Category Archives: Computer Hardware + Systems Articles!
Here is everything on computer hardware and systems articles at Tech ARP!
This is where you will find our articles on computer hardware like CPUs, graphics cards and monitors, to computer systems like laptops and gaming desktops!
Please bookmark and check back for updates on computer hardware and system articles, reviews and news!
Acer just launched the Aspire Vero – a new green laptop for environmentally-conscious consumers and companies!
Take a look at the 2021 Acer Aspire Vero, and find out how it differs from other laptops!
2021 Acer Aspire Vero : Green Laptop With 30% PCR Chassis
The 2021 Acer Aspire Vero is a new laptop, designed to meet the discerning requirements of environmentally-conscious consumers and companies.
Its chassis is made from 30% post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic, while its keycaps contain 50% PCR plastic. This allows the Aspire Vero to save about 21% in CO2 emissions.
The Acer Aspire Vero is also designed to eliminate electronic waste by making it easy to disassemble, repair or upgrade – a far cry from some other brands.
https://youtu.be/U_6t8_JyIUQ
The 2021 Acer Aspire Vero also ships in a box made from 80-85% recycled paper pulp, and it swaps plastic bags for paper sleeves instead.
The single piece of plastic in the box – a thin protective sheet between the keyboard and screen – is made from 100% industrial recycled plastic.
All graphics on the box are also printed with soy ink, and Acer did away with any printing on the laptop chassis. On top of that, users can convert the 100% recyclable packaging into a DIY laptop stand!
The laptop comes with a 99% recyclable 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display, and is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 or Core i5 processor with Intel Iris Xe Graphics.
For greater energy efficiency and longer battery life, you can switch on the Eco+ mode in the Acer VeroSense software.
It features the latest connectivity capabilities – Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5.1, and even an RJ-45 ethernet port, as well as two USB Type A ports, a USB Type C port, a HDMI port and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
The 2021 Acer Aspire Vero runs on Windows 11, and comes pre-installed with Microsoft Office Home & Student 2021
2021 Acer Aspire Vero : Specifications
Acer is offering two variants of the Aspire Vero laptop in 2021. For your convenience, I prepared this table comparing their key specifications :
Specifications
Acer Aspire Vero
(Core i5)
Acer Aspire Vero
(Core i7)
Model
AV15-51-522W
AV15-51-75SA
Display
15.6-inch IPS display
Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080)
OS
Microsoft Windows 11 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-1155G7
Intel Core i7-1195G7
Memory
8 GB LPDDR4X
16 GB LPDDR4X
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage
512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Networking
Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201
Bluetooth 5.1 RJ-45 Ethernet Port
Connectivity
1 x HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A (with power-off USB charging)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1
Type C
1 x 3.5 mm audio jack
Webcam
Acer HD webcam (1280 x 720)
Battery Life
Up to 7 hours
Dimensions
363.4 mm wide
238.5 mm deep
17.9 mm thick
Weight
1.8 kg
Price
RM3,399
RM4,299
2021 Acer Aspire Vero : Price + Availability
The 2021 Acer Aspire Vero is available for purchase with immediate effect, with these official launch prices :
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
HUAWEI just introduced a new laptop – the MateBook 14s with a 90Hz display, and the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processors.
Find out why this is such a great all-round laptop!
Why HUAWEI MateBook 14s Is A Great All-Round Laptop!
In the past few years, HUAWEI has been aggressively creating laptops, to drive their 1+8+N concept of a fully-connected life.
The new HUAWEI MateBook 14s is their latest computing lynchpin in that strategy, as an affordable, high-performance laptop for business professionals.
Let’s take a look at its key features, and why it is such a great all-round laptop!
90 Hz High-Resolution Display
When you open up the HUAWEI MateBook 14s, the first thing you will notice is the expansive 14-inch FullView display with really thin bezels.
This is a high-resolution touch-screen display with a 2.5K resolution of 2520 x 1680 pixels, that supports a maximum refresh rate of 90 Hz and a wide 100% sRGB colour gamut.
For maximum viewing comfort, it has built-in Smart Brightness Adjustment with Dual Eye Comfort, and is certified by TUV Rheinland as a low blue light and flicker-free display.
Performance
The HUAWEI MateBook 14s is powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processors, with two variants at present :
Intel Core i7-11370H : 4C / 8T, 12 MB cache, up to 4.8 GHz
Intel Core i5-11300H : 4C / 8T, 8 MB cache, up to 4.4 GHz
Both variants feature the latest Intel Iris Xe Graphics, with these RAM + storage options :
And if you need additional performance, you can activate its Performance Mode. By simply pressing the Fn+P key combo, the CPU TDP will be boosted to 45W, giving you a boost in CPU performance!
All that is powered by a 60 Who battery, and a pocketable 90W power adapter that supports HUAWEI Super Charge. A quick 15 minute charge gives you up to 3 hours of battery life.
Multimedia Prowess
Whether it’s for work or entertainment, the HUAWEI MateBook 14s will surely impress with its four speaker system.
Powered by HUAWEI SOUND, these speakers produce an enveloping virtual surround sound field around the user, which can be further adjusted using the four pre-set audio modes.
The MateBook 14s also features a quad-microphone system, which works with the new HUAWEI Personal Voice Enhancement technology, to intelligently isolate and boost your voice while cutting out ambient noise.
Its four microphones, which are placed along the laptop edges, can pick-up audio from sources up to 5 metres away, and ensure that you are clearly heard, even in noisy environments.
HUAWEI Innovation
The HUAWEI MateBook 14s is designed to work with other HUAWEI ecosystem devices, as part of their 1+8+N concept. Hence, it comes with a bevy of innovative tools for multi-device sharing and collaboration!
The Mirror Mode lets you mirror the MateBook 14s display onto a HUAWEI tablet, letting you use those devices as a digital drawing pad.
You can also use Mirror Mode to allow different groups to collaborate on the same content.
The Extend Mode lets your HUAWEI tablet serve as a secondary display, giving you more space to work with, or letting you play music / video while you work.
The Collaborate Mode lets you easily and wirelessly transfer content between the MateBook 14s and another HUAWEI device! You can just drag and drop the files you want using the mouse!
The Collaborate Mode also lets you use your laptop keyboard and mouse with your HUAWEI tablet or smartphone!
It Can Run Mobile Apps!
The HUAWEI MateBook 14s comes with the beta version of Mobile Apps Engine, which lets you run mobile apps (like WeChat, for example) directly on the laptop!
This not only lets you have a bigger, more expansive view of your mobile apps, you can now have two mobile accounts – one for personal use, one for work or business use.
HUAWEI MateBook 14s : Price + Pre-Order Deal!
The HUAWEI MateBook 14s is available to pre-order from RM4,999 (approx. S$1,599 / US$1,999 / £869 / A$1,599), from 28 October until 6 November 2021.
Every purchase of the HUAWEI MateBook 14s will come with freebies worth RM1,366 :
HUAWEI FreeBuds Pro
HUAWEI Bluetooth mouse
HUAWEI Backpack
Office 365 (1 Year Subscription)
You can grab the pre-order deal for the HUAWEI MateBook 14s at these two official stores :
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The 2021 MacBook Pro restored four great features that famed designer, Jony Ive threw out!
Well, isn’t it fortunate that he left Apple?
2021 MacBook Pro Restores 4 Features Jony Ive Threw Out!
Famed designed Jony Ive did many things right, but he also screwed up the MacBook Pro for many years.
In his obsessive quest for ever THINNER form factors, Sir Jony dumped four great features that MacBook Pro users loved.
Physical function keys
SDXC card reader
MagSafe charging port
HDMI port
The good news is – the 2021 MacBook Pro restores all four features that Jony threw out!
Magic Keyboard With Physical Function Keys!
Jony Ive introduced the butterfly keyboard mechanism because it was THINNER. However, it has less key travel (of course) and was prone to failure.
Apple finally gave up on the butterfly keyboard after Jony left, when they introduced the Magic Keyboard with a scissor mechanism in the 16-inch MacBook Pro (2019).
But it was with this new 2021 MacBook Pro that nailed the coffin shut for the Touch Bar, which many MBP users considered an expensive boondoggle.
FINALLY, MacBook Pro users have a proper keyboard with physical function keys that provide tactile feedback!
SDXC Card Reader + HDMI Port Are Back!
Many MacBook Pro users are photographers who loved how their MBPs had an integrated SDXC card reader. They can just slot in their SD cards and get to work.
Many users also loved the convenience of an integrated HDMI port, which allowed quick and easy video output to an external monitor or even a projector.
Unfortunately, Jony Ive sacrificed both the SDXC card reader and the HDMI port on the altar of a THINNER profile, forcing users to use USB card readers and dongles.
Well, the good news is the 2021 MacBook Pro restored both the SDXC card reader and the HDMI port!
MagSafe 3 Charging!
Another stupid decision Apple made with their 4th Gen MacBook Pro was to remove the MagSafe charging connector.
Not only does the MagSafe prevent damage if anyone trips over the cable, it also has a very nifty indicator light that quickly tells you its charging status.
Fortunately, Apple just introduced MagSafe 3 in the 2021 MacBook Pro. It is now slimmer, and can support up to 140 watts of power delivery!
Don’t worry – you can still use USB-C charging if you want to.
2021 MacBook Pro So Much Better After Jony Ive Left
Now, I do not mean to disparage Sir Jony Ive’s excellent design work. I just think he went overboard with his obsession with THINNESS.
How much functionality is worth trading away to shave off an extra millimetre or two? Never enough in Jony’s book, from what I can tell.
Even with all that gone, he couldn’t even get the MacBook Pro to be thinner or lighter than the Dell XPS 13… so what was the point of removing them???
Hence, it is fortuitous for MacBook Pro users that he is no longer in charge of the design work at Apple.
The restoration of these four long-missed features arguably makes the 2021 MacBook Pro far more functional than its fancy mini LED display or M1 Pro / Max processor could achieve.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Back in February 2021, we gave you all a sneak peek at what the 2021 Apple MBP would offer in terms of connectivity.
We said back then that “Apple will not only introduce a new MagSafe 3 connector in the upcoming 2021 MacBook Pro, they will also bring back the SD card slot!”
Take a look at what we revealed back then, and what Apple just revealed earlier today!
We Were Right About MagSafe 3 In 2021 MBP!
In our February 2021 sneak peek of the 2021 MBP’s connectivity options, we shared that Apple will bring back their long-missed MagSafe connector.
It would be a brand new connector with a slimmer profile called MagSafe 3, which would be bidirectional with 5 pins, and have a slimmer profile.
Take a look at the picture we shared in February, showing MagSafe 3, next to two Thunderbolt ports and a 3.5 mm headphone jack.
And take a look at the connectors on the left side of the actual 2021 MacBook Pro. Pretty much the same, right?
We Were Right About SDXC Card Reader + HDMI 2.0 In 2021 MBP!
In our February 2021 sneak peek, we also shared that Apple would bring back the sorely-missed SDXC card reader, as well as the HDMI 2.0 port.
Here was the picture we shared in February, showing the SDXC card reader, together with the HDMI 2.0 port.
Doesn’t it look EXACTLY like the actual right side of the 2021 MacBook Pro?
We also revealed back then that the OLED Touch Bar would finally be banished… hopefully for good. It was an expensive boondoggle that MBP users were forced to pay for.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Acer just unveiled the 2021 Predator Orion 7000 – an upgradeable liquid-cooled gaming PC!
Here is our first look at the 2021 Acer Predator Orion 7000 gaming PC!
2021 Acer Predator Orion 7000 : First Look!
Acer just introduced their new 2021 Predator Orion 7000 gaming PC (P07-640) at their 2021 “Made for Humanity” Global Press Conference.
Here is our first look at this awesome-looking liquid-cooled gaming PC!
2021 Acer Predator Orion 7000 : Key Features
Here is a quick overview of its key features :
Performance
The 2021 Predator Orion 7000 is powered by the latest 12th Gen Intel Core processors, paired with up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card, and up to 64 GB DDR5-4000 RAM!
This makes it one of the most powerful gaming PC in the market today! And it is upgradeable, so you can upgrade to the next best thing that comes along!
Cooling
An AIO CPU liquid cooler, with three Predator FrostBlade 2.0 fans and advanced airflow management keep system components cool, even in the most demanding gaming conditions.
The improved FrostBlade fans’ thin and curved blades are designed to smoothly increase airflow without creating turbulence, while their wear resistant and fully-sealed rifle bearings ensure that they will keep spinning for many years to come.
Design
The 2021 Predator Orion 7000 comes with an EMI-compliant chassis with transparent, tempered glass side panels.
The design showcases two massive 140 mm (5.5-inch) Predator FrostBlade 2.0 fans in the front, and a 120 mm (4.7-inch) Predator FrostBlade 2.0 fan at the back, which can be lit and configured with a dazzling array of ARGB colours.
Accenting the bold lighting and design are an illuminated teal blue Predator logo on the front panel, with an easily-accessible teal prism-refraction power button.
