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Highlights Of
IFA
2013
Another large and exciting consumer
electronics expo has just come and gone, so
here is our compilation of some of the
coolest gadgets that was at the show!
By Christoph Sackmann and CHIP Team
Samsung S9 Timeless
As always, leave it to Samsung to steal the show
with their latest offerings. The S9 Timeless is an
85-inch Smart UHD TV that has a truly premium
design and 120W surround sound speakers.
Philips 60PFL8708:
TV with a light show
Philips atmospheric LED technology Ambilight finally has a
successor: Ambilight 4 XL utilises 94 LEDs around the screen,
which immerses your living room in the dominating colours of
the picture shown on the TV. Not only does this look incredible
cool but it also gives the eyes a larger and vast field of vision,
which is supposed to be easier on our eyes. The first TV to
feature the latest version of Ambilight 4 XL is the 60PFL8708. But
that isnt all it has to offer, as it boasts a refresh rate of up to 900
hertz. Moreover, it can be connected to the programmable
Philips hue light bulbs, which can make the Ambilight light up
the entire living room.
HOME
Pioneer SBX-N700: raising the sound bar
The flagship of the companys latest range of soundbars is
truly impressive not just in terms of looks but also because of
the features that comes with it. The SBX-N700 is able to
connect to just about any device via Wi-Fi, Mircacast (Wi-Fi
Direct), Bluetooth and DLNA. To give movies buffs and
audiophiles incomparable sound quality, the SBX-N700 uses
Pioneers wide band full-range speaker drive technology and
Phase Control tech that improves sonic performance. It also
comes with a standalone 150W wireless subwoofer that gives
it the boom it needs. Finally, the Pioneer SBX-N700 can also
be controlled using a smart device, all thats required is the
ControlApp, which can be download for free on the Apple App
Store and Google Play Store.
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Sharp Aquos Ultra HD: a
certified 4K experience
4K UHD Resolution TVs is still something
for the more affluent consumer. However,
things might just change as the prices of 4K
TVs are now slowly being reduced. Sharp,
for instance, has priced its 70-inch LC-
70UD1U for only about RM26,000. In
addition to the 4K resolution of 3840x2160
pixels, the LC-70UD1U boasts four HDMI
inputs, two USB ports, WLAN and a SD
card slot. Furhtermore, the TV is THX-
certified. This means that it can show
movies with the settings that are preset in
the studios to maximize your viewing
experience.
Sony FMP-X1: media player
for 4K content
Besides just the high prices for Ultra HD
TVs, 4K has been suffering from the lack of
content. The devices available mostly
upscale full HD films to Ultra HD. Sony has
a better idea though as they intend to
deliver native UHD content to consumers
via a media player. The 2TB hard disk is
preloaded with ten movies, such as Total
Recall and Taxi Driver, all in 4K
resolution. New content can be played via
the USB or SD card slot or rented from a
new online Sony video store. One film
costs about RM26. Downside? It only works
with Sonys BRAVIA TVs.
Unitymedia Horizon: the
multimedia hub
Cable operator and provider Unitymedia
wants to simplify our home networks with
a Set-Top-Box. Horizon is a router, modem
and TV box in one. In addition to a
telephone connection, it comes with
WLAN, four Ethernet ports, HDMI, audio
outputs, USB slots and a 500GB hard disk
for video recording. This allows, content to
be transferred from a PC to the TV or from
a smartphone to a tablet. Its remote control
even features a complete keyboard on the
other side.
ENTERTAINMENT
LG 55EA9800
The other Korean giant also left jaws
hanging with their 55-inch Curved OLED TV.
Another interesting fact is that it uses a
proprietary 4 Colour Pixel technology and is
also the first OLED TV to that is THX
Certified.
Jabra Solemate & Solemate
Mini: soul tunes
IFA wasnt just the place for large and
impressive TVs, it was also the place for
cool and portable devices like the Jabra
Solemate and Solemate Mini. The larger
Solemate seen at IFA was an upgraded
version from its predecessor and now
sports enhanced Dolby Digital Plus
technology and NFC capabilties. As for the
Solemate Mini, this pint-size pocket speaker
isnt just extremely portable but it is also
resistant to sweat, dust and splashes. It too
comes with NFC capabilities and packs two
powerful speakers.
LG 55EA9800
The other Korean giant also left jaws
hanging with their 55-inch Curved OLED TV.
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Nokia Lumia 1020:
41-megapixel smartphone
Nokias latest Windows Phone based Lumia
1020 is the current king of smartphone
photography as it features has a
41-megapixel camera sensor that features
ZEISS opticas, optical image stabilisation
and a Xenon flash. The Lumia 1020 also
sports a 4.5-inch PureMotion HD+ AMOLED
display, a 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdraogn
S4 dual-core processor, 2GB RAM and
32GB internal storage. Other features
include a 2,000mAh battery, Bluetooth 3.0,
support for 4G LTE networks, NFC and Wi-
Fi. Like most Lumia devices, itll be
available in three different colours.
Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga 2
Pro
The original ThinkPad Yoga was one of the
most interesting concepts weve seen for a
notebook in 2012. Lenovo decided that the
time and technology was ripe enough to
warrant a successor, and hence came up
with the Yoga 2 Pro.
Sporting a familiar 13.3-inch display.
Lenovo has bumped up the resolution
count to a QuadHD+ 3,200 x 1,800 pixels.
Theyve also decided to use Intels 4th
generation Haswell processor that reduces
battery power consumption, which, by the
way has been bumped up to nine whole
hours on a single full charge.
Sony Xperia Z1:
The worthy successor
Sonys Xperia Z series has garnered a lot of
accolades and it is about to gain even more
thanks to the successor of the Xperia Z, the
Z1. This beautifully designed smartphone
shares the same design language as its
predecessor and is only 8.5mm thin. It also
boasts a 5-inch Full HD Triluminos display
that produces breathtaking images. Other
than looking good, the Xperia Z1 is also
powerful as it packs a 2.2GHz Qualcomm
Snapdragon 800 CPU, 2GB RAM, Adreno
330 GPU and 16GB storage under the hood.
For those who love photography, it also
comes with a 20.7-megapixel rear camera.
MOBILE
LG OGS DISPLAY
The slimmest full HD-LCD smartphone
display in the world is almost seamless
and will definitely revolutionise the way
smartphones and tablets are designed
Acer Liquid S2
Acer has finally entered the six-inch phablet
game with its own entry in the form of the
Acer Liquid S2. Featuring a 1080p display, it
also has a 13-megapixel camera that is
capable of shooting videos in 4K resolution.
Powered by a 2.2GHz Qualcomm
Snapdragon 800 processor and 2GBs of
RAM, the Liquid S2 is quite the beast of a
phone. The Liquid S2 also has 16GBs of
storage space, which is expandable up to a
whopping 128GBs via a microSD card. Not
only that, its large size is also able to fit an
equally as large 3,300mAh battery, which
should last you longer than your average
smartphone battery.
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NVIDIA Shield:
The portable gaming
handheld
The 5-inch Android portable gaming device
is powered by an NVIDIA Tegra4 CPU; 2GB
RAM and has 16GB flash memory. The
display of this handheld device can be
folded for easy storage. The design of the
Shield also makes it very comfortable and
easy to get used to. PC gamers who buy
their games from Steam will have the
ability to stream those games to the Shield,
which means they can game from just
about anywhere at home. Besides that, it
also runs on Android and has a slew of
Tegra optimised games for users to enjoy.
Sony Vaio Duo 13:
HD-Ultrabook with Haswell
During IFA, Sony showcased their latest
Ultrabook-Convertible, the Vaio Duo 13.
This is the successor to the Vaio Duo 11
that appeared in last years IFA. The 13-inch
version is built with a 1.8GHz Intel Haswell
CPU. As a convertible, users can use its full
HD display as a Notebook or Tablet. The
device runs solely on Windows 8 can be
controlled via touch or mouse/keyboard. It
also features a rear 8-Megapixel camera
and a full HD webcam on the front.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, 3G and
LTE and NFC.
HP Pavilion 14:
Chromebook at a low cost
Although Googles very own Chromebook
wasnt very well received due to its
expensive price, HP looks to avoid this
mistake for their Pavilion 14. Said to be
priced affordable, this Chromebook comes
with an Intel 1.1GHz dual-core CPU, 4 GB
RAM, 16GB of flash memory and 100GB
storage on Google Drive. The 14-inch
display has a resolution of 1,366x768. Apart
from Wi-Fi, it sports USB 2.0, HDMI,
Bluetooth and SD card slot. Despite all this,
it still remains to be seen if the online only
Chrome OS will be accepted by consumers.
Samsung Ativ Q:
The hybrid Ultrabook
Yet another interesting innovation from
Samsung. The Samsung Ativ Q not only
rotates the display in four different
positions depending whether it is used as a
notebook or a tablet but, it also switches
the operating system depending on the
mode. As a notebook, the 13.3-inch device
runs on Windows 8 and it runs Android 4.2
in tablet mode. The dual OS can be
switched with just touch of a button.
Another nice features is its display
resolution of 3,200 x1,800. The 1.3kg
Ultrabook also comes with a stylus that
makes it even more versatile.
ASUS Transformer Pad
The new ASUS Transformer Pad first made an inconspicuous appearance at Computex
this year, but has disappeared from the radar since. It then appeared again at IFA a more
polished product, and the official specs of the device are finally revealed.
The Transformer Pad features a 10.1-inch display, with an amazing resolution of
2,560x1,600 pixels, and is powered by a 1.9GHz Tegra 4 quad-core processor, alongside
2GBs of DDR3L RAM. Storage-wise, ASUS has confirmed that it will come in 32GB and
64GB variants, and together with the dock, the Transformer Pad will also get a grand total
of 17 hours of battery life.
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Sony CyberShot DSC-
QX100
The Sony QX100 was easily one of the
most talked about devices at IFA. It may
look just like a plain old lens waiting to be
strapped to one of Sonys DSLRs. But it is
actually a lens made to be used with an
Android or iOS-based smartphone via
Sonys own PlayMemories app. The QX100
features a 20.2MP CMOS sensor, a Bionz
processor and a 3.6x optical zoom lens.
With the app, you can connect the QX100
to a smartphone either via NFC or even
WiFi, depending on your phones
capabilities.
DIGITAL IMAGING
Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom:
Smartphone with a zoom
lens
The Samsung Galaxy S4 Zoom is the
device that combines a smartphone and
digital camera into one. It features a
16-megapixel camera and also a 4.3-inch
AMOLED display with 960x540 pixels. It
runs Android 4.1, so users can install a
wide range of photography and
miscellaneous apps on it. While it only has
an internal memory of 8GB, it also supports
microSD cards up to 64GB. Its camera is
similar to that of a compact camera: ISO
100 to 3200, optical image stabilizer, Xenon
flash, 10x zoom and full HD video
Ricoh Theta: A different
degree of photos
This candy bar shaped device may only
weigh 95g but what it does is truly amazing
as it is the worlds first commerical
spherical camera. It captures spherical
images that take in the entire scene in a
360-degree arc around you. While it doesnt
have a display, users are able to view
images via a Flash applet or dedicated
smartphone app. The overall design of the
Theta is as simple as it gets as it only has
three buttons one for the shutter, one for
the power button and one to turn Wi-Fi on
or off.
Canon EOS 70D: Control
remotely with an App
Canons semi-professional SLR camera, the
EOS 70D can be remotely controlled via
WLAN throguh an app installed on a
smartphone or tablet. Images taken from
the 20.2-megapixel camera can also be
directly uploaded on to the Internet or can
be viewed on the TV via DLNA. The EOS
70D also supposedly has a very fast auto-
focus as well as a silent mode for video
recording, in which the shutter speed and
mirror bounce are reduced. The EOS 70D is
operated using a 3-inch touch-screen which
also supports multi-touch gestures.
Lytro Light Field
Camera
This nifty device allows users to focus
a picture after it is taken by shifting
the perspective to create an entirely
different photo. The Lytro has 8x
optical zoom and an f/2 lens that
works beautifully with its light field
sensor. It is also easy to operate as it
only has two buttons. It even comes
with nine image filters.
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Intel Haswell E: Computing
power with 14 cores
It was no surprise when Intel announced
that their Haswell desktop processors will
be getting an extreme version, in fact we
couldnt be happier. Known as the Haswell
E, these processors run have 14 cores but
only 12 cores run effectively. The remaining
two are used only when a core is not
working. These Haswell E processors run
on a new architecture and only work with
DDR4 memory modules. Hence, those who
want to use these ultra-fast CPUs, will have
to buy a new motherboard.
ASUS PQ321Q: Monitor
with 4k resolution
While ultra HD is slowing making its
presence felt in TV market, most of PC
monitors are still on full HD resolution.
ASUS will definitely change that with
PQ321Q as this monitor boasts a resolution
of 3840x2160 pixels or simply put, full 4k
resolution. The display measures
31.5-inches diagonally and is quite large for
a PC monitor. ASUS also mentioned that
the power consumption of the PQ321Q is
about three times higher than a Full HD
monitor and consumes energy of up to
93W. But for those who want an Ultra HD
display, this may be your best bet for now.
Intel SSD 530: hard disk of
20 nanometers
Similar to its processors, Intel has also
reduced the structural width of its Solid
State Drives (SSD). The new flash memory
is just 20nanometers wide per element.
This allows it to pack more disk space on
the same physical area. Initially, Intel will
offer only SSDs with a maximum capacity
of 360G. But later in the year, they may
release a 480GB variant. Only those for
servers, will have a capacity that reaches
2TB. All the SSDs, will utilise the SandForce
SF 2281 controller by LSI.
PC
Acer Predator
G3-605
With the Predator G3-605,
Acer is looking to once
again prove that they
have what it takes to build
solid gaming desktop. It
has a functional design
that makes it easy to
upgrade. It may not have
the most performance-
centric components but
for the estimated price
tag, it is definitely bang-
for-your-buck.
HP Envy Recline
HPs latest all-in-one (AIO) PC, the HP Envy
Recline, is a computer with the most
flexible stand on any AIO PC weve seen
yet. Its hinge allows the Reclines 10-point
touchscreen display, which comes in 23-
and 27-inches, to recline all the way to your
lap, or thereabouts anyway. The Envy
Recline is powered by Intels 4th gen
Haswell processor, and some of the
features that it comes with include Beats
Audio dual speakers, and NVIDIA graphics.
Not only that, it also comes with support
for NFC, which you can use to easily upload
photos to and from your mobile devices
that also have that feature built in.
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T
he advent of the Internet has truly been a boon to many
of us as it allows us to access a wealth of information
and entertainment. These days, we can even find these
information without the need to be connected to a wire as
devices like notebooks, smartphones and tablets can get on to
the net via Wi-Fi or mobile networks. To take it a step further,
we now even have smart homes and some automotive
manufacturers are already working on smart cars. All of which
are designed to make our lives a little simpler.
But even with all our new fangled and attractive gadgets,
there are still some who are slow to adopt them as they always
ask the same questions, Is my data safe? Are
manufacturers doing their parts to help keep my data away
from unwanted access?
The answer to those questions may vary but we know one
thing that is certain, hackers evolve just as fast as technology
and have the ability and multiple methods to get to your data
or even your money without you realising it.
This month, we once again look at the constant evolution of
hackers and how they are now able to penetrate almost every
aspect of our digital lives.
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Industry virus for PCs, hacks over Cloud and attacks on Smart Grids organised cyber
crime is now more aggressive than ever
By Caudio Mller
The New Targets For
HACKERS
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SMARTPHONE
R
ats rats. With this word Nevil Maskelyne, the illusionist,
destroyed the illusion of a secure wireless communication in
June 1903. The inventor, Marconi, and his partner, Fleming,
wanted to demonstrate this and Marconi had planned to send a
morsecode message from a distance of 300 miles to Fleming who
was waiting in London. Maskelyne anticipated it. He simply hacked
it with the help of a simple transmitter in the network and sent
forward his own message: Rats. This was Maskelynes revenge
on Marconi, who obtained the patents for radio communication,
which Maskelyne wanted to utilise. And it was also an order from
the Eastern Telegraph Company whose business was threatened
by Marconis invention. Today, although the technology has
changed, the motives of criminals remain the same. To this day,
hackers manage to get in the system and fool customers who
seem to be readily willing to pay. Only their methods are much
more refined. The most attractive customers large companies,
banks, government organisations who are obviously protected
with the help of an ex-hacker.
Hired hackers review their systems and hunt for loopholes and
vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. In most cases, the
protective software normally used in PCs can only block the
unknown malware. Just like any other form of crime, this
protection can only identify. The Maskelynes of today have
developed completely new methods and also benefits from
national Trojans like Stuxnet and more.
The PC Army Against Large Corporations
After the complex exploit kits such as Blackhole and Banking
trojaners like Citadel the experts are now anticipating the next
development stage in the coming months. Components of
industrial Trojans such as Stuxnet and Flame are thus expected to
fuse with normal malware. Stefan Wesche from Symantec
confirmed: The security loopholes exploited by Stuxnet and Co.
increasingly appear in malware kits. These exploits find open
loopholes in Windows or in applications like Java so that they can
inject the malicious code through them. For example, a Botnet
Trojan.
PCs take this as spam or direct it at the company as a weapon
without the user knowing about it. Such DDoS attacks (Distributed
Denial of Service) send a massive number of web queries to the
company server until they collapse. This is not new but the DDoS
attacks get worse with politically motivated groups. The hacker
group Anonymous uses it as their preferred retaliation tool, last
year it they used it against the GEMA for permanently blocking
YouTube videos. The antispam organisation known as The Spam
Haus Project (www.spamhaus.org) also experienced one of the
most notorious DDoS attacks to date in March. Angry spammers
attacked the server with data of up to 85Gbit/s, this is equivalent to
having a two-hour HD movie forced through the pipes every
seconds. Needless to say, the server crashed.
In principle, botnets are huge cloud systems. Why should one
consider them as attacks? There are many legal ones, like the
PC
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3.4
million computers were
misused as bots in 2012
across the world
6,700
euros the botnet operators
earn daily with SMS Trojans
SMART-HOME
INDUSTRY
10.1
million unprotected TV
devices are potential
hacking targets
116
cyber attacks
registered worlwide
every day
Pg. 68
Pg. 69
Pg. 70
Pg. 71
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Hacking At A New Level
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You will find various tools, which would protect against
attacks, on the issue DVD under the code HACKER
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PCS & BOTNETS
Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2). The trend just like in the IT
world is to use such services. The resources are better adapted
and is more worthwhile especially when it comes to running
computationally intensive attacks. Martin Dombrowski, an IT
Security Engineer with a security company Imperva states that
Complicated password combinations can be easily and quickly
deciphered with scalable cloud services in a relatively cheap
manner. Unfortunately, due to data protection reasons, cloud
providers only have limited options to protect themselves against
abuse A speaker for the Amazon Web Services says: We do not
check the contents of the cloud instances. The Amazon speaker
also says that DDoS attacks are hardly possible over the Cloud.
Outbound attacks block our manual and automatic protection
system. Here, botnets remain as the first choice but soon they
may be targetting phones instead of computers.
Stealthy Smartphone Bots
About a billion Smartphones have been sold this year, three
quarters of which run on Android. An operating system that is
easily accessible due to the questionable update policies and App
stores whose users do not check the Apps for Malware. SMS
Trojans remain the number one weapon of choice when it comes
to Android. It secretly sends short messages to expensive
premium numbers so that the attacker easily gets the money
through the telephone bill. This business can get very lucrative if
one connects many devices to a single botnet, Symantec
discovered that the Bmaster botnet, which had up to 30,000
devices is able to give the hackers about 6,700 euros (RM29,000)
daily. This is almost 2.5 million euros (RM10 million) in a year.
Till now such Trojans often turn up in the guise of harmless
Apps. Once the infected app is uninstalled, the Trojan goes away
with it. The Trojan Obad is more subtle. It reaches the device via
infected Apps from a third-party app store. Once the app is started,
it prompts users for admin rights and when given the green light,
the Obad Trojan will make its way deep in to the devices system.
So even when the infected app is uninstalled, Obad still remains in
the device. The control server then starts sending Obad the
telephone number, MAC address and device number (IMEI). It will
also receive a list of premium SMS numbers from the server. Obad
is such a malicious malware that it can even infect other devices
via Bluetooth connections to build a complete botnet. Christian
Funk, a virus analyst at Kaspersky says that Obad is clearly more
harmful compared to all the Android Trojans known to date. The
only way to remove Obad entirely from a device is by resetting it to
factory settings. Besides that, when it comes to mobile devices,
hackers are also focusing on getting the precise whereabouts of
their targets by using GPS and WLAN triangulation.This allows
hackers to easily plan for their next attack.
With this method, hackers are able to easily track the change of
a targets location via Trojan. Services such as Google Maps and
Waze, which was recently acquired by Google are both highly
targetted. Tobias Jeske from the Technical University of Hamburg
analysed the service. His verdict: The data protection and
authentication requirements have been implemented inadequately
both in the Google- as well as the Waze protocol. Moreover, at
the hacker conference Black Hat Europe held in March, Jeske
showed how hackers can use the real-time GPS data (Floating Car
Data) of a phone to manipulate the route planning of Google Maps
SIMPLE TOOLS FOR MASSIVE ATTACKS
The attackers can generate a huge number of web queries on the
server with the help of small tools such as RAILgun (DDoS attacks)
and can thus cripple it.
