Chip Indows 10

Over 55% Managing Director Noor Azman
Head of Department YK Cheah
EDITORIAL
Completion
Deputy Editor Matthew Yap
Writer Nixon Ng
Writer Rikco Shim
Contributors Andreas Th. Fischer, Christoph Schmidt, Jorg Geiger,
Markus Mandau, Fabian Von Keudell, Sepp Reitberger, Sebastian
Viehmann, Angelika Reinhard, Thorsten Franke-Haverkamp,
Alexander Karstens
B
ye bye, July, we won’t miss the heat wave you Design & Layout Zhafri Rauf
brought. Still, the hot weather didn’t stop July from Cover Design Zhafri Rauf
being a relatively busy month, with events and SALES & MARKETING
products rolling out in droves. Senior Manager YK Cheah
Account Manager Connor Tan
For one, this month saw the launch of smartphones Consultant Muffadzlee Dato’ Sufian
with pop-up cameras and the comeback of BlackBerry ADMINISTRATION
with the Key2 smartphone. We even saw another Admin Manager WP Lim
addition to the e-wallet scene, with Razer Pay now in the ONLINE
mix. www.chip.com.my
As for the more meaty side of things, we’ve gone back
to one long section of featured articles. This time around, CHIP Malaysia
we’ve got an article on how some companies are using
your data for less than welcomed purposes. We think PUBLISHER
that’s important to know, so do check out that article in Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd.
A-5-07 Block A, Neo Damansara
page 46. Bandar Damansara Perdana, Jalan PJU 8/1
In terms of reviews, PC components sadly continue to 47820 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Tel: (03) 7727 6554 Fax: (03) 7727 3554
remain absent. But we’ve got enough here to whet the
appetite of gamers, or anyone looking for new PRINTED BY
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smartphone options. 117-G, Jalan Tiaj 1/4, Taman Industri Alam Jaya,
We covered some fun stuff too, like an exclusive local 42300 Bandar Puncak Alam,
Selangor Darul Ehsan.
demo for the upcoming Spider Man game, and our recent Tel: (03) 6038 5578 Fax: (03) 6038 3944
visit of the Asia Comic Con 2018. Check those out in Lite
‘n Leisure section from pages 98 to 111. DISTRIBUTED BY
More than half the year is gone, but 2018 is likely to MPH Distributors Sdn. Bhd.
Ground Floor Warehouse, Lot 2, Bangunan TH,
have more in store soon. Who knows, maybe we’d get to No. 5, Jalan Bersatu, Section 13/4,
see the PC components market become active again? 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Tel: (03) 7958 1688 Fax: (03) 7956 5995
© This edition of CHIP is a publication of Online Dynamics (M) Sdn. Bhd. licensed by Vögel
Matthew Yap Burda Holding GmbH, 80336 Munich, Germany.
Deputy Editor © Copyright of the trademark ‘‘CHIP by Vögel Burda Holding GmbH, 80336 Munich,
Germany.
No part of CHIP magazine / shall be reproduced without the publisher’s written

permission.
All views expressed in the magazine are solely those of the writer and do not
necessarily represent those of CHIP magazine / the publisher.
All information in the magazine is provided ‘as is’ and ‘as available’ and CHIP magazine
/ the publisher makes no representations and gives no warranty of any kind, implied,
express or statutory as to the accuracy, adequacy, completeness, non-infringement
of 3rd party rights, title, merchantability and / or suitability / fitness for a particular
purpose with respect to the said information.
Under no circumstances whatsoever shall the CHIP magazine / the publisher be liable
for any direct, indirect, special or consequential damages whether in contract or in tort
arising out of or in connection with the use of the information made available in CHIP
magazine.
All prices, product versions and URLs’ are correct at the time of printing.
International Members of the Family

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contents
062 08 034
COVER 062 Microsoft’s Plans For Windows 10

As the biggest PC OS in the world, it’s
important to know what’s new and
STORY upcoming for Windows 10. Here are some

updates
NEWS & 006 Local News

Coverage of the latest news and
events right on our shores
TRENDS 028 World Wired Web

All the latest tech happenings around
the world
026 Security Reports
Monthly dose of security news
FEATURES 034 More Censorship Incoming

What is domain fronting and what is the
impact of its ban? Read to find out
036 Teslas For Everyone
Production for the Tesla 3 is ramping up, but
will it be affordable enough?
046 The All-Seeing Web
Some companies gather more data than
we’re comfortable with. Learn more about
what they can do with some of that data
098 107 116

contents
036 046 054
TEST LAB 071 Test Lab: The Tools

Test Labs’ tools of the trade
072 Test Lab Contents
Take a pick and get started!
080 Reviews
Professionally conducted reviews
following our stringent tests and
benchmarks
LITE & 098 The Tabletop Report

For those moments when you want to
go analogue, a tabletop game may just
LEISURE be what you need

106 E-Sports Express
What’s the latest gossip in the
e-sports world?
110 Made By The Masses
A look at some interesting crowd-
funded products you should know
PRACTICE 116 Metallic Models

Car photography is an art of its own, so
here are some tips to get you started
REGULARS 001 Welcome Note

118 Tips and Tricks
080
contents
chip download
CHIP Downloads
August 2018
We’re back with our monthly dose of interesting, free and handy tools for you to enhance your PC experience. If you want to know how you
can get these files, follow the instructions below:
1. Head on our website @ www.chip.com.my and right at the top, click on the ‘‘Downloads” tab
2. After that, click on the respective month’s post. You will then be prompted for a password. The password can be found on this page
monthly.
3. Navigate using the tabs and pick the categories you want to download the files from. Once you find the file you want, just click on it and
you’re good to go!
And it’s as easy as that!
PASSWORD FOR AUGUST 2018 - testbeforeyoubuy
Featured Tools
WhoCrashed
WhoCrashed shows the drivers that have been crashing your computer with a single click. In
most cases it can pinpoint the offending drivers that have been causing misery on your
computer system in the past. It does post-mortem crashdump analysis and presents all
gathered information in a comprehensible way.
PhotoRec
PhotoRec is file data recovery software designed to recover lost files including video,
documents and archives from hard disks, CD-ROMs, and lost pictures from digital
camera memory. PhotoRec ignores the file system and goes after the underlying
data, so it will still work even if your media’s file system has been severely damaged
or reformatted.
TestDisk
TestDisk is powerful free data recovery software! It was primarily designed to help
recover lost partitions and make non-booting disks bootable again when these
symptoms are caused by faulty software. For those who know little or nothing about
data recovery techniques, TestDisk can be used to collect detailed information about a
non-booting drive.
Essentials
Our list of essentials consists of programs and software such as
graphics drivers, browsers, compression software and even Cloud
storage software that will improve a PC user’s experience. The links on
our website won’t provide you with the files, instead it will lead you to
the developers’ official website, where you can find the right file for you.
04 august 18 chip malaysia

contents
chip download
The Monthly Downloads

LightBulb
Operating system: Win XP, Vista, 7, 8, 10
If you like having dynamic brightness or gamma during different times of the day, then LightBulb can help you.
LightBulb helps to reduce eyestrain by adjusting the gamma of your computer depending on the current time.
fxCalc
Do you need a calculator that’s better than the one provided on Windows? fxCalc is one of the most advanced desktop
calculators for Windows, but still retains a simple and intuitive way of handling complex mathematical tasks.
GeoGebra
GeoGebra is a dynamic mathematics software for all levels of education that brings together geometry,
algebra, spreadsheets, graphing, statistics and calculus in one easy-to-use package.
EMDB
EMDB is an application to keep track of your movies and TV series. Both physical discs and media files are
supported, with an automatic import from the database of OMDB, export to csv, text or HTML, and more.
WinToHDD
WinToHDD makes reinstalling Windows less of a hassle, giving you the option of reinstalling Windows directly
from an ISO, WIM, ESD without the need of using CD/DVD/USB. Additionally, you can use it to clone your Windows
OS directly to a new HDD or SSD.
PatchMyPC Updater
Patch My PC Updater is a free, easy-to-use program that keeps over 300 apps up-to-date on
your computer. It is an easy way to update or install any of these programs on to your computer.
Clover
Operating system: Win, Mac OS, Linux
If you like tabs like a Google Chrome browser then you can look forward to Clover. Clover is a Windows Explorer
extension that adds browser-like tabs and multi-tab functionality to your dreary Windows Explorer
SpeedyFox
Operating system: Win 7, 8, 10
SpeedyFox is specially designed to fix the fragmentation of profile databases which slows down
SQLITE databases. SpeedyFox compacts those databases without any losing data, while
optimising them to operate faster and may even decrease in size.
Basilisk
Basilisk is a free and Open Source XUL-based web browser which has a user interface much like Mozilla’s
Firefox. It is based on the Goanna layout and rendering engine and builds on the Unified XUL platform.
chip malaysia august 18 05

news
Goh Yin Hwang, Country Manager, OKI(left) together with Asoka Ratnam, Head of Business Operation Division, DTech at Archidex 2018 launching the latest Teriostar LP-
1040-MF wide format multifunction printer
OKI Launches Wide Format MFP

At Archidex 2018
OKI produces a wide format multifunction printer designed to boost productivity
O
KI put their latest printer model on that is essentially a combination cartridge and the form of "Teriostation2", it enables networked
display at the Archidex 2018 show held photoconductor drum, which would deliver users to send jobs, including multiple files, using
at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre significant benefits to users, such as increased the most common file formats such as TIFF, PDF
(KLCC). The Teriostar LP-1040-MF is a wide uptime and reduced support costs. and more. With Teriostation2, you can also scan
format multifunction printer designed to boost There are other features that make these prints and documents and send it straight to
productivity in architecture, design, engineering printers simple and intuitive to use too. For your PC. The Teriostar also offers a robust suite of
and reprographics offices - where deadlines are example, all controls are managed at the front by security features including PIN codes, usernames
tight and time is money. The LP-1040-MF prints a clear 8.5-inch colour touch screen panel, which and passwords, which help prevent unauthorised
at speeds of up to 7ppm when it comes to A1 gives quick access to frequently used menus with use. Complete deletion of hard disk drive data is
size prints. a function user interface. Exceptional print quality also possible, a useful function to have should
The printer is capable of both colour and is assured with a new Print Data Converter, the printer be sold, leased, or to be returned to an
mono scanning with scan speeds of 240mm per which fixes typical problems such as speckles, owner. The Teriostar LP-1040 is now available at
second and is capable of running parallel tasks slants or the kind of errors sometimes seen with selected authorised OKI resellers and is priced at
making workflow even faster. A unique industry scan data or file converter data. RM46,000.
feature is the user-replaceable process cartridge OKI also integrated a software solution in www.oki.com/my/printing
A full look at the Teriostar LP-1040-MF The printer can accurately scan and reproduce even intricate characters like Kanji
from the Japanese language

4k HDR Video Enjoyment Monitor
EL2870U AMD FreeSync

28” 4k HDR Ultra-smooth Gameplay
Fast 1ms GTG
TN Panel Response Time
Eyecare Protection
Brightness Intelligence Plus
Low Blue Light
Flicker-free
Multi-Platform
Light Sensor Connectivity
Brightness & HDMI 2.0/ DP 1.4
Color Temperature Scan our QRCode
HDR/BI+ to find out where
Hotkey
to buy
news
Fourth from right: Mike Xu, CEO of vivo Malaysia, officially launching the vivo NEX with vivo's partners
To The NEX Elevation

Some claim it a mere prototype, but vivo officially
RAM, you can be assured that this device
can handle any task thrown at it. In
addition, its 4,000 mAh battery ensures
that it can chug along for hours, even if you
launched its new flagship to shut naysayers decide to sneak more than a few rounds of
PUBG Mobile between work.
T
o show the world a device that can Replacing the front camera is an 8MP The vivo NEX is available starting on 28th
deliver the best screen ever, vivo has Elevating Front Camera that pops up near July 2018 and will retail for RM2,799.
developed and launched its latest the top left of the phone when you switch www.vivo.com/my/
flagship Android smartphone - the vivo NEX. to that mode. The earpiece, on the other
"NEX is the culmination of many long hand, was replaced by the new Screen
months of developing breakthrough SoundCasting Technology, which turns the
technologies like the Elevating Front screen into a speaker. According to vivo,
Camera and In-Display Fingerprint the technology is able to provide better
Scanning Technology. With NEX, we hope sound quality by delivering better bass
to encourage our industry to continue and smoothing out the treble. Finally, the
pondering (the question) of ‘what’s next?’ In-Display Fingerprint Scanning Technology
and inspire consumers to reimagine the uses the screen of the device itself - rather
mobile experience," said Mike Xu, the CEO than a button or scanner - to scan for
of vivo Malaysia who was present at the a user’s fingerprint. vivo has improved
launch of the device. on the scanning speed and accuracy of
Featuring what the brand has dubbed an the technology, promising a better user
Ultra FullView Display, the vivo NEX’s greatest experience with it.
selling point is definitely its incredible 91.24% The vivo NEX is also a device that
screen-to-body ratio. With barely any bezel comes with AI capabilities. Using a physical
and by ditching the notch design that has button on the left side of the device, users
become prevalent in recent months, the can quickly activate features like Google
vivo NEX’s 6.59-inch display is capable of Assistant and Google Lens.
delivering an amazing sense of immersion Even if you were to ignore the fancy
while watching videos or gaming. To achieve features, the vivo NEX packs pure quality
this kind of space, commonly seen components and performance in its body. Equipped
such as the earpiece and the front camera with Qualcomm’s latest Snapdragon 845
have been replaced with new technology. processor, Adreno 630 GPU and 8GB of vivo NEX in all its nigh-bezelless glory

news
Monitors ranging from entry-level up to hardcore gaming
ASUS All Out Monitors Showcase

ASUS brings out all their monitors for a show
A
SUS recently had a showcase of DCI-P3, and Rec. 2020 colour spaces for Kardon speakers built into it for incredible
almost their entire line of monitors, video and editing purposes. Whereas if sound and it even has a Qi wireless charging
ranging from monitors for regular you’re on-the-go and are constantly posted pad for you to charge your Qi capable device,
everyday use up till hardcore gaming to where your clients are (like auditors), while enjoying this incredible monitor.
monitors meant for those who want then there’s the option of the ASUS MB16AC If you’re a true blue gamer, there’s only
the best in gaming hardware. Found at portable monitor. Incredibly slim and works one choice for you - the ASUS ROG PG27UQ
the event were their monitors from the through a USB Type-C port, it supports PCs gaming monitor. This is a 27-inch monster
Essential, Ultra-slim, Designo, Casual with Type-C ports and certain smartphone sporting 4K UHD resolution, overclockable
Gaming, Pro Gaming, ProART, Republic of models. 144Hz refresh rate and G-SYNC HDR
Gamers, and Commercial series. Gaming isn’t everything, as much as we technology. Not only that, the monitor uses
ASUS has something for just about like to argue to that, but some people just a Quantum-dot IPS display for incredible
every kind of work or play. If you’re doing don’t care about games. Some just want an colour with a wide DCI-P3 colour gamut,
graphics work there’s the ProART ASUS incredibly good monitor to enjoy movies, web while still maintaining a low response time
PA329Q professional monitor with a wide surfing, YouTube, Netflix, and just about any of 4ms. So look forward because these
colour gamut. The use of Quantum Dot other things possible on a PC. Those people amazing monitors and more are coming
Technology provides a wide colour range, would love the ASUS Designo MX34VQ, a soon, or some are already available right
allowing the monitor to support 100% Rec. 34-inch Ultra Wide Quad HD monitor. What now!
709, 100% sRGB, 99.5% Adobe RGB, 90% makes the MX34VQ unique? It has Harman https://www.asus.com/my/Monitors/
Connect your smartphone to the portable monitor for a bigger screen, or for Would you believe if we said this monitor has Harman Kardon speakers?
showing off pictures and videos

news
From Left to right: Mr Alan Tham, Head of Marketing, Brother International Malaysia, Mr Itsuo Segawa, Country Head, Brother International Malaysia, Mr Jordan Hoong,
Sales Manager, Brother International Malaysia during the launch.
Brother Redefines
Printing Solutions For
Different Industries
Brother raises the bar bringing increased efficiency and
performance to different industries
W
e need printers even in our monochrome printers and MFCs that
increasingly digital, online cover a variety of users and needs. There
The flagship model for Brother monochrome laser
world. From business proposals, are two single-function printers in the series, MFC L2770DW.
financial statements, college and school new Business Colour Laser Series, the
assignments, to boarding passes, we need HL-L8260CDN and HL-L8360CDW, as well
printouts. Not all printers are created equal as two MFCs, the MFC-L8690CDW and the
though. This is why Brother International MFC-L8900CDW. Another new series that
is introducing a range of top-of-the-line, combines top-class print speeds, enhanced
colour and monochrome laser printers, mobile connectivity, and cost-saving
and inkjet multi-function centres (MFC) features are its two monochrome laser
for business, retail and home that suits all printers, HL-L2370DN and HL-2385DW
workstyles and lifestyles. and three MFCs, the DCP-2550DW, MFC-
The range of 13 printers and MFCs L2715DW, and MFC-L2770DW.
provide effortless user experience, improved It is with Brother’s Inkjet Multi-Function
performance and quality with an emphasis Centre series where the brand raises the
on functional aesthetics for products that bar for machines that combines superior
look great and work even better. Top-class efficiency and print performance. This latest
printing speeds, enhanced mobile connectivity series features four new Inkjet Multi-
and cost-saving features in space-saving Function Centre Models, which include the
designs, combine to provide enhanced mobile DCP-T310, DCP-T510W, DCP-T710W, and the
connectivity and practicality that fits every MFC-T910DW.
need. www.brother.com.my
The flagship model for Brother colour laser series,
The new range includes colour MFC L8900CDW.

news
The Dell G7 15 Laptop
Dell & Marvel Studios

the new Dell G5 15 and XPS 13 appear
in Hank Pym’s lab and at X-Con security
offices. Gerri Tunnell, Senior Vice President
Teaming Up
for Client Solutions Marketing at Dell
mentioned: "We are thrilled to team up
with Marvel Studios on Ant-Man and The
Wasp and demonstrate the super powers
A peek behind the hardware used in your favourite of technology. There are a lot of similarities
Marvel movies between our brands and fan bases. For
example, our goal is to empower our
customers, from gamers to visual effect
Y
ou might be wondering what this Dell’s Precision series is a frontrunner artists, with high-performance technology
collaboration is about. Simply put, in the industry, allowing countless to drive human progress, just like how Ant-
Marvel utilised VFX vendors that are numbers of creators to create and craft Man and The Wasp rely on tech to make
using Dell technologies in their creations. intricate stories that we see in the big the world a better place."
This includes the Dell EMC PowerEdge screen and from the screen in the comfort The G7 15 Gaming Laptop is equipped
servers and Dell Precision workstations, of our homes. According to Dell, DNEG’s with the latest Intel 8th Gen Core i7-8750H
which provide enormous computing Vancouver studio employs the use of more processor, 16GB of DDR4 memory, 256GB
power and storage capacities that are than 300 Dell Precision workstations on of SSD and 1TB of HDD. As for graphics, it
required by visual effect designers to a daily basis. Dell Precision 7910, Dell is packed with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060
bring their creation to life. DNEG, the VFX EMC PowerEdge R630 rack servers, Dell Max Q, and topped with a 15.6-inch Full HD
studio responsible for a myriad of VFX in EMC PowerEdge M1000e Blade Server IPS display. There are other configurations
movies that we loved such as Deadpool 2, Enclosures and hundreds of Dell monitors for the G7 15 and the G3 15 available in
Avengers: Infinity War, Mission Impossible: are used to create the effects in the Malaysia. Prices starts as low as RM3,769
Fallout and the upcoming movie about upcoming Marvel Studios film, Ant-Man for the configuration with Intel Core i5 and
the British rock band, Queen – Bohemian and The Wasp. GTX1050 GPU.
Rhapsody. Throughout the movie, you might notice www.dell.com.my

news
From left to right – Mr. Cagatay Copuroglu (Asia Named Lead, Microsoft Corporation), Mr. Kelvin Pah Wai Onn (Sales and Marketing Director, SNS Network Sdn Bhd), Mr. Ko
Yun Hung (Managing Director, SNS Network Sdn Bhd) and Mr. Cekiel Danielson (Asia Retail Sales Director, Intel Corporation)
Be JOI-ful With JOI Book 100

Lightweight, sleek and stylish, the JOI Book 100 should tick multiple boxes for
lifestyle users
M
id July saw JOI, a brand under SNS, of up to 64GB to slightly boost your storage Book 100 in Gold or Dark Grey for RM1,299.
launching a brand new ultra-thin capacity. Out of the box, the laptop also runs The device is now available for purchase
laptop for the masses. How thin on Windows 10. from officially online and offline retailers.
you say? The laptop is only 14mm thick, Another key point to the laptop is its Don't miss out, because this is a pretty, slim
and weighs 1.35 kgs! It easily slip into your display. It features a 14.1-inch Full HD IPS and stylish solution for those that need a
laptop bag and will not weigh you down at display with 3mm thick side bezels. This lifestyle laptop with passable specs and will
all. will allow you to easily immerse yourself in not bleed your wallet dry.
As for the specs, the JOI Book 100 is whatever video or show that you’re watching https://www.joi.com.my/joi-book/
powered by an Intel Celeron N3450 processor, or streaming on the laptop. On top of the
4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal eMMC display you will also spot a 2-megapixel
storage and 128GB of SSD. With only 32GB front camera for all your conference calls.
of internal storage, that might not be enough According to JOI, the laptop’s 10,000 mAh
for some. But luckily, JOI has thought ahead battery lets it last for up to 8 hours on a full
and will allow users to add an additional M.2 charge. All of this wrapped into a sleek and
drive of up to 512GB. To do so, simply remove slim full metal build. For ports, you have a
the two screws located at the bottom of the micro HDMI port, along with two USB 3.0
laptop, slot in your new drive, and voila. But Type-A ports and a 3.5mm jack.
if you wish, you could utilise a microSD card Those who are interested can get the JOI The JOI Book 100 up close

news
Huawei executives showing off the new MediaPad M5 and M5 Pro tablets.
Game On With MediaPad M5

Huawei believes that with mobile gaming, tablets have a place again
F
irst announced back in March 2018, 2K display, which also uses the ClariVu 5.0 In addition, an optional keyboard dock can
Huawei’s latest tablets – the MediaPad technology to adjust photos or videos during be used in conjunction with the Pro version’s
M5 and M5 Pro – have made its way playback, allowing you to enjoy crisp and Desktop Mode, which turns it the device into
to Malaysia. Each will be available with one clear visuals. It can even be used as a reading a Windows-esque system. Files in this mode
specification and size, such as 8.4-inch for the device with Eye Comfort Mode to make the are segregated from the normal tablet mode,
MediaPad M5 and 10.8-inch for the higher- screen easier on the eyes for reading. which is useful if you want to keep your work
end MediaPad M5 Pro. As devices that are catered for gamers, and private files separated.
With mobile gaming on the rise, devices the sound was not neglected as well. Huawei The Huawei MediaPad M5 will be available
with larger screens should see an increase opted for Harman Kardon-tuned speakers for starting 13 July 2018 for RM1,499, while the
in adoption, which is what Huawei wants the MediaPad M5 (dual speakers) and M5 Pro MediaPad Pro will be up for purchase from
to bet on with the two new models. Huawei (quad speakers). In addition, the speakers are 25 July 2018 onwards.
has tweaked its EMUI 8.0 to deliver better boosted by a smart power amplifier chip for consumer.huawei.com/my/tablets/
performance when gaming, by reallocating greater volume. It also has support for Hi-Res mediapad-m5-8
processing power and other resources from Audio, so it can upsample your MP3
other apps. The two devices also have high songs and make them sound better.
battery capacities, so that the user can Since the MediaPad M5 Pro is
play for long hours before having to charge. designed for more in mind, Huawei
At a glance, it doesn’t look like anything made sure to bundle an M-Pen with
ground-breaking. However, its simplistic it. This time around, the pen uses a
elegance is quite robust. The M5, in built-in battery that can be recharged
particular, has a metal frame that helps when not in use. Featuring 4,096 layers
reinforce the edges and make it tougher. of pressure sensitivity, it can be used to
Both devices have 2.5D glass covering a accurately draw or write on the table.

news
From left to righ: Roseanne Ho, Marketing Manager, Acer Malaysia; Chan Weng Hong, General Manager of Products, Sales and Marketing, Acer Malaysia; and Soo Yun Sin,
Senior Product Executive, Acer Malaysia
Acer Unveils New Commercial

Products
Variety is in the cards this time, as the brand showcased new desktop PCs, laptops, and
Chromebooks
W
ith many of its latest consumer New models include the Veriton X2660G, Spin 11, Tab 10 tablet, and Chromebox
products out for 2018, Acer turns X6660G, M6660G, and S2660G, each with CX13 mini PC. Based on Chrome OS,
to shoring up its commercial variants in specifications. these PCs are designed for scenarios like
portfolio as well. In a showcase held at the In a similar vein are the TravelMate education, military, logistics, and more. The
New World Hotel, Petaling Jaya, we got to laptops, which also run on Intel’s 8th Gen Chromebox CX13, in particular, is a new
see new PCs in the form of Veriton desktops, Core i5/i7 processors. You can also expect form factor many didn’t expect. This mini
TravelMate laptops, some new Chromebooks, PC memory of up to 32GB and SSD storage PC is compatible with the VESA mount on
and a mini PC called the Chromebox. of up to 512GB, along with MU-MIMO displays, so you can hook it to the back of a
Acer Malaysia’s General Manager of wireless AC connectivity. With a battery life monitor and keep your desk clean.
Products as well as Sales and Marketing, of up to 15 hours, the TravelMate laptops www.acer.com/ac/en/MY/content/home
Chan Weng Hong, was present for the are designed to be ideal
showcase to introduce the new products. for business users who
"We are constantly innovating to improve don't always have a power
every product in our extensive commercial point nearby, such as on a
line by bringing devices with the latest plane. The new TravelMate
technology, including the Intel 8th Gen comes in P2 and X series,
processor," he said. consisting of the P249,
Powered by Intel hardware, namely the P2410, and X3410.
8th Gen Intel Core processors and Intel Last but not least is the
Optane support, the Veriton S, X and M new Chromebook family
series offer high-power performance for of product, which includes
businesses. The models will also have M.2 a new tablet and a mini
PCIe SSDs for fast boot up and quicker PC. There are different
program starts. Other high-end features form factors this time
include Gigabit LAN and USB 3.1 Type-C around, with a convertible
ports, as well as the Trusted Platform in the Chromebook 11
Module 2.0 (TPM 2.0) security feature. laptop, Chromebook One of the new Chromebooks

news
Tan Min-Liang (CEO & Co-founder of Razer) with Tan Sri Dato' Seri Vincent Tan (Executive Chairman of Berjaya Corporation Berhad) posing with the Razer Pay app
Razer Pay, A Cutting Edge

E-Wallet Service
E-wallet revolution is happening in Malaysia, and Razer wants a cut of the action as well
E
-payment is the local buzzword these card to top up your Steam account for that to go. To celebrate the launch of the app,
days and Razer is now venturing precious summer sale, you can do so with every new user in Malaysia will receive a
into this space with help of Berjaya the app. bonus of RM10 to be used and this sign up
Corporation Berhad. After obtaining MOL To top-up the app, you can do so by cash incentive will end on the 30th of September
a while back, it was a sign that Razer was at 7-Eleven stores by requesting for a Razer 2018. When you use the app to pay, no
trying to make everything much more Pay top-up PIN. You can also top up through matter the amount, Berjaya Corporation
streamlined for gamers worldwide, in online banking with Maybank, Public Bank, will donate RM10 with each first use to
particular the SEA region when we are CIMB and others. Aside from paying, you can Tabung Harapan Malaysia.
talking about MOL. also transfer the money to friends or family www.razer.com/razer-pay
Introducing Razer Pay, a smarter, easier easily. Moreover, you can transfer the money
and hassle-free way for you to pay for from the app to your bank
online and offline purchases. To pay using account as well.
Razer Pay, simply look for a QR scanner on You can download
all Bernama Corporation Berhad merchants, the Razer Pay app from
such as: Starbucks, 7-Eleven, Cosway, Google Play and App
Wendys, Kenny Rogers and much much Store. Once you have
more. Once you have the QR code, scan it, done so, fire up the
enter the amount you need to pay, and you app and sign up. You
are good to go. As for online payments, will need your mobile
services such as zGold MOLPoints, Steam number to register as it
Wallet, Garena, PlayStation, Spotify and will ping a PIN on your
more can be paid using Razer Pay. This number. Once you have
means that if you can’t use your credit done so, you are good Online gaming platforms such as Steam can be topped up using the Razer Pay app

news
From Left to Right: Baki Zainal (Sony RX100 VI Ambassador), Hideyuki Wada (General Manager of Marketing of Sony Malaysia), Satoru Arai (Managing director of Sony
Malaysia), Chiw Yew Ming (General Manager of Sony Malaysia) and Chiou Bing Han (Head of Digital Imaging of Sony Malaysia) showing off the new RX100 VI
Pocket-Sized Goodness With

Sony RX100 VI
Taking compact cameras to new zoom heights
I
n an unusual invite to Skyrides touchscreen for Touch focus, which lets is available for purchase at all Sony
Putrajaya, Sony launched launched the you focus on what you desire. If slow-mo authorised retailers and shops for a
new Sony RX100 VI and give us a chance videos are more of your style, the camera price of RM4,899. At the event, Sony also
to get a quick hands-on with the camera can also shoot up to 24 frames per second showcased the new shooting grip, the
to shoot different scenarios. We loved how with up to 233 continuous shots. You can VCT-SGR1, priced only at RM399 and can be
compact the camera was in our hands and even shoot in 4K, as the camera comes purchased from all Sony stores as well.
the zoom capability knocked our socks off! packed with HDR (HLG) support, the first www.sony.com.my
The RX100 VI is equipped with a in Cyber-shot cameras. A viewfinder is still
20.1-megapixel Exmor RS CMOS sensor present on the camera if you wish to use it
with a 3:2 aspect ratio, as well as a new instead of the touchscreen.
ZEISS Vario-Sonnar T* 24-200mm F2.8-4.5 When shooting, the Optical SteadyShot
lens that allows for maximum resolution can be turned on to provide you with
with clarity even when using it while image stabilisation that will compensate
zoomed. It uses the BIONZ X processing for camera shakes when you are shooting
engine to deliver higher resolution with low handheld in low-light conditions. You
noise levels, along with precise face and can also mute the camera shutter sound
eye detection. when you need to shoot at noise-sensitive
Utilising High-density Tracking AF settings such as weddings and so on. You
Technology, it can keep up with fast can pair the camera with the PlayMemories
moving subjects even if they are changing Mobile app on your phone to keep track of
directions, while Eye AF will keep location data.
track of your subject’s eyes for better All of these power is packed into a
portrait shots. If you do not wish to use 101.6×58.1×42.8mm body that weighs
Auto Focus, simply tap on the 75mm only 301g. The RX100 VI compact camera A shot of the new RX 100 VI compact camera

news
Representatives from BlackBerry and Brightstar Distribution Sdn Bhd posing for a picture with the new device
Bringing The KEY2 Back

