VOLUME 16 ISSUE 11
PC.COM IS THE OFFICIAL EXCLUSIVE MEDIA PARTNER FOR AGES 2016
GAMETIME STREET FIGHTER V LAUNCH IN MALAYSIA XCOM 2 REVIEW
RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER SHOWDOWN
BEAST
POWERED MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G vs MSI GTX 980 GAMING 6G vs POWERCOLOR AMD R9 RADEON FURY X
TESTED ASUS STRIX SOAR 7.1 SONY HT-ST9 SOUNDBAR MSI GS60 GHOST PRO OPPO PM-3 HEADPHONES
MARCH 2016
CONTENTS 38
bIz2.0
38 IT employment still weak in Malaysia 40 WEF attendees warned about mobile security
12 14
44 New business focused Core CPU
WIRE LG Innofest 2016 report
21 New smartphone from ASUS with Optical Zoom 22 New initiative to bring internet to more women
46 Google parent topples Apple as most valuable company
47 IT spending in Malaysia to exceed world average
48 Telenor predicts year of change
23 Microsoft updates wrong devices 24 Study reveals profiles of Malaysian smartphone isers 26 New phone from ExMobile heats up the market
49 58
2 MAR 2016
gIzMOS TESTEd
27 Many users still use insecure passwords
60 Western Digital Blue PC SSHD 4TB
28 New Ricoh camera can capture surround images
61 ATH CKS550iS Solid Bass In Ear Headphones
32 New Android malware targets mobile banking
62 ASUS Strix Soar 7.1 PCI-E Sound Card
33 Windows 10 required for newer hardware
64 ATH WS770iS Solid Bass Over Ear Headphones
34 Google produces report on 2015 YouTube ads
65 Sony NW-ZX2
36 LG partners with Netflix for 4K
66 Sony HT-ST9 Soundbar
37 Victory for Apple against Samsung
67 Sony PCM-D100
CONTENTS
70
TESTEd (CONT.)
95
TECH 101
103
gamETimE
70 ASUS RT AC 5300 Wireless Tri-Band Router 72 Sony Xperia Z5 Compact 74 WD MyBook Pro 75 MSI GS60 Ghost Pro 76 Alcatel One Touch Flash 2 77 Canon EOS M10 78 OPPO PM-3 80 Huawei Mate S
BEAST POWERED
81 89
4
Street Fighter V Launch
103
Barbaric Times
108
No Retirement Yet
110
Horror Show
114
Review | Rise of The Tomb Raider
117
Review | XCOM 2
SHOWdOWN COvEr STOry
DIGITAL INITIATIVES FOR MANUFACTURERS MAR 2016
100
120 124
SpOTligHT iNviEW
THE M TEA
PUBLISHED BY Reach Publishing Sdn Bhd, No. 15-3, Block F1, Jln PJU 1/42, Dataran Prima, 46500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor. Tel: 03-7880 2611/22 Fax: 03-7880 1971 Website: liveatpc.com FB: facebook.com/liveatpc PUBLISHER / MANAGING EDITOR Selva Rajan EDITORIAL
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EDITOR’S NOTE
I
t is the best of times and the worst of times. But, before you jump to any conclusions, I am not planning a sequel to A Tale of Two Cities. While it would be nice to bring back one of the greatest tragic heroes in fiction, Sydney Carton, back from the dead, it is probably not going to be very realistic. A decapitation is usually fatal.
The same probably applies to the mainstream PC industry, which is not having the best of times. As you would read in this issue, the hardware PC industry is in a slump and many of the industry stalwarts are lining up to predict a gloomier future. Even the ‘booming’ mobile industry is feeling a bit deflated with the trio of Apple, Samsung and Qualcomm reporting lower profits. But it is also the best of times for another sector of the PC industry – gamers and hardware enthusiasts. There was a time when ardent gamers had to familiarise themselves with a CPU’s voltage and clock multiplier settings just to get a few extra frames per second. The memory of the glory days of mucking around the BIOS settings of an Abit motherboard can still bring a wistful look to the eyes of old-timers.
A WORD FROM
THE EDITOR
Judging by the recent CES in Las Vegas, every Tom, Dick and Harry (or Dell, Lenovo and HP) is now chasing PC gamers. Who would have thought that a giant ‘business’ PC company like HP or Lenovo would make such a huge fuss about the puny gamer? Oh, how the mighty have fallen! And let us not forget the gamer favourites such as Razer, MSI and Asus. Even good ol’ AMD has been making overtures to the enthusiast community with the recent launch of its backlit Wraith CPU cooler and Radeon Crimson GPU driver. Other manufacturers are also bringing out their own suite of tweaking and overclocking tools. It certainly is the best of times for the gamer and the hardware cognoscenti. Ajith Ram | PC.com Editor
8 MAR 2016
I GOT IT
HERE
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Mailbox From
Ivan
When I get a call on my iPhone, my iPad also starts buzzing.
letter oF tHe MontH
Reply To From
Ivan PC.com
Hi Ivan, It sounds like you are using the same Apple ID on all your iOS devices. You can change this by switching off iPhone Cellular Calls in the FaceTime section of each device’s Settings menu. You should do this only in the devices you do not wish to use.
Can I upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro?
Chia Yee
Govinder
Yes. If you have it, you can upgrade using a spare key from an earlier edition of Windows, including Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate, Windows 8 Pro, or Windows 8.1 Pro. But be aware that you might need to use a generic product key first and then activate after the upgrade is complete.
Stalk uS on
10 MAR 2016
My Mail application has no inbox subfolders. How do I fix this?
The Windows 10 Mail app will show separate inbox folders for each mail account you set up, but it won’t show any subfolders within them and you cannot create any. So even if you have subfolders set up in your webmail account, they won’t appear in Mail.
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- 21 neW smartphone From asus WIth optIcaL zoom
14
LG InnoFest 2016 report
- 22 neW InItIatIve to brInG Internet to more Women - 25 neW phone From exmobILe heats up the market - 28 neW rIcoh camera can capture surround ImaGes - 36 LG partners WIth netFLIx For 4k
Wire
Hooking you up to the latest. 21
12 JUN 2016 MAR 2015
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Available at all major bookstore. Download edition on app store and google marketplace BUSINESS TODAY PC.COM TRAVEL & DINING REACH PUBLISHING SDN BHD NO 15-3, BLOCK F1, JALAN PJU 1/42, DATARAN PRIMA, 47301 PE TALING JAYA, SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN O: 03-7880 2611 | F: 03-7880 1971
Covers critical economic, financial and business developments that impact Malaysian and multinational enterprises, and marries it to a lifestyle focus that’s second-to-none. The country’s leading local ICT magazine, and continues to be every newbie and veteran user’s ultimate guide to the computing age. The latest luxury themed magazine that centres around what everyone likes most - travel and food - and we brings you the best kept secrets of chefs, dieticians, and wonder-struck travelers, who love nothing more than to share with you their pearls of wisdom.
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WIRE
Signing In LG InnoFest 2016 report
H
oping to be lucky again in 2016, LG held its annual InnoFest conference in Seoul on February 16th and 17th. The InnoFest roadshow began earlier this year in Dubai with an expo for partners in Africa and the Middle East. LG InnoFest provided the company with the opportunity to showcase its diverse range of products including consumer electronics and home appliances for the benefit of regional business partners, retailers and media. This year’s edition gave approximately 300 dealers and journalists from 15 countries across the region, including Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, the chance to gain hands-on experience with LG’s latest products.
14 MAR 2016
WIRE At the conference, LG introduced its new LG Signature product lineup. According to LG, it brings together the company’s best technology and best designs under a single brand name. Some of the home appliance offerings in the Signature lineup include a Twin Wash washing machine, a Door-in-Door refrigerator and a hybrid air purifier. The LG Signature products have been carefully designed by a special team of leading design experts. The most impressive of these are obviously the company’s latest OLED TVs. Boasting better blacks and higher contrast than regular LCD TVs, this year’s lineup of LG OLED TVs also include HDR and 4K features. HDR stands for high dynamic range. It essentially takes a series of images, each shot with a different exposure from darkest to lightest. HDR combines the best parts of the three overexposed, underexposed, and
16 MAR 2016
balanced shots to create a dramatic image with beautiful shadowing and highlights. In order to experience all the light and shadow variations in a daylight image, HDR is an absolute requirement. 128-bit HDR has been available to videogame developers for sometime now. However, due to the limitations of the standard LCD and CRT displays, it was not possible to display the full colour range of the image – until now. With the advent of the HDR OLED TVs, games and movies will start to look much better. Another topic that was doing the rounds at the conference was IoT. Although no details were available, LG is promising more IoT smart devices this year. Google has already announced LG as one of its key partners. Attendees also got the opportunity to visit the world-famous N Seoul Tower which hosts a massive OLED display made up of 248 individual 55-inch LG OLED TVs.
17 MAR 2016
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Brilliantly HtC OnE a9 ALL-METAL DESIGN
A
n evolution of the iconic HTC One family design, the HTC One A9 draws on the natural beauty around us, by using rich, striking colors and unique finishes – an approach called “metalmorphics. New curves, refined edges, and precision-cut ridges on the power button flawlessly combine with the super-thin metal frame giving the phone a natural and lightweight feel. The elegant dual finish, available in a Carbon
Gray, and Topaz Gold, is brushed with hairline detail and bead-blasted before the sides are polished, giving additional depth and richness that is unique to the smartphone market. Finally, in a stunning fusion of metal and glass, a 5-inch, edge-to-edge, 2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 3, Full HD AMOLED screen cascades into the metal frame, giving you brighter and more vivid colours for brilliant graphics and gaming, even in direct sunlight.
INNER PHOTOGRAPHER Your best camera is the one you use whenever the moment strikes, so it should be able to capture stunning shots in any situation. The HTC One A9’s front and rear cameras, coupled with powerful yet simple editing tools, mean epic photos and videos are only a tap away. Its main 13MP rear camera features Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS), which automatically minimises hand shake and corrects vibrations to give you a crystalclear picture every time. Meanwhile, the front UltraPixel camera delivers the best self-portraits in any lighting condition, using HTC’s UltraPixel sensor to capture
300% more light than conventional smartphone cameras. With the HTC One A9, no detail is too small. Offering an optional Pro mode to capture the perfect photo without being a photography expert, you can also save photos using RAW capture – a tool used by professional photographers – for an unmatched level of detail and post-shot editing flexibility. Or you can keep things simple with Photo Editor’s one-button enhancement feature, which automatically brightens colors and sharpens edges for unbelievably clear and crisp photos.
AUDIO PERFECTION Game changing audio has always been core to the HTC One family - the HTC One A9 delivers amazing sound quality, with HTC BoomSound integrated into the headset combined with Dolby Audio surround technology, delivering immersive, vibrant sound that matches a live experience in your headphones by taking high-resolution audio to the next level. With a built-in DAC that delivers audio at 24-bit, 192KHz quality – better
Sometimes a still photo just isn’t enough. With the HTC One A9’s Hyperlapse editing tool, you can speed up your videos to 12 times as fast for a dramatic time-lapse effect, creating an immersive video that perfectly captures the moments that matter. Speed through your video or use capture mode to edit in slow motion, highlighting those unforgettable memories. Or use HTC Zoe to easily and automatically mix your best shots and videos into one professional-looking highlight reel that can be shared with friends and family to tell the story of any moment from every angle.
than CD quality – it provides a richness and depth like you’ve never before heard from your music collection. A powerful high-output headphone amplifier, with double the output of other handsets, provides more power and dynamic range so you can hear every nuance of your favorite music, videos and games. Optional highresolution audio certified HTC Pro Studio Earphones deliver both noise isolation and truly immersive sound.
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NEW ANDROID The first non-Nexus smartphone powered by Android 6.0 Marshmallow, the HTC One A9 brings Google’s latest innovations and the simplicity of HTC Sense right out of the box. Combined with a multi-directional fingerprint scanner, Android Pay makes purchasing items as secure and as easy as “tap, pay, done.” Google’s Now on Tap feature also intuitively provides contextual information about whatever is on your screen – look up reviews for a movie from a text, hear a song mentioned in a blog post, or book seats at a restaurant from an email, all at the press of the home button. With so many new features, the HTC One A9 has also been designed with all new power-saving capabilities to maximise battery life. Doze automatically turns off power hungry applications when your phone is left idle, such as when charging overnight, while App Standby knows when an app open in the background isn’t being used and shuts it down until you need it again. In addition, the phone’s new processor, AMOLED screen and support for the optional HTC Rapid Charger 2.0, for up to 75% faster charging are all optimised to maximise battery life throughout the day. In real terms this means, for example, that you can play 12 hours of HD video on one charge.
OPTIMUM PERFORMANCE Featuring the newest Qualcomm Snapdragon 617 processor with integrated X8 LTE and 64-bit octa-core CPUs, the HTC One A9 is designed to deliver a perfect balance of powerful performance, fast connectivity and better battery life. With support for epic LTE wireless speeds through next-generation carrier aggregation technology, it delivers more highdefinition streaming videos, more pulse-pounding high-resolution audio
and more storage in the cloud to hold everything your heart desires. The phone is available in both 16 and 32GB configurations and features expandable memory, supporting up to 2TB in SD card storage, perfect for storing all your apps, games, photos, music and videos. To protect your smartphone, pair it with the HTC Dot View II case, available in Obsidian. Its retro-inspired dot matrix cover reveals instant
notifications, weather updates, caller ID and more, even while closed, and simple gesture controls bring music, flashlight, radio and voice recording tools closer than ever.
Cool Contest International PC modding contest
C
ooler Master has announced the Case Mod World Series 2016, a competitive modding event designed to connect modders everywhere with US$30,000 in cash and prizes to be won. Cooler Master has brought together sponsors such as Asus, Avexir, Dremel, Nvidia, and OCZ to support and engage with the PC modding community. The Case Mod World Series is in its seventh installment and this year, Cooler Master is expanding the scope of the series to include local meet and greets, and modding sessions. Judges on this year’s panel will feature recognised names from around the globe including Ermanno Bonandini from Italy, Ronnie Hara from Brazil via Japan, Richard Keirsgieter from the Netherlands, Antony Leather from The UK, Richard Surroz and Brian Farrell from the USA.
Zoom for Quality New smartphone from Asus with optical zoom
A
sus has launched the ZenFone Zoom, the world’s thinnest 3x optical zoom smartphone with a Hoya lens. According to Asus, the phone has built-in optical image stabilisation to eliminate shakes and blurred shots, and is powered by a quadcore Intel Atom processor with 4GB RAM. The phone comes with a 13MP PixelMaster camera, 10-element lens and laser auto-focus. It also has 128GB storage, 250Mbit/s LTE, BoostMaster fast-charging and a full HD display. The camera is capable of 32-second long exposure, 5cm close-up macro and has a 28 - 84mm focal length. “Now, with the Asus ZenFone Zoom, we offer users a smartphone that has not only the look and feel of a DSLR camera, but the advanced features to match, said Asus Malaysia Country Manager, Jimmy Lin. The rear camera benefits from a dualLED Real Tone flash to create the natural illumination for indoor portraits. The ZenFone Zoom’s rear lens also has laser auto-focus to point and shoot in just 0.03 seconds.
21 MAR 2016
WIRE
Woman Power
New initiative to bring internet to more women
D
igi Telecommunications through its Empower Societies initiative, has launched its Digi Wanita Era Digital (DigiWED) programme as a commitment to bring the power of the internet to more Malaysian women. This new programme is a nationwide outreach to inspire and empower women in Malaysia through greater internet adoption and education on basic internet skills.
WED is digital collaboration between Digi, the Ministry of Communications and Multimedia Malaysia, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) and the National Council of Women’s Organisations (NCWO). The main thrust of WED is a series of educational meet-ups that will be conducted at 1Malaysia Internet Centres and NCWO affiliates’ offices around the country. These
meet-ups will introduce women to basic, safe usage of smart devices and the internet for communicating, sharing, browsing, and entertainment, as well as give them good reasons to use the internet. According to Orsolya Sekerka, Digi’s Chief IT Officer and WED Champion, 48.5% of the Malaysian population are women, and 6 million of these women have yet to access the internet.
Eradicating VR Sickness New Nvidia VR prototype eliminates nausea
A
t Virtual Reality LA 2016 in Southern California, Nvidia demonstrated a revision of its Light Field VR prototype unit attached to a desktop PC equipped with a Maxwell-based GPU. With today’s VR headsets, a user’s eyes are more focused on the displays rather than the actual image. This results in terrible eye strain over long periods, wearer fatigue, and most commonly, motion sickness. Today’s head-mounted displays (HMDs) often require the use of headphones to help alleviate much of the “seasickness” effect that plagues any VR environment. The Nvidia and Stanford project completely eliminates the headphone requirement with
22 MAR 2016
a breakthrough VR headset design that produces no seasickness side effects. The prototype “Light Field stereoscope” unit uses two layered displays with back-to-
back LCD panels separated by 5mm. These are sandwiched between a backlight on the far side of the viewer and the two circular viewing lenses near the viewer's eyes.
Apple Tumbles Apple reports slower growth due to iPhones
A
pple has reported the slowest growth in iPhone sales since the product's 2007 launch and warned sales will fall for the first time later this year. The US tech giant sold 74.8 million iPhones in its fiscal first quarter, compared with 74.5 million a year ago. Apple said revenue for the next quarter would be between $50bn (£34bn; €46bn) and $53bn, below the $58bn it reported for the same period a year ago. This would mark Apple's first fall in revenues since it launched the iPhone. Despite first-quarter iPhone sales being below the 75 million expected by analysts, it was still a record quarter for the company. Apple revenue in the three months to 26th December was $75.9bn and net profit was $18.4bn, both of which are the highest ever recorded by the company. Sales of iPhones accounted for 68% of the company's revenue in the period. Apple boss Tim Cook credited "all-time record sales of iPhone, Apple Watch and Apple TV" for the performance. But the firm's chief financial officer, Luca Maestri, said the company was operating in "a very difficult macroeconomic environment". He added that "iPhone units will decline in the quarter" and that the company was not projecting beyond those three months. Mr Maestri partly blamed the strong US dollar for Apple's flat sales, estimating it had knocked $5bn off the company's revenues. Sales of the iPhone were
basically flat. What's more, the revenue outlook for the next three months indicates we can expect the first fall in sales since the iPhone's 2007 launch. The iPhone is still an object of desire in China. But at a time when Apple says it's seeing softness in the Chinese economy, the attractions of cheaper rivals from local firms like Xiaomi may grow. Apple's sales in Greater China - defined by the company as China, Hong Kong and Taiwan - rose 14%, but that was much slower than the 70% increase a year ago. China accounts for almost a quarter of Apple's sales, more than all of Europe combined. Mr Maestri said the softness in China was "something that we have not seen before", Reuters reported. Apple desperately needs new products. Perhaps the 1,000 engineers rumoured to be working on an Apple Car will come up with the exciting innovation which Apple's fans and investors await with growing impatience. Geoff Blaber, an analyst at CCS Insight, said Apple was "generating industry defying margins" and had cash of almost $216bn. Speaking to analysts, Mr Cook said the company had "the mother of all balance sheets" and that its financial position had never been stronger. Daniel Ives, an analyst at Capital Markets who owns shares in Apple, said given the "white knuckles fears" ahead of the results, he would "characterise the overall headline performance as better than feared".
Crashing Times Microsoft updates wrong devices
M
icrosoft recently released the first firmware updates of the year for its latest Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book devices. These were automatic updates that were supposed to add battery charging enhancements, a more accurate fingerprint sensor driver, and support for Microsoft’s Surface Pen on the Surface Pro 4 device. Unfortunately, the update wasn’t rolled out to the correct devices as the company originally intended. Users of the older Surface Pro and Surface Pro 3 models
complained that the Surface Pro 4 firmware update was automatically installed to their previous-generation devices - silently in the background and without warning – after which their tablets started crashing spontaneously and giving black and blue screens of death. The issues include rebooting into a black screen, waking up from sleep randomly, occasional blue screens ending in “Driver Power State Failure,” and not all drivers being up-to-date as described in the Surface Pro 3 update history page.
23 MAR 2016
WIRE
Generation Gap Difference in online attitudes between age groups
W
hen it comes to staying safe online, consumers aged 45 and over are more cautious than younger Internet users about sharing information, but can lack the knowledge to spot a damaging scam or imminent threat. According to recent consumer surveys from Kaspersky Lab, those aged 24 and under are more willing to reveal information about themselves online and take fewer steps to protect themselves, but understand potential threats better and can recognize them more easily.
The research found that for younger people, sharing data online is an everyday occurrence, with 83% undertaking private messaging online, compared to just 53% of the over 45s. “While it is clear that more mature Internet users are likely to take fewer risks with their personal information online; when confronted with a cyber-threat they are less cyber-savvy about identifying and dealing with it. There is no substitute for having a strong digital protection instinct,” comments David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab.
David Emm, Principal Security Researcher at Kaspersky Lab
Getting Smarter
Study reveals profiles of Malaysian smartphone users
V
serv, the smart data platform for mobile marketing and commerce has released the Smartphone User Persona Report 2015 for Malaysia. According to the report, the smartphone user base in Malaysia is expected to reach 11 million in 2016 and observe an upward trend of 10 percent from 2013 to 2017. The boom in the Malaysian smartphone market is primarily being propelled by Malaysians under 30 years old with 64 percent users fall in that age bracket. This trend forces marketers to rethink their approach to marketing and communications as they are now reaching out to a generation that is more informed and connected than ever. Based on a study conducted by Nielsen Informate Mobile Insights, the report segments Malaysian smartphone users into different user personas and provides rich insights into each persona’s app usage, time spent on various apps, data consumption patterns and their demographics. According to the report, smartphone users spend an average of 187 minutes per day on their devices. The six smartphone user personas that emerged: Data guzzlers – Identified by the highest data consumption, with usage skewed towards browsing and gaming Dabblers – Lowest engagement with their smartphone and seldom access apps and sites.
24 MAR 2016
App junkies – Install the highest number of apps and games at the rate of 11 apps in a month. Power users – Spend the most time on smartphones at 219 minutes a day, predominantly female users with higher than average engagement across multiple app genres. Utilitarians – Utility-driven app usage along with apps for voice calls, news and emails. Social stars (13 percent) – Spend half of their time on social networking and chat apps (almost an hour and a half each day). Data Guzzlers spend up to 52 mins a day
playing games on the mobile phones. 17% of the smartphone users who install around 11 apps and games a month are classified as App Junkies. 16% of the smartphone users who are predominantly females and spend 219 minutes a day on their smartphones are classified as Power Users. 13% smartphone users who are predominantly females and spend almost an hour and a half each day on social networking, chat & VoIP apps are segmented as Social Stars. Dabblers and Utilitarians are driven by need and spend the least time on their mobile devices (171 and 177 mins per day).
Upping the Game New gamer’s motherboard from Asus
A
sus has announced the immediate availability of Maximus VIII Hero Alpha here in Malaysia. The ATX Z170-based gaming motherboard is packed with advanced gamer-friendly features. Asus says it is the world’s first motherboard with an integrated RGB header compatible with standard 12V RGB LED strips for instant custom illumination. Maximus VIII Hero Alpha is the latest evolution of ROG’s gamer-delighting Maximus VIII Hero motherboard, with the two new four-pin headers for RGB strips, 2x2 (2T2R) 802.11ac Wi-Fi with Multi-User MIMO (MU-MIMO), USB 3.1 Type-A and Type-C powered by an Intel USB 3.1 controller and dual NVM Express (NVMe) U.2 sockets and M.2 for threeway RAID setups. Based on the latest Intel Z170 Express chipset, Maximus VIII Hero Alpha is engineered for great overclocking experiences with Intel
6th-generation processors and DDR4 memory. These advanced features include 5-Way Optimisation autotuning for instant performance boosts, second-generation T-Topology for nextlevel DDR4 memory overclocking, and
Pro Clock technology for turbo-charged base-clock (BCLK) frequencies. Maximus VIII Hero Alpha also includes audio by SupremeFX 2015 with Sonic Studio II, Intel Gigabit Ethernet, LANGuard and GameFirst IV technologies.
Voltage Increase New phone from ExMobile heats up the market
E
XMobile recently unveiled its latest VoLte series smartphones and EX Watch for the Malaysian market. In 2016, EXMobile intends to create a better brand awareness among local consumers with media collaboration and strategic alliances. The company plans to be more proactive with its digital presence in social media, online advertising and provide a better web experience for consumers. The latest EXMobile VoLte 2 smartphone sports a 5-inch 1280 x 720 pixels resolution Super Colour TCL IPS screen with 320 PPI pixel density. It has a 2.5D curve glass with nano coating covered on both front and back panel. Its body dimension measurement is 144 X 71 X 6.8 mm with a device weight of 139 grams. Under the hood, the phone is running on Mediatek 6735A quad core processor coupled with a Mali T720 GPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage that can be expanded with microSD card up to 64GB.
25 MAR 2016
WIRE
Trade-in and Prosper New online smartphone trade-in service
H
uawei Technologies Malaysia has announced that it now offers its device trade-in service via the company’s online retail portal, Vmall.my. With this, Huawei has become the first smartphone manufacturer in Malaysia to offer an online trade-in service. Speaking on the dual benefits of taking the service online, customer delight and sustainable, environment friendly operations, Huawei said that old handsets will be processed depending on their condition to ensure proper management of electronic waste. Besides the service being a ‘green’ initiative that advocates consumers to be more environmental-conscious, the hassle-free and convenient trade-in process also doubles as a
move that promises great end user benefits. Once users have registered for a trade-in, service supplier will pick up the device from
their doorstep and provide them with an e-voucher that can be used to make purchases on Vmall from the comfort of their own home.
Going for Gold
Acer event celebrates 25th year in Malaysia
A
cer Malaysia, together with its partners, kicked off 2016 with a specially organised night held to celebrate and recognise achievements among Acer partners in Malaysia. This inaugural event was graced by Acer Inc.’s Corporate President and CEO, Jason Chen. 2015 also marked
26 MAR 2016
the 25th year of Acer Sales and Services establishment Malaysia. “Acer Malaysia has been growing continuously, both in terms of employees and revenue since its inception in 1990. We could not have done it without the strong and unwavering support from all our
partners,” said Ricky Tan, Managing Director of Acer Sales and Services. Themed ‘Go for Gold’, the event saw Acer Malaysia’s top dealers walking away with their well-deserved accolades categories such as Best Performance, Best Consumer Product, and Best Commercial Products as well as Partners of the Year awards.
Taking a Dip Walkman going where no Walkman has gone before
T
ake your music to new places with the brand new wearable WS413 Walkman. The WS413 wearable Walkman from Sony is now salt waterproof and dustproof so you can listen to your favourite songs whilst enjoying water sports such as kayaking or
swimming. Its sleek design further eliminates drag interference so you are not restricted in any way. This has been enabled by the addition of an internal terminal which resists any accumulation of foreign particles and is highly corrosion-resist. A rustproof coating on the surface of the front
case ensures that your Walkman is protected both inside and out. The WS413 Walkman comes equipped with both everyday earbuds, and specially designed waterproof earbuds that are covered with a thin film to form a barrier against water getting through without compromising comfort.
Insecure Passwords Many users still use insecure passwords
T
he fifth annual password survey from Splash Data has shown that there is still a huge chunk of people who think that '123456' and 'password' are safe. In fact, they are the two most popular. '12345678' has gone up one place, and so has 'qwerty', while '12345' is down two places. The next five are '123456789', 'football' (up three places), '1234' (down one), '1234567' (up two) and 'baseball' (down two). It seems that the message about obvious words is getting through as 'dragon', 'monkey' and 'letmein' all dropped sharply. However, at the lower end of the table, these are being replaced by the likes of 'starwars' 'princess' and 'solo'. There is an option in Windows 10 to use a PIN instead of a password. Hopefully, as biometric identification becomes more pervasive, the use of insecure passwords will become less of a problem.
