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In addition to the extension of MCO, Malaysia also announced that eateries and restaurants can extend their operation hours to 10 PM!
Malaysia MCO : Eateries + Restaurants Can Open Till 10 PM!
When Malaysia announced the latest January 2021 SOP for the MCO / PKP 2.0 lockdown, eateries and restaurants were only allowed to open from 6 AM until 8 PM.
This turned out to be a big issue for many Malaysians, as food is an integral part of Malaysian life.
Heck, it is a source of great pride that any hungry Malaysian can go out and buy food at any time of the day and night!
So it was no surprise that many Malaysians complained about the abnormally early 8 PM shut-off time for eateries and restaurants in areas under MCO lockdown.
The Malaysian government noticed that, and when they announced the extension of MCO for nine states and territories on 21 January 2021, they also announced that eateries and restaurants will be allowed to open until 10 PM.
Malaysia MCO : Eateries + Restaurants SOP
Don’t rush off tonight for a late night snack though, as this new policy will only start on 22 January 2021.
You should also note that the other existing MCO SOP for eateries and restaurants remain in place.
So, starting 22 January, 2021, this will be the SOP for eateries and restaurants in MCO / PKP areas.
Restaurants, cafes, hawker stalls, roadside stalls, food courts, food trucks are allowed to open from 6 AM to 10 PM.
No dine-in is allowed.
Only takeaway, drive-through and food delivery are permitted.
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!
Running and jogging allowed, but limited to maximum of two (2) family members
Cycling allowed, but limited to one (1) person, up to 10 km from household.
Group cycling is FORBIDDEN.
Physical distance of 2 metres should be maintained
All other sporting activities are FORBIDDEN.
Entertainment
Night clubs and pubs are FORBIDDEN.
Theme parks, indoor playgrounds, family karaoke and cinemas are FORBIDDEN.
Concerts and live events are FORBIDDEN.
Spas, reflexology centres are FORBIDDEN.
Social + Religious Activities
Parades and religious gatherings like Thaipusam are FORBIDDEN.
Up to 5 committee members may manage mosques and other religious houses of worship.
Weddings, parties, engagement parties, receptions, anniversary celebrations, birthday celebrations, reunions, retreats and other social events are FORBIDDEN.
Manufacturing + Business Activities
The government has identified five (5) essential economic sectors that will be allowed to operate – manufacturing, construction, essential services, trade and distribution, as well as plantations and commodities.
However, only 30% of the management team is allowed to be in the office.
For unlisted sectors or non-essential services, employees are required to work from home.
Conferences, meetings, seminars, courses and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) activities are FORBIDDEN.
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!
Malaysia has just extended the MCO / PKP lockdown across the entire country, except for Sarawak!
Here is what you need to know about this new development!
Whole Malaysia, Except Sarawak, Under MCO Lockdown!
On 19 January 2021, Malaysia announced the imposition of the much stricter MCO / PKP lockdown of all states and territories across the country, except for Sarawak!
For these states and territories already under MCO / PKP, the restrictions will remain as originally announced.
For these new states that will come under MCO / PKP 2.0, the restrictions will start from 12:01 AM on Friday, 22 January 2021 and tentatively end on 4 February 2021.
Perlis
Kedah
Perak
Pahang
Negeri Sembilan
Terengganu
Malaysia MCO / PKP 2.0 : What’s The SOP?
Here are the SOP for MCO / PKP in Malaysia, as released by the Malaysia National Security Council (MKN) in January 2021.
Please follow this SOP, because failure to do so could result in a compound of up to RM1,000 per offence!
Travel
Two (2) persons are allowed to leave each household, in the same vehicle, to purchase food and other necessities.
Up to 3 people (including the patient) are allowed to leave each household to seek healthcare.
Travel is limited to a radius of 10 km from your household, unless there is no supply / availability within 10 km.
Interstate and inter-district travel are FORBIDDEN.
Tourism is FORBIDDEN.
Travel for emergencies like funerals are allowed with permission from the police.
Travel because of natural disasters are allowed.
PCA and RGL travel arrangements between Malaysia and Singapore are allowed to continue.
Food & Beverage Industry
Restaurants, cafes, hawker stalls, roadside stalls, food courts, food trucks are allowed to open from 6 AM to 10 PM.
No dine-in is allowed. Only takeaway, drive-through and delivery are permitted
Petrol Stations
Operation hours : 6 AM to 10 PM.
Petrol stations on highways and expressways allowed to operate 24 hours
Markets
Morning and farmers’ markets : 7 AM to 2 PM
Wholesale markets : 11 AM to 4 PM, or 12 PM to 6 PM
Night markets and late night bazaars are FORBIDDEN
Healthcare
Hospitals, clinics, medical labs : 24 hours
Pharmacies : 6 AM to 8 PM
Veterinary clinics + pet food stores : 6 AM to 8 PM
Shopping
Supermarkets are allowed to open
Groceries and convenience stores are allowed to open from 6 AM to 8 PM.
Laundromats, except self-service laundromats : 6 AM to 8 PM
Barber shops and hair saloons are FORBIDDEN.
Optical shops and clothing stores are FORBIDDEN.
Schools + Education
Students who will undertake major examinations like SPM, SVM, SKM, STPM, STAM, and DVM for 2020 and 2021 are allowed to attend school with strict SOP.
Matriculation colleges are allowed to operate.
Students in boarding schools and universities are allowed to continue hybrid studying.
International and professional exams are allowed.
Research activities requiring lab access in institutes of higher learning are allowed.
Lecturers and teachers are allowed to travel to teach classes with examinations.
Kindergartens, nurseries and day care facilities are allowed to continue operating.
Tuition, music, dance, art, language classes are FORBIDDEN.
Running and jogging allowed, but limited to maximum of two (2) family members
Cycling allowed, but limited to one (1) person, up to 10 km from household.
Group cycling is FORBIDDEN.
Physical distance of 2 metres should be maintained
All other sporting activities are FORBIDDEN.
Entertainment
Night clubs and pubs are FORBIDDEN.
Theme parks, indoor playgrounds, family karaoke and cinemas are FORBIDDEN.
Concerts and live events are FORBIDDEN.
Spas, reflexology centres are FORBIDDEN.
Social + Religious Activities
Parades and religious gatherings like Thaipusam are FORBIDDEN.
Up to 5 committee members may manage mosques and other religious houses of worship.
Weddings, parties, engagement parties, receptions, anniversary celebrations, birthday celebrations, reunions, retreats and other social events are FORBIDDEN.
Manufacturing + Business Activities
The government has identified five (5) essential economic sectors that will be allowed to operate – manufacturing, construction, essential services, trade and distribution, as well as plantations and commodities.
However, only 30% of the management team is allowed to be in the office.
For unlisted sectors or non-essential services, employees are required to work from home.
Conferences, meetings, seminars, courses and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) activities are FORBIDDEN.
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!
Malaysia just announced that Seremban and Port Dickson will be placed under MCO / PKP lockdown measures starting 19 January 2021!
Seremban + Port Dickson Under MCO On 19 January 2021!
On 18 January 2021, the Malaysia National Security Council (MKN) announced that the MCO / PKP lockdown measures will be extended to Seremban and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan.
The MCO / PKP restrictions will start at 12:01 AM on 19 January 2021, and end on 1 February 2021.
Seremban + Port Dickson MCO : What Is The SOP?
MKN did not announce any special SOP for Seremban and Port Dickson, so the January 2021 MCO SOP for Malaysia should apply.
Travel
Two (2) persons are allowed to leave each household, in the same vehicle, to purchase food and other necessities.
Up to 3 people (including the patient) are allowed to leave each household to seek healthcare.
Travel is limited to a radius of 10 km from your household, unless there is no supply / availability within 10 km.
Interstate and inter-district travel are FORBIDDEN.
Tourism is FORBIDDEN.
Travel for emergencies like funerals are allowed with permission from the police.
Travel because of natural disasters are allowed.
PCA and RGL travel arrangements between Malaysia and Singapore are allowed to continue.
Food & Beverage Industry
Restaurants, cafes, hawker stalls, roadside stalls, food courts, food trucks are allowed to open from 6 AM to 8 PM.
No dine-in is allowed. Only takeaway, drive-through and delivery are permitted
Petrol Stations
Operation hours : 6 AM to 10 PM.