=
4,500,000
=
3,100,000
=
3,400,000
2010
2011
2012
PCS INFECTED WITH BOTNET TROJANS
After the end of Botnet BredoLab at the end of 2010, the number of
worldwide active bot PCs declined but is gradually slowly rising
again.
INFECTED PCs
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THE FIGHT AGAINST BOTNET
If the control servers are taken off the grid in a network (which was
the case in August 2012), the magnitude of the botnet dwindle but
usually recovers
2,500,000
2,000,000
1,500,000
1,000,000
500,000
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JUL AUG SEPT OKT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR
2012 2013
CUTWAIL
KHELIOS
SLENFBOT
FESTI
MAAZBEN
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S
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M
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T
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2014 FORECAST
There will be an increase in new decentralised controlled botnets
and aggressive malware by hackers. Also, there will be more
attacks over the cloud.
How to protect yourself: Use the latest anti-virus and the CHIP
security browser Thanks to the integrated access to the
anonymous Tor network, you can use the mobile browser to surf
the web on any device safe from hackers and spies. All you have
to do is extract the browser on to a USB flash drive and run it
from there.
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and Waze.They could even send encrypted data to the telephone
where a Trojan on the device will not only read the data but can
even change it before it is encrypted. Jeske used Android 4.0.4 to
demonstrate that the incorrect traffic info could show a traffic jam,
which in reality doesnt exist. With this ability, hackers can even
create traffic chaos on alternate routes effortlessly.
With these new attack possibilities, cyber criminals always pose
the cost-benefit question: How many devices can I easily get
access to and can I make good money out of it? For PCs, the
answer is yes thanks to simple methods such as drive-by
downloads, which secretly pass on malware to website visitors.
This method is currently not possible for smartphones. Christian
Funk of Kasperksy says that When it comes to smartphones, the
third-party app stores will still be the main methods of infection.
Smart TVs, The Next Targets
The situation is somewhat different for the next connected devices:
Smart-TVs and smart home systems. Most Smart TVs these days
are intergrated with effective security functions. Jens Heider, head
of the Test Lab SecurITy at Fraunhofer SIT says that Some errors
surprise us, as the testing for SSL certificates in data transmission
is so uncertain. Many manufacturers tend to concentrate more
on the functions of the device than on the safety aspects.
Martin Herfurt, safety consultant at n.runs showed us how
easily one can penetrate such devices. He used the HbbTV
interface for his attack, which displayed information on the current
program in transmission. The moment a user changes the channel,
the TV signal transmits a URL that retrieves data from a server in
the existing Internet connection. Technically, the information
displayed is from a website that exports HTML and JavaScript
codes. Hackers can easily hide a script on the site where it loads
malware from another page so that it can spy on the other devices
connected to the home network. Herfurt states None of the TV
senders that I have examined use SSL-protected connections for
HbbTV. Attackers can easily get direct access to the transmitted
data by a Man-in-the-Middle attack and alter it. This is similar to
the attack done by Nevil Maskelyne about 110 years ago.
The question here is, why would anyone want to do that?
Simple! Those who can manipulate the requested website per
HbbTV can cover the TV image with their own image and thus
spread false information in form of a newsticker. This information
warfare that uses (mis) information to create chaos is already in
play, albeit in a different medium. On 23 April, the Twitter account
of the Associated Press news agency shared a horrifying tweet that
goes like this Breaking: Two Explosions in the White House and
Barack Obama is injured. This alleged attack on the White House
triggered a major collapse in the U.S. stock index, the Dow Jones
Industrial, with a price drop of one percent in just a minute.
Although the hoax was quickly identified, the attack showed just
how powerful a simple Twitter hack can be.
Of course, Smart TVs arent the only devices that are vulnerable
to attacks because your whole house may be at risk too. Some call
it the Smart Home but it should actually be called the
Dangerous Home as the technology here does not even meet
the most basic of safety standards. For example: intelligent
electricity meters (Smart Meters). This device transmits the power
consumption data to a network operator, which in turn controls
their networks with the help of this data. These Smart Girds
S
O
U
R
C
E
S
Y
M
A
N
T
E
C
DEVELOPMENT OF ANDROID MALWARE
The number of variants per virus strain increases, presumably, be-
cause the attackers invest more time and money in the develop-
ment.
STRAINS
200
180
160
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
JANUARY 2010 JANUARY 2011 JANUARY 2012
5.000
4.500
4.000
3.500
3.000
2.500
2.000
1.500
1.000
500
VARIANTS
VARIANTS
LOGS
ANDROID VERSIONS AND THEIR LOOPHOLES
The update process of Android indicates that millions of users use
out-dated systems which have unpatched security loopholes.
S
O
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C
E
L
O
O
K
O
U
T
HOW SERIOUS IS THE RISK ACTUALLY?
The chances of being attacked by an Android malware within a
week is higher in places such as India, where users rely more on
third-party app stores
=
5.5 %
=
2,4 %
=
1.7 %
INDIA
GERMANY
USA
MOBILE DEVICES
NAME/VERSION LOOPHOLE USER
GINGERBREAD 2.3 11
ICE CREAM SANDWICH 4.0 6
JELLY BEAN 4.1 3
JELLY BEAN 4.2 3
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T
R
E
N
D
M
I
C
R
O
2014 FORECAST
Sophisticated Android Trojans such as Obad are still individual
cases, but the trend is clearly moving towards such complex
threats. Spreading the malware is still a problem for the attackers
as they still have to rely on third-party app stores.
This is how you protect yourself: Download and install apps only
from reliable sources such as the Google Play Store and avoid
third-party stores. A mobile security suite will also prove to be a
worthwhile investment for users.
= 288 Mil.
= 206 Mil.
= 196 Mil.
= 17 Mil.
october 13
chip malaysia
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hackers pl aygrounds expand
connect the power stations, energy storage and consumers. Users
should actually benefit from the higher transparency of the
electricity bill and save money (but this is controversial due to the
cost of the equipment). But consumers dont really have a say in
the matter as the implementation is nationwide and is decided at
the union level.
Risks Of Blackouts Due To Smart Meters
A few countries in Europe are already well-equipped with smart
meters and many experts are already predicting the high risks it
has. The first and second generation of the devices were
developed without taking safety into consideration, said Dr. Frank
Umbach of the Centre for European Security Strategies. These
devices were installed en masse in Italy, Spain and Portugal. On
the opposite end, network users utilise the SCADA systems for
controlling the Smart Grids. However, it is a well known fact that
SCADA systems are often implemented with weak security
mechanisms.
Both sides have major loopholes - resulting in a dangerous mix.
Umbach claims that The electricity meter communicates directly
with the systems of the network operators, which means that these
systems are vulnerable , An attack would be devastating if it were
successful: transport networks, logistics, food supplies, health care
and communication networks are the most critical areas as they
affect every aspect of life.
Such an attack is planned between the electricity meter and
network centre that either communicates directly to the power
supply network, which is secure or radio link. This is risky because
the SCADA systems often use vulnerable wireless standards, as it
was invented by Greg Jones from the security agency, Digital
Assurance. If the data and control commands are transmitted via
Software Defined Radio (SDR), hackers could easily listen to it with
radio equipment and manipulate it using a PC. SDR modulates its
radio signals digitally via integrated chips and not hardware
components. Attacks over wireless connections on the critical
infrastrutures will increase exponentially in the coming years,
says Jones. And SDR helps hackers to attack parts of these
networks.
German companies seems to be well equipped for situations
such as these. The transmission via the power line is protected
with an encrypted password. We use a connected VPN network
when transmitting over the mobile network, says Wolfgang
Schley, the speaker of RWE. This is quite similar to the safety
standards achieved by online banking. In addition to this, the
Federal Agency for Safety has developed a protection profile for
the security architecture of the networks or the security in the
Information Technology (BSI). This was done so that there is a
security standard for all devices and providers. It is still doubtful as
to how many other countries would use it if there are loopholes in
other places int he power supply network across Europe. Umbach
says Even if there are security standards, there is still be a risk
that it will be obsolete long before adoption and implemetation.
It is still unclear on how one would respond to the rapid
development of new methods of attacks, without having to replace
the smart meter every two years.
The future of power grids are gloomy at best. In 2011, the Office
of Technology Assessment at the German Bundestag (Parliament)
concluded that It is easy to assume that in the future the
S
O
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E
G
O
L
O
M
E
D
A
DISSEMINATION OF SMART TVS
Although the numbers of Smart TVs connected to the network is
still low, its high adoption rate still makes it a very attractive target
NUMBER OF DOMESTIC SMART TV IN MILLION
20
15
10
5
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
4 MILLION
10.1 MILLION
20.1 MILLION
INTRODUCTION OF SMART METERS
Smart electricity meters are extensively used in countries such as
Italy many of these devices are open to attacks.
S
O
U
R
C
E
S
:
E
N
E
R
G
Y
I
N
S
T
I
T
U
T
E
O
F
T
H
E
L
I
N
Z
U
N
I
;
O
F
F
I
C
E
F
O
R
T
E
C
H
N
O
C
O
N
S
E
Q
U
E
N
C
E
E
S
T
I
M
A
T
I
O
N
O
F
T
H
E
B
U
N
D
E
S
T
A
G
FAILURES
IMMEDIATE
AFTER 1
HOUR
AFTER 4
HOURS
AFTER 7
TO 24
HOURS
CONSEQUENCE OF A BLACKOUT
A hacker attack on the power grid has far-reaching and potenti-
ally devastating consequences because these days, almost
nothing works without electricity
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
E-trains
Railways
Trams
Household devices
Digital landline
Router
Internet
access
Traffic signal
Warm water
system
Cooling from foodstuff Heating
network at
national stations
(fuel pumps)
Radio Digital radio
channels BOS
Barrier
Remaining
telephone networks
Gas and water
provision
Logistic / goods transport
(railway, port)
Medical provision, intensive
stations
SMART TV & SMART HOME
2014 FORECAST
Major hack attacks on Smart TVs arent expected to happen soon
because the circulation is low and the cost is too high. Network
infrastructures however, could be targets for attacks
This is how you protect yourself: Do not disconnect the
necessary radio antennae on the device. Always ensure that the
latest firmware updates for your router and TVs are installed.
S
O
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S
M
A
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T
R
E
G
I
O
N
S
Denmark
PIONEER
LATE
ARRIVALS
Czech
Republic
Germany
Portuguese
Estonia
UK
Spain
Italy
Finland
Malta
Netherlands
France
Switzerland
Norway
Ireland
Austria
Poland
Greece
Belgium
Latvia
Romania
Lithuania
Cyprus Slovakia
Bulgaria
Ungarn
Luxemburg
Slovania
U
S
I
N
G
T
H
E
D
E
V
I
C
E
LEGISLATION STATUS
EXTENT
NOT YET
STARTED
NO LAW
LAW PASSED
chip malaysia
october 13 071
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hackers pl aygrounds expand
probability of failure will increase. And Frank Umbach has also
predicted that The risk of cascading blackouts has definitely
increased. Umbach adds that while there have been no successful
attack as of yet, energy network operators are already being
blackmailed as of today. The total amount to date is more than a
hundred million US dollars worldwide.
Pro Hackers On Spy Missions
In most cases, attacks on energy networks - as well as other
companies or political institutions - are rarely the work of an
individual hacker. There are a group of professionals behind it. One
of the most active group currently is the Elderwood gang. They
specialise in Zero-Day exploits, a malware that exploits
vulnerabilities that have no patches. They have a whole collection
of unknown loopholes in stock and they use only one per attack,
until that loophole is identified, said Stefan Wesche from
Symantec. They then exploit a new loophole for their next attack
and also pass the old one to other cyber criminals.
Not too long ago, Kasperksy showed us how these attacks
worked at a recent global cyber espionage action. Operation
NetTraveler spied on 350 political and industrial institutions from
across the globe, including government agencies, research
institutes and energy- and defense companies. NetTraveler was
also active in Germany and Austri. The operation was in action
since 2004 and reached its peak between 2010 and 2013.
The attack strategy was a manipulated Word document
enclosed in e-mails. Those, who opened the file, unknowingly
triggered the attack - Microsoft Office checked for security
loopholes but the malware was installed before these loopholes
could be patched. The malware then sent information from the
computers thanks to the connection with multiple Command-&-
Control servers, it could then install other malware. Kaspersky
found about 22GB of malware on the servers and suspected that
the server operator had already deleted a major part of the
collected data. In addition to system protocols it also included
keyboard notes and digital architectural drawings mainly Office
documents. Christian Funk from Kaspersky says that The person
behind these attacks was interested in special information and
searched for his victim. As expected, the attacks were well
planned and were carried out in a target-oriented manner.
The identity of the attacker remains unknown as in the case of
most attacks. There were rumors every now and then that hackers
were supported by the Chinese, Russian or Iranian government to
attack targets in the USA, Europe or Israel in order to get data on
specific companies or weapon systems. NATO alone registered
about 2500 attacks on its own system 2012, as confirmed by NATO
speaker Oana Lungescu, about ten every month were serious.
However, none of the attack were successful.
Today the network of the self-proclaimed Cyber Armies,
professional hacker groups such as the Elderwood gang and
national hackers is less obvious. This and the increasing quality of
the attacks spells hard times for system administrators and IT
specialists who have to protect their employers systems. Not to
mention the users who are directly (on their devices) or indirectly
(when attacking the infrastructures) affected.
METHODS USED IN CYBER ATTACKS
Hackers often use several methods together during an attack that
is why the success ratio here is more than 100 percent.
W
52 %
W
40 %
W
35 %
W
29 %
W
13 %
HACKING
(E.G. USING SOFTWARE LOOPHOLES)
MALWARE
(E.G. TROJANS, BACKDOOR)
PHYSICAL ATTACK
(E.G. USB STICKS)
SOCIAL ENGINEERING
(E.G. PHISHING)
MISUSE
(E.G. THROUGH USER RIGHTS)
S
O
U
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C
E
V
E
R
I
Z
O
N
HACKING ATTACKS IN DETAIL
The preferred hacking path remain to be stealing credentials of em-
ployees and then installing backdoors into their systems.
W
48 %
W
44 %
W
34 %
W
8 %
W
14 %
STOLEN CREDENTIALS
BACKDOOR ACCESS
BRUTE FORCE
ATTACK ON THE SQL
OBJECTIVES OF CYBER SPIES
Kaspersky discovered that the spying operation NetTraveler was
mainly used to hunt for information in political environments.
S
O
U
R
C
E
:
K
A
S
P
E
R
S
K
Y
+
11 %
7 %
6 %
16 %
9 %
51 %
DIPLOMACY / GOVT
PRIVATE USER
MILITARY
INDUSTRY /
INFRASTRUCTURE
AVIATION
OTHERS
THE WORLD LEADER IN CYBER CRIME
More than half the reported hacking attacks in the entire world
are reported to start in China as seen from the data traffic. USA is
second on the list.
S
O
U
R
C
E
A
K
A
N
A
I
10 % 4 %
4 %
36 %
5 %
41 %
CHINA
USA
TURKEY
RUSSIA
TAIWAN
OTHERS
INDUSTRY & POLITICS
2014 FORECAST
Attacks on businesses and government agencies are always done
by skilled hackers. They even have custom-made Trojans that are
created to bypass virus scanners.
This is how you protect yourself: The companies must
continuously update their computers and web servers and
immediately close security loophole, if any. In addition to this,
they must also prepare their employees for social engineering
attacks.
S
O
U
R
C
E
V
E
R
I
Z
O
N
DATABASE
OTHERS
chip malaysia
october 13 073
test lab
test bed
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
Motherboards
Intel DX79SI Extreme
Intel DZ68DB Media
Intel DZ77GA-70K
Processors
Intel Core i7-3960X
Intel Core i5-2500K
Intel Core i7-3770K
Graphics
Processing Unit
MSI GeForce GTX
680 Lightning
CPU Cooler
Cooler Master X6
Motherboards
ASUS Sabertooth 990FX
MSI A75MA-G55
Processors
AMD FX-8150
AMD A8-3850
Graphics
Processing Unit
ASUS AMD Radeon HD
6970
CPU Cooler
Cooler Master Hyper 212
EVO
Power Supply
Acbel R9 Series (1100W)
Storage
Western Digital
SiliconEdge Blue 256GB
SATA
Western Digital My Book
World
Memory
Kingston HyperX
KHX1600C9D3K4/16GX
Kingston HyperX
KHX1600C8D3K4/8GX
Operating
System
Windows 7 Ultimate
(64-bit)
Futuremark
PCMark 05
PCMark Vantage
PCMark 7
3DMark 11
Industry
Standard
Benchmark
Tools
SuperPI
AIDA64
SiSoftware SANDRA
EVEREST PC
Diagnostics
PSU, Storage & RAM
AMD Platform
Benchmark Software
Intel Platform
october 13
chip malaysia
074
test lab
contents
1
Ninetology Stealth 4x
2
MSI GTX 780 Lightning
3
Armaggeddon Aquila X5
4
ASUS Maximus VI Hero
5
Canon EOS 700D
6
HTC Butterfly S
7
Dell P2314T Multi Touchscreen Monitor
8
Corsair Force LS
9
MSI Adora24G 0NC
10
Samsung GALAXY S4 Active
11
ASUS RP-N53 WiFi Range Extender
12
Ninetology U9Z1
078
079
080
081
082
083
084
085
086
087
088
089
TEST LAB
The
Technologica
Crux
The month of September is a whirlwind of
activity as IFA happened earlier in the
month, and Tokyo Game Show somewhere
closer towards the end of the month.
Between internationally announced tech
devices, upcoming launches of new gaming
consoles and a large number of soon-to-be-
released games, we also have a lot of
reviews to contend with this month!
The number one product, in our opinion
that we have for you this month is quite
possibly the MSI GTX 780 Lightning, which
we are singing praises of. This is easily one
of, if not the most powerful NVIDIA graphics
card we have in our lab yet, and its a beast.
On the smartphone front, we have the HTC
Butterfly with its whopping 3,200mAh
battery life, the Nokia Lumia 925, which
features a few cosmetic upgrades to its
brother, the Lumia 920 and the waterproof
Samsung GALAXY S4 Active.
We also have a number of notebooks on
hand, which includes the Fujitsu LIFEBOOK
SH782, the ASUS Vivobook S551L and the
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite. All of which are
ultrathin notebooks, and each with its own
set of interesting features.
If youre looking for a monitor, we have the
Dell P2314T, the ASUS MX279, or if AIOs
are more your thing, the MSI Adora25G
0NC might just be the thing for you.
9
15
7
14
chip malaysia
october 13 075
test lab
contents
CHIP Editors Choice Award
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
CHIP Recommended Award
Given to products that possess singular quality
worthy of a recommendation
CHIP Awards Ratings
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 quality. Hardware components -
layout, size and cooling solution. Software - user interface
VALUE : Calculated from the performance and features of
the product in relation to the price
Each product review is rated on a scale
of 1 to 5 for different key parameters:
CONTENTS
13
Samsung GALAXY Tab 3 8.0
14
ASUS MX279 LED Monitor
15
GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium
16
Fujitsu LifeBook SH782
17
CM Storm Pulse-R Headphones
18
Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite
19
Nokia Lumia 925
20
ASUS VivoBook S551LB
094
095
096
097
090
091
092
093
2
8
11
19
10
13
1 12
6
3
18
16
5
17
4 20
october 13
chip malaysia
076
test lab
fi rst l ooks
PowerLogic A4 Magnum Pro 535 PSU
Behind all the talk about needing a fast processor and a powerful graphics card, many
seem to have forgotten that besides these powerful components, a PC builder also
needs a power supply unit that is capable of handling the power required to make
them come to life. The PowerLogic A4 Magnum Pro 535 PSU is exactly the thing
one needs to build a PC that is not only able to feed the most power-hungry of
components, but also keep ones PC neat and tidy with modular cables. The Magnum
Pro 535 has a standard power rate of 1070W and pure power rate of 535W. Thanks to
its modular design, you can also pick and choose which cables you need, and keep
the rest to ensure that cable tangling is reduced in your PC.
Price: TBA
Contact: Leapfroglobal Distribution Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7803 6703
Info: mypowerlogic.com
Experience the Best of Xperia
Sony just rolled out their latest smartphone, the Xperia Z1, which includes all the
features of the Xperia Z, and a little more in the form of a five-inch form factor. Running
Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, the Z1 is powered by a 2.2GHz Qualcomm mobile processor
and 2GBs of RAM, with a 3,000mAh battery keeping everything juiced up. The piece de
resistance of the Z1 has got to be its 20.7-megapixel camera, which uses an Exmos RS
sensor and G Lens which give you images that are unparalleled in terms of quality. Sony
has also seen fit to equip the Z1 with a TRILUMINOS Full HD display, borrowing tech that
is used in making their own HDTVs.