27 MAR 2016
WIRE
Surround Shooting New Ricoh camera can capture surround images
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icoh recently launched its Theta S at Sunway Lagoon. The Theta S is a spherical camera that can capture 360-degree still images and 25-minute-long videos. The new version upgrades the image sensor and video quality. With the upgrade, users can now shoot near Full HD at 30fps with a 14-megapixel resolution. The fish-eye lenses on each side of the compact body captures images of just over 180-degrees and combines them together, creating smooth 360-degree photos that can be viewed in any direction. The camera comes with an aperture of f/2.0 and dual 1/2.3-inch sensors with an internal storage doubled to 8GB, allowing for around 65 minutes of total video (each individual video is limited to 25 minutes or 4GB). Alternatively, it can store up to 1,600 photos at highest quality. A new feature also allows users to preview photos before taking them, enabling users to view or edit images and videos, and sharing them to their desired audience via social networking sites.
Memory Improvement New memory standard finalised
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EDEC, the major semiconductor engineering trade organisation that sets standards for dynamic random access memory, or DRAM has finalised the GDDR5X specification. This is the memory specification which is expected to be used for next-generation graphics cards and other devices. The new technology is designed to improve bandwidth available to highperformance graphics processing units without fundamentally changing the memory architecture of graphics cards or memory technology itself. The GDDR5X SGRAM (synchronous graphics random access memory) standard is based on the GDDR5 technology introduced in 2007 and first used in 2008. The GDDR5X standard brings three key improvements to the well-established GDDR5: it increases data-rates by up to a factor of two, it improves energy efficiency of high-end memory, and it defines new capacities of memory chips to enable denser memory configurations of add-in graphics boards or other devices.
28 MAR 2016
Streaming Partnership Digi and iFlix partner for videostreaming
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igi Telecommunications and iflix have teamed up again to offer Digi subscribers unlimited access to tens of thousands of hours of entertainment. This latest offer represents a significant deepening of the relationship between the companies. From January onwards, all Digi customers who sign up or upgrade to a Digi SmartPlan 65 or above will receive a 12-month iflix subscription, valued at RM96, bundled with their new postpaid plan at no additional charge. Last October, Digi and iflix announced a partnership which allowed Digi customers to pay for their iflix subscriptions through their Digi prepaid or postpaid accounts thus eliminating the need to use a credit or debit card. Along with this, Digi customers could also register for an iflix account and get 60-days full access to iflix, valued at RM20, at no additional charge. Digi customers can connect to iflix without needing to register for an account. All they have to do is install the app, which is available on Android and iOS, and launch it. iflix automatically recognises customers connecting through Digi’s network.
Lenovo Group’s New Marketing Lead in SEA Malaysian lead to drive next wave of the company’s growth across the region
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o stranger to the local ICT scene, Kenneth Low, who was Lenovo Group Ltd’s marketing manager in Malaysia for the last three years, has moved up the ranks and is now its new regional marketing leader for South-East Asia. Low is tasked with overseeing and ramping up the Lenovo brand’s next wave of business growth. Based in Kuala Lumpur, Low will be responsible for driving and developing Lenovo’s marketing strategies, as well as providing strategic brand directions for the countries in the region to adopt. He will oversee initiatives across Lenovo ASEAN with responsibilities and key objectives that include driving social media and increasing digital engagement, innovating new demand generation campaigns, as
well as overseeing fresh PR and retail initiatives. Low will also be overseeing Lenovo’s advertising, sponsorships and strategic partnerships. Marketing managers from Lenovo ASEAN as well the Lenovo headquarter team will be reporting to Low. He will be reporting directly to Nick Reynolds, Chief Marketing Officer, Lenovo Asia Pacific. “We are very happy to have Kenneth take on this role as he has a strong and proven integrated marketing track record across both agency and in-house. He’s not only planned, coordinated, and driven multiple successful multi-channel integrated marketing campaigns but also garnered numerous awards and accolades. With a strong eye on execution, detail and focus on results, Kenneth truly exemplifies the Lenovo Way values,” says Reynolds.
Kenneth Low
29 MAR 2016
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Mobile Banking Targeted New Android malware targets mobile banking
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aspersky Lab’s anti-malware research team has discovered Asacub – a new malware that targets Android users for financial gain. When first identified, Asacub displayed all the signs of an information stealing malware; however some versions of the Trojan are targeting users of online banking in Russia, Ukraine and the US. With millions of people worldwide using their smartphones to pay for goods and services, 2015 saw cybercriminals exploit this by focusing their efforts on developing malicious financial programs for mobile devices. For the first time, a mobile banking Trojan entered the Top 10 most prevalent malicious programs targeting finances. The Asacub trojan is yet another example of this worrying trend. The first version of the Asacub trojan, discovered in June 2015, was capable of stealing the contact lists, browser history, list of installed apps, sending SMS messages to given numbers and also blocking the screen of an infected device – all standard functions for a typical information stealing Trojan. However, in autumn 2015 Kaspersky Lab’s experts discovered several new versions of the Asacub trojan which confirmed its transformation into a tool for stealing money, with the new version
equipped with phishing pages mimicking log-in pages of banking applications. At first it looked like Asacub was targeting only Russian-speaking users, because the modifications contained fake log-in pages of Russian and Ukrainian banks. But after further investigation, Kaspersky Lab’s experts found a modification with fake pages of a large US bank. These new versions also contained a new set of functions including call redirection and sending USSD requests (a special service for interactive non-voice and non-SMS communications between the user and cellular provider), which made Asacub a very powerful tool for financial fraud. Although Kaspersky Lab has been aware of several different versions of the trojan for some time, the company’s threat detection systems found almost no sign of active Asacub campaigns until the end of 2015. Within just one week, Kaspersky Lab identified more than 6,500 attempts to infect users with the malware making it one of the 5 most popular mobile trojans of that week, and the most popular trojan-banker. “When analysing this trojan, we found that the Asacub malware has connections to criminals with links to a Windows-based spyware called CoreBot. The domain used by Asacub’s Command&Control center is
Lens for the Future HoloLens to be completely wireless
32 MAR 2016
registered to the same person as tens of domains that were used by Corebot,” warns Roman Unuchek Senior Malware Analyst at Kaspersky Lab USA.
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icrosoft has provided new details of their augmented reality headset, the HoloLens. Any universal Windows 10 app will run natively on the device and that developers will need to create 3D apps to realise the HoloLens’ full potential. The device features Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. In the battery life department, the HoloLens will be “very much like a laptop.” That means up to 5.5 hours of basic use and 2.5 hours of high-intensity use. The HoloLens will be able to connect with other units, including over the Internet. HoloLens owners will thus be able to share experiences with other HoloLens users, viewing an object together at the same time. The experience will naturally depend on the available bandwidth, like for any Internetconnected device. Microsoft has not given a release date for the HoloLens. The Developer Edition will be available this quarter for US $3,000.
New Windows Restrictions Windows 10 required for newer hardware
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n an effort to increase its worldwide Windows 10 install base, Microsoft has announced that it will end support for operating systems older than Windows 10 on newer chipset platforms, including Intel’s Skylake, in a year and a half from now, and that Windows 10 will be the only supported Windows OS on new chipset platforms in 2016. The company updated its hardware support policy, which now states, “Going forward, as new silicon generations are introduced, they will require the latest Windows platform at that time for support. This enables us to focus on deep integration between Windows and the silicon, while maintaining maximum reliability and compatibility with previous generations of platform and silicon. Windows 10 will be the only supported Windows platform on Intel’s upcoming 14nm Kaby Lake silicon, Qualcomm’s 14nm MSM8996 silicon (Snapdragon 820 SoC), and AMD’s upcoming 28nm Bristol Ridge APU silicon.” In other words, if you purchase a new device later this year with an Intel Core 7000 Series (14nm Kaby Lake) CPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 SoC or AMD socket AM4based Bristol Ridge APU, you will only be receiving official support from Microsoft for its Windows 10 operating system.
The announcement also applies to SoCs from Qualcomm, Samsung, and others that power many of the latest Windows 10 tablets and ultrabooks. Until July 17, 2017, Intel Skylake-based devices on the company's "supported list" will continue to support Windows 7, Windows 8.0 and Windows 8.1. Microsoft says "during the 18-month support period, these systems should be upgraded to Windows 10 to continue receiving support after the period ends." In the blog post, Microsoft emphasised Windows 7’s decade-old platform architecture and some of the challenges it brings for hardware manufacturers. Windows 7 will continue to be supported for security, reliability and compatibility through January 14, 2020 on previous generation silicon. Likewise, Windows 8.1 will receive the same support through January 10, 2023. According to Microsoft, the negative side effects of using an older OS over Windows 10 are already quite tangible. “Compared to Windows 7 PCs, Intel Skylake when combined with Windows 10 enables up to 30x better graphics and 3x the battery life – with the unmatched security of Credential Guard utilising silicon supported virtualisation,” says Terry
Smashing Times New role for Malaysia’s badminton ace
Myerson, Executive Vice President of the Windows and Devices Group. “Credential Guard” is Microsoft’s new virtualisation-based security mechanism that stores Windows and other login credentials into a virtualised area in hardware away from the main operating system. This prevents credential attack theft techniques used in many targeted attacks from successfully obtaining any confidential user credential information in the Windows 10 Enterprise operating system. Data stored by the new “isolated LSA” environment is protected using virtualisation-based security and is not accessible to the rest of the operating system.
X
OX Mobile, the mobile operator has named Malaysian hero, and number 1 shuttler, Dato’ Lee Chong Wei as its brand ambassador. XOX Mobile has been on an uptrend, registering a profit for the last four quarters, and posting profit after tax of RM1.17million, on the back of RM90.95million in revenue for financial year ended June 30, 2015. Its subscriber base has grown to 920,000, thanks in part to its newly launched XOX Mobile Postpaid plan. The signing of Malaysia’s legendary badminton hero is meant to give a higher profile for XOX Mobile. The signing coincides with a resurgence in the fine form of the former world number 1 and two time Olympic silver medallist who won his fifth Malaysia Masters Grand Prix Gold title, last week. Dato’ Lee Chong Wei might be representing Malaysia in badminton at the Rio Olympics 2016 in Brazil this coming August.
33 MAR 2016
WIRE
interesting Views G Google produces report on 2015 YouTube ads HeRe aRe THe Top 10 YouTuBe MaLaYSia adS FoR 2015:
34 MAR 2016
oogle Malaysia has released its YouTube Malaysia Ads leaderboard for the year 2015. The list represents the top 10 ads on YouTube Malaysia that resonated most with audiences across the country in the whole of last year and celebrates the brands that performed best among Malaysian audiences through a combination of popularity and promotion.
THe Top TReNdS FRoM THiS LeadeRBoaRd aRe: •
Touching hearts. Six out of ten ads in the year 2015 were related to the two major festive occasions in Malaysia - Chinese New Year and Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Five of the ads did really well to tell great, emotional stories around the theme of family, homecoming and nostalgia and even Hotlink’s light-hearted music video of rapping grannies was family-oriented.
•
Ads that take their time. The leaderboard is yet again dominated by ads that were born digital, with formats created specifically with YouTube’s audience in mind. If we look at the length of the videos: 9 out of 10 are well beyond the traditional TV 30 seconds, with three ads past the 7 minute mark with Malaysia Airlines’ clocking up close to 12 minutes. Clear Malaysia’s ad takes the idea of telling a story over time to even greater lengths with their “webisode” that’s actually part two of a six-part series. Viewers on YouTube will engage with longer videos from brands as long as brands have a great story to tell.
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Make movies, not ads: What’s really striking about these ads is their cinematic quality, for example Petronas’ “Sampai Hati”, with its carefully crafted shots and inventive use of crisp black-and-white and color, is constructed as a short film rather than an ad. Astro Gempak’s short video, tells the true story of a former drug addict that took an emotional turn at the end of the video reminding us of “forgiveness” while also entertaining and Knife’s 10-minute tale of a daughter’s reconciliation with her mother is an emotional story first, and a way to promote cooking oil second.
Blessings - Malaysia Airlines
Astro Gempak - Kosong Kosong
Petronas - Sampai Hati
35 MAR 2016
WIRE
Raging Fever New French smartphone hits Malaysia
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iko Mobile, the French brand has introduced three devices – the Fever, Highway Pure and Lenny2 in Malaysia. “Wiko has been successful in adapting the latest technology trends as desired by mobile users into innovative products,” said Ken Ang, Business Development Director Malaysia, Wiko Mobile. He continued, “Today, we bring Wiko to Malaysia because of the fastgrowing smartphone market and ideal demographic.” Fever has a glow-in-the-dark effect. Showing off its true self, Fever’s phosphorescent design absorbs the daylight and reflects it once in the dark, making it the first glow-in-the-dark smartphone in Malaysia. More than just for the night birds, the Fever is equipped with a 5.2’-inch Full HD display. The slightly rounded lines fit a 2.5D curved glass and the phone has a 5mm visual thickness and a premium look, accented with metal frame and soft touch leather-effect back cover.
LG - Netflix partnership LG partners with Netflix for 4K
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G has initiated a global partnership with Netflix to facilitate the expansion of Netflix’s global on-demand Internet streaming operations beyond the Internet TV network’s already established markets (the Americas, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Japan). The expansion will bring an extensive library of high-quality content, including 4K HDR-mastered original TV series, to more markets in Asia, the Middle East and Europe. At the time of Netflix’s launch, LG and Netflix will combine efforts to provide prepaid access to the Netflix service. Among Netflix’s acclaimed original TV show series are Marvel’s Daredevil, Orange is the New Black and Sense8. The company also plans to provide global members with its HDR-mastered original TV series Marco Polo.
36 MAR 2016
pointless Verdict Victory for Apple against Samsung
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pple won a ban in the Californian courts on some Samsung devices from the yester years. These include the Admire, Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S2, Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch, Galaxy S2 Skyrocket, Galaxy S3 and Stratosphere. The handsets have the ‘innovative’ slide-to-unlock feature. It is unlikely that mobile phone sellers will be particularly bothered by the verdict. Judge Lucy Koh
of the US District Court for the Northern District of California ordered a sales ban on the devices because of three patents. "The court finds that Apple will suffer irreparable harm if Samsung continues its use of the infringing features, that monetary damages cannot adequately compensate Apple for this resulting irreparable harm, and that the balance of equities and public interest favour entry of a permanent injunction," said the judge, according to reports.
precision Revamped New lineup for Dell workstations and servers
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ell has announced a range of end-user computing solutions that address the diverse demands of mobile workers and professionals worldwide. In partnership with Microsoft and Intel, these systems ship with the new Windows 10 platform and 6th Generation Intel Core processors or the latest Intel Xeon processors for mobile workstations.
The entire Dell Latitude 3000, 5000 and 7000 Series has been completely refreshed with thin and light designs. Dell has taken design cues from its highly acclaimed XPS line. The new lineup includes the Latitude 13 7000 Series Ultrabook, Latitude 12 7000 Series 2-in1, and Latitude 11 5000 Series 2-in-1. The revamp includes Dell Precision workstations powered by the new 6th
generation Intel Core processors and Xeon CPUs. The options include the first PremierColor 4k Ultra HD displays with 100% minimum Adobe RGB colour gamut.
37 MAR 2016
BIZ 2.0
Arming for 4K New mobile GPU for 4K devices from ARM
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RM has announced a new mobile graphics chip, the Mali-DP650 which it said was designed to handle 4K content on a device’s screen and on an external display. Many smartphones can record 4K video and this means that smartphones could be a home to high resolution content which can be streamed to a large, high resolution screen. According to ARM, the new Mali DP650 can juggle the device’s native resolution and the external display’s own resolution at variable refresh rates. The GPU is able to handle different resolutions but it is optimised for a “2.5K”, which means
WQXGA (2560x1600) on tablets and WQHD (2560x1440) on smartphones, but also Full HD (1920x1080) for slightly lower end devices. “The Mali-DP650 display processor will enable mobile screens with multiple
composition layers, for graphics and video, at Full HD (1920x1080 pixels) resolutions and beyond while maintaining excellent picture quality and extending battery life,” said Mark Dickinson, general manager, media processing group, ARM.
Weak Employment IT employment still weak in Malaysia
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ccording to the latest Monster Employment Index (MEI), the demand for IT professionals in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines is still struggling, with little sign of recovery. The MEI, a monthly gauge of online job hiring activity, records the industries and occupations that show the highest and lowest growth in recruitment activity. In December 2015, Singapore registered the least decline in hiring activities in the IT, Telecom/ ISP and BPO/ ITES sector at -3% year-over-year.
Malaysia reported a -33% yearover-year decline in the sector, the weakest among the three markets surveyed. This is a further dip from November’s -30% year-over-year, making it one of the lowest growth sectors in the country. Demand for Software, Hardware and Telecom professionals are just as slow, with negative growth reported across all three markets, and demands in Singapore and Malaysia coming in as the lowest growth industry.
Beating Predictions Microsoft does better than expected
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icrosoft has started the New Year with profits of $6.3bn (up 8 per cent on the year) driven largely by increasing revenues from its cloud business. “Businesses everywhere are using the Microsoft Cloud as their digital platform to drive their ambitious transformation agendas,” said CEO Satya Nadella in a statement. “Businesses are also piloting Windows 10, which will drive deployments beyond 200 million active devices.” The 8 per cent non-GAAP profit rise
38 MAR 2016
on last year’s results has left investors pleased, with shares up a similar 8 per cent on the news. The company reported earnings per share of $0.78 and has handed out $6.5bn to investors in share repurchases and dividends. Azure’s revenue bounced up 140 per cent and server products and cloud services is up 10 per cent. Elsewhere, Office 365 got another 20.6 million subscribers compared to 3 million a year ago, and Dynamics CRM Online revenue is up 11 per cent in constant currency.
Another Loss Apple loses to Samsung - again
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pple’s second high-profile patent win against Samsung was appealed, just as the first was. A panel of appeals judges entirely wiped out Apple’s victory and its $120 million verdict. The new decision found that out of three different patents Apple became famous for winning with, one wasn’t infringed and two of them are invalid. The ‘647 patent described how to turn phone numbers and other software “structures” into links, allowing users to take actions like calling a number with one “click” rather than copying and pasting. The jury awarded Apple $98.7 million based on that patent, but the appeals judges today held that the patent wasn’t infringed at all. They held that “Apple failed to prove, as a matter of law, that the accused Samsung products use an ‘analyser server’ as we have previously construed that term.” Appeals judges also invalidated one of Apple’s most consistently ridiculed patents, the ‘721 “slide to unlock” patent. Jurors awarded $3 million based on infringement of that patent, but the appeals panel said the patent is invalid because of prior art. The appeals court was convinced by two pieces of prior art for “slide to
unlock.” First, there was the Neonode N1, a Microsoft-powered touchscreen phone that pre-dated Apple’s iPhone by a few years. Samsung lawyers trotted out a “Quickstart Guide” for that phone, which instructed its users to “right sweep to unlock” the phone. However, the phone didn’t have “a moving image associated with the gesture.” But that missing step had also been disclosed well before the iPhone unveiling. Samsung pointed to a paper and accompanying video presented at a 1992 “computer-human-interactivity conference.” That paper, by a research scientist named Catherine Plaisant, describes a variety of on/off switches that could be used in a touchscreen environment, pictured below. The controls include a “slider toggle” that could be moved with a finger. Apple argued that a “skilled artisan” wouldn’t have combined those two references, because the Plaisant paper described wall-mounted devices, while the Neonode reference was about phones. The appeals judges disagreed, writing that one would “naturally turn to references like Plaisant to find solutions.” They invalidated the patent as obvious. Finally, the judges considered the ‘172 patent on Apple’s “autocorrect” feature.
That was held invalid in light of prior art, too. Apple lawyers didn’t claim their client invented auto-correction entirely, but they alleged that Samsung had copied Apple’s method of doing it. Samsung had counter-sued with two of its own patents. Apple was found to have infringed one of them, the ‘449 patent related to camera systems and image compression. That win was upheld, along with the jury’s verdict that Samsung should get $158,400. The decision doesn’t affect the results of the first trial. Samsung was finally forced to pay Apple $548 million after losing that one on appeal. That case is headed towards a third jury trial to re-consider certain damages issues.
Enhanced Security New VMware platform for mobile workers
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Mware has unveiled a new platform for delivering secure digital workspaces for flexible work styles and bring your own device (BYOD) offices. A digital workspace can give IT a more efficient, simplified way of managing users, devices and applications. It can provide end users with a simple way to seamlessly access all business resources regardless of device type. It also provides a secure and powerful platform that enables a more effective mobile workforce. “With over a million connected devices expected by 2025, Malaysia is quickly moving towards a collaborative mobile economy. Mobility has become mainstream with
employees accessing information anytime, anywhere and on any devices. Enterprises, therefore, require the applications to support
this flexibility in today’s digital workspace,” said Ron Goh, President of Southeast Asia and Korea, VMware.
39 MAR 2016
BIZ 2.0
Warnings for Davos WEF attendees warned about mobile security
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aspersky Lab has warned attendees at the World Economic Forum in Davos about the risk of cyber-espionage attacks using malware designed for mobile devices. Many of the cyber-espionage groups investigated by Kaspersky Lab in recent years were found to make use of sophisticated mobile malware, capable of infecting a range of mobile devices and stealing all kinds of valuable information. According to the company, significant events, like the World Economic Forum, serve as a hub for important conversations and attract high-profile visitors from all over the world. But a high concentration of important people in one place also attracts malicious cyber-attackers, who consider public events a good opportunity to gather intelligence with the help of targeted malware. According to Kaspersky Lab statistics, at least five of the sophisticated cyberespionage campaigns discovered in recent years have made use of malicious tools capable of infecting mobile devices. Sometimes these are custommade malicious programs, created and propagated during a given cyberespionage campaign, as was seen in the Red October, Cloud Atlas and Sofacy campaigns. In other cases, the malicious actors tend to use so-called commercial malware: a special set of offensive tools sold by commercial organisations like HackingTeam (whose tool is called RCS), Gamma International (FinSpy) and others. The data stolen with help of such tools, such as competitive intelligence, is of immense value to cyber-spies. Many organisations believe that standard PGP encryption is sufficient to protect mobile email communications, but this is not always the case.
“This measure doesn’t solve the core problem. From a technical perspective, the original architectural design used in emails allows for metadata to be read as plain text on both sent and received messages. This metadata includes details of the sender and the recipient as well as the sent/receipt date, subject, message size, whether there are attachments, and the email client used to send out the message, among other things,” said Dmitry Bestuzhev, security expert at Global Research and Analysis Team, Kaspersky Lab. To overcome this, many sensitive conversations now take place over mobile devices using secure applications and endto-end encryption with almost no metadata or where metadata is basically impersonal. However, there are additional measures that could help to protect private mobile communications from third party access. Dmitry Bestuzhev recommends the following:
implemented for desktop security: Default Deny and Whitelisting. •
Protect your devices with a password, not a PIN. If the PIN is found, the cyber-attackers may gain physical access to your mobile device and install the malware implant without your knowledge.
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Use encryption in the data storage memories that come with your mobile devices.
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Do NOT Jailbreak your device, especially if you’re not sure how it will impact your device.
Always use a VPN connection to connect to the Internet. This helps to ensure that your network traffic cannot easily be intercepted and reduces its susceptibility to malware that can be been injected directly into a legitimate application being downloaded from the Internet. •
Do not charge your mobile devices using a USB port connected to a computer, as it could be infected with special malware installed on the PC. The best thing you can do is to plug your phone directly into the AC power adapter.
•
Use a mobile anti-malware program. It has to be the best one. It seems that the future of these solutions lies precisely in the same technologies already
Below Expectations Samsung predicts fall in revenues
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amsung is attempting to copy Apple again – at least in its financial predictions. Samung warned that its future results might be soft due to slowing economic growth in China and weaker emerging market currencies. “Broadly weaker IT demand will make it difficult to maintain 2016 profits at the level of the previous year’s,” Samsung said
40 MAR 2016
in a statement accompanying its fourthquarter results, adding that “challenging business conditions” would remain for the current quarter and last throughout the first half of this year. Samsung said that the strength of the Korean won compared to other major currencies had helped its third-quarter earnings, but changed to a negative impact of about $331 million in the fourth quarter.
Samsung said its October-December operating profit was $5.05 billion, matching its earlier guidance. Revenue rose 1.1 percent slightly better than it predicted. Some analysts believe Samsung will see its profit fall for the second time in three years in 2016, as slack demand for gadgets undercuts prices of memory chips and displays that helped to offset declining mobile profits last year.
Troubled Times Toshiba set to quit chip business
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oshiba, recovering from a $1.3bn accounting scandal, could exit peripheral chip businesses while concentrating on its NAND core. Reuters and Japan’s Nikkei reported loss-making parts of Toshiba’s chip business lines, such as systems LSI (Large Scale Integration), microcontrollers, analogue semiconductor chips, and discrete chips used in industrial machinery, vehicles, and domestic appliances, are all up for sale. One interested party is the Development Bank of Japan Inc.
In the NAND area, Toshiba’s operations are profitable and it is second in the market behind Samsung. Selling the non-core businesses could generate $1.68bn and this cash could
be re-invested in its flash business. There are some 8,000 employees in Toshiba’s disk business, and layoffs are being pondered at a Philippines plant it operates.
Better Than the Rest IT spending in Malaysia to exceed world average
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T spending in Malaysia is forecast to reach almost MYR69 billion, up 7.6 percent over 2015, the highest growth rate in the Asia Pacific region, well above the average 4.5 percent for the region, according to Gartner, Inc. Comparatively, worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.54 trillion dollars in 2016, just a 0.6 percent increase over 2015 spending of $3.52 trillion dollars. 2015 saw the largest U.S. dollar drop in IT spending since Gartner began tracking IT spending. $216 billion dollars less was spent on IT in 2015 than in 2014 and 2014 spending levels won’t be surpassed until 2019. “The rising U.S. dollar is the villain behind 2015 results,” said John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner. “U.S. multinationals’ revenue faced currency headwinds in 2015. However, in 2016 those headwinds go away and they can expect an additional 5 percent growth.” The devices market (PCs, ultramobiles, mobile phones, tablets and printers) is forecast to decline 1.9 percent in 2016. The combination of economic conditions preventing countries such as Russia, Japan and Brazil from returning to stronger growth, together with a shift in phone spending in emerging markets to lowercost phones, is overlaid with weak tablet adoption in regions where there was an expectation of growth. Ultramobile premium devices are expected to drive the PC market forward with the move to Windows 10 and Intel Skylake-based PCs. Gartner has slightly reduced the speed of adoption over the
forecast period, as buying in Eurasia, Japan, and the Middle East and North Africa moves away from purchasing these relatively more expensive devices in the short term, but expect them to revert back to buying in 2017 as the economic environment stabilises. Data center systems’ spending is projected to reach $75 billion in 2016, a 3.0 percent increase from 2015. The server market is the segment that has seen the largest change since the previous quarter’s forecast. The server market has seen stronger-than-expected demand from the hyperscale sector, which has lasted longer than expected. The worsening economic environment in emerging markets has had little effect on the global enterprise software spending forecast for 2016, with IT spending on pace to total $326 billion, a 5.3 percent increase from 2015. Telecom services spending is projected to decline 1.2 percent in 2016, with spending reaching $1,454 trillion. The
segment will be impacted by the abolition of roaming charges in the European Union and parts of North America. While this will increase mobile voice and data traffic, it will not be enough to counter the corresponding loss of revenue from lost roaming charges and premiums.
Table 1. Worldwide IT Spending Forecast (Billions of U.S. Dollars)
41 MAR 2016
BIZ 2.0
Cyber Threat to SMBs
Small businesses face the same threats as large ones says Noah Gamer, Senior Manager, Search Marketing, Trend Micro Inc.
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ackers have plenty of impetus for targeting large enterprises, especially government agencies, financial institutions and health care organisations. Even large entertainment firms such as Sony Pictures, retailers like Target and telecommunications companies including TalkTalk have been exploited by cyber criminals. That said, the highest valued companies are not the easiest targets, especially since there are relatively few of them compared to the amount of small and medium-sized businesses. Hackers on the prowl will follow any and all leads to a quick payday. Often, this means firing into the crowd, so to speak. Cyber criminals will have better success going after a larger number of targets than trying to orchestrate advanced targeted attacks against one bigwig organisation. Even as cyber criminals
42 MAR 2016
continue to become more ambitious, in all likelihood, cyber attackers will continue to go after smaller businesses in 2016. For this reason, it’s worth reviewing some of the biggest cyber threats currently facing SMBs.