Storage
The rig comes with ample storage bays, with these storage options :
1 x 2.5-inch USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C hot swap drive bay
2 x M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD bay (up to 1 TB each)
2 x 3.5-inch SATA 3 hard disk drives (up to 3 TB each)
Connectivity
The 2021 Predator Orion 7000 also comes with lots of wireless and wired connectivity features built-in :
Intel Killer 2.5G LAN port
Intel Wi-Fi 6E (AX211) with 2×2 MU-MIMO technology
In the front of the chassis, it offers these easy-to-reach ports :
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type C port
2 x audio jacks
At the back of the chassis, you will find these additional ports :
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type A ports
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port
2 x USB 2.0 ports
3 x audio jacks
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
Acer just introduced the 2021 Predator Triton and Predator Helios line of gaming laptops!
Take a look at these brand new gaming laptops and find out what they offer!
2021 Predator Triton + Helios Gaming Laptops Are Here!
On 30 September 2021, Acer unveiled the 2021 Predator Triton and Predator Helios line of gaming laptops!
These newly-refreshed gaming laptops now offer a new level of gaming performance, with even better displays!
Let’s start with their official launch briefing video…
2021 Predator Triton 500 SE
The 2021 Predator Triton 500 SE (Special Edition) is a discreetly-designed gaming laptop that look like professional business laptops, but will blast the competition out of the water in any game!
The new Predator Triton 500 SE is incredibly powerful, pairing an 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 processor with the NVIDIA® GeForce™ RTX 3080 GPU, with up to 32 GB of fast DDR4 memory.
Its 16-inch IPS display offers a large work space with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels. No one would possibly guess that this large, high-resolution display is also fantastic for gaming, especially when it supports a 165 Hz refresh rate!
To ensure that it stays cool, even under the most strenuous work or gaming conditions, the Predator Triton 500 SE employs the Acer Vortex Flow cooling design, which features :
a triple-fan cooling system
5th Generation AeroBlade™ 3D fans
five dedicated heat pipes
strategically-placed intake and exhaust vents
Best of all – it offers up to 12-hours of battery life, in a 19.9 mm thin all-metal chassis that weighs only 2.4 kg! This lets you use the Predator Triton 500 SE for a full day of work or game on-the-go!
Why waste money on two separate laptops – one for work, one for play, when you can use the Predator Triton 500 SE for both? That’s why I’m especially excited about the 2021 Predator Triton 500 SE.
Acer is offering two models, priced at RM12,999 and RM8,999 respectively, with a 2 year on-site warranty with protection against accidental damage and theft!
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Ethernet E3100G
Ports
2 x USB Type C ports with one port supporting
– USB 3.2 Gen 2
– DisplayPort over USB-C
– Thunderbolt 4
– USB charging
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
– one port supports power-off USB charging
1 x HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP
1 x 3.5 mm audio jack
Card Reader
SD Card Reader
Audio
DTS X : Ultra
Supports Windows Spatial Sound
Webcam
720p HD webcam
Dimensions
358.5 mm wide
262.4 mm deep
19.9 mm thick
Weight
2.4 kg
Price
RM12,999
~ US$3,110
~ £2,306
~ A$4,294
~ S$4,221
RM8,999
~ US$2,153
~ £1,596
~ A$2,972
~ S$2,922
2021 Predator Helios 500
For those who want the ultimate desktop-like gaming performance in a laptop, the 2021 Predator Helios 500 is the answer.
The top-of-the-line model pairs up to 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9-11980HK processor, with an NVIDIA® GeForce™ RTX 3080 GPU with 16 GB of GDDR6 memory, together with up to 64 GB of RAM and up to 2 TB of fast SSD storage!
The Intel® Core™ i9 model comes with a magnificent 17.3-inch Mini LED display, with 4K resolution and support for full-array local dimming!
The Intel® Core™ i7 model, on the other hand, comes with a super-fast Full HD display with a 360 Hz refresh rate and a 3 ms response time.
The 2021 Predator Helios 500 is kept cool by Predator PowerGem – a custom metal-alloy polymer on the CPU, as well as Acer Vortex Flow technology with two 5th Generation AeroBlade™ 3D fans.
The RGB-lit keys can also be further customised by the discerning gamer, who can swap them for Acer Racing or MagForce keys (featuring MagTek mechanical switches).
If you really want the best gaming laptop money can buy, definitely look at the Predator Helios 500.
Acer is offering two models priced at RM19,999 and RM13,999 respectively, with a 2 year on-site warranty with protection against accidental damage and theft!
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Ethernet E3100G
Ports
2 x USB Type C ports with one port supporting
– USB 3.2 Gen 2
– DisplayPort over USB-C
– Thunderbolt 4
– USB charging
3 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports
– one port supports power-off USB charging
1 x HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP
1 x mini DP 1.4 port
1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
1 x 3.5 mm microphone jack
Card Reader
SD Card Reader
Audio
DTS X : Ultra
Supports Windows Spatial Sound
Webcam
720p HD webcam
Dimensions
400.0 mm wide
319.2 mm deep
35.3 mm thick
Weight
3.9 kg
Price
RM19,999
~ US$4,785
~ £3,552
~ A$6,614
~ S$6,494
RM13,999
~ US$3,349
~ £2,486
~ A$4,630
~ S$4,546
2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 (17.3-inch)
Those on a tighter budget but still want a large gaming laptop, should consider the 2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 (17.3-inch).
Now refreshed with the 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7-11800H processor and up to the NVIDIA® GeForce™ RTX 3070 GPU, it comes with two excellent 17.3-inch display options :
a 2560 x 1440 display with a 165 Hz refresh rate, and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, or
a 1920 x 1080 display with a 360 Hz refresh rate, and 100% sRGB colour gamut
It comes with 16GB of RAM, which can be expanded to 32GB, and up to 1TB of fast SSD storage, which can be expanded with another SSD and even a HDD!
To ensure it stays cool even in the most demanding gaming session, it features dual AeroBlade™ 3D fans, which can be monitored and controlled by the PredatorSense app.
The 17.3-inch Predator Helios 300 is definitely a great option for those who are looking for a good gaming laptop with a large display at an affordable price point.
Acer is offering two models priced at RM8,999 and RM7,999 respectively, with a 2 year on-site warranty with protection against accidental damage and theft!
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Ethernet E2600
Ports
1 x USB Type C port supporting
– USB 3.2 Gen 2
– DisplayPort over USB-C
– Thunderbolt 4
– USB charging
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port supporting power-off USB charging
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
1 x HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP
1 x mini-DP 1.4 port
1 x 3.5 mm audio jack
Card Reader
None
Audio
DTS X : Ultra
Supports Windows Spatial Sound
Webcam
720p HD webcam
Dimensions
398.0 mm wide
375.3 mm deep
26.55 mm thick
Weight
2.9 kg
Price
RM8,999
~ US$2,153
~ £1,596
~ A$2,972
~ S$2,922
RM7,999
~ US$1,913
~ £1,418
~ A$2,463
~ S$2,599
2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 (15.6-inch)
The smaller 2021 Acer Predator Helios 300 offers great gaming performance in a compact, portable laptop for gaming on-the-go.
Now refreshed with the 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i9 or Core i7 and up to the NVIDIA® GeForce™ RTX 3070 GPU, it comes with two excellent 15.6-inch display options :
a 2560 x 1440 display with a 165 Hz refresh rate, and 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut, or
a 1920 x 1080 display with a 360 Hz refresh rate, and 100% sRGB colour gamut
It comes with up to 32GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of fast SSD storage, which can be expanded with another SSD and even a HDD!
To ensure it stays cool even in the most demanding gaming session, it features dual AeroBlade™ 3D fans, which can be monitored and controlled by the PredatorSense app.
The 15.6-inch Predator Helios 300 is an affordable option for those who are looking for great gaming performance in a more portable form factor for on-the-go gaming.
Acer is offering three models priced at RM9,999, RM7,699 and RM6,299, with a 2 year on-site warranty with protection against accidental damage and theft!
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Killer Ethernet E2600
Ports
1 x USB Type C port supporting
– USB 3.2 Gen 2
– DisplayPort over USB-C
– Thunderbolt 4
– USB charging
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port supporting power-off USB charging
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports
1 x HDMI 2.1 port with HDCP
1 x mini-DP 1.4 port1 x 3.5 mm audio jack
Card Reader
None
Audio
DTS X : Ultra
Supports Windows Spatial Sound
Webcam
720p HD webcam
Dimensions
363.0 mm wide
255.0 mm deep
22.9 mm thick
Weight
2.3 kg
Price
RM9,999
~ US$2,392
~ £1,774
~ A$3,306
~ S$3,249
RM7,699
~ US$1,842
~ £1,366
~ A$2,546
~ S$2,502
RM6,299
~ US$1,507
~ £1,117
~ A$2,083
~ S$2,047
2021 Predator Gaming Laptop Deals!
Acer is offering several deals for the 2021 Predator gaming laptops :
Now until 6 October 2021 : Any purchase of the new Predator Helios 300 will be entitled to free gifts worth more than RM1,000 including Predator Gaming Utility Backpack, Predator Galea 350 Headset and limited edition merchandise.
Now until 6 October 2021 : Any purchase of the Core i9 variant of Predator Helios 300 (PH315-54-9763) will receive an additional Predator Gaming Chair worth RM1,299 for FREE!
From 30 October until 6 November 2021 : Any purchase of Predator Triton 500 SE / Predator Helios 500 will be entitled to free gifts worth more than RM2,000 including Predator Gaming Chair, Predator Gaming Utility Backpack, Predator Galea 350 Headset.
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The free WiFi 6 router that Maxis is touting isn’t exactly FREE as claimed.
Here’s what I just found out, and what you should know about their “free” WiFi 6 router.
Maxis Fibre Broadband : What Free WiFi 6 Router?
On 18 February 2021, Maxis announced that they would make a new WiFi 6 router available for FREE to all new and existing Maxis Fibre Broadband customers!
The WiFi 6 router will be available for free from today, 18 February onwards for new customers who sign up for Maxis Fibre plans of 100Mbps and above. Existing Maxis Fibre customers will be contacted in phases for the router upgrade exercise. Maxis’ specialised Internet experts, Maxperts, will also provide free installation of the router to ensure that the WiFi is optimized for the best connectivity experience for the home.
When I wrote about it, I thought that was pretty generous of them, and a brilliant way to reduce churn and eat into Unifi’s business.
I quickly called up Maxis, eager to give it a try myself. But almost 7 months later, no one from the Maxis Fibre Broadband team called me up about this free WiFi 6 router upgrade.
Today, I found out that what Maxis announced in February was not exactly the truth. Here are the facts…
Maxis Fibre Warning : WiFi 6 Router NOT Exactly Free!
When Maxis first announced the availability of their free WiFi 6 router, they specifically stated that :
it would be made available for FREE for new customers who sign up for 100 Mbps or faster plans, and
existing customers would receive the upgrade in phases.
Neither are true… which is good news and bad news.
Based on my conversation with Amir from their Customer Service team, and Intan from their Fibre Broadband team on 17 September 2021, here are the facts :
The WiFi 6 router is only available to new customers, and existing customers who are already (or almost) out-of-contract.
This WiFi 6 router will not be made available to customers who are still under contract.
Existing customers will not be upgraded in phases as claimed. Rather, you have to call up Maxis customer service to request for the upgrade.
Existing customers MUST upgrade their existing plans to qualify for the WiFi 6 router upgrade.
If you are on 30 Mbps, you must upgrade to 100 Mbps or higher
If you are on 300 Mbps, you must upgrade to 500 Mbps or higher
Existing customers MUST sign up for a 2-year contract, which introduces this penalty should you terminate the contract at any point in time :
Early Termination Charge of RM500 or the remaining monthly subscription charges in the contract period, whichever is higher.
For existing customers, the WiFi 6 router replaces your existing router, which will be taken back by Maxis.
Since this occurs at the end of a contract, this implies that the routers are “leased” and do not belong to you even after you complete the contract.
Their FAQ mentioned that the WiFi 6 router is only given free to “new installations for all plans of Maxis Fibre“, including their cheaper 30 Mbps plan.
There is NO MENTION in the Maxis website of any requirement to upgrade your plan, or sign up for a new 2-year contract, to receive this “free” WiFi 6 router upgrade.
As a long-time Maxis Mobile and Maxis Fibre customer, I’m very disappointed to see them quietly change the terms for what would have been a great upgrade for their loyal customers.
Forcing people to upgrade their plans when they don’t need the extra speed means you are essentially paying for the router.
That’s RM20 to RM80 extra per month, or between RM480 and RM1,920 for a 2-year contract!
Don’t be the fool who ends up paying RM80 extra per month for a “free” WiFi 6 router, unless it’s gold-plated!
I can understand if they wish to tack on a 2-year contract, but at least make it clear to customers in the website, including the early termination penalty!
There is one piece of good news though – even their cheapest 30 Mbps plan comes with the WiFi 6 router!
Pro Tip #1 : Call Maxis customer service and switch to the 30 Mbps plan, before asking for the WiFi 6 upgrade. This way, you don’t have to upgrade to a faster plan unnecessarily.
Pro Tip #2 : If you are currently on the 30 Mbps plan and don’t want to upgrade for the free router, call to CANCEL the service and migrate to Unifi or TIME (which always gives free upgrades!). Their Save team will call you up to try and salvage your business.