Sony Xperia Z1
Price: TBA
Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 300 88 1233
Info: www.sony.com.my
7 Inches of Awesome
Phablets are all the rage these days as more users desire bigger screens on their
smartphones. ASUS has just the thing for you in the form of the brand new ASUS
Fonepad 7 that will be making its way here to Malaysia in October. The Fonepad 7
features a 7.0 inch LED backlit display at a HD resolution of 1280x800 pixels, and is
powered by a 1.7GHz Intel Atom Z2560 dual-core processor, based on the Clover Trail+
platform. Users also dont have to fret much about the storage space as the Fonepad 7
comes with 16GBs of built-in storage which is expandable via microSD. ASUS has also
added their own SonicMaster speakers which are typically seen on their notebooks to
the Fonepad 7, giving the phablet an awesome-sounding edge over its competitors as
well.
ASUS FonePad 7
Price: RM999
Contact: Servex (M) Sdn Bhd, Build Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, ECS Acstar Sdn Bhd,
Phone: (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222
Info: my.asus.com
Pow
Behi
se
I f
chip malaysia
october 13 077
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fi rst l ooks
AMD-powered AIO
Motherboards, graphics cards and gaming notebooks are not the only things
that MSI have been active on launching these past few months. Theyve also
been looking to increase their foothold in the PC market by launching a number
of AIO PCs, one of which is the MSI AE220. Powered by AMDs latest Kabini
APU, the AE220 features a 21.5-inch touch screen display, which has a flicker-
free technology incorporated into the monitor, this helps to reduce eye-fatigue
when used for long periods of time. The Kabini APU used in the AE220 also
comes integrated with AMD HD8280/HD8330 graphics for a boost in multimedia
performance.
MSI AE220 AIO PC
Price: TBA
Contact: Media Forte (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., AMT PC Distributors Sdn. Bhd.,
Eternal Asia (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7960 6868, (03) 3344 1124, (03) 5569 2000
Info: my.msi.com
A Notable Device
The Samsung GALAXY Note series of tablet-smartphone hybrid has been a wild
success, with everyone jumping on the bandwagon since the first Note was
launched a couple of years ago. The Samsung GALAXY Note 3 brings its users
a number of improvements and new features that will definitely leave potential
users drooling. The Note 3 is powered by a 2.3GHz quad-core processor, boasts
3GB worth of RAM and an interal storage of 32GB. The Note 3 also gets a 5.7-inch
Full HD Super AMOLED display and a 13MP camera that is capable of recording
UHD videos at 30fps and slow-motion HD videos at 120fps. These, alongside other
features such as Air Command, Action Memo and Scrap Book will definitely enrich
ones fast-moving lifestyle.
Samsung GALAXY Note 3
Price: RM2,399
Contact: Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 800 88 9999
Info: www.samsung.com.my
Wreak Havoc Online
Designed for precision gaming, the CM Storm Havoc gaming mouse is a gaming beast
with eight programmable buttons and an Avago 9800 laser sensor that can go up to
8,200 DPI. Up to four macro profiles can be stored on the Havoc mouse thanks to
its 128KB memory, and with its Japanese Omron micro-switches, the mouse
can endure up to five million clicks with no problems. Its ergonomical design,
and large mouse body makes the Havoc a very comfortable mouse to use,
even during extended gaming sessions. The rubber side grips meanwhile
allows gamers to make the most precise swipes without compromising on
comfort and ergonomics.
CM Storm Havoc Gaming Mouse
Price: RM219
Contact: Ban Leong Technologies Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 7956 6300
Info: www.cmstorm.com
october 13
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test lab
fi rst l ooks
For The Tech-savvy Businessman
ASUS has made a lot of notebooks, and as a matter of fact, theyre the first ones to push the
ubiquitous Ultrabooks to the consumer market. According to them theyve never properly
looked into the business market, and such has come up with the ASUSPRO brand for their
line of business notebooks, and one of the first notebooks out of that line is the ASUSPRO P
Essential P45. Powered by a 3rd generation Intel Core i-series processor, the P45 also comes
with ASUS own Super Hybrid Engine II which allows the notebook to last up to two weeks
on standby on a full charge, and will back up your data whenever the battery level gets to
five percent. Not only that, it also comes with a spill-resistant keyboard and an anti-shock
hard drive that protects your data whenever physical accidents happen to the P45.
ASUSPRO P Essentials P45
Price: RM3,099
Contact: Servex (M) Sdn. Bhd., Build Technology Supply Sdn. Bhd., ECS Astar Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222
Info: my.asus.com
More Affordable Smartphones Coming Your Way
Ninetology is serving up even more affordable smartphone options our way as they
have just recently introduced the latest model from their U9 line, the Ninetology U9R1
smartphone. Powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 quad-core processor, the
UR91 features a 4.3-inch display with a resolution of 960x540 pixels. Running Googles
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean mobile operating system, the U9R1 also comes included with a
Ninetology mainstay, support for a dual SIM card option, which is very useful for those
who use more than one number for business and private usage.
Ninetology U9R1
Price: RM699
Contact: 9 Care Hotline
Phone: (03) 5569 3233, (03) 2110 2453
Info: www.ninetology.com
NEX-gen Sony Cameras
With more and more users seemingly demanding that their cameras come equipped
with WiFi or some form of wireless connectivity, Sony has seen fit to do so with their
latest Sony NEX-5T with both WiFi and NFC connectivity options that not only allow it to
connect to smartphones, but also the Internet. The NEX-5T comes equipped with a 16.1MP
APS HD CMOS sensor and a 16-50mm lens, which is great for casual shots. Connectivity
to smartphones via NFC can be done with the Sony PlayMemories app which can be
downloaded from the Google Play Store and the Apple Store, for easy transfer of photos
from camera to smartphone, amongst other things, including turning your smartphone
into an external viewfinder, which opens users up to a whole host of new photography
possibilities.
Sony NEX 5T
Price: RM2,299
Contact: Sony (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 300 88 1233
Info: www.sony.com.my
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41 Million Pixels in One Smartphone
In what appears to be the true spiritual successor to the Nokia Lumia 920, the Finnish
phone-makers have finally one-upped everyone in terms of camera megapixels in the
form of the Nokia Lumia 1020. Everything but the camera seems to have been
lifted word for word from the Lumia 920 books, as the Lumia 1020 is powered by
a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz dual core processor, 2GBs of RAM and a
4.5-inch ClearBlack Display, all housed in a single polycarbonate chassis. The only
notable, and we do mean notable difference here is that Nokia has added a 41MP
PureView camera, which includes features such as optical image stabilization, the Nokia
Pro Camera app, and a stereo microphone as well. There is also the Vyclone app which
allows you to share and mix photos and turn it into a video and share it on various
social media platforms.
Nokia Lumia 1020
Price: RM2,499
Contact: Nokia (M) Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 300 88 1600
Info: www.nokia.com.my
Silent Gaming Keyboard
Mechanical keyboards seem to be all the rage now, and whilst they are great to work and
play with, theyre fairly expensive as well. GIGABYTE has other ideas however as they
eschew the Cherry keys for something different with the GIGABYTE Force K7 gaming
keyboard. The K7 uses scissor keys, a type of switch that has an extremely short
actuation distance, perfect for twitch gamers and touch typists alike. It comes
with anti-ghosting keys clustered around the WASD keys which are often used
by gamers. On top of that are 3-colour backlight illumination settings, with
two scroll wheels that control the volume and brightness of the backlights. It
also has a winkey lock button which can be used to lock the window key from
accidentally being triggered during your gaming sessions.
GIGABYTE Force K7 Gaming Keyboard
Price: RM189
Contact: Nation-Tech Sdn. Bhd., SDS Distribution Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 4280 6636, (03) 7788 8700
Info: www.gigabyte.my
Ideas For Entertainment
Very rarely do we put the word entertainment and Lenovo together,
but it is exactly that that the company has in mind as it designed,
manufactured and announced the Lenovo IdeaPad S6000 10.1-inch
tablet. The S6000 is a thin tablet, measuring at 0.3-inches thin, and
is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, running Android 4.2
Jelly Bean. It features a 10.1-inch IPS display, which offers vibrant
colours and wide viewing angles. To top it all off, it also features a
6,300mAh battery, which is capable of providing the tablet 9 hours
of continuous usage, perfect for long hours of travel and bursts of
browsing.
Lenovo IdeaTab S6000
Price: RM1,099
Contact: Lenovo Technology Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 800 80 8575
Info: www.lenovo.com.my
Ide
Ve
bu
m
ta
i
ia
h
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Performance Comes in Small Packages Too
Reduced power consumption is the name of the game when it comes to Intels Haswell
processors, and with that, motherboard manufacturers seem to think that its a good time
to push the Mini-ITX form factor as well, as evidenced by ASUS unveiling the ASUS ROG
Maximus VI Impact Mini-ITX motherboard. Despite being a Mini-ITX motherboard, ASUS
has made no compromise with the Impact. It features the same blackwing chokes used in
the Impacts ATX counterparts, and SupremeFX audio system that is the pride and joy of
the ROG line. In order to make it possible for the Impact to fit in a wide variety of Mini-ITX
casings, the engineers at ASUS have also designed the backplate layout to ensure there is
enough space for better support.
ASUS Maximus VI Impact
Price: RM988
Contact: Servex (M) Sdn. Bhd., Build Technology Supply Sdn. Bhd., ECS Astar Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699, (03) 6286 8222
Info: my.asus.com
Storing Big Data
Enterprise storage is serious business, as these components are required to not only store
important, mission critical data and a wide variety of other important information as well.
Kingston, a long-time player in the storage ecosystem has just recently announced their
latest enterprise storage in the form of the Kingston SSDNow E50. The SSDNow E50
allows companies to take advantage of enterprise-level SSD performance for tasks such as
data caching, frequently accessed data within applications, online transactional processing
and virtualization performance. SSDNow E50 helps alleviate I/O latencies and server
bottlenecks by providing greater IOPS and higher bandwidth. It also has an advanced
data integrity protection in DuraWrite that extends the lifespan of the SSD by reducing the
number of flash writes via a compression engine that does not compromise data integrity.
Kingston SSDNow E50
Price: TBA
Info: Amble Action Sdn Bhd, Convergent Distribution (M) Sdn Bhd, Ingram Micro Malaysia
Sdn Bhd
Phone: (03) 7665 3939, (03) 2144 1881, (03) 7952 8188
Contact: www.kingston.com
More Android-powered Cameras!
Samsung have launched a couple of Android-based cameras, but none of which is quite
like its latest, the Samsung GALAXY NX, a 20.3-megapixel shooter with the capability to
interchange with Samsungs variety of lenses which were made for their NX range of
cameras. It features a 4.8-inch touchscreen LCD display which is used to access the
cameras wide variety of functions and modes, and comes with 16GBs of storage
space built in, which can be expanded up to 64GBs via MicroSD. On top of that, it
also comes with Android 4.2 Jelly Bean, and much like its predecessor the Samsung
GALAXY Camera, is capable of connecting to the internet via Wi-Fi, where your photos
can be shared instantly.
Samsung GALAXY NX
Price: RM4,199
Contact: Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: 1 800 88 9999
Info: www.samsung.com.my
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Bigger And Better Than Before
The BlackBerry Z30 is set to replace the companys Z10 smartphone,
boasting several improvements both inside and out to make it a much
more lustworthy smartphone. Whilst the form factor is pretty much kept
the same, BlackBerry has opted to upgrade the screen to a five-incher,
also including a Super AMOLED display that is sure to keep things nice
and bright regardless of the lighting conditions. Not only that, there are
also several improvements on the software side, including the brand new
BlackBerry 10.2 operating system, that has the BlackBerry Priority Hub, a
new and improved Hub experience for the users, and the improved BBM,
which allows users to access their BBM messages even from an app.
BlackBerry Z30
Price: RM1,998
Contact: Brightstar Corp Malaysia, BrightPoint Malaysia
Phone: (03) 7960 4877, (03) 9274 6000
Info: www.blackberry.com.my
Basic Necessities
Its easy to be drowned in news about every big brand out there launching new and
powerful phones every other week, but sometimes all a person wants and needs is a
phone that just works. HTC has got your backs covered with the HTC Desire 500. Powered
by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, the Desire 500 runs Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and has
1GB of RAM with 4GBs of storage space. Like all of HTCs new phones, the Desire 500
runs Sense 5.0, which includes features such as BlinkFeed, a rapid shutter camera feature
together with its 8MP shooter and as an added bonus, support for dual SIM cards if you
are using two numbers. Definitely great for students, and those who are looking for a
decent smartphone that doesnt break your bank account balance.
HTC Desire 500
Price: RM899
Contact: SiS Distribution (M) Sdn. Bhd., Brightstar Distribution Sdn. Bhd.
Phone: (03) 5569 8878, 1 300 88 2744
Info: www.htc.com
Now in Technicolor!
Apples iPhone event unveiled what everyone with an internet connection
has suspected by now in the form of the iPhone 5C, the companys first ever
smartphone made using a plastic unibody chassis. Powered by a quad-core
A6 processor, the iPhone 5C pretty much mimics the original iPhone in every
respect, with the only exceptions being that the phone comes in a variety of
different colours, and the fact that it come shipped with iOS7 out of the box.
iPhone 5C
Price: TBA
Contact: Apple Online Store
Phone: 1 800 80 6419
Info: www.apple.com/my/
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Dual-SIM is now fast becoming Ninetologys
trademark, which is great for certain
consumers
W
hilst it would be nice to be
able to own an expensive and
powerful smartphone, the reality
is not everyone has the disposable income
to be able to afford one. That being said,
it does not mean that we need to settle
with bargain bin stuff that are subpar
performance wise, as Ninetology shows
with the Stealth 4x smartphone.
The Stealth 4x features a five-inch
display with a resolution of 720x1280,
which is good enough for streaming HD
media and such. It is powered by a 1.2GHz
quad-core processor and runs Android 4.2
Jelly Bean, so users need not worry about
being stuck with an old operating system.
As for storage, the Stealth 4x has 4GBs
of storage space, which is expandable via
MicroSD up to 32GBs, and 1GB of RAM.
Support for dual-SIM operation seems
to be a standard for Ninetology phones as
the Stealth 4x also comes with two SIM
card slots, which is great if you have two
numbers, but dont want to be bogged
by having to bring more devices than
necessary.
Quad-Core
Phones On The
Cheap
Ninetology proves you dont need to take a loan to
own a good smartphone By Nazrin Zain
Ninetology
Stealth 4x
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM889
9 Care Hotline
(03) 5569 3233, (03) 2110 2453
www.ninetology.com
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
Processor: 1.2GHz quad-core processor
Frequency: HSDPA 2100/900 EDGE / GPRS /
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Screen: 5.0-inch LCD
Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB, WiFi
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The Ninetology Stealth 4x is one
of the most affordable Android
smartphones out in the market at the
moment. With a 1.2GHz quad-core
processor and Android 4.2 powering
up the five-inch IPS display, owning
a big smartphone does not mean you
need a big wallet as well.
Performance-wise, the Stealth 4x hardly
lagged during our day-to-day tests, and the
lifespan of its 2,000mAh battery life is what
youd expect out of phones of that size and
performance, which lasts roughly around a
day with moderately heavy usage of social
media, web browsing and the occasional
video-watching on YouTube, or from the
SD Card.
Benchmark scores aside, there is
relatively little lag even when we have a lot
of apps running in the background with the
Stealth 4x. The quad-core processor helps
in ensuring that every apps gets enough
processing power to run what it needs,
when it needs it.
As affordable it is, the Stealth 4x comes with
an 8-megapixel camera on the back and a
2-megapixel camera on the front
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Very affordable
Quad-core processor,
Dual-SIM support
Mediocre camera
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3DMark11 (Performance):
3DMark11 (Extreme):
Unigine Heaven:
BENCHMARK RESULTS
15,600 points
5,520 points
60FPS
MSIs flagship NVIDIA graphics card blows
everything else out of the water By Nazrin Zain
MSI GTX 780
Lightning
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM3,019
Media Forte (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd,
ScanArt Data (M) Sdn Bhd
(03) 2287 1177
my.msi.com
The positions of the two 8-pin PCIe connectors
are very easy to access
MSI didnt really need to change the ports
as the reference card already had everything
covered
Specifications
Chipset: NVIDIA GeForce GTX780
Core Clock: 980MHz
Memory Size: 3GB DDR5
T
he gloves are off as MSI has finally
taken the lid off their flagship NVIDIA
graphics card, the MSI GTX 780
Lightning, featuring the NVIDIA GTX 780
GPU and the TwinFrozr IV cooling system,
and overclocked cores out of the box.
Right off the bat, upon unboxing the
card, we notice that the 780 is as heavy,
if not heavier than the NVIDIA GTX Titan.
This is in part thanks to the bulky TwinFrozr
IV cooling system, which not only features
three fans, but also a huge cooler and a
GPU reactor that requires three slots in the
expansion bay of your casing to install,
and easily at least 12.5-inches of horizontal
space, which most of todays mid-tower
chassis should provide.
Connectivity-wise, the GTX 780
Lightning features two DVI ports, one HDMI
and one display port, and for those who
are looking at building a multi-GPU PC with
it, it also supports triple-SLI configuration.
Two 8-pin PCIe power pins are required
to power up this beast, and thankfully the
plugs are located at a position where they
are easy to access.
When running our benchmarks,
especially the Unigine Heaven, we noticed
that even during high and full loads, the
GTX 780 Lightning was chugging along
very silently. Whilst its true that a lot of
NVIDIA cards are silent performers, we
were quite surprised that the GTX 780
Lightning was just as silent, despite its
bulk.
Speaking of benchmarks, the GTX
780 Lightning scored well, and averaged
around 75 to 80 frames per second,
which is astounding as most of the time,
even the high end cards average around
60fps, which is more than decent by most
standards. Easy to say this graphics card
is capable of crushing all previous, current
and even upcoming games that will be
coming to the PC market in the near future
A Powerful And
Impressive
Force Of Nature
CHIP CONCLUDE :
There is no doubt that the MSI GTX
780 Lightning is only for serious
gamers who demand only the best
from their gaming PCs. Raw power
aside, this graphics monster is also
silent, something that enthusiasts will
surely appreciate, as theres nothing
worse than a noisy PC when youre
busy fragging.
The most powerful
NVIDIA card in the
market right now
Expensive
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
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You also get to switch between four different
lighting schemes, which include Comet
Red, Cosmic Blue, Alien Green and Flaming
Fuschia, or have all the colours rotate
periodically
A
rmaggeddons been on the rise
these past few months as they
have launched a steady stream
of gaming peripherals into the market.
Marketed as affordable, yet quality
products, theyve quickly become the
brand of choice for budget gamers, and
theyre looking to build upon that with
the Armaggeddon Aquila X5 gaming
mouse.
Similar to that of the previous Aquila
X-series of mice, the Aquila X5 is a large
gaming mouse, and features similar
design qualities. The Aquila X5 has
seven macro-able buttons, all of which
are customisable via software and also
comes with built-in memory that allows
you to store your macros inside the
mouse itself, making it a good mouse to
bring around.
The customisable buttons on the
Aquila X5 include the left and right click
buttons, the scroll wheel button, two
side buttons and two CPI buttons. The
Aquila X5 is able to shift from 500CPI to
4,000CPI, and whilst you get to choose
from four preset CPI profiles on the
Just As Good
Gaming mice dont always have to be expensive
By Nazrin Zain
Armaggeddon
Aquila X5
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM109
Leapfroglobal Distribution Sdn.
Bhd.
(03) 7803 6703
armaggeddon.net
Specifications
Sensor: Advance Optical Sensor A3050
CPI: Up to 4,000CPI
Frame rate: Up to 6,600FPS
Keys: 7 macro-able keys
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The Armaggeddon Aquila X5 is one
to consider if youre looking for an
inexpensive gaming mouse that
functions as great as it looks.
mouse, this can also be changed via the
provided software.
The mouse also features four distinct
colours for different CPI profiles on the
mouse, including Comet Red, Cosmic
Blue, Alien Green and Flaming Fuschia.
Not only does this make the mouse
more stylish, but also allows users
to easily remember which CPI profile
setting theyre on.
Performance-wise, there is little to
complain about the Aquila X5. Its as
fast or as accurate as you need it to be,
and is ergonomic enough for long hours
of comfortable gaming. The only issues
that may arise out of this is the fact that
some users may find this mouse to be
a tad too large, and the fact that the CPI
buttons are too far up the mouse to be
of use on the fly.
The CPI buttons allow you to switch between
four CPI profiles, but are located a bit too high
up the Aquila X5 for on the fly switching
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Easy to use
Macro keys
May be too large for
some
CPI buttons too high up
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PCMark 7:
PCMark 7 (Productivity):
PCMark 7 (Computation):
PCMark 7 (Entertainment):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
5,210 points
5,321 points
7,440 points
5,760 points
The Maximus VI Hero provides all the power
without the fluff By Nazrin Zain
ASUS Maximus
VI Hero
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM845
Servex (M) Sdn Bhd, Build
Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, ECS
Astar Sdn Bhd,
(03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699,
(03) 6286 8222
my.asus.com
This board may have less I/O ports compared
to its high-end brethren but all the necessary
ones are here
Specifications
CPU Support: Intel Core Processor
CPU Socket: LGA 1150
Chipset: Intel Z87 Chipset
Memory Type: Dual Channel Memory
A
SUS has more ROG motherboards
to show as they are targeting PC
gamers of all kinds, and with their
latest iteration, the ASUS ROG Maximus
VI Hero, theyre looking to give value to
gamers who have some money, but arent
all too crazy about all the bells and whistles
the likes of the Maximus VI Extreme and
Formula will give.