DDoS Attacks Distributed denial of service attacks represent a huge cyber threat to any business, but especially to SMBs that can only afford limited bandwidth. As hinted at in the name, the purpose of a DDoS attack is to shut down a server, thereby blocking user access to specific Web services or applications. This is accomplished by flooding network intrastate with meaningless traffic. Hence the name, the heavy distribution of requests results in a network crash. There are countless motives for orchestrating a DDoS attack. For example, it may be executed in an attempt to shut
down specific security services, so as to orchestrate a more serious, supplementary attack. However, more often than not, the goal is extortion. Hackers will flood a network, and will send ransom notes to the company stating that they won’t ease up until a certain amount of money has been paid to them. This is precisely what happened to ProtonMail in late 2015. Cyber attackers shut down the company’s central data center, and then requested a ransom of 15 Bitcoins, the rough equivalent of $6,000. In response to pressure from third parties, ProtonMail paid the ransom. However, the cyber criminals did not ease up. The first main takeaway here is that DDoS attacks remain a significant threat to all organisations, but especially companies that offer web-based services, and in particular, SMBs that might not have significant bandwidth.
more complicated as strains continue to become more elaborate, and generally more difficult to detect. There have been several cases in the past few months of hotel chains having customer payment information stolen as a direct result of POS malware. The good news, however, is that the use of EMV chip technology significantly reduces the chances of payment information being pilfered. Rather than using the same code for every transaction – as magnetic stripes do – these chips generate a single-use script for each purchase, so that even if hackers to manage to collect this information, it is essentially useless. Therefore, SMBs are encouraged to make the shift to EMV card processing systems as soon as possible, especially considering that as of October 2015, liability for stolen payment data shifted to merchants. Any business that does not have EMV card reading technology, and is hacked, can therefore be held accountable for the ensuing damages. Many small businesses can hardly afford to become the victim of a POS malware ploy, let along cover subsequent legal damages.
Phishing Scams The second lesson from the incident is that any SMB that falls prey to an attack should not pay a ransom. Recovery will be time consuming, and will most likely impact revenue. However, paying cyber criminals a ransom only for them to continue the attack will result in even more lost money. When it comes to prevention, network vigilance is key. Any early signs of an impending DDoS attack may make it possible to mitigate the effects. Laying out a smart network infrastructure that can evenly distribute barrage of traffic may also alleviate some of the strain.
Striking the Point of Sale Point-of-sale malware is not a new cyber threat, but it’s one that has become especially prominent in the past few years. According to Trend Micro, SMBs were hit particularly hard in 2015, having accounted for 45 percent of all scenarios involving POS malware. Everything from restaurants to boutiques to small service providers are heavily targeted, mainly because cyber security is not quite as strong for these companies. Not to mention, smart, sneaky new strains of POS malware are always being created.
For example, Trend Micro researchers recently discovered a form of malware that seeks out POS systems in a network. Dubbed “Black Atlas,” the malware does not appear to target specific companies in any particular industry. However, SMBs are the most likely to be affected. Other POS threats come in the form of skimmers. These are basically rigged payment processing units that are designed to collect card information, which is then sold on the Dark Web. Part of the reason this is such a big problem for SMBs is because smaller businesses are more likely to purchase less-expensive, poorly vetted card payment systems. Some of these are actually preconfigured with skimmers. In fact, Trend Micro noted that in China, cyber criminals can actually receive text messages every time a skimmer successfully plunders payment information. In order to avoid being snagged by a POS malware scam, SMBs are encouraged to always purchase verified, well-known payment processing systems. This will significantly reduce the threat of skimmers. Defending against POS malware is slightly
Phishing scams will always be a problem for companies of all sizes. As long as corporations continue to fall for these ploys, hackers will work tirelessly to bring down their targets, which include SMBs. Much like DDoS attacks, modern phishing scams often take the extortion angle. One of the most prominent, recent examples is the notorious CryptoLocker strain. There are various forms of encryption malware, and many of them start off as phishing scams. Basically, an employee might receive an email with a request to download a certain PDF or XML. In theory, an aware user should be cognizant of the danger involved with downloading a shady file, but on a particularly busy day, a phishing email may trick even the most wary of workers. Upon opening the cleverly disguised executable, files on the network are locked down. What typically follows is a payment request in order to decrypt the files.
43 MAR 2016
BIZ 2.0
Security Processing New business-focused Core CPU
I
ntel has announced the availability of its 6th generation Intel Core vPro processor family. The latest iteration of Intel Core vPro processors addresses the security and productivity demands of large businesses with authentication security, enhanced performance and collaboration for 2 in 1s, Ultrabooks, All-in-Ones and the latest desktops. Intel is previewing a new security innovation called Intel Authenticate for businesses to begin internally testing and qualifying. Intel Authenticate is a hardware-enhanced, multifactor authentication solution that strengthens identity protection on the PC, making it less vulnerable to identity and security credential attacks. Intel Authenticate verifies identities by using a combination of up to three hardened factors at the same time: “something you know,” such as a personal identification number; “something you have,” including a mobile phone; and “something you are,” like a fingerprint. IT can choose from multiple hardened factors of authentication that are based on company policies, and no longer has to rely solely on employees remembering complicated passwords2. Intel Authenticate is compatible with Microsoft Windows* 7, 8 and 10, and is available for customers to preview.
Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HP, Lenovo, Panasonic and Toshiba are all releasing enterprise-ready devices featuring the new Intel processors. Enterprise buyers can choose from a variety of designs including 2 in 1s, Ultrabooks, ultrathin clamshells, mini PCs and All-in-One desktops. With the new CPU series, Intel is also introducing updates to its Intel Unite feature for a more connected way to meet in the workplace. It includes extended display capabilities so meeting participants no longer need to search for the right adapter or dongle. Both onsite and remote attendees can more easily and securely view and interact with content in real time. Employees can instantly
start meetings using new or existing displays or projectors. Auto-disconnect and integration of Skype for Business offer customers a seamless meeting experience. For small businesses, Intel is offering Intel Small Business Advantage (Intel SBA), an easy-to-use solution to help small business owners protect and grow their company. It provides small business owners with an easy and centralised way to connect and share information coupled with automatic security and maintenance updates. Intel SBA includes collaboration features, such as chat and file share, coupled with security capabilities, like the USB blocker, to help keep small business owners in control of their data.
Catching Snoopers New technology to catch cable spies
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llied Telesis has announced that it has released a security measure to prevent eavesdropping on fibre communications, Active Fibre Monitoring. The patent-pending technology can detect when a cable is being tampered with, and will raise an alarm to warn of a possible security breach.
44 MAR 2016
Fiber-optic links are used extensively for long-range data communications and are also a popular choice within the LAN environment. One of the perceived advantages of fibre is that eavesdropping on traffic within the cable is not possible. However, it is now possible to acquire devices that can snoop traffic on fibre cables. In response to this threat, the
company has developed Active Fibre Monitoring, a technology that detects small changes in the amount of light received on a fibre link. When an intrusion is attempted, the light level changes because some of the light is redirected by the eavesdropper onto another fibre. As soon as this happens, Active Fibre Monitoring detects the intrusion and raises the alarm.
Slowing Down Market slowdown affects Qualcomm
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ot on the heels of Apple and Samsung, Qualcomm is also predicting lower revenues in the coming months. The company expects its mobile chip shipments to fall by 16-25 percent in the second quarter and 3G, 4G device shipments to decline by 4-14 percent. The company trimmed its estimates for “premium tier shipments” due to “slower than expected sell-through at a large” customer, it said on a post-earnings conference call. Qualcomm’s mobile chip shipments fell 10 percent in the first
quarter, pulling down its equipment and services revenue by 21.6 percent. Revenue from licensing declined 10.4 percent. Qualcomm said in December it had decided not to split its slowing chipmaking
business from its technology licensing business and this predicted downturn was probably the reason. Its revenue forecast of $4.9 billion-$5.7 billion was also below analysts’ expectations of $5.68 billion.
Buggy Problem Serious flaw in Linux discovered
S
ecurity researchers have released details of a significant flaw in Linux that could have left millions of phones, computers and servers’ root directories open to intruders for the past three years. Users of everything from the biggest server to the smallest Android phone are vulnerable, security experts say, including any device that runs Linux. Perception Point researchers found that the OS keyring facility added in Linux kernel 3.8 could be exploited to hide a payload of malicious code. OS keyring was designed as a way to store legitimate credentials such as encryption keys, authentication tokens and so on. But a blog post has shown a proof-of-concept exploit in which a potentially harmful payload was added to the keyring using kernel executable memory. There is no evidence of the exploit being used in the wild, and Linux kernel administrators have been informed privately. Some would argue that the whole point of an open source kernel is that these things can be dealt with quietly and discreetly by the community, but sometimes a security firm wants to make it news and sometimes we let them. In this case, the firm has concluded (spoiler alert): “The vulnerability affects any Linux kernel version 3.8
and higher. SMEP and SMAP will make it difficult to exploit as well as SELinux on android devices. Maybe we’ll talk about tricks to bypass those mitigation in upcoming blogs, anyway the most important thing for now is to patch it as soon as you can.” Red Hat, one of the biggest players in enterprise Linux, has been instrumental in resourcing a fix for the bug, which has been nicknamed CVE-2016-0728, and it’s thought that the major kernel distributions are likely to have a patch
in place as soon as you read this, or within hours afterwards. That really is the might of open source at work. It was revealed earlier this week that Ubuntu Linux has been awarded a major contact with AT&T, outflanking Microsoft and IBM. The UK government, meanwhile, is looking at ways to move to a more open source environment and recently announced that it will start working towards the use of LibreOffice rather than licensing Microsoft’s Office suite.
45 MAR 2016
BIZ 2.0
Richest of All
Google parent topples Apple as most valuable company
G
oogle’s parent company, Alphabet has become the world’s most valuable company. Alphabet was born just a few months ago, but it’s already earned the title of the most valuable company in the world with a market cap of around $570bn following its Q4 earnings, compared to Apple’s $538bn. This is the first time Google’s value has exceeded Apple’s since 2010, likely helped by Apple’s lower-thanexpected Q1 2016 earnings during which the firm reported iPhone sales of 74.78 million smartphones, up slightly from 74.46 million in the yearago quarter. Behind Alphabet and Apple sits Microsoft at $433bn and Facebook, at $328bn. During its earnings call, Alphabet reported a 5.3 percent increase in profits to $4.9bn and saw its revenues climb 18 percent to $21.3bn, surpassing Wall Street expectations and likely causing many to raise an eyebrow over Google’s recentlyrevealed £130m UK tax deal.
Enter the Dragon China gears up to take on the West
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hina is making more moves as it tries to set up an indigenous and patentprotected semiconductor chip capability. Xu Jinghong, the chairman of Tsinghua Holdings, said in a Davos World Economic Forum interview that Tsinghua wanted to buy two semi-conductor manufacturing companies. Tsinghua, through its Tongfang Guoxin subsidiary, is already committed to spending some $12bn to build a NAND/NOR flash fab and, it appears, China is intent on becoming a major force in semiconductor manufacturing and lessen reliance on foreign suppliers. Western Digital is taking in a $3.8bn investment from Unisplendour, which is owned by Tsignhua. That equates to a 15 per cent stake.
46 MAR 2016
Tsinghua could look to set up a joint venture with Micron, thus avoiding any US regulatory opposition to it taking over the firm instead. The fear is that China could go on
a state cash-fuelled rampage through outside (American, European and Asian) semi-conductor businesses, using these regions’ business openness to gain a foothold.
Rent a Device New device renting scheme from HP
H
P has announced that it is offering a Device-as-a-Service programme to help enterprises in Malaysia more easily acquire, deploy, manage, and refresh their PC technologies. With HP Device as a Service (DaaS), customers use their PCs like a utility - they pay one price per seat on a monthly basis over a three or four year period. They also get customised services and support from HP, such as PC configuration and installation,
onsite break-fix, data migration, proactive support, while having the ability to refresh to the latest HP technology for subsequent contract periods. The devices covered under HP DaaS include commercial desktops, notebook PCs, tablets, and workstations. HP DaaS incorporates services, support and eventual disposal as part of an overall services agreement. This is different from typical leasing agreements where PC acquisition, setup and maintenance are covered under separate contracts.
Productivity Problems Malaysian companies less efficient than expected
M
icrosoft has unveiled the results from its recent New World of Work (NWoW) study, which showed that large enterprises with more than 250 employees were lagging behind expectations to be more productive, collaborative and innovative in today’s modern workplace. While 64% of the 200 enterprise employees surveyed in Malaysia considered themselves to be mobile workers, the study also unveils what workers feel they need to succeed in today’s digital, fast-paced, modern workplace. Microsoft’s NWoW Study also generated insights on their current work and life needs and the gaps that exist between them. The NWoW Index was derived from respondents who rated themselves highly in three key pillars – people (whether today’s employees have the capabilities to work flexibly and productively in the digital modern workplace, and are supported by leaders and cultures that help them succeed in this dynamic environment), place (whether employees can work flexibly – anywhere at any time – and if their workplaces support a collaborative, dynamic design with the ability to work at work, home or with customers) and technology (whether employees are empowered with technology to enable them to succeed in this environment, allowing collaborative work wherever they may go). In Malaysia, only 40 out of 100 respondents rated themselves highly in embracing new People, Place and
Technology principles, placing the country ninth amongst the 12 markets involved in the study. The findings clearly showed that the traditional notion of work is changing, even within enterprises in Malaysia: The responsive organisation: 56% of respondents said that they were required to respond to internal stakeholders within four hours; while 54% said that they were required to respond to external customers within four hours. Work doesn’t end at 5.00pm: A majority (77%) said that they were still required to be contactable outside of work in order to complete their work effectively. Limited mobile productivity in a highly mobile workforce: 62.5% of respondents said they needed to be in the office to access special equipment or tools that are only available in the office. Bring-your-own-device and Bringyour-own-service culture is increasingly pervasive: Employees in Malaysia were using more personal devices (48%) to get work done. 62% were also using online tools that go beyond just email – document & file sharing, storage, virtual meetings and social. Achieving work life balance is challenging: 82% of respondents said that work life balance was a very important aspect of their job, but only 57% felt that they had adequate balance today. “Over the last decade, globalisation and technological innovations have made today’s workplace increasingly modern and mobile – bringing the world closer and changing the way people live and work.
This study helps us better understand how work and life has changed for Malaysian employees – to determine how well supported they are from their workplaces, or from a technological standpoint, in being enabled to succeed,” said Michal Golebiewski, Chief Marketing & Operations Officer, Microsoft Malaysia.
47 MAR 2016
BIZ 2.0
Data Revolution Telenor predicts year of change
T
elenor Group’s Research arm has published the key global telco trends identified for 2016. With 60 percent of the global population, nearly half the world’s internet users and spotlights focused on some of the strongest emerging markets, these trends are set to invariably have the greatest effect on Asia—the global region poised to produce some of the greatest and most significant success stories in the age of digitalisation. The 2016 Trends: Customers will Co-Create serviCes Customers are increasingly digital savvy, demanding and empowered. This puts demands on companies to deliver superior digital customer experiences, and be more aligned with the customer’s changing behaviour than ever before. There has been a shift from companies defining their own services, to customers making their needs heard and translated into the market through active feedback. This year, the transition will be more evident. Data for soCial gooD Telecom big data will be used more in 2016 to tangibly help society - for the purpose of social good. As data develops, so does the capacity to use it to address and monitor issues such as health and safety. Big data currently is being created in just about everything we use and do. From phones, cars, business, infrastructure and much more –the constant accumulation of data will now will be finding applications to help society at large. softwarisation Networks as software rather than hardware will take off as technologies such as Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) will enable new ways of designing and operating networks. Deep learning This year has been marked as the phase that machines will understand more digital content as they get more deeply integrated into digital services and devices. Consumers will experience this through new services, better
48 MAR 2016
digital assistants, search results and suggestions, and more relevant ads. more iot serviCes with lpwa Future Internet of Things (IoT) devices need low cost and low power consuming networks. Low Power Wide Area networks will enable a future smart society with many new and exciting IoT services and platforms. levelling out the playing fielD In 2016, governments and regulatory authorities will have to deal with an intensifying debate on how to adjust the traditional legal frameworks to the new competitive digital environment and a growing sharing economy. trenD impliCations for asia In a region once looked upon by global businesses as an outsourcing hub primarily for manufacturing and call
centre functions, digital technologies are bringing virtually every industry, opportunity, skillset and challenge to Asia. Local governments and the public sector are leveraging this technology to level playing fields as well, digitalising citizen services and dedicating specific governmental resources to spearhead the digitalisation of their economies. While Asia continues to be the world’s most affected region by natural disasters, with nearly half of all globally reported disasters striking one or more of its member nations, protecting the advancement created by digitalisation is quickly becoming a tenant of its design. Digitalisation and big data are working together to provide better tools to prevent and minimise the toll disasters take on local communities and economies. As well pinpoint where aid is needed most when they do strike.
- 01 Music Wrap: portable bluetooth speakers
08
XboX chatpaD
15
GaeMs M155 15.5” hD portable GaMiNG MoNitor
- 03 roccat kiro - 06 hover X ultiMate GaMer’s lapDesk - 07 kevlar plaYiNG carDs - 16 plaYseats evolutioN GaMe chair - 18 phoNejoY bluetooth coNtroller
Gizmos where technology meets lifestyle 01
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49 MAR 2016
GIZMOS 02
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loGitech MX Master Wireless Mouse Logitech Mx Master Wireless Mouse is designed to give you the best grip and buttons. The mouse itself can be used for daily work or for gaming. All of the mouse’s buttons can be programmed specifically to your needs and using Bluetooth connectivity, the mouse can be programmed and used on up to three Windows or Mac computers and laptops. On a single charge, the mouse will be able to last for about an average of 40 days. Moreover, the dark sensor below the mouse is used to give you the best tracking, even on glass!
Music Wrap: portable bluetooth speakers
www.amazon.com | US$ 79.93
The music wrap is a portable, bluetooth speaker that can be worn around your neck or be placed around your home. The speaker itself is durable and can be transformed into multiple shapes. The device itself is compatible with iOS and Android devices as well. It has 400 hours standby time and unlike many Bluetooth speakers out there where users get about 5 hours of music per full charge, Music Wrap battery lasts up to 8 hours! musicwrap.co | US$ 35-69
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roccat kiro Gaming powerhouse ROCCAT has again come out with its latest gaming mouse with its highly adaptive build. The mouse caters for both left and right handed gamers. The design of the mouse is done perfectly with soft materials to eliminate sweat and buttons that gamers can customise specifically. Instead of creating a big bulky size mouse, ROCCAT has created a small mouse. www.newegg.com | US$ 39
50 MAR 2016
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eboNY WooD fillMores heaDphoNes bY lstN Designed by LSTN, the Ebony Wood Fillmores headphone has a beautiful, clear sound complemented by its rustic design with shellac wood finish. The headphone itself is developed using state of the art audio technology and would fit your current playlist, gaming needs. In terms of design, the Ebony Wood has been upcycled so it is sustainable. In addition, it has a durable cable wrapped in vinyl and has a built in mic for handsfree usage. www.fancy.com | US$ 100
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razer WilDcat GaMiNG coNtroller for XboX oNe Razer has the XBox One with its latest Razer Wildcat gaming controller. Featuring four extra buttons, players can redesign and configure the controller any time they like. In terms of grip, Razer Wildcat is equipped with a different grip texture and all at an ideal weight. There are also two bumpers located at the shoulder of the controller and two removable triggers to fit player’s needs. It is a bit expensive, but the features make it worthwhile. It is available in two colours: Black and green which compliment the XBox One.
hover X ultiMate GaMer’s lapDesk This is a must-get portable gaming station for all the hardcore gamers out there! This LapDesk will hold your laptop and has additional places for your mouse and phone. It also has a fan on the bottom to help ventilate your laptop. In addition, if there is any extra heat left, it will be absorbed in the material. It will never let you feel the heat while playing games for long hours. www.fancy.com | US$ 105
www.amazon.com | US$ 149.99
51 MAR 2016
GIZMOS 08
XboX chatpaD Let’s admit, we all have a hard time chatting in a game with our friends using arrow keys. Fear not, XBox now has come out with the XBox Chatpad to help gamers have a pleasant experience playing any game. It works easily - all you have to do is to plug in the chatpad onto your wireless controller. The Chatpad also comes with a chat headset that has a 3.5mm jack. For a much better gaming experience, you will need to connect your XBox One with Windows 10 and there you have it! Chatting becomes easier now with the new XBox Chatpad! www.amazon.com | US$34.95
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cooler Master XorNet ii Xornet II combines its renowned unique ergonomic design with one of the best claw grip designs, made specifically for First Person Shooters (FPS) and Real Time Strategy (RTS) gaming. When playing a FPS game, the mouse has about 3,500 DPI and the large rubberised scroll wheel offers notched resistance that is needed for accuracy, while scrolling through different types of weapons in FPS games. Gamers can also adjust the mouse’s sensor according to any surface. The mouse can be re-calibrated for an epic gaming experience. www.coolermaster.com | RM 159
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kevlar plaYiNG carDs Ever thought to yourselves why every time you were to play Poker for example, the cards are not fresh? Well, the Carbon Kevlar playing cards are here to save your day. Made from 100% Kevlar and Carbon Fibre, these cards are designed to last you a lifetime. With its improved front and back protective coating, it is now water, scratch and chip resistant. A special UV coating that is only used for iPhone glass coating is used for these cards. In terms of pricing, it is quite expensive, but in our opinion, we think it is worth the money for its longevity and finish. No word on whether this playing cards are available in Malaysia, but it is retrievable on online stores. www.etsy.com | US$ 130
52 MAR 2016
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piXelkabiNett 42 This product is designed to give arcade gamers a nice retro fill. The Pixelkabinett 42 is designed using old cabinets and caters to two players. The gaming world is continuously evolving with top of the line products each day and this is definitely a collector’s item. Don’t be fooled by its vintage looks, Pixelkabinett 42 operates with a glowing Saturn speaker grill added as a decoration with buttons and joysticks. The arcade device can be folded when not in use. This is a definite must try for young gamers of the 21st Century. It is handmade with high quality wood finishing and is for sale in the US. The price though is a bit high. www.lovehulten.com | US$ 4,083
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colorWare collectioN soNY Dualshock 4 GloW
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razer blackWiDoW chroMa GaMiNG keYboarD Having trouble typing in dim lighting conditions? Razer BlackWidow Chroma RGB Gaming Keyboard is now here to make your late night gaming experience better. The keyboard itself is compatible with both Mac and PC, and it has mechanical switches that help you input data at a faster rate and with better accuracy. The Chroma backlight has about 16.8 million colour choices for you to choose to fit your every needs. Not just that, the keyboard comes equipped with macro recording that allows you to easily access and launch important functions. Unlike many keyboard wordings that fade after a certain amount of time, this keyboard is very durable for the hardcore keyboard bashing, late night gamers. www.amazon.com | US$ 159.14
When playing games on the PlayStation with awesome graphics, we often switch off all the lights to get enhanced graphics. But to some of us, the issue comes when we can’t see what buttons to press on the controller as it does not have a guidance light. Well, ColorWare Collection has released a glowing Sony DualShock 4 controller. No more complaints about how you can’t see what buttons you are pressing when playing games now and of course it makes night gaming a little more fun than it used to be. ColorWare have only made 100 Limited Edition glow controllers with a highly sensitive six-axis sensor and touch pad. Night gaming has now been improved. www.colorware.com | US$ 199
53 MAR 2016
GIZMOS 14
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MoGa ace poWer coNtroller If you’re one of those persons that can’t perform in FPS games on an iPhone because you don’t know the controls, well, the people in MOGA have created a controller that attaches itself to an iPhone in order to function fully. The buttons are positioned at the left and right sides of the controller so it doesn’t interrupt the iPhone in the middle. It is connected to the iPhone using a lightning connector with its own boost technology that ensures a longer gaming time for users before the battery runs out. Previously this item was priced at almost US$100 but now the prices have been cut so that there are no excuse for anyone owning an iPhone not to get it. When fitted, it kind of looks similar to the Sony PSP.
X rocker ii Wireless viDeo GaMe chair The year 2016 just keeps on getting better for all the gamers out there, thanks to X Rocker II Wireless Video Game Chair. So if listening to audio via a broken speaker in the CyberCafe can be challenging, just get yourself this amazing chair and experience a whole new audio gaming experience. The chair is equipped with 2 forward facing speakers and one sub-woofer. As seen, the side panel contains volume, bass control, input/output jacks, and band switch. We know how much of a toll long hours of gaming can be to your back but this chair also comes with back support. Playing your favorite video games now while seated in this chair is a relaxing experience.
www.amazon.com | US$ 11.50
www.amazon.com | US$ 199
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GaeMs M155 15.5” hD portable GaMiNG MoNitor The GAEMES M155 delivers yet again with an astonishing 15.5 inch gaming monitor. The 15.5 inch HD screen uses LED lighting which gives much better graphics than an ordinary smartphone or portable device. The device is just around 1.5 killograms in weight which makes carrying it in handheld luggage through airports easier. www.fancy.com | US$ 170
54 MAR 2016
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plaYseats evolutioN GaMe chair Playing your favorite racing games now gets more fun with the Playseats Evolution Game Chair. The bundle includes Playseat Evolution White, Playseat Gearshift Holder Silver. Playseat Evolution is the definitive solution for the ultra-realistic driving simulation to be experienced in your living room. We have all seen tons of brands out there that boast of steering sensitivity coming close a real race car feel but always fall short. Unlike many race seats that are unable to be folded, this one does with ease for a better storage. www.playseat.com | US$299
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kaNoa Wireless heaDphoNes Listening to music now gets much easier and tangleless with KANOA’s latest wireless headphone. These headphones can be controlled using any Bluetooth device from a distance up to 33 feet. Moreover, the variety of ear tips ensures it fits the users perfectly. With its high quality audio, it can be customised with the help of any device with an equaliser. One full wireless charging provides you with 4 to 6 hours of playtime. The headphones are now available for pre-orders at a discounted price by using the coupon: KANOAFAN (only for a limited time). www.getkanoa.com | US$ 149
phoNejoY bluetooth coNtroller Phonejoy Bluetooth controller is now available for Android phones. The device is definitely a pocket sized controller that is designed for convenience. Its EasySlider expansion system is able to fit phones up to 6.1 inches. The device itself is wireless and uses bluetooth connections with dual analogue, four shoulder buttons and a D-pad for the ultimate precise control. On your hands, the device makes a perfect fit with its ergonomic design and 8 hour battery capacity. Gaming now gets easier with Phonejoy’s Bluetooth controller! www.amazon.com | US$ 69
55 MAR 2016
GIZMOS You can find these products and more in RadioShack outlets at: Mid Valley Megamall Berjaya Times Square Bangsar Shopping Centre Hartamas Shopping Centre Sunway Pyramid IOI City Mall Avenue K Sunway Putra Mall Gardens (shop-in-shop inside Borders) The Curve (shop-in-shop inside Borders) Tropicana City Mall (shop-in-shop inside Borders) Gurney Plaza Penang
auDio techNica sport 1is Designed especially for active use, the ATH-SPORT1iS SonicSport in-ear sports headphones combines all the features of the ATH-SPORT1 with smartphone capabilities. A universal in-line mic and controls allow you to answer/end calls, control music and adjust volume at the touch of a button. Like the ATH-SPORT1, the hinged ear hooks pivot to provide a custom fit for secure, long-lasting comfort. Featuring high-quality drivers for clear, detailed and dynamic sound, the headphones come with both standard silicone eartips (XS/S/M/L) for outstanding sound isolation and ridged eartips (S/M/L) to allow some ambient noise for safer use outdoors, making the ATH-SPORT1iS ideal headphones for running. It is available in Black, Red and Navy Yellow.