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Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
HUAWEI just introduced the MatePad 11 tablet and the MateBook D15 laptop, each offering new capabilities.
But take a look at what happens when you use them together!
HUAWEI MatePad 11 + MateBook D15 : A Quick Primer!
HUAWEI just introduced the MatePad 11 tablet and the MateBook D15 laptop, each offering new capabilities.
HUAWEI MatePad 11
Running on HarmonyOS 2, the MatePad 11 is the first HUAWEI tablet to feature a 10.95-inch FullView display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for a silky-smooth visual experience, and a DCI-P3 colour gamut for real-to-life colours!
Its display is also TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light-certified, and TÜV Rheinland Flicker-Free certified, guaranteeing you hours of comfortable viewing without eye fatigue.
The MatePad 11 comes with the 2nd Generation M-Pencil stylus, which boasts an almost imperceptible lag as low as 2 ms. It has 4,096 pressure levels and tilt sensitivity, giving you a natural writing and drawing experience.
The 2nd Generation M-Pencil also supports Double Tap to Switch tools, for convenient writing and drawing. If you make a mistake, just double tap the M-Pencil to instantly switch it to the eraser mode!
It also supports HUAWEI FreeScript that quickly converts your handwriting into beautiful text, as well as Instant Shape and Instant Table, to help you easily draw perfect shapes and tablets!
The MatePad 11 is also a multimedia powerhouse, with quad-channel large amplitude quad-speaker system, tuned by Harman Kardon.
It is further enhanced with Histen 7.0 for greater bass and a new sound field enhancement algorithm, giving you that immersive cinema-like audio experience when you watch movies!
The MatePad 11 tablet also comes with 4 microphones, to pick up your voice while eliminating background noise using its built-in noise reduction and echo cancellation technologies.
You also do not need to worry about its battery life – the HUAWEI MatePad 11 offers up to 12 hours of work productivity time or 1080p video playback on a single charge.
HUAWEI MateBook D15
The HUAWEI MateBook D15 is now powered by either the 10th or 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, in a superbly thin and light aluminium alloy chassis – just 16.9 mm thin and weighing only 1.56 kg.
It comes with a FullView Display, offering 87% screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its 5.3 mm narrow bezels at the top and sides.
The large 15.6-inch display has a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and an anti-glare IPS panel that is TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free certified.
Despite its slim design, the MateBook 15 offers an impressive array of ports :
1 x USB-C port
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x HDMI port
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
HUAWEI MatePad 11 + MateBook D15 : A Synergistic Combo!
Both the HUAWEI MatePad 11 and MateBook 15 are not your average tablet or laptop. They both come with built-in distributed technology to harness the capabilities of other devices.
This distributed technology unleashes the synergistic potential that most people don’t realise, when the MatePad 11 and the MateBook D15 are used together!
When used together, they both can perform what HUAWEI calls Multi-screen Collaboration, with three modes :
Mirror Mode
The HUAWEI MateBook D15 display can be mirrored onto the MatePad 11 tablet, allowing it to be used as a digital drawing pad using the bundled 2nd Generation M-Pencil.
You can use the M-Pencil to write, draw or doodle on the MatePad 11 tablet, with the changes reflected on MateBook D15’s documents.
You can also use the mirror mode for collaborative discussions by separate groups – the same content can be viewed and changed on the tablet and PC by different people / groups at the same time.
Extend Mode
The HUAWEI MatePad 11 can serve as a secondary display for the MateBook D15 laptop, giving you more space to work with.
You can use tablet to load documents for reference, or browse for information or play videos while you work on the laptop.
Collaborate Mode
The built-in distributed technology allows you to easily transfer content between the MatePad 11 and the MateBook D15, without using a USB flash drive!
All you have to do is drag and drop the files you want – be they photos, videos, music or even documents – using the mouse. It’s that simple!
On top of that, you can use the keyboard and mouse between both devices using the Collaborate Mode!
HUAWEI MatePad 11 + MateBook D15 : Price + Deal!
HUAWEI is offering their new tablets and laptops at these launch prices :
* These free gifts are available while stocks lasts, on a first-come, first-served basis.
Please Support My Work!
Support my work through a bank transfer / PayPal / credit card!
Name : Adrian Wong Bank Transfer : CIMB 7064555917 (Swift Code : CIBBMYKL)
Credit Card / Paypal : https://paypal.me/techarp
Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
The Acer Day 2021 bonanza is here! Check out the awesome deals that Acer Malaysia is offering this month!
Acer Day 2021 : Time For Great Deals!
Acer Day is an annual celebration of their success, kicking off a virtual bonanza of deals and giveaways.
Acer Day 2021 is now conducted online, with the theme “Live Your World”, to encourage all of us to make the best of the situation we are in.
Acer Day 2021 Sale : Check Out These Awesome Deals!
Special Acer Day 2021 Sale On Shopee
Acer Day will kick off with two days of special sales on Shopee – 3 and 4 August 2021.
Up to 60% or RM500 off for a wide range of Acer products
Store vouchers of up to RM200 to collect and apply during checkout.
The top 10 spends from select Acer Stores on Shopee (see below) will be able to bring home a Predator Gaming chair worth RM1,299!
100 units of Predator Gaming Chair will be sold at only RM359 once the Acer Malaysia Shopee Store hits 30,000 followers!
Standard Chartered Bank and HSBC Bank credit card holders will be able to stack vouchers worth up to RM300 when they checkout Acer products in their shopping cart!
Acer Day 2021 Limited Time Deals
Don’t miss the special Limited Time Deals to grab these selected Acer laptops and products at special prices!
Acer Helios 300 (PH315-53-58U0) : Only RM4,399!
Acer Nitro 5 (AN515-57-78PJ) : Only RM5,399!
Acer Swift 3 (SF314-43-R6WW / R5AD) : Only RM3,099!
Acer XC340CKP : Only RM1,529!
Acer T272HL : Only RM1,269!
Acer XZ270X : Only RM879!
They are only available at three time periods on the 3rd and 4th August, at select Acer Stores on Shopee (see below).
Acer Day 2021 Free Gifts
From 1 August until 30 September 2021, every purchase will entitle you to free gifts such as the Acer Yoga Mat, Predator Mousepad, Gateway Pro Wireless Headset or eWallet vouchers worth up to RM250!
In addition, you will stand a chance to win Acer products worth RM10,000.
Finally, Acer will donate up to RM50 to World Vision, for every purchase of select devices!
Acer Day 2021 Shops On Shopee
To grab these great Acer Day 2021 deals and freebies, please make sure you buy from these authorised Acer stores on Shopee :
HUAWEI just introduced the MatePad 11 tablet and the MateBook D15 laptop, each offering new capabilities.
Take a look at these new HUAWEI devices!
HUAWEI MatePad 11 + MateBook D15 : A Quick Primer!
HUAWEI just introduced the MatePad 11 tablet and the MateBook D15 laptop, each offering new capabilities.
HUAWEI MatePad 11
Running on HarmonyOS 2, the MatePad 11 is the first HUAWEI tablet to feature a 10.95-inch FullView display with a 120 Hz refresh rate for a silky-smooth visual experience, and a DCI-P3 colour gamut for real-to-life colours!
Its display is also TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light-certified, and TÜV Rheinland Flicker-Free certified, guaranteeing you hours of comfortable viewing without eye fatigue.
The MatePad 11 comes with the 2nd Generation M-Pencil stylus, which boasts an almost imperceptible lag as low as 2 ms. It has 4,096 pressure levels and tilt sensitivity, giving you a natural writing and drawing experience.
The 2nd Generation M-Pencil also supports Double Tap to Switch tools, for convenient writing and drawing. If you make a mistake, just double tap the M-Pencil to instantly switch it to the eraser mode!
It also supports HUAWEI FreeScript that quickly converts your handwriting into beautiful text, as well as Instant Shape and Instant Table, to help you easily draw perfect shapes and tablets!
The MatePad 11 is also a multimedia powerhouse, with quad-channel large amplitude quad-speaker system, tuned by Harman Kardon.
It is further enhanced with Histen 7.0 for greater bass and a new sound field enhancement algorithm, giving you that immersive cinema-like audio experience when you watch movies!
The MatePad 11 tablet also comes with 4 microphones, to pick up your voice while eliminating background noise using its built-in noise reduction and echo cancellation technologies.
You also do not need to worry about its battery life – the HUAWEI MatePad 11 offers up to 12 hours of work productivity time or 1080p video playback on a single charge.
HUAWEI MateBook D15
The HUAWEI MateBook D15 is now powered by either the 10th or 11th Gen Intel Core i5 processor, in a superbly thin and light aluminium alloy chassis – just 16.9 mm thin and weighing only 1.56 kg.
It comes with a FullView Display, offering 87% screen-to-body ratio, thanks to its 5.3 mm narrow bezels at the top and sides.
The large 15.6-inch display has a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, and an anti-glare IPS panel that is TÜV Rheinland Low Blue Light and Flicker-Free certified.
Despite its slim design, the MateBook 15 offers an impressive array of ports :
1 x USB-C port
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
2 x USB 2.0 ports
1 x HDMI port
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
HUAWEI MatePad 11 + MateBook D15 : Price + Deal!
HUAWEI is offering their new tablets and laptops at these launch prices :
MKN just announced that they are allowing computer, mobile, book and stationery shops to reopen across the country!
Here is what you need to know…
Computer, Mobile, Book + Stationery Shops Can Reopen!
On 15 July 2021, the Malaysia National Security Council (MKN) announced that computer, mobile, book and stationery shops will be allowed to reopen.
This decision will apply across the country, to both Phase 1 and Phase 2 states, and apply from 16 July 2021 onwards.
They made this decision after taking into account feedback from students, parents as well as teachers, and to allow teachers and students to continue online learning (PdPR).
This news will be warmly welcomed by parents and teachers, who have been complaining about not being able to repair their computer or smartphone, or even purchase books and stationery.
They also allowed students to travel in and out of EMCO areas to take their exams, including professional exams, albeit with police permission.
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Acer just introduced the 2021 Spin 3 and Spin 5 convertible laptop models, with the latest Intel processors!
Take a look at both new Spin 3 and Spin 5 laptops, and find out what they offer!
2021 Acer Spin 3 + Spin 5 : What You Need To Know!
The 2020 Red Dot Design Award-winning Acer Spin 5 was just refreshed, and so is its sibling – the Acer Spin 3.
Convertible Design
They are both convertible laptops, with 360-degree hinges that lets them transform into different form factors to suit your requirements.
You can take notes in the tablet mode, watch movies in the tent mode, or use the clamshell mode for a more ergonomic typing experience!
Performance
Both models offer the latest 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and come with up to 16 GB of LPDDR4X memory and 512 GB of fast PCIe NVMe SSD storage!
The 2021 Acer Spin 5 models, in particular, come with the latest PCIe Gen 4 SSD, which offers double the transfer speed of PCIe Gen 3 SSDs.
Both models are Intel Evo platform-certified, which means they have designed to deliver better CPU, GPU and Wi-Fi performance, instant wake-up, and longer battery life!
This gives you a desktop-like computing performance, in a slim and light convertible form factor.
High Resolution Touch Display
The 2021 Acer Spin 5 offers a 13.5-inch QHD IPS display, with an impressive 80% screen-to-body ratio, with multi-touch and AES pen support.
The 2021 Acer Spin 3, on the other hand, comes with a 13.3-inch WQXGA IPS display, also with multi-touch and AES pen support.
Both displays support 100% sRGB colour gamut, and DC dimming, which allows for no-flicker image quality in low light conditions!
Acer Active Stylus
Both 2021 Acer Spin laptops come with the Acer Active Stylus in a built-in dock, that gives it a 90 minute battery life with just 15 seconds of charging!
With two configurable buttons, this active stylus supports 4,096 pressure levels, and offers a pen-to-paper like writing experience!
Antimicrobial Coating!
The 2021 Acer Spin 5 laptop is coated with a BPR and EPA-compliant silver-ion coating on the keyboard, fingerprint reader and palm rest, with its touchpad and display are protected by Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass.
Both the antibacterial coating and the antimicrobial glass inhibit and reduce bacterial growth on all surfaces that we may touch.
This is an important feature, because the Acer Spin 5 laptop will actually reduce the amount of bacteria we come into contact!
Embedded Fingerprint Reader
A fingerprint reader is embedded directly into the touchpad, giving you an easy and secure way to verify your identity using Windows Hello, without typing in a password.
This is very useful when you are using the laptop in public, where typing out a password is not recommended.
High-Speed Connectivity
Both 2021 Spin 5 and Spin 3 laptops come with Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX1650 built-in, for the fastest possible WiFi connectivity with lower latency.
On top of that, it all comes with dual Type-C with Thunderbolt 4 ports. These are ultra-fast ports that offer data and video transfers of up to 40 Gb/s – four times faster than USB 3.2!
Both these Thunderbolt 4 ports also allow you to output up to two 4K external displays for even greater productivity.
Light + Tough
The 2021 Spin laptops are built with an aluminium chassis, offering a slimmer profile and lighter weight.