As you will undoubtedly notice, the
Maximus VI Hero is pretty much almost
a barebones version of the Formula,
retaining only certain features that gamers
will undoubtedly take advantage of. On
the board are four DDR3 DIMMs, eight
SATA III ports, two PCIe ports which is able
to support both NVIDIAs SLI and AMDs
CrossFireX multi-GPU configuration.
The I/O ports have also been stripped
down a bit, as there are eight USB ports,
with four ports each being USB 3.0 and
USB 2.0. Also included are a PS2 post for
either your mouse or keyboard, an optical
SPDIF out, a HDMI port an Intel LAN port
and 6.1 audio out ports.
Gamers will be happy to know that
ASUS has retained the SupremeFX
audio chipset, which helps enhance the
audio quality of their music and games
enjoyment. Some of the newer features,
such as the SSD Secure Erase is included
as well, a feature that makes it easy for
users to securely wipe their SSDs when
needed.
Performance-wise the Hero functions
just as well as well as its higher-end
counterparts do. With the right setup of
processor and graphics card, the Maximus
VI Hero is able to crunch anything and
everything thats thrown at it. It plays all
the latest games such as Bioshock Infinite,
Tomb Raider and Crysis 3 on high settings.
Definitely one to consider if youre looking
to build a relatively inexpensive gaming
machine.
ASUS Comes To
The Rescue!
CHIP CONCLUDE :
Despite being a relatively stripped
down version of the Extreme and
Formula, the ASUS ROG Maximus
VI Hero is still a worthy gaming
motherboard in its own right. ASUS
has heeded the call for inexpensive
gaming components, and this is
hopefully the first salvo of many
affordable gaming motherboards to
come.
Performs just as well
as its higher-end
counterparts
Not as many bells and
whistles as the
Extreme or Formula
Performance
Features
Cooling
Value
RATINGS
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The Canon EOS 700D is the first in Canons
DSLR range to feature stereo microphones,
which is great for those who love making
home movies
M
uch like the smartphone market,
the camera market has gone
through quite a bit of change
over the last few years and while many
photographers have opted for Micro
Four-Thirds and Mirrorless cameras, there
are still a large number of photographers
who rely on digital single-lens reflex
(DSLR) cameras as they still prove to be
the most versatile devices that produces
incomparable image quality.
Launched a few months back, the
Canon EOS 700D is a mid-range DSLR that
caters to both amateur and professional
photographers as it is very easy to use
due to the touch-interface and also the
performance it has. One of the things we
really loved about the 700D is its design
and relatively small size and light weight.
Despite being made out of plastic, the body
felt really solid. We also liked the enlarged
grip that made handling the device super
comfortable.
For users that are already acquainted
with Canon DSLRs, the location of the
buttons and dials will be very familiar.
Then for those who want an even easier
means of control, the 700D comes with
a touchscreen that is sensitive and
responsive and allows users to tweak every
external control. This touchscreen also
uses the Vari-Angle technology that makes
Solid Middle
Ground
The EOS 700D from Canon is a solid DSLR for
amateurs and seasoned shutterbugs By Jeremy Cheong
Canon EOS 700D
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM2,699 (EF S18-55 IS STM Kit)
Canon Marketing Malaysia Sdn.
Bhd.
(03) 7884 6000
www.canon.com.my
Specifications
Lens Mount: Canon EF Mount
Image Processor: DIGIC 5
Effective Pixels: Approx. 18.00-megapixels
ISO: ISO 100 12800 (Standard)
Built-in Flash: Retractable, Auto Pop-up Flash
LCD Monitor: 3-inch Capacitive Vari-Angle
Clearview II LCD
Storage Type: SD / SDHC / SDXC
Connectivity: USB2.0, miniHDMI, Eye-Fi, RC-6
(remote control)
Dimensions: 133.1 x 99.8 x 78.8mm
Weight: 525g (Body Only)
CHIP CONCLUDE :
At the end of the day, we have to
say we were really happy with the
overall performance of the Canon
EOS 700D and dont really have much
to complain about it as it does its job
beautifully. So for those looking to go
from a compact to a DSLR, this would
be one of the best choices to start
with.
shooting from the hip or overhead a very
simple task. One of the nicest additions to
the 700D is stereo microphones located on
the front of the hot shoe; these allow the
camera to pick up sounds even better for
video recording.
Now we come to the most important
part of the review, image quality. To
put it quite simply, the 700D excels in
this department. On Full Auto mode, it
produced very natural looking images that
retained a great amount of detail that was
also sharp, had vibrant colours and very
little noise. The Autofocus though was a bit
of a hit and miss, it was fast when using
the viewfinder but during Live View, it
was quite slow. But this isnt really a deal
breaker as we are quite sure most users
will be using the viewfinder most of the
time.
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Stereo microphones
Good image quality
Easy-to-use
Touchscreen interface
Plenty of creative filters
Slow autofocus in live
view and video
Always on ISO 400
when using flash
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HTC makes obvious and subtle changes with the
Butterfly S By Nazrin Zain
HTC Butterfly S
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM2,399
SiS Distribution (M) Sdn. Bhd.,
Brightstar Distribution Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 5569 8878, 1 300 88 2744
www.htc.com
The Butterfly S also comes with HTCs
UltraPixel camera, which takes great shots in
bright and low light environments
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Processor: 1.9GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 600
Frequency: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800MHz,
WCDMA 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100MHz
Screen: 5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) Corning
Gorilla Glass 3
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0,
3.5mm audio, NFC, DLNA
Others: HTC UltraPixel Camera,
2.1-megapixel front camera, HTC
BoomSound
Dimensions: 144.5 x 70.5 x 10.6mm
Weight: 160g
T
he HTC Butterfly S is here,
improving upon several points from
the original, which is an excellent
smartphone on its own accord. HTC took
some of the HTC Ones aesthetics, coupled
with some hardware upgrades that
improve upon the Butterflys performance
and looks, without changing too much.
The first thing youll begin to notice
about the Buttefly S, as you unbox it is the
fact that its several millimeters thicker than
the original Butterfly. There is a reason
for this as the Butterfly S is equipped with
a 3,200mAh battery, the largest in a HTC
smartphone yet.
Powered by a 1.9GHz Qualcomm
Snapdragon 600 quad-core processor,
this five-inch giant features the same Full
HD resolution as the butterfly, but uses a
Super LCD 3 display instead, and is scratch
resistant to a certain degree. It also runs on
Androids 4.2 Jelly Bean mobile operating
system and has HTCs latest Sense 5.0 UI
which includes features such as Blinkfeed,
HTC BoomSound and HTC Zoe, features
that were originally on the HTC One.
What HTC has managed to achieve with
the Butterfly S is to make a smartphone
that is otherwise made with a plastic cover
look and feel very premium. Thanks to
the the combination of the powerful and
efficient processor and large capacity
battery life, the phone is not only buttery
smooth performance-wise, but also lasts
longer even with moderate-to-heavy use.
During our usage tests, we managed to
make the phone last for one and a half
days on a single charge. Thats 36 hours
without the need to rely on a plug point or
even a battery pack.
The Butterfly S also comes with NFC
connectivity, which is timely as there are
more and more devices and accessories
that have begun to tap into the technology,
and this opens up the smartphone to a
whole new host of connectivity possibilities
in the near future.
That being said, it is unfortunate that
the Butterfly S does not come with LTE,
as it is finally starting to kick off here in
Malaysia, which is one of the very few
flaws in an otherwise sterling smartphone.
The Evolved
Butterfly
CHIP CONCLUDE :
We dont say this very often, but
if money is not an issue, the HTC
Butterfly S is definitely one we would
highly recommend to those who are
looking for a high-end smartphone.
A powerful quad-core processor
coupled with a high-capacity battery
and one of Androids latest operating
systems, theres almost no reason
why this shouldnt be a first-choice
phone for anyone.
Powerful processor
Large capacity battery
Pricey
Body prone to smudges
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
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Dell monitors are famous for their wide array
of video and I/O options, and the P2314T is no
different
P
eople have been waxing lyrical about
Windows 8 being the next big thing
about computing, and how its new
Metro UI would work perfectly well with
touch screen devices. Dell, a company
that has made its credentials known
as excellent computer display makers,
amongst other things has just the thing
with the Dell P2314T multi touchscreen
monitor.
The P2314T 23 inch touchscreen
monitor is designed a bit like a photo
frame, and for good reason. Being a
touchscreen display, Dell wanted to allow
users to use the display in a multitude
of ways, and thanks to the hinged stand,
users can have it propped up or lie it flat on
its back for sharing the display with other
people.
Connectivity-wise, the P2314T comes
with support for VGA, HDMI with MHL
support for smart devices and DisplayPort
1.2. Its a shame that it doesnt come with
DVI support as quite a large number of
graphics cards widely use it and have
stopped supporting VGA connectivity.
There are also USB ports on the monitor
which can be used to plug in portable USB
drives as a convenience.
Touchy Feely
Monitor
Dells P2314T touchscreen monitor fits right at home
By Nazrin Zain
Dell P2314T Multi
Touchscreen
Monitor
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,399
Dell Asia Pacific Sdn. Bhd.
1 800 88 0301
www.dell.com.my
Specifications
Resolution: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz
Screen: 23-inch
Response time: 8ms GTG
Contrast Ratio: 8M:1 (DCR)
Stand: Tilt
Connectivity: VGA, HDMI x 2
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The Dell P2314T touchscreen monitor
is one of the few models to get
touch screen right. Excellent touch
response, coupled with a vibrant
display and excellent build quality, we
definitely recommend this if youre
looking for a touch display to go with
your Windows 8 machine.
The P2314T supports up to 10 point
touch, and the display is touch-enabled
from edge to edge, meaning that a wide
variety of touch gestures are supported by
this monitor, including two-hand usage.
Touch response is excellent as well as
there is no noticeable lag regardless
whether were using one, two or even ten
fingers on it.
The colour quality is what youd expect
out of a Dell monitor, as the image quality
of the P2314T looks as stunning as the
display itself, which is always a good thing.
The unfortunate thing is that the 8ms Grey-
to-Grey refresh rate might put some people
off, specifically FPS gamers who rely on
the display having a refresh rate thats as
fast as their own reflexes, which is a bit
unfortunate.
The picture frame-esque stand allows users
to play around with a wide range of tilting
options
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Well-built monitor,
touchscreen display
works as advertised
Prone to smudges
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CrystalDiskMark (Sequential Read):
CrystalDiskMark (Sequential Write):
CrystalDiskMark (4K Read):
CrystalDiskMark (4K Write):
BENCHMARK RESULTS
530.2 MB/s
350.0 MB/s
30.8 MB/s
105.0 MB/s
Corsair experiments with new controllers again
with the Force LS By Nazrin Zain
Corsair Force LS
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM420
Cudo Technologies (M) Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 2148 1177
www.corsair.com
Specifications
Storage Size: 120GB
Controller: Phison PS3108
Form Factor: 2.5 inches
Interface: SATA III 6.0Gbps
C
orsairs one of the few brands
who have made quite a name
for itself with its line of SSDs,
amongst other things. Theyre also
one of the few companies who have
stubbornly refused to stick with using
SandForce controllers like what most
other brands are doing. Introducing the
brand new Corsair Force LS SSD.
Unlike most other companies that
prefer to use polycarbonate cases
instead of metal, Corsair has decided
that using an aluminium chassis would
be better as it would more likely last
longer than the plastics. Speaking
of durability, like other SSDs in the
market today, the Force LS also boasts
a Mean Time Between Failure time of
1,000,000,000 hours.
As we mentioned earlier, Corsair is
stubborn enough to not use SandForce
controllers like many other brands, and
as the likes of Indilinx and LAMD have
been bought over, they have opted
to use a PHISON controller, which
supposedly grants Corsair some degree
of performance whilst keeping costs low.
We ran a couple of benchmark tests
on the Force LS, and the results were as
to be expected, if not a little surprising.
CrystalDiskMark yielded a score of
around 400-500MB/s for sequential read/
write, which is on par with some of the
mid-range SSDs in the market right now,
although 4K read/write scores were a bit
on the low side of things.
As far as real world read/write speeds
are concerned, the performance of the
Force LS is pretty much average, which
came up to about 60-80MB/s for write
and about 250-300MB/s for read speeds.
All of which is fine, especially since
the Corsair Force LS is marketed as
an entry-level solution. If the 120GB
variant of this SSD is a little too pricey
for your pockets, then theres also the
60GB variant. And for those who dont
mind the price and want a larger storage
capacity, theres also the 240GB variant.
New Controller,
Same Old SSD
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The Corsair Force LS SSD is no slouch
by any means, however its price tag
may be a bit too steep for what it is
offering to the consumers.
Good benchmark
scores
Decent real world
performance
Price Vs. Performance
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
september 13
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There are plenty of extras ports on the rear but
the location they are placed in makes it a bit
hard to get to them
W
hile MSIs components and
notebooks are normally the
products that are constantly
placed in the spotlight, the company has
actually been making a lot of waves in the
All-In-One desktop department. Just as we
sent the one we reviewed back to MSI, we
then got yet another AIO from them, this
time; it was from their super slim Adora
series.
When it comes to AIOs, the Adora24G is
hands-down the slimmest we have seen to
date, its thickest point is only 21mm, which
is quite incredible. Other than that, this
AIO is definitely stylish and the frameless
display just makes it looks so much better
and will fit perfectly in an office or living
room. MSI have equipped it with the
standard slew of ports and even an optical
disk drive, our only little gripe with the
ports is the placement of the ones on the
rear as they are a bit hard to reach as they
are placed facing downwards.
Another little sacrifice MSI had to make
to retain the Adora24G slim waistline is by
building it using mobile computer parts
and not full-fledged desktop components.
However, on that note, the hardware used
in the Adora24G isnt too shabby either
as it is comparable to an upper midrange
notebook. This means that it is able to
ADORAble 24
AIO
MSI releases yet another AIO that will be a great
addition to a household By Jeremy Cheong
MSI Adora24G
0NC
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM4,700
Media Forte (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd.,
AMT PC Distributors Sdn. Bhd.,
Eternal Asia (M) Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 7960 6868, (03) 3344 1124,
(03) 5569 2200
my.msi.com
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i5-3230M (at 2.6GHz)
RAM: 8GB DDR3
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M 2GB
SDDR3
OS: Windows 8 (64-bit)
Display: 23.6 Full HD LCD Panel LED Backlit
(1920x1080)
Storage: 1TB 2.5 SATAIII 5400RPM
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, RJ-45 LAN, 4x USB 3.0,
2x USB 2.0, 1x HDMI-in, 1x Microphone-in, 1x
Headphone-out
Extras: 2-megapixel Full HD Webcam, 3-in-1
Card Reader, TV Tuner, DVD Super Multi Drive
Dimensions: 538.28 x 424.55 x 32.95mm
Weight: 10.4kg
CHIP CONCLUDE :
Over the course of their journey, MSI
have definitely made their mark in the
AIO space and with devices like the
Adora24G 0NC, we are sure they will
be around for much longer. Like we
said before, the Adora24G 0NC may
not have the most powerful hardware
but what it has is definitely good
enough and its a trade-off were
willing to accept as we really like how
it looks.
handle less taxing applications and even
some of the latest games.
One of the best things to use the
Adora24G for is of course consuming
multimedia as it has a large 23.6-inch Full
HD display and stereo speakers with Sound
Blaster Cinema technology. The display
is very good as we found colours to be
vivid and accurate and even when we
watched at action movie with fast-paced
action, there was no ghosting whatsoever.
The speakers are good as they were loud
and clear but on higher volume levels,
there were obvious distortions and it also
sounded a bit hollow. But thanks to the
HDMI-in port, you can also use it as a TV
for your game console.
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Slim Design
Full HD Touch Display
TV Tuner
Still on 3rd Gen Intel
Mobile Core series
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A spin-off of the GALAXY S4 for those who
cherish their active lifestyles By Jeremy Cheong
Samsung
GALAXY S4
Active
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,899
Samsung Malaysia Electronics
1 800 88 9999
www.samsung.com/my/
The S4 Active definitely lives up to its IP67
certification as seen in this picture where we
placed it in water and it still worked after that
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Processor: 1.9GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm
Snapdragon 600
Frequency: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800MHz,
WCDMA 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100MHz,
4G LTE
Screen: 5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) TFT LCD
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0,
3.5mm audio, NFC, DLNA
Others: 8-megapixel rear camera,
2-megapixel front camera
Dimensions: 139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1mm
Weight: 153g
I
n its vanilla offering, Samsungs
GALAXY S4 was already one of the best
smartphones in the market. However,
being the innovators that they are, the
Korean powerhouse decided to use the
GALAXY S4 as a base and come up with
spin-offs that would cater to different
users. Last month, we saw the variant
that was designed for shutterbugs, this
month; we got to play around with the
one that was designed for those who live
active lifestyles. Heres our review of the
Samsung GALAXY S4 Active.
On the design front, the S4 Active
still retains what makes the GALAXY
devices easily identifiable. Some of the
difference which makes quite a difference
is the rubberised and textured buttons
which are much easier to local and give
excellent tactile feedback. While it is still
quite plasticky, it definitely feels more solid
compared to the S4 and we actually found
it much easier to handle.
Other than the design changes,
Samsung swapped the display for a TFT
LCD panel instead of the Super AMOLED
panel. The good thing about this change
is that colours are more accurate and it is
brighter, which makes it easier to see if
under direct sunlight. A must-have when
youre in the great outdoors.
Another change Samsung had to make
to the S4 Active is the rear camera and it
now sports an 8-megapixel camera instead
of 13-megapixel. Fear not though as you
will still get many of the features found in
the S4 and theres even an Aqua mode. In
this mode, the touchscreen is disabled but
you can use the volume rocker as a shutter
button.
On the performance side of things, the
S4 Active still uses the same hardware as
the LTE variant of the S4. What this means
is that it is no slouch in the performance
department and it was snappy and
responsive throughout our time with it. It
was even able to handle some of the more
demanding games. Unfortunately, the S4
Active didnt quite give us the same battery
performance as the standard S4 but that
doesnt mean it is bad as it managed to last
us a full day on moderate usage.
Reactivating
Your Life
CHIP CONCLUDE :
All in all, we have to say that out of
the all the variants that the S4 has,
this is easily the best one. While
Samsung did have to make some
sacrifices to its features, we still feel
that it is a great smartphone.
IP67 Certified
Good overall
performance
Beautiful display
Removable battery
Lower-res camera
LCD display drains
more battery
Plasticky build
No shockproofing
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
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There is also an option for you to hook up the
RP-N53 to the modem and have it function as
a WiFi router
ASUS RP-N53
WiFi Range
Extender
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
TBA
Servex (M) Sdn Bhd, Build
Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, ECS
Acstar Sdn Bhd,
(03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699,
(03) 6286 8222
my.asus.com
Specifications
Network standard: 802.11 a/b/g/n
Interface: Ethernet
Operating frequency: 2.4GHz/5GHz
Dimensions: 45mm x 31mm x 85mm
All you need to do to get the device to operate
is to switch it on and press the WPS button on
both the WiFi router and the RP-N53
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Dual-band support,
range extended enough
to cover an entire house
None
ASUS range extender is an affordable way to get
your entire house connected By Nazrin Zain
E
ver had that problem where your
wireless router just cant get to
certain parts of your house, and
its really annoying because youre really
comfortable where you are, but you
move anyway just to get better signal?
Worry no longer as ASUS has just the
thing for you with its ASUS RP-N53 WiFi
range extender wall-plug.
Using the RP-53 is a fairly standard
affair, as all you need to do is to plug it
into the wall, turn it on, and press the
WPS button on the WiFi router and on
the RP-53 itself, and youre all set, your
WiFis range is already extended by tens
of metres!
The RP-53 also comes with some
extra features that makes this device
a pretty enticing one. It has dual-band
support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz
signals for both local and Internet
connectivity. The 2.4GHz band is in
charge of internet connectivity for tasks
such as web browsing and downloading,
whilst the 5GHz band is excellent for
streaming and online gaming.
Having said that, some people just
want a simple device that can help
them extend the coverage of their WiFi
signal and dont need the extra bells
that come with it. For this, ASUS has
announced four variants of the RP-N53
range extender, which include the N900
and N750/N600 model, which feature the
best coverage range, and has dual-band
support. The two lower end models
meanwhile include the N300 and N150
models, which offers good extended
coverage, but without the dual-band
support.
Now Everyone
Can Wi-Fi
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The ASUS RP-N53 offers a wide
variety of usage options when it
comes to extending the range of your
WiFi signal, support for dual-band
frequencies and ease of use. It also
comes in various models that suits
your usage patterns, so theres that
as well.