A smartphone with physical keys in 2018, what next, flip phones making a comeback?
B
lackBerry, a smartphone brand that was is also equipped with a 3,500 mAh battery unlock with your registered fingerprint. Lastly,
massively popular once upon a time, is that is charged using a USB Type-C cable the device is also running on Android 8.1,
back for a revival with the BlackBerry that supports QuickCharge 3.0. As for your offering you a pure Android experience with no
KEY2. BlackBerry devices were very popular photography needs, the phone has a dual rear bloatware attached.
among the business persons around the world camera setup of 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel, There you have it, the BlackBerry KEY2 is
for a few reasons, but one of the most notable along with an 8-megapixel front camera. looking to dominate the pockets of business
quirk and feature of BlackBerry devices was A plethora of BlackBerry original people all around the world again, and this looks
the use of a physical keyboard, and the KEY2 is applications are also preloaded on the phone. like a fitting rejuvenation to the brand. Hopefully
no different. For example, BlackBerry Hub is an app that we’ll be able to get our hands on the device and
As mentioned, the KEY2 prominently will consolidate all your emails, calender fully test its features! The BlackBerry KEY2
features a keyboard at the bottom of the alerts, messages and so on into a single inbox, is now available to purchase from Brightstar
device. It is a basic QWERTY keyboard with an saving you the hassle of digging around for Distribution Sdn Bhd authorised retailers and
integrated fingerprint sensor as well. To fit a different apps. You can also utilise BlackBerry Shopee, and priced at only RM2,599.
keyboard there, some sacrifice was necessary. Locker to secure confidential files that will only https://blackberrymobile.com
Rather than making the device abnormally
long, you can spot a 4.5-inch IPS display with
3:2 aspect ratio on the phone. The smaller
screen might take some getting use to, but
most people that use their phones for business
will see no difference as they are usually typing
away on the touch keyboard anyway. The
keyboard also has a Speed Key, which gives
you access to preset apps with just a touch of
the button + another key. For example, if you
are on your Facebook and press the Speed Key
+ [I], you will be able to immediately hop on to
Instagram.
The phone runs on a Qualcomm
Snapdragon 660 processor with 6GB of RAM
and 64GB of internal storage. You can also
upgrade the storage space of your device with
a microSD card of up to 256GB. The phone The BlackBerry KEY2

news
For the ILLEGEAR Z7, it is also packed

with similar specs to the LAGUNA, but
we’ll go through them anyway. It now
comes with an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H
processor, up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD
and also 2TB of HDD. The basic version
of the laptop offers 8GB of RAM, 256 GB
of SSD and 1TB of HDD. The difference
is more notable on the GPU side, which
is a choice of either an NVIDIA GeForce
GTX 1050Ti or GTX 1060. ILLEGEAR has
opted for a more muted design for the
keyboard and trackpad of this laptop, so
you will not see any RGB-fied looks here.
The Z7 also has a large 17.3-inch Full HD
IPS display, all packed into a 3.1kg laptop.
For the ports, it has one for HDMI, a mini
DisplayPort, USB Type-C port, three USB
3.1 Type-A ports, a 3.5mm jack and a LAN
Refreshing The Gear port as well. For those that work on the go,
a 4-in-1 card reader is also built into this
laptop.
The latest Intel CPUs give ILLEGEAR’S two gaming The ILLEGEAR LAGUNA is currently
priced at RM6,399 with 0% GST, and the
notebooks a new lease in life
ILLEGEAR Z7 is priced at RM5,599. As
R
ecently, ILLEGEAR has decided to have a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display that we’ve mentioned above, the laptops can
refresh two of the models (LAGUNA runs at 144Hz! Truly a gaming powerhouse be customised to your liking. However, if
and Z7) from their repertoire with that weighs only 2.7kgs. The keyboard you upgrade them you will incur additional
Intel’s 8th Gen-H Model processors. Let’s and trackpad is also RGB capable and charges.
kick things off with the specs of each customisable to your liking. www.illegear.com
individual laptops now.
First up, the ILLEGEAR LAGUNA. It
sports an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8750H
processor, up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM at
2,400MHz, up to 1TB of SSD, and 2TB
of HDD. Being an ILLEGEAR laptop, you
can customise it to your liking when
you purchase it. The basic version
does come with 8GB of RAM, 240GB of
SSD and 1TB of HDD. For the graphics,
you have a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060,
or you can upgrade it to a GTX 1070
if you wish. The LAGUNA also has a
built-in (4-in-1) card reader with two
M.2 card slots. Not one to lag behind
when it comes to ports, the laptop
is equipped with a HDMI port, a mini
DisplayPort, one USB Type-C port,
three USB 3.1 Type-A ports, a 3.5mm
headphone-out and mic-in port, topped
with a LAN port. For the screen, you

news
ConnecTechAsia 2018
ConnecTechAsia successful in bridging the digital divide for governments, cities and
enterprises with showcase of latest tech and trends
C
onnecTechAsia - the inaugural public to serve as "human sensors" and report Potential applications include building
mega technology event comprising on safety-related matters using their mobile smart, green buildings to public safety
BroadcastAsia, CommunicAsia and the devices, enhancing the uptime and efficiency of systems, transport, and public amenities such
new NXTAsia - wrapped up recently after public utilities. as street lighting, energy and water resource
an exciting three days of exhibitions and a AsiaSat, a leading satellite operator in Asia, management.
summit covering the latest innovations in also announced its collaboration with KBZ to KaHa, an end-to-end smart wearable
cloud, blockchain, AI, VR/AR, IoT, robotics, 5G, provide OTT satellite video service in Myanmar, technology company, unveiled its range of smart
IP broadcasting, OTT and smart cities, among enabling audiences across the country to enjoy body and wellness-monitoring apparel. These
others. video content and TV programmes wherever apparel leverage on smart sensors and IoT to
Under the new brand, ConnecTechAsia drew they are, be it in rural areas or while on-the-go monitor one’s heart rate, VO2 Max and ECG via
close to 40,000 attendees from 96 countries/ on trains or planes. a smart phone application, offering possibilities
regions, and 1,800 exhibitors from 52 countries/ The inaugural Thailand Connect seminar, for applications such as athlete training and
regions this year. Emerging technologies co-organised with Thailand’s Digital sectors such as construction and the military.
and digital disruption were hot topics, amid Economy Promotion Agency (depa), saw the "IoT is revolutionising our world and today it is
the convergence of the Telecoms, Media and announcement of five core themes that are a at the favourable intersection of affordability
Technology (TMT) industries in an evolving focal point for the Thai government, namely big and availability, thus driving innovation. KaHa’s
business landscape. data, digital manpower, cybersecurity, income smart apparel range is the first to seamlessly
inequality gap, and digital transformation integrate such sensors invisibly within a
Gateway to Asia – a fast growing, 4.0, which will enable businesses for digital comfortable, washable fabric that allows people
digital powerhouse transformation in its next stage of economic to realise their fitness and health goals through
Today, the Asia-Pacific region accounts for 44 growth. real-time monitoring of their vital stats," said
per cent of global GDP1 and its shift towards Pawan Gandhi, Founder & CEO of KaHa and
digital is powering the region towards a new era Showcasing Singapore’s Summit speaker.
of economic growth and redefining the region’s Innovation – from Smart Cities to ConnecTechAsia will return for its 2019
social landscape. Smart Apparel edition from 18-20 June at Marina Bay
Using ConnecTechAsia as a gateway to ST Engineering and SP Group announced Sands and Suntec Singapore. Visit www.
the region, the exhibition saw several Asian Singapore’s first pay-per-use IoT-as-a-service ConnecTechAsia.com for more information.
launches. PepperStack Global, with the support platform trial, which will enable organisations to ConnecTechAsia is organised by UBM,
of the Victorian Government of Australia, move into the IoT space and bring their services which in June 2018 combined with Informa
launched their new NeatStreets Around Me faster and closer to their customers without PLC to become a leading B2B information
and Micro-compensation feature-sets into costly investment on infrastructure, connectivity services group and the largest B2B Events
the Southeast Asian markets, which allow the and data analytics. in the world.

news
Hong Leong Digital Day 2018

Back for another year and with many prizes won
as we increase products and services offerings
on these digital platforms," said Domenic Fuda,
who is the Group Managing Director and Chief
Executive Officer at HLB.
HLB has also launched a "HLB Digital Day AR
Challenge" that lasted from 4th to 31st July 2018.
During this period, seven Facebook AR filters
that introduce the bank's digital services and
products, such as Chatbot and Pay Mobile (PEx),
were released. HLB Customers were encouraged
to snap some pictures using these filters and
the first 7,000 customers to do so received an
ice-cream e-voucher from Baskin Robbins, as
Domenic Fuda, Group Managing Director and CEO, Hong Leong Bank; and Charles Sik, Managing Director of well as a chance to be one of seven people to win
Personal Financial Services, Hong Leong Bank
RM7,000 worth in fixed deposit cash (seven-
month tenure).
A
year has gone by since Hong Leong Bank 2017, about 48% of HLB customers regularly use Besides that, the bank also prepared other
(HLB) first launched its Digital Day, which either the online or mobile platform for banking surprises, such as exclusive online deals and
seems to be more of a digital week this transactions. a SpinToWin campaign for the Hong Leong
time around. Held from the 7th July to 13th July "The strong adoption of our digital channels Connect mobile app. The latter is definitely the
2018, the bank gave away more than RM17 is testament to the growing maturity and more exciting for the average HLB customer,
million in prizes and e-vouchers. increased expectations of our customer base as it provides a chance to win a Huawei P20
The bank's digital platforms have seen and Malaysians at large. We expect to see strong smartphone daily.
strong customer adoption. As of the end of continued growth in digital banking transactions www.hlb.com.my/DigitalDay
LG Home Experience
The TV also comes with a Dolby ATMOS
soundbar that’s ready to provide you an
immersive entertainment experience when
you bite the bullet. It is available in 65-inch and
Showcase 2018
LG gives media the opportunity to check out their line of
77-inch models, for RM34,999 and RM74,999
respectively.
https://www.lg.com/my
OLED to UHD TV’s and more

which aims to integrate various
home appliances with IoT to
create a home experience that
can be controlled regardless of
location or time.
But the star of the show
was definitely LG’s Signature
OLED TV, the LG OLED65W8.
It features an a9 intelligent
processor for 4K Cinema HDR
and incredible picture quality.
The viewing angle is amazing
R
ecently, we got to attend an LG event and colours still incredible even
that showcased products ranging at steep angles, but how this fits into the LG
from the brand's TVs, home appliances, Home Experience is the smart functions the TV
washing machine and refrigerators. They also is capable of. Using its remote control, you can
displayed some of their monitors for gaming give commands to the TV to search for YouTube
and entertainment, all these are part of LG’s videos and even perform a Google search
Home Experience ecosystem for a smart home, without the hassle of typing. Incredibly thin, and takes up barely any space at all

news
Project With Epson It is also powered with a 1.58x optical zoom

that allows it to be used in small and large
spaces without hassle. You can also connect
LightScene EV-105 the projector to other devices using HDMI, Wired

LAN, Wireless and also features a SD card slot
as well.
Lighting up your shops and venues like a pro The Epson LightScene EV-105 is now
available for purchase in Malaysia and retails at
E
pson recently announced a new memorable experience." RM10,000.
projector designed for retail, F&B and The LightScene EV-105 utilises 3LCD laser www.epson.com.my
hospitality environments. It offers a new technology that boasts up to 20,000 hours of
and different solution for retailers, bars and maintenance-free operation, with a sealed
hotels to separate themselves from the rest optical engine for breathtaking image quality
with innovative digital art and digital signage with high performance. You can also utilise
experiences for their customers. the Epson Content Manager
Danny Lee, the Director for Sales and software that is bundled with
Marketing of Epson Malaysia mentioned: templates, effects, colours, shape
"Display technology is changing the way filters and customisable options
consumers interact with brands and products, to create your projections, as
with the ability to delight and engage well as create playlists with
consumers in an entirely new and visually the software. Users can also
compelling ways. The LightScene projector control it remotely using a PC or
expands Epson’s presence in the signage and smart devices with the Epson
lighting sector with its space friendly design and Web Control site through web
flexible visual expressions. It can enable creative browsers.
displays to deliver edutainment type content In addition, it supports
through imagery, motion and information. vertical and horizontal rotation
Retailers and businesses can easily create on floors, walls and even ceilings
captivating and immersive environments for using the 360-degree mounting.
BenQ Unveils W11000H 4K UHD

Home Cinema Projector
Bringing even greater 4K UHD performance than ever before with the BenQ W11000H
B
enQ revealed its latest W11000H employs 14 high-resolution elements, a true a mesmerisingly immersive movie watching
projector at the KLIAV 2018, the zoom system, and special low-dispersion lens experience.
ultimate digital home cinema flagship coatings to preserve spectacular visual quality http://www.benq.com.my/product/projector/
featuring projector-optimised HDR, and true for an authentic digital cinema experience. w11000h
8.3-megapixel 4K UHD performance. Expanding Augmenting its high native ANSI contrast
upon its already impressive 4K UHD visual ratio, W11000H’s Active Iris and Dynamic
quality, W11000H adds projector-optimised Black technology, SmartEco, and proprietary
HDR10 support, significantly increasing black paint sealed light engine produces
brightness and contrast range to bring out every an astounding 50,000:1 dynamic contrast
subtle nuance and detail for unprecedented performance for fine detail rendition in
digital cinema performance. the darkest and brightest scenes without
Harnessing the advanced DLP 4K UHD DMD washout to preserve every subtlety of the
with XPR technology, W11000H produces 3840 original content. W11000H’s CinemaMaster
x 2160 distinct pixels for true 8.3-million pixel image processing technology improves vivid
4K UHD resolution. Single-DMD DLP technology colour reproduction, flesh tone correction, and
ensures absolute image integrity and colour advanced digital colour and luminance noise
accuracy without artifacts that can be reduction. Its UHD performance opens a wider
introduced by panel alignment issues, especially viewing angle to allow comfortable viewing of
critical at 4K with much finer pixels than 1080p. ultra-detailed 4K images up close, maximising
BenQ’s highly optimised 4K optical system then the useable screen size in any given space for The W11000H at KLIAV 2018

security report
RFID Kit Opens

Doors In Hotels
Criminals can calculate new key cards and enter any hotel
room – without leaving traces behind
The reason for the tests by F-Secure was that a laptop
T
he Finnish security specialist F-Secure warns that of a co-worker was snitched from his hotel room a few
electronically secured doors in the hotels are not years ago. However, the hotel in question had rejected the
safe. Employees of the company have succeeded in complaint at that time, because no trace of a break-in was
creating a new master key with the help of discarded key found on the door.
cards, which can be used to open hotel doors. According to
F-Secure, what is especially disastrous here is that the trick
works secretly and without any traces.
A lot of hotels abroad rely on RFID cards (Radio-
Frequency Identification) in order to hand over a personal
key card to each guest instead of traditional keys. These
cards can then be programmed with different codes and
allow doors to be opened at a short distance of a few
centimeters. However, the findings from F-Secure suggest
that the problem lies in the fact that a new master key
can be generated using data from multiple key cards of a
hotel via a freely available RFID kit on the Internet, which
can provide free access to just about anyone. Security
researchers have detected multiple vulnerabilities in the lock
system that is used, which makes the hack possible when
put together.
According to F-Secure, the manufacturer was informed
before releasing the loopholes and has already developed
patches, which should rectify the problems. All the affected An employee from F-Secure demonstrates how to open a hotel door
hotels were informed and requested to install the updates. with a new master key
Data Theft Of The Month

TWITTER: PASSWORDS STORED GERMAN UNIVERSITIES A TARGET OF PUBG: FIGHT AGAINST CHEATERS
UNENCRYPTED IRANIAN DATA HACKERS AND DATA THIEVES
Twitter, the short message service, had to The magazine "Der Spiegel", reported that PlayerUnknown Battlegrounds (PUBG) is one
admit an embarrassing mishap. As Iranian hackers have gained access to a lot of the most popular games with millions of
revealed in a blog entry written by the of unpublished research results, doctoral fans worldwide. However, the developer
company itself, passwords of Twitter users theses and conference reports of multiple shared that 15 suspects have been arrested
were stored in an internal log file without German universities by means of phishing in China, who are supposed to have cheat
encryption. How many accounts are mails and fake websites. The Attorney not just in the game, but have also been
affected is uncertained, but the company General is said to have hypothesised accused of spreading Trojans and stealing
advised all the users to change their "espionage" and should have already private data from other gamers.
current password. initiated investigations.

security report
Dangerous Security Gaps In

The 7-Zip Unpcacker
A
vulnerability has been discovered in the popular archiving and packing programme 7-Zip, which is estimated to be high-
risk. It is supposed to make it easy for attackers to implement malicious code on unknown computers. The critical gap has
since been rectified with Version 18.05, so a prompt update is recommended.
Google Warns Old Bugs

Against Security In New
Loophole In Routers
Windows 10 A
report by Fidus Infosec suggests that
because older code was used in new
products, security loopholes have appeared
in TP-Link routers, which had previously been
W
ith Project Zero, Google is operating an ambitious closed. According to Tim Carrington, pentester at
project, which consistently discovers dangerous Fidus Security, this multiple use of code is a big
security vulnerabilities in the software of other problem in the Internet of Things. He says that
manufacturers. This time, it is Windows 10 that has been many manufacturers rely on poorly secured
affected. The vulnerability in the .Net framework could allow the products of other providers and sell these under
execution of any foreign code. But the update to Redstone 4 is their brand. Therefore, getting patches for these
expected to close this bug. devices is often difficult, if not impossible.
Danger Barometer Even IT professionals are sloppy when it comes to passwords

According to a poll by SailPoint and Vanson Bourne, even IT professionals are not
immune to using weak passwords. For instance, around ten per cent of them are
Freely estimated to be using simple passwords such as "password".
available High risk
RFID kits on Password usage (in percent, multiple answers are possible)
the internet
could allow 55
anyone to 55
reprogramme
RFID cards
to open any Medium risk 45
hotel room
SOURCE: SAILPOINT/VANSON BOURNE
door
35 32
28
Low risk 25 20 20
15 10
0
Multiple use Simple Names of Names of Favourite Terms from
passwords pets places athlete list of words

world wired web
conference, Google presented Duplex to the public for the first time
and made a telephonic appointment with a hairdresser and a
restaurant booking as well. While doing so, Duplex responded to the
questions of his conversation partners in such a natural way that it
was impossible for them to know that it was not a person at the
other end of the line but a software. Duplex took similar pauses
typical in normal human dialogue and also threw in a "hm" or an "ah"
as if pausing for reflection. That raises the question: Should AI deceive
us to such an extent? Google insists that there will be no deception;
Duplex is expected to identify itself as AI at the beginning of the
conversation. The presentation on the I/O was only an early technical
demo.
Nevertheless, Duplex gives a certain foretaste of the future
because Google is not the only company that works in the field of
natural speech output – Alexa and Siri would also stand in good
stead. Especially since the core of Duplex is nothing more than a
Human-Like AI
neural network with feedback loops to adapt to the continuously
changing direction of a conversation. Such a network is not
revolutionary, but rather an advancement of an existing technology.
G
oogle basically consists of a humungous pile of data, which is Considering the Duplex hype, the introduction of the new Android
constantly screened by countless analysis tools. The most P was almost drowned out. But there's important news on that as
important analysts are artificial intelligence tools, which dig well. Google has integrated the mobile phone manufacturers early on
up structures in the data mountain. Duplex is at the forefront of this in the development process, so that more devices can receive an
tool in some ways, although the AI does not act as a data analyst upgrade to P faster. After all, the AI in P is expected to control the
but as a dialogue partner to humans. At the Google I/O developer standby behaviour of smartphones to prolong the battery time.
Facebook Is VLC Blacklists

Working On Huawei Devices
Blockchain Due To Negative
Technology App Reviews
T V
he blockchain technology is trending since the boom for LC has decided to block some of Huawei’s latest phones on
cryptocurrencies. And Facebook, too, wants to implement Google Play after they realised they have been receiving
this technology in the company. Right at the beginning of negative reviews due to a decision on Huawei’s part. The
the year, CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced that his company decision from Huawei basically kills background apps due to an
would like to deal with blockchains. It has formed a separate aggressive battery management by Huawei. This also kills any
department for this purpose and transferred the control to ex audio playback, which happens in the background. This has led to
Messenger head David Marcus. However, it is unclear as to how many believing it was VLC’s fault.
Facebook wants to use this technology in its social network.
Despite inquiries, Facebook did not give any concrete answers.
Firefox 60: Longer Support, Now

Fit For Enterprise
T
he current version 60 of the web browser Mozilla Firefox combines update is automatically run for existing Firefox installations. Firefox 60 is
the fast rendering engine Quantum with an enterprise policy also available as an extended support release version, which will be
engine, which enables far-reaching customisations of the providing security updates for more than a year. This version is available
configuration across different installations and operating systems. The under www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/.

world wired web
Language Assistants Can Be

Hacked Via Dolphin Attacks
R
esearchers of the Berkeley University have discovered that numbers or secretly put certain products on the shopping list. As a
acoustic commands can be hidden in music recordings and result, attacks with more serious consequences and with links to
voice messages that allows language assistants to be malware sites are conceivable as well. Due to the high frequencies
controlled. Moreover, blurs in the speech recognition software would used, such hacks are also called Dolphin attacks. The hidden tones
be exploited. Google Assistant could thus also be addressed with the are subtly modified, so that the speech software interprets them as
call "Cocaine Noodles" instead of "OK Google". Ultrasonic transmitters alphabets. Nicholas Carlini would like to help with the detection of
can therefore also be used to send commands that are inaudible to these gaps so that manufacturers such as Apple, Google and Amazon
humans to Amazon Echo, Siri & Co., for example, to select telephone can quickly close them.
Heating Overwhelming
T
he new Apple MacBook Pro laptops test. He also mentioned that the i9 is faster not sure if Apple shipped out imperfect units
were just released into the wild not when it comes to single-core test. Even after knowing that it has thermal issues, or if they
too long ago and they are designed the new update, John mentioned the i9 is still did not test their units before shipping them
and created for professionals whose work slower than the i7, but it is now slightly out to consumers. But at least they were
usually rely on processor-intensive tasks. faster and the frequency is stable now. We’re quick to recognize mistakes and fix them.
Initially, the new upgrade was met with
hurrahs all over, but buyers soon found out
that their laptops were underperforming
and overheating.
Representatives from Apple addressed
the issue and has released a software to fix
the issue. "Following extensive
performance testing under numerous
workloads, we’ve identified that there is a
missing digital key in the firmware that
impacts the thermal management system
and could drive clock speeds down. We
apologize to any customer who has
experiences less than optimal performance
on their new systems."
John Poole, a dev from Geekbench,
mentioned on his Twitter that on average,
the i9 MacBook Pro is slower than the i7
MacBook Pro when ran on a custom stress

world wired web
Encryption Via PGP More

Precarious Than Expected
U
nder the leadership of Prof. Dr. Sebastian Schinzel, the Münster programmes and services, including Outlook, Windows Mail, or
University of Applied Sciences has been scrutinising encryption Thunderbird, all of which use e-mail encryption. As a matter of fact, the
via PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) - a method that has been used standard S/MIME, which is mainly used in the corporate environment,
since the 90s to encrypt e-mails and other messages. The conclusion is "irrevocably corrupted". Experts of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
of the research shows that neither OpenPGP, nor S/MIME guarantees therefore recommend refraining from sending sensitive information via
the security of coded contents in an adequate manner. If an attacker is e-mail in case of doubt, or to resort to secure alternatives such as the
able to intercept such e-mails, access to the entire plaintext or parts messenger Signal, which uses end-to-end encryption, for the time
thereof is possible via the e-mail client. This issue affects nearly all being.
NES Classic Mini The Father Of

Soon To Be WhatsApp
Available Again Leaves Facebook
T J
he much sought-after retro console NES Classic Mini has become an Koum, the second creator of the WhatsApp messenger, has
available for sale again, according to a tweet from Nintendo's official left Facebook. Koum – a multibillionaire after the sale of
Twitter account. The popular console was sold out in the shortest WhatsApp – was working in the Facebook administrative board,
span after the 2016 release. Since then, the NES Classic is available only but when the plan to monetise WhatsApp through advertising was
through unofficial ways and with a very high surcharge. Nindendo would push through, he followed Brian Acton's (WhatsApp co-founder)
like to counter this now and offer the console again for the regular price of lead and left the company. The new head of WhatsApp is Chris
around RM350. In addition, both the NES Classic Mini and the SNES Daniels, who previously provided developing countries with free
Classic Mini are expected to be available till the end of 2018. restricted web access with the Facebook initiative internet.org.

world wired web
Uber Self-
driving Cars
Back On The
Streets
U
ber is back on the streets with their self-driving cars, but
with a catch. After the crash that killed Elaine Herzberg in
Tempe, Arizona, the cars are back on the streets but now
Boston
with a driver behind the wheel - for now. The car will be driven to
collect data and feedback that will be used to improve the car’s
performance in the future.
Dynamics
Wants To
Provide First
SpotMini in 2019
B
oston Dynamics became known online a few years ago for its
dog-like robots. Its SpotMini is now expected to enter the market
with a quantity of 100 in 2019. The jumping, running and door-
opening robots ought to be useful, for tasks like guarding company
premises. So far, Boston Dynamics has primarily manufactured robots
by order of the US military.
Small Foretaste
Of Trade War
T
he second largest Chinese mobile manufacturer ZTE has
suddenly stopped production. The reason is sanctions of the
US Ministry of Commerce, because ZTE has violated the trade
embargo against Iran by providing the country with
telecommunication technology. As a penalty, US companies are no
longer allowed to supply any products to ZTE for seven years. As
ZTE smartphones consist of more than 25 percent US components,
the production of, for example, Axon 7 has become impossible (see
image). Moreover, Google is no longer allowed to send Android
security updates to ZTE. The penalties are not only doing damage
to US suppliers such as the chip manufacturer Qualcomm, but also
creating security loopholes for all those using a ZTE mobile phone.
Meanwhile, the US president Trump tweeted that an alternative
sanctions will be found so that ZTE can continue to stay in
business. The event demonstrates very nicely that "America First"
is a simple solution with devastating consequences.

feature
Technilexicon:
(Windows on Windows) and from there, they
arrive into an Emulator that reconverts them
into ARM instructions. Other X86 commands
Windows 10
will not need to take the diversion via the
Emulator, but intead will go to CHPE-DLLs
- CHPE pronounced as "Chippy". These
Compiled Hybrid Portable Executables deal
For Mobile
with system libraries, which are programmed
in the ARM code but understand and process
the X86 commands.
At this point, Windows can spare the
With the variant Windows 10 on ARM, Microsoft is taking a emulation. The abstraction layer also collects
second start in establishing the system through use of the ARM the CHPE output and sends everything to the
CPUs. The highlight: Desktop programs should also run on it system services, so that they are executed by
the kernel.
By Markus Mandau
Restricted compatibility
D
espite Azure Cloud Services and Office with a better concept. The aim is for even However, this process has a few drawbacks.
365, the operating system Windows desktop programs to be able to run on ARM For one, the emulator can process only the
remains the heartbeat of Microsoft. It in Windows 10, so that the users can port a 32-bit code from X86 programs. According to
has been installed in various versions on huge part of their PC environment to the new Microsoft, there will be no 64-Bit emulator,
more than a billion computers and almost all ARM computer. Windows due to patent problems. For
of them is equipped with an X86-processor. 10 on ARM looks, starts An Emulator the X86 emulation, Intel has
The acronym X86 stands for a processor and also functions exactly for 64 Bit indirectly threatened with a
architecture and the set of commands like the normal Windows. will not be a part of Windows complaint since one holds
associated with it that are supported by chip Three developers will 10 on ARM in the future, said the patents for this
manufacturers like Intel and AMD. X86 was offer Always-Connected Microsoft command set. As for 64-Bit,
developed as 32-Bit architecture but in 2003, PCs with Windows 10 on AMD may also have a plan in
AMD defined a 64-Bit command set as an ARM, from May onwards. The ARM platform the works. It's important to know that
extension to it. Today, most of the PCs and has two advantages against the X86. In there is a difference between 32 and 64-Bit
notebooks run on a Windows version which theory, the processors work more efficiently, in the ARM world. Windows on ARM is
exploits the 64 Bit. which leads to longer battery life. Also, the indeed a system that natively supports
However, none of these Windows version integration of a wireless modem is done ARM64, but is now only able to execute
support software that was developed for the more efficiently. Therefore, such PCs will ARM32 apps. This is true for UWP apps
ARM architecture. ARM chips can be found in always have a SIM slot. (Universal Windows Platform) compiled
over 2.5 billion smartphones and most of the with Microsoft’s Visual Studio, as done for
tablets. While the number of these mobile With Emulation to success original X86 programs that are converted to
devices is increasing constantly, the X86 Since desktop programs do not run directly an app using the Desktop Bridge.
computers are getting stagnant and losing on the ARM platform, an emulator must Therefore, Microsoft presented the
their importance instead. Programmers convert the X86 code to ARM commands preview for a Software Development Kit in
would prefer developing for all platforms, but beforehand. This leads to a loss in May in its in-house exhibition Build. This
if one doesn't work out, then generally they performance that is attenuated by two kit helps compile apps directly for ARM64.
will choose the platform with the larger factors. Firstly, always-connected PCs are But external drivers are a problem, as they
potential - and the choice will be ARM. still using the old but powerful Snapdragon must be compiled for ARM. If an X86
835 chip from Qualcomm that drove the most software has its own drivers to integrated
Windows on mobile devices powerful Android devices in 2017. virtual drives, then this will not work.
In 2012, Microsoft already had re- Additionally, Microsoft tried to reduce the Whether Windows 10 on ARM has a better
programmed Windows 8 that ran on the ARM emulation work that Windows must execute. future than RT - this depends on whether
platform, but this Windows RT did not go Theoretically, this works similar to the the emulation of the X86 programs will
down well with the users since popular execution of the 32-Bit software on a 64-Bit pass off smoothly. We will know more at
desktop programs like Firefox or Photoshop Windows, where an abstraction layer plays the end of year when the second
did not work on it. The hardware the main role. Also, calls that the X86 generation of the Always-Connected PCs
Photo: Hersteller
manufacturer did not earn any money with program directs towards the systems are with the new high-end Snapdragon 845
their ARM devices, causing the project to fail. forwarded to the X86 system libraries. They chip, which is expected to be 20 percent
Now, Microsoft wants to revive the old idea route a part of these X86 commands to WoW more powerful than its predecessor.

feature
Windows 10 on ARM computers

With Windows 10 on ARM, Microsoft brings out a new variant that runs on
smartphone or tablet chips. The first devices like the 2-in-1 ASUS NovaGo (see right)
should already be available in some countries. Their advantage is that they have a
much longer battery life than notebooks with Intel CPU
Desktop software is emulated

Microsoft has redesigned Windows 10 so that it also executes programs that have
X86-code that isn't compatible to the ARM platform. This happens via emulation and
costs performance. Fortunately, this is not necessary for many apps from the
Windows Store, as they are already compiled for ARM.
ARM-Code x86-Code
Many desktop programs from the old MS Paint to the latest

Photoshop CC are programmed for the X86 architecture.
Windows must convert the code beforehand so that they
can be run on an ARM chip:
1 First, the code is run by the X86 system libraries as done
in normal Windows 10.
x86 System DLLs 2 A part is loaded in the CHPE DLLs that are programmed
x86 System DLLs for the ARM platform, but X86 commands are processed.
1
x86 System DLLs 3 The remaining code goes into an emulator that converts it
Native System DLLs from X86 to ARM.
Native System DLLs 4 The abstraction layer collects the converted code and
4 2 forwards it to the system services.
Native System DLLs Windows-on-Windows CHPE*-DLLs
Abstraction layer CHPE*-DLLs
*CHPE: Compiled Hybrid Portable Executable
3 CPU Emulator for

x86 to ARM
Windows-Services
The code is run on a system on chip
(SoC) like Qualcomm‘s Snapdragon 835,
which is usually installed in high-end
Windows Kernel and Drivers smartphones
Customise emulation
If the emulation creates problems
then you can customise it 1 via
Limited compatibility the context menu "Compatibility"
The emulation of Windows 10 on RM is limited to X86 programs and for example, disable the CHPE
with 32 Bit. Only programs that the developers have converted DLLs.
to app via the Desktop Bridge can be recompiled for 64 Bit.
x86- 64-Bit- ARM ARM

Emulation Emulation 32 Bit 64 Bit
x86-program ○ ○ ○ ○
64-Bit-program ○ ○ ○ ○
UWP*-App ○ ○ ○ ○
Desktop-Bridge-App ○ ○ ○ ○**
* Universal Windows Platform ○ yes ○ no
** Can be re-compiled via SDK for ARM64 in future 1 2
feature
Less Backdoors,
More Censorships
By banning domain fronting, Google and Amazon play into the hands of state censors, as the
technology can be used to bypass Internet locks
By Andreas Th. Fischer
Photos: NicolasMcComber/Getty Images (main image.); Nick Lee (portrait)
D
ue to the ever increasing surveillance worldwide by intelligence Eavesdroppers between both these points either cannot decode
agencies and private companies in recent years, it has become the content, can only do so with great effort. A lot of well-known
all the more important for many people to use messenger crypto-experts have verified the source text by Signal and rate the
programmes that have a sound and trustworthy encryption system. application as trustworthy and secure. But that makes it a thorn in
The messenger Signal has a particularly good reputation in this the side of several authoritarian regimes who want to retain
context. It was developed under an open-source license and can be control over the communication of their populace. That way,
used as an app on Android and iOS and as a desktop application on according to the information of the Signal developers, countries
Windows, Mac OS and Linux for free. like Egypt, Oman, Qatar and United Arab Emirates have been trying
to block the use of Signal by means of technical locking since
Encryption against censorship about one and a half years ago.
Signal protects sent messages from "end-to-end". This means that There are less Internet providers in these countries, so Signal's
a message is already encrypted on the sender’s end device and servers can be blocked by means of their IP addresses. The blocks are
then transmitted to the receiver, where it is then decrypted. made even easier by the fact that the TLS (Transport Layer Security)

feature
protocol - used for transmission - transfers the host name of the This is how domain fronting works
destination in plain text by means of a handshake between two In domain fronting, the communication with a banned domain is hidden
subscribers. However, the Signal creator and chief developer Matthew in a TLS packet, which is initially sent to a permitted domain such as
Rosenfield, who mostly appears under his pseudonym Moxie google.com
Source: https://www.bamsoftware.com/
Marlinspike, has made use of the innovative technique called Domain
Fronting to circumvent the blockades. DNS
allowed domain,
for example, "google.com"
Domain fronting to protect communication
Domain fronting hides the comparatively small amount of data traffic
papers/fronting/
caused by a chat user in the gigantic data traffic of a major Internet
Client TLS
service like Google. As a result, the data is first packed locally and allowed domain
then sent to a server, which a lot of users in these countries visit for HTTP
things like searching information. The package is then unpacked on banned domain
the server and forwarded to the actual destination. On the way back,
the communication returns to the first user using the same method.
Even the Telegram messenger is likely using domain fronting.
According to media reports, around 40 million people in Iran have the Security experts such as Matthew
option to use Telegram and communicate with each other Mitchell from CryptoHarlem
uninterruptedly. The Signal developers around Moxie Marlinspike also reproached Google and Amazon,
wanted to provide that to their users. arguing that domain fronting
could be allowed selectively
However, domain fronting has not been activated as a standard
in Signal, but takes place only if the software recognises a phone
number from one of the Arab countries mentioned. The only choice
left to a local censorship body then would be to completely block
access to Google for its population, and very few want to go that far.
The technology used by Signal disguises the messages of the
local users as completely normal requests to Google, encrypted via Increased censorship on the
HTTPS. However, this is no longer possible, because Google has Internet
decided to block domain fronting in the future. The company did not
The status of freedom on the in mobile networks.
provide any explanation for that, but Moxie Marlinspike suspects that
Internet does not look very good. Specifically, in areas with
Google does not want to be used as a mask if a country has decided Only 23 per cent of the minorities or groups seeking
to block an unpopular service. An alternative to Google would be AWS population worldwide has non- independence, more and more
(Amazon Web Services) but even the Amazon subsidiary hastened to censored access to the Internet. mobile networks are being
cut off domain fronting following Google's lead. Another 28 % has at least shut down for political or
partially free access to the reasons relevant to security.
AWS informed Signal developers in an e-mail that the
Internet, while around 36 per Also, access to content
technology does not correspond to its terms of service. They would cent is directly affected by streamed live on the Internet
end the cooperation with Signal immediately if the programmers censorship measures. The is also being impeded. The use
continue to use the service in order to conceal communication. AWS numbers are from 2017 and stem of Virtual Private Networks
explained this company policy a little later in a blog post, citing the from the "Freedom on the net" (VPNs) is also bothering the
report by Freedom House, which censors, according to Freedom
possibility for malwares to also use domain fronting to obfuscate
is published once every year. House. In fact, 14 countries
data transfers. However, security experts such as Matthew Mitchell According to information of the have already blocked access to
from CryptoHarlem argue that domain fronting could quite possibly USA-supported organisation, VPN networks "in one way or
be allowed only selectively – provided that the participating Internet censorship is primarily increasing the other".
companies are willing to.
13 % 36 %
undocumented no free access
Next round in the fight for a free Internet
In the view of Signal developers, the Internet giants are promoting Internet use
Source: Report "Freedom on the net 2017"
censorship with their decisions. "The idea behind domain fronting worldwide
was that someone has to block the entire Internet if they want to Today, about two
thirds of the Internet
block a single service," said Moxie Marlinspike. "At the end of the traffic worldwide is
day, the rest of the Internet doesn’t want that." They are now trying more or less
to develop another, more robust method. The current measures, controlled
however, came into place with barely any notice, making it difficult
to react to them immediately. The fight for secure communication
on the Internet thus enters the next round. 23 % 28 %
free access partially free access

feature
Tesla For Everyone

Hundreds of thousands are waiting for their reserved Tesla Model 3. For less than half the price, the
compact e-car is expected to offer almost everything the big models can. Here‘s our first test from
our counterparts in Germany
Photos: Sebastian Viehmann (main image); Hanna Klein (opening door); manufacturer
By Sebastian Viehmann and Sepp Reitberger
S
ince Tesla collected over 400,000 pre-orders for the budget- Exotic solutions for the attention to detail
priced Model 3 within just a few weeks in 2016, interested Tesla’s inclination for fancy details can be felt even before stepping
parties and investors have been put to a hard test of patience. inside the car. Instead of a key, doors can either be unlocked using a
The start of the actual production was delayed for months, and smartphone or with an NFC card, which is cradled to the B-Pillar of
instead of the planned 10,000 cars, only about 2,000 vehicles were the car. The door handles are lowered like those of the Model S,
produced weekly in the February of 2018. In May and June, the which do not unlock electrically but with a press of the thumb. This
production was expected to gradually increase to 6,000 cars per can be done easily with one hand only with a little practice.
week, and Tesla is offering variants in the USA instead of the You can unlock the doors from the inside via button press, but a
previous model with rear-wheel drive and 75 kWh battery. As for mechanical emergency unlocking is only available for the front
when delivery to other countries would be ready, we don’t know. doors. The trunk is missing an electric feature, of all things, but the
Despite this, we used the opportunity to test one of the few storage space that is not inferior to that of the VW Golf . Apart from
Model 3s. Usually, the only way to get the cars is to have buy it from the trunk, there is another storage space under the front hood
dealers who import the cars on their own initiative and can only be around the size of 85 litres. On the back seats, the headroom is
authorised with a costly individual license. We experienced our test good enough even for people who are tall, while the middle seat is
car in full throttle mode, among other things, on a closed-off airfield bearable only for short distances.
and got a good impression of the car. The Model 3 experience is special even in terms of the internal space.