Petrol stations on highways and expressways allowed to operate 24 hours
Markets
Morning and farmers’ markets : 7 AM to 2 PM
Wholesale markets : 11 AM to 4 PM, or 12 PM to 6 PM
Night markets and late night bazaars are FORBIDDEN
Healthcare
Hospitals, clinics, medical labs : 24 hours
Pharmacies : 6 AM to 8 PM
Veterinary clinics + pet food stores : 6 AM to 8 PM
Shopping
Supermarkets are allowed to open
Groceries and convenience stores are allowed to open from 6 AM to 8 PM.
Laundromats, except self-service laundromats : 6 AM to 8 PM
Barber shops and hair saloons are FORBIDDEN.
Optical shops and clothing stores are FORBIDDEN.
Schools + Education
Students who will undertake major examinations like SPM, SVM, SKM, STPM, STAM, and DVM for 2020 and 2021 are allowed to attend school with strict SOP.
Matriculation colleges are allowed to operate.
Students in boarding schools and universities are allowed to continue hybrid studying.
International and professional exams are allowed.
Research activities requiring lab access in institutes of higher learning are allowed.
Lecturers and teachers are allowed to travel to teach classes with examinations.
Kindergartens, nurseries and day care facilities are allowed to continue operating.
Tuition, music, dance, art, language classes are FORBIDDEN.
Running and jogging allowed, but limited to maximum of two (2) family members
Cycling allowed, but limited to one (1) person, up to 10 km from household.
Group cycling is FORBIDDEN.
Physical distance of 2 metres should be maintained
All other sporting activities are FORBIDDEN.
Entertainment
Night clubs and pubs are FORBIDDEN.
Theme parks, indoor playgrounds, family karaoke and cinemas are FORBIDDEN.
Concerts and live events are FORBIDDEN.
Spas, reflexology centres are FORBIDDEN.
Social + Religious Activities
Parades and religious gatherings like Thaipusam are FORBIDDEN.
Up to 5 committee members may manage mosques and other religious houses of worship.
Weddings, parties, engagement parties, receptions, anniversary celebrations, birthday celebrations, reunions, retreats and other social events are FORBIDDEN.
Manufacturing + Business Activities
The government has identified five (5) essential economic sectors that will be allowed to operate – manufacturing, construction, essential services, trade and distribution, as well as plantations and commodities.
However, only 30% of the management team is allowed to be in the office.
For unlisted sectors or non-essential services, employees are required to work from home.
Conferences, meetings, seminars, courses and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) activities are FORBIDDEN.
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!
Here are 6 games and 4 DLCs you can add to your Steam account for FREE, and they are yours to keep forever!
Don’t forget to tell your friends, and join theTech ARP Facebook page to get these updates quickly!
Note On Free Steam Games + DLCs
Please note that some of these Steam games are not directly available on the Steam store. Please follow the instructions below.
Also, if any of the Steam games or DLCs are no longer free, please just let us know so we can remove them.
Thank you, and happy gaming!
Steam Games That Are FREE To Download + Keep!
Free Steam Game #1 : Little Nightmares
Immerse yourself in Little Nightmares, a dark whimsical tale that will confront you with your childhood fears as you help Six escape The Maw – a vast, mysterious vessel inhabited by corrupted souls looking for their next meal!
Confront your childhood fears in this darkly whimsical tale, set in an immersive world of great sensibility, interactive storytelling and outstanding sound design.
Discover the foul secrets of The Maw and survive the attentions of its monstrous residents as you bid to help Six escape to the world outside.
Follow these steps to get Heroes of the Little Nightmares for FREE, but make sure you do this before 17 January 2021 :
Click on the Add to Account button to add it to your Steam account.
You can choose to install it now, or postpone the installation.
That’s it! You now have Heroes of the Three Kingdoms (三国群英传) in your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #3 : Panzer Ball
Panzer Ball is about speed and agility. Complete races in this fast-paced 3D platformer that is inspired by the classic surf maps and bunnyhop modes from games of the past.
This game includes both a singleplayer and a multiplayer experience. The online multiplayer is fully real-time so you can invite your friends and see who gets the fastest time.
Join our community to get involved in experimental modes, early playtests and be part of the development of Panzer Ball.
Follow these steps to get Panzer Ball for FREE :
Install and open the Steam client.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
In the next page, select the Steam icon to link your Steam account.
Make sure you select Steam. If you choose another platform, you will NOT receive the free copy of NiGHTS Into Dreams.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Click Allow to let SEGA activate the CD-Key into your Steam account.
That’s it! You now have NiGHTS Into Dreams in your Steam account!
At this point, you can continue to sign up for their mailing list, or just close the sign-up page. It doesn’t matter, because your Steam account already has the game.
Free Steam Game #5 : WIDE CROSS
Wide Cross is a quick paced and easy-going MOBA, based on the premise of 5v5 player versus player combat.
Play with an assortment of captivating characters and utilise boundless strategies to gain the advantage over your opponents.
A compelling battlefield from beginning to end, will begin now!
Follow these steps to get WIDE CROSS for FREE :
Install and open the Steam client.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Click on this link – this is an important step. Please let us know if it no longer works.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! You now have WIDE CROSS in your Steam account!
Free Steam Game #6 : Puzzle – LINES AND KNOTS
Puzzle – LINES AND KNOTS is a logical puzzle game for meditation.
The goal of the player is to assemble a puzzle consisting of nodes. Easy-to-grasp mechanics, swap hexagons with lines.
Follow these steps to get Puzzle – LINES AND KNOTS for FREE :
Install and open the Steam client.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Click on this link – this is an important step. Please let us know if it no longer works.
When asked if you want to allow this page to open Steam, select Allow.
That’s it! You now have Puzzle – LINES AND KNOTS in your Steam account!
Steam DLCs That Are FREE To Download + Keep!
Free Steam DLC #1 : Fishing Sim World : Lake Nelson DLC
Fishing Sim World features an authentic career mode where you work your way up to an elite angler competing against over 100 of the best anglers in the world across Bass, Carp and Predator fishing whilst unlocking sponsorship opportunities, gaining career earnings and social media followers as you go.
Lake Nelson is a picturesque fishing venue located in the heart of Texas and is unique for the size of the venue against the size of the fish that can be caught. In fact, at around 10 acres in size, there is no need to use a boat and fishing is from the shoreline only.
Follow these steps to get the Lake Nelson DLC for FREE, before 15 March 2021.
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Click on the Add to Account button to add it to your Steam account.
You can choose to install it now, or postpone the installation.
That’s it! You now have the Lake Nelson DLC in your Steam account!
Note : This DLC requires the base game – Fishing Sim World – to work.
Free Steam DLC #2 : Company of Heroes 2 Southern Fronts
During the Spring Rasputitsa in early 1943, the Red Army launched a series of counteroffensives against German lines in the southwest. While initially successful, the Germans regrouped and managed to regain the momentum to recapture Kharkov.
Take command of both factions in a series of challenges and battles that feature new environmental conditions; thick mud that impacts vehicle movement and exposes new vulnerabilities.
Follow these steps to get Company of Heroes 2 Southern Fronts for FREE :
Log into your Steam account, or create a new account if you don’t have one yet.
Click Allow to let SEGA activate the CD-Key on your Steam account.
You should see a green alert stating that the Southern Fronts Mission Pack has been added to your Steam account.
You do not have to provide SEGA with more details or register for an account.
If you get a 404 page, just repeat from Step 1 and it should work the second time.
That’s it! You now have Company of Heroes 2 Southern Fronts in your Steam account!
Note : This is a DLC that requires the Company of Heroes 2 game.
Free Steam DLC #3 : SHOGUN 2 : Battle of Kawagoe
In the historical battle of Kawagoe, the Hojo clan used the cover of night to launch a swift attack against the besieging coalition of Uesugi, Ogigayatsu, and Ashikaga clans.
They overcame insurmountable odds, and even discarded their armour, to seize victory against their enemies with their prowess in speed and stealth.
In this Shogun 2 FLC, experience this exciting battle map for yourself, originally a downloadable piece of content released with the game in 2011.
Follow these steps to get this DLC for FREE :
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
Free Steam DLC #4 : Two Point Hospital : Free Sega 60th Items
To celebrate 60 years of SEGA’s proud history, these free items were plucked from the annals and gifted to you to spruce up your hospitals.
SEGA Out Run machine
One-eyed Mammoth (from Space Harrier)
SEGA Dream Catcher machine
SEGA Periscope Arcade Game
Put a smile on the faces of your patients with historic masterpieces from arcade times gone by (and a giant one-eyed mammoth from Space Harrier, because why not?)