56 MAR 2016
auDio techNica sport 2 Take outstanding audio for a run. With interchangeable secure fit earpieces, the ATHSPORT2 SonicSport in-ear headphones are designed to stay in place while jogging, working out or engaging in other sporting activities. The S/M/L earpieces are ergonomically constructed to mirror the hollow of the ear and provide a secure, comfortable fit. Plus, since the headphones don’t wrap around the outer ear, they are perfect for those who also like to wear sunglasses while working out.
auvio colour buDs 3.0 • • • •
4’ Flat cable – Minimise knots with tangle-resistant flat cables Long-lasting comfort – Choose from three different tips to find your ideal fit 3.5mm Plug – Connect to most of your devices – old or new Free app download – Navigate your music, adjust the volume and select equaliser settings with the AUVIO EQ App
auvio colour buDs W/Mic 3.0 • • • • •
Flat cable – Minimise knots with tangle-resistant flat cables Long-lasting comfort – Choose from three different tips to find your ideal fit In-line mic – Take a call without removing your headphones 3.5mm plug – Connect to most of your devices – old or new Free app download – Navigate your music, adjust the volume and select equaliser settings with the AUVIO EQ App
57 MAR 2016
aWarDs
PLATINUM award Minimum Score: 9.0
- 60 Western Digital Blue PC ssHD 4tB
The best of the best and all wrapped into a neat package.
GOLD award Minimum Score: 8.0
- 62 asus strix soar 7.1 PCi-e sounD CarD
Outstanding in performance, features and design.
Silver award Minimum Score: 7.5
- 68 sony MDr Z7
Above average but yet still deserve recognition.
- 70 asus rt aC 5300 Wireless tri BanD gigaBit router
evaluation value | Expensive does not always mean good.
- 72 sony xPeria Z5 CoMPaCt
Performance | A measure of how well the product stands up to our testing. Features | The best gimmicks and flashy parts get the top score.
- 75 Msi gs60 gHost Pro
Design | Aesthetics are important. The nicer it looks, the more points it gets. usability | The best for day-to-day tasks are valued higher.
- 78 oPPo PM-3
76
tested
alCatel one touCH FlasH 2
If it explodes, we'll let you know. 62
58 MAR 2016
68
reviews by ajith ram, din, daryl tan, andrew tong & rkl
70
TEST LAB guiDe Starting this year, we are improving our internal testing methodologies for all components and devices. Also, starting this month we are introducing a new Editor's Choice award for the best product in each category such as PCs, inkjet printers, smartphones and DSLR cameras.
inkjet Printers a) Print a reference page for colour images, black and white text using the same DPI settings. b) Scan printed pages into Adobe Photoshop using identical settings. c) Compare scans from different printers using the Histogram function.
sMartPHones a) Performance: Using 3DMark and GFXBench GL. b) Battery life: Using PCMark for Android. c) Camera Quality: Capture the same photo using identical camera settings. d) Compare the photos using Photoshop Histogram analysis.
GFXBench GL
PCMark
59 MAR 2016
TESTED
speed Hybrid Western Digital Blue PC ssHD 4tB
W
henever you are choosing a hard drive today, there would always be a conundrum. Do you choose the higher speed of the SSD, buy pay more or the slower but cheaper mechanical drive that also has more space? Well because of that the SSHD is born. SSHD, or Solid State Hybrid Drives in theory is the marriage of both worlds, where a mechanical hard drive with a large storage is combined with a SSD chip to give fast access to data while still be cheap. One of the latest SSHD drives to hit the market is the Western Digital Blue PC SSHD that comes with either 1TB or 4TB of storage, as well as 8GB of NAND SSD. We recently received the 4TB version from Western Digital. BLUe BLInK The 4TB drive that we have comes in the standard desktop-sized 3.5-inch flavour.
RM TBA
by din
Note that the 1TB version uses the smaller, laptop friendly 2.5-inch size instead. At first glance, the drive looks similar to your everyday mechanical hard drive that is large, bulky and extremely heavy. The difference that one might notice on the Western Digital Blue PC SSHD 4TB is the rather large controller PCB on the bottom of the drive. Indeed, the 8GB of NAND that comes with the drive resides on this PCB. The NAND is controlled by a JMicron controller that is the heart and soul of this hard drive. How so? Well the hard drive will learn and adapt automatically to your usage. It will try to fill up the NAND with files that you usually would access and in theory would be instantly there for you whenever you need them. DeCent HarDWare While the Western Digital Blue PC SSHD 4TB could be used as a boot device, meaning the OS is installed in it, we decided
to forego that as we feel the 8GB NAND is not enough for both OS and applications. Instead we used it as a storage for gaming and movies/videos, to see how fast files can be transferred and games can be loaded. What we found out is that it takes a while for the NAND and the drive to fully work together. But once it does, they tend to work well. Games do load faster than a normal mechanical drive, and compared to our normal drive, we could read/write data faster as well. PartInG WorDS The Western Digital Blue PC SSHD 4TB drive is quite a good piece of hardware if you want to have a fast performing drive but are unwilling to spend a lot on SSD. While it might not be as fast as a real SSD, you won’t find a 4TB SSD in this kind of price range anytime soon. It’s perfect for storage and accessing those files that you need quickly.
sPeCs
InterFaCe: SATA 3 6GB/s CaPaCIty: 4TB ForM FaCtor: 3.5-inch nanD SIze: 8GB
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
High performance for a low price
"...a good piece of hardware if you want to have a fast performing drive but are unwilling to spend a lot on ssD. " 60 MAR 2016
score din
8.5
Party in your ears atH Cks550is solid Bass in ear Headphones
Y
et another entry in its Solid Bass lineup, the ATH CKS550iS is Audio Technica’s In-ear solution for those who want something more portable than a circumaural full-sized headset. Promising to deliver a sound signature that favours the low end of the spectrum, the CKS550iS is quite a departure from the Japanese company’s usually neutral sounding offerings. Will these headphones live up to their billing, or will they serve up a whimper? It’s time to find out. StyLISH & eFFeCtIVe Despite the vast selection of earphones in the market, the CKS550iS somehow manages to stand out with its stylish and sleek design, incorporating golden accents on top of a matte black finish. These earphones feature huge 12mm dual magnetic field drivers, which promise ample bass within a sleek package. Audio Technica has also seen fit to include several different sets of earbuds to ensure the perfect fit, though the default buds felt fine to me. I was able to go on a workout session without the earphones ever coming close
RM TBA
to falling out, which is something that can’t be said for most of its competitors. The downside to the snug fit is that sometimes, it can get a bit uncomfortable with it pressing against my ear. Switching to a smaller earbud mitigated this, at the expense of a less snug fit. Overall, these earphones manage a good balance between design and functionality. Further enhancing its appeal is the flat cables, which meant no matter where I stashed them, they never ended up tangling, which is incredibly useful. There is also a microphone and in-line controls, allowing it to be used as a hands-free kit while driving. The fact that Audio Technica included a pouch to store them in further sweetens the deal. FUn tIMeS Just as advertised, these earphones truly delivered on the bass front. Low end sound signature was excellent, along with really good details and sound separation. Both electronic and rock based songs sounded a lot more engaging and fun with these on, leading to some head-thumping good times. Where these fall short is in the mid-range and highs.
by daryl tan
While certainly not as bad as some other bassfocused offerings, the highs tend to get a little bit muddy, and the mids are clearer on some of Audio Technica’s other offerings. This leads to some tracks sounding not as full as we’d like, lending a sort of emptiness to them. Unless you only listen to bassheavy music, you might end up a little bit disappointed with these considering the limited use case of the CKS550iS. Of course, while they may be heads and shoulders above any bundled offering, at this price point, the expectation certainly exists, and these earphones unfortunately do not offer anything more than what is on the box. Simply put, these are excellent earphones for the average consumer and most of today’s hit music will definitely fit these well. However, if you have a playlist that encompasses a wide range of genres, you might want to look elsewhere.
sPeCs
IMPeDanCe: 40Ω SenSItIVIty: 104 dB FreqUenCy: 5 – 24kHz CaBLe: 1.2m flat cables with in-line controls and microphone
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
an excellent earphone for bass lovers, but not for anyone else
score daryl
8.2
61 MAR 2016
TESTED
entry-level Perfection asus strix soar 7.1 PCi-e sound Card
RM TBA
by andrew tong
"...the soar is a fantastically affordable one and it offers much better bang for buck as it offers big improvements in audio over integrated solutions."
W
e have looked at the highend Strix Raid Pro previously and today we are looking at the most affordable of the Strix sound cards, the Soar. The non-Raid version has much the same hardware and features as its bigger brothers, but it comes without the fancy volume control and its Raid mode features. Is the Strix Soar still worth your every penny?
SaMe CoMPonentS Same as Strix Raid Pro, Asus uses high
62 MAR 2016
grade Nichicon capacitors in Strix Soar. They are also using the TI TPA6120A2 headphone amplifier chip which is a very accessible broad partnering design to accommodate a wide range of headphones from 16 to 600 ohms which seems like the most viable option considering the price range of this sound card. Another component of Strix Soar on the PCB is the ESS Sabre9006A Premier 8 Channel Audio DAC converter chip which delivers up to 116dB of resolution. Asus have also paired
up C-Media USB 2.0 6632AX High-definition Sound Processor with full 192kHz/24 bit support and CS5361 A/D converter which has a 114dBa dynamic range. eVerytHInG CoVereD Like its bigger brother, Strix Soar is a goodlooking sound card with its pretty shroud. While it is not there to funnel airflow like a graphics card would, it instead offers some EMI protection and also gives physical cover to some of the more sensitive internal components like the capacitors.
As mentioned on the packaging, a four layer PCB is used on the Strix Soar, with two layers of ground incorporated to separate digital and analog digital interference. The PCB has the same layout as the Raid version of the card. Power is claimed to be independently supplied and regulated to reduce noise and if you have a chunky graphics card cooler taking up extra slots, Asus has done a good job of keeping Strix Soar streamlined. Great qUaLIty For testing, we used the same listening hardware as the Strix Raid Pro which are Audio Technica ATH-M50X headphones, Razer Kraken 7.1 gaming headset and Klipsch R110SW. There is no doubt that the sound quality delivered was good, like the Strix Raid Pro and the headphone amp had no problems driving them. All the tested headphones sounded extremely punchy and focused, and virtual surround effect was still noteworthy.
Another improvement is that quiet clicks and background sounds which come from the headphone amplifier chip are much more apparent now with the Strix Soar in place. For the Klipsch R110SW, the jump in quality of the first few notes sounded out from the speakers was very apparent. The first few tracks I played using the Klipsch R110SW provides much fuller sound and the sound was clearer, crispier and more nuanced, with a much more well represented frequency range. no eXternaL BoX As mentioned just now, the only difference between the Strix Soar and Strix Raid Pro is that the bigger brother came with a bundled volume control that could also tweak some of the back-end software options for the sound card. Although it is an added convenience if it is on your desktop, it is not something I felt the loss of that keenly. The options can still be easily adjusted outside of a game if needed and even with that bundled volume
control I still have to minimize it to tweak the options mid-game. Another option worth mentioning is the Sonic Radar Pro. It acts as a visualaudio overlay when playing certain games which let you ‘see’ where sounds are coming from. This could probably result in a gameplay advantage in the case of a FPS or in tense horror titles. In summary, Asus Strix Soar 7.1 has high grade components, good build quality, an attractive EMI shroud, full support for up to 7.1 surround sound with 192KHz/24bit audio, a huge number of tweakable options, is simple to use and is very affordable. All in all, Asus has done a great job with its line of Strix sound cards. While there is some argument to be made for spending more on its expensive bigger brothers, for those on a budget, the Soar is a fantastically affordable one and it offers much better bang for buck as it offers big improvements in audio over integrated solutions.
sPeCs
oUtPUt SIGnaL-to-noISe ratIo: Line out: 116dB HeaDPHone: 110dB LIne In: 110dB HeaDPHone: 0.003% (-90dB) FreqUenCy reSPonSe: <10Hz to 48kHz oUtPUt FULL-SCaLe VoLtaGe: 2Vrms (5.65Vp-p) SaMPLe rate anD reSoLUtIon: 44.1K/48K/88.2/96/ 176.4/192KHz@16/24bit
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt a very good audio card for the PC enthusiast
score andrew
9.0
63 MAR 2016
TESTED
Heart-thumping atH Ws770is solid Bass over ear Headphones
A
udio Technica isn’t quite like most brands when it comes to headphones. With a wide variety of professional audio offerings, along with the amazing ATH-M50X in its lineup, the Japanese manufacturer is one of the most revered audio brands on the market today. Relying on a usually pristine sound signature and well balanced soundscape, it’s surprising then to see the words ‘Solid Bass’ in its name. Does a brand usually known for its reference-quality headphones have what it takes to reign in the party crowd? eXCeLLent BUILD The design of the WS770iS is definitely not what one would call boring; our unit was the gunmetal grey version, with yellow accents and looked pretty awesome. While it does feature some plastic in its design, the build quality and metals used throughout does give it a pretty premium feel. The headphones feature a closed back circumaural design, with huge earcups that will cover most people’s ears. The foaming
RM380
on the cups are pretty good and are as comfortable as they come, though I noticed a little bit of extra pressure on the bottom part of the earcups. These cans are pretty heavy due to its size, and I had to take them off after an hour due to discomfort, but a friend reported no such issues, so your mileage may vary. Unlike many other headphones, the 1.2m long cable is non-detachable. They are of the flat variety though, which means it won’t tangle when you toss it in your bag. There is an in-line remote included as well, which can be incredibly useful when used in conjuctino with a smartphone. Unfortunately, Audio Technica doesn’t include any kind of carrying case with the WS770iS, so you’ll have to be mindful of what you pack it with less you accidently damage it. BaSS MonSter Audio Technica is not kidding when they call this their ‘Solid Bass’ lineup. The bass signature from these cans are absolutely amazing for something in this price
by daryl tan
segment. Tracks such from Deadmau5 and Daft Punk sounded vibrant and engaging, with solid bass response and sharp sounds. Unlike other bass heavy headphones, the bass in these don’t quite overpower the mids and highs, though switching to a less bass-heavy track did reveal that the treble isn’t quite as crisp as we were used to in an Audio Technica. Vocals did feel a little bit drowned out, though I was still able to make out what the characters were saying while watching movies on these. Simply put, unless your playlist is dominated by electronic or rockbased music, these cans won’t do much for you and something a little more neutral, such as ATH’s M30 or M40 will probably suit you better. Regardless, it’s safe to say that for most people, these cans will impress just as much as an entry level beats, and that’s saying something. The extremely competent low signature makes listening to the right tracks downright exciting. You don’t even have to be a bass lover to appreciate what these headphones can do to your music. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt at this price, bass lovers will be glad they don’t have to pony up for a Beats to have a decent experience
score daryl 64 MAR 2016
8.0
Portable audio Heaven sony nW-Zx2
RM4,999
G
iven the advent of smartphones, the iPod or any other dedicated MP3 player has basically gone the way of the Dodo. After all, why bother getting just an MP3 player, when a smartphone can be that and so much more? Well, Sony believes there’s still a segment of the market that desires a high performance portable audio player, and so we have the NW-ZX2. Built on an Android OS, the portable music player promises audiophile audio in a small package. But considering the eye-watering asking price, is this a worthwhile investment?
UnDerStateD eLeGanCe Picking up the ZX2, we were immediately surprised by how hefty the device felt. There’s something of a premium feel to the weight here which is further enhanced by the soft leather patch on the rear. The curved sides do help the device fit snugly in the hand along with the bump towards the bottom. Like any good MP3 player, aside from the obligatory volume rockers on the side, the play/pause, skip next and skip previous buttons are also present and accounted for. All the buttons are a little recessed into the sides, which makes them a little difficult to find, but each of them has a satisfying
" regardless of genre, the sound signature is incredibly clear, and sound separation is sublime."
by daryl tan
tactile feel. There is also a microSD slot hidden under a flap on the bottom, in case 128GB of storage happens to not be enough. Unfortunately, instead of utilising the ubiquitous micro-USB port for charging, or the new USB Type-C port, Sony has opted to use their proprietary WM-Port charging port. This means that if your device happens to run short on power, and you forgot to pack your cable, there’s no easy way to just borrow a friend’s cable. Additionally, if you break your cable, you have no choice but to get an official replacement from Sony instead of using a spare cable you might have at home. In an era of increasing emphasis on user-friendliness, this feels like a misstep on Sony’s part. UnDer tHe HooD The ZX2 runs on Android 4.2, which while several years old now at this point, is fine since the main star is really Sony’s music player application. Still, the older Android firmware along with the modest specs does make navigating around the device a little bit slow, considering other offerings on the market. Moving on to the star of the show, which is the music itself, the ZX2 truly does output some wonderfully sounding music. Regardless of genre, the sound signature is incredibly clear, and sound separation is
sublime. You can really pick out every single instrument present, and it’s a truly exciting experience. While non-audiophiles might not be able to fully appreciate it at first blush, plug your headphones into a generic smartphone and the difference is immediately apparent. While the ZX2 is without question a competent music player, you will definitely need some equally good headphones to truly take advantage of it. Considering the amount you would have to drop for one of these, we’re going to assume you already have something good to go with these. If headphones that come bundled with your phone are all you have (and you enjoy them enough), you might want to think twice about the ZX2.
sPeCs
DIMenSIonS: 131.2 x 65.1 x 18 mm WeIGHt: 235 g DISPLay: 4 inches, 854 x 480 FeatUreS: ClearAudio+ Clear Bass, DSEE HX, Surround Sound aUDIo: LINEAR PCM, AIFF, ALAC, DSD, FLAC, HE-AAC VIDeo: ACV, MPEG4, WMV9 StoraGe: 128GB ConneCtIVIty: WiFi, Bluetooth, NFC PortS: microSD up to 200GB, 3.5mm audio jack, WM-PORT Battery: 2700mAh (non-removable) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
amazing sound processing leads to tracks dripping with emotion and detail
score daryl
8.2
65 MAR 2016
TESTED
Premium Home audio sony Ht-st9
RM6,000
S
ony’s audio offerings go far beyond just headphones; the HT-ST9 is the latest in their home audio line up, offering a soundbar that promises a true home theatre experience. The problem with soundbars is that unlike a traditional multi-speaker setup, you do lose a measure of flexibility with regards to configuration and the quality usually isn’t quite as good. Of course, while soundbars have been improving, the real question is whether Sony’s latest flagship soundbar deserves a place in your living room.
eLeGant & CoMPLete The HT-ST9 has basically everything you could ask for: a wireless subwoofer, seven main speaker drives for the highs and mids, Sony’s S-Master HX digital amplifiers and even a small LCD display on the front, displaying status messages and the current input. Connectivity is no slouch here either, with Bluetooth, NFC, Wifi, HDMI, 4K pass through and even multi-room listening using the SongPal App. With up to three HDMI inputs, you can plug in multiple devices, utilising the HT-ST9 as a HDMI switch. This is incredibly convenient as you will probably never need to switch out any of your cables while flipping between say, cable TV or a set top box. There’s even a USB socket nestled at the side, allowing you to plug in an external USB stick for immediate audio pleasure. Its dimensions are also pretty decent, and should sit nicely in front of TVs 48 inches and above.
by daryl tan
The HT-ST9 is also pretty user friendly. To pair the hefty subwoofer, simply connect it to power and it will automatically search for and pair with it. The only unfortunate thing is that the surround sound here is software based, not hardware, but with a soundbar, it’s no big loss. HoMe tHeatre So, how does it perform? Well, in a nutshell, it’s good, but not exactly great. Sony’s included their Digital Sound Enhancement Engine (DSEE), and it definitely works. Even compressed MP3 files sounded really impressive, with greater sound separation and a solid mid and high soundscape. Turning it off though, caused everything to sound quite dull and muddy. As for audio modes, you’re probably be better off leaving them off as they tend to make the sound feel rather artificial. Football mode had me quite intrigued, but in practice, it felt like the HT-ST9 was trying to simulate being in Wembley, but rather than enhance the experience, it made it feel a little fake. Of course, your mileage may vary, but I wasn’t able to really appreciate it. Still, even on Standard mode, the HTST9 was extremely competent and few complaints were to be had. The subwoofer definitely defines these speakers though, as without it, the soundbar alone struggled to differentiate itself from a pair of good TV speakers. Low frequencies were punchy
and definitely added to the experience when watching movies. One sore point was when connecting the soundbar via Bluetooth: for some reason, the audio was about a half second behind the action, which was very distracting. Using a direct HDMI connection is definitely the way to go with these speakers. Jam-packed with features and connectivity options, the HT-ST9 should definitely make your short list, especially if you have a sizable collection of devices to hook it up to.
sPeCs
SIze (SoUnDBar): 113 x 8.8 x 42.6 cm SIze (SUBWooFer): 24.9 x 40.3 x 42.6 cm, 16 Kg ConneCtIVIty: Bluetooth, NFC, Analog Audio In, Ethernet, USB-A, HDMI (x3 in, 1x out) PoWer oUtPUt: 800W aMPLIFIer CHanneLS: 7.1 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
an excellent soundbar that can stand up against any multi-unit setup
score daryl 66 MAR 2016
8.6
Crystal Clear recordings sony PCM-D100
RM4,000
W
hat do you do when what you need is not something that plays back audio, but something that records it? At the highest level, Sony believes that you should look no further than its 4th generation flagship recorder. Aside from the addition of DSD recording, the PCM-D100 also features a long excluded feature: speakers, which means you can now listen to audio recordings without earphones. Still, considering the availability of older, cheaper models, is it worth its staggering asking price? FeatUre PaCKeD Built primarily out of aluminium, the D100 feels rigid and solid without the heft one might expect at first glance. The condenser mics are even protected by twin metal roll bars, which means the D100 can probably take a knock or two without many problems. Still, it’s quite beefy in terms of size, and you’ll probably want to carry it around in a bag rather than a pocket. The face of the D100 is dominated by a series of control buttons while the inputs such as the mic/line selector and the various I/O ports are located on the sides. The battery compartment, along with the screw thread
by daryl tan
are on the bottom of the device, leading to a pretty intuitive separation of control. Despite the intimidating amount of controls, everything feels exactly where it should be, which was really useful while I was testing it in the field. I never had to look longer than a couple of seconds to find what I wanted, which is a testament to Sony’s design. Controlling the device was also pretty painless as the large monochrome screen was big enough to display everything you needed to see, such as metering data, time information and file names. You can even toggle the backlight on or off, which can be a little bit helpful when trying to eke out that few extra minutes of recording time. reCorDInG qUaLIty For the asking price, we have to say that the D100 really delivers on audio quality. The D100 is capable of recording Direct Stream Digital (DSD) at 2.8224MHz, and there is some significant advantages to that. The bespoke mics have some impressive range, and is able to competently capture mid and high ranges without sacrificing any low end frequencies. Even very high range audio sounded excellent when played back. Still, if there is some criticism to this, the sensitivity of the D100 is a little too
much when recording handheld, picking up far too much finger movement. You really need a stationary stand, especially for professional work. Thankfully, there’s a wireless “Remote Commander” option which can let you perform some basic operation such as pause or record from a distance, giving you some control even far away. Sony’s pre-amp is also excellent, and almost any external microphone will be able to take advantage of this and sound superb. To sum up, the D100 is an extremely competent recorder. It’s a brilliant piece of hardware, especially if what you’re looking for is crystal clear recordings of the highest quality. The only downside to it is the asking price. If your demands aren’t too high, we would recommend going for the older D50, which is still a very capable device in its own right.
sPeCs
ForMatS (reCorD): DSD, WAV, MP3 ForMatS (PLayBaCK): DSD, WAV, MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC-LC MIC: Electret condenser microphones MaX InPUt: 128 dB SPL Frequency Response: 20 Hz – 20 kHz Memory: SD, SD-HC, SD-XC, Memory Stick Pro Duo, Memory Stick Pro-HG Battery: 12-25 Hrs (x4 AA) 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt Incredibly expensive, but flawless audio recording
score daryl
8.4
67 MAR 2016
TESTED
For the audiophile sony MDr Z7
RM2,599
W
by daryl tan
hile Sony is a pretty ubiquitous name when it comes to headphones, most of their higherend offerings are usually priced on the lower spectrum of true audiophile gear. The MDR Z7, however, is designed from the ground up to be a legitimate competitor against headsets like the Beyerdynamic T90. With a similarly stratospheric price tag, does the Sony have what it takes to play with the big boys?
While most of the headphones in this segment generally use an open back design to try and achieve a clearer and airier soundstage, Sony has opted for a closed back design for the MDR Z7. From a usability perspective, Sony’s implementation deserves some praise as the audio feel very closely mimics that of a traditional open backed pair of headphones. While it isn’t quite the same, it does benefit from the fact that there is very little sound leakage both out of and into the MDR Z7.
ForM anD FUnCtIon Reminiscent of Sony’s other high end headphones, the MDR Z7 is a beautifully crafted piece of tech; you won’t find any cheap plastics here, with metal ear cup holders and superbly plush cushions on both the ear cups and headband. The mostly black pair of cans may look nondescript among other fancier designed headsets, but pick this guy up and you’ll know it’s the real deal. While the MDR Z7 has a pretty large frame, it’s still a great deal lighter than most of its competition. Combined with its extremely comfortable urethane cushion ear cups, we were able to wear these for the entire day with nary a hint of discomfort.
aUDIo eXCeLLenCe So, while the design and comfort of these cans may be a cut above the rest, its audio capabilities are nothing to scoff at either. Like most audiophile headphones, the MDR Z7’s soundstage is incredibly broad and precise. Opening up an orchestral piece will expose your ears to instruments you didn’t even know were there. The treble is superbly well balanced while the bass, while not as overpowering as a Beats, is present and punchy, giving the overall sound a very pristine, natural feel. Simply put, listening to high-fidelity audio files on the MDR Z7 makes it feel as if you were there in person, listening to beautiful music being crafted by
some incredibly talented musicians. As mentioned, these cans actually utilise a closed back design, which is staggering when you realise just how natural sounding the soundstage is. Sony has designed a headphone that comes very close to open back headphones, yet with all the benefits of a closed back design. So, should you get it? It really depends. We reviewed Sony’s MDR-1A a couple of months back, and for the vast majority of you, any headphone in that class will suffice. It has extremely competent audio capabilities, is lightweight and is well-built. While the MDR Z7 is certainly better, it isn’t better by a whole lot. However, if you have high end audio amps and high end source material, the MDR Z7 will be able to take advantage of those to deliver a truly incredible experience.
sPeCs
tyPe: Closed, Dynamic, Circum-aural ConneCtIVIty: Detachable Y-type cable IMPeDanCe: 70 Ω SenSItIVIty: 102 dB/mW FreqUenCy reSPonSe: 4 – 100,000 Hz 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
Incredible both in comfort and sound, the MDr z7 stands proud among the very best audiophile headphones
score daryl tan 68 MAR 2016
8.0
speed Demon asus rt aC 55uHP
RM TBA
F
inding that the router that comes with your ISP is a bit lacking? Want something better, but you don’t want to invest too much into a new router? Well, Asus might have the perfect router for you, with the Asus RT AC55UHP. This dual band router is rather similar to the previous Asus RT AC55U, but with some minor upgrades. So what are those? Let’s find out.
FaSt & FUrIoUS The Asus RT-AC55UHP, as with other Asus’s networking products comes in a large black box featuring the router on the front. The box itself is rather simple, and contains the router itself, two detachable antennae, a single LAN cable, and a power adaptor. Also included are a manual, a DVD as well as an antenna spacer. SPaCe DroID The router itself is trapezoid like in shape, and is the shape of choice for Asus for most of its current range of routers. At the rear are two wall mount holes that lets you
by din
mount the router on the wall, but it’s right at home on your desk too. The top of the router has a diamond shaped patterns that looks rather cool. At the front is a single USB 3.0 port which lets the router share any drive that you plug in here as a shared drive, or turn your printer into a network printer. Another USB 2.0 port at the rear does the same thing as well. Also at the rear are four Gigabit LAN Ethernet ports as well as a single Gigabit WAN port coloured in blue. The two antennae are attached to either sides of the rear as well.
one at 867Mbps. The dual gain antenna helps the router achieve this speed, and the antenna spacer fixes the antenna at the most perfect angle. Indeed, we tested the Wi-Fi and found out that it still works well even at two or three floors above or below.
eaSy netWorKInG The Asus RT-AC55UHP supports DHCP for existing networks, or UNIFI/Maxis fibre for those that want to use it at home. The Asus-WRT GUI is quite easy to navigate through, giving a lot of options to users. If the options are too overwhelming, then a quick and easy setup wizard can help you as well. The router has dual Wi-Fi band, a 2.4Ghz network running at 300Mbps and a 5Ghz
ConCLUSIon If you are looking for a cheap, easy to use but powerful router not only for your home, but also for your office, then the Asus RTAC55UHP might be just the thing for you.
nICe BonUS What are the differences between this and the RT-AC55U? Well this one supports WIFI 802.11 b/g/n/ac while the old RT-AC55U only supports WIFI 802.11 n/ac. Also the antenna is now fully round, instead of some weird, squarish shape on the old router.
sPeCs
InterFaCe: 1x Gigabit Port (WAN), 4x Gigabit Port (LAN),1 USB 3.0/1 USB 2.0 (HDD File Sharing, 3G/4G modem) antenna: 2x external dual band antenna oPeratInG FreqUenCy: 2.4GHz/5Ghz (dual-band) WIFI SUPPort: 802.11a/b/c/g/n WeIGHt: 500g SIze: 207x148x35.5mm
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
Cheap and effective
score din
8.6
69 MAR 2016
TESTED
enter the kraken asus rt aC 5300 Wireless tri Band gigabit router
RM TBA
by din
"lightning fast network, gigabit ethernet, easy configuration and fast Wi-Fi, the asus rt5300 certainly ticks all the correct boxes."