feature
First, the dashboard behind the steering wheel is empty and there are no No switches
buttons except for the indicator and automatic selector levers. The huge There is not a single switch on the dashboard of Model 3 – the central
touch display known from the Model S is installed in Model 3 in landscape touchscreen controls absolutely everything
format and takes over all the display and operating functions, such as
unlocking the glove box, among other things. However, lawmakers have
demanded that the installation of one particular switch for hazard lights.
In the case of the Tesla 3, it is located above the interior mirror.
What functions well for the operation, thanks to good structuring and
quick response times, is impractical for the drive mode. A simple head-up
display as an option can reduce this, but this option is not yet available.
The most important information on the display is that it promises a range
of 275 miles with full battery (442 kilometres - according to US tests, a
realistic indication for highway speeds up to 110 km/h). Higher end
versions with 90 or 100 kWh batteries are expected to drive further. For
comparison, the basic version with 60 kWh battery is supposed to manage
220 miles (352 kilometres) according to US standards.
Performance is sustained and abundant

When hitting the throttle, it is immediately clear that the Model 3 is an
acceleration champion amongst compact e-cars. With the simple rear-
wheel drive motorisation with ample 300 PS, it only needs five seconds for
Tesla does not provide
the sprint from 0 to 100 km/h - two to three seconds faster than its an orthodox key – the
competitors, the i3 and e-Golf. And in contrast to those two, the 1.7-tonne doors open either via
mobile phone or via a
Tesla can also attain a speed of over 200 km/h. Even at high speeds, the key card
wind noise level in the Tesla is bearable. The car deals with curves more
actively than the slightly awkward Model S and X. With a four-wheel drive
and a more refined suspension, they can certainly do better.
The capacity of the battery is astonishing, of which Tesla has changed
the format for Model 3. A number of full throttle sprints are necessary,
before the power is temporarily dialled down sometimes. The battery in
model S does get drained much faster. After testing, we found that at the
end of a long test day that included demanding sprints, the average Unnecessarily
consumption was 19.3 kWh per 100 kilometres. For exact consumption different –
tests, we will have to test the Model 3 over a longer period of time, but and tricky
we can already speculate the results. This e-car will easily manage daily The lowered door
handles of the Model
ranges between 300 and 400 kilometres, or even up to 500 kilometres in 3 are so cumbersome
certain conditions. to open that you
There are more negatives than positives with regard to the might need two
hands for that
processing quality. Our test car bears the production number 1,600,
from the 2017 batch, which may excuse some of the venialities in
the interior. The Model 3 is far removed from that offered by
premium German cars. Paint quality is actually inferior and the
window lifters of the frameless side windows did not always work
right away. However, there was no catastrophic manufacturing
defects that we could detect, which is a good thing.
The charging connection, online connection and autopilot
functions in our test car were US-accredited, which is why we
cannot give an assessment of the fast charging times or assistance
systems. Regardless, the autopilot was activated anyway when it
recognised a suitable road.
In conclusion, if the basic 60 kWh battery version of the Model 3
is actually sold in the range of around 35,000 USD (1 USD ~ RM4.06)
including funding, it would be the indisputable choice. Only a Jaguar
i-Pace or an Audi e-tron quattro, for more than 80,000 Euros (1
Euro ~ RM4.71) each, is superior to the Model 3. The space on the back seat is far above-average for the compact class. The
headroom is sufficient for tall persons

feature
Hidden Functions In
Android And iOS
Undocumented settings bring added performance and security for the popular mobile phone
system. We will show you where you can find these switches and configure everything correctly
By Fabian Von Keudell
Photo: Designed by katemangostar / Freepik
EXPLOIT ANDROID
A
pple and Google seem to agree over one point: Android and
iOS devices can be used intuitively even without detailed Thanks to its open architecture, the Google OS is a stash of hidden
instructions for any of the devices. This may work for functions and options. However, depending on the version, the activation
standard tasks, but there are numerous hidden functions in the paths of the functions may differ; the options often are slightly different
system that even advanced users, who have been using these and are listed further above or at the bottom in the respective menu.
devices for years, are not yet aware of. In this article, we will show Find performance settings
you a selection of the most useful tricks for Google’s Android and Google has implemented the Developer Mode in almost all Android
Apple iOS that can not only make the operating systems more products, but it is disabled by disabled. To activate the mode, go to
secure, but also a bit faster. "Settings | Via the phone" and then to the option "Build Number",

feature
which should activate the Developer mode. You can find important
settings in "Settings | Developer Options". Those who have tried to
install alternate OS versions on their device would know of this
mode, as its USB Debugging is required for this. But the mode also
helps in increasing the performance. To do this, disable the window
5 Useful Apps For Android
animation first. Set the "Window animation scale", "Transition 1. Outlook: The mail program from Microsoft works
animation scale" and "Animator duration scale" to "Animation Off". with almost all mail server profiles and offers an
intelligent post-box. Price: free.
In the next step, activate the option "Force GPU rendering". Thus,
the OS will constantly use the integrated graphics chip for the
display. Should there be display errors, you can simply disable this 2. Kaspersky QR Scanner: To prevent malware from
option again. hiding behind a QR code, the Kaspersky app checks the
links. Price: Free
Set up many users

3. Threema: The messenger app from Switzerland
As soon as multiple users start sharing one device, it makes sense
offers text and video chat and is secured via end-to-
to create user accounts. For this purpose, Android also offers guest end encryption. Price: ~RM11.99
access. This is useful when you give your phone to someone for a
while, since it disables some functions like communication. 4. IFTTT: With help from If This Then That, you can
To open the user control, swipe downwards twice from the upper create robust automation that speeds up work
screen edge. You will then come to the Control Centre. Here, press processes. Price: Free
on the user icon on the top in the middle. You can switch between
accounts easily later. In order to set up the accounts, select "More 5 Stocard: This app saves most customer cards as an
Settings". You can create a new account with the help of "Add electronic copy. You just need to show the app at the
counter or in the shop. Price: Free
Users". User rights can be configured via the gearwheel icon next to
the account name.
Activate technology access

Using a special code, you can gain access to a configuration menu,
which will help you to greatly limit the error source in the event of Multi-User
phone problems. Detailed information regarding the cellular system
network to which the phone is subscribed, will help in this matter. Using the built-in
settings in Android,
There is also useful information about the current wireless and the you can create
smartphone usage. To get to this menu, open the Phone app and several users on one
enter the following string as the number: *#*#4636#*#* (doesn't device. Even guest
access with limited
work for all devices). You will then see the corresponding menu for rights is possible here
the phone, WiFi and cellular network.
If there are problems with communication in the cellular
network, you can select "Phone information". Here, you will find
the IMEI, your phone number and the signal strength of the
cellular network. Using the signal strength, you can determine
whether the device has a connection to the next cellular tower.
Short important Android tips
With a few tricks, you can screen margin. Subsequently,
With "Run Ping test", you can check the latest connection. If you
operate your Android system press on the app for a bit
receive an error message, reset the connection via "Deactivate faster and in a more organised longer,
cellular connection". manner. which you wish to see and
As for WiFi issues, go to "Wi-Fi Information | Wi-Fi Status" in >Allow rotation of the home drag it on the upper screen
the activated test main menu. Click on "Run Ping test". In the screen: Depending on the edge.
alignment of the device, you can > Link - Selection options: If
event of errors, delete the network by switching back one menu
also view the home screen in you come across a hyperlink
and then selecting "Wi-Fi API". Press on "disableNetwork" and landscape format. You can or a mail address in your web
enter the SSID of the network. Then insert it again in the normal activate this feature by pressing browser, then long press on it
WiFi menu. on a free area on the home and you will be asked by the
The last configuration point helps in resolving battery screen. Furthermore, activate system on what you want to
"Allow rotation". do with the link. You cna
problems. For example, if the battery is getting empty faster than
>Set up multitasking: To display choose to add it as a new
usual, then you can get an overview of the most-used apps via the several apps on the screen at contact, or open the link an an
"Usage Statistics". If you cannot assign a name, then Google the same time, open the desired incognito tab in the browser.
Search will help you with it. An unknown entry may indicate a applications one after the other
malware, so make sure to check the device using a virus scanner. and then press on the square in
the operation field on the lower

feature
Optimise iOS
The main feature of Apple, without a doubt, is the easy operation.
5 Useful Apps For Ios And it is true, many factors accelerate daily tasks in a big way - but
only when you know where the functions are hidden. With the help
1.Calendar: The Calendar app supports the input via of iOS 11, we will show you where to find these settings. If you are
natural language, for example, "Appointment with using an older version, then you should update for security reasons.
Stefan at 1500 hrs. Price: free (Premium: RM29.90)
Use Safari perfectly
2. Lastpass: The password manager synchronises your The in-house web browser from Apple has a few hidden functions
passwords over the most important systems and that Apple describes only in fine print. For example, when it comes
supports Touch ID and Face ID. Price: Free
to controlling the browser, you can determine whether Safari will
load websites as desktop versions. This is particularly logical if the
3. OTP Auth: With this app, you can manage all 2FA-
mobile version allows only limited access to the website. In order to
Key (Two-Factor authentication) and a backup function
is also included. Price: Free load this version, long press on the "Load new" icon in the address
bar and select the option "Desktop site" there.
4. Wunderlist: An app from Microsoft that coordinates But these performance tricks are not only for the web display.
your To-Do points on all important systems and offers For instance, if you use a separate tab for each site, then a few of
special sorting functions. Price: Free them can congregate quickly. To close all of them together, press on
the tab management that you will find as a rectangular icon on the
5. TouchRetouch: The simple photo editing removes bottom right. After that, select "Close all tabs". If you have closed
image errors with a few gestures. To do that, all you one tab accidentally, then you can restore it by briefly pressing the
need to do is select the object using the Lasso tool.
icon for the tab management. In the next screen, press the Plus icon
Price: RM7.90
a bit longer and select the tab to be restored.
Use User Help

A large smartphone screen is ideal for surfing the web, but also an
obstacle for typing. Many users quickly reach their hand limit
particularly when it comes to one-hand operation. Therefore, Apple
has installed an assistant in iOS that helps perfectly in such a case.
For example, to reach areas on the upper screen edge, the display
contents can be briefly moved downwards. This can be done by
clicking the Home button lightly. For the iPhone X, you have to first
activate the function. To do that, go to "Settings | General | User
Help". Then, activate the option "One-hand mode". If needed, move
the screen downwards by swiping over the Home bar from top to
While entering text, you can activate the one-hand keyboard and align the keys to
the left or right of the screen bottom. In iPhone X, the Home bar also acts as an app browser. If
you swipe from left to right, you will be able to access last opened
applications.
Short important Android tips Also, while writing, the user help/assistant helps a lot. For this
Similar to Android, iOS has a few find the "Create PDF" option purpose, a special one-hand keyboard is used. In this version, the
tricks that can make your on the right in the lower area. keys can be moved easily to the right or left screen edge. This allows
system faster and more After that, you can add you to reach all the letters easily with one hand. To enable this
organised. remarks to the PDF and send feature, keep the Globe icon or the Emoji icon pressed a bit longer,
>Use iOS camera as QR scanner: it via Email or Messenger.
depending on the iPhone version. In the area below, determine
You do not need any extra app >Control text cursor using
to scan QR code with an iPhone. gestures: While typing text, whether you wish to align the keys to the left or right.
Use the built-in camera app and press your finger firmly on the
align the active camera on the keyboard. You can then move Resolve problems with Touch ID and Face ID
QR code. The corresponding link the cursor to any random iPhone users often complain in Internet forums that their devices
will appear, allowing you to open position.
do not recognise their own fingerprint or face. To resolve such
by tapping on it. >Create your own vibration
>Create PDF of a website: You pattern for messages: You problems, you should re-scan your finger on the Touch ID. As for
can convert the current page in can create and set your own Face ID, you need to deactivate the attentiveness check. You will
Safari into a PDF and send it. To vibration pattern via "Settings find the function under "Settings | General | User Help | Face ID &
do this, press on the Share icon | Tones & Haptic | Vibration | Attentiveness". Here, disable the "Alertness Check for Face ID" .
at the bottom in Safari. You will Create new vibration"

feature
Douglas
Engelbart:
The
Inventor Of
The Mouse
Photo: Alex Handy/Wikipedia/CC BY-SA 2.0

D
ouglas Engelbart’s career as a designer of the future and a
visionary of computer technology began with a brainwave that
only a nerd can have. Inspired by Vannevar Bush’s essay "As We
May Think", Engelbart recognised the collaborative potential of
computer networks. He believed that humankind would only be able to
solve its biggest problems using data that are interlinked. Only, none of
this existed at that time – neither computers, nor networks nor the
humans that trusted these things. You could say that it was he who Profile
invented all of this, laid the foundations of modern human-machine Born: 30 January 1925
interaction, graphical user interfaces, hypertext and naturally the in Portland, Oregon, USA
networks from which the Internet was eventually born. Those who Died: 2 July 2013
understand this philosophy also understand the religious impression in Atherton, California, USA
of the "Mother of all Demos" (found on YouTube). In the demo, the
1942 Degree course in electrical engineering at
computer is presented as salvation – provide one is able to operate it.
the Oregon State University
Should one be allowed to curtail Engelbart’s achievements to
"inventor of the mouse"? The mouse was merely an aid for him to 1944 Radar engineer at the US Navy
reduce the gulf between humans and computers. That it was only 1945 Reading of Vannevar Bush’s essay "As We
mentioned for the first time fifty years after its invention is due to the May Think" on a desert island
fact that, despite all of its technical advancement, the mouse is a mere
1955 Doctoral thesis in electrical engineering
part of everyday life. Even its own inventor may have seen it the same
with computers as the focal point (eight
way. For those who look closely at the Mother of all Demos and later
patents)
interviews inside Engelbart’s home, they will see something slightly
different on the left of his keyboard: A tiny chorded keyboard with 1957–1959 Researcher, Stanford Research
which Engelbart enters encoded commands. This was his other huge Institute
interface invention alongside the mouse, which he used it himself until 1959–1977 Director at the Augmented Research
the last moment on his private computer. It is the relic of a future that Center; Development of the oN-Line system
was lost in the course of progress. (NLS) and establishment of ARPANet Network
Information Center (NIC)
21st June 1967 Filing of the mouse patent
"The digital revolution is much
9th December 1968 "The mother of all Demos"
more significant than the 1977–1984 Principal scientist at Tymshare;
invention of writing or even that earlier NLS, the product now becomes known as
of printing." Augment
Until 2008 Director of Bootstrap Institute &
Bootstrap Alliance (now DEI), Menlo Park

feature
Top 10 Security Tips To

Always Remember At
Heart
Neither Microsoft, Google or Apple can protect you completely. You must take care of your own
security, so we are going to give you ten fundamental tips for your everyday work
By Jorg Geiger
T
here are security loopholes in all devices and services, hardware these devices today. The fact that hackers of the popular nutrition
and software, as well as transmission protocols and encryption app MyFitnessPal have recently stolen data of 150 million users, is
technologies. To make it worse, there are no absolute effective more than just a side note. And when Amazon’s Echo speaker can be
protection mechanisms. But by taking simple actions, pertaining to turned into a listening device by hackers, then you should be very
behaviour, you can come close to 100 percent. alarmed.
Security problems are traditionally ignored. Ten years ago, this was
still reasonable since you could easily reinstall Windows in case of a A good basis for the topic of Security
virus attack. Today, this has become more complicated. Internet, Whenever computer technology is involved, you should always
computers and smartphones are constantly with you. Devices at immediately think of security arrangements. But for now, we present
home are getting increasingly smarter and we are surrounded by you with the ten most important security tips below. Everyone should
speakers with voice assistance or fitness wristbands in our daily know and use the basics - to secure devices and services and also for
routine. There are only a few users who pay attention to security of implementing them correctly.

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Backup Devices
1 Automate updates Tip: There are updates that are intended 2. Block access
Many users set the updates with new for devices beyond PCs and cell phones, Lock your devices so that only you alone can
functions - but this is only one good namely smart home devices, TVs, access them. You do not need to use a password
side-effect. Updates are intended mainly landline phones and fitness trackers. everywhere. Windows 10 offers various options
for closing security loopholes. If possible, Also search actively for updates once per for logging in - which includes PIN, image code or
use automatic updates mainly, for month. smartphone block (dynamic lock). With Windows
instance, in Windows, browsers or your Hello, you can close suitably equipped devices,
wireless router. Under Windows, tools using your fingerprint or Iris scan.
like Software Update Monitor (SUMo) Important: Always lock your unattended
ensure that you do not miss any updates Windows PC, using the shortcut [Windows] + [L].
for installed programs. As for Smartphones should also have access protection,
smartphones and tablets, the like passwords. There are also alternatives such as
automation of the App stores takes care PIN, pattern or biometric log-in. Tip: You must
of updates. But if you are using Android change the default values in devices with preset
from alternative sources, then you must standard passwords and PINs - for example,
check for updates manually. wireless routers, NAS drives or smart home device.
Else, these devices will be easily accessible.
3. Set up automatic complete backup of the entire system.

backups And the backup is not the end of things
No one likes backups, but they could with the PC. You have to also back up
solve many problems in advance. your cell phone. iPhone users can create
Unfortunately, Microsoft does not care free backups via iTunes on PC or Mac. If
much about the fact that there is a lot of you have a paid iCloud account, then you
catching-up to do when features are can move the backup on to an Apple
involved. Instead of an easy-to-operate server.
backup solution, you'd have to connect a There are numerous backup options
file version history, an outdated imaging for Android, but a complete backup is
as well as the System Restore, together tricky and generally requires root access.
with Windows on the same hard disk. If you do not have a problem with Google, 4. Fight-off malware
What you should do instead is look for then you can use Google Backup. Every year, there are discussions whether we need
an external backup solution like Acronis Tip: Many apps can also back up data virus scanners at all or can we do away with them.
True Image. If you prefer a free solution, themselves, but users need to enable With Windows Defender, Microsoft provides a
then the Aomei Backupper is the best the feature manually. For example, in virus scanner - and thereby an answer to the
choice. Ensure that you take a separate WhatsApp under "Settings|Chats|Chat- question. We found that a virus scanner under
backup of important files apart from a Backup". Windows is mandatory. Our tests show that
Windows Defender is indeed getting better but
third-party providers can detect malware much
better. However, you must not be fooled by the
delusion that you are fully protected only by the
installation of a virus scanner. Virus protection is
moreover, just one module in the security strategy,
which means you need to be thorough.
Apart from Windows, the malware problem is
not acute but there are virus scanner apps also
available for Android and the best ones are also
free of cost.
Tip: Under Android, try a protection app like Sophos
Mobile Security. It has a reputation check during
the installation process that protects your device
against fake apps.

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Lock web services
5. Exhaust the options

The standard settings for web services are not always
optimal. And many users do not even deal with options
given there for security but use the service simply as it
is. It is better if you customise the settings and secure
the service, this way.
Tip: In your Google account, you can check the privacy
settings under https://myaccount.google.com/
privacycheckup and thus, for example, remove locations
from uploaded photos or remove the location history of
Google Search.
7. Select strong you in the Log-in field. Here, there are

passwords two approaches. Tools like KeePass (see
The problem with passwords in 2018 is pic above) save the passwords locally in
that they outgrow the user. Therefore, an encrypted database, which is top-
he/she will set either a strong password class in terms of security. However, you
for all accounts or different passwords have to manually sync the codes on your
that are easy to remember. Both cases devices. In that scenario, you'll need the
6. Always encrypt are not worth recommending. Here are second type of password manager
If you have to share any data or files with others, then the two most important rules for secure services, like LastPass that takes over
you should do so with encryption. Unfortunately, the passwords: the password management for you and
major online storage services do not offer any 1. Uniqueness: Use a separate password synchronise the codes over several
consequent end-to-end encryption. You have two for every access. This is beneficial if a devices, in the background. This is a
options to circumnavigate this problem. One is to use password goes into the wrong hands. In convenient and seamless process, but
service providers like tresorit.com, which encrypt and this case, only one account is under risk does mean that you must show a certain
decrypt data on your system. Another option is to add and not several others. The problem is trust towards the service provider, since
an encryption to your Cloud storage. resolved when you successfully and the encrypted password database is
Tip: The free tool Boxcryptor is optimised for promptly change the password of the synchronised via their server.
collaboration with Cloud storages. With Whisply, compromised account. In addition to a secure password, you
Boxcryptor also integrates an application to securely 2. Length is decisive: When you use should also activate 2-factor
exchange data via the browser. passwords, they should not be from a authentication if possible. In this case, a
dictionary. A mixture of letters, special one-time code is required in addition to
characters and upper/lower case letters the username and password at the time
is a good one - but the length of the of logging in. This code is mostly
password is decisive. The longer, the generated via the app or sent to your
better. mobile via SMS. For this, you will also
To follow these rules, we recommend need an app like Google Authenticator.
you use a password manager. This Tip: The site https://twofactorauth.org
program will help you to generate a gives a good overview about services
50-character password and will use it for that offer 2-factor authentication.

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Customise patterns
the desktop and on your mobile. Even for

8. Search for browsers, you can avoid Chrome and use
alternatives Firefox or Opera. Another option, with
What is the easiest way to deal with the special focus on the protection of privacy
privacy problem of Facebook? Do not and integrated quick search, is the Cliqz
become a member or delete your browser.
Facebook account. But nobody wants to However, the air is thin when it comes to
follow that option, so the solution is to operating systems outside Windows and
find alternatives. For example, social MacOS. Linux is the best alternative on
networks like Mastodon and Ello are desktop PCs, but it is not compelling
experiencing a slight increase in enough for notebooks. And it is even
popularity due to the scrutiny on more difficult for the smartphone,
Facebook. Of course, the hard part is to because there's no real choice outside of
convince your circle of friends to move to Android and iOS. Instead, what you can
these networks. do is use alternatives to the installed
An alternative to Google Search is system apps.
also offered by StartPage. The results Tip: You can still use Linux for desktop
originate from Google, but the queries systems. For instance, you can test an
are processed anonymously so that your Ubuntu Linux in a VirtualBox
search is not tracked. This works well on environment.
10. Save data

when it comes to free offers. In times of Big Data, data economy is often
9. Keep an eye on In use: Think of a security strategy that forgotten as an effective protection mechanism.
security at all times will cover everything. You can monitor Many users, for example, always complete
You must pay attention to the Security your WiFi at home and thereby the registration forms for services, although the
factor at all times. devices connected to it, but when you are mail address and password are sufficient.
Before: Security must be a criterion while on a holiday and connect to the hotel Whenever possible, do not use your real name.
shopping or creating a user account with WiFi, you do not have any control over Think twice whether the services need your
a web service. This means, before you the network security even if it is the phone number at all. Today, it is quite common
place an Amazon Echo in the living room, same technology. Therefore, you should for companies to gather user data to improve
you should take a look at the data use a VPN, regardless of whether you're their services and devices. Avoid this so that it
protection policy so that you know what using a notebook or a smartphone. will work better.
you are getting into. If you book a 1TB After: When you discard devices, delete Tip: You can partially tame Windows 10 using
free Cloud space with a Chinese provider, all the data in them. the settings. Tools like O7O ShutUp10 are more
then you will need a Plan B if you are Tip: The Windows tool DBAN deletes hard effective in stopping the data collection.
unable to access it. Always gather all disks. You can use developer tools like
information about the business model SSD Magician from Samsung for SSDs.

feature
Goes on a Has a debt of 300,000 Euros

vacation next
week
Is into
bondage
games
Recently became a
couple
Has three cats
Buys new sneakers

every week
Wants a new
smartphone
Loves vouchers
The All-Seeing
World Wide Web
Big companies are creating comprehensive profiles of their users. We will show you which data
Facebook, Google and Amazon are storing and how you can prevent this in the future
By Fabian Von Keudell
Photos: georgeclerk (main image), MStudioImages (couple)/Getty Images
D
ata is the new oil. You can see this statement coming from
a lot of people – be it from EU politicians, to Gartner THE DATA COLLECTORS OF FACEBOOK
analysts and CIOs of tech companies. The company heads of Over 2 billion people use Facebook – that’s a lot of data sources.
Google, Amazon and Facebook would probably agree immediately The service not only creates profiles of its users using special
because their businesses would run only half as successfully algorithms, but also does so for the people who do not even have a
without the huge data treasure that is their customers' profiles. Facebook account.
The companies use this data, for example, for targeted
advertisement and user profiling. The data Facebook stores
But what kind of customer data do companies like Facebook, You can find an overview of the data stored by Facebook in the
Amazon and Google actually store? We will be talking about that in "Settings". Click on "Your Facebook information" under "General
this article, and also tell you how to optimise the services so that Account Settings". There, you can download all user details if
least possible personal data reaches the companies. If you want to desired. If you dig deeper into the data, you can get a good idea of
say goodbye to the data collectors right away, we can also show Facebook’s data collection algorithms. For example, you not only
you the best alternatives and a guide on how to delete your find all the comments, pictures and events of the user, but also a
account properly so that the data is really gone. complete history of the searches, messages, a location history, all

feature
the "liked" information, as well as the comments on thereupon. It's This is what Facebook knows
practically a dossier that could have come from a spy film.
Facebook even sorts its users with a very high accuracy in peer Facebook creates user profiles
groups, such as "In the throes of adult life", and subsequently Facebook knows the interests of users via user clicks on specific
displays customised ads. advertisements and interaction with business pages
The group also has access to address books and call logs via
the smartphones connected to the account. Facebook uses this
information to also create so-called shadow profiles, i.e. accounts
of people who do not have an account with Facebook. But, as soon
as these people register there for the first time, the company uses
the data to recommend friends.
Set data protection on Facebook optimally

A rudimentary way to protect yourself in Facebook is to go to your
account and open "Settings". In the drop-down menu in the top
right corner under the arrow, go to "Face recognition" and switch it
off. That way, Facebook will no longer recognise you on the
pictures of other users. You can only turn it on or off in certain
countries, as the feature is obligatory for all other users. Next, go
to "Privacy" and restrict as many data sharing options found there
as possible.
This is how you can delete your account properly

If you’ve had enough of Facebook’s data collection mania, you can
deactivate or delete your account. A deactivation does not remove Michael Sperrsle
data from the Facebook servers, but your profile is also no longer
visible to other users. While the deactivation can be comfortably Sabrina Rotash
done via Facebook settings, a complete deletion is more difficult. 1
To do that, click on the arrow symbol and then go to "Settings".
There, select "Your Facebook Information" and then "Delete your 2
account and your information". With "Delete my account" you
forward the deletion request to the company. Subsequently,
Facebook grants a 14-day grace period. Facebook removes the
account if you don’t log in within this time.
WHAT GOOGLE KNOWS ABOUT YOU Protect data

With a global market share of 86.28 per cent for the search Facebook uses face recognition to allocate users 1. You can completely
disable this comparison in the settings 2 of the respective account
engines and 77 per cent for the mobile operating system, it is hard
to get past Google. The company collects massive quantities of
data through both the systems.
Mobile devices are huge data sources The Facebook alternatives

Those who want to leave > Signal Private Messenger
Just like Facebook, Google records all user activities as well. The
Facebook will have a hard time. impresses with an extensive
company analyses each click on an advertisement, each search Sure, you can still get over closing end-to-end encryption as well
entry and each interaction in the Google account. You can find an your own account. But it's much as a comfortable operation.
overview of what Google already knows under myactivity.google. harder to delete the WhatsApp The only disadvantage: There
com/myactivity. There, you can not only find places, shops or Messenger, which also belongs are not nearly as many users
to Facebook. Here are some with Messenger as with
restaurants you visited, but also minute-by-minute overviews of
alternatives you can use. WhatsApp. Thus, you will have
the search terms and the links you clicked on. With such data, >Social network Diaspora aims to to invite your contacts
Google can create an extremely extensive user profile. In doing so, give you control of your own personally. iOS users can also
the company knows when and where you travel to work, which data. It has much of the same use Apple’s iMessage as an
trains you take and what you buy – since the Google shopping features that Facebook has, such alternative.
as publishing status updates,
pages are also included in the assessment. In addition to the data,
sharing photos, and chat
Google also gets information from all connected Android devices, function.

feature
This is what Google knows which in turn report GPS data or voice recordings of the Google
Assistant to the company. And the company saves the data even if
1
you aren’t logged in on Google. Experts assume that as soon as
you log in, both yours and the profile of the user that is not logged
in are connected with each other on Google. This also works across
multiple devices, according to Erik Wijmans, a computer scientist
from the Washington University in St. Louis. However, there is a
way you can protect yourself with the right settings.
Customise account settings perfectly

If you like to retain your account with Google despite its unwanted
curiosity, we suggest a couple of important data protection
settings. Log into your Google account and click on your account
picture on the top right. There, select "My Account". In the overview
2 that follows, go to "Personal Data and Privacy". Use the "Privacy
Check" to switch off as many data sources as possible for Google.
Switch off Note that these settings are only applicable if you have logged on
location data a computer.
To see which GPS data However, Google also collects data from computers without a
Google collects, go to the
settings of the account 1. login. You must first delete all the cookies from these computers.
There, you can find all When you visit google.com for the first time after this is done,
search requests and Google will ask whether you want know more about the current
navigation data 2
set of privacy policy. In the following overview, go to "More
Options" and click on "Edit Settings". There, deactivate data
logging. "Back" takes you to the previous page. Do the same for the
"Settings for advertising" option. In addition, you should install the
Deactivation add-on plug-in by Google Analytics on your browser.
This avoids analysis of your clicking behaviour for the advertising
banners that are displayed via Google.
Google also uses information from the mailbox for
personalised advertisement. Google only looks into the email of
private accounts. If you use the G Suite business solution (from 5
USD onwards per month), Google abstains from taking inventory of
your data.
Delete user account – but properly

You can avoid the transmission of your internet browsing data with the Google If you want to completely delete your Google account, you must go
analytics plug-in. Be sure to check the correct installation
to the Settings. To do that, log in with Gmail first and then, tap on
the account icon in the top right corner once again. There, select
Google alternatives "My Account" and under "Account Settings", click on "Delete
Leaving the closely interlinked have over two GB of Account or Services". Before you make the deletion request, you
Google services goes hand in memory. Those who want will have to conform to some conditions. Finally, you can send the
hand with loss of comfort. But more can get 1 TB for 9.99 request with "Delete account". Just like Facebook, Google grants a
with the right alternatives, the USD (1 USD ~ RM4.06) per time limit after the deletion request. In this case, you have time to
difference isn't noticeable. month. Its ease of use is
log in again up to three weeks – after that, all the data is gone.
> Mail sending A secured almost at Google level,
alternative is Proton Mail, thanks to the
while Zoho Mail provides a synchronisation tools for
clean and ad-free experience. mobile phone and desktop THIS IS WHAT YOUR AMAZON
The advantage: None of the > Android applications To ACCOUNT REVEALS
providers browse through the get latest apps for Android
Amazon ships 400 products every second. The company has a
mailbox. devices, use the F-Droid
>Data storage US service store (f-droid.org). To install turnover of around 30.7 billion US dollars over Q1 2018 in North
Dropbox provides storage apps from third party America alone and the secret to its success is data. After all, there
space for your data. With the providers, you have to allow is a comprehensive profile of each of its more than 300 million
free basic subscription, you it in the settings customers.