Follow these steps to get the Two Point Hospital SEGA 60th Items for FREE :
Log into your existing Steam account, or create a new account.
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 new Samsung Galaxy S21, Galaxy S21+ and Galaxy S21 Ultra smartphones are coming to Malaysia!
Check out the official price list and pre-order deals for all three Samsung flagship smartphones in Malaysia!
Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra in Malaysia : What’s The Difference?
With a 6.2-inch display, the Samsung Galaxy S21 is designed for those who want a light, compact flagship smartphone.
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus, on the other hand, has a larger 6.7-inch display and a larger battery – great for marathon gamers and binge-watchers.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy S21 Ultra offers the ultimate productivity and creativity possibilities with its 6.8-inch display and support for the S Pen.
In Malaysia, all three Galaxy S21 models are powered by the same mobile SoC – Samsung Exynos 2100, and offer both Gorilla Glass Victus protection in the front, and IP68 dust and water-resistance.
To make it easier for you to decide, here is a comparison of their key specifications :
Specifications
Galaxy S21
Galaxy S21+
Galaxy S21 Ultra
Model
SM-G991
SM-G996
SM-G998
Display Size
6.2-inch Flat
6.7-inch Flat
6.8-inch Edge
Display Panel
Dynamic AMOLED 2X
Display Resolution
1080 x 2400 pixels
1440 x 3200 pixels
Pixel Density
421 ppi
394 ppi
515 ppi
Display Features
48~120 Hz refresh rate
1300 nits
10~120 Hz refresh rate
1500 nits
Protection
IP68, Corning Gorilla Glass Victus
Operating System
One UI 3.1 (Android 11)
Platform
Samsung Exynos 2100
Memory
8 GB LPDDR5
12 GB / 16 GB LPDDR5
Storage Options
256 GB
256 GB / 512 GB
External Storage
None
Front Camera
10 MP Dual Pixel (f/2.2)
40 MP (f/2.2)
Rear Main
Camera
12 MP Dual Pixel (f/1.8)
108 MP (f/1.8)
Rear Ultra-Wide
Camera
12 MP (f/2.2)
12 MP Dual Pixel (f/2.2)
Rear Telephoto
Camera #1
64 MP (f/2.0)
1.1X optical zoom,
3X hybrid zoom
10 MP Dual Pixel (f/2.4)
3X optical zoom
Rear Telephoto
Camera #2
–
10 MP Dual Pixel (f/4.9)
10X optical zoom
Other Rear
Camera Features
–
Laser Autofocus
Connectivity
5G / 4G / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi : WiFi-AC
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
5G / 4G / 3G / 2G
Wi-Fi : WiFi-6E
Bluetooth : BT 5.0
USB : USB 3.2 Type C
GPS Support
GPS, AGPS, GLONASS, BeiDou
Ultra Wideband
No
Yes
NFC / MST
Yes
S Pen Support
No
Yes
Fingerprint Sensor
In Display
Other Sensors
Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyro, Geomagnetic,
Hall sensor, Proximity, Ambient Light
Audio
Dual stereo speakers tuned by AKG
Battery
4,000 mAh
4,800 mAh
5,000 mAh
Charging
25 watt wired, 18 watt wireless
Width
Height
Thickness
71.2 mm
161.7 mm
7.9 mm
75.6 mm
161.5 mm
7.8 mm
75.6 mm
165.1 mm
8.9 mm
Weight
169 g
200 g
227 g
Galaxy S21, S21+, S21 Ultra : Malaysia Price List
The Samsung Galaxy S21 is available in four colour options in Malaysia, at the recommended retail price of RM 3,699.
Phantom Violet
Phantom Gray
Phantom White
Phantom Pink
The Samsung Galaxy S21 Plus is available in three colour options in Malaysia, at the recommended retail price of RM 4,299.
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!
Running and jogging allowed, but limited to maximum of two (2) family members
Cycling allowed, but limited to one (1) person, up to 10 km from household.
Group cycling is FORBIDDEN.
Physical distance of 2 metres should be maintained
All other sporting activities are FORBIDDEN.
Entertainment
Night clubs and pubs are FORBIDDEN.
Theme parks, indoor playgrounds, family karaoke and cinemas are FORBIDDEN.
Concerts and live events are FORBIDDEN.
Spas, reflexology centres are FORBIDDEN.
Social + Religious Activities
Parades and religious gatherings like Thaipusam are FORBIDDEN.
Up to 5 committee members may manage mosques and other religious houses of worship.
Weddings, parties, engagement parties, receptions, anniversary celebrations, birthday celebrations, reunions, retreats and other social events are FORBIDDEN.
Manufacturing + Business Activities
The government has identified five (5) essential economic sectors that will be allowed to operate – manufacturing, construction, essential services, trade and distribution, as well as plantations and commodities.
However, only 30% of the management team is allowed to be in the office.
For unlisted sectors or non-essential services, employees are required to work from home.
Conferences, meetings, seminars, courses and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions) activities are FORBIDDEN.
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!
At CES 2021, NVIDIA announced the coming availability of Ampere-based GeForce RTX 30 series gaming laptops!
Take a look at what’s coming very soon, and how much faster they will be!
GeForce RTX 30 Series Gaming Laptops : Ampere Goes Mobile!
Just 4 months after launching Ampere for desktop gaming, NVIDIA is bringing it to laptops.
At CES 2021, they announced the coming availability of Ampere-based GeForce RTX 30 series gaming laptops!
Starting 26 January 2021, NVIDIA partner brands will begin shipping RTX 3080 and RTX 3070 gaming laptops, followed by RTX 3060 gaming laptops from 2 February 2021 onwards.
The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 30 series mobile GPUs are built on the NVIDIA Ampere architecture, giving them 2nd Gen Ray Tracing cores and 3rd Gen Tensor Cores.
New Streaming Multiprocessors : Delivering 2X the FP32 performance of NVIDIA Turing, and 30 Shader-TFLOPS of processing power
2nd Gen RT Cores : Delivering 2X the performance of NVIDIA Turing, plus concurrent ray tracing and compute, with 58 RT-TFLOPS of processing power.
3rd Gen Tensor Cores : Up to 2X the performance of NVIDIA Turing, with 238 Tensor-TFLOPS of processing power.
NVIDIA RTX IO : Enables rapid GPU-based loading and game asset decompression, accelerating I/O performance by up to 100X. When used in conjunction with Microsoft DirectStorage API, it offloads the work to the RTX GPU, improving frame rates and enabling near-instantaneous game loading.
GDDR6X Memory : Delivers close to 1 TB/s of memory bandwidth, improving gaming performance.
Custom Samsung 8N Process Technology : Delivers higher transistor density and greater efficiency.
HDMI 2.1 : Delivers single-cable connection to 8K HDR TVs and monitors for ultra-high resolution gaming.
AV1 Decode : First discrete GPUs to support hardware decoding of the new AV1 codec, allowing for up to 8K HDR videos at 50% less bandwidth.
NVIDIA is also introducing a 3rd Gen Max-Q Design to optimise the GeForce RTX 30 series gaming laptops for optimal power and performance.
They will also come with WhisperMode 2.0 – which was reengineered to dynamically manage the GPU, CPU, game settings and fan speeds to reduce fan acoustics while maintaining gaming performance.
Finally, NVIDIA will introduce Resizable BAR support in these RTX 30 gaming laptops via a driver update later.
GeForce RTX 30 Series Gaming Laptops : Performance
So how much faster are the RTX 30 series gaming laptops?
Based on this comparison that NVIDIA shared, an RTX 3080 laptop will offer 45-55% better performance than an RTX 2080 laptop
GeForce RTX 30 Series Gaming Laptops : What’s Coming?
Here is a quick summary of the GeForce RTX 30 series gaming laptops that will hit the market from 26 January 2021 onwards.
If you like this review, please 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 2021 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event is almost here! Are you ready for the unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy S21 smartphones?
While we wait for the official launch on 14 January 2021, here is everything we know about the S21 series so far!
2021 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked : Are You Ready?
Samsung is kicking off 2021 with a big bang on January 14 – the first Galaxy Unpacked of the year!
Unlike previous years, they are going to announce their latest Galaxy S21 smartphones on the last day of CES 2021, instead of during Mobile World Congress in February or March.
The 2021 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked will be broadcast globally on www.samsung.com (www.samsung.com/my here in Malaysia) at 11 PM (GMT+8) on 14 January 2021.