The Spin 5 is only 14.9 mm thin, and weighs only 1.2 kg, while the Spin 3 is just 15.9 mm thin, and weighs only 1.4 kg.
Not only will they fit comfortably into any tote or laptop bag, you will have no problem carrying them in your hands for hours on end.
Ultra-Long Battery Life
Both 2021 Spin 5 and Spin 3 laptops have a long 15-hour battery life, based on the MobileMark 2014 test.
They also support fast charging technology, to keep you going wherever you are. A quick 30 minute charge will give you 4 hours of use!
2021 Acer Spin 3 : Specifications
Specifications
Acer Spin 3
(Core i7)
Acer Spin 3
(Core i5)
Model
SP313-51N-714D
SP313-51N-56CM
Display
13.3-inch IPS
touch display
2560 x 1600 pixels
Supports multi-touch and AES pen
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory
16 GB LPDDR4X
8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage
512 GB PCIe 3.0 NVMe SSD
Wireless
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Ports
1 x HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP support
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type A)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type C)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (Type A)
1 x microSD card reader
1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
Camera
Acer HD webcam (720p)
Stylus
Acer Active Stylus Pen
– 4096 pressure levels
– 2 configurable buttons
– up to 100 minutes battery life
Battery Life
Up to 15 hours
Warranty
2-year local warranty +
1st year international travellers warranty
Dimensions
302 mm wide
222.5 mm deep
15.9 mm thick
Weight
1.4 kg
2021 Acer Spin 5 : Specifications
Specifications
Acer Spin 5
(Core i7)
Acer Spin 5
(Core i5)
Model
SP513-55N-74VY
SP513-55N-53Q7
Display
13.5-inch IPS
touch display
2256 x 1504 pixels
Supports multi-touch and AES pen
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Memory
16 GB LPDDR4X
8 GB LPDDR4X
Storage
512 GB PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD
Wireless
Killer Wi-Fi 6 AX 1650i
Bluetooth 5.1
Ports
1 x HDMI 2.0 port with HDCP support
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type A)
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 port (Type C)
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port (Type A)
1 x microSD card reader
1 x 3.5 mm headphone jack
Camera
Acer HD webcam (720p)
Stylus
Acer Active Stylus Pen
– 4096 pressure levels
– 2 configurable buttons
– up to 100 minutes battery life
Battery Life
Up to 15 hours
Warranty
2-year local warranty +
1st year international travellers warranty
Dimensions
300 mm wide
235 mm deep
14.9 mm thick
Weight
1.2 kg
2021 Acer Spin 3 + Spin 5 : Price + Availability
Both the 2021 Acer Spin 3 and Spin 5 convertible laptops are available with immediate effect at these price points :
Here are some great tips on how you can ramp up productivity with the 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro.
Don’t forget to SHARE these tips out!
2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro Productivity Tips!
Today, we are going to share with you some great tips on how you can ramp up productivity with the 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro.
These tips are great not just for remote workers and content creators, but also students and other people working from home.
Please don’t forget to SHARE these tips with your friends!
Flagship Performance
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro is built around the Kirin 9000E, the world’s first 5nm 5G mobile SoC that has an 8-core CPU, with a 22-core GPU and two Neural Processing Units.
And it comes with 8 GB LPDDR4x memory and 256 GB built-in storage, with the option of adding an NM card for additional storage (up to 256 GB).
So right off the bat, you have all the processing power and memory capacity you need to get A LOT of work done right on the tablet.
Multi-Screen Collaboration
Hardware performance aside, one of the 2021 MatePad Pro’s key features is its multi-screen collaboration capability when used with a HUAWEI laptop like the MateBook X Pro.
Mirror Mode : Your laptop display is mirrored onto the MatePad Pro, which can now be used as a writing or sketching pad.
Whatever you write or draw on the MatePad Pro with the M-Pencil is instantly synced in real-time to the laptop screen.
Extend Mode : You can drag a task from your laptop to the MatePad Pro, turning it into a second monitor instantly.
For example, you can video conference on one display, while edit notes or check files on the other display. This makes the MatePad Pro a great “workmate” for your laptop!
Collaborate Mode : Using the collaborate mode, you can use the laptop keyboard and mouse on both the laptop and the MatePad Pro.
In addition, you can easily drag and drop files and texts between the laptop and the MatePad Pro!
Bottom Dock + Service Widgets
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro introduces a new Bottom Dock that not only displays frequently-used apps, but also recently-used apps.
In addition, it features new Service Widgets that can display real-time information, so you can quickly and conveniently access certain app features without launching those apps!
Those Service Widgets can be placed anywhere, and are fully customisable so you can personalise your tablet as you wish!
Make Full Use Of M-Pencil (2nd Generation)
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro comes with the 2nd Generation M-Pencil, which features a transparent tip design, platinum-coated nib, and a rounded hexagonal shape for a more comfortable grip.
It has 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity and supports tilt writing, with ultra-low latency of just 9 ms.
Make use of its support for HUAWEI FreeScript to transform your handwritten jotting into machine-encoded text in real time.
The new 2nd Generation M-Pencil also supports Double Tap to Switch tools, which is very convenient.
For example, if you make a mistake while writing or drawing, you can just double tap the M-Pencil to switch to the eraser mode.
Don’t forget its other built-in features like Instant Shape and Instant Table. All you need to do is just start drawing, pause and then let go – it will automatically give you the shape you want!
2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro : Price + Freebie Tips!
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro is available for sale in Malaysia, in the Matte Grey colour.
It has an official launch price of RM 3,999 (about US$970 / £686 / A$1,253 / S$1,286). Here are online purchase options :
Dell just introduced the UltraSharp Webcam (WB7022) for the new Work From Home normal!
Here is what you need to know about the new Dell WB7022 UltraSharp Webcam!
Dell UltraSharp Webcam (WB7022) : All You Need To Know!
More than 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic, the Work From Home (WFH) normal appears to be here to stay, at least for now.
To ensure that those who need to remotely work have the best possible video conferencing webcam, Dell just introduced the UltraSharp Webcam.
With nine patent-pending technologies, the Dell UltraSharp Webcam offers 4K image quality, built-in AI tracking and other video conferencing features.
4K Webcam With World’s Best Image Quality
Dell claims that the UltraSharp Webcam offers the world’s best image quality, courtesy of the large 4K Sony STARVIS CMOS sensor and the multi-element lens that captures more light to deliver “crystal-clear video”.
It supports frame rates of 24 and 30 fps at the full 4K UHD resolution. It also supports the higher 60 fps frame rate, at the lower 1080p and 720p resolutions.
It’s not just about the hardware. It’s also about the software embedded into the UltraSharp Webcam.
Its Digital Overlap HDR capability lets the Dell UltraSharp Webcam preserve true-to-life colours and balance exposure.
Meanwhile, its 2D/3D video noise reduction capability eliminates grainy images, making you look good even in low light conditions.
AI Auto-Framing
The Dell UltraSharp Webcam has AI Auto-Framing capability built-in. This feature uses Artificial Intelligence to keep you focused and centred in the frame.
You don’t have to manually adjust the webcam. It will track your movements and shift the frame to keep you centered, even if you stand up!
5X Digital Zoom + Three Fields of View
The Dell UltraSharp Webcam supports up to 5X digital zoom, as well as three fields of view – 65°, 78° and 90°.
This allows you to fit multiple people in the same conference call, or focus exclusively on you in a crowded place.
Smart Security Features
The Dell UltraSharp Webcam supports Windows Hello, allowing you to sign-in quickly and securely usual facial recognition.
It also has Dell ExpressSign-in capability built-in, allowing Dell PCs to detect your presence as you approach and automatically log you out when you step away, offering you an extra level of security.
Finally, it comes with a magnetic privacy cover that securely snaps onto the lens, or the back of the webcam.
Webcam Mounting Solutions
The Dell UltraSharp Webcam comes with two mounts in the box :
a magnetic mount
a tripod adaptor
The magnetic mount makes it easy to attach to the top of any desktop or laptop monitor, without obscuring the display.
And if you need to mount it on a tripod, simply slide the webcam off the magnetic mount and slide it into the tripod adaptor!
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Gaming influencer, Jaja zuber, just taught brands a valuable lesson in viral marketing through influencers.
Find out what happened, and what brands need to learn about hiring influencers…
Gaming Influencer Fail : Jaja zuber Playing PUBG PC?
Jaja zuber is, in her own words, a part-time actress and a full-time streamer. So she’s basically one of the thousands of game streamers who are trying to become the next PrestonPlayz or Pokimane.
She appears to be quite popular, with over 129,000 people following her Facebook page, where she streams her gameplay.
So it’s not surprising to see a tech brand partner with her. However, what they probably did not expect was the reaction to her photo, which came with this description :
I can play PUBG PC on Acer Nitro 5 at high fps without feeling lag and the cooling fan system that can activate CoolBoosts which further increases the speed for heavy usage. It is also fast for multitasking use.
Acer Nitro 5 is powered by 11th Gen Intel Coreᵀᴹ i7 processor. You can get this from Acer E-Store or official Acer certified stores on Shopee.
See if you can spot the mistakes she made in this photo, that has since gone viral!
At first glance, it looked like just another gaming influencer’s sponsored post. She is seen gaming on the laptop, to show her fans just how awesome the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop really is.
To be fair, we are kind of jealous she got her hands on the 2021 Acer Nitro 5. It looked like an awesome gaming laptop with an 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series graphics!
However, Jaja zuber did not appear to take this sponsorship seriously, and screwed up this shot. Many gamers, including her fans, pointed out that :
She was not playing PUBG PC, as claimed. She was either using PUBG Mobile on emulator, or just using a YouTube video.
She was not using a mouse at all, so how could she even play PUBG? This is why some claimed she was “pretend playing” using a YouTube video.
She had her hands on the WASD keys and the arrow keys – both serving the same functions.
Her left hand was elevated uncomfortably over the WASD keys – no one games like that!
She initially called it the Spin 5 in the second paragraph, before correcting it to Nitro 5.
All those mistakes derailed the whole point of the sponsorship – to convey her sponsor’s message that the 2021 Acer Nitro 5 is a serious challenger to gaming laptops from other brands.
It garnered thousands of laughs and over 1.4K comments criticising the mistakes in the photo, and asking if she was using telepathy to aim the gun.
It didn’t help that the picture in the background showed a boy who looked like he was “not impressed” with her actions.
Gaming Influencer Fail : Jaja zuber Teaches A Valuable Lesson
Tech brands have long shifted emphasis from traditional media to the influencers, who boast a loyal fanbase. The idea is their fans will buy whatever it is that they are promoting.
However, not all gaming influencers are alike. Some influencers rely on their gaming skills, some rely on their personality or looks, while others focus on their commentating skills.
To be clear, Jaja zuber must be doing something right – she has 129,000 followers, so give her some credit for that. How many of us have even 1,000 followers?
And the saving grace is that her photo went viral, and is inspiring copycat troll posts like this. Like it or not, it is driving interest in the Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop. Now, more people are aware of it.
However, brands need to look beyond the fanbase and consider the skills these influencers bring to the table.
Mobile vs PC
This may seem obvious, but why pick PUBG at all for this shot? After all, people can play PUBG Mobile on their smartphones too.
Gaming influencers who are being paid to promote a gaming laptop should really select a FPS game that is exclusively on PC.
There are so many out there – Valorant, DOOM Eternal, Borderlands 2, Overwatch, etc. which Jaja zuber could have used to ensure that she is targeting the right audience – PC gamers.
Influencers Need To Do Their Homework
It is obvious that Jaja zuber is not a techie, because she wrongly mentioned “CoolBoosts” in her sponsored post. It’s actually “CoolBoost”.
She also said that the 2021 Acer Nitro 5‘s cooling system activates CoolBoost to increase speed for heavy usage. It’s really the other way around – CoolBoost increases fan speed by 10% for 9% better CPU and GPU cooling.
It’s okay not to know tech stuff, but influencers should do their homework – all that is plainly stated in the official Acer Nitro 5 page!
After all, they are being paid for this project, or receiving the laptop as sponsorship.
I would posit that influencers gain fans because they come across as “authentic” and “approachable”. People feel influencers are “just like them”.
Brands probably believe that works better too, which is why they are pouring money into influencers instead of traditional media which may feel “standoffish”.
But how authentic can influencers be, if it turns out that the photo was make-belief, as the Jaja zuber photo obviously was?
So the lesson, I suppose, is for influencers to just be themselves, be authentic. There’s no need to fake the shot.
Don’t Censor Criticism
So a mistake was made. Just admit it and move on. Censoring your fans or trolls will only spur more blowback.
Again, be authentic. You are only human. You make mistakes like the rest of us.
Real Influence Or Just The Perception?
Brands are focused on the influencer industry because they have large fan bases. Marketing departments love it, because it is easier to “sell to the boss” or include in KPI reports.
But when it comes to the tech or gaming industry, does a large fan base really translate into sales?
Think about it for a minute. Just because you enjoy watching a gaming influencer play PUBG, are you really going to buy a gaming laptop just because she says it’s great?