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Ninetologys largest devices to-date is bound to
get a large audience By Jeremy Cheong
Ninetology U9Z1
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,199
9 Care Hotline
(03) 5569 3233, (03) 2110 2453
www.ninetology.com
Like most of Ninetologys offerings, the U9Z1
also supports Dual SIM cards, which is great
for frequent travellers or those who like to
separate their professional and personal lives
While it has a more than capable 12-megapixel
camera on the rear, we are quite sure many
users will rely more on the devices front
5-megapixel camera
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.2 (Jellybean)
Processor: 1.2GHz Quad-Core CPU
Frequency: GSM 900/1800MHz, WCDMA
900/2100MHz
Screen: 5.7-inch HD (1280x720) IPS Panel
with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0,
3.5mm audio
Others: 12 megapixel rear camera, 5.0
megapixel front camera
Dimensions: 161 x 82.5 x 9.3mm
Weight: 191g
A
SEAN smart mobile device makers,
Ninetology are on quite a roll at
the moment as they seem to have
a catalogue of devices that is filled with
affordable devices packed with top-notch
features and caters to just about every
consumer demographic out there. For
those who long to own a smartphone-
tablet hybrid device, the U9Z1 is quite
possibly the giant you have been waiting
for.
Unlike the X1 we reviewed last month,
the Z1 comes in a super solid aluminium
unibody design that doesnt just look great
but also feels hardy. While the Z1 did
feel a little on the heavy side, the curved
back actually made it quite comfortable to
hold. For such a large device, the Z1 only
has three physical buttons, which are the
volume rockers on the left and the power/
unlock button on the right. We really have
no issues with the buttons as they were
responsive and easy to locate despite the
wide gap due to the screen.
The dual SIM card slots are hidden
underneath a cover on the back of the
device where the camera is located.
Removing that cover doesnt require
much force and sits nice and tight when
snapped back in place. Its quite a shame
that Ninetology didnt include a microSD
slot on this device as were quite sure there
are many users who would love the ability
to store their favourite movies or TV series
on the device for on-the-go consumption.
While the 16GB internal storage isnt
bad, it might not be enough for long haul
journeys.
As for raw performance, the Z1 sports
pretty much the same hardware as the
X1. While it may not be the most powerful
device out there, we still found it to be
snappy and smooth throughout our testing
period. The Z1 also comes with a fairly
large 2,600mAh battery that easily lasted
us a full day of moderate usage; this
includes having push notifications turned
on for a single email account, Facebook
and Twitter. In between we also used it
for light web browsing, gaming and video
streaming.
The Ninth Giant
CHIP CONCLUDE :
Ninetology once again has a winner
on their hands with the U9Z1 as this
giant of a phablet will definitely be
sought after by consumers who love
to consume and even create content
while on-the-go. It may not be the
most powerful device out in the
market now, but what it offers at its
price point and in terms of features
makes it very irresistible.
Affordable
Dual-SIM
Quad-Core CPU
Solid unibody build
Hefty
No expandable
storage
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
september 13
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revi ew
The down firing stereo speakers are loud but
are also a bit on the tinny side
A
fter first making its debut at IFA
three years ago, we now have
the third generation of GALAXY
Tabs. The GALAXY Tab devices are now
considered midrange offerings as Samsung
have expanded their GALAXY Note series
to the tablet form factors and those are
their premium devices. But that doesnt
mean the GALAXY Tabs have been handed
the short-end of the stick as the 8.0-inch
GALAXY Tab 3 proves that it can still
impress.
Similar to most of the devices they have
launched this year, the 8-inch GALAXY Tab
3 looks just like any other Samsung device
to date. This means it still retains that same
glossy hyper-glaze look, which we still
arent really big fans of. But if you can look
pass the plasticky exterior, the GALAXY
Tab 3 8.0 is thin, lightweight and yet feels
solid. Youll also find the standard buttons
and ports, an extra IR blaster and also a
microSIM slot if you opt for the 4G LTE
variant. Yes, you read that right; this tablet
actually supports 4G LTE networks.
Despite being a midrange tablet, this
device actually comes with some very
impressive internals that include a 1.5GHz
dual-core CPU, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of
internal storage. It ran smoothly most of
More Than Just
Average
The middle-child of Samsungs mid-range tablet
series is quite a good device By Jeremy Cheong
Samsung
GALAXY Tab 3 8.0
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,499 (LTE), RM1,099 (Wi-Fi)
Samsung Malaysia Electronics
1 800 88 9999
www.samsung.com/my/
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean)
Processor: 1.5GHz Dual-Core CPU
Frequency: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800MHz, WCDMA
850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / 2100MHz, 4G LTE
Screen: 8.0-inch (1280x800) TFT LCD
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0,
3.5mm audio, DLNA
Others: 5-megapixel rear camera,
1.3-megapixel front camera
Dimensions: 123.8 x 209.8 x 7.4mm
Weight: 319g
CHIP CONCLUDE :
For a midrange device, the Samsung
GALAXY Tab 3 8.0 is actually not too
bad. But then again, it does have a
much higher price tag compared to
other midrange tablets in the market.
But if you really want an 8-inch
tablet that supports 4G LTE for faster
browsing, then this will be your only
choice, for now.
the time but it did start stuttering especially
when we were multi-tasking. With the
hardware it packs, the tablet is also able
to handle some of the more demanding
games although on games like Dead
Trigger, it was just a bit laggy.
Speaking of games and multimedia, the
GALAXY Tab 3 8.0 is quite a good choice
for those who love watching movies and
gaming as its display is and vivid and it
sports down firing stereo speakers that
are loud and clear. However, the speakers
are also quite tinny and distortion is very
obvious on higher volumes. The tablet
does come with a 5-megapixel rear camera
but it isnt something to write home about.
Images produced had nice colours but at
the same time they were grainy and details
were muted.
Like most tablet cameras, the 5-megapixel
shooter on this one produces decent but not
jaw-dropping photos
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
4G LTE Support
Super slim
microSD Support
4450mAh battery
Plasticky build
Mediocre camera
Price
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ASUS new monitor is a perfect example of form
and function By Nazrin Zain
ASUS MX279
LED Monitor
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,299
Servex (M) Sdn Bhd, Build
Technology Supply Sdn Bhd, ECS
AStar Sdn Bhd,
(03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699,
(03) 6286 8222
my.asus.com
As expected from ASUS, the MX279 offers
users a wide variety of display input options
The options panel at the bottom uses touch-
sensitive nubs, which may need some getting
used to
Specifications
Resolution: 1920x1080 @ 60Hz
Screen: 27 inches
Response time: 5ms GTG
Contrast Ratio: 80M:1 (DCR)
Stand: Tilt
Connectivity: VGA, HDMI x 2
A
SUS arent new players to the PC
display game. Theyve launched
several series of professional and
Republic of Gamer displays, all with their
own features and functions. Their latest
though, is probably one of the prettiest
theyve ever made, and we are of course
talking about the ASUS MX279H Full HD
AH-IPS LED backlit monitor.
As we unboxed and fixed the 27 inch
monitor to its metallic circular base, it
became immediately apparent to us how
pretty this monitor is. Not only does the
base add a classy touch to the display, the
screens bezel-less display makes it ooze
an extra ounce of class, making the MX279
such a drool-worthy screen.
Connectivity-wise, the MX279 has two
HDMI ports, and one VGA port. One of the
HDMI ports can be converted into DVI-D
via a HDMI-DVI cable. It also has audio-in
and out ports, as the monitor has a pair of
stereo speakers built-in, thanks to Bang &
Olufsen.
As far as features are concerned, the
MX279 comes with its own SPLENDID
Video Intelligence technology which comes
with six video preset modes that can be
used depending on your needs. These
include Standard, Theatre, Game, sRGB,
Night, Scenery and Game modes.
The MX279s display quality after its
calibrated and properly set is nothing short
of excellent. The AH-IPS display shows
some really vibrant colours when watching
video, and the viewing angles are mighty
impressive as well. It is most apparent
when watching shows that have a lot of
colours and action scenes.
A word of caution however, if you
encounter an issue with the overscan
settings that make your display not use its
full width and height, make sure you check
either AMDs Catalyst or NVIDIAs Control
Panel and ensure that the overscan settings
are set properly.
Pretty To Look
At, Beautiful To
Watch
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The ASUS MX279 is a large PC
monitor with some excellent features
that make it excellent to look at and
view. The AH-IPS panel lends itself
perfectly well, as colours can be as
bright and dark as it needs to be,
and have we mentioned that we love
edge-to-edge screens like this one
has?
AH-IPS panel brings
out some excellent
colours, elegent
design with the bezel-
less display
Overscan issues need
to be addressed
before properly using
it
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
september 13
chip malaysia
096
test lab
revi ew
While five macro keys may not seem like
much, do keep in mind that the Aivia Osmium
supports up to five gamer profiles
N
oisy, flashy, heavy and expensive;
these are the words to best
describe a mechanical gaming
keyboard, which is now somehow a must-
have peripheral for gamers everywhere.
But while the first four words in this
review may seem negative, the truth is,
mechanical keyboards are still flying off
the store shelves due to the fact that they
provide gamers with better response
and tactile feedback. Many of the newer
mechanical gaming keyboards such as
the GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium are also
customisable so gamers will always have
everything at their fingertips.
The Aivia Osmium isnt exactly
the newest in GIGABYTEs constantly
expanding line-up of gaming peripherals
but it is easily one of the best. Just by
taking a look at it, you know it means
business as it is solidly built and is
also very sleek. If you prefer a smaller
keyboard, the Aivia Osmium has a
detachable wrist rest, which helps save
precious desk space. The wrist rest adds a
nice slope to the keyboard and we found
it to be very comfortable even after long
hours of use.
Other than that, the keyboard also
sports individual key backlighting,
which is perfect for gamers who like
their peripherals to be flashy. With its
ample real estate, the Aivia Osmium also
Precious And
Irresistible Metal
We finally get the GIGABYTE Aivia Osmium and we
are in love with it By Jeremy Cheong
GIGABYTE
Aivia Osmium
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM459
Nation-Tech Sdn. Bhd., SDS
Distribution Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 4280 6636, (03) 7788 8700
www.gigabyte.my
Specifications
Interface: USB2.0
Activation: Cherry Brown Mechanical Switch
Switch Life: 50 million times
Travel Distance: 4mm to the bottom
Peak Force: 45g
Connectivity: USB3.0, USB2.0, Microphone-in,
Earphone-out
Cable Length: 2.0m 10%
Dimensions: 454 x 257 x 45mm
Weight: 1500g 10%
CHIP CONCLUDE :
Like their previous mechanical
gaming keyboards, GIGABYTE has
done a very great job with the Aivia
Osmium. It may not have as many
dedicated multimedia keys or even
macro keys but it has all the features
to get the job done. Of course, the
most important features have to be
response and tactile feedback and
this keyboard excels on those two
fronts.
comes with an extra USB2.0 port and
headphone-out and microphone-in ports.
That isnt all though as this is actually the
first keyboard to feature an integrated
USB3.0 throughput. Instead of dedicated
media keys, the Aivia Osmium comes
with five customisable macro keys right
about the F1 to F4 keys. GIGABYTE have
also bundled four extra keys with special
symbols for your most used keys.
Our review unit is the one that uses
Cherry MX Brown switches. Typing
and gaming with the Aivia Osmium is
just pure pleasure as the feedback and
response is great. Another great thing to
note is the fact that this keyboard features
not just five- or six-key anti-ghosting, but
64-keys. So it is possible to pull off even
the most complicated moves in a game
like Super Street Fighter 4.
These ports actually make life much easier
as they allow users to easily connect
other peripherals such as a gamepad and
headphones to the keyboard instead of their
PCs back I/O
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Cherry MX Brown
Mechanical Switches
Anti-Ghosting
Extra Ports
5 Gaming Profiles
Heavy
Noisy
chip malaysia
september 13 097
test lab
revi ew
Here comes yet another jaw-dropping addition to
the LifeBook family By Nazrin Zain
Fujitsu LifeBook
SH782
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM4,299
Fujitsu PC Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.
(03) 7728 4868
my.fujitsu.com/pc
Fujitsu doesnt skimp on the I/O options, and
have also included a DVD drive on the SH782
as well
Sleek and stylish, the SH782 is also lightweigh
and powerful, perfect for the workaholic on
the move
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i5-4200U (at 1.6GHz, Turbo
Boost up to 2.6GHz)
RAM: 8GB DDR3
OS: Windows 7
Display: 13.3-inch SuperFine HD-LED Backlit
display (1,366x768)
Storage: 500GB
F
ujitsu hasnt been slacking off when
it comes to notebook releases of late,
and for those who are looking for
a simple but stylish notebook, they need
to look no further than the Fujitsu SH782
notebook.
Powered by Intels 3rd Generation
Core i-series processor and 4GBs of RAM,
the SH782 features a 13.3-inch SuperFine
HD LED backlit display, at a resolution of
1,366x768 pixels, and packs 500GBs of
storage space, although there are a wide
variety of other options as well, including
those with an SSD for a fast-booting
system. In terms of input and output ports,
the SH782 includes three USB 3.0 ports, a
HDMI and VGA port for video output, one
LAN port and surprisingly, a DVD drive too.
If nothing else, the Fujitsu SH782 is
quite the looker. The outer chassis is
decked in hot rod red, and its metallic
sheen oozes class every time we take it
out of the bag to do some work on it. The
interior, once the lid is opened is covered
in all black, which does combine well
with the metallic red from the outside, we
would say.
Performance-wise, the Fujitsu SH782
is no slouch at all, with Intels Ivy Bridge
processor running things at the back. We
were able to do work, watch HD movies
and even play a few games here and there
without the notebook batting so much as
an eyelid at the tasks its been given.
Battery life is another impressive
feature of the notebook as we managed
to get about six to seven hours out of a
single charge, whilst using it continuously
for work, watching videos and using the
internet.
Having said that, we do wish that the
keyboard travel on the SH782 was a tad
bit deeper, as typing on the notebook for
a considerable period of time did leave us
with sore fingers.
Sexy Red Hot
Machine
CHIP CONCLUDE :
If youre looking for a simple, portable
notebook computer to bring around
with you, you cant go wrong with the
Fujitsu SH782 notebook. It has great
performance, an excellent battery life,
and most importantly, stylish looks!
Good performance,
excellent battery life
Shallow keyboard
travel
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
september 13
chip malaysia
098
test lab
revi ew
O
ften times, when gaming
peripheral companies launch
headphones, it is more often
than not made specifically for gaming,
sacrificing audio nuances in favour
of clarity and locational accuracy. CM
Storm is no stranger to this game,
launching quite a number of their own
headphones. We have to say though, the
CM Storm Pulse-R is quite the looker.
Part of their new Aluminum Gaming
series of gaming peripherals, the
Pulse-R reflects that branding by
having a number of its parts made from
aluminium, which include the head band
and the outer portion of the headphones
cups. CM Storm has also taken the
initiative to make the microphone and
cable of the Pulse-R detachable for easy
storage, and the headphone set also
comes with a protective case of sorts for
quick and easy storage.
The Pulse-R headphones feature
42mm drivers which are excellent for
both gaming and music listening. The
Great For Gaming
And Music
Get the best of both worlds with the CM Storm
Pulse-R By Nazrin Zain
CM Storm Pulse-R
Headphones
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM299
Ban Leong Technologies Sdn
Bhd
(03) 7956 6300
www.cmstorm.com
Specifications
Driver size: 42mm x 2
Frequency response: 20Hz 20kHz
Impedance: 50 ohm
Connector: 3.5mm headphone jack
Cable length: 3 metres
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The CM Storm Pulse-R headphones is
one of the most stylish headphones
the company has come up with in
quite a while. Its modular design
means that it can be easily stored
away, and the audio quality is nothing
short of impressive, regardless of
what you listen to with it.
audio quality is great as far as a gaming
headset is concerned, as the mids,
highs and bass are just nicely balanced,
making it excellent for both gaming and
music listening.
What users will also like is the fact
that the aluminium cup plating can
also be detached and customized to
the users liking, adding a touch of
personality to your headphones. The
detachable cable also comes with a
volume control bar and a microphone
mute button, so that you dont have to
fumble around to adjust volume levels.
The Pulse-Rs microphone can also be
detached, depending on your mode of usage.
The detachable cable for the Pulse-R also
comes with a volume control slider and a mic
mute button
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Excellent sound quality
Great build quality
Cups have little air
ventilation
chip malaysia
september 13 099
test lab
revi ew
Samsungs new notebook is a lightweight in
more ways than one By Nazrin Zain
Samsung ATIV
Book 9 Lite
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM2,399
Samsung Malaysia Electronics
Sdn Bhd
1 800 88 9999
www.samsung.com.my
Samsungs obsession with thin devices can
also be seen through the design of the ATIV
Book 9 Lite
The ATIV Book 9 Lite comes with one USB 3.0
and one USB 2.0 port, just nice for a mouse and
an external storage device
Specifications
CPU: AMD A8-4555M APU @ 1.6GHz
RAM: 4GB DDR3 RAM
Graphics: AMD HD8550M
OS: Windows 8 Professional
Display: 13.3-inch @ 1,366x768
S
amsung has proven that they have
what it takes to make some of the
best ultrathin notebooks in the
industry, but the challenge for them now
is to make a device that looks just as good
at a more compelling price point. Their
answer? The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite.
Borrowing a number of design cues
from their own 9 Series notebooks, the
ATIV Book 9 Lite is quite the looker. Most
of the chassis is made of plastic, but its
done in a manner that still makes it look
like a premium device. The build quality is
excellent, and its great that Samsung has
managed to do that, despite the change in
materials.
The ATIV Book 9 Lite is powered by a
custom-made variant of the AMD A6-1450
APU, a quad-core processor integrated
with an AMD Radeon HD8250 as the
graphics processor. Memory is made up
of 4GBs of DDR3 RAM and 128GBs in the
form of SSD storage.
The ATIV Book 9 Lite starts up as very
fast, almost as if its waking up from sleep
mode, from the point of startup to desktop
takes roughly around 10 seconds, which is
impressive in anyones books. Waking up
from sleep mode typically takes half that
time.
We have no complaints about the ATIV
Book 9 Lites performance, as it does work
and play both considerably well, even
when playing 720p and 1080p videos as
well as some casual gaming at the side
with most settings set to medium. As far
as battery performance is concerned, we
managed to clock in about eight hours of
usage on a single charge.
An interesting feature that Samsung
has added to the notebook is the SideSync
feature, which allows you to synchronise
your Samsung smartphone with the PC
via USB, as well as use it in a keyboard
and mouse sharing mode where your
smartphone becomes an extension to the
PCs display. This is especially convenient if
you have files on the phone that need to be
edited on the fly by using the keyboard and
mouse on the ATIV Book 9 Lite.
Something
Affordable For
Everyone
CHIP CONCLUDE :
The Samsung ATIV Book 9 Lite is a
very affordable Windows 8 machine,
although that being said, it is quite
unfortunate it doesnt come with a
touchscreen display to make full use
of Window 8s Metro UI features. For
its price though, we find it hard to
fault Samsung for that one issue.
Well-built
Long-lasting battery
SideSync only works
with certain Samsung
phones
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
september 13
chip malaysia
0100
test lab
revi ew
The Lumia 925s 8MP camera features an
upgraded Carl Zeiss Tessar lens
W
hen it was first launch, the
Nokia Lumia 920 was lauded
as the best Windows Phone
8 smartphone out there in the market
at the moment. It featured an excellent
polycarbonate build, a processor that didnt
balk when performance mattered and an
excellent camera that has had everyone
raving. Which makes us think that the
Nokia Lumia 925 a peculiar device of sorts.
Starting off with the similarities between
the two, the Lumia 925 features the same
1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 processor
that was used in its predecessor. It also
has the same 4.5-inch build, and the
same camera sensor as well as the same
operating system and apps, as the Lumia
920 has also received the WP8 Amber
update not too long ago, which brings the
Camera Pro app and several other features
on board as well.
The most notable difference about
the Lumia 925 now is the fact that
it comes with a polycarbonate and
aluminium frame, as opposed to the single
polycarbonate block of the 920. It feels a
bit more premium than the 920, but you
More of The
Same
Nokias new smartphone offers mostly superficial
upgrades to its predecessor By Nazrin Zain
Nokia Lumia 925
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM1,799
Nokia (M) Sdn Bhd
1 300 88 1600
www.nokia.com.my
Specifications
Operating System: Windows Phone 8
Processor: 1.5GHz dual core processor
Frequency: HSDPA 2100/900 EDGE / GPRS /
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
Screen: 4.5-inch ClearBlack LCD
Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB, WiFi, NFC
CHIP CONCLUDE :
If you dont already own a Nokia
Lumia 920, the Nokia Lumia 925 is a
great buy if you dont mind the limited
selection in colours. It performs well
enough, and the camera upgrade will
certainly make your inner shutterbug
a happy camper.
wouldnt have known it just by looking at it.
Thats not the only difference of course
as Nokia has also upgraded the lens of
the Lumia 925, opting for an upgraded
Carl Zeiss Tessar lens which is coupled
together with the Nokia Smart Camera,
Cinemagraph and Photobeamer apps.
Performance is very much similar to
the Lumia 920, in that the apps function
perfectly well and hardly ever lags. An
interesting thing worth noting however is
the fact that the Lumia 925s front facing
wide angle camera is capable of capturing
photos at a resolution of 1280x960 pixels
and has an aperture count of f2.4, which
provides excellent wide angle shots, perfect
for users who like to take selfie photos.