If you register your interest at https://www.samsung.com/my/unpacked/ by 14 January 2021, you will be entitled to redeem a FREE Samsung Galaxy Fit2 worth RM179 when you pre-order any Galaxy S21 smartphone!
2021 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked : What We Know So Far!
The 2021 Samsung Galaxy Unpacked will be the official launch of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series of smartphones. Here is what we know so far… based on what’s been leaked.
Three Galaxy Galaxy S21 Models
Samsung will offer three models :
6.2-inch Galaxy S21
6.7-inch Galaxy S21+ (Galaxy S21 Plus)
6.8-inch Galaxy S21 Ultra
Displays
All three models will come with a Dynamic AMOLED display, with dynamic refresh rates of up to 120 Hz.
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!
Samsung is slated to reveal their 2021 range of TV models at CES, but ahead of that, they are going to give everyone a sneak peek of sorts!
Could it be MicroLED (again)? Or Quantum Dot OLED (QD-OLED)? Tell us what YOU think!
2021 Samsung TV First Look : What Could They Reveal?
Samsung is slated to launch their 2021 range of TV models at CES 2021, with a press conference at 9 AM on 11 January 2021.
However, it looks like they will give us all a sneak peek of their new VD (Visual Display) technology on 7 January 2021 at 12 AM (GMT+8) here in Malaysia.
2021 Samsung TV First Look : MicroLED or QD Display?
Although Samsung isn’t telling us what they will showcase in the 7 January 2021 First Look, we believe it will be their MicroLED TV technology.
It first debuted in the 2019 The Wall – which won the 2019 Display of the Year Award. But this is a freaking expensive TV that is virtually a technology demo with a very niche market.
We believe that Samsung will “unveil” MicroLED as the new mainstream display technology for home entertainment enthusiasts to aspire to.
Unlike current LED TVs, a MicroLED TV will have a panel that uses microscopic LEDs as display pixels. This would allow for phenomenally high brightness and infinite contrast, with very wide colour gamut.
Samsung also claims that their new MicroLED technology can last for up to 100,000 hours.
They actually launched a new 110-inch MicroLED TV in South Korean on 10 December 2020, which they plan to launch globally in Q1 2021.
Priced at KRW 170 million (about US$157,000 / £115,000 / RM629,000), it has a 4K resolution with a built-in Majestic Sound System and a 5.1-channel speaker system.
On the other hand, Samsung may be unveiling their QD-OLED display – a hybrid of OLED and Quantum Dots, which they plan to start producing this year.
Samsung Display will invest 13.1 trillion won by 2025 to build “Q1 Line,” the world’s first QD display mass production line at Asan Campus. The new line is scheduled to start production in 2021 with an initial 30,000 sheets (8.5 generations) and will produce a huge QD display of 65 inches or larger.
This QD-OLED hybrid display would deliver higher brightness and wider colour gamuts, with incredible contrast ratios.
Best of all – it will be easier to manufacture, which means lower production costs, and lower prices for consumers.
On the other hand, Samsung is only kicking off QD-OLED manufacturing this year… which means this may not be ready for primetime yet.
So what do YOU think? Will Samsung be unveiling MicroLED or QD-OLED on 7 January 2021?
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Alliance Bank shut down 5 branches after at least three employees were confirmed to be positive for COVID-19.
Find out what happened, and whether you should be concerned!
Alliance Bank : At Least Three Employees Positive For COVID-19
Alliance Bank closed these five branches / offices after at least three employees tested positive for COVID-19.
Alliance Bank Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur
Alliance Bank direct marketing office at Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur
Alliance Bank Star Boulevard KLCC, Kuala Lumpur
Alliance Bank Jalan Gaya, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Alliance Bank lending hub in Puchong Jaya, Selangor
All five branches will remain closed for sanitisation, until further notice.
At least three Alliance Bank employees are known to be positive for COVID-19 :
Employee 1 worked at the Puchong Jaya lending hub, and was last at work on 22 December 2020.
Employee 2 worked at the Jalan Ipoh branch, and visited the Star Boulevard branch. This employee was last at work on 24 December 2020.
Employee 3 worked at the direct marketing office, and was last at work on 28 December 2020.
Alliance Bank did not mention why their Jalan Gaya branch in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, was also closed for sanitisation.
It could have been due to infected employee(s), or an exposure to a customer with COVID-19.
Alliance Bank COVID-19 Exposure : Do NOT Panic!
Even though quite a number of Alliance Bank branches were affected, you should not panic…
They are definitely tracing contacts, which is why it is important to log your movements with MySejahtera, or the physical logbook.
While banks offer physical logbooks, we highly recommend that you use the MySejahtera mobile app, because it allows for easier and faster contact tracing.
Using the MySejahtera mobile app also obviates the need to sign a physical logbook, which usually means using a shared pen – an unnecessary risk factor.
If you happen to be in close contact with any of those affected Alliance Bank employees, you will be contacted and asked to self-quarantine and undergo a COVID-19 screening test.
The SARS-CoV-2 virus is easily destroyed by soap, so the sanitisation operations will definitely clean the branches of any infectious particles.
But most important of all – we need to remember to always wear a face mask in public. Face masks have been proven to prevent the spread and reduce the risk of being infected.
COVID-19 : How To Keep Safe During CMCO!
Here are a few simple steps to stay safe :
Avoid suspected cases or disease hotspots, like hospitals, if possible!
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 Malaysia National Security Council (MKN) just announced that CMCO will be extended in 6 states / territories, and will end for 3 other states / territories.
Here is the list of states and territories where CMCO is extended, and where they will end!
Areas Where CMCO Is Extended To 14 January 2021
With daily highs in COVID-19 cases, the Malaysian National Security Council (MKN) announced another extension of the CMCO / PKPB lockdown of these states and territories.
Private and commercial vehicles are allowed to carry up to their maximum passenger capacity.
High risk individuals and children are not encouraged to go out.
All activities and services at airports and ports are allowed.
Public transportation, like buses, express buses, LRT / MRT / ERL / Monorail / ferry / airlines / taxi / e-hailing vehicles are allowed to operate as normal.
Food delivery services are allowed to operate from 6 AM until 12 AM.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
All business, economic and industrial activity can proceed as usual.
Businesses must ensure that customers are physically distanced by 1 meter while entering or leaving their premises.
Businesses must limit the number of customers within their premise, and publicly display the maximum number of customers allowed inside.
Businesses must ensure that customers check in using MySejahtera or write in the logbook.
Businesses must scan the body temperature of customers, and those with a body temperature of 37.5 °C are not permitted to enter.
All employees, suppliers and customers must wear a face mask at all times.
Supermarkets, shopping malls and retail stores are allowed, between 6 AM and 12 AM.
Restaurants, food stores, food trucks, hawkers, food courts, food stalls, food kiosks, groceries and convenience stores are allowed to open from 6 AM until 12 AM.
Dine-in is allowed, with 1 meter distance between every person.
Daily, wholesale, farmer’s and night markets are allowed to open until 12 AM.
Petrol stations are allowed to open from 6 AM until 12 AM, except for those on highways – they can open 24 hours
Laundry services are allowed between 6 AM and 12 AM.
All other permitted businesses are allowed to operate between 6 AM and 12 AM.
All other essential activities NOT listed in the Negative List are permitted, subject to the existing SOPs.
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 iconic Penang ferry just received a last gasp of life, as the Penang Port Commission agreed to continue using it temporarily for bicycles and motorcycles!
Here is the latest update on the Penang ferry retirement saga, and what it means for travellers!
Penang Ferry : Originally Retired On 31 December 2020
The iconic Penang ferry, which has plied the Penang strait for 47 years, was scheduled to be retired on 31 December 2020.
It was to be replaced by fast passenger ferries, and vehicles were to use the original Penang Bridge and the new Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge.
However, there was an uproar because the Penang ferry is not just a state icon, it is an integral part of its unique cultural heritage.
Iconic Penang Ferry To Continue… Temporarily!
In a half U-turn, the Malaysian federal government assured the public on 25 December 2020 that the iconic Penang ferry service would continue.
The Penang Port Commission then announced on 26 December 2020, that the Penang ferry would continue operations, but only to transport motorcycles and bicycles.
With this decision, this is how the Penang ferry service will operate from 1 January 2020 onwards:
Passengers
Two fast ferries will carry passengers between the Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim terminal in Butterworth, and the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal in Penang island.