People are not that “simple”. When it comes to large purchases that cost several months of minimum wage, they are going to want to know MORE, before they make the leap.
They are going to read up on these products, and ask their techie friends for opinions. They will not just going to buy something expensive just because a gaming influencer posts a picture and says it’s nice.
More so when the gaming influencer chose to highlight a game that can be played on any smartphone!
That’s why I believe that influencers are great at changing the perception of a brand, but poor at directly translating that into sales.
Brands that focus only on influencers will probably not see their sales needle move much.
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Acer just unveiled the Aspire Vero – their first sustainability-focused laptop based on their Earthion platform!
Find out what the Acer Aspire Vero offers, and what the Earthion platform is all about!
Acer Aspire Vero : The First Earthion Laptop!
The Acer Aspire Vero is the first sustainability-focused laptop based on their new Earthion platform.
That Acer Earthion platform is part of their pledge to achieve 100% renewable energy use by the year 2035, which they undertook when they joined the RE100 initiative.
The RE100 initiative is a global corporate renewable energy intuitive that is committed to achieve 100% renewable energy use. The Acer Group has already achieve 44% renewable energy use by 2020.
As the first product from the Acer Earthion platform, the Acer Aspire Vero reimagines what the computer manufacturing process of the future will look like.
Sustainability-Focused Design
Post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic is used throughout its chassis and keyboard caps. And the Aspire Vero ships in a box made from 80-85% recycled paper pulp, and plastic bagging is replaced by paper sleeves. Even the laptop bag is made with 100% industrial recycled plastic!
The emphasis on sustainability is carried over in the design language too. All graphics on the shipping box are printed with soy ink, and the notebook itself has no paint on its chassis, reducing its impact on the environment. The laptop is also held together by easily-accessible, standardised screws for easier disassembly.
11th Gen Intel Core Performance
The Acer Aspire Vero is powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processor with Iris Xe graphics, with up to 1 TB of M.2 SSD storage.
It boasts Intel Wi-Fi 6 wireless connectivity, a USB Type C port, two USB 3.2 ports and a HDMI 2.0 port for video out.
Acer Aspire Vero (Earthion) : Specifications
Here are the specifications of the Aspire Vero – Acer’s first Earthion laptop :
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Dr. Adrian Wong has been writing about tech and science since 1997, even publishing a book with Prentice Hall called Breaking Through The BIOS Barrier (ISBN 978-0131455368) while in medical school.
He continues to devote countless hours every day writing about tech, medicine and science, in his pursuit of facts in a post-truth world.
HONOR just launched two new MagicBook X 15 laptop models. Let’s take a closer look and see what they really offer!
HONOR MagicBook X 15 : What You Need To Know!
Together with the HONOR 50 and HONOR 50 Pro smartphones, HONOR also launched two new MagicBook X 15 laptop models.
These basic laptops are part of the HUAWEI 1+8+N strategy, back when HONOR was a HUAWEI subsidiary.
And these two models appear to be a legacy of their HUAWEI heritage. We will show you why we say that…
Legacy Of HUAWEI Ban Persists
Despite being new models, the HONOR MagicBook X 15 are still powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core processors from 2019.
This appears to be a legacy of their HUAWEI heritage – HUAWEI was banned from purchasing new processors from Intel since September 2020.
They had already stocked up many processors in advanced of the ban, but can no longer purchase newer Intel processors.
The new HONOR, which was sold to Shenzhen Zhixin New Information Technology, is no longer affected by this ban. But it looks like they were not able to source for the latest Intel processors in time.
Performance
There are two HONOR MagicBook X 15 models, based on their processor and storage configurations :
10th Gen Intel Core i5, 8GB RAM, 512GB storage
10th Gen Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 256GB storage
HONOR claims that they come with a Supersized Shark Fin 2.0 Fan with up to 38% higher air intake, for better cooling performance.
They use DDR4 memory and come with a PCIe NVMe SSD, but that’s standard for laptops these days.
Display
The HONOR MagicBook X 15 comes with a large 15.6-inch display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
Thanks to its narrow 5.3 mm bezels on the left and right side, this display offers a 87% screen-to-body ratio.
Battery Life
The 2021 MagicBook X 15 models come with a 42 Wh battery, which HONOR says will deliver just over 7.5 hours of 1080p video playback or just over 7 hours of web browsing.
They will come with a new compact 65 watt fast charger that weighs just 200 grams. It can recharge the battery to 53% in just 30 minutes.
Other Features
Despite its low cost, it boasts an aluminium alloy body, which allows for a thinner profile and a lighter weight at just 1.56 kg.
It also comes with a fingerprint sensor built into the power button, that lets you quickly log into Windows.
Finally, it supports Multi-Screen Collaboration – another legacy of its HUAWEI heritage.
HONOR MagicBook X 15 : Price + Deal
The HONOR MagicBook X 15 is available in Malaysia starting 19 June 2021, at these price points :
HUAWEI just launched the 2021 MatePad Pro, which runs on the new HarmonyOS 2!
Here is what you need to know about the 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro tablet!
2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro : What You Need To Know!
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro looks superficially like the 2020 HUAWEI MatePad Pro, but they are quite different beasts altogether.
It is now much bigger 12.6-inch tablet, built around the Kirin 9000E mobile platform and runs on the brand new HarmonyOS 2 operating system!
Flagship Performance
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro is built around the Kirin 9000E, the world’s first 5nm 5G mobile SoC.
It has a triple-core CPU architecture, with a boosted Cortex-A77 core at 3.13 GHz, three high-speed Cortex-A77 cores at 2.54 GHz, and four low-power Cortex-A55 cores at 2.05 GHz.
It has a 22-core Mali-G78 GPU, and two Neural Processing Units – one Big-Core NPU and one Tiny-Core NPU.
Memory + Storage
The 2021 MatePad Pro comes with 8 GB LPDDR4x memory and 256 GB built-in storage, with the option of adding an NM card for additional storage (up to 256 GB).
Large OLED Display
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro sports a massive 12.6-inch OLED display, with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels.
Thanks to its ultra-narrow 5.6 mm bezels, this FullView Display offers a 90.1% screen-to-body ratio.
On top of that, it has a colour accuracy of ∆E < 0.5, making it a great portable second monitor for professional photographers!
Improved HUAWEI Share Capabilities
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro offers improved HUAWEI Share, offering the next level of device connectivity :
You can not only mirror your HUAWEI smartphone onto your tablet, you can also transfer and share files across multiple devices even laptops, simply by dragging and dropping them!
2nd Generation HUAWEI M-Pencil
HUAWEI is introducing the 2nd generation M-Pencil with the MatePad Pro. This optional stylus has a much lower input lag – as low as 9 ms, with 4,096 levels of pressure and tilt sensitivity.
Designed to give you the natural writing experience, it offers the feel of a real pencil on paper. It also supports HUAWEI FreeScript, which transforms handwritten content into machine-encoded text in real time.
If you need to switch into different modes like Instant Shape or Instant Table, all you need to do is double-tap it!
HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard
The HUAWEI Smart Magnetic Keyboard is a full-sized keyboard with a key travel of 1.3 mm; and supports Bluetooth and wireless charging.
This magnetically-paired keyboard quickly converts the MatePad Pro into a full-fledged laptop, offering greater working productivity.
Large Battery + Super Fast Charging
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro tablet comes with a large 10,050 mAh lithium-ion polymer battery built-in for a very long battery life.
On top of that, it supports 40 watt SuperCharge, when used with a 40 watt HUAWEI Super Fast Charger.
2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro : Specifications
Here is how the 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro compares to the 2020 MatePad Pro!
Specifications
MatePad Pro
2021
MatePad Pro
2020
Display Size
12.6-inch
10.8-inch
Display Panel
OLED
LCD
Display Resolution
2560 x 1600 pixels
Max. Brightness
400 nits
540 nits
Colour Gamut
DCI-P3
Operating System
HarmonyOS 2
EMUI 10.1 (Android 10)
System Platform
HUAWEI Kirin 9000E
HUAWEI Kirin 990
Memory
8 GB
6 GB / 8 GB
Storage
256 GB
128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage
256 GB NM Card
Front Camera
8 MP selfie camera
Rear Cameras
13 MP main camera
8 MP wide-angle camera
13 MP main camera
Connectivity
WiFi-AX
Bluetooth 5.2
USB Type C
WiFi-AC
Bluetooth 5.1
USB Type C
Stylus
Optional
M-pencil Gen 2
Optional
M-pencil
Fingerprint Sensor
No
NFC Support
No
Audio
8 Speakers
HUAWEI Histen 7.0
4 Speakers
HUAWEI Histen 6.0
Battery
10,050 mAh
7,250 mAh
Charging
40 W SuperCharge
20 W fast charging
Dimensions
286.5 mm wide
184.7 mm tall
6.7 mm thick
246 mm wide
159 mm tall
7.99 mm thick
Weight
609 g
492 g
2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro : Price + Deal!
The 2021 HUAWEI MatePad Pro will be available for sale in Malaysia from 18 June 2021 onwards, in the Matte Grey colour.
It has an official launch price of RM 3,999 (about US$970 / £686 / A$1,253 / S$1,286). Here are online purchase options :
AMD unveiled a WHOLE SLEW of new products and technologies at Computex 2021!
Here is a recap of everything AMD announced at Computex 2021!
AMD @ Computex 2021 : Everything They Announced!
On 1 June 2021, AMD kicked off their virtual Computex 2021 press conference, announcing a whole slew of new products and technologies!
Let’s take a look at what AMD announced at Computex 2021!
3rd Gen EPYC Beats Intel Xeon Scalable!
AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su showed how the dual-socket 3rd Gen EPYC 7763 system beat the dual-socket Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 system by 50%!
2P Intel Xeon Platinum 8380 delivered 201,334 Java operations per second
2P AMD EPYC 7763 delivered 301,297 Java operations per second
This is because the EPYC 7763 has far more cores than the Xeon Platinum 8380 – 64 cores versus just 40 cores!
AMD RDNA 2 Coming To Automotive + Mobile!
AMD is working to bring the RDNA 2 gaming architecture to industry leaders in the automotive and mobile segments :
Tesla Model S + Model X
The new infotainment systems in the Tesla Model S and Model X are powered by an AMD Ryzen Embedded APU, with an AMD RDNA 2-based GPU capable of AAA gaming!
Samsung Exynos
The next-generation Samsung Exynos SoC will feature custom AMD RDNA 2-based graphics IP, that will introduce raytracing and variable rate shading capabilities to flagship mobile devices!
AMD Ryzen 5000G Desktop APUs
Dr. Lisa Su also announced that they are introducing two AMD Ryzen 5000G series desktop APUs, that will be available to the DIY market starting 5 August 2021.
AMD Ryzen 7 5700G
The AMD Ryzen 7 5700G has an 8-core, 16-thread processor, with a base clock of 3.8 GHz and a boost clock of 4.6 GHz.
It has 4 GB of L2 cache, and 16 GB of L3 cache; and 8-core integrated Radeon graphics clocked at 2.0 GHz.
This 65 watt desktop APU will have a launch price of US$359.
AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
The AMD Ryzen 5 5600G has an 6-core, 12-thread processor, with a base clock of 3.9 GHz and a boost clock of 4.4 GHz.
It has 3 GB of L2 cache, and 16 GB of L3 cache; and 7-core integrated Radeon graphics clocked at 1.9 GHz.
This 65 watt desktop APU will have a launch price of US$259.
AMD Ryzen PRO 5000 Series Desktop CPUs
While not mentioned in the main Computex 2021 press conference, AMD also launched the Ryzen PRO 5000 series desktop processors based on the Zen 3 core!
You can get the full details in this official AMD deep dive into the Ryzen PRO 5000 series desktop processors!
AMD Radeon RX 6000M Series Mobile Graphics
Scott Herkelman, Vice President & General Manager of AMD Graphics Business Unit, officially announced the introduction of the Radeon RX 6000M series mobile graphics for laptop gaming.
AMD Radeon RX 6800M
Their flagship model has a 2.3 GHz game clock and 12 GB of GDDR6 memory, and is designed to deliver 120 fps gaming at 1440p.
AMD says that it will offer significantly better performance than the competition :
40% to 70% better gaming performance than the GeForce RTX 2070 at 1440p Max Settings.
14% to 40% better gaming performance than the GeForce RTX 3080 while gaming on battery.
AMD Radeon RX 6700M
This model has a 2.3 GHz game clock and 10 GB of GDDR6 memory, and is designed to deliver 100 fps gaming at 1440p.
AMD Radeon RX 6600M
This model has a 2.177 GHz game clock and 8 GB of GDDR6 memory, and is designed to deliver 100 fps gaming at 1080p.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR)
FidelityFX Super Resolution, or FSR for short, is AMD’s spatial upscaling technology that is designed to boost frame rates, while delivering a high-quality gaming experience.
Think of it as AMD’s version of NVIDIA’s DLSS. But while DLSS is proprietary, FidelityFX Super Resolution is open-source, and will be supported on both AMD processors and GPUs as well as NVIDIA GPUs!
More than 10 game developers plan to integrate FSR into their top titles and gamer engines in 2021.
AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) will be available starting 22 June 2021.
AMD Advantage Gaming Laptops
Think of AMD Advantage as a marketing programme, based around a “design framework” of premium gaming features.
Amplified Performance : AMD Ryzen processor + AMD Radeon RX 6800M graphics + AMD Radeon Software for gaming at 100 fps at 1080p
Built To Game : NVMe SSD, less than 40°C WASD keyboard temperatures when gaming, >10 hours binge watching on battery
AMD 3D Chiplet Technology
AMD continues to build on their packaging technologies with their new 3D Chiplet technology, developed in collaboration with TSMC.
It enhances their existing chipset architecture with 3D stacking using a hybrid bond approach that provides over 200X the interconnect density of 2D chipsets and more than 15X the density of existing 3D packaging solutions.
This new 3D chiplet technology also consumes less energy than current 3D solutions, and is the most flexible active-on-active silicon stacking technology.
In Computex 2021, Dr. Lisa Su showed off the 3D vertical SRAM cache bonded to an AMD Ryzen 5000 Series processor prototype.
AMD is on-track to begin production on high-end computing products with 3D chiplets by the end of 2021.
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Qualcomm just announced the Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows 10, build in collaboration with… of course, Microsoft!
Here is what you need to know about the new Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows 10!
Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows 10 : First Look!
The path to the Qualcomm Snapdragon Developer Kit for Windows 10 started in September 2020 when Microsoft announced the expansion of their App Assure Program to Windows 10 PCs powered by Snapdragon compute platforms.
Microsoft also optimised Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Teams and Visual Studio Code for the Snapdragon compute platforms.
Then December 2020 saw the introduction of x64 emulation preview for Windows 10 PCs, to the Windows Insider Program.
Qualcomm and Microsoft will share more about this new Snapdragon dev kit at the Build 2021 session. But here is a first look at the developer kit!
Qualcomm Snapdragon Dev Kit for Windows 10 : Availability
The Qualcomm Snapdragon developer kit for Windows 10 will be available for sale at The Microsoft Store in Summer 2021!
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Qualcomm just introduced the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 – a new compute platform for entry-level laptops!
Here is what you need to know about the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2!
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 For Entry-Level Laptops!
On 24 May 2021, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. launched their Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 – their second-generation entry-level compute platform!
This new computer platform will allow brands to introduce always-on, always-connected Windows PCs and Chromebooks with enhanced camera and audio capabilities, integrated LTE connectivity, AI acceleration and more!
Always On, Always Connected!
Devices powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 are Always On, Always Connected, just like your smartphone.
Its power-efficiency allows the device to stay in connected standby mode for weeks, keeping you connected whether for work, school or entertainment.
Improved Performance
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 delivers up to 10% faster system performance over “most competing platforms”, with up to twice the battery life of those platforms – up to 19 or more hours of continuous use!
Built-In Artificial Intelligence
The Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 comes with the fifth-generation Qualcomm AI Engine built-in, to accelerate security applications and more accurate voice recognition, amongst other uses.
Enhanced Camera + Audio
This new Qualcomm compute platform is also designed to enhance camera and audio quality, with virtual surround sound, echo cancellation and noise suppression.
Enterprise-Grade Security
Windows devices powered by this new compute platform are Microsoft Secured-Core PCs, with support for Windows 10 Hypervisor.
Its always connected LTE capability also allows faster manageability for IT administrators managing enterprise and education laptops.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 : Key Specifications
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen features eight Kryo 468 CPU cores, running at up to 2.55 GHz; with support for two LPDDR4x memory channels (up to 2133 MHz).
It comes with the Qualcomm Spectra 255 image signal processor, the Qualcomm Hexagon 692 DSP, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon X15 LTE modem built-in.
It supports 4G LTE, as well as 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0 wireless connectivity.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 : Availability
Devices based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 are expected to be commercially available this summer 2021.
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GIGABYTE scrambled to issue an apology, after they were boycotted over their claims of “low quality” manufacturing in China!
Find out what’s going on between GIGABYTE and China!
GIGABYTE Trips Over Claims Of Low Quality Manufacturing In China!
This brouhaha started over the GIGABYTE’s claim that they choose to avoid “low cost” and “low quality” manufacturing in China, manufacturing their laptops instead in Taiwan.
Here is our English translation of what GIGABYTE posted :
MIT
Made In Taiwan Demanding High Quality
Strict quality control is assured by adhering to Taiwanese manufacturing. Unlike other brands that opt for low cost and low quality OEM manufacturing in China, GIGABYTE is committed to creating outstanding and powerful components and laptops.
As a local Taiwanese manufacturer of components and laptops, we guarantee that 90% of our laptops are made in Taiwan, assuring you of high quality control and high quality products.
China Boycotts GIGABYTE Over Low Quality Claims!
Once Chinese netizens discovered what GIGABYTE posted, their outrage was soon made manifest.
On 11 May 2021, the Communist Youth League of China responded with this short message on Weibo – “GIGABYTE, who gave you the courage to say this?”
They also highlighted the part that said, “Unlike other brands that opt for low cost, low quality OEM manufacturing in China…”
Chinese e-commerce companies – JD, Tmall and Suning – swiftly removed all GIGABYTE products from their platforms.
GIGABYTE Quickly Issues Apology
The official Weibo account of AORUS GIGABYTE E-Sports quickly issued a statement of apology, stating :
A few days ago, parts of the text published on our official website are seriously inconsistent with the facts. This was a result of poor internal management of our company.
We sincerely apologise for the discomfort caused to you. At the same time, we also thank gamers and consumers for their attention to our company.
GIGABYTE’s product business includes boards, laptops, computer peripherals, accessories, etc, with production lines all over mainland China, and its production capacity accounts for more than 90%. GIGABYTE is proud of the quality of Chinese production. Chinese production have helped GIGABYTE in creating excellent products and high-quality experiences for customers around the world. The product quality has withstood the test of the market and consumers for many years.
GIGABYTE has been operating in mainland China for more than 20 years, and will conduct a thorough review of the inappropriate remarks and carry out corrective actions to comply with national principles. GIGABYTE will strengthen internal management and training to ensure that all employees are aware of the problem and pay attention to it.
GIGABYTE Technology
11 May 2021
We are not sure if the Chinese authorities would consider this post an official apology, as it was posted by AORUS GIGABYTE E-Sports, which belongs to Ningbo Zhongjia Technology and Trade Co. Ltd. – a subsidiary of Taiwan Gigabyte Technology Co. Ltd.
Officially, GIGABYTE Technology hasn’t issued any statement.
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Made with bioplastics from trees, the Dell Latitude 5520 is not only more powerful, it promises a longer battery life and other improvements.
Join us for a close look at the new 2021 Dell Latitude 5520 business laptop!
Dell Latitude 5520 : 15.6-inch Business Laptop
The Dell Latitude 5520 is a 15.6-inch business laptop powered by the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processor, with a longer battery life.
The first Dell laptop to be made with bioplastics from trees, it offers environmentally-conscious businesses a way to minimise their ecological footprint.
Dell Latitude 5520 : Specifications + Options
The Dell Latitude 5520 can be configured to suit your requirements.
Here are the options available in Malaysia. You may get different options in other countries.
Specifications
2021 Dell Latitude 5520
Display Size
15.6-inch
Display Options
Full HD IPS (1920 x 1200, 250 nits)
HD TN (1366 x 768, 220 nits)
Realtek Waves MaxxAudio Pro audio
2 x 2 watt speakers
Dual array microphones
3.5 mm audio jack
Wireless
Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 (2×2)
Bluetooth 5.1
External Ports
2 x Thunderbolt 4 (USB Type C) ports
– with Power Delivery and DisplayPort
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with PowerShare
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 port
1 x HDMI 2.0 port
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
1 x RJ-45 Ethernet port
1 x microSD card slot
1 x (optional) micro SIM tray
1 x (optional) smart card reader
Camera
720p webcam only
720p webcam + IR camera
1080p webcam + IR camera
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Dell Latitude 5520 : A Closer Look!
15.6-inch IPS Display
The Dell Latitude 5520 comes with a large 15.6-inch IPS display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It does not have touch capability, which is not needed by most business users.
It has a maximum brightness of 250 nits, which is good enough for indoor use. However, you may have issues using it outdoors in bright sunlight.
For companies on a budget, Dell also offers a HD display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels, and a lower brightness of 220 nits.
Built-In Privacy Shutter
Our review unit came with a high-resolution 1080p webcam, with an IR emitter and camera for Windows Hello facial authentication.
Dell also offers a cheaper 720p webcam, with and without the IR camera.
Both options come with a built-in privacy shutter – a critical feature for security-conscious business users.
Performance
Our Dell Latitude 5520 is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor – a 4-core, 8-thread processor with 12 MB of cache and Iris Xe graphics.
You can also opt for the Core i5-1145G7 or the Core i5-1135G7 – both 4-core, 8-thread processors with Iris Xe graphics.
The processor and its integrated graphics are kept cool by the Dual Opposite Outlet fans, with side venting for improved airflow and cooling performance.
Our unit came with 16 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory running at 3200 MHz, and a 512 GB Western Digital SN730 NVMe PCIe SSD.
Ports
Despite its large 15.6-inch form factor, the Latitude 5520 is slim at just under 20 mm.
Even so, its slightly thicker chassis lets Dell fit in more ports than slimmer designs like the XPS 13.
On the left side, you will find two Thunderbolt 4 (USB 3.2 Gen 2) Type C ports, both of which support PowerDelivery and DisplayPort output.
The Latitude 5520 is charged using a USB Type C cable, so it must be plugged into one of these two USB Type C ports.
There is a large row of cooling vents, and a slot for the optional Smart Card reader.
On the right side, you will find a microSD card reader, a 3.5 mm microphone and headphone combo port, with two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports.
And next to them are a full-sized HDMI 2.0 port, an RJ-45 LAN port, and a wedge security lock.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The Dell Latitude 5520 has a full-sized backlit keyboard, with a numeric keypad.
Business users will love the numeric keypad, but it may need some getting used to for those who are migrating from “regular laptops”.
The touchpad is reasonably sized, but offset to the left – something you may need to get used to.
Connectivity
Our Dell Latitude 5520 comes with the Intel AX201 module, which offers Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with 2×2 antennas and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity.
On top of that, it comes with an RJ-45 LAN port built-in, giving you access to the best and fastest possible network connectivity.
Audio
The Dell Latitude 5520 features two front-firing speakers with 2 watts power output, powered by Realtek Waves MaxxAudio Pro.
It also comes with a 3.5 mm microphone / headphone combo jack, and dual microphone array.
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Dell Latitude 5520 : Performance
Our Dell Latitude 5520 is powered by the 28 watt Intel Core i7-1185G7 processor, with 4 cores and 8 threads, and Iris Xe Graphics with 96 Execution Units.
This processor has 12 MB of L3 cache, a 3.0 GHz base frequency that ramps up to 4.8 GHz during intensive tasks.
Our review sample came with 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory – in dual memory channels, of course, and a 512 GB Western Digital SN730 SSD.
Work Performance : PCMark 10
The Intel Core i7-1185G7 is a 28 watt processor that can be configured to run at a lower TDP of 12 watt – to improve battery life and reduce thermal output.
Dell left it at the full 28 watt TDP for maximum performance, so it delivered PCMark 10 scores in excess of 4800.
The Dell Latitude 5520 is not meant to be a gaming system, but it has surprisingly decent gaming chops.
The Intel Core i7-1185G7 comes with integrated Iris Xe Graphics, with 96 execution units and maximum clock speed of 1.35 GHz.
That gave it a 3DMark Time Spy score just shy of 1190. That makes it about as fast as the NVIDIA GeForce MX350, and a little faster than the Radeon RX Vega 5 integrated graphics used in Ryzen 4000 Mobile processors.
Battery Life : YouTube + Modern Office
Our Dell Latitude 5520 came with a 4-cell lithium-ion battery, that has a rated capacity of 63 Whr.
To test its battery life, we locked the brightness at 50% – higher than the average of 40% – to see how it performs in these worst-case scenarios :
YouTube Streaming
The Dell Latitude 5520 lasted 8 hours 18 minutes streaming YouTube videos in the theatre mode using Wi-Fi, before its battery dropped to 10%.
PCMark 10 : Modern Office
The Dell Latitude 5520 lasted a phenomenal 11 hours before it powered off while running the Modern Office benchmark!
Battery Recharging Speed
Its 45 watt compact fast charger supports ExpressCharge Boost, which lets it deliver up to 35% charge in about 20 minutes, or up to 80% charge in an hour.
In our test, its fast charger took 29 minutes to charge from 10% to 35%, and took about 82 minutes to hit 80%. For a full charge to 100%, it took 142 minutes.