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Examine your own shopping profile This is what Amazon knows

Some of the data records with Amazon are evident enough, such
as the storage of each delivery billing address ever used, as well as
each and every credit card number and bank details. Even all order
and product return details remain stored on Amazon. You can
officially see all this information in your own user account (see
right). In the USA, the users even receive a listing in an Excel table.
But in some other countries, like Germany, there is only an online
display - no export function. However, what is more interesting is
the data that Amazon unwillingly releases. This includes
information about the click behaviour on banner ads and the
search history on the Amazon page. Each click on the website also
1
allows Amazon to 'sort' each user's preferences using 50 markers.
Furthermore, Amazon saves the time, product category and article 2
number of the product accessed. Even the origin, i.e. the page that List of all the orders
directed the customer to Amazon is recorded. In the USA, users can create a
report in the Excel format 1 . In
The company is so precise with its customer data that it also Germany, your settings can
knows how long the browser needed to load the page, which only be displayed online and
language settings are configured and whether access was carried annually 2
out from the desktop or from the mobile phone. Based on the IP
address, even rudimentary movement profiles can be generated. If
the user uses more services such as Alexa and Amazon Prime
Video, even more data records are added. That way, Amazon
records every language command and every film viewed including
the exact timestamp.
Switch on possible data protection

There are a couple of immediate measures in order to partially
protect yourself from mass storage, which will help you disable a
couple of data sources. You can, for instance, delete all the
language commands on alexa.amaxon.com, which have been
recorded by your echo loudspeaker. The snag: Amazon creates a
renewed data record for each new use.
You can switch off personalised advertisement by clicking on
"Personalised ads" and selecting "Do not display Ads from Amazon
for this Internet Browser". To restrict Amazon from saving when The option to switch off personalised advertisement is hidden in the settings, Use
the URL amazon.com/adprefs
and how you clicked on an item, log in to the Amazon page and
press on "<Your First name>’s Amazon" and select "Pages you
visited". Here, click on "Change" and set the toggle to "Off".
However, you can only get complete protection for yourself from Amazon alternatives
the extensive data collection frenzy by deleting the account. The huge advantage of the products here, for that, these
shipping giant from the US is its are the alternatives:
extensive product range and >Technology Lazada or
Terminate Amazon account fast shipping. You will be able Taobao will provide you with
The mail-order company makes termination difficult. There is no to shop in multiple shops in the a large enough catalogue of
option on the website to close the account. The only way is future and still receive the technology products.
through a telephone customer support call, which can then delete products just as quickly and >Food products You can go
cheaply - but not from a single for startups like Happy
the account immediately – without a waiting period.
source. Fresh to get household
Even if the deletion of accounts with Facebook, Google and > Fashion For example, use products and food sent to
Amazon is sometimes connected with loss of comfort, your data Zalora. This online mail-order your home. Therefore, the
will be much better protected in the future. At least, you won't company is specifically features service is the perfect and
have to worry about a data scandal such as the one with Facebook fashion products and has a cost-effective alternative for
robust inventory.However, you Amazon’s online
and Cambridge Analytica.
cannot buy technological supermarket Online Fresh.

feature
Smartphone 2020:
Next-Gen Network
Using AI
The smartphone generation after the next one will be a part of the 5G network and actively uses the Photo: Spencer Whalen/Getty Images (Main image); Arm (bottom right)
integrated AI there. Its battery lasts much longer and the display outperforms OLED quality
By Markus Mandau
C
amera, Camera, Camera – the advertising posters of flagship or later, either directly or via a special chip. Even other central
smartphones have not had anything else to say for the last few components will experience an upgrade in the years ahead. For
years. And it is true; every situation in life is being captured today, example, a new display type that ensure improved brightness, and
which makes cameras important. Also, smartphone camera technology exotic casing materials that will make smartphones more robust
has improved much over time. For example, you have cameras with up against environmental effects such as pollution or continuous rain.
to three lenses to ensure better zoom, more sharpness and a super- Future battery technology will also enable longer runtimes and faster
wide angle. But the focus on this part of the complex structure of the charging. Improved battery tech is especially important, because
smartphone will be reduced in the years to come as other components smartphones will one day be a part of the extended mobile 5G network.
come to the fore, such as the chip. When that happens, more computing power would be required, which
Most smartphone SoCs (System on Chip) will obtain AI skills sooner results in a higher energy consumption. In 2020, 5G smartphones will

feature
Artificial intelligence as part of the system

still look like today’s smartphones but they will be deeply integrated
Google has integrated the Neural Networks API Runtime as a system
into the wireless network and obtain more information from it, and will
component in Android 8.1. This interface communicates with the AI
be faster too.
framework and can carry out the calculations of the neural network on
various chip components.
THE SMARTPHONE BECOMES SMARTER

Android-App
A leaked presentation by SoftBank, a huge Japanese company that invests
in the chip manufacturer Qualcomm, revealed how the cellphone
transformation will begin. In a slide, Qualcomm’s next high-end chip, the
AI-Framework
Snapdragon 855, was shown to be built in the 7 nanometre process - the
first chip using this process. The replacement of today’s 10 by 7
nanometres should bring about an increase in the efficiency of computing Android Neutral Networks API Runtime
power by about 20 per cent. This paves the way for additional computing
Hardware acceleration
engines such as special chips, which do nothing but execute neural
networks directly on the smartphone instead of operating on the Internet
in the cloud. There can even be several of these at a time so that, which
can be helpful in certain scenarios. For example, it can enable language Drivers for AI Drivers for DSP Drivers for
processors processors graphics unit
assistants to immediately react to the actions of the user upon analysis of
language and facial expression used.
1 2 3
Artificial intelligence always at your fingertips
Google's Android 8.1 has artificial intelligence built into it at the factory level.
The system interface is called Neural Networks API (NNAPI), which connects Neural networks don't have to run on a separate AI chip 1. Even components of the
apps, AI framework and hardware with each other. This means that app SoC (System on Chip) such as a digital signal processor 2 or the graphics unit 3 are
suitable for that.
developers can use a neural network on the smartphone, which was put
together on the smartphone and trained with the help of well-known
frameworks such as Google’s TensorFlow or Facebook’s Caffe. At the other
end of the exploitation chain, NNAPI provides interfaces for different
hardware so that neural networks can be executed on different components,
The AI knows the subject
which are either a part of the SoC or of separate chips that were developed Today, Huawei already uses an AI chip on
for AI tasks. high-end smartphones, which automatically
It’s already been a year since Huawei implemented the first of such recognises objects and optimises photos
accordingly
chips. This Neural Processing Unit (NPU) currently supports the smartphone
camera to enhance the photos taken depending on the detected object.
However, the neural network can distinguish only a few categories for now,
such as flowers or food. ARM – the company whose standards are followed
by the mobile industry - has been at the forefront of showing us what the
future looks like, right from the SoC design to the instruction set. The
company has created project Trillium, which provides blueprints for an object
The Artificial Intelligence probes the situation
recognition and AI processor, including direct integration into the SoC. The The British chip developers from ARM aim towards a multilevel AI with
aim is to provide these special components with more computing power so the Project Trilium, where one chip only serves to identify objects, the
that they recognise not just a few, but several object categories. Moreover, second one analyses their behaviour
they are expected to identify postures and emotional states via smartphone
cameras. The AI will also be able to interpret the input of smartphone
sensors in a better way and warn about an overheated battery promptly.
Batteries that store a lot and charge faster

Batteries can burn and we saw this in 2016, when news of exploding
Samsung Galaxy S7 devices were reported. Last year, Samsung leaked out
news that they are working on a solid-state battery. Of course, the move is
not without any ulterior motive, as it is likely a PR move to regain some
lost credibility. In the new type of battery, the electrolyte between anode
and cathode is no longer liquid but solid, and non-inflammable. However,
solid state batteries will not be viable for mass market for a long time.
Consequently, the absorption capacity of conventional batteries will

feature
have to be increased in the coming years. But in doing so, a problem arises
Non-inflammable solid-state battery in the anode, where it expands multiple times when its silicon absorbs the
Liquid electrolyte is used in today‘s Li-ion batteries to transport lithium lithium ions. For faster charging and more capacity, you need a material
ions. Solid-state batteries come without liquid components, allowing it to that contributes to this expansion better than the graphite that is
have a form of integrated fire protection. currently used. To that end, Samsung has developed a graphene insulation
Polymer ceramics that perfectly adapts itself to the expansion of the silicon. What would be
even better than graphene is an anode made out of pure silicon, developed
by a research team from the Institute of Materials Science at Kiel
Anode made out Cathode made of University. It can store ten times as much energy as the standard graphite
lithium porous carbon
anode that is usually used today, which is made of only ten per cent
silicon. During this procedure, the material can expand to a maximum of
four times the size in the form of microwires.
Tiny LEDs in a brilliant display

Apart from the battery, the display also determines if buyers and critics are
For lithium-ions of porous ceramics
happy with the smartphone. That is why manufacturers install expensive
OLED technology (AMOLED) in a lot of top models. By doing so, they also
solve a couple of problems in favour of brilliant colours. However, the self-
luminous organic material degrades over time and is not immune to the
Graphene casing increases storage capacity
Samsung has developed a graphene casing for lithium storage. This burning in of contours. As an alternative, micro-LED panels made of tiny
material can store more lithium than the currently used graphite, as it self-luminous LEDs are ideal. Since micro-LEDs don't use any organic
expands with the lithium material, they have a long life and avoid the burn-in effect. Their black level
is excellent, and the colour effect and contrast are even above OLED level
to some extent.
The production of micro LEDs is not ready for mass market yet.
They are produced from silicon wafers, removed from there and applied
to the substrate of the display. This transfer creates too much scrap for
mass production. The company Plessey Semiconductors offers some
hope, as it has managed to produce the micro LEDs directly on the
substrate. Plessey will start the series production this year and has
designed a licensing programme, so that bigger display producers can
make use the process.
Self-cleaning mobile phone bodies

A smartphone is a device of daily use, it has to endure shocks, blows and
all sorts of weather conditions. It is for this reason that protective covers
Silicon anode
The anode developed are booming, but they turn a nice and slim smartphone into a chunky
at the Kiel University, block. It would be better if the smartphone body worked as a weather
which consists of guard. In order to achieve this, a material that can repel rain and dirt is
silicon wires, is more
suitable for storage required. This can be found at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, where
than graphene researchers have developed a material for water-repellent coatings that is
transparent and resistant to abrasion. Water and oils simply roll off from
this material called Fluoropor. According to Dr. Bastian E. Rapp, head of the
Photo: University of Kiel (silicon); University of Karlsruhe (top right)
team, Fluoropor can be used for the back of a smartphone casing without
any problems. "We are currently speaking with a few manufacturers of
Micro-LED mobile telephones," he informed. However, it has not been determined if it
Better than can also be used for the front. "In this case, a very thin layer must be
OLED applied so that the touch feature is not affected. We are now analysing
Tiny micro LEDs how robust these thin films are for daily use," said Rapp.
comprise of red,
green and blue
pixels. They are
activated through
electric charge and
IMMERSION INTO THE NEXT-GEN
are illuminated NETWORK
independently, te e D s The 2020s "Smarterphone" will have a brilliant display and a battery that
delivering good tra ctrod o-LE Glas
bs lasts for days but charges in minutes, necessitating new infrastructures.
Su Ele Micr
black level B-
RG Among them would be faster wireless networks, such as 5G, which
network operators will start to roll out in 2019. We expect the use of this

feature
network to occupy a better part of the next decade. In this next-gen

network, the smartphone will only be one of several device types and the
number of available services will also increase, including autonomous The Fluoropor
driving, the Internet of things, and even broadcast television. All of this developed at the
University of
requires high computing power in smartphones. Karlsruhe keeps
And here, the previously mentioned Snapdragon 855 comes into play the cellphone
casing clean. It
again. Its first adoption should be in the Samsung Galaxy S10, which is repels liquids
expected some time next year. In addition, it should be noted that the such as water
and oil
presentation by Softbank shows that Quallcomm has built in not one, but
two modems: The X24 and the X50.
LTE Cat 20: The next expansion stage

Even faster LTE
The X24 modem by Qualcomm will enter the market next year. It
The X24 modem is an upgrade that provides faster than LTE
supports LTE category 20 with higher upload and download rates and
connections. It supports the LTE category 20, allowing it to reach a
will be installed in a lot of top models in 2019
maximum download speed of 2 Gb/s and an upload speed of 316
Mb/s. These are of course ideal values, which you almost never X24 X20 X16
achieve in practice when using the network. The support from up to Released 2019 2018 2017
Qualcomm-Chip Snapdragon 855 Snapdragon 845 Snapdragon 835
five channels or frequency ranges for the multiple-antenna
Samsung Galaxy
technology 4x4 MIMO is more crucial. With those, the network Smartphone model Sony Xperia XZ2 Samsung Galaxy S8
S10*
operators can provide the maximum possible speed more Download channel
7 x 20 MHz 5 x 20 MHz 4 x 20 MHz
bundling
consistently.
Maximum
The sending to more frequency ranges will also mean that old 2,000 Mb/s 1,200 Mb/s 600 Mb/s
download speed
wireless technologies such as GSM and UMTS have to give way. Multiple antenna 4x4 MIMO 4x4 MIMO 4x4 MIMO
technology on 5 channels on 3 channels on 2 channels
Network operators call this refarming and those from more
Upload channel
developed countries are all expecting UMTS to be phased out by the 3 x 20 MHz 2 x 20 MHz 2 x 20 MHz
bundling
end of 2020. But the issue of dead zones is not on the agenda for Maximum upload
316 Mb/s 150 Mb/s 150 Mb/s
speed
the LTE upgrade along with refarming. At this point, nascent DVB-T * According to overall prognosis
frequencies can provide some relief, as they can be used for LTE
from 2019 onwards and have a very high range. 5G: The next-gen network will start in two
phases
The transition period from 4G to 5G First, 5G will support the existing mobile network as a download
The X50 modem in Snapdragon 855 only provides the new 5G network. accelerator. The full implementation with a separate core network, which
It will start in its first phase next year, while the full implementation provides LTE and 5G, will only begin from 2020 onwards
will take a good part of the coming decade. Technology for 5G Non-
1. Phase: 2. Phase:
Standalone (5G NSA) constitutes the beginning of the network
5G Non Standalone 5G in the full implementation
restructuring. It has the advantage of being easily implemented,
Extended 5G core
because you do not have to build the core network of 5G. Instead, it LTE core network
continues to use the LTE core (see right). Some network operators plan network
to use 100 MHz wide frequency blocks between 3.4 and 3.8 GHz for this
purpose.
Qualcomm has performed a test run in Frankfurt to get live values.
Apart from higher data rates, the results show a fast reaction time
particularly inside and outside of buildings. Qualcomm has used Download-
acceleration
microcells for the reception in buildings, which supplement the wireless
cells on buildings and radio masts. Where smartphone users are most
LTE 5 G
likely to feel the 5G effect is the elimination of network crashes. They
will also be able to receive data at lightning speeds. In Germany,
Telekom has operated such a 5G NSA network live in Berlin, where 70 5G available right away
antennas were arranged at 20 places. "The devices we used there can A test performed by Qualcomm in Frankfurt showed that 5G responded
operate both 4G and 5G," said Alexander Lautz, Senior Vice President 5G faster to requests in the first stage of development
at Deutsche Telekom.
Reaction time (in milliseconds)
"The 5G core network will be commercially available from 2021
5G NSA 8
onwards," he added. A series of very different services, right from
LTE Cat 20 15
Internet of things to broadband connections, will be offered. This
ranges from a transmitting broadband connection with UHD TV, to LTE Cat 18 20
sensors that broadcast in narrow bands in the vicinity and tell you LTE Cat 16 21
where the next nearest free parking space is.

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Emergency First Aid For

Every PC
The PC tends to conk out when you least need it to. Fortunately, you can solve each software and
hardware problem quickly and safely with a systematic approach
By Andreas Th. Fischer And Christoph Schmidt

feature
T
he PC always conks out unexpectedly and at the worst
possible moment. But with the right background knowledge
and a systematic approach, you can quickly get most
problems under control. We will show how to proceed when you
encounter difficulties – from frequent but somewhat annoying
problems such as stuttering Windows updates, programme and
system crashes, seldom-occurring problems, as well as fatal
hardware failures.
The diagnosis tool by Microsoft automatically recognises errors in the Windows
update and subsequently tries to rectify them
UPDATE PROBLEMS
The most common problems with Windows include errors in
updating the operating system and with the installed software. Advanced error search
The immediate segment below has the appropriate measures. The operating system always search for the causes of an
shows error codes for both update problem. Enter the
updates and blue screens, URL in the browser, scroll a
Reactivate Windows Update little to the bottom and then
which are difficult to
Windows normally updates itself at least once a month on the understand. Under www. first select the operating
so-called Patch Day. Traditionally, this is the second Tuesday of lifewire.com/bluescreen- error- system under which the error
the month. You can find out, for example, when Windows 10 was codes-4065576, you will find an occurs. The assistant
last updated under "Start | Settings | Update and Security | View extensive list of all the known subsequently shows you
error codes. Additionally, step-by-step options, which
installed updates history". Click the arrow on the top left, and then
Microsoft offers an online you can refer to rectify the
click on "Check for updates" to restart the Windows update. assistant under support. problem. If this does not
microsoft.com/en-my/ work, click on "No" and try
Repair Windows update with diagnosis tool help/10164, with which you can out the next tips.
If Windows Update continues to hangs, go to the website go.
microsoft.com/?linkid=9830262 to download Microsoft’s diagnosis
tool. Start the programme and carry out the steps of the Assistant.
It will repair the problems detected automatically.
Delete faulty Windows patches

Persistent update issues also occur when Windows makes a
mistake while downloading a patch. To fix the damage, boot up in
safe mode. With Windows 7, this is done by pressing the [F8] key
multiple times. With Windows 10, it is more cumbersome. First, go
to "Start, On/Off" and hold the [Shift] key pressed while clicking
"Restart". Next, select "Troubleshooting | Advanced Options | Start
up Settings | Restart". Now, the PC should reboot and present a
menu in that will let you boot to safe mode.
Measures and tips for when Windows conks out

UEFI finds no
Update problems Damaged system files Hidden malware infections Windows start is terminated
OS
from page 55 from page 56 from page 56 From page 58
From page 58
An examination of
Reactivate Windows
Blue screens Detect malware Restore system Repair Boot mManager
update
Repair Windows update Remove adware and Perform automatic start- Reintegrate Windows in
Repair system files
using diagnosis tool annoying toolbars up support the Boot Manager
Delete faulty Windows

Restore drivers Create start protocol
patches
Install software updates Advanced error analysis Reset PC fully
Update drivers

feature
Wait till the desktop is visible and press [Win] + [E] to open the
Windows Explorer. Navigate to "C:\Windows\
SoftwareDistribution\Download" and delete the entire content of
the folder. Reboot and select the Windows update again.
Install software updates

Windows is not the only software that runs into persistent errors.
Errors will also be commonly found in other programmes installed
by the user, which need to be fixed. Since Windows does not
provide any options like Linux to control the installation of all the
updates centrally, software updating tools have been developed.
For example, there's the free Patch My PC Updater that will
automatically detect out-dated software and provides updates
from the developer’s websites.
When restarting after a failed boot, Windows 10 displays this menu, where you can
select "Safe Mode ..." with [4]
Update drivers
The third software component that can lead to an unstable PC is
the drivers. Crashes and many other problems can occur if they are
not up to date. Even for this case, there is appropriate free
software such as Driver Booster Free, which automatically takes
care of keeping the drivers on your computer up to date.
DAMAGED SYSTEM FILES

The steps described so far will help you avoid crashes. But if errors
continue to occur, you can find the cause with the following tips.
Carefully examine blue screens

Driver Booster Free automatically updates outdated drivers on your PC, preventing When Windows crashes, it automatically creates a core image that
crashes and other problems
contains information about the state of the system before the
error. The "WhoCrashed” software will analyse such crash dumps.
Upon installing the tool, it shows all the available core images
Crash under "Dump Files". You can achieve the best results using
analysis WhoCrashed if you assign Windows to write all the available
The "Full core information in the images. To do that, press [Windows] + [Pause]
image" option must
be active in the and click on "Advanced system settings". Select "Settings" under
system settings so "Startup and Recovery" and under "Write debugging information"
that the activate the "Complete memory dump" option. In this window, you
WhoCrashed tool
can analyse can also disable Windows automatically initiating a restart
Windows crashes immediately after each crash.
Repair system files

You can repair damaged system files with the "Sfc” command line
Mini recovery Windows tool. To do that, you will need a command prompt with admin
rights. Type the command "cmd” in the search list, right-click on
You will find two tools in our Then click to the left on "Utils
downloads section, which you | Extract WIM Folders". "Command prompt" and select "Run as administrator". Then enter
can use to create your own Confirm with "Goooooo", then the command "sfc /scannow”. Windows searches and replaces
bootable mini Windows. First, proceed with the creation of damaged system files by means of backup copies, which the
download an ISO file of Windows your recovery system by system constantly creates. Restart your PC after the run and
10 from a Microsoft server with clicking on the blue arrow at
execute the Windows Update.
the "Windows ISO Downloader". the top. By doing this, you will
Extract the ISO, for example with receive a new ISO file, which
7-Zip, in a folder on the hard you can burn on a DVD or Restore drivers
disk of your PC. Next, start the install on a USB stick via Earlier in the article, you have learned how to keep the drivers up
Win10PE SE tool and enter the "WriteMedia | Copy to USB to date. However, a new version does not always work better. If
folder with the extracted Device-BCD BootMGR".
this is the case, you can rollback to the previous driver by going to
Windows data under "Source".

feature
the Device Manager with [Win] + [R] and enter "devmgmt.msc”.

Right-click on the faulty device and select "Properties". A new
window opens, where you can switch to "Driver". Here, click on Create emergency drive
"Previous driver". With Windows 10, you can copy speed and size of the drive, it
an emergency system to a USB might take a while. Now you
drive, which enables a lot of can boot your PC from the
Advanced error analysis repair measures. To do that, drive, in case of an
In Event Viewer, Windows logs almost everything that happens on enter "Recovery” in the Windows emergency. To do that, plug it
your system. It is therefore the ideal point of contact for intensive search field and click on " Create in and press the [Escape],
troubleshooting. Press [Win] + [R] and enter "eventvwr.msc” to Recovery Drive" to open the [F8], [F11] or [F12] keys
assistant. Confirm with "Next" immediately after switching
open the Event Viewer. A filter helps to retain the overview. Select
and wait for a moment. After on in order to access the boot
"Action | Create a custom view" and go to the "Filter" tab. Under that, you can find out how big menu on your computer.
"Logged", select a time period in which the error has occurred. Then the USB drive must be in order
mark the "Critical" and "Error" boxes under "Event level". Open the to create an emergency drive. It
drop-down menu under "Protocols" and select "Windows needs to be about 8 to 16 GB in
size. While the USB drive is
Protocols". Once you confirm with "OK", assign a name and again
being written on, all existing
click on "OK". Lastly, sort the result by "Errors" and "Warnings" by data will be lost, so make sure
clicking on "Level". you backup the data on the hard
Another option to evaluate the Event Viewer under Windows drive first. Depending on the
10 is the "Reliability Display". Enter "Relia” in the Windows search
box. Subsequently, click on "Display Reliability display". After that,
select a day on which Windows has marked an error with a red
cross. You will receive additional information about the problem
right below. Click on "View technical details" to examine the error
in a more precise way.
Previous
HIDDEN MALWARE INFECTIONS driver
If Windows or important software such as your browser acts in an Return to
previous version
unusual way, a previously unrecognised malicious code might also
if hardware
be responsible for that. does not work
correctly after
an update of the
Detect malware driver
Many virus scanners rely on signatures when searching for
malware. These scanners ignore malware whose signature is not
known to them yet. Malwarebytes is an additional security
programme that allows you to examine Windows for any
suspicious activity. It detects harmful software on the basis of
behavioural patterns and reliably removes the malware.
Remove adware and bothersome toolbars

The installation processes of freeware from the Internet often
install stubborn advertising programmes and toolbars in the
browser apart from the desired program, which keep annoying you
with irksome pop-ups that slow down the system, or even send
unwanted private data and tracking information to their
manufacturers. These are sometimes difficult to remove with
built-in Windows tools. The tool AdwCleaner, on the other hand,
specialises in putting an end to these browser add-ons for good.
WINDOWS START GETS ABORTED

It is particularly frustrating when Windows does not want to start Reliability Display
anymore or start only in safe mode. In that case, you will need a In this diagram, the reliability display of Windows shows which error has
DVD or a USB drive that you can use to reboot your computer. occurred when
Before you get to that, you should have created the emergency

feature
drive described on the previous page with Windows 10. Windows 7

users can burn a system repair disk on a DVD with [Win] + [R] and
the command "recdisc”.
For the automatic
"Start-up support" on
Windows 10, you Restore system
need access to a user
account on the Boot your PC using the emergency stick and select
system "Troubleshooting | Advanced options | Restore system" to go back
to a previous restore point. However, this function is only available
if one was created before.
Perform automatic start-up support

Under "Advanced options", the emergency drive offers an
additional option with the "Start-up support" to trigger the system
Write new Master Boot Record to start again. The repair attempts are completely automated. For
Use the "bootrec /fixmbr” command in a system repair console to
troubleshoot problems while booting Windows that, it is important to select an account that is already available
on the computer and to enter the password. The diagnosis is
performed subsequently.
Create start protocol

The system repair disk and the Windows 10 advanced boot menu
also allow you to create a log of the boot process. Thus, the system
creates a list of all drivers loaded up to the point of the crash. You
will find the list in the folder "C:\Windows" under the name
"ntbtlog.txt". On the Internet, search for the last listed driver to
receive more information about it. Next, uninstall it or restore its
previous version.
Reset PC completely
If none of the options described here have helped, you can also
Recover data with Linux live CD reset your PC with the emergency drive. In doing so, the complete
The live Linux System System partitions – you can recognise system is reinstalled. To do that, go to "Troubleshooting | Reset
RescueCD is ideal for booting the Windows partition from
this PC". After that, you can choose to either "Keep My Files" or
defective Windows PCs and to the size. If it is called, for
back up your data to an external example, "/dev/sda2", "Remove All". In both cases, it is recommended to backup
hard drive. Burn the ISO file onto integrate it with the important files beforehand with the help of a Linux Live System
a DVD and then boot your PC. command "ntfs-3g/dev/ (refer to the left).
Select the sixth item from the sda2/mnt/win dows". You
boot menu and then "en” as the can then access it with the
file manager (Icon "File
UEFI finds no OS
keyboard layout. Then type
"fdisk-l” in the already open System"). If the Master Boot Record (MBR) of the hard disk has been
terminal window to list existing damaged (e.g. by an additional operating system), Windows will
not be able to boot. The Windows tool Bootrec removes the
damage.
Repair Boot Manager

Restart from the system repair disk or the emergency stick and
this time, select "Command prompt". Enter the command "bootrec
/fixmbr" in the command lines window to write a new MBR on
your hard disk. After that, use the "bootrec /fixboot” command to
create a new boot sector on the system partition. Then restart.
Integrate Windows again in the Boot Manager

The command line command knows more parameters. That
way, it is possible to search for operating systems with "bootrec /
scanos", which are certainly available on the hard disk, but are not
With a live system like the SystemRescueCD, you can access your data even when entered in the Boot manager. If this command finds one or more
Windows no longer wants to boot systems, then update the Boot Manager list with "bootrec /

feature
Hardware problems and solutions

Boo drive is not detected UEFI does not start /hangs PC runs but display remains black No response
from page 59 from page 60 from page 60 from page 61
Reset UEFI to factory settings via Check electricity and data cable of Check power supply from socket to
Correct boot sequence
jumper the monitor motherboard
Check function and connection of Remove and replace motherboard Change source setting of the Check on-off and reset switch (on
the drive battery monitor housing and motherboard)
Test RAM modules individually to

Data recovery via SystemRescue- Interconnect Windows output mode Change hardware: First power
detect defects
Disc wit [Win] + [P] supply, then motherboard
Test other graphics output of the

computer (DisplayPort/HDMI
Test drive in other computers /DVI, possibly VGA/on-board
graphics)
Is PC ccessible via network?

If yes, replace graphics card
rebuildbcd”.
BOOT DRIVE IS NOT RECOGNISED

If you cannot start the installed Windows even with the previously
mentioned tricks, there is probably a problem on the hardware/
firmware level. First check if the booting sequence is correctly set
in the UEFI. This is relevant mostly if you have added another drive
that has an operating system that was already installed – but also
if you have reset the UEFI by yourself or the cause could even be
an empty motherboard battery. The simplest way is to access the In the simple UEFI menu you can drag and drop the drives into the correct boot
UEFI settings from a running Windows 10. Click on "Start menu | sequence
On/Off", then click on "Restart" while pressing the [Shift] key. In
the following menus, click on "Troubleshooting | Advanced
options| UEFI firmware settings| Restart". Under Windows 7, you UEFI: Pay
need to press one of the [F1], [F2], or [Del] keys immediately after attention to
switching it on in quick repetition to get to UEFI – you will find the the details
exact instruction in the manual for your motherboard/notebook. If your system drive
does not appear as a
boot option, you will
Correct boot sequence find it in the advanced
The UEFIs of most motherboards tend to show a simplified UEFI menu, where you
can set the drive as the
interface at first. It represents the boot sequence as a series of first option
icons that you can drag in the correct order with the mouse. The
drive with your operating system must be at the first place – the
UEFIs mostly show "Windows Boot Manager" in the name of the
drive. If your system drive does not appear there at all, switch over
to the advanced view via the Advanced" button at the top or
bottom of the screen. In this view, look for the "Boot" entry, where
you will find a more detailed view of the "Boot Order". Under the
"UEFI Hard Disk Drive BBS” entry, your system drive must be set as
"Boot Option #1”.
Hardware failure of the boot drive The UEFI "Secure Boot" feature prevents rootkits from being able to infiltrate, but it
also prevents the OS (or a recovery live system) from booting in the event of
If the drive does not appear in this menu at all or appears only
problems. You can turn off Secure Boot to avoid this
sometimes, a hardware failure is probable. Before you discard the

feature
drive, connect it with another data or power cable and test another
SATA port on the motherboard to eliminate the defects of these
components. If this remains unsuccessful, you must install a new
drive and reinstall the computer. After that, you can try to connect
the old drive to the running computer via SATA or an external USB
hard disk case in order to possibly recover the data from it with
Recuva or Testdisc / Photorec.
You can connect a temporarily faulty boot drive to a working computer by means of
a USB adapter and check if it can recover more data by means of Recuva or
TestDisk
UEFI REFUSES TO START
It is rare for UEFI to not start correctly - instead, the computer
reboots and restores secure defaults if necessary. This kind of
reset for desktop PCs can be manually initiated. First, with the PC
switched off (and disconnected from the power supply), open the
case and look for the "Clear CMOS” jumper on the motherboard –
Motherboard and RAM problems that usually connects pins one and two of three pins. Plug the
second and third pins together for ten seconds, and then back to
the starting position. Doing so makes the motherboard "forget” all
UEFI settings and it should then restart. If you cannot get to this
jumper, remove the button cell battery of the board for ten
seconds and then reinsert it. If problems still continue to occur
when the computer is disconnected from the power supply, replace
this battery.
If multiple RAM modules are installed, test whether the UEFI
1 starts when only one of the modules is used – if yes, the other
modules are defective and must be replaced with compatible new
The "Clear CMOS” - jumper on the motherboard is set to the clear position for
ten seconds to reset all UEFI settings ones.
IMAGE PROBLEMS: DISPLAY REMAINS

OFF
The monitor should always be switched on in all the scenarios
we've discussed so far, so if your monitor still doesn't show
anything, you can use that to exclude possible causes one by one.
If the monitor’s standby light is on, the monitor’s power supply
should be fine. And if the on-screen menu can be viewed, the
display works. That leaves the signal source as the only possible
2 cause.
When the battery is empty, the UEFI forgets all settings after each First, check if the monitor cable is correctly inserted on both
disconnection from the power supply. The replacement is simple
sides and is undamaged. Then test if the monitor is placed on the
correct signal source (source switch) and whether Windows
outputs the image on the correct port ([Win] + [P]). Next, replace
the monitor cable with another one. If that does not work, try
another type of connection, such as HDMI or VGA instead of DVI. If
this works, the PC output in the failed connection type is probably
defective. Check the function of the monitor by connecting another
computer.
Determine status via LAN

3 On the PC, the problem can finally be isolated to the graphics
A defective RAM module can prevent booting up or cause crashes. If multiple output, if it is accessible via the network. You can check this by
modules are installed, individually test each module to check whether the
computer starts and runs in a stable manner

feature
taking a look at the web interface of your router from another

computer to see whether the problem computer is registered in
the network and what IP address it has. From the Start menu,
open a "Command Prompt” and type in "ping [IP address]”. If this
works, Windows will run. Exchanging for or installing a (used or
cheap) graphics card should make the computer functional again.
IF NOTHING WORKS ANYMORE

If the fans and LEDs of the PC remain off after switching on the 1
PC, then the power supply of the on-off switch or the motherboard
could be the problem. First, check the power supply. Is the fuse for
the socket intact and are other users working on this outlet? Check Test PC via LAN 2
if any multiple sockets are in order, whether the power cable is If the switched on PC
does not display any
plugged into the power supply and if it is switched on. picture, but has an IP
address (i.e:
Error search in the computer 192.168.1.127) in the
web interface of your
Check if all cables in the housing that lead from the power supply router 1, then ping it
to the components fit correctly. If pins in the main connector of using the command
the large 24-pin motherboard are burnt, an overvoltage (lightning prompt 2. If there is a
response, then the OS
strike, etc.) has pierced through and has probably destroyed the works and only the
components. Also check whether the four to eight-pin 12-V CPU screen output is failing
plug is placed correctly, as well as the graphics card that should be
using a combination of four-, six- or eight-pin power plug.
On the motherboard, check the "Case Connector” pins, which
are connected to the power and reset switch as well as to the
housing LEDs (power and HDD). You will find the pin configuration
in your motherboard's manual, which you can download from the
manufacturer’s website. Disconnect the plus marked "Reset SW”. If Test switch
the PC starts up, then it's likely that the reset button is broken and The (power and reset)
should remain unplugged. If this does not change anything, switch of the housing
can cause tricky
disconnect the "Power SW” plug and plug the "Reset SW” plug into problems – you can
its pins - the polarity does not matter. If the reset switch detect and solve it on
successfully turns on the PC, this indicates that the power button the plugs of the
motherboard
is defective. Continue using the reset button.
Replace the power supply or the motherboard

If all of the above were unsuccessful, the probable causes are a
defective power supply or motherboard. If your power supply is
already five years old, then a brand new power supply is always a
good purchase. The replacement isn't complicated too. Just
disconnect all the cables, loosen four screws, and remove the
power supply. Reverse this process to install your new power
supply. The next logical step is a new motherboard. A model with
the same socket like the previous one is the most favourable and
you can continue to use all the other components. However, you
must completely dismantle the computer and reassemble it. If the
PC is older than five years, it might be a better idea to completely
overhaul it with a new motherboard, CPU and memory of the latest
generation. This type of makeover will definitely be the best
solution for all PC problems. The replacement of the power supply is easy and obvious in case the electricity
supply of the computer causes problems