The Penang Port Commission will provide a free shuttle bus to transport passengers from the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal to Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda to connect with existing bus and taxi services there.
Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) will offer free rides for passengers on these fast ferries for two weeks, from 1 January until 14 January 2021.
These fast ferries will be replaced by three (passenger-only) water-buses by 1 July 2022 or earlier.
Bicycles + Motorcycles
At least one of the current Penang ferries will be retained to transport bicycles and motorcycles only from 1 January 2021 onwards.
The ferry will continue to ply its old route between the Pangkalan Sultan Abdul Halim terminal in Butterworth, and Pangkalan Raja Tun Uda in Penang island.
This reprieve is only temporary, as PPSB intends to replace it with two vehicle transporters (for buses and bicycles) by 1 July 2022 or earlier.
Cars + Other Four-Wheeled Vehicles
The Penang ferry service will no longer carry cars and other four-wheeled vehicles from 1 January 2021 onwards.
They will all have to use the Penang Bridge and the Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge to travel between the mainland and the island.
Penang Ferry : Future Tourist Attraction
The Penang Port Commission also announced that two Penang ferries will be retained, and renovated to serve as a floating restaurant, or a museum, or to offer cruise tours as a Penang heritage.
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Check out the FREE GAMES that Epic Games will give away this Christmas 2020, every single day until 31 December 2020!
Epic Games Christmas 2020 FREE Games : The Correct List!
Forget about the earlier fake list of FREE games from Epic Games this Christmas, which includes Horizon Zero Dawn.
Here is the confirmed list of FREE games that Epic Games will give away for just 24 hours, every day from 17 December until 31 December 2020!
Free Epic game on 17 December : Cities: Skylines
Cities: Skylines is a city-building game developed by Colossal Order and published by Paradox Interactive.
The game is a single-player open-ended city-building simulation. Players engage in urban planning by controlling zoning, road placement, taxation, public services, and public transportation of an area.
Free Epic game on 18 December : Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty
Oddworld: New ‘n’ Tasty! is a 2014 cinematic sidescrolling platform game, with an emphasis on puzzle solving.
It was developed by Just Add Water and published by Oddworld Inhabitants as a “ground-up remake” of Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee.
Free Epic game on 19 December : The Long Dark
The Long Dark is a first-person survival video game developed and published by Hinterland Studio.
The player assumes the role of a crash-landed bush pilot who must survive the frigid Canadian wilderness after a geomagnetic regional storm disaster.
Free Epic game on 20 December : Defense Grid: The Awakening
Defense Grid: The Awakening is a tower defense video game developed by Hidden Path Entertainment.
Players must defend military bases from waves of attacking aliens by positioning a range of tower-based weaponry.
Free Epic game on 21 December : Alien: Isolation
Alien: Isolation is a single-player action-adventure game with emphasis on stealth and survival horror features.
The player controls Amanda Ripley from a first-person perspective, and must explore a space station and complete objectives while avoiding, outsmarting and defeating enemies.
Free Epic game on 22 December : Metro 2033
Metro 2033 is a first-person shooter survival horror video game developed by 4A Games and published by THQ.
Players control Artyom, a man who must save his home station from the dangers lurking within the Metro.
Free Epic game on 23 December : Tropico 5
Tropico 5 is a construction and management simulation video game developed by Haemimont Games. It was released for Microsoft Windows in May 2014.
Free Epic game on 24 December : INSIDE
INSIDE is a puzzle-platformer adventure game developed and published by Playdead in 2016 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Microsoft Windows.
The player controls a boy in a dystopic world, solving environmental puzzles and avoiding death. It is the successor to Playdead’s 2010 game Limbo, and features similar 2.5D game-play.
Free Epic game on 25 December : Darkest Dungeon + The Musketeer DLC
Darkest Dungeon is a challenging gothic roguelike turn-based RPG about the psychological stresses of adventuring.
Recruit, train, and lead a team of flawed heroes against unimaginable horrors, stress, famine, disease, and the ever-encroaching dark.
The Musketeer is a FREE DLC hero class which was only available to upper-tier Kickstarter backers. She is complete, high quality re-skin of the Arbalest class.
Free Epic game on 26 December : My Time In Portia
My Time at Portia is a video game developed by Chinese studio Pathea Games and published by Team17 for Microsoft Windows.
The game takes place long after civilization has been destroyed, where humans have emerged from underground and begun rebuilding society. The goal of the game is to expand the city of Portia and become the best builder.
Free Epic game on 27 December : Night in the Woods
Night In The Woods is an adventure game focused on exploration, story, and character, featuring dozens of characters to meet and lots to do across a lush, vibrant world.
It is a story-focused exploration game in which players control a young woman named Mae, who recently dropped out of college and has returned to her hometown to find unexpected changes.
Free Epic game on 28 December : Stranded Deep
Take the role of a plane crash survivor stranded somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.
Come face to face with some of the most life threatening scenarios that will result in a different experience each time you play. Scavenge. Discover. Survive.
Free Epic game on 29 December : Solitairica
Solitairica takes RPG combat and challenging roguelike progression to a fresh new place — the world of solitaire!
Using a variety of magical items and powerful spells, battle your way through a horde of ever-changing enemies and defeat the horrible Emperor Stuck.
Free Epic game on 30 December : Torchlight II
The award-winning Action RPG is back, bigger and better than ever! Torchlight II is filled to the brim with randomized levels, enemies and loot.
Capturing all the flavor and excitement of the original, Torchlight II expands the world and adds features players wanted most, including online and LAN multiplayer. Once again, the fate of the world is in your hands.
Free Epic game on 31 December : Jurassic World Evolution
Place yourself at the heart of the Jurassic franchise and build your own Jurassic World.
Bioengineer dinosaurs that think, feel and react intelligently to the world around them and face threats posed by espionage, breakouts and devastating tropical storms in an uncertain world where life always finds a way.
Epic Games Christmas 2020 Free Games : How To Get ‘Em Free!
Make sure you follow these steps to get those games for FREE. Just make sure you get them within 24 hours!
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In collaboration with the National Art Gallery of Malaysia, Xiaomi is sponsoring an online photography contest – Good Things During Bad Times!
Give it a try, and you could win a Mi 10T Pro smartphone, or a Mi Pocket Photo Printer!
Photography Contest : Win Xiaomi Mi 10T Pro / Photo Printer!
Xiaomi Malaysia wants Malaysians to appreciate the little things in life through their new Good Things During Bad Times photography contest, in collaboration with the National Art Gallery of Malaysia.
Just capture the positive side of your life during these unprecedented times, and share it with Xiaomi Malaysia and the National Art Gallery!
All you have to do is :
Take an original photo that best reflects the contest theme.
Post the photo on your Instagram Feed, with these hashtags and make sure your Instagram Profile is set to Public : #GoodThingsDuringBadTimes #Xiaomi #Mi10TSeries #BalaiSeniNegara #PowerYourCreativity
Xiaomi staff, dealers (inclusive of Mi Stores, MEPs, Mi Zones and Open Channels) and their staff and relatives, are not entitled to participate.
Xiaomi Malaysia reserves the right to verify the eligibility of any participant, and disqualify any participant who do not meet the eligibility criteria.
Contest Period
Only submissions made during the contest period, and before the closing deadline, are eligible to participate :
15 December 2020 (00:00, GMT+8) to 31 December 2020 (23:59, GMT+8).
Xiaomi Malaysia reserves the right and absolute discretion to suspend or extend the contest period for any reason at any time, without any liability.
Entry Submissions
There is no limit as to how many entries a participant may submit.
2nd Prizes : 20 x Mi Pocket Photo Printer (worth RM249)
All winners with submissions containing Xiaomi watermark will be entitled to a bonus prize.
Xiaomi reserves the right to replace any prizes with items of similar value without prior notice.
Prizes are non-refundable, non-transferable, non-exchangeable, and not redeemable for cash.
Any prize not claimed within 60 days of notification (starting from when the results are announced) will be forfeited. No alternatives will be offered.
Xiaomi Malaysia reserves the right to re-select the winners.
Winner Notification
Winners will be announced on Thursday, 6 January 2021, at 12:00 (GMT+8)
Winners will be notified and contacted through their Instagram account.
Prizes are not transferable nor exchangeable.
In the event Xiaomi Malaysia is unable to contact a winner within 3 working days for any reason, the prize for that winner will be forfeited with no alternatives, at the sole discretion of Xiaomi Malaysia.
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Panasonic closed both their factories in Shah Alam after 116 workers there tested positive for COVID-19.