Here are our recorded recharging time from 10% :
16% – 6 minutes 36 seconds
22% – 13 minutes 38 seconds
25% – 17 minutes 25 seconds
31% – 23 minutes 53 seconds
35% – 29 minutes 15 seconds
40% – 35 minutes 12 seconds
45% – 41 minutes 19 seconds
51% – 48 minutes 18 seconds
60% – 59 minutes 34 seconds
66% – 65 minutes 22 seconds
71% – 71 minutes 19 seconds
76% – 77 minutes 19 seconds
81% – 83 minutes 14 seconds
90% – 95 minutes 16 seconds
95% – 107 minutes 18 seconds
100% – 142 minutes 10 seconds
This gives it a battery life : recharging time ratio of 3.5 : 1 for video streaming, and 4.7 : 1 for office work.
As a general rule of thumb, you will need to recharge its battery about 17 minutes for every hour of battery life.
Dell Latitude 5520 : Verdict
The Dell Latitude 5520 is not a sleek ultralight laptop like the XPS 13, it is a large, powerful business laptop.
Its large 15.6-inch display makes it a great desktop replacement, and yet is surprisingly thin and light – it is less than 2 cm thick, and weighs only 1.6 kg.
We strongly recommend the Full HD IPS panel, over the low-resolution HD TN panel option, which would look blurry / blocky on such a large display.
Built around the latest 11th Gen Intel Core processor, with integrated Iris Xe Graphics, it offers more than enough processing power for business users for many years to come.
Business users will appreciate the availability of at least two USB-C and two USB-A ports, as well as an actual RJ-45 LAN port and a HDMI 2.0 port too!
If you input a lot of numbers, you will also appreciate the keyboard which comes with a numeric keypad, which is not available in most consumer laptops.
On top of that, the Latitude 5520 comes with a built-in physical shutter for the webcam – a must-have for security conscious users!
If you are a road warrior, we definitely recommend getting the 4-cell battery for extended battery life, which should last you about 11 hours!
All-in-all, this is a solid, no-nonsense business laptop that lets you get work done as quickly and efficiently as possible, no matter whether you are working from home, or on the road.
Finally, we should mention Dell’s truly excellent onsite warranty. With the Latitude 5520, you get 3 years of ProSupport and Next Business Day Onsite Service!
For people who count on their laptops to make a living, NBD onsite service is a MUST!
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If you want a cheap colour printer that can print great photos for mere pennies, we give you – the Epson EcoTank L3150, also known as the EcoTank ET-2710 in some markets.
Find out why we gave this affordable multifunction colour printer our Editor’s Choice Award!
Epson EcoTank Family : A Quick Primer!
Pearly Lee, Product Manage of Epson Malaysia explains the key features and benefits of the Epson EcoTank printer family. Note their vast advantages over their laser and ink cartridge printer rivals.
The EcoTank M-series has 24 times lower power consumption, and deliver 28 times lower overall cost per print compared to laser printers, with a single Epson EcoTank Monochrome bottle yielding 6,000 black and white pages!
The EcoTank L-series colour printers, on the other hand, delivers incredibly low cost per print of 0.52 sen (0.13 cent) per page for black, and 0.94 sen (0.24 cent) per page for colour.
How did they do that? A set of 4 Epson ink bottles yields 4,500 black and white pages and 7,500 colour pages!
In this review, we are going to take a look at the mainstay of the L series – the EcoTank L3150 (also known as EcoTank ET-2710 in some markets).
Epson EcoTank L3150 : Price + Availability
The Epson EcoTank L3150 is available for purchase with a recommended retail price of RM 599, which is about US$140 / £110 / A$199 / S$195. Here are some online purchase options :
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Epson EcoTank L3150 : Key Features
The Epson EcoTank L3150 is the mainstay of the EcoTank L-series of multifunction colour printers, offering the ability to scan, copy and print in colourwirelessly.
Colour Scanning + Copying
Flip open the top cover, and you will find a high-resolution colour scanner, with a resolution of 1200 x 2400 dpi, and a 24-bit colour depth.
This built-in scanner lets you make black and white or colour photocopies, albeit only at a lower resolution of 600 x 600 dpi.
Colour Printing
The Epson EcoTank L3150 uses Variable-Sized Droplet technology to deliver a maximum print resolution of 5760 x 1440 dpi, at up to 33 pages per minute (black) and 15 pages per minute (colour).
But its call to fame is its EcoTank system, with CYMK colours – cyan, yellow, magenta and black – that delivers incredibly low cost per print.
A single set of four Epson 003 ink bottles (Epson 103 / 104 in some countries) will let you print up to 4,500 pages (black) and 7,500 pages (colour).
That works out to just 0.52 sen (0.13 cent) per page for black, and 0.94 sen (0.24 cent) per page for colour!
USB + Wireless Connectivity
Like other printers, it can be connected to your computer through a USB cable. However, it is not even necessary to use the cable.
The EcoTank L3150 has WiFi-N connectivity built-in, so you can just plug in the power cable and start printing wirelessly from your computer, or even your smartphone or tablet.
In fact, you can even print remotely from your devices through Google Cloud Print!
Paper Support
The Epson EcoTank L3150 supports printing on paper up to A4 or Letter, with a maximum weight of 80 g/m2 for plain paper.
But it supports photo paper, which are much thicker and heavier. Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper, for example, has a paper weight of 225 g/m2.
It also supports 4R borderless printing – that’s 4 inch x 6 inch, preferably using the Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper.
The print quality on plain paper is acceptable for presentations, but not for photos – they appear dull as you can see in the video above.
For photo printing, you must use photo paper. The print quality on photo paper is worlds apart from what you can get on plain paper. The colours are deeper and a lot more vibrant, and your photos will actually look like photos!
The video may not show it, but the detail in the photo is amazing. As long as you print with high-resolution photos, the printer will deliver colour print resolution of up to 5760 x 1440 dots per inch!
The print-outs do come out a little darker than our display. But that’s easily corrected by adjusting the exposure in the photos before printing.
But without a doubt, the Epson L3150 offers a very cheap photo printing solution. The cost of printing a large A4 photo is only 75 sen (about 18 cents), including both photo paper and ink!
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Epson EcoTank L3150 : Our Verdict + Award
When Epson first revealed their EcoTank system, we were very impressed. Finally, we could now print to our heart’s content without breaking the bank.
The Epson EcoTank L3150 is not only highly affordable at just RM 599 (about US$140 / £110 / A$199 / S$195), it offers really low printing costs.
A single set of ink bottles, which costs less than RM 90 (US$21 / £16 / A$29 / S$29) will let you print up to 24 reams of paper – 12,000 pages. That’s A LOT of printing!
Of course, the ink usage and cost is higher if you print in high quality. But even if you get half the rated capacity, it’s so cheap you wouldn’t even bother with “compatible ink” options.
The Epson EcoTank L3150 is a great photo printer, just not on plain paper. You must print photos on photo paper. We cannot stress this enough.
The print quality on plain paper lacks the vividness and deep colours you can get from photo printers with 6-ink or 8-ink print systems, or if you use photo paper.
Photo paper not only delivers the vibrant colours and incredible print resolution, it is also thicker. The recommended Epson Premium Glossy Photo Paper, for example, has a paper weight of 225 gm.
While the L3150 is officially limited to 80 gm plain paper, it supports much heavier photo paper. So unofficially, it will support art card and heavier plain paper stocks.
The Epson EcoTank L3150 is, ultimately, an affordable multifunction printer for the family or SOHO.
It lets you freely print and make colour copieswithout worrying about the cost; with the ability to scan full A4 / Letter documents.
We cannot stress the very low cost of ownership enough, because many competing printers are cheaper, but kill you with their high printing costs.
On top of that, it offers fast and convenient wireless printing capability, not just on the same wireless network, but literally from anywhere in the world!
Because it offers a great combination of features, excellent print quality, and low cost of ownership, we believe the Epson EcoTank L3150 deserves no less than our Editor’s Choice Award! Great job, Epson!
Epson EcoTank L3150 : Where To Buy
The Epson EcoTank L3150 is available for purchase with a recommended retail price of RM 599, which is about US$140 / £110 / A$199 / S$195. Here are some online purchase options :
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The newly-refreshed 2021 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro has these key specifications
Specifications
HUAWEI MateBook X Pro
Display
13.9-inch FullView Display
– 3000 x 2000pixels, 260 ppi
– 450 nits max. brightness
– 91% screen-to-body-ratio
– 100% sRGB colour gamut
– 1500:1 contrast ratio
– 10-point touchscreen
OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Memory
16 GB LPDDR4x
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage
512 GB PCIe SSD
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.1
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, integrated into Power button
Ports
2 x USB Type C
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
Webcam
720p recessed camera
Speakers
2 x 2 watt speaker
Battery
56 Whr
Power Adaptor
65 W USB-C power adaptor
Dimensions
304.0 mm wide
217.0 mm deep
14.6 mm thick
Weight
1.33 kg
2021 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro : Key Features
Let’s take a look at its key features…
13.9-inch FullView Display
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro comes with a 13.9-inch FullView Display, with a 3K resolution of 3000 x 2000 pixels.
This is a premium 10-point touch display, with a maximum brightness of 450 nits; and a decent colour gamut of 100% sRGB.
It also has vey narrow bezels which give it a 91% screen-to-body ratio – hence the name, FullView Display.
Performance
It is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor with integrated Intel Xe Graphics.
It comes with 16 GB of LPDDR4x memory, and a fast PCIe NVMe SSD with 512 GB of storage.
Battery + Charging
All that is powered by a large 56 Whr battery, which is paired with a compact 65 watt USB Type C fast charger.
This charger can be used to charge other USB Type C devices, and supports HUAWEI SuperCharge for certain HUAWEI smartphones.
Connectivity + Ports
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook X Pro has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity built-in, but comes with the same ports as the 2020 version.
On the left side, you will find two USB Type C ports, with a 3.5 mm audio port. The USB C ports can output to external 4K displays at up to 60 Hz.
On the right side, you will find single USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A port. This is basically a USB 3.0 port.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The 2021 MateBook X Pro comes with a full-sized, ten-keyless keyboard, and a large touchpad.
Pop-Up Camera
Like the 2020 MateBook X Pro we reviewed, the 2021 MateBook 14 comes with a pop-up camera, hidden under a special camera key on the keyboard.
It pops up when you press on it, and pressing it again hides it. This is a great security measure because the camera is physically blocked until you actually need to use it – no hacker will be able to surreptitiously use it to take your photos or videos!
There is only one problem with such a design – it takes photos and videos at an unflattering upward angle. You will also always appear to look upwards on video conferences, and videos that you record.
HUAWEI Share Multi-Screen Collaboration
The 2021 MateBook X Pro supports HUAWEI Share for multi-screen collaboration.
It basically lets you connect your smartphone, and use it directly on the MateBook D 15!
You can control the apps and files on your phone directly on the laptop, even drag and drop files!
The only downside? It is limited to HUAWEI and HONOR smartphones with NFC.
HUAWEI MeeTime
The 2021 MateBook X Pro also supports HUAWEI MeeTime, which is their version of Apple FaceTime – a free, proprietary video call service.
It offers some advantages over its competitors – FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. but can only be used by HUAWEI devices.
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 comes in the Emerald Green colour, with an official launch price of RM 6,899 (about US$1,679 / £1,209 / A$2,171 / S$2,228).
The first 1,500 customers to pre-order one from 20 to 23 April 2021, will receive free gifts worth RM 800 :
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The newly-refreshed 2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 has these key specifications
Specifications
HUAWEI MateBook 14
Display
14-inch FullView Display
– 2160 x 1440 pixels, 185 ppi
– 300 nits max. brightness
– 90% screen-to-body-ratio
– 100% sRGB colour gamut
– 1500:1 contrast ratio
OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Memory
16 GB DDR4-3200
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Storage
512 GB PCIe SSD
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.1
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, integrated into Power button
Ports
1 x USB Type C
2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A
1 x HDMI 1.4b
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
Webcam
720p recessed camera
Speakers
2 x 2 watt speaker
Battery
56 Whr
Power Adaptor
65 W USB-C power adaptor
Dimensions
307.5 mm wide
223.8 mm deep
15.9 mm thick
Weight
1.49 kg
2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 : Key Features
Let’s take a look at its key features…
14-inch FullView Display
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 comes with a 14-inch FullView Display, with a 2K resolution of 2160 x 1440 pixels.
This is not a particularly bright display, with a maximum brightness of 300 nits; but it has a decent colour gamut of 100% sRGB.
It also has vey narrow bezels which give it a 90% screen-to-body ratio – hence the name, FullView Display.
Performance
It is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor with integrated Intel Xe Graphics.
It comes with 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and a fast PCIe NVMe SSD with 512 GB of storage.
Battery + Charging
All that is powered by a large 56 Whr battery, that HUAWEI claims will last 11 hours of non-stop 1080p video playback.
It is paired with a compact 65 watt USB Type C fast charger, that can be used to charge other USB Type C devices, and supports HUAWEI SuperCharge for certain HUAWEI smartphones.
Connectivity + Ports
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook 14 has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity built-in.
On the left side, you will find a single USB Type C port, with a 3.5 mm audio port and a HDMI 1.4b port.
The HDMI 1.4b port can handle up to 4K displays, but only at up to 24 fps. To display at 4K @ 50 fps / 60 fps, you need HDMI 2.0.
On the right side, you will find two USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A ports. These are basically USB 3.0 ports.