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Microsoft’s Plans For

Windows 10
Fluent design, Timeline, Cortana 2.0 and more data protection, all of these were introduced with
the spring update of Windows 10. Apart from that, Microsoft also provided a glimpse into the
future of Windows up until 2020
By Andreas Th. Fischer And Markus Mandau

cover story
Windows 10 updates twice a year. Like clockwork, Microsoft brings out An operating system in five versions
a new version every spring and fall. This time, Microsoft has issued not Microsoft is rolling out big updates for Windows gradually. As the 1709
just one feature update, but two. Originally set to drop for around curve shows, there are some who rather wait or must wait. Similarly, the
March as version 1803, the Spring Creators Update was delayed to late switchover to version 1803 took a few weeks to reach everyone
April earlier this year due to a critical. Microsoft is now hard at work
100 %
with Redstone 5, which will be available in the future. Specifically, it is Proportion of users
expected to appear this fall.
In this feature, we'll be taking a look at the changes Redstone 4 Windows 10 1703 Windows 10 1709
(Creators Update) (Fall Creators Update)
brought about first. After that, we will talk a bit of the preview version 80 %
of Redstone 5 and their new features. For those who are interested,
you can download the Preview build by signing up to the Windows
Insider Program through the Windows settings. We will also show you 60 %
how you can use the VirtualBox tool for safe testing of Redstone 5. It's
not recommended to try it without a safety net as these previews
sometimes contain errors, which may lead to loss of data in the worst
40 %
case scenario. Lastly, we will analyse what Microsoft plans for
Windows 10 in the long term and how the Redmond-based company is
Windows 10 1607
modifying the system for various hardware platforms. (Anniversary Update)
20 %
Windows 10 1511
THIS IS WHAT THE SPRING UPDATE WILL Windows 10 1507
BRING 0%
24 27 27 22 20 26
What is immediately conspicuous in Redstone 4 is the new Fluent October November December January February March
2017 2017 2017 2018 2018 2018
Design that Microsoft has implemented in certain places. You can see
transparent effects in the Start menu: Elements that are in the
background shimmer slightly through the transparent structures. This
is supposed to create a depth effect and a visual hierarchy, since the
tiles in the Start menu will pulse with a light effect when the mouse
pointer is hovering over that particular tile. Users ought to therefore
easily see which actions are available. However, the new features will
not be available always. For example, due to missing drivers, Fluent
Design is deactivated under VirtualBox.
Timeline somewhere between a dream and

nightmare
When it comes to its new timeline, Microsoft has promised a bunch of
things, such as enhancing productivity. In order to enable this, it Fluent Design in the Start menu of Redstone 4: Microsoft generates a depth effect
collects information about activities of the user and displays this with the use of transparency and soft light effects
information in a lucid manner. The timeline even collates this data
across multiple computers and processes it – a boon for mobile The new S-mode to arrive in 2019
workers, but a nightmare for data privacy specialists. Microsoft had promised a lot the S-mode are expected to
Pressing [Windows] + [Tab] gives you an overview of your timeline. for Windows 10 S, a limited be available from 2019
version of the operating onwards. Those who want
It lists not just your activities from the last few days, but also offers a
system that is supposed to Windows S can select the
simple option of working with virtual desktops. You can create a new offer more security. latest ISO file for it with
working surface with one clock on the symbol under "New Desktop", Economically, however, it was Windows 10 and select the
which then allows you to easily drag applications with the mouse. not a success. The company system during the set up.
Under "Start l Settings l Data privacy l Activity history", the timeline can is refusing to give up in spite
of this and plans to integrate
be configured or can be deactivated completely. Here, it is also possible
Windows S as a new S-mode
to delete the history that is displayed so far. in Windows 10 instead. This
mode will have similar
Free up memory and deactivate autostart limitations as that of the
Regardless of how large your hard drive's capacity is, it is bound to fall trimmed-down Windows S,
such as only allowing the
short at some point. Microsoft has splashed out on features in the
execution of applications
Spring update in order to free up occupied storage once again. You will from the official Windows
find the new options under "Start l Settings l System l Storage l Free up Store. The first devices with

cover story
storage space now". Here, you can delete superfluous log files and
carryovers from the previous Windows installations, for instance.
Microsoft has also revised the options that allows users to clean up the
programs that start with the system. Go to "Start l Settings l Apps l
Autostarts" in order to deactivate autostarts, which are no longer
required, simply using a button.
Cortana 2.0 – improved search and startup helpers

Immediately after the update, the operating system presents a note
regarding the intensified integration of the digital assistants. Cortana
2.0 coordinates directly with the timeline and can indicate the activities
stored there. Microsoft wants to expand Cortana as a comprehensive
Windows 10 collects information in the timeline about the activities of the users –
even across different devices search agent, which is reminiscent of Apple’s Spotlight. A search box
would probably be integrated in the future for this purpose, one that
hovers in the middle of the desktop. From there, the user can directly
search the Web, local directories and in Windows as well. In the
previous preview version, it was actually possible to activate this
feature via a Registry hack. However, this no longer works in the
version tested by us.
Furthermore, the Microsoft Store now contains the new app
known as "Cortana Show Me …". It helps the average layman when it
comes to changing Windows settings. Thus far, it's able to provide over
50 detailed instructions to questions such as how a Bluetooth device
can be added, or how the background can be personalised.
If you wish, you can take a look at the new features yourself and install the preview
version at an earlier stage
Changes in data privacy
After every bigger update, it is worth looking into the data privacy
settings, something that applies for the switch to Redstone 4 too. As
usual, these settings can be found under "Start l Settings l Data
To play updates or not? Test this without any risk

Those who wish can participate in the versions quicker. As soon as you have your receive the latest preview version. This
Insider program at any time, in order to account, go to insider.windows.com/en- option corresponds to Fast Ring, which
test the next Windows versions in us/ and click on "Become an Insider". Log receives the updates the fastest. Confirm
advance. However, you should not use a in with your account data and accept the and restart the VM. Next, select Windows
regularly used system to test it. Microsoft conditions of the Insider program. update and click on "Look for updates".
uses the previews to test new features, Mostly, this option commands Windows
which can often contain errors. We Install Windows virtually to 'loosen' your privacy settings. As it is
recommend testing out the preview in a Install the Media Creation Tool (www. only a test VM, this should not be an
virtualisation software such as microsoft.com/en-us/software- issue. Win10 will now load the latest
VirtualBox, then download Windows 10 download/windows10) and use it to preview and update itself. The VM can be
as an ISO file and install the system on a download the latest ISO file with restarted multiple times in this way.
virtual machine (VM). Windows 10. Install the
system in a new VM in
Set up Windows Live account VirtualBox, then get
For testing the new features, you require Windows to start updating
a Windows Live account, which is linked until all the updates have
with the Insider program. While you can been downloaded and
use an existing account, it's better to installed. Now, go to "Start
create a new account on signup.live.com. l Settings l Update and
This is because Microsoft, with its Security". Click on "Link
softened data privacy regulations for the account" and log in with
Insider program, can gather a lot of data the test account. After the
into your activities. At the same time, it login, select "The next
does allow Microsoft to collect and Windows Version" and
eliminate data about errors in the preview "Quick display" in order to

cover story
privacy". Microsoft now presents a long list of options here, starting

from "General" to "Speech recognition Ink and Type", "Activity History" of
the timeline and individual settings for installed apps. The new
structure does require a few more clicks, since you'll now have to look
for certain settings in multiple sub-menus. In fact, rather than
becoming simpler, things have become more complex.
The "Diagnosis data viewer", which hides under "Diagnosis and
Feedback", is an exciting feature. Set the option of "Diagnosis data
display" to "On" in order to enable it. It can then be downloaded and
installed from the Windows Store. The tool should give users an
overview about what data Microsoft collects for elimination of errors.
Only a few can work with or understand the displayed data, however,
as it is presented without further explanations. It is also new for The "Cortana Show Me ..." app helps the average Joe in completing tasks – for
example, while determining the Windows version
multiple dialogues to be displayed to the user directly after the update,
where he can configure the data privacy settings.
New features in the in-house Browser

Microsoft refuses to give up on its browser, though their actions show
otherwise. But there are enough users who continue to swear by Edge, The Diagnosis Data
so the company has provided it with a handful of new features. The Viewer is a profile
tool. It allows a
software can now remove advertisements and other interfering glimpse into the
elements while printing, if so desired, making it so that only the information that
Windows sends to
essential elements will be transferred on paper. This worked rather Microsoft
well in the test, so much so that we managed to spare more than half
the contents on paper when it came to printing for many a website.
Apart from that, Microsoft has established EPUB and PDF support,
which updates the interface and enhances the full screen mode
(activated via the [F11] key), so that you won't need exit the mode when Edge now removes
you want to access the address bar or want to switch to another tab. clutter while
printing, if desired.
Instead, you just need to move the mouse to the top edge of the This saves paper
screen. In addition, audio can now be deactivated for specific tabs.
Having said that, this feature has been available on other browsers for
quite some time now.
Maintenance works, improvements and deferrals

Furthermore, Microsoft has made improvements in other areas and
has updated the Eye Control that it introduced last fall. Windows now
also supports the image format HEIF (High Efficiency Image File
Format) favoured by Apple. This format deals with special containers
that can record individual pictures or entire sequences. Moreover, the Installation of Redstone 5
compression of HEIF is clearly better than that of the outdated JPEG. Curious contemporaries can can also be a good thing that
In the future, owners of systems with multiple graphics cards already get a first glimpse of the company dispenses
the upcoming Fall update. To Redstone 5 via the option "The
should be able to choose which graphics card would be used for each
do this, follow the next version of Windows" upon
app. This way, notebook owners can, for example, decide to specifically instructions in the box on the the appearance of this version,
go for the power-saving variant and start the graphics unit of the CPU opposite page. Instead of for it will have slipped one place
instead of actuating the graphics card dedicated for this purpose. selecting "The next version of forward in the sequence of
There's also the new "Environmental release", which can be activated Windows" at the end, select releases until then.
the option: "Skip ahead to the
via the information centre. With this feature, data can be exchanged
next Windows release", which
wirelessly between two Bluetooth-enabled computers. basically refers to Redstone
Microsoft also has new features in the update for Virtual Reality 5. The option cannot be seen
fans. Thanks to Windows’ Mixed Reality, modern games can be for each Insider account,
experienced not just optically and acoustically, but haptically as well however, because Microsoft
has not release it
– provided the device has the corresponding hardware (see next page).
permanently. Even when it is,
the access is limited only to a
small number of users. But it

cover story
As is customary, though, not everything that Microsoft had planned

Lenovo Explorer consists of two
Motion Controllers and a VR on introducing with Redstone 4 is complete. We have already
headset in order to experience mentioned that the company removed the new Cortana search box
the new Mixed Reality by
Windows 10 again. What’s more, Microsoft was also unable to finalise the sets it
has already made an announcement about in time. Those are now
expected to appear with Version 5.
Interested users can test that in the next Fall update and
Microsoft will provide a separate preview version when the time
comes. Redstone 5 will appear in September or October this year and
will most likely obtain the internal release number of 1809.
WITH REDSTONE 5 STARTING THIS FALL

One of the biggest innovations of Redstone 5 will be the previously
mentioned 'sets', which enable Microsoft to implement tabs across
programs. One set consists of several windows where even different
programs can be accommodated in tabs. Users can thus condense
projects in one place and ensure a greater degree of order on the
desktop. Nevertheless, not all programs can be summed up in one set.
They must correspond to the UWP standard (Universal Windows
Platform). Classical desktop applications such as Photoshop therefore
remain excluded.
According to the announcement by Microsoft, users can easily
switch between individual tabs within one or amongst multiple sets
with the mouse. The well-known key combination [Alt] + [Tab] should
With Redstone 5, UWP applications such as the Windows Explorer can include even
other programs such as OneNote as a tab serve the purpose of switching tabs. The company uses key
combinations known from other programs for other actions related to
the tabs as well, such as [Ctrl] + [T] for opening new tabs and [Ctrl] +
[W] for closing the currently open tab. Furthermore, Microsoft plans on
integrating these tabs into the menu structure of the Windows
Explorer, for instance.
In the system
settings of Redstone
5, the new sets can Intermediate cloud storage for multiple devices
be activated and With Redstone 5, Microsoft wants to finally implement the
configured
intermediate cloud storage that it announced last year for the
clipboard. With these feature, the contents copied or cut onto the
clipboard using [Ctrl] + [C] or [Ctrl] + [X] will no longer remain locally on
the PC, but will automatically land up on a Microsoft server in the cloud.
From there, the contents will be available on all computers that are
linked to the same live account. However, because the clipboard can
contain sensitive data within, the feature can also be deactivated if
desired.
Coerce Redstone 4 Windows 10 has always been criticised for not following any
It can sometimes take weeks your computer look for new
uniform model for its essential system settings. With Redstone 5,
or even months until updates. It generally downloads
the "Functional update for Microsoft plans on eliminating this flaw, or at least parts of it. The
Windows offers you the
Spring update. But you can Windows 10, Version 1803" after next big feature update will include a new control centre, which is
use a trick to get it earlier. a short while and installs it. You located at the bottom right in the system tray and is expected to
First, register yourself for the will also need to customise your record frequently required settings such as system volume,
Windows Insider program (see privacy settings here. If you
brightness and WiFi.
description on page 64) and want to quit the Windows
Insider program once this is The new search feature is anticipated to arrive in the fall, which
link your Windows account
with Windows Insider. Select done, click on the option with the will be supported by Cortana. And the Fluent Design will be found in
the option "Simply send me same name in the system multiple places as well. What’s more, a feature has been planned,
early updates", confirm it settings and then click on "Stop which can be used to read out and display the battery status of
twice and restart your Insider Preview builds".
Bluetooth devices. Incidentally, Redstone 5 will be the last preview
computer. After that, select
version with this code name. Microsoft will stop using this title from
the Windows update and let

cover story
the beginning of 2019. By all accounts, the Redmond campus Windows 10 on ARM computers
employees plan on changing the name scheme to 19H1, 19H2, 20H1,
etc. This plan has not yet been officially confirmed though.
WINDOWS 10 ON MOBILE PHONE CHIPS

Even before Redstone 5, Microsoft will launch a substantial innovation
this fall. To be more precise, it is a new Windows variant. In their
second attempt, the employees of the Redmond campus are trying to
establish Windows 10 on ARM processors, which is typically used by
smartphones such as Samsung Galaxy S8. Always-Connected PCs such The Windows 10 variant on ARM
as the ASUS NovaGo have integrated chipsets like that, like with the runs on Always On PCs such as
ASUS NovaGo and Lenovo Miix
Snapdragon 835. On these PCs, you'll find a version of Win10 that can 630 – according to
also start normal desktop programs such as Photoshop. In fact, an manufacturers, up to 24 hours
Intel-compatible processor is normally required for this. This feature
needs to first be activated by the buyer of an Always-Connected PC, Desktop programs in the software emulation
however. These PCs are delivered with Windows 10 S, which only In Windows 10 on ARM, even desktop tools such as Photoshop run on an
permits apps form the Store. They are executed via the Universal ARM chip. Their x86 code is emulated for this purpose and their system
Windows Platform (UWP) as UWP supports Intel as well as ARM calls are processed by special DLLs. The abstraction layer then combines
hardware; UWP has been a part of the operating system since both and sends the code to the kernel.
Windows 8. In order to execute desktop programs, the user must carry
out a free upgrade to Windows Home or Pro. x86-Code
Desktop programs are emulated

However, there is a catch. The ARM chip cannot do anything with the
program code of common Windows software such as Photoshop or
PowerDVD. This is the reason why Microsoft has expanded the
ARM-Code
foundation of Windows 10 to central components, which translate the
code on the chip before the execution through software emulation Abstraction Layer CHPE*-Dlls
(see right). It is a CPU-intensive step so that desktop tools on
Always-Connected PCs run with reduced performance. Fortunately,
depending on the software, the decline in performance is not too bad. X86-Emulator
Microsoft can compensate for this to a certain extent through
modified system libraries, namely CHPE DLLs (Compiled Hybrid System Services (NTDLL)
Portable Executable) that run natively on ARM chips and can

simultaneously receive and execute the system calls of the Windows Windows kernel and drivers
programs. This means that every time a desktop tool transfers

certain tasks – such as the display of a JPEG – to a system
component, a detour via the emulator is not required. But even this
function has a catch. Microsoft emulates only 32 Bit software, i.e. x86
programs. Thus, the 64 Bit version remains excluded since 32 Bit
systems will limit the size of working memory that can use such a *Complied Hybrid Portable Executable: DLLs, which translate x86 commands into
ARM code
program to 4 GB. Microsoft has been attempting to close this gap. In
the course of the developer conference BUILD in May 2018, the Limited compatibility
Redmond employees launched a Software Development Kit that Currently, Windows 10 on ARM can emulate only x86 programs with 32
allowed programmers to convert their UWP apps to 64 Bit with a Bit. An emulator for 64 Bit programs is missing. From May onwards, the
couple of clicks. system will at least support 64 Bit apps from the Windows Store.
x86 64-Bit ARM ARM
24 hours with one battery charge Emulation Emulation 32-Bit-Code 64-Bit-Code
Despite the limitations, there are reasons to purchase an Always- x86
programs ○ ○ ○ ○
Connected computer. Compared to a normal laptop, it has advantages
Photos: Manufacturer
64 Bit
in terms of mobility. The device manufacturers are advertising long programs ○ ○ ○ ○
battery times of up to 24 hours, and they did score well in initial Windows-
Apps* ○ ○ ○ from May
practical tests with a proud total of 16 hours. This is made possible by
the ARM chip Snapdragon 835, which is much more power efficient * Apps compiled on the Universal Windows Platform (UWP-App) ○ Yes ○ No

cover story
The fastest ARM chips in a duel when compared to Intel CPUs. With the Always-Connected concept
The latest Always-Connected PCs all run on the also comes the integration of a SIM card. This makes sense since ARM
Snapdragon 835 chip. Devices running on the chips include a modem that supports the newest LTE network
more powerful Snapdragon 845 won't be available technology inside. In Malaysia, there hasn't been any talk about from
till later in 2018. the telco companies offering special bundles or packages in this regard.
The performance of these computers is still a snag, but will
PCMark Android (Information in points)
hopefully be much better in the future. As opposed to the usual PC
Snapdragon 845 8,062
processors from Intel and AMD, you can expect bigger improvements in
Snapdragon 835 6,616
performance for ARM chips going forward. The best example is the
Snapdragon 845, which is planted in the latest smartphone flagships
such as the Sony Xperia Z2, ASUS ZenFone 5Z, and more. It shows a 20
percent stronger performance than the Snapdragon 835 in benchmark
New patents for a
foldable smartphone is tests, allowing the ARM emulation of x86 programs to be able to run
a good reason for
more smoothly on it. The first Always-Connected PCs with the new 845
assuming that
Microsoft will probably chip are expected at the end of the year.
launch a Surface phone
in the near future
MICROSOFT’S MASTER PLAN
From a purely technical viewpoint, Windows 10 is in a transitional
phase. Off the stage, Microsoft is reorganising its operating system so
that it can run on all possible devices. In this context, there is also a
strong focus on ARM as the old Windows platform consisting of AMD
PCs or Intel notebooks seems to be (in certain countries or markets)
dwindling gradually but steadily. On the other hand, the market share
and volume of mobile devices is still increasing at a significant rate, and
ARM has a monopoly in this category. The best example is Microsoft’s
in-house Mixed Reality glasses HoloLens.
In the first version of the HoloLens, a modified Windows 10 and an
Atom CPU by Intel was used. Recently, we got to see the first leak of
the second version, which is supposed to be launched some time in
A new version of the Mixed Reality glasses HoloLens awaits in 2019. It runs a
special version of Windows 10 with AI support
2019. This time around, Microsoft has decided to equip the HoloLens 2
with an ARM chip and special hardware for Artificial Intelligence. In
addition, we believe that consumers can expect to see a new mobile
The big remodelling of Windows 10 device by Microsoft in the near future. It is uncertain if this will be a
In Microsoft’s master plan, a small core system runs on each hardware, Surface Phone, but patents brought in by Microsoft show a foldable
while the interface is customised with elements of the Composable Shell. tablet that is suitable for calling purposes (see left) and an ARM chip is
Four such projects are currently running. included as well. This two factors strongly indicate that it could be.
Desktop programs A system core for all devices

UWP-Apps The Surface Phone is arguably the first device with Windows Core OS
that marks the next big step in the development of Windows 10.
Microsoft has not explicitly announced its master plan, but when you
Composable Shell put the pieces together, it's not hard to see what is being planned. To fit
into the current age, Windows 10 has to become a universal operating
Polaris Andromeda Aruba Oasis
system that runs on completely different devices and hardware
platforms. This is why the operating system is being reorganised by
Microsoft. Its kernel as well as all other system features will represent
Windows Core OS the core OS in the future. This core system can be implemented on all
possible devices, regardless of whether it is the display of a pair of MR
glasses or an 80-inch television.
For the representation on the various interfaces, Microsoft is
extending the Windows Shell system. The Shell defines how Windows
will be displayed, and contains all interface elements, starting from the
structure of the windows to the Start menu. The extension operates
under the term called "Composable Shell". Multiple projects run
internally in order to customise this Shell for the respective output

cover story
devices (see left of previous page), such as "Andromeda" for the Surface
Phone. Desktop programs play a subordinate role in this concept and
they occur only in the project Polaris for PCs and laptops. If things work
out according to Microsoft, the future will belong to the UWP apps,
since the coding will have already been designed for various hardware
platforms.
THERE IS NO ESCAPE FROM AI!

The support of new hardware is the keyword for another huge project,
namely the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Until now, all AI
features run on the cloud. This applies to the speech assistant Cortana
as well as for the identification of person in images in OneDrive. But
with the Spring update, Microsoft should have been able to remove AI
from its online-only constraint.
In the future, Windows 10 will be able to accomplish AI tasks such as the

When computers learn to see identification of persons even offline
Kam VedBrat is the Group Program Manager of the Windows AI teams,
which is responsible for the implementation of Windows ML (Machine AI integration in three code lines
Learning). On Developers’ Day in March 2018, he explained that Microsoft has provided the Windows ML interface for developers. Three
Windows 10 with Redstone 4 will also support special hardware such commands suffice for integration into an app.
as the Intel VPU Movidius (VPU: Visual Processing Unit). A neural
network runs on VPUs such as the Myriad X by Movidius (see bottom
right), which analyses visual data in terms of content. Identifying faces,
objects and persons – these are exercises that an AI chip is able to
carry out in real time. Such a neural network, coupled with a webcam,
could theoretically read even human emotions. The advantage of AI
hardware is in the fact that it combines high computing power with low
energy consumption. For example, a neural network accomplishes one
billion computing operations on a fingernail-sized Myriad X.
Photos:Thomas Hawk/CC BY-NC 2.0/Flickr (Portrait); forest strider, In8finity/Getty Images (Illustrations); Manufacturer
Windows ML acts as an interface for executing neural networks

directly in Windows 10. This task can be initiated by the system itself
"The AI platform of
or by an app. This is by no means a dream of the future, since Adobe Windows 10
and Corel have already integrated neural networks in their products
quite a while ago. The highlight of Windows ML is that it is not just big
allows one to
software firms that can operate this technology with the appropriate integrate neural
resources, but practically every software developer. In fact, developers
can integrate a neural network in their code with just three commands.
networks directly
into apps."
Neural networks as a component of Windows
According to VedBrat, the ML interface for desktop and UWP apps Michael Burkhart
should be available in all version of Windows 10 over the course of the Group Program Manager
of the Windows AI team
year. The import of already pre-trained neural networks will therefore
become possible. For transmission of data, Windows ML uses the Open
Neural Network Exchange Format (ONNX), which is supported by
Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon. Except for Google, all industry giants
are represented by the ONNX. However, there is at least one plug-in for
Google’s TensorFlow. As for the hardware manufacturers, AMD, ARM,
Huawei, IBM, Intel and Qualcomm support the standard as well.
A lot of what Microsoft plans for Windows 10 leaves behind an
ambiguous impression that oscillates between a Big Brother feeling
and the discovery of new possibilities. Long-serving users may find it
difficult to start using the new features and might want to go back to
XP in the meanwhile. At the same time, Microsoft’s plans show that it
Special AI hardware such as the Myriad X chip by Intel Movidius supports Windows
is determined to lead Windows 10 into the distant future. 10 starting with Redstone 4

test lab
TEST LAB: The Tools

Here at the CHIP Test Labs, we adhere to the high requirements set by the CHIP International Testcenter
standards. This means that everything here -- from our own personal knowledge and to our trusted tools
of the trade -- are meant to provide the most optimised, unbiased and comprehensive review to every
product that comes through our doors. As thus, our test bed tools are specifically picked to get the most
out of every test we perform
Intel Platform AMD Platform

Motherboards Graphics Motherboards Graphics
Intel DZ77GA-70K Processing Unit ASUS Crosshair V Processing Unit
MSI Z87 MPower MSI GeForce GTX 980 ASUS A88X-Pro ASUS Radeon R9 290X
GAMING 4G
Processors Processors CPU Cooler
Intel Core i7-3770K CPU Cooler Cooler AMD Ryzen 7 1700 Cooler Master Hyper 212
Intel Core i7-4770K Cooler Master Hyper Turbo
212 Turbo
PSU, Storage & RAM Benchmark Software

Power Supply Memory Operating Industry
Cooler Master Silent Pro Kingston HyperX System Standard
Hybrid (1300W) HX424C15FBK4/16 Windows 10 Pro Benchmark Tools
(64-bit) AIDA64
Storage SiSoftware SANDRA
Western Digital Black² Dual Futuremark Speccy
Drive PCMark 10 Unigine Heaven
Western Digital My Book 3DMark
Live Duo

test lab
TEST LAB 1
2
18
7
11
12
15
17
13
16
8
10

test lab
CONTENTS
1 Jabra Elite Active 65t 080
2 MSI Optix MAG271CR 081
3 ILLEGEAR LAGUNA 082
4 ProStereo D1 083
5 ASUS ZenFone 5Z 084
14 Altec Lansing LifeJacket 3
6 085
7 Illegear Z7 086
8 BenQ EL2870U 087
9 ASUS PN60 088
10 ASUS VivoMini VC66-C 089
11 Sony WF-SP700N 090
5
12 Canon PIXMA G3010 091
13 OnePlus 6 092
14 Razer Thresher Ultimate PlayStation 4 093
15 ViewSonic VG2448 094
16 Wiko View Max 095
17 ViewSonic PG603X 096
18 Xiaomi Mi MIX 2s 097
CHIP Awards Ratings

Each product review is rated on a scale of 1 to 5 for
CHIP Editors’ Choice Award different key parameters:
Awarded to products that receive unanimous
endorsement from all CHIP editors for its overall
brilliance
CHIP Outstanding Award

Reserved for products that combine astute technical
performance with good quality and design PERFORMANCE : Refers to the efficiency of execution
FEATURES : Rates the abilities and unique characteristics available
DESIGN : Varies according to product. Finished products - form factor and build
CHIP Recommended Award quality. Hardware components - layout, size and cooling solution. Software - user
Given to products that possess singular quality interface
worthy of a recommendation VALUE : Calculated from the performance and features of the product in relation
to the price

first looks
Dashing In White And Red

The first ever Red PlayStation 4 Pro is finally announced
and it comes dressed with a Spider-Man logo on the
top of the console. Sony also calls the colour "Amazing
Red". You might wonder why there’s no blue around the
console like the new Marvel’s Spider-Man suit? Well, it
is worth noting that the PlayStation 4 does glow blue.
The console is also set to come with 1TB of storage,
while the DualShock 4 controller will be in red with white
buttons.
Amazing Red Spider-Man PlayStation 4 Pro

Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 300 88 1233
Info: www.sony.com.my
Classy Laser Printer

The new Canon imageClass MF525x is a compact monochrome laser
printer meant for small office tables. Also, it only takes 14 seconds to
power up, plus an additional 6 seconds for the first print to output.
You can also copy, scan, fax and send - all on this one multi-purpose
printer. A 5-inch touchscreen can also be found on the printer to help
you navigate its features. To reduce the risk of security breaches,
Canon also implemented the Canon Secure Print, which only allows
print jobs with PIN codes to go through.
Canon imageCLASS MF525x

Contact: Canon Marketing Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7884 6000
Info: www.canon.com.my
The NEX-t Phone For You?

vivo’s NEX was announced in July locally, and it came with much fanfare
after a rival brand also revealed a smartphone with a pop-up camera. The
NEX comes with a 6.59-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display that has
no notch! Internally, it houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip, 8GB of
RAM and 256GB of internal storage. But the real star of the show is the
front camera. It can’t be seen on the front of the device, because it is a
pop-up 8-megapixel camera that will only appear when you want to take
selfies. This bombastic device is powered by a 4,000 MHz battery.
vivo NEX
Contact: vivo Technologies Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 2856 9530
Info: www.vivo.my

first looks
Cloud-like Comfort
The Cloud Alpha is one of the latest headsets from HyperX, and it comes
with a similar colour palette of red and black. It features Dual Chamber
50mm drivers along with a closed back so your music won't leak. The
earpads are also of leatherette design, softer and comfier to wear
for longer periods. In addition, Kingston included a detachable noise-
cancelling microphone that is Discord and TeamSpeak certified! The cable
of the headset is also detachable as well, allowing you to carry it around
easily. This headset is compatible with most consoles or devices that has
a 3.5mm port.
HyperX Cloud Alpha

Contact: Amble Action Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7665 3939
Info: https://www.hyperxgaming.com/en
Hunting With The Elites

Peripheral elite, Razer, has recently announced a new
keyboard called the Huntsman Elite. The first thing you
might notice is with its RGB capabilities, even on the sides!
All corners of the keyboard glow, including the leatherette
wrist rest. On the top right, it sports a digital dial that allows
you to change the volume, music and so on. If you wish, you
can even configure the buttons on the Synapse app. The
major change of the keyboard is with its switches. It utilises
a brand-new Razer Opto-Mechanical Switch with 45 G of
force that utilises light sensors to works the switch.
Razer Huntsman Elite

Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7956 6300
Info: www.razer.com
Next Generation Canon Zoom Lenses

The latest lens from Canon – the EF70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM lens is
made for professional photographers and enthusiasts. It is capable of
delivering exceptional performance no matter the lighting conditions.
It has high levels of flexibility and allows the user to capture speedy
moments without losing image stability. It also features a key IS
performance upgrade of up to 5 stops with an additional three mode
selections. It can be used with full-frame Canon EF-mount DSLRs, along
with APS-C models as well.
Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS III USM Lens

Phone: (03) 7884 6000

first looks
Ringing The Banana Phone

The new Nokia 8110 was first announced in MWC 2018 and is now
ready to make its Malaysian comeback. As you may know, this
smartphone will have a body that curves slightly – resembling a
banana if you get it in yellow. It is made of polycarbonate shell with a
sliding keyboard cover that can answer calls if slid down, and end calls
with the reverse. It also has a rear camera of 2-megapixel for your
photo needs, along with a curved 2.4-inch display. Performance wise,
it is equipped with a Snapdragon 205 chip, 512MB of RAM, and runs on
Smart Feature OS. For your storage needs, it has 4GB built-in but also
has support for a 64GB microSD card. The Nokia 8110 will come with a
1,500 mAh removable battery.
Nokia 8110
Contact: Avaxx Corporation (M) Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 5638 3888
Info: https://www.nokia.com
Game On A Pad
Tablets have since been taken over by phones as their screen gets
larger, but HUAWEI begs to differ as they offer a brand new tablet for the
market. Introducing the MediaPad M5, a tablet with an 8.4-inch display
with ClariVu technology that will deliver a great viewing experience. The
display can also automatically adjust its colour temperature based on
the lighting of the environment, reducing stress on your eyes. It runs
on Android 8.0 and comes equipped with a Kirin 960 series CPU, 4GB of
RAM and 64GB of storage. To ensure it can power through your gaming
sessions, it also has a 5,100 mAh battery. A 13-megapixel rear camera
can be found on the device, along with an 8-megapixel front camera. It
also supports Hi-Res Audio and is Harman Kardon certified.
HUAWEI MediaPad M5
Contact: Huawei Malaysia Mobile Hotline
Phone: 1 800 22 0086
Info: www.huawei.com/my
Projecting With Light

Epson has announced a new laser projector in the LightScene EV-105.
It utilises the 3LCD laser technology that can provide up to 20,000 hours
of operation time, along with a sealed optical engine that gives amazing
image quality with impeccable performance. Using the Epson Content
Manager software that comes packaged with templates, effects, colours
and so on, it allows you to create your own content to display and at
the same time you can create playlists and schedules for automatic
playback. With its flexible positioning, you can project images on the
floors, walls and ceilings.
Epson LightScene EV-105

Contact: Epson Malaysia Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 5628 8288
Info: www.epson.com.my

first looks
All Show, No Need To Talk

The CK550 is Cooler Master’s latest keyboard that is equipped with
the necessities that makes a keyboard great, without any additional
hubbub. Of course, it does have RGB lighting to light up your keys at
night, giving you a spectrum of colours all in the palm of your hands.
It uses either Gateron Red, Blue or Brown switches, all wrapped
around a Brush Aluminium body. Performance is guaranteed to
be good with its polling rate of 1000Hz and 1ms response time.
You still can control media on the keyboard, and all it requires is a
few keypresses combined with the Function key. The CK550 is a
full-sized keyboard, with support for macros via the Cooler Master
software.
Cooler Master CK550

Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply
Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7956 6300, (03) 7955 3699
Info: www.coolermaster.com
Do More Than Dominate Your Opponents

With the rise of more and more brands tackling 4K monitors,
Acer decided to take it up a notch and stand out from the
crowd with the Predator X27. It is a 4K monitor with 144Hz of
refresh rate and 4ms of response time. A pretty big deal for
4K monitors considering most in the market now only go up
to 60Hz. To assist you with gaming, it also comes with NVIDIA
G-SYNC HDR that will reduce screen tearing, offering a lag
free gaming experience along with darker blacks and brighter
colours with its HDR capabilities. As its name suggest, it is a
27-inch monitor powered with Quantum Dot technology.
Acer Predator X27 Monitor

Contact: Acer Sales and Services Sdn Bhd
Phone: 1 800 88 1288
Info: www.acer.com.my
A New Generation Of Black Mamba

Recently, more and more peripherals are gaining RGB lighting
capabilities and the new Razer Mamba Elite is no different. It comes
with extended lighting zones on the sides of the mouse, sporting an
RGB strip that can be customised. And speaking of customisations,
you have 9 programmable buttons on the mouse that you can
change using the Synapse app. The mouse also utilises the Razer 5G
Advanced Optical Sensor that has 1,000 Hz of Ultrapolling, and up to
450 IPS with 50G of acceleration.
Razer Mamba Elite