Find out what happened, and if you need to be concerned!
Panasonic : Two Factories Closed With 116 COVID-19 Cases!
Panasonic Malaysia issued a notice to Bursa Malaysia earlier today, announcing that they closed both their factories in Shah Alam after 116 COVID-19 cases were detected there.
After a recent screening operation of their 2,137 employees revealed those 116 cases, the Petaling District Health Office advised them to cease operations.
Panasonic decided to shut down both Shah Alam factories for 3 days – from 21 December until 23 December 2020, to allow for disinfection and deep cleaning of both manufacturing facilities.
They maintain that there is regular disinfection of both their manufacturing facilities and workers’ accommodation, and all necessary precautions were strictly enforced.
Panasonic : Official Statement On COVID-19 Cases
Here is the official Panasonic announcement on the COVID-19 positive case at their Shah Alam factories :
The Company wishes to inform that some of the staff at both its manufacturing facilities in Shah Alam has been confirmed COVID-19 positive after the Company conducted a recent screening. The Petaling District Health office has advised to cease operations for the time being until further notices. The Company has decided to close its facilities from 21 to 23 December 2020 to allow the disinfection specialist to carry out their work.
The Company had completed full screening of about 2,137 workers and employees and only 116 were found to be affected.The safety and well-being of our workers and employees as well as our community is of our utmost priority towards containing the situation. The Company has and will continue to adhere to the COVID-19 preventive standard operating procedures (SOPs) on a stringent basis. Disinfection exercises at our manufacturing premises and workers’ accommodation have been conducted regularly, with all the necessary precautionary measures strictly in place.
Panasonic COVID-19 Cases : Should You Be Concerned?
There is no need to be concerned, unless you supply goods to either Panasonic factories in Shah Alam, or are in close contact with their employees.
There is no evidence that COVID-19 can spread through fomites – contaminated objects. So there is NO NEED to worry that you can get infected through Panasonic products.
Panasonic Malaysia and the Malaysia Ministry of Health (KKM) are definitely conducting contact tracing of the affected employees. Those identified as close contacts will be asked to self-quarantine, and get tested for COVID-19.
COVID-19 : How To Keep Safe!
Here are a few simple steps to stay safe from COVID-19 :
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AMD partnered with The Pixelary to create a series of awesome 3D rendered images of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance car.
Watch how they managed to cut the rendering time by half using Radeon ProRender 2.0, and get those high-resolution desktop wallpapers!
Watch AMD Radeon ProRender 2.0 Render Mercedes-AMG F1 Car!
The 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix marked the end of the 2020 Formula One season, and the first year of the AMD partnership with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team.
To showcase that relationship, AMD worked with the team, and The Pixelary to create a series of 3D renders of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance car.
When the new Radeon ProRender 2.0 was released, they rendered them again using the new Radeon RX 6900 XT, and discovered that it cut their rendering time by half!
Mike Pan of The Pixelary explained how much faster the new combination proved to be :
In some tests performed by AMD, when using the “Full” Radeon ProRender 2.0 render quality mode with the AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT graphics card that supports hardware ray tracing, the image above rendered in 516 sec, compared to 1065 sec when rendered with the AMD Radeon VII graphics card that does not support hardware ray tracing.
That is up to a 2.1x reduction in render time [3], which is quite an improvement! On top of that, Radeon ProRender 2.0 also has improved multi-GPU scaling so if we were able to render the same image with two Radeon RX 6900 XT’s, the render times would improve even more.
FREE Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance Wallpapers From AMD!
AMD and The Pixelary also made available these incredible photorealistic images of the Mercedes-AMG F1 W11 EQ Performance as high-resolution wallpapers for FREE!
Every download comes with the wallpaper in six different resolutions :
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 Malaysia National Security Council (MKN) just announced that CMCO will be extended in 7 states / territories, and will end for 4 other states / territories.
Here is the list of states and territories where CMCO is extended, and where they will end!
Areas Where CMCO Is Extended To 31 December 2020
With daily highs in COVID-19 cases, the Malaysian National Security Council (MKN) announced another extension of the CMCO / PKPB lockdown of these states and territories.
Private and commercial vehicles are allowed to carry up to their maximum passenger capacity.
High risk individuals and children are not encouraged to go out.
All activities and services at airports and ports are allowed.
Public transportation, like buses, express buses, LRT / MRT / ERL / Monorail / ferry / airlines / taxi / e-hailing vehicles are allowed to operate as normal.
Food delivery services are allowed to operate from 6 AM until 12 AM.
ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
All business, economic and industrial activity can proceed as usual.
Businesses must ensure that customers are physically distanced by 1 meter while entering or leaving their premises.
Businesses must limit the number of customers within their premise, and publicly display the maximum number of customers allowed inside.
Businesses must ensure that customers check in using MySejahtera or write in the logbook.
Businesses must scan the body temperature of customers, and those with a body temperature of 37.5 °C are not permitted to enter.
All employees, suppliers and customers must wear a face mask at all times.
Supermarkets, shopping malls and retail stores are allowed, between 6 AM and 12 AM.
Restaurants, food stores, food trucks, hawkers, food courts, food stalls, food kiosks, groceries and convenience stores are allowed to open from 6 AM until 12 AM.
Dine-in is allowed, with 1 meter distance between every person.
Daily, wholesale, farmer’s and night markets are allowed to open until 12 AM.
Petrol stations are allowed to open from 6 AM until 12 AM, except for those on highways – they can open 24 hours
Laundry services are allowed between 6 AM and 12 AM.
All other permitted businesses are allowed to operate between 6 AM and 12 AM.
All other essential activities NOT listed in the Negative List are permitted, subject to the existing SOPs.
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!
Find out how Honeywell has pivoted to deliver new services and products that help critical industries tackle the COVID-19 pandemic!
How Honeywell Is Helping Industries Tackle COVID-19
Honeywell have long been a solution partner for critical industries, with over 100 years of global experience in various industries.
In an exclusive roundtable session, Norm L. Gilsdorf, President of Honeywell ASEAN, detailed how the COVID-19 pandemic has created a crisis for critical industries.
On the other hand, it offered Honeywell the opportunity to showcase their expertise in creating new solutions and products to meet the new challenges.
Honeywell Products + Services That Help Industries Tackle COVID-19
Honeywell have quickly pivoted to develop these new solutions and products to help critical industries In ASEAN countries and around the world better handle the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Honeywell UV Treatment System
The Honeywell UV Treatment System is a deep ultraviolet (UVC) sanitising system for airlines that significant reduces certain viruses and bacteria on airplane cabin surfaces.
It is roughly the size of the typical airline beverage cart, with arms that extend over the top of seats, to sweep the cabin with UVC light.
The Honeywell UV Treatment System can service an aircraft cabin in less than 10 minutes for just a few dollars per flight for midsize to large airline fleets.
Currently, several major airlines in the ASEAN region are testing this system on their aircraft.
Honeywell Healthy Building Solutions
The Honeywell Healthy Building Solutions are not new, but they go a long way to help companies protect their workforce from COVID-19.
By integrated air quality, safety and security technologies, they help to improve the health of building environments, operate more cleanly and safely, and help enforce social distancing policies.
The same technologies can also be employed in other public and commercial facilities like hospitals, airports, factories, educational institutions, etc. to enhance safety and compliance.
Honeywell Remote Industrial Solutions
The Honeywell Remote Industrial Solutions are being used by customers to handle COVID-19 related constraints and maintain business continuity, while protecting employees.
This software suite, which includes Experion Remote Operations, allow for remote management as well as work-from-home abilities for employees.
Honeywell Forge Cybersecurity Suite helps customers ensure business continuity in the face of mounting cyber threats, uncertain business conditions and supply chain disruptions.
Warehouse and logistics solutions help drive the exceptional growth of e-commerce in the ASEAN region and beyond, during the pandemic. They also support cold chain services for delivering medical products, including vaccines.
Other Honeywell Solutions That Help Against COVID-19
Other Honeywell solutions that help people and industries handle COVID-19 include :
Gas and flow sensors for ventilators, oxygen concentrators and respiratory machines;
Thermorebellion, a new temperature monitoring solution that incorporates advanced, infrared imaging technology and artificial intelligence algorithms to conduct non-invasive, preliminary screening of personnel entering facilities such as airports, hospitals and plants;
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!
Vitaly Kamluk, Kaspersky Director of Global Research and Analysis for APAC, explores the impact of social media activities on our digital reputation, as well as those of brands and companies!