Keyboard + Touchpad
The 2021 MateBook 14 comes with a full-sized, ten-keyless keyboard, and a large touchpad.
Pop-Up Camera
Like the MateBook X Pro we reviewed, the 2021 MateBook 14 comes with a pop-up camera, hidden under a special camera key on the keyboard.
It pops up when you press on it, and pressing it again hides it. This is a great security measure because the camera is physically blocked until you actually need to use it – no hacker will be able to surreptitiously use it to take your photos or videos!
There is only one problem with such a design – it takes photos and videos at an unflattering upward angle. You will also always appear to look upwards on video conferences, and videos that you record.
HUAWEI Share Multi-Screen Collaboration
The 2021 MateBook 14 supports HUAWEI Share for multi-screen collaboration.
It basically lets you connect your smartphone, and use it directly on the MateBook D 15!
You can control the apps and files on your phone directly on the laptop, even drag and drop files!
The only downside? It is limited to HUAWEI and HONOR smartphones with NFC.
HUAWEI MeeTime
The 2021 MateBook 14 also supports HUAWEI MeeTime, which is their version of Apple FaceTime – a free, proprietary video call service.
It offers some advantages over its competitors – FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. but can only be used by HUAWEI devices.
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
The newly-refreshed 2021 HUAWEI MateBook D 14 has these key specifications
Specifications
HUAWEI MateBook D14
Display
14-inch FullView Display
– 1920 x 1080 pixels, 157 ppi
– 250 nits max. brightness
– 84% screen-to-body-ratio
– 45% NTSC colour gamut
– 800:1 contrast ratio
OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-10210U
Memory
8 GB / 16 GB DDR4-3200
Graphics
Intel UHD Graphics
Storage
256 GB / 512 GB PCIe SSD
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.1
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, integrated into Power button
Ports
1 x USB Type C
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A
1 x USB 2.0 Type A
1 x HDMI 1.4b
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
Webcam
720p recessed camera
Speakers
2 x 2 watt speaker
Battery
42 Whr
Power Adaptor
65 W USB-C power adaptor
Dimensions
322.5 mm wide
214.8 mm deep
15.9 mm thick
Weight
1.38 kg
2021 HUAWEI MateBook D 14 : Key Features
Let’s take a look at its key features…
14-inch FullView Display
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook D 14 comes with a 14-inch FullView Display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
This is not a particularly bright display, with a maximum brightness of just 250 nits; and it only has a colour gamut of 45% NTSC.
But it is large, with narrow bezels that give it an 84% screen-to-body ratio – hence the name, FullView Display.
Performance
It is powered by the 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U with integrated Intel UHD Graphics.
It comes with either 8 GB or 16 GB of DDR4-3200 memory, and a fast PCIe NVMe SSD with 256 GB or 512 GB of storage.
Battery + Charging
All that is powered by a decent 42 Whr battery, paired with a compact 65 watt USB Type C fast charger.
The charger can be used to charge other USB Type C devices, and supports HUAWEI SuperCharge for certain HUAWEI smartphones.
Connectivity + Ports
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook D 14 has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity built-in.
On the left side, you will find a single USB Type C port, with a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A port and a HDMI 1.4b port.
The HDMI 1.4b port can handle up to 4K displays, but only at up to 24 fps. To display at 4K @ 50 fps / 60 fps, you need HDMI 2.0.
On the right side, you will find a 3.5 mm audio port, and a single USB 2.0 Type A port.
We have to wonder though – why stick with super-old USB 2.0, instead of the much faster USB 3.0 port?
Keyboard + Touchpad
The 2021 MateBook D 14 comes with a full-sized, ten-keyless keyboard, and a large touchpad.
Pop-Up Camera
Like the MateBook X Pro we reviewed, the 2021 MateBook D 14 comes with a pop-up camera, hidden under a special camera key on the keyboard.
It pops up when you press on it, and pressing it again hides it. This is a great security measure because the camera is physically blocked until you actually need to use it – no hacker will be able to surreptitiously use it to take your photos or videos!
There is only one problem with such a design – it takes photos and videos at an unflattering upward angle. You will also always appear to look upwards on video conferences, and videos that you record.
HUAWEI Share Multi-Screen Collaboration
The 2021 MateBook D 14 supports HUAWEI Share for multi-screen collaboration.
It basically lets you connect your smartphone, and use it directly on the MateBook D 15!
You can control the apps and files on your phone directly on the laptop, even drag and drop files!
The only downside? It is limited to HUAWEI and HONOR smartphones with NFC.
HUAWEI MeeTime
The 2021 MateBook D 14 also supports HUAWEI MeeTime, which is their version of Apple FaceTime – a free, proprietary video call service.
It offers some advantages over its competitors – FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. but can only be used by HUAWEI devices.
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
In their 2021 refresh, HUAWEI is offering the MateBook D 15 in two variants – the 11th Gen Edition, and the 10th Gen Edition.
As you can pretty much surmise, they are basically the same laptop, just powered by either the 11th Gen Core i5 processor, or the older 10th Gen Core i5 processor.
To make it easier for you to compare them, we created this table comparing their key specifications :
Specifications
HUAWEI MateBook D15
11th Gen Edition
10th Gen Edition
Display
15.6-inch FullView Display
– 1920 x 1080 pixels, 141 ppi
– 250 nits max. brightness
– 87% screen-to-body-ratio
– 45% NTSC colour gamut
– 800:1 contrast ratio
OS
Microsoft Windows 10 Home
Processor
Intel Core i5-1135G7
Intel Core i5-10210U
Memory
8 GB / 16 GB DDR4
8 GB DDR4
Graphics
Intel Iris Xe Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce MX250
Intel UHD Graphics
Storage
512 GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6, 2×2 MIMO
Wi-Fi 5, 2×2 MIMO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth 5.1
Bluetooth 5.0
Fingerprint Sensor
Yes, integrated into Power button
Ports
1 x USB Type C
1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A
2 x USB 2.0 Type A
1 x HDMI 1.4b
1 x 3.5 mm audio port
Webcam
720p recessed camera
Speakers
2 x 2 watt speaker
Battery
42 Whr
Power Adaptor
65 W USB-C power adaptor
Dimensions
357.8 mm wide
229.9 mm deep
16.9 mm thick
Weight
1.56 kg
2021 HUAWEI MateBook D 15 Laptops : Key Features
Let’s take a look at their key features…
15.6-inch FullView Display
The 2021 HUAWEI MateBook D 15 comes with a large 15.6-inch FullView Display, with a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
This is not a particularly bright display, with a maximum brightness of just 250 nits; and it only has a colour gamut of 45% NTSC.
But it is large, with narrow bezels that give it an 87% screen-to-body ratio – hence the name, FullView Display.
Performance
HUAWEI offers two variants, with different CPU + GPU options :
11th Gen Edition : Intel Core i5-1135G7 with Intel Xe Graphics
10th Gen Edition : Intel Core i5-10210U with NVIDIA GeForce MX250
They both come with fast DDR4 memory, and a fast PCIe NVMe SSD with 512 GB of storage.
Battery + Charging
All that is powered by a decent 42 Whr battery, paired with a compact 65 watt USB Type C fast charger.
The charger can be used to charge other USB Type C devices, and supports HUAWEI SuperCharge for certain HUAWEI smartphones.
Connectivity
The 11th Gen Edition supports faster Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity, while the 10th Gen Edition supports Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.
Ports
On the left side, you will find a single USB Type C port, with a USB 3.2 Gen1 Type A port and a HDMI 1.4b port.
In case you are wondering, the HDMI 1.4b port can handle up to 4K displays, but only at up to 24 fps. To display at 4K @ 50 fps / 60 fps, you need HDMI 2.0.
On the right side, you will find a 3.5 mm audio port, as well as two USB 2.0 Type A ports.
We have to wonder though – why stick with super-old USB 2.0, instead of the much faster USB 3.0 ports?
Keyboard + Touchpad
The 2021 MateBook D 15 comes with a full-sized, ten-keyless keyboard, and a large touchpad.
Pop-Up Camera
Like the MateBook X Pro we reviewed, the 2021 MateBook D 15 comes with a pop-up camera, hidden under a special camera key on the keyboard.
It pops up when you press on it, and pressing it again hides it. This is a great security measure because the camera is physically blocked until you actually need to use it – no hacker will be able to surreptitiously use it to take your photos or videos!
There is only one problem with such a design – it takes photos and videos at an unflattering upward angle. You will also always appear to look upwards on video conferences, and videos that you record.
HUAWEI Share Multi-Screen Collaboration
The 2021 MateBook D 15 supports HUAWEI Share for multi-screen collaboration.
It basically lets you connect your smartphone, and use it directly on the MateBook D 15!
You can control the apps and files on your phone directly on the laptop, even drag and drop files!
The only downside? It is limited to HUAWEI and HONOR smartphones with NFC.
HUAWEI MeeTime
The 2021 MateBook D 15 also supports HUAWEI MeeTime, which is their version of Apple FaceTime – a free, proprietary video call service.
It offers some advantages over its competitors – FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc. but can only be used by HUAWEI devices.
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Acer just introduced the 2021 Nitro 5 gaming laptop, powered by Ryzen 9 and GeForce RTX 3080!
Here is what you need to know about this new super-fast Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop!
2021 Acer Nitro 5 : Ryzen 9 + RTX 3080 FTW!
The 2021 Acer Nitro 5 just got a MASSIVE upgrade! You can now opt for the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX mobile processor, and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 graphics!
It even comes with two DDR4-3200 slots with up to 32 GB memory, and two M.2 slots of PCIe NVMe SSDs! On top of that, it comes with Wi-Fi 6 and Killer Ethernet E2600 connectivity built-in.
The 2021 Nitro 5 boasts a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 165 Hz refresh rate with a QHD resolution, or a stupendously fast 360 Hz refresh rate with a FHD resolution. Both options offer a 3 ms response time for minimal ghosting.
To ensure the 2021 Nitro 5 can withstand even the most intense gaming sessions, it features a revamped thermal system with dual fans and four exhaust fans. On top of that, Acer CoolBoost and NitroSense lets you monitor fan speed, and increase it when you need that extra performance.
It also comes with a multitude of ports – a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C port, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port with power off charging capability, two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and HDMI 2.1 port and a 3.5 mm audio jack.
Acer is introducing six variants, in three phases, and here are their key specifications :
2021 Acer Nitro 5 : Pre-Order Deals!
As part of their Zero to Nitro campaign, Acer Malaysia is offering these pre-order deals for the 2021 Nitro 5!
27 to 29 April 2021
Get RM 200 TNG e-Wallet top-up, a Predator Hybrid Backpack, a Predator Galea 350 gaming headset and a Predator Mousepad worth RM 967 when you purchase :
Get RM 200 TNG e-Wallet top-up, a Predator Utility Backpack, a Predator Galea 350 gaming headset and a Predator Mousepad worth RM 967 when you purchase :
If you like our work, you can help support us by visiting our sponsors, participating in the Tech ARP Forums, or even donating to our fund. Any help you can render is greatly appreciated!
Acer just introduced the Nitro QG241YP gaming monitor, which boasts a 165 Hz refresh rate with HDR10 support!
Here is what you need to know about the new Acer Nitro QG241Y gaming monitor!
Acer Nitro QG241YP : 165 Hz Gaming Monitor
The Acer Nitro QG241YP is a 23.8-inch gaming monitor, with a VA panel that supports up to 165 Hz refresh rate and 1 ms VRB response time.
It also features AMD FreeSync Premium technology for smooth, tear-free gaming; and HDR10 with Black Boost technology for greater immersion.
In addition, it comes with ComfyView, BlueLightShield and Low Dimming technologies to help reduce eye strain during long gaming sessions.
The Nitro QG241YP has wide vertical and horizontal viewing angles, but can be tilted for a better viewing angle, or attached to monitor arms using its VEGA mount.
Acer Nitro QG241YP : Specifications
Specifications
Acer Nitro QG241YP
Display Size
23.8-inch
Panel Type
VA
Max. Resolution
+ Refresh Rate
HDMI : 1920 x 1080 @ 144 Hz
DP : 1920 x 1080 @ 165 Hz
Response Time
1 ms VRB
Contrast Ratio
100 million : 1 max (ACM)
Max. Brightness
250 nits (cd/m²)
HDR Support
HDR10
Adaptive Sync
AMD FreeSync Premium
Viewing Angle
178° horizontal, 178° vertical
Max. Colours
16.7 million (8-bit)
Colour Gamut
72% NTSC
Input Ports
1 x HDMI 2.0
1 x HDMI 1.4
1 x DisplayPort
VESA Mount
Yes, 100 x 100 mm
Speaker
Optional (2 watt x 2)
Adjustments
Tilt : -5° to 20°
Power
Consumption
Off : 0.4 W
Sleep : 0.5 W
On : 20 W
Acer Nitro QG241YP : Price + Launch Deal!
The Nitro QG241YP will retail for just RM 749 (about US$181 / £132 / A$237 / S$243), but Acer is offering it at just RM 699 for two days!
You can get this awesome deal even lower at just RM 653!
Here are purchase options in other countries (prices as of 14 April 2021) :
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