Phone: (03) 7956 6300
Info: www.razer.com

first looks
Power On The Go
The latest tablet sized device from Microsoft comes packing
a punch with laptop-like capabilities. It is equipped with a
10-inch PixelSense display, with 4GB or 8GB of RAM, 64GB
of eMMC storage and 128GB of SSD. It is powered with an
Intel Pentium Gold Processor 4415Y. For your ports, you
have a microSD card reader, one USB Type-C port for all your
additional devices, and a Surface Connect port as well. All of
that power is packed into a 522g device! You can also unlock
the device with Windows Hello with the 5-megapixel front
camera, while the rear camera is a 8-megapixel shooter.
Microsoft Surface Go
Contact: Microsoft Malaysia
Phone: 1800 88 6295
Info: www.microsoft.com/en-my/
Golden Powered
Cooler Master has announced a new series of power supply
units, the MWE Gold Series Power Supply. The MWE Gold aims
to bring reduced noise and increased durability when it comes
to PSUs. This is possible due to the investment from Cooler
Master in DC-to-DC topology that resulted in higher durability
and increased efficiency, even in high demand conditions. The
MWE Gold comes with outputs of 550W to 750W, along with
110-240v AC inputs. The brand’s confidence and trust in the
series allows each PSU to be covered with 5 years of warranty.
Cooler Master MWE Gold Power Supply Series

Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn Bhd, Build Technology
Supply Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7956 6300, (03) 7955 3699
Info: www.coolermaster.com
Master The Portege

Toshiba's new Portege Z30-E would be coming to local
markets It can be equipped with the latest 8th Gen
Intel Core processor and up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM.
As for the display, the two options available are either
a Full HD or a HD display - both 13.3-inch in size. It'll
also come with SSD storage of up to 512GB. All of that
is packed into a laptop that weighs 1.2kgs and has
an 18-hour battery life (maximum); very intriguing
indeed. It also sports three USB 3.0 ports and a HDMI
port that allows you to share your work with others or
work on an additional screen, while the LAN port will
give you stable wired connectivity. The Z30-E can also
be configured to have a Smartcard and SecurePad
option that only allows the intended user to log in.
Toshiba Portege Z30-E

Contact: Toshiba Singapore Pte Ltd
Info: https://pc.toshiba-asia.com/

first looks
Balanced Lens, Balanced Life

The latest lens to join the Sony E-mount line-up, the FE 400mm F2.8
HM OSS large aperture super-telephoto prime lens, is currently the
world’s lightest 400mm F2.8 Prime lens. It offers balanced shooting
with its innovative optical design that reduces the number of
elements placed at the front of the barrel, lowering its front weight.
It is also equipped with two new high-speed XD (extreme dynamic)
Linear Motors that improves tracking performance on moving
subjects. It is also compatible with Sony’s 1.4x and 2.0x E-mount
tele-converters that can produce amazing image performance even
at extended focal lengths with fast and precise AF performance as
well. The body of the lens is built using durable magnesium alloy
along with a lightweight carbon fibre hood.
Sony FE 400mm F2.8 G Master Prime Lens

Phone: 1 300 88 1233
AORUS Ready Memory

GIGABYTE is jumping into the Memory market with the AORUS RGB
Memory. It is XMP supported as well, and currently comes with a
configuration of 16GB (8GBx2) at 3,200MHz. When you purchase the
memory kit, two RGB Infused Demo Modules are also packed together
to fully fill up your DIMM slots, so you can have the full 4 DIMM
slots glowing with pure RGB illumination goodness, without wasting
extra budget to buy additional memory kits. It can be synced up with
GIGABYTE RGB Fusion or RGB Fusion Link software to control the
lighting effects of the memory kit.
GIGABYTE AORUS RGB Memory

Contact: Nation-Tech Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 4280 6636
Info: www.gigabyte.my
Armour Up!
The Commandos GLOCK 5 by ArmoryX is a laptop from Tech
Armory Sdn Bhd and the first from the company. Specifications
for the laptop can be configured from the website before
your purchase. It can be equipped with a Pentium Gold G5400
processor or Intel’s 8th Gen processors of up to an i7 8700, up to
32GB of DDR4 memory, a 15.6-inch Full HD or UHD display, 1 TB
of HDD and up to 1TB of SSD. As for the graphics card, it comes
with a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050Ti. The keyboard can also be
configured to glow in either White, Blue, Red, Green or Orange
when you make your purchase.
ArmoryX Commandos GLOCK 5

Contact: Tech Armory Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 5887 0962
Info: ttps://www.techarmory.my/

test lab
Jabra Elite
Active 65t
Price: RM849
Contact: AMT PC Distributors Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 3344 1124
Info: www.jabra.com
Wired: Truly Wireless

Driver size: 60x5.1mm
Impedance: 16 ohm
Ports: MicroUSB
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0
IP Rating: IP56
Dimensions: 27 x 30 x 22.5 mm (earbuds) / 72 x 51 x
26.5mm (case)
Weight: 6.5 g (right)/ 5.8g (left)/ 67g (case)
Others: 4-mic system, integrated motion sensor
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Be Active Elitely
T
ruly wireless earbuds are a finicky piece As for performance, the earbuds fit perfectly,
of technology and are easily hampered and comes with extra pairs of ear tips that
with issues every now and then. With the can be changed by yourself to fit your ears.
introduction of the Jabra Elite Active 65t, some We managed to try it out on a jogging session
of the issues have been alleviated. The Active and the earbuds remained in our ears without
65t shares a similar design philosophy with the falling off. However, during our testing, we did
Elite 65t and some differences when it comes to manage to run into some connection and static
specs and so on. issues, as well as random music drops. But it's
Unboxing the earbuds were pretty standard. not too prevalent. With the Sound+ app, you can
It even had some charge left on it right out of configure the amount of noise cancelling on the
The Jabra Sound+ app that allows you to switch up the
the box. Charging the earbuds is also simple as earbuds. You can toggle it to either let outside settings
well, simply store them in the provided charging sound in, perfect for running or walking around
case and you are good to go. To charge the in busy streets. When we tested it, we were
case, however, you will need a microUSB cable; still able to listen to sounds around us, while
there's one already provided in the package. listening to music. The opposite on the other
To tweak the settings of the earbuds, you will hand is perfect for working at busy areas when
need to download Jabra Sound+ from the App you need some peace. You can even toggle
Store or Play Store. Follow the instructions and some ambience sound with the app, playing
voilà, setup is complete. You might even want to sounds such as Waves and Pink Noises. The
update the software of the earbuds as well. earbuds will also auto-play and auto-pause
When it comes to using the earbuds, it when you remove one from your ear, allowing
Fits perfectly in the carrying case
was simple and easy to use. The earbuds for short conversations.
are placed nicely and intuitively in the case. After your workout session, do make
Pull out the right earbud and it is the earbud
for your right ear. The pause play button
sure to give your earbuds a wipe to ensure
that they will last a long time, and it’ll
+ Not weighty
Design
Random static/
disconnect issues
is located on the right earbud, and the keep your carrying case fairly clean as
CHIP CONCLUDES
volume rocker can be found on the left one. well. Speaking of carrying case, it was A good pair of purely wireless earbuds that
By Rikco Shim
Toggling voice assistant is also done on the slightly hard to open as the case was shut fit snugly in your ear and allows you to
right earbud. For the pairing process, with a pretty snugly. This is a good thing as it will perform regular exercises worry-free. You
Samsung Note 8 users have a choice of either ensure that they will not fall out without can also easily switch between noise-
Bixby or Google Assistant. applying pressure. cancelling or focus with the Sound+ app.

test lab
MSI Optix MAG271CR

Price: TBA
Contact: MSI Malaysia Office
Phone: 1 300 22 1386
Info: my.msi.com
Panel Type: VA
Display Size: 27-inch
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort
Refresh Rate: 144Hz
Response Time: 1ms
Viewing Angle: 178°(H), 178° (V)
Dimensions: 612 x 560 x 266.5 mm
Weight: 5.6kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
One Screen Glory

H
ave you been living with an old the case with the Optix, as we were able to
and decrepit CRT monitor that only make out the silhouettes of our enemies
supports 4:3, or even a 17-inch much more clearly with it than on other
LCD that only goes up to 1280x768? Ok panels. Furthermore, the Optix features
maybe your life isn’t that bad, but you both FreeSync and a 144Hz refresh rate,
have a 23-inch that has started to give which provides incredibly smooth gaming.
you problems. Then it’s high time to get a We enjoyed the increased fluidity especially
major upgrade that will last you for years in FPS games like Overwatch and CS:GO,
to come. but it’s always great to see smooth and
If you need help to decide then you’ve fluid animation in RPG games as well.
come to the right place, because right now You can control the Optix using a
we have the MSI Optix MAG271CR Curved 5-way stick OSD that makes the fiddling 5-way control stick for easy navigation
LED Gaming Monitor in our test lab. The for buttons non-existant, unless you’re
Optix is a 27-inch monitor using a VA panel, looking for the easily found power button
which is known to provide greater contrast at the bottom right of the monitor. We
than both TN and IPS panels, but with lower aren’t always fond of curved monitors
colour accuracy and reproduction than IPS because they jack up prices unnecessarily, Smooth 144Hz
panels. Another advantage of VA panels is but curved monitors do provide a slight + Great colour
FreeSync
None
the capability to have low response times, difference for your FOV. And if used with
which makes the Optix’s 1ms response multiple monitors, it does create a more
time possible. immersive viewing experience for the user.
CHIP CONCLUDES
An amazing gaming monitor to look at if
By Nixon Ng
Games like CS:GO and Doom require The curve on the Optix is done well, with you’re looking to go up from a 60Hz monitor,
gamers to see enemies in the dark, so you no distortions found at any of the edges it performs well under all situations but due
will definitely benefit from the contrast and sporting an almost bezel-less design to its curved nature you may have to pay
provided by VA panels. That’s definitely creates an enjoyable experience. more.

test lab
ILLEGEAR LAGUNA
Price: RM6,399
Contact: ILLEGEAR Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 2858 7399
Info: www.illegear.com
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
Memory: 8GB DDR4
Storage: 240GB SSD + 1TB HDD
Input/Output: 1x Gigabit LAN, 1x HDMI, 1x mini
Displayport, 1x SD reader, 1x audio/mic combo jack, 3x
USB 3.0 Type A, 1x USB 3.0 Type C
Dimensions: 385 x 267 x 27.8 mm
Weight: 2.7kg
PCMark 10 5,330
PCMark 10 Essentials 8,609
PCMark 10 Productivity 7,211
PCMark 10 Digital Content Creation 6,621
3DMark Time Spy 3,895
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra 2,688
3DMark Fire Strike 10,355
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Oasis Of Affordable
Portable Gaming
M
any a local have heard of them, but it’s Considering its asking price, the Laguna has
been a while since ILLEGEAR made quite a few praiseworthy aspects as well as
regular appearances in our magazine. minor annoyances. Let’s talk about what’s good
Following the ONYX we reviewed a few weeks first, such as the display. The choice of IPS itself
The Laguna has most of the ports a modern user needs
ago, we’ve now gotten our hands on two other means that this notebook gets good brightness
models. One of the is the ILLEGEAR Laguna, a levels and contrast. Thanks to a colour gamut of
midrange level gaming notebook. 100% sRGB, it’s also more than vibrant enough for
Unlike the (almost) standard black and red watching movies or gaming.
design you normally see, ILLEGEAR went with a Another thing that we noted, perhaps due
mostly grey body with some black bezels for the to it only being a Nvidia GTX 1060, is that this
Laguna’s display. The lid has a brushed finishing notebook doesn’t have obnoxiously loud fans.
and two strips that have LED in them, which light While you can still hear the fans hum in the
up when the machine is powered on. Since it’s background, they get drown out once something
meant to be somewhat more budget-friendly, plays on the speakers.
plastic is used for the outer shell. This also helps However, the keyboard’s quality was a bit Use the Control Centre to change the LED light settings
or other miscellaneous functions
to keep the weight down, making it slightly less questionable. At first, the way it is spaced out
tiring to lug around. The triangular power button evenly is aesthetically pleasing. But due to the
is placed above the centre of the keyboard, trackpad, it makes positioning your palms slightly
looking sleek with its programmable RGB LED. awkward. The trackpad’s palm rejection is also
The Laguna is a gaming notebook that’s
relatively bulky looking, housing a large 15.6-inch
not 100%, making it likely for the cursor to either
move or scroll accidentally.
+ Display
Price
Trackpad
IPS display and a keyboard with a numpad. It also We also noted that there were some driver
By Matthew Yap
has three USB 3.0 ports to go with a USB Type-C issues with the audio. The quality of the speaker CHIP CONCLUDES
port, HDMI, and mini Displayport. The included itself is fine, but it seems to turn ‘off’ when the Aside from some minor niggles that really
SD card reader is also a welcome addition, while machine goes to sleep mode. Going to the device shouldn't be there, this is a solid gaming
the Gigabit LAN is important for getting minimal manager to disable and reenable it solves the notebook for an affordable price that’s
latency for gaming. issue. difficult to ignore.

test lab
ProStereo D1
Price: RM755
Contact: Alcom Networks Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 9286 2888
Info: www.myalcom.com.my
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.1

Audio Codec: AAC/SBC
Profile Support: HSP/HFP/A2DP/AVRCP
Others: Charging Dock, Earphones, 1x USB
Type-C cable
Music Time: 5 hours (SRC on)
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Be A Pro With The Stereo

T
he ProStereo D1 is portable AMP + DAC A volume knob can also be found on the
combination that connects to your device D1 alongside four buttons, the Play/Pause,
via cable or Bluetooth. To kick off the Next, Previous and SRC button. The SRC
review, the D1 looks like a miniature Toblerone button enables you to switch the sampling
with its triangular design. It comes with a clip rate from 24-bit to 32-bit. Also included
that allows you to simply fasten it onto your along with the device is a charging platform
shirt so you can walk and jog with an almost and a pair of earbuds. Now, all you need
wireless experience. How so, you might ask? is a phone or laptop to connect the device
As mentioned, this D1 can be connected to to, and you are good to go. The process of
your device via Bluetooth, and on the D1, you connecting to a source was pretty easy. All
can spot a 3.5mm headphone jack. This allows we needed to do was power up the device,
you to connect the device to your phone, and hold the play button for three seconds, pair
then connect your headphones to the device. it with the source, and voila, music nirvana
This then shortens the required length of your awaits you.
headphones. The wires might still be a bother, Our experience with the D1 was overall
but at least you won’t be tugging on the wires pleasant. Harder to drive headphones like the
when you slot it into your pocket. Sennheiser HD650 were manageable with the
This is not really an ideal solution when it D1, and music sounds a lot better with it as
The back of the D1, with the on/off/hold toggle and clip
comes to jogging but it helps a little. Another well, no doubt thanks to the Hi-Res Audio and
way that you can use the D1 is connecting it AKM AK4376A chipset. You can also make use
to your car. Some cars nowadays come with of the microphone just beside the 3.5mm jack,
a Bluetooth HUD, but not all cars do. Some meaning that you can have conversations
of them can be connected with a 3.5mm jack, with other people just by using the D1. To + Decent battery life
Build
Voice Prompt
in Chinese
and this allows you to play music on your answer a call, click on the Play button, and
phone, and it goes through the D1 to your car press the button again to hang up.
CHIP CONCLUDES
By Rikco Shim
stereo. If you want to use your phone while If you are looking for a DAC/AMP that will The ProStereo D1 improves the quality
driving, it’ll at least save you the hassle of improve the quality of your music and gives of your music without breaking the bank,
the annoying wires (but please do not use you some freedom when it comes to music on while giving you a glimpse of a hands-free
your phone while driving). the go, the ProStereo D1 is a good start. experience.

test lab
ASUS ZenFone 5Z
Price: RM1,899
Contact: Dynamics Distribution Sdn Bhd, ECS Astar
Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03)-8024 2100, (03)-6286 8222
Info: www.asus.com/my
Operating System: Android 8.0 Oreo

System on Chip: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845
Memory: 6GB
Storage: 128GB, expandable with microSD
Display: 6.2-inch 1080 x 2246 IPS
Camera: 12+8MP (dual rear), 8MP (front)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0 + A2DP + LE, 802.11ac,
Wi-Fi Direct
Dimensions: 153 x 75.7 x 7.9 mm
Weight: 155g
Antutu 269,041
PCMark for Android: 8,205
3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 4,670
3DMark Sling Shot: 6,367
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Looks And Firepower In

Equal Measure
L
ast month, we got our hands on two new Under the hood, the ZenFone 5Z is equipped
midrange ASUS smartphones, one of with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 chip. This
which is the twin for this model we have provides it with a lot of processing power, making
here. Virtually identical to the ZenFone 5, the it capable of even playing high-end mobile
ZenFone 5Z is likely targeted at those who games like PUBG Mobile with ease. With 6GB of
want a smartphone with more oomph in the RAM, it doesn’t run into issues with keeping a
processing performance department. few apps running together, such as your instant
For those who haven’t seen the ZenFone 5, messenger with YouTube.
the 5Z basically sports the same appearance Again, the video quality of the display is one
- from the solid metal frame to the 2.5D glass of the highlights of this device. Able to cover 95%
back. The 5Z we got is black in colour, which DCI-P3 colour gamut, the ZenFone 5Z’s display
somewhat makes the reflectiveness of the has incredibly vibrant colours and a bright screen
glass back and any fingerprints less apparent. to make those colours stand out more. Thanks Hi again, dual rear cameras and fingerprint sensor
Thankfully, it’s not slippery to hold but it’s a to that, watching or streaming videos on it was
relatively large device, so it’s more suitable for something we enjoyed doing.
those with larger hands. Another good feature that’s - becoming
At the front, you get the same 6.2-inch prevalent in high-end smartphones - is the use
screen with barely any bezels. And since of AI engine, which helps this device gradually
it’s a 2018 device, it has the expected notch learn your usage patterns. This allows for things
to go with the fullview display - or 18.7:9 like automatic adjustment to settings to improve
aspect ratio, due to the notch. There’s also battery efficiency, or automatically detecting the Beautiful
an 8MP f/2.0 camera that sits within the background and changing the scene settings + display
Price
Bad low-
light shots
notch at the front. As for the back, you better shots, with less effort on your part.
get a 12+8MP dual-camera with dual-tone On the latter, the pictures do come out CHIP CONCLUDES
By Matthew Yap
flash and a fingerprint sensor. Finally, you really well. And in well-lit conditions, there’s Having great specs and an even better
have the 3.5mm audio jack at the bottom, sufficient detail to the shots and decent display makes this an excellent device for
along with the USB Type-C port, which is dynamic range. However, its HDR and low-light gaming and watching videos. The reasonable
starting to become a common sight. shots look over-processed. pricing is icing on the cake.

test lab
Altec Lansing
LifeJacket 3
Price: RM376
Contact: Alcom Networks Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 03-92862888
Info: www.myalcom.com.my
Ports: USB 2.0

Connectivity: AUX IN, Bluetooth, NFC
Waterproof rating: IP67
Battery life: 30 hours
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
In A Crowd
Of Dozens Simple controls and NFC capabilties
P
ortable is becoming a real trend now, translates to being able to pair together
especially since portable technology with up to 50 other speakers. So if you
has been constantly improving really like the LifeJacket 3, then you can get
over the years. It’s very easy to find great more and daisy chain them for the ultimate
portable speakers with great sound now party experience. The speaker has about 30
thanks to that. But now that sound quality hours of battery life, and if you don’t really
isn’t really an issue, it looks like the next need that much runtime, you can turn the
step is to make these devices more rugged the speaker into a powerful emergency
and durable. powerbank, made possible by the USB port
The Altec Lansing LifeJacket 3 is built found on the back.
to resist, and to satisfy the needs of party If you’re looking for good sound, then you
goers. When we said it was built to resist, can trust that the LifeJacket 3 can deliver You can either charge the LifeJacket 3, or use it to
we aren’t joking around. The speaker packs on it even if it's not a big speaker. It’s loud charge something else
IP67 rating when it comes to waterproof, and pumps out great music through NFC,
shockproof, and snowproof. It can float, and Bluetooth and an AUX IN that uses the
Rugged
is even capable of being submersed (to a
certain extent), so you can listen to music
3.5mm jack. Some distortion and clipping
creeps in as it gets closer to its max volume,
+ Connectivity
Waterproof
None
in the water. We even had some fun doing but you’re probably better off just getting
drop tests on the speaker, and it still works another speaker to daisy chain if you’re
CHIP CONCLUDES
perfectly, not to mention tossing it into a trying to get it to be even louder. It also has With the Altec Lansing LifeJacket 3 you can
By Nixon Ng
pool and enjoying the beats. a built-in mounting bracket that allows you carry your beats wherever you go, and we
Built for parties, the speaker also to mount it on various surfaces, such as really do mean wherever, whether to the sea,
supports House Party Pairing, which just bikes, motorbikes and even kayaks. the bathroom, or even to winter countries.

test lab
Illegear Z7
Price: RM6,498
Contact: ILLEGEAR SDN BHD
Phone: (03) 2858 7399
Info: www.illegear.com
Operating System: Windows 10 Home
Processor: Intel Core i7-8750H
Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060
Memory: 8GB DDR4
Input/Output: 1x Gigabit LAN, 1x HDMI, 1x mini
Displayport, 1x SD reader, 1x audio/mic combo jack,
3x USB 3.0 Type A, 1x USB 3.0 Type C
Dimensions: 419 x 284 x 32.2mm
Weight: 3.1kg
PCMark 10 5,270
3DMark Time Spy 3,886
3DMark Fire Strike Ultra 2,703
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme 5,322
3DMark Fire Strike 10,373
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
The Apex Predator

G
one are the days where laptops can’t it comes to frames per seconds, and of
contend against desktops when it course we’ve tested it with the latest and
comes to gaming performance, and hottest games to date like Overwatch and
the premium that you had to pay to get MOBA’s like LoL and DotA2. Each game is
the same performance has never been capable of being played on their highest
lower than ever. You can now replace setting in 1080p and consistently get Sleek and metallic look and feel
your desktop with powerful laptops that 60FPS and above.
may be large and heavy, but are infinitely Heat dissipation and management is
better when it comes to portability when done quite well, keeping the heat away
compared to a desktop PC. from where your palms usually are to avoid
Here, we have the ILLEGEAR Z7, a beauty sweaty palms. The heat is most felt in the
and beast all in one powerful gaming middle of the keyboard, which you won’t
laptop. It sports a 17.3-inch Anti-glare IPS/ usually feel. But speaking of the keyboard,
AHVA sRGB 100% Colour and Wide View the keys are well spaced and have a nice
Display. Colours are vibrant and games like tactile click to them. We also almost A beautifully designed keyboard, heat is mostly
Dying Light, which has a lot of shadows and forgot to mention that the laptop sports felt in the middle of it
particles moving about, look amazing on a 240GB PCIe NVMe SSD together with a
the display. There’s definitely a lot of power
under the hood to play the latest games in
1TB 7,200RPM HDD for a great mix of both
speed and performance.
+ Performance
Heat dissipation
None
1080p smoothly. The laptop also has a bunch of high

First, there’s an eight generation Intel speed USB ports ranging from USB Type-C
CHIP CONCLUDES
If you like gaming and need something to
Core i7-8750H processor, 8GB of DDR4 ports to USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports, and SD card replace a desktop, something you can at
By Nixon Ng
RAM and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 6GB slots. Other ports include a HDMI and mini least carry with you while travelling, then
GDDR5. With all these pieces you can be DisplayPort for extending your number of the ILLEGEAR Z7 makes a fine choice with its
sure that you’ll have no problems when displays, or connecting it to a projector. great hardware, design and performance.

test lab
BenQ
EL2870U
Price: RM1,689
Contact: BenQ Service & Marketing (M) Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7954 7800
Info: www.benq.com.my
Panel Type: TN
Display Size: 27.9-inch
Resolution: 3840x2160
Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort (v1.4)
Refresh Rate: 60Hz
Response Time: 1ms
Viewing Angle: 170/160
Dimensions: 657.9x476.3x194.6
Weight: 5.7kgs
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Enjoy Your Media

T
he BenQ EL2870U recently landed not one that’s annoying to look at. The stand
in our lab and we got to work on it however, does, not allow for much tilting -
immediately. Unboxing the monitor was slight degrees forward or back.
an easy task but then we managed to square Speaking of gaming, it does a decent job
ourselves onto an uphill battle – securing if you wish to use the monitor for gaming,
the stand onto the back of the monitor. For thanks to its 60Hz of refresh rate and 1ms of The HDR button with B.I+
some weird reason, the designers behind this response time. It is not ideal for that, but if
monitor saw it fit to include a spring-loaded you’ve always been using 60Hz monitors, you
screw for the stand. It only took 10 seconds won't notice a huge change. You will have to
before we realised the screw wasn't going in. get your own DisplayPort cable though, as the
You'd have to to apply more force to it so that package only comes with a HDMI cable. To
the screw can go in properly. further assist with gaming, the monitor also
Once that was done, connecting the has AMD Freesync capability, reducing screen
monitor to our test bed was easy-peasy, and tearing for a smoother gaming experience.
the buttons on the front of the monitor allows For your videos and media consumption,
for easy navigation of the settings. A unique 4K and HDR do assist in some way but not by
The light sensor under the bezel of the monitor
button can also be found on the monitor much. When swapping between HDR on and
to toggle the HDR on and off, along with a off, the difference is miniscule but noticeable.
Brightness Intelligence Plus that automatically Two speakers are also built into the monitor, so
senses the light of the room and adjusts the you can still watch movies without a headset. Plenty of features
brightness accordingly. The additional bar But if you want to, you can connect a pair + that help with
prolonged viewing
Colours are sometimes
overblown in HDR
under the bezel of the monitor is the sensor of headphones to the monitor since it has a
that does just that. This is useful for work as headphone jack available. And speaking of
CHIP CONCLUDES
By Rikco Shim
it will reduce eye-strain, but the application connectivity, there are two HDMI ports and one A good pick-up with 4K and HDR capabilities,
might not be as useful for gaming as it’ll be DisplayPort on the monitor. This does allow all packed into a monitor priced less than
a distraction more than an advantage. The you to connect the monitor to two consoles RM2,000, but don’t expect mind-blowing
monitor does have rather thick bezels, but and a PC. experiences with it.

test lab
ASUS PN60
Price: TBC
Contact: ASUSTek Computer Malaysia
Phone: (03) 2131 6650
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro

Processor: Intel Core i3-8130U
Graphics: Intel Graphics 620
Memory: 8GB DDR4
Input/Output: 1x Gigabit LAN, 1x HDMI, 1x VGA, 1x USB
2.0, 2x USB 3.1 Type-C, 3x USB 3.1,
1x USB 3.1Gen 1
1 x Audio jack
Dimensions: 115 x 115 x 49 mm
Weight: 0.7kg
PCMark 10 3,085
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Small In Stature, Big On

Upgradability
I
t certainly has been a while since we’ve The PN60 can be opened up to gain access
seen mini PCs come into our test lab, the to its internals, providing users with some
last one not even a Windows-based device. upgradability. Upgradable or exchangeable parts
This time, ASUS sent us two new models from include the DDR4 SDRAMs, M.2 WiFi card and
its mini PC series and one of it is the PN60. M.2 SSD. You could also add a 2.5-inch SATA
It may not be the smallest mini PC we’ve storage drive to the mini PC, thereby increasing HDMI is the standard these days, though the VGA does
seen, but the PN60 is still a rather compact your storage capacity for non-critical files. mean legacy monitors can use it too
device encased in black plastic. In fact, its size Upgrading and installing is quite
makes it possible for you to place it on top of straightforward as ASUS made it easy. Just
a monitor’s stand, or the back if it has support remove the four screws at the bottom and
for VESA mount. To ensure you can do all of you can slide the bottom cover off, allowing
that, a plate and some screws are included for you access to the parts mentioned above.
those who want to mount it. Aside from that, Mounting it is just as easy – take the two
there’s a 19V/3.42A power adapter inside long screws found in the box and screw those
(relatively low-powered) and some documents onto the bottom cover, which then makes
related to the product inside. it possible to hook it to the VESA mounting
Considering that mini PCs can fill plate also included. The back plate can be removed to get access to the
a variety of roles and purposes, ASUS Thanks to the Windows 10 Pro installed, components inside for upgrading
equipped the PN60 with a decent range of the PN60 has all the latest Windows updates
ports. A bunch of USB ports are available, and features available to it. In addition, it has
including two USB Type-C (no Thunderbolt 3 an 8th gen Intel Core i3 CPU and 8GB of DDR4 + Upgradability
VESA mounting
Weak
CPU
support), as well as a 3.5mm audio jack for a RAM, enough for it to be used as either a Home
By Matthew Yap
headset, HDMI, VGA and Gigabit LAN ports. Theatre PC, or a terminal for a POS system. To
CHIP CONCLUDES
There’s also a Kensington lock, relevant for keep the components cool, the PN60 also has a If you need something with a small footprint
those who plan to use this in an office or fan built into that is relatively quiet even when but still can give you a functional PC for a
retail shop environment. the system is on full load. variety of basic uses, this mini PC

test lab
ASUS VivoMini
VC66-C
Price: TBC
Contact: ASUSTek Computer Malaysia
Phone: (03) 2131 6650
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
Processor: Intel Core i5-8400
Graphics: Intel Graphics 630
Memory: 8GB DDR4
Input/Output: 1x Gigabit LAN, 1x HDMI, 1x COM, 1x DVI,
1x DisplayPort, 2x USB 2.0, 1x USB 3.1 Type-C, 3x USB
3.1, 1x SD card slot
Dimensions: 177.4 x 153 x 74.1 mm
Weight: 1.5kg
PCMark 10 3,085
Performance:
Features:
Design:
So Big Yet So Small

W
hen we were kids, whenever not an understatement. For something
we asked our parents to buy this small in size, it has a 120GB SSD and
computers the first thing they a 1TB HDD. Unless you’re someone needs
think we want is to play games. This is a lot of space for torrenting, it should
also true today, especially with the rise of be more than enough. You’ll be able to
gaming laptops being blatantly advertised hold an ample amount of family videos
at just about every computer shop and and pictures with no sweat. We love the
shopping mall. But we all know there’s VC66-C due to its incredible flexibility, as it
more to computers than just gaming. sports all the inputs you’ll ever find when it
Sometimes we just need something that comes to display technology. This includes
can surf the internet and watch Netflix. DVI, HDMI and DP.
Whether for work or leisure, there’s In addition to that, the VC66-C has Could you ask for anymore inputs on such a
quite a few choices out there for a low plenty of USB ports - two at the back and small PC
maintenance and powerful computer four up front for a total of six USB ports.
system that doesn’t leave much of a There’s also an optical disc drive, so it can
footprint. For example, something like the act as a Blu-ray player. It’s perfect as a Portable
ASUS VivoMini VC66-C, which houses an
Intel Core i5-8400 CPU and Intel Graphics
HTPC since it supports VESA mounting,
which means you can fit it at the back of
+ Plenty of storage
Wide variety of inputs
None
630. Just from the processor itself, we can supported TVs. You won’t even have to do
tell that it’s perfect for being used as a much to keep up the maintenance of the
CHIP CONCLUDES
By Nixon Ng
work and study system. Not only that, it PC, because it comes with ASUS Business A great addition to either an office or home,
has 8GB of RAM and plenty of storage. Manager, a one-stop suite to help manage you can use it for your daily surfing of the
Saying that it has plenty of storage is just about everything on the VivoMini. internet, watching Netflix and doing work.

test lab
Sony WF-SP700N
Price: RM709
Phone: 1 300 88 1233
Driver size: 6mm
Frequency range: 20Hz-20,000Hz
Connectivity: Bluetooth, NFC
Weight: 7.6g
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
There’s Only Us
S
ome people just want to be alone, not in an uncomfortable way. We tested it
isolating themselves from the while jogging and it stayed in place all the Easy to reach buttons to control the headset
world. Others just want to be alone way from the beginning of the session till
with their music, to truly be immersed, the end. Sweat isn’t an issue as well since
unfettered by cables and such. But to it has an IPX4 rating. Getting to the sound
live free of all those burdens, you need quality, this headset sounds great. True
something wireless, has noise cancelling, to the EXTRA BASS line, it delivers punchy
and sits snugly and comfortably even when and controlled bass, great for your workout
moving. sessions.
With Sony’s WF-SP700N, you get just Although you get that extra bass, it
about everything you need in a wireless doesn’t get overpowering, so you’ll still be
stereo headset. But do they all work out the able to enjoy different genres of music. Also, Pair your NFC by using the case
way they should? The headset uses both if you’re using the Headphones Connect app
NFC and Bluetooth to connect your devices. from Sony, there’s an equaliser for you to
Setup is pretty much easy, you just start mess with and save "Quick Sounds". If you Comfortable and fitting
with both buds in the charging case and require some quiet time, Noise Cancelling + Sound quality
Easy to use
None
remove the left bud to pair with your phone. can be used to block out distractions. But
However, if you’re planning to use NFC, you if you still want to hear the things around
can just remove both buds from the case you, use the Ambient Sound mode instead.
CHIP CONCLUDES
A handy companion when you’re on-the-go,
and pair it using the charging case instead When fully charged, the headset gives about it keeps unwanted noise out while giving you
of the buds. 3 hours of music playback. It's not really the option of letting them in. Sound quality is
By Nixon Ng
Putting on the headset was a bit enough for some cases, but you can charge good and it fits comfortably, so we definitely
confusing at first, but we’re pretty clumsy them easily using the charging case, which think you should check out this headset if
people. Once on the buds felt tight, but holds an additional 9 hours of battery. you’re in the market for one.

test lab
Canon PIXMA G3010

Price: RM659
Phone: (03) 7884 6000
Max resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi

Print speed: 5 IPM (colour), 11 IPM (black)
Paper size: A4, A5, B5, Letter, Legal, PS-108, PS-
308R, PS-208, PS-808
Tray size: Up to 100
Weight: 22kg
Printing resolution: 4800 x 1200 dpi
Print speed: 5 IPM (colour), 11 IPM (black)
Paper handling: A4, A5, B5, Letter, Legal, PS-108,
PS-308R, PS-208, PS-808
Ink type: CYMK
Connectivity: WiFi, WiFi Direct
Weight: 6.3kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Photo Printing For All