Digital Reputation : What Is It?
Digital reputation is the online version of good old fashion reputation. The only difference is that it is defined by our online behaviour and what people are saying about us, or the brand.
In short, our digital reputation is a combination of our digital footprint, and the impact it has on how other people perceive us, or the brand.
As the world becomes more connected, digital reputation is becoming more than just important – it is now critical to the future and success of any individual or corporation.
This has led to a shift in how people and brands behave online these days…
As Jesmond Chang, Head of Corporate Communications for Kaspersky APAC, shared above :
32% of social media users in APAC use anonymous accounts
50% of social media users in APAC avoid companies that are involved in a scandal, or had received negative news coverage online
40% also stopped using a company’s or brand’s products once they are embroiled in some kind of online crisis.
Kaspersky on APAC Digital Reputation Threats!
At the 6th Vitaly Kamluk, Kaspersky Director of Global Research and Analysis for APAC, shared the latest threats to digital reputation in the APAC region, which is precipitated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“One of the most visible effect of this pandemic is how it forced everyone, from individuals to the biggest companies, to shift a lot of their activities online.
This dependence, triggered by our need to secure our physical health, also pushed us to increase our social media use, either to connect with our distant loved ones, to give support to our community, to entertain ourselves, or to get hold of products and services that we need.
Parallel to this trend is the opening of wider doors for cybercriminals to exploit”
With many employees working from home, cybercriminals have found new ways to exploit this situation :
brute force attacks on database servers increased 23% in April 2020
Malicious files planted on websites increase 8% in April 2020
Network attacks and phishing emails also rose
Kaspersky themselves reported an increase of unique malware samples from 350,000 per day pre-COVID, to 428,000 per day!
With the increased reliance on online services, including remote work and learning, e-commerce purchases and a greater adoption of e-wallets, the 2020 threat landscape appears to favour cybercriminals.
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 catastrophic collapse of the Arecibo telescope on 1 December 2020 was captured by a control tower camera and a drone.
Take a look at the just-released footage, and find out what it showed!
Arecibo Telescope : A Brief History
The Arecibo Telescope is a 305 meter wide radio telescope, with a steerable receiver hanging 150 meters over the spherical reflector dish.
Built over a natural sinkhole, it was completed in November 1963 and was the world’s largest single-aperture telescope for 53 years.
Culturally, the Arecibo Telescope is famous for the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) program, and being featured in the 1995 James Bond film, Goldeneye; and the 1997 sci-fi film, Contact.
Scientifically, the Arecibo Telescope allowed for numerous discoveries in astronomy :
discovered the first binary pulsar in 1974, for which Hulse and Taylor won their 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics
produced first radar maps of the surface of Venus in 1981
discovered the first millisecond pulsar (PSR 1937+21) in 1982
discovered ice at the north and south poles of Mercury in 1992
discovered the first ever exoplanet in 1992
discovering the first ever repeating fast radio burst (FRB) in 2016
Arecibo Telescope : Scheduled For Decommissioning
The Arecibo Telescope was damaged by hurricanes and storms over the years, as well as budget cuts.
The end came when an auxiliary support cable for the hanging platform broke on 10 August 2020, causing a 30 metre gash in the reflector dish.
Before a new cable could be installed, one of the two main support cables broke on 7 November 2020, shattering part of the dish.
On 17 November 2020, the National Science Foundation announced that it was impossible to repair the Arecibo telescope, and it will be recommissioned instead.
Unfortunately, before that could happen, the remaining support cables failed, and the hanging platform collapsed into the dish on 1 December 2020.
Watch : Arecibo Telescope Before & During The Collapse!
The National Science Foundation just released footage of the Arecibo telescope, before and during the collapse.
The footage was captured by a video camera from the control tower (Tower 12), and a drone inspecting the cables at the top of Tower 4.
Here is how the National Science Foundation described the footage of the collapse :
This video, that starts with a view of the top of Tower 4, was taken from the vantage point of an Arecibo Observatory drone, utilized for monitoring the condition of Tower 4 support cables.
Four cables are seen in the center of this video. The top cable does not support the telescope platform, but instead supports the catwalk described in the narrative for the previous video. The three lower cables are, from left to right, M4-1, M4-2, and M4-3.
Note that a number of individual wire strands of the M4-1 and M4-2 cables are noticeably broken at the beginning of this video. The M4-3 cable does not appear to have any broken wires at the beginning of this video.
The first indication of the coming failure is the breaking of another M4-2 wire, accompanied by a puff of “smoke” and chips of paint flying away from the surface of the cable. Four seconds later the entire M4-2 cable appears to disintegrate.
The failure of M4-2 is followed a fraction of a second later by the demise of M4-1, followed a fraction of a second later by the failure of M4-3.
The drone operator then swings the drone around to view the reflector dish and fallen platform, azimuth arm, Gregorian dome and the falling cables and catwalk.
The top section of Tower 12, near the Visitor Center, can be seen tumbling down the hill to the left of the operations building. The Tower 12 backstay cables that connect the top of Tower 12 to the ground cause damage behind Tower 12, well away from the edge of the telescope dish.
According to the NSF’s initial findings, the top section of all three support towers broke off, and both the 900-ton hanging instrument platform and its support cables fell onto the dish.
The observatory’s learning center sustained significant damage from the falling cables, although fortunately, no one was injured in the incident.
This is what the Arecibo telescope looked like, after the hanging platform crashed into the reflector dish below.
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Sony has decided to close their PG Tec factory, which manufactures audio products like WH-1000XM3 headphones!
Find out what’s going on, and what this means for their 3,400 employees and Sony fans!
Sony PG Tec Facility Will Close By September 2021!
Sony has decided to close their PG Tec manufacturing facility, which spans a land area of 172,000 m², with a total built-up area of 95,000 m².
Based in the Prai Industrial Zone, the Sony PG Tec facility produces audio products like the WH-1000XM3 and WP-SP900 headphones, wireless speakers, home theatre systems and Blu-ray players.
It is also the home of a local Sony R&D team that designed the Sony MHC-V81D sound system, amongst other audio products.
Penang Gov Confirms That Sony Will Close PG Tec Facility
Dato’ Haji Abdul Halim, the Penang Trade, Industry and Entrepreneur Development Exco, confirmed the decision, stating that the Penang state government will hold a press conference to address the matter.
According to him, the decision to close this high-tech manufacturing facility was due to “internal restructuring due to fierce market competition”.
The 3,400 or so employees at the Sony PG Tec facility will be offered a severance plan, or relocation to the Sony EMCS factory in Bangi, Selangor.
Some 1,800 employees are local, while another 1,600 are foreigners.
The Sony EMCS PG Tec facility is still operating at the moment, and will close in stages, fully ceasing operation in September 2021.
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Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery just received a Sheltered Harbor endorsement!
Find out what this means for financial services organisations looking for a Sheltered Harbor-certified turnkey data vault!
Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery : Endorsed by Sheltered Harbor!
On 10 November 2020, Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery was officially endorsed by Sheltered Harbor – the non-profit initiative to improve the stability and resiliency of the financial sector.
This is the culmination of two years of work between Dell and Sheltered Harbor teams, to develop a solution designed for financial services organisations.
If your organisation is a Sheltered Harbor participant, or eligible to be one, you can now purchase and quickly deploy the Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery – a turnkey data vault that meets all of the stringent Sheltered Harbor criteria.
The Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery Solution for Sheltered Harbour helps participants achieve compliance with data vaulting standards and certification, and plan for operational resilience and recovery against any cyber attack.
If your organisation is not part of the Sheltered Harbor community, you can still deploy PowerProtect Cyber Recovery to protect your data with the same stringent Sheltered Harbor standards.
Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery : What Is It?
Dell EMC PowerProtect Cyber Recovery is an on-premise turnkey data vaulting solution that protects customers from all kinds of cyber threats.
Its CyberSense analytics and machine learning capabilities allow customers to monitor data integrity, ensuring the continued quality of their data.
It also comes with forensic tools to let customers discover, diagnose and remediate ongoing attacks.
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Dell Technologies just announced enhancements to PowerProtect Data Manager available globally in November 2020!
Find out what’s new in the latest Dell EMC PowerProtect Data Manager!
PowerProtect Data Manager : What Is It?
Dell EMC PowerProtect Data Manager provides software-defined data protection, automated discovery, and deduplication for physical, virtual and cloud environments.