The addition of the aluminium frame to the
Lumia 925 gives it a more premium feel
compared to the Lumia 920
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
Improved camera and
apps
Not much point in
upgrading if you already
own a Lumia 920
chip malaysia
september 13 0101
test lab
revi ew
Yet another high-end beauty from ASUS makes
its way to the market By Jeremy Cheong
ASUS VivoBook
S551LB
Price
Contact
Phone
Info
RM3,499
Servex (M) Sdn. Bhd., Build
Technology Supply Sdn. Bhd.,
ECS AStar Sdn. Bhd.
(03) 8024 6688, (03) 7955 3699,
(03) 6286 8222
www.asus.com/my/
Even despite its 22.5mm thinness, ASUS
managed to fit in an optical disk drive
Specifications
CPU: Intel Core i7-4500U (at 1.8GHz, Turbo
Boost up to 3.0GHz)
RAM: 8GB
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GT 740M with
2GB DDR3 VRAM
Storage: 1TB 5400RPM HDD with 24GB SSD
OS: Windows 8 Pro (64-bit)
Display: 15.6-inch HD Slim (1366x768) LED
Backlit Glare Panel
Interface: 1x COMBO Audio jack, 2x USB3.0,
1x USB2.0, 1x RJ-45 LAN, 1x HDMI, 1x SD
Card Reader
Extras: HD 720p CMOS module webcam,
ASUS SonicMaster Lite, Super-Multi DVD
Dimensions: 380 x 258 x 22.5mm
Weight: 2.4kg
O
ver the years, the competition
in the mobile computing market
has truly heated up as the older
brands have had to face stiff competition
from the likes of ASUS, who have been
producing devices with impeccable
quality, stylish and unique designs and
performance that is on-par with their
devices. Devices like the VivoBook
S551LB from ASUS wont just make
your jaws drop due to its design but also
because of the hardware it packs.
The design of the S551LB is definitely
an attention grabber as it exudes
elegance thanks to the rounded surfaces
as well as minimalistic nature. The
brushed-hairline aluminium texture on
the cover of the S551LB doesnt just add
to the sleek styling of the device but is
also very durable. Besides just looking
great, the S551LB is also very light and
thin. But despite that fact, ASUS have
managed to fit in all the necessary ports
on the device as well as a Super-Multi
DVD drive.
For those of you who spend a lot of
time typing out emails and documents,
the S551LB has one of the most
comfortable full-sized keyboards we
have ever used on a notebook. The keys
are a little bit small side but they arent
cramped so you wont have to worry
about constantly hitting the wrong keys.
The palm rest is also nice and large and
even after long hours of usage, it stayed
cool, at most just turning slightly warm
but never to the point where it becomes
uncomfortable.
At this point, we would like to point
out our first little nit-pick with the
S551LB. Although we love that fact
that it has a touch display that makes
operating Windows 8 less of a chore
with just the touchpad, the display isnt
Full HD. Now this isnt a deal breaker
but it would definitely have been better
especially when it comes to watching
movies and even gaming.
In terms of performance, our review
unit of the S551LB is packed with the
highest-end components and wont
disappoint even the most discerning
user. Even for those who want to play
the latest games, the S551LB should be
able to handle them without a problem
with just a little tweaking.
An Exquisite
High-End Beauty
CHIP CONCLUDE :
Overall, the ASUS VivoBook S551LB is
definitely one of the best ASUS has to
offer at the moment. It may be a little
on the pricey side but you do get a
very powerful and portable notebook
that can handle all your productivity
and entertainment needs.
High-end Specs
Good Performance
Touch Display
Exquisite Design
Not 1080p Display
Performance
Features
Design
Value
RATINGS
october 13
chip malaysia
102
lite & leisure
thi nk
On The Trailing Edge
THINK
Instead of buying the latest and hottest gadgets available in the market, our faithful contributor lives life a
little dangerously by doing the total opposite. This month, he shares with us his experience and thoughts
on why buying an older and possibly cheaper device may be a good thing By Tim Lee
the thoughts of our uncertified tech junkie
A
h, not living on the bleeding edge of technology - you get
slightly older tech at bargain prices compared to the hottest
new stuff and most of the bugs have been ironed out by
willing beta testers, otherwise known as early adopters.
Theres also the possibility that the products manufacturer may
no longer exist.
I woke up to this nasty possibility when two of my most used
everyday gadgets, a BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and a Nokia
Symbian phone, both had their respective manufacturers put on
sale, Nokias mobile devices arm to tech giant Microsoft and
BlackBerry potentially to a financial holding company.
The PlayBook has been an albatross around its makers neck
since its inception. Underdeveloped software, woeful pricing
decisions and a lackluster app store
meant its QNX-based platform had no
chance of competing against the iPad
juggernaut. The OS itself is speedy with
excellent multitasking and office apps
are well covered but the main draw for
me was price. My 32 GB model is built
like a tank and cost much less than the
cheapest Nexus 7 because BlackBerry
had written off a billion dollars of
PlayBooks - these things were sold at
cost to get rid of old inventory and didnt
make a dollar of profit.
Full Bluetooth stack support, USB
host and loads of improved software
were promised in an upgrade to the
BB10 OS that took longer and longer to
arrive... and was quietly canceled this
year. I guess lackluster reception to
BlackBerrys BB10 phones meant there
werent enough people left to work on
the PlayBook once the company started
cutting staff. Now with a sale looming
and even more job cuts waiting, the
PlayBook is essentially a dead end device from a possibly dead
company.
HP Touchpad users and Palm aficionados would be familiar
with that sinking feeling when your favourite tech tool is
abandoned. Luckily for them, HP released WebOS under an open
source license and hackers managed to shoehorn Android on the
Touchpad, extending the useful life of those devices for a while
longer. Unluckily for me, the PlayBook is locked down tight thanks
to its makers fanatical devotion to information security, so Ill have
to live with unfixed bugs and abandoned apps.
Maybe Im a sucker for more punishment because I recently
bought Nokias last Symbian phone, the mighty yet enigmatic 808.
Nokia put the platform on the back burner when it switched to
Windows Phone in 2011 but updates have been trickling in despite
that. Theres also a big hacker community dedicated to coding new
apps and modding the OS. Android, iOS and Windows Phone may
be more sensible when youre constantly connected but if you
spend lots of time outside offline and need a pocket computer,
then Symbian still reigns.
Unfortunately, Nokias madcap development processes meant
the 808 is saddled with a low resolution display and a processor
that would be top rung back in 2010, but is a complete joke today.
Good apps are also as rare as hens
teeth. The only thing that isnt funny
is its astonishing Pureview camera
system - a huge 41 megapixel sensor
produces very clean and detailed
images once downsampled to five or
eight megapixels at the widest view
setting, or you could zoom in a few
times without getting ugly images
like with the usual digital zoom. Its
also nice to buy one more than a year
after launch at less than half the
price. The 808s successor, the newly
released Lumia 1020 on Windows
Phone, is even better but its one of
the priciest phones out there.
In the industry, Apple buyers get
the best treatment because updates
keep coming even for older devices.
An iPhone 4 came out almost two
years ago but it still gets the latest
iOS 7 release, albeit with some fancy
features turned off because the older
hardware cant support them. Its
hard to say the same about support for flagship devices from other
manufacturers.
So by buying old tech, you save lots of money but it might not
be a smart decision when you cant find the apps you need or get
bugs fixed. If youre comfortable with hacking and accepting
unfixed bugs as inevitable, then by all means, take the plunge and
lighten that wallet. If it doesnt work out, your only consolation is
that you spent less on a paperweight than someone who paid full
price on launch day...
chip malaysia
october 13 103
lite & leisure
experi ence
The Little Rebel That Could
EXPERIENCE
the best the Internet has in one click
I
n this day and age, your social network
forms your online identity. From your
Facebook About Me page to the
Instagram of your bacon-&-eggs dinner,
your social networking defines who you
are and what role you play in the online
community. And thats not a bad thing,
really, and as most organisations and
companies today can show you, having a
good and healthy social network presence
is one way to engage the people.
But it gets a little counter-intuitive
when your social network presence is
scattered across the many platforms
available out there. For instance, someone
would have to open your Facebook and
LinkedIn pages separately if they wanted
to get a more wholesome view of your
social network activities. Even on a
personal sense, having your friends
summon four to five browser tabs just to
keep track of you isnt very nice.
Then the idea pops in: what if we find a
way to integrate them all into one page,
where it becomes the front of your social
network life? The front page of your social
network?
And that, ladies and gentleman, is the
core idea behind RebelMouse.
A startup that launched in late 2012,
RebelMouse is quickly gaining traction as
a social networking tool that is not only
new and refreshing, but also immensely
useful. How it works is also simple in
concept: the service can draw in your
social network details, posts and contents
and present them in a sleek, Pinterest-
style page. You can link RebelMouse to
pretty much every major social networks
available, including Facebook, Twitter,
LinkedIn and Instagram.
The result is essentially a homepage
where your social activities can be easily
tracked. The page automatically updates
itself as you go about your social
networking, and somehow always
manages to portray more significant
posts in larger columns, while the rest
populate the sides. You can also post on
your social networks via RebelMouse,
which lets you upload pictures and videos
as well. Theres a quick-post feature that
works more like youd expect on each
individual social network service, but
theres also a more robust posting system
thats quite reminiscent of a blogging
interface.
You can get RebelMouse started in a
few clicks, and all it takes is one of your
social network accounts. Exploring its
capabilities, however, will provide you
with a good wealth of customisation tools
that can let you showcase your page in
the way you like. You can also create
separate pages to filter out specific
content for easier access.
Theres also an option to Power Your
Site, essentially upgrading your account
to a paid one (USD9.99 or RM31.60 per
month). This gives you more power to the
domain and lets you control the branding
and modules on your embedded content.
Businesses and organisations hoping to
jazz up their social networking much more
can certainly find a lot to love here.
Now that its all said and done, lets
start rebelling against the scattered,
unintuitive state of social media today,
and join up RebelMouse to unite them all
in one beautiful, snazzy page.
www.rebelmouse.com
It doesnt take a lot of getting used to as the user-
interface of RebelMouse is super user-friendly
With the ability to create separate pages for
different topics, youll be constantly updated
Social networks are quickly becoming the face of individuals and organisations -- and RebelMouse can
help put it on the front page By Tan Jee Yee
october 13
chip malaysia
104
lite & leisure
touch
Keynote
This ought to be your go-to presentation app on the iPad if youre willing to pay for it.
Keynote is powerful, giving you a robust set of tools and features, like being able to
create 3D bars, line, area and pie charts which can be further animated with 3D chart
builds. You can also jazz up the slides with nifty professional-quality transitions, and
the Magic Move function lets you automatically animate objects across consecutive
slides. Keynote also lets you slap in the photos you have on the device. Designing
your slides on the iPad itself is easy, thanks to the touch-and-tap interface. Keynote
looks great on Retina Display, but if you want to make it bigger, you can use video
mirroring to present it on a HDTV. It doesnt get any better than this, even if it will cost
you.
Developer: Apple
Price: USD9.99 (RM32.10)
Power Presenter
If your presentation is saved in a PDF format, then Power Presenter is the way to go.
Power Presenter might not have as much features for a presentation tool, but it lets
you do wonders with a more static PDF presentation. For one, you can mark slides
with your finger and erase them, letting you easier highlight your presentation points
(you can also send the amended slides to your audiences if they need it). The app also
has a whiteboard feature, which will be good for a more spontaneous presentation.
You can hook the app up to a projector, which actually displays its content on both the
iPad screen and on the projection, meaning you dont have to keep looking away from
your device during a presentation.
Developer: Kejian Jin
Price: USD1.99 (RM3.20)
All In The
Presentation
We help you put on a jolly good show with these great presentation apps that no work-centric iPad could
do without By Tan Jee Yee
E
very idea has the potential to be a great one, but the one that gets approved and slapped with accolades and that three year
guarantee contract is the one with the best presentation. And that starts in the meeting room, in front of your clients just
you, your ideas, and your ability to launch fireworks with your speech. Oh, and your PowerPoint slides as well.
In the spirit of convenience, iPads have been taking over notebooks as presentation tools. That, naturally, meant knowing
what sort of presentation apps to get. Here is our humble list of the best presentation tools you really ought to consider.
Spotlight, please!
TOUCH
the best apps to spice up your day
chip malaysia
october 13 105
lite & leisure
touch
SlideShark
You might not find the notion of creating presentation slides on your tablet that
enticing, and would really just want an app to run your PowerPoint presentations
nicely. If so, SlideShark will give you the bite you need. This app will let you view
and present your PowerPoint slides with all of the animations, font, colours,
graphics, hyperlinks and videos intact. You can upload the PowerPoint files via
SlideSharks website, or through email attachments on your device. You can let the
slides play automatically or swipe to advance them. Theres also a tool to let you
view your slide notes, timing, and your animation counter. To top it off, SlideShark
throws in 100MB of online storage for free. Did we mention that the app is also free?
Developer: Brainshark, Inc.
Price: Free
Haiku Deck
Sometimes you wish that you can create a presentation like you would write a poem,
but we all know how rigid presentations can be. Haiku Deck, however, wants to
change all that. The free iPad apps basic principles are fascinating in itself; it wants
you to keep thing simple by limiting text and focusing each slide on one idea.
Whatever it is, Haiku Decks slides are beautiful, where each slide can have no more
than two lines of text along with a single, full-bleed photo. The app will offer image
suggestions pulled from over 35 million photos from Creative Commons (as well as
your Facebook, Instagram, Flickr and Picasa accounts). The free app comes with 5
themes, with additional premium ones that you can purchase. If youre aiming for a
different, flowing and more beautiful way of presentation, Haiku Deck is just for you.
Developer: Haiku Deck, Inc.
Price: Free
Quickoffice Pro
Investment into Quickoffice Pro is less of a singular presentation solution, but more
of a wholesome thing that brings that desktop PC flexibility to your iPad.
Quickoffices greatest benefit is in its complete integration with Microsoft Office
utilities, meaning you get to create and edit files in Word, Excel and PowerPoint. The
total support is especially convenient for PowerPoint users on the desktop, and the
tool itself is just as easy to use and adapt to. Additionally, Quickoffices support of
Google Drive will keep your workflow mobile and flexible. Its not the definitive
solution, but its the sort of all-roundedness that people working on multiple
platforms will come to appreciate.
Developer: Quickoffice, Inc.
Price: USD14.99 (RM48.10)
Saduns Whiteboard
The app is as straightforward as implied. This essentially turns your iPad into a
whiteboard, where your fingers become the digital marker pens. You pretty much get
standard whiteboard markers and erasers type, in varying colours and marker widths.
You can also add text in as well as photos. Its a very simple act, but it gets its
moneys worth by allowing you to connect to a TV or projection system via Apple
VGA or a composite/component video-out cable, turning it into as large a digital
whiteboard as you want. Because, well, sometimes you just cant beat the simplicity
and flexibility of a whiteboard presentation.
Developer: Erica Sadun
Price: USD2.99 (RM6.10)
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Jurassic Love
WATCH
H
eres a piece of bad news: Pixar has officially announced
that their upcoming flick, The Good Dinosaur, is being
pushed back to a November 2015 release. This is
disastrous, firstly with the fact that we wont be getting ANY
Pixar goodness next year. Secondly, were going to have to
wait for another full year to watch what could possibly be a
good movie about dinosaurs.
Dinosaurs are wonderful movie material. Theyre real, and
theyre shrouded in so many myths and speculation that
writers can easily cook Cretaceous and Atom-Breath together
and still get away with it. Sure, a palaeontologist somewhere
might be getting cold sweat and nightmares, but dinosaurs are
awesome even when you leave the science out of it.
The problem now is that there arent enough good dinosaur
movies around. The last dinosaur flick I could remember is The
Dinosaur Project, which is The Blair Witch Project meets The
Lost World in a fairly dingy and crummy bar. Dinosaurs mainly
stay within the B-movie range, earning their keep with flicks
like Jurassic Attack and Age of Dinosaurs. And as B-movies go,
theyre not very well made.
I blame this on the granddaddy of all dinosaur films: 1993s
Jurassic Park. Steven Spielbergs classic is the definitive
dinosaur movie: it has all your favourite, recognisable
dinosaurs; it brought each of them back to life in grand scale
and epic CGI; it made them chase and eat people; it also dealt
with the science of bringing dinosaurs back, making it
plausible instead of outright fantastical.
Nobody could top Jurassic Park in terms of sheer
awesomeness, which is why its safer for movies to just
include dinosaurs somewhere instead of the whole thing. The
last awesome movies with dinosaurs, I think, would be Peter
Jacksons remake of King Kong. That one came complete with
a T-Rex slugfest, as well as a frantic chase scene featuring
velociraptors and a herd of apatosauruses.
Everythings better with dinosaurs, really, but its not something were seeing much lately on the big
screen. This writer takes a trip back in time for a little dinosaur hunting By Tan Jee Yee
the movies that becomes us
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watch
Most people
remember the first
dinosaur
appearance on film
was on the original
King Kong in 1933,
but the first live
action, dinosaur-
centric film was
1925s silent
fantasy film, The
Lost World. Based
on Sir Arthur
Conan Doyles
novel of the same
name, the movie
features a healthy
selection of
dinosaurs in stop-
motion glory,
including an
Allosaurus, a
Pteranodon, a herd of Triceratops and a very cranky
Brontosaurus.
But before the The Lost World, there was Gertie the
Dinosaur in 1914, which is the earliest animated film to feature
a dinosaur (its also popularly regarded as the first animated
film, though creator Winsor McKay had already made Little
Nemo and How a Mosquito Operates in 1911 and 1912
respectively). Its also one of the nice instances where the
dinosaurs became the central characters themselves,
something we dont
get to see in live
action movies often.
(But I wont
mention Theodore
Rex, because certain
things should stay
unearthed and
forgotten like a
fossil).
Animated feature
films, however,
proved to be good
ways to depict
dinosaurs as
characters rather
than prehistoric
chase monsters.
Most people would
affectionately
remember The Land
Before Time, Don
Bluths 1988 beloved
animated classic. This
one follows a group of
dinosaur children
making a treacherous
journey to The Great
Valley during the
Earths climatic
change that brought
the end of the
dinosaur reign. The
Land Before Time
might not have
depicted the dinosaurs
very accurately, but in
1988 it was pretty
much a documentary
in cartoon form.
There were a few
more dinosaur
animated films, one of
them being Were
Back: A Dinosaurs Story. Interestingly, this was released in
1993, and developed by Steven Spielbergs own Amblimation
animation studio. Its about a group of Cretaceous dinosaurs
being whisked into the future by a scientist, who fed them
brain-washing cereals that tames them in order to let them be
enjoyed by future children. Yeah, it wasnt very good.
Disney also had their own dinosaur project, which was
2000s CGI-film Dinosaur. This one is quite the filmmaking
marvel, successfully marrying CGI dinosaurs with live-action
environments to create some really dazzling and beautiful
scenes. Sadly, the films similarities to The Land Before Time
meant it sunk pretty quickly in the tar pit, now quite forgotten.
Im hoping that The Good Dinosaur to change all that. Pixar
is reimagining dinosaurs as creatures surviving extinction and
now co-existing with
humans in a
harmonious world.
Its a premise that
gets into the big
shoes of the
dinosaurs, and for
once the T-Rex might
not be chasing a
human for lunch. In
fact, they might be
having lunch
together.
It already sounds
very swell.
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The XKCD Equation
READ
T
here was a comic published in DeviantArt once that talked
about the vast potential of webcomics and the ways it can
be used to break the boundaries of how one can produce
and read them. No longer are we bound by the restrictions of
pages or the firm grips of a publisher webcomics can be
produced at your leisure and published in a website of your own.
And as folks like Penny Arcade can attest to, it can even become
a lucrative business.
And theres more to this than just the
freedom of publication. Taking advantage of
its digital platform, webcomics can even go
beyond static images by integrating more
interesting means of presentation. Certain
webcomics have even produced animated
GIF panels that when viewed in a whole
with other static panels creates a unique
and striking result.
But thats just scraping the surface of its
potential. Many webcomics have yet to
implement or discover new ways to take
advantage of a digital platform in breaking
traditional comic form. To see just how far
webcomic innovation can be taken, one
should look towards Randall Monroe, and his
long-running webcomic XKCD.
In all appearances, XKCD may look like a
typical webcomic (in appearances, though:
the content is truly exceptional). Randall
Monroes strips feature stick figures that often
discuss about life, art, love and pop-culture
references along with heaps of mathematical
and scientific in-jokes. Occasionally, Monroe
would even supplement his simplistic style
with surprisingly beautiful landscape art.
Sometimes the strips even transcend typical
single-strip jokes, extending into multiple
pages of deep and cerebral writing.
Its a winning webcomic when it comes to writing, but
Monroe takes it a little further using its digital platform. One
simpler but effective execution is by including an alternate text
punchline which readers can only discover by hovering the
mouse cursor over the comic. It offers an extra line of text that
either furthers the comics comedy, or offers an alternative
interpretation.
It gets more impressive than that.
In September last year, Monroe uploaded a strip titled Click
and Drag, which features one giant panel with a never ending
stretch of image that you can drag through with your cursor. The
actual image itself is 165,888 x 79,872 in size thats 1.3
terapixels, forming this vast world that you can explore by
clicking and dragging. The attention to detail is painstaking, as
you can simply start following a random route and still discover
Easter eggs and hidden secrets.