W
ow, just wow! That’s the only word that came out of my mouth when I unboxed this behemoth. The Asus RT AC5300 is by far the largest, weirdest and most powerful router that I have ever encountered. When you think of a router, you would think of a normal square box with some antennas. The Asus RT AC5300 smashed that completely. Asus has, for some reason engineered some kind of networking monster here. BIG anD HeaVy The Asus RT AC5300 comes in a large, very heavy black box. On the front of the box, you will encounter the first image of the router. You might utter the word “WTF” when you see the picture, but as Asus eloquently put it on the box, it stands for
70 MAR 2016
WTFast instead of what you are thinking. The box slides up smoothly to reveal the router inside, safely snuggled in its place like a sleeping headcrab. Also inside is the adapter, that accepts any normal laptop three rounded pin power connector, and three power connectors for different plugs, namely the UK (that we use), Australia and the European two pin. Underneath, you will find a VIP member warranty notice, a manual booklet as well as a DVD. Also you will find eight, yes, eight antennae that can be attached to the router itself. HeaDCraB The router itself is a big, square trapezoid thingy that is mostly black with some red accents to make it look cool. You know what literally makes the router cool? Awesome looking vents on the top that helps with
dissipating heat from the router. Each side of the router has two antennae connectors that you can attach the antennae to. At the front side, LED indicators for the status of the router can be found. On the left side, you will find three buttons, namely the WPS button, a button to turn the Wi-Fi on or off, and another button to turn off the LEDs if they are annoying when you try to sleep at night. Also there is a single USB 2.0 connector. Meanwhile at the rear, as usual for a router you will get four LAN ports, all rated at Gigabit speed. A single WAN port is coloured in blue, as well as a USB 3.0 port also in blue. Last but not least, the power button is also at the back of the router. trIPLe attaCK The router is a tri-band router, with a single 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi band, and two 5Ghz bands.
This router is certainly perfect for those looking to have a long range device to put in their office. The Wi-Fi signal should have 500 square metres of coverage, but that’s mostly without any obstructions in the way. Expect a smaller coverage when used in a building with many rooms. Each of the different bands can have its own SSID and work separately from one another, as well as being controlled separately in the router’s control panel. Each band also can be configured to have 3 guest networks each, helpful when you have that annoying guy that wants to use your network but you don’t want him to access your LAN. KInG CraB The Asus RT AC5300 is powered by a Broadcom BCM4709C0KFEBG dual-core 1.4GHz CPU with 512MB of RAM. This means it is quite powerful and should be able to handle a lot of network packets. It also comes with three BCM4366 4x4 2.4/5G single chip 802.11ac SoC radios to power each of the Wi-Fi bands. Why the AC5300 name though? That’s because in theory, the Asus RT AC5300 can achieve a total combined speed of 5300Mbps! The 2.4GHz network can support a throughput of 1000Mbps, and each of the 5Ghz network supports up to 2150Mbps. Combine all these and you get the 5300Mbps. BULKy StUFF With a footprint of around 25cm x 25cm, the router is quite large. The antenna itself
is around 14cm and the whole shebang weighs in at a hefty 2kg. It does generate some heat, as after a while of using it we could feel the heat from the top vents. So you might want to put this in an open spot. We are quite disappointed that Asus has not made the RT AC5300 router wall mountable. Yep, while the router is square and would look cool on your wall, there is no way to do that other than to drill some holes in the router, which we don’t suggest you do. The 2kg weight also means that you don’t want to use double tape either. The antennae are also quite floppy and just a small touch would make them fall flat down on their face. And putting the antennas other than in the “up” position would take more space than we would really like. So most of the time you will be using the crab flat on its back pose for the router. FInaL tHoUGHtS Since the Z011D is bigger than the vanilla Zenfone 2 Laser, ASUS has decided to provide it with a bigger battery. The 3,000mAh battery gives the Z011D a slight boost in longevity when compared with its smaller sibling under standard day-to-day usage. Under normal use, the Z011D can last an entire day before a recharge is needed. That said, if you’re a heavy phone user, you might want to lug a spare power bank around as the battery doesn’t last long under extremely heavy usage (read: GPS usage). More oF tHe SaMe So what do we think of this router? Well intimidating looks aside, it’s quite a
powerful and robust router. The Wi-Fi coverage does live up to what Asus says, as we can easily get signals even from 3 floors away. The router supports Unifi (both business and home) as well as Maxis Fibre. So if you are using any of these, you can replace your current default router without much configuration. The router itself can be controlled by your smartphone using Asus’s router app. We are quite disappointed about the boot time though. It feels like it takes twice as long to boot up compared to other routers that we have tried. But this router is certainly not meant for home use. Well you can use it at home if you have the bucks. To be honest, we feel that if you want to power your small office or if you have a place where you like to give guests WiFi (like a small hostel, or a food place) then this is certainly the perfect router for you. Lightning fast network, gigabit Ethernet, easy configuration and fast Wi-Fi, the Asus RT5300 certainly ticks all the correct boxes.
sPeCs
InterFaCe: 1x Gigabit Port (WAN), 4x Gigabit Port (LAN), 1 USB 3.0/1 USB 2.0 (HDD File Sharing, 3G/4G modem) antenna: 8x external dual band antenna MeMory: 128MB FLASH/512MB DDR3 RAM oPeratInG FreqUenCy: 2.4GHz/5Ghz/5Ghz (tri-band) WIFI SUPPort: 802.11a/b/c/g/n WeIGHt: 2kg SIze: 245x245x65mm 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt your all-in-one solution
score din
9.0
71 MAR 2016
TESTED
return of the Mini Flagship sony xperia Z5 Compact
RM2,299
by daryl tan
"if you’ve used any flagship xperia device in recent years, the omniBalance design of the Z5 Compact will be instantly familiar to you."
T
hese days, it seems like to be considered a flagship smartphone, unless you’re Apple, you better make sure the screen of the device is at least 5.5 inches, otherwise no one will take you seriously. Accordingly, this has led to all devices 5 inches and smaller relegated to the ‘mid-range’ smartphone segment, with appropriately middle-ofthe-road hardware.
72 MAR 2016
As such, when Sony announced that they would be following up on the impressive Z3 and Z3 Compact with the Xperia Z5 and Z5 Compact, it seemed like there would continue to be a device with flagship level performance that could actually be used in one hand. MInI IS tHe WorD If you’ve used any flagship Xperia device in recent years, the OmniBalance design
of the Z5 Compact will be instantly familiar to you. Unlike many unibody flagships currently on the market, the Sony phone is also waterproof, minus the annoying flaps that previous iterations had for the charging port and headphone jacks, though the SD and SIM card tray still requires one. Sony’s continual improvement of the formula has led to a beautiful, timeless design. Even the distinctive camera
shutter key is still there, allowing the camera to be fired up with minimal fuss. One significant change though, is that the sides are now flat rather than rounded, partly to cater for the new power button. No longer a small round metal button, its flat, oblong design now houses a fingerprint reader that seems to be all the rage these days. It works decently enough, but unlike the bigger fingerprint scanners on an iPhone or Nexus 6P, the limited surface area of the power button has led to a pretty high error rate. I had to retry unlocking the phone multiple times, and this can sometimes get pretty irritating, especially considering the flawless execution on other flagships. MIXeD PerForManCe Unfortunately, while the outside may be as impressive as ever, it’s on the inside that the Z5 Compact seems to struggle. Despite rocking a flagship-level Snapdragon 810 chipset and only driving a 720p screen, performance on the device
seems rather hit-or-miss, with niggling slowdowns here and there you simply wouldn’t expect to see on a device of this price point. Despite not even upgrading to Android Marshmallow, Sony still seems to struggle optimising its skin to work properly, which can be frustrating when seeing how its rivals simply fly though Android. The camera experience on the Z5 Compact is also an exercise in frustration. Despite boasting decent optics, the software is simply too buggy, too often. For instance, if the camera was fired up while the phone was locked, pressing the options button to access the camera settings will throw you right back out into the lock screen. Sony has also seemed to have not fixed its overheating problems, as I was only able to record 8 minutes of video before the phone had to shut itself down to cool off. Firing up the app was slow and simply opening the album took several seconds. A few years ago, waiting 4 seconds for the album to load
"Considering the gargantuan sizes of batteries these days, what the Z5 Compact can do in its small chassis is mighty impressive."
might be acceptable, but today, it’s simply unacceptable on a flagship. no CHarGer no ProBLeMS One thing that Xperia phones have yet to disappoint on is battery life. Like many of its predecessors, Sony’s optimisation seems to have done wonders for the battery, allowing it to easily last into the next day. Add fast charging to the mix, and you will likely never have to worry about battery on this device. Considering the gargantuan sizes of batteries these days, what the Z5 Compact can do in its small chassis is mighty impressive. Still, it’s difficult to recommend the Z5 Compact. Despite being of an excellent size while retaining many flagship features, the fact that those features feel more half-baked than complete makes it difficult to recommend.
sPeCs
DIMenSIonS: 127 x 65 x 8.9mm WeIGHt: 138 g CertIFICatIonS: IP68 DISPLay: 4.6 inches, 720 x 1280 Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 GraPHICS: Adreno 430 MeMory: 2 GB RAM CaMera: 23MP autofocus with LED flash, 5.1MP front-facing camera StoraGe: 32GB ConneCtIVIty: WiFi, Bluetooth, 3G, 4G LTE PortS: microSD up to 200GB, 3.5mm audio jack, micro USB Battery: 2700mAh (non-removable)
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt excellent waterproof design and decent optics, but buggy software
score daryl
7.6
73 MAR 2016
TESTED
storage tank WD MyBook Pro
RM3,679
W
estern Digital has been a mainstay in the computer storage game for the longest time, and has garnered a reputation for their reliability. Despite the proliferation of Solid State Drives and M.2 drives, they’re still priced out of reach of most consumers. Most consumers can only afford the barest minimum of storage spaces in search of the fastest speed. So what’s the next best thing if overall space is your major concern? WD seems to believe their latest high-performance multidrive storage RAID system will answer all your portable, large storage needs. HeFty BeaSt If you’re looking for a portable hard disk to toss in your bag when hitting the road, the MyBook Pro may not be for you. With both drive bays filled up, the system can get pretty hefty, and its mainly designed to be placed on a desk for long periods of time. For a multi-bay device, its footprint is pretty small, allowing it to fit virtually anywhere on your desk. Considering the sensitive interior, the chassis of the
by daryl tan
device is comprised of a solid, metal build, containing multiple dampeners to ensure the hard disks inside remain safe. As for connectivity, you certainly won’t be left wanting; there are two USB 3.0 ports out front for easy access, while the back houses a further two thunderbolt ports, yet another USB 3.0 port and the power connector. There’s even a Kensington lock thrown in for good measure. The chassis utilises a convenient plug and play system. To remove any of the 6TB drives included inside, a simple tug of a flap will immediately release it, and you can slot any standard hard disk drive inside. SPeeDy oPeratIon Western Digital has included its WD Drive Utilities application to manage the device. Within the utility screen, there are various options available, such as the RAID management configurator, sleep timer, system diagnosis and even an option to erase the drive, should the need arise. It should be noted that the setup of the MyBook Pro cannot be done through Thunderbolt. You will need a USB 3.0 connection to your PC for the setup.
Measuring the performance of the device on RAID 0 configuration, it returned pretty decent read/write speeds of 391.2/363.9MB/s, which is about par for the course. Using RAID 1 (which mirrors both drives), read/write speeds dropped to about half of RAID 0, which is still pretty good considering it matches up pretty evenly with other offerings on the market. So who is the MyBook Pro for? The potential for up to 12TB of data in a single hard disk solution is something that pro users as well as media enthusiasts will appreciate. With Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 connections, there are a multitude of options available as you will be able to connect your mobile devices, drive 4K monitors or even tack on additional storage thanks to Thunderbolt’s ability to daisy chain up to 6 different devices at once. If your storage needs mainly consist of storing games and movies, you might probably want to look for a more portable solution..
sPeCs
DIMenSIonS: 4.28 x 8.51 x 5.82” ConneCtIonS: Thunderbolt 2, USB 3.0 ConFIGUratIon: RAID 0, 1; JBOD PerForManCe: 435 MB/s transfer 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
Very user friendly, but expensive
score daryl 74 MAR 2016
7.6
Beauty Falls short Msi gs60 ghost Pro
RM12,900
A
s regular readers would have realised, we have been featuring a series of high quality gaming laptops from MSI over the past few months. This month we have the MSI GS60 Ghost Pro which has the honour of being the first laptop we have seen with a 4K screen. Going by the packed halls of the recently completed CES, it looks like this year will go down as the year of 4K. GorGeoUS DISPLay There is no question about it – the move from Full HD to 4K does make a difference, even within the confines of a laptop screen. From the perspective of brightness and clarity, the GS60 Ghost Pro’s 4K screen is the best we have seen. As expected, text and images are razor sharp with very little aliasing. If you are seeking a laptop for some design work using Photoshop or Illustrator, you cannot go wrong with the GS60 Ghost Pro. DeCent HarDWare This 4K laptop also has some decent hardware inside. The CPU is Intel’s ‘Skylake’
by ajith ram
Core i7 6700 running at 2.6GHz. It also has 8GB of RAM. Like many other laptops and all-in-one PCs we have seen recently, the GS60 Ghost Pro has hybrid graphics. The integrated Intel graphics adapter powers the 2D display while the 3D and gaming duties are handled by the Nvidia GeForce 970M. There is an additional 3GB of RAM attached to the Nvidia GPU. Storage comes in the form of a solitary 1TB hard drive. This is a bit surprising as we have seen other MSI laptops sport a speedy SSD as well. FaLterInG PerForManCe Despite its decent hardware pedigree, the GS60 Ghost Pro is not the fastest kid in the block - or even close to it. The lack of a SSD to hold the Windows 10 operating system immediately makes boot up a much slower process. The laptop is also a hot product – literally. Even under normal usage, the bottom half of the Steel Series keyboard becomes more than warm at times. This also probably explains the throttling and mediocre performance that we experienced. Despite the inclusion
" Despite the inclusion of the dedicated nvidia gPu, games are completely unplayable at the screen’s native 4k resolution."
of the dedicated Nvidia GPU, games are completely unplayable at the screen’s native 4K resolution. This is hardly a surprise considering that even a highend desktop with a dedicated GPU has trouble providing playable frame rates at that resolution. The situation does not get any better at Full HD. As our benchmarks revealed, frame rates are in the single digits. The GS60 Ghost Pro is a strange beast. Although it boasts an excellent 4K screen, its performance is not worthy enough to catapult it to the ranks of true desktop replacement laptops. Therefore, it will likely remain a niche curiosity for now.
sPeCs
CPU: Intel Core i7 6700 MeMory: 8GB GraPHICS MeMory: 3GB 15.6-inch 4K LCD screen 1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive GPU: Intel integrated graphics + Nvidia GeForce GTX 970M Realtek audio
BenCHMarks UnIGIne HeaVen: 61 UnIGIne VaLLey: 93 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
a very pricey laptop with a great 4K screen
score a jith
7.4
75 MAR 2016
TESTED
not a Flash in the Pan alcatel one touch Flash 2
L
et’s be honest. When was the last time you went looking for an Alcatel phone? Alcatel is hardly a name that comes to mind when you consider smartphones.
FLaSHy DeSIGn? It is obvious even at first sight – the One Touch Flash 2 is a beautiful phone. Quite a surprise considering the ‘me too’ designs that crowd the entry-level market. Alcatel’s marketing literature waxes eloquent on the phone’s ‘French’ minimalist design and we have to agree with that. With its smooth contoured edges and slightly curved back, the Alcatel phone has the feel of a premium smartphone. It is also a major departure from the previous version of the same brand. The shiny power, volume buttons are located on the thin right edge of the device along with a dedicated camera button. The headphone socket is at the top right
RM649
by ajith ram
corner of the phone while the micro-USB connector is at the bottom.
lower resolution, the phone can record Full HD videos at 1080P resolution.
MoDeSt SCreen We are a bit disappointed by the One Touch Flash 2’s screen resolution which tops out at just 1280x720. The modest resolution is a bit of a surprise considering that many entry-level phones now boast Full HD screens. On the plus side, the 5-inch LCD screen is quite bright and colourful.
PerForManCe MatterS As one would expect from an entry-level phone, the One Touch Flash 2 did not set any performance records. The device ships with Android Lollipop and is fast enough for regular use like web surfing or video streaming via YouTube. But it struggles with the latest generation of graphics heavy games. To be fair, it is unlikely that anyone buying this phone will be looking to entertain themselves using those types of games. Without a shadow of doubt, the Alcatel One Touch Flash 2 is a smartphone which punches well above its price. Those on the lookout for a mid-range phone should definitely consider this one and save themselves some money.
DeCent HarDWare The One Touch Flash 2 is powered by a Mediatek MT6753 SoC which comprises of an octa-core ARM Cortex 53 CPU and a Mali-T720MP3 GPU. Although not exactly cutting edge, this Mediatek SoC is now a common sight in entry-level phones. The One Touch Flash 2 also comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage which can be expanded to 128GB using a microSD card. Another nice feature is the phone’s dual SIM option which is surprisingly missing even in many premium smartphones. Despite its low price, the One Touch Flash 2 has a pretty beefy 13MP rear camera, putting it in the same league as much more expensive phones. Although the screen is
" alcatel’s marketing literature waxes eloquent on the phone’s ‘French’ minimalist design..."
sPeCs
oS: Android OS, v5.1 (Lollipop) CPU: Octa-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A53 CHIPSet: Mediatek MT6753 GPU: Mali-T720MP3 InternaL StoraGe: 16GB raM: 2GB RAM Battery: Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery CoLoUrS: Volcanic Grey, Mica White 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt Beautiful and inexpensive with some good features
score a jith 76 MAR 2016
8.6
small and Powerful Canon eos M10
RM1,889
I
n this era when smartphone manufacturers are falling over themselves touting the photographic capabilities of the built-in cameras, is there any need for a compact digital camera such as the Canon EOS M10? PLaStIC anD CHeerFUL At first sight, the EOS M10 appears similar to the older M3 version but is slightly smaller and lighter. Also, unlike its expensive DSLR siblings, the M10 is built out of hard plastic rather than aluminium or a magnesium alloy. Although it might appear that way, the camera is not waterproof. So be careful using it in rainy conditions. MInIMaLISt FeatUreS Despite its diminutive size, the EOS M10 boasts a DSLR quality APS Type C sensor. But the camera dispenses with the usual Mode dial completely and so you cannot select options such as manual, aperture priority, shutter priority, landscape, portrait etc. Instead, the dial on top switches between video, still and auto shooting modes. The EOS M10 seems to be built around the ‘point and click’ philosophy. Another interesting feature of the camera is its collapsible 15-45mm lens. When you are not shooting, the lens can be ‘collapsed’ and
by ajith ram
locked, saving some space in the bag. Despite this useful feature, the EOS M10 cannot be described as a pocket camera – unless you want your pocket to bulge prominently. The M10 lens has a f3.5-6.3 range, making it perfectly usable in normal conditions. Obviously, it is not going to compete with DSLR lenses which are much faster. But the M10 does have optical image stabilisation, a welcome feature for capturing photos at night or while in motion. VIDeo reCorDInG The camera can also record Full HD videos in MP4 format. In this age of high-end smartphones featuring 4K video recording capabilities, the M10’s Full HD recording capability might appear a bit inadequate. All videos and images are saved onto a SD card which is not included in the package. Despite the very low prices of flash memory these days, it is a bit annoying that camera manufacturers are not bundling memory cards with their products or integrating it into the device itself. As is the current vogue, the M10 has features aimed at the selfie generation. If you rotate the 3-inch LCD 180 degrees, it will go into a selfportrait mode which allow you to activate effects such as background blur, image brightness and for the truly vain, skin smoothing.
toP PerForManCe Let there be no doubt about it. Under normal conditions, the M10’s 18 megapixel sensor captures images which rival most high-end DSLR cameras. It also makes it clear why there is still a need for compact digital cameras even when the market is flooded with smartphones claiming great photographic performance. The performance delta with the smartphone cameras widens even further during night photography. Thanks to its larger lens and optical image stabilisation, the M10 takes night photos with much lower noise and less blurring. Even smartphones with full-size sensors such as the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium cannot match the M10. If you are serious about the quality of your photos, but do not want the hassle of a large DSLR, you should definitely consider packing the Canon EOS M10 in your bag at all times.
sPeCs
tyPe Digital single-lens non-reflex AF/AE camera reCorDInG MeDIa SD memory card, SDHC memory card, SDXC memory card IMaGe SenSor SIze 22.3 x 14.9mm IMaGe SenSor tyPe CMOS sensor eFFeCtIVe PIXeLS 18.0 megapixels aSPeCt ratIo 3:2 IMaGe tyPe JPEG, RAW
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
Small and versatile. everything you need in a digital camera
score a jith
9.2
77 MAR 2016
TESTED
aural Magnetism oPPo PM-3
RM1,399
O
nce upon a time, before OPPO formed its smartphone division, the company was releasing various other consumer electronics under its OPPO Digital division. It is from this division that the OPPO PM-3 headphone came into being. We’ve mentioned this particular headphone in 2015 during out audiophile headphone showdown, but we never did a proper review for it. Well, now that we have the headphones in our offices proper, it’s time we take a good look at the PM-3.
by rkl
same principle to dynamic drivers in that two magnetic fields interact with each other to cause motion. However, the difference with planar magnetic drivers is that the motion generated would be channelled across a thin, flat film, allowing the force to spread across the diaphragm. Generally speaking, headphones that utilise planar magnetic drivers are huge, which makes the PM-3 size a huge surprise.
CLaSSy If you were to tell me that the PM-3 was designed by Apple, I would actually believe you. The OPPO PM-3 is beautifully designed, featuring a sleek, compact design, making it the perfect pair of headphones when you’re out and about. One other important point to note is that the PM-3 is a closed-back headphone.
SCaLeD UP Now that we’ve gotten the looks and tech out of the way, let’s get to the performance. I am happy to say that the PM-3 is a very impressive sounding pair of headphones. Firstly, the PM-3 is a closed-back headphones, which means that the sound is pumped directly into your ear without any outside sound mixing into it like open-back headphones. As such, this also means that sound leak isn’t an issue when it comes to the PM-3.
MaGnetS GaLore Besides the uh…”unorthodox” design of the PM-3, OPPO has also used a rather unique piece of tech in this particular pair of headphones: planar magnetic drivers. Planar magnetic drivers function in the
WorLD oF SoUnD The PM-3’s sound signature has much in common with the sound signature of monitor headphones. What that means is that, for the most part, the highs, mids, and lows of a song is given equal focus.
No one part of a song overpowers any other part, allowing you to identify the various instruments that form the music without needing to strain your ears to do so. The bass is surprisingly punchy as well, make it great for people like me who are EDM junkies. While an amplifier isn’t really mandatory to properly use the PM-3, having one would allow the PM-3 to reach its true potential. aUDItory BLISS Personally speaking, if I had the discipline to save up some cash, I would buy the PM-3 without any hesitation. For me, the PM-3 is exactly what I look for in a headphone. The compact size and the powerful, balanced sound suits my tastes very well. If you like your music well-rounded and powerful, the PM-3 is a headphone that will make you very happy indeed.
sPeCs
WeIGHt 320 g DrIVer tyPe Planar Magnetic DrIVer SIze 55 mm diameter FreqUenCy reSPonSe 10 – 50,000 Hz IMPeDanCe 26 Ohm SenSItIVIty 102 dB in 1 mW 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
a powerfully balanced set of headphones that look and feel great
score rkl 78 MAR 2016
9.4
amped up oPPo Ha-2 Portable Headphone amplifier
A
longside the PM-3, OPPO has also seen it fit to drop off the HA-2 for us to review. The HA-2 is a portable headphone amplifier/digital audio converter combo that is meant to be paired up to the PM-3. So without further ado, let’s just dive right into it. LooKS DIFFerent In terms of design, the HA-2 is unlike some of the other DACs/amps that I’ve seen thus far. Whereas most DACs are usually black boxes of various sizes, the HA-2 looks more like a power bank by comparison. It’s reasonably small, sleek and comes with a leather casing. Simply put, the HA-2 is a looker. JaCKeD In For audio output, the HA-2 comes with a single 3.5 mm stereo output as well as a single 3.5 mm stereo audio-in port. As the device is a meant to be compatible with smartphones and the like, you’ll find a USB port and a micro USB port at the bottom of the device. Furthermore, the HA-2 comes with all the cables you need to connect the amplifier to your device of choice, be it smartphones or your own computer. One curious thing to note is that the toggle right next to the
"...i can safely say that the Ha-2 is a great amplifier/ DaC to own."
RM1,689
by rkl
USB ports needs to be switched depending on your audio input. Apple devices occupy the A slot, the computer occupies the B slot, while all other devices, such as Android smartphones, occupy the C slot.
OPPO’s own VOOC rapid charge technology. Also interesting is the fact that the HA-2 can also function as a surrogate power bank, although doing so would obviously eat into the HA-2’s play time.
aLL In tHe DetaILS Performance-wise, the HA-2 is very versatile, being able to drive a huge variety of headphones. Much like the PM-3, the HA-2 produces monitor-like sound, which means the sound is flat and forward. This allows the HA-2 to synergise extremely well with the PM-3. At the side of the device, you’ll find two switches. The first of these is bass boost, which boosts the low end frequency by about 5 decibels. The other switch allows you to toggle between Low Gain and High Gain, depending on how power hungry your headphones are. As I don’t really have any particularly demanding headphones, I stuck with Low Gain throughout my usage.
DeFInIteLy PreMIUM After roughly 2 weeks of use, I can safely say that the HA-2 is a great amplifier/DAC to own. I can also safely say that not many would actually buy it. Why? Because of the RM1,699 asking price. Yes, the HA-2 is much more expensive than the PM-3. If you’re not an audiophile, I suspect spending over a thousand Ringgit for the HA-2 would be out of the question.
on tHe Go Since the HA-2 is touted as a portable headphone amplifier, I’ve brought the thing out for a field test. Battery life on the HA-2 is rather decent as it is able to last around 6 hours on a single charge. Charging up the HA-2 is rather fast too as the amplifier comes with
sPeCs
WeIGHt : 175 g DIMenSIonS : 68 x 137 x 12 mm FreqUenCy reSPonSe : 20 Hz – 200 kHz reCoMMenDeD HeaDPHone IMPeDanCe : 16 Ohm – 300 Ohm HeaDPHone aMPLIFIer oUtPUt IMPeDanCe : 0.5 Ohm DaC CHIP : ESS Sabre32 Reference ES9018K2M InPUt ForMat : Stereo PCM, Stereo DSD (DoP v1.1 or native) PortS : 3.5mm input jack, 3.5mm output jack, USB A port, USB micro-B port 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt
a great portable amp that comes with a rather steep asking price for the average consumer
score rkl
9.0
79 MAR 2016
TESTED
skin Deep Huawei Mate s
RM2,400
W
hen Huawei announced the Mate S last year, they took pains to emphasise the premium smartphone’s design with the launch theme being ‘gold’. This is very well reflected in the device itself which has a unibody all metal design with a prominent gold trim. BeaUtIFUL SHeLL The full metal design also has the advantage of superior heat dissipation compared to hybrid metal and plastic models. The Mate S is also extremely thin, measuring just 7.2mm at the edges. Weight is also not a problem with the device weighing just 156gms. There is no real bezel to speak of with the Gorilla Glass cover extending right to the edges. But keep in mind that it does not curve all the way around like the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. There is a fingerprint scanner on the rear, precisely where your index finger is likely to be. The fingerprint sensor has been upgraded from the previous version, boasting 100 percent increased recognition speed and increased sensitivity. In our tests, it was certainly very responsive. The fingerprint sensor is also useful for taking selfies. Tapping it in selfie mode will
by ajith ram
trigger the shutter while swiping down will allow access to the notification center. Swiping from left to right (and vice versa) in the Gallery app will allow scrolling between your various photos and videos.
premium smartphones which can now record 3K and 4K videos. Our test device came with Android Lollipop. Huawei has confirmed that a future update will upgrade it to the latest Marshmallow version.