Its software-defined architecture allows for greater operational agility, and faster IT transformation, while delivering next-generation data protection.
PowerProtect Data Manager November 2020 Update : What’s New?
In its November 2020 update, PowerProtect Data Manager offers these new enhancements :
In-cloud workloads in Microsoft Azure and AWS are now protected
VMware Tanzu portfolio is now supported
Native vCenter Storage Policy-Based Management integrated for VM protection
VMware-certified solution to protect VMware Cloud Foundation infrastructure layer.
Protection for containerised apps with open source databases, including PostgreSQL and Apache Cassandra, in Kubernetes environments.
Customers can now protect Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) and Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to back-up Kubernetes cluster-level resources.
PowerProtect Data Manager November 2020 Update : Availability
The November 2020 enhancements are available globally with immediate effect.
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Dell Technologies just announced the 2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect DP Series appliances!
Here is what you need to know about the next-generation integrated data protection appliances!
2020 Dell EMC PowerProtect DP Series : What Is It?
The 2020 PowerProtect DP series is the next-generation family of integrated data protection appliances (IDPA) from Dell Technologies.
They offer a complete solution for backup, recovery, replication, deduplication, cloud readiness with disaster recovery, and long-term rotation to the public cloud!
The 2020 Dell EMC DataProtect DP series are all-in-one data protection solutions that offer :
Storage capacities from 8 terabytes to 1 petabyte
Greater efficiency, with up to 65:1 data reduction
Up to 38% faster backups, and up to 45% faster restores, compared to previous generation.
Instant access and restore of up to 50% greater IOPS, compared to previous generation.
Consumes up to 23% less power than the previous generation
Cloud long-term retention, and cloud DR-ready
VMware integration
The 2020 Dell EMC DataProtect DP series is also guaranteed under the Future-Proof Program, and is part of the Dell Technologies on Demand program.
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While you wait for Cyberpunk 2077 to arrive in 2020 or 2077, here is an interview with CD PROJEKT RED developers, as well as new RTX gameplay scenes!
Cyberpunk 2077 Behind The Scenes RTX Gameplay Interview!
Will Cyberpunk 2077 finally launch on 10 December 2020? Or will it end up debuting in 2077? Who knows?
But to whet your appetite while you wait, here is an interview with CD PROJEKT RED developers, as well as new RTX gameplay scenes!
As NVIDIA’s Andrew Burnes notes, “With RTX On, Night City is transformed. Glorious ray-traced reflections are cast on every possible surface; substantially improved shadows naturally soften and sharpen; shops, streets and buildings are realistically illuminated with diffuse lighting; and in general the world is more immersive and detailed, enhancing your Cyberpunk 2077 experience.”
Cyberpunk 2077 : RTX Gameplay Recommendations
NVIDIA also revealed today their recommended system configurations for RTX gameplay.
1080p :RTX 2060 (Medium Ray Tracing Preset, with DLSS)
This is what NVIDIA says about RTX gaming on Cyberpunk 2077 :
The minimum GPU for Ray Tracing, at 1920×1080, is the GeForce RTX 2060. Gamers will explore Night City with Medium Ray Tracing Preset powered by DLSS.
At 2560×1440, we recommend a GeForce RTX 3070 or GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. Ray tracing is taken to Ultra, which greatly increases the fidelity of the aforementioned effects, and the distance at which they are visible, while DLSS provides boosted frame rates with uncompromised image quality.
And with rasterized settings also being cranked to Ultra, GeForce RTX 3070 and 2080 Ti gamers receive an incredible experience at the highest detail levels, unmatched by any other platform.
And finally, if you’re playing at 4K or beyond, the GeForce RTX 3080 and GeForce RTX 3090 deliver the performance to play Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing at Ultra at this incredibly demanding resolution.
Both GPUs are powered by Ampere — NVIDIA’s 2nd gen RTX architecture — with dedicated RT Cores for ray tracing, and Tensor Cores for DLSS AI acceleration, delivering an unrivaled cinematic-quality experience.
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NVIDIA is now offering Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War for FREE, with every qualifying purchase of their new GeForce RTX 3080 or GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card!
Here are the details…
CoD Black Ops Cold War : Ray Traced Realism!
Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War is an upcoming first-person shooter game, and the sixth instalment of the CoD Black Ops series.
Set during the early 1980s, it follows CIA officer Russell Adler as he pursues the alleged Soviet spy, Perseus, who is trying to subvert the United States and tilt the balance of power towards the Soviet Union!
Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War will launch on 13 November 2020.
Here is a trailer showing ray tracing effects in Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War using the new GeForce RTX 30 series graphics cards!
Here are the system recommendations by NVIDIA, if you plan to turn on ray-tracing for Black Ops Cold War :
NVIDIA just announced that all qualifying purchases of their new GeForce RTX 3080 or GeForce RTX 3090 graphics card will come with their GeForce RTX Call of Duty Bundle :
Call of Duty : Black Ops Cold War Standard Edition
Woods Operator Pack
Confrontation Weapons Pack
Because stocks of these cards are limited, here are some online purchase options to consider :
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Improving on last year’s Galaxy Buds, it boasts a new 2-way speaker design by AKG, and an adaptive 3-microphone system.
Announced together with the Galaxy Note20 smartphones, the Galaxy Buds Live extends that with active noise cancellation (ANC), and a more spacious soundscape.
This is the first time ANC is offered on an open type TWS earbuds by Samsung. It also boasts 12 mm speakers by AKG, with a large driver and bass duct.
It has a 6 hour battery life, which is extended to 21 hours with its charging case.
Samsung Galaxy Buds Live | Galaxy Buds+ : Malaysia Deals For Oct-Nov!
Here is the official price list for both TWS earbuds in Malaysia :
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Here is the latest official price list and the October-November deal for the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 smartwatch in Malaysia!
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 : A New Premium Smartwatch!
The Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is their next-generation smartwatch, with a new slimmed-down rotating bezel.
Built with premium materials, it features the craftsmanship of a luxury timepiece, while remaining comfortable enough to wear all day and all night.
The new Samsung Health Monitor app offers cuff-less blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements.
You can also measure and track your oxygen saturation levels over time using its Blood Oxygen feature. And if you fall, your location can be sent immediately to pre-designated contacts.
The new Galaxy Watch 3 also features Running Analysis to help you run better, improve your form and prevent injuries.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 : Price + Deal For Malaysia In Oct-Nov!
Here in Malaysia, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 3 is available in two sizes, with these colour options and SRP :
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Samsung Electronics just announced that they won 48 awards at IDEA 2020 – the International Design Excellence Awards 2020!
Their sweep of awards includes one Gold award, four Silver awards, four Bronze awards and one Best-in-Show award!
IDEA 2020 : What Is It?
IDEA 2020 is the 40th iteration of one of the longest running and most prestigious design awards program in the world.
Originally founded to recognise exceptional achievement in industrial design, the program has since grown to highlight design in many connected disciplines including design strategy, branding, digital interaction and so much more.
Every year, design teams across the globe submit thousands of entries, making IDEA one of the largest and most widely anticipated annual awards programs in the world.
IDEA 2020 : Samsung Wins 48 Awards!
Samsung won their 48 IDEA 2020 awards across multiple categories, showcasing their design prowess across a wide swathe of consumer lifestyle products.
BESPOKE Family Hub UX won Gold for delivering user-centric experience using consumer-driven insight. The UX lets users share and create photos and recipes through the refrigerator screen, and remotely access it through mobile apps.
BESPOKE Refrigerator won Silver for its customisable modular design, that lets users choose colours, materials and type of refrigerator fit. This is the same refrigerator that won the Gold award at iF Design Award 2020.
The IDEA 2020 jury also honoured Samsung with Best-in-Show – a special award for BESPOKE Family Hub UX and BESPOKE Refrigerator, recognising their achievements in consumer-centric design excellence.
The Samsung Upcycling Solution for TV Packaging received a Silver award for its customisable packaging box that is being used for The Frame, The Serif and The Sero.
The product packaging was designed to encourage consumers to upcycle the boxes to create innovative pieces of small furniture, like a cat tower, or a TV stand. This packaging solution won the 2020 CES Innovation Awards for its innovative concept.
Awards
Samsung Products
Gold
BESPOKE Family Hub UX
Silver
BESPOKE Refrigerator
Upcycling Solution for TV Packaging Q950TS QLED 8K TV
The Serif Visual Identity System
Bronze
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Infinite Line Oven
The Sero Visual Identity System
Inclusive IoT
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