H
ome printing hasn’t been a thing for used.
a long time, at least not for most Setting up this printer was a bit of a
people, so that means we’ve also hit-and-miss. If you plug into it directly via
not gotten any for a long time. This month, USB, there shouldn’t be much issues. But
Canon wanted to spread the news of one trying to do the initial setup for the printer
of its latest PIXMA printer, so we were sent through a WiFi network or to a smartphone
the new PIXMA G3010. took longer that we’d like.
You can find out how much ink remains just by looking
The Canon PIXMA G3010 is an inkjet Without setting up, all you can do is use from the outside
printer designed for personal use. There’s the PIXMA G3010 as a photocopier. But
nothing eye-catching here, as printers are once you've completed the setup process,
meant to be functional. In this case, the you get access to use the Inkjet Assistant
PIXMA G3010 has a small body that is tool, which lets you to execute functions
completely black in colour. It’s made mostly like nozzle cleaning, create custom settings,
out of plastic, which keeps the entire unit’s or even remotely switch off the printer.
weight low. Low enough that even scrawny There's also a Scan Utility tool for scanning
people can easily move it around, should the purposes.
need arise. What was easier was topping up the ink
Moving on from design, everything you’d tank. The remaining ink level can be checked
expect is in place here. The buttons are all by looking at it from the outside, since
on the right-side of the top, while you can the tanks are visible from there. Once you
see the ink tanks near the front on both know it's low, all you have to do is buy the
sides. Typical for most home printers, the relevant high-yield ink colour, pop open the
PIXMA G3010’s paper tray/feed is found top and you'll have access to the ink tanks The printer management tool is pretty basic
at the back – specifically, near the top at for top up.
the back. We pulled the flap there open In terms of printing speed, don't expect
and found that the maximum paper size it this one to spit out lots of prints in seconds + Easy to refill ink Slow setup
can take is A4, so for engineering or design as it is an inkjet printer. What it can deliver
By Matthew Yap
students who want to print their A3-sized is prints that show great colour accuracy
CHIP CONCLUDES
drawings, you’re out of luck. Up to 100 and vibrancy, especially the photos, making If colour-accurate or photo printing in general
sheets of A4 paper can be placed into it, it a very useful printer for those who want is what you need, you can’t go wrong with
depending on the thickness of the paper to print out their photos. this inkjet printer.

test lab
OnePlus 6
Price: RM2,399
Contact: Mi Han Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 2027 4666
Info: https://www.oneplus.com/global
Operating System: OxygenOS

Memory: 6GB
Storage: 64GB
Display: 6.28-inch AMOLED (19:9 ratio)
Camera: 16-megapixel + 20-megapixel (Rear) /
16-megapixel (Front)
Battery: 3,300 mAh
Dimensions: 155.7 x 75.4 x 7.8mm
Weight: 177g
Antutu: 286535
PCMark for Android: 8224
3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 4658
3DMark Sling Shot: 6020
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
OnePlus 6 Equals 7
O
nePlus devices have always been a on your pictures. Taking a Note8 for comparison,
blast to review when it comes to value reds are slightly more brighter and deeper. So
vs performance. Despite following the if you like muted reds for your pictures, you
trend of a notched design, the core philosophy might need some slight editing to help with
of the brand remained unchanged, focusing that. Otherwise, the phone is not a slouch when
on speed and performance, although with a compared to the other bigwigs in the game
slightly raised price. now. Pictures are sharp, but when you preview
The phone is slightly heavier than we it, it only allows you to zoom in to a certain level.
expected. But with a lot of power packed under The camera does have a drawback with it, as it
The back of the phone, with a dual camera setup and an
the hood, a little additional weight would really does come with a camera bump. That issue is
easy-to-reach fingerprint reader
not hamper the experience. In the package, they negated with the case, but might be a bother for
even included a silicone phone case with slightly those who like to use it without one.
raised edges. Its weird to the touch, but definitely Charging is also zippy with Fast Charging,
a welcome accessory for keeping your phone but sadly, you can’t charge your device with
fairly scratch free. wireless chargers, despite a glass back that
As for the performance, with a top-notch usually comes with devices that pack that
processor and 6GB of RAM, it is capable of capability. It still has a headphone jack, which
running the latest mobile games with close to is great, but we have found that the max Alert slider deliciousness
no lag in between. The phone also offers a pure volume when using a headphone is slightly
Android experience with its OxygenOS, so you lower than our previous daily driver. Another
will not see any bloatware that will hamper your drawback is the omission of a microSD card
experience. Gaming, multi-tasking and daily use slot, meaning no expandable storage. Zippy
of the device was smooth and enjoyable. The Overall, the phone has been a joy to use + Decent camera
Alert slider
No microSD expansion
Camera bump
presence of an alert slider also helps you to mute and to test. OxygenOS itself didn’t take us
your phone on the fly without needing to go long to get familiar with it. Although the
CHIP CONCLUDES
through the drop down menu. camera might not be the best thing out A great phone for those who want a daily
The OnePlus 6 is also equipped with a dual there, the OnePlus 6's pure speed, lack of
By Rikco Shim
driver that can handle multitasking, gaming,

rear camera setup, allowing you to take snazzy bloatware and essential Android experience, photography and the in-betweens. Its only
landscape pictures without much hassle, and combines for a phone experience not many downsides are the exclusion of expandable
even allows you to show off some bokeh effects out there can deliver. storage and wireless charging.

test lab
Razer Thresher
Ultimate
PlayStation 4
Price: RM1,119
Phone: (03) 7956 6300
Info: www.razer.com
Driver size: 50mm

Impedance: 32ohms at 1KHz
Ports: microUSB (Headset)/ 1x microUSB, 1x USB, 1x
Opt-In, 1x Opt-Out (Base)
Connectivity: Wireless
Others: Retractable Boom Mic
Dimensions: 196x214x104.8
Weight: 408g
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Pure Wireless Bliss

W
hen it comes to peripherals, not volume adjuster, and a mic volume adjuster.
many brands out there compete in Audio is also clear, without any part that stood
multiple segments as Razer does. out; bass and voice were equally clear. An
They have products ranging from mouse mats advantage of this headset is with the ability
to phones and laptops, and that’s a repertoire to toggle surround sound. With a push of a
that we’re sure Razer can boast about. But this button, you can enable surround sound, allowing
month, we managed to get our hands on one you to easily identify where sound is coming
of the wireless headset, the Razer Thresher from. Using this on the PC, we could easily hear The back of the base, with a toggle between PC and PS4
Ultimate. footsteps in CS:GO with it.
As mentioned, the Thresher Ultimate is a Along with the headset, a stand with a
pair of wireless headset with an extendable mic. base is also provided with the package. You
When not in use, just push the mic and it’ll coil can spot a toggle at the back of the base that
back into its nest. The design of the headset switches the mode between PC and PS4 easily.
is pretty simple and it was quite comfortable There’s also an additional port for you to charge
throughout our testing. It is annoying when you your headset when it needs topping up. Razer
have a pair of headset that squishes your ears boasts that the headeset could last up to 16
against the spectacles frame. But the leather hours, but we found it's actually lacking in that
earcups combined with the soft headband department. The most that we could squeeze The volume wheels underneath the headset, along with
provided the ultimate in comfort, even when out of the headset was just roughly 10 hours, a microUSB port for you to charge the headset
used with spectacles on. That aside, we have to but the 16 hours could just be purely audio
note that you can’t adjust the headset so you without mic. The stand could also be used to
can only use it as high/low as it allows. The rest the headset when not used, so just plug
Razer logo on the earcups also glows when in in the cable when you are not using it, which + Wireless
Comfortable
Price
use, not that you can actually see it when it's ensures that you won't run out of juice in the
in use. middle of gaming. It will also automatically turn
CHIP CONCLUDES
By Rikco Shim
Performance wise, the mic was standard off when not in use after a few minutes. A great headset with surround sound
fare without much bells and whistles. On the We would have loved it more if the base of capabilities along with a comfortable design
earcups, however, you can spot a power button, the headset allows for wireless charging of your that allows for prolonged wear. Sadly, it's on
a micro USB port to charge the headset, a mobile phone, but that’s talk for the future. the pricier side.

test lab
ViewSonic
VG2448
Price: RM739
Contact: Servex (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd, Achieva
Technology Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 1768
Info: http://ap.viewsonic.com/my/
Panel Type: IPS

Display Size: 24-inch
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Connectivity: 2x HDMI, 1x DisplayPort, 1x Audio Out,
2x USB 3.0 Type-A, 1x USB 3.0 Type-B
Refresh Rate: 75Hz
Response Time: 14ms/5ms (with OverDrive)
Viewing Angle: 178°(H), 178° (V)
Dimensions: 549.4 x 517.0 x 202.2 mm
Weight: 5.8kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Commercial Display
T
he past few months have seen a of the more common DVI port to go with the
range of different monitors, often the newer HDMI and DisplayPort connections, it
expensive models for either gamers or supports the old-school VGA port instead.
designers. However, there are more people Other than that, this monitor also supports
who are looking for versatile options with USB 3.0 passthrough, with two at the back
the right balance in specs, ergonomics and with the other ports and another two on the
price. The ViewSonic VG2448 might just be left side – within easier reach for those who
that model. want to plug in their USB devices. There’s
The VG2448 has a matte plastic body that also a set of rear-facing speakers, but the
is mostly black in colour, with some grey on audio quality isn’t good and it's not very loud. Besides the ergonomic adjustments, the stand also has
a handle for convenient transporting
the base and stand for a bit of contrast. Its An IPS panel is used for this display,
bezels aren’t thin enough to make a multiple which means you get excellent viewing
screen setup look seamless, but it’s also not angles, brightness and contrast levels. The
thick enough to make the machine look too matte screen also means that users won’t
bulky. experience harsh glares or reflections while
For a 24-inch monitor, it’s relatively using it. Combine with its flicker free tech
heavy since it has a large stand with built-in and the right setting for the blue light filter,
ergonomic options, including pivot, tilt and we experienced less eye fatigue over long
height adjustment. By popping out a strip hours when compared to basic monitors. The base of the stand allows the entire stand to swivel
of plastic at the back, you’ll also get some As for the colours, 16.7 million colour range
mounts to hook a mini PC to it. This means would be sRGB colour gamut - good enough
you can easily setup a POS system for shops but nothing spectacular.
or even a network management PC for an This monitor was clearly designed to
office. Then there’s the base it’s attached to,
which allows users to swivel the monitor.
cater to as many users as possible. It’s great
for the average gamer, who doesn’t really
+ Affordable
Versatile stand Speakers
For those who want to, the stand is also need high refresh rates, and it's also good
By Matthew Yap
compatible with VESA mounting. for office use thanks to the eye-friendly
CHIP CONCLUDES
When it comes to ports, the VG2448 technologies. Moreover, it could be great for Versatile and affordable, this is the kind of
covers almost all the bases. However, the events as the handle on the stand makes it multipurpose commercial monitor a person
video input combination seems odd. Instead easier to transport around. can easily consider.

test lab
Wiko View Max

Price: RM499
Contact: Wiko Mobile
Info: http://my-en.wikomobile.com/
Operating System: Android 8.1 Oreo

System on Chip: Mediatek MT6739WA
Memory: 3GB
Storage: 32GB, expandable with microSD
Display: 5.99-inch 720 x 1440 IPS
Camera: 16MP (rear), 20+8MP (front)
Connectivity: Bluetooth 4.2 + A2DP + LE,
802.11n, Wi-Fi Direct
Dimensions: 157.8 x 75.8 x 7.9 mm
Weight: 162g
Antutu 39,278
PCMark for Android 2,833
3DMark Slingshot Extreme 296
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Save More, View More Too

W
ith all the smartphone brands out speaker and fingerprint sensor are also at the
there competing for the premium and back, SIM tray on the left, power and volume
midrange market, you sometimes buttons on the right, and the audio jack is on
wonder if they’ve forgotten the existence of the top.
low income group. But Wiko has them covered, When it comes to processing power,
because it is a company that aims to offer the View Max can only deliver a modest
affordable options. In this issue, we’ll be taking a performance. Along with the 3GB-only
look at the Wiko View Max. RAM, this device will struggle with intensive
As the name implies, the View Max’s apps. Instead, it’s more suited for use as a
intends to give you the maximum view possible daily driver for normal usage like calls, web
with its relatively large 5.99-inch screen and browsing, or social media. It can stream
FullView Display (720x1440 resolution) tech. YouTube videos and browse Facebook just fine,
This device has a slightly curving back and but don’t try to do things like mobile gaming
rounded sides, making it easier to hold despite or opening 20 Google Chrome tabs, or it’ll likely
being a rather large phone. Thin aluminium is choke and slow down. The speakers sound muffled when in use, even when
there's a bump to elevate the back
used for the body to keep it lightweight, without Speaking of videos, the display for the
compromising on the build quality. However, View Max is not just large, but the colour and
one of our peeves with the choice of design is brightness are also quite impressive for a
the metallic back, which is highly reflective and phone at this price range. The audio doesn’t
is a fingerprint magnet.
In terms of buttons and ports, the Wiko
match up, however, with voice audio from the
rear speaker sounding slightly muffled, even
+ Display
Big battery
Fingerprint magnet
View Max comes with the standard package. when not placed flat on its back.
Wiko also opted for the older micro USB port Another nice thing about this phone is the
By Matthew Yap
CHIP CONCLUDES
and a single camera at the back to reduce cost. large 4,000 mAh battery. It gives users enjoy a It’s not going to break any benchmark
A larger than normal LED flash is placed right longer runtime without having to worry about records, but if you need an Android Oreo
below the rear camera, a weird choice as it could charging it, highly useful for people who are device and don't have a big budget, this is
mislead users to think it's a second camera. The always out. an option to consider.

test lab
ViewSonic PG603X
Price: RM1,659
Contact: Servex(Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Sampro
Distribution Sdn Bhd, Dancom TT&L
Telecommunications (M) Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 8024 6688, (03) 5740 2111, (03) 7966 8888
Info: http://ap.viewsonic.com/my/
Resolution support: 1024x768 (XGA)
Brightness: 3,600 lumens
Projection system: DLP
Light source: Lamp
Throw ratio: 1.96-2.15
Ports: 1x VGA, 1x HDMI, 2x USB 2.0, 1x LAN, 1x Mini
USB, 1x RCA, 1x Audio in/out
Dimensions: 294 x 218 x 110mm
Weight: 2.3kg
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Watch What
Happens
T
eachers have a hard time, don’t you good and works well in a dim room, and
think? They have to stay up late to of course works well in a dark room. Just about all the inputs you need for a classroom
or office
mark papers, think up cool and new The brightness isn’t enough to be used
ways to reach, then they have to handle in a well lit room perfectly. Although
problematic kids and much more. Why you could still do so, you won’t get the
couldn’t their lives be made easier? Gone best performance. The max resolution
are the days where you have to lug around is 1024x768 and has a throw ratio of
heavy materials around, or even those 1.96-2.15. Looking at the resolution
large projectors that need to be placed on you probably think it isn’t much now in
tables with rollers. the age of FHD and 4K, but classrooms
Even a portable projector like the and meeting rooms don't require such
ViewSonic PG603X would be perfect for resolutions, so it should suffice.
Pretty simple controls
classrooms and offices. Weighing in at only Morever, the PG603X has a Crestron
2.3kg, this projector is incredibly portable, LAN controller, which allows users to
and suitable to be carried from classroom remotely control and manage the projector
to classroom. It has all the inputs the from their workstations. The projector is
modern classroom would need like HDMI quick to setup with horizontal and vertical + Portable
Easy-to-use
None
and a USB input. For more legacy inputs, keystone correction, and four corner
there’s still VGA and RCA, all of which adjustments. It also comes with a remote
CHIP CONCLUDES
worked perfectly. It also has built-in 10W that covers all the different adjustments It’s not a projector that stands out, but it’s
speakers, so you can play videos from USB and settings you need. Switching between definitely a projector that gets the job done,
By Nixon Ng
drives or any device for a small room. sources, keystone corrections, muting, and we can recommend it to those who need
The projector has a brightness rating changing audio and color modes, and also a portable and easy-to-use projector for
of 3,600 ANSI lumens, which is pretty turning on the eco mode. classrooms and offices.

test lab
Xiaomi Mi MIX 2s
Price: RM1,999
Contact: Era International Network Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 8074 7776
Info: http://www.mi.com/my/
Operating System: MIUI
Memory: 6GB
Storage: 64GB
Display: 5.99-inches FullHD IPS, 18:9 ratio
Camera: 12-megapixel + 12-megapixel (Rear) /
5-megapixel (Front)
Battery: 3,400 mAh
Dimensions: 150.9 x 74.9 x 8.1mm
Weight: 189g
Antutu: 268,842
PCMark for Android: 8,281
3DMark Sling Shot Extreme: 3,313
3DMark Sling Shot: 3,586
Performance:
Features:
Design:
Value:
Ceramic
Redefined, ReMIXed
T
eased a while ago, we finally managed normal due to its ceramic body that adds a
to get our hands on this prestigious certain premium quality to the touch. That
device. As you might’ve seen in the aside, the buttons are all placed on the right
past, the Mi MIX came with a unique design, side of the phone, allowing you access to
sporting a front camera on the bottom of the the volume rocker and power button all on
device. For 2018, this design philosophy has one side. Oddly enough, Xiaomi has included
yet to be widely adopted, where most of the a hard case for the phone but no screen
other brands switched things up with a notch. protector in the package.
Luckily, this phone still stayed true to its roots The phone is pretty fast when used
The back of the device, sleek and sports some gold
and the brand opted out against a new trend as a daily driver. We encountered no real accents that boost its premium aesthetics
on an already almost bezel-less device. issues, but we do believe that the unit
Upon unboxing the device, we are greeted we’ve received was imported from China.
with a magnificent screen with little bezels Some of the settings we encountered were
on the top and sides, plus the front camera in Chinese, but it was still manageable.
now located on the chin of the phone. With Another issue we ran into were with
the camera placements now located in such missing Google apps, for example. To get
a manner, you might have to change how Google Play, we had to open up Baidu and
you use the front camera to video chat with download Google Play from the app instead.
a friend. You either raise your hand higher or A weird workaround, but still manageable. The camera mode in action, with several different
options for you to choose from. Manual mode allows
rotate the phone and chat that way instead. Once those were settled, the phone was
you to choose which lens to shoot on
Luckily, the camera app allows you to use the easy to use, fast and gesture buttons were
phone upside down by rotating the camera a breeze to use.
Design
menu automatically. After all, not everyone
wants to look up your nose when you are
As for the photography part of the
device, it handles itself quite well,
+ Gorgeous
display
Camera bump
No headphone jack
chatting with them. The phone also took out the pictures are sharp, detailed and
CHIP CONCLUDES
By Rikco Shim
the headphone jack, but included wireless colourful. But sometimes, the pictures are The Mi MIX 2S is fast, powerful, and sleek. It
charging. It is not the end of the world, but it overexposed. As for the Portrait mode, is capable of taking good pictures and tackles
is still a bother nonetheless. pictures taken on it are decent but the blur everyday tasks with ease – all provided if you
The phone is also slightly heavier than is slightly over-exaggerated. can handle MIUI.

lite & leisure
ANALOGUE
The Tabletop Report

Tear your eyes away from the screen for a moment and let your imagination be set free.
Welcome to the world of Tabletop By Nixon Ng
Citadels
C
itadels is a game about secrecy and which plays a big part in the game. Cards
subterfuge. It's also a game where you will be randomly chosen at the start to be
have to read not only your opponents, discarded and can’t be used for the round, player who has the card with the number 1
but yourself. The game’s objective is be the then the first player will choose the first on it gets to play their turn first.
one with the highest points by the end of character and then pass it on the next In the exact order as before from 1-8 are
the game. But before revealing all the fun, player until every player has a Character the Assassin, Thief, Magician, King, Bishop,
let’s talk about how the game starts! Each card. Merchant, Architect, and Warlord. So the
player is dealt their initial District cards and When picking a Character card the next Assassin gets to go first then followed by the
a king is chosen to become the first player, player will have no information about the Thief, the Magician, the King and it continues
whoever holds the crown (sometimes we cards being picked before, so the first player till all numbers are called out. If no one
call it the pineapple) will continue being the will always have information on what cards picked any of the numbers then the number
first player until a new king is chosen. have been discarded. The last player on the is skipped and the next number is called.
Then a set of 8 cards will be used, which other hand will know what card is discarded These rounds continue like this until the end
are Character cards. Character cards for the at the end. Once everyone has a Character objective is fulfilled, but the first player can
basic gameplay consists of the Assassin, card and all the unused cards are placed in change by using the King or Assassin card.
Thief, Magician, King, Bishop, Merchant, a discard pile, the game continues. This is When the King card is used by a player they
Architect, and Warlord. Each character has where the number on the Character cards will receive the crown and henceforth be the
their own special abilities and a number, come into play: counting up from 1 to 8 the first player, but if someone who drew the

lite & leisure
Aking and his pineapple...I mean crown Different actions you can take during your turn
King card is killed by the Assassin, the crown city that you can build, each with their own reaches 8 Districts in their city, which triggers
goes to the Assassin and he becomes the new corresponding colour. the end of the game - unless someone
first player. Each district has a value printed on their removes the eighth District. Every player
Pretty cool right? Each turn is taken by card in the form of gold coins. These represent would fight to be the first to finish, because
revealing their character according to the your points at the end of the game, as well the first player to complete 8 Districts is
number called and they are given the chance as their cost when you choose to build them. awarded additional bonus points. You also get
to use their special ability at any time during Moving on, the other action you can take after additional points for things like having every
their turn. Additionally, there are two actions choosing your previous action is the ability colour in your city, and finishing the game
you can take during your turn. The first to build a District card from your hand. You with 8 districts as well, though the first player
action requires you to either take two gold may only build one District per turn unless an gets the most bonus points. The game fully
from the bank or draw two District cards ability allows you to circumvent that. You are ends once everyone has taken their turn and
from the deck in the middle. Once you've also unable to build the same thing twice, so 8 Districts are still on the table. Bonus points
chose one of the two, place the other on if you’ve already built a Church, you may not are calculated and added to the number of
the bottom of the deck. What are District have another Church in your city. points you receive from your Districts and the
cards? District cards are locations in the The rounds keep going until someone winner is the one with the highest score.
Some districts come with special abilities
How your city would usually look like Each character comes with their own special ability

lite & leisure
PLAY
Going Deep For Rock

And Stone
Don your favourite dwarf outfit and fake beard, we’re going on an adventure! By Rikco Shim
D
eep Rock Galactic is a game about a the game, this mechanic is satisfying. Each enemies easily.
gang of dwarfs fighting and mining clink of your pickaxe against a mineral Speaking of enemies, the other half of the
their way through multiple different cluster is like music to our ears. With gameplay is the battle aspect. Essentially,
planets. It sounds simple in execution and mining, greed often times come into play. this is an FPS game. It's similar to a game
gameplay, but we were hooked just a few Although all of the gold and minerals at like Minecraft, where you mine and build
minutes into the game. It is also worth the end of the game are grouped together, bases. But we do believe it's also similar
noting that the game is currently in early so everyone in your party gets the same to Left 4 Dead, the popular zombie game
access (as of writing). amount, the sheer force of "shinies" attract. a while back. In this game, you will be
The major draw of this game is with its We even failed a round where everyone in swarmed by spider-like enemies, and just
mining. There are different minerals and the team was scattered for mining. Since we like L4D, there are different types of enemies.
gems available for you to mine throughout were separated, we were taken out by the In the midst of mining and exploring, you will

lite & leisure
Spelunking through a cave with dangerous hazards all around
sometimes be alerted that there is a horde also has the skill to create ziplines for the zips up with his grappling hook and mines
headed your way, and just like L4D, you will team, allowing them easier travelling from away, while the Gunner and Driller covers
have to group up and fight away the hordes higher to lower areas and vice versa. Next the team with the close and long range
from decimating your whole team. is the Scout and as the name suggests, he weaponry.
As for the team, you have four classes can scout ahead with the grappling hook, To sum it up, Deep Rock Galactic offers a
in the game currently, and you can have or shoot flares to illuminate the caves. As fun co-op experience that focuses on mineral
multiples of the same class in the party. The for the Engineer, he can create platforms gathering and fighting. Just think of it as L4D
classes consists of Driller, Gunner, Scout and on walls for the team to jump on and get with classes and mining gameplay elements,
Engineer. A Driller's job is to drill through to hard-to-reach areas. He is also equipped along with boatloads of re-playability. On
dirt patches that will reveal a different area with sentry guns that he can deploy during harder difficulties, teamwork is essential as
where the team can traverse. In battle, the battle. enemies can easily take out the team in a
Driller is a masterclass in close quarters The game is best played with a group single fight. Gameplay is satisfying, but we
combat, thanks to the blazing flamethrower of friends. In our team, we had one of each do wish there are more enemy types, more
he equips. The Gunner as you can expect class. The Engineer sets up a platform under weapons, and more worlds to explore.
is what you would call the "Big Guns". He a mineral vine close to the ceiling, the Scout
Deep Rock
Galactic
Genre: FPS Action RPG
Developer: Ghost Ship Games
Info: https://www.deeprockgalactic.com/
Platform: PC (Steam, Windows Store)
Combination of
Mining & Battling Early Access
+ is fun
Runs well - Could do with
more content
considering Early
Access
Gameplay:
Sound:
Replayability:
The end screen, displaying stats and rounding up what you’ve earned throughout that one run

lite & leisure
PLAY
Asia Comic Con 2018

In Malaysia, anime conventions are rampant but there has been no love for the comic
crowd. That changed, with Asia Comic Con come to Malaysia for the first time. We went
over to check it out.
A
sia Comic Con 2018 was held on the 13-15 We have nothing against anime, it just felt like performances. Singers weren’t the only guests
July 2018 at Sunway Pyramid Convention this was going to be another anime convention. invited to ACC, because even famous cosplayers
Centre and is an event targeted towards It didn’t help that the event was going on at the like Aza Miyuko and Pion Kim made appearances
the comic fans. But although it was meant to same time as two other anime events. From at the event.
be that way, we felt a bit confused when we here on out though, we can’t help but to take it To be fair, the event wasn’t all anime. They did
walked into the event. Filling the halls are the as just another anime convention. As an anime have plenty of amazing statues and 1:1 scaled
usual booths of sponsors and people selling convention, Asia Comic Con would be a great attractions. If you’re a fan of Batman then you
merchandise, as well as corners for Warhammer, convention. They invited great performances like should know what the Dark Knight Tumbler is.
Dungeons & Dragons and Magic The Gathering. NoB, an incredible singer who has done songs Yes, it’s the vehicle used in Christian Bale’s Dark
As we continued walking around the hall, it for the Saint Seiya and Super Sentai series. They Knight Trilogy. It made an appearance in full size,
seemed apparent that this was very much like even brought in "mao" who is the voice behind all with an actual working engine and cockpit,
any other anime convention. In fact, most of the the Doraemon theme song. which they drove into the hall. The bike used in
merchandise being sold were anime related. The stage shows and performances were the movie also showed up next to the Tumbler
Many of the artist’s booths were basically open to every visitor, meaning you didn’t have where we saw fans taking the chance to ride on
those you would find at anime conventions to pay more than the entry tickets to enjoy it for pictures.
like Animangaki 2018, which was also held at everything. They also did an excellent job with There was a section filled with beautiful
the same venue. It was good to see that a few the stage and sound, as most events fail to hook statues of characters from X-Men,
booths had merchandise like old comic books up proper sound setups, causing stage shows Transformers, Batman and more. They also
collections, hand-drawn prints and more. But a and performances to become a mess of noise. displayed statues of characters from the
majority of the booths were filled with keychains, They did those singers right, and we would latest Batman Ninja animation. That was also
posters, and prints of anime media. love to come again next year if they had stage followed by a full size 1:1 Batman Ninja Statue

lite & leisure
An epic battle going on between a Sentinel and Anisong singer mao putting on an emotional show The man, the legend, Batman Ninja
members of the X-Men for the crowd
of the man himself. All-in-all the event had a would’ve been nice if they had invited famous other events, because this event is pretty new
little bit of everything for everyone, but very comic artists. and we have seen con-goers prefer to stay on
much felt like just another anime convention. Overall it wasn’t a bad event, the stage the safe side and head over to more "well-
It wasn’t so much a bad event, but more that it was great, the singers were great, the statues known" events. We would love to see Asia
didn’t really hit the theme very well, especially were amazing. Maybe they could have chosen Comic Con come back again in 2019 and bring
since they invited so many anisong singers. It a better date as well, so it doesn’t clash with more to the table.
Beautifully painted Warhammer figures NoB pulled the crowd in with his powerful vocals and energetic charisma
Take it for a ride around Gotham Visitors had the opportunity to fight in an mixed reality arena

lite & leisure
James Stevenson (Community Director of Insomniac Games) will probably be casted as the next Spider-Man
Slinging Into Action

A quick peek into the new Marvel’s Spider-Man before its release
T
his month, we were invited to attend a perform mid-air finishers and so on. You can afterthought. He did give a shrug after saying
hush-hush quick preview of the upcoming also utilise gadgets to despatch enemies quickly that, so we might see an Easter egg of it.
game from Insomniac Games – Marvel’s and stylishly. If you are fighting in larger areas, Marvel’s Spider-Man will officially be
Spider-Man. In this game, you play as Peter you can even web-swing yourself to safety, available come 7th of September 2018. A
Parker – now 23 years old, and has been hide for a while and take down enemies from limited edition PlayStation 4 Pro console was
Spider-Man for the past eight years. His journey unexpected places. When you are surrounded also revealed, dressed in Amazing Red and
will take your through multiple tasks, juggling and your spider sense kicks in, you will also packaged with a Red DUALSHOCK 4 controller
between working as scientist at a laboratory. need to time your dodge to dodge the attack. If with white buttons.
Along the way, you will also meet familiar you are too slow or too quick, the hit will land
names, except with different professions. For and you will still take damage, so be sure to
example, Mary Jane Watson in this game will time those dodges!
not be an aspiring actress, instead, she works at We also managed to check out some of the
Daily Bugle as a journalist. new suits that we can craft and equip. Aside
In our short demo, we managed to zip around from gadgets, crafting suits require components
the city, battle bad guys and greet pedestrians on that you can find throughout the world. Each
the street. It is safe to say that traversing the city suit offers different abilities and power that you
will feel very satisfying. Zipping around carries can swap in. Peter Parker is a scientist, and in
momentum and there are button presses that your job you will have to complete tasks, some
you can do to keep on going. We didn’t manage of them in the form of puzzles that will require
to fully zip without hiccups as James Stevenson, some critical thinking. The limited edition Marvel’s Spider-Man
the Community Director for Insomniac Games In a Q&A Session with James Stevenson, he PlayStation 4 Pro
said it will be "easy to pick-up, difficult to master". said the game will explore two major themes in
When you are zipping, you can slow down time Spider-Man’s life, Partnership and Mentorship.
and target a specific corner you want to target, The game will also feature an intricately crafted
zip to it and immediately launch yourself from story with a single ending, because Insomniac
that corner for more speed. When you are falling, Games wishes to take the player through
you can dive faster with a click of a button, pick the journey of Spider-Man and Peter Parker
up more speed and zip away again effortlessly. as their worlds collide together. When asked
Battles are much more vertical, fast-paced if there’s Pizza Delivery challenges, James
and Spider-Man is more acrobatic, so he will mentioned that Peter is already juggling most Ian Purnomo (Public Relations and Marketing for SIES)
perform flips, jump off walls to punch enemies, of his life and that Pizza Delivery might be an trying out the demo of the game

The Darkest Minds
1st Prize
Pin Badge x 1
Replica Necklace x 1
Notebook Set x 1
The Darkest Minds Passes x
4 double
2nd Prize
Pin Badge x 1
Replica Necklace x 1
2 double
Consolation
Notebook Set x 1
2 double
The Darkest
Minds
CONTEST
Questions:
1) Name the author of this fantasy
science fiction movie
The Darkest Minds

Name:
I/C No:
Terms & Conditions:
1. Contest open to all Malaysians except the 6. Send your entries to: Address :
employees of Online Dynamics (M) Sdn Bhd & Online Dynamics (M) Sdn
Twentieth Century Fox Film (M) Sdn Bhd Bhd/The Darkest Minds
2. Only original entry form is accepted. A-5-07, Block A
3. The judges decision is final and no correspondence Neo Damansara
will be entertained. Jalan PJU 8/1
4. Prizes are not transferable or redeemable for cash. Damansara Perdana
5. Closing Date: 5th August 2018 47820 Petaling Jaya. Tel/HP:
Email:
lite & leisure
E-Sports Express
Latest E-sports updates from the region and around the world By Matthew Yap & Nixon Ng
Another explosive Dota 2 TI prize

pool?
Dota 2’s The International competition is a
few weeks away and already the prize pool
has reached the 20 million USD (1 USD =
approx. RM4.01) mark. On 12th July 2018, we
took a peek at third-party prize pool tracker
and found the total at just over 20 million
USD. For comparison, the final total last year
was over 24 million USD. Whether this year’s
total will eclipse 2017’s remains to be seen,
but it should be possible – especially with
the addition of the new monthly subscription
model as another source of income.
Shadowverse World Circuit goes

to Singapore
The next leg for Shadowverse’s (a digital
collectible card game) World Circuit is
our neighbours down south – Singapore.
Registration for the 2-day tournament on 11
and 12 August 2018 is well underway, with
Singaporean-based company "Beast of the
East" in charge of the event. With a prize pool
of 10,000 USD and a chance to win a spot at the
SEAO Contender’s Cup, this event will be the
biggest for the game in our region to date. To
find out more, please visit https://beastapac.
com/swc-sg/.
Next Hearthstone expansion

revealed
Hearthstone’s next expansion has been
revealed and it’ll bring 135 cards with it.
Named "The Boomsday Project", the theme
for the expansion is science and should
feature the return of a card that terrorised
in the past – Dr. Boom. A video introducing
the expansion can be found at https://
youtu.be/iH0wacpNuDQ, but the gist of it
is that there’s now a legendary spell and
a new mechanic called ‘magnetic’ and new
type of cards called ‘Project’ cards.

lite & leisure
I Don’t Know’s big win

IDK, a team that has been steadily climbing the
ranks by winning qualifiers over qualifiers, has
just won one of biggest Rainbow Six tournaments
of their lives, the DreamHack Valencia 2018. The
IDK team consists of Matthew "meepeY" Sharples,
Ryan "Lacky" Stapley, Leon "LeonGids" Giddens,
David "sTiZze" De Castro and Bryan "Elemzje"
Tebessi. This was the team’s first Majoy win since
its inception in late 2017. On their road to victory,
IDK beat Rogue in the Quarter-finals and overcame
PENTA Sports in the Semi-finals as well, netting
them a date with Team Vitality in the Finals. They
comfortably beat Team Vitality with a 6-2 win in
Clubhouse, and 6-1 win in Bank.
Return of the King