DISPLay MatterS The Mate S has an AMOLED Full HD 1080p display. In the current age of 4K smartphones like the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, it would be fair to say that this resolution is below par for a premium device. On the flip side, the 5.5inch AMOLED screen does produce higher contrast images and is also very bright.
MeDIoCre PerForManCe Despite its impressive looks, the Huawei Mate S is not a great performer. Rather surprisingly, it came up short even against an ageing device like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 which is a year older. Needless to say, it is easily outmatched by Huawei’s own other premium smartphone launched just after the Mate S, the Nexus 6P. It seems very clear that Huawei’s HiSilicon Kirin SoCs have a long way to go before they catch up with the offerings from Samsung and Qualcomm.
In-HoUSe HarDWare In an interesting choice, Huawei has chosen its own HiSilicon Kirin 935 SoC to power the Mate S. In a market dominated by premium smartphones with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810, it certainly sets the Mate S apart. The HiSilicon Kirin 935 consists of an octacore CPU and a Mali-T628 MP4 GPU. The GPU in particular is not the most powerful around. The SoC is also paired with 3GB of RAM. Internal storage starts at 32GB which can be expanded using a microSD card. The 13MP rear camera is also not the highest in the premium smartphone segment. It is capable of recording Full HD videos at 30 fps – again not matching other
sPeCs
WeIGHt: 156 g DISPLay tyPe: AMOLED reSoLUtIon: 1080 x 1920 pixels ProteCtIon: Corning Gorilla Glass 4 oS: Android Lollipop CHIPSet: HiSilicon Kirin 935 CPU: Quad-core 2.2 GHz & quad-core 1.5 GHz GPU: Mali-T628 MP4 raM: 3GB rear CaMera: 13MP
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
verDiCt Literally golden in design, but not quite in performance
score a jith 80 MAR 2016
8.6
showdown
POWERED MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G
I
MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6G
t has indeed been a long road for the dedicated 3D graphics accelerator. Ever since the advent of the 3DFX Voodoo in 1997 with an ‘astonishing’ 4MB of VRAM, the premium graphics card has come a long way. Originally used exclusively in games such as Quake and Incoming, the GPU has now morphed into a versatile multipurpose beast that is challenging the supremacy of the CPU in applications ranging from video encoding to DNA sequencing. Even so, there is no doubt that the main target of the
Powercolor AMD R9 Radeon Fury X
discrete graphics card industry is still the avid PC gamer. Today, compared to the original Voodoo, modern graphics cards have gigabytes of RAM and an order of magnitude higher processing power. From the consumer’s perspective, there is still no better application to show off a graphics card’s potential than a cutting-edge PC game. Later this year, we will be introduced to a new generation of GPUs from both AMD and Nvidia. Before the arrival of those beasts, let us take one last look at the current kings of the graphics card hill.
81 MAR 2016
showdown
MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G
Gamer’s Dream by andrew tong
J
ust recently I was able to get my hands on a retail version of the GTX 970 from MSI. The MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G features the new Twin Frozr V that has two10cm fans that can be controlled individually through MSI’s software. Besides, overclocking, the MSI GTX 970 can be controlled automatically through MSI gaming’s app. PRETTY BEAST There is no doubt that the MSI GTX 970 is one of the prettiest graphics cards that I have ever seen. However, will it be able to stack up against other high-end graphics cards? Let’s find out. Similar to MSI’s other ‘Gaming’ series of products, the two tone red and black colour scheme is used in the MSI GTX 970 and it really sets a nice tone for the innards of the case. I also love the vertical ‘flashes’ over the black section of the cooler. TWIN FANS A key selling point and a major feature of the MSI GTX 970 is the inclusion of the Torx
82 MAR 2016
fans which are angled more aggressively at the topside to enhance airflow while still remaining very quiet. The other side of the MSI GTX 970 features the heatpipes for the Twin Frozr V cooler. Below the fan shroud, the heatsink just hardly peeks out at the rear of the MSI GTX 970. To the lower left is the PWM fan header and each of the fans can be independently controlled through MSI’s software. The I/O area of MST GTX 970 is a standard affair with HDMI and DisplayPort supported along with DVI-D and DVI-I. The power control of MSI GTX 970 is handled by an ON Semiconductor NCP81774 4-phase controller which is located at the back of the PCB. It operates in a 3-phase interleaved mode with six dual-channel Sinopower SM7320 doubled with drivers at the back. The GPU power also uses 6x0.20uH “Super-Ferrite-core” chokes with 6x820uF solid capacitors while a Richtek RT8807 controller is used for memory on a two-phase setup using two pairs of NIKO Semiconductor PK616BA and
PK632BA MOSFETs with two 0.68uH Super-ferrite chokes. For the 4GB memory modules of the MSI GTX 970, MSI uses Samsung K4G41325FCHC28 rated 1.5V at 0.28ns (7000Mbps). A 2Mbit ChingsTek 8-pin SOIC chip is used for the BIOS flash memory and it is located near the GPU core. IN CONCLUSION My expectations were fully met and exceeded with the performance delivered by the MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G. As you can see from all the benchmarks and tests, it is undeniable that MSI has built a great card that easily takes the place of the GTX 770. For instance, Crysis 3 was able to hit more than 60 frames per seconds using the MSI GTX 970. I knew that the MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G would be faster than the GTX 770, but I didn’t know it was that fast. Another notable improvement in the MSI GTX 970 is that the Twin Frozr fans keep the GPU temperature under 50°C. During testing, the fans did not kick in until the CPU had reached 60°C. Even though the fan speeds were very low, the temperature still stayed right around 70°C. When overclocking, the temperature would never hit 80°C. The power consumption test showed that MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G uses less power consumption to deliver more performance, resulting in higher power efficiency than previous generation of GPUs. Overall, the MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G delivers great baseline performance results that are easy to improve upon with a bit of overclocking using the MSI Gaming app. This card is a beast in this price segment and if you are looking for a GTX 970 as your next video card, you can’t go wrong with the MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G.
“Another notable improvement in the MSI GTX 970 is that the Twin Frozr fans keep the GPU temperature under 50°C”
“My expectations were fully met and exceeded with the performance delivered by the MSI GTX 970 Gaming 4G.” 83 MAR 2016
showdown “None of the games we threw at the card could trouble it; Grand Theft Auto V ran brilliantly, as did Rise of The Tomb Raider.”
“...they widened the width of the card so that it maintains a large surface area for the heat to dissipate. The result is a slim, compact looking, but highly efficient card...”
84 MAR 2016
MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB
The Dragon Arose by din
W
hile the recent hype is on the red team’s rather innovative and powerful graphics solution, Nvidia’s flagship model, the GTX 980Ti, is still one of the best GPUs there is in the market right now. And we are still seeing a lot of GTX 980Ti-based models being released. One of them is from MSI. The aptly named MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB is, obviously, targeted for gamers. But what does it have compared to other models in the market? Well a few things, as we shall see. It would be more appropriate to call Canon’s ink bottle design ‘spill resistant’ rather than completely spill free. During our test, a few drops did leak out, but nothing much to be concerned about.
RED DRAGON The MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB comes in a medium sized box. Since this is a flagship model, we were quite surprised that it didn’t come in a much larger, flashier package. The black and red box features a large red tribal dragon logo, which is seen on other MSI “Gaming” products. Inside, you will find a large black box, which contains a smaller box, where you will find a driver DVD, manual, a 6pin to 8pin GPU power adaptor and a product brochure. Below that is the real treasure – the MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB, tightly packed in its own foam enclosure. TWIN TERROR The MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB is a marvel to look at, kudos to MSI’s engineers for coming up with the innovative design. The cooler is based on the dual fan MSI Twin Frozr V cooler. And a unique thing about the card is that one part of the card is red, while the other is black with red
accents. On the side, the MSI logo lights up via LED, which makes it an awesome sight inside a casing that has a side window. The inclusion of an aluminium backplate means the card won’t bend under its own weight, and trust me, it’s one hefty card. It also helps with dissipating heat and gives the card a premium feel, perfect for its status as a flagship GPU. Two massive 100mm fans help pipe the heat away when the card is under operation. Speaking of heat dissipation, usually third party manufacturers that try to give better cooling performances, compared to the default Nvidia cooler. But with the MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB, MSI has kept the card slim at no more than two slots wide. To compensate, they widened the width of the card so that it maintains a large surface area for the heat to dissipate. The result is a slim, compact looking, but highly efficient card in terms of cooling performance. TWIN CERBERUS The MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB, as the name implies, comes with 6GB of GDDR5 VRAM graphic memory. This should help with getting at least 60FPS at extremely high resolutions, for example in 4K gaming. If 4K is still out of your reach, the card also supports triple monitor setups, in which the 6GB GDDR5 VRAM will help a lot. The card comes overclocked, with a base clock of 1178MHz, boost clock of 1279MHz and a memory speed of 7100Mhz. But to access these speeds, you need to install the accompanied MSI Gaming App software, even without which the card will still run at a rather lofty 1140MHz. For further overclocking, the card accepts two 8-pins for a total of 375W power
input. This allows users more headroom to overclock the card, without it shutting down due to being underpowered. FIRE BREATHER If you feel that a single MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming card is not enough (and we find that hard to believe), the card can be combined with another in SLi mode. With the correct motherboard, you could also pair up to three of these babies. You will be the envy of everyone at your LAN party. To help output all its power, the MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming comes with a Dual Link DVI output, three DisplayPorts, and one HDMI 1.4 output. Sadly this means you won’t be able to do 4K gaming with the HDMI output as it does not support 60Hz over 4K. DRAGON RISING The MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB is one of the best single-card solutions that we have seen. Not only does it run cooler than the stock Nvidia card, it’s also quieter, thanks to those two large 100mm fans. None of the games we threw at the card could trouble it; Grand Theft Auto V ran brilliantly, as did Rise of The Tomb Raider. All games ran at 60FPS or more at the highest settings with minimal adjustments. We could see the card being perfect for those using multiple/triple monitors, as well as a 1440p 144Hz monitors. FINAL THOUGHTS We really love the slim size and the red and black theme of the card. But the best thing is the performance that the card outputs, as well as the overclocking potential it has. Gamers that are looking for the best performance should definitely give the MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB a chance.
85 MAR 2016
showdown
Powercolor AMD Radeon Fury X
Fast and Furious by din
T
here has been a wind of change blowing over the graphics card scene, and amazingly it’s not from the green side this time around. AMD has released it’s new flagship graphic card, and boy oh boy, if a product can be the poster child of the technological advantage of using a PC, then the Fury X should be on it. Gone are the days of seperate RAM soldered on the PCB connecting to the GPU chip via a bus. AMD has bucked the trend, introducing HBM, aka High Bandwith Memory. With the HBM, AMD has combined both the GPU and the memory on the same die, meaning data transfer is much faster. Not only that it speeds things up, but it has a lot of other knock on effects like lower power usage, smaller PCB size, as well as better heat management. And the AMD Radeon Fury X is the first AMD product to utilise the HBM. TROPICAL DREAMS The AMD Radeon Fury X is powered by a new chip by AMD. Still named after a country, this chip is called Fiji, and is based on the GCN 1.2 architecture, with a whooping 8.9 billion transistor count. While still based on the 28nm technology like the Hawaii chip before it (that powers the much loved R9 280 and 290 cards), it now features a memory bus width of 4096 bits, a whole lot larger than the previous 512 bits. The large bus width is due to the memory is on the same die as the GPU, and this also means that instead of having high speed GDDR that heats up the more you push it, the HBM can be clocked at a relatively slower speed and still yield better performance. Indeed, the HBM is only clocked at 1Gbps, compared to 5 to 6Gbps that you would usually find on normal GDDR5. Fiji also has more Stream Processors, 4096 vs 2816 on the flagship Hawaii as well as more texture units, 256 vs 176. The chip itself is clocked at a rather speedy 1050MHz. It supports
86 MAR 2016
DirectX 12.1 as well as AMD’s Freesync when paired with a supported monitor. MEMORIES Due to HBM being a new technology, yields have been a problem. Indeed, this is true for all graphics cards that utilises new technologies. Due to this, the HBM that comes with the Radeon Fury X is only 4GB in size. Note that this is indeed a complicated engineering feat, and the fact that AMD has managed to find a way to create this chip is an engineering marvel in itself. WATER COOLING We are lucky to receive a Powercolor version of the Radeon Fury X from AMD for this article. The first thing that you would notice about the Radeon Fury X is the large, totally built-in, water cooling loop that comes with the graphics card. This water cooling unit that looks suspiciously like that from a certain well known casing and cooling vendor is standard with all Fury Xs. But while we think the water cooling setup is cool and everything, we do think it’s rather bulky. The water cooling unit can be installed at any 120mm intake port on your PC. But due to the length of the water cooling loop, the most likeliest place would only be on the rear of your PC. Depending on your casing, and if you already have another water cooling unit installed for your PC, they could overlap and provide a tight fit. And you most likely won’t be able to crossfire this, unless your casing is big enough to fit two watercooling radiators. Also while the fan is a standard 120mm fan, you need to open the card before you can replace it. It’s easy, but kind of a hassle. BOXY Bulky watercooling aside, the graphics card itself is a well built product. It feels hefty to touch and does feel like a premium product in your hand. It’s also quite short, compared to
other high end graphics cards. Since the PCB does not need to host the VRAM anymore, the Radeon Fury X is only 200mm in length. The front part of the card is a matte metal plate that can be opened to reveal the water cooling loop and radiator/fan wiring. The body itself is just a metal case that encompass the cooling loop, the Radeon Fury X PCB and a black metal plate at the rear. Simple, but fits the purpose well. The card will use up two slots in your casing, without encroaching the territory of the third slot, unlike other high end graphics cards. This means you won’t be loosing an extra slot underneath, and since the cooling is elsewhere, you can safely use that slot without worrying of hampering cooling too. THE BLING Since the card uses its own water cooling loop, the Radeon Fury X needs two 8pin GPU power connectors to work. On top of these two power connectors are eight LEDS that will light up, and like a music amp, would rise or fall according to how much stress you are putting on the card. To make it even more cooler, the Radeon logo on the side of the card will light up when your PC is powered on. Use this in a windowed PC casing at night, and you might want to have a party right there in the comfort in your own room! TESTING TIMES We benchmarked the Radeon Fury X with 3DMark Extreme, and achieved 7364 points. That is one of the highest scores we have seen in 3DMark, which shows the HBM technology is the way to go. We also tested the card on games, and it did not dissapoint. Star Wars Battlefront ran smoothly well as Project Cars and Rise of The Tomb Raider. The AMD Radeon Fury X is AMD’s latest flagship, and they should be proud of what they achieved with this card. Awesome engineering and great performance.
“The AMD Radeon Fury X is AMD’s latest flagship, and they should be proud of what they achieved with this card. ”
“...the fact that AMD has managed to find a way to create this chip is an engineering marvel in itself.”
87 MAR 2016
showdown
COMPARISON
POWERCOLOR AMD RADEON FURY X
MSI GTX 970 GAMING 4G
MSI GTX 980TI GAMING 6GB
GRAPHICS CORE: AMD Fiji XT STREAM PROCESSORS: 4096 GCN COMPUTE UNITS: 64 RENDER OUTPUT UNITS: 64 GPU FREqUENCY: 1050Mhz MEMORY: 4GB HBM MEMORY INTERFACE: 4096bit MEMORY BANDWIDTH: 512GB/s
GRAPHICS ENGINE: Nvidia Geforce GTX 970 BUS STANDARD: PCI Express x16 3.0 MEMORY TYPE: GDDR5 MEMORY SIzE(MB): 4096 MEMORY INTERFACE: 256 bits MAXIMUM DISPLAYS: 4 MAX RESOLUTION: 4096x2160@24Hz POWER CONSUMPTION: 145W
GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX980 Ti MEMORY: GDDR5 6GB CLOCk: 1178Mhz (1279Mhz Boost) MEMORY CLOCk: 7100 MHz OUTPUT: DVI x1, HDMI x1, DP x3
PRICE: RM1,799
PRICE: RM3,000
PRICE: RM3,500
score
8.7
score
8.8
score
9.5
Conclusion There is little doubt that this year promises to be a good one for PC gamers. In addition to the yearly stalwarts like Call of Duty, there is an impressive array of high quality games scheduled for release this year. The year has started off with two great PC games already available, namely Rise of the Tomb Raider and XCOM 2 (see reviews in this edition). Both of these games along with future ones such as the impending Need for Speed are geared to push high-end PC hardware to its limits. All of the graphics cards in this month’s Showdown
88 MAR 2016
are perfectly suitable to be in those PCs. The MSI GTX 970 4G is the cheapest of the three graphics cards. Despite this, it is still fast enough for any of the current and upcoming games. Like all MSI cards, it is also highly overclockable. The Powercolor R9 Radeon Fury X is the only one in our Showdown with an AMD GPU. It is also an unusual one with a hybrid cooling solution. Very quiet even at its peak performance, it keeps up well with the Nvidia graphics cards.
PC gamers who buy premium graphics cards demand performance with no compromises. The MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB fits this bill perfectly. As the name implies, the MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB is the elder brother of the other MSI graphics card in the Showdown. It has an extra 2GB of RAM and is slightly faster than the GTX 970. It also has excellent overclocking potential. For these reasons, the MSI GTX 980Ti Gaming 6GB is the winner of this month’s premium graphics card Showdown.
COVER STORY
Digital Initiatives for Manufacturers
S
oftware AG shared its predictions for the manufacturing and supply chain industry in 2016, derived from its expertise, market observations and interactions with its customers.
Sean Riley, global manufacturing and supply chain solutions director at Software AG, noted: “2016 will be a year fraught with opportunity and uncertainty. The only certainty is that manufacturers will seek to become more flexible and more agile in their business practices, value chains and customer offerings. I believe there are six key initiatives that manufacturers will need to adopt to be successful in 2016.”
89 MAR 2016
COVER STORY Digital tranSforMationS will Drive growth anD Profit
obSeSSive cuStoMer focuS PuSheS innovation
Manufacturers will adopt technologies in the coming year that will allow them to transform their operating models and digitally connect processes, events, actions, internal associates and external partners. This will enable manufacturers to develop global standards that are flexible to accommodate regional, customer or product requirements.
Understanding customer requirements and innovating based on known and unknown wants will begin shaping manufacturing value chains. This will spur manufacturers to adopt capabilities, such as mass customisation, faster than expected in order to provide differentiated products to business and consumer customers. This customer focus shift will be coupled with the increase of demand-driven micro logistics networks that push finished goods closer to the customer and are able to nimbly respond to customer demand.
Additionally, information about product usage, production capabilities, customer requirements and market requirements will be ingested, analysed and shared faster than ever before. Becoming a digital enterprise ensures the productiveness of associates is not only fully utilised but that their knowledge is spread across the enterprise. This will be central to manufacturing strategy and will be the lynch pin for all major initiatives as the success of this adoption will be directly measured by the impact on the bottom line.
90 MAR 2016
the internet of thingS (iot) fuelS new revenue IoT will drive a shift in business models that are based on availability rather than goods or services. In 2016, manufacturers will begin focusing on providing pricing models for equipment and products based on controllable outcomes.
This will be most prevalent in several selected industries, such as industrial equipment, power generation and HVAC providers. These pricing models will exactly match customer requirements to compensate for static growth and hard fought margins. As an example, industrial equipment manufacturers will provide pricing based on yield, quality availability and uptime as they will be able to monitor equipment performance and dynamically predict remaining useful life of equipment and components to ensure assets are effectively maintained and utilised without failures or unplanned maintenance interruptions.
Know what’S where, anD when Central to ensuring inventory usage is the ability for manufacturers to increase visibility to all inventory levels. This includes static materials and maximising the value of, and gaining real-time visibility into, inventory in-transit.
Equally important is the ability for manufacturers to become resilient to exceptions and disruptions. This will enable manufacturers to eliminate short term forecasting and become near term demand-driven, also known as ‘capacity for resiliency.’ Central components of this capacity for resiliency are supply chain risk management and incorporation of 3D printing. This is part of an innovative postponement strategy to ensure specific products can be utilised for specific demand at the last possible time, ultimately increasing the total value of held inventory.
Protect your ProPerty According to analysis by Netnames, counterfeiting increases by 15% annually and already costs manufacturers a staggering $1.8 trillion dollars in lost annual revenues. Unlike previous years, the protection of both intellectual and physical property will become paramount in 2016, especially as manufacturers, and their partners, become more connected and digital. Information sharing is critical to successful collaboration. However,
protecting schematics and technology advances from piracy or theft from suppliers will force many manufacturers to make some very difficult decisions. Manufacturers will take direct action to monitor partner production outputs, component and materials orders and take a concerted effort to track certified products to quickly identify the root causes of found counterfeit goods. These efforts have not been done in earnest until now.
collaborate to innovate, cautiouSly Manufacturers have increasingly relied upon suppliers to provide high levels of service and in 2016, they will begin relying on them to provide product and service innovations that support customer centricity, operational excellence and supply chain resiliency. This will require a deeper strategic understanding of unique and standalone capabilities, capacity, and a comprehension of the capabilities that can be delivered by a group of partners and the enterprise. On this basis, manufacturers will transition their supply chains to supply webs where partners are interdependent, co-innovative and collaborative with each other on both a tactical and strategic nature in order to create shared and distributed value.
91 MAR DEC 2016 2015
FEATURE
92 MAR 2016
Stronger Passwords
REQUIRED D
igital devices now hold the key to a wealth of private and personal information with 88% of users storing this type of data on their devices, according to a recent consumer survey by Kaspersky Lab. But with many devices remaining unprotected, users’ digital friends could easily become frenemies, giving cybercriminals an open window through which to steal and exploit sensitive and informative data. When it comes to entrusting information to digital devices, nearly half (48%) of users store their email and online
account passwords and login details on them, and over a quarter (28%) use them to store financial data including bank details, payment credentials and PIN codes. Having this information at their fingertips when logging into an account or paying a bill online might be convenient for the user, but it also makes these devices hugely attractive and potentially lucrative for cybercriminals. Smartphones are the most popular device on which to store private data – including email messages, contact details and sensitive information – for
93 MAR 2016
FEATURE 9 out of 10 respondents (87%), closely followed by computers (84%) and tablets (76%). However, despite the increase in storage of personal information on digital devices, 2 out of 5 (17%) tablet users still admit to having neither password protection nor any security solution for their device, which is also true for 13% of smartphone users and 3% of computer users. For these users, their trusted devices could easily become their digital frenemies – giving up their secrets and exposing confidential information. This lack of cyber savviness and failure to protect devices, should they fall into the wrong hands, is further compounded by another recent Kaspersky Lab quiz. It found that only 8% of users delete private information from their devices immediately and only 2 in 5 (17%) people create password-protected folders for their personal and sensitive information. A mere 7% encrypt data from prying eyes. Worse still, over a quarter (27%) of users believe they have no confidential information at all, despite the fact that almost all users store their passwords, browser history, contact lists, messages and much more on their devices – all of which should remain confidential.
94 MAR 2016
“With the use of digital devices intrinsically linked to our offline world, consumers are entrusting more information to their smartphones, tablets and computers without a second thought. This change in lifestyle has not necessarily led to a change in mindset however, with the safety of this information often overlooked in favor of ease of access and convenience. Protecting your confidential data and Victor Yablokov, Head of Mobile Product Line at Kaspersky Lab
mobile devices with security solutions and passwords is essential to keeping the cybercriminals out in the cold and your personal data remaining private,” comments Victor Yablokov, Head of Mobile Product Line at Kaspersky Lab. To ensure a digital friend doesn’t transform into a digital frenemy, Kaspersky Lab recommends that people always set strong passwords for devices and for their online accounts.
TECH 101
Google Drive TUTORIAL
1
How to organise your files in Google Drive Saving lots of files in Google Drive is a great way to keep them safe. But as you put more and more files there, keeping things organized can be a bit of a challenge. So, here are some recent improvements that will help you more easily put things where they belong:
When you’re browsing files, the toolbar now shows a “Move” icon for files already in Drive and “Add to My Drive” for everything else.
When previewing files, a new icon lets you add the file to any folder in “My Drive” quickly and easily.
From search results, you can now drag and drop files into folders.
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TECH 101 When you store important files in Google Drive they’re not only safe, they’re accessible from any device. And finding them again from any device should be super easy so we’re rolling out a new search experience to get you better results — even faster. Drive lets you search across all your files, regardless of the device they came from. To make that easier, you can use these new ways to find your files:
Narrow your search to a file type from the search box on Android, iOS, and the web. Open advanced search instantly from the search box. Access recent files or search Drive from the home screen using 3D Touch on iOS. Search Drive using the iOS search bar without opening the Drive app. Several behind-the-scenes improvements give your search queries even better results than they did before. And to get more specific results, anyone can now do the following: Search for shared files by file owner using their name or email address.
Use advanced search options like the date a file was modified, words it contains, or who it was shared with.
We know how important it is to stay organized at work, so we’re making it easier to move and arrange your files and folders in Google Drive. When looking at Search results or items in the Shared with me, Recent, or Starred views in Drive, you’ll now see one of two options in the toolbar at the top of the screen. If the item you’ve selected is not already located in My Drive, you’ll continue to see the option to Add to My Drive. Clicking on that option will add the item to My Drive and then allow you to move it to various folders.
Alternatively, if the item you’ve selected is already in My Drive, you’ll now see an option to Move to, which will make it easy to move that item to a new or different folder via a simpler, clearer workflow.
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As an added bonus, you’ll also be able to drag and drop items from your search results to your folders. In addition to these improvements, we’re making it simpler to organize Drive files when you’re previewing them. For example, if you’re previewing a document that’s not already in My Drive, you’ll now see an option to Add to My Drive in the toolbar at the top of the screen. If you add that item to My Drive (or if you’re previewing an item that’s already located in My Drive), you’ll now be able to quickly and easily move that file to different folders, directly from the preview screen.
Safety First: Four easy Android security tips The Unity Asset Store is home to a growing library of free and commercial assets created both by Unity Technologies and also members of the community. A wide variety of assets is available, covering everything from textures, models and animations to whole project examples, tutorials and Editor extensions. The assets are accessed from a simple interface built into the Unity Editor and are downloaded and imported directly into your project. Unity users can become publishers on Asset Store, and sell content they have created.
97 MAR 2016
TECH 101 Emails can contain all sorts of important information–from your friend’s new address, to a flight confirmation number or a link to pay a bill. The challenge is, these bits of info are often buried inside larger conversations. Inbox now includes a number of improvements to help you find answers even faster. Answers at a glance Now when you’re searching for a frequent flyer number or shipping status (for example), Inbox will show it at the top of search results–no more digging through individual emails to find what you’re looking for.
Get addresses, phone numbers, membership numbers, flights, events, bills, package tracking and more in seconds.
Streamlined search results Underneath any quick answers, you’ll see a “Top results” section that orders emails by relevance. Below that is all the email results, ordered by date, but chances are you won’t have to look here often.