The amazing thing about Click and Drag also goes beyond
its technical impressiveness. What it
offers is a little adventure that you can
experience along with a stick man, and
each cursor drag until the end is an
emotional payoff that hasnt been
provided before.
In March 25th of 2013, Munroe
posted a strip titled Time. This strip is
deceptively simple; it starts off by
merely featuring a picture of two stick
figures a man and a woman sitting
on the ground. The strip is devoid of a
story, or words, or a punchline. But
devoted readers soon discover that the
image changed 30 minutes later, as the
figures have shifted slightly. And for
every half-hour in the following weeks,
the image would change and change to
finally produce an epic, time-lapsed
journey of two people discovering the
disturbing changes of the landscape
around them.
What readers got was a 3,099-panel
comic that, when put together, created
a 40-minute video (which can be
viewed on YouTube). Its a bold and
unique strip that took readers on a
similarly mysterious journey, and
brewed such a fanatical following that
readers took to the Internet to discuss
and trade theories (they even wrote a few songs). The forum
thread on the strip exploded into an over 1,300-page debate. It
was viral. It was incredible.
I visit XKCD regularly, which is still consistent in bringing in
the laughs among scientific and mathematical references that I
can never get. But each time I just wonder what interesting new
ways Mr. Monroe can take us on a journey, using a marriage of
technology and art that has infinite possibilities and far too many
untapped potential. Its the XKCD equation, and one formula that
any webcomic artist can learn from.
The Internet has certainly altered the way we can consume, produce and publish comics, but the one to
truly take it to the next level is a man named Randall Monroe and his one-of-a-kind webcomic
By Tan Jee Yee
the books that shape our world of stories
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T
he real-time strategy genre is very under-represented these
days. Three of the biggest players in the genre are Blizzard
with the Warcraft and StarCraft series; Creative Assembly
with the Total War series; and Relic Entertainment with... let's just
say that these guys have been making strategy games for a really
long time. All of them have their own specific take on it too, with
Blizz opting for the traditional base-building and army-building
gameplay, Creative Assembly going for
massive scale, and Relic... erm...
Relic's strategy games, ever since the
first Warhammer 40,000: Dawn of War, have
always flaunted the same distinct style:
less resource management and more focus
on the combat. The RTS veterans chose
to continue this tradition with their latest
outingCompany of Heroes 2. Here's a
quick primer: Company of Heroes 2 is a real-
time strategy game set during World War 2,
much like its predecessor. When Company
of Heroes was launched, it made a giant
wave in the strategy genre because of how
much it truly refined the systems that Relic
had set in place with Dawn of War. Now that we've gotten that out
of the way, let's move on to the actual review.
The game's single-player component is divided into three
partsthe campaign mode, vs. AI skirmishes, and the single-
player missions in Theatre of War. The campaign focuses on
the story of one soldier in the Red ArmyLev Abramovich
Isakovich (we'll call him Lev for purposes of brevity)with the
COMPANY OF HEROES 2
Stalingrad
Strikes Back
By Shunal Doke
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rather interesting 'interrogation' framing device we've seen in
other war games such as Battlefield 3. Lev is languishing in a
Siberian labour camp because he has written stuff in his journals
negatively portraying and questioning the Soviet Union during
World War 2, and has hence been deemed worthy of treason
charges. Each mission comprises Lev explaining his side of
the story in the events that take place during the war. Despite
it being the same old World War 2 story that we've heard
countless times, it feels fresh because of the well-executed
framing device.
But Relic hasn't been able to do as good of a job when it
comes to the learning curve. The campaign attempts to ease
players into Company of Heroes 2's mechanics, but doesn't
manage to be graceful or elegant about it. New gameplay
mechanics are constantly added in missions and you're forced to
use them, but most of the information is lost in the chaos that is
the battlefield. Often, the game leaves it to the players themselves
to figure things out. The first few missions are quite simple
and linear as a result of this, but once you get deeper into the
campaign, things do start opening upthe maps become more
expansive and the missions get challenging. There is even a bit of
room for creativity when taking on certain objectives, letting you
flex your inner Armchair General.
For the history buffs, there's the Theatre of War mode, which
has a bunch of scenarios from 1941 for both German and Russian
armies. There are separate scenarios for single-player and co-op,
and each are challenging in their own way. Essentially, you're
put in situations based on real-life events during World War 2.
The single-player mode is fun, but co-op is definitely the best
Jagdish Limbachiya
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way to experience the Theatre. Rounding up
the list of single-player modes is the versus
AI skirmish mode, which can also be played
in co-op mode. It pits you against the AI in
multiplayer maps and lets you get some
practice before you hit the Find Match button
in multiplayer. Again, co-op is the most
entertaining way to play, but if you're into
one-on-one battles, those are available too.
But let's face it... real-time strategy games
aren't exactly popular for their single-player,
since there's only so much enjoyment to be
had from beating predictable AI. No, what
you want is something more challenging. You
want to play against actual people who can
see your strategies and plan around them,
forcing you to improvise. Company of Heroes
2's multiplayer mode uses a simple auto-
match interface that lets you set options such
as player count (divided in 1v1, 2v2, 3v3 and 4v4 matchups) and
lets you choose if you want to play with players in the same skill
range or those better than you.
The gameplay revolves around capturing points that
automatically keep giving you resources such as man power
and gasoline. There are two types of gamesVictory Points and
Annihilation. Victory Points revolves around players scrambling
around to capture the titular victory points and hold them for a
certain amount of time. There are always three victory points in
any given map, and the player who holds at least two of them
for a certain amount of time wins. Annihilation is pretty self-
explanatorya fight to the death where the last man standing
wins. Depending on the game mode, you'll have to make many
tactical decisions that mostly have to do with keeping your soldiers
alive while you scramble for resources to get reinforcements.
Speaking of keeping soldiers alive,
Company of Heroes 2 has a new gameplay
mechanic that makes doing just that even
more challenging. As if an average soldier's
lifespan in an RTS game wasn't already short
enough, Relic has gone ahead and added
a new temperature system to the game.
Players have to keep a track of their soldiers'
temperatures and make sure that they don't
freeze to death. To make this even harder,
every once in a while, the maps are hit by
blizzards. Apart from the obvious visibility
problems, the blizzard also starts the slow
and painful-looking process of freezing your
soldiers to death. You have to either garrison
them into some kind of building, recall them
to base, or have them stand near a camp fire
to ward off the cold.
The snow and everything around it, looks
quite gorgeous thanks to the new Essence
3.0 engine that Relic had been talking about
before the game was released. The engine is quite adept at
capturing the chaos that would generally ensue when you try
to manoeuvre six of your rifleman squads so that they can try
to take out a tank with nothing but grenades. The foliage looks
beautiful, and raining down artillery on a shack brings it down
as realistically as you would expect. Even the sound design is
greatgunshots sound realistic, and the random, funny things
that soldiers sometimes say lends a nice touch. You really do get a
different perspective on war when you see a soldier respond to his
comrade's death with the line, Damn! He owed me money!
With all the good, however, there is one major point against
this game. Some of the abilities that you can use in the game
are locked out by way of DLC. Sure, you have a lot of abilities to
choose from by default, but a lot of players have been complaining
that the DLC abilities are overpowered. Unless Relic rebalances
them, this will remain a point against the game. Despite our hatred
for launch-day DLC, we're willing to let
this slide, since the game already has a
lot of content. We just hope that Relic
gets around to patching the imbalanced
abilities before people start shouting
pay-2-win! at the company.
Company of Heroes 2 can be likened
to an oasis in the barren wasteland
that is the RTS genre. The gameplay
is compelling, has great depth, and
the concepts are easy to understand.
However, pulling off all you've learned
while trying not to die is a completely
different thing. The game's focus on
offense and tactics rather than on
gathering resources and building
bases also comes as a breath of clean,
fresh air. We can only imagine what
awesomeness Relic will treat us to if it
decides to further refine Company of
Heroes 2's gameplay system.
Company of
Heroes 2
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PLATFORM : PC
DEVELOPER
INFO
Relic Entertainment
www.companyofheroes.com
REAL-TIME STRATEGY
Fast gameplay; challenging
campaign; fun co-op in Theatre of
War mode.
Overpowered abilities are sold as
DLCs; somewhat steep learning
curve.
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
Replayability
RATINGS
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Jagdish Limbachiya
GUNPOINT
Firing Blanks
By Sam Mathews
V
ery few games start off with the protagonist falling out of a
multi-storied building and surviving with barely a scratch.
But Gunpoint does. And no, our hero Richard Conway
doesn't have superhuman powers or gets them over the course of
the game. In fact, hes a rather incompetent
spy who manages to acquire a pair of
bullfrog pants. These let you jump vast
distances and allow you to break through
windows and tackle guards while remaining
unscathed.
Like most good games, it takes
place on a dark, rainy night when you
find yourself framed for the murder of
a prospective client. This results in a
chain of missions to clear your name
and find out who the real killer is. Along
the way, youll break into a variety of
buildings and industrial complexes
while avoiding trigger-happy guards.
A few missions in you get access to
something known as the Crosslink device.
This gadget lets you view all the security
features of a building and how theyre
connected, including locations of light switches and doors. Using
Crosslink, you can rewire the controlsfor example, you can
re-route a light switch to open a door or use Crosslink to render
security measures such as cameras and infrared beams non-
functional. As you progress, you gain
access to more complex features that can
be bought with in-game currency. Some
of these let you jam weapons of enemy
security, or simply allow you to break into
encrypted locales. The underlying concept
of the Crosslink is to permit you to create
instances wherein stealthily moving past
is possible.
And its a possibility youd want to
consider throughout the game. The
reason for this is, while you can jump
and prance around without taking an
iota of damage, youll find yourself
dying often by the hands of security
guards thanks to the fact that a single
bullet can end your life. To prevent
monotony, you arent dependent on the
Crosslink alone. Play long enough and
Gunpoint
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PLATFORM : PC
DEVELOPER
INFO
Relic Entertainment
www.gunpointgame.com
STEALTH PUZZLE PLATFORMER
Slick writing; innovative gameplay
mechanics.
Short; no controller support.
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
Replayability
RATINGS
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youll have access to devices that let you go through buildings
easier and avoid guards completely. At the end of each
mission, youll receive a ranking based on your proficiency
in avoiding enemies and how much noise youve created.
All along the way youre treated to some rather witty
dialogue and writing. As we mentioned earlier, Conway is quite
a mediocre spy who has found himself in an extraordinary
situation. Youll find yourself chuckling while choosing
responses to clients via text message, as he muses to himself
during a mission and the general absurdity of it all. It even
gets self-referential, with Conway mentioning later that he
stopped paying attention to the plot after the second mission.
The graphics are simple, and have much in common with
old school titles due to an abundance of pixels and sprites. Then
again, you cant expect much from a game that was made using
Gamemaker, a game creation tool thats available for a throwaway
price of $30. However it has its own charm and does a great job
of portraying the bizarre, film noir world of Gunpoint with enough
style and panache to make it believable. In addition, its punctuated
by a riveting soundtrack that further adds to the appeal.
Before you know it, you'll be sunk into a comfortable
rhythm of missions made up of a variety of puzzles and
stealth segments broken up by bits of story and interchanges
between Conway and his clients. The story itself is decent,
and is made better thanks to the healthy dollops of humour.
For a game made by one man over a period of three years
mainly to serve as a portfolio sample for a job interview at a game
development studio, Gunpoint is a pretty little game. In fact, youd
be hard-pressed to imagine that it had such humble origins.
But having said that, it is not without its flaws. For one,
you need a keyboard and mouse to play this game. Do not
expect to whip out a controller of any variety to aid you here.
As it stands, Gunpoint does not support any other method of
control, which is a bit of a downer considering how well the
gameplay lends itself to the use of a controller. Secondly, for
a game priced at $8.99, you won't be at fault to expect more
than a couple of hours of gameplay. Nonetheless, that's what
you'll geta mere two hours of gaming that will be over before
you know it, leading you to get your fix via levels made by
others or yourself, thanks to the game's included level editor.
On the bright side, Gunpoint will work on almost anything
thanks to its simple aesthetics and the lack of a heavy
graphics-intensive game engine. While it's a Windows-
only title at this juncture, the developer has mentioned
that the Mac and Linux versions will be released soon.
We hope controller support is on the way as well.
While Gunpoint stands on its own as a charming piece
of content reminiscent of a bygone era of puzzle and
platforming adventures, it also marks the debut of what
appears to be a rather talented game developer. We wish it
was a bit longer, but that aside, we can't wait to see what
the one-man army that is Suspicious Developments has
in store for us next. If you like your games fun and on the
(extremely) short side, definitely check this one out.
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Jagdish Limbachiya
D
eadpool is what happens when the guys behind the
superlative Transformers: War for Cybertron and
Transformers: Fall of Cybertron games are allowed
to run amok with one of Marvel Comics's most underrated
properties. You don the tights of Deadpool, the self-proclaimed
"merc with a mouth", a highly-trained assassin with a wit
to match his skills. And just like in the
comics, this Deadpool also has multiple
personalities that manifest themselves
via different voices. There's also a lot of
self-referential humour in the game, with
the developers taking funny potshots at
gaming culture
and gamers.
Having said that, Deadpool manages
to stay true to its roots. There is never
a dull moment owing to the dialogues,
which will have you laughing from
beginning to end. From catchy one-liners
to observational humour, the strength
of the writing makes the game worth
playing at least once. The voice acting is
extremely well done, and Nolan North of
Uncharted fame showcases his versatility
with a variety of styles that you'd be hard
pressed to associate with the guy famous
for voicing Nathan Drake.
The game also features a bunch of cameos from the Marvel
universe, such as X-Men staple Wolverine, and the time
travelling Cable. However, the more obscure Mr. Sinister and
Rogue also have roles in the game. With Marvel focusing on
bringing their bigger IPs to movies and games, its nice to
see such fan service involving some of
the more niche protagonists. If youre a
comic buff, youll be right at home.
The gameplay is executed in a rather
interesting fashion: you have both guns
and swords to kill, maim, decapitate and
destroy your foes. However, you can't
use both simultaneously. Rather, you'll
find yourself moving back and forth
between play styles. Opting for guns puts
you in the usual third-person shooter
perspective made popular by games such
as Gears of War, but you can't hide behind
cover this time around. The assortment of
weapons range from the bog standard
pistols to futuristic energy rifles and the
all-but-necessary rocket launchers. When
armed with melee weaponry, you can
get up close and slash your enemies with
katanas, Sais and hammers.
DEADPOOL
Awesome Assassin
Adventures
By Sam Mathews
Deadpool
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
PLATFORM : PC, PS3, Xbox 360
DEVELOPER
INFO
High Moon Studios
www.deadpoolgame.com
ACTION-ADVENTURE
Killer script; great dialogues; fun
combat.
Average graphics; hordes of
enemies.
Gameplay
Graphics
Sound
Replayability
RATINGS
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Deadpool can teleport across the battlefield, which makes up
for the lack of cover mechanics. The tap of a button displaces
you in the nick of time, preventing you from taking enemy fire.
It might seem that the combat is at odds with itself thanks to
several elements at play, but it ends up working quite well.
Before you know it, you'll be running circles around the myriad
mutants, clones and soldiers the game throws at you, smoothly
transitioning between guns and swords, punctuated by the odd
teleportation trick or two. Some might wish that the combat
were similar to other third-person titles like Bayonetta or Devil
May Cry and their seamless switching between pistol play and
short range attacks, but High Moon shows that this method of
implementing combat works just fine too.
There is also a combo system that lets you chain together
an unrelenting string of attacks, netting you experience points
to upgrade your skills. The skills include abilities such as being
able to teleport more frequently and unlocking a wider move
set of powerful attacks. These attacks are labelled 'Gunkata',
and let you decimate the opposition in a shower of bullets and
stabs. On the whole, the combat system is extremely deep and
gratifying, what with plenty of blood and gore along with a ton
of over-the-top moves to indulge in.
The pacing of the game is almost perfect, which is what
makes it so playable. Just when you think things are getting
stale, it throws up a twist or three. Be it making fun of gaming
tropes, self-referential humour, or simply adopting another
genre altogether (like 2D side-scrolling), theres a lot going
on to keep things fresh. The game also has one of the coolest
on-rails set pieces weve seen all year long. The devs have put
in a wealth of originality and love for keeping things different.
In fact, youll almost forget that the environments arent much
and that the game keeps throwing you into gauntlets.
Solid gameplay mechanics and pacing aside, Deadpool
is not without its faults. For one, it looks quite unremarkable
compared to High Moon's Transformers games. If you were
expecting something along the lines of this years heavy
hitters such as Tomb Raider or Metro: Last Light, prepare to
be disappointed. Its surprising that a game running the Unreal
Engine can look so average.
On the bright side, the system requirements are super
lowa dual-core processor and an ancient 88xx series card will
suffice if youre considering playing it on the PC. However, we
do have to note that using a mouse and keyboard combo isn't
the best way to play this game as the default control settings
make it quite difficult to pull of Deadpool's flurry of attacks.
While keys can be remapped, we preferred playing the game
using a gamepad.
Deadpool is an extremely entertaining romp. Though it
lacks the spit and polish weve come to know and expect
from High Moons previous attempts, that doesnt make it any
less endearing. One of the better games featuring characters
from the Marvel universe, it might not reach the epic scales
of Batmans Arkham adventures, but it manages to hold its
own long enough to ensure you crack a smile, if not peals of
laughter. Highly recommended even if youre not a fan of the
comics.
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practice
second l i fe for ol d hardware
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SECOND LIFE
For Old Hardware
Instead of letting your old gadgets gather dust, let us show you how you can easily convert
old devices into handy tools in just a few simple steps
By Frederik Niemeyer
MEDIA CLIENT
with an Android device
You dont need new and expensive devices to create a
wireless media receiver just use an old Android smartphone
1
INSTALLING A MEDIA CLIENT ON AN OLD SMARTPHONE To exchange data,
you must connect all the desired devices to the router. Then, install the BubbleUPnP App
on the old smartphone, which can be downloaded from the Google Play Store. The trial
version is free but the device-remote control is restricted to 30 minutes per launch. The full
version costs RM15. Your media server has remote access to the device, if the option Allow
remote control is activated under the [Menu button] | Settings | Local Renderer
(Standard). Set the Timeout in [Menu button] | Settings | Control | Kill on inactivity to
never. Now, you need to connect the phone to your music system with a USB cable,
connect it to the power supply network and remove the battery your wireless media
receiver is ready.
2
STREAMING FROM SMARTPHONE TO SMARTPHONE Install BubbleUPnP on
another smartphone or tablet. The App works as a client and a server at the same time
and is even capable of transferring media files from the network storage. Switch from the
main view in the Devices tab and select under Renderers the BubbleUPnP client that is
put in point 1. Using Libraries, specify where your music is located: Local Media Server
is the current device, BubbleUPnP Media Server is the old one. Here, you will also find the
released media libraries of the corresponding PCs and the network memory. BubbleUPnP
can now stream music wirelessly from the Library tab on the old smartphone.
3
STREAMING FROM PC TO SMARTPHONE Streaming is even easier from a PC: Click
on Other media libraries in Windows Media Player, wait for the BubbleUPnP Media
Server in the list to appear and select the device. This way, Windows integrates the cell
phone as the playback device in the context menu. Now, stream the music albums and
music files simply by right clicking on the file with Open with | BubbleUPnP. To forward
the media library of the PC to the BubbleUPnP receiver using the new smartphone (see point
2), activate Streaming | Allow automatic playback of the media through devices in the
media player. For this to work, the PC must be in the home network group.
4
STREAMING SPOTIFY, RDIO & CO Music services with encrypted data cannot be
easily streamed using UPnP. To transfer music from these sources from a PC to a
smartphone, you need the additional program Jamcast Server for Windows (RM98 for the
full version or 14 days trial). Spotify streaming works between devices if you install one of
the android root Apps AirAudio or AirPlay on Android AOA service on the transmitter
device and AirBubble for the receiver device.
2
3
4
1
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practice
second l i fe for ol d hardware
3
2
1
1
3
WLAN-REPEATER
with a Win7 laptop
1
POSITIONING A NOTEBOOK AT A SUITABLE SPOT If
you have Windows 7 Notebook and it has a wireless chip, you
can easily extend your WLAN range with it, for instance, all the
way up to the garden. For this, connect your device to the network
and set it up between the router and the location, where you would
like the new WLAN to be set up.
2
INSTALLING CONNECTIFY The easiest way to set up virtual
Wi-Fi is with the tool Connectify; as Microsoft does not offer a
way or user interface to do so. Install the program and also .NET
4.5 and Visual C++ and restart your computer. When asked, allow
net access for the tool through Firewall and start Connectify
Hotspot.
3
SETTING UP AND CONNECTING TO THE ACCESS
POINT Set a password for the new WLAN and select your
network under Internet to Share, either the WLAN of your router
or a connection via connected LAN cable. After clicking on Start
Hotspot, you can login with other devices in the Connectify-me
access point and access the Net.