After taking a break since April of 2018, Olof
"olofmeister" Kajbjer is ready to tackle the
CS:GO scene with his skills once again with
FaZe. Jorgen "cromen" Robertsen was stand-in
for FaZe when olofmeister was on his break,
and now aims to seek greener pastures with
other teams. On his personal Twitter, cromen
mentioned that the win in ESL One: Belo
Horizonte 2018 was the happiest moment
in his life, and said that he will work hard to
achieve the goal of top 5. But olofmeister’s
return to CS:GO was not a pleasant one as
Team Fnatic and mousesports knocked out
FaZe at the ELEAGUE CS:GO Premier 2018.
GWENT in Rocky Decks

GWENT, the fast-paced card game that was
originally found in The Witcher, made its way
as a standalone game not too long ago. But
roughly a year after the launch of the Beta, the
devs had slowed down patches and updates.
Many fans jumped to the conclusion that the
team slowed down the development of GWENT
due to CD Projekt Red’s upcoming major game
– Cyberpunk 2077. They also complained that
the devs tried to make the gameplay similar
to Hearthstone as well. During the 6th GWENT
Open, Pawel Burza, the Community Specialist
came out and mentioned that the team is hard
at work, and that he's sorry for the delay of
a GWENT update. The tournament was won
by Benjamin "kolemoen" Pfannstiel, netting
himself $9,650.

lite & leisure
TOUCH
Gaming Apps Of The Month

These are the apps that we have currently installed on our mobile devices. We think they
should be on yours too By Rikco Shim
RGB Express
Android (Free) /
iOS (RM7.90)
Not to be fooled by the name, RGB Express
is not a game about RGB components, but a
puzzle game about colours. In this game,
you take control of multiple trucks, guiding
them to make deliveries based on their
colours.
The puzzle component of the game
makes its appearance on how you navigate
the roads. The roads are usually single lane,
so no other cars can cross and you can only
take the road once; no driving through it
again. Another puzzle element is with the
delivery stations/stores. You can not pass
by that location without supplies, and if you
do, the level will fail.
The game is separated into 10 zones, each
zone with four cities that you have to go
through. And in each city there are 10 levels, so
that means a total of roughly 400 levels. On the
Android version, the game is free but you will
encounter ads along the way, including one
that stays perpetually at the top of the game
when you are playing it. Removing the ads will
require a payment of RM6.19. With 400 levels
at the palm of your fingers and increasing in
difficulty, it will definitely put your brain into
overdrive to figure out all the solutions to the
puzzles.
It is simple game to play and pick-up, but
definitely one that is hard to master. In some
of the levels, we had to reverse engineer how
we plan the route as some of the parcels might
clash and we have to figure out a way for our
drivers to traverse the puzzle. But if you are
stuck, you can use hints that will guide you.
As for our final thoughts, we think that it
can potentially be a top game if you like
puzzles. It's simple enough to go through,
and some might even take longer to solve
than you expected. It's also free on Android, Using a hint, guiding our way through half the level A level that has three different coloured trucks and
so there’s no reason not to go for it. two red trucks

lite & leisure
Sigi – A Fart For

Melusina
Android (RM7.99) /
iOS (RM 4.90)
Not one for the younger audience, this game is
rated for ages 9 and up. You play as Sigi, a
knight on his way to find a wife who stumbles
upon Melusina, a mermaid with a stacked
chest. The game takes you along the journey of
Sigi looking for her as he battles his way past
hordes and bosses.
The game plays as an action platformer
with fart jokes scrambled here and there, and
when Sigi confronts a boss, he has a few choice
words for them before defeating them and
trudging along, looking for Melusina.
As mentioned, it is a 2D platformer with
four buttons – Jump, Attack, Left and Right. It
plays similarly to other 2D action platformers,
and during our play, we found that it was a
homage to Ghosts ‘N Goblins, a classic game.
Aside from that, you'd notice sprinkles of Super
Mario World, especially in the level selection.
Just like Ghosts ‘N Goblins, you can pick up
weapons, health items, coins and letters
scrambled around the level that spell out SIGI.
Once you complete a level, all collectibles will
be counted and you will be given points. If you The level select for SIGI, reminiscent of Super Mario World
like to challenge yourself with highscores, then
this could be the game for you.
There are 20 levels, with a boss every 5
levels, but the game isn’t too difficult and can
be completed in as little as 30 minutes or less
if you’re a pro at platformers. If mobile gaming
isn’t your thing, you can buyy the game from
Steam, allowing you to play on a larger screen.
It will also be available on consoles soon.
Overall, the game is easy to pick up and
poses a challenge if you wish to tackle the
highscore. The graphics are also brilliant and
soundtrack is decent. A sequel to the game is
planned as well, so maybe we’ll have more fart
jokes in the future.
Going through levels, you will encounter traps and enemies

lite & leisure
CROWDFUNDING
Made Possible
By The Masses
Our monthly look at crowd-funded projects that caught our eyes
By Matthew Yap and Nixon Ng
Soudots Ai-2
Love to party outdoors and want to enjoy better audio?
The Soundots Ai-2 is a cool speaker that can be stacked
or shaped in different formations for a variety of uses.
You can connect three of them horizontally into a
pseudo soundbar or stack them up vertically to look like
a tower speaker. This is a type of portable speaker that’s
meant to use in multiples, providing users with option to
expand on their audio setup as they go.
https://kck.st/2A68TDz
SOUL Solar
Scroll
When you’re out queueing up for a convention or trekking outdoors, you’ll
often not have enough battery for your devices. Sometimes power banks
just don’t cut it, and that’s where the Solar Scroll comes into play. Using
this compact gadget, you get to fast charge your devices using the power
of the sun. With it, you no longer have to worry about the lack of a power
outlet and you’re being more environmental-friendly too!
https://kck.st/2AaGUm4
ROBOQI
Speaking of charging, here’s another gadget to help with that – the
ROBOQI. This one is a small robotic arm that can be used in a car, allowing
you to charge your smartphone while driving through the use of wireless
charging. Its robotic arm clamps on to your device as soon as it hits the
contact sensor, then proceeds to juice it up while you’re busy with the
wheel. You won’t have to worry about it falling off either, since the grip is
quite secure.
https://kck.st/2LoSgrV

lite & leisure
Blackview
No longer do you have to choose between a fragile smartphone with the
NILS
NILS is a charge-and-sync cables that’s hidden within a braided leather
latest technology and a low spec smartphone that will last, the BV9500 bracelet and built with DuPont Kevlar Bulletproof fiber. It is designed
Pro is designed to withstand all of the elements life throws at you, as with the purpose of setting your hands free from carrying any excess
well as allowing you to have the most up to date specifications on the cords, as it functions as a charge-and-sync wearable cable. Nobody will
market. With the BV9500 Pro, you’ll notice the difference. It redefines the notice what it really is, since it looks like it's just a bracelet. This cable
way you use and take care of your phone by making it indestructible, blends creativity, usability and functionality into a single piece of
reliable and cutting edge. wearable technology.
https://bit.ly/2mb58mq https://kck.st/2lP9TSC
Moon-Pod
body into a rare static state, providing ultimate stress relief and all-day
relaxation. Its outer membrane is made from a unique blended
material, which encapsulates thousands of high-friction EPS beads
Moon-Pod is a premium lightweight beanbag engineered to deliver a that react and respond to every inch of your body.
feeling of zero-gravity weightlessness in any position. It cradles your https://kck.st/2NbAN2w

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practice
Test Operating Systems

Virtually
Do you need Windows 7 for some tasks or try the latest Windows 10 Insider Preview? If yes, then
the VirtualBox is perfectly right for this
By Angelika Reinhard And Thorsten Franke-Haverkamp
V
irtualBox is an amazing thing for testing operating being tested in the Insider program. Obviously, you don't have to
systems. With it, you can install, try and delete other install the Insider version on the system you normally use.
systems without any traces - all in a virtual machine Instead, using the VirtualBox is better. If you love experimenting
that is parallel to your Windows 10, without the frustration and have more computers, it does not matter under which
and additional costs. VirtualBox is free of cost and can be operating system VirtualBox works. If you want to, you can use a
found at www.oracle.com/technetwork/server-storage/ Linux computer or a Mac to run Windows 10.
virtualbox/downloads. On this website, select the
VirtualBox version "Windows (32-bit/64-bit)"; it is the first
entry in the list. HOW TO PROCEED
Photos: Acer (Notebook); Oracle (Screen)
1 Start ready virtual machines

Latest Windows in the pre-release version Install and start the tool. If you already have downloaded a
Are you thrilled by the Windows 10 Creators Update and want to virtual machine (VM) from Microsoft, then unpack the file. After
know about the progress of development? Then, simply register that's done, double-click on the OVA file. VirtualBox will start
with the Insider program from Microsoft (insider.windows.com). and prompt you for the import - confirm to start. Next, boot the
You will receive early information about new functions that are VM by clicking on "Start".

practice
1 5
2 Install Windows from DVD

You can generate VMs from Windows DVDs. Click on "New" , assign
a name and select the version for "Type". After clicking on "Next",
determine the "Storage size" and "Disk", then start the installation
by clicking on "Generate". Insert the Windows DVD, start the VM and
select the DVD drive.
3
3 Install Windows from ISO file
Instead of a physical installation DVD, you can also use an image
file. In fact, this is what you'll have to do for the Insider versions.
Proceed exactly as described in step 2. Then, select the ISO file in the
"Select medium for Start" dialogue and begin the VM installation by
clicking on "Start".
4 VirtualBox Manager
With VirtualBox, you can set up and manage as many operating
systems as you want. The preview image shows the running
operating system. You can query and also directly customise the
technical data of the configuration, such as the amount of memory
allocated or the booting sequence, in the manager of VirtualBox.
4
5 Backup points
The actual highlight of a virtual machine are the backup points to
which you can always go back to, whenever there is a problem or if
you have completed a series of tests. Click on "Machine | Create
Backup points" on the top left to create such a backup.
6 Change hardware settings

You can change or clone a virtual machine, or even change the
hardware. This way, processor cores and RAM can be added if
needed, assuming the host system has sufficient resources. You
can access this function via "Change" when the VM is shut down.

practice
Original
Metallic Models
To achieve first-class photos in car photography, you need more than just a beautiful car. Here‘s
what you should pay attention to
Text & Photo by Alexander Karstens
E
verything works easily in car photography in the beginning. 1 My equipment
After all, tons of models are just hanging out on the streets, For car shoots, I always carry all my equipment. For over two
so you just need to take your camera and shoot. But it‘s not years, I've captured photos in RAW format using a Canon 6D
always easy, as even the most attractive sports car fades in an Mark I. Mostly, I use a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 and a Tamron
ugly surrounding. Therefore, an exciting location is ideal for car 24-70mm f/2.8 for car photography. With two lenses, I get a
photography. In most cases, you do not have to travel far for this razor-sharp picture, the most varied perspectives and image
purpose. For example, take some time out and detour from your effects are possible with focal lengths that cover everything
way home. This is how you discover new corners, which can be from the wide angle (24mm) to the high telephoto (200mm).
noted down for future shoots. Also, give some thought as to which
car would be suitable for which location. A VW Beetle with a rusty 2 Position & Image design
look, for example, looks good on a farm, while a modern Audi RS 6 A car needs a lot of space in a picture if you want to show it in
will look better when it's before the Elbphilharmonie. But even great detail. This implies that the correct image design and the
contrasts can work throughout. positioning are very important. I go around the car first during
For this shoot, I have chosen a castle near Muenster that, the shoot before I actually begin the photo shoot. Taking a
together with the correct lighting, looks very impressive. photo just from above the floor creates an exciting effect. Blurs
Thereafter, I began searching for a suitable vehicle where I was in the foreground ensure that the viewer looks more towards
careful not to choose any random one. After all, I had plans to sell the motif.
the photo to a car magazine in future. While the location is mostly
unimportant, the car should not be any new standard model (there 3 The perfect light
are many of such types). Also, many tuned internal and external I do not use any artificial light (e.g. flashes) in my car
details are quite good, which go beyond the classic FFF-tuning photoshoots, but I work with "available light" to capture the
(suspension, foil, rims). realistic light mood. During sunset, I prefer photographing

practice
1 5
2 6
against the sun as its light is less bright in the evenings (this is
3 also true for mornings). The colours of the car come out so good
and the shadow areas are not too dark. They can be well-
adjusted with a little bit of editing.
4 Develop the image

After selecting the desired photo, I edit my RAW photos in
Adobe Lightroom. The workflow looks like I am adjusting the
values under Exposure, Contrast, Lights, Depths, Clarity,
Sharpness etc. Even the first colour adjustments are done in
the RAW development where I intensify the colour of the
4 sunset, for example. Likewise, I do corrections for the photo
section. In every picture, I make sure that the horizon is
straight, and the car is not placed too midway in the photo.
5 Improve image areas

As the RAW development in Lightroom is always applied on the
entire image, I choose the gradient mask as the second step.
This allows only specific image areas to be edited. Thus, I could
darken the foreground and the upper part a bit and adjust the
colour of the top image area. Using the "Radial Filter", I had
finally brightened the rims a bit as they often looked too dark
against the light.
6 Corrections in Photoshop
My last editing step takes place in Adobe Photoshop. Here, I
retouch the image and make finer adjustments. For example,
there is a wheel hub cap missing in the rear rim. I added it using
the "Clone Stamp". Furthermore, I have removed and darkened
the colour reflections on the panes so that the interiors are
visible. Interfering objects in the image can be, likewise, easily
removed using the "Clone Stamp".

tips & tricks
then on "Display" on the left. Then,

click on the right, on the button under
"Night Mode" to set the configuration.
The night mode will be active, by
Tips
default, from sunset to sunrise. If you
wish to set the time more precisely,
then click on "Settings for night
mode" and then on "Schedule" in
02
Tricks
AUGUST 2018
Night mode can be easily set in Windows 10, along

with a time period to reduce blue light stress on
your eyes, and can be found in your Windows
WINDOWS & OFFICE "Input message", if necessary, and Settings
01 Excel 2016
Insert thought bubbles instead of
enter a title and the text of your tip.
Note that the function "Show input
comments message when the cell is selected" has the following window. Now, set and
a check mark on it. After that, close the confirm the switch on/off times by
Comments are always helpful when window by clicking on "OK". As soon as clicking on the check mark under it.
giving tips to other users. Comments the corresponding cell is selected, the You can control the colour intensity
can be recognised by means of a small tip is displayed without needing any with the help of the slider under
red arrow on the top right corner of the additional clicks. "Colour temperature in night mode".
corresponding cell. The disadvantage To try these effects directly, click
of comment is that it only becomes
visible when a user clicks on it. But if
02 Windows 10
Activate night mode and set the
on "Activate now". To go back to the
standard display, click on "Deactivate
you want the tip to appear immediately period now".
as soon as the user clicks on the cell,
then you just need to insert a thought
bubble. Select the desired cell, go to
If you are rendering a video using your
laptop beside your bed, then you can
03 Windows 10
Search and find files
the tab "Data" and click on the "Data let it all happen overnight. However,
review" icon in the "Data Tools" area. screens emit a blue and mostly bright You can find files quickly under
In the same window, go to the tab light that may disturb your sleep. Windows 10 only if you search for
Since the Creators Update, the newly them correctly. There are many
01 introduced "Night Mode" comes to different ways available to search
the rescue in such cases. You can set for files or apps. If you have no idea
a more pleasing colour temperature where you might’ve stored the desired
for the display using this Night Mode. file, then the best option is to let
Click on "System" in the "Settings" and Windows 10 search the entire system.
03
Using thought bubbles in Excel are easier and

allows others to see your comment To look for a file that you’re not sure where its at, simply use the search bar on top of the Windows Explorer

tips & tricks
To do this, first right-click on the Start activate the navigation area in Word
menu icon. Then, select the "Search"
option that you will see in the lower
05 Windows 10
Deactivate a driver signature in
2013 and 2016, first click on the
"View" tab. Thereafter, activate the
area of the Start menu. Now, type the the UEFI checkbox "Display navigation area"
name or at least the start of the file in the "Display" area. Alternatively,
name in the search field. If the Cortana If you want to install an unsigned you can use to the key combination
setting "Display Search field" is active, driver under Windows 10, then you of [Ctrl]+[F]. The navigation area
then you can also type the file name have to disable the driver signature is divided into three categories:
there. Alternatively, you can open beforehand. The UEFI has an option "Headings", "Pages" and "Results".
Windows Explorer in the Start menu that is included in all computers In the "Headings" category, you
and limit your search to individual produced since 2012; this instruction will find everything that you have
Windows partitions. To do this, first might not work with an older BIOS. defined as a heading with the help
select the corresponding drive on the First, start the UEFI, then go to the of formatting templates. If you
left side under "This PC". Then, enter "Settings" and look for the category wish to switch to a specific point
the name of the missing file in the "Update and Security". On the left, in your document, then click on the
search field in the top right area. If you click on "Recovery" and then on the corresponding entry. Under "Pages",
suspect the file is in a specific folder, button "Restart now" in the "Advanced you will find a miniature view of all
then limit the search further by going Startup" area on the right. If the UEFI pages of your Word document with the
to that folder. Likewise, every Windows opens in a blue design, then select corresponding page numbering. Even
folder has a field in the top right area the "Troubleshooting" there. You will here, you can go to the corresponding
where you can enter the search term now find the "Start settings" under point in your document with just one
or at least the starting letters of the the "Advanced Options". After clicking click. The "Results" category offers a
searched file. on "Restart", all the available start number of useful search functions.
settings will be displayed after a few Here, you can either search according
04 Open Office Calc

Sum up the hours correctly
seconds. Select the option "Disable
mandatory driver signature" via the
to a word and a text position or allow
graphics, tables, formulae, footnotes or
[F7] key. Once you start Windows, comments be displayed. If you search
It is worth knowing that the "Time" you can now install unsigned drivers. for something here first and then
format in Open Office Calc only counts Later on, you can reenable the driver switch to the "Headings" tab later, you
to a maximum of 24 hours and restarts signature using the same method. can see which headings the results
to zero. For example, your total work appear on with the help of a colourful
hours for the week results in 29 hours, highlight.
but in Calc, it will only show 05:00. To
05
avoid this, disregard the "Time" format, 06
but instead use a user-defined number
format. Select the corresponding cells,
right click on the selection and select
"Format cells" in the context menu. If
necessary, switch to the "Numbers"
tab. In the "Category" area, click on
"User-defined" and enter the following
in the "Format Code" row below:
"[HH]:MM". The hours will be totalled
correctly now once you click on "OK".
Using Advanced Startup might allow you to perform
04 some changes in UEFI Easily jump to specific pages by just clicking on the
preview
06 Word
Display navigation area
The navigation area of Word (called

07 Windows 10
Break the connection of OneDrive
Document Structure up to version and Windows 10
2007), allows you to switch to specific
text sections of your document and OneDrive is fully integrated in
makes it easier for you to organise Windows 10. But if you do not wish to
them. To do this, the navigation use OneDrive, you can disconnect the
area provides quick access to all OneDrive account with a few clicks.
Hours can be easily calculated in Open Office, the entries formatted with heading Right-click on the OneDrive icon in the
provided if you formatted it with user-defined
numberings styles in your document. In order to taskbar on the bottom right. If you do

tips & tricks
not see the icon, then you can reveal "0049" automatically becomes "49". from the installed Windows version.
more icons by clicking on the white If you want to prevent the deletion Open "Settings" and select "System".
arrow. In the context menu, select of the zeros for several cells, then Click on "About" on the left side in
"Settings" and go to the tab "Account" you have to use the corresponding the menu bar. After that, detailed
in the new window. Here click on number format. For example, if you information about your device will
"Unlink this PC" and confirm it. want to enter an international country be displayed on the right side in the
code in a column, then select the window. If needed, scroll down till the
corresponding cells, right click on the "System Info" area. Here, you will find
07
selection and select "Format cells" the specification of the version and
in the context menu. If necessary, go Build number. An alternative procedure
to the "Numbers" tab and select the that is known from an earlier Windows
option "User-defined" on the left under version, is also a good option. For
"Category". In the row "Type", overwrite that method, first right-click to open
a specification like "Standard" with the context menu of the Start menu
OneDrive is a constant annoyance. Easily remove "0000". You will see an example and select "Command Prompt". Type
it with just a few clicks if you’ve linked it to your PC directly above it. Confirm with "OK". the command "winver" in the window
before Now enter a number like "0049" in one - Admin rights are not required. A
of the cells and the number will be window will now show you the desired
displayed, including the leading zeros. information.
08 Excel
Change a column to a row using
Note: The specification of zeroes in the
row "Type" must correspond precisely
the Transpose function to the length of the dial code. If there 10
is a single deviation, then just use the
Sometimes, it is cumbersome to enter following tip.
data in a column. If the present entries Even if you occasionally need a value
can be displayed better as a row, with a leading zero, there's no need
then you can easily convert it without to select the path via a user-defined
copying or typing all entries again. number format. Start the entry with
Select the entries of the column that a simple apostrophe "'", for example, Your Windows build number can be easily looked
you want to convert and copy the "'08912345". But note that Excel will up if you know where to look for it. A simple run
command of winver can solve it
contents to a clipboard, using the text and automatically align it to the
shortcut [Ctrl]+[C]. Right click on a free left while numbers are displayed,
cell in a row and select the function aligned to the right. Rectify this
"Transpose" in the "Insert options". alignment if needed.
11 Windows 10
Define usage time to avoid restart
messages
08 09
Many updates of Windows 10 run in
the background. Some of these will
then require a restart of the PC. If
you wish to avoid these messages
during your computer activity, then
you can set the preferred usage time
so that Windows will not disturb you
with these messages prompting for
a restart, during your work. In order
11
Using the Transpose function allows you to convert Excel is annoying when it comes to displaying
your columns to a row zeroes in the front of other numbers, but can be
done so with a user-defined tweak
09 Excel
Display leading zeroes in cells
10 Windows 10
Find out the currently installed
In some cells it is necessary that version and Build number
one or more leading zeros are seen,
for instance, in a column for area If you need the exact version including Change the active hours when your computer can
code numbers. But Excel deletes the the current Build number for support prompt you to restart can often times save you the
hassle of accidentally pressing enter, resulting in
numbers by default. Hence, the entry queries, then you can find it very easily your PC restarting

tips & tricks
to determine the usage time, first simultaneously, then it makes sense

open Windows settings using the key
combination [Windows]+[I]. In the new
13 Windows 10
Disable annoying ads on
to compile them into groups. This will
save you time spent in adding every
window, select the category "Update & screensaver and etc recipient individually - which is only
Security". Under the "Windows Update" useful for huge distribution lists.
tab, you can spot "Change active hours" In many areas, Microsoft has In Outlook, go to the "New Elements"
under the Restart now button. After integrated ad display. Thus, so-called in the "Start" tab, select "More
that, set the start and end time of your "Suggestions" from websites or Elements" and click on " Contact
rest time and confirm it by clicking on services are shown in the Start Groups". For the next step, assign a
"Save". Close the settings window. But menu by default- not always, but name to the group, like "Department"
note that a maximum of only 18 hours occasionally. "Windows Spotlight" is or "Club Friends". Enter the name in
usage time is allowed. If the button set by default, as a background in the the row next to "Name". Open a new
does not appear, simply go back to lockscreen. This focus is supposed window via "Add members" and "From
"Settings" and search for "Windows to entice you, for example, to click Outlook contacts". Select your own
Update Settings" and the button on options like "Do you like what you address book in the "Address Book"
should appear. see". But you can disable the ads for area. Now, select a contact by clicking
many areas. Open "Settings" and click on "Member" in your contact group.
12 Windows 10
Use the Cortana search function
on "Personalisation". Select "Start"
and then click on the switch under
Repeat it with the other contacts.
Once you have compiled the group
for simple calculations "Occasionally show suggestions in fully, confirm by clicking on OK. Click
Start", to disable the function. After on "Save & Close" so that the group is
Do you need quick results for that, click on "Lockscreen". On the available in your address book. You can
multiplication? Instead of searching right, you will see that the option
for the integrated Windows calculator, "Windows Spotlight" is set as active 14
you can simply use Cortana to do it under Background. Here, select one of
for you. To locate Cortana, simply look the other options, for example "Image".
for a circle icon on your task bar which The ads will then disappear from the
can be seen next to the Windows lockscreen.
logo. If not, then right-click on a free
area in the taskbar, select "Cortana"
and then on "Show Search Box". Enter
14 Outlook 2016
your calculation in the search row, for 13

example "22*44". You need not type
an Equal sign as the calculation will be
done automatically.
Create a list of distribution for different emails in
Outlook so you don’t have to click every single email
12
now select the newly created contact
group directly when you are sending a
new Email.
If changing lockscreen wallpapers and ads are not 15 Windows 10

Display missing file name
your thing, you can disable it via the "Lock screen"
settings endings in Explorer
If Windows Explorer does not show

Compile Email contacts into
any file endings like .docx or .mp3,
contact groups
then you had to search for the
corresponding settings in details,
If you have been using Outlook for a in the earlier Windows version. This
long time, then your list of contacts is has now become a lot easier under
bound to grow. If you send messages Windows 10. Start the Explorer and
quite often to many contacts click on the "View" menu on the top
15
Easy calculations can be done via Cortana. Maybe

the sole reason to keep it on your taskbar If your files in Explorer are missing file names, you can enable it to show again via a checkbox in Explorer

tips & tricks
of Explorer. Now, set a check mark for 17

"File name extensions" and for "Hidden
items" in the icons bar to view the
system files in the Explorer.
16 Google Chromecast Audio

Rectify the playback delay with
loudspeakers
Delays in Google Chromecast Audio

are common while using several
loudspeakers, soundbars and receivers
- for instance, the audio delivered to
kitchen's speakers is a bit later than to
the ones in the living room. However,
you can adjust this delay. Open the
Google Home app on your smartphone.
Transferring e-books from your PC to Kindle can be done easily by copying and pasting them into the
Tap on the device icon on the top right Documents folder of your Kindle
and then on the Menu icon next to
the asynchronous loudspeaker. You can also manage and transfer your
can view and adjust the delay under
"Correction of the group delay". If
documents with the help of free tools
like Calibre (https://calibre-ebook.
19 Nintendo Switch
Perform a hard reset for Nintendo
possible, sit in the middle between com/). Using the conversion function Switch
the two asynchronous loudspeakers of Calibre, you can also convert
in order to balance the delay incompatible file formats so that you If the portable console Nintendo
optimally. First, rectify the delay in the can read them with the Kindle. Switch does not respond to any button
loudspeaker in which the delay is the presses, then you can perform a hard
highest. Let the music play during the
process, so that you can then perceive
18 Kindle Fire HD
Set up Google Chrome on the
reset with the appropriate knowledge.
To do this, simply keep the Power
the delay. If there are more than two Amazon tablet button pressed for 15 seconds. After
loudspeakers in use, it may be helpful that, release the button and press it
to always set the volume high for only You could actually install the Chrome again. The console should now be able
two loudspeakers. If the asynchronicity browser on your Kindle Fire HD without to restart. Minor errors in the cache
between the two loudspeakers is any problems, provided if you can find are eliminated using this method,
stronger only via your changes, then it from the Amazon App Store. Since while keeping your data and settings
set the delay back to zero and retry the this is not the case, you need to get intact. If the problem persists, try
process with another loudspeaker. it elsewhere. First, you must set a resetting to the factory settings.
check mark for "Allow installation of To do this, go to "System settings |
applications" in the sub-menu "Device" Console | Formatting options | Reset
in the settings of the Kindle Fire HD. to factory settings" in the Home menu.
16 After that, you will also need the ES File Your data will be deleted this way,
Explorer from the Amazon App Shop to but you can just transfer the data to
access all files on your Kindle Fire HD. a microSD card first. However, note
You will need to find a Chrome APK, that your game saves will not be
which you can then install on the tablet. transferred.
The app "Google Home" might solve some playback
delays of the audio from your Chromecast 18
17 Kindle
Transfer your own e-books from
PC to Kindle
You can connect your Kindle with a PC

only via USB. The computer recognises
this device as a removable disk. In this
manner, you can transfer your own
documents manually to the Kindle.
Copy the files to the "documents"
folder on the removable disk. You The ES File Explorer app from Amazon allows easy access to your files on your Kindle

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tips & tricks
20
20 Photo
Shrink images using tools of
Windows
The latest digital cameras capture photos

at high resolutions. If you wish to send
your photos via mail or upload them
online, then reducing the maximum
resolution can save you a lot of time. If
there are only a few photos, then you
do not need any additional program to
shrink the photos. In Windows, we have
the Paint program which helps you to
quickly shrink a few images to size.
Start the Paint program. In Windows 10,
you will find the program in the Start
menu in the "Windows Accessories" area.
Or simply search for Paint in the Start
Menu. After that, open the image which
Resizing on Paint is easy, simply use [CTRL] + [W] and you can resize the picture to your liking
you wish to shrink. You will now see only
a section if the images are very large.
Click on "Resize", or [CTRL] + [W]. In the The image will be displayed in the new Facebook account if you wish to delete
next window, you can shrink the image size immediately. Save it under a new all your data with Facebook, because a
by percentage (e.g. to 50%) or even by name so that the original image is not lot of it remains saved with Facebook
entering pixels. Note that there is a check overwritten. behind the scenes. First, go to your
mark of "Maintain Aspect Ratio" to keep profile and delete all personal entries
the original aspect ratio. For example,
select "Pixel" and the horizontal and
21 Facebook
Delete existing data and wipe out
under "Info". This also is applicable
for entries from your timeline. Select
vertical resolution of the original photo old traces your own profile. Scroll down up to
will be displayed. As soon as you type the respective post and then click on
a smaller pixel number in "Horizontal", It is not easy if you wish to distance the three dots on the top right. Here,
the vertical value will be automatically yourself from Facebook. You have to select the "Delete" option and confirm
adjusted. Confirm it by clicking on "OK". do a lot more than just delete your the process. For posts by others, you
can either remove your selection or
19 hide the post from your timeline; you
can only delete posts that appear
exclusively on your timeline. You
can also delete the search history
easily. After opening Facebook, click
on the upside-down triangle on the
top extreme right. A dropdown menu
will now open. Here, you must select
the "Activity Log". On the left, you
will find an area with "Photos and
Videos", "Likes and Responses" and
"Comments". Click on "MORE" below it,
where you will find the "Search History"
option at the very bottom - click on it
to display the search history. In the
next step, click on "Delete Search" on
the top right and then again click on
"Delete Search" in the new window. It
is a bit more complicated to unfriend
people in Facebook. To do that, you
have to go to every individual friend
and click on "Unfriend". As for deleting
photos, you can't completely delete
Sometimes a factory reset might help save your Nintendo Switch, but all your save files will be lost them in Faceboo. Although the photos

tips & tricks
21 do this, tap on the top right on your 22

profile picture and then on "Persons".
Now select "Synchronise Contacts"
here. You will now be asked whether
you wish to stop the automatic
synchronisation. Confirm your choice
with OK.
Google: For those who don't want their
Facebook profile, comments, likes
and etc to be searchable, you have to
disable the relevant settings. Go the
"Settings" in your Facebook, then click
on "Privacy". Reject the option "Do
you want search engines outside of
Facebook to link to your profile?" under
the section "How people find and
contact you". Making sure you know what apps have access to
certain permissions allows you to check what apps
22 Android
Control and manage
might spy on you
authorisations of applications apps ask for permissions that that are

not at all necessary. For example, why
During the installation of an app like should a Flashlight app have access to
WhatsApp, the required permissions your contacts?
are only displayed when you start
the app. From Android version 6.0
onwards, users can finally control
23 Facebook
Deactivate the new face
the permissions of apps through the recognition function
settings as well. To do this, first open
the "Settings". The steps after this may Since mid-April 2018, Facebook users
differ depending on Android version are now identifiable through photos
or the brand/model, but generally and videos via face recognition without
you want to look for the "Apps" or needing to be tagged. This is achieved
"Applications" settings. If it's the latter, with the help of a feature that has
select the "Applications Manager" existed before, but was removed because
and a list of all the installed apps of massive protests from data protection
This menu can be found on the left side of your
Settings in Facebook, clearing it might remove some will be displayed. Tap on the desired officers in the EU. Facebook will now
of your old traces on the Internet app, i.e "WhatsApp", then tap on ask the users whether they want to be
"Permissions" in the next window. You identified in photos and videos first.
will not appear anymore in galleries or can now enable or disable individual You can also change this setting later if
timelines, but they can be accessed via permissions. Often, permissions are you have agreed to it without checking
a direct link. Last but not the least, you necessary for an app to function properly. To do that, open the "Settings"
should delete the links from Facebook, normally. This means that deactivation by clicking on the arrow on the top right.
such as those to Instagram. certain permissions may lead to errors Next, click on the menu option "Face
Messenger: Similarly, all messages or problems, such as the app crashing. Recognition" and then click on "Edit" on
from the Messenger (desktop version) Therefore, you should be very careful the right. In the options list, select "No" to
must be deleted one-by-one from in managing the app. However, some disable the function.
every chat. Click on the gearwheel
icon next to the name on the extreme 23
right, then select "Delete conversation"
here. On the phone, hold on chat
session you wish to delete and a
window with the menu option "Delete
Conversation" will appear. Note that
Facebook automatically synchronises
your contacts if you have installed
the Messenger app. As soon as you
deactivate synchronisation, the saved
contact data is also removed. To Disabling facial recognition from Facebook might help if you want to keep a low-profile on the internet

picture perfect
Look ma, I’m

flying! (Tak 19/ 07/ 20
en with the 18
Sony RX10
0 VI)
19/ 07/ 2018
Swinging into action! (Taken with the Sony RX100 VI)
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8
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Comic Con?
20/ 07/ 2018

You need all the performance you can get when you’re using a
hardcore ASUS gaming monitor

in the next issue
SEPTEMBER
AI And Emotions
Computers are now slowly learning how to detect heartache, happiness and anger
in humans, think about the possibilities
We’re The Good Hands Free?

Guys Wireless charging is still gaining traction, but there’s already
plenty of choices to choose from when it comes to chargers, so
When you think about hackers you think bad thoughts, but it
why not find out more before pulling the trigger?
takes a hacker to fight another

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