Every second counts, so start saving time with Inbox, and spend it on what matters most. 98 MAR 2016
- 100 STREET FIGHTER V LAUNCH - 103 BARBARIC TIMES - 108 NO RETIREMENT YET - 110 HORROR SHOW - 117 REVIEW | XCOM 2
GameTime This is where the fun begins 100
103
114
REVIEW | RISE OF THE TOMB RAIDER 110
117
99 MAR 2016
gametime news
100 MAR 2016
RIsE Up
Street Fighter V officially launched in Malaysia
by rkl | photos by heirul mk
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treet Fighter V is one of the most anticipated games of 2016. Fans of the series have been patiently waiting for years to see the latest entry in Capcom’s popular fighting game franchise in action. Eight years after Street Fighter IV was released, they don’t have to wait any longer as Street Fighter V has officially been released. To commemorate the launch of Street Fighter V, PLAY Interactive held a midnight launch for the game at APW in Bangsar. Various other partners and sponsors were also in attendance to assist in the running of the event. This included local video games retailer Gamer’s Hideout, internet
provider Telekom Malaysia, the Multimedia Development Corperation (MDeC), gaming accessory manufacturer Mad Catz, and toy manufacturer Bigboystoys HK. Video game development studio Streamline Studios was also present at the launch event. The Netherlands-based video game development studio with operations in Malaysia has collaborated with Capcom on the development of Street Fighter V. Needless to say, the collaboration between Capcom and Streamline Studios is yet another milestone for video game developers in the country. “It has been fantastic working with Capcom and an honour to work on such an iconic
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gametime news intellectual property as Street Fighter. We’ve enjoyed every second of our collaboration,” says Alexander Fernandez, CEO of Streamline Studios. At the launch event, gamers were treated to cosplays and a mini Street Fighter V tournament as the crowd patiently waited for midnight to arrive. Multiple PlayStation 4 consoles were set up at the event, allowing early attendees to try out Street Fighter V before the game officially launched. Those who have yet to pre-order their copy of the game from Gamer’s Hideout could do so as there was a counter at the event that was ready to process new orders.
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Eventually, midnight arrived and the first person in line, Hendra Wardi, became the first person in Malaysia to own a copy of Street Fighter V for the PlayStation 4. To end the festivities, a lucky draw was held whereby those who pre-ordered Street Fighter V would stand a chance to win Mad Catz PlayStation 4-compatible arcade sticks and gamepads, Bigboystoys-sponsored Street Fighter figurines worth up to RM2,000 and more. The grand prize for the lucky draw, entrance tickets plus return flight to the Tokyo Games Show 2016 was won by Desmond Hoh.
BaRBaRIc TIMES New Conan game set for a bloody launch
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uncom has announced Conan Exiles, a multiplayer open-world survival game that will enter early access this summer on PCs with a full launch to follow for PC and consoles. At the end of last year Funcom announced a renewed agreement with Conan Properties, and teased that this news was on the way. “There is no better setting for an openworld survival game than the world of Conan,” said Joel Bylos, Creative Director at Funcom. “Hyboria is a harsh and unforgiving land where only the strongest can survive while the weak are swiftly cut down. Whether it is hunting animals for food, fighting monsters and other players, or building entire settlements, we want to make sure players feel like they are really fighting to survive and prosper in the most brutal fantasy world ever.” ‘Conan Exiles’ is first and foremost a multiplayer game that can be enjoyed on both private and public servers, but it will also feature a single-player mode. You are an exile, one of thousands cast out to fend for themselves in a barbaric wasteland swept in sandstorms and besieged by enemies on every side. Grow crops or hunt animals for food. Harvest resources to build weapons and tools. Build a shelter to survive. Ride across a vast world and explore alone, or band together with
other players to build entire settlements and fortified strongholds. Unleash your fury in savage, fast-paced combat and execute bloody and bone-crushing attacks that will see heads rolling and limbs flying. Fight other players to dominate the exiled lands, and even call upon the wrath of the heavens to aid you by sacrificing enemy players on the alters of the gods.
“What Funcom is doing with ‘CONAN EXILES’ is capturing the essence of Conan and his world,” said Fredrik Malmberg, CEO of Conan Properties. “The fight for survival in Conan’s savage world has been chronicled in comics, movies, and novels, and now you too will get to experience the same struggle to achieve domination over the world.”
103 MAR 2016
gametime news
YEt ANOTHER FpS New sci-fi FPS from EVE creator
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ccording to CCP, their development team in Shanghai has been working on a prototype for a first-person shooter for PC in the sci-fi universe of New Eden (the universe in which EVE Online, DUST 514, EVE: Valkyrie, and Gunjack are set). It is being built with Unreal Engine 4. According to CCP, this is an evolution of Project Legion, the concept they announced at EVE Fanfest 2014. This new project is still in an early phase of production, and there will be a further update at EVE Fanfest on this year as a part of the free livestream of the event. Since this new game will be different from DUST 514 (although keeping many of its parts), there will be tiered recognition rewards to DUST customers.
BustIng TIME
New Ghostbusters game tied to movie reboot
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his year’s female-led Ghostbusters reboot will be accompanied by an Activisionpublished console title, it has been reported. Online site Retail Merchandiser claims, in an interview with Sony Pictures Consumer Products senior VP Mark Caplan, that a ‘full-fledged’ Ghostbusters game is on the way to PS4 and Xbox One with an expected release around the same time as the film in July. The report doesn’t specify whether the title will feature the new Ghostbusters or the more traditional cast. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis and Ernie Hudson previously starred in Atari’s licensed Ghostbusters title, released in 2009. The IP has a long gaming heritage stretching all the way back to 1984’s game of the same name. That was published by Activision, too. The publisher has been getting its hands muddied with plenty of licensed titles recently including last year’s Transformers: Devastation and the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game, both of which are developed by Platinum.
104 MAR 2016
WItnEss TO MONEY Long awaited indie game sells very well
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onathan Blow’s mesmerising, maddening open-world puzzler, The Witness, has shifted “substantially more than 100,000 units” within a week. The developer made the announcement in a blog post where he noted that his follow-up to Braid has already grossed over $5m. Blow said that this is “a good chunk more revenue in one week than Braid made in its entire first year.” Of course, one must bear in mind that Braid only launched on one platform initially before coming to Steam eight months later. It also cost much less to buy at $14.99 (£10ish) rather than The Witness’ somewhat controversial price point of £29.99 / $39.99. “This is great because as price goes up, naturally the number of units sold goes down,” Blow said. “So the fact that we beat
Braid by units, more than doubly, is a really nice success.” Blow couldn’t give detailed figures, as he’s under contract not to, but
he did note that neither PC nor PS4 dominated sales and both audiences had a strong appetite for his sevenyear passion project.
cRashIng STARS StarCraft world champion arrested on match-fixing charges
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ee “Life” Seung-Hyun, the 2014 StarCraft World Champion, has been arrested in South Korea on suspicion of match-fixing. The 19-year-old was taken into custody for questioning and then arrested and charged with ‘receiving money to match-fix’. A report from the Changwon Police District prosecutor’s office suggests Life has been implicated in a series of fixed matches confirmed to be in relation to last year’s nine further arrests. The 2015 scandal, which saw coaches and players arrested including Prime’s head coach Park “Gerrard” Oi Sik and Choi “YoDa” Byung Hyun, has now claimed the highest profile name of any in StarCraft’s sadly tarnished history. Life began competing when he was just 14, taking his first major title a year later. He is considered one of the best Zerg players in the world. It is unknown which matches Life is alleged to have fixed, though the investigation is being carried out by the same members of the Korean Cyber Bureau as have been prosecuting the nine from last year.
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gametime news
RIsIng HUNTERS Capcom does better than expected
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apcom reports that it has seen an uptick in both sales and profits over the past nine months, driven primarily by sales of games - most notably, the latest Monster Hunter game. According to its most recent earnings report, Capcom saw profits of 7 billion yen (roughly $59 million USD) on 57 billion yen (~$480.1 million USD) in the nine months ending December 31, 2015. That’s more profit and significantly more sales than the company saw in the same period a year prior, when it reported 6.5 billion yen in profit on 47.8 billion yen in sales, and the company attributes the rise in profits primarily to strong performance in its Digital Contents business, the division responsible for Capcom’s console and mobile game production. Capcom reports Monster Hunter X for the 3DS was a standout success for the division, surpassing sales expectations and selling over 3 million units.
EspoRts BOOM Massive rise in eSports revenue predicted
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arket research firm Newzoo reported that roughly $325 million was generated by eSports worldwide last year, and it predicts that number will rise 43 percent to hit $463 million by the end of this year. Those figures come courtesy of a blog post published by the company to drum up attention for its 2016 Global eSports Market Report, and helps shed some light on the state of the industry for developers who are interested in (or currently neck-deep in) making games geared for professional competitive play. Newzoo’s figures encompass revenue from ticket and merchandise sales, advertising, additional game publisher investment and more (see chart embedded below), and are even higher now than in September, when it raised its eSports revenue forecasts for last year to $278
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million due to faster-than-expected growth. Looking ahead, the firm is effectively predicting a bit of a slowdown in global eSports revenue growth this year compared
to the year prior, since Newzoo reports 2014-2015 saw a roughly 67 percent uptick in global eSports revenues - from $194 to $324 million.
oculus RIdEs VR WAVE Facebook’s VR company favourite among game developers
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new survey suggests that when it comes to getting games developers on board for its high-end virtual reality vision of the future, Oculus is beating its rivals, Valve/HTC, and Sony. The survey, which was released ahead of March’s Game Developers Conference suggests that, so far, the Oculus Rift is getting “outsized interest” from games. GDC’s 2016 State of the Industry Report surveyed 2,000 professional developers who attended the popular annual trade show during the past three years. It asks them about their current work and interest in various virtual reality and augmented reality technologies. More than 19 percent of respondents said they were currently working on a game for the device Oculus Rift. This made it the most popular VR headset among the developers. Second place Samsung’s GearVR at 8 percent of respondents, Google Cardboard at seven percent, and HTC Vive and PlayStation VR had six percent each. More than 20 percent said their next VR project would be on the Rift, compared to 9 percent for PlayStation VR and eight percent for the HTC Vive. However the Rift is not
home and hosed yet. A quarter of respondents said they “are not currently interested in developing for VR/AR headsets.” More than 44 percent said they weren’t currently working on VR or AR games at the moment but were at least open to the idea. Another problem for the Rift was one of the reasons it appears be doing will with developers is that 77 percent of them have actually tried it. This compares with 46 percent for Google Cardboard, 31 percent for GearVR, 21 percent for PlayStation VR, and 19 percent for the HTC Vive. The risk for the Rift is that developers will become more aware of the opposition and get a little more enthusiastic. Most of the game developers think that consumer-grade virtual reality is more than a quickly passing fad and 75 percent of respondents said that VR/AR “is a long-term sustainable business to be in.” More than 86 percent said such headsets will be in at least 10 percent of
US households by 2030. However only 27 percent of respondents said they thought virtual reality headsets would ever surpass game consoles.
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gametime news
ghostlY TIDINGS Ubisoft and EA spar over Ghost trademark
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bisoft is opposing rival publisher EA’s attempts to trademark ‘Ghost’. The firm claims that the trademark will ‘cause confusion’ with its Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon franchise, which has a new entry, Wildlands, launching this year. The document indicates that EA attempted to register a Ghost trademark on March 18th 2015. It’s not clear why EA is attempting to get its hands on that trademark, though the firm does have own a developer called Ghost Games.
The notice of opposition was filed by Ubisoft against EA in January. Ubisoft actually began action against EA last year, but has only just published its notice of
opposition. As part of this, Ubisoft makes note of the fact that it has in fact been using the Ghost Recon trademark since November 13th, 2001.
no REtIREmEnt YET Peter Molyneux says he is not retiring yet
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t has been an interesting time for fans (if any) of veteran game designer Peter Molyneux. The net was abuzz with rumours of his retirement – and now he has decided not to. By all accounts, Molyneux’s career hit a bit of a rough patch in 2015. Early on he found himself in the hotseat over unfulfilled promises about his studio 22cans’ crowdfunded god game Godus. Later, he engaged in a contentious interview with Rock Paper Shotgun that inspired him to withdraw from speaking to the press and, as he claims now, to consider retiring from game development outright. “When I put that phone down I felt like giving up. Whenever you have one of those big reactions to anything in life, it is always that child inside of you who comes up and says, well, fuck it then,” Molyneux told Eurogamer, noting that “it was tempting to retire” but that he ultimately decided against it. “The only thing I can do is hunker down and strip myself back to what I really am, which is someone who just loves what he does with a passion that is often misinterpreted by people,” he continued. “And to stop being a spokesman, stop being a person journalists phone up when there’s a
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new piece of hardware out, or when there’s a new monetisation technique out, and just be a programmer and a designer. That happened within that 24 hour period after that interview.” This is well in line with a talk Molyneux gave at a game development conference last year, months after the RPS interview was published, in which he advised developers that talking to the press too early can be your undoing.
And indeed, as Eurogamer notes, the longtime designer mostly avoided press attention in the latter half of 2015, as 22cans experienced significant staff turnover and was “rebooted” with a new CEO. But now Molyneux is back, and talking to the press about how he intends to not talk to the press unless he has something to show. For Eurogamer it’s Godus Wars, 22cans’ new real-time stragey game that launched today on Steam’s Early Access service.
no pLAY Sony fails to trademark ‘Let’s Play’
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ony tried and failed to trademark the term “Let’s Play”. Earlier this year, Sony Computer Entertainment America tried to trademark “Let’s Play” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, but the attempt was rejected because, the USPTO said, there would have been consumer confusion with something called “LP LET’Z PLAY”. “LP LET’Z PLAY” is a trademark held by a US company that works to connect gamers together. Now, though, the USPTO
has wised up to the common sense reason why you can’t - shouldn’t - trademark Let’s Play: because it’s a generic term used to describe thousands of videos of people playing games. The McArthur Law Firm said this latest rejection is “far more lethal” to Sony than the USPTO’s previous rejection. “Given the strength of this evidence, we are confident that Sony will not be able to overcome this rejection,” the firm said. “The term ‘Let’s Play’ is now forever in the public domain.”
no longER KING Xbox One sales well behind PlayStation 4
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s part of its investor call after its quarterly earnings report, EA CFO Blake Jorgensen revealed that the combined install base for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is over 55 million. That number strongly implies that the install base for the Xbox One is around 19 million units. Sony had earlier reported that it has sold nearly 36 million units of its PlayStation 4. This news lends credence to a report that 18 million Xbox Ones were active and online, which was culled from the greater
pool of Windows 10 activation numbers. The system’s OS was moved to Windows 10 in November 2015. Microsoft, for its part, has said it will no longer report install base numbers for its consoles. It did, however, report other stats on its console ecosystem today, including Xbox Live user numbers and revenues. As of September 30th last year, the install base for the Wii U had hit 10.73 million units.
lEapIng AHEAD
Google-supported AR outfit secures more funding
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ixed reality startup Magic Leap has raised $793.5 million through a new funding round led by Chinese e-commerce outfit, Alibaba. Magic leap is no stranger to huge investments, having previously raised $542 million back in 2014, although the size of this latest cash injection is perhaps even more notable given the company has yet to release a single product.
Despite keeping its tech under wraps, demo videos released online suggest Magic Leap will eventually release a device similar to Microsoft’s HoloLens headset. Described as a “mixed reality lightfield” experience by Magic Leap CEO, Rony Abovitz, the mysterious tech is being pitched as a “computing platform” that will let users “seamlessly combine and experience their digital and physical lives.”
It looks like the device might become a video game platform in the future, with the startup having brought in a number of game industry veterans including 7th Guest creator, Graeme Devine..
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gametime news
nIntEndo VR? Nintendo takes VR seriously - again
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aving previously dismissed the technology, Wii U and 3DS platform holder Nintendo has seemingly softened its stance toward VR. Analyst Serkan Toto says that the company has told investors that it is “looking at VR”, although it did not elaborate. There are three premium virtual reality headsets on the way this year – Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Valve and HTC’s Vive SteamVR and Sony’s PlayStation VR. Google has already made inroads into the market with its Cardboard headset, while Samsung’s Gear VR, made in collaboration
with Oculus, is already available. Even Apple is being tipped as making a VR move of its own, and while Microsoft seems slightly distant from the sector it is busy developing its Hololens augmented reality headset. Nintendo, however, has been cool on VR until now. Last year both American boss Reggie Fils-Aime and development boss Shigeru Miyamoto said the tech was at odds with the company’s social philosophy – none of which has stopped analyst speculation that VR work has been going on behind the scenes.
hoRRoR SHOW Ubisoft partners with film company
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pectreVision, the production company co-founded by actor Elijah Wood, is to work with Ubisoft on virtual reality experiences. Wood created the company in 2010 alongside Daniel Noah and Josh C. Waller, and counts acclaimed noir vampire movie A Girl
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Walks Home Alone At Night among its portfolio. SpectreVision will team up with Ubisoft’s Montreal-based FunHouse studio to ‘create, develop and produce interactive virtual reality content’, SpectreVision CEO Lisa Whalen announced at the Sundance Film Festival.
Ubisoft previously revealed VR title Eagle Flight, which is due out for PlayStation VR, Oculus Rift and the HTV Vive later this year. “We’re thrilled to partner with an industry leader like Ubisoft to explore the innovative and burgeoning technology that is virtual reality,” said Whalen.
malIcIous GAMING Malware targets Blizzard’s Hearthstone
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ccording to new Symantec research, attackers have disguised informationstealing malware as third-party addons and cheats for Blizzard’s online card game Hearthstone. Hearthstone players looking to gain an unfair advantage often turn online for tools to help them
play better or earn more rewards. In this case, attackers created third-party programs that promise to benefit Hearthstone players, but in reality can compromise their computers with malicious software capable of opening a back door, recording from their webcam, logging key strokes, and stealing passwords.
In most cases, the use of these tools is considered as cheating, as they give players an unfair advantage. Blizzard, the game’s creator, does not approve of these services. This isn’t the only downside; Symantec observed that some of the third-party services contain malware. If a player installs them, then attackers may be able to open a back door on their computer, and steal sensitive information and Bitcoins. Rather than paying money or using in-game methods, some players may try to cheat to get additional gold and dust. This can lead them to applications like Hearthstone Hack Tool v2.1, which promises that “gold and dust won’t be a problem anymore.” Such applications are a total scam; they do not work. Symantec has recently observed Trojan. Coinbitclip posing as a Hearthstone gold- and dust-hacking tool. Because Bitcoin addresses are long and include random characters, many users who mine Bitcoins use a clipboard to facilitate the process. Trojan.Coinbitclip hijacks the user’s clipboard and replaces the user’s Bitcoin address with one from its own list—this is how the malware steals someone’s Bitcoin. The sample Symantec observed had 10,000 Bitcoin addresses in its body. The Trojan selects an address from the list that most closely resembles the address it is replacing.
top of THE CLOUDS New eSports partnership for MSI
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SI, has announced an exclusive sponsorship with international eSports champions, Cloud9. Effective immediately, MSI will be outfit Cloud9 eSports teams with the highest-performance gaming products on the market, including MSI’s laptops for onthe go gaming, and cutting-edge gaming graphics cards and motherboards. “MSI breathes and lives gaming, and we’ve dedicated countless hours and resources to support the world’s eSports community,” said MSI’s Andy Tung, President of Pan America. “MSI is committed to gaming and is proud to welcome Cloud9 to our family of more than 12 professional gaming partnerships worldwide.” “MSI is one of the most trusted names in gaming and eSports, and we are delighted to be a part of the family,” said Jack Etienne, Owner and Founder of Cloud9.
Cloud9 is an American professional eSports organisation with members in North America, Europe and Asia. Since founded in
2012, Jack Etienne has led teams to wins in world championships in games like Heroes of the Storm and League of Legends.
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gametime news
nEW YEaR NEW ENGINE Amazon releases game engine with Twitch integration
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mazon has released a new, free game engine, Lumberyard, which offers deep integration with its Amazon Web Services server infrastructure and also with Twitch, its video game-focused streaming service. The engine, including its full source code, is completely free to download and use to make PC and console games. Amazon will not charge any kind of royalty or subscription fee. Lumberyard is powerful and full-featured enough to develop triple-A, current-gen console games. The company has signed official tools deals with Microsoft and Sony, so you can immediately build games for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 with it. Mobile support will come later. Monetisation for Lumberyard will come strictly through the use of Amazon Web Services’ cloud computing. If you use the engine for your game, you’re permitted to roll your own server tech, but if you’re using a third-party provider, it has to be Amazon. Integration of Amazon’s Twitch video streaming tools at a low level also helps to cement that platform’s dominance in the game streaming space. Alongside Lumberyard, the company has also announced and released GameLift, a new managed service for deploying, operating, and scaling server-based online games using AWS. GameLift will be available only to developers who use Lumberyard, though it’s an optional add-on. GameLift will cost
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$1.50 per 1,000 daily active users; AWS services will be charged at the normal rates. The game engine is in beta, but is freely usable and downloadable today.n Lumberyard’s core engine technology is based on Crytek’s CryEngine. Amazon licensed the German studio’s engine and got “full, unencumbered access to the technology” to build upon, says Mike Frazzini, vice president of Amazon Games. However, Lumberyard represents a branch of that tech, and the company is replacing or upgrading many of CryEngine’s systems. Future versions of CryEngine and Lumberyard will continue to diverge. At launch, Lumberyard already has components that are not based on
CryEngine. Aside from adding the AWS SDK to the engine, Amazon has also brought in new low-latency networking code based on what Double Helix, the Southern California studio it acquired in 2014, developed for Xbox One fighting game Killer Instinct. The company is hoping that Lumberyard will appeal to developers who make games that thrive on broadcasting, online and eSports scenes, and usergenerated content. The engine is “modfriendly,” meaning that developers can package up Lumberyard’s level and item creation tools as a “subset tool chain” and distribute them with their game for players to use.
pIRatEs CRACKED Chinese cracking group gives up for one year
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major game piracy group says it will cease releasing any of its DRM- and copy protectionstripping cracks for the next year, ostensibly to examine whether or not its efforts have any material effect on game sales. But there’s little reason to expect this “experiment” to yield any useful results. The Chinese piracy collective 3DM has decided in an “internal meeting” not to crack any more single-player games as of the Chinese New Year. Then, after a year spent away from the cracking scene, the group says it will “take a look at the situation... to see if genuine sales have grown.” It’s hard to imagine 3DM’s unilateral action having that much effect on legitimate game sales. After all, there are plenty of other active groups in the cracking “scene” that will try to fight to increase their own exposure by filling the hole left by 3DM.
VR BENCHMARK Valve releases benchmark for VR PCs
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alve has released a free benchmark on Steam, the SteamVR Performance Test benchmark. It is not meant for virtual reality headsets, but rather tests the performance of your PC to see if it can handle SteamVR and virtual reality. The benchmark is based on a two-minute sequence from Valve’s Aperture Robot Repair VR demo and checks if the system is capable of running VR at 90 FPS. It also checks if virtual reality content “can tune the visual fidelity up to the recommended level,” according to the description on the Steam page. The test actually provides three levels of results, “Not ready”, “Capable” and “Ready”, depending on the final score of your system and suggests which component is the actual bottleneck and should be upgraded if you are looking to get a VR-ready system.
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gametime reviews
A True, Immersive Action-adventure Rise of the Tomb Raider
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s promised, Rise of the Tomb Raider has finally made its way over to PC, much to the delight of gamers worldwide after the release as an Xbox exclusive last November. Crystal Dynamics and Square Enix have put together a more marvelous sequel to their already successful reboot of Tomb Raider from 2013. And only on a PC do they have the tools to polish this gem of a game up until it’s almost blinding. Indeed, in Rise of the Tomb Raider, you won’t know when to pick up the controller
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by andrew tong
and when to put it down – the graphics are so sharp, crisp and detailed and the gameplay truly looks like one giant CG movie.
RECREATING A LEGEND Picking up a year after her adventures on the mysterious island of Yamatai, Rise of the Tomb Raider follows Lara Croft on her quest to redeem her deceased father, Lord Croft, who passed on before he was able to prove the existence of a Holy Grail-type artifact that could grant its user immortality. Attempting to cut her down at
every chance is Trinity; a mysterious group that not only attempted to silence Lord Croft, but also covered up the events that unfolded on Yamatai, discrediting Lara in the process.
MORE OF THE SAME While she’s not confined to an island this time around, Lara never reaches the level of globe-trotting that Nathan Drake does, as she spends most of her time in the cold wilderness of Siberia, save for a brief spell in the polar opposite deserts of Syria. Still, the open world formula that worked so well in Tomb Raider 2013 is now three times bigger than its predecessor, and shines just as bright as you’ll spend most of your time climbing and traversing the environment, with some gunplay and stealth combat sprinkled throughout. Rise of the Tomb Raider now has a greater variety of environments, but those
“It’s everything the old Tomb Raider games were and now so much richer, more detailed, more involved, more dramatic, and just way more fun.”
environments offer more things to do. There are narrative collectibles — diary entries and artifacts that piece together the history of the region — plus hidden environmental challenges, boxes containing pieces to put together new weapons and coin caches that allow you to purchase other upgrades. There’s even a full side quest system, with NPCs who give you tasks to complete in the surrounding area with rewards for pulling through. Despite that, there is also the optional content in the game which are the tombs themselves. Tombs are now bigger and better than ever. In each level, there are puzzle-tombs just like the old days, where Lara will explore huge ancient spaces littered with deadly traps, solve dramatic environmental puzzles, and decipher ancient texts to reveal crypts
of useful loot. However, the puzzles they task you with solving are wonderfully designed. I was often left scratching my head for an hour or longer before reaching a solution, but that time never felt wasted. On top of increasing the size of the areas, Rise of the Tomb Raider has also greatly expanded the crafting system from the previous game. Lara can now hunt and craft in Far Cry style. You can create all sorts of devious tools and weapons to configure Lara’s gear, weapons, and ammo to suit your play style from stealth style to going in guns blazing. There are also plenty of opportunities to craft bombs, grenades and incendiaries for creating all kinds of havoc around the campfires of your enemies. This provides another layer of motivation for carefully
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gametime reviews are still as spectacular as ever. Even I was particularly pleased with Lara’s dexterity, it doesn’t mean you’re immune to screwing up. Mistime a jump or grab at the wrong ledge and you are history. With games like Assassin’s Creed overpowering their heroes more and more with each release, it’s refreshing to see Lara Croft is just skilled, and not some infallible super-hero.
BOTTOM LINE Rise of the Tomb Raider on PC is pretty, but it’s far more than just eye candy. It is clearly the best course of action. It’s everything the old Tomb Raider games were and now so much richer, more detailed, more involved, more dramatic, and just way more fun. The gun-heavy combat is fast and exciting. The puzzles, too, give you some clever brain teasing and platforming fun, despite being relegated to side content. Lara’s crusade against the moustache-twirling villains of Trinity is intriguing, though the fatherdaughter backstory feels played out this time around. Rise of the Tomb Raider runs well, looks beautiful and plays great. So if you’re a PC gamer in the market for an action game, you can’t go wrong by picking it up.
exploring environments rather than just rushing headfirst into the next story beat.
BEAUTIFUL LOOK AND FEEL The most striking aspect of Rise of the Tomb Raider are the environments themselves. While it utilises the same Foundation Engine that powered the 2013 reboot, the enhancements and upgrades made to the engine over the last couple of years are now even more evident. On high settings, the PC pushes well past what next-gen consoles are capable of to produce some truly astounding vistas and play-realms. You will find yourself pausing to simply take in how beautiful a job the developers have done. The lighting, the shadows, the flutter of the leaves, the ripples of the water and the shifting of the snow, indeed, these are the richest in-game graphics I’ve ever seen. Lara does battle with this play-world itself, and not simply just the enemies within it.
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Still, this leap in graphical quality does come with some limitations. While it is playable on a decent range of hardware, Rise of the Tomb Raider is a considerably more demanding game than its predecessor, and this shows in its minimum and recommended PC requirements. If you’re using a mid or high end gaming PC, you’ll likely be able to run it without issue, but running the game with everything turned up to the max is a different challenge in itself. Thus, if you want to keep a completely locked 60 fps at 1080p, for instance, you will need to turn some settings down a notch. Thankfully, you can tweak the graphic settings on the fly in-game, without the need for a restart. While it is as convenient as it seems, my only criticism is that the game lacks an in-game benchmark, something that PC developer Nixxes is looking to add down the line. The gameplay itself is rewarding and fun too. The combat is intuitive without being too easy or hard, and Lara’s gymnastic abilities
DEVELOpERS: crystal dynamics pUBLISHER: square Enix pLATFORMS: Xbox one, Xbox 360, WIndoWs and ps4 RELEASE DATE: 28 January 2016 (WIndoWs) GENRE: action-adventure pLAYERS: single-player
score:
9
/10
GREAT
“It’s top of the class when it comes to turn-based tactical gameplay, and I honestly can’t get enough.”
turn-based Tactical Jewel XCOM 2
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by andrew tong
was a huge fan of XCOM: Enemy Unknown. It is an impressive accomplishment. Tasked with reimagining an obtuse, cult-classic strategy game from the mid ‘90s for a modern audience, the developer managed to both honour and streamline the complexities of the source material. Now, nearly four years after Enemy Unknown’s release, its sequel, XCOM 2 has finally returned to form almost entirely in the best of ways. With it comes the same brutal difficulty, new looks, new story, and that same rewarding gameplay.