SURVEILLANCE
via Handycam
1
SETTING UP NETWORK CAMERA APP With the IP
Webcam App from Googles Play Store, an old android
smartphone can be used as a surveillance camera that you can
access and control over a network. For this, connect your
smartphone with your WLAN, open the application and tap on the
Start Server option. Now, note down the IP address of the
smartphone along with the port, connect it to a power supply and
put it in a suitable place. You will be able to see the network
address in the video image of the App.
2
WATCHING VIDEO STREAMS IN THE BROWSER Type
your IP address (for local connection) or your hostname (for
Internet access) followed by the port number (see right), in the
address bar of the browser. With this method, you can access the
camera via the web interface, capture photos and activate the LED
light.
3
WATCHING VIDEO STREAMS ON OTHER DEVICES With
the tinyCAM App, you can keep an eye on events even on
mobile devices. For this, select Manage cameras |
[Plus-Symbol] | Camera vendor | IP Webcam for Android in
tinyCAM and under Hostname, enter the IP address (or your
DynDNS name) including Port number 8080.
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tips & tricks
wi ndows, appl i cations & hardware
OCTOBER 2013
Tips
Tricks
HARDWARE
01
Keyboards
Rectify problems with your
keyboard
Keyboards are one of the most robust
components that a computer has. Every
key on the standard keyboard handles
over hundred thousand of strokes -
without making a mistake. Despite this
fact, keyboards can start acting up
but this is mainly because of external
sources: Dust, crumbs, hair, cigarette
ash, liquids and so on, which often falls
into the spaces between the keys of the
keyboard over the course of time. All
these things affect the mechanics and
can cause contact issues. If the keyboard
is not working properly and it is not
due to a drained battery and pinched or
broken cable then the first you should
do is shut down the computer and
turnover the keyboard once and shake it
vigorously so that the rough and loose
particles will fall out. The next step is
to clean it with a vacuum cleaner and
upholstery nozzle. A possible film of dirt
on the keys and frames can be removed
with the normal wet wipes.
02
Ink-jet printer
General tips for refilling toner
cartridges
If you want to save money by refilling
your ink or toner cartridges yourself,
here are a few basic rules you should
follow to get yourself prepared.
Make sure everything is ready before
proceeding with the task, because
nothing is more annoying than when
you have to search for something
with ink on your fingers. You will
need: Disposable gloves, paper towels,
window cleaner, stationery knife,
disposable syringe with needles and
a drip-resistance base so that the ink
does not stain your table top during
the process. Do not hesitate when it
comes to refilling! As soon as the first
light-coloured stripes are seen on a
print image you should get into action.
This is because empty cartridges dry
up quickly, causing it to clog up very
easily. As for BubbleJet printers, the
nozzles are cooled by the discharging
ink. If the nozzles run dry the excessive
heat can destroy them. Air also plays
an important role while refilling: Of
course the air must basically be cleaned
out from the empty cartridge and the
ink. However, do pay attention while
refilling and make sure the cartridge is
not filled to the brim and that there are
no air bubbles in the syringe and later
in the cartridge. Air bubbles can prevent
the ink from discharging when it lies in
front of the nozzle. Lodged air bubbles
cannot be removed even if you use
reduced or excessive pressure, as the air
can compress and expand. Depending
on the printer and cartridge model,
there are additional hurdles like security
chips or coding that you must deal with
separately. Moreover, there can be slight
variation in colours, light and abrasion
resistance. So, firstly do check on the
Internet to find out which refill method
should be used and what are some of
Dust and dirt are usually the culprits responsible in causing a keyboard to start acting wonky.
Regular cleaning ensures frustration-free typing.
01
If you follow a few fundamental tips, you can
save money and trouble when refilling ink or
toner cartridges
02
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the things to take into account..
We are actually against the storage
of refilled cartridges since these are or
were opened before so they tend to dry
out quickly. You can remove the rest
of the ink residues on the hands by
using soft soap (this can be found and
purchased from a hardware store or
pharmacy)
03
Battery
With a little training a battery's
lifespan can be extended and its
capacity increased
Have you ever felt that the battery of
your mobile phone or camera must be
constantly recharged after a short while?
This is actually because the performance
of the battery reduces over time. Here
are some power-saving measures
for you to try out, so that you can
prevent it from happening. With this,
even smartphones can stay powered
up for awhile longer. To improve the
performance of the battery slightly
better on your own: just simply charge
and discharge the battery in repeated
successions within a short time. Be sure
to always completely discharge it but
simultaneously do not leave it for the
whole day or else it will total discharge
and that could possibly make the battery
unusable permanently.
This tip is particularly handy for
devices, whose batteries are not
compatible or have already lost massive
amounts of running time due to frequent
short time charging.
04
Graphic cards
Solving problems when
mounting and installation
Depending on what type of user you
are, a performance graphics card is
sometimes necessary, so that the latest
games runs smoothly and with high
quality. However, before buying, make
sure to check whether your motherboard
is compatible with the new card. Some
high performance models actually take
up the entire length of the PCIe slots
even on a ATX sized motherboard.
Therefore, you should make sure if it
actually fits into your computer chassis.
Sometimes the hard disk cages or the
fan of the CPU and the cases can get
in its way. These days, the connection
technology will never be an issue:
as the PCIe connection has been a
standard that has been established
for many years. However there are
several different revisions. To ensure
that the card performs to it fullest,
you should compare the specifications
of the motherboard and the graphics
card before making a purchase. The
installation is usually not critical. But
older drivers can cause problems. So
before you start working with driver
removal tools, you should consider a
clean reinstallation of the system. This
often solves all the problems.
05
PC system
Solve vague BIOS messages
during system start
If BIOS error messages constantly
appear during startup and it seems
like it doesn't have any effect on
the operation of the system, it could
probably be caused by the back-up
battery that has run dry. Previously,
this could be easily detected from the
incorrect system time, but now, since
this - as well as other settings - are
synchronised over the Internet. It is no
longer a reliable indicator.
06
KVM-Switch/TFT-Monitor
Take note of the maximum
resolution for displays
If you feel disappointed with the image
quality of your new high resolution
monitor, this can be due to the change
from the older monitor: This is because
most older switches support a maximum
resolution of 1024x768 pixels.
Before buying a new graphic card, you should
check if the computer is big enough to house it
04
While PCs are now able to provide users with
error info easily as they are connected to the
net, empty batteries often go unnoticed
05
The old KVM switches do not support the
current high resolution of flat screen monitors
06
Once in a while completely charge and
discharge your drained battery in successions
to make it fit again
03
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PHOTOGRAPHY
07
PORTRAIT PHOTOS
Never go without a reflector for
portrait shooting
No other accessory is as important as
the reflector for photos of people. A
reflector perfectly illuminates the model
for backlit photos without disrupting
the mood of the picture. Moreover,
a large piece of fabric is also suitable
for shadowing as a wind screen or as
achanging room substitute. When using
a reflector, be mindful about the color
of the foil: a silver foil creates a cold,
golden area rather than a warm light.
For shooting in strong wind, a stable
model with aluminium edges such
as the one by California Sunbounce
is recommended. For home studios,
a blanket which stretches over the
Styrofoam plate is often enough.
08
PHOTO PLANNING
Collect cool photos ideas for the
future
When it comes to taking photos of an
individual, the quality of the image
depends greatly on the subject and
composition of the photograph. This
why it is important to collect sample
images first and have a discussion
in order to find a common concept.
With this method, you can prepare
specifically, organise the necessary
props and clothes and thus save a
lot of time during the actual shoot.
Photography websites as well as
Facebook, women magazines or Google
are some of the best sources for
collecting ideas.
9
NIGHT PHOTOS
Capture dynamic light traces of
vehicles
To achieve images like these, the
camera must be on a tripod in order
to capture the lights of moving trains,
buses and cars because you require an
exposure time that is two seconds or
longer. The more the traffic, the more
intensive the colors will be. When taking
photos of individual cars, the proper
exposure time plays an important role
experimenting helps. Another important
tip is to always wear reflective clothes
when taking photos by the roadside for
safety purposes.The best thing to wear
would be a reflective vest.
10
NIGHT PHOTOS
The trick with the star-shaped
lights
The star-shaped light reflections of
street lamps and signals contribute
considerably to the mood of an image
especially for night city photos. In
order to capture these beams, set the
aperture to f/8 or greater. The smaller
the aperture, the more distinct the star
shapes become. For more intensive
beams, you can use a Star filter. It is
designed with a fine screen in which the
beams are simply reflected.
11
PHOTO ART
Capture the light paintings on
photos with a torchlight or LED
lights
Light paintings are an interesting genre
of night photography. Wear dark clothes
and keep multicolored light sources such
as a torch light or an LED at the ready.
Mount the camera on a tripod, use a
programmable remote shutter and select
an exposure of one to two minutes.
Release the trigger and paint in the
image with the light source. With a little
practice, you will be able successfully
capture amazing pictures.
12
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY
Approach the locals
The faces and the habits of natives
often reflect the history and the culture
of a country in a unique way. Be brave
and ask the locals for their permission
to take a photo. The portrait would
CHANGING THE NAME IN IE
You can change the names of saved
favourites by clicking on the
Favourites tab and then selecting
Organise Favourites. You will find
the rename option here.
HIDING ZERO VALUES
To hide zero values in Excel sheets,
open Tools | Options and deactivate
the Zero Values option.
INTERRUPTING PRESENTATIONS
To interrupt PowerPoint
presentations with a black screen,
press [B] or [.].
DISPLAYING PARAGRAPH MARKS
To do this, press [Ctrl] + [Shift] + [+]
in Word for viewing all non printable
characters.
RETAIN TABLE FORMAT IN EXCEL
In Excel, when you paste a table from
one sheet to another, at the end you
will see a small box. Clicking on it,
you will find several useful options
that will help you retain the original
table format.
Quick Tips
The bulb exposures on road scenes look very
spectacular particularly in the evening hours
or at night
9
Before taking a picture of the local people in
another country, always ask for permission
politely and you might get more interesting
photos
12
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definitely enhance your photo album.
13
SUBJECT SELECTION
There is no bad weather just a
different subject
Even when you are on a tour in the
Sahara, there's no way you can avoid a
shower or rainy days during these long
journeys. For days like these, you can
use the reflections in the puddles and on
the flooded streets for very interesting
photos. In severe thunderstorms though,
we advise you to take photos indoors
and not out in the elements.
14
STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY
Work free from dust to avoid
post-processing
Gloves, microfiber cloths and antistatic
brushes are a must because objects
easily attract a lot of dust and dirt
when lamps are used. Therefore, it
would be beneficial to prepare these
tools accordingly; otherwise you will be
spending a lot of time on retouching. It
is also important to clean the object first
instead of editing the image later.
15
ANALOGUE CLOCKS IN PHOTOS
Always set it to smile
Have you ever wondered why the time
on clocks in photos are often set to
10:10? The answer is the same as our
tip. With this setting of time, a kind a
smile is created on the subject. The
clock virtually smiles at you. However,
this smile can also be created by setting
the clock to 1:50.
16
ANIMAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Capture the most relaxed
moments with no flash
Pets behave particularly relaxed in a
familiar surrounding. Therefore, house or
flats are the ideal places to take photos
of cats, dogs, parrots & others just
make sure the vacuum cleaner is not
running at the same time. You can get
particularly impressive pictures if you
take the photos of animals at eye level.
Most animals are afraid of lightning.
Hence, the constant small flashing
of a studio flash unit may intimidate
your animal model. Therefore, do not
use a flash when taking photographs
in a studio and use continuous light
instead. To capture fast movements of
a pet, there's also the option to use fast
movement exposure, which is less than
the flash synchronisation time of 1/250
second.
17
PORTRAIT PHOTOS
Take shadow-free photos with
hot shoe flashes
Direct flashes while taking a photo
makes the image appear rigid and
artificial and also creates horrible
shadows. If you are indoors and the
ceiling is white and not so high, you
should set the system flash at an angle
or vertically upwards. The ceiling will
serve as an oversized reflector and
reflects the light evenly.
CAUTION! Flashed wooden ceilings
often result in a distinct yellowish red
colour tint on the images. Alternatively,
you can expand the hot shoe flash with
a useful mini-softbox.
18
EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY
Switch to the burst shooting
mode during events
Events are often unpredictable, which
make it difficult to determine the ideal
moments for a photo. Therefore, set
your camera to the burst mode. Now
you can capture many photos in a
short moment. However, remember to
keep a check on the camera buffer. If it
gets full, you won't be able to fire the
trigger for some time. This happens
especially when you are taking photos
in RAW format because the data volume
saved here is considerably greater as
compared to when you take only JPEGs.
It is worth it to wipe the dust off before taking
photos of objects in studio as editing on a PC
takes a much longer time
14
Relaxed animals are perfect photo subjects.
You as a photographer must be able to create
the right atmosphere
16
You should snap as many photos during events
and conferences so that you will be able to
select the best ones later
18
Life is not all colourful and exciting. If the
weather is gloomy, the images often appear
the same
13
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Whether it is during a press conference
or a political event: You should also
know the main subjects. Obtain a list
and stick to the most important faces
in mind now you can concentrate on
these VIPs when taking photos.
19
SUBJECT SELECTION
Evenings are the best for
atmospheric family phots
In nice weather, use the unique
atmoshphere and mood of nature
for your photos. Photos taken shortly
before the sunset appears is particularly
harmonic against the light, for example
at the end of a cordial Sunday walk.
Use a lens hood to reduce reflections.
Also make sure that the subjects are
not flooded in front of the bright
background.
MOBILE
20
iPHONE
Set individual vibrate patterns
for different callers
While setting different ringtones for
different contacts allows you to easily
identify them, it doesn't quite help
when your phone is set to silent mode
during a meeting. With the iPhone,
you can also set a different vibration
pattern for each contact so that with
some practice you can also tell who
is calling. To do this, you have to first
open the Contacts app and select the
respective contact you want. Select
Edit and search Vibrate in the
menu, which is usually set to standard.
In the section "Normal, there already
some typical patterns available which
you can select by clicking on them.
If you want to personalise it further,
you can also "Create a new vibration".
You can easily create the sequence by
specifying a scheme by selecting any
of the grey areas on the screen in the
desired time sequence. The compilation
begins automatically with the first tap.
Subsequently you can test the vibration
with the option "Repeat" and, if required,
"Record it again. If you are happy with
the sequence, select Save and give
the vibration pattern a name. After that,
this pattern will be immediately available
in the menu for selection.
21
ANDROID
Manage search engines access
for Firefox
If you use Firefox on your Android
device, you generally get hits from
Google, Amazon, Twitter and Wikipedia
when you search for a keyword. If you
want to limit the search only to Google
or want to extend it to other search
engines like Yahoo, you do not have the
option to manage the search engines
from the search box like on the PC.
The configuration of search engines
is available in the add-ons menu. For
this, open the settings of the app and
the tap on "Extras" and then on Add-
ons. Besides other possible extensions,
this list shows the set search engines
where the aforementioned four search
enginels are integrated. In order to
switch off any one of it, tap on it and
then on Deactivate in the following
dialog. With the same method, you can
later reselect the search engines later
by tapping on Activate. To insert
additional search engines, tap on the
icon to the right next to "Your Add-ons".
Only in the following dialog, enter the
search keyword as Yahoo or Bing
in the field on the page and then tap on
the green arrow. Search for the suitable
add-on such as Yahoo Search for
Firefox Android in the list. Then open
the detailed display and tap on Add
to Firefox. Confirm the request for the
new search machine by selecting Add.
22
ANDROID/IPHONE/IPAD
Charge your battery free of risk
via USB
Smartphones have to be recharged often
even while traveling. Handy USB ports
used for recharging is now available
almost everywhere; but it could also
pose a risk. The USB connection to an
If the sun has a deep, red shade it will be able
to bring out beautiful romantic subjects. Try it
out.
19
Firefox can use diverse search machines also
under Android however, their management
takes place here with Add-ons
21
USB debugging and the installation of apps
from other sources must be deactivated on
default in Android
22
With the distinct and easily recognisable
patterns of vibration, you can easily tell who is
calling even in silent mode
20
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external systems may result in data
exchange. This is now common not
just for PCs but also other devices.
Depending on the configuration of the
smartphone and external system, it can
lead to automatic connection which
you may not realise.
For example, photos may be
uploading to a service like Dropbox in
the background. On Android, there is
a high possibility that malware may
be installed on the device. Therefore,
the safest thing to do is to switch off
the smartphone completely before
connecting it to the external USB port.
If you want to or have to leave the
device active, you should be careful
while connecting and be aware if the
device is requesting for a mode. If it is,
always select the option Charge only.
In Android's Developer options in the
settings, be sure to check here whether
USB debugging is deactivated.
Also, be sure to go to the Security
settings and deactivate the option
Unknown source in order to prevent
the installation of apps or malware from
unreliable sources.
SOCIAL NETWORKS
23
FACEBOOK
Use the new stickers in
Facebook chat
Besides small emoticons, there are also
larger stickers available, which you can
use in chat messages on Facebook. If
you don't like the pre-installed ones,
you can download more for free. To do
this, open a chat dialog in the Facebook
app. While you can insert the available
emoticons via the plus sign to the left
of the input field, there is a new smiley
to access stickers to the right of the
input field. The first set of stickers is
already available. The lower menu bar
facilitates the access to the recently used
stickers, different sticker collections as
well as the purchase basket of sticker
store. You can select more sticker sets
here and download them free of cost
via the arrow symbol. Scroll through the
respective collection and click the sticker
to send it in the current chat. Unlike the
emoticons, the image is not inserted in
the text, but separately and immediately
without further confirmation. The whole
thing is a rather amusing form of
nudging via images.
TIP On the Facebook website, the
smiley is in the input field. The standard
Smileys and a mini-selection of stickers
are available here you can expand it as
suggested via the Facebook app.
24
TWITTER
Post and delete tweets directly
via e-mail
Although you can enter tweets via
the app from anywhere directly to
Twitter, there is also an option to
tweet via email. This even comes with
some advantages as it offers more
functionality.
To begin, you must log in to the free
service Twittermail. Head to the website
twittercounter.com/pages/ twittermail and
click Sign in with Twitter on the top
leff corner. In a new window, confirm
the link by clicking Authorise app.
On the next page, you can deactivate
all the options for Twitter Counter from
the Settings. Once done, click Save
and go. Then, you will come to the
dialog for Twitter mail Settings. The
Twittermail address generated here
is very important. Here you can take
the suggested encrypted name or you
can change the address in the field.
However, please note that every email
sent there would automatically generate
a tweet in your profile in the future.
Also take note that, addresses that can
be guessed easily, can lead to Spam in
the tweets.
You only have to enter your Twitter
password when you want to forward
images in your tweets. In the field
"Cut of phrase, you can define a
text that marks the end of the text to
be forwarded in the email. With this,
you can prevent the publishing of
your signature too. You can also keep
the field empty and use the two line
breaks as end markers. With the Setting
"Message body, the combination field
What to tweet determines whether
the message should be published on
Twitter. You can also choose "Subject"
for the subject line or for both. Copy the
encrypted mail address in your address
book. Once the "Save settings" options
is clicked, the service will be ready to
use.
Instead of small emoticons, you can also
send nicer stickers via Facebook to share your
moods
23
Get access to Twitter mail in order to tweet more comfortably and reliably via email
24
october 13
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events & happeni ngs
03/09/2013 - Models posing with the brand new Lenovo tablets
11/09/2013 - Samsung execs look on as kids have fun at the new
Samsung Experience Store in Gardens Mid Valley
30/08/2013 - Execs and ambassadors officiating the opening of
Ninetologys flagship store in Low Yat Plaza
17/09/2013 - She seems to like the new Sony 3000
enough that shes already shooting photos with it
04/09/2013 - The Alcatel One Touch Idol X features
a Full HD screen, a quad-core processor and a bunch
of other cool features!
17/09/2013 - Introducing the new Sony NEX-5T
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picture perfect
events & happeni ngs
20/09/2013 - The Samsung GALAXY Gear is also great for the
athletic types as it also acts as a pedometer
21/09/2013 - Vince Chong, Sirpa Ikola and SK Wong were all smiles at
the HTC Day event
21/09/2013 - 6 year old Meagan Tan was one of the youngest
volunteers at the Acer-Stop Hunger Now Food Packing event. Here she is
patting down a meal pack
19/09/2013 - Seen here is Simon King and Ken Lee
showing us how easy it is to use the new DocuCentres
17/09/2013 - Sonys Action Cam, is so light you
can even stick on your helmet when you go off-road
18/09/2013 - The successor to the BlackBerry Z10,
the Z30 is a very attractive smartphone
october 13
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picture perfect
events & happeni ngs
19/09/2013 - Models and cosplayers lining up in front of the
Sony Xperia booth at Tokyo Game Show
21/09/2013 - Cosplayers promoting Namco Bandais new J-Stars
Victory
19/09/2013 - Dont underestimate them. These girls at the AMD
booth at Tokyo Game Show know their stuff!
19/09/2013 - A model holding up Sonys new
PlayStation Vita portable gaming console
20/09/2013 - A Gundam head is the centrepiece
of Namco Bandais various Gundam-based
games.
21/09/2013 - Over 200,000 people from around
the world attended Tokyo Game Show this year
Tokyo Game Show 2013