tend to shut down when you leave it in the background. That is the opposite of what you want to happen when you are championing your device for multitasking purposes.
Their blog announcement points out a consistency problem of background apps working behind the scenes of your Android smartphone. They say that the Android ecosystem is flawed when it comes to multitasking. They pointed out that foreground services and background work are restricted on different devices by manufacturers. That means that different apps tend to behave differently across devices when they are put on the backburner. That is why you have passive apps that hardly work on your Android devices until you launch them again.
The next step for Google, according to their blog post anyway, is to introduce APIs and standards to ensure their partners adhere to a consistent set of guidelines for app functions on their devices. Samsung, one of the champions in mobile multitasking, is announced to be their first partner to take the step. The new APIs that is to be introduced by Google is not a way to police their partners, rather a set of guidelines to ensure that apps behave consistently on the foreground and background across devices, creating a more consistent Android experience for all users. Allowing for better and more consistent background works on Android also allows app developers to create apps that work better with other apps at the same time, offering better user experiences across the board. Of course, the guidelines will help offer apps that work as intended by the developers.
Google has also stated that all these improvements on foreground and background apps will be introduced in Android 14. The improvements include more user control even on foreground apps and services, smoother large uploads and downloads of user-initiated data transfer jobs via JobScheduler, and a new Google Play policy for appropriate use of foreground services. There are no mentions on whether the first patch of Android 14 will get these treatments or not. We can only tell when they announce Android 14 in the coming Google I/O or when they start shipping their latest Google Pixel out to customers.