NEW ENEMY XCOM 2 takes place 20 years after the initial invasion and war in XCOM: Enemy Unknown. In the aftermath, the aliens found a way to turn the tide. Ultimately, humanity was forced to come to peaceful negotiations with the invaders, by which the aliens established a puppet human government and new order known as Advent. You take on the role of ‘Commander’ who oversaw the original XCOM project and prior war years, and are tasked with leading the last remnants of un-brainwashed humanity in
117 MAR 2016
gametime reviews guerrilla resistance against Advent and the Earth’s new alien leaders.
TACTICALITIES Much like Enemy Unknown, XCOM 2 ‘s gameplay can be split into two main parts, base building management and strategic missions. Building and managing the base is a matter of choosing priorities. There are a number of specific rooms covering science research, weapon production, and so on, but each can only work on a single project and you’ll always have a big list. It makes every decision an important one, and comes to define your tactics in a wider sense. If you just race up the weapon and armor tech trees as fast as possible, you’ll be ignoring soft buffs to the base’s efficiency and capabilities which may have a bigger payoff in the long term. Similar to the first game, building certain facilities in certain areas can grant bonuses to overall production. Players can also assign people to different station to maximise the speed of research and other productions. However, the scarcity of resources and your decisions will affect you over the campaign. Supplies and personnel really
118 MAR 2016
are precious, and making bad calls like setting your scientist to work for 14 days on magnetic weapons, when you have other projects that will come to fruition much quicker, can leave your operation feeling lopsided for weeks. As a result, you might mismanage your base and it will go under by degrees and collapse.
pRIORITISE MISSIONS Players can now travel the world with the new renovated command center searching for events as well as gathering help from other resistance groups despite scanning the world for events. On top of that, players will eventually choose what to do on two missions. The first mission is that the aliens are creating a new type of armour that will enhance their soldiers’ defenses for the next month, another mission may further the Avatar Project. Players must choose what would be the best thing to do. They really don’t want buffed up enemy soldiers, but at the same time, if the Avatar Project finishes, it’s a game-over scenario. This give a sense of urgency that goes along with these big decisions, especially when most of the decisions are a difficult choice of “I’m kind of screwed either way.”
BATTLE WITH CARE The next part of XCOM 2 is the turn-based battles. Similar to XCOM 2’s prequel, players will command their squad of XCOM operatives around a map while trying to take out alien forces. Moving characters around the battlefield takes some thorough consideration as no one is safe out there and thus it is a must to stay in full cover. Besides, flanking enemies rather than an all-out attack is advised, and utilising your troops’s powers depending on their class can provide different strategies for different situation. There are also new options to help you in the game. Troops begin as raw rookies before drifting into one specialism or another, but the grenadiers and sharpshooters of the first game are now joined by a stealth and close-quarters combat operative, the ranger, and a new specialist class with support capabilities and a customisable drone. For instance, the grenadier has the power to blow up enemies from afar and the ranger can be a deadly soldier with a sword. Even within the different classes, you have choices to tailor the specialist for combat support or medic roles or the ranger for infiltration or melee attacks. Combine
these with a steady drip feed of new alienderived equipment, and there’s scope for a huge range of different strategies.
lot more, especially if you max out the game setting. The added customisation options and prettier graphics make this a more visually satisfying experience all around.
CONCEALMENT The biggest change in combat in XCOM 2 is the inclusion of a concealment mode. Concealment acts as a sort of ‘fog of war’; at the beginning of every mission, your squad will go unnoticed by enemy operatives, and they won’t be discovered until you send them out too close to an alien, or if you open fire. By moving under the cover of ‘concealment’, you can now initiate ambushes and takedowns, which is just a fancy way of flanking and putting your soldiers into ‘Overwatch’ mode, and then firing on a target. If all goes well, your team will respond to the alien’s reaction, mowing down a sizeable chunk of the enemy force in one fell swoop. Of course, it’s not always as easy as it sounds, as occasionally an alien will flee and warn his/her comrades. And every now and then, if your ambush should fail, the enemy might be able to launch a counterattack, or trigger special abilities, making the remainder of the battle a tad more difficult.
GRApHICS pERFORMANCE In term of graphics, the game looks terrific. It’s not a huge step up from XCOM, but it’s definitely prettier and will strain your PC a
ALIENS OR BUGS? Bugs are as rampant as aliens in XCOM 2 right now. One time the game just went black. Other times, the animation freezes for an agonisingly long time when ‘Overwatch’ is triggered. Sometimes animation goes all haywire for no reason. I’ve heard of people having an even worse time such as aliens can’t be killed and thus missions can’t be finished, resulting in a game that can’t be completed. Basically, right now, XCOM 2 is a buggy mess. It may be small stuff that’s just annoying like I’ve experienced or it may be much worse. It’s hard to say. Hopefully patches and mods will shore up the bugs, because they get in the way of some really terrific gameplay.
DEVELOpERS: firaxis games pUBLISHER: 2k games pLATFORMS: WIndoWs, os X and linux RELEASE DATE: 5 february 2016 GENRE: turn-based tactics pLAYERS: single-player, multiplayer
VERDICT If you’re anything like me, and are willing to look past some assortment of technical issues, XCOM 2 will undoubtedly surprise and draw you in, whether you’re a series greenhorn or a XCOM veteran. There’s no other game quite like this on the market. It’s top of the class when it comes to turnbased tactical gameplay, and I honestly can’t get enough.
score:
8
/10
GOOD 119 MAR 2016
spotlight
All About Data I
n the coming years, due to rapid digitisation and move to the cloud, both small and large companies in Malaysia will be generating large amounts of data. Managing this data and mining it will be a major challenge for all types of businesses. PC.COM interviews Praveen Thakur, Vice President, Technology Business Unit at Oracle.
: Could you tell us more about database-as-a-service (DBaaS)? How does it help transform a business?
Praveen Thakur: Businesses today are inundated with tonnes of data that needs to be managed. Data is a treasure trove of information that not only ensures the smooth running of the business, but also provides insights for further growth of the
company, and proper data/information management is the driver that sets that transformation in motion. DBaaS is a paradigm where end users (database administrator, Developers, QA Engineers, Project Leads, etc) can request database services, utilise it for the lifetime of the project, and then have them automatically de-provisioned and returned to the resource pool. This provides organisations with a shared, consolidated platform from which organisations can easily provision database services. It also has elasticity to scale up and scale back database resources, and chargeback based on database usage, thus increasing cost efficiency. DBaaS follows the definition laid down by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) for cloud computing –Self Service, Rapid Elasticity, Measured Service (metering and chargeback) and Resource Pooling.
Enterprises today are constantly evolving with hundreds or even thousands of new applications to meet growing business demands. This growth has driven up the cost of acquiring and managing servers and storage in the industry. Initially, we viewed DBaaS primarily as a consolidation exercise for reducing capital expenditures (CAPEX) for our customers, but as it evolved, we realized that other key drivers like self-service, chargeback, and capacity planning facilities proved to be key for businesses to not only reduce costs, but to have the resources and support to enact real business transformations. On-demand access to software and infrastructure in a self-service provision by our Enterprise Manager solution, along with its elastically scalable and metered manner has helped our customers address issues related to the quality of their service and has given them the flexibility to meet the dynamic nature of business workloads. Last but not least, DBaaS aids the mitigation of security issues. Maintaining each database in a separate container creates a kind of virtual moat, which is an impediment for the bad guys. Security is enabled by default across database environments to avoid the possibility of having the weakest link. : Are organisations in Asia receptive towards DBaaS? What are some of the factors hindering or encouraging them to adopt DBaaS?
Praveen Thakur: The global adoption trend towards cloud and the rising database workloads have created demand for cloud database and DBaaS across industries, such as government agencies, financial services, academic sector, healthcare and life science industry, media and entertainment, professional services, telecom, and manufacturing.
Praveen thakur
Vice President, technology business unit at oracle
120 MAR 2016
The awareness of the benefits that DBaaS brings to an organisation’s foundation and how it simplifies further initiatives is wellreceived and attractive to both the public and private sector organisations in Asia. However, the decision to adopt solutions do not lie solely with CIOs or CTOs. It goes through rounds of evaluation with multiple stakeholders. Key business decision makers may not be well-versed with technology and have concerns around security settings, service level agreements, whether the technology is the right fit, the trustworthiness of the solution provider, cost efficiency, ease of use, and more. These are valid concerns. These concerns are easily addressed with simplified and integrated solutions that work on an operational expenditure (OPEX) model, securing stakeholder buy-in. DBaaS offers organisations an opportunity to standardize and optimise on a platform that eliminates the need to deploy, manage and support dedicated database hardware and software for each project’s multiple development, testing, production, and failover environments. The architecture is inherently designed for elasticity and resource pooling, delivering production and non-production database services that support average daily workload requirements while scaling-up to handle increased demand and scalingdown when that demand has subsided. With these benefits, companies are increasingly adopting DBaaS solutions. The DBaaS model enables consumers to avoid large upfront investments in hardware, software and services. This cost structure especially resonates with line of business managers. Not only does the DBaaS model enable more agile database services, it also helps the business to allocate costs. User organisations pay to the degree that they consume each service, incentivising those organisations to be more efficient. They can commission databases for particular purposes, then decommission them and return them back to a resource pool that all organizations share. Charging back for database services can transform the IT environment from a cost center to a revenue generator. : How should an organisation know if it is ready to adopt DBaaS?
Praveen Thakur: DBaaS is only interesting when it delivers quantifiable benefits to the business, both internally and externally. To determine the benefits of DBaaS to an organisation, consider quantifying the following business requirements: Business user benefit – DBaaS must be able to benefit the business directly or indirectly. For example, would a business user be able to accomplish their work better, faster or in a more cost-effective manner if DBaaS was available? Business processes benefit – DBaaS should provide a measurable benefit to business processes such as supply chain management, enterprise resource planning, or human capital management. For example, could DBaaS provide a more agile and optimised foundation to support key business processes that rely on database services? An organisation is ready to adopt DBaaS the moment they are ready to address their database management issues. : Could you share some tips on developing a good DBaaS strategy? And what should Asian organisations look for in a DBaaS solution?
Praveen Thakur: For successful adoption and sustainable execution, it is important to understand how DBaaS fits into the overall environment. The greatest value will be reaped when your DBaaS strategy is considered along with the organization’s overall enterprise architecture and IT strategy. Enterprise architecture helps to structure DBaaS projects through a series of overlapping steps, or iterations. A systematic process determines how these environments should be created, with attention to the business, technical, and operational implications. For example, if the HR department wants to implement a new payroll service and share it with other departments, the EA team needs to begin by creating use-cases that reflect the needs of each department. They then consider the profiles of the various departments and develop a service catalogue that lists the functions these agencies need.
Then each department can provision as little or as much of each service as needed and also specify the degree of availability, disaster recovery, and uptime requirements. Within Asia, organizations are generally very process-oriented. This is a good starting point to embark on a DBaaS solution. DBaaS comes in to further simplify processes and to add “oil” to the “gears/processes” of the organization to improve workflow efficiency and boost business productivity. : According to an Imperva report, DBaaS could be used by hackers to compromise an organisation’s database without accessing its network, thus increasing the risk of a data breach. What are your thoughts on this? And how could organisations using DBaaS solutions reduce the risk of this happening?
Praveen Thakur: Security threats have always been a concern when it comes to hosting information offsite. However, just by making security more fundamental to computing and including it at the database level rather than only in the application all applications can inherit that security. Having multiple security levels further enhances data protection, enabling reduction in the risk of compromising one’s data. Secured multi-tenancy is one such level of deterrence. By maintaining databases in separate containers, this creates a virtual moat that makes it harder for hackers to access all information at once. Not only do security settings and service level agreements (SLAs) apply across tenants, SLAs can also be applied to individual tenants/containers to ensure that only role-assigned individuals are granted access. It is better to have security at the level of the processor than the operating system because silicon is more tamper-proof, and this is much safer than having it in software because software can be changed. The philosophy behind security organsations need to adopt is that it should be “always-on”, and enabled by default across the entire technology stack and into the cloud for true safety.
121 MAR 2016
spotlight Jeffrey Kung
Asst. Director of Consumer Imaging & Information (CII) Division, Canon marketing (malaysia).
ImAgIng Perfection C
anon is the largest inkjet printer manufacturer operating in Malaysia. The company also has a major presence in the digital camera market. PC.COM interviews Jeffrey Kung, Asst. Director of Consumer Imaging & Information (CII) Division, Canon Marketing (Malaysia).
: How much of an impact is
there on overall consumer sales due to the depreciating Malaysian currency?
Jeffrey Kung: The depreciating value of our Ringgit has definitely impacted Canon’s business in Malaysia. This is not something unique only to Canon, as most businesses in various industries are also facing the same situation. Despite this challenging period, we are looking to introduce and implement marketing strategies that will positively impact our market share and give greater value to our customers.
122 MAR 2016
It was mentioned at the G series launch last year that Canon has just over 50% market share in Malaysia. Do you feel that the depreciating local currency will affect this position in 2016? Although the depreciating local currency will likely impact our sales, we have actually developed stronger marketing strategies for the year in order to sustain our sales and market value. Being able to retain the No.1 position in Malaysia’s inkjet printer market for the 20th consecutive year in 2015 is definitely a testament to Canon’s impeccable quality. With that said, my team members and I will continue working closely together to maintain this prestigious position for many more years to come. : Is there any assembling of Canon printers or cameras in Malaysia?
Jeffrey Kung: Apart from our camera lenses, no other camera or printer parts from Canon are assembled in Malaysia.
: What is your market share for DSLR cameras in Malaysia?
Jeffrey Kung: As of 2015, our market share for DSLRs stands at 49%. However, we are looking at strategic marketing strategies for us to increase our market share in years to come as we believe that our innovative products and features have what it takes to allow us to capture a bigger market. : In your opinion, what sets Canon DSLR cameras apart from the competitors like Sony and Nikon?
Jeffrey Kung: Canon has a long-standing history of more than 80 years in the imaging industry since year 1933 and is committed in refining its diverse imaging technologies based on its core optical technologies. In addition, Canon strives to produce exceptional and reliable lenses and cameras that cater to the diverse needs of a photographer, from first-time users to advanced amateurs as well as professionals — while expanding the photographic and video imaging culture.
Canon cameras are recognised globally and were recently honoured with four “Best Photo and Imaging Product” awards by the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA), representing 27 photo and imaging magazines from 16 countries across five continents. Last year, marks another significant milestone for Canon as we celebrate two momentous accomplishments including the production of 250 million digital cameras and the 11th straight year of No. 1 share for global interchangeable-lens digital camera market. : With the rise of smartphones, sales of consumer digital cameras have been declining. Does Canon have a strategy to counter this trend?
Jeffrey Kung: We recognise that smartphones are trending now due to its convenience. However, nothing beats the quality of a digital camera when it comes to taking exceptional shots. As such, we need to educate the public on the importance of ‘shoot & print’ whereby high quality photos are shot, printed and shared with loved ones for lasting remembrance; never to return but infinitely enjoyed. At Canon, we have always encouraged photo-printing culture as we believe that a treasured memory when captured in print immortalises the moment in time. Through photo-taking and photo-printing, not only that the public is able to capture the precious moment but also cherish them in the years to come when looked back. It is always all these fine details which will add significance and beauty in one’s memories.
Exploring cross-functional, divisional integration and interaction is important to achieve our goals. : Can you please share more with us on this move to merge the camera and printer division as one?
Jeffrey Kung: Canon is a company that is focused on providing total imaging solutions, and we would like our customers to experience our products as one seamless solution. Hence, the merging of Consumer System Products (CSP-printers) and Imaging Communication Products (ICP-cameras) divisions will assist us in achieving this goal. Furthermore, for years now we have been trying to inculcate the photo taking and printing culture amongst Malaysians. With our cameras, customers will be able to snap and experience high quality photos (input) and cherish them in the form of printouts via our printers (output). This is what we mean when we say that Canon is a company that is renowned for its total imaging solutions. : Under this new division,
can we expect to see more synergy in terms of marketing efforts and launches? Jeffrey Kung: There will definitely be more cross-product marketing efforts
in order for us to emphasise more on ‘shoot & print’ (input & output). This goes back to our efforts in inculcating the photo taking and printing culture in Malaysia. We are at this point shaping our focus and direction as well as strategising our plans for this year. : What new things can we expect to see with the merger? What will be the focus and direction, moving forward?
Jeffrey Kung: We certainly are looking forward to allow our customers to experience both products as part of their total imaging requirements. It will allow us to bundle the products for their consideration. This new division gives us the chance to explore new methods, campaigns and activities in order to reach out to the Malaysian market. Our focus and direction is to ensure that CII will help drive Canon Marketing Malaysia to greater heights. Enhancing our brand presence in the consumer and business markets is also one of our key focus areas.
: Do tell us more about your role as the Assistant Director with CII?
Jeffrey Kung: It is an exciting yet challenging role and I am taking each day in my stride. Being the custodian for the No. 1 inkjet printer brand in the country is a big responsibility and now, to work with a bigger team and to oversee our camera products is an honour. I look forward to charting a growth pattern for CII in the years ahead. I work very closely with my team and we have a shared vision and goal to facilitate increased performance in sales and customer satisfaction. In working as a team, we believe that continuous effort in promoting improvements in business processes, systems and structures will be essential to increase our productivity and meet our sales target.
123 MAR 2016
inview
Big Data Transformation Predicted by Daniel Ng, Senior Director, APAC, Cloudera
business problems. In the past few years, we have seen popular use cases, such as organisations developing a 360 view of customers to build revenue streams, driving efficiency in product and service delivery, as well as managing risk, compliance and cybersecurity. This year, companies will look beyond the technology and see the business value of these use cases – they will realise, even more, the true meaning of turning data into dollars. Now, organisations will derive greater value by aligning data and technology to business objectives.
W
e saw major transformations in information technology last year, as many organisations looked towards being more effective in managing and leveraging their data for decision making. The focus on smart city type of initiatives that drive trends like enhanced connectivity, improved mobility, and generally the proliferation of and access to data, in Asia Pacific, further pushed up the significance of data for businesses, both big and small. In 2016, we will see an even wider shift in this regard as data will be further embedded into decision-making processes across businesses and industries. Business decision makers will want to, if they have not already, tap on data-driven initiatives to gain a competitive advantage and play a part in the connected universe. In fact, this is becoming inevitable for businesses as the data-culture is already permeating into our daily lives. Think smartphone apps that analyse traffic data and advise users on the best route to take for getting around a city, wearable fitness trackers that help users monitor and live a more active lifestyle, etc. As big data gets bigger and the world gets even further dependent on it, the following is a list of trends that stand out for 2016: COLLISION COURSE More than ever, organisations will look to technology and data to solve real
124 MAR 2016
MODERNISATION IS KEY More traditional enterprises will start functioning like modern enterprises, becoming more open to being datacentric and information-driven. These traditional enterprises will overcome the challenge of different silo systems that they traditionally have with the help of easily available, modern data management analytics platforms. They will continue to become less application and processcentric, resulting in a higher competitive advantage for their products or services, regardless of what size or growth stage their business may be at. DATA AS A SKILLSET While the trend to leverage big data for insights has grown quickly across the globe, the general awareness of the value that can be extracted from data has been low in the Asia Pacific region. Now that organisations across all verticals are increasingly using technology to extract value from big data, it is clearly driving demand for data-related skillsets. As such, we will continue to see a crunch in skilled data professionals. This gap can only be filled with more education and training opportunities – schools that will teach data analytics and data science, and private sector companies that take the lead in supporting skills upgrade. The industry will come together to cultivate a new generation of IT professionals who will fill the skills gap for employers in the region.
INTERNET OF EVERYTHING When it comes to big data, the manufacturing industry deserves special attention. We have seen the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT) over the last couple of years, but in manufacturing, whether it is for vehicles, mobile phones or household appliances, we will increasingly see sensor-run applications that will enable predictive maintenance. Ultimately, these can be features that send information back to a product’s manufacturer, allowing technicians to predict and fix problems quickly or engineers to develop better designed next-generation products. We will see a quality-enabling evolution, thanks to data technology. Other industries will also continue to go through a data evolution. Healthcare organisations, for example, will be able to learn much more about their patients through data and using the information to solve medical and patient care issues effectively or in a shorter time. IoT will continue to transform industries in 2016. OPEN SOURCE This year, we will see an increased amount of trust that enterprises place on open source, as it becomes an even more critical component of IT. Open source data management is flexible, scalable and costefficient, making it ideal for companies with a large amount of data. In a recent poll we did for industry players, 83 percent of respondents said they are using open source to some extent today, and 91 percent said they are either using open source now or plan to adopt open source technology by 2020. This is no surprise as open source systems are becoming more secure than before with data encryption, user authentication or authorisation techniques, and more.
Lagging Behind Malaysian companies fail employees
M
icrosoft has unveiled the results from its recent New World of Work study, which showed that large enterprises with more than 250 employees were lagging behind expectations to be more productive, collaborative and innovative in today’s modern workplace. While 64% of the 200 enterprise employees surveyed in Malaysia considered themselves to be mobile workers, the study also unveils what workers feel they need to succeed in today’s digital, fast-paced, modern workplace. Microsoft’s NWoW Study also generated insights on their current work and life needs and the gaps that exist between them. The NWoW Index was derived from respondents who rated themselves highly in three key pillars – people (whether today’s employees have the capabilities to work flexibly and productively in the digital modern workplace, and are supported by leaders and cultures that help them succeed in this dynamic environment), place (whether employees can work flexibly – anywhere at any time – and if their workplaces support a collaborative, dynamic design with the ability to work at work, home or with customers) and technology (whether employees are empowered with technology to enable them to succeed in this environment, allowing collaborative work wherever they may go). In Malaysia, only 40 out of 100 respondents rated themselves highly in embracing new People, Place and Technology principles, placing the country ninth amongst the 12 markets involved in the study. The findings clearly showed that the traditional notion of work is changing, even within enterprises in Malaysia: The responsive organisation: 56% of respondents said that they were required to respond to internal stakeholders within four hours; while 54% said that they were required to respond to external customers within four hours.
Work doesn’t end at 5.00pm: A majority (77%) said that they were still required to be contactable outside of work in order to complete their work effectively. Limited mobile productivity in a highly mobile workforce: 62.5% of respondents said they needed to be in the office to access special equipment or tools that are only available in the office. Achieving work life balance is challenging: 82% of respondents said that work life balance was a very important
aspect of their job, but only 57% felt that they had adequate balance today. “Over the last decade, globalisation and technological innovations have made today’s workplace increasingly modern and mobile – bringing the world closer and changing the way people live and work. This study helps us better understand how work and life has changed for Malaysian employees,” said Michal Golebiewski, Chief Marketing & Operations Officer, Microsoft Malaysia.
Michal Golebiewski, Chief Marketing & Operations Officer, Microsoft Malaysia
125 MAR 2016
inview
Security Loopholes Cisco annual report highlights security problems in companies resources to launch effective campaigns for profit gain. Additionally, direct attacks by cybercriminals, leveraging ransomware alone, put $34 million a year per campaign into their hands. These miscreants continue to operate unconstrained by regulatory barriers.
Albert Chai, Managing Director for Cisco Malaysia
T
he Cisco 2016 Annual Security Report examines threat intelligence and cybersecurity trends and reveals that only 45 percent of organisations worldwide are confident in their security posture as today’s attackers launch more sophisticated, bold and resilient campaigns. While executives may be uncertain about their security strength,
92 percent of them agree that regulators and investors will expect companies to manage cybersecurity risk exposure. These leaders are increasing measures to secure their organisations’ future, particularly as they digitise their operations. The report highlights the challenges businesses face due to the rapid advancements of attackers. Hackers increasingly tap into legitimate
Managing Director for Cisco Malaysia Albert Chai said, “Security threats in Malaysia are still on the rise. Today, most organisations will need to access public cloud solutions by bypassing IT. This is a matter of concern for many Malaysian CIOs and CEOs given that it puts their organisations at substantial risk for data security and compliance challenges. Online attackers have become bold and are adopting an integrated approach by the day, setting up complex infrastructures that are hard to detect.” “This means an integrated approach is an absolute imperative for businesses in Malaysia to secure their critical infrastructure. Working towards a cohesive security landscape, where companies, industries, and governments like Cybersecurity Malaysia communicate and collaborate to thwart cyber criminals can prevent
Maturity Levels by Country 126 MAR 2016
significant data loss. This goes across the network to the endpoint and from the cloud to every corner of operations,” he added.
running known vulnerabilities. Thirtyone percent of all devices analysed are no longer supported or maintained by the vendor.
posture, are improving their security approach, in part, by outsourcing, which is up to 23 percent in 2015 over 14 percent the previous year.
Businesses are up against security challenges that inhibit their ability to detect, mitigate and recover from common and professional cyberattacks. Aging infrastructure and outdated organisational structure and practices are putting them at risk.
SMBS AS A POTENTIAL wEAK LINK As more enterprises look closely at their supply chain and small business partnerships, they are finding that these organisations use fewer threat defense tools and processes. For example, from 2014 to 2015 the number of SMBs that used web security dropped more than 10 percent. This indicates potential risk to enterprises due to structural weaknesses.
SHIFTING SERVER ACTIVITY Online criminals have shifted to compromised servers, such as those for WordPress, to support their attacks, leveraging social media platforms for nefarious purposes. For example, the number of WordPress domains used by criminals grew 221 percent between February and October 2015.
The study sounds a global callto-arms for greater collaboration and investment in the processes, technologies and people to protect against industrialised adversaries.
TOP RESEARCH FINDINGS DECREASING CONFIDENCE, INCREASING TRANSPARENCY Less than half of businesses surveyed were confident in their ability to determine the scope of a network compromise and to remediate damage. But an overwhelming majority of finance and line-of-business executives agreed that regulators and investors expect companies to provide greater transparency on future cybersecurity risk. This points to security as a growing boardroom concern.
TRUST MATTERS With organisations increasingly adopting digitisation strategies for their operations, the combined volume of data, devices, sensors, and services are creating new needs for transparency, trustworthiness, and accountability for customers. OUTSOURCING ON THE RISE As part of a trend to address the talent shortage, enterprises of all sizes are realising the value of outsourcing services to balance their security portfolios. This includes consulting, security auditing and incident response. SMBs, which often lack resources for an effective security
BROwSER-BASED DATA LEAKAGE While often viewed by security teams as a low-level threat, malicious browser extensions have been a potential source of major data leaks, affecting more than 85 percent of organisations. Adware, malvertising, and even common websites or obituary columns have led to breaches for those who do not regularly update their software. THE DNS BLIND SPOT Nearly 92 percent of “known bad” malware was found to use DNS as a key capability. This is frequently a security “blind spot” as security teams and DNS experts typically work in different IT groups within a company and don’t interact frequently.
TIME TO DETECTION FASTER The industry estimate for time to detection of a cybercrime is an unacceptable 100 to 200 days. Cisco has further reduced this figure from 46 to 17.5 hours, since the 2015 Cisco Midyear Security Report was released. Shrinking the time to detection has been shown to minimise cyberattack damage, lowering risk and impact to customers and infrastructures worldwide. AGING INFRASTRUCTURE Between 2014 and 2015, the number of organisations that said their security infrastructure was up-to-date dropped by 10 percent. The survey discovered that 92 percent of Internet devices are
Maturity Model Ranks 127 MAR 2016
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No. 15-3, Block F1, Jln PJU 1/42, Dataran Prima, 46500 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
